2022 RRC AGM – Saturday 30 July

Richmond Rowing Club’s Annual General Meeting will be held on the morning of Saturday 30th July. The meeting is currently planned to start at 1130am, following the club races planned for 10am. There will be a club bbq following the close of the meeting.

At the AGM all Committee members stand down and positions are available for club members to stand for election to the RRC Committee for the coming year. Generally the incoming Committee is a blend of new and experienced members.

To present yourself for election, you are required to have been a member of the club for more than 2 years and be willing to help out with the club’s organisation. If you are interested, feel free to chat to any of the current Committee members to get some more background information. The Committee positions are:

President
Vice-President
Treasurer
Secretary
Head of Rowing
Captain of Boats
Fundraising Coordinator
Facilities Coordinator
Ordinary Member (two ordinary member positions are available which assist with a number of areas)

During the AGM, outgoing Committee members will briefly go through some of the highlights of the year, as well as a summary of the club’s financial situation and the main achievements compared to the goals we set out last year. This usually takes less than an hour and we warmly invite all members of the club to attend.

The meeting will be available in a hybrid format, with a link to follow for those who wish to participate but are unable to make it to the club.

If you wish to present yourself for election, please complete a nomination form (available here) and submit it to the Secretary at least 14 days prior to the meeting (by COB 15th July). If 3 signatures on a pdf is logistically difficult, the Secretary is happy to accept emails from the proposer, seconder, and nominee stating their support of the application.

2020 RRC AGM – Saturday 25th July

Richmond Rowing Club’s Annual General Meeting on the morning of Saturday 25th July. The meeting is currently planned to start at 10am.

At the AGM all Committee members stand down and positions are available for club members to stand for election to the RRC Committee for the coming year. Generally the incoming Committee is a blend of new and experienced members. To present yourself for election, you are required to have been a member of the club for more than 2 years and be willing to help out with the club’s organisation. If you are interested, feel free to chat to any of the current Committee members to get some more background information. The Committee positions are:

President
Vice-President
Treasurer
Secretary
Head of Rowing
Captain of Boats
Fundraising Coordinator
Facilities Coordinator
Ordinary Member (two ordinary member positions are available which assist with a number of areas)

During the AGM, outgoing Committee members will briefly go through some of the highlights of the year, as well as a summary of the club’s financial situation and the main achievements compared to the goals we set out last year. This usually takes less than an hour and we warmly invite all members of the club to attend.

If you wish to present yourself for election, please complete a nomination form and submit it to the secretary at least 14 days prior to the meeting (BEFORE 10th July).

2019 AGM and our most recent boat naming

The Richmond Rowing Club Annual General Meeting was held at the club on Saturday 27th July 2019. Thank you to all Committee members for their significant contributions through the year. A brief summary of the year’s activities is provided below; the full Annual Report including all Committee member reports is attached RRC Annual Report 2018/19
Membership Growth – Following a 14% increase in members last year, our financial member numbers grew by a further 13% to 161 (from 142 last year).
Member number growth continues through our Learn to Row program transitioning into our Development squad. As a result we have invested in increased coaching for this group of new members to continue to increase their skill levels as they start to compete at regattas and look to progress into other squads. Whilst we will continue to focus on Learn to Row courses in the coming year we will focus them on the summer months to maximise numbers and retention so the Development Squad continues to have a critical mass.
Member Engagement – Our events continue to bring the club together socially while generating funds for clubs fleet expansion. We held 6 major events, a number or smaller events and our training camp during the year from casual BBQ’s to Quiz Night, Presentation Night, New Year’s Eve. Thank you to Christine Sullivan for leading the Fundraising role with support from many of our members, a special thank you to all of the members that have helped out during the year.
The Committee has also turned their mind to our environmental impact as a club, implementing recycling bins in the club, facilitating the use of rain water for boat washing and supporting the Yarra River keepers Association as part of their projects to tidy the Yarra.
Demonstrate Club Success on the Water – In 2018/19 we expanded the number of paid coaching resources to support our volunteer coaches and we will continue this in the coming year.
It has been great to see excellent participation and regatta results throughout the year, lots of successes and members competing in their first regattas. In particular the results at the State Championships, where we picked up three golds including Michelle Joy and Kate Dyball in the Women’s A Grade Double.
Governance and Finance – Our venue continues to generate significant income through day and evening rentals resulting in a strong financial position.
We have continued to invest in the rowing program, but we must also continue to invest in our facilities to generate this revenue. Surplus funds generated are split between fleet and facility, with funds prudently reserved for significant capital works expected on the building in coming years. During the year the club invested in re-racking the rear middle section of the shed to increase boat capacity, at the same time we renegotiated the MLC sublease to progressively take back part of the third bay for our own use as the fleet expands.
We again invested heavily in our fleet, christening three new Sykes boats, a coxless quad and men’s and women’s double/pairs, and a second hand Wintech mid-weight single. We also expanded the number of oars and added a further 4 ergos to the gym.
In the coming year we have committed to further expand the fleet, replacing the Jennifer Campbell with a 5 year old Sykes 8+, buying a second-hand Sykes double and a new mid-weight Wintech single.
A major part of the AGM is to elect a new Committee and saying farewell to any departing members from the Committee.
Stefanie Dudczig and Yash Vegi have been the 2 ordinary members as part of the Committee over the last year. Stef has provided great assistance to the Secretary with the new member process and Yash has worked closely with Tim in relation to the Learn to Row organisation. Both of them will continue to assist with these areas in non-Committee roles. Thank you to both of you for your contribution to the Committee.
The Committee for the 2019-20 season (the 157th RRC Committee) consists of:
President – Jon Roberts
Vice-President – Aline Dejaeger
Secretary – John Carey
Treasurer – Kathy Macrow
Captain of Boats – Barry Campbell
Head of Rowing – Tim Evans
Facilities Coordinator – Lucy Crunden
Fundraising Coordinator – Christine Sullivan
Two ordinary members – Kim Begelhole and Amy Katlin
Congratulations and welcome to our newest Committee members, John Carey and Amy Catlin.
At the conclusion of the AGM and as part of our fleet renewal program we proceeded downstairs to name our newest fleet addition, a Sykes Women’s Eight. We were very pleased to be able to name this boat after one of our life members who continues to row successfully today, Ray Dennis.

