Volleyball has been played in regional Victoria since the early-1960’s. During those early days, most competitions, like the founders of our great sport, were run by, or in conjunction with, the YMCA. Competitions were running at the Ballarat School of Mines and the YMCA’s of Bendigo, Geelong and Warrnambool. In August 1966, an invitation was extended by the Victorian Amateur Volleyball Association to play in the first State-wide event at Monash University. Geelong and Bendigo accepted the invitation with Melbourne represented by Sisu. For Bendigo players at least, this was the first exposure to ‘international rules’, which prevented upward scoops with open hands, introduced an action called a ‘dig’ and seemed to penalise most overhead actions using the fingers as ‘double hits’! Over the next few years, the sport expanded through the YMCA movement with weekly competitions starting up in Ararat, Warrnambool and Latrobe Valley. The Victorian Regional Council of YMCA’s proposed the first Victorian YMCA Championship in Warrnambool on 30th March 1968 with an entry fee of $4.00 per team. The sport continued to grow with additional regional associations affiliating with the Victorian Amateur Volleyball Association (now VVI) who provided the coaching and refereeing assistance needed to raise the standard of play. In 1970, the YMCA Championships started to give way to the Victorian Country Championships with the first ever event held in Bendigo. In 1973, a re-organisation of the VAVA saw the proposal to create separate Victorian Country and Metropolitan Volleyball Councils. The VCVC was established in 1974 and took over the organisation of the Victorian Country Championships. For the next 10-12 years, the Country Championships grew in stature with the inclusion of two divisions for open men and women and junior divisions for boys and girls. Representative teams successfully contested Australian Country Championships between Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales on several occasions. In October 1985, the VCVC voluntarily wound up the Council and handed the responsibility for the Country Championships back to Volleyball Victoria, who by that time had full-time State Executive and Coaching Directors. Since that time, the Long Weekend in June has continued to be the date of the major annual volleyball event for most regional associations, even though in 1986 the Junior Country Championships were wound up in favour of state and national schools events. A number of regional associations have ceased to exist, as have a number of regional tournaments. Regional leagues were created in both the Gippsland and Central, North-West regions, with Gippsland the only one to survive. Some associations have successfully competed in the State League competitions at various times. Following the experience gained by a number of regional administrators working on the Sydney Olympic Games, a proposal to revamp the Victorian Country Championship was put to VVI in early 2002. Later that year, the Volleyball Victoria Country Championships Commission was formed to implement the recommendations of the review and take control of the event into the future. These championships now provide regional players and officials an opportunity to participate in a consistently well-managed event, using many international protocols and a high standard of presentation. Without doubt, this event now ranks as one of the best volleyball events in Australia. Source: 2022 Country Championship regulations The management of the Country Championships by the Victorian Country Championship Commission certainly achieved the objective of raising the standard of presentation, and delivering a consistently high quality event. However, the demands on Host Associations began to take their toll, with several Associations declining the opportunity to host the event due to the high workload. Similarly, the workload of the volunteer Commissioners also took its toll, with the Commission unable to fill casual vacancies. In 2023, the Commission handed the organisation of the Championships back to VVI, who with paid staff, were better equipped to manage the event.This item contains Correspondence of the Council in 1980 and reports on the Country Chamionships for that year; it include. the following documents: 11171.19a VAVA Special Executive Meeting Minutes Feb 1980 11171.19b VAVA Special Executive Meeting Minutes Feb 1980 11171.19c VAVA Executive Meeting Minutes Feb 1980 11171.19d VAVA Statement of Account Feb 1980 11171.19e VCVC Meeting Minutes April 1980 11171.19f VAVA Executive Meeting Minutes March 1980 11171.19g VAVA Planning Meeting April 1980 11171.19h VCVC AGM June 1980 11171.19i VAVA Executive Council Meeting May 1980 11171.19j VAVA Executive Council Planning Meeting May 1980 11171.19k VAVA Executive Council Meeting June 1980 11171.19l VAVA Executive Council Meeting May 1980 11171.19m VAVA Executive Council Meeting July 1980 11171.19n VAVA Committee Listings Aug 1980 11171.19o VAVA Financial Statement Oct 1980 11171.19p VCVC two day conference minutes Oct 1980 11171.19q VAVA Executive meeting minutes Nov 1980 11171.19r Colour Map of South Australia showing where Volleyball is played 11171.19s VCVC Meeting minutes Dec 1980 at Moe 11171.19t VAVA Meeting minutes Dec 1980 11171.19u VCVC Letter from Secretary re petty cash 11171.19v Victorian Olympic Council re applicants for Promotions Officer 11171.19w VCVC Letter to the Phillip Island District Amateur Volleyball Association 11171.19x VAVA Victorian U15 Boys Selection Trials 11171.19y VCVC Executive Listings 11171.19z VAVA Volleypak Insurance fundraising scheme 11171.19aa VAVA Victorian U15 girls selection trials 11171.19ab Australia Post Box details 11171.19ac Sports Federation of Victoria Newsletter Feb 1980 11171.19ad VAVA 1980 Calendar 11171.19ae Letter to VCVC President Malcolm Darby re meetings 11171.19af Victorian High Schools' Sports Association selection trials 11171.19ag Sports Federation of Victoria Newsletter for March 11171.19ah Thank you letter from World sports Expo 11171.19ai Rebound Marketing proposal 11171.19aj Kyneton Amateur Volleyball Association Rule Book Request 11171.19ak VAVA to President Malcolm Darby re U17 Country Championships 11171.19al Greater Melbourne Volleyball Council re Veteran Championship 1980 11171.19am Bendigo YMCA Volleyball association registration of team colours 11171.19an Seymour Amateur Volleyball Association re monies owed 11171.19ao VCVC Balance Sheet 1980 11171.19ap VCVC to Secretary from Treasurer re monies outstanding 11171.19aq VCVC Record Secretary's annual report June 1980 11171.19ar VAVA re Personal Accident Cover 11171.19as VAVA Constitution revision Sept 1979 11171.19at U20 Men's Match Report 11171.19au The Sports Adminiastrtion Newsletter April 1980 11171.19av The Sports Adminiastrtion Newsletter May 1980victorian country volleyball council, vcvc, victorian amateur volleyball association, volleyball victoria