152 OSFO ‘unfinished business’ and a desire to see their OSFO commitment through to the conclusion of some projects presently underway. Both are energetic workers for OSFO within the limits set by their ‘paid jobs’. I commend both candidates to you for consideration. I would also like to acknowledge the tremendous contribution of Tai Nicholas from Oceania Football during his term of office and am disappointed to hear that he will not stand for re-election. Tai’s sport of football is one of the most Steve Smith – OSFO Chairperson successful in the region, by whatever measure you would like to choose and OSFO PRESIDENt’S REpoRT. we have been very lucky that he has My thanks on your behalf to Chet Gray, lent his experience, his wisdom and his Yvonne Mullins, Tai Nicholas and Will ‘connections’ to the work of OSFO over Glenwright for their role over the last his four year term. 12 months as members of the OSFO Executive. Special thanks to Edwina Your executive have been pre-occupied Ricci, who has acted as a sponsorship with one major task during 2010, and technology adviser to OSFO since that being our Strategic Plan and its our inception and has continued in that implementation. You may recall that at role even after ceasing her employment last year’s meeting, we reported that with SportingPulse – her original point of as a result of some funding provided OCEANIA NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES 2010 ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL 2010 COMMITTEES OLYMPIC NATIONAL OCEANIA engagement with Oceania Sport. by the Australian Sports Commission, we engaged some external consultants You may be aware that in line with to assist us with a review and planning the requirements of our constitution, session which resulted in the document the positions of half of our executive presented last year and subsequently will come up for election at our March slightly modified and adopted. The Plan Assembly in Noumea, those being the has been uploaded to our website (which Secretary General and the positions if you have visited it lately, is undergoing presently filled by Yvonne Mullins and a refresh and re-organisation – itself one Tai Nicholas. Chet and Yvonne have of the outcomes of the Strategic Plan). indicated they will make themselves available for re-election. Without Our Plan established four “pillars” or seeming to influence your vote, I would activity areas and your executive has like to assure you that I have an excellent been divided into four sub committees working relationship with both Chet and to activate the pillar goals as enunciated Yvonne and both have made a significant in the plan. Progress on the pillars will contribution to the work of the Executive be reported further at our Assembly or in during their term of office. There is some cases be the subject of resolution certainly a great deal of accumulated to be put to you for consideration. institutional history in the head of our • Governance and Leadership - Steve, Secretary General Chet Gray and his very Tai and Yvonne long involvement with sport in the region • Marketing/Communication – Edwina, allows him to make informed decisions Tai and Chet in his role with OSFO. Likewise, Yvonne • Business/Finance – Chet and Will through her regular and extensive travel • Member Services – Yvonne, Edwina, in the region as the Athletics Secretary Will General, enables her to keep her ‘ear to the ground’ and have a good Honesty forces me to admit (reluctantly), understanding of the needs, priorities that while we started the year with and shortcomings of sport in the region. great enthusiasm and commitment, our In talking with both Chet and Yvonne, I respective frequent travels and demands have a sense that they have a feeling of of our paid jobs, prevented us achieving 153 what we hoped during the year. Except OSFO, PGC and ONOC to explore ways is finding the financial resources to fund when our presence in the one place for in which the three organisations can work the actions and activities foreseen in our another reason allowed it, your executive more collaboratively for the advancement 2010-2014 Strategic Plan. has met by Skype or teleconference and of sport in the region. Chet and Yvonne OCEANIA NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES 2010 ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL 2010 COMMITTEES OLYMPIC NATIONAL OCEANIA has done so more than 15 times during attended that meeting on our behalf after ONOC and more recently the Australian the year. canvassing the membership for matters Sports Commission have been strong to place on the agenda. A report of that supporters of OSFO and I cannot deliver At the heart of our dilemma is not being meeting has previously been circulated my report without again expressing my able to find the time or the resources to to members. thanks and appreciation to both for devote to our OSFO plans. You will note helping us on our feet and holding our that finding a solution to this was a core OSFO continues to be represented on hand as we chart a course for the future. activity within our Strategic Plan. the management group of the Oceania Sports Education Program operating Steve Smith As noted in financial reports distributed under ONOC and through the year, President prior to the Congress and again reflected we separately were invited to send in the Annual Financial Reports, we representatives to the OSEP review cannot exist on our membership dues. group. Even with 34 members we cannot cover our costs associated with the annual OSFO continues with a representative assembly and the annual report and we (myself) on the Board of the Oceania go nowhere near generating the funds Foundation which during 2010, because needed to pay our Secretary General an of the world financial crisis and persistent honorarium. We are therefore dependant problems with the acquiring of Deductible on external support and through 2009 Gift Recipient (DGR) status, went into and 2010 we survived on some funding a holding pattern, cutting its expenses provided by Olympic Solidarity in through the termination of the Executive 2007 in the belief that we might be the Director’s position. Chairman Kevan beneficiaries of a new round of funding Gosper has submitted a proposal to the for the 2008-2012 Olympiad. The ONOC Executive to modify the operation bad news is that despite some polite of the foundation until the problems Chet Gray – OSFO Secretary General “nudging” this has neither materialised identified above can be resolved. nor so far been turned down, but the 2010 OSFO SECRETARY GENERAL uncertainty about our financial viability The Australian Sports Commission REpoRT has impacted on our ability to plan. came to the assistance of OSFO again The updating of the OSFO late in the year by funding a project communication network and the Another of our significant projects for to review our communication strategy dissemination of information to OSFO 2010 was to act as an advocate and (referred to as one of our objectives in members continues to be a priority of conduit between the Pacific Games the strategic plan). An online survey of the Secretary General. Keeping our Council and our members on the subject our membership, a significant revamp of members aware of programs, activities of the eligibility rules for the Pacific our website including the creation of an and opportunities in the region as well as Games. As your umbrella organisation, Oceania Calendar, are all aspects of this current ONOC initiatives is very important we took forward the resolutions passed project, which is ongoing as this report for sports in the Oceania region. at our meeting in Queenstown two years goes to the editor. ago and confirmed in Fiji last year and we OSFO EXECUTIVE also ensured that individual federations In conclusion, I am amazed at the In 2010 the OSFO Executive conducted 8 were well informed about the timelines cumulative hours members of your Skype conferences to review and discuss and processes for making a submission executive have devoted over the last 12 a wide range of topics. From finalising to the Council on this matter. I am sure months to trying to advance the cause the OSFO Strategic Plan to regularly that several federations (football, rugby of OSFO. I know I don’t need to remind reviewing and updating the work each of 7, tennis and cricket) were pleased that you of the difficulties each of us face in the Executive committee members have their submissions were successful and I trying to match the “needs” of our sports regarding their pillars. know that at the same time, some were with the means available to meet them. The OSFO Strategic Plan has four disappointed that their submissions were With this in mind I am grateful and I hope key pillars which the OSFO Executive rejected. you are, that the executive has found the members are responsible; additional time needed to work for the At the Assembly of the Pacific Games collective good of sport through OSFO. Over the course of the past year the Council in August last year, (PGC) I am strongly of the view that there is an Executive members have reviewed and President Vidhya Lakhan convened a important and useful role for OSFO in actioned many items involving their tripartite meeting of representatives of the region. Our biggest single problem pillars. For example, the Governance / 154 Leadership pillar has been involved with ANNUAL REPORT PACIFIC GAMES COUNCIL AGM updated the OSFO constitution for the OSFO will again combine with ONOC to AND TRIPARITE MEETING purpose of seeking Incorporation for produce one annual report publication In August I attended the PGC General OSFO within Victoria.