Board Communiqué – 28 November 2019
Dear RSL Members,
The RSL NSW Board met with the District Presidents’ Council (Interim) on 28 November 2019 at ANZAC House. It was a formal meeting of the board.
The key item on the agenda was the approval of the new standard operating procedures (SOPs) which are scheduled to come into effect from 1 December 2019.
The chair of the District Presidents’ Council (Interim) informed the board that, as at 25 November 2019, 73.9% of District Councils endorsed the SOPs as drafted and amended, and a written statement of assurance of this outcome was provided by the chair.
Following some discussion, the board approved the following SOPs which will take effect as of 1 December, along with the new constitution:
- Charitable Purpose
- Membership
- Election Procedures
- Conduct of sub-Branch Meetings
- Sub-Branch Executives and Trustees
- Sub-Branch Property Dealings
- Accounts, Financial Management and Expense Reimbursement
- Auxiliaries
- Ceremonies and Memorabilia
- District Councils
The DPC indicated that it will continue to seek feedback on the SOPs from sub-Branches and propose any further amendments considered necessary in May 2020. The SOPs will be available on the RSL NSW website for 1 December 2019.
The following matters were also discussed and agreed:
- Final consultation drafts of the sub-Branch model constitutions will be provided by RSL NSW management to the DPC by early next year for review and consultation with a view to endeavouring to have the constitutions approved by the board at its first meeting of 2020, scheduled for 25 February.
- The model constitutions will be accompanied by supporting documents outlining the pros and cons of incorporating and giving guidance on the steps required to incorporate.
The DPC left the meeting at lunchtime and the board re-convened to consider feedback from the membership, received through the District Councils and directly from sub-Branches, about the board’s decision not to allow membership fee subsidisation. While the Board has not veered from the equity principle it applied when it made its decision, it has recognised that the amount of time it takes for sub-Branches to administer membership fee processing has caused concerns.
Therefore, the board resolved:
- to rescind its earlier resolution and allow sub-Branches to subsidise service member fees for this year only; and,
- working with the DPC, to develop an alternative fee/no fee structure to apply from October 2020 that meets the equity principle.
Yours,
Ray James
Acting President
