Second Floor Opening Dinner Dance - WordPress.com4 Swiss Club of Victoria Dear members and friends...

8 9 F l i n d e r s L a n e • M e l b o u r n e 3 0 0 0 • V i c t o r i a • A u s t r a l i a • w w w . s w i s s . o r g . a u / s w i s s c l u b v i c

SEPTEMBER 2010SEPTEMBER 2010REGISTERED BY AUSTRALIA POST - PUBLICATION No. VBH 6369

R

OU

NDABOUT THE SWISS

CLUB

Second Floor Opening Dinner DanceAlmost 70 people attended the Swiss Club Second Floor Opening Dinner Dance on a chilly Saturday evening on the 3rd of July. Dinner was followed by dancing and a few short speeches to recognise those who made the transformation possible. The floor was officially opened by the traditional ‘cutting of the ribbon’ performed by Roberto Petruzzi who was the lucky winner of the raffle.

As a member of the 2nd Floor Redevelopment Sub-committee it was with a great sense of pride that I watched the members enjoying themselves in the brand new main room which is a far cry from the outdated room that was previously there. Barbara and her family had done a wonderful job of setting up the room and the addition of plants, table flowers and lamps made it feel warm and inviting.

The full committee attended the dinner and we all enjoyed seeing the guests having a wonderful time, many trying out the new dance floor which was well received.

Thank you to Roger and his team for organising the smooth running of the catering. The temporary bar area was well used with a number of people congregating around it to catch up with fellow Swiss they hadn’t seen for a while.

As a club of modest means run by a committee of volunteers it was a great achievement to celebrate the completed Second Floor which is fantastic resource for our members. We encourage all members to use the floor and to promote it to others for rental so we can all benefit.

Antony Anderson Building Management

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SWISS CLUB OF VICTORIAFounded in 1899

89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000T: (03) 9650 1196, F: (03) 9650 3104E: [email protected]: www.swiss.org.au/swissclubvic

Club Opening HoursLunch - Monday to Friday from 12noonDinner - Wednesday, Thursday & Friday from 6pm. Bookings T: (03) 9650 1196

Swiss Club CateringFor Weddings, Corporate, Seminars, Parties, Private Functions contact Chef & Catering Manager Roger MoulletT: (03) 9650 1196, F: (03) 9650 3104M: 0409 040 249E: [email protected]

COMMITTEEBarbara KündigPresidentT/F (H): (03) 9813 8843M: 0402 018 363E: [email protected]

Rolf HuberImmediate Past PresidentT/F (H): (03) 9807 0282M (B): 0425 805 854E: [email protected]

Gerda ProbstSecretaryM: 0439 936 313E: [email protected]

Urs Derrick WildiTreasurerT/F (H): (03) 9824 7930M: 0403 040 930E: [email protected]

Sigrid de CastellaMembership RelationsM: 0416 088 000E: [email protected]

Antony AndersonBuilding ManagementM: 0416 069 666E: [email protected]

Patrick RychnerCorporate Communications/Web AdministratorM: 0404 657 886E: [email protected]

Damian SchallerEvent ManagerM: 0410 461 364E: [email protected]

SWISS CLUB SUB-GROUPSSwiss Folk Dance Group AlpenrosePresident: Sylvia HochuliT: (03) 9531 6575E: [email protected]

Swiss Companion SingersConvenor: Heidy GigerT: (03) 9889 9321E: [email protected]

Ladies LuncheonsConvenor: Heidy GigerFor bookings T: (03) 9650 1196For information: T: (03) 9889 9321E: [email protected]

Saturday Morning Swiss SchoolConvenor: Andrea PinchT: (03) 5331 6762E: [email protected]: www.swiss.org.au/scvschool

Swiss PlaygroupIngrid Preston T: (03) 9772 0516Chantal Imbach T: (03) 8407 3766W: www.swiss.org.au/playgroup

The Swiss Diners ClubConvenor: Amy BohrenM: 0410 037 095E: [email protected]

Swiss FestivalChairman: Rolf HuberT/F (H): (03) 9807 0282M (B): 0425 805 854E: [email protected]

SWISS COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONSSwiss Society of Victoria(Benevolent Society)President: Franz SchnellmannT: (03) 9449 2245, M: 0412 203 893E: [email protected]

Trachtengruppe SchwyzergruessAustralian/Swiss Cultural Society President: Sylvia HochuliT: (03) 9531 6575E: [email protected]

Groupe Romand du VictoriaPresident: Marianne Puccinelli7 Eric Court, Wheelers Hill Vic 3150T: (03) 9561 9595W: www.swiss.org.au/chfrvic

Pro TicinoPresident: Claude Rossi5 Falls Road, Hoddles Creek Vic 3139T: (03) 5967 4542E: [email protected]

Swiss Yodel Choir MatterhornPresident: Marco Unternährer3 Bluegum Court, Upwey Vic 3158T: (03) 9388 8777, (03) 9752 6996 (H)W: www.swiss.org.au/matterhorn

Swiss-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) General Manager: Marcel SvatosLevel 5, 23-25 O’Connell StreetSydney NSW 2000T: (02) 9223 7222, F: (02) 9223 7211 E: [email protected] W: www.sacci.com.au

Swiss-Australian Academic Network (SAAN)E: [email protected]: www.saan.id.au

Honorary Consul of Switzerland (Victoria): Erika Kimpton697 Toorak Road, Kooyong Vic 3144T: (03) 9824 7527, M: 0413 042 728E: [email protected]

Organisation of the Swiss Abroad(Auslandschweizer-Organisation)Council Delegate: Roland IslerContact details: see below under EditorW: www.aso.chW: www.swiss.org.au/csa

