Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Llyn Tegid
Bala Lake Railway Society
Summary Report from the Committee Meeting held at 7.30 on 30th July 2022.
Present were Cathy and Martin Houghton, Peter Miller, Mat Peacock, Dave Scotson, Francis Stapleton and Tim Williams. Apologies were received from Nick Talbot, Brian Bennett, Bob Newton, Dave Fildes, Thomas Haynes (who will be standing down at the AGM) and Pete Newhouse (who will also be standing down at the AGM).
Plans for autumn-winter works on the volunteer kitchen and elsewhere are still being finalised – further ideas for improving the volunteer accommodation are always welcome.
Life Membership is now available to new and existing members. Details have been placed on the website and in the August edition of Llanuwchllyn Express.
There has been a small drop in the total number of members, but the figures remain well above 2020 levels. However, with the ongoing rises in the cost of living, we may well see more people deciding not to renew in the coming months, and the number of new member applications currently being processed is less than normal for this time of year. The Membership Secretaries should be at the Members’ Day / AGM on September 10th and it will be possible to join or re-join the Society on that day, in between the special extra trains for members!
More participants are welcome in the monthly Draw Club. It’s an easy and occasionally-profitable way to help the Railway.
In addition to the planned track works to the east of Llangower this winter, the Company is considering upgrades to the track at Llanuwchllyn station, again over the coming winter. New track with 50lb rail would be laid from the crossover to the far end of the carriage shed. The Society has agreed to contribute towards the cost. Please contact the General Manager if you would like to be involved in either of these working parties (or if you would like to pay for a fishplate bolt or two as a donation to the Railway).
Several proposed changes to the wording of the constitution will be presented to the AGM on 10th September, including two new clauses. The first will be for the creation of a new category of (non-voting) Honorary Membership, intended to be an award for people from outside of the Lake Railway organisations who have made major contributions to the Railway. The second clause will make it possible to award existing members a free upgrade to Life Membership in recognition of outstanding contributions to the Railway. As Life Members, honorands would also retain the right to vote and stand for election. Both types of award will be made sparingly and only to the most distinguished recipients!
The committee will also seek provisional approval for a shift to longer terms of office between elections (subject to a suitable system being worked out in time for the 2023 AGM), alongside a new and improved code of conduct and complaints procedure for all members.
The Railway could do with more volunteers in operational roles, guards in particular, right now! If you can help, please get in touch: training as a guard is a fairly quick and almost certainly painless process. The committee is looking at ways that the Society can do more to help recruit volunteers and to make volunteering easier – and would welcome suggestions on this.
It was decided not to set a date for the next committee meeting until after the AGM.
