Hi Many people outside Queensland won't know Ralph Henderson - but then I don't think Bob Hall is particularly well known either, despite being the current GFA President.
For the policies of the two candidates, I suggest you contact them directly, as I have no desire to put words into their mouths. However, I do know Ralph and would like to pass on to you why I strongly believe that he would make an excellent President of our association. It is a truism of management that an individual's past performance is the best indicator of the future - and Ralph's past performance in the Queensland gliding scene has been excellent. Ralph is past president of Darling Downs Soaring Club. During his tenure, he was responsible for organising the considerable effort of a small team of people needed to reincorporate the club under the Qld 'incorporated association' regulations. This activity was not glamorous, but was essential to secure the future for the club, making it significantly easier to run. As president, Ralph ensured that the club members were given regular opportunities for involvement in their club's management. Open meetings were held regularly at the club house on weekend evenings, in which club members participated in the current running and future planning of their club. Ralph's presidency was marked by the forging of local and international links of great benefit to SE Qld gliding. Under his leadership, a reciprocal membership agreement was reached with Caboolture gliding club, giving Caboolture club members somewhere to go for XC flying. This boosted DDSC's aircraft utilisation and also gave them access to the significant numbers of ab initio pilots trained by Caboolture. His work on the international front has lead to biennial visits of teams from the UK and the participation of international pilots in the DDSC organised state competition in 2002. This effort is bearing further fruit in 2004, with pilots from NZ, Japan and Italy so far confirmed for the multi-class Nationals in October. Ralph also headed the organising teams that ran the 2002 State competition (at McCaffrey Field) and the 2003 Easter competition (at Dalby). These competitions were very well attended and excellently run. Ralph is also heading the organisation of the 2004 multi-class nationals (at Dalby in Oct this year), which, from current indications, will be the largest Nationals for some years. Ralph is currently president of Gliding Queensland (formerly Queensland Soaring Association), the peak state gliding body. This organisation has been re-envigorated under his leadership, with actions and financial support flowing out to juniors, clubs and competitions. Ralph has also shown a significant skill in marketing gliding. The 2004 multi-class nationals demonstrate this though the wide range of sponsors he has lined up for this event (see http://www.ddsc.org.au/dalby2004/). In all of these activities, Ralph is an inclusive and inspiring leader. He is without doubt a person well capable of refocusing and reinvigorating our national gliding organisation so that it truly benefits us, its current members and those lucky people who have gliding somewhere in their future. I urge you all to find out more from the two candidates and request your state representatives to do so also - and then vote accordingly. If gliding is important to you - and it must be, or you wouldn't be here - then the operations of our peak body are vital to you. This is your chance to influence your gliding future! (PS Alice likes him too :-) -- Robert Hart [EMAIL PROTECTED] +61 (0)438 385 533 Brisbane, Australia http://www.hart.wattle.id.au _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
