As presented by Allan Whitby at the 2009 AGM confirming the existence of CMAC for 50 years.
The club is FIFTY years old! It was constituted in 1959, although no written record is available. However, the existing minute book records the minutes of the first annual general meeting held on March 4, 1960. It is realistic, I believe, that those minutes be construed to confirm the existence of the club during the preceding year. They also confirm the acceptance of the club’s first Constitution.
The club’s first President was A Mackay and the Secretary/Treasurer was B Brooks.
Club activities in those early years were devoted solely to control-line flying and mention is made in the minutes of the first AGM that a written approach be made to Sutherland Shire Council seeking approval for the use of “an old tip site” on the corner of Gannons Road and the Boulevard as a flying site on Sundays. The success or otherwise of that application is not apparent from club records.
Minutes of 1963 confirmed the election of Stan Burrows (Denis’ father) as President and also confirmed Council’s agreement that Gwawley Park be used as a flying site on Sunday afternoons. The existence of liability insurance was recorded. Membership fees of Twenty Five Shillings ($2.50) for new members and Fifteen Shillings ($1.50) for existing members were set.
In 1969 the AGM noted an approach to SSC for the allocation of land for a flying site at Menai. The success of that application is contained in documentary evidence which verifies that our current land lease commenced in 1970. That 1969 meeting also installed Stan Burrows as the club’s first Life Member.
The 1971 minutes records the progress in development of the Menai site.
“Radio” flying occurred at the Menai site whilst control line continued at Gwawley Park. The concept of “radio control” in those days was a bit of a misnomer. Control of elevator and rudder was by means of an “escapement” similar to the workings of a wind-up clock. Power to the escapements was provided by wound-up rubber bands and the signal transmitted to the model caused the escapement to move one notch. There was no provision to select left or right rudder (or up or down elevator) and it was necessary at times to seek two or three movements of the escapement in order to achieve the required reaction. I was not involved with the club at this time but I recall that the “gurus” of early radio control were still there when I became involved in the early 70’s. Names like Harry Winter and Colin Durrance come to mind.
A tribute to the longevity of the club and its continuing aura of camaraderie is the fact that a few of us have been around almost forever. In fact, “forever” is the appropriate word when we speak of Denis Burrows who has been a member since day One. His AUS number 3165 tells the story. Denis’ father was one of the formative members of the club and was, in many respects, the club mentor. He was the guy who came to Gwawley Park each weekend with an array of bits and pieces for sale (maybe Bob Bishop is a reincarnation!) and made his home available for a long time as a meeting place. As I mentioned, he became the club’s first Life Member. Others among us have been here for some time also. Dale Bentley joined as a junior in 1973, Gordon Hill joined in 1974 and Don Bentley, David Lawless and myself have been around since 1975.
I don’t think I will attract any argument when I say that the success of our club over the years rests heavily on the shoulders of Don Bentley. I don’t propose to attempt to mention the things that Don has done for us….. We all know that! Let’s face it, however- time is taking its toll and at least a proportion of Don’s input ought to be shouldered by others …. He (and me) are rapidly approaching the Three Score years and TWENTY mark (maybe we’ll qualify for an OBE (that’s Over Bloody Eighty, if you please) and I reckon it might be time to ease back a bit further into the background. On that score, it is pleasing to me to note the enthusiasm and vigour of some of our more recent members. Whilst I don’t propose to name names, one has only to look around the field to see the fruits of the efforts of that core of younger, forward thinking and enthusiastic fellows who have done things like the pit tables, start-up area etc. and who, I’m pretty sure, have other things in mind which will benefit us all. Our club will live on, and prosper, whilst we have members like that.
Setbacks? Yep, we’ve had a few. Ongoing, of course, is the constant battle with vandalism by people who see our efforts as fair game in their bid to destroy the property of others. Also, in recent years, we became involved in a serious debate with the Lands Department which, after imposing minimal lease fees for many years, concluded that our land represented a significant commercial site and that we should pay rent accordingly. Their assessment was $10,000 per year with the proviso that we could appeal if we had valid grounds to do so. We took them on, of course, and after a flurry of letters to and fro, a number of sometimes heated phone conversations and the odd threat of taking them to a disputes tribunal, a compromise was reached whereby the amount we pay each year, whilst still substantial, is manageable. It is significant, perhaps, that throughout those negotiations we were unable to get through to the Departmental boffins that, if we were not here, the Aboriginal Land Council would absorb the land and their income would be bugger-all. Whilst on the subject of setbacks, we faced another problem back in 1981 when there came to us as a new member a fellow who claimed, and still makes that assertion, that he’s the worlds greatest pilot. Be that as it may, the peace and harmony of our little group is shattered each week by the arrival of a Camry wagon which, ironically, bears the number plate “RF”. What that signifies is a moot point, but I think that most will agree that it stands for “Rotten Flyer”! Welcome Bob, the club would be a much lesser (and duller) place without you.
Harking back a little, any discussion of the life and times of our club must include a reference to a man who was a long-standing member. I refer, of course, to Bill Edwards who came to the club circa 1964 (his AUS No was 7110) and his presence at the field each week, come hell or high water, could be relied upon. Bill was our Treasurer for about 26 years and was a meticulous builder, usually of scale models. After his passing I was fortunate enough to acquire his Sopwith Pup which now flies permanently above my desk. As a tribute to his ingenuity, the cowl on that model was made from an appropriately-sized aluminium saucepan which Bill liberated from his wife’s kitchen! His name lives on in the official title of our field.
As mentioned, this is no more than a potted history and I shan’t go on any longer. Nonetheless, it is my firm belief that our club can boast a proud history over a very long time and will continue to be one of the foremost aeromodelling clubs, especially in terms of fellowship and camaraderie.
