Merseyside Quiz Leagues

 

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MQL MEETINGS 2025-2026

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COUNCIL

Sun 10th August 2025 (online)

Sun 7th September 2025 (online)

Sun 7th December 2025 (online)

Sun 15th March 2026 (online) 

Sun 28th June 2025 (online)

AGM

Sun 12th April 2026 (online)  

All online meetings commence at 7.30 pm

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AGENDA FOR most recent/next mEETING

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minutes of most recent council meeting

Minutes of the Council meeting of the Merseyside Quiz Leagues held online on Sunday 10th August 2025 at 7.30pm

1.    In Attendance: were Bill Morris, Angela Doyle, Cliff Houghton, Angela Houghton, Colin Foster, Dag Griffiths, Derek Moody, Dave Tilley, David Hodgson, Danny Grimes, Roy Smith, Frances Mason, Jim Eccleson, Pam Baker Steve Lomas (part) and Brian Thompson.

Apologies: Bill Thomas, Paul Davitt
 
2.    Minutes of previous meeting:  These were accepted as a true record of the meeting. 

3.    Matters Arising:  The matter of the voting procedure not having been followed was raised.  The Chairman, Danny Grimes, acknowledged the issue and asked if it could be dealt with at the September meeting.  This was agreed.  Treasurer, Dag Griffiths, clarified the voting permissions and participation of the Warrington attendees.

4.    Employment Rights Bill: General Secretary, Brian Thompson, summarised with the help of information provided by Warrington Secretary, Derek Moody, the current status of the Bill and how we were aiming to respond in a proactive way.
•    The Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent September 2025
•    The section relevant to us is scheduled to become effective in October 2026
•    Employers will have to have policies in place by October 2026. So, it is reasonable to suppose that host organisations will have these policies in place prior to this date and be enforcing them
•    Once Royal Assent is given, a consultation period will be in place and any interested party can ask to be involved in this.  It is at this point that IF we have our own policies, procedures and corresponding documentation in place we can have greatest effect.
•    Not only would these demonstrate that MQL are a responsible and considerate organisation but could also provide our hosts with the documentation they need before having to do it themselves.

Danny then took the meeting through the suggested items in turn.  When challenged that the various suggestions needed to be separated, Danny said that he was happy with the way that they were presented.

Rule Changes
The following Rules should be changed
2. MQL operates a non-discriminatory policy with respect to age, gender, disability, race or nationality, ethnic origin, creed, colour, social status and sexual orientation.

Following discussion, it was agreed to use this wording 
2. MQL operates a non-discriminatory policy. This applies to all people attending MQL sanctioned events.  MQL has the right to impose appropriate sanctions on teams or individuals who contravene this rule.

and it was agreed that
50. Any published matters, including press, radio, and social media, concerning quiz teams and individual members must not contain any comment or statement capable of causing offence or embarrassment.  Questions must not be discussed on social media. MQL has the right to impose appropriate sanctions on teams or individuals who contravene these rules.
be changed to
50. Any item published by the MQL must not contain material capable of causing offence or embarrassment.  This includes Question Sets and the making of statements in any media outlets concerning teams, individual members of the MQL or any persons associated with venues used by the MQL.  Questions must not be discussed on social media.  MQL has the right to impose appropriate sanctions on teams or individuals who contravene these rules.

Additional Rules  
It was agreed that the following Rules should be added.
Conduct.  While the MQL cannot take responsibility for the conduct of persons involved at any MQL event, it has definite expectations that those persons behave in an appropriate and considerate manner and comply with the rules and regulations of the venue. 

In preparing a set for use in the MQL, it is the responsibility of a League to endeavour to ensure that the content of any question or answer is factual in nature and is not capable of causing offence or embarrassment to any member of the Leagues or any member of the public who may hear the question.

Danny explained that as these were changes and additions to MQL Rules, they needed to be adopted at an Extraordinary General Meeting. 

Changes and Additions to Guidance to Question Setters

As Danny started taking the meeting through this, a comment was made that it was too long.  It was pointed out that this Guidance needed to be there for anyone writing a set and for our hosts/venues to see as well.
 
It was to be retitled Guidance to Writers of Question Sets

To assist teams in the production of sets of questions, the following guidance is given.

