Vasey RSL Care AGM 2020

* 3 December 2020 *

Company members, board members and executive management met via Zoom for this year’s Annual General Meeting on 19 November to carry out the legal requirements under our constitution. 

In his address, Chair Mike O’Meara OAM, acknowledged that this has been an extraordinary period in the history of the organisation, placing enormous pressure on the operation: this began with the implementation of the New Standards, the Vasey RSL Care campaign to ‘Save Vasey’, and of course, the management of COVID-19 by our team.

CEO, Janna Voloshin, emphasised that this was a year of true camaraderie and expressed her gratitude to all who supported the organisation through the year, noting the exceptional performance of the executive team and staff who successfully put up barriers to the virus. Despite significant pressure on the organisation’s financial obligations, a commitment to improving revenues and efficiencies for long-term sustainability was made.

There were three changes in the makeup of the Board, with the retirement of Mr John Cullen OAM, and the appointments of Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) Laureen Grimes and Ms Tracey Bannan.

Board Chair Mike O’Meara and WWG Vic President Wendy Charlton thanked John for his service to the organisation and presented him with gifts in appreciation of his commitment over more than three decades. Mike welcomed the two new Directors, giving a brief overview of their backgrounds.

Laureen Grimes (left) brings wide-ranging experience including 40 years in the ADF, specialising in strategic workforce planning; she was a past member of the Victorian Veterans’ Council (including as Chair) and former honorary Aide de Camp to the Governor of Victoria. She remains in the Army Reserve.

Tracey Bannan (below left) brings to the Board over 25 years of senior corporate financial, quality and risk, and strategic management experience with Deloitte, as well as not-for-profit expertise as CFO firstly at World Vision Australia and currently at AMES Australia. Her father is a Vietnam Veteran and her parents met when both served in the army. 

A historic special resolution was put forward by five company members, to remove the interests of the War Widows Guild Victoria from the Vasey RSL Care Constitution. This was initiated by the WWG in view of their plans to wind up their organisation early in the new year. The resolution was carried and any rights under the Vasey RSL Care constitution, such as member nominations and endorsement and nomination of Directors now reside with RSL Victoria. The Constitution is in the process of being updated accordingly. The change has no impact on current members or Directors, whether they were nominated by RSL Victoria or the WWG in the past.

The Chair noted the significance of this resolution as foreshadowing the wind-up of the WWG in Victoria and remarked on the wonderful contribution made by the Guild in providing accommodation for war widows and for their support of the whole ex-service community with the following motion:

“That this meeting of Vasey RSL Care acknowledges with gratitude the invaluable contribution that the WWG of Aust (Vic) has made to the founding and life of Vasey RSL Care and to the wellbeing of Victorian War Widows, their families and the wider ex-service community.”