Knutsford Catenians: Circle 182 – Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on Monday 13th May, 2024
Held at Cottons Hotel, Knutsford
Presiding: Brother President Felix Martin
Meeting started at 19:30, finished at 20:07
Attendees
| Brothers | Felix Martin, John Long, Bill Gore, John Ross, Jim Flood, Tom Hughes, Eddie Haughey, Sean McGhee, Gideon Hayford, David Perls, Tony Andrews, John Williams-Rigby, John Piper, John Shaw, Nick Johnson |
| Visitors – | Macclesfield and District – Chris Pimblott |
| Guests | |
| Apologies | Steve Graham, Richard Paley, Stuart Jones, Martin Relton, John Sutton, Simeon Johnson, Kevin Morgan, Alfonso Escauriaza, Damian Greaves, James Power, James O’Dude, Fabio Vitiello, Paul Yearsley |
| There were 11 brothers not present with no apology |
There were 15 Knutsford Brothers in attendance and 1 visitors. There were 13 apologies
Brother President Felix Martin opened the meeting and thanked all present for attending.
Minutes of previous AGM
There were no matters arising from the minutes of the previous AGM
Past President’s Report
Brother Past President John Long gave his report for the previous year (a copy of which is included in Appendix I).
Brother John mentioned the ongoing work done to create a pipeline of potential new Members and listed the events that we ran during the year.
He then highlighted the involvement of Knutsford Circle in Province, especially Bro. John Sutton for leading the way in circle visits, Bro. Provincial Councillor Martin Relton for being so active in province and Bro. Stuart Jones for creating and rolling-out the new provincial web site which resulted in Knutsford Circle being awarded the inaugural “Provincial Circle of the Year” trophy at the Provincial Convention.
John then went on to describe the work that he had done to raise the profile of the Catenians in our Parish and St Vincent’s School. This involved organising Parish events, helping out the PTA at their events and working with the Minnie Vinnies to help raise funds for his nominated charity JustDropIn.
Finally Bro. John described the work done over the past two years (by himself, his wife Ann, Bro. Nick Johnson and many others) which has enabled JustDropIn to open a much-needed office in Knutsford. The office is now prominent and well known in the town with a steering committee run by Ann and attended by representatives of the Knutsford Medical Practice, Town Council, Knutsford Academy, St Vincent’s School and a number of local industry experts.
JustDropIn, in their publicity, have recognised that their presence in Knutsford is only possible due to the support that they received from the Catenians.
Bro. John was pleased to report that the incoming mayor of Knutsford has selected JustDropIn as his charity for the year as has the Captain and lady captain of Heyrose Golf Club (Thanks to Bro. Tom Hughes).
The report was well received and prompted several questions regarding the origins and running of JustDropIn which John was able to answer (founded in Macclesfield around 2001 by local churches and supported by donations from Macclesfield Council and local NHS services).
Bro. John Ross recalled that Bro. Mike Guerin was one of the original founders.
Following the report Bro. John Ross commented that he was disappointed by the poor attendance at the circle mass for the deceased and that this important event should be better supported by members of the circle.
Bro. President Felix Thanked Bro. John for his report and for all he had done throughout the past year. He thanked him for his commitment to reaching out to Church and School and for positioning the Catenians at the centre of our community.
A vote of thanks was proposed and seconded by Bros. Eddie Haughey and Tom Hughes and passed unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report
Bro Eddie Haughey gave his report for the previous year (a copy of which is included in Appendix II).
The year ended with a surplus of £1,440 and an end of year balance of £5,101.
The surplus was mainly due to significant drops in expenditure for circle guest costs, ladies hospitality and meeting costs, plus an increase in income from Riviera Travel (thanks to John and Jean Sutton for booking through them).
The balance includes £140 collected for the President’s Charity but not yet disbursed.
A query was raised as to whether to pay this to last year’s charity (JustDropIn) or this year’s (SVDP) but it was decided that as the money was raised for JustDropIn then it should go to them.
Bro. Eddie asked Bro. Tom Hughes to check that the circle Zoom subscription had been cancelled as we are no longer using Zoom.
Bro. Tom agreed to check that this was the case.
Bro. Eddie then proposed an increase in subscriptions to cover the £12 increase in capitation fees (as discussed in Council).
Bro. Tom Hughes asked why we are proposing to increase subscriptions when we have a balance of £5,000 in the bank.
A discussion then ensued as to whether all of the capitation increase should be passed on to members or whether it should be taken from circle funds.
It was decided to vote on the full increase first and if this failed then other options would be considered.
