Inspector Barrie

Barrie has been a member of the Shed from our very early days and hardly misses a Tuesday where he keeps a close eye on what people are up to. While his eyesight is not the best these days his mind is still razor sharp. All too often he remembers a piece of hardware or special tool we have stored away somewhere and when we eventually find the item it's just what we need for the job.

As Assistant Treasurer and Electricians Apprentice he plays a key role in the daily activities of Bateau Bay Shed.

Happy Birthday George

There's always someone in a Shed who makes people laugh and George is certainly in this category. He made it very clear that he didn't want anyone to know it was his 82nd birthday last week but then proceeded to tell anyone and everyone who set foot through the Shed door that it was his special day. He enjoyed his birthday cake and made sure he divided it up so that everyone had a piece of the same size. (A bit different to last year when he brought his own cake in case we forgot, put it in the fridge for safe keeping, only to find that someone had eaten it!!)

George, our Shed would be all the poorer if you weren't one of our cherished members.

Shed at the Coastal Lifestyle Festival

With a prime position at the Forresters Beach Retirement Village Coastal Lifestyle Festival we were able to promote the Coasts Men's Sheds to many interested visitors. Our range of wooden toys out front drew many admirers which gave us the opportunity to engage them in conversations about Sheds. It also helped when their children took a fancy to the toys and by the end of the day our sales meant we had more than covered the cost of making them and still had as many set aside for future events. Its always nice to be working with a positive bank balance.

Thanks to Doug Evans, John Innis and Bill Barrett for their support from beginning to end.

Our Cleaner Healthier Shed

Thanks to the NSW Government through their Community Builders Funding our Shed is now a cleaner and healthier place to work.

Five Filter cartridges have been fitted to the dust extractors attached to our major machinery and all are working very efficiently. Previously air was ejected through calico bags hanging above the extractor fans but when these became clogged with fine dust particles the extraction system became less efficient.

Now with filters that can be easily cleaned everyone in the Shed can breath more easily.

Our next step is installation of 6 ‘Whirly Birds’ in the roof to remove the heat from the frantic activities of our hard working members.

Bateau Bay Men's Shed Links with Ireland's Killarney Men's Shed

Killarney Men’s Shed in Ireland approached AMSA for information on a Shed in Killarney in Australia.

Bateau Bay Men’s Shed was approached as we are located very close to Killarney Vale in NSW.

From this initial contact we have begun to exchange information about starting a Shed, Induction procedures, constitutions and governance as well as general chatter about our respective operations.

While the links are still in their early days it is hoped that they may develop and that our exchanges are frequent and rewarding.

Any volunteers to arrange a trip and act as tour guide?

The following is an extract from an early email received from Killarney Shed.

The name of Killarney is derived from Cill Airne in Gaelic means the Church of the Sloes. Cill or Kill is Gaelic for Church. There are a lot of cities, towns and villages with the word in their name. Killarney Vale came after our Killarney I am sure. Can you find out some more about it for us?

With luck we may have someone in our Shed with skills and interests in genealogy that can answer this question.

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.