• Present: Dan Webb (chairman), David Banner, Tom Day, Tony Hewston, Jonathan Lindsay, Matthew Stevenson
• Apologies: Mudho Ahmed, Saqib Ahmed, Mandeep Gill, Razaq Ishaq, Zamir Khan, Ben Kunicki, Dave Nolder, Gareth Noot, Murray Scott

Matters Arising

• 3rd XI ground at Richings Park: Matthew Stevenson reported that, since the last meeting in October, we had reserved the Beaconsfield 3rd XI ground for our nine TVCL 3rd XI home fixtures next season. We plan to use the Richings Park ground for other fixtures, 3rd XI friendlies and perhaps some junior fixtures, on an ad hoc basis.
• End-of-season work on Chalfont Park square: David Banner reported that this had been completed.
• Future meetings: it was agreed that Monday was the best night for committee meetings, and that during 2008 they will take place on the second Monday in each calendar month; Matthew Stevenson will circulate the dates.
• Attendance of meetings: there was a long discussion about yet another poor turnout at a committee meeting. Tony Hewston proposed that the committee should have the right to remove from his position any club official who failed to attend more then two meetings during the year, and after some discussion this proposal was accepted.
• Jack Rickard: David Banner reported that Jack’s family had scattered his ashes on the Chalfont Park ground. He also regretted to report that the bench which the club had bought in Jack’s honour has been stolen. Matthew Stevenson suggested that we should consider setting the benches in concrete in the future.
• CPSA: Matthew Stevenson reported that there were presently several unfilled positions on the CPSA board and that the club’s overall financial position was very weak. Dan Webb said that he thought a recent settlement with Uniq may have temporarily eased these financial problems.

Cricket Report

• Sunday selection policy: in the absence of Mudho Ahmed this matter was deferred to the next meeting.
• ECB coaching courses: in the absence of Mudho Ahmed, Mandeep Gill, Tariq Gulfishan and Keith Neave there was no progress report on this subject.
• ECB umpiring courses: Matthew Stevenson said that he was booked onto the GL5 umpiring course starting in January.
• Web site updates: in the absence of Ben Kunicki there was no progress report on this subject.
• Annual awards: Matthew Stevenson will ask Andy Parsons to set a date for and organize this event.
• Availability and notice board: Jonathan Lindsay suggested that there should be availability and notice boards at the club for those who do not regularly use the internet.
• Thames Valley League AGM: Matthew Stevenson said that he would attend this meeting next Wednesday, 5th December; he added that he thought the three captains should also attend and will contact them accordingly.
• Thames and Chilterns Sunday League AGM: Matthew Stevenson said that he would ask Mudho Ahmed to attend this meeting next Thursday, 6th December.
• Indoor nets: Tony Hewston said that we did not have a volunteer to organize indoor nets for the senior players this winter.

Fixtures Report

• Dave Nolder was unable to attend the meeting but had informed Matthew Stevenson that he was making good progress with the fixtures; he has contacted all our potential Sunday 2nd and 3rd XI opponents, and is now waiting for confirmation of the Sunday 1st XI league fixtures from the TCSL (which will tell him when the Chalfont Park ground will be available for 2nd XI fixtures).

Ground Report

• Richings Park square: in the absence of Keith Neave there was no report.
• Chalfont Park square: David Banner reported that it will soon be time to cut the square for the first time after the end-of-season work was completed.
• Chalfont Park outfield: David Banner reported that, despite killing nine moles this summer, another one had appeared and the golf club is also under attack as well. Dan Webb said that he would get the mole catcher to come down again; he also said that we had already spent nearly £600 on moles this year.
• Machinery: David Banner said that he had nothing specific to report on the machinery, but did add that, if we are going to cut the grass ourselves this season, as has been mooted, we will need to purchase circa 50 gallons of red diesel.
• Practice facility: Matthew Stevenson said that the matting for the new practice facility had been rolled up by the October work party but he was worried about leaving it outside all winter. Dan Webb suggested that the December work party should move it into the garage.
• Work party: David Banner said that a work party was needed to cut down some dead trees; it was agreed that this should take place on Sunday, 9th December.

Treasurer’s Report

• 2007 match fees: Matthew Stevenson reported that these have now all been banked. It was agreed that a better system for banking and making the captains accountable for all monies was required for the 2008 season.
• 2008 match fee collection: Tony Hewston proposed that the captains should be required to pay in the full amount due, rather than the monies collected on a specified day; in effect, this means that the captain will have to pay the match fee of any player who fails to pay him on the day; this proposal was accepted.
• 2008 match fees: there was a long discussion on the match fee amounts for next season; there was a general agreement that they needed to be increased (they have remained the same for five years now). At present, the match fees are £10 on Saturdays and £8 on Sundays. It was agreed that there needed to be a differential between the various XIs because, for example, the Saturday 1st XI will have the benefit of panel umpires and teas, the 2nd XI will have the benefit of teas but not panel umpires, and the 3rd XI will have to make its own teas. After a long discussion, the committee decided to make several proposals, which will be debated and voted on at the next meeting, and these were as follows:
• Saturday match fees should be increased to either £12, £11 and £10, or £15, £12 and £10, for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd XI respectively
• Sunday match fees should be increased to £10, £10 and £8 for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd XI respectively

2008 eligibility for selection: Tony Hewston proposed that the club selection policy on subscriptions, namely that anyone who has not paid an annual subscription by 1st June latest will not be selected, should be strictly enforced next season. Furthermore, Dan Webb proposed that if a player is not a paid-up member by the time of the selection meeting on the Monday evening, that player shall not be eligible for selection for the following weekend even if he pays his subscription during the week leading up to the match. This proposal was accepted.