Dear Members,
Another year has past and we are due to hold our Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The AGM will be held on Sunday 10th November 2019 at 5:00pm in the East Malvern Tennis Club Clubhouse.
If you are considering putting your name down to join the Board, you will need to complete our 2019-20 Director Nomination Form: https://eastmalverntc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-EMTC-Director-Nomination-Form.pdf
To facilitate the voting process (if required), we will circulate all written nominations and bios prior to the AGM so you are fully informed.
Please Note: The completed nomination form must be returned by midnight Monday 14th October 2019
This year we have continued to enjoy strong membership and participation. Our competition teams are many and active. We are full on a Tuesday night and close to capacity Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. The weekend is a buzz with Junior Competition, Pennant and Senior Competition. The recent Club Championships are a testament to this, and thanks to Andrew, Deb & Chris for organising them. Congratulations to our winners:
Open Men: Jack Appleton
Open Men Doubles: Elliot Payne & Mark Stevens
A Grade Men: Mitch Duckett
B Grade Men: Yu Wang
C Grade Men: KC Wong
+ 50 Men: Peter Goldberg
Open Junior Boys: Lincoln Rayner
14 & Under Boys: Luke Dimopoulos
12 & Under Boys: Jack McCormack
The focus of the Committee is on long-term activity. We have made significant inroads with Council and for the first time we are in their budget as an expense line moving forward. This is the first step of many, in securing a new Clubhouse. This is a 5-10 year project and while some people say that our current facility is OK, we need to act now to ensure the future. We are always looking for friendly faces at the Council, so if you have a connection please share them with us.
I want to take this occasion to thank Tony Lane, who looks after our Juniors. As many of you know, Tony has been a dedicated and valuable President, and Committee member, over many years. The job of replacing young Ian was a significant one, and Tony does an excellent job. He is like many of our quiet achievers who devote hours of their own time, for the betterment of our Club. Speaking of those people, I have to give another huge shout out to Deb. Year in and year out Deb spends a full working week running our Club. I would guess that she charges us for about half that time. I am guessing, because she won’t tell me. Deb is ably assisted by Jordan, who is doing a great job keeping up with Deb’s hectic pace. The reason there is so much to do, is complex. We have a big and active Club to start with. The regulatory requirements have increased dramatically over the years. We have to produce policies and procedures, go through audits and generally appease a wide range of external bodies. The landowners (Stonnington Council) are the most demanding, along with Tennis Victoria and Tennis Australia, Life Saving Victoria, Waverley, Blackburn and Bayside Districts, and Eastern Region, MEMRLTA & EDWTA. No one job is massive; there are just so many jobs. The age of the Club is part of the issue. The ongoing maintenance is unending, and then there is the challenge of ensuring over 600 people are all happy and playing together nicely.
This calls into play our Finances, ably managed by Andrew & Deb. As a Committee we are proud of the fact that we have kept the books balanced without having to double the fees. In the last seven years we have rejuvenated the courts, put LED lights on our front six courts, re-lined and solar heated our pool, had a new fence built at the front, and won a Newcombe Medal. All of this on top of paying for the daily running costs of a ten court Club. We have introduced sponsors who have helped us out. I realise this was a shock for some of our members, as it was a first for EMTC. The reality is, that every other sporting club has had sponsors for a very long time. If we had started when Football and Cricket did, we could have paid for a new Clubhouse ourselves. We can’t change the past, we can only move forward. To that end, I am exploring a new major sponsor. I will let you know more as that develops. If you are buying a car, talk to Audi Penfold Burwood. Their service centre is just around the corner. Jason and his team at Malvern East Physiotherapy can help with physical aches and pains. Just before you do avail yourself of any of our sponsors please check with Deb, or anyone else on the Committee, to ensure the Club gets the acknowledgement.
I also want to thank the rest of the Committee for their efforts. Parag and Alisha have fitted in well to the team and bring new perspectives to our discussions. Glenn Mescher continues to provide his broad business and Club Committee knowledge and wisdom to the group. Rohan Appleton juggles overseeing maintenance with looking after Weekend Tennis. Alan Young continues as ever to play his role there. Peter Car has Night Tennis buzzing along.
As a result of our greater presence in the Tennis Community, I was asked to join the Tennis Victoria Nominations Committee for future Board Members. These things keep us front of mind with the broader Tennis Community. We also attend Federal, State and Council functions to keep an eye out for potential grants and the like.
There are four positions (out of nine) up for election at this AGM. As per our new Constitution, the other five will be up again at next years' AGM.
- President: Ralph Muir-Morris is standing again for this role.
- Secretary: Debra Bolic is standing again for this role.
- Director 4: Alisha Fulker is not standing again for this role.
- Director 5: Glenn Mescher is standing again for this role.
If you believe you can add to the skills and expertise of the current committee, and have the time, passion and drive to contribute to the Club please nominate for one, or more, of these positions. As per the Nomination Form we need a brief statement of your interest and experience with EMTC and Committees generally, as well as the skills and attributes you would bring to the Committee.
Kind Regards,
Ralph Muir-Morris
President
East Malvern Tennis Club