Club History 2008 – 2012

2008

The program for the Club’s activities for 2008

The Club’s 15th anniversary year encompasses all of our annual events as well as the Club’s 15th birthday party.

Theo’s president’s report covers the year and includes that Gerry and May’s 60th wedding anniversary was also celebrated.

The recipients of the Meritorious Service Award for 2008 were Gerry Smith and Tom Kelly.

The result of the election of office bearers for the ensuing year was

President: Theo Schutz

ice President: Jean Swindley

Secretary: Sylvia Hawkins

Treasurer: Colin Pearson

Committee Members: Jenny Schutz, Gerry Smith, Barbara Williams, Margaret Hayes, Sue Carroll

2009

2009 became a very busy one for Jean Swindley, as Vice President, and the Committee, for Theo was once again admitted to hospital in a very serious condition.

The program for 2009 was presented and accepted.

The recipient for the Meritorious Services Award was a delighted Gloria Gustard.

After a success in the Sarc. Challenge with the Sapphire Coast Orchid Club the club continued in a very festive way with the annual Christmas party held this year at Deidre and Ian Girdler’s home.

Theo was able to chair the AGM on 11th November 2009 where the results of office bearers were

President: Don Hayes

Vice President: Tony Groube

Secretary: Sylvia Hawkins

Treasurer: Colin Pearson

Committee Members: Barbara Williams, Jean Swindley, Sue Carroll, Liz Cleaver, Kevin Ward

The motion that the Club show their appreciation to former Committee Members Theo and Jenny Schutz and Margaret Hayes for the magnificent jobs they have performed over many years was supported by extended acclamation.

2010

The speaker for the February 2010 meeting was Eddie Ruiz he spoke and demonstrated the art of mounting orchids.

The year’s program flashed by with Neville Roper and Stephen Stebbings entertaining the Members and the visitors from neighbouring Orchid Clubs at the weekend workshop in March at Moruya.
On the 10th April the club joined the community in a Family Day at the Moruya Racecourse where assistance was given to raise funds for the Moruya hospital.
The annual club action night was held amid a lot of laughs and an exchange of plants and items was conducted by auctioneers Sylvia and Tony.

An extract from the President’s report from 2010 encompassed the following-

“Irene Bodell told us about the Bill Murdock & Ira Butler Awards then in June our ever popular John Apperley helped us consider various ways in successfully growing our orchids.
July was a busy month for us for we had a display day, a social day being an orchid crawl to members’ places, a club night where Jenny made us aware of what the show judges are looking for and then on the 16th & 17th our winter show in Moruya.
Congratulations once again to all who achieved awards. Many of us exhibited in shows of neighbouring clubs in the following months with success in many areas.
After much to and fro (to put it mildly) – for an election was called on the weekend of our spring show -we were able to secure our booking of the Narooma Sports & Leisure Centre. A truly great show was held from Friday 20th August to Sunday 22nd August.
Congratulations goes to all members who helped and participated in the show. Other speakers we have had at our club nights and at a workshop at Jean’s through the year are Brian Phelan, Robert Rough, Ben Wallace & Alan Merriman, a true wealth of knowledge giving us many ideas to take in and apply in the growing of our orchids.
The bus trip to the NSW Orchid Society’s show at Cronulla Leagues club was once again most enjoyable and the coach has been booked for next year.
Here we are at another AGM, the 17th I believe, – ready to elect another committee.
The years since that first AGM have in my opinion been ones of continual growth for our club not only numerically but of friendship – long may this friendship continue to grow in our club.
Fondly yours, Don Hayes President 2009/2010″

As the correct number of nominations for all positions on the Management Committee of the Club has been received the following are elected in accordance with the Constitution.
President: Tony Groube

Vice President: Jean Swindley

Secretary: Diane Hay

Treasurer: Colin Pearson

Committee Members: Kevin Ward, Sue Carroll, Barbara Williams, Liz Cleaver,Sylvia Hawkins

The Club was once again able to obtain the winner’s trophy at the Sarc Challenge with Sapphire Coast Orchid Club held this year in a nursery at Kalaru.

