Empor zu Gott mein Lobgesang!
Er, dem das Lied der Engel klang,
Der Hohe Freudentag ist da!
Lobsinget ihm! Halleluja!

Vom Himmel kam in dunkler Nacht,
Der uns das Lebenslicht gebracht!
Nun leuchtet uns ein milder Strahl,
Wie Morgenrot im dunkeln Tal.

Anfang eines Gedichtes von Fr. Krummacher ((1767-1845)

Ende eines Gedichts von Novalis (1772-1801)

Sing praise to the Lord. The joyful day is here. In dark night a ray of light and hope has come.

Divinity has now become ours, often startling us. It has awakened the seeds of heaven everywhere, so let us cultivate carefully all that buds and blossoms in God’s garden.

I believe that a clue to the answer lies in the German greeting, Frohe Weihnachten, which translates literally as ‘joyful holy nights!’ Or in the church signs that say ‘Put Christ back into Christmas’. But what might this mean to those people today who are not comfortable with talking about Christ or holiness, or suspect that the story of the baby messiah in a manger, with angels and shepherds, is ‘just a myth’…

Another clue lies in why we make the effort to send greetings and to find the right presents for the people who really matter to us (i.e. not the show-off or ‘suck up’ presents). It’s to express our love and to celebrate and strengthen our Verbundenheit, our connection to a variety of others significant in our lives. And to share with the less fortunate.

These clues point to that child in the manger as a symbol of light and love being born on earth – the wisdom behind the order of creation and the astounding love (which God IS) being ‘brought down from heaven’, from the realm of the ideal, and implanted – embodied – in humanity. No wonder people who contemplate this consider it a holy event, of awesome significance for the further development of the human race. Even secular people who don’t think in terms of the Christian symbols can ask themselves: how much has genuine and selfless love (symbolised as the ‘divine’ embodied or ‘incarnated’ in the human figure of Jesus), grown in humanity, and in ‘me’?

Has that impulse, that seed implanted 2000 years ago in the time of Caesar Augustus, grown and ripened in human beings over the centuries, and in me over the years?

This Christmas, despite the busyness of the season, let us try to give some time and thought to cultivating what Novalis calls Himmelskeime, the embryonic divinity within us, so that human evolution can move forward and the ‘Kingdom of God’ can come about. Perhaps, maybe after the carols are sung and before the unwrapping begins, you can find a few words that will add depth to your family’s experience of Christmas. Whether your words are based on the teaching of Jesus or the Old Testament, the Koran or the Vedanta or Lao Tse is not so important – when they speak of what a true human can be, they all point to the same thing, namely that peace, joy, love, greater awareness, the ‘Kingdom of God’, must be cultivated within us – denn das Himmelreich ist inwendig in euch. The ‘holy nights’ of Christmas can remind us that our task is to live up to this call.

Herta Uhlherr, Editor

PEACE does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work; it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

A dialogue with Albert Schweitzer, by Werner Zager

Like many Jews of his time, Jesus of Nazareth lived in the ardent expectation that the Kingdom of God would, visibly and for all times, take shape in this world within the lifetime of his contemporaries. But this expectation was not fulfilled. The final break-through of God’s Kingdom was delayed and in the end failed to appear at all. Therefore it is not inappropriate to say that Jesus was wrong in this respect. The result is that we today have difficulty in applying Jesus’ eschatological statements to our own life situation.

In the Christian Church, the expectation of the Kingdom of God in the immediate future was gradually replaced by its anticipation in a remote future. How, then, did this affect the significance given to God’s Kingdom? Albert Schweitzer answers this question as follows:

What Schweitzer expressed so pictorially has also been embodied in Christian doctrine. What was top priority for Jesus – namely, the Kingdom of God – was put into last place, as the final chapter of Christian dogmatics. The Kingdom of God was replaced by the interpretation of Jesus’ death and resurrection. According to Schweitzer, a disastrous result of shifting the Kingdom of God into a distant future was the fact that this Kingdom from then on became merely a matter of future expectation.

As Christians we now ask: how can we successfully regain the Kingdom’s perspective of hope for our world without denying the error of the immediate expectation of Jesus and the early Christians, or succumbing to utopian dreams? The following consideration by Schweitzer can prove helpful at this point:

For Albert Schweitzer the Kingdom of God constitutes the core of Christian faith. Without concealing the difference between the original interpretation of the Kingdom of God by Jesus and the early Christians and the way it is understood in modern times, Schweitzer works out what both views have in common, which is more important than their differences:

In Schweitzer’s judgement, it is not any articles of faith that are essential to true Christian faith; "True orthodoxy" can only consist "in the liveliest and deepest willing and hoping that God’s Kingdom is taking shape". Countering the possible reproach that modern belief in God’s Kingdom is directed totally towards this world, Schweitzer says:

If the Kingdom of God is now shown to be the core of Christian faith, then the question arises how such a belief can be put into practice. The following thoughts of Albert Schweitzer may inspire us:

Of course, we all want to live such authentic Christian lives. We keenly desire that the spirit of Jesus would enter our hearts, that it would make us certain of God’s love and enable us to pass on this love to others. But at the same time we ask: How is this to be done? Can I contribute in letting the spirit of Jesus be more active within myself? Schweitzer knows that the right inner attitude is not enough. It is not for nothing that his own life so eloquently illustrates the insight that knowing the good that God wants us to do in this world has to be followed up by our acting accordingly whenever we are aware of the spirit of Jesus and hear his call.

Therefore, both are inseparably necessary in our life: awareness, inner conviction, and the call on the one hand, and the deed, obedience and reliable action on the other. Whenever we have truly internalized the ideals of the good, of truth, justice and kindness, the possibility exists that men and women, even children and juveniles, will be instrumental in letting us see and experience something of God’s Kingdom in our world.

Eight years ago a grand plan was devised! On Sunday 10^th November 2002 we saw the outcome of some of those dreams. As with all things new, there is not yet universal acceptance, but hopefully, as time passes, we will all be proud of and enjoy spending time in our beautiful new Templer Community Chapel!

The Service to dedicate and open the new Chapel building commenced with a welcome to all and then the singing of verses from the Templer Hymn, written by one of our Founders, Christoph Hoffmann. Appropriately we sang first in German and then in English. Dieter Glenk, Chairman of the building committee, then shared some of the historical background to this momentous occasion, before handing the building over officially to the Temple Society Australia. Dr Rolf Beilharz, in his role as Regional Head of the TSA, received the Chapel from the capable hands of a small, dedicated and hard-working building committee. All the people who had contributed to the construction were acknowledged and thanked

We were reminded of our beginnings in Australia, and our beautiful children explained brilliantly what the new building could allow us to do:

The foundation-stones can represent the strength of having God in our lives. Windows, strategically placed, allow us to look out or in and see things from a different perspective. Doors are open to change and welcome others to step in. Our motto, taken from the Bible over 140 years ago, still holds true today. "Set your mind on God’s Kingdom and his justice before everything else, and all the rest will follow" (Matthew 6:33). The roof overhead represents a safe haven, a shelter, a place of calm and comfort and a place where people can gather to support one another. But without the people, the Chapel is just an empty building – architecturally innovative and uplifting, but ultimately just a building! It is the people who fill it with life! It is in them that God’s spirit dwells.

Dr. Brigitte Hoffman, as the representative of the Templers in Germany, also spoke about our roots. How originally Templers wanted to gather like-minded people in the Holy Land to change the world. As we know, that plan did not quite achieve its goals. After the Second World War, when Templers settled in Australia, we thought we could continue creating settlements as we had in Palestine, but the Government said no! So we were given a chance, a challenge and the opportunity to change things. We now have communities of like-minded people in Australia and in Germany, reaching out to the people of the world. We can relate ourselves to the open architecture used in our Chapel. We need an open attitude, and we hope this building will be used for meetings and a reaching out into the surrounding community, for the exchange of ideas.

The choir sang two moving Blessings, one in English and one in German, each building up until they ‘lifted the roof’ (and certainly people’s spirits) with a four-part rendition of the Lord’s Prayer. This brought a tear to many an eye, as the music swelled through the Chapel, which has great acoustics!

The Chapel was beautifully adorned with flowers. Did you notice the pedestals specially made by a member? So many people gave so freely of their time and effort. Who designed and cooked all the food? ("It’s a reminder of Palestine!") Who carted the extra chairs and crockery and cutlery from Bentleigh for this special occasion, who are the faceless hard workers who spent Saturday setting tables, preparing food, vacuuming, hanging the fishing line and the final pictures for the display, labelling seats for visiting dignitaries and guests, sweeping paths and raking tanbark. Who designed and printed all the nametags? Who took the major roles in meeting after meeting to ensure that everything flowed seamlessly and smoothly and that nothing was overlooked? IT WAS A COMMUNITY EFFORT! Everyone who was asked put in in the area where their strength lay. Some people even developed new skills! There were the faithful few who always help, there were those who have never participated in such an event before who gave their all. The young ones who served tirelessly and then helped clear as well, the people who stayed late and washed and dried countless plates and teaspoons and very tacky dip spoons! Who sorted all the crockery and cutlery on Monday, to ensure it was returned to its correct home? So many people gave so much!!

As one sceptic said, "You may never get as many in the Chapel again!" Be that as it may, I am confident we have made a new beginning – looking outwards, looking forwards. May our Chapel be a place of joy and discovery and a special, enlightened meeting place for many in the years ahead! THANKYOU to you all who participated in this historic event. Renate Weber

Hulda Wagner

We came, we saw, we heard and the Community Chapel won all our hearts!

It was a beautiful morning, the sun shone and the landscaped area looked fresh from its watering and the footpaths around the hall and chapel had been swept clean.

On entering the chapel with its wonderful flower arrangements, I knew that everything would go well. This feeling was confirmed in the hall, bathed in the golden glow of the flowers on all the tables.

Everywhere there were people putting the finishing touches to what was going to be a most memorable day! One did not need champagne to get high, one just was! It was a great occasion, with the choir’s singing of the Lord’s Prayer moving me to tears. I felt that our chapel had been well and truly blessed.

To each one of you who came to help celebrate, thank you! It was you, your participation, which turned this space into a living, vibrant centre for the wellbeing of the Temple Society. It was wonderful to greet the Regional Head in Germany, Brigitte Hoffman.

We feel that our new Chapel has been well and truly welcomed by the whole society. May it be for our community a great blessing and a centre for uplifting activities that will enrich our community and those who participate in them.

On behalf of the Chapel Opening Committee: Rolf Beilharz, Helga Anderson, Harald Ruff, Heinz Vollmer. Elisabeth Wagner

Es war ihr Templer Glaube und ihr Templer Gemeinschaftssinn, der ihnen den Entschluss und die Zuversicht für einen neuen Anfang der Tempelgesellschaft in Australien gab. Diese Boronia Templer bauten diese Halle, was für damalige Zeiten ein großes Projekt war, zum Wohl und zum Nutzen für alle Templer Gemeinden, sie stand ja schon etliche Jahre vor allen anderen Hallen.

Die Boronia Halle – ein einmaliges, kompaktes Gebäude und so echt, wie die Templer Hallen schon immer waren, schlicht und einfach und stark, mit soviel Geschichte von 50 Jahren – spricht doch deutlich für uns Templer alle und sie spiegelt damit unsre Templer und Lebenseinstellung.

Über die Boronia Halle sollte nicht nur mit Verstand und nach finanziellen Vorteilen entschieden werden. Die Boronia Halle ist, und soll weiterhin das Wahrzeichen, der Grundstein der Tempelgesellschaft in Australien sein.

mit freundlichen Gruesen, Fritz & Olga Kroh

The TSA Office will not be fully attended during the Christmas and summer holiday period. We will close on Friday 20^th December and re-open on Thursday 23^rd January 2003. Messages can be left on the answering machine, but be aware that they may not be responded to immediately.

In emergency situations or matters of need, please contact either:

Mark Herrmann – Business Manager   Dr. Rolf Beilharz – Regional Head or Helga Anderson – Community Care Worker

The bereavement line will continue to function during this period.

It is customary at this time of year to look back at the past 12 months and be thankful and appreciative for all that has been achieved in TSA circles. Much is accomplished through the committed and largely unsung efforts of dedicated volunteers. One need only reflect on the massive undertaking of the Community Chapel opening last month to truly appreciate this.

So, a sincere and heartfelt vote of thanks to all members and friends who have generously contributed to the workings of the Templer Community and kept the Society wheels turning. We wish you all a happy Christmas, a well-deserved break and an opportunity to recharge the batteries in preparation for the challenges awaiting us in 2003.

Mark Herrmann

Please remember TR contributions for the Feb. edition should be with the Editor by 18^th January, – mark your calendar.

Thank you to all those who regularly get their contributions in on time, and to all involved in producing the Templer Record. Ed.

Dear Friends,

Another busy year is coming to an end. As we look back on 2002, we can be truly proud of our achievements culminating in the opening celebration of our magnificent community chapel. It is a positive contribution in the face of otherwise negative and disturbing news and happenings around the world.

The response to the invitations to the Opening and to help on the day has been overwhelming and we thank each and every person who contributed to the success of the day. In particular, the exceptional effort of the catering team, under Moni Imberger, without whom the day would not have been the success it was.

THANK YOU!

We now look forward to the Christmas festivities and the holiday season. TTHA has a busy pre Christmas program and would appreciate helpers. Please contact Dolly Klaver at TTHA or myself if you are able to help. See also page 30.

The Day Care Program is now operating as a drop-in centre and the hours are from 9-5 Monday to Friday. It caters for the elderly, the disabled and their carers. Transport can be arranged if necessary. Please discuss your needs and requirements with Evi Marso at TTHA – 9729 3444.

The new Community Chapel is available for private Templer celebrations like marriages and funeral services. Unlike in the main hall, minimal preparation is required as the chairs are in place.

I wish you the joys and blessings of the Christmas season and safe holidays. Best wishes to our sick and infirm friends,

Helga Anderson

  To book the Chapel, please call Tony Beilharz

Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

Hugo Wennagel
Gertrud Poddey
Ella Weber
Erika Petrick
Erika Scheer
Reinhold Orth
Linda Steller
Hans Frank
Ida Messner
Lotte Breisch
Erna Carson
Otto Kuebler
Ursula Thiesemann  
Hedwig Wennagel
Elma Nolte
Lieselotte Korbel  
Lothar Boehmer  
Werner Struve
Else Beck
Felix Haar  

Hugo & Hanno Wennagel

Evan Jared Richter

In the past years the two Templer German Schools (Bentleigh/Moorabbin and Bayswater-Boronia have held a combined excursion, the aim of which has been to broaden the children’s experience of German in a fun, informal and relaxed environment (that’s not to say our weekly lessons don’t provide this!).

This year children were encouraged to bring their extended families to an afternoon tea at the Cuckoo Restaurant in Olinda (thanks to Moni Imberger for the great idea). 93 people came along to eat, sing, dance and be entertained, the kids making the most of the opportunity to taste some authentic German food by eating bowlful after bowlful of chips and jelly! Our 93 people consisted of the students, their parents, Omas and Opas, siblings of all ages, teachers, Templers and non-Templers and even our German exchange students, Inga and Christine! We shared a lovely afternoon and are looking forward to next year’s group outing.

Some of the Bayswater/Boronia students wrote up the trip in class:

Christine Ruff

Sydney

Our guest speaker Dieter Ruff and his wife Isolde were warmly welcomed by all of us at a well attended Saal on 27^th October. Dieter's lesson was from James 4:6-17 and he spoke on the theme "learning to live positively with life's uncertainties, warning against boasting and over confidence". The whole service was food for thought, which made one realise that there are no guarantees in life.

A relaxing afternoon with coffee, tea & cake was spent with our guests. Dieter and Isolde, thank you for coming.

Next Meetings:

Sunday 22^nd December Christmas Service 16.00 at Meadowbank

Sunday 2^nd February Service at 15.00

Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

If you have an e-mail address, it would be good to let Erica know so we can send you information on TG activities in the future.

Thursday 9^th to Thursday 16^th January 2003. The camp will be at the YCW camp on Phillip Island and information and booking forms are now available from Susi and the TSA Office. Remember to ask your friends along, they will be more than welcome.

All enquiries to Susi

Youth "O" Camp 2003

Saturday 11^th to Wednesday 15^th January 2003. The camp will be bunkrooms at the Phillip Island Caravan Park, Newhaven, Phillip Island. We are hoping (among other things) to go surfing and get some lessons in! There will be a camp meeting for all interested people on Sunday 8^th December in the Bayswater Hall. Ring Susi for details, to obtain a booking form, or for any further information.

Enthusiastic volunteers to help out with various youth activities, eg. going on camps or weekends away, looking after one of the youth groups, helping with the youth service, supervising activities, helping with transport, etc. Any age, no experience necessary! If you can help, please let Susi know ASAP.

Youth Service 2003

The 2003 Youth Service will be taking place on Sunday 9^th February 2003 at 3.15pm in the Community Chapel, followed by afternoon tea in the hall. The whole Templer Community is warmly invited to come and support our young people and show them that we value what they have to say and present. Anyone who would like to take part or help out with the service needs to ring Theo Richter ASAP

Interest in a horse riding camp has been good but not enough to secure the camp for our group alone. We will therefore try to organise the camp together with another like-minded small group. The camp can accommodate up to 90 children. So we hope that a weekend will be organised and more information including dates will be available early in the year. We have approx. 30 interested children, including two 18-year-olds who could go as leaders and 1 or 2 parents also interested in attending.

The camp will be held at the Mill Valley Ranch Tynong North. They offer a Christian-based program and are a not-for-profit organisation.

Susi Blackwell - Youth Coordinator

A BIG THANKYOU to Susi for organizing the Teenage Group to participate in "Rocking the Suburbs" at Rowville Baptist Church. Even though there were only a few of us, we had a great time and made heaps of new friends.

Mieka Decker

I have to ask the question, why me? Why do I have to be the one everyone always has a laugh at? Why am I the one who is always running into things, tripping over things and falling down stairs? Why am I so clumsy? As I write this I have one more exam to go which is tomorrow and I have my Valedictory Dinner in three days. My mission: To look as good as possible (it’s going to take a lot of work, luck and probably a miracle) and to have no bruises on my arms or legs. But alas, I seem to be collecting bruises at a faster rate than usual and half the time I’m not even aware I run into things. Take today for example, I have run into the hallway wall not once but twice, just walked down the corridor and bumped into the wall, I’ve tripped up the front doorstep, banged my knee on the corner of the kitchen bench and walked into the sliding door. That’s right everyone, have a little giggle to yourselves at my expense, I don’t mind. For just one day I would love to be able to get up in the morning and not trip or bump into anything and be able to walk down the street and not trip over the cracks and bumps in the pavement. All I ask for is one day. Maybe tomorrow will be that day.

As well as the end of exams and the beginning of the long awaited partying, it is also coming round to Christmas and summer. All I can say is, it’s about time. So Tania and I both wish all of you people out there a very Merry Christmas and to stop for a moment and think about those who are less fortunate than us. We are lucky to have a roof over our heads, food on the table and family and friends around us who love and support us. But for many people this will be a sad, lonely Christmas filled with hunger, hurt, pain and fear. So stop and consider yourself lucky, because you have what many others wish for: support, love and safety.

Here’s a little Christmas story for you:

For all you summer babies out there who are celebrating a birthday in December or January, have a great birthday and have fun. A special Happy Birthday to Claire Sawatzky who turns 18 on 8^th December. Happy Birthday girl, have fun!

Hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas and a great New Year’s Eve, party hard. That’s all from us for now. Have fun. Love, Tania and Emma.

When I last wrote, we had just finished with the final story from the Old Testament of the Bible. Now it is time to start with the New Testament. I won’t retell the first story because I’m sure you have all heard it a number of times.

It is about the birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem, how shepherds watching over their sheep by night were told about Jesus by angels, and how 3 wise kings followed a special star which led them to the stable.

Christmas time is a special time when we think of other people and are thankful for all the good things in our life. I wish you and your families all a great Christmas and a safe and happy new year!

Till next year, Moni Imberger

Stephanie Mazzella
Karl Wennagel
Megan Grubb
Sarah Grendon
Martin Beilharz
Emma Williamson
Kathryn Cross
Ashley Lark
Danyon Glenk
Thomas Weller
Dane Rainbird
Toshi Weller-Wong
Stephanie Galloway
Lisa Beilharz
Ashlin Crowe
Kane Loebert
Samuel Ruff
Lauren Berkeley
Tara Froeschle
Wade Hayden

TTHA

Friedrich Sawatzky has been elected the new President of the Committee and we will hear from him next year. Thank you to all those who work and care for our older people! Have a happy Christmas, some rest and new energy for next year.

See also Dolly’s ‘HELP’ in NOTICES

What do you see, nurses, what do you see?
Are you thinking, when you’re looking at me,
"A crabby old woman, not very wise,
Uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes,
Who dribbles her food and makes no reply,
When you say in a loud voice, ‘I do wish you’d try!’

Who seems not to notice the things that you do,
And forever is losing a stocking or shoe.
Who, unresisting or not, lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill."

Is that what you’re thinking?
Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse, you’re not looking at me.
I’ll tell you who I am, as I sit here so still,
As I do your bidding, as I eat at your will.:

I’m a small child of ten, with a father and mother,
Brothers and sister, who love one another,
A young girl of sixteen with wings on her feet,
Dreaming that soon now a lover she’ll meet.

A bride then at twenty – my heart gives a leap,
Remembering the vows that I promised to keep.
At twenty-five, now I have young of my own,
Who need me to build a secure, happy home.

A woman of thirty, my young now grow fast,
Bound to each other with ties that should last.
At forty, my young sons have grown and are gone,
But my man’s beside me to see I don’t mourn.

At fifty, once more babies play round my knee;
Again, we know children – my loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead;
I look at the future; I shudder with dread,
For my young are all rearing young of their own,
And I think of the years and the love that I’ve known.

I’m an old woman now, and nature is cruel.
‘Tis her jest to make old age look like a fool.
The body it crumbles, grace and vigor depart.
There is now a stone where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass, a young girl still dwells
And, now and again, my battered heart swells.

I remember the joys, I remember the pain,
And I’m living and loving life over again.
I think of the years, all too few, gone too fast,
And accept the stark fact that nothing can last…

So, open your eyes, nurses, open and see
Not a crabby old woman – look closer – see me!

NOTICES

Sun 1.12 Sy 15.00 Founder’s Day Service
Sun 8.12 Be 10.15 Founder’s Day & SS Renate Weber
Sun 8.12 SA 14.00 Service Tanunda
Sun 15.12 AH 10.00 Advent Service Herta Uhlherr
Sun 22.12 Sy 16.00 Christmas Service
Wed 25.12 Ba 10.15 Christmas Service Harald Ruff
Wed 25.12. Be 10.15 Christmas Service & S.S. Theo Richter & Children’s performance
Tue 31.12 Ba 18.30 N Y Eve Service Dr. Rolf Beilharz
Tue 31.12 Be 19.30 N.Y.Eve Service Kurt Beilharz

Sun 19.1.03 CC 17.00 Evensong in Community Chapel

Sun 2.2.03 Sy 15.00 Service

We’d like to start our year with a service with a difference in the beautiful new chapel. All members, friends and visitors are invited to an evensong service on Sunday 19^th January, at 5.00 p.m. If you enjoy singing (or listening to singing) please make a point of coming to this service. We look forward to welcoming you there!

Annette Wagner-Hesse, for the Elders

Fine food, good music, catching up with friends and seeing in the New Year are all part of the New Year’s Eve party in our Hall.

After the service (which begins at 7.30 pm) we will have hors d’oeuvres, sherries and soft drinks to start the evening’s entertainment. A self-service meal consisting of chicken and quiches with salads and bread rolls will then be available and later dessert, coffee and tea. Other drinks will be BYO.

The usual raffle will be organized and other entertainment provided.

So please organize your family and friends and book a table or let us find a place at a table for you.

Children can be catered for with videos and kids’ food.

Please let us know early – ring and make your bookings so that we have an idea of how much to prepare.

Parents wanting their children presented before God and the Community at the service in Bentleigh on 23^rd February are asked to contact the Office. Tel. 9557 6713.

Early last month the committee received a request from Kurt Beilharz to consider lending our organ to the TTHA on a temporary basis. Kurt rightly pointed out that the organ has not been used for a considerable amount of time at any of our services. As the existing organ at the TTHA is faulty and has a very short keyboard, the committee agreed to the request. We hope that the residents of the TTHA enjoy hearing organ music at their services and other functions. The organ has been transported to the Altersheim.

Diana Rainbird (for the Be-Mo Committee)

We are now organising classes and accepting enrolments for next year. Children should be at least 6 years old or able to read and write. If you are interested but unsure, we would welcome you and your child to visit and take part in a few lessons early next year with no obligation. We will be offering the following classes at the Bentleigh Hall during the school term:

Beginners – Wednesday, 4:30 - 6:00 pm
Juniors – Wednesday, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Intermediate/Senior – Thursday, 6:30 – 8:00 pm (may change)

Classes in 2003 will start on Wednesday, February 5^th for Beginners / Junior groups and Thursday, February 6^th for Intermediate group.

Recently, Barbara Imberger-Sonntag contacted me about the possibility of creating a new class specifically for young children who are fluent German speakers. This would be a great opportunity for the school and would support parents in their efforts to maintain and foster their children’s learning in German. This class would be conducted in German only and would focus on developing reading, writing, listening and speaking skills via thematic studies and related activities.

We would need a group of 7-8 students for this group to be viable. If your child is 5 to 7 years of age and speaks fluent German at home, this class may be for you.

For more information about the regular classes or the special offer, please contact me

Teacher needed – 1 ½ to 3 hours per week

We plan to establish a new class for early primary aged children who have "mother tongue" fluency in German. The aim is to conduct the classes in German only and develop students’ reading, writing, listening and speaking skills via a range of activities and age-appropriate theme studies.

For this program to run successfully, we need a trained primary teacher who is fluent in German, enjoys working with young children and is interested in helping to develop a suitable curriculum. Contact Ursula Fisher, as below.

Our German School students are busily preparing their items for the annual concert at the Bentleigh Hall on Sunday 15^th December at 6:00pm.

They would like to invite their families and friends to join them and enjoy their efforts. The program will include a few " Weihnachtslieder" , musical performances and short plays, followed by coffee and light refreshments. Naturally Father Christmas will be there again to see what our children have achieved in the past year.

Could parents please organise a small gift for their children, including gifts for any younger brothers, sisters and friends who want to meet Father Christmas? The gifts (wrapped and clearly named) can be left with me or Frau Hennel prior to the concert, but preferably earlier.

We would also appreciate contributions towards the light refreshments - a plate of finger food or cakes would be ideal and would add to the after-concert conviviality.

For more information contact me, Ursula Fisher

Annette Wagner-Hesse

The club is holding their Christmas Sausage Sizzle on Friday 6^th December at 6.30 p.m. Sausages, bread and some drinks provided.

Hope to see you there. Hella Edelmaier, Secretary

Join us for another great evening of English and German carols at the Bayswater Hall on Saturday 7^th December at about 8:00pm for an 8:30 start. Weather permitting, we will again be under the stars on the Wiese at the Bayswater Hall, otherwise in the comfort of the Hall.

If you haven’t joined us previously, find out from someone who has how much fun we have! Song sheets, musical accompaniment, candles & holders will be provided and a light supper will follow. A donation of $5 per person or $15 per family is sought to cover costs. Please bring your own rug and your best singing voices.

All welcome – young and old, friends, family & neighbours!

Join the children of the Community in celebrating Christmas at the Bayswater Hall on Saturday 14^th December at 6:00pm.

Please see the November Templer Record p. 36 for further details. Father Christmas will also distribute gifts to registered children.

Please join us to share the magic of Christmas.

Manfred Decker, for the Ba-Bo Community Council

Ba-Bo German School 2003 – See Nov. TR p.35 Contact: Irene Bouzo

Our November meeting, where Dr. Brigitte Hoffmann, Regional Head of the TGD, spoke to us, was well attended and many were able to comment or ask questions about Community concerns. It was a very interesting and fruitful afternoon and we thank Brigitte very much – please take our greetings back to Germany.

We invite all ladies, and gentlemen who like singing carols, to our Adventsfeier on Tuesday 10^th December in the Ba Hall from 8 p.m. Please bring some Gutsle to share. We’ll be setting up the hall in the morning and welcome helpers, also for cleaning up afterwards. You may like to bring some money for the Christmas charity (not quite decided as we go to print). Herta Uhlherr,

for the Ba-Bo Ladies Group

I am looking for helpers and volunteers who can help out for an hour or two on these busy days:

As you can see, I will need a small army of volunteers. There will also be other concerts and special events but I think that our staff will be able to handle these. If you could spare some time please ring either me (Dolly) at the TTHA or Helga Anderson at the Templer Office. Your help would be very much appreciated.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and peaceful Christmas. I hope your day will be blessed with many happy memories.

Dolly Klaver, Activity Coordinator TTHA

As part of the new Community Chapel celebrations, we plan to have an Open Day on Sunday 9^th February 2003 to introduce our new Chapel into the wider Bayswater and surrounding community.

We plan to start the day with a service in the chapel, which the wider community is welcome to attend, then an informal day with a sausage sizzle, the chapel and the hall open for viewing, an information display about the Temple Society, elders and "guides" wandering around to answer questions and hopefully representatives of all our community groups ready to show the visitors what Templers have to offer.

Not only will this be a wonderful opportunity for our neighbours to come and have an "obligation free" look at what has just been built on their doorstep, but more importantly, it will give the TSA a chance, in an informal and relaxed atmosphere, to open itself up a little and show other people what we are all about.

We encourage everyone to come along and support this day and help us show the rest of Melbourne what a wonderful community this is to belong to! If you are interested and able to help in any way, for example, be a guide, help sizzle sausage, bake a cake, help in the kitchen, or just wander around and chat to people, please contact me. More details in the February TR.

Susi Blackwell

In early September, parents and friends from Playgroup and Bayswater South P.S. cheerfully set off on our yearly Shopping Tour to a wide range of factory outlets in Melbourne. According to our satisfied shoppers, it was a very relaxing, no-stress day with a particularly delicious lunch and champagne included – obviously a day of happy chatting and successful bargain hunting, with Christmas and birthday presents now already ‘in the bag’.

