FIRST - CHECK OUT THESE SLIDES - THEY DESCRIBE US WELL
We Are
THE GENTLEMENS ALE SAMPLING SOCIETY
MEETINGS - 2023-24
To see what MEETINGS ARE COMING UP, scroll down on this page.
To see what we did in previous meetings click 'PAST MINUTES and MEETINGS' on the button below.
THE NEXT MEETINGS.....
UPGRADED MEETING CALENDAR
To improve the calendar (which was randomly selected anyway) I have upgraded Owen at Christmas
to Awayday. Changed more of the awayday/entertainment meetings to summer,
and hopefully made a better balance. The changes are in blue.
OCTOBER - DINNER AT BABASHEESH MAIDSTONE = ANDY/OLLIE 800 (pub -0)
NOVEMBER -PUB DINNER AT THE ROSE AND CROWN = GARY/PHIL C 800 (pub -0)
GASS LUNCH - SKY GARDEN AND BOB BOB RICARD IN THE CITY
DECEMBER - BURLESQUE AT PROUD CITY XMAS DINNER = OWEN/KEITH 1200 (awayday -0)
JANUARY - HUGH/STUART (entertainment 1000)
FEBRUARY - WAYNE/LEN (pub 800)
MARCH - TONY/PETE (pub 800)
APRIL - RON/RAY (awayday 1200)
MAY - GRAHAM/PHIL (entertainment 1000)
JUNE - IAN/JOHN (entertainment 1000)
JULY - BRIAN/STEVE (awayday 1200)
AUGUST - NICK/CHRIS (entertainment 1000)
SEPTEMBER - AGM
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
JANUARY
MEETING PROGRAMME - 2024
THE NEW WAY OF ORGANISING MEETINGS
This year sees a departure from the normal meetings organisation where one poor bastard
is lumbered with the lot. As unanimously agreed at the AGM we split into pairs and arrange a meeting each, 22 members, 11 pairs, 11 meetings. You have your budget and if you go over, deliberately or accidentally, the members simply cough up. If it is deliberate and planned then the members pay a pre-agreed surcharge or, if its your fuck up on the night, members chuck into a kitty to cover the overspend.
Annual Budget: £40 per head per month. 22 members = £10,560
In the words of Ron Price - the £40 is the cost of membership - not the cost of the meeting
Entertainment, Food, Beers, House Wines & Spirits go on the bill - anything else members buy themselves.
If a meeting is expected to be expensive then a surcharge will be announced
prior to the meeting by email and whatsapp.
If you don't want to pay the surcharge then don't attend the meeting.
PAY £40 - EXPECT £40
FACTS AND FIGURES
IT'S JUST A MEETING
It's not rocket science. It's just a meeting. You are all entrepreneurs, put your mind to it!
There is a list of 100's of past meetings on the website, pick one to do again.
If you want help just ask. A list of ideas is below.
£40 MEMBERSHIP FEE
£40 is fine as the monthly fee. The absolute proof is in the last three years meeting costs.
Scroll down - I have priced every meeting over the past three years -, they all work out
(with the obvious exceptions where we agreed to spend our Covid bonus)
The exact figures are that 2023 sees a £140 overspend, 2022 saw a £320 underspend
and 2021 saw a £768 overspend. That is an overspend of £588 over 33 meetings!!
£17.80 a meeting. I don't give a tuppenny fuck what the fees are.
But I do care about losing members - £40 works just fine as a membership fee.
If it also covers the meeting then excellent - but expect to pay a bit extra.
That way the members who attend pay that bit extra - those that miss the meeting don't.
WE DON'T NEED A THREE COURSE EVERY MEETING
When planning your meeting do consider that we need some meetings that are not full sit downs.
Consider a buffets or barbecue or a catering wagon, where we can stand and chat,
rather than being confined to a table.
We Are Occasional
SCOTSMEN
ABOUT GASS
The Gentleman's Ale Sampling Society was formed in 1982 and started life as 20 blokes getting together on the first Tuesday of every month to have a beer and invest a little money on the stockmarket. Invest being a relative term, maybe just 'lose' money on the stockmarket might be a better description. After one share crash or another the point of GASS changed to become simply a good excuse for the guys to do something different every month, as long as it was fun and as long as it also involved beer and food.
Having been doing it now for 41 years we must be doing something right. This website is for our members. It tells us what we are doing next and it reminds us of what we did last month and the months before. This is a new site started in 2018. If you want to see the old site go to www.gass.org.uk for some real history. That site goes back to 2006.
