DLN Feb 2004

OFFICIALS
PRESIDENT JOHN KAVANAGH 40 Beverley Road Barming Maidstone Kent ME16 9JP 01622 726959	SECRETARY PETE HARRIS 91 Ashbourne Road Ealing London W5 3DH 020 8997 7852	TREASURER JAMES LETT 102 Park Road Kingston Surrey KT2 5JZ	CLUB NIGHT First Thursday of each month HERNE HILL STADIUM Burbage Road London SE24 9HE

By the time you read this report I will be with the De Laune Saga skiing team in the Alps doing battle. I can hear Len Danby saying ‘what on earth are those silly old farts doing up there?’ I will give you a full report of breakages and damages when I get back.

When I go to France I like to brush up on my French and I thought no better way than go to the Viva la France exhibition at Earls Court. If you love France you must not miss this one. After you have paid your £9 entrance fee you can eat all the food you want and get sloshed at the same time.

Let me explain. The whole idea of the exhibition is to push the French tourist trade, to sell French property, and to ask you to sample the delights of the French food and of course to sample the French wine, which you must do in order not offend them!

Let me tell you how it works. Each part of France will push its own area and will have its own stand, so you go up to the stand and, let’s say it is Nice, you say: “I have heard what a wonderful place Nice is and I hope to go this year”.

After they have given you a few brochures they will say: “Would you like a drink of wine with us?” and of course you cannot offend them, so I say “Yes” or “ Merci” as one does. You then move to the next stand and say “What a wonderful place Normandy is” get the idea!

Guess what? The first thing they did when you sat down was to put a glass in your hand and then keep pouring samples of wine into it and asking you what you thought of it. We both fell asleep on the train going home I can tell you.

It was good to see a list of Reliability Trials in the DLN last month. Believe me if you are serious about racing this year there is no better way of getting in the basic miles than a Reliability Trial. It is no good to start racing without basic miles. You will never catch up if you are looking for places.

Many an hour I have spent hanging on to a back wheel in January and February with a face full of mud saying this must be doing me some good. Some of our older riders will remember the Bath and back in, I think, February. (no it was in March I can well remember riding the tandem with Charlie Carlton in this event, when we rode in to a horse and caused a pile up with all those who were on our back wheel. Ed). Yes, that was over 200 miles in 14 hours. Boy were we fit, or thick, in those days!

Proof of the pudding was that we would win most time trial events in the first part of the year. Take a rest in the summer, but come back with a bang later in the year refreshed and when the fast mornings would appear. Get the early miles in, as there is no substitute. I do waffle on!

I have heard that Malcolm Adams has now got a computer. Now you know what he is like! If he can use six words for one, he will, so look out Mark I think you have got a few ten-page articles coming through. Bless him.

Thank you Don for your article in the DLN last month, it reminded us what the Memorial fund was all about. If we go down the route of banking our new-found wealth and taking the interest each year, Don has put forward some constructive ideas for this to happen, as did Bill Wright.

Bill said that we would have to adopt a set of rules at the AGM to administer the funds. I think he spent a lot of time putting his ideas on paper for the committee to consider. Thanks Bill.

Guess what? Mark found the original Draft Trust Deeds set up in 1969 and showing what should be done with the proceeds of the sale of the clubroom should it happen. This document will give us something to work on and to put forward to you at our AGM. Watch this space.

I had the honour of reading Mike Peels article before it went to print (it should be in this months edition). It was very good reading and hit the nail on the head. Please read it. He was basically saying ‘Has the De Laune got a forward plan?’ Well the answer must be at the moment no, but not for trying.

When I became your president in June 2000 and started to attend the committee meetings it was obvious we had no forward planning. A bigger problem was that we had two clubs, them and us or the younger guys and the OMA people. We had letters in the DLN tearing the club to bits. People resigning from official jobs in the club and worst still people resigning from the club.

This just had to stop. We drafted in (or Shanghaied) a few older members to the committee to get a good balance over all. Gradually we started to gel. We lost a few good guys from the committee who moved to other areas of the country, Johno, James Peckham, Jeremy Briggs just to mention a few. Our committee meetings are sharp and to the point. The general atmosphere is good. We even had the attendance of Mark Ballamy and Mike Peel. I think it was for the pub run later. We no longer get whingeing letters in the DLN, except from the editor complaining about his printer!

Our socials have been a great success (I would still like to see more younger members) and we now get the old folk out of the home to marshal. Why am I telling you all this? Just to let you know that what has happened over the last few years would not have happened if it was not for the guys in the engine room.

Forward planning, as Mike tells us in his article, is so important. Well Mike, it did start about 18 months ago when we thought we had sold the clubroom. With the help of Peter Harris and Alaric Lester who put forward ideas with regards to our racing sections

We would allocate certain amounts of money to each secretary (who we would call managers) The manager would put forward ideas to the committee what he would require for his team to be run successfully or should I say professionally. The above was one of many things we started to forward plan, but then the sale of the clubroom fell through. Our forward planning came to a halt.

Mike, thank you for your constructive article and it was nice to see you at the committee meeting, with more attendances to come I hope. We need guys like you.

