SOUTHBOROUGH AND KANIV ASSOCIATION
President: Colin Bothwell, Southborough Town Mayor
NEWSLETTER NO. 12
February 2009
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Friday 20
th
February 2009
Annual General Meeting at the Ark, Gallards Close
Please let Jackie Prance have any nominations forms before 18
th
February
Saturday 21st March 2009
Start of Year Dinner at The Ark, Gallards Close
Please let us know your menu choices for this event before the 15
th
March as Direct Catering need this information
Annual General Meeting
.
Please do try to come to the A.G.M. at The Ark, Gallards Close, starting at 7.30pm on Friday, 20
th
February 2009. A nomination form for the committee is attached.
An alteration to Item 2 of the Finance Section of the Constitution will be proposed, so that it reads:- “The Funds of the Association will be maintained by the Hon. Treasurer and examined at the end of each financial year by an Authorised Independent Scrutineer appointed at the A.G.M.”.
An alteration to Item 2 of the Finance Section of the Constitution will be proposed, so that it reads:- “The Funds of the Association will be maintained by the Hon. Treasurer and examined at the end of each financial year by an Authorised Independent Scrutineer appointed at the A.G.M.”.
Start of Year Dinner
.
This very popular occasion is not a fund raising event so the cost of £11.50 per person may be paid at the Dinner to Direct Catering Services who will, once again, provide the meal for us. Vegetarian options are available for both courses. The price includes a glass of wine or soft drink as requested as well as a dessert, tea or coffee and mints. A booking form is attached. Start time 6.30 for 7.00pm.
If you came last year you will certainly want to come again and if not do try to come to this one so that you can meet some of your fellow members and have an enjoyable evening.
Membership Subscriptions 2009.
These are now due and we would be grateful if your subscription (which remains at £3.00) could be sent to Mike Bailey at 8 Gallards Close, Southborough, TN4 0NB, cheques made out to S.A.K.A. A form for your use is attached to the end of this Newsletter. Thank you very much.
Anniversary of the Tragic Date
By Alina Kharchenko (Chairman of Kaniv and Southborough Association) K.A.S.A.
On the 22
nd
of November the people of Ukraine marked the 75
th
Anniversary of the most tragic date in the history of our country – Holodomor. It was the genocide of the Ukrainian people, provoked by the communist regime when millions of people died of hunger. Meetings and requiems were held all over the country, at School No. 6 specialising in learning foreign languages in particular.
… lighting candles, stands which tell the people the truth about Holodomor, created a special atmosphere – the atmosphere of sorrow, Profound Respect and Memory, with bated breath and tears in eyes the pupils, teachers and guests listened to the reminiscences of the survivors who were lucky to get over those hard days. A special bus brought 9 old ladies to school. Many of them could hardly walk, but they came because they knew they were remembered and not forgotten.
96 years-old Katherine Shuets got over the tragedy. The woman told the people about horrors of famine provoked in Ukraine in the years when the harvest was not so bad. She recalls that the daily food for her in those days was the edge of stale bread, ears of wheat and rye, sprouts of grass and weeds.
Valentina Pojivailo, one more survivor, told everybody about famine in Cherkasy region which took three hundred thousand lives. The woman admitted that she never throws away crumbs of bread for her dream in 1932-33 was to have at least a slice of bread.
The minute of silence … We are mourning the victims of Holodomor. We pay homage to those who survived. We must remember the tragedy because we must remember the past for the sake of future.
The meeting was organized at the initiative of K.A.S.A., the Town Council and the local centre of the social service of invalids, disabled and lonely people.
… lighting candles, stands which tell the people the truth about Holodomor, created a special atmosphere – the atmosphere of sorrow, Profound Respect and Memory, with bated breath and tears in eyes the pupils, teachers and guests listened to the reminiscences of the survivors who were lucky to get over those hard days. A special bus brought 9 old ladies to school. Many of them could hardly walk, but they came because they knew they were remembered and not forgotten.
