Newsletter #13
2014 AGM
The 2014 AGM will be held at the Auckland War Memorial Auditorium at 5pm on Thursday 20th March. Please enter via the Atrium (South) entrance (not the Grand Foyer by the Cenotaph) and the staff will direct you to the lifts and the appropriate floor.
Sandi Notredame is stepping down as a member of the Board due to increasing work demands, so there is at least one vacancy on the Board. She will remain active as the E-News editor!
Members who wish to nominate another member for a Board position in the 2014-2015 year are reminded that written nominations, accompanied by the written consent of the nominee, must be received by the Secretary not less than fifteen (15) clear days before the date of the Annual General meeting, ie by 5th March 2014.
As an alternative, the Board has many ongoing projects, with some projects now requiring ‘extra pairs of hands’. Members are encouraged to get involved in the Society’s activities, such as – think about the “portfolio” which has most appeal to you and make email contact with the “portfolio Director” following the 20th March 2014 Annual General Meeting. It is a rapidly changing scenario but if we can establish “virtual portfolio committees” and utilise the talent we know exists in the Society our effectiveness will grow exponentially.
Also, you should have all received by now your Subscription invoice for your annual subscription renewal. The fee remains at $20 per person. If you wish to take the opportunity to take up Paid Life Membership then the once-off subscription is currently $250 per person. Subscriptions can either be paid by cheque by post or by Bank Transfer, or at the AGM (but preferably beforehand.
Benefactor sought
The New Zealand Remembrance Trail has now been completed and is a beautifully presented 24- page colour brochure detailing from A to Z a New Zealand specific self-dive tour around Flanders Fields. The Board is now in the process of seeking funding to print an initial 5,000 copies – we are hoping that a Passchendaele Society member may wish to donate the required amount (or perhaps through a corporate connection) and become a benefactor of this very significant project.
The brochure will be made available free of charge to Passchendaele Society members when they are printed. They will also be given to school groups travelling to Belgium and distributed around the world at various points such as Flanders Tourism in Belgium, USA and the UK, the New Zealand Embassy in London etc.
Please feel free to discuss what has been proposed and developed either with Lode and Sandi on 09 428 4668 or by emailing our President Iain MacKenzie. The amount we are seeking is $5,860.00, GST incl. for 5,000 brochures.
The Society is now registered with IRD as a Charitable Organisation and due to this registration, has also been granted Donee Organisation status. Individuals can claim a tax credit for donations ($5 or more) made to the Passchendaele Society (PS) and they can claim back 1/3rd of all donations within limits.
We look forward to receiving a positive response to our appeal. We do appreciate that this is a ‘big ask’, but we are hoping that someone will see this as a major element of the Society’s programme and worthy of support
Snippets
We are thrilled to welcome James Costello Ladanyi as our 3rd Youth Ambassador. You may recall he was this year’s winner of the Ministry for Veterans Affairs competition.
Restoration of the splendid steam locomotive Passchendaele Ab608 is almost complete and Steam Incorporated of Paekakariki (who are members of the Passchendaele Society) are currently planning a special ceremony, possibly on Anzac Day, to rededicate the locomotive’s name plaques and to welcome it back into service.
The theme for the main garden at the 2014 Ellerslie Flower International Flower Show in Christchurch from 26th February until 2nd March is the “100th Anniversary of the First World War”. The show’s Manager Kate Hillier is supporting us in our quest to find a garden designer for New Zealand’s contribution for the Passchendaele Memorial Garden to be installed at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele in Zonnebeke, Belgium.
The WW100 website www.ww100.govt.nz is an excellent resource for staying abreast of developments and WW1 projects, particularly for those in the smaller regions and communities, as well as Legacy Projects of National significance.
We have recently received a new supply of Lapel Pins, as per the red logo at the top of this E-news. You can order these at $6 each, or $5 each for two or more, post-free from the Secretary, or at the AGM. It is a great way to show your support and to help spread the word about our burgeoning Society!
FoRT
The New Zealand Community Trust have just announced that the Fields of Remembrance Trust has been awarded $45,000 per year for the next three years.
The Fields of Remembrance Trust website www.fieldsofremembrance.org.nz has been updated and I recommend you have a look at it. Any enquiries about the Fields of Remembrance project can be referred with confidence to the updated website.
Play
We have received this letter :-
My name is Jan Bolwell and I am a professional performer and a playwright. I have toured all my previous plays throughout New Zealand.
My grandfather served on the Western Front and I have written a solo play ‘No Glory’ about his wartime experiences.
The play will be ready to tour the country from June 2014. I am keen to present this play to audiences big and small, and in both theatre and non-theatre spaces.
Please could you inform members of your society about the play, and I welcome any inquiries.
Best wishes,
Jan Bolwell
Handstand Productions
janbolwell@gmail.com
Interesting Links
This link provides an interesting & different perspective on some aspects of WWI http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
There was an interesting article in the Herald this month: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/
The English Premier League is building a football pitch in Ypres. For your interest, visit http://shar.es/DVPn9
How to contact us
Editor: Sandi Notredame
Telephone: (09) 413 5322 (Hon.Secretary, Bob Davis) or Email: passchendaelesociety@clear.
For earlier editions of the Newsletter please click “Previous” at the bottom of the page.