Bulletin No 14,

Transcription

1 Club Number Website: PO Box 138, Wodonga 3689 President: Matt Flaherty Secretary: Margaret Crisp Bulletin No 14, This Bulletin constitutes the Record of Proceedings of the club meeting held on Tuesday 26th. September, 2017 Rotary Monthly Themes: September Basic Education and Literacy Month. Program For apologies, guests, partners, contact Wodonga Plant Farm on before 10.00am on the Monday prior. Tuesday 3 rd. Footy Night BE s Peter s questionnaire. Also, Adam CCW. Peter & Helen McCrohan Ski Scholarship winner Tuesday 10 th Oct. Food Handling Certificate Tuesday 17 th. Oct. Geoff Vuglar Salvation Army Homeless. Tuesday 24 th. Oct. Combined RCWW. PDG David Cooke - Rotary Foundation & Polio Plus. Tuesday 31 st. Oct. Club Assembly Matt s Muster. Tuesday 7 th Nov. TBA Tuesday 14 th. Nov. New Members Night. Tues 21 st Nov Guest speaker provided by Pres Matt. Details to follow. ROSTER Tuesday 3 rd. October Tuesday 10th. October Tuesday 17 th. October Chairman Greeter Cashier/Attendance Sgt. at Arms Photographer School Wednesdays Clive Faul Bill Reynoldson Pres Matt Flaherty School holidays N/R. Ian Elston Robert Voss Henry Banninger School holidays N/R Christine Abram Henry Banninger Jurg von Jenner First week back? ATTENDANCE: Last week s 75.00% remained as is. Tonight, 12 for 60.00%. Apologies: CA, AC, BH, BL, GM, AN, JP and JvJ. Visiting Rtn: Trevor Brown RC Carringbah. (Christine Shields RC Greensborough) and her friend at Hollywoods). Rotariannes: Loretta Elston, Sue Nelson, Kay Pollard and Susie Rogers. Our guide at the Army Museum on Tuesday Major John Nelson (PPJN) along with guide Peter pictured over. Thanks to Pres Matt and PP s Marg (and hopefully Henry) for photos. Birthdays: Rotary Anniversary: PP2 4/10/77. (40 years) Anniversary:

2 We gathered outside the main gate to the Army Museum, Gaza Ridge Barracks, South Bandiana, ready for car pooling to go through the gate and proceeding to the Museum itself. We were met by Major John Nelson who issued instructions re entry to the base and then to drive to the Museum where we were met by our other guide Peter. Our initial group followed as above, and by the time we had entered and given the safety procedures (fire, emergency, exit doors etc) our later comers had arrived, with the last in the gate our visiting Rotarian from Carringbah Trevor Brown was great that he could make it and join us. We assembled in the Museum and our second guide Peter (pictured right with PP3 Marg and PE John W) went through the procedures we were to follow (As detailed in the Albury Wodonga Military Area Visitors Safety Guide) and then he gave us a general run through of the development of the Museum. By the time I had sorted our my recording equipment (I missed the very first bit) but recorded the development from 1970 on, and the amalgamation of all the Logistic Corps in 1996 the 11 Corps represented being centrally located at the Museum the whole collection of exhibits designed around those Corps. As we entered the museum Peter pointed out details of the first display, the 2/23 Infantry Bn(Albury s Own) /WW1/Boer War and the La Motte Weapons Gallery. At this stage Major John arrived and detailed the layout of the Museum, enabling us to move off at our own pace and look at and read about those particular areas of personal interest. John said h that he has 41 volunteers who work at the Museum 8 military staff (all regular Army, all part time and with a wide variety of military service experience). John said that they do all their own graphics, printing with all displayed material supplied by themselves. Keeps them busy and being part time they rely very heavily on their volunteers who clean, one guy on a Thursday comes in and does all the tyres- given that they have over 200 vehicles that s quite a job! They get some assistance from the Military. They are open to the public Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday s. Two Diggers from the Holding Platoon at Latchford do what John and Peter did for us tonight, get you in the gate, into the museum and assistance and guidance in the museum. Without that help they would not operate. Very little funding the foundation setup by the volunteers n- they collect all the entry money and money through the shop, donations etc and then the funds directed to John on a needs basis. The Army not involved in the funding, but they are audited through the State Auditor. The process gives them some flexibility with their monies. John explained the AG Clive was working, but would join us later at Hollywoods later. (We were also joined at Hollywoods by Rotarian Christine Shields (pictured left) and her friend Christine being the daughter of our clubs late District Governor Andrew and Hanna Rutkowski. We catch up with Christine and her husband at Conference each year and usually then featuring in our Bulletin with details of the Conference. It was great to see her she had called into the Plant Farm to see Geoff and Kay knew that we were at the Army tonight - as she reads our Bulletin on the web site. They joined us for tea. We were free then to look through the parts of the Museum that interested any group members. Some of the areas that I looked at in particular follow: The La Motte Weapons Gallery. In particular Susie and I listened to the audio that accompanied the model of the drip rifle that the Diggers used to enable some 85,000 soldiers to be evacuated from Gallipoli

