They say every good idea is stolen from someone else. And it’s probably quite true.
I know I’ve never had a decent idea in my life, but here at the Champion Post, we think we’ve come up with a good move which might even take off in the community.
It’s an activity which is well worked in the schools, and I think could work in the workplace.
Many local businesses provide their employees and facilities for local charities.
For example, some offer staff and vehicles to deliver Meals on Wheels.
We’re not in a position to do that and really, like many businesses I suppose, we’re fairly limited in what we can do to help local charities in such a way.
But as the schools do, we thought we might try a Mufti Day each week.
We have chosen Friday when, instead of wearing our uniform, we can dress in casual (but well presented) clothing.
For the privilege, we put a gold coin into a collection tin.
It might not be much, but over a year it will add up to quite a nice little donation to whichever charity we choose.
And it’s a bit of fun at the same time.
Just imagine if other local businesses, council, organisations etc followed suit (sorry clothes), and had their own Mufti Day.
There might only be one or ten staff, but if 100, even 200, businesses provided a day off from their regular uniform, and staff made a donation to do it, the amount of money raised for local charities would be fantastic.
And it wouldn’t cost a lot of money, but the consistency of it would add up.
We’re going to give it a go anyway. What about a challenge for others to join us?
How does Parkes – known for The Dish, the Elvis Festival and the town which celebrates Mufti Friday - sound?
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Speaking of promoting Parkes, there was a large promotion of The Dish in the Daily Telegraph last Saturday – wonderful publicity for the town.
It comprised about half a page and included a colour picture and details.
Even some ‘state secrets’ were included. Like:
‘About 1874, a camping place developed near permanent springs, providing water for men, horses and bullock teams.
‘The springs are today somewhere beneath the stage of Parkes Leagues Club.’
And:
‘Long before Parkes became a venue of annual Elvis Presley Festivals, it had a link with The King.
‘On January 14, 1973, his Honolulu Aloha concert was beamed live via satellite and the Parkes radio telescope to Australia and Asia.’
What next?
The town known for Mufti Friday!
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Well, it appears there is a very simple solution to my dilemma about when to put out the (yellow) recycling bin.
Just refer to Pension Week, I’m informed.
You might recall last week I mentioned how quickly I was aging because I didn’t know when to put out the recycle bin, and appealed for help in finding a quick solution.
Thanks to the people who contacted me to let me know the recycle cycle is always in Pension Week.
In my defence, and despite the way I look, I haven’t yet qualified as a pensioner so it is quite understandable I would not know such vital information.
So there is the question of how do I know when it is Pension Week so I can put out the bin?
Again, an easy solution, I am told.
Most calendars indicate when it is Pension Week – simply displaying a P on the Thursday the pension payment comes through.
So there it is – life wasn’t meant to be easy, but it is slightly easier after this revelation!
Oh, and thanks to the mystery donor of a calendar with all the recycling dates marked! It will come in handy.
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I’m still having some fun acknowledging our lengthy list of OAM (Order of Australia Medal) recipients.
We only set out originally to mention a couple off the top of our heads, but there are so many out there, it really is quite staggering.
From my understanding, a man who left an indelible legacy in Parkes, the late Ron (Croker, or is it Croaker) Harrison was our very first OAM.
Before the OAM, if I remember correctly, the honour used to be the British Empire Medal, but obviously that needed to be changed to acknowledge Aussies rather than Brits.
Croker has left a wonderful legacy. He was largely responsible for our tech college (now TAFE), the Sports Council, was a former alderman on the council and a tireless worker behind the scenes in many local groups.
He passed away at a young age of 61 but was thankfully acknowledged for his services long before then.
Another OAM with a unique link is Alan Hockey, the only medal recipient in the Parkes Show Society. Alan’s record is extensive and includes past president, Life Member, Patron, Ring Master – all over a career spanning about 65 years.
If there are more of the ‘Forgotten Few’ please forgive me for overlooking you.
Perhaps it is worth setting up an Honours Board listing all of our recipients, for display in the Coventry Room.
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THOUGHT FOR
THE WEEK:
‘We can never see ourselves as others see us; even the mirror shows us in reverse.’
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