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DECEMBER

TEMPLER RECORD - ISSUE No. 690

REFLECTIONS   
 

GEDANKEN UM WEIHNACHTEN	THOUGHTS AROUND CHRISTMAS
Manchmal denk’ ich: wie lebten zufrieden und froh,	Sometimes I think the shepherds
einst die Hirten auf Bethlehems Feld.	in the fields near Bethlehem
Aber heute ist einer des anderen Feind,	must have been glad and content,
voller Hass, Streit und Krieg ist die Welt.	whereas today everyone is everyone else’s foe
Doch dann hör’ ich auf einmal der Engel Gesang	and the world is full of hate, conflict and war.
von dem Frieden, den Gott uns nur gibt,	But then I hear the angels’ song of the peace,
und ein neues, ein besseres Leben fängt an:	which only God gives, and a new, better life begins:
Ich kann lieben, weil Gott mich liebt.	I can love, because God loves me.
Manchmal denk’ ich: die Weisen, sie kamen weit her	Sometimes I think the wise men travelled far
mit Geschenken, so kostbar und schön;	with their beautiful, precious gifts,
ich, ich stehe mit leeren Händen vor dir	whereas I stand before you with empty hands,
und muss dir meinen Mangel gestehn.	confessing all my shortcomings.
Doch dann weiß ich auf einmal, was du von mir willst,	But then I suddenly know what you want of me,
was als Gabe dir angenehm sei:	a gift that would please you –
mein verzagtes, verlornes, verängstigtes Herz.	my despondent, lost and frightened heart.
Nimm es hin, Herr, und mache es neu.	Take it, Lord, and make it new.
Manchmal denk’ ich: bald ist wieder alles vorbei,	Sometimes I think it will be over soon,
diese Weihnacht, ihr Zauber, ihr Licht;	this Christmas with its magic and its light,
und der Alltag, der grausame Alltag beginnt	and grim, everyday life will start anew
und die Arbeit, die Sorge, die Pflicht.	with its duties, its worries, its work.
Doch dann spür’ ich auf einmal: Du bleibst ja bei mir,	But then I suddenly feel that you are staying with me,
und das Finstre behält keine Macht.	and darkness loses its hold.
Herr, das macht mich so froh, und ich danke dir	Lord, that makes me so glad and I thank you
für das Wunder der heiligen Nacht!	for the wonder of the Holy Night.
Martin Gotthard Schneider	Tr. H. U.
Sent in by a reader from Bayswater

THE LIGHT IN THE WINDOW
One more way to give of yourself

24th December, 1966 – a cold, wet Christmas Eve. Presents are beautifully wrapped and ready; the aroma of roast turkey is wafting through the house. But Christmas means more than giving and receiving presents and I’m thinking of the many poor and lonely people.
I have put a large candle on the window sill. ‘Why do you do that?’ my little daughter asked years ago, and I had answered, ‘Perhaps some poor, lonely soul is looking for a light on Christmas Eve.’

Around 10pm the doorbell rang. It was a young man who looked cold. ‘Pardon me, but the light in your window...’ He stopped, and I thought, ‘He’s a recently released prisoner.’ He cleared his throat, wanting to speak. Noticing how hard it was for him, I smiled and said, ‘Come in and tell me what I can do for you.’ ‘Oh, I don’t want to be a nuisance, but the candle in the window gave me courage. I’m awfully hungry.’
How tough it is for some people! ‘Come on, I’ll make you some coffee and you shall eat as much as you want. Meanwhile you can freshen up in the bathroom.’

Shakily: ‘But I’m only causing you extra work.’ ‘Never mind. Do you think the light is in the window for nothing?’
When he was back, he sniffed the aromas of coffee and bread and simply said: ‘Fantastic!’ ‘Which prison were you in?’ I asked. He stared at me and stammered, ‘How did you know?’

‘Please don’t worry. I’ve been a mentor for prisoners for 20 years, also after they’re released. I’m well aware that the sentence doesn’t end after the gates open and you at last regain your so-called freedom. Families don’t want to know disgraced members any more and society is merciless – you come up against rejection everywhere.’

‘I was in because of...’ ‘No!’ I stopped him, ‘Today is that day in the year when people come together to share joy. You can tell me once Christmas is over.’ Suddenly he looked up to the ceiling and said, ‘My God, you have not forsaken me.’ Big teardrops ran down his cheeks and the trembling words came out, ‘Thank you for the light in the window.’

A year later I invited the young man for Christmas Eve, him who had been so discouraged, so humiliated, so poor in body and spirit, asking for a slice of bread on my doorstep. He had not disappointed me, this man from the colourless army of homeless and desperate people. How little it takes to help another human being, sometimes just a light in the window.

Adapted and translated from a story by Erika Scheffe

Would we have the love, the courage and the faith to open our homes to a homeless person on our doorstep? In the present climate of fear and suspicion, this would be a huge challenge for many of us, although I’m sure that in theory we would like to. Jesus risked befriending the outcasts. Perhaps we are generally too well-off and comfortable, with ‘too much to lose’, to risk inviting strangers in.

Can we do something to make life easier for someone at Christmas? And at other times?
H. U.

TEXT OF THE MONTH – John 1:4-5
The light shines in the darkness

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
As we light our first Advent candles, our thoughts go to the culmination of the Advent period, Christ-mass. The churches will again celebrate the incarnation, the becoming-flesh of the Christ-principle, the logos that was ‘in the beginning’, that was ‘with God and was God’, who came to earth in a stable in Bethlehem as the baby Jesus.

Luke (chapter 2) describes this idea in the familiar images of the well-loved Christmas story. The Gospel of John, written many years later, seeks to convey more abstract, spiritual experiences around the central theme of the triumph of light over darkness.

Most Templers don’t subscribe to the idea that Jesus is God – a theological construct agreed on by many (but not all) of the bishops at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., i.e. almost 300 years after Jesus’ execution. On the other hand, the New Testament idea that we humans are ‘temples of God’, in whom the divine creative Life-force dwells and moves, certainly applies to Jesus, only more so – he was probably more identified with this Force than anyone else (and could say ‘I and the Father are one’), so in a sense he, and we, are divine, are able to create, to love, to forgive, to bless, to heal when this Force is active in us.

We do sense the powerful healing effect Jesus exerted in enabling the people around him to live more fully and freely, an effect still felt today. The impetus that Jesus gave people to live more fully did not derive its power to light up their darkness from his being God, but because his life and teaching was a shining example, in the truest sense of the word. Jesus’ ‘good news’ of our being accepted by God and in his hands, in spite of our faults can be a light on our life-path, ‘brighter than a thousand suns’ and more powerful than the darkest shadows of our despair.
Indeed, against this light the darkness cannot prevail.

In diesem Lichte kannst du finden
den sichern Pfad zur Herrlichkeit
...durchstrahle meiner Seele Grund,
...und mach es meinem Herzen kund,
wie ich des Weihnachtsglanzes voll
in deinem Lichte wandern soll.
                   from ‘Dies ist die Nacht’

We wish you light, love and joy for Christmas, light and love so powerful that any darkness you may be going through is illuminated and eventually overcome.
Herta Uhlherr

Some of the above thoughts appear in Jörg Klingbeil’s article in the ‘Warte’ of December 2005, page 179.

REZEPTVORSCHLAG FÜR EIN NEUES JAHR
Man nehme zwölf Monate,
putze sie sauber von Bitterkeit, Geiz, Pedanterie und Angst
und zerlege jeden Monat in 30 oder 31 Teile,
so dass der Vorrat genau für ein Jahr reicht.

Jeder Tag wird einzeln angerichtet
aus einem Teil Arbeit und zwei Teilen Frohsinn und Humor.
Man füge drei gehäufte Esslöffel Optimismus hinzu,
einen Teelöffel Toleranz, ein Körnchen Ironie und eine Prise Takt.

Dann wird die Masse sehr reichlich mit Liebe übergossen.
Das fertige Gericht schmücke man mit Sträußchen kleiner Aufmerksamkeiten
und serviere es täglich mit Heiterkeit und mit einer guten, erquickenden Tasse Tee...

Catharina Elisabeth Goethe, Mutter des J.W. v. Goethe

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REGIONAL MATTERS

FROM THE REGIONAL COUNCIL

NOTES from the RC Meeting of 3.11

• Representatives from the Heritage Group gave a presentation on their work to date and their requirements for workspace and storage. A lengthy discussion ensued and representatives of the group are to meet with the Property Management Focus Group to spell out their specific proposal, quotes etc.

• TS President Peter Lange is planning a trip to Australia early in 2007. He would like to meet as many TSA members as possible during his visit.

• The TGD also had a lengthy discussion about the Jerusalem Cemetery at its annual meeting, and similarly decided to investigate further options.

• We discussed the process for nomination and election of the TS President, and succession planning for other leadership roles/positions.

• The process for the Care Worker interviews was discussed.

• The membership of Focus Groups was discussed – they now need to nominate their leaders.

• Renate Weber was congratulated on her selection as Elders’ Religious & Spiritual Focus Group Leader.

• Confirmation in 2007 was discussed.

• The Property Management Focus Group has been as busy as ever. Amongst other things: survey work for Rosa’s shed has begun; the bell is expected to be commissioned in January.

• Lots of administration, correspondence etc. as usual.

Harald Ruff, on behalf of the Regional Council

PETER LANGE VISIT
Peter Lange has arranged a visit to Australia, his last as TS President, for late January (planning to arrive 30th January) to early March 2007 (planning to depart 2nd March). As usual, Peter will be making every effort to engage in community services and activities and to meet as many Members as possible.
We wish him a safe trip and a thoroughly enjoyable and productive time amongst us.
Mark Herrmann

TSA AGM – 08/10/2006 – Bentleigh
Extracts from the Minutes

ELECTION OF THE NEXT TEMPLE SOCIETY PRESIDENT

As members already know, Peter Lange has indicated his intention to retire as Temple Society President (Vorsteher) on the occasion of his 75th birthday in October 2007. Peter has asked that the TSA Regional Council initiate the process of election of his successor.

In the October 2006 Templer Record (page 12) Dr Rolf Beilharz outlined the procedure under which a President of the Temple Society is constitutionally elected, while Peter himself – in the November Templer Record (pages 10-11) – provided an overview of his tasks and work in the role. Please familiarise yourself with both important articles again.

In each region – Germany and Australia – individual members or the Regional Council can nominate a candidate. The TSA Regional Council will first consider the nominations and reach a consensus about the most favoured candidate. Both Regional Councils must then endorse the candidate by a two-thirds majority. Following such endorsement, the candidate must be endorsed by a simple majority at the Annual General Meeting in each region. These are scheduled to take place in October 2007.

Thus nominations for the position of Temple Society President are herewith invited. A proposed candidate may be a member of the TSA or the TGD, and may normally reside in Australia or in Germany. Nominations must be in writing and submitted by 5:00 pm on Friday 23/03/2007 to the TSA Office. This will enable sufficient time for consultation between the two Regional Councils and for subsequent notification concerning the endorsed candidate in both regional publications prior to the meetings of members in Melbourne and Stuttgart.

Proposals must be signed by the member making the proposal and by another member seconding the proposal. Also, the proposed candidate must state in writing that he/she is prepared to accept the nomination.

This process has deliberately been begun well in advance, giving all TSA and TGD members ample time to discuss and consider the important decision ahead. An abbreviated version of this notice will appear in subsequent editions of the Templer Record early next year.

Mark Herrmann, for the TSA Regional Council
 

FROM THE OFFICE

e-mail Listing/Telephone Trees
Over some months now the Communication & Promotion Focus Group has been liaising with the Office in an attempt to update the TSA-Online list and telephone grapevines. Numerous articles and reminders have been written or sent, yet we still find members who have not bothered to respond. How frustrating is that!?

Also annoying are those who simply confirm that we are using the correct e-mail address. Yes, that was part of the exercise, but an equally important consideration was for members to indicate whether they preferred Online messages to telephone calls.

So, if you haven’t already done so, please indicate whether you would like to receive important TSA notifications by e-mail (providing the relevant address) in preference to the messages via the telephone grapevine. Only when the TSA-Online list is finally ready can the long-overdue update of the telephone grapevines be undertaken.

Please do your part in assisting the process of efficient communication.
Mark Herrmann, Business Manager

Rosa Bus Bookings
All bookings for the bus are now to be directed to Marianne Herrmann in the TSA Office at nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au or 9557 6713 (bh).

Office Closure
The TSA Office will not be fully attended during the Christmas and summer holiday period. We will close on Thursday 21st December and re-open on Wednesday 24th January 2007. Messages can be left on the answering machine, but please be aware that they may not be responded to immediately.

In emergency situations or matters of need, please contact one of the following:
Mark Herrmann – Business Manager
Dr Rolf Beilharz – Regional Head
Helga Anderson – Community Care Worker
The bereavement line will continue to function during this period.

Thank you
Although trying to wind down the year’s activities in preparation for Christmas, New Year and summer fun, we often find this time of year particularly stressful. The month of January is therefore very necessary for recovery, recharging and reflection.
I take this opportunity of thanking all TSA volunteers – Members and friends alike – who work extremely hard and give a great deal of their time to provide so much richness for our Templer Community during the course of the year.
Mark Herrmann, Business Manager

SOCIAL CARE – December
Dear Friends,
Last month Dr Schreiber, the CEO of the TTHA, kindly made himself available to address our members on the admission process for the TTHA. There were two sessions, a German one on an afternoon and an English one on an evening. Both presentations were well attended.
Dr Schreiber explained the costs associated with Aged Care and Retirement Living in the TTHA and answered many questions. The presentations gave a good understanding of the process as it currently stands.
We thank Dr Schreiber for taking time out from his busy schedule to address us. The transcript of the presentation is available from the TTHA or by contacting the Care Worker.

This will be my last report as Care Worker as I plan to retire at the end of this year. It is with sadness that I write these words after holding this position for so long.
I wish to thank you sincerely for the trust and confidence you placed in me. It was indeed a privilege to be of service to the community and I was proud to do so.
I have not achieved all that I had hoped and some things I could perhaps have done better. Much has changed since I started in this position. It is time to hand the baton over and I wish my successor well.

I wish you all a very happy festive season and enjoyable, relaxing and safe holidays.

Best wishes to our sick and infirm friends.
Helga Anderson

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MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

AUS DEM GEMEINDELEBEN

GEBURTSTAGE
Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

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

BIRTH
Jensen Alexander Löbert
Brother for Riley
Parents: Richard and Stacey Löbert
Grandparents: Herman and Helga Löbert

ENGAGEMENT
Silvia Anderson and Brendon Anderson celebrated their engagement on 5th November.

NAMING CEREMONY
On Sunday 12.11.2006, our Elder and Celebrant, Herta Uhlherr, conducted a naming ceremony for Siena McCarty Jun Jie Yap. Like her brother Caeden, Siena is treasured by her parents, Raymond Hoefer and Dr Desiree Yap, their co-parents and the many grandparents, who all participated in the ceremony.
May the love, good wishes and blessings from the assembled company help Siena to master the challenges her unusual situation will undoubtedly bring.
H. U.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
Helmut and Luise Ruff are celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary on 22nd December.
We wish you many more years together.

BEREAVEMENTS
In Germany Helmut Vetter died in Nürtingen on 22.9.2006, aged almost 85. He was Christel Hänel’s and Hartmut Vetter’s father. His wife Rosemarie née Hasenpflug preceded him in death ten years before.

ííí

On 29th October, our father, brother and uncle, Manfred Orth, passed away peacefully at Lourdes Nursing Home, Lindfield, NSW, at the age of 81.

Missing him are:
daughter Ingrid Orth,
sister Hetty Meyer and family,
brother Horst Orth and family,
and Jenny Orth.

We sincerely thank Pastor Aussenwinkler from the Sydney Lutheran Community for his moving Service. The family would also like to thank Klaus Peter Hoffmann for his reminiscences of the good times they had as they grew up together in Sarona.
Hetty Meyer and Horst Orth

ííí

Inge Weller passed away on 10th November in the Lothar Christmann Haus in Stuttgart at the age of almost 91 years. Inge was the youngest in the family of Gottlieb Weller and his wife Martha née Hoffmann.
Among Inge’s siblings were Elisabeth Hoffmann, Dr Alfred Weller and the Zwillings-Schwesterle Helene and Hildegard.

ííí

Walter Scheerle passed away in South Australia on 13^th November at the age of almost 80 years.
He is sadly missed by
his wife Glenda Scheerle and her family,
his siblings Elsa, Gertrud, Rudi and Anne with their families,
his many cousins and their families.

ííí

Am 15. November ist unsere liebe Frau, Mutter, Schwester und Tante Gretl Ursula Stodal geb. Wied, nach langem Leiden mit 63 Jahren sanft eingeschlafen.
Für die uns erwiesene Anteilnahme möchten wir der Gemeinde recht herzlich danken.
John Stodal,
David, Sharon, Savannah und Corey (dec.)
Jodi, Brad und Kristi,
Irene Eppinger und Gerlinde Ruppik mit Familien,
die Familie von Gunther Wied
und die weitläufige Stodal, Wied und Weinmann Verwandtschaft.

ííí

Gerda Weiss passed away on 17^th November in the Tabulam and Templer Homes at the age of 94 years. She was the third child of Jakob Weiss and his wife Elly née Hoffmann. Our condolences go to her nephew Eberhard Weiss and her niece Lore Paulus née Steller.

      Our condolences go to all the bereaved families


TYNONG COUNTRY SERVICE
On Sunday, 5th November, about 50 people attended a Country Service at the home of Heinz Bulach at Tynong. With spectacular views of rolling Gippsland countryside in the background we enjoyed a thought-provoking Service by Renate Beilharz. We also got to trial a new CD of piano accompaniment for our hymn-singing. Initially our singing was a bit slow for the music, but with Herta leading us, we were soon up to "speed".

A magnificent smorgasbord lunch and afternoon tea was followed by a walk for some, whilst others just enjoyed the country scenery and a chat.
Thank you to Heinz and family for the lovely setting, Renate for the service and Tony for driving the bus.
Ingrid Beilharz

And many thanks from all participants for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended by the Bulach family.
Ed.

PS: More pictures at www.templesociety.com/Caught on Camera/2006/Bulach CV/Caught on Camera.htm

THE SUPER SUPPER DANCE
How times change! Or we change; or Society changes or, most likely, all three do. Once upon a time we had barn dances with hay bales for seats and bodgies for gate crashers. We had socials with party games called icebreakers and, for goodness sake, even square dances. When did they turn into dinner dances? Who knows – who even cares? At any rate, they are called Supper dances now, because nobody eats dinner that late.

And a sumptuous supper it was at the dance held on the last Saturday of October in the Bayswater Hall. The tables sagged under the weight of the food and would have collapsed, had the dancers not bravely lined up and collected their fare. The band – just one man, but with lots of technology at his fingertips – played as loud as ever; at least as loud as four men did their best playing saxophones and drums years ago. When the man disappeared for a break, a conspiracy to sneak up and loosen a wire was discovered and duly foiled. It often is mentioned in sermons, including those of the TSA, that we ought not to yell at each other, but that night anyone could do so with impunity, because the other guy, or girl, would barely hear a whisper anyway.

Still – judging by the attendance and by the swiftly moving couples on the floor who, age notwithstanding, danced, as the saying goes, wie der Lomp’ am Stecka – it was such a success that it will, no doubt, be repeated next year. Congratulations!
Peter Hornung

BALLARAT GATHERING – 29th October
Susie Hardefeldt had worried about the venue (would the grass still be green enough?) and had worried about the weather (Ballarat can be cold), but in the end need not have worried at all! The Northern Victoria Country Templer meeting on 29th October was held in Eureka Park, Ballarat, in a green, grassy setting dominated by magnificent pine trees and facing a small lake. We had the choice of sheltered seating or using our own picnic chairs and tables out on the grass. Many of us chose the latter, where we could bask in the glorious sunshine. A nearby children’s playground was a valuable asset for the young ones. We gathered as a group of eleven adults and an appropriate group of attached children.

Christa Lingham delivered a thought-provoking Saal which touched in part on the question of our possible reactions if Jesus were to re-appear on earth in the present day. Would many people be willing to put all else aside to follow this wise person? Or have we as a society become too self-centred, distrustful and cynical to consider such a course, or even to listen at all to the message expounded by a stranger?

The shared goodies made for relaxing lunch and afternoon tea breaks, and good conversation. Thanks, Susie, for arranging the day, and we look forward to a repeat on another occasion.
Vyrna Beilharz

DEALING WITH PROBLEMS OF AGEING
The Welfare & Distant Focus Group conducted another successful seminar on Saturday 28th October.
The central theme, Dealing with Problems of Ageing, along with a fine spring afternoon filled the Bayswater chapel with people from near and far, with the community bus providing valuable transport.

Four guest speakers spoke on the following important topics:
Parkinson’s disease   Celia Jones and Hilda Dickinson
Alzheimer’s disease   Pam Keeble
Powers of Attorney …Ines Kallweit

Many thanks to all who assisted, particularly the guest speakers from Parkinson’s Victoria Inc., Alzheimer's Australia Vic and to Tolhurst Druce & Emmerson, Solicitors.

The topics generated considerable interest, as reflected by the many questions from the audience.
Celia and Hilda, Parkinson’s sufferers themselves, gave personal accounts of their struggles to maintain normal lives. The disease is quite variable and does not necessarily progress rapidly.
Pam Keeble provided an easy to understand account of Alzheimer’s disease, directed at sufferers and their families and carers.
Ines Kallweit explained the difference between financial and medical Powers of Attorney and emphasized the desirability of preparing both before they are needed, as with a Will. Changes to the Power of Attorney laws were highlighted, including stricter rules for witnessing. Self-help kits are available at minimal cost from newsagencies or, alternatively, a solicitor may be employed.

For further information:

Parkinson’s Victoria Inc.
Address: 20 Kingston Road, Cheltenham VIC 3192
Free Call: 1800 644 189
Phone: (03) 9551 1122
e-mail: info@parkinsons-vic.org.au

Alzheimer's Australia Vic
Address: 98 - 104 Riversdale Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Postal address: Locked Bag 3001, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Phone: (03) 9815 7800,
e-mail: alz@alzvic.asn.au 

Tolhurst Druce & Emmerson
Address: Level 3, 520 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9670 0700
e-mail: tolhurst@tde.com.au 

Peter Ware

SAAL UND PICNIC AM MAROONDAH RESERVOIR – 12. November
Der Tag war wolkig grau und Regen war angesagt. Den brauchen wir ja sehr, sehr nötig, aber vielleicht verzögert er sich etwas. Mit unserer lieben Rosa – dem Kleinbus – und vielen Privatautos kamen die Teilnehmer im herrlichen Park am Fuße der Staumauer an, wo eine Rotunde mit Tischen und Bänken reserviert war.
Christine Ruff hielt den Sonntags-Kinderunterricht im Freien, und es war eine Freude zuzuhören, wie aufgeweckt die Kinder dabei teilnahmen.

Danach erinnerte man sich, dass das Frühstück schon lange her war. Die mitgebrachten Salate und Kuchen wurden alle zusammen auf einen Tisch gestellt, so dass jeder von jedem kosten konnte. So mancher briet Würstchen und Zwiebel auf dem Barbecue und lockte mit dem Geruch die Kookaburras an, die scharf auf die Würstchen waren. Das Wetter war richtig milde geworden, sogar ein paar Sonnenstrahlen erhellten den Park mit seinen vielen Wanderwegen. Herrliche alte, riesige Bäume gab’s da, Gruppen von Farnbäumen, Azaleen, Kamelien und auch einen Seerosenteich. Einige überquerten die Damm-Mauer. Diese war in regenreichen Jahren erhöht und verstärkt worden.

Die große Wiese neben unserer Rotunde war ja wie geschaffen für ein Fußballspiel und bald hatten sich zwei Parteien gebildet: Väter, Söhne und Töchter spielten mit Begeisterung. Es kostete jedoch manchen Schweißtropfen! Danach stärkte man sich noch an Kaffee und Kuchen, ehe aufgebrochen wurde. Und wo blieb der angesagte Regen? Um 8 Uhr abends fing es an zu gießen, zu blitzen und zu donnern. Hatten wir nicht Glück?
Eine Teilnehmerin

COMMUNITY PICNIC AT MAROONDAH RESERVOIR
Rain was forecast, and the morning was cloudy and grey. Yes, we do need rain very very badly, but might it not just wait a bit longer? Our dear Rosa, the bus, and many cars brought all of us to the magnificent park below the dam, where a rotunda with tables and benches had been reserved for us. Christine Ruff taught Sunday School in the open air, and it was a joy to see the lively interest of the children.

After the Service, we felt that breakfast had happened a long time ago. Salads and cakes beckoned from a table for everyone to partake from everything. The smell of the sausages and onions on the barbecue attracted the kookaburras, which were quite keen on the sausages.

The weather had become downright mild; at times, the sun brightened the hiking tracks that led to wonderful vistas of huge old trees, ferns, azaleas, camellias and even to a pond of sea roses. Some people walked along the top of the dam, which had been raised and strengthened in times of higher rainfall.

The large lawn area around the rotunda seemed made for a game of football and soon two teams were formed. Fathers, sons and daughters played with gusto and shed many a drop of sweat! Afterwards we enjoyed coffee and cakes before heading home. And what about the rain that had been forecast? Not before eight o’clock that night did it start to pour with rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Were we not lucky?
A Participant   Tr. Emma Polacsek

TATURA THANKYOU
As in previous years, many Templers and friends travelled to Tatura for the Memorial Service on Sunday 19th November. We thank the many people involved in the organisation of this successful day of remembrance.

Thanks go to:
• Marianne Herrmann: for so diligently solving the logistical problem of transporting about 45 people
  from Bentleigh and Bayswater, in three different buses.
• Tony Beilharz, Erika Anderson and Jim Anderson: for driving those three buses.
• Rolf Beilharz: for liaising with the German Consulate, and speaking at the Service
• The Choir and Brass Ensemble: for providing the music which so beautifully sets the tone of the Service.
• Guenther Schnerring: for laying the wreath on behalf of the TSA.
• The people who brought flowers for the gravestones.
Heritage & Culture Focus Group

THE UNSEEN CHRISTMAS ELVES – Die unsichtbaren Weihnachtszwerge
Again this year, a very small group of people worked hard to raise money for our Home (TTHA), by creating beautiful decorations and gifts for Christmas, but also for two stalls held at Box Hill, for the Christmas Markets at the Tivoli Club and at the Home, as well as for the Adventsfeier in Bayswater and in Bentleigh.

It is a very time-consuming task; not only the actual creating, embroidering, sewing and finishing the goods, but also getting everything ready for sale. For example: recording all items to be sold; pricing every little piece; packing everything into boxes so that nothing breaks on the journey to the stall; and loading all of it into cars.

At the end of the day, the process is reversed until all is packed away again, having first recorded all the individual sales. Then comes the best task – counting the money and delivering it to the Home for which all this ‘silent’ work is done.
A big thankyou from the community to all the unseen Christmas elves.
Heidi Vollmer

CONGRATULATIONS
Karin Lubitz, a German teacher for the Victorian School of Languages in Leongatha, together with 14 other teachers from all over Australia, was successful in receiving an Endeavour Fellowship to Germany. She will be going to Germany, leaving 1st January 2007, spending ten days at the Goethe Institut in Freiburg, then travelling to Berlin via Schwäbisch Hall, Bamberg and Weimar.

Karin’s comments: “I wasn't sure whether I'd actually be considered as I haven't done any tertiary studies in German, but it sounds as though it will be an interesting three weeks. My last visit to Germany was almost 25 years ago, so I'm looking forward to updating my experiences of the culture, way of life and the intricacies of the language.”
The 2007 Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowships is a programme of the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training.
Marianne Herrmann

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SYDNEY AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA

CENTENARY YEAR – SYDNEY CHURCH
Our little church will celebrate its 100th birthday on 30th November 2007. In the new year, the Community Council will discuss how to commemorate and celebrate this exciting event. As our annual Christmas Bazaar is at the same time, we could perhaps combine the two festivities (see Heritage Page).
The native trees and shrubs which were recently planted are doing well, with a few exceptions, thanks to the efforts of Rolf Beck who comes and waters them in these drought conditions until they are established. We will plant more next winter and replace those that did not make it.

Date to remember: Sunday 17th December – Christmas Service 4:00pm.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
On Sunday 8th October, our small group met for Saal. The group is getting smaller, but for those who come, the meetings are important.
The text for the Saal, written by Peter Uhlherr and read by U. Asenstorfer, came from St John 3:1-12. Change your attitude and really understand the purpose of life. Learn to ‘see’ and be an inspiration, a light, to the world.
After the Lord‘s Prayer, which we recited together, we sang verses four and five of hymn 47 (old hymnbook). The first three verses we sang at the beginning of the Service.
Thea Frank sent her usual greetings; we sent her a card with good wishes for her 99th birthday on 1st October.
The next Saal is on 10th December at Tanunda at 2:00pm.

The Ladies’ Group is also shrinking and there were only four who met at Rose’s place. But at afternoon tea, we had a lively discussion and decided to go to Gumeracha for our end-of-year outing.
Rose Asenstorfer

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YOUTH

YOUTH CALENDAR

• Sunday 3rd December 2006 – Advent Celebration in Bentleigh – helpers needed to serve.
• Friday 8th December 2006 – last day for camp bookings!
• Tuesday 16th – Monday 22nd January 2007 – Summer Camp and Youth Surf Camp.

Summer Camp 2007
Summer Camp 2007 will be held at A’Beckett Park, Raymond Island (near Paynesville) from Tuesday 16th January to Monday 22nd January 2007.
Bookings must be made no later than Friday 8th December 2006. No further bookings will be accepted after this date!
Booking forms are available from the Office, they can be sent to you by mail or e-mail.
Please contact Susi for any further information (or to obtain booking forms), Susi’s contact details are listed at the end of the Youth Section.

Youth Surf Camp 2007
The Youth Surf Camp will run from Tuesday 16th to Monday 22nd January 2007, and will be held in Anglesea. This camp is for anyone confirmed or over the age of 15 years. We will be staying at Anglesea Backpackers and doing surf activities with Go-Ride-a-Wave.
Bookings MUST be made NO later than Friday 8th December 2006. NO further bookings will be accepted after this date!
Booking forms are available from the Office, they can be sent to you by mail or email.
Please contact Susi for any further information (or to obtain booking forms).

Contact details for Susi:
• e-mail: susi.tsa@datafast.net.au  
• mail: TSA Youth Coordinator, 152 Tucker Road, Bentleigh, 3204

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CHILDREN'S SECTION

G’day to all kids and parents!
Did you manage to work out the message from last month’s section? Once you’d crossed out all the Xs, you should have ended up with ‘The Templer belief is a solid foundation for us, like the rock for the house.’ (Remember, we thought about needing something firm to build on, for both houses and people!) And did you manage to be a rock for someone? Were you able to be a solid support for someone when they needed it? Or conversely, if you needed help, were you able to receive it from someone? I certainly hope so.

It seems incredible to me that it is already December. How quickly the Christmases and school holidays come around! At the start of the year we decided we would base this Children’s Section on our Temple Society Sunday School Booklet and the Sunday School sessions. Last month we came to the end of our booklet, so this month we will review everything we have talked/thought about this year. I wonder how much you can remember?

These are the things you have read and thought about this year, all linked to the Temple Society:
The fact that the Temple Society is a church.
In our church, we worship God.

