REGISTERED BY AUSTRALIA POST - PUBLICATION No. VBH 6369
SEPTEMBER 2008
National Day celebrations for young and old Lampionumzug – Lantern Procession
Festivities at the Club
The rain and at times almost gail-force wind stopped just in time as around 100 people of all ages gathered for the traditional ‘Lampionumzug’. This event has grown in popularity every year despite the often unfavourable weather prevailing at this time of the year.
Whilst the children and parents enjoyed themselves upstairs after the ‘Lampionumzug’, the party continued for members and guests at the fully booked Club Restaurant.
The procession took a different route than in previous years. We started from Federation Square, were the eight large flagpoles along Flinders Street were decorated with huge Swiss flags hoisted by the Melbourne City Council to acknowledge Swiss National Day. The procession then slowly made its way along the Yarra towards the MCG. Gerd Schwärzler with the drum, Peter Häusler and Roland Isler with Swiss and Australian flags were followed by young and old proudly carrying bells and brightly shining lanterns. Some footy fans must have been wondering what team this noisy and colourful crowd is supporting and many passers-by enquired curiously about what this was all about! After a pleasant walk in the cold winter night, everyone arrived at the Club’s 2nd floor, which was decorated in the red and white Swiss colours. The children were heading for the buffet with yummy sausages (special thanks to Marlies & Sepp Krummenacher from Ormond Meat & Smallgoods for the donation!), chips (thank you Roger, as always), yoghurt, lollies and cordial. The parents were treated to traditional Älplermagronen and Mostcrème (thank you, Barbara, for the delicious dessert). We hope that young and young-at-hearts had a fantastic time and will help us celebrate again next year. Pencil it in your 2009 diary – it is a true way of celebrating your Swiss heritage!
A very lively atmosphere ensued as soon as John Wanner and his ‘Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand’ played their first tune. Naturally, the delicious dinner menu created by Roger Moullet and the excellent service by the girls did its part to enhance the celebratory mood! This 717th anniversary of Switzerland was extra special for John Wanner (80) and Urs Marfurt (75) as they together commemorated their milestone birthdays the same day. The Alphorn tune courtesy of Irma Thalmann and the welcome by Club President Rolf Huber signalled the official part of the evening. Everyone raised to sing the National Anthem accompanied by ‘Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand’. Following this, Mr Ernst Hofstetter, Deputy Consul General of Switzerland, visiting from Sydney with his family, addressed the members - see page 6. It was fantastic to see so many people having a great time! Thanks to everyone that attended and a special thank-you to all the helpers that made this Swiss National Day 2008 again a not-to-be missed event on the Swiss Club calendar! Continued on page 6
From the
Editor’s Pen
Dear Reader, in this issue I’d like to introduce to you a new regular contributor. Damian Schaller, who represents the ‘younger generation’ of Club members, will be writing about the world wide web and perhaps inspire us less web-savvy people to go surfing. Thank you and welcome Damian! As always, we would welcome any feedback from you. Share with us the experience or web discoveries you have made! See ”Damian’s Websurf“ on page 17.
89 Flinders Lane • Melbourne 3000 • Victoria • Australia • w w w.s w i s s .o r g.au/s w i s sc lu bv i c
SWISS CLUB OF VICTORIA Founded in 1899
89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000 T: (03) 9650 1196, F: (03) 9650 3104 E: swissclubvic@swiss.org.au W: www.swiss.org.au/swissclubvic Club Opening Hours Bookings: T: (03) 9650 1196 Lunch - Monday to Friday from 12noon Dinner - Wednesday, Thursday & Friday from 6pm. Friday Happy Hour from 5pm to 6.30pm. Swiss Club Catering For Weddings, Corporate, Seminars, Parties, Private Functions contact Chef & Catering Manager Roger Moullet T: (03) 9650 1196, F: (03) 9650 3104 M: 0409 040 249 E: swissclub@hotmail.com
COMMITTEE Rolf Huber President T/F (H): (03) 9807 0282 M (B): 0425 805 854 M (H): 0417 013 066 E: rhuber@swiss.org.au Barbara Kündig Vice President/Secretary T/F (H): (03) 9813 8843 M: 0402 018 363 E: barbara@swiss.org.au
Newsletter ‘Edelweiss’ is the Newsletter of the Swiss Club of Victoria and is published quarterly in March, June, September and December. For all advertising enquiries and editorial contributions please contact: Roland Isler, Editor T/F (H): (03) 9558 3877 T (B): (03) 9524 6335 F (B): (03) 9528 4792 M: 0412 935 565 E: risler@swiss.org.au 67 St Georges Crescent Heatherton Vic 3202
Urs Derrick Wildi Treasurer T/F (H): (03) 9824 7930 M: 0403 040 930 E: uwildi@swiss.org.au Oliver Altermatt Building Management/Functions M: 0410 684 263 E: oaltermatt@swiss.org.au Gerda Probst Membership Relations/Functions T (H): (03) 9748 8540 M: 0439 936 313 E: gerda@swiss.org.au Patrick Rychner Corporate Communications/ Web Administrator/Functions M: 0404 657 886 E: paddy@swiss.org.au
SWISS CLUB SUB-GROUPS Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose President: Sylvia Hochuli T: (03) 9531 6575 E: hochuli@tpg.com.au Swiss Companion Singers Convenor: Heidy Giger T: (03) 9889 9321 E: gigi45@bigpond.com Ladies Luncheons Convenor: Heidy Giger For bookings T: (03) 9650 1196 For information: T: (03) 9889 9321 E: gigi45@bigpond.com Saturday Morning Swiss School Convenor: Andrea Pinch T: (03) 5331 6762 E: pinch@hotkey.net.au W: www.swiss.org.au/scvschool
OTHER SWISS ORGANISATIONS Swiss Society of Victoria (Benevolent Society) President: Primo Calabresi T: (03) 9857 7427 W: www.swiss.org.au/swissclubvic Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess Australian/Swiss Cultural Society President: Sylvia Hochuli T: (03) 9531 6575 E: hochuli@tpg.com.au Groupe Romand du Victoria President: Marianne Puccinelli 7 Eric Court, Wheelers Hill Vic 3150 T: (03) 9561 9595 W: www.swiss.org.au/chfrvic Pro Ticino President: Claude Rossi 5 Falls Road, Hoddles Creek Vic 3139 T: (03) 5967 4542 E: marclas@hotkey.net.au Swiss Yodel Choir Matterhorn President: Marco Unternährer 3 Bluegum Court, Upwey Vic 3158 T (B): (03) 9388 8777, (H) 9752 6996 W: www.swiss.org.au/matterhorn Swiss-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) General Manager: Marcel Svatos Level 5, 23-25 O’Connell Street Sydney NSW 2000 T: (02) 9223 7222, F: (02) 9223 7211 E: support@sacci.com.au W: www.sacci.com.au Swiss Academic Network Melbourne (SANM) E: info@sanm.id.au W: www.sanm.id.au
Swiss Playgroup Ingrid Preston T: (03) 9772 0516 Claudia Dahinden T: (03) 9347 6913 W: www.swiss.org.au/playgroup
Honorary Consul of Switzerland (Victoria) Erika Kimpton 697 Toorak Road, Kooyong Vic 3144 T: (03) 9824 7527, M: 0413 042 728 E: erikakimpton@optusnet.com.au
The Young Swiss Group Convenor: Amy Bohren 2/9 Grandview Grove, Bayswater Vic 3153 M: 0409 041 528 E: abohren@swiss.org.au
Council for the Swiss Abroad Representative: Walter Purtschert 11 Hornby Street, Beaumaris Vic 3193 T: (03) 9589 6080, M: 0413 444 666 E: wpurtsch@bigpond.net.au
Unless otherwise stated, postal address for all the above is: 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000
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President’s Message Dear members and friends of the Swiss Club, Spring is in the air! What a wonderful time of the year it is. I was reminded of it the other day when I got a whiff of an early blooming frangipani. For all our friends who read my message out there winters in Melbourne are very mild and much shorter compared with my home country Switzerland. It’s great to have a change of season even if it happens all in the one day as often experienced in Melbourne. That was the weather report. So far the year has been good to the Swiss Club. I have had the pleasure of meeting new members and listening to their interesting stories about their motives of migrating to Australia or the reasons for joining the club. There are a number of reasons why Swiss people migrate to Australia and I can think of a few such as seeking a different life style, the warmer weather or they follow their sweethearts. So what is the reason for joining the club then? The most important one is probably the opportunity to experience a bit of Switzerland far away from home and that means speaking “Schwyzerdütsch”, French, Italian or even Romansh, eating your favourite Swiss food or just simply catching up with friends over a Jass or a glass of wine. It always amazes me how warmly people speak out about Switzerland and in the same breath mention the Swiss Club as a place “der Gemütlichkeit” and a home away from home. The club has seen a number of great functions this year such as the Top to Top Presentation on climate change, the Jass nights, the Swiss movies,ad the80x88 Singles 6/5/08 Soiree, the4:49 Ladies Owner Builder pmLuncheon Page 1
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and recently the Lantern Procession and National Day Senior Members Luncheon. The committee had the pleasure of welcoming the Deputy Consul General of Switzerland from Sydney, Mr Ernst Hofstetter and his family as well as Ms Erika Kimpton, Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Melbourne on the occasion of the Swiss National Day celebration at the club. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Hofstetter for travelling to Melbourne to attend the function and all the many members who give freely of their time to organise these social events. And what’s ahead? There is more to come. On 3 September another fantastic Ladies Luncheon is planned and on 4 September, as every first Thursday of the month Johnny Wanner and his Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand will entertain you and your friends at the club. Don’t miss the grand finale of the Jass Swiss Club Championships on 6th of September. Detailed information on these events and a preview of the next few months you will find in this newsletter or else visit our website on swiss.org.au/swissclubvic. If you just want to relax why not have lunch or dinner at the club and let Roger Moullet and his team spoil you with a Raclette or meat loaf with Rösti? The renovation and future utilisation of the second floor is still the committee’s number one topic. To turn this potential asset into a commercial reality a substantial amount of money need to be spent which is beyond the reach of the club’s financial capacity. What we are after is a financial backer with a sound business case. If this option does not materialise a step by step approach will have to be envisaged. We encourage all members and friends of the club to participate in the active planning of our future club building. You can voice your opinion to me or the committee verbally or in writing or you can propose your idea at the Half-Yearly General Meeting on 17 September. I also need to draw your attention to another matter. At present the committee is made up of six members all of whom have work and family responsibilities. For nearly a year we have been struggling to find additional committee members and often find ourselves in a situation of not having a quorum (at least five members present to vote on business decisions.) The constitution of the Swiss Club requires a minimum of five members present. To allow more flexibility to conduct business, the committee would like to serve a motion on the members at the Half-Yearly to remove the requirement of a quorum and allow a simple majority of votes. Meanwhile, dear member, I appeal to you for joining the committee and share your portion of the workload. Again feel free to contact your committee prior to the Half-Yearly. In closing I would like to wish all our sick folk a speedy recovery and all those travelling the seven seas a safe return. I look forward to seeing you at the club. Rolf Huber, President
Swiss Club of Victoria
John Le Marshall, Paula Preisig, Otto Sedelies, Maya Wagner 40 years: Edith Koller 45 years: Wolfram Pacher The following members were celebrating their milestone birthdays:
Welcome to our new members
Hans Bless could commemorate his 90th, while Elisa Bernhard, Vernon Hauser, Ruth Tschanz, Hans Wanner and Bob Wernli all celebrated their 80th. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate them and wish them good health in many years to come. We are happy to inform you that André Jäggi and Yolanda Juen tied the knot in Accra (Ghana) in July. The members of the Swiss Club are sending their best wishes! And last but not least: Sue and Franz Schnellmann could welcome their new granddaughter on 26 July. We wish them many treasured moments with Chloe Alannah.
