Club Director Magazine Oct 2014

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4

CLUBDIRECTOR

Y O U R L E A R N I N G

10–13 OCTOBER 2014, GOLD COAST

MANDATORY DIRECTOR TRAINING

MASTERCLASSESRISk AppETITE vS RISk CApACITY

ThE RENOvATOR’S GUIDE TO WORkpLACE CULTURE TURBOChARGE YOUR BOARD pERfORMANCE

REBUILDING YOUR BOARD CLUB DIRECTORS INSTITUTE LUNCh

CLUBSNSW CONFERENCE & AGM

T h e C l u b D i r e c t o r s I n s t i t u t e M e m b e r M a g a z i n e

MASTERCLASS SERIESBrought to you by

YOUR LEARNING10 & 11 OCTOBERPRE-CONFERENCE TRAINING

MASTERCLASS SERIES – 3 for the price of 1

Risk Appetite vs Risk CApACityRon Browne, Manager Professional Development, ClubsNSW

Explore what business and governance risk looks like and how you need to balance your appetite for risk with your capacity to cope.

the RenovAtoR’s Guide to WoRkplACe CultuRe Jason Clarke, Chief Mindworker, Minds at Work

Not sure if you have the right culture in your club? Identify and renovate elements of your current culture to create an ideal and balanced mix for your future.

tuRboChARGe youR boARd peRfoRmAnCe David Shortland, MAICD, Australian Institute of Company Directors

Explore governance trends locally and overseas. Challenge your thinking on the role of the Chair and the decision-making process – all with a view to transforming your board performance.

REGISTER NOW* WWW.CLUBSNSW.COM.AU*Complimentary 1st Delegate Conference Registration for NSW clubs.

CLUBSNSW.COM.AU/CDI I CLUB DIRECTOR I 3

This year’s ClubsNSW Annual Conference & AGM is jam packed with educational and networking opportunities for club directors and in this edition of Club Director you’ll get a glimpse into what’s on offer. From exploring your appetite for risk vs what amount of risk you can take, to a guide to changing the culture of your club, to how to turbocharge your board, you’ll get a taste for it all in these pages.

A fascinating insight into what it is like to turn around not just a board, but an entire organisation, can also be found on pages 10 and 11 in our interview with the Chair of Football NSW Greg O’Rourke. Greg will be onstage to discuss his experience and answer your questions at the Club Directors Institute Luncheon at this year’s Conference.

Meanwhile, the plans are already being put in place for the 2015 Clubs & Community Awards. I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage all club directors to start thinking about the stories your clubs have to share and what impact your clubs’ initiatives have made to your communities. Clubs across the state make a powerful contribution to their communities, and the Clubs & Community Awards are our industry’s opportunity to tell the world about those contributions. It doesn’t matter if your club is small, medium or large, or if it cost a lot or not much at all. We want to hear your stories!

A TIME FOR EDUCATION AND CELEBRATIONFurthermore, in response to feedback from member clubs, this year we have also introduced a new category for the Awards, Arts and Culture. This category recognises initiatives that cultivate leadership, participation and expression in the cultural life of communities. This includes literature, multimedia and film, visual and performing arts, and public programming such as festivals and events. We’re excited to see what Arts and Culture stories are out there in clubland!

ClubsNSW also recently announced that the new and revised 11th edition of the Club Industry Guide: Governance and Compliance was now available to member clubs. I encourage all club directors to have a good read of the updated Guide, which thanks to many hours of revision is now up to date with all the latest legislative changes and industry best practices for the guidance of directors and secretary managers. The Guide incorporates the Code of Practice, Best Practice Guidelines and The Guide to Effective Media Relations, and in essence remains the reference manual of choice for all governance and compliance in the NSW Club Industry.

Finally, in the previous edition of Club Director, an article on director honoraria stated that honorariums are not considered tax assessable. The article generated significant interest, and some clubs have since notified ClubsNSW that the ATO does consider some honoraria to be tax assessable. If in doubt, clubs should contact the ATO for clarification.

I look forward to seeing you all at Conference and seeing the impact this year’s learning and development program has on our wonderful industry.

Anne Fitzgerald,Executive ManagerMember Services & MarketingClubsNSW

CONTENTS

RISKY BUSINESS 4

ThE CUlTURal REvolUTIoN: 6FRom hEad dowN, To hEadS Up

TURBoChaRGE YoUR BoaRd pERFoRmaNCE 8

Q&a: GREG o’RoURKE 10

ThE FIRST STEpS oF a SUCCESSFUl 12 amalGamaTIoN

BEComING SElF-awaRE: 13dISC BEhavIoURal pRoFIlING

ClUBSaFE: SaYING No IN Nova SCoTIa 15

dIRECToR IN FoCUS: IaN mIllER 16

pUBLIShER’S CREDITSCLUB DIRECTOREditor: Carissa Simons02 9268 3069 I [email protected]

Designer: John Hewitt02 9268 3016 I [email protected]

Printer: Lachlan FinchRawson Graphics02 8873 2500 I [email protected]

Distributor: Adam ToothThe Pack Factory02 9585 1144 I [email protected]

Contributors: Ron Browne, Rowan Cameron, Jason Clarke,Delna Dugdale , Tim Escott, Anne Fitzgerald, Bruce Gotterson, Greg O’Rourke, David Shortland

Sponsor:

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of the publisher. Liability howsoever as a result of use or reliance upon any advice, representation, statement, opinion or conclusion expressed in Club Director is expressly disclaimed by CDI and all persons and associates involved in the preparation of this publication. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without CDI’s prior permission.

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4 I CLUB DIRECTOR I OCTOBER 2014

by Ron Browne, Manager, Professional DevelopmentClubsNSW

Ron Browne presents Risk Appetite vs Risk Capacity as part of the Masterclass Series at the 2014 ClubsNSW Conference.

You may have heard, or yourself said, “I can’t predict every possible risk in business occurring.” While this is true to some extent, the reality is that in many businesses and all too many clubs there is no consideration given to risks at all.

Many would argue the term ‘risk’ falls under the domain of Workplace, Health and Safety (WH&S), however this is only one aspect of the broad spectrum that is risk management. Risk management involves coordinated activities designed to direct and control an organisation with regard to risk, with the aim of avoiding or reducing risk to an acceptable level and allowing the organisation to capitalise on opportunities. Ultimately, you ignore business risks at your own peril. Well-governed and managed clubs recognise the value of having a Risk Management policy in place. This policy should be a statement of the intentions and direction of the club related to risk management, which provides guidance on the key aspects of risk appetite, capacity, tolerance and attitude.

