2021 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Please note the change of date and change of venue.

The date for 2021 AGM of MEMRLTA Inc to be announced at

The Mount Waverley Community Centre (main hall)
47 Miller Crescent, Mount Waverley

Documents to Take to AGM

Download the Agenda and proposed changes to our Rules of Association and By-Laws (This document has NOT yet been updated with the new date and venue.)

Download the Minutes from the 2020 MEMRLTA AGM

We recommend that you also bring your 2019/2020 MEMRLTA Rules & By-Laws booklet.

Attendance by Clubs

Each Club should be represented by TWO voting delegates with additional members most welcome to attend. A $20 fine applies to a Club not represented.

Proposed Amendments Rules of Association and By-Laws

The following By-law amendment has been submitted by the Executive Committee

The current Bylaw 3 (b) Balls reads –
"The Committee has the power to fix a make and colour of balls for Semi-final and Final matches and each team is required to provide two new balls of approved make."

It is proposed to change this by-law to:
"The Committee has the power to fix a make and colour of balls for Semi-final and Final matches, and the listed home team is required to provide four new balls of approved make."

Supporting Statement: The balls used in any match and especially for finals should be the same on both courts used for play. It was decided that the HOME team listed should have the advantage of selecting the type of ball they would like to play with on the day.

The following 3 By-law amendments – 5 (i), 5 (j) and 7(c) – have been submitted by the Executive Committee and are to be voted on as a block.

The current By-law 5(i) Registration of Players reads:
"Players who have played the number of matches to qualify in a lower grade, shall be eligible for a higher grade. Once having played four (4) matches in a higher grade, the player may not return to the lower grade."

It is proposed to change this By-law to:
"Players who have played the number of matches to qualify in a lower grade, shall be eligible for a higher grade. Once having played three (3) matches in a higher grade, the player may not return to the lower grade."

The current By-law 5(j) Registration of Players reads:
"Registration of Players reads - In the event of a club being represented by more than one team in any one grade or section, no player having participated in four (4) matches in one team, shall be eligible to play thereafter in the other."

It is proposed to change this B-ylaw to:
In the event of a club being represented by more than one team in any one grade or section, no player having participated in three (3) matches in one team, shall be eligible to play thereafter in the other."

The current By-law7 (c) Registration of Emergencies reads:
"The Executive Committee or Sub-committee shall have the right to grade or re-grade emergencies, and no emergency shall participate below her approved grading without prior permission of the Executive Committee or Sub-committee. Once having played four (4) matches in a higher grade, the emergency may not return to a lower grade."

It is proposed to change this Bylaw to:
"The Executive Committee or Sub-committee shall have the right to grade or re-grade emergencies, and no emergency shall participate below her approved grading without prior permission of the Executive Committee or Sub-committee. Once having played three (3) matches in a higher grade, the emergency may not return to a lower grade."

Supporting Statement: These proposed changes are to make these by-laws consistent with the 3 match eligibility requirement for finals and to make a clearer distinction between who the members of each team are.

The following By-law amendment has been submitted by the Executive Committee

The current By-law 11 (b) Forfeits reads:
"The team not forfeiting will be awarded premiership points and a score of 48-24, with no points and a corresponding loss to the team forfeiting."

It is proposed to change this By-law to:
"The team receiving the forfeit will be awarded two premiership points, the team giving the forfeit will receive no premiership points. The score will be recorded as 0-0, making no change to both teams' percentage."

Supporting Statement: This by-law has always been a source of discussion at many AGM's! The points received, for the ladder, by the team receiving the forfeit will remain the same (2 points). Our submission is to emulate the heatout/washout scenario for the recording of scores when a forfeit is given (received). This will mean that the percentage already recorded, will remain the SAME, for each team involved in a forfeit. It has the advantage of giving a ladder percentage for each team that is calculated ONLY from the games that each team has WON on the court in the matches (actually) played during the season.

