Volunteers’ Week 2018 — Part 2

As part of National Volunteers Week, Friday 25th May saw our local Junee Shire Council host a Volunteers’ Summit. This took place in the town’s heritage-listed Athenium Theatre.

The first instalment of Pete’s Hobby Railway acknowledgement of National Volunteer Week can be found here.

Junee Volunteers’ Summit

About a hundred attended the function from (reportedly) 92 volunteer groups around the town, being treated to a number of short talks including the keynote lecture from Mr Murray Rear AFSM, the CEO of the nearby Temora Aviation Museum, who made it abundantly clear that this major Riverina attraction could not exist without its volunteers.

Morning and afternoon teas/coffees, along with a massive assortment of home-made delicacies, a hot lunch and sandwiches were provided by volunteers – the Parents & Citizens group from the nearby small Illabo Public School (with 32 pupils).

Nicholas, who is PHR’s Event Co-ordinator, gave a most illuminating short talk on various means of fund-raising, which was followed up with a question-and-answer segment, of which Nick was also part of the four-person panel. Nicholas, like many people in Junee, volunteers with a variety of community organisations. For the Junee Volunteer Summit he was present in his persona of President of Rhythm n Rail Inc (as the badge on his shirt pocket indicates)

Pete’s Hobby Railway had a small table display which included a number of laminated photographs (prepared by Nick and Rhys) of our volunteers both at work and enjoying themselves, along with a montage of additional images shown on a small digital photo frame. Manning the PHR stand were Ben and Rhys, to whom I offer my thanks.

Your’s truly was commandeered by the local WIN television news crew to say a few words and naturally Rhys grabbed my camera for a few happy snaps. I talked briefly about the volunteers supporting PHR.

Here’s a link to the television coverage (not shown that evening, but possibly may be on Monday 28/5).

I didn’t know what to expect from the Volunteers’ Summit… neither did anyone else I suspect, but I think we all learnt something and I certainly came away with a few new ideas including for the possible restoration of “Speedy Gonzales”, the former Beaudesert Shire Council Tramway inspection vehicle.

Pete
SM Loftus