????????SO WHERE ARE WE GOING????????
If you read ‘A Century Awheel’ you will see that our club started life as an off shoot of the De Laune Institute whose activities included such diverse subjects as cricket, billiards, boxing, debating, singing and dancing. Cycling was in its infancy and our forebears were in at the beginning. Prior to cycles most people walked or went on horse-back. Cycling was a mode of transport first, a pastime second and eventually it became a sport. In those days good fellowship, camaraderie and a sense of belonging and wellbeing were paramount and the back-bone of the club – has that changed? Not that I am aware. Society has certainly evolved and so has the club; these days the car is the mode of transport and cycling is, for most of us, a recreation or sport. But the character and spirit of the club lives on.

Where are we now and where are we going? If a national newspaper or TV company came to interview me and said “What is the De Laune?” how do I answer? A cycle racing club – hardly; a cycle touring club – hardly; a drinking and eating club (a bit nearer the mark!); a car club – well 90% have cars and a great percentage have more than one… I could go on.

So what is the De Laune? Or more importantly, what do we want the De Laune to be? We have no written objectives, aims, plans or as large companies like to say, a ‘mission statement’. With no direction or aim, how do we get there? It is hard to set objectives but I feel we should attempt to – if we know which way we are heading we can at least judge how we are doing and if we need to modify our plans. Yes, I know we have bumbled along since 1889 and we are still going, but, in these days I believe we need to be more focused. Do we want to be an out & out racing club, an extension of the CTC or do we just want to be a bit like we used to be, only better?

The De Laune has always been more than just a cycling club. I joined when I was only 15, a quiet, shy, skinny guy and as far as I am concerned, the club has helped me develop generally, taught me social competence, administrative and inter-personnel skills, given me physical and mental exercise and, above all, a lot of life long-friends. I know a lot of you will empathise with that.

Currently we have around 130 members, still large in cycling club terms, but way down on our peak of 180ish. Over 40 members have been in the club for more than 30 years; more than 50% are over 50 years old - we have no juniors or youngsters and, I suspect, 50% don’t have bikes or even cycle these days. However, cycling was/is the common denominator that brought us into the De Laune. These days we have only a handful of racers, although, at one time or another, most of us have been involved with racing of one sort or another.

One thing we must do, with a sense of urgency, is set up a method of retaining existing members and actively recruiting new ones – otherwise the De Laune will eventually disappear. We must establish what existing members want or expect from the club. I would assume that new members would be interested in some form of competition – is that correct?

We must encompass all aspects and disciplines of cycling. We should maximise our use of Herne Hill Stadium; after all, track riding is one of the cheapest forms of racing and also one of the safest. It is easy to get there, park etc and training within a group, especially with a qualified coach, is much more fun. The use of Richmond Park seems ideal for safe rides – are there other similar routes in London?

So, assuming that we wish to progress, how do we evaluate our success? Apart from ‘knowing’ that we are on the right track, it has to be feed back from others and in particular, the Press. We are extremely unlikely to receive national press or TV coverage and can only look to the local press and speciality publications like Cycling Weekly. The more times the De Laune name is mentioned the better, so whether it is racing or social, it needs to be in print - that way people outside of the club, and outside of our sport, will know the name. So, one of the most important jobs in the club has to be PR. Who wants to do it? Think of the responsibility, think of the kudos… success breeds success – if we think we’re good, then we will be good; if others think we’re good, they will want to be part of it.

We are lucky to be solvent and the club is able to balance its books on subscription and donation income. We do not need any other monies, which is slightly different to saying we do not want money. We are now in the fortunate position of having a large capital sum and we must use it wisely.

Once upon a time I would cut your hair and you would mend my shoes – then someone invented money and now I have to pay for things I need. And the purpose of money, its sole purpose, has remained the same – it is for spending. It achieves nothing on its own.

I have no problem with the concept of spending some of the capital as well as the interest accrued. So, how can we use it for the benefit of our club and our sport?

Firstly, any benefit must be directed to the club and its members. If we want, for example, to elevate our racing profile we could help members by contributing to the cost of racing licences, clothing, travel expenses and race entry fees. What would it cost if we, for instance, reimbursed some of the foregoing? How about: you enter and race in club colours 10 times in a season, at your expense, and after that the club will pay your entry fees. You get your name in Cycling Weekly five times in a season and we will reimburse your licence fee. Make sure that open events start a full team of De Laune riders and the club will help towards travelling costs. Maybe we could offer incentives to helpers, marshals and even socialites. Why shouldn’t one, or more, of our social events be subsidised? After all, most of us have, in one way or another, contributed to our ‘windfall’ for many, many years – so why shouldn’t we benefit? I am sure you can come up with other suggestions that will enhance success.

We cannot rely on one or two people – you have got to be involved. Yes, I know, like me, you may have done it before. After all it was your past efforts which enabled us to get to 2004. But if we are to progress, let alone stand still, the club still needs the help of old members but more importantly, the newer ones. Working together we can go forward.

