The Richmond Rowing Club Annual General Meeting was held at the club on Saturday 28th July 2017. It was an opportunity for club members to come together, hear from the Committee about the clubs operations over the past year. It was great to see so many members present on the day.
Thank you to all Committee members for their significant contributions through the year. A brief summary of the year’s activities is provided below; the full Annual Report including all Committee member reports is attached RRC Annual Report 2017/18
Membership Growth – During the year, we increased the number of our financial members from 125 to 142 at 31 May 2018, a 14% increase. This achievement was through a combination of attracting new members and retaining existing members.
In particular, we increased the number of Learn to Row courses to four and scheduled three courses on summer evenings resulting in increased retention of Learn to Row participants. Our Development Squad is maintaining good numbers with dedicated coaching focused on improving their skill levels. We plan to continue this in 2018/19, continuing our Learn to Row program and transitioning Development Squad rowers into the competitive and social rowing squads.
Demonstrate Club Success on the Water – As a major step forward for the club, we engaged our first paid head coach resulting in focused training programs, squad structure, selection criteria and focused coaching. This has contributed to some excellent regatta performances through the year. Although Basil has returned to the UK, we have appointed Matt Wilson as our Head Coach for the coming year – he will be starting with us in early August.
Member Engagement – The club runs a number of events to bring club members together, from our Training Camp and regular circuit sessions, to social events like Quiz Night and New Years Eve. In 2017/18 we held 6 successful major events at the club and a number of smaller events.
The Committee plans to continue this level of events in the current year. This takes a significant effort to arrange and we are always looking for volunteers to assist. Our club would not be able to operate without all of our members who volunteer their time in so many ways. As we look towards the coming year, we will be asking for more help and creating more volunteer roles to take some of the pressure of the usual suspects. If you have a special skill or would like to help regularly, please reach out to the Committee as we would love your support.
Governance and Finance – The clubs finances remain strong, underpinned by income from hiring our amazing venue. This allows us to invest in the rowing program, but we must also continue to invest in our facilities, to generate this revenue. This year we refurbished the bar and kitchen to bringing it up to the standard of the rest of the club.
During the year, we also invested heavily in our fleet and equipment, christening both a men’s and women’s brand new top of the line Sykes quad/four and investing significantly in our refurbished gym. We were also able to purchase a new set of oars for the men’s eight and pair, whilst benefiting from a VicHealth Active Club Grant for a set of sculling oars.
In addition, the Committee is pleased to announce we have ordered 3 more brand new boats to improve our fleet with a men’s and women’s double/pair and a coxless quad for our most competitive crews. These additions will also allow other crews greater access to better quality boats as we replace our oldest boats in our fleet.
A major part of the AGM is to elect a new Committee and saying farewell to any departing members from the Committee.
Geraldine Goss, our outgoing Vice-President has been a member of the Committee for four years, the last three years as Vice-President and Fundraising Coordinator before that. During this time, she has supported two different Presidents and numerous Committee members. She has been active within the Fleet subcommittee and in considering Richmond’s licensing requirements. Whilst at the same time she has been incredibly successful as a rower. Thank you for all your assistance.
Laurent Demay steps down from the position of ordinary member having contributed strongly over the past year with new member communications and fundraising activities.
The new committee for the 2018-19 season consists of:
President – Jon Roberts
Vice-President – Aline Dejaeger
Secretary – Kim Begelhole
Treasurer – Kathy Macrow
Captain of Boats – Barry Campbell
Head of Rowing – Tim Evans
Facilities Coordinator – Lucy Crunden
Fundraising Coordinator – Christine Sullivan
Two ordinary members – Yashwini Vegi, Stefanie Dudczig
Congratulations and welcome to our newest Committee members, Kim Belgelhole and Stefanie Dudczig.
Following the conclusion of the AGM we took to the water for some fun with club races. With a change in formal to get us ready for Head Season, the races were a time trial format from the Island to the Club. Congratulations to all those who took part.