Bro. Nick Johnson commented that from an accounting perspective it was bad practice in any well-run enterprise to fund day to day running costs from reserves and that running costs should be paid from income.
Bro. John Ross warned that a balance of £5,000 sounds like a lot of money but that with the increase in costs that we are experiencing this may not be the case.
Bro President Felix stated that this year, to help prevent losing members, he is committed to supporting members who cannot afford to pay this increase due to hardship.
Bro. Eddie proposed a vote (seconded by Bro. John Long) to increase subscriptions by the capitation increase as follows;
• Full subs: £172; Country Membership: £117; Joint Membership: £107
• New members will continue to get a 50% discount for the first 12 months
The vote passed with 9 votes in favour and none against.
There were no other matters raised regarding the accounts so a vote to accept the accounts was proposed by Bro. Tony Andrews and seconded by Bro. David Perls.
The vote passed with 11 votes in favour and non against.
Appointment of Auditors
Bros. Paul O’Brien and Tom Hughes were proposed and accepted as auditors with no objections.
Any Other Business
Bro. John Williams-Rigby asked whether Bro. Paul O’Brian was able to attend Circle Meetings. Bro. Tom Hughes replied that Bro. Paul was not able to attend at present due to pressure of work but was hoping that this situation would change shortly so that he could attend more regularly.
Election of Officers
Bro. Acting Secretary Sean McGhee read out the officers for 2024/25.
These are;
• President – Felix Martin
• Vice President – TBA
• Treasurer – Eddie Haughey
• Secretary – Stuart Jones
• Membership Officer – John Long
• Registrar – Steve Graham
• Provincial Councillor – Martin Relton. Note – this will be Martin’s last year.
• Entertainments Officer – Nick Johnson
• Marketing Officer – TBA
Bro President Felix closed the meeting at 20:07
Appendix I – Past President’s Report
- Membership (+1 with) a pipeline being built
- Events
- St Georges night (24 at Giovannis)
- Visit to Knutsford Beer Festival
- President’s at home (50+ at Beeches Golf centre – Great event))
- Meal at the Angel after the Mass for deceased brothers
- Christmas meal (40 at Cottons) – Great night
- Christmas Beer and Curry
- Christmas Crib Service – following previous years cancellation
- Childrens Christmas event – to infinity and beyond – oversubscribed
- Charter and Clergy night at Knutsford Golf Club
- Nights of recollection – Thanks to Brother Felix
- Province
- Attended several other circles and provincial meetings (Less than I should have)
- John Sutton leading the way in circle visits.
- Martin very active provincial councillor
- Stuart completed and communicated the new provincial web site
- Culminated in us being awarded the inaugural Provincial Circle of the year at the Provincial convention.
- Parish
- Supported Father’s coronation event by providing the entertainment – Quiz and music
- Pulpit pitch to raise awareness of the Catenians – good feedback
- Parish Walk in Tatton Park with good attendance
- Arranged Parish meal at Knutsford Golf club
- Provided refreshments after Christmas carol service
- School
- Built a better relationship with Bernadette Grawke and her staff
- Ran the bottle stall at the PTA summer party
- Worked with the Minnie-Vinnies to arrange a very successful raffle for JustDropin with the businesses of Knutsford contributing excellent gifts.
- Charity
- JustDropIn is now live in Knutsford. We have raised over £3500 over the last two years. We have arranged with Nick’s support for them to continue to occupy their office (Which Ann and I have funded so far) in Knutsford for the next three years. JustDropIn is now very prominent and well known in the town with a steering committee run by Ann Long and attended by representatives of the Knutsford Medical Practice, Town Council, Knutsford Academy, and a number of local industry experts. The incoming mayor has selected JustDropIn as his charity for the year as has the captain and lady captain of Heyrose Golf Club (Thank you Tom Hughes).
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer’s Report Financial Year 2023/24
We ended the year with a surplus of £1440.
Further details are given below :-
Income
- Due to agreed increases, subscriptions were up £541 despite 2 resignations in the year.
- A rebate of £656 was received from Riviera Travel
- We raised £290 by raffle to aid the childrens Christmas Party.
Expenditure
1.Circle guests costs were down a significant £487
2.Ladies hospitality was zero compared to £388 last year.
3.Meeting costs were down £192
4.There was zero expenditure on President,Secretary, Treasurer and web costs.
5.We purchased a loop system at a cost of £459.
6.We also made bereavement donations of £650.
As previously advised to cover the £12 increase in capitation fee from centre the proposed 2024/25 circle subscriptions are;-
Full £172
Country £117
Joint £107
New £86 (50% discount)
Cash in bank at the end of the year was £5101 with £140 of this allocated to the 2023/24 Presidents Charity. Free cash is therefore £4961.