Get well Antony Anderson, Vreni Asher, Rinat Azimov, Peter Bellomo, Andrew Bostock, Bruce Bowlby, Neville Burton, Ursula & Peter Casaulta, John Coward, Sigrid de Castella, Roger Dowding, Bradley Grimm, Vernon Hauser, William Hunter, Peter Lausberg, Helen & Joe Mauch, Howard Staehr, Christian Strahlhofer, Errol Williams, Florris Williams, Patricia & Bob Wernli, Sara Windlin
Our thoughts are with Peter Noser who is recovering after a difficult operation. We wish you a speedy recovery. We wish Alice Fueglistaler better times with warmer weather ahead. To Diane Brunner, Fritz Hochuli, Otto Krumm, Max Ammann and Karl Tschanz and their families; the best wishes of your fellow members are with you. To all members and friends who don’t feel too well, we send our love and good wishes.
The last farewell
A very warm welcome to all our new members. We hope you are enjoying the club restaurant as well as the functions; we will hopefully be meeting you soon in person at the Half-Yearly meeting in September.
Congratulations The committee has decided to formally acknowledge not only Honorary Life members, but also other long-standing members. The following membership milestones are reached during 2008; we thank you all for your club loyalty. 20 years: Otto Krumm, John-Peter Mischler 25 years: Kurt Born, Marguerite Demuth, Madeleine & Robert Gasser, Roland Maeder, Elisabeth & John McAlister, Willi Morger, Sigi Wyder, Markus Zihlmann 30 years: Ursula Erna & Eric Cairis, Martha Fuller, Adrian Huber, Rosmarie Hugi, Kenneth Lamin, Marcel Muntwyler, Elvira & Paul Reichmuth, Margrit & Ueli Schupbach, Eileen Spieler, Christian Thalmann 35 years: Betty Almond, Marlyse & Ruedi Birmele, Carlo Hefti, w w w.s w i s s .o r g.au/s w i s sc lu bv i c
It is with sadness that we report to you of the passing of our most senior member, Hanny Earl. Hanny spent her last few weeks at the Bethlehem Hospital. Throughout, she remained in good spirit and passed away on 7 July at the age of 101 ½ years. Hanny was a supportive and active member of the Swiss Club for many years. We will miss her and our thoughts are with Joan, Heidi, David and their families. (Please also see ‘Thanks to the Swiss Community’ on page 6.) Dear members, if your partner, your friends or fellow members have a reason to celebrate, are unwell or have left for a better place, please let me know so that others know too. Editor
Newsletter Deadlines 2008 December Issue: Covering Dec/Jan 09/Feb 09 Editorial Deadline: Monday, 3 November Packing: Wednesday, 19 November
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Thanks to the Swiss Community On behalf of the family of the late Johanna (Hanny) Earl, I would like to thank all past and present members of the Swiss Club of Victoria who were important to Hanny’s life. The family will always remember the great support given to Hanny and Harry when he returned to Australia after seven years in Switzerland, accompanied by a new wife and a two-year old daughter. It was 1938, and for all the years in between, the Club has meant a great deal to us. Hanny passed away at Bethlehem Hospital on 7 July. I thank everyone who attended her funeral on 18 July at Springvale for their kind support, it would have pleased her so much. I wish she could have known beforehand how very special the service was, again, in part due to the kindness of Club members. In 2006 a group from the Swiss Companion Singers generously came to our house to sing for Hanny’s 100th birthday. On 18 July they again provided a very special item. It was from Hanny’s childhood and, as requested, was light and hopeful. It’s called “Es isch mer alles ei Ding”. I thank Heidy Giger and the group for giving up time to rehearse as well as perform at the funeral. Yet another debt of gratitude is owed to Sylvia Hochuli, a friend of Hanny for 44 years. Sylvia not only notified as many people as possible of Hanny’s death, but also borrowed a Swiss flag for us to drape over the coffin together with the Australian flag. We know how demanding Sylvia’s life can be and how much precious time with her family and art is set aside while she deals with Club matters. Yet Hanny never had to ask Sylvia for favours, she always offered first. We can never repay those precious hours. At the funeral Sylvia provided something very special. It was a Swiss child’s prayer which Hanny taught me in 1938. I, no longer able to speak Swiss, said the prayer to Hanny at the hospital. She said I was talking ‘gobbledegook’ – and we both fell about laughing. Sylvia stepped in and said the prayer for Hanny and the family at this most important time on Friday. Thank you all, most sincerely, for enriching Hanny’s life. Joan Merenra (daughter of Hanny Earl)
from page 1
Address by the Deputy Consul General Friday, 1 August Dear compatriots, Dear friends of Switzerland, Ladies and Gentlemen Good Evening! On behalf of Mr Jürg Casserini, Consul General, I extend his and the Swiss Consulate team’s warmest greetings to the entire Swiss community in Victoria. I am honoured and delighted to be here in windy Melbourne on this very special occasion of the Swiss National Day celebration. It is a great pleasure for me as well as for my family to meet so many compatriots and Australian friends of Switzerland. This year, our mother Helvetia is celebrating her 717th Anniversary. The flow and exchange of information has grown enormously with modern forms of communication possibilities. This fact however doesn’t mean that personal contact has ceased to be important. The central networking role of a Consulate remains, as it always has been, the forging of these personal contacts to benefit the interests of our country and its economy. The duties of Embassies and Consulates have changed over the years, forcing us to adjust to modern, more efficient working practices in order to keep up with the ever growing work load. Embassies and Consulates are more important than ever in building and maintaining good relationships amongst nations. Governments and administrations need counsel, support in seeking solutions to complex problems or in the pursuit of specific policies, and these are among other duties the important contributions that Embassies and Consulates can make. In the same context, an Embassy or a Consulate in a country that is remote from Switzerland and with a different cultural approach, has a far greater role to play than Swiss representations in one of Switzerland’s neighbouring country. As you all know, Switzerland enjoys a good reputation in Australia. Australia is an important partner in regards to Switzerland’s foreign economy, but Switzerland is an even more important trading partner for Australia. Bilateral trade has grown considerably and I am proud to mention that Switzerland has grown to be the fifth largest investor in Australia and the biggest assets holder. In 2007 the Swiss economy grew by 2,6% with the unemployment figure falling below the 100’000 mark; this represents a rate of 2,5%. For the current year a further economic growth can be expected despite the well known financial turbulences. Foreign trade is a traditional motor for growth in Switzerland
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Swiss Club of Victoria
and therefore of special importance. Every second Swiss Franc is earned abroad! The Swiss community abroad plays a very important role in this field. So many Swiss deserve to be called economic and trade Ambassador. I take this opportunity to thank you in particular for everything what you have done so far and will continue to do for Switzerland and your second home, called Australia. Since 1 January, 2008 the bilateral social security agreement between Switzerland and Australia has been in force. We from the Consulate General know very well that many of our compatriots have faced some difficulties with the Australian authorities in regard to the payment of the pension or the declaration of the tax incomes. A bilateral agreement is an agreement between two sovereign countries and often does not take into consideration particular individual cases. This of course is for many compatriots hard to understand and certainly very regrettable. Last but not least, here are some internal information regarding staff changes at the Swiss Embassy in Canberra and the Swiss Consulate General in Sydney. As you may know, Ambassador Christian Mühlethaler and his wife Ruth left Australia for good on 2 July, 2008. Mr Mühlethaler has been appointed Ambassador to Hungary with residence in Budapest. Ambassador Mühlethaler will be replaced by Ambassador Daniel Woker, former Swiss Ambassador to Singapore. His arrival is planned for 21 August, 2008. Former Deputy Head of Mission in Canberra, Mr Alain-Denis Henchoz, left with his family for Brussels. He has been replaced by Mr Claude-André Barbey. Mr Uve Haueter, Head of Chancellery in Canberra, is on his way to Paris and will be replaced in September by a new colleague. Mrs Marion Wichmann left the Consulate in Sydney for Kinshasa. Mrs Silvia Gerber is leaving beautiful Sydney at this very moment to take up her new assignment in Pristina, Kosovo and Mrs Martine Bardy will join the consular and diplomatic carrier at the Department for Foreign Affairs in coming October. She will be replaced by Mr Stephan Krause. Coming from Kinshasa, Mr Andreas Gschwend with his partner, joined the Consular staff very recently.
