Ramblers Association Doncaster Group
Minutes of committee meeting held on 19th January 2015 at Wheatley Hotel
Committee Members Present; David Gadd, David Horne, Dennis Neal, Tony Marsh, Jim Elvidge, Marion Thompson, Wendy Atkinson, Catherine Palmer, Tony Liversidge, Owen Evans & Martin Wyman.
Members Present: Peter Smith
1. Apologies
Apologies received from Kerry Foreman, Peter Gravestock, Bob Carlisle & Dave Binnington.
2. Minutes of previous meeting 17/11/14
Minutes confirmed as accurate DG/TM.
3. Matters arising from those minutes
- Ref 5. Letter to members. DG distributed the letter. The standard of leading has been excellent recently so DG suggested we need not distribute it immediately, but could send it out as an insert in the next Programme. Agreed. TM asked if this replaced the laminate checklist? DG thought no, TM would TM print 50 additional copies.
- Ref 13. Governance. The Area Council had formed a sub-committee to look at this which met for 2.5 hours on December 15th because of the shortage of time to respond. They emailed their thoughts, and in return received a reply that there may not be time to look at all responses! This is insulting. DG added that there had only been 780 responses from around 107,000 members. Members thought this might be a ‘fait accompli’. However, there is a lot of adverse comment on the Ramblers net.
A Ramblers Trustee is attending the Area AGM on Saturday 24th and it will be interesting to hear his views. There is also a ‘wrecking’ motion on the agenda.
- Ref 5. OE asked if his amendments to the Programme were still required. He had received some responses and needed final agreement. Some suggestions were made, including leaving out the Volunteers section. OE will circulate the final version.
4. Correspondence
None.
5. First Aid – Peter Smith
It was agreed that PS will run a first aid session. It will be promoted in the newsletter, on the website, and entered in the Programme, and will be held at the Wheatley Hotel on April 27th from 19:00 to 21:00.
WA suggested that the CPR video referred to on the website might play a part. PS added that there were first aid apps available from St John Ambulance and the Red Cross. TM asked about recommendations for kits, PS replied that lists were available from the same organisations.
6. Finance
DH said that £252 had been spent in January to pay for the roundels, so the current balance was £583.01.
The Christmas raffles had yielded £148. It was agree that we should contribute £75 to Yorkshire Air Ambulance and £75 to Edale Mountain Rescue.
7. Roundels
TM passed some roundels round the Committee and they were thought to be excellent. TL thought they had an ‘understated elegance’. They will be attached to all future constructions and retrospectively to some already done.
8. Rights of Way Report
The final number of footpaths walked last year was 486, a most impressive figure. Thanks are due to everyone who walked these footpaths and so contributed to the ongoing process of keeping our network in a healthy state.
Since our last committee meeting in November, the maintenance Volunteers have been out on two occasions, once in December and again last week, clearing a long section of the Trans Penine Trail within Owston Woods. A total of about 20 members spent a full morning to make a significant impact on the condition of the bridleway. There are two sessions remaining in our winter programme, after which work will be carried out approximately every three weeks in the summer months
Since the last report there have been three changes to the local footpath network. A) stopping up a footpath between Furnival Avenue and Oswin Avenue.in Doncaster, B) a Diversion to the Bridleway Hatfield No 4 in order to sort out a railway crossing , and C) the stopping up of the highway off Campsall Road at Askern.
The RoW committee are currently working on the response to the ROWIP 2 from Doncaster PROW (the first response was made last February)
In addition there is a consultation on closing the Toad Holes Lane railway crossing north of Rossington and a requirement for more Evidence Forms to claim the Marshgate extension of Sprotbrough FP5 past the prison.
9. Get Doncaster Walking
TM distributed copies of the latest Programme which includes 5 Ramblers walks. DMBC are now requesting that maps and routes be submitted for inclusion on their website. TM requested that members turn out to support the Ramblers walks.
10. Social Report
DN proposed a vote of thanks to Keith Staines for organising the Tuesday Christmas walk and meal whilst DN was away.
It was agreed we should run a coach trip on the first Saturday in June, DN to check with Trevor Jenkins that the slot has been left open. DG suggested Settle and we settled on Settle to the accompaniment of numerous puns. DG will investigate whether a train trip between Settle and Dent is possible.
11 AGM 2015
The last AGM was not well attended. DG asked if we should try a Saturday as the Finningley Saturday event had been our most successful AGM in recent years. It was agreed that we try again on Saturday 24th October. TL will ask HL if she can book the Hall, and ask very nicely if she could perhaps provide the same superb catering we enjoyed in 2011.
12. Area AGM 2016.
It’s Doncaster’s turn to host the Area AGM on 23rd January 2016 from 2pm to 4:30pm. We held the previous one in 2008 at the Tickhill Methodist Hall. DG will try and book.
13. AOB
- DG asked that a ROW report be produced for the Newsletter, TM/MW will do this in WA’s absence by the middle of February. DG also asked for other ideas to be submitted. Perhaps PG could provide a piece on his Patagonia adventure, and it could mention the results of the Governance discussion at the Area AGM.
- Are we having a weekend away in the 2nd week of September as usual? TL will ask on the next walk if anyone is interested in arranging this, and suggested the Chilterns or Cotswolds as unusual possible destinations.
Meeting closed 21:00