Hi Everyone
We have a busy month ahead of us in the office with preparation for the AGM. The auditors have just completed their physical audit so have now gone back to the office to put their report together. While we wait for that to come back we will be concentrating on getting the Executive nominations; candidate profiles are on display so that you can all find out a little bit about the people you will be voting to stand on the committee this year. We haven’t had any candidates yet and with only 10 days until nominations close the urgency is on for you to get some names on the board.
If you haven’t been down to the Club in a while come on down this Friday and Saturday. Friday’s Jackpot is a respectable $3,300 and we still have Whitebait on the menu at $19.90 for a ¼ pound omelette with salad & fries. YUM!! Theres entertainment on both nights with the Country Music Club taking to the stage on both evenings for a themed weekend. Halloween and Hoedowns are happening - Friday evening is the Halloween party in the main bar and Saturday evening is the Hoedown in the Sports Hall; a $5 cover charge applies to Saturday evening and I can guarantee the entertainment will be top notch. Prefer to watch the All Blacks vs America on the big screen? How about coming in for a nice $10 cooked breakfast?? Available from 9am in the Club Café.
Melbourne Cup day is going to be another great day to join in the fun and festivities at the Club. Come along and be part of the afternoon. TAB will be open early.
Once again the bush telegraph has been rampant with reports of the Club and the outcome from the meeting. It doesn’t seem to matter how we put it, what gets put around is never what came out of the correct end of the horse so to speak! I have included my update from last week again in case any of you missed it. If this raises any questions or you are still unsure how to interpret this then please feel free to contact me at the Club. I am happy to explain it to you.
Very soon I will be commencing another membership drive in an attempt to bring new members to the Club again and hopefully some of the lapsed ones back before they get struck off. We need the revenue from subscriptions so we will be offering a deal for new members to join. There won’t be a deal for the lapsed un-financial members as they have still had access and the right to use the Club for the last three months. If you are able to assist the Club recover its membership by helping to sign up new members or bringing back un-financial ones you will be helping to save your Club. Remember!! If we want to avoid a levy being imposed then every member needs to support the Club by encouraging new people to join, and using the venue on a regular basis. Remember what Dave Taylor said at the EGM.
Two un-financial members have decided to drink at another venue not far from here rather than stay and support the Club. After calculating the difference in bar prices it works out that the two gentlemen will pay approximately $600 per year more each to drink the same at the other venue as they would here at the Club. I gather it’s a principal thing for these guys who said they couldn’t afford the increase in Sub. They would rather part with $600 each than help save the Club and only part with $100 each.
Make this Club your preferred entertainment and dining venue. Support it and it will survive. Don’t and it won’t.
Update from the special meeting.
It was attended by 388 members. The following agenda items were voted on by those present and the outcomes were.
- Imposition of a $100 pa levy to reduce mortgage debt on members who do not choose to loan or donate was voted and accepted by members if imposed by the Club.
- Addition of the 6 membership classes to define members as loan or donation members was voted and accepted by members.
- Addition to Rule (7) Members whose agreed loans or imposed levies remain unpaid 90 days after due date could be struck off the membership register was voted on and approved by members. Note. This rule already exists for all current membership classes.
- RSA members to be exempt from having to pay the $5 subscription increase for their due subs renewals was voted against and the RSA members fees will increase by $5 this year
- RSA members to be exempt from having a $100 pa levy imposed on those who do not choose to become a donation or loan member was voted in favour of and the RSA members will not be requested to pay the levy if imposed by the club. RSA members who can, will gladly support the club and offer donations or loans to assist with the Clubs debt reduction.
- The Clubs Treasurer Ross Strawbridge and Club President Jim Reeves announced their resignations from executive effective from our AGM.
Where to from here? The key thing to take from this is; if the Club gets the level of members support annually that it requires to manage its debt reduction at the necessary level, then the imposition of a levy would not be required. The club needs members to donate or loan funds to assist with debt reduction on an annual basis. If the Club reaches the annual target required from fund raising and donations, the imposition of a levy for that year would not be required.
The Club needs to see a return to higher membership and visitations from members and outside function bookings. It also needs to entice the two thousand remaining lapsed members back as soon as possible. Joining it and using it regularly and supporting it will deliver the outcome that we desperately require. We have the best facilities in the region and I have said it all along, this is a use it or lose it situation. The message presented to you all at the meeting was very clear. Without members support the club will not continue to operate in the foreseeable future. The rapid decline in membership after the meeting in July has resulted in a further erosion in revenue across the key trading areas. This is simply not sustainable and I cannot continue with managing the clubs operating cost and fixed costs at this level. This should not have been a surprise to any of you. There are two thousand plus members who have not yet renewed their membership. Most of these people know they have until November to renew and have sat on the fence waiting to see if they will have to pay an additional $100 per year or not. These people will be sent an update and a letter requesting their continued support of the club.
There will be un-financial members still subscribed to this newsletter so if you are reading this update and want to discuss your membership with me I urge you to ring and talk to me or come along and see me. Your membership is valued as is your support of the Club in any form. Please save the club the postage cost and get in touch. I really want to hear from you!!
The key thing to remember is. A club is owned by its members and managed by a governing body. If as a member you are unhappy with the governance and management of your asset, it is in the best interest of all invested members that you collectively act to deal with the issues. By choosing to walk away and not support means the remaining members are left to carry on and become burdened with increases in prices to offset the decline. This course of action will kill the Club and Nelson will lose another key community asset that will never be replaced.
AGM. The club’s 44th annual AGM is to be held at 10am on Sunday November 23rd 2014
2014 -2015 Executive Nominations.
Nomination forms are in the entrance to the bar for you all to collect. Nominations for the following positions will be accepted up until 6pm Friday 7th November.
Patron – President – Vice President & Six Committee Members.
Enjoy the week
Regards Rob