Kim Kennerson

Greetings fellow Ulysses Club members. It is with much pride and gratitude that I accept a nomination for a third term as National President of our great club.

I strongly believe that a good committee is one, which has a good balance and blend of both experience and fresh new enthusiasm. I see my role at this time as one of strong leadership with invaluable experience for one more term before retirement.
This experience includes 3 ½ years in the role of President of a large and prosperous branch. Followed by a year on National Committee, 5 years as National Secretary and the 2 previous years as National President. On this basis I stand for election on my record.

I also strongly believe that it is very desirable for prospective committee members to serve an apprenticeship, so to speak, on committee before taking on more responsible roles. To this end it is also desirable to nurture suitable future leaders and this I see as one of my roles during the next twelve months 2008 – 2009.

My activities show that I am very much a travelling president visiting as many branches as is possible at my own expense, as I believe that it’s important to meet and communicate with as many members as is possible. This keeps one very much in touch with what is happening within the club.

My commitment to the Ulysses Club remains as passionate and enthusiastic as the day I joined. With your respectful support I wish to continue in this most important role for another year as part of a team that has brought the Ulysses Club into an era of unparalleled progress, modernisation and efficiency whilst maintaining the traditional values and heritage.

Kim Kennerson # 6929

Peter Morrison

Hi, I’m Peter Morrison who joined this great club at the Townsville Odyssey in 2003, members who regularly use this website and forum will recognise me as Poida. A qualified Landscape Architect with over 9 years experience in management and currently employed as a Senior Project Manager delivering government capital works and infrastructure projects I seek your support in serving all members as National President. With over 22 years experience in environmental issues and working part-time as the local Airport Environment Officer I believe my background will be beneficial in leading the clubs future direction.

The management of our club beyond its 25 year history, while maintaining the focus on the vision of our founders, needs planning. Our Club is now a significant business with annual membership income of over $0.5M and a budget of over $1.5M to run the AGM event.

My vision as National President would focus the club executive on planning for four main objectives into our future.
1    Equity of member benefits across all States.
2    Professional delivery of significant activities.
3    Challenges in legislation and environmental concerns.
4    Improved social and fun activities at Branch level

My motivation for getting involved at a National level as your president is based upon my experiences with the National executive in coordinating this year’s AGM over the past three years. I believe I can make a difference to the interaction between the executive and ordinary members, based on trust, transparency and accountability.

I have been riding bikes on and off (no wise cracks about the offs) since I was 17 both off road but mostly on it. I have used bikes for work as a stockman in the Birdsville area but have primarily had bikes due to the economy and practicality for commuting to work. Liz and I had a CB100 as our only transport when we got hitched in 1979, and my first “leisure” bike was the VTX1300 that sadly met its demise on the way home from the Tassie AGM. The GL1500 wing replacement was rear ended on the way down to Coffs Harbour AGM which also saw my pillion retire from riding due to her injuries. So I’m back on a VTX1300 which will hopefully see me through a lap of our island, to coincide with the Albany AGM in 2010.

As the largest social club, in the southern hemisphere, supporting older motorcycle riders, it is time also we started to focus executive input into the legislative and environmental challenges confronting our future. Our last national census did not even recognise motorcyclists as genuine road users, and several states are seeking draconian legislation to restrict our enjoyment of riding our bikes. The issues surrounding climate change, E10 fuel, aging population and hybrid scooters along with the rising costs of oil, etc, etc needs executive input through the various committees designing our collective future.

If you believe a fresh approach is required to continue vibrancy and to plan our club’s future, I invite you to please take the time to attend the 25th AGM and give me your vote.

Peter Morrison UC#32924

Neville Gray

My life changed forever when I was fortunate to gain a National Committee position at the 1999 AGM in Cairns. Remembering my first Natcom meeting when the work allocations were given out by President ‘Huggie’ Rawlings, I was annoyed at not being given anything specific to do and being involved in transport engineering at the time, more particularly in pavement engineering with Transport SA in Adelaide, Huggie said “Right, you can be Public Liaison Coordinator and do all the safety stuff”!

Up to that time, the Ulysses Club was only just starting to enter into the area of motorcycle safety. Since that day, I have dedicated all my resources into making the Club a vital player in the field of motorcycle safety and awareness. It took some time to come to grips with the portfolio as I grappled with all the acronyms of various organisations such as AMC, ATSB, etc. however it is pleasing to report that in the past 10 years the crash rate for motorcycles has gone down some 32% and the profile of the Ulysses Club has grown in proportion to become one of the major players. Since taking on the role I have established and gained the assistance of a dedicated band of Ulyssians that help me in their various States and I have established a strong liaison with all the Motorcycle Riders Associations in Australia.

