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Currently we are in the midst of planning Branch activities and speakers for next year - I hope members will enjoy what we have organised. At our January meeting we will have a member from the CFA talk to us about ‘Summer Fire Safety’ - coincidentally at the time of writing this report it’s our hottest recorded day for November. Finally I wish the Committee and members

I look forward to working together to make 2013 a successful year. Regards. Bob Goodyear, President PS: Thankyou to members who brought items for the Christmas hampers — we received a lots of goodies. Your support is appreciated.

Dear Members, The past year has been one of achievement for the Greensborough Branch. The AGM meeting en-dorsed the re-election of the present Committee and ever increasing numbers of members have attended our meetings, activities have been suc-cessful and well attended, speakers have been informative and interesting. The Dining & Coffee Clubs are bursting at the seams (especially the Coffee Club) and we have been able to visit many interesting venues. During the year a Lunch Club was also started up and this is very popular with those not wishing to go out in the evenings. Marlene & I have yet to attend the Lunch Club, but hopefully time will per-mit next year. The Walking Clubs are providing opportunities for members to become fitter and are well attended. Once again this is a club that Marlene & I do need to frequent and will be one of our New Year’s reso-lutions! I would like to thank all members who have organ-ised any of the above activities. Sharing the load certainly takes off the pressure of a few. Last month I thanked our members who coordinate the Book Clubs. Yvonne Schaller will continue to bring along the novels, however unfortunately due to other commitments Elaine Brook will be relin-quishing her role as coordinator for the craft books. Next year we will be asking for a volunteer to take over this role and hopefully someone will put their hand up! You only need to bring the books along to the meeting, place them on the table at the rear of the room and take them home (hopefully the load is lighter) at the end of the meeting.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Page President’s Report 1 Management Committee (2011/2012) 2 Branch Email / Website / Mailing Address Next Branch Meeting details Get Well Message From the Secretary Dinner / Coffee / Lunch Clubs 3 Walking Club / LIWG Branch / COBA Activities 4 Birthday Greetings Love to Sing? Walhalla Trip Article Treasurer’s Report 5 Walhalla Photos Notice Board 6 Advertisers 7

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Greensborough Branch Newsletter Branch No. 100133 Incorporation No. A0044936A

December 2012 - Edition No. 12 Editor - Marlene Goodyear

Not sure about the ‘Rockin Santa’ - I prefer my old photo. Must talk to the Editor!

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Management Committee 2011/2012

President/Activities Officer/Zone 121 Delegate Bob Goodyear 9435 2529 Vice President/Activities Officer Peter Oaten 9434 6795 Treasurer Lorraine Oaten 9434 6795 Secretary / Newsletter Editor Marlene Goodyear 9435 2529 Email: r.m.goodyear@bigpond.com Publicity Officer/Branch Meeting Manager David Hewett 9459 0653 Email: dfhewett01@bigpond.com Communications/Asst. Membership Officer Peter Maw 9401 6717 Membership Officer/Zone 121 Dep Delegate Ken Pickett 9435 0076 Fundraising Officer John Brook 9432 1695 Asst. Fundraising Officer Lois Williams 9435 4552 Speakers Sub-Committee

Bob & Marlene Goodyear, Gaylynn Pinniger, Jim Kindness 9469 4469 Welfare Officer Judy Harvey 9401 6752 Door Attendants/Registration Lynne Maw 9401 6717

Barbara Crosling 9435 5020

NON-COMMITTEE POSITIONS: Speakers Gifts/Door Prizes Coordinator Gaylynn Pinniger 9458 2603 Book Exchange Coordinator Yvonne Schaller 9432 3001 Knitting Patterns Coordinator Elaine Brook 9432 1695

Next Branch Meeting Tuesday 15 January 2013

9.30 for 10.00 am start

Speaker: Rachel MacPherson, CFA

Topic: Summer Fire Safety

To members who are unwell or recuperating,

your friends at the Greensborough Branch are thinking of you and send best wishes for a

speedy recovery.