The hosts for the Christmas party were Michael and Paula Brown at their Tuross Head home.

2011

A program for Club Activities for 2011 was accepted and commenced with a number of members speaking at the February meeting on various aspects of their collections.

President Tony conducted a social day at his house at Malua Bay with a BBQ and a fair amount of talking and laughter.
The annual club auction followed in March and then over to Watson in Canberra for the weekend workshop where Wayne Turville and Dennis Dicken were the speakers.

The Orchid Tray Company were our guests at the April meeting.

Margaret Hayes with the help of Sylvia and Liz accepted to undertake the role of show marshal at Club nights.
Monthly raffle prizes were increased and include a $25.00 gift voucher courtesy of Mogo Orchid and Fern Nursery and donations by Members of orchids, ferns, foliage plants and home produce items.
Colin Pearson completed a stock take of library resources.
May Smith and Kevin Ward donated thirty orchid books to the library.
Alan Stephenson, Neville Roper, Don Hayes, Ian Scott and Nita Wheeler were the speakers during the rest of the year.Two new innovations this year were to have a display at Moruya Markets just before the Winter Show in Moruya. The other was to invite three commercial growers to rent and operate sales tables at the Spring Show in Narooma.

The Narooma Spring Show

Kevin Ward agreed to take on the role as coordinator for the Club’s display at the South and West Regional Show and Conference in Nowra during October 2011. Sylvia Hawkins also assisted together with John Apperley.

The annual Sarc Challenge with Sapphire Coast OC, at Tom Kelly’s suggestion, was held at Tuross Sports area by the water. EOC retained the shield.

Ann Schramm’s suggestion was adopted and a mini auction of members’ plants was conducted after the AGM.

There being the correct number nominated for positions on the committee the following were duly elected.

President: Tony Groube

Vice President: Jean Swindley

Secretary: Diane Hay

Treasurer: Colin Pearson

Committee Members: Sue Carroll, Barbara Williams, Liz Cleaver, Sylvia Hawkins, Helen Watson

EOC President’s Report 2011

Annual General Meeting – 9 November 2011

I am pleased to report that the previous twelve months have been successful for this Club, and I wish to thank you all for welcoming and supporting me in my first year as President.

The Treasurer’s Report will outline the quantifiable successes in financial and membership terms.

I would like specifically to draw attention to the number of people who contributed to the Club’s success –

To our major sponsor for the year Ed Ruiz of the Mogo Orchid and Fern Nursery, thank you for providing us with your $25 Vouchers as raffle prizes for each General Meeting of the year. Eddie went the ‘extra mile’ by providing transport of the Club’s display to and from Nowra for the South and West Orchid Conference. This might be an appropriate time to let you know that Eddie intends to continue his sponsorship next year and I thank him for that.

To our various speakers at the Monthly General Meetings, another thank you. To Michael and Paula Brown, who hosted last year’s Christmas Party, thank you. To Ian Scott and Michael Brown, our Auditors, thank you. To our judges for both the Winter and Spring Shows, a big thank you

To Ian Scott who stepped up to the plate as Show Marshall for both Shows, when Jenny Schutz was forced to withdraw from that position, and to our Deputy Show Marshalls Jean Swindley and Margaret Hayes and other helpers, thank you all.

Thank you to our ‘book- keepers’ at the Shows, Don and Margaret Hayes and for their efforts in maintaining the Point Score records at the Shows and at our Monthly Benchings.

Thank you to Gordon Marion and Ray Huddleston for towing the trailer to and from Shows, and to Ray for seeing to its roadworthiness as well as his efforts in dealing with show signage. Thank you also to Alma Stearn for the garaging facilities provided.