Each season each team is required by Rule 10c to provide at least one set of questions and answers or a list of 70 questions and answers as directed by a League’s Secretary: a set consists of eight rounds of eight questions each round, plus a minimum of five spare questions at the end.

A writer should therefore ensure that the questions 

•    are accurate, 
Ensure that the spelling, grammar and formatting makes the quiz understandable and fit for use throughout the MQL and, if necessary, elsewhere.
•    are correct, 
Ensure that each question is phrased in such a way as to yield only one correct answer that will not become out of date and that the answer is checked against a reputable source so that it is correct.
•    have breadth, 
Ensure that the distribution of topics is such that 
o    there is not a disproportionate number of questions on one subject
o    subjects are shared evenly between the teams
o    subjects are shared evenly between the players.
•    reflect the fact that there could be up to 3 attempts at a question and so the answer should not get significantly easier, the more attempts that are made.

Once play tested and, if necessary, amended, this set is delivered to the League Secretary together with the scores and/or scoresheets. The questions are then scrutinised by a Vetting Procedure for correctness of answers and general suitability.  Among other things they will check that the set is

•    balanced 
Ensure that when played by a number of teams, the final score does not significantly favour one team.  If this balance is achieved by pairs of questions on a similar subject, then one answer should not “lead” to the answer of the other.  Pairs, if used, should be thoughtfully placed so as to not help the team asked the second question.
•    accessible
Ensure that when played by a number of teams, the aggregate score lies within an acceptable range.  This range should be between 65 and 95 using the usual scoring method.

The League Secretary then forwards the questions to a Question Distributor of the MQL for distribution to the various teams.

To facilitate the Vetting Procedure and to improve the standard of sets, the following should be read carefully and borne in mind.

1.    Set papers in good time. If left to the last minute they are often found to contain errors, and this inevitably leads to an imbalance.
2.    Produce the questions electronically, use font Calibri 11, and create each round of questions as a three column by eight row table in Microsoft Word (the template is available on the MQL website) ensuring that page breaks only occur between rounds and submit them via email.  If the set is to be distributed electronically, include a cover page so that the first questions are not immediately visible to the person opening the file.
3.    You are asked to produce a set that is balanced in its severity.  This doesn’t mean that you have to produce pairs of questions on the same topic.  Admittedly, it is possibly easier to achieve a balance this way, but with some care and thought, it is not the only way of doing it.  When it is not done well, the answer to the second question of a pair can often be predicted or worse, it is the wrong answer to the first question.
4.    Play the questions as a friendly between two comparable teams, during this exercise comments and constructive criticism should be encouraged, and the set should be amended accordingly. Remember that the order of answering changes at half-time.
5.    Questions containing YES/NO answers must not be used
6.    Avoid questions with long-winded answers. Questions with one-word answers are usually the most suitable.
7.    Do not use trick questions.
8.    Do not set questions involving mental arithmetic or spelling.
9.    Do not copy sets directly from published quiz books, or old sets.
10.    Don’t construct your sets feeling obliged to include so called ‘easy’ questions.  You are writing for a clientele who are interested in quizzes, not the general public.  (If you join a football team, they don’t give you free shots at goal just because you are a beginner!)
11.    Unless otherwise specified, any question written for use in the MQL should have a unique answer.  In the case of a proper noun that has undergone a change of name, it should be made clear which is required. 
12.    Pay close attention to the phrasing of questions to ensure that there is only one possible answer. For example, there are a number of equally correct answers to the question Where are the Karakorums? but there is only one possible answer to the question, Of which mountain range are the Karakorums a part?.  The question What is the name of the capital and largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu?  The answer has been Chennai for nearly thirty years, yet some writers will say that Madras is acceptable.  With just a little thought the alternative answer can be eliminated.  For example,
Since 1996 what has been the name of the capital and largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu?
13.    Questions requiring multi-part answers must not be set.  In questions involving the meaning of abbreviations, select one of the words as the answer.
14.    Questions involving innovations brought about by Act of Parliament need consideration, as often the Act is passed in a year before it is implemented. The question should make clear which is required.
15.    Questions involving awards also need consideration, as sometimes the award is made in the year after the achievement or production. The question should make clear which is required.
16.    Once written, assess how many of your questions could have been written 3 years ago or 10 years ago or 35 years ago!  Consider amendments if too many of them perhaps reflect your own ‘comfort zone’? (Could some of those 1980s or 1990s TV, music, film, sport questions be replaced with more modern references?)
17.    The most important question is to ask yourself “Would I enjoy playing a match on this set?” If not, then amend it. 

