PRESIDENT'S PIECE
OCTOBER 2020
OCTOBER 2020
The club started the last year in a great position with a keen committee and members and we had some great rallies and shows planned. Then along came Covid which unfortunately resulted in a lot of our planned activities being cancelled.
To focus on the positives, there have still been some good things come out of the last 12 months. We have welcomed quite a few new members into our club with our membership list exceeding 40 for the second time in two years. With all the lock downs in place we saw the invention of online competitions and it was great to see several our members taking the opportunity to compete in a different format and with success. I would also like to thank the members that quickly galvanised to organise rallies when the opportunities allowed in between lockdowns.
As always, I want to thank the members that keep our club running by generously giving their time and commitment to fill positions on our committee. I would also like to extend a special thankyou to our dedicated Grants Officer, Tressna Martin who once again has secured several grants for our club over the past 12 months.
I am proud to be part of such an inclusive and supportive club. At rallies it is commonplace to see members supporting each other and encouraging the less experienced or less confident riders.
Hopefully the next 12 months will be less disruptive, and we can all get back out and about with our ponies.
~Lauren Donaldson, NWVARC President
To focus on the positives, there have still been some good things come out of the last 12 months. We have welcomed quite a few new members into our club with our membership list exceeding 40 for the second time in two years. With all the lock downs in place we saw the invention of online competitions and it was great to see several our members taking the opportunity to compete in a different format and with success. I would also like to thank the members that quickly galvanised to organise rallies when the opportunities allowed in between lockdowns.
As always, I want to thank the members that keep our club running by generously giving their time and commitment to fill positions on our committee. I would also like to extend a special thankyou to our dedicated Grants Officer, Tressna Martin who once again has secured several grants for our club over the past 12 months.
I am proud to be part of such an inclusive and supportive club. At rallies it is commonplace to see members supporting each other and encouraging the less experienced or less confident riders.
Hopefully the next 12 months will be less disruptive, and we can all get back out and about with our ponies.
~Lauren Donaldson, NWVARC President
This year we re-introduced the Volunteer Award which will see the winning member have their Membership fees paid in full for the following membership year.
PRESIDENT'S PIECE
OCTOBER 2019
OCTOBER 2019
The last 12 months have continued to see the club thrive with several new members and great attendance at rallies and shows.
This club was created to provide adult riders an opportunity to ride, train and compete in a relaxed, friendly and social atmosphere. When you read organisations mission statements you often wonder whether they come close to meeting them or if they are forgotten about as soon as the ink has dried. I am very proud that our club truly lives and breathes its mission statement. This is constantly evident from all the supportive comments and feedback that flies around on social media every time our riders post about their equine related struggles or achievements.
The improvement in so many of our riders over the last 12 months has been quite phenomenal. Some have gone from very nervous riders to confidently participating in group lessons while others have commenced competing with some great results.
The club’s annual show at Wentworth was a great success and it was nice to see so many members giving it a go. As we know these events do not run themselves so I would like to thank Jen Wescombe for once again being our card secretary and Kathryn Dawe for stewarding. Our club always receives lovely feedback about our riders from the judges that come.
I know that thankyou speeches can go on and on, but I do feel that there are some acknowledgments that I need to mention.
Firstly, I would like to thank all our members for making NWVARC such a great club. Secondly, I would like to thank all our committee members for the last 12 months. The club would not be able to run without the committee. I would like to make special mention of both Kath Honeck and Deb Algate as our secretary and Treasurer. They both do a huge amount of administration for the club to ensure that everything is kept in order and we stay financial. Thirdly, I would like to acknowledge the services of Judy Doyle and Alisha Kalms for conducting all the level assessments, particularly kindly donating their time in the lead up to our dressage judges workshop. People may not be aware that Judy and Alisha give up their time travel at their own expense to maintain their qualifications for the benefit of our members. Next I would like to thank Tressna Martin for her efforts as our grants officer. She has done an amazing job in writing grant applications, often on very short notice.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge Alisha Kalms for her tireless effort in organising the Dressage judges workshop. It was a massive effort to make it all work and Alisha did it almost single handed. On behalf of Alisha, Judy and myself I also wanted to Thank Pauline Kerr for kindly giving up her time to travel to Elmore and pencil for us.
