Print 
presidents report
It
feels as though it was only yesterday that I was elected as President of
Brothers Junior Rugby League Football Club Inc., Brisbane (BJRLFC), at the AGM
in November 2008. What a wonderful and very rewarding
experience it has been. I’m grateful for the opportunity to
lead this great club and associate with each and every member. I
will be seeking re-election as your President in 2011.
The
2009 season saw an unprecedented number of BJRLFC teams participate in the
Brisbane competition – 27 junior sides and 1 senior side which played in the
Brisbane Second Division, ultimately winning the Open North 3 competition.
The 2009 football season also saw an unprecedented number of grand final
wins with 5 from 9 (including the senior side) and player registrations at an
all time high - over 450. Congratulations
to all Brothers teams that played magnificently in the ‘blue and white
strip’.
An
ability to effectively lead an organisation is principally reliant upon the
quality of support received from those empowered to perform a specific role or
task, from within that particular oganisation. Quite simply,
‘an organisation is only as good as its people.’
“A
successful club requires good people doing what’s right for the club
unwavering in dedication and loyalty.”
It
is with these words that I acknowledge I was very fortunate to have such a
vibrant, loyal and dedicated committee. Without their sincere
endeavours I would be sailboat ‘lost at sea without any sails.’ My
executive of Mario Licastro (Vice-President), Graham Brennan (Secretary),
Michael James (Registrar) and Craig Murray (Treasurer), your professional
working outputs in administratively ensuring that the clubs requirements were
productively managed, has provided the impetuous behind the successful nature of
season 2009. To my other committee members, John Geaney, Tom
Heffernan, Dave Paterson, Debbie Hiscock, Damian Smith, Paul McSween and Andrew
Hedger you all played a pivotal role in ensuring that the club provided the
infrastructure for our children to play the greatest game of all, for Brothers,
too this end I am very grateful.
To
all the parents, coaches, managers, water runners, linesman, referees and
general helpers I thank you for assisting to maintain the excellent culture that
makes Brothers such a proud and unique organisation. We are
an enterprise that many other clubs look enviously upon.
Corporate
sponsorship is the life blood to sporting organisations and I’m very
appreciative of all our sponsors. I specifically acknowledge
the major sponsors:
Craig
Davidson – ‘The Outdoor Furniture Specialists’;
Col
Davis – ‘Sports Life Arena’;
Tony
Martyn – ‘Credit Union Australia’; and
Paul
Alroe – ‘Don Alroe and Sons’.
I
further acknowledge Wes Biddle and the Stafford Bowls Club for their sponsorship
of our club polo shirt sleeve, Richard Mirosch from L J Hooker, Stafford for his
sponsorship of the water bottles for all teams, John Pezzimenti for his Golf Day
hole sponsorship, Under 11 div 3 jerseys, free electrical work, and water
container sponsorship for every football side. Moreover,
I acknowledge the efforts of committee member Damian Smith and his organisation
Applikote Queensland Pty Ltd for the sponsorship of the 7 and 8 white sides (for
one year at full cost) also the donation of $1350 to pay for the portable
dressing shed towards the end of our season.
To
all the jersey front and sleeve sponsors, to our Golf Day, Muster and Trivia
Night sponsors, also a big thank you. To Frank DePasquale
from Quality Food Supplies and Paul Purcell from Jack Purcell Meats I applaud
your generosity for providing excellent prices and service to our club.
The
2009 committee has worked tirelessly to make improvements to our facility
happen, firstly in a timely manner and secondly upon consultation with the
governing body, the Gibson Park Committee (GPC). The GPC
comprises of two delegates from each of the following stakeholders, Brothers
JRLFC, Stafford Cricket Club, Dolphin Sea Cadets and Padua College. Prior
to any improvements being made the GPC must firstly resolve to approve a project
before any application goes into the Brisbane City Council. This
is a very cumbersome and time consuming exercise. However the
two Brothers delegates, Graham Brennan and Michael Lynch have performed
beautifully within the auspices of the GPC. Their
‘tenacity, purpose and zeal’, has resulted in following achievements:
- Shade
Sail for beer garden area;
- Re-surfacing
and stencilling of concrete surface under Shade Sail area;
- Hand
rails around perimeter of beer garden area;
- Dressing
Shed Partition;
- Fencing
of football ovals southern side of Gibson Park;
- Resolution
to create a ‘Master Plan for the development of Gibson Park’;
- Engagement
of ‘Momentum Sport Recreation and Health Consultant’ to prepare Master
Plan’;
- Approval
for upgrade of second international oval – (Funding submission for
Brisbane City Council’s (BCC) ‘Community Grants Program’ for water
harvesting, irrigation and field renovation project to the value of $50 000
furnished with BCC);
- Approval
for upgrade of lighting (Funding submission for Gambling Community Benefit
Fund to the value of $30 000 furnished. Funding
submission for $170 000 from Queensland Sport and Recreation prepared and
currently awaiting for opening of grant); and
- Approval
for ball catcher netting to be erected to the southern end of number one
international oval.
I
acknowledge Paul McSween the ‘head groundsman’ and his magnificent team of
Andrew Hedger, Dave Henna way, Tom Heffernan and Damian Smith. These
men fertilised the ovals, cut the grass, set up and packed up on game day,
cleaned the dressing sheds, pathways, toilets and generally made the place look
picturesque. Without their assistance it would have been very
difficult to get the games underway in such a professional and timely fashion.
