2016 edelweiss 1

MARCH 2016

A very special Foundation Day Celebration This year’s Foundation Day Celebration was an event as no one had expected. Planned to be a wine & cheese tasting evening, it turned into something much more. On arrival, the 120 guests were greeted with a glass of Peter Lehman vintage sparkling and Roger’s famous Chäschüechli. Thanks to Esther, Kurt, Claire, Elliott and Hannah, everyone continued to be spoilt with a non-stop flow of more wines and carefully selected delicacies from Toni Gledhill at Antonietta’s Kitchen, including Rösti with smoked trout paté, croustade case filled with lamb fillet and salsa verde and rice paper rolls filled with noodles, vegies and prawns. New member Daryl Teschendorf, who did an excellent job as MC, kept procedures ticking along nicely. Swiss Club President, Arnold Kramer welcomed the VIP guests that were present for the occasion; the Ambassador of Switzerland, Marcel Stutz; the Consul-General of Switzerland, Ernst Steinmann; Victorian Government Ministers, the Hons. Martin Foley MP, Colin Brooks MP and Bruce Atkinson MLC. He then proposed a toast to the 117th birthday of the Swiss Club of Victoria. The Ambassador farewelled the outgoing Honorary Consul, Erika Kimpton and welcomed her successor, Manuela Erb. They enjoyed this special and proud moment in the presence of their families and friends. The Swiss Club of Victoria warmly congratulates Manuela Erb on her appointment and wishes her all the very best in this role. More about Manuela in the next edition of the Edelweiss! Then it was time to honour one of our most distinguished club member, Sylvia Hochuli. Her name was on the Australia Day 2016 Honours List, which was announced by the Governor-General, Peter Cosgrove, on Tuesday, 26 January. The list provides national and formal recognition for many Australians across the nation,

The President of the Swiss Club of Victoria, Arnold Kramer and Sylvia Hochuli OAM

who have made a significant difference to their communities. Sylvia became the recipient of the ‘Medal of the Order of Australia’ (OAM), for service to the Swiss Community of Australia. In characteristically modest style, Sylvia explains that this award is not just for herself, but also for her late husband Fritz and for all those that have contributed so much to our community. Sylvia was nominated for an award by the late Barbara Dardel-Jessop two years ago. Barbara and another four referees decided after the ‘Kaffeklatsch’ that it was time that Sylvia is formerly recognised for the tremendous work that she has been doing for so many years. And so the wheels were set in motion, in a shroud of secrecy, as no one was to know about this. The first thing Sylvia found out about it, was when on 2 October last year, she

received a letter from the Secretary to the Governor-General, informing her that she had been considered for an award within the Order of Australia. After her first reaction of shock, she rang her son Dieter to tell him what happened and asking him for advice. The ‘silent conspirators’, however, had already informed Dieter, as they suspected that Sylvia might not accept the honour. Good thing Dieter was able to persuade her otherwise. Everyone, including Sylvia, had to maintain strict confidentiality until she received another letter on 16 December, confirming that the Governor-General had approved her nomination for the award of ‘Medal of the Order of Australia’. “And even then, I was not allowed to speak to anyone about it until the release of the Honours List. That was a hard thing to do!” Sylvia explains.

89 Flinder s Lane • Melbour ne 3000 • Victor ia • Australia • www.s wissclubvic .com.au

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FOUNDATION DAY

C E L E B R AT I O N The Swiss Club of Victoria gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the following: Embassy of Switzerland for their very generous financial donation; Swiss company USM Modular Furniture, represented by ECC Lighting + Furniture for a generous financial donation and for decorating the Swiss Club conference room with their attractive, colourful tables and storage units. ECC has also offered all Swiss Club members a discount of 10% when making a purchase; Casella Family Brands, for their Peter Lehmann Vintage Sparkling, Chardonnay, Margaret Semillon, Mentor Cabernet, Stonewell Shiraz and Botrytis at a highly discounted price and offering guests a discount of up to 40% on their selection; Tom Merkli, owner of The Red Cow cheese company, for his donation of some cheese and the supply of Selection Rolf Beeler Alp Dräckloch, Jersey Blue and Gruyère – cave ripened for 18 months; Lindt for their Orange Intense and Lindor chocolates. Thank-you for helping to make this evening a huge success!

SWISS CLUB OF VICTORIA Founded in 1899

SWISS CLUB INTEREST GROUPS

89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000 T: 1300 893 968, F: (03) 9650 3104 E: info@swissclubvic.com.au http://swissclubvictoria.com

Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose President: Sylvia Hochuli T: (03) 9531 6575 E: hochuli@tpg.com.au

Club Nights for Members: Wed & Thurs

Swiss Companion Singers Convenor: Herbert Schwärzler T: (03) 9561 7811 E: ritaherbert@bigpond.com

Club / Restaurant Opening Hours Lunch: Mon – Fri from 12noon Dinner: Tue – Fri from 6pm Chef & Manager: Roger Moullet Restaurant and Functions Manager: Reneé Moullet Bookings T: (03) 9650 1196

Ladies Luncheons Convenor: Heidy Giger For bookings T: (03) 9650 1196 For information: T: (03) 9889 9321 E: adelheid1@bigpond.com

Swiss Club Restaurant Catering For all functions contact Roger or Reneé T: (03) 9650 1196, F: (03) 9650 3104 M: 0409 040 249 E: swissclub@hotmail.com

SwissKids Convenor: Esther Blaser-Tokarev T: (03) 8521 3739 M: 0424 220 523 E: esther.blaser@gmx.ch

The Second Floor Function Room Info and/or bookings T: 1300 893 968 E: thesecondfloor@swissclubvic.com.au

Les Bavards – ‘The Chatterboxes’ Joint Convenors: Sigrid de Castella & Rémy Favre Sigrid M: 0416 088 000 E: swiss@andec.biz Rémy: see Groupe Romand du Victoria

COMMITTEE Arnold Kramer President / Building Services Manager M: 0419 268 503 E: president@swissclubvic.com.au Barbara Kündig Secretary M: 0402 018 363 E: info@swissclubvic.com.au Arnold Kramer / Barbara Kündig Treasury E: treasurer@swissclubvic.com.au Vreni Welsh Membership M: 0423 513 843 E: membership@swissclubvic.com.au Susan Brealey M: 0401 170 036 E: susan@swissclubvic.com.au Markus Luethi M: 0468 408 046 E: markus@swissclubvic.com.au Gideon Aschwanden M: 0415 589 047 E: gideon@swissclubvic.com.au

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Laughter Yoga Helvetia Convenor: Marianne Bishop M: 0448 697 258 E: laughter.club.helvetia@gmail.com Swiss Festival Chairman: Rolf Huber T/F (H): (03) 9807 0282 M (B): 0425 805 854 E: rolf@swissfestival.com.au

SWISS COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS Swiss Society of Victoria (Benevolent Society) President: Patrick Albert M: 0449 999 645 E: patalbertaus@gmail.com Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess Australian/Swiss Cultural Society President: Sylvia Hochuli T: (03) 9531 6575 E: hochuli@tpg.com.au Unless otherwise stated, postal address for all is: 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000

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 www.swiss.org.au/chfrvic 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 www.swiss.org.au/matterhorn SwissCham Australia General Manager: Marcel Svatos T: (02) 9262 1511, F: (02) 9290 1928 E: office@swisscam.com.au www.swisscham.com.au Swiss-Australian Academic Network (SAAN) E: info@saan.com.au www.saan.com.au Organisation of the Swiss Abroad Council Member: Roland Isler Further contact details see: under Editor www.aso.ch Embassy of Switzerland T: (02) 6162 8400, F: (02) 6273 3428 E: can.vertretung@eda.admin.ch Consulate General of Switzerland T: (02) 8383 4000, F: (02) 9369 1334 E: syd.vertretung@eda.admin.ch Consulate of Switzerland T: (03) 8637 7175 E: melbourne@honrep.ch Further contact details of consular representations see: www.eda.admin.ch/australia

‘Edelweiss’ appears quarterly in March, June, September and December. Circulation 450. For all enquiries contact: Editor: Roland Isler 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, May I take this moment to warmly welcome you all back to the pages of the Edelweiss, and hope that the New Year brings you much health, happiness and good fortune. The past quarter we have celebrated Christmas, welcomed in the New Year and spent time with our family and friends. We have much to look forward to at the Club in the coming months and with your participation, involvement and input we will do our utmost to ensure your membership remains worthwhile. Prior to Christmas I attended the Seniors Christmas Afternoon Tea, which was, as you would expect, a full house of happy and cheerful faces. As I have experienced, these events are eagerly attended and the huge effort that goes into arranging these functions is amazing. Sincere thanks go to the convenor Rita Schwärzler and the many volunteers who seem to make it appear so easy, which of course cannot be further from the reality. It was nice to welcome Deputy Consul-General, Mr Eros Robbiani at this event. During the break Roger and Renée closed the restaurant and enjoyed a well-earned rest after a full year of excellent service to the members and guests to the Club. They are now back in full swing with their fine selection of Swiss food and extensive range of beverage being served by enthusiastic staff. If you haven’t been in for a while and you would like to enjoy some entertainment with your dinner, remember that John Wanner and his ‘Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand’ perform regularly on the first Thursday of each month. The Committee has been busy at the Club keeping the wheels in motion and undertaking some routine maintenance and housekeeping. You will notice that our entry stairwell received a well-deserved new coat of paint, freshening up the entrance and removing the flaking surfaces. The timber staircase hand rails were also sanded back and applied with a fresh coat of varnish. New LED lights have replaced the old wall fittings. The second floor function room was also repainted and the minor wall damage, from the usual wear and tear, was all repaired. We have had hand grab bars fitted to the facilities to assist members and guests who have requested these in the past. In our Club restaurant you will notice the booths seating upholstery has been replaced. The 1st February was the Swiss Club of Victoria’s 117th foundation birthday. As you know the Swiss Club is a social Club established by Swiss migrants to help overcome some of the isolation early settlers and visitors had to endure. The Club provides a means of social activities between members and preserves, encourages and upholds Swiss languages, cultures and traditions. The Club, then and now, continues to provide a secure and welcoming little piece of Switzerland. It is encouraging to see that it is still relevant and, as such, we remain strongly focussed on our founders’ objectives. This of