Eddie Haughey
Treasurer
08/05/2024
Knutsford Catenians: Circle 182 – Minutes of the 775th Circle Meeting held on Monday 13th May, 2023
Held at Cottons Hotel, Knutsford
Presiding: Brother President Felix Martin
Meeting started at 20:10, finished at 20:47
Attendees
| Brothers | Felix Martin, John Long, Bill Gore, John Ross, Jim Flood, Tom Hughes, Eddie Haughey, Sean McGhee, Gideon Hayford, David Perls, Tony Andrews, John Williams-Rigby, John Piper, John Shaw, Nick Johnson, Alfonso Escauriaza |
| Visitors – | Macclesfield and District – Chris Pimblott North Cheshire & Didsbury – Roger De Forno Crewe & District – Michael Hassall |
| Guests | |
| Apologies | Steve Graham, Richard Paley, Stuart Jones, Martin Relton, John Sutton, Simeon Johnson, Kevin Morgan, Damian Greaves, James Power, James O’Dude, Fabio Vitiello, Paul Yearsley |
| There were 11 brothers not present with no apology |
There were 16 Knutsford Brothers in attendance and 3 visitors. There were 12 apologies
Actions outstanding from previous meetings
- All Brothers – nominations are need for a Vice President for next year. If you can help, please contact John or Stuart.
- Eddie Haughey to request the cancellation of Catena for Tony Weir.
New actions from this meeting
- Bro. John Long to ask Fr David if we can advertise the next Catenian Drinks in the parish Newsletter and if we can hand out Catenian leaflets after Church on Sunday
- Council to discuss arrangements for President’s Sunday BBQ at Bowling club given that we cannot get a commitment from the club that we can use the green.
Closed actions
- None
Decisions
- None
Circle Prayers
The President led everyone in prayers for the sick Brothers from Knutsford: James O’Dude, Joan Shaw (wife of Brother John), Wendy Hurst (wife of Brother John) also Bro Jim Flood’s niece’s child Finn and Peter Phillips (former President of the Circle).
We also prayed for all those on the Provincial Sick List.
- ASHTON CIRCLE: Winifred Anderson
- BROOKLANDS CIRCLE: Bro’s: Gerry Langford, John Constable
- CREWE & DISTRICT CIRCLE: Kathleen Large (wife of Bro. Dennis), Wendy Betts (wife of Bro. Bryan)
- DIDSBURY: Eddie Haughey, George Walker, Michael Connelly, Kathy Raftery (wife of Bro. Jim), Andrea Callaghan (widow of late Bro. Peter), Pam Walker (wife of Bro. George)
- NORTH CHESHIRE & WILMSLOW CIRCLE: Bro’s: Mike Bramwell, Peter Jones, Tony Jenkins, James O’Brien; Fr. Cogliolo (Wilmslow Chaplain), Dorothy Hillier, Ann McDonald (sister-in-law of Bro. Tony George), Therese Williams (wife of Bro. Cec Williams)
- RINGWAY CIRCLE: Bro’s: Derek Bottomley, Brian Cann, Jack Tootle; Greta Bottomley, Trudie Denny, John Meggison (brother of Bro. Andrew Blaikie)
- WARRINGTON CIRCLE: Bros. John Atherton and Mark Bolton; Philomena Harvey (wife of Bro. Peter), Brenda Jack (widow of late Bro. Dave)
Recent Deaths
We remember those Knutsford Brothers whose anniversaries are in May: Fred Birch, Eddie Dowling, Patrick Purtill, Stan Robinson
We remember those who have died recently in Province:
- BROOKLANDS CIRCLE (and KNUTSFORD CIRCLE): Elizabeth Lynch, wife of Bro Matt Lynch (6th May)
- CREWE & DISTRICT CIRCLE: Ryk Iwancz (13th March), Hugh Brady (2nd April)
- DIDSBURY CIRCLE: Peter Gollaglee (March, former President & Bro.of Didsbury), Pat Ravening (wife of Bro. Joe, 8th March),
- NORTH CHESHIRE CIRCLE: Lina Oates (8th Feb)
- WILMSLOW CIRCLE: Bro. Gerald Ramsden (March 11th)
Secretary’s Report
- Visits – None
- Correspondence – None.
Provincial Report
- There was no Provincial report as the Provincial meeting is later this week.
Treasurer’s Report
- Bro. Treasurer Eddie reported that we had raised £500 for the St. Vincent de Paul Society at the St George’s games night.
Membership Officer’s Report
- Bro John Long reported that Council have committed to raising membership this year through revisiting past members and organising social events as well as by direct invitation.
