Meet the queen of clubs
Morawa farmer Karen Chappel hopes her young grandchildren - if they choose to be farmers - will have the local facilities available to play football, netball or tennis when aged 35.
But that, of course, depends on vibrant rural communities existing in 2050, with the associated clubs and services that make living in these areas attractive.
And the future of these regional clubs and communities in turn relies on the right support and people to hold official positions.
Mrs Chappel therefore wants to encourage and support people to become more involved in their communities by developing a toolkit called ClubsMatter, which includes a simple set of guidelines and governance principles for rural clubs and groups.
"It's about building skills and capacity in regional clubs and groups," she said.
"My vision is to see clubs - from the P&C and playgroups right through to sporting clubs - strengthen in our local communities."
Mrs Chappel believes there is the need for such a toolkit given there are many highly capable people out there, with the endeavour, but not the confidence, to take on such roles.
As a result, Mrs Chappel said the same people were relied upon to take on many jobs, and were becoming over-burdened, then walking away.
"Our regional clubs and groups are at risk, and these are the backbone of our communities. So it's really our whole communities that are at risk," she said.
"The ClubsMatter toolkit would involve a simple folder containing single sheets of information, covering, for example, topics such as how to be a treasurer, how to be a secretary, how to change a constitution."
Not only would it help and support people to become involved, such a toolkit would include information on good governance and ethical behaviour.
"A strong club with good governance has more opportunities for funding, particularly in this day and age when funding criteria is so strict," Mrs Chappel said.
She also wants to include information on respect for sponsors, many of which she said were taken for granted, yet were vitally important.
The kit would include some currently available information, which Mrs Chappel would filter and edit into simple language.
Other documents, Mrs Chappel would research and produce.
The information would be supplied in hard copy, with a USB stick also available.
The $10,000 bursary would be used for printing, USBs, four promotional workshops around WA and to have a local Perenjori consultant help to compile and type the information.
Although the information would be relevant to men and women, Mrs Chappel said she expected women stood to gain most given they generally lacked some confidence yet had the greatest time capacity to take on these roles.
Mrs Chappel hoped this toolkit would encourage other women to take opportunities and become leaders in their own right.
Her strong personal commitment to community is evident through the many positions she holds across various rural and regional boards, organisations and clubs.
These include Shire of Morawa president (six years), WA Local Government Association State councillor, Morawa District High School board chairwoman, and treasurer at various sporting clubs, including lawn bowls. Her many and varied commitments amount to almost a full- time load.
In the past week alone, she has travelled to Canberra with Julian Krieg for a rural financial counselling meeting in her capacity as deputy chairwoman, visited Geraldton for a WALGA Northern Country Zone meeting, for which she is president, and a small business development strategy meeting at the Mid West Development Commission, where she is a member.
In the same week, she travelled to Perth for a State roads to local government advisory meeting in her capacity as a WALGA representative.
"It's quite a workload but it's my choice to do it and I'm happy to be involved, knowing it makes my community a better place" she said.
