For a change, this year the AGM was held at the Lord Nelson in Reedham and this seemed to be a popular choice, if the good turnout of nearly 30 members and guests is any guide. Before the meeting was formally opened, the Vice Commodore, Anthony Knights, led a minute’s silence to remember Joe and Denis Kilner, Pete Charlton and Jon Collerick, who had all passed away in the last twelve months.
The Commodore, Margaret Kilner, then opened the meeting with the usual formalities, before giving her report, as follows:
“In common with most other local sailing clubs, we are going through a difficult period, with a reducing membership, difficulty in finding volunteers and coping with the reduction in sailing quality on the rivers, caused by the growth in vegetation over the last few decades. As members will realise, on a personal level this has also been a difficult year for both your Commodore and your Secretary. However, with the support and hard work from the rest of the committee, your Club has achieved many things and we are very much looking forward to a long future for the Yare Sailing Club.
As part of this “future proofing” your committee has drawn up a dissolution clause, which I hope you will approve later in this meeting. This may not sound like a positive step, but it is no more than the club’s equivalent of drawing up a Will and, while we hope it never has to be actioned, it is felt to be a prudent move. You will, I hope, have read the reasoning behind this in the papers sent out for this meeting.
Secondly, I must mention Bill Clark, who has been working tirelessly all year to improve the sailing on the River Yare. In conjunction with the RSPB, who own much of the land in the middle reaches of the river, there have already been a number of working parties to clear small bushes and scrub. Bill has larger trees in his sights! Hopefully, by the time we start next season, both Langley and Train Reaches should be easier to sail.
We have also responded on your behalf this year to consultations on the future of the Broads from both the Broads Authority and the NSBA, highlighting the problems that the trees are causing. Joe Farrow has been instrumental in spear-heading these responses, for which I am grateful.
Your committee has also been working hard to increase numbers at our events. Success here has been uneven, but very encouraging in places. A big effort was made to promote Breydon and I must thank the River Cruiser Class for their support in this. Despite the dreadful forecast, numbers were well up this year and we received anecdotal evidence that at least five other yachts would have come, given better weather. We intend to build on this success for 2024.
You will, I hope, have also noticed the introduction of the new Yare Autumn Cruiser Series, designed to increase numbers at the Cecil Howard, Yare Navigation and our Autumn Regatta. We hope this will also strengthen co-operation between the three clubs, a strategy which I have long been in favour of. I must thank Mark Wells, whose idea it was and Joe Farrow and Bill Clark for organising the eight new trophies for this series.
I am sure Julia will speak about our events during the past year, but I would like to pick out two personal highlights. The suggestion of “Best Dressed Reindeer” for our Turkey Race competition last year greatly amused the committee and still makes me chuckle. Thank you for that, Tony. I am only sorry there is no photograph of Brian Thompson and Saoirse Farrow in their matching reindeer onesies.
Secondly, having not been in a position to use Vixen very much this year, Denis and I both enjoyed what turned out to be Denis’s last time afloat, as we joined others on Flight for a sunny motor up to the Rivergarden at Thorpe during the early May cruise. Appropriately, we had lunch in the garden, by the river.
As always, there are many people to thank and I apologise if I am going to miss out anyone. Running races for us this year, we had Tony and Jan at Rockland, Simon Miles at Cantley and Jo Desorgher, Wally Tricker and the Lincolns assisting me at Breydon. Bob and Di Branscombe assisted me at the Autumn Regatta and we have had many different people manning the dory throughout the year; in particular, Brian and Michelle Thompson. As always, we are very grateful to Chris Dowsett for reliably being there with his gun and for providing the committee boat at both Breydon and the Perryman. Julia and Christine have both helped out on many occasions, including starting the Ray Perryman Race and there have been many others - apologies for not listing you all, but I thank each and every one of you. Thanks also go to Joe Farrow for doing much of the organising of our volunteers this year.
I am grateful as always to Steve Burton and his “Rosie” team for doing a lot of the maintenance and launching of our club dory, assisted at times by Joe. They also entertained me several times on board “Rose Cottage” at our regattas this year, so many thanks for that too!
Although this has been a difficult and stressful year for me personally, I am immensely grateful to the wonderful committee that I had to work with. Everyone has contributed and worked very hard and I feel we have, collectively, achieved a great deal.
Adrian, as always, has been an exemplary Treasurer and I am delighted he has, for at least the third time, agreed to do “just one more year.”
Julia, despite her own personal difficulties, continues to be an excellent Secretary. The incoming Commodore is fortunate to have such great support available from these two.
Tony, although elected as Vice Commodore for the last two years on the understanding that he wouldn’t have to do anything, has also been a great support and has in fact also done a few things, not least drawing up our proposed dissolution clause, after much research.
I was surprised to realise that over the sixteen years I have been on this committee, I have spent more than half of them as either Commodore or Vice Commodore. I think it is now high time - and probably a bit beyond - that I step back and let other people have a go. You will still see me around at events and I will remain on the committee for now, but intend to very much reduce what I do for the club, restricting myself to digital and paperwork roles that I can do behind the scenes. Back to where I began in fact, way back in 2006.
I’ll finish by reiterating my immense thanks to the committee over the last two years, who truly have been a pleasure to work with - not a sign of the “Yare Squabbling Club” - and I wish my successor every good luck and full sails for the season ahead.”
Julia then gave her Secretary’s report, running through the year’s events and thanking various members for their help over the last twelve months; after which Adrian presented the accounts, which were passed by the meeting after a few questions had been answered.
The membership then had an opportunity to discuss the addition of a dissolution clause to the constitution, which was passed unanimously after one amendment from the floor. Likewise, everyone present agreed to alter the club’s membership categories; simplifying matters by removing the associate membership and simply creating individual and family categories. That achieved, there was then a vote on raising membership fees (something the committee have been resisting for a few years now) which was passed by a majority – one person feeling they had not been raised enough.
Next, Bill Clark was elected as the new Commodore, with the other officers remaining in post and two new additions being welcomed to the committee. After the remaining agenda items had been swiftly agreed, at the conclusion of the meeting, Bill rose to thank Margaret for all her hard work over the years and presented her with a yacht necklace as a gesture of appreciation from the membership. Kevin Rhead, as Cruiser Class Captain, also added his thanks to the meeting.
Afterwards, most people stayed to enjoy a well received meal, a few libations and some convivial conversation. And so the club approaches its 39th anniversary in good shape.