- To this end John has produced a pamphlet that can be given to prospective members, maybe after an initial approach. The pamphlet gives more information about who we are and what we do and details on how to contact us for more information. But help will be needed to approach people and hand out the leaflets. The more people who do this the higher our visibility will be in the parish.
Welfare
- Bro. John Williams-Rigby had nothing to report but would endeavour to contact those on the sick list before the next meeting.
- Bro. Jim Flood asked about ex Bro. Mike Diver. In reply, Bro John Ross reported a conversation with Hugo McCorkhil. Hugo had visited Mike in his care home (The Belvedere, Alderley Edge) and Mike was not very well due to the onset of dementia.
Entertainments
- Bro. Nick Johnson reported that the aim this year is to cement our place at the heart of the Church and wider Parish.
- He then listed the events currently being planned this year;
- Members’ drinks, every fourth Thursday but put back a week this month due to the Bank Holiday
- Tatton Walks (ad-hoc throughout the Summer)
- Tuesday May 21st – AVRO Heritage visit organised by Sean McGhee. So far we have 14 people signed-up for this.
- Sunday June 16th – Parish World Lunch organised by John Long. This is a shared table to allow parishioners to get to know each other better. The Ladies Group are also helping with this.
- July – Walk to The Roaches
- September – BBQ at the bowling club for President’s Sunday
- November – mass for Deceased
- December – various events including Christmas Meal at Thorneycroft hall
Other meeting notes
- Bro. John Piper thanked the Circle for installing a closed loop audio system. It has made an enormous difference to him as he can now hear everything that is said, but only if those using a microphone hold it at the right height. He then gave a demonstration of how not to hold the microphone (i.e. at waist height) and the proper height (i.e. level with the chin). Tom Hughes tested the hand held microphone to see if it was effective from the far side of the room. At first John Piper reported that it did not work very well, but this was vastly improved when Tom turned the microphone on.
Bro. John Ross endorsed John Piper’s comments.
- Bro. Bill Gore told the circle of the assistance that he had given, together with Chair of Governors Bro. Damien Grieves, to a new family in Knutsford to help them overturn a decision not to allow one of their children to enrol at St Vincent’s School (the other child had been accepted by the school). The father runs the new Sri Lankan restaurant in Knutsford “Sigiriya”. As a mark of thanks the manager has offered to put on a three course meal with wine exclusively for Catenians and friends “at a price that the Catenians could afford”. Bro President Felix thanked Bill for this news but pointed out that as the restaurant seats 73 people this would be a major event, if we were to take up the offer.
- Bro. Tony Andrews reminded brothers that the recently deceased Elizabeth Lynch is the wife of Knutsford joint member Matt Lynch (who was an excellent President of this Circle) and that we should all make an effort to attend her funeral.
President’s Report
- Bro. President Felix would like to have a Circle Brunch at the Church Inn sometime in June, if there is an appetite for it. This would be a relaxed event on a weekday in a beautiful situation and would hopefully attract many brothers and partners.
Enrolment Anniversaries in May
- Edward Haughey (25yrs), John Shaw (24yrs), Felix Martin (6yrs)
Birthdays in May
- Richard Paley (2nd), John Shaw (4th), Jim Flood (19th), Peter Doran (21st), Peter Pozzoni (26th)
Warm Welcome Trophy
Presented to Chris Pimblott of Macclesfield and District Circle.
Next Council Meeting
Will be at the Legh Arms on 20th May at 7:30 pm
Knutsford Catenians: Circle 182 – Minutes of the 776th Circle Meeting held on Monday 3rd June, 2023
Held at Cottons Hotel, Knutsford
Presiding: Brother President Felix Martin
Meeting started at 20:05, finished at 20:47
Attendees
| Brothers | Felix Martin, Tony Andrews, Richard Brown, Alfonso Escauriaza, John Finnan, Jim Flood, Bill Gore, Eddie Haughey, Simeon Johnson, John Long, Sean McGhee, Richard Paley, Martin Relton, John Ross, John Sutton. |
| Visitors – | Crewe & District – Michael Hassall, Denis McGrath, Gerry Smith, Peter Brand, Peter Hargreaves Brooklands – Stuart McNeill, Mike Chidgey, Bill Bowdren, Peter Kerr Ringway – Andrew Blaikie |
| Guests | |
| Apologies | Peter Doran, Steve Graham, Damian Greaves, Gideon Hayford, Tom Hughes, John Hurst, Stuart Jones, James O’Dude, John Piper, James Power, Peter Pozzoni, Fabio Vitiello, John Williams-Rigby, Paul Yearsley |
| There were 10 brothers not present with no apology | |
Actions outstanding from previous meetings
All Brothers – nominations are need for a Vice President for next year. If you can help, please contact John or Stuart.
