OFFICE BEARERS
President - Unopposed - Wendy Chirgwin
Vic President - Unopposed - Chris Dyer
Secretary - Unopposed - Maree Stringer
Treasurer - Unopposed - Julie Spiteri
Small Talk Editor Unopposed - Julie Spiteri
Registrar - LBC Janelle Johnson
Public Officer - LBC Anne Ryan
COMMITTEE
Michelle Miller
Jason Siggins
STATE DELEGATE
Victoria - Maree Stringer
SA / NSW - Barb Voysey
Following a review of the accounts for the financial year ended 30 June, 2024, the National Committee of Management, with a view to maintaining the viability of the Society, have no alternative but to increase our Registry and Membership Fees from 1 November 2024.
We wish to point out that the last time Registry and Membership Fee increases took place was prior to 2011 and that Membership Fee increases won't affect current Members until they renew their Membership next year.
We have done our utmost to maintain the Society without increases to Members for over a decade, however increased running costs of the Society, including but not limited to, Insurance Premium increases and Registry Office expenses have now made these increases necessary.
The National Committee of Management of the Society are very proud that AMPS® has been looking after Members and their Ponies around Australia for the last 50 years and the longevity of AMPS® is paramount in all decisions that are made.
AMPS®, like many other Groups, are still recovering from the impact that Covid had on our Society and in this regard we need Member support and understanding as this is extremely important for the Society, which as a Not For Profit Member based organization, needs your support and commitment as a Member, as this is vital to ensure the Society remains strong and financially viable into the future.
AMPS® National Committee of Management
RATIFIED MINUTES OF THE COMMITTEE ZOOM MEETING
SATURDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2024
Zoom Meeting ID: 275 597 8237
Passcode: 943 663
1. Zoom Meeting Opened: 10.48am (Vic Time)
2. Present: W. Chirgwin, M. Stringer, J. Spiteri, B. Voysey, M. Miller, C. Dyer,
3. Visitors: A. Miller (Junior Member)
4. To receive apologies: J. Siggins
5. To receive and confirm the minutes of the 17th July & 7th August 2024
·
Correctly Moved & Seconded AIF Carried
6. To discuss business arising from the above minutes:
·
Correctly Moved & Seconded AIF Carried
7. To receive correspondence in:
a. New Members – 23rd July, 29th July, 2nd Aug, 5th Aug, 8th Aug, 13thAug, 22nd Aug x 2, 23rd Aug and 10th Sept
b. Horse Deals Statement – August and September
c. LBC – Tax Invoice = $ 2677.37
d. Profit & Loss July Statement
e. Profit & Loss August Statement
f. Profit & Loss July to August with Last Year
8. Correspondence out:
· Number of return phones, emails and texts to members regarding membership, registration, transfers, stud returns and general pony enquires, etc.
