PRESIDENT’S
REPORT to ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING; AUGUST,2001
Another
successful year of growth and achievement, thanks to your support and an
active
Committee.
The
Memorial Stone is now proudly displayed at the corner of North & Poath Rds
right
where
OAKLEIGH
TECHNICAL SCHOOL once stood.
The stone was un-veiled on Sunday
Feb.18th
this year by Cr. Mathew Evans, the Mayor of the City of Monash. Over 100 Members
and
their guests joined the celebration and we had a most enjoyable picnic in the
park at the rear
of
the OTS area. I
took this opportunity to publicly thank some of the people who have helped us
along
the way. These
people were; Pellicano brothers, Frank & Munzio, past students and
representatives
of the site owners for giving their consent to the placing of the memorial stone
and
for
assisting us in obtaining the consent of the tenants, all of which was necessary
to achieve
approval
of the City to place the stone, Jack Davis, past City of Oakleigh Councillor,
who has
helped
by providing a venue for our many committee meetings since the original idea of
the '97
reunion,
Grahme Brownley, OTSS Member, who first suggested the Holmesglen TAFE might
take
on production of the Memorial Stone, Jim Petrie from Holmesglen TAFE who pushed
the
project
through the TAFE system, Thomas Kuen from the City of Monash who arranged the
on-site
work. I also thanked the Mayor for agreeing to officiate on this, to us, very
grand occasion
and
for the co-operation we received on applying to use this venue for the
celebration, the hire fee
was
waved and the security deposit returned. Our only out-lay for the venue was for
Public
Liability
Insurance which again the City helped us with.
Now
the Oakleigh Technical School Memorial Stone is in place please go along and see
it.
At
the celebration of the Memorial Stone we asked members for their e-mail
addresses and
received
many. This
makes us much closer to achieving another of our aims. Publishing a
regular
newsletter by e-mail is quite achievable. Please tell any past students you know
to register
their
e-mail address on the appropriate e-mail address as per the invitation to the
AGM.
Three
Memorial scholarships were awarded in December 2000;
one to a Hughesdale
Primary
School student and two to students who are “Direct Descendents” of Members.
They
were; Patrick
Beraun, won the Hughesdale Primary School award. Bradley Hunter, from
Oakleigh
Primary School and Whitney George from Park Ridge Primary were awarded
Direct
Descendants awards. At this time we do not anticipate we will be able to award 3
scholarships
this year, unless we have an unexpected sudden growth in membership or a few
gracious
& benevolent
donors are forthcoming.
Our
numbers have grown from 136 at this time in 1999 to 148 in 2000, and 168 in 2001
and we
are
prospering. Although
our net assets now
$ 11,900 are down slightly from $12,100 last year.
All
this has been achieved by a voluntary committee, which I sincerely thank for
their support
over
the past 4 years. Including: Bob Passmore, Ian Shiels, John Lundy. Stan Beadle,
Kevin
Cutting, Geof Morris, Alan McCabe, Colin Cartwright, Barry Chambers.
Last
year I asked, “Do you want another REUNION”. Next
year we should start work on it.
If
you can help please contact me; phone (03)5982 2026, or write to
Bruce
Barnhill
3 Merilyn Way, Rosebud 3939,or e-mail brudob@telstra.easymail.com.au
Reminder;
Your support is needed. Please encourage other past students you may meet to
join
our Society to allow us to
develop, expand our activities and be of more assistance to
our
members and their descendents, to encourage more young students and perpetuate
our
school’s name and our memories of it.
I
wish you all well in 2001/02.
Bruce Barnhill, President, April, 2001.