A message from the new President, Duncan Leys

By Duncan Leys, Glebe Society President, Bulletin 8 of 2023 (October)

For those members of the Society who were not at the Annual General Meeting I would like to repeat some of my remarks on my election to the presidency of the Glebe Society.

It’s a great honour to have been asked to take on the presidency of the Glebe Society. It’s an honour which I feel I have not yet earned, and I commit to working towards earning my stripes over my term. I have been a member of the management committee for less than a year. During that short time, I have been amazed at the talent and capacity of the members of the management committee.

The Society is blessed to have people such as Ian Stephenson whose knowledge of and commitment to Glebe has no limits. While Ian had to step down as President after completing his term, he will remain on the Planning and Heritage subcommittees – and that’s good news.

Three members of the management committee, Brian Fuller, Janet Wahlquist, and Tamira Stevenson stood down at the AGM. Brian Fuller’s work reviewing the DAs was impressive and we will miss him. Janet Wahlquist, a former president, played an active role in the effort to save and re-purpose the Glebe Island Bridge. I shall miss the opportunity to learn more from her knowledge and experience. We are looking for members to take on specialist roles in Environment and the Glebe Island Bridge.

I took the opportunity to thank the members of the management committee who are continuing: Mark Stapleton, Mary-Beth Brinson, Jude Paul, Jane Gatwood, Louis Taborda and Allan Hogan. Allan Hogan’s work on the Bulletin produces a newsletter full of interest and I read each edition from cover to cover. Allan is holding the editorship temporarily and we need to find an understudy and ultimately a replacement. Allan works with a dedicated editorial team: Tarny Burton, Sarah Fogg, and Virginia Simpson-Young. Andrew Wood’s work on the Blue Wren Subcommittee, the environment and The Hill is so impressive. How can one person know so much?

We have three people joining the management committee – Angela Callinan, Glen Powell and Tim Hesketh – and we welcome them. See page 6 of this Bulletin for their bios.

I’m very fortunate that so many members of the management committee, past and present, have reached out to me offering advice and support.

I have learnt over my life that when you take on a new role it’s best to say very little, listen and observe a lot. To this end, I have been meeting members who may be described as backroom people who make the Glebe Society function. I have also begun reaching out to introduce myself to people and organisations with whom we share common interests or operate in the same space.

There is much to do.