National Day Senior Members’ Luncheon Monday, 11 August The Senior Members of the Swiss Club of Victoria have done it again. They celebrated the National Day 2008 on 11 August at the Swiss Club with vigor and joy, a fantastic 3-course dinner, wonderful music and a sing-a-long distinguishing many perfect voices. Heartfelt thanks go to the host, the Swiss Club and its President Rolf Huber, the helpers Sylvia Hochuli and Herbert and Heidy. We had the good fortune to enjoy the accordion virtuosity of Valeri Ozeram from ‘The Cuckoo’ Restaurant and we were all delighted when our Tom Webb joined him with the Singing Saw. We sincerely hope that, as it is tradition by now, we will gather for yet another party in 2009 and can welcome the very same guests in good health and with happy faces. Rita Schwärzler-Abbt
As you can see, the Embassy and the Consulate General is moving ahead with almost an entire fresh crew. Let me finish this small speech by thanking you all for being here today for the celebration of our National Day 2008, the 717th Anniversary of our Nation. I wish you now a very pleasant evening enjoy the wonderful food and of course the drinks as well. See you hopefully all again next year here in Melbourne when we will come together again to celebrate Switzerland’s 718th birthday. Ernst Hofstetter, Deputy Consul General of Switzerland Want a taste of Switzerland? Visit the Swiss Club Restaurant
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Movie documentary about the Swiss Club My name is Roman Meyer. I was born in Liestal, Switzerland and moved to Melbourne eight months ago. I am studying Film & TV Production at JMC Academy. My upcoming project is a documentary about the Swiss Club. I want to explore the spirit of the Club and document how Swiss culture is lived in Australia. Who are its members? What are their life stories and what does the Club mean to them? I will have a look at different sub-groups, the club’s history, as well as its future. The filming will take place end of August/ beginning of September. Amongst other things, I will be filming the “Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand” on 4 September and a Jass Night on 6 September as well as the Fondue dans la neige. The film will be finished by beginning of November. If you would like to know more about the project, please do not hesitate to contact me: Mobile: 0416 747 609 or Email: romanmeyer@gmx.net. I look forward to meeting you. Roman Meyer
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Swiss Club of Victoria
Recent visit by Swiss conductor Maestro Mario Venzago According to the local classical music reviewers, the recent guest performance by the world renowned Swiss conductor, Maestro Mario Venzago with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, was by far the most attractive and spirited in a long time. Not only did he lead the orchestra through the various compositions by Berlioz, Mozart, Schoenberg and Ravel with great flair and enthusiasm, but as some members of the orchestra later told me, he really engaged with the orchestra as few other conductors have. And they want him to come back, sooner rather than later. What else can I say other than agree wholeheartedly, though Ravel’s Bolero in particular deserves a special mention. Over the years, I have heard this composition many times over, performed by many renowned orchestras all over the world, but never quite like Mastero Venzago and the MSO’s performance. But not only was he a great performer on stage, when meeting him afterwards, together with some of my friends, he was a delightful, witty, charming and modest man who easily engaged with us all. It was indeed a great pleasure and priviledge to see him on stage and to meet him personally. Erika Kimpton
It’s your Club. Get involved
Test your Knowledge Test yourSwiss Swiss Knowledge 1 2
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© G & M Probst
Across 2. In what month is the Swiss Club Half-Yearly meeting held? Across 5. Honorary Consul of Switzerland (Victoria). 9. What event is organised by the Trachtengruppe 2. In what month is the Swiss Club Schwyzergruess on 14 September? Half-Yearly meeting held? 10. is the most common spoken language in Switzerland? 5. What Honorary Consul of Switzerland (Victoria) 9. What event is organised by the Trachtengruppe 11. What is Swiss cheese famous for? Schwyzergruess on 14 September?
10.Down What is the most common spoken language in Switzerland? 1. First name of the committee member with the membership 11. What is Swiss cheese famous for? portfolio. Down 3. Last name of the first Swiss in space in 1992. 4. What is the brand name of the famous Swiss army knife? 1. First name of the committee member with the 6. What Swiss city is situated near the castle of Chillon? membership portfolio 7. card game regularly played at the Club restaurant? 3. What Last name of is the first Swiss in space in 1992 4. What is the brand name of the famous 8. What Swiss town would you visit in order to see the Swiss army knife? Matterhorn? 6. 7. 8.
What Swiss city is situated near the castle of Chillon? What card game is regularly played at the Club restaurant? What Swiss town would you visit in order to see the Matterhorn?
SPRING SPECIALS: Cakes for all occasions, any size or shape – mixed fresh fruit flans Assortment of savouries, large and small – handmade fresh fruit jellies Traditional Swiss gourmet specialities
We cater for all your individual requirements! Open Tuesday to Sunday 232 Blackburn Road, Syndal 3150 w w w.s w i s s .o r g.au/s w i s sc lu bv i c
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Nothing is ever all up hill by Violet Horn ISBN: 0-9588657-3-6 Published: 1987 Binding: Paperback, 164 pages
Papet Vaudois
Synopsis The author, Vi Horn, has never forgotten a verse her mother often quoted in times of trouble. The words ‘nothing is ever all up hill, things will be better come morning’, are the central theme of the book about the life of her mother and her own childhood in the small Western Australian township of Nannup in the early 1900s.
Saucisson vaudois with leeks, cream and potatoes An outstanding supper dish for winter consisting of creamy leek, potato and the traditional smoked pork and beef sausage from the French-speaking canton of Vaud*. Trim, wash and slice the leeks, then soften them with the onion in the oil. Season lightly. Add the wine and stock and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Her mother, Mrs Rosina Wyss, came out to Australia from Switzerland after her husband decided they should make a new life together half a world away. The ‘new life’ did not turn out as expected as Rosina realised her husband was a wanderer. He would leave her alone for months on end in the bark humpy that was their ‘new home’. The final blow came when he deserted her, leaving her alone to struggle and raise her five children. From the Editor This book is an amazing story of courage and overcoming hardship. It is also a story about great bonds within a family that give strength to make the most out of difficult situations. The book is well written and gives a good account of the pioneering days in the Australian bush. One of the five children was Jack Wyss. Many members would still remember Jack, a prominent personality within our Club community. He was President from 1953 to 1955. I bought a secondhand copy via the online bookstore www. biblioz.com for around $30 including postage. The book is long out of print and by far the best way is to search for it online.
Peel and dice the potatoes, add them and simmer for about 10 minutes more or until barely cooked. Prick the sausage and sit it on top of the vegetables. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Lift out the sausage. Stir the cream into the vegetables. Slice the sausage and replace. Serves 2 to 3 500g leeks 2 large potatoes 1 onion, chopped 1 saucisson vaudois about 300g salt and pepper 1 tbsp oil 6 tbsp white wine 6 tbsp stock 3-4 tbsp cream Bon appétit!
* Ask Sepp or Marlies from Ormond Meat & Smallgoods for the best saucisson vaudois! From the book ’A Taste of Switzerland‘ by Sue Style. See book review December 2007 issue.
