Martin is to publish a programme for the event as a revenue earner. There will be a function on the Saturday evening in the hospitality suite at Dartford FC Princes Park which will include a buffet. The mayor of Dartford will be attending and he proposes to invite mayors of neighbouring boroughs to attend.

The Association Funds stand at:-

Main Fund	10,484
Junior Fund	1,503
KPA Winter League	196
Total	£ 12,183

Income from the first 2 regional qualifiers amounted to £1,108. Chalets for Brean Sands have been booked at a cost of £2,496

The Association’s membership totals 715 of which 19 are juniors. There are 39 affiliated clubs including 2 new ones.

Mick Weston has made arrangements with the main Lordswood Committee for lunch to be provided at a cost of £6 per head. This will consist of salads, cold meats etc. A bar will be situated in a marquee on the pistes and visitors will be provided with one drink voucher each. Other refreshments will be available from 8.30 a.m. The estimated total cost of the event will be about £850. In addition there will be the cost of providing a memento costing about £1.50 to be given to each visitor. Ken Buchan will organise the competition.

Ab Fab are keen to repeat the sponsorship of the event next year provided it is held in conjunction with a Kent Fair and moved to a time of the year when the weather is better. Ab Fab are willing to organise and promote the fair. It is envisaged that the event will take place over 2 days. The weekend of 5 April was the only date Detling had available and it was agreed tentatively to plan to hold the event on that weekend.

The tops presented to juniors attending the junior academy had proved to be very popular. They had been supplied by Alan Cregeen at a cost of £14 each. It has not been possible to organise visits to overseas junior competitions as these are held mainly between May and July. Hopefully this can be arranged next year. It was agreed that the Association will investigate the possibility of hosting a junior international competition. A number of requests had been received to sponsor pétanque events in primary schools. The association had previously targeted secondary schools without much success but it may be more fruitful to try and interest primary school children. Martyn Fribbens will explore this possibility.

IThe EPA qualifiers had been poorly supported this year and Martin Eggleton will be putting forward a proposal to the EPA Congress on behalf of the EPA Management Committee that the qualifying series be replaced with a new system for international selection based upon a premier league comprising the country’s 8 top teams and feeder leagues run by regions. The bottom 4 teams in the Premier League and the top 4 teams from the feeder leagues would compete to qualify to stay in or be promoted to the Premier League. The EPA congress is due to take place on 19 July. The committee did not propose to submit any proposals on behalf of the association.

The future of the North Sea competition is in doubt following the withdrawal of Germany and the probable withdrawal of Sweden.

It was agreed to investigate the possibility of holding a major competition at Lordswood in 2010, making use of the car park.