The name of our church and what it means.
What a temple is. Where God dwells.
When we come together, we are stronger.

The fact that we are a Christian society.
Christians learn from Jesus and his lessons.

Our symbol and what it represents.
We know Jesus used many symbols in his teachings.

Our motto and what it means.
Templers try to recreate the Kingdom of God on earth.
We try to love each other. We follow the commandments of love.

God’s Kingdom is different for everybody.
God’s Kingdom keeps growing and is never finished.
How we behave is important.

Our aim (two parts of it) and what it means.
Different ways we can live our aim and show others that we love them.
We try to accept and love all people.

Children are important in the Temple Society.
Presentation and Confirmation are two important Templer celebrations involving children.

The fact that the Temple Society is a community.
People in a community have something in common.
People in a community work as a team.

Templer communities are built on a solid foundation.
Jesus’ teachings are our foundation and our belief holds us together.

There is a lot to think about regarding the Temple Society, isn’t there? I wonder if you remembered all these things and perhaps some of the stories that we used this year? Here’s an activity which will hopefully help cement the ideas in your mind. The ideas we discussed each month are listed below, but have been chopped in half. Can you match the halves?
 

Hopefully, you have learnt or remembered some things about the Temple Society you didn’t know or had forgotten (or maybe you just knew it all without having to think about it)? If there are some parts you don’t understand, all you really need to remember is that to be a Templer, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, what you look like, where you live, what your name is or how old you are.

Anyone can be a Templer – you just have to be the best you can be.

We hope that you kids, especially, feel like you are part of our community, and a very important part at that!

Thank you to all those kids that brought their parents along to Services this year, so they could go to Sunday School, and thank you for dragging your parents along to the Family Services, and many other important community occasions. We hope to see lots of you regularly next year because it’s a lot of fun when we all get together.

Keep a special eye out for Kids’ Club and youth activities!

As we prepare for Christmas, try to remember that other really special child (apart from you!) and also what Christmas is really all about (not just the presents!). And if you really can’t think of a good present to give someone, why not give them a piece of yourself – the best piece you can give. That’s what being a Templer is all about!

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas surrounded by precious family and a safe and happy holiday, and I look forward to seeing you all next year.
Christine

A very happy birthday to these special and important kids:

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TABULAM AND TEMPLER HOMES FOR THE AGED

Dear Friends,
Christmas is just around the corner and the smell of Gutsle is again wafting from the kitchen.
It's been a busy year for the Home with many enjoyable activities behind us and I'm sure numerous equally enjoyable events to come before we say goodbye to 2006.

The two major projects we tackled, i.e. the three independent living units and the 37-bed extension to the Home have kept us busy but, sadly, I must report that our wonderful medical clinic has not yet found a Doctor. Hopefully 2007 will make this a reality.

During a short period in November a number of the Homes’ residents suffered an outbreak of gastro enteritis. The Health department was alerted and carried out checks in the kitchen but quickly cleared that area as being the source for the outbreak.  Quick action by the staff including room isolation where required, minimized the infection spread and allowed the problem to be overcome quickly. We do, however, request that visitors be mindful that the potential for infection can have  severe consequences among our elderly. We would urge that visits to the Homes be postponed if people  feel unwell.

The Home received a letter from one of last year's young helpers from Germany, Thomas Schenker, who writes a detailed report on his time at the Home. I'm sure the letter will be reprinted in its entirety in the Home’s own newsletter. He writes how much he enjoyed working at the Home and how scared he was at first in working with so many old people but soon found that they reminded him very much of his own Oma and made him feel quite at ease. He also remarks that this interaction changed his attitude on a number of his previously held convictions. All in all he had a great time and really loved Melbourne and the strong surf culture. Thomas sends his best wishes to all residents and staff at the Home.

I'm sure this program of bringing these young German lads to our Home as part of their Zivildienst and the ensuing interaction between old and young is beneficial to both parties.
On behalf of your committee I would like to thank all our wonderful staff and dedicated volunteers, both local and interstate for their efforts over the year and wish them and all our residents a joyous festive season and a healthy and prosperous New Year.
Kind Regards,
Hartmut Weller

Liebe Freunde,
Weihnachten steht vor der Tür, und aus der Küche duftet es wieder nach Gutsle!
Es war ein geschäftiges Jahr mit vielen schönen Unternehmungen. Und ich bin sicher, es werden noch einige mehr, ebenso erfreuliche stattfinden, bevor wir das Jahr 2006 verabschieden.

Die beiden größten Projekte, die uns in Atem hielten, waren und sind die drei neuen Units und die Erweiterung um 37 Betten. Leider muss ich Ihnen mitteilen, dass wir für unsere Praxis immer noch Ärzte suchen. Hoffentlich wird die Praxis im Neuen Jahr Wirklichkeit.

Über eine kurze Zeitspanne im November litten einige unserer Bewohner unter einer Magen-Darm-Grippe. Das Health Department wurde alarmiert und unternahm Untersuchungen in der Küche, konnte aber schnell klären, dass dort die Ursache des Ausbruchs nicht zu finden war. Schnelle und sachgemäße Schritte wurden von den Mitarbeitern unternommen, einschließlich nötiger Isolierungsmaßnahmen, um weitere Infektionen zu einzuschränken. So konnte das Problem relativ schnell gemeistert werden. Allerdings bitten wir auch weiterhin unsere Besucher, immer gewärtig zu bleiben, dass das Einbringen von Infektionen für  unsere Bewohner möglicherweise schwerwiegende Folgen haben könnte. Schieben Sie einen Besuch auf, wenn Sie sich nicht wohl fühlen.

Das Heim erhielt einen Brief von einem unserer letzten jungen Helfern aus Deutschland. Thomas Schenker schreibt einen ausführlichen Bericht über seine Zeit bei uns. Sicher wird der Heim Newsletter den Brief vollständig abdrucken. Er schreibt, wie gut es ihm gefallen hat, und wie sehr er eine Scheu davor hatte, bei so vielen alten Leuten zu arbeiten; aber bald habe er sich an seine Oma erinnert, und das hätte ihm Sicherheit vermittelt. Er erwähnte, wie sehr er seine Ansichten geändert habe: Alles in allem eine großartige Erfahrung, seine Liebe zu Melbourne und zu einer starken “Surf Kultur”. Thomas schickt seine besten Wünsche an die Bewohner und Mitarbeiter im Heim. Ich bin sicher, dass dieses Programm – junge Leute für den Zivildienst ins Heim zu bringen –  die Beziehungen zwischen Jung und Alt fördern, was für beide nur gut sein kann.

Im Namen unseres Vorstandes möchte ich unseren ausgezeichneten Mitarbeitern, unseren fleißigen Helfern, sowohl hier vor Ort, als auch in Nah und Fern für ihren Einsatz übers Jahr danken und wünsche Ihnen allen und unseren Bewohnern eine frohe Weihnachtszeit und ein gesundes und gutes Neues Jahr!
Freundliche Grüße, Ihr
Hartmut Weller

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NOTICES -- BEKANNTMACHUNGEN

COMING SERVICES  

FLOWER ROSTERS 

ADVENTSFEIERN 

Bentleigh – Sunday 3^rd December 2:30pm – see November TR

Bayswater – 5^th December 8:00pm
All welcome – readings, carols, candlelight, Adventsstimmung. A small bazaar will follow (Helga Kuerschner), and our donations will go to the Borromeo Sisters in Jerusalem. Please bring some Gutsle to share.
Set-up: Tuesday morning about 10am; clean-up after – please help.
Herta Uhlherr, for the Ba Ladies

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

Bayswater 16^th December 2006, 6:30pm
Everyone is invited to the Community Christmas Celebration in Bayswater. This is a communal and family event for young and old, with children participation and a lot of communal carol singing. After the celebration there will be some light refreshments.

Children Participation
All children are invited to participate in the evening by:

·        Joining in the singing and presentation of the Aussie Twelve Days of Christmas

·        Joining in the angels’ and shepherds’ dance

·        Dressing up for the nativity enactment

·        Reading a poem

·        Presenting the nativity story

·        Joining in the traditional candle procession at the start of the celebration

Children are welcome to join in on the night; attendance at practice sessions is not a requirement.
Children able to attend the sessions below are encouraged to come along to practice the songs, dance and nativity story.

Practice sessions:
Sunday 10^th December:  after Sunday school – about 12:15pm
Wednesday 13^th December:  4:30 – 5:30pm
Saturday 16^th December:  9:30 – 11:30am

Giving Christmas
Please bring a gift to put under the Christmas tree for the City Mission Giving Tree Appeal. Record on the gift for which gender and age the gift is best suited. All children aged 10 and under will receive a small gift from Father Christmas, whom we have invited to attend our celebration once again.

Help required
As always with an event such as this, many hands make light work. If you can find the time to assist with tasks such as decorating the Christmas tree, helping with the supper preparations and serving, setting up the hall, contacting Father Christmas, assisting with children’s practices etc. that would be wonderful.

Contact
Please contact Renate, beilharztr@ozemail.com.au if you know your children would like to participate in the celebration or if you can help out in any way.
Renate Beilharz, on behalf of the Social & Recreation Focus Group

Bentleigh Monday 25^th December
Children’s Christmas Service Contribution
Diana Rainbird is waiting to hear from lots of children to have their part in the Bentleigh Christmas Service on Monday 25^th December.
Children – it does not matter how young or how old – must register with Diana no later than 10^th December.
Practice sessions are kept to a minimum.
Marianne Herrmann for Soc & Rec Focus Group

NEW YEAR’S EVE – BENTLEIGH HALL
For this event to happen we need your bookings now!
Anyone who would like to stay after the Bentleigh Service (starts at 7:30pm) is asked to bring a salad to share. A platter of cold meat (Aufschnitt) and bread rolls will be provided. Coffee and tea will be available, BYO any other drinks.
All bookings must be received by 15^th December.
So far, we have two people booked to come in by bus from Bayswater. We need someone to drive the TTHA bus – it can seat 12 people including the driver. It would leave after the New Year’s Eve Service at the Community Chapel in Bayswater at approximately 7:30pm. Please ring Marianne Herrmann at the TSA Office 9557 6713 for bus bookings or to offer to drive.

Please ring Bill and Regina Imberger for all further New Year’s Eve bookings and enquiries.
Bill and Regina Imberger

THE TEMPLER JOURNEY – FABRIC OF SOCIETY:
Wall-Hanging Exhibition
As part of the Knox Heritage Festival during October, Helga Jürgensen and her busy team assembled an impressive display of the work-in-progress in the fellowship area of the Community Chapel. It was pleasing to see so many visitors – Templers and wider community members, including supporters such as Anne Eckstein MP, Lesley Uren, Knox representatives, Alfred and Ursula Klink – attending to witness the project’s progress during the two sessions offered.

Erika Herrmann, stationed behind her trusty sewing machine, was able to demonstrate certain techniques; Friedrich Sawatzky had prepared a CD/video illustrating facets of the journey for viewing; Helga spoke about the design process, its elements and their embroidery (the technical stuff); and I spoke about the Temple Society, the steering committee and the process so far (the not-so-technical stuff).
I was on hand with my faithful “unpicking utensil”, but was not called upon for service… again. Thankfully, others such as Helga, Gisela Sawatzky, Renate Weber and the aforementioned Erika were present to share their wisdom, expertise and creative flair with the assembled throng. Sadly, I don’t think anything worthwhile rubbed off onto me!
Despite the additional work the exhibition created, it was an ideal opportunity to show the Templer and Knox communities how their project is progressing. We are in our third year (and final year of generous Council funding) and always seeking more volunteer input. Please contact Helga to find out what tasks and pieces can be tackled and when the embroidery group meets.

Our next target date is Sommerfest 2007 and, if everything falls beautifully into place, the official launch may still take place next year. As the saying goes … “a stitch in time is probably another perfect one not requiring unpicking!”
Mark Herrmann

SOMMERFEST 2007
If you are planning a family get-together, maybe next year’s Sommerfest is just the right place. Sommerfest will be held on Sunday 18^th March. More details will be available in the February and March TRs.
If you wish to be involved in any aspect of the organising we would love to hear from you. We need people to set up before the day as well as to clean up and then we have the usual food, children’s activities and the craft stalls. The craft stalls will be in the hall, so let us know if you wish to book a spot.
If you would like to offer your help – particularly in the organising, or wish to book a table for your craft stall, please ring Marianne Herrmann 9570 6825 or e-mail nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au
Marianne Herrmann, for Soc & Rec Focus Group

BAYSWATER-BORONIA TEMPLER SCHOOL2007 enrolments
Enrolments for 2007 are invited. Classes commence on 9^th February 2007 in the Bayswater Templer Community Centre and are held on Friday evenings from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. 
Children need to be aged 7 or in Grade 2.
In response to requests to enrol their children earlier, we are compiling a waiting list of 6-year-olds who will be considered for classes depending on the numbers.
Please ring me for any further information.
Irene Bouzo, for School Management Committee

Looking for German-speaking “buddies”
To celebrate Cultural Diversity Week in March 2007, the school is developing our new project “Bridging the Generations”.
Students will produce posters, photo displays, artwork and interview reports that show reasons for learning German today and long ago, detailing:

·        how this enriched their lives

·        where people see and use German outside the classroom

·        where they learnt German

Each child will get to know and work with an adult “buddy” who was born overseas and grew up learning German.
We invite participation of volunteers, perhaps Templers who live near the Bayswater Hall.

What will an adult “buddy” do?

·        Visit the school for about 45 minutes on two occasions in February and March 2007 (dates to be announced).

·        Bring a photo, memento from their school days.

·        Meet and get to know their buddy-student in the classroom.

·        Share stories of their school experience in German or English.

·        Attend the Cultural Diversity Celebration on 23^rd March 2007 to see displays and presentation of the project
     and enjoy refreshments.

We need about 15 volunteers, who grew up learning German overseas, to be adult buddies.
Watch the TTHA notice boards for the list to put your name down.
If you would like more information contact Irene.
Irene Bouzo, Bayswater/Boronia Templer School Parents Consultative Committee

BENTLEIGH GERMAN SCHOOL 

“Bridging the Generations”
Please read through the Bayswater German School ‘Bridging the Generations’ article.
The Bentleigh German School is also working on this project and, like Bayswater, we will be looking for German-speaking buddies for our students in 2007. Our classes are held on Monday and Wednesday evenings and we will welcome visitors for about one hour on either one or both days.
Our presentation as part of Cultural Diversity Week will be held on Saturday 24^th March at 5:00pm.
See further details in the February TR.
If you would like more information contact Marianne Herrmann, e-mail nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au
Marianne Herrmann, for the Bentleigh German School

2007 Enrolments
Enrolments for 2007 are invited. Classes will commence on Monday 12^th and Wednesday 14^th February 2007 in the Bentleigh Hall.
Students who have German as their first language attend classes on Mondays from 5:00-7:00pm.
Students who are learning German as a second language attend classes on Wednesdays from 5:00-7:00pm.
We prefer that children are able to read and write and they must be at least 6 (preferably 7) years old.
For more information please contact Marianne nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au  or 9557 6713 (bh).
Marianne Herrmann, Bentleigh German School

CAMP LEADERS NEEDED
I am still looking for leaders for Summer Camp and the Youth Surf Camp, both to be held from Tuesday 16^th to Monday 22^nd January 2007.
If you would like to be a leader on one of these camps please contact Susi ASAP!
e-mail:  susi.tsa@datafast.net.au 

POSITION VACANT
The position of TSA Youth Leader for which an energetic, reliable, creative and conscientious person over the age of 18 years is sought is still vacant. This Youth Leader will be working with the next Confirmation Group (2007) next year, not only during the lead-up to, but also continuing after, Confirmation.
All applications and enquiries need to be made to Susi Blackwell, a position description is also available upon request. Please contact Susi by e-mail susi.tsa@datafast.net.au or in writing to TSA Youth Coordinator, 152 Tucker Road, Bentleigh, 3204.
Please note: So far no expressions of interest from any TSA members or friends have been received for this position, so the vacancy will now also be advertised outside the TSA.

GERMAN FESTIVAL 2007
This is being held at the Immigration Museum on Sunday 9^th September  2007.
The planning is well under way. We hope to show off our Templer Choir, the work of our German Schools, exhibition from our Heritage Group and the wonderful ‘Wallhanging work in progress’. So note this date in your 2007 diary.
Marianne Herrmann

NEW BOOK 
In addition to Dr Brigitte Hoffmann’s new Mein Verständnis von Jesus, Peter Lange has published a comprehensive catalogue of the many books on religious subjects available in the TGD library. The President’s hope is that Elders, in particular, will use our available literature to further their knowledge of the Templer faith. For us, language and distance are an issue, but we hope that the Elders’ new book project: The TSA – A Collection of Understandings from a Religious Perspective will help to fill the gap.
Have you remembered or found any passages that give insight into our Templer aim, ideals and practice in daily life? Please contact Renate Weber, the Uhlherrs or the Office.
Ed.

JAHRGANGSTREFFEN 

Meeting for the Vintages 1933/1934 and 1935
Plans are in place to enjoy together wonderful bonding days. Hence please diarise: Wednesday 14^th March, Thursday 15^th, and for those who will enjoy a lovely country BBQ, Friday 16^th March 2007.
Sommerfest, which is on Sunday 18^th March 2007, may be added to the programme.
The venue is the Gippsland area.
Please register your interest as soon as possible to the undersigned, preferably contact us at fredhs0@bigpond.net.au
(Please note, we also welcome people born in 1935!)
Friedrich Sawatzky

Class Reunion for Vintages 1929 and 1930
It was suggested by most of our members that we should meet in Mildura.
A motel booking has been made for 17^th, 18^th and 19^th April 2007.
Please advise Kuno and Ellen Weller of your participation as soon as possible, e-mail kunell@connexus.net.au
Kuno and Ellen Weller

1967 Confirmation Group – 40^th Anniversary
To all confirmands from 1967 – We have had numerous get-togethers over the years at various restaurants, but our 40^th Anniversary falls due next year and after some discussion, we felt a special treat was in order for 2007.
I have booked a number of rooms at Trawool Valley Resort located between Seymour and Yea for Saturday 14^th July 2007. Standard room with cooked breakfast at $165 and Spa room $215. There are an undercover pool/spa and tennis courts available for use. For those of our group wishing to attend on this date, please book directly with Trawool Valley Resort on (03) 5792 1444 and ask for Sarah. The booking has been made for a 40^th Youth Group Anniversary in the name of Wagner. The rooms booked will be held without deposit until the end of January 2007, so it is up to you to ring and secure your room.

For dinner on the night at the Resort we have three options – $36 includes soup, two mains and dessert, or $46 includes two entrees, two mains and two desserts served 50/50 as at weddings, or we can go in their fine dining room (max 35 persons) at $60 per head with a choice of three entrees, three mains and three desserts. We don't have to decide on the meal options until much later, so let me know what you think.

We hope to see you there.
Ralf (Max) and Kate Wagner

BOOKS FOR SALE

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THE HERITAGE PAGE

We are making progress. The interest in our activities, especially that of our Heritage Pages in the Templer Record is fantastic. Feedback is telling us that many members are looking forward to the Templer Record each month so they can read the Heritage Pages. The readers apparently like the Heritage Pages, and we thank them for saying so. Further improvements are under way. The Sydney Community will participate with articles of a heritage nature in future.
We also encourage letters to the editor of the Heritage Pages, Horst Blaich. Your opinions and comments are welcome.

A new TSA Heritage Group supplement to the Templer Record will appear about three to four times a year. Number 1, which is enclosed with this issue, features The Case of the German Templers in Eretz-Israel – Ideology and Landscape in Historic Perspective by Yossi Ben-Artzi of the University of Haifa. The article was written in 1992 and generally illustrates how Israel sees us and what our grandfathers have contributed to the development of the Holy Land. Your feedback on this new issue or any other activity is more than welcome.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE MONTH
Excursion to the “Ponds of Solomon”. Can you identify please?
Herbert and Traude Uhlherr’s wedding photo, Jaffa, 1932. Can you identify the people?
The two photographs are from the Uhlherr Family Collection.

Did you know?
The early wall decorations of the Templer houses were unique and most attractive. Shay Farkash, a wall painting specialist of the Tel Aviv restoration team is constantly surprised with the wall decorations of the first generation Templers in the Holy Land.

As Irene and I searched through old family photos, we came across a photo of Georg Roller, born 14th November 1885 in Sarona and died on 2nd May 1958 in Melbourne, sitting in his living room. The house was the first one built in Sarona in 1871 by the builder Johann Martin Wennagel. Georg’s wife, née Wennagel, explains why a man named Roller lived in the Wennagel house. The interesting thing about this photo was the wall with a very distinct pattern. Irene knew that Shay was after these patterns, so we e-mailed the photo to him in Israel. The answer came back a day later. Shay had scraped away the top layers of the paint and found the original pattern underneath. He was delighted, as this was the first house built in Sarona. He was pleased with the details, which are so important for true restoration and preservation work. This small insignificant photo revealed such important facts that the original German pattern of yesteryear will now be restored in the living room of that Sarona house.
Horst Blaich

SYDNEY CHURCH – A SHORT HISTORY
The foundation stone reads: ‘This stone was laid by J C Thompson Esq. on 30th November 1907’, and stands on land described as – ‘That piece of land situated at Meadowbank in the Municipal District of Ryde, Parish of Hunters Hill, and County of Cumberland’. It was part of 160 acres originally granted to William Kent by Crown Grant, dated 3rd August 1799, and also part of six acres granted to Isaac Shepherd by Crown Grant, dated 3rd February 1879.

The Church was built by The Congregational Union of NSW in 1907. In 1934, the Title was transferred to ‘The Presbyterian Church NSW Property Trust Fund’, who was now the registered owner. In December 1961, the Temple Society purchased the land and building, with Herbert Steller, Hugo Weller and Kurt Beck as trustees described as joint tenants. Over a period of time the rear hall was added, which was designed by Georg Strasser.
The original well-worn sandstone rear step still lies next to the building; it could possibly be used as part of a centenary memorial. The picture shows the church as it is today with its foundation stone in the front wall.
Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

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NOVEMBER

TEMPLER RECORD - ISSUE No. 689

REFLECTIONS   

DEINE HÄNDE TRAGEN
Das Leid, Herr, kommt es von dir?
Ich kann es so schwer begreifen.
So oft frage ich warum
und zweifle an deiner Liebe!
Ob du einen Menschen ganz preisgeben kannst?
So, dass er kein Licht, keinen Trost mehr empfängt?
Hast du schon jemals
einen Menschen fallen lassen? …

Das weiß ich,
deine Hände tragen das All!
Sollte ich in meiner Verlassenheit
für deine Hände zu schwer sein?

(Aus ‘Bei dir sein’, Gebete für den Tag, ed. W. F. Rudolf)


HELD, UPHELD
Suffering, Lord, does it come from you?
I find it so hard to understand.
Often I ask why
and doubt your love!
Is it possible that you could abandon someone altogether?
To the extent that they no longer receive
any light, any comfort?
Have you ever dropped anyone? ...

I know this,
your hands hold the cosmos!
Could I, who feel so abandoned,
be too heavy for your hands?
Tr. H. U.

BEREAVEMENT AND MOURNING
31st October   – All Hallows Eve – Halloween
1st November  – All Hallows – Allerheiligen
2nd November – All Souls Day – Allerseelen
                      – Volkstrauertag – Remembrance Day

Our Community has just come through a time of many funerals. Early November – the foggy, darkening approach of winter in Europe – is traditionally the season of remembrance. So we have some thoughts on loss and bereavement this month. See also our Text for the Month about bearing one another’s burdens, and Angel by my Side.
To try and understand their feelings, the bereaved often turn to writings that may help them through their emotional upheaval. Other people’s thoughts may not be true for you, or only partly, but you try to find what’s right for you – whatever gets you through the night.
Daphne du Maurier notes how shock numbs you. She wrote ‘I was shocked at my lack of emotion and this queer, cold absence of distress. Little by little the feeling will come back…’

Time heals…
The old adage, time heals all wounds, is only true if there is no suppuration within. To be bitter, to lament unceasingly, ‘Why did this have to happen to him?’ [or to me] makes the wound fester; the mind, renewing the stab, causes the wound to bleed afresh. It is hard, very hard, not to be bitter in the early days, not to blame doctors, hospitals, drugs, that failed to cure. Harder still for the woman whose husband died not by illness but by accident, who was cut short in full vigour, in the prime of life, killed perhaps in a car crash returning home from work. The first instinct is to seek revenge upon the occupants of the other car, themselves unhurt, whose selfish excess of speed caused the disaster. Yet this is no answer to grief. All anger, all reproach, turns inwards upon itself. The infection spreads, pervading the mind and body.

I would say to those who mourn – and I can only speak from my own experience – look upon each day that comes as a challenge, as a test of courage. The pain will come in waves, some days worse than others, for no apparent reason. Accept the pain. Do not suppress it. Never attempt to hide grief from yourself. Little by little, just as the deaf, the blind, the handicapped develop with time an extra sense to balance disability, so the bereaved, the widowed, will find new strength, new vision, born of the very pain and loneliness which seem, at first, impossible to master. I address myself more especially to the middle-aged who, like myself, look back to over thirty years or more of married life and find it hardest to adapt. The young must, of their very nature, heal sooner than ourselves.
From The Rebecca Notebook by Daphne du Maurier (1907-89)

Grief
No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing.
At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting. Yet I want the others to be about me. I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me.

There are moments, most unexpectedly, when something inside me tries to assure me that I don’t really mind so much, not so very much, after all. Love is not the whole of a man’s life. I was happy before I ever met H. I’ve plenty of what are called ‘resources’. People get over these things. Come, I shan’t do so badly. One is ashamed to listen to this voice but it seems for a little while to be making out a good case. Then comes a sudden jab of red-hot memory and all this ‘commonsense’ vanishes like an ant in the mouth of a furnace.
From A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)

Embarrassment
An odd by-product of my loss is that I’m aware of being an embarrassment to everyone I meet. At work, at the club, in the street, I see people, as they approach me, trying to make up their minds whether they’ll ‘say something about it’ or not. I hate it if they do, and if they don’t. Some funk it altogether. R. has been avoiding me for a week. I like best the well-brought-up young men, almost boys, who walk up to me as if I were a dentist, turn very red, get it over, and then edge away to the bar as quickly as they decently can. Perhaps the bereaved ought to be isolated in special settlements like lepers.

To some I’m worse than an embarrassment. I am a death’s head. Whenever I meet a happily married pair I can feel them both thinking, ‘One or other of us must some day be as he is now.’
From A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)

The Ring
King Solomon asked his wisest men for something that would make him happy when he was sad, but also sad when he was happy. They consulted and came back with a ring engraved with the words ‘This too will pass’.
Anonymous

Faith and Memory
Whatever our individual views are about an afterlife, we can certainly say that people live on in their loved ones’ memories. ‘He who is not forgotten is not dead,’ said Samuel Butler. Wer im Gedächtnis seiner Lieben lebt, der ist nicht tot, sondern nur fern. Tot ist nur, wer vergessen wird. People have told me they feel their departed loved one around them, still guiding and comfortably accompanying them.
Our faith has a big influence on how we cope with bereavement. For some, their hitherto unquestioned ‘inherited’ faith is shaken when tested by tragedy. The result can be rage and disillusionment, or a search, a struggle for an authentic personal faith. Others are so strong in their faith that they know all is well, that whether we are alive or dead, we are in God’s hands. Such faith is a gift.
You can cry because someone has died, or you can rejoice because someone has lived.

You will probably find that you do both. When you think about it, anyone who has, or has had, the privilege of being alive on this wonderful planet has already beaten unbelievable odds. We can be deeply grateful for, and rejoice in, the fact that those who have died have lived!
Herta Uhlherr

TEXT OF THE MONTH – Galatians 6:1,2
Bear one another’s burden
Friends, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who live by the Spirit must gently set him right. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

We all know the words of this text: Bear one another’s burden. What St Paul wrote to the young communities in the region of today’s Ankara is promoted to this day by modern social states under the heading of solidarity. Paul, of course, was not concerned with “taxes for the rich” or “solidarity levies”, but with the active love of neighbour which is at the centre of Jesus’ teaching. For Paul, this was the “law” of the new covenant with God. His epistle was triggered by conservative voices whispering in the community members’ ears that for “right” Christian faith it was necessary to observe the Law of the Old Testament and recognise circumcision as the sign of the covenant with God. Paul now warns sharply against falsification of the Gospel. He is worried that Christians might once again reduce their relationship with God to mere obedience of religious precepts and reminds them that Jesus wanted human beings to become free children of God. This freedom is not licence to indulge in egotism, but makes people free to practise loving behaviour, which should govern human interaction.

What Paul recommends here to a small group in a defined region is eminently suitable for imitation to this day: for Christians, freedom to act and responsibility for self and others belong inseparably together. Your own responsibility for the next person cannot easily be delegated to others, particularly to the state. Awareness of solidarity is certainly not uniformly developed. Indifference and arrogance often contribute to our not recognizing the burdens of others. On the other hand, to relieve a person of all her load just so she can be totally carefree is also unreasonable and would only thwart her own initiative. But we have to remain alert to the differences and always be conscious of our own responsibility.

Like Jesus, Paul holds a mirror in front of our eyes: caught in constant tension between freedom and justice, each one of us should begin by casting a critical eye on our own weaknesses. We should not presume to judge others, but let our actions speak for themselves, instead of always comparing ourselves with others. Only in this way will selfless action be possible and only in this way is there hope that we will not be found wanting before God.
Jörg Klingbeil (tr. Peter Hornung)

ANGEL BY MY SIDE
Many of us do not think or talk about angels. Angels are certainly not central to our Templer faith. Yet – who has not sometimes felt inexplicably guided or protected when things could have gone horribly wrong!?

For the more artistic, ‘right brain oriented’ among us, picturing angelic forces helps to imagine more vividly how the divine energy works in our lives.
The season for angels is upon us again, they are appearing in ads, in shop windows, in Christmas catalogues: sweet, cherubic or cheeky, good for selling stuff.

Angels in the Bible
There are wonderful angel stories in the Old Testament. Angels feature in Jesus’ life, too. Gabriel announces the birth of a son to Mary. The angelic host sing glory to God in the highest at his birth. Angels stand by him when he is tempted in the wilderness and must prove himself. In Gethsemane, faced by his imminent death, an angel gives him new strength to persevere. Finally, angels tell of his resurrection and shake the disciples up: don’t gawp at the heavens, go out into the world and take the good news to everyone!

In Hebrews 1:14, angels are called ‘ministering spirits sent out in God’s service’. Angels are energies God uses to fortify us or to send us reminders; subtle energy which stops us from doing things which would harm us, or gives us the strength to do things which benefit us or others. Where do such energies work and where can we feel them? Those familiar with archetypes (Jung, Caroline Myss) will easily relate to what follows.

The Archangels and God’s Power
The Bible mentions only three angels by name: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Precisely because they are so different, these three clearly show various ways in which we can experience God’s power.

Michael is the mightiest Archangel. He helps us powerfully in fighting our battles against the evil influences and the temptations in our lives, so he is depicted with a sword, vanquishing the dragon – evil.

In us, the Michael energy asks: who or what is your god, what do you devote yourself to? Is it perhaps career success, or owning a flash car, or the mirror and scales you ask every morning whether you are still the fairest in the land? The image of Michael challenges us to turn again to the higher reality in which our lives can become whole, content and fulfilled.

