The Twelfth Man 2016

6 ~ Secretary’s Report ~ Winter meetings – a cause for long-term concern Another enjoyable winter speaker programme, which started back in early October with the customary splendid night with Stephen Chalke, concluded in late March 2016 with the equally pleasing coaching awards evening in the company of Yorkshire CCC Academy coach Richard Damms. In between we had Womb- well’s usual mix of young cricketers and former players, umpires and writers. It was good to welcome one or two new faces to the Oaks Club, alongside our regular winter members who come to every meeting or at least as many as they can make. The general trend though is sadly still one of reducing attendances in contrast to the continuing rise in speaker costs, hotel rooms and travel expenses. Anyone running the WCLS as a business would have shut up shop awhile back; but not at Wombwell! Any business though (and of course any cricket society) depends on growing its customer (or membership) numbers to remain viable. Whether or not this Society will still be here to celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2021 hinges on the need to retain a healthy membership number; in excess of 250 I’d suggest. So encourage and welcome new members, bring them to the Society gatherings, buy a couple of raffle tickets from Brian, sponsor a Society meeting, donate a few decent books for the bookstall. We need your support now and going forward. Anything less and WCLS will flounder and disappear. Your help needed please Away from finance and membership numbers the biggest danger to the Society’s continued existence is simply finding enough willing helpers to keep Wombwell a ‘going concern’. I say it EACH and EVERY year, but not many take any notice. The stalwarts who continue to give of their time generously WILL tire of the work involved and if local members do not step forward then in a short time there will be nothing left to get involved in. Long-term empty roles, like Assistant Secretary and Treasurer, remain unfilled despite pleas every year at the AGM. New helpers and those willing to get involved in any official capacity would be warmly welcomed – remember WCLS is YOUR SOCIETY. Coaching moves forward The Society’s new Coaching Co-ordinator, Darren Crossland, successfully completed his first term in March 2016. We thank Darren and his team of coaches for a splendid effort in advancing the development our Wombwell young cricketers during the winter sessions. Youth coaching remains the most important of WCLS’s continued activities. On behalf of the Society, thanks to Darren, the coaching team, parents and all the youngsters who participated in the 2016 coaching sessions. My personal thanks 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.’ A second spell for Neil Our long-serving committee member, Neil Whitaker, pleasingly agreed to take on a second stint as The Twelfth Man Editor following the unexpected and disappointing exit from the role, after only one edition, of Ben Hampshire. Neil previously edited the Society magazine from 2002 until 2006 and so is well equipped to maintain the reputation of Wombwell’s written ‘voice’ and we wish him well with the task. Views and news Outside of our excellent annual magazine and our website presence (wcls.councilcricket societies.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. Please e-mail the Society and ask to be added to the e-mail contact group if that might be useful to you, via wcls@councilcricket societies.com . Mick Pope Hon.Secretary