Geckos Newsletters

March has been a very busy month at GECKOS with record numbers of children attending the CamKids playgroups on Monday, Thursday and Friday mornings. For those with newborns, our Mums 'n' Bubs group has also been reborn with lots of new mums meeting on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 0930h.

Messy Play and the Open House Morning Tea proved popular with green goo and green pikelets (looking a little strange but tasting great!) to celebrate Saint Patricks Day.

The 2010 Defence Travel and Leisure Expo is being held at GECKOS on the 21 March from 1400h to 1700h. Loads of travel and leisure company operators will be present to offer fantastic deals to Defence members and families. There are loads of prizes to be won (one every three minutes according to the organisers!!) and all you have to do to win is come along and collect your free ticket. As well as the normal travel and accommodation deals, there is also mobile laser skirmish, dining out, sky diving, wine tasting. So come along and discover all the great leisure time activities available in North Queensland.

The 'Taste of Deployment' series begins on Wednesday March 24 at 1200h. This activity is conducted by our Army chefs and each program in the series explores cuisine from a different part of the globe to which our troops are deployed. Come in to the centre and watch a professional put together some truly wonderful recipes and then have a taste of some dishes that you will never have seen! This month's destination is South East Asia.

Due to popular demand, GECKOS is running another Monster Garage Sale at Ruediger Park (opposite the RAAF Base) on 28 March from 0700h to midday. So if you unpacked all that stuff after your move to Townsville and wondered why on earth you brought it with you, $25 will get you a table, chairs, price tickets and advertising in all local newspapers, television and radio stations. Seller registration forms have been mailed out to all Defence homes in Townsville, however, if you missed yours call the staff at GECKOS and they will arrange one for you.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a great bargain, come along on Sunday 28th and take advantage of having lots of garage sales all in one spot. There will be food and drink for sale, even a face painter for the kids.

Wednesday 31st March 1730h, be at GECKOS for the Easter Egg Hunt to end all Easter Egg Hunts. This is a free activity and the hunt will be broken down into different age categories so the little ones have just as much fun as the bigger kids. Easter craft will also be available to keep siblings amused while others are hunting chocolate eggs. If your children have a food allergy, don't let them miss out. We can cater for those as well. RSVP is essential and can be made in person at GECKOS or over the telephone on 4411 1741 prior to 24 March 2010. Food and drink will be on sale for those that want to take care of dinner at the same time! Thanks to Bloody George's Soldiers Club for sponsoring this activity for the Defence kids of Townsville.

Just a reminder that there are some school holiday activities on at the centre during the Easter break. You will need to register your children to participate. More information will be released over the coming week.

EVERYDAY THERE IS SOMETHING HAPPENING AT GECKOS

COME IN ANY TIME

We are open every Monday to Friday (except Public Holidays) from 9am to 4pm. You are welcome to drop in any day - except TUESDAY because that is a blue card event with the Creche occurring here.

We are keen to make our activities appropriate to all Defence members and their partners regardless of whether they have dependent children. If you have paid employment during the day and can't make it to our usual events, or, if you don't have children at home and you want come along to GECKOS, please email us at GECKOS with your availability and your contact details. We will be back in contact with you and able to invite you to participate along the way.

Kim Loadsman
WO2
Assistant Centre Coordinator

Playgroups Newsletters

Hello and welcome to Cam Kids Playgroup for 2010.

To all the new families, welcome and to the families who are returning, thank you for helping make Cam Kids the success it has become.My name is Sheree Mulligan and for me, we are returning to Cam Kids after a two year absent and to see the fantastic facilities now offered at Geckos, the equipment that is available for our use and the support from the community for Geckos is amazing. As the original coordinator of Cam Kids, Cam Kids and the centre had only been up and running for nearly 6 months, it is wonderful to return to such a vibrant and energetic centre.

I now find myself once again Cam Kids Coordinator, however the role has changed. After meeting with the fantastic Staff at Geckos we are hoping to have a day coordinator for each of the playgroup sessions (Monday, Thursday and Friday) who will provide assistance & welcoming to new members, the organisation of activities for the day and being a contact for their respective days. My role as Cam Kids Coordinator is more of a liaison between, you the members, the daily coordinators, the staff at Geckos and outside contacts. I will be working hard to help make Cam Kids a wonderful place for you to keep coming, fondraising, seeking donations etc.

By having the Day coordinators and myself we are hoping to take the pressure of everyone by having more ideas and having a back up if one of the coordinators is unable to make it on their day. We are thankful that Karen has decided to continue on as Friday's Coordinator. She has done a wonderful job bringing lots of energy and ideas for all the Cam Kids?.thanks Karen.

There will also be some other changes happening with Cam Kids being allocated the pin board / notice board on the right hand side as you enter Geckos. On this board we can place Newsletters and other ideas and information to be shared.

We are planning some wonderful fundraising ideas for this year including the possibility of a ‘Ladies Night - party plan demonstrations', sausage sizzle for Lunch with Cams and also a Cam and Little Cams Ball. Please if you have any other ides for fundraising, let me know.
Please remember that playgroup is for all Defence families and we can only get out of it what we all put in.

Special Needs Newsletters

Hard copies of the Defence Special Needs Newsletters are available through GECKOS each month. If you would like to receive this newsletter via your email, please use the email link to GECKOS (top of this page) and we will arrange for your to recieve this newsletter regularly.

In Townsville the Defence Special Needs Support Group Coordinator is Mrs Jaqui Ross. Jaqui leads an active group that enjoys many regular social outings, parent information sessions, and regular use of GECKOS playgroups where all children mix freely in parent supervised social activities.

May DSNG Newsletter

Solid Rock Ministries

SOLID ROCK MINISTRIES

Solid Rock Ministries (SRM) is a Christian ministry to Defence partners. The Lavarack Barracks chapter of this ministry meets at the Chaplaincy Centre each Tuesday from 10am. SRM is approved by RAAChD. You are welcome to join this group for friendship, bible study and prayer.

We at SRM acknowledge that with a loved one away from home times can be difficult. There are sacrifices you make as the remaining partner. The work that ADF are doing is very much valued by us.

Our hearts are with those of you who are left behind to carry on the day to day life without your partner's close support. We realise too that for some of you this is not the first time you have waited out the long weeks and months for their return. The current tempo of our military is indeed a high one.

As a Christian group we would like to let you know that the ladies of SRM pray for our troops at home and away, for their health and well-being and for a safe return. We also pray for you, their famiies, for strength to keep things together and for friends to help you through. We want to encourage you that you are remembered and appreciated. Thank you for your sacrifices. You will continue to be prayed for.

Solid Rock also offer practical support. In order to access this, you will need to contact GECKOS who will help you by making an assessment of your needs and then we will contact you.

With much love,
The ladies at Solid Rock Ministries, Lavarack Barracks.
solidrockmin@optusnet.com.au

Multiple Birth Association Newsletter

Because of the number of Defence families with multiple births, GECKOS will be publishing the bi-monthly newsletter of the Townsville Branch of the Multiple Birth Association. GECKOS plans to develop a close supportive relationship with the MBA so that we can support Defence families better.

Multiple Birth Assoc Tsv Br

Deploying Unit's newsletters

Rifle Coy Butterworth Rotation 86

docs/griffin_gazette_15_May_09.pdf

1 RAR Pony Express

1.Pony Express Oct 09.doc

2 RAR "Second to None"

TK Sapper Times

TK Sapper Times (16 CE SQN News Letter 10 Oct 09).pdf