STRATEGY WORKSHOP – INTERFACE BETWEEN CLUBS AND SOCIETY

A full day’s workshop was held on 11 September concerning the relationships between the clubs and society. Apart from the KZN club, which regrettably could not be represented, all clubs fielded representatives including the newly formed Kalahari Club. We believe that this workshop delivered some useful outcomes. A summary of the process is as follows:

• The big picture issue is that society needs input into the diverse geography of Southern Africa in order to meet certain objectives, particularly the promotion of the Nguni beef industry; we cannot run these things from Bloemfontein.

• A regional structure of the society is neither affordable, nor desirable (it would create a new bureaucracy and a “head office” syndrome).

• Therefore, it seems logical to accord responsibilities, functions and accountability to clubs for managing society business at a regional level.

• Until November 2006, clubs were not formally recognized constitutionally. This changed with the approval of the revised constitution, but yet with no reference to functions or the relationship with the society.

• Beyond sale organization, clubs, to a greater or lesser degree have played an important and positive role in breed promotion, training, and emergent and communal farmer programs.

• It is accordingly agreed that clubs should exercise “agency” functions on behalf of society and for this, they will be appropriately funded. These functions include:

  • Training

  • Breed and beef promotion

  • Emergent and communal farmer program support

  • Assimilation and support for commercial Nguni farmers

• In order to fulfill this role, a club needs to be formally recognized by society in respect of the following criteria:

  • The club constitution meets the guidelines laid down by the society.

  • The club is deemed to be representative of the society members it serves in a given area.

  • The club is willing to carry out agency functions on behalf of the society.

  • The chairperson’s report is submitted annually to the council of the society.

• Accordingly the club enjoys representative status at formal society council meetings.

• It was agreed as a matter of policy that club and society membership should be synonymous, and that all members of society with registered herds would be required to be primarily a member of that club closest to where their cattle run.

• Secondary membership of clubs in other regions would be at the discretion of the club concerned.

• In order to facilitate the implementation of this policy, it was further agreed that club membership fees be standardized at R300 per annum, and that these fees be deducted by the society concurrently with society membership fees, and paid directly over to the club concerned.

We believe that this approach is sustainable and will further the objectives of the society, whilst remaining non-prescriptive to the extent that clubs remain flexible and voluntary organizations of society members with their own identities.

COUNCIL BUSINESS

Firstly, we are pleased to report that Ephraim Matjuda, Cedric Stoch and Piet Prinsloo have accepted co-option to the council to advise and help us on the important strategy of developing an Nguni based beef industry. We look forward to their input as we pursue this objective.

Giel, our finance minister, presented us with a well reasoned budget plan for 2008 which takes account of better office resources, portfolio activities, and the need to allocate moneys to regional initiatives. We have seen a revenue increase in this financial year with the growth in membership and cattle numbers, but it will be necessary, nevertheless, to increase membership and per capita fees for the year ahead. We are now the largest breed society member wise, and the second largest cattle wise. Yet our fees remain well below the breed society average. Council has accordingly approved this budget which provides that the membership fee will be increased to R1500.00 per annum, and the per capita fee to R28.00 per registered animal. Details of this budget will be reported to the AGM in November.

Portfolio activities were discussed. The following issues are worth noting:

• At a technical level, revised standards for export/import of genetic material have been agreed in principle, as well as the requirements for AI bulls and embryo flushing. We realize that the policing and control is no longer workable and we therefore prefer the approach where some practical standards are applied, but where the buyer makes his or her own decision on the basis of quality information available from the society. These provisions have been added to the by-law schedules, and are attached for you information.

• Naledi is currently working on the 2008 calendar, and has had some good submissions so far. She is also planning our presence at NAMPO next year, which is important if we want to be first league players. The idea is that clubs will represent our exhibit on the successive days of the show. We need to gear up to support this initiative.

• On the training front, we intend to launch the proposed program early in the new year. Club training representatives are invited to this, and is essentially a critique of the package that will be a society standard, and will be made available to clubs for regional training needs.

• Although our website is much better, we are not entirely satisfied that it meets our needs. We recognize that farm phone lines are not able to process the graphics on this system, and we will be reviewing this to make the design more user efficient. In the meantime, our news briefs are intended to keep members updated on society matters.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The AGM of the society is planned for 22^nd November 2007, in Bloemfontein. We hope for a good turnout at this important event, at which we will review developments within the society over the year to date, and present our plans for next year.

We will be presenting changes to the constitution primarily arising out of the club workshop, but also some amendments which are required to clarify certain points which were missed when the constitution was revised last year.

We undertook, at the AGM in 2006 to plan the rotation of council members. We have sought special advice on this matter, and are advised that the latest version of the constitution applies to member terms of office (three years). Accordingly, Deon and Giel will retire at the end of 2008, and of the other four members, two will retire in 2009 and two in 2010. This allows for continuity, and also gives us a further year to bed down the strategic plan as a cohesive council team. You will be aware that council continues to operate with only five of the six positions filled. In terms of the constitution and the process laid out therein, a new council member needs to be elected at the AGM.

The annual general meeting is really a formal meeting governed by the constitution. In order to better inform society members on what is happening within our society and in the broader external environment, we plan to convene a half day symposium the day before the AGM. Details of speakers and topics will be advised in due course. This event replaces the traditional inspectors’ meeting which will be convened early in the new year.

INSPECTORS’ CONFERENCE

The important role that our inspectors play in improving our breed, and as society ambassadors, is such that we believe that a special gathering of inspectors is needed, undistracted from AGM issues. Early in the new year, before the annual round of inspections, we plan to hold an inspectors’ conference dedicated to technical breed matters and other issues involving the inspection process. A venue and date will be decided to encourage maximum participation in this important event.

Schedule X
Requirements for donors of semen destined for transfer, sale or export

Schedule Y
Requirements for donors of embryos destined for transfer, sale or export