At our national office at Bargo, 2 extra staff have been employed on a part time basis to assist our full time Administration Officer Wendy Thompson, and her already part time assistant Rhonda Brooks. Welcome aboard Jody Legg and Jenny Mazuran. More information about this facet of the club administration will be in Sam’s report.

The Pasco Hall study of the club business systems recommended that some systems be adopted and also the documentation of standard operating procedures be implemented for the tasks undertaken at our national office and also for the preparation and publication of the Riding On. I am happy to report that these tasks have been accomplished. Sam will also report in further detail on the results of this study. Our club accountant, Mr. Bob Porteous has been contracted by the club to manage the day to day finances of the club since 1998, and in that time has been paid the same contract rate. This year saw the approval by NatCom of an increase in Bob’s contract rate in line with inflation.

Doug Winckle has been doing a fantastic job as club purchasing officer, and the current state of the gear shop and stock is a credit to his hard work. Doug continues to be on the lookout to introduce new products for the benefit of members, whilst monitoring the current stock to ensure that there is always stock on hand, as well as discontinuing stock which is no longer sought by members.
The financial reports will show that there is currently about $200,000.00 worth of stock extra than what was held last year at this time. The gear shops at the AGM have proven such a huge hit with members that each year, the amount of stock sent to the AGM just about doubles, with about 100 boxes sent last year to Mudgee, and this year a whopping 220 boxes sent to Geelong. At the same time, sufficient stock has been held on hand at Bargo to satisfy the ongoing needs of members throughout the country.

By now, those of you with access to cyberspace will have seen the major changes commissioned by NatCom to our website, with still some more to come. With the linking of the site to the club database to enable member only areas, and the activities of volunteers to help moderate parts of the site, I believe that our website will continue to grow to become a leader in it’s genre, as well as provide significant service to the members of the club. I believe that our new forums and the chat room enable those members in remote areas to engage readily in communicating with other members and in doing so remove some of that remoteness.

The club on a national level has been invited to become involved in submissions regarding road safety for motor cyclists, and Neville Gray, our national vice president has continued to excel in that specific area. On a personal note, the club was invited to make a submission to the National Transport Standing Inquiry into Road Safety, and I was invited to give evidence before the committee at Parliament House, Canberra on November 28th.

Whilst the final report of the inquiry is yet to be published, I feel that the fact that the Ulysses Club was the only motor cycling organisation in Australia invited to make a submission and to give evidence is quite significant, and supports the policy stance that NatCom have taken in working credibly for various road safety forums and resisting the push of a vocal minority to become radical drum beaters.

The work of Neville Gray and his little band of representatives on the NSWMCC, Tumbarumba Shire R.S.C., Barwon Community R.S.C., V.M.A.C., S.A.M.A.C. and other members who represent him around the country is of the highest order, worthwhile and must be allowed to continue. Whilst we are primarily a social club for motor cyclists, our constitution places a duty on us to show that motorcycling can be an enjoyable and practical activity for riders of all ages, and also to draw the attention of public and private institutions to the needs and views of older riders. I would suggest that the work that our various road safety volunteers is doing is for the benefit of all riders, not just older riders, bearing in mind that if we help the younger riders survive, they go on to be older riders and many of them club members.

As always, club stalwart and Riding On editor John Miller has continued to engineer a high quality product for members equivalent of many publications produced by a staff of many journalists, and he is to be again applauded for his dedication to this facet of the club’s operation. Whilst maintaining editorial and content control, John has passed advertising management for the magazine to another club member and volunteer, Roger Burns. Thank you for your effort Roger and welcome aboard.

A very small minority of members have chosen to attack the members of the national committee during the past year, and I have nothing but pride for the way that my fellow committee members have withstood such attacks and continued to perform at an extremely high standard in their service to the members of the club.

This year we were joined on the committee by Helena Gritton, who undertook the role of minute secretary, as well as membership officer, and on more than one occasion she has been relentless in her pursuit of other committee members for their reports.

Gary Vandersluis has resigned his position of National AGM Coordinator, due to work commitments, but has left in place for incoming coordinator Sam Reich a strong framework to maintain and on which to build for future AGM’s. Thanks Gary.

Ulysses International and Members Benefits portfolio’s occupant Bob Rollo has decided after 3 years on the committee to call it a day and will complete his duties at the Geelong AGM. On behalf of the committee I would like to thank Bob for his time and efforts on this committee for the past 3 years.

Finally, I would like to thank the committee members, Nev, Kim, Sam, Doug, Bob and Helena for their efforts and support. Being head of this team that you have had representing you on the National Committee has been one of the greatest pleasures that I have had to experience.

To all members of this great club, I look forward to continuing to serve the club and your needs if successful in gaining re-election at the Geelong AGM.