We thank everyone for taking part and at the same time helping Playgroup by raising $387 in the process. My heartfelt thanks to Kris Wennagel, who has kindly organised this event for many years (in conjunction with Bayswater South P.S.) You do such a good job and I am very grateful to you, Kris.

Enrolments for Playgroup – if your child is 2 years old and you would like to join us next year, please give me a ring asap. To let people know in advance, our playgroup fees will be $30 per term next year, a marginal increase to cover costs. Look forward to hearing from you.

Moni Herrmann for the Playgroup

We are in the process of creating a little booklet about the Chapel Opening (speeches, pictures). If you would like one, please let the Office know. Ed.

SOLAR ECLIPSE – on the 4^th December 2002 A. Klink

A brief, late afternoon solar eclipse will be visible, weather permitting, from south-eastern Australia. The 36km wide full shadow of the moon coming from the Great Australian Bight will hit land at Ceduna in South Australia. It will continue to travel northeastwards at a speed of 23,000km/h, across the Outback, over Wirraminna and Lyndhurst in the northern Flinders Ranges, to finish at sunset near the remote Cameron Corner in northeastern South Australia. The event is expected to boost the population of Ceduna for a short time by some 40,000 visitors.

From Melbourne a partial eclipse of 75% can be seen just after 7pm Daylight Saving Time. Remember to wear appropriate eye protection. Apart from man’s fascination with the awe inspiring spectacle a lot of scientific information is gathered by astronomers during each solar eclipse. From the study of the composition, structure and dynamics of the Sun’s corona, to the transit times of features of the moon’s perimeter. The first physical confirmation of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity was the gravitational bending of light from stars close to the sun which become visible during a solar eclipse.

The 2002 December Solar Eclipse starts west of Africa, crosses the southern part of that continent and the Indian Ocean to finish in the North/East corner of South Australia. The next Solar Eclipse in Australia will not occur until the year 2012.

This article is based on a report published in the "Warte" some time ago. It is a sequel to the article on the founding of Sarona that we recently published in the TR:

What a wonderful day in 1900.

Friedrich Glenk observed amongst other things that "…this year the Thanksgiving celebrations were again carried out in the customary manner, and may this help us not to fail in our aim to create the Kingdom of God on earth…".

Our thanks go to my brother, Dieter, who gave us the original article, which he had received from Olga Kroh several years ago. We again ask that if anyone has any articles, photographs or any other snippets of information on Sarona – it doesn’t matter how small or how insigficant you may believe them to be – please give us a copy. Any material will help us put together a more comprehensive history of the lifestyle, events and buildings of Sarona. As mentioned once before, we have recorded on tape much information during our talks with "Saronians", but need someone to transcribe the tape to text. Do you know anyone who does audio typing or who has an audio typing facility? Please let us know.

Just e-mail or telephone either

Helmut Glenk

Can God give us peace if we do not cultivate it within ourselves?

Heide Schwesinger

In our fearful time, can a prayer for more consideration, for time to help and comfort one another, mentioning God’s name, make a difference?

All people want justice and peace, but many want it in different ways. Our limited insight into the necessary prerequisites leads to a variety of thoughts and deeds and misdeeds. Newspaper headlines emphasise that human beings seem incapable of being truly peaceful. Whatever is stopping us? ‘Good does not happen unless it is done’, by you, by me – despite the danger and the fear that we’ll be disillusioned yet again if we approach others bringing roses with a smile, instead of being distant and suspicious.

Praying for peace, trying to create peace without inviting the God of peace to help us become peaceful within, is working with a handicap. Lord, help us to go towards one another, to bring each other roses, and not to destroy one another and your creation.

Based on Frauenworte by Beate Brandt.

Editor

Up to now the Church’s image of man has been that of a passive pawn, a sinner or worse. A belief in the inherent goodness of man, in his righteous motivation, may not have been essential for a functional society 1000 years ago. But in today’s post-democratic environment, where every individual plays an active part in the evolution of society, a belief in the underlying goodness of each person is a cornerstone of our society. It may seem like just another way of looking at life, but the shift in emphasis results in a dramatic, positive feedback, and makes giving and helping your idea, not your obligation. You could call it the "21^st century religion".

Religion, like other natural phenomena, seems to evolve in steps. A long period of quiet adaptation is followed by a sudden breakthrough in conceptual understanding, which results in greater, more efficient utilisation of what nature provides. Then follows again a period of familiarisation with the new knowledge before the next step comes. Did you know that the sum total of human knowledge has doubled in the last twenty-five years, and at the present rate of increase will most likely double again within less than a decade? Small wonder successive changes leave little time for adaptation nowadays. New knowledge and greater insight into the workings of nature challenge us again and again to rethink our place in life. Religious revolutionaries, like Christoph Hoffmann and others, may just be the outward signs, perhaps the triggers, of an impending change already brewing in an evolving society. We are in the midst of another such religious upheaval, as the Church tries to come to terms with – i.e. adapt to – the way we now see ourselves: human beings that are creative and resourceful.

Socially, religion used to be the mirror society watches itself in. It reflected public opinion. It provided for the conflicting needs of people: to live together in submissive safety and the emotional desire of the individual to be respected as a person. It provided a feeling of safety in the hostile vastness of the universe and material support to our precarious existence at the mercy of the elements. Religion was the forerunner of the bill of rights. These fundamental needs of the individual are now being catered for largely by public governing and support systems. We have forgotten how to ask for (or offer) help, because we believe society owes us a living. In modern society, the old religion has lost its relevance to survival, lost it to the extent that those who do not have (or practise) it don’t seem to miss it. It has been replaced by the social services, the democratic, inalienable rights of the individual to life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness.

Intellectually, religion for a long time provided the only sensible explanation of the universe and our place in it. It used to be the frontier of human knowledge, the cutting edge, where knowledge borders on assumption; and the function of belief was to provide the bridge between the two. Research into astronomy, into agriculture, herbal medicine, metallurgy and alchemy were all at one time actively promoted by the religious orders. Priests and priestesses used to be the experts (and the authorities) on the practical aspects of life. It was only when religion became a tool to manage society at large that belief for belief’s sake became the focus of religion, and rituals and dogma took over from the desire to better understand nature. Religion detached itself from the reality we experience when the word itself became holy, rather than the wisdom expressed by the word. It turned to the utopian search for universal love and eternal bliss, and was by-passed by a highway of scientific awareness in which there is no such thing as dogmatic truth.

Spiritually, religion used to offer the people stability in an ever-changing environment. Belief in a pre-ordained plan brought salvation. Now that science has shown that change is the nature of life this rock-solid dogmatic structure is being seriously questioned whether it is beneficial to society. I feel religion in the future must give up its petrified dogmatism and join hands with the population’s scientific awareness, or risk losing its relevance for a technologically informed public. After all, it is man’s inventive creations that, more than anything, shape society’s priorities. Our immediate environment, whether natural or manmade, has the greatest, the most fundamental effect on our development, physically and mentally. Think of agriculture, how it freed man’s intellect to think of more than collecting food. Think of the steam engine, how it transformed industrial society and allowed our minds to step beyond what muscle and sinew can provide. Think of the aeroplane, how the age-old vision to soar like a bird became reality and revolutionised mass transport. Suddenly man can create artificial earth satellites, leave the earth and land on another world. A small step for man, but a giant leap for mankind. It forever altered how we see religion and our place in the cosmos. Think of the computer, an abstract creation that arose from the electro-dynamic laws and today greatly multiplies our intellectual power. And every innovation, every new concept man has developed, has changed our way of life and increased our capacity to better understand ourselves and our needs.

In his recently published book A new Christianity for a new World, John Shelby Spong says, "this religious revolution will not be complete until ‘bad’ and ‘evil’ are also seen as natural and necessary, and accepted as essential stepping stones in nature. Our capacity to recognise evil when we see it is an inseparable part of us, just as much as recognising goodness is. It is part of our wholeness and what makes us human." He takes the Templer idea of the God within us one step further and ties it back to traditional Christianity by saying that a kingdom of God on Earth can only come from the creativity within us. It is a concept crying out to be recognised in these days of endless, unwinnable wars against terrorism.

A little girl at school once wrote a note to God asking: ‘Dear God, instead of letting people die and having to make new ones all the time, why don't you just make the ones you have perfect and then keep them for ever?" This top-down philosophy, the idea of a Master-Plan in nature, still dominates much of our thinking, especially in religion. We have to get used to the idea that nature organises itself from the bottom up, where the summed actions of the parts give meaning to the whole. Humans can no longer afford to see themselves as a failed heavenly experiment, condemned to an eternal, futile struggle with sin, like Sisyphus forever pushing a falling rock uphill. All of us have the God-given capacity to shape our environment for the better and, as temples of God, our individual contributions to society can create a community spirit that unites us beyond differences of opinion and selfish motivations. It is an idea that Christoph Hoffmann made large enough at the time to accommodate the most diverse assembly of individuals, and that today still makes the Templer Society more than just a collection of members. We need to create a vision that globally could accommodate the most diverse religions into a world community, making humanity greater than all mankind.

The awareness of science that Hoffmann stressed as being so imperative to a functional religion has to go deep, beyond a passive adjustment to a changing environment. It has to become an active part in widening our intellectual horizons. When present world governments want to target greenhouse abatement they must look beyond the burning of fossil fuel, they must address biology, chemistry, physics and marine sciences. For solutions to the social problems of tomorrow’s world, religion can no longer rely solely on studying scripture, but must look to such varied disciplines as environmental and social studies, psychology and cosmology. As a Templer who grew up in a Templer environment, I welcome this bold step in the ongoing religious revolution.

Alfred Klink

The Templer seminar at the end of this month is on the spiritual component of our human make-up. See page 11. So the following suggestions, based on some tips from Raising Spiritual Children in a Material World by Phil Catalfo, Berkeley Parenting/Spirituality, 1997, may help to get you thinking. Catalfo studies many different spiritual traditions and how families can introduce spirituality into family life.

Start early – Make whatever degree of spirituality you feel comfortable with a regular part of your family’s daily life from when your children are very young. Kids unaccustomed to spiritual or religious conversations, issues and rituals (e.g. saying grace, giving thanks) are not likely to take to them as teenagers. It’s OK to work out your thoughts on what you believe as you go along, everyone does that.

Tell the truth – Don’t make up what you don’t know (or be afraid to say you don’t know), but you may have to be careful how you express some things. Profess your firm beliefs but also admit your questions and doubts.

Do good – Not in order to go to heaven, but for its own sake. Do it with your kids. Help someone, visit the sick, volunteer, plant trees, organize a clean up, be an engaged citizen. Show your kids that making a positive difference in the world is a natural part of life.

Recognize your children as your teachers – Why else would they have been given to you? Resist the temptation to always make them do things your way. ‘Get out of the way once in a while and let them show you what’s really important to be thinking about, doing, learning.’

Be creative – Tell stories. Make up stories. Do craft together. Share family memories. Do playlets, sing songs, fingerpaint together.

Be real – ‘Let your emotions be evident to your children. Demonstrate your love, but also let them see more complicated emotions – doubt, worry, uncertainty – not to burden them, but to let them learn that people are a complex of feelings and aspirations and that being alive means staying with the process of sorting them out. If they can learn to accept you as you are, they stand a better chance of accepting themselves when they realize that they are pretty complex, too.’

Be aware of now – of what is required of you in this moment, including serving your family and seeing the blessings and miracles of today. Give thanks often.

Enjoy! Spirituality is not punishment! – While it is sometimes solemn, ‘it is meant to enable us to experience joy – and grief’ and all the highs and lows of life – more deeply. Humour and spirituality are closely linked. ‘Keep your list of sacrosanct Things That Can Never Be Joked About short.’

Be open – Let your children see you being unashamedly spiritual, and ask them to respect your quiet or meditation time. Invite them to sit quietly with you, though they won’t be able to sit still for long. ‘It won’t make you a better person or keep your kids from going astray. But it will get the point across that the spiritual side of who we are is not something to be concealed or ashamed of.’

Sing – often! There are those who believe that sound is at the very heart of creation itself – that vibrating sound and resonance, in essence, are what we are – and that ‘chanting, singing and resonating, both individually and with others, are indispensable elements of a healthy spiritual and physical life’. (Many Templers love singing together and have experienced for themselves how bonding and uplifting – and plain happy-making - this is.) Generally speaking, Western peoples don’t sing any more now, they listen to entertainers, but this is very new. Communal chanting or singing has traditionally been the principle way of communing with the Divine and of keeping society in tune with itself – to achieve and maintain harmony – and for people to attune themselves with the overall divine purpose.

In the cacophony of city life we no longer hear natural sounds. Much of the music made today is alienated screaming that tries to be heard over man-made machines. We need to create quiet again, so we can sing – in the car, shower, church, alone, with others, especially with our children. Feel the vibrations in your throat, your chest, your ribs, feel the breath of life fill you up – and heal you.

Know yourself – What are your beliefs about God? He, she, loving, vengeful, critical indifferent? Does your belief enhance your life? How? Is there, in your way of thinking, such a thing as divine purpose? Engage in some soul-searching before you begin the long journey of spiritual education with your children. Don’t leave it too late though.

No parents can avoid discussing some concept of God with their children. The religious ideas our youngsters are exposed to need to be echoed – or at least addressed – at home – to be made personal and relevant to daily life. Allow young minds to be open to the eternal. Admit it when you don’t know. Do point out that others believe differently. If your children see you seeking to know more about God or spirituality, they will seek, too.

Cultivate trust – trust is crucial to healthy development.

Be playful, use a light touch. Active, creative play can make the search for God ‘more a treasure hunt than a didactic lesson.’ Try squatting with your child and her dolls and stuffed animals and wondering out loud which creature is most like God, and see what she comes up with. (Watch your response!) Or role play – have one of the toys be an all-powerful being: what does it do, how does it act?

God is Love – When children are taught to associate love with an almighty presence, they are more likely to enjoy thinking and talking about God. ‘Mention the connections between love and inspiration. Show your children how to help an ailing relative, comfort a bruised playmate – let them experience how the affection and compassion they show is readily returned.’ Instead of just telling them, discover such things together.

Talk about your experience with one another (and don’t make anyone’s experience ‘wrong’).

Throughout life, we keep learning – let’s include learning about our spiritual side, our inner world and our connection with all there is.

Quotes are from Raising Spiritual Children in a Material World. H.U., Ed.

Then Job answered the Lord.

The book of Job is generally counted among the Old Testament literature of poetry and wisdom which originated in the period following the Babylonian exile. This literature includes the Book of Proverbs, the Book of Ecclesiastes and some Psalms.

Neither the author (or authors) of the Book of Job, nor the date of writing seem to be known with any degree of certainty, although most likely it was written during the fourth or third century BC. It is also evident that the author(s) had the gift of an extraordinary power of expression.

The Book of Job [say Jobe] may be called an educational work of poetic fiction, presenting a highly imaginative story. The Book questions the ancient concept of a simple, direct relationship between conduct and good fortune. It highlights a shift away from the traditional notion that leading a god-fearing life brings prosperity, whereas godlessness leads to punishment and suffering. This shift marks the realisation that the depth of God’s wisdom and working cannot be fully grasped through normal human experience and understanding.

Broadly speaking, the Book of Job is the story of a good and pious man, a respected wealthy pastoralist who, for no apparent reason, is overtaken by utter disaster. He loses all his children and property, and is afflicted with a nasty disease. Contrary to the traditional religious belief of three of his friends, who naively assume that he must have sinned badly to deserve such terrible punishment, Job refuses to accept so simplistic a view. Although he does not lose his abiding faith, Job still finds it difficult to comprehend how God can let so much evil happen to a righteous man like himself. And so Job dares to challenge God, whose comprehensive response reveals his overwhelming divine power and wisdom.

In the text for the month Job acknowledges the gross error of his challenge. He realises his abysmal ignorance and shows true humility. God gives credit to Job for having been the only one who sensed that God really is much greater than traditional religion suggested. The three friends of Job are taken to task by the Lord for failing to speak the truth about him the way Job did. As hinted at in the last line of the text, God nevertheless accepts the friends’ amends on the strength of Job’s trusting prayer for them. The story of Job has a happy ending when he is again blessed and prospers as he once had.

Job’s frank admission of the error of his ways, and his prayer of intercession for his friends seem like fruit of a learning experience through the ups and downs of life. Going through pain and suffering was for Job part of that learning experience, making him change his attitude and affording him greater insight into life's contrasting diversity and wholeness. The text brings these into focus against the story’s wider background. It also offers fertile ground, I believe, for reflecting on the guiding spiritual power behind all of creation. Widening the dimensions of our inner space can but help us to find meaning in our place in the grand scheme of things, thereby giving purposeful direction to our conduct and actions in the down-to-earth reality of daily living. Let me mention just a few matters that come to mind here in relation to the text.

There is the courage to question what seems at odds with one’s own perception and experience. There is honesty in not sharing traditional presumptions. And then there is unreserved humility toward, matched by complete trust in, the unfathomable creative power we call God. In the latter context it may be interesting to compare the substance of the text of the month with the statement about God in the TS publication Religious Perspective:

Additional aspects arising from the text are acceptance of the unchangeable, and concern for the well-being of others.

Courage, honesty, humility, trust, learning to bear one’s lot with dignity, and compassion for the proverbial neighbour – what a powerful combination of human qualities! Whoever is gifted with a fair share of these, and is able to apply them wisely, will edge a step closer to the ideal state of God’s Kingdom and contribute to making this world a better place.

In common with our Templer beliefs and practical concerns, the late Mother Teresa also saw this kind of step as an eminently practical responsibility and continuing challenge when she said: ‘… let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier…’, recognising the working of a higher presence in the ordinary.

A tall order? Yes, but certainly worth a good try – day after day.

Dietrich Ruff

Every organisation needs money, but what is more important than money is commitment. This can be done in different ways. Living away from a community does not mean you can’t be committed. Even if you have reasons why you can’t do it regularly, you can come whenever possible. Isn’t it better to meet old friends now and then, rather than not at all? Or don’t you value their company?

There are Templers living in all parts of Australia. Why do they want to remain Templers, or for that matter, why do others want to join the Society? For many, it’s for the sense of community. Templers in Western Australia could organise 3 or 4 meetings a year among themselves like our Country Victoria meetings. If one of them took the initiative and got a list of names and addresses from the Office, I could add the name and address of a non-Templer who may be interested. A member from Esperance is keen to participate.

Those who don’t want to know about the past, don’t have a future. We have the English versions of the books "The Holy Land Called" and "The Story of the Beilharz Family". I have written my life story, which tells of the building of the Bentleigh-Moorabbin community, and I am writing the story of the Templer settlement of Wilhelma 1902-1948 in Palestine. These books contain a bag full of historical facts. It is a pity I have to put myself forward again. Few seem to be interested in how the Bentleigh-Moorabbin community came into being. Those who are interested in our history come mainly from outside the TS. The active people in the world make history and I urge you all to record your life story. Or have you done so already?

To come back to membership, I hope those who don’t join or who consider resigning realise that when they need help it may no longer be forthcoming. Some have resigned and realised in later years how good it would be to rejoin. If you don’t read the TR or read only a small part of it, you are cutting yourself off bit by bit and that is a pity.

I was amazed at the enthusiasm of our latest confirmands. Their quest for having fun together, learning about our history etc. , reminded me of my grandfather, H. Sawatzky. He had a conflict with another elder, who wanted dancing banned. H. Sawatzky said we could celebrate our religion by being together, whether in dancing, having parties or games (all within the framework of decency, of course).

To the young ones I would say: One of the hardest lessons in life is to realise how nearly impossible it is to persuade others by our own enthusiasm, mainly because they think it isn’t relevant to them. Don’t let that deter you. I hope that a lot of older people will also be fired up by your enthusiasm.

Kurt Beilharz

Our sister community in Stuttgart is sending a representative to the opening of our Community Chapel – Dr. Brigitte Hoffmann, Regional Head of the Templers in Germany. We warmly welcome her and the girls on Templer Exchange, Inga Reck and Christine Klingbeil.

See also Templer Exchange introductions, and Ladies Group

The land in Wadi Street opposite the Boronia Hall has previously been identified as an idle asset of the Temple Society and recommended for sale. Discussions have been proceeding with local real estate agents as to the optimal course of action and timing for its disposal.

Our own property experts and Applebys in Bayswater recommend sale by auction and advertising has already begun. An auction date of Saturday 23^rd November has been chosen.

Interested readers seeking further details are invited to contact Mark Schroeder of Appleby Real Estate.

Mark Herrmann,

Central Fund Secretary

The December/January issue of the Templer Record traditionally contains a list of members and friends extending Christmas and New Year’s greetings to all readers.

If you wish to be on the list, please notify the TSA Office by Friday 22^nd November, including a $2 "donation" to cover the cost of printing.

To avoid some problems encountered in previous years, please make all arrangements through the Office only.

This is the topic for discussion at the 2002 Religious Seminar/Retreat organised for 23^rd – 24^th November. All members and friends of the Temple Society are welcome to attend this weekend of fellowship, discussion and contemplation.

Some of the possible sessions planned for the weekend:

If you have an experience, skill or idea to share related to the topic, please let me know. It may be able to be incorporated into the workshop session section.

A program is being developed, but it will be flexible to allow for individual/group needs and interests. Attending for only part of the weekend should be possible.

Chestnut Hill Conference Lodge in Kallista has been booked for the weekend. A package – comprising accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, morning and afternoon teas, main conference room and facilities – has been offered at per-person rates of $130 for single or $109 for twin-share. A subsidy by the TSA will be considered to assist attendance.

The costs are based on a minimum of 15 resident participants and allow dedicated use of the Lodge. Costs would be slightly higher for fewer participants.

Please book at the Office, Tel. 9557 6713.

Renate Beilharz,

for the organising Elders

September was double dollar month for community groups such as the TSA. Thus we will receive a donation representing 2% of all purchases made at Ritchies Supermarkets.

Have you got your Community Benefit Card with the TSA registered as the nominated charity?

We are currently in the difficult position of having a number of members in urgent need of admission to the Home. We will do our best to manage this situation optimally. All those with a not-too-distant need for accommodation and care are reminded to maintain contact with Helga Anderson (Community Care Worker) or myself.

Mark Herrmann

This month I wish to draw awareness to the government funded Day Care program, which the TTHA offers as social support for elderly and disabled people and carer respite. It is an excellent opportunity for carers to have a few hours free time and for the client to enjoy social interaction. For further information please ring Evi Marso or Dolly Klaver at the TTHA on 9729 3444.

The TSA Telelink group offers friendly social support to disabled, isolated and housebound people. We are connected on the telephone every two weeks for a friendly chat and cover many topics, but as yet we have not solved the problems of the world. If you would like to join this happy and cheerful group or know of someone who might benefit from the contact, please ring the TSA Office.

A big thankyou to our diligent stamp collectors. Your efforts are much appreciated. Please keep collecting.

To help individuals and families who are bereaved and who find the Christmas season difficult, Tobin Brothers offers a ‘Coping with Christmas’ program during November and December at different locations around Melbourne.

You are invited to attend one of these evenings, which goes for about an hour, followed by a light supper. To register your intention to attend any session, call Helga Anderson for details of locations.

Best wishes to all our ill and infirm friends,

Helga Anderson, Care Worker

Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

Wir gratulieren Johanna und Hugo Wennagel

Luise Wied

Imogen Alice Noreen Burgin Uhlherr
Parents: Martin Uhlherr & Kylie Burgin

Fleur Lange and Damien Stephani

Christine Klingbeil and I came to Australia together and we are both 19 years old and live in Stuttgart. I finished school this year and want to study in Germany next year in October, but I am still not sure what I really want to study.

At the moment Christine and I are going to the Melbourne College of English, probably for 5 weeks, to improve our English. After I had stayed at Hoefers for one week, I am staying now at Herrmann’s house until the end of the course in November.

I already would like to say thank you very much to the two families. In January I would like to go to Summer Camp before travelling around. After six months in Australia, I will go back to Germany in March.

I am happy that it is possible for us to be here in Australia and to meet new friends everywhere.

Inga Reck

Hello,

I love to make music, that’s why I brought my flutes/recorders with me and Inga and I are singing in the choir at Bentleigh and Bayswater. I finished school in July and when I am back in Germany I want to study. Until now I’m not sure what exactly, perhaps medicine. I pass my English course in the Melbourne College of English with Inga. We already met a lot of people from all over the world (especially Asian people) and we are having so much fun.

After my exchange-time in Melbourne I hope to be one of the Aufpassers at Summer Camp in January. After that, I want to spend a month in New Zealand. In March I’ll be back in Australia to travel around.

At the moment I live with Inge and Uli Hoefer in Boronia, but in November I will move to Haerings. Thank you very much for having me.

Christine Klingbeil

Another visitor from Germany is Fabian Beilharz.

Fabian Beilharz, son of Ludwig and Reinhild Beilharz, who is in Australia for the next six months. He is planning to tour our country with his horizontal bicycle. Presently he is exploring the south of Western Australia, then comes the strenuous stretch across the Nullarbor to the eastern states. If your paths should cross, please say a big hello to him.

Friedrich Sawatzky

On our recent trip to Germany, Holland, etc. I made a special trip from Holland to Degerloch on 28.August. Arrangements had been made to meet up next day with Peter Lange, Brigitte Kneher, Martin Higgins, who was returning from a holiday in Italy, and Danny Goldmann with his wife Edith. Martin and I had been in contact with Danny via e-mail for a long time.

Danny is one of the architects involved in the preservation of the former Templer Settlement Sarona. He currently teaches architecture in Yosh College in Israel and is working on his PhD project on Templer Architecture in Israel. We all spent many hours together in the office of the TGD discussing some photos in the Archives, and the work that is on the drawing boards re Sarona. The Goldmanns gave us 3 books about Israel, one for the TGD Archives, and one each to Martin and myself. This book was published in 1999 and has over 200 aerial photos, from 1917 through the 40s and 60s and up to 1997. Practically all the aerial shots were taken from the same angle, for comparing the changes that have occurred over some 80 years. The former Templer settlements are quite easy to see, and recognition is given to them.

Danny’s main aim in the time we spent together was to take photos, make sketches and find books of how some of the architecture compares with that of Sarona. We four spent some wonderful time together, and a friendship has been formed. Arriving back in the Stuttgarter region in the early evening after our day’s excursion, we were welcomed at the Klingbeils for a snack and a drink.

On our return from Holland some weeks later, we were able to attend the Dankfest at Degerloch on 22^nd September, where we met so many new and old faces, including some from my Israel trip, which I was able to take with the TGD in April 1999. Dr. Jacob Eisler, who was our guide for a number of days in Israel when we visited the former Templer settlements, was also present at this gathering and gave us all a very interesting talk.

Manfred Haering

Sitting at the back of the congregation in the Bentleigh Hall on 18^th August, listening to Renate Beilharz and admiring how the confirmands participated in the service, my thoughts went back to my own confirmation 60 years ago. How different everything was then.

Now, several Elders share the task of holding the lessons and the confirmands contribute and participate actively. Then, and for many years to come, one Elder was responsible for conducting the classes and holding the service. And the confirmands sat quietly, trying to understand and hoping that they would not be asked any questions.

In our case it was Mr. Jone Frank, father of Isolde Ruff and Gudrun Gollong, who instructed us. He was the head of the Haifa Templer Community when we were interned at the outbreak of war in 1939. I must admit that I remember very little of our lessons. After all, It was 60 years ago and, at 14 years of age, I was not very interested in religious matters. Listening to this year’s service confirmed my belief that today’s confirmands are more mature than I was then.

What makes my confirmation special is that it was the first Templer confirmation in Australia. It was held on Sunday 11^th October 1942, in the Interment Camp 3 at Tatura.

We boys wore white shirts and long black trousers, ordered through the canteen weeks beforehand, as clothes were rationed and not easily obtained. They were my first long trousers! (Yes, we survived the cold Tatura winters in shorts!). The girls wore pale pink dresses – white was unobtainable – and what a beautiful lot they were!

The service was held in the morning in one of the ‘C’ Compound mess huts. In the afternoon we celebrated together in one of the mess huts in ‘B’ Compound. For weeks our kitchen staff, supported by some of our mothers, had saved the necessary ingredients to supply us with coffee and cakes.

We were 24 confirmands, 13 girls and 11 boys. With all our immediate families, there was not much space left for additional guests. But from what I remember our family was allocated enough seats to fit in our aunts and uncles and the cousins.

In order to commemorate our confirmation of 60 years ago, the nine surviving members living in the Melbourne area got together on the actual anniversary date, 11^th October 2002, together with their spouses, at the home of Ruth and Felix Haar for a splendid lunch and a convivial afternoon – and much reminiscing.

We thought of those six who are no longer with us. We spoke of the 3 living in Germany, the 3 in South Australia, the 2 in NSW and the one in rural Victoria who could not be with us to share the many memories.

Perhaps the simplest and yet most important advice Herr Frank tried to impart to us so many years ago went approximately thus: "Listen to what your inner voice, your heart tells you, follow your conscience and you will not go wrong."

And I have never forgotten how he explained the difference between an optimist and a pessimist:

Our thanks go to our "girls" who organised it all and fed us so well and to Ruth and Felix for inviting us to their home, where the atmosphere was much more enjoyable and relaxed than if we had met in a restaurant.

We should have done it years ago! Helmut Ruff

Am 11. Oktober 1942 in Camp 3, Tatura, sagte Herr Jonathan Frank seinen Konfirmanden:

Dann folgte das Vaterunser. Das war vor genau 60 Jahren.

Ruth Haar-Scheerle

Ruth Steller, Sydney

Tuesday 2^nd October dawned bright and fair, just the right sort of day to go on holiday. Twenty eager people – 17 bright, expectant ladies and 3 amiable men – lined up by our 21-seater mini bus, driven by John. Driving through the lush Yarra Valley it was hard to believe that we are in the grip of drought. Spring was definitely in the air.

Arriving at Marysville some 2 hours later, we were greeted by the pleasant staff at Mary Lyn and shown our comfortable rooms. I’m sure my bed was more comfortable than the one at home. Bird song and flower scent drifted in the window.

There was time to explore our immediate surroundings. Some of us took possession of the verandah, watching the parrots and engaging in much talk and laughter.

Dinner was plentiful. The soups were really great. I must say we Templers are not much for indoor bowls, table tennis, pool or scrabble, but boy, can we walk, talk, laugh and sing!

