Secretary’s Report for the Annual General Meeting of Kilbarchan Amateur Athletic Club Held at Johnstone High School on Wednesday 26^th September 2007

 

Here is my secretary’s report following my second year as secretary. The report should also be read in conjunction with the published set of results on the club web site and on display at the AGM. My thanks to all the committee members and club members who have helped me throughout the year.

 

Jason Pender

Club Organisation and Facilities

 

The elected committee continued to meet monthly at Johnstone Town Hall with other sub-committees meeting less regularly as required. During this season, Scott McCulloch took over the vacant position of Men’s Team Manager. Other committee members are intimated on the agenda circulated at this AGM and on the club web site.

 

As in previous years the club takes out a block booking for Johnstone High School for changing and gym access for Mondays and Wednesdays and a block booking for Johnstone Town Hall for committee rooms. There is also a special arrangement for use of the pavilion building in Kilbarchan Public Park for Sunday cross country runs and the schools cross country races in September.

 

We continue to use the track at Linwood Sports Centre as our main base for track and field and it is continuing to get busier and busier. We have a new concern for next year with Scotstoun closing for building work and we are sure to receive some over spill from other clubs so health and safety is a growing concern on an increasingly crowded track.

 

One of our member’s parents Mr and Mrs Ian MacLeod kindly donated a gazebo in club colours with the club name on it. You can look out for this for shelter at events attended by club members. Our thanks go to Ian MacLeod for this generous donation.

 

The club continues to operate a website from Scotland-on-Line with the domain name www.kilbarchanaac.org.uk although this is well over due an over hall since started in 1999. The web site is currently maintained by Jason Pender but anyone interested in taking over this role or maintaining a section on a particular subject would be most welcome. David Boal maintains a senior road running section which is very popular.

 

During this new season the committee and Scottish Athletics will be working together to gain the Club Mark award. This is UK Athletics driven initiative is intended to raise the standards of clubs in the UK. As one of the top clubs in Scotland we are keen to set an example for the other clubs to follow. We hope you will all assist us in working towards this. Details in due course.

Membership

 

The club has a healthy membership of over 377 (321 last year) members broken down into the following categories:

 

Male: U/11 - 33; U/13 - 41; U/15 - 22; U/17 - 12; U/20 - 11; Senior 73  -> Total 193

 

Female:  U/11 - 39;U/13 - 45; U/15 - 35; U/17 - 18; U/20 - 5; Senior - 40  -> Total 178

 

+ 6 Second Claim = 377

Coaching

 

The club has 19 active coaches who support the club either on a daily or ad-hoc basis. The current coaching convener is Robert Hawkins who chairs the coaching sub-committee.

Results in Roads, Cross Country and Hills

 

There have been so many great achievements by club runners this season and the club has continued to be a dominating force over the roads and cross country over the season winning 19 individual and team medals at the various national championship events.

 

At the National Cross County Championships on 10^th February 2007 Kilbarchan dominated the team prizes again and were awarded the Pat Spence Memorial Trophy for the best club performance in the ladies events but just missed out from Giffnock North on the Scottish Power overall trophy. We had individual winners and team winners and full details are in the results summary.

 

On 23^rd March Conor McNulty was awarded his fine performances over the cross country season by being selected for Great Britain under 20 team in the World Cross Country Championships held in Mombassa in Kenya. Despite losing a shoe shortly after the start of the race Conor finished the race in 77^th position.

 

For the first time ever Kilbarchan Women’s team won the senior title at the National 4 Stage Road Race Championships at Livingston on 31^st March with a scintillating team of Claire Gibson, Kerry Lang, Cara Sloss and Hayley Haining. Hayley breaking the course record with a 31minute 04second on the longer leg.

 

Please refer to the results summary for all our great achievers as there are too many to mention in my report.

Results in Track and Field

Approximately 30 (17 last year) medals were won by athletes at the respective national age group championships plus other noticeable performances at district, international level and the English AAA championships. Arguably the most significant was Ross Toole winning the AAAs under 23 1500m title from the best of England. Ross went on to break the club record for this event with 3m41.12s to qualify for the European u23 Championships and representing Great Britain. Further details on the summary results sheet.

