[Centres] Statement from the Directors of RDA (NSW)

[Joseph Orland]

Centre Secretaries.

 

The Directors who are listed at the end of this email have requested that I
send this message out to all Centres.  This message relates to the upcoming
election for Directors to the Board of RDA (NSW).  The following concerns
are worthy of careful consideration by Members of RDA (NSW).

 

One thing that many of the current directors want to ask Centres is whether
Centres are prepared to have certain changes introduced to the operation of
RDA (NSW) and, as a result, whether they are prepared to contribute the
substantial additional fees that they would be expected to pay towards the
operations of RDA (NSW) from what they are paying now if those changes are
introduced to the operation of RDA (NSW).

This is a very important question that each Centre has to consider in order
to be prepared to identify the potential consequences.  The choice of
candidates who will be successful in the current round of elections will
determine if RDA (NSW) either:

1.    stays as it is now, a volunteer-based organisation which has, as its
main aims, the provision of therapeutic horse-related activities for those
who have a disability, or

2.    becomes a company which has the making of profits as its main aims -
in effect, becoming a commercial horse-riding business which is tailored for
those who have a disability.

If the second option is chosen, information that has been advised to the
Board by an external organisation more than a year ago indicated that
substantial additional annual costs will have to be incurred by RDA (NSW).

While RDA (NSW) operates through 34 Centres, the organisation, in the
overall scheme of things, is a relatively small organisation.  This
increased level of expenditure on wages and related on-costs for paid staff
to do what directors do now on a voluntary basis is not considered to be
warranted.

The Board has become aware that there are elements in the organisation that
want to shut down some small Centres so that the organisation can
concentrate on the larger Centres.  

One of the reasons given for this is that the smaller Centres do not make
much money for the organisation.  This was an actual statement made by one
of those who, it is reasonably understood, is involved in the current move
to change RDA (NSW) and its Centres.  The Board is aware that there are
those who are involved in trying to lobby for like-minded persons to be
elected onto the Board in the current round of nominations, presumably to
achieve this result.

The RDA (NSW) organisation does have large Centres, but many Centres are
small to very small.

While RDA (NSW) operates in a business-like manner, the Board also
understands that, in addition to potentially closing the smaller Centres,
those same elements are involved in wanting RDA (NSW) to change so that RDA
(NSW) is converted to what may be better described as conducting a business.

RDA (NSW) directors, in addition to their roles as directors, are also
volunteers, each having a particular portfolio and/or tasks, as well as
being available, in their capacity of directors, to help Centres as may be
needed.

Under what the Board understands is being aimed at by those who want to
change the role and structure of RDA (NSW), is that directors become what
may be described as "fly in, fly out" persons who attend Board meetings
using reports which have been prepared by paid employees of the company.

The volunteer work that is now done by directors will then be done by the
paid employee(s).

The independent information referred to above which has been provided to the
Board is that each such employee will cost approximately $200,000 with
on-costs.  There would need to be at least one and up to three full-time
employees if the tasks of the current directors are taken over by such
employees.

There is also the potential issue of additional office accommodation and
on-costs which, like the substantial costs of wages, are not needed under
current arrangements.

Those additional costs can only be met by RDA (NSW) greatly increasing the
fees that it charges to Centres.

If the smaller Centres are closed down, this further increases the financial
burden on the remaining Centres.  What is worse is that it will also leave
many of our riders from those smaller Centres without the very important
support and services that these small Centres are able to provide to their
local communities.

The decision is now up to the voting Centres to choose between these two
options:

1.    Maintain the current reason for existence of RDA  (NSW), along with
the current structure and role of RDA (NSW) as a volunteer organisation
which has, as its main aim, the provision of therapeutic horse-related
activities to those who have a disability, with these services continuing to
be provided by volunteers at relatively little cost to the riders, or

2.    Change the structure and method of operation of RDA (NSW) by:

a.    Closing the smaller Centres if they do not make much money for the
organisation;

b.    Employing high-cost staff (including substantial on-costs) to do the
work that volunteer directors do now;

c.     Centres (and therefore riders) facing substantial increases in fees
to cover these additional costs;

d.   Producing a significant upheaval to the original concept and
philosophies of RDA (NSW) and its ideals; and

e.	Centres potentially having to justify their operations and
fund-raising activities to a company that appears to have, as its main aims,
the making of money.

 

The decision is that of each and every Centre to choose the future that they
want for RDA (NSW).

Does your Centre want to put riders or profits as its main aim?

 

For, and on behalf of, the Board of RDA (NSW),

Allan Burton,

Jenny Cameron,

Tracy Lucas,

Joseph Orland,

Jan Pike,

Clarry Quirk,

Olwen Smith,

Ian Travers

 

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