Newport Pagnell Archers Newsletter September 2016

The club’s year finishes on Friday 30th September with our AGM. On Sunday 25th and Tuesday 27th the field was beautiful and over a dozen people shot on both occasions. Jacky has been hoovering barebow records after I set an example and grabbed a longbow WA720. Club records and other restricted information are stored in the Members’ Area of the web site. If you want access to this please follow the instructions to create an account.

Our autumn schedule now includes four club shoots weekly - a new one on Saturday afternoons - plus Have a Goes in October and December and a Beginners’ Course in November. We have five members in the coaching team, so the long delayed improver training will get off the ground in autumn. The schedule is on the web site under Club Information / Operating Manual.

The 43rd Buckinghamshire Archery Association Indoor Championships will take place on Sunday 6th November 2016 at St Paul’s Catholic School, Phoenix Drive, Leadenhall, Milton Keynes, MK6 5EN. For an entry form see http://www.bucksarcheryassociation.org.uk. Members of NPA have supported the event for 15 years. Anyone wishing to help BAA run the event should contact valerie@williamson160.orangehome.co.uk directly.

Our AGM will be held at the Royal British Legion, 1 Ousebank Street, Town Centre, Newport Pagnell, MK16 8AN at 1930 on Friday 30th September. The agenda is being recirculated with this newsletter. Carl, Gren, Jason, Valerie and I are standing for re-election. There are no nominations for chair, although in practice this is not currently an issue because I chair meetings and the committee’s direction is already set by the business plan.

It would be very beneficial for the club to have one or two more people on the committee with organisational skills and some spare time. We also need people with practical skills to help out occasionally. If you are willing to do so please let me know and I’ll add your name to my volunteers’ list.

At this year’s AGM the Business Plan is being presented for the first time. This represents a fundamental change in the club’s governance, because once adopted by the members it will set the committee’s agenda for the coming year. This is another example of how the club is changing fundamentally, with the emphasis on satisfying all members’ needs equally.

The Operating Manual has been slightly changed to put all volatile information into separate documents. I will continue to fine tune the club’s documentation until it addresses all needs as simply as possible and with minimal need for changes.

During this year’s renewal cycle the fee calculations have been updated a couple of times to reflect small changes. If you have paid or agreed to pay too much please feel free to amend your payment details appropriately and / or let me know. The fees spreadsheet is on the web site under Club Information / Operating Manual.

I was planning to deliver a verbal Management Report at the AGM, but it occurred to me that sharing it here would be better because all members would receive it, so here it is:

Strategic Direction: Until a year ago the committee prioritised the needs of the club’s elite archers. Now we run the club for the equal benefit of all members. This has affected virtually all decisions made during the year and the effect on membership mix, membership numbers and club morale is very obvious at every club shoot.
Management: The club has effective and stable leadership, management and governance. The committee as it stands can implement the Business Plan with minimal additional help. We will need additional support if we want to go beyond the current Business Plan.
Coaching: We have one Level 2 Coach and three Level 1 Coaches. We also have an Instructor who will complete the Level 1 course in 2017. During 2016 we have run five Beginners Courses, attracting over 20 new members. We have scheduled a course indoors at Millmead in November and two have a go sessions at Millmead in October and December.
Equipment: We have complete new beginners equipment. The mower and strimmer are in use and the field is in excellent condition. We plan to install new distance markers and to renovate / replace tired boss stands, including wheels. Outdoor bosses all have easy to use covers. The container is almost free of clutter and secure, with committee members only holding keys. We are developing an inventory and a process to maintain it. Over the coming year we plan to refurbish indoor equipment, to include improved nets and boss stands; and have the maximum number of bosses permitted by AGB rules at both locations. We provisionally plan to replace the straw bosses with much lighter foam ones.
Marketing Publicity and Communications: I receive enquiries about the club almost daily. Word of the club is getting around at Silver Arrow and generally. We are gaining members from there and elsewhere. We have mailing lists of potential new beginners and members. We produce newsletters monthly keeping all members up to date. Starting in the next few weeks the club’s finances and membership statistics (not, of course individual details) will be published on the web site.
Business Plan: Defines the Club’s priorities, based on members’ needs and wishes. Owned and maintained by the Committee on behalf of the membership. Revised at least annually prior to the AGM and submitted to the AGM for approval. Forms the basis for the Committee’s activities during the following year.

Please study the above carefully and memorise its key points - there will be a short written test at the AGM before you can go to the bar ;-).

Thank you all and enjoy the coming year’s shooting!

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