15 September 2018

The Lord’s Taverners ACT has enjoyed another successful year, with the achievements of the past 12 months recognised at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting.

More than 30 members attended the AGM, at Royal Canberra Golf Club on 6 September, to hear President, Ric Smith deliver his annual report.

In his report, Ric said that with the aim of giving the young and disadvantaged a sporting chance, the Lord’s Taverners ACT has been pleased to, in the past year, disburse $31,549 to deserving causes and projects. This included $8000 for the National Cricket Inclusion Championships, which provides for all-ability, deaf and blind cricket, and $2000 for the Lord’s Taverners Shield, which is played for annually by young men and women with intellectual disabilities.

Subscriptions from members (who numbered 134 at 30 June, reflecting continued growth) and generous donations were, as ever, the foundation of fundraising efforts.

The Lord’s Taverners ACT’s three traditional events – the Annual Dinner (with guest speaker Merv Hughes), the degustation and winemakers dinner (with local winemaker Graeme Shaw) and the Prime Minister’s XI Match Dinner (with guest speaker Ian Healy) – were also important fundraisers, as well as enjoyable occasions for members and friends.

All this enabled $43,492 to be raised during the year, thus reversing the deficits of the past two years.

The Lord’s Taverners ACT is well positioned to consider new opportunities to assist community groups engaged in sport for the young and disadvantaged. In particular, consistent with the partnership between the Lord’s Taverners and Cricket Australia, the Lord’s Taverners ACT will be able to help CricketACT play its part in meeting Cricket Australia’s four pillars of community engagement – the four pillars being support for female cricket and for cricket among the Indigenous, multicultural and disability communities.

A number of members made donations during the year and the Lord’s Taverners ACT was also fortunate to be supported by Andy Turnbull, of the Australian Parliament Sports Club, Virgin Australia, Nan Back of Konica Minolta, Kookaburra, Doma Hotels (owners of the Hotel Realm), Lanterne Rooms restaurant, CricketACT and Canberra golfer Brendan Jones.

The Lord’s Taverners ACT would especially like to thank Muriel Wilkinson whose generosity continues to underpin the Junior Taverners awards in the name of her late husband, Graham.

Ric thanked the Lord’s Taverners ACT’s honorary auditor, Dennis O’Connor, for undertaking this role for more than a decade. In recognition of this, Dennis was made an Honorary Member of the Lord’s Taverners ACT (this presentation is pictured above).

To download a complete copy of Ric’s report, please click here.

Regarding positions on the Lord’s Taverners ACT Committee, 12 nominations were received, meaning all 12 people who nominated were elected to the committee: Hamish Arthur, Deb Clayton-Baker, Keith Hardy, Chris Hunter, Rob Laurie, Michael Mead, Kit Morgan, David Nicholls, Abul Rizvi, Noel Smith, Ric Smith and Asoka Wijeratne.

The Lord’s Taverners ACT would like to express its appreciation to outgoing committee members Robert Altamore and Alison Gates.

A resolution was put to the AGM relating to Section 3.14 of the Lord’s Taverners ACT Constitution, which restricts office-bearers to a maximum of four years in any one office unless extended for a period of time agreed by a resolution at the AGM. The resolution was carried, enabling Ric Smith to continue as President for 2018/19 (his fifth year in this office).

All office-bearers were elected unopposed: President – Ric Smith, Vice President – Kit Morgan, Treasurer – Noel Smith, Secretary – Chris Hunter.