HAMPSHIRE ASSOCIATION OF CRICKET OFFICIALS
Chairman: Tony Leadbetter
Minutes of the Hampshire Association of Cricket Officials Annual General Meeting held on Thursday 12th November 2009 at the Rose Bowl, Hampshire.
Present
Officers: Tony Leadbetter (Chairman); Graham Burgess (Secretary); George Wilby (Treasurer) and Ray Holyer (Education Officer).
Members of the HACO Officiating Committee: Caroline Green; Peter Ellam; and Dave Kirk.
Members: John Attridge; Roger Bannister; Bryan Burns; Neville Cheyney; Ian Emmitt; Brian Forbes; Roger Forder; Dennis Hall; Tony Izzard; Lewis Jones; Brian Knapp; Barry Littlejohn; Stephen Locke; Stuart MacTavish; Keith Martin; Derek Mottershead; John Parsons; David Peck; Adrian Poole; David Ransley; Jeff Rees; Polly Rhodes; John Russell; Paul Sparshott; Arthur Stickland; Janet Trodd; Bob Watts; Tosh Whitear; and Keith Williams.
1. Apologies
Apologies were received from Ian Bagshaw; Richard Batchelor; Jonathon Blake; John Bond; Ken Boxall; John Brailsford; John Buckle; Philip Burridge; Colin Burt; George Carpenter; John Challis; Don Fowler; Doug Frampton; Jonathan Francis; Martin Guy; Elizabeth Hall; Bob Iles; Mike Izzard; Steve Judd; Bert King; David Moon; Howard Moore; Mick Neville; Brian Pardey; Geoffrey Prouton; Nigel Riches; John Smart; Graham Spink; Brian Swan; Peter Towndrow; Steve Vear; Anne Wilson; Brian Wilson; and Brian Woolley.
2. Minute of 13th November 2008 Annual General Meeting
The minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 13th November 2008 were agreed and signed by the Chairman.
3. Matters Arising
There were no matters arising.
4. Management Committee Report for 2009
The Secretary noted that, as reported in the Management Report, the Hampshire ACO was in the process of providing the ECB ACO with a classification for each umpire based on that person’s known umpiring activity during 2009. Members were encouraged to return their personal details form in order that the process can be completed.
The Chairman noted that a Hampshire ACO web site has been integrated with the Hampshire Cricket Board’s web site and he thanked Colin Savage of the HCB for agreeing to set up and maintain the web site.
The Chairman noted that the promised new edition of ‘Tom Smith’s’ is unlikely to be available until late 2010.
5. Financial Report for Year-ending 30th September 2009
The Treasurer reported that the main activity of the Association during the year had been umpire training, which accounted for £2458:90 out of a total expenditure of £2696:59. The Association’s main income was made up of £832 in members' contributions (£4 for each member passed on by the ECB ACO), a £2000 donation from the HCB and £1050 from course fees. There was an excess of £1215:41 for the financial year. The Treasurer explained that the £550 debtors relates to outstanding course fees.
It was noted that course fees do not cover course expenses and the Education Officer explained that the ECB subsidises training in order not to discourage people from attending.
In response questions, the Chairman noted that in future years the Association might have to seek further donations from the HCB, for example to support officials’ training, but that this would be a matter for discussion with the HCB if and when the need arises.
The Secretary reported that the 2009-2010 ECB members’ contribution from the ECB ACO will be based on the Hampshire ACO membership as at end-2009 and that the HCB has intimated that they expect to pass the full £4 per head rebate to the Hampshire ACO.
6. Training and Education Report
The Education Officer reported that overall it had been a good year for officials’ training but that there is scope for improvement. 23 people had successfully passed Level 1 umpire courses during the year and he congratulated them on doing so.
He noted that two Level 1 umpires courses in Hampshire started in October 2009 (to be completed in early December) and that two more are scheduled to start in mid-January 2010 (to be completed in early-March). Those people who are interested in attending either of the 2010 courses are able to review the details on the web site and should then contact Ray Holyer. He also reported that a Level 2 umpires course is scheduled for March 2010 at Dummer and that it is hoped also to run a similar course on the Isle of Wight. Any umpire wishing to progress from Level 1 should contact the Education Officer direct and he will seek to get them on a Level 2 course.
Whilst details are still being finalised, it is hoped to hold an umpire refresher-training day on Sunday 14th March 2010. Details will be placed on the web site.
There are no Level 1 scorers’ courses being run at the present time but there is the correspondence course. A Level 2 scorers’ course is scheduled for 16th and 23rd January 2010 at the Rose Bowl and on 9th January 2010 there is a Computer Scoring Course, also at the Rose Bowl.
A new umpire-training course is to be introduced, labelled 1A (1 Advanced), which would lead people toward the Level 2 training course (which is a practical-based course), but course details are not yet available. It is not yet known whether passing the Level 1A course will be a prerequisite to taking the Level 2 course.
Nationally there is still a shortage of umpire tutors and that it is intended that more tutor training and tutor refresher courses are planned for 2010 but the ECB ACO considers that there are currently enough tutors in the South & West Region.
The Education Officer considered that umpire Assessor training during 2009 had not gone as well as had been hoped and said that improvements would be sought during the coming year. He also confirmed that any newly-qualified umpire wishing to have a mentor should contact him direct.
The Chairman and Education Officer both confirmed that whilst a Level 3 task force had been established by the ECB ACO, there are as yet no firm plans for running Level 3 courses.
It was noted that the ECB ACO web site does not currently reflect the 2009 umpire Level 1 passes in Hampshire and the Education Officer reported that this position is being rectified.
The Chairman promised that action would be taken to provide speedy and appropriate feedback to those people taking training courses.
7. Election of Officers and Committee Members
The Secretary confirmed that there had been no further nominations for either Officers or Committee Members other than those set out in the Agenda.
As only one nomination had been received for each of the posts, the following were duly elected:
Chairman: Tony Leadbetter.
Secretary: Graham Burgess.
Treasurer: George Wilby.
Education Officer: Ray Holyer.
Committee: Peter Ellam.
Peter Towndrow.
8. Appointment of Hon: Auditor
The Secretary confirmed that there had been only one nomination for the position of Hon: Auditor and the Chairman therefore declared that Peter Ellam was duly elected as Hon: Auditor.
9. Other Business
At the request of the meeting, the Chairman reported on various ECB ACO matters. He noted that whilst there had been teething problems in the ECB ACO administration, things had improved recently. The draft ECB ACO Constitution had been adopted but various possible amendments will be sent to members. The ECB ACO Conference had gone well, though it was disappointing that so few Hampshire ACO members had been able to attend.
The Chairman also noted that he is seeking to improve the organisation of the South & West Region and is currently taking soundings on possible changes.
The Chairman confirmed that action is in hand to establish a 2009-10 budget for the Hampshire ACO and that this will also consider whether an approach will need to be made to the HCB for additional funding.
The Chairman agreed to consider whether it would be possible to establish a link from the ECB ACO web site to the Hampshire ACO section of the HCB web site.
The Chairman closed the meeting at 8:20 pm.