Wednesday we took in the local sights, bought some knick-knacks at the Sand and Stone place, also some yummy blueberry wine, raspberry wine, strawberry wine and more wine and some jam. (Chrissy presents – maybe – have to think about that one). In the evening we were given a treat – seeing the Steavensons Falls under lights – just terrific.

Thursday we went to Eildon to the trout farm at Snobs Creek. I bet Fred and Robert would like some of those whoppers on the end of a line. Spent time at the deer and emu farm – with lunch and more "pressies" bought. They tell me emu oil is good for all sorts of things. Then it was on to Mt. Pinninge lookout. The views were great – we even saw snow on Mt. Buller. Here we were aware that water is critical, the level of Lake Eildon being down by 60 metres and more.

Home to Mary Lyn – Oh mustn’t forget: happy hour, a half hour prior to dinner, their sherry was very nice and loosened the tongues nicely. A pleasant white wine to go with dinner and a mellow port for supper to help us sleep. I could get used to this.

Thursday evening we were entertained by Sharon and her pianist Ray. She had a most beautiful voice. We didn’t do too badly either with the golden oldies sing-along.

Friday morning – a quick trip to the local alpaca stud farm. I know I’ll never look at an alpaca the same way again. Tales of the sexual antics of alpaca boys and girls kept us in stitches. Boy did I wish I had a money tree. The alpaca knits were to die for, but I bought a packet of herb tea instead.

After lunch, while waiting to leave, the rain , which had kept clear the whole time, began. The parrots were fed one last time, the crosswords were finished. It was time for an impromptu concert. Some of us grouped around the piano and entertained the house with some typical German folksongs. We sure are a talented bunch – we got a rousing round of applause.

Consensus was: breakfast was the best meal of the day, the spa was great for those who used it, and the little town of Marysville was just too picturesque.

Homeward bound down the hill from Marysville, our driver said: look! And we looked. There was hail, sleet and snow; I think we all said some prayers as he crawled down in first gear. Safely down on the highway, steady rain set in as we journeyed home to our loved ones waiting to pick us up.

Thank you Helga for arranging such a lovely holiday for us. We had a ball – even those few who had picked up a tummy wog! It was not the food. All’s well that ends well. Till next time.

Hiltraud Kinder

Wir bedanken uns sehr herzlich bei Hiltraud, dass sie uns so lieb betreut hat, als Helga (Anderson) absagen musste.

Margaret Richter

Twenty-four people made the journey to Rupanyup on Sunday 20th of October. This comprised fifteen adults and nine children. The Lingham family hosted the gathering, with Christa holding the service.

Christa spoke of the bombings in Bali and her reactions to them, tying in other world events. The central message was of being forgiving and non-judgemental when dealing with others, as everyone has different circumstances, outlooks on life, and different experiences. This theme was particularly apt as it was delivered on the National Day of Mourning for the victims of the Bali tragedy. Her service led to fruitful discussions by many contributors.

Lunch followed. The barbeque and salads were hungrily and happily devoured by all. The children all played well together while the adults chatted, many getting to know Rosemarie Seidler, a new-comer to these gatherings. Rosemarie has Templer heritage and is re-establishing her connection to the Temple Society, having not been brought up actively within it. It was lovely to see a new face - Welcome!

Rod took us for a short walk around his property, which was very useful in settling lunch enough for us to consume afternoon tea. The cakes were plentiful and the tea and coffee hot. Again, the children played while the adults talked.

Around four, most people left to travel back home, many travelling back to Melbourne, others not as far. It was a lovely day in both weather and company, and I'm sure I'm safe in stating was enjoyed by all.

Annie Beilharz, Balmoral Vic.

Ilse Birkner conducted our September Saal; she told the story of Jonah the Prophet and of the lesson that can be learned from it. Ilse, a former Sydneyite, was warmly welcomed by all of us, especially by the Frauenverein. Ilse, thank you for coming and for sharing your thoughts with us.

Our Annual Christmas Bazaar on Saturday 23^rd November is one of our major social events. The Frauenverein has been planning this for months and it promises to be something special. Available will be a delicious BBQ lunch with Bratwurst and Weisswurst, followed by tea/coffee and home-baked cakes for afternoon tea. Home-baked cookies and cake, a variety of hand-crafted items and much more will be for sale. Our usual raffle of donated items and an auction of a surprise item will also be held.

The Kids’ Corner is happening again. We are in urgent need of children and mothers willing to man the stall for a while. Manne Schnerring has been busy making his exquisite figurines for the kids to sell, and we ask the kids to also create/craft things for sale. Please ring Erika Schulz if you can help.

So come along, bring your families and your friends and enjoy this great day out. The date again – Saturday 23^rd November from 10.30 a.m.

Saturday 23^rd November - Bazaar from 10.30 a.m.
Sunday 1^st December - Founders’ Day Service 3 p.m.
Sunday 22^nd December - Christmas Service

Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

This month’s quote is a bit special. It’s in German, because it comes from a friend of mine in Germany, but I’ll put a translation underneath.

A big Happy Birthday to Dirk Lubitz on the 1^st, Alistair Herrmann on the 2^nd, Samuel Lingham on the 11^th, Jeremy Katz on the 19^th, Nicholas Herrmann on the 20^th and Kirsten Lubitz on the 21^st.

Have a great month everyone. Love, Tania and Emma, Youth Eds

November is the time of year which starts to get really hot, and often it’s the time when bushfires start. People who live in the bush, and in the country, often clear land throughout the winter months by burning off. This controlled burning of undergrowth which could fuel a big bushfire when the summer comes, is a safeguard against unwanted fires. It helps to prevent major bushfires starting when the country dries out and the wood becomes more flammable.

Aboriginal people have used fire for many thousands of years, in a process called fire farming. They burnt off scrubland, which generated fresh growth. This attracted animals, which they hunted when they fed on the juicy new leaves. By fire farming, Aboriginal people ensured that food for the animals, and for them, was in good supply. The ash that remained also fertilised the ground richly, adding to the quality of the new growth. So fire was seen as a life-giving tool, and not the destroyer that it becomes in bushfires.

Aboriginal people knew that burning forests would destroy many valuable sources of tree fruit, so they restricted their fire farming to scrubland, which became richer through it.

Campfires are another example of good use of fire. Many things in life can be seen as either good or bad, depending on how they are used. Can you think of some more examples?

Moni will start on the New Testament next month.

Whatever one toucan can do
is sooner done by toucans two.
Three toucans it is very true
can do much more than two can do
and toucans numbering two plus two can
manage more than all the zoo can;
in fact there is no toucan who can
do what four or three or two can.

Toucan, any bird of the genus Ramphastidae.Native of tropical America, and characterised by their enormous brightly-coloured bill.

About 50 members of the two parent societies attended the AGM on 28^th September. The activity reports of the Vice-president and the CEO gave an overview of the successful work in the Homes over the last year and were an opportunity to thank all the staff, the Committee and the parent societies. Special gratitude went to Walter Burkhardt, who has relinquished the presidency for health reasons, for his many years of service to the Templer Home for the Aged and then to TTHA, in the last years as its president. The treasurer’s and auditor’s reports were accepted and showed the sound financial basis of our establishment.

Please remember that you can help us by investing money in the TTHA Development Fund – see pp.33-34 in Oct TR. Dr. Schreiber can be reached on 9720 3711 and will be happy to discuss details with you.

Our building project is progressing well. The steel girders are up and soon we’ll see walls and ceilings.

Morgengebet Joseph von Eichendorff

Sun 10.11 Ba 10.15 Opening of Community Chapel

Sun 17.11 AH 10.00 Service Dr. Hennig Imberger (swap)

Sun 17.11 11.00 Tatura (cemetery)

Sun 1.12 Sy 15.00 Founders’ Day Service

Sun 8.12 Be 10.15 Founders’ Day Service Renate Weber

Sun 8.12 SA 14.00 Service Tanunda

On 13^th October, 4 boys were presented before God and the Community by our Elder, Mark Herrmann.

Liam Tyler Crutchfield
Parents: Aaron Crutchfield & Annette Sawatzky

A weekend of fellowship, discussion and contemplation in Kallista. See in FROM THE OFFICE.

Just what can we do in our Community Chapel? Who will be allowed to do it? And whom do they ask? Regional Council has formed a working party to consider these more mundane, yet still important, practicalities. Chaired by Ralph Richter, and with representatives of the communities (Moni Imberger for Be/Mo and Tony Beilharz for Ba-Bo) and Elders (Renate Weber, Herta and Hermann Uhlherr), this working party is currently considering such issues as those mentioned above, as well as:

After an initial three-hour discussion, we are well on our way to answering these and many more, often complex issues, although at times we generated more questions than answers! We ask you, the community, to help us in two ways:

Harald Ruff, for the Community Chapel Working Party

We are looking forward to seeing you all at the opening service and hoping for fine weather (to keep any mud outside).

Many last-minute adjustments are still being made inside the Chapel. A beautiful piano has been delivered! Elisabeth Wagner

A note to parents: there will be no formal Sunday School lesson during the opening service, however parents are welcome to supervise their own children in the Sunday School room adjoining the chapel, where simple colouring activities will be provided. Christine Ruff

BENTLEIGH-MOORABBIN – Thank You

On behalf of the Bentleigh-Moorabbin Community Committee, I would like to extend a thankyou to everyone who attended the Be-Mo Working Bee on Saturday, 31^st August. You all did a great job getting the grounds looking tip-top with a well deserved spring clean. Obvious to anyone who saw the Hall and its surrounds at that time is the fact that we treasure our Hall and its grounds and enjoy making it look fresh and tidy.

For all those who attended, morning tea was again a delight - without doubt, another highlight that contributed greatly to the community atmosphere around the table. Theo Richter, for the Be-Mo Committee

Just a note reminding you to take part in the working bee planned for Saturday 9^th November 9am to 12:30pm at the Bentleigh Hall.

This working bee will concentrate on freshening up the Hall - yes, it's time to dust off the wipes, clean the buckets and get the squeegees out for the annual window clean. Please bring your own window cleaning implements - buckets, rags and wipers - we will supply the windows and the morning tea.

For those with more of a 'green thumb', we still have to mow the lawns and trim the edges, so there is plenty to do there, as well to prepare the Hall and its gardens for the festive season that is to come.

If you can help for the whole morning, or only for an hour or two, we would really enjoy your company. Everyone is welcome and you can be assured of a scrumptious morning tea spent in the excellent company of your fellow workers.

For further details contact Theo Richter

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our Advent celebration in Bentleigh on Sunday, 1st December. The program will start as usual at 2.30pm and will be in English and German.

Sigi Katz and her team of helpers are once again organising the bazaar. We need lots of people to help support them! In particular a batch of Christmas cookies (Gutsle) would be greatly appreciated. If you are able to help by donating some of your baking or any craft items, please drop these off at the Templer Office or at Sigi’s (18 Becket Ave, East Bentleigh) by Wednesday 27th November.

We also need helpers to set up the hall on Sunday morning (from 9am onwards). Please come, as the more, the merrier and the job will get done in a twinkling!!

Recent confirmees, potential Junior campers, any "youngish" ones – we would also like to ask that you help us make this afternoon a success, by helping serve coffee and cakes. If you could come to the hall a bit before 2.30pm, you can help cutting up cakes etc (yummmmmm!)

Talking about cakes … while you’re baking your Gutsle, please think about what type of cake or cookie you could bake for the day itself. We greatly appreciate people bringing something to share and making those plates on the table absolutely mouthwatering (you can see I’m craving a good piece of cake as I’m writing!).

Don’t forget your spending money on the day for the bazaar and the special table decorations, which will be available for purchase afterwards. And now please go and mark the 1st December in your diaries!

Annette Wagner-Hesse and Veronica Rutowicz

It’s that time of year again. What would Christmas be without a play by the children for the community on Christmas Day.

If you would like your children/grandchildren to take part in the play on 25^th Dec. at Bentleigh after Saal, please ring Moni Imberger

This year our Community Christmas celebrations are on Saturday 14^th December at 6 p.m. We invite children of all ages to participate in the Christmas play. If your child would like to take part, please let us know by November 15^th so that we can arrange rehearsal times.

Inge Hoefer or Monika Herrmann

Due to increasing administrative difficulties and cost pressures, presents from Father Christmas at the Community Christmas Celebrations will be available only to registered children 10 years old or under.
Registration forms will be mailed out during October or can be collected from the Bayswater Hall foyer. Please help us to avoid disappointments by ensuring that forms, complete with child’s name, age and an $8 contribution toward costs (cash or cheque payable to "Bayswater-Boronia Templer Community") are returned to Brigitte Decker at 50 Elizabeth Street, Bayswater, 3153 or Erika English at 7 Wilhelma Avenue, Bayswater, 3153
no later than Friday 15^th November 2002.

Manfred Decker, for the Ba-Bo Community Council

We are taking enrolments for next year. Children should be 7 years of age or in Grade 2. The cost is $180 per year ($200 for non-TSA members). Classes are held on Fridays from 5.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bayswater Hall. The final class this year will be on Friday 13^th December.

Next year’s classes will commence on Friday 7^th February 2003.

For re-enrolments let your class teacher know. To register new enrolments or for more information, please contact me.

Irene Bouzo, for the Ba-Bo German School Management Committee

The TGD representative coming for the opening of our new Community Chapel on 10^th November is Dr. Brigitte Hoffmann, Regional Head of the Templers in Germany. The Frauenvereine have invited her to speak at their meetings (in German):

Be/Mo on Tuesday 12^th November from 2 p.m.

Ba-Bo on Tuesday 19^th November from 1-3 p.m.

Ladies are welcome to join us and Brigitte is happy to answer questions.

Herta Uhlherr

The Templer Playgroup is currently conducting a "Pie Drive", the proceeds of which will be donated to the Ba-Bo Community for the proposed refurbishment of the community room (old JG room).

"Ivan’s Pies" are offering us various flavours and combinations of standard pies, party size pies and family pies (both savoury and sweet) as well as some Christmas products (e.g. roast turkey and cranberry pies, gingerbreads, party pastries) at wholesale prices. We will be running the pie drive until 21^st November, with delivery of goods on 5^th December.

Any people not affiliated with Playgroup and interested in placing an order (or helping us sell more pies!), please phone Christine Ruff before 21^st November.

Remember – the profits will be enjoyed by us all! Let’s eat our way to a wonderful, new, refurbished community room!

Christine Ruff

Coming up fast on 28^th November in the Lower Melbourne Town Hall, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please come and visit our stand and buy up big. It’s the last time we are doing it and we hope you can help us make it a big success!

Helga Kuerschner, for the Group

Fine food, good music, catching up with friends and seeing in the New Year are all part of the New Year’s Eve party in our Hall.

After the service we will have hors d’oeuvres, sherries and soft drinks to start the evening’s entertainment. When we settle down at our tables, we will have a self-service meal consisting of chicken and quiches with salads and bread rolls. Later dessert, coffee and tea will be available.

As usual we will have a raffle with some very nice prizes, and, of course, we cannot forget the singing, accompanied by a pianist.

So please organize your family and friends and book a table. Or we can find a place at a table for you.

Children can be catered for with videos and kids’ food.

Please let us know early – ring up and make your bookings so that we have an idea of how much to organize. There will be more details in next month’s Templer Record.

Bill Imberger,Oskar Krockenberger,

Unfortunately, this month there will be no hike. I will be going overseas for most of November. However, look out for next month’s hike.

Alysha Murray

Anyone interested in working on any one of the five points of the program that need following up is invited to contact me to discuss how this could be done.

Kurt Beilharz,

Earlier this year we attempted to arrange a reunion trip for the confirmation group from 1967. Unfortunately, due to lack of numbers we had to cancel. However, as we all know or should remember each other, we are asking anyone from the confirmation groups from 1965 through to 1970 to participate.

New date is Saturday & Sunday 22^nd and 23^rd February 2003. Departing Bayswater 7 a.m. Saturday and returning approx. 7.30 p.m. Sunday.

Destination Cobram/Tocumwal. Tour includes: 5 star Coach travel, twin share accommodation, meals, day 1 – dinner, day 2 – cooked breakfast.

Cost $79.00 per person twin share.

This is not a pokies trip. Of course if you wish to play the pokies that is up to you.

Bookings and payment to be received by 20^th December 2002.

Ralf (Max) Wagner

As mentioned in an earlier TR, approximately 38 former Templer homes, including the wine cellar, are to be preserved and brought up to their original glory. We have now been informed of the hope that one of the preserved buildings will be used as a museum or information centre, for the history of the place and the people who built and lived in Sarona.

As part of this project, they are thinking of putting a sign on every house, giving the name of the original owner and the year it was built. Helmut and I have a number of maps (sketches) with the names of what we believe are the correct owners, but only a few dates when they were built, and by whom. We desperately need more help with this subject.

We are also still collecting photos and interviewing members in respect of any details they can provide. If you have any details, no matter how small or insignificant you might think they may be, please let us know – it might just be a final link to one of our unanswered questions or unfinished tasks.

We can be contact as follows:

Helmut Glenk e-mail hglenk@optusnet.com.au

We cannot envisage God. For most of us, the image of Creator is probably most meaningful. The infinitude of the cosmos and the infinite diversity of phenomena in it suggest almost compellingly the idea of an infinite Spirit which created this marvellous order and is at work in everything. And I’m sure there are others who feel like me: faced by the beauty of this order, we believe we experience this Spirit and feel close to it.

Modern science has begun to decipher to some extent a part of the miracle of creation – from the formation of the stars to the composition of the human genome. For some of us, this means the loss of mystery: everything works just as well without God, we can do it too. I see it the other way round: the more we realise the innumerable factors that have to work together to allow even a single flower to grow and bloom, or human beings to move their limbs, the more miraculous it all seems, leading us to the view of the psalmist: "Lord, you have created countless things! How wisely you have ordered them all! The earth is filled with your creatures." (Psalm 104:24). I think that this is a concept of God which still has relevance for us today. We can experience God in this way when we look at nature around us with our senses and our minds open.

But do we find this concept enough? It does not relate to our own personal life. As long as we see God merely as the creator of a marvellous order, he remains impersonal. And that is not enough for us. We – and this "we" includes the majority of those who experience religious feelings at all – seek a personal God. This is not about whether God is a person. It’s about whether he is aware of us as persons. We seek a God before whom it is not immaterial how we live our lives, who helps us to cope with our life in such a way that it leads to good for us and for others, who forgives us our guilt, who guides and holds us even beyond death. This is not a God we can infer from nature. Hence we – the people of all religions – create images of God in order to get closer to him. We Christians seek him in the images of the Bible.

Not at the beginning of the Bible, but at the beginning of the development of Jewish religion comes the second of the ten commandments: "Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4). This means that God is spirit, he has no form. He is greater than we can imagine; to confine him in an earthly, human mould is degrading. For an image means limitation and, according to archaic thinking, having someone at one’s beg and call. He who has an image of another, has power over him.

While we no longer believe that, this ban on images does express the magnificent, still valid insight the early Jewish people passed on to the other two religions of revelation, Christianity and Islam: that God is inconceivably great, and cannot be comprehended. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways" says the Lord. "As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways and thoughts above yours" (Isaiah 55: 8-9).

The paradox, however, is: Precisely because God is so great, so incomprehensible, we can talk about him only in images – in word-pictures. This is already done frequently and in different forms in the Old Testament, very rarely and only in allusions is it in the form of a vision. Even Moses, the chosen prophet, may not see God’s countenance "My face you cannot see, for no mortal may see me and live" (Exodus 33:20) – this is a metaphor expressing that man is incapable of knowing God.

The psalms, songs of prayer, praise various attributes of God: The creator ("Lord, you have made so many things," Psalm 104:24), his righteousness (he protects those who honour him, and punishes the ungodly); his omnipresence ("You are all around me on every side", Psalm 139:5) and his omniscience ("Even before I speak, you already know what I will say", Psalm 139:4); the good shepherd ("The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need", Psalm 23); the judge ("he will judge the people with justice", Psalm 96:10); his compassion ("The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to become angry and full of constant love", Psalm 103:8) and his forgiveness ("He does not punish us as we deserve or repay us according to our misdeeds", Psalm 103:10).

All this together reveals a wonderful and comprehensive image of God – and one full of contradictions. Is it possible that the God who rewards the righteous and punishes the ungodly is the same as the one about whom it is written: "As far as the east is from the west, so far from us has he removed our offences" (Psalm 103:12)? Perhaps what is a contradiction for our limited thinking is no contradiction for God. However, it may also be that each of the psalmists sings about his experience of God and his view of God, that therefore each perhaps mirrors one aspect of God, but also introduces something of his own view of life and the world. Not one of them could wholly know God, either.

Jesus adds a new aspect to this image of God – that of a father. This, too, is an image which cannot fully describe the reality of God. But I feel it is the image in which we may most easily comprehend him, the image, too, which does not contradict our reality as we experience it every day. What does it mean when Jesus speaks of God as our father?

First of all, it means closeness . A God who is like a father recognises me as a person and takes me seriously, and Jesus never tires of emphasising this relationship time and time again: "Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him" ( Matthew 6:8) or "for only a penny you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. As for you, even the hairs of your head have all been counted so do not be afraid; you are worth more than any number of sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31).

Another aspect of the Father resonates in this image – trust. Left to herself, an infant or a toddler is utterly helpless and nevertheless is not afraid. She trusts that her father or mother will fulfil all her needs. The image says: If you trust God like this, you can be without fear.

But does this image stand up to our reality? Does God give us everything we need? Often we feel that this is not so. Here we forget that the child also does not get everything she wants. She is not given the knife whose danger she does not understand; nor the super-bike her father cannot, or chooses not to afford. She has to do her homework, even if she would rather play. And at that moment she can feel just as much despair as a grown-up faced by a sudden tragedy. Later on, when she herself grows into the role of her parents, she may perhaps understand why they denied her something or expected something of her.

I think that something similar also applies to our relationship with God. Often we cannot understand the paths along which he leads us and others, and ask despairingly: Why did this have to happen? Sometimes we only understand later why something that initially seemed bitter and meaningless was good and necessary. And sometimes we don’t. The immeasurable gap between our understanding and God remains. We always see only a small, subjective section of reality, and not the whole.

Nevertheless, what the Father image expresses more than anything else remains: parents love their children, even if they see their faults and weaknesses, they love them as persons, just as they are. And not only children, but indeed we adults, too, need this acceptance more than anything else. Some people do not get it from humans, but the faith that God, who created us as we are, also accepts us as we are, can uphold us, even when we find it hard to accept ourselves.

Jesus condensed and clearly expressed his image of God as the Father in the parable of the prodigal son – for me, the most beautiful thing in the whole Bible. This parable stands for God’s dealings with humanity and with every single one of us. It helps us by giving us a hint of what we will never understand entirely.

The question of reconciliation and of loving not only your neighbour as yourself, but your ‘enemy’ as well, as advised by Jesus, is extremely relevant at this time. A letter to the editor (held over last month because of space constraints) deals with one aspect of the question.

It was triggered by the poignant picture of the Nigerian mother with her baby born out of wedlock. Under Sharia Law, justice demands her death by stoning. The writer comments that Jesus stopped such a situation when he said ‘let him who is without sin cast the first stone’, and that his teaching of love and forgiveness is, to the Western mind, of a ‘higher moral order’ than the teaching of an eye for an eye, which it sought to replace.

Another aspect of the question is the Bush rhetoric regarding Saddam Hussein. Many Christians may ask: won’t ‘loving’ Saddam Hussein mean we may all be annihilated? Can we afford to love this enemy?

On the other hand, for humanity to improve at all, can we afford not to follow Jesus’ teachings? – Even if we are crucified for our efforts to ‘do the right thing’, like he was. Who is willing to risk death to do the right thing?

Not easy questions, but ones that deserve deep consideration, prayer for our guidance as individuals and as nations, and faith that goodwill and compassion can work wonders. ‘Let him who is without sin cast the first stone’, and let us all try, as much as we are able, to act according to our conscience, which in our case is largely shaped by what Jesus taught. One way of destroying our enemy is to make them our friends.

Editor

Phil Bosnan

for reconciliation

It is never too late for reconciliation or loving and being happy.

People who don’t want to be reconciled remain in darkness and the lack of inner peace in their hearts spreads rampantly, like a cancerous tumour. People who don’t want to be reconciled punish themselves most of all.

Reconciliation may seem impossible because it must come from both sides. You can’t force reconciliation. You have to sow it, with small seeds of peace and friendship, and allow it to grow along the path where you meet others.

As far as you possibly can, make up with people around you.

We have to rely on the spirit of love, therefore let us be guided by this spirit. We don’t have to crave admiration, which would only irritate others and cause envy.

If you discover a failing in others, then let yourselves be guided by the spirit of love and stand by them so that they can cope with the situation – that is what living as a Christian is about.

Keep in mind how easily you slip up yourselves. Help each other carry life’s burdens, which is what Christ would want you to do. If someone thinks he is above reproach, he deludes himself. It’s not about comparing ourselves with others. It’s about how our behaviour stands up to our own honest scrutiny.

Tr. H. U.

Extracts from the service held by Renate Beilharz with the 17 confirmands.

Confirmation is one of the important milestones that mark one’s development and growth. It is held at a time in a person’s life when independence is developing, a time when it is worthwhile considering aspects of life and adulthood that may not have come one’s way before, a time when thinking about faith and religion can provide a solid platform for future development. The aim of confirmation in the Temple Society is to strengthen or make firm the young people in a spiritual sense, in preparation for their gradual entry into full adulthood.

Our Confirmation ceremony today is the solemn, but also celebratory, conclusion of the twelve classes, which our Confirmands attended over the last four months. These classes were designed to encourage Confirmand participation and involvement in religious thinking and to give them some ownership of the ideas and concepts being presented to them. From the very beginning, we asked Confirmands to be honest with themselves about their beliefs and attitude towards the issues put forward for their consideration.

I am speaking about believing in yourself. I was inspired to write this speech after we attended a service in May held by Renate Weber, the theme of the service was ‘the power of one’. I found it to be very meaningful and I’m sure it touched the hearts of many others.

But when I sat down to write this talk I realized that I wasn’t even entirely sure what it means to believe in yourself. I think it means to have faith in yourself and to have confidence to know you can achieve whatever you want to achieve. In preparation for the service, Renate Weber asked the confirmation class ‘what special strengths or gifts do you have?’ Most of us were hesitant to answer, we were self-conscious and shy. We didn’t want anyone to think we were show-offs and that we were bragging about ourselves.

Everyone has special talents, we shouldn’t have to feel shy or embarrassed about them, we should be able to express them, without having to worry about other people putting us down. I think people with confidence should be praised, not put down.

In one of our classes we were asked to write down some things that we believe in, we called them our ‘I believe’ statements. We have almost 80 statements, however only a handful of these were about goals and believing in yourself. Two examples of these are "I believe that you should always strive to achieve your best" and "I believe my success is up to me".

I completely agree with both of these statements. Of course everyone should strive to achieve their best. I don’t think I know anyone who would be happy with their lives knowing that they’re not even trying to be the best that they can be, and I think that half the happiness of fulfilling a goal or dream is the journey you take to get there.

I like the statement "I believe you create your own success" because it’s simple and true. After all, who else is going to make you successful? The only person you should rely on for that is yourself. Sure, other people might give you support, but how can you expect people to support you and have faith in you when you don’t even believe in yourself?

Some people say "don’t get your hopes up". But if we don’t set our goals high, how are we expected to achieve things in our lives? We should set our goals as high as we want; if we believe we can do it, then what’s stopping us? What’s the worst that can happen? Why should we let other people get in the way of us achieving our goals and dreams? Like the saying, if at first you don’t succeed, then try and try again.

R.B. – As Kristen mentioned, one of the early lessons was focussed on belief, and on what the Confirmands, themselves, believe. The song Affirmation by the band Savage Garden was used as the discussion starter.

Each Confirmand chose an individual ‘I believe’ statement.

Kristian Laemmle-Ruff I believe that to have a good life you should work hard for it.

Daniel Weller read the text from Matthew 6:25-33:

R.B. – Don’t worry, be happy, the text seems to say. Does that mean we can just sit on our hands and expect food and clothing to be given to us on a platter? Of course not, because the passage comes with a very important qualification, right at the end: More than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. And only then the other things will be yours as well.

To my mind this does not sound like sitting around on my hands – doing God’s work is probably the hardest thing we need to do in our lives, it takes effort, courage and perseverance, because it has to do with relationships with other people, and it has to do with developing a spiritual understanding of ourselves and others. Doing God’s work means thinking beyond the physical, worldly aspects of our lives, it means thinking about beliefs and values.

Doing God’s work also has to do with the unselfish love that Jesus taught: Love God with all your being and love your neighbour as yourself. Jesus asks us to think of others as we would think of ourselves – to be unselfish in our dealings with others. Jesus also asks us to love ourselves, to be good to ourselves. This is important, this balancing act between loving others and loving yourself. It is not easy to maintain, and as we go through life there will always be times when we have trouble finding the right path through our relationships with ourselves and with others.

As you Confirmands grow older, you will find yourselves more and more responsible for your own actions and your own decisions. Ever increasingly you will have to take your education into your own hands. There will be more decisions to be made, and in the end it is up to you to make them. It is important to be honest with yourselves when confronting the problems that life will throw up at you, be happy and confident in yourselves that you are doing the best you can in the situation, without compromising your integrity. In the words Kristen used earlier: believe in yourself.

You Confirmands have been introduced to all of these ideas and concepts over the past 12 lessons, and all of us who have been involved in these lessons hope that we have been of some help in providing guidance for your future. We thank you for your participation and enthusiasm.

Remember, as you go through your life, there is always help and support available. Don’t think that, as you get older, you will be able to do it all on your own. Ask your parents, family and friends for advice and support. They will be there for you in the future, just as they are here today.

We, the congregation here today, also have a role to play. We are attending this celebration because we care about these young people. This care needs to continue throughout the Confirmand’s life, whatever twists and turns it may take. A caring that is supportive, but not controlling. A caring that allows the development of the skills required for a responsible use of the freedoms that come with adulthood. This concept is beautifully expanded and expressed in the passage by Khalil Gibran read by Jevan Bouzo:

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

Dr. Rolf Beilharz, the Regional Head of the Temple Society, then conducted the simple Templer Confirmation ceremony. The 17 young people on stage each stepped forward in turn; Dr. Rolf read out their verse and presented them with a copy of "The Temple Society and its Settlements in the Holy Land" by Christoph Hoffmann. They had all received a Bible at the beginning of the lessons and used it during class.

