DNC Annual General Meeting
Last week, the DNC conducted its Annual General Meeting. Sixteen members participated and the business included some highlights of the preceding year.
Chair’s Report
Gina Lyons reported that a 3-year ARC management contract was awarded to DNC by the Hepburn Shire Council (HSC) via a tender process. Immediately, a steering committee was set up to oversee the contract. It comprises representatives from Hepburn Shire Council, Daylesford College and DNC. A detailed operating budget, submitted to the committee by DNC, has been accepted, paving the way for the ARC activation plan.
During the year a strategic plan for DNC evolved that focuses on Lifelong learning; arts, recreation, and culture; and Organisational development and support.
The shower and toilet facility continues to receive widespread acknowledgement, particularly the national coverage by the ABC. We have received a number of requests for advice on the implementation of a similar community service from other Community Centres, local governments and other NGOs. We were honoured to receive the Reducing Inequalities award from Neighbourhood Houses Victoria for our hygiene station. It has now been used 69 times since opening, with several people per day accessing it.
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer, Jim Foster, reported that calendar year 2023 reflected a solid financial outcome for the Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre with revenue and costs in line with budget. The balance sheet remains strong with a slight increase in cash over the previous year.
Manager’s Report
DNC manager, Danny Liversidge, reported that the DNC had continued to grow with visitations up 21% on 2022 (a total of 4,702 visits). While all categories increased, the majority of growth came from the first full year of U3A making the Court-room home.
We have been reviewing our disability access, and with the generous support of Working Heritage (WH) we installed new automatic doors to improve access. WH have also completed a draft site plan to improve site access across the different buildings. Once the plan is complete, we will provide more detail on these major site works.
Thanks
The Chair acknowledged the efforts of the Committee members who, giving freely of their time, provide a considerable depth of knowledge and expertise that ensures DNC is the best it can be. A very special thanks was directed to the administration team of Danny Liversidge, Linda Carroll and Ethan Morrison – small but extremely effective team that always delivers for our community.
Onwards and upwards for the next twelve months! And Congratulations to the new committee.
The elected committee included Lynda Poke (left), President Gina Lyons, Secretary Dudley McArdle (right) and Robyn Rogers (missing).
DNC Joke Story of the Week
Many years ago, in the wild, wild west, an old woman prospector walked up and tied her ageing mule to the hitching post outside the saloon.
As she stood there brushing some of the dust from her face and clothes, a young gunslinger staggered out of the saloon with a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other. The gunslinger looked at the old woman and laughed “Hey old woman, have you ever danced?” The old woman looked up at the gunslinger and said “No,… I never did dance… Never really wanted to”.
A crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said “Well, you old bag, you’re gonna dance now,” and started shooting at the old woman’s feet. The old woman prospector – not wanting to get her toe blown off – started hopping around. Everybody was laughing.
When his last bullet had been fired, the young gunslinger, still laughing, holstered his gun and turned around to go back into the saloon.
The old woman turned to her pack mule, pulled out a double-barrelled shotgun, and cocked both hammers.
The loud clicks carried clearly through the desert air, and the crowd stopped laughing immediately. The young gunslinger heard the sounds, too, and he turned around very slowly.
The silence was almost deafening. The crowd watched as the young gunman stared at the old woman and the large gaping holes of those twin barrels.
The barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old woman’s hands, as she quietly said “Son, have you ever kissed a mule’s ass?”
The gunslinger swallowed hard and said “No Ma’am… But I’ve always wanted to.”
There are five lessons here for all of us:
- Never be arrogant
- Don’t waste ammunition
- Whiskey makes you think you are smarter than you are
- Always make sure you know who has the power
- Don’t mess with old women. They didn’t get old by being stupid!
[If you’ve got a better joke, (and doesn’t everyone??) send it to admin@dncentre.org.au and we’ll publish it. (Remember, this is a family publication! ?). We’ll even include your name if you wish – or you can protect your anonymity!]
