Waiatarua

April 2012

This month I thought I would base my report on the annual report I gave at our AGM on the 14th March to a select few. A highlight of the AGM was the election of a new committee member Norma, welcome aboard. During the meeting, which I might add lasted about 45 minutes, the question was raised about membership numbers. I compiled, as best I can, membership numbers over the last few years; with highs 1997 164/1999 191, to now 2010 99/2011 115.  So the question I have is why are less of you joining when you get far more for your bucks than ever before.  Are you aware that for a $10 per household fee you get WRRA Hotmail which comes straight to your inbox with press releases from Auckland Council, local information and priority notice of upcoming activities such as The Great Debate, where you get discounted tickets? If that is not enough a number of local businesses including our two restaurants offer discounts of around 10% to our members.    Now one visit to any of those and you have got at least your membership back.   We would love to hear from any of you that used to be members and no longer are as to why, is there something we need to change, after all you are the reason we are here!

President's Report 2012 Sitting down to write this report last weekend I thought these reports are just about becoming a cut and paste as well as the same people listening to them every year. So apart from telling you we have had another great year and it has been a pleasure having this great team to be part of and the hall has been exceptionally successful, thanks to John Goudge, as has the newsletter, thanks to Robyn O'Sullivan, Nicki Warner and the Longleys which means finances are good, but that is John Stagg's department. And we have all survived the amalgamation to Auckland City so far! As you all know Frank and Linda can no longer be full committee members as they no longer live in Waiatarua, but they still want to be involved so will become co-opted committee members.   With Frank leaving and something Tony Bacon wrote in last newsletter got me thinking about our volunteers. I joined the committee in August 2003 after Tony put a cry out in the newsletter for new members. 2004's AGM had this hall full partly because 90% of the committee was standing down and partly because there was wine and cheese.   That is when I was elected president and Frank on the committee. I would like now to recap those still active in the community from that committee: Myself, Tony Bacon (Past Pres and still very active), Frank still here, Jeannette Ziesler (Library), Lyndsay Whittle (Fire Brigade), Robin Essex (Drama/debate), Korstiaan Prins (drama/debate/website, having just rebuilt our website), Molly Whittington (families sports and music), Les Duffield (neighbourhood support), Ian Ford (fire brigade rep still in fire brigade), Cathie Wells (Website). Both Cathie and Ian look after our quiz nights. A few of these are also active as street coordinators.   Tony wrote about a couple who had given up delivering the newsletter after 20 years, and I started thinking of the people in this area like those just mentioned but then moved on to all those we don't really see or even know who they are. There is an army that pound the streets rain or shine delivering the newsletter, turning up for library duty every week, next time the fire siren wakes you on a wet cold windy night at 3a.m. just think of those getting out of bed to respond, and those that help behind the scenes before during and after plays, with some people involved in two or more of those activities and quite a few 20 years or more.   A year or three ago we decided to do away with the wine and cheese at AGMs and immediately the numbers dropped dramatically which got me thinking why don't people come to AGMs, when I realised my wife has never been to any of the 30-odd AGMs I have been involved in, so I asked her and she said "it is just listening to a lot of boring old gobbledegook " On that note I will stop gobbledegooking and sit down. Thanks ~ Dave