Myall River VIEW Club celebrates years of helping women and children

MYALL River VIEW Club members celebrated the 28th anniversary of the club’s inauguration on Friday 11 July.

This year’s birthday event saw meeting formalities dispensed with in favour of fun and frivolity involving members and special visitors alike.

Joining the celebrations were members of VIEW Clubs at Redhead, Raymond Terrace, and Maitland, together with members from the local branch of the Australian Red Cross and RSL Auxiliary, as well as inaugural committee member Dorothy Thompson, who is still actively involved in the Club.

The highlight of the day was a fashion parade featuring VIEW Club members modelling creations bought from various Op Shops – most clothing articles were valued at around five dollars.

The concept stirred all kinds of creativity amongst the trendsetters, and produced some dazzling results, with dizzyingly low price-tags.

“The top model was Ros (aka Michael Jackson), who was dressed perfectly including the hat, waistcoat, white shoes and, particularly noticeable, the white glove which was most effective during her (aka Michael’s) moon walk sequence,” VIEW’s representative Lois McShane told News Of The Area.

“Judy however was very chic in her red and black ensemble.”

“Thanks to all of the Op Shop models, Sharon, Eva, Sue, Lorie, Sheril and Donna for a load of laughs.”

One special guest, Lara Waters, came down from Queensland to help her mother, Myall River VIEW immediate past president Rhonda Jurd, with her display of fine handmade greeting cards suitable for all occasions.

Lara was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by current president Hilary Gall for her donations of cardmaking materials over a long period of time.

“I am pleased to donate this material as I am the principal of a school for disadvantaged and disabled students in Queensland and appreciate the work VIEW does in supporting Australian children,” Lara said.

All money raised by the sale of Rhonda’s cards, at present to the tune of many hundreds of dollars, is donated to the Myall River VIEW Club which, in turn, uses it to help support the Club’s Learning for Life students sponsored through The Smith Family (TSF) programs.

Although Tea Gardens/Hawks Nest is the oldest demographic in Australia, the Myall River VIEW Club supports 10 Learning for Life students ranging in age from eight to 18, with an equal number of girls and boys.

By Thomas O’KEEFE