coljones

Increase Board Size by ONE.

Increase number of Victorian Board Members from 2 to 3 to better align with Qld and NSW representation.

In Appendix B , Regional Definitions and Representatives,

change "Victoria 2 representatives" to "3 Representatives"

To Group B - odd numbered years add "Victoria (No 3)"

Although the Constition does permit the Board to vary the size and constitution of the board eg

"12. Constitution and membership of the Board.

(i) The Board shall consist of financial Members representing each Region, in the numbers described in Appendix B, or such other number as may be determined from time to time by the Board"

Why the board has not taken upon itself the task of heading the legitimate demands of the Victorians is anyone's guess.

Col

Junior Members

Add a new 2. (i) f. as below

2. (i) "f. Junior Member - who shall:-

(i) Be a natural person under the age of 18 years

(ii)be proposed by an ordinary Member of the Association;

(iii) only be admitted to Membership of the Association in accordance with this Constitution and who shall be entitled to those rights and privileges determined and granted by the board

(iv) not hold any office of the Association and not be entitled to vote;

(v) be required to pay subscriptions and levies to the Association as determined by the Board in consideration of this Junior Membership; and

(vi) Para 2.(ii) not withstanding, be recorded in a separate register of Members maintained by the Association."

Col

Col,Presently there is no Junior membership defined in the constitution ... we simply need to add the membership category ... real simple ... just add it and define it.

X Junior Members

X.1 The Association may admit upon application as Junior Members natural persons aged under 18 years

X.2 Junior members shall not be entitled to vote or hold office in the Association

X.3 The Association may provide privileges to Junior Members as determined by the board

Col

I think we need a bigger exec - add a Senior VP and a Junior VP with portfolios decided by board/exec

While we need a restructure of the board electorate, in some fashion, there is no excuse for Vic (around 1700 members) to have less Board reps than NSW (around 2000 members) or Qld (around 1800 members)

The proxy stuff could be fixed if the Board and staff referred to the construct of a proxy form used by, say, BHP which is probably based on the same rules.

The preferential voting stuff could be alright but I would need to see all the advise proffered to the board last September.

Juniors - what do you have in mind Dave?

yes a full review of the rules will take a while.

Col

The constitution is at http://www.raa.asn.au/about/constitution/ - NOTE: This is the old one from 2010 - see Andy's post below for the new, Sep 2011, version

but we also need the bi-laws and probably the code of conduct. These I can't find.

Col

I have started a new thread called RAA -Aus Constitutional Change Proposals at http://www.recreationalflying.com/threads/raa-aus-constitutional-change-proposals.39246/

Someone was heard to say, more or less, that

"The Annual General Meeting is September, in 4 months.

To support the motion for constitutional change at that General Meeting, it would be advisable to have an article published in the Magazine outlining the proposed changes and why the members should support the changes.

The Motion(s) for Constitutional change will need to be formally notified to the Members with the Notice for the AGM.

The Notice for the AGM has to be included in the August edition of SportPilot with a deadline of Wednesday, 11th July, 2012.

The 11th July 2012, is a mere 7 weeks and that will arrive very quickly."

Thanks Andy

================================================================

Dear All,

It would be nice if the skeleton of the proposal were to be run through some forum first so that supporters can add appropriate meat (detractors can postulate alternatives).

That the representation model needs to be changed is one of those issues but no-one, including me, has put up a model

- Do we want a smaller but more inclusive board drawn from all the membership across Oz - goodbye to the Tas, NT and maybe WA reps?

- Do we want a more representative board, where Vic, NSW and Qld have the same number of reps - 1 more for Vic and 1 less for Qld?

- Do we want one rep from each state and territory each elected for 2 years - and the vast majority on the eastern seaboard can get stuffed?

- The control of RA-Aus is a little narrow, a 3 person exec is too small. It should be increased to 5 by the addition of a senior and a junior vice president.

- We probably need to re-run the change to the number of Qld and Vic Reps to bring a semblance of equity - should we have a rep from ACT in place of a rep from NSW? (how about a rep from Sydney?)

- I can't find the bi-laws on either website but the one about how to count votes needs to be fixed up and less subject to the quaint views of secretaries or lawyers.

- The explanation of proxy forms operation needs to be better formed. The last lot was a dogs breakfast and anti-democratic.

Col

BTW, If I cut and past a fragment from an email I got today (Bolded sections are additions by meto try and make a point clearer because its just a fragment of the email)

There is already an upcoming General Meeting, the Annual General Meeting in just 4 months from now. To put the motion for constitutional change at that General Meeting, you would probably want to have an article published in the Magazine outlining the proposed changes and why the members should support the changes.

 

The Motion(s) for Constitutional change will need to be formally notified to the Members with the Notice for the AGM. The Notice for the AGM has to be included in the August edition of SportPilot. The deadline for inclusions in the August edition is Wednesday, 11th July, 2012.

