Kiteroa 8 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Went to the special general meeting at Weiti BC tonight where we voted retain to affiliation with YNZ..... Saw a few familiar faces and got a feel for the state of the club having being away for a few years. I went along with the intention of voting for the split as I saw no value in YNZ. Since I stopped racing dinghies I had the impresssion that they've only cost me money and added bureaucracy to the sport. Which is true. As a weekend warrior type sailor YNZ does nothing for me directly. However, 4 reps from YNZ came to our meeting and after hearing some pretty interesting debate and YNZ explainations about what they do all week, ie in regard to leaning on the Auckland super council and weighing in (almost like a yachting union) for the wider interests of mariners, and also their historical influence in assisting Weiti in becoming the great little club it is, I decided the $45 donation was actually worth it. Problem is, YNZ let it come to a meeting like this before they tell people like me what they actually do. Which is pretty average. The other problem is that WBC gives a lot to it's members and doesn't charge much for it. It's the best value club in Auckland by a long long shot. If WBC put their fees up $50 to cover the YNZ donation, I wouldn't bat an eyelid. I think to a certain extent WBC members have got used to getting a lot and not paying much for it. I don't think the club can go on like this. But from what I heard, saving $45pa per member by disaffiliation with YNZ is not the answer. Care to comment fellow Weiti'ers? Link to post Share on other sites
Atom Ant 0 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Hey WT, good to see you there, sorry I didn't get to chat. It was a good meeting although I am disappointed that only 50 odd out of nearly 300 came along. Quite clearly the majority of people who raised a stink about the YNZ fees at our last AGM weren't there either. I should give some perspective to people who don't understand how this came about. Every year at the club AGM the subject of "what do we get for our money from YNZ" comes up - without fail. Last year it became quite passionate and the committee were charged with looking into the whole YNZ SEM thing and looking at upsides and downsides of disaffiliation or remaining affiliated etc. So we did. It would take far too long to go through all the steps we took. It took quite some time and our communications with YNZ did not inspire us, nor their responses to us and other clubs at YNZ AGM. One of the problems we face as a club is that we don't have any junior members etc. Our club for the most part is populated by what YNZ would describe as senior active members and therefore we get next to no levy relief and almost every member pays the full SEM which will be $40 in the next YNZ year. So the cost to our club and therefore the members is high. Right from the outset I personally pushed for the decision on this to be taken back to the members at a special meeting as I felt the subject was too big for the committee to do on its own. We could have decided as a committee as our constitution allows for it. But a club is a democracy too and this was literally a referendum - we wanted to know what was going on in the heads and hearts of our members, and it is usually hard to get a response from members about anything. We wanted to get the members to the meeting, and we wanted to hear their points of view, answer their questions etc, and ultimately let them vote for and against. As a club executive officer I always have to be mindful that not only do I have a personal opinion, but that my personal opinion and my opinion as a flag officer of the club may not be the same. Four YNZ representatives turned up. Uninvited and no communication that they intended to be there. I knew they were coming as I'd heard "through the grapevine", and I was glad they came along, but to me this is an example of a root cause problem right there - poor communication with their member clubs. The discussion was for the most part well behaved and constructive, at times emotional and with only one member (who shall remain nameless) interjecting while others spoke. A well behaved lot overall. Many members spoke about the clubs history with YNZ, going back a long way and the help the club received from them on many issues, how YNZ backed the club with its moorings, resource consents, to name just two - there were many. Several past commodores spoke - all in favour of remaining affiliated. There were members who spoke against YNZ suggesting that they took alot of money from us and for what? Small minority as it turns out. Again it could be a poor communication issue. Andrew Clouston on behalf of YNZ spoke and answered questions, and cudos to him, he was well spoken and prepared and honest. So in the end the vote was overwhelmingly in favour of remaining affiliated. By a ratio of 4:1. If only all those people had been at the AGM then this night may not have been necessary - either that or all the people who started this process weren't there last night. Either way we got a decision, and because it was so clearly in favour, it is the right decision. But if any member brings it up at the next AGM... Link to post Share on other sites