Ray has been a member of the club since 1957 and continues to wear the Richmond zootie, including picking three Gold medals in the 2019 Australian Masters Regatta.

We then proceeded to take to the water for some fun with club races. We ran a Head Season format, with time trials from the Island to the Club. Congratulations to all those who took part and the winning 8.
Thank you to everyone who helped with the BBQ and bar afterwards.

AGM's and Boat Namings!!

We are continuing our fleet renewal program and will be naming our new Women’s Eight after the RRC AGM which starts at 10am on Saturday, 27 July. We look forward to seeing as many members present as possible, the running order for the day will be:
10am – AGM
10.30am – Boat naming
11am – club races
12 onwards – BBQ and bar
As part of our fleet renewal program to make space for newer boats we donated one of our older single sculls to the Bendigo Rowing Club last year. We have received many thanks for Bendigo for this donation and they have in turn spent time refurbishing the boat.
I was pleased to receive a letter from the Bendigo Rowing Club, thanking us for this donation and also letting me know that they intend to name the boat after our current Head of Rowing Tim Evans.
As most of you will know Tim has a deep connection with both clubs, having been introduced to rowing in Bendigo by one of their life members Denis Nihill. Tim has also rowed successfully for Richmond for a number of years, served on our Committee in multiple roles and is a Life Member of Richmond Rowing Club.
The Tim Evans will be formally named following the BRC AGM to be held at 11am, Sunday 28 July at Lake Weeroona, Bendigo. Tim will be present and I will also attend to represent the club. The Bendigo Rowing Club has also invited any members of Richmond Rowing Club who would like to attend. Please let me know and I will pass on the details.
In their correspondence with me the Bendigo Rowing Club has also recognised our participation in the annual Bendigo Sprint Regatta and they look forward to seeing us this year again. Highlighting the number of former Bendigo rowers who have continued their rowing on relocation to Melbourne by joining our club, they also hope that the naming of the boat will further strengthen the connection that exists between our clubs.
Congratulations to Tim on this honour from his hometown club!!

2019 RRC AGM – Saturday 27th July

Richmond Rowing Club’s Annual General Meeting will be held at the clubhouse on the morning of Saturday 27th July. The meeting will start at 10am followed by club races and a BBQ.
At the AGM all Committee members stand down and positions are available for club members to stand for election to the RRC Committee for the coming year. Generally the incoming Committee is a blend of new and experienced members. To present yourself for election, you are required to have been a member of the club for more than 2 years and be willing to help out with the club’s organisation. If you are interested, feel free to chat to any of the current Committee members to get some more background information. The Committee positions are:

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Treasurer
  • Secretary
  • Head of Rowing
  • Captain of Boats
  • Fundraising Coordinator
  • Facilities Coordinator
  • Ordinary Member (two ordinary member positions are available which assist with a number of areas including New Member Coordination and Learn To Row Coordination)

