SAGES SENIOR GOLFERS

• MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE NEWS / BESTUURSKOMITEE NUUS

  

Graag maak ek ook bekend dat die NUK besluit het om vir hierdie nuusbrief ‘n “nuwe baadjie” aan te trek deur boodskappe van al die lede van die bestuur in te sluit. Hierdeur kan u meer te wete kom van elkeen se rol op die bestuur en algeheel meer ingelig te word oor wat agter die skerms gebeur. Op die wyse kom die hele bestuur ook “nader” aan die lede en word hegter bande gesmee.

 

Met hierdie kort inleiding groet ek u.

 

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

 

Dear fellow SAGES, it is with great excitement that we welcome you back to our golf courses. It is gratifying to see how branches resumed their activities with great enthusiasm after the lockdown period.

I would also like to inform you that the NMC has decided to put on a new jacket for this newsletter by including messages from the other members of management. This allows you to learn more about everyone’s role in management and to be fully informed about what is happening behind the scenes. In this way, the entire management also gets closer to the members and a closer bond is forged.

 

With this brief introduction, I send my regards

 

Yours in Sages, SAGES Groete
Martin van Eeden
National President/Nasionale President
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

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MESSAGE FROM THE VICE-PRESIDENT

 

Thank you for entrusting me to be the National Vice-President of SAGES. I am extremely excited to make a difference in this unique organisation of which I have been part of for the last 10 years.

The start of the tenure as the National Vice-President was unusual and awkward. The Covid-pandemic, not having an AGM and virtual voting to elect the NMC made the start an “abnormal”, but also a challenging one.

Not having personal contact with the members of SAGES, is what we as NMC would like to address and try to achieve.With Level 1 in “operation”, we as SAGES do not need to Peep to see what is going on. We can continue with our activities, adhering to Covid protocol, to ensure our health and safety!!!

The responsibilities in my portfolio is to have contact with CANSA head office and encourage Branches to submit newsletters.

1. CANSA
   • “The impact of COVID 19 made it necessary for CANSA, like all other businesses in South Africa to review our current operating model in view of the economic impact, ensuring to those affected by cancer in South Africa”- Maria Scholtz CANSA Head Sustainability. Contact numbers of persons in different regions will be made available in due course.
   • The impact of the COVID pandemic was that several CANSA days were cancelled, and therefore no funds could be raised in certain regions.
   • Fortunately, some Branches had the opportunity to either host a CANSA fundraising day or donate money. To date 4 out of 29 Branches have raised a total of R28 307.
   • It will be appreciated if the Branches that cancelled their CANSA day, consider hosting a fundraising day for CANSA
   • CANSA really needs some funds.
   • Branches in the Northern regions, still planning to host CANSA fundraising day, are requested to send invitations to Eddie Mantle, myself and Elfie Alston to attend. Martin van Eden also indicate that he would enjoy attending CANSA fundraiser days in the CAPE area. Attending the CANSA fundraisers creates opportunities for the NMC in meeting Sages members!!!     
2. Newsletters 2020/2021
   There will be NO newsletter competition for the first year of the present NMC’s tenure.
   It will be appreciated if every branch still submits their newsletter. It is important so that everyone is kept up to date to what is happening in other Branches.
   I honestly believe that the Newsletters can be instrumental in creating a platform of sharing knowledge, and learning to make SAGES a unified organisation.

BOODSKAP VANAF DIE VISE-PRESIDENT

Baie dankie dat die Sages gemeenskap ‘n geleentheid skep om as die Vise-President te dien. 

Dit is met groot opgewondenheid dat daar gepoog sal word om ‘n sinvolle bydrae te maak, in ‘n unieke organisasie waarvan ek al 10 jaar ‘n lid is.

Die begin van die termyn as VP het gepaard gegaan met die COVID-pandemie, wat aanleiding gegee dat daar geen Algemene Jaarvergadering gehou was nie, en ‘n virtuele verkiesing van die Nasionale Bestuurskomitee tot gevolg gehad het.

Vir die eerste keer beleef SAGES ‘n “abnormale” situasie, waar die NUK lede, min of geen kontak met die lede het nie. Die situasie wil die NUK gedurende die jaar aanspreek.

Met vlak 1 van die inperking in volle swang, is dit nie meer nodig vir SAGES lede om te “loer” wat aangaan nie. Daar kan voluit voortgegaan word met aktiwiteite, met inagneming van die nakoming van alle COVID protokol, teneinde ons lede se gesondheid te verseker.

As Vise-President is dit my verantwoordelikheid om met CANSA hoofkantoor te skakel, asook om takke aan te moedig om nuusbriewe uit te stuur.