Gabriel announces; he imparts God’s messages, and opens our ears and hearts to God’s call. The image of Gabriel conveys the power to change, to become a new person, through truly hearing the good news.

Gabriel always begins his message with ‘Fear not! Do not be afraid!’ He tells us that God’s love accepts us as we are, that we are forgiven, that we need not fear for the loved ones we have lost, that we are in safe hands.

Raphael has a healing influence. He helps parents trust that their sons and daughters are under God’s protection even when they seem to have chosen the wrong path or an ‘obviously wrong’ partner. Gabriel is the energy that helps body and soul recover from whatever crisis people find themselves in, be it a bereavement, a relationship break-up, a cruel disappointment, the feeling that our growing children are leaving us behind, or the pain of serious illness.

Many things get broken in our lives, some through our own fault, some because others make mistakes, or because our circumstances deteriorate. The result is a sense of loss and wounds that hurt. How good it is to know we are not abandoned, that God sends us strength, the healing strength called ‘Raphael’.

The angel in me
A particularly beautiful experience of grace and blessing comes when we ourselves can become an angel for someone else. If we can keep someone, maybe a friend or our partner, from making a serious mistake and having to shoulder guilt, then we are like a mini ‘Michael’. If we can announce the good news of God’s love to someone and help them to really feel loved, then we are like a mini ‘Gabriel’. If we can help someone sick recover, healing a physical illness, or uplifting someone who is psychologically scarred, then we are acting like ‘Raphael’.

Anyone who has been able to be an angel in this way knows what grace is. But we have to be careful of our ego deciding to become an angel by hook or by crook – egos can do damage, even with the best of intentions. But we can trust that, when we need it, we will always be sent an ‛angel’, the energy to do what needs to be done. Also that we will be guided to act as a giver of supportive energy, as a messenger of love or as a light-carrier when God needs us in those capacities.

Based largely on a contemplation by Pfarrerin Dorothea Zager in ‘Freies Christentum’ Sept./Okt. 2006. Adapted and freely translated by H.U.

COMMONSENSE – a little story
Albert Einstein is holding a learned discourse about the relationship between time and space. When he has finished, a listener stands up and objects: ‘Your arguments are much too speculative for me – we’re not in church here! My commonsense tells me that only what can be seen and tested exists.’
Einstein smiles and answers, ‘Then please come forward and place your commonsense here on the lectern.’
Sent in by a reader

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REGIONAL MATTERS

FROM THE REGIONAL COUNCIL

NOTES from the RC Meeting of 6^th October

• Jevan and Irene Bouzo and Rolf Beilharz attended the Parliament of the World’s Religions Community forum on 5th September. Melbourne hopes to host the next Parliament in 2009.

•  A response has been written to the City of Knox regarding their decision to charge rates for the ‘vacant’ land in Bayswater north of the Chapel. It was argued that the land is of importance to our Society as well as to the local community. Hopefully the Council reinstates our exemption from paying rates on that land.

• The Youthfest coordinators, Susi Blackwell in particular, were thanked for their innovative Youthfest last month. Congratulations also went to the organisers of the ongoing activities in the Sydney Community, including the successful tree-planting.

• The Central Fund is undertaking a re-survey of the TSA land at Bayswater to review the title and lot boundaries. They are also continuing to look at updating their Memorandum and Articles of Association (Constitution) and considering the most appropriate legal structure for the TSA.

• The annual Regional Council luncheon, recognising long-term quiet achievers for the TSA, this year honoured Doris Frank for her many years of Bayswater German School administration and Ernst Ruff for project management of the unit development on the Bayswater land east of Elizabeth Street, and work on the Aged Care committees. See article below.

• We received communication from a member of the Temple Church, Gypsum (formerly Tempelfeld) in Kansas, informing us of their 120^th Dank Fest celebration. On behalf of the TSA membership, we sent an acknowledgement of the event, also saying that our AGM and the TGD’s Dankfest were on the same day. We hope that communication will continue.

• The TSA logo prepared by the Communication & Promotion Focus Group was presented, with some suggestions made for further consideration.

•  TSA–Online will now be sent from the TSA Office. Thanks were expressed to Alfred Klink for introducing e-mail as a form of communication amongst Templers, and for undertaking the administration of the list for many years.

Renate Beilharz, for Regional Council

MY TERM OF OFFICE AS PRESIDENT
A clause in the constitutions of both the TSA and the TGD states that the term of office of President shall end with his reaching the age of 75 years. In my case this will be in October 2007. I consider this a sensible clause, therefore I have notified both Regional Councils that I would not stand for an extension of this term. I am convinced that there are other, younger members capable of filling this office with the required spirit and willing to stand for election. This notice will give ample time for finding a successor.

Retiring as President does not mean that all my work for the benefit of the Templers will come to an end. I am prepared to continue acting as a Community Elder as long as my mental capacity allows me to. Also, I will continue editing Die Warte des Tempels and working on Templer publications in Germany. It is my intention to continue furthering the relations between the two Regions after I retire.

The TSA Regional Council asked me if I could give you a short overview of my tasks and work as President. These tasks are not specifically mentioned in our constitutions because they can vary and because the President should feel free to state what he is trying to achieve in his term of office.

When I was elected President by both Regions in 2001, I listed three main objectives I would be aiming at, i.e.

• a regular exchange of TSA/TGD Elders for periods of approximately 4 weeks, so that the individual persons can better evaluate what is going on in the other Region and get new ideas for their own duties in the community, and to become better known by the members of the other Region,

• a wider scope of literature on Templer faith and convictions and sponsoring new publications which are of common benefit (be it in German or English or translated),

• the promotion of religious education within our membership and specifically among our Templer Elders (be it by way of workshops, seminars or written information).

Of course, a regular visit to the other Region (either annually or biannually) would be one of the major tasks of every President, and he (or she) should come into contact with as many Templers as possible and take part in functions of both Regions.

It would be of great benefit if the President is bilingual and has had experience in Elders’ work. He should also write for Die Warte des Tempels and the Templer Record. I have tried to send to the TR editor contributions of different kinds in the past; perhaps I could have done it more often.
One of his tasks, in my opinion, is to work out every year a common Table of Lessons for Templer Sunday services (based largely on the three-year cycle initiated by our former President, Dieter Ruff).

It was always of great concern to me to stay in contact with the leading office-bearers and the Templer Elders (either personally or by way of correspondence) and to learn of their objectives and get a chance to read or listen to their Saals and addresses. The President should be prepared to address audiences at a variety of opportunities.
These tasks should probably also be considered by our next President.

I have the feeling that I could have done better in my term of office, especially as far as points 1 to 3 are concerned. At the moment, I am working on a catalogue of the Templer library in Stuttgart, so that the Elders (and members) can make more use of the available literature, especially the literature we should mainly focus on.
Peter Lange

REGIONAL COUNCIL LUNCHEON to recognize volunteers
On AFL Grand Final Day (Saturday 30/09/2006), Regional Council members were pleased to host Doris (with Erich) Frank and Ernst (with Irene) Ruff to a luncheon in Bentleigh in recognition of their volunteer contributions to the TSA.

Doris has been involved with the Bayswater German Language School for nearly 20 years, officially as Treasurer, but also in many other roles. Doris’ well-organised and comprehensive task management has served the School extremely well, as has her involvement in curriculum development, accreditation and actual teaching (both regularly and as casual relief). Doris attends every School session and is always available to liaise with the teachers, students and parents alike.

Ernst served on various aged care committees for the TSA, beginning with the Altersheim and Tabulam committees and ending with the TTHA committee, following amalgamation. Ernst always took his responsibilities in the position very seriously, scrutinising all relevant material, asking related questions and doggedly pursuing his Templer perspective on a wide range of issues.

Ernst was also the TSA-appointed project manager for the unit development (Dörfle) in Bayswater. Begun in 1990, the last stage of five dwellings was completed in 2001. Ernst’s complex role was to liaise with the builder, the various authorities and the clients in matters relating to the construction of all 25 units. This was a paid position, but, despite acting as consultant, typical consultant fees were not charged.

Doris, Erich, Ernst and Irene and a number of Regional Council members were able to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Marianne Herrmann. We thank them all for their time and efforts given so generously for the benefit of the TSA.
Mark Herrmann, Business Manager

FROM THE ELDERS

CONFIRMATION 2007
Confirmation classes will be held during 2007, with the Confirmation ceremony taking place in September. It is envisaged that there will be about 12 classes spread over terms 2 and 3, starting with a weekend camp during the April school holidays. Arrangements will be made for Confirmands unable to attend classes due to distance or other commitments. If enough teenagers from the Sydney area are interested in Confirmation, special arrangements can be made to run parallel classes.
It may help you decide whether to participate in this Confirmation to know that we intend to offer the next course in 2009.
Please register with Renate Beilharz by end of January 2007 if interested in participating in the 2007 Confirmation course.
Renate Beilharz

NEW BOOK
Peter Lange has published a second set of Dr Brigitte Hoffmann’s religious writings, Mein Verständnis von Jesus, five years after Meine Erfahrungen mit der Bibel came out. The English translation of the first set is almost complete, the new set is available in German only. Cost: € 5 (about $10) + postage. Free to Elders. See also the October Warte page 146.
Ed.

IMPORTANT
For the next TR – Dec./Jan. – please send your contributions on time to
the Office: nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au  and
Irma Wesselbaum: wesselbaum@optusnet.com.au  and
Emma Polacsek: emmap@ains.net.au  but NOT to Herta Uhlherr.
Peter Hornung is kindly helping out for this issue.
Ed.

SOCIAL CARE
Dear Friends,
This will be a busy month as we begin to prepare for the pre-Christmas season. I wish to draw your attention to a number of coming events on our community calendar.

As mentioned last month, Dr Schreiber, CEO of the TTHA, will be giving two information sessions on the admission process to the TTHA and answer questions, see here.

Rosa the bus will depart the Bentleigh Hall at 1:45pm for anyone wishing to attend the German session on Saturday 11^th November at 2:30pm in the Bayswater Community Hall, but you must book with the TSA Office on 9557 6713. Please notify me if you intend to come to the evening session on 16^th November as we do require a minimum number of attendees.

On Sunday 19^th November is the Tatura Remembrance Day Service.

Our community in Sydney has invited our community members to attend their annual bazaar, a major event on their calendar, held in their community centre on Saturday 25^th November *. We plan to go in Rosa leaving Friday morning bright and early and returning on Sunday. It is a long drive, but it should be fun. The bus will leave Bayswater and pick up in Bentleigh if required. The departure time and cost are to be advised.
Accommodation (2 nights) is available in a motel within walking distance of the community centre, or you may wish to stay with friends. Please let us know if accommodation is required when you book. You may wish to combine this with an extended holiday in Sydney.

We look forward to seeing you at these events.
Best wishes to our sick and infirm friends.
Helga Anderson

*) Please note you will have to make arrangements to vote earlier for the Victorian State Election on 25^th November.

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MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

AUS DEM GEMEINDELEBEN

GEBURTSTAGE
Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

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

DANKSAGUNG
Zu meinem 99. Geburtstag erhielt ich viele liebe Geburtstagsgrüße und -wünsche. Über diese Zeichen des Gedenkens habe ich mich herzlich gefreut.
Es ist mir leider nicht möglich, jedem Einzelnen persönlich ‘Dankeschön’ zu sagen, so tue ich es auf diesem Weg.
Thea Frank

NEW MEMBERS
We welcome Peter Herrmann and his wife Tara Maree as new members and hope that they will feel at home among us.

BEREAVEMENTS

In Germany, Carsten Bitzer, son of Winfried Bitzer, died on 23^rd July 2006, aged 33.

ááá

Am 29. September ist mein lieber Mann, unser guter Vater und Opa, Bruder und Schwiegerbruder, Friedrich Alfred Beilharz, im Alter von 78 Jahren nach langem, schweren Leiden sanft entschlafen.
In tiefer Trauer:
Anneliese Beilharz mit Marie-Anne;
Dieter, Wendy und Kinder, Shelley, Jessica,
Rebecca und Allyson;
Winfried, Carol und Kinder, Emma, Nikolaus und Daniel;
Ingrid, Ron und Kinder, Patrick und Krista;
Brüder, Kurt, Helmut und Edmund mit Familien;
Schwiegerbrüder, Friedhelm und Heinz Bulach mit Familien.

Wir danken recht herzlich für die trostreichen Worte von Dr Rolf Beilharz an der Trauerfeier.
Auch danken wir vielmals für die Mühe von vielen Helfern und für die schönen Blumen und Karten, sowie für die Spenden an das Tabulam und Templer Heim.

ááá

FAREWELL to Hiltrud Barfus née Sawatzky
Gentle sunlight filters through the atrium’s glass roof on to a purple casket bedecked with flowers and her grandchildren’s drawings. Many have come to celebrate Hiltrud’s life that was so rudely snatched away by complications following a minor operation.
With deep admiration, we saw husband Robert, stressed by his sudden loss, conduct the entire ceremony. Encouraged to applaud when moved, we heard daughter Karlene sing a ballad all on her own and we experienced tribute after tribute from family and friends. Templer relatives and friends sang Freude, schöner Götterfunken to the delight of the congregation. All the speakers praised Hiltrud’s love of life, her charisma, her effervescence and charm, and her ability to show affection. A creative painter, she loved colours – the brighter, the better. One speaker said, ‘Hiltrud, wherever you are, you will give us brighter rainbows, won’t you!’
We miss you, Hiltrud.
Friedrich Sawatzky

ááá

On 4.10.2006, Dr Gerhard (Gerry) Wagner passed away peacefully after a sudden acute illness, aged almost 80.
Missing him are:
his wife Elisabeth,
daughter Irene with Jörg and James and Jessica,
son Philip with partner Carmel, and Ryan,
son Michael with Marie,
daughter Christine with Stephen,
and the wider Wagner and Ruff families,
as well as his many colleagues.

Sincere thanks to Mark Herrmann for so generously giving his time, listening to the family sharing memories around the table when he had work to do for the imminent AGM; also for conducting the services in Springvale and the Chapel.
Thanks to Minnie Haering and her helpers for the exquisite flower arrangements, to Helga Anderson and her team for the refreshments, to Tony Beilharz for setting up the very many chairs required, and for the generous donations to TTHA.

ááá

On 12^th October 2006 our much-loved husband, father, father-in-law, Opa, brother and brother-in-law, Heinz Arndt, passed away peacefully at Knox Private Hospital.
He will be greatly missed by:
Ingeborg (Inky) Arndt
Martin, Michelle and Benjamin Arndt
Christine, Harald, Anja and Timothy Ruff
Günter and Irmgard Arndt and family
Monika Hirdes.

We sincerely thank: Mark Herrmann for his moving service and fitting tribute, Irene Blaich for playing the piano, Herta Uhlherr for finding music CDs, Helga Jürgensen and Gisela Sawatzky for the beautiful floral arrangements, Helga Anderson and the many helpers for the refreshments, all the staff of the TTHA for their care and kindness, the choir members for their touching and unexpected contribution – a huge community effort!
The generous donations to the TTHA are greatly appreciated.
Inky Arndt and family

Our condolences are with all these families.

BUS TRIP TO CRANBOURNE
On Wednesday morning, 27^th September, a busload of Templers and friends left in the bus Rosa to go and share the beauty and diversity of Australian plants in the new Royal Botanical Gardens in Cranbourne.
I was surprised at how big the area is to explore and enjoy. We saw the Red Sand Gardens, the Exhibition Gardens, the Rockpool Waterways and Escarpment Wall, the Arid Gardens and Dry Riverbed and all the different kinds of Eucalypt trees, all beautifully explained by a guide.
To break for lunch, we enjoyed a rich selection of snacks at the Boonerwurrung Café near the entrance.
A happy but tired group left again at about 3 o’clock to arrive home with lovely memories of an interesting day. A special thankyou to Helga Anderson and her daughter Erika, who drove the bus for us on her day off from work.
Margot Neu

FRITZ – MEMORIES OF WILHELMA
For his sixth birthday my younger brother was given a lamb! Horst looked at it and named him Fritz. It was a cute, cuddly little animal and we all fell in love with him. Fritz became very attached to us all and followed us around like in ‘Mary had a little lamb’.
All the school kids in Wilhelma enjoyed him, because he would join in the games. With all our care Fritz grew, and he and our older brother Chris would box daily, both having a lot of fun. Time passed and Fritz became independent and visited people, as Mum found out to her astonishment and chagrin.

The first to come forward and present Mum with evidence was Felix Haar’s mother. Herr and Frau Haar lived on the second floor which had an outside staircase. Well, a furious Frau Haar told Mum that Fritz had visited and left his calling card, a couple of droppings, on each step. I was called and had to sweep the stairs, and I must say I was not amused. Next to complain was Fräulein Mariechen Krügler. On her washday, after labouring over hot washtubs for a couple of hours, she had the clean washing on the line, gently swinging in the breeze. Well satisfied, Fräulein Krügler went indoors for well-earned refreshments, not realising Fritz was about to call on her. For Fritz the swaying sheets were a delight! He charged, butting the pristine sheets, catching them with his mouth and playing until he was exhausted, then ran home to his little stable.

The first inkling that all was not well that afternoon was a red-faced, angry Fräulein Krügler carrying dirty sheets, for wherever Fritz had head-butted or nipped, he had left a dirty mark! Visibly shaken and apologizing profusely, Mum took the sheets and we had to wash them all over again.

The Hoefer house (where we lived) had a lovely covered veranda where we always had our meals in summer. On this particular summer’s day, Grossmutter had decided to make a new dress. She already had the material. After long poring over the merits of the different designs and debating with Mum which would be more elegant, they agreed on a special dress. Inside the magazine was the pattern sheet, about a metre square, with all sorts of lines and crosses. Each pattern had its own designated lines. So sleeves, bodices, skirts and all the pieces required to make up the models shown in the fashion magazine were on this sheet. Now came the task of creating one’s own pattern that could then be placed on the dress material to be cut out. It was quite a procedure. Large pieces of paper were first put down on the table and the sheet with all the different patterns was pinned to them. A special tool, a handle with a little pronged wheel, was then run over the lines that belonged to your chosen pattern. Once this was done, that is you had your sleeves, back and fronts wheeled out, the top sheet was removed and on the bottom sheet were all these puncture lines, which one had to follow and cut out. Grossmutter had successfully done all these things when she went into the house to get the material.

She must have missed Fritz by a whisker as he climbed the stairs up to the veranda. Rounding the corner where the table stood, Fritz discovered these fascinating new things. Naturally he had to taste these pieces dangling from the table. He grabbed the first bit and it tasted all right, so he took another mouthful and before you knew it, he was thoroughly enjoying this unexpected feast. Grossmutter came out and could not believe her eyes: there stood Fritz with part of her hard work dangling out of his mouth! She let out an almighty scream and chased Fritz away, who thought this was all a lot of fun. As Grossmutter was raging at Fritz, the rest of the family raced on to the veranda, thinking something terrible must have happened – for her, it had! I do not know whether Grossmutter ever made that dress.

But Fritz’ days were numbered. He had now grown into a sturdy sheep, and when he would not let Fräulein Dreher, who lived across from us, down her front steps and only her loud and angry shouting drew our attention to her plight, Dad decided Fritz was too big to have around and we said a sad farewell to him. Thanks for the memories, Fritz! To my fellow travellers in Israel, thank you for waiting in the bus while I reacquainted myself with the house in Wilhelma, which triggered a flood of childhood memories!
Elisabeth Wagner
This article had been held over for space reasons.

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SYDNEY AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR - SYDNEY
The Frauenverein annual Christmas Bazaar will take place on 25^th November at our church hall beginning 12 noon. A delicious lunch and afternoon tea and coffee will be available. On sale will be many goodies such as cakes, jams, cookies and more. A raffle will also be run. So come along on Saturday 25^th November. Bring your families and friends and enjoy the company of the many other visitors. We are looking forward to reinforcements from Melbourne, coming in Rosa the bus.

GUEST SPEAKER AT THE SEPTEMBER SERVICE
Using optical illusions on a screen, our guest speaker, Renate Beilharz, made the point that what we see is not always correct. She stressed that we should be aware that every person can look at the same situation and see something different.
The “light” which gets into every person’s heart and soul depends on the spiritual state of the eye through which it has to pass, for the eye is the window of the whole body.
Thank you, Renate, for a most interesting service.

Date to remember: Saturday 25^th November Christmas Bazaar 12 noon.
Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

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YOUTH

YOUTH CALENDAR

• Sunday 12^th November – Family service and Community picnic – catch- up day and hang out time with your friends!!

• Friday 17^th November – Baking Christmas Gutsle for Advent.

• Saturday 18^th November – Teenage Group Christmas Break-up and Planning Party.

• Saturday 25^th November – Youth Group Christmas Break-up and Planning Party.

• Sunday 3^rd December – Advent Celebration in Bentleigh – helpers needed to serve.

Adventsfeier in Bentleigh – if you are into making crafts, please make a few things with a Christmas flavour for us to sell. We would also love to see you on the day, either assisting with the set up from 9am, helping with selling raffle tickets or at the bazaar, or assisting with serving coffee and cleaning up afterwards. You never know you may even win a Gingerbread House or slab of coke.

Gutsle Making – this will take place in the Bentleigh Hall on Friday 17^th November.

Marianne Herrmann, Soc & Rec FG

TEENAGE GROUP BREAK-UP
Our last activity will be a pool party at my place. We will have swimming, a sausage sizzle and lots more swimming. Some time during the afternoon we will sit down and organise next year’s activities so that you and your parents can add them to next year’s calendar.
So to all you out there who have not been coming to our activities because you don’t like what we do, now is your chance to have a say.
It will be held on Saturday 18^th November from 2:00-5:00pm at my place. See you then.
Moni Imberger

YOUTH GROUP BREAK-UP
Check your e-mails (or post) for the date and details of our ‘Wiz-Bang’ break-up / 2005 confo group reunion / lets-have-a-party Party! Hopefully it will be a BBQ and / or pool party (we’re still looking for a pool!!) and everyone and anyone is invited!
All details will also be mailed or e-mailed out to the 2005 Confirmation group and anyone else who contacts Susi and is interested to go along.

WINTER SLEEPOUT REPORT 
On the evening of 18^th July, 23 teenagers and 4 adults spent the night in the Bayswater Hall to raise money for the Melbourne Citymission winter sleepout.  We raised $240 and had about 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep. We played games, built cardboard box cubby houses and watched movies.

Here are our comments:

SUMMER CAMP 2007
Summer Camp will be held at A’Beckett Park, Raymond Island (near Paynesville) from Tuesday 16^th January to Monday 22^nd January 2007.
Booking forms are available from the Office, they can also be sent to you by mail or e-mail.
Please contact Susi for any further information (or to obtain booking forms), Susi’s contact details are listed at the end of the Youth Section.

YOUTH SURF CAMP 2007 
There will also be a Surf Camp from Tuesday 16^th to Monday 22^nd January 2007 primarily for anyone confirmed or over the age of 15. Details of this camp have not yet been finalised so for all enquiries please contact Susi. There will be further information in the December TR.

CAMP LEADERS NEEDED
I am looking for leaders for Summer Camp and the Youth Surf Camp, both to be held from Tuesday 16^th to Monday 22^nd January 2007.
If you would like to be a leader on one of these camps, please contact Susi ASAP

THANK YOU TO YOUTH LEADER
Thank you very much to Kristen Steller who, due to other commitments and focuses, needs to finish up as one of our TSA Youth Leaders. Kristen has worked mostly with the 2005 Confirmation group for a little over two years and we thank her most sincerely for her efforts and her contribution to the TSA Youth Program. Kristen, we wish you well in your future endeavours!

POSITION VACANT
There is a position of TSA Youth Leader vacant for which an energetic, reliable, creative and conscientious person over the age of 18 years is sought.
All applications and enquiries need to be made to Susi Blackwell, a position description is available upon request.

CONTACT DETAILS FOR SUSI
e-mail:  susi.tsa@datafast.net.au   
Mail:     TSA Youth Coordinator, 152 Tucker Road, Bentleigh, 3204
Susi Blackwell, Youth Coordinator

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CHILDREN'S SECTION

Hallo to all you kids!
I wonder what your house looks like?
Is it made of bricks or wood? Is it one storey or two storey?
Does it have a flat or gabled roof, with tiles or tin?
Does it have a garage out the front?  Are there lots of windows?
Does it sit on top of a hill, is it built into the side of a hill, or does it sit on flat ground?

Whatever sort of house you live in, I bet you feel comfortable and safe and secure inside it. We are lucky to be able to live inside houses that protect us and can keep us warm. When it is cold, wet, windy and stormy outside we are grateful that we have our safe houses to be in.

You may have heard the story called “The House on the Rock”, based on the Bible passage in Matthew 7: 24-27. Here is a summary of it.

A man is looking for a place to build a house.
He thinks long and hard about the best place to build his house.
He builds his house on top of a big, flat, grey rock.
It is hard work and takes a long time, but he persists and finally finishes the job.
There is a storm, with thunder, lightning, wind and much rain.
The man stays in his house, and the house protects him.
Another man is in a hurry to build his house.
He does not think much about where to build his house.
He chooses to build his house on the sand, and builds it really quickly.
He goes inside when it starts raining. 
Lightning flashes and thunder booms, then the water starts coming into the house!
The man gets wet, the sand is washed away and the house falls down!
The man has nowhere to go!

It is easy to see who the smarter man was, isn’t it? The man who built his house on the rock had a solid foundation, something firm to build on.  The man who built his house on the sand had nothing to hold his house together.

In the Temple Society, we like to believe that Jesus’ teachings are like the rock – something solid to build on. And in the Bible Jesus says,
“Those who hear my teachings and act on them are like the man who had the sense to build his house on a rock. Those who hear my teachings and ignore them are like the foolish man who built his house on the sand.”

It feels good to have a firm foundation and something solid to believe in, doesn’t it? It feels good to have faith in something, especially if it’s something strong. It’s like having someone you can trust close by. It’s about knowing there is someone you can depend on, who will always help you. It’s about being able to find comfort when you need it. It’s knowing you can go somewhere safe in a storm. It’s about knowing your house won’t fall down around you. 

Jesus says this is what those people who follow his teachings experience.

And in the Temple Society, we are lucky to be able to experience this as well. As Templers, we have a solid foundation in Jesus’ teachings and in our love of God and each other. Our belief holds us all together and means that we care for and look after each other. We provide a solid foundation for each other. We are like the rock for each other: immovable, strong and solid.

It is nice that we can be helpful like this to each other, because there are times when everyone needs help from someone else. Can you think of a time when you needed some help and someone was there for you, like a rock? Or can you think of a time when you were like a rock to someone else? Did you help somebody else through a sad time? Did you comfort someone? Have you been able to look after someone else? 

There are many ways you can be like a rock to someone else. Maybe over the next month, you can think about how you can really support and help someone. Think about how you can be like a rock, and then make sure you do it too! (There’s no use thinking about it if you don’t do it!)

Have fun being a rock this month and remember, if you’re going to believe in something, make sure it’s worth believing in!
Christine

Cross out all the Xs, Ys and Zs to reveal the hidden message:
YZXYTHEYXZYYZXTEMPLERZZXYYXZYYZBELIEFYXZZISYYXZAYXYZZSOLIDZYZYXZYXFOUNDATIONXXZYZFOR
XZYZXUS,YXZXYXZLIKEYXZZYXTHEXXZZYZXXROCKXZYXZFORXZXYXTHEXZYXZXYHOUSEXYZ.

We wish a very happy birthday to:

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TABULAM AND TEMPLER HOMES FOR THE AGED

Dear Friends,
We have reached the penultimate month of the year already. The current high temperatures are giving us an early glimpse of what looks to become a long, hot and dry summer.

At our AGM on 14^th October we had a model and plan of our proposed new wing available for inspection. The meeting had a quorum but it would be nice to see even more TSA and AGWS members next year. Remember it's your Home and the Committee of Management (COM) would like to hear your comments and views. Our COM building sub-group has had numerous meetings relating to final details and costing for the new wing.

During October we had Seniors Week and the Knox City Council presented the Home with two beautiful rose bushes to mark the occasion. They will no doubt enhance our garden.

Dolly Klaver (Diversional Therapist) and Karin Baumert (DON) and helpers became intrepid breakfast cooks during the month. They cooked bacon and eggs etc on one day for the Otto Loebert section and did the same for the Tabulam section on another occasion. I am sure our residents enjoyed the variety. Maybe the Home should be called the ‘Bayswater Hilton’. Thank you very much, ladies, for your efforts.

On 26^th October the Home will play host to about twenty young adults from the German township of Lorch, in Australia on a school trip. The visitors will spend time with our residents, who will no doubt be interested to hear about the youngsters’ trip and discuss current happenings in their old homeland.

On 16^th November Helga Kuerschner and Erika English will set up a Christmas stall in the Home to sell handicrafts, which their group diligently works on all year round as a fund-raiser for the Home.

Keep in mind that Christmas is nearly upon us and you just might find that elusive gift you've been looking for. Hopefully they will have many customers. A special thanks to the craft group. What would we do without our many helpers!
Kind regards,
Hartmut Weller

Liebe Freunde,
Wir haben schon den vorletzten Monat des Jahres erreicht! Heiße Tage haben einen Vorgeschmack gegeben auf einen Sommer, der lang, heiß und trocken werden soll...

Bei unserer Jahreshauptversammlung am 14. Oktober konnten die Teilnehmer ein Modell und die Pläne für unseren neuen Flügel begut-achten. Die Versammlung war beschlussfähig, aber es wäre nett, nächstes Jahr mehr AGWS- und TSA-Mitglieder begrüßen zu dürfen. Denken Sie daran: Es ist Ihr Heim, und der Vorstand möchte gerne Ihre Meinung und Ihre Kommentare hören. Unser Bauausschuss für den neuen Flügel hatte eine Reihe von Sitzungen im Hinblick auf weitere endgültige Details und die Kosten.

Im Oktober war “Seniors Week” und der Knox City Council überreichte aus diesem Anlass zwei wunder-schöne Rosenstöcke. Sicher werden sie unseren Garten verschönern.

Dolly Klaver (Diversional Therapist) und Karin Baumert (DON) und weitere Helfer wurden zu mutigen Frühstücksköchen: Sie brieten Spiegeleier und Speck für die Bewohner des Otto Löbert Flügels in diesem Monat, fürs Tabulam ein andermal. Sicher haben die Bewohner die Abwechslung genos-sen, vielleicht sollten wir das Heim das ‘Bayswater Hilton’ nennen... Danke für diese Mühen!

Am 26. Oktober wird das Heim Gastgeber für 20 junge Leute aus der deutschen Stadt Lorch sein, die in Australien auf ‘Schulausflug’ sind. Sie werden mit Bewohnern Zeit verbringen, die sicher gerne von ihnen, ihrer Reise und der alten Heimat hören.

Am 16. November werden Helga Kürschner und Erika English im Heim einen Verkaufsstand aufbauen und Kunstwerke verkaufen, die sie in liebevoller Weise das Jahr über zu Gunsten des Heims mit ihrer Handarbeitsgruppe gefertigt haben.

Denken Sie daran, Weihnachten steht vor der Tür, und Sie könnten hier genau jene besonderen Geschenke finden, auf die Sie gewartet haben! Wollen wir hoffen, dass da viele Kunden kommen. Besonderer Dank geht an diese Gruppe. Was würden wir tun ohne so viele Helfer!
Freundliche Grüße,
Ihr Hartmut Weller
 

NEUES BUCH
von Dr Brigitte Hoffmann – Mein Verständnis von Jesus, see here.