During the AGM, outgoing Committee members will briefly go through some of the highlights of the year, as well as a summary of the club’s financial situation and the main achievements compared to the goals we set out last year. This usually takes less than an hour and we warmly invite all members of the club to attend.
If you wish to present yourself for election, please complete a nomination form (found on the documents page of our website) and submit it to the secretary at least 14 days prior to the meeting (BEFORE 12th July).
Please show your support for the Committee and your Club by attending the AGM.
Nomination for Office Bearer – July 2019

Further fleet investment announced at the 2018 AGM


The Richmond Rowing Club Annual General Meeting was held at the club on Saturday 28th July 2017. It was an opportunity for club members to come together, hear from the Committee about the clubs operations over the past year. It was great to see so many members present on the day.
Thank you to all Committee members for their significant contributions through the year. A brief summary of the year’s activities is provided below; the full Annual Report including all Committee member reports is attached RRC Annual Report 2017/18
Membership Growth – During the year, we increased the number of our financial members from 125 to 142 at 31 May 2018, a 14% increase. This achievement was through a combination of attracting new members and retaining existing members.
In particular, we increased the number of Learn to Row courses to four and scheduled three courses on summer evenings resulting in increased retention of Learn to Row participants. Our Development Squad is maintaining good numbers with dedicated coaching focused on improving their skill levels. We plan to continue this in 2018/19, continuing our Learn to Row program and transitioning Development Squad rowers into the competitive and social rowing squads.
Demonstrate Club Success on the Water – As a major step forward for the club, we engaged our first paid head coach resulting in focused training programs, squad structure, selection criteria and focused coaching. This has contributed to some excellent regatta performances through the year. Although Basil has returned to the UK, we have appointed Matt Wilson as our Head Coach for the coming year – he will be starting with us in early August.
Member Engagement – The club runs a number of events to bring club members together, from our Training Camp and regular circuit sessions, to social events like Quiz Night and New Years Eve. In 2017/18 we held 6 successful major events at the club and a number of smaller events.
The Committee plans to continue this level of events in the current year. This takes a significant effort to arrange and we are always looking for volunteers to assist. Our club would not be able to operate without all of our members who volunteer their time in so many ways. As we look towards the coming year, we will be asking for more help and creating more volunteer roles to take some of the pressure of the usual suspects. If you have a special skill or would like to help regularly, please reach out to the Committee as we would love your support.
Governance and Finance – The clubs finances remain strong, underpinned by income from hiring our amazing venue. This allows us to invest in the rowing program, but we must also continue to invest in our facilities, to generate this revenue. This year we refurbished the bar and kitchen to bringing it up to the standard of the rest of the club.
During the year, we also invested heavily in our fleet and equipment, christening both a men’s and women’s brand new top of the line Sykes quad/four and investing significantly in our refurbished gym. We were also able to purchase a new set of oars for the men’s eight and pair, whilst benefiting from a VicHealth Active Club Grant for a set of sculling oars.
In addition, the Committee is pleased to announce we have ordered 3 more brand new boats to improve our fleet with a men’s and women’s double/pair and a coxless quad for our most competitive crews. These additions will also allow other crews greater access to better quality boats as we replace our oldest boats in our fleet.
A major part of the AGM is to elect a new Committee and saying farewell to any departing members from the Committee.
Geraldine Goss, our outgoing Vice-President has been a member of the Committee for four years, the last three years as Vice-President and Fundraising Coordinator before that. During this time, she has supported two different Presidents and numerous Committee members. She has been active within the Fleet subcommittee and in considering Richmond’s licensing requirements. Whilst at the same time she has been incredibly successful as a rower. Thank you for all your assistance.
Laurent Demay steps down from the position of ordinary member having contributed strongly over the past year with new member communications and fundraising activities.
The new committee for the 2018-19 season consists of:
President – Jon Roberts
Vice-President – Aline Dejaeger
Secretary – Kim Begelhole
Treasurer – Kathy Macrow
Captain of Boats – Barry Campbell
Head of Rowing – Tim Evans
Facilities Coordinator – Lucy Crunden
Fundraising Coordinator – Christine Sullivan
Two ordinary members – Yashwini Vegi, Stefanie Dudczig
Congratulations and welcome to our newest Committee members, Kim Belgelhole and Stefanie Dudczig.
Following the conclusion of the AGM we took to the water for some fun with club races. With a change in formal to get us ready for Head Season, the races were a time trial format from the Island to the Club. Congratulations to all those who took part.
Thank you to everyone who helped with the bbq and bar afterwards, especially Gypsy, John and Laurent for preparing the food and Karin and Dennis for looking after the BBQ.

