New faces - new challenges
21 August 2008
At last nights Progress Association Annual General Meeting four new faces joined the Committee - Angie Hazlehurst, Greg Palethorpe, and John Starr, and Judy Roberts (left to right in the photo) - and two long serving members bowed out.
Thanks are due to departing Secretary Greg Hayes, who has served three years in that position, following three years as President. Greg has done a lot of work for the Association, particularly in relation to planning matters, and landscape management - his area of professional expertise.
Anna Sheargold has worked as 'assistant Treasurer' alongside Treasurer Elain Leckey, with particular responsibility for the finances of the Rural Fringe, and has been very successsful in keeping the Fringe on an even keel financially.
Two of the village's young families are now represented on the Committee - by Greg Palethorpe and Angie Hazlehurst. Congratulations are due to Greg and wife Kerrie, who gave birth on Monday to a baby girl. Angie is a mother of three, and was an enthusiastic contributor to the tree planting at the creek earlier this year. Both are very welcome additions to the Committee.
'Big John' Starr is not a newcomer, but is welcomed back to the Committee. John has been a generous and reliable contributor to a range of community activities, and his long experience as a land manager will be very helpful to us. Judy Roberts is out 'inter-State' representative - living as she does, down the Wallaroo Road. Judy will help us ensure that we keep the 'District' in focus.
Judy reported to the AGM on a public meeting of Wallaroo residents last Monday, at which it was decided to establish a 'special interest group' within the Progress Association to attend to matters of interest or concern to residents in the Yass Shire. That meeting considered a number of recent planning and development issues that are affecting residents in the Shire.
Robyn Montelione gave a short briefing on the Bendigo 'community bank' proposal, and answered a number of questions.
New Editor in Chief of the Rural Fringe, Allyson Wedrat, was warmly welcomed to the meeting, and a vote of thanks to the out-going Editor, Rhian Williams, was passed by acclamation.
The meeting agreed to constitutional changes to increase the size of the committee to twelve, and to create a new category of member - 'business organisations'. The Association now has three categories of membership - individuals (in practice, families), not for profit community associations, and business organisation.