Thank you to everyone who helped with the bbq and bar afterwards, especially Gypsy, John and Laurent for preparing the food and Karin and Dennis for looking after the BBQ.
Richmond’s Training Zootie is now available to order!!
It’s time to put away those old gym clothes that you keep getting your oars caught in and get out on the water in proper rowing kit and in Richmond colours. Save your Racing zootie for those racing days and let’s be proud to wear our club colours. The design below was chosen as the most popular after our recent facebook vote.
The cost is $77.50 including postage and GST which compared to the price of our racing zootie sounds very reasonable to us. (We believe that the quality of the zootie doesn’t require a double layer front or rear there is space on the order form to request if you want double layering.)
We will be submitting our order on the 28nd July which should get our new Zooties in time for Training Camp. (The first order will be sent through on the 22nd July)
The order form is attached and payment is to be made prior to order via bank transfer to the club. (please remember to state your name and “zootie” on the transfer) Please send your order form to
[email protected] making sure you have clearly filled in all the boxes.
Please attached a receipt of the transfer which will just make it easier for us to track.
Got an issue with bank transfer? – just drop an email to [email protected] or speak to Shern, Zoe or Kim and we will be happy to help.
Thanks from the training zootie team
Zoe, Kim and Shern
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Reminder RRC Strategic Planning Session – 7 July 10am to 12pm
Don’t forget the Richmond Rowing Club Strategic Planning Session, running from 10am to 12pm on 7 July at the club.
Full details are on the earlier blog post. I’m looking forward to seeing as many people there as possible.
Register your interest on the Facebook event or let me know if you are planning on attending. If you can’t attend and have any feedback please drop me an email or see me at the club.
http://3.25.77.84/2018/05/21/strategic-planning-session-7-july-2018/
https://www.facebook.com/events/204966720336055/
The "50 x 50" Project – End of Financial Year reminder
Don’t forget the “50 x 50” Project – in May we launched our goal to raise $2,500 by 30 June for Richmond to have the most impressive tent at a regatta next season!
Our aim was to get 50 members who have used our well-loved but aging tent to donate $50 each (remember, that is Tax deductible) as a start. This will raise us $2,500 towards a new tent, which will be more than halfway to the purchase price. If we can get to half way the Committee will order the new tent at the start of the season instead of the end.
Help the club today by donating $50 at https://asf.org.au/projects/richmond-rowing-club/new-club-tent/.
We have 17 generous donations so far – thank you all so much – so we are on our way to our goal. Remember its tax-deductible so you are welcome to donate a little more if you can. Now is the best time to make and take advance of tax-deductible donations before the end of the financial year.
Here are the full details if you need a reminder – http://3.25.77.84/2018/05/27/the-50-x-50-project/
RRC Presentation Night Awards 2017/18
Thank you to all of the RRC members and guests who came along to celebrate another successful season at our recent Presentation Night. It was a great night with lots of new and old faces reflecting on the efforts and success throughout the year. Thank you to the “Doghouse Four” for arranging the evening of BLING, with some amazing decorations and videos along with a cameo appearance on the video from Basil with his Richmond zootie.
We also congratulated our Male and Female Club and Masters rowers of 2017/18 year determined through participation and success at regattas, club races and club time trials. The winners on the evening were:
- Mal Scott Award – Male Club Rower of the Year – Jon Roberts
- John Sawyer – Female Club Rower of the Year – Shern Timmins
- Male Masters Rower of the Year – Leigh Sullivan
- Female Masters Rower of the Year – Michelle Joy
The Don Edwards, Cox of the year award was presented to Derek Begg.
The President’s Award was presented to Kathy Macrow for her commitment to Richmond Rowing Club, truly embodying the spirit of our club through all she does from coxing to coaching to administration over a number of years.
For the first year we christened the Mixed Quad Round the Island time trial as the Hendley Family Mixed Quad Time Trial with a commemorative plaque commissioned to record the winners names which will be maintained in the gym. Rod Hendley and Judy Hendley were present for the awarding of the inaugural award to Aline Dejaegher, Shern Timmins, John Carey, Jon Roberts and Stef Dudczig (coxswain).
