Mount Beauty & District Men's Shed

Feel productive, contribute to the community and have fun doing it!

Shed News Update

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A unique Shed Program and a major Shed development Project.

  1. Women in the Shed Skills Development Program (10 sessions) — This has been conducted pre-Christmas and has continued on in January and February. The instructors have been Dick Puttyfoot and Irvin Beeston who have been helping a class of five ladies to learn practical skills that they can be use in and around the home. It has been run in conjunction with the Mt Beauty Neighbourhood Centre. Thanks Dick and Irvin for offering to run this program.
  2. Installation of a Dust Extraction & Collection System — The planning of the system, and the ordering and delivery of the items has been completed. A small group of keen members have been working on this project for two months and today saw the beginnings of all the hard work. The installation has started. Thanks to Irvin Beeston (co-ordinator), Rob Van de Linden, Mal Darwent, Warwick Mitchell, Les Bevan and Rod Hyde for all the input to this project. If things go smoothly it should be fully functional by the end of February.

Other News:

  • Irvin Beeston’s Shed Poetry is now on the Shed website. Click [HERE] to view Irvin’s five poems that he has written. They are brilliant!
  • Jayco Herald Sun Tour (cycling) — Second stage starts in Hollonds St, Mt Beauty on Friday 3 February at 10 am. The Shed, in conjunction with the UKV Lions Club, is running a fundraising BBQ (egg & bacon roll & cold drink) in the SK Pearce Gardens from 7:30 am. Come along and support the riders and also the Shed and Lions Club.
  • Spanner in the Works (health check) — In March the Shed, in conjunction with Alpine Health, will be conducting a ‘Spanner in the Works’ health check. More information will be communicated in mid March.
  • Planning Meeting (held Friday 20th January — 15 members in attendance). Ian Howley is currently collating the information from this meeting and members will be notified shortly of the outcomes.
  • New Members — Welcome to new members Ezio Minutello (Tawonga Sth), Larry Gardam (Tawonga Sth) and Dean Giuliani (Kancoona).

Women in the Shed Skills Program – From left: Helen, Irvin, Sarah & Dick

Mal Darwent on the AGL Moveable Platform and Irvin Beeston

Shed Planning Meeting – 10:15am Friday 20th January

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This Friday 20th January the Shed is holding a Planning Meeting to review its Strategic Plan. All members are invited.

If you have something to say about the Shed’s operations, it’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities or Threats then please come along at 10:15 am for a cuppa with the meeting starting at 10:30 am. The committee would welcome your input.

The discussion will kick-off with a SWOT Analysis. This exercise was performed in 2013 the results of which can be view by clicking [HERE].

If you wish to have a look at the complete 2013/14 Strategic Plan (10 pages) please click [HERE].

Following the meeting there will be a free low key sausage sizzle lunch i.e. not like our lavish monthly meeting BBQ’s but much simpler that our Chef de Shed will prepare.

A Reminder — The Shed re-opens from the holiday break this Tuesday 17th January (9:30 am to 3:30 pm).

See you at the Shed…

Late Christmas action at the Shed

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In the last week we have had the Shade Sail installed and with the generosity of AGL have had two Power Station Runners donated, transported and placed in position at the north end of the Shed. These will provide an attractive feature and will no doubt arouse curiosity with the public. It is planned to display information about the Runners.

Other Shed News

  • We have purchased items for a Dust Extraction and Collection System that will be installed in the new year. This is a very big and expensive job. Irvin Beeston is convening the working group of Mal Darwent, Rob Van de Linden, Warwick Mitchell, Les Bevan and Rod Hyde.
  • Also in the new year there are plans to fence off the west side of the Shed and build a verandah on the west side to improve security and increase our storage space which is always at a premium.
  • Lawn Mowing Co-ordinator — Reg Hollonds has taken on this role. The boys like the new Ride-On.
  • Personal Storage Lockers — Mal Darwent has acquired some lockers that can be used by members to store personal items.
  • Membership – We have 63 members. Thank you to all those who have renewed for 2016/17.
  • Women in the Men’s Shed Skills Program — Dick Puttyfoot and Irvin Beeston conducted this pilot program for five women over 7 x 2 hour sessions once a week. It was run in conjunction with the Neighbourhood Centre.
  • Christmas Luncheon —We had 56 members and partners at the Luncheon held in the Alex McCullough Hall. Our Chef de Shed Mark Hardidge and his band of helpers are to be congratulated. President Dick Puttyfoot presented Graeme Caulfield with an Achievement Award for his five years of committee service to the Shed. Graeme has retired from the committee. A Participation Award was also presented to Jordan McNicol.
  • Garden — Work on the garden has commenced and a few scrubs planted. More work in the new year.

Shed Days & Hours — Shed will re-open after the Christmas break on Tuesday 17th January 2017. Shed will then be open Tuesdays and Wednesdays 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Morning tea 10:30 am and lunch 12:30 pm.

McKay Ck PS Runner positioning

From left: Ian Howley & Paul L’Huillier… just checking the levels

West Kiewa PS & McKay Ck PS Runners in position

The new Shade Sail in position. A great addition to the Shed’s social activities.

Presidents Message — A Year at the Shed

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I am relaxing, (well, in between getting the scaffolding and erecting Mount Beauty’s street decorations for this season). Being president is sometimes very tiring and I wonder why I am. And then a project is completed and another good result comes our way. The camaraderie and openness between the members is becoming stronger and it augurs well for the future. By this interaction, the members’ health and well-being is kept at a level that offsets the onset of old age?

Innovation is the key word for most of our work. All active members bounce ideas between each other, thus establishing a first class finished product.

The culmination of the year’s endeavours was the Christmas Lunch. The members, and some of their ladies, worked very hard to achieve a first class sumptuous feast. Tables were decorated, food served and dispatched, and the hall cleaned and restored to normal. This was a long, satisfying day to end a satisfying year.

My thanks go to all persons that jumped in to help make the day fantastic, and special thanks to those wonderful persons in the kitchen. They certainly know how to turn out some wonderful dishes. And thank-you to the Neighbourhood Centre for the use of their facilities.

It is the co-operation and results of being a member of our shed that makes me feel wanted as a president. Thank you all.

Dick Puttyfoot
President

Erecting Street Christmas Decorations: Sunday 11th Dec ’16 — Top from left: Dick Puttyfoot (president) & Bruce Brereton. Bottom from left: Irvin Beeston & Len Sims