In closing I encourage members to consider being part of the committee. As the old adage goes, many hands make light work. Being on the committee gives you the opportunity to shape the future of the club and the workload is not too onerous. The club holds bi-monthly meetings so only 5-6 per year and all our members pitch in with organising rallies so this is not a committee responsibility.
~ Lauren Donaldson, NWVARC President
This club was created to provide adult riders an opportunity to ride, train and compete in a relaxed, friendly and social atmosphere. When you read organisations mission statements you often wonder whether they come close to meeting them or if they are forgotten about as soon as the ink has dried. I am very proud that our club truly lives and breathes its mission statement. This is constantly evident from all the supportive comments and feedback that flies around on social media every time our riders post about their equine related struggles or achievements.
The improvement in so many of our riders over the last 12 months has been quite phenomenal. Some have gone from very nervous riders to confidently participating in group lessons while others have commenced competing with some great results.
The club’s annual show at Wentworth was a great success and it was nice to see so many members giving it a go. As we know these events do not run themselves so I would like to thank Jen Wescombe for once again being our card secretary and Kathryn Dawe for stewarding. Our club always receives lovely feedback about our riders from the judges that come.
I know that thankyou speeches can go on and on, but I do feel that there are some acknowledgments that I need to mention.
Firstly, I would like to thank all our members for making NWVARC such a great club. Secondly, I would like to thank all our committee members for the last 12 months. The club would not be able to run without the committee. I would like to make special mention of both Kath Honeck and Deb Algate as our secretary and Treasurer. They both do a huge amount of administration for the club to ensure that everything is kept in order and we stay financial. Thirdly, I would like to acknowledge the services of Judy Doyle and Alisha Kalms for conducting all the level assessments, particularly kindly donating their time in the lead up to our dressage judges workshop. People may not be aware that Judy and Alisha give up their time travel at their own expense to maintain their qualifications for the benefit of our members. Next I would like to thank Tressna Martin for her efforts as our grants officer. She has done an amazing job in writing grant applications, often on very short notice.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge Alisha Kalms for her tireless effort in organising the Dressage judges workshop. It was a massive effort to make it all work and Alisha did it almost single handed. On behalf of Alisha, Judy and myself I also wanted to Thank Pauline Kerr for kindly giving up her time to travel to Elmore and pencil for us.
In closing I encourage members to consider being part of the committee. As the old adage goes, many hands make light work. Being on the committee gives you the opportunity to shape the future of the club and the workload is not too onerous. The club holds bi-monthly meetings so only 5-6 per year and all our members pitch in with organising rallies so this is not a committee responsibility.
~ Lauren Donaldson, NWVARC President
Tressna Martin has been busy with grant submissions on behalf of the NWVARC. She has managed to secure a $500 donation from the Melbourne Racing Club Foundation. The Committee Members would like to thank Tressna Martin for her efforts on behalf of the Club and the MRC Foundation for their generous support.
Article in the Mildura Weekly (Friday November 16, 2018) regarding the covered arena upgrade promised by Member for Mildura Peter Crisp.
PRESIDENT'S PIECE
NOVEMBER 2018
This past year again the club has gone from strength to strength. We have run several different clinics and rallies, which have been supported by good numbers. Our membership has grown a little and this has been helped along by the variety we provide in our activities each month. We ran another successful BBQ at Bunnings and raised money through the Cadbury boxes again. Deb has done a fantastic job coordinating this in the past and now it is time for someone else to take over the reins. This is an easy way for the club to raise money with little effort required by members. It would be great to see it continue. We ran another official ring at Wentworth Show and it was well supported. Even though numbers seemed low, they were on par with other ag shows and this is the changing face of showing competition.
As this will be my last President’s report, I can happily say that I am very proud of what our small, remote club has achieved over the years. From conversations at Horseland to meetings at the back of Cellarbrations, our club grew from a small group of driven ladies who wanted something more like Pony Club for them. It has been such a pleasure to work with committees past and present and wish that I could stay on, but distance will make things hard. I wish the club the best going forward and I still hope to be an active member. I have seen this club grow from nothing and want to continue on with the driving force of why we set it up.