Part of German Language program on Melbourne 93.1fm
Tune into news, music and information about everything that is Swiss in Switzerland and downunder. Ursula Schappi presents an entertaining half-hour program every Sunday from 8:30 to 9pm on 93.1fm To listen online visit www.sbs.com.au/radio
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Contact (02) 9955 7628
For all your first class selected meat, Swiss smallgoods and delicatessen Sepp & Marlies Krummenacher 634 North Road, Ormond, Tel: 9578 5049 Swiss Club of Victoria
The Bernard Sandoz Trophy Competition was held on Friday, 20 June on the top floor of the Swiss Club. The success went to Andrew Frick-McLeod in disposing former champion John O’Reilly. Thank you to all participants and congratulations to the winner and runner-up. To Roger a big thanks for your excellent culinary helpings. Next competition: Swiss Club Championship. Friday, 10 October at 7:30pm. Top floor of the Swiss Club. Come along, bring a friend and enjoy a night of fun! Cost: Only $15 per person including dinner. Please book with Roger at the Swiss Club or Louis on 9439 7593 or 0418 645 313. If you have any queries or suggestions do not hesitate to contact me. See you all in October. Louis Schneider
Position vacant: Teacher at the Saturday Morning Swiss School We require an enthusiastic and Swiss-German-speaking teacher to join us. We teach the children about the traditions, culture, language and history of Switzerland. Details: Every other Saturday Morning (except school holidays) from 9:30am to 12:30pm at the Swiss Club (2nd Floor) Contact for any information and interest: Andrea Pinch, Convener Phone 5331 6762, pinch@hotkey.net.au Petra Betschart, Teacher Phone 9077 7349, betschart_petra@hotmail.com
2nd Jass Night Results – Swiss Club, 14 June Singles
1. Ernst Keller................................................2982 2. Hans Bless.................................................2911 3. Fritz Hochuli . ...........................................2820
Couples
1. Sylvia & Fritz Hochuli................................5561 2. Trudi & Marcel Theiler...............................5517 3. Doris Conrad & Hans Keller.......................5263
3rd Jass Night Results – Swiss Club, 12 July Singles
1. Sepp Krummenacher.................................3025 2. Iris Anthonisz............................................2915 3. Ernie Hugli................................................2785
Couples
1. Marlies & Sepp Krummenacher.................5472 2. Martha & Alois Schnider...........................5205 3. Brigitte & Dolf Bohren...............................5119
Upcoming Jass Nights - 2008 6 September Swiss Club (Finals) Information supplied by Paul Eisenegger 9544 4681 w w w.s w i s s .o r g.au/s w i s sc lu bv i c
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Are you interested in celebrating Fasnacht (Carnival)? The committee can’t organise all functions on their own – we need help! We are looking for members to form an organising committee to get this event on our social calendar. Proposed date is Saturday, 21 February, 2009 (Saturday before Ash Wednesday). If you are interested, please contact Barbara at barbara@swiss.org.au or call 9813 8843.
Swiss Club Tennis Championship Sunday, 23 November Kooyong Lawn & Tennis Club, 489 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong Everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy a fun day playing tennis at the centre court of the former venue of the Australian Open. Let’s find out if we have some undiscovered talents able to compete at the next Australian Open. All matches will be played as doubles in “Round Robin” format. Cost: $20.- Adults $25.- Non-members $15.- Juniors (under 14)
Book either with form below or register on our website: http://www.swiss.org.au/page.php?ID=228 Payment to be made on the day. Tournament organiser: Derrick Wildi Mobile 0403 040 930 or AH 9824 7930 Book early as numbers are limited. After the tournament there is also the opportunity to enjoy the evening at the club house with a BBQ or a light dinner at your own expense. Note: Please be advised that Kooyong Club rules require members and visitors to wear correct tennis attire at all times and that when visiting the club house men are required to wear shirts with collar.
Time: 12:00 for a 12:30 start RSVP by latest 21 November
Personal insurance is the responsibility of the participants.
Swiss Club Tennis Championship - Registration Form Please indicate the standard of play for each player. Please choose from the following: W = Worldclass R = Regular player S = Social player Contact phone:
Ranking
Category
Name Player 1:
Adult / Junior
Name Player 2:
Adult / Junior
Name Player 3:
Adult / Junior
Name Player 4:
Adult / Junior
Total payment:
$
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Swiss Club of Victoria
Young Swiss scientists prepare for lift-off The first all-Swiss satellite is due for launch early in 2009, designed entirely by students from universities in western Switzerland. swissinfo, based on an article in French by Marc-André Miserez
The project is one of nine CubeSats accepted by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the first mission of the new European rocket Vega. It was pitted against a total of 22 proposals submitted by students at European universities. CubeSat is a generic name for a satellite measuring only 10x10x10cm and weighing not more than one kilo – rather like a carton of milk. Within these constraints, the students were free to design whatever they liked. SwissCube is not only small size, but also low cost, having been put together from components that are commercially available. “Some of our integrated circuits cost a few dozen francs, while the same thing made especially for space would cost $35,000,” says Sylvain Decastel of the Fribourg University of Applied Sciences (UAS), one of the institutions involved in the project. It contains nearly 1,000 components, including a minitelescope, 16 electronic cards and 357 different wires welded in more than 700 places to the components. Its solar panels will have a power of 1.5 watts, barely more than a mobile phone. Project Mission SwissCube’s mission is to take photos of the “airglow”, faint bands of green and mauve light caused by high-energy radiation from the sun colliding with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere. Since the satellite has only two receivers on Earth, one in Lausanne and one in Fribourg, the pictures it transmits must not be too big. There will only be a small window on each orbit during which they can be sent. The photos will be compared with mathematical models of the airglow to see whether the intensity of the light varies with the time, position, altitude and angle of observation. The satellite is only expected to function for about four months, but it is hoped that within that time it will supply information which could help to develop low-cost positioning systems for satellites. “At the moment, large satellites are equipped with ‘star trackers’ that determine where they are by reading the position of the stars. But these systems are complex and expensive,” explains Nicolas Steiner of the Yverdon UAS. Inexpensive systems, which are also reliable, are certain to find a market as the commercial use of space expands. Although the precise launch date has not yet been set, the SwissCube team is working flat out to ensure that their project is ready in time. The components are currently undergoing tests to see how w w w.s w i s s .o r g.au/s w i s sc lu bv i c
Spot the satellite: it’s the cube being held by one of the student designers
they react to changes in sunlight and temperature in a vacuum chamber. Once in space SwissCube will experience a dawn and a sunset once every 90 minutes, with temperature variations ranging from minus 40 to 60 degrees. Encouraging space scientists The CubeSat programme was launched in 2000, the brainchild of two US universities. The aim is to give potential space scientists a taste of what it means to work in the sector ‘for real’, and to gain experience of coordinating their efforts across universities and with the private sector. In Switzerland the project is being overseen by Muriel Noca of the Lausanne Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). She spent 12 years at the prestigious Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena in California, which produces much of what NASA sends into space. A total of 35 students will have been involved in SwissCube by the time it is launched. Some will only spend a semester on it, while others will continue as engineers once they have taken their degree. The EPFL is joined in the project by Neuchâtel University, four UASs in western Switzerland, and several Swiss aerospace enterprises, including Oerlikon and RUAG. The students’ hard work is accompanied by a mixture of nervousness and confidence. “We know we can’t do anything about it if something goes wrong once SwissCube has been launched, but we are all hoping it’ll work,” says Noémie Pétignat of St Imier UAS. “And it will work!”
The Swiss Club Restaurant. It’s were you meet your friends.
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Fanny Hall – 100 years young, 1 August 2008 Fanny Hall (nee Herman) was born on 1 August 1908 – Swiss National Day - in Zürich, Switzerland. The second-youngest of 19 children born to her parents, Sarah and Abraham Herman, she is now the only one of the siblings still living and, indeed, the oldest living Swiss in Australia. By the time Fanny was born, her father was, sadly, not in good health. Fanny’s mother was always busy caring for him and for the huge family as a whole so, as can be imagined, the care and guidance of the littlest ones generally fell to the older siblings, many of whom were already married and had families of their own. Going to school was never Fanny’s idea of fun. Often, she says, she and Lucy used to avoid this by running downstairs into the cellar where they would hide, play, and have a picnic, raiding their mother’s barrels of pickled cucumbers and herrings, and munching on the fruits and nuts stored in there. They got away with this for quite some time – until they got caught and berated by their oldest brother, Mauritz. She also tells of walking from place to place in the snow – and how beautiful it was. She loved the Swiss yodelling, the sound of the Alphorn, and the traditional songs and dances – and how she loved to wear the Swiss national dress she used to have! To this day, Fanny proudly states that she is a Swiss woman. Fanny learned to cook from watching her mother and sisters, and still her Rösti, Plum or Apricot Wähe and Leckerli are remembered hungrily. Fanny’s happy childhood in Zürich ended when, after her husband’s death, Sarah Herman, packed up those children not already married and boarded a ship bound for Australia, joining her brother and his family, who had already moved there some years before. So in 1920 Sarah and her children arrived in Melbourne. She set about making a good home for her family – and of course she expected them to go to school, learn English and make good marriages. Fanny’s memories of those years growing up in Melbourne make it very clear that she and her sister, Lucy, gave their mother many wrinkles and many silver hairs! Fanny did not think much of Melbourne, and even less of having to go to school to learn English and Arithmetic. She tells of how she and Lucy would start off in the morning, but never
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quite make it to the classroom – something that earned them some good scoldings from their uncle. Obviously, the patterns established in Zürich didn’t change in Melbourne! Fanny’s only real love was dancing, and it was on this basis that she judged potential husbands. She fell in love with handsome, debonair Harry Bronstein – a wonderful dancer – and they married in 1926. They shared a home with Fanny’s sister, Helen, and her family. Soon they had a beautiful daughter, Sonya, and life was good. Harry was an entrepreneurial businessman, and even though it was during the harsh Depression years, he set the foundations for what would have developed into his dream of a retail empire – had he lived. This was, however, not to be, for he died in a car accident in 1931, and Fanny’s life fell in a heap around her. She tried to hold the fledgling business together but, sadly, misfortune blighted Fanny’s life at this time, and she found herself destitute, having lost the businesses. During the next few years, Fanny worked as a fur machinist, and life was tough. Eventually, however, Fanny’s mother took a hand in things, deciding that her widowed daughter needed a husband and her granddaughter a father figure. She set her cap at netting one of the two sons of Lovie and Aaron Fabrikant, and her machinations were rewarded when the older boy, Sam, fell in love with Fanny. Like Harry Bronstein, Sam Fabb was a great dancer and a good businessman. He also had a great sense of humour and loved to make people laugh. Fanny and he married and established a home in Howitt Road, Caulfield. It was, however, not until 1944 that their daughter, Loraine, was born, and only another five until Fanny and Sam parted. In the following years, Fanny remarried and lived in Sydney. Upon the death of her husband she relocated back to Melbourne, then travelled to Israel to join her daughter, Loraine, who was living there. Fanny could not speak a word of Hebrew and only a smattering of Yiddish, but she got a job with an elegant dress shop. She worked there for several months until she and Loraine flew back to Melbourne together, and Fanny started work at l’Officiel of Collins Street and, later, South Yarra, where she enjoyed advising on and selling ladies fashion wear. Over the years, Fanny had never stopped dancing. Even now, when no longer able to walk, she still moves in time to music. She has always looked like a doll, and has the happy knack of captivating all who meet her. This continues today at the Emmy Monash Homes where she now lives. Celebrating her 100th birthday, Fanny was surrounded by 50 members of family and close friends. She read aloud, in flawless Swiss, two letters she received: one from the Consulate General of Switzerland and the other from her birthplace, Zürich, and declared that hers was the best 100th birthday she’d ever celebrated!
