What does being a man mean to each of us at any stage of life? For me, in addressing this, I find it useful to talk about the good things, the things we find tricky, and how we can enjoy, even celebrate, being men. I’m less interested in telling anyone what needs fixing and more interested in having open conversations, listening to each other and seeing what we can learn along the way. Over the years, I’ve been involved in men’s work through seminars, workshops and retreats. These days, I prefer something simpler: a men’s group where we can get to know one another, talk honestly and explore what matters to us. It’s a caring, trusting space, with room to make statements, ask questions and gently challenge each other too. The current group I facilitate has been meeting for 22 years.  In that time, I’ve seen men make useful changes in their relationships, with their children, in their communities, around their health, in balancing their finances, at work, etc. David and I have been wondering whether some of the men at the Shed might enjoy a space like this. There are guidelines to help everyone feel comfortable and keep conversations respectful. It’s not about blaming anyone or fixing the world—just being willing to share, listen and offer a thought or some advice when it’s welcome. If you’re curious, come along at 4 pm on Wednesday 11 November. I’ll share about how such groups work effectively, and we can have a relaxed chat about what a group at the Shed might look like. There’s no pressure to commit—just a chance to ask questions and see whether it feels like something you’d like to be part of. Geoff Paull    

Our Kitchen Team will run another 'Artisan' baking workshop. This month, Chef Patissiere Mario Properzi will be teaching us how to make some delicious 'Choux pastry'. H his also planning to make some wholesome bread (baguettes?), so you will be in for a double-treat if you can join this class! For those who want to attend this workshop, please register via taking a free ticket. The maximum number of attendees is 10 - first come, first served! For those who miss out, you will be able to smell and sample the 'spoils' of this effort if you visit the SCMS Kitchen on Thursday at lunchtime. Regards, Werner.

A voyage to a far away place .... called Greece! 'George the Greek' Haralambakis was going to lead the Kitchen Team this month in cooking a delicious Greek meal. Unfortunately, he called it off sick and we are going to hand the baton to our very own 'Super Mario' Properzi who is currently acquiring the finer details of Greek cuisine in Sydney. We will be starting the meal with a plate of mixed ‘mezze’ (Appetizers), followed by a main course of roasted beef with marinated potatoes, carrots and peas, all with Greek flavours of course! For dessert, we will enjoy one of Michael’s favourite Greek sweets ('Yum'!), something you will love to taste! So sign up, come along and enjoy a meal with your mates! Cost for food will be $25 with beer and wine at standard prices.   As usual, we need pre-payment with your registration.  You will be able to get a credit towards a future event if you cancel at least 24 hours before the event. Should you need to cancel, please send an email to wernerribul@mac.com. No-shows on the day will forfeit their ticket fee. We hope you will be able to join us. Best regards, Werner and Michael

All Members who intend to be part of the Woodworking Group will need to complete this Power Tools Induction Training. There is a once off Cost of $10 for this Training Course, which can be paid when you purchase a ticket. Note: Members are required to complete the 'Yellow Dot' Shed Introduction session before taking part in a Red Dot training session. There will be a maximum of 3 persons for each Training Session.  If after booking, for some reason you cannot attend the training, please advise the acting Red Dot coordinator, Jeremy Wallace, on 0406927650 (SMS please), or email (jeremywallace5@outlook.com) as soon as possible, so we can arrange another session for you.  If you have trouble booking please contact Jeremy by SMS. The successful completion of the Red Dot Training is a pre-requisite to booking the Blue Dot Woodwork Machinery Course. Once you have completed this Training, your Membership Badge will updated to show a Red Dot and enable you to undertake any projects in the Main Workshop that utilise only Power Tools. 

Come along for our Thursday morning clean-up of the shed and then stay and enjoy our famous SCMS scones with jam & cream!