Risk Appetite is the amount of exposure the board is willing to accept or retain in order to meet its mission, goals or objectives.

Risk Capacity can be defined as the amount of risk the organisation can actually accept and afford.

Risk Tolerance is the amount of risk the organisation is prepared to carry after risk treatments have been applied.

Risk Attitude is best described as the club’s approach to assess and eventually pursue, retain, take or turn away from risk.

RISKYBUSINESS

GETTING A pLAN IN pLACEMost clubs manage to take fire, flood and theft insurance to cover those well recognised risks. However, considering the range of risks out there, is that really enough? Is there consideration of the ‘Crisis Management Plan’ and ‘Business Continuity Plan’ in place as well?

A Crisis Management Plan is the pre-planned actions required to take when one of these risks occurs, such as a fire. Let’s say a small fire breaks out in a part of your club in the bistro kitchen whilst you are trading and members and their guests are enjoying an afternoon beverage. What is your Crisis Management Plan in such a situation? This will spell out your emergency response which might include, but not be limited to, evacuating the area, following appropriate steps to contain the fire (hopefully you have an operational sprinkler system), calling the fire brigade (even if you have a fire alarm system) and marshalling all patrons at a designated evacuation assembly point.

The result here is the bistro has been seriously fire damaged and as the only source of food for your club, will be closed for repair and renovation for at least six weeks after the insurance company inspects and approves your claim. So, the following questions become pertinent: What is your Business Continuity Plan? Can you provide food in your club for the next six weeks or more? If you have a function room kitchen, you’re probably okay and can cater from there in the short term, but if not – what is your fall back option?

Let’s consider another scenario. A fire breaks out due to an electrical fault after you’ve closed, locked up and gone home. As a result, the club burns to the ground. This happened recently at the Ardlethan Bowling Club in the NSW Riverina region. The club had insurance and they are now in the process of rebuilding the club, but have not been able to trade since that fateful night.


This is a real situation which highlights the challenges faced when there is no Business Continuity Plan. Let me state this is no accusation of bad governance aimed at the Board of this club, just a tragic observation of the fact that probably 95 per cent of clubs have the same lack of Business Continuity Plan. Likewise, it’s highly likely the townsfolk of Christchurch in New Zealand had no Crisis Management or Business Continuity Plan in place before a massive earthquake struck the city in February 2011. The same applies to the people across South Eastern Queensland prior to the 2010-11 floods that devastated the Lockyer Valley and Brisbane. I am certain they do now.

RISk MANAGEMENT The five key steps to risk management are exactly the same for business risk as for WH&S risk.

Identify all the risks you can possibly think of.

Assess the likelihood of any or all of them occurring in the plan period and what the likely impact or consequence of the occurrence would be.

Evaluate/Prioritise the risks on a severity ranking basis from the most severe to the least in terms of impact on the club and its business.

Control the risks – this can be done through removal or avoidance, reduction of risk through changes in procedures or equipment or training, sharing or transferring the risks through insurance, partnerships or contractors and finally accept the risks if appropriate.

Monitor the outcome of the controls in terms of the residual risks to the club/business, which will inform the ongoing risk management process.

Though these might seem to be extreme examples, risk management should include such extremes because we do risk assessment using a matrix of the likelihood of an occurrence cross-matched to the impact or consequence of that occurrence.

For more information on risk management focusing on risk appetite versus risk capacity, enrol now for the ClubsNSW Annual Conference Masterclass Series at the Gold Coast Conference Centre on 10-11 October. Information is also available from the ClubsNSW Learning & Development Team on 02 9268 3000 or email to [email protected]

RISk TYpES TO CONSIDERIf you’re monitoring and managing WH&S risks, what other types of risks do you need to consider?

Financial – What opportunities and threats exist to the continuation of good turnover, sufficient profit and liquid or non-liquid reserves, access to and the ability to service financing.

Human – There are a myriad of possibilities to consider when it comes to people such as succession planning in the event of the loss of key personnel, internal or external theft or fraud and the abilities of your staff.

Strategic – The risk of embarking on the wrong path as a result of bad guidance, having a poor strategy or no strategy at all, or a lack of due diligence in assessing strategies.

Operational – The risk of negative outcomes from inappropriate technology, old or poorly maintained or inadequate plant and equipment, inappropriate or dilapidated premises.

Reputational – The potential damage to the club’s reputation through poor or non-existent governance, poor or inadequate or risky management, the wrong culture permeating the club and expressed through inappropriate behaviours and therefore customer interactions.

Environmental – The simple to identify but often poorly-controlled risks of fire, flood, earthquake, club-generated pollution or waste creating a detrimental impact to the surrounding environment and community.

A crisis in any of the above – If not identified, assessed and managed adequately you may have no emergency response or action plan in place to handle the situation.


by Jason ClarkeMinds at Work

All businesses are built on ideas; the better the idea the better the business.

Sometimes an idea can be so good it can drive a successful enterprise for decades without much need for any new thinking; somewhere at the heart of your own business there’s bound to be at least one big idea that has always worked for you.

But these days even a great idea can be quickly upstaged by a newer, smarter offering so any business that wants to stay out in front has to keep the innovation coming. The easiest way to do that is to make full use of all the brains on your payroll.

ThE CULTURAL REvOLUTION:From head Down, to heads Up

Imagine all those minds thinking about your business, solving problems you simply don’t have the space or time to deal with. Imagine what could be achieved if all your people knew exactly what kind of ideas you need and you gave them the freedom to let their imaginations run free.

But innovation is not something businesses are traditionally good at. They don’t usually make time for creative thinking, they don’t often encourage their people to ask questions and they rarely include staff in the larger issues facing the business.

Most organisations are far too busy for that sort of thing, which might explain why so many develop a ‘heads-down’ culture that says ‘just do your job, don’t get involved in things that aren’t your responsibility and don’t change anything!’ That’s a mindset that doesn’t get the full value of its talent.

But with so many businesses beginning to realise the importance of innovation it’s no wonder just as many are starting to rethink their culture. They’re making the move from a conservative, risk averse mindset to a progressive, entrepreneurial one. They’re shifting from reactive, short-term thinking to take a more strategic, long term view. They’re changing gears from ‘head-down’ to ‘heads-up’.

Of course, that means re-evaluating old habits and assumptions, values and traditions to see what contributes to a more vibrant, innovative and sustainable business and what doesn’t. But what might seem like a simplistic ‘out with the old, in with the new’

Jason Clarke presents The Renovator’s Guide to Workplace Culture as part of the Masterclass Series at the 2014 ClubsNSW Conference.

