Contact details for the new chairperson for the PFA are as below

Tom Dickson
115 Main Road
Middleton Cheney
OX17 2PW

tom@tdickson.co.uk
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Chairmans speech AGM 2011

Welcome everyone,

Remember that, at the last AGM, having done their stint, the previous post-holders resigned en masse, except the Vice Chairman who stood, and promised to support me in my first year, then duly resigned after three months (having attended only one meeting).  Thus this has been a year of the PFA committee finding our feet and we have been groping around in the dark trying to learn the ropes, pay the bills and engender enthusiasm for this asset of this village.   Having learned a great deal this year, especially about apathy and inertia, we are stronger than we were.  We are complying with more regulations than we were and the intentions are to move forward with some small things such as repairs to our assets, some larger things like keeping financially afloat and some massive things like trying to amalgamate some of the other village groups in a symbiotic relationship to provide first class facilities for all. 

I wish to counsel all the clubs you are the PFA, you cannot be separate from it, you are a constituent part.  Yes you pay your subscriptions, but with more input, what else could be achieved.

• The Tennis Club does not do not do enough for the PFA and apart from 1 member you are neglecting your own interests. 
• The Football Club has allowed itself to be unrepresented at many of the meetings, a parlous state if they want things to be done for them.
• The Social Club always sends a couple of representatives, thanks, but more are always welcome.
• The Parish Council can always be relied upon to be there and provide dual pillars of wisdom - oh yes and money.
• The Cricket Club supplied the majority of the committee, could we do more could other members do a li’l bit?

Is there an imbalance here?  Is there a conflict of interest?

Can I give you a hypothesis - suppose that all three sports clubs have requested new nets and there is £500 in the budget.  Do we spend the requested £500 on new nets for the cricket club, for the tennis club or for the football club.  How would a vote for those funds go?  Obviously that won’t happen.  This is just an example.  Please get your members here, be represented be part of the match, not just the game.

I have a few words of thanks for those people quietly going about business on our behalf

Peter Thornton – treasurer is a real find, he has whipped the accounts and the financial reporting into a position whereby they are readable, understandable and comply with legislation.  He has even moved to preliminary discussions with the Village Hall committee about setting up a singular village resource which could encompass many resources for the benefit of the village.  It would be inaccurate to say that his proposals had been welcomed, quite the reverse, but the fight is not a short one.  His able lieutenant in this matter was Andy Mayo who punches well above his weight in this village and does more for the village than many others who claim credit.

Linda Mayo – Secretary is quietly efficient and keeps us all updated with minutes, research and various other paraphernalia.  I propose to keep her busier this year.

My special thanks go to Steve Rice for his fabulous work on the committee of the PFA for longer than I am able to remember. He is a big loss to us and hope that he will come back to us soon.

Carol Twynham, Louise Mitchell, Sally McGurk and Alistair Markam all attend as many meetings as they are able and contribute sagely to all discussions and I wish to thank them for that too. 

The Parrish Council take the PFA Committee very seriously and we are really lucky to have Caroline Stacey and Craig Bryant attend every meeting where they contribute ably.  We do not reciprocate that…. yet.

The best I can say for the rest is that they have been unable to organise their associations better.  It is not a difficult task to spend one evening per month, the longest meeting we have had is 2½ hours, doing something for others, even if they never thank you for it, why would they.  The meetings are generally quite fun, certainly not arduous and we don’t ask much except that you tell us what you think;  There is even access to a bar which serves alcohol, soft drinks, and snacks at very reasonable prices.  (Even if you do need thermal drawers some evenings!)

Finally I would like to highlight the work of Jonathan Ruffle and Andy Taylor who came to us just over a month ago with a plan to run the Music Festival – an event which is staggering , lurching, towards becoming an annual event on our Playing Field.  These two guys have come out of the mists to put on the festival this year and have pledged, that over and above the work that they will do for the event, will come along to every meeting and inform us of how they are getting on with the arrangements.  That’s commitment.  Thank you.

Finally I wish to cut to the chase, I think it is a terrible waste of everybody’s time going round asking for nominations for committee holders.  Please be ready with your nominations and if you have someone to nominate for a post simply put your hand up now, and we’ll get to you at the time.  I have spoken to the post holders, and they are all fittingly reluctant to stand for another year but have agreed to do so, unless there are any better offers.  But please be aware that we expect some more commitment from clubs and other parties.  We really do need help.

Thank you