Chichester Yacht Club Magazine April 2020 | Page 17

The General Committee, chaired by Commodore Tony Mobbs, met on Saturday 22 February and dealt with the following business: (Note the report was issued prior to the Corona virus-related club closure) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The consultant health and safety report has been received and actioned. There is more work to be done in relation to volunteering and this will be picked up by the Membership Sub Committee (MSC). Revised contractor guidelines will be dealt with by the Board Sub Committee. A local computer club will be using the clubhouse for their bi-monthly meetings and will offer a 20% discount on membership to CYC members. The data security issue mentioned at the last meeting has been investigated and closed. There is strong interest among some members in rowing activities and purchase of a rowing boat was discussed, in particular how this is to be funded. A grant may be available and crowd funding among members to make up the difference is an option. A detailed proposal was requested from the member leading the initiative. The Commodore has written to Premier Marinas expressing concern over plans to surface the shingle car parks and introduce parking charges. We have no definitive information on the proposed charging policy and, to date, Premier have not replied. The Commodore is seeking a meeting with the Marina Manager. Sections and sub-committees were asked to comment on the draft 2020 Business Plan. Simon Benson presented a report from the new MSC which had met once and was due to meet again that day. It is looking at ways to get more information about what members feel affects them most. Also planned is a winter training schedule with an eye to classroom and off-the-water courses for 2020/21. We have 1,013 primary memberships with only 10 defaulters remaining after renewals. Total resignations were 62, at the lower end of the scale. The average age of members is now falling, not only through deaths but the Club is seen as socially significant for bereaved members. Given our policy on membership numbers, GC members were asked to consider criteria for building a waiting list should our upper membership limit be reached. On training, we have reached our limit of provision for RYA courses but there is greater flexibility for Club coaching, including one-to-one member coaching. We have now set up a distinct brand identity for our commercial activities and will be opening business ac- counts on Facebook and Instagram. Improvements have been made to the Club website, following a helpful report from a member on user inter- face issues. Work on the waterfront was scheduled to commence on Monday 24 February. The waterfront area will be closed while the digger is present. On-water works begin in April. Recent problems with liquid waste management have been addressed to expedite the flow of waste from the fat-traps to the cesspool. The exceptional weather had resulted in a leaky roof over the Quarter Deck and Sloop. This will be monitored, as will the gravel covering of the flat roof. The Cruising in Company risk assessments will be reviewed for coverage and consistency. It was agreed to in- clude risk review as a standing item on the GC agenda. The New Year’s Eve party had attracted 140 members and the ability of the facilities to cope with this number was discussed. It is difficult for staff at a full service meal to monitor the state of the facilities but there didn’t seem to have been any serious problems. The provision of facilities in the clubhouse will be kept under review. The next General Committee meeting will be on Friday 26 June 2020 at 20:00. David Pearce Hon. Secretary 17