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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-AU link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Secretary,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>RDA (NSW) Centre.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>As the email in the history to this email was sent to all Centres, it is appropriate that the response of the Board of RDA (NSW) is also sent to all Centres in order to clarify any misunderstandings that may arise from the questions which have been raised in the email below.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>The response of the Board is attached to this email.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Regards,</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Joseph Orland<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Honorary Director, Finance Officer & Company Secretary</span><span style='font-family:"Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Riding for the Disabled Association (NSW)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:#1F497D'>Mob:</span></b><span style='color:#1F497D'> 0407 004 019; <b>Email</b>: </span><a href="mailto:stateoffice@rdansw.org.au"><span style='color:#1F497D'>joseph.orland@rdansw.org.au</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b>From:</b> Anna Rimac <<a href="mailto:annamrimac@gmail.com">annamrimac@gmail.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> 26 May 2023 at 3:24:52 pm AEST<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:alburywodonga@rdansw.org.au">alburywodonga@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:armidaleandnewengland@rdansw.org.au">armidaleandnewengland@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:ballinaanddistrict@rdansw.org.au">ballinaanddistrict@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:bathurst@rdansw.org.au">bathurst@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:bluemountains@rdansw.org.au">bluemountains@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:boxhilltalltimbers@rdansw.org.au">boxhilltalltimbers@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:centralcoast@rdansw.org.au">centralcoast@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:coffsharbour@rdansw.org.au">coffsharbour@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:cootamundra@rdansw.org.au">cootamundra@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:cowra@rdansw.org.au">cowra@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:forbes@rdansw.org.au">forbes@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:goulburn@rdansw.org.au">goulburn@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:griffith@rdansw.org.au">griffith@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:gunnedah@rdansw.org.au">gunnedah@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:Illawarra@rdansw.org.au">Illawarra@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:kempsey@rdansw.org.au">kempsey@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:kendall@rdansw.org.au">kendall@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:manning@rdansw.org.au">manning@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:mossvale@rdansw.org.au">mossvale@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:mudgee@rdansw.org.au">mudgee@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:narrabri@rdansw.org.au">narrabri@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:orange@rdansw.org.au">orange@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:raymondterrace@rdansw.org.au">raymondterrace@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:Richmond@rdansw.org.au">Richmond@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:ryde@rdansw.org.au">ryde@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:tamworth@rdansw.org.au">tamworth@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:tumut@rdansw.org.au">tumut@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:tweedvalley@rdansw.org.au">tweedvalley@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:upperhunter@rdansw.org.au">upperhunter@rdansw.org.au</a>, rda wagga <<a href="mailto:waggawagga@rdansw.org.au">waggawagga@rdansw.org.au</a>>, <a href="mailto:wauchopeportmacquarie@rdansw.org.au">wauchopeportmacquarie@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:wollondilly@rdansw.org.au">wollondilly@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:young@rdansw.org.au">young@rdansw.org.au</a>, <a href="mailto:coonarda@gmail.com">coonarda@gmail.com</a>, RDA STATE OFFICE <<a href="mailto:stateoffice@rdansw.org.au">stateoffice@rdansw.org.au</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:mwroutledge@gmail.com">mwroutledge@gmail.com</a>, RDA Grants Ballina and District <<a href="mailto:rdagrants@gmail.com">rdagrants@gmail.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>IMPORTANT Seeking Understanding Part 2 of 2</b><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks for your considerable feedback (from across the state) all of which questioned the governance of RDA, <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>What's extremely worrying is your insistence that I maintain confidentiality regarding that feedback.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Please take a moment to consider the ACNC Standards for associations to maintain their charitable status. <i>Standard 2 - A charity that has members must take reasonable steps to be accountable to its members and provide them with adequate opportunity to raise concerns about how the charity is governed. </i><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>NOTE;<b> </b>From the ACNC website '<b>Ways to meet this standard;</b> common steps your charity can take to meet this standard are to; organise a meeting at least annually with members (such as an annual general meeting) with opportunities to ask questions and vote on resolutions'. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The way I understand this is that Centre Members must have confidence in their governance or risk losing its Charitable status. To have confidence, members must be able to ask questions and be satisfied with the answers. