Friends of Old Bega Hospital Inc

Notice of Annual General Meeting 2022

The 2022 Annual General Meeting of the Friends of the Old Bega Hospital Inc will be held at 1pm on Tuesday 13 December 2022 at the Nurses Quarters (EdgeFM building) at the Old Bega Hospital, 3 Corkhill Place, Bega NSW.

Agenda

1. Opening of meeting

2. To confirm the minutes of previous general meeting, the 2021 AGM held on Sunday 14 November 2021.

3. To receive from the committee reports on the activities of the association during the last preceding financial year

4. To receive and consider the financial statement and report

5. To elect office-bearers of the association and ordinary committee members

6. To adopt the Fair Trading Model Constitution as the constitution of the association and pay the prescribed fee to register the change (special resolution)

7. To confirm the objects of the association

8. General business.

Explanatory notes

1. Article 29 of the Friends constitution requires 5 financial members to be present to constitute a quorum. The constitution is available on the Friends website, www.obh.org.au. New or non-financial members should contact the Secretary (friends@obh.org.au) to pay the annual dues ($10) before the meeting.

2. For agenda item 2, the draft minutes of the 2021 AGM are at Attachment 1 below.

3. For agenda item 3, the president's report is at Attachment 2 below.

4. For agenda item 4, the financial statements are at Attachment 3 below.

5. The office bearers of the association are set out in article 16 of the constitution. To be elected are:

Article 17 of the constitution sets out the processes for nomination and election. The only requirements for nominations are that they must be made in writing, be signed by 2 members of the association and be accompanied by the written consent of the candidate (which may be endorsed on the form of the nomination); and that nominations should be sent to the Secretary 7 days before the meeting. There is no specific nomination form. If following consideration of nominations received in advance there are unfilled positions then further nominations will be accepted at the meeting.

People with no committee experience are encouraged to nominate if they would like to learn about committee processes. Being a committee member involves legal responsibilities, so informal arrangements may need to be made for people under 18. Contact us (email friends@obh.org.au in the first instance) if you would like to discuss a nomination or the nomination process.

6. The Friends of the Old Bega Hospital Inc is incorporated under the NSW Associations Incorporation Act 2009. The Act is administered by NSW Fair Trading. The Friends current constitution is based on, with amendments, a Model Constitution published by Fair Trading. Fair Trading recently published a revised Model Constitution. The Friends Committee considered amending the current Friends constitution to reflect changes made to the underlying Model Constitution. However, changes to clause numbering and the large number of internal cross references made that clause by clause approach untenable. The Committee recommends that instead, the entire Model Constitution be adopted by the Friends as the constitution of the Friends, without changes. According to the Fair Trading website, that means that future changes to the Model Constitution will take effect automatically, which will save us the necessity to amend it on our own initiative, and save us the fee charged for registering changes to the constitution. The prescribed fee is $56.

Amendments to the constitution require a special resolution. Under the current constitution, a special resolution may only be passed in accordance with section 39 of the Act. Section 39 of the Act provides:

39 Voting on special resolutions

(1)  A resolution is passed by an association as a special resolution—

(a) at a meeting of the association of which notice has been given to its members no later than 21 days before the date on which the meeting is held, or

(b) in a postal or electronic ballot conducted by the association, or

(c) in such other manner as the Secretary may direct,

if it is supported by at least three-quarters of the votes cast by members of the association who, under the association’s constitution, are entitled to vote on the proposed resolution.

(2)  A notice referred to in subsection (1) (a) must include the terms of the resolution and a statement to the effect that the resolution is intended to be passed as a special resolution.

(3)  A postal or electronic ballot referred to in subsection (1)(b) must be conducted in accordance with the regulations.

(4)  A direction under subsection (1) (c) may not be given unless the Secretary is satisfied that, in the circumstances, it is impracticable to require votes to be cast in the manner provided by subsection (1) (a) or (b).

7. The Friends current constitution includes its objectives:

The objectives of the association are to encourage and support restoration, conservation, development and maintenance of the Old Bega Hospital as a heritage, cultural and community precinct.

The Model Constitution is generic and does not include an objectives clause. Rather the objects (as Fair Trading calls them) of an association are separately registered by Fair Trading. The Committee recommends that the AGM confirm the current objectives as the objects of the association.

Attachment 1

Draft Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of Friends of the Old Bega Hospital Inc
Sunday, November 14, 2021, at the Old Bega Hospital.

Apologies:  Eric Myers, Gordon Beattie, Anne Marshall, John Reynolds, Jay Ellard, Kay Dowman.

Present:  Pat Jones, Chris Rogers, Val Little, Richard Bomford, Claire Lupton.

