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DECEMBER
TEMPLER RECORD - ISSUE No. 701

REFLECTIONS 

Gerhard Kübler wrote this poem shortly before he died. He was the brother of Marianne Klink, wife of Walter Klink.
In the northern hemisphere, Advent leads towards the darkest winter nights, when Christmas seems like a miracle of inner light to those who turn inwards.
Sent in by a reader

ADVENT
Tag für Tag das Licht nun schwindet,
tief und tiefer sinkt die Nacht,
löst vom Äusseren und bindet,
was zur Ruhe sei gebracht.

Denn nach Innen muss sich’s wenden!
Was das Jahr hinausgeführt,
soll im tiefsten Dunkel enden,
sei im Innersten berührt.

Schwestern, Brüder, lasst uns gehen,
hin zu diesem inneren Licht,
dass das Wunder kann geschehen,
das die Weihnacht uns verspricht.

In Australia there is an abundance of light in December. Let that not stop us from reflecting on what Advent and Christmas mean to us.
Ed.

Merry Christmas
May a loving spirit within your home abide
no thought or word disturbing the joy of Christmastide
and when you reach the ending of this most happy day,
don’t let it go at midnight, bid the Christmas spirit stay.

TEXT OF THE MONTH – Revelations 21:22-26
Christmas! Weihnachten! Already last month the Templer Record was full of information and happenings to aid us in preparing for Christmas, from making Gutsle to taking on Christmas Day. And for us there is the tradition of Advent, the preparation for Christmas.
The text for this month comes from Revelations 21: 22- 26. Revelations was written at a time when the early Christians were being persecuted because of their faith. The book mostly consists of a series of visions presented in symbolic language that would have been understood by the Christians in the context of their time.

I did not see a temple in the city, because its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. The city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it because the glory of God shines on it and the Lamb is its lamp. The peoples of the world will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their wealth into it. The gates will stand open all day; they will never be closed, because there is no night there. The greatness and the wealth of the nations will be brought into the city.

This verse reminds me of Mit Jubelklang stimmt an das Lied – the Christmas song written by Christian Rohrer and often sung at our Christmas services. I admit it took me many years to appreciate the words of the song. As a child I longed for the more accessible carols and those associated with Christmas in the media. What did Mit Jubelklang have to do with baby Jesus, the star, the shepherds, angels and the wise men? Some of the symbolism sort of made sense – we lit candles to show the light that Jesus brought into the world and yes in some ways he was a mighty hero, but on the whole it did not appeal to me.

The older I got, the more sense it made and in terms of our text it is very relevant, especially the first verse:
'…the darkness cedes, the night retreats,
the glorious sun is risen.
The light of the world has come to stay,
The mighty hero is born today:
Glory to God in the highest.'

As Templers we believe that each of us is God's temple with God's spirit dwelling within us. All of us are living stones built into a spiritual Temple. For this reason the city (called the new Jerusalem) does not need a temple of bricks and mortar, for the temple is within each of the city’s people. The city has no gates, because everybody who believes can enter and add to the living temple. The light is provided through the enlightened nature of those who live there. We could say it is the kingdom of God on Earth.

It speaks directly to us who strive to put into practice in everyday life the teachings of Jesus. Our aim is to try and bring about the kingdom of God on Earth by working towards a balanced development in harmony with our environment and to live in peace with our neighbours. Trying our best to live up to these ideals is more important than succeeding. Jesus is the ultimate role model, inasmuch he managed to put into practice much of what he taught. In striving to do our best, we need to look at ourselves to ensure we are doing what we can, not rely on the judgment of others. None of us is perfect, so we should not judge others, and should remember our motto, Set your mind on God’s kingdom and his justice before anything else.

Belief is a very personal thing – just as the concept of God (or some would say enlightenment) is a very personal concept and varies from person to person. Similarly, the term kingdom of God may mean something different to each of us. Thus the way we go about putting our beliefs into action will be different. We all have different talents, strengths and weaknesses which again express our beliefs in our everyday life but all of us are required to work together to bring about the ‘kingdom of God on Earth’. Some would say that this goal means that the whole world would live in peace – our text notes that all the nations have the right to enter the city.
At Christmas time we celebrate the birth of Jesus – or in terms of the symbolic language 'the lamb'. We celebrate by lighting candles, as Jesus ‘lit’ the way for us. If we read the New Testament to find what he said (rather than the interpretations others put on his word) it can be a help in living a peaceful life. It means not cherry-picking bits of the Bible that suit.

This Christmas, take time to reflect and remember why we celebrate this day. It is a time for children, the giving of gifts symbolises the giving of gifts to Jesus at his birth. But more than that, it is a time to remember the angels’ message: ‘Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth’. Determine what you can do to help others or to work toward bringing peace on earth. It may be as big as being able to stop a war or as ‘small’ as making peace with a neighbour. Every little step counts.
Merry Christmas and peace be with you all!
Christa Lingham

INTERFAITH – efforts towards peace and harmony
As readers will know, we Templers participate in interfaith activities in Bentleigh and Knox. My attention has recently been drawn to the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ), which has a variety of notable leaders including, as its patron, Prof. David de Kretser AC, Governor of Victoria.

In his message in the CCJ’s journal Gesher (Bridge) he says: ‘The work of this Council is of significance in fostering understanding and tolerance between the Christian and Jewish religions and has served to reduce some of the historical tensions between these two faiths. The example set…, and the insights that have arisen, can be a powerful force in dealing with contemporary problems… while it is important to learn about the differences…, it is equally important to learn about and promote the commonalities of Christianity and Judaism. I am pleased also that wider interfaith initiatives continue to emerge; they should be fully supported.’
There is mention of the Young Abrahamic Council of Australia, open to tertiary students from the three Abrahamic traditions – Jewish, Christian and Muslim. This council was formed with great enthusiasm and energy after the CCJ’s International Conference in Sydney in July (a month before that of the Progressive Christianity).

In the October 2007 edition of Gesher, under History, there is an article on Templer Buildings – Historic and Inspirational, by the outgoing editor, Dr Morna Sturrock, who had spoken with Horst Blaich. A fine 1960s picture of the Sarona Community Hall with the Perrot clock illustrates the piece about the cooperation between the Christian Templers’ Heritage Group and an emerging generation of Jewish builders, architects and town planners inspired by the old Templer houses in Sarona, Tel Aviv. Readers of the TR Heritage Pages will be familiar with this cooperation and the Sarona restoration program, as well as the exhibition about the Templers in the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, said to be ‘the most significant event in the relationship between Israel and the Templers since the end of WWII’.

Dr Sturrock’s article mentions the Blaichs, Glenks, Haerings, Drs Eisler and Goldmann, and a number of Templer/Heritage publications.

Anything we can do, as individuals or a community, to promote harmony is a valuable step towards allowing God’s kingdom to flourish.
Herta Uhlherr
Thank you to Horst Blaich for sending in Gesher.

MORE FROM THE CONFIRMATION
Renate Weber
When Renate [Beilharz] and I thought about themes and ideas with the confirmands, two words resonated from their brainstorming – Community and Diversity. The Templers were and are a resilient, creative and practical group of people held together by their common belief. We came to the conclusion that all of life is a journey.

Martin Beilharz
Life is a journey. You have your ups and downs, times in your life when you feel on top of the world, where you’re just coasting along and everything is on your side, where you feel you can conquer anything fate may throw at you.
But fate can change quickly, one false move and your life may be on the brink where one step out of line could send you hurtling out of this world. Sometimes you fall so low where you think you can sink no lower, where you are battling invisible demons in your head, where one little setback will send you straight back to the starting blocks with nothing.

To help you through these times you need friends and family who look after you and nurture you back to health. A community of people will achieve much more than one person can in their lifetime. They look after each other, give a shoulder to lean on and, in turn, are leant on. In a community no-one is left out, no-one is excluded, it is a group of people who actually care if someone is hurt or in a bad state of mind, and will do anything to help make them feel better, to help them along life’s journey.
Then again, people are diverse, they all have different ways of doing things, of going through life’s journey; some of us go in hard and try to get the most out of every day and then there are the laid-back people who just go with the flow. Some of us are adventurous and some of us may be timid, but we still have something in common, we are all part of a community, helping each other through life and enjoying it.

Tamara – What the Temple Society means to me
The Temple Society means a lot to me because they really helped my family and me through a very upsetting time in our lives. You may or may not know that as a child I had leukaemia – a cancer of the blood.
Throughout this time they offered and gave their support to my family and me, provided meals and other requirements to my family for months, showed they cared with cards letters and calls. They prayed for me – and I do believe that this is one of the reasons why I made it.
During these hard times my grandma died and once again it was the Temple Society to the rescue. They arranged the whole funeral; gave us lots of support and helped us through the loss
That’s what the Temple Society means to me.

More contributions later.

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REGIONAL MATTERS

FROM THE REGIONAL COUNCIL
NOTES from the RC Meeting of Friday 9th November

• The meeting commenced with congratulations being extended to Dr Rolf Beilharz on his election as Templer President, and to Mark Herrmann on his election as Regional Head. This was Mark’s first meeting as chair, and Rolf’s first in 19 years that he did not have to chair!

• Correspondence included several letters/emails of congratulation: from the TSA to Peter Lange (on his retirement and birthday) and to Wolfgang Blaich (on his election as TGD Regional Head); and congratulations from the TGD to Mark and Rolf on their election.

• In relation to the above leadership changes, thoughts were expressed that the TS focus is now very much on the future. We are fostering more connections with wider society – perhaps the changes present an opportunity to focus on things we have always been too busy to do.

• There was discussion of items from the AGM requiring follow-up, including the roles/differentiation of the Regional Head and Business/Office Manager after Mark’s election (possibly to be considered by a working party).

• Dieter Glenk reported on the activities of the Central Fund, including exploring ways of increasing income from our assets; the Central Fund directors have re-elected him as Chairman and Dietmar Jürgensen as his Deputy; and Ulrich Asenstorfer’s 15 years of service as a director were acknowledged. A meeting of Regional Councillors and C.F. Directors to continue work on the constitution has been set for Saturday 1st December.

• Mark reported on various administration items, including development of the 2008 calendar.

• Renate Weber and Mark Herrmann reported on various Elder and related activities. Renate was congratulated on her reappointment as Focus Group leader.

• A range of other Focus Group activities were reported on and discussed, including: Sommerfest; the archive (employing an archivist to finish the work Renate Beilharz began 10 years ago, so that our collection is more accessible); the request from the German Consul to consider alternative arrangements for the annual Tatura Remembrance Day celebration; progress on the wall-hanging project, and Alfred and Ursel Klink’s work on documenting the process.

• The Property group has been as busy as ever, including looking at the need for space at our complexes for the ever-expanding Heritage work etc. The Youth Focus Group received a grant from the City of Knox for the 2008 Youth Fest.

• Regional councillors will have another discussion meeting with AGWS representatives on issues relating to aged care. Similarly, RC members will have a forum in November with C.F. directors and Dr Schreiber.

The December meeting will be an Extended Regional Council meeting.
Harald Ruff, on behalf of the Regional Council

TSA AGM – 21.10.2007 – Bayswater
Slightly abridged for space reasons. Members may request full version from the Office.

Chairman: Dr Rolf Beilharz – Regional Head of the TSA
The Regional Head conducted a short period of contemplation prior to formalities. He welcomed all present.
Presence: 102 in person, 48 represented by proxy, well over the required quorum.

FROM THE NEW PRESIDENT

Dear Templers,
My heartfelt thanks to all of you for your vote of confidence in electing me as President of the Temple Society. I look forward to meeting the challenges of this new role.

Thank you to Peter Lange for the good work he did before retiring as Templer President. I will continue to support his initiatives, the encouragement of new Templer literature through translation of existing German work into English and new work in both languages. The same applies to the exchange between Australia and Germany of Templer youth and Elders or office personnel.
Since I am a biologist and agricultural scientist, science and knowledge remain very important to me. One area of knowledge I want to learn more about is theology; when in Germany I hope to use the existing contacts with Free (or progressive) Christians, and also Otto Hammer.

There is now in Australia and also the USA a movement towards ‘progressive Christianity’ and also ‘progressive Judaism’. I will promote interaction with this movement. At a conference (attended by Mark Herrmann, Herta Uhlherr, Ingrid Turner and me) in August, it became clear to me that the Temple Society is right at the forefront in matters of ‘progressive religion’. Our motto, expressed in today’s words, means that people should be serious about changing their attitudes from selfishness to working for the good of the community. The effect will be that everyone will live in greater peace and harmony in the world right now.
Progressive Christians agree that one should live in peace and harmony, but who has actually done this? Templers have lived their daily lives in this way for over 150 years. And we have survived despite global problems not of our making (two World Wars, transportation to a new country). I believe further historic and archival studies would be useful to find out exactly how living our beliefs has allowed us to survive so well. Living our religion may become a very positive example for other people in the world. I will try to learn more about this positive strength and how it can be passed on to others.

I am also interested in how one recognises what is true. This applies in science as well as in religion. Must religious truth always oppose truth in science, or are there bridges that unite the truth of religion with the truth of science? I think there are; given our Templer beliefs, I have no problems with seeing the truth of our religion as true also in science and vice versa. I look forward to discussing such questions with many of you.

I also bring with me some unfinished matters from my time as a university researcher in animal behaviour and animal breeding. A presently unconventional explanation of evolution that I have been working on may contribute to better understanding even of humans. One example is the generally negative judgment of human sexuality. It is possible that when our sexuality became different from that of other mammals, this facilitated the development of humans (enlargement of brain, ability to think, and so on). I will continue to follow up better explanations of evolution.

Meanwhile, I am in the process of finding out more about the practical aspects of the president’s role and look forward to conversations with many more of you.
Rolf Beilharz

FROM THE NEW REGIONAL HEAD
It is common for incumbent and aspiring prime ministers to declare that they are here to serve for all Australians. They then usually proceed to highlight particular categories of Australians, such as the indigenous, those living outside the major cities and the less affluent.

In some ways, my welcome is similar, yet, I hope, a little different. Naturally, my role as TSA Regional Head places me in a position to serve all Members, but I strongly believe that the TSA can only continue to exist and to grow through its membership – that is, on a collective and on an individual basis. In other words, I maintain that membership enables Mr/Mrs/Ms TSA to contribute to and help shape our valuable Community. I’m not sure that John Howard or Kevin Rudd concedes that Mr/Mrs/Ms Citizen has the same opportunity on a national scale. I think they would prefer to have (or to believe they have) greater influence and control. Perhaps because of size, nature and values, I like to think that the TSA is better able to foster cohesive and cooperative partnerships.
As I mentioned at the Annual General Meeting in Bayswater, I have many people to thank. I acknowledge the trust placed in me by the voting Members and I can but promise to do my very best. In saying this, I know that there are many, many hard-working Templers prepared to make personal sacrifices to ensure that things happen and continue to happen. This spirit and level of support is paramount in our Community. I wish to thank Fred Gohl who, although unsuccessful, was prepared to inform himself of the responsibilities of the Regional Head position, accept formal nomination and stand for election. I know there are many opportunities for Fred – and all other Members – to involve themselves in the activities and running of the TSA.

I acknowledge the long-standing commitment and dedication exhibited by Rolf Beilharz in his service as Regional Head over 19 years. Apart from his ‘standard’ duties, Rolf has shown a preparedness to involve himself in any aspect of the TSA needing resolution, mediation, advancement – in other words, the difficult things. Recognising Rolf’s service implies an equal vote of thanks to Vyrna for her unstinting and cooperative support to all facets of Rolf’s work. Similarly, I thank my wife Nanne (Marianne) and children for allowing me to nominate for the position despite being aware of the possible repercussions on our family life. Her backing and encouragement have been, and will continue to be, of great significance. I also acknowledge all other past TSA Regional Heads – Dr Richard Hoffmann, Dieter Ruff and Felix Haar – for their example and beneficial legacy.

Although I am familiar with all operations of the TSA and its relationships with other bodies, the role of Regional Head as a leadership position will introduce changes for me. There will be new skills to learn, and I ask for the patience of all those I will be working with as I adapt to these changes. I will no doubt require (and seek) support, advice and gentle nudging (no sharp elbows, please) from my colleagues. I look forward to the challenges – both personal and for the Temple Society – that the future will undoubtedly bring.

I realise this article reads a little like a political ‘promise’, so I will borrow the following quote: ‘A network is non-hierarchical. It is a web of connections among equals. What holds it together is not force, obligation, material incentive, or social contract, but rather shared values and the understanding that some tasks can be accomplished together that could never be accomplished separately’.
To me, that sounds very much like the TSA. I will therefore close by indulging in my favourite catch-phrase – Share in our Community, for together we achieve – as I believe it fittingly reflects how our network functions.
Mark Herrmann

FROM THE OFFICE

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – TSA Business/Office Manager
My new role as Regional Head and Central Fund Director necessitates the appointment of a new TSA Business/Office Manager. The Regional Council has drafted guidelines for this paid Office position to ensure that potential applicants are aware of what the role entails.
Expressions of interest in the position are therefore sought – initially internally, but also outside the TSA if necessary. Persons interested in applying can obtain the position guidelines by contacting the TSA Office by telephone on (03) 9557 6713 or via the e-mail address tsa@datafast.net.au
To enable the appointment process to proceed, expressions of interest must be lodged by Friday 14th December 2007, at the latest.

Office Closure
The TSA Office will not be fully attended during the Christmas and summer holiday period. We will close on Friday 21st December and re-open on Thursday 24th January 2008. Messages can be left on the answering machine, but please be aware that they may not be responded to immediately.
The bereavement line (03) 9557 9695 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 to thank 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 year.
Mark Herrmann, Business Manager/Regional Head

FROM THE ELDERS

Possible Interest Group
The TSA Office appears to be receiving an increasing volume of material concerning social issues e.g. State Government gambling extensions, abortion law enquiry; local groups regarding genetically modified crops, stem cell research etc. – to which comment is often invited. Some of this material is dealt with by Regional Council or by the Elders in their respective forums.

The question was asked whether there is sufficient interest within our Community to have discussion forums on these important issues. Guest speakers could be invited to facilitate discussion. It is understood that it is not good to try to formulate a definitive Templer point of view, and neither should the TSA necessarily enter into political arguments. However, personal opinions and individual perspectives can always be fostered, and such forums could be instructive and enlightening.

Similarly given the controversy surrounding Richard Dawkins’ book The God Delusion and subsequent Compass programs on ABC television, there may be Templers willing to come together regularly to explore such literature.
Under the TSA structure, a specific Interest Group could be created to engage with these and other matters and current topics of mutual interest. Is there any interest amongst our Members and friends? Please contact me at the Office, or Renate Weber at home.
Mark Herrmann, for the Elders

SOCIAL CARE

Dear Friends,
Several members have been in hospital. I was able to visit some of them and I wish them patience, courage and a speedy recovery.
Healthy and positive ageing is a lifelong process. It is about independence, maintaining physical and mental health, personal safety, appropriate accommodation, feeling self-fulfillment and being a valued community member. Over the next ten years and beyond, the older population of the TS and the community at large is expected to increase. Never before have there been so many services and positive lifestyle choices available to enhance people’s wellbeing and active community life as they get older. I have noticed that our members who are slowly becoming frailer with their families, are making proactive lifestyle decisions before they reach a crisis or end up in hospital with high care needs. Feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss such options and lifestyle alternatives, for example Community Care Packages, independent living units and apartments or residential aged care.

I sometimes receive referral requests from thoughtful and caring family members and friends who ask me to look in on someone frail who is no longer coping very well. I am happy to follow up with home visits. It is also important to make sure his or her rights are respected and they are treated as persons of worth, so please remember to let them know you are making the referral to me.
Independent living unit No. 17 outside the Tabulam and Templer Homes will be available soon. It is a one bedroom unit that will be completely renovated. If you are interested, let me know as soon as possible.

Two independent living apartments inside the TTHA, a double and a single, are available now. The decision to move into an apartment can be challenging. Physically it is often a big relief to downsize and live in a facility where help is at hand. Our fixed mindset of large-scale living with our own garden and vege patch is often a barrier to thinking about a more suitable lifestyle. It is good to challenge one’s own thinking and look at alternative benefits. These apartments are surrounded by beautiful parkland, there’s car park space, room for personal computers, pets are welcome and it’s easy to take part in community functions. Please contact me if you would like to discuss any aspect about the apartments.

CACPs (Community Aged Care Packages) provide independence
Many of our members who live at home are already supported by care packages and have a case manager from a variety of agencies. If you would like to continue living at home in the suburbs but think you would benefit from assistance with meals, shopping, gardening, personal care and the occasional leisure outing, let me know and I can help arrange an Aged Care Assessment which is the first requirement for a Community Care Package.
Joint Templer and Australian German Welfare Society activities

On Monday 12th November I enjoyed an evening hosted by the AGWS in their South Melbourne office. Many Templers are also members of the AGWS and actively take part in both organisations’ activities. Others have little or no contact with the other. A lovely suggestion was made to organise some joint social activities in 2008 so that members of both groups can get to know each other better and feel more comfortable taking part in each other’s activities. There’s much value in reaching out, especially to other German-speakers who have also lived in Australia for many years. I’m looking forward to those events.
Residential Aged Care at TTHA – From April or May 2008 there will be new single and double rooms for an additional 34 residents at TTHA. If you or a family member needs to book for respite or would like to get on the Considerations List, please let me know.
Knitting project for vulnerable children of the world.
Please note the collection depot will not be open from 30th November 2007 to 1st February 2008, so hang on to your items till late January.

Care Worker Colleagues
I have enjoyed working closely with Ingrid Turner, Community Care Worker in Sydney.

Christmas Message
Christmas is a time for much loving, sharing and giving. I hope you will enjoy Weihnachts-Gutsle, baking or eating, Templer Adventsfeier, putting out Christmas decorations, singing Christmas carols and the company of special friends and family. I wish you all good health and pleasant festivities.
Frohe Weihnachten und ein gutes Neues Jahr!
Contact me on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays on my mobile phone.
Dr Irene Bouzo

SPECIAL AWARD for Brigitte Kneher
On 4th October in Schloss Bellevue (Berlin), the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Horst Köhler, awarded TGD member Brigitte Kneher the Bundesverdienstorden, ‘für ihre Verdienste für das Gemeinwesen’.
Brigitte’s contribution includes many years of volunteering, helping foreign children with their homework, and her historical work regarding former Jewish citizens of her hometown of Kirchheim. She initiated inviting these former citizens or their descendants (living mostly in the US) back to visit their former home town.
Congratulations!
Ed.

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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.

THANK YOU
I would like to thank everyone who has sent me kind thoughts, wishes, cards and flowers during my time in hospital and rehabilitation since my stroke. Thank you also for your kind enquiries. I am progressing well, and am very much looking forward to coming home!
Else Huebner

BEREAVEMENTS

Gretel Ottenhoff née Steller passed away suddenly on 3.11.2007. She is survived by her husband Peter, her sisters Renate Herrmann and Lies Minzenmay, and brother Dieter Steller and families. The funeral was held on 14th November at the Crematorium Palmdale Road, Palmdale (past Gosford in NSW).

ááá

Erika Scheer passed away on 11.11.2007. She would have turned 89 this month. Erika is survived by her daughter, Verena, and siblings living interstate or in Germany. Erika's husband, Richard, passed away in March 2005.

ááá

Von seiner Frau, Gladys, erfuhren wir, dass Jimmy Harding, Sohn von Gertrud geb. Messerle, am 7.10.2007 gestorben ist. In besonderer Verbundenheit denken an ihn seine Klassenkameraden von Wilhelma während der Internierungszeit dort. Er sprach besser schwäbisch als englisch und hat einige Mal beim Klassentreffen in Australien teilgenommen. Er konnte noch Kinderlieder und Verse vortragen, die er bei Fräulein Dreher gelernt hatte.
Unser herzliches Beileid gilt seiner Frau, sowie den drei Töchtern und zwei Enkelkindern.
Heinz und Heidi Vollmer

Our condolences to the bereaved families

BENTLEIGH CARAVAN STALL
On Thursday 25th October, Gisela Bulach and her team of helpers braved the Bentleigh pavement works and unforecast showers to raise money for the Bayswater Playgroup. Although there was very little passing trade, they are pleased to advise that they were still able to hand over $180 for the purchase of CDs and DVDs. Many thanks to Gisela, Volker, those who donated items and those who assisted on the day.
We will see if Gisela can continue to bring much-needed rain. The next Caravan Stall is planned for April 2008, assuming the pavement works are completed. The exact date is yet to be confirmed.
Marianne Herrmann, for the Social & Recreation FG

HEALTH AND WELFARE SEMINAR ON PALLIATIVE CARE
The seminar held in the Bayswater hall on Saturday 27th October was practical and informative. The two speakers balanced each other very well. They provided two perspectives that ranged from the medical symptoms to gentle care strategies for the terminally ill.
We were privileged to hear guest speaker, Dr Irene Wagner, one of our Templers, giving us the geriatrician’s perspective on the many different clinical symptoms of progressive end-stage dementia that sometimes just seem like bad and difficult behaviour. She listed many forms of palliation to keep a person comfortable such as pain management, modified diet and easier food intake. She said never force-feed a person. Dr Wagner stressed that, as people deteriorate, anxiety can worsen and non-drug measures are important, such as giving less but simple and clear information and avoiding frustration at the person’s lack of comprehension. She also recommended using walking, music, reading and looking at books or photo albums together to distract and settle the person. She described how depression was increasingly common in people with degenerative diseases, and then anti-depressant medication is required.

The second speaker, Brigitte Osborne, shared with us gentle and loving experiences from her 18 years of giving palliative care to end-of-life patients. She told us of their continuing need to look and feel nice. We heard about the beautiful butterfly wall where people left their memories in the form of colourful personalized butterflies that they had made.

Afterwards we enjoyed gourmet sandwiches, delicious pastries and hand-made lamingtons provided by the TTHA catering service.
Many thanks to Renate Beilharz for her technical support in working the lap-top for the PowerPoint presentation. The DVD segment, depicting a dying man who opens to spirituality, was lent to participants to view at home. Many participants said they felt inspired and positive. Some commented: ‘I wish I had had this seminar 15 years ago’. ‘That was so practical I got a lot out of it.’ ‘I wish the seminar could be held again at Bentleigh so more people can hear it.’

Both guest speakers said they would be available for a repeat session early next year in Bentleigh.
Irene Bouzo and Geoff McCallum, for the Welfare and Distant FG

GERMAN DISCUSSION EVENING – 8th November
Heimat und Identität
About twenty people enjoyed a stimulating evening of discussion. It was a great opportunity to practise the German language. We explored the meaning of Heimat, and most agreed it is possible to have more than one. This theme provides an important link with next year’s special German School project: Unsere Familien im Ausland.

Elke Kessler, wife of the German Consul General, read out a variety of interesting texts on positive and negative feelings about one’s homeland. Torsten Schulz, German Language Advisor, Goethe-Institut Melbourne, read out some of his own poetry and a personal account of ‘emotional baggage’ or ‘Bündel’ he carried with him from having grown up in the DDR. Torsten definitely believes he has two ‘Heimaten’, one from living in the then DDR and the second is the Deutschland of now.

People freely shared their personal experiences, which gave us great insight into the topic. Most stayed for quite some time afterwards, to continue the discussion with our special guests over coffee, tea and delicious biscuits.
The front room or fellowship area of the chapel was a lovely venue. Our guests both said they are looking forward to coming again (Elke is leaving Australia for their next posting/ retirement some time next year). If you have any topic preferences for the future, please let us know.
Irene Bouzo and Doris Frank, for the Bayswater-Boronia German School

THE TEMPLERS – Secrets of Tel Aviv
Israeli TV’s DVD about the Templers in Sarona was shown in Bayswater on 10th November. In the discussion that followed, several people commented on what they had seen. (I did not take notes.)

What struck me was:

• that the Israelis made the film at all. It was obviously for home (Jewish) consumption, slightly sensationalized to grab interest, with much weight given to about 7 years (out of 70) in the 1930s and 40s – see also Peter Lange’s article in the November TR, page 48ff. We appreciated Dr Danny Goldman’s comment about a historic injustice done to the Templers.
• The enthusiasm for Templer enterprise and innovation shown by experts like Prof. Ben Artzi and others. One striking sequence was of the admiringly described new Templer machine to press oil shown beside the traditional way Arab women extracted olive oil manually (with what looked rather like grinding stones) in the same way it had been done for 1500 years. Someone commented ‘They (the Templers) came to help us’.
• The effort (and money!) going into preserving some of the Templer heritage as part of Israel’s pre-1948 history. Templers are very grateful and appreciate that.
• How important it is to dialogue with people of other faiths and countries, to allow more pockets of understanding, mutual appreciation and – hopefully – peace to spread.

MC Helmut Glenk mentioned the Australian Templer contribution to the film, segments filmed by Manfred Haering and many photographs contributed by Horst Blaich and Charlotte Laemmle.
Extracts from Helmut’s conclusion follow.

• We cannot change history and we cannot change the film in its current format. We can, however, continue to work towards a better understanding and respect; and there are ongoing common areas of achievement with the Israelis. A number of positives are worth mentioning:
• The fact that such a film was made by the Israelis is noteworthy. It clearly shows the hardships, dedication, achievements, innovation and contribution by the Templers to the modernisation of Palestine.
• The Sarona Restoration Project – who would have thought that an ‘open day’ earlier this year would attract several thousand ordinary Israeli citizens to see first hand this former Templer settlement and learn about its history.
• The other Templer settlements – Haifa and Jerusalem, known as the former German colonies – are prominently marked and, with their magnificent buildings, are part of the tourist attractions in these cities. In more rural Wilhelma, Betlehem and Waldheim, many of the former German homes are tastefully restored and still stand proudly as testimony to the richly productive Templer history.
• The invitation earlier this year to Peter Lange to speak at a major international conference in Jerusalem on the Templer trades-people and their contribution and impact on the development of Palestine.
• The ‘Chronicles of a Utopia’ exhibition. This major exhibition on the Templers in Tel Aviv attracted thousands of viewers. I regard it as a major milestone in the recognition of the Templers and their achievements.
• The ongoing dialogue with historians, senior university academics, the historical Preservation Society, world-renowned architects, Tel Aviv City Council officials helps to ensure that the Templer heritage is not forgotten, but recognised in its proper place in history.

Renate Beilharz and Karin Ruff of the Heritage Group were thanked for organising the afternoon. Ed.

BUSHWALKS
We've just completed our last walk for the year in the You Yangs. Trudi, as always, with map in hand and first-aid-kit in the pack led us first to the top of Flinders Peak for a glorious 360 degree view of the surroundings before completing a circuit around the mountain. The whole group of 15 then lunched near the car park, enjoying beautiful views out to the bay, Geelong and Avalon Airport with a Qantas pilot practising take offs and landings. Even Arthur’s Seat and the city skyline came through the distant haze. Whilst some left after lunch, others walked another circuit through the scrub in the lower regions.

Thanks, Trudi, for another wonderful year of such a variety of well-prepared walks. We all also appreciate your cheerful manner on each and every occasion and look forward to many more such walks.
Gisela and Volker Bulach

GRAND TEDDY BEAR’S PICNIC – 11th November
Christine Ruff held a lovely service all about what the children (and adults) learn at Playgroup. Mention must be made of the wonderful musical prelude and interlude performed by Master Lachlan (8), Master Alexander (7) and their Mum Sonia Glenk (henceforth to be known as the von Glenk Family Trio). It was performed with such confidence and presence, that the congregation burst into spontaneous applause. Bravo! How fitting for the 25th anniversary of Playgroup !

The Grand Teddy Bears’ Community Picnic that followed was a great success. Fabulous weather, great location (on the lawn, under the shade of the trees near the playground), delicious food and enough cakes for an army.
This was a dual celebration of 25 years since the Templer Playgroup commenced and the retirement of Playgroup teacher Moni Herrmann after 22 years.

Initiated by Fred Sawatzky and Heinz Vollmer, Playgroup was established in 1982 in an attempt to bring more people into contact with the Temple Society. However, it turns out Playgroup has done more to promote opportunities for families to connect within the Temple Society.
Denise Imberger was present. She was asked to co-ordinate the first Playgroup and created the structure and routines which have been continued to this day by Moni, who took over as teacher three years later. To get Playgroup started, Denise donated toys from her own family’s collection and the Temple Society provided money to buy craft items. And so, every Thursday morning for the past 25 years, two- to four-year-olds from Bayswater, Bentleigh and surrounds have gathered to talk, scream, paint, cut, paste, build, eat fruit, roll out the wooden toy box (with many small hands helping), and fall into an exhausted sleep in the car on the way home.

Over 100 families and 211 children have participated in our Playgroup. It’s hard to believe that such a valuable service was voluntary up until several years ago. The participation and assistance of the many Omas and Opas over the years is also greatly appreciated. Thankfully, families from outside the Temple Society have also participated in Playgroup, including, I am told, some recruited off the street during that very first year of Playgroup and a German Oma without any English, who brought along her grandchild.

As Moni said in her thankyou speech, children who play together, stay together. This is certainly true with my own children who are always able to find someone they know and can play with at Templer functions, due to the friendships they established at Playgroup. But I think those of us who have attended over the years would agree that Playgroup is also for the parents, particularly mothers, although many fathers have been regular attendees. There was much love (and some tears) in the room as we sang Happy 25th Birthday to Playgroup and thanked Moni for her 22 years of love, support and dedication as Playgroup teacher.

Many thanks must go to Susi Blackwell who coordinated most of the organisation for the day. Thanks also to Mandy, Fred, Tony, Renate, Hoovy, Mark, Erica, Emad (for the divine hommus and bread), and all the other wonderful helpers. The hayrides provided much entertainment, and the pin-the-bow-on-the-teddy games! And, of course, thanks to all who brought their teddies, without whom there just wouldn’t have been a teddy bears’ picnic!
Diana Richter and Beate Kuerschner

TEDDY BEARS EXTRAORDINAIRE! – Thank You
It was fantastic to see so many of our families. The day was very special with shared memories, many smiles and hugs, lots of loved teddies, excellent food, special birthday cakes and afternoon tea – a mini-Sommerfest. Christine gave another heart-warming family service.

For me it has been a great privilege to have been able to share the friendship of so many of our beautiful young families who are always there for each other. I want to thank each and every one of you – you’re all gems!
It has taken me a long time to finally make the decision to relinquish what I have loved doing for so long. It is time to move on and I have no doubt that a beautiful person will step in. Playgroup will certainly continue! A very humble thankyou for allowing me to be part of your world. I have reaped many rewards with many loving people. I know that I will have serious withdrawal symptoms on a Thursday morning and I will miss all those loving hugs, but I have been told that I am allowed to visit!

Huge thanks to a very special lady, Susi Blackwell, for your inspiration, enthusiasm and hard work in bringing so much love into a fantastic day, and ordering sensational weather. The team of workers and organisers behind the scenes did a terrific job; we thank you all! Even the tractor for the kids’ hayrides was there, as popular as always. (Susi spent about 9 years at Playgroup! Other families have also come for multiple years, earning them life membership.)

My thanks to the TSA for the special gift. I received three large, bright artistic glass tiles featuring Australian plants (they know me well!). They are quite beautiful and I intend to mount them on the external wall of our house entrance; I will remember every time I pass. Another priceless gift was the collated contributions from playgroup children and families over the years.
What can I say but ‘thank you’! With much love, warmth and gratitude,
Moni Herrmann

MORE ON TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC
I want to share with you parts of Christine Ruff’s lovely Family Service.
Although we eventually outgrow Playgroup, we never outgrow the lessons we learnt there. What did we learn at Playgroup?
We learnt that there are other people in the world, not just me and that we make some wonderful friends at Playgroup.

We learnt that we can at least tolerate those who do not become a permanent part of our lives and with whom we may share few common interests.
We learnt how to get along, of the necessity to share and how to do it. We learnt that we are all different.
We learnt life skills at Playgroup.
We learnt how to cut and paste and colour and paint. Boy, did we learn how to paint! (Many Mums with paint-stained clothing will testify to this!)
We learnt how to pack up after ourselves and how to listen to others. We learnt how to trust, to sing, to laugh and experiment, to try new things. We learnt to have a go.
We learnt to stand up for ourselves, but we also learnt how to get help from others. And with that, we also learnt to help others.
We learnt about happiness and disappointment, and how to deal with both.
We grew at Playgroup, in height, in wisdom, in confidence and we grew up. We grew into a community, and for some of us, Playgroup was the first taste of this. – What a wonderful sensation!
Of course, at the time, we did not realize we were learning any of this! We thought we were just at Playgroup to have fun! Little did we know we were there for hard work! One of the reasons we had so much fun was because we felt safe and comfortable.

We are all older now, and are still trying to learn some of the things we started learning in Playgroup. Some of those lessons are hard to perfect! But the seed was planted by you, Moni.
Playgroup is the starting point for so many things, including new life skills, friendships and community life. It is a vital part of our life and we are grateful you kept it alive for so long.

Thanks, Moni, for facilitating all of the learning and fun for so many years, and for always doing it with a smile on your face, with endless enthusiasm and patience, and with gentleness, compassion and love. The kids love you and will always remember you, and you will hold a special place in their hearts for a long time
.
Enjoy a well-earned ‘retirement’ and continue to keep the child in you alive and kicking. You can retire knowing you have made a difference in many children’s lives.
Susi Blackwell

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SYDNEY AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA

INGRID’S REPORT

General Community
As I write, the final preparations are being made for the Bazaar and the celebration of the centenary of our little Church Hall on 24th November. I’m sure the day will be a success and am grateful for the hard work of many people in organizing, setting up and making things for the event. I will report on the day in the next TR.

The foundation stone was laid by J.C. Thompson, Esq. on 30th November 1907, and stands on part of 160 acres of land granted to William Kent by Crown Grant dated 3rd August 1799. The church was built by the Congregational Union of NSW in 1907.To commemorate this event, a plaque designed by Rolf Beck in consultation with the Focus Group, was made to be affixed to the front wall next to the foundation stone.

The Saal on 10th October was held by Werner Ehmann. He congratulated our new community co-heads, Emmy and Ingrid, and thanked Hartmut Beck for his honest and dedicated service to our community over many years.
Werner spoke on Luke 18:9-14, about the tax collector and the Pharisee who both prayed at the Temple. While the text uses the arrogant Pharisee as an example of haughtiness, Werner noted that being humble does not mean to debase yourself; it means to love your neighbour as yourself. He then gave numerous personal experiences where a respectful, honest and considerate attitude had a remarkable response from ‘neighbours’.

The first two Saals next year will be different and exciting.
The February Saal is moved to the second Sunday 10th February, so that Helmut Glenk can be with us. The activities will last most of the day, so please bring along a plate of food to contribute to the communal lunch. Saal will start at 10:30am, followed by the launch of Helmut’s book Shattered Dreams at Kilimanjaro, the intriguing story about Templers who went to East Africa to settle. We will take a break for communal lunch before viewing the Israeli documentary The Templers – Secrets in Tel Aviv which Helmut is bringing up for us. A discussion about the DVD will conclude the day.

Thanksgiving Saal is on Sunday 2nd March at Meadowbank Hall. Afterwards we will have a catered lunch to thank our recently retired leader, Hartmut Beck, and committee members Manne Schnerring, Erni Weller, Erika Schulz, Herbert Steller. More details in the next TR. Please let Ingrid Turner know if you would like your children to be presented at this Service.
Parking – Last month’s committee meeting decided to stop parking inside the church grounds during Saals for safety reasons. We recognize that parking in the grounds is very popular, but we are concerned that an accident may occur as children play in this area. Already there have been hair-raisingly close near-misses. While children don’t attend all Saals, we love it when they come and the feeling was that the risk is just too great. Parking is allowed in the grounds at any other time, including Frauenverein, working bees, other meetings etc. We hope that this does not offend or inconvenience our community too much, and trust that you agree that the safety of our kids is worth the small inconvenience. If you have significant issues with this change, please talk to any committee member, including myself and we will try and accommodate your needs. We will monitor how this change goes and review it in the future.

Family and Youth
Christmas Party Sunday 2nd December (time to be confirmed) – at the Sydney Olympic Aquatic Centre at Homebush.
Summer is here, let’s have a splash! The Aquatic center is a fantastic place with water activities for all ages. Meet on the grassed area, through the back door of the complex. Bring your swimming gear, a blanket, drinks (these can also be purchased at the complex) and a plate for a Communal picnic lunch. We would love to see you there! RSVP Ingrid.
 
Christmas Saal 4:00pm, 23rd December – Meadowbank Hall
Would your child like to be in our Christmas pageant or be willing to entertain us with their music? Please let me know ASAP, so I can start arranging the details for this special Service.

Youth Camps in Victoria are on from January 6 to 12. Please consult with Susi Blackwell, see Youth Section. If any parents and left-over siblings are interested, please contact Emmy or Ingrid.

Australia Day Long Weekend Ourimbah; 3:00pm Friday 25th January to Monday 28th January
John and Jane Barnard have kindly offered their house and grounds as a site for a family camp over the Australia Day Long Weekend. Their rural bush property is always a beautiful site and it is very close to many Central Coast beaches and attractions, a great base for those wishing to surf. As in the past, most families will need to tent and the Barnards will let us use their kitchen, amenities and living spaces. In order to arrange their holiday plans, John and Jane wish to know by Christmas if there is enough interest for the camp. Melbourne Families and young people are welcome! Please RSVP to Ingrid or John and Jane before Christmas and obtain further details then.

Christmas Greetings
Well, that is it for another year. Thanks to Emmy, Jo, Erika, Hartmut, the committee, the Frauenverein and the community for your support of my endeavours this year – however shaky. In my welfare role I hope that all our elderly and their carers have a special time with their families. To our younger members, I hope you have a terrific Christmas and New Year’s Celebration. Congratulations to those who have completed exams and courses, I hope you enjoy your well-earned break. Be gentle on yourselves in this frantic, exciting and hot time.

The Sydney Focus Group committee, Emmy and I wish you all a lovely Christmas, a happy New Year and holidays filled with fun adventures. We look forward to the special things that 2008 may bring.

2008 Dates
Ø   6th - 12th January – Templer Youth Camps in Victoria
Ø   25th- 28th January – Ourimbah at the Barnard’s place.
Ø   10th February – 10:30am Saal, book launch with Helmut Glenk, community lunch, viewing of the Israeli DVD.
Ø 2nd March – 10:30am Thanksgiving Saal; recognition luncheon.
Ingrid Turner, Welfare & Youth Worker and Joint Leader of the Sydney Focus Group
e-mail: ingridt@tpg.com.au 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Am 14. Oktober trafen sich 10 Leute zum Saal in Tanunda. Der Vortrag war über den Text nach dem Johannes Evangelium, Kapitel 8, Verse 1-3, über die Frau, die Ehebruch beging. Wenn wir die 10 Gebote genau betrachten, sind die ersten fünf zur Erziehung – Erziehung durch Liebe und Vorbild. Die letzten fünf Gebote dienen dem Zusammenleben mit den Mitmenschen. Oftmals ist es besser, nachsichtig zu sein als zu strafen.
Unser nächster Saal ist am 9. Dezember um 2:00 Uhr in Tanunda.
Die Frauengruppe traf sich im Oktober bei Elsa Mahlburg in Woodside und im November im Adelaide Museum – Bericht folgt später.
Rose Asenstorfer

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YOUTH

YOUTH CALENDAR
Ø Sunday 2nd December – Adventsfeier (helpers welcome to serve afternoon tea)
Ø Sunday 9th December – Go-karting
Ø Sunday 6th to Saturday 12th January 2008 – Summer and Youth camps

In November we had to cancel our rock climbing activity due to lack of numbers. This was a shame, but it is that hectic time of year and many of our youth group members were caught up with exams and other activities. Rock-climbing will be rescheduled for early next year.

The good news is that preparation for our December activities is going well, with many kids already booking in to come along. We will be going go-karting at the Le Mans track in Dandenong South. The cost is $30 per person, and Rosa leaves Bayswater at 1:15pm and Bentleigh at 2:00pm. For more information or to book your place, please call or e-mail me ASAP.

I am also looking for ideas for Youth Group activities for 2008, so please let me know if there is something you would like to do!
Kylie Wilmot, Youth Group Leader
e-mail kyliejw@bigpond.net.au 

YOUTH FEST
Great news! The application submitted to the Knox City Council Community Development Fund was successful. This grant towards Youth Fest will be incredibly helpful. Well done and a big thankyou to Bernhard Hoefer, Youth Focus Group leader, who wrote and submitted the grant application.
Over the past couple of months I have been contacting other youth groups and associations in Bayswater and the surrounding area. We are looking for some of these organisations to come on board with the project, to offer support and have room to expand on what we are trying to do.

For more information, or to become involved, please let me know, as I would love to hear from people (of all ages!) who can contribute. Otherwise, watch this space for more information and updates next year as we get closer to Sunday 21st September!
Kylie Wilmot
e-mail kyliejw@bigpond.net.au 

SUMMER CAMP AND YOUTH CAMP 2008
The dates for both camps are Sunday 6th to Saturday 12th January 2008. Information and application forms are available from the Office and will be sent out via e-mail to all families with age-appropriate kids who are listed on our database. If you don’t receive an e-mail, please contact the TSA Office or Susi Blackwell.

Summer camp will be held at Cape Otway and, as well as the ‘old faithfuls’, there will be some great things to do on this camp, including surfing and the ‘Otway Fly’ walk! Summer camp is open to all kids aged between 11 and 15 years (and not yet confirmed).
Youth camp will also be held at a beach venue with some exciting water sports activities to take part in, or just come along to hang out with your Confirmation or Youth Group buddies! To attend Youth camp, you need to be 15 years or over and/or confirmed. Remember, your friends are welcome to come along to either camp.
Contact  Susi on susi.tsa@datafast.net.au

TEENAGE GROUP
Hi Guys,
Thanks to everyone for a great afternoon at my place. You looked like you had a fun time and you came up with a great list of activities for next year. I will be sending you out your own calendar with all the relevant dates for the year once all the TSA dates have been finalised.
Have a speedy last few weeks of 2007, a great Christmas and fantastic, relaxing school holidays. Don’t forget summer camp – you all said that you would be going. Make sure you give Winnie and Christine a hard time – maybe not too hard.
Moni Imberger

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CHILDREN'S SECTION

Hallo to you all,
To those of you who came to the Teddy Bears’ Picnic and Playgroup Reunion, wasn’t it a wonderful day? It was really good to see so many of you there, with your parents and even your grandparents. It was also amazing to see all the different teddy bears that decided to come along. Grace’s teddy must have been the biggest, and we decided Lisa’s was the oldest, but they were all special in some way, weren’t they? I hope your teddy bear enjoyed the day – my teddy had a great time, but he was so tired when he got home!

We are lucky to have people around us who are happy to organise things like the Teddy Bears’ Picnic for us to go to. Susi Blackwell and her team did a great job. And the people who came to the Family Service in the morning were lucky enough to see Alex and Lachlan Glenk playing the accompaniment on their violin and recorder with their Mum Sonia helping on the cello. What a touching performance this was! And weren’t they brave to do it?! Although they may have been nervous, they had a go, and they did well. Congratulations to them for bringing so much pleasure to so many people!

At Sunday School we have been talking about Abraham, who was also very brave (and probably nervous sometimes, too.) He was the one who kept having to find somewhere else to live, but who never forgot to keep his promises and be kind to other people. In Bentleigh last month we compared Abraham to a flower called the lily-of-the-valley.
The lily-of-the-valley is one of the sweetest-smelling flowers God made, and is very fragile and delicate looking. It blooms in the shade and can easily be transplanted. This means it can be taken from one spot and planted in another without dying. One plant will grow many new plants until a whole area is filled. Other plants just die if you move them from where they are growing.
We decided Abraham was a bit like the lily-of-the-valley. He moved all his people from one spot to another and they didn’t die. Instead his people flourished and Abraham ended up having many children and grandchildren.

When we talked about Abraham, we realised the Temple Society and its people were a bit like this too. They experienced being moved from one spot to another several times, and managed not only to survive, but to flourish in their new environments. They must have been very nervous, but also very brave! The first few Templers who moved to a new area were like the lily-of-the-valley; they survived and eventually managed to fill a whole area with new people! And some of those people are me and you! Aren’t we lucky to be here?!
By the time you read this article, it will only be a few weeks until Christmas. Every family has its own special traditions and things it likes to do at Christmas. I wonder what some of your special Christmas things are?
One thing most people have is a Christmas tree. The traditional Christmas tree is a fir tree, which does not lose its leaves; it stays green all year round, and in summer it may sprout some fresh new needles at its tips. This is also a special plant, just like the lily-of-the-valley. It can symbolise everlasting life (something that does not die), just like that which some people believe God gave us through his son Jesus. And it is something that stays green and fresh and the same for its whole life. It stays true to itself and is strong and constant.

Do you think maybe Abraham was like this, too? And do you think the Templers who survived being moved from one spot to another, were like this, too? I think perhaps they were. As well as being nervous and brave, I think they may also have stayed true to themselves and strong, and kept sprouting new leaves when they could.
So as we get closer to Christmas and the holidays, maybe you can remember these two special plants, and any special people you know who are like these plants. Maybe you could even be like this too!

I hope you all enjoy a safe, meaningful, peaceful, love-filled and happy Christmas-time, and I look forward to seeing you all next year (or maybe even during the holidays). Look after each other and enjoy each others’ company.
Christine Ruff

A very happy birthday to these special December and January children:

THANK YOU
For the particularly special collection of beautiful photos, special poems that parents helped you to write, little notes and gifts, wonderful drawings, handprints and memories that you spent time and love on, I want to say how much they mean to me and how great it was that we were able to share it. You may have outgrown playgroup but whether you are at Kinder or Primary School or a teenager now, it was fun together, whether we kicked up autumn leaves or made fairy gardens, cooked up a treat or painted a masterpiece, visited the beach, a farm or fire station, our memories have been created together. There’s a permanent place in my heart for you and your family.
With lots of love to all you special people,
Moni Herrmann

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TABULAM AND TEMPLER HOMES FOR THE AGED

Dear Friends,
Another year is nearly at an end and we have many activities planned for our residents and families.
Sunday 9th December (2nd Advent) from about 12:00 midday we will have a concert by the Liedertafel Arion followed by a family Advent afternoon tea in the Tabulam Dining Room.

Thursday 20th December from about 1:00pm we will have our annual Christmas Party for the less mobile residents. This will take the form of afternoon tea with music and singing in the Tabulam Dining Room.

Friday 21st December from about 3:00pm we will have the annual Christmas party for all our other residents in the Templer Hall. On all these occasions we will need help with decorations and setting up venues. Anyone who can help please contact Dolly Klaver Monday to Friday. Any help would be appreciated, even if it is only for an hour or two.

On Monday 17th December we will hold our annual thank you BBQ for all our wonderful volunteers. Without them we would not be able to offer the morning teas, outings, special events, yoga and so on.
These volunteers give their precious time readily so that our residents can enjoy a greater quality of life and we thank them very much.  If any volunteers have not received an invitation by 7th December, please advise Dolly.

A new CEO, Mr Johannes Achilles, has been appointed to take over from Dr Martin Schreiber in mid 2008. Mr Achilles has a diverse background, having first qualified in Theology and Sports Science. Aside from his academic degrees he has undertaken various further management training courses.
He worked as a Pastor for 14 years, 9 of which at the Lutheran Trinity Church in Melbourne (1982 to 1991). Since 1991 he has been employed not as a Pastor but in head administration of the Lutheran Church in Germany, in charge of the East and Southeast Asia, Pacific and Australia, as well as CEO of the German Lutheran Institute of Archaeology of the Holy Land. Since 2002 he has been the CEO and chair of the board of the (international) Hildesheimer Blindenmission.

Mr Achilles was a driving force in the transition of the Martin Luther Retirement Village into the Martin Luther Homes, Boronia, where he served as president of the board for 9 years. He is fully aware of the fact that his position is not one of pastoral care but of general management, consulting and administration, human resource and financial management of the Home. Mr Achilles will have a transition period of approximately 3 months prior to Dr Schreiber’s departure. We congratulate Mr Achilles on his appointment and wish him every success in his new role.

