This year, MWHC is opening the AGM minutes too all for public review.
MHWC 2024 AGM Minutes
Milton Hundred Wargames Club Committee
Chairman: David Mustill
Secretary: Steve Thomas (Absent)
Treasurer: Rob Cooper
Member’s Representative: Simon Warren
Item 1 - DM brought the meeting to order and thanked those present for attending. The opening address was very positive, with record attendance for the club and the Broadside show at the forefront, leaving the club in a very healthy position.
Item 2 - RC presented the club accounts, which show that the club is slightly in profit again this year. The club is still not generating enough income on its own to cover the hall hire fees (which have increased this year), but the additional income from Broadside covers the shortfall and more.
Item 3 - Election to current committee posts. All nominees listed.
Chairman : David Mustill
Secretary : Steve Thomas
Treasurer : Nigel Swinney
Member's Representative : Simon Warren
All committee posts were seconded and duly voted on. All four nominations were unanimously carried.
Item 4 - Issues for discussion
Club issues. The general organisation of the club (costs, fees, days/times) were agreed by all to be satisfactory. The club would need approximately 42 members at the current fees to break even, however the committee decided not to increase fees this year due to the additional income from Broadside. This will be reviewed on a yearly basis.
It was decided that in the new year some changes would be made to club nights. Attendees will be required to register on arrival, and any fees owed (casual members) should be paid at that point. This will provide a list of members present for subs checks and fire regulations.
All subscription payments should be paid at the start of the relevant period (yearly, quarterly, or by alternative arrangement).
It was decided, upon agreement from the hall trustees, that MHWC would buy a number of tables to supplement the hall complement, as there have been several occasions where all the hall tables were in use, leaving none spare in case of late arrivals.
The committee suggested that an overhaul of the club terrain assets was in order. Club members agreed, and suggested engaging with members who own 3d printers to produce new items, with subsidies from club funds. DM also proposed organising a larger storage space at the club hall.
Quartermaster Post. Member Ergo Fargo proposed the addition of a Quartermaster to organise club assets. After a discussion it was decided not to appoint a member on the day, but a vote was taken to establish the position, and unanimously carried.
It was decided to make the position a non committee post for the time being, with a yearly review on the arrangement. The committee will establish a description for the position and look for volunteers, with the aim of putting a member in the position by January 2025. It was also suggested that the club could employ a social media/website administrator as another non-committee post. This is more difficult due to the nature of the club website, and the Facebook and Instagram accounts being organised through different members. Member Shaun McCann suggested that he could run the club website for a lot less than the current arrangements. While the site fees are paid up until September 2025, the committee agreed that SM should talk to ST (current website manager) about a transfer to a cheaper provider next year, with SM taking control of the site.
Broadside. The committee thanks all club members who helped out at Broadside 2024. Special mention was made of Ergo Fargo, for his contribution to the organisation of the parking areas. A vote was taken and carried to continue with running the annual event. While DM would like to move the date in the calendar in future years, the show is booked for June 14th 2025. The committee looks forward to the show, and encourages as many members as possible to join in and help out.
Our Other Events. The committee thanks all members who joined in with the Medway Gaming Festival and RE-Play events. Special mention was made of Nigel Swinney for organising MGF. It was agreed that we should run both events again next year, if the external organisers keep putting them on.
Complaints Procedure. We need to clarify how we deal with complaints against members. To this end, the committee will put a new constitution in place, detailing members rights, which should include an official complaints procedure. The Committee would like this in place by January 2025.
MHWC at Events. It was generally agreed that MHWC should continue to run games at external events. This is reliant on the support of members, who need to volunteer to help/put on games. Currently the only WG event is Cavalier, which we will be supporting. There is the possibility of running games at the Battles Through History and Military Odyssey shows, and the RAF Museum annual show, although this may clash with RE-Play. We will also be running games at Kent Scouts Christmas Fayre, which may lead to new opportunities within the Scouting Organisation. The committee thanks Mike Kirkham-Ingram for organising the evening session at the Seashells community group. It has been agreed that we should purchase a new club banner, and possibly a second one for the use of Sheppey Models at events MHWC are unable to attend.
Christmas Games. Several suggestions were made for larger scale games for multiple players on December 18th, and the club will supply refreshments on the night.
Club shirts. It was agreed that we should purchase fleece jackets for club members to use at events in colder months, on the suggestion of member Andy King. Jackets will be purchased in blue, to complement the yellow club shirts. After an initial test purchase the committee will decide whether to buy individual jackets for members, or keep a few communal ones for general use.
DM brought the meeting to a close, and thanked all attendees for their contributions.
