Santa's Helpers Have Finished Their Last Order

The last of the Christmas toys have left the Shed and all that is required now is for the parents and Grandparents to keep them hidden until Christmas.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a great New Year!

Shed Donates Marimbas to St John Fisher Primary School

Tom Greene had a great time teaching the students how to play the Bass Marimba he had made for the school. This is only 1 of 5 he made as OIC of the 2011 Marimba Team Project. The 4 other instruments were Tenor Marimbas which looked similar but were without the hanging resonance pipes.

The article appeared in the Express Advocate newspaper but was incorrect in stating the instruments were made at the Berkeley Vale Men's Shed as there is no such establishment.

Bateau Bay Shed Supports AMSA at Telstra 500

Four members of the Shed accepted the offer to promote AMSA at the Telstra 500, the final race of the 2011 V8 Supercar championship.

With "fair dinkum sheds" a corporate sponsor of AMSA the chance to jointly promote both organisations was also an opportunity to visit the sponsors pit and chat with the Carl Reindler the driver and his crew.

Our main role was to stand beside the dummy promotion car and hand out posters and talk about the role Sheds have in the community. Most other teams had a collection of 'scantily clad dolly birds' for their promotion team but fair dinkum sheds had to do with 4 grumpy old men.

That said, age and experience will always win over beauty and youth, or so they say!

Christmas Toys for the Salvation Army

The men from the Shed have been very busy over the last couple of months working on a number of toys to be donated to a charity for deserving children at Christmas. The colourful collection on display shows some of the gifts ready for delivery.

Marimbas for St John Fisher School

The Shed has presented 3 Tenor Marimbas and 1 Bass Marimba to St John Fisher School after a lengthy building program. Thanks to Tom and his team the musical instruments will enhance the teaching of music in the school for many years to come.

The quality of construction is only matched by the quality of the music the students have already achieved in the short time they have been playing them in class.

What a great way for the Shed to work in conjunction with our community.

Free At Last

When 'Bessie the Laughing Cow' first started out as a stick of recycled timber little did she know that one day she would be transformed into 'Bateau the Beautiful Bovine'. Today for the first time she was able to feel grass under her rockers and sense the sun on her saddle.

We just hope that she ends up in a good home and that small children will enjoy riding her for many years to come.

'Bateau the Beautiful Bovine' will be donated to the Salvation Army at a Christmas function and they in turn will hopefully find her a good home with lots of happy children to look after her.

Bateau Bay Shed in Sydney's Centennial Park

New home found for young possum in Centennial Park

The Centennial Parklands’ Rangers have relocated a young Brush-tailed Possum to a new home in Centennial Park after it had taken up residence in a most unlikely spot!

The possum was found by one of the Rangers living in a power box inside the Education Precinct.

Parklands’ Rangers installed a special new possum box, recently purchased from the Bateau Bay Men’s Shed, in the woodlands nearby and relocated the possum to its high-quality, and very comfortable new home.

These special possum homes are specially crafted and professionally made with the highest quality materials by Graham Craike, from the Bateau Bay Men’s Shed.

The Men’s Shed is a group of men in NSW that come together to build projects for the community and share their skills and stories in a supportive and inclusive environment. The Bateau Bay Men’s Shed is supported by the Aged and Disability Support Service (ADSSI).

Half of the profit made from each box sold, are donated to the Wildlife Animal Rescue & Care Society Inc (ARC).

Our Shed Goddess

Not every Shed has a "Shed Goddess' but at Bateau Bay we have been blessed with a person who is a wonderful supporter but likes to remain in incognito when learning new practical skills. One should never underestimate the possibility of a family member taking a photo of the flat pack kitchen cupboard in the final stages of assembly during a Bunnings instruction evening.

What aren't the men up to helping you Goddess?

This may mean we now have another demonstrator available to give lessons in the Shed!

Bateau Bay Men's Shed Supports Vision Australia

With the installation of the access ramp at Vision Australia's office in Gosford the Sensory Garden which is being developed can now be used for training near sighted and blind clients.

Peter has done a first class job with the manufacture and installation of this 3 piece ramp and handrail that spanned a drain and sat on an undulating and uneven surface.