The Kona 100 series returns for 2004 under a new title sponsor, Merida. Venues and dates are as follows: -
May 30th Rhayader, mid-Wales
July 4th Builth Wells, mid-Wales
Aug 29th Scotland (venue TBC)
Sept 19th Ruthin, mid-Wales

The Karrimor/Specialized Enduro 6hr Race makes a return to Trentham Gardens in Staffordshire on May 1st-2nd. There is also a traditional cross-country race on Saturday 1st, the organisers are promising a return to XC grass roots racing. This is a good event for De Laune members to do as it is sponsored by Specialized and they would love to see a good De Laune turnout. Teams of 4, teams of two (mixed, men’s or women’s pairs) or solo.

And the biggest Endurance event of them all, The Saab-Salomen Mountain Mayhem 24hr is on the weekend of June 26th-27th. A new venue of Eastnor Park, near Hereford, the same format as always. De Laune has a good track record at this event and it would be good if we could again have 2 teams.

The second big 24hr race of the year, the Shimano 24hr Sleepless In The Saddle again returns to Trentham Gardens, Staffordshire on the weekend of Aug 14th-15th. More laid back than the SSMM, the course is also a lot hillier but the event is always good fun.

Cross Country (XC) Racing For more information see www.npsxc.com National Points Series Round 1 is at Newnham Park, Plymouth on Easter Weekend (April 10th-12th). New format of XC race on Sunday 11th, with an enduro event (choice of 2,4 or 6 hours) on Easter Monday 12th.

Senior tables (not including race 12) Seniors/Women/Veterans/Vet 50+ - the best 8 rides from 13 events.

Senior Rankings

1        James Dear            In Gear RT                        719
2        Ben Lockwood         GS Invicta                        706
3        Rob Whenman        Team Darenth                   596

Veterans

1        Pat Hayes               PCA Orbea                        545
2        Paul Warner            Team Darenth                   497
3        Nick Welsh             GS Invicta                        495

Round 11 of the Mosquito London Cyclo- Cross League held at Footscray, Sidcup on December 27 and hosted by Gemini BC.

1        James Dear            Intergear                59.55
2        Ben Lockwood         GS Invicta              @ 35 secs
3        Steven Dennis        East Grinstead CC   @ 5m Veteran

Round 12 of the Mosquito London Cyclo- Cross League held at Temple School, Strood on January 4 and hosted by Team Darenth.

1        IAN FIELD              SFACC                    00:50:58 , 9 laps
2        BEN LOCKWOOD     GS INVICTA ELO      00:51:51 , 9 laps
3        JAMES DEAR           IN GEAR RT             00:51:52 , 9 laps

The 7th race of the Hillingdon winter series held on Saturday December 27 and hosted by Twickenham CC.

1        Lewis Atkins           PCA/Ciclos Uno       1hr 13m 35 secs
2        Vince Halpern         Twickenham CC                "
3        Martin Hulbert        VC Muedon                       "

The 8th race of the Hillingdon winter series held on Saturday January 3 and hosted by Twickenham CC.

No rain for a change as 5 riders broke free and although they slowed near race end they remained free to contest the sprint between them.

1        Bryan Taylor           VC Londres             1hr 13 mins 10 secs
2        David Baker            PCA/Ciclos Uno                 "
3        Lewis Atkins           PCA/Ciclos Uno                 "

The 10th race of the Hillingdon winter series held on Sunday January 10 and hosted by Twickenham CC.

1   Lewis Atkins       PCA/Ciclos Uno       52km 1hr 13 mins 45 secs
2   Bill Butterworth   Twickenham CC      @2 secs
3   David Baker        PCA/Ciclos Uno       @20 secs

Points after 11 races
1        Lewis Atkins           Ciclos Uno/PCA                132 pts
2        David Baker            Ciclos Uno/PCA                88
3        Bill Butterworth      Twickenham CC/Evans      74

It looks as though Danny has defected and is now riding for Edwards Cycles, Ed.

Hobbies: Other than the bike stuff, my house, gardening, TV & reading. All other interests are censored for public viewing.

Preferred type of racing: Anything I can do well in. Lately that is anything without a hill.

Race resume: I began racing in 1977 in the U.K. for the De Laune C.C. in South London. I started off with time trials, of which there is an abundance and then in the following season I dabbled with massed start events. Since then it has been a healthy mixture of road racing, criteriums, time trials and track racing. My favorites on the track are the warm up, Derny racing, 4000m team pursuit and the madison. (All team events). When I am fit my persuasion is to do longer road races in the 70 mile range. I also really like stage racing, which is a real test of condition and fitness. Living in the London area of England is great for cycle racing with the possibility of racing up to 7 or 8 times a week if you can afford it. A typical week would be Track league on Monday, Evening crit on Tuesday, Wednesday was either track league or an evening time trial. Thursday was crit racing at London's purpose made, 1 mile cycle racing circuit. Friday was a rest day or specialist training, Saturday another TT or Crit and Sunday would be a road race. No time for training was a real problem.

Other types of cycle sport I have taken part in are cyclo cross, m.t.b. racing, cycle orienteering / survival races, bicycle polo, roller racing and roller record riding.

Then there is all the officiating I have done and race promotions and organizing I have been involved with. I am a qualified British Cycling Federation commissaire. I have organized approximately 25-30 races on road, cyclo-x and track and was the promoter of England's premier stage race for 2nd and 3rd category racers.

