Minutes of General Meeting, 4th March 2013
Minutes
GENERAL MEETING
Date:
04.03.13
Time:
7.06 p.m
Location:
Sports House ,Sydney Olympic Park, HOMEBUSH
Present:
As per Attendance Sheets (42 in attendance)
Apologies:
G.Henderson, N.Smith, G.Reynolds,D.Olford, T.Healy, B.Barry,
Guests:
Minutes and Actions of this Meeting
Chairperson called for one minutes silence in memory of the passing of Peter Castles father, Ken Grey and the Grandfather of Ziggy Przeklasa- Adamski
Acceptance of Apologies. Moved I.McCall. Seconded B.Gately .Carried.
1. Confirmation of Previous Minutes. Moved D.Spagarino Seconded S.Betts . Carried.
Business Arising from Previous Minutes
1. Attempts to have Selina Mucillo . HR Manager at the NRL address the NRL Squad have met with two meeting postponements. Selina claims now that she cannot attend a meeting until N.McGuirk is available.
2. Shayne Hayne resigned from the casual vacancy of Director of Referee Coaching and Development in August and was replaced by Gavin Badger who was elected to the full position at the Annual General Meeting but resigned in January, 2013. The position has been filled by Tony De las heras for the remainder of 2013..
3. MOU negotiations for the NRL Squad are continuing, however, some improvements have been granted including Salary increases of between 9% and 13% and some improvement in conditions. Committee is now working to revise the NSW Graded squad MOU in line with the NRL MOU for the purpose of a whole of game approach.
4. Seniors Life Members luncheon date for 2013 will be the same as for 2012.i.e the Saturday prior to the Grand Final.
5. The Role of the Director of Coaching and Development is being developed in consultation with Tony De lash eras and the NSWRL given the change to the management and control of funding by the NSWRL .
6. A CMO Level 1 Course was conducted on the 16th and 17th February and a CMo Level 2 Course will be conducted on the 23rd and 24th March.
7. With respect to the debate that occurred on Coaching and Development of referees , three of the 2012 Graded squad were promoted to the NRL Squad at the commencement of Season 2013. They were Jon Stone, Chris Sutton and Matt Noyen. There were none drawn from Queensland. Further, the Australian Sports Commission has recently awarded four referees Scholarships to referees from the Academy established by Steven Clark, They are Lawrence McDonnell, Michael Laverty, Ziggy Przeklasa –Adamski from NSW and Michael Gordon (QlD).
8. Luke Bugden and Michael Lewis were elected to Life Membership at the Annual General Meeting following recommendations from the Board.
Moved T.Danks. seconded D.Spagarino.Carried.
Board Minutes Summaries from 26.09.12 , 25.10.12, 29.11.12, 28.01.13, 27.02.13.
BUSINESS ARISING: Nil
ADOPTION OF BOARD MINUTES. Moved G.McCallum Seconded D.Winton. Carried.
Executive Officer: Mr Frank Leonard
Item
Action
Due Date
• Attendances Three ARLRA Board Meetings and the AGM as the
Association representative.
NSWRL Annual General Meeting and Ladies Night.
NRL Squad’s Col Pearce Medal Presentation
Graded Squad Retro Training Night.
Men of League Gala Dinner.
NSWRL Volunteer of the Year Awards Evening
CRLRA Annual General Meeting at Diamond Beach,
Tuncurry.
Illawarra, Canberra, Wests, Cronulla-Sutherland
Annual General Meetings.
Graded Squad/Junior Representative Squads’
Seminar.
Annual Presentation and Ladies Night of the
NSWRLRA where I was the M.C.
Special Meeting with Executives of the Inner City
Sydney Association to discuss the structure and
management of referees for the Sydney Inner City Club
Competition.
N.R.A.S Meetings in November and February. Charged
with wriitng the On-Line Module on Touch Judging.
• Presentations At the invitation of the N.Z.R.L presented two one day
seminars in Auckland on the 2nd and 3rd February on
Strategies for Educating referees and Mentoring and
Assessing referees.
Presented the “Legal Responsibilities” Module to 17
candidates enrolled in the Level 2 Course conducted by
the NSWRL Referee Coaching and Development Unit
under the leadership of D.Keen on the 17th February.
Presented a five hour Face to Face Course to six On-
Line candidates in Wollongong on the 2nd March. Will
present a Level 2 Course on the 9th and 10th March in
Wollongong and will oversee a Level 2 Course in
Canberra on the 16th and 17th March.
