2019 Annual General Meeting

Minutes of the Collegiate Old Boys’ Association Annual General Meeting held on 25th October 2019 at the Athenaeum, Liverpool.
The meeting was attended by twenty members, including the officers on the top table.

Chairman David Winsland started the meeting by welcoming the members present and asking those present to stand for a minute’s silence in memory of the members who had passed away during the year.

1. Apologies for Absence

Received from David Barnes, Charles Crebbin, Brian Davies, Arthur Evans, Keith Davis, Robert Dodgson, Noel Monks and Peter Robinson.

2. Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the last AGM had been circulated to all members via the newsletter and were approved by Derek Corlett, seconded by Peter Galvin and accepted unanimously by those present as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

3. Matters Arising

There were no matters arising.

4. Chairman’s Report

David Winsland gave his first report as Chairman. This is his report:

Remembrance Service 2018 was well attended. Again Jill Wright did us the honour of conducting the service and the Reverend Henry Corbett, parish priest, gave an address and blessing. Henry was actually one of my school governors when I worked not far from here. Once again the event was enhanced by the attendance of the Liverpool College colour party.
As we had come to expect everything was really well organised By Richard Thwaite who, very sadly, passed away in April. At his funeral there were a number of Old Boys who were not members of the association and we all must do our best to get such Old Boys as members.

Another funeral I have attended this year was that of Maurice Derbyshire both former pupil and teacher at the Collegiate. Maurice or Mr. Derbyshire was my Physics teacher for O level.
During the year we have held two council meetings both hosted by Ron and Sue James. As is the custom Sue does not believe in letting us meet without putting many tasty platefuls in front of us, all very gratefully consumed. Business always includes questions about why newsletters are returned or queries from families of a deceased former pupil. David, our Secretary, tries to keep on top of these but it is a difficult task. We are still in need of deputies for Treasurer and Secretary to give support.
Since Liverpool College appointed a new Principal a few years ago, relationships have been very good. Council members were again invited to attend the College Founders Day Service at the Anglican Cathedral and three of us were able to attend what is a moving reminder of the foundation of our schools.

After the service we were invited back to a reception at the College. Following conversations there I have had an approach by a Mike Ackam, a former Liverpool College pupil, asking if COBA would be interested in joining a local group hopefully being set up of a national group for Old Boys Associations. I intend to find out what is entailed and bring this back to the association.
I started with the Remembrance Service 2018 now I invite you to attend the 2019 service at the school. Car parking is on the old playground to which we have access thanks to the caretaker Mike. Please try to get to school for about 10.30. Following the service there will be light refreshments.

5. Hon. Secretary’s Report

The Secretary began his report by advising the members that he had experienced a difficult year as a result of his wife suffering a serious stroke on 28th June 2019 and had considered resigning. However, after a phone call from the President he had agreed to continue until further notice. He had the following to report:

• There had been two Council meetings during the year. The one on 27/3/19 was attended by just five Council members and the issue of the Council needing a quorum was discussed.
• The second meeting in September on 11/9/19 was held in afternoon for first time and much better attended.
• A letter of thanks for the sponsorship from COBA had been received from George O’Brien, Secretary of COBFC.
• An email had been received from Barbara Hill, wife of Alan Hill, founder with Cyril Goldstein of the London & South-East COBA Group started in 2001. She advised the Secretary that Alan had died in February 2018.
• The Associations membership was falling from 554 as at 13/10/17 it had dropped to 522 as at 18/9/18 and was going to drop to 506 after deleting the gone away members.

Deaths

• Raymond Threadgold 1951-55 06/02/2019
• Richard Thwaite 1943-49 29/04/2019
• Raymond Samples 49/54 2018
• Alan James Heritage 37/41 2016
• William Brewer 42/47 2017
• Alan Hill 47/54 2018

Gone Away Newsletters

• T J Burke 59/64 Caldy, Wirral
• W A Burns 37/41 Birstall, Leicester
• J D Coppell 46/51 Liverpool 18
• R E Hurd 43/47 Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.
• J B Jones 51/59 Aigburth, Liverpool
• Vincent May 50/54 Auckland, New Zealand
• D G Waring 51/58 Liverpool 17
• E Watling 71/79 Ramsey, IOM

New Members

The Secretary announced that three new members had joined the Association during the year. They were David Pike (70/75) Mike Sumner (57/64) and Kenneth Buckle (57/61). He welcomed the new members, and two of them were in fact present at the AGM.