Four of our strongest volunteered to transport the ramp into Gosford and then manoeuvre the sections through the office and out onto the deck before bolting them together and fixing the handrail into place.

We look forward to a report from one of our members who says he will road test the ramp when he and his companion dog Cherry next visit the office.

Great work Men.

Bateau Bay Men's Shed AGM

The Shed held its 3rd AGM today which was attended by 37 members and guests.

Following the Presidents Report (which is attached) the election of Shed leadership was conducted. The same executive team were elected unopposed and a new Shed committee was appointed.

The following were reappointed for another year :- John Sharples - President, Kevin Armstrong - Vice President / Secretary & Nigel Stretton - Treasurer.

Members making up the Committee for the upcoming year are :- Graham Craike, Barry French, Alex Lee, George Madden, Richard Thorpe & Bruce Tubnor.

With the new team comprising 3 new committee members managing the Shed it is anticipated that the upcoming year will be an even better one than the last.

The AGM was followed by a FREE BBQ which was appreciated by the members and guests.

BATEAU BAY MEN’S SHED

ANNUAL REPORT – 22 September 2011

Welcome everyone to the 3rd AGM of the Bateau Bay Men’s Shed.

It gives me great pleasure to present the Shed Presidents Report to you this morning after what has been a very productive year.

I would like to begin my report by voicing publically my thanks to Colleen Cooper, Kevin Armstrong and Nigel Stretton for the untold work they have done behind the scenes during this past year.

Colleen is our link with ADSSI and without their magnificent support this Shed would be a fraction of what we have today. It has not only been the monetary support that Colleen has been instrumental in obtaining for us, and that is what most members see around them, but it has been the advice and personal support that I have found to be very important.

Kevin as Secretary has constantly trawled the Internet seeking out grant options and then putting his wordsmith skills to good use in completing the applications. He has also been our ‘go to man’ when technical matters of Shed governance have been sought.

As Treasurer Nigel has balanced our accounts every month and has ensured our bills are paid on time. Despite the help he gets each morning when he opens the “piggy bank” he has kept his composure and has seen us end the year with a healthy credit balance.

A number of milestones have been reached this year that need mentioning. Our new Constitution was approved by the members so that we are no longer operating under the generic Fair Trading’s Model Rules but under our own ratified constitution.

Our application to establish a Community Garden was successful and an interim committee has been established which has arranged for the opening of a bank account. I wish to make a special mention to Cec Baker and his team for their work on the side garden and acknowledge the difference this area has made to the appearance of our Shed.

The undercover working area of the Shed has been expanded considerably with the erection of the awnings and special thanks must go to ADSSI for funding this project.

Our attendances for the past 12 months from July 2010 to June 2011 have been very pleasing with an average attendance on Tuesday’s being 28, Wednesday’s 11 and Thursday’s 22 which gives us an average attendance of 20 men a day on each of the 3 days a week we open. For the past 2 months, July and August Tuesday attendances are averaging 29, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 21.

The Shed continues to reach out into the community and this year new links have been forged with Fairhaven Services, Hopetown Special School, The Early Onset Dementia Group, Erina Before and After School Care, Kia Lodge and Reynolds Court Retirement Villages, The Central Coast Community Chest (Ginger Megs Billy Cart Derby and credit here goes to Mark Segal for his efforts) and Ourimbah University and their mobile Dental Van upgrade. The Bateau Bay Men’s Shed perpetual trophy for Achievement in Technology was awarded to a student of Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College, Tumbi Umbi Campus for the first time during their Presentation Ceremony last December. We continue to have a close relationship with the occupants of the Tuggerah Lakes Community Centre and are proud to work with and have close contacts with Vision Australia.

This year we expanded onto the international front when 13 Samaritans Child Christmas Boxes were packed with donations from the members. Special mention is made here to Norm Walpole for his management of this project and for the personal interest he took in it. Thanks to all the men who made donations in kind and monetary to this project.

I wish to acknowledge the support we have received from Chris Spence, the member for The Entrance. Following his visit to the Shed he was instrumental in supporting our application through the Community Builders Program for the establishment of the community garden and for his invitation to us to visit him in State Parliament. We look forward to his continued involvement in this Shed.

