We get closer !! The lease documents have been sorted out and will be back in the hands of the BRC Solicitor this week, the Surveyor is in the process of being booked to survey our footprint, we are Incorporated, we have an ABN, we are a Shed with the Australian Men’s Shed Association, we have an official address. It seems we have a number for everything !! We have now commenced regular meetings at our temporary shed. It all seems to be coming together at last.
The Lease:
The lease documents came to us, as promised, last week and we have been through them. They now go back to the BRC Solicitor, then back to us for final signature, then back to Council for approval at a Council meeting. With the election of a new council this week, don’t hold your breath !!
The Survey:
Wayne Say will be doing the survey of our footprint for us and we will be able to give us about 48 hours notice before he comes on site. What we want is as many members, friends, supporters, hangers on, etc, as possible, to come to the site on that date. We want this to be a full-on PR exercise to show the BRC, DERM and other bureaucrats that Woodgate is serious about this Shed and that we have the Community’s full backing for the project.
The Call to Arms:
When we advise the time and date of the survey, please come to the site, near the skate-board park in Acacia Street. Bring with you a large hand/power tool (big spanner, saw, axe, hammer, etc) that will stand out in a photograph. We will have the press there to capture the moment! The idea is to form up the group behind the surveyor, demonstrating that we are ready and waiting for our Shed.
The ABN:
You will see from our letterhead we are now ABN’d which means we are a Deductible Gift Recipient for the benefit of organizations who donate goods and services to us.
It also means that our Treasurer will have to submit returns to the ATO as required. The ATO has promised to advise us on this !
The Address:
The letterhead also shows our official address. Along with the Community Hall, the Tennis Club, the courts, the skate-board park and the chlorination plant we are at 1 Kangaroo Court ! Our physical location is just to the south of the chlorination plant off Acacia Street !!
Regular Shed Meetings Established:
At the Shed meeting on Tuesday 24th April it was decided that two days use a week would be necessary to allow all members opportunity to begin using the Shed facilities. As a result it was decided that two groups would be formed – one meeting on Tuesdays at 9am and the other on Thursdays at 9am
This routine will commence on Tuesday 1st May and Thursday 3rd May. We will continue to asses the need for more access as and when it becomes necessary. I should stress that legal obligations are quite clear in that any user must be financial and must wear closed in footwear.
Legal Requirements – Personal Information
Because of the legal situation, mainly insurance, we are also required to extract quite a bit of very personal information from each member. By law we have to have a membership roll publicly available, and we will do this. However much of the information I have to collect is confidential. We decided at the meeting that the best way for me to obtain this information was to construct a form which can be taken home and the appropriate details entered. It will contain such personal information as emergency contacts, medications being taken, competency levels on various machinery, etc. I will try to have these forms ready by next Tuesday’s Shed meeting. When the information has been entered on the AMSA data base, the forms will be sealed in an envelope and only be accessed if they are required. This system is similar to the one used by the Lady Bowlers.
Fund Raiser:
We are conducting a Shed fund raiser on Election Day, Saturday 28th April between 8am and approximately 6pm. We still require volunteers to cook and serve food, and to sell drinks, raffle tickets and handle the money. We have a 12v boat winch to raffle and a big collection of citrus fruits has been donated.
If you can help please get in touch, or come along on Saturday to help.
Thank you,
Max Emery
Secretary.