Minutes of Annual General Meeting:  24 October 2007

OPENING AND WELCOME
The Chairman, Mr. Cillie Steenkamp welcomed all members present, especially the new members who were not present at the previous AGM.

REGISTRATION OF NEW MEMBERS
The Chairman gave new members the opportunity to register as members and pay their membership fee for 2007/8. Three new members registered namely Mariana Agenbag Real Estate, Mr. Jannie Swartz and Excalibur Tackle.

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 15 DECEMBER 2005
The Chairman read the Minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2005, of which proposal of acceptance was seconded by Mr. Willem Siemens.

AGENDA

1. ANNUAL REPORT 2005 - 2007
The Chairman read his annual report covering both the 2005/6 and 2006/7 financial years. He explained the reason for an AGM not held during the previous year being the change of the financial year from August/July to March/February as was decided at the last AGM and subsequently resulted in a very short financial year starting August 2005 and ending February 2006.

He requested that matters arising from the report be discussed under General.

2. FINANCIAL REPORTS 2006 & 2007
The financial reports for both years were circulated. The Chairman shortly explained that reports show that expenses are covered by the income, which is mainly generated from the Fish Festival. Income from membership fees is very little, which leaves no extra funds for advertising or other projects.

3. AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION
The following amendments were proposed:

Par. 5.12 to be deleted as the Municipality rendering a tourist information service with an employee in their service.

Par. 14.1 “The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held not later than three months after the Fish Festival each year at a venue and a time to be decided upon by the Executive Committee.”

Annexure to the constitution: Proposed membership fees

Individual members: N$100.00
Single Holiday houses/Associations: N$150.00
Business members: N$350.00

When a person/company wants to enrol more than one business: (all businesses must be registered in that person/company’s name)

Two businesses: N$ 650.00
Three businesses: N$ 900.00
Four businesses: N$1,100.00
5 and more: N$1,250.00

The chairman proposed that amendments are accepted.
Seconded by Mr Willem Siemens.

4. APPOINTMENT OF ACCOUNTING OFFICER
The Chairman proposed that Malherbe Bookkeepers act as accounting officer.
Seconded by Mrs. Marie von Mollendorf.

5. COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH MUNICIPALITY
The Municipality requested a cooperation agreement with the Association and the Chairman shortly explained the content of the proposed Memorandum of Understanding, which should act as an agreement. The idea is that the Municipality and the Association meet on a regular basis to jointly plan tourism development in Henties Bay.
The acceptance of the proposed document was seconded by Mrs. Magda du Preez and signed by the Chairman.
The final document will be sent via e-mail to all members after it was signed by both parties.

6. MARKETING
Website: A tourism website was set up in 1999 by members of the Association in cooperation with the tourism officer that was funded by the Municipality. After the Municipality had a new Municipal website designed at the beginning of 2007 the need was felt by the Executive Committee of the Association for their own website that would focus on tourism and services provided by its members. This website was registered in April 2007 and members have the opportunity to have their own personal web pages at a required fee. Block adverts are also offered on the home page. Members are being kept up to date of decisions made regarding the website and monthly statistics. Members are invited to provide information for inclusion in the website.

Advertising: The Executive Committee decided to advertise the website address in various newspapers and publications and 6 adverts were booked in Tourismus, a monthly tourism supplement to the Allgemeine Zeitung that are distributed in Namibia as well as overseas. Editorials will also be included in certain editions.
Adverts can also be considered for Namibian supplements of South African newspapers such as die Burger, Beeld, Volksblad etc., providing that funds are available.


7. PROJECTS 2007/8
Fish Festival: The Fish Festival will be presented in 2008 on the weekend of 22 & 23 August.
It is suggested that a carnival be added to the festival. It was tried before but did not really materialize due to little participation of floats. It certainly can be tried again next year.

Angling spots: Mr Chris Theron of Roads Authority undertook to try his utmost best to have brown tourism signs put up along the C34, indicating ten of the most popular spots with the name of the angling spot and an indication that it is a 4x4 route before the December season starts.

Tourism street map: The Tourist Officer mentioned that the Municipality budgeted N$8,000.00 for the design and printing of a tourism street map, provided the balance be paid by private advertisements. The most acceptable quotation received was from Legends of Africa who quoted N$17,200.00 for 5,000 copies, including the design and printing. The balance of N$ 9,200.00 has to be made up of a minimum of 18 private adverts @ N$500.00 per ad. Members supported the idea and the Tourism Officer will proceed with this project.

8. GENERAL

Projects: Mrs. Trenckner asked what the Association contributed to the attractiveness of Henties Bay for tourism such as the cleaning of the beach. Regular clean-up campaigns are undertaken by the Municipality, local schools and private initiative, but unfortunately pollution is so bad that it does not stay clean for long.

Information signage in general: Mr Jerry Drake from Excalibur mentioned the lack of signage to inform and educate visitors to keep our beaches and desert clean and inhibit off-road driving.

He also commented on the absence of general information to visitors.
A vast amount of information is, however, available at the Tourist Office where accommodation establishments and other businesses can obtain copies of information leaflets to make their own copies for further distribution to their clients.

Recommendation: The executive committee will address the clean-up of beaches and information signage under the newly adopted Cooperation Agreement we have with the Municipality.

Road conditions and signage - Cape Cross: Mr Leon Swanepoel of Cape Cross Lodge mentioned that the road to the Cape Cross Seal Reserve is in a very bad condition and suggested that Roads Authority be requested to grade that section of the road.
The tourism signs on the C34 south and north of Henties Bay indicating the distance to Terrace and Torra Bay do not include Cape Cross and is confusing for tourists.

Tourist Officer already requested Mr Chris Theron of Roads Authority to include Cape Cross on those signs and also undertake to request him to have the road upgraded and regularly maintained.

9. ELECTION OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The following members are elected:
Mr. Cillie Steenkamp
Mrs. Henda Steenkamp
Mrs Pearl Grobler
Mr. Jannie Swartz
Mr. Leon Swanepoel
Mr. Simon McGowan
Mrs. Marie von Mollendorf
As Tourism Officer Mrs. Estelle Rubow is automatically a member.

According to the constitution the Committee members will appoint the various office bearers in a committee meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 19:30.