ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

THE

ROYAL AND ANCIENT

LAST HOORAH GOLF SOCIETY

VENUE: Spice Merchant, LEWES.

DATE: 17th January 2008

PRESENT:

Mr Mukherjee - lately married. HOORAH! Winner of the Big Bird Trophy 2007

Mr Osler / otter / gopher / auditor / wearer of half of the coveted Red Jacket 2007

Mr Aspey polisher of trophies and wearer of the other half of the coveted Red Jacket 2007

GUESTS:

Mr Patrick John Kneath gentleman entrepreneur/photographer

Mr Charles Wycherley estate agent / pantomime dame

APOLOGIES:

Mr P. East (had much better offer-gave some bleeding heart excuse...)

Mr P. Barnes (hard working solicitor of Brighton Parish) winner of the Spring Cup 2007

ABSENTEES: Mr Hickory Putter... (oh Harvey, Harvey how could you leave him behind?)

(Note the eauditor’s additional comments have been added in BLACK for ease of reference)

MINUTES

The Agenda having been forgotten by all had to be extemporised although Mr Osler claimed to have it but only managed to produce his wallet ??!! At least he had a wallet ...

Vote of Shame

The meeting began with a general chorus of " SHAME" as Mr Osler confirmed that he'd left behind the Doctor's Putter which he had retained after a steady 31 putts at the spiritual home. Clearly he was too shy to receive his prize before all at The AGM. Don't forget to bring the aged relic along at our next meet, Harvey. Hear, hear

Toast to Absent Friends

All present were getting a bit of a thirst up and toasted lustily.

At this moment Mr Mukherjee cut across all etiquette and reached for his Big Bird trophy. His penalty was swiftly administered and consumed by the miscreant. Unlike his golf swing, the boy's timing was way out.

New Members

Mr Patrick John Kneath was proposed by Mr Osler and seconded by Mr Mukherjee.

Mr Alan Fry was proposed by Mr Aspey and seconded by Mr Kneath

The society’s extraordinary rate of expansion continues, having gone from 4 to 5 in 2007 and 5 to 7 in 2008, an increase of 40%; at this rate, our numbers will, as this simple graphic shows, have reached 1 million by the year 2043 and 26 million by 2052; now that’s food for thought!

	Numbers	% increase	No increase	New Number

2007	5.00	40.00%	2.00	7.00
2008	7.00	40.00%	2.80	9.80
2009	9.80	40.00%	3.92	13.72
2010	13.72	40.00%	5.49	19.21
2011	19.21	40.00%	7.68	26.89
2012	26.89	40.00%	10.76	37.65
2013	37.65	40.00%	15.06	52.71
2014	52.71	40.00%	21.08	73.79
2015	73.79	40.00%	29.52	103.31
2016	103.31	40.00%	41.32	144.63
2017	144.63	40.00%	57.85	202.48
2018	202.48	40.00%	80.99	283.47
2019	283.47	40.00%	113.39	396.86
2020	396.86	40.00%	158.74	555.60
2021	555.60	40.00%	222.24	777.84
2022	777.84	40.00%	311.14	1,088.98
2023	1,088.98	40.00%	435.59	1,524.57
2024	1,524.57	40.00%	609.83	2,134.39
2025	2,134.39	40.00%	853.76	2,988.15
2026	2,988.15	40.00%	1,195.26	4,183.41
2027	4,183.41	40.00%	1,673.37	5,856.78
2028	5,856.78	40.00%	2,342.71	8,199.49
2029	8,199.49	40.00%	3,279.80	11,479.28
2030	11,479.28	40.00%	4,591.71	16,071.00
2031	16,071.00	40.00%	6,428.40	22,499.40
2032	22,499.40	40.00%	8,999.76	31,499.16
2033	31,499.16	40.00%	12,599.66	44,098.82
2034	44,098.82	40.00%	17,639.53	61,738.35
2035	61,738.35	40.00%	24,695.34	86,433.69
2036	86,433.69	40.00%	34,573.47	121,007.16
2037	121,007.16	40.00%	48,402.86	169,410.03
2038	169,410.03	40.00%	67,764.01	237,174.04
2039	237,174.04	40.00%	94,869.61	332,043.65
2040	332,043.65	40.00%	132,817.46	464,861.11
2041	464,861.11	40.00%	185,944.45	650,805.56
2042	650,805.56	40.00%	260,322.22	911,127.78
2043	911,127.78	40.00%	364,451.11	1,275,578.89
2044	1,275,578.89	40.00%	510,231.56	1,785,810.45
2045	1,785,810.45	40.00%	714,324.18	2,500,134.63
2046	2,500,134.63	40.00%	1,000,053.85	3,500,188.48
2047	3,500,188.48	40.00%	1,400,075.39	4,900,263.88
2048	4,900,263.88	40.00%	1,960,105.55	6,860,369.43
2049	6,860,369.43	40.00%	2,744,147.77	9,604,517.20
2050	9,604,517.20	40.00%	3,841,806.88	13,446,324.08
2051	13,446,324.08	40.00%	5,378,529.63	18,824,853.71
2052	18,824,853.71	40.00%	7,529,941.48	26,354,795.19