(If you know of any member who is unwell, please contact our Welfare

Officer, Judy Harvey, on Tel: 9401 6752 or email: judyh43@tpg.com.au

Greensborough Branch Email Address: greensboroughnationalseniors@gmail.com

Greensborough Branch Website: www.greensboroughnationalseniors.com.au

Mailing Address: Box 838, Macleod Post Office, Macleod 3085

Greensborough Branch Email, Website, Mail

A big thank you to our Committee who assisted in organising our Christmas Dinner Dance. Special thanks to Lynne Maw & Lois Williams — their craft talents coming to the fore. Lynne also trawled the Two Dollar shops with me seeking out ‘all things Purple’. The Men’s Shed assisted us again this year and made fabulous Guitars and stands for some of the Elvis photos. Thanks to John Brook who coordi-nated this activity. Ken Pickett was our ‘go to’ man — he covered ham-per boxes, made rings for the newsletter, stands for the Elvis street sign & our car prop, painted the wooden Christmas Trees — nothing was too much trouble for him. He was very patient with Lynne and I as he stapled purple stars & records on the trees — just a bit to the left Ken, maybe too close to each other? How about we put a small star here?……I’m sure we drove him nuts. Committee members also took home hampers and props to mind so that we didn’t have to make numerous trips to the RSL on the day. They also arrived early on the big day to decorate the function room — couldn’t have done it without you! It was a great team effort. Marlene

From the Secretary:

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Please note that there will be no Dinner Club in January

The Dinner Club will resume in

February 2013

DINNER CLUB

Please note that there will be no Coffee Club in January

The Coffee Club will resume in

February 2013 Coordinator: Gaylynn Pinniger - Tel: 9458 2603

COFFEE CLUB

Thu 10 January - 12.00 noon Watsons Creek Antique Store Eltham/Yarra Glen Rd Watsons Creek (Melways Ref 271 E9/10)

Tel: 9719 7518 Contact: Eva Brealey - Tel: 9435 2119 RSVP: Thu 3 January NB: Please book with the contact person (listed above) as numbers need to be confirmed with the restaurant. If you are unable to attend, please phone contact above, or the restaurant (leaving your name) so that we will know not to wait for you before ordering.

LUNCH CLUB

Walking Club

Walkers meet at 9.30 am

1st Tuesday of the month: Kalparrin (opp. Skateboard rink).

2nd & 3rd Tuesday of the month: Henry Street end of Greensborough Memorial Park.

Last Tuesday of the month: Bottom Car Park, Lower Plenty Hotel, Main Road, Lower Plenty.

Exception to the above routine:

Branch meeting days - when the group walk on Wednesdays at Greensborough Memorial Park.

Confused??? … Contact Coordinator: Ken Pickett - Tel: 9435 0076

Low Impact Walking Club

NOT UP TO HILLS?

Walkers meet Tuesdays at 9.30 am at Willinda Park Athletics Track, end of Nell Street, Greensborough (except on Branch meeting days when the group walk on Wednesdays).

On the last Tuesday of the month the group meet at 9.30 am at the Lower Car Park, Lower Plenty Hotel for a gentle walk.

Coordinator: Margaret Lloyd -Tel: 9404 3393

An 85 year-old woman was particularly despondent over her husband’s death. She decided that she would take her own life. Thinking that it would be best to get it over with quickly, she took out her hus-band’s old army pistol and decided to shoot herself in the heart. Not wanting to miss the vital organ, she called her doctor’s office to inquire as to just exactly where the heart would be. “On a woman,” the doctor said, “your heart would be just below your left breast.” Later that night, she was admitted to hospital with a gunshot wound to her left knee!

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Branch & COBA Activities: Please Note: Activities for February and March 2013 will be listed in the January newsletter. Reminder to members: A deposit of $20/pp is now required when placing your name on an activity list.

LOVE TO SING?

“We need you!” Every Monday (except during school holidays) a small group of singers get together for some singing & socialising at the Macleod YMCA from 11.00 to 11.45 am. We sing a variety of songs — musical show tunes, folk songs, old favourites, spirituals, modern, even in Italian! Every 4 to 6 weeks we visit nursing homes (voluntarily) to share these songs with the residents. If this sounds like something you would enjoy, please come along. We welcome everyone (especially men). We are a fun group who enjoy a song and a laugh. For more information: please phone Nikki on 9431 3212.

