REGISTERED BY AUSTRALIA POST - PUBLICATION No. VBH 6369
MARCH 2013
Senior Christmas
THE
RO U CLU
A new home for an old lady
T
ABOU D N B
IS SW S
Santa’s Visit
The Yodel Choir Matterhorn used to practise at the home of former President Marco Unternährer. After the sudden passing of Marco, it meant the choir had to look for a new practice venue. This task was made even harder by the fact that a very large framed Swiss flag belonging to the Matterhorn Society was also in need of a new home. The flag is something very special indeed! For a start, the old lady is 154 years old, making her one of the oldest surviving artifacts, dating back to the early years of Swiss migration to Australia . It is not just the age that is special, but also the elaborate embellishments. ‘Die Schweizer in Melbourne’, together with the year 1859 and a lovely flower arrangement, have been embroidered, and the crests of 22 cantons surrounding the Swiss Cross have been painted on. In his search for a new home for the flag,
The President of the Swiss Yodel Choir Matterhorn, Chris Hostettler (left) and the President of the Swiss Society of Victoria, Franz Schnellmann
Chris Hostettler, the President of the Swiss Yodel Choir Matterhorn, contacted Swiss Society President Franz Schnellmann, and Franz in turn consulted with Barbara Kündig, President of the Swiss Club. It did not take much convincing and it was
soon agreed that the Swiss Society, as the oldest Swiss organisation in Australia, would become the new owner, and the Swiss Club Restaurant a most worthy location for the flag to be on permanent display. Continued on page 7
Celebrate the club’s 40 years at 89 Flinders Lane at the
th
40 Anniversary Dinner Dance Flag Handover
89 Flinder s Lane • Melbourne 3000 • Victoria • Australia • www.s wissclubvic .com.au
CBD FUNCTION AND MEETING ROOM WITH A DIFFERENCE The Second Floor at the Swiss Club
BUSINESS FUNCTIONS, CONFERENCES, SMALL MEETINGS
• • • • • •
Theatre style seating for up to 90 Work shop seating for up to 55 Cocktail set up for up to 120 Private meeting room for up to 16 Architect designed space Choice of catering from the Swiss Club Restaurant or Terra Rossa • Modern amenities
• Basic coffee making facilities • Parking close by • 5 minutes walk to Flinders Street or Parliament Station • 2 minutes walk to Tram 75/70/48 • Friendly venue with Swiss history • Competitive rates
OR DINNER/ DANCE FUNCTIONS, LAUNCHES, PRIVATE EVENTS
• • • • • • •
Unbeatable location Ample parking close by Train, tram and bus close by Dinner seating for up to 80 Cocktail set up to 120 Dance floor Architect designed modern space with lots of ambience
• Modern amenities • Choice of catering from the Swiss Club Restaurant or Terra Rossa • Choice of BYO caterer • Catering kitchen with 4 ovens, microwave and industrial dishwasher • Friendly venue with Swiss history • Competitive rates
AT THE PERFECT VENUE – THE SWISS CLUB OF VICTORIA Contact us on E: thesecondfloor@swissclubvic.com.au T: 1300 893 968 to check for availability, more information or a quote
SWISS CLUB OF VICTORIA Founded in 1899 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000 T: 1300 893 968, F: (03) 9650 3104 E: info@swissclubvic.com.au W: www.swissclubvic.com Club Opening Hours Lunch: Mo - Fri from 12noon Dinner: Wed, Thurs & Fri from 6pm Bookings T: (03) 9650 1196 Swiss Club Catering For all Functions contact Chef & Catering Manager Roger Moullet T: (03) 9650 1196, F: (03) 9650 3104 M: 0409 040 249 E: swissclub@hotmail.com The Second Floor Function Bookings CBD Function Room with a difference! Info and/or bookings: T: 1300 893 968 E: thesecondfloor@swissclubvic.com.au
SWISS CLUB SUB-GROUPS Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose President: Sylvia Hochuli T: (03) 9531 6575 E: hochuli@tpg.com.au Swiss Companion Singers Convenor: Heidy Giger T: (03) 9889 9321 E: adelheid1@bigpond.com Ladies Luncheons Convenor: Heidy Giger For bookings T: (03) 9650 1196 For information: T: (03) 9889 9321 E: adelheid1@bigpond.com SwissKids Convenor: Esther Blaser-Tokarev T: (03) 8521 3739 M: 0424 220 523 E: esther.blaser@gmx.ch
Pro Ticino President: Claude Rossi 5 Falls Road, Hoddles Creek Vic 3139 T: (03) 5967 4542 E: marclas@dcsi.net.au Swiss Yodel Choir Matterhorn President: Chris Hostettler 19 Lockwood Road Belgrave Heights Vic 3160 T: (03) 9754 7390, M: 0428 427 434 E: helvet@bigpond.com W: www.swiss.org.au/matterhorn Swiss-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) General Manager: Marcel Svatos T: (02) 9262 1511, F: (02) 9290 1928 E: admin@sacci.com.au Postal address see: www.sacci.com.au Swiss-Australian Academic Network (SAAN) E: info@saan.id.au W: www.saan.id.au
COMMITTEE
The Swiss Diners Club Convenor: Damian Schaller M: 0410 461 364 E: damianschaller@swiss.org.au
Barbara Kündig President T/F (H): (03) 9005 4938 M: 0402 018 363 E: barbara@swissclubvic.com.au
Swiss Festival Chairman: Rolf Huber T/F (H): (03) 9807 0282 M (B): 0425 805 854 E: rolf@swissfestival.com.au
Consulate General of Switzerland T: (02) 8383 4000, F: (02) 9369 1334 E: syd.vertretung@eda.admin.ch
Rolf Huber Immediate Past President T/F (H): (03) 9807 0282 M (B): 0425 805 854 E: rhuber@swissclubvic.com.au
SWISS COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS
Postal address and further information for all above see: W: www.eda.admin.ch/australia
Urs Derrick Wildi Treasurer & Membership Administration T/F (H): (03) 9824 7930 M: 0403 040 930 E: uwildi@swissclubvic.com.au Sigrid de Castella Membership Relations & Building Management Support M: 0416 088 000 E: sigrid@swissclubvic.com.au Antony Anderson Building Management M: 0416 069 666 E: antony@swissclubvic.com.au Damian Schaller Marketing Manager M: 0410 461 364 E: damianschaller@swissclubvic.com.au w w w.s w i s sc lu bv i c .co m.au
Swiss Society of Victoria (Benevolent Society) President: Franz Schnellmann T: (03) 9449 2245, M: 0412 203 893 E: schnellmann@dodo.com.au Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess Australian/Swiss Cultural Society President: Sylvia Hochuli T: (03) 9531 6575 E: hochuli@tpg.com.au Groupe Romand du Victoria President: Rémy Favre 1 Hughes Street, Malvern East Vic 3145 T: (03) 9571 2835, M: 0412 135 095 E: remy@favrecranage.com W: www.swiss.org.au/chfrvic Unless otherwise stated, postal address for all is: 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000
Embassy of Switzerland T: (02) 6162 8400, F: (02) 6273 3428 E: can.vertretung@eda.admin.ch
Consulate of Switzerland T: (03) 9824 7527, M: 0413 042 728 E: melbourne@honrep.ch
Organisation of the Swiss Abroad Council Member: Roland Isler Contact details: see below under Editor W: www.aso.ch / www.swiss.org.au/csa
Impressum ‘Edelweiss’ appears quarterly in March, June, September and December. Circulation 500. For all enquiries contact: Roland Isler, Editor T: (03) 9524 6335 (B) M: 0412 935 565 E: risler@swiss.org.au 67 St Georges Crescent Heatherton Vic 3202
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President’s Message Dear members and friends of the Swiss Club, in past years, January/ February have been quiet months at our club, everyone easing slowly back into the social year, but this year, the club has hit the ground running. There were all the preparations for the Swiss Festival, and of course the day itself. Then the Swiss Club Movie Night, Laughter Yoga and lots of practicing by our interest groups for the Festival. We hope, you were able to partake in some or even all of the activities. March shapes up as busy, if not busier. We have an important milestone to celebrate and reflect on: 40 years of being in our club house at 87/89 Flinders Lane. On 16 February 1973, the new club was officially opened. Considering our long club history, and that before 89 Flinders Lane, the club had moved premises quite a bit; this is a great achievement and something we should not just let pass. Roland put together a ‘trip down memory lane’ in this issue and we have planned a special event for you. Please join us on Saturday, 16 March for a groovy 70s style Anniversary Dinner Dance. Details are on page 14/15. We hope of course that many of the members, who were actively involved in the club during that period, will come along and share their memories with us. There are many more activities on our social calendar for March to June (see page 26 for details). I just would like to mention two: the Comedy Festival will take up residency on the Second Floor from 27 March – 21 April and once again give Melburnians and visitors an opportunity to experience our club. We hope our members will also enjoy a show or two during the Festival. The Committee thanks all our interest groups for their understanding and cooperation in finding alternative meeting facilities during the Festival. On Saturday, 4 May, the Dance Group Alpenrose will have their annual Unterhaltungsabend. It is a wonderful event showcasing our unique dances, music, and traditions. Over the past two months, we were also busy fine-tuning our website (www.swissclubvic.com.au), adding more details and most importantly, improving the Social Calendar. You can now find details of all the events on this calendar. Most of the website’s pages, as well as event registration forms, are linked to the Social Calendar. Thanks to the committee’s interest in and proactive approach between print and social media, we now have a good flow of information that is easily accessible to all. Our club restaurant is not only a meeting place for our members, it is also a place displaying our club history and Swiss artifacts here in Melbourne. There is now an item hanging in the restaurant, a historical flag dated 1859. It was given to the Matterhorn Society in 1983. They have looked after it ever since. It has now been handed to the Swiss Society of Victoria and the Swiss Club has agreed to display it for all to see and enjoy. I had the privilege of participating in the handover ceremony. What I enjoyed about it the most? Whatever our individual interest are, and whatever group we
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chose to participate in, in the end, we are all Swiss and/or interested in this great country called Switzerland. For all of us, it is important to keep the Swiss heritage alive and relevant. This binds us all together. May this flag remind us of it and be enjoyed by all. The start to the 2013 Swiss Club year has been a good one. The Committee encourages you to participate and get involved. If you are new to the club and would like to come to events, but don’t (yet) know anyone, please don’t let this deter you from joining in. Let one of the committee members know, and we make sure that we introduce you to other members. We are a social club, and we want our members and guests to feel welcome. If you have been a member for a while, but have not been too involved in the club recently, we would love you to get active again; come along to our Wed/Thur club nights, have a meal at the club restaurant (you get 10% discount as a member, just show your membership card), join an event, or even an interest group. Our club is only as much fun as we, all of us, contribute to it. We look forward to seeing you at the club. Barbara Kündig - President
Anton Erb Anton Erb, Swiss Club Honorary Life Member, passed away on 16 December 2012. Born in Basel on 17 December 1921, Anton was the only child of Margaret and Paul Erb. He grew up and went to school and completed an apprenticeship as a printing compositor, in Basel. He and Yvonne met and courted during the second world war. They married in 1945. In 1961 the family, now with the edition of their only child Peter, migrated to Melbourne Australia. Anton joined the Swiss Club of Victoria in the early 1960’s and was an active member of the Yodel Club and its president for many years. In the late seventies he became manager of the Swiss Club in Flinders Lane. With help from Yvonne, Anton managed the club until his retirement in 1986. They then purchased a caravan and over many years visited most parts of Australia. In 2012 he moved into a nursing home and after a short illness, passed away peacefully with his family by his side just one day short of his 91st birthday. Anton is missed by his wife Yvonne, son Peter, daughter in law Manuela and grandsons Michael and Christopher. Manuela Erb
Swiss Club of Victoria
The last farewell
Welcome to our new members We welcome Verena Augusti, Stephen Baker, Isaac Chan, Brett Davidson, Rod Maddock, Sandy Demel, Les & Biruta Lithgow, Paul Nixon, Peter & Rosemary Meadley, Amy Roulston. We are looking forward to your participation in our club.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of the following Honorary Life Members: Kurt Langenegger, Toni Erb, Margrit Schneider, Rina Wanner and former President of the Swiss Club (1961- 63) Oscar Nicolet who passed away in Switzerland. Franz Döös passed away on 15 February. Franz was a longstanding member of the Swiss Club, joining in 1956, and serving as its President in 1969. He was well regarded among members and the Swiss community at large. We will miss seeing Franz at the club and remember him fondly. We shall miss them and remember them all. Our sincere sympathies go to their families.