I wish all members the best for the coming year and a safe and happy Christmas. To my successor, I wish you all the best and know that you will always have the best interests of the club and its members at heart.
As this will be my last President’s report, I can happily say that I am very proud of what our small, remote club has achieved over the years. From conversations at Horseland to meetings at the back of Cellarbrations, our club grew from a small group of driven ladies who wanted something more like Pony Club for them. It has been such a pleasure to work with committees past and present and wish that I could stay on, but distance will make things hard. I wish the club the best going forward and I still hope to be an active member. I have seen this club grow from nothing and want to continue on with the driving force of why we set it up.
I wish all members the best for the coming year and a safe and happy Christmas. To my successor, I wish you all the best and know that you will always have the best interests of the club and its members at heart.
Thanks to the efforts of our wonderful grants officer Tressna Martin, over 80 new SJ poles have been delivered to the SEC grounds!
Here's the finished product, how fantastic does it look!!! Thanks to Jim & Mandy Gowty for all their assistance and installing the back splash and hood. The oven is big and absolutely perfect for the club grounds. Thanks again to Lauren Donaldson for all her hard work in getting this purchased and installed in time for the HTs (not to mention the actual grant writing).
The NWVARC was presented with a cheque to upgrade the oven in the club rooms. Thanks to Lauren for her efforts in securing the grant!!
Pictured Kath Honeck, Club Secretary, with Mayor Mark Eckel.
Pictured Kath Honeck, Club Secretary, with Mayor Mark Eckel.
president's piece
October 2017
The past 12 months have seen the club grow in both members and activities. We had a series of weekend clinics at the start of this year that we have not done before. This gave members the opportunity to have in-depth sessions with top level instructors over the 2 days. This of course meant that for several months we did not have day rallies and numbers were capped, along with members having to choose due to costs. When opportunities like these arise, it is important to look at how they can serve the club and its members. This was a once off and plans have been put in place to ensure that such weekend clinics do not occur month after month, but we recognise that getting instructors to travel to Mildura can be hard so we have to make the most of the opportunities.
Aside from that, the monthly rallies have included a wide range of activities for all members to enjoy. Having members run these clinics remains important and a strength of our club. It means that we are sharing our expertise and interests more widely. Continuing this tradition is important and one that many other clubs have not been able to start.
This year saw the club run its own ring at Wentworth show. Luckily, having a show judge as a member, meant that we could easily get a judge and work with the show committee on running things as smoothly as possible. After the event we quickly discussed some areas that will need to be addressed in the future if we are to continue running this ring.
The Northern Rivers club started up and this has opened up the possibility of sharing costs for large events and instructors in the future. In my dealings with the club, I have found that they are keen to build a strong club, but also work with us. This could involve some interesting possibilities in the future. We also had some members compete at Wentworth Show.
We were extremely lucky to gain a grant to purchase a defibrillator and access to training in its use. This was a huge win for the club and the Sunraysia Equestrian Centre. It means that we have this device in our clubrooms and, as we are isolated, able to deliver much quicker when needed. It was great to see all user groups take advantage of the training. Let’s hope we never need to use it.
I would love to individually go through all things we have done, but would be here all night, so I must thank each member who has helped organise rallies over the year and those who have helped in other ways. To my committee, I must thank you yet again for your hard work and dedication to our small club. Even though we don’t see each other as much as I would like, it is great to catch up at meetings and get together. To Lauren, you have done so much for the club as Secretary behind the scenes and especially in the putting together of the policies for our club. I think we have nearly achieved everything required by BOM.
I wish all the best to the members of the club and hope that each and every one of you rejoin, along with new members. And remember that every day is great when you ride a horse.
Aside from that, the monthly rallies have included a wide range of activities for all members to enjoy. Having members run these clinics remains important and a strength of our club. It means that we are sharing our expertise and interests more widely. Continuing this tradition is important and one that many other clubs have not been able to start.
This year saw the club run its own ring at Wentworth show. Luckily, having a show judge as a member, meant that we could easily get a judge and work with the show committee on running things as smoothly as possible. After the event we quickly discussed some areas that will need to be addressed in the future if we are to continue running this ring.