• NSWRLRA Inc. Annual Conference Involved in three planning meetings with T.Danks,
D.Keen and C.Crowe to develop the Conference
Agenda and attended for all three days.
Director of Referee Development : Mr Tony De las Heras
Item
Action
Due Date
• Five new Gradings
Congratulated five new members on their gradings.
Director of Finance : Mr Jimmy Oliveira
Item
Action
Due Date
• Sponsorship
Thanked P.Cooley for securing sponsorship from Marrickville RSL for the Les Matthews Memorial Annual Golf Day.
“Good Guys” sponsoring four
• Grants
• MOU from NSWRL
• Change of External Auditor for 2013
Associations on Multi year deals. Over 6 stores involved to the value of $50,000.
Thanked T.Danks for increase in District Association Grants. Seeking Invoices from Associations for Administration Grant and Coaching and Development grants.
Handed to Brendan Lucas to be married with the RL MOU. For the purpose of a whole of game approach.
Board decision to change the external Auditor from Liguory and Associates to Chek Huon whose credentials were outlined to the meeting by T.Danks.
Director of Affiliate Liaison : Mr Doug Keen
Item
Action
Due Date
• North Sydney Coaching Seminar
• Attendances
• Womens Development Committee Seminar
• Police Competition
• NSWRLRA Conference
• Men Of League Golf Day at Forster
NRL referee to assist. T.De las Heras to
follow up.
Manly, Canberra and University Cup
Annual General Meetings.
To be held at Narrabeen on the 24th
March. T.De las Heras now the Liaison
person for the Committee. G.McCallum
thanked for the initiative and his
contribution , especially during 2011.
Recommencing. Venues identified.
Thanked those who attended . Positive
feedback. Planning for 2014.
Four members attended and
participated. D.Keen interviewed a
number of ex First Grade, State and
Test Match players and was
congratulated on his performance by
the Chairman.
Director of Member Services : Mr Luke Bugden
Item
Action
Due Date
• Presentation Evening
• Les Matthews Memorial Golf day
To be held on the 26th October at Concord Function Centre
To be held at Bowral Golf Club on Sunday 24th November. Moved P.Cooley, seconded S.Betts that the decision of the 2012 Board to restrict the field to 60 players to be rescinded. Carried.
Director of Marketing & Communication: Mr George Jankowski
Item
Action
Due Date
• Web Page
5000-6000 hits per month over
summer. Grown to 14000 hits.
Focussing on information on
referees and placing on Facebook and
Twitter.
• Ken Grey ( Recently Deceased)
• Historical Committee
Seeking a photograph.
Working on Minutes from first two years
with a view to donating to Rugby
League Museum at League Central.
Chairman : Mr Michael Stone
• Meetings
• Peter Bungate
• Newly Graded Members
• Junior Representatives Squad Perpetual Trophies
Several meetings with N.McGuirk and G .Carr to get head around where the Association is in 2013. Seem to be on a reasonable footing with the Leagues at present. Need to be seen as part of the game not outside it. If we need to , we will as a Board go to the custodians of the game and take issues up with them. Discussed with the NRL the issue of referees no longer in the game . Informed that matters have been resolved amicably.
Met with P.Bungate re his non appointment as a Coach or MDA and have taken it up with the NSWRL. Letter on the way. If P.Bungate wants Board to take it forward the Board will do so.
Chairman informed the meeting that a another member was under a cloud . Information yet to be released by the popular press. The member will be supported, counselled and assisted by the Association.
M.Stone presented Gear, Certificates, the Constitution and a Metal Badge to P.Sung, J.Hartup, D.Oultram, C.Treneman and D.Briscoe.
Presented to M.Jones and D.Oultram who won the Les Matthews Trophy and Michael Ryan Trophy, respectively, in 2012 , The Frank Walsh Trophy to be presented to Warwick Bowen at first opportunity.
Due Date
ACCEPTANCE OF REPORTS: Moved: B.Gately, Seconded B.Ruttle. Carried
1. REPORTS
The Chairman of the ARLRA , Dennis Spagarino, at the invitation of the Chairman referred to the proposed structural change for the administration and organisation of referees across Australia stating that it would impact on referees from the top level down to the grass roots. He said that the ARLC had accepted 27 recommendations for change including the establishment of a National Referees’ Department, not yet in place headed up by a General Manger yet to be appointed. He said he understood that the person selected would have control over funding.
