MAGAZINE JUNE – JULY 2004 Proudly supported by Proudly Sponsored by The Australian Rugby League and The National Rugby League AMP Financial Planning Presidents Message It seems incredible but we are fast approaching our third annual Men of League Ball. This year the ball will be held on the 29th of September at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. If you would like information on the ball please contact the offi ce on (02) 9339 8507 and speak to Jenny or Peter and they will get the Ball details out to you. This year’s ball will pay tribute to Wally O’Connell Australia’s oldest living Kangaroo Captain, Keith Holman and Kel O’Shea. We will also have as our guests the winning Grand Final Captains from the past 50 years. Once again the ball promises to be a very special evening and a night not to miss. I think it is time we changed the name of our publication from newsletter to the Men of League Magazine. Most people I speak to refer to it as a magazine and with each edition now averaging 12 pages it seems a more appropriate name. Since the last newsletter we have formed offi cial Men of League branches in the Illawarra, Brisbane and Tweed/ Gold Coast (see branch’s page for more information). I’m sure before the year is out there will be additional branches formed. We have also started our associates membership drive (see the article in the newsletter). Associates are those people who want to be involved with the Men of League but have never participated in the sport or who have not played since leaving school. It is sad to see a number of former players, referees and offi cials who are in poor health. We are all victims of the aging process but it is gratifying to know that we have now built an organisation that can help those in need. With a developing branch structure I’m confi dent we will be better situated to fi nd these people. Everything is still word of mouth so if you know of anyone who needs support call the offi ce. In the last newsletter we talked about our tax issue. I would like to thank all of those people who called offering suggestions and help. We continue to move forward on this issue and are most appreciative of the work Blake, Dawson & Waldron have offered to do on our behalf. I would also like to advise you they are doing this work free of charge. A big thank you to Matthew May and his team. On the front cover you will see a photo of Roy Masters, Jimmy Sharman (Wests fullback in the 1930’s) and myself. Roy, a great supporter of the Men of League, invited me over to meet Jimmy when he did a recent interview for the Sun Herald. Many of our older readers will remember Jimmy and his boxing troupe at the Royal Easter Show. Jimmy shared some great sports stories with Roy and myself. Finally I’m pleased to announce the appointment of Brad Clyde and Andrew Farrar to the committee. They replace Darrell Bampton (mentioned in the last newsletter) and Graeme Hughes. Graeme’s work commitments with his “talkin’ sport” radio program on 2SM each weekday afternoon has made it impossible for him to attend meetings. Graeme will continue to be involved in organising major events for the Men of League and will consult with the sponsorship committee. We very much appreciate Graeme’s efforts in the start up of the Men of League particularly with the organisation of our fi rst Ball. I hope you enjoy this issue of the Men of League Magazine. Ron Coote President Page 1 INFORMATION REGARDING BRANCH’S AND ASSOCIATES Men of League Branch’s We now have branches in Brisbane, Illawarra and Tweed/Gold Coast, and of course the main Sydney Branch. It is very important that before a branch is constituted it needs the approval of the National Committee. (This is for legal and tax reasons as we must maintain a register of the branch and who is on the committee). Why set up branches • To capitalize on the interest in the Men of League. • The ability to network within the branches to find people who need help. • To maximize our major sponsorship opportunities. • Build the Men of League brand nationally. • Enable the Men of League to deliver on its objective to promote the game of Rugby League. • Bring back to the game those players, officials and referees who have lost contact with the game. • To control the use of the Men of League name and brand so it is used in a positive way. • Raise additional funds to help those in need. • Bring talented people into the organisation. • Ensure the organization does not have a Sydney/New South Wales focus. • Attract additional sponsors and corporate support. Branch Overview The key to a good branch is the group of people who organize and manage it, player profile, business experience and organisational ability should be given strong consideration. These leaders will attract members and associate members and get the attention of the public and the media. This will lead to sponsorship opportunities and corporate involvement. Each branch will come under the national body (the current committee). The branch’s are the local arm of the Men of League and will need the national body to support them. Branch Requirements Name: Committee: A branch can be named after a: (for example) each branch should have a: City – Brisbane President Area – Illawarra Vice President Team – Newcastle Knights Secretary Treasurer and 4 other committee members Meetings: A minimum of 4 meetings per year with extra sub meetings prior to events. Size of Branch: A branch must have a minimum of 10 members and 10 associates to form a branch. Finance: All membership money collected must go to the national office who will maintain a register of members/associates. The Men of League key ring will be a receipt of membership. No member of the committee is to be paid (this will become important as we pursue charity status). In addition activities in branches in regard to events should not be ‘self serving’. Before an event is held a budget must be submitted to the national office for approval. This will reduce the risk of a loss making event which the national body may have to honour. Money collected from events must be sent to the national body in addition an audit of the event must be carried out and a copy given to the national body. The local branch can decide on the local charity it wants to support and how the money raised is to be used for local rugby league. No charity or group can be promised an amount of money from an event. Damage will be done to the organization if promises made are not kept. The split on event money should be: 1/3 Charity – local, 1/3 Rugby League – local, 1/3 Men of League – to help players in need. Each branch should set up an account so that two signatures are required on all cheques. One of these signatories should be the Treasurer. Elections: To be held each year. The office of President/Vice President must be filled by a former player/referee/official. Members and associates can vote for the committee in the branches. Associates can hold a committee position other than President/Vice President. Events: Each branch should have a minimum of two events. These could be: - Grand Final lunch - Race Day - Sportsman’s Night - Kick off to the season - Home match event - Golf day. Associate Membership Why Associates? - A great deal of interest by many people - helps build the branches - More volunteers to do the work particularly in the branches - Introduces high profile people into the organization - Introduces Corporate people to the Men of League and improves sponsorship opportunities - Increases membership revenue - Obtain the use of talented people - Improves the image of the Brand. Who are Associates? Associates are people who have not been associated with the game as a player, referee or official but have a love and an interest in Rugby League. They can stand for any office other than President or Vice President, however they can vote for the President or Vice President (branch level). Only Presidents or Vice Presidents (using the Presidents proxy) can vote for the Board. This will ensure the objectives of the Men of League will not be altered by non football people. They cannot receive any grants for help. Associates enjoy the following benefits: - On joining Beera Men of League golf of shirt and the a Men of League Pewter Key Ring with the number in order of joining on it - Visibility as a supporter of the Men of League - Opportunities to socialize with former players, referees and officials - Knowledge that their contribution is helping people in need - 6 Newsletters per year - Discounts as they are arranged with Men of League Sponsors - Special pricing on Men of League merchandise - Priority to participate in Men of League events (these are not discounted) - (Associates cannot go on tour trips) The joiningMen fee and first yearsOf membership League is $75.00. The annual membership thereafter is $25.00. Page 2 Committee Update Up coming Events • Meeting dates for the balance of 2004 • We still have a limited number of tickets available for Sept 16th Oct 14th the Grand Final. If you want to put your name down Nov 11th Dec 16th for these contact the office.