General News
17 August, 2022
Terang RSL celebrates event’s milestone
A CONCEPT to help connect the community has withstood COVID-19 restrictions to mark one year of togetherness.
A CONCEPT to help connect the community has withstood COVID-19 restrictions to mark one year of togetherness.
The Terang Returned and Services Leagues (RSL) club will celebrate the popular morning melodies event reaching its one-year milestone next Monday.
The concept to host a monthly Morning Melodies session was the brainchild of Gary McKenzie, a member of the RSL and local band Streamline.
The concept was developed with the assistance of fellow RSL members over more than a year with two goals in mind.
“Above all, we just wanted people to have a good time,” Mr McKenzie said.
“We were also at a point where we were sick of relying on grants, which aren’t consistent and what the funding can be spent on is predetermined."
“We never had any spare money but we wanted our own income, but we felt with Morning Melodies being cost-efficient we would put ourselves in the best position."
“The funds raised go towards maintaining the hall and presenting the club in a manner the town would be pleased with.”
Terang launched its inaugural morning melodies event in June 2021, drawing a sold-out crowd and having to turn away more attendees still.
The joy of early success was met with the frustration of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions which caused a number of the monthly events to be cancelled over the remainder of the year.
Mr McKenzie said he had felt if the club could string together three successful events, it could become a maintain on the Terang calendar.
As the ongoing cancellations mounted, questions arose if the club could recapture the early success which had helped the club’s financial viability.
When the events resumed in January this year, Mr McKenzie was thrilled to have his questions answered.
“The community rallied behind us, and we were getting as many as 65 people coming to each event,” he said.
“One lady recently gave us $2000, Warrnambool Country Music gave us $200, Bruce (Moore) put in an application for the South West Community Foundation, who gave us $601, and the Terang Community Op-Shop gave us $1500 specifically to keep morning melodies running."
“We’ve also had businesses contributing vouchers for the raffle because people are going out for lunch after morning melodies, which is having an economic impact."
“We want to get the appreciation of that out because what the community are doing to support us is wonderful.”
One year since the first morning melodies the event has only increased in popularity, and now regularly draws listeners from Mortlake, Cobden, Timboon, Camperdown, Warrnambool and as far away as Beeac.
“Everyone just laughs, sings along and gets to know each other,” Mr McKenzie said.
“It is a wonderful event and after 12 months I also want to thank everyone involved."
“Thank you to the musicians who have performed and my fellow RSL members who have this event running like clockwork.”
Terang RSL’s Judy Walters, whoco-ordinates morning melodies, said she was thrilled with the consistent numbers morning melodies attracts.
“The lowest attendance we’ve had was 53 people, and that was just after a wave of COVID-19 and during school holidays,”she said.
“The biggest crowd we’ve had was over 80, not including RSL members or the band."
“We’d love to see those kinds of numbers every month because the atmosphere was wonderful."
“Everyone who is coming keeps coming back.”
Morning Melodies is held on the fourth Monday of each month at the TerangRSL Hall.
Tickets are $8 and four raffle tickets are $2 with the raffle consisting of two major draws and eight minor draws.
The next event will be held on Monday, August 22.
For bookings, which are essential, contact Judy Walters on 0437 104 177.