CALLING GRANDPARENTS
Liebe Omas und Opas,
The Teenage Group needs you! Well, actually I need your help. I need you to encourage, suggest and maybe even push your grandchildren so that they come and join the teenage group. It is a great way for them to meet the other kids whom they will be confirmed with. Maybe even offer to drive them to the next activity, which is a pool party at my place. During the afternoon, we will be coming up with the activities for next year.
Vielen Dank für Eure Hilfe,
Moni Imberger

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NOTICES -- BEKANNTMACHUNGEN

COMING SERVICES  

PRESENTATION
At the Presentation Service in the Chapel on 15^th October, our Elder Harald Ruff presented four beautiful little girls before God and the Community:

Ellena Lauren Glenk,  parents: Andrew and Cheryl Glenk
Emily Jayda Henshaw,  parents: Joshua Henshaw and Monica Haar
Morgan Marie Herrmann,  parents: Peter Herrmann and Tara Maree
Savannah Eve Messner,  parents: Holger and Tanja Messner

COUNTRY VIC – Tynong, Gippsland – 5^th November
You are all invited to the home of Heinz Bulach, Tynong – see October TR page 40 for map. BYO plates, cups, cutlery; bring some food to share and a friend or two.
Rosa will depart Bayswater at 9:15am and Bentleigh at 9:45am. Have you booked your seat? tel. 9557 6713.

ADMISSIONS TO THE TTHA  – TALKS
Dr Martin Schreiber, CEO of the TTHA, has kindly offered to address the community to explain and clarify the admission process to the TTHA and answer any questions.
We encourage you to attend to gain a better understanding of the procedure.

The address will be held
in GERMAN on Saturday 11^th November at 2:30pm in the Bayswater Hall,
in ENGLISH on Thursday 16^th November at 7:30pm in the Chapel.
RSVP with Helga by Wednesday 15^th November if you plan to attend the evening session.
Helga Anderson, for the Social & Welfare FG

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
If you want to have your Christmas Greetings published in the December/January TR, please have your names and donations in the Office by 18^th November.
Ed.

FAMILY SERVICE AND COMMUNITY PICNIC
Sunday 12^th November  at 11am at Ibis Rotunda, Maroondah Reservoir
Just a reminder that this Family Service will be held at the Maroondah Reservoir in Healesville, Melway map 270 J5 (Melbourne Water insert).
There’s a great children’s playground available. So bring along the family and also all your picnic gear including tables and chairs or BBQ things and drinks. There will be tea and coffee available and we’d love you to bring a cake and salad to share.

Rosa the bus will be leaving the Bentleigh Hall at 9:30am and Bayswater outside TTHA at 10:15am. Please book with Nanne on 9557 6713 at the TSA Office before 6^th November.
See the September TR, pages 46-47, for additional information.
Brendon Glenk, Soc & Rec FG

CHRISTMAS GREETING CARDS DRIVE
To raise funds for the Playground Project, we are giving you the opportunity to purchase your Christmas greeting cards, postcards, gift-wrap and accessories from Phoenix Trading.
Brochures and order forms are now available from the Bayswater and Bentleigh Halls, or you can ring Birgit Verhagen for them to be sent direct to you.

Order forms and payment in a clearly marked envelope must be received no later than Thursday 16^th November. They can be left with Moni Herrmann at Playgroup, Renate & Tony Beilharz at Bayswater or the TSA Office 152 Tucker Road, Bentleigh. Or you may prefer to send your order direct to Birgit Verhagen.

Delivery will be at Bayswater Playgroup on Thursday 23^rd November or from Sunday 26^th in Bentleigh. If you live further away, items may be sent direct to your home. 
Please support us in this venture to provide a playground for older children at Bayswater.
Birgit Verhagen

TTHA CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
A Christmas Bazaar will be held in the main foyer of the Tabulam and Templer Homes on Thursday 16^th November commencing at 10:00am.
Our Craft ladies have been very creative and have made many wonderful items for you to purchase whilst also supporting the Home. We invite you to come and buy your Christmas goodies and then visit your family and friends at the Home.
Helga Kuerschner, for the Bayswater Craft Group

MAKING GUTSLE FOR THE ADVENTSFEIER  in Bentleigh
As in the past, we ask as many people as possible to make at least one batch of ‘Gutsle’ for the Adventsfeier. These can be left at the Office in Bentleigh or with Tony & Renate Beilharz in Bayswater.
On Friday 17^th November from 7:00pm I will be making Gutsle in the Bentleigh Hall kitchen, 152 Tucker Road Bentleigh. If you have never made Gutsle or simply would just like to come and help I would love some assistance. This is for the young and not so young, plus everyone in-between. I can then send you home with recipes and hopefully you will be inspired to make even more. If I have a lot of interest from Bayswater, I will try and organise the bus to come in.

I plan to make some of the doughs in advance to get things going quickly, and would love for others to do the same – but please also bring ‘your recipe’ so that others can take home a copy. Some of the doughs will also be made on the day.
I would love some expert assistance and, importantly, ask those coming to bring aprons and rolling pins and anything else you might think we need. We hope to have lots and lots of wonderful Gutsle to sell at the Adventfeier this year!

It would be easier if I knew who was coming and if you were able to help with bringing dough already prepared – so please ring me at home or e-mail nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au
Marianne Herrmann, Soc & Rec FG

GUTSLE FOR BAYSWATER –  please bring some on 5^th December to the celebration which starts at 8:00pm.
H.U.

TATURA  –  19^th November
For those interested in attending the Tatura Memorial Service, bookings for the bus or lunch must be received at the TSA Office on 9557 6713 or e-mail nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au by Friday 10^th November.

Rosa the bus will leave the Bayswater Hall at 7:00am and the Bentleigh Hall at 7:45am to arrive at the Tatura War Cemetery in time for the Memorial Service commencing at 11:00am.
Cost for the bus will be approximately $10. Rosa can carry 24 passengers and we have also booked the TTHA bus, but bookings are essential.
After the service, all who have arrived by bus and any others who have booked with the TSA Office, can have lunch (at own cost) at the Hilltop Golf Club, with an afternoon visit to the Tatura Museum planned.

The bus will depart from the Museum at approximately 4:00pm for home.
Ilse Nicholson, for the Heritage & Culture Focus Group

BAYSWATER TENNIS CLUB SAUSAGE SIZZLE
Friday 1^st December from 6:00pm.

ISRAEL TRIP PRESENTATION – 2^nd December in Bayswater
You are warmly invited to a slide presentation of the May 2006 trip to Israel in the Bayswater Hall on Saturday 2^nd December at 2:00pm. All welcome.
Renate Weber, Ingrid Hoffmann and Charlotte Laemmle

MAKING AN ADVENTSKRANZ 
The smell of cypress branches in our house has always heralded the Advent period, as my Grandmother and Mother (and I) always made an Adventskranz (Advent wreath) out of freshly cut cypress branches on the Saturday before the 1^st Sunday in Advent.
If you’d like to learn how to make your own Adventskranz out of cypress branches, come to a make-your-own Adventskranz session on Saturday 2^nd December at 7:00pm at  Bayswater – Caretaker’s Residence. The cost will be $5 for materials, and bookings with Renate are essential before 29^th November.
Renate Beilharz

ADVENT CELEBRATION IN BENTLEIGH 
We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our Advent celebration in Bentleigh on Sunday, 3^rd December. The program will start at 2:30pm and will be in English and German. The bus will come from Bayswater leaving at 1:30pm outside TTHA, but bookings are essential with the TSA Office on 9557 6713.

Advent Donations
We have had a number of people making wonderful items for the bazaar and welcome donations of lots more. You may wish to make food items for the bazaar – they are always popular – but please remember to include the ingredients on the packaging. Please price your items if at all possible. Donations of Christmas cookies (Gutsle) – we can never have too many – would be greatly appreciated. And donations of items for raffle prizes are also always gratefully received.

Donations of raffle prizes, Gutsle or any craft items can be left at the Temple Society Office, 152 Tucker Road Bentleigh, or with Renate & Tony Beilharz in Bayswater by Wednesday 29^th November. Bazaar items may also be brought on the day, but they must be priced.

Gutsle Packaging – Saturday 2^nd December
at 9:00am in the Bentleigh Hall. Some assistance to pack, hopefully lots and lots of Gutsle, would be appreciated.

Advent Helpers
We need helpers to set up the hall on the Sunday morning from 9:00am onwards. Please come, the more the merrier, and the job will get done in a twinkling!! Any younger people – we would love to see you help us make this afternoon a success, by helping serve coffee and cakes and assisting with the cleaning up at the end. If you could come to the hall a bit before 2:30pm, you can help cutting up cakes etc. (yuummm!)

Finally
Talking about cakes… while you’re baking your Gutsle, please think about what type of cake, cookies or Gutsle you could bake for the day itself. We greatly appreciate people bringing something to share and making those plates on the table absolutely mouth-watering.
Don’t forget your spending money on the day for the bazaar, raffle and the special table decorations, which will be available for purchase afterwards. And now please mark the 3^rd December in your diaries!
Marianne Herrmann

ADVENTSFEIER  IN BAYSWATER
Everyone is welcome to come on 5^th December at 8:00pm in the Bayswater Hall, to be touched by the spirit of Advent, with readings and carol-singing. Please bring some Gutsle to share over coffee and be prepared to clean up.
Herta Uhlherr

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION   Bayswater 16^th December
Any children interested in participating in the Community Christmas celebration in Bayswater on 16^th December should register now. Children can participate in learning some new songs and dances, as well as put on a nativity play. There will be a minimum of rehearsals, but we need an idea of who would like to be actively involved, although all children are welcome on the night and will receive a small gift from Father Christmas.
We are still looking for some adults to help with the many tasks required to ensure this event is as successful as ever. Areas you may be able to help with include: preparing a children’s play/presentation, planning the angel dance, organizing the backdrop or props, ensuring that Father Christmas makes it again this year, that he has small gifts for children, teaching children some songs or dances, decorating the Christmas tree, organizing supper, providing musical accompaniment…
Please contact me to register.
Renate Beilharz

CHILDREN’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHRISTMAS SERVICE   Bentleigh Monday 25^th December
I am still waiting to hear from someone who may be willing to organise the children for their part of the Christmas Service in Bentleigh. Children – does not matter how young or old – are asked to register with me by the end of November.
We have usually kept the participation simple. Moni Imberger has lots of material to source from and practice has been kept to once or twice. Please consider if you can assist and advise me as soon as possible.
Marianne Herrmann, Soc & Rec FG

NEW YEAR’S EVE – Bentleigh Hall
This year’s New Year’s Eve function will be along the same lines as last year’s. Anyone who would like to stay after the service at 7:30pm is asked to bring a salad to share. A platter of cold meat (Aufschnitt) and bread rolls will be provided. Coffee and tea will be available, BYO any other drinks.
Please let us know as early as possible if you are interested in taking part in this function so that we can organise the catering.
For people coming from Bayswater/Boronia Rosa or the TTHA bus may be available for transport.
Please ring us for bookings and enquiries.
Bill and Regina Imberger

BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS

Sarona Book
We only have a few copies of the Sarona book From Desert Sands to Golden Oranges left and at this stage we do not propose to order any more from our publisher. This book, cost $60.00 plus postage, makes an ideal Christmas present for a family member or friend. If you are interested in purchasing one of the remaining books, please contact either Manfred Haering, Horst Blaich or Helmut Glenk. Once we have sold our stock of books, the book will still be available direct from the publisher, Trafford Publishing in Canada. It can be purchased over the internet by going to the Trafford website www.trafford.com and clicking onto “bookstore”.
Helmut Glenk, for Sarona Book Project

Memories of Palestine
For copies of this book, please contact Peter Hornung.

SPIRITUALITY, RELIGIOUS BEHAVIOUR AND WELL-BEING
It appears that psychotherapists are increasingly interested in integrating spirituality and/or religiosity into their clients’ therapy. Fiona Mawson, who is in an Honours program at Swinburne University of Technology, is asking for people to participate in a study to add to the current body of knowledge regarding subjective religious experience.

‘Do you believe in a higher power that guides and supports you? Have you had spiritual or religious experiences with this higher power, such as ‘feelings of oneness’, ‘deep peace’, ‘knowing’ or ‘ecstasy’? Do you regularly attend Church, or some other religious gathering?

Swinburne University of Technology is investigating the relationship between mysticism, religious behaviour, resiliency and well-being. People who would like to take part in this research are asked to participate by completing an online questionnaire. The study requires both males and females between the ages of 18 to 60+ years old, and has full Swinburne ethics approval. For more information please contact Dr Janet Dickson on 9215 7146 or by e-mail jdickson@swin.edu.au or Fiona Mawson by mobile on 0412 262 152.
To directly access the questionnaire, type the following address: http://opinio.online.swin.edu.au/s?s=1310 into the web address line of internet explorer, and press ‘go’. The questionnaire is anonymous and completion will be taken as consent to participate.
Please feel free to pass the details on to friends and associates.’
Ed.

TSA-ONLINE
Thank you to those who have sent us their e-mail address. Please keep us updated and do not simply assume that we have your current details or know your preferences.
Mark Herrmann

VEAC RIVER RED GUM FORESTS INVESTIGATION
Discussion paper released 
This notice is for the many environmentalists among us.
The Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) has just released its Discussion Paper regarding public land in the Murray Valley as part of its River Red Gum Forests Investigation – the first report.
You can now access VEAC's website (www.veac.vic.gov.au) and download a free copy of the Discussion Paper brochure, which provides an outline of the Investigation and process.
The full Discussion Paper can also be downloaded for free from VEAC's website (www.veac.vic.gov.au) or purchased for $10 from Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) offices in the study area, as well as the DSE Planning Information Centre and Information Victoria in Melbourne (details are provided on the website).

Submissions Invited
Submissions are sought by 7^th December in response to the Discussion Paper and to assist Council in formulating Draft Proposals to be published in mid 2007. Note that the Investigation relates to public land only and cannot recommend changes to private land.
VEAC welcomes submissions from anyone with an interest in the future of the Victorian River Red Gum forests, wetlands, and flood plains of the Murray Valley.

Please feel free to contact:
Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, 1^st Level, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne 3002
Phone: (03) 9637 9902      Fax: (03) 9637 8024          Freecall: 1800 134 803 (outside metro area)
e-mail: veac@dse.vic.gov.au     website: www.veac.vic.gov.au

Helga Anderson

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THE HERITAGE PAGE

We want you to be aware how important old letters, documents, diaries and photographs are, which you may have stored away in shoe boxes at home. They may be from Oma, Opa or relatives from the old days. There may be a written story about an incident in their lives or there may even be a complete life-story. They are all valuable, please do not destroy them. Contact the TSA Heritage Group and we will scan the material into a computer and store the digital data in the archives. The original will be returned to you, but should you not want it back, your material will go to the Templer Archive in Bentleigh.

The TSA Heritage Group has so far been able to preserve a large slice of our Templer history and we are thankful to those who have been cooperating with our efforts. Thanks for the donations sent to Mark Herrmann specifically for the TSA Heritage Group. We can assure you the money is appropriately used to keep our work going.

ISRAEL TRIP PRESENTATION – 2nd December in Bayswater
See here for details.

FROM THE BOOK CHRONICLE OF A UTOPIA – The Templers in the Holy Land, 1868-1948, by Sara Turel, Curator of the exhibition in Tel-Aviv
“We have taken to heart both the years of civilization of the Ashkenazim from Wuerttemberg and their homes, built in a comely fashion as in all European cities, which have transformed that deserted land to a land alive with people…”
Yoel Moshe Solomon

THE COMMUNITY CENTRE AND FIRST SCHOOL BUILDING IN SARONA
“Sarona, the first agricultural settlement of the German Templers, was founded in 1871. According to the plan made by the engineer Theodor Sandel, the colony was built around two main streets: Christoph Hoffmann Street (now David Elazar Street) and Sea Street (now Kaplan Street) that crossed at the colony’s main junction. The building was erected in 1872 [built by Master Builder Josef Wennagel] as attested to by the date carved in the stone above the entrance on the west side of the building: ‘Founded on 6 June 1872.’ The building was meant to be used as a school for the colony. In the early years, it was also used as a gathering place for the community, until the beginning of the 20^th century when the new community centre was built on the eastern lot of the main intersection (36 Kaplan Street). The building remained in use as a school until 1929 when it was converted to a dwelling... In keeping with the development of a park for the preservation and widening of Kaplan Street as a fallback option to demolishing them, following a long and persistent resentment by the public and preservationists... The work was executed by “Solel Boneh”, the company that won the bid together with “Mammoet”, the Dutch company well-experienced in moving historical buildings. On the site where the building would stand, a new two-storey basement was laid. The bottom level was meant to provide for different technical requirements that may arise when the preservation building becomes operational again. The upper basement is an exact replica of the original basement that was dismantled during the move. A platform of reinforced concrete was poured under the historical building. Tracks were assembled under the concrete on which hydraulic jacks were installed to elevate and levelly convey the building.

A complicated system of sensors to warn against cracks or any other unexpected event was assembled on every part of the building and connected to a computer system that provided real-time information during every stage of the move. The preparation stages took months, while the move itself was accomplished in days from 6-7/12/2005.

With the arrival of the building on its new site, it was set on the reconstructed basement and perfectly fitted into place. The building stands ready for the preservation process and adapting it to its new use in keeping with the municipal initiative as part of the project for the development and preservation of the municipal park planned for the southern part of the Kiryah.”
Amnon Bar Or, Senior Architect, Tel-Aviv

PHOTO OF THE MONTH
A group of Templer men in front of the Hotel Hardegg in Jaffa, year unknown.

“SARONA PARK” DEVELOPMENTS
A few months ago we reported that an area of land in the former Sarona settlement bounded by the Venus, Baldenhofer, Glenk, Frank and Jenner (Altersheim) homes had been cleared. The Tel Aviv City Council has now developed this open area further by establishing a “temporary” garden with lawns, paved pathways, trees, plants and seats. The Marketing Department from the city council has erected signs to advise the public of “Sarona Park” and to attract potential investors.

The sign reads:
The City of Tel Aviv
Sarona Park Temporary Garden To Quality of Life
Contact Marketing Manager Ilana
http://sarona.ahuzot.co.il/index.html 

The website provides some images of the envisaged development that will take place in this area over the next few years. The wording however is in Hebrew.
Helmut Glenk, Horst Blaich, Manfred Haering,  for the Sarona Project Group

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OCTOBER

TEMPLER RECORD- ISSUE No. 688

REFLECTIONS   

Eine Leiter Manchmal hätte ich gern eine Leiter die mich nach oben bringt Sprosse für Sprosse Schritt für Schritt eine Hilfe mit der ich über Mauern schauen kann Die mir Aussicht, Weitsicht, Übersicht, einen neuen Horizont erschließt: Weitwinkel Die Perspektive des Himmels	A Ladder Sometimes I would like to have a ladder to take me up rung by rung step by step and help me look over walls and barriers opening up new views and horizons: wide angles the perspective of heaven
Manchmal wäre ich gern eine Leiter damit ich anderen eine Hilfe sein kann herauszufinden aus Engen und Ängsten aus Not und Bedrängnis Sprosse für Sprosse Schritt für Schritt hinauf und hinaus in die freie, weite Perspektive des Himmels	Sometimes I would like to be a ladder so that I can help others to find their way out of tight spots and anxieties out of hardship and distress rung by rung step by step up and out into the free, wide perspective of heaven
Manchmal spüre ich eine Leiter die mich hebt und hält die immer wieder neu sich anbietet und bereitsteht Sprosse für Sprosse Schritt für Schritt mich zu führen zu mir selbst und über mich hinaus zum anderen und: zum ganz Anderen in der Perspektive des Himmels                                            Klaus Jäkel	Sometimes I feel a ladder lifting and supporting me ready again and again to offer rung by rung step by step to guide me to myself and beyond myself to others and: to the altogether Other in the perspective of heaven                                    tr. H.U.

Sent in by a member from Bayswater

DOES GOD HAVE FUN?
In my reflective reading, I have been dipping into a book by Julia Cameron called God is no laughing Matter, which is actually quite humorous in its gentle prods at being overly and stuffily serious about religion and our relationship with God. It’s about finding one’s own inner compass, a task relevant for Templers, and strengthening one’s personal connection to the divine. Here are some thoughts loosely strung together from a chapter called Drop the Rock.
There are times when we treat God as if we were partners trying to save a bad marriage. We get so busy working on our relationship to God that we stop having it.

God might love to go out for a cappuccino with us, or a walk on the beach, or spend time bike-riding. God could probably do with a few more ‘let’s just hang out’ dates, or ‘let’s go to the park and laugh at the puppies’. Like any other partner, God probably would like it if we lightened up a bit. A long-term relationship usually begins with a few laughs and spending time together. If the laughs can hang around, usually so can the partners.

We don’t talk about God’s laughing side very much. We act as if God is serious and important and a grumpy old man, and we had better toe the line. We could look at the world around us, at the many weird and extraordinary things, and deduce that God loves to experiment and actually likes wilful things like puppies and maybe us. Do we have to be so exhaustingly grown-up with God all the time?
As in most relationships, a little less work and a little more attentive listening might work fine. ‘Be as little children’ – have play and fun in your life, too. – Hey, this could apply especially to us serious types!

Here are questions to reflect on:
Are you convinced that misery is spiritual?
Do you believe difficulty earns you brownie points in heaven?
Do you feel morally superior when you are suffering?
Do you believe in a solemn God?
Are all your ‘spiritual lessons’ depressing?

The author concludes: then bake yourself cookies.
Based on ‘God is no laughing Matter’ by Julia Cameron, Tarcher/Putnam New York 2000.
Herta Uhlherr

TEXT FOR THE MONTH – John 8:32

“... AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE”
I have always been fascinated by this saying by Jesus or, more precisely, the saying put into his mouth by John. When I read it in context to examine it a little more closely, I was at first disappointed.

In the synoptic gospels, which are the most reliable sources, Jesus hardly ever speaks about truth. Each of the synoptists mentions the word only once in an irrelevant context. In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks about truth again and again, and always in the same sense: “I am the way, and the truth and life, and no one comes to the Father other than through me” (14:6); or by way of introduction to our passage: “If you stay with my word, you truly are my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free;” and only a few sentences earlier: “If you do not believe that I am the truth, you will die in your sins”. In other words, only believers – those who know or recognise that Jesus is the Son of God and is one with the Father, equal to God, the pre-existent Logos – will be free of sin and will have everlasting life. This truth does not mean much to me.

Nonetheless, the sentence continues to fascinate me, because it neatly and beautifully expresses something that matches my own experience. If you – as a child for fear of punishment and later on for fear of exposure – try to cover up something with lies and excuses, you find it exhausting, humiliating and unsatisfactory, even if you get away with it. If you decide to tell the truth and shoulder the consequences, you feel greatly liberated, which makes everything clear and simple again.

How this works becomes even clearer when you try to hide a flaw or a weakness, i.e. something of long duration. That makes you feel decidedly unfree, time and again if not all the time, because you are compelled to watch yourself. Only the truth can set you free.

At first glance, this is not a religious issue but a psychological one. At the second look, however, it has something to do with religion after all, because truthfulness is part and parcel of living religion.

But religious truth has yet another aspect. In general, like John, we understand it to be the one absolute truth that brings salvation here and in the “beyond”; to those who recognise it and hold to it, to the exclusion of all other truths, “if you do not believe that I am the truth, you will die in your sins”, you will be damned.

This truth is dangerous. For its logic implies having scant regard for those others or, in extreme cases, even fighting them, because they ‘pose a danger to the absolute truth’, or might do. This does not mean that all who have such absolute faith are intolerant or fanatical. For many, their faith means comfort, support and finding shelter. It will become pernicious only when it is forced on to others in the well-intentioned belief that it is for their salvation.

Perhaps there is an absolute truth. It is, however, certain that it is not possible for us humans to know it. All or nearly all religions are based on spiritually gifted, charismatic people who had encounters with God and passed on their experiences – fragments of knowledge of God, or what they thought was knowledge of God. It could never be pure knowledge of God – it always was, and still is, formed partly by the messengers’ own ideas carried over from their own environments and the prevailing views of their times. In the great religions, the most important of these divine experiences were written down and later “canonized”, made holy and fixed, never to be changed to the end of time. But precisely because new material was written down all the time and secured as being holy, it reveals – if we read it without bias – how the picture of God and the knowledge of God have changed through the centuries in our, the Judeo-Christian, religion. Holy texts are a precious commodity. They can be a source of strength and comfort, and a continual driver for us to engage with them anew. But absolute truth they are not – and cannot be.

If this is valid for the “holy” writings, on which the great religions are based, it must be valid also for the religions themselves. Perhaps, most likely, they all contain a nucleus of divine truth, enshrouded in much human wisdom and folly, some more so than others. But this is not for us to judge. Lessing’s Parable of the Ring is the only criterion we have: The power of the ring to “make life pleasing before God and people”. In today’s language: the power that makes people get along.

Even this criterion is inadequate, because different people have different ideas about “getting along“ which, perhaps, is just as well. It is not only a problem, but also a blessing that there are different truths which appeal to different people in different ways.

This brings me back to my starting point: this is a truth that can make us free – free from the compulsion of having to defend “what is written”, and free from the temptation of regarding our own truth as the only right one while rejecting all others. This could perhaps contribute to helping people get along.
Dr Brigitte Hoffmann (translated by Peter Hornung)

TRUTH AND FAITH
Truth and faith also came up in an address by Dr Peter Uhlherr. This is the second half of his ‘Saal’ on 14.4.2006.

Today, like the people in Jesus’ time, we want proof; we want certainty. We have great difficulty taking anything on faith alone, because our whole life is based on questioning and critical assessment, on logical argument, reasoning and deduction. We are trained from a young age to be sceptical and critical. And the life, teaching and death of Jesus produce no incontrovertible proof of any fact. There are only parallels and analogies to guide us – open to interpretation, or misinterpretation. Over the last 2000 years, no facts have emerged to give us certainty. We still have to act in faith, exactly like the Pharisees had to do. We still have the same problems! Is faith so alien to people that we can’t countenance it?

Man has an irresistible urge to discover the truth – …er will wissen, was die Welt im innersten zusammenhält… (Faust). And we can see two diametrically opposed solutions to this need: – One group gravitates to the body of scientific truth and relinquishes the body of esoteric and religious knowledge. The other group becomes fundamentalist – by declaring the religious writings literally true, doubt is removed and certainty established. So we now have evolution versus creationism.

Between these two extremes is a large population that accepts the truths of science and at the same time seeks to find whatever truths can be recovered from the religious writings – and there are truths in those writings.

Let me attempt a very simplistic analysis of man’s striving for truth and his capacity for faith. At the outermost level, our world view is based on understanding – scientific, economic, medical facts which we know to be true, from our own experience. A little deeper we come to experiences that we ourselves don’t actually understand. But we accept these experiences as scientifically explainable because there are others – scientists and doctors – who do fully understand them. And we believe those experts. If we delve further, we reach a level that we certainly don’t understand, and scientists are hard at work trying to understand. We now believe that science will ultimately explain what we experience – it hasn’t yet, but ‘it will’! We extrapolate our understanding from the known to the unknown because we believe it is knowable in the future. We have imperceptibly crossed from the realm of certainty into the realm of faith; admittedly it is only faith in matters of physical, biological or medical phenomena. We are all capable of unquestioning faith in matters of science – absolutely; in matters of medicine – yes; biology, psychology? – probably; human behaviour, human consciousness? – maybe.

Just how far does our faith reach? In everyday matters we normally don’t even think about whether we know or just believe. We only become aware of the difference when we try to proceed from consciousness or self-awareness to ask life-questions such as: what constitutes life, what constitutes humanity. What, if anything, distinguishes our humanity from the consciousness of any other animal? Is it all merely chemical reactions in the brain, generating electrical impulses that behave similarly to those in a computer? Is that all there is to us? Or is there something extra – a spiritual aspect, a divine spark?

For one person, spirit is fact; for another it is pure fantasy. Many people simply refute the concept of spirit as a nonsense, totally unnecessary in explaining the human condition. Their faith is entirely in the ultimate triumph of science. Many others find the concept of spirit very useful in rationalising the many unanswerable questions that man (uniquely) asks about his own existence.

Faith is a very personal thing, and it may be quite fragile, because more often than not, its basis is irrational. That may well be the reason for the line in the Lord’s prayer “do not bring us to the test”, because it may reveal how shallow our faith really is.

For many people, the two related concepts of spirit and God are the greatest obstacles to a rational discussion of the message of Jesus. This prevents them from reaching the core of Jesus’ teaching, his extension of the commandments into a moral-ethical framework for everyday life. This moral-ethical framework is very much down to earth and practical. But it is embedded in religious writings; it is couched in religious language closely interwoven with the concepts of God and spirit. However, the purely religious aspects can be peeled away from the central moral-ethical core with relatively little damage, leaving very practical rules for living, which are as acceptable to atheists as they are to believing Christians. The amount of the overall structure that has to be peeled away depends on the extent and flexibility of each individual’s faith. How can we interpret or rephrase that religiously-phrased pointer to Jesus’ teaching as summarised in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 6 by the words: “remember and turn again to the Lord” and “so that they may turn and be healed or saved”? [The texts of this Saal]

How can these clearly religious or faith based images be broadened to encompass a non-religious outlook without losing their whole meaning? We can achieve this to some extent by concentrating on the end result, the outcome of turning, rather than on the path taken to get there. In that way, the teachings of Jesus can become relevant to a larger number of people – not only Christians, but also others.

Both the Old and the New Testaments claim that man’s state, his life, is far from ideal, and few people would disagree with that. In that less-than-ideal state, most of us embrace the moral-ethical tenets of the commandments and Jesus’ teaching only sometimes and occasionally only in an incomplete and partial way – generally if and when it suits us. Selfish motives still encroach on, or even dominate, our behaviour from time to time. But there is absolutely no room in Jesus’ teaching for selfishness! And that, in a nutshell, is the reason for the extraordinary difficulty in wholly embracing his message. The act of turning simply means relinquishing selfishness in favour of inclusiveness. Turning away from one lifestyle to wholeheartedly embrace another. To totally embrace the teaching of Jesus – to replace selfishness by altruism – in all aspects of our lives, at all times. This seems to me to be a virtually unattainable situation within our existing social and political structure. But striving towards that near-impossible goal is the task that we have been set, and that we are told is for our own good. It is a challenge offered to one and all. To the non-spiritual, the process is quite logical and natural because it proceeds in a non-destructive direction, one of positive outcomes all round. To the believer, the process is one of spiritual healing and spiritual growth. In both cases, what we gain is beneficial – it improves not only our lives, but also the lives of all those we come into contact with. And even though the ultimate goal of complete adoption of Jesus’ teachings, in all aspects of our lives, may seem impractical if not unattainable, we will already gain from the striving. We will benefit in proportion to the effort we put in.
Dr Peter Uhlherr
From a Saal in Bentleigh on Good Friday 2006

THE NAME TEMPLE SOCIETY AUSTRALIA
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Shakespeare
The words Temple Society Australia have been used to describe our community for over 50 years. Amongst TSA members, who are familiar with the phrase, there seems to be a fair consensus on how these words are interpreted. On the other hand, the words Temple Society Australia are interpreted in different ways by the wider Australian community.

