Hello Clubs and Club Members,
There is a lot in this months mailing and I will try and highlight these for you.
Firstly you would have found, in most instances, copies of the 50th. Anniversary Booklet. This was made available at the recent National Championships in New Plymouth, but of course not all clubs (or club members) were able to be present there, so most have not had a chance to see this excellent publication. So we are taking this opportunity of sending out some copies along with, unfortunately naturally, and invoice to cover the same. If you are unable to sell these on, these have been sent on a “return” basis. Hopefully, however, not only will you be able to sell them but you will want more of them and with that in mind we also include an order form.
In putting this booklet together we came up against a number of “blanks” and “gaps” in the Association’s history and this highlighted the importance of good record keeping and safe storage of memorabilia, photographs and documentation. A number of clubs who have celebrated, or are about to celebrate, similar milestones in their club history have also come up against this problem. So we here urge all clubs to put mechanisms in place so that when the time comes for someone to write your club history the required material is available.
As part of marking the 50th. Anniversary we also issued a special commemorative metal lapel badge. I know a number of clubs ordered and received these prior to them being issued at the Nationals, however not all were sold so we still have quite a number left. I include a few of these also in this mailing on a “return if not sold” basis.
Secondly you will find the Affiliation Forms for the new Membership year commencing 1st.June. These are quite self explanatory and we urge clubs to return these to us as soon as practical. We rely on your membership fees to carry on the work of your national organisation.
Remember if you forward a schedule of members, based on your present membership (together with a cheque to cover the same) as close to the 1st.June as practical, this will mean your total membership will continue to be eligible for things like records and trophies, even if you may have additional members join club after forwarding the schedule. This schedule can be adjusted a little later on in the year with names taken off or names added with cash adjustments accordingly. It can be re-adjusted as often as you like throughout the year. What it does mean is that you have ensured all your members rights even if the National Office may not have a particular club members name on our books.
Those who “drip-feed” their membership details throughout the year as people join or re-join your club are reliant on Club Secretaries getting those names into the National Office as quickly as possible. If a name isn’t on the books and that member catches a good fish or whatever then unfortunately they miss out – it has been known to happen. So hence we encourage the use of the option above.
Thirdly, the other inclusion is a copy of the first Newsletter received from our cousins across the ditch for the bi-annual AAA National Championships, Convention and Carnival being held in South Australia in March 2009. Some have already expressed an interest to be part of an NZACA Team to attend this event. You may like to give thought about taking an Australian holiday at this time with the fishers in the family competing and other family members taking part in a very comprehensive and interesting non-competitors program. I can recommend personally this two week duration event. If interested and want to know more contact Sam Benjamin on 09 627 9075, or this office.
Our own 2009 Nationals will be held at a time not to clash with the AAA carnival.
Fourthly in the last communications with you we raised the matter of the inclusion and encouragement of the Kayak Fishing Brigade in our activities and looked for suggestions and input how to best do this. We have had one club reply and would like more.
Now to the enclosed Minutes of the recently held Executive Meeting ……..
Many of you will be aware that at the recent Nationals we had some issues regarding a rule that was introduced as a trial for these Nationals and that some competitors were not able to have their catch counted as a result of this. Well the Executive have started a review of all of these related matters and would like your club input before they make final decisions at the next Executive Meeting at the end of June.
In the Minutes you will see a suggested procedure for handling issues and complaints that may arise during a National Championships. Once ratified this procedure will be included into our Nationals running and detailed in Nationals Booklets so that all competitors are aware. This is important and your thoughts would be appreciated.
The other item in this matter is the rule itself. The AGM has confirmed that we are to use line not heavier than a 15kg breaking strain but we have to decide how that should be enforced or administered. The Executive have listed four different options with a fifth other possibility. Again we would like feedback on this matter which caused much conflict for a few at New Plymouth.
This is your opportunity of having a say in decisions that the Executive needs to make, so don’t let it pass by and then later express displeasure if something is not to the liking of your club. We know the Executive has been appointed, by you, to manage the Association on your behalf, but the Executive, in their wisdom, or whatever, have made the opportunity of consultation on these particular matters. Remember there is a deadline for the receipt of these – 27th.June.
Also in the Minutes is Bill Cronin’s NZRFC Report. Please read this carefully. The recently won (in our favour) Kahawai Legal Challenge is going back to Court as the Commercial Sector has lodged an Appeal to parts of it. This has meant the recreational fishers (through the NZRFC) have had to lodge a counter-Appeal. These legal shenanigans cost money and money the RFC does not have. So a special appeal has been set up to raise the necessary funds with all the required accounting safe-guards built in with receipts being issued and if required refunds if the counter-appeal is won and costs awarded. (Unfortunately the original Kahawai Legal Challenge spearheaded mainly by Option4 did not have full accounting safe-guards and no real accounts have been made available regarding this) We urge all clubs to give serious consideration to contributing to this fund or else the gains made with the original Kahawai Challenge could be lost. If you want to know more contact Bill Cronin on 07 827 3187 or email on
The other aspect of Bill’s RFC Report was the matter of the Shared Fisheries. The NZACA has supported and added our name to the submission submitted on this important matter by the NZRFC (NZ Recreational Fishing Council). We have given strength to this by an Open Letter to the Minister of Fisheries and his Department reconfirming our belief that the NZRFC is the appropriate organisation to speak on behalf of recreational fishers of this country as it is a truly representative body with no particular “hobby horses” or “hidden agendas”. The so called “people submission” on the Shared Fisheries debate, submitted by the Option4 Group, is a very negative one and the Association feels that this is not the best method to ensure on-going input in these negotiations. Did you know that if you are on the mailing list or have given support to Option4 in the past, your name has been used as supporting this “people’s submission” even though you may disagree with it, or parts of it. This is not a good thing and we believe morally wrong.
NZACA Trophies – with the non-return of some trophies in time for this years prize-giving and the condition some of the trophies are in, the Executive has decided that they will require all trophies to be returned about September/October. This means trophy winners will have them for around six months of the year before returning to the Association for checking and ensuring they are ready for re-presenting at the next Nationals.
The Trophies Officer will be contacting all holders regarding this and we ask for your cooperation in this matter.
An Electronic Man (or woman)
This is something we have mentioned previously but feel it is a matter which we need to pursue a bit more rigorously. In this day and age electronic communication is very important but it needs to be done right if it is to be effective. It needs an “expert” in this field and a person who has the time to devote to it. We feel our websites can be better developed and expanded. We believe our email communications area needs to be tidied up, improved and expanded. We would also like this person to take over the excellent work Mike Stempa and his team have been doing in the production of our electronic Newsletter “Tidelines”. This person would work in very closely with the National Secretary, have a good understanding (or quickly learn) of the NZACA, be able to use initiative and capitalise on opportunities that come their way or have generated. They would need patience and ability to work with and seek information from clubs, maybe a bit of a journalistic flair as well as their IT expertise.
If you know of anyone who fits this “job description” of this “unpaid position” contact this office – thanks.
Well there is plenty for clubs to deal with this month and again I repeat we rely very much on the one who receives this mailing to communicate on our behalf with your Club so that everyone is “kept in the loop” as it were. Remember this is “your Association” and communication is the necessary glue to get it all together and working.
