Message from the Club President

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1. SUBMISSIONS RE CHANGES TO CLUB CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

In light of recent changes to the Associations Incorporations Act which will require changes to our

Constitution before the end of the year and more possible changes coming into law later this year,

plus the fact that our Constitution hasn’t been updated since 2007, the Committee has set up a

subcommittee to look at updating our Constitution and Bylaws. This process will probably take most

of this year. There will be a draft that goes to Committee. Once the anticipated new laws come in

the draft will be revisited then go back to Committee again. The new documents will then be

circulated to Club Members who will be asked to ratify them at a General Meeting before they are

finally lodged with the relevant government authority.

Our current Constitution and Bylaws are on our website. If any Member has anything they wish to

say about them or wants to recommend changes, additions or deletions for the new documents,

please send your submission to the Committee at goldcoastbushwalkers.com as soon as possible but

at least before the end of February.

2. CHANGES TO SIGN ON SHEET (ACKNOWLEDMENT OF RISK – AOR FORM)

An extra column has been added to the sign on sheet for everyone to include their own phone

number IN ADDITION to emergency numbers. All Leaders please download a copy and use the new

form from now on. Get completed forms to Lesley as soon as possible after a walk or at least do not

misplace them. Whether or not the State Government has given up on contact tracing, legally we

must be able to produce certain information immediately if asked.

3.THAT OLD CHESTNUT - COVID

Everyone in the Club needs to be familiar with the State and the Club’s Covid Guidelines and they

must be followed, but a “nanny state” where we are all directed as to what we can and can’t do to

protect our health and the health of others was always a temporary measure to deal with an

unexpected deadly pandemic, especially before the world had access to vaccines.

With the State opening up again now that a sufficient percentage of the population is vaccinated,

we are getting back to the pre-Covid mindset of individuals ( not the State or the Club) being

responsible for their own health. In the same way as we always kept ourselves as safe as possible

from contracting a mosquito borne disease, food poisoning, a cold or the flu etc, we now have the

added consideration of keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe from contracting Covid. We all

know what the TOOLS are – vaccinations, social distancing, masks, good personal hygiene, not

patting stray animals etc. Where there are laws, rules and guidelines, follow them, but where there

aren’t, ( and there will be less and less as time goes on), use as many of the TOOLS as you think

appropriate.

Eg. At the moment masks must be worn when attending a general meeting ( at least until you have

sat down)( and you must show proof of double vaccination ) and masks must be worn when car

pooling, but whether you get into a car with others is up to you. A car owner also has the right to

choose whether they will allow anyone else in their car and if so who, so always be prepared to drive

yourself to an activity if necessary. So far almost no Leaders have chosen to add the words “ for

double vaccinated only” to their write-ups on activities, so ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE

UNVACCINATED PEOPLE ON ALL ACTIVITIES and act accordingly, whether that be by driving yourself

to the activity, wearing a mask or deciding not to go on the activity. The decision is yours.

4. GENERAL

A BIG THANKYOU to everyone who helped make the Christmas Party a fun day. I would have

expanded on this at the January General Meeting but unfortunately the meeting had to be

cancelled. With the current wave of Covid expected to peak in Queensland in late January or early

February and the Premier asking everyone to not attend unessential indoor events and meetings to

reduce the stress on health facilities and frontline health workers, the Committee will continue to

monitor the situation. AT THE MOMENT THE FEBRUARY MEETING IS GOING AHEAD, but if we decide

to call it off an email will be sent to all Members. Thankyou to Lis Manson who went to the January

Meeting to give an impromptu New Member’s talk to two prospective Members who turned up,

having no way of knowing that the meeting had been cancelled.

Sue Prescott. President.