Hello all and welcome back from your break.
As previously mentioned, our Club is currently migratory. The first two meetings of the year will be at the Blackburn Bowls Club, on Pakenham Street in Blackburn. We’ll have our first speaker for the year and will get our catering provided by King Chooks in Blackburn. It’ll be a few salads, charcoal chicken, chips and some roast veggies. We should be able to cater for most dietary requirements or preferences – I could certainly do with fewer chips than I’ve been eating recently – but if you have specific allergies or intolerances, please register as soon as possible so we can ensure we have you covered.
If the change in venue is going to present transport problems for you, please reach out to me or another member of the club to assist you. It’s critical that members can continue to attend meetings when they want to.
Over the last several weeks, I’ve received several good suggestions for meeting places and caterers going forward. We are looking at some sporting and bowls clubs, a few pubs and clubs and a hotel and event space. Some of these will prove unviable – distance, cost or another reason – but we’re going to be considering all our options and will be using the next several weeks to narrow these and come to a consensus as quickly as we can.
As for catering, while restaurants come with their own menus and kitchens, any of the bowls or sporting clubs would likely mean organising a caterer, and some of you have also shared the names and contacts of some private caterers as well. Cost, consistent availability throughout the year and menu and dietary options will be the factors we’ll be looking at there. My plan is to get a formal working group or subcommittee in charge of this quite quickly. I’ve had at least one club member who is neither a committee chair nor board member reach out to ask about being involved, and I think that’s excellent.
The venue and caterer we choose may also require us to look at the way the meetings run, particularly if keeping food hot becomes a concern. I believe we’re okay for the next three meetings, I believe we can find a solution that works for everybody, and I also believe this is a great opportunity to visit some interesting places and try some new dining options as we work our way through some options.
So, I hope I see you at the meeting on Wednesday at Blackburn Bowls Club, where our speaker will be Sarah Stancombe, a bell ringer in Melbourne. It’s a chance to see some familiar faces in a new setting.
Cheers and see you Wednesday, and don't forget the President's BBQ in two weeks' time -- register and pay if you haven't quite got around to it yet.
