WBASA PRESIDENT’S REPORT AUGUST 20-23
This is now our 34th year for WBASA, with the Association being formed in 1989.
Our Association has continued to maintain strength in membership and significantly increased numbers in the last decade or so. There will sadly always be members resigning through ill health or selling their boat, or their interests going elsewhere, but new members continue to emerge keeping our membership stable.
Before touching on the year’s activities, I would like to convey my and I’m sure your thanks to your outgoing committee of 22-23.
Your committee has achieved much regarding insurances, defibrillator and first aid kit, a strong calendar of events, a new interactive and easier to access and use website and a strong referral to our Objects of the Association when making decisions.
Specifically, my thanks go to
Anne Potter – Merchandise. has again managed our merchandise stock and sales and she has helped in all sorts of other ways such as liaising with other boating organisations to minimise the risk of events clashing. Her consistent presence at events in presenting and selling our merchandise is greatly appreciated.
Lyndon Zimmermann – Secretary has been our secretary this past year and thanks Lyndon for preparing very exacting and precise minutes from some quite complex committee conversations. Unfortunately, Lyndon is unable to re-nominate for 23-24 year.
Chris Dobson – Vice President It has been very reassuring and of great assistance to me to have had him closely scrutinising what we are doing and the decisions made. In addition Chris has also compiled our excellent calendar for a number of years now and is in the process of preparing the 2024 edition. Sadly, Chris is unable to commit to the committee for the 23-24 year but has offered to continue with the calendar.
Gerri Dobson – Membership officer has maintained our membership database in a better state than it’s ever been. She has welcomed new members, kept an eye on renewals, and has been a key driver along with Alan Boman in getting our new website to the level that we will soon be able to release it.
Rick Hardy – Public Officer has found speakers for meetings and offered advice on procedures and matters relating to the rules of association. He also is delving into the ever more complicated and difficult matter of insurances. This year we formalised his position as Public Officer of WBASA. He also once again organised the Moonlight in the dark Run.
Aarron Pearse – Events coordinator continues to be enthusiastically pro-active in planning our calendar of events, even one or two years ahead and is regularly requesting from you your suggestions for events that you may like to see initiated. Aarron’s attendance at events has been invaluable in assessing what works and what does not.
Richard & Di Sanders, – have been of great value to the committee consistently imparting their knowledge and experience to matters being discussed and in particular researching and arranging the purchase of our defibrillator and first aid kit. Richard and Di have decided not to re-nominate because of other commitments.
Rosi Hardy- Treasurer has managed our money, keeping us in the black and has ably reported on our financial position and assisted with forward budget preparation. She also initiated the introduction of the square card reader thus minimising cash purchases for goods and membership, making purchasing so much easier in what is emerging as a cashless society.
Stephen Conway – Editor has once again done a tremendous job with our newsletter Crow’s Nest, somehow consistently finding sufficient interesting information to fill a 16-page edition. This was made particularly difficult through the reduction in the number of events through covid restrictions and the flow on effects of that and the floods. Crow’s Nest is our major communication with our members and remains very popular. Its reassuring to know its in such good hands. He also remains a key initiator of our monthly Classic Boat Days and has organised most of them.
Alan Boman – While not a committee member, has continued to maintain our current website, by updating it on behalf of the committee. He had also been providing much needed expertise in the design of our new website and the services it will offer.
To those committee members who will not be re-nominating, on behalf of all our membership thank you for your time and the expertise you have committed to WBASA’s future.
To the remaining committee members, again thank you for your contributions to date and your commitment to run for another term.
To you our enthusiastic members, please consider joining the committee to have your say and to assist us in striving for continuing improvement.
A brief summary of our activities is summarised below:-
EVENTS
Events this past year have been a challenge for wooden boaties in what has turned out to be a very busy year with both the Hobart and SA festivals occurring and of course the flooding of the Murray River which affected a good six months of the inland water activities. Cleaning up continues in many areas with the effects still very visible.
Still the Association continued to hold its 6 general meetings which continue to achieve strong attendances, but we can always accommodate more. We are reviewing the demographics of our membership to see where we might be able to hold general meetings so that some of our members who live a fair distance from Adelaide can attend.
We continue to hold one or two boating events per month with a strong endeavour to be as diverse in boat type and geographical location as possible.
These events have covered the likes of Mannum, Port Victoria, Riverglen Marina, Lake Carlet, Walker Flat, the River Torrens and Goolwa, and the ever-popular Classic Thursdays (now Classic Boat Days) on the third Thursday or Friday of most months on various parts of the River Murray and the Port River.
We continue to invite suggestions from you regarding events you might like to see.
MEMBER SURVEY
This year also saw us sending out a survey to members inviting comments on how the present WBASA organisation is fulfilling your needs and expectations. The aim is clearly to improve that offering. An expansion of the survey results has already been discussed at our general meeting.
BOAT AND WBASA INSURANCES
You all most likely have experienced the dramatic increase in insurance premiums, if indeed you can get it, with stringent surveys now being regularly required as well. This is a concern to all of us.
This matter remains in a state of flux, but your committee (primarily driven through Rick Hardy), is striving to consolidate information from other boating organisations and determine the best way forward within WBASA.
OUR NEW WEBSITE
Our new website will be more interactive, allowing for rapid updating and conveying messages to members.
Thank you all for helping to drive a vibrant and fun-loving association, and all looks good for its strong continuance in the years to come providing we constantly keep an eye on its relevance to members and find means to attract a younger demographic into the association.
Graham Hardy
WBASA President