Notice of Canberra and Region Amateur Radio Club Annual General Meeting 2024

On the 28th of February the Annual General Meeting of the Canberra Region Amateur Radio Club (CRARC) for 2024 will be held at the CRARC clubrooms, Mt Mugga Scout Hall, Astrolabe Street, Red Hill.

Doors open at 7:30 pm and the meeting will commence at 8pm. 

Amongst other business the meeting will:

1. confirm the minutes of the last Annual General Meeting.
2. to receive from the committee reports on the activities of the club during the last financial year.
3. to elect members of the committee, including office-bearers; and
4. to receive and consider the statement of accounts and the reports that are required to be submitted to members under the Act, section 73 (1).

Nominations are now called for the 2024 Committee. Nomination forms are available on the club’s website https://www.crarc.org.au/about/club-documents/

Nominees for the committee must be nominated by and seconded by financial members of the club.

Nominations for the Committee must be on the form provided and received by the secretary (committee@crarc.org.au) no later than the 21^st of February.

Recent Federal legislation has tightened up the income tax exemption definition of not-for-profit (NFP) clubs like ours. Accordingly, the committee has updated the objects of the Club rules to better reflect our NFP status.

The meeting will consider and vote on these proposed changes to the Club rules.

The current Club Rules (V2.5) can be found on the club’s website https://www.crarc.org.au/about/club-documents/

The proposed changes to the Objects (on page 2) will be to replace the existing Objects with the following:

1. Build, operate and maintain fixed radio repeaters in the Canberra region for the use of ALL radio amateurs, whether residents, visitors, members or non-members of the club. These repeaters are able to be co-opted for the Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network* (WICEN) when required.
2. Build, sustain, deploy and operate portable repeaters and radio terminals for WICEN. 
3. Provide a safety communications net to support community activities in areas remote from civil communications networks. Examples include: endurance horse riding, car rallys, orienteering and bicycle events.
4. Provide assistance to deceased estates to dismantle and dispose of their deceased relative’s amateur radio equipment
5. Provide training and conduct ACMA assessments for persons wanting to obtain their Amateur Radio Licence. 
6. Conduct Seminars and Information Sessions for Club Members, interested individuals and groups from the community.
7. Purchase and maintain Test Equipment and Club Radios for the use of members.
8. Assist ACT Scout groups with Jamboree on the Air and other communication related proficiencies.

* WICEN provides communications support for emergency services and community and charitable events operating in areas where infrastructure has failed or in remote areas where there is no suitable communications infrastructure. 

Voting at CRARC General Meetings is restricted to financial members of the club.

Meeting agenda, previous minutes, committee reports and financial reports will be sent to CRARC financial members in due course.

Any queries?  Please contact the committee at committee@crarc.org.au

(Signed)

Fergus McCowan
VK1FM
CRARC secretary