|
Navigation
|
History
A Short History
of The Upfront Club updated 2/2002
|
|
|
Background
|
Maleny has had a long history of cooperation. Not only had it produced
its milk cooperatively in the early part of the last century, but in the
late 1930's and the 1940's, many community projects were undertaken. A photo
taken in 1939 showed 40 men on the roof, and 40 women making tea and sandwiches
during the building of the kindergarten. As one of the older residents remarked
a few years ago, "Nothing's changed! Except that these days, it's more likely
to be the women on the roof, and the blokes making the tea!!!" |
|
The early days of cooperation
|
Since the late seventies, the "new settlers" to Maleny had initiated
various community and cooperative ventures to fulfil their needs: the Maple
Street Coop. to supply their food needs, several Community Settlement Societies
to house people on the land (including Crystal Waters, Manduka and Cedarton
Foresters), the Maleny and District Community Credit Union to give them access
to capital, Wastebusters for recycling, Mountain Fare to build business and
other skills for women, Black Possum Publishing Coop,, the LETSystem to enable
those skill-rich and dollars poor to trade with each other, and so on. Life
was full and productive. |
|
Conception of a Cooperative Club
|
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". Late in 1993, a broad-ranging
group of Maleny residents got together to discuss the formation of a Cooperative
Club: a licensed Club whose objective was to provide a venue for members,
their families and guests to fulfil their social and cultural needs. It was
planned that it would be a place where the food was wholesome and inexpensive,
the coffee great, and where local musicians, both experienced and inexperienced,
could gain exposure. The Club would become a place for "play". |
|
The Past
|
Although the previous Maleny cooperatives had been started with
voluntary labour, at the time the Club was started (opening day I July, 1994),
industrial legislation was more stringent, so the fledgling enterprise paid
its workers from day one. As it was under-capitalized from the start, the
cooperative was forced to take out a loan to buy the lease, and, in spite
of the fact there seemed to be a need for the Club (in three years over I
000 residents had taken out membership) and generous donations had been made
by its land-lord and other members, the Club sustained losses each year.
The future looked black! |
|
Three of the Directors took over the management of the Club on
a voluntary basis, and plans made for asking the members whether they were
prepared to work to retain their Club. |
|
The Present
|
On 15 January 2000, the Club turned a significant comer. Over 100
members attended a Special General Meeting, talked of what the Club meant
to them, and an unprecedented number committed to making regular voluntary
contributions to its operations so it could stay open. Now, when you are
served in the Club, it will most likely be one of our fabulous team of volunteers
who serves you. They wash dishes and serve tables, servo fit the counter
and make coffee, prepare meals (alongside a paid cook), bake cakes for cost,
entertain members and guests, work in the garden, scrub "the deck" and maintain
and refurbish various parts of the Club, help with desk-top publishing,website
etc., etc. Since this has happened, members and visitors alike have commented
on the changed atmosphere in the Club. Members say "It feels more like our
place now!", volunteers seem to love their role in assisting their Club to
become viable, and the financial position has already improved! The Directors
now don't dread each monthly Directors' meeting!! |
| The future: |
Thanks to the great member support, it looks as though the Club
will be able to continue to provide services to its members, their families
and guests. But there are still many of the original eleven hundred members
who have not paid their annual subscription, and there are still jobs that
need to be done on a voluntary basis. If you would like to join this band
of "happy volunteers", please ring the club on 54 942592 |
|
Login
