Good morning all! Today our children are on their best behaviour. Christmas is just around the corner (the decorations for sale in the supermarkets the day after Halloween gave it away) and this Santa guy seems to know everything so if good presents requires good behaviour - so be it!
Parents and Friends Association Annual General Meeting, Today, Monday 27th November 7:30pm Wyatt Hall, Pulteney Grammar School.
Pulteney Grammar School serves some 500 families with nearly 1000 students and yearly revenue of around $30M. But I don't have a lot of details I can offer you about the forthcoming AGM. Nominations for President don't close until the commencement of voting. I am nominated for President but the other nominees won't be disclosed until the nomination period closes. The same applies to Committee Member positions.
The following people have not only been strong and vocal supporters of mine but they have also volunteered their time to represent all of us as Parents and Caregivers of Pulteney Grammar School and to serve us as our voice in the community. I strongly encourage you to show both your support and thanks tonight by voting for them in person at the AGM.
Suzanne Mabikafola
Nicole Kelly
Julie Thorne
Tom Blake
Linda Ward
Nick Llewellyn
I want to also take the opportunity to state what it is that I intend to bring to the President role if I am successful in the election:
1) Natural Transparency: Transparency and accountability are two strong messages that I have pushed for over the last three months and it is something that I take seriously and personally. Transparency is ensuring that matters are conducted in a way in which the inputs, process followed and outputs of a decision can be definitively and unequivocally stated. Natural transparency is making transparent behaviour the rule within the Association, not the exception and I commit to natural transparency.
2) Positive change: Schooling for our children at a minimum is a 13 year period of time. If a family has multiple children it extends (for the family) even longer. Parents routinely place their children on school wait lists before they are born. It is not acceptable to be having changes in direction every few years. Continuous and incremental improvement is not always possible, but it should be the first choice whenever it is possible and I commit to positive change.
3) Modern engagement: Tonight at the AGM members will be asked to vote on accepting the Presidents Report and the Treasurers Report. But no one will see those reports until tonight. How are members expected to review and understand a financial report in a few seconds? Tonight at the AGM members will be asked to vote for a new President, but no-one knows who the choices are? Tonight could be a 5 minute meeting with all positions elected unopposed or it could be tightly contested with the result coming down to the last vote. It is unreasonable to expect modern parents with competing demands on their time to dedicate significant effort for unknown benefit. The Association must be seeking to meet its members at a time, place and in a way that supports members therefore I commit to modern engagement.
I again thank each and every one of you for your support. I can only, and will only, undertake the President P&FA role with your support so it is critically important. If natural transparency, positive change and modern engagement are important to you I simply ask for your vote in person tonight.
Parents and Friends Association Annual General Meeting, Today, Monday 27th November 7:30pm Wyatt Hall, Pulteney Grammar School.