Our Field Trip is now about 6 weeks away and we need to make a final payment for the accommodation at the Emu Point Holiday Park. Therefore we request that members select “Ticket #1”, to book and pay a final payment of $314.16 by 5pm Friday 13 September 2024.  Once payments are complete we will meet to discuss proposed activities and arrangements to share transport, meals, etc. Thanks  Mike Somerville-Brown Photography Group Leader  

Join everyone in our cosy meeting room  for fresh baked scones, jam and cream with friendly companionship. All existing members as well as any prospective members are welcome.

Dear Sheddie, Further to the details of the upcoming talk on Rhinos on Wednesday, I just wanted to add a personal request. You may be aware that my wife, Jomay,  and I recently travelled to Zimbabwe and attended the Savẻ Valley Conservancy for their annual Rhino Ops. During these Rhino Ops, 32 rhinos were individually, tracked, located, identified, darted, and immobilised. Once darted the veterinary team sprang into action and each rhino was monitored and operated on to notch their ears so that each rhino can be uniquely identified and recorded in their data base and reported to the government as required. The rhino was then provided with anti-biotics and the antidote and after a period it was then able to arise and trot off to find its mother. During this period, a helicopter circled overhead to ensure the work was undertake safely and the mother did not return to her calf whilst a small fixed wing aircraft circled overhead all the time watching for other animals in the area and thus ensuring the safety of all of those on the ground. As you can see, this is an intense and costly exercise. However, it could not take place without the initial work of the Rangers who have travelled out and found the rhinos in the first place. My observation of the current state of Rhino protection within the conservancy (and in fact anywhere rhinos exist) is that the work of the rangers is absolutely critical to the ongoing survival of the species. The ongoing demand for rhino horn cannot be satisfied with an ever-increasing world population. Fences can be breached and the rich rewards for poachers who slaughter rhinos for their horns means that the rhinos remain vulnerable to a heartless death from a poacher’s bullets or snare trap. I am therefore supporting the fund-raising aspects of the upcoming Rangers Challenge as detailed in the below link. https://www.tusk.org/our-events/wildlife-ranger-challenge/ Now I cannot compete in a 21km race carrying a 22kg of kit, but I shall be undertaking my own challenge in support of the rangers and hope you will sponsor me to complete my challenge. My challenge is to ride to Ellenbrook and back from Shenton Park, a distance of about 70-75km, and whilst some cyclists out there might cry “wimp” it must be remembered that it is not the severity of the challenge, but the challenge for fund raising. In order to support me for my chosen challenge please follow this link https://www.givenow.com.au/cr/2024-wildlife-ranger-peterp All moneys raised through the Givenow link in support of my challenge are fully tax deductible in Australia and will go to Western Australia’s very own home grown Save the African Rhino Foundation. This foundation was established approximately 37 years ago and is the second oldest Rhino conservation charity in the world. I personally have been a supporter of theirs for the past 12 years or so and have travelled to Zimbabwe with them both on this Rhino Op and on a previous safari trip to Zimbabwe. If you want further details about Save African Rhino Foundation, then follow this link. Home - SAVE African Rhino Foundation (savefoundation.org.au) Once the funds are consolidated, they will be passed along to the Tusk Foundation who will match the funds raised dollar for dollar. So, every dollar you give will be doubled and then passed along to the rangers to help fund them in their future works. Finally, if you want to get an understanding of the perils involved with being a wildlife ranger, please have a look at the following link. It is a talk by Bryce Clements who heads up the Antipoaching Tracking Specialist team and it is this team which I am supporting. https://www.youtube.com//watch?v=SfSDa3s8sU0 Thank you for your consideration and support. I hope to see you at the talk on Wednesday. Best regards Peter Panek _______________________________________________________________________________ As you may have noticed, The Beer and Bullshit group has merged with the Health and Wellbeing Groups and has been renamed the Wellbeing Group. Every 2nd Wednesday of the month we shall be having a guest speaker presenting on a general topic of interest and every 4th Wednesday of the month we shall have a speaker talking on a more targeted health topic. This month, our very own Sheddie, Peter Panek, will be presenting on the topic of Save the African Rhino. Peter has just returned from Zimbabwe where he participated in the recent Savẻ Valley Rhino Operations. He directly observed and experienced the considerable efforts being undertaken to help preserve the Rhinos. This talk will explore some of the methods used, the difficulties encountered and successes achieved in regards to Rhino conservation. The aim of the Rhino Operations was to individually dart and immobile a total of 32 young rhinos so they could be ear notched. The ear notching uniquely identifies each rhino which then forever ensures they can be identified as a means of determining if it is still alive and has survived the perils of poaching and predators. The talk will explore the process undertaken during the Rhino Operations and the outcomes whilst also discussing the current situation with regards to Rhino conservation. This will be your opportunity to get first-hand knowledge about the African Rhino and the efforts and techniques being used by several groups to help Save the African Rhino. During the talk we shall cover some of the good works being undertaken by the following groups Save the African Rhino Foundation, also known as SARF. Savẻ Valley Conservancy Sango Wildlife Conservancy Antipoaching Tracking Specialists AWMC, African Wildlife Management and Conservation, and Akashinga Tusk Foundation – Wildlife Ranger Challenge So come along, be educated, inquisitive, engaged and be social by enjoying the company of your fellow Sheddies. Please bring your partners along to enjoy this Sundowner. Refreshments and nibbles will be available as usual. The Wellness Group Leadership Team thanks you for your support and we look forward to seeing you all at what should be a very interesting and lively talk.      

All members are welcome to join our Art Group and explore their own artistic talents, try a new medium, have a go or just watch and learn a little as other members experiment and create. No previous experience is necessary.

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 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.  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. 

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 84 years will be assessed every 18 months Woodworking members older than 85 years  will be assessed every 12 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.

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 84 years will be assessed every 18 months Woodworking members older than 85 years  will be assessed every 12 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.

Our Field Trip is now about 6 weeks away.  We have arranged an additional two 2-bedroom chalets.  Therefore you four guys we need to make a first and final payment for the accommodation at the Emu Point Holiday Park. We request that you select “Ticket #1”, to book and pay a first and final payment of $412.71 by 4pm Thursday 5 September 2024.  Once payments are complete we will meet to discuss proposed activities and arrangements to share transport, meals, etc. Thanks  Mike Somerville-Brown Photography Group Leader  

Join everyone in our cosy meeting room  for fresh baked scones, jam and cream with friendly companionship. All existing members as well as any prospective members are welcome.

Join us for a visit to the botanical beauty of Araluen Botanical Park, including the renouned tulips. Members' wives/partners are welcome and all members who are at the Roundhouse Cafe between 12noon and 12.30pm will be treated to a coffee/tea and a nible up to the value of the admission fee ($15 for concessional and $25 for non-concessional). No need to book, just see you there! 

Our September meeting will be hosted by Larry McIntosh.  His theme is to tantalise us with wines from Tasmania and New Zealand other than Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.  A recent trend by wine makers in both areas is to step out their comfort zone and make wines from other varieties and some are very good.  Maybe they are getting ready for warmer times ahead.   So please join us on Tuesday 3rd by buying a ticket to reserve a spot.  Numbers are limited to 16 so be quick.

If you are trying to get a place at next weeks event you will have noticed that it is full.  As previously, this "event" is to establish a waiting list in case someone cancels.  First in First Served,