So a reunion has been planned and the search is on for past and present Apex members from the region. Zone 10 stretched from the Sydney Harbour up the east coast as far as Kempsey and the reunion is open to every club in between.

The reunion will take place in Laurieton on March 14, 2019 and organisers would like to see as many past and present members as possible attend.

The reunion plan so far...

Some visitors from out of town may well arrive early so we have arranged a few simple events before the dinner.

On Thursday March 14, 2019, happy hour will commence from 6pm at Laurieton United Servicemens Club with dinner to follow at 6.30pm. 

The reunion was never intended as a fundraiser, just a chance to catch up, however...

The Apex Foundation's Magic Castle Chalet at Smiggins Holes is an outstanding success and has provided underprivileged kids some wonderful highlights to their lives. Apexians never change so there’ll probably be a raffle or two and maybe a fine session with funds raised to go to the chalet.

To register for the reunion, visit https://apexreunion.weebly.com/ or phone John on 6559 5264.

Did you know?

The Association of Apex Clubs of Australia is the collective name given to individual service clubs across the country. An Apex club is a community service club, neither sectarian nor party political, that provides young civic minded people the opportunity to volunteer within the community and develop personally through club run schemes such as public speaking competitions. Club members are volunteers are aged between 18 and 45.

The Apex story starts in March 1931 when three young architects, looking to make a contribution to their community (Geelong Victoria), decided to create Apex. By Christmas that year, clubs in Albury, Ballarat, Camperdown and Warrnambool had established. Over the past seven decades, Apex has chartered more than 1,000 local groups and more than 200,000 younger Australians have learnt key skills while making a practical contribution to the common good. Apex's three founders, Ewan Laird, Langham Proud and John Buchan were motivated by a simple creed: citizenship, fellowship and service.

Some of Apex’s remarkable and noteworthy campaigns over the years:

1930s - truck and radio equipment to help the Royal Flying Doctors Service, the introduction of free milk to Australian schoolchildren pioneered by Apex's 1937 national service scheme and postnatal medical services championed

1940s - more than 60 percent of Apex's members serve during the war, succeeded in a compulsory tuberculosis Xray testing scheme virtually eradicating the disease in Australia and promoting international volunteer co-operation

1950s - supported a civilian widows network, recognised indigenous needs, sponsored postwar migrant community integration and established the first Guide Dogs for the Blind training centre

1960s - Apexians walked around Australia to raise awareness and funds for Autism, made talking books and other media available to the blind, more than 11,000 new blood donors found and new collection centres established

1970s -  Apex established Foundation 41 at the Royal Women’s Hospital Sydney, supported MS education, built the Magic Castle in the Snowy Mountains and established the Robert Stolz Scholarship to the Vienna Conservatorium of Music

1980s -  Supported the creation of the SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Foundation, funded craniofacial surgery, promoted CPR training and helped raise more than $4 million for Life Education efforts in primary schools regarding substance abuse

1990s - Major sponsor of Kids Helpline, took the model of Clean Up Australia to a world audience of more than 6 million volunteers and identified the positive role model of sporting coaches in the Australian community

2000s - handed over more than $1 million to the Westmead Children’s Hospital, engaged in multimedia promotion of volunteerism across Australia and forged links with the Surf Life Saving movement on youth education issues.

2010s - Opened the Apex Copper Coast Retreat, for families living with cancer, took the Apex Teenage Fashion Awards national, forged closer links with our neighbours through extended Student Bursary schemes in Philippines and Indonesia.  Reignited Apex Global and expanded to Indonesia.

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