MQL continue to rely on the sensitivity and common sense of the writing and vetting teams.  Therefore,

•    It is advisable to avoid reference to events that involved destruction or loss of life due to criminal or unlawful activities.
•    It is appreciated that such events may become the subject of a question because what is considered to be a respectable length of time, has passed.  However, even then, they should not be phrased in a salacious manner.
•    Although wary of putting an actual figure on the time allowed before a topic is deemed usable in a quiz, living memory is suggested as a guideline.
•    If referring to accidents or “acts of God”, questions should be sensitive and not sensationalise.  
•    Political deaths and assassinations tend to become regarded quite soon as historical and as such should not cause a problem unless perhaps the event had also included the loss of innocent lives.

As part of the MQL’s responsibilities, we need to

•    demonstrate that we have taken appropriate actions at the writing stage.  
This will be covered by our Rules and Guidelines.
•    demonstrate that we have taken appropriate actions at the submission stage.  
Each League should read a set as soon as it is submitted, solely to identify any Problem Questions so that immediate feedback can be given from that League’s Committee to the writers.
•    demonstrate that we have taken appropriate actions at the vetting stage.  
Leagues should include instructions to its vetting and trial groups to be on the lookout for Problem Questions.  Again, if identified then the writers are informed.

And also
•    Persons invited to write for MQL-wide competitions should be directed to the Rules and Guidance.
•    Sets prepared for the MCC/Plate, Feeny, Rendon, Presidents Trophy, President’s Shield and Area Mimir should be submitted to setting League for checking.
•    Sets prepared for the Merseyside Mimir could be checked, if necessary, by designated members of the MQL Council.

The bottom line is that regardless of how much you might wish to ask a question about a particular fact, if you think that there is any chance that it could cause a problem, then ask a different question!

Danny gave opportunity for questions and comments and then asked if the Guidance to Writers of Question sets was acceptable and this was agreed.

Policy on Sensitivity and Discriminatory Behaviour

Danny explained that this Policy would be placed on the MQL website and, if requested, made available to the management of any venue.  

1. Purpose

This policy sets out the expectations for all members of the Merseyside Quiz Leagues (MQL) to ensure respectful and considerate interactions with fellow members and venue patrons and staff. It also provides guidance on setting quiz questions that align with our commitment to inclusivity and respect, ensuring that no one is caused offence, particularly in relation to protected characteristics.  While many of the requirements herein are also addressed in the MQL Rules and Question Writing Guidance, this Policy aims to bring focus to the League’s aims for the highest standards in terms of sensitivity and respectfulness.

Reference to any relevant legislation that appears in the future could be added here.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all members of MQL including officials, players, team captains, question setters, and any guests attending events and extends to interactions with staff and other patrons at venues where our events take place.  While MQL cannot take responsibility for the conduct of persons involved at MQL events, there is a definite expectation that those involved behave in an appropriate manner. 

3. Respect for Protected Characteristics

Members must treat others with respect, ensuring that their behaviour and quiz content do not discriminate against or cause offence based on:
•    Age
•    Disability
•    Gender
•    Pregnancy or maternity
•    Race (including ethnic origin and nationality)
•    Colour 
•    Creed
•    Social Status 
•    Sexual orientation
Questions were raised about the explicitness of this list of Protected Characteristics, but it was explained that the policy had been drafted using the format and terminology currently used in business.

4. Expected Standards of Behaviour

All members should:
•    Be mindful of language, gestures, and behaviours that may be offensive, discriminatory or cause embarrassment.
•    Show consideration for cultural, religious, and personal sensitivities.
•    Avoid jokes, comments, or actions that may be perceived as offensive, even if unintended.
•    Follow any specific inclusion or diversity guidelines set by the league or venue.
•    Respect venue policies regarding dress codes, conduct, and accessibility requirements.
•    Treat venue staff with courtesy and respect.

