Advent, the time leading up to Christmas, is no longer quiet and I’m not sure I’d have it any other way – writing cards, running round buying presents and organising things. What would Christmas be without some stress? Let people do their excited bustling about, their celebrating. Quiet can come later, when the children have gone.

Weihnachtsgedicht von Wladimir Solowjew

Ja! Gott mit uns – nicht dort, in Himmelszelten,
Und nicht in Sturmeswehn, in Feuer nicht und Streit,
Und nicht in Fernen unerforschter Welten,
Und nicht im Nebel der Vergangenheit.

Nein: hier und jetzt, im eitlen Weltgetriebe,
Im trüben Lebensfluss, im Alltagstrott
Tönt uns die frohe Botschaft von der Liebe,
Die Not und Tod besiegt – mit uns ist Gott."

… his name shall be called Emmanuel (which means ‘God with us’). Matt 1:23, quoting Isaiah 7:14.

Yes! God is with us – not in the heavens, nor in storms, fire or conflict, nor in distant unexplored worlds, nor in the mists of the past.
No: here and now, in the hustle and bustle of daily life, the glad tidings of the love which conquers fear and death ring out – God is with us!

Ed.

Some different ways God can be viewed by Dr Peter Uhlherr

When we look through the Bible, God appears to evolve over the millennia from a jealous, vengeful god, protective of his chosen nomadic tribe who carry Him in a box wherever they wander; to a demanding God residing at the centre of a temple and accessible only through a priesthood by ritual sacrifice, until finally he becomes a loving God, residing within each individual. In actual fact, of course, God did not evolve at all – He was the same in the days of Moses as He is today. It is only man’s perception of God that has evolved.

I want to outline three equally valid ways in which God can be viewed and worshipped today. Firstly, I can believe in a personal God, with whom I am in direct contact, who hears my personal prayers – addressed directly to Him – who responds to these prayers in His own inscrutable way, and who is always there, not just for me, but for every single human being. Such a belief in a personal God can be very comforting and give strength in times of need, isolation, and in times of impotence to change my lot. To anyone who gains hope or strength from such a personal relationship with God, we can only say "go for it!" – it is beneficial. Unfortunately, every relationship has its inherent risks. It is only a small step to then ascribe to a personal God the power of punishment and reward. If we do that, we have become a slave to the concept; we have relinquished some of our responsibility and we have opened the door to fear and guilt, which are neither beneficial nor laudable.

Secondly, by extreme contrast to the above, I can view God as the fundamental, unifying principle of the cosmos; not personally active, not personally accessible, nor even knowable, but all-pervasive, infinite in extent and in complexity. This tends to be the God of scientists, and the question immediately arises – how does this inaccessible God-principle relate to me as an individual, because I am only an insignificant, minute speck in the vastness of the whole cosmos? The answer is that the vastness of the cosmos is made up only of a collection of minute, individually insignificant specks. Take away enough of these specks, and the whole will be altered.

I may be insignificant, but I am an integral part of the whole. Although I cannot influence distant galaxies, I can influence and interact with other, equally insignificant specks in my immediate environment. I can interact with matter, thought, or other living creatures. It is in my interest, and indeed it is my responsibility to contribute to maintaining my immediate environment for the communal good, and hence for my own benefit. If I don’t do this, there is certainly nothing "out there" in the cosmos that will do it for me. Furthermore, the combined effect of many, perhaps individually insignificant, contributions is bound to be more successful than a single act.

Such a cosmic view of God has built into it a driving force for individuals not just to coexist, but to cooperate and to nurture each other because no one else will. If this is my view of humanity and its God, then surely my striving in my little corner of the cosmos is laudable and worthy of encouragement. This view of God requires self-confidence to be effective and uplifting. A lack of confidence can quickly lead to my being overwhelmed in my insignificance and apparent impotence to bring about change.

Thirdly, I can see God as the creator who, at the beginning of time, set the world on its dynamic course. In a distant corner of the universe he caused the earth to appear, and on that earth he caused humanity to appear. How he accomplished this is unimportant in this illustration. Humanity received from its creator the twin gifts of self-awareness and free will. By giving man these mental powers, God has relinquished direct control over us: God has no control over what I think and what I do! An immediate consequence of this is that God is not responsible for what I think and do – it is my will! My growth and development as a human being are in my own hands, not in God’s. I am directly responsible for any good that arises from my actions. But, of course, I am also responsible for anything bad that is directly or indirectly caused by what I am.

God’s only influence on me is as an adviser. He has told us His plan for humanity – our spiritual growth and ultimate perfection. He has also given us a set of guidelines or rules which, if we follow them, should lead to the realisation of His plan. In Jeremiah’s words, God has inscribed His law on men’s hearts. (Jer. 31:33) With this picture of God, I would make it my priority to live by His set of rules. And would that not be laudable and worthy of encouragement?

There are many other expressions of faith in God. Who is to say that one is right and another is wrong? In fact I have no difficulty in holding all the three beliefs that I have outlined, even though they are mutually exclusive – each at its time and in its place. My mental and emotional state dictates how I relate to God at any time. Occasionally I need Him to be there, focussed on my plight, occasionally it is uplifting to acknowledge my insignificance when confronted by the grandeur of the whole; and in day-to-day living, among my fellow human beings, it is ever beneficial to be conscious of His rules of engagement and of His law written on my heart.

We are all searching for our own truth and surely multiple forms of the truth exist. There is strength in diversity. But if someone says: "I know the truth about the kingdom of God; Let me show you the only true way to it, for your own good," then it’s time to be concerned.

True peace is possible. It takes strength and courage and practice and is far from passive. It needs us to cultivate understanding, love and compassion, even in the face of misperception and conflict.

We can all practice nonviolence. First we recognize that we all have the seeds of both compassion and violence in us. Our mind is like a garden that contains all kinds of seeds: seeds of understanding, of forgiveness, of mindfulness, also of ignorance, of fear and of hatred. We realize that, at any moment, we can think and behave with either violence or compassion, depending on which seeds within us we have cultivated. If it’s the seeds of anger, fear and violence (and many TV programs feed these), they will grow stronger, making us unable to be happy, unable to accept ourselves. We suffer and make those around us suffer. If we cultivate the seeds of loving-kindness, we nourish peace in and around us. Understanding this, we are already on the path of creating peace.

The core spiritual teachings of all traditions help us cultivate the seeds of nonviolence, compassion, inclusiveness and reconciliation, and show us the way out of fear and hatred. But many people have lost faith in these teachings – some of which have in fact been adulterated – and think they are unrealistic and outdated. Instead they pursue fame and wealth, yet even great wealth and power cannot guarantee an end to their fear and tension. The only way out of conflict and anxiety is to embrace the practice of peace, reconciliation and communication – a part of what Jesus called changing our attitude, the way we habitually think and react. This will transform our lives and help spread what we Templers call the kingdom of God, which Jesus also likened to seeds that grow.

Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist teacher who has written many inspiring books about practical steps on the spiritual journey in daily life. These are worth a look for Christians too.

Herta Uhlherr

And in these days young Mary Kneebone from Lake Tyers went up to the city of Melbourne, although she was heavy with child, for she hoped to find food and shelter in Fitzroy (Sydney – read Redfern). And while she was there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in newspaper and laid him in a grocery carton because there was no place for her in the hospitals.

And in that region so full of poverty and conflict, there were good people keeping watch in the dark night of humiliation and despair. And the clarity of the Lord shone in them and they began to differentiate between what was important and what was not essential. They began to have doubts and to question departmental policy and the phrases that governments used. And they were filled with fear.

But a friend said to them: Don’t be afraid. I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to those people caught in the net of bureaucratic regulations. This very day a person of vision as well as common sense is born for you. By what signs will you recognize him?

In the government you will find a politician with the courage to speak the plain truth. You will come across priests and clergymen living the pure gospel. You will hear of an economics expert who is not afraid to look for the true causes of starvation in the world. And you will see on the news a Buddhist who, to protest against war, burns himself alive; and you will come across a theologian who listens to other people.

And suddenly there were with this friend a multitude of people of goodwill giving thanks for goodness and integrity and saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among humankind.
Adapted from a Brazilian piece of 1981 H.U.

REGIONAL MATTERS

The October RC meeting was specifically set aside to discuss youth issues and we have since had the November RC meeting. The following are some of the items that were discussed at the meetings.

Susi Blackwell, for the Regional Council.

Following the change to a self-determining level of membership contribution payment (ratified at the October Annual General Assembly and reported in the November Templer Record), TSA members are reminded of their constitutional obligations, one of which is to pay an annual contribution. This is entirely an internal (TSA) matter.

This payment is not a donation and is designed to contribute towards the cost of running the TSA Office/Administration. Making a donation (to support the work of the TSA and/or its affiliated groups) is a secondary and separate consideration.

The payment form (tax invoice) enclosed with last month’s Templer Record makes a clear distinction between membership contributions and donations, consistent with the discussion at the Annual General Assembly and the above information.

Of course, if a member is experiencing financial hardship and making an annual contribution of any amount will prove difficult, then a zero payment is acceptable. However, this situation still needs to be communicated to the TSA Office, where it will be appropriately and confidentially handled.

Also, a reminder that if you are paying for an extra Templer Record (members automatically receive the TR as part of their contribution without additional payment) or a Warte subscription for someone else, please ensure the recipient’s name and contact details are clearly made known so we know where to send it.

In an attempt to avoid problems due to similar addresses, Knox Council has approved changing the street number for the Bayswater-Boronia Community – the Hall, together with the Community Chapel, tennis facilities, caretaker’s residence (see separate notice), guest facility and young person’s rental unit – from 41a to 51 Elizabeth Street, effective immediately. All other contact details remain the same.

The TSA Office will not be fully attended during the Christmas and summer holiday period. We will close on Friday 17^th December and re-open on Thursday 20^th January 2005. 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.

As Christmas begins to loom large and the end of the year comes thundering towards me, I like to try to catch my breath and withdraw for a moment to reflect on what has happened and been accomplished over the past 12 months.

Life in the TSA seems perennially busy, sometimes hectic, for many, but hopefully that can be seen as a positive sign. The TSA offers and expects much and we do our best to meet the needs of members, friends and the wider community and strive to maintain a forward momentum.

To do so requires any number of people putting up their hand(s) – sometimes repeatedly – and saying "I will". To this core of dedicated and committed people – our Community’s engine room – I say a heartfelt "thankyou". Our collective output relies on the input of a multitude of individuals.

I wish you all a contemplative and happy festive season in the presence of family and friends. May we face up to the fresh challenges of 2005 revitalised, but a little more relaxed, willing to share in and care for our Community.

Mark Herrmann, Business Manager

Thank you to contributors who get their articles in on time and in our preferred format – it really helps. Please do write articles, or reports on Community events – don’t wait to be asked. The TR policy is being worked on and helpful guidelines will be published next year.

Thanks for your support. Thanks to the whole team of people who help produce the Templer Record on time each month.

Next deadline – 18^th January for the Feb. TR Ed.

The year has flown by and we are once again preparing for the busy festive season and the holidays that follow. As we celebrate the season of peace and goodwill to all, we can reflect on the sad state of the world and the turmoil it is still in. I wish you all a peaceful Christmas. Only if we are at peace with ourselves can it radiate out to others and we are doing our little bit to restore peace in this troubled world.

Whilst Christmas is a very busy time for many, it can also be a time of loneliness and sadness for some. Visiting, or inviting such a person to your home for a few hours can bring much pleasure and joy.

As we prepare for the holidays, some will be travelling further afield or even abroad. Wherever you go it is important to plan well and be prepared. Part of the planning should include travel insurance, particularly when travelling overseas. Hospitalisation in other countries can be very expensive and people can lose assets, the family home, their superannuation entitlements, all because the traveller wasn’t prepared to pay a few hundred dollars for travel insurance. If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. Make sure you disclose full information to your travel insurer, otherwise you might not be covered.

For more information consult the Smartraveller website at

Please remember to fill out the Community survey forms included in the last TR. We encourage all family members or friends to complete one of these forms. Thank you to those who have sent theirs in.

If you have lost the form or would like some extras to pass on, they are still available from the TSA office or the Community Halls. We have extended the deadline – please return your forms by Friday 17^th December.

We anticipate that survey results will be available in the February or March TR. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year especially to our sick and infirm friends.

Helga Anderson, Community Care Worker.

From F. Daniel Rochman MD

Let’s say it’s 6.30pm and you’re driving home after an unusually hard day on the job. You’re really tired, upset and frustrated. Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out of your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from home, but don’t know if you’ll be able to make it that far.

You’ve been trained in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) but the guy that taught the course neglected to tell you how to perform it on yourself. Many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack. Without help, the person whose heart stops beating properly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds before losing consciousness. However, they can help themselves by coughing vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest, and a cough must be repeated about every 2 seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it to regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.

Tell as many other people as possible about this, it could save their lives!

MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

Hilmar Hoefer & Amy Davison

at Schloss Neuschwanstein in Germany.

Clarissa Arndt and Mark McCoid

Our profound thanks for all the outpouring of sympathy.

WORKSHOPS – "TEMPLER JOURNEY TAPESTRY" for the Chapel

Two five-hour workshops on the various types of machine embroidery were organised by Helga and led by well-known teacher and embroiderer Lesley Uren on 16^th October and 6^th November. About 20 very enthusiastic "students" attended in the Bayswater Hall. Three generations of Templer women from septuagenarians to teenager Ingrid Beilharz watched as Lesley demonstrated various methods of using fleece, chopped up wool and material, coloured thread and other mediums including the use of water-soluble fabrics. 17 sewing machines whirred constantly with the occasional (or in my case frequent!) cry as yet another needle broke whilst stitching the sampler. It was quite amazing how good some of our samplers looked.

The companionship, friendship and enjoyment of being involved in a community project were exhilarating. I felt privileged and proud to be part of it. Mothers with daughters or daughters-in-law, friendly faces working harmoniously together – all part of an exciting new project that will cross over generations, depicting past heritage and giving hope for continuing community spirit into the future. The day even provided a mini drama when smoke poured out of Gisela Sawatzky’s sewing machine.

Well done to the catalyst, Helga, thanks to the teacher Lesley and to the volunteers who served tea and coffee and washed up. We are all looking forward to doing our small bit towards this project over the next few years. To those of you who "thought about" attending and didn’t, I can only say that it is great fun and so rewarding to be part of a Templer community project like this – come and join in next time we get together. Susan Graze

It was a great opportunity to attend a pleasant German discussion evening on 26^th October in the Community Room at Bayswater. About 30 people attended, Templers and other German-speakers. We were privileged to have as our special guest speakers two dynamic female dignitaries of Victoria’s German-speaking community, Elke Kessler, wife of the German Consul General in Melbourne and Roma Schultz, German Language Advisor at the Goethe-Institute Melbourne.

Further discussion centred on the copious ‘borrowed’ words that have become common usage in Germany and also gave us an insight into the recent German language spelling reforms. One of the participants gave a typical example of a sentence he had read, "die coole Consulterin auf dem Weg zum Office". This raised stimulating and humourous discussion with many participants sharing first-hand experiences and anecdotes. For those who have been settled in Australia for longer periods, valuable insights were gained into what is going on in Germany these days. We compared language learning between Germany and Australia. Time restraints required the evening to be closed but lively discussion continued informally with our special guests over refreshments.

As a person born in Australia into a German-speaking household and community, I found much value in being part of a German-speaking session that allowed me to explore my German roots. Whilst I am accustomed to exploring my ‘Templer heritage’ I found the experience of reclaiming my German identity rewarding. I noticed that other Australian-born German-speakers during the evening would have liked to take part, but with permission to speak some English.

Roma Schultz has indicated that she and Frau Kessler would be delighted to hold a similar session next year, conducted bilingually in German and English, with a focus on what it is like for offspring of German background immigrants growing up in Australia.

We would love to hear from anyone interested in such a future session. If anyone has access to the book "Moppel-ich", let us know for many expressed interest in reading it.

Sincerest thanks to all those who helped make the evening a success.

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

200cc cart, 470m indoor track, 50 kph – doesn’t sound all that exciting? Just wait until you are sitting with your backside one inch off the track, real "race conditions" (full safety gear, track marshals and race rules (including the dreaded black flag for "naughty girls & boys"), 11 other carts trying to squeeze past each other with limited (viable) overtaking opportunities and lots of tight turns, pushing machine & body to the limit (and occasionally beyond) – and tons and tons of adrenalin!

The "big kids" go-karting event last month was "a hoot" – just ask any of the 12 adrenalin charged participants! It appears that prior experience does count – our professional "petrol heads", Winfried and Rolf (they’re allowed to "play with big boy toys" for a living), were our top 2 race finishers and also managed lap times in the top 8 for the month!

Conclusions – "boys just want to have fun" and "we’ve got to do it again" – and we can behave ourselves enough to negotiate 25 laps without any notable bingles! Watch this space if you want to join us next year – lap time to beat is 34.322 seconds. Oh, and the ladies are welcome to join in, even though none took up the challenge this time. Manfred Decker, for the Ba-Bo Community Council

At Ilse and Helmut Beilharz’ welcoming home in the mountains at Strath Creek, Theo Richter gave us an interesting talk about sin, stimulated by the text from Psalm 32. For our hymn he used the CD of piano accompaniments for the new Templer Hymnbook, which certainly encouraged our vocal efforts. Several people contributed to a lively discussion based on Theo’s well-researched and thoughtful sermon (which, though on a potentially dark topic, somehow left us with very positive thoughts). A wonderful lunch followed, based on Ilse’s warming tomato soup and augmented by contributions from the visitors.

We had lovely sunny weather. Helmut took us for a walk through a part of his farm which many had not seen before. He is developing his meadows for his sheep while encouraging native trees to grow again. As usual, Helmut taught us a lot, and we were especially taken with his care to encourage the growth of certain plants, which some might regard as weeds but which he knows to be beneficial to the sheep from a medicinal point of view. At the end of the walk, he took some of us through his enormous fruit, vegetable and berry garden which thrives under a bird-proof cover. Vyrna tried out her new digital camera with less than outstanding success.

Rolf and Vyrna Beilharz

It was a windy, rainy day when a group of over 30 Templers were warmly welcomed to the home of Kathy and Heinz Bulach in Tynong for the Templer meeting in Gippsland. It had been raining all the way from Phillip Island and, after an initial wrong turn on the Princess Highway, we found our way to the meeting point. After an informative and thought-provoking Saal by Kurt Beilharz in the warm sitting room there was plenty of time to greet each other and take in the beautiful view through the big windows. It was really breathtaking: the green paddocks with the cows, the big vistas of Gippsland stretching behind and it was small wonder that Alfred’s camera had to work overtime. Then all the goodies people had brought appeared on the table and we had a real feast while people had time to talk with each other and enjoy themselves.

I think that these gatherings are an essential part of the way we Templers get to know each other better and also of finding out why we live where we live.

A big thankyou to Kathy and Heinz.

More Tynong

The huge dining table almost groaned under the weight of food we had brought and Heinz was kept busy grinding and brewing fresh coffee, while we savoured Kathy’s delicious cakes. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the companionable atmosphere, moving about chatting to people who had come from far and wide.

Finally, it was time to say "Auf Wiedersehen" and thank the Bulachs, as well as Kurt, for a most pleasant and harmonious day spent amongst friends.

Gretel Krockenberger

30.10 – I found myself standing next to the Ice Maidens in the supermarket (3 Australian women also walking to the S.P). Their kayaks, which they are hauling instead of sleds, are delayed in New Zealand (bird strike in plane engine).

Four expeditions are to fly over with us: the Ice Maidens, Kids with Kites, an A.L.E. group and one other group. All are potentially walking a similar route, though Kids with Kites will be going faster, pulling all their food (no half-way re-supply) and kiting back; expecting to take 75 days.

