Welcome to DBNSW Members, Family and Friends to 2018. The Directors and Staff hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year. Today I can confirm DBNSW have 2,973 financial members. I hope at the next update to advise we have grown to over 3000 members. The NSW State Championships was a great success being hosted at the Sydney International Regatta Centre on Sunday 14 January. We had 29 Clubs represented from 64 Member Clubs, and over 1000 paddlers. A DBNSW goal is to increase the participating Clubs next year. If you have any feedback on how to get more Clubs and paddlers participating please email the details to office@dbnsw.org.au . The next big event is Chinese New Year on 24 February. We have 150 sport entries, 65 corporate entries, and 65 corporate training sessions booked. We are officially at full capacity. I hope to see everyone down there on the day supporting our great sport of Dragon Boats.

State Championships – Award Confirmation

• 2017/18 Individual of the Year – Harold Dulay
• 2017/18 Life Membership Award – Martin Hirst
• 2017/18 Club of the Year – DSA
• 2017/18 Presidents Recognition Award – Chre Smith
• 2018 State Flag Bearer – Jacob Ibrahim

DBNSW also presented an award to Sydney Tsunami to celebrate their 25 year anniversary.

From the January DBNSW Board Meeting:

January Board Meeting Outcomes/Updates

• The 2 new Appointed Directors for Risk and Strategy had their first DBNSW board meeting. We all welcome Jeff Cook and Roger Norton to our community and look forward to the new knowledge, experience and skills they bring to the fold.
• The DBNSW Board and Senior Management are having a facilitated workshop on 10 February. The workshop is to create an action plan to 2020 in line with Member feedback, vision, and resources. I look forward to reporting back to Members the outcomes.
• Safer Internet Day is being launched at Parliament House next month and DBNSW will be promoted as a supporter at the event with our logo on a big pledge board displayed for all the media and participants to see via the Office of eSafety Commissioner.
• DBNSW Chair and CEO liaised with the new Chair of AusDBF, Kristin Priest, via telephone about the relationship between DBNSW and AusDBF, and how to collectively improve moving forwards.
• The DBNSW CEO had the second meeting with the CEO of Scouts Australia NSW on 23 January about a potential partnership to increase young male dragon boat participants, and potential sharing of infrastructure on water. This is for both regional and metro NSW.
• DBNSW Chair and a Director held an open forum to Bank Street Members to provide an update / QA Session on the future of Bank St for clubs on 13Dec17. For short notice the gathering was well attended by 11 of 13 clubs.
• The DBNSW Chair and CEO met with the Director, Facilities Strategy and Planning for the Office of Sport, on 22Dec17. DBNSW are now working on a business case for required future infrastructure for Dragon Boats in NSW.
• DBNSW has de registered from ASIC as a Company Limited by Guarantee (DBNSW Limited) officially on 17 January 2018. Operations continue as normal as DBNSW Inc.
• The inaugural Dragon Boat Administrators quarterly meeting created by DBNSW to share learnings and how to grow the sport Australia wide will be held on 5 February. I have had confirmed attendance from VIC, ACT, WA, Qld and Dragons Abreast.
• The DBNSW Staff have had a review and I congratulate Ramsay Cobb on his promotion from Events and Membership Coordinator to Operations Manager, and Mal Wills has aligned his work better from Operations Coordinator to Equipment and Facilities Coordinator. Denise Rogers remains doing her outstanding work as Finance Coordinator.
• The 12 DBNSW new boats based at SIRC now have new boat covers to protect from the elements, and a container has been arranged to store equipment.
• Note ‘Leaps and Bounds Ahead’ have partnered with DBNSW for their Paddlathon to raise funds for mental health on Sunday 25 March. For more information contact Tanya@leapsandboundsahead.com.au or 0403 047 821, or go to their FaceBook page.
• The finance reports for end December 17 were approved by the Board.

Next Board meeting is 23 February 2018.

Regards,

Lucy Warhurst

CEO