 

In the leagues the Young Athletes League, the girls and boys combined team finished 3^rd to miss out on going to Birmingham for the UK finals. In the men’s league the club finished a disappointing 8^th in division 1 to be relegated for next year and in the Women’s League, Kilbarchan females join up with Whitemoss AAC, Ayr Seaforth and Giffnock to form a composite team called Team West (Kilbarchan athletes played a major role, contributing about half of the whole squad). This year Team West finished second behind the City of Edinburgh. The club also compete in age groups in the young athletes indoor league although didn’t qualify for the final. And finally, in the Central and South of Scotland League the club finished 1^st for the first time ever in the history of the club.

 

Haley Haining broke the British Record for a 35 year old for the 10,000 metres on her first outing on the track for some time in finishing second in the AAAs 10,000m championships in 32minutes 47.96s Watford on 30^th June 2007.

 

In the previous season 25 male and 6 female club records were broken by club members. This season 15 male and 15 female records were broken and the details are published on our website.

 

Over the last two years UK athletics has set performance targets at Scottish and UK level for athletes to aspire to achieve. This year the club achieved 28 athletes achieving at least the Scottish standard in one or more events with 3 athletes achieving the UK standard. These were, Andrew MacLaughlin for the Shot Putt, Hayley Haining for the 10,000m and Martin Lipton for the 400m hurdles.

 

Again, please refer to the results summary for all our great achievers as there are too many to mention in my report.

Club Organised Events

 

The club organises our own cross country championships run each year in January / February over Milliken Estate, near Kilbarchan, thanks to the kind permission of Mr & Mrs McIntyre who own the estate. This year the event was run on 18^th February and awards will be made later on this evening to the placings.

 

Other events throughout the calendar include the Christmas series of races (Quarrelton Road handicap race won by Graham Evans winning the 4 mile race, Boxing Day handicap relays, Hogmanay 11 mile handicap won by Andrew Clugston); The Marshall Moor Cross Country Race won by Sandy Ross on 24^th December; The David Cummings 7 mile Handicap Race on 7^th April won by Richard Beall; The Sustrans Handicap Race on won by Jim O’Gilvie.

 

The club hill race championships were run during the Whangie Whizz Hill race in 25^th April and provided the largest club turnout on record with 17 club runners competing with the men’s club trophy won by the forever young Donald Petrie and Sandra Hawkins winning the ladies club trophy.

 

On the 6th, 11^th and 13^th of September, the club also organised the club track and field championships at Linwood Sports Centre. This was very well attended despite the weather on the final day but we need to look at the format as the few helpers that we had were struggling on the days so that can be something for the new committee to pick up.

 

On 2^th August, the club assisted Renfrewshire Council in organising the Paisley 10km Road Race. Thanks to the hard work of club members who contributed in the “run up” to the day and during the day.  John Rodger who had been the race director on the previous 7 years  was shown a thanks of appreciation from Bob Smith and the new organising committee at the start of the race.

On 16^th September the club organised the schools invitation cross country races in Kilbarchan Public Park. This suffered a little from bad weather but still proved to be an enjoyable event and continues to be a good source for recruitment and for promotion of the club to the schools.

 

On a social side, Sandra Hawkins and others organised two enjoyable evenings, a disco at Kilbarchan Bowling Club and a celidh at Elderslie Village Hall. Our thanks go to everyone that helped and to members and friends that made these enjoyable evenings.

 

This Saturday the club will host the George Cummings Road Relay Race at Houston, race starting 2.30pm. Our thanks again go to our major sponsor for this event, Bell Group UK. Changing and declarations are at Houston Church Hall on Houston Main Street and not in Gryffe High School as in previous years. If you are not already helping or running please consider doing so or bringing along some cakes or ready made freshly wrapped sandwiches for sale to the participants. Further details from committee members and the club website. Hope to see you there.