News from the CSPA
MINUTES FOR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF CSPA AT THE IN & OUT CLUB, LONDON AT 1500 HOURS ON MONDAY 15th FEBRUARY 2005

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Subject

 Summary Responsibility
1 Opening Remarks The Chairman stated he wished to see the CSPA continue on its present course according to its Charter with particular emphasis on encouraging newcomers to take up the game and coaching to improve the level of current players: tours remain an important part of service polo. He was keen that tour and team selection should be seen to be an open process. Service Associations were encouraged to nominate players. He expressed his delight that the IR Cup had been found and was especially grateful to FM Chapple for his crucial input and CO HCR for his thorough search. On behalf of all CSPA members he expressed his sincere thanks for the work of Captain Harrison as CSPA Hon Sec and Major Clark as Sec A POLO A, who retired from their positions. He also thanked the Director for his work especially in securing sponsorship.
Minutes AGM Dec 13/02/04 -Approved		 Chairman
2 Season Reports for 2004 Reports were submitted ‘eventually’. It would also be appreciated if all reports could be copied to the address list below in future. Accounts need only be sent to the CSPA.
Points from reports:
CSPA Director
The website www.cspa.org.uk was shown to everyone with the plea that it be used.
The CSPA team record in the Chapple Cup series was incredible with the team beating Pakistan and winning the series for the sixth year in succession. The CSPA was going from strength to strength and could now field a 10-goal team. He spoke about the CSPA trying to be fair with selection but as the representative team of the Combined Services the standard should always be kept as high as possible. The 0 handicap band is so large that all 0’s could not be treated equally. Also on tours the riding ability was a crucial factor due to the number and variation of loaned horses as was handicap as host’s nations preferred higher handicapped teams. Often with work commitments etc teams picked themselves simply by who was available.
RAPA is seeing a revival but no information is available.
LDPC – Due to Op commitments is barely functioning. It was agreed that perhaps the LDPC should never have been affiliated direct to the HPA.
TPC – JW said he hoped to train up his successor before he retired from TPC, which was not envisaged in the short term.
CSSB – raised the point about how the CSPA and Associations encouraged Polo to all ranks. The Director explained that he had debated this some years ago with the Chairman CSSB. The points were that other ranks were not specifically encouraged, as they had never been discouraged. In the eyes of CSPA, rank was irrelevant. He highlighted the various OR’s that had been successful in the game and how one year in the Rundle Cup (2003) there was a General and private (or equivalent) on each team. He stated that the CSPA and other Associations gave disproportionate grants to OR’s in the game. That as public funding was behind the question, the CSPA had been trying to make itself independent from the need for public funds and indeed it receives very little, if any, public funding. However if Polo were to receive the kind of public funding as other sports then he was confident it would have the same rank representation. Sailors for example use Military Boats. Polo players buy and use their own horses. Nonetheless one could not avoid the fact polo was a very expensive sport which, was the major factor in restricting the numbers that played and why the majority were Officers. The Director asked why Officers were not allowed to enjoy a sport of their choice and have fun as well! He strongly felt that the only important question was whether polo was considered a sport. This could not be challenged given the commitment, strength, teamwork and skill required. He finished by volunteering to have the argument and put the case to anyone who challenged polo’s legitimate place as a military sport.
The Chairman asked all Associations to provide him and the Director with player lists to include email addresses. He also asked that Associations forward details of CSPA activities to all their members (e.g. Rundle Cup day).		 Director
3 CSPA
Organisation &
Confirm appointments 2005		 Structure of the Committee and CSPA appointments.
Chairman - Captain RW Mason
Vice Chairman – Lt Col PDP Hankinson posted abroad and replacement sought.
Director - MJA Cann
Auditor – Simon Day & Co
Honorary Secretary - Capt N Cowley
CSPA Captain – Capt N Cowley
CSPA Coach – Memo Gracida The Director would ask him and if he declined Adolfo Cambiaso or equivalent.
The above appointments were proposed by A Polo A and seconded by RNPA and unanimously approved.		 Chairman
4 Fixtures 2005 Aldershot Cup TBC 5/6 July 05
RMAS Charity Day RMAS 7 July 05
Rundle Cup & ICOA TPC 9 July 05
United Services GPC 10 July 05
Inter Regt Final TPC 10 July 05
Capt & Subs TPC 30- 31 July05
Major Generals GPC 12-14Aug 05 Rules available now!		 Director &
Secretary
5 Tour policy CSPA will appoint a manager for the tour and give a budget proportional to the predicted budget. For out tours the manager will be responsible for finding the remainder of the money through sponsorship, non-public funds or personnel contributions. The CSPA committee will approve team selection. Association Chairmen are to nominate individuals they wish to go on tour at least 6 weeks before. ‘In tours’ will be funded according to the reciprocal arrangement with the visiting nation.
Member Associations should plan and fund their own tours to include the lower handicap and less experienced players.		 Chairman
6 Tours in 2005 & 2007