5.  Guidance for Quiz Question Writing

Question writers play a key role in ensuring our quiz league remains respectful and inclusive. All quiz questions should follow the guidance set out in the Guidance to Writers of Question Sets and in particular:
•    Avoid stereotypes, slurs, or derogatory references related to any protected characteristic.
•    Be sensitive to topics that could be upsetting or offensive, such as historical injustices, violence, or discrimination.
•    Represent a diverse range of knowledge and perspectives, avoiding bias in subject matter.
•    Be reviewed with an awareness of how they might be perceived by different audiences.
•    Prior to submission to their League Secretary, be checked by team captains to ensure compliance with this policy.
If a question is found to be inappropriate, it may be withdrawn or reworded at the discretion of the league organisers.

6.  Addressing Concerns and Complaints

If when playing an officially sanctioned MQL quiz, if any team or individual considers a question to have the potential to cause offence, then they should notify, preferably by e-mail, at the earliest opportunity their League Secretary. The League Secretary, will then consider the matter and if in agreement, will forward it to the MQL General Secretary, for onward notification to the relevant League Secretary.  The MQL General Secretary will maintain a list of such questions for general circulation to all League Secretaries for information and advice.

If a member feels that they have been subjected to or witnessed inappropriate behaviour or offensive quiz content, they should:
•    Where appropriate, address the issue constructively with the individual involved.
•    Report concerns to the league committee or designated representative.
•    Respect the confidentiality of all parties involved in any complaint process.

7.  Consequences of Policy Breaches

MQL has the right to apply appropriate sanction to any team or individual who fail to adhere to this policy which may include
•    A verbal or written warning.
•    Removal or rewording of offensive quiz content.
•    Substitution of the set
•    Temporary or permanent suspension from the league.

8.  Commitment to Ongoing Awareness

MQL will periodically review this policy and provide guidance or training to members on respectful and inclusive conduct, particularly in relation to quiz content.  MQL are a not-for-profit organisation run by willing volunteers to provide a leisure activity.  We strive for best efforts but rely upon our members to uphold these standards to the best of their ability.

By participating in MQL, all members agree to uphold these principles to ensure a respectful and welcoming environment for all.

After a short discussion it was pointed out that while players will not be reminded of the Policy in every match, it is nonetheless there on the website, and all players agree to abide by its terms.  Danny got the agreement of the meeting that the Policy be adopted.

If a team is challenged by their venue

The following statement would be issued to every MQL team.  They are to use it if they are requested by their venue to provide evidence of any Policies or Rules relating to the Bill.

Should a team be asked by a host venue about how quizzes are produced or is asked to agree in writing with their Policies regarding Sensitivity and Discriminatory Behaviour
•    they should not comment 
•    direct the host to the MQL website
•    say that a representative of the MQL would contact them at the earliest opportunity. 
The League Secretary should be notified of the requests and should then forward it immediately to the MQL General Secretary.

Question Sets for Friendly Matches

Having gone to great trouble to ensure that newly created sets are written with care and with attention to the above Rules, Guidance and Policy, we should apply the same requirements to any sets used for Friendly matches.  The following proposals were made

•    All existing downloadable sets should be removed from our website.
•    They will be replaced by two sets that have been ‘approved’, and which will be made available for use across your League each week of each season.
•    Do not use old, printed sets unless they have been ‘approved’.

How this Friendly distribution system would work.
We need two sets of questions for each week of the season for use in Friendlies.  One for Monday games and one for Tuesday games.  Therefore
•    Before the season begins, each League selects and ‘approves’ 12 suitable sets at the start of the season.  These can be old MQL sets written by your League or sets from other Leagues.
•    This would make a total of 60 sets that would be approved for use.
•    These sets are then made available each week by a League official to their own League.  Preferably by download and password protection, but in the interim, arrangements can be made to include the Friendly set in with the main question envelope.

As time goes on and with the help of other members of the Leagues, more sets can be ‘approved’ and made available for use.

However, if this centralised Friendly Distribution is established, then it would be an ideal opportunity for a League to send out their sets to be tried out.  A system already in use in Warrington.

