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Sit Rep Is the Official Newsletter of the Sit Rep National Vietnam Veterans Museum Sit Rep

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Sit Rep Is the Official Newsletter of the Sit Rep National Vietnam Veterans Museum Sit Rep Sit Rep is the official Newsletter of the Sit Rep National Vietnam Veterans Museum Sit Rep Edition 20 25 Veterans Drive Summer 2018 Newhaven Phillip Island The Museum is an Vic 3925 ACNC T: 03 5696 6400 Registered Charity E: [email protected] Sit Rep Editor Peter GRUMMAN TRACKER THE BOARD CHAIRMAN JUNGLE TRAINING CANUNGRA BATTLE MAPS A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT BOB ELWORTHY AM THANKS ALAN AVM Alan Reed AO, the patron of the National Consumer Affairs Victoria has all but Vietnam Veterans Museum has stepped down completed the cancellation of the Friends from the position after providing wonderful Incorporation, which I advised members support to the Museum. A young and fit Alan, about in a previous report. I wish to confirm pictured below on the right in his Vietnam War again that this action WILL NOT IMPACT your days, flew the rights and privileges as a Friend member of ‘Carolina Kangaroo’ the Museum. a USAF RF-4C The 2019 Annual General Meeting is Phantom scheduled for Wednesday 20 February at the Reconnaissance Museum and I encourage all members to Aircraft in Vietnam. exercise their right to vote on the resolutions Alan used his at the AGM, either in person or by proxy vote. network of I encourage any member who believes that he contacts to assist or she has the right stuff to join the Board to the Museum to submit a nomination and CV to the Board obtain additional Secretary. More details on the AGM, including hangars and proxy voting forms and nomination forms will aircraft and was a be sent to all members before the end of the constant presence year. at Board meetings. Alan has stepped aside for I recently accompanied a secondary school the next chapter of the Museum, and will be group on a visit to the Museum. Seeing their sorely faces and their obvious interest was very missed. satisfying. That is what our Museum, your Chairman of Museum, is all about: telling the story of the Board, Vietnam from a digger’s point of view, so that Kingsley their service may never be forgotten. Mundey AM, This year was a big one for the Museum, and thanked Alan 2019 promises to be even bigger and better for his time as we move into a new and exciting phase in as patron, the development of the world’s best Vietnam and War museum. Thank you for being a member, presented stay with us and bring your friends along for Alan with a the ride, by encouraging them to join. Where military else can you get such value for about 60 cents figurine in a week. appreciation. Finally, I wish you and yours a merry The new Christmas and hope that next year brings all Museum your expectations to fruition. patron will be advised in due course. Cheers…..Bob MEET KINGSLEY MUNDEY AM CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD I have asked Kingsley to write us a few notes Airways HKG Ltd, an international freight about himself, so that we get to know who he charter airline. My family and I lived in Hong is and what he does. Here is what he has Kong for a while and it feels like our second written, just brilliant. Thank you Ed. home when we go back. I moved across to I was born in Ipswich LD in 1955 and as a TNT where I was Group GM until I resigned in youngster lived in Ipswich, Charleville and January 1993 to own my own business. With Warwick QLD, and then Maryborough and a young family I figured if I was going to Bacchus Marsh Victoria, then Townsville, continue to work so hard I should do it for Mackay and Julia Creek QLD. I went to eleven myself. Sir Peter was very gracious when I schools in 12 years and got good at meeting resigned and I found him a warm and people. Despite changing school so much I wonderful mentor and a great leader. have school chums who have remained I met my wife Robyn when she was fifteen friends for over 55 years. After school and we’ve been together 46 years. She’s my best friend, keeps me in check, picks up the pieces every now and again, and is the mother of our two sons Jeremy and Chris of whom we are equally proud. We are also now grandparents to three gorgeous grandkids Campbell 8yo,Annalise 5yo and Clara just 1. Our two daughter-in-laws Donna and Erin are wonderful women and fabulous mothers. On this long journey of life Robyn has been by my side through thick and thin and I’m so grateful to her. I could die without a penny You look good in an Akubra Kingsley and still feel