Entitlement and accountability on the agenda at Marist A.G.M.

By Thomas Airey 30 November 2018, 12:00AM

The theme of the Marist St Joseph’s Sports Club annual general meeting on Thursday was ‘We serve only the best interests of Marist, not our own’.

Re-elected club president Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio touched on this in his report to the AGM.

“One of our challenges or weaknesses, is some of the former players who have that sense of entitlement, that because they played for Marist they should get this and that,” he said.

“The legacy of playing, that’s something they’ll take to their graves.

“But what’s important now, is what can you do for the club going forward, can you fit in with the changes of direction we are doing.”

He said that over 70 members and associates of the club were present to express their opinions on how to improve things.

“This is the first time we’ve seen that many people here.

“That’s a healthy sign, a lot of our Marist fraternity are showing interest in what we are trying to do as a club.”

Members voted in the Executive for the next year, and confirmed former Manu Samoa 7s coach Tausa Faamaoni Lalomilo as Marist’s new rugby 7s coach.

“He brings a lot of experience, and demands a lot of respect from the players and members of the club,” Lemisio said.

This year will be Lemisio’s third as president of Marist St Joseph’s.

“We are starting to see some positive development,” he said

“Governance issues are important in any organisation, that was something we lacked in.

“We didn’t have audited reports until last year.”

Lemisio believes strong financial reporting is critical in building relationships with stakeholders and sponsors.

“We know they give up a lot of resources for us, it’s only fair for us to report back to them with how we use those,” he said.

“It’s an investment that doesn’t have a massive financial return for them, but in terms of seeing young people realising their dreams, that’s priceless.”

He said the audited reports are especially important given the assistance that comes from the governments of Samoa, China and New Zealand, using public money.

By Thomas Airey 30 November 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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