Unless otherwise stated, postal address for all is: 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Vic 3000

ImpressumNews and Views published by the Swiss Club of Victoria. ‘Edelweiss’ appears quarterly in March, June, September and December. Circulation 500.For all enquiries contact: Roland Isler, EditorT/F: (03) 9558 3877 (H)T: (03) 9524 6335 (B)M: 0412 935 565E: [email protected] St Georges Crescent Heatherton Vic 3202

4 S w i s s C l u b o f V i c t o r i a

Dear members and friends of the Swiss Club,

It has been a rather chilly winter and we probably all look forward to spring and warmer days. The winter cold hasn’t prevented us from

being active at the Swiss Club. The past quarter has been quite busy with lots of events. We celebrated the member’s opening of the Second Floor with a Dinner Dance. Then there were several functions to celebrate Swiss National Day as well as our regular events. If you attended any or several, thank you for coming along and I hope you enjoyed your time with us.

The Second Floor is almost fi nished, just a couple of touches here and there. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Antony Anderson and Derrick Wildi for all their work on the building sub-committee to get the renovation done so smoothly. Thank you also to the committee for their support before and during the renovation process.

It is now time to have it occupied with all kind of functions. So, if you plan a celebration, a family event or a business function, think “The Second Floor” and call your committee to book it! Another way you can get involved in the support of the Second

Floor is by answering our call for sponsorship of our glass doors with the beautiful Swiss Coat of arms. There is more information on page 12 in this newsletter. Please support your club.

The Victorian Multicultural Commission chose the Second Floor as the venue for their grant presentation in early August. The committee was very pleased to received lots of positive feedback for our new club room. We thank the VMC for their support.

The Half-Yearly Meeting is set for the 15th September, we encourage you to come along and learn more about what’s happening.

I look forward to seeing you at the Swiss Club.

Barbara Kündig, President

President’s Message

Nicolas Georges HayekThe patriarch of the Swiss watch industry, Nicolas George Hayek, has passed away at the age of 82. Hayek died of heart failure in his offi ce in Biel on 28 June.

Hayek was the founder and most recently the chairman of the Swatch Group, the number one manufacturer of fi nished

watches in the world. He was often cited as the saviour of the Swiss watchmaking industry.

Considered one of Switzerland’s leading entrepreneurs, he had managed to turn his vision of a strong watchmaking enterprise into reality. Hayek did not invent the Swatch but he was instrumental in pushing the brand name and, of course, making the group what it is today – the world’s largest watchmaking concern.

When the Swatch watch came of age, there was a wonderful party in Zermatt, at which Hayek spoke of his most favourite poem – by Rudyard Kipling. He mentioned it several times in later speeches. He obviously loved it.

Nicolas George Hayek will be remembered as a small but great man of Swiss recent history.

If you can keep your head when all about youAre losing theirs and blaming it on you,If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,But make allowance for their doubting too;If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;If you can meet with Triumph and DisasterAnd treat those two impostors just the same;If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spokenTwisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winningsAnd risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,And lose, and start again at your beginningsAnd never breathe a word about your loss;If you can force your heart and nerve and sinewTo serve your turn long after they are gone,And so hold on when there is nothing in youExcept the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,If all men count with you, but none too much;If you can fi ll the unforgiving minuteWith sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,And - which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

by Rudyard Kipling

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90 years & over: In July Hans Bless, our most senior jass player, celebrated 92 years (pictured) and Anni Rutishauser celebrated 91 years. Marianne Waites celebrated 91 years in August.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you all and wish you good health in many years to come.

Get wellPeter Kropf, Mareli Hein, Beat Altermatt and Yvonne Erb who are recovering from surgery and also to Urs Marfurt who is not feeling well. We wish you all a speedy recovery.

The last farewellJulia Wyrsch passed away on 28 May. Our sincere condolences to her husband Theo and family.

Max Kulmanis passed away on 13 July at the age of 89. Our deepest sympathies go to his wife Inge and family.

John Williams Coward passed away in July. We extend our sympathies to his wife Barbara and his family.

Dear members, if your partner, your friends or fellow members have a reason to celebrate, are unwell or have left for a better place, please let us know so that others know too. Please contact Sigrid de Castella (Committee) or the Editor.

Welcome to our new membersWe welcome Patrik Bruhlmann, Manual Prada & Sandra Sandoval, James Kirk, Ashleigh Liu, Corinne Duggan, Renate Triffett, Karl Zingre & Sarah Cather, Thomas & Sonja Sonderegger, and Johanna Rudiger. We are looking forward to meeting you at one of our forthcoming functions.

CongratulationsCongratulations to Manual Prada & Sandra Sandoval who married in Fiji in May.

Our warmest congratulations go to Margareth and Fred Stahli who were celebrating their diamond (65th) wedding anniversary on 5 May (pictured above).

Congratulations to Dr Claudia Thalmann (former member of ‘Echo from Switzerland’ and ‘Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand’) who has become the recipient of a Phd in Micro Biology. Well done Claudia!

Birthday Celebrations80 years: Beat Altermatt has become an octogenarian in July.

Hans Wanner and his life-long friend of 54 years, Urs Marfurt were able to celebrate their birthdays together at the club in August. Hans turned 82 whilst Urs turned 77 (pictured).

9762 3212

Andreas Rene Muehlheim21 January 1975 – 30 June 2010

Our heartfelt thanks to all our friends from the Swiss Companion Singers and the Swiss Club of Victoria, for your expressions of sympathy, and your thoughtfulness on the death of our dear Andreas.

Kind Regards,Pierre, Margaret and Family


At the ClubSaturday, 31 JulyThis year’s Swiss National Day was celebrated over two days, Saturday at the Club for the ”grown-up’s“ and the Lampionumzug for the children and families on Sunday.

