COMMITTEE REPORTS
THE VIEW THROUGH MY OLD EYES
I wondered just were to start
this article knowing it will be the last one that I will have the privilege of
compiling. I decided that the one area that I really need to emphasise on is
one I wrote about in the last magazine and that is the nickname for the club, “THE FRIENDLY CLUB” which I feared we
were in danger of losing. Several members came to me and actually referred to
my comments, saying that they agreed with me. I think that is the first time
since I started the “View through my old
eyes” that anyone as given me feedback and it was not just one person, it
was several. My sincere thanks to those people as they have restored my faith,
just knowing that some members do actually read the article which I was
convinced was usually ignored.
So let’s have a
quick update on what I said. First of all I was concerned about the structure
of Monday nights when individuals
were being left to fend for themselves and it wasn’t just new or slow runners
although they were my main concern, I do not know if we as a club have
addressed it but what I do have now is a dozen volunteers, (Yes 12! OK I was a bit surprised too at
first), who are to act as mentors for new members ensuring that we look after
them, from the minute they arrive at the club until they leave on that all
important first night. Hopefully it will address the present trend of us losing
members before they have even started. Anyone else who would like to volunteer
for this mentoring role please get in touch with me, then if you do I can only
assume even more are reading the article which gives me hope for the future.
So that leads me nicely into the race scenario
when it’s become a “spot the Wesham
runner”. Now I know it’s not easy sometimes before a race starts to get
together as a group but it doesn’t hurt to try. In days gone by there was the
infamous group photo, but at least it got us together and recognised, it’s not
just the fastest runner, it’s runners of all ages and ability that attracts
comments from other runners at the race and it used to be one of the catalysts
for attracting new members.
Then there’s the
end of the race and I admit some people including me have started trying to
make sure they stay and encourage or congratulate those coming in after them
but its not that much better, there’s still the tendency to see your best
mate(s) finish and then ignore all the others, who I know feel a rejection, and
even if it’s not a deliberate one it still hurts. Don’t get me wrong you don’t
have to do it at every race and I know some cannot stop but when it’s one were
we have our big turnouts it isn’t half impressive when we are all there
cheering on our team comrades at the finish line.
There see, not too
bad was it, so now what about Monday
club nights. We appear to be getting less and less runners turning up on a
regular basis and now with the cold, dark nights we can only expect it to get
worse, which would be a shame, because as we only have one night a week for
training/socialising together, it is important, not only for the benefit of
getting to know and recognise other members but also to pass on information,
select teams for specific events, find out what is planned for both immediate
and near future. Now I know some members cannot, don’t want to or never will
attend these nights and most get there info on the computer from emails or the
website which is OK, but let me give
all of you one good reason, to come down once a month, and that is for the Handicap.
There is no better
way to judge your progress or non progress than participating regularly in this
event which takes place on the first Monday
of the month, and if for some reason it as to change, and then an email is sent
or written notification given in our magazine. Why do I say this, well it’s
because for 6 months you run on the same course, you are officially timed and
there is also the fact that you are challenging yourself against both the clock
and also individuals who you recognise and don’t change very often? You can
also back track your results in the same year or in previous years. You are
your own trainer to use it for whatever reason is important to you, coming back
from injury, preparing for a big race or just to enjoy. For those who don’t
know there are two Handicaps, one in
Summer, (April to September), and Winter
(October to March), both run on
different courses to account for light nights and dark nights and the first is
4.9 miles on country lanes (1 lap) and the second on street light assisted
pavements around the Carr Hill School
and adjacent properties but it is not in and out of streets it is a 4 mile
single path course in the shape of a triangle, (two laps). It is worth the
journey I promise and at least there is a hot shower at the school whatever the
weather with a brew and biscuits in the classroom for a small donation of 25p.
Obviously if you
have travelled to get there you can always come down to the Lane Ends Pub and enjoy a drink in the
company of other club members in a room not reserved for us but one we always
seem to get to ourselves for some unknown reason. To round it off there are
some butties provided which you can help yourself to and the cost for these is
a whole 20p. Work it out a night out for 45p with a shower, coffee/tea,
biscuits/cakes and a pint, (but that costs a bit more).
