photo thanks to Graham Craig Next Meeting 4 November 2015 9.30am Whitby Bowling Club Apologies please to Annette Craig ([email protected]) Committee Members President Don Quirk Ph 234 7700 Guest Speakers Graham Kelly Ph 234 8825 Past-President Diana Paris Ph 234 7683 Newsletter Julie McLagan Ph 2379022 Vice-President Julie McLagan Ph 237 9022 Club Duties Ian Webster Ph 4 902 4818 Secretary Annette Craig Ph 234 7558 Member Margaret Faulkner Ph 235 7283 Treasurer Gaye McGill Ph 238 9904 Member Derek McDonald Ph 234 6033 Caring/Welfare Norma Withers Ph 238 4222 That is the great thing about our Club. We are all so different but we love being together for our monthly meetings and other events too. No pretence, just us, as we are … Please don’t take me wrong. It’s just so good to belong! Page 1 of 11 October Meeting Bruce Carson and Diana Paris were the welcoming duo. What a happy smiling meeting greeting … Where does President Don find his stories! “A Glasgow man phones a dentist to enquire about "I can't guarantee their professionalism and it'll be the cost for a tooth extraction. painful. But the price could drop by £20 pounds." “£85 pounds for an extraction," the dentist said "How aboot if ye make it a trainin' session, ave yer "£85 quid! Huv ye no'got anythin' cheaper?" student do the extraction with the other students "That's the normal charge," said the dentist. watchin' and learnin?" "Whit aboot if ye did nae use any anaesthetic?" "It'll be good for the students", mulled the dentist. "That's unusual, sir, but I could do it and would "I'll charge you £5 pounds but it will be traumatic." knock£15 pounds off." "Och, now yer talkin' laddie! It's a deal," said the "Whit aboot if ye used one of your dentist trainees Scotsman. and still without any anaesthetic?" "Can ye confirm an appointment for the wife next Tuesday then?" New member Sheryl Levy was introduced to the club by Barb Nichols. We are looking forward to getting to know you, Sheryl. Page 2 of 11 The Birthday Draw Wine buff Dale Williamson was the lucky winner. He will be happily sharing his birthday bottle with wife, Jenny. Club Profile Speaker - Dale Williamson Arrival “I am a New Zealander, born and bred! I arrived 70 years ago this month. My parents were living at Karori in Wellington. Family Both my parents were originally from Napier. My grandmothers were both born in New Zealand. Both grandfathers were originally from England, one a tailor from Wakefield, Yorkshire; and the other a grocer from London. The first family members to arrive in New Zealand were my paternal grandmother’s family at Port Chalmers in 1862, where my great-grandfather established a dairy farm on what is now Blueskin Road. My father was a surveyor. He had much involvement in the re-surveying of Napier following the 1931 earthquake. He was later involved with the Public Works Department in aerodrome construction projects within New Zealand and the Pacific during WW-2. From around 1950 he was a Town Planner for the Wellington City Council. Unfortunately my father died in 1963, shortly after the family had moved to a new property in Khandallah. My mother had a late career as a librarian, working at the Karori, Khandallah, and Ngaio Public Libraries. Page 3 of 11 She died in 1990. I have one married brother. He lives in Warkworth and is a computer systems engineer for a company in Albany (Auckland). He and his wife are in the process of moving from Warkworth to Dunedin where they have purchased a small hazelnut orchard, which has a side business in white truffles that are supplied to local restaurants. Their daughter is a doctoral student in music at Otago University. I have two children from my first marriage (and five grandchildren ages 5 to 17). My son’s family is at Hawera where he and his wife work for Fonterra. My daughter and her husband are at Napier, where he is a teacher at Napier Boys High School, and she is completing a post graduate diploma in education. I have been married to Jenny for seventeen years this month. Education I attended Karori (Normal) School, Donald St, from 1950 to 1959. Then on to Wellington Technical College (now Wellington High School) from 1960 to 1963 which I had chosen over Wellington Boys College, with some disapproval from my parents, as I wanted to be able to take the more technical subjects not offered by Wellington Boys. After starting work in the Radio Section of the New Zealand Post Office in 1964, I attended Wellington Polytechnic (now part of Massey University), for some 5 years part time study, graduating with a New