2008 Annual Report - Royal South Street Society

Highlights for the yearand special occasionsleft Back row: Stephen Jones, Dr WilliamPryor, Front Row: Ron Harrington, Dr SydGiddy and Liz Heagney – ceremonycelebrating Order of Australia Medalsat Town Hall. Photograph courtesy ofThe Courier.right Mark and Gayle Border, Jackie Berry,Kelly and John Steegstra at the 2008Showcase evening.Ron Harrington OAMRon Harrington has been a long servingvolunteer at South Street, and a boardmember for twenty-five years. Ron is in chargeof the Calisthenics discipline. Each year hepassionately and diligently ensures that thissection goes off without a hitch. This yearCalisthenics ran for twenty-seven days straight.During that time, ninety three clubs attendedthe competition, seventy two from Victoria andnineteen from interstate. This results in excessof 19,552 on stage performers during that time.Ron Harrington was awarded an Order ofAustralia Medal in 2008 for his “service to thecommunity of Ballarat, particularly throughthe Royal South Street Society.” SouthStreet congratulates Ron on his significantcommitment to the Competitions and to theBallarat Community and we celebrate with himthis prestigious award.Sponsors and DonorsAll our sponsors, supporters and significantdonors were invited to the 2008 Showcaseevening, which featured entertainingperformances from this year’s competitions.The evening commenced with a privatefunction for our sponsors and donors in theLong Room, to thank them for their contributionto this year’s competition. Guests wereentertained with some quiet backgroundmusic by local pianist Oliver Zehrung, whileenjoying a drink and some nibbles. Thefunction was attended by approximatelyone hundred people who then enjoyed theevening’s fantastic entertainment.Arts Victoria GrantIn 2006 the State Government allocated$400,000 over four years to strengtheneisteddfodau across Victoria. The fundingis being administered by Arts Victoria and isto assist eisteddfodau with the payment ofadjudicators’ costs.The Royal South Street Society has enteredinto an agreement with Arts Victoria todistribute the funds to the eisteddfodau. TheRoyal South Street Society’s agreed role is tocoordinate the distribution and administrationof the grants and the acquittal reports to ArtsVictoria to account for the grants. The level ofgrants to all societies was based pro rata onthe number of entrants each eisteddfod societyreported in 2007.In 2008 the Royal South Street Society’s shareof the funding was $18,000, this is a fantasticassistance to the society but goes only part ofthe way to paying the adjudicators costs whichin 2008 totalled $78,000.