Circular 74/23 Approved motions from the 2023 AGM
The 2023 RSL NSW State Congress and Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on 22 – 24 October.
The full Minutes of the Congress and AGM will be added to the sub-Branch Portal as soon as possible, together with copies of presentations and links to the livestream recordings. In the meantime, the following motions were considered and carried at the AGM on 24 October:
Approved Motions
6.3 Middle East Area of Operations Annual Commemoration
That RSL NSW lobby RSL Australia to establish the 11th of July annually as the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) National Commemorative Day, with the inaugural commemoration being 11 July 2024.
6.4 Australian National Flag Protocol
That RSL NSW endorse the use of the Australian Flags booklet issued by the Australian Government as the correct protocol for the use of flags prescribed under the Flags Act 1953 by RSL NSW sub-Branches.
7.1 NSW Government Entitlements
That RSL NSW make representation to the NSW Government to offer similar exemptions and discounts to veterans and their families as offered by the Victorian Government.
7.2 Veteran Homelessness
That RSL NSW approach the Minister for Homelessness to introduce into the NSW Parliament a Bill for an Act to provide all veterans and their dependents with a legally enforceable right to shelter of a standard that enables them to meet the cost of living in New South Wales.
7.3 Compensation Advocacy
That RSL NSW forward any matters affecting sub-Branch compensation advocates to the individual sub-Branches for voting, particularly with regard to the harmonisation of veteran entitlement legislation.
8.4 Insert new clause 21.3
That the RSL NSW Constitution be amended by inserting the following clause: – “21.3 All policies and Standard Operating Procedures are to be within the scope specified in clause 2.1 and APPENDIX A – DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION.” And that subsequent clauses be renumbered.
8.5 Amend Appendix A
That the RSL NSW Constitution be amended at APPENDIX A – DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION. “Policies and Standard Operating Procedures” By deleting “and Standard Operating Procedures” and by deleting “and/or procedures” so that it reads: “Policies means policies issued by the Board from time to time applicable to sub-Branches.”
8.6 Amend Appendix B items 1-18
That the RSL NSW Constitution, Appendix B – Membership be amended by:
- Removing clauses 1 through to 6 (Application for membership) and referring those clauses to the DPC for consideration in SOP 2 – Membership.
- Moving clauses 7 and 8 so that they are under the heading ‘Discretionary criteria’;
- Moving the section ‘Membership Eligibility’ so that it is the first section of the Appendix and appears ahead of the section ‘Discretionary criteria’ and ‘Membership Fees and renewal’; and
- Renumbering all clauses of the Appendix accordingly.
8.7 Amend Appendix B item 13 (a) – (c)
That Appendix B item 13 of the RSL NSW Constitution be amended by:
- deleting the current wording of item 13 (a) and replacing it with ‘Any person who is or was a member of the Australian Defence Force with at least one day’s service should be admitted as a Service Member’;
- Deleting item 13 (b); and
- Deleting item 13 (c).
New Board and President
The new Board and President were presented to Delegates at Congress and assumed office at the rising of the AGM on 24 October. Visit the RSL NSW website to meet the new Board.
On behalf of the Board and all members, Chair of the Board, Sophie Ray, thanked outgoing President Ray James for his service to the League, and acknowledged retiring directors, John Hutcheson, Phillip Bridie, and Steve Graham for their wisdom, humour, and dedicated contribution to the future of the RSL in NSW.
2024 Congress/AGM
Newcastle was approved as the location for the 2024 RSL NSW State Congress/AGM. Dates will be announced as soon as possible.
