THE SUB - BRANCH SIGNAL

Issue 10/2017 The Returned & Services League of Australia WA

IN THIS ISSUE

Membership Benefits 2

Remembrance Day 3

Maritime Day 3

Battle of Beersheba 3

Christmas Cards 4

Level 3/66 St Georges Terrace, Perth

Reception Level 3

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EAST PERTH WA 6892 P: (08) 9287 3799 F: (08) 9287 3732

E: admin@rslwa.org.au

Welfare and Advocacy Morgana Ramsey Rosalind Howat

P: (08) 9287 3799 F: (08) 9287 3732

E: advocacy@rslwa.org.au E: welfare@rslwa.org.au

Sub-Branch Signal Editorial P: (08) 9287 3799

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CONTACTS

From the President’s Pen | Peter Aspinall

Photo by Dalibor Acimic - www.acimicphotography.com

Remembrance Day 2017 Saturday after next we, as a nation, will pause

to celebrate the 99th anniversary of the

armistice that brought the hostilities of World

War 1 to an end.

In the commemorations that have been have

held since the beginning of the centenary of

ANZAC period we have emphasised not only

the tragic loss of our young men and women

throughout the conflicts but the other half of

the casualty count, the thousands of young

men and women who came back to Australia

damaged physically and/or mentally of whom

so many suffered for the rest of their lives.

Remembrance Day, originally Armistice Day, is

the time to remember that in time of conflict

it is the whole nation that is involved.

Through the time of the two World Wars and,

perhaps to a lesser extent, the Vietnam War

our whole nation was directly involved. There

was barely a family or a community that was

not affected and in the aftermath so many

families and communities then had, in many

instances, the sad responsibility to take care

and support those severely damaged veterans

through their remaining days.

The nature of warfare in the 21st century is so different to that of the last century. No longer is the nation so intimately involved in the conflicts that are prosecuted by the members of our Defence Force. Also now conflicts do not end in total victory or total defeat so the signing of armistices and peace accords etc. seems to belong to a bygone age of warfare.

This being the case, there are few opportunities to commemorate the sacrifices and trials and tribulations that families of current veterans face each and every day. The 11th of November is that opportunity to bring to the fore the impact that war has on the whole nation. It is also particularly important that we recognise and pay tribute to the young families that support all of our contemporary veterans. Yesterday marked the centenary of the Battle of Beersheba, the first battle in a campaign known as the Sinai/Palestine campaign. This successful campaign was responsible for the defeat of the Ottoman empire in the Middle East and gave rise to the British Government having the confidence to implement the Balfour Declaration leading to the establishment of the state of Israel on 14 May 1948. Throughout the Sinai/Palestine campaign the Australian Desert Mount Corp was a major formation in General Allenby’s order of battle. It was pleasing to see the amount of media coverage that was provided to the Battle of Beersheba here in WA even if there were a few erroneous mentions of it being the last major Cavalry charge in military history. As you many history buffs know, the 4th and 12th Brigades were Light Horse (infantry) Brigades, not Cavalry!

The Battle of Beersheba

RSLWA Membership Benefits

I am pleased to advise that a new partnership has been forged between RSLWA and the highly-respected Western Australian Club (The WA Club). A consequence of our move is that we do not have a social amenity such as ANZAC Club which was well regarded and patronised by members and their guests. As such, I have held discussions on RSLWA’s behalf with the WA Club President and I’m pleased to announce that, effectively immediately, all financial Service Members of RSLWA will be afforded reciprocal rights till 30 June 2020. Click here for full details.

John McCourt | Chief Executive Officer

ANZAC of the Year & ANZAC Peace Prize

20 January 2018

Meritorious, Life Membership, 50 Year Awards

31 March 2018

Honours & Awards Nominations

WA Club

Choice Hotels ASIA-PAC

The WA Club is located at Level 11/12 St Georges Terrace.

Quality Hotel Ambassador Perth and Comfort Inn & Suites Goodearth Perth are perfectly located in the CBD minutes from an exciting choice of shopping, dining and entertainment. Popular with leisure and corporate travellers alike, both hotels offer spacious rooms and suites with free Wi-Fi, Foxtel and movies on demand. A special rate for RSLWA Members is available. RSLWA is continuing to work with the business community to ensure that our Members receive relevant benefits from a wide range of retailers across the state. Click here for full details.

Quality Hotel Ambassador Perth.

Membership

Directors’ Strategic Review

From 1 October - all new Service Membership fees are $40. This makes a Member financial until Dec 2018. This week we receive new Membership Brochures. These will be widely distributed throughout the community, on Defence Bases and at key events.

