Lions Convention a three day triumph
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Weeks of planning culminated happily and triumphantly for local Lions when the sixth annual convention at Port Macquarie was described as the best ever for District 201D.
Clubs throughout the district were represented, and the official attendance was put at close to 600. Visitors came from Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane - to make the occasion a memorable one for Lions, and all paid tribute to Port Macquarie as the ideal venue.
Two of the many dignitaries here for the occasion were ambassador for the Philippines, Mariano Ezpeleta, and Brisbane's "Jamie" Jamieson, a current director of Lions International.
On Saturday night, Mr Jamieson was guest of honour at the district governor's ball in Wauchope, where Lions had excelled in preparation for a grand night out.
The convention weekend began with a civic reception on Friday afternoon for Mr Ezpeleta. In the early evening the Ritz Theatre filled up for an impressive first session of the convention, and after the welcomes Mr Ezpeleta delighted his huge audience in acknowledging an address of welcome.
He referred humorously to his country's associations with America ... "we don't speak English, we speak American", he said. The address of welcome presented by the mayor was incorporated with colour photographs of Port Macquarie.
At the close of the first session the huge crowd adjourned to the lounge at the Hotel Macquarie for refreshments. There were also busy scenes at lunch-time on Saturday with two venues - at the RSL Club and the Hotel Macquarie.
New scenes at airport
New, updated photographs of local beauty spots will be placed in the terminal building at the Port Macquarie Aerodrome, replacing the three old photos which the county clerk described as "out of date".
The old photographs, one of which shows the Port Macquarie High School being constructed, will be replaced by more modern shots of Wauchope, Port Macquarie and Camden Haven.
A request by the Wauchope Rotary Club for permission to display an information sign indicating the meeting times of the Rotary clubs in Wauchope and Port Macquarie was refused by the Oxley County Council.
Council will advise the club it would approve the erection of a totem pole at some suitable location, not in the terminal. This pole will carry advertisements from all service clubs.
