MORSE CODE edition #56 July 2021 STAYING COVID SAFE Frankston RSL is Committed to keeping our club Covid Safe. Read the message from General Manager, Rob Morrison, about how we are navigating these uncertain times. 183 Cranbourne Road, Frankston 3199 www.frankstonrsl.com.au MORSE CODE TABLE OF CONTENTS pg 6 ANZAC Day 2021 ANZAC Day, although limited in comparison to our usual years, was at least bigger than 2020. President, Kevin Hillier OAM, has provided a round up of the day’s events on page 6. pg 12 Keeping Our Club Covid Safe Frankston RSL is Committed to keeping our club Covid Safe. Read the messge from General Manager, Rob Morrison, about how we are navigating these uncertain times on page 12 2 MORSE CODE TABLE OF CONTENTS pg 18 C2A & Frankston RSL Forge 10 Year Partnership Frankston RSL are proud to have been long time supporters of Connecting 2 Australia. Read about how we have ticked over 10 years in partnership with this wonderful local organisation helping people living with a disability find work and training opportunities. 04 President’s Report 20 Welfare Report 08 Development Team Celebrated 22-23 Huey’s Sports Bar 09 Birthday Week Calendar of Events 24 What’s On? 10-11 Community Sports honour the 25 Sustainable Development ANZACS 14-15 Supporting the Frankston 26-30 Sub-Group Reports Community 16-17 Ticketed Events 31 Club Information FOLLOW US ON SOCIALS! @frankstonrsl www.frankstonrsl.com.au @FrankstonRSL 3 President’s Report elcome to the winter edition of Morse Code. I wish I could give everyone a warm and prosperous greeting but, unfortunately, we are still at the whim Wand call of the government as we progress through this pandemic. We are all missing one another’s smiles and greetings, but we soldier (sailor/airman) on. In the opportunities we have had since Christmas to open up and have everyone in the club it has been fantastic, although the staff have been under a lot of pressure with the extra numbers. The new areas of the club are seeing good patronage and I am proud of the service that our staff are providing to the members. While there has been much excitement about the renovations we have been continually dealing with the welfare of some of our veterans. Veterans of all ages are requiring support and we are proud to be able to provide that through our wellbeing Coordinator, Stellar. Stellar has brought to the club a lot of experience in assisting those in need, and also leading our welfare department on a new journey. We have continued to assist those elderly, or not so fit veterans with lawn mowing throughout the year, however we are disappointed to find that a house is up for sale, or a veteran has passed away without being advised. I would encourage all veterans to ensure that their membership details include a next of kin or contact. The closure of the Veterans Hub at Skye Rd has eventuated and we are in the process of reestablishing it here at the club in Cranbourne Road. This new process will see a closer liaison with Veteran Central at ANZAC House. The Welfare Department there has grown over recent years with the employment of professional psychologists and welfare personnel to assist in the provision of wellbeing to our veterans. While we have been caring for the veterans we are very thankful for the support we receive from our affiliate and social members in carrying out these wellbeing activities, as well as assisting with fund raising through our ANZAC Appeal, raising almost $84,000 under the guidance of our new Appeals Officer, Pete Kerley. It won't be long and he will be looking for more volunteers to assist with the Poppy Appeal in November. I look forward to when we get back to some sort of normality and we can show everyone our smile and not hide it behind a mask. Yours Aye, Kevin Hillier OAM President 4 COMMITTEE 2021 Kevin Hillier OAM President John Barry Vice President Kelvin Park Secretary Brian Hill Treasurer Lyn Lynch Kevin Tester General Committee General Committee Peter Kerley Tony Grice General Committee General Committee 5 MORSE CODE ANZAC DAY 2021 ANZAC Day 2021 was another of those COVID restricted events that we have had to endure over the last 18 months. otwithstanding the uncertainty of holding events we were able to hold a wreath laying service to Ncommemorate all those who have served our nation. This year especially significant as the centenary of the Royal Australian Air Force. Unfortunately they have not been able to celebrate as the other services have, however we honored their service with a 7 plane formation flight from Moorabbin Airport flying over at the commencement of the service. Attendance was way down on previous years however we still had over fifty arrive at the War Memorial at 