Adelaide Student Politics

Posted 10th May

Clubs Council for May took place on the 5th. Enthusiasm for bureaucracy never running high, it took about twenty minutes and several phone calls to achieve the twenty member quorum. Taking notes stopped me falling asleep.

The AGM minutes (for October the previous year) were finally provided and passed by Council. Council corrected a spelling error, but otherwise had no comments on the document. It was so long ago I doubt anyone remembered what happened anyway.

The April minutes were then passed (by far some of the most comprehensive detailed minutes I’ve seen for a clubs council meeting yet- kudos to Secretary Adam Rehn).

After that, the interesting stuff. Marginally. I’m sorry, but clubs council meetings are rarely overly interesting, barring some scandal. The Presidents Report included notice of ‘a formal written complaint regarding the AGM of a club’. No difficulty guessing which. In response to my question as to whether any progress had been made on this issue since the report was written, President Matt Taylor ambiguously answered ‘there is some time left until this issue is resolved’. Hmm. Labor delegate Rhiannon Newman then asks about the CA website, and whether there was any progress on that. There isn’t. Hannah Mattner asks about the CAs planned constitutional reform (it's been a long-time coming). Apparently it’s been delegated to James Moffat, who is proofing a document which will be ready for the next meeting.

Vice President Peta Johannson then delivers a verbal report. The National Wine Centre is interested in sponsoring the Clubs Association, but has several requirements relating to branding and advertising. After some discussion, council isn’t entirely happy with the offer, and Peta is sent back to renegotiate with the NWC.

Then the Women’s Officer reports. Well, strictly speaking. ‘There’s nothing to report’, says Ursula Menz. This prompts Adam to break in saying ‘you should report what you said at executive, as council is our higher body’. Ursula can’t remember what was said at executive, and her verbal report is moved.

Next on the agenda are preparations regarding Clubsfest, which last year was held late in semester two. This year sees it moved to Re-Orientation (Week 1 Semester 2). The Thursday of the week includes a scavenger hunt, which prompts a concern regarding as what sort of items will be included (another reference to the AUES business). CA Executive Ashleigh Brook’s reply is ‘we’re not arseholes’. A motion is passed directing Peta and Ursula to organize clubs fest. More discussion then follows regarding the annual clubs dinner, which will be held this year on the 23rd of October.

‘Any Other Business’ is dealt with before the meeting is wrapped up. In the last meeting, the AUES was directed to report to council its progress in dealing with its issues every month for the next three. This report has not been included in the agenda. Poor form. Thankfully, Alex Egan, who’s been sent by the AUES to report, asks council if they wish him to report. Following an answer in the affirmative, he says there have been no new incidents, and that the article to On Dit regarding how the AUES is going about ‘changing its image’ is going ahead. The ABSS poster isn't mentioned.

And that’s all folks.

You know what? Despite my desire to keep the CA accountable, and my being there anyway as a delegate, I doubt I shall ever report on a CA council ever again. The CA contains some hard-working individuals who put in a huge amount of work planning thinks like O'Week, Clubs Cup and Clubs Fest. That said, it's just all so boring to write (and no doubt read) about...

In other affiliate news, the PGSA (Post-Grad Students Association) AGM is coming up. May 26th.