Rob Beware this is long but you will get the jist of things. Note I write this to you as you in return for you bringing the matter of the 'suggested removal of the Hazelwood Honor Roll" to my attention as a Guide District Leader when you asked for an email address. For no other reason. This is a Private correspondence. Not for anyone else to read or know what I have written to you. If you Rob will not honor this request then ....... PLEASE DO NOT READ FURTHER. Nor send to anyone else. The matter is a Hazelwood and Churchill Girl Guiding matter. Rob. For some strange reason Allen thought that the Honor Board was in a terrible state of repair. Hence the reason for Allens the original suggestion to remove the Hazelwood Honor Roll. No wonder John Holt man was indifferent and Mel Gibbs was concerned. To let this Honor Roll go to the down the Gurgler would be an extreme act of dishonor to those families and the people (N.O.K) on the Honor Board. Not sure of who made this suggestion /planted this seed but observing two people at the meeting faces and body language I suspect I know. Let it be known I have trampled on these peoples toes before and probabily will do so in the future. They both have yet to answer some fundamental actions on other matters. They both suspect that I know and are unsure of where I am on these matters they would like to forget. These matters I believe are NOT seperate to this current Honor Board issue. In your travels would you put Johns and Mel's mind at rest on this issue of the Honor Board condition. If you would show them the pictures you have taken please. Margaret and Rob were uncomfortable with me being there. Margaret thought I was a hanger on from the public meeting re 'Walker park. Little realizing that the membership $2.00 had been paid and was receipted. As the President and using the valid reason of time the proposal was to carry over to the next meeting various sections of of general business. At this point as Margaret tabled the proposal the look on Margarets face when she realized just why I was there was not obvious to all. I'm so proud of myself. I did not outwardly 'smirk'. But when Margaret glanced my way I did privately acknowledge to Margaret that was the reason I was there. Margaret possibly thought I would jump in boats and all at this point. I did not. I had at you the other night. for this I am Sorry for. At least after my initial abrasive reaction with you mentioning the 'issue' I was able to put forward very strong, clear facts. [following] Anyway at this point Allen stated that he was not happy with the decision to carry over the Honor Board topic. Margaret had to acknowledge him and let Allen have the floor. Poor Guy. Did not know what he was in for. At this point Margaret knew she was cornered. Things were to come out into the open. Allen had some very valid points. He was sure that to move the Honor Board into a position that everyone can view it would mean exposing the Board into the sun. That --- Most Honor Boards are made of wood, highly polished with Gold plated lettering. Damaged when in the sun and other weather issues. --- That the CDCA should involve all the stake holders. Allen mentions a list of stake holders. Noted the Guardians were not on that list. At this point several others added to the tabled topic. At the end of topic Margret was going to move the agenda on. Speaking though the chair I stated that as a Major stake holder I would like to have an opportunity to address the floor. (Nearly those words anyway) Stated who I was and my positions in community. Addressed the issues of: * Why the Guides had the Honor Board. * Why the hall was under utilized. ( The danger of getting run over as Soccer cars rushed for parking by cutting of the reserve, * Not being able to use the reserve for games, parking and entry to hall etc [ risk assessment word used] * The relocation back to the Glendonald building for meetings, * Waiting for Council to address the entry issues (build a new entrance way) * Building maintenance reports and bringing Hall up to current Latrobe City Council maintenance of building standards [work currently in progress]. * That this maintenance will be finalized when there is a front fence the same as the early photos of the Hazelwood South Hall have in them. * That the Hazelwood South Hall is still used by Guides for such things as togethers, BB Q's, overnight stays, camp items. * Why should anyone else be interested in what the Guides do there? * That the Hazelwood Honor Board was of Hazelwood names - not Churchill ones. * That the last remaining person alive on the board (as far as I knew) was tom Lawless. * That having spoken to Tom on Tuesday I put to Tom removing the Honor Roll. Tom was liveried and disgusted that 'I' wanted it removed!. toms mind was rested after I informed him that this was not the case. Tom would try to do something about the removal to stop it. * That the Hazel wood and later the Churchill Girl Guide District were honored to be the Hazel wood Honor Boards guardians. That would be the way it remained. * That should the Hazel wood Honor Board be removed I would go to Hazel wood North School or the public Hall across the road from it and ask them to have the honor of housing and protecting this board before it came into Churchill. *That the reason for this was that Churchill was not even 'born' when those people went to war. They fought for Hazel wood not Churchill. * That there was no need for applying to Government for a grant to fix the Honor Board. The Honor Board was 'up graded' at least ten years ago. in time for the VJ VP day ceremonies. Most of those attending looked on with blank faces. So I said " 50th celebrations of Victory in the Pacific" and had to again prompt with ".... end of second world war." That John Holt man had seen to this. In answer to why it had been removed previously. * Previously we had a new District Leader in training with no ties to the area. Both Marlene and David Ellis were members of this CDCA. I walked into Guides with one of my daughters one evening and Marlene made the announcement to other parents that the Hazelwood and Churchill Girl Guides District was closing down. That important fact, I as a leader had not even been informed of. * Marlene then proceeded once again to divvy up / throw away further items from the hall and from the District. Against Guiding protocol and Guide Lines and what the leaders wanted.] * That we eventually found the Hazelwood Honor Board. It had been handed to the CDCA. * When we requested that the Honor Board be returned. Explained it was not meant to have been removed from the Hazelwood South Hall the Honor Board was used as a prop for some shop window display in Rob Wheelans shop window. Left sitting exposed in the fierce / intense afternoon sun light. That yes there may be damage to it. If that is the case it has been because of the CDCA and things done under its name. * I did not say that we [leaders] were up to the point of making a very private request become very public. Before this we had been to Tom Lawless, John Holt man and other prominent public officials. Allen apologized to me. I think he and others thought I was insulted. I was. They can think / know this too. Allen retracted the suggestion of removing the Hazelwood Honor Roll. Someone did then say that recently photos had been taken. No one knew why though. Tom thinks the taking of the photos was so that the names can be used for some reason somewhere. I like the idea of making brass plates with the names inscribed to go on the new wall somewhere. At the end of the meeting Margaret had to have a snip at the Guides stand though with a comment that in 20 years time when she is walking around Churchill with her Grandkids she would like to be able to take them to the pine tree, the rock, the 'monument', the pioneer wall and to see the Honor roll without having to wait till the Guides were meeting there or ask permission to go in. My thought were 'tough luck' as that is how it stands. Pretty sure my body language laughed at her. Susan Connor Hazelwood and Churchill Girl Guide District Leader.
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