This resulted in the Club being not quite as fully booked as in previous years, but nevertheless, it didn’t take long for John Wanner’s ‘Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand’ to create a lively atmosphere, especially on the dance fl oor. The delicious dinner menu created by Roger Moullet and the excellent service by the girls did its part to ensure everyone was happy.

After the welcome by Club President Barbara Kündig, the 719th birthday of our country was offi cially celebrated by a toast to Switzerland and all raising to sing the National Anthem accompanied by ‘Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand’.

It was great to see everyone having a good time! Editor

Swiss National Day Celebrations for everyone

Swiss fl ags fl ying proudly at Federation Square

National Day Senior Members’ LuncheonMonday, 9 AugustWe were early. The lift brought us up. The ride was smooth and quick. The lift door opened.

Daffodils in many vases dazzled our eyes! They are an early spring greeting.

All tables set most elegantly. Everything looked inviting.We greeted each other, warm welcomes everywhere.

The soup arrived – it tasted good. The main dish vanished quickly.

Barbara Kündig spoke most kindly!

Walter Purtschert with guitar, opened the gate for singing. All the Swiss are singers of renown. And “Morge früeh wenn d’Sunne lacht”, sounded special.

But “z’Basel am mi’m Rhi”, is my chosen one.

Chestnuts for dessert, what a treat. Laughter and jokes sounded out loudly!

What a day it has been, what a rare mood I’m in!

Inge Kulmanis

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Lantern ProcessionSunday, 1 AugustAs this year’s National Day fell on a Sunday, we decided to start in the afternoon and do everything in reverse order, so that families could get their children home early. We met for ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ on the Second Floor, where an ample ‘z’Vieri’ buffet awaited the children.

It had been raining almost all day, including even the occasional hail! We wondered if the skies would once again be favorable towards the Swiss and our Lampionumzug and thankfully it happened. Shortly before six, the rain stopped, and we got ready to leave for our march. The children, with the help of the parents, sang the traditional Lantern song, and off we all went with our fl ags, cow bells and glowing lanterns. Leading the procession was once again Gerd, who had brought along three of his friends with their drums. The four drummers sounded just formidable. Thank you to Gerd for volunteering for so many years – it wouldn’t be the same without the drums!

Our procession slowly made its way down Russell Street, over the bridge and then along the Yarra River to Federation Square where the eight large Swiss Flags were fl ying. The event ended with a very loud jam session by our drummer quartet.

While all went on the walk, Corinne, John and Lucas stayed behind and cleaned everything up. Thank you so very much!

We hope all the participants had a good time. Many thanks to Melinda, Emma, Gerda, Corinne, Rhea, Johanna, John, Martin, Damian, Lucas and Roland for volunteering their time and working at our family National Day function for the benefi ts of the children and parents. Without our volunteers, nothing would happen!

Barbara Kündig

As this year’s National Day fell on a Sunday, we decided to start


SPRING SPECIALS:Cakes for all occasions, any size or shape – mixed fresh fruit flans

Assortment of savouries, large and small – handmade fresh fruit jelliesTraditional Swiss gourmet specialities

We cater for all your individual requirements!Open Tuesday to Sunday 232 Blackburn Road, Syndal 3150 ☎ 9802 7265


Multicultural Victoria meets at the Swiss ClubTuesday, 3 August

The Swiss Club Committee with Ministers Wynne, Pike and Merlino

Minister James Merlino, Minister Richard Wynne, Swiss Club President Barbara Kündig and Minister Bronwyn Pike

The fi rst major non-club event held at the newly refurbished 2nd fl oor was the Victorian Multicultural Commission grants presentation.

On Tuesday, 3 August the Club was a proud host to representatives from over 50 Victorian community organisations. Present to hand over a total in excess of $500,000 to support a multitude of community projects, were the Hon. Bronwyn Pike MP (Minister for Education, Skills and Workforce Participation), the Hon. James Merlino MP (Minister for Sport, Recreation, Youth Affairs and Minister Assisting the Premier on Multicultural Affairs) and the Hon. Richard Wynne MP (Minister for Housing, Local Government and Aboriginal Affairs).

The Swiss Club extents a big thank-you to the Multicultural Commission for the generous grant of $1,100!


Master Chef Liz (my wife) wanted to cook something that she remembered having at the Swiss Club (yes Roger, you are an inspiration!), a very Swiss dessert: Vermicelles with Meringues. But in all of the cook book that I had featured in the past, there was no recipe for it. Finally we were lucky to fi nd one in a Swiss cook book that we had for well over 20 years – one of the fi rst published in English – ‘Cooking in Switzerland’ by Marianne Kaltenbach. I must feature this book in a forthcoming edition of the ‘Edelweiss’ because it is a little beauty! So here it is:

Vermicelles with MeringuesIngredientsVermicellesServes 4

800g ChestnutsSalt1½-2dl Milk1 Vanilla Bean80g Sugar2dl Cream2 tbsp Kirsch (Cherry Schnapps)

MeringuesApprox. 10 portions

4 Egg Whites from fresh Eggs200g SugarButterFlour4dl Cream

Vermicelles (Chestnut Purée)Chestnuts still grow very plentiful in the southern part of Switzerland, the Ticino, were this popular dessert originated from. The name stems from the Italian word ‘vermicelli’, which are long, thin noodles.

Using a sharp pointed knife, slash the chestnuts on their rounded side. Roast in oven or on a grill until the shells pop open. Alternatively, you can boil them in lightly salted water for 5 min. Remove the tough outer shell and the brown inner skin with a knife. Place the nuts in a saucepan, cover with lightly salted water. Cover the pan and cook for 40-50 min. When the chestnuts are tender, put them through a purée strainer. Bring the milk and slit vanilla bean to the boil. Add the puréed chestnuts and stir until it forms a thick paste. Remove the vanilla bean, pour in the Kirsch and let cool.

