Delegates' Meeting Minutes 28th November 2007

Held at GERRARDS CROSS GOLF CLUB

PRESENT:
Carolyn Howell, County Captain
Jennie Marshall, County President
Veronica Boulter, 2nd Team Captain
Lynda Hilton, Hon. Secretary
Pamela Seller, Competitions Secretary - Bucks Shield & K/O's
Sue McKeon, Competitions Secretary - Leagues
Di Bovey, Handicap Adviser
Georgie Cairns, Treasurer
Gill Warner, Seniors Captain
Karen Platt, ELGA Representative

Lesley M Seller, Chesham & Leyhill
Tina Thomas, Iver
Julie Reardon, Richings Park
Delcie Francis, Buckingham
Joy Biggs, Whiteleaf
Ros Warren, Harewood Downs
Linda Pringle, Huntswood
Valerie Dexter, Princes Risborough
Sue Woodward, Burnham Beeches
Christine Honour, Wycombe Heights
Enid Hope, Datchet
Pat Child, Stoke Park
Ann Cook, Stoke Park
Val Cannon, Chartridge Park
Jane Denham, Chartridge Park
Mary Jefferies, Hazlemere
Donna Caldwell, Gerrards Cross
Iris Millan, Ellesborough
Glynis Lawrence, Mentmore
Sue Lee, Mentmore
Jacqueline Ash, Magnolia Park
Sandra Edmondson, Magnolia Park
Mollie Hunt, Stowe
Jill Davies, Flackwell Heath
Alison Posgate, Beaconsfield
Lorna Robertson, Beaconsfield
Mary Cole, Beaconsfield
Sarah Heath, Lambourne

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE:

Carol Morgan, Farnham Park
Jean Gray, Princes Risborough

2. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING:
Were taken as read and signed accordingly.

3. MATTERS ARISING:
None.

4. CAPTAIN'S REPORT:
I'd like to welcome you all; especially the new Delegates who have just started this year.
It is a very important job you do, liaising between County and club members. I can't stress enough your role of bringing your club members attention to all the County events and training programmes. Also mentioning competition events and when closing dates are looming. Perhaps when your lady captain gives out notices you could slip in something about a forthcoming event to do with a County meeting, matches, county week etc. Encourage your members to support any club members playing in a county match. Don't forget that everything is on the website if you haven't remembered any particular event, including all application forms.

We have been advised by ELGA/EWGA that it is important that we have four Delegate meetings per year in order to report matters arising from the Regional meetings which are also four times a year. So you will be having a Delegates meeting approximately 2-3 weeks after each Regional meeting. The Regional meetings will be held in Feb, May, June and October. The delegates will meet Feb, May, July and November to be informed of developments and you in turn will report back to your club committee.
With regard to the rumour that EWGA has not been accepted by Companies House, I have it on good authority from the BB&O Golf Development members that the reason is not the word 'Association' that is the hiccup but the word 'English'. This is apparently standard practice when anything is called English and will be resolved in due course. It happened to 'England Golf". So hopefully all is well.
I'd like to thank Harleyford for letting us hold the AGM at their club again this year; it is such a good venue for most people (apart from those from the North of the County).

Team training is in progress. Make sure you encourage your youngsters to come forward for county coaching. Contact Carole Weir any time, or me, if you want to suggest someone.
Please remind your Senior Ladies to fill in the form for Senior matches when you get your year book at the County lunch.

County lunch is at Woburn Golf Club on Friday 18th January 12.00 for 12.30pm. My speaker will be Tom Wise who is an MEP for the UKIP party representing East Anglia and resides in Leighton Buzzard. He will be able to give you the low down on what goes on in Brussels and Strasburg which should be very interesting and illuminating; so don't miss the inside story. Posters for the lunch are in your pack today to advertise the event, there is also an application form which can be photocopied and passed around your members. Both items will be on the web site, if not already, to enable anyone to download an application form. You will note that wine should be ordered before the day due to numbers, forms also for this to be returned by a certain date.
As this event is a good fund raiser for my Charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People so please remember that each club is asked to bring a prize worth about '15.00 so we can have a great raffle. We have raised to date '3,706.00, if we can match this again; we would be a sponsor of a County Dog. Ruth Dunkin will be in attendance along with one of the recipients and dog to promote the Charity.

New officials at Clubs: Please remind your club secretary to fill in the form giving the names of your new officers. Only 19 have been received and Lynda is 18 adrift.

The London Foursomes entry form is now available on the Bucks website. Please alert your club to this fact.

5. OFFICERS' REPORTS:
Handicap Adviser - Di Bovey
I was at Edgbaston, at a seminar with CONGU, where a presentation was given regarding new and altered handicap rules. These will take effect as from the 1st January 2008. As I only arrived home at 7pm last night I have only been able to put together some general notes, which were included in the delegates envelopes that you all took with you. The full notes and presentation will be given to you once I have had chance to digest them and go over them with the Executive Committee. In the meantime please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Seniors' Captain - Gill Warner
No seniors' report but I have to resign as Seniors Captain because my family and I are moving out of the area. If anyone is interested or you know of anyone who would be interested in taking over the role, please inform me or the Executive.

