BMW CAR CLUB (GB)
SOUTH EAST REGION
Website design by Melvyn Pettit
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South East Region AGM minutes Held on Saturday 13th March 2004
at the Oddfellows Hall, High Street, Dorking, Surrey
2004 SE AGM Minutes
Members present:
Dave Brentnall - Chairman
Selwyn Frostick - Secretary &Treasurer
Robert Parkin - 'Shadow -Treasurer’
Glenn Wells - Concours organizer
Melvyn Pettit - Events co-ordinator
Other members present: Pauline Wells, John Payne & guest, Ann &Barry Gordge, Tony Calvert, and Jacqui Garman.
Item 1. Introduction:
The Chairman introduced members of the committee to those attending the AGM.
Item 2. Apologises:
Kathleen Butler and Ron Sharrad
Item 3. Minutes of Last AGM:
The minutes of the last AGM were distributed. Proposed by David Brentnall and seconded by Tony Calvert.
Item 4. Chairman's report:
Dave reported another enjoyable year as SE Region Chairman, which was supported by the hard work and commitment of the other members of the committee making it a successful year for the region. The two-committee members elected at the last AGM were a welcome addition and now 5 in number it is functioning well.
An extended thanks go to those regional members who attended our events during the year and it is hoped to have their continued support in 2004.
Events of interest and of note during 2003, which the region organised and supported, were:
2 trips to Belgium, in August to Spa Francorchamps for the 24 hours GT race and in September the BMW Club Europa 41st Treffen held in La Roche-en-Ardenne.
1 trip in early December to see the BMW ART Cars at NRW Forum, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Other regional events included, Brooklands to Bentley charity run in aid of the Hospice in the Weald, Regional Concours at KM Motoring Pageant, Hop Farm, Paddock Wood and Denbies Wine Estate tour.
National, other Regional and Register events supported were:
National AGM - National Motorcycle Museum
ETTC Donington Park
National Festival, Gaydon
Central Region - Festival of Transport, Weston Park, Shropshire
02 Oktoberfest, Beaulieu Motor Museum.
Monthly Pub meetings still continue to be well supported and prove to be an excellent way of meeting throughout the year, especially during the winter.
All these events and meetings add up to another active and successful year for the SE Region.
Item 5. Treasurer's report: by Selwyn and Rob
Copies of the financial statement balance sheet were distributed to members present.
The financial statement reported that the region was in deficit by - £37.42p
The club members present asked where the £823.67p balance went from last years statement.
Selwyn had contacted Andrew at the Club office knowing that this item would be raised, and he read out to the meeting his faxed reply to him.
"I am sending this to confirm arrangements required by the Auditors
In the 2002 accounts the auditors stated that the money shown in "cells" for the Regions and Registers had already included in the clubs accounts and was therefore being double counted. the cells had been recording financial flows into and out of the club account (as brought in/spent by the Regions and Registers) but over the time poeople came to believe that this money avilable for specific Region or Register. This has never really been the case except for specific donations."
It was asked "Does the South East Region still have access to the £786.25p (£823.67p - £37.42p) that was on the 2003 statement."
Selwyn replied that the committee could spend upto £100 on its own merit
Anything over £100 would need to be agreed at national level
How many upto £100 payments can the committee spend in a year was another question asked.
Selwyn was not sure
The accounts were proposed but not accepted unanimously at the meeting, until we receive clarification of the points raised by club members
Rob said he would compile an e-mail to send to Andrew to clear up the points rasies at the meeting.
The issue of regions funding was raised by Melvyn Pettit at the National AGM meeting on 8th May 2004.
Below is the full reply from Jeff Heywood, The BMW Car Club (GB) Chairman:
Melvyn,
Please let me offer my full apologies to you and the South East Committee with regards to the regional funding issue. I have searched through Centrepoint 18 (the issue that covered the Boards budget meeting), and I have unintentionally forgot to include the funding decision/budget made by the board. It is genuinely unintentional (and embarrassing!), so I will include an explanation in the latest Centrepoint that you and the rest of the regions and registers receive. The board also instructed Andrew Dale to write to all regional and register chairmen about the new arrangement for funding with an explanatory letter for the move from the Auditors, it seems you have not seen these letters.
Below is the explanation from the board:
"The Board have decided after due consideration and instruction from our Auditors to stop paying 'blanket' funding to regions and registers in 2004. The Auditors have pointed out that it isn't correct practise to carry forward from year to year sums or 'cells' of money held by regions and registers which have passed through the yearly accounts. We have therefore set aside a figure of £5319 as a pot of money available for regions and registers to spend - there was a similar amount spent by regions and registers in 2003 so we do not envisage the figure rising in 2004. I would also like to reassure established regions and registers that 'new' registers, with only a handful of members within their registers, do not have access to this fund. We provide them with the logistical help and support they need, but we will only provide support if a register grows into a decent size where funding then becomes necessary. The board also feel that this is a fair and decent solution to the funding issue. Some regions, like the North West region for instance, are self financing so do not require any funding - this frees up money to go to regions who maybe need some new equipment etc".