Before serving, pass through a sieve (medium-sizes holes), chestnuts press or meat grinder directly onto the serving dish. Garnish with whipped cream and meringue.

MeringuesIn the Emmental and Bernese highlands meringues are usually served after a festive meal. The name is said to come from the town of Meiringen; and because foreign guests (notably French speakers) could not pronounce the original name ‘Meiringerli’, in time it evolved into ‘Meringues’.

Beat the egg white until foamy. Gradually add half of the sugar in spoonfuls, continuing to beat. When the mixture is stiff, carefully fold in all but a tsp of the remaining sugar. Using a spoon or pastry bag, shape the meringue paste into oblong mounts onto a greased baking sheet lightly dusted with fl our, Set them a few centimeters apart. Dust the meringues lightly with sugar and let dry in the oven on a very low temperature for 1 hour. Keep the oven door ajar. They may take on just a bit of colour and should be fi rm on the outside and dry on the inside. Let them dry out for a few more minutes after turning off the oven. Remove from the sheet with a spatula and let cool.

Yummy!

Wir treffen uns im 2. Stock des Klubs an den folgenden Samstagen, von 1 bis 4 Uhr:

• 11 September • 16 Oktober • 13 NovemberGratis für Swiss Club Mitglieder;

$5 pro Familie für Nicht-Mitglieder.

Auskunft und Anmeldung:Andrea Pinch, 5331 6762, [email protected]

Schweizerdeutscher Kulturtreff für Eltern und Kinder

Swiss WatchingInside Europe’s Landlocked IslandAuthor: Diccon BewesPublisher: Nicholas BrealeyISBN: 978-1-85788-548-4Language: EnglishBinding: 320-pages, PaperbackPrice: CHF 29.90 + postage

The real Switzerland – Europe’s most individual countryOne country, four languages, 26 cantons and 7.5 million people (only 80% of whom are Swiss): there’s nowhere else in Europe like it. Switzerland may be almost 400 km from the nearest drop of seawater, but it is an island at the centre of Europe. Welcome to the landlocked island.

Switzerland is the country that gave us triangular chocolate and holey cheese and the Swiss Army Knife. It’s the country famous for its punctual trains and strict neutrality. The country that has yodelling festivals on national television. But what lies behind these stereotypes?

‘Swiss Watching’ is a revealing journey around Europe’s most individual country. From seeking Heidi and fi nding the best chocolate to reliving a bloody past and exploring an uncertain future, ‘Swiss Watching’ proves that there’s more to Switzerland than banks and skis, francs and cheese.

This is a picture of the real Switzerland, a place where the breathtaking scenery shaped a nation not just a tour itinerary, and where tradition is as important as technology. It’s also the story of its people, who have more power than their politicians but can’t speak to one another in the same language – and who own more guns per head than the people of Iraq. As for those national stereotypes, well, not all the cheese has holes, cuckoo clocks aren’t Swiss and the trains don’t always run exactly on time.

About the AuthorDiccon Bewes is an experienced travel writer who has lived in Switzerland for four years. An 18-month world trip set him up for a career in travel writing via the scenic route of bookselling. After ten years at ‘Lonely Planet’ and ‘Holiday Which?’ magazine, he decamped to Switzerland, where he is currently manager of the Stauffacher English Bookshop in Bern. As well as grappling with German, re-learning to cross the road properly and overcoming his innate desire to form an orderly queue, he has spent the last four years exploring the bits of the country he’d never head of before and eating lots of chocolate. See his website at www.dicconbewes.com

The book is available from Stauffacher English Bookshop, Neuengasse 25-37, 3001 Bern. www.stauffacher.ch


Test your Swiss Knowledge

© G & M Probst

Across 3. In what Swiss city is the Annual International Motor Show held? 4. Event organised by the Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess, held on 10 November 6. Swiss alpine pass with the highest elevation (Sta Maria to Bormio) 7. Monthly events at the club, held for Swiss German speaking families 9. Name of the railway across the Alps, opened in 1882

Down1. Famous Swiss figure skater, which had a spin named after her 2. Birth Name of DJ BoBo 5. What tourist attraction is located in Melide (“Switzerland in one hour”) 8. Swiss bread in the form of a plait, traditionally eaten on Sunday morning

Test your Swiss Knowledge

Across 3. In what Swiss city is the Annual International Motor Show

held?

4. Event organised by the Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess, held on 10 November

6. Swiss alpine pass with the highest elevation (Sta Maria to Bormio)

7. Monthly events at the club, held for Swiss German speaking families

9. Name of the railway across the Alps, opened in 1882

Down 1. Famous Swiss fi gure skater, which had a spin named after

her

2. Birth Name of DJ BoBo

5. What tourist attraction is located in Melide (“Switzerland in one hour”)?

8. Swiss bread in the form of a plait, traditionally eaten on Sunday morning

For answers go to page 22

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‘Edelweiss’ Deadlines 2010December Issue: Covering Dec10/Jan/Feb 2011Editorial Deadline: Monday, 1 NovemberPacking: Wednesday, 17 November

Dear Swiss Club Member

It is with great pleasure that we announce the completion of the refurbishment of ‘The Second Floor’. It has been an absolute success!

One main feature of the new room are the frosted glass panels separating the conference room from the main function room. To make a link to our common heritage and the Club Restaurant, we took up the theme of our cantonal coat of arms, but in a more modern contemporary fashion.