New actions from this meeting
- All Brothers – subscriptions are now due.
- Council – Discuss any actions we can take to accommodate potential members who are unavailable for Circle meetings on the first Monday of the month.
- All Brothers – Volunteers wanted to run the School PTA bottle tombola at the PTA Summer Fair on 6th July.
Closed actions
Bro. John Long to ask Fr David if we can advertise the next Catenian Drinks in the parish Newsletter and if we can hand out Catenian leaflets after Church on Sunday
Council to discuss arrangements for President’s Sunday BBQ at Bowling club given that we cannot get a commitment from the club that we can use the green.
Decisions
None
Circle Prayers
The President led everyone in prayers for the sick Brothers from Knutsford: James O’Dude, Joan Shaw (wife of Brother John), Wendy Hurst (wife of Brother John), Bro Jim Flood’s niece’s child Finn, Peter Phillips (former President of the Circle) and George Moon (great grandson of former brother Peter Kerr)
We also prayed for all those on the Provincial Sick List.
ASHTON CIRCLE: Winifred Anderson
BROOKLANDS CIRCLE: Bros: John Constable, Gerry Langford, Andrea Callaghan
DIDSBURY CIRCLE: Bros: George Walker, Michael Connolly, Kathy Raftery (wife of Bro. Jim), Pam Walker (wife of Bro George)
NORTH CHESHIRE & WILMSLOW CIRCLE: Bros: Mike Bramwell, Peter Jones, Tony Jenkins, James O’Brien; Fr. Cogliolo (Wilmslow Chaplain), Dorothy Hillier (wife of Bro. Arnold)
RINGWAY CIRCLE: Bros: Derek Bottomley, Brian Cann, Jack Tootle, Greta Bottomley, Trudie Denny
WARRINGTON CIRCLE: Bro: Denis McAllister
Recent Deaths
We pray for Elizabeth Lynch, wife of Bro. Matt, whose funeral is this Wednesday at 10:30 am at St Vincents, Knutsford.
We also remember those Knutsford Brothers whose anniversaries are in June: Lionel Gaskell, Jerry Sampey, Ken Shipley, Tony Steers
We remember those who have died recently in Province:
BROOKLANDS CIRCLE: Elizabeth Lynch (6th May; wife of Bro. Matthew Lynch), Ben Smyth (13th April; father-in-law of Bro. Charles Flannery)
CREWE & DISTRICT CIRCLE: Bro: Hugh Brady (2nd April), Ryk Iwancz (13th March); Stella Cooke (12th April; wife of Bro. Frank,), Neville Hargreaves (8th May; father of Bro. Peter)
DIDSBURY CIRCLE: Peter Gollaglee (March, former Bro. of Didsbury); Pat Ravening (8th March; wife of Bro. Joe)
NORTH CHESHIRE & WILMSLOW CIRCLE:Bro. Gerald Ramsden (11th March)
RINGWAY CIRCLE: Bro. Neil Ambrose (15th April)
WARRINGTON CIRCLE:Meryl Wernham (wife of Bro. Tony)
Secretary’s Report
Visits – Ashton Circle, John Sutton
Correspondence – James Power has delivered the Rosary Beads and Prayer Leaflets donated by the Catenian Rosary Group to St Vincents School. These will be distributed to every child taking their first Holy Communion this year.
Provincial Report
On the possible merger of Province 17 and Province 1 no further progress.
Didsbury circle have approached Brooklands Circle with a view to considering a merger and an initial meeting has taken place. However the meeting felt that progress should not be rushed and the view was that the merger should be effective from 1st April next year.
Ashton Circle will continue to conduct their meetings via Zoom for the foreseable future. They are in active discussion with Bro. Iain O’Hare about a possible merger with a new group forming in Failsworth.
Membership – April saw the loss of 7 Brothers offset partially by the enrolment of 2 Joint members by Ashton Circle. Knutsford Circle continues to top the table of Absent No Apology but there has been an improvement.
The national Digital Highway project is beginning to have a positive impact from social media posts and the first membership enquiries have begun to trickle in but it is still early days. The team have asked for more stories about “Business benefits of being a Catenian” for new posts. These can be sent to Provincial Director.
The response to the recent Benevolent Fund consultation was far greater than expected and the Trustees have delayed carrying out a further review until the 21st May.
Stressed the need to plan Circle diary’s to ensure social functions are not clashing or too close together as all Circles need support for their functions from the rest of province to keep the socials financially viable. Circle’s were requested to submit diaries to Province (via MR) so that the provincial calendar can be maintained.
