State Secretary 2009-10

Dear Fellow Uncle Bobs,

This is my first Executive Report as Honorary State Secretary. My name is Daryl Gates proudly elected as Honorary State Secretary at the Annual General Meeting on 11 October 2009. It is with honour that I accepted this role. There have been so many great Secretaries’ before me I pray that I can fill the shoes and expectations needed for this prestigious position.

I do not have a lot to report at this stage as I have only been in the position for 2 weeks when asked to do this report. So far, I have taken minutes at a State Committee Meeting. Thank you Lesley for back up. Lesley and Chris do a fantastic job in the office. My e-mail box is empty, I know that will fill quickly, my phone has not been ringing off the hook, and I know all this will change as you get to know me.

So I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am 51 years old. I consider myself to be a hand’s on type of person. If I have the ability I will do the task for you, if unable I will find a person or persons that can. I do not take kindly to the words it can’t be done. I have been on State Committee before, back in the 80’s when we became a company and served on State Committee for some years. The only reason I left was that I moved to Queensland. I can hear a few of you now saying I should have started a Branch up there, sorry to disappoint you all but I found it hard to get Queenslanders to donate to a Victorian Club, funny about that. Unfortunately, I had a pretty serious industrial work accident whilst working on a coal mine. At the age of 37 to be told you cannot physically do what you used to do hit me rather hard. I was determined this was not going to stop me, so off to rehab I went daily. During this time I also had a family separation leaving me on my own. Life was tough and I ended up moving back to Melbourne to be assisted by my family, this was hard to do, as I said before, I do not like the words it can’t be done, but I had to concede I needed help with some physical day-to-day chores. My children had also moved down to Melbourne and I wanted to be near them. I have 2 beautiful daughters 20 and 15 that both live with me now.

I did not handle it very well that I was unemployable because I have ongoing injuries and I had a work cover claim. So I formed a business, I am an electrician by trade and the business was testing and tagging of electrical equipment on the proviso I had a person doing my physical work for me. My partner and I have built such a reputation in the field that work has doubled every year and I have had to sell the business because I cannot keep up physically.

So that now brings me to the position of Honorary State Secretary of which I accepted to keep my mind active and to also help so many of you wonderful volunteers that give of your time so freely all for the children. I admire you all and am impressed continually by your dedication and commitment. I only hope and pray that I can do well in this position.

I will conclude this long letter with a word of advice. “If you don’t think you can make the meeting think twice because you never know what you will be nominated for if absent.”

Daryl Gates

Honorary State Secretary

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