Construction of our new wing is slightly behind schedule for various reasons, but occupancy is still envisaged around mid-May, 2008.
Building tenders for the three independent living units have now been received and contracts are expected to be signed shortly. We expect construction work to begin early in the new year.

The TTHA Board will provide a plaque  on the house in Elizabeth Street to honour the memory of Ignaz Ruegg and his wife Annemarie née Trefz for their generosity.

On behalf of the Board of Management, I wish all residents and friends a very happy Christmas followed by a prosperous and healthy New Year.
Kind Regards,
Hartmut Weller

Liebe Freunde,
Wieder geht ein Jahr zu Ende, und wir haben Einiges für unsere Bewohner und ihre Familien geplant.

Am Sonntag, den 9. Dezember, dem 2. Advent, etwa um 12 Uhr mittags, wird die Liedertafel Arion ein Konzert geben, und ein vorweihnachtlicher Familiennachmittag wird im Tabulam Speisesaal vorbereitet sein.

Am Donnerstag, den 20. Dezember, ab etwa 13 Uhr werden wir unsere Weihnachtsfeier haben für jene Bewohner, die kaum mehr das Haus verlassen können: Nachmittagskaffee mit Kuchen im Tabulam Speisesaal, mit Musik und Weihnachtsliedern.

Am Freitag, den 21. Dezember, wird ab etwa 15 Uhr die Weihnachtsfeier für alle anderen Bewohner in der Templer Halle stattfinden. Für diesen Nachmittag bitten wir noch um Hilfe beim Dekorieren und Vorbereiten. Wenn jemand von Ihnen helfen kann, möge er bitte Dolly Montags bis Freitags  anrufen. Jede Hilfe ist willkommen, und sei es auch nur für ein oder zwei Stunden.

Am Montag, den 17. Dezember, laden wir unsere großartigen freiwilligen Helfer zu einem BBQ ein. Ohne sie gäbe es viele Veranstaltungen nicht, nicht die besonderen Morning Teas, Ausflüge, besondere Unterhaltungsveranstaltungen, kein Yoga u.v.a.m. Diese Helfer geben ihre Freizeit, damit es unsere Bewohner schöner haben, und wir danken ihnen vielmals dafür. Sollten Sie als Helfer bis zum 7.12. noch keine Einladung bekommen haben, dann bitte sagen Sie es Dolly.

Der künftige CEO wurde ernannt, es ist Herr Johannes Achilles, der von Herrn Dr Schreiber Mitte 2008 die Leitung übernehmen wird. Herr Achilles hat einen vielseitigen Hintergrund, er studierte Theologie und Sportwissenschaften, darüber hinaus hat er Weiterbildungen in Verwaltung und Leitung.

14 Jahre lang war Herr Achilles Pastor, neun davon in der Dreifaltigkeitsgemeinde in Melbourne von 1982 bis 1991. Seit 1991 war er nicht mehr als Pfarrer tätig, sondern in der Kirchenleitung der EKD, verantwortlich für Ost- und Südostasien, Pacific und Australien. Außerdem war er Geschäftsführer des Deutschen Evangelischen Instituts für Altertumswissenschaft des Heiligen Landes. Seit 2002 ist er Vorstandsvorsitzender und Geschäftsführer der Hildesheimer Blindenmission e.V.

Herr Achilles war eine treibende Kraft in der Gründung der Martin-Luther-Heime, hervorgehend aus dem Martin-Luther-Seniorendorf und diente 9 Jahre dem Martin-Luther-Heim Vorstand als Präsident. Er ist sich durchaus klar darüber, dass er bei uns nicht als Seelsorger angestellt sein wird, sondern als der CEO mit allen leitenden und verantwortlichen Aufgaben der Personal- und Finanzverwaltung. Wir werden eine Übergangszeit von etwa 3 Monaten haben, bis Dr Schreiber uns dann verlässt. Wir gratulieren Herrn Achilles zu der Ernennung und wünschen ihm Erfolg in dieser neuen Tätigkeit.
Der Bau des neuen Flügels ist aus mancherlei Gründen ein bisschen im Verzug, aber es ist geplant, dass wir im Mai 2008 einziehen können.

Kostenvoranschläge und Bewerbungen von Bauunternehmen sind für die drei geplanten ndependent Living Units eingegangen, und der Auftrag soll demnächst vergeben werden. Wir erwarten den Beginn der Bautätigkeit früh im neuen Jahr.
Der TTHA-Vorstand sieht eine Erinnerungstafel vor (siehe unten) am Haus in der Elizabeth Street in Anerkennung von Ignaz Ruegg und seiner Frau Annemarie geb. Trefz.

Im Namen des Vorstands wünsche ich allen Bewohnern und Freunden Frohe Weihnachten und ein erfolgreiches Neues Jahr.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Ihr Hartmut Weller

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NOTICES -- BEKANNTMACHUNGEN

COMING SERVICES  

Please check in February TR – draft below:

FLOWER ROSTERS 

PRESENTATION 24th February 10:15am
Parents wanting to have their children presented at the service in Bentleigh, please call the Office on 9557 6713 or e-mail nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au 

ADVENT IN BAYSWATER – Tuesday 4th December
Carols, readings (in English and German), candles, Gutsle (please bring some)… We invite all ladies, young and older, to take a little time out to be inspired, so that you can nourish and inspire others with your love and peace during Advent and Christmas. Gentlemen are also welcome, as are friends.

Donations – will again go the Borromeo Sisters in Jerusalem, where we know the money will be used well. There will be a bazaar table with Christmassy goodies, so bring some money for that, too.
Help in cleaning up afterwards will be greatly appreciated.
Imi Roscher, Helga Jürgensen

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION  -- Bayswater 22nd December 6:30pm

Invitation
EVERYONE is invited to the Community Christmas Celebration in Bayswater. This is a communal and family event for youngest to oldest, 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:
Ø Joining in a short Christmas performance
Ø Joining in the angels’ and shepherds’ dance
Ø Dressing up for the nativity re-enactment
Ø Reading a poem
Ø Presenting the nativity story
Ø Joining in the traditional candle procession at the start of the celebration

Children are welcome to join in on the night; attendance at practices is not a requirement.
Children able to attend the sessions below are encouraged to come along to practise the songs, dance and nativity story.
Tuesday 4th December: 4:30 – 5:30pm
Tuesday 18th December: 4:30 – 5:30pm
Thursday 20th December: 5:00 – 6:00pm
Saturday 16th December: 9:30 – 11:30am

Giving Tree
Please bring a gift to put under the Christmas tree for the 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 again attend our celebration.

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 me on 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, for the Social & Recreation FG

NEW YEAR’S EVE IN BAYSWATER
The TTHA bus will depart Bentleigh at 5:15pm. The NYE Service will commence at 6:30pm in the Community Chapel. On conclusion, we will provide sandwiches, Weihnachtsgebäck, champagne, orange juice, tea and coffee in the Chapel foyer for those who wish to enjoy each other’s company and acknowledge the ending of yet another year, for a short time afterwards.
The bus will depart the Chapel for the return trip to Bentleigh no later than 9:00pm. To book for the bus, please ring me at the TSA Office on 9557 6713 asap.
Marianne Herrmann, for the Social & Recreation FG

POSITION VACANT
The position of TSA Playgroup Coordinator will become vacant at the end of this year and an energetic, reliable, creative and conscientious person over the age of 18 years is sought to fill this position for 2008 and onwards.
A position description is available upon request and all applications and enquiries should be made to Susi Blackwell. Please contact Susi on susi.tsa@datafast.net.au or in writing to TSA Youth Coordinator, 152 Tucker Road, Bentleigh VIC 3204.
Please note: If no expressions of interest from TSA members or friends are received for this position, the vacancy will be advertised outside the TSA.
Susi Blackwell, Youth Coordinator

SEEKING: COMMUNITY CARE CO-ORDINATOR
Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged Inc is seeking a bi-lingual English and German-speaking person to implement and manage 10 Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs) recently received, as a new addition to their already established diverse aged care facility and services.

Initially this position would be for 20 hours per week with the potential of becoming a full-time position in the future.
Applicants must be:
    - Conversant with all Microsoft Office programs
    - Fluent in English and German
    - Experienced in administration in a supervisory role
Ideally have:
    - A relevant qualification
    - Relevant experience in this position
    - Experience in quality management
Salary Package will be negotiated upon successful application.

TTHA is a very family friendly and flexible work place priding itself on excellent work conditions with remunerations over and above award.
Please forward expressions of interest by 7th December 2007 to:
Krista@tabulam.org
Krista Blessing – HR Manager

PLAYGROUP ENROLMENTS 2008
Enrolments are being taken before mid-December if you would like to join Playgroup next year. Please let your friends know. The session will still be on a Thursday morning, probably 9.30am – 12noon. The earlier time will assist in setting up and give more time with activities. It will still cater for the 2 to 4-year-olds, but we have many younger siblings. Please talk to Susi or Moni if you are interested.
Please ring Susi Blackwell  or Moni Herrmann.

Dates to note
Working Bee at Playgroup: Thursday 31st January between 9:30am and 12:00 noon.
Playgroup starts: Thursday 7th February.

BENTLEIGH GERMAN SCHOOL 2008
Classes will commence on Monday 4th or Wednesday 6th February. Enrolments are now being accepted. Classes for native German-speaking students are held on Mondays from 5:00-7:00pm. Classes for German as a second language students are held on Wednesdays from 5:00-7:00pm. Children must be going into at least Grade 1, preferably Grade 2, to commence.
For further information please contact me on tel. 9557 6713 (BH) or e-mail nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au 
Marianne Herrmann, for the Bentleigh German School

BA-BO GERMAN SCHOOL 2008
We are accepting enrolments for next year. Children should be at least 6 years of age or in Grade 1 at school. Please note a change of class time: on Tuesdays from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Bayswater Community Hall. Classes will commence on 5th February 2008. – For more information contact me.
Dr Irene Bouzo, for the Ba-Bo German School

VOLUNTEER WANTED
A younger (or older) volunteer camera operator willing to video record health-related seminars.
These seminars are held on an irregular basis, either in the afternoons or evenings, around 3-4 times per year, in the Bayswater or Bentleigh Halls. The purpose of recordings these sessions is to keep our interstate members abreast of important health issues.
You should have access to a video camera and have the skill and the software necessary to 'burn' several DVD copies of the seminars for distribution interstate. You will, of course, be reimbursed for any consumable media that you will need.
Please indicate your interest to me by telephone or e-mail grwagner@netspace.net.au
Elisabeth Wagner, for the Welfare & Distant FG

BAYSWATER KEGEL KLUB – Golden Anniversary
On 25th May 2008, the Bayswater Kegel Klub will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. At this stage, a caterer and the Bayswater Hall have been booked for a sit-down lunch and coffee. We plan a small number of short speeches, and are collecting photos and film of when the club was built, or any functions held there. Please let me have your material soon, so it can be scanned ready for projection.
The club is asking former members or their spouses to register as soon as possible (for catering purposes) if they would like to take part in celebrating this milestone. Contact me by telephone or send me an e-mail mindiekar@optusnet.com.au 
Manfred Haering, for the Bayswater Bowling Club

THANK YOU to all those of you who have sent in your articles and photos on time. It makes it easier to create the Templer Record out of the many, diverse contributions that come in. We are very fortunate to have our computer expert, Irma Wesselbaum, and the support of Hermann Uhlherr, Emma Polacsek and Peter Hornung; also Nanne, who does the printing and dispatch – great teamwork.
Ed.

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THE HERITAGE PAGE

DVD – Israel Visit
This DVD was shown in the Bayswater Hall in March, depicting the Templer group trip to Israel. It runs for two hours plus, but 12 sections allow easy access to different parts.
If interested in a copy, contact Manfred Haering by telephone or e-mail mindiekar@optusnet.com.au  Manfred can also give you information on the Israeli TV documentary shown recently.
Ed.

ANOTHER SUCCESS STORY
Sadyck (Sawatzky and Dyck) Orange Grove found
It was a few months ago when historian and well known renovator Shay Farkash in Tel Aviv received some photographs of the old SADYCK orange farm buildings from Siegfried Kübler in Germany. Shay was keen to find the building and asked a lot of people for more details, also in Australia.

Horst supplied a map of Wilhelma with locations of various water wells and pump stations marked. Lots of TR readers contributed to the result.

Recently Prof. Uri Yinon PhD of the Tel Aviv university with his wife succeeded in finding the SADYCK orange grove building, about 2km north of Wilhelma in the Moshav Nechalim cemetery. The building is in excellent condition, exactly the same as in the 1930 photographs from Siegfried Kübler (see TR of October 2007, page 50 and 51).
Shay had asked Uri Yinon to look for the building as Yuri is presently researching the old Lydda airport near Wilhelma and knows the area very well. Shay photographed the newly-discovered building. This old Templer building is being used for storing garden tools for the cemetery. The well is not in use any more.
Another success story of Templer history discovered – our thanks to Shay Farkash, Prof. Uri Yinon and his wife.
Horst Blaich

The old SADYCK pumping station 2km north of Wilhelma now serves the Moshav Nechalim cemetery. Other stone buildings nearby, also in good condition, are assumed to also be from the Templer period.

Many wells were set up in this area in the early 1930s, when citrus fruit was booming in Palestine. The map shows 8 wells that Shay Farkash marked around the Sadyck property. No. 2 and 3 is probably Sadyck.

The deep Artesian well of Sadyck is not in use any more.

INFORMATION WANTED
Prof Urin Yinon is reasearching old Lydda airport. Photographs of the Wilhelma sandpit, the Gummiwagen to transport the sand to the building site or anything to do with the sand delivery to the airport are wanted. Please contact me.
Horst Blaich

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NOVEMBER
TEMPLER RECORD - ISSUE No. 700

REFLECTIONS 

WORT KOMMT AUS DER STILLE
Ich höre keine Stimmen…
Aber Gott spricht mir Trost zu.
An den Kreuzungen der Zeit weist Er den Weg
Bei den feinsten Verästelungen,
die kein juristisches Raster fasst,
sagt Er, was recht ist.
Die Anregungen seines Geistes
bewähren sich von Mal zu Mal.
Gott überredet nicht wie die Werber der Welt.
Sein Wort kommt aus der Stille…

Aus Phil Bosmans ‘Liebe wirkt täglich Wunder’

I don’t hear voices... but the divine spirit indicates the right way quietly, deep within me.

There is a federal election coming up, and each of us has to choose how we will vote. Is it possible to apply the principles of ‘God’s realm’ to how we vote?
Whether we are believers or non-religious, humanists, tend to the Left or the Right, we all live in the same village called Earth. We are entrusted to one another and belong together, to live in peace and friendship. Being human, we are not perfect yet, but on the long path to greater perfection. The path towards the light often leads through dark and difficult nights and through the deserts of human foolishness, greed and egomania. We may not bring about miracles, but individually and together we can change attitudes by living with more truthfulness, accountability and loving kindness. And we can pray for the wisdom and courage to allow ‘your kingdom to come’ in and around us.

Who knows – perhaps our prayers will help politicians here and abroad to heed the call of Loving Wisdom that yearns to be expressed in more humane, just and friendly communities all over the world.
Let us listen for the right way quietly, deep within – and send to leaders and politicians prayers or good energy so that they might work towards the highest good, which encompasses everyone and everything.
Herta Uhlherr

JESUS AND THE REALM OF GOD
Jesus of Nazareth felt God’s will especially strongly and wanted to help it come about. He was well aware that he was risking his life in doing so.
The original outlines of his message are currently coming to light again through critical historical research – and his message is the important thing, not the myths and later additions about his person. It is probable that neither the idea of a Judgment Day nor the Second Coming of the Redeemer originated with Jesus. For him, the last days do not involve the Supernatural or the Beyond. Central to his message is the kingdom of God, or God’s realm, here and now on earth.
For the Jews at the time of Jesus, the idea of God’s realm meant a world in which all was well, in which God’s will was seen in everything and by everyone. The realization of this ideal state was expected to happen in the near future – God’s work of salvation in the last days.

Jesus shifts this expectation from the future into the present. He proclaims that the last days have begun and that God’s realm is already ‘among you’. In his parables he speaks of seed that is sown and will now grow, or of the banquet that is already prepared. And so he invites his contemporaries to change their ways. When love motivates people’s actions, the kingdom of God grows more and more. Oppression, striving for power, and the greedy accumulation of wealth hinder this process. Jesus argues for trust and the confidence to make use, without hesitation, of the possibilities open to us here, today. He describes the characteristics of a new society, and he and his followers demonstrate how it works by the way they live in joyful communities with no hierarchy but based on trust and love of one’s fellows.

Today we no longer think of God’s realm as a kingdom. Neither do we share the idea of his time that the last days were nigh. However, current insights still validate Jesus’ message that a better world will come about quite naturally as soon as we allow and support it. We have neither to wait for, nor to establish God’s realm – it has been here for a long time. Poverty and suffering in the world are not signs of the ‘kingdom’s’ absence, but the result of human behaviour that hinders the growth of God’s realm. This earth is an exceedingly friendly home. The undreamt-of extent of positive possibilities to develop further will open up to us to the degree that we muster the courage for a loving understanding of our fellow human beings and our environment. That is the message of God’s realm in today’s language.

Klaus Simon, of the ‘Ecumenical Initiative God’s realm – now!’ Published in the original German in ‘Die Warte’ October 2007, p. 133.
Transl. H.U.

CONFIRMATION – THEN AND NOW

Confirmation in 1942
On Thursday 11th October 2007, seven elderly friends and their partners met at the beautiful Coldstream property of Reinhold and Gusti Orth to commemorate their confirmation 65 years ago in the internment camp 3, Tatura, on Sunday 11th October 1942.
Our thoughts went back to that Sunday morning when we assembled in ‘C’ Compound’s mess hall No. 2 for the service. It was held by Mr Jone Frank, who had been our instructor during the preceding weeks. In the afternoon we celebrated all together in one of ‘B’ compound’s mess halls. Our mothers had produced lovely cakes despite supplies being rationed. The hall was packed with families, relatives and close friends.

We were 24 confirmands: 13 girls and 11 boys, from all the Templer settlements in Palestine. Sadly, nine of these have since passed away. Of those remaining, three live in Germany, two in NSW, two in SA and the rest in the Melbourne area.
At our get-together we commented, as at previous reunions, on the difference between confirmation then and now. We sat and listened to the Elder’s lecturing, took notes, were sometimes asked questions, occasionally one of us dared to ask a question. Today the youngsters are encouraged to ask, to express their own ideas and to help create the Service. I was impressed by the questions they asked during their seminar when I spoke to them briefly about our Haifa colony and the Tatura Internment Camp.
Our compliments to the Elders who instructed them and to the Confirmands on how they participated in the Service!
Helmut Ruff

Confirmation in 2007
It was a beautiful community event held in the Chapel on 16th September, led by Renate Weber and Renate Beilharz. Here we continue with excerpts from what the confirmands said during the service.

Talja Roesner
Our text today comes from 1 Corinthians, Chapter 3, verses 16 and 17.
‘All of you surely know that you are God's Temple and that his Spirit lives in you. Together you are God's holy Temple.’ I suggested we use this text because I have always liked the idea that each one of us is a building-stone of something bigger and we all have a part to play in a community
.
Our name, the Temple Society, comes from this text. It has two meanings: in confirmation classes we talked about the idea that God lives within us, that our bodies are mini-temples. Each one of us is special, though we are different.
The other meaning of the name ‘temple’ is the idea that even though each one of us is different, we can all come together to form a community. This is important to me because I appreciate being a part of something bigger. A community provides support for each of the individuals involved. It can give each person a purpose, as others rely on you, and you in turn can rely on them, not only in times of need but also for fun, company and to enjoy the good times.

Almost three months ago eleven teenagers came together, each one of us different, each one of us attending confirmation classes for different reasons, and each person holding different opinions about the Temple Society and religion. In the meantime we have developed a sense of community and feel comfortable with each other.
Like any community we have helped each other, especially in answering those deep and meaningful questions about God and Jesus’ teachings. We also had a lot of fun together, laughing and playing games. The best times were spent at the Lingham farm and at the seminar, just getting to know each other. Our confirmation group has become a mini community in itself. As individuals and as a group we make up an essential part of the Temple Society, we are all building-stones of God’s Temple.

Stefan Imberger
In our last lesson we made these collages to represent what had become our theme – community and diversity. We were asked to create a collage with diverse and similar items to represent a community. We were able to choose the type of community our collages represented; the collages could also stand for something about ourselves. Each is different. The collages have been put up in the shape of the Templer symbol, the symbol for the community that we are part of today.
In my picture I am represented by the elephant because it is my favourite animal. It is surrounded by other animals in the animal kingdom to show the diversity of the animal community.

Monika Herrmann
My picture of clouds and a sun represents the many different people (the clouds), and the Sun represents God enlightening everyone within the community. We all have different opinions and personalities, but God affects all our lives with happiness, friendship and love. I believe that the lightest coloured cloud represents me. My cloud is clearly part of the community and is affected by God’s light. My personality and opinions are always happy and bright and the cloud that is the brightest – that represents ME!

Ashlin Crowe
I chose smiles because they are happy and a part of every community. Everyone feels special when they receive a smile from somebody. The smile that I chose to represent me is happy and bubbly and it is a small part of a diverse community.
Kate Blackwell
I chose shoes for my collage because I believe everybody should walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before they judge them. I think I’m like the black converse shoes with the rainbow laces because I have a colourful personality and I’m not afraid to stand out in a crowd.

Nikki Imberger
My picture is full of colours. Although the colours may seem distinct, blue, green, purple, orange, yellow, red and brown, each has different shades within, just like a community. Although there are distinct groups of people, such as African, Asian and Caucasians, just like the colours, there are many types of people. I have represented myself by the dark purple patch of colour. It is my favourite colour. This represents my diversity, the community and me.

LETTER
A letter to the editor in our local (Knox) paper has prompted me to write to the TR because it is an example of our Templer religion in action. For many readers of the Knox Leader, this may be the first time they have heard of the Templers – and something good about them at that:
    Thanks after accident
    On August 17 there was a minor accident in our street. I say a big ‘thank you’ to the woman from the Templer Homes
    who offered to get medical assistance while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
    I am still amazed at her tactfulness, compassion and professional conduct – in direct contrast to the ambulance call operator
    who was abrupt, rude and condescending. The tape would be ideal for the ‘training purposes in what not to do’…
    A final message to the woman in the silver car: keep doing what you do so well.
    K.F.
Templers thank the ‘woman in the silver car’ for applying practical Christianity. We are reminded to do likewise: love (and help) your neighbour, whoever that may be, as yourself.
Regards, Otto Löbert

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REGIONAL MATTERS

FROM THE REGIONAL COUNCIL

NOTES from the RC Meeting of 12.10.2007
The meeting did not have a quorum. Discussion and suggestions continued so that issues could be ratified at the next proper meeting.

• It was agreed that in future the President will write a special letter to members who turn 100 years of age. The TGD agrees.
• Focus Group nomination forms were e-mailed to all Focus Group leaders.
• The voluntary maintenance levy is to be mentioned at the AGM.
• The Volunteer Recognition luncheon at Bayswater was very pleasant and Nanne Herrmann was thanked for doing the catering.
• Several Templers participated in the Victorian Premiers’ acknowledge-ment of German National Day in Treasury Place on 6th October.
• Harald Ruff delivered a speech on behalf of the TSA at the TGD AGM on 6.10. to thank the outgoing president, Peter Lange.
• Discussion about the Jerusalem Cemetery focussed on suggestions to clean up the unused back section and repair the fence. The matters of sale and maintenance will be discussed at the TSA AGM, but no formal decision can be made without further discussion with the TGD.
• A report from the TGD was received (Translation below).
• Preparation for the AGM and nominations for Regional Head, Deputy Regional Head, Focus Group representatives and the TTHA Committee of Management were discussed.
• The RC has nominated the CEO of TTHA, Dr Martin Schreiber, for a Victorian Multicultural Commission ‘Award for Excellence’.
•  Comprehensive reports were received from the TS Central Fund and Elders’ Focus Groups, also brief reports of other focus groups. Not all ‘operational guidelines’ have been received in the Office.
• Mark Herrmann reported on the Sydney AGM and the successful NSW family camp organised by Ingrid Turner.
• The successful application for Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs) by the TTHA was noted.
• The Regional Head, Dr Rolf Beilharz, had a meeting with the German Consul, German Trinity Church and German Lutheran Church, where it was suggested that future Tatura Remembrance Day Services could be held in the three Melbourne churches in turn as an alternative to the long trip to Tatura, which is getting too hard for ageing participants.

Dr Irene Bouzo, Deputy Regional Head

LATE NEWS
At the TSA AGM on 21st October, Dr Rolf Beilharz was confirmed as Templer President, and Mark Herrmann was elected as Regional Head of the TSA. We wish them both well in their new roles. The meeting was very positive. More next time.
Ed.

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – TSA BUSINESS/OFFICE MANAGER
One important result of the October Annual General Meetings of both the TSA and the TS Central Fund (Aust.) was my election as Regional Head and, as a consequence, my election as a Central Fund Director.
This will necessitate the appointment of a new TSA Business/Office Manager. The Regional Council has drafted guidelines for this paid Office position to ensure that potential applicants are aware of what the role entails.

Expressions of interest in the position are therefore sought – initially internally, but also outside the TSA if necessary. Persons interested in applying can avail themselves of the position guidelines by contacting the TSA Office by telephone on (03) 9557 6713 or via the e-mail address tsa@datafast.net.au
To enable the appointment process to proceed, expressions of interest must be lodged by Friday 14th December 2007, at the latest.
Mark Herrmann, Regional Head/Business Manager

ON PETER LANGE’S RETIREMENT
Presented by Harald Ruff at the TGD OMV on 6.10.2007
Occasions such as these are significant markers in the life of the Templer Community. They serve to highlight and to acknowledge exceptional service, providing Community members with the opportunity to collectively express their appreciation and respect.
Today, we join with our TGD counterparts – as Elders, Regional Council and Community members – to recognise Peter Lange’s long, dedicated and selfless contribution to the Temple Society (in both regions, Germany and Australia) over decades, culminating in his almost seven years as President.

As with all the roles Peter has undertaken, he approached the tasks associated with the position of President with thought, reason, foresight and vision. Peter’s ability to communicate effectively, in both spoken and written forms, his commitment to and striving within the role to all levels of the Temple Society, has endeared him to all.

In Australia, individual members – whether in Melbourne, Country Victoria, Adelaide or Sydney – and Templer groups, such as RC and the team of Elders, have benefited greatly from Peter’s fair-mindedness, leadership, compassion, drive and genuine desire to lift the Temple Society’s profile without compromising its principles and aim. His regular visits gave us all chances to share valuable experiences with Peter and to learn from each other.

Peter always took an active interest in all activities of the TSA. He would read all correspondence and minutes generated here and respond as appropriate and necessary. The Elders’ exchange initiative he encouraged has served to strengthen the links between the regions and enable us all to get to know one another better. Of course, this has been aided by Peter and Helga’s generosity and hospitality during our stays in Stuttgart. Peter’s fluency in the English and German languages has made for easier communication with him and wonderful discussions at both the formal and informal level. He listens well to the ideas of others and is willing to compromise if necessary.

As Peter prepares for retirement, we wish to thank him sincerely for his outstanding and unflinching service, his valued counsel and, importantly, his friendship. We also thank his wife Helga and acknowledge her self-sacrificing support over the journey. We wish them both happiness and good health.

Peter, please accept our warm and heartfelt gratitude for all you have done for the Temple Society.
With our very best wishes,
Regional Council, Elders and members of the TSA

SOCIAL CARE

Dear Friends,
The Templer Telelink is a wonderful way to make a telephone visit from the comfort of your home. If you don’t get out much and would like to join the informal Swabian social conversation group by conference call every second Monday from 2:00pm to 2:45pm, please let me know. I can send you a flyer and a list of participants. There are still about four vacancies in our group. Telelink is well worth a try.

I attended the Victorian Telelink Coordinators Network meeting in October and was amazed to hear the TSA is one of 30 agencies in total, who run several hundred Telelink groups each week.
Carers’ Week on 14th to 20th October is a national awareness week held right across Australia. It acknowledges the wonderful caring work done by many people who support a family member or friend. Many of our members and their friends and relatives provide such assistance quietly and almost invisibly. We gratefully acknowledge your compassionate work.

Residential Aged Care at the Tabulam and Templer Homes – From April 2008 there will be new single and double rooms for an additional 34 residents at TTHA. Even though it is a big decision, it is an ideal opportunity to consider moving into residential aged care. If you or a close relative or friend are finding it increasingly difficult to do the shopping, cooking, gardening, and looking after the household, then perhaps the time has come to think about a change of lifestyle. I asked some residents what they brought with them when they moved into the TTHA. Most found it a relief to free themselves of their households filled with objects and furnishings accumulated over many years. They enjoyed choosing to take with them their favourite chair, a television, video and DVD player, a bedside light or a small table, and favourite personal things such as photos, pictures, books and other special memorabilia.
If you are interested in a new TTHA room and have not yet contacted me, make sure your name is on the Consideration List. I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

The October TTHA Residents and Relatives meeting, hosted by the TSA and AGWS social care representatives, was extremely productive and led to a new system of pink and yellow tickets to cancel meals when residents go on outings, or to change meals on days when the menu does not suit someone. Such changes that arise directly from issues raised by the residents help to make the Homes a better place to live.

Knitting project for vulnerable children of the world
Sincere thanks for the lovely knitted garments. I recently dropped off a huge delivery to the U3A (University of the Third Age) Nunawading, had a tour of the dispatch room with bags stacked to the ceiling, and met the volunteer in charge who was, to my surprise, an old friend and colleague. Please note that the U3A Nunawading will be closed from 30th November 2007 to 1st February 2008. I will make two more deliveries before the end of November and after that please keep the knitted items until February.
We are still looking for more donations of wool so that people can continue knitting.

Dr Irene Bouzo, Social Care
e-mail: irene@templesociety.org.au

ANNUAL REPORTS – continued from Sept. and Oct. TRs

Communication & Promotion Focus Group
We have continued to deal with the everyday issues arising, but have also made some major accomplishments which include:
Ø The new logo was approved by the Regional Council and is now used in Temple Society publications
Ø The Communication and Publications Policy was also approved by the Regional Council and is now official
Ø The new TSA Online was launched from the Office and is now in use
Ø The new website is closer to completion. We are now at the stage of filling information across from the
    current website and sourcing new material where necessary.
Ø The Telephone Tree was successfully revised and is now operational
Ø Supporting the Social & Recreation Focus Group with Sommerfest advertising

The Communication & Promotion FG would like to thank Alfred Klink sincerely for all his continuing hard work and patience with the website and his participation in the Internet Interest Group.
Jevan Bouzo, for the Communication & Promotion FG

Bayswater Kegel Klub
Membership: 36 financial members and approximately 30 regular paying and playing guests. The bowling alley is used on 6 days or nights a week except on Sundays by some 7 individual groups; the Saturday group comes only one Saturday a month.

Over the past 3 years, usually in March, a barbeque has been arranged for all current members and their spouses or partners to foster more personal contact with members from other groups. For this occasion we hire the Templer Tennis clubroom. The club supplies the meat, drinks and sweets, and members from each group supply the salads and cakes for coffee. The get-together has been so successful that people want it to be an annual event.

The club lacks the younger generation, and I believe that our youngest member would be in the late 50s. Younger people might go 10-pin bowling, where they can play, buy their drinks and eats, and don't have to clean up. Then they say afterwards, ‘Crikey, that was quite an expensive few hours’.

To become a member of our club, there is a $20 entry fee, and then an annual $20 fee for single members or $30 for a couple, also a $3 service fee each time you use the alley for a day or night. Guests pay only $5 per session. Where else can you enjoy yourself with your friends for such low amounts of money?

On 25th May next year, the Bayswater Club will celebrate its 50th anniversary in the Bayswater Hall with a catered lunch. A number of short speeches will be given, and we hope to have a photo collection on display.

The Kegel Klub is at this stage in a healthy financial situation, and has donated $500 annually for the last 10 years or more to the Bayswater-Boronia Community, and now to the TSA. We intend to keep this donation going.
Manfred Haering, President Bayswater Kegel Klub

TGD 6.10.06 – 6.10.07
Our first priority, as always, were our divine services – Gemeindenachmit-tag once a month with coffee afterwards and, also once a month, Morgenfeier followed by communal lunch, usually in the community centre, three times in the Home for the Aged in Hoffeld. Our usual format highlights the Elder’s address, with hymn-singing and a musical pre- and postlude, but we also had alternative services. Because these have been very successful, they have quickly become traditions in our calendar:

• Youth service, created by 4-6 young people (assisted by an Elder if they want).
• In November, reflections on transience, death and grieving, with lots of music.
• Agape on Maundy Thursday, with largely fixed prayers and texts, a short silence, three short addresses on the themes of remembrance, community, and love and reconciliation, with music in between.
• The last Saal before the long holidays is now an ‘evensong’ with much music, hymn-singing and learning of new songs.
•  A discussion Saal, where people sit in a circle and speak about the short text or address which introduces the theme. There was no opportunity for this in the past year.

Significant events:

Confirmation. We had a group of four very interested confirmands. 14 lesson units were offered, mostly parallel to Saal, four on a weekend away. Four were on God, creation, man; three on Jesus, his work, his teachings, the realm of God; one on the development of Christianity; four on the TS and two to prepare the confirmation ceremony, in which the confirmands participated.
The Weekend Seminar went over almost three days – Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon (17th – 20th May), mornings were taken up by discussion, afternoons by culture and recreation, a film in the evening (We feed the World) and music on the theme, which was Religion and Ethics, their relationship in theory and in practice.
Other highlights of community life: Christmas, with a short play by the children; Founding Day and Dankfest/thanksgiving. Also two concerts, mainly by Rumi Hornung with friends and Irina.

This year’s huge project was the renovation of the Saal room in our community centre. Everyone involved worked very hard and people consider the result beautiful and more practical. A tremendous effort, especially as the Saal continued to be used during the renovations.

Our ‘Choir Project’ works well at Confirmation and on Founding Day. Since the younger ones are not willing to commit themselves longer-term, we telephone around and practise for a few weeks before a celebration. It works! (But only 2 or 3 times a year at most.)

Freitagabend-Treffs are Friday evening meetings with interesting themes and non-Templers are very welcome. Sometimes a few ‘friends’ come, sometimes not. Occasionally people ask questions about the Temple Society, also at our concerts which have acquired a good reputation in Degerloch.

Bastelkreis. The handcraft group meets once a month to make enchanting as well as practical things, often finished at home. In recent years, apart from our bazaar, we have had a stall at the Nikolausmarkt, with good results.

For children we have craft or games as required and a summer camp. The canoe tour for youth had to be cancelled because, while there were interested young people, no dates could be found when they could all attend. The children’s and youth work is difficult, because numbers have dropped so much and everyone has their diary full of many other interests and activities.

Brigitte Hoffmann, outgoing Regional Head of the TGD
Freely translated by H.U..

Gott, du liebst alles, was ist,
und nichts von allem, was du gemacht hast, ist dir zuwider;
denn hättest du etwas gehasst, so hättest du es nicht geschaffen.
Wie könnte etwas ohne deinen Willen Bestand haben,
oder wie könnte etwas erhalten bleiben,
das nicht von dir ins Dasein gerufen wäre?
Alles ist dein Eigentum, darum pflegst und bewahrst du es auch,
Gott, du Freund des Lebens!
Denn in allem ist dein unvergänglicher Geist
Weisheit 11,24-12,1

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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.

THANK YOU!
Heinz and I would like to send a heartfelt ‘Thankyou’ for all the good wishes, congratulatory cards and flowers that we received from relatives, friends and the wider community on the occasion of our Golden Wedding Anniversary.
In appreciation, Heinz and Heidi Vollmer

ANNIVERSARIES
We congratulate Paul and Toni Messerle on their 60th wedding anniversary on 1st November, and Hugo and Hanno Wennagel on their 70th wedding anniversary on 6th November – amazing!

ENGAGEMENT
Michael Löbert and Michelle Hickman.

BIRTH
Hudson Walter Bell
Parents: Simon Bell and Nicole née Weller

Congratulations and best wishes to these couples

BEREAVEMENTS

Our dear Mama and Omi, Thea Frank née Schneider died peacefully on 25.9.2007, just six days short of her 100th birthday.
We would like to thank Christa Lingham for conducting the service, also friends, members of the S.A. Templer Community and relatives who travelled a long way to attend the service at Murray Bridge, S.A.
We were blessed to have had our Mama with us for so long and will cherish her memory.

Ilse and Helmut,
Walter and Diane,
Eberhard and Robyn,
Hermann and Mandy,
and their families,
Edeltrud Voigt and family in Berlin (Thea’s sister).

ááá

Helen Hoffmann née Passmore passed away on 15.10.2007. She celebrated her 70th birthday with family on 28th September. Helen was the wife of the late Paul Hoffmann, and is survived by her son Robert with his wife Linda.

ááá

Our dear brother, father and grandfather, Rudolf Walter Beilharz, died very suddenly on 15.10.2007. Rudolf, born in the former Templer settlement of Haifa, was 84 years old.

Waldemar Beilharz and family,
Herbert Beilharz and family.
Rudolf's children: Carmen, George and Yvonne and their families.

ááá

From Germany we hear that Luise Beck née Braun died peacefully on 20.8.2007, aged 98. She had got to know her late husband in Haifa, and they came to the Templer meetings at Lake Constance (Bodensee) led by Elder Hans Lange in the 70s.

Our condolences to the bereaved families

RESTAURANT NIGHT – 13th October
Thanks to the whole group of 37 who made this a great night – a wonderful mix of young and young-at-heart. Good food, excellent company, safely chauffeured aboard Rosa, and a reasonable compromise between getting the Choir members home early and pushing the ‘stayers’ out the door and on to the bus.
For those who didn’t join the fun this year, watch out this time next year – we’ll do it again.
Manfred Decker, for the Social & Recreation FG

RECOGNITION LUNCHEON – 6th October
As in the past few years, the Regional Council hosted a luncheon to recognize the long and dedicated service to the TSA by volunteers. While this is a recent initiative and many worthy people have missed out, we think it is better to recognize some now than to continue to take such dedication for granted. A big thankyou to this year’s attendees: Geoff Rutowicz and Veronica (music), Kurt (music and Bentleigh Hall caretaking) and Anna Eppinger (wonderful flowers), Helga Weberruss (Gymnastik), Ella (music, including Accordion Group) and Georg Weber – many decades of service!! Mark Herrmann had some well-chosen reminiscences for each of them, even some tapes of performances from years ago, and Nanne made the beautiful lunch, which was enjoyed in the community room at Bayswater.
Herta Uhlherr

THE TEMPLER JOURNEY – FABRIC OF SOCIETY
We had an especially busy time with the wall-hanging project when three panels were hung in the Immigration Museum as part of the ‘German Fest’. Helga Jürgensen and her team spent a week getting the background fabrics in place, on to which were then pinned the finished pieces of embroidery. The buildings are realistic and are easily recognisable.

I want to share my experiences in doing a few pieces of embroidery. I worked the group of people standing in front of the Kirschenhardthof house. I became very attached to these little people from our Templer past. There is a big girl standing in the front at the side. I wondered about her story – how old was she, did she go to Palestine, did she get married? There are some old Omas in the back in their black dresses with their hair up in a bun, just like my Oma had. The young man in the back row shades his eyes from the sun, or is he looking away into the distance and wondering what the future holds for him? In the middle are some young children, one little girl wears what I would call her best Sunday dress. She is pretty and wears her hair parted in the middle. Then there are two little boys sitting side by side on the stone fence. What fabric were their suits made of, what colours did they wear? The younger one leans on the older brother’s shoulder. Is he just shy or is he overwhelmed by being photographed? Because each piece takes so many hours to complete, there is a lot of time to become involved with these people. I also completed the Bentleigh complex with Winfried mowing the front lawn and the kids going off to German school and tennis. Two lovely VW beetles stand in the car park.

The choir piece was finished just in time for the exhibition. Fitting, as the choir sang so well as part of the festival. Because the uniforms are all the same, the challenge was to allow the personalities to come out in their faces, glasses and hair. I wonder if you can recognise anyone? The Klinks have worked hard to keep up with the written record of our progress, and editors have been called in to assist. All in all the work continues to progress steadily. We hope to get a frame completed so that the work can be stretched; we can then begin the final stages of assembling and sewing on all the elements.
We are always looking for more helpers, so don’t hesitate to contact Helga or me if you would like to join in.
A big thankyou to all who have produced pieces so far!  
Renate Weber
(Alfred Klink’s photos can be seen on this website. )

ISTANBULLETIN
The Beilharz-Smythe family, Anna and Mike with sons Perry (10) and Crispin (7) are spending a year teaching English in Istanbul – ‘an astonishing change from a quiet little Victorian country town to a mad city of 15-20 million at the crossroads of three continents’. – Some edited extracts from their newsy e-mails follow.

We must learn Turkish ASAP – so frustrating trying to make ourselves understood! An invaluable phrasebook and some interesting miming all round help a little. The apartment supplied by our school is roomy and part of a massive and secure compound which includes several apartment blocks, dormitories, the class- and staff rooms, world-class sporting facilities, a medical unit, dentist, canteens for staff and students, and more.

Istanbul has incredibly steep hills, like San Francisco. [Anna’s sister Erica lives in greater San Francisco with her family.] We live on the third floor and work in a multi-storey school where we need to walk along open, arched walkways 3 and 4 storeys up, which challenges our vertigo. In Tennant Creek and Balmoral we lived at ground level and two-storey buildings were rare; now we walk above the trees. What with the hills and staircases, also the wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables, relatively little meat and lashings of yoghurt, we are getting much fitter, though the yummy Turkish bread and baklava work towards making us fatter. The weather, rather hot and humid (as in Darwin) when we arrived in August, has turned – we’re wearing winter woollies now in mid-October.
Turkish people are very welcoming, hospitable and understanding of foreign visitors – Australians could learn much from them. Our colleagues, who are among the better-off here, are extremely well-dressed and impeccably groomed; many would turn heads in Australia – very good-looking in that Mediterranean way we know from our post-war immigrants.

Our school Darüşşafaka has a long and honourable history. School ceremonies and rituals reek of a proud tradition. The school is run by a charitable foundation. Every student has lost his father early in life – a recipe for serious poverty in this patriarchal society. Being fatherless, combined with passing an entrance exam in grade 4, admits them to a completely free education, including full board (even for those from Istanbul). Many graduates have gone on to great success. English is the major foreign language (80%) but German and French also get a guernsey. Unfortunately, English is seen as a soft option, a ‘bludge lesson’, and we find it a challenge to change that attitude. Sometimes it’s purely crowd control, a shame because there are always some kids who want to learn. Classrooms are not carpeted and therefore very noisy and echoing. The Sunday before school started, ‘Homecoming Day’, students and teachers greeted each other with hugs and the ever-present traditional Mediterranean double kiss. Teachers were aghast when told that this is strictly forbidden in Australia, saying: ‘But the children need to know that we love them!’

Since our boys are not fatherless, they go to a different school. They are learning Turkish faster than we are – we had them tutored by a recommended Year 12 graduate. They are happy, thank goodness! Both we and they work long hours at our schools and are tired. We barely register the call to prayer at around 5:30am any more – it is quite lyrical and melodic, even through the loudspeakers – but it serves as a useful wake-up alarm on school days. The city-scape from our windows is a fantastic sight, and the rising full moon recently was astonishingly beautiful. There is much more to tell, of course, but enough for now. – Greetings from Turkey.
Let me know if you are interested in reading further ‘Istanbulletins’ – and greetings to Turkey from Templers here. Ed.

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SYDNEY AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA

SAAL AND ANNUAL MEMBERS’ MEETING – 23rd September
We welcomed visitors Mark and Marianne Herrmann. Mark conducted the Service and included the children’s story about ‘Big Al’ and a DVD screening ‘On the turning away’ by Pink Floyd – different forms of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Thanks, Mark and Marianne; your presence was appreciated.

Twenty-four members were welcomed to our Annual Meeting which followed, a quorum was achieved and the meeting duly opened. The secretary, Jo Steller, read the previous minutes, which were confirmed and accepted as correct.
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 and in order.
All reports were accepted.

Emmy Simmer retired by rotation as a Focus Group member. She accepted re-nomination and was voted in for another 3-year term.
Treasurer Herbert Steller retired from the Focus Group after many years of service in the community, and was thanked for the excellent manner in which he carried out his duties.
Erika Schulz also retired after eight years of service in the FG (Community Council). She was thanked for her dedication to the community.
Rolf Beck was voted in as treasurer for a three-year term.
Ingrid Turner and Peter Leszinsky were voted into the Focus Group for a three-year term.
Hartmut Beck declined re-nomination as Focus Group Leader and retires from the committee, but will continue in his role as an Elder, but not as a Marriage Celebrant. For the occasional marriage in Sydney, a Templer celebrant can come from Melbourne.
Ingrid Turner and Emmy Simmer were voted in as joint Focus Group leaders for a term.
Ingrid thanked Hartmut for his many, many years of service.
Hartmut Beck was voted in as Auditor for 2007-2008.

The Focus Group (Community Council) now consists of:
Ingrid Turner and Emmy Simmer – Joint FG Leaders;
Rolf Beck – Treasurer;
Johanna Steller – Secretary;
Peter Leszinsky, with the possibility of Anita Jensen being co-opted into the group.

In General Business, Ingrid Turner gave a short report on her activities over the past year and her proposed activities for the coming year. Jo Steller outlined the plans for the Christmas Bazaar and centenary celebrations for our church building which included an invitation to local dignitaries and to the local newspaper for morning tea. Maintenance work on the bell-tower is also required, this to be looked at by Colin Simmer. Lawn-mowing and cleaning of the church hall to be contracted out to members.
Thank you to all those who took part and assisted in any way in our activities in the past year.
Hartmut Beck

INGRID’S REPORT
September – October has been a time of beginnings and endings. Family Camp is over, the new committee is formed and many older members have retired, and now we are gearing up for our bazaar on 24th November.

Thank You
On behalf of the Sydney Templer Community and the wider TS, I take this opportunity to thank Hartmut, Herbert, and Erika, for their contribution to our community over so many years. Hartmut has served on the Community Council for 34 years, the last 8 as occasional leader. His calm, conscientious and committed leadership was based on a large amount of work and a strong faith. Hartmut has always been very approachable, supportive and open to suggestions. We look forward to his ongoing support and his spiritual leadership as a valued Elder.

At our AGM Mark Herrmann, visiting from Melbourne, commented on the accuracy and reliability of Herbert’s work. We are grateful not only for the commitment that Herbert has shown to our finances and membership collections over the years, but his staunch support and commitment to the community and our community’s property.

As Jo Steller said, Erika Schulz’ leadership of the Frauenverein was always of a high standard, as was her contribution to the Sydney community as a committee member. For many years she organised the bazaar, bus excursions and regular meetings to run smoothly and well. She also encouraged a broad section of the community to become involved where possible. The present committee is making arrangements to celebrate the contribution to our community of Hartmut, Herbert and Erika, as well as other long-serving committee members who retired in previous years. We look forward to their ongoing support and valued advice.
Family Camp: 28.9. – 1.10.

Family Camp at Kiama was a great success, with 27 happy campers finding a relaxing and friendly environment to have a break. This beautiful area was visited earlier in the year by the bus tour and it provided us with a large selection of things to do. We explored Cathedral Rocks and the pretty inlet behind it. The kids walked over the black, bulbous basalt, explored rock pools and then delighted in rolling down a grassy hill faster and faster (Kirrily demonstrated her amazing rolling technique, but suffered the tummy-turning after-effects for a fair while). Others explored the coast in more detail. Many did the Minnamurra Falls walks, admiring the rain-forest with its amazing fig trees, lyre-birds and lizards. Kiama also proved a festive place to lunch and shop.

The Easts Beach Holiday Park was excellent and the bunkhouse set-up suited us. As we were the only ones using the bunkhouse facilities, we had the large mess hall and surrounding grounds all to ourselves. It was a few minutes’ walk to a nice protected beach, a pool, two tennis courts and a safe, fenced playground. It was great to see the kids run around together in variously sized groups, using the facilities to the max. Even though the age ranged from 1 to 17 years, the children all got on well, and made a real effort to look after each other. They played chasings, stuck in the mud, snap and were found swimming in the pool, bushwalking, constructing a river and lake system out of sand on the beach.

Similarly, the communal living was wonderful. Great meals were prepared by all and people independently took turns at washing up and tidying. Outings were planned as we went, but whoever planned an outing made sure they let all campers know, so families could come if they pleased. The weather was perfect, a little windy, but definitely hot enough to paddle in the gentle waves and loll on the beach. All attended a Family Saal that I presented, largely based on Christine Ruff’s lovely and relevant one; it was enjoyed by those whom I asked for feedback. Packing and leaving on Monday morning was a little hard –I think we could have done with a few more days. Plans are afoot for further camps. I look forward to catching up with the families in our monthly activities as we approach Christmas.

Bazaar – 24th November 10:30am
The Meadowbank Hall Centenary Plaque unveiling, followed by morning tea. The Bazaar will be opened around 11:00am. The bazaar will feature the usual Gutsle, craftwork, pretzels, guessing competitions and raffle. There will also be a display of Templer craft and art, so please bring along a few items to be displayed. A number of kids’ activities such as a craft table, colouring-in competition, play area and jumping castle and some other events will all be there for toddlers to big children. The traditional lunch and afternoon tea will also be provided. We are opening up our little church to the local community in the morning and we hope that you can bring friends and wider family to sample our special delights.

German Christmas Cookies (Gutsle)
Like last year, we will be helping out with the Gutsle making in the early part of November. Final details are being confirmed. Contact Ingrid or check the Sydney newsletter.

Children’s Christmas Play
Christmas Saal is on 23rd December at 4:00pm. Please let me know if your kids can take part in our play and/or musical performances.

Coffee Club – 18th November 7:00pm
This will be a crafty affair as we rev up to bazaar. Probably at Emmy’s, confirm with me if you are coming. Bring your paint brushes.

November
Ø Frauenverein/Ladies’ Group: 11:00am Thursday 8th November, Hall.
Ø Teens/Kids: Early November; Baking Gutsle for Bazaar.
Ø Coffee Club: Sunday 18th November, 7:00pm.
Ø Bazaar: Saturday 24th November, 10:30am, Hall

Ingrid Turner
Contact Ingrid on e-mail ingridt@tpg.com.au 

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YOUTH

YOUTH CALENDAR
Ø Saturday 10th November – Rock climbing
Ø Sunday 11th November – Grand Teddy Bears’ (Community) Picnic.
Ø Friday 16th November – Gutsle making
Ø Saturday 17th November – Pool party and planning
Ø Sunday 9th December – Go-karting

SUMMER CAMP AND YOUTH CAMP 2008
The dates for both Summer camp and Youth camp are Sunday 6th to Saturday 12th January 2008. Information and application forms are available from the Office and will be sent out via e-mail to all families with age appropriate kids who are listed on our database. If you don’t receive an e-mail, please contact the TSA Office or Susi Blackwell.
Summer camp will be held at Cape Otway and, as well as the ‘old faithfuls’, there will be some great things to do including surfing and the ‘Otway Fly’ walk! Summer camp is open to all kids aged between 11 and 15 years (and not yet confirmed).
Youth camp will also be held at a beach venue with some exciting water sports activities to take part in, or just come along to hang out with your Confirmation or Youth group buddies! To attend Youth camp you need to be 15 years or over, or confirmed.
Remember your friends are always welcome to come along to either camp.
Contact  Susi by phone or e-mail susi.tsa@datafast.net.au 

TEENAGE GROUP

Hi Guys,
The pool party will be the last activity for 2007 and it is an important one, when you can decide what is organised for you. I need help, because I am not a teenager and I do not know what you would like to do or what new things you would like to try. So please come along, have a swim, enjoy a BBQ dinner and do a bit of planning with me.
See you soon,
Moni Imberger

TG Activities
Friday 16th November – Gutsle making
Saturday 17th November – Pool Party/ Planning Day 2:00–5:00pm;  Place: 11 Australis Crt, Dingley
Transport: Rosa pick up/drop off times: Bayswater 1:15pm – 5:45pm
Contact Moni by phone or e-mail gmnski@primusonline.com.au 

Month: February–November 2008
Activities: To be decided by you, the Teenage Group Kids
When: 3rd weekend of every month
Details: Templer Record, mail-outs, e-mails, phone calls

ADVENT IN BENTLEIGH – 2nd December
If you haven’t been before, why not come with your ‘Oma’? If you like making crafts, please make a few things with a Christmas flavour for us to sell. We would love your assistance on the day, either with setting up from 9:00am on the Sunday, helping sell raffle tickets or at the bazaar during the afternoon, and we always need helpers to serve coffee and clean up afterwards. You never know, you may even win one of the raffle prizes.
Marianne Herrmann, for the Social & Recreation FG

YOUTH GROUP

City Challenge Report
On Saturday 13th October, the Youth Group headed into town for our ‘City Challenge’. As you can see from the photo, it really was great fun! Major highlights included Captain Cook’s Cottage, ACDC lane and St Paul’s Cathedral. The competition was close but our eventual winners were Talja Roesner, Nikki Imberger, Kate Black-well and Alastair Herrmann. The second team of Thomas Blackwell and Nicholas Herrmann weren’t far behind. Well done to everyone, and thanks for a great day!

