Tonbridge Radio Flyers

 

Email Newsletter from Alastair Ramsay

No: 14/07 – 17^th December 2007   

Club Website: - Tonbridge-flyers.co.uk

 

 

Hello fellow flyers,

 

This will be my 14^th and last Newsletter of 2007 so I will take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and relaxing Christmas.

 

For those of you who were unable to attend the Club AGM at the Angel Centre on 3^rd December, the following text is a summary, from Keith Miller, of the business conducted.

 

“Again a disappointing turnout for the AGM with only 23 members present, despite a membership of over 80

The Committee was re-elected en bloc except for yours truly as Secretary, being replaced by Alastair Ramsay. The new Constitution as circulated recently was adopted without alteration and replaces the old one in your Rulebooks.

Approval was given for the running at Leigh Park Farm of our own Tonbridge Open and the 3 other full day events

 by outside groups provided the farmer is agreeable and that we have control of the finance involved. The proposed dates of these are:

                  F3J Round 1         April 27th

                 Tonbridge Open     July 20th

                 Bromley Open       TBA

                 Towner Trophy       September 28th

The Treasurer advised that our finances are in good shape and there is no need to increase subscriptions, but the BMFA has increased it's rates by £1 across the board.

The new figures are therefore as follows:-

                               TRF        BMFA        Total

Full Senior               £35           £28           £63

Full Junior                £15           £15           £30

Silent Flight Senior   £25           £28           £53

Silent Flight Junior   £10            £15          £25

BMFA Family M'ship Senrs £28 Ptners£18 Juns£11

Please send your renewal fees to Treasurer, Steve Fysh at "Fairmont",Plamers Green Lane, Brenchley, Tonbridge, TN12 7BH.

Thank you all for your help and assistance over the last 20 years and here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2008.

Keith Miller”

 

 

The most significant item from this report is that Keith, having threatened to retire as Secretary for several years, has finally carried out his threat.  He will be greatly missed by us all for the enormous amount of work he performed with tireless dedication, on our behalf.  I am just beginning to realise how foolish I was to think that I would be able to replace him. I am pleased to report that the AGM thanked him on your behalf and nominated him as an honorary member of TRF. Hopefully this will be good for me in that I shall continue to have access to his advice and wise counsel as I try to perform the duties of Club Secretary.

 

As you will have noted, membership renewals are due by 31^st December for the coming year. Please send your cheques to Steve Fysh at the address shown above.  If you are registered with BMFA through another club, would you please remember to advise Steve of your BMFA membership  number.  If you wish to use a membership renewal  form, there are two on the club website. Please note that one of these is for new membership applications(returnable to me) and the other is for existing membership renewal (returnable to Steve Fysh).

 

Those of you who are interested in electric competitions will remember that the last newsletter raised the subject of the new competition class of 200Watts/kilo.  This has already generated some debate within the club and will no doubt be fuelled by the news that the Kent Interclub committee are proposing to alter their competition rules to include the 200Watt/kilo class. This is in addition to retaining a modified 400Class competition where the motor rating is increased to 480.  I expect to be attending the KIC meeting in early January when this proposal is presented for approval.  If you have any views on this subject please let me have them by early January.

 

Since the last newsletter, conditions at Leigh Park Farm have deteriorated due to heavy and persistent rain.  The field entrances are very muddy so take care not to get bogged down.  Entering the fields by car is not recommended for the time being.  We have asked the farmer to move the large tree trunk which blocks our use of the hard standing in the upper field but this has not been done yet. In the meantime, we have been given permission to park in front of the farmhouse.

 

The wind and rain prevented the running of our 2^nd round Electric League on 9^th December.   The weather then relented and we were able to run the 2^nd round Thermal League on Sunday 16^th on a cold but sunny day.  There were 10 entrants who enjoyed a closely fought competition.  The eventual winner was Phil Ramsey with Keith Fisher in close attendance in 2^nd. The full results will be posted on the website in a few days time along with a couple of photos to remind us that December does sometimes produce a gloriously sunny day.

 

Perhaps the turn of the year will prompt you to review the contents of your hangars/workshops.  If this yields any items for disposal, why not advertise them to other members through the club website.  Just let myself or the webmaster have the details and they will appear in the ‘For Sale’ section.

 

FINALLY! – Reminders for your diary

 

1. 31^st December 2007 – subscriptions due.
2. Sunday 6^th Jan 2008– Electric League competition
3. Sunday 20^th Jan 2008 – Thermal League – round 3
4. Sunday 27^th Jan 2008 – Thermal League Reserve date

 

 

 

Best wishes,

 

Alastair Ramsay – Club Secretary

(Email: AandJRamsay@aol.com – tel: 01892 534532)