Tours Out 2004



Tours Out 2005

 Tri - Nation Tournament – depends on sponsorship and best planned outside the July Chapple Cup series.
ECUSPA 2005 –
South Africa 2006 –likely
ECUSPA 2007 –Likely
Others are Ghana
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Pakistan 1st Mar–14th Mar 04
ECUSPA 1-19 Sept 04
South Africa 22 Sept-10 Oct 04
All the above tours were very successful with a lot of good polo and great experiences. Reports on the website!
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Tri-Nation TBC, but more likely to be 2006+
Owed by Pakistan, India and Argentina
Not CSPA but BFF been invited to play the Commonwealth Cup in 2005 as 25th Anniversary – Volunteers 1 handicap and above welcome
Director would look at a tour for 2005/early 2006		 Director
7 Cups C&S Valued at £5,000 max.
IR Found. Director would value and never let out of his sight till he retires!
United Services valued at £25-35K. Decided not to sell unless it was necessary. The Director pointed out its similarity with the Australian Open Tennis trophy and that he continued to enjoy it at home.
Millennium Umpire Trophy 2004 – Major James Clark		 Secretary
8 Inter - Regimental Rules and Organisation for 2005. No changes, the same rules apply.
The final is to return to GPC. There was some confusion as to exactly which ground (Queens or Dukes) would be used but the Chairman would clarify. The CSPA is extremely grateful to GPC for its offer to host the final and the United Services together. The Chairman warmly thanked TPC for giving the IR such a happy and exciting home for the past three years.		 Chairman,
& Chairman
A Polo A
9 Capt & Subs Rules and Organisation for 2005. Ditto. Final at TPC. A Polo A
10 Financial Report &
Sponsorship 2005		 Accounts were approved and Auditor for 2005 re appointed (Simon Day & Co). Value now at approximately £101,000 cash after liabilities with assets of £51,000+
Prediction for 2005. Projected income over sponsor costs is £37,000.
Akhter £5 Team +6k Rundle Cup, HPA £11k, BAe £3k, RMAS £12k.
These figures are estimates pending event costs and sponsorship		 Director
11 Grants Budgets 2005:
Tour out budget - £ 4,500.00
Tour in budget - £12,000.00 sponsors
Coaching - £ 4,000.00
Admin budget office -£ 2,000.00
CSPA Team -£ 3,500.00 (inc entry fees)
Scholarships -£ 3,000.00 (reduce to £200 per person)
Cup engraving & repair -£ 750.00
Cup Insurance - £ 550.00
Total -£30,300.00
Savings are expected on budgets!
Grant Applications 2005:
RNPA - tbc £300 approx.
A Polo A - No-accounts: bid to follow.
TPC - £2500.
RAFPA – £1200 for coaching with a well renowned coach.
TPC Capital grant for Boards, Stand & Irrigation Discuss likely support available from CSPA.
QRL– Application for development assistance £2000. Post meeting note grant was not paid in 200 due to war in Iraq. QRL will re-bid with its plan in 2005 to Finance Committee.
UOTC Polo - £1500 for TPC coaching
RMAS Grant – Taken from sponsor expenses as donation to Charity minimum £10,000.
Defence Academy Polo Club Grant - £1500 for RMCS Club- Chukkas and courses at Ingelsham.
Elephant Polo - £300 paid
Sub Total £7,300+++++
TOTAL: (£ 30,300.00 +7,300.00 (TBC)= £37,300.00

Grants are given out subject to written application to the Director. Grants are dealt with on a case by case basis by the budget/grants committee - Chairman, Vice
Chairman and Director. CSPA as a policy will support recognised CSPA teams but will not contribute towards mounting a player or transport. Grants for coaching and training are well received. Scholarships are a set rate (£200) given to any player gaining experience of playing polo (preferably with coaching) overseas. This is the same rate that is given to member associations for tours as the same criteria apply. This is also found to be the most consistent and fair system.
Scholarships are only paid after the event and on receipt of a one page report/travel guide notes (when, where, how and how much etc) to be used by other players, attempting the same thing, as a reference. Also a short article with suitable pictures is required for the annual CSPA magazine, (if the article is printed then an extra £50 is available to the individual who wrote it).

Chairman & Director
12 Team selection Associations will select teams of appropriate handicap as they deem fit. The CSPA will do likewise but give preference, where possible, to those who contribute the most towards Services Polo. Chairman
13 Rundle Cup 05 Invitations to senior personnel. Field Marshal? Director to speak.
Rundle Cup teams to be nominated by 20 June 2005 latest, after which they should only be changed due to injury or duty. As RN and Army get first pick this should be easy to do. Leaving selection till the last minute has a tremendous knock on effect on the other fixtures, planning and printing programmes etc.
Akhter and BAE Systems continue to sponsor.		 Chairman/
Director
14 Admin 2005 United Services Cup to be organized by a GPC rep: to be nominated ASAP please.
BFF Charity of the Day at RMAS – post meeting note
RMAS Day by the Director.
The Director asked for concrete help organising the ‘In Tour’. Accommodation, days out, organising matches etc would be appreciated however the offer of completely organised packages over a period of time (a day) was preferable to individual serials!! The visiting US Team if all goes to plan will be very influential and hosting them well will be very important.
PQ Saddle will continue to be donated by Andrea Dorler.
CSPA magazine will expand for 2005- the Director asked for articles and ads by mid June latest and reminded everyone of the CSPA 5% introduction and 20% finders fee policy.
The Director thanked Capt Harrison for all his ‘concrete’ help with running the CSPA.		 Director
All
15 Any Other Business Insurance- you can’t have too much cover- pass it on. The issue of public liability insurance was raised, the Director agreed to look into it.
CSPA is hoping to establish a players email network – please send in addresses.
Rules on helmets, glasses and visors may change – be aware.
All ponies must under law have passports.
The Director spoke about the amount of time and love involved in getting and keeping sponsors and said that it was now a professional business. He offered to help with any attempts made. He also felt CSPA needed to be involved as it had the only thing worth selling and appealing to sponsors.
Next Meeting Wednesday 15th February 2006		 All