WE GOT THE BOAT WET!! - WAGGA WAGGA

Photographic proof that we finally got the boat wet.

22 of our paddlers from Wagga drove to Temora on Saturday 26th July, & paddled with members of Temora Breast Cancer Support Group. It was a great day, and the very friendly Temora group provided a fantastic morning tea & lunch.

Our coach Lynelle was joined by Sweeps Lee Mavanna from CDBA & Pete Boreham from Sale in Victoria, and the three of them made a great team ensuring everyone had a good time while staying safe.

And now we've been told that we can use our local lake too. Woo hoo!

Cheers,

Lee Massey

KEYRINGS OF HOPE

These keyrings are going like hotcakes and we still are not into traditional pink products months of mid Sept and October.


If you would like a new and innovative way to raise some much needed funds for your local group and for Dragons Abreast nationally then the Keyrings of Hope are the perfect thing!

They are very cute and sell themselves as they are new on the market and very useful too!

If you want to sell these at a loal fundraiser please get your orders in early as we are experiencing a high demand and we'd hate anyone to miss out!

For more details please contact merchandise@dragonsabreast.com.au for wholesale orders of 10 keyrings at a time or call us on 1300 889 566

You might also like to approach your local hairdresser, chemists, beauty salon etc etc to sell these on your behalf!

Your Regional Reps at work

Wow -I've finally got this happening - thanks Jan for your patience! What a wonderful gathering - it was great that so many were able to get to Bendigo for the recent DAA General meeting. Your Regional Reps at work - from 8.30am to about 5.30 pm on Saturday - on a glorious winter's day after a frosty start, with sun streaming through the windows. Luckily Angie & I did the Wildflower Walk when we arrived on Friday!
Thanks to DA Bendigo for the extra folding beds and mattresses, as by Sat evening we had stretched the Otis Foundation rooms to the max, so 4 of us followed Judy Milner home to our comfy billets after dinner at the pub. A quick Sunday morning tour of Judy's beautiful garden (now I know why Judy is the volunteer gardener at Otis) while gulping coffee to keep warm, before we set off into town to greet more locals and some new arrivals from Ballarat. By all accounts the Vic team reps thought the meeting was most worthwhile - "finally felt that member groups had a part of the process and that there was a more accessible way ofbeing 'heard'." "The meeting seemed to go well and it was a good opportunity to get to know more about the operational aspect of DAA.""All the Pen. Dragonflys enjoyed themselves & got a lot out of the meeting.""...a most informative and enjoyable weekend. The session has certainly given me a greater understanding of the huge amount of work and dedication you all put in to keeping DA 'afloat"."
Paddles up! VictoriaPru

GREAT NEW TEAM

The meeting in Bendigo was a wonderful opportunity for Victorian members to meet much of the Dragons Abreast team that operates around the country to make everything happen for members.

Trish Greenfield - Regional Rep Manager did an excellent job of chairing her first such meeting and it was wonderful to have both the previous Victorian Representative Pru Menzies and the new representative Lauren Vallance present. Lauren was responsible for the yummy catering!!

Angie Walter, the NSW North Coast Representative and Carole Douglas, North Queensland Representative both enjoyed meeting fellow reps. Cynthia Kuiper, our NSW representative gave an excellent presentation on why members need to support the national body. Pat Hancock from the Policy Committee shed light on the policy making and Moira Cannell from Tasmania lent her expertise too - it was a fantastic combination of talent.

Kathy James (our new Office Admin Manager) also made her debut and explained the ID system as Jan Skorich, our wonderful web mistress flashed up live views of the website and explained all our whizz bang technology!

We were all very thrilled to experience the hospitality of the Otis Foundation - what an amazing place! Thank you Otis!
Michelle

I've done it :)

Hi Everyone,
I have got a google account and am blogging! It was a fabulous weekend in Bendigo catching up with fellow dragons abreast dragon boaters.

Cheers

Heather
Brave Hearts
Albury/Wodonga

Conference at Bendigo

We have read the information, but to have people present it with passion, and to see how hard they work for Dragons Abreast makes us enthusiastic to do our share. I have a picture of the networking that gave us so much. Fran and Wendy talking to someone, Anne in another conversation and Margaret ( with expressive hand gestures ) talking to someone else. The exchange of information and the friendships rekindled.

It was well worth the trouble we went to for the experience.
Yes you can paddle! But to be a member, a working member of Dragons Abreast is something else.

Thank you for the memories!
Intrepidette
Ballarat.

A New Chapter

Whilst it may be an 'end of an era', it is also the beginning of a new chapter in Dragons Abreast Australia.

The baton has been passed over to us to keep the good name going and importantly to keep the spirit alive. We can all do this.

Thank you Michelle for your tireless work over the last 10 years. You may have been inspired by many people to keep going, but remember that you have inspired and guided many of us along the way. It is due to your guidance that we will be able to continue the great work of Dragons Abreast.

I am truly happy to be part of this and to also have you as a friend.

Love Jo Parry