Brochures are available to Sub-Branches on request as of Friday 3 November or will be delivered to Sub-Branches by regional representatives if possible.

Please note ALL Sub-Branch Committee Members must be financial to hold a position.

At the beginning of October 2017 the Board of Directors of RSLWA conducted a strategic review to define and articulate what and how we progress, over the next few years, our primary role of anticipating and meeting the needs of our veterans of past and current conflicts. We believe RSLWA now has a strong blueprint for how we go about our core business of looking after veterans and their families. Out of the strategic review were a number of key commitments. Our vision towards year 2020 is for the RSLWA to enjoy the full confidence of government, the community and Veterans through professional, innovative and collaborative service delivery to Veterans and their families. We firmly believe that what we are doing here in Western Australia is a game-changer. We have a real opportunity to forge ahead in WA by doing what’s right and what’s important to Veterans – and doing it with good governance, sound financial management and delivering what’s needed. Our Key Strategic Objectives include refining service offerings and develop new and innovative services for Members and Veterans generally, increasing membership retention and growth, and developing strong partnerships and collaboration opportunities with like-minded organisations.

Peter Aspinall | State President

Remembrance Day—Kings Park 11/11/2017 | 10.30am—11.45am

Maritime Day

Conducted by RSLWA, this significant Service will take place at the State War Memorial in Kings Park. Our Patron, Her Excellency the Honourable Kerry Sanderson AC Governor of Western Australia, will be in attendance and will deliver the keynote address. Local schoolchildren will attend the Service and a number of dignitaries and representatives of Ex-Service Organisations will lay wreaths around the Flame of Remembrance.

Remembrance Day 2016.

Remembrance Day—Sub-Branches

There are over 40 Remembrance Day services being conducted by our Sub-Branches right across WA. Thank you to everyone who provided details relating to their Commemorations. You can see the list here.

Brookton RSL Remembrance Day.

The Listening Post The latest edition of The Listening Post (November 2017 Vol 40—No 3) will be hitting your letterbox right now. The magazine contains a profile on LCpl David Scott from the Australian Army Band Perth, a regional Sub-Branch visit to Wagin and a listing of Commemorative Services for Remembrance Day.

RSLWA will once again take part in this year’s Maritime Day. The free event is a great family fun day with extensive shore displays from the Royal Australian Navy. The submarine HMAS Waller will be quayside, along with the refuelling ship Vacamonte, Svitzer and TAMS Group tugs, a river dredging barge, STS Leeuwin and the Port of Fremantle emergency response boat. For full details click the image below.

Battle of Beersheba Historical displays, a Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle, horse events, sausage sizzle and a wreath laying ceremony kept the public entertained for over four hours at the Victoria Park RSL Sub-Branch. Well done to Kelvin & Jacquie Liddiard and Members of Victoria Park Sub-Branch for their efforts to commemorate the Battle. A very special thanks also to the Kelmscott-Pinjarra 10th Light Horse Memorial Troop for their efforts in both the Victoria Park and Kings Park services.

The horses lie down quickly to avoid gunfire.

[L & R] Jacquie and Kelvin Liddiard. [Centre] Merv

Wilson, President, Kelmscott-Pinjarra 10th Light Horse

Memorial Troop.

[RSLWA Membership] As at September 30, 2017

Service 7,528 Affiliate 2,230 TOTAL 9,758

Christmas Cards for Troops

[L-R] RSLWA Operations Manager, Martin Holzberger AM

CSC, Events Coordinator Wendy Moss and Joondalup City

RSL Sub-Branch Secretary Ken Beven.

An alliance between Joondalup City RSL Sub-Branch, Lake Joondalup Lifestyle Village and College Park Over-55’s Lifestyle Village has resulted in a very merry Christmas for Defence personnel on deployment overseas. The cards from both groups were creative. Each was individually crafted and materials such as ribbon from old chocolate boxes was used all over again. 1,626 cards have been delivered to RSLWA.

ANZAC House Demolition

November 2017

In two months everything was gone. Yellow sand and a pile of rubble is all that remains at 28 St Georges Terrace.

Have A Go Day

A first For WA Students For the first time a WA School has been awarded the DVA ANZAC Award at both the State and National level. Teacher, Mrs Anita Thomson and Year 4/5 students at Woodbridge Primary School received the award for their remarkable efforts to commemorate both ANZAC Day and the Battle of Beersheba this year.