Issue date
The Annual General Meeting is a key date on our calendar and this year we will need to fill vacancies for three elected positions on the Yachting New Zealand Board as we say goodbye to Ross Blackman, Sarah Meikle and Viki Moore after years of selfless service.
The meeting will be held online (via Zoom) from 4pm on Tuesday, 10 October 2023.
Our strategic vision is to deliver high-quality experiences and equal opportunities for participants of all levels and backgrounds that foster a lifelong passion for sailing, boating, and the environment. We do this in a number of ways, and we pride ourselves on demonstrating good governance, as well as a continued desire to increase gender and ethnic diversity.
We believe having a diverse board with a wide range of views, voices, and expertise is the best way to serve the yachting community.
To this end, Yachting New Zealand is looking for a minimum of one female to join the board in October.
We have also developed a skills matrix to help us identify the specific skills of those currently on the board as well as areas where we might be lacking.
The skills Yachting New Zealand are looking for from those interested in putting their name forward for election, include:
• Project management/construction
• Fundraising
• Iwi relationships and experience
• Governance – including chairperson experience
• Policy development and monitoring
• Network connections, ethnic groups and central government
• Offshore sailing
We will share with you shortly an updated version of the Yachting New Zealand constitution, integrating the requirements of the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022 and taking the opportunity to modernise it.
As part of this process, we have canvassed current and past presidents and chairs who unanimously support the disestablishment of the role of president, in line with emerging trends.
As such, we will not be taking nominations for the position of president at the 2023 AGM.
As per our constitution, any elected board member must be nominated by at least two member clubs in the form approved by the board (and available here).
This form must be received by Yachting New Zealand no later than 31 August 2023 - 40 days before the date set for the AGM.
Current appointed board member Arabella Vennell has indicated that she will be standing for election in October.
The new board members shall be elected by a majority of persons entitled to vote at the AGM and, where there are more candidates than positions for elected board members, the election shall be determined by the order in which candidates receive the largest number of votes from the member clubs entitled to vote.
For more information on the nomination and election process, click here.
It would be very much appreciated if you could take the time to consider these requirements and nominate someone within your club’s network who might possess the skills needed to strengthen the Yachting New Zealand Board.
Regards,
David Abercrombie