ScarecrowR31 8 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Sandspit Yacht Club are also going down a similar process. Maybe YNZ needs to get involved with the clubs as to what members get for their$$. Possibly a monthly electronic newsletter about the wider issues involving YNZ and not just a review on dinghy sailing and Olympic dreams (the view held by many). Link to post Share on other sites
Fish 0 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I was at the meeting and had formed an opinion to stay with YNZ prior to the meeting. One thing I was very surprised about was the lack of ability for YNZ to communicate what they do and how they benefit boating across NZ (not just yachting). I considered myself miledly well informed but learnt a lot more from past Commodores the benefits of YNZ than from the gentlemen from YNZ. A regular news letter, or case studies of how YNZ have helped clubs previously, changing the name to Boating NZ, or more alignment as being a union for boaties would go a long way to addressing this. Basically, YNZ need a PR consultant. I thought the meeting was constructive and expect to see a renewed vigour in the general membership's interest and invovlement in the club. Certainly the efforts of Atom Ant, Barry the Commodore and the rest of the committee need to be acknowledged. Your efforts are appreciated. And to expand on WT's comments, yes the Weiti is the best little boat club in Auckalnd Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 YNZ has a fortnightly e-newsletter called Briefings that anyone can/should sign up for, link here http://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/SubscribeT ... tters.aspx. I think it's good, there's a mix of news in there. Perhaps there should be a section each fortnight on what YNZ does for its members? Link to post Share on other sites
Kiteroa 8 Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 YNZ has a fortnightly e-newsletter called Briefings that anyone can/should sign up for, link here http://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/SubscribeT ... tters.aspx. I think it's good, there's a mix of news in there. Perhaps there should be a section each fortnight on what YNZ does for its members? Seems like the newsletter isn't working for whatever reason. I would suggest taking a regular section in boating NZ or some print publication that hangs around for a while getting read. Much in the way the CYA does. I'm not so big on classics, but I know what they're up to cause they're always putting something visible out there. Link to post Share on other sites
Zoe 8 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Hi guys, before I start, I haven't been involved very much with YNZ for a couple of years - so I have no specific interest in speaking up for them, other than to offer my support and viewpoint. I do think they are a good organization and with all due respect to the management there, including the communications manager, I completely agree that there needs to be more proactive and specific communication with clubs on exactly the basis that the first poster has said. Once you realize what they do, you very quickly appreciate that the value for money isn't at all bad. Unfortunately the organization is probably spread a little thin and it is surprisingly difficult to communicate with clubs, unless there is a particular person at each club that wants to be communicated with and passes info on, but then you get into the area of 'volunteer management' and that is tricky too. There are now two Regional Support Officers for Auckland and at French Bay we have made use of Kim Admore many times and he is absolutely terrific and has given us a lot of time - that alone allows us to justify the affiliation fee I feel. But many clubs don't check their post office boxes frequently, sometimes email addresses are out of date or you do phone someone and talk with them but what if they don't go to the next committee meeting... there are heaps of issues with communicating with clubs which after all are just a large group of diverse volunteers who all have busy work and family lives as well as their club involvement. It has to be a team effort. As far as Briefings goes, well I wrote that for nearly a year, and the content is there it's just hard to find because the format of the newsletter is linear and nearly always starts with high performance news at the top and no easy way to filter out the news. But great news is I understand there is a new website in build process and I am really hoping to see a big improvement there, in that the way the news is organized will help to make it easier to find stuff that you are particularly interested in. It's not going to be a complete fix but it will help a lot. I am also hoping it improves the Yachting Digest newsletter that I put a lot of time and love into. The fact that you don't hear from them around certain issues is more likely to be due to the fact that they are flat out busy working on those issues, rather than because they are being slackers and ignoring the important stuff. I like to think of them as 'quiet achievers'! I am glad that Weiti