31.10 – Finalised food packing, mounted bindings on skis. Very detailed preparations are necessary for the icy environment and the length of the trip (about 60 days?). We practised putting up tents – very light, insulated mat for the floor, poles left half in when tent is rolled up for transport. Drying line already up with safety pins on it so gloves and socks don’t fall in the cooking. ALE flight briefing tomorrow: sounds like the plane has never left on time before. Waits of 1-3 weeks are not uncommon, depending on the weather.

From Hannah (website at end) – In complete white-out conditions the Patriot Hills Tucker Snow Cat appeared out of nothing. We quickly loaded our pulks [sleds] on to the big sledge behind the Tucker and clambered into the cab. Going was extremely slow – visibility down to nothing. It took four hours to cover the 17nm to Devon’s Camp. So we missed out on skiing these 17nm, but have made up some of the time lost when one of our tents blew away in the fierce winds earlier. Doc Martin confirmed Devon needs to pull out.

14.11 Newly amalgamated team of six are off once more to ski to the South Pole. With Devon, Stuart and Linda were doing six marches of an hour and 15 minutes with 10 minute breaks between, so we adopt their pattern. The sastrugi, long wave-like ridges of snow formed by the wind, have been big and awkward and the snow wet and heavy; it’s painfully hard to pull the pulks. By 6.10p.m. we finish our sixth march and call it a day. Once the tents are up we are all damp and exhausted and we spend some time warming and drying round the stove before we come back to life.

From Craig’s website 16.11 – First degree complete (81 S) – only 9 more to go! At last the surface is improving. Rare glimpse of sunshine today, making navigation somewhat easier – Let’s hope it stays for a while!

From Hannah’s website 17.11 – Going to sleep is the nicest part of every day. Over breakfast Craig and I confess to each other just how hugely jittery we feel every morning before setting off. Some mornings we don’t feel very heroic, in fact this morning we laughed ourselves silly at how completely stupid we must be. (Lots of books about South Pole trips leave out the embarrassing and stupid things and I promised to try to be totally honest).

It’s such a hard landscape to travel through, not just physically, but mentally; it’s so easy to fall into black patches. In the deserts of Africa, there is always something to occupy your mind. They have endless stories to tell – you can’t walk for five minutes without finding a fulcrite shaft or stone tool or a beautifully wind-blown stone. But this white desert has no stories it wants to share as you pass through it. It doesn’t even notice our passing. Every sign of our journey is erased within minutes by the wind.

I find more and more that it’s too much for me to look at the vast expanse of our path as well as walk it. Only in the evenings do I take a few minutes to absorb the total splendour of one of the truly untouched places on earth.

Each night we make a place out of a place which is no place at all. Tomorrow when we leave it will be reabsorbed into the white.

Hannah 18.11 – In the last marches I start talking to the Antarctic … to occupy my mind: – how much I love deserts and, if it will just let me, then I will love this one too. The wind drops and the sun shines – there’s something familiar and comforting about its light and our shadows on the snow. By the time we make camp, all is peace in this wildest of wild places. The distant Pirrit Hills are still the only feature in our world. Tonight, the Antarctic has become the most beautiful place on earth and there is nowhere else I would rather be, despite the patch of frostbite on my chin.

Hannah 19.11 – There are no guarantees that one good day will follow another here, but today is the most beautiful day! Travelling over the firmer, flatter, sparkling snow is almost enjoyable. Made a new record distance of 11.7 nm. The camera is frozen lifeless all day, need to find a way to keep it warm.

Hannah 20.11 – Our second degree (82 S); altitude 947m. So much to put on every morning, very carefully, to avoid windy gaps. All is glorious and peaceful in our big, empty world. I’m not so intimidated now by the task in hand – starting to relax into it. We have seen this place raging and we coped, although we had never known it to be kind. Next time it rages we’ll know it can get better.

The pulks are sliding easily behind us. I’m improving my pulling technique after last night’s excruciating knots of pain in my shoulders and back – terrified they’ll return. Wonderful to have my iPod battery charged and be able to listen to music – it gives me a great lift. I’m totally content.

Then we hit the biggest sastrugi we have seen – we clamber and haul through the obstacle course. Could often skate over the ridges, bridging them with our skis. Nasty moment – a ski-entangled fall. I heard a horrible cracking sound as pain seared through my right ankle. Everyone rushed over. I was extremely lucky – the pain settled down after 20 painful minutes skiing. Reached our target of 12nm after a last hour of glorious skiing – I’m finally getting the skiing thing!

The 3 men are having supper together and Linda joins us women. After a week we haven’t actually had the chance to get to know our new companions very well yet. Linda is a wonderful Australian lady in her early 40s and has already impressed me with her great kindness and selflessness. I think I’m right in saying she will be the first Australian woman to the South Pole when we get there.

From Linda 24.11 – email sent (slowly) via sat phone. Happy with progress, average 12nm a day, temps – 20 to – 15 C. Camera, toothpaste, sultanas all need to be put inside clothing to not freeze. Cheese is rock hard – eating it in soup is best option. Nothing is private here. I’m feeling good and travelling well. We used the opportunity of a plane going by to get a food drop because early bad weather put us behind schedule. So we’re all in one tent sharing a cup of wine.

Linda contacts husband Rob via sat phone on Sunday nights. Rob emails friends and family on the list.

The Ice Maidens didn’t make the first plane out of Punta Arenas because of their delayed kayaks. They were still stuck there on 16.11 because the worst Antarctic weather in 15 years hadn’t allowed further flights. H.U. Ed.

I love wilderness – the Antarctic is one of the most untouched areas of wilderness left. I found the high snowy valleys, lakes and rocky bits of the Himalayas really beautiful. That experience whetted a thirst for seeing more of that kind of landscape. My recent mountaineering training has been to equip me to travel in that kind of area. I have thought about going to the Antarctic for a number of years but have not known how to do it. I don't want to just look from the edge or fly in and quickly fly out. My experience is that walking slowly across a landscape is one of the best ways of getting a feel for a place. Better still to stop and live there for a while – not an option for me this time, however.

Maybe the best response to an empty nest, political cynicism and reflecting on midlife is a focussed physical challenge. This is sure to counter some of the issues of ageing – yep, the body still works; yep, I can still be active and strong. I suspect that the mental and emotional challenges will be the greatest.

SYDNEY – October Service

Our October service was conducted by guest speaker Kurt Beilharz from Melbourne. The reading was from John 5: 1-18 which deals with Jesus healing on the Sabbath and thus breaking the law. Jesus’ answer to his detractors was "My Father works always, and I too must work". Kurt related this to happenings in everyday life and stated that people in charge of organizations, as in the case of the Pharisees, are not always the most suited for the task. Kurt, thank you for a most interesting Saal.

Jakob Eisler is to visit Australia in February 2005. He will also visit the Sydney Templer Community to share his experiences and knowledge about our former settlements in Palestine. At university, Dr Eisler specialized in ‘The History of the Land of Israel’, mainly in the contribution of the Christians and especially the Templers to the development of 19^th century Palestine. Manfred Haering describes him as a walking encyclopaedia.

If you are interested in hearing his talk and looking at his many slides and asking questions, then come and join us on Sunday 6^th February 2005 at 10.00am at our Community Hall in Meadowbank. Please bring a plate to share.

PS. Tell all your friends, everyone is welcome.

I take this opportunity to wish all of our members a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

Our next Saal is on Sunday 12^th December 2pm in Tanunda. Happy Christmas to you all.

Rose & Uli Asenstorfer

Don’t forget the Christmas breakup/pool party on 4^th December. Ring Kirsten if you are going – there will be a bus taking everyone from Bayswater.

Summer camp will be from Sunday 9^th to Sunday 16^th January 2005. If you have not received any booking and information forms in the mail or by email, they are available from the TSA Office now. Please encourage your children to come along even if they don’t know anyone – they will by the end of the week! This is also a great opportunity for the next Confirmation group to get to know each other. Please ring Susi for any other information.

I am looking for interested people to go on summer camp as leaders. Please ring Susi asap if you can help out.

YOUTH FEST

A Youth Fest is planned for around late March, early April 2006. Planning will start early next year. The flavour of this weekend is to be great fun activities and lots of youth stuff organised especially for our young people by our young people. So this is a great opportunity to put your two cents (or your hundred dollars) worth in and make the Youth Fest into something you and everyone else would love to be part of!

So ring Moni Imberger now before she rings you; that way YOU will get to do what YOU would like! Anyone can contribute and be part of this project no matter how old you are. Ring NOW! Moni -

Stage 1 Playground renovations in the Playgroup area in Bayswater have now been completed. Planning meetings for the older kids’ playground will most likely start early next year and I am looking for interested people who would like to be involved in choosing and planning the BIG kids’ playground.

Susi Blackwell, Community Youth Coordinator

Starting from term 1 in 2005 we will have two Templer Playgroups running on two different days per week. There will be Thursday Playgroup from 10am till 12 noon and Friday Playgroup from 10am to 12 noon every week.

There is a Youth Service planned for 20^th March 2005. YES you guessed it – Sommerfest! If you would like to take part or help out in any way with this youth service, please contact Susi or Harald as soon as possible so we can start preparing early next year.

Susi Blackwell, Community Youth Coordinator

HELLOW!! (sic)

Okay, I’ll stop espousing the virtues of summer and actually write something meaningful (for once!). Christmas is just around the corner, the time of year when shopping can actually become stressful (I know, difficult to believe!) and when your social calendar gets so full it’s almost impossible to remember when you are supposed to be where and what you’re supposed to be doing! It’s a crazy time, planning Christmas parties, organising presents, finishing up at work, school and uni and trying to catch up with people you’ve somehow not had time to see for almost 12 months. Amidst all the excitement, the spending and the partying, it’s so easy to forget what Christmas really represents: a time to reflect on the year, to share what you have, and to celebrate life. It’s also really easy to forget those who don’t have as much as us, who don’t have families or a place to celebrate. In the frenzied spending on Christmas presents (and I know how much people spend, you should have seen Knox last Saturday and it’s not even December yet!), how hard is it to spend a few extra dollars on someone less fortunate than you? Just a little contribution can make a world of difference to someone else. Something to think about!

There’s oodles of birthday babes this month and next, so enjoy your summer parties! Happy Birthday in December to:

Megan Grubb, Kieran Leschinski, Claire Sawatzky, Stephanie Mazzella, Karie Wennagel, Sarah Murray, Emily Herrmann, Linden Ruff, Karl Wennagel, Luke Steller, Jessica Wennagel, Sasha Ruff, Tanya Frank, Adrian Herrmann, Kristin Walduck, Sebastian Mccallum, Belinda Frank and Daniel Weller.

Markus Lubitz, Stefan Kazenwadel, Peter Murray, Toshi Weller-Wong, Lisa Edelmaier, Steven Kuebler, Stephanie Galloway, Lisa Beilharz, Carl Sturtz, Emma Beilharz and Nadia Daross.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and an awesome New Year. Take care of yourselves!

Love Tania Richter, Youth Editor.

It is that time of year again when we start thinking about Christmas and the true meaning behind it. I will not retell the story as you all know it from your parents and Sunday School.

Bible Story Puzzle Book 1 & 4

After you have done the 2 puzzles you could copy them and make some cards or decorations with them.

I wish all of you and your families joy, peace and good health over the festive season and in the New Year.

Till next year, Moni Imberger

TTHA

Liebe Freunde Dear Friends

Wichtig ist und bleibt unser Ziel: dass unsere Bewohner zufrieden sind und gut versorgt werden. Ich denke dass auch in diesem Jahr, in dem die Heimerweiterung stattfand, unser Ziel weitgehend erreicht wurde. Denken Sie nicht ebenfalls so?

Friedrich Sawatzky,

The year 2004 is ending awfully fast. It was definitely a short year and yet wonderful for us. However, before the old disappears and the New Year commences, allow us to wish all of our Home Residents, their relatives and friends: "A very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year".

Our Tabulam and Templer Home, (TTHA) just like many others, was in recent weeks plagued by a severe onslaught of infections. Many of our residents and staff were struck down for several days. This most unwelcome situation placed a heavy burden and enormous stress upon our two Directors of Nursing, Karin and Cheryl. They were forced to operate with insufficient staff and with the added dilemma of staff agencies refusing to provide outside help, fearing that they also may be infected.

However, eventually our two "super ladies" and their team overcame all obstacles superbly. Strict regulations for staff, residents and visitors alike were quickly introduced in order to prevent infections spreading. Many thanks to them and all co-workers for their stirling and dedicated efforts.

To top off this dilemma, we find that our office "guru", Dolly, was also forced to remain home with a severe illness. Dolly was fully engaged organising the upcoming Christmas functions. Krista and Michelle have had to step in. We wish Dolly a speedy recovery.

Our ongoing focus and dedication will continue to be to ensure that our residents are content and well cared for. We are of the opinion that we met our target in spite of the Home expansion and the relocation during the year. Do you agree with us?

Warm Greetings,

Friedrich Sawatzky, President TTHA Management Committee.

Christmas is fast approaching and we have many activities planned for our residents and families. A list of all the events will be sent to families in the very near future. We encourage everyone to join in as many things as you can. However, in order to make everything go to plan we need helpers and volunteers who can help out for an hour or two on these busy days:

Sunday 12^th December from about 12.30pm. Family advent afternoon tea followed by a concert from the Liederkranz Tivoli. We need help to set up the room, serve, clean up and reset the room for the concert. Finish by about 4.00pm.

Tuesday 21^st December from about 12.30pm – our annual Christmas party for some residents. Another afternoon tea with music and singing. We need help to set up the room, serve the coffee and cake and help clean up. Finish by about 4.00pm

Wednesday 22^nd December from about 3.00pm. We will have the other half of the annual Christmas parties for our residents. We need help with setting up the Bayswater Hall, decorating the tables, serving the food and cleaning up. Finish about 7.00pm.

If anyone can help please contact me any time from Monday to Friday option 1. Any help is welcome, even if only for an hour or two.

Thank you all so much; we wish you all a very joyous Christmas.

Dolly Klaver

NOTICES

Join us for the Christmas Sausage Sizzle on Friday 3^rd December 6.30pm at the Clubroom for a bit of social tennis and good company. Hope to see you there.

Hella Edelmaier, Secretary

This year’s Ba-Bo Community Christmas and Carols by Candlelight will be held on the same date, Saturday 18^th December, at the Bayswater Hall. To allow everyone, young and old, to join us, we will start a little earlier than usual and have Carols in the Hall immediately afterwards.

This year we have planned a "Giving Christmas" – children and their families are encouraged to bring a present to put under the Christmas tree. These will be donated to charity for children who might otherwise miss out on a Christmas present.

Community Christmas activities will commence at 6:00 with the traditional "angels & shepherds procession", followed by children’s activities combined with a few Christmas carols and, if we’re really lucky, a visit by Father (or Mother?) Christmas to distribute small gifts to children 10 years and under.

Angels and shepherds, please arrive dressed up and assemble in the school room – some costumes are available from Playgroup in the school room between 10:00 – 12:00 on Thursdays.

Children aged 4 – 10 who would like to join in one or more short, fun Christmas activity on the night should attend a short practice on Thursday 16^th December at 7:00 in the Bayswater Hall – children who can’t make the practice can still join in on the night.

Individual children or small groups who would like to recite a poem or sing a song for Mother Christmas should register with Renate Beilharz by Thursday 16^th December 2004.

Carols by Candlelight will commence immediately afterwards at about 7:30, allowing everyone, young and old, to get into the Christmas spirit. We’ll close all the curtains so we can see our candles burning brightly. The Brass Ensemble and our Community Head, Elisabeth Wagner on piano, will accompany a variety of English and German carols. A light supper will then complete the evening. A donation is sought to cover the cost of the supper, candles & holders and song sheets supplied.

We encourage the whole Community, young & old, family & friends, to join us and to share the magic of Christmas.

Advance notice that Sommerfest 2005 will be held on Sunday, 20^th March 2005 in Bayswater – please mark it in your calendars.

More details in the February Templer Record.

Manfred Decker, for the Ba-Bo Community Council

The Bayswater Hall and the Community Chapel have both been fitted with alarm systems, which means that anybody wishing to get access to either facility needs both a key and a code to gain entry without setting off the alarm.

All current user groups have been supplied with their codes, so it is only the casual user who will need to get a code prior to hall or chapel usage. This will be arranged at time of booking with the caretaker/booking officer.

Signs have been erected around the entrances of both the Chapel and the Hall, reminding people that they need to have BOTH key and code to enter either facility without setting off the alarms, and to remind them to also turn on the alarm system upon leaving.

Tony Beilharz, for the Ba-Bo Community Council

Hello Kids and Parents!

Christmas is fast approaching, which means it’s also time to get involved in the children’s Christmas performance at Saal in Bentleigh on 25^th December.

Once I have an idea of numbers I will send out parts for the performance for your children to learn. We will then have a rehearsal the week before Christmas to run through the performance! Date is to be announced.

All ages welcome!!

Hope to hear from you soon, Tania Richter & Moni Imberger

Just a reminder that the community is invited to come to the New Year’s Eve Saal and then remain and enjoy each other’s company at our "Pre New Year’s Eve Party" get-together. We will provide champagne cocktails, sherries, soft drinks, hot and cold hors d’oeuvre and nibbles. All you need to do is come along, have some nibbles and enjoy the community atmosphere before departing to your party or wherever else you may be going. There is no need to book, so please get your family and friends together and start your New Year’s Eve off on a bright note.

Diana Rainbird, for the Be/Mo Committee

We repeat our invitation to anyone interested in staying in the hall after the community function. Our idea is to make this a BYO function – could everyone bring a plate to share (savoury or sweet) and their own drinks. Tea and coffee will be provided.

Are you interested? If so, please ring us as soon as possible so that we can make the necessary arrangements. Bill and Regina Imberger.

Hi everyone! Thanks to those people who were able to make it to the November hike. Not sure what had happened to my article [sorry Alysha], however the email grapevine seemed to work pretty well.

There won’t be a bushwalk in December, as everyone is always so busy, so watch this space for next year.

Alysha Murray

The Be-Mo German School and TSA Youth Program are offering a First Aid Level 2 course on the 12^th and 13^th February. A few places are still available for Templers or friends. The cost is $170p.p.

It will be conducted from 9am – 5pm both days in the Bentleigh Hall.

Bookings are essential and can be made with me at the Office asap. You may also ring if you have further questions. Marianne Herrmann

Last year members and friends donated presents for disadvantaged people within the wider community. This year we are inviting you to donate food.

We will have two major collection points for your contributions of nonperishable foods. One is the Office in Bentleigh and one at the Tabulam and Templer Homes. Collection boxes will also be located in the community halls in Bentleigh and Bayswater. We will be collecting from 1st Nov - 21st Dec. This food will be forwarded to the Salvation Army in the Bayswater and Bentleigh areas.  

Thanks for your anticipated generosity. Marianne Herrmann

Reminder - Family Camp runs from Sunday 26^th December 2004 to Sunday 2^nd January 2005 at "Freeburgh Cabins and Caravan Park"; a large, lovely shaded and grassy site (unpowered) has been booked. The park features a tennis court and swimming pool, clean amenities block and a laundry with baby bath etc.

Bookings (and enquiries) to me or Christine Ruff. Please book by Sunday 5^th December. A deposit of $50 is required by Sunday 12^th December. Winnie Beilharz

Gisela and Klaus-Peter Hoffmann

Bayswater German School classes will be held on Friday evenings (not Wednesdays as previously advised. Classes commence Friday 4^th Feb 2005 at 5.30pm. Contact Irene Bouzo for more information.

