Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Llyn Tegid
Bala Lake Railway Society
Summary Report from the Committee Meeting held at 7.30 on 27th January 2023, via Zoom and at Llanuwchllyn.
Present were Dave Fildes, Chris Jackson, Peter Miller, Hilary Moorhouse, Mat Peacock, Dave Scotson, Francis Stapleton, Nick Talbot and Tim Williams. Apologies for absence were received from Cathy and Martin Houghton and from Bob Newton.
It is still intended to increase volunteer accommodation fees on the recommendation of the Company: they will select a date for the change.
There has been a small drop in membership numbers. The Draw Club runs from January to December and in 2022 raised £412.32 for the Society. Many participants generously chose to donate their winnings to the Trust. It costs £2.50 per month per number and more entrants would be welcome – contact the Membership Secretaries.
Plans for the AGM (20th May) and Members’ Day / Society 50th Anniversary Day (21st May) were still awaiting approval from the Company at the time of the meeting, but they should be ready in time to go into the February edition of ‘Llanuwchllyn Express’. The magazine will also contain an advert for the ink jet printer cartridge recycling box now installed at Llanuwchllyn. All cartridges that are contributed will raise money for the Railway.
The May 2023 issue of the ‘Express’ will be released before the AGM and will coincide quite closely with the date when recruiting for the Society started. The Society was not formally established until September 1973.
Mat Peacock reported that exhibitors and traders for the Model Railway Show (16th and 17th September 2023) are approximately two-thirds booked or provisionally agreed (see the Events section of the BLR website for confirmed bookings). He would still appreciate contacts and ideas for stand-owners to approach, particularly for narrow-gauge layouts.
At the 2023 AGM, the Committee intends to propose an immediate move to a three-year system for all elected offices. If approved, one third of offices will be elected each year. It is also intended to introduce a stronger complaints procedure (with associated conduct rules) to balance this increase in powers.
Some repairs were made to one of the upstairs showers over Christmas. Quotes will be sought for re-flooring the kitchen. All members using the volunteer accommodation are asked to keep it tidy and dispose of their rubbish properly as this is still sometimes a problem.
Several ideas were discussed for big-ticket items that could be bought or funded by a Society 50th Anniversary Appeal, but more information was needed and no firm decisions were reached. More ideas would be welcome.
The Society will fund some culvert marker posts to help with maintenance.
The next Committee Meeting will take place in mid-March.
