EBU
Pay to Play (p2p)The EBU proposal to make every member of a bridge club join the EBU and pay a fee to the EBU each time they play has had a very mixed reception. The assumptions and calculations of how much each member will pay have been challenged, and the VAT aspects do not seem to have been considered. This page allows you to see some of the points of view.
Click here visit the EBU website to see April 2008 version of the Document |
At the EBU Extraordinary Meeting
on Juve 4th Votes for p2p were cast as follows |
|||
| County | For |
Against |
Abstained |
Avon |
2 |
||
Bedfordshire |
1 |
||
Berks & Bucks |
1 |
2 |
|
Cambs and Hunts |
2 |
||
Channel Islands |
1 |
||
Cornwall |
2 |
||
Cumbria |
1 |
||
Derbyshire |
1 |
||
Devon |
2 |
||
Dorset |
2 |
||
Essex |
3 |
||
Gloucestershire |
2 |
||
Hants & IOW |
3 |
||
Herefordshire |
2 |
||
Hertfordshire |
3 |
||
Isle of Man |
1 |
||
Kent |
3 |
||
Lancashire |
3 |
||
Leicestershire |
2 |
||
Lincolnshire |
1 |
||
London |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Manchester |
1 |
2 |
|
Merseyside |
2 |
||
Middlesex |
3 |
||
Norfolk |
2 |
||
North East |
3 |
||
Northants |
1 |
||
Notts |
1 |
1 |
|
Oxford |
3 |
||
Somerset |
2 |
||
Staffs and Shropshire |
2 |
||
Suffolk |
2 |
||
Surrey |
4 |
||
Sussex |
2 |
||
Warwick |
3 |
||
Westmoreland |
1 |
||
Wiltshire |
1 |
||
Worcestershire |
2 |
||
Yorkshire |
4 |
||
Total |
52 |
31 |
2 |
Notes on the EBU Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 3rd October 2007
by J. B. Brelsford, Lancashire Shareholder
Chairman's Report
Peter Stocken reported that the Board had been looking at every aspect of the organisation to find out how best the EBU can serve its members, how it can most effectively promote and develop the game and what sort of financial and administrative structure is required to achieve those aims.
He said the most important initiative had been the publication of the Strategy Proposals for the future of the EBU.
Because the central concept of Pay to Play in these proposals was so radical, the Board had launched the widest possible consultation process with members, clubs and counties. There had been an enormous response. Although there had been some opposition to the proposals, the general feeling was that the status quo is no longer tenable, that the EBU has to change and that these proposals have merit but much more work needs to be done. The consultation continues.
Annual Accounts - showed a surplus for the year of £76,000, well ahead of the original budget figure, achieved by reducing staffing costs, a fortuitous reduction in distribution costs for English Bridge and a modest saving in the cost of support for our international teams.
Bridge Shop sales were lower than expected and master point income dropped by 8% from expectations.
In the five months to 31st August 2007 overall income is in line with budget but expenditure is well below budget, particularly in the Overheads department. We can expect to avoid a loss for the year.
2008/2009 subscriptions; members £17.00, direct £26.00, overseas £28.00, EBUTA £14.00, junior 17-25 years old £5.00, junior below 17 £2.00, clubs via county £20.50
Elections
Directors elected for 2007/2008; Peter Stocken Chairman,Sally Bugden Vice-Chairman, John Carter, Michael Hill Treasurer, Graham Jepson, Philip Mason, Jeff Morris, Alan Nelson, Malcolm Oliver, Martin Pool. Andrew Petrie was the unsuccessful candidate.
David Burn, Frances Hinden and David Martin elected to Law and Ethics Committee for three years.
Margaret Curtis, Philip Mason and Andrew Petrie were elected to the Tournament Committee for three years, Addis Page for two yeas.
Heather Dhondy & Paul Hackett elected to the Selection Committee for 3 years, Gerard Faulkner 1 year.
Counties were then invited up in turn to give opinions on the Strategy Proposals.
I made the point that the figures in the revised proposals bear little resemblance to the original proposals but that many clubs had decided on the original figures that they were going to disaffiliate. I also questioned how much thought had gone into the proposals when a meeting to sort out what was to happen to leagues was due to take place after a proposed meeting with the north-west counties to answer questions on the proposals.
There was general agreement on the idea of universal membership but none on how to achieve it.
Appointments
The Board reported that the new Accounts Manager, Gail Nancarrow, had coped very well(after the death of Brian Smith. Krys Kasmierczak had begun his duties as Club Liaison Officer and Matt Betts as Communications Officer.
Charity Status for Clubs
Initial discussions had taken place with a firm of charity specialist solicitors, who had indicated that the Charities Act 2006 would almost certainly allow bridge clubs to receive charitable status provided:-
(1) they are not for profit;
(2) they have no barriers to membership, for example membership tests;
(3) they have a constitution acceptable to the Charities Commission.
Thus, proprietor-owned clubs were unlikely to qualify and those clubs that “check-out” the skill level of potential members may also be disqualified, as would clubs that exclude juniors.
Blackpool Easter Congress was still making a profit in spite of the decline in attendance.
Overseas congresses
Two overseas congresses per year suggested subject to the following conditions:
(1) That the EBU would be responsible only for the running of the bridge; that the partner company would bear all the responsibility for travel and accommodation.
(2) That the bridge events would be exclusively for those players who made use of the travel packages made available by the partner company; bridge would not be available to players making their own travel arrangements.
(3) That the arrangements offered by the travel company and the number of participants continued to make the events viable.
(4) That the venues offered would be easily accessible.
Concern was expressed over the future of One Day Joint Ventures.
Following the introduction of the new financial structure, it was feared
that the number of participating counties was falling. (What a surprise!)
Selection Committee proposed that the members of the
EBU Junior Committee should be elected annually by the Shareholders
with the Squad Managers as ex-officio members with voting rights and
the Youth Development Officer (non voting) as Secretary but this
was defeated.
England's Girls' Team finished 8th out of 12 teams
in the European Youth Team Championships
U25 Team finished tenth out of twenty-two teams
Schools' Team finished fourth out of sixteen teams.
Bonn Nations Cup England finished third overall.
The Shareholders' Meetings for 2008 would be on 5th
March, 4th June (an EGM on the Strategy Proposals) and 2nd October (AGM).