THE JET SETTER
Issue 1-2000

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

On behalf of the executive I’d like to welcome you all to the new millennium in what we expect to be a watershed year for the club.

A number of people representing all sections have been meeting since late last year planning our clubs direction over the next decade. We expect to be in a position to publish these plans in detail to all members by the middle of this year.

There are 3 important issues that have come out of this planning process that you need to start thinking about immediately:

  1. GROUND REPLACEMENT – We plan to replace our existing playing surface over the 2000/2001 summer. After much discussion and deliberation we have decided to lay another sand filled surface. The decision came down to cost, at this point in time the club was facing funding the vast majority of the project itself and we simply couldn’t afford a water-filled surface. As of today we have approximately $120,000 in savings to put into this project and we need to raise another $50,000 during this year to fulfil our obligations.
  2. CANTEEN – To help achieve our savings goal we are totally restructuring the canteen facilities at the club. Cambell Smyth and the junior section have taken over the management of the canteen with the aim of totally reinventing it in all of our member’s eyes. The aim is not only to provide excellent food and beverages, but to also have all club members using our hall and indoor seating facilities on a regular basis. We’d love to replicate the 70’s when we’d have 70-100 people every weekend enjoying each other’s company at the club. It’s not only great fun but it obviously benefits the club financially, so please make an effort on a regular basis this year to come to the club and mingle.
  3. STATE LEAGUE / WOMEN – Our womens first grade team has just been handed an unexpected lifeline after being relegated last year. We are back in state league 1 after another team withdrew from the competition. The club’s medium team aims are to be represented in top grade in Victoria in every section in which we participate so this is an incredible opportunity we must capitalise on. I’d like to ask each and every club member to really get behind the women’s SL1 team this year by turning up to support, helping out if needed with coaching, ideas etc. So that we ensure we do make the most of this ‘window’ that has been presented to us.

We hope you have a great year in 2000.

ALLEN HART

From The Secretary's Desk

Well there you are, please all join me in a collective "sighhhh" as I confirm for you that your hockey club has proved to be Y2K compliant. Now for the GST, and how does that affect our fund-raising and surface replacement initiatives ? The answer being "dunno", but we intend to find out. Where will we get the funds for the surface replacement now that traditional avenues seem to have been cut-off, or very much reduced. These are merely a sample of the issues facing our amateur sporting club.

The days of starting the season looking forward to play on the weekend finished in December. We must all look for an additional role to play, whether it be coaching juniors, umpiring, phoning the results in, doing the team-sheet, volunteering an hour in the canteen. Simply put, we need to maximise the use of our resources.

During the year there will be pigeon-hole shelving in the office and each team is expected to check it regularly. I would also invite any of the junior coaches to let myself or Gary Simmons know if they are interested in the VHA's Coaching Accreditation courses. Ultimately i expect all our coaches will have gone through this process and we would like too see some of the long term coaches make a start.

As for the hockey, I suggest you start some fitness pretty quickly as its going to be an early and hot start to the season round 1 (March 25). I'll be playing in a grand final this year and look forward to seeing who end up there with me. At some stage I hope to play with a couple of last years under 15 south team who lost their grand final in extra time, I believe they represented the club as well in 1999 as any team.

 

Ian Fraser

LIFE MEMBERS

The Moorabbin Districts Hockey Club has never had a documented process for the qualification of life membership.

As a result, in the year 2000, most active club members probably couldn’t name any more than 2/3 of our current life membership. In fact even if you read the life membership honour board you wouldn’t have a clue who most of those life members are. We think this is very sad and want to create a situation within the club where all current members know and understand our history, and where our life members are appropriately honoured as the MDHC legends that they are.

We also hope that in future our life members will be more included in being around the club so we can all learn about and experience our history on an ongoing basis. (Maybe like a supporters or coterie club).

At the same time we are now introducing a documented qualification process for club life membership that ALL club members can aspire to achieve. The process is based on a points system across 3 qualification categories:

  1. Playing in senior men’s / women’s and veterans
  2. Administration and
  3. Coaching in both a senior and junior club capacity

The required level of points for life membership qualification will be a minimum of 600. Qualification details are listed below. These points must be accumulated across a minimum of 2 of the 3 qualification categories listed above, and you must have participated in each of these qualification categories for a minimum of 4 years.

Once the qualification requirements for life membership are met the executive committee of the day will formally ratify the nomination.

These will be awarded on an annual basis in the year that they fall due, probably being presented at the club presentation night.