The simplest way to get your people thinking about things that matter to the business is to encourage them to keep asking: ‘What will the customers need next?’


approach is a more of a strategic ‘spring clean’ that questions every facet of the culture and asks ‘do we still want this?’ It’s more of a cultural renovation than a cultural revolution.

However, the much-lauded ‘innovation culture’ isn’t a single mindset but rather the clever orchestration of multiple thinking styles; it’s a subtle formula of idealism and pragmatism, passion and reason, wide-eyed creativity and razor-sharp scepticism.

The trick is getting the balance, timing and sequence just right; too much pragmatism too early will kill off any new thinking, too much imagination for too long will chew up time and resources with nothing to show in return. As you might imagine, achieving the correct mix of personalities and egos and harnessing their collective talents demands a fair degree of empathy and emotional intelligence. Once you get the balance right though, it’s just a question of pointing all that creativity and intellect at problems you’d like to see fixed once and for all.

The simplest way to get your people thinking about things that matter to the business is to encourage them to keep asking: ‘What will the customers need next?’ It’s the one question that sets any smart business apart; while everyone else struggles to provide what (they think) the customer wants right now the innovator jumps two steps ahead to set up shop in the future, which is where they see a very different marketplace.

Today’s customer wants a bargain: they like discounts and specials, they like prizes and freebies. They want big meals at tiny prices and they want fun, colour, movement and surprise… and let’s be honest, clubs have got that stuff down to fine art.

But is there a difference between what they want and what they actually need? And will that need be the same a few years from now?

It’s asking questions like these that makes innovative businesses naturally interested in sustainability; no matter where they look, they can’t help wondering ‘how much longer will that last and what will replace it?’

That’s because whatever it is our communities will need over the next few decades is what the future of business will be made of.

It’s the sort of thinking that’s very different from the kind we normally do; most of us are so frantic dealing with the demands of the moment that we never have time to think beyond today, which might explain why so many of us are stuck firmly in the present.

But that classic, narrow, short-term thinking is not an unavoidable feature of business; it’s just a mindset they fall into. An ethos that values activity over reflection, productivity over creativity, busyness over mindfulness, a culture that has plenty of time to think but would rather be ‘doing something.’

Of course, innovative cultures believe that thinking is work which is why they always find time to do it. Since 1948 the 3M Company has allocated 15 per cent of its time and resources to thinking about ‘Whatever’s Next’ – a practice that has produced everything from Scotch tape and shatterproof glass to the Post-It Note, plus 22,800 world patents to boot. In 2004 Google upped the ante to 20 per cent and recently claimed that 50 per cent of its products, including Gmail, were the result.

But even once they’ve mastered the art of encouraging and harnessing all their human potential, businesses sometimes struggle to understand that the ideas that powered the successes of their past might not necessarily work so well in the future. It’s a realisation that can create a dangerous rift in the organisational culture; the schism between ‘The Way It’s Always Been’ and ‘The Way It’s Gonna Be’.

As the needs of the marketplace change, letting go of old ideas can be just as important, if not more, as dreaming up new ones.

But unlike new ideas, old ideas have the advantage of time; they’ve had time to seep into the culture and define the assumptions, values, behaviours and even traditions of a club to the point where there’s a very real danger that everyone gets so stuck the Old Way that they fail to notice the world passing them by.

Every new mind that joins the culture brings with it the potential for a fresh perspective, a chance to look at the business with new eyes and to ask new questions. It’s an opportunity to be savoured and celebrated but most institutions go to great lengths to indoctrinate the newbie into the old assumptions and routines that might already be past their use-by dates.

That’s the thing with culture; it’s not a static set of rules but an evolving, organic community of ideals, aspirations and passions that mutates and grows to best express the imagination and talent of the minds that live within it.

Fresh minds bring the promise of fresh thinking, new ways of working, new approaches to old problems and – perhaps more importantly – new insights into ‘What’s Next’.

This is what makes culture so important. It defines how you attract and utilise talent, develop partnerships, attract customers and build reputation and determines the health, strength and even the future of your business.

But even once they’ve mastered the art of encouraging and harnessing all their human potential, businesses sometimes struggle to understand that the ideas that powered the successes of their past might not necessarily work so well in the future.


by David ShortlandShortland Consulting

David Shortland presents Turbocharge Your Board Performance as part of the Masterclass Series at the 2014 ClubsNSW Conference.

“Engage” is a powerful encouragement to participate energetically in all that the 2014 ClubsNSW Conference has to offer.

So as you’re immersed in all that this year’s Conference has to offer, there has never been a better time to think about your club’s board performance. Why? Well the simple concept of engagement is an important accelerator to revving up your club’s board to an even higher performance. Well, just like a well-run engine equals a well-run car, well-run club boards mean well-run clubs. And isn’t that what all of our communities want?

LET’S GET INTO GEARDesigning and driving top shelf strategies, structures, supporting documents and processes are vital components of performing well. However, leading thinkers on governance note another vital part in creating high performing boards is how you, as directors, engage with your members, community, staff and crucially, each other in the boardroom on the important decisions you make and monitor... but more on that later.

When you are looking after something precious (in your case, your members’ interests and their community vehicles) doing it to the best of your individual and collective abilities, and appropriately, is just the right thing to do. The Club Pathways program by ClubsNSW, and the Club Directors’ Institute (CDI) within it, are excellent examples of an industry group leading the way in educating club directors on governance to create successful, sustainable organisations.

‘LEARNER DRIvERS’Consultants are lucky. We regularly get to talk to expert directors and those who support boards by helping them engineer better performance. We were struck by a recent conversation with a very experienced Chair who said he was

TURBOChARGEYOUR BOARDPERFORMANCE

a “student of prominent governance failures”. When asked why, he looked surprised and replied: “How else can you hope to improve if you don’t learn from the mistakes of others?” Quite right too!

Together we marvelled at the range of eminent, clever, and committed people from all walks of life who had become directors, yet found themselves at the centre of situations where the organisations were barely spluttering along due to what seemed to the outside observer, as obvious governance failures.

Getting under the bonnet to see what made the engine seize up was this Chair’s passion. We chatted on, and it became clear he also paid close attention to the behaviour of directors he admired. Those with whom he personally engaged with on the boards he sat, and those whom he observed elsewhere. We didn’t have to ask, he volunteered why: “I try to replicate the behaviours of those directors I admire. It’s straightforward: if each individual director aspires to become an even better director, the whole board performance must improve. That’s driving better organisations overall.”

