Those present:
Chairman: Mike Mansfield;
Secretary: Gavin Dods
Chairman (Umpires Commission): Mike Groom;
Chairman (Coaching Commission): John Buchan
C Burdett (Norwich Head); R Cox (UEA); A Cuggy (Norwich RC); E Foster (Norwich RC); P Foster (Area 9 & Norwich Union); B Hawden (Peterborough RC); A Kershaw (Beccles RC); A Kingswell (Norwich RC); Y Miller (Norwich RC
Apologies were received from David Berry, Chris Brodie, Paul Dunnett, Neil Fryer and Tish Reid
Communication
| The distribution of information to clubs appears to have worked well for this meeting. The secretary would aim to give a full two weeks notice of the next meeting, although it was noted that a full list of proposed dates had been published for the year for some time now. | |
| The Eastern Rowing Council Web pages, temporarily hosted by the Bedford Rowing Club site, was proving a popular source of information, with a number of visits recorded. This would be used in addition to posted circulars to hold ERC minutes and other information. In time, the ARA are planning to open up a national Web site, we will be pushing for a regional presence on that. | |
| 'Communication' will remain as an agenda item for each meeting, to give clubs an opportunity to review their preferred contact details. |
Forward Plan
| The Chairman presented the plan as it was now. He emphasised that it is a 'live' document that will be continually updated to incorporate new information as it comes available in the region. The Plan was an essential part of the National Lottery grant application process. | |
| None of the clubs or events in the Norwich areas had yet responded to requests from the ERC for input to the plan. As courses would also be included in the plan, the group managing the proposed Norwich course should also produce a plan for inclusion. | |
| The Eastern Rowing Council committee were quite willing to visit any club in the Region to discuss the Forward Plan or any other aspect of the ERC's relationship with clubs and regattas. It was suggested that an invitation to a club's committee night would be a suitable arrangement, this offer would be mentioned at each of the local meetings and again at the AGM in October. | |
| There had been three applications for Lottery funding made by courses within the last few weeks. This has led to a call from the funding organisation for a national strategy for off-river courses to be developed over the next 6 months. John Buchan and the Development commission were tasked with this project. | |
| The Forward Plan would have to follow closely any changes made to the ARA structure nationally, especially with regard to how ARA communications are disseminated. There was some discussion amongst those present of a number of options that had been mooted, including regional councils having representation on Council. Caution would be exercised in changing the role or structure of the ERC until the ARA had held their review. | |
| The Norwich Rowing Club delegation gave a run-down of the latest situation regarding their future development. Whilst they could state their immediate wish for a new boathouse, there were various options to be considered regarding position and social facilities. Norwich School, Norwich High School, University of East Anglia and Norwich RC all need a new facility. |
Commissions
Coaching:
| John was working with De Montfort University for course accreditation (with FE funding council support). John was pushing for this to be implemented nationally, though it seemed that it would remain a local pilot scheme to start with, all candidates being external student of De Montfort University. | |
| A joint Eastern/East Midlands region Bronze Award course will start on 14th September with a subsequent weekend in November. Instructors Award courses will run in weekends in October and December. | |
| It appears that the cost of courses puts a number of candidates off - they do cost money and need around 25 people a course to make them viable. The IA course currently costs £45. |
Competition:
| Of the local events, a response was still awaited from Norwich HoR to request a date for next year's event. This year's Norwich Head (scheduled for 4/10/97) may move to capture more junior entries. | |
| The local contingent felt aggrieved that in the past Bedford and Cambridge events had moved into February dates that clashed with the Norwich event. It was recognised that all events had their intended market, event planning at a regional level would have to consider these. |
Umpires:
| The Bedford candidate umpires had now had 3 seminars on the new Rules of Racing. They were undergoing the practical training at regattas through the summer and would sit the exam in September/October. | |
| Mike was trying to target specific regions in a recruitment drive for umpires. If there was sufficient interest in any area of the region, he would come to you! Approx. 6 candidates per course was a sensible number. Demands on time and money were inevitably a problem. |
Safety:
| After a season concentrating on regattas and heads, clubs were now in the spotlight for audits against the ARA Safety Code. Mike was going to step up the auditing programme to try and visit as many clubs in the region as possible. | |
| There were problems in the Norwich area, as with many other clubs, of stopping members going out when conditions were bad. It was very difficult to police a system, especially when members were using their own boats and had keys to the boathouse. All clubs should consider this issue, although the region had no intention of pushing for changes to the Safety Code that would prove to be unworkable. |
Womens:
| Tish had apologised for not being able to make the meeting, though was open to suggestions from anyone in the Region that wanted an issue taking up with the Womens Commission. |
Junior:
| The question of how to get youngsters to start rowing was being addressed with a number of "Try Rowing" courses around the Region. The Chairman's eventual aim was to get all school children to do a "Try Rowing" course, a regional equipment pool could be one way of making the sport available for clubs, schools or councils that wanted to run such a scheme. The idea of loaning equipment to promising juniors, as mentioned in the last minutes, was also mooted again. | |
| Norwich RC have been working on a scheme with schools for the last 3-4 years. Norwich School and Norwich High School also have their own schemes. Local schemes have had success, with some juniors progressing to the national junior squad. | |
| Schemes in both Norwich and Cambridge were reported to be over―subscribed: has the Region got the funds to resource a useful pool of equipment? Further discussion was required re. funding. |
Finance
| Claims forms were now available to cover nominal expenses by officers as agreed at the rates agreed at previous meetings, for completion by the end of September/early October. | |
| The budget that had been prepared to fund "New ERC" in the way that clubs wanted had been provisionally costed at £6,000/year. The ARA grant was less than £1,000 - the shortfall had to be made up somehow. Mike Mansfield was organising a regional ergo competition as a fund―raising exercise for the Region. |
Local Issues
| The Norwich heads have been terribly under-subscribed in recent years, especially from other clubs in the Region whose events are well supported by the Norwich clubs. The movement of Cambridge events has been a big problem in this area. | |
| It was pointed out that the ERC AGM in November would be an ideal time for clubs/events to give presentations to sell themselves to the region's clubs. Alternatively, a questionnaire could be prepared and distributed to the region's clubs via the ERC mailing list. |
AOB
| There have recently been some queries in the region about registration fees with the local rivers authorities. As far as the local clubs were concerned, all licensing was handled by the Norfolk Broads Authority, no problems have been experienced. The meeting heard the British Canoe Union have achieved a nation-wide agreement regarding boat licensing, why hasn't rowing arranged the same. Gavin Dods would investigate. | |
| No further communication had been received from the Federation of Eastern Sport following the meeting in April that Neil Fryer attended on our behalf. | |
| In response to a question from the floor, it was clarified that cash prizes can now be awarded within the terms of the new Rules of Racing. Clubs, events and organisations with the word 'Amateur' in their title (including the ARA) may now have to consider the implications of the new rules. | |
| There was some discussion from those present that had held regattas and heads since the introduction of the new Rules of Racing regarding competitors' reaction to the new firm line on points cards. The AGM may well be a good time to discuss this after the main season, we may consider forwarding any comments made then to the national Rules committee. |
The next Committee meeting was scheduled for Wednesday 1st October at St Neots Rowing Club at 8.00pm. The next AGM was scheduled for Wednesday 26th November at St Neots Rowing Club.