Happy New Year everyone, despite the winter weather, I'm sure we're all looking forward to the cricket season. After taking on the Junior section from Nick Berry, I'm especially looking forward to supporting our junior members and their parents through what we all hope will be an enjoyable and fruitful cricket season.  I've already met many of you at Junior's nets, which have been well attended.

Right now I've a favour to ask, which relates to the now vacant position of Junior Fixtures Secretary.

This role is a key one in the effective running of our cricket club across some 260 junior members, boys and girls.  Whilst much activity is 'behind the scenes', the role impacts everyone across all age groups.  The current role holder, Paul Dean, will be stepping down, after three years he reasonably feels he's done his bit.  Paul has done a wonderful job, and leaves a sound legacy of efficient organisation which can be handed on. 

We urgently need a volunteer to take on this role. This would normally be a parent of a junior player.   To reflect the importance across the Junior section, any parent holding this role will be entitled to free junior membership for one child, and free winter nets.  This arrangement will apply for the period of the appointment.

What's involved in the role?

Centrally, the leagues provide the list of fixtures, but not the dates or venues.  Organising these is the main purpose of the role, liaising with our own ground keepers (Sandpit Lane and Clarence Park), and with opposition Fixture Secretaries.  Team managers also need informed of the dates/venues.  After that it's the team manager's job to liaise with the opposition for a given game, and manage the game on the day.

There's urgency because the bulk of Fixtures Secretarial activity starts soon and is mostly pre-season.  There may be some games needing arranged later in the summer but that's a much smaller effort.  If a game is called off during the season (eg weather), these need rearranged, so theres some back and forth at the time.  Everything can be done on-line/email.  Otherwise there's nothing to do outside the summer cricket season.

The roleholder doesn't need any knowledge of the laws or complexities of cricket.  He or she does however need organisational skills, and some familiarity with using spreadsheets and such.  

Regards where things are just now, it's all set up and ready for the new role holder to take on.  There's a well established framework of working, and a spreadsheet/system which Paul Dean used as a means of keeping track.  Training and support will be provided. 

What happens if no-one steps up?

Finally, if no-one steps up, I'll have to take this on personally, but am myself new in post, having just taken on the Juniors section from Nick Berry.  I know I'm already relying on many volunteers, but this is really my one unfilled post and an important one.

Please can I ask someone to step forward.  If you feel you can help, please email directly on iw.mckinlay@gmail.com, or call/text on 07464 981650.

With best regards

Ian McKinlay (Macca)

iw.mckinlay@gmail.com;  Mobile: 07464 981650