No. 48 Winter 2013 Official publication for Returned & Services League of Australia Tasmanian State Branch (inc.) The On Service magazine is produced by the Returned & Services League of Inside this Australia (Tasmania Branch) Inc and issued three times per year. Submissions of articles of around 300 words, with accompanying photographs (in digital format), ISSUE: or items for the Notices section are encouraged. Submissions should be emailed to From the Presidents Desk 2 [email protected] Chief Executive Officer’s Comment 4 or mailed to: Vice President’s Reports 6 On Service, RSL (Tasmania Branch), ANZAC House, Tasmanian Government Plans to commemorate the ANZAC Centenary 7 68 Davey Street Tasmanian Veteran’s Advisory Council Connecting with Veteran’s 7 HOBART Tasmania 7000 Tasmanian Ex-Service and Serving Support Association (TESSA) 7 Submissions should be free of personal views, political bias and must be Reunions 8 of interest to the wider membership of the RSL. Unique Recovery Centre opens 8 Short requests seeking information or contact with ex-Service Australia Day Achievement Medallions and Certificates - 2013 10 members are welcome for the Notices section. Frank MacDonald MM Memorial Prize Tour - 2013 11 RAAEC National Servicemen Reunion - March 2013 12 All enquiries relating to On Service may be forwarded to RSL (Tasmania Cook For Your Career Challenge 2013 13 Branch) Editorial Team of Phil Pyke on 0407 203 318 or to the Chief Executive Boer War Commemorative Day 15 Officer, Noeleen Lincoln on (03) 6224 0881.” Recognising recent and serving members on ANZAC Day 17 We reserve the right to edit, include or refuse any submission. Articles based Dawn Service with a difference 18 on personal views will not be included unless in the form of Letters to the Captain Peter McCarthy Memorial 20 Editor with name and address of the author. RSL Tasmania Bushfire Appeal Assists the Ex-Service Community 20 Disclaimer: RSL (Tasmania) State Branch advises readers who are Support for Veterans and Families 21 contemplating agreements with advertisers in this magazine to seek Around The Sub Branches 22 - 23 independent financial or legal advice. Regiment Honoured through Guidon Replica 24 Editorial Team State Congress 2013 Report 26 Phil Pyke – Editor RSL (Tasmania Branch) State Congress Motions 2013 27 Mobile: 0407 203 318 Travel 30 Noeleen Lincoln OAM – Chief Executive Officer Just Ask a Blonde 28 RSL (Tasmania Branch) - (03) 6224 0881 Notices 30 Book Review 32 Publisher and Advertising Layout Resilience Marketing Pty Ltd Warren Leahy Level 1 Leftside Media 19 Magnet Court 76 Wentworth Street SANDY BAY Tasmania 7005 South HOBART Tasmania 7000 (03) 6224 6888 0404 097 188 General Manager: Gail McCulloch gail@ resilience.com.au RSL On Service 1 FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK I am honoured to be given the as possible. I am a good listener and grants of $100,000 opportunity to serve as your State I commit to giving feedback on issues to each electorate President and I commit to giving 100% that we discuss. To use a cliché, I am to encourage effort to the position. I would like the only a phone call away (or e-mail for that communities across opportunity to serve as your President matter), so if you feel that you need to Australia to undertake for a period of three years which would talk with me, do not hesitate to get in their own ANZAC give me the time to identify areas touch. Centenary projects Robert Dick that may require improvement and to that commemorate commit to rectifying any challenges and I think that we would all agree that the RSL is the premier ESO in the country. the service and overcoming them. This would enable sacrifice of Australian Servicemen and me to hand to my replacement a bigger, Sadly however, I do not think our profile or what we stand for is as well recognised women in the First World War. Input stronger organisation that will continue from the community is vital to the into the future. or well known and understood by the media or the general community as success of this program so now is the I would like to thank the outgoing it should be. If you ask most people time to act. Applications open on 31 President and State Executive for their what the RSL stands for or represents, May 2013 and close on 28 February commitment and a job well done over the most often the common response is 2014. Funding for this project becomes past twelve months. Congratulations to ANZAC Day andRemembrance Day available from 01 July 2013 to 30 June the following members on their recent Services. You and I know we do the 2014. Proposals for funding should be election and re-elections to the State commemorative services extremely