The Northern Rivers club started up and this has opened up the possibility of sharing costs for large events and instructors in the future. In my dealings with the club, I have found that they are keen to build a strong club, but also work with us. This could involve some interesting possibilities in the future. We also had some members compete at Wentworth Show.
We were extremely lucky to gain a grant to purchase a defibrillator and access to training in its use. This was a huge win for the club and the Sunraysia Equestrian Centre. It means that we have this device in our clubrooms and, as we are isolated, able to deliver much quicker when needed. It was great to see all user groups take advantage of the training. Let’s hope we never need to use it.
I would love to individually go through all things we have done, but would be here all night, so I must thank each member who has helped organise rallies over the year and those who have helped in other ways. To my committee, I must thank you yet again for your hard work and dedication to our small club. Even though we don’t see each other as much as I would like, it is great to catch up at meetings and get together. To Lauren, you have done so much for the club as Secretary behind the scenes and especially in the putting together of the policies for our club. I think we have nearly achieved everything required by BOM.
I wish all the best to the members of the club and hope that each and every one of you rejoin, along with new members. And remember that every day is great when you ride a horse.
NOVEMBER 2016
2015/2016 has disappeared as quickly as it started. The club has seen a lot of activities going on and the committee has worked diligently behind the scenes to offer as many opportunities as possible to our members. We have run some good clinics, which have all been well supported. Our Bake Stall at Bunnings was a huge success, just beating the previous amount. This was an outstanding result for our small club. We ran the Steve Halfpenny clinic again which also regained members. We do have him booked again for next year. Monthly rallies were run as needed and for those who gave up their time to plan, organise and run them, I thank you.
I have started my show judging candidate course and will be sitting my practical exam at a show near Melbourne at the start of December. This has been a valuable learning experience and I look forward to getting out across the State to judge in coming years.
The committee has worked very hard this year, especially behind the scenes with SECBOM to get policies and procedures in place. At times this was exhausting and went well beyond the job description. Lauren and Kylie spent a great deal of time going through paperwork and insurance policies to make sure our club was covered. Alisha was extremely helpful and supportive to me and other committee members to get through this and also working hard to ensure rallies ran. Deb has been integral as Treasurer. Without her efficient working methods I would be at a loss.
I never want to sound like a grouch, but in order to ensure the future viability of our club, it is essential members take on more responsibility and share the load. This currently is often falling on the shoulders of a small number of the same people, namely committee members.
There is so much more that can be said about the last 12 months and I want to say thanks to those people who have supported me. A special thanks to my committee who have been there through so much.
I have started my show judging candidate course and will be sitting my practical exam at a show near Melbourne at the start of December. This has been a valuable learning experience and I look forward to getting out across the State to judge in coming years.
The committee has worked very hard this year, especially behind the scenes with SECBOM to get policies and procedures in place. At times this was exhausting and went well beyond the job description. Lauren and Kylie spent a great deal of time going through paperwork and insurance policies to make sure our club was covered. Alisha was extremely helpful and supportive to me and other committee members to get through this and also working hard to ensure rallies ran. Deb has been integral as Treasurer. Without her efficient working methods I would be at a loss.
I never want to sound like a grouch, but in order to ensure the future viability of our club, it is essential members take on more responsibility and share the load. This currently is often falling on the shoulders of a small number of the same people, namely committee members.
There is so much more that can be said about the last 12 months and I want to say thanks to those people who have supported me. A special thanks to my committee who have been there through so much.
NOVEMBER 2016 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
It was certainly a busy and productive night at our AGM last night. Lots of new faces which is fabulous.
Welcome back to our returning committee and a extra big welcome to our brand new committee members:
Kath Honeck
Kathryn Drysdale
Amy Marie
Rachel Kate
Stephanie'Lee Quinn
Yvette Pomroy
Pauline Kerr
Good luck with the big year ahead ladies!!!
Welcome back to our returning committee and a extra big welcome to our brand new committee members:
Kath Honeck
Kathryn Drysdale
Amy Marie
Rachel Kate
Stephanie'Lee Quinn
Yvette Pomroy
Pauline Kerr
Good luck with the big year ahead ladies!!!