| THE START OF THE YEAR TO DATE |
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We started the year on 1st February with planning sessions based on the member survey and took on board the comments and suggestions you made. Session leaders have picked up the ball and run with new ideas and more of you are stepping up to lead sessions. It’s terrific to see that happening. We have committed to four major goals for LUKES in 2022.
- Planning to have shared sessions for both Carrum and Mentone-based members every 2 – 3 months. These would need to be evenings and could alternate between Tuesday and Thursday.
- Asking more people to participate in designing and leading sessions that continue to experiment with a mix of fun learning activities for members
- Creating a core book for Lukes Entertainment Group (LEGS) to practise at monthly rehearsals
- Seeking an electronic solution as an alternative to lugging heavy books, combined with limiting the number of books used in any one session.
The Committee will review progress on these goals each time we meet. If you would like to read the executive summary of the results of the Member Survey, it can be found under Documents on our website.
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| HEADS UP ~ LUKES NEEDS YOU! |
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Recruiting members for the Committee for 2022 - 2023
The current committee consists of the minimum four office-bearers – President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. This has been sufficient while we were in lockdown and operating on Zoom.
The current President and Secretary have indicated that they will not be standing for re-election at the next AGM which will probably take place in July 2022.
In addition to the four office-bearers, the current Committee will recommend the appointment of four “ordinary members” who will have specific responsibilities.
In line with our governance rules, we must declare all positions vacant at each AGM and pass a resolution about the number of ordinary members to be appointed. We will officially call for nominations before that. This is an early heads-up to get you thinking about who should be on your new Committee.
Maybe it’s you!
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Special Events in the LUKES calendar.
All details are on the website. Put the dates in your diary – NOW.
You will need to indicate your availability on the website for these events as we still have some constraints on numbers.
MMYC Sunday Soiree
Sunday March 27th
Time: 1.30 – 4.30pm
Venue: Mordialloc Motor Yacht Club
Combined Dinner and Hat Band performance
Tuesday March 29th
Time: 6.00 – 9.30pm
Venue: Mordialloc Sporting Club
528 Main Street, Mordialloc
Lukes on Broadway
Thursday June 16th
Time: 6.00 – 10.00 pm
Venue: Mentone RSL
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Are there members out there who would like the opportunity to establish and lead a ukulele group in Patterson Lakes Retirement Village?
We all know that music is a wonderful way to meet people, have fun, stay young and that the uke is a great little instrument for people of all abilities.
The President has been asked by one of the residents of Patterson Lakes Retirement Village if any of our members would be interested in starting a ukulele group within that community.
If this might be something you and maybe some friends would like to do, please email Carolyn Coxhead at president@longbeachukes.com.au and she will give you more information about who to contact and what might be involved. Day, time and remuneration can be discussed if you are interested in taking this on.
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| GETTING TO KNOW YOU - CHERYL GARDNER & COLIN PROSSOR |
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We have several couples who are members of LUKES, but rarely have we seen a sibling combo.
So here is our ever-popular Getting to Know You segment highlighting Cheryl Gardner and her brother Colin Prossor – both very active and talented members of LUKES.
Rivals to The Carpenters? The Everly Brothers? I’d like to hear that!
 
CHERYL
Q: Tell us a bit about where you grew up together and what you and Colin had or didn’t have in common.
A: Yes, for those who were wondering… Colin and I are brother and sister! We also have another sister and brother and are quite a close-knit family.
We grew up in Bentleigh just a few doors away from the Bentleigh shops.
With me being the older sister, and Colin trying to do everything I could do (and often achieving it!) there was quite a bit of sibling rivalry, but we also spent many happy hours / days playing all sorts of imaginative games, particularly in the backyard. As we grew a bit older backyard cricket and table tennis were favourites.
We both enjoyed music from a young age. Our grandfather and parents often sang / whistled as they wandered round the house. We enjoyed it too and many were the happy times spent gathering together around the piano with mum playing and the whole family singing nursery rhymes etc as youngsters and continuing until well into adulthood (often with Colin playing the organ too) with a wide range of music.
We also enjoyed putting on “shows” for the extended family at special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas.
We were both active in Scouts and Guides respectively, and as we became old enough, we were both members of the cast of Melbourne Gang Show – a production put on by the Guide and Scout Associations which played a number of performances at the Palais Theatre each year.
Q: When I was a kid I wanted to be…
A: Nothing stands out that I particularly wanted to be as a youngster. I was just enjoying life as it came along. When it came to choosing a career, I tossed up between wanting to be a meteorologist or a teacher and teaching won out quite easily in the end, as I particularly liked working with younger children. In my career I taught grades from prep to 4 but was lucky enough to be able to teach preps for more than half the time. Give me preps any day! They are hard work, but watching them grow and achieve is incredibly satisfying.
Q: What has been your greatest adventure?
A: Our trip to Antarctica. It was my bucket list trip and it certainly is a place like no other I have ever seen. Particularly at Snow Hill, it felt as if you could easily have been on another planet it was so stark and desolate and the monochrome colours there made that impression even stronger. I would love to go back there sometime!
Q: Who or what has inspired you?
A: My Dad and Mum - always supporting me and encouraging me to be the best person I could be.
Q: Who living or dead would you most like to invite to dinner?
A: My Mum’s mother. We were very close, and I would love to see her again, let her meet my family and see how we are all doing.
Q: What would you like to invent?
A: Something that expands time so I can fit in all the things I would like to be doing but don’t have the time to do.
Q: What is the most fun you ever had?
A: Sorry, too hard to choose! So many possibilities.
Q: What is your guilty pleasure?
