As has become tradition, the 2017 Korfball Australia AGM was held during the lunch interval on the first day of competition at the Korfball Australia National Club Championships. This year, the board positions of President and Secretary were declared vacant, as the incumbents 2 year terms had expired.

 

In a unanimous vote, Roy Kirkby was elected President, after Mark Zilm chose not to re-run. Many within the Korfball community would be familiar with Roy, who, along with originally introducing the sport into Australia, has remained active in a development role for many years. Roy has also had experience as a school teacher and with education and sporting governing bodies. His experiences and insights will no doubt be of great advantage to Korfball Australia as we move towards more formal recognition and integration with these bodies, including the Australian Sports Commission and the various education boards around Australia. Thanks must go to Mark Zilm, who has held the role of President for the last six years. Under his stewardship, Korfball has grown, particularly in NSW, and a formalised coaching and refereeing structure has been implemented Australia-wide. Mark has chosen to step aside due to work commitments and we thank him for the work he put in over his tenure. Thankfully, Mark won’t be lost to Korfball, as he has indicated he will continue to work on developing the sport in NSW. This is great news for all current and future players from that part of the world.

 

Unfortunately, the Secretary board position remains vacant after no applicants were forthcoming. Along with Mark, the incumbent Megan Marks had chosen not to re-contest the position, in order to focus on other pursuits, not least of all her young family. Megan is remaining as head of the Governance Sub-Committee, and will continue in her role as Tournament Director, but is stepping back from the Secretary position. As the role of Secretary remains vacant, the Korfball Australia Board is actively seeking people interested in the role to fill the casual vacancy. If you are interested in the position, would like to find out more about what the role entails, or would like to know what information to include in an application, please email secretary@korfball.org.au, and the interim Secretary will get back to you. Applications are due by June 30, or until the role is filled, whichever is sooner. As this is a casual vacancy, the role can be filled at any time by the Korfball Australia Board, therefore, if you think you’re the right person for the job, it is imperative you get your application in soon.

 

In other decisions made at the AGM, the date of the Korfball Australia National Club Championships will move for next year, with the Championships moving to the October Long Weekend (September 29 & 30). This decision was made in order to highlight the Championships as the peak event of the domestic calendar. This also ensures the long-weekend is a national holiday (which is not the case with the June Long Weekend), making travel easier for clubs from all states. We look forward to seeing many new and familiar faces for 2018.