Forth Valley Area

Friday 29th April, 8:00pm. Stirling Cricket Club

1. Attendees: Joe Kincaid, Norman Ainslie, Ritchie Stewart, Malcolm Duncan, Alex Duncan, Billie Beattie, Phillys Beattie, Derek Young, Fraser Sutherland, Don Macleod, Laura Lee, Neil Murray, Alan Wilson. Gill Smith, Margaret McLean, Ailean Preston, Morag Duncan, Margaret Mauchline, Michele Hadley, Marjory Christie..
2. Apologies for absence: Harry Brodie, Bill Strang, Val Saville, Jim McAughtrie, Janet Simpson, Fiona Glass

3. Minutes of AGM 2021 [sent 1st May 2021] Matters arising, none.

4. Chairman’s Report - Well we managed it!! A season of curling with NO closures of any rinks due to the threat of Covid . After last season I am sure you were like me in being apprehensive about the future of our great sport and although there were times we played with only 1 sweeper …sometimes I feel like I only have 1 sweeping! and with other tweaks to the game but we still managed to get back on the ice and enjoy what we love to do. There were still some major cancellations such as the incoming USA Mens Tour ( now due here in January 2023), The Outgoing Ladies tour to USA ( now taking off later this year in October) and once again the Indoor Grand Match was postponed (Watch this space). Hopefully we shall see all of the above being played. Next year in January 2022 the Mens tour of Canada when 60 players will head over to try and reclaim the Strathcona Cup and there is also a Ladies tour heading to Sweden. On the Area side I know that a lot of clubs have lost members and with some clubs folding along with ice bookings also being down things looked bleak but we had such a successful Olympics for our two teams out there in Beijing that hopefully that may be a springboard to help get our numbers heading the right direction. We have lots of enthusiastic people on our committees who want to build up our membership to hopefully pre-Covid levels. Let's do this. Regards, Harry Brodie, Chair

5. ASC Report REPORT ON LATEST ASC MEETING 14/04/22 At the last meeting of the ASC the main topics of conversation were the proposal to give Juniors and Gateway Club members the right to vote. At the moment they don’t have that right because they pay a reduced membership fee It was proposed that it was put on the Agenda to be discussed at the AGM. The ASC has been trying to have more joint meetings with the LCS and so far these meetings have been very productive and our next meeting is scheduled for the 16th June 2022. There are a couple of vacancies for independent directors and a few names have been identified. We also discussed the 2 Mens tours which are scheduled for next year the incoming USA tour and the out going Canadian Tour. The only other thing that was talked about was the £5.00 increase to the membership.
6. Financial Statement Charged for final of Area Championship in 2018-19 but not since making it an expensive small tournament I.e three games only two charged plus prizes.  Ice fees and subscriptions to include prizes. Unanimously agreed to continue prizes as bottles of wine. Agreed to one charge for ice over the entire season of 2022-2023 to cover the price rise in January 2023 of £84.

7.Area Subscription Remain the same for 2022-2023 at £3.00 as already charged. To increase to £5 in season 2023-2024.

8. Area Committee and Representatives

• Harry Brodie chair for 1 year.

• Norman Ainslie representative for 3 years

9. Election of Secretary and Treasurer

• Secretary Joe Kincaid will continue for one more year.

• Treasurer Ritchie Stewart will continue for one more year.

10. Election of Auditor

• Ritchie Stewart indicated that Peter Moodie has agreed to audit the accounts this year after the meeting..

11. Area Competitions 19/20

• Knock-out – Kilsyth

• Bonspiel – Stirlingshire/Borestone & Stirling

• Championship final - Postponed due to covid19 closure (Buccaneers v Livingston)

12. Area Competitions 20/21

• None

13. Area Competitions 21/22

• Championship final 2020 - Buccaneers v Livingston played 3rd Sept 2021 won by Buccaneers.

• Knockout final played 27th October 2021 Kilsyth v Blairdrummond, won by Kilsyth.

• Area Bonspiel played on 12th January 2022, won by West Lothian, with Uphall the best club score. (Published in Your Curler)

• Championship final played on 16th March 2022 Oatridge v Keir, won by Keir.

14.  Notices

• The 184th Annual General Meeting of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club will be held on Saturday 20 August 2022 at 2pm at Curl Edinburgh, 13A Riversdale Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 5XN

• The 62nd Annual General Meeting of the Ladies’ Branch of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club will be held on Tuesday 10th May 2022 at 2pm at Forfar Indoor Sports, Suttieside Road, Forfar DD8 3NG.

• Ottawa Valley Province Tour coming to Stirling on the morning of Wednesday the 26th October 2022, 4 teams.

At the moment no details of teams required to play, but Forth & Endrick can provide one mens team, Stirling Area Ladies Committee can provide 2 ladies teams if required. One further mens team could be required.

• RCCC subscription up to £25.00

15. AOCB

• There was a discussion about the suitability of the Peak to manage the requirements of major ice competitions such as the indoor grand match. With the upstairs restaurant closed, serving food and drink to competitors would be a major issue. Food has been delivered for small scale groups. Viewing the competitions could be facilitated but not at scale. There would be limited areas for assembly, etc. This is not ideal and leads to doubts about holding such competitions.

• The closure of the restaurant was also discussed, problems with lack of use from curlers, but not exclusive to curling, other sports users could use it. As it was not dedicated to curling, it was a sports facility issue. If users want it back, then all sports representatives should engage with ActiveStirling.

16. Prize giving for above competitions finished the night.