The morning began with regular exercise (and for some, it was irregular exercise – Eva running 16 kilometres!!). It wasn’t long before everyone was back, ready to start the meeting. There were 37 Y Striders present to celebrate the year’s achievements.

President Ken began the meeting and he recognised that not everyone was present, and apologies were read out. Then it was onto business – this was recording the change in Committee members and the fact that there would be a further acknowledgement of out-going committee members later in the meeting.

The President’s report had the usual “trigger” words to stimulate our memories and make us think about the many things that had happened over the past 12 months. Some of these were about impressive events and achievements, some were about humorous matters and some were just about coffee!

Ken structured his report around the following headings where he was able to speak about and comment on the efforts made by many Y Striders. These are people who have contributed to the achievements made by the club and its members in many different and successful ways. The headings were: Unsung Heroes, Striders’ Sense of Community, Weekly Hospitality, Trainers, Membership Re-Vitalisation – Our Product and Reach Sub-Committees, Weekends Away, Social Events and a Conclusion. Every one of these topics reinforced the themes of commitment, involvement and achievement.

There are many Y Striders who make a huge effort all the time to keep the club running smoothly for everyone’s enjoyment. Then on top of that, there are the individual achievements made by club members out on the track. This is certainly reason to celebrate the year 2021, and although not as tough as 2019, there were still COVID lockdowns and plenty of uncertainty at times. Well done all Y Striders.

Julie B, Treasurer for 20 years delivered the Financial Statement for 2020-2021. Once again, under Julie’s management the club is in a good financial position. All financial documents were available for review and an Audit had been carried out. Thank you Julie.

Lastly the club had the opportunity to thank 4 members of our Management Committee who had decided to retire this year.

Elizabeth T has always been a driving force within the club. She has been active on the Management Committee and was on the original steering committee which created the establishment of the not-for-profit, incorporated club Y Striders. Elizabeth was a driver behind the creation of the new website, was a highly organised secretary who revitalised the club’s data storage, was active on the Reach program and continues to conduct the Mailchimp emails and supports the present secretary in a variety of ways. Thank you Elizabeth.

Julie B has been treasurer for an uninterrupted 20 years. She took over when club finances were troubled. She turned this around and quietly and assuredly set the club back into financial solvency. Julie has maintained this for a full 20 years. This is a job that is multi-faceted and Julie has competently been able to deal with everything that has come her way with a positive smile and a ‘can do’ attitude. What a fantastic effort. Thank you Julie.

Eva H has served on the Committee for many years in a variety of roles. As Club Captain, Eva has been instrumental in planning competition events – fun runs and walks for Y Striders, encouraging participation, offering help and advice, re-writing programs, keeping participants in ‘the loop’ and ensuring that event organisation goes smoothly. Eva is a great motivator and there are plenty of Y Striders who owe Eva thanks for the way that she helped them achieve their goals. Eva has managed to do all of this while training for her own half marathon event. Thank you Eva.

Nola G has also been a very active Committee member. Her latest role as Trainer Liaison has involved recruiting, inducting and training our trainers. Nola has a quiet confidence that is very reassuring and generates respect amongst the trainers. She has had to become familiar with the latest technology so that she can contact our young trainers and ensure that all sessions are covered. Every Y Strider appreciates your efforts. Thank you Nola.

After the outgoing Committee members had been farewelled, it was time for the official part of the day to conclude and for everyone to enjoy the sumptuous breakfast that was laid out in the club rooms. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the successful running of Y Striders. What a wonderful way to celebrate another amazing year.

J Freeman