[SEL] Re: NHMA Annual Report

[Adam Cottrill]

Hi everyone,
                   due to the amount of emails ive been receiving as whats going on 
with the NHMA and in some cases for what ever reason the information being unobtainable 
by these said persons I have compiled a breif of the NHMA Annual report which we will 
place in my clubs news upcomming letter.

I should at this point I guess add a disclaimer that I have no direct relationship with 
the NHMA only that of being a NHMA member of an affiliated club and also the 
NHMA/insurance officer of that same club. Any errors or misinturpriations are mine and 
mine alone.

The information I have on hand is from my club secretary who passes all NHMA materials 
onto me after it being entered as being received and I summerise it and give a report 
at our meeting! He loves it as its one less thing he has to do! (i see no reason why 
every club cant do this)

Again the motivations for doing this are the greater good of the Australian hobby and 
members of the NHMA who for what ever reason cannot access the information.


NHMA Annual Report - April 2005

Misson Statement
"The N.H.M.A Inc. is an association of enthusiasts, formed in 1987 by a small number of 
clubs with similar interests which provide a fellowship for people which a common 
interest in collecting, restoring exhibiting or being associated with old stationary 
engines, tractors machinery and vechiles"

Membership
May 2004 - 137 clubs 7139 nominated members
May 2005 - 149 clubs 7915 nominated members

Presidents report
" At last year's AGM the committee considered that it was timely to introduce 
innovative approaches to the manner in which the association operated. The major 
decision embraced a programme of exposure. By this we intend that the NHMA becomes more 
to members than an insurance supplier; to become an association of people with similar 
interests, enjoying rallying, friendships, a sense of belonging together, as with 
associations in other hobby interests.

Towards this objective, your committe members, in addition to indentity badges, are 
wearing the NHMA logo hat badge and cloth patches of our logo on our shirts, and trust 
that members will follow suit. We place "NHMA Representative" at our exhibits where we 
rally. This has bought limited success. However, it is early days

Tom Mackay, Brian Blum and Jan Peitsch where presented with certificates of of 
appreciation for there work with the Association.

Two submissions for the 2007 National where received from two QLD clubs and also a 
submission was received  to to introduce a National Tractor Trek

The committee will continue to better the relationship with the association and we 
trust the leaders of clubs will assist us in that direction, with a positive reflection 
to members, particulary new members. We request that clubs include on their 
letterheads, "member of the NHMA" or "affiliated with the NHMA" plus logo. Recognition 
of the NHMA on club banners would also be a welcome addition.

The committe of management will revied the constitution, an exercise long over due. 
This will be a drawn out exercise and involves legal considerations. Final acceptance 
by member clubs is planned for the 2006 AGM

Alan Shephard is arranging an Association Website, this should be operational by June

Additional state representatives will be ellected to assist with the communication with 
member clubs and also to lighten the load of the over worked secretary. I request that 
all clubs adhere if at all possible, to the principle of communication, via the club 
secretary, and then via the State Rep who contacts the Assoc Secretary.

For the future, the Association may consider a move from a total central operation to 
state committees. Perhaps the quarterly report or newsletter could be in the form of a 
magazine 

John Stanley 
President"

Secretarys Report

The NHMA
As indicated earlier the Association now has over 150  member clubs and almost 8000 
members, and requests for membership are still being received. No doubt the 
associations provision of public liability insurance at affordable rates is one reason 
clubs are wishing to join us. However I would also like to think the group is growing 
because we are an Association of like minded people with similar interests, similar 
problems. Like most larger organisations the NHMA has grown to a point where basic 
communications are not as effective as when we were a smaller association.

With this in mind may I suggest some minor changes that may be beneficial to all:

>IF a club member has a problem, please discuss his/her problem over thorughly at a 
club meeting. If the club can resolve the issue, that is great. If the club can not 
resolve the matter then please have the club secretary write a letter, preferable under 
a club letterhead to a committee of management member nearest you. If the committee of 
management member can resolve the isssue this is great also!! If the committee member 
cannot solve the issue, he/she will then contact a member of the excutive, who will 
bring the matter to the committee of management for a decision/ 

> Those on the Committee of Management have been requested to be active in 
communicating with member clubs. But please remember that communication is a two way 
function, clubs are also requested to communicate with committee members.

Insurance
Peter Huk of Austnet Insurance Services presented an informative overview of the 
policies NHMA have with Austnet. There is a fine balance between the policy offered, 
the NHMA Risk Management Policy or Safety Guidelines in place, and the cost to members.

Its as simple as this: Should the Commitee of Management relax the safety guidelines to 
a point where more incidents occur and consquently more claims have to be paid out on, 
then the cost of insurance will rise. If to many claims are made and paid on, then the 
insurer may refuse to cover the Association. This frequently occurs in the motor 
vecicle insurance area, especially with younger owners.  

The committee of management needs to condiser the above prior to making any changes to 
the Safety Guidelines.

Safety Guidelines

At this stage no changes to the guidelines are being considered. As I indicated above 
this is a Committee decision that will evolve from your club's communication with the 
Committee member nearest you.

The Constitution

A revision of the NHMA Constitution, is being carried out by the committee of 
management this year. The process is quite drawn out, but must be done this way
1. The present document has been mailed to all on the commitee, with some suggested 
amendments
2. The committee now can offer amendments and make any alterations
3. A draft copy will then be compiled by the secretary and again mailed to the 
committee 
4. On agreement being reached the final draft will be mailed to all member clubs, again 
for comment 
5. The committee will consider any comments made and then recommend to the AGM that the 
final draft consitution be adopted.

When the member clubs are being advised a copy of the current constitution will also be 
forwarded so that amendements can be easily identified

Ken Bock
Secretary

Points from Peter Huk presentation of Insurance to AGM at National 

A) The NHMA Safety Guidelines are not conditions of insurance. These should be looked 
upon as the "risk managment policy" of the NHMA. However if the NHMA do not have these 
Safety Guidelines, or a risk management policy in place, there is a possibility that 
more incidents will occur and consequently more claims being made. Should this happen 
and the insurer has more claims to pay out on, the cost of our insurance will increase, 
with a real possibility that it would be not available.

B) Volunteers who assist on a casual basis (e.g at rally serving food and drinks, 
cleaning up etc) do not need member insurance. However their names need to be recorded 
as volunteers in the club minutes prior to the event. A time sheet that records the 
hours they would would also be a added safe guard for the club.

C) Other policy types are available for the committe of management to consider. 
Memberclubs need to be aware that additional cover only comes at a cost to the 
nominated members.

*** A slight rise in the cost of public liability insurance is anticiapted for 2005/06, 
when setting their membership fees for this year, clubs should work on $9 per 
member.***

                    _________End of Annual Report_______________  


I hope this is some use to you?

Cheers,
             Adam