Bentleigh/Moorabbin German School classes will be held on Mondays after school for Muttersprachler classes. The first class is Monday 31^st Jan commencing at 4.45pm. For children who are learning German as a second language, classes are on Wednesdays after school. The first class is Wednesday 2^nd Feb commencing at 5pm. For more information contact Marianne Herrmann.

Irene Bouzo and Marianne Herrmann, Coordinators

The Bayswater-Boronia German School will hold a German Diversity Celebration Evening in the Bayswater Hall on Wednesday March 23, 2005 from 5pm to 7.30pm.

This event is part of the Victorian Cultural Diversity Week, and will be held in conjunction with the Bayswater South Primary School, which is known for its special German Immersion Program.

The school children and teachers look forward to hosting this event. We hope to see lots of visitors come along and join us to celebrate our German diversity in Knox.

Irene Bouzo & Doris Frank, for the Ba-Bo Templer German School

This will be held in the Bentleigh Community Hall from 2 – 4pm.

Again all Templers and friends, local schools and residents will be invited to this special celebration. More details in the February Templer Record.

Marianne Herrmann, for the Be/Mo German School

We need a cleaner for the Bayswater Hall and Chapel. Paid casual position to clean weekly, usually.

Please contact Caretaker Tony Beilharz.

Starting from term 1 in 2005 we will have two Templer Playgroups running on two different days per week. There will be Thursday Playgroup from 10am to 12noon and Friday Playgroup from 10am to 12noon every week.

Our Playgroup leaders will be Moni Herrmann and Christine Ruff and all children from age 2 years to Kinder can enrol in either group. If there are enough places available, the groups will also be open to children outside the Temple Society, i.e. the wider Knox community.

Starting dates:

Thursday group – 3^rd February 2005

Friday group – 4^th February 2005

If you would like to enrol your child in Playgroup or have any further questions please contact:

Moni Herrmann; Christine Ruff or Susi Blackwell.

Susi Blackwell, Community Youth Coordinator

Early notice – Now that sun and rain are allowing vegetables and fruit trees to grow and ripen, please think of the Ba-Bo Ladies’ Produce Stall at Sommerfest and make those pickles, chutneys, jams, juices and bottled fruit that people are so keen to buy. December and January harvests will occur before our next notice in the February TR. Heidi Vollmer, for the Ba-Bo Ladies Group

Our last meeting of the year will be our Adventsfeier on Tuesday 7^th December at 8p.m. in the Bayswater Hall. Everyone is welcome. Please bring some Gutsle to share for supper, after the readings and carols.

Herta Uhlherr, for the Ba-Bo Ladies

Flower Roster 25.12 Heidrun Messner, Minnie Haering;

HERITAGE

April Launch of Sarona Book From Desert Sands to Golden Oranges

Presentation on the history of the land of Israel and the contribution of the Christians, especially the Templers, to the development of 19^th century Palestine.

He will be in Australia on a three-week lecture tour.

Heritage Photo of the Month – Betlehem near Nazareth

Horst Blaich

by Peter Lange

Each year we look back to our founding day, when our faith community with its self-reliance and independent religious orientation began. Since then 143 years have gone by, a long time indeed.

What is the purpose of looking back like this? Do we want to see having attained this independence as something positive? Our history tells us that originally our founding fathers were not thinking of independence at all – rather, they were aiming at reforms within the Church. It was not until they were forced to, by the fact that their plans could no longer be realised within the State Church, that they made the decision to form their own community.

We may ask: should not the opposition they encountered from the Church have led them to change their minds? Could they truly assume that they were on the right track and all the others were not?

The convictions of Hoffmann, Paulus and Hardegg could not be shaken at the time. I believe that their persistence and their readiness to risk even excommunication demonstrates an extraordinary self-assurance. They believed in their mission absolutely. Such rocksolid conviction does not arise by chance. Christoph Hoffmann writes in his autobiography that, shortly before the official separation from the Church and despite the uncertain future, he was gripped by a feeling of joy that he could not explain. He felt like someone released from captivity and this came to be expressed in his hymn Die Losung des Volkes Gottes – ‘The motto of the People of God’.

Even if we note that a goodly amount of stubbornness was involved in his case, such stubbornness can be based on deeply grounded inner knowledge which tolerates no doubt. It was insightful knowledge attained after much pondering, namely that the kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus was a task, a challenge that people had to meet in their daily lives and in the way they treated one another.

With the phrase ‘the kingdom of God’ Jesus had described a way of being where people hallow (or respect) God’s name and where his will is done on earth, where all guilt is forgiven and all evil is overcome, where oppression of the lowly ceases, where there is justice for every person and where pain and sorrow will end.

To us this seems unattainable. We believe nonetheless that human beings have within them the potential to get closer to this way of being. They are beings endowed with spirit, and certainly capable of as yet undreamt of development towards becoming more fully human. A verse in Hoffmann’s Templer hymn begins with ‘Nach dem hohen Ziele richte aus dem Staub sich unser Blick’ – from the dust we raise our eyes towards the high goal – rendered in the hymnbook as ‘From our present situation toward the goal we raise our eyes’.

For us Templers, this striving towards higher spiritual development is the crucial element in our faith. Other articles of faith which may be considered indispensable in other churches and denominations have to come in second place. Christoph Hoffmann says that the Tempel is not a theoretical theological construct of ideas – rather it is an eminently practical goal, something that has to be worked at daily, and a true Templer is a person who participates in this.

In matters of faith a Templer has the greatest possible freedom. However, we understand this freedom not so much as being free from something but as being free to – free to live our lives responsibly before God, guided by the directions Jesus of Nazareth gave us.

Recently we had a family reunion in our community centre. Relatives of our daughter-in-law were also there, having travelled quite a distance. They leafed through the Templer literature on display, then said amazed, ‘How come you’re such a comparatively small community? You have such a modern faith, free of others making up your minds for you, and important for solving issues for the future – you should have many more supporters and members’.

Dear friends, I think it is good for us to hear such voices and opinions from ‘outside’. Is it possible that we are often not aware of the value of our religious belief? And that we consequently do not do enough to reach other people with it? If we are really convinced of the value of our religious orientation, then we must not hide its light under a bushel and keep it hidden. Then all of us, in our own area, can talk about it with self-confidence and, above all, live it. Seen like this, every member can become an ambassador and living model of the Templer idea.

Our former Templer President, Dieter Ruff, recently wrote to me that he was convinced that the Tempel Society would continue to exist in the foreseeable future. Its philosophy is appealing and makes sense. It offers a path one can follow in a practical way to establish the kingdom of God on earth, which is the essential core of Jesus’ message. Over the years of its now quite long existence, the Temple Society has been a firm anchor for many people and has brought them closer to the divine. It has had a beneficial influence way beyond its relatively small membership and has enriched the mosaic of religious life.

We gratefully take note of this experienced Templer’s words, words that signal confidence, encouragement and incentive. Our faith in the call to build the Temple within humanity is no house of cards. It is based on a solid foundation and has now endured for 143 years.

Peter Lange on Founding Day 2004 in Stuttgart. Also in the October ‘Warte’ in the original German. Tr. H.U.

In August last year, a group of people gathered in Kallista for a weekend Templer seminar to consider some of the many environmental issues that confront us today. The seminar concluded with a lively discussion on what Templers could do to make a difference, individually or in co-ordination through the TSA – "to ameliorate or reverse mankind’s damaging effect on the environment" (see TR Oct. 2003, pp. 13-18). Someone mentioned this was one practical way towards creating the ‘kingdom of God on earth’. I think it is worth considering in more detail one of these environmental issues – global climate change – and what we can do to help counter it.

Climate change, possibly the most pressing issue facing humanity this century, is brought about by increased concentrations of greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide or CO2) in the atmosphere.

A recent government publication "Climate Change – an Australian Guide to the Science and Potential Impacts" (see www.greenhouse.gov.au/science/guide) makes for alarming reading. From observation of recent climate trends and from several computer-based climate simulations, there appears to be clear consensus amongst scientists that ongoing emission of greenhouse gases will cause continued atmospheric warming and reduction of rainfall for much of Australia, an increased frequency of extreme rainfall and temperature events, higher sea levels and storm surges, and thus serious impacts on our natural and built environment, both in itself and in its capacity to support us.

The average Victorian household’s energy use is responsible for about 8 tonnes of CO2 emission each year. Even if a home has cooking, space heating and a hot water system fuelled by natural gas, its use of electricity will almost certainly contribute to more than half of these household CO2 emissions. A medium-sized car running on petrol (or a large car running on LPG) will generate around 4 tonnes of CO2 per (say 20,000km) year.

According to Prof. Graeme Pearman (Chair of Sustainability Science at Monash University, and until recently Chief Scientist at CSIRO Atmospheric Research), to prevent excessive climate change "global reductions of emissions from current levels of more than 60% will be required over the first half of this century. This is an extraordinary challenge given current investment in energy technologies, the growing demands for energy by the developing world, and the dependence of our living standards on high energy usage. Emissions reductions of as much as 80% may be necessary for developed countries."

Certainly through more efficient use of energy in our homes. Many simple ideas for conserving energy (and also saving money) are presented on an excellent and detailed government website www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome.

Most electricity retailers servicing Victoria now offer 100% green energy to their customers for a surcharge of about 5 cents per kilowatt.hour. Green electricity is currently sourced mainly from large wind turbine, photovoltaic (solar panel) and bio-gas installations. These are renewable energy sources that produce no greenhouse gases in operation. They reduce or eliminate the need for additional coal fired power stations and large environmentally destructive dams for hydro-power generation. So with a simple choice and for a small cost (50c per day for our family home and my office in Melbourne) at least half of an average household’s CO2 emissions will be prevented.

Choosing a smaller car, or converting its fuel source to LPG, will significantly reduce CO2 emissions on the road. Even better is car pooling, taking public transport, riding a pushbike, or walking.

Probably the most simple, effective and enjoyable way we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions is to plant trees. A growing tree draws carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, releases oxygen and becomes a massive carbon store. Did you know that by planting 100 native mixed species trees (easily done in one day in the country), you can absorb in the order of 20 tonnes of CO2 – roughly matching the emissions generated each year from the home and car(s) of an average Australian family. At the same time you will also tackle soil degradation, improve water quality, provide essential habitat for native wildlife, and foster good will and friendship amongst city and country folk.

To this aim, I invite you to join fellow Templers and others on 24^th October for a community based tree planting activity that is part of a large and ongoing landcare project in southwest Gippsland. For details see page 27.

Paul Haar

Who has not at some time or other felt like an outsider? – Last month’s article by Karin Klingbeil mentioned how people’s attitudes towards, and pigeon-holing of others can damage their relations with fellow human beings. Another aspect to feeling alienated is to do with our natural rather than our social environment – does living ‘virtual’ lives in artificial settings contribute to our feeling disconnected?

Man’s attitude to nature has enormous consequences. Indigenous peoples believe (‘know’) that they belong to the land and take care of it – they live in harmony with it. Western man seeks to dominate it and use nature for personal profit, with not yet much thought for the survival of biodiversity or even his own grandchildren. The results are beginning to haunt us and to make us sick.

It is becoming increasingly clear and accepted that our attitudes – how we perceive and feel about ourselves, our ’neighbours’ and our environment – have a significant influence on our mental health and our physical wellbeing. How our life unfolds is not determined only by external factors – things ‘done to us’ (though some people ‘enjoy’ the victim role). To a greater extent than many people are prepared to acknowledge, we are responsible for what happens to us, because of what we – consciously or unconsciously – choose to think, say and do. This is not to say that everything is our fault, but everything is not someone else’s fault either.

Links are being explored between the current epidemic of self-destructive behaviour (including drugs, alcoholism, suicide, road deaths, careless sexual acts and aggression including road rage) and man’s mindless destruction of the natural environments in which we evolved. Today the majority of us live in radically different, complex, constructed ones. ‘The rate of change of our environment now exceeds the speed with which we can adapt to it through genetically driven evolution… Our bodies have not been built to sit at desks all day. Our brains need the nourishment of nature to whose rhythms and movements our biology still sways.’ (Moore pp. 163-4).

Is it possible or practical for an industrial and commercially compulsive society to retrieve the benefits of contact with nature? (And is there much of nature left?) Are we able to leave ‘our weekday values of competition, purpose and mastery’ behind and simply be present in nature – be still, observe, listen, feel, breathe, heal – rather than doings things to it?

One way nature heals is by showing us examples of commonplace contentment. The widespread anxiety and worrying weakens us and shortens life. Can we trust Life or God enough to ‘consider the lilies of the field and how they grow’?

No bird ever tried to build more nests than its neighbour. No lizard ever fretted because it only had one rock to hide under. No squirrel ever died of anxiety lest it should not lay by enough for two winters instead of one. No dog ever lost any sleep because it didn’t have enough bones buried for its declining years. A peach tree does not wilt because it cannot produce pears. A rose does not regret that it fails to have daffodil blooms. (Partly based on a statement of the U.S. Public Health Service).

Being in nature, not as master but as steward or companion, can remind us of balance, of ‘enough’, of respect for other creatures besides ourselves. It can inspire us to help redress the harm we are doing. perhaps without realizing. By working together we can overcome our sense of alienation from others and from nature and further a sense of harmony and wellbeing in what is a small world after all.

Herta Uhlherr

On 12^th September about 20 people gathered in the comfortable community room at Bayswater to talk about the new community structure – which many think sounds very positive – and the ‘kingdom of God’. We recognize that this term is old-fashioned – these days who takes kingdoms seriously? – but we have not yet found a better one.

Alfred Klink’s reading of a different view of the ‘kingdom of God’ sparked heated debate. His concluding points are printed below to stimulate thought.

Harald Ruff chaired the informal meeting and discovered that ‘chairing’ takes practice; he did well. At the end we agreed that it was okay for us to be on differe

nt ribs of the Templer ‘umbrella’, each connected to our over-arching aim but approaching it from individual viewpoints.

We also talked about our name. Some feel strongly that ‘Society’ projects the wrong image; they suggest e.g. ‘Templer Christian Community Australia’. You may have seen that our new notice boards say ‘Temple Society Australia – an independent Christian Community’, which answers some of the questions people ask about ‘TSA’.

There will need to be wider discussion on this.

Ed.

I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do,
I had to hurry off to work, for bills would soon be due.
I knelt and said a hurried prayer and jumped up off my knees,
My Christian duty was now done, my soul could rest at ease.
The whole day long I had no time to spread a word of cheer,
No time to speak of Christ to friends – they’d laugh at me I fear.
No time, no time, too much to do, that was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need. – Then came the time to die.
I stood before the Lord, eyes down, there in the afterlife,
For in his hands God held a book, it was the book of life.
He looked into his book and said, ‘Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down – but never found the time.’

Annual Meetings – 3^rd October 2004 in Bentleigh

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

The notices and agendas for these meetings were printed in the September Templer Record (pages 7-8). Members would also have received the relevant sets of financial statements in a separate mail-out last month. Further copies of all information can be sent on request and will be made available at the meetings. Proxy forms, for those unable to attend personally, are available from the TSA Office, the various Community Heads and Treasurers, TTHA and the various Community Halls.

The following people have submitted valid nominations to the TSA Office for the various Council/Committee positions available:

Regional Council: Renate Beilharz, __________ (2 positions to be filled)

TTHA: Judith Eppinger, Friedrich Sawatzky, Hermann Sawatzky (3)

Mark Herrmann, Secretary

und wünschen auch allen hier nicht angeführten Geburtstagskindern alles Gute und Schöne zum neuen Lebensjahr.

Während meiner Erholung nach einer Oberschenkelbruch Operation erhielt ich so viele liebe Aufmunterungswünsche per Telefon und Karten, für welche ich mich hier von Herzen bedanken möchte. So langsam findet sich mein Bein wieder zurecht.

Mit herzlichen Dankesgrüssen, Eure Erni Weller

We welcome Elizabeth Hoffmann as a new member and hope she will feel at home among us.

Tanja Weller and Daniel Francome on 22^nd August 2004 in Lille, France.

About 11 young people together with parents and interested grandparents attended a most informative and well presented evening to discuss confirmation.

From all accounts the dinner dance was a very pleasant evening.

The Bible Miniature art exhibition was fascinating – such different styles of treating biblical themes, including the humorous as well as the very imaginative and symbolic; some lovely bright colours, too. Some of us would have loved to take the tiny Hebrew scroll fragment home. We were privileged to be able to exhibit these miniatures. A big thankyou to all the planners and workers involved, especially to Erika English, who had to cope with family illness as well as the dinner dance and the exhibition.

Evensong at Bentleigh was lovely. We note with interest that the Stuttgart Community recently also had an Abendandacht and appreciated the evening atmosphere and all the singing. Their Dankfest and Annual General Meeting are on the first weekend in October, like ours. Ed.

To all my Templer friends in Australia, this is a "thankyou" note to acknowledge the wonderful hospitality extended to me by the TS community in Australia. My visit (Aug 13^th to Sep 5^th) is over and all I can say now is an Australian expression I have learned from you: "Good on you!" I think it has been a mission of goodwill and mutual recognition, respect and exchange. I learned a lot from you and I hope I was able, in my understated way, to provide you with a window to how Israelis these days respect and value what the Templers gave them historically.

The persons who were instrumental in facilitating this venture were the Haerings – Manfred and Minnie, the Blaichs – Horst and Irene, and all those Templer descendants who opened their hearts and doors and spent time with me, sharing their memories and historical data. In Adelaide the Stoll family – Martin, Heather, Pete, Supit, Ann, Lori and Paul, and Rick; Bruno Weinmann (who paid for the return flight from Melb – Adelaide – Melb) and Ted Stoll; in Canberra the Steller family, Jost and Julie; in Sydney the Stellers, Herbert and Ruth (both the Stellers for accommodation etc), and back to Melbourne: Charlotte Laemmle-Ruff, husband Tilmann and children Kristian & Ingrid, Hans Wennagel and his wife Kristin and children Karl and Martin. Hugo and Hanno Wennagel who were a great source of admiration and inspiration; Helmut Ruff with his accurate and wide historical knowledge; Paul Haar, Dieter Blaich and the Loeberts – Manfred and Johanna, architects who carry on the Templer architectural tradition. Also in Melbourne, Dr Schreiber, Christa Koumas (née Blessing) Alfred and Ursula Klink, Olga Hoersch, Herta and Hermann Uhlherr, Helga Anderson and Gerhard Beilharz. The persons who provided a warm welcome and introduction to the historic section of Melbourne – Helmut and Lorraine Glenk. I also had a very interesting lunch with Bertha Gunthner, whose life story about her brother-in-law Willy deserves a special documentation. I met Hans Pisch, Charlotte Dravenicks, Reinhold & Gusti Orth (we went to Healesville) and their son Hansi with family and, of course, enthusiastic Dr Rolf Beilharz. While in Australia I was also able to taste kangaroo meat.

In Sydney I met Klaus Peter Hoffmann. I told him that when I started my research I never dreamed that one day I would be talking to the great-grandson of Christoph Hoffmann. We talked for hours and I promised him to do more documentation of the Templers' human story in the future – a remarkable person. Others I was able to communicate with in Sydney were Hartmut Beck, Elly Steller (Eugen & Hugo), Gudrun Knodler née Steller, and Manfred Schnerring.

My visit was organized meticulously by Manfred Haering who planned it by the hour for each day and it all turned out exactly as planned. The number of persons I met, and the new information I gathered were outstanding. When I presented my study in Sydney and Melbourne, I sensed a high level of close attention and interest, and there was an exchange of information while the presentations were in progress. I left Australia with a great sense of satisfaction and achievement.