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course is only possible with the support of the members and their commitment to the ongoing vitality and viability of the Club. It was a privilege this year for me to host our 1st February event on the Second Floor and wonderful to see our function room alive with over 120 members and special guests attending a spectacular night. We celebrated four important happenings, our Club’s birthday, the retirement and appointment of the Honorary Consul position and congratulations to Sylvia Hochuli, on receiving her OAM. The celebration of our Club’s birthday was complimented by the attendance of His Excellency the Ambassador of Switzerland, Mr Marcel Stutz, the Consul-General, Mr Ernst Steinmann, distinguished guests, members and friends. The Ambassador spoke and thanked the Club for hosting the event, congratulated the Club on its birthday, congratulated Sylvia Hochuli on her receiving of the Medal of the Order of Australia, thanked the immediate past Honorary Consul and member of the Club, Erika Kimpton for her outstanding work and dedicated service, and then formally introduced and congratulated Manuela Erb, on her appointment as the new Honorary Consul of Switzerland to Victoria. As I mentioned in my speech, it is with the dedication from the members and the valued support we receive that we can continue to maintain our Clubs focus to be a central point for the Swiss community. We are fortunate that the Club has many members who devote so much to make it the special little part of Switzerland that it is. As you are aware, Sylvia Hochuli, was officially awarded on Australia Day the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), for her service to the Swiss community of Victoria. The Swiss Club of Victoria thanks her for all she has done for our Club. Sylvia has always been a tireless worker, a devoted friend, a volunteer, organiser and helper to numerous individuals, groups and organisations, including our Swiss Club. We acknowledge her late husband Fritz and her family, who as a team, generously and willingly have and continue to contribute so much to the wellbeing of so many people in the wider community and within the Club. Sylvia is an Honorary Life Member of the Swiss Club of Victoria — a member since 1964. The President and Creative Director of the Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose, an inaugural member and President of the Australian Swiss Cultural Society and an Honorary Life Member of the Swiss Benevolent Society — a very special lady, thankyou Sylvia! Please make a note in your diary: The Melbourne International Comedy Festival will once again take up residence on the Second floor from 21 March to 19 April (inclusive). This means, that the Second Floor will not be available for your activities during that time. Your group needs to find an alternative venue for that period. The revenue generated from the Comedy Festival is a welcome income source for the Club and we appreciate your kind understanding and cooperation. Swiss Club of Victoria

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will commence at 8pm on the Second Floor of the Club on Wednesday, 16 March. Please make your bookings with Roger and Renée if you wish to have a meal in the restaurant prior to the AGM. We look forward to seeing you. Please consider joining the committee. We are always in need of individuals who possess fresh ideas and enthusiasm for us to continue to maintain and make the Club an interesting place to be part of. Join me in thanking my fellow committee members for all their support and hard work, and thank you members, volunteers, friends and visitors who all contribute to the life of our Club. As always, Wednesday and Thursday evenings are our official Club nights. We encourage you to come along, have a drink and or meal, meet fellow members and play a hand of Jass. The committee meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month and we would be delighted to meet with you either before or after our official meeting. Just let us know.

Arnold Kramer – President

Annual Membership Payment Thank-you to all our members for the prompt payment of the 2016 Membership. Don’t forget to pick up your new 2016 Membership Card when next you visit the Club! A special thank-you to Madeleine & Robert Gasser, Marta & Roy Rogers, Reiny & Lorraine Loeliger, Susan Cranage & Remy Favre, Margrit Gasinski & Greg Bowles, Rena Bueler, Nelly Flynn, John Francis, Dorina Meda and Erika Mohoric for topping up their membership fee with a generous donation!

Be a part of your Club. Join the Committee.

Happy birthday

Welcome to our new members We are proud to introduce our newest Swiss Club members: Andrew & Maria Baker; David de Alwis; Patrick Andenmatten, Patrick Crabb; Nick Crameri, Nick Georgopoulos & Joanna Panou; Renée Moullet; Jascha Zimmermann & Martin Schlegel. We hope you will feel right at home and enjoy many happy events at the Club. New member events are held throughout the year. Come and say Grüezi, Salut, or G’day.

At the end of last year new members that joined in 2014 and 2015 had a lot of fun at a special get-together with Nibblies and Champagne. h t t p : // s w i s s c l u b v i c t o r i a . c o m

Arie Sparreboom will celebrate his 80th Birthday in April. Honorary Member Fred Dumar and our Alphorn Player Extraordinaire Henry Huggins are turning 85 in March. Honorary Life Member Bernie Macho will have 90 reasons to celebrate in April. We wish them all the best for their special day and good health, happiness and many happy returns. With great pride we announce that our member Alice Fueglistaler completes her full century on 11 March 2016. Alice resides in a Nursing Home and enjoys reading our Edelweiss. We wish her and her family joyful celebrations and congratulate her on reaching this special milestone.

Get well Ozzie Haerring, Dolf Bohren, Beat Altermatt, Bruno Jenny, Mary & Joe Schibli, Trudy Fanger (who has just turned 97!) and Paula Preisig, all of them Honorary Life Members are dealing with ongoing health issues. The committee wishes all of you a speedy recovery and we hope to see you at the Swiss Club again soon. The committee would like to take this opportunity to thank Sylvia and the Trachtengruppe, our Companion Singers and also Ernie Huegli and Sepp Schmidig who care for and support our members in need. Dear members, if your partner, your friends or fellow members have a reason to celebrate, are unwell or have left for a better place, please let us know so that others know too. Please contact any committee members or the Editor.

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From front page

The 117th birthday of the Swiss Club of Victoria seems a befitting event to honour a person who has done so much for our Club. We know her as a caring, generous friend, the President of the Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess, the President of the Folk Dance Group Alpenrose, a tireless organiser of events such as the popular Unterhaltungsabend, the Mystery Trip, Kaffeeklatsch, and so much more. Swiss Club President, Arnold Kramer, congratulated Sylvia on behalf of the Committee and members of the Club. All the fuss might have been a bit overwhelming for Sylvia, but she wouldn’t be human if she didn’t feel the smallest touch of justifiable pride in her achievement. Proud too, was Sylvia’s family, Dieter and Karen with their sons Sam, Max and Felix, who arrived from Sydney for this special moment. As Dieter posted on Facebook the day the announcement was made: “We’re all very proud of her and everything she’s achieved since taking the leap and coming to Australia in 1964 and building so much from so little. We’re especially proud of all the selfless work that is behind this fantastic recognition for her, it’s richly deserved honour.” In April or May, Sylvia will be attending an investiture ceremony at which she will be presented with the insignia of the award, a beautiful gold medallion in a wattle design on a blue ribbon with matching wattle patterns…and from now on she is entitled to write her name as Sylvia Hochuli OAM! The Swiss Club wishes to thank the Embassy of Switzerland and Swiss company USM Modular Furniture, represented by ECC, for generously sponsoring this event. Malcolm Stopp represented Peter Lehmann wines on behalf of Casella Family Brands, who provided exclusive wines for our wine tasting at a very generous price. Thank-you Malcolm for expertly introducing the excellent selection of wines. The wines were accompanied by a fine selection of canapés from Antonietta’s Kitchen and cheeses, supplied by Tom Merkli of The Red Cow cheese company. The Alp Dräckloch, Jersey Blue and cave riped Gruyère satisfied even the most discerning cheese lover. To round it all off, could there have been anything better than Lindt chocolates? What a sweet finish to a wonderful evening! Happy 117th Birthday, Swiss Club of Victoria, vibrant and young at heart!

The Swiss Club Restaurant would like to invite all Members to join their BIRTHDAY CLUB! This entitles you to receive a complimentary meal during your birthday month when you dine with two or more people. It also keeps you up-to-date with any events that Roger and Reneé will be doing at the Restaurant. To join is free! Simply call 03 96501196 or email swissclub@hotmail.com with your name, date of birth and anniversary month. We look forward to seeing you for your birthday!

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Swiss Club of Victoria

Fahrt ins Blaue – Mystery Trip Wednesday, 11 November 2015 The weather gods were kind to us. The sun was out as the buses left Melbourne for our annual mystery trip. The guessing where our journey would lead us started quite early amongst the Seniors. The drive took us over Mt. Macedon. The beautiful gardens looked spectacular on this lovely spring day. Rhododendrons were out in full bloom. Our first stop was at the Hanging Rock picnic reserve. After a small morning tea, we all went for a nice walk, enjoyed the sunshine and engaging in lively conversations. Soon we were on the way to the country town of Woodend. The Hotel Victoria was our destination for lunch. The Seniors enjoyed all the hospitality and supported the group by buying lots of raffle tickets. I feel a good time was had by all. It is always very satisfying for the group to organise this event for our Seniors.

