MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE BOARD HELD ON TUESDAY 18 MARCH 2008 AT MOTOR SPORTS HOUSE, COLNBROOK
(by courtesy of the Motor Sports Association)Present:
Chris Hunt Cooke (chairman) David Davies Colin Francis
Eri Heilijgers David Hurley Henry LawsonIn attendance: Derek Grossmark (vice president) Geoff Smith (vice president)
Rosy Pugh (newsletter editor) Jim Whyman (secretary & treasurer)
John Symes (MSA - for item 4 only) Alan Putt (FIVA ID cards - for item 4 only)1. Apologies for absence
Lord Montagu; Andrew Burt; Tony Davies; Mike Young.
2. Approval of minutes of board meeting of 20 January 2008
The chairman commented that the heading for item 4 of the draft minutes of the previous meeting had referred purely to the appointment of a new secretary. On the basis that Rosy Pugh was being appointed to replace the functions currently provided by Jim Whyman, the heading should have referred to appointment of ‘secretary and treasurer’. Having made and initialled an appropriate amendment, the chairman signed the minutes of the meeting of 20 January 2008 as an accurate record of that meeting.
3. Matters arising from previous meeting
6D. The secretary said the monthly web maintenance fee had risen to £150 since the January meeting.
4. FIVA Identity Cards
a. Review of current arrangements
Alan Putt described the process by which FIVA ID cards were obtained. Applicants complete four-page forms detailing their cars (it was noted that ID cards can be issued for any type of vehicle, but only one application for anything other than a car had ever been received). These applications are countersigned by an inspector appointed by the applicant. Inspectors should be officials of one make clubs, or failing that traders who have not done restoration work on the car concerned, and their task is to check that the information provided on the form is correct. Completed forms go to Alan who classifies the vehicle in accordance with the FIVA Technical Code, using guidelines contained in the FIVA Scrutineers’ Handbook (both available on the FIVA website). Alan then enters the data on a computer template and e-mails that to the secretary at the same time posting the relevant paperwork. The secretary does a secondary check before preparing and issuing the card, banking the fee and filing the paperwork. The cards cost £80, discountable to £55 for members of FIVA subscriber clubs. FIVA receives £20 and Alan Putt £10, leaving £16 net from a discounted card for FBHVC.It was acknowledged that the inspection system is the weakest link in the process, but there was no indication that any significant problems had occurred as a result. Without doubt, the biggest problem in recent times stemmed from the rigid interpretation of a FIVA Technical Code rule that says “tyre height ratios not available in period are not acceptable”. Although ‘period’ is not defined, Alan Putt said the FIVA Technical Commission intention was that tyres of lower than 80% profile should not be acceptable on cars made before such tyres were available, and that was deemed to be 1968. This became a problem because owners wanted to use them, but UK competitors were having to fit 80% profile tyres to obtain their ID cards only to find that event organisers happily accepted 70% profile tyres and competitors with ID cards issued in other countries had no difficulty obtaining ID cards with such tyres.
It was agreed that the chairman should take advice from Andrew Burt on the best person within FIVA to approach to seek a resolution to this anomaly and then to write accordingly. CHC
b. Future arrangements
It was agreed there should be no change to the present arrangements in the short term, although it was suggested that Paul Loveridge, a MSA Scrutineer who had expressed an interest in becoming involved in the ID card process, should be sounded out with a view possibly to sharing responsibility with Alan, perhaps taking responsibility for handling post-war cars, leaving Alan with the earlier group. The secretary said he would contact Paul to gauge his feelings. JW5. Appointment of accountants
Three quotations for the provision of accountancy services had been received. HW Chartered Accountants, the recently resigned auditors, were asking £1,750, whereas Mayfields, a firm in Leicester known to Mike Young, quoted £1,250 and Premier Accountancy, based near Hitchin and known to Geoff Smith, was cheapest at £1,000. In the absence of Mike Young, the director with responsibility for financial matters, the meeting felt unable to make a decision, but recognised the need to make an appointment well before the next meeting. The meeting agreed that the decision should be taken by the chairman after discussion with Mike Young and Geoff Smith. CHC
6. Directors’ specific responsibilities - plans, reports and questions
A. Legislation
David Hurley said FBHVC had written to DVLA to request a review of the processes relating to the first registration of older vehicles. This had been triggered by concerns that loopholes in the system could lead to abuse: it was in FBHVC’s interests to ensure the integrity of the system. Otherwise, he had nothing to add to the minutes of the recent legislation meeting.B. Budgets, finance and planning
