REGISTERED BY AUSTRALIA POST - PUBLICATION No. VBH 6369
‘Die
anberra
nzfest, C
Volksta Brücke’
Volksfest Austrian Club
Introducing the new SCV Committee
T
ABOU D N B
IS SW S
Visit by the
THE
RO U CLU
Multicultural Commission Grants Presentation
Swiss-Italian Festa, Hepurn Springs
From l. to r standing: Patrick Rychner, Mark Weber, Gerda Probst, Rolf Huber. Seated: Derrick Wildi, Barbara Kündig, Oliver Altermatt
At the AGM on Wednesday, 28 March the following changes to the Committee were confirmed: Mark Weber, Patrick Rychner, Oliver Altermatt and Gerda Probst were elected as new members of the Committee. They are joining the new President Rolf Huber, Vice President and Secretary Barbara Kündig and Treasurer Derrick Wildi. See inside for more information about the new members. Retired from the Committee have Erika Kimpton, Simon Ochsenbein, Ruth Plagge, Rita Schwärzler and Roland Isler.
ming Team
nal Swim
Swiss Natio
JUNE 2007
Rita Schwärzler will continue to be involved with functions and Roland Isler is the new Editor of the Newsletter.
Unterhaltungsabend
From the
Editor’s Pen
Dear Reader, welcome to the new look newsletter! Or should I say, the new old look newsletter? In the first years after the club was established in 1899, a newsletter was published on a monthly basis. It was called ‘EDELWEISS’. We are very lucky that a handful of these very early editions have survived to this day. Reading through them is an amazing experience, looking back into history. The lead article in number 9, dated 1 December 1900, for example, is entitled ‘On the Threshold of the 20th Willi Fuller, 1919-2007
Century’. It is an account of the century just about to end, one that saw Europe in a constant stage of bloody conflicts, and the hope that the dawning of the 20th century will bring peace. Little did the writer know that the 1st World War was just around the corner! It also is full of enthusiasm and hope for the newly created federated nation of Australia. Apart form club news it talks a lot about Switzerland, its history and institutions like the government, the army and its economy - the watchmaking industry had a successful year in 1899 with a total export of £4,307,900! Such information would have been very welcome by readers as news from Switzerland travelled very slowly then. In edition number 2, dated 1 May 1900 it says: “Another purpose for which the S.C.V. is established is: ‘For entertaining relations with the home country and with Swiss societies of other colonies, and for exposing, at given opportunities, to the members and visitors of the club the working of Swiss constitution and institution’. The ‘EDELWEISS’ , being the official organ of the Swiss Club, will serve splendidly to satisfy the above direction.” Perhaps still some truth in this today? The front page of these newsletters were embellished with a lovely etching. With a bit of colour and the present club logo added, I thought it would be nice if the old masthead could be brought back to live again. One other thing I have changed is the motto ‘HONNI SOIT QUI MAL Y PREND’. I dare say, the long since gone creator of the etching was undoubtedly a talented craftsman, but he was certainly not from the french speaking part of Switzerland. Had he been so, he would have spelled it: ‘HONNI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE’ meaning ‘Shame upon him who thinks evil of it’ (the Swiss Club, Switzerland). It was the motto of ‘The Most Noble Order of the Garter’, an English order of chivalry dating from medieval times. The motto was widely used not only by nobility, particularly in heraldry. So what do you think, dear reader, should we keep this etching and call our newsletter the ‘EDELWEISS’, as it was called so long ago? Let me know, I am very interested to hear from you. Roland Isler
89 Flinders Lane • Melbourne 3000 • Victoria • Australia • w w w. s w i s s .o r g.a u/s w i s sc lu bv i c