Provincial convention will be held on Wed 17th July at Ringway GC.
Treasurer’s Report
Bro. Treasurer Eddie reported that Circle finances are in good shape. He has received 12 subscription payments so far. The first instalment of our capitation has been paid so it is important that we receive the outstanding subscription payments soon to cover the remaining instalments.
Membership Officer’s Report
Bro John Long reported that the recent Social evening, which was advertised in the Parish Newsletter, was very successful. Several parishioners attended as well as several Brothers. As a result we have three more prospective members. One problem became clear and that was that the first Monday of the month is popular with local societies such that none of the three could commit to attending Circle meetings on this night. Bro John suggested to Circle that maybe having additional “mini” Circle meetings outside of the normal Monday ones, say once every two months may be the solution. Bro President Felix suggested that maybe changing the day of the Knutsford meeting might be a solution. Bro. Martin Relton pointed out that the first Monday is well entrenched in the Provincial calendar and would not be easy to change, certainly in the short term. Bro. Richard Brown pointed out that now that Wilmslow had merged the first Thursday is available.
Action: Council to discuss the matter.
Bro. John Long told Circle that the Parish Food Festival is on the 15th of June (which is also Father’s Day). He urged members to support this event which is being organised by the Catenians and the Ladies Group.
Finally Bro. John reported that the School PTA had been in touch to ask the Catenians to run the bottle tombola at the PTA Summer Fair on 6th July.
Action: Volunteers wanted to run the tombola
Welfare
Bro. Tony Andrews reported that he had bumped into Bro. James O’Dude in Knutsford recently. He was looking well and said that he appreciated the Circle’s prayers.
Bro Sean McGhee reported that Bro. Damien Grieves had mentioned that ex Bro. Mike Diver was in a care home but unaware of his surroundings due to dementia and so visits would probably not benefit him.
Entertainments
Bro. Simeon Johnson told the Circle of the planned Brunch at the Church Inn Mobberley on Friday 14th June. The idea is to meet in St Vincents Church car park at 11:30 am where it is hoped that there will be enough cars to take everyone to the Church Inn for a relaxed Brunch and drinks. Alternatively the trains run every hour from Knutsford to Mobberley station which is a short walk to the pub.Br. John Sutton pointed out that there is a better option, the bus, which runs hourly from Knutsford and stops at the Victory Hall a 5 minute walk from the pub.
Bro. Simeon also told the Circle of a planned walk at Macclesfield Forest followed by food and drinks at a nearby pub (also called the Church Inn). The walk would be optional. Unfortunately the intended date conflicts with the PTA Summer Fair so will have to be re-planned.
President’s Report
Bro. President Felix reported that the last Council meeting discussed the idea of a merger but it was felt that at the moment this was not a good idea for Knutsford. Instead we plan to work with neighbouring circles with the idea of marketing specific events from each circle so that they could be shared events. This would benefit both circles and hopefully make it easier to organise bigger events.
Bro. Felix confirmed that the date for the Christmas meal had been set for Friday 6th December. It would take place in the Downstairs Suite (“Tabley” ?) that was formerly a swimming pool.
Other meeting notes
Bro. Sean McGhee gave a summary of the trip to the AVRO Heritage Museum in May. The event was well attended with 14 Members, wives and one guest. The tour guides for the main hall and the various cockpit tours were all very well informed and entertaining and made the event very enjoyable. Everyone who attended enjoyed the outing which ended with lunch at the nearby “Aviator” pub/restaurant where due to the fine
weather we were able to sit outside. Bro. Sean had no hesitation in recommending the trip to other circles that had not yet visited it.
Bro. Bill Gore told the circle that he had had further talks with the (deputy) manager the “Sigiriya” restaurant who has offered to put on a three course meal exclusively for Catenians and friends “at a discounted price” i.e. less than £50. At this price it may not include wine. The meal would have to be on a Monday or Tuesday and to fill the restaurant we would need 73 people. It would need someone to negotiate the price and menu with the restaurant. Bro. President Felix replied that this was a big commitment and would need careful planning maybe for later in the year.
On a different matter Bro. Bill said that he was disappointed that in the meeting there had been no mention of the historic anniversary of the D Day Landings and the sacrifices that the service personnel made on that day. Being a veteran himself he felt especially angry that the circle appeared to not value the enormous sacrifices that had been made to ensure our freedom and prosperity.
