East Wessex MCC - Committee Meeting Minutes

 

EAST WESSEX GROUP

THE MOTOR CARAVANNERS CLUB

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Minutes of the 47th Annual General Meeting of the East Wessex Group of the Motor Caravanners' Club held at Easebourne Primary School, Wheelbarrow Castle, Easebourne, West Sussex, GU299AG on Sunday 14 November 2021

 

 

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MEMBERS' MEETING

Various issues were raised and discussed:

The theme for the New Year rally was Dress to Impress (optional).

 

Rallies would continue to be bookable until the New Year. After that it would be helpful to the host if members could just phone and say they would be coming, so that we would have an idea of numbers to cater for or fit on to a site.

 

If we were to use commercial sites especially for winter venues we would have to reserve and pay for a number of pitches, so we would have to make them bookable. (A show of hands showed support for the principle of using commercial sites).

 

Whilst we could set up temporary holiday sites for longer rallies, if we did, we would not be able rely on the Club's certificates of exemption and would need to sign tenancy agreements with the landowners.

 

Some members enjoyed Fort Widley and would like to use this venue again. On a show of hands members were split roughly 50 / 50. The admittedly steep steps down to the hall / elsan point could be avoided by using a longer route to get down.

 

Would our group be going to the National next year? In reply Kate urged members to go, as there had not been one for 2 years. Handicrafts wouldn't change and the theme would be diamonds + 2. Lyn thanked Janet for all her work towards organising our group's attendance.

 

Reasons given by members for not coming to our rallies included:

• Dislike of arriving in the dark after 5pm on a Friday night during winter rallies and then having to pack up early on a Sunday.

• Dislike of a venue, especially if nothing to do.

 

In relation to cost, some members were prepared to pay more in the summer to help pay for winter rallies and one suggestion was that £12 should be a minimum cost per night.

 

Ideas from members about what they might like to do at rallies included themed weekends such as craft workshops, pub games nights or guess the cocktail.

 

In relation to efforts to get more, younger members,  COM were taking steps to recruit them, but many worked and wanted the type of facilities provided on a commercial site, plus things to do; groups using commercial sites might be attractive to them. The cost of vans were beyond many younger people.  Changing working patterns could involve regular weekend working when rallies take place.

 

The programme proposed was for a greater number of longer rallies; if there was support for it we could maybe look into joint rallies with West Wessex or Chiltern groups.

 

Finally it was confirmed that dogs are not permitted in tents.

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The meeting closed at 12.20pm.

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