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b>ATTENTION;</b> Passing of the Annual Financial Report means that all voting centres have approved it. This is a legally binding action. <i>Centres </i>are responsible for approving this at the AGM. This was done with unasked and unanswered questions.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Like so many of you, I made the round trip to Sydney (using my own time and funds) with questions for our Board of Directors. On arrival I found a security guard had been hired and the legal requirement and opportunity to ask general questions at the end of that meeting had been 'postponed' until June 3rd. This is the third year in a row that this part of the AGM has been effectively stopped. How many regional centres will be able to attend another meeting in Sydney again? The zoom option had very poor sound quality and no possibility to participate was offered. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Questions <i>were </i>allowed if relating to specific reports (e.g. Financial Report). I was forbidden from asking any, since Ballina Centre was 'according to the board' <i>in administration </i>despite that status being invalid (based on clear legal advice sent to the Board prior to the AGM).<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>After the meeting had ended, I stood up and asked to speak. The board immediately declared that I wasn't allowed to, however member centres attending encouraged me to do so and I spoke briefly about my 10 year involvement with RDA and my concerns with the culture of the association. I was not allowed to ask any questions of the board.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The questions I wanted to ask (including extra ones now, from you) are below; <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Relating to the Annual Report;<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><ol start=1 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'>Where has the amount of $377,044.71 referred to as 'other expenses' actually been spent? (in the Audited Accounts 2022) <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'>Where are RDA funds invested (currently and historically) and who makes the decision as to where they are held? <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'>Where and how are profits to be invested or distributed? <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'>When the question regarding the income of $740k was raised at the AGM, (clearly an error) why wasn't that simply corrected at the AGM? <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'>Why were there no detailed financial figures available at the AGM? <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'>Why does the Annual Report state that RDA is run 'in a business like manner' not as a 'business' when clearly the organisation is a registered business and operates under Australian Business Law? (pg.12)<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'>Why does the Annual Report also state that to make this <i>change to being </i>'a business' there is an estimated cost of $200k per board role per annum in wages, when the vast majority of the hundreds of Charities and Not For Profit Businesses in Australia run with volunteer board members? (pg.12) <i>e.g. I have been a volunteer Director of a Not for Profit organisation (run by volunteers and paid employees) with a gross annual income of $2.2M. This Not for Profit was indeed so successful that it donated its profits to local charities</i>. <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'>Why is there an intention to buy another property for RDA? (referred to in the annual report pg.12) <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'>What is the budget for that purchase?<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'>How does the board intend to raise the funds required to purchase the 'suitable property' ? (referred to in the annual report pg.12)<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'>Where might that property be located? <o:p></o:p></li></ol><div><p class=MsoNormal>Relating to other matters;<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><ol start=1 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo6'>Which grants have been applied for by which centres in 2022? <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo6'>Of these grants, which have been successful? <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo6'>Why have there been 3 consecutive AGM's conducted where no questions from the floor were allowed?<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo6'>Have Member Centres (and/or other community Stakeholders) ever been invited to contribute to strategic planning for RDA (NSW)? If not, why not?<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo6'>How can we access the updated version of the Strategic Plan?<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo6'>How can centres access Board Meeting Minutes? <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo6'>Why does the email address '<a href="mailto:centres@rdansw.org.au">centres@rdansw.org.au</a>' constantly stop centre to centre communication, particularly when that communication relates to matters for which centres are hoping to gain support from other centres.<o:p></o:p></li></ol></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The answers to these questions should be simple and straightforward. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I look forward to learning more about our RDA governance while I continue to enrich the lives of people with disabilities through volunteering at RDA. <o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmailsignatureprefix>-- </span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Kind regards, <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Anna Rimac<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></body></html>