A: Chocolate
Q: What makes you laugh?
A: Good, old-fashioned fun
Q: Tell us about your connection with music
A: I have enjoyed singing since I was a little kid. Through school years I joined choirs and a madrigal group. I loved campfire singing at Guides and have also run many of them during my years in Rangers and as a guide leader.
I learnt ballet and tap dancing for quite a few years and the interest in singing and dancing led me to join the Gang Show where I was a member for 10 years.
I majored in music at Teachers’ College. Although a general classroom teacher, I ran primary school choirs. One year I was asked to be a music teacher rather than a classroom teacher when the school was granted some extra money for the year and they thought the kids would greatly benefit from being involved in music.
My Monday nights still find me singing with a choir.
And then I joined Lukes….!
Q: What is your favourite music? Movie? Book?
A: I enjoy a wide range of music, but not heavy metal. My favourite genre would be music theatre.
When I delve into books I enjoy those with complex plots and particularly the high fantasy books, or fictional family sagas.
Q: Tell us about a moment that changed your life.
A: I met a guy called Jeff in Hawaii! The strange thing is that neither of us has ever actually been to Hawaii! He has now been my husband for nearly 47 years. There is definitely a story in that if you are ever interested to ask.
Q: The best place on earth is…
A: Home with all the family around.
Q: How did you come to join LUKES?
A: I am a member of Mosaic Community Choir, as is our illustrious President, Carolyn. I was talking to her at Supper-time one night and she mentioned she was taking a beginners’ group at the ukulele club the next night. I had a uke sitting at home that I had begun trying to teach myself to play during some school holidays while I was still teaching. Sadly, as school term kicked in again, I never had the time to follow it through. When Carolyn mentioned this I was retired, so thought it a great opportunity and things evolved from there.
Q: What are your hopes for the future Lukes group?
A: That it continues to be a welcoming, fun loving group that encourages, supports and brings out the best in people whatever their capabilities.
COLIN
Q: Tell us a bit about where you grew up together and what you and Cheryl had or didn’t have in common.
A: Cheryl and I grew up in Bentleigh just off Centre Rd. We went to Bentleigh West Primary School. We also spent a lot of time visiting our grandparents in Blairgowrie.
Music was always a big part of our lives. I began learning the piano at about 7 years old (I think) in Grade 2. That was one of the best things I could have done. Music has been such an important part of my life and has led me on to many things like playing the trombone for a few years at high school, being a member of Melbourne Gang Show from 1969-1978, which Cheryl was also a part of for a number of years, to buying a Hammond Organ when I began working, Into the world of musical theatre for around 25 shows. I also helped out with South Metro Showtime, which Cheryl and my other siblings are still involved in, the orchestra and at rehearsals, and now into the world of ukulele.
Q: When I was a kid I wanted to be…
A: I don't remember anything specific I wanted to be when I was growing up. I don't know if I have grown up yet! I do remember playing garbos riding up and down the driveway on the sideboards of my parents' Austin 7 because that's what the men did on their truck picking up the rubbish bin. At high school we did an assignment on three jobs we would like to do My three were music teacher, bank manager and butcher ( I was "the clean-up kid" at a butcher shop). The latter won as I have been a butcher for almost 50 years!
Q: What has been your greatest adventure?
A: A trip through outback Australia through White Cliffs, doing a ball joint 20 odd miles from Innaminka, up to Birdsville and down the Birdsville Track to Port Augusta and home.
Q: Who or what has inspired you?
A: My parents and grandparents
Q: Who living or dead would you most like to invite to dinner?
A: My parents
Q: What would you like to invent?
A: A way of bringing harmony to the world
Q: What is the most fun you ever had?
A: I try to bring a bit of fun into everything I do.. Probably the Outback trip and a trip to the U.K. about 4 years ago stand out
Q: What is your guilty pleasure?
A: Iced Coffee
Q: What makes you laugh?
A: All sorts of things, not any one thing in particular. One of my favourite quotes is " A laugh is the shortest distance between two people"
Q: What is your favourite music? Movie? Book?
A: I would have to say Musical Theatre and Billy Joel. Happy to listen to most types of music. No particular movie comes to mind as my favourite, and I don't read as many books as I would like to.
Q: Tell us about a moment that changed your life.
A: When I had kids.
Q: The best place on earth is…
A: Wherever I am at any given time If we can leave work out of the equation.
Q: How did you come to join LUKES?
A: I decided that I wanted something new during lockdown and that's what I came up with. When I mentioned it to Cheryl she told me about Lukes
Q: What are your hopes for the future Lukes group?
A: Making new friends and sharing the joy of making music together, improving my skills along the way. Also would like to be a part of LEGS and spread the music with others.
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| DON'T HIDE YOUR LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL |
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Lukes’ skills and talents - another form to fill out!
We know our members are a bunch of highly talented people – and we only know the tip of that iceberg. We are aware that we have untapped talent in our ranks and would like to be able to offer opportunities for everyone to shine.
Next on our list is to discover just how much talent we have – not only musically, but including other skills you have honed during your professional and personal lives. So we are asking you to complete the attached “Skills of Lukes’ Members” document.
Please complete, scan and send to info@longbeachukes.com.au or bring it along to the next session at Carrum or Mentone. You can tick, circle or use a highlighter and even write a few words or just send back a normal email outlining your fabulous skills and experience. You might like to emphasise some particular skills you can contribute to LUKES as a performer or behind the scenes or some things you think you could do if you knew more about them.
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Please fill out the questionaire attached and return it to info@longbeachukes.com.au ASAP
Open the Read more ....... link below to find the attachment as a Word Document.
Read More
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