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        The Gentlemen's Ale Sampling Society

        1982-2017  35 YEARS OF BEERS

                                                                                                                                                                                            

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SEPTEMBER

THE 2014 AGM

TENERIFE

 

AGM DETAILS ON AGM PAGE - click here

 

The 2014 AGM was a great success - 17 members attended with apologies for absence from Chris Spree, Stuart Gilbert, Ray Guttridge, Steve Riches and Don Pilcher.

The theme was decided as a result of the Big Boys Toys meeting in the summer where we realised that six members had big bike licenses, so we decided to go as bikers.

We hired six Harley Davidsons, two normal bikes, three buggies and a convertible Jeep and off we jolly well went on a 150 miles round trip ranging from up into the mountains to down along the coast line.
To make the event funnier we all created our OWN biker jackets and dressed the part.  As you can see below....

   Now how is that for a fantastic bunch of guys?  GASS really is amazing.  Thanks to Graham for such a quality shot for the album.

After the photo shoot, and Hugh trying to do doughnuts in the car park with a vile hangover, we set off for the days ride.  Let the photos tell the story.....

The boys getting ready to roll........

An attempt (failed) to get a picture of all our backs.    As this failed I am obliged to record all the nicknames for posterity.

BELL- THE MECHANIC,  BRICE - FIRKIN HELL,  BRIDGEWATER - SOAPY,  BRUNNING - THE DUKE,  COCKERTON - THE COCK,  EASDOWN - DEALER, 

EDELEADANOODLEDO - CHOPPER,EVANS - LANDLORD, FARRER - SLASHER,  HENSLOW - CAPTAIN,  JENKINS - BLACKHEART, 

MANKELOW - PORN STAR,  PRICE - ADDER,  RALPH - COWBOY,  ANDY SMITH - GOLDIE,  LEN SMITH - GRIM SWEEPER,  WESTLAKE - ROCKY

An impressive sight, and a hell of a noise when they all fire up.

         

A bit of a gay line up.

     

Gary and Owen continue the slightly gay theme, so Steve evens things up a bit with his macho pose.

 

And Phil pulls it back onto the gay track with a bit of imaginative (and slightly scary) hitch-hiking.

Our biker lunch stop.

On into town for a bit of a pose along the front.

THE BIKING DAY SUMMARY

We had a ball!  We drove through some amazing countryside, up to several thousand feet to Mount Tiede, loads of hairpin bends (not easy on a massive Harley).
A stop for Gary and Owen to be arrested and fined £100 by the Police each because Andy told them you don't need helmets in Spain, which oddly enough - you do!
We amused ourselves by pimping out Phil and his naked arse to passing motorists as we waited the hour it took the rozzers to process our boys.
Then onwards and upwards to the Volcano, and just a mile or so short of our stop Phil fell off and rolled in the road right in front of Brian driving the Jeep.
Narrow road, tight bends, all the traffic stops to avoid Phil  - Steve falls off!       OK, OK, "Steve lays his bike down".  Then he fell off.
With the mornings amusement ended we stopped for coffee by the Volcano before a lovely ride down to lunch.

Great lunch stop with excellent views, then a nice run back down the coast to pose up and down the strip, before returning the bikes.

 

BOATING DAY
We hired a catamaran and went whale watching for the day, hangovers to the fore, especially Hugh, plenty of swimming,
but for once GASS failed to drink the boat dry - too many late nights!

 

See, we really did watch Whales!

 

STEVE'S BIRTHDAY LUNCH
Who could be so unlucky as to have his birthday on every GASS AGM?  Steve has been astoundingly generous each year, and despite our genuine
intention to pay for him this year - he insisted on paying for all of us!!!!  Again!!!!!  Many thanks Steve.

 

  

As you can see from the cheeky little pigs head on Steve's shoulder we had the traditional 'Suckling Pigs'. 
And a good time was had by all!  N.B:  Brian still has his weird protective boot on, for the second year running - when will he stop going for the sympathy vote?

THE AGM DINNER

For some odd reason there is no picture of the AGM Dinner
(next time MY phone gets priority as that is the only way to guarantee we do get the important and historical shots on record, even if they are crap).
 

MINUTES OF THE MEETING

The meeting was pretty organised and the Chairman passed out copies of the accounts for two years which made pleasing reading.
Without boring everyone with the details we started in September 2012 with £5833 and ended the year with £4,634 in August 2013.
We started in September 2013 with £4,634 and ended the year in August 2014 with £6,740.
The aim is to have £5,000 in funds at the year end so we have managed to accumulate a surplus of £1,740.
This was mainly due to the Panto, Big Boys Toys and the Line Dancing all coming in under budget.

The Hon Sec/M.D/Dictator made the point that this once again proved that we did magical things with £40 a month fees.
That and the ban on Sherry being drunk at meetings worked wonders for the funds and we could go another year with just the occasional top up.

Ron, the Financial Director, made the point that occasionally members forget (?) they have a guest standing beside them all evening long, and don't pay for said guest - not good!
It would help the funds even more if members simply fessed up to a guest and coughed up without being asked.

The votes for officers took place and the usual suspects from the dream team were re-elected.  Chairman - John, M.D - Brian, F.D - Ron, Fines - Graham.
Why spoil a winning combination?

The AGM venue for 2015 was agreed as Benidorm and Hugh will be organising the hotel and flights.

It was agreed that we would discuss the meetings for 2014-2015 at the next meeting,
and that the idea of buying 22 GASS OppoSuits for the Christmas meeting was a runner.

With that the Chairman declared the meeting closed.

 

Another fine AGM!!

 

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