CENTRE NEWS

Help! We are running out of volunteers! The last few weeks have seen the Centre unmanned (sorry, unpersonned) for half a day here or there, so what we really need are two or three people who can help out at short notice. Please come and see me any Friday afternoon.

With the onset of winter it has been rather quiet, but the Gift Shop and Op Shop still keep us going. Your support is crucial, especially in view of the recent cancellation of GVEHO grants to all but hands-on tree planting and regeneration groups.

Talking of tree planting, one of our new members is interested in organising tree plantings along the South Grafton to Waterview Heights cycleway. We've checked with Council, and there are a few rules and regulations that need discussing. If anyone is interested in this tree planting group, please let us know.

The committee recently decided to start buying topical books for the library to hopefully attract more readers. You can now borrow "The Corporation", also on DVD and Video, and Jared Diamond's "The Collapse" is will be here by the time you read this.

Did you know that the CEC has its own Gift Fund, with tax deductibility for any donation over $2.00? In view of last years zero receipts into the Fund, we were advised by Environment Australia that we are in danger of losing our gift recipient status. Can you help?

Finally, here's a date for your diaries: Our AGM is on Thursday, August 18, 4pm at the Centre. Please come and get involved.

-Ciao Karin

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DEAR MYRA      YOUR LETTERS ANSWERED

Dear Myra

I am a small environment centre from a humble suburb. For some years I have been receiving a small amount of money each year from my rich Uncle John in Canberra. It's been enough to help me out with a few domestic expenses and the odd household appliance. I supplement this small income by selling gifts and second-hand clothes. Luckily, I have a small but lovely group of friends who keep me going from day to day, without payment. Imagine my shock when Uncle John said he was cutting off my allowance. Some of the right-wing think tanks in the family have been at him to cut me off, and he has always favoured them. I know he thinks I'm not respectable. Cousin IPA has been whispering in his ear that civil society is becoming too influential, and that all decisions should really be left to the market. Cousin IPA says green groups like me just confuse consumers. It's not fair. What can I do?

Yours
CEC


Dear CEC

If you can't beat em, join em. I've heard about your cousin IPA. Is his real name Institute of Public Affairs? He has some very benevolent sponsors, such as Philip Morris, British American Tobacco, Esso, Caltex and Shell. See if you can persuade some of them to sponsor you. They might find it useful for their image to be associated with a nice person like you. Of course they'll want to interfere in your life, but you'd better get used to that. It's a dalmatian-eat-labrador world out there.

Yours truly,
Myra.