Vintage Magazine - April 2013 - Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago

MeSSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
CHANGES IN THE WAY
THE BOARD ADMINISTERS
THE AFFAIRS OF THE CLUB
i everyone. I am grateful for this opportunity
to share with members of the Retirees Club.
I hope that this message meets you in good
health and that you continue to be safe and Hsecure in these troubling times. A lot has been happening
behind the scenes since the last publication of Vintage. The
list of accomplishments has much more than I can possibly
include in this short article, so I’ll just mention what I
consider to be the most significant developments.
On the 28th June 2012 we signed a Relationship
Agreement with the Bank. We took this step in order to
ensure that the Club can continue to function normally and
with a minimum of disruption whenever there are changes
to the board of directors or when reassignments within
the Bank result in changes in the personnel with whom we
interface.
We have changed our Financial/Accounting Year
(previously January to December) in order to align it with
that of the Bank (October to September). The process of
making this transition to the new financial year resulted in
the need to hold two AGMs in 2012. At the second AGM
we passed a resolution making the appropriate change to
our constitution.
The switch to a new Financial/Accounting Year paved the
way for the Club’s first ever Budget Allocation which was
approved by the Bank on 7th November 2012.
The process of developing the budget
has highlighted the real costs
of operating the Retirees
Club and while the Retirees Board is thankful to the Bank for
its generous allocation, we are now also acutely mindful of the
need to supplement this assistance through self-help projects.
Stay tuned for our upcoming grand fundraiser.
The developments just mentioned have changed the way the
Board administers the affairs of our Club. The structures
developed will greatly improve the administration process
and hopefully make life easier for future Boards. At this point
I want to thank my fellow Directors for their continuing high
level of sustained performance. I am very lucky to be at the
helm of a team whose collective resources allows us to take all
challenges in stride. Good going guys.
I must also mention that the transition to working with a new
Central Bank Governor has been a very smooth and pleasant
one. Our Board met with newly appointed Governor Jwala
Rambarran on 11th September 2012 in the Bank’s board
room. Because the Governor was familiar with most of us,
the meeting seemed more like a renewal of old acquaintances.
The Governor endorsed the Bank’s strong ongoing support for
the Club and, coming out of the meeting, was able to expedite
progress on a number of outstanding matters.
In closing I encourage members to remain financial and
non-members to become members, The Board is now making
efforts to raise the profile of the Club through its advocacy and
its programme of activities and for this we need your active
involvement. Be prepared to answer
the call. Take care.
2 VINTAGE