Thank you, my Templer friends, and apologies to all those Templers whom I have not mentioned; the intensity and density of events probably made me forget some names. Danny Goldman

Dr Danny Goldman’s visit to the Sydney Community on 22^nd August was a day to remember. Sixty people attended Danny’s presentation about the former Templer settlements. He spoke on the architectural aspects of the old historic houses, changes that were made to some of them and on the present occupants. It is obvious that he is very knowledgeable on the subject of our former colonies, and welcomes any information such as pictures, building plans and names of builders. The older members, some with vivid recollections of their youth, provided Danny with valuable information which will help in the reconstruction of this jigsaw puzzle, Israel’s restoration of historic Templer homes. The day was a fascinating experience. Our thanks go to Dr Goldman for his efforts and his time in coming to Sydney, and to Manfred & Minnie Haering, who made it all possible, Also thanks to Herbert & Ruth Steller and Jost & Julie Steller, the two families who hosted the visitors.

Annual Members Meeting

Seventeen members attended our Annual Members’ Meeting on 12^th September. We were 3 members short of a quorum but a unanimous show of hands allowed us to continue with the meeting. The various reports were tabled, questions were answered and discussion on the relevant points took place. There were no committee members retiring by rotation. Our thanks go to Alfred Meyer for his many years of service as auditor, but he is unable to continue because of ill health, we wish him well. Hanni Steller was voted in as auditor for the year 2004-2005. There are plans for a focus group to be set up for young peoples’ activities, the Committee and Frauenverein to support any initiative by Emmy Simmer & Ingrid Turner.

Book reading and discussion afternoon in German

Seit dem Herbst 2000 unterrichtete Margret Greiner zwei Jahre lang als Lehrerin am "Schmidt’s Girls College" in Ost-Jerusalem. Dort lebte sie in einem Beziehungsgeflecht von jüdischen Freunden und palästinensischen Mädchen mit deren Familien, wobei sie tagtäglich die unsichtbare Grenze zwischen den verfeindeten Nachbarn überschritt.

Über ihre Gratwanderung hat sie in dem Buch "Miss, wie buchstabiert man Zukunft?" (Piper Verlag 2003) berichtet. Darin führt sie die Leserinnen und Leser hinein in den politischen und kulturellen Konflikt, in den Alltag Jerusalems, der von Gewalt und Gegengewalt geprägt ist, aber auch von dem Bemühen der Menschen, die Hoffnung auf eine friedliche Zukunft nicht aufzugeben.

‘Sie schreibt auf eine ausgesprochen ausgewogene Weise’ sagt Karin Klingbeil, die auch auf den Rückblick in der Mai Warte hinweist.

Frau Grainer liest aus ihrem Buch, dann folgt eine Diskussion. Mittwoch 13. Oktober um 14.00 Uhr mit Kaffee & Kuchen im Gemeindehaus Meadowbank.

Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

Due to bad weather and sickness our Saal in August fell through.

Our next Saal is on 10^th October in Tanunda at 2pm.

Rose Asenstorfer

2005 Summer Camp will be on from Sunday 9^th to Sunday 16^th January 2005. Booking and information forms will be available from the TSA Office from October onwards. This is a great opportunity for the next Confirmation group to get to know each other. Please ring Susi for any other information.

I am looking for interested people to go on summer camp as leaders. Please ring me asap if you can help out.

Susi Blackwell

HELLO EVERYONE

As I write this article I’m lying in my bed suffering chicken pox! Who, at 19, gets the chicken pox?? Well, as it turns out lots of people (the secretary at the doctor’s office, and both my bosses) have had chicken pox when they’re older and it ain’t pleasant – in fact the older you are the worse it gets. I know I’ve gone stir crazy from the itchiness but add to that nausea, headaches, a sore throat and a really sore skin and it’s little wonder that everyone always says ‘you don’t want chicken pox when you’re older’. At any rate I’m slowly getting better now and hoping like anything that I don’t scar!

But believe it or not I’m not here to whinge about being sick (just ask my friends - I’ve done that enough!) rather I wanted to chat about that very awesome German festival that is traditionally held at the end of September, but is called Oktoberfest . As vice-president of the German Club at Monash Uni (Clayton) Oktoberfest has really been on my mind as the committee is in the throes of organising our biggest event for the year. Oktoberfest is one of those reasons where you realise how lucky you are to be German or at least have German heritage – what other country has a huge celebration devoted solely to beer drinking???? The expression "crazy Germans" comes to mind, but hey, I’m one of them so, so what?

Birthday wishes to Thomas Wagner, Dayne Ruff, Nikki Imberger, Ingrid Laemmle-Ruff, Marcus English, Emma Irving, Garrett Lark, Michael Rigato, Samantha Imberger and Liesl Sawatzky.

Cheers guys!

Tania Richter

Are you enjoying your school holidays? Do you think it would be as good if you did not have your eyesight? Have you ever thought about how important your eyes are to you? What would it be like to go through life blind? In our next story you will see why the man worshipped Jesus.

He could not see flowers, people or anything. He had been blind ever since he was born. But something special happened to this blind man: Jesus saw him.

Jesus did something strange. He spat on dirt and made some mud. Then he put the mud on the man’s eyes. "Go wash your eyes," said Jesus.

The man did what Jesus said. He washed off the mud and looked around. He could see! And the man worshipped Jesus.

During the weekend get someone to tie a scarf around your head, covering your eyes, and try and go about your normal day. It will not take you long to realize how helpless you are without your eyes. (When doing this activity, please make sure you have someone with you all the time so that you don’t get hurt.)

‘How to be Taller’ by Stan Dupp
‘A terrible Nightmare’ by Gladys Over
‘Close Shave’ by Ray Zerr
‘How to be Shorter’ by Neil Down
‘Strong winds’ by Gail Force
‘The Invisible Man’ by Peter Out
‘Up the Amazon’ by P. Rhana
‘Infectious Diseases’ by Willie Catchit
‘Exercise at Home’ by Ben Dan Stretch Till next month, Moni Imberger

Liebe Freunde Dear Friends

Die Ordentliche Mitglieder Versammlung von Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged findet statt am 11. Oktober 2004 in der Templer Halle, 41a Elizabeth St Bayswater 3153, um 10.30 Uhr.

Alle Mitglieder der beiden Dachorganisationen sind dazu herzlich eingeladen. Wir brauchen ein ‘quorum’ von mindestens 30 (15 TSA & 15 AGWS Mitglieder). Proxies zählen da nicht. Trotzdem können Mitglieder sich durch ein proxy Formular vertreten lassen.

Finanz Berichte können ab 1. Oktober von Dr Schreiber aufgefordert werden.

1. Anwesenheit
2. Entschuldigungen
3. Protokoll der 2003 AGM
4. Jahresbericht des CoM
5. Kassenbericht
6. Bericht des Buchprüfers
7. Wahlen für 2004/05
8. Allgemeines

The Annual General Meeting of the TTHA will take place on Saturday, 16^th October at 10.30am in the Templer Hall, 41a Elizabeth St Bayswater 3153.

All members of both parent organisations are invited to attend. The president of the Committee of Mangement and the CEO of the Home will report on the achievements of the past year and there will be financial and auditor’s reports. And, of course, you can ask questions.

The TTHA puts out a green and yellow circular for residents and relatives. This circular provides information to residents, staff members, relatives and friends about important events, future activities and excursions, as well as about birthdays and other more personal news. It is put together by staff members with a lot of love and care and provides welcome reading for relatives and friends.

Many activities and events enjoy the benefit of help from volunteers, and our staff members are very thankful for this kind of help. Right now we urgently need some volunteer help at reception during weekends to welcome visitors and help them find their way to the persons they want to visit. In most cases it is enough to bring them into contact with one of the nurses who will be somewhere in the Home, the help will be to find a nurse or other staff member. If you are willing to volunteer for this not very difficult job, please contact Dr Schreiber. We would appreciate your help very much.

A further request: We would like to improve the inner courtyard of the Otto Löbert Home by planting flowers and bushes and perhaps installing a water fountain. Do we have some gardening friends who would be prepared to make a special donation for this purpose? Your assistance will be very much appreciated, just as we thank you for your understanding of our repeated appeals to your generosity.
With kind regards,

Walter Schuetz, Vice-president TTHA

Parents are invited to have their babies presented before God and the community. Please contact the Office asap if you haven’t already done so.

Everyone is invited to Saal followed by afternoon tea and friendly conversation.

Bentleigh ladies please bring a cake to share. The following ladies are rostered to help on the day and are asked to be at the hall by 2.45p.m. to set up.

Gretel Krockenberger, Charlotte and Ingrid Laemmle-Ruff, Christine Leschinski, Monika Maddock, Marianne Neve, Barbara Imberger-Sonntag, Ursula Paton, Fiona Paton, Heidi, Tania and Monika Richter.

Helga Anderson

Everyone is welcome. Saal will begin at 11.00am.

For lunch after the service, soup will be provided. Please bring something to eat with the soup, and some ‘afternoon tea’ to share. Tea, coffee, milk will be provided.

Please let us know by Thursday 28^th October if you are coming – (evenings are best).

Directions: ask when you ring or contact the TSA Office for a map.

Helmut & Ilse Beilharz

The next Gippsland service will be held at the home of Heinz and Kathy Bulach in Tynong on Sunday 7^th November at 11am.

The service will be followed by a communal lunch. Everyone is cordially invited. Heinz and Kathy look forward to welcoming you to their home.

Please bring a friend or two and some food to share. Tea and coffee supplied. BYO plates, cups and cutlery.

Helga Anderson

Come to a line dancing evening and be taught by a professional line dancer. Beginners and experienced line dancers will be catered for. Doors will open from 5.30pm onwards for a 6.00pm start. We will dance until 8.00pm and then conclude with supper. Please bring a plate of savoury or sweet food to share.

Whilst booking is not essential, it would help with organising, especially if you are experienced and would like to request favourite dances. So please call Erika English.

Line dancing is for young and old, you don't need a partner, so come along and try it out. Comfortable shoes are recommended. Tea and coffee will be provided.

Doors open 5.30pm and dancing commences at 6pm

Ba-Bo Community

If you are able to come, even if it’s only for an hour, you will be very welcome. Jobs may include general cleaning of the hall including cupboards (any buckets and cleaning equipment would be appreciated) …and possibly some old favourites such as pruning, mulching, sanding, painting may also be attempted depending on numbers available. If you have some tools that are appropriate to these jobs then please bring them along too.

Tea and coffee will be available throughout the morning and our customary lunch consisting of a sausage sizzle and some drinks will follow the working bee. See you there!

Tony Beilharz, for the Ba-Bo Community

At our August meeting (with lovely pictures of the Klinks’ visit to America) we met Danny Goldman with his ‘shopping list’ of people to interview. September – the wall-hanging project and upcoming creative workshops sound fascinating.

The October meeting is on Tuesday 19^th in the community room from 1.30pm to around 3.00pm. Dr Peter Uhlherr will show us slides of orchids including native ones. Everyone is welcome.

Herta Uhlherr, for the Ba-Bo Ladies

Flower Roster – 10.10 Presentation – Gisela Sawatzky, Birgit Verhagen

Well, we have all had a long, too long break from the monthly hikes, and it is long overdue to start the exercise again. Thank you to everyone for your best wishes and I have long recovered and am looking forward to hiking with you all again.

This month the hike will be held at Mt Evelyn Forest. This forest is much drier than the rest of the mountains, as it is located in the rain-shadow of Mt Dandenong. Box stringybark woodlands dominate most of the forest and these open-canopied medium-height trees allow a lot of light on to the forest floor. Hence there are a lot of shrubs, bushes and wildflowers.

Remember to bring your lunch, as we will be stopping half way through the walk for lunch. Also, please bring plenty of water, as none is usually available in the park. Details are as follows:

The Powlett Landcare Project invites you to a planting day in the Archies Creek Valley of Southwest Gippsland, to assist in the connective revegetation of wildlife corridors along the Archies Creek. This further planting on the grazing property of Geoff Owens will build on the fantastic work done by the Archies Creek Reafforestation Group over the last 15 years, and will protect the stream bank from erosion pressures. Your participation in this community planting would be greatly appreciated.

Please contact me if you’d like to come along and ‘make a difference’ on this occasion.

Tree planting is not hard yakka – its a great activity for kids of all ages, as well as for elderly people who don’t mind walking up and down hills a bit.

After tree planting finishes, I will be very happy to lead anyone interested on a walk through variously aged planting sites in the Archies Creek Valley, to witness the prompt, impressive and ongoing role that nature plays in restoring ecological balance, following community based reafforestation activity.

Paul Haar

Roma Schultz from the Goethe Institute and Frau Elke Kessler, wife of the German Consul General, held a delightful evening in Bentleigh some time ago. Now they are coming to Bayswater – an opportunity for German conversation.

They will speak about the bestselling book in Germany Moppel ich and about the anxiety around reducing fat – very topical not only for individual women but for a government that must cut costs, including in the welfare sector. These ladies speak in an entertaining, light-hearted way.

German teachers and students could find this evening of interest, too. Please tell your friends and colleagues.

Everyone is welcome.

Herta Uhlherr

BUS TRIP TO GEELONG – Wednesday 27^th October

The bus will leave Bayswater TTHA at 8.30 a.m. and Bentleigh Hall at 9.15 a.m. We will be travelling across the Westgate Bridge to Geelong. There we will take in the sights of the beautiful foreshore and visit the Botanical Gardens, followed by a delicious buffet style lunch at Smorgy’s Restaurant situated on Cunningham Pier overlooking Corio Bay. After lunch we drive along the Esplanade and look at some of the old, restored homes of Geelong and visit the historical homestead of Barwon Grange.

The cost is $30.50 per person (min. 40 people) or $32.50 per person (35-39 people) and includes Smorgy’s lunch, entry to Barwon Park, morning tea and sightseeing.

Please book with me by 17^th October.

Helga Anderson

A day activity program for mature aged German-speakers is being run at Tabulam and Templer Homes. People interested in attending should contact the Home.

I would also like to hear from anyone who could help us out with the program. We always like to have helpers who can speak and understand German and are interested in working with us making things, playing games or transporting clients to and from the Home. Please contact the numbers above if you are interested.

Thank you.

Birgit Hoefer and Erica Megele

Just a note reminding you to take part in the working bee commencing at 9am at the Bentleigh Hall.

We have planned the usual lawn mowing and garden maintenance and a few small building maintenance jobs. 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 morning tea will again be the festive event we have come to expect.

For further details contact me.

Theo Richter for the Be/Mo Community

The Templer Choir is contributing to this year’s Remembrance Day service on Sunday 14^th November. Arrangements for bus transport to and from Tatura, together with lunch at the Hilltop Golf Club and a visit to the local museum, are being made.

Members and friends – including choir people – intending to utilise the bus (with pickup in either Bayswater or Bentleigh) and/or lunch at the golf club must formally book with the TSA Office by Friday 29^th October. Bus costs, depending on numbers participating, are likely to be upwards of $25 per person.

Mark Herrmann, Business Manager

Yes, it’s that time of year again. It’s time to get out your diaries and fill in the dates, plan which activities and celebrations you can manage towards the end of the year and most importantly mark in choir practices!!!! The ladies advent celebration will take place in Bentleigh on Sunday 5^th December at 2.30pm and we will be forming a female choir as in the past.

Choir practices commence on Wednesday 20^th October at 8pm in the Bentleigh Hall. There will only be six rehearsals in all, so it is important that you try to attend regularly. There will be no rehearsal on Wednesday 10^th November. As always we would love to welcome new singers of all ages. This might be the perfect mother/daughter or aunt/niece/friend activity for you. Please do consider it!

Please also give some thought to contributing to this community celebration. We welcome help on the day, but we also request Christmas cookies and handicrafts for the bazaar, prize donations for the raffle, cakes, as well as help on the day setting up and cleaning up. Further details will be in the November TR, but we just wanted to remind everyone!

Ring us, please, if you have any questions.

Annette Wagner-Hesse

Hello friends,

The steering Committee driving this project has a few more challenges for you! We are looking for a snappy name for our project – some very clever ones have been suggested but you out there might have an even better idea! Some suggestions so far are ‘Fabric of Society – The Templer Journey’ and ‘Fabric Glimpses of the Templer Journey’. Let the TSA Office know of your thoughts! We need your support and input to make a success of our project.

At the recent Steering Committee meeting, we decided that a CONCEPT group needed to be formed and they have met. We have such a rich history that often the hardest task is to know where to begin and what to leave out!

Helga Jürgensen and Erica Herrmann had each drawn up their interpretations of the overall design and Horst Blaich suggested a historical time line be set up across the concept. This was done. Symbols, icons and representations of our history were also discussed. Do you have ideas of things we can’t possibly leave out? Let us know soon.

Workshops in machine embroidery and felting are organized for 16^th October and 6^th November, so we are well on the way. Irene Bouzo is assisting us in preparing an application for a continuing grant for next year.

Helga Jürgensen and I spent a busy, cold weekend in Tasmania recently, looking at the ‘Yarns’ panels. Talking to the women who were directly involved in the project 10 years ago, you would think they had only just finished the project last week! The passion, the memories, the laughter and the tears that the project elicited in all the participants were still so strong in their memory. The whole town is rightly proud of their achievements as a community and in providing a historical record of the town’s progress in ‘Yarns’, a huge, four-panel tapestry in silk and machine embroidery, now hanging in the specially built Deloraine Museum.

A community project can only be as valuable as the community who participates in it! We have a rich history, deserving of being captured in fabrics and threads, to share with the Knox Community, in which such a large number of Templers reside. Have a go at learning new skills and meeting a different group of people! Our expert consultant is Lesley Uren. You don’t need any expertise to join in! We look forward to your continued support and interest!

Bookings required – please phone Helga Jürgensen who will give you more details. See also p. 36 in Sept TR.

Renate Weber, on behalf of the Steering Concept and Design Group

On a regular basis I try to inform members of the Temple Society what has been happening at Bayswater.

If you visit the hall, you will notice a number of improvements around the hall and community chapel. Firstly, if driving along Elizabeth Street, you will see

These improvements all occurred thanks to the dedication and great input of volunteers under the supervision of the hard-working leadership of Tony Beilharz and Manfred Decker.

In the future, it is planned that

To experience these changes personally, do come to the working bees and share in the pride of a job well done.

Resi Schwarzbauer, on behalf of the Ba-Bo Committee

A CD of Dr Danny Goldman¹s Architecture Thesis ‘The Architecture of the Templers in their Colonies in Eretz-Israel, 1868-1948, and their Settlements in the United States, 1860-1925 (Book of 561 pages and 457 photos, diagrams and maps) is being produced for sale to those interested in this subject.

Please contact Erika English for your order. Cost of CD plus postage and GST will be $20.00. Please make cheques payable to the Temple Society Australia and send to the TSA Office Bentleigh. It is anticipated that the CD will be posted just before Christmas, so please put your order in now.

Should anyone intend to send a voice or video tape to Israel, be aware that the tape should be wrapped in silver aluminum foil, then packed, because the stringent security measures in Israel will most likely wipe out your recordings, if they are not foil protected. We thought it important to let you know, as we have had this problem recently.

The response to Dr Danny Goldman¹s presentations and visit was fantastic. We had numerous letters, e-mails and phone calls saying how they appreciated Danny¹s presentation, his knowledge of our history and his deep understanding of the Templer mentality.

One example:

A video of Dr Danny Goldman’s ‘Templer Architecture’ presentation will be made available. If you are interested in obtaining this video please contact Manfred Haering.

Horst Blaich, for the Heritage Group

One of the most impressive success stories in the sweet world of pastry cooks is that of Erica Specialties. This remarkable story, from its humble beginnings as a husband-and-wife start-up in the 1950s to a large mechanised manufacturing enterprise with a strong toehold on the food industry Australia-wide and offshore, tells of an adventure in hard work and ingenious innovation.

Melbourne is well recognized as one of the world’s great multicultural cities. The story of Erica Specialties recognizes and celebrates the cultural, economic and social benefits brought to the Victorian community by immigrant families such as the Templers.