Wyong Council has been an active supporter of the Shed and visits from the Mayor and a number of Counsellors has lead to a greater appreciation of the benefits of this Shed in the community. As a result we have gained support for our Community garden and have received funding to make repairs to their car park.

Our Seniors Week activities were again successful and saw a number of visitors attend activities over the 2 days.

During the year we saw the passing of Col Kennedy who was present the day we first walked into this Shed and was one of our founding members, and Ernie Cooper our BBQ Chief , both men will be missed.

As one of the senior Men’s Sheds on the Central Coast I believe we have an important role to play in the continuing development of Men’s Sheds not only on the Coast but in the wider community. The expertise generated at Bateau Bay has been recognised and we continue to be approached by Shedders both in NSW and in other states asking for information on how to set up a Shed. That such widespread recognition has spread as quickly as it has is largely due to the relationships that have developed in our group and are seen by visitors and onlookers as something to which they strive to reach.

A number of major projects are planned for the coming year, The Community Garden has already been mentioned, changes to WorkCover legislation in February 2012 loom as a major issue for the manner in which all Sheds operate and ventilation in the building in readiness for the summer is a target. We also need to seriously consider succession planning so that any changes in the management structure if they occur will happen with the minimum of disruption to Shed operations.

I conclusion I would like to publically thank the Shed Committee for their support during the year. I have already singled out Colleen, Kevin and Nigel but I also want to thank the other members of the Bateau Bay Men’s Shed Committee, Graham Craike, David Bolton, Mark Segal, Barry French,Bruce Tubnor and Mike Gavaghan for their continuing support and initiative this year. Bateau Bay Men’s Shed is running like a well-oiled machine and it is due largely to the members of the Committee and all our members for this because every one brings something different to our Shed with their ideas, skills, companionship and energy all adding to the enjoyment of being members of this Shed.

I wish the incoming Executive and Management Committee a successful year ahead confident in the knowledge that the Sheds culture has been firmly established and that it’s positive influence in the community will continue to be felt.

John Sharples

President

Bateau Bay Men’s Shed

22 September 2011

He Died Before Making The Lid

Graham has been telling us how hard he had been working but no one believed him. So having finished the raised garden bed for one our our Community Centre friends he knew he had come to the end of the road and decided enough was enough. Given that our men are a compassionate lot we donated a shovel to him so he could dig his own hole out the back, well it was getting on toward morning tea time and the cakes would all be eaten if we didn't get into the tea room.

I just hope that sun doesn't get too hot before we get back to him.

RIP Graham

Notice of Bateau Bay Men's Shed AGM

	Bateau Bay Men’s Shed Inc
	Notice of AGM / Agenda for AGM

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of Bateau Bay Men’s Shed Inc will be held at the Shed on Thursday 22 September 2011 at 10am. All financial members are welcome to attend.

AGENDA

1. Welcome and Apologies

2. Minutes of previous AGM

3. Business arising

4. President’s Report

5. Annual Financial Report .. Income and Expenditure Statement
   Annual Report [Form 12] for submission to Department of Fair Trading – to be signed

6. Appointment of Returning Officer

7. Election of Office bearers and Committee

a) President

b) Vice President

c) Secretary/Public Officer

d) Treasurer

e) Committee Members - Ordinary (max 5)

8. Hand over to new President and Committee

NOMINATION for Year 22 September 2011 to 22 September 2012

I nominate,_______________________________________________ for the position of

[ ] President [ ] Vice President [ ] Secretary/Public Officer [ ] Treasurer [ ] Committee Member

Nominated by ………………………………………Signed: …………………………….. Date: …………..

Nominated by ………………………………………Signed: …………………………….. Date: …………..

CONSENT of NOMINEE

Accepted by ………………………………………Signed: …………………………….. Date: ……………

Nominations must be in writing on the prescribed form and the consent of the nominee obtained. The completed form must be returned to the Secretary by 5pm on 15.9.2011 being 7 days prior to the AGM. Nominations will not be accepted after 5pm on this date.