On the subject of further members, there was a mention of Mr P Arscott followed by a scurrilous remark by Mr Osler which was met by mock bitchy squeals in a Handbag stylee. Proceedings were warming up.

Orders were then placed for food (am i sounding like Frank, the secretary of Dibley Village Council or what?) whereupon Mr Wycherley regaled the company with tales of a strange dish from Puerto Banus namely " meat-on-a-rope". Tasty.

Down to Business

It was unanimously carried that Mr Mukherjee would continue (? hah, that’s a joke!) his role as Treasurer and MUST collect all money for the pot from players BEFORE the first ball is struck.

Mr Osler becoming increasingly feisty commented that our esteemed Treasurer was "a tight little cuss". Nick, I think Mr Arscott deals with cases of defamation of character. If you need his number...

In the event of two or more players tying on points for any of the events (front nine, back nine overall on the day and through the year) the winner will be the one with the most gross eagles or birdies and if that doesn't decided it then it is the player with the fewest bogeys who triumphs. Anything but the inequitable Countback system which was roundly criticised and quite rightly so; the sequence in which players score points is no measure of their merit. Motion passed.

Agreed, unless anyway bothers to respond, instead of “countback”, we will operate a system on the following lines:

Most eagles; if no winner ...

Most birdies; if no winner ...

Most pars: if no winner ...

Stroke Index One: if no winner ...

Stroke Index Two: ...

Etc.

If still equal then the combatants will "resolve" the issue in a biscuit game "shoot-out"

Later on, when the (increasingly-inaccurately named) quorum (cf Douglas Adams) had disbanded, a debate arose as to whether the number of strokes by which a player's hcp rises after a bad game should be capped to prevent hcp's getting hammered after a round in inclement weather – e.g. Addington, Hayling. Members opinions are sought on this and the number of strokes used as a cap.

Again, unless I hear dissent, I will cap the most strokes a player can gain or lose per round to TWO, or if a 36 hole day, THREE

As we are now a society of 7, the new points system is ..

7pts for the winner

6pts for second

etc.

Nul points for non-attendance (this is different to last year)

Suggested Venues

NM Hayling Island

Copthorne

Cinque Ports

Hindhead

HO Hayling Island - in fair weather

Addington

Tilgate Forest (no surprise there)

Ashdown (west and old)

PK Les Dunes/Les Pins

Dale Hill

Cottesmore

Goodwood

DA Dale Hill (both courses - for the matchplay trophy) see auditor’s comments

Wimbledon( common and royal)

Tandridge (early doors)

Hankley Common

Matchplay – I think the idea of a proper annual match-play tournament is a great one, especially if we are growing in numbers, but why not play it outside the official Hoorah fixtures, as it takes only two people to get a head to head going. If we are max 8 persons, that’s only 4 matches to win the damn thing!

PE /AF/ PB to post their picks although PE has invited us back to Addington to contest the .HOORAH Spring Cup

It was universally carried that we have a French Trip which in view of PK's suggested venue shall be Hardelot.

SUGGESTED RUNNING ORDER

Tandridge mid-Feb Thurs 7th

Knowle Park March tues 11th

Addington April-Spring Cup tues 15th

Hayling Island May

Hardelot Les Dunes in June

Wimbledon July (common and Royal) Remember your a Womble!

Copthorne August

Ashdown Forest September (west and old)

Dale Hill Matchplay Cup in early October

Royal St Georges in late October

Goodwood November

Singing Hills...in December??? Maybe not then let's try Hankley Common

Editor’s note – I feel strongly that RStG which carries double points should be the official LAST HOORAH, where the final putt is made, and decide the HOOM. We either have to play RStG later or scotch the late rounds or possibly count them towards the following year. Discuss

HOOM.

Starting Handicaps

HO 11

DA 11

NM 12

PE 12

PB 13

AF 14

PK 18