The Twelfth Man 2015

6 ~ Secretary’s Report ~ Winter Reflections During the winter speaker season of 2014/15 Wombwell had the pleasure of welcoming its well-established mix of guests, all of whom share a love of the summer game. Former players included Clive Radley, John Sadler and Bryan Stott. From Yorkshire came (on a fast train from Buckingham Palace) the Chief Executive Mark Arthur, President Dickie Bird (who entertained us all at our Christmas lunch) and the ever-supportive Richard Damms and his group of Academy lads (always a good night). A pressroom full of cricket writers and journalists included Grahame Lloyd, Brian Halford, Isabelle Duncan, Chris Waters and our Patron, David Frith. A splendid line-up I hope you agree? Required expenses do dictate, to some extent, which speakers we can afford to invite, although a good turn out from local members is an equally important element. Attendances at meetings though, our stalwart 25 to 30 apart, continued generally to fall last winter and I would urge members to get to as many gatherings as they are able and please bring a friend or three. We need as many as we can get at Ardsley Oaks to ensure our continued viability. Volunteers – please step forward NOW! Talking of support, the other big threat, outside of finance, to Wombwell’s continued presence as a Cricket Society, must be the requirement to find and encourage a few more people to get involved with the administrative side of running WCLS. I make this plea in my report each year, but largely it falls I’m afraid on deaf ears. In due course, most of the hardworking committee members and Society officials will make the decision to step down having ‘served their time’ in support of Wombwell. What WCLS does not have, and largely has never had during my 27 years as a serving committee member and official, is any sort of successor process. For example the annual request for a Speaker Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer receives no response from the membership. If this Society is going to be around to celebrate its 70 th Anniversary in 2021 then members need to get involved with these roles and others right now. Coaching Thanks Another successful spell of youth coaching at the Bawtry Road Indoor Centre, concluded in March 2015. Brian Workman and his team of coaches again did a splendid job in advancing the development our Wombwell young cricketers. Sadly, for a variety of reasons, Brian has had to relinquish his position as Coaching Co-ordinator. We must thank him for his efficiency and the strong presence he brought to this vital Society role in succession to John and Beryl Ambler. We hope to see him at as many WCLS meetings as he can make in the coming winters. My own personal thanks to Brian for his work and also to all of our dedicated committee, officials, coaches and helpers that ensure Wombwell continues to prosper and spread its message – ‘My Song shall be Cricket and Cricket my Theme’. Views and News Outside of our excellent annual magazine and our website presence at www.wcls. councilcricketsocieties.com members can now also keep up to date with Society news and activities etc via Twitter (@wcls1951) – do follow the Society if you can. A group e-mail for WCLS members likely to attend speaker meetings has also been established. Those members who attend a few of our gatherings might want to join, in case a speaker meeting is changed or cancelled due to bad weather, as happened last winter. Please e-mail the Society and ask to be added to the e-mail contact group if that might be useful (wcls@councilcricketsocieties.com ). Mick Pope Hon.Secretary