The RSPBA have issued the minutes of their Board of Directors meeting earlier this month. Here are the main take aways at a glance:
The Marketing and Media group is to look at attracting advertising to the Association website. At present the site, very popular at competition times, is ad-free.
The BoD will discuss ways of celebrating the Association’s Centenary in 2023 and also making a contribution to Glasgow’s 850th anniversary in 2025.
A review is to be undertaken into the structure and work of the Pipe Band College. Terms of Reference for the review are currently being considered. The Review Group will consist of Alistair Aitken OBE, John MacInnes MBE and Robert Wallace.
There is no news on the outstanding three major championships which have yet to be confirmed, the European, British and UK. (The CEO and a group of directors reporting to the BoD are currently in ongoing talks with councils and promoters.)
Cash: Bands are invited to apply for funding for branch educational projects. Overnight expenses for officials will be raised to £135 for Glasgow and Edinburgh and £120 for other towns and cities. The qualifying distance is 100 miles per single journey from home.
The Board is exploring possible funding from the National Lottery, this to be progressed by the Chief Executive Officer, Colin Mulhern.
Talks are continuing with the Scottish Schools Pipe and Drums Trust for a ‘freestyle’ pipe event at the Worlds. (This is a popular feature at the SSPDT’s Schools Championship to be held Sunday 10 March, 2024 at the William McIlvanney Campus, Kilmarnock. Enter here.)
Graeme Johnstone Memorial solo competition was held on 11th November in RSPBA HQ. The number of entrants was 25. If numbers increased then HQ would not be suitable. Overall, it was a very positive day.
Willie Ferguson Memorial competition was previously held by the Dundee, Perth and Angus branch. The Glasgow and West of Scotland branch will host the 2024 competition and thereafter it will be in the winners’ branch.
The next Board of Directors meeting is on January 27.
Hi, It was interesting to read your article this morning. I saw expenses went up for overnight stays. Apart from the Worlds, will they use local judges at competition to save some sort of monies? It was very disappointing not to see anything on the ‘missing majors’; this is what the players want to here and how it is going to be fixed. This is the question that should be the priority for next couple of years.