Item 6. Events Co-ordinator's report:
Future event programme:
Melvyn circulated a list of proposed events for the region in 2004 with copies of the minutes for the last AGM meeting.
Melvyn Thanked all those club members who helped and attended events in 2003.
Also he thanked Jacqui Garman from the Wessex region for making us welcome at the Parnham and Guards Polo event she had organized.
Also to Peter Dickin from central region for Weston Park event.
The new venue and event for our regions concours at The Hop Farm, Kent proved a great success and we are back there this year.
Thanks must go to committee member Glen Wells and Pauline for being our contact with Transtar Promotions on this event and Glen for the finding the sponsor for the Trophies.
Glen reported "with a little more arm twisting this years sponsorship will soon be in place"
The meeting argeed to keep the concours entry fee to the same as last year £5, with no increase
It was pointed out that even with the £5 concours entry, club members still get a big discount on the normal Hop Farm entry fee.
Our now annual trip to the Spa- Francorchamps 24hr ,ETTC races and the Nurburgring went very well and our thanks go to Ann and Neil for making it a great week.
It is good to report that we are fully booked for this year, even having two members staying over the road from Neil’s, and with BMW racing two M3 V8’s in this years 24 hr race, we will have more BMWs to cheer on.
We have again a treasure hunt run in aid of the Hospice in the weald.
This years being called the Bigg Run Brooklands to Bluebell Railway
We are again visiting other regions events. Up to Weston Park for the central regions concours being one.
Again we are taking the trip up to be at the national AGM, this time making it a weekend away.
Also we are hoping to visit the ETTC races at Donington Park in June.
We have a NEW event to attend this year , as the region has been accepted to The Enfield Pageant of Motoring Show.
We have enough cars to fill both days. But hopefully club member will visit us at the show.
The BMW Lifestyle meetings at the Pilgrim Pub are still proving popular,
and hopefully in the summer months more club members we join us for a noggin and natter over an excellent meal in the garden of the Pub.
So again with 20 events plan so far and two events being fully booked. The events are still growing in the South East Region.
Item 7. Web site:
Melvyn said the South East Region web site is going from strength to strength.
The 2004 new layout of the web site has proved a success.
Over the last year :1,500 new visitors a month visit the site.
Top 4 pages visited
1, Dealership + Links page, 2, Galleries page, 3, BMWCC page, 4 Events page
People from 95 counties have visited the site.
Top 3, 1, Great Britain, 2 United States, 3, Canada
62 search engines pointed people to the site
Top 3 search engines 1, MSN.com 2, Google.com, 3, Yahoo.com
The E-Newsletter has grown to over 200 people on the list.
The web site is sponsored by Melvyn and therefore no cost to the region.
Item 8. Election and re-election of Committee members:
David, Selwyn, Rob, Glen and Melvyn stood down and put themselves up for re-election
Glen Wells was elected Chairman : proposed by Selwyn Frostick and Seconded by Rob Parkin
Rob Parkin was re-elected Treasurer: proposed by Melvyn Pettit and seconded by Selwyn Frostick
Selwyn Frostick was re-elected Secretary: proposed by David Brentnall and Seconded by Melvyn Pettit
Melvyn Pettit was re-elected - Events co-ordinator & SE webmaster:,
proposed by Rob Parkin and Seconded by Selwyn Frostick
Dave Brentnall was re- elected as a committee member: proposed by Tony Calvert and seconded by Pauline Wells
Two club members were elected on to the committee
Tony Calvert was elected to the committee: proposed by Melvyn Pettit and seconded by Barry Gordge
Pauline Wells was elected to the committee: proposed by Selwyn Frostick and seconded by Barry Gordge
Item 9. Any Other Business:
1.
Melvyn read out the e-mail he sent to Giles Aston the club magazine editor
With all the comments abound around the new layout of the magazine regarding the cutting and slimming down of the Regions and Register pages.
I would like to put forward that our regions page is sponsored by BMW dealership Chandlers Halsham.
Also our region has a busy event calendar which includes events for all the family (BMW lifestyle) which helps get all the family to come to our events.
Which then allows the motor nuts to get away for a day to attend a car show event etc.
Also the best way to get technical information is by talking people who have done what you want to do and can show you on your car, and not just sit back and read a reprint from another magazine which you have read before.
So in my "humble opinion" the backroom Boys and Girls who behind the scene who put on and organise events so club members can join like minded members need encouragement, not "knocking back".
The comments were backed at the meeting
2.
Tony Calvert asked if any member at the meeting would be his navigator on the BIGG Run as Sarah has been sacked from last year.
It was agreed that if he could not get a navigator he would follow one of the other BMWs in the run
There was no other business.
The AGM began at 6-30pm and closed at 8-00pm followed by a meal at the Pilgrim Pub
Item 10.:
Date of next AGM. - Proposed date is 12th March 2005