Local Are'Are Businessmen Donate Soccer Balls To Santos FC

Responding to Santos FC appeal for assistance, two local business Are’ Are men in Honiara have donated some soccer balls to Santos FC, on 11th May 2007.

Andrew Hanaria and Tony Tepe donated soccer balls to assist Santos in its preparation for 2007/2008 HFA DJ league.

President of Santos FC, Mr. Henry Kausimae received the soccer balls from Tony Tepe Director and owner of TM Internet café and Xerox photocopier and printer center, Honiara witnessed by club treasurer Mr. John Keniapisia.

Mr. Kausimae thanked Tony Tepe saying the balls came at a time when Santos FC is pulling together resources to properly organize the club for the coming season. Mr. Kausimae said the assistance would go a long way to helping young Solomon Islanders engage in worthwhile social activities.

Club treasurer appreciated the kind donations saying that all assistance in kind and cash would be recorded and accounted for in line with the club’s respect for transparency and accountability. He thanked both businessmen for recognizing their corporate social responsibility in assisting community activities.

HFA 2006 closing announced

I was priviliged to attend a special meeting of HFA executive today (31/05/007) whereby Nelson Boso of DJ graphics announced that prize/closing of HFA DJ league 2006 season will take place on 16/06/007.

This means that 2007 is close to a start and for Santos we should faithfully carry on with our trainings and preparations for 2007 HFA DJ league.

As for registration and annual affiliation fees for 2007, we now have in excess of $700.00 cash at hand. Both fees should be around $900.00. So we are doing fine in our preparations. Administratively and Management wise we are on track. I am also aware there are daily trainings at KGVI grounds.

Partnership for a successful Santos in 2007 and beyond is one of our aims.

From Club Treasurer - Mr. John Keniapisia.

Santos snatched $1000 in second prize

Santos FC walked away $1000.00 richer on 28/05/007, after attending a seven - a- side soccer knock out held by Lauru people in Honiara. Santos FC was happy to attend a worthy cause - fundraising to help victims of the recent tsunami.

Santos fielded two teams. Team 1 went out in the first round, through penalty shoot out. Team 2 went all the way to the grand final losing 3- 2 to Agfa Hana 2, a rival team in HFA division 1 2006.

Eleven players in team 2 shared $220 equally and the balance was retained by club treasurer. This money will be used to pay for 2007 HFA registration fee. Treasurer was thankful to players and management for working together in this achievement. This would mean that the club has assisted itself in paying for 2007 HFA fees, unlike in the past where outside assistance would be sought for this HFA fee. One of our aims is to help ourselves and then we can ask others to help us.

Thank you once again to players and all those who help in one way or another towards this fine achievement.

From Club Treasurer - Mr. John Keniapisia.

New Management Committee Elected To Lead SFC Into The 2007/2008 HFA DJ League

On 5th May 2007, SFC elected its new Executive Committee for the 2007/2008 financial year, which coincides or falls in line with the upcoming new 2007 HFA-DJ first league season – for office bearers, please refer to the attached Minutes – about 20 members attended the meeting. During the said meeting, the outgoing SFC President also handed a new set of uniforms recently sponsored by RAMSI to the new President and his new Executive – refer to the attached photo (Outgoing President in yellow cut-shirt and new President in dark grey cut-shirt, flanked by members of the new Executive in the background). SFC is ranked 4th in the 2006 HFA League.

The club was established in the 1980’s by some members of the Honiara- Are’ Are Community and had since then been participating in the HFA Leagues. The club has been predominantly made up of players and members of the Are’ Are Community and had been managed largely on an informal or ad hoc basis prior to the election of the current new Executive Committee. The primary aim of the club is to provide the opportunity for young and talented Are’ Are players who cannot make it into other football clubs in Honiara, to participate in a much more better organized and higher competitive football playing environment such as the HFA DJ League. However the club has an open door policy and welcomes members of other communities in Honiara and Solomon Islands to join in if they wish. The club had reached the Premier/Super League Division only once in the past and managed to survive one season only. So one of the aims of the new Executive Committee is to make the club qualify again for the Premier/Super Division at the end of the first season in Division 1 of the new 2007 HFA-DJ League and to remain in the Premier League Division for as long as it can take.

The club is also looking at changing the current name “Santos” with a new original name to reflect the members’ origin and national identity – a new club name will be decided at the next general meeting which has been scheduled in about three (3) weeks time. The club is looking at playing with a new name at the start of the 2007 HFADJ League first season. The club will also be adopting a new Constitution at the next proposed general meeting in order to address the said change in club name and also to guide and govern how the club’s affairs and businesses are to be run in the long-term for consistency and continuity of the club.

The club has about 30 existing members and about 20 new members. The club’s official training programme in preparation for the new HFA-DJ League has already commenced on 7th May 2007 – the team trains Mondays to Fridays from 5.00pm -6.30pm and on Saturday mornings from 8 am - 9am at the KGVI School south field. Currently, there is great spirit of commitment and cooperation being shown by most members/players of the club. The new Executive has assured the club and vowed that, with the cooperation and support from all members, it will take the club to new heights this season and that the club will one day in not too distant future will become one of the football powerhouses or a household name amongst the football fraternity and fans in Honiara, Solomon Islands or in the region.

The first meeting of the new Executive Committee will be on 13/05/07 at 1.00pm at Mr. Alick Ha’apio’s residence, White River, Honiara. The new Executive Committee is urging on the Are’ Are Community and potential sponsors to come forward and assist the club in one way or the other during the club’s upcoming fundraising drives to be published and notified soon.

