Dear Members

Last week you will have received a Notice of Annual General Meeting for 20 November 2017 which set out two special resolutions to be considered at the AGM. I am writing to you to explain what the proposed changes are and why the committee has decided to put them to members.

I can also tell you that since the Notice was given I have received a considerable amount of feedback regarding the changes, which I very much appreciate. As a result of this feedback significant and welcome additions have been made to the proposed new rules in, first, the Purposes section to make a clear and specific reference to the Club’s heritage (including the preservation of its colours, team nicknames, song and the griffin as part of the logo) and, second, to ensure life members are recognized. An Amended Notice of AGM is below.

You will see in the Amended Notice that some other changes are proposed to make it possible for the Club to have Co-Presidents. This was prompted by Kim Hennessy and Jarryd Browne wishing to succeed me as Co-Presidents in 2018, which I happen to think is a wonderful idea!

Change of official name

As you may be aware, since 2014 the Club has been considering the question of its name. To recap, at the end of 2013 a review identified that the Club needed to change its name to include Brunswick to better connect to the local community and to the Brunswick Junior Football Club. This was also in light of the closure of St Joseph’s College North Melbourne and a lack of traction with St Patrick’s College Ballarat. Considerable discussion followed and, driven mainly by a desire not to risk losing a connection with past players and members, at the end of 2015 it was decided the Club would keep its official name for the time being but play under registered trading names of “Brunswick NOBSPC” for its men’s teams and “Brunswick Renegades” for it women’s teams. It was acknowledged that this may be a transitional arrangement.

In 2017, our women’s teams joined the VAFA, which was an excellent development, but also the cause of confusion to many given the situation regarding the names. In short, it was not altogether clear we were part of the same club. In 2018 we will have a male Under 19 team for the first time in nearly a decade. This is the result of the Brunswick Juniors coming through. In the circumstances, the committee thought the time was right to change the official name of the club to Brunswick Football Club Incorporated to clarify and simplify matters.

At the same time the committee was acutely conscious of preserving the Club’s heritage and it has always been the intention for our men’s teams to keep wearing the traditional North Old Boys’ purple and white jumpers, to keep a griffin in the logo, to keep the Club song and for the men’s teams to be the North Old Boys (or NOBs) and the women’s teams to be the Renegades (wearing purple and green jumpers). I accept this information should have been passed on to members before the Notice of AGM was sent, so I apologise for any confusion which may have resulted.

New rules

As we are proposing to change the name of the Club, it is necessary for us adopt the new model rules for Incorporated Associations, which require the Club’s Purposes to be part of the rules themselves. The new Purposes as originally drafted were based on the Club’s pre-existing ones, with some updating. As explained above, we now also propose to expressly recognise the Club’s heritage in the Purposes.

Initially, the only change to the model rules was in relation to quorum for a general meeting, which we made a more realistic number of 10 rather than 10% of all members (which can be difficult to achieve). The additional proposed changes to the model rules regarding life members and Co-Presidents are explained above.

I trust that this explanation has been helpful. If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me at purdey@vicbar.com.au or on 0402 830 297.

I look forward to seeing as many members as possible at the AGM on the 20th.

Yours faithfully

Tim Purdey
President


NORTH OLD BOYS ST PATRICK’S COLLEGE BALLARAT AMATEUR FOOTBALL CLUB INC.

AMENDED NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of members of North Old Boys St Patrick’s College Amateur Football Club Inc. (“the Association”) will be held at the Social Club, A.G. Gillon Oval, Pearson Street, Brunswick at 7.30 pm on Monday 20 November 2017.

