29.10.2025 00:00
Dear Members
The Annual General Meeting of the club is planned to take place on 24th November 2025. The board have decided to defer the meeting until Monday 26th January 2026, as permitted by Article 25 of the Articles of Association of the club. The purpose of this note is to explain why.
As the board will report at the AGM the club has enjoyed another successful year. Membership is at record levels, the response to the membership survey shows high levels of member satisfaction with club services, our finances are robust, and the Lexus Ilkley Open continues to go from strength to strength. The board believes, however, that the governance arrangements for the club need to be amended. They have been in place for over 10 years and in that time the club has changed significantly. It is bigger, offers more and is more complex, members expectations are higher and we have ambitious plans which need to be delivered effectively and efficiently. Our governance arrangements are now out of date and not fit for purpose.
Accordingly the board has developed proposals to change our governance arrangements. In doing so it has consulted former chairpersons of the club and the Members Committee, who have all endorsed what is proposed. We have also spoken with other comparable clubs (e.g. Roehampton, Edgbaston, West Hants) to learn from their experience.
The next step is to share these proposals with members and we will be using the slot scheduled at 7pm on 24 November for that purpose. I hope as many members as possible will come along to hear what is planned and to give us feedback.
Subject to that, to give effect to these changes the main constitutional documents of the club (the Articles of Association and Club Rules) will need to be amended through a members resolution, and those resolutions will be put to the AGM now scheduled for 7pm Monday 26th January 2026.
I look forward to seeing you on 24th November and discussing with you our plans for making our club stronger.
Yours faithfully, Rik Smith (Club Chair)