Successful Sunny Open Day

As the photo below shows, the Club was blessed with a glorious sunny morning for our Open Day in Centennial Park to celebrate our 50th Anniversary on Sunday on 24th June, 2012.

The Club thanks our invited guests and the members and visitors who helped to make the day such an enjoyable success.  As our President, Glenys Moore, said, the list of those who contributed to the Open Day is long, but in particular the Club thanks:

• Peter Hadfield OAM, Centennial Parklands Foundation Executive Officer, and Darren Handley, Manager Park Assets and Services, for their support of the event and our refurbishment of the Musgrave Pond Footbridge (see also below)
• Cr Robert Belleli from Randwick Council, whose Environmental Health Officers assisted greatly with approval for the food stalls
• The Randwick Rotary volunteers who braved the early chill to cook up a hearty sausage sizzle
• The Travelling Barista for serving much appreciated heart warming coffees and hot chocolates throughout the morning
• Face Painter, Michelle Freed, for decorating and making so many kids (and parents) very happy
• Ruth O'Leary from Ruthless Photos for taking photos of the event that will soon be available online to members
• Our Welcome, Dog Central & Club Info Tent coordinators and volunteers - you know who you are!
• Heather Martyn & Sandra Walker, our Obedience & Activity/Agility Demonstration Team Coordinators and, of course, all the team members - again, you know who you are!
• Vicki Etherington OAM, for her wonderful display and explanation of how to get your dog dancing
• Our Grand Paraders & Dog Tricksters, who proved very popular with the crowd
• The Club Committee, who oversaw the planning and budgeting for the event 
• And our 50th Anniversary Subcommittee, who have met regularly and prepared for the Open Day since last year: Claire Scivyer, Kate Mackay, Leonie Kelly, Martin O'Loughlin, Robert Fairhead & Sandra Walker

Musgrave Pond Footbridge Refurbishment

The Open Day also celebrated the official opening of the refurbished Musgrave Pond Footbridge by Peter Hadfield OAM, Centennial Parklands Foundation Executive Officer; Glenys Moore, Club President; and Robert Fairhead, 50th Anniversary Coordinator. 

Peter Hadfield thanked the Club for our financial support for the footbridge refurbishment, noting it was another example of how the Club had contributed to the improvement and maintenance of the Musgrave Pond Grounds for Club Members and park visitors alike.

"Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints." Chief Seattle

Upon the conclusion of Sunday's Open Day, when everything had been packed away and the vehicles had exited, the Club left no footprints (nor paw-prints) on our beautiful Musgrave Pond training grounds, only happy memories of a wonderful celebration marking 50 years of dog training in Centennial Parklands. 

It is an achievement of which all Club Members can be justly proud.

Less than 2 weeks to Club's Open Day!

On Sunday 24th June, Club Members and their dogs will celebrate the Club's 50th Anniversary with an Open Day performance of Obedience, Agility and Dancing with Dogs demonstrations. 

The Open Day will run from 9 AM to 12 midday on our Musgrave Ave training grounds in Centennial Parklands and is open to members of the public.

In addition to dog demonstrations, there will be refreshments, with a Coffee Van and Sausage Sizzle, Free Face Painting for kids, and Information Tents for puppy and dog owners.

The fun-filled scheduled of events for the day includes:

• 9am   Opening Ceremony & Birthday Cake Cutting
• 9:10   Grand Parade featuring Club’s Adult Dog & Puppy Beginner Classes and Obedience Classes 1-4
• 9:20   Obedience Demonstration featuring Classes 1-4 
• 9:40   Club Instructors & Helpers’ Dog Tricks 
• 9:50   Activity Class Demonstration
• 10:10  Advanced Agility Demonstration
• 10:30  Club Instructors & Helpers’ Dog Tricks 
• 10:40  Advanced Obedience Demonstration
• 10:55  Dancing with Dogs featuring Vicki Etherington OAM
• 11:10  Club Instructors & Helpers’ Dog Tricks 
• 11:15  Advanced Agility Demonstration
• 11:30  Club Instructors & Helpers’ Dog Tricks 
• 11:40  Advanced Obedience Demonstration
• 11:55  Closing Ceremony

A full Schedule of Events and Map for the Open Day is available for download from the Dog Club website.

Club Spokesperson, Robert Fairhead, comments, "The Open Day is a chance for Club Members to demonstrate the bond we have with our dogs and for the Club to demonstrate the common purpose we have with Centennial Parklands in promoting responsible dog ownership."

The Club invites visitors to bring their dogs to the Open Day, but requests that all dogs are kept on leash while on the Musgrave Ave grounds.

6 Weeks to go till Dog Club's 50th

It's our 50th this year and we're celebrating it on Sunday 24th June and all are invited to attend.