In the United States I have had to change my style of life and racing and I seem to have found a niche in the flat crit's . I had several placings and wins in 1999 and 2000 and managed 2nd overall in the Fremont Twilight's series for 4/5's in 2000.

Memorable Milestones: Beating the hour for 25 miles and 23 minutes for a 10 mile TT. All the wins. Being made a vice president of my UK cycling club. Receiving thank you letters for a stage race I organized and racing and finishing that same stage race by going beyond my mental and physical limits. Surviving bicycle polo. The list is long, I have been lucky.

Who is your cycling icon and why: Sean Kelly for his tenacity, Armstrong for his attacking style, O'Bree for taking on the UCI, Patrick Sercu for speed, Museeuw for his power and anyone who just keeps on trucking and is happy.

Why I started cycling: My uncle suggested it. I was looking for a sport, I was not much good at cricket, rugby or football. When I started riding consistently it just suited my temperament and so it just took off.

Why I am still riding: I'm too stubborn to give it up. Also there are days that deserve to be explored, and a bike is by far the best way.

Why I still Race: I still have some ability and I have good instincts. My new bike is a motivator to get out there, I just wish I could fulfill it's potential.

Favorite Ride: Calaveras Loop and doing a good ride up Palomares. In the UK, the section of the Pilgrims Way between Eynsford and Otford. My homeland at it's best.

My worst bike: A track bike made by Reg Barnet, a South London builder. Reynolds 753, really nice, really too big and really whippy.

Training Philosophy: Get out when you can and do what you can. Family stuff has required a change from a mileage based plan to small amounts of high quality on a daily basis. Watch your health, appreciate that you can train and enjoy the day.

Style: Due to lack of training it's changed from "I'm gonna rip their legs off" to more of a damage limitation approach. I prefer the former.

Short Term Goals: Be more aggressive this year and get some belief back. Last year was a bummer.

Long Term Goals: As a rider, just do the best I can with whatever fitness I can eke out of my schedule. For the team as the "Skipper", instill teamwork and help each rider achieve their goals.

NOW ALL YOU DE LAUNE MEMBERS LET ME HAVE YOUR PROFILE FOR INCLUSION IN THE DE LAUNE NEWS, Ed.

1. Richmond Park: Club members meet at 9am at Roehampton Gate, Richmond Park each Sunday morning. The normal format is 3 or 4 laps on the park roads at a medium pace, but that can vary depending on the members attending. In order to try to co-ordinate these runs, we are setting up an e-mail distribution list of all interested members. Please send your e-mail details to Nick Butler at nick.butler@linklaters.com if you would like to be on this list.

2. Other: In order to co-ordinate club runs for members that cannot attend the Sunday 9am session in Richmond Park, we are also establishing an e-mail distribution list of all members that are interested in meeting other members for any other training runs. If you would like to be on this list, again, please e-mail Nick Butler at nick.butler@linklaters.com

If we also want to use the regular club-run as one of the means of attracting new members/putting them at ease, particularly those new to the sport looking to establish contact, perhaps a little more detail on actual distance (not sure how far a lap is), some encouraging wording regarding likely pace and something to the effect that non-members are welcome to turn up might help.

Instead of changing any of Nick's existing wording, it might be better to put a specifically worded version on the Membership page (plus other items of interest to prospective new members in particular - perhaps a summary of the main benefits of membership). Also, maybe the Membership link could be made more prominent? Any views?

Kav, Maybe this could be discussed at the next appropriate committee meeting. By then I should have produced the draft 'member's interests questionnaire' for discussion, incorporating any input I receive in the meantime, and that also would (eventually) be a possible candidate for the Membership page, so could be discussed at the same time.

I've drafted attached Rules on how I think we should administer the funds from our new-found wealth. I've based it on the old Memorial Cluboom Rules, but added quite a bit as well. Sorry that it's a bit involved - I'm sure there's some way to simplify it, but we will need to adopt a set of Rules at the AGM.

Please feel free to comment on them, and we can discuss by email and/or at committee meetings in the lead-up to the AGM. Besides, I'm not a lawyer, so we should probably get them looked over by somebody who is.

Basically, according to these Rules we will not spend any of the funds until we get our first interest cheque. We won’t spend all of the interest, but will set aside something to go towards inflation. No single project can get more than a quarter of the funds that are available each year.

1. The De Laune Memorial Fund (the Fund) shall be the name given to the proceeds of the sale of the De Laune Memorial Clubroom, formerly situated at 93 Choumert Road, Peckham, London SE15, which was completed on the 15^th December 2003. The Fund shall be vested in the individual names of four members of the Club as Trustees for the De Laune CC whom shall be appointed by a General Meeting of the Club. The Fund shall be invested in accordance with Trust Law, according to sound financial advice given by a properly qualified Independent Financial Advisor, in such a way that the security of the investment may be assured in perpetuity, but so that resulting interest (the Interest) may be made available annually to the Club, net of administration charges and such taxes as may be in force at the time.

2. That the main use of the Interest shall be to benefit the Club and its activities, or toward specific projects to encourage or enhance cycling around the South-East of England. The Club Committee will have the responsibility of administering the Interest in accordance with these Rules.