Prayer. Let us pray with the Confirmands and the Elders who taught them:

We are grateful for the many things we have done together. We have become good friends with each other and we have learnt important things. We pray that our understanding will grow as we mature. Further, we pray that we will learn always to strive to live in peace and friendship with all people, and that we will learn to control our feelings of anger, of envy, and our selfishness.

We learned that different people have used many different names for the ultimate Power responsible for the universe which has given us our life. God, whatever your name is, help us understand what Jesus taught and make us willing to always follow his teachings. In particular, help us to love and respect your creation, on and in which we live and share life with so many others, and to love all these others as we love ourselves.

Please help us to become responsible adults, ready to use our talents for the good of all. We thank you for all the good we have received. Amen.

The Templer Choir sang, with our Brass Ensemble, "Aus dem Dankliede zu Gott": God is worthy of praise and we are happy to give that praise. Our lives and the paths they take, are led by God. We live with his protection. – If you listen carefully, you might recognize some of the key German words – Du (you), Ruhm (fame), Ehre (honour), Schicksal (fate), Hand (hand), mir (me).

Amara Wagner told the congregation about ‘what we learnt about the Temple Society and some of God’s golden rules and the Templer Motto’.

Monika Richter introduced her fellow Confirmands:

We are a happy, enthusiastic and fun group. We all enjoy a laugh, get on well and work hard to achieve our best. Confirmation Camp in April was a fantastic idea and fun. During the 12 lessons we all found out more about each other and stronger friendships were formed. I believe that the friendships I have formed with these 17 amazing people are worth everything and that I wouldn’t ever give them up. Each of us is different, but all share one experience. We went on an adventure. The adventure started with 17 people who were separate and now, at the end of it, we have emerged as a group of friends, consisting of cousins, Queenslanders, country Confirmands and close friends. Tanya Frank is a happy, confident, funny and giggly person. She is cousins with two of the three Queenslanders, Tom and Kristin Walduck. Tom is a fun, calm and nice guy. His sister, Kristen is quiet, kind and fun to be around.

Another Queenslander is Chris Schulz. Christ is a happy, sporty and friendly guy. Marcus with a "c", otherwise known as Marcus Lingham, lives in the country on a property in Rupanyup. He is likeable and funny. Markus with a "k", otherwise known as Markus Lubitz, also lives in the country, in Leongatha, but was able to make the long journey to Bayswater or Bentleigh every lesson. For one of the lessons everyone was able to go and visit his farm. Markus is an easygoing, musical and talkative guy.

Shelley Beilharz also lives in the country. She started attending the lessons later than us but quickly fitted in. Shelley also has a cousin in our group, Nik. Nik Beilharz is friendly, funny and easy to get on with. One of his best mates in our group is Daniel. Daniel Weller was one of the loud guys in our group. He was very talkative but answered a lot of the questions, when the rest of us were just waking up on those cold winter mornings. He is entertaining and vivacious.

Another loud contributor in our group was Kristen Steller. Kristen was one of the people who got the rest of the group onto a topic of conversation. She is a fabulous friend, helps people and is smart. Kristen and Liesl became good friends during the lessons. Liesl Sawatzky is friendly, talkative and an awesome person. She was also a great buddy to Amara during our lessons. Amara Wagner is a nice, sensitive, loud and kind person. She is always cheery in the mornings and likes to say hello to everybody.

Jessica Blackwell, is a happy, quiet and nice person. One of her friends in the group is Alastair. Alastair Herrmann is quiet, calm and smart. He contributed lots in our lessons, like Jevan. Jevan Bouzo is kind, friendly and fond of early mornings. He is thoughtful and makes sure nobody is ever left out. He also likes to add a good joke to every lesson.

Kristian Laemmle-Ruff is a good friend of Markus Lubitz and Jevan. He came up with answers to some of the questions that baffled the rest of our group, saving us from that awful silence which often occurred. He is musically talented and funny.

Well, this is our awesome group. We all hope to keep up with each other. We have learnt a lot of important things in these confirmation lessons and have formed great friendships.

Thomas Walduck led the Lord’s Prayer. Everyone sang Pebbles, which reminds us that we have to take responsibility for our actions, which have consequences. Then Nik Beilharz thanked the Elders ‘for their attempt to pass on their wealth of knowledge and wisdom about the Temple Society and more generally about life. Without them we wouldn’t be standing up here in front of you this morning. So thank you Renate B, Rolf, Mark, Harald, Herta and Renate W for your time and commitment to making this possible, and for the parents for driving, baking goodies and attempting to answer confirmation homework questions.’

Six Confirmands played an ensemble piece under the direction of Karin Lubitz, they did very well after only 4 practices. – So ended a memorable service.

As part of the confirmation lessons, the Confirmands were shown a condensed version of Templer History on PowerPoint [sort of like a slide show]. Their homework was to tell me what they learnt from this presentation and what we need in 2002 to keep the Temple Society going. I was overwhelmed by their answers and would like to share some of their thoughts.

"I think we can learn to always have hope… We need more people to take part in activities run by the Temple Society – lots of Templers don’t get involved in that kind of stuff – and for people to teach their kids about Templer Religion" Kristen.

Tanya realized how privileged we are today compared to back then. "We need lots of involvement from young people as well as the older generation".

Nik felt we need to "get the young Templers more involved in the Temple Society youth groups, Sunday School and things like that and have more activities on Sundays other than Saal".

Shelley: "We can learn family history and the history of the Temple Society. Ways need to be found to keep younger generations interested and attract them towards becoming a Templer themselves… Help them to learn but make it fun too. Try not to let families become distant, include everyone and make it convenient for all. For the younger generations, have camps and activity days so that they can get to know each other, make friends and become involved."

Kristian also had some excellent thoughts. "By recording as much detail and history about our forebears’ times and extended family this will help us get a good idea of our history. We can also understand the lessons that they have learnt in their lifetime so that we can be a stronger community as well as being wiser ourselves. In the year 2002 we need members to keep us going. We need money to build new facilities and we need our members to be active and take part in as many ceremonies and services as possible.

Alastair shared: "We have learnt to stay committed to what we believe in the TSA, to care and look after each other; it does not matter what is going on around you e.g. when the Templers were brought to Australia, they believed that they were still Templers because it did not matter where they were so long as they were united. For the future we need people who are committed to the TSA, families who are prepared to be part of committees and are prepared to organize activities. Parents who will make time to take their children to activities and to invite other family and friends to see what the Temple Society has to offer. If they have enjoyed the activity they may be inclined to join the TSA".

Liesl learnt "that even if you lose nearly everything, you can go on and do great things with your life and that it is difficult but worthwhile in the long run to get people to hear and notice your thoughts so that you can eventually form a group. In 2002 and beyond to keep the Templers going: a whole lot of new children that are going to speak up and talk to other people about our group. We should make a museum".

Monika’s key things were to "work more as a community, try getting things done quickly but efficiently; you need to have a belief of some sort to be fulfilled. Help each other through the bad times." For the future her thoughts were to "keep all the traditional do’s but also introduce some new stuff as well. Try getting people more enthusiastic, make it all fun! Get more young kids like us involved! Not do everything by having Elders supervise, get some of the 18– 25-year-olds involved in stuff".

Jessica learnt that "people change – not always for good or bad, life is not fair!! Don’t take too many things for granted. You don’t have to believe in everything if somebody else does, e.g. in the Temple Society some people don’t believe that Jesus came ‘alive again’. For the future we basically need exactly what we have now, mostly friendship, family loyalty and love".

Finally Marcus: If you want to do something, do it. Never give up (until it isn’t safe). Take a few risks in what you are doing. Working together is faster than working alone. Work hard, learn by example, show by example. Belief in God will pay off. Make your own entertainment, have fun while you are working. Make your workmates your friends, work within the wider community. There is time for work, rest and play. And for 2002: people helping, have a lot of fun, work together, believe together, work to have a better future, make work fun."

If these young people are our future, we are in good and thoughtful hands! It has been a delight participating (however briefly) in the confirmation lessons and I am proud of our young people and wish them a happy and fulfilled future, hopefully in the context of the Temple Society.

Renate Weber, from the Team of Elders

Chairman: Dr Rolf Beilharz – Regional Head of the TSA

The Regional Head conducted a short period of contemplation prior to the formalities of the assembly. Veronica Rutowicz provided the musical accompaniment.

The chairman welcomed all present, in particular any members from communities or groups outside Melbourne. In an e-mail from Germany during the week, the TS President Peter Lange extended greetings and wished us well for a productive meeting today. The chairman recalled the proper invitation for this assembly and its agenda in the Templer Record No. 642 of August 2002 and called for any completed proxy forms still held by members to be handed in to the secretary.

Presence: In person 78, by proxy 24, a total of 102 members.

Apologies:

With the meeting having been duly convened and the members present exceeding the required quorum (50), the assembly was able to deal with the agenda.

The activity report was unanimously accepted.

The balance sheet, income and expenditure statement and proposed budget for 2002/2003 for the Melbourne Office were sent to members with Templer Record No. 643 of September 2002 and can be taken as read. Extra copies of the financial statements were made available.

The Business Manager, Mark Herrmann, explained the reasons for any major fluctuations between last year’s figures and those for the reporting period. It was mentioned the proposed move to account consolidation (Central Fund, Office and Community) would give a better overview of TSA funds and a more meaningful budget. The amount under sundry creditors is primarily obligations to the Australian Taxation Office, where the auditor (Alysha Murray) has suggested a modified accounting treatment. The two bequests – $10,000 for the Community Chapel and $3,000 for general translating work – will both be transferred to the Central Fund. The Office income continues to rely heavily, in roughly equal proportions, on membership contributions and an injection of funds from the Central Fund. The former is rather stable, indicating those who contribute continue to do so, while those who don’t continue not to. A concerted effort has begun to contact every member (and Templer Record subscriber) with outstanding contributions (and subscriptions). It is important to clarify individual memberships, and not just for financial reasons. The constitution requires formal resignation in writing, so that those who lose contact with the TSA are still, technically, members. The budgeted transfer from the Central Fund to cover any shortfall was $25,000. A further $6,000 was required, mainly due to the increase in unpaid contributions. Almost $5,000 was received in donations, for which we are extremely grateful. Apart from a CPI increase to staff wages, provision was also made for an Office Assistant, an important position particularly during Mark’s time overseas. The budget has been prepared on a GST-neutral basis, meaning only those receipts and payments net of GST are considered. The same membership contribution rates as last year are again proposed and given as suggested rates. Wages for a Community Youth Coordinator have again been factored in, and an appointment is now imminent. The budget – based very much on experience – is not extravagant and allows for items that can be realistically "afforded".

The financial statements for 2001/2002 including the budget for the current financial year were unanimously adopted.

Alysha Murray’s written audit report (signed and dated 4^th September) to the members, confirming the financial statements for the Office give a true and fair view of the position as at 30^th June 2002 and its performance for the year ended on that date, was read to the assembly. The auditor’s report was unanimously endorsed. Mark thanked Alysha for her efforts, conducted under somewhat difficult work and health conditions. This was suitably acknowledged by the assembly.

The motion to re-appoint Alysha Murray as auditor of the TSA Office books for 2002/2003 was unanimously carried.

The August Templer Record article about the future of the Boronia Hall, written by Dr Rolf Beilharz for the Regional Council, explained that Heritage Victoria wishes to list the Hall on its register. Regional Council has lodged an objection to the recommendation to list and has requested to be heard. The hearing has been set for early in 2003. Regional Council believes that until the heritage position is decided, some time after the hearing, we cannot usefully make binding decisions. Once it is known whether listing on the register will or will not occur, we expect to call an Extraordinary General Meeting of members to decide the Hall’s future after all proposals for its possible restoration and future use have been duly heard.

Helmut Ruff mentioned TSA members who have contacted him disappointed with the approach taken by the Friends Group. It is felt the Group has acted in secrecy and that the Regional Council has not been appropriately notified of its activity. He doesn’t want his children and grandchildren burdened by a facility it had been decided to give up, and suggested, if heritage listed (the TSA thus losing total control), the Hall should be sold to the Friends Group.

Gerhard Wagner asked whether the nomination for listing could be withdrawn. Dorothea Franz commented that the listing of a building places compliance regulations on the owner.

Alfred Klink contested the secrecy accusations levelled at the Friends Group, adding that they have complied with all Regional Council requests. Mark Herrmann confirmed this, mentioning that a distinction between the original nomination for listing and the subsequent activity of the Friends Group needed to be made.

Brendon Glenk expressed concerns about the use of the building and the potential liability on the TSA as owner. Alfred advised that the City of Knox building inspector had confirmed no building order was in place on the facility.

Following the protracted discussion at last year’s assembly, Manfred Decker referred to the motion identifying the Hall as superfluous to the TSA’s needs. Heritage listing or otherwise doesn’t change this. Mark explained that Regional Council felt it proper to bring the heritage issue to the attention of members, giving them the opportunity to reassess the factors impacting on their decision of last year. Simultaneously it allows the Friends Group time to formulate and present proposals for the membership’s subsequent consideration. At worst, this will result in a 12-18 month delay. We cannot afford division in the TSA and such a delay is a small price to pay to ensure due process has been observed.

Resi Schwarzbauer felt public communication and discussion, with suitable clarification and explanation, was important.

Brendon asked about the state of the vacant lot in Boronia, given the decision to sell it was made some years ago, in isolation of the Hall issue. Dieter Glenk confirmed the Central Fund Directors’ recent decision to progress the sale.

At the invitation of the chairman, Dieter continued by reporting on the Community Chapel. An article appeared in the September Templer Record. The building is almost finished, with the builder to complete his contractual obligations and move off-site in the next few weeks. Bernd Sawatzky and Moni Herrmann have provided input on landscaping. The timeframe, cost controls and progress have all been very satisfactory. The bell from the Boronia Hall is to be hung in the chapel’s tower. The special glass window project has struck organisational problems. At this stage, the money can be put towards other internal elements, such as a piano. The official opening celebration in November will be a formal occasion; a more informal open day to be conducted early next year is being considered.

Mark advised about $120,000 – including $70,000 in one special donation and two bequests – has been received towards the project. Reminder letters for pledged amounts have recently been sent to members and friends. The Regional Council based its decision to proceed, in part, on an expected pledged total of $80,000-100,000.

Renate Beilharz commented on the many hours put in over the past 12 months by the two working parties. The ‘Sense of Community’ group concluded by identifying a number of ideas and projects. Involvement in and commitment towards these ideas is now sought to effect their implementation. The ‘Community Building Structure’ group has made six presentations – the most recent two targeting members aged under 45 – and continues to meet regularly. Renate concluded by inviting anyone wanting to know details to speak with her.

Dr Rolf Beilharz thanked the working party members for their efforts and, in particular, Renate for her coordination.

Regional Council has been planning a review of policy for the Templer Record, the homepage on the internet, translations of German literature into English (and vice versa) and the production of new literature particularly in the TSA. Related to this is a policy on how the archive facility in Bentleigh should be made available. Peter Lange has indicated a wish that the Templer Record and the Warte print the same religious leading article in both regions in the same month. This wish implies finding more help than we currently have for translations, in both directions.

We have put this review off because many of the people involved have been very busy with the Confirmation program. Thus, while there is nothing significant to report for the year ending in June 2002, there will be activity in this area in the coming months.

Now that we have computing power and internet access in the Office, Regional Council members realise the publication of the Templer Record and the management of the homepage should be done from the Office. Up to now Alfred Klink has spent much time, and it is suspected his own money, in providing the necessary services for us. Alfred has also been an anchor point for many enquiries about Templers from outsiders. Alfred’s tremendous contribution was acknowledged by the assembly.

Alfred reminded the chairman his original arrangement with the Office (in 1996) was for six months only. He estimates the homepage has had 4500 hits over a period of 3-4 years, with e-mail queries averaging 1-2 a week.

The building program is expected to take another 12 months to complete.

There being no further general business the chairman closed the meeting, thanking all for their attendance and their contributions to the working of the TSA.

Meeting closed: 2:35 pm Mark Herrmann, Manager

Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

zum neuen Lebensjahr.

Wir gratulieren Trude und Kurt Haar recht herzlich zu ihrer

Ekaterina (Katya) Nikolaevna Romankin

Johanna Matilda Arndt

1. In a hall beautifully decorated with fairy lights and balloons in the Melbourne/Adelaide football colours, nearly one hundred people partied till the wee hours of the morning. The sherry and nibblies were a great way to break the ice. So many entertaining conversations were started that we all took to our seats only with reluctance. But the fantastic array of food looked mouthwatering and, on sampling, was just as delicious as expected. With fine music and convivial company, we all enjoyed ourselves enormously.

Our sincere thanks go to the great organizer Paul English and his wife Erika, who planned, purchased and prepared not only the wonderful spread, but all the other details including the setting-up, and most unrewarding of all, the cleaning away. Hats off too to Melissa English, Tania Richter, Amy Edelmaier and Erin Lubitz for their friendly and untiring work. Their friendly service and their cleaning up skills were really appreciated by us all. Tony Beilharz and Fred Decker were also often spied in the kitchen.

Congratulations to the Bayswater-Boronia Committee! A Great Success!

Trudi and Neville Murray

2. There are many things in life one may aspire to: security and good health in old age, a successful and fulfilling career, raising happy and well-balanced children, seeing the world, making a contribution to world peace, saving the environment – many noble causes.

When it comes to the Bayswater-Boronia Dinner Dance it has been an ambition of mine, for some years now, to sit at that table which gets to attack the scrumptious smorgasbord buffet first at dinner and dessert time. That would, however, require me to be of "mature" age and request a table down in the Community (JG) room with my other "mature" associates, leaving the "young ones" to sit next to the dance floor and make do with whatever remaining morsels I, as their parent, graciously left for them on the food platters.

Luckily the amount and quality of food served to us on these occasions is always such that no-one, not even we less-mature diners, are left wanting. We would love to reprint the menu for those who did not attend, but suffice it to say we were offered a selection of Italian-style homemade dishes, followed by homemade desserts, which obviously took quite some time to prepare.

Wonderful food supplemented by great music (which incidentally appealed to both types of party-goers, mature and non-mature!) mixed with charming company (I had to say that – most of them are probably distantly related to us, or are our friends!) in a magical setting made for a truly enjoyable evening.

Of course someone made it all happen – or in this case many someones. We do not know exactly who they all are but do know that they were guided by Paul and Erika English. Thank you all for a splendid evening! And please, please do it again for us for many many years to come so that I, too, may someday have the honour of trampling up the JG room stairs to be among the FIRST to fill our plate at the banquet. In appreciation, Christine with Harald Ruff

3. Everyone who did not come missed out on a fabulous night of friendship, dancing and delicious food.

The young helpers were terrific and it gave us all much pleasure to see a small group of Confirmands among us. Thank you to all our helpers in setting up and taking down the decorations, restoring the hall to its normality. To the organizers, the English family with able assistance from Tony Beilharz and Fred Decker, many thanks! The greatest compliment of all: we mature people stayed until well past midnight because we were having such a good time!

An evening like this can only happen when the community gets behind its committee. Your support is vital to the health and welfare of the Temple Society, and we thank you all for coming. Perhaps those living further afield might consider sharing a taxi so that driving is not such an issue.

We hope to welcome you all next year to an even better and bigger evening!

Elisabeth Wagner,

for the Ba-Bo Community Council

At the award evening at Parliament House on 9.9.02, Marlene Dingle, German Language Consultant for the Dept. of Education, read the following citation:

A meeting of the Gippsland Templers took place at Nyora on 22^nd September. The service was conducted by Rolf Beilharz, then we enjoyed a communal lunch in the outside rotunda. The weather was a little cool at this stage, but just when we decided to go for a walk to get warm, the clouds cleared and the sun shone with true spring warmth. We enjoyed a delightful walk through the bush, a highlight being a large expanse of common heath (Victoria’s floral emblem, Epacris impressa), displaying its full range of colours - white, pink and red – and intermixed with other colorful native plants.

The numbers attending were fairly small – 12 adults and 2 children – which is a pity, given the unique venue and facilities. However, during afternoon tea, which was set up indoors, we agreed that the group was the perfect size, as it enabled us to enjoy a very stimulating, and at times amusing, ‘round-table’ discussion ranging over a variety of topics. But since we don’t really want to keep the Nyora experience to ourselves, we would encourage you all to join us if the venue should be available again. Our thanks go to Marie-Anne Beilharz for her thoughtfulness and effort in arranging the venue and ensuring everything was in place for the day.

Vyrna Beilharz

The Friends of Boronia Hall Group was formed after the Annual General Meeting of the TSA in 2001, following a decision taken at that meeting to dispose of the Boronia property. Its immediate purpose was to save the building from demolition. The long-term aim of the group now is to try and increase public awareness of the heritage potential of the Hall, the Bowling Alley and the associated property, and how it can be used to promote the Temple Society in the wider community. Apart from wanting to preserve the buildings for their historic and cultural significance and the sentimental attachment of the older generation, it is the unanimous opinion of the group that the eventual benefits to the TSA arising from cultivating and promoting the heritage aspect of the site (how we are seen in the wider community), far outweigh any immediate monetary gain.

We have at present some 30 members, in all age groups, united by the common cause to save the historic heritage this building represents. Not all are Templers, some are Associate Members, and they see this project as an opportunity to become creatively involved in the community aims of the Temple Society. The Boronia Hall, with its historic and ethnic-cultural background of migrants and their contributions to the development of the country, has the potential to become a local area heritage centre. In an attempt to involve the wider community in the conservation struggle, we approached local newspapers, who ran a couple of articles for us on the Boronia Hall.

Negotiations with the Regional Council to retain the hall are ongoing and at one stage we hoped a 10-year moratorium might be reached, on the condition the project should not involve the TSA financially. Such an arrangement would give the group scope to develop self-funding options built on the heritage centre theme for the Hall and substantiate the claimed benefits to the Society. The risk to the TSA would be minimal, the sale-price of the property is unlikely to decrease between now and then, and I am sure the revenue will be just as welcome then as it is now. We think such a 10-year plan would be a win-win compromise for all parties and a positive step forward.

If you feel you can sympathise with the endeavours of the Friends of Boronia Hall, if you see some merit in our proposals, then talk it over with your friends and help us spread the word in a spirit of goodwill. Following our Regional Head’s article "the Future of Boronia Hall" in the August 2002 Templer Record, the Friends of Boronia Hall Group is now, like any other TSA group or organisation, free to pursue its aims to try to attract support from inside and outside the TSA.

On page 37 there is an invitation to come to a 45^th Anniversary Celebration in the Bayswater Hall on Saturday 26^th October. We would love to see you there.

Alfred Klink, for the Friends of Boronia Hall Group

After a short Service, members were welcomed to the meeting.

The Meeting closed at 5pm.  Thank you to those who attended.                

PICNIC AT NURRAGINGY RESERVE   

A beautiful warm and sunny day greeted us as we arrrived at the  reserve for our Sunday picnic.  Young and old, 55 persons in all, enjoyed each others’ company with a BYO lunch and afternoon tea and coffee.  The section booked for us by Emmy Simmer had a children's playground and BBQ facilities, it was good to see the young parents playing with their kids.  A successful raffle was held by the Frauenverein. We also enjoyed the company of Guenter and Helga Kuerschner who were on their way home from a trip to the outback.  Everyone enjoyed the day, we will try to make this an annual event once more.

H.Beck,

for the Sydney Community

It's almost five years since our last class reunion, time passes so quickly. At the time, we from Sydney offered to host the next reunion in 2003.  After some discussion, our small Reunion Committee has decided that the second half of September 2003 would be most suitable, time and weather-wise, for what we are planning, and also give those wishing to attend plenty of time to plan ahead.  Venue and exact date will be advised a little later.  Just get ready to enjoy yourselves!

Hartmut Beck

We were fortunate to welcome Dieter and Isolde Ruff to our Saal on 11^th August. Dieter gave the sermon, based on the Gospel of Mark, about Jesus healing on the Sabbath. Isn’t it more important to do good and the right thing than to be right according to the law? Jesus showed us how to give hope and self-confidence to handicapped people as well as others. Through us God’s goodness should become apparent. Too hard? Well, we can always try!

Dieter brought greetings from Melbourne and Thea Frank, whom he had visited on his way to Adelaide.

Uli gave a vote of thanks and handed Dieter a cheque for $200 from our group as a donation towards the new building in Bayswater.

It was decided to have the next Saal on 6^th October at 2 p.m. at Tanunda, as some of our members will attend the reunion of 75-year-olds in Melbourne on 11^th and 12^th October.

The Frauennachmittag in August was at Rose’s and in September at Anne Steven’s, where we hope we will (have been able to) meet Gretel and Oskar Krockenberger.

Rose Asenstorfer,

for the SA Group

If you have an email address, it would be good to let Erica know so we can send you information on TG activities in the future.

The dates for Summer Camp next year are Thursday 9^th to Thursday 16^th January. The camp will be at Phillip Island this time and expressions of interest are being sought from any young people aged 11 years and over who would like to attend. Remember to ask your friends along, they will be more than welcome, and if you’re really well organized you can even book – camp forms are now available from the Office!

All enquiries to Susi

August 2003, cost about $70 per person, for a weekend from Friday 8 p.m. to Sunday 3 p.m. at Mill Valley Ranch, Tynong North, a not-for-profit Cristian-based organization. The experience will end with young people putting on a riding show for parents.

If you think you may be interested, please contact Marianne Herrmann asap, since we need to book now. At least 45 interested young people are needed for this to go ahead, so ask your friends and relatives as well.

WANTED! enthusiastic volunteers to help out with various youth activities, e.g. going on camps or weekends away, looking after one of the youth groups, helping with the youth service, supervising activities, helping with transport, etc. Any age, no experience necessary! If you can help, please let Susi know ASAP.

Anyone interested in taking part in any way in the youth service early next year (probably February), please ring Susi soon, because planning is about to start.

Yes, the Y group are having another weekend away at Phillip Island after school has finished in late November/early December. Dates and details still to be decided, but let Susi know if you are interested.

The opening celebration of our new Community Chapel will take place on 10^th November 2002, and we would like to get together a small youth choir to present a couple of songs for the occasion. This would be very informal and short, so not much practice time beforehand would be required.

If you are interested in joining in or just have some questions, please ring Susi or Annette Wagner-Hesse.

Susi Blackwell, Youth Coordinator

Emma: How are we all? Sorry about last month,but Tania and I sort of forgot, we blame it on our younger siblings getting confirmed and us having to dash here and there helping our parents with the party arrangements. Anyway we are back on board this month and have quite a few things to tell you about. Once again it is that time of the year to have a major stress attack because yes,it is coming up to exam time.

At the moment I am looking ahead to the holidays and groaning because I will not have any time off. Half of my holidays will be spent at school finishing final pieces for art and working on my monologue for Theatre Studies. Then the second half will be spent doing a course in preparation for the course I want to do next year. Not only is that bad enough but I also have to put up with the temptation of 18^th birthday parties which seem to be flowing in by the dozen. The question at the moment is whether to go to the party (it’s going to be really, really good) or stay at home and diligently do homework? Life just isn’t fair any more.

Oh well, it will soon be over and then all we have to worry about is what sort of antics are we going to get up to at schoolies! Good luck to all those in the same boat finishing year twelve while still trying to have a social life, I think I might give mine up (maybe). Also good luck for exams which start on the 9^th of October. (I should know they start then because my Theatre Studies monologue is on this day and at one of the earliest times as well. I think I must be cursed because out of the four week examining period our school got the first day and one of the first times. Oh well, such is life.)

Tania: Such is life indeed. Don't despair Emma, my French oral (which is scarier than anything anyone can imagine) is on the 8^th of October, talk about stressed. All of a sudden exams are just a little too close, the holidays a little too short, and the homework piles just a little too high. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. In about 20 days, we will be finished with school forever. That is both scary and exciting at the same time. Good luck to everyone else as well!

This month there are two quotes because I couldn't decide which one was better:

Hope the following people have a very Happy Birthday and have fun: Marcus English and Liesl Sawatzky.

That's it from us. Stay well and be happy. Love, Emma and Tania

Do you know what the Australian flag looks like? It has a dark blue background, with the Union Jack - the flag of the first white settlers, the British - in the top left corner, and the stars of the Southern Cross on the right. The star under the Union Jack is for the Commonwealth (the official title for the Australian nation).

Every country has a flag which represents something special, something particular to that country. Each Australian state has a flag as well.

In 1971 the Aboriginal flag was raised for the first time. Its designer is Harold Thomas, an Aboriginal artist who in 1971 had just graduated with a Diploma of Art from the South Australian School of Art.

The flag is symbolic, with a simple yet effective design which represents things important to Aboriginal people. It has three colours; the people are represented by a black band across the top, the earth by a red band below, and the sun, giver of life, by a yellow ball in the centre.

Today the Aboriginal flag can be seen in many places and on many occasions. Although there are many different Aboriginal cultures throughout Australia, all embrace Harold Thomas’ flag as a common symbol which has brought unity, strength and pride to the Aboriginal nation.

If the Temple Society had its own flag, what do you think it would look like?

If you designed a flag to represent you, what would it look like? Perhaps it would feature your favourite animal or hobby. Maybe you would put in natural features such as the sun or moon, or artificially-made structures you see every day, like the house you live in. What colours would you use? Would you make it all your favourite colour, or a combination of colours? How would you design it so that people would know that the flag showed things important to you?

On a piece of paper or cardboard, design a flag that represents you.

• Jesus bids us shine

• with a pure clear light

• Like a little candle

• Burning in the night.

• In this world of darkness

• So let us shine,

• You in your small corner

• And I in mine.

• What do you call a witch that sits in the sand? A sandwich.
• What man can raise things without lifting them up? A farmer.
• What’s the only thing you can break by saying its name? Silence.
• What is the secret of success?

1.  Keep cool,’ said the ice.
2. ‘Take pain,’ said the window.
3. ‘Drive hard,’ said the hammer.
4. ‘Be up to date,’ said the calendar.
5. ‘Be sharp’, said the knife.
6. ‘Spread warmth around you,’ said the fire.
7. ‘Stick to it,’ said the glue.
8. ‘Be bright,’ said the lamp.

