Terry Macdonald, Chairman of Eastern Volunteers
The 2010 AGM was held on Thursday the 21st of October 2010 at the Mitcham Senior Citizen’s Centre in the City of Whitehorse and highlights Eastern Volunteers ongoing community programs, including the newly launched Friends of EV.
Chairman’s Report
What a great year EV has had! When I mentioned last year that we had an intention to establish in our own building, I did not even consider that it would happen so soon!
Our Operations
Once again EV has had a very satisfying year, with the Transport and Volunteering groups providing a high level of service even though requests in both areas have increased.
The full story is contained later in this Annual Report, with the Financial and GM’s reports, and I commend them to you.
One commendable move has been the agreement with the Maroondah Leader for the fortnightly publishing of an article written by EV about the volunteering sector in this area, with a column by our General Manager.
Our public functions (Fun Run, Multicultural Spring Festival and the Council Festivals) have all been very successful and, as happens, are getting better each year because of the zeal of the organising teams.
Our Directions
Following our success in acquiring our building during the 2010-11 year EV now has, at the same time, a simpler as well as a more complex set of directions to plan. We now know where we’ll be and what space we’ll have to use for our activities, but we now also have a much wider set of options for our future to assess and from which to choose. In the immediate future we will have a significant part of the building occupied by tenants, but we will also be able, in the longer term, to have flexibility in our use of the overall space.
The projection of EV’s activities and needs to the community has become a very effective operation since the establishment of the role of Manager of Marketing Services. The range of efforts such as Friends of EV, Business Booster Breakfasts and the Building Fund campaign have been very successful in raising the level of awareness in the community of EV and its development into a leading influence for the Community Service sector.
In late 2010 I was elected to the Board of Management of Volunteering Victoria as well as being elected by that Board to be the Victorian representative to the Board of Volunteering Australia. I am now able to take EV’s views to the peak bodies for our sector, and to keep EV well informed of developments at those levels.
Thanks
This spectacularly successful year at EV has raised the level of thanks which I need to express to all at EV, my fellow Board Members, Vic and all his staff and all Volunteers. You have all participated so happily, effectively and enthusiastically in the effort – both intellectual and physical – needed to achieve what we have.
We have had departures (Eugene Wong and Deanna Ripeni) who have moved to other interests and whose time with EV was so effective. We have Patrick and Elke currently absent for periods of medical treatment and we keep wishing them well because of what they individually mean to us as friends as well as colleagues.
As well, I welcome all the new members of staff who have become part of the team.
It is my continuing privilege to serve as Chairman (remember this at the election!) and I am able to tell so many others in other organisations about the happy climate we have at EV.
In this message last year I mentioned the concept of “Fun” as part of volunteering. I am pleased to tell you that, at the National Conference on Volunteering in Queensland later this year, I will be speaking on the subject “Fun is more than a three-lettered word!” So wish me well as I spread the word.
Best wishes to all for 2011-2012.