1. CANSA
   • Maria Scholtz die hoof van Volhoubaarheid van CANSA haal aan;
   “The impact of COVID 19 made it necessary for CANSA, like all other businesses in South Africa to review our current operating model in view of the economic impact, ensuring to those affected by cancer in South Africa”- Kontaknommers van persone in die verskillende streke gaan mettertyd verskaf word.
   • Verskeie CANSA gholfdae is as gevolg van die COVID pandemie gekanselleer. Geen fondse kon dus ingesamel word nie.
   • Daar is egter ‘n paar takke wat deur gholfdae of skenkings geld kon insamel, dusver het 4 van die 29 takke R28 307 ingesamel.
   • ‘n Beroep word op alle take gedoen om waar moontlik nog steeds CANSA fondsinsamelings dae te hou.
   • CANSA benodig die fondse om nog steeds ‘n verskil te maak. 
   • Elfie Alston, Andre Blom en Eddie Mantle sou graag, indien daar nog CANSA gholfdae in die Noordelike streke plaasvind, die dae wil bywoon. Martin van Eeden het aangedui dat hy CANSA gholfdae in die Kaap sal kan bywoon.
   Bywoning van die Gholfdae deur die NBK lede sal ‘n geleentheid skep om die lede van die onderskeie takke te ontmoet!!!
2. 2020/2021 Nuusbriewe
   Daar sal GEEN nuusbrief kompetisie tydens die eerste jaar vir 2020/2021 wees nie.
   Takke word versoek en aangemoedig om vol te hou om nuusbriewe uit te stuur. Daardeur behou die NUK kontak met takke en hul aktiwiteite. 
   Persoonlik dink ek skep die nuusbriewe ‘n platform waar kennis gedeel word en om Sages as ‘n gemeenskap sterker te maak.
   Regards/Groete……. be safe/wees veilig………. enjoy golfing/geniet die gholf.

 

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FROM THE DESK OF THE TREASURER

 

My journey as National Treasurer started in ‘unusual’ circumstances - The National Championships were cancelled resulting in no AGM, election of new members for the NMC were held electronically, South Africa were in Stage 5 of lockdown, winter were glooming and worse of all, we did not know how Covid-19 would influence our health and ability to play golf.

But now, 4 months later, we adapted to Covid-19 protocols, we are more aware of health challenges, most of us made significant life style changes and we can play golf again!

A treasurer is defined as a ‘person appointed to administer or manage the financial assets and liabilities of a society, company, local authority, or other body’. I want to be more - maybe be like spring: Spring - a lovely reminder of how beautiful CHANGE can truly be. 

Speaking of change - with the help of National Secretary Elfie Alston we automated the annual and top-up levies payable to Sages Administration. This previously tedious and time-consuming exercise will now be automated with the NMC invoicing branches for outstanding levies.

We also developed a budget document to help calculating the budget for National and Regional tournaments. As soon as we can resume with tournaments, this tool will help regions to compile the budget quickly and effectively.

Future planning includes the standardization monthly/annual financial statements in order to make it easier for branches to keep record of their finances.

Lastly, I want to pay tribute to my predecessor, Trevor Woollett. Trevor served Sages Senior Golf for more than 6 years as National Treasurer. We thank him for his dedication, commitment and hard work managing the Sages NMC finances. For me it is a privilege to succeed him, it is really ‘big’ shoes to fill and I hope that my contribution and role in the organization can help to keep Sages Senior Golf the golf organisation of choice for our Senior golfers.

 

 

 

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FROM THE DESK OF THE SECRETARY

 

This is the sixth year that I am serving in this position, and I must confess that I am enjoying every minute being able to help the branches in managing their membership portfolio in addition to other aspects of their branch that need assistance.

There are going to be some exciting changes to the website, especially relating to the score capture programs for both the Regionals and National tournaments that I have had re-written. They will be user friendly and very easy to use accompanied by guideline write up and a YouTube video explaining step by step from completing the branch entry form to printing the results of the competition. I will be contacting the 4 branches who will be hosting the Regionals next year to introduce them to the system and give them the training they need to ensure a successful and faultless tournament. I also intend enhancing the current forms section on the website to an automated system alowing committee members to easily submit required information online, this should reduce many of the current unnecessary admin steps from the current forms. This method is known as “on-line” data entry.

Myself and the National Vice President Andre Blom, National Treasurer Eddie Mantle intend playing a round with the Northern branches during their monthly games to introduce the NMC management team to the members. I would like to thank the branches for their cooperation in submitting the requested information timeously thereby making my job a pleasurable one. Our overall membership is increasing steadily, so keep up the good work and enhance your membership totals.