The First Proposed Executive Meeting Failed To Convene

The Club's first Executive Committee meeting proposed for Sunday 13th May 2007 at 3.00pm at Mr. Alick Ha'apio's residence was cancelled due to lack of quorum. Only three Executive Committee members turned up namely: Mr. Henry Kausimae (President), Mr. John Keniapisia (Treasurer) and Mr. Augustine Rukarae (Assistant Coach). The rest of the Executive members did not turn up may be because it was the Mother's Day.

Anyway, Executive Committee members should be looking and listening out this week for further advice from the President regarding the new date and venue for the Executive Meeting. This Executive meeting must convene early so that the date for the Club's next general meeting could be fixed before the start of the 2007 HFA DJ League as there are very important agendas to be discussed and resolved.

The Clubs Official Training Times & Venue

Subject to the advice from the Coach and Team Manager in consultation with the Executive Committee, the current Club's official training times are as follows: Every Mondays to Fridays from 5.00pm to 6.00pm effective from 7th May 2007. The training venue shall be the KGVI School South Field or if engaged the southern end of the KGVI School Rugby Field, if not the KGVI School Cricket Ground. The Executive will be looking at entering into some kind of new arrangment with the KGVI School management for consistent and uninterrrupted use of its sports grounds.

Currently, the Club is engaging the services of Mr. Paul Ratu, as the team's physical fitness test trainer. Mr. Paul Ratu is currently the KGVI School P.E. Staff. The Executive will be looking into engaging Mr. Ratu also as the Club Team's Physio when the new HFA-DJ League Season commences. Mr. Ratu will be working closely with the Coach and players from time to time at the training venue.

In the meantime, the Executive is looking forward to receive and to endorse the Club's official training programmes/timetable/reports from the Coach in preparation for and during the upcoming first Season of the HFA-DJ League.

On 7th May 2007, the Club Playing Members were urged by the President to remain committed, focussed and faithful to the Club training programmes and to have discipline on and off the field and to respect the coach, team manager and physical trainer during all training sessions. The players were also informed that, the Executive will be devising a daily attendance list for the training sessions and its accompanying rules in consultation with the coach and team manager. The purpose for this is to assist the coach/team manager/Executive to keep consistent track of all players. The attendance list is also crucial for the coach and team manager in selecting the right deserving players for each match during the coming league.

The Club's New Executive Committee

On 5th May 2007, the Club held its first official General Meeting for 2007 and elected its new Executive Committee for the 2007-2008 financial year coinciding with the first HFA-DJ League Season. The new Executive Committee is constituted as follows: President (Henry Kausimae), Vice-President (Eric Waruaho'a), Secretary (Willie Waroka), Treasurer (John Keniapisia), 3 Committee Members (Willie Okekini, Michael Houkari'a and Apollos Inasimae), Team Manager (Tome Aruhane), Coach (Chris Asipara) and Assistant Coach (Augustine Rukarae To'imae).

At the end of the said meeting, the outgoing President of the Club (William Okekini) handed over the new set of uniform for the Club sponsored by RAMSI to the new President (Henry Kausimae) and his Executive Committee.

Under AOB, there was a lengthy discussion on the proposal to change the name of the Club from "Santos" to a name that is more refective of our origin or national identity. The name Santos is more foreign, noting it was first adopted for use from Pele's Club in Brazil.

The new Executive will have its first meeting on 13/05/07 before calling another general meeting of the club two(2)weeks after that in order to finalize the new name for the Club, to adopt the new Constitution for the Club (copies of which are now being handed out to the members for comments and review), finalise registration and admission of new members, renewal of financial membership of existing Club members, Club's programme of action or activities timetable for the 2007-2008 League Season and any other businesses arising.

Club members are advised to keep on listening or looking out for notice or advice to come from the Executive Committee or the Secretary in relation to the next proposed General Meeting of the Club.

Formation of Santos Football Club

The Santos Football Club ("SFC") was originally formed at Honiara in Solomon Islands by some unidentified members of the Honiara-based Are'Are Community in the 1980's. The primary aim for the formation of the Club, it would seem, was firstly, to provide an opportunity for the Are'Are football players in Honiara to participate in the HFA and SIFF organized leagues and conditions. Since its inception, SFC, has been from time to time managed by different members of the Are'Are Community in Honiara. There seemed to be no proper mechanisms put in place in order to facilitate continuity, consistent and transparent management of the club. Thus, there appeared to be no clear-cut goals, purposes, objects and vision for the future of SFC. Players, supporters and member have come and gone. Unfortunately, this had created a breeding ground for ineffective and inefficient administration and management of the club in the recent past. The Club had already reached the HFA Super League Division once in the past but due to the factors mentioned above it was relegated to Division 1 just after one season - since then SFC is still in Division 1 of the HFA League until today. In an attempt to revitalize the club once again, the Caretaker-Interim Committee has taken the initiative for a Constitution to be drafted for the Club - the draft is now completed and has been tabled already in a general meeting of the club held on 9th March 2007 for comments and amendments. There is now some positive signs that others who had come and gone before are now gradually expressing new interests to come back to SFC and contribute something worthwhile for the club- this is greatly and warmly welcomed by the club. Anyway, the Constitution is now ready and in place for adoption during the upcoming general meeting of the club on 5th May 2007. The Constitution is to be seen as the Club's Bible which should guide and regulate the day to day operations of the club as well as ensuring consistent existence and continuity of SFC into the indefinite future. Of course, members and supporters will come and go from time to and at some stages but Santos FC shall remain.