Christmas dinner faces chop

Another Harvey institution, the annual Seniors Christmas Dinner, is at a crisis point.

This follows on from the announcement two weeks ago that Harvey Rotary Club will close its doors on June 30.

After celebrating a successful 60th anniversary last year it appears the 2014 Christmas Dinner will not continue to go ahead unless extra committee members can be found.

Each year up to 300 seniors attend the dinner enjoying the excellent meal and great entertainment at no charge.

For many, some of whom are picked up from their homes, it is a once in a year outing where they can reunite with old friends.

At a recent review meeting of the volunteer organising committee it became apparent that, for various reasons, several current committee members were unable to commit to this year’s event or were seeking to stand down permanently from the committee.

While the annual dinner receives fantastic volunteer support on the night from a variety of local groups and individuals, a much smaller band of dedicated volunteer committee members meet on a regular basis throughout the year, and are responsible for organising and putting the event together each year.

In recent years the group has catalogued an extensive list of tasks needed to conduct the event and also a timeline of reference.

This will greatly help any future committee members or groups who seek involvement in the organisation of the event.

The committee is encouraging interested individuals or organisations to attend an open meeting at the Harvey Recreation and Cultural Centre on Wednesday, April 23, at 5.30 pm.

At this meeting a final decision regarding the fate of the Harvey Seniors Christmas Dinner for 2014, and possibly its future, will be made.