Zealand Certificate in Engineering in Telecommunications in 1968. I subsequently became a Registered Engineering Associate (REA) in 1977. And much later: In the second half of 1995, I attended a six month course at the NZDF Senior Staff College in Auckland. I graduated with a p.s.c. (passed staff college), and also won the Chief of Air Staffs Essay Prize. Completion of the Staff College course gave me an opportunity to enroll at Massey University in 1996, where I graduated in 2000 with a Master of Philosophy Degree in Defence and Strategic Studies. Work I have worked for a number of organisations, based mainly on my radio technician/telecommunication engineering experience. My first job was as at the Radio Section of the New Zealand Post Office as a trainee radio technician from 1964 to 1966. I then joined the New Zealand Police as a radio technician from 1966 to 1968. In late 1968 my first wife and I moved to Waihi where I had obtained a position at Pye Limited (formerly Akrad Radio Corporation, later Philips) in its Development Laboratory from 1969 to 1971 where my duties included the maintenance and development of test equipment for the Waihi factory that manufactured a diverse range of equipment including stereo systems, television sets, and radio-telephones. We returned to Wellington after about three years where I re-joined the New Zealand Police from 1971 to 1982, eventually as a Senior Engineering Officer. Soon after a marriage break-up in 1981, I joined the Government Communications Security Bureau in 1982 where I remained until 2012. I was at the GCSB for thirty years. My employment there was initially in information security roles; and in more recent times in a strategic policy and planning role. I was fortunate during my working time to have official visits to overseas locations such as England, Canada (Ottawa), Australia, the United States, and others. I “retired” from the GCSB in 2012 (it was described as enhanced early retirement) after the policy and planning positions were disestablished. Interests Jenny and I enjoy wine and food – we are both members of the Paremata Beefsteak and Burgundy Club; which Page 4 of 11 is where we met. We were married at Matakana seventeen years ago this month. I joined the Rotary Club of Porirua in 1991, and after a short break in the late 1990’s while completing my Master’s Degree, rejoined the Club. I retired from Rotary this year after joining Probus. I was Club President in 2007/08 and awarded a Paul Harris Fellow in 2008/09. Jenny remains a member of the Rotary Club of Porirua. I have an interest in History, which in 2011 culminated in being the author of a book on the NZ Coastwatchers. I joined the Probus Club of Whitby this year; and as I have interests in genealogy and photography I have joined the Club’s groups for these topics.” Thank you Dale. November Clive Solomon will speak to us December We shall be entertained by Graham Kelly on keyboard at our Christmas do. Wonderful! February 2016 will bring us Bruce Menzies. Guest Speaker Sir Bruce Ferguson Sir Bruce Ferguson gave us a very moving account of his mission to bring home the body our Unknown Warrior who was then laid to rest with full ceremony in the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at our National Memorial. He will remain there, honoured, for all time. Sir Bruce entreated, “ When you visit this Tomb, think on this. He may well be one of Wellington’s boys killed in that War. Assume that he is, and tell him what Wellington is like today. Tell him that he has not been forgotten. Let him live, through you, a small part of the life that he lost while just a boy himself. He would like that.” A full transcript of Sir Bruce’s address to us can be found on our club website at http://probus.angnz.com Back in my day … My mum called my name, not my mobile I played outside, not online If I didn’t eat what my mum put before me, then I didn’t eat. Hand sanitizer didn’t exist, but I could get my mouth washed out with soap. I rode a bike without a helmet and getting dirty was o’kay If I got a sore hand from playing conkers in the playground, then it was my own fault , not my teacher’s I drank water straight from the hose … and didn’t die Page 5 of 11 Morning tea is served … On time, every meeting! We pay homage to you, our lovely smiling Morning Tea Ladies. Without you and your helpers we would be a very thirsty lot! Thank you Shirlene, Cath and Dinia plus helpers – Margaret and Shona at the last meeting Christmas Lunch – our December Meeting! Mana Cruising Club Wednesday 2 December.