Ramsgate and District Model Engineering Club
2021 Annual General Meeting Minutes
Held at the Café in Ellington Park
On the 4th November 2021
Meeting Opened: 19:36
Before starting the meeting agenda, Alan remembered the members who are sadly no longer with us:
Lesley Harris
Mick Clements
Keith Aylwin
Members Present:
Duncan Edwards
Alan Gibbs
Jane Clements
John Denne
Bob Barwick
Roger Holebrook
Darren Argyle
Dave Leahy
Opening of the Meeting:
Alan welcomed everyone to our AGM and thanked us for attending.
Apologies for Absence:
Bob Pryor
Nigel Pryor
Robert Roake
Nick Curtis
Julie Gibbs
Acceptance of – Minutes of the Spring Meeting (2019):
The minutes of the 2019 Spring Meeting were read out and accepted.
Proposed by Dave Leahy and seconded by John Denne.
Treasurers Report:
Jane explained the accounts and noted that despite a short running season, we made a small profit this year. Acceptance of the accounts was proposed by Dave Leahy and seconded by Darren Argyle.
Chairpersons Report:
Alan thanked those members that helped run trains in the park this year.
The flint panels in the club house have still not been finished, due to Covid and then a lack of trained staff on our running days.
The aim is to get them finished during next season. The window frames and shields need a coat of paint and the door needs remedial work and a coat of paint.
Park and Locomotives:
The work in Ellington Park is nearing completion and the difference that having a Café and toilets seemed to have made a big difference to the footfall in the park, with more families seen this summer – this contributing to some busy running days!
The station area still has some work to be done; the fence exiting the station was incorrectly placed and will have a return on the end to reduce the gap which will minimise the risk of people using it as an entrance / exit.
There will be a yellow ‘Do Not Cross’ line across the station area, a metre from the track, similar to those on main line platforms.
There will be a canopy fitted at some stage, but due to the problems created by Covid, there is a delay in manufacturing and fitting it.
Both Club Steam Locomotives require Hydraulic and Steam Tests to be carried out before they can be run again – Alan intends to take Ajax home to give it a thorough examination and make any necessary modifications to ensure it runs well.
Alan felt it unfair that members should have to buy batteries to run their locos, so the committee agreed that after a member buys the first set of batteries, they will be replaced at the club’s expense when necessary.
The club has two steam locos, but we rely on members bringing their electric ones to use when we run. Alan suggested that the club should buy its own electric loco and asked for suggestions on what loco to get and what colour scheme it should have. Alan suggested a tin box on wheels, rather than anything too fancy and a Class 33 is his suggestion.
Correspondence:
HS2020 – Managing health and safety at
passenger-carrying miniature railways – available as pdf from the Members Area of the club website…
Election of Committee:
All the current Committee members are happy to stand again:
Chairman: Alan Gibbs.
Treasurer and co-Secretary: Jane Clements.
Safety Officer and co-Secretary: Duncan Edwards.
This was unanimously agreed – Proposed by John Denne and seconded by Darren Argyle.
Any Other Business:
None.
Meeting Closed: 20:22
Followed by Tea and Biscuits.