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AGM President's Report 2010
On behalf of the Ballarat Light Car Club I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all people gathered here tonight to commemorate this the 19th AGM of the Ballarat Light Car Club. We hope everyone has a very enjoyable evening. For those that don't know
I'm Noel Peers and it gives me great pleasure to present my report for the year 2009-2010.
Firstly the Club welcomes our invited guests – Catherine King MP, Cr Cheryl Bromfield and Cr John Philips, Rhonda Coghlan, Peter Stapleton and Kerry Bruty. It is with regret we have received apologies from Mayor Judy Verlin and the other councillors, Rob Dunt (CAMS), Jack Ellis, Geoff Boyd, Trevor Ryan, Gary Harrowfield, Frank Devine, Ian Ellis, Ian Brain and Ian Crook.
This financial year has been a very busy one for the club, with the club running four motorkhanas to make a series, four autocrosses to make a series, as well as Barney's Double Banger and the Geordie Fawcett Memorial Autocross at Christmas. We ran one round of the Victorian State Hillclimb Championship and assisted Ararat Car Club with their Hillclimbs.
The club also conducted the Begonia Rally and the Winter Classic Rally & Tour as well as being involved in the running of the Challenge of Clubs, assisting with the motorkhana component, the rally and running the autocross. Other stand alone events which was also promoted were Coghlan's Carnival and the Seemore Rally Sprint. All up BLCC was involved in running approximately 18 events for the year. When BLCC are involved it is always to a very high standard and this has always been the case. Due to such a large number of events being supported by BLCC and all the rules and regulations that have to be adhered to, it is more akin to running a small business than a Club as our treasurer Clare will attest to.
For the club to support so many events to such a high standard a lot of people are involved and have to be thanked. Firstly, I would like to thank Committee (please stand when I say your name) – my Vice President Les Noonan, (Thanks Les) who has ably assisted me all year as well as dealing with emails etc. He has also stepped up to chair some Committee meetings when I have been late due to work or absent when I lost Dad in May. He also chaired two club meetings when I was track marshalling at the AGP and scrutineering at the Winton Historics. Les also attends CAMS State Council meetings.
Treasurer – Clare Bennett who has done an excellent job of balancing the books so please if you are involved with events keep your receipts and fill out your reimbursement summaries for her as without these it makes her job extremely difficult. Also thanks Clare for doing some typing of reports and sending emails for me as I am only a one fingered typist! It takes me too long and I haven't got and don't need a computer.
Secretary – Stacey Noonan – thanks for taking care of all incoming and outgoing correspondence and also doing typing and emails for me also.
Membership Secretary – Rod Robson, assisted by his wife Ann for looking after all membership matters and keeping track of the club keys.
House Chairman – Wayne Sanders, for keeping the fridge stocked, nibbles on the tables and looking after the clubrooms.
Motorsport Complex Manager and Hillclimb Panel Rep - Barney Haddon, thanks for all your input and advice throughout the year. Thanks for looking after the track etc. and for organizing Shane Williams and Greg Pitt for grading the track and the working bees and all those who attended.
Bulletin Editor – Steve Ezzy who has done a great job in getting our newsletter out on time. He has been unofficially assisted by our Web Master- Wayne Sleep.
Event Secretary/CAMS Liaison and Chair of the Sports Sub Committee – Rod Hall. Without Rod's contribution, especially the CAMS side, most events would not run at all. So many thanks Rod for this (and the computer stuff too). Thanks to all the members of the Sports Sub committee for your effort and contribution to running the Club. These people are Barney Haddon(Hillclimb), Ben McKee and Darren Wythe (Rally), Damian Faulkner, Steve Richards, Wayne Sleep, Dave Marmo, Peter Marmo and Ben Davis. Thank also to Mick Goossens and Keith McElroy.
CAMS Assistant – Mick Goossens who has helped out with a lot of computer business, website, scoring events and series compilation, a job I can't do!
Media Liaison – Russell McKenzie and Ian Brain. Job well done organizing our entry in the Begonia Parade. Russell also chaired the History Sub Committee and along with Philip Meiklejohn and others has started looking into our history, firstly to help Bob Watson with his history of the LCCA so as to do a chapter on Ballarat and Bendigo, then to help with producing a book on our 60th Anniversary. The more they look into and research our history, the bigger the job is getting, so to all involved with this project – thanks and keep up all your hard work. It will be well worth it in the end.
So once again a very big thank you to all on Committee for all your assistance and effort in helping run the Club for the year. It truly is a team effort, not just a one man show. There are a lot of other people who contribute greatly throughout the year to the club and events. The club sincerely thanks you all!! It is not only directors who make events – there are event secretaries, scrutineers, stewards, timers/scorers, marshalls, catering staff and competitors. All pieces of the puzzle and take any piece away - the event doesn't happen. Take a look on your table and thank each other or tell them to thank their families for their contribution. Without each and everyone putting something back into the club, we wouldn't be here tonight and definitely not for 60 + years.
That might be enough thank yous for the moment but I really do think this night is a big "thank you night" to everyone involved in BLCC which is a club involved in nearly all facets of motorsport.
Congratulations to all competitors and winners for having a go. Our series winners were;
Damian Faulkner – Club Driver's Championship, Damian Faulkner – Motorkhana Series, Damian Faulkner and Lewis Clark – tied for the Autocross Series, Simon Ellis – Club Trial Series, Ian Ellis – BJ Nicholson Navigators Aggregate Award, Keith McElroy and Vince McDonald - Winter Classic (Rally), Glenn Latter and Dave Darwin – Winter Classic (Tour),
Mark Fawcett and Carrie Morris – Begonia Rally (VRC), Andrew Bell and Ari Patterson – Begonia Rally (VCRS), Damian Faulkner – Cog's Carnival, Mark Fawcett – Geordie Fawcett Memorial Autocross. We also have Mark Fawcett competing at both State and National Rallies and Glenn Latter and Steve Grinstead picking up plenty of awards for Australian and State Hillclimbs.
In December 2009 we lost Life Member and Past President Mal McPherson. He is sadly missed and remembered for his contribution to motorsport and the Club by those who knew him. Just recently we also lost a Past President in Gordon York (1960) who was a partner in a former Ballarat business Lance & York.
For the future I sincerely hope that the BLCC committee and members continue to work together in promoting motorsport and thus road safety so thanks once again to all involved.
Thanks also to the Committee members who are standing down – Russell McKenzie, Rod Robson and Mick Goossens. The club welcomes returning members Rod Hall and Clare Bennett and new member Shane Williams. There are still two positions vacant.
It's at this point that most tend to thank the wife and kids. I cant do that but I do really need to thank Mum for her support and for staffing the "Norman St Truck Stop and Café". I must sincerely thank my mate and past president Chris Hall for his advice and help this year, even if he did leave me floundering in the lead up to the Winter Classic 2009. I was Co Director when he had a couple stays in hospital (one planned, one not). Lastly, I need to thank my workmate Richard Pearson for working with me and swapping weekends around so that I could attend nearly every event that BLCC has been involved with this year.
Thanks for listening and I am proud to present this report as well as being given the privilege to guide the Club over the last twelve months.
Noel Peers
BLCC President
POST SCRIPT
The Clubman Award goes to a member who has contributed over and above the norm to the Club. I will ask Catherine King to present this year's Clubman Award to ….(have you got the camera ready?....how are you going to take your own photo?) Wayne Sleep. Congratulations and thanks for your effort over the last twelve months.
