Dodson Scott Gallery

COMM UNITY BUS PROPOSAL

Consideration is being given to organise a community bus with wheel chair facilities to enable members who do not have a drivers licence or are mobility challenged to enable them to join the VCC Wednesday morning smokos.

There may be a small charge and initially it would only be monthly.

To ascertain if is worth proceeding with this proposal it would be appreciated if interested parties could contact Don Laing advising names & contact details.

Email (preferred): donlinda@actrix.co.nz Phone or Text: 027 315 6227

Patchett G reen Trees - Trevor Harris

There are times when our Branch Committee takes time, sometimes more than one meeting, to make a difficult decision. Over recent months a lot of debate has taken place about removing two of the trees on Patchett's Green. The roots of the trees in question have moved the brick post on the lower Patchett Green gate to the extent the gate is now hard to get open. The debate extended to include removal of all the trees around the Green perimeter. It has been known for some time the trees were prone to dropping large branches & there was concern sooner or later damage could occur to a members vehicle parked under the trees or worse badly injure a member. Another negative aspect of the trees is the needles they drop in large quantities. The needles contain turpentine which destroys the fertility of the soil beneath the trees. The rhododendrons planted some time ago to beautify the area have struggled & some have had to be relocated. Our Farm Machinery neighbors’ also have concerns with the branches & needles especially the needles which accumulate on the roof of the Denton building verandah. Eventually it was resolved the two trees causing the problem with the gate would be removed. Costs were obtained & the trees were removed. The removal quickly ended the debate about the rest of the trees. Both of the trees were dead in the middle as were some of the larger limbs. The Council officer responsible for the Park was consulted & he inspected & took photos’ of the dead wood & gave approval that the rest of the trees should be removed. No one likes to see mature trees removed but the safety of our members, their vehicles & the public is paramount. Once everything is cleaned up more suitable trees & shrubs will be planted. As a matter of interest, the existing trees were planted by members at a working bee forty six years ago. Some of those members are still active enough to help plant the next lot or at least lean on their walking sticks and give advice.

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The Clubs AGM has come and gone with no contentious issues debated which indicates the Club in in good heart and well managed. The electrical shed is also a well managed unit and with the increased floor space, stock is well laid out for ease of access. The team in the electrical shed offer an efficient service to members, thank you guys. John R is attending to some overdue maintenance on the forklifts hydraulics and the front tyres are also due to be replaced. Roger L is one parts assistant who deserves some accolades, he quietly works away on any task on hand, no matter how heavy or dirty it just gets done without any fuss. Lawrence and Roger M have made much progress on the container shelving and stock will soon be transferred. Incoming inventory has arrived from a Taparewa donor and Friday 4th we will be picking up a 1929 six cylinder Chevrolet sedan. This is a mostly complete car (maybe some smaller items to find) and has been in dry storage for many decades. It will require a full restoration but a great start for an enthusiastic member. Many thanks to Geoff for his more than generous donation.

Tris Winstanley.

Update from Your Kitchen Custodian

Six months of the year has passed by and gosh it has gone quickly and there is not a lot happening in the kitchen. Although the weather hasn't been very nice the Wednesday morning teas are still proving popular and if any one would like to join the ladies on a Wednesday morning to either help with scone making, pouring tea or just to have a chat we would love to see you. We had one function catered for in May. A reminder our ‘Daffodil Day’ is creeping around (August) we again will be kindly asking for baking, more info in next months news letter. Natter & Noggin this month is Friday June 25th and it is "Soup & Bun Night" As our Mid-winter dinner is going to be on the 25th July I have had to change our High Tea afternoon. A new date will be advised next month.

Cheers from Dale and all the helpers in the kitchen