This months event will be hosted by David Fisher, who is going to treat us to a tasting of Pinot Noir.  The pinot noir grape is noted as notoriously difficult to grow, sensitive to soil and weather conditions, but the grapes thrive in cool climates, rewarding winemakers that master it.. David will present wines from the Great Southern and Tasmania, against wines from Waitaki and Central Otago NZ.   All cooler regions with different terroir, winemakers style and techniques. Yes, its on the same day as the Melbourne Cup, but I'm sure it will be popular event, and as usual, the attendance is limited to 20, so get your ticket quickly.  

It's again time to get your best gear on and take your seats to watch "the Race that stops Australia"! The Melbourne Cup will be showing on our big screen TV and your Kitchen Team will serve up the best home-made Burgers & Oven Fries in town - don't hesitate and book your ticket now! Ladies are welcome to join their man but please bear in mind that we will have members in their work gear coming in from the floor for a bite & a drink, it's unlikely they will show up with their 'fascinators'!  You can also expect that our Stewart will again organise a sweepstake for this race, so bring some money! Cost for food will be $15 with beer and wine at standard prices.   To help us gauge demand, we require pre-payment with your registration.  You will be able to get a credit towards a future event if you cancel at least 1 day before the event, please send an email to wernerribul@mac.com . No-shows on the day will forfeit their ticket fee. I hope you will be able to join us. Best regards, Werner.

To maintain your Blue Dot Woodworking Accreditation you will need to, you will need to undertake a Verification of Competency (VOC) Assessment as follows. Woodworking members aged under 75 years will be assessed every 24 months Woodworking members aged 75 to 80 years will be assessed every 18 months Woodworking members aged 80 to 90 years will be assessed every 12 months Woodworking members older than 90 years  will be assessed every 6 months You will be assigned a simple task which shouldn’t take more than about 30 minutes. This is not a test of your craftsmanship; it is simply a demonstration that you can competently use the machinery unsupervised without endangering yourself or others.  You can book your VOC Assessment by clicking on your preferred VOC Assessment date below. The Rostered Supervisor for the day will oversee your assessment and he will either deem you "competent" or refer you to a Trainer for further assessment or training. If you choose not to do the VOC Assessment,  you will no longer be able to use the Machine Room equipment unsupervised.

It's high on time to bring our SCMS Kitchen back to a clean and hygienic condition. If you are around and not too busy, come in and give us a hand, there are plenty of things to do! Regards, Werner & Sami!

Come along for our Thursday morning clean-up of the shed and then stay and enjoy our famous SCMS scones with jam & cream!

Do you wake up in the morning and hear a faint crying sound?  That is your iPhone crying out for help.  An iPhone is like the Excel app in that most people only use a fraction of its capabilities. We have amongst us an iPhone guru who can show you how to get a lot more out of your iPhone and how to make using it a lot safer and more productive.  You can also improve your online security while you are at it. If you would like to learn how to customise your iPhone, allocate different sounds for ring tones for specific callers, check your phones battery health, connecting to WiFi, use the emergency button, use a magnifier to help your tired old eyes then you should join us. This is a hands-on session so bring your iPhone and your glasses (if you need them). The expert is Mario Properzi who amongst other things runs courses in iPhone mastery for Trinity School for Seniors. This course will concentrate on the iPhone. 

All Members who intend to be part of the Woodworking Group will need to complete this Power Tools Induction Training. There is a once off Cost of $10 for this Training Course, which can be paid when you purchase a ticket. Note: Members are required to complete the 'Yellow Dot' Shed Introduction session before taking part in a Red Dot training session. There will be a maximum of 3 persons for each Training Session.  If after booking, for some reason you cannot attend the training, please advise the acting Red Dot coordinator, Jeremy Wallace, on 0406927650 (SMS please), or email (jeremywallace5@outlook.com) as soon as possible, so we can arrange another session for you.  If you have trouble booking please contact Jeremy by SMS. The successful completion of the Red Dot Training is a pre-requisite to booking the Blue Dot Woodwork Machinery Course. Once you have completed this Training, your Membership Badge will updated to show a Red Dot and enable you to undertake any projects in the Main Workshop that utilise only Power Tools.