Why members support us.

Here follows an article prepared from one of our Foundation Members. It gives us all food for thought!

WHY MEMBERS SUPPORT US?

Sometimes the Minutes of a Meeting are merely the ‘cloaked bones’ of what really happened on the night.

Our Special Meeting held early December is a case in point.

With about 50 people present, our new Cricket Placements Committee Chairman, spoke of the special thrill he experienced when it was his job to phone a young girl, living in remote western NSW, to tell her  that she was the recipient of a Taverners’ grant which would take her to England to play cricket in the Lancashire League.

Our Treasurer told us we had about $60,000 in the Bank of which about $20,000 is committed to ensuring our two young Southern Cross students complete their University courses.

Later in the evening we met others to whom we have given grants this year:

• 2 children aged 7 and 10 who were being looked after by their grandfather now in his late seventies. The older of the two children has downs syndrome. The father is not around and their young mother passed away last year. We gave a grant to get the lad to Sydney to compete as an AWD (Athlete with a Disability) in Discus.
• A single Mum from Ocean Shores who is caring for three children the youngest of whom is also an AWD in long-distance running, and was assisted with a grant.
• A couple who hold sausage sizzles in Bangalow on a Saturday morning to raise funds to send their two talented daughters and one AWD son to various middle distance events both in NSW and interstate. Our grants to these kids was much appreciated!
• a couple, with a small business in Lismore, who care full time for their 17-year old son who has muscular dystrophy and is permanently confined to a motorised wheelchair. He has just finished his HSC but his life expectancy is not great.  In the meantime his ambition is to qualify for the world titles in wheelchair Boccia due to be held in various centres, leading to the Paralympics in Rio in 2016. We have helped this lad for several years, and will continue to do so.
• Other youngsters helped over the past gtwelve months include a tennis player, several cricketers and a soccer star.

Of course that’s not to mention our past endeavours….. table top cricket for the disabled, the 16 kids we sponsored to the  International 6 a side soccer in Port Macquarie, or the 6 kids we sent to Brazil for the futsal, or the many young guys we have sent to play cricket in England.

But that’s another story.

Some of our 130+ members like the social side of Taverners, others like the Guest Speakers or debates, others just like telling lies about their past sporting careers and others like to visit the  far flung outposts in the northern NSW Branch.

Whatever the attraction, we all seem to enjoy each other’s company.