For a few years there have been members of the TSA asking that consideration be given to renaming our community. They feel that the words Temple Society Australia do not clearly convey the nature of our independent, Christian community. Comments have been made that the word Temple or Templers, linked with the word society, has negative connotations, because of a perceived association with the Knights Templar, or with some extreme temple cult. They also see the word society, a direct translation of the German word Gesellschaft, as confusing, with a ‘secret society’ connotation. In the modern world of marketing and first impressions, they feel that the name of our community should more simply and unambiguously reflect the nature of our community.

Since then the issue has been discussed in various environments: informally at social gatherings, via e-mail exchange and more formally at Elders’ meetings. The question about the name was asked in the opinion survey sent to members in late 2004. It was interesting to note that most respondents felt that ‘the name Temple Society Australia clearly communicates what the organisation is about’ with only about 28% having difficulty explaining to others what Temple Society stands for. At one of the subsequent ‘I have a dream’ community forums, there was a feeling that the issue of changing the name of the Temple Society Australia should be given further consideration.

At Elders’ meetings, there was usually a consensus to maintain the status quo. The feeling was that, when questioned about the name by people who have not come across the TSA before, the opportunity should, if possible, be taken by members to explain the Temple Society. The Elders recommended that the phrase ‘an Independent Christian Community’ be added to our name on items such as the signboards outside our halls and on letterheads. If many Templers think that a name change is appropriate, then it requires debate on what the new name should be. Some suggestions have been: Templer Community Australia and Templer Christian Community.

I would like to see our name used as a discussion starter and a debate topic in many forums. We should use it amongst ourselves to clarify with each other what we understand by saying Temple Society Australia; we should help each other deepen our understanding of what the Temple Society stands for, what is special about it, why it is such an important part of our lives. We need to develop the understanding and confidence within ourselves to be able to respond, with assurance, when asked ‘What is the Temple Society?’ The pamphlet ‘About the Temple Society Australia’, available from the Office, is a great tool in developing some key phrases and understandings about what the TSA is on about.

I enjoy using the name Temple Society Australia as a discussion starter with many non-member friends and acquaintances; some others do not. It is important for us Templers to continue internal debate about the name. Any change of this nature requires careful and expansive dialogue within all facets of our organisation.

I ask and challenge members who have strong opinions either way to offer their thoughts in an article for the Templer Record. It is through robust debate and dialogue on issues such as this that members of our community will be able to develop a stronger sense of identity.
Renate Beilharz

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REGIONAL MATTERS

FROM THE REGIONAL COUNCIL

NOTES from the RC Meeting of 1st September
Some of the key topics and issues discussed were:
• The two sets of minutes to consider and accept – one from the July RC meeting and one from last month’s Extended RC meeting.
• The many action items from two previous meetings.
• The processes for sale of land (disposal of assets) previously set were discussed. Some of the
   procedural stipulations may not be relevant for the sale of the excess Jerusalem cemetery land.
   The sale of this excess land will now be put to members at the AGM – could you all please consider this before then!
• The ‘new member’ induction program is being revised and updated.
• The revised structure of the TSA (as discussed at the Extended RC meeting) – this TR includes
   a green flyer with a pictorial representation of the structure with the changes made.
• The Care Worker position – we are seeking a replacement for Helga Anderson who is retiring.
• The many projects taken on and successfully completed by the Property Management Focus Group – well done, team!
• There is some concern regarding the City of Knox’s decision to start charging rates for the
   vacant land in Bayswater north of the Chapel.
• The agenda for the upcoming AGM – please read the reports and information beforehand.
• Many items from the Social and Recreation Focus Group – thanks to you also!
• The Immigration Museum has asked for organisations interested in contributing to a
   German Festival in 2007 – we will seek more information.
• The working party on aged care/TTHA is forging ahead – more thanks are due to them, too!

Harald Ruff, on behalf of the Regional Council

SUCCESSION PLANNING – President of the Temple Society
The Notes from the Regional Council meeting of 7th July recorded that our President, Peter Lange, intends to retire from the position when he turns 75 in the second half of 2007. Election of a president of the Temple Society is a rare event, so the Regional Council wants to remind you of what has to happen before the next President is appointed.

The procedure necessary to elect a president of the Temple Society is recorded in our constitution under point 5. Please note that in our constitution, use of the masculine gender (he) also includes the feminine gender (she) and vice versa. The president should be the best available candidate, who could be a woman or a man. Point 5a defines the president’s role. He shall have persuasive authority to promote the aim and ideals of the Temple Society, and the common interests, mutual understanding and cooperation, and the cohesive unity of the different regions. Fundamental documents about the faith of the Temple Societies in Australia and Germany must be approved by the president. Essentially the president works towards the common development of the Templer faith in the different regions where there are Templers. Each separate region administers itself as appropriate in its own region.

Point 5b describes the procedure for nominating and electing the president, as well as the termination of the president’s term of office. In each region, individual members or the Regional Council can nominate a candidate. The two Regional Councils will consider the nominated candidates and reach a consensus about the most favoured candidate. The Regional Council of each region must then endorse the candidate by a two-thirds majority. After endorsement by both regional councils the candidate must be endorsed by a simple majority at the Annual General Meeting of each region.

The president’s term ends when he reaches 75 years of age. However, if endorsed by a two-thirds majority in each of the two Regional Councils, he may continue to hold the position from year to year. Point 5c states that the Regional Council in Australia, after consultation with the Regional Council in Germany, shall be responsible for contributing as appropriate to the continued maintenance of the retired president and his spouse for the terms of their lives.

We wish Peter Lange another very productive year as President. He intends to visit Australia again next year. We look forward to his continuing stimulation of us Templers here in Australia. However, please do start thinking about who might be a candidate you could nominate. In the meantime we wish Peter well with his work as president and look forward to his next visit.
Dr Rolf Beilharz, for the Regional Council

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS – 8th October in Bentleigh
The timetable is as follows:
  9:45 am The Temple Society Central Fund (Aust.)
10:30 am Temple Society Australia
12:00 noon Lunch
  1:00 pm Temple Society Australia (continues)

Please note the times. Proxy and nomination forms, whilst not included with every member’s circular, are readily available from the TSA Office, Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged and the various Community Halls.
Agendas and other information have been sent out to Members separately.
Rosa bus will travel (leaving at 9am from Bayswater) to Bentleigh for the Annual General Meetings on Sunday 8th October. Book with the Office.
Mark Herrmann, Business Manager

FROM THE OFFICE

MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTIONS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS PAYMENTS
Enclosed with the hardcopy issue of the Templer Record, readers will find the usual form seeking annual payment for membership contributions, Warte and/or Templer Record subscriptions and the like.

Members are reminded of the motion approved at the 2004 Annual General Assembly, whereby each individual Member is free to decide the level of financial contribution he or she will make to the TSA each year.

If you are paying by direct credit to the TSA bank account, please advise the Office of the date payment was made and how your payment should be allocated, as well as ensuring that your deposit can be easily identified.

It is hoped that all Members and friends will continue to support the endeavours and initiatives of their Templer Community.
Mark Herrmann
 

FROM THE ELDERS

ELDERS ASK FOR HELP FROM MEMBERS
The Elders have begun work on producing a new book expanding on the themes in the gold booklet TS – Religious Perspective, of which every family should have a copy. (More are available from the Office) The working title of this new book is The Temple Society – A Collection of Understandings from a Religious Perspective.

The Templer Handbook (1990s) gives examples of past Elders’ understandings regarding Templer thinking and practice. Many of these examples are as relevant as ever for those who want to deepen their understanding of what the Templer idea is about. But we can also learn from Templer thinking expressed in more modern language and from different angles.

We ask you, the members, to help us in our search for passages that give insight into the Templer aim, Templer ideals and practice in daily life.

Elders will tell you that, when they prepare Services and research their texts, they learn a great deal. It is harder to gauge whether you, the listeners, also get something out of our efforts. Here is your chance to provide some feedback and help us, at the same time, to gather material for the new book.

Do you remember a Saal, or maybe have a copy of one, that made an impact on you, perhaps opened your eyes to a new understanding of your Templer faith? Can you remember who held it, where, whenabouts, the key message or topic – or any of this? Such pointers would help. Many Saals are filed in our archive and clues can help us locate relevant material to assess for selection. Perhaps you have correspondence which includes memorable passages about our faith? (For example with Dr Hoffmann or Dieter Ruff)
Various Elders have the task of reading through Saals and Templer Record reflections for suitable extracts. Other members will be approached, too.
A core group will consider and evaluate the material located or offered – a big task! That is why we ask you to jog your memory.

Reminder to Elders – please try to fit in your ‘homework’ re this project. Please send your suggestions to the Office or to us.
Renate Weber, H.R. and H. Uhlherr, for the Elders

ELDERS’ VISITS
As we have no full-time priests or ministers, our members might sometimes think that nobody would visit them in times of need or sorrow. The Elders are ready and willing to visit you or talk to you, but we do not want to be pushy. We hope that you will let the Care Worker or the Office know if you would appreciate a visit. You can also certainly ring an Elder personally!
Hulda Wagner

CONFIRMATION IN THE TEMPLE SOCIETY
Planning has begun for the next set of Confirmation classes in the Temple Society Australia. The decision whether classes will be held in 2007 or 2008 depends on the requirements of the families within our community.

The Elders would like to hear from parents with teenagers currently aged 13 and over, who may be considering confirmation for their children in the next two years.

Distance from Melbourne is not a barrier to participation in confirmation: teenagers from Queensland and Victorian country areas have actively participated in classes via internet and teleconferencing in the past. Should there be the interest in Sydney, parallel classes could be held in Melbourne and Sydney.

More information? Contact Renate Beilharz or Mark at the TSA Office. We will hold an informal discussion session about Confirmation for anyone interested in confirmation in 2007 or 2008 on Friday 20th October 2006 at 7.30pm in the Bayswater Hall.

Topics for discussion include: What does confirmation 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?

Anyone is welcome to this evening, whether you have a son or daughter or grandchild at ‘confirmation’ age, or are just interested. You may be a teenager at confirmation age yourself and want to know more before committing yourself to the classes, or were confirmed many years ago and are just interested in refreshing your memory.

Please register your interest with Renate Beilharz or e-mail beilharztr@ozemail.com.au  if:
• You may be considering confirmation for your children in the next two years, by 22nd October.
• You wish to attend the information and discussion evening on 20th October, by 19th October.
Renate Beilharz, for the Elders
 

FROM THE FOCUS GROUPS

ANNUAL REPORT – PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FOCUS GROUP
Ensuring our non-commercial properties are developed, maintained and appropriately utilised.

The inaugural meeting held in December 2005 determined: the mode of operation of the group, our office bearers, our retirement by rotation plan, and our maintenance and upgrade plan/budget. Since then the group has been busy coordinating various projects in line with our plan/budget. Here is a brief account of the key maintenance and upgrade projects to date:

Bayswater Complex
• Landscaping and mulching around the guest and rental units.
• Upgrading of the switch board behind the stage was completed.
• Clearing of the site for the proposed bus parking area and ultimately the bus storage shed.
  Surveying of the site has been requested.
• Installation of a floating wooden floor and carpet in the hall. We are considering how to bring
  the remaining floors to a better surface finish.
• Fencing and paving was realigned in preparation for the youth playground.
  A revised quotation was recently received for the youth playground equipment.
• Replacement of the cracked glass pane in the Chapel.

Bentleigh Complex
• Replacement of the Office windows and front entrance was completed. Paint around the windows is still required.
• A quotation for replacement of the windows in the upstairs rental unit has been received. This work will commence shortly.
• The front boundary has been replaced and maintenance on the side fence is in progress.
• A quotation was received to refurbish/replace the northern and western windows in the hall and school rooms.
  A competitive quote is being sought.
• Flood lights were recently installed for improved lighting of the lawn area.

Bus
• Rosa has been repaired following a minor incident which damaged its roof.
• The automatic step that was recently installed has had its shortcomings highlighted on a recent outing.
  Rectification will be required.
• Hazardous area (snowfield) training was completed recently and put to use for the recent Kids’ Club snow trip
  (refer September TR for report).
• Routine maintenance and checks of the vehicle continue as part of the standard procedures.

The group consists of Tony Beilharz, Ernst Ruff, Theo Richter, Dietmar Jurgensen and Winfried Beilharz. Ernst Ruff will retire by rotation and a replacement is being sought.

We thank Ernst for his wise counsel and his contribution to the group, including the projects he personally managed throughout the year.
Winfried Beilharz, on behalf of PMFG

ANNUAL REPORT – PLAYGROUP
This year we have fifteen families joining us for our Playgroup session on Thursdays, thirteen Templer families and two families from a German background. Generally, about ten families attend weekly, depending on circumstances; with their many commitments, attendance is flexible. It’s great that playgroup families also enjoy most of the Kids’ Club activities.

Articles in the July TR already mentioned some of our yearly activities: Teddy’s Picnic, Grandparents’ Day and Special Morning Tea, as well as the installation of the Pony Spring-Rocker in our playground. Please support our Shopping Tour, our main fund-raiser for the year. We do need the funds.

My sincere thanks to all the wonderful people who assist us in so many ways, especially to Christine Ruff, who took Playgroup while I was away.

Enrolments for 2007 – please ring Moni on 9758 1003 by end of October if you would like to join us at Playgroup next year – I look forward to hearing from you.
Moni Herrmann, for Playgroup
 

POSITION – TEMPLER COMMUNITY CARE WORKER
We are seeking a suitably qualified and committed person to fill this important part-time position. The successful applicant will need to be self motivated and have initiative.

The Community Care Worker of the Temple Society Australia shall
• Be a member of the Temple Society or have an understanding and knowledge of the Temple Society
• Have good communicating and counselling skills
• Be able to have a rapport with and develop trust of persons seeking help
• Have a commitment to and an awareness of confidentiality issues
• Fluency in German is desirable
For further information and position description please contact me.

Dot Ware, for the Welfare & Distant FG

RISK MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP
What can go wrong?
What will we do to prevent it?
What will we do if it happens?

A small group of die-hard TSA volunteers (Focus Group leaders and the like) joined me on a recent Saturday afternoon in Bayswater to talk about the joys of risk management.

Over a couple of hours we broached and discussed a number of concepts including what is risk and risk management, what do we already have in place (significantly, quite a lot), do we need it, what do we want to achieve and how do we go about it.

In an organisation stretched to the limit in terms of resources, it is clear that people are not going to be enthused about anything that requires them to do more than they are already doing. The motto must therefore be to do things differently and smarter, remembering also that nothing replaces good old-fashioned commonsense.

If that is the theory, then the practice must be an increased awareness, understanding and response to the issue of risk management. Clearly, it is in all our interests to promote safety and security (in all its forms) in all activities undertaken by the TSA, and we seek to become more proactive and less reactive.

It is envisaged that risk management will become more prominent in our thinking and automatically factor into our planning of events and functions. Don’t worry: I think there wasn’t too much of “what can go wrong?” to seriously jeopardise the scope and variety of Templer activities in the future. A follow-up workshop is planned for November.

Paradoxically, I attended Christine Ruff’s delightful family service in the Chapel the very next day. We heard about God caring for us and we, as human beings, caring for each other. When asked in what ways we look after each other, one of the young Glenk clan boldly declared “with a band-aid”. And whilst not everything can be fixed through the simple application of an adhesive bandage (with a central gauze pad) with accompanying reassurance, it did serve to remind me how fortunate we are to belong to a community of like-minded people who will go out of their way to help and contribute for the benefit of all of us … and that has got to count for plenty in the realm of risk management, too.
Mark Herrmann

SOCIAL CARE
Dear Friends,
I have been reflecting on a very important milestone in our community occurring this year. It is 25 years since the Tabulam Nursing Home opened its doors. The first residents moved in on 12th September 1981 and the building was officially opened on 10th November 1981.

Much has happened in those 25 years, many people have passed through those doors, changes have occurred. The major change was the amalgamation with the Templer Home for the Aged, the name change and the subsequent building and enlargement of the complex. No doubt many of you have fond memories and stories to tell about the early days and happenings during those years.

The Victorian Government has recently introduced free train travel within the metropolitan area for Seniors on Sundays. Application forms are available from all major railway stations.

For those who are caring for a loved one at home (adult or child) a Carers’ Allowance is available through Centrelink. For more information contact Centrelink on 13 2717 or the website www.centrelink.gov.au

Some time ago I mentioned that Vicdeaf is applying to the Victorian Government for a fire alarm subsidy for the hearing impaired. I have now received notification that the Victorian Government has launched The Auslan Fire Alarm Subsidy to deliver 600 fire alarms over a two-year period for profoundly deaf Auslan (Australian sign language) users.

Vicdeaf is administering the scheme and are inviting applications. However, strict rules apply. e.g. you must be profoundly deaf, use sign language and live independently. For more information ring Helga on 0438 141 389 or Vicdeaf TTY: 0473 1199; Voice: 9473 1111; Fax: 9473 1122; e-mail: firealarm@vicdeaf.com.au or the website http://www.vicdeaf.com.au

The Welfare & Distant Focus Group is presenting a Seminar “Dealing with Problems of Ageing” on Saturday 28th October in the TSA Chapel at 2pm. The speakers are from Parkinsons Victoria, Alzheimers Victoria and a solicitor. Everyone is welcome, members, friends and acquaintances. (See enclosed flyer)

Best wishes to our sick and infirm friends.
Helga Anderson

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MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

AUS DEM GEMEINDELEBEN

GEBURTSTAGE
Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

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


DANKSAGUNG
Wir möchten allen Freunden und Verwandten ein herzliches ‘Dankeschön sagen für die vielen lieben Grüße, die wir zu unserer Diamantenen Hochzeit am 20. August erhielten, sei es über Telefon, Karten oder persönlich. Sie alle trugen dazu bei, dass wir ein schönes Fest feiern konnten, Dank der Hilfe unserer Söhne und deren Frauen.
Herzlichen Dank Allen
Gerd und Emma Aberle

GOLDEN WEDDING
We congratulate Helmut and Inge Laemmle on their golden wedding anniversary on 5th October and send them our best wishes.
 

BEREAVEMENTS

Emma Maria Aberle née Herrmann passed away on 5.9.2006 aged 88, shortly after her Diamond Wedding Anniversary. A very special person, sadly missed by her husband Gerd, sons Otto, Bernd and Ralph and their respective families.
Our most sincere thanks to Hulda Wagner for a very sensitive and thoughtful memorial service, to the large number of people who came to pay their respects, for the innumerable cards and the donations to the various charities.

Ulrich (Ricky) Krafft died on 5.8.2006 in Brisbane, survived by his devoted wife.

In Germany, Ludwig Buchhalter died in Leonberg, aged 96.

Our condolences to the bereaved families


AUSTRALIAN-GERMAN TEMPLER EXCHANGE
Hallo aus Deutschland!
I’m in my last few weeks with the Temple Society here in Germany. I can’t believe I’ve been here for nearly 3 months. The time has gone very fast.  My German Language exams went very well. I was very proud of myself. My teacher said it was a shame that I wasn’t continuing on with the next course.

Last month was Sommerfest here with the Temple Society. It was very different to our Sommerfest because they don’t have the open space like we have. At 5 o’clock Rumi and Irina Hornung gave a short concert. Irina plays the violin and Rumi the piano. They are both very talented. Then there was a BBQ dinner in the evening. Melissa English and Amy Edelmaier were there also. It was good to catch up with them here. They were starting their trip around Europe.

Recently I went along to the Kinderferienlager. We stayed at Burg Wernfels which is an old castle that has been turned into a family holiday hostel. There were a lot of other families and youth groups there. It was a good week. There were 9 kids and 3 adults including me. All the kids were really nice and well behaved. We would pack a lunch in the morning and then spend the rest of the day out visiting places.
On 29th August I’m flying to Amsterdam to visit a friend from school in Australia. Then I will be travelling around Europe until the end of October.
Liebe Grüße,
Erin Lubitz


KUCKIES KABARETT
If non-stop side-splitting laughter is an indicator of a successful performance, then Kuckies Kabarett hosted by the German School on 28th July was a huge success.

The audience of about 70 people, made up not only of our school students and their teachers, but other children, parents, grandparents and Templer friends enjoyed an entertaining evening of Berlin theatre. The German and English stage comedy highlighted the highly-developed intercultural skills of both actors and audience, which laughed at even the most subtle nuances such as a mixed-up translation of a letter from Berlin.

Here are some of the children’s comments:
Kuckies Kabarett is a story of a woman that has a bird puppet and she talks about her life when she was little.
Kurt P.

Kuckies Kabarett is a story of how a little girl gets her puppet, Kuckie. The play is in English and German to make it easier to understand. The history of Berlin is also cleverly contained in this story. There are three characters, the little girl, the music man and Kuckie.
Andreas B.

Am Freitag sind Steffi und Klaus gekommen. Steffi hat ein Kuscheltier gefunden und hat es Kuckie genannt. Sie ist vom Haus gewandert. Sie hat uns Photos gezeigt. Es has Spaß gemacht und war sehr gut. Der Klaus hat Gitarre gespielt und den Vater und Lehrer gespielt. Ich habe mitgemacht. Die Steffi war unartig wenn der Lehrer da war.
Jessica K.

Ein Mädchen, Steffi, hat ein Kuscheltier in einem Mülleimer. Sie wascht das Kuscheltier und liebt es. Wann der Vater kommt, rennen Kuckie, das Kuschelltier, und Steffi weg. Als es Nacht wird haben sie sehr Angst. Steffi wird von eine Frau gefunden und wird zu ihr Haus genommen.
Louisa B.

Am Freitag sind Steffi und Klaus gekommen. Es war sehr interessant. Kuckie war sehr komisch und doof. Steffi und Klaus kommen aus Berlin und waren auch komisch. Es war sehr gut.
Taiga L.

Letzte Woche haben wir ein Theaterstück gesehen. Es war über ein Ehepaar die nach Australien ausgewandert sind und sie sprachen über Berlin, wo sie früher gelebt haben. Mir hat es sehr gut gefallen und es hat viel Spaß gemacht das Theaterstück anzugucken.
Ellen A.

I saw Steffi think the trunk had a time bomb. Steffi got a letter from her dad. She was telling Klaus off for being silly. Ich sah wie Steffi dachte, dass die Truhe eine Zeitbombe war. Steffi hat einen Brief von dem Vater. Steffi schimpft auf Klaus fürs Dummsein.
Siobhan

A great night was had by all, thanks to actors Anja and Peter Scollin, their 12-year-old son Sam who operated the lighting, and parent-volunteer Connie for organising refreshments.
Irene Bouzo, for the Bayswater-Boronia Templer School


CONDUCTOR SEMINAR
Two weekends in September were filled with music, and what a wonderful experience it has been. Hans-Peter Schurz, Professor of Choral Music at the University of Berlin, conducted a number of workshops, focussing on our budding conductors but needing guinea pig choristers on whom they could practise their skills. After a Friday evening reception at the Tivoli Club where we met Hans-Peter and he met us and our Templer conductors, Annette Wagner-Hesse, Monika Strasser and Krista Imberger, Saturday morning was spent by them working on techniques. In the afternoon Hans-Peter let the conductors loose on the choir and everyone had to work hard as he naturally had high expectations of us all. Sunday morning saw some more refining of techniques before a concert for the congregation of St Christopher’s German Catholic Church in Camberwell.

The second weekend started with the Templer choir and some helpers from Liederkranz meeting in our chapel, and Hans-Peter worked on our diction and phrasing, tempo and presentation to make us slightly better choristers than we already are. After lunch, members of the wider community joined us and we polished a number of canons, so that by the end of the session we were singing two different canons, each in three different voices.

This experience has been great fun and I am sure we all learnt something, especially from a choir point of view. We were also able to get together with German choristers from different groups and forge better connections. Our choir has representatives in the Australischer Sängerbund which organises these sorts of events for choirs in Melbourne and other parts of Australia.

Hans-Peter is employed by the Verein Deutscher Kultur im Ausland (VDA) and his role is to work with German groups around the world in his field of expertise which is choral singing and conducting and in particular conductor training, to support German Liedgut.

Working with an expert like Hans-Peter has been culturally and emotionally enriching. Not only is he an expert, but he has a wonderful sense of humour which often popped up during this wonderful fortnight. He has returned home but he leaves behind him in Melbourne a wonderful legacy, in conductors who have benefited from his vast experience, and choristers who have risen to new challenges. We look forward to the return of this personable man in a couple of years.
Ingeborg Imberger


BIG SING IN THE TEMPLER CHAPEL – 16.9.2006

Once upon a time… I was a member of the Templer Choir. So when I saw the invitation in the TR to come to a sing-along in the Chapel with a well-known German choral conductor, Hans-Peter Schurz, I couldn’t resist. And as far as I was concerned, the two-hour trip to Bayswater was well worth it. I went in with my Tante Magda (Persztik) and we were the first two to sit down in the Chapel. We were early, but others soon arrived. Then the choir all trooped in and the fun began. Hans-Peter Schurz was amazing, how, within minutes, he had us all singing, and laughing at his gestures and comments.

After only half an hour we’d accomplished, and with quite a degree of musical mastery, I might add, two or three rounds – simple German tunes that we either already knew or quickly learnt. I have to admit that the choir members were in the big majority, which helped a lot, of course. We even taught him our Schwäbisch ending to one of the rounds. Then it got more challenging. Latin and English were added to our repertoire and stamping and rhythm clapping (even off beat!) came into it, too.

The grand finale when all four groups (bass, alto, tenor and soprano) sang different words and different tunes all at the same time (with Hans-Peter clapping off-beat again!), was sensational. Even though I was a participant and therefore didn’t hear it like an audience would, I thought it sounded great and was quite proud at being part of such a musical ‘production’. Being an ardent ‘in the car with a music cassette on high volume’ type of singer, it was wonderful to sing with a group again for a change. Thank you, Annette and Kurt, for organising this afternoon with Hans-Peter Schurz. He was brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Erika Christian

READER RESPONSE
A Gift
I was given the most wonderful gift the other day! Cards arrived from two delightful members in Sydney, Gertrud Ebe and Gisela Hoffmann, thanking me for writing about our trip to Emmaus (August TR). Both had enclosed a donation for the Borromeo Sisters in Jerusalem; as Gisela wrote ‘für die erhebend segensreichen und karitativen Dienste der Schwestern. Meine Großmütter Rubitschung und Lorch besuchten auch die Mönche in Emmaus in 1928 zu einem Mittagessen und berichteten, dass der Weg praktisch unbefahrbar war und dass sie alle öfters aus dem Auto aussteigen mussten, um per Fuß zum Kloster zu gelangen!’

The money is now in the capable hands of Mark Herrmann, who will send it safely to Schwester Xaveria in Jerusalem.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the editor for publishing my article in the August TR.
Elisabeth Wagner

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SYDNEY AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA

ANNUAL MEMBERS’ MEETING 27.8.2006
After sharing a few thoughts on a verse from Paul’s letter to the community in Ephesus, attending members, 20 in all, were welcomed to our Annual Members’ meeting. A quorum was achieved, and the meeting was duly opened. The secretary, Erni Weller, read the previous minutes which were confirmed and accepted as correct. The correspondence from the PA People (audio systems) was read.

The various reports followed:
1) The chairman outlined the previous year’s activities.
2) Treasurer Herbert Steller presented his annual report outlining income and expenditure.
3) Auditor Ingrid Turner reported that she found the books to be correct.  All reports were accepted.
4) Ingrid Turner was appointed Auditor for the year 2006 – 2007.
5) Erni Weller and Herbert Steller retired by rotation, Herbert accepted re-nomination and was voted
    into the Community Council for another term.
6) Erni Weller did not seek re-election, and retired from the council for a well-earned rest.
    We thank her for her many years of dedicated service as secretary on the council.
7) We welcome Rolf Beck into the Community Council, Rolf was voted in for a three-year term.
8) Johanna (Hanni, Jo) Steller was voted in as secretary.
9) In General Business, Frauenverein president Hanni Steller presented a short report on their activities and plans for upcoming events. The possibility of hiring the hall to another church group was discussed, the community view is definitely divided on this subject. Our new audio system in the hall had its debut with a playing of part of Mozart’s Flute Concerto No.1 and Handel’s Water Music. Our first planting day for the revegetation of the church grounds was discussed, with 10th September as first planting day.
10) The community was made aware that our church hall will celebrate its centenary on 30th November 2007, a discussion on possible events to celebrate this event followed; ideas from members are very welcome.

Planting Day 10.9.2006
Rainy weather did not deter our volunteers, 20 in all showed up for our first planting of native trees and shrubs at the church grounds. Rolf Beck had selected a variety of plants which should do well in the area. Approximately 100 trees and shrubs were planted in a short time with the help of all the kids that came along. The planting was followed by a delicious lunch prepared by Emmy Simmer and her young helpers. Despite the rainy weather, the day had a real community feel about it.

Thanks to all who helped on the day, especially Rolf for his efforts in plant selection and propagation, to Ingrid Turner for networking all the information to everyone, to Emmy Simmer and her young helpers for a great lunch. Another planting day is planned in the foreseeable future.

Date to remember: Sunday 22nd October Service 3:00pm
Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Unser Saal im August behandelte ein Thema aus den Philipper-Briefen (Kap. 3, Verse 12-14). Wir werden dort ermahnt, nach Vollkommenheit und dem Reich Gottes zu suchen. Unser rückhaltloser Glaube an Gott gibt uns die Kraft, gut zu sein und unser Schicksal zu ertragen, auch wenn es Schweres bringt. Der Vortrag wurde von dem Choral ‚Befiel du deine Wege’ umrahmt.

Wir erhielten Grüße von Isolde Ruff und Thea Frank. Uli konnte eine Reihe von Besuchern willkommen heißen: Gerda und Werner Struve, Anne Stevens (Scheerle) und Rosi Fantini (Weigold). Die beiden letzteren kamen mit Gertrud (geb. Unger). Wie üblich unterhielten wir uns anschließend bei Kaffee und Kuchen, ehe wir befriedigt nach Hause gingen.

Die Frauen trafen sich im August bei Lotte Hoopmann und im September bei mir.

Unser nächster Saal ist am 8. Oktober um 2 Uhr in Tanunda.
Rose Asenstorfer

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YOUTH

TEENAGE GROUP – GET SIDE-TRACKED – 21st October

So come along for a fun-filled hour of high-speed racing and challenging army type games. After the activities we will be going to Packer Park for afternoon snacks and a ‘play’ on the play equipment. This park has an amazing spider web trampoline, which is fun for all ages, a huge kids’ playground, a pond and a footy oval.

Everyone will need to bring a bottle of drink, some savoury snacks or lollies to share at the park. If you and your friends would like to come please give me a call before 15th October.

Note to Parents: for this activity I will be needing payment prior to the day. This can be done in a number of ways. Send a cheque to Moni Imberger (11 Australis Crt Dingley 3172), by Direct Debit to the TSA (Commonwealth Bank, Acc. - Temple Society Australia, BSB - 063126, Acc. No. – 10042614) please make sure you include who the payment is from and what it is for when making the payment) or by Credit card at the Office (2% charge for this service).
See you on 21st October.
Moni Imberger


YOUTHFEST 2006
On Sunday 17th September the first ever Youthfest was held in Bayswater. The Youthfest involved teenagers aged from 12 to 18. Activities included: Pinnacle of Terror, Laser Strike, Balloon Painting – involved throwing darts at paint filled balloons, Car Graffiti, Tennis, Bowling, Pool and Table Tennis Tournaments, Karaoke Machine, Rowville Secondary College Live Band (“The Rejects”), Chill-out Night – Music and Movies, Lots and lots of FOOD! Although not huge numbers of kids showed up, there was enough for all of us to have a great day and enjoy spending time with our friends.