We would like to give the club members the opportunity to sponsor ‘frosted’ cantonal coat of arms at a cost of $350 each. A plaque, listing the sponsors and their nominated canton if so desired (i.e. Bruno Schweitzer BE), will be put on view. However, donations of any amount are most welcome and will be listed in the Swiss Club Newsletter ‘Edelweiss’.

We need and appreciate your generosity and support. If you have a query, please contact a member of the Swiss Club Committee.

Kind regards

Barbara Kündig

President

Membership enquiries [email protected]

Name of Sponsor

Canton Indication

Payment

EFT** Cheque Cash Credit Card Amount

Card Number: Expiry:

Cardholder’s Name:

Signature:

** (BSB: 013-375, Account: 3536 82406 Please state your name and ‘2F Sponsoring’ in the Remarks Field!)


Albert AnkerOn the centenary of the death of one of Switzerland’s best loved artistAlbert Samuel Anker (April 1, 1831 – July 16, 1910) was a painter and illustrator who has been called the ‘national painter’ of Switzerland because of his enduringly popular depictions of 19th-century Swiss village life.

LifeBorn in Ins as the son of veterinarian Samuel Anker (then a member of the constituent assembly of the Canton of Bern), Anker attended school in Neuchâtel, where he and Auguste Bachelin, later a fellow artist, took early drawing lessons with Louis Wallinger from 1845 to 1848. He attended the Kirchenfeld Gymnasium in Bern from 1849 to 1851, graduating with the Matura. Afterwards, he studied theology, beginning in 1851 in Bern and continuing at the university of Halle, Germany. But in Germany he was inspired by the great art collections, and in 1854 he convinced his father to agree to an artistic career.

A year later Anker moved to Paris, where he studied with Charles Gleyre and attended the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts for fi ve years. He installed a studio in the attic of his parents’ house and participated regularly in exhibitions in Switzerland and in Paris. Anker married Anna Rüfl i in 1864, and they had six children together; the four children who did not die at an early age – Louise, Marie, Maurice and Cécile – appear in some of Anker’s paintings. In 1866, he was awarded a gold medal at the Paris Salon for ‘Schlafendes Mädchen im Walde’ (1865) und ‘Schreibunterricht’ (1865); in 1878 he was made a knight of the Légion d’honneur. He was a member of the Grand Council of Bern from 1870 to 1874, where he advocated the construction of the Kunstmuseum Bern.

Apart from his regular wintertime stays in Paris, Anker frequently travelled to Italy and other European countries. He was a member of the Swiss Federal Art Commission for seven years and in 1900 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bern. A stroke in 1901 reduced his ability to work. The fi rst exposition dedicated to him was held after his death

in 1910 at the Musée d’art et d’histoire in Neuchâtel.

WorksDuring his studies, Anker produced a series of works with historical and biblical themes, including paintings of Luther and Calvin. Soon after returning to Ins, he turned to what would become his signature theme: the everyday life of people in rural communities.

His paintings depict his fellow citizens in an unpretentious and plain manner, without idealising country life, but also without the critical examination of social conditions that can be found in the works of contemporaries such as Daumier, Courbet or Millet. Although Anker did paint occasional scenes with a social signifi cance, such as visits by usurers or charlatans to the village, his affi rmative and idealistic Christian world-view did not include an inclination to issue any sort of overt challenge.

Also prominent in Anker’s work are the more than 30 still lifes he created. They depict both rural and urban table settings, their realist solidity refl ecting Anker’s vision of a harmonic and stable world order. In addition, Anker created hundreds of commissioned watercolours and drawings, mostly portraits and illustrations, including for an edition of Jeremias Gotthelf’s collected works. To provide for a steady income, Anker also decorated more than 500 faience plates (painted pottery) for the Alsatian producer Théodore Deck.

Anker was quick to reach his artistic objectives and never strayed from his chosen path. His works refl ect a sense of conciliation and understanding as well as a calm trust in Swiss democracy; they are executed with great skill, providing brilliance to everyday scenes through subtle choices in colouring and lighting.

ReceptionAlbert Anker’s work made him Switzerland’s most popular genre painter of the 19th century, and his paintings have continued to enjoy a great popularity due to their general accessibility. Indeed, as a student, Anker summed up his approach to art as follows: “One has to shape an ideal in one’s imagination, and then one has to make that ideal accessible to the people”.

Many Swiss postage stamps and other media have incorporated Anker’s work. His studio in Ins has been preserved as a museum by the Albert Anker Foundation. One of Anker’s greatest admirers and collectors is former Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher, who also published an essay on Anker.

Swiss Post has issued a special stamp and Swissmint a commemorative gold coin.

Bern’s Museum of Fine Arts is staging a retrospective: ‘Albert Anker:

Beautiful World. On the Centenary of His Death’. The exhibition is open from 7 May to 5 September.

www.kunstmuseumbern.ch

retrospective: ‘Albert Anker: Beautiful World. On the

www.kunstmuseumbern.ch

Fueri, the village taylor

Self-Portrait, 1908


Dr Dieter Hochuli is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, at the University of Sydney. He has recently been awarded a 2010 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Higher Degree Supervision.

Dr Hochuli’s research group examines the profound impacts of landscape degradation on ecosystem function and ecological processes. Much of his work is undertaken in partnership with postgraduate students who have gone on to forge careers in environmental management, ecological research and academia after completing their theses with him. Using strategies that integrate students into the research community while achieving timely and successful completions, he has developed a distinctive lab culture where research students pursue their ambitions in a friendly and dynamic research environment. He has also developed and hosted professional development workshops for postgraduate research students identifying career options in zoology and strategies for achieving them.

He is, as you may have guessed, the son of Fritz and Sylvia Hochuli and it gives me great pleasure to have a chat with him.