Sylvia Hochuli

Gotthard Base Tunnel brings high hopes for Ticino When the Gotthard Base Tunnel comes into operation later this year, it will revolutionise Alpine transport. Its opening will also bring a wealth of opportunities to the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. The tunnel – the longest of its kind in the world – is at the heart of the New Trans-Alpine Railway Link (NEAT) project, geared at improving the north-south rail link through the Alps. The construction of base tunnels will put the rail link’s highest elevation only 550 metres above sea level, considerably lower than the highest points on existing routes through the mountains. In this way, base tunnels enable flatter and shorter rail routes so trains can travel at higher speeds and pull more weight. Besides the Gotthard base tunnel, the NEAT – considered Switzerland’s largest-ever construction project – also includes the Lötschberg Base Tunnel in operation since 2007 and the Ceneri Base Tunnel, expected to open in December 2020. The Italian-speaking canton of Ticino lies at the southern end of the Gotthard Base Tunnel and also hosts both ends of the Ceneri Base Tunnel. Both tunnels are expected to dramatically improve the canton’s transport system, and with it opportunities for business and tourism. Anthony Longano

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Senior Christmas Afternoon Tea 5 December 2015. Sponsored by the Swiss Society of Victoria

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It is difficult to talk about Christmas when all the glitter and decorations are back in the box, the goodies are eaten and the cards read once more and discarded. And yet the feeling remains, that we provided the Elders of our Swiss Community a most wonderful Christmas Celebration! Almost like it used to be at home. And in contemplating one realises, how many people had contributed to make Senior Christmas a success. – The Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess in charge of the kitchen; – The Folk Dance Group Alpenrose and Alphorn Bläser; – The Swiss Companion Singers, Swiss Kids and the Recitalist; The Helpers – Front House, Kitchen, Packing, Service – who do not belong directly to a Group, but turn up and pull their weight without complaint; – The Photographer, Printer and Transport Providers; – The Swiss Club publican for his baking and his tolerance; – The many Zuckerbäcker for the supply of traditional Guetzli to fill the take home bags so very much treasured; – SBS the Press, donors of door prices; – The Swiss Society of Victoria for providing the finance; – The Swiss Club of Victoria for being the Head Quarter; and The visit of Deputy Consul-General Eros Robbiani. We showed once more, that our groups work together beautifully and have essentially one goal, to look after each other far away from ‘home’. Thank you again for your splendid cooperation and the pleasure to work with you all! Rita Schwärzler-Abbt – Christmas Party Convenor

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The Swiss Society of Victoria’s purpose is to assist fellow Swiss in Victoria, old and young, who are in need of financial or social support. If you are experiencing difficulties, or you know of someone who does, please contact us. We are here to help. Franz Schellmann M: 0412 203 893 schnellmann@dodo.com.au

Supporting the Swiss Community of Victoria since 1879

Patrick Albert M: 0449 999 645 patalbertaus@gmail.com

Swiss Club of Victoria

On 5 December the SwissKids met again for their annual Christmas celebration at the Swiss Club. A large number of families came from every corner of metropolitan Melbourne for some socialising, baking and singing. First the children put together their Grittibänz, a traditional bread made with Zopf dough and decorated to look like a human figure, or Mannsgöggel. When these were popped in the oven it was time to go down to the club to visit the Seniors’ Christmas celebration. The organisers welcomed the young generation with sweets, we all enjoyed some Alphorn playing and dancing, and then the children and adults joined the Swiss Companion Singers in some enthusiastic singing of traditional Christmas songs. On our return to the second floor we were surprised to find that Samichlaus and Schmutzli had brushed up on their Züridüütsch and made an early trip to Melbourne to visit us! There was great excitement among the youngsters and a few even produced a verse to ensure a place for themselves in Samichlaus’s good books. For Adrian Plitzco’s report on the event and interviews with Esther, the organiser of the SwissKids, and Gabriel, a real Swiss Kid, visit the SBS website http://www.sbs.com. au/yourlanguage/german/de/content/echo-helvetia-einewunderschone-senioren-weihnachtsfeier?language=de Many thanks to the Swiss Club Victoria for the use of the meeting room and to the Swiss Companion Singers, Markus Luethi and Gideon Aschwanden for making the afternoon so special. The SwissKids will meet again on the first Saturday of every month. If you’re not already on the invitation list for the SwissKids, please contact Esther via the Swiss Club Victoria website: http://swissclubvictoria.com/swiss-club-groups/ swisskids/ Martin von Wyss

Parking in the City Please note that Secure Parking at 114 Flinders Street is under new management (Greenco). The Swiss Club has been able to negotiate the same discount for members as offered by the previous owners. As an alternative, Secure Parking at 11 Exhibition Street and 11-20 Flinders Lane also offer the ‘Secure a Spot’ https://au.secure-a-spot.com prebook option for evening and weekend, but of course the lunch $15 card is not available for them. Both are NOT 24 hrs open though.

Das wöchentliche Radioprogram über alles Schweizerische in Australien, der Schweiz und der Welt. Eine Viertelstunde Aktuelles, Musik, Reportagen und Interviews auf Schweizerdeutsch mit Adrian Plitzco auf 93.1fm Jeden Sonntag von 19:45 bis 20Uhr (Neue Sendezeit!) SBS HOTLINE: (03) 9949 2192 http://www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/yourlanguage/german

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The other option is Wilson Parking ‘Book a Bay‘ https:// bookabay.wilsonparking.com.au at Collins Place, 28 Flinders Lane (24 hrs) or 32 Flinders Street. The evening online fee is $6 depending on availability.

The Swiss Club Restaurant. It’s where you meet your friends.

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From Schwizerörgeli to Alphorn… Chris and Irma Thalmann, you are no strangers at the Swiss Club. Whenever there is a Swiss Club function happening, you are there — be it performing with the Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose or with the Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand, or entertaining us as an Alphorn-duo. We would love to find out a little more about you. How were your early years in Switzerland? We were born in 1950 and 1951 respectively and both grew up in the ‘Fricktal’, one of the three stars on the coat of arms of Aargau. My Family lived in Frick and Irma’s in Herznach. Whilst I grew up with three younger sisters, Irma was ‘No 5’ of ten children. Both our fathers worked locally whilst the mothers and us kids run a small ‘subsistence’ farm to make ends meet and to put food on the table. We both had to work early in live but also enjoyed a fantastic childhood with lots of friends and adventure activities in the forested Jura Hills of the Fricktal. With your school years behind you, what did you do? Irma finished school at 15 and started work on ribbon looms in a weaving factory in Ueken – 500 meters from home! Being one of ten children – and a ‘girl’ – there was no possibility of doing an apprenticeship. Her mother, who was a widow by then with the youngest only seven years old, ensured that the five boys had this opportunity. The girls had to start working and earn money as quickly as possible. When Irma turned 17, she did a one year hotel training course in Rheinfelden and after that worked a winter season in Grindelwald. This came to an abrupt end, when she collided with a ‘parked Mercedes’ on her toboggan on a moonlight run at 1.00am in the morning. The next five months were spent in various arrays of plaster. After completing high school in Frick, I did a three year apprenticeship as a commercial employee with a local Ribbon Loom manufacturing company – the same looms as Irma was working on. Still working at home and being involved with local Ski Club, the Town Band, the Orienteering Group, the local Scout movement, etc., I probably did not spend as much time as I should have on my training as a commercial employee! I was by then playing the drums and various percussion instruments, including kettle drums in various orchestral formations, anything from Classical to New Orleans style jazz to Rock. Let us say, it was a miracle that I ‘scrapped’ through the final exams and got my Trade Certificate. After I finished my compulsory Army training – barely 19 years old – I returned to Frick and took up my musical activities again. The ‘Town Band of Frick’ had at this stage 56 members and included a Big Band formation of some 26 very good players. We played on Class 1 level and had earlier that year participated in Brass Band meetings in Italy, Austria, Germany and Holland. In July 1970 we gave a concert for a festival in

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Frick and afterwards I meet this wonderful, cute and very good looking young lass with a big plaster on her right leg: Irma! Well, this was the beginning of a wonderful relationship which hopefully endures for many more years. Were does your love for Swiss folk music and your talent to play it come from? Talent? I don’t think so! But in our respective families, we always loved and played music. Irma’s Dad and some of her siblings played in their Town Band or sang in one of the various village choirs. Irma played the Fluegelhorn for a time in the Herznach Town Band. My Dad played the Schwyzerörgeli and the Clarinet and my Grandfather played Guitar, Mouthorgan and Double Bass. My Mother’s brothers all either sang in choirs or played in the Town Band of Frick. A lot of the ‘weekend entertainment’ in those days was to play music in our kitchen or sing whilst working in the fields. How did the idea of going to Australia come about? Shortly after I met the ‘love of my life’, we moved to Geneva to learn French. This was a great time in our lives and we made a lot of friends, amongst them (surprise, surprise) the members of the Old School Band – the Top New Orleans style Jazz Band of Switzerland at the time. During this time we also explored the Jura Mountains and French Alps on skis and in sailing boats. After almost four years in Geneva, we thought that we should also learn English and so we decided to ‘emigrate’ to Australia – England did not sound interesting, South Africa’s apartheid policies did not gel with us, Canada seemed too cold, etc. The plan was to spend a couple of years here and then take a year to ‘backpack’ via South and Latin America home to Switzerland again. Well, as we know, this never happened. How did you go settling in Australia? We came on an Immigration Plane from London in October 1973. The flight took 56 hours and due to some strikes at the Australian airports we ended up in Melbourne instead of Sydney. Irma ended up in the WMCA hostel in Russel Street and I found myself in a migrant hostel in Nunawading. Not speaking any English, it took us a few days to find each other again! Irma found work at Kopecky Continental Butchers in Kew and I got employment in my profession at Siemens in Richmond. So money was coming in on a regular basis. Every weekend we ‘explored’ Victoria and we enjoyed all these new experiences to the fullest. After a few months we got together with a young Austrian couple and bought a brand new Toyota Landcruiser, built an off-road trailer, bull bar and roof rack for a Dingy, fitted a big power take off winch, etc. The highest denomination of the Australian currency was the $20 bill, which had been introduced late September 1973, and we paid for the car, registered and insured $4,600 – in cash! (What is Swiss Club of Victoria