The story of how one German immigrant, Hans-Jürgen Kirchner, found his fortune in a niche market of the Australian food industry in the 1950s captivates the reader. It twists and turns, sometimes in unexpected ways. Kirchner, with the help of his brother-in-law, Hans Richter, transformed a small cake shop in Brighton into a thriving enterprise that distributed specialty pastries Australia-wide. It is a remarkable success story of the ‘accidental pastry cooks.’ We find inspiration in their business philosophy. When another German immigrant, Hermann Bieg, and Richter’s son, Peter, joined the business, they too preserved the traditional family ethics of fairness, honesty and loyalty in a rapidly changing economic climate. Hard work, innovative thinking and nothing less than perfectionism made ‘Erica’ grow more than 50 times its original size from 1957 to 1999.

When Hans Richter first approached me to write the story of his work in the family business, I wasn’t sure what the end result would be. He had a pile of documents about the company for me to research. A series of discussions, interviews and audiotape recordings followed. I visited each partner in his home where we worked together. They told their stories and I was their writer. Many hours of taped interviews had to be transcribed word for word. Three distinct personalities emerged, each with his own charm and charisma, each with his special strengths.

The richness of this book lies in the fact that it represents one of the most exciting eras in the history of the Victorian economy. Anyone who has lived in Australia from the 1950s to the 1990s will recognize elements of their own life stories in The Gingerbread Men of Moorabbin.

The final draft of the book is going to print soon. It is a private family project, so only limited copies will be produced. Anyone interested in purchasing the book is invited to register with either Hans Richter in order to help ascertain the number of copies required. The anticipated cost will be around $35 for a hard cover book of over 100 pages with many colour pictures.

Irene Bouzo

I am currently researching the Templer families who migrated from Palestine to German East Africa (Deutsch Ost Afrika) in the late 1890s and early 20^th Century and their contribution in this area. The German influence began in this area in 1884 when a German, Carl Peters, obtained treaties over parts of the country and the German Government declared it a protectorate. During the early 20^th century German East Africa enjoyed a period of economic expansion. It was during this time that a number of Templer families migrated there from Palestine. During World War I German East Africa was captured by the Allied forces and after the war it was divided by the League of Nations into several mandates. Britain was given most of the former German area and renamed Tanganyika (known as Tanzania today), Belgium was given the Ruanda-Urundi segment (now known as Rwanda and Burundi) and a small area around Kionga was ceded to the Portugese.

Very little has been recorded by the Templers about this venture which at that time created considerable debate within the Templer communities in Palestine. Although the Templers did not establish a formal community in Africa, they did live very close to each other. Their ‘settlement‘ was known as ‘Usa’ after the River Usa which flowed past their land holdings.

I propose to write a short book on this part of the Templer history and would be pleased if anyone with any information on this period and subject would contact me. Also, if you are aware of any descendants from families who may have lived or visited German East Africa, would you please give me a contact name or telephone number.

I can be contacted by email - hglenk1@optusnet.com.au or post – PO Box 152, Ringwood East, Vic, 3135.

Helmut Glenk

Joh. Peter Hebel

Mit der Freude zieht der Schmerz
Traulich durch die Zeiten,
Schwere Stürme, milde Weste,
Bange Sorgen, frohe Feste
Wandeln sich zur Seiten.
Gebe denn, der über uns
Wägt mit rechter Waage,
Jedem Sinn für seine Freuden,
Jedem Mut für seine Leiden
In die neuen Tage!
Jedem auf des Lebens Pfad
Einen Freund zur Seite,
Ein zufriedenes Gemüte,
Und zu stiller Herzensgüte
Hoffnung ins Geleite.

Life has joy and sorrow,
calm and stormy days.
May the One who
watches over all
let us be open to joy,
be courageous in suffering,
have a friend by our side,
be content, quietly kind
and able to hope.

H.U.

LABELLING PEOPLE IS DANGEROUS

Mark 6:1-6 tells the story of Jesus’ visit to his home town of Nazareth. His astonished relatives and friends ask how come he travels round the country, teaching and healing. We read ‘they took offence at him’, in other words, they took exception to what they considered his presumptuousness, and did not believe that he could do what was reported of him.
This rejection by his home town resulted in his not being able to do a single ‘mighty deed’ in Nazareth and noting resignedly: ‘A prophet is not without honour except in his home town, among his relations and his own family.’

This situation is surely familiar. On occasion we, too, have probably had similar thoughts: how come this person is holding forth about things he or she can’t possibly have any idea about?! Isn’t it often the case that – regardless of how little or how much we know about someone – we put them into a pigeonhole, as it were, labelling them according to a quite specific preconceived notion we have formed of them. Mostly this is a purely emotional reaction, without our being really aware of it happening.

We each have our strengths and weaknesses and usually we know what they are, for instance when we say we can’t sing, can’t draw, can’t remember names. Do we realize that we are actually setting up mental blocks by doing this? If we persuade ourselves that we can’t do something, we’ll never really attempt to give it a go.

It’s exactly the same with our relationship with other people. Once I have formed the opinion that I just can’t get along with a particular person, then every encounter will turn out to be very difficult. And that’s the problem: we don’t only create barriers for ourselves and so prevent capacities from developing in us – what is much more serious is if our behaviour is the cause of other people’s feeling hemmed in and diminished.

This can already happen at school. There are teachers who put such narrow labels on some students that the latter cannot escape from these for as long as they have dealings with that teacher. A terrible consequence is that such a teacher assessment can often lead to mental blockages in the students that can be unblocked only with the greatest difficulty. For a long time I myself was convinced that I was no good at maths and naturally my marks reflected this. It got to the point where my last hope was private tuition, which I was given by a fellow student. When he said to me, ‘Look, you understand this stuff, so why do you hand in such rotten assignments?’ my self-confidence rose. When, on top of that, a new maths teacher came to our school, this subject was suddenly no longer a problem for me.

At issue are these mental blocks which build up and exert a greater or lesser negative influence. They affect study and one’s engagement with the subject and stifle any latent interest in a topic right from the start. Their most damaging effect, however, is on our human interactions. Each of us knows how it feels to be told: you’re not suited to that, you can’t do this, you don’t do it accurately enough, your work is too sloppy, you’re too clumsy, you don’t know enough, we don’t want you in the group – and all the other ways we can be rejected. Even if such criticism were true, it would be worth considering whether it would not be better to accept a perhaps not quite perfect contribution rather than hurt the person by excluding them – after all, they want to participate, to help, to be involved. There’s absolutely no telling what that could mean to people: they will then feel included, needed, accepted, and as though they belong. They feel they are taken seriously as a person.

One consequence of the ‘labelling mentality’ is that it is extremely difficult to let go of a fixed, preconceived notion once we have ‘categorized’ a person, or have become imprisoned in a certain role ourselves. Try as we might, we just keep slipping back into the same rut. This is true in the positive as well as the negative sense. A good friend or someone we love is forgiven and excused many things, while in a person we’ve put a negative label on, the exact same inappropriate behaviour is considered to be very bad. Then we are no longer in a position to judge objectively; instead we see everything they do as either good or bad according to our preconceived ideas. This can go on year after year, and any changes that may have occurred in them in the meantime are just not registered.

This characteristic of human interaction was what led to Jesus’ rejection in his home town – the real theme of our gospel text. Similar behaviour is enacted countless times a day all over the world. So it is good to become aware of why this happens and to make an effort, again and again, to meet the people around us without prejudice.

To think about: Is there someone in your life who, ages ago, when they were young and thoughtless, said something to you that has skewed your view of them so that you can’t see they have now grown up and become wiser and kinder? Can you at last let the hurt and resentment go and lay down the old burden? It’s spring – time for renewal, for new growth.

Ed

Regional Matters

Templer Record

The October Templer Record needs to be done earlier, so contributors please have your material in the TSA Office and with the editor by 16^th September.

On 20^th April 2004 a direct credit was made to the TSA bank account with no accompanying details. We don’t know who made this deposit (Membership Contribution, TR subscription??). Please contact the TSA Office if you made such a transaction.

The Elders currently serving in the Temple Society are Dr Rolf Beilharz, Renate Beilharz, Mark Herrmann, Theo Richter, Dr Peter, Hermann and Herta Uhlherr, Hulda Wagner, Ilse Birkner, Alfred Klink, Renate Weber, Harald and Christine Ruff, Hennig Imberger, Kurt Beilharz, Christa Lingham.

Dr Geoff McCallum and Annette Wagner-Hesse are on leave.

Sydney – Hartmut Beck, Werner Ehmann, Ingrid Turner.

SA – Ulrich Asenstorfer.

At an Elders’ discussion evening on 13^th August we heard Care Worker Helga Anderson’s report on her visit to the TGD. Work on the Saal roster for 2005 is beginning.

Procedures for the bereavement line and funeral services were discussed and it was noted that Catholic and Anglican ministers are paid $150 for funeral services. (Are weddings more or less work? Certainly more joyous). As times and the circumstances of individual Elders change, does the Temple Society need to charge for the above services? Elders would still have the option of lowering or waiving a fee, but should probably have the chance to be paid for their time and, at the very least, to cover their costs.

Our focus should not be just on the aged. The Temple Society could consider supporting or sponsoring young people with special talents or gifts, or perhaps an art or music initiative, with a certain sumamount each year – part of getting better known in the wider community. (To be explored further).

There is progress on the CDs of piano music for the hymnbook.

Herta Uhlherr, for the Elders.

The following are some of the items discussed at the August meeting:

Ralph Richter, for the Regional Council

As you should be aware, the Community Structure Working Party (CSWP) has been developing a proposed new structure for the TSA. As the first concrete steps of this process, we intend to set up a small number of trial Focus Groups as a "proof of concept" for the work undertaken to date.

To that end, we are seeking expressions of interest from members willing to assist in finalising the resources required for the establishment of the Property Management Focus Group. Ideally, you should have interests and/or skills relevant to the many aspects associated with property management, particularly those applicable to the TSA’s properties.

The aims and expectations of the Property Management Focus Group are:

The purpose of this expression of interest is to expand on the draft Operational Guidelines, Project Register and budgets developed to date to provide resources of sufficient detail to fully define "the who, what, when and where" of TSA property management for the pilot Property Management Focus Group to be established. It is anticipated that this process would consist of only a small number of informal meetings.

Manfred Decker, for the Community Structure Working Party

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

Please note the times and read the individual notices below carefully. Proxy and nomination forms, whilst not included with every member’s circular, are readily available from the TSA Office, the various Community Heads and Treasurers, Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged and the various Community Halls. Upon enquiry, the necessary forms can be sent to you for completion.

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 2004 will be held in the Templer Hall at 152 Tucker Road, Bentleigh, Victoria on Sunday 3 October 2004 commencing at 9:45 am.

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

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 2004. It will be held in the Templer Hall at 152 Tucker Road, Bentleigh, Victoria on Sunday 3 October 2004 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

3.4 Auditor for the Central Fund was Mr. Keith Jopp of Keith Jopp & Co. 

R.G. Beilharz – Regional Head

Eleven services were held in the Sydney Community. Sydney elders conducting Saal were Werner Ehmann and Hartmut Beck. Guest speakers from Melbourne were Ilse Birkner in July, Kurt Beilharz in October and Herta Uhlherr in March this year.

Twenty-four members attended our Annual Meeting on 25/8/2003; council members retiring by rotation were duly re-elected, newly elected was Johanna Steller. Hartmut Beck was elected chairman for another two years. The community council consists of Herbert Steller (treasurer), Ernie Weller (secretary), Erika Schulz (Frauenverein) Manfred Schnerring, Hanni Steller, Emmy Simmer, Hartmut Beck (chairman).

Our annual family picnic at Nurragingy Reserve on 12^th October was a very pleasant get-together of families and friends. Although down in numbers from last year, 39 persons including children made the effort to attend in not-so-perfect weather. The kids played while the parents and grandparents prepared the food for lunch. The afternoon was spent in good company with tea, coffee and cake, kids met up with each other and played, relatives and friends caught up with the latest, a raffle was also held which added to the fun, and – oh yes, a quick shower of rain as we were about to head for home.

We had two deaths. Guenther Schulz, husband of Erika Schulz, passed away on 8. 12. 2003. Erika has asked Hanni Steller to take over the Frauenverein for her until September, to give her time to come to terms with her very sad loss. The funeral service was conducted by H. Beck

Another shock to the community was the sudden passing of Heinz Beilharz on 10.1. 2004; the funeral service was conducted by H. Beck and Dr. R. Beilharz.

Our October Saal and slide afternoon attracted 28 members and an interesting afternoon it was. Kurt Beilharz held the service and Horst Blaich presented his Wilhelma slide show, to which some of our older members added their recollections. It was a very relaxed and interesting afternoon listening to both speakers.

The annual Frauenverein Bazaar was held in our church hall on Saturday 22^nd November. The day began with rain and more rain. The usual tarpaulin was erected near the rear exit, where the BBQ and food serving tables were located. Inside, tables with items for sale were set up with a range of foods – cakes, jams, cookies, etc. Arts and craft were also on display and for sale and for the second year a Kids’ table was staffed and run by the younger generation.

Despite the weather, an amazing number of members and visitors managed to attend. The Frauenverein and its members under the leadership of Erika Schulz once again demonstrated how a community can successfully work and play together.

Our Christmas Service was once again a musical delight, the children showed their talents in a nativity play, followed by individual performances on various instruments; our thanks to the organizers, Jenny Hoffmann and Emmy Simmer, for their efforts.

The Bus Trip to Lake Macquarie and Dobell House on 1^st May was again organized by the Frauenverein. The bus took us to the small township of Wangi Wangi, where the home of the painter Sir William Dobell stands on the shores of the lake. The guide gave us a comprehensive account of the artist’s life, and we viewed copies of some of his best works. It was a very pleasant outing. Our thanks go to Hanni Steller for organizing this outing.

Finally, thank you to all who attended and contributed in any way to our activities over the past year. Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

Ulrich und Rose Asenstorfer

Central West Group – report next month

Last year’s Spring get-together was held at the later date of 2^nd November and at a new venue – the Hapke’s property in Upper Beaconsfield. Their well-enclosed new rotunda in a lovely garden setting proved to be the ideal place for both our Saal and the shared lunch plus afternoon tea. Kurt Beilharz conducted a thought-provoking service, which was accompanied by some beautiful tape-recorded music. The atmosphere was further enhanced by the delightful singing of the birds in the surrounding trees. Close to 20 people came. Intermittent misty drizzle did not deter us from a lengthy walking tour of the extensive gardens and grounds. Many thanks to Uli, Brigitte and Peter for sharing their lovely surroundings with us! A most enjoyable day!

Our Summer Saal in February had to be cancelled as a result of a double-booking of our usual venue in Cowes. However, Harald and Esther Gassmann assure us that this venue will be available again for our next summer get-together in February, 2005. We would be very pleased if the numerous Templers with holiday homes in the Phillip Island, Cape Paterson, etc. would join us along with other Templers who live in South and West Gippsland! The nearby beaches are great for walks and children’s games, so, Kids’ Club and young families, as well as all others, why don’t you come along?

Our next function will be held at Heinz and Kath Bulach’s scenic property in Tynong in November. Please mark this date on your calendar and look out for more details in coming TR’s. Hope to see you there!! Marie-Anne Beilharz

The TSA Youth Program continues to function even though our greatest challenge this year has been to find people to help out with existing activities and programs. My volunteer list is still looking quite sparse. A very huge thankyou to people who have helped out with the youth program in any way over the last 12 months – your assistance has been invaluable and much appreciated!

YARG – The Youth Activities Resource Group has been meeting regularly every 1-3 months, depending on the need to discuss youth activities and associated issues. Currently they are looking at the implementation of the new TSA structure and how best this can be achieved and applied to youth activities. Currently, under the Youth Focus Group we have four interest groups: Playgroup, Kids’ Club, Teenage Group and Youth Groups, which run independently, yet are linked together under the Youth Focus Group and under the care and supervision of the Community Youth Coordinator and the YARG. We are still looking for more participants willing to help with these four interest groups. If anyone is interested, please contact me as soon as possible.

Kids’ Club

As always KC has enjoyed monthly activities, often linked with existing TSA functions such as Sommerfest, services and Sunday School and Sonnwendfeier. Some of the year’s highlights were: the Horse riding camp at Mill Valley Ranch, Sommerfest games, Sonnwendfeier lantern parade, Anakie Fairy Park and the annual fantastic Kids’ Club camp at the Briars (where at one point we had over 80 people in attendance!!). Since the beginning of this year KC has also had some new faces joining its organising committee - welcome to Michelle, Anita, Birgit and Manfred. This committee is also talking about the implementation of the new TSA structure and how Kids’ Club fits into this and what its role will be as an Interest Group within the Youth Focus Group.

Monthly activities continue, varying in nature according to the program chosen by TG participants at the beginning of the year. Some of these include go-karting, farm visit, tobogganing, Darkzone laser hunt, wave pool and much more, finishing off with the annual summer camp in the Christmas holidays. The activities are much enjoyed by our young people even though attendance can be quite low. Much appreciation to Kirsten Lubitz who took on organising of TG activities at the beginning of this year and has been doing a great job! Thank you also to the wonderful people who have helped out with the program at various times and to Veronica Busch who has now also volunteered to help with running Teenage Group.

Our young people in this age group have had a very "quiet" year as far as Templer activities are concerned. Activities are centred on weekend camps since this seems to be the best option for fitting around school, studying and part-time work. There have been a couple of very successful Youth Services organised and run by our post-Confirmation young people with the help and guidance of some of our Elders. Please take the opportunity to attend a Youth Service if you can, because our young people have some very valuable thoughts and views to share and we can all learn quite a lot from them. I’d like to thank all the young people who have taken part in a Youth Service this year – you should all be very proud of your efforts and contributions – I (along with MANY others) certainly am!

Susi Blackwell, Community Youth Coordinator

It’s full house at Playgroup this year. Seventeen families, eighteen children aged between 2-4 years and lots of babies, more grandparents and dads – and it’s wonderful. We manage. as there are usually a few absences and the emphasis has changed a little to accommodate the younger children. What hasn’t changed is the friendly atmosphere brought by the beautiful people attending.

Apart from all the usual activities, a few special projects have kept us busy this year. The renewal of the courtyard playground is well on the way. The whole community is working toward this with funding coming from German School, Kid’s Club, Playgroup, Ba-Bo community and the Temple Society.

Also making progress is the mural project, again a joint community venture. The incredibly diverse tiles, most produced at the Sommerfest, have been fired and a design created, but the task of glueing these on to the wall at the Chapel will wait for slightly warmer weather.

Special thanks to our ever-willing helpers on every front – grandparents repairing toys, organisers of our major fundraisers, the Shopping Tour and the Pie Drive, firing of tiles, as well as the many workers involved with the courtyard projects.

Unfortunately, for various reasons, the Shopping Tour will not go ahead this year, which means another activity will be planned later in the year.

As always, the participation and friendship is much valued at Playgroup and I am privileged to be part of this caring group.

Moni Herrmann, for Playgroup

Sunday School in Bayswater continues to occur once a month in conjunction with services. Most Elders are happy to have the kids in their services for the first few minutes; a practice which serves to familiarise the children with our services, our Elders and the chapel.

Numbers vary, with an average of about twelve. In August after the Kids’ Club activity we had 22 people in the room and it was brilliant! I particularly enjoyed watching 14-year-olds help 4-year-olds with their "work", and children who didn’t know each other, chatting happily by the end of the session. Parents with babies are welcome to join us and frequently do.

Our theme for the year has been "Jesus – a banquet of stories for life". In conjunction with Bentleigh Sunday School we are focussing on the life of Jesus and learning about the messages he aims to pass on in his miracles and parables. As part of each lesson, we are adding something to our banquet table on the wall; please come and see it if you haven’t yet.