96 years-old Katherine Shuets got over the tragedy. The woman told the people about horrors of famine provoked in Ukraine in the years when the harvest was not so bad. She recalls that the daily food for her in those days was the edge of stale bread, ears of wheat and rye, sprouts of grass and weeds.
Valentina Pojivailo, one more survivor, told everybody about famine in Cherkasy region which took three hundred thousand lives. The woman admitted that she never throws away crumbs of bread for her dream in 1932-33 was to have at least a slice of bread.
The minute of silence … We are mourning the victims of Holodomor. We pay homage to those who survived. We must remember the tragedy because we must remember the past for the sake of future.
The meeting was organized at the initiative of K.A.S.A., the Town Council and the local centre of the social service of invalids, disabled and lonely people.
My Trip to Kaniv in August/September 2008
-
By Mike Handcock
It was a great pleasure for me to re-visit Ukraine in August after a three and a half year absence and discover a country that appears to me to have made considerable progress since 2004. We tend to hear and read downbeat things about Ukraine, but I found optimism and much greater confidence amongst the friends I saw whilst in Kaniv. The hospitality, generosity and enjoyment of having a good time are still as obvious as ever and that is a most endearing feature of the people we now have such firm links with. Certainly they have had a really hard period to endure recently but as ever they will come through it with their natural good humour having seen it all before.
On my first morning I had a meeting with the Town Mayor, Vasyl Kolomeitz, at 8.30a.m. and we spent an hour and a half discussing various projects like our help for elderly, poor people living in the area.
I was pleased to know that the Council would be providing aid for 90 elderly folk during the four winter months by bringing them into properties in the town where they would be looked after by 15 staff. Our own scheme is providing for 20 people outside the Council scheme and the delivery of this project is being undertaken by members of the Kaniv and Southborough Association (K.A.S.A.) which, like us, is a working organisation growing in strength and influence.
We also discussed Kaniv’s hosting of the 2009 Euro-youth Project and the Mayor is confident that they will not require the financial help that we were able to give them in 2005. Sadly there seems little or nothing they can do to rescue the boxes of books and woollen goods which were stopped on the Poland/Ukraine border, we believe, last February having been taken there from Viersen with other goods from their German twin town and, for all we know, still remain there.
Later that day I walked into town with friends along the towpath of the River Dnieper and another Project came to mind. The new green benches are obviously appreciated by the general public as many of them were occupied, but the weed and litter between bench and water just begged for an environmental clean-up, as did the flowerbeds, so promising, so neglected. However a similar, but more obtainable Project involving School Number Six is what I now feel we should undertake with further co-operation from members of K.A.S.A. I will give more details about this at the A.G.M.
I was so pleased to meet two elderly ladies, survivors of the Great Famine of 1932-33, known as Holodomor by the Ukrainians, the Patriotic War of 1942-45 and Chernobyl. One lady of 85 lives way up a hillside with her son and she is very immobile and a near by neighbour of 92 lives alone in her neat little cottage.
She was working in her garden though it was nearly dark and insisted on presenting me with a bag of walnuts gathered from her garden. A typical act of generosity and I understand these two survivors of so much unhappiness and deprivation in their lives are now receiving welfare funded by S.A.K.A.’s endeavours during 2008.
Obviously a highlight for me was attending “First Bell” at School Number Six. This happens on the first day of the new school year, I believe in all Ukrainian schools, and the experience will live long in my memory. New entrants, aged six, come to school dressed in their best outfits, most carry bouquets of flowers and many parents are also present for this occasion. Lined up outside on three sides of the square they face the Director (Head Teacher) and senior members of staff, plus guests such as myself on the raised area in front of the school entrance.