Activities for the remainder of the year:

Rock climbing: 10th November
$15 per person for 11-17 year olds,
$18 per person for 18 years and older
Times and transport details to be advised, or please contact me.

Go-Karting: 9th December
Approximate cost $45 per person, details and time TBA.
For more information on activities or to suggest a youth group activity, please contact me by phone or e-mail kyliejw@bigpond.net.au
Kylie Wilmot, Youth Group Leader

POSTION VACANT
The position of TSA Playgroup Coordinator will become vacant at the end of this year, and an energetic, reliable, creative and conscientious person over the age of 18 years is sought to fill this position for 2008 and onwards. See here.

CONFIRMATION CAMP REPORT

Day 1 – Monday
The day started as Martin and Hoovy arrived in the Rosa bus at Bentleigh. We were all very excited to see each other and start our long journey, so there were many screams of delight when everyone arrived. After we pumped Rosa’s tyres up, we set off and all was pretty quiet on the bus until we got to Morwell, where we had lunch at a park with a lake.
We were joined for lunch by an array of birds and managed to befriend a boxer dog named ‘Sookie’ and his owner who was fishing for rainbow trout in the lake. They were both very helpful with our spontaneous game of soccer (Sookie) and then to fish ‘Bob’ the ball out of the lake (the owner).
We stopped off once more in Sale to buy food (Susi) and to hang our toes into the water off the pier and climb a huge tree (everyone else), before reaching Loch Sport in the late afternoon.

Day 2 – Tuesday
We were blessed fairly early this morning with the announcement that ‘I don’t think the toilet is draining very fast!!’ Little did we realize that this was just the beginning of our wonderful, character-building adventures this week! The toilet WAS indeed blocked and threatening to overflow, which instantly galvanized the leaders into putting on sad faces and making lots of phone calls. Henceforth this will be known as the ‘Toilet Saga’ – to be continued.
It was pretty warm today so we spent most of it at the water. In the morning the boys all went down to the boat ramp and unloaded the boat and Hoovy took us all out for a ‘run around’ the lake. We all took turns in the boat while some brave souls (mostly the girls!!) went swimming. It was still pretty chilly in the water and very ‘breezy’ out. In the afternoon the girls even took the lilo down the road to the boat ramp and floated back to our little beach on it.

The boat ramp actually became a really cool place to hang out (mostly because it had a newly built pit toilet – see ‘Toilet Saga’) as well as a nice long beach area. The only drawback was that you had to pluck up the courage to make it past the Kamikaze-Bombardier-Angry Mother Magpie who was swooping at unexpected intervals. We had Gareth to thank for alerting everyone to this phenomenon when we observed him doing a really weird and flailing new dance called “It’s-a-magpie-and-it-got-me!” while bolting across the car park area.
Later that afternoon Susi decided to take us on a ‘short 20 minute walk to the marina’ before tea (another good toilet opportunity). We arrived 45 minutes later and still had to walk back again! To make up for it we were all treated to several bowls of hot chips in the marina restaurant.
‘Toilet Saga’ – the Septic Tank man drained it but to no avail; the pipe was still blocked! More phone calls later told us that nearly every plumber in the Sale district had gone to Melbourne and all that was left was the apprentice to help us out with our problem!

Wednesday – Day 3
Today dawned very windy and cool so we decided to visit the Nut House craft gallery. Unfortunately we found it closed, so to plan B: if you can’t visit the Nut House, go and buy ice creams!
When we got back to the house we found that Hoovy, who had stayed back to rest because he wasn’t feeling well, was in fact feeling a lot worse and was not going to be able to stay at camp with us. Henceforth this will be known as the ‘Hoovy Saga’. This again meant lots of phone calls and sad faces. Luckily Moni Imberger was already on her way to join us and Mark Herrmann very gallantly dropped everything in Melbourne to ‘gallop’ down to Loch Sport and be our replacement bus driver/second leader.
After lunch, with Moni’s arrival and Karin Lubitz’ mercy dash from Leongatha, we went to the 90 Mile Beach where we slid down the sand dunes, explored the ‘forest’ and splashed around in the surprisingly warm waves, all while trying not to get blown away by the almost gale-force winds. After some afternoon tea we drove back and, just as we were pulling into the bottom end of the driveway, an ambulance, with Hoovy on board, was pulling out of the top end of the driveway! After a brief period of panic we found out that Hoovy was OK but just couldn’t travel sitting up in the car.
We went on a night walk later that evening and had a lot of fun collecting various desperately needed items off everyone’s hard rubbish piles! ‘Toilet Saga’ – no plumbers back yet, need to wait till tomorrow!

Day 4 – Thursday
This morning we slept in. Then we realised that even though Hoovy was gone (diagnosed with a severe inner ear infection) his boat was still in the water and had to be reloaded on to the trailer, but nobody was either licensed or knew how to drive it. This, we discovered, was only half the problem! Due to the strong winds the day and night before, the dinghy had filled up with sand and water and had all but sunk! A magnificent team effort was required. Everyone put on bathers and together we battled wind, water and seaweed to disconnect the motor, empty out the boat and then ‘float’ it down the beach to where we could carry it out of the water and reload it on to the trailer. Even though the water was freezing, it still provided a good toilet alternative for some (number ones only)!
After hot showers, we said goodbye to Susi who was going back to Melbourne via Sale Hospital to pick up Hoovy.
Now that we were ‘bus mobile’ again, we drove down into the National Park to Sperm Whale Head jetty and on the way back picked up some much needed items from the hard rubbish piles of our neighbours. Later that afternoon, some of us had a great time whizzing down the hill near the house on a little ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ ride-on toy and in a small three-wheeled pusher!
That evening we drove to Sale, had a BBQ tea in the park, played on the adventure playground, saw some peacocks including a white one and went to the movies to see ‘The Seeker’. We finished the night off with our second and even more spectacular ‘sparkler bomb’!
‘Toilet Saga’ – Yes!! The plumber finally came and fixed the toilet pipe, only to have Monika stuck in the toilet (the room, not the bowl) and unable to get out!

Day 5 – Friday
The turmoil of the previous days had obviously taken its toll and we found it necessary to sleep in for longer than the other mornings. Donning our swimwear, we made sandwiches and walked up the beach to the big sand dunes. Some of us swam across a deep section of water to a large sand hill. We witnessed some jellyfish! We ate our picnic lunch before Martin and Stefan buried Monika’s thongs in the sand. Monika looked and looked but was only successful in locating one. All then dug a huge hole around where the other thong had supposedly been placed. It remained well hidden!
Returning to the house, we packed up all our gear and cleaned everything up. We were very reluctant to leave, finally departing at about 3:00pm. We stopped at a park in Traralgon, posing for photos on a big tree log and a statue, before proceeding to Yarragon for dinner. Then the rains came and we arrived somewhat wearily at Bentleigh at 7:30pm.

Thankyous
From the leaders: What a fantastic camp because of the really great group of kids that we had the pleasure of spending it with. Even though we had some challenges during the week, not once did anyone complain! You were all willing and helpful whenever we needed your help and you did a great job of cleaning up at the end. Well done and a huge thankyou to: Dylan, Stefan, Martin, Gareth, Talja, Kate, Ashlin, Nikki and Monika!

From the kids: Buckets (appropriately) of thanks to Hoovy, Susi (saviour of sagas), Moni and Mark for your combined phenomenal efforts in organising and running our confirmation camp, and extra special thanks to both Mark and Karin for your rescue mission efforts! Also to the Kirchner family for kindly letting us stay at their beautiful place in Loch Sport.
Combined effort

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CHILDREN'S SECTION

Hallo to all!
I hope you had a good month, and are looking forward to this month, and summer time. As I write this I cannot believe that there is already Christmas stuff in the shops. Where has the year gone?
Without wanting to wish the year away, I wonder what sort of a year it has been for you.
Has it been a year where good things have happened to you? Has it been a year where you have helped good things to happen to other people? Do you feel others have been kind to you? And more importantly, have you been kind to those around you?
Do you remember the story of Abraham and Lot we have been reading? Did you remember that Abraham was very kind to Lot when he let Lot choose which land to live on? And did you remember that Abraham was rewarded for his kindness?

This is what we like to believe happens: if you do something kind, then you have kindness returned to you. This also means that if you want people to be kind to you, then you should be kind to them as well.
In the story in Luke’s Gospel in the Bible, it also says: ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you.’ As members of the Temple Society, this is something we believe in very strongly.

Our aim is to ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ It means we should treat other people exactly as we would like them to treat us.
So I hope this is something you have experienced this year; the giving and receiving of love and kindness. And I do hope this is something that you will continue to experience for the rest of the year, and beyond!
Christine Ruff

We wish a birthday full of love and kindness to: 

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TABULAM AND TEMPLER HOMES FOR THE AGED

Dear Friends,
During October two of our seniors, Mrs Olga Hoersch, a resident of our Home, and Mr Otto Löbert, a unit resident, were honoured at the National Day for Older Australians. They were each awarded certificates by the Hon. Chris Pearce MP for their significant contributions as senior citizens. Congratulations to both on a well-deserved award.

Earlier in the year, TTHA acquired the house at 38 Elizabeth Street, directly opposite our Home. This house will be named ‘Ignaz Ruegg House’ because the Home received a very generous bequest of about $300,000 from Ignaz’ estate.

Knox Council has indicated that it wants to sell some of the ‘scout hall land’ adjacent to our independent living units on our east-west boundary. In order to ensure no inappropriate development takes place, the board has decided to go ahead with negotiations with council to acquire the land and to plan building about 20 independent living units over the coming years.

Advertising for the CEO position closed on 5th October. We have had a great deal of interest in the position from both Germany and Australia. A search panel is currently in the process of short-listing applicants. We are very confident of finding a suitable successor to Dr Schreiber, starting in early 2008 and taking over after his retirement in June.

We have two new young German men, Simon and Josef, as volunteers working in all areas of the facility, and Michaela – a trained social worker from Germany – as volunteers for six months.

An issue in the Home which is very difficult to resolve is the ongoing problem regarding timely responses to the nurse call. Whilst the staff is making every effort to respond as quickly as possible, it is very difficult to please everyone. I would like to ask residents and relatives to be a little understanding and be assured that we will try to minimize delays.

On a more positive note, our overall complaints’ monitoring indicates grievances are minimal and usually resolved quickly. The building extension work is going well with progress evident every day.
Kind Regards,
Hartmut Weller.

Liebe Freunde,
Im Oktober wurden zwei unserer Senioren, Frau Olga Hoersch, Bewohnerin des Heimes, und Herr Otto Löbert, Bewohner einer unserer Independent Living Units, am Natio-nalen Gedenktag für australische Senioren geehrt. Der Parlamentsabgeordnete, Herr Chris Pearce, über-gab ihnen eine Urkunde und würdigte ihren Beitrag als ältere Mitbürger. Herzlichen Glückwunsch beiden zu einer wohlverdienten Auszeichnung.

Vor etlichen Monaten erwarben wir das Haus Nr. 38 in der Elizabeth Street, direkt gegenüber unseres Heims. Wir werden dieses Haus das ‘Ignaz-Ruegg-Haus’ nennen in Dankbarkeit für eine Hinterlassen-schaft von etwa $300.000 zugunsten des Heimes.
Der Knox Council hat uns wissen lassen, dass Teile des ‘Scout Hall Lands’ – direkt angrenzend an unsere Units entlang der von Ost nach West verlaufenden Grenze – verkauft werden sollen. Um zu sichern, dass dort nichts geschieht, was uns nicht gefällt, hat der Vorstand beschlossen, die Verhand-lungen mit dem Council fortzusetzen mit der Absicht, das Land für etwa 20 zukünftige Independent Living Units zu kaufen. Die Stellenanzeigen für einen CEO-Nachfolger haben den 5. Oktober als Schlussdatum für Bewerbungen festgelegt.

Wir konnten einiges Interesse an der Stelle sowohl aus Deutschland als auch aus Australien feststellen. Ein Berufungsausschuss ist zur Zeit dabei, entsprechende Vorschlags-Kandidaten auszuwählen. Wir sind zuversichtlich, dass wir eine gute Nachfolge für Dr Schreiber finden werden. Der oder die Nachfolger/in sollen früh im Jahr 2008 anfangen, und wenn Dr Schreiber in den Ruhestand gegangen ist, im Juni die Stelle ganz übernehmen.

Wieder haben wir zwei junge Männer aus Deutschland, Simon and Josef, Helfer in allen Bereichen des Heimes, und Michaela – eine ausgebildete Sozialwirtin aus Deutschland – für ein halbes Jahr als Freiwillige.

Ein schwierig zu lösendes Dauer-problem ist es, das Läuten der Bewohner immer in angemessener Zeit beantworten zu können. Obwohl die Schwestern alles versuchen, so schnell wie möglich zu antworten, ist es kaum möglich, alle Erwartungen zu erfüllen. Ich möchte gerne alle Bewohner und Angehörigen bitten, ein wenig Verständnis zu haben und sich darauf zu verlassen, dass wir tun, was wir können, das Warten zu verkürzen.

Wir können jedoch berichten, dass Beschwerden nach unserer Beobachtung gering sind und im Allgemeinen schnell berücksichtigt werden. Der Neubau geht gut voran, und man kann täglich Fortschritte sehen.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Ihr Hartmut Weller

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NOTICES -- BEKANNTMACHUNGEN

COMING SERVICES    

 FLOWER ROSTER

PRESENTATION – 14th October
At a lovely, personalized ceremony held by our Elder Renate Weber in the Community Chapel, the following eight children were presented before God and the community:

Cooper Stephen Karl Knaub
Isabella Roma Knaub
Parents: Thomas Knaub and Kim née Opie

Riley James Löbert
Jensen Alexander Löbert
Parents: Richard Löbert and Stacey Maree née Thomas

Charlotte Hanh Breisch
Kelilah Phoenix Breisch
Elyssa Pearl Breisch
Parents: Jon Breisch and Phuong née Luong

Abbey Kayla Conway Anderson
Parents: Christian Anderson and Tiffany Conway

POSTION VACANT
The position of TSA Playgroup Coordinator will become vacant at the end of this year, and an energetic, reliable, creative and conscientious person over the age of 18 years is sought to fill this position for 2008 and onwards.
A position description is available upon request and all applications and enquiries need to be made to Susi Blackwell. Please note: If no expressions of interest from TSA members or friends are received, the vacancy will be advertised outside the TSA.
Please contact Susi by phone or e-mail susi.tsa@datafast.net.au  or in writing to TSA Youth Coordinator, 152 Tucker Road, Bentleigh 3204.

DEUTSCHER GESPRÄCHSABEND – 8. November
Einladung von der Bayswater Boronia Templer Schule
Thema: Meine Heimat und meine Identität
mit Frau Generalkonsul Elke Kessler und Torsten Schultz, Fachberater am Goethe-Institut Melbourne.
Zitate und Gedichte – aktuelle und vom neunzehnten Jahrhundert – sollen die Diskussionsrunde zum Thema ‘meine Heimat und meine Identität’ einleiten. Möglicherweise sind Sie auch an diesen Themen interessiert. Wir freuen uns auf Ihre Fragen und auf Ihre Teilnahme. Es gibt auch Tee und Kaffee, am Donnerstag, den 8. November von 19:00 Uhr bis 20:30 Uhr in der Chapel der Templer Gemeinde, Bayswater.
Dr Irene Bouzo and Doris Frank, for the Templer German School

GERMAN DISCUSSION EVENING  – 8. November
An invitation from the Bayswater Boronia Templer School to all German-speaking Templers and friends.
Subject: My Homeland and My Identity
with Elke Kessler, wife of the German Consul General in Melbourne, and Torsten Schultz, German Language Advisor,  Goethe-Institute Melbourne.
A relaxed conversation evening will focus on the themes of how people think about their homeland and their identity. Our speakers will provide some short literature excerpts and poems, both current and from the nineteenth century, to stimulate your questions and active participation. Tea and coffee will be provided in the Chapel (white building) of the Templer Community Centre, 51 Elizabeth St Bayswater on Thursday November 8th 2007 at 7pm to 8.30pm
Dr Irene Bouzo and Doris Frank, for the Templer German School

MAKING TRADITIONAL GERMAN STRAW STARS
Thanks to Helga Kuerschner I have learnt the basics. I am happy to show others what to do on Friday 9th November from 7:00pm at our home. This is not for the little ones but the teenage group and youth may wish to come as well as anyone older. You may even wish to make some straw stars for the Adventsfeier in Bentleigh or Bayswater.
If you wish to come, please e-mail nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au  or ring me.
Marianne Herrmann

ISRAEL DVD  -- Saturday 10th November at 2:30pm, Bayswater Hall
You are invited to a community showing of the 60-minute DVD ‘The Templers – Secrets in Tel Aviv’. An Israeli state media group filmed aspects of the visit of the Templer group to Israel early last year. Scenes of three Templers visiting their family homes in Sarona, as well as a portrayal of aspects of the history and contribution of the Templers and some of the restoration work in Sarona are included. A discussion of issues arising from the film will follow, and light refreshments will be provided. See page 48.
Karin Ruff, for the Heritage & Culture FG

WALK – Saturday 10th November – You Yangs
Where: You Yangs Regional Park, 10:30am
Distance: 11.3km circuit;  Melways Map: Key Map Page 11; Grade: Medium

How to get there: From Melbourne follow the Princes Highway southwest towards Geelong for 44km to the Little River exit. Leave the highway and head west for 6km to the small town of Little River, then continue further west for 3km. Turn left into Farrar Road and follow it south for 1.7km, then turn right and west along Branch Road for 4.8km to the entrance of the park.
Turn right into the park and after 800m veer right towards Flinders Peak. Continue 500m on the sealed road to the next junction and veer left following Turntable Drive. Travel a further 900m to Turntable car park on the left.

Walk: The name You Yangs is derived from aboriginal words which mean ‘big mountain in the middle of a plain’. The peaks are composed of granite which decomposes into sands and gravel that wash into the flats around the range. The park supports a wide variety of plants and some of these are threatened with extinction due to a noxious weed – boneseed.

We will first walk up to Flinders Peak. This provides a fine view of the surrounding plains. The 360º views take in Port Phillip Heads and the tall buildings of the Melbourne CBD. This part of the walk is optional and, as we will return down the same track to the junction, anyone not wishing to make this climb could wait for us there. Our walk is actually made up of two circuits, which cross at the car park. We will first follow the West Walk, which passes through dense scrubby forest, and then the East walk past the Saddle, with its open woodland in contrast to the earlier area. This will then take us back to the car park, where we could have lunch, before continuing our walk along the Branding Yard Trail circuit.

If you intend to join us for this easy walk, please let me know by phone or send an e-mail to tmurray@bigpond.net.au  I will be available on my mobile on the Saturday.
This will be the last walk for the year. Our first for next year will most likely take place on the second Saturday in February. Keep a lookout for the next walk news.
Trudi Murray

GRAND TEDDY BEARS’ (PLAYGROUP AND COMMUNITY) PICNIC!
An open invitation is extended to all community members and friends to come along to this wonderful furry event. We will be celebrating the 25th birthday of Playgroup, as well as Moni Herrmann’s 22 years of dedication to and her wonderful efforts in putting the ‘play’ into Playgroup!
Please BYO chairs, tables and other picnic utensils to make less work for the organising committee.

Date: Sunday 11th November 2007
Place: Bayswater Hall and Chapel
Times: 10.30am Family Service,   12noon BBQ celebratory lunch,   1:30pm Presentations and Birthday cake,
2:30pm Afternoon tea and ‘teddy stuff’.
Lunch is on us, so all you need to bring is some cake to share for afternoon tea, your own alcoholic drinks and, of course, your Teddy Bear!

Photo albums, group photos and memorabilia from past Playgroup times will be available to look at throughout the day, and we will have some ‘teddy’ games and activities happening in the afternoon.
Please RSVP (so we know how many to cater for) by Monday 5th November.
For further enquiries and to RSVP contact Susi Blackwell on home telephone or e-mail susi.tsa@datafast.net.au 

TTHA CHRISTMAS BAZAAR – 14th November
A Christmas Bazaar will be held in the main foyer of the Tabulam and Templer Homes on Wednesday 14th November, commencing at 10:00am. Our Craft ladies have been very creative and have made lots of wonderful, unique items, including hand-embroidered tablecloths, which would make lovely gifts for Christmas.
So we invite you to come and buy your Christmas goodies and then visit your family and friends at the Home. Proceeds will go towards a big screen TV for the new building.
Thank you so much for supporting the ladies who have all generously donated their time and effort.
Helga Kuerschner, for the Craft Group

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
If you would like your Christmas Greetings published in the December/ January Templer Record, please let the Office have your name and donation by 18th November.
Ed.

BAYSWATER KEGEL KLUB
Next May the Bayswater Kegel Klub will celebrate its 50th anniversary. To commemorate the Club’s history over the past 50 years, the Club is seeking old photos or memorabilia from anyone who may have such items. Photographs of the original building works, Preiskegeln events or bowling groups would be especially welcome. We hope to put together a display. All photographs will be scanned and returned to their owners. Similarly, anyone – members, former members, ‘pick-up-pin’ boys and girls – with anecdotes or recollections of the Club, would you please let me know about them.
Contact me by phone or e-mail mindiekar@optusnet.com.au 
Manfred Haering, President of the Bayswater Bowling Club

TATURA – 18th November
People interested in attending the Tatura Memorial Service and planning to go on Rosa the bus, please book by Friday 9th November at the Office on 9557 6713 or nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au 
Ralph Richter will be your driver. The bus will leave Bayswater at 7:00am and Bentleigh at 7:45am to arrive at the Tatura War Cemetery in time for the Memorial Service at 11:00am. After the service, all who have arrived by bus and others who have booked with the TSA Office can have lunch (at own cost) at the Ballantyne Centre – see map. They can accommodate between 70 and 100 people on Sunday 18th November at 12:00 noon and will provide a two-course meal for $17. This booking is for the German Consul, the Liedertafel Arion and the Templers.
Thank you, Jacky, for volunteering to lay our wreath.
Ilse Nicholson for the Heritage & Culture FG

MAKING GUTSLE FOR ADVENTSFEIER
As in the past we ask as many people as possible to consider making at least one batch of Gutsle for the Adventsfeier. Maybe invite your family to get together and make some Gutsle for yourselves and some for us. Gutsle can be left at the Office in Bentleigh or at Tony and Renate Beilharz’ Caretaker Residence, Bayswater, prior to Wednesday 28th November.

On Friday 16th November from 6:00pm I will be making Gutsle at our home. If you have never made Gutsle or simply would just like to come and help, I would love some assistance. If I have a lot of interest from Bayswater, I will try and organise the bus to come in.
I would love some expert assistance as well, 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 for the Bentleigh Adventfeier this year!
It would be easier if I knew who was coming and, if you can, bring doughs already prepared – so please e-mail nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au  or ring me.
Marianne Herrmann, Social & Recreation FG

DEUTSCHE VOLKSLIEDER – 24th November
You are invited to a German folksinging afternoon on Saturday 24th November from 3:30pm to 5:00pm in the Bayswater Chapel. We hope to sing lots of our old folk songs, so come along and bring your best voices. Tea and coffee will be provided.
Ilse Nicholson, for the Heritage & Culture FG

JUST THIS DAY – Wednesday 28th November
This global initiative for peace asks us to stop, be still and – for just this day – remember that everyone and everything is connected. Please add your focused thoughts for peace. See www.justthisday.org
Herta Uhlherr

ADVENTSKRANZ MAKING
Advent is creeping up on us, 2nd December being the first Advent Sunday. It is time to consider whether you wish to make an Adventskranz out of cypress branches. My mother Heidi and I are happy to help anyone make an Adventskranz on Friday 30th November at 7:00pm at the Caretaker’s Residence, Bayswater.

Bookings with Renate are essential to ensure that there are enough materials for all. If you have the ring, candle holders and ribbon from last year, please bring them. If you are a ‘newcomer’ there will be a charge for these materials, which are then reusable (as long as you remember where you put them after Christmas!).
Renate Beilharz, for the Heritage & Culture FG
e-mail beilharztr@ozemail.com.au 

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

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 mention the ingredients on the packaging. Donations of Christmas cookies (Gutsle) – we can never have too many – would be greatly appreciated. Donations of items for raffle prizes are always gratefully received.
Donations of raffle prizes, Gutsle or any craft items can be left at the Office, 152 Tucker Road Bentleigh, or at Renate and Tony Beilharz’ Caretaker Residence, Bayswater, prior to Wednesday 28th November. Bazaar items may also be brought on the day but they must be priced.

Gutsle Packaging
Saturday 1st December at 10:00am in the Bentleigh Hall. Some assistance to pack, hopefully lots and lots of Gutsle, would be appreciated.

Finally, 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.
Marianne Herrmann, for the Social & Recreation FG

BENTLEIGH GERMAN SCHOOL – ADVENTSFEIER
Our German School year will conclude with an Adventsfeier on both Monday 3rd and Wednesday 5th December. We invite members of the community to come and enjoy the delights of Advent on either or both evenings from 6:00 to 7:00pm.
The German School has had a very busy and successful 2007 and we thank the community for their continued support as we open up to the wider German community that is flourishing in the Bayside suburbs of Melbourne.
Marianne Herrmann, Bentleigh German School

ADVENT IN BAYSWATER – Tuesday 4th December
We invite all ladies, young and old, to celebrate Advent with us on 4th December in the Bayswater Hall at 8:00pm – readings, carol-singing, candles, Gutsle (please bring some!), coffee/tea, atmosphere… Readings and carols will be in English and German. Gentlemen are also welcome. Set-up from 10:00am, clean-up afterwards; please help.
Imi Roscher, Helga Jürgensen

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION, BAYSWATER  
Saturday 22nd December
The Community Christmas celebration in Bayswater is all about 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, a huge Christmas tree and more carol singing.

Any children interested in participating in Bayswater 22nd 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 to join in on the night and will receive a small gift from Father Christmas.

We would also like to hear from anyone able to assist with the organisation aspect of this special community event: preparing a children’s play or 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…
Please contact me if you or your children/grandchildren are able to participate in or help with this special annual community event; e-mail beilharztr@ozemail.com.au 
Renate Beilharz, for the Social & Recreation FG

CHRISTMAS IN BENTLEIGH
Hi Parents and Children,
My name is Nikki Imberger and this year I will be organising the children's contribution in the Christmas Day service in Bentleigh.
Before I get anything organised, I need to know how many children are interested and willing to participate. Once I have numbers I'll organise what we will be doing and a short rehearsal before Christmas.
Please contact me asap so that I can start planning; e-mail  rock_chick1610@hotmail.com
Nikki Imberger

NEW YEAR’S EVE – BAYSWATER
As detailed in the October TR, the Social & Recreation FG is trying to facilitate a get-together after the New Year’s Eve service in the Bayswater Community Room, like those previously organised in Bentleigh.
Manfred Decker has offered to drive the TTHA bus to collect and bring home any Bentleigh people wishing to attend, but who don’t wish to or are unable to drive.

To allow for the planning to progress, please advise me in the Office on 9557 6713 or e-mail nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au  if you wish to attend such a ‘get-together’ and also if you wish to come by bus from Bentleigh.
We need a small group of people to assist with the planning. Please let me know if you are willing to help.
Marianne Herrmann, for the Social & Recreation FG

LINKS TO THE SBS GERMAN PAGE ON THE TSA WEBSITE

1. To bring it to the attention of visitors I have placed a small Sarona Picture on the Welcome Page, linked to the SBS German Internet Page. Instructions come up if you rest the mouse cursor over the picture.
2. A short note on the Heritage Page (with the same Sarona Picture) gives more information and better instructions on how to download the audio file.
3. I have placed a permanent link to the SBS German Page on our Link Page, because it also seems to carry other items of possible interest to our readers.

Any one of the three links can be used to access the Helmut Glenk interview.
For those ‘in the know’ item 'one' would be the quickest way to get there, just click on the picture and when the SBS German Page opens, click on the headphone symbol at the ‘Sarona, an Interview’ paragraph. Item 'two' does include those individual instructions and other helpful advice for those who need it. Item three is just for general information.
Alfred Klink

SOMMERFEST – 16th March 2008
Mark Sommerfest in your diaries! Yes, I know it’s early but the planning is already well under way. To make it all happen, we need help – lots and lots of volunteers! If you can stand up, you qualify – in fact, some of our ever-faithful Kartoffelsalat helpers make fantastic contributions whilst comfortably sitting down!

Get the idea? There are no valid excuses! All Focus Groups and Interest Groups are involved in making it happen and we have lots of rosters to fill and would be grateful for even an hour of your time.

Please volunteer by phoning or sending an e-mail to:
Manfred Decker deckers@bigpond.com
Dot Ware db53cw@yahoo.com.au 
Jevan Bouzo
Tony Beilharz beilharztr@ozemail.com.au 
Renate Beilharz beilharztr@ozemail.com.au 
Bernhard Hoefer  hoovy@bigpond.com 
Susi Blackwell susi.tsa@datafast.net.au 
Renate Weber weberrh@dodo.com.au 
Dieter Glenk dieter_glenk@bigpond.com

Manfred Decker, for the Social & Recreation FG

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THE HERITAGE PAGE

ANOTHER SARONA SECRET UNCOVERED
Tamar Tuchler, a director from the Society for the Preservation of Historical Sites in Israel, which is instrumental in the efforts to preserve and restore the former Templer settlement of Sarona, has advised that a radio transmitter has been located in a deep well on a former Templer-owned property. The well is under a pump-house a short distance east of Sarona in an area known as the ‘Seleme Land’ (Salame was a nearby Arab village).

During the late 1920s some land in this area was privately purchased by several families from Sarona. Some of the Templer owners built homes and installed irrigation systems with pump houses in the area in the 1920s and 1930s. It is thought that the land where the well was located was owned by the Baumert family. The Preservation Society believes the sender was installed by the Jewish Underground and used to transmit messages during the 1940s. In May 1948, Israel’s first Prime Minister, Ben Gurion, broadcast the proclamation of the State of Israel through this sender.

Further inquiries are under way in Israel to find more information on this secret transmitter. All development around the site has now been halted until further details become known. Thanks are expressed to Lina Laemmle and Klaus-Peter Hoffmann for providing very useful information on land owners and families in this area on Sarona’s outskirts.
Helmut Glenk

BOOK – SHATTERED DREAMS AT KILIMANJARO
Before World War I, over 60 Templers migrated from Palestine to German East Africa to start a new life in the interior of Germany’s largest colony. In WW l all males of military age served with the German forces, under Colonel von Lettow-Vorbeck, throughout the long campaign during which the German forces were not defeated. During and after the war, the captured German soldiers were interned either in Egypt or in India. After the war all the German properties were confiscated; German East Africa was renamed Tanganyika and became a British Mandate territory. Women, elderly men and children were all deported to Germany, where many found refuge at Bad Mergentheim castle.

The book covers this episode as well as the ‘restart’ by many of the former settlers during the 1920s. Not all former settlers returned; in addition to these, several other members of Templer families migrated from Palestine to Tanganyika during the 1920s and 1930s, including members of the Uhlherr, Kopp, Asenstorfer and Neef families. The book concludes with what happened to these Templer families during World War II – some were repatriated during the war whilst others were interned in camps in South Africa and Rhodesia before being deported to Germany at the end of WW ll.

In his Foreword to the book, Peter Lange, outgoing President of the Temple Society, writes ‘Another publication on our Templer heritage has now been added to the ones already on our bookshelves. The authors, Helmut Glenk, together with Horst Blaich and Peer Gatter, are to be congratulated on their meticulous research on the migration of Templer families from Palestine to German East Africa at the beginning of the 20th century. This chapter of the Temple Society’s history indeed deserves to be presented in detail.[…] This new book now provides members of the Temple Society, as well as professional historians, with a detailed historical account of the fate of the persons involved in the “East African adventure”.

We are hoping to have the book available by the end of the year and are planning a book launch early in 2008.
Helmut Glenk

‘THE TEMPLERS – SECRETS IN TEL AVIV’
Comments on this DVD by Peter Lange
We found the DVD to be positive, and see it as an honest attempt on the part of the Israelis to deal with and objectively portray their country’s pre-1948 history. The Sarona restoration project is shown in broad detail and one cannot help but appreciate the effort now expended on the preservation of the old houses. Similarly, it is obvious from the filmed sequences that the location of historical sites, such as the Perrot clock on the community house, the Pflugfelder oil press and the Deutz motorised pump, made a lasting impression on the experts.

The scenes showing the opening of the exhibition and last year’s Templer trip were expertly captured by the cameraman, especially the moving depiction of Manfred Haering and Helmut Glenk entering their parental homes. The testimony by Heide Seidlitz that this had been her true ‘home’ would have to be a powerful statement to the Israeli population. In a similar vein, I was asked in an interview by Ita Glicksberg, whether the Templers would actually want to return to this ‘homeland’. I replied at the time that they would love to come, not to live there permanently, but to commemorate their families’ and the Temple Society’s history.

We naturally cannot be happy with some misrepresentations in the film, such as the assertion that young Templers went to Germany to be instructed in terrorism in order to train Arab rebels, or that Gotthilf Wagner was an early Nazi leader. These are historically incorrect statements but, as Ben-Artzi wrote, would not be noticed by the average viewer. It would certainly have been desirable – which is also corroborated by Ben-Artzi – for the era of the Third Reich not to have been given such epic latitude in the film. It is, remarkable that the assassination of Gotthilf Wagner was dealt with as objectively as possible, e.g. in the interview with the persons involved in it. The fact that it was perpetrated by a hit squad of the Jewish Underground to break the Templers’ will to stay in the country should now no longer be disputed by anyone in Israel.

Concerning the percentage of Party members amongst the Templers, we should no longer challenge what was said in the film. We Templers must admit that the Nazi ideology broadly appealed to wide circles of our membership at the time and that the pressure exerted by the Party abroad had constantly increased. I deplore that this phase of its history was subsequently rarely discussed within the Temple Society. This will now be done by the generation of the grandchildren of those then involved. We, the next generation, have to prove that we have learnt something from this period. I am delighted to observe that the Templers are open to stronger religious thought once again. We must help to promote this trend to the best of our ability.

We Templers may conclude with satisfaction that, although the work of our forefathers is lost, it has not sunk into oblivion. The testimonies about what was created by those who preceded us will continue to be preserved and appreciated by the present population of Israel, although overcoming old prejudices on both sides and establishing new contacts between us and the present inhabitants of the country will not be a rapid process. The film shows that on their side, too, emotional blocks have yet to be dealt with, as highlighted by the exchange between Mamlock and ‘Frank’. Frank keeps citing unqualified judgments about the Templers – and Mamlock tries to defuse them. As a little boy, Mamlock lived among and ‘experienced’ the Templers, but Frank did not – and that is the difference.

I am all for showing the video to a wider audience in our communities in Stuttgart and Australia, but I recommend that it is followed by a discussion about the impressions received. The film shows clearly that not only Danny Goldman and Jakob Eisler – who are already known to the Australian Templers – may be counted among our friends, but also quite a number of additional Israeli historians, architects and heritage experts. I cannot imagine a more convincing way of reporting than the one used here in the form of recorded interviews, particularly the one with Yossi Ben-Artzi.
(translated by Peter Hornung)

A VISIT TO THE GUSTAV BAUERNFEIND MUSEUM
During our visit to the Black Forest we came through the old romantic town of Sulz am Neckar. This small town harbours a small treasure in the Bauernfeind Museum, which was established to honour the almost-forgotten Gustav Bauernfeind, born in 1848 in Sulz. We arrived at the door of the museum on a weekday, only to find that opening times are on Sundays, or by appointment. We could not find the person who could open the museum for us. We had travelled all the way from Stuttgart and now stood in front of a locked museum door. After some thought we asked at the police station that happened to be in the same building. The answer was that the person responsible for opening was sick in bed and his good wife was otherwise occupied. But we did not give up so easily. We started to wander along and called into several shops, but without success. Finally we looked into the local Chemist to ask if he knew anyone who could let us in.
The chemist behind the counter was friendly and answered with a smile: I donated a lot of money into this Bauernfeind project and you certainly shall see the exhibition. After many phone calls he was able to persuade Mrs Driessler who agreed to open the museum for these two German-speaking Australians. We were delighted when the old lady turned up with a large key. She started to explain the exhibition in the nicely decorated rooms as we were led through the art show. Lots of explanations and discussion took place. Little was shown about the Templers, but we were able to explain that Bauernfeind was married to a Templer and was known to Templers in the Holy Land through a set of four of his paintings presented to Kaiser Wilhelm II on the latter’s visit to Palestine in 1898. These became known as the Kaiseralbum.

The Heritage Group had four colour prints made of the paintings of Haifa, Jaffa, Sarona and Jerusalem-Rephaim. (For copies please contact Manfred Haering.) Gustav Bauernfeind was recently in the limelight when his painting The Wailing Wall – Jerusalem was auctioned at Sotheby’s in London for about €4.5 million.

Gustav Bauernfeind was active as an artist, painter, illustrator (woodcuttings) and architect. He is the best-known German Oriental painter, and the Austrian Post Office honoured him by issuing a special stamp. Bauernfeind died in Jerusalem in 1904. His gravestone can still be seen in the Templer Cemetery Jerusalem. A set of colour prints was donated to the museum.
Horst Blaich

THANK YOU
Thank you to the many people who helped us identify the photos in the last TR. We appreciate your input.
Should you have any comments, suggestions or criticism of how we present the Heritage Pages, please put pen to paper and send them in.
Horst Blaich

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE MONTH
Christoph Hoffmann II presented the Kaiseralbum to Kaiser Wilhelm II in Jaffa on 28th October 1898 (109 years ago). Bauernfeind was commissioned to paint Haifa, Jaffa, Sarona and Jerusalem. Here is the dedication.
Photo of the arrival of Kaiser Wilhelm II in Bethlehem on 30th October 1898

PHOTO – 105 YEARS AGO
Haifa School 1902: Can you recognise any faces? Please let us know.

Return to the Index

OCTOBER
TEMPLER RECORD- ISSUE No. 699

REFLECTIONS 
  
 

WORTE aus dem Fernen Osten	REFLECTIONS from the Far East
Denn die Frühlingstage kommen wieder zu ihrer Zeit, der Vollmond nimmt Abschied und kommt wieder zu neuem Besuch; die Blüten kommen wieder und erröten auf ihren Zweigen Jahr für Jahr; und vielleicht nahm auch ich nur Abschied von dir, um wiederzukommen.	For spring days come back at their appointed time, the full moon takes its leave and returns for another visit; blossoms come back and blush on their boughs year after year; and perhaps I only took my leave of you in order to return.
Tagore	Tr. H.U.

CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP
Our outgoing President looks back on his activities as the Templers’ Verbindungsmann, the link between TSA and TGD
It is now six years since I took over the position of Templer President from Dieter Ruff. It makes me sad that halfway through, in November 2004, I had to learn of my predecessor’s death. Dieter was my loyal friend over many years, and I would have greatly appreciated having him there for longer as my advisor.

In the course of this year, I decided not to agree to an extension of my term of duty beyond my 75th birthday. Our constitutions state that the President ‘shall relinquish his position at age 75’ and there are good reasons for this. A decision as to a successor has to be taken anyway. Meanwhile the Regional Councils of the TSA and TGD have endorsed Dr Rolf Beilharz as my successor, and this choice now has to be approved by a majority of members at the annual general meetings on 21st and 6th October 2007 respectively. It is Australia’s turn to appoint the Templer President and this is justified because of the greater number of members there.

The constitution states that the President ‘shall have persuasive authority’, but no decision-making power regarding the Society’s day-to-day affairs. His responsibility is for the religious direction of the TS, to promote its aims and ideals and to contribute to mutual understanding and cooperation between the Australian and German regions.
At the time, I set myself the task of putting my energy into three particular areas that would promote unity and religious cohesion among Templers:

1. encouraging exchange visits between the groups of Elders
2. publishing new Templer literature
3. a greater emphasis on providing spiritual/religious education, for instance in confirmation courses and seminars.

1. I was able to persuade some TSA Elders and the Community Care Worker to spend several weeks in Stuttgart: Mark Herrmann (2002), Helga Anderson (2004), Renate Beilharz (2005) and Renate Weber (2005). In the other direction, Karin and Jörg Klingbeil, Brigitte Hoffmann and Otto Hammer visited the Australian Templers. I myself flew to the other side of the globe four times, in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007, and there tried to strengthen contacts in the course of many conversations. I also participated in numerous community events, not just in greater Melbourne but in Sydney and South Australia as well.

2. As far as publishing new Templer literature is concerned, this mainly occurred in the two collections of Brigitte Hoffmann’s Saal addresses and articles, Meine Erfahrungen mit der Bibel (2001) and Mein Verständnis von Jesus (2006), as well as in the booklet Wie es zum Tempel kam – this appeared a year later in English translation as Origins of the Temple Society. I initiated and supported the translation of Meine Erfahrungen mit der Bibel and the story book Damals in Palästina (Memories of Palestine, 2005). A work-in-progress is the Australian expansion of the Temple Society Religious Perspectives booklet with extracts from the religious section of the Templer Handbook.

3. Regarding the religious education of young people, it was not necessary for me to undertake initiatives. In the TGD, confirmation courses take place at intervals despite low numbers of participants. In the TSA, a structured curriculum of lessons exists and additional activities are on offer. Both regions are blessed with good teachers. However, more can be done to hold courses for adults and to provide Elders with the necessary tools for their religious work. I have participated in the planning and implementation of the TGD’s annual weekend seminars (which have been held over 4-5 days in recent times). In Australia, because of my limited stays there, my help was necessarily restricted to occasional discussion evenings.

In addition, I worked on collecting genealogical data of all Templer families to complete our Archive database. Naturally this took a great deal of time outside of my duties as an Elder and the editor of Die Warte, the TGD’s monthly publication for open or progressive Christians.

In fulfilling my role, I was strongly motivated to keep in touch with as many members and friends as possible and to exchange ideas, whether face-to-face, by phone or by e-mail. This included friends of the Bund für Freies Christentum, with which the TGD is affiliated.

I am aware that I was not able to contribute to increasing membership in the TGD and TSA. Our low numbers relative to other churches and faith communities do not, however, mean that a Christianity understood in the open, progressive Templer sense is no longer meaningful. We should continue to look to the future confidently and – in the words of one of our friends from Freies Christentum – ‘believe that it is important that we exist’.
Peter Lange (transl. H.U.)

COMMON DREAMS
More from this significant conference
As time allows, I am going over my extensive notes from the conference to ‘digest’ them and share insights with you. This month, some points from feedback to the website www.commondreams.org.au
Fred Plumer spoke on Building and sustaining faith communities by feeding the hunger. (It was very clear that there is a great hunger, a yearning, for an open, inclusive community or church where one’s soul and spirit will be nourished, not squashed.) He is on the Advisory Board for the Centre for Progressive Christianity (TCPC), and wrote about what he called A Grand Event in the TCPC Newsletter. Some points he mentioned:

• His surprise at the large number attending, prepared to ‘work with the tough theological issues’ and engage in ‘conversations of substance’.

• His delight at the level of scholarship, and excitement at new perspectives, e.g. feminist theologian Val Webb’s take on the (im)possibility of God-talk. He found himself stretched by some of the fine speakers (as we Templers often were, too, though our forebears did much of the Templer struggling with the Church over a century ago. However, there is always more to learn).

• He was encouraged by the number of leaders of other progressive organisations who want to find more ways to work together. There is a serious need to identify and list those churches that consider themselves progressive so that interested people can find a compatible congregation. (Can we Templers welcome newcomers?)

• The wonder at being with such informed, wonderful people and how lucky we are to be involved in this transforming movement where we can ponder life’s deepest questions with great thinkers.

He concluded his article with ‘I believe we are at a tipping point, can you feel it’? Will you help us tip the balance towards love, compassion and openness? I believe we can’.
As Peter Lange concludes on page 4, though we Templers may be small in number, it is important that the TS exists. We are now connecting with more people of like mind who speak English – the TGD has the Freie Christen – and it is more important than ever to live and work towards the ‘kingdom or realm of God on earth’ – to tip the balance towards love, compassion and inclusivity.

In another article, David Poultney (D.P.) speaks of what struck him particularly:
The emotional significance for many – the feeling ‘they had permission to say what they often had to leave unsaid’ in their church. Here they experienced a place where they could safely question, doubt and hope – very emotional for some. Our Sydney delegate, Ingrid, also felt this strongly, having been employed in a strict Anglican school where she had to be very careful about what she said regarding her (to them ‘heretical’) beliefs. We Templers can be very thankful that our forebears won the freedom to speak up.

D.P. sees clearly that liberal or progressive Christianity ‘is not simply a matter of the head’. We have tended to believe that our nice, rational faith and our benign, non-vengeful God will win in the end; that conservative and fundamentalist Christians will ‘grow up’ and join ‘us sensible, mature adults’. This does not seem to happen. When people become disenchanted with rigid forms of belief, they tend to throw the baby out with the bathwater and reject all engagement with religion, rather than update their beliefs to a more ‘sensible’ version.

We need to appeal not only to the head, to reason, but to the heart and the imagination. – This applies to Templers, too. Some members feel our Saals are ‘cold’; there is a place for more feeling-oriented elements like music, beauty (flowers, visual presentations…) and participation to help members ‘own’ worship services more. There is much to ponder and explore, for Elders and the congregation. It’s great that Templers are now much more comfortable about at least going along with, if not wholeheartedly embracing, new ideas and ways of doing things. See also the report on the TGD’s Abendandacht on page 125 of the September Warte, a contemplative hour of music, images and texts, in a form different from our usual Saals.

David Poultney also reminds us that progressive Christianity is ‘not some form of Christianity Lite. We have allowed ourselves to be defined as not believing much or not believing strongly.’ – Sound familiar? In fact, progressive Christianity recovers a model of faith from before ‘the emphasis on believing particular things and teachings’, which have become incredible to many church-goers. Hoffmann already emphasized going back to the teaching of Jesus as against the teaching about Jesus and all the doctrinal structure that has developed to prop up the church’s power and authority. Some conference delegates were in serious conflict with the churches that employ them. The pastors in Freies Christentum speak of the same problems.

D.P.: ‘Faith is open always to new understandings’. He comes to the issue of naming and suggests using open instead of liberal or progressive. (Others are also engaged with finding the ‘right name’).

‘To talk of open Christianity is to describe the generosity of spirit at the heart of liberalism and the confidence in the future suggested by the word progressive. To use a word for ourselves that suggests generosity, confidence and fearlessness sounds attractive to me.’

It sounds attractive to me, (H.U.) too. However, being open is also a challenge; it requires courage and flexibility. But it also makes us more human, and more like Jesus.
Herta Uhlherr

NOT–TWO IS PEACE
Edited extracts from the Introduction by Erwin Laszlo to this book by Adi Da
Every once in a while a prophetic voice is raised in the midst of crisis, indifference and ignorance. Here the voice of Adi Da speaks of the survival of the species homo sapiens: homo the knower, sapiens the wise. We have reached the very edge of our species’ viability on this planet. Every scenario of business-as-usual leads to a dead end.

Yet, unlike many other species that reached a critical point of existence and succumbed, homo sapiens has a chance, even though he is often too smart for his own good, creating untenable conditions in the biosphere, and stressful and potentially catastrophic conditions in the sociosphere.

What makes homo create such conditions? Not his instincts – human reason has the awesome freedom to ignore basic instincts. It is the egoic, short-sighted rationality of modern man that creates his values, governs his perceptions and creates the complex superstructure proudly called modern civilization. This rationality now threatens our viability.

The unique freedom of homo is also his unique salvation. For what has been repressed and ignored is not beyond recovery. Deep insight welling from the most basic instincts of our species for individual and collective survival is what we need, for that alone can lead us to a civilization that is peaceful and sustainable – to a condition that is truly viable. [Templers would call this the Kingdom of God]

The insight expressed in this book is that we are not only threatened, we can also be saved. The threats come from our egoic separateness, and the salvation from the rediscovery of our unity. Fortunately, it is now being recalled and rediscovered by spiritual masters such as Adi Da, and front-line thinkers and scientists.

Particles are entangled – non-locally connected – with each other throughout space: theirs is a prior unity that is never repressed. Living things of all kinds are non-locally connected throughout the biosphere; theirs is a subtle connection that is real although it has been only recently discovered. So-called primitive people, too, are non-locally – telepathically – connected with one another, with their homeland, and with their environment. They did not repress their prior unity.

Can we return to unity – to seamless wholeness? Time will tell, and it will not be long before it tells.
I strongly believe that the answer will be yes. We are not alone, for there is an overwhelming probability that many civilizations exist on some of the innumerable planets of this and billions of other galaxies. There are unseen, yet now increasingly manifest forces guiding our destiny. A new spirituality evolves, a higher frequency of radiation emerges on the planet. The insight given voice here is the same insight that is dawning on increasing numbers of people: a decade or two ago thousands, now millions.

The transformation of the human species has begun: more and more people are recognizing our unity and are moving toward a cooperative world that could be, and should be, initiated by the world-wide consultation of people representing no interest other than that of the species itself. The establishment of a Global Cooperative Forum for this purpose is at the heart of Adi Da’s calling in this book, ‘rather than playing the global competition-game to its terrible end.’ …’In this Global Cooperative Forum, everyone will – and, indeed, must – focus on the genuine, necessary issues that everyone has in common.’

It is high time to move on. Achieving greater perfection is not a question of serendipity, but the fulfilment of the destiny of humankind: the destiny of accomplishing the further evolution of the spirit, mind, and consciousness that is both the blessing and privilege of our species, and its responsibility to safeguard and evolve for the benefit of all things that inhabit the Earth, our precious home in the universe.
Read more at http://www.ispeace723.org/
Sent in by Helmut Imberger, condensed by the Editor

Return to the Top

REGIONAL MATTERS

FROM THE REGIONAL COUNCIL

NOTES from the RC Meeting of 7th September
This was an Extended Regional Council meeting, with representatives from the Focus Groups in attendance.

• Congratulations to the TTHA, which has again achieved accreditation.

• Items and processes for the AGA were discussed, especially the format for the election of Regional Head, there being two nominations for the position.

Items from the reports of the Focus Groups included:

• Youth have been discussing the issues and challenges of a largely volunteer organisation, with more support required for their activities. The proposed program for Youth Fest 2008 was discussed. It was great to hear that the new playground is in almost constant use.

• Welfare & Distant continues to research the needs of distant members.

• Property Management is conducting ongoing risk assessments while working through an extensive list of jobs. It was pleasing to note the increasing usage of Rosa the bus.

• The Central Fund is working hard to improve the return from assets and is investigating ways of generating income to pay for future TSA needs.

• RC is considering ways to reimburse committee members for TSA-related costs incurred. The introduction of a voluntary maintenance levy to assist with upkeep of our properties was considered in light of dwindling volunteer support.