Congratulations Congratulations to Georgina Rychner on her outstanding VCE results and being the 2012 Dux of Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College. Our best wishes for your future endeavours. Congratulations to our Chef Roger Moullet who married Sharon on a dream cruise through the Caribbean. To the happy couple our very best wishes.
Happy birthday to the following members who were celebrating their milestone birthdays recently: Nola Mauerhofer and Peter Aulich commemorated their 80th and Ernst Dornbierer celebrated his 85th. We congratulate you and wish you good health in many years to come! Happy 18th birthday to Saskia Smits. We fondly remember you from the Swiss Playgroup and the Saturday Morning Swiss School. Our best wishes for a bright and happy future.
Get well Barbara Keller, wife of Honorary Life Member Ernst Keller, is in hospital. We wish her a speedy recovery.
Rina Wanner Rina Wanner, beloved wife of long standing Swiss Club member, Hans Wanner, passed away peacefully on 24 January 2013 at Box Hill Hospital after a brief, but sudden downturn in her health. She was 90. Rina met Hans in 1952 and they were married in 1953. She came to Australia in 1956 and was soon introduced to Swiss Club life in Melbourne. Rina loved the Swiss Club very much and found it to be one of her favourite social places to frequent. Rina was well loved by many friends at the Club and will be sadly missed by her husband, Hans, sons Hubert and John, as well as many other loving friends. John Wanner
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Margrit Schneider Margrit Schneider, Swiss Club Honorary Life Member, passed away on 3 January 2013. Beloved wife of Louis, loved mother of Gabriella (dec), Ronnie and Katie, Karen and Adrian, Thomas and adored grandmother of Jayde, Jordan, Dan and Jack. Margrit was a vibrant member of the Swiss community in Melbourne and a great supporter of the Club. Margrit was born on 23 March 1945 and grew up in Frauenfeld as the eldest of seventeen children. As a teenager, she did her apprenticeship in sales of meat and smallgoods. It was during this apprenticeship that she met her future husband Louis. Margrit was always up for an adventure and in June of 1966, she married Louis and they embarked on their journey to Australia. Margrit’s love of food continued in Australia and she was well known for her hospitality and fabulous cooking. The Schneider house was also open to visitors and Swiss travelers, with Margrit making everyone feel welcome and at home. In 1995 Margrit and her brother Peter established a well-regarded food processing and packaging company, working in partnership with many overseas companies to service some of Australia’s largest food companies. Her commitment to the Swiss Club was evident from her earliest connections and included activities such as sewing costumes for the Swiss school children and organising big events such as the Swiss National Day Ball and the Oktoberfest. Margrit was also an enthusiastic participant in social activities such as the annual picnic and Jass evenings. Always smiling and accommodating Margrit’s relentless energy and generosity will be missed greatly by her family, friends and the Swiss community. Karen Schneider
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Senior Christmas Afternoon Tea 1 December 2012. Sponsored by the Swiss Society of Victoria After more than three months, it is hard to be thinking back to last year and the Senior Christmas Afternoon Tea. But we remember, what a wonderful time we all had – guests, performers and workers. That’s why we have already discussed and scheduled our next Christmas Celebration, in the hope, that we can line up the same crew. But let us first thank all the participants and especially the sponsor, the Swiss Society of Victoria, for their generosity in 2012. Yes, it is a while ago and we already inspect our drawers to find some Easter egg paint left over from last year. I got this sentence from a young friend in the Christmas mail: “Wenn uns bewusst wird, dass die Zeit, die wir uns für einen andern Menschen nehmen das Kostbarste ist, was wir schenken können, haben wir den Sinn der Weihnacht verstanden.” The Society does not hesitate; each time spontaneously complies with pleasure and enthusiasm to our request. ul And so do all the wonderful helpers. We can have Christmas thee entire year! Rita Schwärzler-Abbt
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You presented us with a little corner of Switzerland. It was warm and loving. It moved our heart and soul. Of course, we love our land - that’s were most of us grew up and spent our childhood. Tom with his ‘singing saw’, Leise rieselt der Schnee and Franz Schubert’s Ave Maria. How it revived memories – my mother singing to us and my father playing the organ in the church with me singing. Wonderful memories. The little children with their wondrous faces, looking up with delight at the dancing. Us Seniors loving it. The Companion Singers joining in with the children. You could see that everything was a labour of love. Love for Switzerland, love for the people. The food was delicious and the Christmas decorations stunning. Everyone spoke with kindness. It was Christmas at its best. Thank you to everyone for all the hard work. The Swiss Club is our corner of Switzerland. I have experienced a multitude of happy times here. Inge Kulmanis
Swiss Club of Victoria
From front page
A small celebration on 7 February marked the official handover. What do we know of the history of the flag? Not much unfortunately. Chris Hostettler says that the flag is embellished on both sides. He recalls that on the side that now cannot be seen it states the old Swiss motto ‘One for all, all for one’. As the flag predates the formation of the Swiss Society in 1879, we don’t know who commissioned the flag, other than that they were most likely SwissGermans, and for what purpose. The fact that it is elaborately embellished on both sides would indicate that it was carried during processions or hung from a hall’s ceiling. It was ‘unearthed’ during a clean-up at the Consulate General Melbourne in 1983 by Consul Fred Merz. He was in charge of the Consulate for some time in spring 1983, between Consul General Zellweger’s retirement and the start of Consul General Rieder in summer 1983. It appears that Merz approached the Swiss Club, but amazingly, the offer was declined and so it was given to the Matterhorn Society. During a Matterhorn Jass evening, a collection was organised, which yielded $175, enough to have the fragile flag framed. Thus, those donors and card players, who’s names have been recorded on the back of the frame, together with the Matterhorn Society, can be regarded as important contributors to the preservation of this truly historic flag. The Swiss Society and the Swiss Club will honour that commitment. Chris: “We, the present and past members of the Matterhorn, are delighted to see the flag hung in its new place in the restaurant of the Swiss Club and hope its powerful and yet gentle presence will bring joy to many people in the future.” Maybe in time, we will find out more about the mysterious origins of this old lady. Editor
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Fahrt ins Blaue Mystery Trip Wednesday, 14 November Thank-you to the Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess Together with two busloads of friends, I have taken part in the ‘Fahrt ins Blaue – Mystery Trip’ for many years. These outings for us seniors are always very well organised and very well appreciated. But this year, the Trachtengruppe shot Tell’s apple right through the middle. We enjoyed the drive through the Dandenongs under blue skies to Emerald Park Lake, a super spot for morning tea. Then we headed off for mystery lunch at ‘Sage at Park Hill’ in Berwick. Well, this was the very best lunch we had for years; the entrée, the ‘Gschnetzeltes’, soft drinks, sweets, coffee, all included. And very good wines at special bar prices. All tops, tops, tops! Thank-you to the Swiss chef, and thank-you to the member of the Trachtengruppe who suggested this place. Thank-you Sylvia and the ladies of the Trachtengruppe for this great afternoon, I can hardly wait for the second Wednesday in November 2013! Ossie Haering
It’s your Club. Get Involved!
