Jun2013_DAYBORO DAY AWARD WINNERS FOR 2013

RESIDENTS OF THE YEAR 2013 – Ann Turner and Kay Murchie (Joint winners)

YOUNG ACHIEVER 2013 – Ethan Charles Robinson  – aged 15.

BUSINESS RECOGNITION AWARD 2013 – ECU Dayboro

RESIDENTS OF THE YEAR 2013

Ann Turner and Kay Murchie (Joint winners)

These lovely ladies are involved in Uniting Church and Combined Churches Social Welfare Programs.

Initially supporting Paul Inglis (the now retired Dayboro Uniting Church Minister) in the running of these programs, Ann and Kay now jointly lead these.

Currently they average support  for 8 families through the food pantry and casserole bank.  Their tasks include shopping, food deliveries and maintenance.

Cases that they are handling vary.

    Some long term;

    Some short term;

    Some with bad histories of health and other issues;

   Some striving to cope with age related issues; 

    and some just having difficulty coping.

They work closely with Blue Care and began the “Conversation Group” which runs on a Friday incorporating lunch and a guest speaker.

With Uniting Care and Blue Care they:

    Transport people to Hospital;

    Visit lonely people;

    Organise fundraising activities;

    And bill payments for those in need.

Both Ann and Kay helped to put together and organise the distribution of 55 Christmas Hampers in 2012. 

They liaise thru Dayboro Medical Centre and Dayboro State School to find out about families in need within our community.  They truly are “Sisters of Mercy”

Congratulations Ann and Kay!

YOUNG ACHIEVER 2013

Ethan Charles Robinson  – aged 15.

Ethan is currently in year 9 at Prince of Peace Lutheran College and has lived in Dayboro since 2007.  He loves and appreciates Dayboro’s peace, beauty and community friendliness.  When he finishes his high schooling Ethan intends joining an International volunteer organisation to go overseas for a year, assisting in a third world country, before continuing his studies.

This will allow him to “give back” to a community in need as he knows that he lives in the ‘lucky country’ and is especially proud of the great sense of community here in Dayboro.

Ethan’s Dad, David, described his son as an “absolute history freak” when he was just 12 years old and set to take the global stage with the Australian Youth Choir.

Ethan studied, in his own time, and at great depth the different war histories:  WW1, WW2 and Vietnam and back to early battles such as Napoleon.  His knowledge is so extensive that older students seeks his assistance on their projects involving the wars.

Ethan has been a member of the Australian Youth Choir (AYC) since  the age of 10, progressing through all levels of the training programme from Probationer Choir to the extra commitments required as a member of the Recital Choir.

He was selected in 2010 (aged 12) to represent Australia with the choir to perform across Europe and UK.

The 2010 AYC European and UK concert tour involved many extra hours of weekly rehearsals for a concentrated period of 3 months.  During rehearsals and tours Ethan was dedicated , enthusiastic and disciplined participant and displayed incredible stamina during some extremely tiring sessions.

Performances included Euro Disney in France, a ceremony at the Arc de Thiomphe at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier;  concert at Parc du Saint-Cloud, International School of Hague and a private performance for invited guests of the Australian High Commissioner in London.

The Choir performed at significant Australian War Memorials such as:

    Ypres

    Villers Bretomeux

    Menin Gate – particularly significant as his 

      great grandfather fought in France in WW1.

In 2010 Ethan won McDonalds Young Star award in culture in January and February for Pine Rivers.

Congratulations Ethan!

BUSINESS RECOGNITION AWARD 2013

ECU Dayboro

The ECU – previously known as the Electricity Credit Union – 

came to the Dayboro community in response to a call to provide banking services to our community when the ANZ Banking Group Ltd withdrew their services back in 1997.  

They began originally as an Agency run out of the Council’s Dayboro Office in the former ANZ Bank’s premises, with their opening being celebrated at the Dayboro Day Festival in the year following the ANZ Bank’s sudden withdrawal.

As time progressed the Credit Union workload began to far outweigh that of the Council workload.  With various changes in council (then still Pine Rivers Shire Council), combined with the increased usage and support of the Credit Union facility in the township, the switch was eventually made to then became a Branch office of the ECU that acted as an agency for the council as regards the acceptance of payments for rates etc.  There was also Courtesy Phone provided in the Dayboro ECU Office for residents with any Council enquiries.  This happened on October 31st 2005.

With this change came the necessary staffing change so that it was now staffed by ECU employees.  The original staff employed to run the Dayboro Branch of ECU Australia were Maria Hansen and Maggie Rushton.

The positions were originally advertised as being for 20 hours per fortnight (Grapevine October 2005 edition) but this was quickly changed following representations from the Dayboro community and the Office Hours were established as being 9am – 12.30pm and then 1.30pm – 4.00pm.  Therefore the only ‘downgrade’ experienced with the change over was losing the Saturday morning’s trading.

After a time, Maria Hansen went on to undertake a role in the ECU’s Charlotte Street Office, thereby creating a vacancy at the Dayboro Office.  This was filled by relief staff from the Brisbane Office until Angela was teamed up with Maggie about 6 years ago. . . . This brings us to the staff that still happily and helpfully serve us – Maggie Rushton and Angela “Ange” Brabazon – at our bank, the ECU’s Dayboro branch.

We are all so used to the friendly staff who call us by our name when we come to their counter, that it takes a newcomer’s perspective to drive home that this is not the ‘norm’ elsewhere.

There is truly the feeling that you are not ‘just a number’ when you come into the ECU Office at 28 Williams Street, Dayboro.  Thank you to Maggie and Ange for the wonderful, friendly service that you provide to us, the Dayboro Community.

Congratulations Maggie and Angie!