Dave Hennaway deserves special recognition as he unselfishly mowed the
ovals all season. I also acknowledge the work of all my
committee in assisting with these tasks, particularly setting up and packing up
on game day.
The
2009 merchandise manager, Deb Hiscock has done a marvellous job and has enhanced
this particular field of operation. Deb, I congratulate you
for the excellent job that you have performed. Your
dedication to this club and your ownership of this portfolio is a credit to you
and will ultimately assist Brothers in maintaining an efficient and effective
system, in providing our members with apparel and football jerseys.
Coaching
directors, Tom Heffernan and Damien Fall, I thank you for your assistance this
year on a job well done. The large number of teams playing in
the blue and white certainly kept you both on your toes. Your
good work in this area has certainly contributed to the success of this club.
To
June Dwyer, I thank you for your assistance in re-creating our Brothers
Web-site. This was indeed a big job, and your resolve to get the job done
impressed me. As you are aware there is much more to do in
this field and I look forward to 2010 where our web-site will move to another
level.
The
fund raising committee, headed by Damian Smith and Dave Patterson created the
framework towards staging our major fund raising events: The
Karl Dunn Golf Day, Muster and Trivia Nites. The attendance
at the Muster was disappointing and a review of holding this revenue raising
exercise will be required next year.
Craig
Murray spent a considerable amount of time assisting with the planning of the
Golf Day, whilst my wife Patti and Helen Heffernan also spent considerable time
planning and arranging the Trivia Nite. Ladies and Gents
I’m very grateful for the work that you all put into the making things happen
with fund raising.
Committee
member, John Geaney and his R L Development Trust, kindly donated Brothers
Juniors a ride-on lawn mower to the value of $9750.00, moreover further donated
a sum of $6600 in lieu of the chocolate drive. John’s
dedication and financial assistance to junior rugby league is outstanding. Moreover,
his ‘behind the scenes activities’ at his financial burden, investigating
the merits of establishing a Brothers Clubhouse cannot be underestimated.
I will comment more on this issue later in other forums.
I
acknowledge our Patron, the Honourable Stirling Hitchcliffe MP. I
further acknowledge his kind donation of $6787 to pay for the partition in the
dressing shed.
During
the season, three applications were made to access the Lord Mayor, Mr. Campbell
Newman’s Suburban Initiative Fund. Our local member, Mrs
Fiona King, Marchant Ward Councillor, approved the following grants:
Electronic
Score Board built by Albert Smith Signs Pty Ltd to the value of $8250;
Fertilizer
and Wetting Agent to the value of $2200; and
Aeration
of our ovals to the value of approximately $1000.
I
thank Fiona for her fair and equitable manner in which she has assisted our
club. It is great to have someone on council that
‘cares’.
My
canteen manager, Mario Licastro and his wife Trish have both provided excellent
service to our club by running the canteen, particularly on Thursdays and games
days - Saturdays (seniors) and Sundays (juniors). It takes
very special people to perform the function of a canteen convenor day in and day
out, at times with limited support. It is one of those most
important tasks that must be consistently performed at high standards, and yet
it can be a very lonely and tiresome experience. To
Trish and Mario, a big thank you for your loyalty and dedication to Brothers for
the excellent way you both got the job done.
My
secretary Graham Brennan @ Bruno is the ‘quiet achiever’ and my number one
confidant when it comes to the politics of the place, moreover administration of
junior rugby league in Brisbane. Graham, I sincerely thank
you for your assistance, your friendship and look forward to working together in
2010.
To
Craig Murray, I thank you for your tireless work at Brothers during the past 3
years. I know that this is your last year on the committee
and as Treasurer.
Craig,
you have raised the bar when it comes to accountability and financial systems
appropriate to sporting organisations. Your three years at
the helm as Treasurer of BJRLFC has been successful and your efforts can be
attributed to the success of this club. On behalf of all
Brothers people, I thank you for your dedication and commitment to Brothers
Juniors. I also acknowledge the submission you put together
concerning the Woolworths Grant. As a direct result of your
actions, Brothers Juniors were allocated $3000 funding for equipment.
I
also thank Davida Boyd and Graham Brennan for
all their work in putting this magazine together.
The
year 2010 is BJRLFC 75th anniversary, what an outstanding effort for
a club to survive so long in such a dynamic environment; such is our in rich
tradition. Tom Cranitch has been working to put together a
‘Brothers Foundation’ that would ensure the financial viability of Brothers
Juniors well into the future. This Foundation will be
launched during 2010 concurrently with our anniversary celebrations.
It will be a very special year in 2010 and I hope you are all part of
this club to enjoy 75 years of tradition.
I
would also acknowledge the efforts of Scott Munro and Trevor Bailey for
reforming the Past Brothers Old Boys and Supporters Association. A
reunion was held at the Crushers Leagues Club on Sat 26th Sept and
all who attended were thrilled to catch up with the great players of past eras
and I am sure this annual event will get bigger and better each year.
I encourage you all to become members and support this very worthy
organisation.
Finally,
I leave the best for last; I thank my wife Patti, for her patience,
understanding and advice on matters of importance.
I
trust you all have an enjoyable trophy day and hope to see you all in 2010,
“otherwise you will get the strap.”
Roger
Whyte
President
Brothers
JRLFC
BRISBANE
| 