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Unterhaltungsabend Saturday 4 May, 7.30pm • Three course dinner • Music: Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand • Tombola with lots of prizes • Cost: $40 p.p. Bookings must be made with the Swiss Club. It is always a fun night. Please come and join in the fun and support the group at the same time. We look forward to see you at the Unterhaltungsabend. Sylvia Hochuli
Follow the Swiss Club on Social Media! You can find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ Swissclubvic, on Twitter @SwissClubVic or on YouTube http:// www.youtube.com/SwissClubVictoria
Swiss Club of Victoria
Santa’s Visit 1 and 8 December 2012 We were very lucky this year: on his way to Antarctica, Santa managed to swing by the Swiss Club twice, much to the delight of the kids, big and small. Before the big arrival everyone was busy creating the traditional ‘Grittibänze’. Once the finishing touches were completed off they went into the oven and soon the whole floor smelled beautifully of freshly baked bread. The end result did perhaps not always turn our exactly as intended, but a lot of fun was had by all...and even though they didn’t look all the same, they certainly tasted all the same. The ringing of the bell announced the arrival of the man in red that was so eagerly awaited. Great excitement all around! Thank you to the organisers, Barbara Kündig and Esther BlaserTokarev, thank you to Santa(s) and all the parents and kids that participated. Many thanks to Hans Pecard from Bonjour de France, Blackburn, for generously donating the dough, which the busy little hands (and some bigger ones) turned into yummy ’Grittibänze’.
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Ladies, please mark the dates of the first two of this year’s Luncheons in your calendar:
• Wednesday, 6 March The first guest speaker of the year is ‘That certain Jessiquoi’ – a 23-year old Swiss Musician living now in Melbourne
• Wednesday, 1 May Price $22 pp for members, $25 pp for non-members. Includes 2-course meal, wine, soft drinks and coffee. New-comers most welcome. For information and bookings ring me on 9889 9321 or Roger at the Club on 9650 1196. Bookings are essential! Heidy Giger
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Home town is where the heart is Open a Swiss passport and instead of the usual birthplace it will show a citizen’s ‘place of origin’, where their ancestors and family names originate. Despite recent changes paring down the system, this spot remains important for many people. As a rule the Swiss inherit their place of origin from their fathers. The village, town or city stores the certificates of family origin when citizens leave; and it records births, marriages and deaths as the parish registers used to do. Many Swiss remain emotionally attached to these physical roots, particularly those who live abroad. “Many in my area have returned to Switzerland to find their roots,” said Beth Zurbuchen, president of the Swiss Center of North America. “I had the opportunity to explore my maternal grandfather’s farm and my paternal great-grandfather’s home of Habkern. To know I have family, no matter how distant, pulls at the heartstrings and brought tears to my eyes.” After parliament decided at the end of 2012 to scrap the place of origin’s obligation to contribute to citizens’ welfare benefits, the registry duty is the only function left to this system. The home commune has lost so much in practical significance over the past years, that the country even stopped surveying them for the census. In theory, the Swiss only have one origin, but in practice, they often waiver when asked about their home. “I always give my place of origin when asked where in Switzerland I am from,” explains Katharina Allen who lives in Perth, Canada. “My sister, on the other hand, names her birthplace and the place she lived in for a short time before moving to Canada as a child.” Family ties In 2001, parliament for the last time discussed replacing the origin with the birthplace for identification purposes. In the end, it was decided to stick to the status quo because as Walter Glur of the Swiss People’s Party argued the birthplace is too random, “birth could take place anywhere,” while the blood running in your veins is always your family’s. Many Swiss agree. “My place of birth has no significance to me: My mother just happened to be in Zurich that day,” said Jack Gruring, a native of the town of Biel, now living in Croatia. “For me it
Das wöchentliche Radioprogram über alles Schweizerische in Australien, der Schweiz und der Welt. Eine Viertelstunde Aktuelles, Musik, Reportagen und Interviews auf Schweizerdeutsch mit Christian Froelicher. Jeden Sonntag von 20:45 bis 21Uhr auf 93.1fm SBS HOTLINE: (03) 9949 2191 http://www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/yourlanguage/german
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is important where I grew up. And my place of origin is very significant because it stores my family’s history.” Many Swiss can trace their family names back to their home towns. The Register of Swiss Surnames, which is run by the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, offers access to more than 48,000 entries of names, going back hundreds of years. The Chevrolets hail from a couple of dwellings in canton Jura and the Caillers from the shores of Lake Geneva. “I’m very much attached to my origin because all my ancestors are buried there in a little cemetery in Cadro, my place of origin.” In everyday life, I never meet anybody with my family name,” said Manuelle Merenda who lives in Aix en Provence. “I was surprised to find that about half of the gravestones in that cemetery carried either the name Merenda or Ferrari.” Every Zurbuchen originates in Habkern, a commune over 700 years old with a population of about 640 today. Andreas Zurbuchen, the village clerk, can trace back his family to Peter, the progenitor of the entire clan, who lived on a piece of land called zer Buchen (literally, next to the beech tree) between 1470 and 1535. Back to their roots Civil registry offices, cantonal archives and church records are the most important depositories for genealogical research into entire clans. And, because the community rolls were not destroyed during war, they are still very much complete, often going back beyond the 15th century. “Although I don’t have a personal affinity with my place of origin, it is important from a historical perspective,” states Roland Isler, who lives in Melbourne. “It’s where all records of my family are being kept, regardless of where I and my extended family members live or have lived. If ever I want to research my family history, I know where to go,” he wrote on the social media website swisscommunity.org. Many Swiss who emigrated in the past century, are still proud of being part of their origin’s nobility. Silverio Petrini moved to Venezuela 44 years ago from Comano. “We are one of the patrician families of Comano,” Petrini stated. “For me my place of origin has a lot of importance. I’m rooted there, and my parents are buried there.” Those rights never came for free. From the beginning, citizens could be drafted by the sovereign to defend the land, and any new burgess had to buy himself into the commune. In return for conscription, the place of origin until recently, also had to financially support its citizens if they sunk into poverty.
Did you know It only happens ones in a century that Lake Constance freezes over completely. The last ‘Bodenseegfrörni’ in 1963 is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It takes weeks of well below zero temperatures for this to occur, but on the 7 February 1963 the lake was officially declared ‘safe’ and tens of thousands of people walked across the lake from Switzerland to Germany and vice versa. It lasted until 10 March when the lake was closed again for foot traffic.
Swiss Club of Victoria
This social duty is now being abandoned because of the financial burden on smaller rural communes, who often may count more citizens than residents. The obligation to bail out its impoverished burgess was also a strain on tight budgets in the 19th century. Some communes got rid of their paupers by offering to pay their Atlantic crossing for a waiver on citizenship. Many accepted the offer, and settled in larger cities in North or South America or founded rural communes such as Highland, Gruetli or Bernstadt. More than 1.3 million people of Swiss descent live in the US and Canada today, according to the Swiss Center. Many of the 400,000 Swiss, who emigrated between 1850 and 1914, founded colonies and – witness to their attachment to their roots – named them after their origins. Bern has 26 namesakes in the US, Lucerne has 16. Zurbuchen says she feels lucky to have Swiss roots she was able to physically visit. “When I stood in the exact spot where my ancestors had to take the decision to leave Switzerland so that the family could live on, I had the intensely personal feeling that this was where I belonged.” Chantal Britt, swissinfo.ch
Place of origin The place of origin and citizenship are tied to a person, irrespective of residence. The commune of residence on the other hand is a territorial entity, comprising its residents. According to civil law, the home of a person is tied to his or her citizenship, which is first of all the communal and only in the second instance the cantonal and federal citizenships. Citizenship is acquired through birth or marriage. The place of origin is passed on to the wife, who can keep her own place of origin, and to offspring from the male ancestors. Swiss citizens list their place of origin on almost all official documents such as passports and identification cards. Those who have more than one place of origin, have to decide which one they want to carry in their passport or identification card. In the federation, commoners from the middle of the 18th century were accorded a place of origin, usually the residence of the head of the family. The home commune had the duty to maintain the register for the family records of its citizens, the precursor for today’s registry offices. Other states do not know the concept of a place of origin. Their citizens have a national citizenship of the respective nation. They are not at the same time citizens of a commune or a canton. In those states, the birthplace has more significance and is therefore stated in official documents.
The Swiss Club Restaurant. It’s where you meet your friends.
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Visit to Verzinkerei Zug 26 November 2012 When at the 2012 Unterhaltungsabend of the Folk Dance Group Alpenrose, my friend Birgit won a Tombola Price, it looked like she had acquired a new kitchen apron, big deal. But when she unpacked the cellophane parcel, it was time to get jealous. It contained also a voucher for Lunch at the kitchen showrooms of Verzinkerei Zug in South Melbourne for 10 people. We are used to the fact that the Unterhaltungsabend provides good inning in every regard, but this price topped it all. So I started to be very nice to Birgit, which paid off, my husband Herbert and I where included in the guest list. We simply had a wonderful time. Good wine, excellent food and the Lunch chaired by the graceful host Dr. Kamber. We were then demonstrated the most marvelous kitchen and laundry machinery / gadgets, whatever you wish to call these beautiful shiny contraptions, I have ever seen or could dream of. To put it in poetry, sheer kitchen paradise! Oh, to cook in such a fabulous environment!!! I am very grateful, that I was invited to this party. My husband less so, because I do not like my domestic kitchen and laundry set up any more. Spoiled for life! Thank you Verzinkerei Zug! Rita Schwärzler-Abbt
Newsletter Deadlines 2013 June Issue: Covering June/July/August Editorial Deadline: Monday, 6 May Mailing: Wednesday, 22 May September Issue: Covering Sept/Oct/ Nov Editorial Deadline: Monday, 5 August Mailing: Wednesday, 21 August December Issue: Covering Dec /Jan/Feb 2013 Editorial Deadline: Monday, 4 November Mailing: Wednesday, 20 November
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SWISS CLUB MOVIE ‘Sommervögel’ Wednesday, 15 May 2013, 8pm Swiss Club, 2nd floor Drama, 94 min, CH German/E subtitles Director: Paul Riniker with Sabine Timoteo, Roeland Wiesnekker, Anna Thalbach, Patricia Litten, Herbert Leiser & Doro Müggler After a lengthy spell in prison, Res, an aging biker, finds himself as an odd-job man on a camping site, straight in the dreamworld of Greta, a 33-year-old, mentally challenged woman. She still lives at home with her parents who are over protective and treat her like a handicapped person. Greta falls in love with Res. He is irritated by her strange nature but touched by her directness. And despite the fierce resistance from her family and the people around them an extraordinary love story ensues. Free for members, non-members gold coin donation. Enjoy dinner at the club, before or after the movie. Please book with the restaurant on 9650 1196.