We would like to thank everyone who helped organise the event before and on the day, and especially Susi for coming up with an absolutely awesome idea!

Monika Herrmann and Kate Blackwell

Today at the Youthfest my friends and I had heaps of fun. We spent most of the time at Laser Strike but we also went bowling and played a bit of table tennis. I’d like to thank Susi Blackwell for organising such a great Fest.
Martin Beilharz

Youthfest was a very nice attraction. The thing I liked best was the board with the balloons on it which had paint in them and on which you had to throw the pins to make them explode. The team who organised it did a really good job.
Anka Mahler, here from Germany

The Youthfest today was ok. The best part was the car you could spray-paint, but someone sprayed over my name. How rude!
Ingrid Beilharz

While the advertising stated that the Youthfest was for youth aged 12 - 18, there were a lot of people above that age bracket who seemed to have enjoyed the day as well. Many of them were there most of the day acting like ‘volunteers’ (taking entrance fees, cooking sausages, bacon and eggs on the BBQ, hanging up balloons filled with paint, supervising spray painters, selling food and ice cream, setting up PA systems, keeping an eye on the bowlers, billiards and table tennis players) but in reality they were there to have fun – and they did, participating in the youthful activities.

Did you see…
 the ‘volunteer’ who went down the pinnacle of terror four times, head first!
 the ‘supervisor’ who was the first to spray-paint a rainbow snake on the car;
 the two paint balloon ‘organisers’ who were covered in red paint by the end of the day;
 the 12 ‘helpers’ who had an absolutely hilarious time playing laser strike;
 the Opa and Oma who took the box seats when the live band ‘Rejects’ played on the verandah?

It was a really positive day for all concerned, with heaps of fun had by youth and adults alike. The good humour amongst all, even at pack-up time, reflected the relaxed and informal atmosphere of the Youthfest. – Thank you to all the volunteers, supervisors and organisers for a great day of youthful community activity.
Renate Beilharz

YOUTHFEST 2006
Congratulations and a huge Thankyou to everyone who came along to support Youthfest 2006 on Sunday 17th September, either as helpers or participants! All those who attended had a great time and the day was fantastic! Special thanks must go to the small group of people both young and semi-young, who made up the organizing team – well done, you did a great job! Thank you, too, to the following sponsors who so generously donated goods or services:

McDonalds in Boronia and in North Bayswater,

Bakers Delight Wellington Village,
Theo Richter – Coca Cola Amatil,
Mandy Etherington – Kinross Farm Kinglake,
Maymax Donuts, Kenman Kandy,
AMF Boronia Bowl, Patrick Fitzgerald,
Paul Bronstein – Sunflex Australia,
AMF Knox Towerpoint Bowl,
The office of Anne Eckstein, MP,
Rollercity Bayswater, Maxpak Australasia,
Gills and Grills Fish and Chippery,
Smith’s Snackfood Company,
Richie’s IGA Wellington Village.

SUMMER CAMP 2007
The dates for Summer Camp are Tuesday 16th January to Monday 22nd January 2007. Booking forms will shortly be available from the Office, and I will also e-mail them out to all those people I have an e-mail address for. If you would like to be added to my e-mail list, please contact the Office with your e-mail address, or send me an e-mail susi.tsa@datafast.net.au
Please contact me for any further information.

YOUTH SURF CAMP 2007
Still waiting on any expressions of interest for a Surf Camp in January 2007! The number of people interested will determine where and for how long the camp will run, so give me a call or send me an e-mail at  susi.tsa@datafast.net.au   soon!
Susi Blackwell, Youth Coordinator

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CHILDREN'S SECTION

G’day to everyone!
This month we are going to focus on children and how important they are (of course all the kids reading this will already know that!). I would like to share a story from the Bible, titled “Jesus and the Children”.

Mothers used to bring their children to Jesus so that he could bless them. They were simple, good women, who did not understand the words that educated people spoke to Jesus. But in their hearts they knew what was most important about him: that he brought with him the love of God and that this would make their children strong.

When the disciples saw the children standing shyly around Jesus they grew angry. “Come, come”, they said to the mothers, “You’re wasting his time. He’s got more important people to talk to than children!”

“No-one is more important than these children”, said Jesus. He called to the children to come close to him and then he said to the men standing by, “If you are so proud and so filled with your own importance, you will never be able to see the Kingdom of God. You must feel as small as these children, and as powerless, before you can see God. Take care never to hurt a child, for my Father who is in Heaven has sent his angels to watch over them.”
Then he said to them, “Don’t imagine that you are better than other men, nor even better than these children”.

From My Own Book of Bible Stories

This Bible story shows just how important children are.
Why are children so important?
We believe kids are special because they have qualities that adults don’t. Children are very trusting (which is why your parents always tell you to be careful of strangers who may not be trustworthy). As we get older we become more untrusting and we begin to see the faults of other people (which is not always a good thing).

Children are also very open-minded. They often accept changes or new things much quicker than adults. Adults are often very set in their ways (this is also not always a good thing).

Many people believe children, and especially babies, are pure and innocent. Children have not had enough time to be affected by all the negative and bad things that can happen.

Children tend to live by the moment, and have no need to worry about the future. This means that kids make the most of what is happening now. It would be lovely if we could all live more like this!

Children make friends with each other very quickly, often quicker than adults do. They have few of the silly inhibitions we adults do. Their demonstrations of love are always genuine and often refreshingly spontaneous.

There are many other ways in which children are wonderful. I’m sure you can think of others. But of course we cannot be children our whole life long. We do have to grow up. But as we grow up, we must remember how important children are. Kids, just because you are small and young does not mean adults cannot learn from you! It is not always the adults who need to be teaching the children!

In the Temple Society we believe children are important. This is why we try to offer you many activities; Family Services, Playgroup, Sunday School, Kids’ Club, Youth activities, Teenage Group and several camps. Last year we recognised the kids turning into adults by guiding them through Confirmation. And this month, in the Bayswater Chapel, we will focus on our new babies at a Presentation Service. At this service parents bring their children to be presented before God and the community, and the community promises to support the baby and its family. As part of the service we ask for God’s blessing for the baby. Maybe you could colour this blessing in nice and brightly:

May the Lord bless you and keep you
May the Lord be kind and gracious to you
May the Lord's love and peace be with you
Amen

If you are coming to the service on 15th October, listen out for the blessing.

And for the next month, you children can walk around reminding everyone how special and important you are! (And remember how lucky you also are to have all these activities organized just for you!)
Three cheers for the children!
Have a great month,
Christine Ruff

A very happy Spring birthday to these special and important kids:

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TABULAM AND TEMPLER HOMES FOR THE AGED

Dear Friends,
Spring is in the air, a time I'm sure our residents all look forward to. A trip to Tesselaar’s Tulip Farm was a highlight and enjoyed by many.

Tabulam was 25 years old on 14th September, that was the beginning of the AGWS and TSA joint venture journey. The next step was the amalgamation of the Tabulam and Templer Home for the Aged, then came the Otto Löbert wing and now we are working on the next 34-bed extension. The committee discussed having a celebration marking the 25 year milestone, but it was felt that due to the intervening amalgamations we would leave the big event to the opening of the new wing. It is certainly a continuing journey of achievement, for which both our membership and our parent societies can be justifiably proud. Design work on the new wing is continuing with much involvement of sub-committees. Hopefully we will not be held up too much in the approval process.

The Home welcomed three new young men from Germany, Jens, David and Philipp. Jens is a social work student who will be working closely with residents; among other things his work will include life stories, studies and surveys. He also hopes to start a men’s group. We wish the ‘boys’ well and hope they enjoy their time with us. During September I attended one of the Home’s regular management meetings. At these meetings incident reports, issues, problems and solutions are raised and discussed by each of the departmental managers. Whilst many of the problems are not easily rectified, I commend all the team members for their professionalism in reaching solutions.
A Fashion Parade on 4th October will add a bit of variety, glitz and glamour; hopefully we will see many visitors for this event.

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on 14th October. Hope to see you there.
Kind Regards,
Hartmut Weller


Liebe Freunde,
Frühling liegt in der Luft. Ein Höhepunkt in dieser Zeit war für viele Bewohner unser Ausflug zu Tesselaars Tulpenfarm.

Am 14. September feierte Tabulam seinen 25-jährigen Geburtstag; dann folgte der Zusammenschluss von Tabulam und Templer Homes for the Aged, dann wurde das Otto Löbert Heim gebaut und nun wird wieder erweitert. TTHA ist ein Unternehmen mit immer wiederkehrenden Herausforderungen und Leistungen, auf die sowohl unsere Mitglieder als auch unsere Trägergesellschaften stolz sein können. Mit der Hilfe eines speziell dafür gebildeten Ausschusses werden Gestaltungsvorschläge zum neuen Gebäude erarbeitet.

Wir begrüßten 3 neue junge Mitarbeiter aus Deutschland, Jens, David und Philipp. Jens ist ein Student der Sozialarbeit, er wird eng mit den Bewohnern unserer Heime zusammenarbeiten, um Lebensgeschichten, verschiedene Studien und Befragungen zu erstellen. Er möchte auch eine Männer Gruppe anfangen. Wir wünschen allen drei Helfern einen guten Start und eine erfolg- und erlebnisreiche Zeit bei uns.

Im September hatte ich die Möglichkeit, einer der regulär abgehaltenen Management Sitzungen beizuwohnen. In diesen Sitzungen werden Vorfälle, Probleme und Lösungsvorschläge von den jeweilig dafür zuständigen Abteilungsleitern diskutiert und erarbeitet. Nicht immer ist es leicht, die anstehenden Fragen schnell zu lösen. An dieser Stelle möchte ich allen Beteiligten zu ihrer professionellen Arbeit gratulieren.

Am 4. Oktober wird eine Modenschau mit ein wenig Glitz und Glamour zur allgemeinen Unterhaltung beitragen. Es wäre schön, wenn wir viele Besucher zu dieser Veranstaltung begrüßen könnten

Unsere Jahreshauptversammlung wird dieses Jahr am 14. Oktober in unserer Templer Chapel stattfinden. Hoffentlich werden wir viele von Ihnen dort begrüßen können.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Ihr Hartmut Weller

TTHA – NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
In accordance with the requirements of the Aged Care Act and Retirement Villages Act.
All members of the Australian-German Welfare Society Inc and Temple Society Australia are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of TTHA. Members are urged to attend the meeting to ensure a quorum (30, being 15 from each of the two parent societies, AGWS and Temple Society) is present at the set starting time to satisfy our rules of incorporation. Details of the meeting are:

Date:       Saturday 14th October 2006
Time:      10:30am
Location: TSA Chapel, 51 Elizabeth St Bayswater

Agenda
1. Members present
2. Apologies
3. Minutes of the 2005 Annual General Meeting
4 Annual Reports of the Committee of Management and Chief Executive Officer
5. Financial Report
6. Auditor’s Report
7. Election of the Auditor for 2006/2007
8. General business

Proxy and nomination forms are available from the AGWS and TSA offices and the reception desk at TTHA. Proxy forms unfortunately do not count towards a quorum. Nevertheless, members unable to attend the meeting personally are invited to arrange their representation by proxy. The audited financial report is anticipated to be available from the above offices as from Monday 9th October 2006.
Hermann Sawatzky, for Committee of Management TTHA

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NOTICES -- BEKANNTMACHUNGEN

COMING SERVICES

PRESENTATION SERVICE – 15th October Bayswater
Parents who would like to have their children presented at the service on Sunday 15th October at 10:15am in the Community Chapel are asked to contact the Office ASAP for a registration form – Tel. 9557 6713 or e-mail tsa@datafast.net.au
Ed.

COUNTRY VIC – BALLARAT – 29th October
We will meet in the Eureka Centre Park for the Service at 11am. There will be sufficient shade if it is a warm day; some shelter from rain is available, but hopefully the sun will shine on us! There are electric BBQs, and there is a safe playground for smaller children.

Because we will not be based at a house, people will have to BYO everything – chairs, BBQ meat, salad to share, plates, thermos etc. – change and flexibility are good for us!

Directions to the spot are straightforward – off the Western Freeway at the first Ballarat signs, into Ballarat, through the first set of traffic lights, then follow signs for Eureka Centre, turning left into Stawell Street. There is a parking area on the right just after the Eureka Swimming Centre, which is before the main Eureka Monument. A very large Eureka flag is the general landmark!
The Eureka Visitor Centre is also on the same site – which is the refurbished Eureka Museum, so people may want to visit this in the afternoon. Everyone welcome!
Sue Hardefeldt (Beilharz)

Rosa the bus will be going. Please book with Nanne at the Office.

COUNTRY VIC – GIPPSLAND – 5th November
The next Gippsland service will be held at the home of Heinz Bulach, 'Edenderry' RMB 2610, Tynong on Sunday 5th November at 11am – see Map or Melway Map 612 S6.
The service will be followed by a communal lunch. Everyone is cordially invited. Heinz and his family 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.

Rosa the bus will be leaving Bayswater at 9:15am to allow for a Bentleigh pick-up at about 9:45am.
Please book on 9557 6713 (Office).
Helga Anderson
 

MIXED CHOIR
Our next rehearsal will be on Wednesday 4th October in Bayswater. We will have two rehearsals before the Presentation Service and will also be practising for Tatura. I look forward to seeing you again!
Annette Wagner-Hesse

PLAYGROUP SHOPPING TOUR – 14th October
Thanks to those who have already booked, we have the numbers to ensure that the Playgroup Shopping Tour goes ahead. The bus will leave Bayswater Hall at around 7:30am and will return around 6pm. We will be visiting a variety of shopping outlets such as toys, books, kitchen wares, clothes, leather, manchester, confectionary. A champagne lunch at the Hyatt is included.

There is still room on the bus, so further bookings are possible if you haven't yet made up your mind or want to bring an extra person.
Please contact Diana Richter or Moni Herrmann. The more people who come along, the more money will be raised for our Playgroup!
Moni Herrmann, for Playgroup


LADIES’ AND YOUNG WOMEN’S CHOIR
We would like to start practising on Wednesday 18th October for the Advent celebration on 3rd December and the Christmas Service in Bentleigh. Practices will take place in the Bentleigh Hall at 8pm.
It is important that you try to attend all practices. There will only be five or six in total, as we will need one or two Wednesday nights for mixed choir rehearsals.

If you have not taken part in this before, please consider joining us, or bringing a friend. We always have a lot of fun. This is the ideal activity for anyone who enjoys singing but can’t commit on a regular basis.
Let us know if you have any queries.
Veronica Rutowicz and Annette Wagner-Hesse


“FABRIC OF SOCIETY” WORK-IN-PROGRESS EXHIBITION     20th and 21st October Bayswater
All involved in “The Templer Journey – Fabric of Society” project, the Knox Council funded wall-hanging initiative for our Community Chapel, would like to share with you the results of our endeavours and journey so far. To this end, we are conducting a work-in-progress exhibition as part of the Knox Heritage Festival. All are invited to attend, to check the progress made and to marvel at the fine handiwork on display. Now into our third year, we have much to be proud of, although there is still a substantial amount of embroidery waiting for the nimble hands of our very capable volunteers.

Assembled information relates to the Temple Society’s founding generations from Germany, through the various settlements in Palestine, to the present day in Australia. The wall-hanging’s three panels will illustrate this journey, showing lifestyle and historical buildings of the various settlements as well as detailing the fruits, fauna and flora of each country. The internment camps of Egypt in World War One, and during the World War Two years, Cyprus and Tatura, Australia, will be represented. Along with all the agriculture and industry, the community activities of the Temple Society today (with a presence in Knox of over 50 years) will also be depicted.

The wall-hanging is being executed in a number of different embroidery styles, from delicate hand-embroidery for some of the stamps and symbols, to enhanced material to form the rugged tree trunks of the Australian bush. Machine-embroidery techniques have been used to replicate the various buildings.

The details for the work-in-progress exhibition are as follows:

Mark Herrmann

We mourn the recent loss of embroiderer, Emma Aberle.

SEMINAR – 28th October – Dealing with Problems of Ageing
The Welfare & Distant Focus Group of the Temple Society Australia extends a cordial invitation to attend a seminar on Dealing with Problems of Ageing on Saturday 28th October from 2pm to 4:30pm in the Templer Chapel, Bayswater. Afternoon tea will be served. Entry: gold coin donation. Everyone is welcome.
Enquiries: Helga Anderson.
Sponsored by Carers Victoria.
Rosa the bus will pick up people from Bentleigh. They will need to book with me or with Nanne at the Office.
Helga Anderson

SUPPER DANCE – Saturday 28th October
Don’t forget to book for this year’s Supper Dance. Bookings are essential and will close on Friday, 20th October. Petra Murrihy-Ruff or Marianne Herrmann on 9570 6825 will be pleased to take your group or individual bookings, including bus seats – please book now to assist with planning.

For more details see last month’s TR page 46 or the flyer.
Marianne Herrmann, for the Social & Recreation FG


ADMISSIONS TO THE TTHA – TALK
Dr Martin Schreiber, CEO of the TTHA, has kindly offered to address the community to explain and clarify the admission process to the TTHA and answer any questions.
We encourage you to attend to gain a better understanding of the procedure.
The address will be held
in GERMAN on Saturday 11th November at 2:30pm in the Bayswater Hall,
in ENGLISH on Thursday 16th November at 7:30pm in the Chapel.
RSVP Helga 0438 141 389 by Wednesday 15th November if you plan to attend the evening session.
Helga Anderson, for the Welfare & Distant FG

COMMUNITY PICNIC FOR EVERYONE
Remember to note the date in your diaries – Sunday 12th November. Organise your family, relatives and friends for a great day at the Maroondah Dam. The day will commence with a Family Service under the Rotunda at 11am.
More details in the next TR.
Marianne Herrmann, for the Social & Recreation FG

TATURA REMEMBRANCE DAY – 19th November
The Tatura Memorial Service will be held on 19th November. If you wish to go by bus, please book at the TSA Office, or e-mail nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au  
The cost will be approximately $15. Lunch at the Hilltop Golf Club and a visit to Tatura Museum are planned.
We need someone to lay the wreath on behalf of the TSA. Please contact Ilse Nicholson if you are willing to do this.
Ilse Nicholson, for the Heritage & Culture FG

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
If you want to have your Christmas Greetings published in the December/January TR, please have your names and donations in the Office by 18th November.
Ed.

WALK TO CURE DIABETES
If you can participate in this fundraiser for research to find a cure for Diabetes 1 (nothing to do with diet or lifestyle), go to http://walk.jdrf.org.au/events.asp  You may wish to sponsor little Hannah Frank, daughter of Petra, grand-daughter of Dorothea Franz.
Ed.

SYDNEY BAZAAR – Saturday 25th November
The Sydney Community extends a warm invitation to Melbourne Templers and distant members to attend this important day on their calendar.
We plan to go with Rosa the bus leaving on Friday morning 24th November and return on Sunday 26th November. Accommodation is available at a motel near the Sydney Community Hall, or you might like to stay with friends. As the seats on the bus are limited, please book as soon as possible with Helga on 0438 141 389 or Nanne at the Office on 9557 6713. More details in the next TR.
Helga Anderson

HIKE – Saturday 11th November
Mornington Peninsula National Park, Long Point Walk
Where:     Boneo Road, Cape Schanck, Melway Map 259 K8
When:      10:30am
Distance: 10.5km plus around Cape Schanck (optional)

Walk: We loosely follow Main Creek, which flows past surprisingly large tracts of bushland and has eroded a reasonably deep valley. The bushland contains many woodland species as well as ferns, wildflowers and greenhood orchids. Pockets of farmland give broad views and provide an excellent opportunity to see large mobs of kangaroos. Most of our walk will be a circuit track. A good meal stop is 4.3km from the start, near a track junction, close to Lightwood Creek.

Directions: The walk starts from the Rosebud to Flinders road, Boneo Road, a couple of kilometres before the Cape Schanck turnoff. Car parking is available on the south side of the road. As no facilities are available here, it is envisaged that afternoon tea will be but a short drive down to Cape Schanck. Here we have the option to walk around the rock area as well. (We start opposite the Bushranger Bay walk.)
This will be our last walk for the year. If you are intending to join us for this hike, please let me know by phone or e-mail me at tmurray@bigpond.net.au  On the day I will be available on my mobile.
Trudi Murray

ISRAEL TRIP PRESENTATION – 2nd December in Bayswater
You are warmly invited to a slide presentation of the May 2006 trip to Israel in the Bayswater Hall on Saturday 2nd December at 2pm. All welcome.
Renate Weber, Ingrid Hoffmann and Charlotte Laemmle

ADVENT CELEBRATION IN BENTLEIGH  Sunday 3rd December at 2:30pm
As we have been saying for the last few years, we need lots of younger helpers to keep this tradition alive, so please try to join us. If you have a crafty activity up your sleeve, or like baking and are able to make something to donate for our bazaar, please do so. Now is the time to start planning (but maybe save your baking till next month!). Everyone appreciates home-made gifts and many of our older ladies, who have contributed for so many years, are now no longer able to bake or sew. It would be great if we could share our Advent spirit with them.
Annette Wagner-Hesse

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION – Bayswater 16th December
Singing, joyous celebration, poems, candlelit entrance parade, nativity scene, babies, toddlers and children, dancing, brass ensemble, parents, grandparents and friends, carols, Father Christmas, gifts for children, supper, huge Christmas tree, more singing… are all things that come to mind when thinking about the annual Community Christmas Celebration in the Bayswater Hall.

This is the call for anyone interested and able to assist with the organisation of this special community event. Areas you may be able to help with include: preparing a children’s play/presentation, planning the angel dance, organising the backdrop or props, ensuring that Father Christmas makes it again this year, with small gifts for children, teaching children some songs or dances, decorating the Christmas tree, organising supper, providing musical accompaniment…
Children interested in participating in the performance can also register with me from now on.

Please contact me or e-mail beilharztr@ozemail.com.au  if you are able to participate in planning this heart-warming event.
Renate Beilharz

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THE HERITAGE PAGE

THANK YOU
Wonderful that we have received so many calls in response to our requests to identify the people on our historical photographs. We want to thank all those who have contributed. We would appreciate more feedback about our Heritage Page in the TR, please let us know what you think about what we report. Suggestions are welcome.

We have received some articles and letters on the period after Tatura, including travelling by ship from Germany to Australia in the 1950s. We have also received family history and stories for which we thank the contributors sincerely. The material is being collected and collated into another book, to describe the early times in Australia after Tatura. So please have a look and let us have a copy of your treasures.

DONATION TO TTHA
The Heritage Group enlarged and donated to the TTHA an old historical photo by Christian Imberger Senior from Jerusalem. This photo of the ‘Sarona Weinkeller’ is displayed in the Otto Loebert Wing for all to see. The text by Peter Hornung reads: “Vintage time – grape harvest in August, a busy and happy time at the cooperative winery in Sarona. Proud growers delivering grapes by the wagon load, grapes they had picked at dawn the same day. The satisfaction of having brought in a rich crop mingles with anticipation of a vintage year for export labels with noble names like Sarona Red, Jaffa Gold and Pearl of Jericho. If the wine growers hailed from further afield, like Selemeh or Wilhelma, they fed their horses in the shade of the trees when it was time for lunch and went for a bite to eat. Frieder Vollmer who, as a boy, enjoyed the trips to the vineyards and the winery during the long school holidays, typically ‘bought a bread roll from Günthner, the baker, eb darifi (for half a piastre) and a really tasty sausage from Grözinger, the butcher’, before setting out on the long way home, falling asleep on the wagon no doubt, while the horses had no trouble finding their way, pulling the now empty wagon.”

PHOTO OF THE MONTH
The photo of the month and many more can be seen in the “Imberger Families Treasure Exhibition” at the TTHA in the Templer Gallery till the end of October. All welcome to have a look.
Horst Blaich

LATE NEWS from Haifa
One Templer house [in the German colony] was indeed quite badly damaged. It is the one on the end of Ben Gurion Street, the one closest to the port, if you look from the point of view of the Baha’i gardens, it is on the left side. Fortunately nobody was injured. Part of the roof is not existent any more, also inside much damage.
Anja Siegemund – Keller House, University Haifa

SARONA RESTORATION
Last month we reported that the City Council recently commissioned a leading world landscape architect, Dr Serge, to prepare a detailed conservation and development plan for the Sarona south landscape.
During the research of the Sarona book we identified many flower and vegetable plants that were grown in the Sarona area. However, recently Reinhold Orth was able to provide Dr Serge with a comprehensive listing of flowers that were grown in the Orth nursery. The restoration team were highly appreciative of Reinhold’s input. All this information is collated so that eventually a complete picture of plants and gardens can be reconstructed. This will enable the buildings that are to be preserved and restored to be surrounded by the types of shrubs and trees that were once planted by our forefathers.
Helmut Glenk

See also September ‘Warte’ page 124 for German language article.

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SEPTEMBER

TEMPLER RECORD ISSUE 687

REFLECTIONS   
 

HERZ, WAG’S AUCH DU!

Nun ist er endlich kommen doch
im grünen Knospenschuh.
Er kam, er kam ja immer noch’,
die Bäume nicken sich’s zu.

Sie konnten ihn all erwarten kaum,
nun treiben sie Schuss auf Schuss;
im Garten der alte Apfelbaum,
er sträubt sich, aber er muss.

Wohl zögert auch das alte Herz
und atmet noch nicht frei,
es bangt und sorgt: ‘Es ist er März,
und März ist noch nicht Mai.’

O schüttle ab den schweren Traum
und die lange Winterruh,
es wagt es der alte Apfelbaum,
Herze, wag’s auch du!

Fontane

DARE TO WELCOME SPRING
The spring has sprung at last
and the sap is rising fast.
The old apple tree in the garden is resisting,
but has to give in and let the energy flow.

Old hearts are hesitating, too,
not breathing freely yet, still anxious
because it’s only March, and March
is not as predictable as May.

Shake off the heavy dream
and the long lethargy of winter.
The old apple tree is risking it –
why don’t you risk it, too!

freely transl. H. U.

TEXT OF THE MONTH – Mark 3:1-6
Help your neighbour at all costs
There was a man there with a withered hand, and they watched Jesus whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.
This report about Jesus healing the withered hand is one of several in the gospels that deal with the question of what is permitted on the Sabbath and what is not. While, originally, there were days on which certain activities were not to be performed because they were deemed unsuitable for those days, the day of rest of the Israelites assumed quite a different meaning in that work should stop so man could devote himself to God.
During the times of Jesus, the Pharisees had fixed to the last detail what was permitted on the Sabbath and what was forbidden – from the plucking of heads of grain, considered harvesting work, to the rule of a Jew not being allowed to stray far from his house on the Sabbath. The only exceptions to these rules were, and still are, lifesaving measures.
Jesus, on principle, does abide by the Law and keeps the Sabbath. However, when someone is suffering, help for this person overrides any Sabbath law. He knows he is not transgressing the Law, for “the Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath”, but the Pharisees challenge him repeatedly on his ‘transgressions’; he reacts by accusing them of burying God’s commandments under all their rules. Albert Schweitzer once said, “current law is to Mosaic Law what Christian dogma is to the teaching of Jesus”.

The passage about doing good or otherwise on the Sabbath spans a wide range; a person is not automatically committing evil simply by omitting to do good. The criterion, however, is clear; a human being who suffers – even an animal that suffers – must be helped, not only physically and directly, but also in relation to other acts which result from the worship and fear of God: before you sacrifice to God, go and bury your quarrel with your brother! If we take our relationship with God seriously, our relationships with other human beings must always have priority over other concerns. Immediate care of neighbour ranks above all the religious rules with which we are meant to bring our lives in line with God.
Karin Klingbeil (tr. Peter Hornung)

AND GOD CREATED FATHERS
Happy Fathers’ Day to all our Dads and Opas!
When the good Lord was creating fathers, he started with a tall frame, and a female angel nearby said, ‘What kind of father is that? If you’re going to make children so close to the ground, why put the father so high? He won’t be able to play marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping.” God smiled and said “Yes, but if I make him child-size, who will children have to look up to?’
And when God made a father’s hands, they were large and sinewy. The angel shook her head and said, ‘Large hands can’t manage nappy pins, small buttons, rubber bands on pony tails, or remove a splinter.’ And God smiled and said, ‘I know, but they’re large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets, yet small enough to cup a child’s face in.’ Then God moulded long, slim legs and broad shoulders. ‘Do you realise you just made a father without a lap?’ the angel chuckled. God said, ‘A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to balance a boy on a bicycle or to hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus.’
God was in the middle of making two of the largest feet anyone could imagine when the angel could contain herself no longer. ‘That’s not fair. Do you honestly think big hooves are going to swing out of bed in the middle of the night when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?’ God smiled and said, ‘They’ll work, you’ll see. They’ll support a small child who wants to ride a horse to Banbury Cross, or scare off mice in the holiday cottage, or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill.’
God worked throughout the night, giving the father few words, but a firm, authoritative voice, eyes that saw everything, but remained calm and tolerant. Finally, almost as an afterthought, he added – tears. Then he turned to the angel and said, ‘Now, are you satisfied that he can love as much as a mother?’ And the angel said no more.
Author not known.
Sent in by a reader from Sydney.

FATHERS’ DAY
On Fathers’ Day 2005, Mark Herrmann held a heart-warming service involving contributions by the children (and some adults). Mark asked them five questions, and here are some of the responses, which we saved:

1. What will make my Dad happy?
A hug, love and friendship, his grand-children, putting a smile on my dial, helping him, logic puzzles, documentaries, a new bike, bike riding, saying thank you and I – will make my Dad happy.

2. I help my Dad by…
gardening, not arguing, ironing his favourite shirt (a boy), getting him up in the morning, cleaning up my stuff (x4), getting him his beer, making the salad, saying ‘yes’, shutting up when he tells me to, letting him babysit my kids.

3. I am like my Dad because…
we both have blue eyes, we are both the eldest kids in the family, I’m nice and have his colour hair, I am stubborn but soft-hearted, I get angry easily, we share a sense of humour, I like making things.

4. I learnt … from my Dad
How to swim laps, to ride a bike, precision and taking pride in my work, to say ‘daddy, daddy’, a lot, to do fractions, to get dressed quickly, manners, jokes, how to eat, to go to the toilet like a man.

5. My Dad is my hero because…
he can lift me, he loves me, just because he is!, he’s a super athlete, he’s entertaining, he walks to school with me, he is my Dad, he loves me unconditionally.

Thank you to the Rainbird, Hesse, Beilharz, Blackwell, Ruff and Herrmann families.
H.U.

IMPORTANT
Templer Record Contributors
For October TR please send your contributions to:
Herta Uhlherr, hru@optusnet.com.au  and Irma Wesselbaum wesselbaum@optusnet.com.au 
as well as the Office nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au 
Ed.

Please also note: the Bayswater Hall, Chapel and Caretaker Residence are at 51 Elizabeth St (not 41A as before).