• Finally, the Secretary advised the members present that he had received a lovely phone call from former Methodist Minister Malcolm Carter, whom he had first met when working at HMP Liverpool as a teacher. Malcolm was then the Prison Chaplain and joined the Association after the chance meeting. Malcolm had phoned to say he wished the Secretary’s wife Yvonne well on her recovery from the stroke she had suffered.
6. Hon. Treasurer’s Report

The Treasurer presented his report on the accounts for 2018 which was his 20th year as Treasurer.
Income in the year was £2,400 being £130 more than in 2017. Expenditure was £2,060. This was £30 less than in 2017 despite the 2018 Newsletter costing £60 more. This left a surplus for the year of £350 compared with the surplus of £180 in 2017. There had been a difficulty with the Santander Bank which had resulted in no credits from members being applied to the account. Compensation of £100 had been received in 2019. At the end of 2018 the Accumulated Fund had increased to £1,740 - a reasonably healthy position. The increase in the level of subscriptions to £10 from September 2017 had been implemented by many Members but some continued to pay £5.00 or even £3.00.
The 2018 Newsletter in PDF format had been sent to 140 Members. Ron thanked Chairman David Winsland for his examination of the accounts which were approved and accepted unanimously.

7. Section Reports

Football

COLLEGIATE OLD BOYS FOOTBALL CLUB

Report given by Li Ross, Chairman, COBFC

The club is still running three Saturday teams in the three divisions of the Liverpool Old Boys League and a Sunday team, the Casuals, which plays a full programme of friendly games.

Only a handful of games have been played so far this season. The first and third teams are currently mid-table and the second team is in fourth place. The first team has reached the third round of the LCFA Junior Cup but was knocked out of the Lancashire Amateur Cup on penalties in the first round. The second team has reached the second round of the LCFA Intermediate Cup and has been entered in the Northern Cup, in which it reached the quarter finals last season.

We still meet at the Bohemians Tennis Club after matches on Saturday afternoons and still run a Sportsman’s Dinner in late March at the Old Swan Conservative Club. Details of that event and of the teams’ progress can be found in the club’s new website at www.collegiateobfc.co.uk
Finally, the club is extremely grateful for the annual contribution received from COBA, which helps considerably in the battle to meet the ever-increasing cost of kit, equipment and facilities.

Rugby

Chairman David Winsland read out the following report as provided by Gary Morgan of Collegiate Rugby Club:

The Liverpool Collegiate Rugby Report

The Senior Men’s section is currently running two teams - the 1st XV play in the Lancashire ADM Premier League. Thus far this season the 1st XV have had a number of near misses, they currently lie bottom of the league but are unfortunate to be there having lost couple of matches by single scores.

The 2nd XV have fared better winning four out of seven of their matches this season.

The Ladies XV are an emerging side who are predominantly made up of women new to rugby but are competing well.

The Mini & Juniors prove to be competitive across the board and continue to have good numbers from Under 7 through to Under 16. Unfortunately the club is not fielding a Colts XV this season as we succumb to the problem of player drop off at the 16 plus age, a problem common for many rugby clubs.

Many thanks

Gary Morgan

Golf

A final report was given by Michael Richard was given to confirm that the golf section had folded during the year. Michael happily though announced that the remaining funds in the Collegiate Old Boys’Golf Society bank account was being donated to COBA, a sum of £523.10.

8. Election of Officers

The officers had all agreed to stand again and were duly re-elected en bloc.

9. Election of Council

It was announced that there were vacancies on the Council since the death earlier in the year of Richard Thwaite and of former Chairman Joe Lucas the year before. Only five Council members had attended the Council meeting in March 2019 and so the Chairman approached former Council members Derek Tasker and Gerry Mulcahey who both agreed to re-join.

10. Any Other Business

The date of the next Annual General Meeting and Annual Dinner was confirmed as 16th October 2020.

David G. Williams
Hon. Secretary
6/11/19