3. In order to mitigate against depreciation of the Fund, the prevailing Annual Inflation Rate on the day of the Interest payment shall be noted. A minimum of one-half of the value of this inflation must be set aside from the Interest for re-investment into the Fund, before any other allocations of funds can be made. (For example, with a Fund of £100,000 and an Annual Inflation Rate of 4%, a minimum of £2,000 must be re-invested into the Fund.) This re-investment should be made as early as is practical.

4. The remaining Interest to be further divided into two parts, one part (an Allocation) to be allocated soon after the Interest payment, and the other part approximately 6 months later. The exact dates to be decided by the Committee and notified to the members at least two calendar months in advance, together with a reasonable estimate of the value of the Allocation. The Committee shall not be bound to allocate the full value of this estimate.

5. Applications for each Allocation shall be submitted in writing prior to each of these dates by a member or members of De Laune CC, and assessed for its merits by the Committee. No single application may be for more than one-half of the value of the Allocation. Successful applicants shall be notified as soon as possible after such a meeting.

6. The Application must present full details to the Committee of how the money will be spent, and who is to benefit. Applications for the same, or similar Project as a previously successful application will not be considered in successive Allocations. However, an Application for the same, or similar Project may be considered one year later, but the Committee will give preference to new projects.

7. Successful applicants will be fully accountable to the Committee for the funds administered to them. All funds administered must be spent within one year from the date of the Allocation, and any that remains unspent must be returned to the Trustees for re-investment into the Fund.

8. Any part of the first Allocation of the year, which is not given to a Project by the Committee, may be carried over to the second Allocation. However, any part of the second Allocation not given to a Project should be returned to the Trustees for re-investment into the Fund.

9. That the Trustees shall require any action, which in their opinion is necessary to protect the Fund, to be carried out and to be charged on the assets of the De Laune CC. Such charges may be set against the annual gross Interest from the Fund.

10. That no commitment or scheme that might reduce the capital held in the De Laune Memorial Fund shall be valid except in accordance with the following procedure:

a. That the Trustees shall require a detailed scheme to be placed before a Special General Meeting of the Club for approval. Twenty-eight days notice of such a meeting must be given to every member and the convening notice should give particulars of the scheme concerned.

b. That a three fourths majority of those present and voting at such Special General Meeting be required to secure approval for any scheme proposed.

c. That the approval given to any scheme be subject to ratification at a subsequent Special General Meeting to be held not earlier than three calendar months from the date approval is given.

11. That any amendment, cancellation or addition to the De Laune Memorial Fund Rules shall conform to the provisions of Rule 10 hereof, as far as notice, majority vote and ratification are concerned.

1. The Fund contains £200,000 and accrues £10,000 in gross Interest, payable to the Trustees on 1^st December. £500 in consultancy charges to the Independent Financial Advisor and £500 in taxes are payable. The Annual Inflation Rate is reported as 5%.

3. £500 consultancy, £500 taxes and £5,000 inflation is deducted from the £10,000 gross Interest, leaving net Interest of £4,000 to be made available to the Committee.

4. This figure of £4,000 is divided into two lots of £2,000, the first lot to be allocated at the committee meeting in January. Three applications are received for the £2,000, respectively for £1,000, £900 and £800.

5. The applications for £1,000 and £800 are successful - £200 is carried over to the next allocation, due at the July committee meeting.

6. £2,200 is available in July. The previously unsuccessful £900 application is re-submitted, together with 2 others for £500 each, making a total of £1,900. £300 is therefore passed back to the Trustees for re-investment in the Fund.

7. The Fund receives interest the following December on a new total of £205,300.

This week I attended a board meeting of a Charity with which I have been involved for many years. Amongst items raised was a recommendation from brokers as to investment of surplus funds. Quite by chance the role of trustees was raised; apparently the latest Trustee Act of 1993 has considerably increased their personal liability in managing funds, so much so it has deterred many from taking on the task. A working party has been set up to review the position that not only affects registered charities but also other trusts.

It does seem that before considering investments, Rules need to be set up, approved by a general meeting, if nothing else but to protect the Trustees. When there was a property involved provided it was insured, including third parties, then in practise the liability of Trustees was virtually covered, however, it is a different ball game when money is involved.

I think Bill Wright is on the right lines but as he admits the proposed draft rules are rather complicated.

a) I think there should be a short preamble explaining how the Fund came about and naming the Club members killed in the two Wars for the benefit of future generations.

The scope of the Fund should not be confined to the proceeds of the Clubroom, but could also be increased from future legacies and donations in respect of deceased members. In my day there were two holdings of Government Stock purchased in memory of the late Bert Polybank & Tom Williamson registered in the name of the Memorial Trustees.

b) Rule 2 (Objects) should be more general to cover any eventuality that might arise. For instance it might be decided to sponsor an event out of the south east or perhaps subsidise subs. and, therefore, should be worded vaguely to include ------“the income arising be used for the benefit of the De Laune Cycling Club, its members and to enhance the sport of cycling generally”.

c) It has been agreed the Fund should be kept quite separate from General Funds with its own bank account.(3 Trustee signatures required) It could then be dealt with as separate entity with the Inland Revenue so far as any capital gains or income tax was concerned.

