Category: Groups - banksiagrove.com

BGRA Residents Association AGM

7/19/2013

BGRA INC. Annual General Meeting (AGM) Monday July 29, 730pm.
30 Turquoise Loop Banksia Grove.
If you are keen to be involved in making Banksia Grove an even better place to live please join us at our AGM to hear what has been happening over the last year and see how you can get involved going forward.The Committee positions of Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer will all be declared vacant open for nominations.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/238034969669501/ is the link for the Banksia Grove Residents Association Facebook Page. There are over 250 people using the page now to help each other out and be in contact with other locals. If you're a facebook user it's worth a look.

BG Residents Association meeting

2/26/2013

The BGRA are planning to hold meetings once a term around the middle of each school term.

Our first meeting for 2013 will be Tuesday March 19, 7.30pm at the Westlakes home, 30 Turquoise Loop. All Banksia Grove residents are welcome to join us.

If you have a project or issue you would like to raise please contact Chris Nelson via e-mail bgranews@hotmail.com or by phone 0416 025 578 so I can add it to the agenda.

Habitat for Humanity in Banksia Grove

11/23/2010

Habitat for Humanity are planning a build in Banksia Grove soon.
Where is it? Who should apply? What are the conditions? How can it benefit more than just one household? What is sweat equity?

Have a look here: www.habitat.org.au/wa

BGRA now on ice awaiting new resident members

7/26/2010

Chair's Report, July AGM 2010:
Here’s what we’ve achieved this year:

Joondalup Drive safer crossings Feasibility Study for best results, but still hard work, despite the (ever-devaluing) million dollars federal money secured.
Set up Asset Register
Banksia Nuts newsletter
Clean Up Australia Day
Foundation Housing briefing re new units
Free LCD monitors
Regular connections with Developer, Governments local, state and federal. Various amenities issues and updates.
East Wanneroo Water briefings
Urban Art at Tan’s Deli & bus stop.
Police briefing re security in Banksia Grove
Neighborhood Watch found its feet à
Rise of the Community Shed, then The Pod – moves to stand alone. à
Spring in the Grove – successful event. Moves to stand alone à
Hand over Computer Lab to BG Centre à

Since we restructured BGRA to fit the Banksia Grove Community Plan, we’ve achieved much more, and had the potential to achieve even more, auspice more, seed and support more. We incubated 4 groups that have now become stand alone incorporations - Neighborhood Watch, The Pod, Spring in the Grove, Computer lab. Perhaps they have drained the volunteer force out of BGRA.
Yet despite being more effective than ever, no more people have appeared to join with BGRA to make their community dreams a reality. I don’t know why. But I won’t suggest the same few people work harder, because we have to look after the people.
So, paradoxically, BGRA has never been better placed to achieve more of the community’s dreams, yet it’s one step from closure.

What BGRA would need to go forward from here:
A minimum 10 new residents, to rest our current executive, and actively develop areas of the Community Plan: (amenities, local groups & cultural events, local businesses, schools and other education opportunities, natural environment, health, and safety initiatives.)
The current status of the association is that a holding committee is waiting for sufficient people to take up the association again. Contact Chair here.
Meanwhile, to see what other groups might be able to help you with the your area of the Community Plan, look around this site. And there's also a quick-find table here.

BG Residents Association faces ironic closure

7/26/2010

Tonight:

BG Residents' Association
Annual General Meeting
730pm, Banksia Grove Centre.

As previously advertised, the Banksia Grove Residents Association faces closure.

Paradoxically, BGRA has never been better placed to achieve more of the community’s dreams, yet it’s one step from closure, simply for lack of participants.

We need to rest the current executive, but if you're interested in contributing to any of the areas of the Community Plan, then come and step into the work:

Cheers,
Geoff

Geoff Westlake
www.banksiagrove.com
0411 324 245

National tree-Planting Day: the Pod

6/23/2010

August 1st, 2010
- contact Christine
at bgranews@hotmail.com
or 9405 9939 or 0416 025 578

As part of Planet Ark National Tree Day.
http://treeday.planetark.org/

Community Walking Group

5/26/2010

Community Walking Group has restarted at BGCC every Friday, with a dedicated walk leader Bec at 9.00am, and is for all ages and is followed by a group morning tea.