• Communication & Promotion Focus Group is working on a new website, to include a ‘members only’ section.

• Elders continue to work on our new publication (an expansion of the Religious Perspective booklet). The Confirmation program is progressing well; a separate ceremony was conducted in Sydney on 26th August. Several Elders attended a conference in Sydney. In cooperation with other Elders, Dr Rolf Beilharz wrote a short article called The Templers in Australia for Prof. Jupp’s book The Social Role of Religion.

• Social & Recreational has been as busy as ever! We hope you have enjoyed their recent offerings and those to come.

• Heritage & Culture is also keeping very busy, including through the TSA’s participation at the Immigration Museum’s German Day on 9th September.

Harald Ruff, on behalf of the Regional Council

REMINDER – TSA AGM – 21st October Bayswater
See September Templer Record, page 5 onwards.

Regarding proxies
Since there will be a secret ballot to elect the new Regional Head, proxies will count. In his position as Business Manager, Mark Herrmann usually receives a number of proxy forms from members to vote as he sees fit. Unless you specify on your proxy form which person you vote for, Mark will put it in as an abstention, since he is one of the candidates.

Regarding nominations for Focus Groups
Nominations for positions on Focus Groups will close just before the AGM begins. – Have you considered where you could contribute some time and energy for the benefit of all and for your own satisfaction?
Ed.

VOLUNTARY MAINTENANCE LEVY
At its September meeting, the Extended Regional Council discussed, considered and agreed to implement an annual maintenance levy – in addition to the self-determining level of membership contribution – as compensation for the shortage of Members able and prepared to attend working bees and rosters at our community facilities.

The level of maintenance necessary does not reduce and cannot be left to a decreasing number of volunteers. Unfortunately, probably due to time constraints, our younger Members are unable to commit and contribute to the extent that previous generations have and still do.

It was felt such a levy should only be considered on a voluntary basis (at $20 per Member or membership family who cannot mow lawns, etc.). Provision for this has been made on the annual payment form accompanying this Templer Record. As with the annual membership contribution, it is left to the individual Member to assess their situation.
Regional Council seeks the Members’ support of this initiative.
Mark Herrmann, Business Manager

TELEPHONE GRAPEVINE
The new Grapevine has been in operation for two months now. Many phone calls have been received by both Renate Beilharz and the TSA Office and a number of changes have been made. If you have missed being notified of any recent funerals, you may wish to check with the Office and see if you are on the telephone grapevine.

If you regularly check your e-mails, then maybe you do not need to receive a phone call. But you do need to advise the TSA Office as to how you wish to be informed – by e-mail or phone. It will not happen automatically.
And please, if you cannot contact someone on the list and they have to ring others, ring these others to ensure a timely notification.
Marianne Herrmann, for the TSA Office, tel. 9557 6713

REGIONAL HEAD NOMINEES INTRODUCE THEMSELVES

FRED GOHL
My introduction
As one of the two nominees for the position of Regional Head Temple Society Australia, I am pleased to introduce myself as set out below.
My name is Fred Gohl. I have been a member of the TSA since the 50s and reside in Glen Waverley, Victoria. I am the youngest son of Emma (née Beilharz) and Paul Gohl and twin brother of Hanni (Hoffmann) Steller. We were born in the Templer settlement of Jaffa in October 1939.

My background
We were one of the many families transported by the British to Australia in 1941 and interned near Tatura, Victoria. It was there that I started my schooling in German.
My father, a very proactive individual, was able to arrange for us to be sponsored by a German immigrant from Sydney, also an internee, resulting in our family, together with the family of my mother’s brother, Gustav Beilharz, being among the first to leave the camp after WW2. After three months near Mornington, we moved to Sydney, where Dad had gained employment.
During these early years, we regularly attended the Templer Saal in the German Lutheran Church in the city, where amongst others, Gustav Beilharz conducted the services. Some ten of us were confirmed at age 15 which was the real beginning of our upbringing in the Templer faith.

The invitation to attend the wedding of Helmut and Luise Ruff on 26.12.1956 in Melbourne was perceived by Mum and Dad as the perfect opportunity to present the Gohl twins at age 17 to the relatives and friends in the Bentleigh/Moorabbin and Boronia/Bayswater communities.

In Sydney, we participated in all the Youth Group activities and Familienabend festivities.
After enjoying five Templer senior camps in Victoria, the Sydney Youth Group organised the first interstate senior camp on the south coast of NSW under my leadership. We were able to get to know all the Melbourne youth group members, establish new friendships and understand the real meaning of being a member of the Templer community.

Educational and work background
I completed the Leaving Certificate at Manly Boys High School in 1956 and entered into an indentured five-year apprenticeship as a fitter and turner, in the final year I also completed a toolmaking course. I then spent 4 years in a drawing office of a company where special purpose machines were designed and manufactured, whilst going to night school to gain my tertiary Mechanical Engineering qualifications.

Then I won a position as project engineer and travelled Australia for two years for a large engineering company culminating in a position of contacts engineer with a boiler company. During my 5 years with this firm in Sydney, I met my future wife Marj, a migrant from England, and we married in 1968.

In 1972, after having successfully completed several trouble-shooting trips on boiler plants in Melbourne with this company, I was offered and accepted the position of Victorian Manager and moved to Melbourne. My life and job situation progressed well, despite my being retrenched three times in four years in the early 80s. The pendulum then swung the other way when I was approached in 1985 to take on a position of project manager by Werner Lange, an old friend from senior camp days, with whom I had kept in touch and who was the Engineering Manager of an international company.

There and elsewhere since, I was able to demonstrate successfully my people skills, the ability to administer and complete major projects on time and on budget. This and other companies I have worked for since allowed me to travel overseas. I am currently enjoying my full-time employment at Tomlinson Boilers P/L Notting Hill, as Service Coordinator, where I am planning to work for another two years until the age of 70.

Being Templers in Melbourne
In February 1973 we moved into our new house in Glen Waverley. Our son Nigel was born in 1975 and three years later our daughter Sophie. After Nigel’s confirmation he went on to become and successfully execute the role of leader of the TS Youth Group for a period of five years.

We continued our membership of the TS, participated for our own and then for our children’s benefit in many of the activities and Saals the TS offered. This we did together with the many close relatives who were friends of both my father and mother.
In 1986 I was able to purchase a membership in the Iltis Ski Club at Mt Buller, after having introduced my young family to the snow fields. We went skiing regularly, which allowed us to further our friendship and community involvement. I was also nominated to join the Iltis committee, and became Director of Building & Maintenance Services, a role I enjoyed and carried out for some ten years to the benefit of the club, the TS and our family.

During this period and up to the end of the Templer Home annual bazaars, I enjoyed my contribution to that worthy cause by donating wine from my cellar and running a wine tasting stand for a period of 15 years. There I was fascinated to meet so many of the Templers who knew my father and mother well in Jaffa, where they were highly respected. I was also delighted to hear that they considered me to be just like my father.

I believe the above demonstrates that I will be the contributor of ‘some new blood’ and ideas etc., for the future of the TS, if elected RH.
Fred Gohl, September 2007

MARK HERRMANN
I only accepted my nomination for the position of Regional Head after much considered thought, deliberation and discussions with others as to the way I felt I could best serve the TSA in the future.

I have been the TSA Business Manager since 01/07/1990, after serving a very necessary and beneficial apprenticeship under Oskar Krockenberger. The ensuing period has enabled me to see, experience and become directly involved in all facets of our community life and its administration. Given my close connection with the TSA and active participation as a member, volunteer and employee over many years, I believe I have gained a deep understanding and acute measure of the TSA, its people, its structure, its management and its relationships with a wide range of outside organisations.

In my role as Business Manager I have worked at close quarters with the Regional Head, Dr Rolf Beilharz, and all members of the Regional Council. I was also fortunate to work together with Dieter Ruff, and to learn much from his valued example. Before the implementation of the new TSA structure – a constructive process in which I was a team member and which was successfully concluded in 2005 – I was an ex-officio member of Regional Council and one of two Deputy Regional Heads for a number of years. Under the current Constitution I am invited to meetings in order to fulfil my duties as secretary to the Regional Council. Throughout, I have gleaned a strong knowledge of and direct involvement in the work and role of the Regional Head. Since 01/07/1989, my other work tasks have included the function of Central Fund secretary, through which I have maintained regular contact with the Board of Directors and been responsible for the company’s administration.

As a TSA Elder since the early 1980s, I have regularly presented services at our Melbourne community facilities, interstate and at Country Victoria gatherings, and also began conducting funeral services in the late 1990s. I have represented the TSA on the Glen Eira South Ministers’ Association (in the Bentleigh/East Bentleigh area) and, occasionally, through the Knox Interfaith Network in that municipality.

Prior to the amalgamation with Tabulam Nursing Home, I served as treasurer on the Templer Home for the Aged Committee of Management for a period of over 10 years. The role of Committee member during this period was difficult and challenging, yet equally rewarding and sustaining. This, coupled with the function of managing aspects of the administration of the Altersheim, has given me a keen insight into the aged care industry. I also served as secretary on the TTHA Committee of Management from late 2000 until early 2003, and maintain a close and vital contact with the key personnel of our facility.

Outside of my commitments to the TSA, I enjoy activities with my family – wife Marianne (Nanne) and fast-growing children Alastair, Nicholas and Monika – and friends. My pastimes include bicycle riding, bushwalking, camping, tennis, squash, orienteering and an unhealthy passion for the Essendon Football Club. I only possess one tie, and we – it and I – are still in reasonably good nick. In my former life I was a secondary school mathematics teacher. After almost 50 years of a very full and enriching life, I look forward to whatever the future – for me, my family and our community – holds.

I have no doubt that my life will continue to be inextricably linked with the TSA, irrespective of the outcome of the election for Regional Head. I sincerely thank all those who have assisted me over the years with my development and progress in serving the community of which I am so proud.
Mark Herrmann – September 2007

SOCIAL CARE
Dear Friends,
Residential Aged Care at the Tabulam and Templer Homes
The decision to scale down and shift into residential aged care is a big decision. If you or a close relative are finding it increasingly difficult to do daily tasks such as shopping, cooking, gardening and looking after the household, then perhaps the time has come to think about changing your lifestyle.

Moving into residential aged care can be a wonderful boost to your quality of life. Certainly living in an aged care home will be different from the way you have lived before, but there are many advantages to having a simpler lifestyle with fewer daily burdens. Be assured you will keep your independence, dignity and right to privacy. You can still select and keep your social relationships as you choose. You can continue to make your own decisions about your personal and financial affairs and possessions. Especially in our Homes, people have more opportunity to continue their cultural and religious practices and keep their German language. A great benefit is that you can live in a safe, secure and homelike environment and move freely both within and outside the Homes without undue restriction.

From April 2008 onwards many new rooms, both double and single, will be available at the Homes. If you are interested and have not yet contacted me, make sure your name is on the Consideration List, or I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Watch this space next month for ‘Preparing to Move and what to take with you when you move.’
Knitting project for vulnerable children of the world

The last shipment of 230,000 pieces, including many garments and dolls knitted by Templers, went to Raaso in the Somali Region of Ethiopia occupied by 300,000 displaced persons. It is hot during the daytime but freezing at night, so you can imagine the delight when the container finally arrives, especially with all the brightly coloured jumpers and dolls for the children. Some small parcels went to Peru, Botswana and Bronville in the Republic of South Africa. A special parcel of dolls was posted to a convent in South Africa where the nuns are caring for many AIDS-affected babies. Thanks go to the numerous knitters for their colourful garments and dolls. Special thanks go to the person in St Albans who donated the wool used to knit so many lovely items. Kindness is never forgotten. We are looking for more donations of wool so that people can continue knitting.

Two things I learnt from you about healthy living
I am delighted to meet many people who give me fabulous suggestions for healthy living which I love to try. As a result I am drinking green tea daily. Thank you kindly to the lady who sent me the article ‘5 reasons to drink green tea’ which included ‘protects your memory’. In addition, my new breakfast is a combination of Dick Smith’s Bush Food Breakfast cereals, mixed with plain muesli and any favourite selection of dried fruit, then served with hot milk to soften the oats. Thank you to the gentleman who researched all the best combinations till he came up with this one. It’s delicious.

Social leave
I will be away at the University of New England in Armidale NSW from 29th September till 8th October. Messages can be left for me at the TSA Office in Bentleigh.
Irene Bouzo, Social Care
e-mail: irene@templesociety.org.au 

ANNUAL REPORTS – Continued from September TR

SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sunday School has continued once a month in both Bentleigh and Bayswater, with Renate Beilharz taking lessons in Bentleigh and Christine Ruff in Bayswater. The flow of the lessons has been somewhat interrupted this year as we seem to have had many special occasions (Family services, Confirmation, Presentation, Mothers’ Day) where other things have happened. We sometimes begin Sunday School lessons sitting in the services with the congregation, before moving to the Sunday School rooms. Thanks to the elders who facilitate this.

Our theme for this year has been the Old Testament. We are working through the significant Old Testament stories with two aims in mind:
•   so children are familiar with them – they are part of general knowledge;
•   to see which messages we can take from the stories and adapt to our everyday lives.
We are also linking SS and the stories to the Children’s Section in the TR.

Attendance at Sunday School has decreased in both venues. A core group of long-time, committed participants has just been confirmed and no longer comes to SS, taking part in services instead. They will be missed!
We have not had many new young participants join us, so classes are sometimes very small. We thank the families who do make an effort to come and welcome any new children, at any time. Sunday School dates are always published in the TR.
Renate Beilharz and Christine Ruff

SOCIAL & RECREATION FG
The Social & Recreation Focus Group has now been in operation for two years and continues to facilitate a number of Interest Groups and community events, previously a role of the former Melbourne Community Councils.

Focus Group members
Ingrid Beilharz; Brendon Glenk; Marianne Herrmann; Ingeborg Imberger, Petra Murrihy-Ruff and Manfred Decker, the currently nominated Leader. Contact details are published in the annual TSA Calendar and Contact Lists.

At the 2006 AGM, Marianne Herrmann retired by rotation and was re-elected for a further 3-year term, together with Ingeborg Imberger who filled the vacant position.
Petra Murrihy-Ruff and Ingrid Beilharz will retire by rotation at the 2007 AGM and will hopefully offer themselves for re-election.

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 Ruth Haar;
•  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; and
•  Handicrafts Group – led by Helga Kuerschner.

To ensure the Interest Groups continue to operate without interference or additional work-load, contact has been limited to contact detail updates and feedback requests on budgetary and other support requirements and annual activity summary.

The modest 2007/08 budgets requested by Integrated Interest Groups have been approved by Central Fund and Regional Council and the groups continue to manage their finances independently. No special funding requests were made but the Indoor Bowling Group and the Ba-Bo Tennis Club were both successful in securing equipment grants. Some preliminary planning is under way for water tanks to offset court water requirements for both Ba-Bo and Be-Mo Tennis Clubs and a Victorian Multicultural Commission grant was secured to offset Sommerfest costs.

Major Events facilitated by SRFG during 2006/07:
•  Winery Tour – July 2006, organised by Manfred Decker;
•  AGM Lunch – October 2006, organised by Moni Imberger;
•  ‘Big Boys’ Go-karting – October 2006, organised by Manfred Decker;
•  Supper Dance – October 2006, organised by Paul and Erika English;
•  Community Picnic – November 2006, organised by Brendon Glenk;
•  Be Advent Celebrations – Dec. 2006, organised by Marianne Herrmann;
•  Ba Advent Celebrations – Dec. 2006, Herta Uhlherr and Inge Hoefer;
•  Be Christmas Celebrations – Dec. 2006, organised by Moni Imberger and Marianne Herrmann;
•  Ba Community Christmas & Carols – Dec. 2006, Renate Beilharz;
•  New Year’s Eve Party 2006, Regina and Bill Imberger;
•  Sommerfest – March 2007, Manfred Decker and Tony Beilharz;
•  Bush Dance – May 2007, organised by Marianne Herrmann;
•  Sonnwendfeier – June 2007, organised by Susi Blackwell.

In general, Community support for these events has been good although attendance numbers continue to decline gradually. Feedback indicates that most members are satisfied with the type and number of events, so similar functions plus a Restaurant Night are planned during the next 12 months.

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 interest groups, is: income of $19,418 including external grants, expenditure of $16,568 and a surplus of $2,850. This is similar to the results from the current year, although the surplus is down approximately $1,500, reflecting lower attendances and increased costs.

As always, we are looking for constructive feedback on activities you would like to participate in, what improvements and changes we can make and, in particular, offers of assistance from Members to plan, organise and run events. We remain committed to providing the Community with fulfilling social and recreational activities and will continue to use the enjoyment of participants as our primary measure of viability.

Individual reports from our associated Interest Groups

Brass Ensemble
Primary Contact: Mr Volker Bulach,  e-mail: vgbulach@iprimus.com.au 
The Brass Ensemble played at Sommerfest, Sonnwend (solstice), Christmas carols and the Tatura service and will continue to do so.
Younger players Ashleigh Rutowicz, Jessica Blackwell and Paul Katz performed with us at various times as did our old friend Helmut Graumenz. Although Monika Herrmann practised with us for Sonnwend, unfortunately illness foiled her appearance on that evening. However, we look forward to her and all the others playing with us again.

Indeed, we would dearly like to hear from anyone interested in joining us, even if only for one performance. We also plan to play hymns for about 30 minutes before a Sunday Service in the near future.

Choir
Primary Contact: Mr Kurt Imberger, e-mail: kurti@optusnet.com.au 
This year was not as hectic for the choir as the previous year. There was no Sängerfest and no choir concert. Even so, the choir was busy as always.

Annette Wagner-Hesse again led and conducted the choir and provided us with beautiful music and enjoyable singing. Practices were held on most Wednesday evenings alternating between Bentleigh and Bayswater. These days we have access to the Rosa bus and the Bayswater people get transport when practice is in Bentleigh, thanks to Tony Beilharz driving.

As usual we sang at the major Templer services and functions, including Presentation, Sommerfest, Christmas, Advent, etc. In September 2006, the esteemed choir conductor and teacher from Berlin, Hans-Peter Schurz visited Australia on behalf of the ASB (Australischer Sängerbund) to provide conductor training for current and up-and-coming choir conductors. A week-end seminar was held, at which four Templers participated as trainee conductors. Many of our choir members were part of the choir the trainees practised on. A community sing-along, led by Hans-Peter, was held in our chapel and enjoyed by many Templers.

We continue to be active in the ASB, the umbrella organisation for German choirs in Australia and responsible for the Sängerfeste. The next Sängerfest is planned to be held in Adelaide in October 2008.
The choir is practising for a number of functions, including the German Day at the Immigration Museum, Confirmation, a concert with the Saar-Pfalz choir and, of course, getting ready for the next Sängerfest. Thanks to all singers and helpers, in particular to Annette, for making it all happen.
Main activities: singing at Services, conductor seminar.

Bayswater Gymnastics Group
Primary Contact: Mrs Trudy Herrmann.
No great changes, but variations! Our star, Elfriede Reichert, is our inspiration! At 91 years of age, she has the flexibility and stamina of someone 20 years younger – we can but try!
Main 2006/07 activities – weekly low impact aerobic movement sessions using balls, elastic bands, weights, rods and hoops.
Dates for TSA 2008 Calendar – Wed. 9:00 – 10:00am in the Bayswater Hall.

Bentleigh Gymnastics Group
Primary Contact: Mrs Helga Weberruss.
Main 2006/07 activities – weekly sessions of movement with music.
Dates for TSA 2008 Calendar – Tuesdays, 10:15–11:15am Bentleigh Hall.

Bentleigh Tennis Club
Primary Contact: Mr Gary Imberger, e-mail: gmnski@aol.com 
The Club continues to roll along. The ‘Sunday Boys’ still turn up each week and David McNamara’s coaching continues (well past 30 years) twice a week. A local resident has also enquired about hiring courts for coaching – we will work with David and the members before responding. The courts are still being maintained once a month by an outside resource and always look and play well. The possibility of getting a water tank to help maintain the courts will be discussed at our upcoming meeting. Thanks to Diana Rainbird for keeping the books in order.

Bayswater-Boronia Tennis Club
Primary Contact: Mr Ralph Weller, e-mail: mwe00788@bigpond.net.au
The Tennis Club has had another very successful year both on and off the court under some very trying conditions due to the water restrictions and fielding six night teams in both the summer and winter seasons. From those we managed three winning sides during the summer 2007 season, which were Monday Mixed Section 2 and both Thursday sides Sections 2 and 4. Congratulations must go to all who contributed.

The club tennis coaching is also beginning to gain some momentum with four different classes being held on Thursday night from Joeys (beginners) to adult lessons. Thanks to Extreme Tennis (Diana and Stuart Sutterby) for their ongoing effort. The club also managed to secure a local council grant that enabled us to purchase a new microwave, vacuum cleaner, first aid kit and heaters.
Thanks to the Committee for their hard work, especially Tony Beilharz who, after many years of tireless service, has retired as Treasurer. A reminder that new members are always welcome and that anybody interested in playing or joining a coaching class can contact any committee member.
Main 2006/07 activities – Night competition and coaching year-round.
Dates for TSA 2008 Calendar – AGM August; sausage sizzle December.

Bushwalking
Primary Contact: Mrs Trudi Murray, e-mail: tmurray@bigpond.net.au 
2006/07 walks were well attended by the usual band of enthusiastic walkers along with the occasional welcome addition of new hikers. Our walks were usually held on the first Saturday of each month, even in the hotter and wetter months. We experienced a wide variety of walks, some in the hills, others somewhere in our amazing city and for some we drove, at the most one and a half hours, to an interesting country location.
Main 2006/07 activities – walk, first Saturday each month.
Dates for TSA 2008 Calendar – walk each month, check TR for details.

Bayswater Bowling Club
Primary Contact: Mr Manfred Haering, e-mail: mindiekar@optusnet.com.au  report later ?

Handcrafts Group
Primary Contact: Mrs Helga Kuerschner.
We had a very good year for fundraising. The two caravan stalls were quite successful and the TTHA Christmas Bazaar as well as the Tivoli and the Adventsfeier stalls turned out to be excellent. So we were delighted to pass on a good donation to TTHA and to the Kids’ Club.
Many thanks for the numerous donations, which increased the variety on sale, and to all the faithful, busy handcraft people. Like everyone else, we are always looking for more helpers on stall days and also to make those beautiful handcrafts to sell. There will be another caravan stall in October, so please don't forget us.
Gisela Bulach

Bentleigh-Moorabbin Ladies Group
Primary Contact: Mrs Ruth Haar.
The ‘Frauenverein Bentleigh’ has been happening since the late fifties, without interruptions, for almost 50 years! We used to be the ‘Junge Frauenverein’ – there was an ‘Older Frauenverein’ but the last of those members joined us before they moved to the Altersheim.
The ‘young’ women used to meet in the evening because a number of us went to work. Now we don’t even have to mind any great-grand-children because they have grandparents of their own, so we now meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 12 noon in the Bentleigh Hall. Each session starts with a song, then we eat lunch, each lady brings her own. We enjoy coffee and tea with sweet delicacies.

We are divided into 6 groups of 4 or 5 ladies, with one rostered group being responsible for the program, setting up of tables, crockery etc. This works for us but we do get help from ‘our’ husbands who set up the tables and chairs and pack them away later – we couldn’t do that on our own. Our thanks go to those dear men: Wilhelm Imberger, Oskar Krockenberger, Bruno Herrmann, Kurt Eppinger and Siegfried Hahn.

Our program includes people reading something they find interesting or telling us about the ‘olden days’. We may have guest speakers – last year we had 5 presenting videos, Powerpoint shows and travel experiences.

Forty-five years ago there may have been 50 of us Be/Mo ladies. Last year we averaged 26 ladies each session with quite a number from Bayswater and further away. This is lovely. We have lost another two of our loyal members this year, Emma Aberle who attended right up to the end of her earthly life and Ruth Leschinski who also left a gaping hole in our midst. – So ist das Leben!
Main activities – monthly meetings, outing in March/April.
Dates for TSA 2008 Calendar – 2nd Tuesdays, 12:00 noon in the Be Hall.

Carpet Bowls Group
Primary Contact: Mrs Ilse Birkner.
Carpet Bowling is held every Monday morning in the Bayswater Hall, generally with 8-9 participants. We have received a VicHealth grant to purchase a new carpet and two sets of bowls.
We invite more people to join – we can now easily lay out 2 carpets side-by-side in the Hall to accommodate another team of players.
Main 2006/07 activities – carpet bowling with 8-9 participants.
Dates for TSA 2008 Calendar – Monday mornings (mid-January to early December), 9:45 – 11:30am in the Bayswater Hall.

HERITAGE & CULTURE FG
The Heritage and Culture Focus Group (H&CFG) is responsible for overseeing the activities of the following interest groups: Templer German Schools, Australian-German Templer Exchange, Wall-hanging Group, Heritage Group. H&CFG is also responsible for coordinating Templer involvement in the Tatura memorial day and for organising other cultural and heritage activities.
The three H&CFG members are: Ilse Nicholson, Karin Ruff and Renate Beilharz. Over the past year this Focus Group has met 11 times. Other than discussing reports and issues from the interest groups, the H&CFG organised various cultural activities: Circle-dancing, Easter egg decoration, Adventskranz-making. H&CFG has also been supporting the investigation of a stained glass window for the chapel and has advertised the proposed extension of the Tatura Historical Museum. Fred Sawatzky is the Templer representative to the Australian German-speaking Communities.

H&CFG thanks all individuals involved with the activities of the interest groups, and supports the activities of these groups. We also thank the Templers who have been actively involved in the planning of the German Festival at the Immigration Museum in September.

As can be seen from the reports below, the heritage and cultural activities taking place in the TS are many and varied. They do not happen on their own, but through the work of many individuals and groups. Please consider how you can contribute to ensure that these activities continue, by being a part of the H&CFG, or assisting with any of the interest groups.
Renate Beilharz, for the Heritage and Culture FG

GERMAN SCHOOLS – Bayswater-Boronia
Enrolments: 25 students (four of them are from Templer families).
Two classes are run concurrently on Friday evenings from 5pm to 7:30pm in the school rooms of the Bayswater Templer Community Centre.
Professional Development and Other Network Activities: Eastern LOTE Transition Network (Doris Frank, Brigitte Ankenbrand); Melbourne German Schools Network (Irene Bouzo); Parents Consultative Committee, Brigitte attended a Curriculum Planning PD and Movie Maker PD, as well as coordinating a curriculum planning morning with Brigitte, Beate and Doris.
Grants received: Recurrent per capita funding from the Department of Education, Victoria and $600 for the Cultural Diversity Project from the Victorian Multicultural Commission.

Cultural Diversity Evening – Bridging the Generations – March 2007. Our special guest was Heidi Victoria (State MP). Students paired up with German-speaking adult buddies from the local community. This project was funded by the Victorian Multicultural Commission as part of Cultural Diversity week. Over a number of sessions, the ‘buddies’ played games together, shared memories of their school days and of learning German and revived some Easter traditions, such as egg dyeing and creating an Osterstrauß. The students put this information together in posters which were displayed during the celebration evening. Photos were taken during the course of the activities and became part of the display. Each student presented some information (in both German and English) about their ‘buddy’ to the audience and the ‘buddy’ responded with anecdotes and reflections. It was a very successful project.
German Reading Program: A team of volunteer parents run a one-to-one reading program for students.

Brigitte’s Curriculum Project: The year’s classes have been planned with themes and diary dates included. Each student has been given a folder with lesson outlines, activities and homework tasks.

SBS radio studio, Federation Square: We held a joint excursion with the Bentleigh School on 26th May. A group of 10 students from each school toured the complex and were interviewed in the recording studios. We were joined by families from both schools and enjoyed a picnic lunch at Birrarung Marr afterwards.
The Film night to the movie Hui Buh (part of the German Film Festival) in April was a very enjoyable excursion, the movie was great.

Planned activities:
•  German Festival, Immigration Museum 9th September:
   The diversity quilt and Bridging the Generations PowerPoint display were exhibited.
•  Bridging the Generations follow-up: Restaurant night 21st September.

Dr Irene Bouzo and Doris Frank, Ba German School

Bentleigh German School
We currently have an enrolment of 55 students, of which 6 are from Templer families. We run 3 classes on Monday and 3 classes on Wednesday evenings at the Bentleigh Hall from 5:00–7:00pm. We are also running a VCE Conversation and Grammar Tutorial on Wednesday afternoons from 3:45–4:45pm and currently have 6 students attending, of which one is a Templer.

We have a great team of teachers. They are Josefine Hennel, Sigrid Schweiger, Frances Mittermayr, Monika Hendrix and in July we welcomed Arev Fava who has replaced Michiko Weinmann. Barbara Imberger-Sonntag is our ever reliable emergency teacher and curriculum coordinator. We are very grateful for her teacher and coordinator support.

Highlights of the year:

• A winter concert on 27th August 2006.
• German School Adventsfeier on 6th December to finish the 2006 school year.
•  During Term 1 in 2007 the school worked on the Bridging the Gap project. Adult buddies came and worked with students. Students did posters or a PowerPoint presentation on their adult buddies. These were presented to a very interested audience on Saturday 24th March as part of Cultural Diversity Week.
• Together with students from the Bayswater German School, our older students had an excursion to SBS Radio on 26th May.
• Five students participated in the AGTV Regional poetry competition on 18th July. Three students were invited to the State Final on 25th August.

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

• $700 from the Victorian Multicultural Commission for the Bridging the Gap Project.
• $4,998 from DE&T per capita grant for 51 students enrolled in Term 1, 2007. We should be receiving a further $1,020 later this year or early 2008.

Our reading program is continuing with the support of parents. We are pleased to welcome Dot Ware back to our school as a volunteer. Her assistance with reading, or in the classroom if required, is invaluable. We are always pleased to welcome volunteers but it is a requirement that all volunteers and teachers have completed a Working With Children check.

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. We continue to be members of the Deutsche Sprachverein and representatives attend meetings usually once a term. This comprises 3 schools: Clifton Hill Saturday School and our two Templer German Schools.

We continue to run a successful and relevant German School program. Many thanks to Doris Frank and Irene Bouzo for their continued sharing of ideas and support in general operations of the Bentleigh German School. I am grateful for the interest that the Heritage & Culture Focus Group shows in the German Schools. To have a group of people to whom we can express concerns, but who are also interested in what we are achieving, makes the efforts worthwhile. I also continue having to thank Ursula Fisher. Even though she has not been required as an emergency teacher for some time, I know she is but an e-mail away with useful information from the AGTV on Professional Developments or topics of interest to our teachers. And we are grateful for the support of Mark Herrmann in the Office who continues to retrieve balls from the roof and tennis courts and assists with photocopying when I am not around.
Marianne Herrmann, Bentleigh German School Coordinator

Templer Exchange
The AGTE has had a successful year so far and, after a lull of a few months, things look set to become somewhat busier as a new round of applications has just closed.

Erin Lubitz was our 2006/2007 exchange scholarship recipient and a great ambassador for the TSA in Germany. She left for Germany in June 2006, and remained there until August, living in Stuttgart with various Templer families and concurrently attending a two-month language course. This is one of the few times we have sent a candidate over during the German summer and it proved to be quite successful. There was a limited number of host families, but plenty of functions to attend, and Erin was lucky enough to travel to Berlin to stay with a Templer there. Erin has since returned, after some extended travel in Europe, and has organised and participated in some social functions and is finalising some other projects.

We are currently looking for anyone who is interested in becoming a part of the AGTE committee and have taken some action toward finding a willing participant. Interviews for the 2007/2008 Exchange will commence shortly.
Tania Richter, for the AGTE Committee

Wall-hanging – The Templer Journey, Fabric of Society
This is our fourth year. 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. It is taking shape and looking fantastic!
Helga Jürgensen continues in her role as our dedicated ‘Project Coordinator’. As part of the Immigration Museum German Fest, we are displaying the work completed so far. It is exciting to see a new piece added weekly. The Templer buildings are exquisitely crafted using machine embroidery and are finished with hand-stitched highlights. Groups of people are also being worked in to add a human element to the piece.

Helga Jürgensen and Renate Weber have been talking about the project to various Ladies’ Group such as Probus and Church auxiliaries. This fulfilled an obligation to the City of Knox to share our efforts with the wider community, but for us there was a much stronger outreach spin-off as we explained our history, journey and religious philosophy. God works in mysterious ways!
Renate Weber, for the Wall-hanging Group

Heritage Group
With regular reports in the Templer Record, members are kept abreast of Heritage activities and provided with interesting articles on a wide range of topics from Templer history, usually by Horst Blaich.

The first supplement to the Templer Record was distributed in December 2006, called The Case of the German Templers in Eretz-Israel by Yosi Ben-Artzi. The publication Exiled from The Holy Land – The Loss of the Templer Settlements in Palestine, 1941-1950 is nearly ready for distribution. The photo exhibitions in the TTHA ‘Templer Gallery’ continue to be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. Presentations about the group trip to Israel were held in December 2006 and March 2007.

The usual, never-ending activities involved in collecting Templer history continue: gathering oral history by interviewing older Templers, scanning photographs into the Templer photographic database, adding items to the archives, translating documents and articles. Thank you to all these volunteers!

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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.

ANNIVERSARY
Congratulations to Peter and Heather Edelmaier who are celebrating their Silver Wedding Anniversary on 9th October.

BIRTH
Felix Guy Smethurst
Parents: Damian and Marita Smethurst née Weller.
A brother for Oskar

MARRIAGE
Our community members and friends are cordially invited to attend the marriage celebration of our daughter Silvia to Brendon Anderson at St Ignatius RC church, 326 Church Street, Richmond (Melways ref. 2H A8) on Saturday 3rd November at 4:00pm.
Jim and Helga Anderson

Congratulations and best wishes to all these couples

NEW MEMBER
We welcome Eberhard Frank from S.A. and hope he will feel comfortable among us.

BEREAVEMENTS

Elma Nolte passed away at TTHA on 28.8.2007, aged 91. She had been a high care resident there for a number of years. ‘Die Nolte’, as a poem called her, was a formidable woman – intelligent, competent, knowledgeable and extremely capable, a lady of dignity and presence, comfortable in the company of all including VIPs, a vibrant and zesty person.
Mark Herrmann honoured her life beautifully in a moving funeral service in the Chapel.

ááá

My wife, our sister, mother, grandmother, Emma Kolb née Noz, passed away on 5.9.2007. Her love, spirit and courage were an inspiration to us all.
Our sincere thanks to Hulda Wagner for her moving service, Dr Irene Bouzo for her help, and all the others for their support and assistance. We also appreciate the many cards, flowers and donations to TTHA, given in Emma’s memory.
In loving remembrance:
Horst Kolb
Elfriede Bechert
Mark and Tony Kolb
Rick and Samantha Kolb

ááá

From Germany we hear that Gerda Berger died on 12.7.2007, aged 96. She was born in Haifa, the 5th daughter of Consul Julius Loytved-Hardegg, and grew up mainly in Germany. She remained on friendly terms with Templers all her life.

Our condolences to the bereaved families

REPORT on Cervical Cancer Prevention Seminar
Over twenty people attended this seminar on 30th August in the Bentleigh Hall. The health educator from the Anti-Cancer Council was well organised with lots of fascinating visual aids such as an apron with detachable female body parts. We learnt that every woman is unique in the same way that a rose does not compare itself to a lotus blossom.

The importance of having a Pap Test every two years was stressed. The educator recommends it for women aged 18 to 70, or to commence two years after becoming sexually active. Cervical cancer can be controlled and prevented if people’s awareness is raised. We learnt that nine out of ten women who have to go back to the doctor after a Pap Test do not have cancer but one of many other treatable conditions. A new vaccine is now available in Australia and works best when given to a girl before she is sexually active.

There was plenty of time for questions. We were fortunate to have present two medical experts form within the Templer community. Dr Geoff McCallum stressed the need for testing, citing examples of several interesting real-life cases. Dr Jörg Kemper provided a useful explanation of examination techniques, saying that most detected abnormalities are not significant, or minor changes.
Refreshments were provided afterwards and participants had a chance to ask further questions. Many thanks go to the Welfare & Distant Group for organizing this valuable session and to our visiting specialists for their expert advice.
Dr Irene Bouzo, for the Welfare & Distant Focus Group
A 30-minute video of this session is available.

AGTV STATE POETRY WINNERS
Well done to everyone who was invited to take part in the AGTV State Poetry Competition which was held at the Austrian Club in Heidelberg on 25th August.

Congratulations to Thomas Sonntag (Year 5) and Philipp Klink (Year 8) from the Templer Bentleigh German School for being two of this year’s state-wide winners. Their plaques will soon be displayed in the foyer of the Bentleigh Hall for 12 months.
Marianne Herrmann, Coordinator of the Bentleigh German School

GERMAN FEST – 9th September
The Immigration Museum was absolutely crammed with visitors! Our Templer Journey wall-hanging was well displayed – congratulations to the ladies, it is full of exquisite work! Our choir sang in the very full courtyard and Annette Wagner-Hesse conducted the combined choirs singing Heimat. The Bridging the Gap presentation of our German Schools’ projects (supported by funding from the Victorian Multicultural Commission) was impressive – also: well done! Volunteers manned our displays and people picked up brochures about the TSA and our German Schools. The weather played along, which was lucky for all those outside.
Thank you to the many people who worked hard so that the TSA could be present. We now need to explore how we can best add material to the Museum’s references regarding immigration to Victoria.
Herta Uhlherr

See Alfred Klink’s pictures on the TSA website www.templers.org  click on the ‘Caught on Camera’ link, then select ‘German day at the Melbourne Immigration Museum’ at the bottom of the Picture page.

CONFIRMATION – 16th September Bayswater
A wonderful day. More in future TRs. Pictures wanted.
Ed.

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SYDNEY AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA

PICNIC – Plough & Harrow Reserve – Abbotsbury
Our annual September picnic was once again at the Plough & Harrow Reserve, Abbotsbury. Twenty-eight members and friends enjoyed the day in perfect spring weather. The organizers supplied us with a delicious BBQ lunch, then with afternoon tea and coffee. The seniors enjoyed each others’ company, while the younger generation pursued their activities with games. The reserve was a hive of activity, we were in the middle of a multi-cultural group of people. While listening to Arabic music someone commented that this takes us back to our roots in Palestine. I think that all who attended the picnic had a most enjoyable time. Our thanks go to Mark and Ingrid Turner, Jo Steller and Emmy Simmer with their helpers for organizing and catering on the day.
Hartmut Beck

INGRID’S REPORT
Dylan’s Confirmation – 26th August
On a sunny September day, the ‘two Renates’ from Melbourne held a beautiful confirmation ceremony for Dylan Simmer. Renate Beilharz described how and where the confirmation lessons were conducted and shared some highlights of what was learnt and discussed. She showed how the confirmands were encouraged to develop their own ideas as part of their spiritual growth. The Templer symbol on the wall, constructed out of individual homework posters all showed how differently the confirmands approached how they saw community and themselves. Dylan made a short, impressive speech. Renate Weber held the simple and beautiful confirmation ceremony. Throughout the Saal there were prayers, music and even a music video clip selected by the confirmands. Afterwards there was a festive morning tea, catered for by Emmy Simmer and Jo Steller. Congratulations on your confirmation, Dylan, we are very proud of you. Thanks to the Renates for coming up from Melbourne to hold the memorable Saal. Thanks also to the Simmers, Slips, Ruth and Herbert Steller for facilitating their stay.

What Dylan said
I have thoroughly enjoyed this year’s confirmation lessons and am now glad to be up here talking to you about my experience. Although most lessons took place over the phone, the discussions were nonetheless very interesting and engaging.
My favourite lesson was when we talked about different concepts of God. It was especially interesting to hear the rest of the group’s opinions and thoughts on the topic and also to think about my own. I enjoyed the open-minded approach, as everyone was encouraged to come up with their own interpretation of God, or in later lessons, the Bible and Jesus.

Opening up our minds has been a very big part of the confirmation preparation. It was emphasised that each person has his/her own beliefs, and that you are entitled to your own view on the Bible and God. God does not need to be perceived as a man in the sky or a creator; he can be looked upon as everything created already, nature if you will. This open-mindedness is also necessary for some people to take the Bible seriously, as some of the things it describes, such as Jesus walking on water, are (well, to me) very unbelievable.

Consequently, my experience with religion this year has taken a different turn. Usually I associate religion with people trying to convert me, so to speak. My usual religious discussion with devout Christians, for example, only ends in frustration as I refuse to believe in the things they tell me, and they refuse to believe me. However, doing the confirmation lessons has taught me that you don’t need to be stubborn to be religious, if your mind is open and you update your beliefs as you find out something new. Being taught to believe in your own opinions is also very important training because a big mistake many open-minded people make is not to make up their minds at all. I think to make no decision is worse than taking the wrong option. Templer openness has taught me how to be open without necessarily discarding my own beliefs.

My thoughts at this time are summed up neatly by this quote from Alexander Hamilton: ‘Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.’

Bazaar – 24th November
We plan to have the unveiling of the ‘Centenary of the Church’ plaque and morning tea at 10:30am out in front of the church. We intend to do a letterbox drop a few streets around the area to invite local residents to the unveiling, morning tea and inside to see our food and craft stalls and hall (probably not to stay for lunch due to catering issues). We will look into hiring a jumping castle for the kids and there will be many activities for the littlies and the big littlies. We hope to exhibit some of the beautiful craft work that our members do. Please let Jo or myself know if you have any items of your handiwork that we could display.

We have been making beautiful jewellery at Emmy and Kirrily’s, and there are more craft projects being developed for the Bazaar. We plan to bake Gutsle. Camp is just around the corner and major planning will be happening soon. Look out for e-mails regarding Rolf Beck’s Botanical bushwalk in October.

Care Work
I have been to see a few of our older members. Isolation is often an issue, particularly when one can no longer drive. Using council facilities like seniors groups with free transport and the local library can provide stimulating opportunities. Others within our community can actively support our elderly by visiting; I still have places available in our Friendly Visitors program.

October Dates
•  Frauenverein/Ladies’ Group: Thursday 11th October 11:00am Hall
•  Teens/Kids: Rolf Beck’s Botanical bushwalk Sunday 21st October
•  Coffee Club: Friday 26th October 8:00pm.
•  Saal Service: Sunday 28th October 10:30am

Ingrid Turner, Youth and Welfare Worker

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
In unserem letzten Saal hörten wir einen Vortrag von Hulda Wagner über den Text aus Lukas 16, Verse 10-13 (gelesen von U. Asenstorfer) ‘Du kannst nicht zwei Herren dienen’.

Heute muss ich mal erzählen, wer unsere treuen Mitglieder sind: Walter Unger bringt seine Eltern, Erna und Kurt, von Murray Bridge. Gertrud geb. Unger bringt Anne Stevens (geb. Scheerle) und Rosi Fantini (geb. Weigold aus Adelaide). Irene Severin versorgte uns über die Jahre mit Milch und Kaffee. Edith Unger bringt treulich ihren Vater zum Saal. Es ist eine kleine Gruppe, aber hält gut zusammen. Da für die meisten die Fahrt hin und zurück weit über 150 km ist, gibt es immer nach dem Saal noch Nachmittagskaffee.

Die Frauengruppe traf sich im August bei Rose, doch nur Gertrud und Anne konnten kommen. Gertrud schlug vor, wir sollten uns mehr in der Mitte irgendwo treffen, weil Seacombe Heights zu weit südlich liegt. Im September trafen wir uns bei Irene.

Der nächste Saal ist am 14. Oktober um 2:00 Uhr in Tanunda.

Rose Asenstorfer

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YOUTH

Youth Calendar
•  Monday 1st to Friday 5th October – Confirmation Camp
•  Saturday 13th October – Youth Group City Challenge
•  Saturday 20th October – TG Squash
•  Saturday 10th November – Youth Group Rock Climbing
•  Saturday 17th November – TG Pool Party + planning day
•  Sunday 9th December – Youth Group Go-karting

YOUTH GROUP
We now have a youth program set out for the rest of the year, with some great activities coming up:

Saturday 13th October – City Challenge
Meet at Bentleigh train station at 10.45am (Leaving Bayswater at 10am) to catch the train to the city. You will then have a set of challenges to complete before coming home. The only cost is for a train ticket and lunch. This will be a lot of fun, so please contact me to let me know you will be coming!

Saturday 10th November – Rock Climbing
Going to Hard Rock in Nunawading, cost approximately $15 per person.

Sunday 9th December – Go Karting
As an end-of-year break-up, we are heading to Le Mans Go Karts. We will be partially subsidising the cost to bring it down to around $45 each.

A big thanks to Ralph Richter who has volunteered to be our driver for November and December. We still need a driver for October – you are welcome to come with us, so please contact the TSA office if you can help.

On another note, congratulations to Monika, Kate, Alana, Martin, Gareth, Nikki, Stefan, Tamara, Ashlin and Talja whose Confirmation Ceremony was held on 16th September. Whilst this is no doubt reported elsewhere in the Templer Record, I must say that I was most impressed by the maturity and thought that had gone into your ceremony, and with how well you all spoke. Well done!

Kylie Wilmot
e-mail kyliejw@bigpond.net.au 

TEENAGE GROUP

Hi everyone,
The winter sleep-out was cancelled due to lack of numbers (we might have to try a different time of year) and the Bendigo visit was cancelled due to illness in the Williamson Household. We hope you are all feeling better and we see you guys really soon.

October – Saturday 20th October
Activity:       Game of Squash, followed by Mac’s
Time:          2:30pm – 4:00pm (might change depending on court availability)
Where:       Moorabbin Squash and Fitness Centre
Cost:          Approx. $5 (depending on numbers) + Mac’s
Transport:   Rosa pick up/drop off times:
Bayswater – 1:45pm – 4:45pm
Bentleigh – 2:15pm – 4:15pm
Contact: Moni on gmnski@primusonline.com.au 

November – Saturday 17th November
Activity:     Pool Party/Planning Day
Time:        late afternoon/early evening
Details:     more next month

Moni Imberger

YOUTH FEST 2008 – Sunday 21st September 2008
I am very excited to be offered the responsibility of coordinating Youth Fest 2008 for the Temple Society. This is a fantastic project which offers some amazing opportunities for the young people and TSA community as a whole.

I met with the Youth Focus Group in August, and put forward a proposal. The aims of the event that we discussed are:

• To provide a recreational opportunity for young people in the Bayswater/Knox City Council area in a safe, drug-, alcohol- and smoke-free environment, and so provide an opportunity for them to connect with the broader community.

• To encourage and mentor the work of young people (teenagers) in taking a proactive role in organising the event and having input into how it is run.

•  To have youth service providers in the Bayswater/Knox City Council area working together to more effectively reach young people.

• To promote the Temple Society to the wider community and, in particular, promote the TSA youth programs.

•  To promote ideas about healthy lifestyles, being active and being engaged in the community.

• To capture the spirit of youth and being young.

I have already approached a number of other groups in the Knox and Maroondah Council areas to seek their involvement. In the coming months I will be looking at funding opportunities and talking to the Templer teenagers about what they would like to happen and how they can be involved in making that happen.

I would love to hear from anyone (of any age) in the TSA community who has ideas, suggestions or would be willing to help. We will need plenty of help to make this happen, from simply coming up with ideas to sourcing equipment, looking at sponsorship, general planning, catering, promotion, set up, supervision…. The list goes on!

If that sounds like something you can assist with, please contact me on e-mail kyliejw@bigpond.net.au
More details and updates will be provided in the Templer Record.
Kylie Wilmot, Youth Fest Coordinator

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CHILDREN'S SECTION

Hallo to everyone!
Last month we looked at the story of Abraham and how he and his family moved to a new land, not sure what to expect when they got there. You may remember that Abraham displayed a lot of trust and faith by moving, and this was rewarded, because the land he moved to was a good place with lots to eat and drink.

Abraham’s nephew Lot, with all his family and helpers, had moved too, along with all their animals. At the start there was still enough food for everyone, but after a while the food began to run out. People started arguing with each other and fighting.
Abraham decided that the fighting was no good and that he and Lot needed to move away from each other and find new lands to live in. Abraham and Lot went to the top of a hill where they saw some land that was green and lush with plenty for people and animals to eat. On the other side was some land which was brown and barren and nowhere near as good.

Abraham was such a kind person he let Lot choose first. Can you guess which land greedy Lot chose? The green, fertile land. So after Lot left, Abraham had to move to the land which was not as good, with all his family and animals. Again, he was not sure how they would cope.

But Abraham did not complain. Again, he trusted and had faith that everything would turn out OK. And do you know what? It did! God made sure Abraham and his family and animals were well looked after in this new land. And after many years, Abraham and his wife Sarah were even rewarded with a little baby boy of their own. Two times now, things had worked out well for Abraham, after a difficult start.

It’s a nice story isn’t it? And happy endings are always great. But I wonder, if Abraham had not been such a kind, unselfish, honest and trusting person, would he have had the happy endings? Abraham had let Lot choose the best land. He did not argue and he did not change his mind about letting Lot choose first. Abraham went peacefully, but with a great deal of trust and faith, to his own new land.
We can learn a lot from Abraham. Not just about having faith and trusting. But about not being selfish and about giving things up that you think really should belong to you. This can be a very hard thing to do, can’t it? But sometimes you are rewarded if you do. Sometimes you may end up with something even better than the thing you ‘lost’ or gave away.

Imagine you’re at a party and there’s one party pie left on a plate. You really want it but you let your friend eat it (because he really wants it, too!). And then out comes a huge, extremely yummy chocolate cake! Your friend can’t eat any more because he’s full now. But you get to eat the first piece of cake and it’s delicious! And much better than that half-cold party pie would have been! This is sort of what it’s like. And maybe a bit how Abraham felt.

When you next go to a birthday party or need to share something, or give something up, maybe you can remember this? Maybe you too can understand that sometimes it’s easier and better to let things go. And even if the reward may be hard to find, there’s usually one there somewhere.

Have a great month!
Christine Ruff

We all wish a very happy birthday to:

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TABULAM AND TEMPLER HOMES FOR THE AGED

Dear Friends,
Firstly, many thanks to Mr Walter Schuetz for filling in for me during my absence. Rose and I enjoyed a 3-month 13,000km journey around Australia with our caravan and we again came to the conclusion that we are lucky to live in such a magnificent country. Now back to reality.

At the TTHA AGM on 8th September I was able to report that the Home is in a sound financial position and finished the year with a small surplus of approximately $60,000. Details are all available in a separate report.
As previously reported, we have recently undergone an accreditation review/audit on 44 major points in 4 main categories. We passed all requirements for this accreditation which is crucial for our continued government funding. For this great result thanks go to all our staff, particularly the Directors of Nursing and departmental managers for their diligence and efforts during this no doubt very stressful time.

Another major milestone was reached on 13th September when, after four attempts over a number of years, we were advised that we had been awarded 10 community care packages. This was particularly satisfying in that it is only in exceptional cases that these packages are given to ‘newcomers’ i.e. those outside an accredited group of current providers. Each time an application was made it required a huge amount of paper work and most applicants don't even attempt this without the use of very expensive outside consultants. Our staff did it without a consultant and this excellent result is mainly due to the persistence and hard work of Krista Blessing Koumas and Dr M. Schreiber. This even extended to much lobbying of state and federal politicians. We now have up to two years in which to set up the infrastructure required to administer the packages, however we will try for a much earlier starting date.

Our building program for the Home extension is roughly on target and further progress is evident daily.
The lease agreement on which we have been working over the last couple of years has been finalized. We are very grateful to the TSA Central Fund for a very favourable outcome and the good spirit in which it was achieved.

On Fathers’ Day, Dolly Klaver organised a men-only morning tea with bratwurst, pretzels and beer. Dolly's suit, moustache and hat blended perfectly in the all male surrounds and I'm sure the occasion was enjoyed by all. A wedding dress parade is also on the agenda for late September. This will include olden-day wedding fashions paraded by male and female staff models.
Kind regards,
Hartmut Weller

Liebe Freunde,
Erst einmal vielen Dank an Herrn Walter Schütz für das Übernehmen dieses Berichts während ich fort war. Rose und ich genossen 3 Monate und 13.000 km mit unserem Wohnwagen quer durch Australien und merkten wieder einmal, wie froh wir sein können, in einem solchen Land zu leben.

