Displaying items by tag: Minutes

Ducks Unlimited New Zealand 45th Annual General Meeting,
3 August 2019 9am, Quality Inn, Whanganui

President Ross Cottle welcomed members to the 45th Annual General Meeting. Welcome to guest speaker Murray Stevenson.

APOLOGIES:
Liz Brook; Dawn Pirani; Paul Pirani; 
John Cheyne; Sharon Stevens-Cottle; Myra Smith; Glenys Hansen.

Motion: That the apologies tendered are accepted. Moved: John Bishop. Seconded: Jan Abel. Carried 

MINUTES OF THE LAST AGM Circulated and copies available at the AGM.
Motion: That the minutes of the last AGM be accepted as a true and complete record. Moved: Will Abel. Seconded: Di Pritt. Carried 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT – READ BY ROSS COTTLE
Moved: Ross Cottle. Seconded: Adrienne Bushell. Carried 

Financial Report – John Bishop 
Explanation of charitable trust requirements. Revenue stream Pharazyn, Treadwells, Muter Trusts, John Mortimer, South Wairarapa Rotary. South Island trip by Ross and Jim around $600 annually. Board of Directors expenses minimal, lot of meetings by Skype with annual trip to Ohakune.
Motion: That the financial report be accepted. Moved: John Bishop. Seconded: Di Pritt. Carried

Waterfowl and Wetland Trust Report – David Smith
The Trust is in good shape. The 2017 balance in Trust $516,000-ish, since then paid $40,000 to DUNZ. Currently $510,394, money paid out covered by Trust. Original fund $200,000 twenty years ago.
Motion: That the Trust report be accepted. Moved: David Smith. Seconded: John Bishop. Carried 

Election of officers
Board selects President Ross Cottle, Vice-President Dan Steele, Director William Abel. Nominate Jim Law, John Dermer to stay on. Nominated: Di Pritt. Seconded: Jim Campbell. Carried

Wetland Care – William Abel
2019 short on projects, centred on Wairio and project in Masterton.

Royal swans – William Abel
No trip to South Island, no swans and no cygnets.

Website – Paul Mason
Membership – 280 members, 57 still to pay subs. Includes 61 life members, honorary members. Moving more to electronic payments. Survey done on email/post preference for communications. Flight magazine available on website, can be searched by subject. More of the earlier magazines are being scanned on to the website.

Wairio Wetland – Jim Law
Reticulation of water from Matthews and Boggy Pond. GWRC has done work reticulating. Less has been spent this year – about $5,000. Reticulation funded by GWRC – around $30,000. DUNZ has spent $220,000 in total on Wairio. Partners are GWRC doing predator control, DOC – cutting grass on track. Victoria University – research sites at Wairio, planting more specimen trees. Planting day in July with a good write-up in Times Age. Ross took reporter Piers Fuller around wetland who wrote a national article on Stuff. Restoration committee has $10,000 in Trust. Significant donation of $15,000 also in Trust. Members should feel proud of this project.

Whio, blue duck – Peter Russell
Released 72 birds, North Island around 30 at Blue Duck Station. First release in 2000 was 7 birds. Flocks in South Island in three areas. Tasman , concern because of mast year with success because of 
trapping and 1080. Successful year. 

Scholarship
Three-year trial of 4 students – $5,000 each, Victoria, Massey, Christchurch, Waikato. Possibility of 1 Victoria student in 2020 to work at Wairio. Emma has given suggestions to unis of topics of study. 
General Ian Jensen – vote of thanks to Board members and for the organisation of the AGM weekend.

Meeting closed at 10am.

Welcome:

The President, David Smith, welcomed members to the 38th Annual General  Meeting.

Many thanks to Di Pritt and Waimarino Wine Club for a very enjoyable evening last night.

David spoke of the end of his presidency – but still a lot of work to be done. DU faces a crisis in interest and membership.

He spoke of the Boards time spent looking at alternatives in the drive for younger members. Advice was sought and some  possibilities have come out of that. We could look at the possibility of getting  together with all like organisations, e.g.  Forest & Bird, Fish & Game, National

Wetlands Trust, and Waterfowlers to form umbrella group to go to Government. This means that we would retain identity with no merger. There is a large amount of cross fertilisation over these organisations. However DUNZ could become a member with a stronger thrust on a national basis. As a result of the discussions at Board level David and John Bishop met with Tony Roxburgh some three weeks previous. They see some merit in the idea. DUNZ is seen as having the wetland expertise. Tony Roxburgh, from National Wetlands Trust, was introduced to the AGM and gave his background. He reinforced David’s  comments and said that the idea of an  umbrella group had a lot of merit. It had been raised with the Trust and they were comfortable at this stage of discussion. The forming of an alliance would give all individual small groups a voice. David then asked members to talk to Board members throughout the day and give some feedback. David now needs to step back and Ross Cottle has agreed to take over his role as President.