 

So, from today until 11th July 2012, is a mere 7 weeks and that will arrive very quickly."

 

So, if this thread is to become constructive then the timeline that we have to work to is clear.

 

Over to you people

 

Andy

It would be nice if the skeleton of the proposal were to be run through some forum first so that supporters can add appropriate meat (detractors can postulate alternatives).

That the representation model needs to be changed is one of those issues but no-one, including me, has put up a model

Do we want a smaller but more inclusive board drawn from all the membership across Oz - goodbye to the Tas, NT and maybe WA reps?

Do we want a more representative board, where Vic, NSW and Qld have the same number of reps - 1 more for Vic and 1 less for Qld?

Do we want one rep from each state and territory each elected for 2 years - and the vast majority on the eastern seaboard can get stuffed?

The control of RA-Aus is a little narrow, a 3 person exec is too small. It should be increased to 5 by the addition of a senior and a junior vice president.

We probably need to re-run the change to the number of Qld and Vic Reps to bring a semblance of equity - should we have a rep from ACT in place of a rep from NSW? (how about a rep from Sydney?)

I can't find the bi-laws on either website but the one about how to count votes needs to be fixed up and less subject to the quaint views of secretaries or lawyers.

The explanation of proxy forms operation needs to be better formed. The last lot was a dogs breakfast and anti-democratic.

Col

Hi guys,Please check out our new club facebook page http://www.facebook.com/BerrimaDistrictAeroClub .... and drop in and see us some time.

Don't forget to "Like" our page :)

 

Regards,

 

Wayne

A damn site thinner buddy ...

There probably won't be, neither will they be needed, because the majority of RPL's will be taken up by 'full' PPL's who cannot/or don't wish to, meet the Class 2 medical standard. I'd think it highly unlikely that a pilot would undertake the entire PPL theory, plus the full PPL flight syllabus - and then settle for an RPL instead of a PPL. Seems a total waste, and that's what I'd advise any intending starters.Therefore, the RPL will simply become a repositry of medically unfit PPL's, who are accepting the 1 pax condition because they want to keep flying, no matter what. In time, it will die a natural death because of the many restrictions.happy days,

RPL is something that RA-Aus and members should keep in focus as it may permit liberal changes in the way we are "licenced" and the sorts of planes we can fly.

There are both crossovers and parallels between RA-Aus, PPL and RPL and we should be prepared to enjoy the diversity this brings - where would we be if we didn't have Pizza, Laksa and meat pies.

If RA-Aus pilots are well trained and educated there should be no fears about doing PPL studies. The big problem is that very little formal articulation between an RA-A certificate and PPL/RPL exists, although some training organisations cater for RA to GA training well. All hours in RA count to GA although there will be some GA flights where competencies will need to be demonstrated and the PPL exam isn't something that isn't important to all pilots - including the airlaw. Even flying a new plane is educative and, sometimes, fun. I do have to get my chequebook out frequently and apologise for the abuse it receives when I fly GA, an important consideration

Getting PPL/RPL isn't for everyone but some car drivers figure that riding a motor bike or pushbike is a logical extention to being out there having fun or just getting from point A to B in a better way.

No-one HAS to get a PPL/RPL and I can't see that having a whiteboard about RPL down at RA-Aus will cost us much in terms of either time or money either.

BTW people I was again speaking with one of the Ex board members this morning and I asked if he had been innundated with phone calls.............embarrasingly he advised that he'd had 5 calls.....yep I said 5............so to those that show concern and frustration that you dont have the details.......WTF are you doing asking those questions here and then NOT ringing and discussing with the people who can tell you straight as to what the issue is!!!!!please this is all waffle and hearsay on here at present......but the answer as to how you get it turned into FACT that you can believe has been said so many times..... pick up the phone and ring....

 

BTW it was suggested that Bill Cain is overseas at present. If he has his mobile he may be unhappy that you ring at his 1am in the morning, or that when global roaming he gets to pay global roaming rates for the phone call which in many cases could bankrupt a small 3rd world country..... so maybe there is a better option to use email in his case......

 

Andy

Issues in the past have been about balance of power and the acceptance of responsibility by individual board members. Some of this boiled over last year at the members meeting at Temora over a few issues, in some of the resignations (and not renominating) and appears to have boiled over again.

While board training and experience are highly desirable getting it via the standard company directors courses or through a stock exchange listed company board isn't necessarily the best grounding for organisations like RA-Aus as we don't have paid directors and we don't have a profit motive. RA-Aus is a MEMBER BASED, ADVOCACY organisation and this is the cloud that our directors should consider themselves operating in.

Lawyers always need to argue and interpret, its how they make their money. Give them a scone recipe and its open to negotiation and interpretation. You may wind up with a 5 tier wedding cake.

Enjoy!!!

