There were no persons willing and able to take on the vacant posts of Regional Coach, Regional Umpire and Youth Development Officer. It was agreed that Eric Hatfield should continue to act as coaching co-ordinator. Any club wishing to host coaching sessions or any person willing to undergo the training and assessment for grade 3 coaching qualification should contact Eric Hatfield on eric.hatfield@bigfoot.com. It is hoped that a regional umpire can be appointed as soon as the region has qualified umpires. A number of members have expressed interest in taking the umpire examination and any other member interested in becoming a qualified umpire should contact ken Buchan on ken.buchan@btinternet.com.

Colin Senneck and Martyn Fribbens have been co-opted to the management committee.

In order to improve communication with members, in future, regular email notices and alerts will be sent to all members who have supplied email addresses. These emails will not generally have attachments but if appropriate may contain links to relevant pages on the website. Any member not receiving emails but who would like to be included please notify ken Buchan by email on ken.buchan@btinternet.com. It was also agreed that the playing sub committee should appoint a reporter for each regional event to submit reports and photos for use on our website, the KPA Gazette and for submission to local newspapers.

Jean Christian Evrard, a French national grade coach is willing to run a coaching session in the summer but he requires the agreement of the FFPJP director of coaching. A response is awaited.

At its September meeting the management committee banned a member from representing the association in future because of alleged misconduct. It is now recognised that it was unconstitutional for the committee to do this and the matter will now be reviewed by a disciplinary tribunal appointed under article 12 of the constitution.

Subject to the agreement of Nord Maritime it is hoped that the annual inter regional competition with Nord Maritime will take place on Saturday 16 August at Lordswood.

Martyn Fribbens has written to all current and lapsed junior members to seek their views on future junior development and activities. He will be circulating committee members with the outcome of his findings and preparing a draft plan for developing juniors and espoirs for consideration at the next committee meeting. All junior and espoir members are very welcome to make their views known to Martyn if they have not already done so.

The committee has decided not to take up an offer from Jack and Maureen Milner to sponsor a junior trophy because it was linked to subjective conditions which would make it impracticable to operate.

Colin Senneck announced that the Kent Petanque League has agreed to make a donation of £500 to the Junior Fund.

In order to combat slow play the competition rules this year will limit games to 75 minutes plus the remainder of the end then being played and one further end. Preparations for the competition are now well in hand. There will be a stand for spectators to watch the final stages of the competition and a podium for the presentations to finalists and runners up. The main priority now was to get in as many entries as possible from Kent before the deadline of 24 January.