What do you say?

Till next time, Annie Beilharz

Hatten Sie die Zeit, den Jahresbericht der Tabulam und Templer Heime zu lesen? Er war dem September Record beigelegt. Der Jahresbericht wurde der Hauptversammlung der TTHA am Samstag, dem 28. September, vorgelegt in Deutsch und Englisch.

Wollen Sie das bedenken?

Dr. Martin Schreiber, CEO

… please consider

Did you take the time to read the Annual Report of Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged? The report was attached to the September TR and was also presented to the Annual General Meeting of TTHA on 28^th September (in German and English).

As you can read in our Annual Report, no loans are envisaged to be necessary from the money market, nor loans from the parent societies, but we are grateful to have the assurance of the latter of their help if needed. All funds will be provided by the cash flow of the Homes. This cash flow is mainly made up by Accommodation Bonds, Unit Deposits and the TTHA Development Fund.

If you are at all wondering about the enormous development and our cash flow, then now is the time to approach us. There are many ways you can assist. One of the easiest and safest ways would be an investment in our Development Fund. Deposits of $1000 and over are most welcome and help us stay on the safe side. Investments in our Development Fund for a low or modest interest rate (say between 3 and 5%) are greatly appreciated.

And, of course, we are always happy to receive donations!

Please consider!

• Sun 6.10 SA 14.00 Service at Tanunda
• Sun 13.10 Ba 10.15 Presentation Service Mark Herrmann
• Sun 20.10 AH 10.00 Service Dr. Hennig Imberger
• Sun 20.10 CV 11.00 West Central Vic Christa Lingham
• Fri 25.10 - 27.10 Glen Eira Inter-denomination Visiting Program
• Sun 27.10 Be 10.15 Service & Elders’ Meeting, Renate Beilharz
• Sun 27.10 Sy 15.00 Service Dieter Ruff
• Sun 10.11 Ba 10.15 Opening of new Community Chapel

The next Country Vic meeting will be on October 20^th  at Rod & Christa Lingham's farm at Rupanyup. There will be a BBQ lunch followed by afternoon tea. Please bring food to BBQ, and something to share for lunch and afternoon tea (e.g. salad and cake or slice).

If people want to camp at our place the night before, they are most welcome, but I would appreciate knowing that you are coming.

Maps and directions are available either from Christa, or from the Office.

From Melbourne go through Stawell and travel about 10 km. Turn right at the turnoff to Warraknabeal and Murtoa. Follow this road for about 39 km and you will come to a turnoff on the right with Callawadda 24 and Warranooke 8 on it. Turn down this road, travel one mile and turn right at the cross road. Take the second entrance on the right (the one without the gate). The last two turns will be marked.

From Bendigo take the Wimmera Highway to Rupanyup and turn left. Travel about 12-13 km down the road until the turn on your left marked Callawadda 24 and Warranooke 8. Turn down this road, travel one mile and turn right at the cross road. Take the second entrance on the right (the one without the gate). The last two turns will be marked.

The turn to Callawadda and Warranooke has a Children Crossing sign either side and this may help people to find it.

Christa Lingham

In a repeat of an initiative conducted two years ago, the Ministers’ Association is arranging a common inter-denomination visiting program for the weekend of Friday 25^th October to Sunday 27^th October.

The primary purpose is to strengthen the bonds of fellowship and to broaden our religious perspective, both at a congregational and personal level.

Most of the services from the participating faith communities, including that from the TSA, will be held on the Sunday. This gives us the opportunity to visit a service from another local faith community, or to host visitors who want to find out more about the Temple Society. To facilitate the weekend’s planning, please contact the TSA Office to register your interest in attending a service from either the Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army, Progressive Synagogue or Uniting Church congregations and to get the necessary details (day, time, location etc.). We welcome your participation.

Also, a reminder of "Interfaith Harmony", a musical journey and educational adventure planned under the umbrella of the Ministers’ Association. A preliminary Coffee and Cake conversation is scheduled for 8.00 p.m. on Thursday 17^th October at Bentleigh Progressive Synagogue (549 Centre Road, Bentleigh, corner Marion Street).

Anyone interested in this project – choir members, musicians and others – should RSVP to Lesley at the BPS Office or leave a message.

Mark Herrmann,

for the Glen Eira South Ministers’ Association

Flower Roster – Presentation 13^th October – Gisela Sawatzky & Trudy Blessing

Anybody interested in playing night tennis competition for season one 2003, contact Bob Loebert. Names are to be in by 19^th October.

Hella Edelmaier, Club Secretary

This month the hike will be held at John’s Hill in the Dandenongs. This walk has a combination of road reserve, walking tracks and quiet roads. A major lookout in the ranges is John’s Hill, and on a clear day, this vantage point provides extensive views of Melbourne and the bay.

Halfway, there is a shady picnic spot, where we can have lunch. Details are as follows:

DATE: Saturday 19^th October.

MEETING SPOT: Hermons Saddle Reserve.

HOW TO GET THERE: From Melbourne follow Burwood Highway to Belgrave. At the roundabout at the end of the shopping centre, turn right, then soon after veer left at another roundabout onto Belgrave-Gembrook Road. Follow this east for a further 5km to Grantulla Road. Park on the left at Hermons Saddle Reserve.

LENGTH: 12.4km, circuit 4 hours; GRADE: medium; TIME: 10.30am

Many people have approached me in the last few weeks and said that they have been meaning to attend one of these walks, but haven’t as yet. Well, for all of these people, now is your chance. I’ll see you on Saturday!!

If you do wish to come, or have any queries, please call Alysha Murray

Practices for Advent and Christmas will commence on Monday 14th October at 8pm in the Bentleigh Hall. Please come! We are looking forward to seeing everyone again and warmly welcome anyone who would like to join in for the first time. Don’t be shy!

Annette Wagner-Hesse and Veronica Rutowicz

45 YEARS OF MEMORIES - a community afternoon

45 years ago in Boronia the Templers opened their first new community building in Australia. On the 7^th of September 1957, after 10 years of postwar fragmentation and individual effort to establish themselves, members grouped together in Boronia, and the guidelines of the awakening Temple Society Australia took shape: ‘to achieve our religious and philosophical ideals in the formation of living town and country communities’. For the Temple Society the opening of the Boronia Hall was a big occasion, a turning point symbolising the new community spirit and its ability to bridge physical distance and diverse employment of its members. The Templer Boronia Community at that time consisted of 37 families.

We invite everybody to an anniversary celebration of this event on Saturday 26^th October in the afternoon at 2pm. The program will open with a short introduction followed by coffee and cake and reflective entertainment. Apart from covering the 50-year history of the Boronia Community, we will take a look towards the future and the possible options for the Hall and the adjoining property. If you can bring a cake it would be appreciated. Alfred Klink,

for the Friends of Boronia Hall

The invitations have been printed, have been personally addressed and should have been in your letterboxes recently.

A word of explanation. After a long discussion about how to address our members, we came to an agreement that, as the invitation is formal, we would follow etiquette and address everyone by their surnames, with the title that the Office has for each member. So friends, relatives and even our children are addressed as Mr. Mrs. Ms or Dr. Please don’t be put off by this. The planning for the opening is in full swing and we hope that this will truly be a joyful occasion.

Hoping to hear from each of you very soon, Elisabeth Wagner,

for the planning committee

It’s almost five years since our last class reunion, time passes so quickly. At the time, we from Sydney offered to host the next reunion in 2003. After some discussion, our small Reunion Committee has decided that the second half of September 2003 would be most suitable, time and weather wise, for what we are planning and also give those wishing to attend plenty of time to plan ahead. Venue and exact date will be advised a little later. Just get ready to enjoy yourselves!

Hartmut Beck

Sometimes we are asked why certain articles appear in ‘strange’ places in the TR. When laying out the submitted material to fit into our pages, we try to start the various sections on a new page ( - picture big headings halfway down). This may leave a free space on the previous page, which can neatly fit a photo, a small article – or the roster, which no longer needs a full page nowadays.

Please remember CONTENTS on page 1, where you can quickly locate what you are looking for. Editor

CHRISTKINDLMARKT – Thursday 28^th Nov, next month.

In the August TR, I mentioned that we had received a document entitled "Unsere Heimat Sarona". It is a detailed historical account on the beginnings of the Sarona settlement.

In August 1871 an area of land 160 Morgen (approx. 58 hectares) was purchased for the purpose of founding a settlement ¾ hour from Jaffa. A plan was developed for the settlement with 18 allotments, 14 of which were set aside for families.

Just try and imagine yourself exactly 131 years ago at 3.00pm on Sunday 27^th August 1871. You are with a group of Templer settlers in Palestine on a pilgrimage. The whole group is excited and in good spirits and has just left the settlement in Jaffa. The sand track we follow, which in places has not previously been traversed by wagon, leads us northwards. Our progress is very slow as the sand impedes our journey. A few more people join us. They are settlers who have recently started cultivating the nearby land and are living in barely habitable dwellings. These properties along the Sand Road and Nablus Road (another sand track) are the first agricultural ventures by Templers in the Saron Plains. The Templers had begun these ventures - some on bought land and others on leased land. Already a few pumps have been installed to water the German gardens.

Our pilgrimage comes to a halt on a desolate and neglected flat area of land and we view the surrounding countryside.

At 4.00pm Christoph Hoffmann steps from our midst and summons us to sing a hymn, which is followed by a thanksgiving prayer. He then commences the consecration proceedings for this newly acquired property with a speech. Several more speeches are made, all with the basic theme of hope for prosperity for this new settlement and for its harmonious development in the spirit of the Templer faith.

After the consecration service we anxiously await the allocation of allotments that are determined by ballot. Each building allotment is approximately one Morgen (just over of a hectare) in size and is located between the Nablus Road and the water channel… and that is how Sarona was started 131 years ago. Isn’t that fascinating!!

Helmut Glenk

P. Lippert

Your life, too, has meaning, your life, too, is guided by Providence, and believe me: each human life has a special meaning. Who knows who there is around you, for whom you are there without your knowing, who needs your prayer, your example, your helping hand, your kind word. Tr. H.U.

It is important for us Templers from time to time to reflect on the name our Society bears and on what we mean by this name. Is the picture of the temple still a living image? Do we know what was originally meant by it? Is the core concept of the Temple still viable in the future, or does it no longer serve?

In the last decades, and just recently in Australia, there have been discussions about whether we should use a different name so as to be better understood by our young people and by the wider community; perhaps also so as not to be confused so often with the Knights Templars. I wonder: if our next generation and the people around us do not understand our name, then is it not up to us to explain its meaning more clearly? To speak plainly: in my estimation, a name change would be of no benefit at all; on the contrary, it would more likely mean a loss of identity.

But let us start by looking at the origin of our name. The term is taken from a passage of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Christian community at Ephesus in Asia Minor. Here he calls out to the newly converted community members from the Hellenistic region:

In my view, this image is extraordinarily vivid and easy to remember. Here the community of Jesus’ followers is perceived as a structure, as a temple, and the community members as the building blocks forming it.

Of course, we have to keep in mind that for the Apostle Paul and the people of that time the Temple in Jerusalem was a well-known structure and that its meaning was abundantly clear to everyone. This temple was the holiest place for all Jews everywhere. In it God was encountered. From it God’s blessing radiated out to the people. And now this man Paul was saying that, likewise, every community founded on the teaching of Jesus was a temple, because, he said, the criterion for a temple was God’s Spirit. Wherever this spirit ruled on earth, wherever it took hold of people’s hearts and motivated them to stick together and to work effectively together, there a temple came into being, a temple made up of human building blocks.

My question is: is this image not powerfully expressive enough? Should we not consider it a goal worth pursuing to pool our resources and build a community, a temple, in which God’s Spirit dwells and can be felt? For the early Templers at least, this was worth pursuing to the extent that they dedicated their lives to this goal alone and gave up everything that could keep them from it. Their strong will helped them surmount every difficulty, every setback and opposition. This will to work together on building the temple was what our founding father Hoffmann saw as the most important prerequisite for being a member of the community. He allowed his followers much freedom in the individual expression of their faith. Through him we became independent or free Christians, who cannot be saddled with any dogmatic or creedal restraints.

However, the will to help build the temple is no longer nearly as strong among us. Many among our ranks have turned away from the task or have become alienated from the Temple Society. Instead of achieving widespread influence, as the founders once hoped their efforts would, today’s Templer Communities have to soft-pedal. New priorities dominate the lives of modern-day people – not just of the Templers! There is obviously no longer much demand for being rooted and grounded in religious soil. Life has become more materialistic, no longer orientated to spiritual values. So does the Temple Society still have a future? Is anyone still interested in the ideals that once animated our forebears?

To say people today no longer search for spiritual values is perhaps to make too superficial a judgement. Can we at times not experience the exact opposite? Could appearances sometimes deceive us? This went through my mind only recently at the memorial service for young Cornelius Beilharz where, in the eulogies and commemorative tributes of his friends, I could sense what friendship and dependability, what loyalty and love still mean to these young people today. Undeniably, many of today’s younger people are searching for a sense of home, for warmth and security. They worry about whether there will still be a world worth living in tomorrow. In the face of so much that is pointless in their lives, they yearn for meaning and fulfilment.

I am convinced in the core of my being that our Templer faith can provide an answer to the question whether life has meaning. We see the world as created by God, and human beings as creatures he sent on their journey, animated by his spirit. We call this journey man’s vocation, which deep inside keeps calling him to continue working on his physical, mental and spiritual development. The capacity to do so was given him by his Creator for his life journey.

In the face of so much hatred and violence in the world, we tend to doubt man’s capacity to grow more peaceful, more tolerant and just. Yet why should this be inconceivable? Would people in the Middle Ages have ever been able to imagine that following generations would one day be so closely connected through economic ties and a global communication network as we are today? It is surely just as difficult for us to envisage all that may become possible for us in the future.

What we traditionally call ‘seeking the kingdom of God’ is the belief that we are called to become higher human beings, and the belief that this is possible. Jesus of Nazareth furnished us with the guidelines for how individuals should act to achieve this goal. Will we not place our trust in his words?

I am convinced that our faith is not superseded – it is as relevant as it ever was. We have inherited something of great value from our fathers and we must on no account allow this spiritual treasure to get lost. Just as we use our community buildings, largely built with money from our forebears, to meet people, so let us also use the ideas handed on to us from the past to benefit more people, and allow their influence to spread.

The smallness of our community should not discourage us. Size is not the decisive factor, but rather the commitment with which we tackle our task. The theologian Heinz Zahrnt, well-known in the TGD, prophesied in one of his books that, unlike formerly, religion would in future probably be maintained and cultivated only on islands in the great sea of the secular world. Religion will no longer be the element informing all of people’s lives. However, these islands will play important roles for humankind.

He believes that the path to Christian faith goes via living together in a group, via people experiencing things together and then exchanging ideas about what they have experienced. In such a warm-hearted community of trustworthy companions, people, particularly young people, would be closer to Jesus and his group of disciples than in the large and cold spaces of a church, where coldness and distance refer not only to the architecture.

I absolutely agree with that. I have been in this Templer Community for a very long time. It has become a home for me, without which I cannot imagine my life any more. I have felt that human beings need to be close to other people of goodwill, so as not to despair at life’s vicissitudes. I am confident that, if we truly want it, we are always shown a way to go on.

The small Templer communities are important islands in the great sea of secularity – perhaps this image can help us towards new self-understanding. It does, however, also call us to keep improving our relationships with one another and to create the atmosphere of warmth and sincerity that every human being longs for, as mentioned earlier. Let us understand that our small numbers are in fact our strength. And that, instead of moaning about the lack of new members, we would do better to raise our self-esteem and truly represent a spiritual temple in which every building block supports another and in which God’s Spirit is at work.

Peter Lange, in an address commemorating Founding Day, in Stuttgart on 16^th June 2002. Tr. H.U.

The Bentleigh Hall was full to overflowing on Sunday 18^th August when 17 young people came to the ‘solemn, but also celebratory conclusion’ to 12 confirmation classes, during which aspects of faith, religion and the Temple Society were discussed with them. Their participation was encouraged and they were asked to be honest with themselves about their beliefs and attitudes towards the issues considered. This was evident in the ceremony – ‘the Confirmands had a lot of input into its structure and execution’ and their families, the elders and the community all felt proud and uplifted by what they said, and by the way they spoke, confidently and clearly. Well done! Many people commented on how Confirmations have changed and how great it is to see the young people so involved and presenting themselves so well.

A team was involved in teaching the wide range of topics covered – Renate and Rolf Beilharz, Harald Ruff, Renate Weber, Mark Herrmann and Herta Uhlherr – but the ‘anchor’ was Renate Beilharz, she was always there and did much of the overall organising. We are deeply grateful for her skill, dedication, hard work and inspiration – thank you Renate, and your family!

In one of the thankyou notes to the elders, Christa Lingham from western Victoria writes:.

It was terrific to get the notes [on the internet for the first time] prior to the lessons and I know how hard it can be to be prepared early. The notes were clear and made it easy to expand on the ideas being presented... The chat sessions may not have quite worked the way it was originally envisaged but, as Monika Richter pointed out in her speech yesterday, the friendships made at confirmation are important and the chat sessions certainly worked in that respect.

I hope you found the experiment successful, as I for one found it a great way to do the confirmation lessons from a distance. While it does perhaps mean that the distant confirmands’ parents need to get more involved in the lessons than those in town, we don’t have any driving rosters and can still get to sleep in on Sunday. The other is that if the family is busy on the Sunday, the lesson can still be done, even if the chat session is missed – not desirable too often, but better than missing a lesson altogether, as they do flow from one to another.

Anyway thanks again to all involved – I certainly enjoyed the ‘lessons’. (I think my son Marcus did too). Christa.

Collection – over $330 was donated for the Melbourne Citymission’s homeless people. Great effort, thank you all! It’s one way to show how grateful we are to have roofs over our heads and families who support us.

More about the content of the Confirmation service next month. Editor.

This report summarises the activities, affairs and administration of the Temple Society Australia (TSA) during 2001/2002. It highlights the more important aspects of the year’s activities. All matters of significance concerning the Society and its members were consistently reported in the Templer Record throughout the year.

Members are asked to familiarise themselves with the report (and associated documents) so that it may be taken as read at the Annual General Assembly.

An important event for members of the TSA was the first official visit to Australia of Peter Lange, as the new Temple Society President, from 6^th March to 3^rd May 2002. This was a very successful visit with Peter meeting many individual TSA members and contributing to many of our functions. Our deputy regional head and business manager, Mark Herrmann, visited the TGD in Stuttgart during May/June 2002. Other important events for our members were the honouring of Dr. Richard Hoffmann in the "Peoplescape" celebration of Australia’s Federation in Canberra from 25^th November 2001 for 2 weeks, and the celebration of 60 years of Templer presence in Australia at Tatura in the afternoon of 18^th November 2001. The latter was organised by individual members as a lunch after the annual memorial celebration of German deaths in Australia. The "Peoplescape" depiction of the work of Dr. Hoffmann was an opportunity for a very enthusiastic group of young creative Templers to work with older members who had known Dr. Hoffmann well personally. Other overseas visitors were Otto Hammer, an elder of the TGD, and Martin Higgins from England, who has collected much information about relationships among Templer families in Palestine.

Our many community activities were strongly supported by the efforts and initiatives of many dedicated members of our sub-organisations. With 2001 being the International Year of Volunteers, almost 150 individual certificates were prepared and distributed to worthy Templer recipients. This large number of people has actively contributed to the work of the TSA and its various community groups. Reports of most groups and committees accompany this report. Please read all of these reports so that they may also be taken as read at the Annual General Assembly.

Rolf G. Beilharz - Regional Head

Regional Council – Rolf Glenk, Ralph Richter

Central Fund – Wolfgang Frank, Herbert Hoffmann

TTHA – Friedrich Sawatzky, Hermann Sawatzky

The year has passed very quickly and much has been achieved. I continue to work approx. 21 hours per week and my regular days are Wednesday and Thursday.

My support team, the CCRG (Community Care Reference Group) meets every two months. The committee members are Dr. Rolf Beilharz, Mark Herrmann, Dr. Geoff McCallum, Ruth Haar, Linda Beilharz, Elisabeth Wagner, Ursula Paton. I extend my sincere thanks to this hard-working group for their continued support. A special thankyou to Linda Beilharz who comes all the way from Bendigo for these meetings.

This year I have had professional supervision from Ms. Bernadette Glass, a qualified social worker.

Wednesdays I visit the TTHA and do home and hospital visits. My work also includes assisting with admissions to the TTHA, taking clients to appointments, hearings at the Guardianship tribunal.

Mrs. Eva Roten from the AGWS and I chair Residents and Relatives meetings at the TTHA. The meetings are held every two months. Residents and relatives have the opportunity to ask questions and be informed on matters concerning the Home.

The Telelink operates on alternate Monday afternoons. Our participants enjoy the sessions, which enable them to keep in touch with distant, isolated and housebound friends. The Telelink support service is provided by Telstra through Telelink Victoria and involves my attending meetings with other Telelink co-ordinators to discuss issues concerning the Telelink connection. We receive a HACCS grant to cover the cost of the Telelink service.

CCRG initiatives for this year were the ladies’ social nights with a guest speaker. These evenings give the younger ladies of our community an opportunity to meet and mingle informally. On the first one late last year, Dr. Vyrna Beilharz was our speaker and in April it was our president, Peter Lange.

The New Parent afternoon in May is now a regular event on our calendar.

This year we again welcomed the parents of the Confirmands to a social evening to give them an opportunity to get to know each other better.

Finally, I wish to thank everyone who has supported me over the last year and the Community for their trust in my work.

Helga Anderson, Care Worker

Eleven Services were held in our Community. Sydney Elders are Werner Ehmann, Klaus-Peter Hoffmann, Hartmut Beck. Mark Herrmann conducted our October Saal and Rolf Beilharz the Service in December, while Klaus-Peter held Saal in Melbourne in August ‘01. We always welcome Elders and others visitors from interstate, please come more often.

Six children were presented during the year. Presented by H. Beck at our Thanksgiving service in March were: Emily Riordan, Samuel Riordan, Xariet Weller, Huw Weller, presented by Werner Ehmann in May were: Harrison Jensen, Anika Jensen.

We had one death – Otto Wurst died on 6.9.01.

The Frauenverein bus trip on 20^th April to historic Morpeth in the Maitland district was a great success; with a local guide on board, the participants toured the historic sites, with lunch at the East Maitland Bowling Club. Everyone enjoyed the day.

Our Annual General Meeting on 26^th August 2001 caused a bit of a stir, with emotions running high. It was considered by many members that the Indonesian Baptist Church (Meadowbank Baptist Fellowship) were taking over our church hall. The community voted, and the Baptists were given until 20^th October to vacate the premises. Hartmut Beck was voted in as Community Chairman for a 2-year term. No new members were elected to the Community Council.

The Frauenverein, the mainstay of the community, had great success with their annual Christmas Bazaar. Together with her ladies, Erika Schulz offered BBQ sausages (Weisswurst & German Bratwurst) with salads and bread rolls. Cool drinks were available, for sale were a variety of home-baked cakes, cookies, jams, juices, crafts, needlework and much more. A lucky door prize and raffle added to the fun. We were proud of our kids and their Kids’ Corner stall. In the afternoon, tea and percolated coffee with home-baked cake was served. The day netted $2550. Well done ladies and thank you for a most enjoyable day!

During the year, the Frauenverein generously donated $200 to St. Hedwig Village, $750 to TTHA, $300 to our Cemeteries in Israel, $2000 to the Sydney community.

A highlight of the year was the visit of our president, Peter Lange. Peter joined us for our Good Friday Service, where he was welcomed by the community. He brought greetings from the TGD, and expressed his delight at being in Australia. A pleasant afternoon was spent with coffee, tea and cake, with all having the opportunity to speak with him.

Klaus-Peter Hoffmann has been busy with repairs to the joins in the stonework at the base of the church; other repairs are planned for a working bee when the weather warms up.

The highlight of our Christmas Saal was the presentation of the various musical pieces played by the children, and showed the depth of talent amongst our young; everyone commented on their excellent presentation. Finally I would like to thank everyone who contributed to our activities during the past year.

Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

We met five times for Saal during the year, when Ulrich read a sermon based on a Bible text. Many of these were written by Hulda Wagner and were always well received. The highlight of the year was the visit by the Templer Choir, when Annette Wagner-Hesse gave the sermon, interspersed with hymns sung by the choir or the community. Irene Severin had organised the Nuriootpa Bowling Club as venue for the occasion.

Our small group of ten to twelve is very consistent and all make an effort to attend regularly. If someone cannot make it for reasons other than sickness, Uli tries to have Saal a week earlier or a week later. After Saal we always sit together for afternoon tea and conversation.

The ladies group met ten times during the year for handicraft, conversation and afternoon tea at each others’ homes. We were able to send crafts to the value of $90 and a cheque for $100 to the Tabulam and Templer Homes for the year. The highlight of the year was a visit to Monarto Zoo, together with a visit to Erna and Kurt Unger in Murray Bridge.

Rose Asenstorfer, for the SA Group

The Central Country Victoria Group has been meeting on a regular basis now for seven years. Over that time we have met in a variety of venues and places spread over this rather large area. At times the weather has been favourable and we have been able to sit outside in June at Lake Eppalock, and then again we’ve been confined indoors later or earlier in the year.

One of the issues raised at that first meeting in March 1995 was the distance apart we all lived, and the realisation that perhaps some country Templers would not be able to come to meetings because of this. Looking at the addresses of people contacted, or even just noting addresses of other members, we have observed a trend for people to move further west. To cater for these people we are now having a meeting at Christa and Rodney Lingham’s place in Rupanyup in October. An overnight stay may be needed for those people living closer to Melbourne.

With lateral thinking these meetings could be an opportunity to share and discuss issues affecting the Temple Society.

Though the format of our services is the same as the more formal services held at Bentleigh, Bayswater, Sydney, SA and the Altersheim, there is an element of informality, due perhaps in part to the smaller numbers attending, and in part to the venues. As always our thanks go to the Elders for their interesting and thought-provoking services. It means much if we only have to travel half the distance to go to a service. Thanks also to the hosts for making their homes available or for finding a venue for us to meet.

Finally thank you to all the people who come to these meetings and share their food and time.

Our new coordinator is Annie Beilharz in Balmoral. Dot Ware, Anna Beilharz

Gippsland Templer Group continues to meet twice a year for a Saal (service) and get-together.

On Sunday 30^th September 2001, the venue was Hillcrest Christian College, Nyora, which offers a range of facilities to cater for people of all ages. At this time of year, we also get to enjoy the extensive spring flowering of both the garden and bushland settings. Dr. Rolf Beilharz held a thought-provoking Saal about world events of that time and challenged us to think about how we, as Templers, might collectively respond to such events. After a shared lunch, almost everyone was able to participate in a "grand circuit" bushwalk, arriving back in time for a well-earned afternoon coffee. Coffee and tea extended into a discussion session for those interested in participating.

On Sunday 3^rd February 2002, the venue was St. John’s Uniting Church, in Cowes, Phillip Island, not far from a lovely stretch of beach. Theo Richter held a thoughtful Saal that was further discussed over a shared lunch. In the afternoon, some people stayed to chat in the hall while others headed off to the beach on walks, arriving back in dribs and drabs for afternoon coffee. After that, it was time to say goodbyes as some had such a long trip home.

Thankyou to all the Gippsland Templers who make the effort to support our get-togethers and thankyou also to all the Templers who come from much further afield to show some reciprocal support and interest in us.

Marie-Anne Beilharz

My job as the Temple Society Youth Coordinator is to look after and supervise all of the TSA’s youth programs and activities. At the moment these consist of Playgroup, Kids’ Club, Teenage Group and Confirmation/Youth Groups. I do this with the help of the Youth Activities Resource Group, (YARG) with whom I have regular (usually monthly) meetings,and a whole team of volunteers who not only work on the various committees, but also spend a large amount of their time organising activities and functions. I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all those volunteers for their ongoing dedication and commitment!

Until now the position of Youth Coordinator has also been a voluntary one, but as has been discussed for two years or more, this will now become a paid position within the TSA. In the past twelve months the YARG has worked on and developed a Position Description for the position of Youth Coordinator with specific goals and outcomes and, as you may have noticed, we have been advertising this position for quite some time. I am now happy to report that, by the time you read this report, the position will most likely be filled. If anyone is interested in seeing a copy of the Position Description, this can be obtained from the Office or myself.

As always it has been quite a challenge to think of and organise activities for our young people, but in spite of this and fluctuating enthusiasm, all of our above-mentioned groups have had a very successful year!

Kids’ Club has again managed to have monthly activities often coinciding with other Templer functions. These included woodworking, the bike ride at the community picnic, a visit to the Creswick Dinosaur Park, canoeing, Sommerfest activities, a Bush Dance, a fabulous camp, Sonnwendfeier damper making, Winter Olympics and lots more! All activities are spread across the Melbourne communities as well as incorporating country Victoria when possible. At the moment Kids Club is running well but the organising committee still consists of the same people that have been there since it’s beginning. For Kids Club to continue, this needs to change, there is an urgent need for new organisers to start taking an active part in the KC committee to ensure its ongoing viability!

Teenage group also meets regularly on a monthly basis with varying activities like gokarting, ice-skating, pool visits, video and movie nights, games, fencing, winter sleepout, and lots more. Attendance varies from activity to activity, but everyone always enjoys themselves and the young people who have been coming along have got to know each other and become a closer group. Many from this group are currently getting confirmed together.

As much as possible, our Confirmation groups are being encouraged to stay together and continue meeting after Confirmation. They have done this with the help of a support person who assists with organising activities and getting everyone together regularly. Youth camps and weekends away have also been successful in helping to encourage these groups to stay together. These young people have again organised and taken part in a Youth Service this year, which has now become an annual occurrence.

A volunteer list is being put together, of people (both young and older), who would be able to help out with various youth programs and activities, so creating a network of people to draw from when help is needed and reducing the workload on the shoulders of the current few. Youth leadership courses are being investigated and will be offered to interested TSA members, hopefully encouraging them to take a more active role in youth programs within our community.

Contact with other Youth Program providers has begun and is being extended in the hope of not only making the Temple Society more widely known in, but also offering something back to, the wider community.

