January 16^th 2024

Triumph Owners’ Motorcycle Club

North East England Branch Annual General Meeting 

Benwell Hill Cricket Club, West Road, Newcastle upon Tyne

In attendance: 

Chairman: Mark Lamb

Memberships Secretary: Dave Tate

Events / Ride Coordinator: Ged Tellwright

Acting Treasurer: Graeme Haswell

Brass Monkey lead: Clive Bell

Retired and Workshy founder Mark Loftus

Ride leaders/ tailers Dave Harding, Bernie McLaughlin, Graeme Henderson

Tracy Tordai, George Carnegie, Rob Ayre, Stu McCarthy +1, Steve Ibbetson, Cat Tellwright, David Webb, Linda Webb, Andrew Richards, Colin Banks (94 mile round trip!), Billy Hunter, Brian Thompson, Mal Guest, Vic Stevenson, Jim West

26 in total

Intro and Welcome: Mark Lamb thanked everyone for attending on a grim January evening. All seemed quite impressed with the new venue.

Review of 2023 – Mark presented a month by month summary of some of the highlights of the previous year taken mainly from the Whatsapp group posts. Hopefully this can be transferred to the website www.tomcc-ne.uk  for reference.

Despite the dubious weather for most of the year a very large amount of activity had taken place helped enormously by involvement from an increasing number of members. Special thanks to Ged for organising several activities including the Café Amblers, Dapper Social, Curry night and Old Peculier weekend. Mark Loftus for founding the Thursday riders aka Retired and Workshy who have enjoyed many visits to fine scenery and Castles

Then followed committee member statements from:

Memberships Secretary Dave Tate summarised the coming and goings in the last year with a net rise of 20 members to current 181 including associates. Those not renewing tending to have sold their Triumphs or moved away.  – full account is contained within the presentation.

Treasurers report delivered by Graeme Haswell who although not the current official Treasurer has been carrying out the role for around 6 years. £3008.26 in the account. Major expenditure of a branded gazebo and contributions to Dapper Social and summer camp for Lou Ross band at both events. Stock of some items of branch merchandise is running low. Dave Tate reported that there have not  been many requests for embroidered clothing from Elite Embroidery. The quality of this clothing is very good and reasonably priced.

Elections to positions:

The most pressing issues are to have a General Secretary in post who can  scan various posts and articles and do monthly write ups of activity and take and publish notes from meetings. Will need to work closely with webmaster and others listed above. Also finalising authorisations for the bank account as there still remain issues.

2024

Ged Tellwright took us through the items on the calendar for 2024 ( posted on website) advise members to print off and stick it up somewhere prominent at home.

Of note – Beer and Curry night Feb 23^rd anyone wanting to go must contact Ged asap in order to get table bookings sorted. Similarly for the Old Peculier weekend at Masham  in July. 

Heads up for volunteers and support from the branch for the Dapper Social / DGR in May for selling raffle tickets, admission, staffing our stall and car parking Master Debonair confirmed support. Ged meeting Triumph next few days to start firming up details. Mark Lamb mentioned that branch gazebo would be going to Owners Club 75^th at Shelsley Walsh the same weekend.

The proposed trip to Ireland  in June needs details sorting asap. 7^th June proposed set off date. Dave and Neil to gather further information and distribute it. Stu McCarthy / partner mentioned that Killarney is particularly expensive

AOB – None

Closing comments:

Thanks to all members who have helped out in 2023. We couldn’t deliver a programme of activities to suit wide ranging taste without your support. It is a team effort. Here’s looking to 2024 for more adventure and good times

In attendance: M Lamb, D Tate, C Bell, G Haswell, G Henderson, M Loftus

 Apologies: Ged, Neil, Iain, Keith, Dave Harding

Agenda … 

Membership  Continues to grow steadily

Committee and Organisation

 – capacity and fitness for purpose – looking back at 2023 and forward to 2024 calendar. 