A possible timetable could be, say, close the books at end of December have audit and submit accounts to Inland Revenue in the hope that any tax liability would be agreed prior to our June AGM. The net amount then would be known and the committee could then call for proposal for worthy projects by a specified latest date (30^th November?. The Committee would then decide upon any allocation. Initially it will take time for arrangements to settle down and the Trustees may think it desirable to pay allocations a year in arrears.

d) The Trustees should pay monies over directly to General Funds on the instruction of the Committee and avoid becoming involved with details of projects. If not and in the unlikely event of the money not being used as originally agreed then the Trustees could be personally liable. I do not favour limiting the amount available to any one project. Perhaps the mechanics of the system of allocation should better be included in the general rules.

e) I agree with Bill Wright every effort should be made to protect the capital against the impact of inflation and whilst following the logic in Rule 3 in practise I think it would be complicated to follow. Much depend upon investment strategy, basically the higher the return the more risk to capital. In our particular case I personally favour spreading the investment in a number of Government Stocks with varying maturity dates but it will be interesting to know the recommendations of an independent financial advisor.

In the circumstances would it not be simpler in the first place to retain as capital say 25% of net income and see how things work out?

f) There was always been in my mind what would happen if the Club became defunct. One could envisage the scenario; complete apathy, few members, no one being very interested unless of course it was possible to divide the money between them!. I am not sure of the answer or in fact whether any attempt should be made to cover such a contingency but it is just a thought.

g) The original rules took some time to be drawn up in an effort to cover every possibility and they stood the test of time. However, all the wording and implications were carefully vetted by a solicitor and I think this should again happen.

I am sure there are many other matters needing to be considered but as an outsider, so to speak, I hope my comments might be of some use.

The Trust fund account must only be managed by the Trustees and not the club treasurer (as before)

Your final example (7) is only correct if you leave all the interest in the trust fund and only tale at the time of requirements. If it is kept in club accounts all year and only returned at the end it will not have any interest allocated against it.

I would like to see the interest left in the account and only transferred when applications have been successful. By leaving it there, it should accrue a higher rate of interest during the year.

Here are my suggestions as to what should happen to the money received from the sale of the Memorial clubroom. Foremost, we should be ever mindful that this fund was, as Don said, ‘set up to perpetuate the memory of those members who were killed in the two World Wars’. With this in mind I would suggest that the bulk of the money ie. £200,000 should be deposited safely in the memorial account. Then, after the first year, the accrued interest to be administrated by the Trustees and Club committee as they think fit, for the Club, it’s individual members, & any other worthy causes. The residue of the money to be used as soon as practical, club members would then benefit without having to wait a whole year for the interest to accrue.

1/ A celebration dinner to be held at Sharsted Court (our Founder’s home). A full day starting with a tour of the house and grounds (some of us spoke to Mr Shepley at Sharsted Court, when at Newnham for the Memorial service and he said he was happy to give us a guided tour). Perhaps, a charge could be made of say, £20 per head, (which would be refunded) thus ensuring that those wishing to enjoy a free ‘bash’, did attend.

2/ A donation to Newnham Church (who are in need of finds), this could perhaps be given each year.

3/ A donation to the War cemeteries commission, again possibly given annually so that - ‘WE WILL REMBEMBER THEM’.

4/ Confer free Life Membership to all members with over 40 years service. (After all, the majority of these members will not receive any other benefit the Club may have to offer in the future).

5/ As a one off, the Club to bear the cost of selected Club promotions (this year or next) all entry fees to be given to a designated charity. eg. Roadpeace

6/ Immediate financing for riders of the Club that the committee think deserve assistance, instead of having to wait a year.

7/ Any remaining money, either, to be held over to the following year or perhaps some to be given to another deserving Club in need of a little help. eg. A Club struggling to save enough money to purchase a much need set of racing rollers. (I have one in mind).

My following thoughts are for the future of the Memorial Fund and may not be constitutionally correct or even legal. Still if the government of the day can change constituency boundaries to their advantage, why shouldn’t we manipulate the voting system?

1/ All decisions requiring a vote by Club members be based on a voting system as follows: Member- 45 years service = 45 votes. 1 years service = 1 vote. This is not intended to select against newer members of the Club, but to ensure that any ‘Freeloaders’ joining our Club, in the future, just to enjoy the benefits which the Club may have to offer due to our affluence, do not violate the Fund.

2/ In the present climate, in relation to cycling, there have been quite a few amalgamations of clubs, this could be even more prevalent in the future. The Memorial Fund is the De Laune’s and should we amalgamate in the future the De Laune members of that time would have greater control over the Fund using the above voting system I am sure there is a simpler way, but we do need to ensure the safety of the Memorial Fund. After all we may wish to purchase another clubroom. (What’s £200,000 going to be worth in 10 years time!!!?).

There has also been talk of a share out, I hope this does not happen, now or in the future. This money is a Memorial Fund.