Once A Convict Always A Convict

It's amazing how easily Andrew made himself available for a flogging from Avery and how Cec slipped into a fair maidens outfit just for a cuddle. It was not so surprising how George, David and Roy chose to sling it into their hammocks because they are always looking to slack off and take a rest.

As part of our Parliament House visit Chris Spence arranged for a guided tour of the World Heritage listed Hyde Park Barracks . Not only was it an informative tour but we had a lot of fun at the expense of others.

Bateau Bay Men's Shed at NSW Parliament

An attempted coup was on the minds of the 15 men who ascended on State Parliament today but following the hospitality of Chris Spence and Chris Harcher, our Local Members, we decided to simply accept their offers of good will and went on to enjoy ourselves. Morning tea in the Speakers Garden, an explanation of the history of the building and it's significance in the English speaking world was followed by a few jokes and a tour of parts of the magnificent building.

And then on to Question Time where we were formally welcomed by the Speaker of the House. Having heard the House called a "Bear Pit" we were not disappointed and spent a very enlightening hour listening to, and watching, the exchanges between both sides of politics.

Many thanks to Chris Spence for inviting us and for spending time hosting our visit.

It's Not All Noise & Dust

They say it takes a few brains to play Chess so are Mark & George really playing a game or just posing for the camera? The great thing about them settling into what is becoming a routine after lunch is that it keeps them out of the workshops so the rest of the men can get on with their work without interruption.

For what it's worth George is ahead 6 games to 4. Being ever competitive George is now looking for someone to play Scrabble with him, any takers?

It's Not Just About Us

Thanks to the generosity of the Shed members 13 girls and boys will receive a Christmas gift this year. The Samaritans Purse Christmas Box program has reached into the hearts of the men and especially Norm who has taken on the task of collecting items and filling the boxes with appropriate gifts. Over $200 has been raised by the men to assist with the postage so that these gifts will reach children from the most disadvantaged regions of the world and who may never have previously received a gift of any type.

On Safari - Wildlife In Our Garden

They say that if you plant a garden then the wildlife will come. This is certainly the case with us as the word has spread to the Plains of Africa and our first resident has moved in.

If Rocking Horse Dung is scarce then imagine how much Elephant Rocker Dung will be worth! We may never need to run short of funds again.

The Shed Beautification is Looking Good

Thanks to Cec. Baker an unkept entry to the Shed is now complete. By Spring the plants should be well established and filling out nicely. Cec. is a very keen gardener and with his contacts at the KBT (Killarney Vale/Bateau Bay/Tumbi) garden, and his own private stock he has made the outdoor BBQ/ work area a more pleasant place to be.

Well done Cec.

Bambi Lives!

Bob McIlroy our resident woodturner/carver thought it a good idea to try his hand at a little wood carving. So what better way to start than to select a simple carving of Bambi in the centre of a branch.

Now that's patience and a steady hand.

Elderslee Retirement Village Has a New DVD Cabinet

The Shed was commissioned to construct a DVD cabinet that was as close a match as possible to the bookshelves in the Library of Elderslee Retirement Village. The residents were very happy with the result but were a little suss with the guys from the Shed who delivered it. From the left are Andrew, Ray and Mike and guess the 2 who carried the piece into the Library? That's correct, Andrew & Ray, well someone had to supervise and Mike is the self appointed project coordinator for anything that goes on in the Shed. Any organisation needs someone to watch over the hired help and Mike is one of the best!

Agistment in the Western Paddock

Here our resident jockey Andrew is taking our latest 3 Rocking Horses out for a run in the Western paddock of the property.

The pretty white horse is for sale but Red Reins and Black Reins are both going to a good home to live with twins. We hope they will be happy with their new owners and we will be sorry to see them leave us.

Who said men aren't sentimental?

Kia Lodge Recreation Area Tables

The residents of Kia Lodge retirement Village have 2 new tables for their Community Recreation Room. The social committee approached the Shed asking us to make 2 additional tables to match those they already had and we were happy to oblige.

Bateau Bay Sheds' Racing Cart

As part of our proud community involvement the Shed has made and donated a Billy Cart to the Central Coast Community Chest.