GASS MEMBERS OVER THE YEARS
1982-2023
Names in Brown = The Current Members
Names in White = Members who have left GASS but shown in the year they originally joined
THE GASS ROLE OF HONOUR
1982 - Nick Jenkins, John Brice, Brian Henslow, Chris Spree, Steve Bell
EX: Philip Henslow (RIP), Paul Trumper, Mike Hollis, Peter Dyke, Mike Dakers (RIP), Don Harris (RIP), George Pixley
1983 - Tony Mankelow
EX: Steve Bishop, Mike Tester, Mike Saffery (RIP), John Jenson, Colin Smith,
Peter Lock (RIP), Ollie Else, Roy Heath, Tony Wimble
1985 - Peter Farrer, Hew Edeludalooo (don't ask)
EX: Mike Wade, Dave Dicketts, Phil Grey, Martyn Calder, Ray Dennis, Harry Wood
1987 - EX: Pat Harnady
1988 - Derek Murphy
EX: Murry Evans,
1989 - Phil Cockerton
1990 - EX: Mike Collins, Mike Slack (RIP)
1991 - Len Smith
EX: Danny Revell, Jeff Wilding, John Terry, Barry Coughlan
1993 - Ray Guttridge
EX: Graham Carr, Tom Ryan (RIP)
1994 - EX: Roger Wootten, Spike Simmonds, Mike Edwards
1995 - EX: Paul Rutherford
1996 - Stuart Gilbert
1997 - EX: Keith Angus, John Worely, Alex Thompson, Mike Slator
1998 - Andrew Smith
1999 - Gary Easdown
2000 - Phil Ralph
EX: John Hooper
2001 - EX: Simon Stroud
2006 - Keith Evans, Ian Westlake
2007 - Ron Price
2012 - Graham Bridgewater
EX: Alan Ranger, Neil Rogers
2014 - Owen Brunning
2015 - Wayne Rodriguez
2016 - EX: Steve Riches (again, joined 1983 and 2006) EX: Don Pilcher RIP (joined 1986)
2019 - Steve Riches (back again)
2019 - Ollie Else (back again)
2022 - Ex Steve Riches (again) EX: Derek Murphy (again)
22 members - 12 from 30 years ago - 47 ex-members (incl 8 sadly RIP)
Not bad for 41 years!
Annual General Meetings
Held every September since 1994
1994 - Dublin - Ireland, 1995 - Brussels - Belgium, 1996 - Prague - Czech Republic, 1997 - Budapest - Hungary,
1998 - Krakow - Poland, 1999 - Lisbon - Portugal, 2000 - Athens - Greece, 2001 - Tallinn - Estonia,
2002 - Puerto Banus - Spain, 2003 - Madrid - Spain, 2004 - Dubrovnik - Croatia,
2005 - Riga - Latvia, 2006 - Lubijana -Slovenia, 2007 - Palma - Majorca 2008 - Brno - Slovakia
2009 Bodrum - Turkey, 2010 Butlins Bognor Regis - England, 2011 - Varna - Bulgaria
2012 - OUR THIRTIETH - IBIZA, 2013 - Vilamoura - Portugal, 2014 - Los Cristianos - Tenerife,
2015 - Benidorm - Spain, 2016 - Vilnius - Lithuania, 2017 - Puerto Banus, Spain, 2018 - Ibiza,
2019 - Palma Majorca. 2020 - Bloody COVID 19 so in the garden in Kent.