Should this unfortunate situation give rise to debate, as a deterrent to any ‘Freeloaders’ or in the event of the Club amalgamating with another, the only way, as I see it, is to administrate the fund as follows:- One share per full year of membership.

Eg. If the total years of membership of all the club members is 2000 years, a member 60 years service would receive 60/2000, (3% of the fund), conversely, 1 years membership = .05%.

I think I am right with this example, but you can see the principle of what I am saying.

No doubt Alan (Rowe) has got out his pocket calculator to find out how much he would get - I’ll save you the trouble Alan, it would be around £5000 — that would get you a nice TT bike!!!! But I know that Alan, like me, would not be interested — would you Alan? Any rate, it was only an example and Alan is State sponsored this year, (yah, OK, so am I!!!) so he doesn’t need the money.

I expect there will be a lot of discussion on this matter and look forward to hearing other peoples’ opinions.

Before I sign off, it would be remiss of me not to thank Ken Fuller for placing us in such an envious position, for without all his efforts and expertise (not forgetting his hard worked volunteers) we would still be sitting on about £2000. Still Ken, whilst it is sad to see your ‘baby’ go, it should be a great feeling to know you have made the De Laune Cycling Club, possibly, the richest club in Great Britain and not a lot of people can say that.

OVER TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS IN THE POT
WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO WITH THIS LOT

LET’S TURN UP AT ROAD RACES IN ‘MERCS’
YEAH MATE!! JUST ONE OF THE DE LAUNE PERKS

EACH WEEK PB’s AFTER GREASING TIMEKEEPERS PALMS
THAT WILL SET OFF QUITE A FEW ALARMS

OUR MEMBERSHIP IS NOW A THOUSAND FOLD
THE WORLD, OF OUR AFFULENCE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TOLD

MANY NOMADS ARE JOINING US EACH DAY
MUCH TO POOR’ OLE’ RON KEEBLE’S DISMAY

NOW, RON IS NOT TO SHORT OF A BOB OR TWO
BUT THE CHANCES ARE HE’LL JOIN ME AND YOU

NOW A GREAT TIME WILL BE HAD BY ALL
BUT, SAY TO YOURSELF “DON’T BE A BLOODY FOOL”

SLOW DOWN AND THINK WHAT, FOR OUR CLUB, THIS MONEY CAN DO
AND HOW MUCH MORE’ DOSH’ WE WOULD ACCRUE

Although we have not been talking about Triathlon competitions we have been looking forward to Triathlon competitions and have been training accordingly.

Rupert Walsh
Rupert has been training hard in the swimming pool putting in some good 45 minute sessions where he covers the kind of distance many people consider to be a long walk. In addition he is training on the bike mainly in the gym. He wants to give Nick Butler a run for his money in the club “25” time trial and has bought a new bicycle to achieve this task; he has entered for the London Triathlon already.

Sam Baxandale
This man is my secret weapon for the sprint triathlons we are entering, Sam and myself train together in Battersea Park on a Tuesday. The session is pure running with a group of runner from some other triathlon clubs and a number of Harrier clubs as well. We do about 7 miles with 4 – 2000 meter strides at a reasonable tempo, both Sam and myself are competing in cross country event to keep fit over the winter.

Andy Simpson
Is doing a moderate amount of training in all three disciplines and looks forward to entering a number of sprint triathlons, he also wants to enter the club “25” time trial and not get lost in an industrial estate.

Alex Morris
Alex is mainly working in the pool, he spends more time in there than anyone I know, and again Alex is preparing to take on the sprint triathlons.

Harry Corbett
I’m competing at cross country running and am trying to keep my running mileage at 40 a week as well as swimming and bike riding in preparation for 6 summer triathlons.

Information
a/ Triathlon dates will be published when the BTA publish them.
b/ I will be putting forward a De Laune competition proposal to the committee.
c/ I do want the triathlon section to enter the club “10’s and “25’s” time trials.

DATES
April 12 Thames Turbo Race 1
May 16 Thames Turbo Race 2
May 3 1 Thames Turbo Race 3
July 18 Waterlooville
July 31 The London Triathlon – Sprint
August 1 The London Triathlon
August 30 Thames Turbo Race 4

I believe that these are some of the dates that you were waiting for Harry, also I have heard on the grape vine that Scottish Life Insurance could be interested in sponsoring a De Laune Triathlon Championship. Ed.

Firstly, my apologies to Bryan Tidbury for not including his name on the list of members shown in December’s DLN as making a donation to club funds.

We welcome two new members – Hamish MacIntyre, who lives in London EC1, and Alan Barclay, who lives in Woolwich.

We understand that Chris Gordon-Coker, who has been working in South Africa, is back with us for good: well, at least he’s about to order new racing kit and is applying for a new BCF licence!

The 2004 subscription reminder forms have now been sent out to all 130 members. In case some new members wonder why they have “paid” against the £31.00 fee shown as the Ordinary category of membership, this is because Rule 5 of Club Rules (General) states that “Subscriptions of members joining the club after 1st September of any year shall be deemed to expire on 31st December of the year following”. Incidentally, the Club Rules can be viewed on the club website.