Editor: Dieter, you probably don’t know it, but we have met before. It goes back years, you were standing behind the counter of your parents’ butcher shop in Ormond, helping out during the busy pre-Christmas rush. Must evoke some memories?

Dieter: I look back very fondly to those times, the shop was an enormous part of my life growing up. Watching mum and dad work there was a formative experience that shaped many aspects of how I view the world today. An incredible array of people supported the shop, the customers were very diverse and loyal. It’s still great fun to run into them and hear their recollections.

Editor: Both your parents are proud Swiss and very much involved in the Swiss Club of Victoria. How was it for you to grow up as a child of Swiss parents in Australia? Has any ‘Swissness’ rubbed off on you?

Dieter: I’m still mangling ‘Schwizerdütsch’ when friends and relatives visit! Growing up with the shop, Swiss picnics and regular visits to the Swiss Club meant that socially I always had a strong connection to Swiss culture. One of the great things about it that many don’t recognise is that Switzerland is an incredibly diverse and vibrant place, contrary to many perceptions. Stereotypes aside, some of the “Swissness” hasn’t quite rubbed off – I’d like to be more organised!

Editor: Your mum tells me you went to Caulfi eld Grammar School. Coincidentally, it’s were I have been working since 2003. How were your school years there? Is it were you were set on the path to pursue an academic career?

Dieter: I was very fortunate to go to CGS. I made some life-long friends and enjoyed the time there. There were some terrifi c teachers. The academic career kind of just happened. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I left school.

Editor: How did your academic career progress from Caulfi eld to were you are now?

Dieter: The usual set of lucky accidents. I went to Monash

Unlocking nature’s secrets University after school to study psychology. I went on a fi eld trip to Heron Island and got interested in biology and headed off into that fi eld of study. From there I completed a PhD looking at insect-plant interactions and was fortunate enough to get a job at the University of Sydney soon after I submitted my thesis.

Editor: I have outlined as an introduction to this interview what your ‘job description’

is. Can you tell me, in layman’s terms, what exactly you are researching?

Dieter: Much of my work looks at insects and the roles they play in natural systems (pollinating plants, dispersing seeds, even eating each other) with an ultimate goal of seeing how well these systems are working. We use a range of techniques to identify how degraded the systems we work in are, and then work out how restoration efforts can help arrest any declines in quality.

Editor: What do you consider the most satisfying aspect of your work?

Dieter: The research is really exciting because you keep stumbling across new and unusual things that start telling us how the natural world works. The teaching is also a terrifi c part of the job, we’re very lucky to work with so many smart and motivated young folk.

Editor: I have also mentioned in the introduction that you have won an award, the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Higher Degree Supervision. Congratulations on this great achievement! What does this award recognise and what does it mean for you personally?

Dieter: Supervising research students and mentoring them through their careers is incredibly satisfying. It’s a huge responsibility and the students that come out of your group are one of the terrifi c legacies that you end up leaving when the career ultimately winds down.

Editor: You live in a huge city like Sydney, yet your work involves you very closely with the natural world. How are you able to combine the two environments?

Dieter: For a global city Sydney supports a surprising amount of nature. Management and conservation of what’s left has become increasingly important for the people who live here. For many it’s the only contact with nature they get.

Editor: Sylvia has mentioned a daughter-in-law and grandchildren ones or twice. Tell me about your family please.

Dieter: Once or twice? Bet it was a bit more often than that! Karen and I have 3 boys, Sam (10), Max (8) and Felix (4). They’re all mad keen soccer players who play for the Marrickville Red Devils and have been indoctrinated to follow St Kilda in the AFL. We live in the inner city and…it’s a pretty noisy house.

Editor: Dieter, I thank you very much for this interview and I wish you, your family all the best!


The Swiss Cub Doubles Championship was held on the 21st May 2010.

Winners Ernie Huegli & Paul Thornton over Raymond Mischler & Louis Schneider.

The Bernard Sandoz Cup was held at the renovated 2nd fl oor of the Swiss Club Victoria on the 25th June 2010.

Success went to Peter Bishop over Peter McGrath.

Please note:Change of date for the Swiss Club Single Championship.Due to being overseas I have changed the date to: Friday 26th November 2010 at 7.30pm

Cost: Only $20 per person including dinner.

Please book with Roger at the Swiss Club or Louis on 9439 7593 or 0418 645 313. If you have any queries or suggestions do not hesitate to contact me.

Hope to see you all in November.

Louis Schneider

Sunday, 3 April 2011. Austrian ClubDear readers,

Our traditional Swiss Festival is on Sunday, 3 April 2011. Please put this important date in your diary. The Swiss Festival offers a unique opportunity to indulge in Swiss culture & heritage at your doorstep with food & drink and entertainment ‘Swiss made’.

There is a certain pleasure to bite into a delicious Swiss sausage that tastes just like that real one from home. Come and try them and many other delights!

In addition to helpers on the day, the Swiss Festival committee is looking for more volunteers to join the committee. We meet once a month to discuss food & beverage, sponsorship, entertainment, fi nance, volunteers, marketing etc. Why not consider joining us, it’s great fun working on this project and doing good for the wider community. All proceeds are distributed among the participating Swiss community groups.

All you need is a bit of time and commitment to support a community event that grows every year and has a lot of potential.

The current committee consists of Bruno Giger, Chantal Imbach, Damian Schaller, Rolf Huber.

Sincerely,Rolf Huber Thank you very much Louis for creating this ingenious

mechanism to lift the billiard table up and make it mobile. It makes things a lot easier! The CommitteeIt’s your Club. Get involved


Swiss citizens have more chances to express their opinions at the ballot box than anyone else in the world, thanks to their extensive system of direct democracy.