Each year the CC Community Chest organises a Billy Cart Derby Day on the waterfront at Gosford and this year Bateau Bay Shed accepted the invitation to build a cart. The cart will carry the Logo of the Shed and will be driven by someone who would have loved to enter but wasn't able to build their own machine. Who knows it may even get to run in a couple of events before going into the "Cart Hall of Fame".

In order to meet specific design specifications we imported a Test Pilot from Tasmania who gave us his time while on school holidays to check out Mark's workmanship.

Prior to the event the cart was on display in the Imperial Shopping Centre in Gosford.

Jo Allen Visits our Garden

Jo Allen from the Killarney/Bateau Bay/Tumbi (KBT) Community Garden and one of the earliest supporters of the Shed called in to view the progress of the side garden. Cec standing to the right of Jo and Barry on her left proudly showed off the garden. Cec has been working non stop in digging out an overgrown mass of shrubs and dead plants and with the help of the donation of shrubs from the KBT Community Garden a sunny corner of the Shed is being created.

Cec has great plans for continuing the landscaping of the Shed garden and it won't be long before we can enter into garden competitions.

Jo is holding a copy of the submission we have with Council to develop a Community Garden behind the Shed. If we are successful with our submission it will mean we have approval to develop a garden larger in size than our current Shed. This will provide exercise and enjoyment for an even larger number of men (and women) who have an interest in gardening.

Can We Be Of Assistance on Our 2nd Birthday

Nigel our Treasurer and Kevin our Vice President/Secretary have been working very hard for the past 2 years and after our birthday celebrations today found the effort and the excitement just a little too much to handle.

They both have different ways of letting their hair down, Nigel by catching up on a few zzz's and Kevin who has been letting his hair down quite a bit by the look of it, with some facial exercises.

Their looks and relaxed attitudes are no indication to their dedication to keeping the Shed functioning smoothly for the past 2 years.

Great work gents!

And Your Table Number Is ......

The Samaritans Coffee Shop at The Entrance Community Centre was in need of some table identification stands.

So who best to ask to get a top job done in the shortest time but the Bateau Bay Men's Shed Team.

The men swung into action with big Mike supervising, "who else?" and the 10 stands were finished in time for the next opening day.

It's great to be able to help out and the men enjoy being asked to support a local community group.

The Shed Has a New Constitution

Yesterday the members of Bateau Bay Men's Shed Inc. voted to replace their original constitution with one rewritten to reflect the needs of the Shed. The new constitution retains much of the original Model Rules version but includes a number of amendments.

When the Shed opened in 2009, and later became Incorporated, the Model Rules provided by NSW Fair Trading, were accepted as those governing the Shed. Fair Trading has since made it known that if Incorporated bodies such as ours wished to amend their constitutions so as to better reflect their operating policies and governance then these changes could be made free of charge. Bateau Bay Men's Shed Inc. has taken this opportunity and yesterday held a Special General Meeting that passed the changes proposed that would bring bring our new constitution into operation.

NSW Fair Trading has now been provided with a copy of the new constitution.

Bateau Bay Shed Thanks Wideline for their Support

Wideline Windows are great supporters of the Shed. As a small token of our appreciation Mark prepared a plaque with their logo burnt into a selected piece of the Pacific Maple timber that they have donated to us. Bruce Tubnor, one of our committee, is shown here at their factory presenting the plaque to Peter Britton from Wideline.

We are very grateful for the support we receive from Wideline.

Notice of Special General Meeting

NOTICE OF SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING of Bateau Bay Men’s Shed Inc

Notice is hereby given of that a Special General Meeting of members of Bateau Bay Man’s Shed Inc will be held at the Shed, 1 Bay Village Rd, Bateau Bay on Tuesday 24^th May 2011 commencing at 10am.

Business:

Adoption of new Constitution incorporating amendments of previous Model Rules.

Only the above nominated business may be discussed at the meeting.

Kevin Armstrong

Secretary

27 April 2011

The Butcher & The Thinker

Norm needed a rest after butchering all that fire wood in the background. He likes to wear his "Butchers Apron" because it gives him an excuse when he butchers his work.

On the other hand George is practicing his "thinking skills", or is he just preparing for another of his stories at morning tea.

Ah! the pressure of keeping up with the work load at the Shed.