3 without the loss of one life. When Johnny Turk checked all they found were empty trenches and rifles fired by water dripping into the tin below. The inventor (Bill mixed the surname) was later awarded a medal recognising his great contribution. The drip rifle display was accompanied by an audio explaining its operation. The section of the Museum dedicated to the work of the nurses their uniforms, equipment. One of Marg s photographs of an old ambulance in the display below. The Victoria Cross recipients. Audio and visual details of all VC winners up to today. The Furphy water carrier originating in Shepparton pictured below right. The motor vehicle section ranging from cars light trucks, heavy trucks and the really equipment in the outside garage area that John took us out to see. (I can remember seeing I recon the Ford LTD on display retired because of its size and inefficient fuel usage). The size and damage done by an IED in Afghanistan two damaged vehicle displayed as is, with whole sections blown apart. John spoke about how the IED s were set and used to take out the most important vehicle in a convoy their intelligence complex and deadly. Quite unbelievable. The field artillery with John explaining what today s weapons can do - over 50kms with rocket assistance. The T34 tank with John explaining how it was gifted to Canberra for the War Memorial. Unloaded on the dock in Sydney with all the weaponry still inside the tank, fully bombed, with 75mm shells, machine gun ammunition! Delivered straight from a warehouse in Russia to Australia. The War Memorial didn t want it, so ended up here in Bandiana. A Russian chap has been twice to the Museum he used to drive a tank like this one. To drive, the driver used a mallet (still in place next to the driving position) to change gears!!! The driver s helmet was there too. John called us all together at the end. We assembled where normally a sculpture of a horse built out of all weapon parts and left over bits is usually displayed. On its way to WA at present for a SAS reunion, (cut into 3 to transport it is so big) but will be back because of the attachment to the RAEME Corps associated with them and all visitors in future will see Harry the Warhorse when he comes back. We saw a photo of the sculpture. Close to time so we thanked John and Peter for their time, with Pres Matt thanking them for their time to be with us tonight. We then headed to Hollywoods for our evening meal. AG Clive was there to meet us along with Christine and her friend in Wodonga for a few days and hopefully following a photo that she took of our group at Hollywoods.

4 Out initial group (eg those on time!!!) outside the gate ready to enter the Museum. Pictured right Rotariannes Loretta and birthday girl Sue. Evidently Major John didn t seize the opportunity to take Sue out for tea at Hollywoods with us lot!!! PP Henry BANNINGER S Thought for the week Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow. -- Mary Anne Radmacher - Author and Artist CLUB VENUE TIME DAY Albury Albury Golf Club, Albury for 6.15pm Monday Albury/ Hume Albury Club, Albury 12.45pm Wednesday Albury North Albury North Sports Club, Albury North 5.30 for 6.00pm Tuesday Albury West Albury Club, Albury 6.00pm Wednesday A/W Sunrise La Maison Café, Lincoln Causeway 6.45am Wednesday Belvoir Wodonga Steakpit, Elgin Boulevarde, Wodonga 6.00 for 6.30pm Wednesday Bellbridge/Lake Hume Thurgoona Golf Club, Thurgoona 6.30 for 7.00pm Tuesday Corowa Corowa RSL Club 6.30 for 7.00pm Thursday Holbrook Holbrook RSL Club 6.30 for 7.00pm Thursday Lavington Albury North Sports Club, Albury North 12.30pm Tuesday Rutherglen Victoria Hotel, Rutherglen 6.30pm Wednesday Tallangatta Victoria Hotel, Tallangatta 6.30 for 7.00pm Monday Wodonga West The Golf Club, Wodonga for 6.30pm Thursday Moved that Bulletin No. 14 is a record of the meeting held on 26/9/17. Moved:... Seconded:... Signed:... Signed:...

5 If you get a chance check out the display windows in the Coles wall in High Street. Featured at present - Wodonga Council s Red Carpet Youth Awards. Bit hard to see but PP2 Ian featured in the photo above! BE /PR. SEPTEMBER Club Calendar MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN O&M footy gates. MF and JR. 4 5 Club Elgins. Melissa Hebbard - Trachoma 11 Probus Club Yackandandah meeting for 10.30am 12 Club Elgins. Ricahard Brown Black Dog Inst. 6 Program.MC 13 Program. IE 7 8 ANZ bank BBQ MC, IE and JN. 9 Bunnings BBQ Arnolds BBQ JR, RV, MC, JW, maybe BR BBQ set up at Jelbart 3.30pm+ Helpers welcome. 10 (Need to swap Arnolds BBQ) 17 Jelbart Park Soccer BBQ all day. 7.30am start to 4.00 ish Club mtg at Elgins. Board meeting with DG prior-then DG s Official Club Visit Visit Army Museum. Meal to follow at Hollywoods. 20 Program last for term. 27 NR Probus Club for Yack. Proposed mtg 10.30am