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3rd Australian Jass Championship 9 June – Queen’s Birthday Weekend Where: Gold Coast - Mudgeeraba Showground’s Events: Jass Competition - Championship Start: 08:30 for 09:00 till 17:00 The championship will be contested over ten ‘eight hand’ rounds with players being assigned to 10 different partners. Players choose to play all day with either Swiss-German or Swiss-French Cards Swiss Dinner & Folklore Evening From 18:00 for 19:00 – open ended Indulge and enjoy a Swiss Feast: ‘Wild Pfeffer’, ‘Zürcher Geschnetzeltes’, ‘Blut- & Leberwurst while being entertained by Swiss Yodel & Folklore Group ‘Bergrösli’ Brisbane Detailed flyers with all the necessary information (championship format, accommodation, transportation, event fees etc.) will be available at the end of February. Please let us know if you are interested. Check our website for updated information: Swiss Club Jass Queensland www.swiss.org.au/event.php?ID=1399 Tournament Coordinator: Rita von Rotz T: (07) 3314 8344, M: 0431 707 144 E: australianjasschampionship@swiss.org.au or tari@swiss.org.au
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1st 2nd 3rd 4th & Final
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Tel: 03 9421 5348 Email: info@solutionslingua.com www.solutionslingua.com
SWISS NEWS, WORLD WIDE
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Swiss Club of Victoria
First of all I would like to wish you a belated Happy New Year. I wish you all the very best, good health and success in your private and professional life. By the time you read this message the Swiss Festival on Sunday, 17 February will have already taken place. This year’s Swiss Festival, organised by Rolf Huber and his active companions, will be held for the first time on Queensbridge Square on Southbank. I am convinced that we will be able to look back to a most outstanding event where we shared our Swiss values, customs, traditions and food specialties with a large Australian community. From the beginning I was a strong supporter of the idea to change the venue from Heidelberg to the heart of Melbourne. I am very glad that Official Switzerland via the means of the two Sydney offices, the Swiss Consulate General and Switzerland Tourism, was able to support the event with an elaborated touristic and cultural presentation and information about education, trade and consular services. In November 2012 a team from the Consulate General was present at the Swiss Club in Melbourne to offer consular consultations days and with technical equipment to collect biometrical data for Swiss identity documents. The presence of this team saved more than 120 people from the time consuming journey to Sydney. I hope that we can repeat this service in the upcoming years, hopefully with the help of more enhanced soft- and hardware. Furthermore I would like to introduce a new service of our headquarter in Berne. In Australia it is a challenge to maintain the contact with you. It has to be done through modern means of communication. The Swiss Foreign Department in Berne offers a newly established Helpline Service (seven days, 24 hours) for a wide range of questions. The number is assembled of the country code for Switzerland (001141) followed by 800, 24 (for 24 hours), 7 (for 7 days) and 365 (for 365 days) or simply 001141 800 24 7 365. This means that even from
One in ten Swiss lives abroad Almost 716,000 Swiss citizens live outside Switzerland. The trend observed for several years continued in 2012, according to figures released by the foreign ministry recently. “The number of Swiss abroad has increased by 1.72%, going from 703,640 in 2011 to 715,710 in 2012,” it said in a statement. More than half of these live in Europe (442,620), with the most popular countries being neighbouring France (186,615), Germany (80,715) and Italy (50,091). Outside Europe, the United States is the top destination, with 76,330 domiciled there. Israel is home to 15,970 Swiss – a jump of 21.44% since 2007. w w w.s w i s sc lu bv i c .co m.au
Photograph by Henry Bois de Chesne
Liebe Landsleute! Cher compatriote! Cari concittadini!
Australia you can ring this number at any time and whenever it is convenient for you. An experienced team of specialists will attend to your questions regarding all consular matters and is providing support in German, French, Italian and English. This helpline can be reached free of charge when you use Skype (helpline-eda). Similar information regarding Services for Swiss citizens is available on the website of the Consulate General of Switzerland in Sydney (www.eda.admin.ch/australia). Please browse the website and take advantage of the different online solutions offered. Last but not least, I would like to use this opportunity to say good-bye to you. I and my wife Christa have been in Australia since August 2009 and we will leave Australia at the end of May to take over the directorate of the Consulate General of Switzerland in Frankfurt am Main. It was a great pleasure working with you for the last four years and we definitely enjoyed our frequent trips to Melbourne very much. You always made us feel very welcome and I felt like I was home in Sydney and Melbourne. My successor will be Mr. Ernst Steinmann, Ernst is currently the Swiss Consul General in St. Petersburg in Russia. He will arrive in Australia by the end of August 2013. I am sure Ernst and his partner Edith will soon feel at home as well and enjoy their stay as much as we did. Markus Meli – Consul General of Switzerland
Australia recorded an increase of 1.09%, from 23,378 in 2011 to 23,633 in 2012. At the other end of the list, only one Swiss citizen lives in each of São Tomé and Principe, an island nation off the western coast of Central Africa, Kiribati, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, and Micronesia. “The proportion of Swiss abroad on a Swiss electoral register has stabilised at roughly a quarter of those eligible to vote,” said the foreign ministry statement. The population of Switzerland reached eight million in 2012, but more than 20% of people living in the country are foreigners. swissinfo.ch
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16 February: 40 years at 89 Flinders Lane! This year our club has reached another milestone: on 16 February, it was 40 years since our present club premises were officially opened by the Swiss Ambassador Mr Max König and Consul Mr Urs Karli. The move from George Parade – the club’s home for only three years – to 89 Flinders Lane was a significant improvement and the success is due to the wise negotiations and decisions made by the Action Group Committee, consisting of Fred Binder (Chairman), Sigrid Scherrer, Walter Purtschert, Roland Kehl, Bill Schreiber and Werner Hofer, and the Building Committee, consisting of Peter Meuri (Chairman), Othmar Jäggi (1st Vice-President), Urs Biedermann (Hon. Secretary), Bruno Jenny (Manager) and Jack Wyss. The land transfer was executed in January 1972. Both the Action Group Committee and the Building Committee spent a good part of 1972 meeting with CRA (the buyer of the George Parade premises), developers, architects, estate agents and lawyers; then began the process of refurbishment. CRA spend a total of $250,000 on the re-design and fit-out to SCV specifications. It was decided that the new club needed a full-time management and Ernst Keller took over from Bruno Jenny, who with his wife Aida had been the club’s part-time manager for nine years.
1st Floor...then
2nd Floor...then
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Swiss Club of Victoria
1st Floor...now 2nd Floor...now
You are invited to the
th
40 Anniversary Dinner Dance Saturday, 16 March – 7 for 7.30pm 1973 was a very groovy year! Let’s celebrate our club’s 40th anniversary at Flinders Lane – seventies style. Dress retro (seventies of course) and let your hair hang down! $50 for members and $60 non-members. Includes welcome drink, 3-course dinner and great entertainment Please return the slip below without delay, but 13 March at the latest. For enquiries please contact Barbara 9005 4938 barbara@swissclubvic.com.au, or Rita 9561 7811 ritaherbert@bigpond.com
Yes, I/we would like to attend the
40thAnniversary Dinner Dance Name(s):
Address:
Telephone: No. of persons @ $50
No. of persons @ $60
Cheque enclosed for total $: Cheque: payable to the Swiss Club of Victoria. EFT payment: Swiss Club Vic ANZ BSB 013 375 A/C 353682406 Please put your last name and 16Mar under remarks
w w w.s w i s sc lu bv i c .co m.au
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Switzerland and Europe – to infinity and beyond Switzerland is a space superpower. Well, more than you might first think from the size of the country. Along with Luxembourg, it is now taking up the presidency of the European Space Agency, ESA. When mankind first stepped onto the moon in 1969, Switzerland was there too. The astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were of course Americans, but the first scientific experiment they carried out on the moon was a Swiss one. The two space scientists unfurled a solar screen to capture particles emitted by the sun. That screen was devised and developed at Bern University. The same university 43 years later won ESA’s approval for CHEOPS, a space telescope that will track possible exoplanets that have been sighted from the ground. Switzerland’s Michel Mayor and Didier Quéloz, along with their team, first spotted planets that orbited stars outside our solar system in 1995. “I think that the discovery of exoplanets rivals that of DNA, worthy of a Nobel Prize,” claims Philippe Gillet with enthusiasm. Gillet is the vice-president of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), the institution collaborating on CHEOPS via its space centre. Light and sturdy What makes the Swiss such keen spatial adventurers? The answer lies partly in the physics of the Swiss psyche. What gets sent into space must be both light – to make launching lighter, easier and cheaper – and very sturdy, as repairs are impossible millions of kilometres away from home. Gillet reckons that “we benefit from a profound knowledge of miniaturisation, and a long tradition of reliability. Other competitors on the European stage are France and Germany – you have to try and bring something to the table that others don’t.” For example, being able to construct a microprobe, a nuclear microscope that is no bigger than a matchbox and capable of resisting the vibrations and temperature changes of an interplanetary flight. And that’s just what a Swiss start-up together with two Swiss universities did – for the American Pheonix mission. In July 2008, their device which made it to Mars was the first one to find frozen water nano-crystals. Switzerland is also the testing site for the BELA interplanetary laser altimeter. BELA is due to leave for the planet Mercury in 2013, on board the BepiColombo orbiter. After six and a half years of travel, BELA should orbit the closest planet to the Sun, and map Mercury’s surface and elevations from 700 kilometres above to within a metre of accuracy. Success story Precision, reliability and innovation – traits often associated with the “Swiss Made” label are also behind the longest running Swiss space saga – launcher payload fairings. More simply, the giant hood that protects the space vessel