In most democracies, citizens only turn out to vote for elections – presidential, parliamentary or local. It is the representatives they choose on these occasions who take political decisions on their behalf. That is indirect or representative democracy.

In an indirect democracy it is unusual for citizens to be asked to vote on specifi c issues. One exception in Europe in recent years has been the decision by a few countries to give citizens a say on European integration.

Things are quite different in Switzerland. Parliamentary elections are only held every four years, but the Swiss get the chance to vote on particular issues three or four times a year.

Some of the issues they are asked to decide on are at federal level: voters all over the country vote on the same thing. But in addition, they are usually asked to vote on issues relevant to their own canton and even their own commune as well.

Recent cantonal votes have included banning smoking in restaurants, or bringing the particular cantonal school system into line with a proposed single nationwide system. At communal level votes may be held on such things as funding a new museum, or extending a local bus route.

Unique rightsAlthough some other countries or regions of the world also have direct democracy, none use it in exactly the same way as the Swiss.

Swiss citizens can propose legislation of their own, by putting forward what is known as an initiative, or they can thwart legislation already approved by parliament, by calling a referendum.

Political or social groups often submit issues to the people which would be unlikely to fi nd a parliamentary majority. Often it is left-wing groups which call votes on social and economic issues, while the right-wing tends to submit ideas on national identity and foreigners.

CriticismThe Swiss are proud of their system of direct democracy, but this does not stop some of them fi nding fault with some of its aspects. Frequent criticisms are that it is too slow, too expensive and too complicated. Turnout varies widely, depending on the issue, but generally hovers around only 40%.

But more seriously, some people ask whether it is right for citizens to have the chance to vote on every issue, some of which are very complex, and where passions may be involved.

In a controversial vote last November, for example, two-thirds of voters came out in favour of a change to the constitution by approving an initiative to ban the construction of minarets in Switzerland.

The Swiss Club Restaurant. It’s where you meet your friends.

Gregor Rutz, the vice-president of the Zürich cantonal section of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, does not think this is a problem.

“I am convinced that it is possible to explain complex matters simply. Direct democracy enables lots of interest groups to speak out, and out of this variety of opinions voters can select the one which they think is plausible. This ensures that no-one can make false claims which go unopposed“, he said.

But this has not stopped the anti-minaret initiative, for example, from running into trouble. A number of appeals have been submitted to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, claiming that the ban violates the human rights of Muslims in Switzerland.

Among the issues the minaret vote raised was the question of the legality of a popular initiative. The Swiss government was strongly against the ban, but it can only prevent voting on an initiative if it violates “peremptory norms”, in other words norms which are obligatory under international law – such things as the prohibition of crimes against humanity, genocide, slavery and torture. In the case of the minaret initiative its hands were tied.

Political scientist Andreas Gross, a member of the centre-left Social Democratic Party in the Swiss House of Representatives, says the fallout from the minaret vote will contribute to a rethink.

“The fact we now have some problems with direct democracy will increase the readiness to modify it. The Swiss have learned now that there is a problem and you can’t vote on basic human rights,” he said.

Promoting discussionWhatever lessons may or may not be learned from the minaret vote, it is generally agreed that a major bonus of the Swiss system is that it enables issues to be discussed that might otherwise be ignored.

Thanks to an initiative some 20 years ago, the Swiss had the chance to debate whether the army should be abolished – not a subject ever likely to have been brought up in parliament.

More recently, in 2003, an initiative calling for better rights for the disabled was rejected, but some of its proposals were incorporated into legislation which came into force in 2004.

Many commentators see another important advantage of the direct democracy system as helping to sustain the delicate balance between the different groups in Swiss society.

Switzerland prides itself on its talent for compromise. Both government and parliament are forced to look for the broadest possible consensus when framing new legislation, in order to avoid defeat in a referendum.

This is a very real possibility: for example, in a referendum held on March 7, nearly three-quarters of voters rejected a reform of the occupational pension scheme which had been passed by parliament last year.

The Swiss vote more than any other country


4th Jass Night Results: Swiss Club, 5 JuneCouples & Mixed Teams 1. Sylvia & Fritz Hochuli ...............................5529 2. Trudi & Marcel Theiler ..............................5305 3. Jariera & Camille Meylan .........................5212 4. Simone & Alex Baeler ...............................5091

5th Jass Night Results: Swiss Club, 10 JulySingles 1. Martha Schnieder.....................................3013 2. Hans Keller ...............................................2987 3. Marlis Krummenacher ..............................2825

Couples 1. Doris Conrad & Hans Keller ......................5741 2. Martha & Alois Schnieder ........................5508 3. Sylvia & Fritz Hochuli ...............................5319

Upcoming Jass Nights - 20106th 7 August Matterhorn7th & Final 4 September Swiss Club

Information supplied by Paul Eisenegger 9544 4681

The maestro’s Last Waltz

As announced in the last edition of the ‘Edelweiss’, Swiss conductor Mario Venzago’s performance with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and celebrated violinist Daniel Hope at Hamer Hall in June proved to be a most uplifting musical experience.

After an opening performance of Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz No. 1, British musician Daniel Hope produced a vibrant and passionate version of the famous Brahms Violin Concerto, a performance that left no one in any doubt as to what an extraordinary artist he is.

Venzago’s performance was equally impressive as he directed the orchestra in a most energetic, competent and entertaining way – he even managed to make the audience laugh!

Saying a temporary goodbye through Haydn’s Farewell Symphony No. 45, the MSO played its fi nal Hamer Hall program for 18 months in glorious fashion. Hamer Hall was full to capacity as concert goers took one of the last opportunities to attend a performance before Hamer Hall is to close for renovations.

