Members Notice.

December 2020.

RE: Change to Club President Role.

As some of you are already aware, I formally notified the club of my resignation in October 2020 effective to become effective at the end of November 2020. This notice is to address some concerns raised since that time. In June 2019 I agreed with the NBJMCC executive committee to assume the role of President & immediately commenced a review of the club’s current state & why we were in that position. We had at this time:

• Fractured stakeholder & member relationships
• Three (3) years of outstanding audited financials
• Our last ‘Show cause before Closure’ notice from the Office of Fair Trading.

Things were less than average at best, however we maintained a presence in front of our members & entered a firm rebuilding phase operationally & commercially. Everything from that point was all business.

At the subsequent AGM I agreed to conduct a review of the audited financials for the 2016/2017 period. This decision was based on the volume of losses & the areas of the business those losses represented. To me, not only as club President, but as a business owner, to arrive more than a 100k loss and not face a membership group was unacceptable. As was the failure to present these financials for official audit. This has been an exhaustive, sobering experience & one I have never witnessed in the clubs I have been involved with over the years. This review is now complete & findings will be presented at the AGM in January 2021.

I would like to Personally invite any past executive or general committee members from this period (2016/2017) to attend January’s AGM for an open review on the issue. I will conduct this portion of the AGM with the approval of the current executive committee.

In relation to feedback around my resignation in what may be perceived as a successful period, I’ll be frank: After assessing & completing the audit review with consideration to various relationships, operations & commerciality of the individual disciplines, it is my belief that the business of Speedway & Junior Dirt Track are too far varying in degree to reside comfortably as one. I have never known Speedway to be a successful “Club” based business always a “Business to Business” arrangement. After reviewing many years of the NBJMCC business, I can see clearly where fractured relationships have been formed by an inability to merge two Business units that quite simply do not fit. This has historically led to volatile transitions in club leadership & associated committees negatively impacting both disciplines. I personally, cannot bring the best possible outcome for either discipline under this style of structure. To me it just doesn’t fit based on the history of the particular people involved, yet quite specific to their individual disciplines, the aged disputes affecting the club beyond many years & direction the core Business of NBJMCC needs to take to exist successfully into a competitive Business future.

In October, the executive & general committees met & I tabled these concerns amongst others detailed that needed urgent address:

• The financial & elective periods needed to be bought back into alignment. Having a financial term finishing in October yet elective term in Jan/Feb the following year is not a good fit & provided for negative financial impacts to the club under volatile handovers. Basically, Members knowing they were exiting a committee have exhausted funding after financials making their period deem substantial however, several months later a new committee group would more often than not need to rely on new membership intakes to commence operations. A unanimous Vote was conducted and from this point AGM’s will be conducted within (30) days of financial year closures. This will result in (2) AGM’s being conducted in 2021 to bring into line onwards.
• Spreadsheets associated with the findings of the 2016/2017 audit review were tabled & after open discussions on associated losses attributed to gross mismanagement throughout this period, a unanimous vote was conducted resulting in the exclusion of any executive committee members associated with this period from any further involvement with NBJMCC business operations.
• After tabling the above a unanimous vote was conducted endorsing Andrew Brook as my replacement under provisions within the Constitution for the balance of my elected term. It is to be noted that all members present at this meeting had the opportunity to put forward for election & Andrew Brook was the only one. Andrew will remain as President until a new dated AGM in November 2021.

In relation to the Speedway discipline, I have always had the support of the Committee to conduct Speedway events within the club’s operations. Whilst I understand there has been history, I find the current feedback of concern as unsubstantiated. Speedway will always exist at this venue, albeit potentially under different structures than the current one. I ask that if you have supported me in the past then you support the club into the future, allowing time to assess its best interest moving forward with regards to Speedway.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped bring about change to a great club & facility. Members & spectators have voted with their feet. 2021 brings about opportunity in a changing world that I know NBJMCC can succeed in. Whilst you may not agree with all changes, you may not also understand the extent of the reasons for those changes. I look forward to seeing you all next year as a Member, a Dad, a Sponsor, a Competitor, a Spectator or more.

 Sincerely,

 Joel Eaton.