6.00am for a dawn service with some commemorating those at Gallipoli by marching up to Beauty Park from the Frankston foreshore. We focused on the Flame of Remembrance and listened to services from around the country before all placing a poppy within the garden of the memorial. At 11.00am we held a wreath laying service with a couple of hundred attendees, and over thirty wreaths were laid on behalf of different organisations around Frankston. We were pleased to be honoured with the former Commanding Officer of HMAS Cerberus, Captain Sheldon Williams, to provide the ANZAC address on this occasion representing the Chief of Navy. I was pleased to have the assistance of three of our social members, Jim Papadopoulos, Paul Legg and Chris McVicker, who collected the chairs from the club, set them up, cleaned them and then returned the chairs and other ancillary equipment back to the club, where they, and 450 service members and families enjoyed a magnificent roast lunch provided by our chefs under the direction of Executive Chef Nathan. Also noted during the afternoon was the influx of young sailors from HMAS Cerberus who enjoyed the camaraderie of the club, having tried out a couple of other RSL’s on the peninsula before arriving at Frankston. All in all, notwithstanding not being able to have the numbers at the services on ANZAC Day, I am honoured every night of the year at 6.00pm when I watch our members and guests honour the fallen with stand to. LEST WE FORGET 6 MORSE CODE ANZAC APPEAL HITS RECORD HIGH After spending the 2020 ANZAC Appeal at home, our volunteers were so happy to back out selling badges to the public. Led by our Appeals Coordinator, Peter Kerley, the army of Volunteers set up at all major shopping centres across the municipality, as well as Bunnings and Frankston Train Station. This year saw the use of EFTPOS at selling stations, that helped contribute over $22,000 to the total raised. The money raised will go straight to helping Veterans in our community and, on behalf of everyone involved, we say a huge thank you for setting a new Sub-Branch Record of $83,988.34! 7 MORSE CODE DEVELOPMENT TEAM EFFORT CELEBRATED ix months on from reopening has given Those in attendance were from the following us plenty of time to adjust to the new companies, HRM Builders, BSPN Architects, Sdevelopment and the changes it has brought Prime Audio, Big Screen Video, Carlton & into our day to day operations. As we slowly United Breweries, Tabcorp, RSL Head Office and opened up our facilities the more excited people JT Electrics. became and have been coming in record numbers! What is really pleasing too, for Committee and Management, is the magnificent support of all the new areas. Management met recently to discuss the next moves as Covid restrictions gradually disappear. Activites such as entertainment are commencing, our new food truck will open up soon and our memorabilia walk will soon be completed. Our birthday week returns, and as you can see in this Morse Code, so have the promotions. he redevelopment master plan was split into two parts. Now that the first Tstage is complete, the Committee and Management will be sitting down in July to commence the task of discussing the main focus of the second stage. This stage will be community / veteran driven, with facilities being created to assist and aid our members in going about their lives. We hope to create a Community Hub that all members of our local community will get a lot of enjoyment and n April the Committee took the opportunity satisfaction from. to thank the many companies that were Iinvolved in our magnificent upgrade of our facility. Many hadn't seen the final outcome of the works as they were involved early and others hadn't been officially thanked. President Kevin Hillier and General Manager, Rob Morrison, spoke at the function outlining the journey from 2015 to 2021, resulting in the final product we see today. 8 * ALL EVENTS LISTED ARE SUBJECT TO CURRENT COVID RESTRICTION ALLOWANCES. PLEASE CHECK WEBSITE CLOSER TO DATE TO CONFIRM MORSE CODE Frankston YCW played Frankston Bombers in commemorative jumpers Preseident Kevin Hiller with some junior recipents of the FDNA ANZAC Spirit Award Photo: Craig Barrett Photo courtesy of FDNA Community Sports Honor ANZACS ach year we get requests for RSL Each year the services at our sporting club partners representation at services conducted by is gettting bigger and better. At the Frankston Emany of our local organisations. YCW game against Frankston Bombers, Glen Hatch again excelled by organising a Trojan & Sporting clubs and schools are really supportive of Kitty Hawk plane fly over which had a powerful the occasion, which is fantastic, as it educates our impact.