Annex E to the Minutes of the 126th Annual General Meeting of the Braidwood Show Society
Show Society President Ian Cargill delivered his annual report at the society’s Annual general meeting.
The Braidwood Show Society has had a very busy, progressive and changing year, which included a successful 126th Braidwood Show, an impressive amount of repairs and maintenance at the Show Ground, especially in the pavilion, and a decision to relinquish the management of the Braidwood Show Ground to the Trustees, Tallaganda Shire Council.
The 126th Braidwood Show was a great success with terrific attendance.
The carnival on Friday night keeps on growing and continues to attract the youth and families. A number of our older members have also found it pleasant to come in the cool of the evening and enjoy a leisurely view of the Pavilion.
Entries were quite good with most sections well supported, particularly in the pavilion sections. The Dog Show was especially well conducted with increasing support by exhibitors. Great thanks to Pam Seabrook and Joan Shannon who travel from Kiama to conduct this section for us.
Livestock numbers were down in some classes, with Johnes Disease restrictions affecting the sheep numbers in particular.
The support of exhibitors in the livestock sections is a major financial commitment, as transport and preparation are not cheap.
The Horse section entries were a little disappointing and with a review of the classes we hope we will boost the participation in the future.
The events arena, adjacent to the bar, was a proven crowd catcher again this year, with the children’s races in particular being well entered.
The support of our many volunteers who man the various stewarding, administration, gate keeping and other duties so willingly makes our show the success it is.
We were again proud to have our Miss Show Girl 2001, Miss Mellissa Hawkins, it is a worthwhile competition and adds to the benefits of our show.
We owe a great debt of gratitude to the business people who advertise in the schedule, and all those who generously donate prizes for the many and various sections.
Show ground maintenance
A great deal of work was carried out in the Pavilion.
The eastern wall of the pavilion was enclosed with Gyprock and the entire main hall was painted.
The Laurie Moran paintings were pulled down, mounted on steel frames and relocated to the Eastern end of the pavilion. This work was able to be carried out due mainly to the generous donation of material from two of our members.
Work was also carried out on the Stud Cattle Shed and the cattle yards. Now gates were fabricated and mounted on the bull pens as the old wooden gates were considered unsafe.
Due to the Johnes Disease Regulations the central barrier in the stud shed had to be renewed with marine ply, as the temporary corrugated iron was a safety hazard.
The spraying of all grass in the corridors of the cattle yards and around to sheep pavilion was also required to meet accreditation standards.
The northern porch to the pavilion had also become a hazard. The old wooden structure was demolished and replaced by concrete.
The volunteers who have given much time and money for these works have been exceptional and must be congratulated. I must also single out John Maddrell for his many hours on his tractor slashing the grass prior to the show, and to Mike Colleridge for his dedication in preparing the dog rings.
All efforts have greatly improved the community asset, which is the Braidwood Showground.
In March the committee resolved to relinquish management of the grounds back to the Council and recommended that at 355 committee be formed.
This decision was a most difficult one, with which not all the committee members could agree. Even though we expended all profits from the show it was evident that the Society was in no position to provide the necessary repairs and maintenance to keep the ageing infrastructure in the condition we would all like. The small loss on this year’s financial statement demonstrates the difficulties the Committee faced.
It was felt that this decision would enable other users to have a say in the management of the grounds as well as too sharing the workload of ground maintenance.
Arrangements are still being discussed and a joint approach should open up more funding opportunities. We are looking forward to a new era.
At the 127th Braidwood Show a feature hack class to be held over lunch break on show day and the return of the shearing competition, along with some other additions we hope to increase entries and help the Show grow in the future.
In closing I need to thank our committee and volunteer workers for their help in the last 12 months and look forward to your continued support in the future.
Ian Cargill, President
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