Speeches are made, older pupils perform dances, or sing and several new entrants come up and take the microphone and say how pleased they are to be at school and vow to study hard – their confidence was just amazing. Then the little ones cross the square, mount the steps and present their flowers. Imagine having a beautiful little girl with big brown eyes, her first day at school, standing in front of you offering you a lovely bouquet of flowers – that indeed was my unforgettable experience. The climax of the event was when one of the older boys hoisted a little new entrant girl on his shoulder and they paraded around the square ringing “first bell” to great acclaim and the new school year had begun.
I was delighted to visit both the classrooms that had been re-furbished with money provided by S.A.K.A. You will be able to see the thank-you letter and photographs from the children at the A.G.M.
It was good to see very real improvement in the Children’s Ward at the Town’s Hospital built way back in 1922. Yes there is much to do and the people are aware of that, but a real start has been made, they are by no means complacent and only the lack of funding and the opportunity to do more is making progress slow.
There is much more I could write about the work aspects of my nine-day visit and I have not even mentioned the wonderful hospitality and kindness I experienced every single day I was in Kaniv. Members of S.A.K.A. are assured of a warm welcome by our many friends in Kaniv and we will have the opportunity to extend the hand of friendship to four of those who did so much to make my visit so worthwhile provided they get the Visas they are applying for, supported by an Official Invitation from our President, the Town Mayor of Southborough and myself as your Chairman.
“Grand Charity Cabaret” - 27
th
September
Once again SAKA found an alternative use for Christ Church Day Care Centre when it hosted its second annual evening of fun and frivolity to raise funds to help support the victims of the great famine of 1932-33 many of whom are still living in poverty in Ukraine.
Don Buckland, dressed as a cockney rebel, started us off with a rendition of “Brahn Boots” by Weston & Lee describing some rather unusual attire at Aunt Hanna's funeral. Don is chairman of the Bidborough Dramatic Society. Gina Franks, another BDS member, raised the tone exponentially when she sang beautifully “Tell Me Fair Lady” from Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro”. Unfortunately the MC’s joke afterwards about Figaro being a fertilizer popular in Vienna in the 18
Don Buckland, dressed as a cockney rebel, started us off with a rendition of “Brahn Boots” by Weston & Lee describing some rather unusual attire at Aunt Hanna's funeral. Don is chairman of the Bidborough Dramatic Society. Gina Franks, another BDS member, raised the tone exponentially when she sang beautifully “Tell Me Fair Lady” from Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro”. Unfortunately the MC’s joke afterwards about Figaro being a fertilizer popular in Vienna in the 18
th
century didn’t go down too well.
Next up was David Ward, a very talented member of SAKA, who demonstrated not only his magical abilities but also his virtuosity on the accordion. He didn’t make it disappear but at least one of his balloon dogs did just that with a bang before a successful creation was presented to a young member of the audience. He didn’t try to saw any ladies in half but apparently David does have two half sisters!
Terry Langford, from the Paddock Wood Magpies, entertained with his splendid singing. As we discovered last year Terry is keen on Elvis and his performance of “Girls! Girls! Girls!” this time was legendary. It was then Mike Handcock’s turn to be all at sea when his advances to the lovely Gina Franks were rudely interrupted by the cleaning lady, alias Colette Marsh, in a sketch entitled “You’re Just in Love”. It seems he changed allegiance in the end – it must be an age thing!
Undiscouraged by performing in front of a SAKA audience earlier in the evening Don Buckland made another appearance with “A Pale Young Curate” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Sorcerer”. The musical interlude was followed by Anne Holford, another BDS member, performing a Joyce Grenfell sketch entitled “The Committee”. It seemed all too familiar and yes we’ve all been to meetings like that!
It was about this time when we were beginning to receive news about the impact of the credit crisis on the Japanese banks. To mention just a few of those affected, we heard that the Origami Bank had just folded and that the Sumo Bank had gone belly up. Investigators have realised something fishy was going on at the Sushi Bank because customers were now getting a raw deal.