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REGIONAL MATTERS

NOTES ON EXTENDED RC MEETING of 4th August
The constitution allows for the calling of an Extended Regional Council meeting when required. Extended Regional Council consists of the seven Regional Council members (Regional Head, 3 Deputy Regional Heads, President, Elders Leader and Central Fund leader) and the leader of each other Focus Group.
It is intended that Extended Regional Council meetings be held at least four times a year, to ensure that Focus Groups feel connected to each other and to the Regional Council. Focus Group leaders or their representatives are welcome to attend Regional Council meetings at any time.
A Structure Review Meeting is required at least every three years. It was decided by Regional Council to conduct a Structure Review after one year of operating under the new Constitution, at the August Extended Regional Council meeting.

Structure Review
Some general comments on the implementation of the current constitution and structure were made:

• Most activities of the Temple Society have continued quite smoothly.
• A few tasks and activities did nearly fall through the cracks under the reorganisation, but, through the goodwill and involvement of community members, these were picked up.
• For most community members, the activities and functioning of the TSA continued as usual.
• There is a noticeable generational shift on the involvement in the management of the TSA.
• There is a need for more regular Extended Regional Council meetings, and a greater emphasis on communication between Focus Groups, and with the Regional Council.

The following changes to the TSA Structure were recommended: (Please note, these do not require Constitutional changes).

• The Regional Council is to set up a ‘think tank’ working party.
• There have been a few new interest groups created, while others have been disbanded.
• The Heritage and Culture Focus Group will consist of three members (previously two).
• TTHA is to be directly linked to the Regional Council.
• The Sydney Community is to continue operating as a Focus Group (not Interest Group) with direct participation in Regional Council.

All Focus Groups have positions up for re-election. All TSA members are asked to think about being involved. Please consider where your strengths lie, where you can best focus your interest in ensuring that the TSA remains an active and vibrant community.

Other business

• All Focus Groups reported on their activities for the year. These will appear in this or the October TR as part of the reporting process for the TSA AGM.
• There will be one change to the TSA constitution to clarify property ownership. This will be advertised to all members before the October AGM.
• Consideration is being given to the incorporation of the TSA (preliminary fact finding is being undertaken).

Renate Beilharz, for the RC

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS – 8th October 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:
9:45 am The Temple Society Central Fund (Aust.)
10:30 am Temple Society Australia
12:00 noon Lunch
1:00 pm Temple Society Australia (continues)

Please note the times. Proxy and nomination forms, whilst not included with every Member’s circular, are readily available from the TSA Office, Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged and the various Community Halls. Upon enquiry, the necessary forms can also be sent to you for completion.
Specific agendas, financial statements and other information will be sent out to Members separately.
Mark Herrmann, Business Manager

The AGM of TTHA is on 14th October

ANNUAL REPORT – REGIONAL COUNCIL
This report summarises the activities and administration of the Temple Society Australia (TSA) during 2005/2006. It highlights the more important aspects of the year’s activities. All matters of significance concerning the Society and its members were consistently reported in the Templer Record throughout the year.
Members are asked to familiarise themselves with the report (and associated documents) so that it may be taken as read at the Annual General Meeting.
On 31st July 2005, at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Temple Society Australia, the TSA gave itself a new constitution. This inaugurated a new structure – by replacing the location-based Community Councils with function-based Focus Groups – for handling the affairs of the TSA. My own impression is that the new structure has helped to rejuvenate the TSA. This is a welcome development. There are more younger Templers participating in the many activities going on in our community.

Highlights of the year included the following:

1) The following 15 new members were welcomed to the TSA: Klaus Baldenhofer, Birgit Blaich, Paul Blaich, Stephen Blaich, Gudrun Dimpfel, Cheryl Glenk, Hilde Helper, Ursula Kaufmann, Margot Neu, Tania Richter, Emma Simmer, Alfred Steltenkamp, Alwyn Steltenkamp, Monika Strasser, Natasha Wilkinson.

2) 2 persons resigned their membership during the year: Isolde Busch, Judy Eppinger.

3) 3 children were born to members of the TSA, 10 further children were born to friends.

4) 11 members of the TSA died in Australia during the year: Theo Doh, Hedwig Groll, Johanna Halbweiss, Else Hermann, Luise Imberger, Annemarie Kirchner, Agnes Lämmle, Elly (Hugo) Steller, Hildegard Turnevicius, Nella Weller, Luise Wied. further friends in Australia also died: Paul Faig, Eberhard Günthner, Briar Hornung, Edmund Pfänder.
The following members or friends of the Temple Society in Germany died: Lotte Beck, Lilli Fast, Bruno Jung, Oskar Kirchner, Clara Klingeman (USA), Agnes Stütz, Manfred Unger, Friedrich-Karl von Oppel, Bernhard Weberruss.

5) At 30/06/2006 the number of full members of the TSA was 572. This is 2 members more than at the same time last year. This is the first time for many years that membership of the TSA has increased. We have stopped the decline! There are probably many reasons for this (e.g. the new structure may have encouraged more younger Templers to join, older members may no longer form the majority of our membership, etc.). This is our opportunity to positively present the Temple Society in Australia as a viable contributor to Christianity and to Australia.

6) A very successful confirmation celebration of 19 young adults took place in August 2005. The confirmands contributed very effectively to this celebration led by Elder Renate Weber.

7) The Templer Choir sang well at the Deutsche Sängerfest in Perth in September. It had ‘rehearsed’ its concert contribution in our Bayswater Chapel, with other talented young Templer musicians. The chapel hosted other musical events (Rumi and Irina Hornung from the TGD and Barbara Hornung from Australia, played duos in different combinations of piano, violin and viola; Gudrun Beilharz, piano, and husband Peter Bartels, flute, presented highly professional concerts on two occasions; the Eltham North Primary School Choir (with two Klink grandchildren) sang wonderfully). It is nice to see our Chapel being used for uplifting events which other Australians can also enjoy.

8) The Sydney Community remains very active. Its activities seem to be bringing younger people and their children into their community. It has a relatively new, younger elder in Ingrid Turner. It has started a massive job of revegetating the grounds of its little community church. Ingrid prepared a discussion paper “Formulating our Future”, which led to the approved position of a paid Community Development Worker.

9) In Melbourne and elsewhere, the TSA has a large group of volunteers (Templers and non-Templers) working on a wall-hanging to be hung in the Chapel. It depicts items of Templer history in Palestine, as well as more recent history in Australia, particularly in the City of Knox area.

10) The purchase of a bus in June of 2005 has allowed many Templers to attend functions in many different places. Templers going to Country Victorian services in the bus have increased the number of participants at Phillip Island and Strath Creek.

11) In July 2005, the Regional Council presented medallions of thanks to the families of Templers in Australia who had contributed significantly to the negotiations about recompense for Templer properties lost in Palestine. German recipients had received their medallions long ago. In Australia the ceremony for TSA members had been delayed, initially apparently because Dr Hoffmann was reluctant to accept his medallion. Subsequently, the medallions were mislaid during movement of material into our new archive in Bentleigh. After their rediscovery, the medallions were distributed to the relatives of the men so honoured in a lovely ceremony in Bayswater (see TR August 2005 page 12).

12) Discussions with the TGD in consideration of selling the unused section of the cemetery in Jerusalem continue. Both Peter Lange and Dr Rolf Beilharz wrote letters objecting to a hotel development proposal in the former German colony. A successful exhibition “Chronicle of a Utopia” – depicting the history and impact of the Templers – was organised by the Eretz Israel Museum. A number of Templers, from Australia and from Germany, visited Israel earlier this year to conduct cemetery maintenance and generally to reconnect with their past.

13) Numerous forums, both within the TSA and with the AGWS through TTHA, have been held to attempt to formalise the relationships and intentions associated with aged care. Documents such as a Declaration of Intent and a land-only lease agreement are being drafted to clarify and confirm the joint venture in Bayswater.

14) Our aged care complex (TTHA) was successful in obtaining 34 more bed licences from the federal government. Planning for a new building to house the additional beds is in progress. TTHA is considering using some of these places as hospital beds so that post-acute care cases can be handled within the Home’s familiar environment. Also, our partner organisation, the Australian German Welfare Society (AGWS) will now have a real chance of reducing its long waiting list, which has concerned them for a long time. Both parent societies are providing loan finance (up to $600,000 each) for the building extension.

15) With both Peter Lange (as TS President in 2007) and Dr Rolf Beilharz (as TSA Regional Head in 2008) indicating their plans to retire from their respective positions, succession planning in both regions becomes an important consideration.

16) Regular, lively correspondence with the TGD continues. Correspondence from members and friends, enquiries and requests for information from outside bodies and individuals in Australia were dealt with as promptly as practical.

17) The Templer Record was published regularly in 11 issues over the year. We value Herta Uhlherr’s work as editor, supported by proofreaders Emma Polacsek, Peter Hornung and Hermann Uhlherr. Office Assistant Irma Wesselbaum now does the typing and layout. Like the TR, Die Warte des Tempels (TGD) is available on the internet via a link on the TSA homepage www.templers.org

18) With the strong reliance on volunteer input in our community, a Guidelines for Volunteering document for the TSA was created.

19) Under the new TSA structure, Focus Group workshops concentrating on the areas of purpose, aims and expectations (in November 2005) and financial matters (in March 2006) were conducted. Further workshops on topics of mutual interest are proposed.

20) Administratively, all TSA paid personnel have been signed to Australian Workplace Agreements, although the industrial relations picture is constantly changing. Paul Blaich has been instrumental in establishing a new database for the membership. We are grateful for his expertise, understanding and dedication in creating a flexible system capable of managing the multitude of wishes from the Office and a number of the Focus Groups.

21) A significant personal achievement was the journey of Linda Beilharz to the South Pole late in 2005. Linda shared her experiences in two engaging presentations for the Templer community.

22) Until the elections at the AGM in October 2005, the Regional Council consisted of the Regional Head, Dr Rolf Beilharz; the two Deputy Regional Heads, Renate Beilharz and Harald Ruff (both elected); the Heads of Community Councils, Ulrich Asenstorfer, Hartmut Beck, Monika Imberger and Elisabeth Wagner; the Business Manager, Mark Herrmann; other elected Council members, Helga Anderson, Gisela Schmidt, Ralph Richter and Rolf Glenk; the Committee President of Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged, Friedrich Sawatzky; Youth Coordinator Susi Blackwell; and a Central Fund Director. After the elections the Regional Council took on its new form under the new constitution: Regional Head, Dr Rolf Beilharz, three Deputy Regional Heads, Renate Beilharz, Harald Ruff and Irene Bouzo, the leaders of the mandatory focus groups: Central Fund, Dieter Glenk, and Elders, Religious & Spiritual, Theo Richter. The President of the Temple Society, Peter Lange, is also a member and attends when he is in Australia. Leaders of the other (non-mandatory) focus groups also attend when there is business related to their responsibilities. Mark Herrmann (Secretary) and Herta Uhlherr (editor of the Templer Record) regularly attended meetings by invitation. The Regional Council held 11 regular meetings during the year

23) Marcus English was TSA auditor for the financial year 2005/2006.

R.G. Beilharz – Regional Head

A sincere thankyou to our Regional Head, and all at the Office for their dedicated work on our behalf.

FROM THE FOCUS GROUPS

Position becoming vacant
After many years as a dedicated Community Care Worker, Helga Anderson has decided to retire towards the end of the year. We invite expressions of interest of suitably qualified and committed people to fill this part-time position. For further details please contact me.
Dot Ware, for the Welfare & Distant Focus Group

ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE FOCUS GROUPS ²
Please familiarise yourselves with these so they can be taken as read.

²  ELDERS Religious and Spiritual
The previous 12 months have been very busy, especially in understanding the changes brought about by the new structure of the TSA. At the same time, it has been a very fulfilling year, with the diverse activities undertaken by the Elders and the Sunday School bringing together many members of our Templer community in discussion and thoughtful contemplation.

Divine Services
Throughout the year, Divine Services were regularly held in all of our community centres and at the Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged in both English and German.
Special Services were the TTHA Ecumenical Service in July; Family Services in August and October 2005 (Badger Weir) and March 2006 (Mt Martha Kids’ Club Camp); Evensong in September 2005; Youth Service in February 2006 and Agape in April 2006. Sincere thanks go to the participating Elders of these Services as extra effort is required to make them happen. Three additional Services were held in regional Victoria.
Services were conducted by: (VIC) Dr Rolf Beilharz, Renate Beilharz, Ilse Birkner, Mark Herrmann, Dr Hennig Imberger, Alfred Klink, Christa Lingham, Dr Geoff McCallum, Theo Richter, Harald and Christine Ruff, Herrmann and Herta Uhlherr, Dr Peter Uhlherr, Hulda Wagner, Renate Weber; (NSW): Hartmut Beck, Werner Ehmann, Ingrid Turner; (SA): Ulrich Asenstorfer.

Confirmation
The Confirmation Service was held in August 2005 in the Chapel in Bayswater. The contribution of our nineteen Confirmands created a memorable and very thought-provoking ceremony. Renate Weber, who co-ordinated the Confirmation Service and the Urban Camp, along with our team of teaching Elders: Mark Herrmann, Herta Uhlherr, Harald Ruff, Rolf Beilharz and Renate Beilharz deserve our heartfelt thanks for their thought, effort and enterprise.
Special thanks to Renate Beilharz who did most of the preparation and organisation before the start of lessons, and to the parents of the Confirmands, especially those from Brisbane, Rupanyup, Lang Lang and Leongatha, whose willingness, commitment and cooperation once again made the course a success.

Presentations
Two children were presented in Oct. 2005 in Bayswater and one in March 2006 in Sydney. The Presentation in Bentleigh scheduled for February 2006 became a regular service as there were no children to present.

Sunday School
Regular Sunday School was held at both Bayswater and Bentleigh. See report below.

Weddings
The TSA has five Elders authorised to perform Marriage Services, Hartmut Beck in Sydney, and Rolf Beilharz, Theo Richter, Renate Weber and Herta Uhlherr in Melbourne. Each authorised Elder attended the 5 hours of compulsory professional development required. Templer Elders officiated at 4 marriages in the past year.

Funerals
The Elders either conducted or contributed to 12 funerals, 11 in Melbourne and 1 in Sydney.

Other Elders Activities
The Elders attended three routine Elders’ Meetings and two Elders’ Discussion Evenings. A half-day Elders Workshop was held in Bentleigh in May 2006, where a new book was planned, see below.
Whenever possible, Elders take services interstate. In the last year, Sydney was visited in July 2005 and May 2006, and Brisbane in August 2005. Renate Weber also visited the Templer Community in Germany in September /October 2005.
Regular Interfaith Meetings have increasingly become a way for the TSA to become better known in the local municipalities. Rolf Beilharz regularly attends the Glen Eira South Ministers’ Association (GESMA) in Bentleigh and Rolf and others have attended meetings with the Knox Interfaith Network (KIN).
GESMA hold an annual celebration called the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. This year, the TSA was represented by Theo Richter, who read from a prepared script at one of the Stations, as did others.
Mark Herrmann, Otto Löbert and Alfred Klink attended the Knox Clergy Luncheon in June 2006 and Renate Beilharz and Herta Uhlherr attended the Anti-terrorism Legislation Session held by KIN in June 2006.

New Book Project
Plans are progressing on an expansion of the TS Religious Perspective booklet. Very soon the Templer Community will be asked to help remember, point out or find Templer writings and Saals which can be considered for inclusion in this collection of understandings from a Templer religious perspective.

Thank you to our Musicians and the Choir

The Elders would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to our tireless musicians who put a tremendous amount of effort into providing the musical support for each Service. Producing beautiful music with cold fingers on cold mornings requires a special dedication, for which we are ever grateful.
We thank the Templer Choir and their leader Annette Wagner-Hesse for their inspired participation in our special services.
Theo Richter, for the Elders

SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sunday School has continued in Bayswater and Bentleigh this year, with Christine Ruff teaching in Bayswater and Renate Beilharz in Bentleigh. Classes continue to run in conjunction with services, i.e. once a month in each location.
Where possible, we endeavour to have the children present for the first part of the services, before withdrawing for Sunday School classes. This enables the children to feel part of the whole community, to become more familiar with services and their format, to recognise the Elders (and other community members) and even to learn some of the hymns.

We have a small core group of families who attend regularly in both locations, and we thank these people for making the continued effort to come along. When a service is combined with an activity (e.g. Kids’ Club activity), or when there is a special service (e.g. Presentation), attendance is always greater.
We would always love to see more parents and their kids come along. One of the side benefits of attending is the social interaction that takes place between the kids both during and after Sunday School. As well as Playgroup and Kids’ Club, Sunday School is an ideal way for children to regularly get together with those kids with whom they will hopefully be associating for many years to come.

The program we have followed this year is based on the Sunday School booklet developed many years ago, but not yet finalised and printed. The ten units focus on the Temple Society and in particular who we are, what our name means, the fact that we are Christian, our symbol, our motto, our aim, the fact that we are a community, Presentation and Confirmation, and our history. We have organised the lessons so that there is no double up between Bayswater and Bentleigh for kids who may attend both. We have supplemented the Sunday School program by also using it as the basis for the Children’s Section in the Templer Record. Thank you again to all who attend Sunday School – we look forward to seeing you every month!
Renate Beilharz and Christine Ruff

²  WELFARE & DISTANT FOCUS GROUP
     Our first meeting was held in February 2006. For us it has been a steep learning curve, coming to grips with the complexities of our dual role of Welfare (of members) and Distance. We are beginning to adapt to the new structure and all that it entails, learning our new roles and responsibilities and how we fit into the total system. We have identified areas that need further work, either to improve what we do, or to start doing things.
With some sadness we said farewell to Rainer Busch, just as we were learning to understand our roles. For the time being Ingrid Thomas has been seconded to join us. She, along with Christa Lingham, has the first-hand experience of living at some distance from Melbourne and so can empathize with members living in country Victoria or interstate.

Distant members have not heard much from us yet. This does not mean that we have forgotten you. We have identified the need to contact you and to let you know that we are there for you. We are open to suggestions from you as to how we can best support you. This will be a task for the near future.
We held our first Seminar on 20th May “Coping with Mental Illness”. It was a success. Our two speakers covered the issues ‘What is mental illness” and “Living with a mental illness”. We are planning a follow-up seminar on the 28th October in the Chapel. The focus of this one will be Dementia, Alzheimer’s and possibly Parkinson’s Disease. Sadly, for the second year in a row the Annual afternoon tea for families of newly Presented children was cancelled. These afternoon teas are designed to give parents and grandparents an opportunity to get to know each other while the children are still little and also to inform the parents about activities and services that the TSA provides.
Reports from Interest Groups connected with the Welfare & Distant Focus Groups below.
Dot Ware, for the Welfare & Distant Focus Group

CARE WORKER
Another year has passed and I am pleased to give this overview of the Care Worker position.
The new system introduced last year has brought about some changes. The Community Care Support Group (CCSG) is now an Interest Group affiliated with the Welfare and Distant Focus Group. Dr Rolf Beilharz and Linda Beilharz, who comes all the way from Bendigo for our meetings, make up my support group and I take this opportunity to thank them for their continuous support. The CCSG meetings are held every 2 months and I report to the Elders quarterly. A monthly article appears in the TR.

I continue to work approx. 20 hours per week. Much of my time is taken up with visiting or keeping in telephone contact. My position includes keeping the Templer waiting list for TTHA admissions and facilitating the smooth admission to the Home by ensuring that the paperwork is in order.
Earlier this year the CCSG circulated a questionnaire to see if we are meeting the needs of our community. The survey results were reported in the TR.
The Social Worker from the AGWS and I conduct the bimonthly TTHA Residents and Relatives meeting, an open forum where residents and relatives have an opportunity to discuss issues concerning the TTHA and their wellbeing. I organise a separate meeting for the residents of the Independent Living Units every 2–3 months, as they have other issues. Jointly with the AGWS we distribute Christmas gifts to all the residents at TTHA.
Over the year I have attended several workshops and seminars on Loss and Grief and Dementia Care.

Telelink is still an active group that meets every 2 weeks on the telephone for a lively discussion and to solve the problems of the world. We have been able to connect up three of our distant friends to this group. For this social support service we receive financial support from the Department of Human Services, Health and Community Care.
Together with our Elder Herta Uhlherr, I represent our community on the World Day of Prayer committee in the Bentleigh area. This is an annual event and is hosted by one of the six participating parishes in rotation.
I take this opportunity to thank all those who supported me as well as our community members for their trust and confidence.
Helga Anderson, Care Worker

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GROUP
Our group met regularly every second month for Saal at Tanunda. We met on the second Sunday in August, October, December, February, April and June, always at 2pm. Ulrich Asenstorfer, our leader, always held Saal. The donations received on the day covered our expenses. Ulrich was usually able to welcome 10 persons. We took part in the ‘Seasons Greeting’, enclosed in the Dec./Jan. Templer Record. Mrs Thea Frank sent always greetings to us. All in all, members of our group are very happy to get together.
The Ladies’ Group tried to meet monthly for handicrafts. Unfortunately, we sometimes had to cancel because too few of us could make it, mainly for health reasons. We sent handicrafts to the value of $106, as well as a cheque for $40 to the TTHA. Our annual excursion brought us to Hahndorf, Peachtown, the Beerenberg factory and the Melba Chocolate factory at Woodside. Everyone of us enjoyed this highlight of the year.
Rose Asenstorfer

COUNTRY VIC – CENTRAL WESTERN
On 11th September 2005 a service was held at Eppalock, hosted by Linda Beilharz and Rob Rigato. This was attended by members and friends from country regions and from Melbourne. The Saal was taken by Renate Beilharz, followed by the traditional shared lunch, then Kaffee und Kuchen.
Due to a decline in attendance at the country gatherings in the past few years, the decision was made to schedule only two in 2006, and to place them more centrally, in the hope that more people will be able to attend.
The first 2006 gathering was at Strath Creek (Broadford) on 7th May, hosted by Helmut and Ilse Beilharz. Theo Richter conducted the Saal. This will be the last gathering Helmut and Ilse will host. We sincerely thank them for their willing participation as regular hosts over many years, and for their generosity and tireless organization of luncheons and walks. I’m sure that many will miss the beautiful surroundings of Strath Creek in the future.
The next service will be at Eureka Park in Ballarat, hosted by Suzy Hardefeldt (née Beilharz), on 29th October. We thank Suzy in advance for organizing this, and hope that many will be able to attend, both from Melbourne and the regional areas that these gatherings target.
Thanks to all 2005-2006 hosts, elders who conduct the Saals, and to all who make the long drives to attend so that these meetings can continue to grow and prosper, allowing the Temple Society to further reach out to the country folk.
Anna Beilharz, Central Country Vic Coordinator

COUNTRY VIC  GIPPSLAND GROUP
The Gippsland Group met once. In February, a well-attended service in the Uniting Church at Cowes was held. The numbers were swelled by the many visitors from Melbourne. The use of the bus Rosa made it easy for some to enjoy a day out and attend the service held by Dr Rolf Beilharz. After a community lunch, everyone was able to enjoy the beach at Cowes, those who could walked while others were able to travel in Rosa.
Meetings are being planned for the next 12 months, the first for November 2006; we hope many members living in the Gippsland area, as well as members living further afield, will come.
Dot Ware, for the Welfare & Distant Focus Group

² SYDNEY COMMUNITY
Ten religious services were held in the Sydney Templer Community. Sydney Elders conducting Saal were Werner Ehmann, Ingrid Turner and Hartmut Beck. Visiting elders from Melbourne were Renate Beilharz and Mark Herrmann who, after a short Service, with the help of computer and projector outlined the new Community Structure. Ilse Birkner also visited her old community and presented us with her thoughts on the parable of the sower. The Sydney Community is always grateful to visiting elders for the time and effort they sacrifice to come to Sydney.
One death occurred during the past year, Elly (Hugo) Steller passed away, her funeral on the 15th December 2005 was conducted jointly by Pastor Peter Auserwinkler and Hartmut Beck. Many relatives and friends attended. May she rest in peace.
Twenty members attended our Annual Members’ Meeting on 28.8.2005 A quorum was achieved, the meeting was duly opened. The various reports were read and tabled.
Ingrid Slip was voted in as auditor for the year 2005/2006. Erika Schulz retired by rotation and was re-elected to the Community Council for another three years
Manfred Schnerring did not seek re-election; after serving on the council for about 40 years he has retired for a well earned rest. Our thanks go to him for his many years of dedicated service to the Sydney Community. Hartmut Beck was re-elected as community head, but stressed that it would be for a period of 2 years only.

The new Structure, as outlined by Renate and Mark on their visit to Sydney, was discussed at a Community Council meeting prior to the Annual Members Meeting. All members of the Council felt that Sydney should remain with its present structure and constitution and operate as a Focus Group under the new constitution. This was discussed and agreed on by a show of hands.

General Business: the new footpath and fence – both have since been replaced. A better audio system for the hall – Head Office has given the OK and a new system will shortly be installed.
Revegetation of the church grounds – Rolf Beck has been busy drawing up a planting program, voluntary work begins August/September 2006.
Ingrid Turner spoke on her Discussion Document – Formulating our Future – “What will it take to turn Sydney into a thriving set of communities it has the potential to be?” Other Questions were answered as they came up.
Our annual community picnic on 16/10/05 was again at Lake Parramatta. This picturesque spot once again presented us with absolutely freezing weather for the second time in a row, only five hardy people attended, there will not be a third attempt.
The Frauenverein Christmas Bazaar, the focal point in our social calendar, was once again the meeting place for the once-a-year visitors. On sale were a host of goodies. Lunch, afternoon tea and coffee were available. This event is the most important event in our social calendar as it brings rarely seen members and friends together with the rest of the community.

Our Christmas Service was conducted by Ingrid Turner, with help from Emmy Simmer, Jenny Hoffmann and Monica Garcia-Villada; the children presented us with a nativity play, followed by solo artists on various instruments, and naturally by a visit from Santa; the feeling of Christmas was here.
One child was presented at our Thanksgiving Service on 12/3/2006, Sabine Elly Osarek. Congratulations to the parents Mark and Julie Osarek
Our final social event for the year was the community picnic at the Plough & Harrow Park on 14th May. Thirty-six members and friends enjoyed each other’s company on this beautiful day, and made use of the excellent facilities available. Our thanks go to Emmy Simmer & Ingrid Turner for organizing this event and providing a delicious lunch. Finally I would like to thank everyone who over the year has attended our services and functions; a special thanks to those that contributed in any way to our activities.
Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

²  THE TEMPLE SOCIETY CENTRAL FUND (AUST.)
     Report for the Financial year July 2005 to June 2006
The Directors of TSCF in the reporting period are: Ulrich Asenstorfer, Paul English, Helmut Eppinger, Wolfgang Frank, Dieter Glenk (Chairman), Mark Herrmann (Secretary), Herbert Hoffmann, Dietmar Jürgensen, Peter Leszinsky.
The Board of Directors met six times during the financial year ended 30.6.2006. The interstate Directors, Ulrich Asenstorfer and Peter Leszinsky, were linked to the meeting by conference phone, and Peter was able to be present in person for four meetings during the year.
Major issues dealt with by the Board during this year included:

• Administration of the TS funds and real estate assets, including maintenance of the two factory properties in Moorabbin and the Bentleigh and Bayswater rental units.
• Receipt of deposits from members and advancing of loans to members at favourable rates of interest. Four loans to members were approved.
• Approval to lend the TTHA Committee of Management an amount of up to $600,000 at commercial interest rates for building costs associated with the planned new 34-bed wing. The loan to be fully repaid by December 2009. This financial support is identical to one pledged by the AGWS for this purpose.
• Extensive ongoing discussion with TTHA Committee of Management and CEO regarding a lease covering the land owned by the TSCF (in trust for the TSA), on which the TTHA Aged Care facility operates. We continue to negotiate the long-term intent for the running of the enlarged Aged Care facility in partnership with the AGWS, and the TSA/TSCF role as owners of the land. This allows all parties to reach agreement and for the TSA/TSCF to maintain its legal rights and obligations as land owners.
• Decisions were made to direct some of the cash investments (term deposits) into an expanded share portfolio. Arrangements were set up to enable TSCF securities to be transacted online.
• Work to update the Memorandum and Articles of Association (Constitution) of the TSCF, which was established as a legal entity in 1950, is ongoing. Discussions are continuing with our solicitors to achieve a new legal format to comply with today’s statutory requirements.

My sincere thanks to all Directors and Mark Herrmann for the time, dedication and counsel they bring to the Board discussions to ensure the funds of the TSA held in trust by the Central Fund are managed in a responsible and professional manner.
Dieter Glenk, for the TSCF

² COMMUNICATION & PROMOTION
     Since our establishment, we have been kept quite busy with a range of different activities and issues that we are consistently working on. Some of these include:

• Establishment of Internet Interest Group;
• Continuing development of new e-mail and telephone trees;
• Creation of the new logo;
• Ongoing review of ‘New Members Kit’.

Jevan Bouzo, for the Communication & Promotion FG

²  YOUTH
     The Youth Focus Group, consisting of 4 members including the TSA Community Youth Coordinator, has been meeting regularly to discuss, evaluate and adjust the youth program to try to best cater for the needs of the TSA young people.
We have four Interest Groups: Playgroup, Kids’ Club, Teenage Group and Youth Group, running independently yet interacting and linked together under the care and administration of the Youth Focus Group and the Community Youth Coordinator (CYC).
The TSA Youth Program has not only continued to operate in the face of ongoing challenges, but this year has also managed to take on a major project, “Youthfest 2006”!

Playgroup – to come in October TR.

Kids’ Club
The small and very hard-working Kids’ Club (KC) team organises monthly activities often linked with existing TSA functions such as Sommerfest, Services and Sunday School and Sonnwendfeier. Some of the year’s highlights were: regular activities such as Family Camp at The Briars, Mt Martha, Sommerfest activities, Sonnwendfeier lantern parade, and some new outings such as Healesville Sanctuary, a trip to the snow and a gymnastics day at BTYC Gym. Many thanks must go to Birgit Verhagen, Anita Cross, Sonia Glenk, Christine Ruff, Diana Richter and all the other people who have helped out with various KC activities, for their continuing hard work and commitment. Here also there is a great need for some more involvement from families, both in assisting the organising team and also supporting activities by taking part!

Teenage Group
This year has seen a change in TG leaders from Kirsten Lubitz earlier this year to Moni Imberger taking on the job to keep monthly Teenage Group (TG) activities running smoothly. The program is chosen by TG participants at the beginning of the year and included rock climbing, movie nights, winter sleep-out, the annual summer camp in the January holidays, a pool party, ice-skating and much more. The activities are much enjoyed by our young people and friends are always welcome to come along. Many thanks also to the wonderful people who have helped out with the TG program at various times throughout the year.

Youth Group
Our Youth Group leader Kristen Steller continues to organise regular social activities for the 2005 Confirmation Group, their friends and any other interested young people. Some of their activities include ice skating, movie nights, pizza and “chill” nights and glow-in-the-dark minigolf. We also have a yearly week-long Youth Camp in the January school holidays for young people over the age of 15.
As always, a huge thankyou must go to those people who have helped out with the youth program in any way over the last 12 months – your continuing assistance is very much appreciated and without you programs and activities would simply not run.
There are many areas, some large and some small, where help is required, so please consider volunteering to help out with the youth program – it can be just as rewarding for you as it is for the young people taking part!
Susi Blackwell, Community Youth Coordinator

²  SOCIAL & RECREATION FOCUS GROUP
     We have been in operation for 12 months and have primarily filled the roles of the former Melbourne Community Councils in facilitating a number of Interest Groups and community events.
Focus Group members: Ingrid Beilharz, Brendon Glenk, Marianne Herrmann, Petra Murrihy-Ruff and Manfred Decker (Leader), plus one position which has remained vacant throughout the year.
Marianne Herrmann will retire by rotation at the 2006 AGM but will be nominated for re-election. A number of people have been approached to fill the vacant position with no other nominations currently forthcoming.

