PRESIDENTS REPORT November 2010 – October 2011
Of
Mary-Ann Pittard
The following report is my opportunity to review the year November 2010 to October 2011.
As the President of the SEDA Committee, it is with pride that I report about the year that was. I am only able to do so because of the amazing committee that continually foster and engage in meeting the needs of our members through their dedication and commitment to the philosophy of our club of “Promoting and Encouraging the Art and Sport of Dressage”
The ongoing use of a specific planning day to set calendar dates for the year ahead continues to prove to be most beneficial. This early planning has ensured that our events are advertised a year ahead and this enables clashes of significant events to be avoided.
The Committee elected not to hold any schools this year due to a lack of support by members in the previous year. It must be noted however, that those members who did attend schools on offer were not disappointed last year. Unfortunately, the club is not in a position to carry the financial losses associated with unfilled places in the schools. The committee discussed the possible reasons for the lack of support and will revisit running schools at a later date.
SEDA continues to hold the Freestyle Competition at the Velodrome with regular competitors continuing to support and enjoy the event. Numbers were not increasing and continued to stay around the 14 – 15 mark and it was decided that two freestyle events would be incorporated into the winter series. With the idea being that members would have the opportunity to try freestyle in a more relaxed arena and for those seasoned competitors it would be an opportunity to try out a new routine.
Unfortunately, the weather this Winter Series was not conducive to Freestyle and entries were very small in the first round offered and there were none in the second round on offer. Optimism remains high and with the changes to the competition dates for next year the weather may be kinder and entries may increase.
SEDA continues to strive to offer variety and quality to its members and to this end and following up on the positive feedback from last year, again held a fashion parade at the Riding for the Disabled Indoor Arena. The night followed the same format and offered fashions from Redgum Country, County Grey, The Tack Room and Horseland. The models - canine, equine and human were stunning and all well groomed and posed accordingly for the camera and audience.
This year the event was not as well attended and this may have been due to the lateness in advertising and this will be taken into account when considering whether or not to run this event again.
The “Doggy Dressage Day” remains on the calendar of events and thank you to Andrea for the use of her grounds. Despite the small numbers of entries, this continues to be a competition that is guaranteed to have spectators and competitors alike laughing hysterically at the antics of the handlers as they encourage, persuade and almost beg their dog to perform the required movements. Once again, the proceeds were donated to the Animal Welfare League.
Changes to EA rules and regulations in relation to registration and micro chipping of horses led to discussions and amongst the committee. The outcome was a club day which was held at Hi-Pine Equestrian Centre and offered micro chipping for horses and dogs at a reduced fee as well as the opportunity to sell second hand goods and try saddles.
The winter series has once again been a popular event on the equestrian calendar and culminated in a fabulous turn out for the Presentation Dinner which was held at the Gambier Hotel. The club is very appreciative of those businesses and individuals who sponsor our winter series and this year we were able to add another element to the competition with sponsorship from the Australian Equine Barefoot Movement.
Thank you to Greg Parker for making the table decorations, Robyn Parker for her video compilation, Naomi Grey for being MC and statistician and Belinda Bell for taking the entries and organising the draws and computing.
The Club was very fortunate to have the use of Glenfield which is the property of members Lynda and Wayne Field for the Winter Series. Due to their generosity we were able to utilise the Hut and offer catering to all in attendance. The day was broken into 2 parts with the morning competition winners being presented at lunch time to promote the social side of competing. The hot food was a huge success and most welcoming when the weather was not.
The committee again offered scholarships to members and the senior recipient is Jess Herring and the junior recipient is Kelzie Schipp.
The SEDA website continues to be sponsored by TDRS (Training Development Research and Support) and has been somewhat under utilised due to my commitments but hopefully this will be rectified with access now being given to the Public Relations Officer and the Secretary.
Feedback from members has been very useful and has led to some exciting changes within the SEDA calendar and in the manner in which we run certain events, including the Championships. The Committee have appreciated this input and encourage members to continue to support their club in this way.
The committee are also encouraging members to wear club colours and clothing and as a part of this process club apparel was given as prizes at the presentation dinner to the delight of the recipients.
The quest for Home Grounds led to Meredith Phillips and myself delivering a power point presentation to the A&H Society Committee. The result was the offer of limited use of their grounds with a fee of some $4,000 per annum. The area on offer was deemed to be inappropriate for the clubs needs and the offer was declined.
The update on the quest is a possible partner ship with Inter Soccer Club at Casidio Park. A trial day was held on the 30th October and those who attended commented on the serenity of the venue and the closeness to town.
Discussions continue as there may not be enough room but options are still being explored in relation to accessing neighbouring land. The Casidio Park Committee are very welcoming and keen to have us co-habitate. Grant District council have also been very supportive and continue to offer counsel and guidance.
I am very excited about the response from members in relation to Home Grounds and it makes the waiting, letter writing, negotiating and other associated anxieties worth it. We may not be there yet but we are indeed closer than we have ever been and I look forward to continuing the quest with the committee and members
As a Club we are trying to be more professional and have found that it is difficult to keep a track of what we own and therefore have developed a property register. This will prove invaluable when trying to locate items and means that unnecessary purchases are not made.
We are also aware of the need to monitor e-mails and have developed a protocol to prevent members being bombarded with SPAM.
Another successful Championship Competition was held at the Show grounds and a huge thankyou must go to Chris Williams for the managing of this event. Chris has a wealth of knowledge and many connections that enable the competition to be run in such a professional manner with barely a hiccup!
Discussions are well underway for celebrations for the clubs 30th birthday as an incorporated body in 2013 and this will be a very exciting time for the committee and members.
It appears that we have been duped in relation to our arena purchases and have had to accept the loss and pay for another set which should be available in February 2012. This is a financial loss that the Club could have done without but was out of our control.
Committee meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month and are a delight to Chair. Conversation and discussions are robust at times and quite hilarious at others. I thank the committee for their tolerance of my intolerance at what I sometimes see as idle chatter when I am focussed on getting to the agenda items in a timely fashion! Clearly I take my work time constraints into my personal life and I apologise for that.
It has been said in many arenas that people join committees for self interest and to fulfil personal agendas. I am proud to say that the committee of SEDA are dedicated to ensuring that dressage remains an integral part of the local equestrian calendar for years to come. Their focus, resilience, foresight and commitment have made my role as President an easy one and I thank each of them for that. For those members resigning this year I wish you well as you remain an active club member and are able to enjoy the calendar of events that the new committee will develop.
Behind every great committee, as ours is, there are always supporting family members and I would like to thank them for their time and understanding throughout the year.
Without our judges and pencillers there would not be a competition and to those who we call on year after year and those we are now reaching out to I thank you for your support, expertise and willingness to be involved.
There is usually one poignant moment that is reflected on in a year and I would like to share mine with you…….
The committee were offering catering for the winter series and as the last round was going to be finished by lunch time, we were unsure if people would want to be fed. In the spirit of our technological age, an e-mail was sent out to members asking them if they would like to be fed on the day. Responses were extremely poor, except for one person, Michelle Linke, who took the time to respond and had said that she would like lunch. The committee agreed to put on a smallish feed and it must have been the smell of the sausages that did it but almost every-one bought food.
During the course of the gathering Michelle presented for her sausages and there were none left! I couldn’t believe that we were unable to feed the only person who had responded that they wanted lunch so my humblest apologies to Michelle.
Finally, as this year ends, I anticipate and look forward to 2012 being a successful and rewarding year for the new committee and our members.