9. To receive and accept new members subject to Membership Committee Approval
· 23rd July, 29thJuly, 2nd Aug, 5th Aug, 8th Aug, 13thAug, 22nd Aug x 2,
23rdAug and 10th Sept
Correctly Moved & Seconded AIF Carried
10. To receive and accept new Measurers.
· NIL
11. Reports
· President – W. Chirgwin
I would firstly like to thank the committee for all their hard work and diligence to allow us to be a functioning and viable society, and I certainly hope all our members appreciate that they still have a society to showcase their ponies. It would be remise of me not to mention LBC, and a massive thank you to both Janelle and Anne for their work and look forward to continuing our partnership. I again would like to voice an incredibly deep concern I have and that is for all the work that has been done to keep our Society equitable and functioning that in the next couple of years if we don’t have members to stand up and take up some time on the committee our society will falter. We know that the current committee cannot do this forever and I speak on my own behalf when I say that my life is incredibly busy with the sport I have chosen to do and I no longer have the same drive to put the time into the Society, nor the passion, and truly believe it is time for a new voice. In saying that, it is hard to stand down when there is no-one to take over and we have worked far to hard to pull the society from the brink and bring it back to viability, I don’t want it to fail. I would now also like to thank the National Secretary Maree Stringer for all the work she does, her passion and hard work is what keeps this society running without her doing what she does, the society would certainly be in a much worse position, and I certainly wouldn’t still be president. I am truly hoping we can fill some voids on committee with some fresh voices and ideas as I would really like to be able to pass the baton in the very foreseeable future. Please, to all of you, have a think about supporting our society and sitting on committee as we in our current form can’t do this for ever and I would hate to see all the work that has been done in the current environment be wasted so we don’t have a society or anywhere to showcase our beautiful breed. Stay safe and I hope to see you in a zoom meeting soon
· Secretary – M. Stringer
I feel it is appropriate to start my report with a hugh thank you for all the hard work and the many hours spent dedicated to AMPS® by the current Committee of Management and that they are recognized and acknowledge for this as all members needs to remember that all these Committee position are VOLUNTARY, and we like all other members pay our membership, pony / foal registration, show entries. The Committee may be small in numbers, but we have AMPS at heart and even though we are tired, sick, busy we soldier on doing a thankless voluntary job for the betterment of Society. This coming year is the year we must continue to keep this Society moving forward as we slowly start to implement strategies to get us back on track again this will be little by little bit by bit and we need the help of all YOU the members to get on board to help us gain momentum. A hugh thankyou to Ann and Janelle from LBC everything that I ring or email about is addressed with little or no fuss which makes my job easy and keeps the members happy. Thanks to YOU all the members who have continue to support AMPS® let’s hope things will start to move in the right direction and we get back on track with showing, breeding, selling, volunteering and fundraising which will help this great Society Please keep up the great work be safe pat a pony
· Treasurer – J. Spiteri
Figures as of the end of July
Income $ 10,109.49
Expenses $ 2,818.98
Loss / Profit $ 7,290.51
Total Equity $ 36,632.67
· Small Talk Editor – J. Spiteri
Sorry for the delay in printing Small Talk but like the rest of the committee I am very time poor hopefully with the help of the rest of the committee I will try and have an edition out shortly. My plan is to get assistance from both C. Dyer to proofread and M. Miller to work with Myself and the printer to get things moving forward quickly
· State Delegates
VIC – M. Stringer
Wow how fast has this year gone we have now had our Victorian AGM last month so I want to thank all my outgoing committee for all their hard work and patience there will be faces that will be greatly missed that have been on this committee for ever and a day which is Glen and Carol Drust and Cheryl and Craig Shedden which I know we are all going to miss greatly but they all have other commitments that they need to do so from Myself the Committee and all the members THANKYOU THANKYOU and good luck with all your adventures
And as the show has to go on as they say please welcome the new
Victorian Committee
SECRETARY / TREASURER – Michell Miller
FUTURITY/ MATURITY CO-ORDINATOR - Julie Spiteri
HI-POINT CO-ORDINATOR - Chris Dyer
JUDGES CO-ORDINATOR - East - Di Miljkovic, West - Shannon Foss
COMMITTEE - Kelly Taylor, Marilyn Krick, Amy Miller, Bronia Coles, Jason Siggins
PROMOTIONAL AREA CO-ORDINATIORS,
Central Goldfields - Chris Dyer
Westernport - Marilyn Krick & Di Miljkovic
Gippsland - Jodie Prosser
Geelong - Bronia Coles
The Vic AMPS show Calendar is all set with Area Coordinators booking ground, getting programs and ribbons ready and all sorted. Our first show will be the Pocket Ponies Start of Season Show on the 6th October at Berwick Showgrounds so fingers crossed everyone will support this show and all the other group shows as we will be running with a full program of classes to suit everyone young and old So please if you are interested in making a difference or have new ideas, please I encourage you to come to meetings and help the Victorian Committee and AMPS® Society build up to the way it was before. Looking forward to hopefully a somewhat normal Showing / Breeding year fingers crossed For those of you that don’t know we hold our Victorian meetings on the first Friday night of every second month so keep an eye on the website / Facebook
SA – B. Voysey –
We had a very successful Show Season in SA last season and our Members are looking forward to this season with High Point Classes at 3 Ag shows, 6 of our own Shows and our State Championship Show. We will also be having a couple of Promotional Events, which are always popular with Members as they get the opportunity to show to the general public the versatility of Miniature and Appendix Ponies by doing demonstrations of Performance and Trail Classes, jumping, long-reign and harness. We will also be holding a High Point Presentation, which we have not held since prior Covid, so Members are looking forward to that. By sharing grounds and Judges with MHAA® SA Promotional Group we have been able to run more Shows for Members, as we have been able to reduce expenses in these areas. I am very honoured to have been nominated again this year for the SA Delegate position and as I have done in the past, will do all I can to assist Members and promote Miniature and Appendix Ponies. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Janelle and Anne at LBC, for their backup and prompt replies to my queries on behalf of our Members.
