On May 6, the Junee Ex-Services Memorial Club held its AGM where Club Members held board elections for the coming year. This is a yearly event with last year’s shaking up the board quite a bit.
The Executive Committee (by board vote held Monday, 11th May) was also elected, which resulted in Leo (Mick) McCarty taking the President role and Jennifer Duncan taking on the Vice President.
The 2026 Junee Ex-Services Memorial Board Elect is, with;
167 votes – Maree Allamby
163 votes – Jennifer Duncan
159 votes – Leo (Mick) McCarthy
154 votes – Elizabeth Cowled
139 votes – Stephen Orr
122 votes – John Lillingston
117 votes – Peter Mulcahy
There were:
1123 Total Formal Votes
165 Total Unexercised (Votes)
184 Total Formal (Papers)
3 Total Informal (Papers)
President John Lillingston gave a President’s report at the AGM, thanking the previous board, Jenny Duncan, Jonty Bruce, Bill Hulm, Mick McCarthy, Maree Allamby and Liz Cowled for their hard work, over the past eight months.
“I would like to officially welcome our new General Manager, Simon Broad, to our team, who joins Rebecca Jordan, our Operations Manager. It is great to see both Simon and Rebecca working as a team and introducing new ideas, which are proving to be beneficial for the Club. I know they have many more ideas that they have plans to implement in the future.
“I would also like to thank the staff for their continued loyalty and for helping to make our Club run efficiently and to be a welcoming venue.
“We, the Board, after much deliberating decided to close Harvesters Bistro, as it continued to run at a loss. The Bistro was put out for tender, and approximately 20 caterers applied to lease the kitchen/restaurant. A Sub Committee was formed to interview five applicants. We are very pleased with the successful applicant, Happy Soul Catering, who opened with the name – Happy Soul Bistro. We have and are continuing to receive, very positive feedback from the members and guests.
“As you would be aware, at a meeting on 18 March the members voted a new Constitution be adopted, due to the previous Constitution being outdated. The new Constitution is now in line with current terminology and relevant legislations covering NSW Clubs. A Sub Committee was formed in conjunction with lawyer, Tony Johnston of Pigott Stinson, the Junee Ex-Services Memorial Club’s law firm, to carry out a complete review of the Constitution. These members volunteered many hours for this project. The members were Kellie Whiles, Allan Tucker, Jack Curtis and Chris Paton along with Jonty Bruce, Rebecca Jordan and myself, also in attendance at the meetings.
“A further Sub Committee was also formed to carry out the interviews for the General Manager’s role.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of all Sub Committees for their tireless work and contributions, for the improvement of our Club. Final decisions were made by the Board following a summary and recommendations being provided from the relevant Sub Committees.
“Overall, the members of the Board and I are very happy with the way the Club has progressed since the last AGM. Financially, we are not out of the woods; however, have made a vast improvement in the eight short months to the end of the financial year. We appreciate receiving continued suggestions and feedback from our members and guests for our Club to show continual growth.
“In closing, we, the Board, would like to thank the members for their confidence and support shown to us over the past 12 months.”
The managers’ report claims the club stabilised operations during the years reporting period, with a continued focus on member experience, operational efficiency, and financial sustainability.
The report continues, “Performance across all core areas remains consistent, with improving indicators in member confidence and engagement.
“Day-to-day operations have run smoothly, with no significant issues impacting trade. The bistro, operated by Happy Soul Catering, continues to deliver reliable service and positive member feedback, supporting overall visitation and satisfaction. Ongoing maintenance ensures the venue remains safe, compliant, and well-presented.
“Staffing levels remain aligned with operational needs, supported by casual staff during peak periods.
Key workforce KPIs included in the report:
Low staff turnover within acceptable levels
100% compliance with required training
Consistent achievement of service standards
Bar and gaming revenue tracking in line with prior periods
COGS maintained within target
Disciplined supplier management and inventory control continue to improve to support margin stability.
The report said these key indicators show stable visitation and strong event participation.
The report listed some Strategic Priorities for the next period, which are:
Increase visitation through targeted promotions and loyalty initiatives
Grow non-gaming revenue streams
Maintain cost control and margin protection with higher focus on inventory controls and supplier management.
Enhance digital marketing and member communication
“The club remains in a stable position, with consistent performance and sound financial management. Focus will remain on strengthening member engagement and driving sustainable revenue growth.”
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.
We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.
We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.
Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.
If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.