developed in conjunction with local Executive; Mr Terry Roe JP - Deputy well, but there is more to us than that communities taking into account the State President, Mr Kevin Knight - Vice and we need to show this. I believe that relevant Assessment Criteria. Each of President North West, Mr Geoff Leitch if we can inform the community of all the MP’s is being encouraged to establish - Vice President North East, Mr Mel the services we offer and what we do an Electorate Committee consisting of Cooper - Vice President South and Mr in the community, the flow on effects representatives from groups interested David Dick - Honorary State Treasurer. will have a positive effect on our future. in the ANZAC Centenary ie: the RSL, This is a much leaner State Executive, This problem is not unique to Tasmania museums, councils etc. These Electorate resulting from a motion passed at last as RSL Sub Branches on the big island Committees will assist the MP’s in the year’s Congress. Leaner, but I am sure are suffering from the same big issues assessment process of each application every bit as committed as myself to as us - declining membership and how and are responsible for on-forwarding steering the Tasmanian RSL well into the do we attract our younger veterans into applications that meet the criteria future. Thank you to Wayne Cargill, our the fold and so on and so on. These are through to DVA. The final decision on outgoing State Treasurer who has just not problems that are going unheeded, an applications success or failure rests stepped down after 12 years’ service to and we at the State Executive, with input with Minister. State Branch in the role. I would also like from the Sub Branches, are addressing For further information contact your to acknowledge a job well done by our these issues and we look forward to local MP and Electorate Committee or CEO Noeleen Lincoln OAM, JP, and all working with all levels of the RSL in information can be obtained through the staff and volunteers at State Branch. identifying and implementing solutions DVA on 1800 026 185 or www.dva.gov. to these challenges and thereby building au Special thanks must also go to those a much stronger, easily recognisable members of the State Executive who organisation. Important dates to remember in headed up the RSL Tasmania Bush Fire reference to ANZAC Centenary Local Appeal committee, formed on the 16th One area that has been identified as Grants Program are: January 2013. This group was formed warranting improvement is the need to oversee the equal distribution of to adopt and keep up with modern 31May 2013 - commencement of donated funds to those identified RSL technologies and communication applications to be submitted to DVA and ex-service members that were techniques as the newer veterans and (through your local MP) affected by this devastating natural ex-servicemen and women are very 28 February 2014 - deadline for disaster. This committee held its final techno savvy. In doing this however, Applications to DVA. meeting on 9 April after which the State we must not lose sight of one of our Branch distributed the remaining funds major goals and that being maximising held in the appeal to the aforementioned the benefit and support given to our I look forward to meeting you, the victims. To all involved, a job well done senior members who represent the members during my Sub Branch visits. in the face of much misinformation and living heritage of the RSL. unwarranted criticism. The Centenary of ANZAC is fast I am a firm believer in openapproaching and I am sure that I don’t Robert Dick communication and I very much look need to encourage Sub Branches and State President forward to getting around to as many their members to become involved in Sub Branches as I can and meeting and this event in some form or another. The talking with as many of our members Federal Government has announced 2 RSL On Service RSL On Service 3 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S COMMENT I must firstly apologise to our regular readers for very least we are continuing to be compliant. its governing role. the fact that this issue of On Service is out to you The State Executive At State Congress in May we saw the election of a a little later than usual. Editor, Phil Pyke and I will tend to those new State Executive. There are some new faces made a conscious decision to delay the first issue appointments as and some familiar faces. The election results Noeleen Lincoln OAM this year so that we were able to include pictures soon as possible. were as follows: from ANZAC Day and also include a report on I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate State Congress 2013 which was held on 17 May.