The business to be transacted is:

  1. To confirm the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting held on 28 November 2016.
  2. To receive and consider the annual report of the Committee on the activities of the Association during the year ended 30 September 2017.
  3. To receive and consider the financial statements of the Association for the year ended 30 September 2017 submitted by the Committee in accordance with Part 7 of the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (“the Act”).
  4. To consider the following Special Resolutions:
    1. That the Association change its name to “Brunswick Football Club Incorporated”.
    2. That the Association’s Rules (“Old Rules”) be replaced by the Rules attached to this notice* (“New Rules”), which are the model rules under the Act:
      1. With the purposes of the Association set out in rule 2 as follows –

        “The purposes of the Association are –

        1. To provide an opportunity for people of any gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or cultural background to participate in Australian Rules football and enhance their health and wellbeing through organised sport.
        2. To provide for the health, welfare and wellbeing of its players, coaches, officials, members and supporters
        3. To enter women’s and men’s teams to compete in the Victorian Amateur Football Association or any other competition for Australian Rules football that the Association deems fit.
        4. To foster and develop footballers, coaches and officials.
        5. To promote Australian Rules football generally.
        6. To foster and develop relations with other community sporting organisations and contribute to the community generally.
        7. To recognise, celebrate and carry on the history, values and traditions of the North Old Boys Amateur Football Club, North Old Boys St Patrick’s College Ballarat Amateur Football Club and the Brunswick Renegades Women’s Football Club by (but not limited to) the Association’s continuing use of:

          1. purple, white, green and navy as its colours;
          2. a griffin in its logo;
          3. “Join In The Chorus” as its song;
          4. “Renegades” as the nickname of its women’s teams; an
          5. “North Old Boys” as the nickname of its men’s teams
      2. With the financial year inserted in rule 3, being “each period of 12 months ending on 30 September”.
      3. With rule 4 (Definitions) to be changed to add –

        life member means a member of the Association upon whom life membership has been conferred by members voting at a general meeting;”

        member means a member of the Association and includes a life member;”

      4. With sub-rule 12(4) to be changed to state that –

        “The rights of a member (including the right to vote) who has not paid the annual subscription by the due date are suspended until the subscription is paid, except if the member is a life member.”

      5. With rule 36(2) of the model rules to be changed to state that –

        “The quorum for a general meeting is the presence (physically, by proxy or as allowed under rule 35) of 10 members entitled to vote.”

      6. With rule 44 of the model rules to be changed to state that –

        “(1) The Committee consists of—

        (a) subject to subrule (2), a President; and
        (b) a Vice-President; and
        (c) a Secretary; and
        (d)a Treasurer; and
        (e) ordinary members (if any) elected under rule 53.

        (2) The position of President may be held jointly by two members acting as Co-Presidents.”

      7. With rule 46 of the model rules to be changed to state that

        “(1) Subject to subrule (2):

        (a) the President; or
        (b) if there are Co-Presidents, one of them; or
        (c) in the absence of the President, or if there are Co-Presidents, both of them, the Vice-President,

        is the Chairperson for any general meetings and for any committee meetings.

        (2) If the President, or if there are Co-Presidents, both of them, and the Vice-President are absent, or are unable to preside, the Chairperson of the meeting must be—

        (a) in the case of a general meeting—a member elected by the other members present; or
        (b) in the case of a committee meeting—a committee member elected by the other committee members present.”

      8. With rule 52 of the model rules to be changed to state that –

        “(1) At the annual general meeting, separate elections must be held for each of the following positions—

        (a) President;
        (b) Vice-President;
        (c) Secretary;
        (d) Treasurer.

        (2) If only one member is nominated for the position, or if only two members acting jointly are nominated for the position of President, the Chairperson of the meeting must declare the member, or the two members acting jointly, elected to the position.

        (3) If there is more than one nomination for the position, a ballot must be held in accordance with rule 54.

        (4) On his or her election, the new President, or if there are new Co-Presidents, one of them, may take over as Chairperson of the meeting.”

      9. With other incidental changes to rules 55 and 58 of the model rules to provide for Co-Presidents.

    Download Amended PDF of New Rules

  5. To elect the members of the Committee.

NOTE: If you are unable to attend in person, you may appoint a proxy by completing and returning a Form of Appointment of Proxy.

Dated 2 November 2017

By order of the Committee

MAL COLE
Secretary