Minutes of Committee Meeting on 10^th March 2005

Chairman: Acting President, Neil Thomson.

Present: N Thomson, K Macdonald, A Foggo, P Harkness, E Cowan, P Muir, E Adamson and J Yarham.

Apologies: S Pirmohamed, M Pumphrey, M Burn, D Wray and D Kearney.

Joyce Yarham was co-opted as a new member and welcomed to the committee.

Correspondence: A letter had been received from HBM Sayers, solicitors in Glasgow, who are now acting for the Norwich Union in the claim for damages by Josie Smith. Neil agreed to get in touch with them.

New members: Peter Webb and Ian Anderson

Treasurer's report: Current account - £3, 900. Savings account - £123, 500.
Table money is still down on last year, but is now rising. Membership is now 114.
We have been granted exemption from rates. Ken asked for any expense claims to be submitted before the end of the financial year.

AGM The date was decided to be the 26th May to give time for the accounts to be prepared and audited.

House: The vacuum cleaner had been damaged by water and a new one had been bought. New ceiling tiles had also been bought and Neil would put them up soon.

Tournaments: Neil was hoping to make some suggestions for changes in the Appleton handicapping before the AGM.

Newsletter: Next edition is due by the end of April.

Refreshments: Ken was going to the Cash 'n Carry to restock, particularly with water and small cartons of fruit juice, as had been requested.

Social: It was decided to make no plans for a charity night for the time being. The prize giving and President's night would be combined as last year, and held on 6th May.

SBU: The district congress was agreed to have been very successful.

AOCB: It was agreed to send flowers and a card to Anne Gray who was in hospital.

Next Meeting: - 21st April.

Building Update:
Neil has made a verbal agreement with Mr Allison of Glass & Glazing. Subject to planning permission, he would sell the corner site for £6,500. The club would pay for new gates to his premises and cover legal expenses. We would consult him regarding scaffolding, putting a manhole on his land, and siting of skips. We would have no windows in walls facing his property. (The planning department would not let us do so anyway.)
Our solicitor, Matthew, will send him written confirmation of these terms.

The firm of Wylie and Anderson have agreed to do the building work and apply for planning permission and a building warrant. The planning department insists we must have 3 ladies' toilets plus a disabled toilet.

The cost of the building work, including the roof, is estimated at £106,000 including VAT. (This is the upper estimate.) Other costs, such as the additional land, various fees, water and gas services, decorating etc., could come to about another £12,000. Air-conditioning is not included in these plans. There is a possibility of a grant from the Southern District.

Matthew has applied for a title to the strip of land in front of the building. He does not anticipate any difficulty about this. The Roads Department are likely to agree to having scaffolding closing off the pavement during the construction period.