AGM, New Committee and Commodore’s Report
At the AGM on 3 February the Committee elected for the 2021 season is : –
| Officer | ||
| Ex Officio | Commodore, | Chris Jones |
| Vice-Commodore, | Simon Jones | |
| Rear Commodore, | Vacant | |
| Honorary Secretary | Peter Barker | |
| Honorary Treasurer | Nick Blore | |
| Club Captain | Bill Jones | |
| Training Principal | Nick Blore | |
| Committee | Dinghy Representative | Nick & Simon |
| Model Boat Representative | Keith Pizzey | |
| Junior Representative | Elin Jones | |
| Social Representative | Vacant | |
| Welfare Officer | Eleanor Dowsett | |
| Communications | Diane Jones | |
| Gordon Knight | ||
Commodore’s Report to the Annual General Meeting 2021
Before we begin, please take a moment to remember Rod Evans: Honorary Member, Trustee, former Commodore, Long term club secretary, and founder of the Model Boats. Rod died last year.
Gresford SC has been through a tumultuous few years.
- 3 years of low water :
- This hit the dinghy racing hard and diminishing Social programme
- Junior Sailing got by
- Model boating proved very resilient, growing and evolving
- The balance of the club has changed significantly over those three years.
- Then just as Water Levels recovered last winter, we were hit with Covid,
The crisis point came with June’s SGM, after which over half the committee resigned.
- In July the remaining members of the old committee co-opted other members to form an Acting Committee. I was persuaded to take on the role of Acting Commodore until the AGM. For 6 weeks we worked in the difficult area between those upset by events and the people who were working hard to save the club.
- The formal election of a Committee at the SGM in September cleared the air and gave the club a chance to focus on recovery.
The true test of any ship (or club) is not the storms it survived, but did it deliver the goods?
When we were allowed to, we managed to stabilise the club and run most of our sailing sessions.
| Sessions | Attendees | Average | |
| Total | 63 | 539 | 8.6 |
| Maintenance | 13 | 62 | 4.8 |
| Model Boats | 30 | 294 | 9.8 |
| Dinghy | 16 | 122 | 7.6 |
| Junior | 3 | 35 | 11 |
| Social | 1 | 26 | 26 |
- In just six months we have nearly completed an ambitious programme of projects. First the Covid adjustments including the sink. Then weeding the trees and bushes from the boat park, starting the boathouse, stoning the car park and finally the tree management from the boat park along the road to the Fisherman’s Bench.
- Through the October lock-down we reviewed and update much of the club’s governance including our Constitution, Data and Safeguarding Policies.
- Our RYA Accredited Training Centre was re certified just before the current lockdown came into force.
- Over Christmas Di and I rebooted the club website www.gresfordsailingclub.com
- The Committee is also pleased to confirm that: Peter Barker, Tim Humphreys and Chris Jones, are being appointed as trustees of the Club to replace Harry, Rod and Charlie.
Covid has thrown up many challenges for the club. It has not been smooth, and there have been differences of opinion. But we would not have been able to function without our own Covid Heroes:
- Kevin who securing the original Covid Grants (Now totalling £19k) and prepared the club during the first lock down.
- Bill, Nick & Simon: Who prepared risk assessments, stewarding and generally sorting out the sailing sessions.
- Most of all Peter: As our Covid Officer Peter has been trained by RYA Cymru. He has kept us up to speed with the ever changing rules, regulations and guidance. Then converted them into the context of GSC. He has also had to balance the conflict between the libertines and deniers on one hand with other members who are rightly terrified of this horrendous pandemic. In short, Pete made our 2020 season possible.
Honorary Membership is a gift granted by the committee to recognise long term service to the club through good times and bad. This year we have three new Honorary Members: –
- Paul Sharples: 2x Commodore and long term treasurer. Instrumental in the growth of the club over the last 10 years, securing grants which funded the Training Centre
- Alan Rogerson: former Commodore and long standing committee member. Solid dependable and a voice of reason. With a wicked sense of fun on the race course.
- A N Onimous who has never been a member of the committee but who has quietly looked after the club first in body and now in spirit with great humour over many years. I know who you are, you know who you are, we all salute you.
Gresford SC survived 2020.
The Challenge for the new committee:
Is to make Gresford SC thrive again in 2021 and beyond.
Gresford Sailing Club 