it with ‘Wogs’ and cash?) After many months of preparations we departed from Wilsons Prom early June 1975. We eventually reached the tip of Cape York and continued through the Gulf Country to Darwin – which we hit shortly after Cyclone Tracy. Heading south through the Red Centre, the Mac Donald Ranges and camping at Ayers Rock for a couple of weeks by ourselves we eventually arrived in Adelaide. The Super 8 movies of this trip still bring tears to our eyes – Australia has changed so much in the last 40 years! We tried to settle in Adelaide but eventually returned to Melbourne in January 1976 where – broke once again – Siemens offered me my old job back. Irma found work in the Devonshire Pub in Brighton where she served lunches and dinners. I stayed with Siemens for over 37 years, worked in a couple of dozen countries around the world, managed a number of departments and projects and had an incredibly interesting live. We bought our first house in April 1976 (still broke but the high inflation at the time helped us greatly). During a one year business trip to Germany and Belgium, our son Markus was born in 1980 in Stuttgart and then 18 months later, back in Oz, our daughter Claudia followed. Irma dedicated her time now to raising the children and managing home and family. As I was working all over Australia and overseas for many years, she did all the hard work and kept it all together. Without her ‘managerial skills’, we would have gone under! When and why did you join the Swiss Club? Early 1978 we were invited by a group of Austrian friends for a meal in the ‘Swiss Club’. We loved the feel of the place. Toni Erb, who managed the Club at the time made us feel so welcome and Marius played some awesome music. That is when we decided to join the Club, get married and have the reception at the Club! Mind you, the whole wedding party only consisted of about 14 people, but we partied for three days! Money was still short and I think the whole affair cost us some $350. How did your involvement with Swiss folk music progress from there? In the early 80s Fred Koller finally managed to talk me into joining the Swiss Yodelchoir Edelwyss. I can’t recall the exact details as it apparently happened during the 1st August celebration at Moorabbin Town Hall and according to Irma, I was wearing my ‘wobbly boots’ at the end of the night! It all started from there. This is where I met Markus Zihlmann who talked me into playing the Örgeli which had been hidden in a cupboard at home for a number of years. The choir gave me an Alphorn for me to learn to play (!!) so I took it home and gave it to Irma who looked at me really strange. I met you, Roland, and you introduced me to Kurt Breuss and Willy Fuller, two choir members from Clifton Springs and Drysdale. Before long, we had a little Band – Echo from Switzerland – and a ‘revived’ Alphorn Group going. Irma played first voice on her Alphorn and really got very good at it. For a number of years we played at many festivals with highlights such as the Paco Festa in Geelong, Brisbane World Expo, 20 year Anniversary of the Sydney Yodlers, Barossa Wine Festival to name just a few. Later, our daughter Claudia also joined the little group and h t t p : // s w i s s c l u b v i c t o r i a . c o m

played the Clarinet with Helga Breuss. In the mid-nineties, I worked for a year in Tasmania and then overseas for three months. Claudia had now joined a number of concert bands through her school and we seemed to have less and less time there for a while. In 1996 Markus Zihlmann and John Wanner approached Claudia and me with the idea of playing Swiss folk music once again but, only informal and only once a month. This is how ‘Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand’ started. This year we will celebrate 20 years (!) and we had many fantastic performances over the years. The production of our own CD was a very special milestone. I am very proud to be able to play with these fantastic musicians and great friends. When did you join the Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose? After the Edelwyss Yodelchoir stopped singing in 1991, Irma wanted to find another activity and join a Dance Group – we were thinking of Swing or Ball Room dancing. Then we woke up to the fact that our Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose were forever looking for new members and we joined them in the mid-nineties. Again, we got close to a great bunch of people who made us very welcome. And now that you are retired, how do you spend your time? We started our retirement in December 2010 and spent four of the last five years travelling in Australia, Asia and Europe. We got ourselves a small 18 foot Caravan and went around Australia once more with a few ‘side trips’. Then we travelled through Europe for 12 months with our old vintage Peugeot 203 which was built in 1954. Six months through Southern France and Northern Spain were an absolute highlight. When we came back from Europe almost two years ago, I had to have a shoulder reconstruction and operations on both wrists – a small ‘mishap’ on the slopes of the Lauberhorn caused this! Without the use of shoulder and hands, I could no longer play the accordion. That is when Irma – the ultimate revenge – gave me back the Alphorn and ‘requested’ that I start practicing! Whilst I am not very good at this, the fact that we can practice every day up to five or six times together, allows us to perform without too much stress. The last question I want to ask you: if you could invite five people, living or dead, to dinner, who would it be? This is a hard question. There are simply too many interesting people, we would love to interview and chat with. Besides a number of early Swiss folk musicians, Ion Idriess comes to mind, a man born in 1889 who wrote many books about his outback travels and his work on cattle stations and mining camps. Sir Syd Kidman would be an absolute highlight but also explorers and scientists who left their mark on the world like the Cartographer / Explorer Captain Cook or Jacques-Yves Cousteau the French Ocean Explorer, Film maker and Engineer; Len Beadell the South Australian Surveyor who opened up many remote areas in Central Australia. More than anything I would love to sit down with my Great-Great Grandfather, Christian Thalmann who was born in 1800 and chat with him about his live and the challenges he faced, raising a family in the Napf Mountains of Switzerland at that time. Thank you very much Chris and Irma!

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Test your Swiss Knowledge 1

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Across 2. Who is President of the Swiss Confederation for 2016 (first name)? 4. Which city will host this year’s Jass Tournament? 5. Who directed the Swiss Club movie shown in May (first name)? 6. Swiss clown that turned 80 this year? 11. Which railway tunnel will become the longest in the world? 13. What vintage car did Chris and Irma drive through Europe? 14. Who is featured on the current 200 franc banknote (surname)? 15. Town and lake in canton Bern. Down 1. Event held on 7 March? 3. Who is the new convenor of the Companion Singers (first name)? 7. Who celebrates her 100th birthday in March (surname)? 8. The ‘Fahrt ins Blaue’ stopped in which town for lunch. 9. First name of the new Honorary Consul. 10. Newest member of the Swiss Federal Council (surname)? 12. Which Swiss brand of mustard was the first to be sold in aluminium tubes in 1934? For answers go to page 17

Planning your private or business function? The Second Floor is the perfect venue! Contact 1300 893 968 for information & bookings.

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Swiss Club of Victoria

Unterhaltungsabend Saturday 7 May, 7.30pm • Three course dinner • Music: Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand • Tombola with lots of prizes • Cost: $45 p.p. Bookings must be made with the Swiss Club or ring Sylvia on 9531 6575. 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 there! Sylvia Hochuli After the Christmas break the group has started practising again. The new dances are coming together. As the years pass, we, the seniors of the group, take a bit more time to fully take in the choreography! We enjoy it though.

Joint pre-Christmas entertaiment for the seniors at the Tabulam Nursing Home in Bayswater and Lutheran Nursing Home in Boronia by the Dancers and the Companion Singers.

The whole bunch of Edelweiss is now online The entire library of newsletters since 2007 is available online. Just go to the Swiss Club website 4 Our Club 4 Edelweiss Newsletter 4 Archive Edelweiss: http://issuu.com/search?q=edelweiss …and click on the Edelweiss ‘Open Stack’.

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A Top Secret visit Friday, 12 February The world’s most sensational percussionists – Top Secret Drum Corps – took time out from performing at the Edinburgh Tattoo event in Melbourne, to pay a visit to the Swiss Club. With 25 drummers and colorguard members, the corps became famous for its demanding six-minute routine performed at the Edinburgh Tattoo in 2003. Switzerland’s Top Secret Drum Corps became one of the first non-military, non-British Commonwealth groups to perform on the Esplanade at Edinburgh Castle. Since its success in 2003, Top Secret was invited to return to Edinburgh in 2006, 2009 and again in 2012 and 2015. Top Secret Drum Corps are regarded as one of the world’s most sensational drumming groups. This outstanding band with its energetic and unpredictable style have drummed their way into the hearts of Tattoo spectators around the world making them one of the most sought after groups of its kind. Top Secret was formed in 1990 by a group of enthusiastic, talented young drummers from the Swiss city of Basel. Their drumming style, which is upbeat and playful and includes drumstick juggling and flag spinning, is derived from the military drumming drills of Swiss soldiers dating back to the Middle Ages.

We are all looking forward to another year of good companionship and lots of singing. There is nothing better than to sing in a choir amongst friends. If you feel like joining us, we are happy to welcome you into the group. We will continue practising on the 3rd and 4th Thursday of each month to be able to participate in Swiss Club events, Swiss Italian Festa, nursing homes etc. For more information phone the convenor Herbert Schwärzler on 9561 7811.

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The first Woman among a league of Men at the time), she decided to also don the role of a wife and soon as a mother. However, she was not satisfied by just being a doctor. Marie went on to establish Switzerland’s first gynaecological hospital in 1901 (Schweizerische Pflegerinnenschule) along with her colleague Anna Heer. This facility also featured a maternity ward and a nurses’ school. In 1998, this historic clinic was closed and merged with the Neumünster hospital in Zollikerberg.