the richest man in the world with University wasn’t an economic consideration the family I have. and so it was off to work. That first job I ever had lasted 4 years and the I loved aircraft—the thrill of flight and the people I worked with way back 45 ears ago romance of aviation had captured my remain friends to this day and we have an imagination at an early age and so my first job annual reunion each year alternating between was the best job I have ever had to this day. I Brisbane and Cairns. was initially an aircraft cleaner with Bush We have been involved in quite a number of Pilots Airways in Townsville and quickly businesses since before 1993 which have worked my way through the ranks to be their ranged from Diaries, Linotype type setting for Manager in Townsville, Mackay and gold foil stamping. Sewerage purification ( not Rockhampton before moving to Trans- one I’d recommend for work experience), Zinc Australia Airlines ( now Qantas domestic) Air Fuel Cells, Data-casting, Olympic where I eventually became Commercial merchandise, Olympic retail stores, Satellite Manager. I was then head hunted by Ansett Communications, Security Alarms and TV when it was bought by Rupert Murdoch (News Antennas (Mr Antenna) amongst others. Corp) and Sir Peter Abeles (TNT). I was a Today our two primary business streams are Deputy GM at Ansett and Managing Director of Fine Art Logistics and Airline Pilot Training, a Hong Kong based subsidiary Transcorp MORE ABOUT KINGSLEY Our Fine Art Logistic business employs some hairy audacious goal and we have to work 450 people in Australia, Asia (Hong Kong, really hard to make it happen because failure Beijing and Shanghai), Dusseldorf in is not an option. When I travel internationally Germany, and Seattle in the U.S. Our airline which I do at least every 8 weeks you’d be pilot training academy at the Gold Coast is surprised how much exposure we are getting rated one of the best, though not the biggest, around the world. Wherever I go I try to in the country. We have a great management connect with Vietnam Veteran groups, team and our employees are the only asset in Museums with an association, special interest the business, everything else are just tools of groups and we are so advanced in our trade. objectives that we have an opportunity to be “the” Vietnam Veterans Museum. Our goals and objectives are very specific and our allies in Vietnam will be amongst the highest numbers of visitors. I am so proud to be the Chairman but with it comes enormous responsibility to deliver on our vision and to always present our Vietnam Veterans in the way they wish to be seen. The Museum has so much soul, so much Kingsley with John Methven the Museum’s founder. passion, and so much commitment from so many people—it’s an honour every time I My involvement in the National Vietnam enter. Veterans Museum caps off a life I could never have dreamed of as a child. You’ve all heard Best wishes……..Kingsley me talk about the Vets and the Museum and I feel so strongly about both. We’ve set this big EVENTS 2019 Sat 23 Feb Back to Nam Concert 26 Feb—3 March Avalon Air Show Sat 23 March The Zipper Sat 27 April Dusted Off Show May Qantas Exhibition Opening May Rock Away in May Sun 9 June Antiques Fair Sun 8 July Locals Free Open Day Sat 3 August 3 Birds One Cock Sun 8 Sept Big Boys Toys Sat 5 Oct Kutcha Edwards Hour PHIL DRESSING GM - SUMMER REPORT Finances: Our Museum continues to trade Volunteer Program: Volunteer Ernie Lopes well year to date. Our overall result is an has agreed to assist Deb Barber with the improvement compared to the same time last Volunteer Program Coordinating. Ernie is a year. multi-skilled volunteer having worked on the Visitation numbers: Visitor numbers for front desk and assisted in our finance September and October 2018 broke the administration. I’m sure he will value add to previous records. We are on track to increase our Volunteer Program. We have purchased visitor numbers by about 8% for the year. ‘Better Impact’ a volunteer management Museum Accreditation Program: We are software program. continuing to pursue accreditation although the Volunteer Training: Training of volunteer goal posts tend to change but we push on. has been problematic due to the difficulty of New Potential Acquisitions: We have been getting all our volunteers in the one place at contacted by SO2 Sustainment– Disposals the one time. One of the ‘Better Impact’ asking if our Museum was interested in program components is an on-line-training obtaining Centurion and Scorpion Tank Turret capability, hopefully solving our volunteer Simulators.
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