Let’s deal with
another thing which as been annoying me…the club Magazine! Don’t get me wrong it’s a wonderful read and a major
plus for the club but distribution is a pain in the a**e. So to try and improve
it I am offering you the following alternatives. Pick it up at the club meeting
on a Monday night or ask a friend or
someone who you see regularly to pick it up for you, but this can only be
guaranteed for one month after its production date. Failing that send an annual
payment of £4 (cash or cheque payable to “
Right lets cover
the future and past events, first of all the 2011 Badger 10k’s, at which we provided helpers, paid £1,000 into the club coffers and the St Annes 10 coughed up £750.00 for us helping out. So please
take note all these races are on again next year, the first one being the St Annes 10 on 18th March and it would be nice if you can find time to
assist at this or the other ones. As you can see it is clear that it does make
a difference to what we can afford to do as a club. Whilst on that subject our Wesham 10k is on November 26th and I hope we will get the assistance we
need to make the race both successful and “SAFE”.
There are many jobs to be done both before, during and after the race so when
we start asking or even before we start asking get your name down with either Graham Vickers, Keith Rhead or me Dave Waywell.
Well the club as
now switched into Winter mode so
hopefully you will all be taking advantage of the cross country races which
like the inter club are free for you to enter and when the big National events come along every one of
you can enter by contacting the cross country captains, it is not for the elite
few it is for you all immaterial of standard or age. Please come along and try
it, no one is saying it is easy but many of the courses are now much easier
than they used to be and spikes are not always needed as studs are often
preferred, even trail shoes will suffice, a lot depends on the weather that as
been prevalent rather than that on the day.
We also try to get
teams for some classic races like the Pennine
Bridleway Relays and it is often the more the merrier, and although there
are some strict safety rules mainly regarding what you wear or may need to
wear, we somehow manage to make sure those not familiar with it are catered
for, by the experienced so that all can enjoy.
In my last view
through my eyes I reported on several people who had been injured or suffered
an illness which had restricted there attendance at races and club events. One
of those was Reg Chapman who, for
some time, had been battling cancer and his progress was proceeding slowly but
surely, unfortunately after getting back to running at both Wrinklys and some races he as yet again
been dealt another kick in the teeth which will mean yet another battle to win
and god willing he will win and I’m sure you are all with me in wishing him
well in this latest challenge. We also have some other long absentees, namely Michaela Dempsey, Julie Cruse, Mike Walsh,
Mick Dunn and Julie Sherwood all
of whom are at the point of starting to do the lightest of runs or thinking
about it so lets wish them a rapid return to normality and look forward to
seeing them all again soon. Mick and
Carmel our “lovable couple” (that’s Brenda’s
description not mine unless we take one of them away… again, sorry Mick), have both been fighting stubborn
injuries and although at the minute they are slowly returning it is certainly
not going to happen overnight. Another couple going through a rough time due to
injury and illness are Chris and Lisa
Whitlock who are having to leave all the running to there son, Daniel and I just hope it’s not too
long before we see them all back running together. To anyone who I have missed
out in this last paragraph, my sincere apologies, however I am sure you know
that all the sentiments are for you, from all of the members as well as myself,
and may you all be back with us sooner rather than later
So now I sign off
this the very last “View through my old
eyes” by saying thank you to all those who have supported both Kath, who I
could not have done the job without, and myself throughout my time as your Chairman and helped me when I needed it
the most. I shall now sink slowly into the background and wish all the very
best of luck to my successor and hope they get as much joy and pleasure as I
have during there term in office.
Written by: Dave Waywell, Chairman
For several years now Kath
and myself have produced for the annual awards a named male and female
athlete using methods devised by us both
and which have been modified on several occasions following often constructive
criticisms from some members and sometimes hurtful and unwanted criticism but
as they say that goes with the territory.
We have however finally reached the point were we are ready to hand
over to someone else who may consider doing it. There are no hidden agendas the
truth is that we are both finding the work involved is affecting other things
which we are doing.
There is also no requirement to do it “our way” but we are
prepared to hand over all our paperwork relating to this rewarding job.
