Who are you, again ?
The Club needs to add new methods of communication. The E-Letter for instance is reaching only a third of members, as we only have e-mail addresses going back over the last three years. If you have an e-mail address and are not receiving the E-letters, please mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . THANKS FOR DOING IT NOW!
Ted Bates, Hon. Secretary
SGMs
As you know these have proved popular, so the club has had two in the last three months. The first meeting turned down the proposed fee changes and elected the committee for the year we are now in, as follows:
A Barnett (Communications)
07720 445407
O S Keech (Captain)
07951 586497
E M Bates (Secretary)
020 8979 7161
I McNuff (Fundraising)
07709 346338
M Burbanks
07734 682543
C D Martin
07967 826833
R Carr
07802877729
J W C Searle (D/Captain)
07791 040499
C H E Fox (V/Captain)
01932 849204
P J Simmons
07885 107254
M I M Gardiner (C/Chairman)
01932 853794
K Settle
07736856315
A Graham
07818 420571
R Stanhope (Treasurer)
R B Hopkirk (Planning)
020 8972 9681
J West
G Keech
07932 014194
As part of the committee’s determination to lift the standards of the club in all aspects, staffing of the committee subgroups from both committee members and members is now almost complete, and almost all of the groups’ charters are ready for approval by the committee. The sub-groups are:
- Rowing incl. Elite Support
- Fundraising
- Secretary’s
- Communications
- Treasurer’s
- Bar
- Premises
- Social
- Planning
The scond meeting, after receiving a better explanation of the reason for the fees increase, how they compared with other clubs and reassurance that general club boat allocation had already been improved and was being further reviewed, agreed to the new fees by ballot and by more than the necessary 2:1 majority. The new fees are:
· Senior Full Racing Removed
· Student £230 (Maximum of 4 years, new category)
· Student (Vacation) £ 80 (£80)
· Adult Rowing £350 (£300)
· Junior (Full) £300 (£270)
· Junior (Saturday) £160 (£150)
A £150 fee is payable in addition for race fees and boat transport by any member racing in the senior squad.
A £35 discount will be allowed off senior and junior memberships for payment by September 30th.
All other classes and fees are to remain unchanged.
Stealing or Borrowing ?
Over the last year a lot of stuff has disappeared from the club – 3 ergos, 15 chairs, 6 stainless steel trays, 3 trestle tables, a new leaf-blower, 4 brooms, 2 rakes and 3 dustpans and brushes and other items. And a partridge in a pear tray you may say, but these are all useful items and have a value of over £4000. If you have borrowed any of this stuff and forgotten whose it is, please bring it back and no questions will be asked. If you have seen any of it leaving, please say.
The Situation is that …..
Dear Member
There has been a lot of discussion over the last few weeks with regard to the threat to the beer and spirit licence of the club and the acquisition of the adjoining land to enable us to build a rowing tank. To clear the air and to get it first hand I will start with the licensing.
THE CLUB’S BAR LICENCE
Ted Bates told me three months ago that if we had another complaint from our neighbours we could be put into a position of losing our licence. When Ted was away in early July, the President rang me and said that we had had a serious complaint from three neighbours who were forced to enter a wedding function on the previous Saturday because of the music being so loud. I contacted the neighbours and arranged a meeting with them. The President and I met them and listened for two hours with little chance to speak ourselves, and realised that we had a very serious situation on our hands. We took on the challenge and then met the Licensing Officer who said that he had received twenty two complaints about the club in the last two years, but he agreed that our Secretary had only been sent written details of two of these complaints. I subsequently found out that our Secretary had asked the previous committee to help with looking after these functions but received very little support. We immediately developed a list of about 15 actions which would improve the situation in addition to those taken earlier. For instance, employment of a qualified door steward, sound-proof curtaining, car-parking control, no cars on forecourt, lighting changes. To give a detailed example - our licence restricts us from taking goods and rubbish out of the club after 10 pm if it makes a noise. To deal with this, we had a meeting with our main caterer and he agreed to keep all his crockery on site for which we have built a cupboard, and are installing a new industrial dishwasher. Over the last six weeks, I have had three meetings with each residents’ association – Riverside, Taggs Island and Ash Island, and I can say with certainty that none of these meetings have been easy. I have met most of our residents individually but we have steadily and wisely altered their attitude because of the rapid steps we are taking on the action list – all so that we come within our licensing requirements.
It has been my greatest pleasure to have been a member of this Club for the last 60 years. I can say honestly that I don’t think I have ever had so much pressure in achieving a goal and such a challenge as we have just experienced. But I do believe again most seriously that out of these recent discussions with our neighbours, goodness will follow and we will achieve the more harmonious relationship with our neighbours which is essential to the Club. Arrangements have been made to meet our neighbours on a two to three month basis. They are most anxious, all three associations, to create a village atmosphere with us, in this part of the river.
Each of the associations has said that sometimes our manners are not up to standard – one example being more than one neighbour will say good morning to our members with no reply. So I would like us all to make sure to treat our neighbours as friends, for which the atmosphere is now right – and you have my word on that. You will be pleased to hear that these and other actions have persuaded our neighbour living opposite to withdraw his request for a review of our licence, which was due on October 4th.
Licence conditions
Here are details of our licence – please read them so that you can understand what constraint we are under both in legal terms and neighbourhood terms:
1 We have a Premises Licence, like a pub, not a Club Certificate. This gives more flexibility but with more responsibility.
2 We can sell alcohol, have live and recorded music, dance and perform dance (wrestling is out) on Mondays and Thursdays from 11.00 to 23.00, on Fridays and Saturday, from 11.00 to 24.00 and on Sundays from11.00 to 22.30. The premises has to be vacated by 30 minutes after the closing time.
