President’s report
Hi all,
Well it’s a little over 3 months since my last communication and I am happy to report the club is running smoothly and tracking well.
The Christmas meeting was a great night and I would like to make a special thank you to Jim & Lydia Reaper for their kind donation of 5 great door prizes, (a selection of hampers and wine!)
All attendees received a raffle ticket and then we had the much anticipated draw, this really added a great festive feel to the night and kick started the celebrations.
The Christmas mart was open to the public for the first time this year and I must say it was a great success. (Our primary goals and objectives = increase awareness of society, increase membership, increase revenue)
High level summary:
- 155 general public paying customers attended @$5 each = $775
- All 28 tables sold out @ $40 each = $1120
- Raffle ticket sales income = approx. $350
- 4 x New Members joined the society (approx. a 6% increase in membership)
- 4 Members renewed their membership on the day = $320
After expenses (hall hire, advertising, printing, insurance, sundries, etc) we are still in front and made a profit but more importantly we increased awareness of our society and increased our membership numbers!
I would like to say “thank you “to all the volunteers who helped out on the day and to the “Mart committee” who worked for almost a year planning and preparing for this event and ensuring its success! (Chris Cosopodiotis, Bill DeKaste, Phil Gore, Mick Connolly).
On the theme of club promotion, we have been invited back for the fourth time, to showcase Horology at the “lost trades fair” in Kyneton on the Labour Day long weekend (9th -10th March 2019) After much interest in our display last year we have been invited back to the Model Engineer Expo again this year. These events rely heavily on the input of volunteers , however they do generate interest and more exposure for our society, so thank you to all the volunteers. (PS: Volunteers are the lifeblood of any successful club and are always welcome and needed, If you feel you can assist in any way, please come and see me.)
For those that don’t know Fergus Forsyth (our Vice President, Editor, and workshop tutor) was involved in a serious car crash just prior to Christmas. This has resulted in Fergus having to rest, not lift heavy weights, and just let his back heal naturally over time (several months). Fortunately, the long term prognosis is good! But he still has limited physical capacity until the healing process is complete. On behalf of the entire AAHS membership, we wish you a speedy & full recovery.
Regards,
Mick Connolly – President AAHS