Geckos Newsletters

GECKOS NEWSLETTER - AUGUST 2011

Well, the GECKOS Festival is over for another year and, from the feedback so far, everyone enjoyed themselves.

Sales of our 'Entertainment Book' continue until 19 August. This is a great investment for anyone, with over $10,000 in savings for businesses in our local area. If you would like one, please contact us soon before they are all sold out. For those that would like to further help our fundraising efforts, contact your friends and families in other areas in Australia and New Zealand. We have established an online ordering page for the 'Entertainment Book' and if this page is used to order a book (no matter where they are) then GECKOS receives $10 from the sale of the book. The link is on our GECKOS home page. Please note that sales of the Entertainment Book will cease on 19 August.

We also have a raffle happening at the moment. A ski holiday for two adults and two children (if you are a family) or for three adults (if you don't have kids!). Tickets are $2 each or three for $5. Make sure you come in and purchase your chance at a great holiday. Ticket sales close on Tuesday 16 August.

We have another lot of great activities this month. Everything from a visit from North Queensland Area Holiday Resorts through to a Teenage Rampage, with an action packed 'Chick Flick' thrown in for good measure.

This month the craft workshop remains on the last Wednesday of the month but the timings have been changed to 0930h to 1230h to accommodate those with babies (afternoon sleeps are very important). Ideal for those people who may want to get out of the house, enjoy some company and have something to show for the afternoon.

Our monthly Sunday Picnic is scheduled for the 28 August. This activity offers some fun, light, family activities to get out of the house on the weekend. Contact centre staff if you would like more information.

And lastly, a reminder about our sewing lessons on Mondays (1800h to 1930h) and Thursdays (1000h to 1130h). No previous experience required and, if you don't have your own machine, we have one you can use. Come along and learn a new skill.

Now, more than ever, we have something for everyone, here at GECKOS @ Lavarack

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.

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.

GECKOS @ Lavarack staff

CamKids Playgroup

CAMKIDS PLAYGROUP

Hello and welcome to the first CamKids newsletter of 2011.

To all our new families, welcome, and to all that are returning, after many changes at the end of last year, I hope that you and your little ones continue to enjoy CamKids in 2011.

This year CamKids will see a return to (semi) structured activities. Of course, participation is in no way compulsory however, we do ask that if your littlies are participating, that you too get involved in the fun. If there are any activities that your family would particularly enjoy please don't hesitate to let myself or the group coordinators know and we will do our best to bring the activity to the group. We are always open to suggestions. Schedules of the planned activities will be available in the coming weeks.

This year we will be undertaking some fundraising activities for some great new purchases, including a joint fundraiser with Geckos to buy an assortment of bicycles which will be a great addition to the centre. We look forward to everyone's support.

The CamKids face book page is a fantastic way of communicating with each other and I encourage everyone to become a member of the group. This will be one of the regular ways I and the group coordinators will communicate information this year.

CamKids is YOUR playgroup. Its ongoing success can only be assured through continued improvement and development to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our wonderful defence families. Having a defence only playgroup offers us all the support that only the 'shared experience' can provide. Everyone is 'in the same boat'. We all know what it is like to have a partner away on course, exercise or deployment, having people who truly understand what that is like is one of the many benefits of CamKids. We can only get out what we put in and I look forward to any suggestions, feedback and help that you are able to offer to CamKids to enable it to continue being the great support system that it is.

I hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable break over the Christmas and New Year period and I look forward to seeing you all in the coming weeks. Don't forget to bring a piece of fruit to share for morning tea and please remember that Geckos and CamKids are "nut free".

See you all soon

Kylie Smart (4773 2998, kylez5383@hotmail.com)

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