From the President

Having spent more years being amongst the first in North America to welcome in the New Year rather than the first in the world (ignoring the Kiwis at my peril), I’ve never quite got my head around New Years’ Resolutions.  Probably because my only resolution for most of those Canadian New Year’s Eves was to “get off this effing freezing fireworks foreshore and back to someone’s – anyone’s – warm house party”!

http://youtu.be/NEVP0KTI6-4

(It’s a bit long, the spelling is atrocious and disowned by the pedant in me but it’s “some real b’y”)

So, along with a turkey-less Christmas (almost, but not quite! – thanks, S&A), temperatures in the reasonably high twenties (that’s Celsius J, not 1970s Fahrenheit L) and the ability to stroll to the foreshore tonight in shorts rather than ski-suits, I’ve got more time to think this season.

Therefore, this year I thought I’d take a crack at the Resolutions process on behalf of the CAC.  Not by way of admonition or exhortation, but rather as a set of guiding principles to shape our new year.  So here we go:  “In 2012, we shall endeavour to have:…”

• Greater Inclusiveness: to “open our doors” to like-minded members from other States, other organisations, and those living overseas (“Re-patriated Member” category, anyone?); this particular action was on my own To Do list from 2011 and remains “unfinished business”;
• Wider Engagement: to become more of an enabling organization rather than an organizing entity by focusing on providing the platform for you, the members, to organize events of your choosing with the facilities and infrastructure provided by the club and the committee;
• Better Social Networking:  to put the Social back into Networking and the Networking back into Socialising. By this I don’t mean a return to business networking events like First Tuesdays, but rather using the power of each of our 6 Degrees of Separations to encourage more CanAustradians to enjoy the benefits of our socializing and our networking.

As we look forward, it is also worthwhile to look back.  Not only at the tremendous number of activities that have been miraculously conjured by and for you over the last year or at your team that has worked so assiduously over the years past, but also at special members we have lost.  As you may have read elsewhere in this digest, the club lost a sterling member only a couple of days ago with the passing of Pat Alldritt, who died peacefully on Dec 29^th after a courageous battle with cancer.

Pat, as anyone who had the pleasure to meet her would know, was a fascinating and stalwart founding member of the club – initiating it with her fellow ex-patriates back in 1967.   Pat was an inimitable character with a delicious sense of humour.  A tireless supporter of the Club, Pat returned to the committee last year – a committee she had originated some 45 years before – to help forge new, and rekindle old, connections and solutions for the club.  Not content with making it to as many CAC events as she could handle – including strapping on the boots for Ice Skating in July! – she strived for inclusiveness for all, regardless of affiliation, age or aptitude for particular activities.  An indomitable spirit fighting a brave battle with her trademark wit – I vividly remember her answer to my children (then both 5) at our first Canadian Thanksgiving together when she explained away her headscarf as her “Canadian costume for the day” – she would not be vanquished easily.   Her memory, however, shall never be extinguished in the minds – and annals – of the club.  To Ralph, Steve and Jane and the rest of the Alldritt family, the thoughts of all at the CAC are with you.

Picking up the torch from Pat (and the rest of our excellent 2011 committee - to whom I pass on, on your behalf, our most grateful thanks), we’ve got a great new team for 2012.  There’s another article elsewhere on the group – some new faces, some familiar returnees – and it is on behalf of them, and (somewhat recursively) on behalf of the entire membership, that I wish you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous CanAustradian New Year!

Kindest regards,

Chris

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are reluctantly having to reschedule the AGM previously called for Friday, Nov 4th.

Instead of proposing a new date and having to reschedule again, I am going to ascertain revised availability for all committee members and re-post as soon as a new date is chosen, which will likely be in the latter half of November.  At the last committee meeting, we also agreed some proposed changes to the Constitution - and, in particular, the structure and format of the committee itself - which we will be putting forward to the AGM for the membership's approval.  I plan to have a summary of those suggested changes as part of the revised notification.

Therefore, further to clause 7.2 of the CAC Constitution, I am giving formal notice that the Annual General Meeting scheduled for Friday, Nov 4th is cancelled and that you will all receive - at least - 10 days notice of the rescheduled date.

The good news is that the normal Monthly Mixer will go ahead as planned on Friday the 4th with the normal snacks and 50% off all drinks for card-carrying members!

Kind regards,

Chris Warrick
CAC President

(Posted by Chris Betcher on behalf of Chris Warrick)

I’ve just come from the Ice Rink.  It was 18^o+, the sun was beating down, the hockey team that finished just before us had left the ice pretty fresh – even without a Zamboni – and the beers were cold.  Couldn’t have been a more perfect Canadian Day!

