History

History of CCLAC

The Life Activities Club Dandenong (a member of Life Planning Foundation of Australia Inc) had been running for over 20 years, when it was felt that a new club should be started to cover the Berwick region. Life Planning were instrumental in establishing LAC clubs throughout Victoria and ran a number of activities available to all LAC members to participate with the services they offered. In May 1996 a special event happened that put the wheels in motion to start our Club.  Notices were distributed calling a meeting of interested people to look at establishing an LAC in Berwick. The meeting was held in the Masonic Hall on 22nd May 1996 and a steering committee was established.
The organisers were unsure how many would come and allowed for around 70 however, much to everyone’s delight, several hundred turned up!  It was an unexpected surprise for the organisers as the weather conditions were extremely bad that night. The Berwick Life Activities Club was formed at the initial meeting held on the 26th May 1996.

The following is from a speech made by Harry deGroot during our 10th Birthday celebration in 2006)

“One morning in May 1996, I walked down the street to get my usual Saturday Morning Age newspaper in
Berwick Village, when a nice lady thrust this yellow flyer in my hand. At the bottom of this welcoming document were two numbers to ring, with the names of Bettina (Ashworth) & Shirley (Moles).
Ann and I attended the Public Meeting on the 22nd May 1996 along with several hundred prospective members and visiting members from other Life Activities Clubs; particularly the Dandenong LAC which was instrumental in the formation of our current club. Throughout the meeting was much talk of Life Activities Clubs. A Proposal to form Berwick Life Activities Club was put forward and passed unanimously. The first Committee was elected/appointed".  

The first committee meeting was held on 27th May 1996 where a report was presented from the steering committee and the first elected committee comprised the following

President:           Alice Baker (Anderson)                    Vice Presidents:      Graham Davies & Peter Boyd      
Secretary:           Joan Day                                              Treasurer:                Billi Couchman

Committee Members:

Charles Anderson, Bettina Ashworth, Joan Cook, Pat Davies, Donald Day, Harry de Groot,  Elsie Griffiths, Marjorie Millard, Shirley Moles,        Casey Morgan, Jean Morgan, Audrey Thomson, Heather Kent.

The meeting’s Agenda indicated Heather Kent was given the task of Newsletter Editor; naming the Foundation
Members and those present planned to appoint a membership secretary and a publicity officer. Decisions were made regarding the administration of the club that included name badges, printing, the Constitution and Incorporation and the arranging of the Club’s very first Christmas Party!! The first Annual General Meeting was held on 30th August 1996.

We applied to the Board of Life Planning Foundation of Australia to change the Club's name from Life Activities Club Berwick to the Casey/Cardinia Life Activities Club .  The Board approved the name change on the 7th October 2003.

On the 16th March 2009 Casey/Cardinia Life Activities Club became Incorporated.