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during the first few minutes of ESA flights is made in Switzerland. They were originally manufactured by the Oerlikon group, which has since been taken over by Ruag’s space division. On over 200 missions, the fairings, designed to be ejected once the vessel gets into space, have never failed. If the payload fairings do not open, the whole mission has failed. And all the money invested in the mission, hundreds of millions or even billions would be lost. Does this mean Switzerland has sewn up this corner of the market? “Nothing’s certain in this industry,” warns Gillet. “The financial crisis has shown us that it is very difficult to retain a market.” “But I think Switzerland has the means to keep the markets it’s already serving, as well as enormous potential, both with existing SMEs and others that can develop and feed off the space industry,” Gillet explained. A$13 billion, even when times are tough Switzerland has just taken on the presidency of ESA, along with Luxembourg, and will remain at the agency’s head until 2015. Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, State Secretary for Education and Research, together with Luxembourg minister for communications and research, François Biltgen, led debates at a meeting in Naples in November. Despite the turns taken by the financial crisis since the last meeting in 2008, ministers managed to keep the agency’s budget at A$13 billion (SFr12 billion) for the next three years. ESA has no plans to aim for the moon at the moment, but two missions to Mars, in collaboration with Russia, are going ahead, as is the partnership with the International Space Station (ISS). Star Wars Naples was the scene of another crucial decision: whether to launch the development of a new Ariane 6, as supported by ESA and France, or whether to opt for an improved version of Ariane 5, the ME – for middle evolution, – an option preferred by Germany. After two nights of negotiations, where Switzerland and Luxembourg played a mediating role, the ministers settled on Ariane 5, but with components that will be utilisable for Ariane 6, now slated for the 2020s. Exciting times are ahead for ESA. The next ministerial meeting is slated for 2015, in Switzerland. Until then, Switzerland and Luxembourg will supervise how quickly the decisions taken in Naples are implemented. Switzerland and Luxembourg have to provide political and diplomatic leadership in case of “significant malfunctions”, Dell’Ambrogio said. “We are in some ways the last resort for negotiations if the ESA’s management asks us to step in.” Marc-Andre Miserez, swissinfo.ch Login and get the latest info: www.swissclubvic.com
Swiss Club of Victoria
Test your Swiss Knowledge 1 13 8
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The batteries are charged and practice has started. Now that the Swiss Festival has come and gone, we look forward travel to Sydney over Easter where we will participate at the Volkstanzfest 2013. It is organised and sponsored by ‘Die BrĂźcke’ – National Council of Germanspeaking Clubs and Organisations in Australia and New Zealand and the Concordia German Club in Sydney. After that,we will be busy organising the Unterhaltungsabend at the Club on 4 May. Please come and join a fun night and at the same time support the group. We look forward to see the card players at the jass nights at the Club. Sylvia Hochuli
Book the Second Floor at the Swiss Club for your next function
We are a group of men and women who enjoy singing Swiss songs and the companionship with each other. We meet twice a month at the Swiss Club for practice and socialising. As one member said: “Singing with the Swiss Companion Singers at the Swiss Club is like a home away from home. There is a comfortable feeling amongst us, as if we have always known each other.� During the year we perform at different festivals and try and get together for dinners and the occasional weekend away. If you feel like joining us, we are happy to welcome you into the group. Convenor: Heidy Giger T: 9889 9321, E: adelheid1@bigpond.com.au Or come to our rehearsals at the Swiss Club every third and fourth Thursday of the month at 7.30pm
w w w.s w i s sc lu bv i c .co m.au
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Across 2. Where was the last Grand Prix car race held in Switzerland (in 1954)? 4. What is the name of the cross country ski racer that has been voted ‘Swiss of the Year’? 5. St Fridolin is depicted on which canton banner? 7. Which canton is the largest wine producer in Switzerland? 10. Largest island in Switzerland (hint: it’s in Lake ZĂźrich)? 11. Swiss sawing machine brand. 12. Switzerland’s most common street name. Down 1. Swiss tennis star Martina Hingis was not born in Switzerland but in a country that today does not exist anymore. 3. The old Walser-Settlement of St Martin is in which Valley? 6. The first ever Academy Award (Oscar) for best actor was won in 1929 by Emil Jannings. Were was he born? 8. Herbal lolly brand containing 13 herbs, all grown in Switzerland. 9. World’s longest downhill ski race (4.48km). 11. Name of the St Bernard dog, famous for rescuing over 40 people. 13. Pass connecting Grison with Ticino. For answers go to page 21
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La grande dame Rita Schwärzler, we know you as the first Lady President of the Swiss Club, someone who spend many years on the committee nurturing the club through good and bad times. We would like to find out a bit more about you, let’s start with your childhood years back in Switzerland. I grew up in the Eastern part of Switzerland, in the abbots city of Wil, which is most fitting, as my maiden name is Abbt. Ours was, to use a modern term, a functional family, consisting of Mother and Father, a Grandmother, one boy, three girls, a dog, many cats and animals which fly or crawl or lay eggs, what ever kind of creature children bring home and beg to keep. It was a strict catholic household, and I was schooled like most girls in our town by Dominican nuns, for whose teaching methods I still have a high regard. I am the first born, my father then being already 35. Therefore I was in his eyes the most adorable girl on earth, a stigma I was allowed to carry until he died 1992. And this, despite everybody else’s opinion that I am difficult to keep and no Shirley Temple. – However, I was a keen and consciences Girl Guide. After you finished school, what did you do? I had no idea what to do with my future life; the school advised that I should study Germanistic, I wanted to be an artist, not quite knowing what kind of sort and as my French marks were not up to scratch, I was sent yet to another convent, to Notre Dame the Cenacle in Marseille, to learn la langue and for ‘finishing’. And it did ‘finish’ me, I hated it. Somehow you could not lock me up any longer. To cut a long story short, my Father Confessor, a priest from Sempach (we had to confess in ‘Schwizertütsch’, I had no French sins) got me an Aux-pair job in Marseille, a step which was vital for our family, as my sister Dina married into my employers clan 50 years ago and is living in that part of the world ever since. And it was me, who so very much would have liked a French boyfriend! But through my sister I spend very often time under the sun of the Provence. This is the successful part of the story, to the negative is to say, that my French has almost disappeared, together with the religious aspiration, although I try every day anew to be a good person. And so, a year later, I still did not know what I wanted to be, other then being an ‘undisclosed’ artist, something to do with Juliette Greco and Sartre. That’s when my beautiful Dad had enough. First you learn something practical, and then you can do what you want, said the Patriarch. So I was contracted to a newspaper and printing firm as a commercial apprentice and unexpectedly, I loved every bit of it. News, politics, gossip, paper and inks, texts and stories; to me newspapers were, and still are, the pulse of the world. When did you meet your husband Herbert? That happened during my apprenticeship. Considering that I do not like any sport and was never good at it, I met him after a Turnfest, when the ‘Töchterriege’ met the boys of the ‘Männerriege’ at the ‘Stammtisch’. I was about 18, and 56 years later we are still a pair. That he was German, made me in those days not exactly popular, but he was good-looking and extremely persuasive. – And he was a keen and consciences
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Boy Scout, our first common denominator. We married when I was barely 21, had two boys soon after, Gerd and Christian, and with the support of my family, I became the breadwinner, while Herbert did his Engineering studies In Germany. What made you come to Australia? Herbert had worked with the Swiss Company Buhler Brothers before his studies, and joined them again after graduation. This was the company, which sent us into ‘exile’ to Australia for the duration of three years, Herbert to build up a department called ‘Materials Handling’ which has to with mining and transporting of mining products. It involved a lot of traveling and being away from home. This happened 43 years ago. Meanwhile Australia became our home and is dearly loved. Our boys live here and we have two grandchildren, two perfect angels. And while Herbert was busy with his work, and you looking after a young family, how was life for you in a new country? After five years playing the lady of leisure, speaking French with other delegates wives, having a tennis coach, doing a bit of pottery and painting, sewing beautiful dresses for Opera First Nights and cocktail parties I started to feel bored and lonely. The compatriots fraternity got me a job as ‘secretary’, part time, at Lurgi. I suspect mainly to scare me off; they thought I would get frustrated, a ‘Kaufmännische Angestellte’ was not a women’s profession known in Australia, and I have not necessarily a secretarial personality. But this is a separate story. They almost did frighten me off, but not quite. I packed twice and intended to go home, but nobody noticed. Later I started to work with Siemens as a Commercial Officer in Electrical Engineering and worked there on and off until 1991. In between I left to study at the RMIT for a BA in economics and commerce. But when Siemens asked, if I would do the commercial work for the recently sold Yallourn W Powerstation, I said yes and I became a ‚drop out’ – at Uni I mean. Yallourn W was ‘my’ Powerstation and I was very proud when this huge project closed in a profit situation, which was not guaranteed, when it was sold to the SECV. After YW I worked in Siemens’ conventional Organisation and then became a part-timer, doing special projects, to a time table which suited me, because I had joined my husbands newly founded company as the Financial ‘Controller’. Actually, he had hired me as his secretary, but people who know Herbert (or me!?) can figure out, that it was no smooth sailing. We had trouble to find out who is in charge. - I liked very much to work for Siemens. Swiss Club of Victoria
