The Society of AUSTRALIAN CINEMA PIONEERS BULLETIN NOVEMBER 2019 IN THIS ISSUE: FROM THE PRESIDENT • Messages from the President and the individual liability from Directors and all Society President-Elect members, and the Society now has an ACN, making it easier to do business with our suppliers and key supporters. However the change does • State Presidents not affect the basically informal way the Society runs. • National Cinema Pioneer The only formal change is that the Society of the Year now has a Constitution which, together with any applicable ASIC regulations, defines the • State Pioneers of the Year Society’s objects and sets out its rules. The Constitution is accessible via the Society’s • Our generous donors website and Facebook pages. The website link is: https://www.cinemapioneers.com.au/wp-content/ uploads/2019/10/TSOACP-Ltd-Constitution- • Society contacts and FINAL-with-Schedules-1-and-2-300818-MU.pdf information As previously, the Society is governed and • Notice of Inaugural managed by its Directors who serve on the National Executive Committee chaired by the Annual General Meeting National President. Additionally, each State Branch (two of which incorporate the Territories) • Dates for State functions has a President and committee. • The Cinema ID Card & TIM READ The National Executive Committee consists of NATIONAL PRESIDENT the National President, the National President how to use it Elect, the 6 State Branch Presidents, up to 10 Incorporation Process Finalised former National Presidents and any elected • New Members additional directors. I wrote in this column last year that Sandra And, there is now an Annual General Meeting • In Memoriam Alexander, our National Secretary Treasurer would be lodging an application with ASIC for members which this year is being held for the Society to become incorporated as a on 28 November 2019 in Sydney. Notice of • Past National Presidents company limited by guarantee. I am happy to this meeting is included in this Bulletin and report that the application was successful and on distributed in hard copy and by email. • Honouring National 23 October 2019 ASIC gave its approval. As part of the Annual General meeting, the Cinema Pioneers of It is worth remembering that on 29 November President gives a report on the Society’s the Year 1933, 68 men who had been 20 years or more activities during the year. Also at the meeting, I in the motion picture business sat down at will be reporting that the Society is in a sound Tattersall’s Club in Sydney for the first meeting financial state. and dinner of what was then called “The Old Timers Club”. National President Elect for 2020-2021 At the National Executive Committee meeting Please address all Now, 86 years later, the membership has grown 25 July 2019, Russell Anderson was elected correspondence to: from 68 to around 2,600, men and women both. National President Elect for 2020-2021. There are branches in every State and Territory SANDRA ALEXANDER Russell is a distinguished former Distribution National Honorary Secretary/Treasurer and many social activities are held. National and State Pioneers of the Year are honoured every executive, who won both the ICA and AIMC 27 Surfside Avenue year. Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2015 and was the Society’s Pioneer of the Year in 2018. Clovelly NSW 2031 The benefits from this incorporation are Russell has already brought a wealth of ideas to email: [email protected] principally that the Society is now able to take the National Executive Committee meetings he out Directors Insurance, removing the risk of has attended. One of these ideas, a proposal for AUSTRALIAN CINEMA PIONEERS BULLETIN 1 the Society to award a National Humanitarian ACTIVITIES Finally, please encourage any friends who could Award was approved by the National Executive The Society’s principal object is “to facilitate, be members to become members. And please Committee on 25 July 2019. The inaugural promote, and foster relationships and advise if your contact details, particularly email winner of this Award, which will not necessarily camaraderie, by means of Society Events, has changed. be made every year, will be announced at the between persons who have provided sustained Anniversary Dinner. and committed service to the Australian Cinema/ Happy Pioneering, Film industry”. (Clause 4 of the Constitution) NEW MEMBERSHIPS Tim Read Between 23 October 2018 and 30 June 2019, 80 Activities were held in all Branches during the National President new members joined the Society. And since 30 year and the Anniversary Dinner in Sydney on June 2019, a further 25 have joined indicating Wednesday 14 November 2018 was attended by that new membership numbers are relatively 170 members and guests. steady by comparison with previous years. STATE PRESIDENTS CONCLUSION Members