With special thanks to Maree and Wendy for their work on behalf of the Society and it’s Members, also to my fellow National Committee Members and I look forward to working with them in the coming year.
NSW - Show Committee B. Voysey
NSW Members have been very appreciative of the Shows we have been able to put on in collaboration with MHAA® NSW Promotional Group, which has enabled us to reduce expenses by sharing ground fees. We have had excellent feedback from Members who have attended and enjoyed the Shows we have held to date. We have another Show planned for later this month and I will be going up to run the NSW State Championship Show in November and plans are in place for another couple of Shows in the New Year. We have also held a couple of Promotional Events and had Members attend with their Ponies. It has been fantastic the number of Members who have contacted me offering assistance at Shows and sponsorship for Shows and who have expressed appreciation that they are getting Shows put on for them and that everyone has been included in things and invited to take part. I have been very appreciative of the assistance given by Michael Towle who has been posting on AMPS® NSW Facebook page for me and keeping Members up to date with things. He has also assisted at some Shows and his local knowledge has been invaluable. In addition to organizing Shows and Promotional Events in NSW, I have been assisting Members with their Registration and Membership queries and also thank Janelle and Anne at LBC for their assistance in this regard.
In closing my reports, I would like to thank both SA and NSW Members who have been very supportive during this year, which has personally been a very difficult time for me and without the support of AMPS® Members, Wendy, Maree, Anne and Janelle, I would have found it much more difficult to carry on and for everyone’s support and kindness, I am extremely grateful. THANKYOU ! Barb
QLD – No Report
12. General Business
· Price Increase – B. Voysey and M. Stringer have put together the new fee structure and Membership forms that are now ready be able to be downloaded to the website
· B. Voysey to draft an email outlining the price increase that will be taking effect by the 1st November. LBC to send out the email to all members by the 1st October those members that don’t have email a letter is to be posted so members are notified before the acutely price increase
Correctly Moved & Seconded AIF Carried
· Horse Deals November Advert - Equitana Token – No Joining Fee –
B. Voysey to organize this
13. To accept and ratify payments.
· Nil
Correctly Moved & Seconded AIF Carried
14. Next Meeting Date
· 20thNovember 2024 7pm (Vic) Committee Zoom
15. Meeting Closed
· 11.41am (Vic Time)
The National Committee of Management has held discussions at several meetings regarding the Small Talk publication. It is considered that the current quarterly magazine fails to provide members with up-to-date information, and a quality magazine The number of Member contributions and paid advertisements has rapidly decreased over the past few years, largely due to the increased use of social media and the ability to readily advertise free to a much broader audience. Due to the significant voluntary hours required by the Small Talk Editor to seek articles and prepare the publication for printing, it has also been a challenge for the Committee to obtain nominations for this position. Considering the factors above, the National Committee of Management decision is to reduce the quarterly publications to One (1) annual publication, published October each year. The aim is to provide a magazine that Members look forward to receiving with useful information and which celebrates the achievements of our Members and their ponies.
If Members would like extra copies of Small Talk they are $15 each plus postage
AMPS® National Committee of Management