Chair Vacancy

5/15/2010

Banksia Grove Residents Association
Vacancies: Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer.

Neither I, nor the treasurer, will be re-nominating at the residents' association AGM this July. So it could be curtains for the BGRA.

But residents should thank the active members of the BGRA for a good job done over recent years:

observing and speaking into the government's selection process for a developer for Banksia Grove
explaining to the chosen developer the needs and aspirations of the existing residents
a much better working relationship with Council, thanks mostly to Laura Gray
working with Council & developers to shape the safer crossings of Joondalup Drive, which will eventually occur in 2011.
participating as one of the few actual residents groups on the Round Table. [The Round Table is important: open to all groups interested in BG, and sorts out plans & problems in realtime discussions.]
restructuring for the Community Plan to actually happen - so people can work in the areas they care about: amenities, economy, education, environment, groups & events, health, safety awareness.
since we did that, BGRA can auspice any new community group or event, which can drastically reduce the admin/paperwork volunteers have to do themselves, so they can get on with doing the thing they actually care about.
we incubated Spring in the Grove, which now stands alone
we incubated The Pod, which will soon stand alone
we continue to supply the Banksia Nuts newsletter you're reading now

Overall a pretty amazing job over recent years, done by a small group of people seeking to "work smarter, not harder." Please thank them whenever you can.

However, truthfully the BGRA looks to be relatively dormant now, for two reasons:
1) even though the BGRA has steered BG through some significant changes over the last 5 years (new developers, road crossings, amenities, environmental issues), those changes are now in place, and there's not much more we can do about them now. The big exception to this is regarding the plans to develop over the Gnangara water mound.
2) And even though BGRA is an excellent way to start new projects in the Community Plan, it's not the only way, and apparently few residents want new things at the moment anyway.

So since there are some urgent needs at the Primary School which effects hundreds of families, I've decided to put my time there (I'm Chair of the school council).

Bottomline: the BGRA is a great vehicle awaiting drivers. May I finish with a caution: whoever wants to drive the BGRA, please remember that it's not a machine, it's made of people. Handle with care.

Until July,

The Chair.

Criteria of Cults

5/12/2010

One reason some people don't get involved with groups, is a fear of getting "sucked into a cult." So rather than simply stay away from everyone, here's a list to help you assess any social group on its cult-like-ness.

It's not so much about beliefs, as behaviors. Therefore, not only religious groups can behave like a cult - so can businesses, employers, government institutions, even social groups. So be aware of these simple criteria of a cult. Make your own assessments, if you're wondering about any group of people. Fore-warned is fore-armed.

Here are the criteria:

1.     Authoritarian, dominating structure [vs Empowering structure

2.     Allegiance to one person’s teaching [vs Various input

3.     The only group with the way to paradise [vs Recognize other groups

4.     Submissive & unquestioning loyalty [vs Critical loyalty

5.     Suspicious of “outsiders” [vs Open to all

6.     Closed secrets, or even deliberate lies (justified deception.) [vs Honesty Open access

7.     Mind control techniques, to control members fatigue, repetition, intimidation, manipulation, threats,  [vs Fair argument encouraged

8.     Total control over all aspects of members lives - Abuse members’ freedoms & rights to choose: theological, spiritual, social, psychological, choices, etc. [vs Empower to work out implications

9.     Require substantial financial support to the group [vs Finance a marginal matter

10.  Lives totally absorbed in group activities [vs Encourage wider life

11.  Lose personal identity (including name changes) [vs Individuality valued

12.  Personality changes, paranoia / persecution complex [vs Healthier self-image

13.  Social disorientation – unable to socialize outside the group [vs Interaction outside group encouraged

14.  Severe guilt complexes [vs Non-conditional Acceptance

List adapted from www.culthelp.info /