From: steven odgaard
To: breyten@flatrate.net.au
Subject: Starting a new club
cc: AHF delegates and QSH members.
Hello Mr Brevtenbach,
Doug Stott, editor from the Australian Hovercraft Federation, wrote to me last week and
said you would be interested in forming a new club in the Harvey Bay region.
My name is Steven Odgaard, I am the secretary of the Australian Hovercraft Federation
and I would be happy to assist in this process.
There are several options:-
- Start a new non-incorporated club.
- Start a new club incorporated in Queensland.
- Start a new branch of the Australian Hovercraft Federation Inc (Victoria) or
- Join onto Queensland Sporting Hovercraft Club (branch of AHF Inc)
If you incorporate in Queensland, your books will need to be auditored by a chartered
accountant each year and the club must have insurance. An annual return will need to be
submitted to the Department of Tourism, Racing and Fair Trading under the Associations
Incorporations Act of 1981. The Department will give you a certificate of incorporation and
a very comprehensive set of constitution rules.
The Queensland Sporting Hovercraft Club was incorporated in Qld from 1987 to 1995, but
membership fell and insurance costs went up, so we decided to de-incorporate in Qld and
join the Australian Hovercraft Federation to save on the cost of managing insurance and
fees.
Each branch around Australia pays $50 flat, plus $15 per member to the federation to
cover these expenses. For the Queensland club, it was the only way to survive.
To run a club, you will need a president, secretary and treasurer and 4 regular
non-committee members to form a quorum, a total of 7 - ie; 3 committee and 4
non-committee members. If you can get a group of 9 then you can afford to have a
vice-president. ie 4 committee and 5 non-committee members.
The general rule for a quorum is "equal to the committee plus one."
If a quorum is not reached, then a meeting cannot be officiated. Meetings should be held
in a public place at least every month, and the club should have monthly cruises and
reports of cruises via a newsletter to its members.
Every 12 months an election of office bearers must be held and this is called the Annual
General meeting. The treasurer must present a financial report to the AGM and the
secretary must present minutes from the previous AGM.
These are the basics for running a successful hovercraft club.
The Australian Hovercraft Federation holds National Rallies, and if your club or branch can
send representatives to these rallies, then the Annual General Meeting can be well
represented by all the clubs around Australia, so it is important to push this point
amongst your members.
Each branch is asked to send 3 nominated delegates.
Only the delegates can vote at an Australian Hovercraft Federation election.
This has worked well in the past.
Attending national rallies is also an eye opener on new designs and features, and this
helps in the development of new ideas for would-be hovercraft designers and builders.
I would also like to offer you a friendly challenge.
At the end of August, members from the Queensland Sporting Hovercraft Club are
participating in a public display on the Brisbane River for Riverfestival - 3:30 pm on
Saturday, 31st August 2002.
Would 2 of your finest hovercraft owners from the Great Sandy Strait like to compete
against 2 of the finest hovercraft cruisers from the Great South East?
It would make for great publicity.
The Great Sandy Strait vs the Great South East!
What do you think?
Kind regards
Steven Odgaard
Secretary of the Australian Hovercraft Federation Inc.
From: barry fennell
To: steven odgaard
Subject: Re: Starting a new club
Hi Steven,
(I Hope you don't mind the first name basis), I am extremely interested in the forming of
a local club here in the South East. As you know, I have full intentions of joining your
club, but, if a local Club / Branch is formed, of course, I will most certainly be a candidate.
Perhaps even a Committee person, although my Committee experience is nil. I actually
had thoughts concerning this matter as well, but if another has the time and inclination
to get it up and running, that person can rely upon me to be a definite starter. After all, I
do live in Maryborough and although I do not collect my new craft until early December, I
am available to assist in any way or means I can.
Personally, I feel affiliation with the Queensland Sporting Hovercraft Club would be the
most practical means of getting "Up and Running".
Barry (Bazza) Fennell
From: steven odgaard
To: breyten@flatrate.net.au
Subject: Re: Starting a new club
cc: AHF delegates and QSH members.
Hello again,
I would like to introduce you to someone in your neighbourhood who is very keen to help
with setting up a new association.
His name is Barry Fennell and he lives in Maryborough.
Perhaps you could give Barry a call and consider him as a candidate for a committee
position.
He has a brand new air cushion vehicle on order from Michael Nell and expects delivery
in December.
Yours faithfully
Steven Odgaard
Secretary of the Australian Hovercraft Federation Inc.