Club AGM Thursday May 26th - Chariman's address and Secretary's Report
Chairman’s Address
KCGAA Club AGM 2016
Strategic Plan
Three years in – what have we achieved? There are many things we have not achieved but we have achieved a degree of harmony.
We are no longer a club riven by public self-flagellation. Yes we are a club where some of us don’t respect each other and don’t respect the efforts of all of our players and coaches equally. We have plenty of members who look for reds under their beds and can imagine all sorts of conspiracies.
But we have achieved:-
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The key objective of putting the executive at the financial centre of the club. We have simplified our membership fee structure, made it gender neutral, developed the online membership collection platform, eliminated the historical non-member category and ensured that all membership subs go straight to KCGAA.
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We have implemented a budgetary process covering all membership fund allocation across all units.
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Made the executive responsible for all insurances, registrations and entry fees
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Eliminated all historical balances between units as part of our implementation of a ‘one club’ concept.
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Developed one club website with the co-operation of all sections of the club.
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Put a real and proper focus on development and have arrived at the sports capital grant table.
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Achieved planning for Pairc de Burca
We have not impacted on a lot of what was in the Strategic plan but we propose to stick to our last and continue to use the plan as our blueprint for the next year.
We have not abolished Kilmacud Glenalbyn Sports Club Ltd (KGSC) but I would argue that the objective of that step has been achieved without incurring the risks associated with a corporate re-structure. KGSC is now a budgeted unit with a clear objective of making money from our facilities to reduce the need for membership subs to pay for our large overhead. KGSC are making progress and I want to thank Sean Donnelly and all of the directors for their commitment and effort on behalf of our club. The executive will continue to consider this aspect but I believe that an objective analysis will reveal that the exec is in charge of all financial matters in our club right now including those of KGSC. This club needs a commercially mandated arm and KGSC is that arm. An abolition will result in a requirement to establish a committee to do that job without any of the corporate benefits flowing from the presence of a limited company as part of our structure.
The exec has not pressed hard on the issues the members decided should be addressed on what might be called the playing side of the house. Instead the exec has adopted a co-operative approach with the sections which has been reciprocated by the sections. We respect the incredible efforts of our fellow members running and making possible the achievements of our playing sections in catering for over two thousand registered players. The exec is a piece of machinery intended to facilitate the operation of our playing sections in my view. We work well together in my view and that is the key.
I do want to say a word about respect. As chair of the club I hear some truly incredible stories about what some of our members say about others and some of the motives people ascribe to other members. I want to ask people to reflect on the fact that this is 2016. None of us own Kilmacud Crokes – we hold it in trust for those who follow. Do we really think our young world-aware members have any respect for internal feuding and backbiting? No they don’t. Let us older types grow up and concentrate on a respectful supportive approach to all of our club.
I would like to give particular mention to a new and developing aspect of our club – a focus on the health and wellbeing of our members – hundreds of us have benefitted from the physical and other activities driven by the club’s health and wellbeing committee and I want to thank them most sincerely. The GAA is committed to accepting its place in the community and to supporting all of its members in their health and wellbeing. This is important work. For those people who I have heard saying that there is too much health and wellbeing in our club I say – listen to yourselves! It’s no good wringing your hands when some of us suffer the effects of poor health and wellbeing. Support the development of our club culture to normalise openness, awareness and positivity about health and wellbeing in our community. Join the committee if you have a view.
I should also mention that a growing aspect of our club is our relationship with our neighbours – the Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice. We salute and support the work that they do and as a club we are committed to developing our supportive relationship and to making our facilities available in whatever way we can to further the incredibly important work they, our next door neighbours do.
We have been most fortunate to have a great sponsor come on board for our club – Bank of Ireland – another organisation at the heart of our community. We are not supporting that sponsorship well folks. We need to realise that all 4,300 of us have to get behind that sponsorship and to attend events and understand the bank’s products. It’s not quite use it or lose it but please – when you see an event organised support it. Montrose Branch is opening a new community branch shortly with all sorts of bells and whistles – let’s call in and tell them we are Crokes people and want to engage with our sponsor, their business and their products.
Folks – this is our club – let’s mind it.
I want to thank all of our volunteer active members who work on committees, manage teams, coach small children, carry out key roles on KGSC and across the club including the executive. We have 1,000 Garda approved volunteers. Well done to you all. Where are the rest of you??
Thanks especially to the section chairs for their commitment to mutual co-operation in our club. Let’s grow that idea on our committees and among our active members. We will be stronger when we trust each other more and support each other co-operatively and constructively.
Well done to all of our players across all codes – not just our first and second teams – I personally believe our club is about active participation in gaelic games – 2,400 of us are registered players and maybe 100 are associated with our top teams - we can’t run a cub for 100 people and we don’t.
Thank you to the shop team led by Jean Carr – they are truly lynch pin members operating at the heart of our club for more years than they care to remember.
Thank you to my colleagues on the exec for their great work this year and across the last three. I want to thank Ken Garvey who is retiring at this AGM as Treasurer – many thanks Ken for your contribution. Special thanks to our Club Secretary Seamus Kennedy for his great wisdom and hard work. Thanks to Tom Rock the vice-chairman for his constant steady approach to the wellbeing and development of our club.
I want to thank John Sweeney and Liam O’Flaherty who continue to punch in incredible effort to keep our pitches in the great shape they are in and who make great personal efforts to mind our club pitches. And finally thank you and best wishes to Bernie Spillane who retires at the end of the month after such great service to our club.