Except that we were at Cathedral Square, Sydney and not Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto and the skates were orange (with buckles) rather than standard CCM black (with laces).  But that didn’t stop the 25+ of us from having a blast, true Canadian Australian-style!

(Member 'Skipper Frank' Volckmar, Oliver Warrick, your humble correspondent and soon-to-be member, Australian Geoff Kendall - albeit already an Honorary Manitoban and Screeched-In Newfy)

And that’s not all we’ve done this last month or so.  I can confirm that at least 58 people were Screeched In earlier this month (and “shouted out” live on Newfoundland VOCM radio during the event) at our festive, fireworks-funtastic Canada Day party in Darling Harbour, we’ve had a couple of Penrith Bears hockey games, the Tucker & Dale vs. Evil screening at the Sydney Film Festival and the Darling Harbour Jazz & Blues Festival.

In less than a fortnight, I (along with fellow CACers) will also get to step out to the Sold Out opening night premiere of the Canadian Film Festival (Score: A Hockey Musical), the CAC-Sponsored Canadian Film Festival premiere of A Beginner’s Guide to Endings on Aug 10th (some tickets still available), plus our own Matt Gerber performing live in Petersham, a Penrith Bears hockey game and our perennial heart-starter Monthly Mixer.

Don’t get me wrong – even I don’t get to ALL of this (though that IS me in the picture up there) – but I do get to choose:  whether for me, for Caz & I or for me, my family and friends!

And all this doesn’t happen by magic.  Or rather it does. 

A special type of magic.  And those that conjure that magic do benefit along with the rest – perhaps a tad more, as they say “giving is the best gift you can receive”.  (Well, if they don’t say that, THEY should.).  But there are only so many magicians, so many wands… and more magic is needed.

There’s been more than one previous exhortation in this column – including one from me – to join the team that creates that magic.  But exhortations appear to fall on deaf ears – or only those ears that can hear.  Those that are already on that station, on that wavelength…

So, ‘enough already’ with the exhortations.  Let’s get straight to the invitations and, I’m not proud, pure bribery.  If it works for my 7-year olds, it’s surely gotta work with a bunch of Canucks and Canuck-ophiles.

We, your elected committee, meet monthly and – depending on the role – do a bit more beyond that.  Since the Betcher Era (and with the kind generosity of our sponsor – also family members – Redback Conferencing), we’ve efficiently held every 2^nd one of those meetings by free teleconference.  On the 3^rd Monday (sometimes the 4^th)  of every other month, we meet in person at the Harrington Bar at Quay West Suites in the CBD – same site as our Monthly Mixers – to deliberate, delegate and, hopefully, decide what you the membership want from your club.

So, I am extending an OPEN invitation to one and all, new or long-standing members, young or old (well, if you’re the same age as my kids, you might have a problem getting the 50% discount at the bar!), previous committee veterans or “new blood to the board room” to join us – as observers – for either of the next two face-to-face meetings (6:15pm-8:00pm) before the next AGM in November:

·         Monday, August 22^nd

•·         Monday, October 17^th

So, where’s the catch?  No catch.  Please just rock up at 6:15pm – though an RSVP would be appreciated – to see how things are done, how we operate and how – maybe – you might be able to help with an hour or two a month.  NO speaking is expected – though, if you want to say something, you will NOT be shouted down (we are Canadian, after all!) – and you will not be drafted or dragooned against your will.

No catch – so what about lures?  I have it on good authority that – miraculously – there are still sufficient supplies left of both Clamato Juice AND Newfoundland Screech to mix up a cocktail of your choice on the night.  So, throwing my Treasurer’s classic caution to the wind, we are offering a free drink – (Bloody) Caesar OR Screech – for the first 10 (30?!) committee observers to pitch up.  (And, Committee, worry not, for your continuing outstanding service, you will also get your free drink – whether or not you’ve already been Screeched In!).

It’s a truism that “if you want a job done, give it to a busy man/woman.”  We know everybody’s busy (including us), but if you want to feel good, make a difference AND get a free Screech/Caesar into the bargain then just ‘get your skates on’ for either Monday (August 22^nd or October 17^th) and see if we can’t take the Bored out of Board Room (BTW, we don’t actually meet in the Board Room – we ARE the CAC, we meet in the bar! ).

We hope to see you there.