How to ‘Approve’ a set for use.
•    The set should be read thoroughly by at least two members of the League.
•    All aspects of the documents Guidance to the Writers of Question Sets and Policy on Sensitivity and Discriminatory Behaviour should be applied to the set.
•    In the judgement of either/any of the scrutinisers, any question that fails to meet the standards laid down in those documents must be amended or replaced.
•    If it is not possible to edit the set, then the set cannot be approved.
•    An approved set must carry the name of an officer of the scrutinising League and the date when the check was made.

A lengthy discussion followed, during which these points were made

The suggestions are too prescriptive and many were unhappy about what is being proposed.

A suggestion was made that any set that was to be used as a friendly could be read and checked by the person who was to read it prior to the evening.
If the person reading came across a problem question, then they would simply not use it and replace it with a spare.
This would put a great deal of responsibility on the reader and what would happen if the reader was quite inexperienced

The set being used as a friendly will have been initially vetted and also played before and so effectively checked twice.  It would also carry a date that would clearly pre-date the new rules and regulations being introduced this year.
It is still possible for problem questions to get through

All sets could carry a disclaimer explaining that questions within the set may contain references to topics that might, by today's standards, be regarded as problematic.
Such a disclaimer would not be regarded as compliance by our hosts 

We don’t have the personnel to be able to take down every set on our websites, check it and to reupload.
Sets are a positive advert for the League

Once the main quiz match is over, the content of the friendly is not the concern nor the responsibility of the MQL.
If a group arrives to play a quiz match, hosts will not discriminate between the main match and the friendly

On more than one occasion Danny went to great lengths to explain that this was not being suggested for anything other than the preservation and continuation of the quiz league.

The general opinion was that the suggestions were not acceptable.  It was proposed that this particular issue be taken back to the teams.  The meeting agreed that the group (Danny, Cliff, Derek and Brian) plus any other interested persons should meet to compose a series of points for teams to discuss.  This would also put the issue of Friendly sets in context.  This was to be circulated to all teams for their opening League games, and a response would be expected by 1 October.

Danny thanked everyone for their contribution.  The meeting closed at 8.55pm 

Next Council meeting:      Sunday 7 September 2025 at 7.30pm online 
 

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minutes of most recent AGM

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Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Merseyside Quiz Leagues held online on Sunday 13th April 2025 (commenced at 7.30pm)

Attendees:  Bill Morris, Dave Tilley, Colin Foster, Cliff Houghton, Angela Doyle, Derek Moody, Bill Thomas, David Hodgson, Dag Griffiths, Frances Mason, Jim Eccleson, Angela Houghton, Danny Grimes, Paul Davitt, Steve Lomas, Pam Baker, Roy Smith and Brian Thompson, representing fifteen teams and all five areas.

1. Apologies for absence.  None received.

2. The minutes of the previous AGM.  The minutes, having been circulated to all teams, were accepted as a true and fair record of the meeting.

3. Matters Arising.  There were no matters arising not covered by the Agenda.

4. Chairman’s Report.  Chairman, Danny Grimes, asked for a moment’s silence for the following members and associates of the MQL who had passed away in the last year.

Liverpool   Dave Cotson  Nick Mills 

Southport & Formby    Ian Wainwright Steve Wilson David Wright 

Warrington    Dave Goosey Brian Repton Liz Smith

Wirral    Mike Dunn

He began by congratulating Alan Gibbs of Ringers who reached the 2024 BBC Radio Four’s Brain of Britain Final and of course to Sarah Trevarthen also of Ringers, who recently became 2025 Counterpoint champion.
He then reported that he had attended and officiated in various knockout competitions, officiated at the Buzzer Tournament and played in President's Shield matches.  He had participated in numerous policy development sessions, specifically on Disciplinary Action and on the Employment Rights Bill, both of which will need re-visiting in the future.
In the absence of an official Publicity Officer, Danny had initiated a few ideas in order to boost the profile of the MQL.  These included the use of Community Noticeboards and Community Social Media in his neighbourhood in South Liverpool and a successful revival of an annual Charity Table Quiz which raised £900.  He reiterated his comments made previously that good publicity is important if we are to maintain the MQL and that all positive ideas for recruitment and retention would be welcomed.  He urged members of all constituent leagues to do whatever they could to encourage participation in team quizzing.  He added that we may be of interest to other organisations such as WI, Probus and U3A.  We would be happy to present a quiz and explain how the Leagues work to any such groups should anyone have links with them.  Danny finished by thanking all officers and members of the Council for their commitment and hard work throughout the season.