To Eric Andrew who has photographed the Champion exhibits at our shows over the years, thank you.

Thank you to our “Front of House” crew at the shows – the raffle ticket sellers from May Smith who ‘maintained the tradition,’ Gloria Gustard, Helen Watson, Helena Bettini, Gayle Huddleston and others, including Committee members, who took their turn. Thanks to Judy Zacher our posie assistant.

Thank you to our Show Sales Team – Sylvia Hawkins, Tom Kelly and Barry McPherson.

Thank you to our in-house Show caterers, Estelle and Nigel Neilson at Moruya, and Gwyn Singleton and Barb Williams who slotted in for Deirdre Girdler at Narooma. And I could not, not mention the efforts of Margaret Hayes in knowing how many chickens, kilos of salad, loaves of bread were required for the Christmas Party.

Thank you to those members and non-exhibitors who answered the call and turned up at the two shows to assist with the set-up and pull down processes, I think specifically of Rhys Apps, Leigh Forbes, Ian Zacher, John Gellibrand, Gordon Marion and others.

Thank you to Maria Kacarovski, Michael and Paula Brown, Tom and Elaine Kelly, and Jean Swindley for opening their houses and orchid houses for the bonanza Tuross Orchid Crawl.

To Rob Pollock, who has been particularly generous to this Club over the years, for transporting members’ orchids to shows during the year, and for being at Club nights, prepared to discuss and advise on issues of orchid culture.

To our regulars at Monthly meetings, Tom and Elaine Kelly on the raffle table, Gloria on the library, Gwyn and Barb in the supper room, thank you.

Thank you to you, our members, for sharing your hobby with your fellow members, for pitching in, and for making this the Club it is.

To your Committee members, what a great commitment and effort. To Colin Pearson for keeping tabs on the finances so well; Diane Hay for picking up so smartly where Sylvia left off, providing instantaneous minutes of meetings, and for maintaining the most brilliant orchid club web site; Jean Swindley for the massive effort in organizing the shows, maintaining the sales area and systems development, always thinking of improvements; Sue Carroll for producing a Monthly Newsletter under various and extreme difficulties; to Barb Williams for heading up the Narooma catering team and her efforts on the bus trip; to Kevin Ward and Sylvia Hawkins for the development, mounting and manning of our display at the recent Regional Conference at Nowra. It all takes time, effort, and a lot of thought and planning. To the spouses or partners of our committee members a big thank you too, for your forbearance and assistance to the Club.

To Don and Margaret Hayes, who have remained as honorary advisors to the Committee at my invitation, and who have sat in on most committee meetings over the last twelve months and provided guidance and ‘corporate history,’ a big thank you.

Kevin Ward, has been a Committee member for some years and he has not re-nominated for Committee, advising that he needs a breather. I thank him for his input to the Club and his display of artistic capacity in floral arrangement, with construction of orchid posies at recent shows, as well as the preparation and effort required in mounting the Club’s display at last month’s Nowra Conference.

To those whose names or contributions have been omitted inadvertently from this ‘thank you list,’ I thank you for your understanding and forgiveness. I did want to mention specifically as many of the contributions and contributors who put in, to make this Club the success that it is. It relies on a big cast for its success, and I want that acknowledged.

As an example of a member putting in, under strain, I think I can probably share with you an exchange of greetings I had with our stand-in Show Marshall Ian Scott at the Spring Show set-up – ‘How are you going Ian?’ ‘Not all that well, I’ve got pneumonia and probably cancer, they’ve just found a spot on my lungs.’ Ian is about to undergo six weeks of chemotherapy, followed by radiotherapy, at Canberra Hospital, and I know we wish him well.

Once again, thank you all for a great year. It sometimes feels like hard work, but we do get a lot of reward and laughs along the way. I look forward to our next twelve months of providing a convivial outlet for sharing our orchidaceous pursuits.

