Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) SheetApril 16, 2007

PCAV Strength Returns

What is a Strength Return?

Each year, pony clubs around Victoria have to complete and lodge with the PCAV something called a ‘strength return’. The strength return is prepared by individual pony clubs and contains details of all club members and personnel who will be involved in the club from 1 July, the start of the PCAV membership year. Refer below to “What kind of information is needed to complete a Strength return?” for specific details of who must be included in the strength return.

Before lodging the strength return, Junior, Associate and Adult Supporters, must have successfully applied for club membership or renewal, and have paid their club’s fees for the coming ‘membership year’.

Note that the PCAV membership year runs from July 1st to 30th June. However, this is different from a club’s financial year, which in many clubs ends in February. (Consult your club’s constitution to find out when your financial year begins/ends.)

Whilst any fee that a club levies for adult supporters must be paid to the club, the PCAV only requires the prescribed fee for junior and associate club members.

The fees paid for Junior and Associate club members, cover the cost of insurance, the association’s administrative costs etc. The information provided by clubs as part of their strength return is also used to print new club member cards for the coming year. It is therefore essential that clubs provide the PCAV with accurate information.

Strength returns can be done ‘on-line’ through the MyClub database (see below) or by mail. If lodged by mail, the return must be accompanied by the applicable fees. If lodging on-line, the PCAV will create an invoice and send it to your club treasurer.

When does it have to be lodged?

Each pony club must submit its strength return to the PCAV before 4.00 pm on 15 June each year. Club members may not ride at their July rally unless the strength return is lodged on time.

What kind of information is needed to complete a Strength return?

Clubs have to provide basic details about all individuals who are part of the pony club. This is so everyone is registered with the PCAV, especially for insurance purposes. This includes junior club members (under 17 years of age), associate club members (17 years +), adult supporters, instructors, coaches and life members. Each person is given a PCAV identification number but only club member cards are issued to Junior and Associates.

The PCAV needs to know a rider’s name, address and date of birth and also the type of membership the person holds at the club. Before submitting this information, however, each pony club must have issued a membership application to each prospective new member and existing club members wishing to renew membership. Those wishing to join or renew, must submit the completed application form with fees to the club. The committee must then formally accept or reject each application. If accepted, the applicant can be included in the return. This means that clubs must receive the membership applications from its members, in plenty of time to consider the applications at a committee meeting, before the strength return is lodged.

Also, some efficiency/test certificate information for each rider is also required: in particular, whether the rider has successfully completed ‘D’ or ‘D*’. (Only the zone examining secretary can confirm the attainment of a higher-level certificate.)

Who has the information needed to complete a strength return?

Much of the information will be held at club level as well as on the PCAV’s membership database called ‘MyClub’. The club secretary and the club’s ‘trusted official’ have access to a club’s membership information. By law, club secretaries are obliged to keep an up to date register of their members. Clubs must record rally attendance in the register. The club’s trusted official is the person the club committee has agreed should be allowed to update information about the club on the MyClub database. Often, but not always, the person in charge of membership will also be in charge of updating the MyClub database.

As the membership year draws to a close, it is not unusual to have a small number of members who may choose not to renew their membership or who may decide (for whatever reason) to transfer to another club. (The former are designated as ‘non-financial’ members on MyClub.) Existing members who decide not to renew with your club but instead, transfer to another club, must complete a transfer application and follow the procedure detailed in the PCAV Handbook of By-laws .

What’s involved?

Around May each year, the PCAV sends all club secretaries a copy of the membership information held on the MyClub database for that particular club together with detailed instructions on how to complete the return. Clubs are encouraged to complete their returns on-line (see below) but can also choose to complete the necessary forms by hand.

Either way, the club secretary and treasurer need to plan ahead and liaise with each other to ensure the information required by the PCAV from the club is available at the required time. The treasurer needs to invoice members and know who has paid (and who hasn’t) and then give the secretary this information so that the strength return can be filed. Although this sounds straightforward, the deadlines surrounding the completion of a strength return can be fairly tight. Remember, those club members who have not been included in the strength return by 15 June, will not be able to ride at the club’s July rally as they will not be registered with the PCAV as a financial club member and consequently, will not be insured.

What do we do if our member’s register is incomplete/out of date?

Clubs are required to have their members complete a fresh membership application form each year. Consequently, contact details can be double checked and compared against the information held either at club level and/or the MyClub database. This must include a club’s adult supporters to make sure that the PCAV holds a record of those parents who regularly help out at rallies and other events and are therefore covered by PCAV insurance. This information has several important uses at Club level - to keep a list of emergency contact numbers, to capture email addresses and to draw up volunteer rosters during the year.

What are the advantages of completing a strength return on-line?

A growing number of clubs are choosing to complete their strength return on-line via the MyClub database. It is simpler and quicker for both clubs and PCAV staff and the opportunity for mistakes is reduced. The club’s ‘trusted official’ enters and/or edits details on-line for each member who is either renewing their membership or joining the club. If they have paid their fees to the pony club, a tick is placed against their name and when updated, the member then appears as a ‘financial’ member.

In accordance with the PCAV Rules of Incorporation, the PCAV requires clubs to complete their strength returns by mail or on-line by the deadline of 15 June. This then gives the PCAV time to raise an invoice for the fees due from each pony club; to receive these funds and then print out membership cards in time for the club’s July rally ie., the first rally of the new membership year.

Central Zone Reg. No. A0026915H