are encouraged to remind friends and The Society enters its new era as a company NSW MIKE SELWYN colleagues about the Society and suggest that limited by guarantee at its inaugural Annual those who are qualified should consider joining. General Meeting in a sound financial position, VIC DEREK SCREEN committed to continuing the role of its THE SOCIETY WEBSITE AND predecessor but looking to the future. QLD CHRIS PITCHER FACEBOOK PAGES SA JOHN CRONIN Activity on the Website and the National and I thank the Members of the NEC, the State State Facebook pages is increasing. At the Committees and particularly the National WA ALLAN STILES end of July there had been 17,360 visits to the Secretary Treasurer, Sandra Alexander, for their Website and 627 members are members of the hard work, leadership and dedication to the TAS YURIK CZYZ Society’s member only Facebook groups. Society. RUSSELL ANDERSON, NATIONAL PRESIDENT ELECT As incoming President let me first acknowledge people who for over 20 years or more have the outstanding contribution Tim has made in his provided a sustained and committed service 3 years as President of The Society of Australian to the Australian Cinema / Film industry have Cinema Pioneers. joined the Pioneers. He leaves Society in great shape for the future, With growth of this level the Society thank you Tim. will continue to be a vibrant and exciting organisation. Also, I’d like to thank Sandra who I’m pleased to say will continue in her role as National I look forward to working with my colleagues in Secretary / Treasurer. the State and Territory Branches as they continue to maintain and expand The Society’s As the Society celebrates its 86th year I’m principal aims of encouraging and honoured to have been elected to the National promoting fellowship by means of social events Presidency by the National Executive for members. Committee. It’s exciting to see that in the twelve months November 2018 to October 2019 115 Russell Anderson President Elect 2019 NATIONAL CINEMA PIONEER OF THE YEAR Ron has had a career as a projectionist of 73 years and 9 months as at date of publication of this Bulletin. We are delighted to celebrate Ron as National Cinema Pioneer of the Year. He has had a long and storied career serving at a number of the great cinemas of Australia. A Newcastle lad by birth, Ron started his career at the age of 12 as a lolly boy at the Victoria/Lyric and Theatre Royal Newcastle, and moved on to become Assistant Projectionist at Roxy Theatre Hamilton then to HOYTS Islington, Savoy New Lambton, Theatre Royal Newcastle, Civic Theatre, Victoria Theatre and Strand Theatre. In 1952 he was called up for National Service. After his National Service at RAAF Amberley Signals Section he continued his career in Ron Reynolds, at 12 years of age, starts his Ron Reynolds 2019 National Newcastle at the Theatre Royal and then later career as a lolly boy at the Victoria/Lyric and was made Projectionist at HOYTS Mayfield Theatre Royal Newcastle Cinema Pioneer of the Year Theatre then sent to Tamworth Regent and 2 AUSTRALIAN CINEMA PIONEERS BULLETIN Capitol Theatres and Capitol Theatre Armidale Coast Mermaid Cinema, Surfers Paradise Cinema, St Cinema Complex. He then was Casual as Relief Projectionist. Returning to the Sundale Cinema and Southport Drive In. Projectionist at Roadshow Theatrette Darling Newcastle area he joined MGM and became Harbour, Universal Theatrette Darlinghurst, the Projectionist of the Metro Drive In Theatre After a few years Ron went to the Northern Universal Millers Point, Universal George St in Gateshead, the largest in the southern Territory and opened the Casuarina Twin Sydney where he is still employed. hemisphere with a car capacity of 908 with a Cinemas, Darwin. holding area of 720 cars. Ron served the industry as President of the After a few more years HOYTS transferred Ron Theatre Managers Association 2006-2007. After 11 years with Metro, Ron became a back to Sydney where he managed HOYTS Manager at Grafton Drive In then he went Eastgardens and HOYTS Cinemas George It is rare, if not unprecedented to encounter back to Sydney as Manager of Forum Theatre, Street. someone who has served our industry for Barclay Theatre and Chullora Twin Drive In. He 73+ years. Ron’s career as a projectionist is then joined Birch Carroll & Coyle as Manager After a few more years Ron decided to retire emblematic of those thousands who toiled for of Keparra Drive In then Capalba Drive in which but it only lasted three months when he found decades as the heart and soul of their cinemas. was the first Drive In to open in Queensland. out that D&G Cinemas was about to open their There can be few roles as closely identified After a few years Ron opened the New Capalba four Cinema complex at Cronulla, he was then with the magic of cinema than that of the Drive In.