Chris

"Still Acting, Still President"

I was asked – indirectly – the other day what “we” did and, though I had to think for a moment before I answered (so as not to unduly offend), I knew that I was right when I reduced it to the fact that we were a “social network”.  Given that we are now nearly 50 years old, the term Social Network may jar both with those of our membership who assume we are a Club and with those of us, imbued with a more IT- and internet-literate view of the world, who will only consider Social Networking as something enabled by Facebook, Twitter & the rest of the milieu.

The truth is somewhere in between.

A Social Network, according to Wikipedia (who else would we look to for a post-modern definition), is defined as: a social structure made up of individuals (or organizations) called "nodes", which are tied (connected) by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.

A Club, on the other hand (and here, we shall reverently revert to the OED as the Oxford Canadian Dictionary was closed in 2008) is defined as:

• an association dedicated to a particular interest or activity,
• the premises used by a particular club.
• an organization offering members social amenities, meals, and temporary residence,
• a commercial organization offering members special benefits,
• a group of people or nations having something in common: the wild man of the movies refused to join the teetotal club.

[FYI: No CAC officers were harmed in the making of the last example].

The power of Social Networks has been much in the news of late, not just because of the pervasive effect of Social Networking Sites (SNS’s to those in the know) but also because of the success, and notoriety of the subject matter, of the recent movie, “The Social Network” and its subject, Facebook, and founder, Mark Zuckerberg.

The original “Social Networks” were, however, the "Clubs": whether the Gentlemen’s Clubs of the 18th Century or the Working Mens’ Clubs of the 19th.  Working Men's Clubs developed in Britain during Victorian times (circa 1862) as institutes where working class men could attend lectures and take part in recreational pursuits.  Gentlemen’s Clubs preceded them as members-only private clubs of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the eighteenth century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late nineteenth century.  Thankfully, we are neither of the above.

We are all buffeted weekly, if not daily, by invitations to belong to groups, sites or premises offering club-like services.  In the end, I believe, a club is the sum of its constituents – uniquely bonded with a common goal, whether it be: global sporting domination, class-discriminated business networking (no papers or mobile phones, gentlemen!) or, in our case, a genuine wish to connect with our own and with those Australians who wish to connect with us for bonhomie, bonnes nuits ou les bonnes idées.

We, at the Canadian Australian Club, a proud organisation now going well into its late 40s, are firmly of the belief that Networking is not a new term, being called Nice is not an insult and ‘Belonging’ is a positive.

So, on this first Canada Day of the second decade of the third Millennium (calendar pedants, please send your corrections to the Editor of The Globe & Mail, not me!), may I wish you and all of your families - whether you can join us for our fabulous Canada Day 2011 festivities on Saturday in Sydney or not – a wonderful, peaceful and very proud Canada Day!

Chris Warrick

Proudly Canadian (1963) & Australian (2010)

A new day, a new decade, a new dawn.   As I sit here in the relative cool of a Sydney morn – before the heatwave encroaches – and having just returned from an unseasonably green Christmas on The Rock in Canada, I am reminded how lucky we are to be where we’re from and live where we live.  A philosophical moment, perhaps – and I’m not one for poetic pauses – but true, nevertheless.

As your new Acting President (more on which later), I paused to review a few of the past Members Voice articles and general news postings and was rewarded by the input.  Not only member-to-member thanks and broadcast notifications of where to find Clamato juice in the Emerald City, but also a small selection of links to surveys and international research which consistently point out that for Liveability, Sustainability and downright Desirability, Australia and Canada seem to annually win podium positions in the top tens.  Consistently, and hands-down, we are both without competitors in the number of top spots stakes.  Sydney may be sizzling – and, for housing, somewhat overheated – but, in general we live in, or hail from, lucky cities in lucky countries.

Sydney Housing market finally cools!

And so where better to “share the love” than with your fellow ex-pats and Canuck-ophiles at one of the many CAC events.  Come for a summer sail on the Pittwater, kick your shoes off for some Barefoot Bowling, break bread with family and friends at (Canadian!) Thanksgiving or help us raise the flag on Canada Day.  There were dozens of events last year – as in previous years – aimed at all interests and all ages.  Whether it is for those with littlies (like me), DINKies or valued veterans of the club (it has now been going for nearly 50 years), there is something for all tastes.  Which is all good.  And different.

So how do you make the most of living in this wonderful city/ country clutching at least one, if not two, of the most desirable passports in the world (three, in my humble case!)?  Join in, join us, just do it.