3 We no longer have to apply for extensions unless we wish to vary anything.
4 We have chosen, in order to wind parties down, to have the last piece of music at 11.30, and last orders at the bar at 11.45, and other self-imposed rules, for instance no parking on the forecourt, may be found on the club website in the Hire Agreement under ‘Weddings & Parties’
Précis of the licence conditions
1 A noise limiting device must be fitted, and any amplifier plugged into it. EBC decides the setting and it should be in a lockable box.
2 No speakers may be placed outside the building. No regulated entertainment may be outside.
3 We may not audibly handle goods, bottles, kegs etc outside between 22.00 and 07.00.
4 External doors and windows serving the licensable area must be kept shut and be fitted with self-closers. Customers may come in and leave. Noise from door-closing must not be audible from the site boundary.
5 Customers must leave within 30 minutes of the end of regulated entertainment or the permitted hours for the sale of alcohol.
6 Customers shall not be permitted to use any external part of the premises e.g. outside drinking areas, for any purposes after 22:00 hours except for access to and from the premises.
7 Notices must be put up asking customers to leave quietly.
8 From 23:00 a member of staff must check the perimeters of the building every 30 minutes to ensure that the conditions are being complied with, and record this in a log book which may be inspected by the Police or Licensing Officer.
9 No fireworks after 22.00.
To sum up
Molesey Boat Club is just a name which is on the front of the boathouse. But we are, that is you and me, the heart, the lungs and the blood of the Boat Club. Perhaps we even are its soul! With this in mind, I would like to see the boat club go forward with more togetherness, as I get a very strong feeling that we have become sectionalised, the juniors doing one thing, the seniors and the novices another – all running on their own tramlines. Let us make an effort now to run as one club, all helping each other. I have met our new coaches, Tom and Ed, and within two weeks have become very impressed with their management. The first time I saw Ed, he made the crews clean boats inside and out. Another thing we have got to improve as a club is not leaving bottles on the forecourt and at the rear of the club, we must empty bins and keep the boats and the place really tidy and smart.
Keep smiling!
Dick Knight
Vice President
THE ROWING TANK AND THE ADJOINING LAND
The next item is the requirement for a rowing tank. Ted Bates and other clubs fought very hard five years ago to try and keep the rowing tank in the new Leisure Centre, when the old one was demolished, but after a year or two the Council decided that it was not to be, but said that the sport of rowing should be supported within the Borough, undertook to find the land and assist with fund-raising, but not to put in any money. After many discussions with the Council we came up with the idea that a tank could be built to the rear of our property as long as we could have part of the adjoining land for the boats which would be displaced by the rowing tank. After three full council meetings and two council sub-committee meetings, and many more meetings with councillors and residents, agreement was reached, and we applied for and obtained planning permission.
Whilst this was happening, the then President, Dickon Poole, asked us to look into the future for the next 20 to 25 years. After many discussions with the membership, we came up with the view that with the number of members now rowing and the need for improved and additional boat storage, the rowing tank would be a very important part of our future for training people and exercise. An important part of this was that in January 2007 we were not allowed to use the river for 27 days because red boards were in place and this compares with January 2002 of 4 days. This situation is not likely to improve. So a rowing tank would come into its own, next time this happens, in addition to all the opportunity it offers all the year round for technical work and exercise. Our other recommendation is that the ladies changing room be moved to the ground floor at the rear of the club (where the regatta store is), and that a dedicated ergo room be built above the new ladies changing room. The existing ladies changing room is too small, lacks ventilation and light, and we already have planning permission for the new location. The present location could become a physiotherapy area and be used for administration purposes.
We would like to bring to your attention that we have had dozens of meetings with councillors and invited them to a presentation at MBC: that we eventually got the whole of the Elmbridge Cabinet to agree without one abstention: that we have had the total backing of the MBC committee for the last three years for which we thank them. During this latter period two neighbours next door challenged the right of the Council to lease the land. This produced a further 6 months delay, whilst the charity commission became involved and eventually decided that there was no reason why the Council could not proceed. After this, the Council had to put a notice in the paper by law about the intention to lease public land, and the neighbours started another campaign despite the project having obtained planning permission and approval at the last full Council meeting. The campaign has been based on several misunderstandings, which the Council is refuting. A final decision is expected very shortly.
An MBC committee sub-group is in place to start raising the money for this project, but will only start work when the Council gives us the go-ahead.
We would like to thank all members for your patience and support.
Ted Bates, Hon. Secretary & Dick Knight, Vice President
Snippets
NEW COACHES – the Club welcomes Tom Courtney (Director of Rowing) and Ed Green (Freshers and Juniors Coach) as full-time coaches, and wishes them well.
SPORTING GIANTS – the Club has ordered either eight or ten of them. They should be easy to spot, and it is everyone’s hope that they do well.
COACHES’ CHARTER – the Club has published a code of behaviour to be exercised towards neighbours who live on the islands and in houseboats. All coaches must read this and sign agreement before using club launches
THURSDAY SUPPERS - Volunteers for cooking are needed. Improve your skills on your friends! Take a turn at feeding the five thousand! Please contact Jacqui on
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
Dates
Rugby quarter-finals ` - Saturday 6th October at 1.00 p.m. Big screen & Pizza
President’s Lunch - Sunday 4th November from noon
Remembrance Sunday - Sunday, 11th November at 1.15 p.m.
Annual Dinner - Friday, 16thrd November from 7.30 (Note correction)
Ladies Only Dinner - Wednesday, 12th December
Novice Dinner - Date not fixed
Junior Christmas Party - Saturday 15th December TBC
Christmas Party - Saturday, 15th December
Christmas Eights - Sunday 16th December
New Year’s Eve Party - Under consideration
Veteran Dinner - Friday, March 14th 2008
Please check the website for further details and any change of date