It all started circa 1867 when Marie Vögtlin had to deal with her fiancé, Friedrich Erismann, walking out on their engagement. At that time, he was a student of medicine and he chose to marry Nadezhda Suslova instead, who went on to become Europe’s first female physician. At the time, the University of Zürich was one of the few universities that allowed women to study medicine in Europe, and it is there that Friedrich Erismann met Nadezhda. Affected by this, Marie was determined to study medicine. Her father was a pastor in Bözen in the canton of Aargau. He initially was reluctant about his daughter’s wish to pursue medicine and become a doctor. It came as a bizarre choice for a career, causing ripples in their relationship. Marie’s choice became a topic of storm among the locals and soon among people all over Switzerland. While most Swiss expressed their indignation towards foreign female students studying in Zürich, they never expected one of their own to take such a path. Marie persisted, and her father yielded and showed his open-mindedness. With great difficulty and reluctance, the authorities finally gave Marie the permit to pursue medicine. Being the first Swiss woman to join a medical programme, the University of Zürich had to change its medical faculty policy to allow Swiss women. In spite of the public’s opinion, the faculty encouraged Marie and gave her all the support she needed. After successfully passing with honors, Marie left Zürich to study gynaecology in Leipzig, Germany. Soon after, she started work at the Dresden maternity ward. It was a journey of six years, met with adversities along the way. It culminated in 1874 when Marie was awarded a doctorate in Zürich for her topic on the ‘State of the Female Genitalia in Labour.’ If this was not enough, her father had to log heads with the Zürich authorities once again to let her practice medicine there. They did, which meant one more small victory for the Vögtlins. The First Female Doctor in Switzerland With time, Marie’s work was noticed and she was specifically praised for her treatment of poor women. Switzerland in 1870’s was nowhere close to being as perfect as it seems today. There were basic struggles like in any other country, and views were very orthodox. Albert Heim was a noted geologist. Only when he agreed to give Marie permission for work post marriage (as per laws

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Death and Legacy The life of Marie Heim-Vögtlin was an inspiration for many women in Switzerland. Until her death in 1916, she was actively campaigning for women’s suffrage and other social movements, and also found time to publish several works for women and children. In 1995, the city of Zürich named a street in Marie’s honour in the Wiedikon district: Marie-Heim-Vögtlin-Weg. This street starts at Schweighofstrasse 334, leading up a few hundred meters and ending at Hohensteinweg/Triemlihalde. On this stretch, you will find Triemli Hospital, which today employs many women nurses, doctors and mid-wives. One can say, if not for Marie, eventually there might have been someone else pioneering women’s causes for working in medicine – and beyond. Progress is not achieved if everyone subscribes to the kind of views which prevailed for most of the 1800’s and 1900’s. Today, an increasing number of women in Switzerland work in the fields of research and medicine. They can be thankful for the fact that Marie Heim-Vögtlin chose to pursue medicine instead of leading her life by the norms.

Book the Second Floor at the Swiss Club for your next function

Dates for the forthcoming Luncheons in 2016:

• Wednesday, 2 March Patrick Albert, the new President of the Swiss Society of Victoria, will be our guest speaker.

• Wednesday, 4 May Price for a 2-course meal, wine, soft drinks and coffee is $27 pp for members and $30 pp for non-members. Please book with the Club on 9650 1196 or with Heidy on 9889 9321. Booking is essential. Heidy Giger Swiss Club of Victoria

Around Switzerland in 80 Maps A magical journey by Diccon Bewes Price: CHF 58.00 / EUR 52.00
 + postage Publisher: Helvetiq ISBN: 978-2-9404-8114-9 Language: English A map is the perfect pictorial way to explain and entertain. The 80 maps inside this book achieve both of these goals and provide a detailed picture of Switzerland. Diccon Bewes’ search for original maps lead him through official archives and private collections. The results are presented here, along with the fascinating stories behind them: from the circular island map of 1480 to the birth of modern Swiss cartography; from the British rail plan for Switzerland to a Soviet map of Basel during the Cold-War; from the 1970s Zurich map for men to the vision of a Greater Switzerland with 40 cantons. Map by map, we understand how Switzerland came to be and possibly where it is going. A truly magical and engrossing journey. Diccon Bewes is the most Swiss of all Englishmen. Before becoming a best-selling author, he worked as a travel journalist in London and as a bookseller in Bern.

Upcoming Jass Nights – 2016 Swiss Club

1st 2nd 3rd 4th & Final

19 March 28 May 9 July 10 September

Matterhorn

1st 2nd 3rd

27 February 30 April 13 August

Social Jass For all who enjoy the game but want to play for enjoyment only. No competition, just social! Inexperienced players most welcome (not suitable for total beginners though, must know at least the basic rules and the value of the cards!) Enjoy Dinner before the game.

• Wednesday, 23 March • Wednesday, 27 April • Wednesday, 25 May

‘Around Switzerland in 80 Maps’ has been published during the UN-backed International Map Year, in which Switzerland is taking part.

http://helvetiq.ch/en/home/130-around-switzerland-in-80maps-9782940481149.html

Exercise you brain – play Jass!

supports Opera in Victoria.

For upcoming opera events visit our website

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Try our Yarra Valley wines offering finesse and exceptional flavour: • Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 • Chardonnay 2013

Please find our wines and order form on our website

www.henkellvineyards.com.au or contact us by phone, fax or email

We also offer HENKELL TROCKEN, a non-vintage imported sparkling wine from Germany.

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P.O. Box 2160 M.D.C., Fitzroy 3065, Victoria Phone (03) 9417 4144, Fax (03) 9419 8873 sales@henkellvineyards.com.au

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Swiss who changed the world Sophie Täuber-Arp (1889–1943) and dadaism The Great War brought an influx of artists and intellectuals to Switzerland. The Cabaret Voltaire in Zürich was the meeting place of the artistic avant-garde. There were a few female dadaists, including Davos-born Sophie Täuber, a precursor of abstract painting. In 1922 she married another dadaist, Jean Arp, which gave her French nationality. A painter, but also an architect, decorator and dancer, she became a major figure on the international art scene. Täuber-Arp is featured on the current 50 franc banknote.

Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), novelist and poet Charles Ferdinand Ramuz was born in Lausanne and died in nearby Pully. He was educated at the University of Lausanne and taught briefly in nearby Aubonne and then in Weimar, Germany. Ramuz was one of the major French-speaking Swiss authors of the 20th century. His extensive literary work includes novels, essays, poetry, theoretical writings and treatises on the music of Igor Stravinsky. His work is characterized by a profound commitment to the truth and strict aesthetic standards. Ramuz is featured on the current 200 franc banknote.

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New Swiss Banknotes Humanity will be abandoned completely by 2019! In its place, expect butterflies and snow crystals – at least when it comes to Swiss banknotes. After a very un-Swiss delay of six years, the Swiss National Bank is going to release the latest batch of Swissies: In April this year, the new 50 franc bill will be released, followed by 20-, 10-, 100-, 200- and 1000-franc bills. By 2019, the entire current line will have been replaced. In the United States, there was considerable debate about placing a woman on the new 10-dollar bill. Meanwhile, Switzerland is abandoning people pictures altogether, in favor of Mother Nature. For instance, the new 50-franc bill will feature a mountain landscape with climbers, and the 10-franc bill some skiers slaloming through a race course. Have I mentioned butterflies and snow crystals? Six interesting facts you need to know about Swiss banknotes: 1. The Swiss National Bank launched a competition for the new design in 2005. The winning designs from Manuel Krebs featured cells and embryos. 
2. After loud opposition of the public, the SNB revised their decision and went for the second place winner, Zürich graphic artist Manuela Pfrunder. 3. The color scheme will remain identical to the current series, which will help with identifying the denomination of a bill. It is said that the new bills will be slightly smaller than the current ones, and the final design will differ, too. 4. This will be the ninth generation of banknotes in Swiss history, slated to last for 15 years. The first series was released back in 1907. 5. Swiss banknotes are less likely to be counterfeited than euros, US dollars or the British pound. Only 1 in 100’000 Swiss bills is counterfeit, whereas the ratio increases to 1 in 20’000 for euros, 1 in 10’000 for US dollars and 1 in 3333 for the British pound. The University of Lausanne based their 2011 report on information from central banks. 
6. The 1000-franc banknote is the denomination with the highest circulation, at 61.1%. At the current exchange rate, it is the second most valuable one in the world still being printed. Although there are US$ 10’000 bills in circulation, they are no longer being printed. The most valuable one is Singapore’s $10’000 bill which is worth about CHF 7’500.

Swiss Club of Victoria

SWISS CLUB MOVIE ‘Das Boot ist voll’ (The Boat is full)

Wednesday, 18 May 2016, 8pm Swiss Club, 2nd floor Drama 1980, Swiss-German with German subtitles, 90 minutes. Director: Markus Imhoof One of the best-known and most awarded Swiss movies. Oskar nomination 1981 for best foreign-language film. During World War II, Switzerland severely limits the intake of refugees: ‘Our boat is full.’ A train from Germany halts briefly in an isolated corner of Switzerland. Six people jump off seeking asylum: four Jews, a French child, and a German soldier. They seek temporary refuge with a couple who run a village inn. They pose as a family: the deserter as husband, Judith as his wife, an old man from Vienna as her father, his granddaughter and the French lad, whom they beg to keep silent, as their children. Judith’s teenage brother poses as a soldier. The fabrication unravels through chance and the local constable’s exact investigation. Whom will the Swiss allow to stay? Who gets deported? 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.