Dear Fanny, the Swiss Community congratulates you and conveys its best wishes on your 100st birthday!
Swiss Club of Victoria
The group has plenty of room for new members. It is not just hard work, we do have a lot of fun too.
We practise every Tuesday night at the Club.
For information ring Sylvia on 9531 6575 or Nancy on 9890 7530. A member of the dance group in the sixties, Oskar Zurrer, passed away. On behalf of the group I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the family. Sylvia Hochuli
Support those that support your Club. Consider our Advertisers
Fahrt ins Blaue Mystery Trip Wednesday, 12 November Ladies, mark the two dates below in your diary. Come and join us at 12 noon at the Swiss Club for good food, good company and an interesting guest speaker.
• Wednesday, 3 September • Wednesday, 5 November Price $22 pp for members, $25 pp for nonmembers. Includes 2-course meal, wine, soft drinks and coffee. Non-members are also welcome, bring a friend or two. For information ring Heidy Giger on 9889 9321. For bookings please ring Roger at the Club on 9650 1196. See you there! Heidy Giger
Joke of the day! Another joke about Adolf Ogi (member of the Swiss Federal Council, in office 1987 – 2000). On a hot day, whilst holidaying in the French-speaking part, Adolf Ogi entered a restaurant, he was thirsty and felt like a nice cool beer. As he couldn’t remember if it is ‘le bière’ or ‘la bière’ he ordered as follows: “Monsieur, apportezmoi trois bières, s’il vous plaît.” After the garçon put three glasses on the table, Ogi said: “Prenez deux retour!” w w w.s w i s s .o r g.au/s w i s sc lu bv i c
The Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess / Australian Swiss Cultural Society would like to invite the retired Swiss/Australian Community (over sixty) to our mysterious and exiting ‘Fahrt ins Blaue - Mystery Trip’. Cost is $25.00 per person, which includes a three course lunch. If you are interested, please complete the coupon below and mail it with your cheque to: Sylvia Hochuli, 92 Addison Street, Elwood Vic 3184, or call 9531 6575. See you there!
Yes, I would like to attend the ‘Fahrt ins Blaue - Mystery Trip Name(s):
Address:
Telephone: No. of persons @ $25.00: Cheque enclosed for total $: Please make your cheque payable to the Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess (ASCS)
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TRIVIA NIGHT
SATURDAY 25th OCTOBER 2008 7pm First round of question starts 7.30pm sharp
• • • •
2008 Trivia Night Reservation Form
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Come to the Trivia Night and support The Saturday Morning Swiss School Where: The Swiss Club of Victoria 2nd Floor, 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne For further details call Andrea on 5331 6762 or email pinch@hotkey.net.au Send the Reservation Form on the left with your payment to the Swiss Club, att. Swiss School Trivia, by 18th October 2008
Swiss Club of Victoria
Online Trade Directory www.swiss.org.au/page.php?ID=569 – this link gets you to the Swiss Club Trade Directory. There you’ll find companies whose directors, proprietors or employees are club members. You can either search by business type (service, retail, hospitality, trade, manufacture) or you can download an excel sheet with all the relevant information.
In my new column I would like to share with you some internet surfing destinations that can be interesting to us as Swiss living abroad. The Internet is often described as a social networking platform and I’m using it successfully to keep in contact with my family and friends. I also find it helpful to track down old mates I might haven’t heard from in years. The sites mentioned below are of course free of charge and won’t try to sell you anything. You might be required to create a login for yourself in order to access their content. Have you attended school in Switzerland? Can you remember all your classmates names? Who knows what might have become of them and wouldn’t it be interesting to find out what they are doing nowadays? This site could help: www.klassenfreunde.ch This homepage lists each and every school in Switzerland and by selecting the year you have completed your class you will be able to easily find your old friends from your days at school. If you remember which class you went to you might even find your teacher listed there. Why not create a profile of yourself and let your former classmates know where you are living now. And who knows maybe you find out about a class reunion that’s about to take place back home. The same provider is also hosting a page called: www.militaerfreunde.ch If you have done military service in Switzerland you will certainly remember all the good times you had with your comrades during the recruitment training and a number of WKs (repetition training) over the years. You can search for your army buddies by year, the unit you belonged to or the type of service you did for the Swiss army. Relive some of those unforgettable stories you shared with your friends during the compulsory military service for our home country. Let me know about your experiences and leave me a comment on my own homepage: http://web.me.com/damianschaller This is my internet surftip for this newsletter, look for new destinations on the web in the next edition of the ‘Edelweiss’.
If you would like to include your business in the Swiss Club Trade Directory go to: www.swiss.org.au/page.php?ID=520 and enter your details.
New website for Swiss abroad On 1 January, 2008 www.WirAuslandschweizer.ch went live. The objective of the portal is to become the web meeting point for Swiss (and descendants of Swiss emigrants) living abroad. Since commissioning the portal has received visits out of more than 80 countries and more than 500 postings (links, web pages & blogs) were made free of charge on the portal. Hence, it is well under way to become the most comprehensive web meeting point for Swiss living abroad. And this is very gratifying! Swiss living abroad and descendants of Swiss emigrants, Swiss Societies, Clubs, Interest Groups, Chambers of Commerce, Business Associations, Schools, Teachers, Artists, Galleries, Businesses (from small to large) of Swiss living abroad, etc. are kindly invited to make a posting (links, web pages, blogs) on the portal and this free of charge or any other commitment. I would be very grateful to you if you gave me a hand by spreading the word about this portal and so motivated fellow Swiss living in your area to visit the portal and possibly make a posting. By this you would greatly contribute to develop WirAuslandschweizer.ch to become a lively web platform for Swiss living abroad. Many people in Switzerland are also interested to see and read how their friends and fellow Swiss live abroad. Have a look at www.WirAuslandschweizer.ch, the portal connecting Swiss living abroad. Should you have any questions, I will gladly answer them. Thanks and kind regards, Christian Lindecker, Founder & Webmaster
Damian Schaller Disclaimer: I’m not associated in any way with the internet sites featured in my column. I’m not endorsing any content on these homepages.
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Login and get the latest info: www.swiss.org.au/swissclubvic
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Language Diversity in Switzerland Swiss urged not to forget language diversity. François Grin believes that multilingual Switzerland can survive. Language expert François Grin tells Alexander Künzle of swissinfo that a multilingual Switzerland makes sense from a political, cultural and economic point of view. His comments come in the wake of a parliamentary debate on the teaching of English – rather than one of Switzerland’s four national languages – as a first foreign language in schools. Switzerland has four national languages: German is the most widely spoken, followed by French, Italian and then Romansh, an ancient Latin-based language spoken by just 0.5% of the population. The country has traditionally been proud of its multilingual heritage, with one of the national languages always being taught as the first foreign language in schools. But lately this has come under threat, as several cantons, particularly in the majority German-speaking region, have opted for English instead.
But the language skills of the elite have tailed off. This comes from the fascination for English and the Anglo-Saxon world, which is greater in the Germanspeaking part than in the French areas. This trend could be countered by raising awareness of the value of multilingualism. swissinfo: Are people now less prepared to learn another national language? F.G.: This could be the case, but it is very difficult to sift the truth from the clichés we see in the media.
Ticinese Dialect, Comano, Ticino A street name in Comano, near Lugano, using the local version of the Ticinese dialect. In standard Italian the name would be: ‘Vicolo della guardia campestre’, meaning ‘Alley of the Rural Policeman’.
swissinfo: Is Switzerland still a multilingual country? François Grin: Switzerland is not any less multilingual than it was before. Although French was always obligatory and the first foreign language for German-speaking pupils, the average person did not always speak it very fluently.
Switzerland is in many ways more multilingual now than it was before, because of migration.
A concrete example of the strong desire to speak another national language is a Geneva schools survey in which more than 80% of pupils aged 15 said they did not agree with the statement that it was enough to learn one foreign language – English. Attitudes towards languages are therefore often more complex than you would think. swissinfo: Is the language balance in the country now out of kilter?
Bilingualism in Biel/Bienne Hospitals: A sign in German (above) and French in the bilingual city whose German name is Biel and French name is Bienne The word ‘Spital’ (plural: Spitäler) is used in Switzerland but in Germany the word ‘Krankenhaus’ is used.
