Club battles on

By Tania Martin
DIGGERS can still enjoy an ale at the Cockatoo RSL sub-branch after a crisis meeting resolved to keep the club open.
While sub-branches across the hills held Remembrance Day ceremonies, Cockatoo was seriously doubting its future.
Julie Rodgers, sub-branch secretary said the club was in desperate need of a new committee and a way to attract to new members to the club.
Ms Rodgers said the club has hardly welcomed any visitors since it attracted more than 300 people to its Anzac Day service.
She hopes that with a new committee, which was elected at the weekend, and a fresh approach, the club can continue to open its doors for years to come.
Ms Rodgers said things are now looking up for the RSL after more than 45 people turned up to a meeting on Friday, 3 November to rally behind the club in its hour of need.
That meeting was called to gauge the mood of members about the future of the club.
“It was wonderful to see all those people supporting us and as long as we have a committee that’s right behind us we will be okay,” she said.
Mike Annett of Anzac House spoke at the meeting about the different types of memberships that are available at the RSL.
Ms Rodgers said sometimes people in the community are discouraged because they don’t realise they can join the club. She said people don’t have to be a digger or have served in a conflict, they can join if a family member has served in the forces or they can just join in the fun of the social club.
Ms Rodgers said the RSL first started to go downhill when it had to close for three months over the summer because of a hole in the kitchen floor.
But she said it is now up and running and with the new committee hopes the club will open on Friday evenings in the run up to Christmas and has called on people young and old to keep the institution going.
La Trobe MP Jason Wood said the club president, Bob Simonds, and his small committee is to be congratulated on their hard work to keep the sub-branch going.
Mr Wood said Mr Simonds has been the president for the past 20 years and has some amazing stories to tell.
“We need more people like Bob to make sure the long history of this club is continued,” he said.
Mr Wood believes that there will be no problems with securing the sub-branch funding in the future but said the community needs to support the club.
“What it now needs is for the local community to back up the RSL,” he said.
Mr Wood said RSL sub-branches no longer have a culture of being an old men’s club but are fast becoming community clubs and meeting places for people.
“RSLs are no longer exclusive to veterans and now welcome everyone with open arms,” he said.