I conclude with my ongoing plea – please bring your children or grandchildren to Sunday School (or find someone else to bring them). It is only one hour a month but an hour where the kids can develop or build on the sorts of values and friendships we hope will take the Temple Society into the future.

Christine Ruff

In conjunction with the Ba-Bo Sunday School, the programme this year has followed the life of Jesus and the message contained within his works and miracles and how these affect and influence our lives today. Classes have been planned in such a way that there is continuity between the groups, while catering for those children who attend both. Each session is a unit within itself.

A core group of families attend, giving us an average of about eight children – thanks. It is also good to see new families as well as those who cannot attend regularly. There are many pressures on our lives and it is not always possible to bring our children to Sunday School but, perhaps as a community, we could help parents and bring our grandchildren, nephews or nieces. Parents, please do not hesitate to ask for help.

Our groups are multi-age grouped, challenging but wonderful. At first this may be overwhelming for the littlest ones but the parents, grandparents and other family members are always welcome to stay and help. The variety of ages in our group is great, as it gives younger children an opportunity to learn from the older ones who are willing to help and share, and a valuable lesson in tolerance and acceptance for the latter. All children learn by helping each other and considering each other’s needs.

A variety of activities are used to reinforce the lesson of the day. In this way we ask the children to think through what the underlying message may be. At times children also attend the first part of Saal, which is very valuable. They are able to familiarise themselves with this thing called Saal and with the Elders. At Sunday School we then try to follow up on the topic and reinforce the teaching from the service.

My daughter Suzy and I continued our partnership in teaching until Suzy left to continue her life's journey. She is still very much involved from afar, discussing in our frequent phone calls what is to happen each month. I'm sure the children miss her as I do, she has a wonderful rapport with them. Thanks Suzy.

I also thank the children, teaching them is a pleasure. Their interest and knowledge is challenging. My own horizons have been broadened in my attempt to teach the children. Thanks guys! Dot Ware.

The Bentleigh/Moorabbin school has an enrolment of 28 students, with 9 students from Templer families. Three classes are held at the Bentleigh Hall on Wednesday evenings. The Bayswater-Boronia school has an enrolment of 23 students of which 8 are from Templer families. Three classes are run on Friday nights at the Bayswater Hall. Both schools are fortunate to have a group of dedicated volunteers who assist with one-on-one reading.

Highlights from the year:

The funding sources have been:

Future activities:

You can look at our website by going to www.templers.org/templer_german_school.htm

Marianne Herrmann and Irene Bouzo, German School coordinators

Andrea Mutschlechner arrived in Australia from Germany in early January. It was not long before she found her way down to summer camp as a leader and she assisted in looking after the youngsters on their annual pilgrimage. Back in Melbourne she lived with the Wares and attended the GEOS International School in the CBD. Then she moved to the Beilharz household and spent time working at the Altersheim. Her mother arrived in March to visit and participate in Sommerfest, a good opportunity for them to mingle with the members of the TSA and experience a pleasant day all round, with the weather playing its part. Andrea continued her interactions with Templer families over the ensuing weeks, and from all accounts enjoyed her time here. Then Andrea set off round Australia to see what else was on offer in this "Great Southern Land". She has returned to Germany in pursuit of her chosen vocation.

The TSA received no application for the exchange in 2003, therefore no candidate is currently in Germany, making 2002 the last year a candidate was sent from Australia. There is interest for 2005.

On behalf of the community, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to those who contributed to making Andrea’s stay a pleasant one and hope that people consider hosting exchange candidates in the future. The program has now generated a considerable association between the communities in both countries, particularly amongst the younger set who have previously only heard about the other through word of mouth. It is promising to see the network alive and well and fulfilling these objectives.

Bernhard Hoefer, AGTE Coordinator

COMMUNITY CARE

I work approx. 21 hours per week and my regular days are Wednesday and Thursday.

I am supported by the Community Care and Reference Group (CCRG) which meets every 2 months. The committee members are Dr. Rolf Beilharz, Dr. Geoff McCallum, Linda Beilharz, Ruth Haar, Elisabeth Wagner and Renate Hoffmann. I thank this hard working group sincerely for their ongoing support for without it my job would be much more difficult. A special thankyou to Linda, who travels all the way from Bendigo for our meetings.

This year Ursula Paton resigned from the committee. We accepted her resignation with regret and thank her sincerely for her time and input over the years. We were pleased to welcome Renate Hoffmann back to our committee.

Eva Roten from the AGWS and I chair the Residents and Relatives meetings at the Home. The meetings are held every two months and are an open forum for residents and relatives to ask questions and be informed on matters concerning the home. At Christmas time the AGWS and the TSA distribute gifts to the Home residents.

I have assisted the home management with a meeting of the unit residents as a forum for them to discuss issues affecting them. It is planned that these meetings be held every 3 months.

Wednesdays I visit TTHA and do home and hospital visits and assist with paperwork, counselling and appointments as necessary.

This year I attended professional supervision from Sue Lewis, a qualified social worker and psychologist. I have also attended workshops to further my professional development.

In February the CCRG invited all the gentlemen of our community to a ‘Herrenabend’. Our president Peter Lange was our speaker.

Our annual ‘New Parents’ afternoon was held in May. It is always a joy to see the children again and how they have grown since their Presentation. Monika Herrmann spoke about the playgroup and Dot Ware spoke about the children’s activities within the TSA.

Also in May, as a new initiative, the CCRG ran a workshop ‘I have a Dream’. This first successful workshop was followed by a second one in July and more are planned.

The Seminar focussing on ‘Emotional challenges in Childhood and Adolescence’ was held in August and it was a resounding success

In June I accepted the invitation of our sister community in Germany and I was there for four weeks to learn, participate in their activities and meet as many of the members as possible. It was a most enjoyable stay and I feel these exchange visits are very important to strengthen the ties between our communities.

The Telelink group continues to operate every 2^nd Monday afternoon. It is sponsored by Telstra and DHS through Telelink Victoria and this involves my attending regular meetings with other Telelink coordinators. We receive a HACC grant to cover the cost of the Telelink service.

Finally, I thank everyone who supported me throughout the year.

Helga Anderson, Community Care Worker

TABULAM AND TEMPLER HOMES

The TTHA Management Committee met 11 times, in line with our constitution. Present were five members of each of our parent organisations. We were pleased to welcome Isolde Busch and Karin Ruff representing the TSA and Dr Johannes Misselhorn for the AGWS as new committee members.

Generally, we are very satisfied with the new building. We are entitled to be very proud of this modern Home extension, with more room and better facilities for our residents.

Seven new serviced apartments were built and decorated, mostly by our own employees, by converting former Altersheim rooms. The first of the four ground floor units was occupied in June. They are beautiful and colourful. The small, compact kitchens are modern and very practical.

Due to ever-increasing demand for independent living units and after receiving several quotations, the Management and the Committee approved four additional units to be built by Colone Building ‘on the hill’. We expect occupancy not before February 2005.

Mrs Angelika Koplin, deputy CEO, left our establishment last January. This necessitated minor management reorganisations. Krista Blessing-Koumas was elevated to the position of Administration and Human Resources Manager; Cheryl Young and Karin Baumert continue in the important roles of Director of Nursing; and Robert Keighery as Operations Manager and Accounts. The kitchen will remain managed by Pedro Gisler and Kurt Suter.

Once again we are extremely satisfied with financial results achieved for the now fourth year of the combined Homes. Pleasingly there is a $115 000 surplus, despite a $90 000 asset write down. And then, in the dying days of the financial year we received, as announced in the last federal budget, the substantial sum of $292 000, bringing our annual surplus to $407 500. Well done Dr Schreiber and team!

However, under no circumstances are we underestimating the generosity of our beloved donors. Your TTHA, a non-profit organisation, received from them the fantastic sum of $175 000, including the brand new $60,000 bus, donated by Mr Johannes Fischer. Mr Fischer, many thanks. Our residents value your huge generosity!

I also thank all of our volunteers. They assist our home staff immensely. They bring our inhabitants lots of love and care as well as "warm rays of sunshine".

It is our belief that our Home will be able to go forward confidently into a bright and secure future. We have contended Home dwellers, an extremely diligent staff, and a government striving to support Aged Care adequately.

On behalf of your Committee of Management I sincerely thank Dr Schreiber, his two Directors of Nursing and his entire team for their past efforts and those still ahead of them.

Finally, my thanks to our two Parent Organisations for their unswerving support and, of course, I thank my Committee colleagues for their valuable contribution.

F.H. Sawatzky, TTHA President, for the Committee of Management.

Once again we had a good year in the choir, with the cheerful leadership of our conductor, Annette Wagner-Hesse, and the friendly and cooperative spirit amongst our members. We enjoyed singing at various Templer functions including the mid-year concert. This was the last event organised by Lore Schlender, assisted by a number of willing helpers who organised the coffee and delicious cakes, the raffle, the decoration of the hall and the setting up of chairs. Annette formed a children’s choir, almost impromptu, with good results and she invited a number of young musicians who contributed greatly to make this concert so enjoyable. We thank you all.

Sadly, Lore left us shortly after this event, to continue her journey of development on another plane. After many decades of dedicated service, Gerda Struve retired and is looking forward to being a listener. Also Harald Gassmann finally retired; he supported us at various occasions over the last few years whilst in semi-retirement. However the long journey from Phillip Island to attend rehearsals became too much. We say thanks to you both.

This working party consists of Tony, Winfried and Renate Beilharz, Rainer Busch, Manfred Decker, Mark Herrmann, Monika Imberger, and Ilse Nicholson. These volunteers have been meeting regularly, continuing planning for a new structure for the TSA. While the general membership may not have seen much action or read a lot about the group’s activities in the past year, a considerable amount of time, energy and thought is going into ensuring that the TSA has a structure which is efficient and flexible and which will take our small religious organisation into the future.

In the past year the working party has been:

The working party’s action plan now includes:

The new constitution, and the ‘structure package’ will be put to members as soon as possible

A lot of thanks go to the working party members, because the work they are undertaking is already having a wider effect on our community that may not be immediately obvious. There are debates and conversations taking place in various forums of the TSA that have grown out of the working party’s discussions. Some of these are: the definition of membership, a preamble for the constitution, the relation between the constitutions of the TSA and TDG, the relationship between Central Fund and TSA membership, prioritising capital works on all TSA properties, the membership and contacts database at the office.

Finally, it is interesting, and heartening, for me to note that in more and more TSA forums, I hear words like: ‘under the new structure’ or ‘when the new structure comes’ or ‘that could fit into the structure like this’. More and more interested and active TSA members are starting to consider the possibilities of the proposed structure and how their activities could fit in and benefit from the proposal. Terms such as ‘interest groups’ and ‘focus groups’ have a meaning to an increasing number of TSA members.

The Elders are running a TSA discussion afternoon titled: ‘The realities & practicalities of our religion – what is the kingdom of God and how do we achieve it’ on 12^th September. The new TSA structure will be presented, and an attempt will be made to link the administrative imperatives of constitutions etc. with the religious goals of the TSA. This is another opportunity for members to participate in the process for change.

Renate Beilharz, for the CSWP

PROPERTY PROJECT REGISTER

During the year, the TSA Property Project Register was consolidated with the addition of all currently known property maintenance and capital improvement items. Currently the register contains 81 projects covering all TSA facilities (excluding TTHA) and these projects have an estimated cost of approximately $690,000. Items on the register were prioritised and budgets for capital works and maintenance were established for the current and next financial years. These budgets were presented to the Central Fund and the following expenditure was approved :

2003-2004 Capital Works budget $50,550

Main items include:

Ba Hall Toilet upgrade

Essential Services Compliance works for Ba and Be properties

Installation of new signage at the Ba and Be properties.

2004-2005 Capital Works $39,000

Main items include :

Ba – Security system installation, Bell installation, Playground equipment and upgrade.

Be – Partitioning of rear of hall and under stage table storage.

2004-2005 Maintenance $25,600

Main items include:

Ba – Schoolroom door replacements, Chapel sound system review, tractor maintenance

Be – Hall/office repaint, fence replacement, carpentry/plaster repairs

Many of the above projects are currently in planning or under way. It is anticipated that a review will be held early next year to add additional items to the register, re-establish priorities and establish capital works and maintenance budgets for the 2005-06 financial year for approval by the Central Fund.

Rolf Glenk

The Archive Committee met in January and reviewed and clarified Archive usage procedures (see below to be reminded of these). The team of people actively working on the processing of records has been augmented by Ingrid Edelmaier and Helen Blaich, who have offered their own time to work on specific tasks. During the year, the Heritage Enquiries Group was created. Erika English agreed to co-ordinate this group, whose main role is to field any queries received about our Templer history. Thanks go to the ongoing work of the Archive team in sorting and processing information.

Any TSA members may access the archive, but non-members need to be recommended by a member. The TSA Office needs to be contacted prior to visiting to ensure that the facility is available. There are forms and a visitors book to be filled in by all users, to assist with tracking usage.

If you wish to have help accessing the TSA Archive (housed in the Bentleigh Office), Ingrid Edelmaier is available for members and friends to contact and organise a mutually suitable time. Please note that the TSA office staff are not able to assist with archival enquiries, so please do contact Ingrid for assistance.

Archive users are encouraged to use all material within the archive itself. Some multiple copies of the Warte and the Templer Record may be borrowed, as well as items from the library. Record all items borrowed in the book provided for that purpose. Renate Beilharz can be contacted if there is a need to borrow other items.

Renate Beilharz

HERITAGE – report next month

In October 2002 the Regional Council formed a small committee to look at issues relating to the running and usage of the new chapel. The committee members represented the RC, Elders and the two Melbourne Communities. Initially their task was to determine how, when and who would use the chapel, what functions were considered to be "appropriate" for the new building and whose responsibility was the upkeep and administration? It was seen that decisions had to be made about finishing off the chapel, issues that were not the responsibility of the building committee, such as stocking the kitchenette, doormats, vases and other items. The committee also addressed appointing a caretaker and cleaners and the design and construction of new signs for the Bayswater and Bentleigh properties.

Many issues were directed to the Elders for consideration and final decision, others were brought to the attention of the RC for further discussion. The committee saw many possibilities for usage of the chapel upon which no decisions were made. Instead a "wait and see" approach was taken with not too many restrictions in place, thus remaining flexible for any future needs of the community. The important point was that the goals and ideals of the Temple Society were not compromised.

The committee was wound up in May 2004, having decided that it had fulfilled its original charter. There is still a lot that needs to be done on an ongoing basis. A permanent committee (Interest Group) needs to be established to manage the chapel, and anybody who may have an interest in this area should make contact with the Regional Council. Ralph Richter

Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

Congratulations to Kurt and Hilda Beilharz on their 50^th wedding anniversary on 28^th August. We hope they and their family and friends are having a great celebration and apologize for the late mention. – It would be helpful if families let us know of coming silver and golden anniversaries – we don’t have them all on our database.

Amelia Cate Conway Anderson

Parents: Christian Anderson and Tiffany Conway

On Sunday 7^th August we had the privilege of attending the Health Seminar in the Bayswater Hall. Its title was Health and Emotional Challenges in Childhood and Adolescence. I rather naively went feeling that there was not much that I really needed to hear, but I left feeling enriched, more knowledgeable and thankful I had not missed this opportunity.

In his introduction, Geoff McCallum spoke broadly about the expectations we have of our lives and what can happen when these are not met.

Renate Hoffmann’s talk on Nurturing to Independence was filled with information on stages of growth of children and associated needs, and guidelines on how to provide for these needs. As a social worker and family therapist she was able to relate many incidents from her professional life. One of Renate’s more valuable points was to enjoy your children and your time with them – it’s not all meant to be a struggle!

Sonia Glenk, psychologist, spoke eloquently about her work with young children and their families in the area of early intervention. This includes identifying disorders in development and assisting parents and children in coping with them. We all hope never to need professionals such as Sonia, but everyone benefited from hearing what many parents go through when they do.

Jan Tully is the Community Education Officer for Tobin Brothers and concluded with much information and many personal anecdotes on grief and loss and young people. Jan had the ability to have us close to tears of sadness one minute and tears of laughter the next. She was a pleasure to listen to. [We hope to invite her again in the future].

I cannot remember the last time I sat and listened to any group of speakers with rapt attention for two hours, but this was one such occasion.

To the Community Care Committee who facilitated it – a job well done!

To the four speakers – thank you for your hard work in planning, preparing and delivering your topics. You were great!

Christine Ruff

There was a general feeling that our Annual Members’ Meeting and Dr. Goldman’s visit on the same day would be just too much. It was therefore decided that the Members’ Meeting would be held on Sunday 12^th September at 3.00pm to allow members to concentrate on the business at hand.

Late news – the day with Dr Goldman was brilliant!

Our family picnic on 17^th October will be at Lake Parramatta. Entry to the reserve is the Lackey Street gate via Bourke and Church streets. Come along, bring your family and friends and enjoy this beautiful picnic area for the day, see you there.

Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

AGM on Sunday 12^th Sept at 3p.m.

Saal 26^th Sept – Ilse Birkner

Our Winter Sleepout will be happening on Saturday 18^th September 8pm till 9am Sunday 19^th September, in the Bayswater Hall.

As usual anyone over the age of 11 is welcome to come along and stay for a while or stay overnight. Remember to bring along your cardboard box or newspaper to sleep in or on, or any other suitable "bed alternative".

The cost will be a $10 donation to the Melbourne Citymission AND / OR you need to get $10 worth of sponsors - contact Kirsten ASAP for a sponsorship form if you wish to get sponsors.

You also need to bring a drink and some munchies – preferably to share with your friends, for when the overnight "hungrys" set in!

In the morning we will be having pancakes and fruit juice, if you want anything different you will need to byo.

Susi Blackwell, Community Youth Coordinator

For those who have expressed interest in going to the Bendigo Horse Riding Camp, details and booking forms will be posted to you early September and will need to be returned to the TSA Office with a deposit by the end of September.

For more information, please phone either Ingrid Beilharz or Gisela Schmidt.

How does the month of September find us all?? It means that Spring has finally sprung. Just wanted to share with you a philosophy of life that I found the other day:

Birthday Babes this month are: Chris Blaich, Megan Sawatsky, Sonja Daross, Mia Leszinsky, Aidan Steller, Jessica Blackwell, and Darren Loebert. Have a great day guys!

Till next month, Luv, Tania Richter xoxo

CHILDREN

I have just come back from a holiday in Fiji. We spent most of each day in the water, either in the pool or in the sea. The water was warm and clear and it was so warm you did not want to get out.

Jesus Walks On Water – Matthew 14

Night was coming and Jesus was tired. He had had a very busy day. Jesus wanted to be alone for a while so he climbed up a hill to sit and pray.

His friends got into their boat and started to row to the other side of the lake. The wind was blowing against them and they where having a hard time rowing.

When Jesus saw this he walked out on the water to help them. The friends where scared and did not know if this was Jesus.

Jesus knew they where scared. "Why are you scared?" asked Jesus. He climbed into the boat. The wind stopped blowing. Everyone regarded him with awe. "You really are God’s Son," they said.

Which fish go to heaven when they die? Angel fish.

Why does the sea roar? Wouldn’t you if you had a crab on your bottom?

Why are fish smarter than humans? Because they travel around in schools.

Did you hear about the octopi who got married? They walked down the aisle hand in hand, in hand, in hand, in hand, in hand, in hand, in hand.

What lies on the bottom of the ocean and shivers? A nervous wreck.

Till next month, Moni Imberger

TTHA

Liebe Freunde Dear Friends

Zur Zeit sind 44 Bewohner aus dem Bereich der AGWS und 40 aus der TSA.

