As the Guyra RSL sub-branch nears its century, Hans Hietbrink, president and last mayor of Guyra Shire Council, urges all eligible members to do their bit, and enlist in the organisation – or any community service group.
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“My desire is to get people in the community involved in the community, in some way, in some organisation,” he said.
“I say that not only to become involved in the sub-branch of the RSL, but for people to become involved in every other organisation they can!”
Mr Hietbrink has served as president of the Guyra RSL sub-branch for three years, and was returned to the position at the Annual General Meeting at the Soldiers’ Memorial Hall on Monday, along with other members of the executive.
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Martha Weiderman, whose father served in WWI, was re-elected as secretary; Ronald Vickress, a WWII navy veteran, as treasurer; and Mrs Christine Hietbrink as senior vice-president. Garry Starr was re-appointed junior vice-president. Mr Hietbrink and Mr Vickress were appointed delegates to the quarterly meetings of the New England District Council, made up of sub-branches from the whole of New England.
The Returned and Services League of Australia sub-branch has served Guyra since 1919, a year after the end of World War I. It looks after veterans and provides welfare to those who need it. It raises funds, and provides a service at the funeral of all ex-servicemen in the community. It organises two main services throughout the year, on Anzac Day (April 25) and on Remembrance Day (November 11).
Membership is small, with only 12 service members and 10 affiliate members, who are not ex-service personnel but have an association through a relative. Of these 22 people, there is a core group of ten active members.
Most are Vietnam veterans in their sixties and seventies, while patron Ted Mulligan is a World War II veteran going on for 102.
“The RSL, like any organisation, is ageing,” Mr Hietbrink said. “We’re all getting older; and eventually the older members won’t be here. And unless the younger ones get involved, there won’t be a sub-branch.”
Many of the younger members, Mr Hietbrink said, rarely attend meetings.
“I would like to see a lot more of them involved in the sub-branch. If the younger ex-service persons don’t get involved, then the RSL sub-branches will die out.”
He also encouraged those ex-service personnel who had not yet joined the RSL to sign up. While there were many ex-servicemen in Guyra, most were not RSL members.
“We don’t see them. They come out to Anzac Day and join the march, but a lot of them are not members. A lot of the younger service personnel or ex-service personnel are the ones we’d like to get.
“I'd like them to be more involved, at least come to a meeting to get an understanding and appreciation of what we do, and to be involved when it comes to things like Anzac Day.”
Service personnel’s relatives could also become affiliate members, with the same access as a full member, but cannot vote at the regional, district, or state level, and cannot become president.
“We'd love to see more people who are eligible to become members or affiliate members, to become involved in the sub-branch.
“If someone was the grandchild of a veteran, we would welcome them with open arms, because they have an affiliation with ex-service people.”
Many of the town’s other organisations also faced ageing, shrinking memberships. Guyra, Mr Hietbrink said, had more community service groups and organisations than most small towns, but only 50 or so of the 1,200-odd adult population were involved in community service.
“We're not the only ones,” Mr Hietbrink said. “I encourage people who say ‘Oh, I don't want to get involved in the RSL sub-branch,’ well, get involved in Rotary or Lions or the Chamber of Commerce or Westpac Rescue or Care and Assist or one of those other organisations that's out there doing things in the community, rather than leave it just to one or two people to do all the work!”
The Guyra RSL meets on the last Wednesday of each month at 3:00pm at the Soldiers' War Memorial Hall, Bradley Street, Guyra. For more information, phone 02 6779 2672, or email guyrarsl@gmail.com.