A number of 2004 subscription reminder forms have been returned indicating that members do not require a copy of the DLN to be mailed to them, they are quite happy to view it on the club website. Thus, they will probably wonder why they are receiving February’s issue through the post. This is because Mike Peel, the web-master, and myself, the DLN “distribution manager” are both away skiing, together with Kav, Dave Burfoot, Roy Savery and Brian Shambrook, plus half the San Fairy Ann CC. We have left behind Mark Ballamy to post the DLN!

Len Danby's Bike Miles to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food during 1989

This year was 100 years after the Ministry commenced, start of the De Laune Cycling Club and the year Eleanor Rose Danby ( née Johnstone) my mother was born!

a.      Hit something.
b.      Fell off bike (parties)
c.     Hospitalised (only once) Very painful.

I was made redundant on 1^st May 1992 ( at age 62/63). Then on to ‘Tescos’. See part II

My lower third degree taught me (I received a 'first’ in 'Carpet Laying' - Bedford University) that gear ratios are still generally expressed in Britain and the USA in inches - not logically, as the distance covered per pedal revolution (as used, in metric as the ' gear development') but as the diameter of wheel which it would have been necessary to fit the old high ordinary bicycle ('Penny- Farthing') to achieve the same effect! There is tradition for you - but it persists, probably because the figures are convenient to remember. The 'gear', then, is the diameter of this hypothetical wheel: calculated thus:

To find distance travelled per pedal revolution (the 'gear development') divide the gear in the table by 12.5 for answer in metres and by 3.8 for answer in feet.

I learnt all these facts whilst an apprentice dental technician in the 40s. Does anything change!

Headquarters Home Command letter HC/5595/1/PF dated 23rd September 1952 refers. (As shown in Records at Kew (as in Gardens))

As some of you are aware a new cycle racing circuit is being planned on part of the old colliery land. There is a fund of around £18.8 million to finance the whole of the recreational area being developed.

Cycling will play a major part in this project and is headed by Malcolm Whitehead VC Deal, who some of you know. The cycling part of the overall structure is under way, plans are more or less finalised for the circuit (I hope the plan I have can be reproduce for the DLN and Website ) It's configuration is basically a figure eight design giving options of about 6 different circuits (clockwise anti clockwise etc.). The smaller circuit is fairly well sheltered and the wooded area in the centre will be a conservation area and will be fenced off. The larger circuit is exposed and will certainly sort the men out from the boys. The total combined circuit is approximately 2 miles. I have ridden over the proposed circuit at the initial invitation site meeting for cyclist, but have no intentions of taking up circuit racing but hope to ride a few 10 mile TT's. Around the perimeter of the racing track will be a cycle path for leisure cycling, which will be shared with walkers. There will also be BMX, MTB and cyclo-cross areas/courses.

For local residents it will provide a community centre and no doubt other facilities. A grandstand/ pavilion and a storage building for cycle equipment may require further funding, but it is envisaged that the track will be completed by the end of this year.

This is a exciting and ambitious project and Malcolm Whitehead is to be congratulated for the time & effort that he is putting into it. He would appreciate constructive positive comments, observations, and in the near future, hands on assistance would be, no doubt, of great help to him.

Whilst this circuit is situated in the depths of East Kent, it is not a million miles away. For some of you it would take no longer than getting to Eastways ( straight down the A2 / M2 turning off just before Dover -1 hour from Bexley). I feel that the De Laune should support this project - especially bearing in mind (attention all those who have ridden the Kent League) the current road racing situation.

I went to a meeting just before Christmas, there were representatives from most of the East Kent clubs, plus Mick Cooper (Old Kent) and myself. We will all be kept up to date, by Malcolm, as the project progresses and I am willing to continue as our club's representative. However, having no experience of circuit racing, as time goes by, somebody else from our club could be of more use to Malcolm. I have mentioned this to Pete Harris and perhaps he, or Matt Goodes (1 hour to the meeting Matt!!) or a volunteer might wish to attend future meetings ( I can put them up for the night)

The randonnees are not races but tests of cycling ability and endurance. The organisers wish to promote our use of the countryside by adopting a responsible attitude. The rides vary between 20km & 30 km. The routes are marked and each rider is given a map of the course.

Dates: 17 January, 6 March, 1 May

V.T.T.A. - 8/02/04
THE QUEENS ARMS, EGERTON FORSTAL, KENT
50mls & 30mls starting from 08-30hrs
Event Sec: Ron Lee 01622 725334

Sat     3rd April        HHPA Spring League 1       14.00
Fri      9th April        SCCU Good Friday Meeting 10.00 CANCELLED
Sat     17th April      HHPA Spring League 2       14.00
Sat     24th April      HHPA Spring League 3       14.00

The Triathlon Cycling and Running 2004 Exhibition takes place at Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey. Open hours are Saturday 14th Feb, 9:00am - 5:30pm and Sunday 15th Feb, 9:00am - 5:00pm

THE LAST DAY FOR COPY TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT ISSUE IS WEDNESDAY 24 February 2004

THIS SHOULD BE SENT TO:
MARK BALLAMY
41 MAYES CLOSE
WARLINGHAM
SURREY CR6 9LB

Phone & Fax 01883 627809 . e-mail mark.ballamy@virgin.net

Founded 1889