Minutes of 2020 annual general meeting: Moved: Pat Jones, seconded: Chris Rogers. Carried.

President's Report:

Moved it be received: Pat Jones, seconded Chris Rogers.

Events committee report:

Moved it be received: Pat Jones, seconded Chris Rogers.

Treasurer's report:   

Balance of membership account: $6,248.57

Balance of public account: $409.08

Balance of public investment account: $63,000.00

The sum of $48 be paid to the NSW Department of Fair Trading for the lodgement of an annual summary of financial affairs.

Moved: Chris Rogers, seconded: Val Little. Carried.

Election of officers and committee:

President – Richard Bomford (C Lupton, Pat Jones.)

Vice President – Jay Ellard (Claire Lupton/Pat Jones)

Secretary – Claire Lupton (Pat Jones/John Reynolds)

Treasurer – John Reynolds (Claire Lupton/Pat Jones)

Committee members: Pat Jones (Claire Lupton/John Reynolds), Eric Myers (Pat Jones/Jay Ellard), Kay Dowman (Claire Lupton/ Val Little).

Attachment 2

President's report 2021-22, for 2022 Annual General Meeting

The year began with Covid. By the financial year's end, Covid was in retreat and we were planning again for Friends' events.

The Events committee met several times over the course of the year, working hard to organise regular events and considering brilliant ideas to promote the Friends and the Old Bega Hospital. One idea is to sell engraved pavers for new paths in the OBH grounds, which will be part of the work on restoration of the main building. Work the pavers project continues - as does work by the Reserve Land Manager to get the restoration to actually happen. There is a report on progress with the restoration at https://obh.org.au/restoration/restoration.htm.

The Friends also has plans for landscaping the OBH grounds, primarily with a perimeter planting to help screen our relaxed community space from the more industrial surrounding developments. The plan has been put on hold pending appointment of a builder to do the main building restoration, as it probably needs to be coordinated with building work.

Our annual trivia night, scheduled for August 2021 had to be cancelled because of Covid. The restrictions then in force meant is just wasn't feasible to continue.

Raise the Roof also had to be cancelled in 2021 because of Covid restrictions. Bendigo Bank had offered generous sponsorship for the day, and agreed to carry that over for the 2022 Raise the Roof. We opened a new account with Bendigo Bank. We investigated using Bendigo Bank for credit card payments on the Friends website. That turned out to be too sophisticated for our needs, but Bendigo Bank makes a credit card terminal available to us for in person card sales at events and street stalls.

Raffles. We had two $2.00 raffles, with many wonderful prizes donated by local businesses. The first one was the Local Business Houses Christmas Raffle with 14 prizes, drawn at the Bega Chamber of Commerce’s major Christmas Shopping Night on 17 December 2021. David Little donated $500 worth of advertising (which he had won) in the Bega District News for publicity for the raffle, the OBH, and the business house donors. The second raffle was the Autumn 2022 OBH Fund Raising Draw with $1000 in Mitre 10 gift cards making up the 5 prizes. Mitre 10 donated $500 and the Friends put up remaining $500. It was drawn in early June by local councillor, Karen Wright, on John Reynolds’ radio session at EdgeFM.

The raffles proved popular and helped to raise around $3000 which will be used for the eventual fitout of community spaces in the restored main building. In the meantime, the Friends purchased three pop up gazebos for use at community events.

A street stall, selling $2 raffle tickets, T-shirts, Tote Bags and tea towels, and raising community awareness, with Gordon’s Heritage Cubes and Events Bookmarks, operated two days a week in Carp St Bega for six months over summer and autumn, a major effort by Val Little and Kay Dowman. We also had a stall in the main pavilion at the Bega Show in February 2022, and the Events Committee produced a revamped Bega Show publicity bookmark as well as assisting the Show Committee in yarn bombing efforts.

T-shirts and other merchandise sales continued at a low level. Stitches and Prints, run by Tulgeen Disability Services in Bega and for several years our go-to people for merchandise supply and printing, ceased retail operations. We found a satisfactory alternative for our future needs.

The Friends website, which also serves the Reserve Land Manager, was kept up to date. TryBooking was added as a mechanism for credit card payment of membership subscriptions.

Facebook postings were maintained through the year, with several events posters added to the Friends' page. Paper copies of posters were printed for us by our MP's Bega offices - thank you to Kristy McBain, Andrew Constance and Michael Holland and their staff.

Serious attention and planning was given to the Memorial Path Paver Project and at an Events meeting on 27 June 2022, Val Little and John Reynolds nutted out a plan of action to promote and sell pavers. It was hoped to launch it at Raise the Roof in October, but delays with building restoration plans have delayed Paver Memorial Path.