Am 8. September konnte ich bei der Hauptversammlung berichten, dass das Heim mit einem kleinen Überschuss von etwa $60,000 in einer gesunden finanziellen Verfassung ist. Einzelheiten können erfragt werden.
In vier großen Gruppen werden bei der Akkreditierung 44 Untergruppen geprüft. Das Heim hat alle Erwartungen ohne Einschränkungen als wichtige Voraussetzung für die Unterstützung von der Regierung erfüllt. Für dieses großartige Ergebnis gebührt allen Mitarbeitern Dank. Besonders den Pflegedienstleiterinnen und Abteilungsleitern gebührt Anerkennung für ihre sorgfältige Arbeit in diesen sicher nicht einfachen Zeiten.

Ein anderer Meilenstein wurde am 13. September erreicht, als wir nach viermaligem Anlauf endlich 10 Community Care Packages (Hauspflege-Genehmigungen) genehmigt wurden. Eine besondere Genugtuung war uns, dass wir als ‘Anfänger’ auf diesem Gebiet Anerkennung ernteten, was eine besondere Ausnahme darstellt. Diese Anträge bedürfen großer Anstrengung, und die Meisten machen dies nicht ohne qualifizierte (und teure) Unterstützung von außenstehenden Fachleuten. Unsere Mitarbeiter haben es ohne diese Hilfen geschafft, und Krista Blessings und Dr M. Schreibers wiederholter Einsatz hat sich gelohnt, einschließlich der Lobby von Landes- und Bundestagsabgeordneten. Wir haben nun etwa zwei Jahre Zeit, diese Genehmigungen in die Tat umzusetzen; sicher werden wir es früher schaffen.

Unsere Baufortschritte sind einigermaßen im Zeitplan, und man kann täglich diese Fortschritte sehen.
Der Pachtvertrag ist nach etwa 2 Jahren Arbeit unter Dach und Fach, und wir sind der Tempelgesellschaft (Zentralkasse) für den guten Vertrag und den guten Geist dankbar, in dem dieser erreicht wurde.

Am Vatertag hat Dolly Klaver ein ‘Herrenfrühstück’ mit Bratwurst, Brezeln und Bier organisiert. Dollys Anzug, Schnauzbart und Hut gaben den Rahmen zu einem vergnüglichen Ereignis. Eine Hochzeits-Modeschau wird im September stattfinden. Da werden altmodische Hochzeits-Ausstattungen für Braut und Bräutigam vorgeführt – und das von weiblichen und männlichen Mitarbeitern!
Herzliche Grüße,
Ihr Hartmut Weller

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NOTICES -- BEKANNTMACHUNGEN

COMING SERVICES

FLOWER ROSTERS 

CENTRAL VICTORIAN TEMPLER GATHERING – 7th October
Our next regular get-together will take place in Bendigo on Sunday 7th October at 11:00am. We will meet at Lake Weeroona which is a couple of kilometres past the fountain in the centre of Bendigo. It is clearly signposted as you come up to it, on the left as you head north (on the road to Echuca). There are two car parks on this road. We will meet near the second one, at one of the nearby BBQ shelters. There are toilets, a café, playground and a 1.4 km walking track around the lake. We can cook on electric BBQs. There are some bench seats and tables under the shelters, but bringing our own chairs will add flexibility to our seating arrangements.

For bookings on Rosa, ring Nanne at the Office. As there are other Templer events occurring on that day, I would appreciate knowing whether you intend to come. If numbers are low, we may defer the event. Please contact me  by phone or e-mail beilharz@iinet.net.au 
Linda Beilharz

PRESENTATION – 14th October Ba 10:15am
Parents who would like to have their children presented please contact the Office on 9557 6713 ASAP.
Ed.

TEMPLER PLAYGROUP FUNDRAISING

Pie Drive
The TS Playgroup is once again running the popular ‘Ivan’s Gold Medal Winning’ Pie Drive. It is one of our major fundraisers, and a percentage of all orders will contribute directly to raising money for this worthwhile activity for the kids. Not to mention the benefits of having a freezer full of yummy pies the whole family love to eat!

Order forms are available from Playgroup, Bayswater Hall Foyer, and TTHA Reception, or call Beate. We will need final order forms in by Thursday 18th October, with full payment (preferably a cheque made out to Temple Society Australia) in a clearly marked envelope with your name, contact phone number and amount enclosed.

Please double-check that the correct amount has been calculated and enclosed. If cash is used as payment, please hand it to one of the persons listed below. Orders can be returned to:
w Beate Kuerschner, Daniella Horn or Moni Herrmann at Playgroup (Thursdays 10:00am Bayswater).
w   TTHA Reception – in specially marked box, or to Krista Koumas.
w   Call Beate

Delivery
The pies will be delivered (packed as per your order) to the Bayswater Hall on Thursday 1st November 10:00am (NB: this is the Playgroup time).
If you are unable to collect your pies between 11:00am and 12 noon on this day, or arrange a friend to pick them up, please let one of the above know well beforehand, as the pies need to remain chilled. – Thank you so much for your support.
Beate Kuerschner and Moni Herrmann

Handcraft Stall
We have booked the caravan in Bentleigh for Thursday 25th October. Our May effort was a great success and we were able to pass on the money to the Kids’ Club to subsidize next year’s Family Camp. This time the proceeds will be used to buy DVDs and cassettes for the Templer Playgroup, they are always very popular with the children.
We are looking for donations of items to sell and volunteers to help with the selling on the day between 9:45am and 2:30pm. One minute we are very busy and then there is a lull and time for a chat. If you can spare a few hours to help or have suitable items to donate, then please ring me. I do need help. Thanks!
Gisela Bulach, for the Craft Ladies

TEMPLER TENNIS CLUB – BENTLEIGH/MOORABBIN
All members are invited to a General Meeting of the Templer Tennis Club – Bentleigh/Moorabbin on Tuesday 23rd October at 7:00pm, at 152 Tucker Road, Bentleigh.

Agenda:
1. Welcome
2. Apologies
3. Secretary’s report
4. Treasurer’s report
5. Election of Office Bearers
6. General Business including discussion of water restrictions and implications for tennis courts
7. Close

I look forward to seeing you there.
Diana Rainbird, Treasurer

TTHA SEEKS A VOLUNTEER
for the shopping trolley, to buy for it and to wheel it around the Home once a week so that house-bound residents can purchase tissues, cards, stamps, talc, cough lollies, etc. Please contact Dolly Klaver if you can take this on.
Annette Sawatzky

HEALTH AND WELFARE SEMINAR ON PALLIATIVE CARE
Saturday 27th October, 2:00pm to 4:00pm – Bayswater Hall
Dr Irene Kemper and another expert who has practical experience in caring for patients in palliative care will speak to us to make this sometimes daunting subject more accessible.

Palliative care is specialised care and support provided for someone living with terminal illness. It helps a patient live as comfortably as possible and also involves care and support for families and caregivers. Hear about who provides palliative care in the home, the hospital, and in an aged care facility. Find out what to say and do when someone you know has a terminal illness and needs palliative care.

If there is enough interest, Rosa the bus will collect people at 1:15pm from the Bentleigh Hall and return them after the seminar. Bookings must be made with Marianne Herrmann at the Office on 9557 6713 ASAP, but no later than Wednesday 24th October.
Dr Irene Bouzo and Dr Geoff McCallum

LADIES’ ADVENT CELEBRATION IN BENTLEIGH
The ladies’ advent celebration will take place in Bentleigh on Sunday 2nd December at 2:30pm and we will once again be forming a Ladies’ Choir to sing then and for the Christmas service. The Bentleigh Christmas service will be at 10:15am on Tuesday 25th December.

Ladies’ Choir practices for Advent and Christmas will commence on Thursday 18th October at 8:00pm in the Bentleigh Hall. Please come! We are looking forward to seeing everyone again and warmly welcome anyone who would like to join in for the first time. Some of our regulars can’t participate this year, so please do consider giving it a go!

Please also give some thought to contributing to the Advent celebration in other ways. If you would specifically like to help out with the bazaar, setting up, whatever… please contact Marianne. We welcome help on the day, but we also request Christmas cookies and handicrafts for the bazaar, prize donations for the raffle, cakes, as well as help on the day setting up and cleaning up. Ring us please, if you have any questions.
Veronica Rutowicz and, Marianne Herrmann

ADVENT IN BAYSWATER
Tuesday 4th December 8:00pm Bayswater Hall
We are beginning our planning. If you would like to help in some way, please contact us.
Imi Roscher and Helga Jürgensen

OCTOBER WALK – Saturday 6th October
Time:       10:30am
Place:      Birds Land – Melway Map 84
Distance: 10.5 km (2.8km or 6.6km), Grade: Medium
Directions: Follow the Burwood Highway to the shops at Tecoma. Turn right at McNicoll Road and follow it for 2km to cross Monbulk Creek, then immediately turn right to enter Birds Land Reserve. Continue south-west for 600m to the car parking and picnic area. There are several shorter variations, a 2.8km and a 6.5km walk.

Birds Land Park, named after a former owner, abuts Lysterfield Lake Park. Combining the two parks provides us with a longer walk. Birds Land itself is ideally suited to young families. Two man-made lakes, part of the Monbulk Creek Retarding Basin, are home to numerous ducks and waterhens, whose antics are sure to please children. At Lysterfield Lake Park the scenery takes on a more natural feel as eucalypt forest predominates. With luck, wallabies may be seen feeding close to the shelter of the forest. Towards the end of the walk there are good views extending as far as Melbourne.
If you intend 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’ll be available on my mobile.

NOVEMBER WALK – Saturday 10th November
This will be an eleven km walk in the You Yangs, consisting of two circuits, and will include the steps up to Flinder’s Peak, which provides us with a 360 degree view. More details next month.
Trudi Murray

INTERNATIONAL CIRCLE AND MEDITATIVE DANCE EVENING
Friday 26th October, 7:30–9:30pm, Bayswater Hall
For those who enjoyed the last workshop or couldn’t make it and would like to join us, an evening session is planned. Circle-dances do not need partners, so if you love folk dancing, come along and learn some new dances.
Cost: $3; bring comfortable shoes and clothes
Bookings: ring Karin Ruff  or e-mail kruff@optusnet.com.au
Karin Ruff, for the Heritage & Culture FG

‘GRAND TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC’ for Playgroup and Community
An open invitation is extended to all community members and friends to come along to this wonderful furry event, which will be held at the Bayswater Hall on Sunday 11th November. The times and details have not yet been finalised, but I can tell you that we will be starting with a family service followed by lunch and afternoon tea, as well as lots of other fun family activities and photo albums and memorabilia from past Playgroup times to look at. Don’t forget to bring along your teddy bear!
There will be more information in the November Templer Record and all past Playgroup families will also get an invitation sent to them. For any enquiries at this stage, please contact Susi Blackwell.

TATURA REMEMBRANCE DAY – Sunday 18th November
Bookings for Rosa the bus to go to the service at the Tatura War Cemetery and/or lunch at the Tatura Golf Club should be made with Marianne Herrmann at the TSA Office on 9557 6713 or nanne.tsa@datafast.net.au 
We need someone to lay the wreath on behalf of the Temple Society Australia. Please contact me  if you are willing to do this.
More details and costs will be provided in the November TR.
Ilse Nicholson, for the Heritage & Culture FG

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
If you would like your Christmas Greetings published in the December /January Templer Record, please let the Office have your name and donation by mid November.
Ed.

POSITION VACANT
The position of TSA Playgroup Coordinator will become vacant at the end of this year, and an energetic, reliable, creative and conscientious person over the age of 18 years is sought to fill this position for 2008 and onwards. A position description is available upon request and all applications and enquiries need to be made to Susi Blackwell.
Please contact me by phone or e-mail susi.tsa@datafast.net.au  or in writing to TSA Youth Coordinator, 152 Tucker Road, Bentleigh 3204.
Please note: If no expressions of interest from TSA members or friends are received for this position, the vacancy will be advertised outside the TSA.
Susi Blackwell, Community Youth Coordinator

NEW YEAR’S EVE IN BAYSWATER
As many of you have already noticed, there will only be one service in Melbourne on New Year’s Eve this year in the Community Chapel in Bayswater at 6:30pm.

The Social & Recreation FG would like to facilitate an informal gathering after the service in the Community Room in Bayswater. This can go as long (or short) as those attending and organising wish it to go. We suggest that we organise food and champagne – people may prefer to bring their own drinks and maybe some Gutsle to share – and that it be an opportunity to enjoy the company of friends. Someone may wish to play the piano for the singing of Volkslieder. Or you may wish to organise music.
We would like to think that someone will offer to drive the TTHA bus to collect and take home those from Bentleigh (two people may wish to share this driving) or possibly one of our Rosa drivers is around – please advise. After speaking to the Bentleigh Gym ladies, the consensus was that the idea of an informal get-together after Saal was a good one and a few ladies have already offered to help with the organising which will be kept to a minimum.

If you are willing to drive either the TTHA bus (even if only one way) or Rosa (if you a licensed Rosa driver) or are willing to assist in the organising of this informal function, please ring me at the TSA Office on 9557 6713 before the end of October.

We also require an indication of how many people would be interested in attending this ‘Informal New Year’s Eve Gathering after the Service in Bayswater’. Please ring the TSA Office on 9557 6713 if you think you will be attending and also if you think you will require transport to and from Bentleigh. Please advise before the end of October to allow for timely planning to occur with the assistance of the Social & Recreation Focus Group before they head off on holidays.
Marianne Herrmann, for Soc & Rec FG

MEDITATION
Recently Helga Jürgensen and I completed a Diploma in Meditation with Inner Peace, an organisation based in Donvale. I am considering having informal gatherings on a Sunday evening in the Community Room Bayswater, where we could have an opportunity to continue the practice. I myself have been meditating for just on two years now and have found it to be very beneficial in various ways.
 I invite anyone who would like to join me to come along. I have some general course notes on good health which I intend to run through as well.  If interested, could you please e-mail me on hoovy@bigpond.com  to gauge interest.
Bernhard Hoefer (Hoovy)

JUST THIS DAY – 28th November
This initiative for peace asks us to stop, be still and – for just one day – remember that everyone and everything is connected, wherever you are. Perhaps some of us could get together for a while on this day?
See www.justthisday.org .
Herta Uhlherr

ACCOMMODATION
I am looking for a boarder to share my house at 50 Western Road, Boronia. It is an older house but comfortable and is on a large block. The bus route 753 stops 50 metres down the road and continues on to Boronia Railway Station, about 5 minutes away. It is about a 3-minute drive to the Bayswater TSA facility.
If interested, please call me.
Bernhard Hoefer

EREMOS – Magazine, Books for Groups, Retreats
Some of the Common Dreams conference participants were from Eremos, a small group that explores spirituality in Australia through the way of the contemplative, who withdraws to find space with God before returning to action in the world. (The word Eremos is associated with hermit and the early Desert Fathers). Eremos stands with people who hold the tension between certainty and uncertainty, knowing and unknowing.

At its inception in August 1982, Eremos chose to express its aims in two simple slogans: deepening Christian spirituality and helping Christians understand and contribute to Australian society. I have been getting Eremos for a number of years and find many articles very stimulating. Some of the conference speakers have had articles published there.
The Eremos magazine has articles on ecological consensus, belief and unbelief, art and meaning, other faith traditions, and book reviews. Also contributions from Christians coming to terms with the failures of Christendom and its churches, at the same time as they see in the Jesus of their deeper imagining a model of inclusive leadership for our times.
Presently, individual annual membership (which includes four magazines) is $45 (usually $55), starting with the 100th (August) issue.
More details on www.eremos.org.au  or (editor) jac.pryor@optusnet.com.au 
See also the  ‘Common Dreams’ article under 'Reflections'
H.U.

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THE HERITAGE PAGE

People often visit me to donate books, photos, or other historical items of interest to the Heritage Group. Recently it was Otto Löbert who brought a lovely old book called Palästina – Jaffa by Frank Scholten, 230 pages plus index and 449 historical photographs covering the text. It was printed in France in the photo engraving process, published by Julius Hoffmann, Stuttgart, 1930. The content of this large book deals with the Bible, the Talmud and the Koran, it has many references to the scriptures and photos to suit the text.

The book starts with a reference to Psalm 9 verse 2. Lobsingen will ich dir, o Herr! Aus ganzem Herzen, verkünden alle deine Wunder. ‘I will give praise to you, Lord, with my whole heart, I will recount all your marvellous deeds.’
These two photos are reproduced on page 90 of the book, under the heading ‘Die Templer oder Jerusalemsfreunde’.
photo 1,  photo 2

PHOTOS OF THE MONTH
Can someone tell us where these four photos were taken and identify the people on these four photos? Our friends in Israel would like to know. Please contact Horst Blaich.
photo 1,  photo 2,  photo 3,  photo 4.

FORTHCOMING BOOK – The Wennagel Story
This book is not only a family history, it also deals with the beginning of the Temple Society and how the Jerusalemsfreunde left the Black Forest to establish a new Kingdom of God in the Holy Land.

The Wennagel master builders built the first houses in Sarona, including the Gemeindehaus in the 1870s, in other words, they were active in the southern part of the country, whereas the Beilharz family, which also migrated from Dornstetten in the Black Forest, were building in the northern part of the country around Haifa, under the direction of Hoffmann and Hardegg. The Wennagel pioneering family continued their building activities right through the time in Palestine as well as in Australia.

The Wennagel story is told in an interesting manner from the year 1699 to today. The families are illustrated with many different genealogical charts and over 1,000 historical photographs. The Wennagel families and relatives, as well as people interested in the history of the Templers in the Holy Land, will find Irene’s book fascinating and enlightening.

Tremendous comments from the German communities in the Black Forest have been received, and now we ask those interested in purchasing the book to indicate their interest (without obligation) by phoning Irene Blaich.
We have seen a prototype and it looks absolutely fabulous. The book is presently in production and we shall announce the book launch in the next Templer Record.

Comments received on the book
I have read The Wennagel Story with great interest; it is a thorough documentation of this extraordinary family. Of special interest for me were the sections about Josef and Hugo. These are not only chapters in the history of the Wennagel family, but also important chapters in the history of modern Israel, in which the Wennagel family have an active part.

Israeli scholars are now beginning to appreciate the Templers’ contribution to the modernisation of Israel, as agents of change who transformed the country from a forsaken Ottoman province into what Israel is today. The Wennagels were part of that transformation, and this book does historical justice in documenting it. No doubt the book will become a study resource for Land of Israel Studies scholars.

It also unveils the tip of the iceberg of the ‘Albert Blaich Family Archive – Australia’, a monumental collection that was laboriously compiled by the author’s husband, Horst Blaich, himself from a prominent Templer family. The Archive has already proven itself to be an irreplaceable source for understanding the Templers’ culture and heritage.

The book also illuminates for the general public for the first time the ‘Hugo’s Treasure’ affair, in which I was privileged to be involved, a fascinating, sad human story with a happy ending. Kudos to the Blaichs for their literary achievement.
Dr Danny Goldman, Architect and University Lecturer, Israel

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SEPTEMBER
TEMPLER RECORD ISSUE No. 698

REFLECTIONS 
  
SPRING
To celebrate the change of seasons, here is a little prayer from Michael Leunig’s book A Common Prayer:

Dear God, we celebrate spring’s returning and the rejuvenation of the natural world. Let us be moved by this vast and gentle insistence that goodness shall return, that warmth and life shall succeed, and help us to understand our place within this miracle. Let us see that as a bird now builds its nest, bravely, with bits and pieces, so we must build human faith. It is our simple duty: it is the highest art; it is our natural and vital role within the miracle of spring: the creation of faith.   Amen.

TEXT OF THE MONTH AND FATHERS’ DAY
Fathers’ Day on Sunday 2nd September is a time to acknowledge the special difference a man as a parent can make on one’s life. Years ago fathers were rarely involved in day-to-day parenting. They were considered the authority figure in the family. ‘Wait until your father gets home’ was what mothers often said to the children. It was a threat symbolizing the discipline that would follow Dad’s homecoming at the end of the day.

The role of fathers has changed. There are many different kinds of fathers. Some are full-time stay-at-home dads while mum is out in the work-force. There are more stepfathers and sole-parenting fathers who have their children on a regular basis. In addition, families these days are created and not only based on kinship ties. Lots of men – a neighbour, a friend, an uncle or a boss – have played an important role in someone else’s life as a father figure, grandfathers too. A great national leader once said every man is a brother to all older men and a father to all younger men. I know of many adult men who have needed and appreciated the advice of a father figure, and not necessarily their biological father. The most desirable qualities an older or younger father figure possesses are kindness, compassion, the ability to listen, to model courage and give words of encouragement.

On Fathers’ Day it is common for young children to thank and spoil their Dads with some special home-made gifts and cards, usually with the help of their mother, and often the school craft shop. If you have ever benefited from a special man who had a fatherly or grandfatherly role in your life, even if it was for a short period, I encourage you to show him some heart-felt gratitude.

As a suggestion I offer the following three lines which include the text of the month:
Psalm 103:13
    As a father is kind to his children
    So the Lord God is kind to those who honour him – Thank you!
   
It’s not always easy to find the right words to thank your father. The following is a tribute to all fathers, including those who are no longer with us (it’s never too late to say thank you). Why not copy it and post it to someone, or write your own:
    Dad, you’re a Special Man
    Thank you for standing by me through the years;
    for caring and understanding and believing in me;
    for always being there when I needed you and for constantly lending a helping hand.
    Thank you Dad, for the difference you have made in my life.
    Anyone can be a father ,
    but it takes a special man like you to be a Dad.
Irene Bouzo

MY MADE-UP PRAYER (Confirmation ‘homework’)
    Dear God,
    Today has come and gone as quickly as a cloud on a windy day.
    I have learnt to hold my head high and to learn from my mistakes.
    I have held others and in return leaned on them.
    I have learnt to deal with my losses and to move on.
    I thank you for the love I have received and the friendship I have found.
    I have shot for the moon, missed, and am now among the stars.
    I am one step closer to my dreams.
    Tomorrow I will try again. Amen.
Kate Blackwell
Confirmation lessons are progressing.

COMMON DREAMS DRAWS A CROWD
Almost 1,500 people participated in the Common Dreams conference in Sydney in mid-August. Religious progressives from around Australia gathered with others from Aotearoa New Zealand, Canada, Iran, Palestine and the USA. Christians from Anglican, Assembly of God, Baptist, Churches of Christ, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Uniting Church traditions were joined by people from various other faiths (including the TSA) and those of no religious faith. The gathering extended over 4 days, and the large numbers attending surprised both the organisers and the media. Numbers would have been even higher, but registrations were capped to fit the capacity of the Pitt St. Uniting Church, the venue for the major sessions.

Two single-day workshops preceded the conference: an interfaith event on the theme Reclaiming the public ground for tolerance and respect: Progressive perspectives on multi-faith issues in a time of fundamentalist resurgence and a seminar for leaders of progressive faith communities, Exploring ways to build and sustain faith communities that are intentionally progressive.
The conference included keynote addresses by local and international leaders, including Stephanie Dowrick, Noel Preston, Brandon Scott, Bishop John Shelby Spong and Val Webb. In addition there were breakout groups with the keynote speakers and workshops facilitated by a diverse array of people: Patricia Brennan, Cecilie and Mervyn Lander, Nigel Leaves, Michael Morwood, Negar Partow, Ian Pearson, Fred Plumer and Elenie Poulos.
Highlights of the gathering included:

• A Jewish Rabbi and the Palestinian Ambassador to Australia identifying ways to work together for justice and peace.

• The story of St Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Davenport, New Zealand, where a moribund congregation has become a progressive community that is attracting people of all ages and is serving its local community.

• The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir which sang joyfully at the Saturday celebration and again at the Sunday morning service in Pitt St. UCA. (Many churches do not welcome them.)

• A Brisbane balladeer, Dermot Dorgan, whose special gifts of composing and performing ballads enriched the gathering with witty reflections on questions of social justice and theology.

Participants feasted on a smorgasbord of biblical study, social analysis and theological reflection and established a strong sense of shared identity and common purpose as religious progressives. Common Dreams 2007 has made its mark as a significant event in the religious history of our nation and plans are under way for 2009, probably in Melbourne.
Further information about the conference: www.commondreams.org.au
As we work through the challenges and implications of this event, and as a new network takes shape, we plan to develop the common dreams website as a resource for religious progressives We will also publish occasional email newsletters for those who wish to receive them. Anyone else wishing to be included in the distribution should send an e-mail to admin@commondreams.org.au 
Adapted from an e-mail from the organisers.
More about what we learnt at this conference in future TRs.
Herta Uhlherr

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REGIONAL MATTERS

FROM THE REGIONAL COUNCIL

NOTES from the RC Meeting of 3rd August
News from Germany

• The renovation of the Saal at Degerloch has been completed;

• Youth participation is again a focus of discussion.

The Guidelines for the positions of TSA Regional Head and Office Manager have been finalised. This revision is available from the TSA Office. It was noted that these are guidelines, not prescriptive, allowing for individual strengths of the persons in the positions.
The annual recognition function held by the RC is under consideration. There are many Templers who have undertaken years of volunteer work, and it is hard to choose individuals. Nevertheless, over the years these functions have been very positive events for the persons concerned.
The TTHA lease of the TSA land and the Declaration of Intent between the Parent Societies and associated documents have now been finalised and signed by all parties concerned.
Renate Beilharz, for the Regional Council

TSA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – 21st October Ba
In keeping with Clause 6.4 of the Constitution (October 2006) all Members of the Temple Society Australia are herewith invited to attend the Annual General Meeting for the year ended 30th June 2007. It will be held in the Templer Community Chapel at 51 Elizabeth Street, Bayswater, Victoria, on Sunday 21st October 2007 commencing at 10:30am. A one-hour lunch break is scheduled from 12:00 noon.
Members unable to attend the meeting personally are invited to arrange for their representation by proxy. Proxy forms are available at our Community facilities and from the Office upon request.

Agenda

1. Receipt and adoption of the Regional Council’s report on activities. Please read from page 9 so it can be taken as read.

2. Receipt and adoption of the financial statements and of the Auditor’s report.

3. Election of Temple Society President. – The Temple Society in Germany is to vote at their Annual General Meeting (Mitgliederversammlung) in October also.

4. Election of Regional Head, Council, Focus Group and Committee members. Nomination forms are available at our Community facilities and from the Office upon request.

4.1  Subject to the outcome of the previous agenda item, election of a Regional Head for the Temple Society Australia for a term of five (5) years. Nominations next page.

4.2  Election of one (1) Deputy Regional Head for the Regional Council for a term of three (3) years, Dr Irene Bouzo retiring by rotation.

4.3  Election of members for the Communication & Promotion (2 of), Heritage & Culture (1 of), Property Management (2 of), Social & Recreation (2 of), Welfare & Distant (2 of, together with an unfilled vacant position) and Youth (2 of) Focus Groups for terms of three (3) years, Jevan Bouzo, Ingrid Jürgensen (Communication & Promotion), Ilse Nicholson (Heritage & Culture), Tony Beilharz, Dietmar Jürgensen (Property Management), Ingrid Beilharz, Petra Murrihy-Ruff (Social & Recreation), Christa Lingham, Dot Ware (Welfare & Distant) and Mandy Etherington, Beate Kuerschner (Youth) are all retiring by rotation.

4.4  Election of two (2) representatives of the TSA for the Committee of Management of Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged Inc for terms of two (2) years, Trudi Blessing and Hartmut Weller retiring by rotation.

5.  Election of the Auditor for 2007/2008.

6.  Focus Group Reports: (please read below)

6.1 Communication & Promotion
6.2 Elders, Religious & Spiritual
6.3 Heritage & Culture
6.4 Property Management
6.5 Social & Recreation
6.6 Sydney Community
6.7 Welfare & Distant
6.8 Youth
6.9 TGD

7. Proposed sale of unused portion of Jerusalem cemetery.
8. General Discussion.

Mark Herrmann              Dr Rolf Beilharz
Business Manager         Regional Head

NOMINATIONS for TSA Regional Head
Two nominations, duly signed, were received for the position of TSA Regional Head:
Fred Gohl – nominated by Klaus Peter Hoffmann, seconded by Günther Schnerring.
Mark Herrmann – nominated by Hulda Wagner, seconded by Traude Glenk.
We thank these men for their willingness to serve.
Dr Rolf Beilharz

THE TEMPLE SOCIETY CENTRAL FUND (AUST.)
ACN 004 279 001
Members of the Temple Society Central Fund (Aust.) are herewith invited to attend the Ordinary General Meeting of the Company for the year ended 30.6.2007. It will be held in the Templer Hall at 51 Elizabeth Street, Bayswater, Vic on Sunday 21st October 2007, commencing at 9:45am.
Members unable to attend the meeting personally are invited to arrange for their representation by proxy. Proxy forms are available at our Community facilities and from the Office upon request.

Agenda
1. Receipt and adoption of the financial statements and of the report of the Directors and of the Auditor.
2. Election of two (2) Directors for terms of four (4) years, Ulrich Asenstorfer and Paul English retiring by rotation.
    Nomination forms are available at our Community facilities and from the Office upon request.
3. Business activity of the Company.
4. Election of the Auditor for 2007/2008.
5. Miscellaneous.
Mark Herrmann, Secretary

FROM THE EDITOR
Dear Readers,
Please do share your experiences in the community with others unable to be there, by writing a paragraph (or several). Think of the distant members keen to keep in touch via the Templer Record. No-one reported on the wonderful concert by the Eltham East P.S. Choir on 12th August in the Chapel. It was truly uplifting! See pictures of it by clicking on the ‘Caught on Camera’ link on our website www.templers.org
We also invite you to send in your thoughts about Templer thinking and living, and share wisdom that inspires you (space permitting).
Some reports have been condensed a little for space reasons.
Ed.

SOCIAL CARE
Dear Friends
In the past month I have had contact with members aged in their 40s to some over 100. People have discussed a range of support needs. No matter how difficult life seems at times, there is always a way out. I encourage you to talk to someone about any concerns you may have, or telephone me.

Accreditation for the TTHA
On 8th August the TTHA received Aged Care Accreditation for the next three years. The Homes were affirmed as providers of the highest quality of care and services. It was my privilege, along with residents, some of their relatives, nursing staff, kitchen and other support staff and management, to be part of the rigorous accreditation and interview process. I was pleased to hear one of the assessors tell me what a remarkable community life existed within the Homes. The TSA is privileged to be associated with such fine leadership that is dedicated to upholding the highest values and a philosophy which is in keeping with Templer ideals.

Cultural outing for TTHA Independent Living Unit residents
Residents attended a lively Sunday concert performed by the Victorian Welsh Choir and opera heart-throb David Hobson at Monash. Rousing songs included Welsh, German, French, Italian and Australian compositions around romantic themes. Thanks to Jevan Bouzo for driving the Fisher bus and Dr Schreiber for generously assisting with additional private transport.

Knitting for orphans or vulnerable children
Thanks to all those who have knitted more beautiful little garments. The original baby jumper is now phased out. They are asking for larger size jumpers, with a scarf and beanie to match, a blanket (size 1.5m2) and comfort dolls. See me or Helga Anderson for patterns. Donations of wool are also welcome.

Update of Consideration List for Residential Aged Care
I will continue contacting those people whose names have been on the TTHA waiting list for the last few years. Well done to those people who have updated or accepted a referral for their Aged Care Assessment. This is needed for accessing services to enable you to keep living independently at home and to receive priority on the TTHA waiting list.

Dementia – the disease of the century
There has been a dramatic increase in dementia. Whilst there is no known cure, simple tests can be done to find out what’s going on and what medication exists to slow down cognitive deterioration. Sometimes one tablet a day can help. If you notice that you or someone close to you is forgetting names and dates, searching for words when talking about a favourite topic and experiencing minor changes in cognitive ability or thinking, it could be time to make an appointment with the GP for a referral to a geriatric specialist. Action can bring much relief and understanding.

Welcome to Rüdiger Froeschle who has shifted into Unit 9 at TTHA.
Dr Irene Bouzo, Social Care
Tel: 9887 0713; Mobile: 0411 843 941; e-mail: irene@templesociety.org.au 

ANNUAL REPORTS 2006/2007

REGIONAL COUNCIL OF THE TSA

1. Scope and Outlook
   This report summarises the activities and administration of the Temple Society Australia (TSA) during 2006/2007. 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 (TR) throughout the year.
   Members are asked to familiarize themselves with the report (and associated documents) so that it may be taken as read at the Annual General Meeting.

2. Members and Friends
   This is now the second year under the TSA’s new constitution. I continue to enjoy how our new structure has attracted many younger Temple Society members to positions of importance in different activities now controlled by focus groups and the interest groups within the focus groups. Highlights of the year included the following:

2.1  Our aged care complex, Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged (TTHA), is in the middle of a building program to house the new beds for which we received licences from the Government in 2006. The temporary difficulties provided by the building program have made it hard for the staff to maintain the high standards of care we and the Australian German Welfare Society (AGWS) have learned to expect in our Home. The difficulties are being mastered and there is much goodwill amongst our residents towards the extra efforts made by the staff. Recently, in the middle of disruption by the building program, a site audit by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency found that TTHA complied with the required standard in each of all 44 criteria being examined. This is a wonderful reflection of the high standard of care that exists in our Home. The management, staff and their many helpers can be very proud of this result. Our CEO, Dr Martin Schreiber, has expressed the wish to retire when the current building project is completed and the new beds are being filled. The TTHA Committee has started a search for a new CEO, preferably starting so that she or he overlaps with Dr Schreiber before he leaves. (See page 41.)

2.2  The following 8 new members were welcomed to the TSA: Brigitte Ankenbrand, Volker Ankenbrand, Peter Herrmann, Ingrid Hoffmann, Tara Maree, Sieglinde Meier, Hannelore Schlerf, Ingrid Thomas.

2.3  Four persons resigned their membership during the year: Rainer Busch, Walter Rode, Anna Ruff, Manfred Ruff.

2.4  Five children were born to members of the TSA, 5 further children were born to friends.

2.5  Thirteen members of the TSA died in Australia during the year: Emma Aberle, Gerd Aberle, Heinz Arndt, Friedrich Beilharz, Christian Herrmann, Meta Herrmann, Ruth Leschinski, Gretl Stodal, Helene Varjabedian, Dr Gerhard Wagner, Gerda Weiss, Rolf Weller, Elisabeth Werlein. Fourteen further friends in Australia also died: Hiltrud Barfus, Elfriede Benz, John (Hans-Werner) Dyck, Arnold Hennel, Helga Kemper, Erich Kimmel, Ulrich (Ricky) Krafft, Manfred Orth, Irene Petz, Walter Scheerle, Gertrud Spittle, Rainer Steller, Margaret Street, Manfred Weiss.

2.6  The following 12 members or friends of the Temple Society in Germany died: Carsten Bitzer, Ludwig Buchhalter, Werner Frank, Richard (Rix) Grossmann, Theodora (Teddy) Kothe, Annchen Schumacher, Beate Struve, Herta Struve, Käthe Unger, Helmut Vetter, Inge Weller, Rudolf (Rolf) Michael Wieland.

2.7  At 30/06/2007 the number of full members of the TSA was 563, 9 fewer than at the same time last year.

2.8  The Regional Council (RC) held 12 regular (of which 4 were Extended Regional Council) meetings during the year. One meeting did not achieve a quorum. The Regional Council consisted of the Regional Head, Dr Rolf Beilharz; the three Deputy Regional Heads, Renate Beilharz, Irene Bouzo and Harald Ruff; the leaders of the mandatory focus groups: Central Fund, Dieter Glenk; Elders, Religious & Spiritual, Theo Richter (to October 2006) and Renate Weber (from October 2006). 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.

2.9  Marcus English was TSA auditor for the financial year 2006/2007.

2.10  When looking back over the year of 2006/2007, the overwhelming impression is that, without any ‘once-only’ highlights, many Templers are taking part in many productive community activities over all aspects of our community life. The following list recorded in the RC minutes illustrates the great diversity of our current Templer activities:

• Peter Lange visited the TSA from late January to early March 2007. He will retire as TS President in October 2007, after serving in this position for 5 years.

• The August 2006 Extended RC meeting served as a Structure Review meeting. Each focus group recommended changes to interest group or specific activity associations. A fresh TSA structure ‘onion’ was drawn and distributed to all members. The number of members on the Heritage & Culture FG was increased from two to three.

• The TSA membership joining/induction procedure was reviewed.

• A constitution amendment concerning TSA property was approved by members at the AGM in October 2006. A review of the Central Fund constitution is also being considered.

• A risk management workshop was conducted for focus and interest group members. Follow-up work relating to facilities and specific TSA activities continues within the various focus groups.

• Aged care forums designed for all who are associated with TTHA through the TSA – our Committee representatives, RC members, Central Fund Directors, Elders and the Community Care Worker –were conducted in July and December 2006. Their aim is to come together regularly in an attempt to review and enhance our comprehension of the specific roles, responsibilities and relationships; establish optimal communication mechanisms; identify, formulate and convey the parent society's needs and expectations with respect to aged care; develop short and long term objectives.

• Representatives from the AGWS and TSA met twice informally during the course of the year to get to know each other and to discuss issues of mutual interest with regard to TTHA. A Declaration of Intent document between the parent societies was recently signed, as was the formal Lease Agreement between TTHA and the Central Fund. Progress on the building extension continues, each parent society having committed $600,000 loan money. The Central Fund has also offered that part of the land associated with aged care as security for necessary bridging finance from a financial institution.

•  Helga Anderson, Community Care Worker, retired from her position in April 2007, after working together with her successor Irene Bouzo for a number of weeks beforehand. Helga worked tirelessly for and with the TSA Community for 12 years, establishing and developing the part-time role. Her dedication and commitment was recognised by community members at a service in Bentleigh in May 2007, while an official acknowledgement and thankyou was celebrated at the Tivoli Club in August 2007. We wish Helga and her family all the best in her retirement.

• Guidelines for the positions of Regional Head and Business Manager were fashioned as part of consideration for succession planning.

• A ‘Think Tank’ working party has been formed; it is yet to meet.

• The inaugural Youthfest was held at Bayswater in September 2006. Susi Blackwell was largely responsible for the planning and preparation of this successful event.

• A work-in-progress exhibition for the wall-hanging project was conducted in the Community Chapel as part of the Knox Heritage Festival in October 2006.

• Ingrid Turner has formally started in her role as Sydney Community Development Worker.

• Marianne Herrmann and Susi Blackwell attended the Communities in Control conference in June 2007 as representatives of the TSA. The forum – organised by the Our Community team – was a call to policy makers at every level to listen to and include the voices and experiences of even the smallest community group.

• The new playground at Bayswater was unveiled at Sommerfest in March 2007. The Social & Recreation FG has decided the workload of Sommerfest cannot continue to fall to a single focus group. All focus groups will be formally involved in future planning and taking responsibility for certain activities and their administration.

• A new TSA logo designed by the Communication & Promotion Focus Group was formally accepted, as was a revision of the Communication and Publications Policy.

• Dr Martin Schreiber conducted two sessions (one in English, the other in German) focussing on TTHA admission and associated issues for TSA members.

The hard work and endeavours of the focus groups have been of enormous benefit to the general membership and to the Regional Council itself. All focus group members therefore deserve our thanks and appreciation.

There will be separate reports from focus and interest groups. These complement this report of the Regional Council. Please read these reports as well so that at the AGM all reports may be taken as read.
The TTHA is holding its own Annual General Meeting on Saturday 8th September. Every TSA Member is also a member of TTHA and is invited to come to this meeting.

The Temple Society Central Fund (Aust.) is also holding its own Annual General Meeting before the AGM of the Temple Society Australia and members of the Central Fund are invited to come to this meeting
.
I thank all contributors to the Temple Society Community for their input.
R.G. Beilharz - Regional Head

FOCUS GROUP REPORTS

ELDERS, RELIGIOUS & SPIRITUAL FOCUS GROUP
2006-2007 has again been a busy period for the Elders. The key responsibility of this group is to provide the community with spiritual reflection and guidance, offered in regular Services, at Presentations, Confirmations, weddings, funerals and via publications.

Services
The Elders were rostered for Services in all our communities in Victoria, NSW and SA, in English and/or German, depending on the congregation. We were enriched by the visit of the President of the Temple Society, Peter Lange, who conducted Services in Sydney, Bayswater and the Altersheim. This year alternative times and days have been trialled, but it does appear we are still traditionalists at heart and like our Services on Sunday morning.
We welcomed Dr Irene Bouzo as an Elder, and she adds a new voice to our Services. The other Elders who conducted Saals were Dr Rolf Beilharz, Renate Beilharz, Ilse Birkner, Mark Herrmann, Dr Hennig Imberger, Christa Lingham, Dr Geoff McCallum, Theo Richter, Harald and Christine Ruff, Hermann and Herta Uhlherr, Dr Peter Uhlherr, Annette Wagner-Hesse, Hulda Wagner, Renate Weber; in NSW, Hartmut Beck, Werner Ehmann, Ingrid Turner, and in South Australia, Ulrich Asenstorfer.
Theo Richter represented the Templers at the Good Friday ‘Stations of the Cross’ Service, in which several churches in the Bentleigh area participate.
An Ecumenical Service in German was held for the TTHA residents and involved Pastor Stern and representatives of the Catholic Church, as well as the TSA. Our Altersheim residents are looked after in the Home with a monthly service in German. The Agape service continues to provide a moving remembrance of the last supper on Maundy Thursday.
Services were also held in Ballarat, Phillip Island, Tanunda, Tynong and Tatura as well as family services at the Maroondah dam and at Mt Martha.
A total of eight children were welcomed and blessed at Presentation Services in Bayswater, Bentleigh and Sydney.

Confirmation
Currently eleven young Templers are attending confirmation classes, nine sit in the classroom while the Sydney and Rupanyup confirmands participate via telelink. The confirmation ceremony is being prepared with the input of the confirmands and various Elders, and will take place at the Bayswater Chapel on 16th September. Two Elders are travelling to Sydney to conduct a special confirmation Service for the Sydney confirmand. Renate Beilharz continues to be the driving force behind the organisation of these classes and is ably supported by the other teaching Elders, Dr Rolf Beilharz, Harald Ruff, Herta Uhlherr, Renate Weber. We also thank the Klinks for their invitation to study the stars at their property. A two-day seminar was organised to cover the history and structure of the TS and we thank our senior guests who shared their childhood experiences with our youth.

Marriages
There are 5 authorized Templer Marriage Celebrants. All undertake their 5 hours of compulsory professional development each year to maintain their registration. Three wedding ceremonies were conducted during the year.

Funerals
Elders contributed to 16 Funeral Services in Melbourne and in Sydney.

Other Activities
Elders attended three routine Elders meetings as well as participating in discussion evenings. We are working on publishing a new handbook, The Temple Society – a Collection of Understandings from a Religious Per-spective. Progress is slow.
Rolf Beilharz regularly attends the Glen Eira South Ministers’ Association and he and other Elders attend the Knox Interfaith Network.
Four Elders attended the ‘Common Dreams: Progressive religion as a transforming agent’ conference in Sydney in August 2007. Other Elders attended a lecture by Bishop Spong at the Malvern Town Hall.

Thank You!
The Elders wish to thank all the people who contribute to enrich our Services. Thank you to the Sunday School teachers who teach our young ones, to the musicians who play for us so beautifully, and the choir whose presence on special occasions always adds an extra dimension; these musicians allow our souls to soar on the wings of their music.
We also acknowledge the flower roster ladies! What colour and joy are added when seasonal flowers decorate our place of worship. Thanks also to Elisabeth Wagner as Services Coordinator and the team of hard workers who set up and put away the chairs and clean. Thank you also to the teams who provide us with refreshments after the services; this gives the community members a chance to socialize before heading back home.
We are blessed to live in our Templer communities!
Renate Weber, Elders’ FG Leader

THE TEMPLE SOCIETY CENTRAL FUND (AUST.)
The Board of Directors held six meetings during the 2006/2007 financial year. The members of the Board – Ulrich Asenstorfer, Paul English, Helmut Eppinger, Wolfgang Frank, Dieter Glenk (chairman), Herbert Hoffmann, Dietmar Jürgensen (vice-chairman) and Peter Leszinsky – were unchanged from the previous year. The two interstate Directors, Ulrich Asenstorfer (Adelaide) and Peter Leszinsky (Sydney) were again linked by conference phone to meetings.

The main issues considered and dealt with by the Board were:

Approval to permit the TTHA Committee of Management to mortgage the Templer-owned land on which the aged care complex stands, as security for a proposed bridging loan of $1.2m to assist in funding the new building extension. The commercial loan is expected to be drawn on in April 2008 and has a number of conditions, as stipulated by the Directors, applying to it. This support is in addition to the Central Fund’s $600,000 loan reported last year and is expected to be drawn on in the current financial year.

Lengthy negotiations and discussions between all parties over a number of years culminated recently in the execution of documents concerning TTHA. The two parent societies – AGWS and TSA – signed a Declaration of Intent (with a number of practical appendices), while TTHA and the Central Fund finalised a Land-only Lease Agreement (with a peppercorn rent to apply). The documents are intended to serve as formal references to the valued relationships between the respective parties associated with aged care at the Bayswater facility.

Approval of loans to several members and a review of the Central Fund’s lending criteria. Loans are generally of a personal nature and guaranteed by persons known to the TSA.

The updating of the original (1950) company constitution and related matters is progressing and a working party of three Directors and the Secretary is making preparations for a Central Fund/Regional Council workshop to fully explore, together with our solicitor, the various options possible.

Decisions were made to direct more of the Central Fund’s cash reserves into a diversified, quality share portfolio, and a number of securities were bought. In keeping with our forthcoming commitments to TTHA, sufficient cash reserves are being managed through bank term deposits to provide funds when needed.

The income-producing assets (factory properties and rental units) of the TSA require ongoing maintenance. All such properties were let and earned rental income.

Again, I express my sincere thanks to all my fellow volunteer Directors and Mark Herrmann (Secretary) for their dedication, wise counsel and support. The assets and funds of the TSA continue to be well managed by a competent team of responsible Directors.
Dieter Glenk, Chairman TSCF

YOUTH FOCUS GROUP
The Youth Focus Group, consisting of four 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 our 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 FG and the Community Youth Coordinator (CYC). We continue to have a small, slow, but steady growth in youth activities and are continuing to open up our programs to the wider community, thus building relationships with other organisations and gradually making the Temple Society a little more well known.

The Youth Focus Group is again preparing to undertake a major project in the next 12 months, ‘Youthfest 2008’, and we will of course be hoping for full support from the Templer Community!

Playgroup
We have 13 families with 16 children joining us on Thursday mornings, with only one non-Templer family who regularly participate in Templer functions. A baby boom has occurred in the last six months with 4 new babies in our midst! Dads and grandparents are regulars; the children in particular enjoy that special time. Our usual program has continued (activity and fundraising reports elsewhere) with flexibility to allow for the large range in ages. Sincere thanks to parents doing that extra bit to assist the new mums and help in organising. We previously catered for children 2-4 years of age; this has gradually extended to younger children as parents have wanted to come earlier.

After much thought, I have finally decided that it’s time to call it a day and will be finishing my ‘stint’ at Playgroup at the end of the year, having had the great pleasure of sharing friendship with so many beautiful people. However, please ring me regarding enrolments for 2008.
Moni Herrmann

Kids’ Club
The last six months have seen the small and very hard-working Kids’ Club organising team having to spread the workload of the monthly Kids’ Club activities amongst its participating families.
Some of the year’s highlights were the ‘old favourites’ such as Family Camp at the Briars, Mt Martha, Sommerfest activities, Sonnwendfeier lantern parade, BTYC Gym, snow trip and some new activities such as the ferry trip to Williamstown and kite-making.

Many thanks again go to Birgit Verhagen and Anita Cross who have continued to make up the ‘Organising Team’ along with the many supporting families who have volunteered to take on individual activities (Glenks, Ruffs, Jürgensens, Richters, Kuerschners to mention only a few), and all the other people who have helped with various KC activities. A special thankyou to Anita Cross, who is ‘retiring’ from the organising team this year, for all your efforts and hard work organising KC activities, especially the Family Camp.

Teenage Group
Moni Imberger continues to keep monthly Teenage group activities running smoothly. The program (chosen by TG participants at the beginning of the year) has included movie nights, winter sleep-out, the annual end of year pool party and summer camp in the January holidays, go-karting, water sliding at Funfields, ‘chocolate extravaganza’, Laser Challenge, fencing and much more. The activities are much enjoyed by our young people, and friends are always welcome. Many thanks also to the wonderful people who have helped out with the TG program at various times throughout the year and, of course, to Moni for all your good work!

Youth Groups
This year has seen the appointment of our new Youth Leader, Kylie Wilmot, who has not only embraced her task with quiet, efficient enthusiasm, but also succeeded in building a wonderful rapport with the new Confirmation group, with whom Kylie has spent most of her time. Some of their activities have included roller-skating, movie nights, sleepovers and weekends away.
The two Youth Surf Camps (January and April) were very successful and have been a big highlight this year. As always, the continuing assistance by willing volunteers is very much appreciated and without your help the Youth programs and activities would simply not run.

Special mention and a huge thankyou must go to the ever-accommodating Rosa bus drivers, who ungrudgingly give up their time to ferry us around. This has made a big difference to the transport headaches of the past!

There continue to be 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, for the Youth FG

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FOCUS GROUP
Focus Group members are: Uli Hoefer, Tony Beilharz, Theo Richter, Winfried Beilharz and Dietmar Jürgensen.

PMFG Interest Groups:

• Bayswater Complex: Tony Beilharz, Uli Hoefer, Manfred Decker.

• Bentleigh Complex: Theo Richter, Herbert Hoffmann.

• Bus Operations: Winfried Beilharz, Rolf Glenk, Michael Kuerschner.

A number of projects were undertaken in the last 12 months under the management of the PMFG, namely:

All Facilities
Ø Installed exit signs, smoke alarms, fire fighting equipment and emergency lighting
     at all Victorian TSA properties to meet Essential Services Legislation standards;
Ø Commenced a program of risk assessments of properties.

Bayswater
Ø Installed the older children’s playground near the Chapel;
Ø Anti-glare film installed on windows in Hall kitchen and some Chapel windows;
Ø Extension into alcove of floating timber floor in Hall;
Ø Motorisation of Chapel bell;
Ø Completed a topographical survey of proposed bus parking area and equipment storage shed.

Bentleigh
Ø Replaced front fence;
Ø Replaced external windows and doors at the Office and upstairs flat.

Rosa Bus
Ø Fitted a lower entrance step to improve access;
Ø Successfully passed an audit by the Department of Infrastructure;
Ø We currently have eight drivers available, with training about to commence for another;
Ø The TSA was registered for diesel fuel tax credits;
Ø Servicing and quarterly maintenance checks have been strictly adhered to and any concerns quickly rectified.

Thanks to all focus group and interest group members for their time and effort during the year in maintaining the properties and facilities of the TSA.
A special thankyou to Ernst Ruff for the excellent job done on organising the replacement of some of the external windows and doors on the Bentleigh Office and upstairs flat.
Dietmar Jürgensen, for the PMFG

SYDNEY COMMUNITY FOCUS GROUP
During the past financial year, 10 religious services were held in the Sydney Templer Community. Visiting elders were Renate Beilharz, Herta Uhlherr, Rolf Beilharz. Sydney Elders conducting Saal were Werner Ehmann, Ingrid Turner, Hartmut Beck.
During February, the Sydney Community welcomed our visiting president, Peter Lange, who had driven from Melbourne. Peter also brought greetings from the TGD. The time spent together was all too short, but enjoyable.

Deaths: Rainer Steller on 28.7.2006 and Rolf Weller on 3.6.2007, may they rest in peace. Many friends and relatives attended both funerals.

Two children were presented to the community at the Thanksgiving Service in March conducted by Herta Uhlherr: Oliver Turner and Sebastian Cooke.

Our native shrub and tree-planting day at the church, organized by Rolf Beck, was a great success, there was no shortage of eager young planters. 100 trees were planted, after all this rain all plants are doing well.