I say rewarding because I would like to think that the last few
winners have been the right ones whereas in the early days some of our attempts
proved controversial but you have to go through that phase before you get it
right.
So that is it in a nutshell so on 20th November 2011 the names of this year’s winners will
be known and our job will be done.
Again the time constraints, system used and final analysis will be
up to whoever decides to take it over.
Any volunteer’s names please can be given or sent to me or any
committee member before the 20th
November 2011. In the event of no volunteers coming forward the process
will be passed onto the committee for further progression towards a solution.
Written by: Dave
Waywell
REPORT FROM
DAVE YOUNG, VICE CHAIRMAN - On Standing Down
As many of you will be aware, the club will be looking for several
new committee members at next year’s Annual
General Meeting. Dave Waywell, Brian
Wilkinson and I are stepping down, so the club will need a new Chair, Secretary and Vice Chair at
least come next February.
I thought that I would take
this opportunity to say how much I have enjoyed being part of Wesham’s Committee over the years, how much it has meant to me and why I am
stepping down. What is actually involved in being a member of the committee,
and to hopefully encourage a few people to consider taking on a role.
As is undoubtedly the case for all of you, running and Wesham Road Runners form a major part
of my life. The sport not only helps me to maintain health and fitness, it also
allows me to satisfy the competitive element of my character. Yes, even at my
level, I remain competitive! Let’s face it, there are always plenty of people
in front for me to chase! However, being a member of a club like Wesham gives you so much more than just
the sport. I have been a member for just over twenty years and in that time I
have made many friends with whom I have shared many wonderful experiences.
Whether it be Monday nights in the
pub, trips to cross-country and relay meetings, the Welsh Castles weekend or simply getting lost with the “Wrinklys”, I have always enjoyed being
involved with the club. Being part of the club’s committee for sixteen years
has simply enhanced those experiences. I am not stepping down because I am
tired, fed-up or no longer interested. I simply feel that it will be good for
the club to have to have new blood on the committee, people with fresh ideas
and enthusiasm. With Dave and Brian stepping down from their roles, I
feel it gives the club a great opportunity to move forward. The club has
benefitted and will continue to benefit from their work as Chair and Secretary.
Both have done a tremendous job and it has been a real pleasure serving on the
committee with them. However, I am also sure that whoever takes over from them
will bring something new and positive to the club.
When I first became a member of the committee, particularly when
stepping up to the role of Chair, I
had some concerns: Would I enjoy it? Was I up to the role? Would it be just a
round of interminably boring meetings and piles of paperwork? I’m sure these
are questions many would ask when considering such a role. In the end, I did
enjoy it, enormously. It would be for others to judge whether or not I was up
to it. As for boring meetings and piles of paperwork, nonsense! The meetings
can be light, serious, sometimes even heated but rarely boring. There is of
course a certain level of administrative stuff but there are also opportunities
to put your own stamp on the role, to bring something new and fresh. Put quite
simply a committee role is in essence a job but it is not a chore. It is an
opportunity. Let’s face it; athletics has given us all a tremendous amount of
pleasure and reward over the years. Being able to put a little bit back in
whatever way is simply further reward in itself.
Many of you will be thinking that Dave Waywell will be a tough act to follow, which no doubt he will
be. He works tirelessly over many hours and you may think how I would find the
time to take on such a role. However, don’t forget you would be taking on the
role of Chair of Wesham Road Runners. You would not be organising The St Annes 10, The Blue Light 5, The
Rudolph Race, and The Round the Park Relays etc, etc. Those jobs all fall
outside the role of Wesham’s Chair
and I’m sure Dave is not giving them
up anyway. Also you would not
be on your own. The Committee is a
team. We have always helped each other and I know will always continue to do
so. We also get huge backup and help from the club’s membership.
It is often interesting to look back and to remember the highs and
lows of life. Some of the highs of my involvement at Wesham would have be the
creation of the club’s Road Race
Championship, the Commonwealth Games trip in 2002 and the trip to the World
Cross-Country Championships in
As for lows, I’m struggling. The glasses may be rose tinted but I
only really remember positive times and very few disappointments, although the
saddest thing I ever had to do as Chair
was to announce the death of Bernard
Yarwood. I only knew Bernard for
a few years but he became a real friend
and an inspiration, a true gent whom I remember fondly as I’m sure do all of
you who knew him.