Bro. Mike Chidgey gave details of the next Sams Luncheon Club at Ringway Golf Club on Tuesday 11th June at 12:30 pm. The speaker will be Provincial Director Bro. Stuart McNeill who will give a talk entitled “Football shirts are not just a fashion” about his collection of football shirts, each one with a different unusual or amusing back-story. Please book directly with Steve Tiernan (North Cheshire and Wilmslow Circle).
Bro. Denis McGrath of Crewe and District Circle invited Brothers to the Crewe Charter Dinner which would take place on Wednesday 26th June at a cost of £40 per head.
Bro Tony Andrews congratulated Bro. Stuart McNeill on his recent appointment as Provincial Director.
Enrolment Anniversaries in June
Peter Pozzoni (53yrs), John Long (23yrs), Martin Relton (23yrs)
Birthdays in June
Christopher Jones (24th)
Warm Welcome Trophy
Presented to Stuart McNeill of Brooklands and District Circle and our new Province 17 Director.
Bro President Felix closed the meeting with a special prayer of thanks to all those who took part in the D Day landings especially those who paid the highest price for our current freedoms.
Next Council Meeting
Will be at the Legh Arms on 10th June at 7:30 pm
Knutsford Catenians: Circle 182 – Minutes of the 777th Circle Meeting held on Monday 1st July 2024
Presiding: Brother President Felix Martin
Meeting started at 20:05, finished at 20:45
Attendees
| Brothers | Felix Martin, Richard Brown, Peter Doran, Bill Gore, Tom Hughes, Simeon Johnson, John Long, Sean McGhee, Tony Andrews, Martin Relton, John Ross, John Sutton, Nick Johnson, Gideon Hayford, John Shaw, John Piper, Steve Graham, Stuart Jones |
| Visitors | Brooklands – Mike Chidgey, Jeff Grubert North Cheshire and Wilmslow – Steve Tiernan |
| Guests | None |
| Apologies | John Hurst, James Power, Damien Grieves, Peter Pozzoni, Eddie Haughey, Kevin Morgan, John Williams-Rigby, James O’Dude, Paul Yearsley and Fabio Vitielo |
| There were 18 Knutsford Brothers in attendance and 3 visitors. There were 10 apologies. There were 11 brothers with no apology. |
Actions outstanding from previous meetings
- All Brothers – nominations are need for a Vice President for next year. If you can help, please contact John or Stuart.
- All Brothers – subscriptions are now due.
New actions from this meeting
- Stuart to communicate details of the vote on membership criteria.
- Stuart to ensure a briefing is sent out about the walk on July 13th and to ask for it to be included in the parish newsletter.
- Martin to contact Mike Hosker and check how he is getting on.
Closed actions
- Council – Discuss any actions we can take to accommodate potential members who are unavailable for Circle meetings on the first Monday of the month. Discussed – recognised that any chosen day will mean that some people cannot attend. Agreed that we stick with our current day
- All Brothers – Volunteers wanted to run the School PTA bottle tombola
- at the PTA Summer Fair on 6th July. Three brothers definitely signed up[ to help.
Decisions
- None
Circle Prayers
- The President led everyone in prayers for the sick Brothers from Knutsford: James O’Dude, Joan Shaw (wife of Brother John), Wendy Hurst (wife of Brother John), Bro Jim Flood’s niece’s child Finn, Peter Phillips (former President of the Circle) and George Moon (great grandson of former brother Peter Kerr)
We also prayed for all those on the Provincial Sick List.
- ASHTON CIRCLE: Winifred Anderson
- BROOKLANDS CIRCLE: Bros: John Constable, Gerry Langford
- CREWE & DISTRICT CIRCLE: Wendy Betts (wife of Bro, Bryan), Kathleen Large (wife of Bro. Dennis)
- DIDSBURY CIRCLE: Bros: George Walker, Michael Connolly, Kathy Raftery (wife of Bro. Jim), Pam Walker (wife of Bro George), Ann Masterson (wife of Bro. Tony)
- NORTH CHESHIRE & WILMSLOW CIRCLE: Bros: Mike Bramwell, Peter Jones, Tony Jenkins, James O’Brien; Fr. Cogliolo (Wilmslow Chaplain), Dorothy Hillier (wife of Bro. Arnold), Ann McDonald (sister-in-law of Bro. Tony George), Therese Williams (wife of Bro. Cec Williams)
- RINGWAY CIRCLE: Bros: Brian Cann, Jack Tootle, Greta Bottomley, Trudie Denny
- WARRINGTON CIRCLE: Bro: Denis McAllister, Tony Wernham, Tony Rudder, Denis Povey, Peter Leighton, Paul Bolton (brother of Brother Mark); Philomena Harvey (wife of Brother Peter), Shelagh Freaney
Recent Deaths
We remember those Knutsford Brothers whose anniversaries are in July: Jack Andrews, Steve Bailey, John Etherington, John Sampey, Jim Valliley, Fran Lowe
We remember those who have died recently in Province:
- BROOKLANDS CIRCLE: Elizabeth Lynch (6th May; wife of Bro. Matthew Lynch), Andrea Callaghan (3rd June; wife of late Bro. Peter)
- CREWE & DISTRICT CIRCLE: Neville Hargreaves (8th May; father of Bro. Peter)
- MACCLESFIELD CIRCLE: Peter Lomas
- RINGWAY CIRCLE: Derek Bottomley (18th June)
- WARRINGTON CIRCLE: Meryl Wernham (wife of Bro. Tony)
Welfare
There was no formal update on welfare. We noted that we had not seen Mike Hosker at Circle meetings for a while (though he has been seen at Mass). Martin Relton will get in touch.