Second Team Captain - Veronica Boulter
The 2nd Team matches for 2008 have been arranged with the exception of Hertfordshire.
The new 2nd Team Captain will not be taking over until December but I will know this date at the next meeting.
The match dates are: -
Tuesday 25th March v Oxfordshire (home) at Buckingham G.C.,
Saturday 5th April v Berkshire (away) at Temple G.C.,
Tuesday 8th April v Hampshire (home) at Harleyford G.C.,
Monday 14th April v Middlesex (home) at Gerrards Cross.

SE ELGA Representative - Karen Platt
So, how does this affect you as the County Club Delegate?
In the information pack you take away with you today, you will find the job description for the EWGA/County Club Delegate. We would like all you to feel that any issue, however trivial, may be raised at any of our meetings, so that we all have a better understanding of our roles and more importantly, improve communications between us and ELGA so they may respond more actively to their members wishes.
Competitions/Venues
Entry forms for the London Foursomes and Australian Spoons have just been sent out to the Clubs according to an email I received yesterday from the outgoing SE Division Competition Secretary. If any club has not received these by the end of the year, please contact me and I will try and establish what has happened to them. The London Foursomes is scheduled to be held at Camberley Heath March 25th ' 27th. I have not had any confirmation that the proposal to make this event an annual fixture at The Berkshire from 2009 has been accepted as there is no financial support from ELGA or the Regions. It may be that a subcommittee will be formed to raise finance for this historical competition to continue.
The SE Foursomes will remain unchanged for 2008. The competition is due to be held at Gerrards Cross Golf Club on Thursday 25th September. This event has been cancelled in the past due to lack of support and its future will be reviewed at the end of 2008. Thank you to Gerrards Cross for agreeing to host this competition.
The SE Ladies Championship will be held in 2008 at Chipping Norton Golf Club on 15th ' 17th July. Bucks are due to host this event in 2009 when it will be open to all counties in our new Region. This is a 3 day event for which we shall be looking for a venue shortly.
The Girls SE championship will be held at Copthorne Golf Club, 7th August and Oxfordshire have been drawn to host this in 2009.
It was clear from the meeting that ELGA feel these changes are necessary to respond to the demands from their members. The registration at Companies House has now been achieved; the stumbling block was not the word Association as rumoured but the use of English in the title which apparently had to be permitted by Sport England with appropriate communication. The AGM will be held at The Russell Hotel in London on Tuesday December 4th. I shall be attending along with Count Captain; Carolyn Howell and County Secretary; Lynda Hilton
and look forward to what will probably be another stormy meeting if Vivienne Saunders gets the floor again. Perhaps I might see some of you there.
Finally, this will be my final year on the Executive. I should have retired this year but agreed to stay on to see through the changes. We shall therefore be looking to appoint a deputy who should be nominated by a club and seconded by another club in the county. A full job spec has been included in your packs.
Thank you

Honorary Treasurer - Georgie Cairns
No report.

6. BUCKS. SHIELD DRAW
The President drew out the clubs. The printed draw will be distributed with the minutes from this meeting.

7. DELEGATES' FORUM
Enid Hope (Datchet) asked if there could be a handicap limit for singles matches with the new system of 'full handicap'. Di Bovey said she would check with Pauline Perla
- Pauline Perla's reply attached.

Linda Pringle (Harewood Downs) asked what would happen to competitions that had already started and were being played off 3/4.
- They should be finished the way they started but from 1st Jan 08 all new competitions will be off full handicap.

Ross Warren (Harewood Downs) Are supplementary Cards the same as extra day cards?
- Yes but you can only use them if you haven't completed 6 qualifying cards in the previous year.
- 10 supplementary cards are the maximum in any one year.
- You have a sign a 'book' to state your intention to do a supplementary card before
playing.

Jane Denham (Chartridge Park) What happens if a new member does not have proof of her handicap?
- 3 cards have to be completed and submitted.

Mary Jeffries (Hazlemere) Could you please explain the new 9 hole qualifying competition?
- The golf club has to decide which nine holes they want to use, front, back or compilation then contact Di Bovey, who will then contact ELGA. ELGA will then give the standard scratch for the designated 9 holes.
- A qualifying 9 hole competition must be run as an organised competition.
Carolyn Howell (County Captain) Have clubs been informed which 9 holes they must use?
- No.

Tina Thomas (Iver) What is happening with the capitation for Buckinghamshire County?
- ELGA is willing to collect it on Buckinghamshire's behalf but the county will collect for the time being.

8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
None.

9. DETAILS OF NEXT MEETING
27th February 2007 ' 2pm ' Gerrards Cross