Club Formalisation Update- Dont Forget The QB Run 9/6/12 and All Japanese Day 17/6/12

Just a quick update for everyone on the Club formalisation. As previously advised we have been exchanging correspondence with the Office of Fair Trading about incorporating the Club, and more recently the principal sticking point has been over whether or not there actually is an MR2 Owners Club of Australia, of which Queensland is a "Branch". Apparently their legal advice is that calling ourselves a "Branch" implies that there is a larger organisation with a formal governance structure which we would be reporting to, and which members had a right of appeal to if they didn't like what was happening locally.
 
After a lot of back and forth over this issue, and discussions with Kevin Clarence in Victoria who originally set up the "national Club" we have decided to go with calling ourselves the "Mr2 Owners Club of Australia, Queensland Chapter" (not "Branch"), which aligns us in name with the organisation in South Australia. Kevin doesn't have a problem with this and I don't either, largely because if you look at the badge we already have (and intend to keep) the wording only says "MR2 Owners Club of Australia - Queensland". So, this is what we will be refering to ourselves as in future.
 
I realise that to most everyone, myself included, this all seems like a large pile of unneccessary work, but in looking at it from another perspective I can understand how these club structures without incorporation protection could be used to defraud the members. Again, we want to do this properly, so at the moment we are waiting for confirmation of the final decision from the Office of Fair Trading and we hope to be able to "go live" now on 1 July.
 
What doing this properly will also mean is that in discussions like the one Knightrous has been having on track days we can (and actually already have) approach CAMS about affiliation, which will of course bring with it some benefits. This is already being explored with CAMS (again we are doing this properly).
 
Watch this space for updates and dont forget the QB Run 9/6/12 and All Japanese Day 17/6/12.

Walter,
You have been busy! Good work.
I agree it's better to bend with the wind (like a Branch) than resist and snap. Fingers X'ed approval comes through by end of June (2012).
I'll give you a call!
cheers
Steve