This Chair’s method of sharpening his knowledge and capabilities is indicative of the value of considering case studies in order to learn. They give real life context to principles. Why do some boards hum along? Why are obvious pitfalls filled with wrecks when they should have been spotted and avoided? To run smoothly or avoid the same clunky fate, wise directors take a good look at relevant, real or hypothetical

To run smoothly or avoid the same clunky fate, wise directors take a good look at relevant, real or hypothetical scenarios and workshop them together.


scenarios and workshop them together. If, as sensible, diligent directors we are applying the lessons learned from our own and others’ experience, and are the drivers of successful sustainable organisations… then aren’t we all learner drivers?

‘LATEST MODELS’ Consistent with the principle of learning and sensible professional development, (bringing benefits to your club, your board and you), it’s important for your board to keep attuned to recent governance models, thinking and literature. Club Pathways, CDI and the Australian Institute of Company Directors are rich sources of material and intelligence. Why is so much written about governance and board performance? For the same reason the Chair mentioned earlier is fascinated by governance – people across many disciplines turn their minds to what makes the motors of organisations run well in order to help achieve better performance and outcomes for the people touched by the organisations of which we are directors.

Over a cup of tea with an extremely clever, yet very down-to-earth Organisational Psychologist, we were enthralled by her views that boards of all sizes and types need to find new ways to engage to get better decision-making. During her discussion, she started to refine some thinking around how directors need to ‘tune up’ how they deal with dynamic environments and challenges. The proposition is that for boards to function better, directors need to find ways to be open to innovation and creativity in the boardroom and with their stakeholders. This requires different thinking skills to those associated with traditional decision-making. It seems to be consistent with a lot of the work being done that suggests having appropriate diversity of thinking on boards will lead to better outcomes. So when it comes to thinking about who needs to be on your board, it may mean more than just tapping a likeable person on the shoulder and ‘handing them the keys to the car’.

As recently as August 2014, a respected international economist published an article in The Economist suggesting there is a case for ‘outsourcing’ the function of boards. The suggestion is that unlike organisations who reinvent themselves, “…when it comes to boards they have been astonishingly conservative”. He discusses a recently published article that suggests given the failures of corporate governance in the US, organisations should opt to hire ”professional board services” in the same way they hire law firms or accountants. It’s hard to forecast whether this idea will get traction, but it is the perceived governance shortcomings of certain groups that have been the catalyst for examining new ways of achieving high performance.

So why is all this stuff relevant? As we all know, many of the innovative features initially introduced by prestige car manufacturers find their way to becoming standard options in the humble mass-produced sedan. So having an understanding of some of the emerging thinking

and recommended behaviours may assist in leading and achieving better board performance quicker and earlier, before it eventually becomes ‘standardised’.

STANDARDSOn the topic of ‘standardisation’, it is worth remembering that the Australian Securities Exchange’s (ASX) Corporate Governance Council published the 3rd Edition of its Principles and Recommendations in March 2014. The Chair of the Council, Alan Cameron AO, reflected in the Foreword, “The changes in the third edition reflect global developments in corporate governance since the second edition was published.” It was barely a decade ago that the ASX Corporate Governance Council was first formed and now it is a condition of being a publicly-listed company on the ASX that those companies report whether they comply with the Principles and Recommendations and if not, why not. The Principles and Recommendations are widely regarded as authoritative and are used as a reference and guide by many other groups including some not-for-profit organisations. So having familiarity with them is of value to many directors in a broader context.

Similarly, the Club Pathways program and the Club Directors’ Institute are splendid examples of how important standards can be effectively embedded in a sector through the active and diligent people who lead it.

DIAGNOSTICSA recurring theme of this piece is that sustained learning, professional development and reflecting on how well your board is performing as a collective, and you are faring individually as a director is necessary to benefit your club and its members. A board needs to have a shared understanding of its current state before considering how it goes about ‘turbo-charging’ its performance. There are various styles of assessments and diagnostics that Boards can undertake to establish ‘how well the engine is running’ e.g. the Australian Institute of Company Directors offers a comprehensive “guided” self-assessment via its Governance Analysis Tool™. [In the interests of transparency, the author would like to declare that he is an AICD GAT Accredited Facilitator.]

Undertaking the diagnostic is a great start, however, where the rubber really hits the road in board performance enhancement is when a board uses the assessment to undertake specific actions to entrench the processes and behaviours necessary to improve. It is like having a strategy, but also successfully executing and monitoring it.

The proposition is that for boards to function better, directors need to find ways to be open to innovation and creativity in the boardroom and with their stakeholders.


Q&AGREG O’ROURKEChair, Football NSW

When Greg O’Rourke joined the Football NSW Board in 2011, he walked into a period of unprecedented change and rejuvenation. Club Director Magazine sat down with Greg, now the Chair of the Football NSW Board, to discuss his and the Board’s journey from dysfunction and discontent to good governance.

Club Director: What was your board experience prior to joining the Football NSW Board?

My board experience started with the Sutherland Football Association, which I spent four years on, and I also spent five years on a community board with Sutherland Shire Council. During that time we worked to build a multi-function sports facility including a golf course, driving range, 10 football fields, netball courts and an Olympic-standard athletics field at Menai known as ‘The Ridge’, similar to a facility at Mingara Recreation Club on the Central Coast.

CD: What was your motivation for joining the Football NSW Board initially?

The 26 associations and regional branches that were members were looking to the governing body Football NSW (FNSW) for leadership and direction and were not satisfied with their performance, so rather than complain about it not being effective, I decided to stand for election and with other new Board members attempt to fix it. The game was fractured, the State body was not communicating well with its governing body the Football Federation of Australia (FFA), the aims of the Premier League clubs appeared very different from the grassroots association’s and there was no love lost in the many attempts to align. As I was already representing the largest grassroots association in NSW and had built relationships across the game, I was confident we could build a successful leadership group at the State level.

CD: What was your motivation for taking on the role of Chair of the Board?

The Chairman role is not an elected position by members, it is decided upon by the elected Board – I joined as Deputy Chair with a number of other new directors. However after 12 months the existing Chair resigned due to business commitments and

I was asked by my peers to replace the Chair. My first thought was how would we approach the sheer enormity of the task to lead the consolidation of the game within NSW, but as I soon found out the majority of the members were equally keen to move on, create a new culture of unity and finally allow the game to be as successful in Australia as it always threatened to be. The success of the A League, W League and National teams under the leadership of the FFA was happening concurrently, so momentum was on my side.

It was all about building and investing in relationships. The Board and the CEO spent many days and nights in the field and at the fields, listening, sharing, communicating and breaking bread. Whilst we have made good progress the job is not finished. The tide has turned and members now feel that they can trust the board to make good governance decisions for the benefit of the whole game. There are now even hybrid competitions with elite teams playing grassroots teams.