Switzerland ranks No. 1 in global innovation The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) published a study naming Switzerland the world leader in innovation for 2015. Other countries in the top five for 2015 were the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United States. Countries that were noted as performing better than their economic peers included China, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Jordan, Kenya and Uganda. The results are based on the Global Innovation Index 2015, which is collaboratively published by WIPO, Cornell University in the United States and the INSEAD Business School in France. The index is calculated for 141 international economies based on 79 indicators. Switzerland has held the top position since 2011. “Switzerland’s performance is exceptional,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry in a statement. “We see great sophistication in Switzerland’s links between government, the private sector and universities – the fundamental ties in the domain of innovation.” This year’s report focused on ‘Effective Policies for Development’, and on how policy-makers in emerging economies can build on local strengths to support and accelerate innovation. The Global Innovation Index is calculated based on a nation’s innovation inputs (human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication and business sophistication) and innovation outputs (knowledge and technology outputs, and creative outputs). The calculation is subjected to an independent statistical audit by the European Commission Joint Research Centre. swissinfo

IMPORTANT NOTICE The Movie Night is your night! Do you have any suggestions for a movie we could show? It should have a significant connection with Switzerland – this may be location(s) of filming, actor(s), director, … We’re interested in not only Swiss-German/German language movies, but also French, Italian or Romantsh movies with English subtitles. Please send your suggestions to markus@swissclubvic.com.au

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NEW BANKING DETAILS WESTPAC SWISS CLUB OF VICTORIA BSB: 033-157 A/C NO: 446271 For payment of membership and SCV functions

Test your Swiss Knowledge – Answers Across: 2. Johann; 4. Perth; 5. Markus; 6. Dimitri; 11. Gotthard; 13. Peugeot; 14. Ramuz; 15. Gerzensee Down: 1. Unterhaltungsabend; 3. Herbert; 7. Fueglistaler; 8. Woodend; 9. Manuela; 10. Parmelin; 12. Thomy

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Guess who?

Please take note of the following tournaments in 2016: • Doubles Championship: Friday, 18 March • Bernard Sandoz Cup: Friday, 10 June • Singles Championship: Friday, 14 October We look forward to another year of exciting games! Bookings are essential, please ring Roger at the Swiss Club or myself on 9439 7593 or 0418 645 313. Cost: Only $20 per person which includes dinner. New players are always welcome! These photos were taken at a recent 70th birthday party of a certain member of the Companion Singers. Who can guess who they are?

Louis Schneider

We need your email address There are over 60 members, who have not as yet supplied us with their email address. Do not miss out on important announcements. Make sure that you update all your details by contacting membership@swissclubvic.com.au or 0423 513 843

Join us for the biggest Morning Tea The Swiss Club of Victoria is very proud to once again support

What fun it was to start the New Year with this joyful group of laughter lovers. Laughter Yoga makes you stronger to live longer. Discover the many awesome health benefits of Laughter when you share joy and laughter with us. Laughter Yoga is unique. It is a fun form of aerobic exercise that makes you feel good and has an impressive list of scientifically proven mental, physical and emotional health benefits. Laughter Yoga Helvetia meets every 3rd and 4th Thursday each month at 6pm. Second Floor, Swiss Club, 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Laughter Yoga Helvetia Contact: laughter.club.helvetia@gmail.com Marianne Bishop 9432 2421 or Heidy Giger 9889 9321

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Please help us support the Cancer Council of Victoria! When: Monday, 23 May, 10am to 12noon Where: The Second Floor, Swiss Club of Victoria Cost: Your generous donation All Welcome Please RSVP by Monday 9 May info@swissclubvic.com.au or phone 1300 893 968. F & B donated by the Swiss Club of Victoria

Swiss Club of Victoria

Valais chocolate cheese cake with apricots Ingredients: • 175g Petits Beurre biscuits • 50g butter • 175g sugar • 500 low fat cottage cheese • 6 leaves of gelatine • 3 fresh eggs • 1 tin of apricot halves (500g) • 100g plain dark chocolate • 0.5dl espresso coffee • 2dl full cream

WE A LL L OVE M EAT A ND S MALLGOODS

Homesick? We can cure that! • Homemade Smallgoods • Swiss Cheese • Chocolate …and much, much more!

For one spring cake tin or one flan case 22cm in diameter. Makes 8–12 pieces. Preparation time, approx. 45 minutes + at least 6 hours to set. 1. Use a rolling pin to mash the Petits Beurres biscuits inside a plastic bag into fine pieces. Melt the butter. Add 25g sugar and 2 dessert spoons of cottage cheese to the biscuits and mix well. Grease the sides of the spring cake tin or the flan case with a little butter, and line with a strip of grease proof paper. Place the tin on a flan tray. Spread the biscuit mixture evenly inside the ring. Press down well to make a base approximately 1cm thick. 2. Place the gelatine in cold water for 10 minutes. Separate the eggs. Stir the egg yolk with 75g of sugar until frothy. Mix in the cottage cheese. Dissolve the gelatine in 2 dessert spoons of the cottage cheese mixture over a low heat. Stir into the rest of the cottage cheese mixture. Divide the mixture into two bowls. 3. Drain the apricots, keep the juice on one side. Stir in 1dl of the apricot juice into one of the cottage cheese mixtures. Break up the chocolate and dissolve the pieces in the espresso coffee over the lowest heat setting. Stir into the other cottage cheese mixture. Beat the egg white until stiff, gradually add 75g of sugar to the mixture and continue stirring for a while. Fold half into each of the cottage cheese mixtures. Whip the cream until stiff and add one half to each of the cottage cheese mixtures. Pour the dark mixture onto the base. Put aside to cool for 10 minutes. 4. Place half of the apricots to one side for the decoration. Spread the apricots over the dark mixture. Smooth the light mixture over the top. Keep in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours to set. Decorate with apricots.

Come and visit us @ 4-6 High Street Bayswater Ph: 9729 0635 www.walmas.com.au Join us on Facebook

http://www.myswitzerland.com h t t p : // s w i s s c l u b v i c t o r i a . c o m

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Long live the ‘King of the Alps’ The pastures used by farmers for grazing cattle end not far above base camp. The wildlife reserve begins here. We startle a grouse into flight and – with the incessant ringing of cowbells still in our ears – spot a first herd of chamois. This section of the mountain has been allocated to another biologist, so Struch does not bother taking out his binoculars or high-powered scope to do a count but continues along the trail.

swissinfo climbs a mountain for a close encounter with the ibex, to find out why the Swiss are smitten with a species of mountain goat they was once hunted into extinction. The team of biologists I accompanied are a key link in a conservation chain ensuring that the ibex colonies spread across the Swiss Alps remain healthy – 110 years after the animals’ re-introduction. There are around 40,000 ibex living in colonies throughout the Alps. Switzerland is believed to have the most – around 14,000, and about 250 of them live in the wild on the high ridge running parallel to the northern shore of Lake Brienz. The task of the nine biologists was to conduct a count of the ibex and chamois (members of the same sub-family of clovenhoofed bovids), co-existing on the steep slopes surrounding just one of the ridge’s peaks, the Augstmatthorn. “It’s important to have data over a long period of time so we can say something about the dynamics of the population, for instance, how it has developed over the years, the birth and death rates, and the effects of disease or a harsh winter marked by avalanches,” explains Mark Struch. Struch is from the wildlife consultancy, WildARK. As head of the observation team he positions the other members of the group around the peak before setting out himself on the steep ascent of the 2,100-metre-high summit.

Newsletter Deadlines 2016 June Issue: Covering June/July/August Editorial Deadline: Monday, 9 May Mailing: Wednesday, 25 May September Issue: Covering Sept/Oct/Nov Editorial Deadline: Monday, 8 August Mailing: Wednesday, 24 August December Issue: Covering Dec/Jan/Feb 2017 Editorial Deadline: Monday, 7 November Mailing: Wednesday, 23 November

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Coat of arms The ibex are higher up. This proud animal became extinct in the Swiss Alps in the first half of the 19th century. But a country where the ibex adorns the coat of arms of more than 50 towns and villages, and in particular that of canton Graubünden, was not willing to accept its absence for long. After King Vittorio Emanuele II refused to sell them, the Swiss authorities finally gave poachers the green light in 1906 to cross the border into Italy to capture a few kids and return with them to Switzerland. 100 years later, to mark the centenary of the ibex re-introduction in 2006, Switzerland symbolically returned 40 ibex to Italy. Raised in captivity, the successful release of ibex into the wild took place over the following decades. What was to become the Augstmatthorn colony was one of the first to establish itself, dating back to 1921. “It’s an impressive and not very shy animal,” says Struch as we approach a herd of grazing males just below the ridge.“ We can get within ten metres of them, or even closer. That’s one reason people find it more attractive than deer or chamois. The ibex is the king of the mountains.” Mountain throne If the mighty horns are its crown, the mountain is its throne. We see the next herd guarding the mountaintop, the animals’ majestic headpieces silhouetted against the lowering sun. It is easy to experience vertigo up here. We can see the cows dotting the groomed pastures below and at our feet on the other side of the ridge, a tiny train snakes through lakeshore villages. The existence of the ibex colonies reassure the Swiss that there is room for wildlife in a densely populated country where a disparate yet powerful lobby of dairy farmers, livestock owners and hunters claims much of the uninhabited land, even in the mountains. A female whistles shrilly to warn others of our arrival. Females prefer to keep their distance, since it is their duty to protect the young. There is only one natural predator stalking this ridge, a lone lynx, according to Struch. He says he would also welcome the re-introduction of the wolf in this part of the Swiss Alps, since the presence of large predatory animals would be a sign of an intact eco-system. But that is unlikely. Wolf and bear There was an outcry when the wolf began reappearing in other parts of the country over the past decade, forcing the Swiss Club of Victoria

government to downgrade its protection status in order to save livestock. The authorities have also published a strategy paper for dealing with the return of the brown bear. A specimen which crossed from Italy into southeastern Switzerland last summer proved to have quite an appetite for sheep and calves, turning it from a cuddly, tourist attraction into an unwanted guest. One would think the ibex would thrive due to the lack of natural enemies, but biologists say the Swiss population is decreasing slightly. They guess it may be the victim of disease or inbreeding. Struch combs the Augstmatthorn slopes with his binoculars, counting the size of the herds, noting the sex and numbers of newborn and yearlings. Back at base camp, his team confirms that at the very least, the Augstmatthorn colony is standing its ground. It has a stable population of about 100 animals. Some of the most prominent colonies in the Swiss Alps are found in the National Park in canton Graubünden, the Augstmatthorn in the Bernese Oberland and on Mont Pleureur in canton Valais.