When and why did you become a member of the Swiss Club? 40 years ago. It was actually through Herbert’s application, who as an employee of a Swiss Company, located in the city, had to clinch his thirst and fraternize with other Swiss business men after work. He being German, the membership was offered to me, the true blue Swiss girl, and he became the spouse. – It did not make a difference to who patronized the club. I very seldom had time to have a quick meal there, I had to baby-sit my two strapping sons after work and keep house. So how did you get involved in the Committee? Around the time I left Siemens in 1994, I joined the Swiss Companion Singers. I must have ‘trillered’ like a bird, when Hanspeter Frei asked me to join the committee under new president Franz Schnellmann. Little did I know how it changed my life. I had never worked in a committee, I was told that a once a month appearance at a meeting would be required and I thought, I could fit it in. I suggested my friend Heidy Giger comes along for Dutch courage. The two us, after feeling the ropes, became very active committee members, despite wearing skirts and we endeavoured to change the world. The first idea was to build a restaurant on street level of the clubhouse, to rent out and create a regular income source. This project came to fruition, albeit carried to the end by other committee members. But this is another story. In 2000, you then ran the club together with Barry Hodson, Barbara Kündig and Daniel Rothenfluh…and no President. It must have been a very difficult time. It was after Franz Schnellmann left the presidency. Barry was the treasurer and membership secretary and I did, together with Barbara and Daniel everything else from the basket. I was something like a President without power and the Secretary to boot. It has to be mentioned, that during that year at any one time, one of us was absent due to home leave and family matters. Yes it was hard. Nobody thought to nominate me for President; I was after all just a woman. – And I was too chicken and too proud to ask for my ‘rights’, thinking they will eventually discover the wallflower. When did this situation change? I seem to remember, we had a Half-Yearly GM without a President. It also looked like that after the upcoming AGM the committee would remain a skeleton (strong boned I may add). Should we dissolve the committee, cease working, to shock the members? We decided each of us four would contemplate on people we know, invite them to a dinner, let them play some management games and propose some ideas for the future of the Swiss Club. We fed them well and let them drink a glass or two and to our amazement, we recruited three wonderful people, Walter Purtschert, who was later voted the President within and from the committee, you Mr Editor, and Markus Zihlmann. I say with conviction, the Swiss Club was saved. Barry Hodson used to say, the best money we ever spent for a dinner!! And then, you became the first Lady President of the Swiss Club in 2003. What were the highs and lows of your time in office? w w w.s w i s sc lu bv i c .co m.au
By that time we had the Restaurant downstairs, we had money in the bank and the roof did not leak any more, and I wished to resign and resume my ‘former life’. But after discussions within the ‘Mafia’ I was offered nomination for Presidency. Well, after 100 years of Swiss Club duration a Lady President! I felt obliged to comply. The Swiss Club set-up was not new to me, I knew the people of the committee, I had led before, so I started fearlessly and with enthusiasm. The biggest task was the total refurbishment of the Swiss Club Restaurant on the first floor, a project which had been on the drawing board for a number of years. The task, when undertaken, caused turmoil downstairs and upstairs, but I was never scared. I worked with Beat Altermatt, Sepp Schmidig and two committee members, namely you and Andreas Salvotelli and we called ourselves the ‘Bob the Builder’ team. It was a good time, it was a busy time, and I say with gratitude, this group of men, together with the committee members, did a beautiful job and the patience of their spouses needs to be commended. I still love the result of the refurbishment, aesthetically and economically, each time I enter, and I am sure, Roger would agree. You were made an Honorary Member in recognition for your great work for the club. Looking back, are you happy how the club is going today? Not entirely. The succession planning, which we established before Walter Purtschert got the scepter, has been interrupted and starts to cause concern. I believe people have to be ask personally to join the committee; they do not come forward by themselves. They have to be chosen, they WANT to be chosen. An upcoming President has to understand what an ethnic club is all about and has to be trained, possibly working before within the committee. The time during my committee work, was a rich experience. I grew as a person in a different direction, learning to deal with people outside my social strata and made friendships, which I treasure. I recommend committee work to younger people, especially working in a social field, commerce or trade, or perhaps writing a thesis. A committee shows personalities in a different way, it is a melting pot of all kind of characters. What are your passions, your hobbies? I have always been an adamant reader and have luckily enough funds to form my library. I made attempts to become a painter, the work at the Swiss Club stopping my schooling and now I lack the courage to restart. I love the arts, galleries, theatre and opera. I love cats and dogs, but presently prefer to travel. Sometimes I like to cook, but always like to eat and drink. I like to be with friends and love passionate discussions. I actually like almost everything. If you could invite five people, living or dead, to dinner, who would they be? That’s the hardest question you posed, the respective answers changing many times. Martin Luther King, Oprah Winfrey, my two grandmothers, I like to ask questions I omitted to ask. Thank you very much Rita!
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Swisscellany: a new word for a new book by Diccon Bewes Publisher: Bergli Books ISBN: 978-3-905252-24-8 Language: English Hardbound, 192 pages, 72 illustrations CHF 19.90 This Swiss miscellany is a collection of curious and quirky, statistical and historical, intriguing and interesting facts and figures about Switzerland. It is a subjective look at a unique country and its people, but not an utterly comprehensive one. You can discover how much yoghurt an average Swiss person eats each year but not which flavours, or who was elected president the most times but not who voted for him, and even the most successful pop songs but not why anyone bought them. It’s not a quiz book or an encyclopedia but something to dip in and out of, and maybe discover a few things about Switzerland that you never knew. You can learn the rules of Hornussen, the words of the Swiss national anthem, the 13 herbs in a Ricola drop and who has played Heidi on the big screen. Not forgetting Switzerland’s largest hotel, tallest church spire, longest railway bridge, smallest community, deepest lake, oldest funicular and highest alpine hut. Plus really important facts such as how many citizens of Papua New Guinea live in Switzerland and who scored nil points for Switzerland at Eurovision. Available online from: Bergli Books, www.bergli.ch
Planning your private or business function? The Second Floor is the perfect venue! Contact 1300 893 968 for information & bookings.
Gâteau du Vully In the Vully region near Lake Murten this cake is a must at any wedding or vintage festival. The recipe varies from one village to the next and from one cook to another. But whichever you prefer, take care to press ‘puits d’amour’ – small dents – into the dough to suck up the cream and moisten the dough. Preparation time: approx. 35 min Rising time: approx. 2 hr. Baking time: approx. 20 min Approx. 28-30cm ø baking tin, greased Yeast dough ¼ cube fresh yeast (10g), crumbled 1 tbs milk ½ tbs sugar Mix together in a bowl, cover and leave for approx. 15 min, until the liquid froths. Stir in 30g butter, melted, cooled 250g plain flour ½ tbs salt 150ml milk Add to bowl and mix. Knead to make a soft, smooth dough. Place dough in prepared tin and press flat. Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for approx. 2 hrs. Make dents in the top of the dough with fingertips. Press a few slivers of butter into the dents. 100ml extra thick double cream 1 egg yolk Mix, brush the surface of the cake with half of the mixture, set remainder aside. Sprinkle over 1 tbs of sugar Bake Approx. 10 min on the middle shelf, preheat oven to 220°C. Remove cake. Brush cake again with the remainder of the egg & cream mixture. Sprinkle over 1 tbs of sugar. Bake for approx. 10 min more. Tastes best fresh. Bon appetit! From ’The Swiss Cookbook‘ by Betty Bossy. See ’Edelweiss‘ June 2010.
Want a taste of Switzerland? Visit the Swiss Club Restaurant
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Swiss Club of Victoria
NOTICE
2013 Annual General Meeting of the SCV The reason why Laughter Yoga is such a good exercise routine is because: Laughter releases endorphins, giving us the ‘feel good factor’ Acts as aerobic exercise and is like ‘internal jogging’ Unleashes inhibitions, breaks down barriers Great team building tool, encourages better communication Helps boost our immune system which helps us resist disease Tones muscles, improves respiration and circulation Encourages positive thinking and creativity Relaxes the whole body by reducing stress and tension Laughter Club Helvetia meets every 3rd and 4th Thursday at 6pm at the Swiss Club, 2nd floor. Why not come and see for yourself how good you feel afterwards. Everybody welcome. Contact: laughter.club.helvetia@gmail.com Marianne Bishop 9432 2421 or Heidy Giger 9889 9321
Test your Swiss Knowledge - Answers Across: 2. Bremgarten; 4. DarioCologna; 5. Glarus; 7. Valais; 10. Ufenau; 11. Bernina; 12. Dorfstrasse Down: 1. Czechoslovakia; 3. Calfeisental; 6. Rorschach; 8. Ricola; 9. Lauberhorn; 11. Barry; 13. Lukmanier
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Swiss Club of Victoria will be held at 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, on:
Wednesday, 13 March 2013, 8pm Agenda: 1. Opening and Welcome 2. One Minute of Silence 3. Attendance, Apologies, Proxies 4. Adoption of Minutes of Half-Yearly General Meeting 2012 5. President’s Report 6. Accounts and Financial Statements 7. Election of Office Bearers 8. General Business: – Question Time 9. Conclusion
Minutes of the 2012 HalfYearly General Meeting of the SCV Held Wednesday, 19 September 2012 at 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 1. Opening and Welcome The President of the Swiss Club of Victoria, Ms Barbara Kündig, opened the Half-Yearly Meeting at 8.20pm and welcomed the Honorary Life Members and Members of the Swiss Club. She thanked everyone for attending; a total of 27 voting members were present. 2. One Minute of Silence Barbara invited all members to stand up and observe one
2013 dates: 15 March Swiss Club Doubles Championship 7 June Bernard Sandoz Cup 25 October Swiss Championship Bookings are essential, please ring Roger at the Swiss Club or myself on 9439 7593 or 0418 645 313. New players always welcome. Looking forward to a great tournament this year. Louis Schneider
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In true Swiss Club tradition before the Annual General Meeting, Roger Moullet and his team serve
‘Mixed Sausages & Potato Salad’ $15 for members attending the AGM Bookings essential on 9650 1196. A la carte menu also available at regular prices.