Ich erinnere an die Jahresversammlung der Tabulam and Templer Homes am 16 Oktober um 10.30 Uhr in der Bayswater Halle. Die Mitglieder der TSA und AGWS sind dazu herzlich eingeladen.

Thanks to the forward-looking planning, the Home was recently able to help in a serious emergency: a visitor from Germany during her holiday in Australia had to have an urgent operation. After her discharge from hospital she needed further care before she could go on her long journey back home. The Home was a great help in this special case.

Reading the last two monthly newsletters of the AGWS, we were very pleased to note that there were a great number of donations marked "for Tabulam", thank you very much. These donations are being used mostly for direct improvements and help for our residents.

At present there are 40 from the TSA and 44 from the AGWS.

Reminder – The Annual General Meeting of TTHA will take place on 16^th October at 10.30am in the Bayswater Hall. Members of AGWS and TSA are cordially invited to attend.

With kind regards,

NOTICES

Sun 5. 9. Ba 10.15 Fathers’ Day Family Service Christine Ruff

Sun 19 .9 AH 10.00 Service Hulda Wagner

Sun 19. 9 Be 17.00 Evensong Renate Weber

Sun 26. 9 Sy 15.00 Service Ilse Birkner

Sun 3. 10 Be TSA AGM

Sun 10. 10 Ba 10.15 Presentation Service

You are all invited to the Chapel for Fathers’ Day, so bring your fathers and grandfathers – get the generations together! 5^th Sept at 10.15am.

Music and message, singing and listening. All are invited to an Evensong at Bentleigh on 19^th Sept at 5pm.

We invite parents to have their children presented before God and the community on 10^th October in the Community Chapel Bayswater at 10.15am. Please contact the TSA Office Tel. 9557 6713 for a registration form. Ed.

Get some information on Confirmation 2005. Please let me know you are coming. See Aug T.R. p.29. Harald Ruff

Scrumptious buffet dinner, live music, quiet zone for those who like it quieter, warm hall. See Aug. T.R. p.31. Bookings essential, asap, we’d love to welcome you. Erika and Paul English

The realities and practicalities of our religion. Everyone welcome, have your say, be informed. See Aug. T.R. p.30. Come a little earlier and view the Miniature Art Exhibition. (See Heritage Page).

Helga would love to have more ideas from you all of what is important to you to include on the ‘Templer Journey’ tapestry.

Gisela Sawatzky, for the Ba-Bo Frauenverein

Flower Roster: 5^th Sept. Hella Edelmaier, Ilse Nicholson

The CCRG invites our senior members to a luncheon meeting, where a guest speaker from the RACV will speak on ‘road safety for seniors’.

‘Years Aheads’ is an RACV road safety awareness program especially designed for older road users. The program involves a one-hour discussion-based presentation covering driving and road safety tips for drivers, passengers and pedestrians. The importance of choosing a safe vehicle and being fit to drive. The impact of health and medications on driving. How to assess your own driving ability. Information about alternative transport options and how to plan for future mobility.

Please bring a plate to share. RSVP to me by 20^th September.

Helga Anderson, Community Care Worker

The Ba-Bo Community is holding a line-dancing evening followed by supper. Line dancing is for anyone and everyone who enjoys dancing, young and old. You don’t need a partner. So keep the date free. Further details in the Oct. TR.

Erika English, for the Ba-Bo Community

In response to the obvious ‘great fun’ the kid’s had on their go-kart event, we are looking to arrange a group go-kart night for the adults! This is your chance to legally test your boy (or girl) racer skills in a managed environment.

Suggested options are:

Date – Saturday night at 7:00pm, either 23^rd or 30^th October, 6^th or 13th November.

Format – Group of 12-15 drivers, either 2 race format (10 lap qualifying session & 15 lap race for $62 per driver or 3 race format (15 lap qualifying session, 10 lap intermediate race & 15 lap final for $94 per driver).

To confirm sufficient interest for a suitable booking, you will need to register your interest with date and race format preferences and pay a $20 deposit by 18^th September – note that drivers must be at least 18 years old and we must have at least 12 drivers to be eligible for our own race.

The racing is spread over about 1½ hours with the cost including kart, helmet, race suit & balaclava hire and timing print-outs. Some other items to note are that suitable footwear is required (no high heels, platform or open shoes) and that the balance is payable before racing.

Manfred Decker, for the Ba-Bo Community Council

Reunion of Vintages 1929/30 will be held in Canberra in March 2005. Those whose names we have will receive a letter in October and we ask for an answer before the end of the year. Benno Glockemann

While these are organized by the Wall-hanging / Tapestry Group, they are open to anyone. Bring a friend. Tapestry report next T.R.

What to bring: lunch & basic sewing machine (zigzag & straight sewing req. only).

More details will follow in the October TR. Jacki Wagner, for the Tapestry Group

An enthusiastic group of 14 people met in the afternoon of Saturday 17^th July to discuss various ideas and 'dreams' about a better Temple Society in Australia.

We spent 3 hours exploring a range of issues that resulted in an array of questions. However, the group was unable to answer these questions in isolation and decided it would be best to put them to the whole TSA community. We  resolved that the most appropriate way to do this would be via a detailed confidential opinion survey. 

Over the last few weeks an opinion survey draft has been created and circulated amongst the group for comment. We anticipate that we will be able to table a final draft to Regional Council for approval within the next few weeks.

The proposed survey will be the most comprehensive opportunity for all people in the wider TSA community to show how they feel about the TSA. Please stay tuned for further news.

Rainer Busch 

Via the TSA Office we received an application form from Vichealth for funding towards ‘The Communities Together Scheme’.

"The Communities Together Scheme aims to support the development and staging of festivals and celebrations which are inclusive of a wide range of community members. Festivals and celebrations have always been an integral part of community life. They are ‘special’ times that help reinforce that individuals are a part of larger communities. They provide opportunities for a wide range of community members to work and plan for a common purpose, to share interests and skill, and to value the richness and uniqueness of their community. Further, they provide one of the few opportunities in current times for people to come together to create and control a community activity.

" (Promoting mental health & wellbeing brochure – Vicheath)

When I read through their aims and the background I immediately thought of our youth. What better way to bring our younger Templers together. Organize a Youth Forum for them, with their interests, concerns, activities, input, all organized and run by them.

I hear you all saying what a great idea, yes go for it! Well, a number of us got together one evening to discuss the application and found that to submit this year’s funding application properly and on time was impossible.

But this does not mean that the idea will be forgotten. If we start planning now and put together a good solid proposal with all the selection criteria covered we will have good chance of receiving funding for our Youth Forum.

All we need now is you. Yes, that’s right – YOU. If you are interested in our Templer youth we need you. Please seriously consider this request. Encourage your children and grandchildren to help out and lead by example and join in together. This is what it is all about, making our youth feel a part of our community.

People always say that our youth have so many different opportunities nowadays that they do not have a need or time for the TSA. But I don’t believe this. When I was young I did a lot of other activities outside of the TSA but with my parents’ encouragement and sometimes a forceful ‘push’ I made time for the TSA activities and have gotten so much out of it that I am now doing the same for my children. Parents, if you want your kids to grow up with the same sense of belonging, the initial ‘push’ must come from you.

So please ‘persuade’ your child, teenager, young adult, new parents and seasoned parents to give me a call so that I and my children are not the only ones organizing a Youth Forum for young and not-so-young Templers.

Moni Imberger

Die erstklassigen Bilder wurden von dem Stuttgarter Fotografen Paul Hommel in den zwanziger Jahren aufgenommen. Sie stammen aus dem Nachlass Hermann Schnellers, des ehemaligen Direktors des Syrischen Waisenhauses in Jerusalem (und unser Lehrer im Internierungslager Tatura).

Helmut Ruff

We invite the public to an exhibition of some 150 miniature paintings by thirty-one artists on the weekends of 11^th & 12^th and 18^th & 19^th September in the Community Chapel Bayswater.

The artists have chosen biblical subjects and themes as the source of their inspiration. Using colour, texture and shapes, they offer their concepts and interpretations of the biblical stories. All are members of the Israeli Miniature Art Society founded in 1997.

Entry is free. Opening hours 2 – 4pm. We need more helpers for the above dates – please contact Erika English.

Horst Blaich, for the Heritage Group

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centred. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
Mother Teresa
Die Menschen sind oft unvernünftig, unlogisch und ich-bezogen. Vergib ihnen trotzdem.
Wenn du gutherzig und freundlich bist, sagen die Leute vielleicht, du hättest Hintergedanken. Sei trotzdem freundlich.
Wenn du erfolgreich bist, gewinnst du einige falsche Freunde und einige echte Feinde. Werde trotzdem erfolgreich.
Wenn du offen und ehrlich bist, wirst du vielleicht betrogen. Sei trotzdem offen und ehrlich.
Was du über Jahre aufgebaut hast kann über Nacht zerstört werden. Baue trotzdem.
Wenn du Glück und inneren Frieden findest sind andere vielleicht eifersüchtig. Sei trotzdem glücklich.
Was du heute Gutes tust wird vielleicht morgen vergessen. Tue trotzdem Gutes.
Gib der Welt dein Bestes und es ist vielleicht nie gut genug. Gib der Welt trotzdem dein Bestes.
Am Ende geht es nur dich und Gott an. Es war in Wirklichkeit nie anders.

Tr. H.U.

Mother Teresa is well known for living ‘an eminently practical form of compassion devoid of sentimentality’. When we live according to what we intuitively feel is right and in accordance with Jesus’ teaching, we can experience greater peace inside (in spite of how people react) and this peace radiates out to others, who can be nurtured and inspired by it. When we act compassionately we are peacemakers – in our family, our community, our workplace and the world.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons and daughters of God’, said Jesus a long time ago. (Mt. 5:9).

Herta Uhlherr

Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul gives these final instructions in his first letter to them, on the way to live:

We beg you, friends, to acknowledge those who are working so hard among you.... Hold them in the highest esteem and affection for the work they do. Live at peace among yourselves... encourage the faint hearted, help the weak and be patient with everyone. See to it that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but always aim at what is best for each other and for all.

Be joyful always, pray at all times, give thanks whatever happens... Do not stifle inspiration... Put all things to the test; keep hold of what is good and avoid all forms of evil.

May the God who gives us peace make you holy through and through and keep you sound in spirit, soul and body.

Herta Uhlherr

On 10^th September a general discussion will include ‘the kingdom of God’, (see page 30) Here we bring a translation of some thoughts about the kingdom by the great thinker and humanitarian, Dr Albert Schweitzer (1875 – 1965).

Work and ‘all help, improvements and benefits must be directed to the creation of a new spirit’… the spirit of Jesus.

‘Liberal Christianity has the magnificent responsibility of communicating and upholding the conviction that thought and religion are not incompatible but belong together. Every deep piety is reflective; every really deep thought is reverent.’ The greatest minds have tried to write thought and religion, judging this ‘necessary for the spiritual welfare of man’… For us, the central teaching of Christianity is the kingdom of God. Only a Christianity ‘animated and ruled by the idea and the intent of the kingdom of God is genuine’ and ‘can give to mankind what it so desperately needs’… ‘Our ideal is not merely liberal Christianity but the most profound Christianity.’ Schweitzer urges people to stay awake to the necessity of deepening our spirituality ‘so that the power of Jesus’ spirit flows through us.’

Schweitzer laments that ‘the sun of the kingdom of God no longer sheds its light’ on church dogmatics. For many centuries Christians had no faith in progress – did not even entertain the idea that things could improve – because they believed that the kingdom would not come until the distant future; that explains their passivity.

He notes that things are different with modern people influenced by affirming life and the world. ‘To them it is obvious that the kingdom of God is an ethical and spiritual event which is to be conceived as developing in this world and which requires the ethical efforts of believers for its realization.’

While Jesus was ‘a unique revealer of spiritual insights’, we acknowledge that his view of the kingdom of God was informed by the Jewish eschatology of his time which expected the kingdom any day. Finally, new interpretations are gaining ground. Now, the new spirit which entered the world with Jesus is seen as the beginning of the kingdom which will not, however, come of itself at the end of time. Today we either realize the kingdom of God or perish, now that man has the capacity to destroy everything. ‘Our only hope is that the spirit of God will triumph in its wrestling with the spirit of the world.’

Deliver us from evil … ‘For us, these [evil] powers are not embodied in angelic beings revolting against God … they are at work in the minds of men, … no less real.’

‘Belief in the kingdom of God is the most difficult demand Christian faith makes of us’ – to believe in what seems impossible. Our trust and hope is that the spirit of Jesus working in individual hearts and minds will effect what seems a miracle, namely a change in attitudes. This will not happen without sincere and constant effort on our part, without our determination to bring our every thought and deed into line with the kingdom’s ethic of compassion and service and justice. ‘Nothing will come to pass without inwardness. The spirit of God will only contend against the spirit of the world when it has triumphed over the spirit in our hearts.’

Piety – we would probably say spirituality – ‘is independent of the traditional forms of faith.’ (1954).

Half a century ago Schweitzer writes of mankind surrendering the world to the ‘spirit of thoughtlessness, being satisfied with the stagnation or retreat of culture and abandoning the endeavour to rise to the heights of humanity. In thinking people this prompts ‘a vital hope and desire for the kingdom of God. In such a faith and hope and in an unconquerable moral spirit we find steadfastness, freedom and peace’ – and the vital energy to commit to living for the highest good, which is focussed in the kingdom of God. Jesus showed us the way and he stills calls us to ‘Follow me’.

H.U. Editor

Empathy, putting oneself in another’s shoes, feeling and suffering with them, coming out of oneself and leaving behind one’s self-centredness, going over to another, and then coming back to oneself enriched – is that not the basic process of the divine, how God’s spirit works? And is following, emulating this process, but now in the inner, inter-personal sphere, not the true way of the disciple?

What we experience in our time as terrorism creeping around our globe like a 21^st century plague – is that not first and foremost a lack of empathy and a refusal to be sensitive to how other people feel? Also included is ignorance regarding the issue of justice, as is evidenced in neo-liberal, purely economic rationalistic thinking.

The source of barbarity lies in not being prepared to imagine oneself in another’s situation. The beginning of peace is to do just that – with the help of the divine Spirit. That’s where true religion begins. That’s where God comes to us, right in the middle of this world. This kind of [empathic and compassionate] divine service is something we can and should practise every day.

Wer nicht den tiefen Sinn des Lebens im Herzen sucht, der sucht vergebens.’

The previous (June) meeting was set aside to discuss membership, contribution levels etc. as reported by the Regional Head, Dr Rolf Beilharz, in the July TR.

The following items were some of those discussed at the July meeting:

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the above issues (or others) feel free to discuss them with Regional Councillors. The RC currently consists of:

Harald Ruff

for the Regional Council

You, also, as living stones, must be built up into a spiritual temple…1 Peter 2:5a

Have you been wondering if the proposal for a new structure for the TSA has gone away? No, the Community Structure Working Party is still plodding away at the mammoth task, putting in heaps of work on behalf of the Templer community.

We were aiming to bring the full proposal to the Membership of the TSA at the October AGA this year. But we have revised our timeline, in the interests of making sure that all issues and concerns about the proposal are dealt with as best as possible.

Regional Council

There were questions about the Annual General Meetings of the Bayswater-Boronia and Bentleigh-Moorabbin communities, scheduled for August. We suggest that these go ahead as usual, with the accustomed business to be transacted. It is most likely that the TSA AGA in October will not be the forum for voting on the new structure proposal.

The working party has been working on creating the guiding documents for the running of the structure, particularly focussing on the new Focus Groups. The constitution is nearly finalised, ready for redistribution. We also plan to trial some parts of the structure, by taking aspects of the activity of the TSA and dealing with them in a Focus Group format.

The trial Focus Groups we plan to run are:

Administration (a lot of adjustments will need to be made to how the office runs to cope with the new structure, so it is logical that this Focus Group be the first to be trialled.)

Youth (this is a relatively new initiative of the TSA, so would benefit from being treated as a Focus Group as soon as possible)

Property (a task force has already collated the ongoing capital needs of all the TS properties, which lends itself nicely for testing within a Focus Group format)

How can you help the process of refining and trialling the proposal?

Please do be involved in the process and ring any members of the working party (Tony Beilharz, Winfried Beilharz, Rainer Busch, Manfred Decker, Mark Herrmann, Monika Imberger, Ilse Nicholson) for clarification or discussion of an issue.

Renate Beilharz.

Please note:

Preliminary Confirmation 2005 meeting on 10^th September, see page 29.

Community Discussion on 12^th September, see page 30.

The purpose of my visit was to gain a better understanding of the social work done by the TGD and to meet the members. During the month of June there were a number of scheduled activities which gave me the opportunity to meet many Templers.

I was kindly accommodated by my cousin, Norle Henker, who spoilt me and was my chauffeur on the many visits to the older members who eagerly asked for news of friends and relatives in Australia. Many sent greetings.

June was a good time to be in Germany. The days were long (daylight until 10pm.) the weather was warm with little rain.

I spent an enjoyable afternoon with the Bastelkreis, an enthusiastic group making beautiful craft work as a fundraising activity. I learnt how to dye silk scarves and fold paper gift bags and was allowed to keep my ‘masterpiece’.

Together with Anne Ramsayer, the social work coordinator, I had the opportunity to visit the Lothar-Christmann-Haus, home to a number of our elderly members. It is like a huge apartment block and very modern. There I got a glimpse of aged care in Germany while visiting Templer residents.

On my last day in Germany I attended the Vollmer Treffen in Rommelshausen, which was also the wedding of Erich and his bride Flore. It was a perfect day. Again I met people I would otherwise not have met. I wish the young couple well and thank the Vollmer family for their kind invitation.

The four weeks of my visit passed all too quickly and I bring fond memories with me. The visit was a wonderful experience and I gained some insight into the social work and the problems, which are very similar to the ones we experience. I was overwhelmed by the friendliness and kind hospitality shown by the members of the TGD who made me feel so welcome. I thank the TGD most sincerely for the time and the experience.

Helga Anderson,

Care Worker

MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

GEBURTSTAGE

Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

A very big thankyou to all the people who donated things for the family whose house burnt down – they appreciate your kindness very much and it’s been very helpful. They have found another place to rent.

The collection from Harald and Christine Ruff’s Family Service came to $168 and there was another donation of $15 – thank you all so much. Susi Blackwell

Tasman Francis Christensen brother to Forester and grandson of Rolf and Vyrna Beilharz.

Parents: Erica Beilharz & Tim Christensen

Cooper Jake Wilkinson brother to Brittney.

We welcome Peter and Karin Riordan and hope they will feel at home among us.

BRIEFLY

Andrea Mutschlechner is back in Stuttgart after her exchange stint plus travel.

Heinz and Heidi Vollmer and Helga Anderson have returned from Germany.

We thank Hulda Wagner sincerely for the very moving memorial service, also Mark Herrmann and Annette and the choir for their contribution; thanks also to family and friends for the beautiful flowers and cards.

In loving memory,

Gerd Schlender

Sandra and Anthony, with Daniel and Lora

Nelly Spieth, Rolf Edelmaier, Ilse Nicholson and Hella Edelmaier and their families.

On 25^th June the Community Chapel was full to overflowing for our farewell to Lore Schlender, who had lain in a coma for a week after a heart attack. It was hard to grasp that someone so cheerful and full of life was suddenly no longer there to laugh and sing with us.

Lore was born in 1939 in Wilhelma, Palestine and came to Australia and the internment camp at Tatura in 1941 with over 500 other Templers. After the war Edelmaiers lived in Richmond then in the

Boronia Templer community. Lore learnt all secretarial skills. In 1963 she married Gerd Schlender and in 1971 Sandra joined the family, making their happiness complete. Grandchildren Daniel and Lora added more love.

