Another month gone, another month closer to Christmas. Our last newsletter for the year will go out the first week in December, so please get in early if you have anything to be put in. Hopefully many of you will share your Remembrance Day with us. The 2023 State Congress and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of RSL NSW will be held from 22nd—24th October 2023. And, of course, it will be covered in our November Newsletter.
As most of you already know, Ray James will retire from his position of RSL NSW State President at this Congress. RSL NSW Auxiliaries will be paying tribute to Ray in our November Newsletter, so if anyone would like to wish Ray well, share a memory, or a photograph, please email it to me at sueallen123@bigpond.com by the 1st November, 2023. We owe Ray a great debt — if not for him and Pauline fighting to save Auxiliaries, we would have been finished a few years ago. Instead we are growing and thriving.
We are absolutely delighted to have received 11 entries for the Lady Woodward Cup. I can not remember in my time having so many entries. Recently RSL NSW State Secretary Jeff O’Brien, Di Naylor, Pauline and I had an online meeting to select the winners. I can’t tell you who has won — the winner will be announced at Congress — but I have to say it was a hard decision, the scores were so close. With Auxiliaries being the fundraising arm of RSL NSW many assume that it will be the one who makes the most money that will be the winner, but…. I would like to take some time to go through the process with you. I believe some Auxiliaries don’t enter because they don’t think they have a chance. Well, let me tell you, that is incorrect. It is a very simple and fair process, unlike the previous horrendous equations where number of members were divided in to this and that. There are three parts to the Nomination form: • • •
Fundraising for Veteran Services, this is worth up to a 50% mark Supporting the local veteran community, this is worth up to a 25% mark Engaging with the local community, this is worth up to a 25% mark
It is the RSL Auxiliary that achieves the highest score across the three categories that wins the award.