The Eastern Suburbs Dog Training Club's 50th Subcommittee and Senior Instructors are in the advanced stage of planning for the Club's 50th Anniversary Celebration ... which is just as well, as it's only 6 weeks away!

The Dog Club will be celebrating our 50th with an Open Day on Sunday 24th, from 9am to 12 midday, at the Club's training grounds adjacent to Musgrave Ave in Sydney's Centennial Park, starting with an Opening Parade and featuring Obedience, Agility and Dancing with Dogs Demonstrations.

There will also be information marquees, free face painting, a Rotary fundraiser sausage sizzle and the Traveling Barista.

Current and former Club Members and their families are welcome, as are members of the public.

Bring along your dog, too, but please be a responsible dog owner and keep your dog on leash!

For more information about the Dog Club's 50th, please follow this blog or email:

info@easternsuburbsdogtraining.org.au

Proposed Demonstrations for Club's 50th

Following feedback from meetings with Instructors on the training grounds and subsequent 50th Subcommittee meetings, the proposed demonstrations for the Club's 50th Anniversary Celebration on Sunday 24th June are:

• Puppy Parade (in, around and out of the ring)
• Adult Dog Beginners & Class 1, 2, 3 & 4 Obedience
• Activity Class
• Sandra W's Advanced Agility
• Heather M's Obedience Team
• Vicki E's Dancing with Dogs

Timings and the running order will be firmed up over the next week or so.

In the meantime, if you have any thoughts about the demonstrations in particular or the 50th Anniversary Celebration in general, then please post your comments on our 50th Blog, email the Club or speak to a Committee Member on the grounds on Sundays.

Date set for 50th Celebration - 24th June 2012

After various Club Committee and 50th Sub Committee meetings, and discussions with Club Members and Centennial Park, the date has been set to celebrate the Club's 50th Anniversary : Sunday 24th June 2012.

The 50th Anniversary Event will run from 9am till 12 midday and will take the place of our regular training Sunday (ie. there will be no training on Sunday 24th).

At this stage the 50th Sub Committee envisage:

• A central performance ring with demonstrations of dog obedience, agility and dancing with dogs
• Adjacent Marques offering information and Club history; food & drinks; pat-a-dog and face painting

We are currently discussing the format of the performance ring with our Senior Instructors. Once suggestion has been a rolling performance (over 2-3 hours with breaks) consisting of:

1. Demonstration of Obedience Classes at the Club

• Adult Dog Beginners 
• Class 1 
• Class 2 
• Class 3 & 4 

2. Advance Obedience Demonstration (Easter Show Team)

3. Activity Class Demonstration

4. Advanced Agility Demonstration

5. Dancing with Dogs

Please note: The running order of these demonstrations has not been fixed. However, we have extended invitations to those who would be involved in specialist performances, such as Advanced Agility and Dancing with Dogs.

The 50th Sub Committee Meeting is in early March and we hope to update this blog with more concrete details about the 50th Anniversary Event.

In the meantime, remember, if you have an idea for the the Club's 50th, then please discuss it with a Committee Member (just ask at the Registration Desk on Sundays) or Contact Us online to pass it on so that it can posted here. Also, please feel free to add to and/or comment on ideas already posted on this blog.

Help the Dog Club celebrate our 50th Anniversary

The Club History of the Eastern Suburbs Dog Training Club (DTC) records that in March 1961 a branch of Sydney All Breeds DTC was established in Centennial Park. In July 1962 an inaugural meeting of the Eastern Suburbs DTC (then known as "Easts") was held and in September the Easts Club was officially affiliated.

In 2012 the Club plans to celebrate our 50th Anniversary. The goal of this blog is to post the ideas and suggestions collected by the "50th Anniversary Subcommittee" for discussion by our Instructors & Helpers, General Members, past and present, and other interested parties, to help us plan the event.

The following Club Members have been appointed to the "50th Anniversary Subcommittee" and are on the Club's training grounds on most Sundays:

• Robert Fairhead
• Leonie Kelly
• Claire Scivyer
• Kate Mackay
• Martin O'Loughlin

Ideas discussed by the subcommittee to date include:

• An Obedience Class demonstration
• Activity Class demonstration
• Face painting
• Dog washing
• How tall/short is my dog competition
• Sausage sizzle
• Commemorative signage beside the bridge leading onto the training groundsPress releases to media outlets
• Invitations to Life Members, past Instructors & Helpers, and General Members
• Invitations to Centennial Parklands Trust Members

If you have an idea for the the Club's 50th Anniversary, then please discuss it with a Subcommittee Member or Contact Us online to pass it on so that it can posted here. Also, please feel free to add to and/or comment on ideas already posted on this blog.