Lore served as part-time secretary in the Templer Office in Bentleigh for over 23 years – an open, friendly and warm presence, always ready to do whatever tasks needed doing, without ever complaining. She came with the typical secretarial skills of typing and shorthand and soon insisted that the manual typewriter be replaced by an electric version. Over the years modern technology replaced the wax stencils, carbon paper and hand-operated roneo machines that helped produce the minutes of a multitude of regular meetings, the monthly Templer Record, etc. And Lore updated her skills, getting to grips with computers, word processing, accounting and database software packages, sometimes not very confidently at first. In 1996 the Templer Record was first produced on computer. The editor found Lore very obliging if more changes were asked for. She never seemed to get mad, even if they worked till late to get the issue done. But never on Wednesdays – that was tennis day with the Bayswater ladies and not to be missed! Otherwise Lore was flexible, fitting in with the varying requirements of the small TSA office.

Lore’s friendly disposition and easy manner helped her relate well to people, whether it was fellow workers, visitors, or Dr Hoffmann, someone from a different era, age group and status.

Just over a year ago a group of her TSA co-workers gathered at the German Club Tivoli to wish Lore well in her retirement with its many plans. Sadly, that period was all too brief.

Apart from knitting, crocheting, tapestry and patchwork, barracking for Collingwood and her vegetable garden occupied some of Lore’s time. And then there was music! She was in the Accordion Group for many years and part of the Templer Choir from its earliest beginnings. Lore was secretary for the Choir as long as anyone can remember, quietly helping to keep everything on track, with nothing forgotten, and with a fantastic memory for what the choir sang when – a hard act to follow.

Harald Gassmann writes: ‘When the Australian Sängerbund was formed, the Templer Choir also became a member. But to do so we had to have a committee. When Lore was asked to act as Secretary she accepted, but with the proviso that I become President. So, for the next 27 years we represented the Choir at different Sängerbund meetings and also organised the trips to all the cities where the 4-yearly Sängerfests took place. This was hard work but also great fun. Her passing leaves a big hole in the Choir.’

The choir’s present conductor, Annette Wagner-Hesse, very grateful for Lore’s encouragement and unselfish support, said; ‘She was collaborative in her approach to working with others. She was fair, jolly, positive and down-to-earth… We will keep the warmest memories of you in our hearts.’

That goes for so many of us who are grateful for Lore’s selfless contribution to the Temple Society and for her cheerful friendship. She will continue to touch our hearts as we remember her and give thanks for her life. She was laid to rest at the Lilydale Cemetery.

This obituary is based on what Hulda Wagner, Mark Herrmann and Annette Wagner-Hesse said at the memorial service. There were also loving, very touching tributes from Lore’s family – our thoughts are with them all. H.U

Our group won the chocolates and soccer ball prizes at the State conference on ‘Languages and Culture Strengthening Australia’ at RMIT on Saturday 3^rd July. The teachers and administrators from the Bentleigh and Bayswater-Boronia German Schools were amongst 300 participants who represented over 40 ethnic communities and 50 languages. All were people who valued linguistic diversity and multiculturalism. It was stimulating and good fun. We linked arms with almost all present and kicked up our legs for the Biggest Zorba Dance to celebrate the next Olympic Games. The day was packed with keynote addresses and workshops on improving classroom teaching, on-line language exercises, quality curriculum development and achieving standards through better assessment and reporting. ‘Strengthening partnerships’ was a theme for the day. Partnership with the parents and families of our students and with communities was emphasised.

We were able to do productive networking with our friends across the two Templer ‘sister-schools’ in Bentleigh and Bayswater and we came up with some innovative activities for next year. We plan to hold a Poster Competition across our two schools showcasing ‘The Reasons and Experiences of Immigration to Australia’ of our German School families. We hope to see the diversity that exists amongst our German-speaking communities. The posters will then be displayed next year in our Templer halls to celebrate Harmony Day on 31^st March and at the Templer Sommerfest to promote community, harmony and inclusiveness. In addition we planned next year’s joint excursion to explore works by German artists at the National Gallery of Victoria.

We had a great day and improved our partnerships across schools, ethnic groups and state bodies.

Irene Bouzo, for the Bayswater-Boronia Templer School.

In our Founding Day Service, we heard some of the details of the beginnings of our Society and of the efforts and anguish our founders, Christoph Hoffmann and Georg David Hardegg, had to endure before the first settlement in the Holy Land became a reality.

Hoffmann’s view was that in the Holy Land it would be possible to create a community guided by the early Christian spirit, free from the corrupt influence of Western civilisation and based on true faith in God. Hardegg, an enthusiastic supporter of that idea, urged to start bringing together God’s people without delay, thereby implementing the religious ideas of Hoffmann.

Important date to remember – Sunday 22^nd August 3.00pm Annual Members Meeting. Also our meeting with Dr Danny Goldman begins at 10.00am. Then a short break for lunch, please bring a plate to share. Dr Goldman will show a short film and speak on the architectural aspects of the Templer settlements. Depending on time and interest, our meeting with Dr Goldman may continue after our Annual Meeting which begins at 3.00pm.

Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

YOUTH

For all details and enquiries about teenage group, contact Kirsten Lubitz, email <k_Lubitz@hotmail.com>

You can see all about Ironbark Riding Centre, Bendigo on a website – www.bwc.com.au/ironbark

The Camp will be from Friday 15^th October to Sunday 17^th October 2004. The cost will be approx. $110 for the weekend. This includes transport to camp on the Friday evening from both Bentleigh and Bayswater and most likely back on the Sunday, all meals, activities and supervision. We have children with ages 8 – 15 attending so far – both boys and girls. So let us know if you wish to come.

We would also like to hear from anyone interested in attending as a leader / adult – must be 18 years or older. We have enough parents but would love at least one more young person to keep Nadia Daross company. You get to join in, but assist in supervision – you don’t need to organise anything. Cost will be approx $60.

Please make a note on your calendar! We need to have all expressions of interest by 20^th August. Only then can we tailor a weekend to best suit all attending.

Please phone either Ingrid Beilharz or Gisela Schmidt.

How are we all? Hopefully somewhere warm and cosy! Winter is well and truly here…not that I’ve really noticed because my sister and I headed off into sunny tropical Northern Territory for 14 days during the holidays! Lots of swimming and sun baking and generally relaxing which was just the medicine after a very crazy first semester of uni!

I’ve just recently started a new job working at Diva (it’s a jewellery store) and am really enjoying myself. However, owing to the fact that jewellery is so shiny and just gorgeous, I have quickly found out that we have serious issues with shoplifters. In a recent shift, my colleague approached two different sets of girls after they had left the store and had to ask them to return the jewellery they had stuffed up their sleeves! Considering these incidents happened within 15 minutes of one another, it made me wonder just how much stuff was being stolen on a day-to-day basis that we didn’t catch because the store is too full, or because the thieves are so adept at stealing. What gets me the most is that both these girls were probably only about 15 or 16 years old! It makes you wonder why they felt they needed to steal the jewellery – most of it is so affordable – earrings average at around $10-$15 – really not that expensive! Maybe this obsession with having lots of material possessions is one of the reasons leading girls so young to steal things because they cannot afford to buy them.

Just something to ponder….

Happy Birthday to all our August birthday buddies!!

Have a great month! Luv, Tania Richter

Do you sometimes organize a party and then think you do not have enough food, but in the end there was plenty? This is what happened in the next story about Jesus.

Jesus Feeds The Five Thousand – Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9

More than 10 people, more than 50 people, more than 100 people, more than 1,000 people – 5,000 people had come to hear Jesus teach.

They stayed all day till dinner time. Jesus’ friends said,’ The people have to leave now. It is time to eat.’ ‘They do not need to go,’ said Jesus.

‘But how will we feed all these people,’ asked Phillip. ‘I know only one person who brought food. He has five loaves and two fishes. That is not enough to feed 5,000 people,’ said Andrew.

Jesus asked all the people to sit down. He took the five loaves and the two fishes. He prayed and thanked God for the food.

Then his friends began to give food to the people. Now, there was not only five loaves and two fishes. There was plenty for everyone and they all had enough to eat.

Why did the apple turn over?
Because he saw the swiss roll.

What kind of vegetables do plumbers fix?
Leeks.

What fish makes a good pudding?
A jelly fish.

What kind of sugar sings?
Icing sugar.

What kind of dance does a tin opener do?
The Can-can.

Why did the strawberry cry?
Because his mother was in a jam.

Till next month, Moni Imberger

TTHA

Liebe Freunde Dear Friends

Nachträglich noch ‘Ein Gutes Neues (Finanz-) Jahr’. Wir haben es wieder einmal geschafft: Unser, nein ‘Euer’ Tabulam und Templer Heim, hat ein sehr erfolgreiches Jahr hinter sich. Erfolgreich, denn wir stiegen eine Stufe höher, was den Bewohner-Komfort betrifft, mit der Fertigstellung und dem Bezug des Otto-Löbert-Heims. Wie schon im letzen Monat berichtet, wurde es gebaut mit eigenen Mitteln und solchen aus dem Tabulam Development Fund, ohne finanzielle Unterstützung unserer zwei Dachorganisationen, der TSA und der AGWS, oder Bank-Darlehen. Weiterhin freuen wir uns, dass beim Jahresabschluss noch ein Überschuss von $115,000 bleibt, trotz Abschreibungen im Wert von $90,000. Dann kam erfreulicherweise noch in den letzten Tagen des Jahres der im jüngsten Haushaltsplan angesagte Regierungszuschuss: Die beträchtliche Summe von $292,500, die unsere Jahres-Rücklagen auf $407,500 hochschnellen ließ.

Gut gemacht, Herr Dr Schreiber und Mannschaft.

Der Development Fund wuchs im letzten Jahr um $276,000 auf $3.4 Mill. Ganz fantastisch, liebe Anleger.

Aber nun, liebe Leser, genug der trockenen Daten. Diese und eine Menge mehr Informationen werden bei unserer nächsten Allgemeinen Mitglieder Versammlung am 16. Oktober 2004 um 10.30 Uhr vorgetragen. Bitte notieren Sie dieses Datum (nicht – wie schon bekannt gegeben – am 11. September).

Und nun möchten wir noch ein Loblied singen, einen Posaunenstoß für unsere vielen freiwilligen Mitarbeiter: Wir haben einige, die still und leise immer sehr hilfsbereit sind. Wir bitten um Verständnis, wenn wir heute nur einen unserer ‘quiet achievers’ nennen, ohne dass sich die vielen anderen Helfer benachteiligt fühlen dürfen. Er heißt Karl Bubeck. Karl fertigte die vielen Holzschilder an, die die Zimmer mit Namen versehen oder im Heim Richtungen anweisen. Eine mühselige Arbeit für Karl:  Er zeichnet die Buchstaben freihändig auf das ausgewählte Brett und fräst dann mit einer selbst angefertigten Bohrmaschine die Worte ins Holz. Mit einem groben Meißel wird dann dem Hintergrund eine schöne Struktur gegeben. Buchstaben werden angestrichen, und ein Lack überzieht dann das Kunstwerk. Herzlichen Dank, Karl. Die Schilder schmücken unser Heim fabelhaft.

Die Planierarbeiten für die vier Kleinwohnungen haben begonnen. (Bild Seite 17). Wir bitten alle Bewohner der anliegenden Wohnungen um Verständnis für den vorübergehenden Baulärm und die zeitweilig verschmutzten Zufahrten. Vielen Dank im voraus. Die ersten Bewohner der neuen Apartments sind eingezogen. Wir hoffen, dass sie sich bei uns sehr wohl fühlen. Zwei der sieben neuen Wohnungen im Hostel sind noch zu haben.

Freundliche Grüße. Friedrich Sawatzky, Präsident TTHA Komitee.

We wish you a belated ‘Happy New (financial) Year’. We have once again accomplished a very favourable outcome. Our, no ‘your’ Tabulam and Templer Homes have had a very successful year. Successful, as we climbed another notch, when measuring our resident’s comfort levels, with the building and accommodation of the new Otto Löbert Wing. We repeat, it was built entirely with our own funds and those of the Tabulam Development Fund, without recourse to our two umbrella organisations, the TSA or AGWS, or a bank loan. But there is more. We are extremely pleased with positive year-end earnings of $115,000 despite the obligatory depreciation of $90,000. Then, in the last few days of June we received a tremendous $292,500 federal government grant, as announced in the last budget, which promptly escalated our retention to $407,500.

Well done Dr Schreiber and your team. The Tabulam Development Fund grew by $276,000 to $3.4 mil. Truly fantastic, dear investors.

However, enough of these boring figures for today. This and much more information will be presented at our next Annual General Meeting scheduled for Saturday 16^th October at 10.30am. Please note this date, changed from 11^th September.

Now allow us to trumpet another song of praise to our unassuming but industrious volunteers. Before we do, however, we beg your understanding if today we praise only one of our ‘quiet achievers’, without wishing to depreciate all of our other helpers. Today we thank Karl Bubeck. Karl made those wooden room and directional plaques. A laborious task for him. Freehand he drew the letters on to the timber board then proceeded to route away around them on his homemade vertical drilling machine. With a rough chisel he structured the back-ground before painting the letters, then applying the final coat of lacquer completing a work of art. Many thanks Karl. The signs complement our home exquisitely.

The earthworks for the four Independent living units have commenced. There will be some building noise and occasional muddy road access. We sincerely appeal to our nearby residents for your understanding and thank you in anticipation.

The first apartment dwellers have moved into their new abodes in the hostel. We wholeheartedly trust that they are happy there among us. Two of the seven apartments are still available.

Warm Greetings, Friedrich Sawatzky, President TTHA Management CommitteeBriefly – Residents enjoyed the Winterfests and some music performances. ‘Zivis’ Timon and Manuel have left, and Uli is away – so much manpower missing; fortunately two new young men are expected in August. The next Resident and Relative meeting is on Friday 10^th August at 10am. New part –time receptionist is Michelle Weller. The bus is proving very useful.

Source: TTHA newsletter.

SENIORS

There is nothing the matter with me,
I’m as healthy as I can be!
I have arthritis in both my knees,
And when I talk, I talk with a wheeze,
My pulse is weak, my blood is thin,
But I’m awfully well for the shape I’m in!
Arch supports I have for my feet,
Or I wouldn’t be able to walk the street;
Sleep is denied me night after night,
But every morning I find I’m alright!
My memory is failing, my head’s in a spin,
But I’m awfully well for the shape I’m in!
My moral is this, as my tale I unfold,
That for you and me who are growing old,
It’s better to say ‘I’m fine’ with a grin,
Than to let folks know the shape I’m in.
How do I know that my youth is all spent?
Well, my ‘Get up and Go’ has got up and went!
But I really don’t mind when I think with a grin
Of all the places my ‘Get up’ has been!
‘Old age is golden,’ I’ve heard it said,
But sometimes I wonder, as I get into bed,
Wth my ‘ears’ in a drawer, my teeth in a cup,
My ‘eyes’ on the table till I get up!
Ere sleep overtakes me, I say to myself
‘Is there anything else I can lay on the shelf?’
When I was young, my slippers were red,
And I could kick my heels right over my head;
When I was older my slippers were blue,
But I could dance the whole night through!
Now I am old my slippers are black –
I walk to the shop – and puff my way back!
I get up each morning and dust off my wits,
Pick up the paper and read the ‘Obits’,
If my name is still missing, I know I’m not dead,
So I have a good breakfast – and go back to bed!

Sent in to us, source unknown

Everybody is invited. Ba-Bo ladies please bring a cake (already cut) to share.

Could the following ladies be at the hall by 2.45 pm. to help.

Doris & Belinda Frank

If you are unable to help, please ask a friend or ring me on 9720 2440.

Uta Steller

As I am unwell, Choir practices will probably not start until 4^th August in Bayswater.

Annette Wagner-Hesse

Speakers – Dr G. McCallum, Jan Tully (Tobin Brothers), Renate Hoffmann, Sonia Glenk, Dietmar Jürgensen.

Admission free – donations welcome. Afternoon tea will be served.

Enquiries: Renate or Helga

Helga Anderson, for the Community Care and Reference Group

Members of the Bayswater – Boronia Community are cordially invited to the Annual General Meeting at 2.00 pm. on Sunday, 15^th August, 2004 at the Bayswater Hall.

Proxy Forms for those unable to attend in person and Nominations Forms for those seeking election to the Community Council are available from the Bayswater Hall and Chapel foyers or by email request to:

Resi Schwarzbauer at resischwarzbauer@hotmail.com.

Please note that the Community Structure working Party is currently finalising a timetable for the proposed new structure of the TSA. If accepted, it is anticipated that the Bayswater – Boronia Community Council would continue in a caretaker role until the new structure is fully implemented. An overview of the proposal and timeframes will be represented at the meeting.

Resi Schwarzbauer, for the Ba-Bo Community Council

The Ba-Bo Ladies Group will meet on Tuesday 17^th August in the community room in the Bayswater Hall at 1.30pm. ‘Ursula and Alfred Klink haben viele schöne Erinnerungen von ihrer Fahrt nach Amerika. Sie werden uns einige ihrer Erlebnisse und von den Sehenswürdigkeiten in San Francisco and Washington an Hand von Bildern erzählen’.

Klinks will show and tell us about their visit to America. All welcome.

Flower roster – 1^st Aug Rose Weller, Moni Herrmann

8^th Aug Erica Megele, Trudi Murray

5^th Sept Hella Edelmaier, Ilse Nicholson

We have planned another working bee to do the lawns, garden maintenance, cleaning and odd jobs. So come along and help for however long you can between 9 - 12am. We enjoy each other’s company and have a wonderful morning tea. We'd really enjoy your company as well, so come along, help out  and join in the community spirit.

No need to book just come along, young or young at heart.

Any queries contact Paul Weberruss

This is to remind members of the Bentleigh-Moorabbin Community that our Annual General Meeting will be held in the Bentleigh Hall on Sunday 22^nd August commencing at 12 noon. There will be a light lunch served at 11.30am at the conclusion of the morning Saal (commencing at 10.15am). Please see last month’s TR p.27 for the agenda.

This year Herb Hoffmann will retire from the committee, by rotation. We are aware that this is our last meeting before the proposed change to the TSA structure, and the committee has decided to remain in ‘caretaker’ mode until the new TSA constitution is adopted. However, we have decided to make this position open for reelection (and are calling for nominations) to allow any interested member(s) the chance to work with committee for a short period of time to become more familiar with the community committee and with the new structure and perhaps in the future become a member of one of the new Focus groups.

We would also like to invite some of the younger members of the community and their families to attend the meeting. We will provide simple ‘child-friendly’ sandwiches for lunch and then videos can be watched in the Sunday School room, with a couple of teenage minders.

The Committee hopes that all members will attend. For further information please contact Monika Imberger.

Diana Rainbird, for the Be-Mo Community Council

Everyone is invited to a splendid concert by the Liedertafel Arion Male Choir, the RAAF Central Band and also soloists.

Venue: Luther College Chapel, Plymouth Road Croydon (Mel. Ref. 36G12).

Tickets: $18 adults, $15 concession.

Tickets can be obtained from any choir member Helmut Ruff

On Sunday 5^th September there will be a Family Service in the Bayswater Chapel at 10:15am.

As this is Father’s Day it would be lovely if the kids could bring their fathers along, and if those fathers could bring their fathers!

Please make a special effort to bring grandparents, parents and children together on this special occasion – start your family gathering early, with us!

Looking forward to seeing you in the Chapel.

Christine Ruff

After being postponed for one year, the next Confirmation classes in the Temple Society Australia are scheduled to commence in April 2005.

What does this mean? What are confirmation classes about? Who should get confirmed? Why should anyone get confirmed? How old are you meant to be to get confirmed?

If you have any questions about Confirmation, just want to know more about the TS, or merely want to enjoy the discussion, come along to the:

Confirmation Information and Discussion evening