Associated Interest Groups

• Bayswater Bowling Club – led by Manfred Haering;
• Bayswater Gymnastics Group – led by Trudy Herrmann ;
• Bayswater-Boronia Tennis Club – led by Ralph Weller;
• Bentleigh Gymnastics Group – led by Helga Weberruss;
• Bentleigh Ladies Group – led by Helga Anderson;
• Bentleigh Tennis Club – led by Gary Imberger;
• Brass Ensemble – led by Kurt Eppinger;
• Bushwalking Group – led by Trudi Murray;
• Carpet Bowling Group – led by Ilse Birkner;
• Choir – led by Kurt Imberger;
• Handicrafts Group – led by Helga Kuerschner.

The Theatre Group is no longer functioning.

Contact details have been exchanged between the Interest Groups and the Focus Group to ensure appropriate communication channels are established. Since it is not intended to interfere with Interest Group function or add to workload, contact has been limited to contact detail updates, budget and other support requirements, annual activity summary and Regional Council feedback requests and subsequent responses.
Regional Council has approved the modest 2006/07 budgets requested by Integrated Interest Groups. No special funding requests for Affiliated Interest Groups and no other resourcing requests were made.

Major Events

• AGM Lunch – October 2005, organised by Manfred Decker;
• Dinner Dance – October 2005, organised by Paul and Erika English;
• Bentleigh Advent Celebrations – December 2005, organised by Marianne Herrmann;
• Bayswater Advent Celebrations – December 2005, organised by Herta Uhlherr and Inge Hoefer;
• Bentleigh Christmas Celebrations – December 2005, organised by Moni Imberger and Marianne Herrmann;
• Bayswater Community Christmas and Carols – December 2005, organised by Renate Beilharz;
• New Year’s Eve Party – December 2005, organised by Regina and Bill Imberger;
• Sommerfest – March 2006, organised by Manfred Decker and Tony Beilharz;
• Sonnwendfeier – June 2006, organised by Susi Blackwell.

Similar functions are planned during the next 12 months with the addition of the Community Picnic to follow the Family Service at Maroondah Reservoir Park in November and a number of smaller informal functions including the Winery Tour and Go-karting.
In general, success of these events measured by attendance shows a steady decline with the exception of the Bentleigh Advent Celebrations and Sonnwendfeier. However, success as measured by enjoyment of those who attend indicates that most members are satisfied with the type and number of major events planned.

Summary
No significant changes to the existing Interest Groups, major events and their timing or Focus Group membership are planned in the coming year.
Most major events are planned for a break-even financial result – Sommerfest and Sonnwendfeier are the two main exceptions that contribute in the order of $5,000 to targeted fund-raising. On that basis, the 2006/07 SRFG budget, including its Integrated Focus Groups, is income of $14,900, expenditure of $10,350 and a surplus of $4,550. This is in line with the results from the current year.
We are always looking for feedback on what activities you would like to participate in, what we can do better and offers of assistance from members. We are committed to providing the community with a range of social & recreational activities and would like to think that the primary measure of viability is enjoyment of participants.

Individual reports from Soc & Rec Interest Groups

Brass Ensemble
Primary Contact: Mr Volker Bulach,  e-mail: vgbulach@iprimus.com.au
The Brass Ensemble plays at such functions as Sommerfest, Sonnwend (solstice), for Christmas Carols and Tatura Remembrance Service.
The passing of Günther Eppinger 8 years ago was a severe blow, leaving only 3 players, all aged over 70. Recruitment of young players is very difficult and not only because practising is essential. When a youngster does take up music, it is at school with a professional music teacher playing in a school band or orchestra with its associated practice sessions.
Nonetheless, some young players are helping the group to stage performances. At the folk song session at Tabulam and Templer Homes on Sunday 30th July, guest players were Ashley Rutowicz on trumpet, Jessica Blackwell and Paul Katz both on bass trombone and an old friend, Helmut Graumenz, on trumpet.

Choir
Primary Contact: Mr Kurt Imberger, e-mail: inge@alphalink.com.au 
The Choir continued to hold regular choir practices and perform at significant TSA Services and events. The highlight for the choir was the Sängerfest in Perth. Most of the choir members travelled to Perth to meet up with other German choirs in Australia. The trip and the Fest were a great success. Our performance was excellent (in our opinion we won, even though it wasn’t a competition). A significant amount of money was raised through “Puzzlespiel” ticket sales and a fund-raising concert. The TSA also contributed, resulting in a sizeable contribution to the travel costs of the members. Thanks to all who contributed.
Annette Wagner-Hesse continued to conduct the choir and provide considerable enjoyment to the members and hopefully to the audiences. Thanks to Annette.
We continue to be involved in the Australian Choral Society (Australian Sängerbund) which is the umbrella organization for the Australian German choirs.
Main 2005/06 activities: singing at Services including Darstellung, Confirmation, Christmas, and Tatura Remembrance Service in November; conductor seminar in September.

Bayswater Gymnastics Group
Primary Contact: Mrs Trudy Herrmann.
Main 2005/06 activities: weekly low impact aerobic moves sessions using balls, elastic bands, weights, rods and hoops;
Dates: every Wednesday, 9:00 – 10:00am in the Bayswater Hall.

Bentleigh Gymnastics Group
Primary Contact: Mrs Helga Weberruss.
Strictly speaking, we are not an Interest Group and have no needs for financial support from the Society. As some of us are rather old, we don’t know how long we can go on.
Main activities: weekly lessons of movement with music.
Dates: every Tuesday, 10:15 - 11:15am in the Bentleigh Hall.

Bentleigh Tennis Club
Primary Contact: Mr Gary Imberger, e-mail: gmnski@aol.com 
The Tennis Club is currently static and, as an affiliated Interest Group, has no needs from the TSA.

Bayswater Tennis Club
Primary Contact: Mr Ralph Weller,  e-mail: mwe00788@bigpond.net.au 
Main 2005/06 activities: Breakup BBQ in December.
Dates: Sausage Sizzle – December; AGM – July/August.

Bushwalking Club
Primary Contact: Mrs Trudi Murray, e-mail: tmurray@bigpond.net.au 
Main 2005/06 activities: Last year’s hikes/walks were still organised by Alysha Murray. There was a July and an August hike. September was cancelled due to inclement weather, but October went ahead. I don't think that there were any hikes after that date. I took over this year, but due to Melbourne's busy calendar, the first walk was in April. The May walk was well attended, being to French Island. The June hike was cancelled due to lack of numbers.
Dates: Roughly speaking, I'll attempt to organise walks/hikes for the first Saturday of every month, but that's not set in concrete. The first hike of the year could be as early as the first Saturday in February.

Bayswater Bowling Club
Primary Contact: Mr Manfred Haering, e-mail: mindiekar@optusnet.com.au 
The Bayswater Bowling Club has its own Committee of 6 persons – President, Secretary, Treasurer and 3 other members. The 3 top positions are staggered to ensure continuity.
For the past 3 years we have had a BBQ in March for the members and their partners, allowing members from the different bowling groups to socialize with others. At this stage, all maintenance and cleaning is carried out by Bowling Club members or by employed people paid directly by Bowling Club. We also pay the TSA for insurance costs etc. forwarded to the Treasurer.
Our AGM was conducted on Friday 28th July 2006.

Handcrafts Group
Primary Contact: Mrs Helga Kuerschner.

Bentleigh Ladies Group
Primary Contact: Mrs Helga Anderson, e-mail: janderso@melbpc.org.au 
Main 2005/06 activities: monthly meetings; outing in March / April.
Dates: 2nd Tuesday every month, from 12 noon in the Bentleigh Hall.

Carpet Bowls Group
Primary Contact: Mrs Ilse Birkner.
Main 2005/06 activities: carpet bowling with 8-9 participants;
Dates: every Monday morning (mid-January to early-December), 10:00 - 11:30 in the Bayswater Hall; if more people are interested, a second time/day needs to be organised.

²  HERITAGE AND CULTURE FOCUS GROUP
     At the 2005 TSA AGM, Ilse Nicholson and Renate Beilharz were confirmed as the two members of the Heritage and Culture Focus Group. In May 2006, Karin Ruff was co-opted into the Focus Group, as it was felt that a committee of three people allows for more discussion and flexibility.
The Heritage and Culture Focus Group (HCFG) has met seven times since the TSA AGM in October 2005, focussing on developing an understanding of the activities and needs of the related interest groups: Bayswater Templer German School, Bentleigh Templer German School, Australian German Templer Exchange (AGTE) and the Heritage Group. The HCFG also participated in organising Templer involvement in the Tatura memorial service in November 2005, and is looking into ensuring ongoing Templer representation at the Association of German Speaking Communities.
The Heritage Group, Archive, Wall-hanging Group, AGTE and German Schools have provided separate annual reports, see below.
We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the cultivation and preservation of Templer heritage and culture in any way.
Renate Beilharz, for the Heritage & Culture Focus Group

TSA Archives
The TSA Archives have been accessed by various Templers and non-Templers over the year for their personal research. Ingrid Edelmaier has continued to assist with cleaning and rehousing documentation, while the database has now passed the 1000th record mark.
Renate Beilharz

Heritage Group
This year the group has concentrated on translation and publications. The book about the end of the Templer settlements in Palestine is ready in draft form and will soon be published. Several supplements to the TR are being worked on and will soon be published.
Numerous photographic images have been taken for incorporating in the Templer Museum Internet program.
The Sarona Restoration Project in Israel requires daily work.
Computer and archival procedure training sessions are being planned, ready for our volunteers a little later this year.

Templer Gallery – Dr Schreiber of the TTHA has kindly provided exhibition space so we can show our displays on a regular basis. The first exhibition in the Templer Gallery was the Jugendgruppe Activities in the 1950s presently being shown at the TGD location in Stuttgart-Degerloch. The Early Bayswater exhibition donated by the Ferntree Gully Historical Society has just ended. September-October shows the Imberger Family’s Treasures, photos from Jerusalem and a comprehensive family tree. A Templer document called Satzungen 1904 with members of the total society as at 1904, and photographs of the Wiederaufbau Presentation Album which was presented to Immanuel Hagenlocher as an executive member of that WAKO committee. All are welcome to visit our regular exhibitions in the TTHA.
We are proud to have played a major role in supporting the Tel-Aviv Sarona Restoration Project. Also the Templer Exhibition in Tel-Aviv and the newly published book Chronicle of a Utopia – The Templers in the Holy Land, 1868-1948. Sara Turel, curator of the Eretz-Israel Museum, Tel-Aviv, said that without the enthusiastic help and support of Australians Helmut Glenk, Dr Charlotte Laemmle, Manfred Haering and Horst Blaich, the exhibition and the Utopia book would not have been possible.
We are delighted to announce that our volunteer work has greatly expanded, and is making progress. We thank all our volunteers and helpers and those who have made donations to keep our important historical work going. The equipment purchased under the Victorian Government Grant has been invaluable and is serving us well. Thanks to the Victorian Government and MP Anne Eckstein for the wonderful support.
In conclusion, we are able to say it was another successful year.
Horst Blaich, for the TSA Heritage Group

Wallhanging – The Templer Journey – “Fabric of Society”
This is the third year of this group’s existence. We were again successful in receiving a (final) funding grant from the Knox Council to complete this mammoth project. Two workshops were facilitated to increase our skills in representing buildings and trees.
A small group of dedicated workers meet, often weekly, to ensure this triptych, depicting the history of the Temple Society using fabric and threads, is completed to a high standard of excellence.
Helga Jürgensen is our dedicated Project Coordinator. Under her guidance and drive, we ARE making progress. About thirty people have contributed their embroidery talents to complete the symbols and shields of our community and a smaller number are now involved in interpreting the design on the three panels. In October, as part of the Heritage Festival in the City of Knox, we are holding a ‘Work in Progress’ exhibition in the Chapel. Why not come along and see the progress we have made and maybe decide you too would like to contribute!?
Renate Weber

Australian-German Templer Exchange
The AGTE program has had a busy and successful year. In November of last year I took over as coordinator, having returned from Europe in August. I met with the AGTE committee to report on my experiences at the Ifa school for German in Stuttgart as I was the first candidate to go there.
January saw the arrival of Sebastian Hänel, the candidate from Germany, for a six month stay. He attended the GEOS language school in Melbourne for six weeks, as well as working at the TTHA. Sebastian stayed with several different host families, and our sincere thanks go to all who hosted him or took him out for a day.
Erin Lubitz is our current candidate and her stay is rapidly drawing to a close. As we have read from her open letters, she has been thoroughly enjoying her stay, and has been having many new experiences. She says her German has definitely improved, which she is very pleased about and she has had the opportunity to mingle with international students at Ifa, which she has also attended.
We have not had any applications for the exchange for next year, and applications have now closed. We strongly encourage anyone who is considering it to apply next year.
The AGTE committee has had several meetings based on my feedback about Ifa and the shortened exchange period of 3 months, due to the fact that the course is undertaken while being hosted by TGD families. Erin, as mentioned above, is undertaking the exchange in this style. The TGD would prefer us to adopt this permanently, however we wish to keep the option of a Goethe Institut course available to our candidates. The budget has been altered for the first time in several years, to accommodate increased flight costs (particularly given the expected fuel price increases). There has also been an allocation for expenses incurred by the coordinator for AGTE related costs. We now include TSA membership as a prerequisite for application, as we feel it reflects a commitment to the TSA.
I have met with the Heritage and Culture Focus Group leaders to discuss the progress and running of the AGTE Committee.
We are always looking for host families for German candidates; expressions of interest are always welcome.
Any queries or suggestions, please contact me at tania.richter@gmail.com
Tania Richter, AGTE Coordinator

Bayswater German School
We currently have an enrolment of 23 students, of which 3 are from Templer families.
We run 2 classes on Friday nights in the classrooms of the Bayswater Hall. A team of dedicated volunteer parents maintains an efficient one-to-one reading program for the children and our thanks go to them.

Finances:
We charge a (small) fee per student which is supplemented by:

• A $2,024 grant from the Department of Education and Training (DE&T) for students enrolled in Term 1, 2006.
• $1,000 grant from the Victorian Multicultural Commission for professional development of teachers.
• $290 from Peter Lockwood, Bayswater MP, for the printing of promotional flyers.
• We have applied for a Volunteers Small Equipment Grant.
  

Highlights of the year

• The Parents’ Consultative Council was established with both administration and parent representatives consisting of 3 Templers and 3 non-Templers.
• Purchase of new reading books from Germany and resource kit, Ein Koffer Deutsches from the Goethe Institut.
• Purchase of a new photocopier.
• 'Warburton trail’ excursion in April including a German Schnitzeljagd.
• Participation in German Fußball-Fest at the Alemannia Soccer Club in Richmond in May, supported in the classroom by the theme ‘Fußball’ and the students being taught the newly purchased game of ‘Tipp-Kick’.
• 1000 new “Learn German” promotional flyers produced (funded by P. Lockwood).
• Participation at the Sonnwendfeier in June.
• Hosted bilingual performance by The Platypus Theater group, Berlin.
  

Ongoing activities

• Preparation for updating the school’s government accreditation which expires end of 2006. We have reviewed and prepared documents that include the charter, parent newsletters, class attendance rolls, yard duty rosters, first aid qualifications and student reports.
• Representation at the network of German Community Language Schools in Melbourne
• Regular consultation and planning with the Bentleigh/Moorabbin School.

Irene Bouzo, School Coordinator, and Doris Frank, Treasurer/Curriculum Coordinator

Bentleigh German School
We currently have an enrolment of 41 students, of which 7 are from Templer families. We run 3 classes Monday and 3 classes Wednesday evenings at the Bentleigh Hall.
We have a great team of teachers. They are Josefine Hennel, Sigrid Schweiger, Michiko Weinmann and Monika Hendrix.
Barbara Imberger-Sonntag is our ever reliable emergency teacher and curriculum coordinator. We are very grateful for her teacher and coordinator support.
We are also grateful to have the support of the Bayswater German School coordinators and teachers.

Highlights of the year:

• A winter concert on 28th August 2005.
• German School Adventsfeier to finish the 2005 school year.
• With one student from the Bayswater German School, our students attended the Goethe Institut Soccer Photo Exhibition on 13th May.
• Together with representatives from the Clifton Hill German Saturday School and Temple Society representatives, we attended the AGTV Family Day in Richmond on 21st May.
• 3 students participated in the AGTV poetry competition on 25th July. One of our students has been invited to the State Final on 26th August.

Our funding sources (apart from student fees) have been:

• $1,000 grant from the Victorian Multicultural Commission for professional development.
• $4018 grant from DE&T for students enrolled in Term 1, 2006.

Our teachers continue to attend Professional Development when appropriate and time permits, and we are grateful for their commitment to ensuring they provide up-to-date and relevant teaching practices.
Marianne Herrmann, Be/Mo German School Coordinator

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MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

AUS DEM GEMEINDELEBEN

GEBURTSTAGE
Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

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

BIRTHS

Leah Vollmer,
Sister for Julian and Daniel. All are doing well!
Parents: Bernd Vollmer and Melissa Vollmer née Cohen

Marshall Jon Le Maitre,
brother for Nathan
Parents: Paul and Christine Le Maitre

Abbey Kayla Conway Anderson
Parents: Christian Anderson and Tiffany Conway

MARRIAGE
Mykel Armin Weber and Carolin Enzmann were married in Spandau, Berlin, on 6.6.2006. They are back in Australia.

Congratulations and good wishes to these couples.

BEREAVEMENTS

Mein lieber Sohn, unser Bruder und Onkel Rainer Steller, ist am 28. Juli im Alter von 67 Jahren nach langem, schweren Leiden entschlafen. In tiefer Trauer:
Mutter Elly (Eugen) Steller,
Schwestern Anny Beck mit Kindern Robert Reitermeier
und Anita Jensen.
Inge Osarek mit Kindern Erika Harvey,
Christine Withey und Mark Osarek.
Gisela und Bruno Tautz.

Für die trostreichen Worte von Hartmut Beck und die vielen schönen Blumen und Karten danken wir recht herzlich.
Elly Steller und Familie

John Hans Werner Dyck died on 10.7.2006 aged 74 at home in Bayswater after many years of courageous struggle with kidney failure. He is sadly missed by his wife Vin, children Sandra, Andrew, Peter and nine grandchildren. Many of us remember Hans Werner from the Tatura Camp. He was the brother of Hannelore (Schmidt), Peter (deceased), Claus, Irene (Bouzo), and Ralph. May he rest in peace.

In Stuttgart, Karin Kllingbeil’s brother Rudolf (Rolf) Michael Wieland died unexpectedly on 11.7.2006, aged 52. Peter Lange held the moving memorial service on 20th July.

Margaret Street, born 2.12.1948, passed away in Brisbane on 29.7.2006. Mourning her are husband Bob, daughter Sonia Glenk (with Rolf and sons Danyon, Lachlan and Alexander), and sons Steven, Michael and Linton.

Our condolences to the bereaved families

NEW MEMBERS
We welcome Ingrid Hoffmann (Sydney) and Sieglinde Meier (Cann River) as new members and hope they will feel at home among us.

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SYDNEY AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA

ANNUAL REPORTS – Sydney and  South Australia

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YOUTH

Youth Calendar

• Sunday 17th September 2006 – Youthfest 2006! –Everyone! (see page 43)
• Saturday 14th October 2006 – Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre – Youth group.
• Saturday 21st October 2006 – Sidetracked – Teenage Group.
• Saturday 18th November 2006 – Teenage Group “Christmas Break-up and Planning Party”.
• 24th or 25th November 2006 – Youth group Christmas break-up party and 2007 planning.
  

CONFIRMATION 2005 GROUP

September 17th– Youth fest
Rather than having a separate activity for September, we will be using this day to catch up! It’s going to be a heap of fun, so make sure you’re there, and definitely bring all your friends along!

October 14th – Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre
Hopefully the weather will be nice and warm by this stage, so a trip to the pool is definitely in order. MSAC has an awesome water slide, and a wave pool as well, so it should be a great day. Just keep watching your e-mail for more details!

November 24th or 25th – Christmas Break-up Party
Let me know what date suits you more- it will most definitely be a night-time party, so have a think and get back to me!

Any questions or problems contact me via e-mail kste@deakin.edu.au
Kristen Steller

SUMMER CAMP 2007
Summer camp in January 2007 will be at A’Beckett Park, Raymond Island near Paynesville next year. The dates are not quite finalised but it will definitely be 6 nights between 16th and 23rd January 2007. This was the only available time at A’Beckett Park, so summer camp is a little later in January than it normally has been in the past.
The dates and all other details will be confirmed in the October Templer Record, and booking forms will be sent (or e-mailed) out in the next couple of weeks. If you have any queries or need further information, contact Susi  or e-mail susi.tsa@datafast.net.au 

YOUTH SURF CAMP 2007
In January 2007 there will be a 6-night Youth Surf Camp for anyone aged 15 years and over. The exact dates are not yet finalised, and I am looking for expressions of interest as to when the most suitable time would be during January to run this camp. Anyone interested in coming along should call me  or e-mail susi.tsa@datafast.net.au   ASAP!

Susi Blackwell, Youth Coordinator

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CHILDREN'S SECTION

Hallo to you all!

Many people have been sick over winter. It’s very easy to feel sorry for yourself when you don’t feel well, isn’t it? But one thing it does do is make us appreciate our life when we are healthy and fit. So if you have been sick, maybe you have been able to learn something from it (and hopefully are well again now!). There is something to learn from most experiences in life.

Last time we read the poem about ‘The Tower of Babel’. The tower never got finished, because the people weren’t working together any more. They had nothing left in common. When the people had nothing in common, they learnt that things (the tower) didn’t go so well (or stopped!).
Last month I asked you to think about what the people in the Temple Society have in common. What is it that keeps us together? It could be our language, but more importantly, it is our aim. Our aim is what we all have in common, what we are all trying to achieve. We are all trying to be the best people we can and to help each other.

Think about other groups you know that are successful. It might be your group of friends, your football/basketball/netball/cricket team, a hobby group or your classroom at school. The people in the groups that do well are all working toward the same goal; having fun together, helping each other, winning the grand final or completing a project. There is always cooperation and teamwork, because everyone wants the same thing. Everyone knows what the aim is and everyone is prepared to work for it. Everyone has something in common.

In the Temple Society we rely on all these things too, to keep us going strongly; a common aim, cooperation, teamwork and support. Last month at Sunday School in Bayswater we had all of these things. After reading the Tower of Babel story, we painted a rainbow together. Hugo, Evan, Bailey, Liam, Tim, Martin, Tessa, Emily and Benjamin were all in charge of painting one colour. We had to make sure no-one painted over anyone else’s lines, that we didn’t do two of the same colour, that we shared the space around the table without pushing anyone away and that we all knew what we wanted it to look like when we were finished.

And guess what? It went really well, because we all worked together and helped each other and talked about what we were doing and how we wanted to do it. At the end, we had a lovely, colourful rainbow to hang up on display (if you want to see it, it’s still there).
Our rainbow is a very small example of how working together cooperatively can create something beautiful. Think about where else in your life you may be able to do this.

A tower-shaped prayer from our Sunday School booklet:

Dear God,
Help us remember that
we are part of a community.
We try to support each other
and work with each other.
We often work best together, not alone.
We want to do this so that our community,
whether it is the Temple Society
or any other group with which we are involved,
will always be a strong one. Amen.

For the first month of Spring, we wish a very happy birthday to:

Can you find out what the colours of a rainbow are and in what order they appear, then colour a rainbow to create your own beautiful piece of work?
Until next time, have a great month!
Christine Ruff

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TABULAM AND TEMPLER HOMES FOR THE AGED

Liebe Freunde,
Es ist wieder Zeit für den jährlichen Bericht. Das Jahr brachte einige Veränderungen mit sich, die für mich eine Herausforderung darstellten, aber für das Heim sehr positiv waren.
Gegen Ende des letzten Jahres verließen uns leider einige Mitglieder des Vorstandes einschließlich des Vorsitzenden. Ich nehme diese Gelegenheit wahr, diesen Mitgliedern für ihren Einsatz und die Zeit zu danken, die sie investiert haben; ganz besonders gilt dies für den scheidenden Präsidenten, Herrn Friedrich Sawatzky, der sich für unser Heim unermüdlich eingesetzt hat und dies noch weiterhin tut. Wir begrüßen 5 neue Mitglieder im Vorstand: Frau Gertrud Blessing, Dr Rolf Beilharz, Herrn Sigi Messner und mich als Vertreter für die TSA und Herrn Karl Haak für die AGWS.

Wie in unserer Verfassung vorgesehen, traf sich der Vorstand elf mal mit den jeweils fünf Vertretern der Trägervereine. Ich bedanke mich bei meinen Vorstandskollegen/innen für ihre Unterstützung und die harmonische und freundliche Atmosphäre, in der unsere Sitzungen ablaufen.
Die meisten werden schon wissen, dass wir 34 neue Genehmigungen bekamen, Altenpflegebetten anzubieten. Deshalb erweitern wir unser Heim noch einmal. Vorläufige Pläne sind schon beim Council eingereicht, und ich danke allen Beteiligten für ihren Einsatz. Bis heute sind unsere Fortschritte gut im Zeitplan; die Fertigstellung ist für etwa Dezember 2007 zu erwarten.
Unsere beiden Trägervereine haben jeweils großzügig $600,000 als Darlehen zur Verfügung gestellt. Gerne danke ich auch der TSA und AGWS für ihre anhaltende Unterstützung, die wir hoch schätzen.

Die Räume für die Ärztepraxis wurden im Erdgeschoss des Altersheims fertig, komplett mit Rezeption, Wartezimmer, drei Sprechzimmern und den nötigen medizinischen Nebenräumen. Die fertige Praxis sieht wirklich exzellent aus, und unsere Hausmeister verdienen Dank und Anerkennung dafür. Dr Jakubowicz hat es übernommen, die Praxis zu führen, aber – wie schon früher berichtet – gibt es immer noch behördliche Schwierigkeiten, Ärzte einzustellen.

Die Planung der drei neuen Kleinwohnungen ist beim Council eingereicht. Außerdem haben wir die Anerkennung für Hauspflege beantragt, um unsere Hilfe anzubieten, sodass Leute länger im eigenen Haus bleiben können. Der Development Fund (DF), der einen wesentlichen Teil unserer Projekt-Finanzierung ausmacht, entwickelt sich gut. Wir danken all jenen, die durch ihr Investment unser Heim unterstützen. Am Ende des Finanzjahres waren $3,91 Million investiert, etwas mehr als letztes Jahr. Wir erhielten außerdem Spenden von zusammen $42,706 und danken für Ihr großzügiges Zeichen, das TTHA als gemeinnützige Einrichtung zu unterstützen; wir sind wirklich darauf angewiesen!
Wir haben das Jahr mit einem kleinen Überschuss erfolgreich abgeschlossen, und unser Vermögen ist nach Abzug aller Verbindlichkeiten auf 5,8 Millionen angewachsen, das sind 1,2 Millionen Zuwachs seit der Amalgamation. Ein großes Dankeschön gilt auch unseren freiwilligen Helfern, deren unschätzbaren Dienst wir ihnen hoch anrechnen!

Im Namen des Vorstands möchte ich mich besonders bei Dr Schreiber und den beiden Pflegedienstleiterinnen (DONs), Karin Baumert and Cheryl Young, bedanken, ebenso bei allen Mitarbeitern, die übers Jahr mit großem, fachkundigem Einsatz und Begeisterung arbeiteten, um das Leben unseren Bewohnern angenehm zu gestalten.
Noch ein bisschen Aktuelles: Unsere beiden deutschen jungen Männer, Thomas und Christoph, haben uns verlassen, zwei neue erwarten wir demnächst. Ein Ausflug zu Tesselaars Tulip Farm ist für September geplant, sowie eine Frühlingsmodenschau. Beides wird sicherlich Anklang finden bei unseren Bewohnern.

Unsere Jahres-Hauptversammlung wird am Samstag, den 14. Oktober, um 10:30 in der Templer Chapel stattfinden. 51 Elizabeth St Bayswater.
Freundliche Grüße,
Hartmut Weller


Dear Friends
Time for our annual report again. The year brought numerous changes and it's certainly been challenging for me but, more importantly, I think it was very positive for our Home.
Late last year, we unfortunately had five TTHA committee members resign including our president. I wish to take this opportunity to again thank them for their time and effort, particularly our past president, Friedrich Sawatzky, who worked tirelessly for our Home and still does. We welcomed five new members, Gertrud Blessing, Dr Rolf Beilharz, Sigi Messner and myself as TSA representatives and Karl Haak for the AGWS.
As required by our constitution the TTHA Board (Committee of Management) met eleven times, with five members from each of our parent societies. I would like to thank my Board colleagues for their assistance and particularly for the harmonious and cordial atmosphere in which our meetings were conducted.

Most of you are aware that the Home applied for and was granted another 34 bed licences. We are therefore again extending our facility. A preliminary design has already been lodged with Council. The operational detail of the design had much input from user group sub-committees, and I thank those involved for their contribution. To date progress for the project is as planned. Completion of the new wing is expected around December 2007.
Our two parent organisations each generously granted us a $600,000 loan to assist with the new building and we are very grateful. I would also like to thank the TSA and AGWS for their continuous support, which we value greatly.
Rooms for a Doctors’ clinic were completed downstairs in the Altersheim, comprising reception, waiting and three consulting rooms, together with ancillary medical storage facilities. The finished clinic is excellent and the maintenance team is to be congratulated for their fine work. Dr Jakubowicz has committed to run the clinic, however, as reported earlier, problems still prevail re a suitable doctor.
Design for the three new independent living units is complete and a town planning permit has been lodged with Council. We have also applied for care packages which, if successful, would allow us to extend assistance to people still living in their own homes. The development fund (DF) which forms the financial backbone of our establishment is operating nicely. We thank all those who invested to support our Home. At the end of this financial year the DF fund stands at $3.91 million, up slightly over the previous year. We also received numerous donations totalling $42,706 and thank all those concerned for their very generous gestures. The TTHA is a non-profit organisation and therefore depends heavily on these donations.
Our financial year finished with a satisfactory surplus and we have a total equity net of liabilities of $5.8 million, an increase of $1.2 million since amalgamation.
We also extend a very big thankyou to all our many volunteers whose assistance is invaluable and very much appreciated.

On behalf of the Board of Management, I extend a sincere thankyou to Dr Schreiber, the two DONs, Karin Baumert and Cheryl Young, as well as their entire team for their enthusiastic and professional efforts over the year to ensure that our elderly can enjoy a secure and well-cared-for lifestyle.
Now a little on the Home’s happenings. Our current two German ‘boys’, Thomas and Christoph, have left us and we expect two new young men shortly.
An outing to Tesselaar’s Tulip farm is planned during September, as well as a spring fashion show. I'm sure both events will be enjoyable for our residents.

Our TTHA Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday 14th October at 10:30am at the TSA Chapel, 51 Elizabeth Street Bayswater.
Kind Regards,
Hartmut Weller

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