Again I would like to thank the fantastic group of volunteers who consistently give their time and enthusiasm to youth activities; without you there would be no youth activities!

I also want to specially thank all the young people (and their parents) for making the effort to take part in our youth programs.

I urge you to continue to take part as often as possible and I urge parents to encourage your young people to take part, because you are not only helping to build our community, but also establishing links that you may some day be very grateful for. Susi Blackwell, TSA Youth Coordinator

I recently realised, with some surprise, that Playgroup has been an active group of the Temple Society for 20 years! How time flies when you’re having fun! In October 1992 we celebrated our 10^th birthday with a reunion held at the Tennis Clubrooms, where our ex-playgroupers and younger children engraved the tiles which were incorporated into the terrace area of the Altersheim sunroom extensions in progress at the time. The idea of having a similar activity involving our younger people, possibly in completing the surrounds of the new Chapel, has been discussed and will probably take place early next year. At the moment, there are also discussions regarding our Playgroup area; how will it best be integrated aesthetically, and from the safety aspect, with the Chapel?

I might add that it has been opportune for the children to watch the `happenings’ at the building site next door, which earlier provided much interest for our children (the boys in particular!), when the large machines were working.

Playgroup is still rolling along happily; we have 13 enrolments, nearly all from Templer families. I think we have a record number of babies and younger children, which always makes for a lively session, and of course, we adjust our activities to suit the needs and ages of the children.

As is our usual practice, we organise 1-2 special activities or excursions each term - a popular farm visit, a train trip and Teddybears’ Picnic. A particularly special event took place in September last year when Graham Etherington gave us a fantastic `Magic Show’; Winkel Wizard was a hit with parents and children. We can always rely on Peter Blackwell, our obliging musician, to fascinate the kids with his trombone; the Templer Home residents are delighted when the playgroup children visit to share our singing session with them.

Our regular and successful Biggest Morning Tea to aid the Cancer Council has been mentioned earlier. Because of the large attendances, which became a little overwhelming for our playgroupers while we were combining our Morning Tea with Grandparents’ Day, we decided a separate day for our Grandparents was in order. We love having grandparents and dads come whenever they can!

As you know, the Shopping Tour is on again in September – and I thank the organisers and participants in advance – this fundraising income keeps us on an ‘even keel’.

To me the most important part of the playgroup session is the sharing time for parents. To be able to share with other parents and friends, who understand and can give positive support and encouragement, is always reassuring. And quite frankly, I love being part of their morning and having the privilege of the friendship of so many lovely people.

We welcome any families with children aged 2-4yrs, who may be able to join us on a Thursday morning between 10-12pm

Moni Herrmann, for the Playgroup

Sunday School has continued in both Bentleigh and Bayswater this year with classes occurring once a month in conjunction with services at each centre. A planning meeting was held early in the year where a loose curriculum was designed; this allows children to attend both Sunday Schools without doubling up on content. Where possible, an effort is made to include the children in the first part of services so as to familiarise them with our various services and elders.

We urge you to bring your children along to Sunday School, if not for the religious instruction then for the social interaction with other children and an introduction to the Temple Society. If you can’t make it to a service, why not send your kids along with Oma and Opa or someone else? Our children are our future, but it is up to us to make them feel they are a part of it.

Bayswater - Our numbers fluctuate from eight or so regulars to somewhat more on special occasions. With the construction of the new chapel happening right before our eyes, it has been opportune to focus on the theme of ‘Building’ this year. We have talked about needing designs for building, building with firm foundations, building in difficult times and building with God, all the time linking these ideas to the Bible, Jesus’ teachings, the Temple Society, our community and our individual lives. We will continue this theme to the end of the year and hope to incorporate our children and these ideas into the first service in the new chapel.

Christine Ruff

Bentleigh - Since April 2002 I have been taking the Sunday School classes in Bentleigh while Suzy is in Europe on Templer Exchange.

For me it is a return to an activity that I was involved in during my teenage years. It is great to see the changes that have taken place over all that time, like

At Bentleigh we have been following the stories of the Old Testament relating the issues raised to modern times and placing events that occurred in the past into their historical context and, at times, seeing it follow through to events in religious life today.

The number of children varies greatly from month to month, sometimes making it difficult to have a smooth flow-through in lessons. There is also a large age range. At all times we attempt to make the sessions interesting for all children and provide activities that are age appropriate.

Dot Ware for Suzy Ware

Bentleigh/Moorabbin and Bayswater-Boronia

The German schools have had a very successful year with steadily increasing enrolments. The Bentleigh/Moorabbin campus has 30 students, of whom 17 are from Templer families and the Bayswater-Boronia campus has 32 students, with 14 children from Templer families. A combined total of 62 students with 50% Templers signifies the remarkable success of our schools.

Both schools received the $90 grant per student from the Department of Education. Employment and Training (DEET) and their finances are quite healthy. They both run three classes a week at different levels. Both schools are members of various Ethnic Schools and German Teachers Associations and regularly send representatives to the German Saturday Schools Melbourne Network.

The Bentleigh/Moorabbin School has upgraded its resources through the purchase of a new television, video player and CD player, and has received reading, audio and audio-visual resources from Parkdale Primary School, thanks to Barbara Sonntag-Imberger. Students were motivated by the extra video teaching materials. The school enjoyed the newly painted rooms and had a major working bee clean-up, thanks to parent help. Thanks also to Paul Weberruss for adapting the metal cupboard for the new AX/V equipment. The school children also enjoyed their main annual event, the Christmas concert. Special thanks go to the teacher, Frau Josefine Hennel, for her dedicated work running three classes.

The Bayswater-Boronia School received a $300 grant this year for school excursions from the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC). The school has maintained and upgraded its popular CD computer game library for extra German language practice.

Thanks to the teachers, Leanne Reichler, Brigitte Ankenbrand and Christine Ruff for their enthusiastic commitment, and to Dr. Irene Kemper for her dedicated work on the volunteer reading program, also to Doris Frank for her tireless work as Treasurer.

An outing to the Cuckoo Restaurant for students and their families across the two schools has been planned for the third term.

Both schools look forward to ongoing success in the next year.

Irene Bouzo, Coordinator Ursula Fisher, Coordinator

Bayswater/Boronia School Bentleigh/Moorabbin School

2001 saw no exchange candidate on our shores from Germany and at the same time no-one from our Australian end went to Germany. In 2002 we currently have Suzy Ware in Germany spending time with the families there and having a great time. She has participated in many events and is seeing many new things. Suzy spent her early months at the Freiburg Goethe Institute where she tells me her German improved markedly. She interacted with many international students from all corners of the globe. (See page 27).

Christine Klingbeil and Inga Reck will be arriving in Australia early October. We are seeking families to host them for periods; we have some offers and thank you for this. The girls will be attending English courses here. We welcome them and hope they will feel at home here, as I'm sure they will. It is always great if people could find the time to take them around a bit and see some of the delights of Melbourne and Victoria. That would be very much appreciated.

As no applications were received by the closing date, no young members will be visiting Germany on exchange in 2003.

Bernhard Hoefer, Exchange Co-ordinator

Members, and non-members, are continuing to make use of the Archive facility in Bentleigh, even though certain aspects of the archive are still to be completed, especially the photo database. Communication with the TGD archives is regular and productive. Various members have been continuing work on sorting documents and photos and we are grateful to them.

Anyone wishing to access the Archive can contact me.

Renate Beilharz

1 Peter 2:5a

In the past year, a lot of time and effort has gone into the ‘Community Building’ initiative. Community Building was seen as a focus of the Regional Council for the year 2001/2002, to coincide with the physical building happening at Bayswater. Two working parties were established:

Both working parties were given specific aims and goals which were published in the May 2001 Templer Record. Progress reports of the work of these working parties were published in the September 2001, October 2001 and February 2002 Templer Records.

What follows is a brief summary of the activities of the working parties since September 2001:

Feedback from the TSA Community was sought through survey forms handed out at the September AGA and another one distributed with the yearly membership payment forms. Thank you to the many people who took the time to respond, all responses were collated and distributed to members of the working parties and the Regional Council. Anyone who wants a copy of the collation may ask for one.

A Sense of Community working party

This group of 11 people met fortnightly until December, discussing the wide ranging issues that come under this umbrella. Some great ideas were discussed and seven issues were targeted for further investigation: A skill database, People together project, Name change issue, Education, Leadership training, Templer Centre – Potential and possibilities, Advertising and PR. No further action has been taken on these important issues yet. If you are interested in assisting with implementing discussion groups on any of these issues, please let Renate Beilharz know.

Community structure working party

This working party of 9 people has continued to meet frequently since July last year, looking at the overall structure of the TSA and investigating ways of ensuring that the TSA, as an organisation, can continue into the future, despite what changes in the membership demographics may be ahead.

A proposal for a possible new structure for the whole TSA community has been formulated, and since November last year six presentations have been held for all members of the TSA to get feedback. About 100 members all up have been to one of these presentations. Of this number a few have voiced strong reservations. Most others have expressed the opinion that the new structure has merit, while others have given it unqualified support.

On the strength of this support, the working party has continued to flesh out the proposal, putting in many hours of discussion on all the implications and ramifications of the idea.

The group proposes to continue refining the proposal and have most details finished by December this year, including plans for a gradual implementation. Progress reports will be presented to the Regional Council regularly. The goal for next year is to visit every community group and organisation within the TSA to present the new structure proposal, so that by late 2003, most members will have a good idea of what is proposed, ready for a decision and vote at an Extraordinary General Meeting late in 2003.

Anyone who wants a closer involvement in this proposal is welcome to join the working party. Renate can let you know details.

Renate Beilharz

Progress on the building of our new Community Chapel has been excellent and in line with estimates. Members have been kept informed via various reports in the Templer Record during the last six months, and those who have visited the site for various Templer functions at Bayswater have seen the building growing.

The successful building firm APM Group (Aust.) Pty. Ltd. was selected in July 2001. Contracts for construction were signed in Feb. 2002. In accordance with the contract, work started on the site in mid-January 2002 based on a prior authority to proceed, and over the last 7 months we have seen a beautiful and inspiring place of worship being erected.

The builder estimates that his construction phase will be completed by early September at which time he will vacate the site. A number of items still require completion. These include carpet laying, the erection of the bell into the tower, the manufacture of the feature glass window, fitment of lectern, Templer Cross and wall inscription, furniture (chairs) and landscaping. At the time of writing (mid-August), painting of walls and some external paving has to be finalised.

The complexity of design and construction of this building with its curved walls, sweeping roof/ceiling, imposing bell tower and its durable steel frame and roof, and masonry and glass walls is a very satisfactory achievement for all involved.

As this elegant building nears completion, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all members of the Building Committee together with the architects/designers, Dieter and Rolf Blaich, and to Dieter Ruff jr. from APM for their support in erecting the building in a timely manner and for the efforts made to save, contain and control the building costs.

A formal opening of the new Chapel is planned for 10^th November 2002.

Dieter Glenk, Chairman, Building Committee.

We welcomed into our midst Renate Weber and Peter Hornung as new singers. We also thank Annette Wagner-Hesse, our conductor, very much for making all this possible.

Uli Hapke, Choir President

Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

Hans Richter

We have received sad news from Maya Aimann.
Her father Helmut Gunther Aimann passed away unexpectedly at Elands, near Taree NSW, on Friday 16th August, aged 58 years. Helmut, with his sister Gisela and brother Traugott, were orphaned as young children in Waldheim in 1948 when their parents were shot dead during an attack on the Waldheim settlement by the Jewish Haganah. The children travelled via Cyprus to Australia, with Kurt Seidler from Waldheim as their guardian. Helmut later joined Anne Molnar, nee Schauwegger, who raised him. Helmut was a deep thinker concerned with ethical and moral issues and with conserving nature. When Anne Molnar grew old in Cooma, Helmut looked after her. With friends he preserved rainforest at Elands. Helmut attended the celebration of 60 years of Templer presence in Australia, held at the Tatura Golf Club in November last year. Those present may have noticed him as the quiet, tall and slim man with long hair. We extend our condolences to his family. R.G.B.

On Sunday 21^st July, 10 adults and 3 children met at Creswick in the old house of the Creswick Adult Learning Centre and Neighbourhood House. Rolf Beilharz held the service for us, which held much relevance for today’s society, with a central theme of life-time adult relationships. At these services we always marvel how we manage the hymns without any musical accompaniment. It’s lucky for us that some of those attending have the ability to sing and lead us in the hymns.

The service was followed by a community lunch with much discussion. It’s great to see the variety of food that we manage to put together considering the distance that people travel to join these meetings.

Annie Beilharz has taken on the coordinator’s role for our group, as our focus moves west. She needs your input.

Our next meeting is at Rupanyup. Peter and Dot Ware

One sunny winter morning, a small group of hardy souls met near the Tullamarine airport for a hike through the Woodlands Park to enjoy the fabulous panoramic views of Melbourne and its environs. We also watched with wistful longing, well I did at any rate, the incoming and outgoing flights at Melbourne Airport. Animals and birds there were aplenty, with kangaroos predominating. They were so plentiful that one learner driver nearly lessened their number, when one jumped out immediately in front of him on the drive in, causing him to lock up the brakes, but luckily he avoided the large grey. After trekking up Gellibrand Hill, viewing various ruins and traipsing through the interesting, partly restored Woodlands Homestead, we eagerly enjoyed our afternoon tea.

There was no August hike, but this month you can look forward to another one. We’re hoping to meet many more participants on this next hike.

Trudi Murray

Hi Everyone,

Just as my 2 months in Freiburg came and went so fast, so too have my 2 months in Stuttgart with the German Temple Society.

I arrived in Stuttgart by train and was greeted at the Hauptbahnhof by Brigitte Hoffmann, who said she had no problems recognising me – she said I look like a Hoffmann (something I have been told now by many people, both in Australia and Germany).

Brigitte was my first host in Stuttgart and I had an enjoyable 3 weeks with her. She introduced me to the Germans’ love for outdoor activities which include extremely long bike rides and very, very long walks. It’s a great way to see the beautiful countryside around Stuttgart, its cool forests, and to get a sun tan! (The sun here doesn’t burn as hard as in Australia).

My first encounter with the German Temple Society was at a Friday night "Spiel Abend" where Templer families meet at the Gemeindehaus in Degerloch to play games and eat pizza. Here I was able to meet Templer families, test my German (it’s very slowly getting better), and catch up with news from home as Mark Herrmann was also there. After being overseas for more than 2 months, it was really cool to see a familiar face.

After my stay with Brigitte, I spent 2 weeks with the Mutschlechner family which involved a trip to Augsburg with Claudia, visiting Wilhelma Zoo with Andrea, seeing many castles (Ludwigsburg, Lichtenstein, Rosenstein, u.a.) and learning more German.

My final stay was with the Klingbeil family in Plattenhart. Here we enjoyed many day trips around the area (Bad Urach waterfall, a castle in the clouds and cute little towns). The highlight was a 4 day trip to Vienna in Austria with Stefan and Christine Klingbeil and Irina Hornung. Vienna is just beautiful, with every building being a masterpiece of art. Also, there is a little bit of Australia there. A popular souvenir is a T-shirt with a picture of a kangaroo and the slogan "No kangaroos in Austria".

One thing I have noticed on the other side of the world is that Australia ceases to exist here. The only event from home which has made it into the news here was the finding of a giant squid in South Australia. And it’s amazing how totally different Australia and Germany are. In Germany you can’t go to the beach when it’s hot, go to Coles at 11 p.m. to buy Tim-Tams or have the convenience of "Southland" for all of your shopping and entertainment needs.

But in Australia you can’t go driving in the countryside and be met by beautiful castles on mountain tops, drive through quiet little towns made of "Fachwerk" houses, eat yummy Bretzels wherever you are (the ones at Southland just don’t compare), and order Maultaschen in restaurants (or buy them ready-made from supermarkets).

Although I miss little things from home (my bed, the beach, Southland and my family and friends), my 4 months on exchange to Germany have been the best time. I would recommend the exchange to all you young Aussie Templers. You get to see and learn so much about a whole new world.

So, 4 months down, 4½ to go. I’m not leaving until I see real snow and the Christmas markets. So to fill in time I’m travelling to Switzerland to visit friends of my Oma and to see the Swiss Alps, to France and Spain to visit friends I made in Freiburg, a Contiki tour of Italy, back to Stuttgart to say goodbye to all of the Templers here, then home for a proper "summer" Christmas.

Hope to see you all then. Suzy Ware

Don’t forget our spring picnic in the Ibis section of the Nurragingy Reserve at Doonside. Keep the 15^th September free for this special day, bring your family and friends. All are welcome. See July and August TR for details.

22. 9 3 p.m. with Ilse Birkner

27.10 3 p.m. with Dieter Ruff Hartmut Beck

I’m trying to put together a list of interested people who would be willing to help out with Youth activities, either on a regular basis or occasionally.

This would include things like confirmation group activities, camps, weekends away, Teenage group, supporting youth services, etc. If you enjoy being with young people and care about supporting our young Templers, then please consider helping out. Your level of involvement will depend entirely on you – no pressure!

It doesn’t matter how old you are, anyone can help out, please call me

Susi Blackwell, Youth Coordinator

September is the first month of spring, and many people start to feel more cheery as the winter chills subside. New leaves on the trees signal the beginning of warmer weather, promising summer ahead, and flowers bloom from the bare winter ground.

In Aboriginal society plants have been an important food source. Many years ago, Aboriginal women spent most of their days gathering roots, nuts and seeds from plants in the area. They placed them in coolamans, curved wooden carrying dishes tucked under their arms, then carried them back to camp. Seeds were ground into flour for bread, and other parts of the plants were prepared for eating. Most of a tribe’s food was found by the women, as the men - who hunted for large animals and fished for meat - were not always successful, and often came back empty-handed.

In coastal areas women collected shellfish which they put into dilly bags, woven from twisted grass or fibre and worn around their foreheads. They cooked them carefully on a fire until the shells split, and after the shellfish had been eaten, left the shells in a pile called a midden. Many middens are still found today along Australia’s coastline, and tell us important information about how Aboriginal people used to live many years ago. Have you seen a midden by the coast, or in the museum?

Spring is a time of new creation, warming people’s hearts along with their bodies. As the earth begins to grow afresh, things to make us happy are easily found, especially in nature. Take the time to walk outside and bask in the sunshine, enjoying all that Nature has to offer – and let us be thankful for and take care of the many things, large and small and tiny, colourful and loud and quiet, that are there for us to enjoy.

A Spring Picture is one which shows your idea of the season.

Then design your picture, arrange your materials, and paste it all down. When your natural materials have been pasted, and you’ve made your clouds and sun, you can add more details by drawing. Then you can write a sentence or a story about your artwork. Have a fun, creative time!

Till next time, Annie Beilharz

• Mia Leszinsky
• Francesca Beilharz
• Gavin Blair
• Yolanda Krockenberger
• Kirrily Simmer
• Karla Wade
• Stephanie Brown
• Monty Weller
• Jessica Weller
• Lachlan Glenk

What’s an eavesdropper? – An icicle!
The greatest bet ever made? – The alpha-bet!

What was the largest island in the world before Australia was discovered? – Australia!

What are the 3 most common causes of bushfires? – Men, women and children!

What kind of problem does a five-foot man have? – He needs 2½ pairs of shoes!

Describe a successful farmer. – A man outstanding in his field!

You are invited to the Annual General Meeting of Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged Inc. on Saturday, 28^th September 2002 at 11 a.m. in the Templer Hall, 41a Elizabeth St. Bayswater.

At the AGM, the President of the Committee of Management and the CEO of the Homes will report about activities during the past year, as well as about the financial situation of the Homes. The report of the auditor will also be presented.

The members of both parent societies, the TSA and AGWS, are invited to participate in the Annual General Meeting. At least 15 members from each parent society must attend in order to achieve the necessary quorum.

The AGM will provide an opportunity to get information about the situation and prospects of TTHA Inc. and also about the progress of the new building works. Planning and preparation of the new building have made up a good part of the deliberations of the management committee and the CEO and his deputy during the last year. We are very glad to be able to see the beginning of the building works proper, and we look forward to the time when the new building will be available to contribute to even better conditions for the residents.

It was a very pleasant surprise to see that the Savings and Capital deposits in the TTHA Development Fund, which was set up to assist with financing the new buildings, has increased during the last months. The financial situation in regard to the new building has improved considerably. More about this at the AGM.

The AGM will be an opportunity to say a hearty "Thankyou" to all members of staff for their work in caring for our residents, as well as to all our friends and members for their continuing donations and support.

Kind regards,

Walter Schuetz, Vicepresident TTHA

• Sun 8.9 Be Short Service & AGA Dr. Rolf Beilharz
• Sun 15.9 AH 10.00 Service Hulda Wagner
• Sun 22.9 CV 11.00 Service etc. in Nyora Dr. Rolf Beilharz
• Sun 22.9 Sy 15.00 Service Ilse Birkner
• Sun 13.10 Ba 10.15 Presentation Service Mark Herrmann
• Sun 20.10 CV 11.00 Service etc. at Rupanyup, Christa Lingham

Would parents wanting their children to be presented at the service on 13^th October in Bayswater please contact the Office on 9557 6713 so that the necessary arrangements can be made. Ed.

All Templers and friends are invited to attend our spring Saal and get-together on 22^nd September. It will again be held at Hillcrest Christian College for the third, and perhaps final time. We are able to cater for all ages with a range of facilities – from sand pits with playground equipment to sporting fields and canoeing to bush and garden walks.

Saal will be at 11 a.m. in the lovely old country church, followed by lunch in the main rotunda. Please bring a salad, platter or hot dish to share for lunch, which we set up in smorgasbord style. (No BBQ food, please) Also some cake, biscuits or fruit to share at afternoon tea. Fruit juices, cordials and a range of hot drinks will be provided. Although we can supply some cutlery and crockery, it would be best to bring your own.

Seating and tables will be provided. Sporting equipment and canoes are also available for use, but you may wish to bring along other games or special activities to enjoy during the day.

Hillcrests Christian College is about a one-hour drive from Boronia, Bayswater or Bentleigh and about half an hour from Leongatha or Phillip Island. It is at McDonalds Track and can be reached by turning off the South Gippsland Highway at either Lang Lang or Nyora, then following the college road signs.

Please talk to one another and arrange car-pooling for a lovely day out in the spring countryside.

We also hope to welcome people from the peninsula, Phillip Island, Cape Patterson and, naturally, from all over Gippsland. So please mark this day on your calendar and come out to join us for our Spring Saal and get-together.

Till then! Marie-Anne Beilharz

In the Loveday Report, Otto Edelmaier’s name was omitted from the centre column on p.18 of the Aug. TR. We apologize. Ed.

Our focus is shifting westward. Next meeting: 20^th October at Rod and Christa Lingham’s in Rupanyup, Saal around 11 a.m. followed by shared lunch as usual. Since it’s a long drive, visitors from Melbourne may wish to stay overnight and make a weekend away of it. If people don’t mind roughing it, we can accommodate some in tents or vans (bring your own) on our farm here. Stawell, about 50 km from Rupanyup, has a range of accommodation, and is probably most convenient for those coming from Melbourne. Otherwise there is a caravan park at Murtoa (about 30 km) and the hotel in Murtoa has 2 rooms, that in Rupanyup one. Phone numbers are probably in the RACV guides, or I can find them out for you.

Our property fronts the Stawell/Warracknabeal Road. More information next month.

Christa & Rod Lingham

Thirty-four members attended the meeting, which was preceded by a short service held by Theo Richter, and an enjoyable light lunch.

The community was informed of the events of the previous year, which included working bees to maintain the Hall and its surroundings. Various items were purchased during the year, and money has been allocated to purchase a new fridge (to replace the old six-door one). The Hall was used for various Temple Society and private functions and is still in good shape.

The treasurer presented his report, which showed a better-than-expected result for the financial year. The budget for the new financial year was presented and explained to the community.

Reports were received from the Frauenverein and the Tennis Club, with reports from other regular users of the facilities to be presented at the TSA – AGM on September 8.

Monika Imberger, Theo Richter and Oskar Krockenberger were re-elected to the committee, and the motion to amend the constitution as advertised in the July TR was passed. Next year we will again be looking to amend the constitution to make sure that we will always be able to have a "legal" meeting – we will look to reduce the numbers needed to make up a quorum at the AGM from 30 to 20 people.

There was active and fruitful discussion in Special Business, where the community agreed that, due to new Food Handling Laws which are soon to be in place, the committee looks at refurbishing the kitchen to allow it to become a registered facility again. We will also investigate the feasibility of either removing the bowling alley or incorporating it into a new "multi purpose" room, which is planned to have a kitchenette, toilets, showers and sitting area which can be used by the Tennis Club and all other members of the community.

The committee would like to thank all who attended the meeting and gave their very useful input.

Diana Rainbird, Secretary, Be/Mo Community

The Annual General Meeting of the Bayswater-Boronia Community was held on 4^th August 2002 and was attended by over 68 members and friends. The meeting was begun by singing the Templer Hymn, verses 1, 4, 6. We stood for a minute’s silence as we remembered our dearly departed, and welcomed with love our new-born babies, Ryan Vollmer being amongst us with his dad.

The chairperson’s report stressed again the need for the help and cooperation of the community. The associated groups gave their interesting reports.

Heinz Vollmer gave a vote of thanks to all the ladies involved in the activities of our community. The chairperson accepted this compliment with pleasure on behalf of the ladies!

Trudi Murray asked not to be re-elected, but has promised to help out if and when the need arises. Paul English was re-elected. Elisabeth Wagner was elected for a term of three years, re-aligning her committee and her chairperson years.

In General Business, Alfred Klink gave a report on the Friends of Boronia Hall. The Regional Head, Dr. Rolf Beilharz, put the position of the TSA.

Some donations for the refurbishment of our community room have already been received by our treasurer, and we hope that this project will be finished by the end of the year. We thank all the kind donors.

The community was thanked for all its support and help, and the meeting closed. The congregation was invited to join the committee for a cup of tea or coffee.

Elisabeth Wagner, Chairperson,

Bayswater-Boronia Community Council

The Bayswater Hall will, like Cinderella, have changed its looks, and be transformed into the most beautiful banqueting hall! All this will be done for us by Paul English and his band of merry helpers (do ring Paul if you can help set up on Friday night). The food will again be a gourmet’s delight, there will be something to everyone’s taste!

While the younger group are rocking away, the mature can rock along, watch our young members, or just sit in the comfort of our community room, talking with friends and enjoying good food and wine, and celebrate being part of a Templer Community. So, young or old, do come and be part of this special evening.

Bookings: Paul or Erika English a.s.a.p. please.

Elisabeth Wagner, for the Ba-Bo Community Council.

Just a reminder that membership fees are now due. Any queries and/or payments can be made to

Tony Beilharz, for the Ba-Bo Templer Tennis Club.

At our Frauenverein meetings in the last few months we have seen videos of the cold climate countries – Alaska and Canada – with high mountains, snow and glaciers. On Tuesday 17^th September between 1-3 p.m. I will show you, in contrast, some scenery of the beautiful Outback of Australia. All ladies are welcome.

Thank you to our Care Worker, Helga Anderson, for telling us in August about her work. Many ladies wanted more information about enduring, and medical, Powers of Attorney,.

Gisela Sawatzky

The next Community working bee will take place on Sunday 22^nd September at the Bayswater Hall, commencing at 9.00 a.m.

If you are able to come, even if it’s only for an hour, you will be very welcome. This time we will be cleaning cupboards (any buckets and cleaning equipment would be appreciated) as well as sorting out the JG Property room, carpet tile laying ….the list goes on! Some old favourites such as pruning, mulching, sanding, painting, etc may also be attempted depending on numbers attending; if you have some tools that are appropriate to these jobs then please bring them along too.

As has been our custom, lunch consisting of a sausage sizzle and some drinks will follow the working bee. See you there!

Tony Beilharz, for the Ba-Bo Community Council.

After a month off due to the chilly weather, bushwalking is on again.

This month the hike will be held at Fernshaw Reserve on the Great Dividing Range.  We will start the walk at the Dom Dom Saddle.  It is a one way track, and starting at this picnic site means we miss the steep climb.  Parts of the track in the valley may be muddy if we have unfavourable weather, so be prepared with strong footwear.

Hope to see many of you there this month.  We have had fewer people the last couple of months, I believe because of the weather.  So, please, pack your lunch and I hope to see you there.

If you need more information, or are interested in coming, please call me. Alysha Murray

We would like to start practising in mid-October for the Ladies Advent celebration and the Christmas Service in Bentleigh. At the moment, rehearsals look like being on Monday or Tuesday nights. Please ring as soon as possible if you have a preference.

We hope to see a jolly team of singers. Please consider joining in even if this is your first time. We always have a lot of fun. This is the ideal option for ladies who enjoy singing but can’t commit themselves to more than a few practices.

Annette Wagner-Hesse

Please contact us if you need help with finding accommodation.

Elisabeth Wagner, for the planning committee

Renate Weber

A short notice in the August TR outlined the planned reunion of friends of the above age group together with their partners.

Having visited and gathered information on several venues considered suitable for the purpose, we, the voluntary organisers of the event, have made a selection based on location, relaxed group privacy and price.

For Friday 11^th October we have booked in at the German Club Tivoli, 291 Dandenong Road, Windsor, for lunch and afternoon coffee. We will have a room to ourselves from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Regarding transport, we hope to organise the participants so that we can all travel there and back in our private cars without the need to hire a bus for the day.

On Saturday 12^th October, we envisage to go on a bus tour to the Macedon Ranges, with lunch commencing at 12 noon at the Macedon Family Hotel, 33 Smith Street, Macedon, and afternoon coffee with cake at 3.30 p.m. at the Cope-Williams Winery, Glenfern Road, Romsey. At each of these two venues our group will be accommodated and served in a separate room to ensure a fair degree of privacy. At the winery there will be an opportunity for wine tasting and wine purchases. Between lunch and afternoon coffee we propose to visit the tall Memorial Cross on top of Mt. Macedon and enjoy the spectacular views over the surrounding countryside.

Any necessary major changes to the outlined program will be notified in the October TR.

We do hope that many of you will be able to join us at the reunion functions and share happy and rewarding hours among friends. So, if you can make it, PLEASE let either Helga, or Hulda, or Isolde know by Saturday 21^st September 2002. All will be most welcome.