The opinions of the Ulysses Club are now actively sought by Governments and media as we promote various campaigns targeting ‘Safer Roads’, ‘Safer Motorcycles’ and especially ‘Safer Riders’. All this work is done carefully, keeping in mind that we are in fact a social club and rampant politicizing is not the way to go.

I am kept busy writing submissions to Government inquiries, writing safety strategies, setting up and promoting Government / rider interface committees and generally looking after the interests of all motorcyclists especially those of the older rider. I took an offer of early retirement so as to dedicate more time to these tasks. It is now almost a full time job.

I also have other duties within the National Committee such as taking up the idea for the ‘Motorcycle Apprentice of the Year’ award and making it work – this in now into its fourth year and is recognised as a prestigious award within the motorcycling industry.

With so much more work to do in the area of motorcycling safety and the enjoyment from working with my fellow Natcom members as we administer the Club’s affairs, I humbly ask that you endorse my application as National Vice President of this great Club for 2008/2009.

Neville Gray #3394

Helena Gritton

Hello members. I am grateful to have been nominated for the position of Secretary on the National Committee at the 2008 AGM elections and welcome your support to enable me to continue in this role for another year.

At the 2007 AGM in Coffs Harbour I promised you a blend of efficiency; confidentiality; dedication; enthusiasm; willingness to learn and commitment to fulfill the elected role. Having almost completed my second term as your National Secretary I feel confident, together with the feedback from members that I have fulfilled my promise to you.
It is essential to have a good understanding of the working of our Club to administer the position of Secretary and although I still do not claim to know the answers to every question, I do know a lot more now than I did this time last year. Learning is cnstant as circumstances change and challenges and differing scenarios come to the fore.
A good, harmonious working relationship within the committee is essential to constructively administer the club and I believe that my contribution is received with respect and confidence.
Opportunities have been embraced, rewarding and enjoyable with visits and interactions with Branch members; getting to know members on their home turf and in the public arena; putting faces to names is always pleasurable. Traveling around the states gaining a better understanding of individual locales, familiarizing myself with Branch names in relations to towns has been another highlight this year.
I remain passionate and enthusiastic about our Club and have a good grasp of the knowledge required and flexibility of time to effectively carry out the duties associated with the role of National Secretary and with your support I look forward to another year as part of the team.

Helena Gritton # 14027

Vic Lesslie

Having been the National Treasurer of the Ulysses Club Inc. for the past four years and I am pleased to have been nominated for another term.

In this period there have been several policies introduced for the Club to maintain a stable financial base and to comply with the various government acts which the Club works under.

Part of the duties of National Treasurer is the supervision of the Administration Office. Since organising the move to the current premises at Narellan it has been my endeavour to adopt a more supportive role rather than direct involvement in order for the staff to achieve their full potential. Naomi and Carolyn, and recent staff member Leaca, have shown great willingness to do so, and this, together with the upgrading of the office equipment and the store has resulted in the office showing a marked improvement in efficiency.

The financial position of the Club is strong and whilst the 2007 figures are not finalised at the time of writing, it is anticipated the results will show the member’s funds have been maintained.

I have enjoyed serving the members in company with a strong committee and I trust members believe I am again worthy to continue to manage the financial affairs of this great club.

Vic Lesslie #7410

Jan Bedola

Hi everyone

I am Jan Bedola from Western Australia and I have had the pleasure of acting as your International Liaison on the Ulysses Club Inc. National Committee team during 2007/2008

My roles on the committee this year have included continuing on in my portfolio as International Liaison, Minute Secretary and also maintaining the record book of Motions and Resolutions passed at National Committee meetings and AGM's since 1987.

Acting as your International Liaison has given me the ideal opportunity to help spread the Ulysses word. The National Committee were very pleased to welcome Ulysses Club Germany to our International family and I am continuing communications with contacts in various other countries. I would love to have the opportunity to carry on my work in these other areas.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my work on the National Committee and with your support, I look forward to a further twelve months as part of the team and continuing in my role as Ulysses Club Inc. International Liaison.

Thank you

Jan Bedola # 32266

Mark Dixon

It’s not often we get invited to blow our own trumpet, so I received an invitation from our national secretary Helena with enthusiasm! I’ll outline here a brief background, my credentials for serving on Natcom, and then my philosophy or approach to serving on Natcom.

Background

I’m one of your riders who was not allowed to ride growing up due to parents that wanted to protect me from the tragedy they’d faced of losing a good friend to a bike accident. So as soon as I fluttered free of the nest I borrowed a bike and taught myself to ride. That was in my 20s and while I was working overseas. But that’s jumping ahead a bit. I grew up in Perth, moved with the family to Melbourne and Sydney, went to uni there, then started working with computers in the mid-1970s. At that time computers was an international passport and so I spread my wings to live and work in Los Angeles for about 7 years. I also did short working stints in the Caribbean, England, and Germany. While in the US I found my lady love, got married, and we had our first child there.