Secretary’s Report
- Visits
- Brooklands – John Sutton and Nick Johnson
- Ringway – John Sutton
- North Cheshire & Wilmslow – John Sutton, John Ross and Martin Relton
- A recent vote had some technical problems and needs to be taken again. It is to amend a requirement of membership from “A Member of the Association must: Be a practising Catholic;” to “A Member of the Association must: Be a Catholic”. Stuart will send out a postal vote with details.
There were some questions and discussion about the vote and the need to progress it quickly. We are constrained by the national timescales and are using email for voting so that we can involve as many members of the Circle as possible.
Provincial Report
There has not been a provincial meeting since the last Circle meeting.
Martin reminded brothers of the Provincial Convention which takes place on 17th July. The cost is £27.50 for a three-course meal. Six brothers are going so far, more are welcome. Money should be given to Knutsford Circle treasurer who will then pay the province.
Social Events
Upcoming events are
- Ramble and Pub Lunch – Saturday 13th July. Organised by Simeon. Details will be circulated again and brothers are asked to sign up as soon as possible.
- Informal lunch at the Rose and Crown – Sat 28th July
- Meal at the Sigiriya restaurant – 18th August
- President’s Event – bowling and garden party at the Railway Inn. Date to be confirmed in September – consensus was for a weekend
- Felix has invited a well-known speaker on catholic family matters to speak to the parish (14th September). This will be a parish event organised by the Catenians.
- Mass for deceased brothers – date to be confirmed
- Christmas Dinner – now booked for 6th December at Cottons. Cost will be £40 a head including a welcome drink..
- Beer and Curry Night will be on Thursday, 19th December
- Beartown Brewery – now confirmed for Wednesday, 23rd October at 19:00
Membership
- John Long reminded brothers about the School Summer Party on 6th July (from noon) and encouraged brothers to come along. The Circle will be staffing the Tombola Stall and will be pro-active in communicating membership opportunities. Any more brothers who wish to help should contact John.
- Through John’s involvement in JustDropIn he made contact again with Jim McCulloch. He is involved in the Welcome organisation and suggested a joint fund-raising event. He may also be interested in rejoining the Circle.
Finance
- The Treasurer confirmed that our finances are in robust good health.
- The Circle donated £500 to the SVP following the St. George’s Night Event.
- Brothers are reminded to pay their subs if they have not yet done so.
President’s Report
Bro President Felix had nothing to add beyond what had already been discussed. He asked all those interested to attend the next council meeting to contribute to the discussion about social events and membership.
Felix then presented John Long with his presidential medal and thanked him again for his two years’ service as President of the Circle.
Other meeting notes
- Gideon (at Nick Johnson’s request) gave a parent’s view of the recent First Holy Communion mass at St. Vincent’s. It went really well, was well organised and the children looked fabulous. His son had a fabulous day and his daughter is now looking forward to her first holy communion next year.
- There was a short discussion about how we ensure all brothers receive up to date information. Stuart noted that he had not been as diligent over the past few months in sending out minutes to brothers who receive information by post but that will be addressed going forward.
- Mike Chidgey reminded brothers about Andrea Callaghan’s funeral (8th July) and asked any brothers attending the wake to let him know by the 3rd July.
- Mike Sowerby will be attending our Provincial Convention
Anniversaries
Enrolment Anniversaries in July
Michael Hosker (15yrs), Christopher Jones (9yrs), Raffaele Merrolle (5yrs)
Birthdays in July
Nicholas Johnson (17th), Felix Martin (25th), John Williams-Rigby (28th)
Warm Welcome Trophy
Presented to Jeff Grubert of Brooklands Circle.
Next Council Meeting
Will be at the Legh Arms on 8th July at 7:30 pm. All are welcome.