Helga Weberruss, Hulda Wagner and Isolde Ruff.

Susi Blackwell is making a list of people willing to help out with youth activities, either regularly or occasionally, depending on you – no pressure.

If you enjoy being with young people and care about supporting our young Templers, please call Susi.

Ed.

St. Christopher’s, Mackie Road East Bentleigh, is celebrating its golden jubilee on:

Templers are invited to attend and participate, especially in the dinner.

A musical journey and educational adventure for musicians of all faiths and none, under the umbrella of the Glen Eira South Ministers’ Association.

Do you work with kids’ music groups? Are you interested in having a new musical experience, based on shared interfaith text study, good quality music making and meeting new friends?

We are planning for an innovative chamber version of G.F. Handel’s Judas Macabeus to be rehearsed Thursday nights in Term II, 2003 using the Novello Edition scores in combination with shared text study of the libretto from the Christian and Jewish perspectives.

If you are interested in hearing more, please join us for a Coffee and Cake Conversation at BPS, 549 Centre Road (corner Marian Street, Bentleigh) at 8.00 p.m., Thursday October 17^th.

Mark Herrmann,

for the Glen Eira Ministers’ Association.

Wir treiben mit den Wogen und sind doch nicht ihr Spiel,

Er hat auch dich getragen in Treue Jahr um Jahr

in allen Lebenslagen, ob’s hell, ob’s dunkel war.

Er sei auf allen Wegen auch fernerhin Geleit

und bleib mit seinem Segen bei dir in Ewigkeit.

Verfasser unbekannt

I’d rather have a single rose from the garden of my friend,

Than all the choicest blooms when my stay on earth must end.

I’d rather have the kindest words that may now be said to me,

Than be flattered after I am gone, when life has ceased to be.

I’d rather have a loving smile from friends, who I know are true

Than have tears shed around my casket when I’ve bade this world "Adieu".

So send me your roses today, whether white or pink or red,

I’d rather have one blossom now than a truckload when I am dead.

The author of last month’s poem ‘Guten Morgen’ depends upon her (copyrighted) poems for her livelihood. She has pointed out that her address was not quite right. It should read:

Elke Wuhlert

Telefon & Fax 030 822 68 93

Last month we explored some ideas about WHO OR WHAT IS GOD. These days, many people are put off by the word ‘God’ and we searched for other ways to describe a living Presence, something we could relate to. This month’s ideas follow on, as we seek to understand more about what ‘God’ might be through looking at some of ‘his’ many names. After all, it has long been thought that the essence of something is concentrated in its name.

In Creative Vizualisation (1982), Shakti Gawain shows that using different names to bring out different understandings about God can literally be very healthy –especially if our picture of him hasn’t changed since childhood. Using one name only can be a trap and can cause us to ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’ and so ‘miss out on an enormously rich variety of religious thinking and experiencing.’ (Beare, see later).

(Proposed) names give clues to who someone is, what they do, or where they are from, e.g. Hill, Lake, Turner, Goldsmith, Cook, White, Lange, Schneller. The Old Testament records many names to describe God, each one invented when the Israelites found out through their own experience something new about the ‘numinous’, the Great Mystery: just a few are King of kings, the Lord of hosts, the mysterious one (Lord, Adonai, Jahweh) behind every living thing in creation, both seen and unseen.

Using words like light, higher power the Depth of Existence (Paul Tillich), the Ground of Being instead of the word ‘God’ can allow new ideas and insights to emerge; it can also give us a fresh experience of Bible texts.

Hedley and Lyn Beare in Praying in Secret (1988 p.20) suggests Psalm 62. "Wherever you see the word God, use another term or ‘name’ that expresses some characteristic you know God has."…. "You know that God is in that inner part of you that connects you with the livingness of the whole universe; so use the name ‘inner being’…."

I wait patiently for my inner being to save me. I depend on my inner being alone. My inner being protects and saves me. My inner being is my defender and I shall never be defeated (V.1 & 2) … Trust in your inner being at all times. Tell your troubles to your inner being, for your refuge is there. (V.8)

This feels quite different, doesn’t it? It also reminds us that we are a Temple of God, and that God is not way "out there", but part of us (and everything).

A book called The Most Beautiful Names lists many names and attributes of Allah/God. Some of them may help us to expand or clarify our image of the Absolute.

Read slowly and reflectively.

He is self-existent, without any needs. Perfection; The Illuminator of faith in our hearts. Protector and Guardian, Sustainer of his Creation – every single creation is a treasure, there is nothing empty or useless in the universe. The Repairer of the broken, the Completer of the lacking. The Creator from nothing, who orders His creation with perfect harmony. The perfect Artist who gives everything the most beautiful and unique form without using any models, and makes no two things the same ( – one can know an artist from his artwork!) The Giver of all, without conditions, without limits, without asking any benefit in return, giving everything to everyone, everywhere, always.

The Opener and Easer of all that is locked, tied and hardened. The Abaser and Exalter, who honours and humiliates, constricts and releases. Absolute Justice (the opposite of tyranny).

Justice secures peace, balance, order and harmony. Divine justice is not equality as man imagines it to be. Both good and bad are necessary; one often needs to know the opposite of a thing to understand and appreciate it. Sometimes the good and the bad are inseparable: what is good medicine for one is poison for another.

If ‘God’ is everything, he is also a paradox. Jesus said ‘I and the Father are one’. God as Dad, whom we can love and trust. Both men and women can develop inner authority and strength, wisdom, kindness and trustworthiness (father qualities) within themselves, and be one with those attributes of God.

In our day and culture, it is easy to forget about ‘God’. It is more enriching, however, to get to know him better, to be open to seeing and experiencing his manifold influences in our lives.

Herta Uhlherr

‘What is the kingdom of God like?’ he continued. ‘To what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his garden; and it grew to be a tree and the birds came to roost among its branches.’

Vivid and gentle, that’s the effect of these words of Jesus of Nazareth. Compared with the images in the Old Testament that proclaim God’s power with thunder and lightning in an intimidating way and demand certain behaviours from his people of the covenant, a different, peaceful image of the growing kingdom of God’s is expressed here.

Almost instinctively we grasp that Jesus means our own inner state of being. Leave off intervening at any cost, come to rest, allow the message of salvation or wholeness to gradually grow within, just as the mustard seed also grows without anything much being done to further its growth – that is what Jesus seems to be calling out to us. Waiting calmly and watching how the crop grows, instead of restlessly and urgently – for instance by weeding and ploughing – assisting it and making our own activity the benchmark – his message could indicate this.

A calming passage which should prompt us to pause for a moment and reflect about how we act. Aren’t we also all too often impatient, with ready-made judgements about what is around us, and especially about other people? Are we at all still able to watch calmly and particularly to listen? Don’t we often believe that success depends solely on us, on our active intervention? Jesus wants to make us understand that we can be confident that God’s seeds are already sown in us and that we should give them the opportunity to grow by themselves within us.

A second image is linked to the parable of the mustard seed. The crucial factor is not size, but the capacity to grow and to offer others a home. The disciples and the first Christian communities were the best examples of this. But doesn’t this image also fit our small Templer community in an astonishing way? By which I don’t mean that it will ever grow into a stately tree standing out above others, but that there is also no reason to be discouraged.

God’s kingdom is in each of us, the seed is already sown in the ground; we just need to listen within and allow it to mature. Perhaps we still have to do a little ‘fertilizing and watering’, for example by listening to others and talking with them about what we can contribute together so that the tree will grow, and about how we can become a home for others as well; then God will certainly do his part towards its growth.

In order to facilitate proceedings, we again wish to provide definite start times for our various annual meetings. The timetable is as follows:

ACN 004 279 001

Members of the Temple Society Central Fund (Aust.) are herewith notified that the Ordinary General Meeting of the Company for the year ended 30 June 2002 will be held in the Templer Hall at 152 Tucker Road, Bentleigh, Victoria on Sunday 8 September 2002 commencing at 9:45 am.

Members unable to attend the meeting personally are invited to arrange for their representation by proxy.

Mark Herrmann

Secretary

In keeping with Clause 10 of the Constitution all members of the Temple Society Australia are herewith invited to attend the Annual General Assembly for the year ended 30 June 2002.

It will be held in the Templer Hall at 152 Tucker Road, Bentleigh, Victoria on Sunday 8 September 2002 commencing at 10:30 am. A one-hour lunch break is scheduled from 12:00 noon.

Members unable to attend the assembly personally are invited to arrange for their representation by proxy.

Mark Herrmann Dr Rolf Beilharz

Business Manager Regional Head

(Registered No. A0039292Z)

The Annual General Meeting of Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged Inc. will be held on Saturday 28 September 2002 commencing at 11:00 am in the Templer Hall, 41a Elizabeth Street, Bayswater.

Members are urged to attend the meeting to ensure a quorum (30, being 15 from each of the two parent societies) is present at the set starting time to satisfy our rules of incorporation.

Proxy forms unfortunately do not count towards a quorum. Nevertheless, members unable to attend the meeting personally are invited to arrange their representation by proxy.

Mark Herrmann

Secretary

The Glen Eira South Ministers’ Association has planned an inter-denominational visiting day among its member congregations for Sunday 27^th October.

It is envisaged that interested parishioners from the local Anglican, Baptist, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Uniting Churches, or the Bentleigh Progressive Synagogue, Eastleigh Community Church or Salvation Army, may wish to attend our service in the Bentleigh Hall scheduled for 10:15 on this morning. Similarly, in the spirit of togetherness, kinship, sharing and learning, TSA members may be interested in joining services held at other neighbouring faith communities. Note that the Progressive Synagogue service will be on Saturday 26^th October.

Further details, including services times and locations, together with an opportunity to register your interest, will be made available.

As always, I remind members foreshadowing a need for accommodation and care at the Home in the not-too-distant future to take up or maintain contact with Helga Anderson (Community Care Worker) or myself. Please remember that being added to the TSA’s consideration list for admissions does not obligate you to actually enter the aged care facility. The list merely serves as a useful reference point when we are advised by the Home of a vacancy.

The local Commonwealth Bank branch has accepted our application for an increase in the floor limit for the TSA’s merchant system. The limit is now $400 (it was much lower), meaning only payments above this amount will require bank authorisation. Payments in person at the Office or over the telephone by credit card (Master Card, Bankcard or VISA) are possible.

At the end of the financial year there were 58 members (and a further 14 Templer Record subscribers) with unpaid contributions totalling almost $27000! Some of these were for the year just concluded only, some for the last two years and others for longer. I believe this is cause for concern. I herewith appeal to all such members (and subscribers) to meet their responsibilities as best they can. The Office will be making a concerted effort to contact each of you individually in the coming months to personally discuss and strive to clarify your situation.

The matter is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, there is clearly a considerable reliance on member contributions for the Office budget. Secondly, we need to be sure of who our members are. Thirdly, and I believe most importantly, every committed member undertakes to meet their obligations regarding their conduct, their participation and their annual contribution.

It is not just about money. It is about being a member – sharing, contributing, belonging and community. Have you played your part? Please assist the limited resources of the Office to do its job. All situations of financial difficulty can be confidentially discussed and easily resolved. This important matter will be highlighted further at this year’s Annual General Assembly.

Accumulated donations received to the end of the financial year now total over $110000. This is positive and very encouraging. The total includes money from two bequests and one extremely generous donation. Regional Council approved a budget of $1.3m for realisation of the building. Given the project’s scope and magnitude this was always going to be difficult to meet, and has meant concessions have had to be made.

The construction phase is progressing well and presents an exciting time for the TSA. If members who pledged certain amounts towards the building – either as a single donation or a repeated payment over a number of years – are now in a position to make all or part of their contribution, this would be welcome and most timely. Individual letters to members reminding of the pledge details will be prepared and sent in the coming weeks. To all donors we express our gratitude.

A discussion of the future of the Boronia Hall took place at the Annual General Assembly (AGA) of 2001. The following motion was put by the Regional Council (RC) to guide discussion. "In view of the condition of the building, the costs (financial and personal) necessary to meet a variety of safety concerns and ongoing maintenance, and the foreseen future needs of the TSA and its members, the Boronia Hall property should be sold with the proceeds of sale to be optimally utilised in future initiatives of the TSA." This motion was debated at length and passed by those present and represented, with a large majority (over 70%).

The background to this situation should be well known to all members. One of the hiring groups reported water leaking into the Hall, prompting the Bayswater-Boronia Community Council to commission a report into its condition. Based on this report, which warned of major deficiencies and potential hazards, RC concluded that the facility was too dangerous and closed it to further use. RC considered the Boronia Hall no longer necessary for the Society’s needs, conscious of the strain on financial and people costs in its upkeep. The sale of the Hall and the property around it became a consideration in view of the TSA's major commitment of its funds to the two large building projects, the new religious building (now called Community Chapel) and the extension of Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged.

However, time has passed and Heritage Victoria has advertised early in June that the executive director wishes to recommend listing of the Boronia Hall as a heritage place. He did so for various reasons associated with post-war migration and establishment in Australia of ethnic and religious groups, the Temple Society being one such group. There is a 60 day period in which objection to such listing can be made.

In view of the decision we have made, RC considers that heritage listing is not in our overall best interest. It therefore intends to object against the recommended listing and to seek to be heard by Heritage Victoria. The TSA is not in a position to invest moneys into extensive restoration and ongoing maintenance of the Boronia Hall. If the Hall is to be preserved, this must be done with finance from outside the assets of the TSA. As it will take until after the AGA of September 2002 to decide the heritage listing, RC felt it appropriate and equitable to inform members of the situation and ask them to consider whether this factor would cause them to reassess the decision from last year to dispose of the Boronia Hall.

Since last year’s AGA and the decisions taken there, a group of members and Associates, disappointed at the thought of the loss of the Hall and interested in preserving it, have formed the ‘Friends of Boronia Hall’. This group, like any other group or club formed by members, is free to pursue its aim and thus to see whether there is interest within the TSA, or outside of it, to preserve and maintain the Hall. It is also free to attract members from inside and outside the TSA. However, like any other group or club, it does not speak for the TSA as a whole. What the Society wishes is determined at General Assemblies of members, and is acted on by the Regional Council and the Regional Head between General Assemblies.

Given the possibility of heritage listing, please consider, free of any prejudice, whether you feel that the Boronia Hall should be preserved by the TSA. The TSA is investing in its future in many of its projects and initiatives. To what extent should it also invest in its heritage and in what way? Is there a possibility that the facility could be bought and preserved by a sponsor and maintained for use by the general Australian community? Until the possibility and the full consequences of heritage listing are clarified, anyone interested in preserving the Boronia Hall has a chance to consider ways in which it might be preserved, given that the TSA itself cannot invest its money there. Please discuss with others whether heritage listing has a bearing on last year’s decision. It will be most fruitful if discussion is done in a spirit of goodwill. A clear identification of what Templers want will help RC, or the AGA, to make a final binding decision. We can discuss the matter again at the AGA of 2002, although we don’t expect the final decision on heritage listing to be available by then.

For the Regional Council,
R.G. Beilharz, Regional Head

TEMPLER EXCHANGE – Conclusion of Mark Herrmann Report

My overseas sojourn is now concluded. I still remain in some doubt as to whether it was a holiday or work-related, but there is no doubt I thoroughly enjoyed my time. However, my feet – accustomed to movement on the ground (walking, jogging, cycling) and in the water (swimming, showering) – must still be enjoying the warmth and humidity of southwest Germany or be in transit somewhere, because the things presently at the end of my legs are constantly frozen, despite the wearing of up to three pairs of socks!

‘Denkendorf, Dettelbach, Donaueschingen, Eberbach, Ebrach, Erpfingen, Esslingen, Feuerbach …’

Language can be a problem … The dilapidated road sign, rescued from the forest track near Bernstein and proclaiming "Achtung Schranke", survived the flight home and has been mounted on the bedroom wardrobe. It serves to warn the innocent first thing every morning not to wear striped shirts with checked trousers. … so too dropping one’s guard. Relaxing in the thermal baths at Beuren was a unique happening. Sitting in total silence listening to the soothing looped music in the steam rooms, my stress levels rose as my glasses were rendered useless. Would I locate the exit door and how many people would I stand on in my attempts to reach it? … and fate … Whose hand decreed we would be on about step number 563 (of 779) on our ascent, nonchalantly looking down over the market place of Ulm from right beside the giant bells of the cathedral, when the time moved surreptitiously from 3:59 to CCCCCCCLANGGGGGGG? I might invest in a chronometer!

Leaving Australia with a blank sheet of paper – no preconceived expectations – I have returned home with a manuscript of many pages, comprising photographs, characters, events, functions, moments, people and words. I will be able to revisit my book many times and continually extract another verse, another recollection, another memory. My copy of the blue TGD Mitgliederverzeichnis became well used, as I regularly thumbed through to check names and details of members and friends I had met. This was the crux of my work-holiday in the German region: to put faces and personalities to the familiar and not-so-familiar names. It proved absorbing, challenging, interesting and engaging. I only hope I was able to give something back of what I was able to take.

To attempt to list all these kind people would be risky, as I’d be bound to omit someone or three. They hopefully know the special places they have in my heart and can be justifiably proud of their valuable contribution to my life-experience. Nanne already understands that we have now officially (and willingly) joined the ranks of the Germany-Australia Hospitality Program. It would be remiss of me not to express my appreciation to both the TSA and TGD for making the trip possible and to all those who helped keep the ship afloat in my absence.

Mark Herrmann

This month I visited our sister community in Sydney for three most enjoyable days. I was overwhelmed by the warm hospitality and everyone went out of their way to make me feel welcome.

It was a bright and sunny morning when I arrived in Sydney and was met by Erika Schulz and Wally Liebeskind, the welcoming committee. Alas! No red carpet. We proceeded straight to the Meadowbank Church where the Frauenverein meetings are held. The three of us had a relaxing ‘getting to know you’ hour before the others arrived at 12 noon. After a cheerful hello and introductions all round, we settled to the serious business of doing justice to the delicious spread of Bretzeln, Schneckennudeln, Obstkuchen and other goodies (all home made of course).

After lunch other business was discussed and then I explained about my work and answered many questions. The time passed quickly and soon it was time to go home. The next day Erika, Hartmut Beck and I visited St. Hedwigs Village in Blacktown. This is a very large retirement complex, recently renovated and extended, and is home to some of our members., On the following day Erika, Anna, Elli and I visited Allambie Heights Lutheran Hostel where some of our members also live.

In between these ‘official visits’, Erika and I had the opportunity to visit some of our members in their own homes.

The three days passed quickly and it was time to say "Auf Wiedersehen" and return to the airport. Sincere thanks to Erika for driving me around Sydney and to Rolf and Marjorie Beck for driving me to the airport.

MARYSVILLE – There is still time to book for the holiday to Marysville in October. Details in July TR p.15.

FRIDGE MAGNET – We are pleased to include a new CARE SERVICE fridge magnet in this month’s issue of the TR. Please place it in a prominent position for quick and easy reference.

Best wishes to our sick and infirm and special greetings to our distant members and friends.

Helga Anderson (Wied), Care Worker

Since joining about 10 months ago, the TSA has received just over $400 from the program. Whilst not a huge amount, it is donated money from an outside source which is credited to our bank account regularly every month for virtually no effort. As with most community groups, we need to avail ourselves of as many income sources as possible. Have you registered for your Community Benefit Card at Ritchies Supermarkets yet?

Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

• Bertha Gunthner
• Hildegard Kazenwadel
• Manfred Imberger
• Wilhelm Sawatzky
• Karl Trefz
• Hans Pisch
• Johann Weinrich
• Anneliese Kohl
• Gerd Aberle
• Meta Herrmann
• Hans Richter
• Emma Aberle
• Agnes Lancers
• Lina Laemmle

During my two weeks’ respite stay in TTHA, everyone was so very kind to me. I was deeply touched and want to thank them all very much, staff, cooks, residents, everyone. Emma Kolb

Matthew James Weller

Cameron Zack Sawatzky

Kayden Sean Verhagen

On 21^st June, the Committee of the Bayswater-Boronia Community organised a thank you evening for the ladies who decorate the halls for services and ensure that, at every service, we are greeted with flowers in the entrance hall and then see a beautiful display on the stage. The ladies who arrange the flowers often have to purchase the flowers and, in my experience, they have never requested any payment for the expenses they incur. Often the flowers come out of their gardens and for this reason the displays are so different and varied from month to month.

Resi Schwarzbauer,

on behalf of the Bayswater-Boronia Committee

Loveday - what a beautiful name for a desolate, lonely region! Most of us are familiar with the history of those Templers who were transported to Australia in 1941. Less well known is the story of the Templer men from Camp 3 in Tatura who were taken to Loveday in 1943 – youths over 18, single men and married Templers whose wives and families were left behind in Palestine.

The British administration’s heartless decision to tear families apart caused much anguish. Initially, all these men were interned in the family camp 3. There was/is a regulation which states that single men may not live in a family camp after they reach the age of 18. On 10^th February 1943, the first relatively large group of men were taken into the unknown.

At first, standing up in trucks, we travelled to Rushworth, then by train to Melbourne, then towards Adelaide. Next morning, after shunting at Tailem Bend, we proceeded northwards until we finally reached Barmera near Renmark, SA, in the afternoon. Trucks took us about 30km SW to an area fenced in with barbed wire and with small watch towers: Camp 10 near Loveday.

The internees there were all Germans from Persia (occupied in mid-1941 by the British and Russians for the purpose of arms deliveries to Russia). As a consequence, German residents were interned. Those not detained by the Soviets were shipped to Australia around October 1941, only two months after the arrival of the Palestine Germans in Australia.

Camp 10 could accommodate 1000 persons. The barracks were as big as those in Camp 3, but there were no partitions, just a single large room which held 24 persons. We spent approximately 1 year in this camp. On 12^th January 1944 all German internees from Persia and Palestine were transported by truck to Camp 14 about 2.5 km away. This camp was four times bigger and had four compounds (same as Camp 3 in Tatura): A,B,C and D; each compound was big enough for 1000 persons. The barracks there were double width divided into two halves by a wall 2.5m high. Everybody from Camp 10 was accommodated in the A compound. B,C and D were occupied to capacity by Japanese prisoners of war (as far as we knew). The hospital barracks were situated in Camps 10 and 14. Severe cases were taken to the hospital in Barmera. Again, we stayed only one year.

On 31^st January 1945 we were moved by truck and train from South Australia to Victoria into Camp 1, east of the Waranga Basin, i.e. not far from Camp 3 (Tatura). Camp 1 had a larger A compound and beside it, a smaller B compound where we were accommodated. A largish hospital was close by, where many a Templer baby was born, and where many of us worked as "orderlies."

From Camp 1, we were sometimes allowed to visit Family Camp 3 by truck. During the first of these visits, it was 13^th April 1945 here, we learned on the truck about the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt . This gave us hope that the war might soon be over. Our stay in Camp 1 B lasted 1½ years and ended one year after the war had ended. Many Palestine-Germans returned to Camp 3 around August 1946, others remained in Camp 1. Provided one could show proof of accommodation and employment, one could be discharged into freedom. It is no longer clear who was first or last. I and Dieter Ruff were amongst the first to leave Camp 3; we were discharged on 13^th September 1946 after 7 years of internment, of which 5 were spent in Australia.

This describes the experience of the Templer and other German men from Palestine who were interned at Loveday. Who were these people?.

Further transports of youths who had turned 18

On 22. 6. 43 Steller Kurt; Minzenmay Werner.

Hoffmann Otto; Baumert Helmut.

The above lists include only Templers and other Germans who were in regular contact with Templers in Palestine. Many have since died.

Most camps were located so that the general populace could not see them (and was often unaware that they existed) and the occupants could not see out far and so had no diversion. How then, did our Templers spend their time in captivity?

The Germans from Persia had all contributed to the development of that country, ruled by the pro-German Shah. Many of them were highly educated in the arts, painting, literature, archaeology, languages, trade training, agriculture, mathematics, chemistry, botany, geology, history, engineering, electrical technology and many other areas. It is due to this fact that courses of further study in these areas were available when our Templers arrived in Camp 10.

Many participated in these courses. Others either worked for themselves or for the Australians, or they had a hobby or worked in the communal kitchen. Having a hobby was officially supported by the authorities, so some people were allowed to have a small garden next to their barracks, or to build sheds - there were many sheds! The smart ones ran their own business such as a laundry, joinery or carpentry shop. There was a library with a reading room. In short, there was something to occupy nearly everyone so inclined.

There was at least one teacher in the camp, so two friends and I called on the ex-principal of the Teheran German High School and asked him if he could organise a course to prepare some of us for matriculation. Only 2½ weeks after our arrival, school started for us in Camp 10. The usual ten subjects were taught, including sport. Via the Red Cross (Swiss consul), one of the teachers was appointed by Germany as examiner and the matriculation examination took place in Camp 14 on 25^th June 1944; all 11 candidates passed. Later on, a second group of some 4 candidates also sat for matric. in camp.

After a short break, an engineering course commenced in Camp 14 and continued in Camp 1, extended into commercial subjects.

On weekends soccer and hockey and even handball were played. Tennis was played nearly every day. In Camp 1 (Vic.), nine-pin bowling was also available.

From the Loveday camps we made a few day trips to the Murray, about 5-10km away, for swimming; here, the swimming test for the matriculation certificate was done.

In Camp 1, sporting contests were held at least once and competitors and winners received certificates. It was even possible to compete for the "Reichssportsabzeichen". There were day trips to the Waranga Basin.

Everything more or less ran its regular course – but something was missing. All of us were separated from Camp 3, where our families or friends lived. There was nobody to hold "Saal" on Sundays. Without our dear ones, Easter and Christmas were particularly miserable. We were allowed to write them only one (censored) letter per month. Mail and the daily paper often had parts cut out with scissors.

I thought the food in all the camps was good and plentiful. Our treatment was acceptable.

Several romances blossomed by correspondence. When men were released to the family Camp 3 to get married it was always a special event. Templers who left us were:

on 6.3.46 Albrecht Kazenwadel to marry Gerda Decker

on 15.8.46 Otto Frank to marry Gertrud Beilharz

on 20.8.46 Gerd Aberle to marry Emma Herrmann

on 22.8.46 Frieder Vollmer to marry Aline Zollinger

Everyone tried to make the best of the internment years. No rioting occurred and no vandalism took place in any of camps 3, 10, 14 and 1.

For this report I discussed camp life with Wilhelm Sawatzky, Willi Reichert, Hans Karl Baldenhofer and Heinz Kuebler and am grateful for the information they shared with me. All names and transport dates were taken from the diary of Gottlieb Ruff, former leader of Camp 3, and I am indebted to Helmut Ruff and Dieter Ruff for information from this diary.

I now hope that someone will also write a report about those Templers who stayed on in Palestine after we left.

Thank you to Otto for putting in the work to get this report together. Those interested in the full report may ask for a copy from the Office. When it is ready, a copy will also be sent, in German and English, to the Tatura Museum and the TGD Archive. Pictures of those days can be seen in e.g. ‘The Holy Land Called’ and ‘The Story of the Beilharz Family’, both by Paul Sauer.

Klaus Peter Hoffmann conducted our Founders Day Saal in June. He spoke on a text from 1 Peter 4:8 "Above all love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling".

25^th August Sydney AGM

27^th October Saal 3 p.m. Dieter Ruff

Our picnic on 15^th September will be held in the IBIS section of the Reserve, not in the Currawong section as stated in the last TR.

BYO food and drinks, chairs, etc. BBQ’s available, toilets and large playground for games. So come along, bring your family and friends, and help make this a great day for all.

On 23^rd June H. Beck attended the Opening and Blessing of the extensions to the St. Hedwig Village in Blacktown. The Mass was held by Bishop Manning together with Father Lang, the resident Priest. It was a moving ceremony which began with the hymn "Nun Danket Alle Gott" and ended with "Lobe den Herrn", which the St. Raphael Choir sang together with the congregation.

The Official Opening then took place in front of the Nursing Home. Several dignitaries addressed the congregation and the invited guests, including the Consul of Sydney. The ceremony ended with the Blessing of the extensions by Bishop Manning. A delicious lunch was served to all invited guests, with an invitation to inspect the new facility. The extension was carried out to address two vital needs: expansion to meet current and future demands, including a new facility to cater for dementia sufferers, and an upgrade to meet future accreditation standards.

The expanded village will be able to accommodate approximately 190 residents.

The Frauenverein welcomed Helga Anderson to their monthly meeting on 10^th July. Helga spoke to the ladies about her role as Care Worker in the Temple Society. In the company of Erika Schulz she later visited several of our senior ladies, and paid a visit to the St. Hedwig Village and the Hostel of the Lutheran Homes in Allambie Heights. Helga, thank you for coming, it was nice to catch up with our Care Worker, especially for those who did not know you personally before.

Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community.

June 9^th was a special occasion with the visit of the Templer Choir from Melbourne. Irene Severin organised the room of the Nuriootpa Bowling Club for our Saal, as well as some members to provide afternoon tea.

Ulrich welcomed all present, especially the "Melbournians" and Annette Wagner-Hesse, who conducted the service for us. She used the text from First Corinthians, chapter 12, verses 1 to 11, where St. Paul reminds us that everyone gives according to his abilities for the benefit of the whole community. Annette gave a short address interspersed with lots of hymns from the new Templer Hymn Book, sung either by the members of the choir or the whole congregation. A very uplifting experience indeed.

Ulrich thanked everyone concerned for their efforts before we were served a delicious afternoon tea. The community singing was a welcome novelty for us South Aussies, as we have neither strong singers nor anyone to accompany us.

Our next Saal is on 11^th August at 2 p.m. at the usual place in Tanunda. Dieter Ruff will visit us that day and hold Saal.

The ladies group met in June at Lotte Hoopmann’s place and in July at Elsa Mahlburg’s in Woodside.

Rose Asenstorfer, for S.A.

Date: Friday 30^th August 2002

You can bring friends, just let us know how many are coming. There will be awards for lots of things – the daggiest PJ’s, "worst look in the morning", most way-out hair do, coolest "bed", etc.

Let Erica or Susi know if you are taking part.

So come and join in a great fun night and help raise money for homeless people at the same time!

NB Parents: We will need some extra helpers for the night, so please volunteer!!!

Friday 30^th August – Winter sleepout

Y Group activities – Ring Susi for details on 9764 2575.

Further activity dates will be available in next TR.