Val Little attended two Workshops on engaging and sustaining volunteers - mainly to network and make sure groups in region aware of spaces which will be available to rent when the restoration is complete.

Kay Dowman approached the ABC to try to interest their Restoration Houses Program in our OBH restoration. The ABC replied that the show ‘only did houses'.

Gordon Beattie attended a workshop held by Sapphire Coast Destination Marketing on 3 May to present a report on the potential of OBH in the cultural tourism story of the Bega region.

There were 36 financial members at the end of the financial year. Welcome to new members.

Several Friends newsletters were sent out over the course of the year, keeping members and others up to date with events. The Newsletter made space freely available for tenants to promote their events or details. The newsletter has about 90 subscribers.

Friends joined the Bega Chamber of Commerce. The $2 raffle draw was coordinated with the Chamber of Commerce late night shopping event in Bega on evening of 17 December 2021.

A Vegemite® cooking competition was run in conjunction with CWA's The Land cooking competition on 29 January 2022. Prizes were provided by Bega Cheese and Alison Westblade, and David Little donated $500 worth of advertising in the Bega District News. There were limited entries but it was good fun for those who participated.

The Friends were invited by Kristy McBain, Member for Eden Monaro, to provide an expression of interest a Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee Tree Planting Project grant. Events sought advice from experts about suitable large trees for the outer boundary of the planned three tiered boundary fence and proposed a communal planting at Raise the Roof. However we did not succeed in our submission.

State government Blue Plaques Initiative. The Friends put in a submission to recognise the efforts of the whole community to ensure the restoration of the OBH. We missed out in the first round. The initiative is ongoing, so Friends will continue to put our case.

Events since the end of the financial year

Trivia Night had to be cancelled again, partly because of Covid which still seemed to be dampening willingness to participate in indoor community events, and partly because of late notice of a competing event.

But the 2022 Raise the Roof Spring Fair did happen. Rain threatened, the grounds were wet and might have become a bog, but on the day the sun shone, the community and stall holders came in force and it was a great success. Thank you again to Bendigo Bank for their sponsorship and the work of many volunteers which made it possible.

Attachment 3

Financial Statements for the Friends of the Old Bega Hospital Inc, 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022>

Statement of Income and Expenditure

Income

1 July 2021 to
30 June 2022

1 July 2020 to
30 June 2021

Donations

130.00

35.00

Interest

630.80

218.64

Memberships

419.75

430.00

T Shirts M'dise

860.00

-

Tea Towels M'dise

380.00

-

Bags M'dise

180.00

-

Raffle

4,947.85

4,400.40

Sponsorships

2,210.00

-

Spring Fair

-

-

Fair Float

-

-

Transfer in

1,298.20

2,776.06

Trivia Night

-

-

Total Income

11,056.60

7,860.10

 

 

 

Expenses

1 July 2021 to
30 June 2022

1 July 2020 to
30 June 2021

AGM Advert

-

-

Bank Fees

-

-

Bega Show Art Prizes

-

-

Edge FM BBQ Help

-

-

Fair Trading lodgement fees

48.21

47.21

Insurance

465.00

470.00

Pamphlet design & printing

-

-

Pamphlet printing

-

-

Project Pamphlet costs

-

-

Raffle Prize & costs

500.00

2,449.83

Equipment purchase

599.97

-

Repairs & maintenance

-

-

BVSC meeting room hire

-

-

T Shirts M'dise

851.22

-

Tea Towels M'dise

175.60

-

Bags M'dise

153.36

-

Spring Fair Costs

-

-

Transfer out

2,738.20

2,776.06

Trivia Costs

-

-

Spring fair float

-

-

Stationery

-

-

Total Expenses

5,531.56

5,743.10

 

 

 

Net result of Operations for the year

5,525.04

2,117.00

 

 

 

Statement of Financial Position>

 

30 June 2022

30 June 2021

Current Assets

 

 

Everyday Membership A/c 200669

6,248.55

6,246.57

Public Investment A/c 200699946

63,630.00

63,000.00

Public A/c 200669859

409.12

409.08

Bendigo Bank A/c 185 237 304

4,893.02

-

Total Current Assets

75,180.69

69,655.65

 

 

 

Current Liabilities

-

-

 

 

 

Net Current Assets

75,180.69

69,655.65

 

 

 

Non current Assets

-

-

Non Current Liabilities

-

-

Net Non Current Assets

-

-

 

 

 

Total Assets

75,180.69

69,655.65

Raffle Summary

 

 

 

Raffle Summary

2nd half 2022

1st half 2022

 

Mitre10

vouchers

Val's Vouchers

Takings

2,067.85

1,438.00

Profit

1,567.85

1,438.00

% Gross margin

76%

100%