The Frauenverein bus excursion took its 40 passengers past Sublime Lookout on the Bulli Escarpment where they enjoyed the excellent views over Austinmer, Thirroul and Wollongong, destination Kiama, famous for its blowhole. After lunch and afternoon tea, and some sightseeing in crafty Berry, the group, who all enjoyed the day, turned for home.

After a few thoughts about Paul’s letter to the community in Ephesus, 20 members were welcomed to our 2006 Annual Members’ Meeting. A quorum was established. The focus group leader outlined the previous year’s activities, followed by various reports and elections.
Treasurer Herbert Steller accepted that office for another term.
Ingrid Turner was appointed Auditor for 2006 – 2007.
Rolf Beck was voted into the Focus Group for a three-year term.
Johanna Steller was appointed Secretary.
In general business, Frauenverein President, Jo Steller, presented a short report on their activities and plans for future events. Hiring the hall to another church group was discussed; views are definitely divided on this subject. We have decided not to hire out the hall.

Our new audio system in the hall had its debut with our playing Mozart and Handel. The system works well.
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 followed; ideas from members are very welcome.

The Frauenverein Christmas Bazaar was held on 25th November in perfect weather. Together with their helpers, the ladies did a great job organizing our biggest social event of the year. Amongst our visitors was a busload of residents from St Hedwig’s Homes.
Our Christmas Service was conducted by Ingrid Turner and was followed by a nativity play and musical interludes by various solo artists. The musical talents in the community are truly outstanding!

On behalf of the focus group, I would like to thank everyone who has supported and attended our activities over the past year, a special thanks to all who helped to keep our community ticking over.
Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney FG

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Die südaustralische Gruppe traf sich alle zwei Monate zum Saal. Wir können immer noch denselben Raum in Tanunda zu einem günstigen Preis mieten. Im Februar besuchte uns Dr Rolf Beilharz und hielt den Vortrag. Wir konnten ihm einen Scheck für $100 für’s Office mitgeben. Renate Beilharz hielt den Saal für uns im Juni. Auch ihr konnten wir einen Scheck für $100 für die TSA mitgeben. Besucher sind bei uns immer willkommen und zum gemütlichen Beisammensein eingeladen.

Frau Thea Frank, die am 1. Oktober 100 Jahre alt wird, sandte regelmäßig Grüße an uns. Wir hoffen, dass unsere Gruppe noch möglichst lange zusammen sein darf.

Die Frauengruppe traf sich so oft wie möglich, im Idealfall monatlich. Wir konnten im Kalenderjahr 2006 Handarbeiten im Wert von $165, sowie einen Scheck für $100 an das TTHA schicken. Nur wenige von uns schafften es zu unserem Ausflug am Jahresende, doch den Teilnehmern gefiel es beson-ders gut.
Rose Asenstorfer
Thank you to our loyal friends in South Australia.

WELFARE & DISTANT FOCUS GROUP
We met six times in the last reporting period and were involved in:

• Running two successful seminars – Alzheimers and Parkinsons in October 2006, for which we were fortunate to gain funding through Carers Victoria and to have the help of our Care Worker, Helga Anderson. The Prostate and Bowel Cancer seminar took place in May 2007. Both were well attended and informative.

• Applying for and gaining funding to hold an education session for women on cervical cancer in August 2007.

• Planning a seminar on Palliative Care for October 2007.

• Liaising with the Care Workers.

During 2007 we had every intention of contacting Templers in outlying areas, unfortunately this did not happen but during the next twelve months we hope to follow through on this.

Country Services in Gippsland and Western Victoria (Phillip Island, Tynong and Ballarat). The Country Services were all well attended and enjoyable. Having Rosa the bus helps. Thanks go to all those who organised them, provided the venues and the Elders who held the Services. These occasions always provide the possibility for informal discussions and an opportunity to meet other Templers in a different environment.

Partners Without Partners – This interest group for the bereaved was an initiative of our committee member, Elisabeth Wagner. She and Irene Bouzo worked on the organisation of the group, sending out invitations and holding the meeting.
Dot Ware, for the Welfare & Distant FG

SOCIAL & RECREATION FG Report held over for October TR.
HERITAGE & CULTURE FG Report held over for October TR.

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MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

GEBURTSTAGE

Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder:

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

ANNIVERSARY
We congratulate Heinz and Heidi Vollmer who are celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary on 28th September and wish them well.

NEW MEMBER – We welcome Ingeborg Hanke as a new member and hope she will feel comfortable among us.

ENGAGEMENT
Heidi Wied and Brett Sonntag on 18.7.2007

BIRTHS
Keanah Vizi Messner
A sister for Savannah.
Parents: Holger and Tanja Messner

Julia Hannah Klink
Parents: Mark and Laura (née McDevitt) Klink
Fifth grandchild for Alfred and Ursula Klink

Patrick Niklas Weber
Parents: Mykel and Carolin (née Enzmann) Weber

Congratulations and best wishes to all the couples

BEREAVEMENTS

My dear husband, our loved father, Opa and brother, Gerd Beilharz, died suddenly on 18th July, just before his 84th birthday.
We send heartfelt thanks to Dr Rolf for all that he has done for us, both prior to and since Gerd’s memorial service – and to the wider Beilharz family. Thank you also to everyone, for the many cards, letters, visits, telephone calls, and the donations to TTHA – the support is very much appreciated!
Gerd is much loved and missed by us all – but his spirit lives on in our memories.
    Hedl Beilharz
    Manfred and Marilyn with Francesca Beilharz
    Peter and Doris, with Nikolai and Rhea Beilharz
    Sue with Sam Hardefeldt
    Gertrud Frank and family
    Friede Beilharz and family (in Stuttgart)

ááá

Friedhelm (Fred) Bulach passed away peacefully on 11.8.2007 in the Geelong Hospital. He was 77 years old and a brother to Anneliese Beilharz and Heinz Bulach. Friedhelm is survived by his wife Margaret and their children.

ááá

Liebe, Treue, Einigkeit. Im Herzen bleibst Du jeder Zeit.
Mein lieber Mann, treusorgender Vater, Opa und Ur-Opa, Karl Trefz, hat am 21.7.2007 kurz vor seinen 89. Geburtstag für immer seine Augen geschlossen.
In stiller Trauer
    Lotte Trefz, Gisela Meyer, Vanessa and Ken Pearce,
    Anita und Pat Holloway mit Klein-Luke,
    Hartmann Trefz, Anni Eckstein,
    Sigi Messner und Familie,
    Eddi Messner und Familie,
    und weitere Verwandte in Deutschland.

Herzlichen Dank an Frau Hulda Wagner für ihre trostreichen Worte an der Trauerfeier und an Frau Irene Blaich vielen Dank für die Musikbegleitung, sowie ein großes Dankeschön für Karten, Blumen und Spenden fürs Tabulam und Templer Heim.

Our condolences to all these families.

Correction – in the formatting process, a line must have dropped out of the bereavement notice for Rolf Weller – sincere apologies. Missing were: Michael and Iman Weller with Gemma and Monty.

COUNTRY SERVICE IN TYNONG
Tynong, some 80km from Melbourne, was the place for the July Country Service. The Bulachs’ home lies hidden behind a small rise on the south side of Princes Highway. You enter the gate and follow the neatly gravelled drive lined with apple trees that winds around the hill past the front paddocks to the house. Sheltered from the road by the hill, the house has a magnificent view to the south where the land gently slopes away to infinity. Panoramic windows in the large living room enhance this view to the point of distraction which, together with the tempting range of food on show, made it difficult to focus entirely on Theo Richter’s Service.
Theo spoke about being good managers of God’s gift to us, the natural gift for goodness, the talent to help each other that we are all endowed with. He encouraged us to be good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Based on the text of the month and on his article in the July Templer Record, Theo spoke freely and with an ease that comes from long practice in his work. When the apostle Peter, in his ‘Calling of a Christian’ letter, reminds us to be hospitable, to give service in the strength that God supplies, and to speak as if you uttered oracles of God, it was Theo who gave us the practical applications of these guidelines. Due to work commitments, he had to leave immediately after the Service to catch a plane.

Communal lunch followed. The chairs were quickly rearranged and the forty people present enjoyed a large selection of appetising food. Everybody had brought something good and, to top it off, Heinz and his helpers supplied barbequed shish-kebabs for everyone. An after-lunch stroll to Heinz’s wetland re-vegetation project had a great following. But some of us could not wait for afternoon coffee and cakes and started sampling the variety on offer straight away.

All too soon Ralph, the Rosa Bus driver, called up his passengers for the return trip and it was time for good-byes. A contemplative Service, framed in an attractive environment, supported by good food and good company is an occasion that is hard to surpass. The hellos and wie geht’s and the goodbyes and auf Wiedersehens in themselves are already a moving experience. Our thanks go the Bulachs, the Richters and the Beilharzes for a most enjoyable Gippsland outing.
Alfred and Ursula Klink

GERMAN POETRY COMPETITION
The Association of German Teachers of Victoria runs a prestigious annual Poetry Competition for all mainstream schools. We congratulate all students who took part. We are pleased to announce that students from both our Templer German Schools reached the State Finals
.
Successful students are:
Representing the Bayswater-Boronia Templer School in the Eastern Region:
Stephanie Marsh, Year 5 – second place
Ellen Ankenbrand, Year 7 – first place
Representing the Bentleigh Templer School in the Monash Region:
Thomas Sonntag, Year 5 – second place
David Klink, Year 6 – first place
Philipp Klink, Year 8 – first place

We congratulate our students on their fine achievements and wish them well for the poetry finals.
Dr Irene Bouzo and Marianne Herrmann

INDOOR CARPET BOWLERS, BAYSWATER
Great news! We have been fortunate to receive a grant from VicHealth and have purchased a second carpet and bowls from ‘Henselite’. Thanks to Marianne Herrmann from the Social & Recreation FG for drawing our attention to the opportunity and assisting with the application for the grant.

We are a group of 8 or 9 enthusiastic Seniors who meet in the Templer Bayswater Hall every Monday from 9:45 till about 11:15am, sometimes a bit longer. Indoor bowling is a challenge for people of all ages and, once the skills are mastered, we find it entertaining, friendly and a low-cost (or no-cost) activity for players. It is not a strenuous sport; it just requires the ability to bend down to gently release the bowl.

We do recommend it, or better still, we invite and welcome new players. With a second mat, there is now no excuse to be standing around and it is a great opportunity for new players to at least try a new activity.
Come and see for yourself.
For more information please contact me.
Ilse Birkner, for the Indoor Carpet Bowling Group

THANK YOU TO HELGA ANDERSON
The Welfare & Distant FG was charged with (and thanked for) organising the afternoon tea function at the German Club Tivoli on 4th August – low key, because Helga wanted ‘no fuss’. (Typically, she even offered to help if assistance was required!)
Helga was honoured in a number of speeches. There is room for only a few comments.

The need for a Community Care Worker was identified by the TS 2000 working party in mid-1994. After discussions in Regional Council and among the Elders, Helga took up her position in early May 1995. The Care Reference Group was set up and first met in December 1995 to support and advise her.

Mark Herrmann mentioned how fortunate we are to have young Templer professionals in the area of social, health and community care, like Linda Beilharz, Sonia Glenk and Renate Hoffmann, also Ursula Paton and Dr Geoff McCallum, apart from the older advisors on this Committee.

Linda, ‘somewhere between the North and South Poles’ but actually back in Bendigo from where she drives to attend meetings, sent greetings, having worked with Helga since 1995. She remembers discussing the two goals, strengthening the Templer community and supporting individuals in need, and how all involved had to find their way. ‘Helga had to learn new skills and explore new areas of information which she did very willingly and ably.’

‘Helga’s willingness to learn was indicative of her approach to the role – one of quiet, effective yet humble support. People found her very approachable, trusted her ability to maintain confidentiality and found reassurance in her calm and knowledgeable response. She was a great advocate for the community and, when required, for individuals who themselves did not want to make a fuss. Helga can take credit for the fact that the role will now continue because she was able to prove its value and give it shape, though it will inevitably be a little different with a new person.’

Mark mentioned the three distinct components of the position, in reverse order:
Worker – He quoted ‘Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else’ – for Helga it was a labour of love, devotion and selflessness, which usually implies doing more than is expected.
Care – As a registered nurse… Helga brought ‘a fair dollop of compassion, understanding and support to the position’.
Community – the key; she worked with and for the Community of which she is such a trusted and valued member and also learned to integrate it into the wider community to better make use of the available resources.

On behalf of everyone there and those unable to attend, Mark wished Helga all the best; we ‘trust you will enjoy your retirement thoroughly’. Indeed! Dr Rolf Beilharz and Dr Martin Schreiber also honoured Helga and everyone burst into Hoch soll sie leben!
Herta Uhlherr

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SYDNEY AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Sydney Service
Our guest speaker in July, Ilse Birkner, a former Sydneyite, was welcomed by old friends. Ilse spoke on a text from Mark 6, where Jesus was not recognized by the people of Nazareth. ‘A prophet is never recognized in his own country’. She mentioned the fantastic work of Albert Schweitzer and his dedication to his work as an example of striving for God’s kingdom here on Earth. Ilse, thanks for coming to Sydney.

Dates to remember – see end of Ingrid’s report.

Sydney Church Centenary
Our little church building is 100 years old this year. The official commemoration will take place at the Christmas Bazaar in November. All members of the Temple Society are invited to take part. We hope to see many of our Melbourne friends at this function.
Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

Ingrid’s Report

Common Dreams Seminar at the Pitt Street Uniting Church
I am just back from a most amazing, exciting four days exploring progressive Christianity – lectures, workshops and services filled with a high level of openness, insight and intellectual discussion given by leading international authors, ministers and intellectuals. I felt nearly as at home amongst these people as I do among our Templer communities, due to their similar approach to Christianity. The conference also gave me many ideas about practising and reconstructing progressive Christianity. We also networked with many other like-minded people and communities. Many were very impressed with our principles and community activities and we plan to build and maintain links. See also above.

AGM – New Date
In order to appropriately celebrate Dylan Simmer’s confirmation on 26th August, the Annual General Meeting has been shifted to 23rd September. We could only contact people through the telephone tree and the e-mail network and apologise to those who missed out on this communication. Mark Herrmann will be conducting the Saal before the AGM and will include a section for kids; kids’ activities will continue on through the meeting.

Community Picnic – 16th September
Our picnic will be at the Plough and Barrow Park at Abbotsbury on Elizabeth Drive like last year, which was a real hit with young and old. You may choose to ride your bikes from Emmy and Colin’s place – contact number below. Cakes supplied for a small cost. BYO coffee and tea.

Bazaar – 25th November
The Frauenverein or ladies’ group have decided not to provide crafts or traditional Christmas cakes/Gutsle for the front of church section. The raffle, BBQ, drinks and afternoon tea with cakes will be on. The front of church is to be organised by the younger people, who plan to hold a craft stall, a kids’ do-it-yourself Christmas craft table, toddlers’ play area and cake table. Ideas and stall operators and helpers are needed. We also hope to exhibit some of the beautiful handicrafts from our more experienced members. We are planning to have a number of activities for all kids, so bring your families along!
There will be a plaque unveiling ceremony to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the building, with various historical church documents on display.

Welfare
Illness limited the extent to which I could interact with some of our elderly. At Frauenverein, the ladies agreed to some decisions that make their load more reasonable. They are hoping to get help with the cleaning of the church. A few visits were made.

Youth
A positive month in July/August. The rock-climbing activity was a real success. Jacob, Christine, Emmy, Kirrily and Dylan showed amazing strength, coordination and, well, stickiness to walls. We all had a ball. Ice-skating at Norwest on 19th August was a hit, with 11 skaters having a fun time. September’s Family Camp has 23 starters, with another possible 4. This is pleasing. An enthusiastic craft club has started up. We plan to set up a Bazaar craft and cake stall. Maddison Jensen, Kirrily and Emmy Simmer and I had a fun creative afternoon, planning the stalls and then painting fun door knob hanging signs. Coffee club was cancelled due to my family’s ill health. If you have any great ideas for our craft club, then give me a buzz.

Next youth event is the Community Picnic. You can join the bike-riding group travelling to the picnic along the wonderful M2 bike track, meeting at Emmy and Colin’s place (contact Emmy to let her know if you or your kids plan to join the group).
There is a large selection of play equipment and this year we hope to also have a few events. We are doing the BBQ and salad, so please help out on the day. BYO coffee and tea. Family Camp takes place at the end of the month, and there is still serious planning to do for it. I need enthusiastic helpers, please.
Ingrid Turner
Emmy Simmer

Calendar for September
•  Frauenverein Ladies’ Group Meeting: Thursday 13th September; Hall.
•  Annual Picnic: 10:30am Sunday 16th September, Plough and Barrow Park, Abbotsbury.
•  Coffee Club: Friday 20th September, Ingrid Turner’s house, 8:00pm
•  Saal and AGM Sunday 23rd September 10:30am
•  Family Camp: Sunday 30th September to Tuesday 2nd October, Easts Beach Caravan Park, Kiama.
Ingrid Turner

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YOUTH

Youth Calendar
•  Sunday 23rd September – Kids’ Club Mini Golf day
•  Weekend 22nd/23rd Sept. – visit Williamsons in Bendigo
•  Monday 1st to Friday 5th October – Confirmation Camp

Camp Leaders still needed
One female leader for the Confirmation Camp – dates above.
Female and male leaders for Summer Camp and Youth Camp – dates for both these camps are Sunday 6th to Saturday 12th January 2008.
If you are able to help out with any of these camps or know someone else who may, please contact me as soon as possible; via e-mail at susi.tsa@datafast.net.au 
Susi Blackwell

YOUTH GROUP
The Winter Sleepout planned for August was cancelled due to lack of numbers. We will look at rescheduling this for later in the year. As a result, the Youth Group has been a little quieter. However, in September the Confirmation ceremony will be held, which means those young people make the final ‘transition’ from teenage group to youth group.
We are also looking at having either a go-karting or laser strike day in December (possibly the 9th). This would be a major activity for all teens aged about 15 and older or who are confirmed. More details to follow later.
Kylie Wilmot, Youth Leader

TEENAGE GROUP
For this month’s activity we are going to visit our country teenage group members, Emma and Hannah Williamson. We will be going to stay at the girls’ house for the first weekend in the school holidays, that is Saturday 22nd – Sunday 23rd September.
More details will depend on the participants. So I need to know ASAP if you are interested in going to Bendigo for the weekend.
Ring me or e-mail gmnski@primusonline.com.au 
Moni Imberger

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CHILDREN'S SECTION

Hallo to everyone!
It is still very cold in Melbourne, and most definitely still winter. Yet by the time this is printed, it will be spring. We will already experience change in the environment, as nature prepares itself for three months of new life and growth.
There are many ways we can have change and growth in our lives: we might move house, we might change schools, we might have a new baby in our family, we might make new friends, we might go on a holiday somewhere really different, we might get new curtains in our bedroom, we might get a new haircut or try some new foods. Some change can be good and some can be bad. But whether the change is good or bad, it usually means things are somehow different.

As we make our way through the Old Testament of the Bible, we can see that the next story is about a family whose lives changed and who also experienced new life and growth.
The story is about a man called Abraham and their family. Their lives became very different when God asked them to move from where they lived. Abraham and his wife Sarah, and his nephew Lot, were asked to go and live in a new land. They had to pack up all their sheep, goats, cows, camels, donkeys, water bags, food, clothes and tents to walk for many weeks until they came to the place where God wanted them. Abraham and his family did not know where they were going, or what it would be like when they got there. But they went anyway and trusted that things would be OK when they got there. They were right to do so, because their new home had lots of green grass and cool, fresh water for the animals and the people. God had brought them to a safe, comfortable and good place to live. They had done a good thing and were happy.

What do you think we can learn from this story?
Do you think it was brave of Abraham to leave the home he loved, to go to a place he knew nothing about? How do you think he was able to do this when it must have been such a scary thing?
I think Abraham must have had a lot of faith in God and in himself, that this was the right thing to do. I think Abraham must have placed a lot of trust in God, to be able to make this big change in his life. And I think what we can learn from this story is that sometimes change can be a scary thing, but it can be made a bit easier if we have trust and faith. We have to be prepared to ‘give it a go’. And we can always hope for the best.

When a new baby is born we always trust that everything will go well. We have faith in our bodies and its mysterious processes.
When we have to move schools it can be frightening, but we have to trust that we can make new friends and fit in.
If we go on a big holiday, we assume everything will go smoothly, and that we will have fun and come home safely.
When we choose new colour curtains, we choose the ones we think will look the best. We do what we think is right.
When we get a new haircut, we just have to hope it will look OK.
When we try new foods, we say, ‘I might not like it, but I’m prepared to try.’
With all change, it helps if we have trust, faith and are prepared to have a try.
Abraham had lots of faith in God. You might have faith in something or someone else. It might be your Mum or Dad, your extended family, your friends, your pets, your imaginary friend (they can be the most faithful of all!), your teacher, your neighbour, your doctor, a complete stranger, nature, a special toy or charm or a lucky four-leafed clover. And hopefully you have loads of faith and trust in yourself!

Incidentally, over the years, the members of the Temple Society have experienced many occasions where they have had to display faith and trust. There have been many times where Templers have been forced to, or have chosen, to leave their homes. This must always have been very scary for them, but they still did it, and survived.

I hope that if you have some change happening in your life or something different coming up, that it is a good change. And if it isn’t a good change I hope you can accept what is happening with lots of faith and trust and a strong belief in the good.
Who knows, what started out as being a bad or scary thing, might end up being one of the best things to happen to you!
Till next month,
Christine Ruff

Birthdays mean a change too (your age!). A very big happy birthday to:

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TABULAM AND TEMPLER HOMES FOR THE AGED

Dear Friends,
The Accreditation audit for our Homes took place on 7^th and 8^th August, as previously announced. The Accreditation is a legally necessary review and evaluation of 44 positions to be assessed in 4 main standards:

i  Management, Staffing and Organisation
i  Health and Care of Residents
i  Resident Lifestyle
 i Physical environment of Resi-dents, accident-prevention, infection control, hygiene.

For two days three assessors of the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency had detailed talks with residents and their relatives, with nurses and care assistants, with staff members in management and administration, with staff in the kitchen as well as in cleaning services, in short with all those who have to care for the wellbeing of residents. The assessors read staff reports and statistics, Minutes of staff meetings and work reports, they checked documents about incomes and expenditures, costs for care and meals, they read daily menu plans and collected information about the composition of food and drinks for  residents, about the distribution of medication, about pain management and skin care, about all matters which are important for the health and wellbeing of residents. For all these areas there are established standards that have to be complied with, where diaries and records have to be kept, where you can read about regular and extraordinary happenings, about positive and negative events during care services, about living conditions in the Homes and about outside activities like excursions and visits to special events. Great attention is given to the regular and continued education of staff members. At the end of two days the assessment team is able to evaluate all positions or outcomes and can determine compliance or non-compliance with the 44 positions.

As in the previous Accreditation for TTHA there was compliance in all 44 outcomes so that we can expect that accreditation for a further three years will be granted.
In a meeting on 9^th August, the Management Committee expressed its appreciation and thanks to all staff members of TTHA, also on behalf of the parent societies.

It was a happy coincidence that the Committee of the AGWS in its recent meeting was able to report a particularly good result of this year’s collection of donations from its members. This may have something to do with the new 34-bed extension, but it is most certainly an expression of appreciation for the work of staff members. I was happy to be able to present a cheque for $15,185.68 to Dr Schreiber, the CEO of the Homes.

If you consider for a moment that the first collection of donations at an AGWS dinner dance in 1978 was $2,238, and that today we have an Aged Care Facility of 90 beds, we can be proud and thankful to all who have contributed with smaller or larger donations to this achievement for the benefit of the members of both our societies.
The planned extension of the Home continues according to plan.

With best regards
Walter Schuetz (Vice President)

Liebe Freunde,
Am 7. und 8. August fand in unse-rem Heim die angekündigte Accre-ditation statt. Das ist eine für alle Alten- und Pflegeheime vorgeschrie-bene Überprüfung und Bewertung von insgesamt 44 Prüfpositionen, die auf vier Hauptbereiche verteilt sind:
i  Organisation und Verwaltung
i  Gesundheit und Pflege
i  Lebensbedingungen und Umgebung
i  Sicherheit, Unfallverhütung, Infektionskontrolle, Sauberkeit.

Während der zwei Tage haben drei beauftragte Inspektoren der ‘Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency’ in den TTHA-Heimen einge-hende Gespräche geführt mit Heim-bewohnern und deren Angehörigen, mit Schwestern und Helfern und Helferinnen, mit Mitarbeitern in Management und Verwaltung, mit dem Küchenpersonal und Reini-gungsdiensten, also mit allen, die mit der Pflege und Betreuung der Bewohner zu tun haben. Sie haben Einblick genommen in Arbeits-berichte und Statistiken, in Sitzungs-protokolle und Erfahrungsberichte, in Unterlagen über Einnahmen und Ausgaben der Verwaltung für Pflegekosten und Verpflegung, sie haben sich informiert über Speise-pläne, über Getränke und die Zusammensetzung der Nahrung, über die Ausgabe von Medika-menten, über Schmerzbehandlung und Hautpflege, überhaupt über alles, was für das Wohlbefinden der Bewohner wichtig ist. Für alle diese Bereiche der Pflege und Behandlung gibt es Standards, die erfüllt werden müssen, es gibt Tagebücher über Vorkommnisse aller Art, über Be-schwerden, und positive und nega-tive Berichte der Pflegedienste, über Wohnbedingungen und Ausflüge und Tätigkeiten außerhalb des Heims, und Berichte über die regel-mäßige Weiterbildung der Mitar-beiter.
Das alles ist so eingerichtet, dass am Ende die 44 Prüfpositionen bewertet werden können, um die Accreditation zu erhalten. TTHA hat in allen Positionen eine positive Bewertung erhalten, sodass auch diesmal eine Accreditation für weitere drei Jahre erwartet werden kann.

Das TTHA Committee of Manage-ment hat in seiner Sitzung am 9. August allen Mitarbeitern der Heime den herzlichen Dank der Parent-gesellschaften und Glückwünsche ausgesprochen.

Es trifft sich gut, dass der Vorstand der AGWS in seiner Sitzung Ende Juli ein besonders gutes Ergebnis der diesjährigen Spendenaktion der AGWS-Mitglieder feststellen konnte. Das mag einerseits mit der in Bau befindlichen Erweiterung des TTHA zusammenhängen, darf aber sicher auch als Anerkennung für die Arbeit der Heim-Mitarbeiter verstanden werden. Ich konnte dem Heim einen Scheck über $15.185,68 übergeben.

Wenn man bedenkt, dass die erste AGWS-Spendenaktion nach einem Dinner Dance im Jahre 1978 einen Betrag von $2.238 erbrachte, und dass heute ein Pflegeheim von 90 Betten vorhanden ist, dann können wir allen, die zu dem Erreichten beigetragen haben und das auch in Zukunft tun werden, im Namen aller Bewohner dankbar sein.
Der Neubau geht wie geplant weiter vonstatten.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Walter Schuetz (Vize-Präsident)

REMINDER
The Annual General Meeting of TTHA is on Saturday 8th September at 10:30am in the Templer Chapel in Bayswater. See page 30 in August TR.
Please come. Ed.

NEW CEO SOUGHT – see here.

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NOTICES -- BEKANNTMACHUNGEN

COMING SERVICES

COUNTRY VIC – Bendigo 7th October
Rosa the bus will be going, book with Nanne. More next month.

PRESENTATION – 14th October Ba 10:15am
Parents who would like to have their children presented before God and the community at the Presentation Service in October, please contact the Office on 9557 6713.
Ed.

BUSHWALKING
1st September: walk at Kurth’s Kiln with a short talk by Alfred and a great walk led by Ursula Klink. See details in August TR, page 34. Looking forward to welcoming you there.
The October walk will be on Saturday 8th at Birds Land Reserve in Belgrave Heights. More details next month.
Trudi Murray

GERMAN FESTIVAL
Just a reminder to come and see us on Sunday 9th September. The festival goes from 11:00am to 4:00pm. See the flyers that are displayed in our halls and at TTHA. Several choirs, including our Templer Choir, are expecting to perform in the festival courtyard between 11:00am and 11.50am. And the Templer German Schools will make a presentation about their Bridging the Generation Gap Projects at 11:40am for 15-20 minutes in the theatrette on the ground floor.
The German Schools will have a display and our Templer Wall-hanging work-in-progress will also be on display. You will find us in the Atrium.
Rosa the bus will leave outside TTHA in Bayswater at 9:30am with a pick-up in Bentleigh at about 10:00am. At the time of writing, it was about half full, so if you wish to come by bus and avoid parking or travel costs, please ring me at the TSA Office on 9557 6713 asap. Hope to see lots of familiar faces.
Marianne Herrmann

ANNUAL CONCERT – LIEDERTAFEL ARION
Sunday 16th September at 2:00pm
Luther College Chapel, Plymouth Road, Croydon (Melway Map 36 G 11/12).
Also performing are East City Sound and the Victorian Accordion Orchestra and several soloists.
Tickets from Ernst Ruff or Helmut Ruff, or at the door.
Helmut Ruff

Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged Inc.
IS SEEKING A CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
to lead it through an exciting period of change and expansion of services in early 2008. The current CEO is retiring in 2008 after 20 years of service.
The facility employs approximately 120 part-time and some full-time staff and cares for 130 residents. The Home will open another wing for 37 beds with Private Hospital Application early in 2008.

Responsibilities
The CEO will assist the Board in developing current and future strategies and in designing, directing and managing the administrative systems and functions necessary to carry them out. Financial and administrative management of the facility’s operations, functions and public relations are within the scope of this position.

Skills, Attributes and Experience
Ø Experience in the community and not-for-profit sector at a managerial, Board or director level (preferably in the Care sector).
Ø Experience with Board functioning.
Ø Bi-linguality (English and German) is a pre-requisite.
Ø Strong leadership and administrative skills.
Ø Strong strategic and organizational skills.
Ø Extensive experience in Administration and Human Resource Management.
Ø People-oriented approach to management.
Ø Understanding and support of the Christian tradition of the facility.

The parent societies comprise the Australian German Welfare Society Inc. and the Temple Society Australia and the facility is based in Bayswater – an eastern suburb of Melbourne. The attractive remuneration package will be negotiated with the successful applicant based on their qualifications and experience. For a transition period of two to three months, the current CEO will assist in the process of handing over the position and comprehensive responsibility.
Applications close on 5th October 2007.
For inquiries contact, in confidence, the CEO, Dr Martin Schreiber, by e-mail drschreiber@tabulam.org 
Tabulam & Templer Homes for the Aged Inc., 31 – 41 Elizabeth Street, Bayswater Vic 3153, tel. 03 9720 3711,
website http://www.tabulam.org
Committee of Management, TTHA

SAAR PFALZ CHOIR CONCERT – 10th October
The Saar Pfalz choir will be visiting Australia in October and will be holding a Gastkonzert on Wednesday evening, 10th October. Please mark this date in your diary as it promises to be an enjoyable evening. The choir members hail from about 20 towns in the Saargebiet and the Pfalz. The Templer choir and possibly another Melbourne choir will also be performing.
Further details in the next TR.
Kurt Imberger

RESTAURANT NIGHT – Saturday 13th October
Thanks to the 24 people who have booked so far for the Restaurant Night – a good night for all is assured! We still have a small number of seats available on Rosa the bus for the journey from the Bayswater Hall to Almazett Lebanese Restaurant in Caulfield South. Rosa will depart from the Bayswater Hall at 6:45pm sharp for our 7:30pm booking.
Cost is $45 – $50 per person to cover bus and driver costs, entrée, main course, dessert and coffee – drinks are extra (licensed and BYO wine only). Bookings need to be finalised by Saturday 15th September, so please contact me at deckers@bigpond.com  to join us.
Manfred Decker, for the Social & Recreation FG

CONFIRMATION CLASS OF 1971 REUNION
We’ve seen how well organised our older generations are at arranging regular reunions of their school or confirmation years. So, if you are one of the thirty-eight 1971 confirmands or an associated ‘baby of the mid-50’s’ who didn’t share Doc Hoff’s lessons, isn’t it about time this ‘younger generation’ got together to relive the many tales of our youth which, by now, will have improved with time?
Borrowing from an older generation – thanks to Max Wagner and the Confirmation Class of 1967 who developed the ‘recipe’ which obviously worked well for your reunion earlier this year – a reunion of Confirmation Class of 1971 is proposed at Trawool Valley Resort in July 2008.

Can you remember a New Year’s Eve Ball at the Bayswater Hall with marquee for over 300 revellers, communal singing ‘Looking for an Echo’ at party’s end, confo camp with Ilse and Helmut Beilharz at Wyperfeld, The Little Red Schoolbook, ‘die alte Bombe’ at Sommerfest, Jutta’s Pakenham bonfire parties, folk-dancing at the Bright Festival, a Beetle as your first car (Sunshine’s even had a sunroof), Roland’s ‘Milli-thin-tento’, Vietnam conscription, Gough Whitlam – ‘It’s Time’ – John Kerr, ‘Cyclone Tracy’ at Freeburgh Senior Camp – if so, you qualify (even if you weren’t there, or can’t remember if you were)!

A group dinner is planned for Saturday night with catering options starting from $36 in the bistro – private dining room and numerous menu options are available and on-site overnight or weekend accommodation options start from $150 per night. Trawool Valley Resort is about 1¼ hours drive from Melbourne, between Seymour and Yea – guests have sweeping views over the Goulburn River flats and access to extensive facilities including indoor and outdoor pools, spas, tennis, squash courts, pool table and various catering facilities. Up to 120 guests can be catered for dinner and 30 suites of various configurations are available for overnight accommodation, so we should all fit in if we book early enough!

Please contact Manfred Decker at deckers@bigpond.com   by 29th September 2007 to register your interest and function preferences so details can be circulated and suitable arrangements made. Please pass this information on to those who may not get the Templer Record, or forward their contact details to me. I’m also happy to hear from anyone who wants to assist with planning and organising.
Manfred Decker, for the Confirmation Class of 1971

LADIES’ ADVENT CHOIR BENTLEIGH
Dear singers, we would just like to let you know that the Advent choir rehearsals will start in the third week of October. This choir will sing at the Advent celebration in Bentleigh on Sunday 2nd December and at the Christmas service in Bentleigh on Christmas Day at 10.15am. At the moment we are considering Wednesday or Thursday nights for practices. We would start either October 17 or 18. If you have a strong preference either way, please let us know. If need be, we might occasionally vary the night.
As you know, it makes it much easier to learn pieces if people can attend most rehearsals. We look forward to seeing you very much! Please feel free to bring a friend along or invite someone who has not been involved in the past.
Annette W-H. and Veronica R.

WINERY TOUR – 2007 AND 2008
The Winery Tour 2007 was a pleasant Sunday adventure through the Yarra Valley for 18 participants aboard Rosa the bus. A reduced itinerary and pre-booked restaurant meals still didn’t result in hitting our booking times but the more relaxed pace was appreciated by all. Sharing nibbles in the Bayswater clubroom was a perfect way to wind up a pleasant day. Our thanks to Rolf Glenk for giving up his Sunday to pilot us aboard Rosa.
Apologies to those willing participants who couldn’t join us this year due to a date clash with other celebrations – you can join in again next year!

Speaking of next year, we had a resounding ‘we’ve got to have a Winery Tour again next year!’ and a suggestion that we could look further afield for Winery Tour 2008 (not that we have gone close to working our way through the 70+ cellar doors in the Yarra Valley).
The options are many and we are keen to cater to consensus requirements. To achieve that, we need your feedback – a similar early August timeframe is proposed and viable options include Rosa piloting us on a day trip to the Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula with restaurant or bistro lunch or overnight trip to Milawa or Rutherglen with hotel/motel accommodation and catering – the default plan is a day trip to Mornington Peninsula with bistro gourmet pizza lunch to minimise costs, unless your feedback indicates otherwise.

Please contact Manfred Decker at deckers@bigpond.com  by 29th September to register your preference or interest. Watch for an update in the November Templer Record.
Manfred Decker, for the Social & Recreation FG

STELLENANZEIGE: Grundschullehrer (m/w)
Die Deutsche Schule Melbourne ist eine neue deutsch-englisch bilinguale Schule. Mit ihrem zentralen Standort in North Fitzroy richtet sich die Schule an Familien im Großraum Melbourne, die einen deutschsprachigen Hintergrund haben, oder an australische Familien, denen Mehrsprachigkeit wichtig ist.
Zur Mitarbeit in unserer Grundschule suchen wir mehrere Grundschullehrer (m/w).
Sie unterrichten in ihrer Muttersprache (deutsch oder englisch) kombinierte Klassen, agieren als wichtiger Ansprachspartner für Eltern und wirken zielstrebig und verantwortungsbewusst im Aufbau der Schule mit.
Nach abgeschlossenem Studium haben Sie mehrere Jahre Unterricht-erfahrung im Grundschulbereich – besonders im Anfangsunterricht gesam-melt. Sie sprechen deutsch und englisch fließend und verfügen bereits über eine Zulassung zum Unterrichten in Victoria oder sind bereit, diese Zulassung bis Ende 2007 zu erlangen. Idealerweise haben Sie schon kombinierte Klassen unterrichtet und sich intensiv mit den Herausfor-derungen bilingualer Erziehung auseinandergesetzt.

Interessiert? Dann senden Sie bitte Ihre vollständigen Bewerbungsunter-lagen an:
Deutsche Schule Melbourne
Herrn Jürgen Bebber
PO Box 18059 Collins Street East, Melbourne VIC 8003

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THE HERITAGE PAGE

PHOTO OF THE MONTH – JERUSALEM CLASS
Can anyone identify these people? Please contact us.

SOUP KITCHEN
Architect and town planner David Kroyanker in Jerusalem asked us to help with finding more information about our Templer community in Jerusalem. Hildegard Hoffmann was able to send in a photo of the Suppenküche, which we forwarded to David Kroyanker by mail. We thank you all for the many telephone calls and the contribution by Hildegard Hoffmann. Every detail helps to restore and preserve our interesting history.

Extract from an e-mail received from David Kroyanker:
‘Dear Horst … we are most grateful, there is a lot of interesting material there. We are quite fascinated also by the coloured picture postcard, which also shows houses beyond the German Colony and helps us to date buildings. Really most interesting. So again, thank you so much for your efforts and success in locating these precious historical documents and photos. I am always quite horrified when I hear stories that people just throw away historical material (and it happens all the time) because they do not value them. Your archive is a real treasure trove!
Best regards and thanks from us both, Leorah and David Kroyanker, Jerusalem 7th August 2007.’

Photo in August TR
We found out from Trudy Herrmann herself that the ‘baby Hugo Weller photo circa 1926’ on page 39 should have read ‘Trudy Weiss’. Thank you for the correction.
We encourage you, the readers, to send in your comments, or criticisms. We are delighted to hear from you and what you think of our efforts. In fact, we would like to start a Readers’ Comments Section as part of the Heritage page, so please let us know what you think.

Donation of a Silver Gift Box
Via TTHA we received a lovely silver gift box for our archive. It has wonderful engravings which read Zum 25. Dienstjubiläum, Haifa, September 1938, plus eight signatures, including Magda Wurst, Gerlach and Brigitte Schreibershofen. We thank the donor and ask them for a written note to tell us a bit more about it. This will naturally make the item more valuable to our Templer community.
Horst Blaich

DVD – ISRAEL VISIT
In May 2006 some 24 Members and Friends of the Temple Society visited the former Templer settlements in Israel. After long sessions of fine editing and additional commentary, a DVD was produced of the trip. It runs for 2 hours and 20 minutes, but has been arranged in 12 sections to enable viewers to select individual portions depending on their area of interest. To date the DVD has been well received here, in Germany and Israel, and is still available.
Anyone interested in obtaining a copy, please ring me or e-mail mindiekar@optusnet.com.au 
Manfred Haering

NEW BOOK – SHATTERED DREAMS AT KILIMANJARO
The book about the Templers who migrated to German East Africa is now with the publishers; we anticipate that it will be available later this year.
As well as documenting the historical aspects of this venture, the book contains numerous personal experiences of the settlers – how they travelled to the Meru/Kilimanjaro region in the interior of the colony, where Karl Knoll had been able to negotiate, during the fact-finding tour of 1907, for land to be set aside for the settlers from Palestine; how they started a new life in the wilderness and how they lived. Many of the settlers travelled to the settlement area by bullock wagon, whilst others walked for days on end to reach their destination. Below is an extract from the book of the Blankertz family’s journey:

‘The Blankertz’ journey to Mount Meru in 1911 was arduous and perilous. After their arrival in Tanga, the family travelled by train to the railhead of the northern railway. From there the family continued on foot and by wagon along the ridges of the Usambara and Pare Mountains and through the Masai Steppe. Dorothea Blankertz, 56, who had lost a leg in Palestine a few years earlier, was unable to walk or ride alongside the ox-wagons. Even riding on a wagon was only possible for short periods because, after a few hours on bumpy tracks, her bones would be so sore she could neither stand nor walk. For two weeks, porters carried her in her hammock that was tied to a long pole. One night some Masai warriors attacked their camp, intending to steal the oxen. During the attack, a number of porters deserted in fear and were never seen again. A few nights later lions raided the camp, killing two oxen and a porter, as well as wounding several others who had come to his rescue. Due to their injuries, the porters had to be left behind in a nearby village. However, no new porters could be found and the Blankertzes had no choice but to carry part of their loads on their backs. When they finally reached Moshi, they were in a state of total exhaustion and despair.’
Johann Albert Blankertz and his family started a tobacco farm near Tengeru. In 1912 he built an enormous tobacco drying facility, which was said to have been the largest structure ever built in the Meru/Kilimanjaro region.

Expressions of interest are still welcome to help us determine production levels. These expressions are obligation free. Please contact Horst Blaich or me if you want to register your interest in this exciting new book on a little-known chapter of Templer history.
Helmut Glenk

LATEST NEWS from Horst Blaich

Relocating the Heinrich Breisch gravestone from Tel-Aviv to the Templer cemetery in Jerusalem, 16th August 2007

Heinrich Breisch, born 8.6.1882 in Jaffa, died 29.7.1922. The headstone now rests below the plaque of Philipp Rohrer, and between Georg Friedrich Laemmle and Lydia Paulus.

We are grateful to Danny Goldman, Shay Farkash, Inna Aroeti and Tamar Tuchler for doing this work voluntarily.
May the Lord bless them in the Holy Land.

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AUGUST
TEMPLER RECORD ISSUE No. 697

REFLECTIONS 

                                                     WAS TRÄGT UND HÄLT
                                                         (Nicht nur scheinbar)

The poet, a retired minister, dreams of a sudden blackout while he is e-mailing around the world. Since the virtual network can fail, he questions what truly supports and carries us, and he believes it is the divine Presence in everything – this accompanies us on our pilgrimage through life.

Sent in by a reader.
Ed.

TEXT OF THE MONTH – LUKE 15:11-24
Parable of the Prodigal Son
The parable of the prodigal son is a simple analysis of human behaviour, its consequences and the lessons to be learnt. It is easily applied to our daily lives, but its implications go much further.

This simple story can be viewed as the resolution of the problem posed by the fall from grace of Adam and Eve. The story of Eden, itself of course a parable, illustrates the gaining of individual self-awareness and free will by human beings. In the Eden parable, this process is deemed to be sinful (‘original sin’, Erbsünde) because it was carried out ‘against God’s will’. With self-awareness and free will came full knowledge of good and evil and the need to differentiate between them at every moment of decision. We are not puppets on strings manipulated by God. The god-principle that we believe exists in each person does not force us to think or act in a particular way. but defines our ultimate potential.

In the course of our lives, we are confronted by endless choices and decisions, large and small, important and trivial. The exercise of our free will leads to equally endless outcomes, ranging from the darkest evil to the highest good. The torture and suffering that men inflict on each other results from the choices they have made; these are tolerated by God because he himself has allowed us that freedom to exercise our wills. Clearly this freedom is often grossly misused. The Jewish Scriptures – our Old Testament – are an attempt to influence mankind to act in a more sustainable way, within a reasonable moral-ethical framework representing God’s will. It was Jesus’ function to update that framework, to strip away centuries of accretions, and to demonstrate how this newly clarified and distilled understanding of the will of God can be realized and what the consequences will be.

Jesus, like prophets before him, felt called to proclaim ‘God’s law’ to humanity – a sustainable coexistence in truth and acceptance, free from greed and violence. In this he performed God’s will. However, in the details of his life, the words he chose and the methods he used, he acted as an individual, as a human being exercising his own free will according to his own judgment of each situation. In his words and actions, he was limited by his humanity; the words and actions were his choice, and they provoked anger and hate – not surprisingly in some instances. Thus he used physical confrontation to eject money lenders and pigeon dealers from the temple (Mark 11:15), and quite abusive language towards the ruling priesthood (Matth. 23:33) ‘…hypocrites, you snakes, you vipers brood. How can you escape being condemned to hell?’ Far from generating goodwill or understanding or even rational discussion, the result was only intense opposition. The events of his life and death are not surprising; they were undoubtedly not the explicit will of God, but rather the natural outcome of Jesus’ words and actions. Jesus also was not a puppet on strings manipulated by God.

Jesus’ teaching about the use of our free will is encapsulated in the parable of the prodigal son. The young son progresses through all the human failings and weaknesses and finally also strengths. In the beginning there is wilfulness, hedonism and dissipation; after a reality check we see remorse, introspection and acceptance of responsibility; and finally, from his experience he learns humility.

The life of this young man illustrates three important aspects in relation to God’s will for humanity. Firstly, the son had to recognise his own imperfect and impoverished state. Secondly, the son had to have a change of heart – the desire to return to his father; he had to swallow his pride and independence. Thirdly, and most importantly, the son had to have total faith in his father’s love for and acceptance of him – that the father would, in fact, take him back. Through exercising his own will, the son had suffered; and through his own will he returned. That the father would take him back was never in doubt. – This parable illustrates the steps needed for humanity to return to God.

Whereas the story of Adam and Eve represents humanity at the beginning of its evolutionary journey, the parable of the prodigal son represents humanity regaining its position in ‘Eden’, in the Father’s realm. However, there is one profound difference between Adam and Eve and the prodigal son – the latter chose his path and fulfilled his potential consciously.

I believe that the spiritual development – the evolution – of mankind consists of practising and spreading brotherly love – as described by Jesus – through conscious, voluntary, selfless acts of our will. The potential of humanity to be realized is universal altruism. The parables of Eden and of the prodigal son show the beginning of human individuality and its ultimate potential – to live in harmony according to the moral-ethical code that allows what Jesus called the ‘kingdom of God’ to come about. But humanity comprises many billions of individuals. Each individual has the same potential. The spiritual evolution of humanity thus consists of billions of small steps – each of us can contribute one.
Peter Uhlherr

ON RAISING OUR YOUNG
Non-violent resistance at home
Raising children and adolescents would certainly be easier without the prevalence of violent computer games which focus on massacring as many people as possible as brutally as possible; without violent and pornographic videos; without anorexic models on the catwalks; without mindless TV series pandering to the lowest common denominator and the expectation that everyone should be young, beautiful and rich without having to work.

But while all these exist in our social environment, those parents disturbed by the daily horrors to which their children are exposed, must take action. For where will young people learn values if not in rigorous discussions with adults prepared to invest time, energy and nerves to engage with them? A father or mother willing to give reasons why the TV should not be on all day, and not willing to allow just any kind of constant background noise, quite possibly does more to pass on values than an R.E. or ethics class, where the dignity of human life is discussed in an abstract or impersonal way.

Too many parents give up far too soon, resigned to the idea that the endless shooting is ‘normal’, that other adolescents supposedly act in the same way and that, once the kids reach a certain age, parents no longer have much influence anyway.
The catch-cry of necessary independence, coupled with many adults’ tendency to take the easiest path, that of least resistance, create an unholy alliance. Add to this the fear of conflict. Is it OK for me to say ‘no’ to my child? Will they still talk to me? Will the last bit of love that still connects us then be lost?

Many teachers and psychologists from different countries consider this fear to be unfounded. Many have found that children and adolescents appreciate their parents taking an unambiguous position – if they clearly say ‘no’ – where necessary, i.e. if they set boundaries. Adolescents interpret an adult’s apparent tolerance as indifference, and they find that hurtful.

What form can a parent’s resistance take? One child guidance counsellor’s suggestion for dealing with difficult, rebellious or aggressive youth is, when conflicts arise, for parents to stand up to their children with the message: ‘I cannot accept your behaviour and will do everything in my power to stop you, except hit or attack you’.

Non-violent resistance is not a power struggle, nor about being right or giving in, but about communication and also about reconciliation. The parents show their love and care quite tangibly. Certainly, resistance does take effort. But who said raising children was effortless? Parents who have tried this report that it is worthwhile. When they are able to act, instead of just reacting, scolding or punishing, they no longer feel so helpless.

When he practised non-violent resistance, Gandhi did not expect the British to love him. Parents also have to be able to endure their children’s being mad at them for a while. Loving is not the same thing as wanting to be loved.
Free translation by H.U. of Andrea Teupke in ‘Die Warte’, June 2007

PS: A grateful son honoured his father’s firmness recently: ‘Back then we fought, we acted out… the proverbial travails of fathers and sons. If my brother and I were predictably radical, Dad was routinely cautious. And this is exactly what we needed. He gave us something to stand against, to struggle with, in order to forge our own characters. He was the strong father figure, who often said ‘no’, who challenged us, tested our mettle. These are things that you only understand when you become a parent yourself. Parenting is difficult; the first thing it induces is the realization of how good your own parents were at it, in harder times than our own.’
Dr Peter Beilharz, at Gerhard Beilharz’ funeral

MEDITATION FOR CHILDREN?
Being still in a distracted world
Anyone who stops rushing for a moment and looks at Australian society can see how much our focus is on being busy, busy and/or being entertained. Many people seem afraid of being still, or alone. Yet constant distraction works against being aware of the present moment, against a sense of being grounded in a deeper reality.

Over the past decades, interest in meditation has increased in the West, as the physical and psychological benefits have become better known and documented, along with the spiritual wellbeing meditation can bring. In meditation, as in contemplation and reflection, a person’s attention shifts from the outside to the inside – it affirms that we have an inner reality and that it is possible to feel inwardly calm and steady even when things are not going well outwardly. This is a valuable experience in stressful times.

Interest has also increased in teaching children to meditate, which takes them from the virtual world of computer games into the stillness of their inner world. Little children are mostly able to be fully ‘in the moment’, happily focussing on a procession of ants or on building a sand castle without worrying about outcomes. Older children and adults may find it harder to engage fully with the present moment – too many things on their minds.

Meditation helps develop the natural inner gifts of ‘awareness, focus and engagement’. Given the opportunity to be quiet and relatively still with someone older, or in a group, children will soon discover ‘how thoughts create atmosphere – and how that atmosphere changes when people are sitting together being’. Experiencing how the room settles is of great value in ‘recognising how powerfully we affect one another through what we think, as well as through how we behave’. Some schools now practise meditative pauses, just as we often do at the beginning of a service or a confirmation class – it helps the groups settle, and reminds individuals that they can calm and settle themselves. Pausing to say grace or to give thanks before a meal has a similar effect.

Meditating with Children
Speaking slowly (!), a basic instruction might go something like this:
‘Let’s take a couple of minutes to see what’s happening on the inside rather than the outside. We are going to sit still like mountains, close our eyes, and just notice how quiet our breath is as it comes in and out of our nostrils. Let’s just notice our breath, in and out softly, and as we do that, we are going to let our whole body become softer. We are going to stay for a little while in the safe, quiet place that’s inside us, and we are going to let that quietness go all the way through us, wherever it wants to be.’

Let the experience of silence extend for a few minutes, allowing the children to enjoy the rare pleasure of being. Then say: ‘It’s time now to notice any noises outside, and how good your bodies feel… then slowly open your eyes.’ Any giggles will pass quickly.