So, no real lows as far as Wesham
is concerned but a huge recent disappointment to me is the London 2012 Olympic Games.
When I first heard the announcement that the Games had been awarded to
Finally I would like to thank everyone who has been on the
committee over the years for all their hard work and friendship. Also to
everyone at the club for making it all worthwhile. I have gained great personal
satisfaction and pleasure from being part of your Committee and look forward to many more years as a member of the
best club in the world. Ok, I’m biased
but we all know it’s true really.
Written by: Dave
Young
Submitted: 6th
September 2011
MEN’S
CAPTAIN’S REPORT
The month of April saw my first
August was the month David Haye fought Vladimir Klitchko, and he struggled and went the distance. I had a similar experience the day after the
fight with the Lakeland Trail Marathon
in Coniston – I struggled but went
the distance. A beautiful scenic
marathon with gentle hills, this has to be one of my favourite marathons
ever. I have run three long distance
races in
September is usually the
month where the first fence panels come down in my garden, during the first
signs of winter. Fortunately I bought
better quality fence panels last year from Blackpool
Terrazzo in Bispham, so had no
such problems. On 17th September we sent three Men’s teams and one Women’s
team to the North West Counties relays at
|
Team A Alex Rowe 19.03 Gary De Banke 20.39 Gary Moore 21.36 Steve Myerscough 19.51 |
Team B Mark Midgley 21.50 Alan Glasgow 22.28 Dave Waywell 24.53 Alan Taylor 23.07 |
Team C Chris Whitlock 22.32 Finlay McCalman 26.02 Peter Cooke 26.02 – remarkable that Peter ran
the same time as me. Young Peter Bartlett 20.00 – very impressive
time. |
The day was dull, miserable with patchy rain showers and some
people may have thought appropriate for a tent.
I did not think so, and brought large umbrellas which were most adequate
for changing, along with an array of native British trees in this reasonable looking
Runner of the day could have been several runners, but once again
the outstanding runner was Gary De Banke
and he wins a 40% off voucher for Ego
in Lytham where many famous people
have been know to dine including Charlie
Adam, Roy Walker, Tommy Ball and
of course Wesham’s Top International
Marathon Runner and Captain Finlay
McCalman. Winner of Relays Runner of
the Year is again Gary De Banke and
he wins a free entry to the Coniston Trail Race on 3 September 2011. Runner
Up in Relays Runner of the Year was me, and I win a 40% off voucher for Ego Restaurant.
I ran the Warsaw Marathon
on 25th September 2011 -
my third Polish marathon and it was
the best. I was impressed with the
course and organisation, all for a bargain £20.
When I returned from
My competitive season is now over and I will once again go into
intensive winter training and dieting in the continued search of better times
next year.
With all good
wishes to you and your families during the winter months
Captain Finlay
McCalman
BA BSc (Hons) and
26 Marathons
LADIES CAPTAIN’S REPORT
What a summer season we have
had both the highs and lows of it, mine has certainly been low having not raced
since March and no likely hood of
racing in the next few weeks although I really would like to shuffle my way round
Rudolph on Christmas Eve as I haven’t missed one since joining the club. The
girls this summer have certainly be plagued by injury with Carmel being out for most of it and poor Michaela just hasn’t been seen, Julie Cruse is starting to run again but still not pain free lets
just hope 2012 is better for us all.
Now on a positive note some of the girls have grown wings I cannot
believe the times our Helen Lawrenson
is running and the Loch Ness marathon
just proves how far she has come with her times and training, my biggest worry
is that we will lose her down a grid when running with all the weight she has
lost, Helen keep up the running we
are so proud of you and we are giving Blackpool
a hard time nowadays. We have young Emma bouncing along behind Helen who is also running so well as
long as she doesn’t have to get muddy. We really must get her to do the XC because she is so light she can
skate across the muddy surface instead of sinking into it like I do.
