1.    Queensland Club Affiliation Fees

Notice for the General Meeting to be held in conjunction with the 2019 Clubs Conference has now been distributed to members. This is an important topic and all clubs should be represented at the General meeting to ensure clarity and transparency for all involved.

While the proposed changes represent a significant shift in how fees are collected within Queensland the proposed system brings consistency to fees across Australia, reduces administration at Club level and provides clubs the ability to provide affiliation to the Australian Sailing for all members without any additional fees. I ask clubs to ensure they have read all the available information and remain open to the consideration of change.

Particularly for small and medium clubs there are advantages to how the new system will be administered which should save your club volunteers considerable hours of work.

Despite the appearance the change does not represent a fee hike of fees collected but rather a redistribution of where fees are collected from to bring Queensland in line with what happens around the rest of the country.

Action item for clubs: Review provided information. If your club needs to be re-sent the information, please contact me with this request. Ensure your club is represented at the Clubs Conference on the 20th & 21st July and the General Meeting on the 21st July.

CLICK HERE FOR NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING AND RELATED DOCUMENTS

2.    Yachting Queensland Constitution

A lot has changed in the world of modern governance, banking and the use of technology for organisations such as Yachting Queensland.

The existing Constitution of YQ is simply not an effective document for the facilitation of best practice governance and is affecting the operations and capabilities of the organisation.

The proposed new constitution is a much better document to guide the organisation into the future. It has been reviewed by the YQ Board over the last 12 months and has had good feedback from lawyers who specialise in sport  governance.

I think it is a much better document to work with for the betterment of strengthening the Board and progressing the organisation. 

The Board invite questions and comments on the document and a vote will be held at the General Meeting on the 21st July, in conjunction with the Clubs Conference.

Action item for clubs: Review provided information. If your club needs to be re-sent the information, please contact me with this request. Ensure your club is represented at the Clubs Conference on the 20th & 21st July and the General Meeting on the 21st July.

CLICK HERE FOR NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING AND RELATED DOCUMENTS

3.    Queensland Clubs Conference 

The annual Queensland Clubs Conference is just around the corner on the 20th & 21st July, this year hosted by the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.

This is a FREE event to attend with TRAVEL SUBSIDY available for our regional clubs. This is a must attend event for all clubs.

This year’s presenters include our new Australian Sailing CEO Ben Houston (a Queenslander), guest speaker Offshore Yachting guru Stacey Jackson (Queenslander), and many club representatives, from Queensland, South Australia and Victoria delivering case studies and insights into some of their success.

Topics include; SheSails, Attracting and hosting events/regattas, SailPass, Mentoring and succession planning for your club officials, Committee Governance and much much more. Sunday morning will also involve a Yachting Queensland General Meeting were you can receive an update direct from the Board of Yachting Queensland and provide your feedback to them directly.

Action item for clubs: Do not miss this event. Register online. Book your travel and accommodations. Come with an open mind and be prepared to learn, share and network with your fellow club administrators from across the state.

CLICK HERE FOR INFO AND REGISTRATION
CLICK HERE FOR TRAVEL SUBSIDY INFO

4.    Working with Children Policies and Templates

Recently, legislation changed regarding the minimum standards and requirements for Child Safety Polices. During the year, when conducting Discover Sailing Centre reviews, I have noticed that the majority of clubs all have very different policies around working with children. As a result, Australian Sailing has worked to develop and improve their own Child Protection policies and provide, for clubs, templates and resources to assist. Every State has different requirements, so it is important to ensure your policies are specific to your State and your requirements as a club. Child Safety has got to be one of the most important issues of our time and has huge consequences in terms of reputation and legislatively if we get it wrong. 

What is Child Safety?

Child Safety is about keeping children and young people safe from abuse and protecting them from people who are identified as unsuitable to work with children. There is no national Child Protection law, however all states and territories have their own child protection laws to keep children safe and to protect them from abuse.

Why is it important?

All children and young people have a right to be safe when participating in sport and recreation activities.

Clubs and Classes must be compliant with the relevant child protection laws of the state/territory they are in. Failure to be compliant may result in punishment under the legislation.

How does Child Safety impact my Club?

Clubs and Classes need to ensure that they are adhering to the Child Protection Laws and requirements of the state/territory it is in. The Child Safety link below provides state-specific resources and information for clubs and classes to assist them to be compliant with the relevant laws.

Resources available include;
 

• Child Safety Templates for clubs
• Editable poster relating to Child Safety
• The state by state requirements for Working with Children
• Suggested procedure for handling reports of abuse

Who does Child Safety apply to?

Child Safety relates to all clubs and classes who have children or young people (as defined under relevant legislation) involved in their club or class.

Action item for clubs: Check you club’s Child Protection and Child Safety policies and practices and ensure they meet the legal requirements of your State.

CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER INFO AND THE RESOUCES
CLICK HERE FOR ALL AUSTRALIAN SAILING POLICES 
 

5.    Queensland Sailing Awards – Finalists announced

Nominations are now closed for the 2019 Queensland Sailing Awards. 

The 2019 Queensland Sailing Awards Night will be held on the Saturday 20th July at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in conjunction with the 2019 Clubs Conference. The Awards night is open to all to attend, simply book your tickets through the link below.
The 2019 Queensland Sailing Awards Finalists are, CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST.

Action item for clubs: Promote the finalists and help us to celebrate and acknowledge their significant achievements and contributions to our fantastic sport and community.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS TO ATTEND THE AWARDS NIGHT

Context:

As a new initiative to keep our sailing club community informed I will aim to communicate through the Monthly Club News letter my top 5 topics for clubs to be aware of – LIVE TOP 5.

I encourage club committees to table these at your club committee and/or sailing committee meetings and ensure your club is 1) aware of these topics, 2) taking advantage of or contributing from the information by taking steps within your club to continually improve your club activities and environment.  

If at any stage you would like more information or would like me to make comment on a topic please email me at ben.callard@sailing.org.au or call our office on (07) 3393 6788.