Dear Members,

Another year has past and we are due to hold our Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The AGM will be held on 28th October 2018 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 2018 Director Nomination Form:  http://eastmalverntc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-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 form must be returned by Sunday 23rd September 2018

This year we have reaped the rewards of recent efforts. We have run the club without too many distractions. The year has been one of Future Planning. The next project on our radar is the replacement of the Clubhouse. It has served us well over the last 60 years, but nothing lasts forever. As a club we will need the Council (our landowners) to find the funds. This is a long-term project and will require ongoing effort. If anoyne has any skills they think would help with any of this process please let us know.

I want to take this occasion to thank Paul Lidgerwood, who is leaving the Committee. Paul has many demands on his time with his work, family and other commitments. We were very fortunate that he gave so much time to us. As you may know, our club is over 130 years old and it might surprise, if not amaze you, that before Paul joined the committee, there were no sponsors. Paul quickly changed that, and brought three major sponsors to the club. The significant amount of money we received paid for the new lights. Paul, and past committee member Julie Kealey, brought a level of business professionalism that impressed both our new sponsors and the Stonnington Council. I hope Paul finds his way back to the Committee one day. He was a tremendous addition and will be sorely missed.

Tennis has been our focus with more people getting involved with competition. Peter Car and Chris Woods have Night Tennis buzzing along. If you play on a Tuesday night, as I do, you know how busy competition is. Rohan Appleton and Alan Young continue to do a great job with Weekend Tennis, while Tony Lane has managed the Juniors brilliantly. He has had to cope with a few challenging situations. It seems that we need to remind some parents about letting the children play for the love of the sport.

In order to continue encouraging more girls to play tennis, Alisha Fulker joined our Committee last year. Alisha has been a great addition and along with Deb and Katharine, plays competition during the week. As a fellow team member, Alisha is a great role model. While she competes fiercely, her positive on court manor makes it fun to play tennis for everyone. There is a lesson for a number of us here.

We continue to represent the Club in the broader Community. I recently attended “Citizen of the Year” awards for Stonnington. I was able to talk to our new Mayor as well as Cr Davis.  While I was away, my fellow Committee members met with our Council Ward members to plead our case regarding upgrading the Club. Thanks to Rohan and Paul for a very professional presentation at that meeting and leading this important effort.  I also had the pleasure of catching up with Michael O’Brien, our State member. Politics aside, Michael is a tireless worker and long time supporter of our Club. If you are undecided about who to support in the upcoming election, give a thought for the people who support us.

Sponsorship is and will continue to be important to our Club. The funds provided are invaluable to the Club's ongoing prosperity. If you change your bank loan and join Bank of Melbourne, the Club also benefits. 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 acknowledge the contributions of Glen Mescher and Andrew McVean, who give us such good financial and general business advice.

Last and most importantly, I must once again thank the powerhouse of the Club, Debra Bolic, and her trusty assistant Katharine. Deb’s capacity to juggle work, home, social and tennis is incredible to observe. Deb’s work ethic and positive attitude are a big part of what is great about our Club.

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.

• Vice President:  Chris Woods is standing again for this role.
• Treasurer:  Andrew McVean is standing for this role.
• Director 1:  Rohan Appleton is standing again for this role.
• Director 2:  Tony Lane is standing again for this role.
• Director 3:  Paul Lidgerwood is not 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