Volunteer with Us

The Secretary is the Custodian of the Committee’s Constitution and manages crucial administrative, legal and governance requirements for the Committee, ensuring all of our records and documentation are organised and up-to-date. The Secretary maintains the official register of members and volunteers and ensures they are onboarded appropriately. The Secretary handles the Committee’s statutory lodgements directly through Consumer Affairs Victoria (myCAV). This role coordinates meeting timelines, prepares agendas with the President and Committee, and records accurate minutes for prompt distribution and archiving.

Key responsibilities:

• Custodian of the Constitution: Maintains a deep working knowledge of the organisation’s constitution, advising the President and Committee on how rules must be applied during deliberations.
  
• Procedural Adherence: Responsible for official committee details; verifies that all committee resolutions, member voting, elections, and general meetings (like AGMs) follow exact constitutional quorums, notice periods, and voting parameters are met.
  
• Rule Interpretation: Acts as the primary internal reference point when disputes or questions arise regarding organisational powers, director tenure, or procedural rights.
  
• Meeting Coordination and Documentation: Issue timely notices and agendas for all committee meetings and the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in consultation with the President and Committee Members and record, update, distribute and archive accurate meeting minutes appropriately.
  
• Member and Volunteer Management:  Manages the onboarding process and serves as the primary contact for members and volunteers, ensuring smooth information sharing and access to communication channels e.g Signal Channels
  & Email. Responsible for maintaining accurate, up-to-date registries and correspondence for all prospective, active, and exiting participants. Coordinates the presentation of new members to Committee Meetings for formal endorsement, while securely gathering and archiving essential records including Working with Children Checks (WWCC), emergency contact details, and waivers.
  
• Statutory Compliance: Manage the association’s profile with Consumer Affairs Victoria ( via myCAV) and lodges the annual statement within one month of the AGM to comply. 
  
  
  

The Treasurer keeps the Association’s funds, book-keeping and taxation compliance organised, transparent, and safely managed through day-to-day bookkeeping of all donations, other revenue, assets, liabilities and expenses. This role directly handles banking operations, payments, and acts as a primary co-signatory for payments. The Treasurer ensures our team remains financially informed by offering strategic financial advice to the Committee, providing financial updates at Committee meetings, presenting annual financial reports and statements to members at the AGM and other regulatory bodies, and ensuring general Australian Taxation Office and grant record-keeping and lodgements are compliant with the Association’s obligations.

Key responsibilities:

Day-to-Day Bookkeeping: Monitors and keeps records securely on all incoming community donations and revenue and outgoing expenses accurately, ensuring all transactions are backed by tax-acceptable evidence e.g tax invoices, receipts and remittance advice and supports grant funding applications and financial planning where appropriate. 

Banking Operations: Manage the Association’s bank accounts,  ensure appropriate financial controls are maintained,  pay suppliers and invoices on time, and act as a primary co-signatory for payments.

Committee Reporting: Prepare simple, regular financial updates for committee meetings to keep the team informed of available cash, current budget limits and forecasted revenue and expenditure. 

AGM Presentation: Compile and present the annual financial statements directly to members at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to show how funds were spent.

Taxation Compliance: Facilitate and prepare records and documentation for Australian Taxation Office compliance, managing all grant funding records for acquittal, maintain assets and liabilities logs and profit and loss records and lodging financial reports, activity statements, and other regulatory and financial documentation requirements as applicable. 

The President provides collaborative leadership to keep our grassroots volunteer team united and focused on our mission and purpose. This role schedules and chairs all committee and general meetings, keeping discussions orderly, respectful, and centered on our agenda items and goals. 

As the primary spokesperson, the President represents the Association to members, the media, the community, stakeholders and partners. They support other Committee members by ensuring they have the tools to succeed, while overseeing compliance with our constitution to keep operations legally sound, sustainable and welcoming for everyone.

Key responsibilities:

• Meeting Leadership: Chair all Committee meetings and general meetings, keeping discussions collaborative, orderly, and focused on the set agenda and the Association’s overarching goals.
• Community Representative: Act as the primary spokesperson and the face of the Association to members, partners, media, stakeholders and the community at large.
• Team Guidance:  Direct, support and check in with other committee volunteers, ensuring they have the know-how, equipment, encouragement and tools they need to succeed in their roles.
• Alignment to Purpose: Ensures the Association acts honestly and follows its own set of rules (the Constitution) to keep our operations compliant and legally sound.
• Vision Setting:  Works closely with the Committee to lead the development of the Association’s Strategic Plan and other policy and operational instruments, actively communicates it to the membership and community at large. 
• Cultural Champion: Sets the tone for the Association by actively fostering an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming volunteer environment.

The Vice President works with the President to manage the Association’s daily workload and stands ready to lead meetings and activities whenever the President is unavailable. This role provides vital hands-on support to the team by overseeing major events, local projects, equipment management, and community safety measures. By mentoring new Committee members and helping review our long-term goals, the Vice President ensures strong governance continuity and a supportive, inclusive volunteer culture.

Key responsibilities:

• Presidential Backup: Step in to run Committee meetings, lead activities, and handle public tasks whenever the President is absent or unavailable.
  
• Workload Sharing: Work closely with the President to handle day-to-day organisational tasks and coordinate overarching group initiatives.
  
• Project & Event Leadership: Oversee major hands-on activities, ensuring community events, equipment management, and local safety measures are handled correctly.
  
• Team Mentorship: Support and guide new volunteers on the Committee to foster an inclusive, friendly, and collaborative team culture.
  
• Governance Support: Help review the group’s rules and plans to ensure the association stays focused on its purpose and community goals.

(Extra)Ordinary Committee Members contribute their skills, perspectives, and experience to support the governance, day-to-day operations and overall success of the Association, its purpose and its goals. They participate in Committee discussions and vote on decisions, participate in Sub-committees, projects and events, and share responsibility for ensuring the organisation remains inclusive, accountable, and responsive to the needs of the Association’s members and stakeholders. (Extra)Ordinary Committee Members provide vital hands-on support by attending and leading local initiatives, leading or participating in working groups and Sub-Committees, while acting as community advocates who uphold high ethical standards, maintain confidentiality, and deploy our shared resources responsibly.

Up to 5 (Extra)Ordinary Committee Members can form part of the Committee at any time.

Key responsibilities

• Attend and actively participate in committee meetings. 
• and vote honestly on group decisions to help shape the direction of our local projects
• Contribute to strategic discussions and decision-making. 
• Support organisational events, activities and initiatives. 
• Participate in working groups or projects as required. 
• Promote the organisation’s values and objectives. 
• Uphold good governance, confidentiality and respectful conduct.