In other words, ‘Do we have a deal for you!’
As the principal Australian organisation dedicated to promoting the science and art of rangeland management and engaging national and international audiences to their cause, the Australian Rangelands Society (ARS) offers several wonderful opportunities.
Despite relying largely on volunteers, albeit with a passion for the rangelands, to provide a range of services, the Society punches above it’s weight in terms of engagement and education. There are a lot of benefits from being involved in the running of the Society; including learning more about the rangelands and its people, gaining an insight into the governance of a not-for-profit organisation, building a wider network of contacts amongst the rangeland community, and influencing the direction for the Society.
The coming years will be exciting ones for the ARS. In 2025, there will be the XIIth International Rangeland Congress in Adelaide. This coincides with the 50th birthday for the ARS. And in 2026, we will be celebrating the ‘International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists’ with a number of activities.
In May 2023, we will be looking for people to help out in two important roles. If you interested in making a valuable contribution both to the Society specifically and rangeland matters more generally, why not put in an expression of interest to for one of these roles?
Finance and Audit Officer and Director of the ARS
‘Finance and Audit Officer’ is really a fancy phrase for Treasurer! Don Burnside has been in this role since May 2015, but he needs to step down after his 8-year term on Council ends at the AGM in May 2023.
The F&A Officer carries out all the normal functions of a Treasurer – in short, the person ‘looks after the money’ for the Society, and provides reports to Council, ARS members and the regulatory authorities (e.g. ASIC) as required. The person also supervises the annual Audit and preparation of the Annual Report.
The Finance and Audit Officer will also be a member of the Council, and will be one of the three Directors of the Society, together with the President and the Secretary.
Don’t be daunted by the workload- all the procedures and protocols are already in place as well as a quality long term support team.
It is estimated that the time spent on managing the finances and related Council matters is approximately 4 hours/week.
If you are interested, please contact Don Burnside (don.burnside@iinet.net.au and 0427 357 982). He can also give you a candid insight into exactly what’s involved!
Subscription Officer
We also need a person who is keen to take on the role of the Subscription Officer for an initial term of three years. The Subscription Manager looks after the Society’s Membership Register and carries out the following functions. .
- Manage annual and three-yearly subscriptions paid by members;
- Welcome new members to the Society on behalf of the President;
- Overview ARS membership trends and issues by maintaining a membership database.
- Maintain a list of members’ email addresses so that occasional notices can be circulated to members.
- Identify and lead initiatives to attract and retain members.
- Report on membership issues to Council bi-monthly and annually to members.
It’s estimated the role involves around 10 hours/week in the early part of the membership/calendar year. Thereafter, it is around 5 hours/week. And …. we are currently making changes to the membership system which we expect will make the work easier in future.
A modest remuneration is paid for the performance of this role, which can be negotiated.
If you are interested, please contact Don Burnside (don.burnside@iinet.net.au and 0427 357 982)