FOREST LAKE BRANCH OF
SENIORS SCOOP NEWSLETTER
August 2016
Editor: Christine White
Welcome to the August Meeting
Good morning and a warm welcome is extended to everyone at
our August Branch Meeting, we hope you’ve been keeping warm
and enjoying the winter weather.
Members, you may notice we have greeters as you come
through the door. Greeters are there to welcome any visitors to
our meetings. Some of our members have volunteered to be part
of our “Buddy System” where they help to make the visitors feel
welcome. The blue card with the smiley face placed on a table
indicates a visitor is welcome to join that table and will be looked
after by a volunteer seated at the table.
Branch Meetings for 2016 and beyond
The Management Committee has decided that Branch meetings
will not be held during the months of January and December
from 2016. We will, of course, continue our Christmas Lunch
tradition during the month of December. Most National Seniors
Branches operate in this way.
Do you know of any unwell Members?
To our members who have been unwell, we wish you a return to
good health. If you know of any members who are unwell, please
let Annette know on 38791212.
Awesome August Birthdays
Best wishes are extended to all our valued members celebrating
birthdays during the month of August. We hope you have a
wonderful day. Good luck in our birthday draw today.
Have you seen the new Noticeboard?
Please let us know what you think by placing a message in the
green feedback book located on the newspaper handouts table or
mention it to one of the committee members at
our meetings.
What's on Today?
Branch Meeting & Happy 5th
Birthday to Us!
Today’s Branch Meeting focuses entirely on
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our 5 Birthday Celebration. Welcome to our
new CEO, Ms Dagmar Parsons and welcome to our invited
guests who have played a valuable role in the ongoing success of
our Branch. We are very grateful for their support. We hope you’ll
enjoy a performance from members of the Forest Lake Choir who
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are also joining us today to help celebrate our 5 birthday.
Other Things Happening Today plus Reminders
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Wynnum Foreshore Picnic – Thursday 25 August.
Reminder: We are car-pooling. If you need to
arrange a lift please see the ladies at the Trip
Desk today. If you can take a passenger or
passengers, please also advise today. We’ll be
leaving Forest Lake around 9:30am and
departing Wynnum at 2pm. You can BYO lunch
or opt to purchase fish and chips at Wynnum.
BYO your chair and picnic rug and tea and
coffee will be provided by the Branch. A map showing directions
is available.
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Miramar Cruise – Thursday 22 September. The cost is $37
and includes morning tea and lunch. To keep costs down, we will
be travelling in by BCC bus. PLEASE PAY TODAY.
Whatever you are, be a good one!
-Abraham Lincoln
HAPPY 5
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Message from the President
BIRTHDAY TO OUR BRANCH! Time flies by when
you’re having fun – so the saying goes. We
have certainly filled the past years with fun
times and made new and lasting
friendships. Everyone has played their part
in the ongoing success we enjoy. I’m still
chuckling about the fun we had last month
and the great dress-ups and hilarity of the
morning. Our speaker, Jean-Michel was
very interesting and entertaining. Also thank you to the generous
people who put a donation in the Blue Barrel which assists with
purchasing items for the farmers’ appreciation packs. The Blue
Barrel is at our meeting today for the last time and the packs will
be out to the farmers in time for Father’s Day.
Regards, Dan
P.S. Remember to check your emails prior to Branch
Meetings for any updates and mark any events you’ll be
going to on your calendars
Recent Events & News 2016
July Branch Meeting - Our guest speaker was Jean-Michel
Ruinard who came along to talk about and help us celebrate
Bastille Day. It was a fun morning and the dress-ups were
fantastic. Congratulations to everyone for
joining in the spirit of the morning.
Christmas in July Lunch – A happy group of
86 descended on the Old Courthouse,
Cleveland after a nice morning tea break on the
Manly Foreshore. A very special time was had
by all enjoying each others company. Santa
(not telling you … oh alright, it was Terry!)
surprised us with some lovely hand-made gifts which were
beautifully made by the talented duo of Val Hannan and Annette
Weaver. The restaurant served us a tasty main course followed
by some very delicious desserts, tea and coffee. Who could ask
for more? Thank you to our raffle seller Barry and all those who
contributed tp make it a lovely day out. Congratulations to the
lucky door prize and raffle prize winners.
Monthly Coffee & Chat Morning
Our monthly Coffee & Chat was held over for August due to our
early Branch Meeting. Our next morning get-together will be on
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Wednesday 7 September at The Coffee Club from 9:30am.
Trips Calendar for 2016
The Management Committee thanks you for your support of
these opportunities to have an enjoyable time.