This change will affect the ARLRA altering its function and purpose and the Board of the ARLRA was working through this at present. For the present it is understood that the ARLRA will continue to oversee the National Schoolboy Championships and CMO Courses. He said that the ARLRA was being consulted on how the NRD will operate but the main concern is for referees across Australia, especially the grass roots level and many of these are in the Affiliated States. Nathan McGuirk has given an assurance that the ARLC is not about to get rid of good people out of the game.
General Business.
1 Election of Patrons. The Chairman pointed out that this had been overlooked at the Annual General Meeting. J.O’Sullivan and I .McCall nominated and unanimously elected.
2 Internal Auditors. Also overlooked at the Annual General Meeting .P.Filmer, B.Lucas and S.Betts nominated. B.Lucas declined. S.Betts and P.Filmer declared the incumbents for 2013.
3 F.Leonard spoke on his concerns re the game’s funding where District Referee Associations are forced to engage in a range of fund-raising activities, seek sponsorships and survive on very limited Bank balances while the game has seen an injection of funding of $1.5.billion and the Chairman of the ARLC has estimated that revenue will grow by some 5% to in excess of $320 million in 2017. He said his concern is for grass roots League that includes Referee Associations and Junior Leagues, the game’s future, that seems to be being ignored at the expense of the pointy end of the game. He referred to the call for a cut of $200,000 from the NSWRL 2013 Budget as an example of this.
. M.Stone referred to the financial landscape of the game which he said , historically, reflected the plight of grass
roots League but that it could change. D.Keen supported this sentiment with reference to what the NRD may do.
4. F.Leonard referred to concerns expressed at the NSWRLRA Inc. Conference on the Level 1 On-Line
Course especially the mandating that the Course is now compulsory for all candidates. Discussion followed on
the flexibility available in presentation, the movement to a Level 2 On-Line Course for implementation in 2014
and the impact that rapidly changing technology is having on education at all levels of society.
5. T.Danks spoke on the history of the Inner City Club Competition and the need to do something with the
management and appointment of referees. Three meetings have been held and he outlined the structure which
will be managed by T.De lash eras who will be responsible for appointing and the assessment of referees. Long
term, Tony believes there will be a Super A Grade competition involving all Districts. The next step is a meeting
with the Presidents of the participating Associations to ensure they know where their District is going.
6. T.Danks responded to a reques to outline the NSWRL Social Media Policy. He stated that it was a Zero
Tolerance Policy introduced through the NSWRL and Darren Kane, Lawyer with Colin Love & Associates. The
Policy will be distributed an covers the junior representative squad and the Graded squad. The document can be
used as a template by District Associations. The NSWRL wants the document signed as an indication of
acceptance. Those who refuse to sign will be dropped from the relevant Squad.
7. Final numbers were declared for the Kevin Roberts presentation at the Men of League function on the 15th
March at Souths Junior Leagues Club.
9. B. Gately advertised a Men of League Bowls Day to be held on the morning of the 15th March.
10. D.Spagarino sought to clarify issues related to the Financial Report within the Annual Report. He asked if it was possible to produce a separate Financial Statement outside of the Annual Report because of the typographic issues related to the 2011 and 2012 Reports. M.Stone stated that as Chairman he would ensure that this request be honoured in 2013.
11. D.Keen asked if any member had appointment records for 1984 the only year yet to be checked for establishing the NSWRLRA 300 Club. He also drew attention to a web site , RL Projects.org that had a plethora of statistics relating to the game.
12. D.Wintin sought a clarification of the term “kick” in the revised laws of the game.. M.Stone explained that there is no change to the Law except for the statement “no imparting of motion” e.g if the ball is kicked into the shin of a defender, the resultant rebound is not a kick.
13. 13. G.McCallum explained the Law as it now relates to the Shoulder Charge emphasising that it is governed by the position ofthe defender’s arm to assist in making contact with the body of the ball carrier. The complication comes when there is contact made with the head of an opponent with the shoulder which is deemed as a careless or reckless high tackle. He said that Junior Leagues will have to wrestle with this but the bottom line is that the intent has to be there.
Meeting closed at 8.40 p.m
Next Meeting: Monday May 5th 2013
CHAIRPERSON……………………………………..