2021 - Pontins Lowestoft (still Covid) 2022 - Seville 2023 - Barcelona
Tuesday Meetings
Drinking Games, Yard of Ale, Country Music Singer, Red Nose Day, Bat & Trap, Black Tie Dinner, Indoor Cricket,
Pancake Tossing,Sponge Ball Throwing, Guess The Logo Competition, Go Karts, Games Evening, Investment Dinner,
Poker Competition, Conker Fight, Greyhound Racing, JCB Racing, Brighton Casino, Clay Pigeon Shoot, Skittle Alley,
Gentleman's Evening (Strippers!), Laser Quest, Bar Fly, Quad Riding, Croquet Match, Shadow Poker, Boule Competition,
Chiselhurst Caves, Trout Fishing, Casper's Telephone Bar, Spoof Night, RE Museum, Blackjack Evening, Arm Wrestling,
Radio Controlled Cars, Rodeo Riding, Ten Pin Bowling, Fireworks Display, Brag Cards Evening, Magic Display,
Flagship Brewery Visit, Archery, Blow Water Polo, Visit Radio Caroline, Great Stour Brewery, Clairvoyant,
Kent Police Museum, Tower Keys Ceremony, Dine in the Dark, Circus School, Champagne Tasting,
Pub Theatre, Land-shuttle, Jet Skiing, Photography Contest, Secret Santa, Kite Flying, River Cruise, Climbing Wall,
Bouncy Football, Blindfold Driving, Throw-Up Golf, F1 Grand Prix, Giant Jenga, Origami, Cartoonist, Pumping Station Visit,
Quick Draw Competition, London Eye, Snail Racing, Ski Slope, Gladiators, Indoor Bowling, Pizza Making, Butchery Skills,
Golf Cross, Mash Potato Wrestling, Ghost Hunt, Cross Country Car Race, Go Ape, Flat Green Bowls, Cabaret Club,
Rifle Range, Trout Fishing, Land Rover Racing, Scooter Racing, Clown Face Painting, Home Made Beer Tasting,
Haunted Pub Tour, Open Topped Bus Tour, Birds of Prey, Paddle Steamer Trip, Rent-A-Crowd, Hard Rock Casino,
Quiz Night, Sittingbourne Light Railway, Auto-test, Backgammon Competition, Palmistry, HMS Belfast, Snow Park,
Calendar Boys, Football Match, Tarot Card Reading, Speedway Racing, Military Vehicles, Paintball, Metal Detecting,
Sailing, Karaoke, Burns Night, Texas Hold-em, Anne Summers Party, Stock Car Racing, Digger Wars, Ice Bar,
Arkwright's Revenge, Airsoft Gunfight, Craps, Jousting, Bay-blast, Beer Crate Piling, Rugby Sing-Song, Maggot racing
Stuffed Horse Racing, Comedy Club, Caveau de Sabrage, Thames Boat Racing, Banger Racing, 20/20 Cricket Match,
Laughter Training, Scrap Heap Challenge, Zorbing, Children's Birthday Party, Flight Simulator, Bingo, Wine Tasting,
Hand Bell Ringing, Fire Walking, Sword Fighting, Helicopter Flying, Sikh Temple Visit, Choclatier Demonstration,
Male Voice Choir, Flower Arranging, Military Band, Humvee Driving, Boat Race, Hot Air Ballooning,
Segway Riding, Pop-Up Restaurant, Pedibus Ride, Cook-Your-Own Indian, Close-up Magic, F1 Simulator,
Kick Boxing, Open Mic Night, Lightship Visit, Gass Olympics, Arctic Explorer Talk, Portrait Photographs
Up at the 02, Walking on Broken Glass, Miniature Railway ride, Gillingham F.C Match, Tanks Museum,
Windsurfing, Pugil Sticks, HMS Belfast, The Tower of London Keys Ceremony, Wig & Pen Club, Falconry,
Ice Skating, Pottery Wheel, Olympic Bobsleigh, Morris Dancing, Punting on the Cam, Body Flying, Horse Racing,
Sumo Wrestling, Tobogganing, Paddle Steamer, Table Football, Wii Competition, Pig Racing, Yachting, Stick Fighting,
Walking on Broken Glass, Scottish Country Dancing, Knife Throwing, Bouncy Boxing, Bull Whip Cracking, Dominatrix Lessons, White Water Rafting,Visit the Shard, Axe Throwing, Japanese War Drumming, Dance the Haka, Rum Tasting, Pantomime, Nude Art Class,Church Bell Ringing, Quarry Visit, Drive Tesla Cars, Line Dancing, Penny Farthing Riding, Samurai Swords, Punch & Judy Show,Close Up Magic Dinner, Kayaking on the Thames, Greek Dancing,
Zoom Virtual Meeting (Coronovirus), Jedi Warrier Training, Dodgems and Skidwheels, Prison Island, Caricatures,
Axe Throwing, Petanque, Spitfire Restoration, Cocktail Masterclass, Electric Go Karts, Hand Casting, Trial Cars,
Christmas Turkey Shoot, Longest Zip Wire riding ......
.......to mention just a few !!!!
Plus loads of quality dinners, black tie events, guest speakers....
And loads and loads of simple pub nights where we just meet and chat.
And all that for forty quid a month - beer, food and entertainment - how do we do it??
CONTACT US
Email : mail@gass.org.uk
Brian Henslow, The Coach House, Stede Court Estate, Harrietsham, Kent ME17 1NR
Historical website : 2006 -2017 - www.gass.org.uk