5. General Secretary’s Report.  General Secretary, Brian Thompson, reported that since last year’s AGM we completed the 2024 Feeny and Rendon Cup Competitions.  The finals night was held at Aigburth Peoples Hall in Liverpool where Turks Head Saints defeated Exiles to win the Rendon in a very close final.  Ringers defeated Cricketers to win the Feeny Cup.  In May, the 2024 Finals and Presentation Evening was held in the pleasant surroundings of Winmarleigh House in Warrington.  Aigburth People narrowly defeated Fisherman’s Rest to retain the MCC Plate.  There was a new name on the Mimir Trophy for the first time in twelve years as Colin Foster overcame Angela Doyle, John Wilson and holder Dag Griffiths to win the individual championship. In another close final Oxton defeated Ringers to win the Challenge Cup trophy for the second time in their history.  Thanks to the Derek Moody and the Warrington League for hosting the event.
As we moved into the 2024-25 season a number of Leagues had sadly lost teams and we started in September with 81 teams.  A few weeks in we held the fifth Jubilee Pairs Competition, hosted once again at the Prescot Cables FC Club.  30 players took part with Dag Griffiths (S&F) & Lee Whitehead (Orm) winning a very closely contested Final with Graham Barker (Liv) & Alan Thompson (Orm) and Angela Doyle (Liv) & David Hodgson (Orm).  The Plate was won by Bill Gerard for a second successive year, this time partnered by Tony Gannon.  Thank you to Ormskirk and Mike Flaherty for organising the venue.
Once again, the Challenge Cup suffered from lack of support.  There were initially 12 entrants, but 2 withdrawals after the first set of matches meant a reorganisation of the remaining 10 teams.  That put 8 teams into the Cup and 2 in the Plate and so it is uncertain if the Plate will be awarded this season.  The Final will be between Ringers and Cricketers.  Again, many thanks to Bill Thomas for his administration and although he will be stepping down next season, it does mean that his team will be joining the MCC! 
Thank you to Cliff and Frances for their continued hard work in distributing questions.  With reliability and sustainability now being factors in addition to cost, we continue on our path towards electronic distribution 
The 6th Jubilee Buzzer Tournament took place at the Parade Hoylake in February and once again attracted twenty-five teams from all over the country including five from Merseyside.  Many thanks to members of the MQL who read and scored on the day.  The winners were a team called The Jeneva Convention and the Plate was won by Warrington Vikings (Sarah Trevarthen Colin Foster Alan Gibbs Jamie Hall and Derek Moody) with Derbyshire winning the Bowl.  Thanks to Tournament Organiser, Jon Stitcher and Question Coordinator and Editor, Dan Lawson for their enormous hard work in bringing the event together.  Brian reiterated Dag’s comments at the last Council Meeting that as each year goes by there is less and less involvement of MQL in the writing of questions for this Tournament, the 8-person question writing team now comprises only three regular MQL players.   More involvement would be very welcome, please get in touch if you can help.
The 2024-25 season’s two President’s competitions were both won by Ormskirk.  They won the Trophy by a comfortable margin, but the Shield went down to a very close finish with the outcomes not being resolved until the last set of matches.  The Trophy continued online while the Shield was played face to face.  Again, thanks to Dag for providing half the Shield sets and for running the Trophy competition.  
The 2025 Merseyside Heats of the Mimir competition were held at New Brighton Cricket Club where we were made most welcome as usual.  Thanks again to Jim Eccleson and to Rod Watkins for their organisation.   In a close competition on the night Jim Eccleson, Pat Gibson, John Hall and Ray Oakes reached the Final that will be played next month.  
In an attempt to attract more participation, the 2025 Feeny and Rendon Cup Competitions have been conducted allowing some flexibility in when the matches could be played.  This was sadly to no avail as only 7 teams took part in the Feeny and 5 in the Rendon.  The Feeny SF are being played tomorrow and the Final at the Presentation Evening.  The Rendon Cup will be played to a conclusion tomorrow at Aigburth Peoples Hall.
The 2025 Finals and Presentation Evening will be held on 14th May at the Formby Cricket Club.  Many thanks to S&F and Bill Morris for arranging this for us.
Away from Merseyside, MQL were only able to field a partial team in the Don Bissett Cup at the QLL Open Festival last June and were defeated in the opening round.  All being well we will be providing a full team for this year’s event on 21 June.  In September, Pat Gibson once again retained his title as British Quizzing Champion and finished fifth out of nearly 1900 players in the World Quizzing Championships last June.  Recently Pat also won the Ormskirk Mimir for the 11th time!
As Danny mentioned, a small group met to formulate the structure of a Disciplinary Panel.  This is currently being considered by the five Leagues.    It will then hopefully be adopted and be in place should it ever be needed to support the individual Leagues.  Again, as previously mentioned, also under consideration is the Leagues’ response to the proposed Employment Rights Bill which is working its way through Parliament.  Should this Bill be ratified, the MQL would not be directly subject to its Regulations, however it is important that we can show to the management and to those with control of our venues that as far as they are concerned Quiz Leaguing is a low-risk activity and that we are a responsible and considerate organisation. 
Both of these matters are being brought to the next Council Meeting in June.
As usual I would like to thank fellow officers and council members for their work and support and in particular to Dag Griffiths who has now been MQL Treasurer for 30 years. 