CD: What brought you to the decision that you needed to ‘renovate’ the Board?

As a result of discontent and the dysfunction, all but one of the Board had resigned before I joined, so not only did we need to refresh the structure, we needed to attract new talent. FFA helped by appointing three directors, while FNSW members nominated the rest, and I was one of those recruited by the members. We took our time to fill the final spots, but we succeeded with recruiting the likes of former Socceroo Charlie Yankos, whose knowledge of and passion for the game brings a fantastic perspective to the board.

CD: How did you facilitate the functioning of the Board and how long did it take?

It was always the belief of the new Board that success would be a Board that was respected, relevant and engaged with its


membership. As such in order to improve the strategic focus of FNSW we left the Boardroom and went on a road trip to listen to our Associations.

We represent nearly 300,000 members and we needed beyond anything to be relevant to them. We spoke to the membership through town hall meetings to hear what they wanted versus what they were seeing, looked at competition structures, player and referee pathways and overall participant outcomes. This helped inform the Board as to the members’ needs, helped us understand how best to provide those needs, and how to formulate the right strategic direction for interdependency of all our stakeholders and importantly how best to align with the FFA.

Seven standing committees were formed to provide direct feedback loops from Technical and Coaching, Referees, Premier League and State League Clubs, Grassroots Associations and the specific target growth areas of Womens’ football and Futsal. The stakeholders nominated their committee representatives and now those committees feed information to the Board for decision making. It took a bit longer than I had hoped to get all this up and running but we were driving a few agendas at the time including getting the backyard of FNSW right. The first year was focused on delivering against the consultative strategy along with a focus on governance and leadership, but it would be fair to say we bit off plenty in a short period of time and the significant change agenda was not all smooth sailing.

CD: How do you think it has worked?

The Board is now recognised as being consultative, understanding of its membership and delivering on its

objectives around governance and integrity. We adopted the mantra of Grow, Develop, Promote and Serve. Participation is up four per cent with 290,000 players in FNSW programs. We have clear pathways and more opportunities than we did three years ago, an active digital media focus and an internal structure that has been aligned to our stakeholders needs.

Another key factor to success has been basing our decisions on data and facts, rather than emotion. There are many volunteers involved in our sport like all other codes and their time investment and passion is high, therefore using hard data to drive the decisions has proved invaluable. We survey up to 100,000 members per annum through Survey Monkey and external organisations to keep up both our engagement levels but importantly regular, relevant feedback.

We are doing what we say we are going to do. We listen to the members and make fact-based decisions. The final critical factor ensuring our success is the competency of our CEO. Eddie Moore was appointed just prior to this Board and the working relationship he has with myself as Chairman and the ability for him and his staff to effectively implement the Board’s strategy has been key.

Meet Greg O’Rourke and hear more about how he rebuilt the Football NSW Board at the Club Directors Institute Lunch at this year’s ClubsNSW Annual Conference. At the ‘Rebuilding Your Board’ lunch, he’ll discuss how the selection of directors is no longer a popularity contest, but rather a response to the need for diverse and complementary skills that can affect high-quality governance to ensure club sustainability.

ENGAGE YOUR LEARNING CLUB DIRECTORS INST ITUTE LUNCHmon 13 oct, 12:15pm–1:30pm

REBuILDING YOuR BOARD

At the Club Directors Institute (CDI) Lunch, Greg O’Rourke will explore how he rebuilt the Football NSW Board. Selection of directors is no longer a popularity contest but rather a response to the need for diverse and complementary skills that can affect high-quality governance to ensure club sustainability.

Greg began his sports club committee involvement in football in 2001 with the Barden Ridge Football Club where he held the role of President from 2004 to 2006. Moving from club to association level, Greg joined the Sutherland Shire Football Association and was appointed President for a period of four years. Greg then joined the Board of Football NSW in October 2011 and was elected Chairman in October 2012.

Outside of football, Greg spent more than five years on a local community board with the Sutherland Shire Council for the building of sporting facilities in the Menai area including the Barden Ridge Sports Complex.

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The key to a successful amalgamation (or merger) between two clubs is simple: start early and plan properly. Taking the time to seek advice, conducting due diligence and properly documenting all relevant details can save your club from making a costly mistake.

Often clubs leave considering an amalgamation until it’s almost too late. For a club that is concerned about its future viability, considering an amalgamation early puts it in a stronger negotiating position. That is, an amalgamation can be a marriage of equals rather than a rescue mission. For a club with a strong cash flow that is looking to diversify assets, being ready to consider an amalgamation may give it the edge over another club looking to do the same. Prepare your Board and know what you are looking for.

TIp 1Consider putting a regular item on the agenda for each monthly Board meeting dealing with amalgamations, even if you’re not currently contemplating it.

Before entering into any agreement or understanding with any club about an amalgamation, the ‘dissolving club’ must call for expressions of interest from clubs within a fifty-kilometre radius (usually through the circulars issued by ClubsNSW). Be aware that an ‘Understanding’ includes what would colloquially be described as doing something on a ‘nod and a wink’.

TIp 2Seek advice before entering into discussions with another club. Failing to do so could lead to a complaint and jeopardise an amalgamation.

If your club is interested in amalgamating with a ‘dissolving club’, careful consideration needs to be given to what your club is willing to offer. For example, how long will you maintain the dissolving club’s premises? Will you undertake to carry out any works? What rights will the dissolving clubs members have? Will you lend money to keep the dissolving club trading? What staff will you keep?

These matters can form the basis of an expression of interest that ‘sells’ your club and sets out why it is the best partner for

the dissolving club. As negotiations progress, both clubs will need to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The Regulations set out a number of important matters that must be included in the MoU. However, the Regulations do not set out all of the matters that will need to be agreed to by the parties.

TIp 3 Ensure the MoU or a separate deed of amalgamation covers all the matters necessary to conduct a successful amalgamation. Omissions can create uncertainty and future problems.

For example, your club may want to seek a period of exclusivity while conducting due diligence. Of course, the MoU needs to make clear that any amalgamation is subject to your club being satisfied with its due diligence. You also need to consider under what circumstances either party can terminate the agreement.

Both clubs will need to seek approval of its members in general meetings (including a change to the surviving Club’s constitution). It should never be assumed that members will support an amalgamation. Members need to be informed of what is going on and why, and given an opportunity to express their views.

TIp 4Consult with your members by holding information sessions and put forward the club’s reasons. Dealing with members’ concerns early can alleviate fear and avoid a potential ‘no’ vote.

