The club’s annual general meeting for 2009 will be held at 7:30pm on February 25, 2009, inside the Football Club.

The importance of this meeting cannot be overstated. Current members of the Pastime Club committee, including our Treasurer Glenys Wilkinson, have flagged their intentions to stand down from the committee at this meeing. This means the club will not survive unless we have an injection of new blood.

Over the past three or four years, enormous steps have been taken to put the club back on an even keel. There was a time in the not-too-distant past when The Gap was facing potential extinction, but hard work by a small clutch of committee members first staved off that prospect, then put in place the firm foundations that should see the club flourish in years to come.

However, that hard work has taken a toll and after turning the club’s fortunes around, those responsible for this change are ready to take a step back. We need you to step up and take their places.

I don’t want to suggest that the committee is facing a mass exodus – that’s not the case. Some experienced and committed members will remain. But the club cannot function without a Treasurer, so that’s one position that must be filled. If you or anyone you know may be interested in taking on this role, DO NOT BE SHY. The sooner you volunteer the longer we can spend having Glenys hand over to you and the better prepared you will be. If you are interested, please email me at watt.stuart@gmail.com.

While clearly there is some commitment and work involved, I have found serving on the committee a fulfilling and enriching experience. Besides anything else I’ve learnt a great deal and those skills have often transferred into other areas of my life.

I don’t regret my commitment for a moment, and I have no intention of stepping away from the club at this stage. Best of all, if we can attract a number of new members then we can breathe life into that old cliche: many hands make light work.

I’m all for that!