RRC AGM 10am Saturday 28th July – followed by Club Races and BBQ

Richmond Rowing Club’s Annual General Meeting will be held at the clubhouse on Saturday 28th July at 10 am, followed by club races and a BBQ for lunch when we will also be opening the bar. During the AGM, the committee members will briefly go through some of the highlights of the year, as well as a summary of the club’s financial situation and the main achievements compared to the goals we set out last year. This usually takes less than an hour and we warmly invite all members of the club to attend.
The AGM is also the opportunity to elect new members to the Committee and all positions are available for re-election. To present yourself, the are required to have been a member of the club for more than 2 years and are willing to help out with the club’s organisation. If you are interested, feel free to chat to any of the current Committee members to get some more background information. The Committee positions are:

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Treasurer
  • Secretary
  • Head of Rowing
  • Captain of Boats
  • Fundraising Coordinator
  • Facilities Coordinator
  • Ordinary Member (two ordinary member positions are available which assist with a number of areas including New Member Coordination and Learn To Row Coordination)

If you wish to present yourself for election, please complete a nomination form (found on the documents page of our website) and submit it to the secretary at least 14 days prior to the meeting (BEFORE 13th July).
It should be a fun day combining some formal business with splashing around for club races, and a nice BBQ to top it off. The bar will also be open for refreshments at usual club prices.
Please show your support for the Committee and your Club by attending the AGM.
Nomination for Office Bearer July 2018

RRC AGM 11am Sat 29th July

The Annual general meeting for RRC will be held at the boatclub from 11am on Saturday 29th July. This years committee will present the Annual report and financial statements and we invite all members of the Association to attend.
The meeting is also the opportunity to elect new members to the committee and all positions are available for full members of the club to nominate for (must be a member for minimum of two years). If you are interested in contributing to the club and want to know more about what you could do and what the different committee roles entail please feel free to contact me or speak to any of the current committee members about their experiences.
If you do wish to nominate, you are required to complete a nomination form (found on the documents page of our website) and submit it to the secretary at least 14 days prior to the meeting (BEFORE 15th July).
Along with the formal business of the day we will also be performing the official boat naming of the Dennis Beck, our brand new Sykes coxed quad/four which has been a great investment for the club already this year. This will be followed by refreshments in the boathouse so please show your support for the committee and your club by attending the AGM.
[wpfilebase tag=file path=’RRC_Documents/Nomination-for-Office-Bearer-July-2017.pdf’ /]

Season 2016-17

The AGM on Saturday 30th July saw the official completion of the 2015-16 season. I thank all those who attended the event and acknowledged the work of the committee over the past year. We were able to present very healthy financial statements for the association and a thorough report on the activities of the year (can be downloaded at the bottom of this blog).
I was very pleased to be able to announce due to the success of our fundraising efforts of the past year we have placed an order for a new stern coxed four/quad for the club which will be a great benefit to the club particularly to assist in our Development squad coaching where it is not always possible to have a coach on the bank as well as a cox in the boat. With a grand total of $23,500 from fundraising we also had some extra cash to invest in a new set of mens quad sculling oars and two new model ergos to replace our oldest ones. With our fundraising coordinator of this year, Cat Bower, stepping down from the committee as she begins to build her family we can thank her for her amazing work this year.
We also saw two further members of our committee step down and they will be both be sorely missed. Derek Begg has served on the committee for 12 years in the roles of Secretary, Head of Rowing, Head of Club Development and general member. His time and effort during this period should not be underestimated and we appreciate all his hardwork. Similarly, Vikki Brennan has fulfilled the role of general member and Treasurer whilst serving on the committee for the past four years and has invested much time in ensuring we are in the good financial position we are in today. I thank all our committee and members who have contributed to the club for the past year.
The new committee for the 2016-17 season was formed consisting of:
President – Karen Doggett
Vice-President – Geraldine Goss
Secretary – Shern Timmins
Treasurer – Kathy Macrow
Captain of Boats – Barry Campbell
Head of Rowing – Tim Evans
Facilities Coordinator – Lucy Crunden
Two ordinary members – Jon Roberts, Nic Forte
Fundraising Coordinator – vacant

However, I am very glad to report that since the meeting David Micallef has stepped up and volunteered to fill the role of Fundraising Coordinator and so I would like to congratulate and welcome him, Jon Roberts and Nic Forte our three new committee members.
Following the conclusion of the AGM we celebrated the newest addition to our fleet, the Remigando Fortis (Rowing Strong), our secondhand Sykes double/pair, with our National Masters winning single sculler, Michelle Joy, stepping up to the boat with a trusted hammer to perform the official naming. Thanks to everyone who then helped out with the bbq and bar as we celebrated the end of one season and the start of the next.
remigando fortis-01