Western Night League-  Annual Meeting  16th May 2005

What happened ?        Summary of the many useful points debated.

 

1.                   Safety.  Guidelines recast to put onus on organiser to do a safety audit, suggest that last competitors remain until last person back, Require competitors to have suitable equipment and reserve lighting.

 

2.                   Reintroduce the basic score tables in the results and retain the new handicap system in parallel. Handicap system to be tuned, (see separate note).

 

3.                   More encouragement for Novices, WNL to have lighting units/ batteries for hire.  Andy Creber and Dave Hanstock to investigate how to get monies for this.

 

4.                   Entry fees to become £4 senior, £1 junior. BOF revenue changes may mean some events making a loss. Deal with problem if it arises.

 

5.                   Website. Steve Oliver leaving country. New Web site needed. Ask around to find someone with that interest. Helen Hanstock  has established a WNL private forum on Nopesport. See separate reference.

 

6.                   Guidelines adjusted to reflect the above items.

 

7.                   Handicap.  All reference to Handicap removed from guidelines,. It is not an issue for the Organisers. Ian tabled a paper with 7 suggestions for tuning which were accepted. Parallel non-handicap and handicap leagues, Organisers,(up to 2 per event) to get 1000 Handicap points each, if you don’t run for 2 years you get removed from database,  low score threshold lowered to 400 points. ( if you get less than 400 it will not affect your Handicap), minimum percentage handicap of 20% to be established, and finally,  as it is much more difficult for top performers to over-perform compared with mere mortals,  their scores will be weighted to reflect success when and if they achieve it, thereby making it more interesting for them. Ian assures us that even with this weighting they are still unlikley to win. No doubt they will still complain.

 

8.                   Event at West Woods would be the subject of an invite to Wessex Night League for a challenge match.

 

9.                   Fixtures.  Coming together and to be finalised for Publication Launch at the Scottish 5 days event.

 

10.               Publicity. Standardised flyers for each event as well as the general programme were thought to be a good idea, the help create a “corporate” image and to attract new people to the Sport. Volunteer needed to produce artwork. I will prepare an article for Compasssport  Magazine regarding the handicap system.

 

11.               It was a well attended meeting with many positive points being put forward and generally well received. My thanks for the thoughts that have gone into the items discussed.

 

Mark Blackstone 

17/5/05