The last meeting of 2011 was the Christmas party held at the home of Margaret and Don Hayes where the rain held off and all attending had an enjoyable time. The gifts were shared and plant prizes were awarded. President Tony thanked Jean Swindley for the wonderful contributions she has made to the club and presented her with a Meritorious Service Award.

2012

The Club’s 19th year is proving to be a year of technical advancement for the Club.

During previous years Colin Pearson, the Treasurer, has converted the Club’s accounts to Internet Banking with an interest rate exceeding that previously obtained. He also established the first club web page.

Diane Hay, the Secretary, took over this assignment, linking with the shire to produce a web site covering all club activities, giving the club an avenue not only to keep club members up to date with Club happenings, but also to give knowledge of orchid maintenance to all who seek this advice.

Jean Swindley, the Club’s Vice President, has improved her computer programme for logging and printing the results of club shows.

In all a huge step forward for the Club.

The year’s programme started on Club Night February 8th, with four of the Club members, Tom Kelly, Bobby Bell, Maria Kacarovski and Sylvia Hawkins, giving presentations about the orchids they grow.

Taking supper in the middle of the evening and held in the main hall was trialled. This gave the Members a chance to have an extra look at the benchings and to swap notes.

As outlined in the exceptionally presented newsletter, editor Sue Carroll explained the new policy where members may donate extra items to the monthly raffle table. This helps the club and provides another form of interest to the night.

In March the Club’s Annual Auction raised $504 and a number of Members went home with new acquisitions.

The next meeting in April was a presentation by Deb Milne, a representative of Neutrog, with members receiving free samples of their Rocket Fuel fertilizer & Go Go Juice.

The speaker for May was Peter van Est, where he not only outlined his method of growing Masdevallias but gave many tips on how to improve our techniques in growing these lovely plants.

June Orchid Crawl in Tuross Head
The July meeting was brought forward to the 4th for the Winter Show setup commenced on Thursday 12th .

Useful tips on how to present your plants for the show were demonstrated by President Tony, Liz, Jean and Show Marshall, Ian Scott.

The Winter Show, once again held in the CWA rooms in Moruya, was reported a resounding success, amplified by many comments from the public as they viewed the 128 beautiful orchids on the show benches. Bob & Muriel bell were the Grand Champions.

It was sad to note that John Howlett, the President of Southern Riviera Orchid Society (Milton/Ulladulla) and a regular visitor to our shows, died on 18th July 2012, two days short of his 74th birthday. Our sympathy was extended to John’s widow Irene.

On Saturday 11th August a number of Members joined the Sapphire Coast Orchid Club at a dinner to celebrate their 30th Anniversary as a Club.

The speaker at our August meeting was Mitch Karnaghan (an EOC Member & President of the Batemans Bay Orchid & Foliage Society).His subject was the various ways of using clear plastic pots – useful tips and demonstration of ways to mount your orchids with the message “Don’t be frightened to try new ideas”

At our Spring Show in Narooma Bob & Muriel Bell presented another beautiful cymbidium to achieve Grand Champion. Peter& Laurina Van Est received Reserve Champion with their delicate masdevallia. Twenty members presented 220 plants for judging and in the words of our president,

“This was the happiest orchid show I’ve ever been involved with.”

Forty-one people on the bus to St Ives Orchid Show declared the trip to be a resounding success. Even the weather turning foul failed to dampen their enthusiasm.

Neville Roper was the speaker for our September meeting. His entertaining talk was titled ‘Making Babies (Orchids of Course!!)’

Colin Pearson and Jeff Lee both attended the 19th AOC Conference in Perth & gave us a short account of their experiences there, during the October meeting. Our club sponsored the ‘Champion Specimen of the Show”

Rob Pollock then took the floor and had us all considering the remedies for ‘Problem Plants’. Rob assisted members in an entertaining manner in resolving solutions for their plants . Gary Evans was shown how to tackle his large cymbidium.

