Report of Visit to
Village Glen, Rosebud - Tuesday 6th May 2008
The VMMA was invited to the Village Glen Fidelity Club at Rosebud by Travis Ellis via David Hall (VMMA member) from Phillip Island, Travis and David have been friends for many years and David visits Travis at the Village Glen, Rosebud.
Due to David's association with the Rosebud area over a good number of years (even working at the Village Glen, Rosebud) it was most appropriate that David be the main presenter of the VMMA story.
David took on the challenge to develop a information package that all VMMA members would be able to utilise in the event of being invited to make a VMMA presentation, this package now includes information from the documented history of the VMMA by Pedro along with input from the regular VMMA presenters Chris and Pedro who depending on the audience have a varied approach to each presentation.
After a month or so of gathering information and collating it into a logical sequence David submitted his package for review, it was a job done extremely well with NO tweaks required at all and it is very easy to use. But the test is yet to come with David being the 1st person to utilise the information package.
Arriving at Village Glen, Rosebud
The day for Chris, Sharyn, Bob, Jean and Phil started with a 8.00 a.m. sharp departure from Mooroolbark to the meeting venue at McDonalds at Rosebud, what's the weather got install for us?
Off we went via Ferntree Gully, Berwick, Five Ways, Hastings and finally Rosebud, weather held off with only a couple of patches of light rain, Bob eventually got over his glass fogging up early in the ride.
On our arrival at McDonalds Rosebud we found David's motorcycle and set off to find him, yes he is in McDonalds waiting for us, having 15 minutes up our sleeve we had a quick coffee and chat, well some of us did, for Bob and Jean had many admires of the trike in the car park hence no time for coffee.
We departed just after 10.00 a.m. for the short ride around the corner to Village Glen stopping inside the entry for Bob to erect the VMMA small flag on the new mounting frame attached to the trike, we then proceeded to ride through the Village to one of the many meeting rooms within this large retirement village (approx 900 people live in villas in this complex).
Left: Bob getting out of wet weather gear. Right: One of the many meeting rooms at Village Glen
On arrival we were greeted by Travis who then invited the brethren in the meeting room to come and have a look at the motorcycles prior to David's presentation, well around 60 brethren came out for a look whilst others decided it was warmer in the room and waited for us to come inside.
The Village Glen Fidelity Club at Rosebud consists of brethren who live within this large retirement complex, they have regular social meetings and invite many different individuals and organisations to come along and enlighten them of their aims and activities.
Around 70 brethren from within the Village attended this particular meeting to listen to the VMMA story and meet some of it members.
Travis introducing David Hall and VMMA members.
The proceedings commenced with the VMMA being formally welcomed by President Bill Collins who then invited Travis to introduce his friend David and invite him to proceed with the VMMA History presentation. David instantly informed everyone he was not accustomed with making VMMA presentations and that he was going to utilise the package he had recently developed.
David's presentation commenced by introducing individually the VMMA members in attendance and gave a brief run down of their involvement in the organisation, well this stalled his presentation for a couple of minutes, gee everyone is still here, big breath lets do it!!!!!
Some of the members of Village Glen Fidelity Club, Rosebud David receiving thank you card from Travis.
Well what a presentation David gave, it was extremely well presented with some good humor included for good measure, everyone listened intently and overwhelmingly endorsed the package put together.
David's big mistake was to invite Chris to the floor to answer any questions, yes there were a good number of questions that Chris answered well we assumed he answered, yes he did in his own special way. The VMMA presentation concluded with David being presented with a card of thanks from the Village Glen Fidelity Club along with a $50 donation to the VMMA General Charity Fund.
It is always interesting when you go visiting, obviously meeting many people who you would never have come across who become friends but also meeting others who during your life you have come into contact with. Well Sharyn and Chris met a long time family friend on Sharyn's Summerfield side of the family who is now in Melbourne and a member of the Village Glen Fidelity Club, his name is Jack Hardy originally from Avoca in Central Victoria who was a very close friend to Sharyn's father Russell.
Sharyn with Jack Hardy
In fact the property Chris and Sharyn own at Moonambel in Central Victoria was a direct purchase from Jack some 17 years ago when he was realising his assets and getting ready for retirement from farming and the big move from Avoca to the big smoke.
Bob and Jean displayed some of the VMMA merchandise of which a number of items were purchased along with a number of personal donations.
We were invited to ride our motorcycles through the Village Glen complex prior to departure, it appears to be very well designed and from the feedback of those living there they only spoke glowingly of the services provided.
Late lunch at Sorrento before heading home. L to R: Bob, Phil, Jean & Sharyn
It was now early afternoon, David was going to work whilst Chris, Sharyn, Bob, Jean and Phil rode down to Sorrento for a light lunch then Bob, Jean and Phil rode back to Mooroolbark whilst Chris and Sharyn took off for a long ride back home.
To conclude well done David in organising the activity and playing a major roll in the VMMA presentation to a very active and interested group of brethren at Village Glen.
Reported by: CW