Once children have practised this, it is possible to simply say once or twice a day, ‘Let’s spend a few moments now in that special quiet place inside ourselves. Let’s sit like a mountain and feel strong and steady inside’. Sitting quietly upright ‘like a mountain’, with hands relaxed, is a powerful signal to the mind that it is time to be centred and peaceful.

It is beneficial for distressed, anxious or sick children to add simple healing visualisations, like surrounding themselves with white light, or seeing themselves in a happy place, perhaps with a loving figure who represents safety and support. Children can also learn to be a ‘lighthouse’ of good wishes and even healing, or aware of being in the presence of the Divine. Older children will benefit from learning to observe their thoughts, rather than feeling overwhelmed by them – a real boon when teenage turbulence kicks in.
I have observed children sitting still, eyes closed, calm… and I believe it is a beneficial practice for them (and us).

Some of these ideas, and the quotations, are from an article by Stephanie Dowrick (in The Age Good Weekend 9.06). She is a wise woman, author and an interfaith minister. Her website is www.stephaniedowrick.com
Herta Uhlherr

NEWS FROM THE TGD
Founding Day was celebrated on 17th June in the newly renovated Saal in Degerloch – only just completed and new to everyone. The architects and tradesmen had worked really hard up to the last minute. The grand piano was not back yet, but Irina Hornung, with a string quartet, played Mozart to begin and end the service. Otto Hammer spoke about the core belief of the TS (why it is as it is, and how we understand Jesus and his image of God). The choir sang alternate verses with the congregation of the hymn Ich singe dir mit Herz und Mund; then communal lunch for about 70 people.
At 2:00pm Peter Lange spoke about the Templer tradesmen in Jerusalem – an expansion of his talk at the conference in Israel recently (see also page 39). Coffee and mountains of cake followed. Thankfully the weather had fined up and we were able to use the roof terrace.

Meanwhile the parquetry floor will have been finished. There is an evensong service with Stephen Blaich on 15th July and we will celebrate a proper inauguration at our Sommerfest on 21st July with a little concert – the last function before the summer holiday break. – Happy summer holidays!
Transl. from notes by Karin Klingbeil

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REGIONAL MATTERS

FROM THE REGIONAL COUNCIL

NOTES from the RC Meeting of 29th June

• The extensive correspondence with the Temple Society in Germany allows us to keep track of their many activities (see page 8).

• Helmut Glenk donated a DVD of the documentary The Templers. Secrets in Tel-Aviv made in Israel.
    The Heritage & Culture Focus Group will organize a showing of this documentary.

• There was extensive discussion of the role of the Regional Head and options for who the next Regional Head could be.

• Endorsement of the TTHA lease agreement, declaration of intent and associated documents is imminent.

While there were other reports and discussions, most of them are reported to members through various articles in this Templer Record.
Renate Beilharz, for the Regional Council

FROM THE ELDERS
Dr Rolf Beilharz, Mark Herrmann and Herta Uhlherr will be in Sydney mid-August to attend a conference, together with Ingrid Turner from Sydney. The conference is called Common Dreams – Progressive religion as a transforming agent, and will include exploring possible action. One aim of the interfaith dialogue is to counteract the resurgence of fundamentalism, and to find common ground for religious people of goodwill to go forward together – Templers would say: towards creating more of the ‘kingdom of God’ on Earth.

Faith leaders will explore ways to build and sustain faith communities (Glaubensgemeinschaften) that are intentionally progressive (I understand that to mean not stuck in outdated religious beliefs – others are beginning to catch up with Templer thinking). One talk is ‘From dreaming to action: giving expression to progressive religious thought’ – we’re hoping we might come across language that resonates better with people today than phrases like ‘kingdom of God’, for instance.

The titles of some of the talks or workshops are:
    Celebrating the possibilities of creating the future now;
    Building civic society in religious pluralism;
    What good is Jesus in a society of many faiths;
    Jesus Awakened One: A Zen eye on the Jesus bloke;
    A viable spirituality in a progressive faith community;
    Catching water in a net: the (im)possibility of God-talk;
    We are not alone! Courageous faith in action.

This conference could well be an opportunity to make the Temple Society more widely known.
Bishop John Shelby Spong will introduce his new book, Jesus for the Non-Religious ($33). He will also speak in Melbourne on 22nd August at 7:30pm in the Malvern Town Hall, cnr. Glenferrie Rd & High Street. Tickets at $25 from Ticketmaster – www.ticketmaster.com.au  or tel. 136 100. His visit to Melbourne has been arranged by the Progressive Christian Network of Victoria – www.pcnvictoria.org.au  and e-mail info@pcnv.org.au 
Herta Uhlherr, for the Elders

CONFIRMATION
Lessons are progressing. At one session of the two-day seminar during the July holidays, there was keen questioning of the ‘living resources’ about life in Palestine, (‘so you lived in the same street as my grandfather in Jerusalem!’). The older visitors were pleasantly surprised at the confirmands’ lively interest. The two Renates led the seminar and other Elders visited.
The confirmands’ parents and the teaching team had a pleasant night out at the German Tivoli Club on 11th July, with short speeches promoting the Temple Society.
H.U.
 

SOCIAL CARE
Update of Consideration List for Residential Aged Care
During August and September I will be contacting those people whose names have been on the TTHA waiting list for the last few years. Older people need good support services in order to remain independent in their homes. Many aged people have family members, neighbours and friends to help them go shopping, look after their home and garden. There are also many agencies that provide help. You need to have an up-to-date Aged Care Assessment to access such services and to receive priority on the TTHA waiting list. I look forward to a friendly visit to discuss these issues with you.

‘Dementia and Pastoral Care’ was an inspiring workshop I attended on Saturday 14th July at the Lutheran Church in Knoxfield, conducted by the Rev. Dr Noel Schultz. All those who attended gained a deeper understanding of persons with dementia, as well as the ways their lives and those close to them are affected. Noel is the author of an insightful book called Forgetting but not Forgotten (2004). Dementia is not well understood. It is not a mental illness and is not senility. Carers and persons with dementia cope very well when fear and uncertainty are replaced by confidence and determination. When a person becomes increasingly forgetful and irritable with their dear ones, a visit to the doctor can bring tremendous relief and reassurance. It was encouraging to hear that, through early diagnosis, dementia can be slowed down with medication.

It was heart-warming to discover how much support is available from friends, communities and agencies. We were reminded that a person with dementia has the same need as before to be respected and still treated as a person of worth. Even if dementia cannot be cured, people can still be healed if they experience a sense of wellbeing through having their physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs met.

What is it like, being a family carer of a person with dementia?
Family carers can experience loss, stress and grief that lingers and just doesn’t go away. With any type of loss there is a certain amount of grief that needs to be worked through. To grieve means to be able to respect yourself; to experience authentic loss and eventually transform yourself.

How can carers and visitors support the person with dementia?
Carers constantly need to ‘rebuild’ their relationships with that person because of the continual forgetting of names, days and events. They need to keep giving reassurance so the person with dementia feels, ‘These are people who look after me and care for me.’

What can a faith community do to improve the wellbeing of the person with dementia?
People with dementia also have moments when they lose their sense of identity and might wonder, ‘Who am I?’ They may lose their ability to hold on to their spiritual values. Even when they struggle to express inner spiritual parts of themselves, they can still ‘receive’ goodness. Elders and religious ministers can conduct informal services for them and their family members in small groups, with a focus on names, touch, music and simplicity. A service for persons with dementia is designed to make them feel special, to affirm their wellbeing, to reassure their connectedness with the spiritual community and to improve their sense of hope and peace. In his book, Noel Schultz provides good practical suggestions for conducting such innovative religious services. I invite anyone interested in getting involved in a small group service for family members with dementia and their carers to contact me.

Irene Bouzo, Social Care
e-mail: irene@templesociety.org.au

CONGRATULATIONS to Dr Irene Bouzo on having gained the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (University of New England). Her thesis is called ‘The dilemma of adaptation and assimilation: a case study of the Temple Society Australia’

Irene says: ‘There are many people in the Temple Society who helped me succeed in this major work of my life. My heartfelt thanks go to:

• The interview participants and interested members for their warm welcome, generosity and the depth of personal stories they shared.
• To the Regional Council for their support and encouragement including permission to conduct the research, and to the Archive Personnel for their kind and friendly assistance in the location of references.
• To all those who contributed their wisdom and time to read and comment on parts of the manuscript, or read the entire manuscript and offered valuable insights underpinned by their deep understanding of Templer history and German and Swabian languages.
• To my friend and support person, Renate Beilharz, who challenged, questioned and encouraged me to persevere and overcome obstacles.
• To Doris Frank for kindly carrying the bulk of the administration duties in the Ba-Bo Templer German School during my most busy work periods.
• To my son Jevan for his assistance with computer analysis software, and to both him and my daughter Tamara for their unfailing support and encouragement over many years.
• To my husband Emad for his understanding and constant support in every aspect of our family life that set me free to complete this thesis.

I hope to run a public seminar in the TS to present the research findings.’

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MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

AUS DEM GEMEINDELEBEN

GEBURTSTAGE

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

NEW MEMBERS
We welcome Volker and Brigitte Ankenbrand as new members. Brigitte has been teaching at the Bayswater Templer German School for several years.
Ingrid Thomas née Weberruss has joined ‘officially’ after long association with the TS.
We welcome these new members and hope that they will feel comfortable among us.

BIRTH
Joel Darcy Löbert
Parents: Michael Löbert and Michelle Hickman

BEREAVEMENTS

In Germany, Richard (Rix) Grossmann died on 29.5.2007, aged almost 93. He grew up in the Hotel Tiberias, went to school in Nazareth (see our recent articles in ‘Heritage’), then for further education in Stuttgart. The war soon put an end to his managing the family hotel in Tiberias and he had to adapt to the hospitality scene in Germany. He lived in Munich, where he ran several restaurants, but regularly came to Dankfest in Stuttgart. He is survived by his son, Dr Rainer Grossmann, and his daughter, Doris Bach, with their families.

Gerhard (Gerd) Beilharz passed away suddenly on Wednesday 18th July, just short of his 84th birthday.
He is survived by his wife Hedl and their children Manfred, Peter and Susanne with their respective families. More next time.

On 3.6.2007, my dear husband, our father, Opa, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and nephew, Rolf Weller, passed away after spending eighteen months in the St Hedwig Nursing Home. We are very grateful for the caring attention he received over that time at St Hedwig’s.
Thanks to Mark Herrmann for conducting a moving service at Castlebrook, and also for the heartfelt memories of Rolf and his life related by his son Erich and grandson Sam.
In loving memory:
Helga Weller (née Beilharz),
Peter, Rosemarie, Lucy and Daniel Weller,
Karin, Peter, Sam and his girlfriend Yvette, Jake and Emily Riordan,
Erich, Connie, Huw, Gual and Harriet Weller,
Hugo, Günther, Gerhard Weller and their families,
Helmut (deceased), Magda Baumert (née Beilharz) and family,
Heinz Beilharz (deceased) and family,
Tante Elly Steller (née Lippmann).

Many thanks to all our relations and friends who rang or sent cards, flowers and/or donations to St Hedwig. Thank you also to those who made such a special effort to be with us on the day of the service.
Helga Weller and family

Our condolences to all the bereaved families.

VOLUNTEER HONOURED
As a not-for-profit community based organisation, the TSA nominated Veronica Rutowicz (née Katz) for the Glen Eira City Council’s Volunteer Recognition Scheme, in the category ‘special service (10 years or more)’. Veronica has been serving the TS with her beautiful musical and Advent contributions for many more than 10 years. She received her award at a ceremony during National Volunteers Week in May. Thank you, Veronica!
Ed.

BUSHDANCE
Over 100 people attended a fun night in Bentleigh on 26th May. It is always a great family night out. ‘Bushwahzee’ entertained us for three 45-minute brackets of lively bush music. Thank you to all who attended. We did not quite cover our costs, but nearly.
It was great to have 30 girls from 3rd Bentleigh Guides (Monika’s Guide Group) and two tables of German School families attend. It was also nice to welcome Ingrid Turner and her family from Sydney.
Marianne Herrmann

‘COMMUNITIES IN CONTROL’
Thanks to the Temple Society Australia, Susi Blackwell and I had the opportunity to attend a two-day conference titled Communities in Control: From Advocacy to Policy – Communities Driving Change. The conference aimed to give control to grass roots community groups.
It was quite political, with the knowledge of an upcoming federal election, but very inspiring and informative, and concluded with a stirring performance by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody of their classic tale of community power in action, 'From Little Things Big Things Grow'.

The speakers were: CONFERENCE
Heloise Waislitz, Chair, The Pratt Foundation.
Dr Jack Mundey AO, grassroots organiser and father of the ‘Green Bans’ movement – From Ratbags to Heroes: Creating social movements and making the world a better place.
Eva Cox AO, author, social critic, advocate and academic – What Future Do We Want?
Senator The Hon. Kay Patterson, Senator for Victoria, former Minister for Family & Community Services – The ways community can engage with government to develop policy and programs that work.
Bernard Salt, social forecaster and partner with KPMG, author of The Big Shift – Looking Back, Leaping Forward: the latest trends, facts and demographics you must know.
The Honourable Peter Batchelor MLA, Minister for Victorian Communities –The Virtuous Circle: Community – Government – Policy – Action.
Angela Glover Blackwell, 2007 International Pratt Fellow, social change trailblazer, Founder & President of PolicyLink – Igniting Change: the real role of community in changing Government policy.
Tom Bentley, Executive Director for Policy and Cabinet for the Premier of Victoria, former director DEMOS – Reform or Revolution: The UK experience of getting government to work to a community agenda.
Sam Lipski AM, CEO, The Pratt Foundation, distinguished thinker, writer, orator and media expert – Mastering the Media: How communities can use the media to shape policy.
Sharan Burrow, President, the Australian Council of Trade Unions – The 2007 Community Leadership Oration.

Papers for all the keynote speakers are at www.ourcommunity.com.au/cic  or you can ring Nanne at the TSA Office on (03) 9557 6713 and I can organise copies.
The keynote speaker that particularly ‘spoke to me’ was Angela Glover Blackwell. She remarked ‘Community really matters, because it’s there that you get your grounding, that you learn how to interact with people, that you learn the things that make a difference in life beyond the services, beyond the jobs, beyond the education. It’s that civic engagement that gives you the strength and the sense of responsibility, both to others and to yourself, that allows you to be able to do something and to give back.’

This is what I think happens, and is done well, in the Temple Society. Later she went on to say, ‘Sometimes communities would struggle (to survive) against the odds and then put their issue in the hands of a lawyer. But by the time the lawyer was able to get some kind of resolution, the community was no longer organised enough to be able to keep it going forward.’

I draw an analogy to the Temple Society – in that our Community’s organisation is reliant on a relatively small core of members to make it function effectively and to attend to the multitude of tasks. All members need to consider how they can contribute in sharing the load, to enable our objectives to be met and our momentum to keep carrying us forward. Otherwise, one day when we do turn to the TSA, its character and identity may no longer be what we expect it to be. – With most of our Focus Group looking to recruit new members at the Annual General Assembly in October, please consider if you could or should nominate for a position.

Kay Patterson’s address is also worth reading. She made the point ‘work with government, and look to resolve an issue and compromise, rather than fight for something that you are unlikely to achieve.’ That was relevant to me at a time when I was dealing with my local council for the local Guides’ group. And, at the end of the day, acknowledge the work done by council or a politician or someone from the Temple Society. As we always tell our children – say thank you. It just may help to guarantee funding, or further involvement, in the future.
All the papers are worth a look, should you have the time, and my thanks to Regional Council for allowing me to attend.
Marianne Herrmann

SPECIAL MORNING TEA – 7th June
Playgroup hosted a special morning tea to raise money for Equiknox, which helps special needs children. Young and old enjoyed the delicious fare. Visitors were largely from TTHA and the units, and the Oldies were delighted by the little people’s singing with actions. 30-40 people attended.
Thank you for your kind donations – we were able to pass on $187. Thanks to my lovely team for a lively morning. Our children are such a joy.
Moni Herrmann

SONNWENDFEIER – 23rd June
A lovely community evening again, with a hall full of people from new babies to great-grandparents; good food and Glühwein, the traditional lantern parade and bonfire. Sincere thanks to the workers who make it all possible!
Ed.

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SYDNEY AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA

FOUNDING DAY SERVICE
Based on 1 Corinthian 13:5-17, where we hear that all of us are a temple of God, Werner Ehmann spoke on the beginnings of the Temple Society, the philosophy which triggered the Templer movement, and on the sacrifices and achievements of our forebears in their attempt to bring this idea to fruition. As with any community, there were also shortcomings along this path which, in hindsight, could have been avoided. Werner ended his service by reminding us of the splendid groundwork of our forefathers and of the loss of our homes after WWII, and thanked God for our new beginnings in this wonderful country, Australia.

ANNUAL MEMBERS’ MEETING
All members are invited to attend the Annual Members’ Meeting on 26th August at 10:30am at our church hall in Meadowbank. Please make an effort to come, as there are important decisions to be made. Your input is important to our community, hope to see you all there.

Date to remember: 26th August at 10:30am: Saal with Renate Beilharz and Annual Members’ Meeting.
Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

Social Care
What a busy month June was! I would like to congratulate the Frauenverein for going out of their way to hold this month’s meeting out at Penrith with Helga Weller, recently bereaved. It was an adventure and, I think, a successful afternoon. It was a pity that not everyone could join in. However, we enjoyed the change of scene, a catch-up with Helga (who is a little less mobile than most of us) and a table decked with the yummiest home baked cakes – thanks to Helga, Erni and Ruth.

I feel inspired by the loving and generous care that so many Templers show for their elderly, whether it’s friends and relatives in the nursing homes, or the dedicated and selfless care for their elderly loved ones at home. As part of my work this month, I was concerned with finding support for a few of our home carers. With them I attended a carers’ support and networking meeting organised by their local council. It focussed on the need for carers to also care for themselves by taking regular breaks, finding out about services available to support them, preparing for different situations and being assertive. A useful contact: the Commonwealth Carelink Centre, freecall: 1800 052 222. This centre provides information about a wide range of community care programs and services available in the local area to help people to live independently at home.

Youth
It has been good to chat to so many of you over the last month. Unfortunately the planned events did not go ahead due to clashes with other commitments or lack of support. But we will keep trying.

Family Camp – 28th September to 1st October at Easts Beach Holiday Park, Kiama. The big news is that I found and visited a great site for the September family camp: beautiful coastal Kiama, about 2 hours south of Sydney, at Easts Beach Holiday Park. The region is stunning, with lots of scenic drives, walks and activities. I have temporarily booked bunk-house accommodation and a large kitchen/eating hall. The bunk-houses are all sited near the pool, playground, tennis courts and beach. We will organize activities for kids 2 to 18 years old, and Sydney and Melbourne Templer families and their friends are welcome. The aim is to get together for a fun, relaxing and energising time. It will be for the first 4 days (3 nights) of the NSW school holidays incl. the October long weekend, and the middle of the Victorian school holidays. We will self-cater. Friends are invited, but Templer-connected families have priority. With 60 bunks available, I don't think there will be a hassle. The big issue is numbers. I need final numbers by 5th August, so please let me know urgently if you want to come.

Cost is not finalised, but accommodation will not be more than $23 per person per night, less the Temple Society subsidy (most likely $10 per person per night). RSVP Ingrid by Thursday 2nd August.
http://www.eastvanparks.com.au/about_contact.html

Ice-skating: Saturday 18th August afternoon, Norwest Ice Skating Rink. Come and have a giggle as either we conquer the ice or it conquers us. RSVP Ingrid by Wednesday 15th August.

Coffee Club: 8:00pm Friday 24th August, Ingrid’s Place. More good coffee, good company and great fun. RSVP Ingrid by Wednesday 22nd August.

Annual Picnic – Sunday 16th September

Please put these dates in your diaries.
Ingrid Turner
e-mail: ingridt@tpg.com.au

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
At our last Saal on 10th June, we were fortunate to welcome Renate and Tony Beilharz as our guests. Renate gave an uplifting address about hope, based on the text in Hebrews 10:23-25. She talked about hope in daily life, as well as hope for the kingdom of God. She stressed the importance of community where we can encourage each other. She ended the Saal by reading the Desiderata (by Max Ehrmann) and saying a prayer of hope. – Each one of us received a copy of the poem.
Mrs Thea Frank and Mr Bert Tannenbaum sent us their regards.
Uli Asenstorfer thanked Renate and Tony for their visit and handed Renate a cheque for $100 from our community to give to Mark Herrmann for the TSA.

Our next Saal is on 12th August at 2:00pm at Tanunda. Visitors are always welcome.
The ladies met at Lotte Hoopmann’s home for a very pleasant afternoon. The next meeting is at Asenstorfers’ place on 27th August. Rose Asenstorfer

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YOUTH

Youth Calendar
Ø Saturday 11th August – Kids’ Club Snow Trip
Ø Saturday 18th August – Winter Sleepout – Youth
Ø Sunday 26th August – Kids’ Club Kite-making and Family Service
Ø Sunday 9th September – Kids’ Club Mini Golf day

Hi guys!
It is August and that means it’s time for the Teenage/Youth Group Winter Sleepout in support of Melbourne Citymission’s Homelessness Campaign 2007.
Homelessness doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone at any time. Family breakdown, domestic violence, disability, ill health and sudden loss of income are just some of the reasons people can find themselves faced with crisis. Homelessness isn’t just about being without ‘a house’. It is about going without family, friends, food, comfort, security and hope.

Here is a way you can help. The cost will be $10 (to be donated to Melbourne Citymission) or you need to raise at least $10 worth of sponsorship – you need to ring Moni or Kylie if you want a sponsorship form.

Details as follows:

• Winter Sleepout – Saturday 18th August 8:00pm Bayswater Hall – starting with ‘Stupid-Teenage-Games’, cooking nibbles, then unlimited DVDs!
• BYO overnight snacks to share, toothbrush, favourite DVD, games to share, etc.  Pancakes and toast for breakfast will be supplied.
• Pick-up will be at 10:00am Sunday morning, at which time you and your parents need to help clean up, please!
• Transport from Bentleigh will depend on numbers.
• Confirmands – you are in Bayswater already for your class at 6:00pm and can join us afterwards.
• Sleeping arrangements – this year there is a twist – you are not allowed your sleeping bag or mattress. Most homeless people do not have those comforts. They use newspapers or old coats to keep them warm. You will still have the luxury of being inside, but we want you to experience some discomfort to make you aware of the plight of others. So think about what you will use to keep yourself warm.

Please contact Moni on gmnski@primusonline.com.au  or Kylie onkyliejw@bigpond.net.au  if you are coming.
Moni Imberger

Youth Group News
The current confirmation group enjoyed a sleepover during the July school holidays. This coincided with the two-day seminar held at Bayswater. They were very well behaved and enjoyed the games and each other’s company. We even managed to get some sleep!
On 14th July we held a reunion BBQ dinner for the 2002 and 2005 confirmation groups. Unfortunately, it was not as well attended as we had hoped. However, I would like to thank those who did come along, and encourage any members of these groups who have ideas for future youth activities to contact me. It would be fantastic to have a youth group operating for those who are post-confirmation age, but it relies on those people being willing to participate!

In August there will be another activity for the confirmation group, but I am still finalising details. I will contact those involved by letter, as soon as details are confirmed!
I’ll also be seeing everyone at the Winter Sleepout.
Kylie Wilmot, Youth Leader
e-mail kyliejw@bigpond.net.au 

Camp Leaders needed…

• For the 2007 Confirmation Group camp – sometime between 29th September and 7th October 2007. This camp will most likely be for 6 nights with the exact dates still flexible and dependent on the availability of the leaders attending.

• For both the Summer Camp and Youth Camp in January 2008. Both camps will run at the same time for 6 nights in the second week of January. Dates are not quite finalised and will depend on the venue that we choose.

If you are able to help out with any of these camps or know someone else who may, please contact Susi as soon as possible; via e-mail at susi.tsa@datafast.net.au  
Susi Blackwell, Youth Coordinator

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CHILDREN'S SECTION

Hallo to you all!
Are you all surviving winter? Winter can be such a great time can’t it? But for some of us winter can bring challenges; trying to get out of bed in the morning, trying to get outside enough for exercise and fresh air, trying not to eat too much, trying not to get too dark and gloomy because of the weather and trying to remember to be thankful for all the good things we have (for there is still much to be thankful for).
I hope winter is a good time for you, with not too many challenges to overcome.

In Sunday School we have read a Bible story about a group of people who faced a very interesting challenge. It is the story of The Tower of Babel.
In this story Noah’s descendants wanted to make themselves more important by building a great city with the highest tower that anyone had ever seen. They wanted it to reach the sky! They worked hard, building the tower from mud, straw and tar.

But God was not happy with the people, because He knew the people were building the tower only to show-off. They were building the tower only to make themselves happy. They were being selfish and too proud. They were being too ambitious and boastful. God thought that this would be the start of people doing silly things that would not help each other, but make living peacefully with one another even harder. He thought that this would be the start of trouble. So He set them a challenge!

Their challenge was not like ours: to have to get out of a nice warm bed in the morning, or to have to go outside when it was really, really cold. Their challenge was this: God made them all speak different languages. The people could not understand each other any more! Before, they had all spoken the same language. Everybody knew what everyone else was saying. Now, nobody could understand anything!

Can you imagine how hard this must have been, when the people were all trying to work together? The workers did not understand the boss giving the orders. They did the wrong thing, or did nothing at all. They used mud when they should have used straw, or didn’t use anything because they weren’t sure. Imagine if your teacher at school started speaking a different language (some of you might already think your teachers do!) How would you know what you were meant to be doing? The class would become like a circus. Everyone doing their own, wrong thing, and no-one working together.

Can you imagine what happened to the Tower of Babel? It never got finished, and the bit that was built fell into a heap of ruins. It was a good reminder of what can happen when people want to show off, and try to make themselves more important. The ruined tower reminded the people to be more modest and humble.
Confusion stops the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)

Our family recently went on a holiday to Thailand. This is a country where a lot of the people do not speak English, especially in places where there are no tourists. We do not know how to speak any Thai, the language of the people in Thailand. So there were many, many times when the Thai people did not understand what we were saying, and we did not understand what they were saying. This was sometimes funny, sometimes confusing and often frustrating. It was also sometimes a bit scary, because we could not read any of the road signs or important notices, and did not know where we were going or if we were doing something wrong or not.

It made us feel very humble and reminded us that we were just tourists in this country. We were reminded that being able to speak English did not mean that we were better than these people. Our English didn’t help at all! There was no point showing off because we could speak English. We were no more important than any of the people whose country we were visiting.

And it made us come up with other ways of communicating and getting along with the Thai people. More often than not, this began with a smile. (Remember, a smile means the same thing in any language!)

So as you do the things you need to do this month, maybe you can try to be a bit humble and not think only about yourself. There may be difficult things you have to face and sometimes you may feel like you don’t understand your family and friends, and that they don’t understand you. Maybe you can think of a different way you can all get along and work together. And then, hopefully, there won’t be too many ruined and unfinished ‘towers’ around us.

Have a great month.
Christine Ruff

A special snow-covered birthday to:

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TABULAM AND TEMPLER HOMES FOR THE AGED

Frequent rainfall during the last weeks has created some difficulties for TTHA staff as well as for workers on the building site of the new wing. The ground is soaked and heavy, hard work even for the large machines. Another surprise was the information from the builders that the Tunnel between OLW and Altersheim and Independent Living Units will be gone for about three weeks, so that staff and residents have to walk around the building site during this wet and cold weather – not really a pleasant walk. Unfortunately, due to a power failure and a cold snap, some parts of the Home did not reach the usual comfort level. About 30 additional heaters had to be provided to overcome this difficulty. One piece of good news is the fact that we have found a new chef, Heike Gohr, as successor for Pedro (and we hope that her sudden illness will be over soon).

Preparations for the visit of the Accreditation Agency are in full swing. Due to limited parking space, we recommend that visitors to the Home during the accreditation days (7th and 8th August) park their cars near the TSA Chapel.

The Annual General Meeting of TTHA will take place on Saturday, 8th September at 10:30am in the Chapel. All members of TSA and AGWS are encouraged to attend.

To finish with another invitation: The Immigration Museum in the City will hold a ‘German Festival’ on Sunday, 9th September. The Hon. Life President of the AGWS, Dr Walter Uhlenbruch, will give a talk to the visitors. The TSA has made several contributions to the exhibition, and staff members of TTHA will try to organise a bus trip to the Festival for residents of TTHA on that day.
With kind regards
Walter Schuetz (Vice President)

Der anhaltende Regen während der letzten Wochen brachte für Bewoh-ner und Mitarbeiter des Heims wie auch für die Bauarbeiter einige Er-schwernisse: der Boden des Grund-stücks, auf dem der neue Flügel entstehen soll, ist nass und schwer, auch für die Baumaschinen keine leichte Arbeit. Leider kam es durch Stromausfall und unerwartete Kälte in Teilen des Hauses zu einer Abkühlung, und es mussten etwa 30 Heizkörper beschafft werden, um die notwendige Erwärmung zu erreichen. Das vorgesehene Tunnel zwischen dem Otto-Löbert-Wing und Altersheim und Units kann etwa drei Wochen lang nicht benutzt werden, was für Mitarbeiter und Bewohner einige Umwege erforderlich macht, bei dem nassen und kalten Wetter keine erfreuliche Sache. Eine neue Köchin, Frau Heike Gohr, als Nachfolgerin für Pedro wurde gefunden. (Wir hoffen, dass ihre Erkrankung nur vorübergehend ist.)

Die Vorbereitungen für den Besuch der Akkreditierungsbehörde sind in vollem Gange. Besuchern des Heims wird empfohlen, Autos an den beiden Tagen (7. und 8. August) bei der Templer Chapel zu parken.

Das diesjährige Annual General Meeting (AGM) der TTHA soll am Samstag, den 8. September um 10:30 Uhr in der Chapel der TSA stattfinden.

Zum Schluss noch ein Hinweis: Im Immigration Museum in der City wird am Sonntag, den 9. September ein ‘German Festival’ stattfinden. Der Ehrenpräsident der AGWS, Dr Walter Uhlenbruch, wird eine Ansprache halten. Die TSA hat Beiträge zur Ausstellung geleistet. Wir werden versuchen, für Bewoh-ner der TTHA eine Busfahrt zu organisieren.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Walter Schuetz (Vizepräsident)

Thank You – Thanks to Gerda Knaub who has volunteered to operate the mobile shop trolley.

Volunteers needed
The Home still needs help with feeding frail residents, especially on Wednesdays and the weekends. If you can assist then, or any other day, please talk with Dolly or Cheryl. You will be partnered with a staff member who will show you the ropes.
Ed.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
All members of the Australian-German Welfare Society Inc and Temple Society Australia are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the TTHA. Members are urged to attend the meeting to ensure a quorum (30 persons, being 15 from each of the two parent societies, AGWS and TSA) at the set starting time to satisfy our rules of incorporation.

Date: Saturday 8th September 2007, 10:30am
Location: TSA Chapel, 51 Elizabeth St, Bayswater

Agenda
1. Members present
2. Apologies
3. Minutes of the 2006 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 2007/2008
8. General Business

Proxy 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 three offices as from Monday 3rd September 2007.
Hermann Sawatzky, for the TTHA Committee of Management


Und all das Geld und all das Gut
gewährt zwar viele Sachen;
Gesundheit, Schlaf und guten Mut
kann’s aber doch nicht machen.

Gott gebe mir nur jeden Tag
so viel ich darf zum Leben.
Er gibt’s dem Sperling auf dem Dach,
wie sollt’ er’s mir nicht geben.

Matthias Claudius

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NOTICES -- BEKANNTMACHUNGEN

FLOWER ROSTERS 

SERVICE & COMMUNITY AFTERNOON – 26th August, Ba 3:15pm
Everyone is invited to the Family Service. Ba and Bo ladies, please bring a cake (already cut) to share. Would the following ladies please be at the Ba Hall by 2:45pm to help: Birgit Verhagen, Resi Schwarzbauer, Kristin Wennagel, Suni Weller, Christine Wagner, Lisa Beilharz. If you are unable to come, please ask a friend or ring me on 9720 2440.
Uta Steller

CHRISTMAS SERVICE in Bentleigh on 25th December will be at 10:15am, not 5:00pm as in the annual calendar. More people can come in the morning.
Ed.

NEW TSA TELEPHONE TREE starting 1st August
The TSA Telephone tree (version 2007.1) is ready for operation from 1st August 2007. It will be used to distribute important messages amongst the membership of the TSA, in particular funeral notices. Members who have indicated that they wish to receive messages only by e-mail are NOT included on the TSA Telephone Tree version 2007.1.

For those included, the relevant page of the telephone tree has been enclosed in your Templer Record. Members receiving messages by e-mail will not receive a copy of the telephone tree.
Sydney TSA members will continue using their current notification system.

Please contact the TSA Office if:
• you do not wish to be on the telephone tree, and prefer to be notified by email;
• if any of the details on the tree are incorrect;
• if you did not receive a copy of the telephone tree, and do not receive messages by email.
Ingrid Jürgensen, for the Communication & Promotion FG

WALK – 4th August – Would you like to join us?
We will start at 9:30am at Grant’s Picnic Ground, Kallista, Melway Map 75K4. We will be completing the March walk which was curtailed due to very hot conditions. We will take our morning tea with us, but lunch is optional at the end of our walk. Let me know if you are planning to join us.
Trudi Murray
e-mail: tmurray@bigpond.net.au

CONCERT IN THE TEMPLER CHAPEL – 12th August 2:30pm
The talented young musicians of the Eltham East Primary School Choir will again present a pleasant Sunday afternoon program that will feature music and songs from the 16th century right up to the present. As well as many old favourites, the choir will include music that has resulted from the choristers’ recent collaborations with composers from both Australia and overseas. The school’s new Percussion Ensemble will also play, led by composer and director Nicholas Buc, and the choir will again be joined by soloists on clarinet and flute.
The Eltham East Primary School Choir has a wide reputation for beautiful tone and arresting performances. It has for many years been acknowledged to be one of Australia’s foremost children’s choirs. As an invited choir at the 2006 Australian National Choralfest in Hobart, the choir drew unanimous praise from world choral authorities as one of the finest children’s choirs they had ever heard. We are privileged to have them sing for us.

There will be coffee and tea after the performance. We would love it if those who are able would bring a cake to share.
Alfred and Ursula Klink

RAISING CHILDREN IN MORE THAN ONE LANGUAGE
Seminar: Sunday 12th August 12:45pm – 5:00pm
Sidney Myer Asia Centre, cnr. Swanston St & Monash Rd, Uni of Melbourne
Speakers: Prof. Michael Clyne, Dr Susanne Döpke, Assoc. Prof. Robert Debski

Raising children bilingually is a very important process. There are many positive strategies that can be employed. this seminar will provide participants with some of these important tools. See flyers at Templers Halls and German Schools.
The seminar is free, but registration is essential by 6th August.
e-mail: rumacc-info@unimelb.edu.au 
Jo-anne Hughson, School of Languages & Linguistics

FREE HEALTH AND WELLBEING SEMINAR
Cervical Cancer Prevention Education Session, for women only
Thursday 30th August 7:30pm in the Bentleigh Hall
The Welfare & Distant Focus Group has arranged for experts from the PapScreen Victoria Department of the Cancer Council to conduct an education session for us. In Australia, regular Pap tests save more than 1,200 women each year from cervical cancer. This seminar will provide information and support for women on Pap tests and related issues in a relaxed and informal manner.

We are fortunate to have received a Women’s Health Grant to enable this seminar to take place. We hope you will make the most of this opportunity. You can invite friends.

The Rosa bus has been booked to leave the Bayswater Hall at 6:30pm and will pick up people in Glen Waverley, too. Ring Nanne at the Office (Tel: 9557 6713) to book a bus seat by Monday 27th August.
Refreshments will be provided afterwards and you will have the opportunity for more discussion and to ask further questions.
Dr Irene Bouzo and Dot Ware, for the Welfare & Distant Focus Group

GESUNDHEITS-SEMINAR FÜR FRAUEN
Am 30. August 2007 halten wir ein Seminar für Frauen in der Bentleigh Halle um 19:30 Uhr.
Es handelt sich um Pap-Screens, Gebärmutterhalskrebs und verwandte Erkrankungen. Experte vom Pap-Screen Victoria Department und Cancer Council werden uns darüber informieren. In Australien werden jedes Jahr 1,200 Frauen durch Pap-Screens vor Gebärmutterhalskrebs bewahrt oder geheilt. Wir hoffen, Experten dabei zu haben, die auf Deutsch übersetzen können, falls es nötig ist. Wir sind dem Cancer Council dankbar, dass dieser Abend möglich ist.

Haben Sie Fragen über dieses Thema? Irgend etwas, das sie immer wissen wollten? Alle Frauen sind herzlich eingeladen. Wir hoffen, dass der Abend dementsprechend gemütlich und beruhigend ist.

Der Bus Rosa fährt um 6:30 Uhr abends von der Bayswater Halle ab und wird auch Leute in Glen Waverley abholen. Rufen Sie Nanne bis spätestens 27. August im Büro an (Telefon 9557 6713), wenn Sie einen Platz besetzen wollen. Während einem kleinen Imbiss hinterher besteht die Möglichkeit für weitere Gespräche am Ende des Abends.
Dr Irene Bouzo and Dot Ware, for the Welfare & Distant FG

SEPTEMBER WALK – Kurth Kiln
Saturday 1st September, 10:30am
Distance: about 12km, medium
Maps: Melway Map 312 K1 and 512

How to get there: From Gembrook drive north on Gembrook Launching Place Road for 2km. Just after the Pack Track (right) take the left fork Beenak Road for 5km to Kurth Kiln. Meet at the first car park on the right of the information booth.
From Woori Yallock continue east on Warburton Highway for 2km, turn right into Lusatia Park Road for 8km. At the T-junction in Hoddles Creek turn right (towards Gembrook) into Gembrook Launching Place Road for 6km. Turn right into Beenak Road for 4km to Kurth Kiln, car park is straight ahead on the other side of the dam.

Kurth Kiln Park, covering 3,500 ha, contains a range of forest types and other interesting features awaiting exploration. Located a short distance east of Melbourne, the park is mostly known for its kiln used during the Second World War to make charcoal for gas producer units fitted to motor cars. The ‘producer gas’ was a substitute fuel for petrol, rationed at the time.

The diversity of plant life attracts a range of wildlife including wombats, swamp wallabies and echidnas. Bush rats and antechinus (marsupial mice) may be spotted scuttling about on the forest floor. Bird life is active. Keep a lookout for lyrebirds, honeyeaters, parrots, kookaburras, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, currawongs and butcherbirds.

We will be met there by Ursula and Alfred Klink. Alfred has kindly offered to give us a short informative talk about the kiln and the huts. Ursula will be our leader for this walk. They are Friends of Kurth Kiln.

If you intend to join us, please ring me or send an e-mail to tmurray@bigpond.net.au  On the Saturday, I will be available on my mobile.
Trudi Murray

GERMAN FEST at the Immigration Museum – Sunday 9th September
Developed in collaboration with the German community of Victoria, German Fest at Immigration Museum will offer the chance to experience food, music and dance performances, children’s activities and a historical perspective on this large and long-standing migrant group.
Activities on the day will include:
Ø Traditional German foods.
Ø Music performances.
Ø Children’s craft activities, including finger puppet making and lantern-making.
Ø Opportunities to learn some German language.
Ø Contemporary photographic exhibition, Far Away So Close.
Ø Talks and presentations on the history of German migration to Victoria.
Ø Screening of the SBS documentary Tales from a Suitcase.
Ø Poetry in English and German.
Ø The Templer Journey wall-hanging.

The one-day festival will also launch an exhibition of contemporary photographs by Che Chapman and Claudia Terstappen, Far Away So Close, organised in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut. Featuring portraits of Germans living in Australia and of Australians living in Germany, the exhibition focuses on the personal stories of those who bridge the tyranny of distance.

Among the earliest Europeans to arrive in Victoria, Germans have been migrating since at least 1842, even before the colony was officially declared. In 1861, 10,418 Germans were recorded in Victoria, while numbers rose to 33,000 before WWI and declined to under 15,000 by the close of WWII. Post-WWII migration, commencing in 1952, laid the foundation for today’s large German-Australian community of 150,000 plus.

In the 2001 Census, the German community ranked as Victoria’s sixth-largest ancestry group, with more than 155,000 – 30,000 of whom were German-born. Figures available from the 2006 Census show that 104,384 people living in the Melbourne area claim German ancestry (statewide figures not yet available).

Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne. Open daily 10:00am to 5:00pm. $6 Adult; FREE children/concessions. Enquiries: (03) 9927 2754 or www.museumvictoria.com.au
Press release from Karen Meehan, Museum Victoria

Templer Involvement
Several choirs, including our Templer Choir, are expecting to perform in the Festival Courtyard between 11:00am and 11.50am. And the Templer German Schools will make a presentation about their Bridging the Generation Gap Projects at 11:40am for 15-20 minutes in the theatrette on the ground floor.
The German Schools display and our wall-hanging – The Templer Journey, Fabric of Society – will be together in the Museum Atrium.
If you wish to go by bus, Rosa will leave Bayswater at 9:30am and Bentleigh at 10:00am. You must book with me at the Office on 9557 6713 as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing lots of familiar faces.
Marianne Herrmann

FAMILY CAMP, EASTS BEACH HOLIDAY PARK, KIAMA
28th September – 1st October – for details see here.

PLAYGROUP SHOPPING TOUR – Saturday 13th October
If you haven't been before, please consider giving it a try. It really is an enjoyable day. A variety of outlets is offered, giving you the opportunity to shop for Christmas and other occasions in one day without children in tow, searching for parking spaces etc. Men are also welcome – one has already booked for the trip. Outlets include books, manchester, children’s /ladies’/men's clothing, kitchen ware, confectionary, toys.
Please let me know if you are considering coming along. $45 per person includes lunch. Please contact me by telephone or e-mail rdr@netspace.net.au 
Diana Richter

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THE HERITAGE PAGE

HERITAGE GROUP OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Over five years ago, the TSA Heritage Group was formed under the leader-ship of Horst Blaich. This team of dedicated Temple Society history buffs have undertaken many projects over the years, the fruits of which we have all enjoyed: historical presentations in our halls on varied topics, publication of books and Templer Record supplements, interviewing older Templers, scanning photos into a database, Templer Record Heritage Pages.
Horst would like to be able to spend more time on the many specific projects he is working on, including completing the latest Heritage Group publication Exiled from Palestine, and less time on coordinating the Heritage Group (which is an Interest Group within the Heritage & Culture Focus Group).

TSA Heritage Group objective
We strive to preserve, publish and promote the Templer history and philosophy in an effort to educate our members, young and old, plus the general community.
Current activities: heritage presentations; collecting Templer family photographs and establishing a digital database; collecting Templer genealogical data and computerising it; identifying buildings and people for the archives and Sarona (and now Jerusalem) restoration program; recording oral histories; producing publications.

Considerations for the future: Location and accessibility of the TSA archives, currently in Bentleigh; secure Heritage Group storage and work facilities; long-term future of the group.

A new coordinator or team of coordinators is being sought for the TSA Heritage Group, to build on the extensive work that has been undertaken in the last five years under Horst Blaich, whose work we value greatly. If you have an interest in working with a team of people to ensure the long term viability of the TSA Heritage Group, please contact Karin Ruff on  kruff@optushome.com.au 
Renate Beilharz, for the Heritage & Culture FG

PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Musikverein Sarona 1902
Charlotte Lämmle-Ruff found this wonderful photo amongst her family treasures. There are two men we have not identified – could someone help? Are these names correct? Please telephone Horst on (03) 9720 2658.

EXHIBITION AT TTHA
We have had a few technical problems and the building works have delayed our Templer Gallery exhibition. We hope that we shall be able to proceed with the exhibition soon.
Here are two of the photos in the forthcoming exhibition. Come and see them for yourself.
Horst Blaich

JERUSALEM CONFERENCE ON VIDEO
I wish to draw your attention to a most interesting 3-day conference which was held in Jerusalem in March 2007: Germany in Jerusalem, 1800-1920.
This was video-taped and the entire conference can be viewed via the web. English translation is available. There are many references to the Templers and their achievements including a detailed history of the German Colony in Jerusalem and a presentation on the Imberger brothers. Peter Lange spoke about the craftsmen among the early Templers.
Website: http://194.90.130.106/video/7_11/index_en.html
Charlotte Laemmle

THANK YOU
We thank the readers who responded to our requests. It was nice to receive, about last month’s photo, a few lines: ‘the note under the photo [in the readers’ album] says ‘Große Eiche Hanorah’ 1935, and next to it is a photo of an excursion with cars, caption ‘Quelle bei Dscherrasch’, followed by other photos of an excursion to the ruins of Dscherrasch. Hope this helps?’ It does!

We have also received numerous enquiries about the photos we have of the headstones in the Haifa and Jerusalem Templer cemeteries. Not every Templer who died in Palestine has a headstone, but we have a comprehensive collection of photos of those that survived the wars.

The Heritage Group appreciates the interest shown in our work and thanks all those who help and support us. We appeal to you kind donors that, when you make a donation to the Regional Office in Bentleigh, you specify that a certain amount is for the Heritage Interest Group.

NEWS FROM OVERSEAS
In Germany, particularly the people in Württemberg are interested in what happened to the Templers who left to settle in the Holy Land in the 1870s, and were transported to Australia in 1941. As you read in the July TR, Horst and Irene Blaich presented their research in Germany.
The interest shown was amazing. Among the audience were well-known historians like Dr Jakob Eisler; Dr Paul Sauer, author of The Holy Land Called; Karl Mörsch, who also served as ‘Staatssekretär für Außenpolitik’ in the Cabinet of Chancellor Helmut Schmidt; and Helmut Orth. People travelled a long way to attend this presentation. See photo previous page.

INFORMATION sought on the Jerusalem Settlement
David Kroyanker, architect and town planner in Jerusalem, is almost ready to have his comprehensive and lavishly illustrated book about the history and development of the German Colony of Jerusalem and surrounds (up to the present) published by Keter, in Hebrew, early 2008. He is making a last-minute effort to locate more material – information and stories about the families below, and photographs (portraits, family groups, houses).
Does anyone know anything about the Deutsche Suppen-Küche (1917), where was it, who was behind it, when did it start operating (WWI)? A receipt was found in a house in Smuts Street.

Request for photographic material of the Jerusalem Colony, about:
  1. Bienzle, August, locksmith, (house on 6 Cremieux Street)
  2. Doh, Gottlob, Restaurateur (?), (house on 3 Cremieux Street)
  3. Dyck, Abram, (was he a car dealer who worked with Messerle?)
  4. Ehmann, Friedrich, architect (house on 22 Bethlehem Road)
  5. Faig, Albert, (8 Lloyd George Street)
  6. Faig, Samuel, Ice factory and cake shop (18 Bethlehem Road)
  7. Fauser, Martin, cake shop
  8. Kuebler, Friedrich, Metzgerei/butchers (photograph or advertisement)
  9. Lendholt, August Jr., & Hermann, Bierstube and Pension (7 Emek Rephaim Street)
10. Messerle, Jakob & Christian, shoemaker (?) (16 Bethlehem Road)
11. Wieland, Egmont, lived in what later became Pension Villa Rosemary
12. Sportsplatz/sports club – tennis courts, Kegelbahn/bowling alley, club house
13. Weidemann (although not a Templer, lived in the German colony)

If you can help, please contact, as soon as possible:
David Kroyanker directly on e-mail leorahk@bezeqint.net 
or Horst Blaich, e-mail abfa@bigpond.net.au

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JULY
TEMPLER RECORD ISSUE No. 696

REFLECTIONS 
 

DER PREIS FÜR DAS GLÜCK	THE PRICE OF JOY
Wenn wir glücklich sein wollen,	If we want to be happy,
müssen wir einen Preis dafür zahlen.	there is a price to pay:
Der Preis für unser Glück: dass wir uns selbst geben,	we have to give ourselves,
nicht mehr und nicht weniger.	no more, no less.
Sich selbst geben,	Giving yourself is not something
das geht nicht mit Fanatismus	you do fanatically,
oder Geltungsbedürfnis,	or because you need to be admired,
auch nicht als lästige Pflicht	or from a feeling of irksome duty,
oder als verkrampftes Opfer.	or as an anxious sacrifice.
Es kann nur frei geschehen,	It can only be done freely,
fröhlich und aus Liebe.	cheerfully and with love.
Und dann ist mein Glück da:	Then my joy is there,
als Schatten meiner Liebe.	the shadow of my love.
aus Phil Bosmans JA zum Leben, Herder 1983        Sent in by a reader	Transl. H.U.

TEXT OF THE MONTH – 1 Peter 4:10
The good manager of God’s gifts

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
The text comes from a letter written by the Apostle Peter to the Jewish Christians living in Asia Minor. The life of the early Christians was a hard one. Peter knew this and sought to convince them that their struggles were not in vain and that the blessing and glory of God’s Kingdom would be theirs as long as they placed their trust in him. In the latter part of the letter, Peter wrote instructions to them so that they would have an understanding and examples of the way they should live their lives, based on the living example that Jesus provided.
The sentence is very simple, yet it contains a profound message to all of us. There are three themes that underline its meaning and I will start at the end and work back.

‘.…as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.’ In its original context, a steward was a person (usually a senior slave) who was appointed by the owner to ensure the smooth operation of the household. It was the job of this person to ensure that all tasks about the household were done efficiently and in good time, and to make sure that everything ran properly. Stewards never actually owned anything – they were usually not even paid. Everything was done in trust.

‘…employ it in serving one another…’ Peter makes mention of ‘serving one another’ several times throughout this letter, not just here in verse 4. What is he telling them? That it is important that they live and work together as one, rejoicing in the life of community they share through their common belief in God. This would seem an obvious statement, but it is also one that carries extra weight because we know that the fledgling community was starting to implode under the persecution being meted out against the Christians.

‘As each one has received a special gift...’ In the Asia Minor of the time, the small, new Christian community needs every encouragement to remain true to its faith. Peter uses his biggest ace card to reinforce that faith when he makes reference to having received special gifts. I believe that Peter is referring to Jesus Christ, the son of God, the prophet and the man when he wrote these words. Peter refers to his gift as being the example in the life of Jesus which should guide them through the difficulties that lay ahead. They had him as a direct example, a shining light that would guide them. If they followed his path, they would know how to conduct their lives to the betterment of themselves and their community.

What does all of this mean to us?

If we read Peter’s words in their entirety, then we read an adage that will lead us closer to attaining harmony, peace and contentment in our lives. What Peter extols is simple. We are all provided with an abundance of special gifts and abilities – love, charity, forgiveness, nurturing, patience and persistence to mention a few – the greatest being the gift of Jesus.

As followers of God’s divine will, we are charged with using those gifts for the betterment of our fellow man, and for the greater good of our society. In his letter, Peter implies that these gifts are not to be used on or for ourselves, but rather for the betterment of everyone around us, a reminder especially in this current clime where so much emphasis is put on ‘me first’. This needs to be turned on its head. After all, if you turn ME upside down, it becomes WE – a far better state of affairs.

Lastly, as stewards of these gifts we are not their owners, but their caretakers. Peter’s words echo this sentiment when he tells us that, as stewards of God’s gifts, we are charged with distributing them, not hoarding them for ourselves.

The way to begin is to start giving of yourself, then you may experience the joy that giving brings!
Theo Richter

WHO IS A CHRISTIAN?
Man’s return to God: it all begins with a change of heart, from which the idea of being God's children and of God's kingdom on Earth is born.
This kingdom is based on the two chief commandments of Christianity, love of God and love of your neighbour as yourself. The foundation of this kingdom is the devout faith of the prophets and apostles; its cornerstone is Jesus.

No one can provide an alternative foundation to this kingdom, which may also be compared with a great spiritual sanctuary of God on Earth. This spiritual temple consists of living building stones, namely of those who have been moved by Jesus' way of thinking because their conscience responds to his appeal. Each one of these individuals is himself a temple of God; united, they form God's spiritual temple on Earth.
It is the everlasting and central task of every human being to work towards attaining this goal. Let us cooperate in this endeavour with all those of like mind. This is why we speak of the temple and call ourselves Templers.
This undoubtedly represents the ideas of the early Christians and, on this point, we agree with all the other Christian faith communities.
What is it then that sets us apart? The difference is this: we say that this alone is what matters. We consider everything else to be secondary, to be subordinate and not equal in importance to these ideas and requirements of the original Christians.

