MFC AGM 2016 PRESIDENT'S REPORT

2015 – 2016 has been another successful year for our club.

We have moved all of our training back to the main venue here at the Mid Mountains Community Centre, which has given us more room to run our ever expanding Saturday morning sessions. We can now expose our Saturday kids to electric strip bouts, which was always too hard in the smaller Mechanics Institute venue. Our numbers for the 7-9; 9am class fluctuate around the 10 to 12 numbers, which is perfect for the age group. The 10-13; 10am group is expanding as kids move from the 9am class, and the numbers are averaging around 15. The 13 and up classes are less well attended with numbers around 6 and up. We have continued to attract new fencers of all age groups over the last 12 months with little advertising.

We have seen a great improvement on numbers on Monday evening training, numbers of 10 and up are almost guaranteed even in the middle of Winter or long weekends. We continue to have teenage Saturday morning members come for Monday nights. With the real change occurring in adult numbers with 3 new adult fencers joining the club in the last 6 months. Running 2 wired strips during training has greatly benefited all those attending Monday nights. Monday nights has become a vibrant and exciting night for learning and fencing.

Jo Williams suggested early this year to try and additional night of fencing for the club. 7Pm Thursday night was chosen due to availability of the hall, this has proven very successful, and numbers of 6 and up are becoming regular. The format is a no coaching environment where members can treat the night as practise, helping ready and strengthen them for competition. The 1hr session cost each club fencer $5 for the hour. Visitors are welcome at $10 for the hour. This covers the hire of the hall.

We have had many more of our club members competing over the last 12 months with decent brace of medals returning with our junior members. We still need to encourage more members to compete as the experience accelerates their training in the club, and help build resilience and character in the individual.

Richard Emmerick has started a regional level 0 coaching course for our club members (and any fencers in our region) this is a first for NSWF and continues the club push to be a regional hub for fencing. We currently have 4 club members engaged in the level 0 accreditation which will greatly increase our coaching staff. We are also in negotiations to start a pilot program next year for a regional squad training event to tie in with the NSW squad training based in Sydney.

Financially we continue to be in a strong position, with a generous supply of gear for club members. We have been able to keep our cost low with the help of our volunteer coaching staff, allowing us to continue selling gear to our club members at cost, while keeping membership fees low.

Some of the goals for the coming financial year:

  • Increasing the level of competition participation in the club.
  • More social activity in the club.
  • Continue to increase adult participation in the club.
  • Setting up a club cup competition.
  • Set up a regional Squad training event at the club.

I would like to thank the committee members for their contributions and hard work during the year, without a dedicated executive there would be no club. Very special thanks go to David Tobin our club treasurer for the past 2 years. David has done an outstanding job setting up new systems for tracking and recording payments, and has worked tirelessly for our club even after his son took a break from fencing with us.

Ross Gibbs

President MFC

July 2016