Around the Club 21-03-2013
Is Robert Ball truly crazy?
“It’s amazing that Robert Ball hasn’t gone crazy” said Noel McInnes, a couple of weeks back, referring to the difficulties inherent in Robert’s role as chief of Registration for the d9800 Conference. “He has” said a voice that sounded remarkably like Robert’s. The Shadow truly hoped that this tiny cathartic remark may have eased - ever so slightly – the difficulties of sorting out the complexities and unreasonablenesses of a minority of registrants and wannabee-late-registrants! Not so, indeed he still wore his conference outfit days after the event's closure, asking "Isn't it still going?"
John Higgins fines himself – what a Sergeant!
It’s not often that a Sergeant fines himself. It’s not often that an accountant volunteers to give away money. All credit to John Higgins for doing just that. And his ‘crime’? He left his notes on his office desk. And yet made a good fist of raising money from us all.
Brian Reid – our star in Boroondara Review Local
A few members earned $50 each for our club by counting bikes from 7am to 9am on ‘Super Tuesday’ on 5 March. Easy money; a good public service; no doubt everyone felt good. Only Brian Reid, however, had his photo in the Boroondara Review Local (March 13, page 8).
Conference 1 – Gerry and the bell
Getting people from the food and back to the Conference on time is always a difficult task. Enter Gerry Cantwell and his auctioneer’s bell! Overheard: “if he keeps ringing that bell, I’ll hit him over the head with it.” And who was the aggressive mutterer? Relax, she wasn’t from Hawthorn.
Conference 2 – Lynda and Margaret cut a fine dash
At a District Conference, The Shadow reckons, it is principally the women in the official party that are expected to meet a certain sartorial standard. In this regard, Lynda Shore and Margaret Walshe met the standard supremely well: colourful, elegant, and not upstaging their husbands. Congratulations to you both.
Conference 3 – Neil Roberts as Peter Allen: superb!
Every Hawthorn member was hugely thrilled to see and hear our very own Neil Roberts – not in good physical shape, as we all know – playing and singing his heart out in his role as Peter Allen leading the audience in I’ll Still Call Australia Home. Good on you, Neill. All our hearts are with you as you resume the fight of your life in California.
Conference Aftermath – Could our DG out-do our President in praise for Team Hawthorn?
At lunch on Tuesday we all basked in the praise for Team Hawthorn that flowed from both DG Dennis Shore and from President Ngaire Cannon for the outcome of all our efforts in organising the District Conference in Albury. The Shadow, being a cautious, generous creature, scored both of these worthies at 100 out of a possible 100 for effusiveness! (Well deserved, of course.)