Most of the other Christian organisations insist that only that person can be a Christian who, in addition, believes and follows what the Church teaches is also essential. In the Church’s view, anyone not baptised, for example, is not a Christian; and anyone who does not believe in the Trinity is not a Christian, and so on, even if they strive with the utmost sincerity to follow God's will and seek his kingdom.
We are convinced that this is un-Christian; Jesus of Nazareth did not hold or teach such a view. Our reading of the New Testament makes us certain of this.

We therefore consider everyone who seeks God's kingdom above all, by loving God and his neighbour as himself, to be a Christian. We extend our hand to him as a brother, since only this – nothing else – makes him a Christian, a follower of Jesus. A dogma-bound Christian organisation would have to consider a person a heretic if he does not believe or follow what they additionally prescribe to be essential.

This is why the Temple Society has become an independent religious community. We are proud of this, as we believe that, for all our weaknesses, we have grasped the message of Christ better than most in this respect. We do not have the slightest reason to give up our understanding. In our view, that would be a regressive step.

Pride and conceit are not the same thing. We do not wish to be conceited. We agree with the Apostle Paul when he writes to his friends at Philippi, "It is not that I have already achieved this. I have not yet reached perfection, but I press on, hoping to take hold of that for which Christ once took hold of me. My friends, I do not claim to have hold of it yet. What I do say is this: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what lies ahead, I press towards the goal to win the heavenly prize to which God has called me in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).
Dr Richard Hoffmann
From a service at Bentleigh, 1.8.1969; also in ‘Templer Handbook’.

OUR NAME IS OUR AIM
‘Christ did not intend to found a Church which, by means of set creeds and ritual acts of worship, provided human beings with the claim to a blissful life after death. Instead, the community he founded is based on faith in the kingdom of God on Earth, which he realized in his own person and which is the task of his true followers to realize in a nation and finally in [all of] humanity.
‘The Apostles call this community the body of Christ and the temple of God, which consists of living stones, namely people who are filled with the Spirit of Christ, that is, with his way of thinking and his insight, and who consequently no longer act according to their own will, but according to the will of Christ and the Father, the will of God.’

Christoph Hoffmann in Wegweiser zum dauerhaften Glück (Guidelines for lasting Happiness), 1877, published in the original German in Die Warte of June 2007, page 77.
Transl. H.U.

SOME THOUGHTS ON KINDNESS AND COURTESY
‘A soft answer turns away wrath.’ – Proverbs 15:1

It makes a big difference, how we treat our human companions and our environment.
‘Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.’ – Mother Teresa.
How do we use our words? Kindness can diffuse a volatile situation, empathy can break down barriers and enable us to relate to each other on a soul level. Keep remembering, we are one. Treat others as you want to be treated. (We know the Golden Rule, but do we apply it consistently?)
‘No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.’ – Aesop.
If we all chose kindness, it would be a very different world. It feels good to help other people, and that motivates us to continue to develop our ‘gifts’ of kindness and empathy, without expecting anything in return. However, when we do get a smile or a ‘thank you’, that’s a bonus. Kindness breeds kindness.
It’s amazing how long the effects of kindness last and how far they reverberate. They give us a wonderful boost on our journey through life.
‘Every time we help someone else, we live just that much more and have started a new spiral in our evolution.’ – Ernest Holmes.
‘Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy. Manners are the happy ways of doing things.’ – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
From ‘Getting There with Grace’ by Lisa M. Coffey

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REGIONAL MATTERS

FROM THE REGIONAL COUNCIL

NOTES from the Extended RC Meeting of 1st June

Correspondence from the TGD

• The refurbishment of the ‘Saal’ (community hall) at Degerloch is progressing satisfactorily.

• In 2008, Degerloch celebrates 100 years as part of Stuttgart. The TGD is planning to hold an open day Sommerfest, concert and a lecture on the Temple Society.

• The Regional Council in Stuttgart has also supported the nomination of Dr Rolf Beilharz for President of the Temple Society.

• Jerusalem cemetery – a summary of arguments for and against the sale of the unused piece of land is being documented by the TGD RC.

The role of various positions in the administration of the Temple Society is being reviewed and clarified by RC and position descriptions for Regional Head and Business Manager are being documented.

There was general discussion on communication between Focus Groups and between Focus Groups and Regional Council.
The two formal methods of communication are:

• Extended Regional Council meetings at least four times a year, to which FG leaders (or their representatives) are invited to give reports.

• Focus Group minutes are distributed to other Focus Groups and to Regional Council

It was felt that these processes work satisfactorily, the communication opportunities are there for those who wish to avail themselves of them.

Focus Group elections are taking place in October 2007. There will be vacancies on all Focus Groups, as there is a rotating membership. All members should consider whether they are able, and have the time, to use their skills and abilities for ensuring the continued success of the Temple Society.

Key points from Focus Groups reports

• Youth: Kylie Wilmot has been employed as the second youth leader, along with Moni Imberger; drafts for a Youth/Education scholarship program are being considered

• Welfare and Distant: the Health and Wellbeing Seminar on Bowel and Prostate Cancer was very successful, with about 50 attendees, about 10% non-Templers, see also page 14. We are discussing supporting younger Templers living away from home, especially those from the country. Partners without Partners Support Group is set up and under way.

• Sydney Community: Rolf Beilharz went to Sydney and held the service on 26th May, while Ingrid Turner, the Sydney Community Development Worker, came to Melbourne and participated in a number of events.

• Property Management: Various maintenance works are under way, including finishing Emergency Services Legislation work; window film in the Chapel is being installed to reduce glare; parking and access road for the bus and tractor; door and window maintenance in Bentleigh. The Focus Group is always looking for people prepared to ‘manage’ small projects.

• Central Fund: Communication with the TTHA committee regarding financing issues is continuing.

• Administration of/for Regional Council: Interest and Focus Groups’ budgets for 2007-08 have been collated into a Global budget, considered by representatives from Regional Council, Central Fund and Focus Groups. This will be presented to the membership at the October AGM.

• Communication and Promotion: design of the logo is finalized and work on the website is progressing. The Communication and Publication Policy was accepted by RC.

• Social and Recreation: As can be seen from the Templer Record, many social activities have taken place and more are being organized and planned. Sommerfest debriefing meeting was held in March. It was decided that all Focus Groups will be asked to take a larger share of planning and organization.

Members of the Temple Society are in demand as public speakers in the wider community. Schools have requested speakers about the Templers’ background and their life in Tatura (for senior German students’ projects). The wall-hanging team, in presenting the craft work, have used the opportunity to promote the Temple Society.
Renate Beilharz, for Regional Council

TEMPLE SOCIETY AUSTRALIA – REGIONAL HEAD
The Regional Councils of the Temple Society in Australia and in Germany have both endorsed the nomination of Dr Rolf Beilharz for the next President of the Temple Society, when Peter Lange retires in October 2007. This nomination must be endorsed by a simple majority at the Annual General Meetings in each region. These are scheduled to take place in October.
Should Dr Rolf Beilharz be endorsed as the Temple Society President at the October AGM, it will be necessary to elect a new Regional Head for the Temple Society Australia at the same meeting.

Thus nominations for the position of Temple Society Australia Regional Head are herewith invited. A proposed candidate must be a member of the TSA and must state in writing that he/she is prepared to accept nomination. The nomination must be signed by the member making the nomination and by another member seconding the proposal. Nominations must be submitted by 5:00pm on Wednesday 15th August 2007 to the TSA Office, with the understanding that the election of a new Regional Head at the 2007 TSA AGM is conditional upon the election of Dr Rolf Beilharz as TS President.
Nominees will be invited to introduce themselves as candidates for the position in the October TR, before the vote at the TSA AGM.

The position of the TSA Regional Head
Regional Council took the opportunity of a pending leadership change to consider the TSA leadership and administration structure, to ensure that it meets the current needs of members, the needs of the general TSA activities, the TSA Office requirements and the ever increasing legislative obligations. General guidelines for the position of TSA Regional Head have been drawn up to ensure that potential nominees are aware of what the role of Regional Head entails. These guidelines also allow the possibility of providing remuneration for a Regional Head, as this will provide flexibility and widen the options for possible candidates.

Guidelines for the position of Regional Head
Objectives: The Regional Head has overall responsibility for the TSA. He/she provides religious and spiritual leadership to the TSA and oversees its governance.

Responsible to: the Regional Council and the TSA membership.
Supported by: Regional Council (including three volunteer deputy Regional Heads), Business Manager, Central Fund Directors.
Remuneration: The possibility of remuneration for the position and its time fraction are to be negotiated with the successful applicant.

Key areas of responsibility:
Represent and promote the TSA to the wider community
Facilitate the procedures of the Regional Council and Central Fund
Manage TSA administration
Participate in religious and elders activities
Oversee Focus Group operations
Mediation and conflict resolution where necessary
Collaborate with the Temple Society in Germany
Represent TSA in TTHA matters

Detailed key areas of responsibility have been formulated to help clarify the position. These are available upon request.
Renate Beilharz, for Regional Council

FROM THE ELDERS

CONFIRMATION 2007
Eleven young people started confirmation classes in June. They will attend eleven sessions spread over 3½ months, culminating in the Confirmation ceremony on 16th September. Using teleconferences and internet communication, distant confirmands are able to participate in lessons and stay in touch with the others.

The first lesson focussed on introducing confirmands to the concepts they will encounter during the sessions. The second was held in the lovely surroundings of Alfred and Ursula Klink’s property, where the topics of religion, God and cosmology were discussed. While we were unable to view the night sky through the telescopes due to clouds, Jim (from the Astronomical Society), a friend of Klinks, showed us amazing pictures of the 2006 solar eclipse in Libya and beautiful slides of the Southern Aurora in all its glory.

On 24th June, at the Bayswater Service, the confirmands were introduced to the community. They are: Martin Beilharz, Kate Blackwell, Tamara Bouzo, Ashlin Crowe, Monika Herrmann, Nikki Imberger, Stefan Imberger, Gareth Lingham, Alana Murrihy, Talja Roesner, Dylan Simmer.
The class will attend a two-day seminar on the history and development of the Temple Society during the July school holidays. Already, lively interest has been shown as our young people engage with some pretty deep questions.
Renate Beilharz, for the teaching Elders


SOCIAL CARE
Dear Friends
We’ve had a busy month of meetings.
Catering support meeting for functions held in the Bentleigh Hall. Many people enjoy working with others in the community. If many join in then each person only needs to chip in few times a year. I enjoyed working with Dot Ware and Elisabeth Wagner to develop a new volunteer support team to prepare coffee and refreshments for functions held in Bentleigh. Many thanks to members of the Bentleigh Frauenverein and others, who generously provided this service in the past. The time has come for the next generation of Australian-born members, both men and women, to take over some of these functions. Several people in the Bentleigh area have already expressed interest and others kindly continue to help. We look forward to forming some new teams of volunteers and we still need the help of those with experience to provide some ‘on the job’ training.

Meeting with Ingrid Turner, Community Development Worker for Sydney Templers. Modern technology has enabled Ingrid and me to work together across the distance between Melbourne and Sydney. Ingrid works on both youth and social care activities. We regularly exchange experiences by telephone and email for the benefit of our members in two states of Victoria and New South Wales. Ingrid is doing a great job.

Tabulam and Templer Homes Residents and Relatives Meeting This meeting is run jointly by the TSA and AGWS social care workers for residents inside the Homes. The main topic was the effect of the major building extensions that have commenced. Lively discussion took place regarding some changes and disruptions to daily services and activities, for example dining rooms and social activities were relocated within the complex. Most activities continue to run smoothly. Both staff and residents were congratulated for their patience and cooperation.

Tabulam and Templer Homes Independent Unit Residents Meeting
This meeting is run by the TSA care worker in conjunction with the TTHA management. The recently installed Nurse Call System received lively discussion. The independent unit residents are the first community of Templers to use a medical alert system for seniors. For those who are new to such technology here are some interesting facts.

What is the Nurse Call System?
It is a medical alarm system that consists of a wireless pendant or wrist band which acts as an emergency transmitter. In addition, each resident has received a base station which is connected to the telephone and contains a very sensitive microphone/speaker unit. We call it the “blue phone”.

What is the Nurse Call System/medical alert system used for?
The Residents can get medical help at the push of a button (on the wireless pendant) and talk to a qualified nurse who will respond to any emergency 24 hours a day - 365 days a year. The nurses can easily notify family, friends, caregivers and emergency services.

What else can the medical alert system be used for?
The unit residents can get medical advice on day-to-day health through a friendly chat with the nurses. People just talk normally in the room without ever lifting the telephone receiver.

Who developed medical alert systems?
Home alert systems were conceived and developed in Germany in the early 1970s by Wilhelm Hormann, with the aim of developing support for sick and elderly people who live alone. With the help of AEG-Telefunken Backnang GmbH it was presented to the international public early in 1980. In 1982 it won the Frankfurt Innovation Prize of the German Economy. Hormann's concept of "home alert" (Hausnotruf) has since been extensively developed throughout the world and is no longer limited as an ‘elder alarm’.

What do the TTHA independent living unit residents think of the Nurse Call System?
It provides peace of mind, but takes some getting use to it.

Welcome to the 21st century.
Irene Bouzo, Community Care Worker

Contact details for Irene Bouzo:
e-mail:      irene@templesociety.org.au
mobile:     0411 843 941
Telephone (home): 9887 0713

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MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

AUS DEM GEMEINDELEBEN

GEBURTSTAGE

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

BIRTHS

Anika Michaela Sutterby
Parents: Stuart Sutterby and Diana née Ulrich
Sister for Sebastian

Lachlan Ferdinand Green
Brother for Annika
Parents: Martin Green and Christa née Jürgensen

Our congratulations!

APOLOGY
Our apologies to Aidan Steller for getting his name wrong in the Engagement Notice last month. So sorry!

BEREAVEMENTS

From Germany, we hear that Beate Struve née Ritter succumbed to her serious illness on 30.4.2007, aged 68. She and her husband Wolfgang joined the TGD straight after the 1999 Israel Tour. They would travel from Munich to Stuttgart whenever possible, because of the high value they placed on Templer beliefs and community. She will be missed.

Elisabeth “Mausi” Werlein (née Frank) passed away peacefully at TTHA on 20.5.2007, aged 84 years. Many thanks to Hulda Wagner for the beautiful service, and the staff at the Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged for their care over the last years.
In loving memory,
Albrecht Frank with Peter, Ralph, Sybille and their families,
Heidi and Heinz Vollmer and family,
Gretl and Hans Hornung and family,
Ursula and Sepp Kaufmann and family,
Erich and Doris Frank and family,
Rudy Frank.

In Sydney, Rolf Hugo Weller passed away on 3.6.2007, aged 83.
More next month.

Our condolences to all the bereaved families.

HEALTH SEMINAR – 19th May in Bayswater
Some 50 people attended the very informative, well presented (but sometimes confronting) Cancer Council seminar on bowel and prostate cancer, organised by our Welfare & Distant Focus Group. The forum had been advertised in the local paper as well as in the TR and attracted some non-Templers, too. Feedback was very positive – it was good to get clear, useful information about areas not often talked about freely. One comment: don’t die of embarrassment, get yourself checked out!
Cancer Council Helpline – 131120
www.cancervic.org.au   www.prostate.org.au  or tel. (02) 9418 7942

OFF TO FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND
Ingrid Hoffmann has been director of the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery for the past 3½ years, after overseeing the establishment of this quality cultural facility. Ingrid has resigned, a little sadly, and is taking up the challenge of a position with Arts Queensland, the Queensland State Government’s arts funding body. There she will be responsible for assisting indigenous art centre development in Queensland, from the Lockhart River to the Torres Strait and Mornington Island, she said. Indigenous art is increasingly popular, and exported from Queensland to Asian markets.
Our good wishes go with Ingrid, who is the daughter of Klaus Peter and Gisela Hoffmann.
Templers are invited to let us know of their family members’ achievements.

THANK YOU TO HELGA ANDERSON
At the Community afternoon in Bentleigh on 27.5.2007, Herta Uhlherr presented a splendid bouquet to Helga Anderson on behalf of the Templer Community to thank her for her many years of dedicated service as TSA Care Worker. In reply, Helga mentioned how the role has changed and grown over the years. All her family were there and witnessed the warm esteem in which Helga is held among the Templers. Following Helga’s wishes, it was a low-key event, but we hope she felt our gratitude and goodwill.
Ed.

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SYDNEY AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA

MAY SERVICE
The Sydney Community welcomed Dr Rolf Beilharz at our Saal. Rolf spoke on the history of the Temple Society, on its ups and downs since it was founded in 1861. The Society survived and prospered in Palestine and afterwards, despite the rift between the two early leaders. Rolf pointed out that the basic message of Jesus’ teaching was to ‘strive for the Kingdom of God on Earth’ or expressed in modern words to ‘live in peace and be honest, putting community welfare above yourself; this leads to peace’.
After Saal a very pleasant time was spent with coffee and cake, where members were able to speak to Rolf.

Our next Service on 22nd July at 10:30am will be conducted by Ilse Birkner.
Hartmut Beck, for the Sydney Community

INTRODUCING INGRID TURNER  -- Sydney Welfare and Development Officer
Hi Sydney Community,
Most of you know me and many of you know I am the new (and first) Sydney Social Care and Youth Worker. My role covers the areas that Irene Bouzo and Susi Blackwell look after in Melbourne. Both ladies are a fantastic, enthusiastic support through the wonders of modern technology. It is wonderful that I can do my best to provide this much needed service to Sydney.

I am married to Mark and have two little boys, Oscar, nearly 4 years old, and Oliver 1½ years old. I am the daughter of Harry and Gerlinde Slip (née Hardegg), I have worked as a Scientist and Science Teacher and now I work for our community part time, as I hold the important role of being Mum to two littlies.

I have been an active member of the Sydney Community throughout most of my life; I was part of the Youth Group for over a decade and was its president for a few years; I lived in Melbourne for six months and joined in Templer activities; I was fortunate enough to go on Templer Exchange to Germany, where I met the fantastic Stuttgart Templers (and improved my German somewhat); recently I have been appointed an Elder.

It has been really lovely to get to know you all better and I have learnt so much from you. As Social Carer, I attend Frauenverein meetings, as well as doing nursing home and home visits. I will continue to visit and support our older members. I went to Melbourne with my family recently, mainly to get extra support for my role. I had meetings with Susi and Irene, who generously shared their knowledge, resources, enthusiasm and advice with me. My family and I felt so welcomed and everyone was so keen to support the Sydney Community, it was a very energising time for us. Thanks so much to Mark, Marianne, Susi, Irene, Herta, Renate and Tony for organising the whole week,

Like Irene Bouzo in Melbourne, I am starting up a Friendly Visitor’s Program, where volunteers visit other Templers for a chat and to give support. Please contact me to join the list, or let me know if you would like to be visited or to find out more about the program. I encourage members to contact me about wellbeing and daily living issues, big or small.

As a youth worker, I have worked with a few other members developing a program for this year. I will start to visit younger members and I look forward to gaining broad input. Here are some events for your diaries:

Coffee Club – Friday 20th July
Come on after Tea is over, say 8:00pm at Ingrid's house.
Aimed at the girls, but interested blokes are welcome. A monthly cuppa of some kind of relaxing brew/ethanol concoction and a packet of bickies. And talk. Catch up. If you happen to come across one, bring along:

• a good book you have been reading (very jealous if you have time to),
• something in a magazine or newspaper that caught your eye,
• listen to a podcast or watch a cool video.

If life is hectic, monotonous, exasperating or rolling along, have a break. Friends or relatives are definitely welcome. I think you get the gist.

Rock Climbing – Sunday 29th July; venue to be named. Forget your fear of heights and have a go. Contact me for details.
Annual Picnic – Sunday 16th September – a lovely day last year!
Family Camp – Friday 12th to Sunday 14th October  -- Close to Sydney, all kids and families welcome.
Put the dates in your diaries.

Contact Ingrid Turner on e-mail: ingridt@tpg.com.au 

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YOUTH

YOUTH GROUP

YOUTH CALENDAR

• Sunday 8th July – BYTC Gym

• Thursday 12th July – Confirmation Group lesson and activity

• Saturday 21st July – Teenage group ‘Movie and Macas’

• Saturday 11th August – Kids’ Club Snow Trip

• Saturday 18th August – Winter Sleepout
  

TEENAGE GROUP
On Saturday 21st July we are going to have a ‘Movie and Macas’ night out at the Waverley Pinewood Cinema. The exact session times are not yet finalised so as soon as this information is available, I will send it out to all TGers! It will be in the afternoon or early evening and we will have the bus available to pick up and drop off people from both Bayswater and Bentleigh.

We will be going to see Harry Potter 5!
Everyone is welcome to come along and if your family would like to join us they are welcome too.
If you want to come, you MUST contact Moni no later than Sunday 15th July. e-mail gmnski@primusonline.com.au 
Moni Imberger

YOUTH LEADERS FOR CONFIRMATION CAMP – see page 30

YOUTH GROUP NEWS
Over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, I had the pleasure of taking eight of the confirmation group to Rupanyup to visit Gareth Lingham and his family. We owe a huge thankyou to the Linghams for being such welcoming hosts, and for the fabulous meals, their abundant patience and the fantastic time we had!

Highlights of the trip included the bonfires, outdoor games and the excursion to the Pinnacle at Halls Gap in the Grampians. Not to mention the excitement when we finally stopped for slurpies on the way home!

We are also very grateful to Ralph Richter for driving the bus all that way. I have asked the kids to share their thoughts with you, but I would also like to say thankyou to them all for their help and their great behaviour throughout the weekend. They were cheerful, positive and polite at all times and were fantastic ambassadors for the TSA. Well done to you all!

This month our activity is on Thursday 12th July at night to coincide with the overnight confirmation lesson/seminar at Bayswater (during school holidays).
Kylie Wilmot
e-mail kyliejw@bigpond.net.au 

CONFIRMATION GROUP TRIP TO RUPANYUP 9th – 11th June 2007
What the kids thought

Gareth Lingham:
The first day I played soccer for a while, then we lit a big bonfire. We also played some night games such as Sardines. It was fun. The second day we went to the Grampians and climbed the Pinnacle. Then we got ice creams and left. That night we played Sardines again. We kept running into a ditch and falling over. The last day we went out and climbed some trees, then we came in and played ‘Time’s Up’.

Ashlin Crowe:
When we got there we all went and explored the massive yard. The country views were amazing. At night we lit the humongous bonfire. We played some fun games and then went to bed. When we woke up we toasted marshmallows. We went to Halls Gap and went on a really long steep walk but it paid off with beautiful views. The best part of the whole camp was playing Shave the Balloon and dressing Moni up as a bride with toilet paper! Overall it was AWESOME!

Kate Blackwell:
On the second day we had to walk up the Grampians which sucked ‘coz I was so exhausted! On the way down Martin, Monika and I ran down the Grampians so fast we completely missed Kylie who was waiting for us! The best bit was running arm-in-arm with Talja, Gareth, Stefan and Martin into a massive ditch in the dark and getting bruised and dirty. It was fun.

Talja Roesner:
The Lingham farm was amazing! When we got there we explored and climbed trees, which was funny ‘because Alana fell out of the tree. It was great ‘getting in touch with nature’. Playing Sardines was great because we discovered how fun the ditch was. Tripping arm in arm into the ditch was painful but definitely a highlight! A couple of us watched movies most of the night so we made strong coffees to stay awake. Thanks for climbing trees with me in the rain, Gareth!

Monika Herrmann:
We had an awesome time! As soon as we arrived at the Lingham’s house, Kate asked Christa ‘is Linghams Rd named after you?’ Me, Kate, Martin, Stefan and cousin Gary played soccer and football. Talja and Alana meanwhile went on about 3 walks in one afternoon! That night we had a humango bonfire and then we played Sardines which was really SCARY! One of the best bits of camp was when we went to the Grampians and climbed up to the Pinnacle. It was AWESOME! Alana got really scared when a glider jet thingy zoomed right past us when we were sitting on the edge of the cliff. It was funny!
Thanks to the Linghams for letting us stay at their house (and Gareth for letting us girls sleep in his room!), Ralph for driving us all the way to Rupanyup and finally getting us Slurpies in Sunbury. And most of all Kylie for organizing an AWESOME camp! Especially when we say in the kitchen in sleeping bags – yep, Kylie did really well putting up with us! WE HAD AN AWESOME TIME!

Stefan Imberger:
We had a good time at the Lingham’s house. But the highlight for me was going to the Pinnacle at the Grampians. It was hard work getting there but we were able to sit one metre from the edge of the cliff. The bonfires were also good. The first bonfire was huge, it burnt all night. The second bonfire was scary for some. Some guys were out spotlighting. We kept hearing shots and every time the shots were closer. In the end we could hear them talking. Some of us got scared. Gareth said they might think we are kangaroos. So we went the long way back, the whole time everyone was behind me. It was great.

Nikki Imberger:
On the Queen’s Birthday weekend we went to the Lingham’s farm. It was a really fun weekend. We played heaps of fun games, such as Sardines and Save the Balloon. Alana and I are experts and we could open a hairdressing salon. It was really cold at night but the bonfires helped to keep us warm. It was a really fun weekend.

Alana Murrihy:
After about seven hours of driving we finally got to the Linghams’ farm, but only Christa was there. Me, Talja, Nikki and Stefan went for a walk to explore the huge property. Talja and I ended up going on three walks in one afternoon, while others played soccer and because they were ignoring us we hid their ball. It was so funny watching them look, but not find it.
On Sunday we went for a walk at Halls Gap up the Grampians. We were basically walking up a cliff face. Even though it wore me out, I still enjoyed it and the view at the top was breathtaking. We were sitting right on the ledge when a psycho in a glider flew right next to us and tried to take us all out. I thought I was gonna fall straight down the cliff face.
On the last day we had to pack everything up. While everyone else was playing ‘Time’s Up’ Talja and I were commando rolling through the grass while it was raining! The most exciting part of the last day was when Christa told me that Geelong had beaten Adelaide by 9 points! I had the best time. Thank you to Christa, Rod, Gareth and Sam for letting us invade your home for a weekend!

Martin Beilharz:
It took a while to get to the Linghams’ house but it was worth it. We had a great time. I really enjoyed the huge bonfire, it was soo awesome and the morning after we made it big again with leaves. I liked running in the ditch. It hurt but it was fun as. We also went to the Grampians. It was a fun walk especially on the way down when Kate, Monika and I virtually ran the whole way. It was a great weekend and I would do it again any time.

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CHILDREN'S SECTION

Hallo to everyone!
This month’s section is very short, because I completely forgot and when I was reminded it was almost too late! Here are a few thoughts about something that is so simple to do, but has many far-reaching effects. This is something that:

• needs no special equipment
• you can do absolutely anywhere
• doesn’t require a great deal of effort
• makes you and other people feel good
• can be done in any language

Have you guessed what this thing is? It’s a SMILE!

I found this article about smiles in a newsletter. If you can’t understand all of the words, maybe you can get an adult to help you read and understand it.

The Value of a Smile
It costs nothing but creates much.
It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give. It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None are so rich that they can get along without it and none are so poor but they are richer for its benefits.
It creates happiness in the home and fosters goodwill in business.
It cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen.
It is something that is of little earthly good until it is given away.
If you meet someone who fails to give you a smile, give them one of your own. For no-one needs a smile so much as those who have none to give.

Here are some thoughts that my kids, Anja and Tim, had about smiles. I wonder if you agree?

• Smiles make me feel happy.
• You use more muscles when you frown than when you smile.
• You smile to someone and they smile back to you.
• It’s nice to give someone else a smile.
• You can say hallo with a smile.
• You can also say goodbye in a smile.
• You can say ‘It’s alright’ with a smile.
• I feel comforted when someone smiles at me.

And finally, here are some jokes Anja found about smiling:
The more people crack it, the more people like you. What is it? (A smile)
What person tries to make you smile most of the time? (A photographer)
I wonder how many times in a day you smile?
Hopefully so often, that you couldn’t possibly count!
I wonder if we could all make it a special job for this month to smile at as many people as we can. And remember, smiles are not just for friends, they are for strangers too. Maybe if we all smile at enough strangers, we won’t be strangers to each other any more.

I hope you have a happy month.
Christine Ruff

We send lots of big happy smiles to these special birthday people:

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TABULAM AND TEMPLER HOMES FOR THE AGED

Dear Friends,
As our President Hardy Weller told you in his last article, it will be my job during the next months to report about recent news from our TTHA Homes. This article is sent to the members of our ‘Parent Organisations’, and some members who are frequent visitors to the Homes may already have read some of these news in our well known yellow House Information.

Building works at the new wing have started, mostly preparatory work. Thereafter some parts of the old buildings will have to be demolished to make way for the new structures. So far work is progressing according to plan, and we hope that the works can be carried out without greater inconvenience for the residents.

I have to report one development which many of our residents will have noted with regret: our much-appreciated chef, Pedro Gisler, has informed us that he will leave and move on to a new job. We shall miss not only his talent to produce meals and cakes according to German taste but also his friendly and good-humoured manner. We thank him for his good work over the last five years and wish him all the best for the future. We have, however, good prospects of finding a suitable replacement soon.

In early August, from 7th to 8th August to be exact, we can expect a visit from the Accreditation Agency.
This will bring a lot of additional work for all staff members, who will want not only to present the Homes in ship-shape condition, but also have to check that all reports and conditions are properly complied with. Residents and their relatives will have an opportunity to ask questions, and staff members will have to answer many questions.

By the time this letter reaches you, Dr Schreiber will be back at his desk. We are fortunate to have an experienced Chief Executive Officer and dedicated staff at the Homes; we can be sure they will maintain the high standard of care our Homes have become known for.
With kind regards,
Walter Schuetz (Vice-President)

Liebe Freunde,
Wie unser Präsident Hartmut Weller in seinem letzten Rundbrief mitgeteilt hat, werde ich in den nächsten Monaten über Neuigkeiten in den TTHA Heimen berichten. Dieser Brief geht an die Mitglieder unserer beiden Dachorganisationen. Einige von Ihnen, die öfters die Heime besuchen, werden bereits Neuigkeiten aus den beliebten Hausinformationen erfahren haben.

Mit dem Bau des neuen Flügels ist inzwischen begonnen worden. Die ersten Bauarbeiten sind vor allem Vorbereitungsarbeiten, danach geht es an den Abbruch derjenigen alten Gebäudeteile, die für den neuen Bau Platz machen müssen. Von kleinen Verzögerungen abgesehen, geht dies planmäßig vorstatten. Wir hoffen, dass die weiteren Arbeiten ohne größere Belästigung der Bewohner ablaufen werden.

Im Heim selbst gibt es eine Personal-Veränderung, die wir nicht erwartet hatten: Unser beliebter Koch, Pedro Gisler, hat sich entschieden, seine nunmehr fünfjährige Tätigkeit im Heim zu beenden and eine neue Aufgabe zu suchen. Wir werden nicht nur seine Kochkünste, sondern auch seine liebenswürdige Art and seinen Humor vermissen. Wir wünschen Pedro alles Gute für die Zukunft. Immerhin besteht die gute Aussicht, dass wir einen mit der deutschen Küche vertrauten Nachfolger finden werden.

In den ersten August-Tagen, genauer am 7. and 8. August, wird wiederum ein Besuch der Akkreditierungs-Behörde im Heim zu erwarten sein. Das macht allen Mitarbeitern eine Menge Arbeit, da nicht nur alles in bester Ordnung vorgeführt werden soll, sondern auch eine Menge Schreibarbeit erledigt werden muss. Bewohner, Angehörige und Mitarbeiter werden bei dieser Gelegenheit eingehend befragt werden. Viele Dokumente müssen ausgefüllt and viele Aktivitäten müssen nachgewiesen werden.

Unsere Mitarbeiter sind bemüht, trotz der unvermeidbaren Erschwernisse während der Bauzeit die Betreuung and Pflege alter Bewohner in gewohnter Sorgfalt aufrecht zu erhalten. Im Namen des TTHA Committees dafür herzlichen Dank.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Walter Schuetz (Vizepräsident)

WINTER-GEDANKEN
Wenn dicke, graue Wolken den Himmel bedecken
und heftiger Sturm wütet,
dann sehen unsere Augen nur traurige Finsternis,
Unsere Ohren betäubt der Donner,
und alle unsere Sinne erstarren vor Schrecken.

Indessen bleibt der Himmel über den Wolken blau
und stets waltet die gleiche Ruhe und Heiterkeit.
Können wir die auch in uns finden?
    Nach John Calvin

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NOTICES -- BEKANNTMACHUNGEN

FLOWER ROSTERS 

COUNTRY VIC – GIPPSLAND – 29th July
The next Gippsland service will be held at the home of Heinz Bulach, 'Edenderry' RMB 2610, Tynong on Sunday 29th July at 11:00am – see Map below 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. Please bring a friend or two and some food to share. Tea and coffee supplied. BYO plates, cups and cutlery. BBQ available, BYO meat. Rosa will be leaving Bayswater at 9:15am to allow for a Bentleigh pick-up at about 9:45am. Please book on tel. 9557 6713 (Office). Driver required.
Dot Ware, for the Welfare & Distant FG

TEMPLER EXCHANGE
The Australian German Templer Exchange is a great opportunity to get to know the German Templers, learn/improve your German language skills, and experience life in Germany.
Application forms are available from the TSA Office and should be in by mid-July, i.e. very soon!
Inquiries: e-mail: tania.richter@gmail.com. See also June TR pages 37 and 38.
Tania Richter, AGTE Coordinator

BA-BO WORKING BEE
The next working bee will take place on Saturday 21st July at the Bayswater Hall, commencing at 9:00am.
Our main project for the day will be pruning the oak trees in the car park. However, we will have a number of other jobs to be done as well (for the ladies, too), so if you are able to come, even if it’s only for an hour, you will be very welcome.
Tea and coffee will be available throughout the morning, and our customary lunch consisting of a sausage sizzle and some drinks will follow the working bee. See you there!
Reminder: we need able-bodied males for the lawn-mowing roster.
Tony Beilharz, for the Property Management FG

BE-MO WORKING BEE – Saturday 28th July
Just a note reminding you to take part in the working bee planned for Saturday, 28th July commencing at 9:00am at the Bentleigh Hall to 12:00 noon. This working bee will concentrate on re-mulching the garden beds and pruning the shrubbery.
If you can help for the whole morning or only for an hour or two, we would really enjoy your company. Everyone is welcome and morning tea will be served.
For further details contact Theo Richter.

CHOIR CONCERT – 12th August Bayswater
The Eltham East Primary School Choir will delight us again by singing in the Community Chapel on Sunday 12th August in the early afternoon. More details in the next TR.
Alfred & Ursula Klink

CONFIRMATION CAMP LEADERS
The 2007 Confirmation Group is hoping to have their ‘end of Confirmation’ camp during the September school holidays this year. To be able to run this camp for them, I need to find one or two more leaders willing to donate their time (probably 6 days) to go along on the camp. The exact dates have not been set and will depend on the availability of the leaders attending, however the camp will run somewhere between 22nd September and 7th October.
If you can help out with this camp or know someone else who may, please contact me via e-mail at susi.tsa@datafast.net.au.
Susi Blackwell, Youth Coordinator

WINERY TOUR – Sunday 5th August
The Yarra Valley winery tour is back by popular demand (some requested the date before getting off the bus last year!).
Join us to sample the scenery and delights a few of the many wineries have to offer whilst being chauffeured aboard Rosa the bus.
We can accommodate a maximum of 23 people and will visit three wineries, including a lunch stop-over at Balgownie Winery, leaving from and returning to the Bayswater Hall. Cost will be approximately $65 per person which covers bus and driver costs, 2-course lunch with a glass of wine and coffee, tasting fees and some nibbles while we’re on the road and afterwards in the Clubroom.

Our itinerary is:
• 10:30 assemble at Bayswater Hall (51 Elizabeth Street, Bayswater, Melway 64 F7);
• 10:45 depart Bayswater Hall;
• 11:30 tasting at Punt Road Winery (10 St Huberts Road, Coldstream, Melway 275 J12);
• 12:15 depart Punt Road;
• 12:30 tasting at Balgownie Estate (1309 Melba Highway, Yarra Glen, Melway 267 G7);
• 1:00 lunch at Balgownie Estate;
• 2:15 depart Balgownie;
• 2:30 tasting at Yering Farm (St Huberts Road, Yering, Melway 275 D11);
• 3:15 depart Yering Station; and
• 4:00 return to Bayswater Hall – informal tea/coffee/nibbles in the Clubroom.

Bookings are essential (please get in early so we can confirm winery and lunch bookings) and seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre-ordering from the lunch menu will also ensure special dietary needs are accommodated and delays are minimised. Details will be confirmed with participants when numbers are finalised.
Bookings: Manfred Decker at deckers@bigpond.com
Manfred Decker, for the Social & Recreation FG

RESTAURANT NIGHT – Saturday 13th October
Feel like some ‘Palästina Oma’-style food shared with friends? The closest offering we can find (without pressing a team of willing Omas into kitchen duty) is an authentic Lebanese ‘mezza’ – translates to ‘table full of food’ – where the selections just keep on coming – no chance of going home hungry!
Sound good? Even better, we can chauffeur you there from the Bayswater Hall or Bentleigh Hall in style and comfort aboard Rosa the bus!

We have arranged a group booking at Almazett Lebanese Restaurant in Caulfield South and can accommodate a maximum of 23 people on the bus. Cost is approximately $45 - $50 per person to cover bus and driver costs, entree, main course, dessert and coffee – drinks are extra (licensed and BYO wine only).
Interested? Bookings are essential and seats will be allocated on a ‘first-come, first-served basis’, so please get in early to avoid disappointment.
Final details are subject to booking numbers and will be published in the next Templer Record. Bookings: Manfred Decker at deckers@bigpond.com
Manfred Decker, for the Social & Recreation FG

PLAYGROUP SHOPPING TOUR – Saturday 13th October

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THE HERITAGE PAGE

TSA HERITAGE GROUP PROGRESS
"Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." – Proverbs:29:18.
The TSA Heritage Group has vision, it has plans and is making progress. The translation program is doing well, the book publishing is progressing, the identification of more Sarona photos has been kindly looked after by Charlotte Dravenieks.

TEMPLER GALLERY AT THE TTHA
A new exhibition containing interesting historical photographs from the Herta Lippmann album is now showing in the corridor behind Reception. Do not be deterred by the building works, come and have a look.
Thank you to all those who have lent us their photo albums to scan into the Templer family database.
Horst Blaich

NEW BOOK: The Wennagel Story – The Fate of the Wennagel Families of Master Builders from the Black Forest, Germany, The Templer Settlements in the Holy Land and to Australia from 1699-2007
Horst and Irene Blaich have recently returned from overseas. They were able to launch Irene’s book The Wennagel Story at the 50th meeting of the Arbeitskreis ‘Familiengeschichte heute’ in Dornstetten. It was ‘a special treat’ to do this in the presence of over 30 professional genealogists in the romantic old town from which Irene (née Eppinger) and Horst’s great-grandfathers, Johann Martin Wennagel and Sebastian Blaich, left for Palestine in 1870 with other Templer families to follow Hoffmann’s vision of establishing communities in the Holy Land to spread Christ’s message of the kingdom of God on Earth. The Swabian forebears of the Blaichs and the Wennagels lived in various villages around the Black Forest.

Der Schwarzwaldbote newspaper (27.4.2007) mentions the local connections, of course, and the stories of the ‘Swabian settlements’ of the Palestine Germans that the Blaichs brought to life with an impressive slide show. There was great interest in the achievements of the Wennagel master builders in the Holy Land and their influence on the architecture of Sarona and Israel (e.g. the red-tiled saddle roofs).
At a meeting in Freudental, Blaichs spoke to about 70 people including four Wennagels whom Horst and Irene did not yet know.
As well as mentioning the new book and the Wennagel and Blaich connections to the area, the newspaper articles also reported on the Templers’ history and achievements – how faith, personal sacrifice and their proverbial Swabian industriousness helped Templer families contribute significantly to modernising the Middle East.

The book The Wennagel Story has more than 500 pages and is enhanced by historic pictures, some never published before. It also includes genealogical tables. It can be ordered over the internet from Traffords in Canada: http://www.trafford.com/robots/04-1334.html  in due course. The cost is not quite finalized yet.
Ed.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Can anyone identify this photo? Where was it, about when? Please respond to Horst Blaich.

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JUNE
TEMPLER RECORD, ISSUE No. 695

REFLECTIONS 

THE AMAZING SURVIVAL AND POTENTIAL OF THE TS  –  Reflections for Founding Day

In June, we often reflect on why the Temple Society was founded, where its beliefs and world events took its members, and what its future might be.

We know that serious disagreements arose between the founding leaders, Hoffmann and Hardegg – yet the Templer settlements prospered where other attempts had failed. (The Zionists, with their dream of living in Palestine, only started to settle there in numbers after the Templers had successfully shown the way.) We know that two World Wars disrupted, then ended, the Templers’ settlement work in Palestine. I ask myself: how did the Temple Society survive despite the initial conflict, then overcome the complete loss of its life’s work? What keeps us going?

Some answers can be found in Hoffmann’s book Occident and Orient (1875), translated as The Temple Society and its Settlements in the Holy Land). In the five short pages of chapter 3 entitled 'What Templers believe’, Hoffmann explains that the Temple Society does not ‘wish to restrict free research in science or history through articles of faith. On the contrary, it is the Temple Society’s wish that its members carry out thorough research, in order to progress towards greater enlightenment and become proficient in all the gifts of the Spirit.’ No dogmas, no creed, but encouragement to study and take into account all areas of knowledge. He states clearly that religion should not be cut off from scientific endeavour. It should use science where possible to achieve the true religious goal that humanity should strive for above all else – the ‘kingdom of God’ (the concept from which flows living in peace with others and in harmony with all life on earth), because then all other problems (poverty, sickness, etc.) can be solved. This goal is expressed biblically in Matthew 6:33 and has become the Templer Motto.

Hoffmann continues that even if the Jesus Christ described in the gospels were fictitious, ‘it would not alter the fact that this ideal and the way to its realization as demonstrated by the Christ of the gospels meets a profound human need and therefore shows us the goal we must strive towards and the way to attain it.’

Now for the really important matter. I believe that what Hoffmann has written in this chapter was what the original Friends of Jerusalem understood and why they joined the German Temple when it was formed. These ordinary, but clearly thoughtful Templers used available knowledge and their common sense to promote success in settling and in living honestly and in neighbourly love and trust together in their settlements. Obviously they also treated their Arab labourers and their Jewish business and agricultural clients or competitors in the same way. They demonstrated the peaceful co-existence humans can achieve on earth, if it is your religious goal to achieve such real peace. Their growing of little forests suggests they may have been working towards long-term sustainable use of their environment. With their faith in a continuing perfecting of humanity and the world, which includes such a striving for lasting peace, these ordinary but highly motivated people were able to continue, despite the strong rifts among their leaders.

If I am right in my analysis, then it is obvious that the Templer striving for the ‘kingdom of God’, as described above, provides answers to many of the world’s current problems. For the Temple Society to grow in the future, it is up to us to make use of the many connections we have at present with other religious groups in Australia and Germany and with Israeli historians. The world around us has changed greatly since our time in Palestine and the 1950s in Australia when we started afresh here. Fewer people now live in small communities where mutual help seems to grow naturally. Our Western world largely emphasises promoting the individual before the health of the community around us, particularly for those living in cities, so there are many opportunities for us to try to let goodwill grow between what are essentially strangers in our neighbourhoods. Our world is full of challenges for us to put into practice our Templer beliefs, simple as they are. Even atheists, interested only in the welfare of people without religious trappings, can agree that living in peace and cooperation is necessary if humans are not to contribute to our own extinction.

There are well-known religious figures moving in the same direction as we are. Theologians like Bishop Spong, and Robert Funk of the Jesus Seminar are also discovering what the original Templer settlers started putting into practice decades ago. We should make efforts to meet them.
Rolf Beilharz

IS GOD A DELUSION, OR ON MY SIDE?
When Rolf and Herta were discussing the article above, other current issues came up.
Recently, the atheist Richard Dawkins has been speaking about The God Delusion (his new book) praising scientific rationalism and discrediting faith – he calls religion the root of all evil (Compass, ABC). What strikes us is that he focusses on the old and very limited notions of God (that many people do still have) and the kinds of religious practices that Templers (and others) left behind long ago. He says that all religions are up to the same tricks, and does not examine the more sensible, moderate religious beliefs that are possible, and in fact practised, ones that promote harmony and cooperation, not hatred and conflict.

It is important that more enlightened beliefs than the dangerous ones of religious fanatics are spread more widely – we agree with Dawkins on that.
It was frightening to watch the smiling American fundamentalist Christians whom Andrew Denton interviewed in God On My Side (ABC 21.5.2007). The religious right could well be convinced that setting off Armageddon is ‘God’s will as foretold in the Bible’, and that therefore it is ‘all good news for believers’, because it would hasten the Rapture, Christ’s Second Coming. (They would be OK, of course, since they are ‘saved’.) – Is this thinking any less dangerous than that of Islamicist suicide bombers?

What we rarely see in the media is that vastly bigger and better perceptions of ‘God’ are possible. As Hoffmann said, we need to take into account all areas of knowledge; this means updating our perception of the divine as our knowledge increases.

Templers are not into blind, unquestioning faith; we believe in growing more mature and being responsible for our own search for truth and a way to live that benefits humanity and our planet – all of creation.
Rolf Beilharz and Herta Uhlherr

REGAINING MEASURE IN LIFE – On Ethical Action
The world needs a spiritual climate change
Nothing will stay as it was. Climate change will permanently change our Earth and our life on it. It is already happening. The issue is, how can climate change be kept within bounds so that the biggest risks can be averted and the no longer avoidable effects be lessened?
We will be able to deal with meteorological climate change only if we also undergo a mental or spiritual climate change. Whether this will succeed is doubtful, even though people all over the world are courageously working at it. Because it involves a new way of thinking, feeling, perceiving – a significant change in consciousness.

Climate change is part of the great cycles of nature, but it is accelerated by wrong thinking. It signals the imminent collapse of a path, developed in the West, which wanted to give humanity security, prosperity and peace by means only of technological and scientific progress and economic growth. Deeming himself to be lord and master of nature, man wanted to elevate himself to be the measure of all things.

Climate change tells us that man is not the be all and end all, the standard by which all is measured. On the contrary, the history of the last 200 years shows that whenever man claims that he is, then excess and arrogance take over. It is not technology, or progress, or growth that is the problem, but the extreme way they are pursued. It is not the extraordinary knowledge and competence humanity has attained that are the cause of the crisis, but the lack of wisdom with which they are applied. Our urgent challenge today is global excess. Faced with this problem, some will say with the philosopher Heidegger: Only a God can save us now.

Why a God? The answer comes from another philosopher, Plato, who taught 2500 years ago: God ought to be to us the measure of all things, not man. ‘Only a God’ can save us, because we can stop the global excess affecting climate change only through a binding and reliable standard for what we do and do not do – in politics, the economy, in culture and religion... But where is this standard to come from? Who will set it in a world where such a variety of cultures, religions and even gods compete with one another?

This question points to the central task that climate change sets humanity, for it makes clear that we can no longer afford to harbour denominational or religious conflicts; that we will not get anywhere if, in spiritual and intellectual issues, we focus more on insisting that our limited view is right than on opening ourselves up to a global awareness.

We will not be able to manage successfully humanity’s enormous task regarding climate change if we continue in the same old way. Improved technology and even more growth will not get us ahead, only a change in attitude from condoning or promoting excessive consumption to accepting moderation. That does not mean we should not use all our knowledge and skill to slow down climate change. On the contrary, we must do that. But we must do it wisely and moderately – in a balanced way.

Informed by reason and feeling, we need to be aware that we are participating in living nature with all that we do and fail to do; we need to realize that we are arrogant and presumptuous when we meddle in the great cycles of nature. In order to overcome global excess, we must learn how life functions: like a great symphony designed to find a consistent, measured, harmonious balance. We need a global feeling for the rhythms of life, which prevents exploitation and rapacious deforestation, as well as unrestrained greed and arrogant power.
The spiritual challenge today is to regain a sense of 'enough’, a feeling for living in moderation – all over the world.

From Dr Christoph Quarch, in ‘Publik Forum Nr. 6/2007’; slightly edited and translated by Herta Uhlherr. Also in the original German in the May ‘Warte’. See also ‘New Scientist’, 19.5.2007: Climate Change, a guide for the perplexed.

TEXT OF THE MONTH – Luke 15:1-7
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Jesus uses the parable of the lost sheep to explain to the Jewish hierarchy why he spent time socially and religiously with the outcasts of society. He also explains why he ate with and preached to people who had gone astray, and why he encouraged them to take the right path. He said that he was like a good shepherd who leaves his 99 ‘good’ sheep in safe pastures while searching for the one lost sheep. He emphasised the importance of this search by describing the enormous joy of all, including God in heaven, when that lost sheep was found and returned.

On one level, he was showing the Jewish leaders what they should have been doing to fulfil God’s will. Serving God involves more than enforcing the ancient laws just for the sake of it. They should be doing more than just interacting with the people who followed the laws and fitted into the racial and social structure of the time. They should do more than ignore or actively cast out those who did not fit. On another level, he was giving us an insight into God and goodness. It was this type of teaching that led to religious practices and institutions such as orphanages, witnessing in the community and charitable missions.

The beauty of the good shepherd metaphor is that, when one takes on the role of shepherd looking for the lost sheep, it is not to gain power over it. Nor is it out of a patronising, self-righteous position, but out of a spirit of caring and compassion. Shepherds act out of a deep and compassionate love for each member of their flock. Another idea in this parable is that we, the religious community, can all become lost sheep, easily misguided and making mistakes. In fact, most of us are misled at some stage of our life and need the loving, supporting help of others to be guided back on to a constructive and good path.

In a way, it doesn’t seem fair that, in the parable, the 99 righteous sheep don’t get the attention and happy celebration from God. Haven’t they done their duty and haven’t they followed the rules to be good members of the flock? Maybe they have actually chosen – or been granted, through no personal effort – the easiest path to spiritual fulfilment and harmony. Perhaps through the building up of occupational and life skills, solid family and social connections and by participating in the broader community, they already have plenty of cause to celebrate.

Why would the shepherd and God rejoice so much because of the lost sheep’s return? Is it because the path of return is so difficult that most don’t make it? Is it because every individual is so important that any return is deeply special? Could it also be that, because the 99 ‘sheep’ find the compassion and ability to guide the lost soul back to the flock, we are at our most lovable when we are caring for others?

What of the lost sheep in our time? People stray due to issues like family dysfunction, mental illness, abuse, poverty, low literacy levels, immature peer-led choices, or poor impulse control. It is so easy to judge them and write them off, as we see daily on certain current affairs programs and in the tabloid press. Should we just banish them, lock them up, or let them rot on the streets? The British transported their prisoners to penal colonies – did that improve their society?

Today in New South Wales 60% of criminals re-offend *). A number of recent documentaries have highlighted how near impossible it is to be repatriated into society. Prisoners receive little re-skilling, drug rehabilitation or psychological counselling in Australian gaols to help them return to society. On top of that there are ridiculously low levels of support and work opportunities when they are released. Also, what of the totally inadequate state of our public mental health services? Is our society acting as a good shepherd towards our lost sheep?

How can we Templers use this teaching in our quest for building God’s Kingdom on Earth? What should we be doing in our role as both shepherd and progressive Christian ‘sheep’ in order to achieve a better life and build a better community? Are there people around us who are marginalised, whom we can better support and associate with? Should we challenge our society to be more inclusive? Now, after the struggle of setting up in Australia is over, is it our duty to engage with the wider community? How can we better support others emotionally, spiritually and materially? How can we stand up for the better treatment of our country’s outcasts?