The male coxed four Round the Island time trial was won by Alan Randall, Jon Roberts, Andrew Yuile, John Carey and Stef Dudczig (coxswain).
The female coxed four Round the Island time trial was won by Edwina Griffiths, Jodie Naisbitt, Shern Timmins, Yashaswini Vegi and Derek Begg (coxswain).
A number of other awards were presented on the night including:
- Best and Furriest – Stef Dudzcig
- Eye of the Tiger Award – Doghouse Four (Kim Begelhole, Ray O’Shae, Alex Reid, Rob Gordon)
- Captains Award – Doghouse Four (Kim Begelhole, Ray O’Shae, Alex Reid, Rob Gordon)
Tim Evans
Head of Rowing
The "50 x 50" Project
For those of you who have competed at a regatta over the past decade, you are only too aware of the value that our well-loved tent brings us. Whether it is the heat, or rain, the tent is one of our most valued assets. A decade ago, it was also one of our best promotional items, with Richmond proudly displaying the best tent at any regatta we attended. Since then, most other clubs have followed Richmond’s lead and now have more impressive tents. And over the years, Richmond’s well-loved tent is starting to show the impact of all that love.
Richmond is a club on the go, with plans for fleet turnover and membership growth. And we need to demonstrate this to the rest of the rowing committee by attending regattas; by wining on water, and being the most impressive off-water. By having a tent which shows everyone at a regatta that we are a club to be reckoned with; a club not only with the resources to have the best, but also knows that looking after our members at a regatta is smart and provides us with the best opportunity to win on water.
But a tent like this isn’t cheap – and we don’t want to compromise of the awesomeness of a new tent. The committee has agreed that next year’s funding goal will be to replace our tent, but I don’t want to wait until the end of next season before seeing a new tent. I’m hoping that we can get a start on raising a few dollars so we can convince the club to purchase the tent sooner than later. If we can quickly raise half the cost of a new tent, then this should be enough to warrant purchasing the tent for the start of the season, with the promise that we can raise the remaining during the rest of the year.
And how can we do this? Given that we have had 75 different individuals represent Richmond over the past year, if they all made a small tax deductible donation to our Fleet Renewal Fund at the Australia Sports Foundation, then we will be well on our way. The ASF is a brilliant program which allows sporting clubs like Richmond to raise money via tax deductible donations. Richmond has been running our Fleet Renewal Appeal now for a number of years, and has been vital for the renewal of the club’s fleet in the past.
So, how about a target of 50 people donating $50 each (remember, that is Tax deductible) as a start. This will raise us $2,500 towards a new tent, which will be more than half way. We get half way, and then we can convince the club to order the new tent at the start of the season instead of the end.
So let’s do it! I’m launching the “50 x 50” Project – to goal to raise $2,500 by 30 June for Richmond to have the most impressive tent at a regatta next season! Help the club today by donating $50 at https://asf.org.au/projects/richmond-rowing-club/new-club-tent/.
Remember its tax deductible so you are welcome to donate a little more if you can!
Thank You!
Tim Evans
Head of Rowing
RRC AGM 10am Saturday 28th July – followed by Club Races and BBQ
Richmond Rowing Club’s Annual General Meeting will be held at the clubhouse on Saturday 28th July at 10 am, followed by club races and a BBQ for lunch when we will also be opening the bar. During the AGM, the committee members will briefly go through some of the highlights of the year, as well as a summary of the club’s financial situation and the main achievements compared to the goals we set out last year. This usually takes less than an hour and we warmly invite all members of the club to attend.
