Here we are again at another end of year. The time just seems to be getting faster and faster at passing. Just in an ordinary week it seems like five minutes between wash days.
We had a rather successful year during 2011. We have seen quite a few new faces and this is good.
The courses we ran during the year and the monies received from the raffles run by Colleen and Joan, enabled us to purchase new equipment to improve the running of the meetings. We held a course for the Introduction to the Development of Mediumship, a palmistry course and a tarot course. Although we would have liked to have seen more members and others participate in these courses, they seemed to be successful and the participants seemed to enjoy what they had learned.
We will be endeavouring to hold these courses again this year, although at the moment it seems that there is little interest.
Our first course will be a Tarot course, being run on a Thursday evening at the Seniors Centre at Turner. To date there has been little interest. If we do not get sufficient people interested in these courses we will have to let the room at the Seniors go and this would be unfortunate. It is extremely difficult to obtain any sort of room for a price that is affordable and once the room is gone we would inevitably need to increase the charges for these courses. This is something that we would rather not do as we recognise that at the moment people are finding it difficult to manage. We hope that after the festive season, things will look more positive.
We purchased an overhead projector and had all the music put on to the computer to enable us to use the two together to make it easier to display the words and play the music. After a few hiccups, (inexperienced people trying new things) we got it going and it now works quite well. We would like to take this opportunity to mention the assistance that Waldis Jirgens has given over the years to providing the equipment to play the music. He has done a sterling job in this area and we really appreciate the help he has given to the Association, not just with the equipment but in other ways as well. He has been a great support to the CSA over quite a number of years.
We also purchased an urn for the important task of providing hot water for our cups of tea/coffee after the meetings. We picked up a trolley on which to put the urn as well and this works beautifully. It enables us to bring the hot water out into the hall and reduce the crowding in the kitchen; it also provides storage for the cups etc. It is a bit awkward having to lift it off the stage but it is not heavy and with the help of any man who might be there to assist in the setting up, it works fine.
This year we only have 7 members on the committee and we take this opportunity to mention the work and commitment by Joan Rundle and Colleen Davis. These ladies are always there to assist us with the setting up and the clearing up at the meetings. They also provide us with the raffle prizes (proceeds go to the purchase of equipment).
Over the last couple of years both of these ladies have been experiences the effects of having been around for a little while. Both having had knee surgery done and suffering the attendant consequences of this surgery but they have still supported us fully. Janeese Vote is another committee member who has been very supportive for a number of years. She also comes along early to assist with the setting up and stays until everything is cleared away and during the flower season is providing us with some lovely flower arrangements. John Brotchie comes along to help out when he can. He also has had health problems this year with needing surgery on his back. He has recovered well but needs to look after his back. John also has provided service on the platform as a medium over the years, when he has been able to and this has alleviated the stress of finding someone to do the service. The assistance in helping to set up and clear up when we have the meetings is really the only chore, apart from the monthly committee meetings, that is required of the committee at this stage and it involves an extra hour or hour and a half every time we have a meeting and it would be lovely if there were a few more people, not on the committee who would come along early to help out. Sometimes there are only two to do it and it is a bit of a rush. If you would like to help out on the odd occasion, please let the secretary (Colleen Davis) know and she will do a roster for this.
There are only 24 meetings a year and it would only be a commitment for one or two meetings per person if everyone helped out. The only other activity that involves extra work by the committee are any social activities that may be planned. The Christmas in July and the Candlelighting meeting are the only social activities at this time and there is very little work involved in these.
If you feel that you would like to be more involved please talk to one of the committee members and express your desire to help us out. Start 2012 by being of service to the Association and we are sure you will enjoy your involvement.
The fund raising for the Association at the moment is restricted to the raffle at the Sunday meetings and the courses being run by Norman and Lynette. The costs involved in organising psychic days is almost the same as the amount of money collected on these days, giving very little income to put into the bank so we feel that the courses are the best way of raising the funds. Please support these courses and the raffle. In order to keep the meeting going we need in the vicinity of $5500 per year so we really need to put in the effort to meet these costs.
After all of this information we would like to wish you all a wonderful, prosperous and growing 2012 and thanks to all those who come along and support us, without you we would not have the opportunity to be of service to the community.