2023 was busiest yet with new activities added. 2024 to be more so with addition of summer tour in June

With the annual general meeting coming up, Roles and responsibilities were discussed – below is a reminder of the structure of our branch:

 Mandatory positions:

• Chairman, Ensure compliance with club rules, lead direction of branch through liaison with TOMCC and committee. Organise AGM and regular meetings
• Memberships, keep track of incoming and outgoing members. Provide welcome and support re timing of meetings, signposting to website and other coms. Involved in marketing of branch
• Treasurer. Working with committee to ensure compliance with financial regs, monitoring account incomings , outgoings and balances. Ensure account is secure yet accessible for ease of transactions. 

Essential supporting positions:

• General Secretary:  Support to mandatory roles, part of executive committee. Account signatory. Liaison with Triumph. Take and publish notes of meetings and articles for Nacelle, website and social media involving working closely with Webmaster.
• Webmaster – member of executive committee. Responsible for managing website content and the posting of approved articles on various platforms – work closely with General Secretary and other committee members.
• Events co-ordination – in agreement with Committee, putting the calendar together and ensuring each event has resource to enable it to happen effectively without too much onus on an individual. Ref to Geds proposal. 
• Ride coordination linked to events – making sure that each ride is effectively planned, communicated, led and tailed with safety a prime consideration
• Other – eg Tours and major events – whole committee participation. Marketing ?  Badges,flags, cups etc do we want a dedicated position?
• Everyone involved in organising any gatherings is responsible for health and safety issues. The club must be contacted with regard to insurance for any rallies / one off events ( via chairman)

AGM – Venue, Date, Time /   Tuesday January 16^th  7pm, Jubilee – AV to be tested prior to meeting – M Lamb

Nominations for any of the above positions before Christmas to   Memberships Secretary, Dave Tate. This includes confirmation from existing members of committee that they are willing to continue. 

A vacancy now exists for the position of General Secretary. This role could potentially be amalgamated with the webmaster role into a new position of Branch communications. Interest in either is welcomed.

Progress was made to enable authorities and signatories on the branch bank account. Mandate to be circulated by original account members, ML,GH,CB and DT to return to Lloyds in order to secure transactions. This will be in place until position of Treasurer for 2024 is confirmed at AGM

Discussion also took place in relation to main events:

 Proposed event calendar for 2024 requires some tweaks to meeting dates before publishing

DGR / DAPPER SOCIAL  – this will remain on the calendar as an event that we will support via willing volunteers from membership and a charitable donation. It was confirmed that insurance for the DGR is an individuals responsibility and that for the Dapper Social / after ride gathering was responsibility of the organisers apart from anything required for our branch display /gazebo.

TOMCC 75^th Anniversary SHELSLEY WALSH- same date as DGR 18^th / 19^th May. All branches of TOMCC encouraged to attend. Mark Lamb and James Lynch going – 0ther members asked to confirm – free camping on site tickets £35 pp to be confirmed asap

MASHAM July 13^th /14^th any one else wishing to go should confirm with Ged Tellwright

SUMMER TOUR – Southern IRELAND D Tate to get proposal from self guided tour contact in Ireland – mid June 2024 and circulate options

SUMMER CAMP – August bank hol weekend – Clennell Hall – room booking deposits needed now – contact Dee at Clennell Hall direct 07434867939

Any changes to event details or timing must be communicated to Events co-ordinator, ride co-ordinator, webmaster who should also then inform other committee members. 

Concerns were raised about the Jubilee as our meeting venue: Availability of the room and loose surface of the car park being among the issues. Members requested to suggest alternatives which have good access, room for up to 30 people to meet, fringes of conurbation within 5 miles of Newcastle. Benwell Hill Cricket Ground, The station at Killingworth, other clubs venues such as rugby or football grounds. Should serve food and drinks and have access to AV equipment as well as reasonably secure parking for motorcycles. All suggestions will be checked out by committee – please let Chairman, Mark Lamb know your thoughts –  markdlamb81@gmail.com