The AGM is also the opportunity to elect new members to the Committee and all positions are available for re-election. To present yourself, the are required to have been a member of the club for more than 2 years and are willing to help out with the club’s organisation. If you are interested, feel free to chat to any of the current Committee members to get some more background information. The Committee positions are:
- President
- Vice-President
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Head of Rowing
- Captain of Boats
- Fundraising Coordinator
- Facilities Coordinator
- Ordinary Member (two ordinary member positions are available which assist with a number of areas including New Member Coordination and Learn To Row Coordination)
If you wish to present yourself for election, please complete a nomination form (found on the documents page of our website) and submit it to the secretary at least 14 days prior to the meeting (BEFORE 13th July).
It should be a fun day combining some formal business with splashing around for club races, and a nice BBQ to top it off. The bar will also be open for refreshments at usual club prices.
Please show your support for the Committee and your Club by attending the AGM.
Nomination for Office Bearer July 2018
Strategic Planning Session – 7 July 2018
As a club, through the quieter Winter months, it is important we reflect upon the season gone and look towards the 2018/19 season. To do this we plan to hold 2 feedback/planning sessions:
- Rowing season review – Tim will be running a post rowing season feedback session on Thursday 14th June from 6.30pm to 7.30pm to bring all our rowers together to consider our rowing successes and areas to target for improvement next season.
- Strategic planning session – I will be facilitating a short strategic planning session. This will be more focused on the non rowing aspects of the club given we are a community managed volunteer organisation .
I would like to invite all our members to attend this strategic planning session to be held on Saturday 7th July at the boathouse from 10am-12pm. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a member, what experiences you have or what you think you can contribute everyone is welcome (even if you don’t say a word) and its an ideal time to just find out a little more about what makes Richmond the club it is and how you can contribute to it.
We’re aiming to keep it very focused and to encourage lots of people to attend it won’t take up your whole weekend – just a few hours on Saturday morning after Winter sculling. In advance of the session here is some background for our discussion, both the mission statement and the 5 year club objectives which were agree during last years planning session.
Firstly RRC’s mission statement:
“Richmond Rowing Club has a long proud history as an active and competitive, volunteer managed rowing club. We will continue to provide opportunities to participate, develop and compete in an inclusive, friendly environment, balancing lifestyle and rowing.”
5 year objectives for the club set in 2017:
- Membership Growth – Grow to over 200 members in five years
- Demonstrate Club Success on the Water – Place in the top 5 of the RV Club Champion premiership
- Member Engagement – Engage members through vibrant off water events and a culture of volunteering
- Governance and Finance – To be able to independently finance fleet renewal and building improvement
The focus of the session will on Membership Growth and Member Engagement, considering what we have achieved over the past year, what we want to achieve in coming years along with how we will do it. Hopefully coming out of the session we will be able to formulate goals, objectives and action plans to help us achieve them.
Any questions, comments, suggestions let me know, [email protected]
Australian Masters Championship 2018
The Australian Masters Championships which end the season were this year held in the beautiful albeit somewhat cold and windy state of Tasmania. A small contingent of Richmond rowers made the trip across Bass Strait to take on the best masters rowers from around the country at Lake Barrington from the 10th-13th May.
The first morning brought with it plenty of rain but going forward the sun would shine and we would be treated to a stunning location and a memorable few days to experience the great spirit and competitive nature of a national masters championship. Thanks to Barry, our Tasmanian captain, pulling in a few favours we were able to borrow boats from some local clubs and RRC was represented in more than 20 different events.
There was coxing success for Dennis Henry on Day 1 picking up a gold with the Mixed Masters E4+ and Ray Dennis started his medal haul with a win in the Mens Masters I4-. Over the four day event Ray Dennis would go on to collect a total of 7 gold medals in a variety of eights, fours, pairs and one little double. With his highlight being a grudge match in the J-L pair (average age of crew >80) in which he and Derrick Wilson from Banks came out of victorious.
