Dear Member,
Trust you and your loved ones are keeping safe.
The past few months of Covid 19 and lockdown have been a difficult time for us all.
Club activities, as would be expected, have been severely limited by the Covid 19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown.
However, there have been, during this time, further changes both in our Club’s Committee of Management (Committee), and in our Administration.
Committee Member, Brad Green, stepped down at our last meeting. Thank you Brad, for your time and work on the Committee. Your talents and commitment to our Club are greatly appreciated.
Michael Moore, who was our Acting Manager for six months has also moved on. We thank Michael for his services in these difficult times, and wish him well in his future endeavours.
As you would be aware, the Club advertised for an “expression of interest” in joining the Committee. Applications were received from an outstanding group of very talented people. I thank all those who applied. The choice was a difficult one, but finally Professor Ronan McDonald, Chair of Irish Studies at Melbourne University and Karen Fogarty, Director of Karen Fogarty Consulting, were appointed. Welcome Ronan and Karen.
Our Club Administration has also been reviewed in the past few months and steps taken to improve its efficiency and responsiveness to our Members.
These improvements include engaging an experienced membership management project team from Luminant Consulting to streamline and oversee key elements of our administration for an interim period of three months. This new development has, in less than two weeks, enabled Membership applications and renewals to be more efficiently handled, and our record keeping to be significantly improved. Membership and renewals can now be done via a secure payment gateway, with full “concierge” assistance from the Luminant team. In the coming weeks, an integrated solution linking to our website will also be in place.
A significant matter however needs special mention. The closure and vacancy of our William Street Offices, and the Metropolitan, due to Covid 19, for a significant period seriously disrupted communications, including telephone and email. During this period, a number of Membership applications, and renewals, may have failed to reach us in the normal way. In particular, a number of cash payments of Membership may not have been able to be received and registered, as they would normally have been.
The Club Committee takes this matter very seriously. Firstly, all Members who sought to join or renew during lockdown, and were unsuccessful, or had no response, should immediately contact the Club on (03) 8535 4500, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and our strengthened membership services team will assist you. All Members who do contact the Club will be individually responded to, and arrangements made, as necessary, to maintain/record their Membership.
Members should be aware that the impact of Covid 19, and the lockdown, has also seriously impacted on planning and preparation of this year’s A.G.M. This problem is not confined to the Celtic Club, but has affected all Clubs with significant memberships. In response to these severe disruptions and associated health issues, the Victoria Government is allowing Clubs and Associations to delay, on application, their scheduled 2020 A.G.M. by up to three months. The Celtic Club may in view of these circumstances hold the 2020 A.G.M. later than usual. Members will be advised as soon as a decision is made.
Our Club’s future is financially assured, even in these times of recession ($17 million in the bank, and no debts). We have before us amazing opportunities to preserve and further promote Irish and Irish Australian culture and heritage. Future Committees, and Members, will fully enjoy that opportunity. We of this generation have kept the faith. It is for, our Members to come, to further develop and enjoy the flowering of our culture, heritage and community.
Look forward to meeting with you, if not before, at our delayed A.G.M. (The date of which, of course, is yet to be fixed).
Regards,
Brian Shanahan O.A.M.
President, Celtic ClubNews