F.G.: In principle the balance of national languages has not been disturbed. But more attention should be paid to Romansh, which is in decline, and to making Italian more visible on a national scale. But the language situation has changed. It’s important to note that the changes did not happen internally…they came from outside, from international economic ties, the media and the use of English. Multilingual Switzerland has to deal with these new factors…through having a clear vision of the advantages and disadvantages of being multilingual. swissinfo: Is globalisation having an effect on the balance of languages?
Bilingualism in Müstair, Graubünden
Swiss-German dialects Onion and Cheese Pie: sign in Bernese dialect. The standard German would be ‘Zwiebel- & Käsewähe’ Swiss German often has ‘ch’ where standard German has ‘k’. Dialects in Switzerland can be vastly different. The same thing in the dialect of North-Eastern Switzerland would be ‘Böle & Chäsflade’.
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A sign in Müstair advertising saddler’s travel articles, bells, and home ornaments, in Romansh and German. Müstair, which is almost on the Italian border, is one of the few areas of Switzerland where Romansh is commonly used. However, as with SwissGerman, the spoken language differs from the written one. In the Müstair valley people speak ‘Jauer’, but write in ‘Vallader’ (as in the sign). Romansh is subdivided into five distinct variants, known as ‘idioms’, each with its own dialects. ‘Vallader’ is the idiom of the Lower Engadine. It is grouped with ‘Puter’, the idiom of the Upper Engadine, and together they are designated ‘Ladin’.
F.G.: Although giving priority to national languages is part of the Swiss identity, we have to realise that there are more than four languages in use in our country. It is also wrong to think of English being the language of globalisation…multilingualism is a key factor in globalisation. Therefore it is not globalisation itself that disturbs the language balance but the associated, increasing dominance of a single language – English.
Swiss Club of Victoria
swissinfo: Why are some language areas more resistant to English than others? F.G.: In France, keeping the native language intact has always been important, more so than in Germany. But it’s debatable whether French has resisted any better because of this. There are differences within Switzerland as well. The Frenchspeakers resist more than the German-speakers, but in general have a more defiant stance towards power. But even in the German-speaking part, English is no longer seen as being so ‘cool’. We could be approaching a turning point with multilingualism being taken for granted. This would lead to the domination of English being somewhat limited.
SWISS CLUB MOVIE Children School Holidays Movie Afternoon
Three Wishes for Cinderella Drei Nüsse für Aschenbrödel
Thursday 2 October, 2.30pm. 2nd floor Czechoslovakia 1973. German. 83min
The ‘golden girl’ of Surf Life Saving You may remember Jasmin Ellis as the daughter of former Swiss Club treasurer Ruth Plagge, or as the Oktoberfest Princess 2002. But did you know that Jasmin has been involved in Surf Life Saving for the past 10 years? Her main passion is directed to competition, specifically Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) Racing. IRB racing is a winter sport in Surf Life Saving and challenges drivers and their crew’s ability to negotiate surf and pick-up a patient from the water quickly. The competition is gender specific and consists of four separate races. Jasmin and her crew, Brooke Dalvean, have been involved in the sport for many years. They have moved to Anglesea Surf Life Saving Club two years ago to further their chances of National competition success. Until now, a gold medal had eluded the pair but at the Australian IRB Competition undertaken in Shellharbour NSW on 19-21 June, Anglesea SLSC had a very successful competition, coming third overall. Jasmin and Brooke have won two bronze medals and a gold in the mass rescue event - a medal never won by any Victorian team in the past. The Swiss Club congratulates Jasmin and her team mate on this great success!
A holiday favourite on European television for the past 30 years, this delightful Czech version of the classic fairy tale finds Cinderella endowed with three magic acorns, each with the power to grant a wish. When she learns the prince is throwing a gala to find his bride, Cinderella uses her wishes to make herself beautiful for the occasion. The film employs a twist, though; Cinderella does not simply fall into the prince’s arms. In this version, he must actively pursue the young woman who is a skilled sharpshooter prone to wearing hunting outfits. Who, having grown up in Switzerland, doesn’t remember this wonderful movie? See this enchanting classic fairytale with your children on the big screen during the school holidays. Free for members, non-members gold coin donation. RSVP: barbara@swiss.org.au
“Grounding” Swissair’s last days
Wednesday 19 November, 7.30pm. 2nd floor CH 2006, Drama. Director: Michael Steiner Swiss-German. 90min The demise of Swissair in 2001 was a huge blow to Switzerland’s economy and to the country’s morale. It was a sad day for Swiss history when the airline’s fleet was grounded on 2 October 2001. “Grounding” is set during the last days of the doomed airline, and tells the story of manager Mario A. Corti’s unhappy fate, the last, unlucky CEO at the traditional airline company, as well as of all those nameless people who lost almost everything in the maelstrom of Swissair’s downfall: their job, home and their belief in Switzerland. Free for members, non-members gold coin donation.
Mass Rescue Final Driver: Jasmin Ellis, Crew: Brooke Dalvean, Patient: Tim Dodd (Second patient not pictured Bronwyn Baker)
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Enjoy dinner at the club, before or after the movie. Please book with the restaurant on 9650 1196.
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John Wanner. Music is his heart and soul Editor: John, there is probably no Swiss Club member that has not heard of you, or more to the point, heard your music. Yet, I wonder how many members know you ‘the person behind the clarinet’. Tell us a little about you, your passion which is your music – or any other passions for that matter. John: Thanks for your kind words Roland. I have to say, one other passion that comes readily to my mind is of course the Swiss Club. I became a member in 1978 as a 19 year old after I’d been introduced to the Club by my Dad who was a member in the 1950s. He was also part of the Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose. Unfortunately, he had let his membership lapse due to too many work commitments. Dad rejoined again when I did. Editor: So it was your Dad that introduced you to the Club. How did you get introduced to music? John: Once again, both my parents had a lot to do with that. Having been born on 1 June, 1959 to Hans and Rina Wanner, I was destined to grow up in a loving home, rich with musical cultures. Dad being Swiss loves Jazz as well as Ländler music. Mum, who is Italian, grew up in Belgium and has a love for French and Italian melodies. This meant that music was essential in our home. As Mum and Dad ran their new ‘Wanner Cakes’ business, I spent lots of time upstairs playing records. It may sound wild, but my long term memory is incredible. I can remember being fascinated by - or rather drawn to - music from about age 2. Playing records began when I was about 3.
Needless to say, music ‘called’ me in various forms. The most influential were traditional Swiss folk from when I could first hear sounds and then Big Band Swing from about age 5. Dad brought home a 6-record set of albums called ‘The Swing Years’ and as soon as I heard these, I too felt drawn to this music from the 1930’s and 1940’s period. Editor: When did you first start to learn an instrument? John: As a boy, I wanted to play piano, but it took many years before I was able to finally take up any instrument. Due to economic circumstances and events, we moved to Europe in 1966 and came back with little money in 1967. The clarinet fascinated me first when I saw the film ‘The Benny Goodman Story’ when I was 11. It was in 1973 that I finally took up the clarinet. Then the HUGE journey of learning how to play the instrument, arrange music and eventually find musicians to play these arrangements as well as to find places to perform began! Editor: Apart from Swiss folk and Jazz, did you try any other forms of music? John: Well, in the 1970’s Rock was in – Jazz was OUT! But, I just couldn’t go with what’s not right for my soul and stuck to my dream which was: to be just like my musical heroes - Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and, would you believe, Jost Ribary!!! Editor: When did you start playing music at the Swiss Club? John: After finally finding some time to go to the Swiss Club (Dad and Mum worked VERY hard and had little or no time to go out on a Friday/Saturday night), I got to know some of the people Dad used to go out with: Emil Fehr, Walli Zurschmied and Oswald Haering. Ossi LOVED Jazz and so we immediately connected.
Editor: That is amazing to remember things so far back. What else can you recall when you were that age? John: I can remember one, rather unfortunate, event that happened before I even understood what records were for. I thought the ‘pretty’ coloured labels on them would be nice to make a ‘footpath’ out of and so, lay rows of them on the floor and walked on them! I can still see Dad almost crying as he had to toss out his badly walked-on-scratched records. I never really knew what I’d done at the time! I also remember when we used to go to Swiss picnics in the bush. There would be a dance floor set-up and musicians like Emil Fehr, Walli Zurschmied, Bill Eddy and a clarinet player called Jan playing Ländler Music. I was mesmerized and spent much of that time just watching and listening. The music was ‘calling’ me so to speak. It’s funny, I was born here, but feel in some ways more Swiss than many Swiss living in Switzerland. It’s something that can’t be taught or ingrained – it just happens.
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1978 with Emil Fehr
In 1976, Ossi wanted to celebrate his 50th Birthday at the Club. I suggested he perhaps use my 10-piece John Wanner Big Band. Our average age was 16! He LOVED the idea and with the support of the Swiss Club, we were officially hired for the first time as ‘professionals’!!! The top floor was fully booked-out and I can still remember Mum telling me how nervous Dad was about the whole thing! Hahahah!
I must admit, I never knew how great that night would be – the band was amazing and people just loved us! So, it was both Ossi and the Swiss Club that gave me my first professional gig – that is something I will always acknowledge and remember with much fondness.
