Good afternoon, welcome and thank you for joining us here today.
This is the AGM for the 2013 Season and the Kick Off for the 2014 Season, now only a few days away.
I am proud to introduce your Board of Directors:
Cheryl Rowe, Treasurer
Chris Pollard, new to the Executive as of December this year in the much needed role of Secretary
Kim Ripley, Director
Sherol Steinberg, VP On Field
Stephen Pullen, VP Administration
and I am Stephen Hunter, your President.
In a word if I say anything or feel anything about the Club’s activities and performance this past season it has to be DEDICATION
And as we go forwards from that point the word has to be EXCITING.
This past season has seen
32 House league Teams
6 rep teams
440 Games played
The RFC U14B placed first, U16B 3rd, U18B 2nd and 3rd, and in the Girls division: U12 placed in the top 3, U14G – 4th and U16G – 4th.
All with a total of 523 DEDICATED players
And 114 DEDICATED individuals Coaching.
With an extension to the training season/program to just about 12 months.
The Dedicated:
Through the concerted efforts of Tara Zandstra, our Registrar and Chris Pollard, the latest member of the Club’s Board, and long time manager of the Club Web Site, the RFC Web Site and Registration Systems are in full swing now, and ever better condition.
Please use the web site as your first point of access to the Club.
It is the Portrait of Club Life, with places for information and content such as pics and blogs for Teams’ Correspondence, Events (like picture day), Dates, Schedules, News and Special Occasions. The site thrives with contributions made by You all as Managers, Coaches and Players; so feel free to post Team and Club Life information as often as you can.
Through the dedicated and rigorous fiscal management of Cheryl Rowe and Stephen Pullen we are now working with very clear and rational budgets for all aspects of Club life and activity. This is in keeping not only with our own mandate to ensure value, but the requirements of the governing bodies for what may loosely be thought of as “compliance”.
It is with the dedicated and inimitable efficiency and organization of Kim Pullen that over 221 young footballers have started to learn the beautiful game every Saturday morning with incredible training activities that are Fun for all, Community oriented and all about Football.
And it is through the tireless energy of Sherol Steinberg that the on-Field activities, Coaching Program and Club Presence at the District and Provincial Governing bodies, and the various Leagues that RFC traveling Teams play in, have been fostered, managed, defended and answered for.
Another fixture at the Club worthy of mention at this time is Alex Steinberg the Club’s Head Referee. Keeping our referees engaged, sharp and up to date with the regulations of the game Alex was a reliable and DEDICATED leader for the Refs at RFC. Alex has recently received qualification to Referee at Provincial matches!
Next is RFC’s “Technical and Program Director” cum Head Coach, cum Coach/Player Mentor, I am of course referring to none other than Rossi Smith, whose boundless energy, accomplished experience and engaging personality has provided invaluable training to every player and many Coaches at Rockwood FC.
Which HGH brings me, inevitably, to mentioning the largest aspect of the Club, without which there would be no Club: the Membership. It is the membership that is providing the next highlight, all be-it a 2014 highlight, that garners a word of thanks on behalf of all of us, in the name of RFC’s Football Program:
It is through the incredible generosity and DEDICATION of the Membership that we have $560.00+ new dollars in the RFC “Field and Program Development Fund”, through on-line registrations.
Also let us thank, Jackie Harman for coordinating the Club Picture Day shots; Roy Ripley for administrating the Equipment we are all using; and Ted Reeves for looking after our Uniforms.
And, of course, all of the Coaches, Managers and Assistants who bring their knowledge and love of this great game to our youth, Thank you.
It is all of these results combined with policy development, budgeting, planning, and tracking set into place by this dedicated administration that brings us now to the next thoughts: The Future. And the one word for the future is “Exciting”.
With an administration in place now that is stronger and more capable than ever, and a tangible brand developing for great fun, community well being and Football, we are looking forward to the following:
We have our sites set on finding a new Club-House; a central location for Admin., Meetings and to hold RFC’s stuff.
There are some key developments on the slate for the Club’s future in terms of Program Development that will require your input. We are interested in your thoughts, ideas and suggestions for the Club in terms of programming, and direction and will be circulating amongst you as the season plays out to gather your input.
Through the continued efforts of Stephen Pullen we are reaching out to a greater variety of sponsors for just about every aspect of Club activity or requirement. And by being creative in the sorts of relationships we have with sponsors we hope to be able to take advantage of bigger opportunities for the players and provide greater Training and Development programming to Footballers of all ages.
These few notes bring me to the my final address: Volunteering. Now I appreciate that all of you here are already well into the Club and committed to some aspect of Club Life, be it as Coach, Manager, Executive member or through involvement in a key supporting activity.
However we are designing a campaign to attract other members of the Club to help through a host of easy-commitment positions. Convenors for Age groups or Tournaments, Volunteer Screening, running the concession stand during matches, are but a few aspects of Club Life in need people like us to make it all work. All of the areas needing help will be clearly defined in an Organizational Tree, soon to be published, where?…at the Club Site. I implore each of us to talk to 2 friends, who in turn can talk to 2 friends, in effort to find others to help create a vibrant, well honed Club we can all proud of and take forwards to new opportunities with Strength, Commitment and Vision.
So now with out another word from me, we get into the specifics of the past year starting with the Registrar’s report from Tara Zandstra.
Thank you.
Stephen Hunter, RFC President
2014/04/27