Join in at one or more of the regular events posted frequently on our site: most are open for members and their guests, a few – due to popularity – are restricted to members only.  Some – like our Monthly Mixers (1^st Friday of every month) – are open to one and all.  Come and taste test.

Join us.  Your committee is made up of like-minded volunteers who, like you, are probably busy with the minutiae – and mountains – of daily life but who manage to find a few hours each month to help steer the boat that is the CAC.  No previous experience is required, “all  training and tools” will be provided.   There are currently some openings on our team looking for a willing volunteer to put their hand up – if you are interested, come and talk to one of us at the Friday Mixers.   I promise you won’t have to go through an arduous state election to gain office.

Just do it.  We are a committee and club of do-ers (otherwise we’d all be at home on the couch) but you don’t have to be a councillor or committee member to organise something.   Whether it’s Dragon Boat racing in Darling Harbour, a Bushwalk in the Blue Mountains or a Belly-dancing dinner on the Lower North Shore (where’s that?!), you don’t need to fill in forms in triplicate to do it.  We’ll help get it posted and assist managing the finances (if there ARE finances), all we need is your enthusiasm and your organisation.   Speak to the Events Manager or any of the Committee about how easy it is.

As a relatively new member from 2009 (I was the first online member to go through the fancy new web registration process), I have been lucky enough to meet members new and old, work with – and on – the committees of the last two years (to whose members and officers, my thanks and the many thanks of the membership for all your hard work) and host the odd event.  I can assure you – in ROI terms – the rewards are worth all of the investment.

Best wishes to all for 2011,

Chris (W!)

The club held it's Christmas Party and Annual General Meeting recently and a new committee was elected.  Well, at least part of a new committee was elected.  As things currently stand, we do not have a president, a secretary and an events manager.  To not have these three key roles filled is very disappointing, and somewhat worrying for the club.

I'm writing this on the morning before tonight's Annual General Meeting and Christmas Party, and it's my final report as president of the club. After two years as president, I feel it's time to step down and let someone else have a go at the job.  It's been good to do the job... sometimes it meant a bit of work that required doing, and sometimes it's been a lot of fun... but mostly it's been rewarding.

August. Seriously, where does the time go?  I've been travelling a lot lately, and it seems like I just get a weekend to myself and I'm heading off somewhere else to another conference somewhere.  Don't get me wrong, it's been fun, but it has caused me to lose track of things a little, as well as causing me to miss a few of the club's recent events.  The next few months look just as crazy with trips to China, Vietnam and New Zealand, but what do you do?  Someone has to do it!

Hello and G'day.

April!  What?  Where does the time go?

It's been a busy time for me personally as I've been doing a lot of travelling for the last few months.  Between being interstate and overseas almost every second weekend, things have been a little hectic!  My apologies for my tardiness!

However, life in the Canadian Australian Club goes on. And speaking of Canada, what an amazing job Vancouver did with the Winter Olympics!  I loved the creativity and passion of the opening ceremony and the chance to see athletes performing at the top of their game.  It was great to see such wonderful performances from both the Canadians and the Australians - I think both countries had their most successful winter games results ever, so congratulations all around!  Although I'm not Canadian myself, I certainly saw the pride in Linda's eyes every time we watched her country shine.  Canada, you done good!  And how about those hockey results, eh?  Both the mens and the womens teams earning gold and taking their rightful places as the best in the world. Well done!

There have been a few special deals for members lately that can potentially save you a little or a lot of money.  Air Canada had a special price for flights to Vancouver of $1660 (although you did have to travel on Christmas day!) and there were other deals like reduced price tickets to the Easter Show.   These sorts of deals do come along occasionally and we don't always get much advance notice, so keep your eye on the news feeds on the front page of the club website.  If it's something really substantial like saving hundreds of dollars on an airfare then we will send it out in an email to all members, but for the smaller stuff you just need to keep an eye on the website.

While we are on the subject of communications, Linda our Content Manager has decided to put out a quarterly email newsletter, just to keep you in the loop.  It mostly links back to the club website (since that's really where all the news and events are kept anyway), but it aims to flag a few of the current club happenings to you.  The first one went out last week.

Finally, there are plenty of events in the planning at the moment, so keep an eye on the site to see what's coming up.  Register for anything that grabs you... trust me there will be something for everyone!  And of course, you're always welcome to suggest events too.  Just let Sarah, our Events Coordinator, know what you want.

Ok, that's it for now!  I'll try to be a little more diligent in writing here each month.  See you on a club event very soon!

Chris Betcher