Board Report: 11-12 November 2011

Key points covered included:

The Board held its second meeting as a new board last Friday and Saturday in Wellington. This gave us the opportunity to catch up informally with the Wellington based team. We were impressed with the enthusiasm and commitment of the team - it was valuable to get to know each other. The meeting had another full agenda as the new board settled into its role and catches up on the significant amount of work that staff have been churning through over the last few months.

Key points discussed: 

• Presentations from the Senior Management Team on their respective areas of work highlighted the breadth and depth of work underway as we lead into our busy summer period.
• Following recommendations of the Board's Finance Subcommittee, financial reports have been adjusted to more accurately represent unspent prepayments from local government for the regional lifeguard programme and other grant funding. Accounts for the year to end October are still on budget although cash flow early next year will need to be carefully watched as there are a large number of payments due at that time.
• A new financial system has been partially installed. This will allow better tracking of grant payments against expenses and a generally more robust reporting system to monitor the financial position of our organisation. The system is due to be completely installed by the end of November.
• Club Chair Committee meetings have now been held in all regions except for Northern, which is planned for December. These are important as they provide a vital feedback link between clubs and SLSNZ senior staff and board members. There has been robust discussion that will help guide our organisation. Main discussion points have included club constitutions, implementation of a regional awards programme, involvement of independent directors on the Board, travel reimbursements, event safety and staff regional structure, leadership, and roles.
• Health and Safety of our members is paramount. Systems and policies are being reviewed especially as they relate to events. Recommendations from the Saxton Bird Coroners findings are being considered as they relate to the SLSNZ environment, and this summer will see competitors wearing fluro vests in SLSNZ run events. Commentary on the Australian tragedy and the report can be viewed oun the Australian 7 News Sunday Night website - it is a must view for all officials and senior club personal.
• A total of 13 updated policy documents were approved covering topics such as credit card use, recruitment process, leave, IT, procurement, delegations, and various HR policies. An annual review programme will be implemented.
• CEO recruitment - the Board appointed a recruitment company who will develop a timeline and open recruitment process.
• A risk management framework was presented and approved - this is a pivotal piece of work that will develop into the central driver of the Board's meeting agenda. 

Next meeting:

• The next meeting will be 4 December in Auckland and will include time with the Northern Region Board to discuss ongoing organisational alignment.