The secretary said he had not prepared detailed management accounts for the nine months to the end of February as any such figures would have to be built on a substantial element of guess work. He was sure that FBHVC was ahead of budget, and predicted a surplus of between £1,000 and £5,000, depending on the level of claim for expenses for travelling to FIVA meetings from Andrew Burt going back to May 2006 - Andrew’s position was complicated by the fact that some of his expenses were payable to FIVA.C. Heritage
Eri Heilijgers said that FBHVC’s membership of Heritage Link had led to him attending a meeting at the Law Society in London of a group working towards staging a display of national heritage to take place in 2012 between the main Olympics and the Paralympics. Eri had found himself with Neil Marshall of the Transport Trust and sought agreement from the board to work with him in planning a transport heritage related display based on the theme of “firsts”. This was agreed, and the meeting congratulated Eri on his initiative. Eri added that he had applied for a position as co-ordinator of this project.“Europa Nostra” is a pan-European heritage organisation and its annual congress for 2008 takes place on Tyneside from 11 to 15 June. The main topic of the forum day was to be ‘Securing the future of Europe’s Engineering Heritage’. The cost of attendance was £75 registration fee plus travel and accommodation. It was agreed Eri should attend, staying for two nights if need be. EH
D. Communications
Henry Lawson outlined what had been done to obtain publicity for Drive It Day, emphasising the special insurance arrangements giving those over 21 with clean licences the opportunity to have comprehensive cover for the day at just £10.50. The secretary confirmed that he had made arrangements at the Royal Oak at Bishopstone and wondered if it would be sense to produce a leaflet in PDF form explaining what DID and FBHVC are all about for clubs to down load. This was agreed, and Henry Lawson said he would give the idea some thought. JW; HL
It was agreed there should be a press release immediately after the event.E. International Relations
In the absence of Andrew Burt (who had reported on recent developments in the FIVA Legislation Commission to the recent meeting of the legislation committee), there was no discussion under this heading save that David Davies commented that he was concerned that the Legislation Commission appeared to have become no more than a reporting body, with little or no executive power.
F. Events
Colin Francis said he had nothing to report.G. Trade Relations
Tony Davies had circulated information about progress on the trade initiative together with some first ideas about a leaflet outlining a “benefits package” to send to traders to encourage them in to membership. The outline budget for the leaflet proposed by Tony was agreed, as was the outline of the benefits package. It was accepted that the legal helpline element of the benefits package would be a cost, estimated at £3 per trader per year.It was also agreed that the brochure needed to be professionally designed. The chairman remarked that his son (who is professional in the field) had offered some helpful suggestions about the whole project that he had passed on to the secretary, but had also offered some professional design and copywriting assistance (for which a fee would be required). It was agreed that this offer should be investigated further and it was also agreed it was unnecessary to involve the whole board in deciding detail. TD; JW
On the ‘skills’ part of the strategy, Tony had recommended working with Eric Newell of the Motorsport Academy*. There was no objection to this, but there was some doubt about effectiveness and it was felt important not to become tied to an organisation going nowhere. Geoff Smith reported on his efforts to establish what funding might be available to support the government’s well-publicised intentions of encouraging apprenticeship schemes, as it seemed that without some form of funding it would be impossible to encourage modest sized traders working to tight margins to find the necessary resources to train youngsters. He said he had eventually managed to speak to the appropriate person working in the relevant department, and was expecting further feedback shortly. GS
*[It was not reported at the meeting, but it is understood that the company that was to provide the training being organised by the Motorsport Academy has called in administrators and has ceased trading following the death in a helicopter accident last year of its founder.]
7. Drive It Day 2008
Already discussed at item 6D.
8. Other matters
Geoff Smith reported that members of the Classic British Quality Charter had voted to dissolve the organisation. There had been no quibble with the recommendation that participants should sign up to FBHVC.
Geoff also reported that the secondary research into the 2005/6 survey forms had been completed bar the preparation and publication of a report.
David Davies reported that all arrangements were in hand for the Classic Bike Show at Stafford.
………….…………………………….. Chairman P H J Whyman, Secretary.
Dates of future board meetings:
Thursday, 22 May - Vintage Sports Car Club, Chipping Norton, 1800
Tuesday, 22 July - Motor Sports Association, Colnbrook 1600
Friday, 12 September - National Motor Museum, Beaulieu 1600
[Saturday, 18 October - AGM - RREC Paulerspury]
Sunday, 16 November - The George, Dorchester on Thames, 1100
Sunday, 18 January 2009
Tuesday 17 March 2009