Apart from giving you news of what has been happening in the Club, this newsletter is also the required notification of the Club's 39th AGM on 16th November.
Club News - Show
As you will know the weather did us no favours this year. Both days were very windy and Saturday was also rather wet. Gate attendances on the Saturday were well down, only £1800 being taken. A few of us thought that we were in for a financial blow. However, Sunday brought record attendances and we took £5,600 on the gate. This, together with the fact that Traders and Campers pay in advance, meant that we had a pretty successful Show after all, with a surplus of around £5,000.TrainingFrom this we have donated sums as follows: LMA £600 (this includes Show insurance); Air Ambulance £850; St. Michael's Hospice £400; Acorns Children's Hospice £250; St. John £250; Much Marcle Church Roof £250.
In addition a raffle was run over the weekend with prizes donated by the commentator, Colin Hammond, and some of the traders and this raised over £480 for the Acorns Hospice. Our thanks go to the LMA flyers who managed to keep a display going, especially on Sunday, and who ran everything "airside" for us.Thanks to all members who helped in any way with the Show, and thanks to those who brought along relatives and friends who also helped in various ways. We much appreciate those who give up their valuable time. Over 80% of our members helped in some way and we were again able to have the field cleared of all Club equipment by noon on Monday. The adverse weather serves to remind us that we cannot take the Golden Goose for granted. A few grim years would be financially bad but would also cause traders and visitors to drift away and it would be very difficult to get them back.
John Warner has been running the Tuesday evening sessions but I am sorry to report that the Club Uno-Wot is no more, having succumbed to the forces of gravity. John bravely employed his own Wot4 in the trainer role but that also came to grief when it apparently attempted to eclipse the sun. We now await Uno-Wot 2 which John says is well on the way to completion. Training has been impacted by the weather this year but we still have a number of people going through so we are not taking on any new, unqualified members, except Juniors.Field and Clubhouse
The Music weekend was held in August but reports are that it was not well-attended. The organisers did what they promised in roping off "our" half of the field.Membership
There have been one or two other unscheduled happenings affecting weekend flying - caravans, dodgem tracks- but the field is in good condition and the strip has probably never been better. Please make sure that if the field gate is closed when you arrive you close it when you leave. It should go without saying that if the sheep are in the field you should close the gate immediately you have gone through it, but I have seen someone drive merrily through, apparently oblivious to the woolly beings ...Our thanks to Alan Hester who has very neatly fitted the metal sheeting to the inside of the clubhouse and to Gerald Matthews who has started to paint the exterior of the building.
We welcome Lewis Hiscox , a junior member, who lives in Llanwarne.Annual General Meeting
This is notification of the 39th AGM to be held on 16th November at 8.00pm at the Royal Oak. Please let me have any Constitutional items at least 30 days beforehand. An agenda will be sent out well before the meeting. All present Committee members are willing to continue, except Martyn Rule who has work commitments which take him away from the area for periods of time. If anyone wishes to stand for committee, or to nominate someone else who is willing to stand, please make sure there is someone to propose and second and get details to me as soon as possible
The current Treasurer and Secretary/Show Organiser are willing to continue in post if re-elected.Please make every effort to attend this AGM. It is, after all, your Club and you should play your part in running it.
Thank you,
Bernard Morris