Dear Members

Please note the STBA Committee are calling a Special General Meeting on the 6^th August 2024, beginning at 7.00PM, at 101 Cascade Road, South Hobart. There are two agenda items that require decisions by members.

The two resolutions to be determined are:

1. Do you, by Special Resolution, approve the new Southern Tasmanian Badminton Association Constitution provided, dated 1st July 2024; and
2. Do you, by Special Resolution, approve the removal of the affiliation requirement of the association?

Due to the impact for all members, voting will open on the 23rd July 2024; to vote you must be a current member, and present in person to the STBA. Voting slips will be securely kept, and tallied by volunteers from among the general membership base as has previously occurred at AGMs and SGMs. For the SGM to proceed, we will still need a quorum of 20 members present to formalise the votes on the matters.

We have provided information below relating to the two resolutions. We welcome any questions via email, which should be directed to [email protected], which can be easily forwarded and replied to, by those with the relevant information.

We will post additional questions asked below in the FAQ, and the responses, so that other members can be aware of any other information that has been requested.

STBA Constitution

The current STBA Constitution conflicts with the change of operation of the association, and overtime has become not fit for purpose. The question that you will be asked to vote on is:

“Do you, by Special Resolution, approve the new Southern Tasmanian Badminton Association Constitution provided, dated 1^st July 2024?”

Why we believe this to be appropriate

• Adopting this new constitution will bring our association in line with suggestions and model rules provided by Active Tasmania.
  • Active Tasmania is the government agency that develops and implements programs and initiatives to increase opportunities for all Tasmanians to participate in sport and active recreation in a way that works for them.
• Our constitution will be fit-for-purpose.

Things to be considered

• The existing constitution and familiar wording from that would be defunct.
• The upcoming AGM will operate under the new constitution.
• STBA Members will now elect a governing board, who will then elect an executive internally.

If this special resolution is approved

• We will operate under the new constitution.

If this special resolution is denied

• We will continue to operate under the existing constitution.

Background
The committee has reviewed our current constitution, and in conjunction with Active Tasmania (previously Communities, Sports, and Recreation), we have agreed to adopt the model template constitution provided by them. With the required amendments to fit what the association needs we acknowledged for it to be accepted we will require the members to approve it.

The new constitution acknowledges the part that staff play within the association, sets out the appropriate process for membership, reduces the number of committee/board positions required, and alters how positions are decided.

Affiliation Arrangements

Due to the change in participation of badminton at the STBA and the large number of members who only play at a local level, the large costs associated with the current affiliation arrangement, and the time since this arrangement was reviewed with members, the question that you will be asked to vote on is:

“Do you, by Special Resolution, approve the removal of the affiliation requirement of the association?”

Why we believe this to be appropriate

• Removing the requirement will allow money raised at a local level be invested at a local level – for example on facilities, training days, and outreach programs.
• Removing the requirement will allow future arrangements to be considered on merit – benefits both ways.
• Removing the requirement will create space for those who want to be affiliated, to affiliate, and those who don’t wish to, can invest their membership fees at a local level.

Things to be considered

• Affiliation with the STBA won’t directly translate to affiliation with BT.
• Those who wish to participate in state/national events will need to affiliate directly with BT/BA, a new regional association, or pay the increased fees as advertised on marketing material from BT.

If this special resolution is approved

• The STBA will try to reach a better affiliation agreement with BT and/or BA; if a more equitable arrangement can be reached, provide details to members and continue affiliation.
• The STBA will try to reach a better affiliation agreement with BT and/or BA; if a more equitable arrangement can’t be reached:
  • Advise of disaffiliation;
  • Work with BT and/or BA to ensure disaffiliation does not leave the region without an affiliated club/association;
  • Proceed with disaffiliation and provide members details on other affiliation arrangements available.
• STBA to continue to host tournaments at the hall for action packed weekends.
• Members to continue to receive court hire discount at the STBA hall, ability to play in local rosters, pennants, and STBA-ran tournaments
• Courts to continue to be used for casual, social, training, coaching, and competitive purposes.

If this special resolution is denied

• Retain affiliation with BT and/or BA, including paying all fees that are demanded from the association.

Background
As per the current STBA Constitution, we are bound to remain affiliated with either Badminton Australia and/or Badminton Tasmania, at terms provided to us by the state organisation.

While the committee sees benefit in affiliation, we believe the current arrangements are not conducive to a beneficial relationship, and from an operational perspective, there are insufficient benefits for most members to justify the costs of the affiliation, and believe because of this it would be better for the association to retain members funds within the STBA and invest locally.

From the 2022-2023 Annual Report, 1039 members registered with the STBA, 92 STBA members played in the latest STBA tournament, 16 played in the latest NWBA tournament, 31 played in the latest GNBA tournament, and 22 played in the latest BT tournament. These figures outline the participation levels of our members, reflecting that participation from is focused on a local level.

The committee accepts that the association is in a beneficial position, with work and sacrifice from previous committees and members which has resulted in the badminton facility we all enjoy. With these benefits, we understand that affiliation fees payable by us would exceed the other regional affiliated members, however, the figures for 2024 show how excessive our fees are in comparison: $22,154 for the STBA, $7,488 for the NWBA, and $3,519 for the GNBA. In comparison to those regional affiliation costs, BA charges BT $19,922 to remain affiliated.

The committee has conducted research on affiliation models across the country, and a leading example of these models comes from Badminton Victoria, whereby they operate on a sliding scale depending on the activities of the affiliated club/association that do not have their own facility, or flat fees for those who do have their own facility. The activity-based fees range from $300 per year up to $6,000 per year, while those who do have their own venue with up to 12 courts, up to a maximum of $6,000. Clubs with venues that have more than 12 courts can be charged up to $9,000.

The STBA committee has been in mediation with BT and BA, providing feedback around the affiliation arrangements, and the concerns we have are being echoed across Tasmania and Australia.

In 2020, the Northern Tasmanian Badminton Association disaffiliated from BT, and as a result, it created space for a new association to be formed – the Greater Northern Badminton Association. While membership through NTBA no longer translated to being members of BT, the GNBA allowed members who wanted to participate in state-based events to affiliate with them for those benefits. While BT must have an association in each region, the initiative shown here allowed clubs and players to participate in badminton in the way that worked best for them.

The committee believe that it is part of our Fiduciary Duty to raise these concerns with members about their money and believes it is not in the association’s best interest to retain a contract or business arrangement that provides little to no benefit to members with costs that are disproportionate to fees paid on a regional and national level.