The following By-law amendment has been submitted by the Executive Committee

The current By-law 12(f) Determination of Matches reads:
"If the temperature reaches 32°C at the appointed starting time or at any time thereafter, play may be stopped at the option of either captain (temperature to be confirmed by Weather Bureau Phone 1300 163 578). Any cancellation must not be arranged before the appointed starting time."

It is proposed to change this By-law to:
"If the temperature reaches 32°C at the appointed starting time or at any time thereafter, play may be stopped at the option of either captain (temperature to be confirmed by the Australian government’s Bureau of Meteorology official data, eg. via their weather app, website or Melbourne Metropolitan Temperature and Weather Observation Service 1300 163 578). Any cancellation must not be arranged before the appointed starting time."

Supporting Statement: This amendment will allow players to use the BOM's weather app or website, instead of having to phone the BOM to confirm the temperature.

The following By-law amendment has been submitted by Kooyong Tennis Club

The current By-law 12 (b) reads:
"Matches shall be determined on games, but in the event of games being equal, then on sets, and two (2) points shall be awarded to the winning team in each match. One point shall be awarded to each team for a draw."

It is proposed to change this By-law to:
"Matches shall be determined on sets, but in the event of sets being equal, then on games, and two (2) points shall be awarded to the winning team in each match. One point shall be awarded to each team for a draw."

Supporting Statement: The core of our proposed amendment is that tennis is a rubbers/sets/game based sport. Tennis Australia/Tennis Victoria rules are based on rubbers, sets and games in that order. To base results on games ahead of sets, is totally out of order within the tennis world: For example:- Grand Slams, Tennis Victoria Pennant, BRTA, WDTA, and Kooyong Tennis Club - our internal competitions are all sets first.

The Executive Committee does not support this amendment: MEMRLTA competition has always been a team based competition. It is important that every game that every player combination of the team, is counted to find a winner after a days’ play. This proposal would give the opportunity for teams to forgo playing the final two sets of the match – if they had already won the first four sets. This would reduce the tennis played on the day for the players. One of the prime objectives for MEMRLTA is to provide as much competition based tennis play for all competitors as is possible.

The UTR is an accurate global ranking system and it uses all games, and not just the sets, won by the player in calculating a ranking for the player.

The following minor Rules of Association amendment has been submitted by the Executive Committee

'Statement of Rules':- Currently the Statement of Rule 2 (1) reads:
"summer tennis season" is the season commencing in August/September of any year,
"winter season" is the season commencing in March/April and of any year

It is proposed to change this to:
"summer tennis season" is the season commencing in August/September/October of any year,
"winter tennis season" is the season commencing in March/April/May of any year

Supporting Statement: This change will give us more flexibility in setting starting and ending dates for each season, which in particular will reduce the need to schedule matches close to Christmas and on the first day of Term 1.

The following Rules of Association amendment has been submitted by the Executive Committee

Rule 28 (4) reads:
"Each officer of the Association shall hold office until the annual general meeting next after the date of her election but is eligible for re-election except that the Secretary shall not hold office for more than five consecutive years and any other officer shall not hold office for more than three consecutive years."

It is proposed to change this to:
"Each officer of the Association shall hold office until the annual general meeting next after the date of her election but is eligible for re-election except that the Secretary and Record Secretaries shall not hold office for more than five consecutive years and any other officer shall not hold office for more than three consecutive years."

Supporting Statement: The Record Secretary, like the Secretary, is an admin position requiring much time to train and acquire experience. It also requires a certain amount of confidence and skill in using a computer, which not everyone has. By allowing a Record Secretary to hold office for up to five years instead of only three, this change to the Rules will give us more flexibility in filling this position and allow the holder to gain more experience.

Nominations for Committee

President: Christine Youings
Vice President: Fiona Dwyer
Secretary: Helen Williams
Treasurer: Ros Brereton
Record Secretary: Hope Stewart
Committee:
Jackie Aslett
Wendy O'Connor
Christine Shearer
Fiona Shelton