Swiss Club of Victoria
It was a little after that when I was invited to play with Emil Fehr and the ‘older’ Swiss guys (Walli Zurschmied who played accordion, came to Australia in 1928 – the year my Father was born!!!) at the Club on various occasions. They played some real old traditional Ländler music which I just absorbed into my soul. I still value and treasure those memories and recordings that I have of these wonderful people. It gave me the opportunity to then form my own Ländler/Jazz group and we enjoyed regular bookings at the Club from 1978. Tony Erb was the manager then and Joe Schibli was the President. These were the times when the Club used to be totally full on Friday nights with the music of ‘Marius and Son’. They were all very kind and booked my small band to give us experience and exposure. I guess, the rest is history. I don’t want to go much more into the difficulties we had in growing and becoming the band we are today – that is another story. In the end, the Swiss Club has not only allowed my music to flourish, but has given much support to all my bands. Editor: These days, of course, we hear and see ‘Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand’ playing at the Swiss Club. How did this formation came into being? John: It was accordionist/singer/chef Markus Zihlmann who suggested I get together with Chris Thalmann and thus was born ‘Kapelle Grüezi Mitnenand’ in 1996. So. It was to Markus’credit that he got this great group up and running. As a result of his many work commitments, Markus could no longer put time into the band and so I had to basically take-over the running/co-ordination of this fantastic band - which has been
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an honour and pleasure! That band has truly been a great stepping stone for me to compose and write arrangements in a traditional Swiss mode but allowed my love of Jazz to be incorporated too. The Swiss Club and Roger Moulett have been supporting this group 100% and for that we, the band, audience and Swiss Club are all the winners! Editor: I agree with you John, the Swiss Club without ‘Kapelle Grüezi Mitnenand’ is almost unthinkable! We seam to be talking about music almost exclusively. Is there anything else that is special in your life? John: Well, as my childhood was such a wonderful one, I used to love going around in Dad’s 1957 Holden FE Station Sedan. I developed a true love for these cars and in 1987 started a car club dedicated to that model (and its’ related model the ‘FC’ Holden). The FE/FC Holden Car Club of Victoria Inc is the largest FE/FC Car Club in the world! Despite me no longer running it, I was made an honorary life member 5 years ago. I own 6 FE/FC Holdens and people can read about them on my website - www.scad.com.au/jwswing. The Webmaster is John Schmidli Junior – he too is Swiss and used to be my drummer. His Father, used to rehearse and conduct the Choir for the club too! By the way, all my cars have the Swiss stickers on the back of them! Editor: John, thank you very much for this interview. I hope that we will be able to listen to your music at the Swiss Club for a long time to come. Finally, there is one gig I will always remember, and that is you playing at my wedding in 1996! John: Thank you Roland. I have only gratitude and thanks to the Swiss Club for not only supporting my musical endeavors, but for being an AMAZING support for people in general. Both my parents have received so much love, support, camaraderie and FUN - which really is what a club should be all about! Thank you Swiss Club!
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NOTICE
2008 Half-Yearly General Meeting of the SCV Notice is hereby given that the Half-Yearly General Meeting of the Swiss Club of Victoria will be held at 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, on:
Wednesday, 17 September 2008, 8pm Agenda: 1. Adoption of Minutes of Annual General Meeting 2008 2. President’s Report 3. Accounts and Financial Statements 4. Election of Office Bearers 5. General Business
Half-Yearly GM Special
Held Wednesday, 5 March 2008 at 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 1. Opening and Welcome The President of the Swiss Club of Victoria, Mr Rolf Huber opened the annual General Meeting at 8.06pm and welcomed Honorary Life Members, the Honorary Consul and Members of the Swiss Club. He thanked everyone for attending the meeting. A total of 40 voting members were present. 2. One Minute of Silence Rolf invited all members to stand up and observe one minute of silence to remember our friends and members who have left us, in particular Wallace Clarke-Seiler and Sonya Bertsch. Our sympathies go to their families. We will miss and remember them. 3. Apologies Max Ammann, Jillian Mueller, Theo & Rose Surbeck, Marcel Seurat, Irma & Chris Thalmann, Andre Becker, Colin Eichenberger, Peter Kronborg, Peter Meury, Barbara Kündig, Ruth Plagge, Beat Altermatt, Sepp & Marlies Krummenacher, Anna & Kurt Langenegger, Doris Marr, Fred Hofmann, Mareli Hein, Pat Calabresi, Heidy Giger, Herbert Schwärzler, Bruno Giger, Fritz Hochuli, Eleanor & Sepp Schmidig, Consul General Mr Jürg Casserini, Auditor Buce Legg.
Start the Half-Yearly General Meeting with a delicious
‘Schüblig & Potato Salad’ Cost: $11.50 per person (for members attending the meeting) Bookings essential on 9650 1196. A la carte menu also available at regular prices.
4. Adoption of Minutes of Half-Yearly General Meeting 2007 The Minutes of the Half-Yearly General Meeting, held Wednesday, 19 September 2007, were published in the March 2008 Newsletter. The minutes had been read and are a true
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Minutes of the 2008 Annual General Meeting of the SCV
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Swiss Club of Victoria
record. They were moved by Walter Purtschert and seconded by Ossi Haering. 5. President’s Report Dear Honorary Consul Ms. Erika Kimpton, Honorary Life Members and Members of the Swiss Club. I am pleased and honoured to report the completion of a successful year in line with our objectives of offering members an opportunity to experience and participate in Swiss tradition and folklore. An important part of our club is our restaurant, which continues to offer good value to members by providing excellent food at reasonable prices in a friendly environment. I would like to thank Roger Moullet and his staff for their dedicated effort and commitment in taking good care of members and guests alike. Looking back I can inform you with satisfaction on many winning functions held in and outside the club such as the Ladies Luncheon organised by Heidy Giger, the Mystery Trip by the Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess, Tennis Tournament at Kooyong by Derrick Wildi, the Samichlaus Picnic by Barbara Kündig and Gerda Probst and finally the Senior Christmas Afternoon Tea arranged perfectly by Rita Schwärzler, Sylvia Hochuli and many others. Also the first Thursday of the month with Johnny Wanner and ‘Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand’ has a special place in the life of our club. These extraordinary efforts by so many people need to be publicly commended and it can never be taken for granted. I think they all deserve a round of applause. Earlier this year, much to our chagrin our first Fasnacht had to be cancelled for lack of attendees. We will try again hoping that with Easter being later next year we will be able to attract enough people to make this event worth our while. By now a tradition, the comedy festival will occupy the second floor from the 17 March to the 15 April. The club is to gain a fee of A$3,800 and Roger will hopefully have additional patronage in the restaurant. Again we apologise to those regular users and hope that they can find alternative arrangements for the one month period. Going forward I am pleased to announce the addition of yet another new feature as part of our rich events calendar, Swiss Movie nights. The first movie will be screened on 23 April and the title is ‘Vitus’. More movie nights are to follow. The 3 May will see the famous Unterhaltungsabend organised by the Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose. If you have not booked yet please do so soon. By now you would have heard of the Swiss Festival (formerly known as the Volksfest) which will take place at the Austrian Club on Sunday 6 April. It is going to be a unique day because it will bring together all Victoria based Swiss community groups incl. les Romands and il Ticinesi and is a direct result of the monthly meetings we have under the leadership of the Honorary Consul Ms. Erika Kimpton. I think this sort of gathering will help build stronger relationships and cooperation between the various groups for the future. Furthermore I am happy to report that the Swiss Festival committee will receive a grant of $1,500 from the Victorian Multicultural Commission and another $1,000 from the Consulate General in Sydney to w w w.s w i s s .o r g.au/s w i s sc lu bv i c
fund the festival for which we are very grateful. I invite you, dear members, to come along with your families and friends to celebrate a day of Swiss Folklore in the beautiful grounds of the Austrian Club. Please spread the word! As always we ask for volunteers on the day to help set up and to tidy up afterwards. The committee hopes to see many of you on the 6 April! Our new tenant Eddie Muto, owner of the ground floor restaurant Terra Rossa has lived up to our expectations. The rent has been paid timely and I can report that as of May the yearly rental will increase by $10,000. So far so good. The Flinders Lane project with the canopy and the outdoors restaurant is delayed further pending council approval. The city wants to clean up its act and has launched a campaign to beautify the back alleys of Melbourne. As a result Duckboard & ACDC Lane will be temporarily closed for traffic between 7am and 11pm. Eddie Muto has applied for a license to operate an outdoor restaurant down Duckboard Lane which if approved will upgrade the area where you now find rubbish bins and graffiti.
Proxy Form for the Half-Yearly General Meeting 2008 of the Swiss Club of Victoria To: the Secretary of the Swiss Club of Victoria (please use block letters) I being a member of the Swiss Club of Victoria, my address being:
hereby appoint:
his/her address being:
being another member of the Swiss Club of Victoria, to vote for me and on my behalf at the Half-Yearly General Meeting of the Swiss Club of Victoria to be held on Wednesday, 17 September 2008 and at every adjournment thereof. Signed by hand this
day of
2008
Signature: Note: Only members who are entitled to vote, having paid their subscription or being Honorary Life Members or Honorary Members, may represent other members as proxy. Proxy forms must be handed to the Secretary at least 48 hours before the meeting is to take place.