CATAGORIES

Playing – (Winter season only)

Senior men’s / women’s / veterans 1 game = 1 point
Minimum of 400 games required

Administration –

Each year as a club elected office bearer (on any MDHC club committee) 20 points
Each year as club elected delegate on Victorian Association Committees 10 points

Coaching – (winter season only, must have been MDHC approved / sanctioned)

Each year as senior men’s/women’s          20 points
Each year as sectional assistant coach     10 points
Each year as junior coach                            10 points
Each year as junior assistant                       5 points

The executive will retain the right to use their discretion on occasions to appoint life memberships to persons associated with the club who may not fall within any of these normal qualifying guidelines, but in the executives eyes have made significant contributions to the club over long periods of time.

We will be sending out a questionnaire with the next edition of Jetsetter to be completed and returned to the executive so we can commence current qualification level recording for all club members. This will rely largely on the honesty of people, however we will verify every member’s tally prior to the publication of up to date qualification levels.

MEN’S SECTION REPORT

Here we go again.  Hockey Season’s starting already.  Sometimes it’s a bit like a merry-go-round, and you don’t know whether you’re following all the other horses, or they’re all following you.  All I know is that I’m dizzy with excitement.

The season starts early this year, to allow for a large multi-cultural event in Sydney during September. Perhaps more interesting than that is the fact that this will be the only hockey season ever with two time changes for day light saving. So we’ll need to be prepared.

Round-1 is on the weekend 25th and 26th of March, and there are five rounds before the Easter break.

We’ve entered 7 senior men’s teams again in the 2000 season: SL2, PA, PC, M1E, M2S, M3S & M4S. This provides for an excellent spread of teams, and allows everybody to participate in a grade in and around their capability. We’ve had a few players let us know they’re unavailable this season: “Travel”, “The wife”, “The kids”, “Too Old” – and sometimes all four. We will be looking for players to fill these teams, and would welcome any new players.

State League Pre-Season

The State League squad has been training since the first week of December.  Attendances have generally been very good, with 39 players training in all, and 15 of those players attending over 20 sessions already.  We have predominantly worked on refinement of basic skills and identification of when to use them – as well as some systems work.  It’s often been hot work, but the enthusiasm of the guys has been tremendous and we’re all looking forward to the season.

Men’s Section Training Times

Effective immediately:

Tuesdays State League & Pennant 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Thursdays State League & Pennant 7:00pm – 8:00pm
  All Metro    7:00pm – 8:00pm

Yes – That’s Right – Everybody will train from 7:00pm – 8:00pm on Thursday nights.  Hopefully this will not only attract more to training but also have the double benefit of getting people together a bit more.  Hang around and have a drink and something to eat after training.

Practice Games

There are practice games organised for 4 teams (State League, Pennant-A, Pennant-C and Metro-X) on the weekend immediately before the season (Saturday 18th March) at Footscray.  This should be on the new water based ground they are putting in, and should be a great opportunity to get together before the season.  Games start at midday with the Metro game and finish with the State League at 6:30pm.

We are also looking to have another practice game on Saturday 11th for Pennant and Metro players.  Please let Cameron Hunter, Ian Fraser or Adrian Cramp know if you want to have a hit.

Administration

I could really do with a bit of help organising Men’s Section stuff this year.  Even if you just take one small job off my hands it would be much appreciated.  A couple of people have already come forward (and I’m very grateful), but a few more would make it a bit easier for everybody.  Let me know.

Cameron Hunter

Men’s Section Coordinator

JUNIOR SECTION REPORT

Welcome to Season 2000!  The Junior Committee hope that all club members and their families had a happy Christmas and that 2000 brings good health, happiness and prosperity.

Training for all age groups except Under 9’s have started.  Attendance seems to be at good level, however we can always do with new players, especially in the younger age groups.  Your Committee has been working very hard off-season to organise coaches and set up the section to peak efficiency.  Any parents wanting to become more involved with their children’s Hockey can always help out in different ways.  Give me a call and I will be able to find you something small to do.

Due to the Olympics, the VJHA season will be starting earlier than normal.  For this reason and the the GST, we will be insisting on early paymentsplease give me .  Should you have any concerns throughout the season a call before they turn into problems.

Gary Simmons

President Junior Section.

 

JUNIOR COMMITTEE FOR SEASON 2000

PRESIDENT -                                       Gary Simmons
SECRETARY -                                     Tina Ashworth, Amanda Kenny
MINUTES' SECRETARY -                Tina Ashworth
TREASURER -                                     Sue McIvor

COMMITTEE -                                     Peter Morphet
                                                                June Bence
                                                                Marilyn Benjamin
                                                                Gary Johnston