Sarah has hit the fells
again this summer including some of the longer races with great results and Angela Colby is giving her husband a
run for his money especially in the Langdale
marathon, Helen Jolly doing a
half marathon every month to raise money for charity I don’t know how she finds
the energy. Nicola finally broke the
4 hour clock in a marathon by smashing it completing Loch Ness in 3:45 so all the long runs have paid off, well done.
Racing is not always about winning and being the fastest person on
two legs it is the taking part and meeting your own challenges and crossing the
line saying to yourself “how did I manage to finish” - the
buzz from that is second to none as Claire
found out when she finished Coniston 14+
not an easy course as I found out on the bike, keep at it Claire we will be there to cheer you at the finish. The
A few of us have entered the British
London 10k on 8th July
2012 which uses part of the Olympic
marathon route and are going to have the weekend in London, but we are not
going to race hard we are going to savour the atmosphere in our capital city in
Olympic year as I was so
disappointed not to get tickets to the games themselves when Mick mentioned the race I thought it
was a good idea.
Girls keep up the training and let the PB’s keep coming I am so proud of you and our club we are ‘The Friendly Club’ lets keep it that
way and any new faces that appear make a fuss of them and guide and help where
you can or provide a shoulder to lean on when they need it.
I am going to sign off now and have a rest from reports as it is
time for the mud, cold, wet and wind to take over with the XC season which I won’t be running this time but when commitments
allow I will come and support you and of course Tracey, our Cross Country
Captain.
So bye for now and Happy
Christmas to you all.
Written by: Kerry -
Lady Captain
Submitted: 19th
October 2011
TREASURER’S REPORT AS AT 25th SEPTEMBER 2011
Deposit
account
- We
have £4,943 in the deposit
account.
- Of
course, there are very few race postal entries (see later) in at the
moment which, hopefully, will not still be the case by the time you read
this.
Current account
- We
have an overdrawn balance of £135.
- This
is purely to do with cheques written out but not yet presented at the
bank.
- The
actual bank balance per the statement is always a credit of £500, because there is an
automatic link to the deposit account and so balance is never overdrawn
according to the statement and no cheques will ever be dishonoured
Cash
- We
have a cash balance of £46.
- We
have a lot of coins from the sandwich collections and I only ever bank
them when we have got to the denominations on the money bags e.g. £10 in
20ps etc.
Surplus/deficit
- At the
time of writing this we have a deficit of £653.
- This
is partly due to the race entries not having kicked off yet – or at least
the amount that we have received as I haven’t received anything for the
online entries yet. This is usual as they tend to pay at certain intervals
e.g. each £100 or £1,000.
- The
rent for the year is going to finish up at £2,400 approximately but in future years will be around
£2,650.
- I am
hoping that you will have read this by the time the October members
meeting takes place as I am intending making my suggestion for the 2013
subs at that meeting and that will give everybody 3 months to decide
whether they agree or not, rather than it being thrust upon them at the
AGM which is usually the case.
- The 2012 subs have already been agreed
at £22
Race entries
- We
have 114 entries by the time of
writing this, 73 of which are
online entries.
Hopefully by the time of the Members
Meeting we will have a better idea of race entries and other categories
which have a major impact on the state of our finances and I will, as I said
above, as long as we are having a members meeting and the committee agree with
me doing it, give an indication of the 2013
subs.
Thanks for reading
this
Pete Cooke
25th
September 2011
Secretary’s Summary of the past Committee Meetings
The
July Committee Meeting
- The
Club is in receipt of £750 for
its input with the organisation of the St Annes 10 miler.
- Vice Chairman Dave indicated that it was
his intention to step from the committee at the forthcoming AGM.
- It was
pointed out the Club must
encourage new members particularly with our increased financial
commitments to Carr Hill School.
The August
Committee Meeting
·
The proposed online method of paying club subs was not well
received by members, therefore it was abandoned.
·
The club was in receipt of £999.89
for its efforts with the Badger series of races.
The September
Committee Meeting
- The
draw for the 3 guaranteed entries for the London Marathon would be on November the 14th.