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minute of silence to remember our friends and members who have left us, in particular our Honorary Life Member, Fritz Hochuli and Marco Unternährer, President of the Yodel Choir Matterhorn. We will remember them. 3. Apologies Therese Say, Colin Wilkinson, Albert Foster, Rita & Herbert Schwärzler, Christina Schwärzler, Colin Eichenberger, A.P. Boll, Liz & Roland Isler, Angela & Othmar Jaeggi, Erika Kimpton, Peter Meury, Jill Müller, Christian Froelicher, Roger Kristen, John Sewell, Susan & Remy Favre, Rita & Basil Jenkins, Claudia Dahinden-Apostoloff, Marlies & Sepp Krummenacher, Ernst Hugli, Simona Wirth, Barbara & Walter Purschert, Yvonne & Tony Erb, Christa Keller, Klaus Angst. Proxy Forms received: None 4. Adoption of Minutes of Annual General Meeting March 2012 The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting, held Wednesday, 14 March, 2012, were published in the September 2012 newsletter. The minutes had been read and are a true record. They were moved by Greg Bowles and seconded by Fred Dumar. All in favour. 5. President’s Report Dear Honorary Life Members, honorary members and members, Thank you for coming to the Half-Yearly Meeting. The last six months went quickly. The committee would like to thank all the convenors of our interest groups for keeping their groups going, in particular Sylvia Hochuli and the Dance Group for organizing again a successful Heimatabend in May and for the Jass evenings. Thank you to Rolf Huber and his committee for another great Swiss Festival at the Austrian Club in March. We also thank them for taking on once again the organization of the next Swiss Festival in 2013. Damian will speak about it a bit later in the meeting. Thank you to Rita Schwärzler for coordinating all the senior club events and Roland Isler for his great work on our quarterly Newletter, the Edelweiss. We have been working on several issues with the maintenance of the building. Tony will elaborate further during his building report. I touch on two major ones briefly: Unfortunately, we had a leak in the men’s bathroom on the Second Floor. Upon investigation, we became aware that during the construction of the floor, the contractor A1 failed to properly waterproof the floor planks, therefore, the water could make its way into the walk in fridge of the 1st Floor kitchen. We consider this a faulty construction and have contacted A1 to have this rectified and bear repair costs. This is ongoing. We are also still working on possible electrical upgrade to the building to ensure sufficient electricity capacity into the future. This is a costly capital upgrade. We have a present quote of $24,000, and we hope this can be financed in the next 1-2 years. In the meantime, we will be going ahead and install a meter in the basement, which will give us more accurate information on who uses what in the basement and that we can re-invoice accordingly.
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Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in our grant application for 2012 for capital works. We might try our luck during another round of applications. Derrick will elaborate further about our financial situation during the treasurer’s report. Ground Floor Tenant As you know, we have a new tenant with the Publican group since late 2012. The handover has been smooth and the tenant has been taking care of their obligations without issues. Some back ground information: The ground floor lease is 10 years + one option of 5 years, total 15 years to 2022. In 2007, after three unsuccessful tenancies, the committee was keen to get stability back into renting out the ground floor. One of the steps was to accept a more moderate rental. It started at $45,000, five years later we are at $66,000 plus GST. As it is hard to predict where actual rentals would go too many years in advance, the committee at the time, opted for a 10 + 5 year lease, e.g. we didn’t want to be stuck with a medium to low rental income for 20 years. In addition, the committee took the view that it wasn’t quite right to block opportunities for future committees to come up with other ideas how to manage the building and run the club. Long leases are also attractive to potential buyers, and we didn’t want the lease to become a potential trading commodity. The Publican Group has approached the committee to ask for an extension of the lease to another two options of 5 years each, taking it 20 years to expire end April, 2032. Their argument is that they would like to invest into the restaurant, but a 20 year lease versus the ten remaining years would make it more attractive for them to do so. In return, they offered us a $10,000 one off donation and a 24 months self-imposed selling restraint. All other conditions, e.g. that rental will go up every year by 3% or CPI, whichever is the greater, regular market reviews, which are capped at 20% increase, would remain. The committee has debated this vigorously; 20 years is a very long commitment into the future from our part, while the tenant has no obligations to really take up the options. There are concerns that by granting 20 years the lease is attractive to be sold eg 24 months restraint over 20 years is not much. Also continuous 20% capping of Market review for next 20 years might be of a financial disadvantage. We have gone back to the tenant with a counter offer of 15 years, $10,000 one of donation/fee, as well as asking for a 50% participation in the cost of the electricity upgrade (estimate $12-15,000 value). Over the additional 10 years that is an average of $2,500 per year. We also told them of our intention re the basement meter, and that we would bill back to them their electricity usage (presently, we pay for all the public area electricity, including basement as it is not metered separately.) and we asked for a 48 months trading restraint. They agreed in principal with all points, except they are after 20 years and 24 months trading restraint. Negotiations are ongoing. The Second Floor The rental of the Second Floor continues to be of concern. We had some functions in the past months, some booked by members, and we extend our thanks to them for their support. However, it is definitively not yet where we want it to be. Renee Moullet has approached the committee with a proposal Swiss Club of Victoria
to start to market the room for parties and events. This would also benefit the restaurant for F&B sales. The Sales & Marketing team of Terra Rossa and the Publican group have also approached us to include the Second Floor as part of their function facilities portfolio and market it for meetings etc. The committee decided to give both proposals a go. The management of the booking calendar remains with the committee, both parties have access to view availability and then book their functions. It is all based on first in best dressed. All club and interest group events are pre-blocked in the calendar. It is imperative that all sub-groups or anyone interested in using the Second Floor books directly with the committee (thesecondfloor@swissclubvic.com.au or phone 1 300 893 968). Reserving or telling the restaurant does not count as a booking! If the interest groups know they will not use the room on certain dates, please let us know to release the room back. It is important that the groups and members adhere to it as to avoid embarrassing double bookings. Thank you. From February 2012, the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) has become responsible for regulating the gambling and liquor industries in Victoria. The VCGLR takes on the role of the Director of Liquor Licensing, Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation and the licensing and compliance functions of Responsible Alcohol Victoria. The VCGLR has developed a Licensee Responsibilities resource kit called “Our Club”. It was made available to all clubs that hold a liquor licence. The Swiss Club holds a full club licence. The intention of the resource kit is to help licensed clubs gain a clearer understanding of their liquor responsibilities. The resource kit has information to help clubs meet their legal obligations, including information on the responsible service of alcohol and community or charitable minor gaming activities. The committee has been studying the kit and is working through any discrepancies we have with our own operations. If any of the members is familiar with the regulations or knows of any one who could assist us, please let us know. We would like to ask members when entertaining guests, including family, who are not members, at the club, that you ensure that they are signing into the visitor book at the entrance. This is compulsory and we need your co-operation that it is indeed done. Roger and his staff are also reminded that it is their duty to insure that all non-member guests are signed in the visitors’ book. The Committee I would like to take this opportunity to thank Antony, Damian, Derrick, Rolf and Sigrid very much for all their time and effort in running the Swiss Club. The committee size and renewal remains an issue, we really need to have new committee members join us. All members are aware of the situation and it is quite disheartening that no one has come forward and volunteered. What comes first; the egg or the chicken? It is understandable that people want to be approached and asked, but some initiative from members would be appreciated as well! We have approached individuals but so far to no avail. The Committee will continue to try to resolve this, but again, the six of us should not be the only w w w.s w i s sc lu bv i c .co m.au
rowers on the boat called Swiss Club of Victoria. Member initiative is appreciated. Upcoming Functions There will be another Social Afternoon on 18 Oct, the Billiard Competition on 26 Oct, the last Ladies Luncheon for the year on 1 Nov, and a movie night 21 Nov. We have two special events planned; a joint function with the LaTrobe Society on Fri 19 October. Our own editor, Roland Isler will have a speaker spot. The evening includes drinks and canapés. Please come along, details were published in the September Edelweiss. We will also hold a Jass course over two Saturday afternoons in October and November. If you like card games, this is for you. Jass is fun and really not that difficult to learn. Please sign up. Newsletter The Newsletter is delivered to your home four times a year. To get it there, some work is involved. One is to get the NL to the post office and to have it mailed. We are looking for one or several members to help us with the packing and mailing. It would require for the members to come to the Newsletter
Swiss Club of Victoria
Nomination Form for Office Bearers for 2013 We, being Honorary Life Members, Honorary Members or Ordinary Members of the Swiss Club of Victoria hereby nominate (please use block letters) Name of person nominated:
for election as a member of the Committee. 1. Name of Member: Signature: 2. Name of Member: Signature: I, (name of candidate) being a member of the Swiss Club of Victoria, hereby, consent to act as a member of the Committee, if elected. Signature: Note: Any two Ordinary Members, Honorary Life Members or Honorary Members of the Swiss Club of Victoria may nominate other members for election to the Committee. To be valid, this Nomination form must reach the Secretary no later than 28 February 2013.
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packing at the club 4 times a year, usually on a 1st or 3rd Wed of the month and then take the NL to the post office for mailing the next day. We look for mobile members with a car. If you can help, please see me at the end of the meeting or ring or email me. Thank you. It is with great pleasure that I welcome our newest members to our Half-Yearly Meeting. Please make welcome Jorg von Känel, Sophie & Chris Petoux, Rosy Lovell. We hope you will enjoy your time as a Swiss Club member. I would like to close by thanking Roger Moullet and his friendly team for holding the fort every day for us at the Restaurant and welcoming members and guests to the club. Thank you also to all the members for getting involved and coming to the club. Barbara Kündig, President
look after the building maintenance, the repairs so far have been well within budget. After unsatisfactory servicing of our elevators and dumb waiters by OTIS, we have now decided to have this work completed by a different provider, United Lift Company. Already an ongoing problem with the dumbwaiter has been rectified at no additional costs. Unfortunately, our request with the VMC to sponsor the 1st August event was unsuccessful and as a result the club missed out on some income, which was available in previous years. Based on details known to date, we expect to finish the year with a loss below the current value. The Treasurer Report was moved by Marcel Muntwyler and seconded by Herbert Schwärzler. Derrick Wildi, Treasurer
6. Treasurer’s Report Financial details as at 31 August 2012 (in $ 1,000) Assets Cash / Bank Account ..................................... $96 Deposits ........................................................ $25 Property ................................................... $1,074 Total Assets........................................ $1,195
7. Buildings Report The following points were covered: General works since AGM • New grease trap pump in the basement • Blocked sewer pipe in basement repaired
Income Membership Fees ....................................... $20,5 Rent .............................................................. $80 Outgoings ..................................................... $12 Advertising................................................... $3,5 Other Income .................................................. $6 Total Income ......................................... $122 Liabilities Loan ............................................................ $316 Creditors ......................................................... $6 Equity .......................................................... $873 Total Liabilities .................................. $1,195 Expenses Legal & Accounting ......................................... $4 Insurance ...................................................... $17 Bank/Loan ..................................................... $20 Member Services ........................................... $10 Building Maintenance ................................... $21 Building Operations ...................................... $27 Depreciation.................................................. $36 Total Expenses ...................................... $135 Total loss YTD ........................................ -$13 Above details are in line with expectations and reflect the current challenge to successfully promote the venue on the Second Floor. As mentioned in the President’s Report we are currently in negotiations with Terra Rossa and Renee Moullet to find ways to actively rent out the 2nd floor. We also have been approached by the Comedy Festival with the request to use our venue for the next two years. This is demonstrating the popularity our venue has with the organiser and provides us with a lot of positive publicity. On the expense side the building maintenance remains a constant challenge. Due to the age of the building the ‘unknown’ is always any emergency repairs required, which are hard to forecast. However thanks to Tony and Sigrid which
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Proxy Form for the Annual General Meeting 2013 of the Swiss Club of Victoria To: the Secretary of the Swiss Club of Victoria (please use block letters) I, being a member of the Swiss Club of Victoria, my address being:
hereby appoint:
his/her address being:
being another member of the Swiss Club of Victoria, to vote for me and on my behalf at the Annual General Meeting of the Swiss Club of Victoria to be held on Wednesday, 13 March 2013 and at every adjournment thereof. Signed by hand this
day of
2013
Signature: Note: Only members who are entitled to vote, having paid their subscription or being Honorary Life Members or Honorary Members, may represent other members as proxy. Proxy forms must be handed to the Secretary at least 48 hours before the meeting is to take place.
