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SEMAC NEwS Jun - Jul 2026

Notes from the general Meeting Held 2 June 2026, 7:30 pm
Dingley Community Centre
Chair: Petro Georgiou

Attendance: 12 members attended (well done to the hardy dozen who braved the winter conditions).

Welcome

Petro welcomed the attending members and thanked them for coming to our June meeting.

Apologies

Eddie H, Geoff M, Rob B, Len S, Peter Z.

Business from Previous Meetings

  • The Minutes of the April meeting were accepted as an accurate record. Proposed by Paul D, seconded by Greg H, and carried by the members.

  • Business arising from the previous meeting is covered under the general business items below.

President's Report

  • ATCO Hut Installation: The small ATCO donated by Phil G has been installed on-site behind Len’s shelter. A huge thank you to Phil for this extremely generous donation. Thanks also to Eddie for the preparation work, and to Phil, his mate, Petro, and Eddie for moving the shed from Phil's place, loading it on the truck, and positioning it. A big thanks to Glen (MX) who came to the rescue to pull the flat-top truck out of the mud when it got bogged.

  • Heater Donation: Petro thanked David B for his generous donation of the outside bottled gas heater. Members held a brief discussion regarding its safe use.

  • Club Generator: The committee discussed the status of the club generator, which is potentially failing, and explored purchasing a new one. The committee has authorized Ed to purchase a new carburettor to keep it running while other alternatives are explored.

  • Club Trainer Aircraft: The club discussed acquiring a club-owned trainer instead of relying on loaner aircraft from Eddie or Mario. Gary C has generously offered a "bare bones" Boomerang trainer for club use. The intention is to set it up with a buddy system to train both Mode 1 and Mode 2 flyers. Len has kindly offered an old Graupner transmitter for club use.

  • Pit Access: The committee discussed opening another access gap and taxiway along the North-South pits fence line. Approval has been given for those wanting this access to proceed, provided the integrity of the fence is maintained.

Treasurer's Report

  • Financial Overview: The major outgoings for the past two months related to getting the ATCO hut on-site and ongoing field maintenance. A $400 payment was also made for a copyright indiscretion. Income was mainly generated from the auction ($1,500) held at the last meeting. Overall, income balanced out with expenditure for the period.

  • Field Maintenance: Fuel costs are expected to be minimal in the near future as Eddie has mowed everywhere and grass growth has slowed for winter. Field maintenance expenditure for the end of the financial year is currently well under control.

  • Membership Status: Current numbers sit at 44 Seniors, 1 Junior, and 5 Associates.

Secretary's Report

  • Committee Meetings: The committee met once since the April General Meeting on 27 May at the Dingley Hall.

  • Fees and Renewals: The VMAA/MAAA fees and insurance have been released for the coming financial year. Because there is no price increase, the committee decided that SEMAC will not increase membership fees for the 2026/27 year. Membership renewals will be distributed as soon as the form is updated. Notification will be sent out when online membership is active. Geoff M will adjust and test the system for the new fiscal year.

  • Meeting Venue & Costs: The Dingley Community Centre is raising its room hire fees for the upcoming fiscal year. It was suggested that committee meetings move to the field on the Sunday before general meetings to save money. This change will likely happen later in the year, as Petro noted the ATCO hut must be made habitable first.

  • Website Copyright Issues: The club received a demand for restitution regarding a copyright infringement on our website. This was confirmed to be a legitimate claim regarding the inadvertent use of a NewsCorp image without permission. The image was removed immediately, and the club responded noting no financial gain was made from the image. Following negotiations, the original claim was reduced from $525 to $400, which has been paid to resolve the matter.

  • Upcoming AGM & Absence: David advised he will be absent for the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 4 August. He will distribute the meeting notice and nomination forms early in July. Geoff M and Chris Z have agreed to act as scrutineers for committee voting if required.

  • Correspondence Inbound:

    • 5 emails from VMAA (including meeting minutes, reports, and updates).

    • 1 email from Dingley Community Centre regarding the hall hire fee increase for 2026/27.

General Business

Club Grants & Generator Replacement

Greg H noted from the latest VMAA/MAAA newsletter that seven clubs applied for grants, but only three were successful. He suggested a new generator would be an excellent item for the club to target in the next grant round, despite the detailed and time-consuming application process. David agreed, noting that grants typically target specific items and a generator application would stand a good chance of success.

Grants Officer Sub-Committee Position

David highlighted that the Constitution allows the committee to appoint members to special sub-committee roles. The committee warmly welcomes any member who wishes to step up as the club's "Grants Officer" to manage applications. Interested members should contact the President or any committee member.

Solar Power Options

David B raised the possibility of installing more solar panels and batteries to power an inverter. This system could either work alongside the generator or eventually replace it altogether. Further investigation and discussion will take place with Peter Z.

Water Tank Harvesting

The committee discussed purchasing another large water tank to harvest more water. The current preference is to find a quality second-hand tank if available. Because winter has arrived, this project will be put on hold until later in the year.

Can Recycling Initiative

The "Can Money" continues to roll in. The committee thanks all participating members for their efforts, with a special thank you to David B and Geoff B for running the collected cans to the recycling centre.

Supper

Pizza and soft drinks were enjoyed by all, with a $5 donation per person helping to cover the hosting costs.

Meeting Closed

The meeting closed at 9:00 pm.

Next Meeting (AGM): Tuesday, 4 August 2026 at 7:30 pm.
Venue: Dingley Community Centre, Meeting Room 4/5.