An amalgamation will also need approval from the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority. This will require compliance with the relevant legislation and steps contained within. Even once the amalgamation is approved it is important to remember that clubs are a specialised industry and careful consideration needs to go into how and when assets are transferred across. For example, does the dissolving club hold less gaming entitlements than its allowed threshold? And can these be increased?

Amalgamations are a specialised process and this article only touches the tip of the iceberg. While amalgamations may appear complex, being prepared and seeking appropriate advice can make the process simple and help your club achieve a successful result.

by Bruce GottersonPigott Stinson

ThE FIRST STEPS OF A SUCCESSFUL AMALGAMATION


“Probably my first lesson I learnt when I came on the Board was we really didn’t have any policies in place at the time. Nowadays, we have a policy for everything from our ‘cart on the course’ to ‘use of corporate credit cards’ to a ‘children on the course’ policy.”

In today’s dynamic and constantly changing environment, a constructive club culture that supports a humanistic approach to club leadership and management is critical in ensuring the club’s long term survival and financial viability.

Your club culture is the soil which nurtures all your operational outcomes and has a direct impact on the club’s bottom line.

In an intensely competitive marketplace, a constructive culture is conducive in achieving not only your organisational goals, but in attracting and keeping desirable employees, creating a positive public image, and building respectful relationships with stakeholders, in other words it is what distinguishes the wheat from the chaff!

Individuals on your Board and in your leadership team influence and shape your club culture. It is therefore imperative that these individuals are self aware, inspirational leaders who aspire to not only meet, but consistently exceed expectations.

New research by Korn Ferry analysts David Zes and Dana Landis, which is based on a large body of data, confirms for the first time the direct relationship between leader self-awareness and organisational financial performance. Their paper, A Better Return on Self-Awareness, states that ‘companies with a higher rate of return also employ professionals who exhibit higher levels of self-awareness.’ In a recent interview Landis went on to say: “self-awareness is not a soft skill, a nice-to-have. It’s playing out in your bottom line. This is about leadership effectiveness.”

This research, with its hard evidence, makes it impossible to cast self-awareness aside as a soft skill. Self-awareness is the most crucial developmental breakthrough for accelerating personal leadership growth and authenticity. Learning to pause to build self-awareness is an evolving process critical to leader success. It is extremely valuable to know ourselves in order to leverage our potentialities.

It is with this in mind that the ClubsNSW Learning and Development Team has created a module called Build an Effective Club Team which uses DiSC behavioural profiling to help individuals on boards and in leadership roles to increase their self awareness and achieve their true potential. Each

module is tailored to meet individual club board and leadership team needs.

hOW DOES ThIS WORk?Participants complete a 10 minute online assessment and then a ClubsNSW accredited DiSC practitioner provides your club with the necessary insights and opportunities during a three-hour session to develop:• high performance teams• effective intra personal communication • common non-threatening language for future

communications• coaching and mentoring skills.

On an inter-personal level, self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses can net the trust of others and increase your credibility, which in turn increases leadership effectiveness.

On an organisational level, the benefits of this training are even greater. When leaders acknowledge what they have yet to learn, they’re modeling that in their organisation it’s okay to admit you don’t have all the answers, to make mistakes and most importantly, to ask for help. These are all characteristics of an organisation that is constantly learning and are springboards to innovation and agility – two hallmarks of high-performing organisations.

If your club ready to take that next leadership step, contact Delna Dugdale, ClubsNSW Learning and Development Specialist via [email protected] for further details.

All ClubSAFE Premium Members

The Build an Effective Club Team module is now being offered at no cost to our ClubSAFE Premium members.

As an added benefit of Premium membership, you are entitled to put nine of your directors or management staff through this DiSC profiling and training (free of charge). To find out more, contact Delna Dugdale, ClubsNSW Learning and Development Specialist via [email protected]

by Delna DugdaleClubsNSW Learning & Development Specialist

BECOMING SELF-AwARE DiSC BEhAvIOURAL PROFILING


The best way to achieve compliance right across your venue.

“At Mingara, we have found the ClubSAFE Premium service to be a great tool in assisting us to achieve compliance right across our venue. The ClubSAFE training gave our entire team an in-depth understanding of both our individual and organisational responsibilities, as well as a great refresher for those of us who had completed Responsible Conduct of Gambling courses in the past.

The new Multi-Venue Self-Exclusion (MVSE) system is user friendly, innovative and time saving – all the resources and tools are conveniently located in the one place.”

Daniel Pinkstone, Mingara General Manager

For more information, contact Rowan Cameron, ClubSAFE Manager on 02 9268 3068 or [email protected]


“Probably my first lesson I learnt when I came on the Board was we really didn’t have any policies in place at the time. Nowadays, we have a policy for everything from our ‘cart on the course’ to ‘use of corporate credit cards’ to a ‘children on the course’ policy.”

It has been said that there is no such thing as a dumb idea. I used to catch myself optimistically spruiking this point in an attempt to ensure my children think creatively and contribute confidently during problem-solving moments in life. Things were going swimmingly until a few years ago when at the height of the mandatory pre-commitment battle, my eldest son initiated a conversation about the merits or otherwise of mandatory pre-commitment for poker machine players. After attempting as best I could to offer a balanced rationale in favour and against, my son asked “Dad, do you think this could actually be a dumb idea?” I had no choice to admit that it was one of the dumbest ideas I’d encountered and in that moment said goodbye forever to my idealistic portrayal of ideas!

To anybody who has experienced problem gambling, whether directly, as a family member or as a practitioner assisting those to overcome the destructive behaviour, mandatory pre-commitment was up there on the winner’s podium for the Dumb Idea Olympics! I have no doubt that when the independent member for the Tasmanian seat of Denison Andrew Wilkie, at the urging of Senator Nick Xenophon, negotiated with then Prime Minister Julia Gillard for the introductory of what was tantamount to a “gambling licence”, he did so out of genuine concern for those among us who relate destructively to gambling. Unfortunately, the best of intentions don’t always lead to clever and effective initiatives.

Mandatory pre-commitment was never going to assist those with a destructive relationship to gambling because the concept was built around the gambler, problematic or otherwise, self-determining the time and fiscal limits under which they would gamble. Apart from the effect that such a measure would have on the majority of gamblers who are recreational, the reaction of the problem gamblers to whom the initiative was put was consistent.

“I’d just set myself a limit that I’d never reach.” “I could easily get around that!” “I’d just take my wife’s card and use that.”

Like many initiatives born of politics and bureaucracy, this one failed to appreciate the resourcefulness and ruthless ability that

most problem gamblers have mastered in order to deceive and perpetuate the facade that all is well.