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Apart from our members, our most important asset is our building – we need to look after it. As published in recent newsletters and in line with ‘Vision 2000’ this very floor needs our attention. It is neglected and underutilised. To grow our financial independence we need to breathe new life into it and think of a plan to commercialise the second floor. If money is spent it must be well spent and a step by step approach is the best method to quickly recover our investment. A basic concept has been worked out taking into consideration that members have always priority. Option 1 is the light version which means only minor works such as new painting, curtains etc. with a budget of under $50,000. We may be able to attract private parties, functions etc. Option 2 calls for a redevelopment including a new bar and ceiling, painting the walls, improve lighting and the floor. Budget is over $50,000. The purpose would be to turn this floor into a multipurpose room and to go for the corporate business. The committee has decided to set up a working group which will present the most suitable solution. If you think you can contribute please let us know. The financial position of the club remains sound despite the fact that the financial year ended with a loss. Details will be provided by our treasurer Derrick Wildi. Our website is also worth a mention. It is our window to the world. We have enabled you to RSVP online, there is a suggestion box and a member’s corner. To fully utilise our website as a member you need to have a member’s login and a member’s profile. Detailed step by step instructions will be provided in the next newsletter. We have also established a Swiss trade directory but have only 12 entries to date. The purpose of a trade directory is to have quick and reliable access to members good and services and to give preference to those members who offer them. This could easily be expanded to include attractive discounts offered by utility, insurance and banking services etc. Register your business today on our website online. I encourage you to make good use of our online facilities. For a while now we have been using emails to communicate important events to our members. An email is fast and cost us less than sending out a letter or making a phone call. But we are not sure whether these messages are received well and getting read. Again I urge you to register your email address with Gerda Probst who is taking care of membership and to keep up with what is happening at the club. Gerda will have details on membership later. Our future looks bright, and with the increasing involvement of the Young Swiss Group I am confident that the Swiss Club of Victoria is on the right track. In closing, I would like to thank the committee for their support and friendship and Roland Isler for producing such a high quality newsletter. Finally, I would especially like to thank the members who attend the Club on a regular basis for lunch or dinner and those who attend our functions. Your patronage is very important to the club and greatly appreciated.
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6. Treasurer’s Report Derrick Wildi presented fact and figures for the financial year 2008. Details are listed below: Financial Statements as at 31 December 2007 Current Assets Cash / Bank Account........................................................36,437 Accounts receivable...........................................................2,721 Stock History Book.............................................................2,500 Deposits................................................................................100 Total Current Assests............................................... 41,758 Fixed Assets Land & Building.............................................................937,772 Total Fixed Assets...........................................................937,772 Total Assets........................................................... 979,530 Income Membership fees.............................................................20,400 Rent Income.....................................................................71,944 Billboard advertising..........................................................3,000 Advertising newsletter.......................................................2,000 Functions (“Volksfest”)......................................................1,627 Interest .............................................................................1,410 Various Income.....................................................................320 Total Income.......................................................... 100,701 Operating Result / Loss....................................................22,836 123,537 Liabilities Accounts payable..................................................................371 Other creditors.................................................................13,000 Subscriptions 2008.............................................................5,531 Hire Purchase . ................................................................34,231 GST payable..........................................................................938 Total Liabilities........................................................ 54,071 Equity Members Fund (31 Dec 07)............................................948,295 Current Earnings 2007....................................................-22,836 Total Equities......................................................... 925,459 Total Liabilities...................................................... 979,530 Expenses Legal & Professional Fees...................................................2,440 Insurance.........................................................................14,429 Bank fees / Credit facility...................................................1,846 Member Services................................................................8,779 Office Administration ........................................................8,177 Donations / Sub-groups.....................................................1,203 Functions .........................................................................2,092 Building Maintenance......................................................24,897 Building Operations.........................................................21,793 Depreciation.....................................................................37,881 Total Expenses....................................................... 123,537 123,537 Notes and Explanations Assets: • Excess cash invested in short term money market fund.
Swiss Club of Victoria
Liabilities: • No long term liabilities! • Decision pending to pay out kitchen hire contract. • If required credit facility for $150,000 available for immediate use.
period. Collecting some data regarding language spoken other than English revealed that at least 71% are German speaking, 21% are French speaking and 8% are Italian speaking. However this information is not conclusive as for over 25% of our members no specific information is available. Another statistic regarding payment method for membership payments showed that the newly introduced option of paying by EFT was taken up by 16% of our members with the majority of payments still made by cheque, cash or credit card.
Income: • Membership subscriptions over $20,000 for first time. • Main income 2nd floor => Comedy Festival. • Fixed income streams for ground & 1st floor.
Honorary Life Membership: The following members were awarded Honorary Life Membership in recognition of 40 years of membership: Colin Wilkinson, Ernst Keller, Trudi Theiler and were given a respective certificate and a small token of appreciation.
Expenses: • Services to members are less than 10% of total cost (~$12,000). • Membership fees are equal to Member Services and Office administration cost. • Various renovation work completed to improve club facility (Signage, hallways, members board at entrance, acoustic panels in restaurant). • Maintenance cost double the cost than budgeted. Ongoing maintenance cost not expected to decrease due to state and age of building.
Questions / Remarks and Comments: Roland Isler: With redevelopment of Duckboard Lane and Malthouse Lane Roland asked if precautions have been taken to ensure the protection of the stained glass windows from any possible damage. Response Rolf Huber: Currently there are no plans for such precautions, but the committee will look into it. Rita Schwärzler: Suggested that any changes made to second floor should be presented to members first. She also pointed out that consideration should be given to improve the situation regarding access to the elevator on the ground floor and if possible eliminating the need to climb stairs to gain access to the elevator. Franz Schnellmann: Advised members to ensure that all renovations should be carried out according to today’s standards in order to reduce the ongoing building maintenance cost. Being part of the renovation team for the first floor he advised that current sanitary and electrical installations on second floor are outdated. He strongly advised to not engage in a patch work and do it yourself exercise. Franz Doos: Advised that due to space problems the current elevator is installed as a special hydraulic elevator and that any alterations would require significant investments.
• Current valuation of property is significantly below market value. • Ongoing review of valuation figures.
Outlook 2008 and beyond: • Professionally managed restaurant on ground floor and Swiss club restaurant operated by Roger Moullet will provide stable income! • Balanced income and expense budget for 2008. • Building Maintenance cost will provide some uncertainty due to state and age of building. • Plans to refurbish 2nd floor without engagement in financial “adventures”! (=> limited resources). • Search for ways to generate additional income from 2nd floor without limiting use of same by sub-groups. 7. Election of Auditor Bruce Legg has offered to stand as auditor for the coming year. Appointment was moved by Ernst Hugli and seconded by Adrian Huber. 8. Election of Office Bearers No resignation of current office bearers has been received. The following current office bearers are standing for reelection: Rolf Huber, Barbara Kündig, Derrick Wildi. No other nominations were received to act as office bearers. All candidates were voted individually and have been nominated by show of hand unanimously. 9. General Business Membership: Gerda presented to the members some interesting members statistics: There are presently 443 members with 34 new applications this year since 1 July 2007 vs. 8 cancellations during the same w w w.s w i s s .o r g.au/s w i s sc lu bv i c
Colin Wilkinson: Asked if the insurance value of building was assessed by a professional building evaluation company. Derrick Wildi advised that the assessment was done by qualified professionals in late in 2006 as part of the insurance review in early 2007. Various members thanked Gerda Probst for sending birthday greetings via SMS on their birthdays. Surprise: Rolf Huber presented Charles Gauci, President of the Magician Club, entertaining us with some magic and demonstrating to us his “mind boggling” talent on how to read our minds. 10. Conclusion Meeting was closed at 10.07pm and Rolf invited all present for a drink. Minutes taken by Derrick Wildi
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Swiss Events & Functions Please note that this calendar also list events other than those organised by the Swiss Club of Victoria and its subgroups. Please book all Swiss Club functions (bold entries) with Roger, phone 9650 1196 or fax 9650 3104 and check website for latest information and details of upcoming events. For all other events please contact the relevant organisation (see page 3 for contact details).
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
Wednesday Thursday Saturday Sunday Sunday Monday Wednesday Saturday
03 04 06 07 14 15 17 27
Ladies’ Luncheon Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand entertains at the Club Jass Night - Swiss Club (Finals) Fondue dans la neige - Groupe Romand Kaffeeklatsch - Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess Ambassador’s Golf Tournament - SACCI Half-Yearly General Meeting JW Swing Orchestra plays at the Austrian Club
Thursday Thursday Friday Saturday
02 02 10 25
Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand entertains at the Club School holiday Movie Afternoon at the Club Billiard Competition - Swiss Club Championship Swiss School Trivia Night
Monday Wednesday Thursday Wednesday Wednesday Sunday Saturday
03 05 06 12 19 23 29
Editorial Deadline - Newsletter December issue Ladies’ Luncheon Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand entertains at the Club Fahrt ins Blaue (Mystery Trip) - Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess Movie Night at the Club Swiss Club Tennis Championship - Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club JW Swing Orchestra plays at the Austrian Club
DECEMBER
Thursday 04 Saturday 07 Sunday 13 Wednesday 24
Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand entertains at the Club Samichlaus Breakfast - Fawkner Park Senior Christmas Afternoon Tea at the Club Club Restaurant closes after lunch (reopens on Monday, 12 January 2009 for lunch)
OTHER REGULAR SWISS CLUB MEETINGS: Committee Meetings: Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose: Practice every Tuesday evening at 8.15pm Swiss Companion Singers: Practice and social gathering every 2nd and 3rd Thursday of each month at 8pm Saturday Morning Swiss School: Every second Saturday Morning except school holidays, from 9.30am to 12.30pm Swiss German Playgroup: Meets every 1st Thursday of each month from 11am to 2pm Young Swiss Group: Get-together every 2nd Wednesday of each month from 7pm
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Swiss Club of Victoria
Lampionumzug Lantern Procession
THE
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ABOU D N B
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Senior Members’ Luncheon