Board Meeting Minutes May 2016

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Minutes Leicester Fencing Club 08/05/16

Apologies – Chris Beadling

  1. Grants Received £3500
    • These have been spent on:
      Co-op £2k – Piste & related bits.
      Leicester City Council £999 – Coaches Kit, Sabre club kit, target
      Saffron Ward £500 – scoring boxes.
    • All requirements met and forms related have been completed. 2 x cheques have been cashed & cleared. £500 Saffron Ward one to be deposited this week.
  2. Club insurance.
    • Is the club fully covered for the new kit? – it appears that we do not currently have any contents insurance, Steve & Ian will both look into new quotes for this, also possibly to get extra public liability insurance included as part of cover.
    • We also need to do a kit audit to check how much we have in there, replacement value.
    • The date for such will be discussed during AOB.
    • Who manages this? – Likely will fall to secretary to complete however ownership will be maintained by chair.
  3. Further grants
    • Sources. – Everyone to keep eyes open; David to do some checking.
    • Kit wish list – Please could everyone send an updated list of desires to Bex to collate for future reference.
    • Go Fence Kit (quote attached at end)
    • Courses (first aid etc) – Club should fund these for now but would be good to apply for the City Council coach grant.
    • Coaches development grant – as above
    • Ian – Charity status
      • There is the CIC – Community Investment Company like a limited charity status company wherein we are a registered not for profit however under many less scruples than a charity. Ian has provided an example copy of the form to the board to show how it can be completed quite simply and also a larger pro former of a Constitution & Articles of Association as such. David to read through these to weigh up merit of doing this, to present back a pros/cons list to board for next session.
      • Would require Directors of the Company to be the decision makers with a recommended “Corrate” needed for each decision to be 3/4 out of total. All board members would be able to opt to be such.
      • Also check how directorship would affect any redundancy insurance regardless of zero income.
      • Also how does this relate to NGB association.
      • Also are there any other sports clubs who have done this? Can we make friends & get advice?
    • We also need to find the copy of our Constitution which is a few years out of date and needs to be updated by David/Bex. This is also necessary for the Swordmark process.
      Club Donations
    • Soar valley kit – Steve to call Jim regarding this & report back as to if there is anything.
  4. Coaching and further development
    • Visit from the Prof to qualify more people.
    • Steve to check if he can come down for Grade 1s please.
    • Grade 2 has to be done to a panel – how do we arrange this? David to look in to.
    • DBS checks – Required for all coaches to be fully insured under either NGB.
      • David up to date
      • Steve up to date
      • Chris up to date
      • Lee ?
    • First aid – Required by British Fencing Assoc.
      • David to take on Saturday 14/05.
    • Safeguarding Children – Required by British Fencing Assoc.
      • David to take on Saturday 14/05.
    • BAF & BFA membership – Is everyone up to date?
      • Steve – BFA
      • David – BAF (will switch to BFA after two courses completed).
      • Lee – Not for BAF (Coaching).
      • Chris – BFA (re-taking first aid this weekend).
    • All coaches to ensure they have signed the safety Risk Assessment, this should be in the purple box at the club. Bex to check next time she is at the club but all please chase up on your own bat first please.
    • Coach’s safety – Could all coaches please ensure they are wearing the correct minimum standard of protective equipment at all times as outlined in the safety guidelines section 4.3.2.
      • Always wear the following – Glove, Mask, Jacket & plastron or combined teaching jacket and plastron.
      • Additional safety items such as over plastron & sleeve would also be appropriate if available.
  5. Child Protection officer.
    • Julie has been volunteered and accepted, going forwards she will keep an eye on all juniors at the club and is also having refresher training in the summer with her job this will support.
    • Fencers’ Safety. – Appendix 1 of safety guidelines state:
      “When fencing with anything above size 3 electric or not (all weapons) you are required to wear 350n breeches.”
      However –
      “4.4: Sparring in adult beginner/taster classes – Clothing
      Exceptions to the requirements set out in Appendix 1 are as follows:
4.4.1 When sparring is supervised by a coach and a risk assessment has been done, fencers can wear tracksuit trousers rather than breeches at the discretion of the coach or club manager even when size 4/5 electric blades are being used.