Yes, that’s right, Karyn Kinder is off to Sunny Queensland on a new "adventure" we will miss her madly! Karyn has worked and volunteered her help continuously for many years in many areas: youth editor of the TR, organising youth activities, Sommerfest, Junior camp Aufpasser, Y Group activities, a member of the Youth Activities Resource Group, and the list goes on! So we are sending you a BIG, BIG, THANK YOU for all your efforts and continuous support and especially for keeping us entertained at YARG meetings! Good luck and all the best for life in Queensland.

Susi Blackwell

How is everyone? I think that it is high time that I wrote such a long and exciting piece as Emma. I mean last month she entertained us all with her half page all about shoes, and I know she's written some equally witty stuff on some equally interesting topics. The thing is, I'm not quite sure how she manages to come up with such great stuff. So instead I found a really interesting piece that someone else wrote! Here t'is.

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following:

There would be:

When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent. The following is also something to ponder...

I think those last lines are really important. Make the best of your life!

A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to:

Shelly Beilharz

Dylan McCallum

Liesel Haar

Hope you all have a great month. Don't forget Jean's for Jeans Day which is a very worthy and important cause.

Luving you and leaving you for now,

Tania and Emma, Youth Eds.

July is the middle of winter, a time when many people have coughs, colds and other illnesses. We often visit the doctor and take medicines to make us feel better.

Before Europeans settled in Australia there were no painkiller tablets or bottled medicines to take, or chemists to buy them from. Aborigines found other ways of making themselves better. In Central Australia, one of these is the medicine bush or "bush Vicks". It has long, thin needles like a pine tree and smells like Vicks when its leaves are rubbed together. It helps to clear blocked noses, as Vicks Vaporub does. The needles are often boiled in water around sick people, who then feel better.

The medicine bush is also used in ‘smokings’, which are healing ceremonies. A shallow pit is dug in which a fire is made, and the green leaves are put on the coals. The aroma which comes out is wonderfully refreshing, a bit like peppermint and camphor. These ceremonies are used particularly for newborn babies and their mothers, for the elderly and the gravely ill.

When Aborigines have a persistent headache they often put a strand of headache vine under their pillow. This vine is long and thin with big, broad leaves, and it winds itself around other trees and shrubs. I have heard many people say how placing it under their pillow cures their headache!

Our Creator provides everything his creatures need.

How many words can you find in the WordSearch below?

Until next time, Anna Beilharz.

• Jessica Wagner
• Patrick Brown
• Oliver Gartner
• Alana Murrihy
• Virginia Klink
• Megan Gartner
• Monique Galloway
• Nicola Brown
• Brody Verhagen

Why would the prisoner want to catch measles?
So he could break out.

Why are country people smarter than city people?
The population is denser in big cities.

Why couldn’t anyone play cards on the Ark?
Because Noah sat on the deck.

Why can’t you keep secrets in a bank?
Because of all the tellers.

Dear kids, you are invited to send in jokes for the Kids’ Section to the Office, labelled TR. The address is on the last page of the TR. H.U. Ed.

TTHA

It was very encouraging to see the strong community support for our Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged as evidenced in the long list of donations published in the recent edition of the AGWS Newsletter. And there was also the much appreciated Benefit Concert of the Austrian Club in Melbourne, with proceeds in aid of TTHA and the Martin Luther Home.

Our Deputy CEO, Angelika Koplin, who was responsible for the management of the Home, during Dr. Schreiber’s overseas holiday had a particularly pleasant surprise when a visitor, whose late wife had been cared for in Tabulam for some years, presented her with a cheque for a considerable sum of money as a donation towards the building costs of the Home. We are very thankful for all donations, large or small. They are a sign of recognition and appreciation for our staff and also encouragement to continue the good work they are doing.

The building activity is proceeding as planned. During the rainy days a new sprinkler system was installed in the existing buildings.

The number of audits and inspections seems to have increased in recent times. This puts an additional burden on staff members, with paper work and extra time, but it has to be seen as an effort to contribute to the wellbeing of our residents. An improvement in this sense is the employment of another chef in the kitchen. Kurt Suter, who has worked in Switzerland, will team with our other Swiss chef Pedro to provide a greater variety of meals, while Renate Winkler will have more time to look after residents in the Altersheim.

The number of residents in the Home is the same as last month, 46 AGWS and 36 TSA.

Let me close this report with a big thankyou again to all friends and institutions who are contributing to the big task before us.

Erika Lendholt, 25.6.1983

Sun 11.8 Ba 10.15 Service & S.S. Renate Weber

Sun 11.8 SA 14.00 Service in Tanunda

Sun 18.8 Be 10.15 Confirmation Service & S.S. Team effort

Sun 25.8 AH 10.00 Service Ilse Birkner

Sun 8.9 Be Short Service and AGA of TSA

Ba-Bo Community AGM – Sun 4^th August 1.30 p.m. (See p. 36 of July TR.)

Be-Mo Community AGM – Sun 4^th August 12.30pm, following Service and lunch. (See p.33 of July TR.)

At our July meeting, shifted a day because of the power having to be turned off, Ruth and Felix Haar showed us videos. One showed many of our present seniors doing folkdances as young girls beside an enormous gum tree at Tatura in late 1941. Talk about a time warp! Thank you Haars.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday 20^th August 1-3 p.m. Helga Anderson will tell us about some of her tasks as Care Worker. All ladies welcome.

Herta Uhlherr, for the Ba-Bo Ladies

Flower roster: 11^th August – Traude Glenk & Inky Arndt. (Flower ladies see pg. 16)

The TSA Youth are again taking part in this worthwhile fundraising activity to raise money for homeless people.

The date of our "sleepout" is Friday 30^th August at the Bayswater Hall.

If you would like to support this event by making a donation or sponsoring one of our young people, please ring Susi Blackwell or donations may be left at the Office (envelope suitably marked).

We also need some helpers on the night for supervising and helping with games and food. Again if this is "you" please ring me ASAP. Susi Blackwell

Please support our Playgroup and come on our fundraising Shopping Tour. We will be shopping at these outlets:

Please ring me to book your seat for a fun day out!!!

Kris Wennagel

Isn’t it time we came together again – while we still can? To renew our sense of friendship and belonging, and to remember?

So some of us thought that Friday 11^th and Saturday 12^th October 2002 would be a good time to do just that. It would be nice to meet in a hall or a restaurant on the Friday, to share a good meal, to talk freely and perhaps even to enjoy singing together. For Saturday we could hire a bus to go on a leisurely day-tour of the countryside when spring is in full swing.

While details still have to be worked out, it is essential to obtain some idea of the number of friends interested in joining the planned reunion. Those who wish to take part are therefore invited to advise one of the persons below by Saturday 21^st September 2002:

Isolde Ruff

The Bayswater Kegel Club is seeking expressions of interest from persons to clean the bowling alleys and clubrooms on a once per month basis. The work entails vacuuming the entire area (including the machine room and ball return runs), dusting, scrubbing the bowling balls, cleaning windows and wiping the seats and bench tops.

Helmut Glenk, Honorary Secretary.

Saturday 14^th September – Note date!  All warmly invited! – See flyer Bayswater Hall - 7.30 for 8.00 p.m.

Cost (incl. buffet dinner) $30 p.p., full students $20,.

John Cooney & your favourite tunes from the 70’s and 80’s.

Make up a table of 8, 10 or 12 people, or come as a couple or alone.

A quieter seating area is available for those who prefer talking to dancing.

Bookings: Paul or Erika English .

Some say of the Chapel: it’s only a building! And from their point of view this may be so. But for me it’s more, it’s so much more!

For the first time in Australia, we have built a structure for all Templers – not for one particular community, nor for one particular age group like TTHA, but for everyone, from our babies to our most senior citizens.

It is also the first time that a Templer born in Australia has designed and created a building for the Temple Society – a young man who grew up within the Australian Templer environment with its aspirations, successes and the surrounding landscape.

The building’s design expresses what we have achieved, where we are now and our confidence in the future – the spire points towards unlimited possibilities! Further, it states that we Templers have now reached a stage in our development where we can allow ourselves a beautiful room for contemplation, where one can sit and just be at peace with oneself, a restful space which does not have to compete with loud dance music or parties - what a wonderful gift to give ourselves!

So, please put this date in your diary and join us in celebrating this joyous occasion! More details in future TRs.

Elisabeth Wagner

The Historical Research Team would like to let you all know that if you have some old photos from Palestine or early times in Australia, or life stories of memories of the past, these are all welcome and can be donated to the TSA Archive Bentleigh, and the TGD Archive Degerloch.

Note:

Before donating, would you please identify the photos so that their value is preserved and meaningful for future generations.

The Sarona Project is continuing to provide us with many interesting and historical insights of our former community in Palestine. Manfred Haering and I have now spoken with a number of "Saroner". All have allowed us to record the discussions on tape with topics ranging far and wide – absolutely wonderful. Thank you for your willing participation. We are now in need of someone who has experience in audio typing so that we can transcribe the spoken word to text. Can anyone assist? If so please contact me. We have already typed some text of the discussions from the handwritten notes we took ourselves.

We have received some interesting old photographs of homes and one of the original Kegelbahn. Frau Else Herrmann provided us with a fascinating document in old German gothic script entitled "Unsere Heimat Sarona". More on this document later.

Helmut Glenk

Three ladies from the Altersheim and I went to the Arabic Costume exhibition at the Immigration Museum. It was a delight to see the beautifully embroidered costumes, but what made the day so very special was sharing the ladies’ reminiscences of their time in Palestine. "Look, this is exactly what they wore in our region" etc.

After the viewing I spoke to a couple of staff members telling them that the ladies, one of them aged 96, had lived in Templer Settlements in Palestine and enjoyed the exhibition tremendously. The staff was very interested to hear about our history and suggested that the Templers put an exhibition together sometime in the future.

As many Templer members and friends are actively involved in researching Templer history, or are owners of Moveable Cultural Heritage items, planning and creating such an exhibition would give an opportunity to photograph and catalogue (not only description but ownership) of the memorabilia. This database could be of great value. If anyone is interested in being involved, could they please contact: Erika English, Manfred and Johanna Loebert, Olga Kroh, or Alfred and myself.

Ursula Klink

Danny Goldman, involved in architectural research in Israel, while looking for information on our Boronia Hall, came across an interesting similarity with another Templer Hall. He sent us a note with the two pictures shown below:

"I thought you would like to see a similar Templer structure which was built in Gypsum, Kansas, USA, 1880s. The similarity speaks for itself, and I was wondering what comments you might have on this."

D.G.

In the short, cold days of winter, we look ahead.
Springtime is a season of hope and joy and cheer,
There’s beauty all around us to see and touch and hear.
So no matter how down-hearted and discouraged we may be,
New hope is born when we behold leaves budding on a tree,
Or when we see a timid flower push through the frozen sod
And open wide in glad surprise its petalled eyes to God.
For this is just God saying, "Lift up your eyes to Me,
And the bleakness of your spirit, like the budding springtime tree,
Will lose its wintry darkness and your heavy heart will sing".
God never sends the winter without the joy of spring.

Sent in by Marie-Anne Beilharz

Important to remember - anything we humans say, think or imagine about God is not God; our necessarily limited ideas and words about him may or may not point to his reality. (Notice how ‘him’ and ‘his’ slant our thinking. We need to be aware that the words we use have associations that can distort – unexamined assumptions).

Confirmands asked a good question: Do you have to believe in God to be a Templer? Believe in what kind of a notion of God? Some concepts of God are downright unhealthy to believe in. If you are searching for a framework of meaning for life but haven’t found an image of God you can believe in yet, you can still be a Templer. Perhaps your idea of God might need revising and expanding, especially if you haven’t updated it since Sunday School days.

It is insightful to look at some of the history of humans’ notions of God/the gods. Notice how these ideas correlate with how they envisage nature, based on their ‘scientific’ views (superstitions?). Our high-tech science and our view of God/no God may be deemed equally primitive in the future! Perhaps you’ll recognize where your idea of God fits in.

Way back God was experienced as female; many goddesses had in common the Goddess as Mother and Giver of All, the source of all nature and life. Societies were matriarchal, peaceful and cooperative. Polytheism: poly=many, theos/deus=god.

Egypt had many gods and the pharaoh was a god-king. The ancient Greeks had a group of male and female gods, whose home was on Mt. Olympus (high up, like ‘heaven’). These deities had many human attributes – they were quarrelsome, jealous, competitive, tricky and unpredictable.

Gradually monotheism (one god) gained ascendancy. The Old Testament Jehova/Jahwe was the one (male) god of the Israelites. Society was now patriarchal and competitive, ruled by men; women had no say and no power any more. This belief system naturally has a powerful, authoritarian, often warlike and angry male god. The 3 big monotheistic religions are Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

When Moses asked God’s name, he answered: I AM.

2000 years ago Jesus experienced God as his loving Father – ‘I and the Father are one’. To the surprise and indignation of his patriarchal fellow Jews, he honoured women as well as men and had compassion for outcasts. In him we see a balance of head and heart.

The Christian Church founded by his apostles increasingly saw God as more abstract and outside of nature, in ‘heaven’. The 4^th century dogma of the Trinity conceives of the godhead as 3 divine ‘persons’ in one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Templers are not "Churchians’, but we base our beliefs and practices on Jesus and his teachings, rather than on what church leaders have made out of them since. The Church became a powerful institution with political ambitions (e.g. the Holy Roman Empire). The dreadful things done by religious people (e.g. Inquisition, burning ‘heretics’ who believed differently, Islamicist suicide bombers) do not mean God is evil. Many people make the mistake of not differentiating between God and what (often misguided, ignorant or power-hungry) humans do in his name. This distinction is basic and very important. Religion is not God; rabbis, bishops and mullahs are not God.

Mysticism is a core tradition within all religions and, rather than theories about God, is a positive and awesome experience of the mystery and miracle of being – clear and heightened consciousness, a sense of unity with all-there-is and love encompassing everything. A direct and immediate experience of ultimate reality, ‘God’.

After the Middle Ages came the Renaissance – 15^th and 16^th century – (Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler) and the Enlightenment – a radically new worldview – earth is not the centre of the universe.

Descartes (1596-1650) pictured reality as divided into ‘mind/spirit’ and ‘matter’, and helped reduce nature to ‘resources’ for man’s use; spirit or the sacred was removed from the daily world. Newton (1642-1727) envisaged the universe as mechanical clockwork created by a divine engineer/clockmaker long ago and no longer involved – God as First Cause, before and outside of nature. Science split into many individual disciplines looking for the basic (tiny) building blocks of life, with no one looking at the big picture. Human reason (‘head’) became the highest value for rationalists and humanists, and God was declared to be dead (he became invisible because people thought science and reason left no room for him). Mystical or spiritual experience just didn’t seem an option, or was thought crazy. Much of Western society is dominated by this thinking now.

In contrast, indigenous peoples feel part of a spirit-filled wider reality beyond the physical/material world and hold the earth and nature sacred - (e.g. American Indians have ‘the Great Spirit’, Aborigines have the ‘Dreaming’). In the West, Rudolf Steiner (first part of 20^th century), ‘the scientist of the invisible’, ‘saw’ a vast vision of an evolving cosmos suffused and sustained by a hierarchy of spiritual powers. Albert Schweitzer – reverence for all life.

Astronauts, scientifically trained and not necessarily religious, were filled with ‘heartfelt wonder’ at seeing Earth from space – pulsing, fragile, beautiful, ‘fresh from the hand of God’, … ‘knowing for sure that there was a purposefulness of flow, of energy, of time, of space in the cosmos’ … ‘suddenly aware of a nonrational way of understanding… beyond my previous experience’. Another experienced the universe as ‘intelligent, harmonious’. These sound like mystical experiences, which changed their lives. (Quotes in Cosmology and Creation, Paul Brockelmann, Oxford Uni Press 1997).

Buddhists focus more on ‘right living’ than on God. (See also "A KISS FOR MY SOUL" on page 8)

Hindus have many male and female gods and one overall consciousness, Brahman, of which our higher (real) self is a part.

Divorced from a wider reality than daily materialistic concerns, the human soul/spirit/’heart’ feels restless, empty and alienated. This deep, probably unconscious yearning for something more and meaningful lies at the bottom of so much angry and destructive behaviour today. (Who cares? Nothing matters!).

Clearly, to become whole (healed, ‘saved’) we need once more to bring ‘head’ and ‘heart’ together. But science and religion have their separate domains. Over the past 50 years, the new cosmology has provided a totally new way to ‘see’ things with the exciting possibility of integrating the 15-billion-year development of the entire cosmos with a creation story that helps us understand life and man’s place in a wider reality. Unlike the fundamentalist Creationists’ literal belief in the Genesis creation story, the new cosmology includes the Big Bang, evolution, the new physics and quantum theory, the latest scientific insights and a new way to imagine ‘God’. For the first time in 300 years, scientists and theologians can communicate reasonably and share in the wonder and mystery of the sheer astonishing creativity that keeps coming up with a mind-boggling variety, where no two things are the same!! Why so many colours, forms, variations? It’s as if the Grand Creativity just loves creating for pure pleasure, for the fun of it!

A useful notion is panentheism – the belief that the God-being includes and penetrates the whole universe, so that every part exists in him, but also (as against pantheism) that his being is more than, and is not exhausted by the universe. God is both immanent (in everything) and transcendent (beyond, more than everything).

Supernatural theism (God outside and before nature) and pantheism (which restricts God-being into nature) are both untenable. (Paul Brockelmann, Cosmology and Creation).

It makes sense to think of nature as alive and unfolding, as worthy of our reverence and care. Everything is linked and interdependent on and in the creative energy of God.

In the biblical creation story, God made man in his image. In the new creation story, humans are also seen as an image of the cosmic reality that created and evolved us, and as one with it; when we create something, we participate in God’s Being. We now see ourselves as co-creators with the divine creative Lifeforce and can choose to put our energy into helping ‘Your kingdom come’ (as the Lord’s Prayer says) – or into bringing about ‘the kingdom of advancing life’ (R.W. Burhoe), a dynamic, evolving, living process we are encouraged to participate in responsibly. Without contributing to life, we don’t feel fulfilled.

Being a Templer implies being aware that creative God-being is within us. The key is not what I have, but what I AM, a Temple of the creative Lifeforce. I can have faith in this marvellous power-to-be which many call God.

Herta Uhlherr

TEXT FOR THE MONTH – Matthew 6: 9-13

As Templers we are very familiar with the teachings of Jesus, particularly with those from ‘The Sermon on the Mount’, but any Christian would immediately recognize this introduction and the prayer that follows: the Lord’s Prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer would have to be one of the most famous things - if not the most famous thing - Jesus said. It is in ‘the Sermon on the Mount’, in which are recorded the practical lessons Jesus sought to teach his disciples about the conduct expected of those working for the Kingdom of God. He requires of them, i.e. us, to do our good deeds so secretly that ‘even our left hand does not know what the right hand is doing’, and similarly he emphasizes the need for prayer in private. The gospels give many examples of Jesus himself praying or encouraging others to pray, but the Lord’s Prayer is the only occasion where Jesus outlined a general formula for prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is cleverly structured, and comprises five parts:

The prayer has us begin by acknowledging the universal authority and holiness of God, while at the same time allowing us to recognize God’s special relationship with us as being like that of a parent. We are his children, in his care. We then ask him to meet our immediate needs, for our ‘daily bread’.

The request for forgiveness in the prayer is conditional, because it asks that God forgive us to the extent that we forgive others. Here the prayer is restating the Sermon on the Mount’s more general guideline to forgive enemies as well as friends. Jesus emphasizes this point immediately after giving his listeners the prayer. If they did not forgive the sins of others, God, their heavenly Father, would not forgive them theirs.

The request concerning temptation and the deliverance from evil applies to the individual as well as the whole of humanity. How we behave, both as individuals and as nations, will determine whether we have a future or destroy ourselves. ‘Lead us not into temptation’ is a part of the prayer open to debate and misinterpretation. Templers ask for guidance ‘when in temptation’, but the prayer stems form Jesus’ own experience when he was led into the desert for the temptations or tests which proved that he was incorruptible. The final section of the prayer echoes the opening, praising God. The Lord’s Prayer sums up Jesus’ teaching about membership of the kingdom of heaven, but it is interesting to note that the gospels never mention Jesus praying for forgiveness for himself. The message he sends in this prayer is attractive and full of hope, yet the task outlined is clearly not an easy one.

Although Jesus urges us to pray in private, I like the (increasing?) use of the Lord’s Prayer, on its own or in conjunction with another prayer, at the end of our services. I believe the Lord’s Prayer should be spoken together, allowing the community to be united through this age-old affirmation and pledge. Like hymn singing, this communal affirmation moves the congregation from being passive to being active, to actually taking part in the service, rather than just listening to the Elder’s point of view. Community participation works well in our family, youth and song services.

However, prayer does largely remain a very private matter, even when spoken together and to a formula like the Lord’s Prayer. It still requires the faith that the prayer is being heard, that there is ‘someone’ on the other end. It also requires the conviction of the person who is praying, otherwise the words and thoughts are hollow and meaningless, and above all, worthless and powerless.

For some interesting and informative reading about prayer, I can recommend ‘Lord, teach us to pray!’ (Gustav Beilharz) and ‘About prayer and praying’ (Morna Kortschak) in chapter nine, ‘Divine Service’, of The Templer Handbook, available from the Office in English and German editions.

Harald Ruff

Anna Beilharz shares her experience of seeing the Dalai Lama. (Edited).

Last month I was privileged to attend sessions with the Dalai Lama in Geelong. It took a substantial amount of personal organisation: juggling family commitments, children, packing for uncertain weather conditions, and a four-hour car-trip split over two days. I can say from the core of my heart that this trip was worth every effort, for it was most amazing!

The spiritual leader of Tibet gave his addresses in Kardinia Park, and I attended both parts of the program: the White Tara Blessing in the morning, from 10 am – 12 noon (paid ticket entry), and the public speech from 1 – 3 pm (free entry). The White Tara ticket holders were seated in the only undercover section of the football ground, and we filled it to capacity. Organisation was generally excellent except there was definitely scope for more food and beverage outlets!

The stage was covered in on three sides, with the front facing us directly. There was a huge TV screen on the back of a semi-trailer which gave different close-ups of His Holiness and the monks on stage. This made it easier to see the details. On the grass, covered with temporary flooring, were rows of seats for people who had paid for a package deal and were following the tour to all its destinations. The first two rows of the VIP section were occupied by Buddhist monks, presumably from Geelong’s Drol Kar Buddhist Centre. This centre is run by Geshe-la, the Australasian tour organiser, and is the reason why His Holiness made his only regional visit to Geelong. Apart from Geelong, he visited Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, then went to New Zealand.

The Dalai Lama came on to the field to a rousing standing ovation. He was ceremonially robed by the monks on stage, which took about fifteen minutes, then the sixty-six-year-old self-described "simple Buddhist monk" seated himself on his regal chair. He introduced himself (as if he needed to!) and conducted some initial Buddhist chanting. This was the time "for Buddhists in the audience to worship, and for non-Buddhists to have a rest".

The White Tara Blessing he conducted in Tibetan, with translation coming every five or ten minutes. The translator, dressed in a grey suit, sat in the front row of monks on stage, closest to the crowd. I got the impression that these monks travelled with his tour.

His Holiness explained the history of Tara, who she was and how she came to be revered. She is one of the most popular deities among Tibetan Buddhists, reputed to have requested to be born as a female figure through many lifetimes to work for the liberation of all living beings. She is the first prototype of the feminine energy and the potential to evolve to the ultimate state of enlightenment. Tara is the symbol of peace, prosperity, long life, good health and good fortune.

He then explained how we, in the audience, could achieve the compassionate state of mind to receive the full worth of the Blessing she bestows. I understand the state of emptiness which precedes enlightenment to be the all-are-one and one-is-all philosophy of the inter-connectedness of all living things on a spiritual level. This leads to the knowledge and understanding that material aspects are not all-important, as one is living on a spiritual plane rather than a material one. Thus, material possessions could all be stripped away and one could remain divinely happy, because such happiness is derived from spiritual fulfilment rather than from the accumulation of material possessions. This belief is reflected in the spiritual nature of Tibetan culture.

Finally he took us through the actual process of the Blessing itself: this comprised the White Tara’s personal mantras; visualisations of light, rainbows (to each side of His Holiness) and the White Tara herself (above the Dalai Lama’s crown chakra), accompanied throughout by ritual Buddhist chanting and rhythmic bell-ringing. The Buddhists in the audience were obviously more familiar with the requirements and style of this section than I was. It was an amazing two hours, at times hard to fully grasp and internalise in its philosophical content; a mixture of instruction and Buddhist worship ritual.

Then came a one and a half hour recess, during which small bags of milkos and chocolates were thoughtfully handed out to everyone. Lunch was consumed and people in the crowd chatted to each other. I stayed in the seats and watched my son Crispin playing happily on the stairs, while my travelling companions spent the entire one and a half hours in queues at the aforementioned food stalls and for souvenirs. They stated there wasn’t much compassion there!

The public address had a totally different format. During the recess the stands on the other side of the ground had filled almost to capacity, with many school children (both primary and secondary) as part of the audience. The volume of people meant that the majority were facing the screened back of the stage, so they only saw him on the TV screen. The stage was cleared of Buddhist and imperial regalia and the monks.

Once again there was a rousing standing ovation for His Holiness’ entrance, this time surrounding him from the entire ground. The local Aboriginal custodian gave a welcoming address in Language, which she translated into English. The solemnity and appropriateness of this happening, especially the words she used in her translation, were so apt for the occasion there was a huge roar of approval from the entire crowd. It was a real "YES" moment, where I felt incredibly fulfilled to the core of my soul, intuitively and divinely connected to greater things.

Several local government dignitaries and tour organisers were then introduced, officially welcoming His Holiness.

The Dalai Lama stood for his half-hour public address and spoke in English, checking frequently with his translator to ensure he had the right expressions. In keeping with other public speeches on this tour, he focussed on "Happiness in a Material World", stating that he himself grew up in the age of conflict and bloodshed, but the children of today, who are our future leaders – he highlighted the masses of schoolchildren – will be living in the age of reasoning and discourse. He believes that peaceful resolutions to political problems will be found on a large scale, and that already this is happening on some world stages (although there is obviously further scope for this to occur). His message of compassion for all living things was as strong here as it had been earlier.

To conclude the address, four school children went on stage and individually presented the Dalai Lama with presents. His Holiness draped a white worship scarf around the shoulders of each one and bent down to their level. For the younger two he was almost on his knees. He then gave them a warm, friendly bear hug and the two primary children unashamedly bear-hugged him back, though the older ones were more reserved. The local dignitaries then received similar scarves and the same warm embrace.

The crowd all felt the Dalai Lama had not spoken long enough. I felt that I could have listened to his lilting speech for ever, and a half-hour public address was just too short.

With souvenirs bought and belongings gathered, my party reluctantly left the ground. After some necessary shopping came the four-hour trip back home. The uplifting feeling of total peace didn’t leave me until well after we "landed" home in Balmoral, and I can still re-create it, now.

This memorable trip fulfilled a personal dream of mine. The feeling of absolute and enduring peace was so mystical and special I felt honoured to be a part of it. I run out of superlatives to describe it all, but it was nothing short of remarkable, amazing, incredible, awesome, inspiring… I felt spiritually fulfilled and deeply moved. It truly was a kiss for my soul.

Anna Beilharz

At our Family Service in Bentleigh last month, we discussed the Templer faith – what it is we believe in – and how, as Templers, we act our faith.

To help our young listeners to understand, we likened the Temple Society to a building where the foundation is our aim and where our faith comes from this aim. The bricks on top of the foundation are our members, our people, and each act of faith or goodwill they perform is one building block closer to the achievement of our aim. On top of the bricks is the roof, which is the sum of all our actions, our success, our achievement.

Each person who came to the service, whether young or old, was asked to write on a "brick: what it is that they do to help us achieve our aim (God’s Kingdom on Earth), or more simply, what makes them a good person. I would like to share some of the thoughts with you and thank all participants for their contributions on the day.

I try to be a good friend to all I meet, so that they may treat me as their friend.

To be a good Templer and also a good person is to be helpful, tolerant and trustworthy.

As you ponder what your response might be, you may also think about this quote from the Bible, from James 2:17.

"Faith that does not lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead".

Christine Ruff

The YCW Camp on Phillip Island has been booked for next year’s summer camp. The weeklong children’s camp will run from Thursday 9.1.2003 to Thursday 16.1.2003 (both dates inclusive). As always, we are on the lookout for potential leaders.

The gates are installed. They can be unlocked using the same key as that for the Bentleigh facility. While someone is in attendance in the Office, Hall or Tennis Courts, the gates will often be open. Please ensure that the gates are padlocked in the "open" as well as "closed" positions.

Are we aware if you might need care at our Home in the foreseeable future? Contact our Care Worker or the Office to keep us up to date.

Glimpsing the Fernsehturm (landmark TV Tower) from the plane on its descent to Stuttgart airport, I realised I would soon be stepping on to German soil. Technically I had already done this earlier at Frankfurt airport, but not having left the terminal it hardly counted. My first hearing of the German language came, somewhat ironically I thought, at the Singapore airport stopover with the announcement of the Lufthansa departures by the local Singapore Airlines staff.

It was Wednesday 22^nd May in the morning 07:15 local time. Karin and Jörg Klingbeil were there to greet me and a quick trip saw us parked at the Gemeindehaus in Felix-Dahn-Straße. In real time it was a little under 24 hours from when I had departed Tullamarine, and here I was on the other side of the world!

After freshening up – I certainly didn't need breakfast after being fed and watered constantly by the flight attendants – I was given a tour of the building and the local Degerloch neighbourhood. It has almost a village charm and atmosphere, although everyone tends to go their own way. My attempts at a nod or grin have been met with indifference, if not suspicion. I shudder to think what the reaction to a 'Crocodile Dundee in New York city' type would be! The houses here cannot be compared to those at home. Firstly, they are very close to the street, and always many storeys high. The power points have no on/off switch, doors can become windows, and windows magically doors, the toilet bowls have a strange, somewhat impractical, design ... but space is ingeniously and efficiently utilised.

I decided to divide my daily diary space into four sections: activities and events attended, people met, impressions and simple observations, practical issues like money and phone/e-mail/letter contact.