Trip to Historic Walhalla By Patsy Coverdale

The boom times of the gold rush at Walhalla between 1862 and 1900 was the focus of the Greens-borough National Seniors coach trip on 22 November, journeying through Gippsland to the steep slopes and ravines where fortunes were once made and lost by eager miners. For morning tea we saw the Civic Gardens at Warragul, with its fountains and a walk beside the plaques of famous sports men and women. A trip on Walhalla’s historic railway took us back to a time without cars and telephones. After a bar-becue lunch at the general store we rambled amongst the historic buildings set among the mine tail-ings which the digging frenzy produced. Ned Stringer, a ticket-of-leave convict, is honoured there for his discoveries. He had died of tuberculosis from mine dust. A sample of Cohen’s reef in the roof of the Long Tunnel Mine showed us how 55 tonnes of gold was dug out, worth $US 3.15 billion in to-day’s currency. We had a very full enjoyable day together, appreciating our modern conveniences. See some photos page 5……..

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TREASURER’S REPORT Lorraine Oaten

Balance as at 01/11/2012 $12,863.12 Plus Income: Branch Xmas Dinner $1,740.00 Walhalla Historic Train $788.00 Cuckoo Xmas Lunch $2,213.00 Attendance $306.00 Raffle Xmas Hampers $200.00 Total: $5,247.00 Less Expenditure: Petty Cash $7.40 Gossip Printing $76.80 Speakers Gift $25.00 Activities refunds $143.00 Xmas Dinner supplies $326.37 Total: ($578.57) Balance as at 30/11/2012 $17,531.55

Some photos of our Walhalla Trip

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NOTICE BOARD

Are you interested in knitting children’s

garments or maybe toys?

Member, Brita Daly, collects knitted children’s garments/toys. If you no longer knit, but have unused wool at home, Brita would be happy to take this off your hands as she can give this to her knitters. Items can be collected at Branch meetings, or you can contact Brita on Tel: 9435 2816. (Don’t forget you can always borrow one of the Knitting Pattern books from the Book Exchange!)

Are you planning to visit Thailand?

Member, Marg Wood - Tel: 9438 4219, is a regular visitor to Thailand and would be happy to advise you on: • The best shopping places? • Where to buy tailor-made suits” • Pitfalls for tourists? • The wonderful, exciting experiences

you can have? A must visit is to Kanchanaburi (the Thai Burma railway, the Bridge on the River Kwai, tigers living with the monks, elephant rides & beautiful scenery). Do not pre-book a tour from Australia for Kanchanaburi - you can do so much better if you deal directly with a local travel agent.

The Fred Hollows Foundation uses second-hand spectacles and sunglasses to improve the sight of people in deprived communities in our Far North & Australian Islands. You can assist by bringing along no-longer-used specs/sunglasses. Cases for specs/sunglasses are also needed. Member, Lorraine Callow, will be happy to collect them at Branch meetings.

Spectacles & Sunglasses

BOOK EXCHANGE & KNITTING/CRAFT

PATTERNS EXCHANGE

We operate a Free Book Exchange on Branch Meeting days. We ask only that you return the books to the Branch when you have finished

reading them so that other members may have the opportunity to borrow the books.

(Tables are set up at the rear of the function room.)

Coordinators for this activity are: Yvonne Schaller — Book Exchange

Elaine Brook — Knitting/Craft Patterns

Members, please bring along your unwanted books.

BANYULE MEN’S SHED

Do you know men with spare time and skills to share? Men who enjoy tinkering with tools or getting their hands dirty in the garden?

Well, the Banyule Men’s Shed is looking to recruit men to volunteer and be part of the shed.

At the shed, you’re free to work on your own projects or help others work on community projects.

To get involved or find out more Call 9450 2000 or drop in any Monday 1.00 - 3.00 pm Cnr St Hellier & Edwin Streets, Heidelberg Heights

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ADVERTISERS

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