I am not a member yet, my completed application is sitting here on my desk with it's addressed envelope already to post, my question is , Will anyone be left to open the envelope and bank the cheque? Is there going to be anything left to be a member of?

In the case of RA-Aus I would ssupect that the good people opening mail and banking it - well, they will probably still be there and there will be enough board members there to provide a level of service, probably of a much lower quality given the stature of those resigning.

Your decision to post the envelope depends on whether you want to fly. The Schools will still be there til the bitter end and any hours you pick up in RA will stand full value in another, except the CPL 150 hour stream, but more expensive environment,

This unsettling Board and CEO scenario is set to drag on for at least 8 months or longer, given the inability of RA-Aus to fill the casual vacancies and the holding of a board meeting in probably Feb next year. How this all touches the ordinary member will be debated forever.

If you really want to fly, take a risk, ignore the tumult in Canberra, post the letter and go out and enjoy yourself (for tomorrow will be another flying day)

col...it ain't a rumour!

The CEO runs RA-Aus under direction from the Board.

Questions about the Board or CEO should be directed to the President or Secretary or one of the board Members.

The Board (in theory) provides strategic direction and funds to the CEO to allow him to run RA-Aus on their behalf.

Questions about the staff or day to day operation should be directed to the CEO. Questions aout the resignations of the board members should be directed to board members not the CEO.

My hope is that the board sits down and cogitates on the process of filling these (rumoured) board vacancies and does not permit the cockup we were faced with last year. The previous executive and solicitors didn't exactly cover themslves with procedural glory.

If the rumours are true, then I am saddened that Don has gone, he is a good bloke who had much to offer a business like RA-Aus.

Col

Journos respond to a bit of empathy - take them out for a beer and explain what it is all about. Instead of your 3rd cousin's nephew why not invite a journo for a flight.

On another note, Tim Flannery and John Doyle are doing a traveloque on the ABC about going up the great dividing range and there will be some scenes involving trikes. A prospectively good show

Two on the Great Divide ABC TV 7:30pm Sunday 22 April

FT, why don't you contact "Whistleblowers Australia" for the best way to reveal to the world full details of the "Great Jabiru Scan Scam" that you think is being perpetrated. So far you have only managed, what would appear to be, rumour and innuendo. Unfortunately I can't use these to build a business case for or against Jabiru at any commercial level.

And there are Jabs out there on the export market, including engines in a number of Savannahs in Denmark.

Given the hours being put into Jabs in training facilities it is not surprising that we hear more about Jabiru incidents. More landings, more take-offs, more hours all add up.

It is a pity the RAA stats are unable to allow anything other than back of a (small) bus ticket analysis.

EDIT + The important metric is incidents per hour per landing. If the bird is sitting in the hanger idle, nothing will happen to it til the hangar falls on it because of age.

Steve, thanks for your little exercise.

Col

Jabiru J-160.

Android phone.

 

My Tracks.

Great phone!

Great App!

Well done and enjoy the flying

Col

"Mr Tizzard said there was an average of 6.6 fatalities each year among the RA-Aus member base of 11,000 people and 3500 aircraft.

''Accidents do happen and sadly, given the amount of hours we fly, that figure of 6.6 people a year is not at a worrying level.''"

Far be it from me to judge the press but Steve used the word "sadly" in his sentence and this means that he is concerned. Perhaps the press got it wrong and added a "not" in front of "at a worrying level" or perhaps Steve was expressing a concern that there are some pilots out there not concerned that they are adding to the stats - and that, after the deaths last Saturday, is worrying.

Ed,

thanks for listening and your partial response.

Can you fix up some feedback about the meet the board (which I couldn't attend as the sun does set in NSW)

regards

Col

Rampcheck? No, no rampcheck for me.

Ray and the other volunteers in red Sector were doing a pretty good job. The organisers might like to hook up a portaloo on a trailer to the the fuel truck so that we can do the fuel and the loo as soon as we land.

The catalogue needs to be expanded to give a bio of each exhibitor so we can work out who and why they are there so if they are out having a good time we can come back if they have something interesting.

It didn't seem that the board or CEO were spending much time in the tent pressing the flesh. The meeting with the board and CEO was much too late in the day. Too close to EOD for those leaving for home on Sat arvo.

The food was good although the Guinness and beef men were still waiting for the mash to arrive when I went past.

A good day and a great day for flying and my pencil and whiz wheel navigation gets better each flight. I deadheaded Tugalong Station and the nudist camp on the way home.

I am still waiting for a non Telstra Carrier to put a spade in the ground and provide their own service rather than leaching off Telstra.

There is much out there about competition that needs to be looked at including having all brands of ATMs at airports so I don't get soaked with interchange charges.

Bigger fish to fry than Telstra out there. The provision of an NBN that will go everywhere rather than just the profit pockets will be good though.