Terry Langford stepped up to the podium for a second session. He was to be accompanied this time by Pat Jay but he was unfortunately still stuck on the M25. Nevertheless Terry carried on manfully. The finale was provided by Gina Franks with “I’m Just the Girl who Can’t Say No” from Oklahoma. Gina’s piece, and indeed all the singing, except for Terry who had his own equipment, was accompanied by Erica Counsell on the piano. Erica did a tremendous job and in recognition of her stoicism the SAKA committee may want to consider the services of a piano tuner before next year’s event!
Wei Lin’s Fish Bar in Western Road once again produced a welcome fish and chip supper. Rhona Handcock and granddaughter Sally Andrew had prepared an excellent choice of desserts, so no one went home hungry. The Mayor of Southborough, Cllr. Colin Bothwell, presided over the Grand Draw for which tickets had been on sale throughout the summer. Thanks to all those who sold tickets, those who bought them and those who provided the prizes, we were able to raise £393.00 and a further £120.00 was made as a result of the Social Event, which made good publicity for S.A.K.A. as well as producing a lot of laughter and enjoyment. Congratulations to the hard-working committee and those who participated in the cabaret.
This event is now a firm fixture in S.A.K.A.’s calendar so make sure you don’t miss out next year. You won’t find a better value evening anywhere!
Next up was David Ward, a very talented member of SAKA, who demonstrated not only his magical abilities but also his virtuosity on the accordion. He didn’t make it disappear but at least one of his balloon dogs did just that with a bang before a successful creation was presented to a young member of the audience. He didn’t try to saw any ladies in half but apparently David does have two half sisters!
Terry Langford, from the Paddock Wood Magpies, entertained with his splendid singing. As we discovered last year Terry is keen on Elvis and his performance of “Girls! Girls! Girls!” this time was legendary. It was then Mike Handcock’s turn to be all at sea when his advances to the lovely Gina Franks were rudely interrupted by the cleaning lady, alias Colette Marsh, in a sketch entitled “You’re Just in Love”. It seems he changed allegiance in the end – it must be an age thing!
Undiscouraged by performing in front of a SAKA audience earlier in the evening Don Buckland made another appearance with “A Pale Young Curate” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Sorcerer”. The musical interlude was followed by Anne Holford, another BDS member, performing a Joyce Grenfell sketch entitled “The Committee”. It seemed all too familiar and yes we’ve all been to meetings like that!
It was about this time when we were beginning to receive news about the impact of the credit crisis on the Japanese banks. To mention just a few of those affected, we heard that the Origami Bank had just folded and that the Sumo Bank had gone belly up. Investigators have realised something fishy was going on at the Sushi Bank because customers were now getting a raw deal.
Terry Langford stepped up to the podium for a second session. He was to be accompanied this time by Pat Jay but he was unfortunately still stuck on the M25. Nevertheless Terry carried on manfully. The finale was provided by Gina Franks with “I’m Just the Girl who Can’t Say No” from Oklahoma. Gina’s piece, and indeed all the singing, except for Terry who had his own equipment, was accompanied by Erica Counsell on the piano. Erica did a tremendous job and in recognition of her stoicism the SAKA committee may want to consider the services of a piano tuner before next year’s event!
Wei Lin’s Fish Bar in Western Road once again produced a welcome fish and chip supper. Rhona Handcock and granddaughter Sally Andrew had prepared an excellent choice of desserts, so no one went home hungry. The Mayor of Southborough, Cllr. Colin Bothwell, presided over the Grand Draw for which tickets had been on sale throughout the summer. Thanks to all those who sold tickets, those who bought them and those who provided the prizes, we were able to raise £393.00 and a further £120.00 was made as a result of the Social Event, which made good publicity for S.A.K.A. as well as producing a lot of laughter and enjoyment. Congratulations to the hard-working committee and those who participated in the cabaret.
