Hi members, in response to queries pertaining to the special resolutions that will be taking place ahead of the 2023 AGM, the following information has been provided by the committee which serves to explain the reasoning behind these resolutions.
Reasons Why Special Meeting
About an hour, say 7pm, before our annual AGM which will start at 8pm this year in the Eleura Room at Tradies, Gymea, the SDAC will vote on two special motions.
The first one is a proposal to implement an updated and user friendly Constitution. The second one concerns the proposal to change the club’s name.
We are obliged to note those motions verbatim here.
These Special Motions relate to proposed changes to the Sutherland District Athletics Club Incorporated’s Constitution that was last amended on 7th June 2016.
· MOTION 1
That the Club’s current Constitution be replaced by a new updated version to be known as the:
Constitution of the Sutherland District Athletics Club Incorporated (as amended on 23rd April 2023).
· MOTION 2
That the name of the Association (our Club) be changed from the current Sutherland District Athletics Club Incorporated to now read Cronulla-Sutherland Athletics Club Incorporated.
Re motion 1 – we have one already but it has been shown of late to lack modern trappings, so board member Stephen Henderson has spent a great deal of time drafting this new and improved version.
This document is a mandatory thing for us to have and it among other things helps dictate our governance of the club.
So we should vote and pass it unanimously. It should be noted here also that this doesn’t take effect until it has been registered with the NSW Department of Fair Trading after the voting.
As for motion 2, this is a little more sensitive and will most likely be an emotional issue.
It is the potential name change of the club.
This letter is not designed specifically to make up your mind as to which way to vote, but rather to point out the reason for the vote.
Again, under the direction of our current Constitution, if a board member tables a motion during a general meeting we are to vote upon it. Which we did re the name change. It was not a unanimous vote but there was enough interest to progress the motion to the next level and this is why we have this letter.
The next level is for the membership of the club (all those 18 and over) to vote on it. And what we are voting on is change one word actually.
The Club’s President, Ric Chapman, tabled the motion and it was seconded by former Club President Dave Scott.
The current Vice President, Justin Low, is opposed to the name change. Opinions and the SDAC Board are divided on this sensitive topic.
Currently our official title is Sutherland District Athletic Club.
The motion is to change the name to Cronulla-Sutherland Athletic Club.
The reason it was tabled is in fact 4-fold.
1) To reclaim the Shire’s residents which we once held until Illawong came along and took all the ‘districts’ that our current name covers.
2) To position us in line with the big, successful modern sporting clubs in the Shire
3) To prevent any emergence of a rival club in the Shire (ie Cronulla forming. And there has been an application for a Cronulla Track Club already presented to ANSW)
4) To attract sponsorship to aid our many and growing number of exciting projects
1a – The simple fact that the word District in our title has no relevance anymore given that those districts -, Bangor, Menai, Illawong and Alfords Point all now BELONG to Illawong. So it is superfluous having that word in our name.
2a -The suggestion of adding Cronulla is because many, many athletes in our club come from and live in the eastern suburbs in the Shire such as Cronulla, Caringbah in particular, Wooloware, Miranda and Burraneer Bay.
3a – To add Cronulla to our name means our reach goes from the shoreline to the western most aspect of the Shire where we qualify and that is Sutherland. Hence Cronulla-Sutherland Athletic Club.
Many years ago when the founding fathers of SDAC began the club, they did so in Sutherland and there wasn’t any other rival club so even though Sutherland wasn’t the centre or hub of the Shire, it at least had no competition.
Now it does.
4a – Re sponsorship opportunities, initial discussions with some companies suggests that aligning with a Cronulla-Sutherland club has a great deal more to offer them than just Sutherland District.
Procedural now –
* There will be an hour where we can hear opinions from everyone, both for and against the motion from 7pm.
* Voting is only open for members 18 year olds and above.
* It will be a secret ballot
* To carry the motion for, there needs to attract 75% of votes.
Please attend in numbers on 28 May to have your say via voting. This special meeting will commence at 7pm at Tradies.
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