      4.4.2 Epee fights must not include the legs as target unless the pupil is wearing at least 350N breeches and long socks, even if size 2/3 blades are being used.”
      This means that all fencers who have been fencing for more than 18 months or have won a regional competition must be in breeches when sparring steam or electric. Bex will make an addition to the register to note the start date of each fencer where available, if none can be found it will be assumed that they are over 18 months and will have to adhere to the safety requirement. David to have a conversation with British Fencing regarding clarification of the above relating to the exceptions.
  6. Advertising
    • Next beginners group
    • Bex to resend mail shot to all who enquired for tasters and all who came but did not start grade 1.
    • Family discount mail shot to all fencers.
      2 adults and the kid fences free/half price possibility?
    • Include NGB associate subscription in first three grades – extra £7 per term?
    • Include first competition as “requirement” or recommendation – organise everyone to go to Clifton.
    • Handbooks – to be updated over summer for September Start
    • Club Banner –
      • Design has been approved by all with the additions in wording fixed.
      • Costings – Bex can do one pop up and one landscape pic banner for under £100. Committee happy with such and approved spend. Bex to send out final designs and prices before ordering.
    • Club Notice board – The board has been taken down, David/Chris to find out if we can put one back there, even if we provide the board ourselves. Bex will pull together bits to put straight on it as soon as we have confirmation, everything else to be added on in the future.
    • Newsletters – Saffron Ward Newsletter – Bex to look into talking them, possible run a feature over the summer.
    • Schools – direct invite to fencing teachers
    • Clubs – Guides and Scouts – David to go to Earl Shilton guides for taster, see how it goes and then see if they have any links to other groups.
    • Costing for ads in local papers
      Bex prelim check showed v. expensive.
    • Website
      • All are happy with Bex changing the site
        £15/month for hosting
      • Website to go live approx 20th June
      • Others will be provided with their own login for direct posting from multiple points, ie: the Sabre Group or Chair.
  7. Interaction with other clubs – Did not discuss, more went towards internal options.
    • Internal Club League – Lee and Chris to run a ladder maybe once a month or so after 8pm.
    • East Midlands website/facebook – did not discuss in depth. Nothing of note just need to get word out better.
    • Plan to have Steve do Sabre sessions 8-9 some Tuesdays, maybe 1 per half term? Dates TBC.
    • Events – sponsored fence – 12 hours of it? Relay? World record attempt? – Could combine with an exhibition in Highcross.
    • Can we do an adult sabre bit on Friday occasionally 9-9.30?
      Team entries to competitions – Internal groups designed to go to competitions together to boost morale and participation on competitions.
      Team competitions – Lee and Steve to look up list of places groups can enter.
  8. Activities for the rest of the year
    • Sportsfest Last weekend of Aug – David coordinating this with Babs re pitch and form.
    • Olympics – David to talk to Robert Snart regarding this, however Leicester has not been picked as an “Olympic City” so there’s not going to be much on in terms of Sport England bits.
  9. Benefits of running a second night?
    • Could we add a 3rd court to Friday 7-9 for foil/epee juniors to come down and get extra fencing as unable to do 8-9 on a Tue. Could do warm up as part of main group and then split off for poules or target practice. Would this be donation based or included in their normal fee? Or additional upgrade to course fee?
  10. Clubmark/Swordmark
    • Not discussed – Bex to provide update after half term regarding this checklist etc. David to arrange going to Foiled Again.
  11. Club kit
    • This has all been deferred until we can do the stock check & will be discussed in the meeting after.
  12. Any needs/requests from the Sabre group. – All good currently.
  13. AOB
    • David & Julie to sort bank account asap.
      7th August at 9am – proposed date for Kit Audit and then next quarterly meeting to take place over brunch afterwards.
    • TShirts – Kaitlyn wanted to know about possibility of more jumpers and shirts, also we may be in need of more embroidered badges. Lee will check into the previous ones we’ve used and see about quotes.
    • Mini Fence Quote : 10 set non acoustic foil set comes with a kit bag for £429.00. Additional 10 x sabres £175.00.

About Rebecca

As LFC Secretary most emails you get will be from her. She fell into helping out by being married to David the Chair and is a big fan of spreadsheets and html! In her spare time she reads ya fiction and plays lots of candy crush.

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