News - 2009

January

2008 was a big year for the Club.

The demographics of the Club changed significantly.  In previous years, we had a high level of female juniors and a significant proportion of non-competing adults.  There was also an age gap between the masters and junior rowers.  We now have a more even spread in the membership age, it is overwhelming adult and there is a very high level of competing members.  ACTRA has noted that we are close to being the largest competing Club in Canberra.

We saw a significant upgrading of our fleet.  The singles fleet was particularly old but was substantially refreshed with a couple of new Wintechs, a number of good quality second-hand boats and a new Sykes is on its way.  We have had two Eights donated by Club members which, in itself, is extraordinary.   In addition, a high quality second-hand quad and a new racing double were purchased along with a set of sweep oars.    Amongst these acquisitions were some great bargains thanks to alert Club members, particularly Alex.  We also saw a couple of the older boats being brought back into service.

From an administrative point of view, all key Club policies were updated and refreshed.  In addition, in the interests of greater transparency, a secure membership section was created on the website and members can now view Committee minutes.   The financial system was upgraded allowing for the more flexible administration of membership.

No doubt 2009 will be equally as challenging and there are some identified tasks.

• Early in 2009 we will be looking at a Club logo and clothing ranges.
• The Committee intends examining the Constitution early in 2009.   While it has served the Club well, it is outdated compared with those adopted by ACTRA and CRC and there are many examples of processes working in spite of the constitution, not because of it. 
• We will be continuing to examine safety policies.

On a less positive note, some of you may have seen the Charles Throsby on the pontoon.   Unfortunately, it looks to have been irreparably damaged.  It was taken from the trailer and put into the Lake on new year’s eve.   It was then lifted back onto the pontoon by levering from the stern, cracking its spine and destroying a section of the skin of the boat.  It demonstrates again that boats cannot be safely left outside, one of the main reasons why we declined hosting Riverside this year. 

February

The Club’s constitution has served it well but it is now showing its age.  A range of issues have arisen over time including at the last AGM where some positions were not open to direct voting because of the framing of the current Constitution.  Other issues include making provision for proxy voting, the need for more flexible fee setting, more flexibility around the creation and management of temporary membership categories (in particular to deal with some insurance issues) and better governance arrangements.

An issues paper was issued for comment outlining areas of change and comparing with more sophisticated constitutions, such as ACTRA and CRC. 

The intention was to draft a revised Constitution based on feedback to the canvassed changes.  That document would then be posted, again for comment, during May with a view to a vote at a Special General Meeting to be held in early June.  The expectation would be, if it has the support of the membership, for the next AGM to take place under a new Constitution.   

March

Last Saturday, a number of BMRC crews competed in the ACT Championships. 
 
All of BMRC crews should be proud of their efforts. Special acknowledgement was made in respect of our Championship medal winning crews. 

• Dominique Greenaway - 1st in WU17Ch1x
• Gasson, Reid, Cook and Kennedy - 3rd in MCh4-.

April

There were a couple of successful working bees organised around the trailer and oars during April. This has led to the previously blue trailer turning into red in line with Club colours. Black decals will be placed on the trailer in due course, possibly after a new logo is selected.

Lake closures continued in what has been a hard year for Capital Lakes, rowing as it does out of East Basin. The National Capital Authority declared East, Central and West Basin closed for both for both primary and secondary uses and towards the end of the month added other areas such as Yarralumla Bay. Map of the Lake.

May

May has not started off well with damage to the foreshore area in front of the Darramalan shed being extensively damaged by cars illegally entering after dark. Entry has been enabled through the removal of one of the bollards bordering Lady Denman Drive. Conservation and Parks is looking into the issue.

June

A rowing workshop was conducted on Sunday to assist club rowers to build their skills, improve their competitiveness and enhance the enjoyment of the sport.  The workshop covered technique, rigging, conditioning for races and developing a training program and went for about two hours.

It was very well attended with over 30 people involved – that is a third of our Club. The feedback was enthusiastic and it clearly filled a gap for many rowers, judging by the requests for more such workshops.  Consideration is being given to organising more but given the effort involved it may be a little while before it happens.

It has also facilitated the formation of a few crews which is an important step in developing participation and/or preparing for future regattas.

A number of members have volunteered to act as mentors and you can contact mentors through the Contact page

July

The 25/26 was a big weekend for the Club. The Saturday night saw another successful Annual Dinner based on thee Christams in July theme. A striking feature of those attendance was the number of people who had joined in the last 12 months, many of whom had come through the LTR and transition programs run by the Club.

Congratualtions on all those who received awards.  The 2009 Awards page sets out the award list along with some associated photos of the presentations.

The weekend also saw the third Winter Time Trial completed and again saw a significant Club participation.  We had 17 boats participating on Saturday involving 20 crew in what were almost perfect rowing conditions.  On Sunday we had 10 boats participating with over 30 crew.  It was a big effort and tested the ingenuity of our Boat Captain in finding boats for crews.  So well done all.

August

September

The Special Meeting and the Annual General Meeting were held on the ninth day of the ninth month in the ninth year of this millenium - a very symmetrical and auspicious date. The 2009-10 Committee was determined and you can readily contact office bearers and some others through the Club's contact page. Details of the Committee can be found in the members only section (if you don't have a logon click on the webmaster link).

The minor amendment to the Constitution, to get around a problem identified in the specification of the financial year, was passed unanimously.

Reports were submitted by the President, Captain and Treasurer.

The President observed that the demographics of the Club have changed significantly.  In previous years, the Club had a high level of female juniors and a significant proportion of non-competing adults.  There was also an age gap between the masters and junior rowers.   Our profile is now more even, it is overwhelming adult and we have a high level of competing members.   This was illustrated by the financial report which showed that the seat fee deposits – which is a good proxy for the Club’s participation in competition – nearly doubled in 2008-09.  Membership fees also nearly doubled.

The President also thanked the outgoing Committee and noted that it was hard to convey the sheer magnitude of the contribution made by Committee members during 2008-09, both in terms of the administration of the affairs of the Club and in their roles as officials or working on sub-committees.   He identified one early challenges for 2009-10 as breaking tasks down into manageable chunks so that they can be distributed more evenly.  

October

BMRC AND THE WORLD MASTERS - SYDNEY

While sometimes frustrated by the strong winds and the associated curtailment of some of the program, many Club rowers performed personal bests in the face of ferocious competition. It was the largest regatta ever held in Australia. Of the around 140 rowers from the ACT, some 40 were from Black Mountian. Some Club highlights were:

- Pam Nash winning silver in the WD1x.

- Evelyn Sommer stroking a WF8+ to a a bronze medal.

- Donna Martin, Suzie Nermutova and Lailey Wallace winning a gold in the WA8+

- Ted Hall and Donna winning silver in a mixed B double in an extraordinary race with a top-class Russian crew in a time of 3:27.68.

Other medal winners included Stephen Trowell, Stephanie Gollasch, Kathy Howard, Judith Abercromby, Leigh Gordon and John Spooner.

November

December

Much fun was had at the Christmas Pudding Races. Most rowers deny looking like puddings but certainly own up to eating them.