swissinfo, Dale Bechtel on the Augstmatthorn

Statistics on the Swiss Abroad 2015 Swiss community abroad continues to grow The number of Swiss citizens living abroad has continued to increase, rising 2% in 2015, according to the latest figures from the foreign ministry. As of the end of last year, 761,930 Swiss citizens were registered as living outside the country’s borders – an increase of 15,045. Asia was the world region that saw the largest growth in Swiss citizens, with 3.5% of all those abroad in 2015 living in an Asian country. But in absolute numbers, neighbouring Europe remained the top destination – with 4,173 more registered in France and 2,103 more in Germany. Other countries with large increases in Swiss living within their borders included the United States, with an increase of around 1,500, the United Kingdom with an increase of 1,200. Oceania recorded an additional 287, bringing the number of registered Swiss in Australia to 24,789 and New Zealand to 7,021. 96 registered Swiss reside in Papua New Guinea and a total of 218 registered Swiss live on the islands that are part of our region of Oceania – these include Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Cook Islands and Solomon Islands. About two thirds of all Swiss abroad live in Europe, with the largest populations in France and Germany. Overall, Swiss citizens live in more than 200 of the world’s countries. Nearly three quarters of Swiss abroad have at least one other citizenship besides their Swiss one. h t t p : // s w i s s c l u b v i c t o r i a . c o m

Parliament for the Young Swiss Abroad (YPSA) During the last Congress of the Swiss Abroad, that took place in Geneva on 14-16 August 2015, a small group of motivated young Swiss people founded the first Parliament for the Young Swiss Abroad (YPSA). We all strongly believe that the opinion of all young citizens living outside of Switzerland should be better represented and more emphasis should be placed on their needs. Our purpose is to create a community for all young Swiss people, aged 15 to 35, living abroad or who lived abroad for at least 10 years. This association wants to connect all young people, giving everyone the possibility to exchange information, share experiences and opinions. YPSA is completely managed by young people, but in close contact with ASO (Organisation of the Swiss Abroad), and together we raise awareness of the needs of Young Swiss living abroad, promote activities and organise reunions. The success of this initiative depends on its members and we would like to invite all young Swiss to join our group and be part of this association. You can join us on Facebook and if you have any question, don’t hesitate to send us an email or post it in the Facebook group. The first elections of this Parliament will be held soon and we are looking for young motivated people to get involved and work together for a better representation of the Young 5th Switzerland. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ YouthParliamentSwissAbroad/ Email: youthparliamentswissabroad@gmail.com

Ryan Cooper – Secretary & Oceania Representative ryan.ypsa@gmail.com

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NOTICE

2016 Annual General Meeting of the SCV 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, 16 March 2016, 8pm Agenda: 1. Opening and Welcome 2. One Minute of Silence 3. Attendance, Apologies, Proxies 4. Adoption of Minutes of Half-Yearly General Meeting 2015 5. President’s Report 6. Accounts and Financial Statements 7. Election of Office Bearers 8. General Business: – Question Time 9. Conclusion

Minutes of the 2015 HalfYearly General Meeting of the SCV Held Wednesday, 24 September 2014 at 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 1. Opening and Welcome The President of the Swiss Club of Victoria, Arnold Kramer, opened the Half Yearly Meeting at 8.10pm and welcomed the Honorary Life Members and Members of the Swiss Club. He thanked everyone for attending; a total of 28 voting members were present. 2. One Minute of Silence Arnold invited all members to stand up and observe a minute of silence to remember our friends and members, who have left us. 3. Apologies Susan Cranage, Rémy Favre, Claudia Dahinden, Marlies & Sepp Krummenacher, Trudi & Marcel Theiler, John Ortner, Erika Mahoric, Ros & Paul de Castella, Barbara Brodbeck, Paul Kerss, Sue Schnellmann, Irma Rihs. 4. Adoption of Minutes of Annual General Meeting The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held Wednesday, 18 March, 2015, were published in the September 2015

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newsletter. The minutes had been read and are a true record. The minutes were moved by Marcel Muntwyler and seconded by Herbert Schwärzler. All in favour. The minutes were adopted. 5. President’s Report Dear Honorary Life members and members, thank you for joining us for this half year general meeting. As you know this is the first of such that I have the privilege to address as your President. I must say that I have had a most interesting and rewarding six months since my election. First of all, I would like you to join me in thanking my wonderful fellow committee members who have provided me with fantastic support and advice. Over the past six months we have again had exciting events, challenges, welcomes and farewells. Our usual activities include the playing of Jass, which continues to be a big draw card with the social and serious players getting into it whenever possible. We have the wonderful musical entertainment provided by Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand which always adds to the atmosphere of the restaurant where Roger, Renee and their team provide the fantastic food and welcoming focal point of the Club. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival again has made the Swiss Club as the place to be and this year we saw increased numbers attend. I would like to thank all the groups and members for their understanding during this busy time and for making alternative arrangements. August 1st our National Day, this year fell on a Saturday and the Club opened its doors to celebrate Switzerland’s birthday. We started the day with Henry Higgins playing the Alp Horn in the laneway. Passers-by and members could partake in cervelat and bratwurst BBQ in the lane before going up to the 2nd floor to take in the fantastic exhibition and displays of Swiss culture and handicrafts. A huge thank you to those who generously brought along and permitted the Club to display to the wider public a fabulous display of precious items that represent and make up our Swiss cultural heritage. The children were kept entertained being William Tell, shooting the apple off Walters head in our own Hollow Alley otherwise known as Duckboard Place. At the end of the day, kids and adults formed the Lantern Parade procession from the Club to Federation Square with a great deal of noise and enthusiasm. The day was capped off with a wonderfully prepared meal by Roger in the restaurant, lively entertainment and a special performance by the Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose under the guidance of Sylvia Hochuli. On the Sunday, the Swiss Festival team at the Austrian Club held a well organised event that was blessed by sunshine and rewarded by a huge turnout. It is important for us all to remember and thank all people, past and present, who have in any way, volunteered their time, helped or contributed to the Swiss community, for their support and contributions. I thank you all who have selflessly worked bringing some excitement, joy and happiness to others within our community. I would like to make a special point of thanking Roland Isler for his tireless dedication to the extensive resourcing, editing Swiss Club of Victoria

and production of the Edelweiss newsletter for nearly 10 years. Please give him a round of applause as recognition to this outstanding and personal achievement. I had the privilege to attend two the ladies luncheons, one to understand what goes on at these events, the other as a guest speaker. These are truly inspiring and I thank the organisers and volunteers for all their efforts in making these such a worthwhile event. I had a great time meeting the ladies and members who all have wonderful stories to tell. I also attended my first Kaffeeklatsch earlier this month. I arrived in my motorbike gear, not knowing what to expect and was I surprised and decidedly underdressed. A full house and enough food and sweets to send you into a diabetic fit. I noted that everyone seemed to have terrific fun and again a fine way to see the Club being used. Sylvia deserves a round of applause as she managed to fight off the jetlag and still come up trumps. You may have noticed the posters in the laneway have been refitted after they had disappeared. The previous arrangement was between Terra Rossa (TR) and the company Plakkit. For whatever reason TR decided to discontinue with the posters being displayed. What we have arranged is to have these reinstated with Plakkit directly. The SCV now receives annual income in excess of $2k and we have three prime positioned panels for our own use. The committee are delighted to introduce two new faces willing to join the Committee, Markus Luethi and Gideon Aschwanden whom I am sure you will all support as worthy members of our team. Regrettably, and with sadness, we announce that we have Liz Isler resigning from the Committee and I take this opportunity to thank her for her valued contributions. Liz, as you know, is always involved with many of the Swiss groups helping wherever she can and is a positive and valued volunteer. Please join me in thanking her. I would like to congratulate Patrick Albert for his appointment as President of the Swiss Society and heartfelt thanks go to Franz Schnellmann for his many years of service to the Society. The Club building continues to require regular maintenance and thankfully we have been fortunate this year to have had relatively few major issues to deal with an exception to a replacement of a water tank on the roof. At the AGM it was mentioned that the ground floor tenant Terra Rossa wished to discuss opportunities to turn the basement into a bar of sorts. The committee had further discussions with TR and it was agreed such plans were neither viable nor beneficial for all parties and as such will no longer proceed. I will pass over to Barbara KĂźndig to report on the financials for the Club, but before I do so I would like to make mention that since the AGM in March, some concerns were raised about the outstanding debt owed to the Club at that time. As Barbara will report, the Committee has made significant inroads into the recovery of these debts and we have now reduced these to acceptable levels and repayment plans are being met on time. Barbara will also advise the meeting of the good news about the balance of the mortgage.

h t t p : // s w i s s c l u b v i c t o r i a . c o m

6. Treasurer’s Report With the 2015 financial year, the accounts have been clouded. Reckon Hosted (previously Quickbooks) has been set up. The committee has view access to reports and financial information and can monitor what is happening. Member records have been set up as individual debtors. This offers not only transparency in regards to membership payments and status, but it also allows the committee to collect data how members use the club, e.g. if they attend functions. It can also be used as a membership database. The membership secretary assists in collection and update of member payments and records. I have been working on collecting and reducing the outstanding receivables by following up with TR to ensure they adhere to their repayment plan, but also by re-presenting open invoices not related to outgoings to them, as well as issuing monthly invoices timely so they are settled by the first of the month. Outgoings: The billing of outgoings has also been changed. Outgoings are now being charged to TR each month as

Swiss Club of Victoria

Nomination Form for Office Bearers for 2016 We, being Honorary Life 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 or Honorary Life 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 Wednesday, 2 March 2016.