opted to keep affiliation, and long term I don't think you will regret it. It sounds like a really good club. As far as fees go, people are used to having something for next to nothing. But we have just started to run a sailing course using an external sailing school and the uptake has been very good, despite the higher fee. To me that demonstrates that if people are keen, they will pay the money, so long as it is seen as a reasonable amount given the time and resources the club/sailing school are investing. If they don't want to pay the money, they probably aren't that keen and they probably won't be great club members anyway. Membership fees are only part of what you contribute to a club, and the more you put in the more you get out of it, right!? Zoe Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 They are listening: Hey David, The feedback on Crew.Org about YNZ Communication has been brought to my attention today and I have made two changes to today’s briefings based on that. - National news has been moved above international news - A short article on some of the things YNZ staff have done this month Here’s the link to it online http://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/Newsletter ... tterID=587 Kristine Lederis I Communications Manager Support and Development Officer- Sailors with a Disability DDI 09 361 4023 I Email kristine@yachtingnz.org.nz Mobile 021 871 301 I www.yachtingnz.org.nz Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Saturday Night Special Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 yeah but the Sandspit yacht club has become something other than what my Farther and Uncle and a few others envisaged when they started it and its name is not as it sugests a yacht club as such anymore, but rather a boating club Sandspit Yacht Club are also going down a similar process. Maybe YNZ needs to get involved with the clubs as to what members get for their$$. Possibly a monthly electronic newsletter about the wider issues involving YNZ and not just a review on dinghy sailing and Olympic dreams (the view held by many). Link to post Share on other sites
ScarecrowR31 8 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 NZRAT I agree that things are now very different. That in itself raises some inhouse and personal issues for the club membership. Things have changed (perhaps not for the better) as has the role of of Yachting Federation ....I mean YNZ. Its environmental role is perhaps for many the part that needs to be promoted. The "yacht,launch,camper-van, coffin" scenario however means that for many clubs it is evolve or die as they struggle to find fleets and members. As the club moved from SBC to SYC and attempts by some to be SBC again has left some members who built and ran the club disenfranchised.. On a personal note, have worked alongside your Uncle on the exec. and have nothing but admiration for his efforts over a long time for SYC. Link to post Share on other sites
Murky 1 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Well, there has been an immediate increase in the quantity of communication - am I the only one to have received 15+ repeats of the Yachting Digest email since mid-afternoon? Somewhere a machine is going haywire... Link to post Share on other sites
Tim C 23 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Sandspit Yacht Club are also going down a similar process. Maybe YNZ needs to get involved with the clubs as to what members get for their$$. Possibly a monthly electronic newsletter about the wider issues involving YNZ and not just a review on dinghy sailing and Olympic dreams (the view held by many). The obvious difference here is that Weiti BC has a democratic process, involves all of its members, and has SGMs so that all views can be aired. SYC on the other hand... Link to post Share on other sites
Zoe 8 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Well, there has been an immediate increase in the quantity of communication - am I the only one to have received 15+ repeats of the Yachting Digest email since mid-afternoon? Somewhere a machine is going haywire... Hi Murky, I just checked in and no-one has emailed in to say they've received lots of copies. I only received the one copy to my own email address. Please let me know if it's still continuing tomorrow so that it can be looked into. Zoe Link to post Share on other sites
Murky 1 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Thanks for that - still running as I write and up to 61 now, although I did also note that no-one else here seems to be experiencing it. Open to the possibility that there is some kind of idiosyncracy or issue at my end - other messages have all been working fine this weekend but...not the end of the world either way. Link to post Share on other sites
Zoe 8 Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Maybe you like it so much that you subscribed 61 times? If anyone else is having the same problem please let me know. Link to post Share on other sites
Atom Ant 0 Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I got my copy but only one. Is Murky so special that he gets 61+ copies? Link to post Share on other sites
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