Reminder: Please place your name, full cost and trip details,
SPECIAL DIETARY AND/OR SEATING NEEDS on an
envelope, seal your payment inside the envelope and hand it
to the Trips Table. Full payment will be collected in 2016 at the
monthly meeting before the trip. Where possible, the approximate
cost of a trip is included on the calendar or will appear on the
Trips Desk posters. Trips Request: Members and guests
travelling on bus outings are kindly asked to leave the first two
rows of seats on either side of the bus for people with difficulties
and/or Committee person/persons who are required to sit near
the driver or tour guide. Generally, the seats required will have
“reserved” signs placed on them. If you have special seating or
food needs, or are gluten free, please let us know when you
are booking and paying for your trip.
Trips away for 2016
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Longreach, 13 – 16 August – FULLY BOOKED. Just ten
more sleeps until we head off!
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Ballina/Yamba, 16 – 19 October. $100 DEPOSITS
PAYABLE TODAY PLEASE. Accommodation preference is
double/twin share ($652pp) or single room ($787pp). The balance
is due at the October meeting. Allan from Granite Maxitours will
be our driver for this trip which promises to be a great one. The
itinerary has been released and expressions of interest were
provided at the July Branch meeting.
2016 Trips Calendar – copies of the whole year’s calendar,
February to July and August to December available today.
Whoops! Mistake in the original calendar handout. August
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should be the 25 , not the 24 .
What’s coming up?
August
At today’s Branch Meeting, members
are invited to nominate a member or
members for Management Committee
positions from our AGM to be held at
our September Branch Meeting.
Please consider coming on to the
Committee to enable rotation and to
give some members a break. It’s a very special day as we’re
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celebrating our 5 Birthday!
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Saturday 13 – Saturday 19 August - Longreach Trip is full
and the lucky travellers are just a little bit excited about this trip!
Seniors Week – What’s on?
National Seniors announces new
Chief Executive Officer
National Seniors has appointed Ms Dagmar Parsons as its new
Chief Executive Officer. A mechanical engineer with an MBA,
Dagmar comes to the organisation with an impressive 20-year
career in the mining and petrochemical industries.
To support the organisation’s advocacy activities and to ensure
its long term sustainability, Dagmar will grow National Seniors’
commercial operations. The appointment of a business-focused
CEO represents a significant shift for the organisation but
Chairman David Carvosso said the board was certain of the
move. “It is vital that this 40-year-old organisation is not only
relevant but sustainable into the future,” he said. “In a field of
strong candidates, Dagmar’s experience and strategic focus
clearly shone through.”
To further strengthen National Seniors’ focus on advocacy, the
organisation’s lobbying and media activities now rest with the
newly-created role of Chief Advocate. National Seniors’ public
affairs director, Sarah Saunders has accepted this position.
“Working with two CEOs, Sarah has driven our organisation’s
lobbying activities behind the scenes for over a decade,” said
Carvosso. Few people share her depth of knowledge and
expertise in this area. This dynamic mix of advocacy and
business sets National Seniors on powerful footings for the
future,” he said.
Dagmar replaces Michael O’Neill who was
National Seniors’ CEO for 10 years – thank you Michael!
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Thursday 25 August – Local Trip using your own transport or
carpooling to Wynnum Foreshore for a picnic. Please BYO food,
drinks, chairs, rugs and the Branch will provide tea and coffee.
September
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Wednesday 14 September – Branch Meeting followed by
our Annual General Meeting. Please consider nominating
yourself or another member.
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Thursday 22 September – Miramar Cruise. The cost is $37pp
and includes morning tea and lunch. PLEASE PAY TODAY. To
keep costs down, we will be travelling into Brisbane by BCC bus.
October
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Wednesday 5 October – Coffee & Chat Morning at The
Coffee Club from 9:30am. Please phone Ros on 3372 9432 to let
us know if you’re coming.
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Wednesday 12 October – Branch meeting with a guest
speaker.
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Sunday 16 October – Wednesday 19th October – Ballina &
Surrounds Trip
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Friday 21 October – members BBQ at the Lake
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Thursday 27 October – Tropical Fruit Farm Trip
Forest Lake Movies & Theatre Group 2016
Why not consider joining the group
and coming along to whatever movie
might interest you? Give your name,
email address and/or phone contact
details to Julie if you would like to
join us and Julie will let everyone
know when the next movie outing is
scheduled.
Did you know this about the Oscars?
The only movie to ever completely sweep the show by winning
every award it was nominated for was “The Lord of the Rings:
The Return of the King” at the 76th annual Academy Awards. It is
tied for the most wins of all time with “Ben-Hur” and “Titanic.”
Only two actors have been awarded an Oscar posthumously. The
first was Peter Finch at the 49th annual award show in 1977
when he won for best actor in "Network." The second was in 2008
when Heath Ledger won best supporting actor for his portrayal of
The Joker in “The Dark Knight.” (both Australian actors!)
According to Empire Online, an Oscar trophy weighs 3kg and
stands 34cm tall. The thing is really heavy!