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incurred and presented on the monthly rental bill. The new procedure will prevent falling behind. Up to September, we have collected from TR $33,026 of outstanding receivables as well as $21,283 of new outgoings plus rental income of $59,085 (Jan-Sept). Banking: The move from ANZ to a Westpac Community Banking has now been set up and is running smoothly. We hold a trading and savings account. These accounts are free of bank services charges. We no longer pay by cheque but via EFT with dual approval process. The Westpac product allows that all committee members have ‘view’ access and are able to monitor the club’s financial situation, creating an additional level of monitoring and control. The ANZ cheque account is presently still open for loan repayments and Roger’s service fee payments, but we are moving to close it, and have all day to day banking channeled through the Westpac accounts. We have also set up our own virtual EFTPOS facility with Westpac allowing us to process credit card payments for memberships and functions directly without having to go via the restaurant’s portal. We have better control and follow up, and it is more convenient and efficient. I would like to thank Vreni Welsh, membership, for her assistance and input. ANZ Loan for the Second Floor: We have reduced the size of the loan by 40% or $125,878 from $315,878 to $190,000. We are also presently working on reducing the interest rate of 7.16%. Reducing the loan and a better interest rate will assist in freeing up cash that would otherwise go into the repayment of the loan. Building Repairs: 2015 has been a ‘calm’ year in regards to repairs so far. The biggest item was the replacement of the water tank ($6,000) early January. Profit & Loss – YTD 01/01/15 to 29/09/15 Building Revenue.................................................. $ 125,593.79 Rebilled Outgoings................................................ $ 31,340.16 Membership Fees.................................................. $ 19,106.02 Member Function Income..................................... $ 3,193.54 Donations/Bequests.............................................. $ 6,488.64 Advertisement....................................................... $ 1,182.50 Banking Income.................................................... $ 314.55 Total Income................................................... $ 187,219.20 Repairs/Maintenance............................................ $ 18,550.99 Utilities................................................................. $ 48,841.88 Membership.......................................................... $ 10,429.56 Club Events........................................................... $ 8,618.96 Insurance.............................................................. $ 12,974.22 Professional Fees................................................... $ 5,085.00 Bank Service Charges............................................ $ 15,998.90 Other Expenses..................................................... $ 11,194.65 Total Expense................................................. $ 131,694.16 Assets as of 29/09/15 Cash at bank......................................................... $ 49,024 Accounts Receivables............................................ $ 94,548 (of which $36,927 are current – not due yet!) Total Current Assets....................................... $ 143,572

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Liabilities as of 29/09/15 Accounts Payables................................................ $ 17,715 (includes 15/16 Council Rates of $15,888) GST Payable.......................................................... $ 2,340 Total Current Liabilities.................................. $ 20,055 Long term Liabilities....................................... $ 190,000 Barbara Kündig closed the Treasurer’s Report by thanking the committee for their help during the past six months while she implemented the new system and attended to the finances. Q: The members raised questions re the size of the accounts receivables and why this was not picked up by the auditor. A: There was a delay in rebilling of outgoings, and the follow up on receivables could have been tighter. Outgoings billing procedures have been reviewed, and as a result, future outgoings are being billed as incurred. However, for a tenant having to pay the old as well as current outgoings puts additional pressure on their cash flow, thus the committee agreed with TR on a regular repayment plan of $3,250 per month for past outgoings, but insisted on monthly payment

Proxy Form for the Annual General Meeting 2016 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, 16 March 2016 and at every adjournment thereof. Signed by hand this

day of

2016

Signature: Note: Only members who are entitled to vote, having paid their subscription or being Honorary Life 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

of current outgoings. TR has met this every month since implementation. Roger is also meeting regular payments to clear 2014 receivables. The role of the auditor is to review what is presented to him. However, if the members felt there needed to be changes, they should approach the committee with names of possible auditors. Roland Isler commented that the presentation of the financials should return back to basics, with presentation of past and current year, so that the members can have a better overview and comparison from one financial period to next. Rita Schwärzler voiced that the committee wasn’t alone responsible for the finances of the club, but it was also up to the members to be involved. The purpose of the AGM and HYM was for the members to review the accounts presented, to query and to ask questions. This had not really been done in the past few years, and the members had to step up too. She also queried the role of the auditors, and how they could assist in preventing this to happen again. Rita also stressed the importance of having the treasurer position filled. Q: Tony Anderson inquired if the basement meter had now been set up for rebilling to TR and Roger. A: Yes, this is now done.

and the committee simply did not think it was prudent to give away the rights to the basement for 15+ years, especially for a minimal rental return. The committee also doubted the financial viability of such a small bar area in the first place. It is also difficult to ascertain future needs the club might have. TR was assigned 30 sqm in their lease, but have already taken over much more, which has created already other issues for the club. Visit of Consulate General of Sydney for biometric passports: The Consulate will return to Melbourne for biometric passport processing and hired the Second Floor from 14-20 October. Demand for passports has been so strong that the consulate has extended their original 3 day booking to also include Saturday, Monday and Tuesday appointments. Committee members will be in attendance to promote the club to visitors. Rita Schwärzler informed that the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo was coming to Melbourne in February. Participating in their show at Etihad Stadium was the Top Secret Drum Corps from Basel. She inquired if it was possible for the committee to investigate and see if they could get the group to the Swiss Club for an event with the members. Rita handed an article to the committee with further information.

7. Election of Office Bearers Gideon Aschwanden was proposed by Sigrid de Castella and seconded by Marcel Muntwyler – all in favour. Markus Lüthi was proposed by Sigrid de Castella and seconded by Albert Foster – all in favour.

9. Conclusion The President thanked all for their attendance and interest in the SCV. He continued to say that the Swiss Club of Victoria relies on the members support, the financial returns from its tenants, and most importantly the commitment of volunteers to ensure it can remain a focal point for the Swiss community. Arnold asked the members present to encourage their families and friends to continue to support the Club and become involved members, so that we can accommodate fresh ideas, whilst we maintain the traditions of the past. As there were no further questions from the members, Arnold Kramer closed the Half Yearly Meeting at 9.45pm and invited all to a glass of wine. Minutes taken as a correct record by Barbara Kündig, Secretary.

8. General Business Membership: The present active membership count is 405. Membership figures have hovered around the 400 mark for the last few years, with an average of 30 to 40 members joining and resigning each year. Our age demographics are 28 members DOB unknown, 15 members under 40 years, 30 members between 40-50 years, 138 members between 50-70 years, and 194 members are over 70. The need to attract younger members was noted by Franz Schnellmann. Patrick Albert suggested contacting members that have left to find out why they are leaving and to get them to rejoin. Closer networking with other European Clubs could be investigated. Markus Helsing suggested that through increased cultural activities and involving other European groups, we could move into a more ‘European’ Club than a purely Swiss Club. Barbara Kündig suggested to focus attention on retaining membership rather than signing up as many as possible but losing them after 1-2 years again. Roland Isler voiced that it is most important that the community look after the seniors. The club is a place where Swiss can come ‘home to’, where they can feel comfortable and welcome. Q: The members wanted to know more details why the basement bar did not proceed. A: The basement is simply too small an area to accommodate a bar as well as the storage needs and daily traffic (deliveries etc.) of all three parties (G/F tenant, 1/F Club restaurant and 2/F activities and club). TR also expected a long term commitment h t t p : // s w i s s c l u b v i c t o r i a . c o m

AGM Special Rösti mit Fleischkäse und Ei (Rösti with Meatloaf and Egg)

$15.00 members, $17.00 non-members. Drinks at bar prices. All bookings with the Restaurant (03) 9650 1196 or by email to swissclub@hotmail.com

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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 sub-groups. 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).

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

Wednesday Thursday Wednesday Friday Saturday Sunday Wednesday

02 03 16 18 19 20 23

Ladies’ Luncheon Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand entertains at the Club ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Billiard – Doubles Championship Jass Night – Swiss Club Comedy Festival bump-in Social Jass

Monday 18 Wednesday 27 Saturday 30

Comedy Festival bump-out Social Jass Jass Night – Matterhorn

Wednesday Thursday Saturday Monday Wednesday Monday Wednesday Saturday

Ladies’ Luncheon Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand entertains at the Club Unterhaltungsabend – Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose Editorial Deadline – Newsletter June issue Swiss Club Movie Night: ‘Das Boot ist voll’ Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea Social Jass Jass Night – Swiss Club

04 05 07 09 18 23 25 28

The 6th Australian Jass Tournament will take place on 12 June 2016 in Perth. See http://www.jasstournament.com for more information and registration form.

OTHER REGULAR SWISS CLUB MEETINGS: Committee Meetings: every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month (excluding January & December) 6.30 to 8pm. Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose: practice every Tuesday evening at 8.15pm Swiss Companion Singers: practice and social gathering every 3rd and 4th Thursday of each month at 8pm Laughter Yoga Helvetia: meets every 3rd and 4th Thursday of each month at 6pm SwissKids: meets every 1st Saturday of each month, from 2pm to 4pm Les Bavards – ‘The Chatterboxes’: French Conversation Group meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month at 6.30pm

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Swiss Club of Victoria

FOUNDATION DAY

CELEBRATION

Fahrt ins Blaue

Top Secret Drum Corps

IS SW S

Seniors Christmas Luncheon

THE

RO U CLU

T

ABOU D N B