AGM Summary and New Committee

[James Gavshon]

Hi Everyone

I would like to thank all those members who took the time to join us at our AGM last Tuesday and to those who provided a proxy form in their absence, we had sufficient numbers to achieve quorum and vote in a new committee. I thought it would be a good idea to circulate a summary of the meeting for those that were unable to make it and to introduce the committee for the coming year. It’s a bit of a long one so bear with me.

Over the past twelve months we have made several significant changes to the club which we believe will help the club to continue to provide its members with exciting dive opportunities. A brief summary of some of these is provided below.

• Sale of Tantabiddi and the purchase of Chromodoris. Although the change in vessel has reduced the number of divers we are able to accommodate, we have gained the ability to tow and launch the vessel with a standard 4WD. This will allow us to take the boat away on trips without the restrictions associated with towing an oversize load and make shorter trips away more viable. The change in boat also means that our skippers are still working on configurations and how best to run our trips.
  
• Relocation of our boat from Fremantle Sailing Club to Cockburn Pleasure Boat Facility and launching from the Woodman Point Boat Ramp. Due to a change in circumstances at FSC we were forced to seek alternative accommodations and after much searching we settled on our current digs. Unfortunately this has resulted in increased costs but it was considered the most viable of options.
  
• Development of a whole new website. Although the current website has served us well, it was time to reinvigorate and refresh our online presence. We have also taken the opportunity to increase the functionality by making bookings, online payments and confirmations a much easier process. There have also been a number of upgrades on the backend to allow us to move our membership database online which will not only help with membership management, but allow us to incorporate more features down the line.
  

From a financial perspective, we have made a large investment in a new vessel as well as a number of maintenance and rollover costs that have impacted our bottom line. This has been further accentuated by a decline in membership numbers, the need to carry insurance on two boats for a period of time and less day trips over the course of the year. The result of this is a significant net loss over the past 12 months. However, we remain in a strong position with enough money in the bank to cover our running costs, finalise the purchase of a new vehicle and continue to build the club. That being said, we will be looking for opportunities to further strengthen this position and ensure a sustainable financial future for the club.

As I alluded to, we have had a noticeable decrease in the number of members in comparison to previous years. We are not alone in this with several other clubs indicating that they two have noted a downturn in membership sign ups and several dive operators experiencing a waning in the dive industry. We recognise that this has a direct impact on our financial position and our ability to provide services to our members and it will therefore be a focus for the coming year.

So to wrap up the review, I would like to thank all those that have given their time and effort to keep the club running over the past twelve months. It hasn’t all been easy but your valuable contribution is much appreciated and without it this would all grind to a standstill.

Now to look to the coming year. First of all I have the pleasure of introducing the new committee for 2016 and I’m sure you will notice that there are a number of familiar faces.

Role	Member
President	James Gavshon
Vice President	Alistair Cook
Treasurer	Blair McCallum
Secretary	Timothy Ellis
Student Representative	Andres Gonzales
Trip Coordinator	Sarah Hennigan
Membership Officer	Bryon Begovich
Trip & Social Coordinator	Stuart Parsons
Large Equipment Officers	Nik Johnson and Iain Keen
Small Equipment Officer	Phill Lau

 

Together we will take on the challenges with keeping the club running smoothly and closing out the remaining items that need to be addressed. We touched on several of these at the AGM and I have provided a brief summary below.

• Deployment of the new website. We are in the final phase of development and look forward to rolling out the new page soon. Stay tuned!
  
• Purchase of a 4WD capable of towing the boat. This is vital to ensure that we have a vehicle capable of launching the boat and taking her away on trips. Unfortunately, following a mechanical check of likely candidate we are back on the hunt. I realise that this isn’t particularly ideal for those that don’t have a vehicle capable of launching the boat at their disposal but it is something we are working on resolving as soon as possible.
  
• Review of pricing for day trips. We have been taking a look at the running costs of the new boat based on activity to date and have concluded that it will be necessary to implement a modest increase in boat fees. A motion was put forward and carried to increase the boat fees for day trips to Rottnest by a flat rate of $10.00 across the board. To put this in perspective, a price increase has not been implemented in at least ten years and our operational costs have increased significantly over this time. This will be implemented in the near future and additional details communicated.
  
• UWA Sports Master Plan. UWA Sports have been running a consultation period to assess usage of facilities across the sports park. The results are due to be communicated sometime in July so we will keep you up to date.
  
• Incorporations Act review due some time in July. Given we are an incorporated association, we will be taking appropriate measures to ensure that we will remain in compliance with our obligations under the Act. We have provided notice that this may include a review of the club constitution should it be necessary. Any developments will be communicated.
  

I realise that this is a long email but I hope that by keeping everyone in the loop on what goes on behind the scenes it will allow you to appreciate the hard work that goes into keeping things running. At this point I would like to encourage you all to jump in and lend a hand where you can, whether it is manning the shed, helping repair the boat or simply organising a social evening, every little bit is important. The UWA Underwater Club is run by its members for its members and it is done so on a voluntary basis, spreading the load benefits us all. I shall leave it there and look forward to an exciting year ahead.

Look forward to seeing you out on the water.

James Gavshon