The annual Sarc Challenge was hosted by Sapphire Coast Club this year and held at the beautiful Kangarutha Nursery.

Sapphire took home the shield!

Our next meeting in November was not only our AGM where Club Members were asked to consider nominating for a position on the Committee, but also an orchid only auction where members could sell their prepared excess stock.

Our President Tony Groube opened the 19th AGM and presented his report.

President’s Report to AGM Eurobodalla Orchid Club, 2012

Thank you all for your contribution to the operations of one of the most amenable and successful orchid clubs on the coast. I’m biased, I know, but we are fortunate in many fields, and this good fortune derives from the personalities we have who contribute willingly to generate that success. Members of neighbouring clubs, guest speakers and judges often remark at various aspects of the Eurobodalla Club and its operation – most recently, compliments have flowed for the Newsletter and our Website, not to mention our orchids.

We have had a busy year as ever with entertaining and informative Monthly Meetings, our in-house speakers excelled, as did the invited guest speakers. It’s difficult putting together a speakers’ program for Club Nights but I think we managed a good mix of hard information and good humour. We ran two top notch Shows and, after a lot of hard work, a near full coach to St Ives Orchid Fair in August – a triumph!

A big thank you to Eddy and Karen Ruiz of the Mogo Orchid and Fern Nursery for their sponsorship throughout the year – I hope to entice them to be with us in 2013.

Many thanks to Don and Margaret for hosting the Club’s 2011 Christmas Party, to Liz for hosting the President’s sausage sizzle, and to our Orchid Crawl hosts Gordon, Jean, Maria and Tom and Elaine. Two years in a row, Tuross has come up trumps. (And apologies once more to Maria for overloading her back deck, a big thank you to the fixers.)

Talking of fixers, or things needing fixed, we have members who tinker and fix stuff all the time. Ray works on the trailer and I recall that there was a working bee on the tables and trestles. Don has been working on the signs and so it goes on.

There’s also a lot of what we might call tinkering at the edges, or enhancements. Things that aren’t broken, but accepting of revision or computer aided assistance. With the assistance of Neville Roper, and backgrounding from Jenny and Theo, Jean has prepared a revised Show Schedule, which has received Approval in Principal from the outgoing Committee. Final approval will rest with the new Committee.

The manual result and point scoring systems maintained by Don and Margaret at the Shows over the years, have been automated and both systems were run in parallel at our last two shows, to the satisfaction of all concerned. Further interfacing of results and printing of display cards on placegetting entries at shows has been undertaken. The monthly meeting results and recording, along with aggregate point scoring, is now computer assisted.

And so we enter our Twentieth Year with the Club hosting the March 2013 Workshop at Narooma on 9th and 10th. This workshop is well booked already, with Speakers Ray Clement and Bill Miles proving to be strong drawcards.

The formal Twentieth Anniversary celebration dinner is planned for Saturday 19 October. The venue has been secured, the After Dinner Speaker is working on his speech already and Don, and a helper or two, has prepared the History of the Club, thus far. There are one or two additional things in store, so 2013 will be a year to look forward to.

In conclusion, thank you all for your generosity of spirit and humour, and a big thank you to a top Committee for all your efforts over the previous year – may the new committee perform equally as well. Tony Groube

After declaring all positions vacant the following were elected unopposed:

President: Tony Groube

Vice President: Jean Swindley

Secretary: Diane Hay

Treasurer: Colin Pearson

Committee: Sue Carroll, Liz Cleaver, Sylvia Hawkins, Helen Watson, Barbara Williams

The 2013 Committee was accepted & congratulated by a rousing round of acclamation from the members.

The new Committee will have the duty to provide the program for the Club’s 20th Anniversary Year.

The Orchid Auction which followed saw some spirited bidding & entertaining exchanges, with plenty of plants for sale and some keen bidders.

“And now onto our 20th AnniversaryYear. Welcome to it and enjoy the celebrations!”

Don Hayes