Calpe & District 41 Club 

Thoughts on the Future. 

Following a discussion at the last meeting, it was suggested that a few experienced members should “chew the cud” and think about the way forward for the club. As a result 5 of us talked on Friday 1^st March. Founder members Malcolm and Andrew together with other recent chairmen, Stuart and Hugh, met with treasurer Steve. Steve, Andrew and Malcolm all have years of Round Table family background. Hugh and Stuart bring the perspective of service organisation membership, but not in Round Table. 

We considered a number of points – 

1. Membership – We have 18 paid up members. All but 3 are non-resident and attending increasingly infrequently. 
2. Funds – The club currently has €600. 
3. Malcolm, Hugh, Stuart and Andrew reviewed recent experiences as chairmen –
   1. Attendances of only 3 to 6 members 
   2. Difficulty of poor continuity because of irregular attendance 
   3. A sense that we are short of Round Table knowledge and experience in some discussions 
   4. A worry that we are becoming just a pleasant lunch club 
   5. The club is suffering from only occasional attendances by non-residents, who are looking more and more like visitors 
4. We considered member support for the Charter Night in May. Stuart reported that of the respectable attendance of 40 only 8 couples (16 attendees) were members. However financially the event should almost cover costs. Bearing in mind the healthy club funds this is not considered to be a concern. 
5. Malcolm asked if we still have a regular mention in the Societies section of the Costa Blanca News listings. It would help if Tony (chairman at the March meeting) can find a volunteer to take this on. It is certainly not an onerous task. 
6. New member potential – there are currently 3 potential new members, though again none has Round Table experience. 
7. Everyone agreed that our move to bring in “like minded” members, without Table experience has been very healthy for the club, BUT that we do need strong Table experience amongst our members.  
8. A way forward – This informal group recommends that the AGM agree a plan along the following lines, which should be discussed by members in advance, including at the March and April meetings –
   1. We actively seek new members, with emphasis on promoting ourselves through 41 Club channels to attract ex-Tablers, as well as in the broader community to attract like-minded men. 
   2. We limit ourselves to 6 or 7 meetings a year – probably March, April, May, June, September, October November. These are the months when attendances have been stronger. 
   3. That we try for occasional social events in-between. 
   4. We seek to appoint a chairman for the coming year. 
   5. The notice for the AGM, which the secretary will issue after the April meeting (please) should make clear that we need experienced nominations for that post and for a Treasurer and secretary. Some competition should be encouraged, as a vote increases engagement. 
   6. Andrew is happy to continue as Webmaster for the year ahead but is more than happy to face a vote if there are other nominations. 
   7. Thus, we are inviting nominations for Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Webmaster. In addition, we should elect up to 3 other committee appointments. These should preferably be experienced members. 
   8. Gareth, our secretary should be asked to send out an email voting sheet for these positions to all members, with a closing date of the Monday before the AGM, to allow all members to vote, whether attending the meeting or not. 
9. Proposal – The club is invited to consider, amend, and endorse this way forward. 

 

Andrew Johnson 

Founder Chairman 

5th March 2024