Last Tuesday night marked our first official meeting of the year, and despite the absence of several members still on holiday, recovering from illness etc, our meeting was as lively as ever. We were delighted to welcome member Steve Payne and interested person, Timothy Grimshaw, who joined us online. A special thank you to Penry Green for the insightful "behind the badge" presentation, which offered a wonderful opportunity to get to know our newer members better.
Our last activity from last year, we had planned a Christmas gift-wrapping session at Westfield Knox. Unfortunately, on the day we were scheduled, the center experienced a power outage and partial flooding, leading to chaos. After waiting for about an hour without support, I made the decision to cancel our plans, as many patrons were leaving. I want to extend my gratitude to those who signed up to help, especially Beth and Julienne, who were present for the first shift. Westfield management has expressed their apologies and generously offered us $500 for the inconvenience.
The recent Bunnings BBQ was again a great success. Thanks to all that gave up a couple of hours to help. It was a hot day, but great fellowship was had, and the public noticeably enjoyed our sausages. I would like to acknowledge the support we get from Bunnings Bayswater and the opportunity for us to raise much needed funds for our community. To date we have raised more than $14,000 from these BBQ’s. Indeed a great way for us to raise funds!
On another note, I frequently volunteer at the Knox Infolink Breakfast Program and learned from Ben, the Breakfast Coordinator, that they need additional volunteers, particularly on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The breakfast runs from 8 AM to 10 AM, with volunteers arriving around 7:20 AM and finishing by 10:15 AM. If you're interested in helping, please contact me for Ben's details. Note that there is an induction process and paperwork required to participate.
Additionally, we were scheduled to run the BBQ at the Rally Retro Festival in February, but I received news this week that the event has been postponed until next year. The organisers will reach out to us again when they are ready to proceed.
Looking ahead, our next meeting will be a Vocational Visit to the Sri Vakrathuna Vinayagar Hindu Temple in The Basin on Tuesday, February 28th. We will not be meeting at the Knox Club. Dinner will begin at 6:30 PM, so please try to arrive 15 minutes early. Following dinner, we will have a tour from 7:45 PM to 8:30 PM. There will be a prayer at the Temple from 7:15 PM to 7:45 PM, which you are welcome to attend. Please remember that footwear is not permitted inside the Temple, so consider bringing a pair of socks for comfort during your visit.
Once again, thank you for your support and dedication.