This event is now a firm fixture in S.A.K.A.’s calendar so make sure you don’t miss out next year. You won’t find a better value evening anywhere!
The Grand Draw –
full list of prizewinners.
1
st
Prize
Seafrance Channel crossing for 5 plus car –Andrej Kotlarcyzk, Bidborough
2
nd
Prize
Family ticket Cinderella Pantomime –Brian Dobson, Tunbridge Wells
3
rd
Prize
Family ticket Cinderella Pantomime –Colin Bothwell, Southborough
4
th
Prize
Ticket 4 person “Tons of Money” by Bidborough Dramatic Society – Peter Johnson, Crowborough
5
th
Prize
Fold-up Luggage Set – Anne Holford, Bidborough
6
th
Prize
Framed Print of St. Peter’s Church overlooking cricket on Southborough Common – Daisy Fletcher, Southborough
7
th
Prize
Picnic Hamper –Mandy Dier, Crowborough
8
th
Prize
Southborough Butcher’s Voucher –David Coward, Southborough
9
th
Prize
“Jack the Ripper” Book – Debbie Cole, Bidborough
10
th
Prize
Fold-up Case – Elizabeth Calladine, Tonbridge
11
th
Prize
Swiss Chocolates – Rowena Morris, Southborough
12
th
Prize
Chartwell Table Mats –Michael Holman, Tunbridge Wells
13
th
Prize
Leather Handbag –Audrey Constable, Pembury
14
th
Prize
Condiments Set –Robert Prance, Southborough.
Please support our supporters!
Without the support of those commercial and other organisations that donated prizes, we would not have been able to have staged such a successful Grand Draw. When making purchases, always keep these names in mind:
SEAFRANCE –
Channel Ferry Services
Southborough Butchers,
who supported us for the second year running.
Pantomime Productions
at the Royal Victoria Hall at Christmas every year.
Bidborough Dramatic Society
The comedy “Haul for the Shore” at the Bidborough Village Hall directed by Colette Marsh, April 23
rd
, 24
th
and 25
th
2009.
Robert Prance.
S.A.K.A. Dinner Booking Form
Name (s)………………………………………………………………………………
Number of people coming………………………………………………………..
Number of people coming………………………………………………………..
Menu Choices
Starter(s)
Prawn and Smoked Salmon………………………………………
Stilton and Broccoli Soup…………………………………………
Main Course(s)
Roast Beef etc……………………………………………………..
Penne Pasta ……………………………………………………….
Desserts
Apple Pie and Custard ……………………………………………
Fruit Pavlova and ice cream ……………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Nomination Form
A.G.M. 2009
– Please return to Jackie Prance, Hon. Sec. by first post 18th February 2009.
I wish to nominate..
for the position of…………………………………….
to serve on the Committee for one year. He/She will be seconded at the meeting by
……………………………………….. and has agreed to stand.
NAME…………………………………………SIGNATURE…………………………………
Please feel free to send in other nominations, suggested Constitution amendments, or Motions for
Consideration on other sheets of paper.
I wish to nominate..
for the position of…………………………………….
to serve on the Committee for one year. He/She will be seconded at the meeting by
……………………………………….. and has agreed to stand.
NAME…………………………………………SIGNATURE…………………………………
Please feel free to send in other nominations, suggested Constitution amendments, or Motions for
Consideration on other sheets of paper.
SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL FORM
Please send to Mr. M. Bailey, 8 Gallards Close, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 0NB
I/We wish to renew my/our membership of S.A.K.A. for 2009.
Please find enclosed a cheque for £3.00/£6.00 (2 members) made out to S.A.K.A.
Name …………………………………………………..
Address ………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………
Signed …………………………………………………
I/We wish to renew my/our membership of S.A.K.A. for 2009.
Please find enclosed a cheque for £3.00/£6.00 (2 members) made out to S.A.K.A.
Name …………………………………………………..
Address ………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………
Signed …………………………………………………