The Women’s Masters A four and quad were desperately disappointed to have lost their resident Tasmanian Zoe Maxwell from the crew a few weeks out from the championships to pneumonia but were delighted to welcome Sarah Houghton into the crew and with the experience of masters states and a couple of weeks of training behind them there was no stopping them! Victory in the heat helped grow confidence and an awesome race leading from start to finish in the final rewarded Michelle Joy, Karen Doggett, Kate Dyball and Sarah Houghton with a gold medal and the extra bonus of the fastest club crew with the majority of our competitors being made up of composite crews formed from members across multiple clubs. Despite headwinds that threatened to prevent anyone rowing down the course on Saturday they backed up the quad win with a victory in the coxed four as well again picking up the club crew medal joined by cox Christine Sullivan.
Christine continued the Richmond medal success combining with Leigh Sullivan, Lindsey Brown and Michael Heaton-Harris (Corio Bay) to pick up a bronze medal in the Mixed Masters C Quad. Further doubles, fours and eights would compete across the weekend in some great races many of which making finals but unfortunately missing out on more medals.
With just 9 RRC rowers taking part we punched well above our weight scoring 68 points in the club championship placing us 24th out of 88 clubs for the whole competition, but even putting the rowing aside the food and the wine on offer in Tasmania made the trip a huge success. Thanks to everyone who helped out by organising entries and boats, coxing and coaching through training sessions and generally being an awesome support crew through the power of social media. The RRC Masters Tigers had a great end to the season.
Karen Doggett
RRC adopts Rowing Victoria’s Child Safe Policy
On 1st January 2017, The Child Safe Standards were made law. The Standards now apply to all sporting organizations that operate and provide sporting services to children within Victoria.
It is important we understand our obligations to be a child safe club, specifically given our ongoing relationship with MLC, our tenant. RRC will not tolerate abuse of any sort whether that is within the club itself or in the boathouse or at rowing events. As a result the Committee has adopted Rowing Victoria’s Child Safe Policy and Child Safe Code of Conduct and would like to take this opportunity to communicate it to the members.
Rowing Victoria Child Safe Policy
Rowing Victoria Child Safe Code of Conduct
The aim of Rowing Victoria Child Safe Policy and the Code of Conduct is to protect children and reduce any opportunities for abuse or harm to occur, and if allegations are raised in relation to child abuse, to ensure that the allegations are properly addressed.
All Richmond Rowing Club Members are responsible for promoting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people by adhering to the RRC Code of Conduct, the RV Child Safe Policy and the RV Child Safe Code of Conduct.
Given the Rowing Victoria requirement for all Boat Race Officials (BRO’s) to have current Working with Children Check certificates we also encourage all our members to obtain Working with Children Checks. We are required to provide a BRO for every regatta we attend as a club, so we cannot ignore this requirement. They are available free at the following website, once complete please provide the details to our Secretary ([email protected]) for including on our membership database.
http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/
We have also considered and implemented Rowing Victoria’s Child Safe Policy (Standards) as follows:
Standard 1: Strategies to embed an organizational culture of child safety, especially through, but not limited to, effective leadership arrangements – The RRC Committee has adopted Rowing Victoria’s Child Safe Policy and Child Safe Code of Conduct. We encourage our coaches to obtain Working with Children Checks. In the situation where we have active under 18 members we require there to be a family member or coach with a Working with Children Check present at all times.
Standard 2: A child safe policy or statement of commitment to child safety – RRC has adopted the RV Child Safe Policy
Standard 3: A code of conduct that establishes clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children – RRC’s Code of Conduct and the RV Child Safe Code of Conduct establishes this expectation.
Standard 4: Screening, supervision, training and other human resources practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing personnel – We encourage our coaches to obtain Working with Children Checks. In the situation where we have active under 18 members we require there to be a family member or coach with a Working with Children Check present at all times
Standard 5: Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse – RRC has adopted the RV Child Safe Policy which addressed this requirement
Standard 6: Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse – RRC encourages our coaches to obtain Working with Children Checks. In the situation where we have active under 18 members we require there to be a family member or coach with a Working with Children Check present at all times.
Standard 7: Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children – We have adopted the RV Child Safety Policy. We have also partnered with MLC as our tenant, who promote participation in rowing to children.