- The
committee thanked Steve L. for
his generous donation of the monies he had received from the Berlin Marathon.
- Brenda was invited to be co-opted onto the
Committee. This invitation was
accepted.
The October
Committee Meeting
- Details
of the Club’s February 2012 AGM
would appear in next magazine.
- Brenda advised the committee
that it was important that more advertisers were secured as one or two had
not renewed.
Brian Wilkinson, Secretary
- November 2011
Notice of AGM 2012
Notice is hereby
given that the AGM of Wesham Road Runners and AC will be held at Carr Hill School on Monday, 13th February 2012 at 8 o’clock in Room LRC1
for the purpose of transacting the following business.
- Apologies
for absence.
- To
receive the Minutes of the 2011 AGM
and to consider any matters that are arising from these minutes .A copy of
these minutes is attached with this notice.
- To
receive the Annual reports of the
Chairman and the Treasurer.
- To
receive the audited Statement of
Accounts and Balance Sheet.
- To
elect the Committee and the Officers for the forthcoming Club year. All positions are up for election.
All Committee
positions are to be elected and appointed at the meeting. All the present
committee members are prepared to stand again except the Chairman, the Vice Chairman
and the Secretary. If any member
would like to be nominated for any position then a written nomination, which is
proposed and seconded, should be sent to the Secretary before the meeting
.Nominations can be
accepted at the AGM at the
discretion of the Chairman.
- And to
consider any amendments to the Constitution
of which due notice has been given to all members.
NB
Each fully paid up member present at the meeting is entitled to vote.
Brian
Wilkinson, Secretary. November 2011
For
your Information:
Minutes
of the 2011 Annual General Meeting
Held at
The meeting commenced at 8 o’clock with Chairman David welcoming the members present.
Number of members
present - 46
Item One
Apologies were received from Kerry
Eccles and Helen Jolly.
Item Two
The Minutes of the 2010 Annual General Meeting, which had
been circulated to members via email attachment, were proposed as a correct
record by Alex Rowe and seconded by Nigel Shepherd.
Item Three
- The Chairman’s Annual Report was
presented in written form with David
reporting that the Club’s
membership has remained fairly constant throughout the year. He thanked
the past committee members for their efforts, and thanked, particularly,
the non running members’ work for the Club.
He was standing down as Race
Coordinator in order that his work with the Club would be that much easier. There were no matters arising.
- Treasurer’s Annual Report - Peter presented the Club’s
Balance sheet for the members, and there were no matters arising. The Committee proposal for the 2012 subscriptions was to raise
them by £2 across the board. This was voted on and was unanimous.
Item Four
Election of Officers and
Committee for the forthcoming year.
All last year’s Committee
Members, except the Men’s Cross
Country Captain and Race Director,
were prepared to stand for re-election, and, as there were no other
nominations, they were elected on a block vote with a unanimous show of hands.
- John Bertenshaw was elected as Men’s Cross Country Captain.
Proposed by Alex Rowe and
seconded by Tracey Hulme.
- Graham Vickers was elected to the
position of Race Director.
Proposed by Dave Young and
seconded by Brian Wilkinson.
- Howard Henshaw was elected as the Club’s Hon Auditor. Proposed by Dave Waywell and seconded by Alan Taylor.
Item Five
There was one proposed change to the Club’s Constitution, namely that Second Claim members may not win nor may they affect the results of
any of the Club’s internal championships.
Proposed by Dave Waywell and
seconded by Brian Wilkinson. This
proposal was passed with three members against and all others in favour.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 8:25 pm.
Brian Wilkinson,
Secretary, 14th February 2011
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY’S REPORT
Currently we have 132 First Claim running members, which
is an increase of three since my last report. I would like to welcome Brian Jones and Robert Danson to the club and to Michael Dunn who has joined us now as a First Claim member.
We have also had a number of potential members who have joined in
on a Monday evening’s activities but
have not, so far, joined us. I must, therefore, pose the question, “Are
we doing something wrong?” Since my last report we are in the process
of providing volunteer Monday Evening
Mentors which I hope will improve matters.
Peter Earnshaw, Membership
Secretary
1st November 2011