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If you weren't at the AGM, checkout President Pete's Report for 2008 here...
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Firstly, I would like to thank last years committee and in particular, Peter Lawson for handing over a very well run club. Very few would disagree with the fact that Peter’s contribution to our club over the years has made it what it is today – a very successful and vibrant organization.
Taking over the reins as President was certainly exciting. It was important that the new committee waste no time and have a plan for the year ahead. The most important item on our agenda was to have our soon to expire lease at Narrogin, renewed for a following 10 years. We also wanted to start to make some improvements to our Narrogin facilities.
In order that our club be taken seriously about our future, it was decided that we meet with the Narrogin Shire Chief Executive Officer, Geoff McKeown, to discuss the lease which turned out to be a very fruitful meeting. Purely by luck, the Narrogin Shire Committee visited our track only to find Frank Barron busily toying away with the water truck. We could not have wished for a better scenario. And the rest is history with written confirmation received in September.
Early March saw the club take delivery of an 80foot sea container, which now sits alongside our clubrooms and will be a great asset in years to come for future storage.
Something that has been talked about for the past couple of years was to have Czech Republic riders Jaraslav Falta and Jiri Starec out to ride at our Wandering event. Mike Smith presented his ideas at one of our committee meetings and was soon making regular contact with the Czech superstars. With relentless hard work, he had them booked on a flight so that they could appear at our Gala event at Wandering and then again 2 weeks later at Narrogin. I think you would all agree that Wandering was that extra bit special this year. That reflects in the 123 riders that attended which was a remarkable 29.47% up on last years attendances.
While I am on the subject of statistics, I thought you may be interested in the following:-
- our average number of riders per event, excluding Wandering, was 46.1%, up 18.20% on last year.
- our membership was up 13.9% to a staggering 173 members.
- for those who have a sidecar fetish, we averaged 7.1% chairs per meet, up nearly 8% on last year. Our sidecar turnout for Wandering was up a gigantic 120% on last year!
This year also saw the club race at 2 new tracks, the first being Bunbury and the 2nd at the legendary Dyback Ridge. In all, we held 13 events, excluding a tuning weekend and the Northam Motorcycle Festival. What I have found most gratifying at race meets this year, is a constant flow of new faces and bikes – a sure sign of a healthy club.
Our club website must be the envy of every vintage motorcycle club in the world, Alison Irving who has taken up the unofficial position of Assistant Webmaster, and with such passion. I must not forget our club newsletter, which would be the envy of many. A very special thanks to Phill Hopwood for supplying us with such a good read.
Club Secretary was taken up by Wayne Clark this year and his enthusiasm for the sport is infectious. His knowledge of all matters regarding the operation of the club is unrivalled. A very big thank you Wayne.
Mick Brady and Robert Dillion worked very well as Membership Secretary and Club Captain, and ensured every race ran smoothly this year (even if you forgot your high visability jacket)!
Vice Captain, Gary Johnson, was also there to lend a hand if things got too busy for Robert. Andrew Irving put his years of bank experience to good use and supplied us with a beautiful set of numbers each month.
Having an enthusiastic committee is only a small contribution to the overall running of the club. Every one of you has made a contribution throughout the year, whether big or small, it does not matter. It never ceases to amaze me how members all chip in and do their bit with the minimum of fuss.
The future of VMXWA looks very rosey indeed. It is now time to plan for the future. In preparation for this years AGM, I’ve been fortunate enough to have these people put their hands up for the following committee jobs:-
- Gary Johnson as Vice President
- Ted Lewis as Secretary
- Andrew Irving as Treasurer
- Robert Dillion as Club Captain
- Mark Thomas as Vice Club Captain
- Mike Brady as Membership Secretary
- Phill Hopwood as Editor
- Paul Copley as Country Delegate
Together with my new committee, we would like to have:-
- a stronger relationship with our country members
- complete the clubroom and container extension
- obtain grants for new toilet and shower facilities at Narrogin
- ensure that our 15th Anniversary in 2010 is marked by an event that will go down in folklore
- and finally, make sure every club member, whether they race once a year or 13 times, has the time of their life!
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