Things you may not know about
National Seniors member Lorraine Horrocks
I was born into a family of four girls and two boys to George and
Ruby Shannon in Seymour, Victoria. Our father was in the regular
army and in 1953, the family moved north when Dad was
transferred to Brisbane.
We lived in Chelmer and my sisters and brothers and I attended
Graceville Primary School. I can recall the days of the pie man
parking his van outside the school on Oxley Road at lunch time,
milk in the little bottles at morning tea and riding my bike to
Sherwood State School every Wednesday afternoon to attend
sewing and cooking classes during the final two years of primary
school. I also attended Indooroopilly State High for two years and
finally State Commercial College in George Street, Brisbane (the
forerunner of the TAFE System in Queensland).
I met my husband, Ian, in my late teens and we married three
years later. We moved to Longreach where I was employed in
administration at the Longreach Pastoral College. Our eldest
child, James was born at the local hospital. Six months later, we
were transferred to the Gold Coast and our daughter, Alison, was
born two years later.
After ten years, we transferred back to Brisbane where our
daughter, Dianne, was born. Three years later we were off to
Rockhampton. We settled in well and I started work with
Education Queensland at North Rockhampton High State Library.
I had acquired library skills whilst in Longreach and thoroughly
enjoyed this work. It was at Rockhampton that I was introduced to
the computerised library in 1990.
Another transfer saw us back in Brisbane, settling in Oxley. Our
two older children remained in their jobs in Rockhampton and our
youngest came with us to continue primary school. I was able to
transfer with Education Queensland to Kenmore Primary School
Library where I worked for the next ten years. I thoroughly
enjoyed the interaction with the primary children and I learned
more skills with the introduction of the internet into state schools.
As our two older children joined us from Rockhampton, we soon
needed a larger home which brought us to Forest Lake in 1998
where we have since lived.
I was able to retire in 2005 and since then Ian and I have
indulged in our love of travel both in Australia and overseas. We
have seen the world from inside the buses and cruise ships and
intend to keep travelling for as long as possible.
Thank you Lorraine, for sharing some of your life with us!
Nos membres se amuser Francais!
(Our members having French fun!)
Activities at Settlers Village
Sewing & Craft Group
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The group meets every 2 and 4
Monday from 10:00am. This is a fun group
that you can join at any time – everyone
over 55 is welcome, male and female.
Crochet Group
The crochet group meets every Thursday
from 9:00am in the Settlers Village Community Room. Come
along for a cuppa and chat. Activities such as these are free to
attend.
For all your banking & home loan enquiries, please contact
Mark Newman at the Heritage Forest Lake on
(07) 37149399
Ooh La La, the outfits were tres magnifique!
Our
Website
Invite your friends to view our wonderful, informative website at
www.forestlakenationalseniors.org.au/
Did you know you can also access National Seniors Australia on
Facebook? It’s a great way to keep up-to-date.
If you are on email and would like to receive the weekly Connect
e-newsletter from National Seniors, login to the National Seniors
website by using your membership number and your surname as
your password. In the ‘Keep Up-to-Date Box’ on the right side of
the Home Page, then click on ‘subscribe’, enter your details on
the next screen and then press ‘submit’. There’s lots of
informative reading on the Connect site.
Members wishing to submit their apologies can contact Julie
32787274 or Val 33724405.
Meeting Venue
Branch Meetings are held at the Lions Soccer Club, 133 Pine
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Road Richlands on the 2 Wednesday of the month, except
January and December. The August meetings are held on the
st
1 Wednesday due to the EKKA public holiday. Sign in each
meeting from 9:30am for a 10:00am start.
Oh Santa, we do love you!
The Committee would like to thank the supporters of the
National Seniors Forest Lake Branch by photocopying
newsletters, meeting minutes and agendas, financial reports
and other support materials
Committee Members for 2016
“Never, ever underestimate the importance
of having fun!”
-
Randy Pausch
“It’s all about smiling, shaking hands and
having fun”
-
Tone Loc
“People want to be creatively satisfied and having fun
is an important part of that”
- John Lasseter
Dan Baldwin: President
Shirley Cawley: Vice President/Activities/Events/Safety
Julie Baldwin: Secretary
Val Hannan: Treasurer/Membership
Eileen Brown: Assistant to Treasurer
Annette Weaver: Providore/Tours/Welfare Officer
Merv Gibson: Greeter/Host
Barry Weston: Guest Speaker Co-Ordinator
Rod Humphreys: Dine-Outs/Safety Officer
Terry Weaver: Fundraising/Raffles/Tours
Lyn Martin: Providore//Activities/Tours/Events
Val Summerville: Branch Meeting Host/Co-Ordinator
Other Committee contact telephone numbers:
Val (Treasurer) 33724405
Annette 38791212
Postal address: The Secretary
National Seniors Australia Forest Lake Branch Inc.
PO Box 4530 Forest Lake Qld 4078
Website: www.forestlakenationalseniors.org.au