As many of you know, having a child brings with it intense pressure to hand in the bike keys, which I did. But after several years of commenting on every beautiful two-wheeler to cruise by, my wife finally said: go on, get yourself a bloody bike. That afternoon, I came home with a 650 Yammy, and a few months later was seduced by a Honda ST-1100 which is my current steed. I was of the age and so joined Ulysses .

Experience & Credentials

Since then I have spent three years on the committee of the Perth branch, this year as secretary. I also host the web sites for four Western Australian Ulysses branches and the Motorcycle Riders Association of Western Australia (MRAWA). I am the webmaster for Perth branch and for MRAWA. I am an active ride leader for the branch and also visit and ride with other local branches. I am a small part of the team which is preparing for the 2010 AGM in Albany, Western Australia.

I have been in business since 1985, and as my business grew I’ve gone back to uni to complete a Master of Business Administration degree, and joined the Australian Institute of Management (AIM) and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). I am now a Fellow of the AIM and a Graduate Member of the AICD having done their training program on the direction and strategic management of companies and associations. I also recently completed a PhD in e-commerce.

Philosophy of Service

My philosophy of management is to work from the bottom up. For Ulysses, that means to assist members, and non-member riders, to connect to branches, and to help branches to connect to the national body. Ulysses does a great job of coordinating at a national level, making information and services available to the branches and members. I would like to strengthen the loop by enhancing the ways that members and branches connect back to Natcom, for example by actively soliciting from members and branches their needs and wants and to help the club as a whole adapt to whatever changes this may bring. My business and directing experience might also be of use to the organisation as a whole.

I hope that my passion for riding, commitment to the Ulysses Club at the branch and state level, and my organisational management experience and credentials can be a useful addition to the National Committee.

Mark Dixon UC#40152

Denis Paulin

Entering my tenth year as a Ulyssian I again present myself to you as a candidate for election to the National Committee of our great club.

I have been a Ulysses member since 1998 and in my second year took up a position on the Committee of the Sydney Branch. The following year I took on the role of Secretary and held this post for two years and then President for the next four years.

Serving my time on the Sydney Branch team has given me a good understanding of how our club functions. This has been further enhanced with my first year on the National Committee because thinking and acting for all Branches & members is a bigger responsibility and needs to be well thought through before acting. The National Committee functions extremely well and handles an enormous amount of correspondence and administrative duties. There needs to be a broad cross section of experience on this committee and I believe my 27 years of management in the tyre industry has been beneficial this year. I have served for a period on the Motorcycle Council of NSW as a Ulysses Delegate and was nominated this year for the role of representative on the Helmet Committee.

My duties as Webmaster have been challenging and we have seen some significant improvements with more to come. This is ongoing, requiring a good business understanding and the ability to call on the specialists when the task requires their involvement.

I am seeking your support to continue with my role on the National Committee as I remain passionate and enthusiastic with the job at hand.

Retiring just after the last AGM has given me the opportunity to ride further a field and join in more Ulysses activities. The often heard quote “where did I find time to work” is appropriate here.

With your support I will continue my best efforts to justify your confidence by listening to your requests and needs and taking the appropriate action.

Sincerely,

Denis Paulin #16672

Pete Williams

I’m pleased to have the opportunity to nominate for a further term to serve on the National Committee. My four terms have been an enjoyable experience working alongside the other Natcom members who all work tirelessly to manage the affairs of the Club.

In my first two terms on the Natcom, I worked on various projects for the Club, then took to my appointed roles as Purchasing Officer and Members Benefits Officer with great enthusiasm. I am fortunate to have the time to daily attend to the duties of both these portfolios.

The last two terms as Purchasing Officer, and Members Benefits Officer have been particularly fulfilling and the challenges associated with the purchasing role keep me motivated. I continue to exploit the buying power of the Club by negotiating better deals for members with suppliers. You have indicated your acceptance of new merchandise with the gear shop making unprecedented sales.

Businesses also continue to sign up as Members Benefits providers, when they discover the advantages of offering you the members, special deals and discounts.

We all love belonging to the Ulysses Club and proudly wear the Club gear displaying the Old Man Logo. It has always, and will continue to be, my aim to source good quality merchandise, and have it available to you through the gear shop at affordable prices.

Member’s suggestions for new products are appreciated and always followed up. The reflective back patch was a suggestion from a member, so too was the new canvas tote bag now available in the gear shop and selling fast.

There are continuing, innovative ideas on more prominent promotion of the Club, through our Members’ Benefits providers. I am currently sourcing some great new products for the gear shop and look forward to introducing them to you during the next term if elected.

Ride Safe,

Pete Williams UC#19423