Apologies:

Lady Isaac, Kevin and Vietta Campbell, Alan Wilks, Ossie and Mary Latham, Euan Bidwell, Chris Bindon, Barbara Hanbidge, Gordon Pilone, Rob and Robin Borthwick, Lorraine Jensen, Wendy Simmons, Shonagh Lindsay, Myra Smith, Janet Denny, John and Diny Dermer, Graham Gurr, Dawn Pirani, Andrew Fulford, Sharon Cottle,  Ken and Jacqui Barnes, Pam & Brian Maunsell, Adrienne Bushell, Peter and Anne Russell, Raeleen Mabin.

Motion: That the apologies tendered are  accepted.
Moved: John Bishop, Seconded: James Martin. Carried.

Minutes of the last AGM:
Circulated in Flight #150 and copies 
available at the AGM.
Motion: That the minutes of the last AGM be accepted as a true and complete record. Moved: Ian Jensen, Seconded:  James Martin. Carried.

Matters arising from the 2011 minutes: There were no matters arising.

Thanks to David Smith to be recorded and congratulations on appointment as Judge of District Court.

Presidents Report: David Smith As circulated in Flight #150 and tabled.

Motion: The Presidents report is accepted. Moved: John Bishop, Seconded: W Abel. Carried.

Matters arising from the Presidents 2012 Report: There were no matters arising.

Financial Report: John Bishop

Presented at the meeting – as at March 31, 2011.

Current Account  $19,854
Rapid Saver  $9
Term Deposit   $46648  

Accounts be accepted subject to the review of engagement.

Due to the timing of the AGM this year the 2012 accounts are not yet finalised. Motion: That the 2011 financial report be accepted.

Moved: John Bishop, Seconded: David Smith.

Carried.

Waterfowl and Wetlands Trust Report: David Smith (tabled). Reiterated that the nature of this investment means that it is a long term one that  fluctuates, however we are almost back to the position of 2007 and the next 9 months should see an improvement. Moved: David Smith, Seconded: Jim Law. Carried.

Election of Officers:

Board Election:

The President read out the following  Statement:

The Constitution states that the Board should consist of not less than six, of which half, but not more than two thirds shall be permanently appointed Directors.

As of right, the permanent appointments are the Chairman, President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Other permanent appointments are Neil Candy and William Abel.

Nominations for the Board:

New nomination from Jim Law for Andrew Fulford. Has been a long term member of DUNZ and works in wetland restoration. Moved: Jim Law, Seconded: Ross Cottle. Carried.

Are there any other nominations from the floor? None.

Reports:

Wetland Care: William Abel (tabled). Moved: William Abel, Seconded: Ian Jensen.

Carried.

Website Report: (tabled).

Michelle Cooper (webmaster) covered off her report. The website is getting a lot of hits – what is being looked at? Through the background information I am able to see the mostly looked at are news, duck facts and wetland facts and 69 percent of people are coming to DUNZ website directly.

Quack Club now has 80 members. Five schools are using our resources.

Moved: Jim Law, Seconded: William Abel. Carried.

Wairio Wetland:

Jim Law (Full report tabled).

Covered off report. • Have raised profile and credibility • Maintaining good coverage in media • Looking to ratchet up project due to  success • Need to update strategic plans • Making a case to DU Board for further funding.  Moved: Jim Law, Seconded: John Bishop. Carried. Jim Campbell proposed a vote of thanks to Jim Law for his energy and hard work with Wairio and said that without Jim it all wouldn’t happen. Pateke: Full report tabled

Opuatia Report:

John Bishop - This project is in abeyance.

General Business:

Received an email regarding DUCs 75th anniversary at Oak Hammock Marsh
DUNZ AGM – to go back to winter time scenario. July/August. Aware that we need to keep costs down.
Dart competition at Di Pritts last night raised $46 with the winner getting 102 points in 2 shots!
Ian Jensen spoke of Pharazyn Reserve - a KCDC project for the rehabilitation of an old wetland in Waikanae. Local schools are heavily involved but very light on members.
Thanks to Liz Brook for Flight magazine.

Closure:

The President thanked the Board for their work throughout the year.

The meeting closed at 10.20am.