When it came to arguing in favour of this pointless initiative, Messrs Wilkie, Xenophon and Costello pointed to the Canadian province of Nova Scotia as a shining example of all that could be achieved with the introduction of mandatory pre-commitment. Nova Scotia is one of a few lonely jurisdictions that saw fit to introduce such a system – at an equivalent cost of $9,000 (AUD) per machine.

Twenty million dollars later and the news has arrived that mandatory pre-commitment, a model so espoused by Australia’s anti-gambling zealots, is dead. The Nova Scotia Government has announced the disbanding of their mandatory pre-commitment system, declaring it a failure.

Andrew Younger, the Government Minister whose department had carriage of the “My-Play” system explained: “This was something that was tried and the money was spent to do that, but it makes no sense for me to continue authorising spending millions of dollars on a system that is actually not helping.” Minister Younger added that while mandatory pre-commitment had not helped problem gamblers, it had driven away casual players who didn’t want to get a card. “What happened was it got rid of the casual and tourist gamers. There was no decrease in problem gamblers use of VLTs [poker machines] since the introduction of the My-Play system.”

It may come as no surprise to you that since the announcement of the cessation of the Nova Scotia failed experiment, there has been not one word of response uttered by Messrs Wilkie, Xenophon and Costello. Perhaps in this case, silence is indeed golden.

In stark contrast, your peak industry body is getting on with the job of developing potent and sustainable initiatives that really can make a difference to the lives of those relating destructively to gambling.

Having developed and introduced our world-first online Multi-Venue Self-Exclusion technology, we’re working with a range of stakeholders, including state governments, researchers, counsellors and community groups to help further improve harm-minimisation measures. Indeed one such measure, our Club Chaplaincy partnership with the Salvation Army, recently received positive feedback from a significant source.

The Fred Nile Chaired Select Committee into Problem Gambling “commends ClubsNSW and the Salvation Army for their efforts in establishing the chaplaincy program. As the chaplaincy program is in its relative infancy, the committee urges ClubsNSW to keep the NSW government informed of the progress and outcomes achieved as it is rolled out in further venues across the state.”

Inform them we wholeheartedly will!

by Rowan CameronClubsSAFE Manager

CLUBSAFE SAYING NO IN NOvA SCOTIA


DIRECTOR IN FOCUSI A N M I L L E RB A T h U R S T R S L

Head into the Central West of New South Wales and you’ll find a club that is the very heart and soul of its community, a real local success story. Bathurst RSL stands out for its sound financial position, forward-thinking Board and capacity for growth thanks to its infrastructure, asset portfolio and cash reserves. But it hasn’t always been this way.

The club’s revival and resurgence over the past decade is partly thanks to the contribution and dedication of Director Ian Miller, who has brought energy, innovation, business acumen and financial accountability to the role during his 11 years as a Director.Membership has been on an upward trajectory and the club now boasts more than 12,000 members, with some hailing from as far as the Northern Territory and New Zealand.

Many of these far-flung members first discovered the club when visiting for the annual Bathurst 1000 motor race at Mt Panorama track. Race weekend sees the city almost double in size thanks to the surge in motoring enthusiasts who descend upon the town. Unsurprisingly, this hive of V8 activity is the club’s second busiest period in terms of patronage and takings after ANZAC Day.

Like so many clubs in NSW, Bathurst RSL is also a generous contributor to the area and last year alone donated almost $200,000 in financial and in-kind support to the local community. This year, a total of 22 community organisations recently received a share in $70,000 of grants from Bathurst RSL and Bathurst Panthers. Locals know that Bathurst RSL has long been an active part of this growing regional city, which with a population of 37,000 is now Australia’s oldest inland settlement.

The club was established in 1928 with first club rooms built in 1933 to replace the house on the current site in the years between. The club now has 96 full time staff and has two main bars and an auditorium which has a 300 person capacity. There are two other function rooms which hold 30 to 60 people and a bistro and coffee shop operating seven days a week. In the past two years, the club has increased gaming from 129 to 140 machines, and has installed an eBet card-based system.

For 67-year-old Mr Miller, there is a genuine affection for the club and it was only a matter of time before he went from being a club member to playing a pivotal role in the decision-making process at the top. He lives only about 400 yards from the club with his wife Coral (a fellow Bathurst RSL Director), having bought his home in the area in 1975. In January 1976, he first joined the club as a member.

His foray into the Boardroom came some ten years ago when Board Elections were held and there was a general lack of interest in standing. He was approached by a Sub Branch member at the time to run at the AGM. After discussing it with his wife, the decision was made. “We decided it was a good interest for me as well as the sport I was doing at the time,” he said of the decision. “Not to mention to keep me off the streets and stop me annoying people!” he joked.

With a strong work ethic and a diverse range of skills and experience, Mr Miller could contribute immediately. His CV stretches over 45 years. Having left school in 1962 at 15, he started working in the shearing sheds as a roustabout and shearer in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. With wife Coral, he moved to Bathurst in 1974 to work for blinds and soft furnishings company, Luxaflex, as a salesmen and product fitter.

He left Luxaflex in 1976 and gained employment with the NSW Government in the same year to join the Central Mapping Authority which was decentralised by the then Labor Government. Initially employed for six weeks only, Mr Miller soon gained permanent employment and stayed for 31 years, before joining the Bathurst boardroom about four years prior to retirement, aged 60.

It was his government experience that gave Mr Miller a solid knowledge of financial systems and processes. “I put down retired store man but I was actually in charge of purchasing,

Interview by Tim EscottDigital Communications Officer, ClubsNSW


assets, management and financial resources within my group” he said. “I had to learn years ago through the new computerised system the government was putting in about the financial management and accounts and how to link financial management to asset management and depreciation,” he said. “I have a very good working knowledge of financial controls and since going on the Board, and attending ClubsNSW regional meetings and training, I now have a much better idea of corporate governance. What I bring is plenty of experience over all the areas that are required to make financial and legal decisions for this Board.”

His skills complement his fellow directors at Bathurst RSL, who between them represent a vast cross-section of the local community. Indeed, the Board includes a Salvation Army chaplain, a federal public servant, a state public servant, a manager in food production, a retired insurance broker and a Director with a commercial background in newspapers and print media. Taking a proactive approach, the Board has implemented one year, three year and five year strategic plans, which are regularly reviewed at each Board meeting. The club turned its fortunes around thanks to careful planning and prudent financial decisions that have delivered a solid balance sheet. Currently, the club has $7.5 million in assets and annual revenues of almost $12 million. It purchased the building from the sub branch three years ago for $2.8 million and halved the debt to the bank. They also own four houses next to the club in the adjoining premises, which are all rented out thereby ensuring additional income. However, Mr Miller cautioned that doing anything with these properties in the current challenging economic climate was “not part of the one, three or five year plan” of the Board.

