Napier RSA votes in support of leaving national body in extremely rare motion

Napier RSA’s military members have voted in support of leaving the national body, the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association (RNZRSA), in a rare move that could save the club tens of thousands of
dollars each year.

However, a final decision is yet to be made on whether the club will withdraw its membership from RNZRSA.

That decision will be made only following negotiations between the two parties, with a final decision expected by June.

The club says it does not want its 108-year relationship with the RNZRSA to “end in a fight” and it is open to remaining a member of the national body if a new agreement can be reached, including reducing annual fees of which the club currently pays over $30,000 per year (or $12 per member).

The club says the move is not about saving money but rather an obligation to “ensure the majority of the members are looked after” not just veterans.

RNZRSA said it is “saddened” by the vote, but “it is their right to set a new direction”.

It is understood clubs around the country are keeping a close eye on the process, which would see Napier RSA become just the third club in the past 20 years to withdraw membership.

A shock vote was put to Napier RSA’s returned and services members (including veterans) last month and those votes have since been counted.

Seventy-four per cent of votes (140 out of 190 returned votes) were supportive of a motion to withdraw membership.

Under its constitution, only returned and services members could vote on such a change and two-thirds of returned votes had to be supportive.

The motion came out of a perceived lack of benefit to all members if Napier RSA remained under its current arrangement with the RNZRSA.

Napier RSA has about 2500 members of which 317 are returned and service members.

Napier RSA former CEO Craig Williams, who recently stepped down from the top job, but remains on the management team, said support from RNZRSA was mainly aimed at veterans.

He said that was despite all members of the club paying an annual capitation fee to RNZRSA.

“We have got 320 members [with] military service and we have [about] 2400 members non-military service, that’s mum and dad bringing their kids in for dinner or Joe Blow coming in to have a game of snooker. So, that is our business.”

He said they were considering taking on a new constitution, aligned with Clubs NZ, which he claimed would better suit their business.

“All the resources to be a better business sit with Clubs NZ who are more focused on basically a one-type of membership, as opposed to three different categories of membership [under the RNZRSA],” he said, referring to military and non-military members.

“Don’t get me wrong … the bottom line is we will continue to support veterans in every way shape and form.”

“We will still be the guardians of remembrance, we will still have support and advocacy for them.”

RNZRSA national president Sir Wayne “Buck” Shelford said the association was “saddened” Napier RSA was considering withdrawing its membership.

“Each RSA is an independent association and if they no longer feel connected to the RNZRSA’s core purpose of supporting New Zealand’s veterans of military service, it is their right to set a new direction for their membership,” he said.

“While we have received initial correspondence from Napier that they intend to withdraw membership from the RNZRSA, we have not had the opportunity to discuss any details.

“Until we have had that conversation, it would be inappropriate for us to speculate on what they might be proposing as a way forward.”

The proposal to withdraw from the national body also follows fallout from an article published last year in the NZ Herald, referred to in recent Napier RSA newsletters.

RNZRSA chairman Martyn Dunne made comments in that article calling for local clubs to better support veterans and avoid becoming a “booze hall or fellowship centre”.

He later apologised for comments made in the article that “caused some upset”.

Napier RSA’s new CEO Anne Woolrich said the club was already a paying member of Clubs NZ, which she claimed provided better support.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.