The Police Association Journal november 2009

20
Retired and
Life Members’ Dinner
Farewell and
good luck
The Police Association’s annual Retired and Life Members’ dinner, held in Melbourne
last month, was an evening of celebration of police careers. One hundred and one
members called it a day after a total of 3,483.5 years of service.
The longest serving retiree was
Senior Sergeant John Donald
14980. He joined the job on April
2, 1965 and retired on July 7 this
year after 44 years, three months
and five days – what a career!
This year’s dinner was the largest
gathering of retirees in the history
of the Association. In welcoming
the retirees Association Secretary
Greg Davies pointed out that if the
members’ service was run back-toback
the first member would have
been policing Elizabethan England,
preparing for the arrival of the
Spanish Armada!
On a serious note Greg said an
enormous amount of experience
was being lost to the Victoria Police
Force, the community and The
Police Association.
“We are in a position where we can
least afford to lose this amount of
experience. In my 32 years in the
job there are fewer groups that I’d
rather have to be in the trenches
with than the people here tonight.”
Association President Brian
Rix made special welcome to the
Life Members.
“Life membership of The Police
Association is the highest honour
we can bestow on people who have
given so much to the organisation.
You are the ones who forged
this organisation into what it is
today. There is no greater accolade
police officers can receive than
to be recognised by their peers.
We thank you one and all for
your contribution to The Police
Association over the years.”
Brian then asked those present to
join him in a minute’s silence as
a mark of respect for His Honour
Judge Bernard Shillito, a Life
Member of the Association and
the former head of the Police
Service Board, who passed away
in November last year.
In a note read to the guests,
Judge Shillito’s son, Peter said that
his father was very proud of the
Victoria Police Force and the role
he occupied as Chairman of the
Police Service Board for more than
20 years.
“He often told me how vitally
important it was to have a body
that could independently audit and
oversee the promotion, demotion
and transfer of officers with proper
transparency, investigative powers
November 2009 The Police Association Journal
www.tpav.org.au