Compare this financial snapshot to a decade ago when the club had $580,000 in its operating account and $870,000 in an expense account which was there to cover the employees leave commitments. “We have worked very hard over the past ten years to increase our cash flow and to put us in a solid position,” he said. “Ten years ago the club was teetering on the brink of trading insolvent, to be honest. When I was first on the Board, there was half a million in cash in the bank. Six years ago, the club made a resolution not to have less than a million in the bank, which was later adjusted to two million. We have a firm commitment to cover our liability in staff entitlements also and there is enough money to pay 96 full time staff and not be in the red, if it did ever come to that.” “Over ten years, we have had three general managers, and they have all worked very hard to keep that cash flow going and other assets as well,” he added. “The last ten years have seen a huge turnaround and we pride ourselves on our professionalism. We have a very loyal and committed staff and we are a multi-million dollar business so we have to be professional in running it. We had three new Directors join in July this year and they have already had training and a staff induction.” Mr Miller said that

he had stronger corporate governance knowledge than when he started and attributes new-found skills to director training, including ClubsNSW training courses and regional meetings. Over the past decade, he has completed courses in Director and Management Collaboration, Effective Strategic Planning, Legal and Financial Management, Governance, Ethics and Leadership and many others.

Mr Miller said the Board took a conservative approach in terms of investment and growth over the last 10 years. “The need to purchase the club building was a major investment ensuring the long term future of the club. The long term future for the club is very strong. We have a solid membership which is growing by the year and is in a very healthy financial position.”

That is just the start for Bathurst RSL Club, with major works pencilled in for the next 12 months. After the last major renovation in 2011, plans are afoot to spend almost $1 million next year on revamping the auditorium, giving the coffee shop a spruce up, rolling out new carpet and enhancing bar areas. All of these improvements are aimed at making the club better and stronger, and ensuring that it stays a ‘must visit’ destination for appreciative locals and motor heads for many years to come!

Like so many clubs in NSW, Bathurst RSL is also a generous contributor to the area and last year alone donated almost $200,000 in financial and in-kind support to the local community.


RESOURCES & COURSESOperating for more than 10 years, the Club Directors Institute (CDI) continues to be the club industry’s leading professional development alliance for club directors and managers, providing full access to training, development, tools, and templates that you and your club need to improve operations, financial viability, and meet compliance and governance obligations.

The ClubPATHWAYS program is designed for boards, managers, and staff and offers a mix of face-to-face training, online training (e-learning), or a blend of both. Given the compliance requirements for the club industry and our rapidly changing regulatory landscape, the delivery of learning, training, and education must ensure that the right people have access to current and critical information in order to do their jobs efficiently and effectively. Through the ClubPATHWAYS program you will discover a wide range of compliance courses as well as programs specifically developed for directors and senior managers. New online courses are added regularly. For more information, visit clubsnsw.e3learning.com.au

Within the current environment, ClubsNSW offers an additional range of training courses, available in both face-to-face and online formats, to further support club directors and managers.

As the first of two fundamental courses that all directors must complete as part of the NSW Government’s mandatory training requirements, this course covers a variety of core topics including the history of clubs in NSW, the law and key legislation, compliance, and the roles and responsibilities of a club director.

As the second of two fundamental courses that all directors must complete as part of the NSW Government’s mandatory training requirements, this course covers a variety of core topics including understanding financial concepts and reports, monitoring financial performance, budgeting, managing business change, and managing financial risk.

It’s time to explore the right level of planning for you and the difference between a strategic and tactical decision. Generic planning courses often overlook the importance of understanding and categorising sections of the membership base as part of the research process, putting the entire strategic plan in jeopardy.

Leadership is a talent some have and others learn. Regardless, club directors must be leaders of both their club and community, demonstrating both vision and commitment in paving the way for a successful organisation. An overview of the Club Leadership Framework is also provided which sets the tone for the rest of the course and which includes leadership in service orientation, influence and collaboration, commercial contexts, governance, and change management.

Exploring the benefits of and the process of risk management and how it fits into the overall corporate governance structure for boards and CEOs, this course also investigates good corporate governance including the board’s role in setting organisational policy, purchasing strategies, and appropriate resourcing.

As a comprehensive resource available to all club directors and managers, the Club Industry Guide: Governance and Compliance provides accurate and up-to-date information on legislation covering your major operational and governance areas as well as help to achieve best practice goals. Also available in electronic format, the Club Industry Guide includes the Club Code of Practice and supporting Best Practice Guidelines to help ensure you reach your true capacity as a club director or manager.

ClubsNSW Online Learning Centre

ClubsNSWResources

For more information about CDI resources and courses, contact the ClubsNSW Learning & Development Team on 02 9268 3000 or email [email protected]

ClubsNSW Training

Director Foundation & Management Collaboration

Finance for Club Boards

Strategic Planning & Market Profiling for Clubs

Club Leadership in Action

Risk Management & the Procurement/Contract Cycle

What do you do for your community?

The 2015 Clubs & Community Awards are an opportunity to share your stories and to celebrate

them as an industry.

Story Submissions Open6 Oct–15 Dec 2014

clubsnsw.com.au/clubsandcommunity

Licensing & Gaming Advising in relation to the Liquor Act, Registered Clubs Act and Gaming Machines Act.

Amalgamations Advising on and preparing all necessary documentation for amalgamations and de-amalgamations.

Constitutions Advising on and preparing club constitutions and amendments to club constitutions.

Meetings Advising on the law and procedure of meetings and attending at general meetings and Board meetings to assist the chair. Membership Matters Advising and assisting in relation to membership matters including disciplinary proceedings and requisitions for general meetings.

Applications Preparing and acting on behalf of clubs on applications to the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority.

Complaints Representing and acting on behalf of clubs in complaints, & Breaches inquiries and alleged breaches of legislation.

Contracts Reviewing, preparing, negotiating and advising on all club contracts including property contracts, construction contracts and service contracts (caterers, cleaners etc).

Legislation Advising on legislation affecting the club industry, directors and other officers including the Corporations Act and Co‑operatives Act.

Dispute Resolution Representing and acting on behalf of clubs in all legal & Litigation proceedings.

Property Advising and acting on behalf of clubs in relation to & Commercial property and commercial matters including property disposals, building and construction, development, leasing, mortgages and other forms of security.

Documents

Club Director Magazine Oct 2014