Swiss Club of Victoria
• Water tap leak in 1st Floor Restaurant • Water leak in 2nd Floor Men’s toilet. Investigating with the fit out company (A1) • Fixed 1st floor restaurant door • Installed ground floor balustrade to lift • Repaint and carpets cleaned on 2nd Floor following the Comedy Festival (costs charged to Festival) • New poster frames Lifts • Signed a new Lift Maintenance Contract for both lifts United Lift Company (as requested by members, committee approached Schindler, but they wouldn’t offer a better deal for the Swiss Club and prices were similar to OTIS • New contracts includes all scheduled servicing and minor repairs • Major repairs done at a substantial discount compared to OTIS • Upcoming lift items: • Re-staining of lift wood; • Phone line in passenger lift; • Door lock on goods lift (dumb waiter); • New door sensors in passenger lift. Electrical system • Building electrical upgrade put on hold due to new tenant in Terra Rossa not requiring additional load. Will need to be done in the next 2 years • Investigating asking Terra Rossa to contribute half of the Electrical Upgrade costs • Meter to be installed in the Basement with usage costs shared between Terra Rossa and Swiss Club restaurant Fire safety • Currently have 3 companies providing all of the fire safety compliance • Investigating getting it down to one company with cost savings if possible and currently obtaining quotes Tony Anderson, Building Management 8. Membership Report Key numbers for membership details as at 31 August 2012 are as follows: • Total members: ........................................... 452 • New members since AGM in March:............. 27 • Members lost during same period: ............... 13 • Swiss Citizenship: ...................... 312 or 69% of total members, which is above the required 50% • Age ranges from oldest member born in 1918 to the youngest member born in 1989 • Mobile phone details on file: ......... 271 or 60% Overall the details remain stable in comparison with previous periods. Derrick Wildi, Membership Administration 9. General Business Franz Schnellmann, President of the Swiss Society of Victoria informed all present of the upcoming information session on the purpose of the Swiss Society, all Swiss community groups have been invited. This event will take place on the second floor of the Swiss Club on 12 October 2012. Furthermore he thanked the committee for a job well done. w w w.s w i s sc lu bv i c .co m.au
Heidy Giger asked who they need to contact in order to change practice sessions on the second floor. To this Barbara replied that she should either contact 1300 893 968 or by email to info@swissclubvic.com 10. Conclusion As there were no further questions from the members, Barbara closed the Half-Yearly meeting by thanking all present for their continuous interest & support in the Swiss Club of Victoria. The meeting closed at 9.30pm and all members were invited for a drink. Minutes taken as a correct record by Rolf Huber, member of committee.
E Tanzliedli En Brommbass, e Giige, e Hackbrett dezue. Wie flüügid die Arme, wie schliifid die Schue! Wie güxlid die Määtle, wie juuchzed de Poorscht! Es präächtid di Alte Bi Wii ond bi Worscht. Wie d Flüüge am Zocker, e schuulegi Not, chönnscht määne, si chäämtid zom Gernha no z spot! Gell, Muetter, e Tänzli, das neesch mer nüd chromm; lueg, öseri Erde goht au no z ringsom. – En Brommbass, e Giige, e Hackbrett dezue. Wie flüügid die Arme, wie schtüübid die Schue!
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Swiss Events & Functions Please note that this calendar also list events other than those organised by the Swiss Club of Victoria and its subgroups. Please book all Swiss Club functions (bold entries) with Roger, phone 9650 1196 or fax 9650 3104 and check website for latest information and details of upcoming events. For all other events please contact the relevant organisation (see page 3 for contact details).
FEBRUARY
Sunday Thursday Saturday
24 28 23
Swiss Club Tennis Championship Laughter Club Helvetia Jass Night - Matterhorn
MARCH
Saturday Wednesday Thursday Wednesday Friday Saturday Thursday Saturday Thursday Wednesday
02 06 07 13 15 16 21 23 28 27
SwissKids Ladies’ Luncheon Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand entertains at the Club ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Billiard: Swiss Club Doubles Championship 40th Anniversary Dinner Dance Laughter Club Helvetia Jass Night - Swiss Club Laughter Club Helvetia Comedy Festival starts (The Second Floor unavailable until 21 April)
APRIL
Sunday
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Comedy Festival ends
MAY
Wednesday Thursday Saturday Saturday Monday Saturday Wednesday Thursday Thursday
01 02 04 04 06 11 15 16 23
Ladies’ Luncheon Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand entertains at the Club SwissKids Unterhaltungsabend - Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose Editorial Deadline - Newsletter June issue Jass Night - Matterhorn Movie Night at the Club ‘Sommervögel’ Laughter Club Helvetia Laughter Club Helvetia
OTHER REGULAR SWISS CLUB MEETINGS: Committee Meetings: every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose: practice every Tuesday evening at 8.15pm Swiss Companion Singers: practice and social gathering every 2nd and 3rd Thursday of each month at 8pm Laughter Club Helvetia: meets every 3rd and 4th Thursday of each month at 6pm SwissKids: meet on the 1st Saturday of every month, from 2pm to 4pm The Swiss Diners Club: dates for get-together can be found on www.swiss.org.au or on our Yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/YoungSwissMelbourne
40thAnniversary Dinner Dance 26
Swiss Club of Victoria
CBD FUNCTION AND MEETING ROOM WITH A DIFFERENCE The Second Floor at the Swiss Club
BUSINESS FUNCTIONS, CONFERENCES, SMALL MEETINGS
• • • • • •
Theatre style seating for up to 90 Work shop seating for up to 55 Cocktail set up for up to 120 Private meeting room for up to 16 Architect designed space Choice of catering from the Swiss Club Restaurant or Terra Rossa • Modern amenities
• Basic coffee making facilities • Parking close by • 5 minutes walk to Flinders Street or Parliament Station • 2 minutes walk to Tram 75/70/48 • Friendly venue with Swiss history • Competitive rates
OR DINNER/ DANCE FUNCTIONS, LAUNCHES, PRIVATE EVENTS
• • • • • • •
Unbeatable location Ample parking close by Train, tram and bus close by Dinner seating for up to 80 Cocktail set up to 120 Dance floor Architect designed modern space with lots of ambience
• Modern amenities • Choice of catering from the Swiss Club Restaurant or Terra Rossa • Choice of BYO caterer • Catering kitchen with 4 ovens, microwave and industrial dishwasher • Friendly venue with Swiss history • Competitive rates
AT THE PERFECT VENUE – THE SWISS CLUB OF VICTORIA Contact us on E: thesecondfloor@swissclubvic.com.au T: 1300 893 968 to check for availability, more information or a quote
REGISTERED BY AUSTRALIA POST - PUBLICATION No. VBH 6369
Senior Christmas
THE
RO U CLU
A new home for an old lady
T
ABOU D N B
MARCH 2013
IS SW S
Santa’s Visit
The Yodel Choir Matterhorn used to practise at the home of former President Marco Unternährer. After the sudden passing of Marco, his wife Rita decided to sell the house. It meant the choir had to look for a new practice venue. This task was made even harder by the fact that a very large framed Swiss flag belonging to the Matterhorn Society was also in need of a new home. The flag is something very special indeed! For a start, the old lady is 154 years old, making her one of the oldest surviving artifacts, dating back to the early years of Swiss migration to Australia . It is not just the age that is special but also the elaborate embellishments. ‘Die Schweizer in Melbourne’, together with the year 1859 and a lovely flower arrangement have been embroidered and the crests of 22 cantons surrounding the Swiss Cross have been painted on.
The President of the Swiss Yodel Choir Matterhorn, Chris Hostettler (left) and the President of the Swiss Society of Victoria, Franz Schnellmann
In his search for a new home for the flag, Chris Hostettler, the President of the Swiss Yodel Choir Matterhorn contacted Swiss Society President Franz Schnellmann, and Franz in turn consulted with Barbara Kündig, President of the Swiss Club. It
did not take much convincing and it was soon agreed that the Swiss Society, as the oldest Swiss organisation in Australia, would become the new owner and the Swiss Club Restaurant a most worthy
Celebrate the club’s 40 years at 89 Flinders Lane at the
Continued on page 7
40 Anniversary Dinner Dance th
Flag Handover
89 Flinder s Lane • Melbour ne 3000 • Victor ia • Australia • www.s wissclubvic .com.au