6. Treasurer’s Report.  Treasurer, Dag Griffiths, presented the balance sheet and pointed out this was the last year that MQL would be paying for sets to be typed, these costs would in future be borne by the individual Leagues.  One or two claims had yet to be made, and these would be included in next year’s account.  The Buzzer Tournament made a profit of about £112 which countered the loss of £45 the previous year.  No charge was made for the use of New Brighton CC for which we were grateful. A major order of envelopes was about to be made and so Dag asked Secretaries to let him know their requirements.  The balance of the account being healthy, Dag proposed no change to the £30 annual subscription.  This was seconded by Brian Thompson and carried nem com.

Auditors (appointed):     David Hodgson.

7. Assistant General Secretary’s Report.  Assistant General Secretary, Cliff Houghton, reported that thanks to early posting to counter the effects of reduced reliability, the majority of sets had arrived on time although one or two areas are being affected more than others.  He thanked fellow distributor Frances Mason for her hard work and also Derek Moody for assisting when Cliff had been absent earlier in the year.

8. Election of Officers.  President, Jim Eccleson, took the chair for the election of the officers.  All officers had expressed a wish to continue in their roles and with no other nominations having been received Jim proposed that the Officers be re-appointed en bloc. This was seconded and carried nem con. 

The three-year terms of 7 of the current Vice Presidents needed renewing.  Namely
Brian Cunningham     Peter Deakin     Dag Griffiths    Cliff Houghton 
Ray Oakes        Bill Thomas    John Wilson
Danny proposed that they all be reappointed.  This was seconded by Paul Davitt and carried nem com.

Therefore, the current (April 2025) Council comprises the following Elected and Ex Officio members:

Chairman:             Danny Grimes        
Deputy Chairman:         Cliff Houghton    
General Secretary:         Brian Thompson    
Treasurer:             Dag Griffiths            
Deputy General Secretary:     Cliff Houghton     

Ex officio members are:
President:            Jim Eccleson
Question Distributor:        Cliff Houghton
Question Distributor:        Frances Mason

The Council has 24 voting members (although currently reduced to 21 due to a person being unable to vote twice)

9. Proposals.  
There were no further proposals

The date for the 2026 AGM is Sunday 12th April.  

The Chairman thanked everyone for their attendance.  The meeting closed at 7.54pm

For consideration, the dates for the four required Council Meetings for the 2025-26 season are:
Sunday 07 September 2025
Sunday 07 December 2025
Sunday 15 March 2026 (suggested change to put four weeks between it and the AGM)
Sunday 28 June 2026