Recently, Venzago has been announced as Chief Conductor of the Bern Symphony Orchestra from the 2010/11 season onwards. Speaking about the new appointment, Venzago expressed his pleasure at returning home to take up such a prominent position within cultural and musical life in Switzerland, after many years based abroad.

We look forward to his return after Hamer Hall reopens in 2012!Editor

Ladies, mark the two dates below in your diary. Come and join us at 12 noon at the Swiss Club for good food, good company and interesting guest speakers.

• Wednesday, 1 SeptemberGuest speaker is Therese M. Lapadula Numerology & Astrology

• Wednesday, 3 NovemberGuest speaker to be announced

Price $22 pp for members, $25 pp for non-members. Includes 2-course meal, wine, soft drinks and coffee.

Non-members are also welcome, bring a friend or two. For information and bookings ring me on 9889 9321or Roger at the Club on 9650 1196. Bookings are essential!

Heidy Giger

Tune into news, information and entertainment about everything that is Swiss in Switzerland and downunder.

Ursula Schappi presents an informative half-hour program in Swiss-German. Every Sunday from 8:30 to 9pm on 93.1fmTo listen online visit: www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/germanTo contact Ursula: leave a message on (02) 9955 7628 or ring 0407 995 578

Part of German Language program on Melbourne 93.1fm


The Companion Singers participate at the Swiss Italian Festa in Hepburn Springs (see: www.swissitalianfesta.com) on 16 & 17 October.

Together with the Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose we will perform at the Tabulam Retirement Home and Lutheran Nursing Home on Sunday, 28 November.

The Companion Singers practice on the second and third Thursday of each month and we always look for new people who enjoy singing and relax with a group of funloving people.

Come along to the Swiss Club, enjoy good food and company in a great social atmosphere. Phone our Convenor, Heidy Giger on 9889 9321 for more information.

The group looks forward to participate at the

Swiss Italian Festa in Hepburn Springs on 16 & 17 October.

Being part of the parade and perform at different venues, is always a real highlight for the group.

Together with the Companion Singers we will perform at the Tabulam Retirement Home and Lutheran Nursing Home on Sunday, 28 November.

We would like more members. Come and join us.

On behalf of the group, I would like to pass on our deepest sympathy to the family of the late Armin Schweizer.

Armin was a member of the Dance Group.

Sylvia Hochuli

SWISS CLUB MOVIE“White Masai”Wednesday, 8 September 2010, 8pmSwiss Club, 2nd fl oor

2005, 131min. German, some English (German Subtitles), White Masai (German: Die weisse Massai), is a movie about Swiss woman Carola (Nina Hoss) falling in love in Kenya with Masai Lemalian (Jacky Ido). The fi lm is based upon an autobiographical novel by Swiss writer Corinne Hofmann. Director: Hermine Huntgeburth.

Swiss tourist Carola Lehmann develops a crush on Samburu warrior Lemalian Mamutelil during a ferry trip on the last day of her two weeks vacation in Kenya, although traveling with her boyfriend, Stefan. She strikes up a conversation with Lemalian and, the next morning, instead of returning to Biel (Switzerland), Carola decides to leave Stefan and seek out Lemalian. She travels to Nairobi by bus. From there to Maralal, where she befriends Elizabeth Muzungu, a Caucasian married to a Kikuyu. She explains some important details of the Samburu culture to Carola. When Lemalian meets with her, they walk together to his isolated tribe in Barsaloi. Carola is welcomed by his people. She sells her shop in Switzerland and marries Lemalian, having a daughter with him. She also opens up a store. However, their differences of cultures force Carola to make an ultimate decision.

Free for members, non-members gold coin donation.

Enjoy dinner at the club, before or after the movie. Please book with the restaurant on 9650 1196.

Login and get the latest info: www.swiss.org.au/swissclubvic

For all your fi rst class selected meat, Swiss smallgoods and delicatessenSepp & Marlies Krummenacher

634 North Road, Ormond, Tel: 9578 5049

mode browser, which would be able to run on any computer or terminal. It was designed to work simply by typing commands. There was no mouse, no graphics, just plain text, but it allowed anyone with an Internet connection access to the information on the Web.

During 1991 servers appeared in other institutions in Europe and in December 1991, the fi rst server outside the continent was installed in the US at SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center). By November 1992, there were 26 servers in the world, and by October 1993 the fi gure had increased to over 200 known web servers. In February 1993, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois released the fi rst version of Mosaic, which was to make the Web available to people using PCs and Apple Mac’s.

...and the rest is, as they say, Web history.

Although the Web’s conception began as a tool to aid physicists answer tough questions about the Universe, today its usage applies to various aspects of the global community and affects our daily lives.

Today there are upwards of 80 million websites, with many more computers connected to the Internet, and hundreds of millions of users. If households nowadays want a computer, it is not to compute, but to go on the Web.


1990 was a momentous year in world events. In February, Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in prison. In April, the space shuttle Discovery carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. And in October, Germany was reunifi ed. Then at the end of 1990, a revolution took place that changed the way we live today.

CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research based in Geneva, is where it all began in March 1989. A physicist, Tim Berners-Lee, wrote a proposal for information management showing how information could be transferred easily over the Internet by using hypertext, the now familiar point-and-click system of navigating through information. The following year, Robert Cailliau, a systems engineer, joined in and soon became its number one advocate.

The idea was to connect hypertext with the Internet and personal computers, thereby having a single information network to help CERN physicists share all the computer-stored information at the laboratory. Hypertext would enable users to browse easily between

textson web pages using links. The fi rst examples were developed on NeXT computers.

Berners-Lee created a browser-editor with the goal of developing a tool to make the Web a creative space to share and edit information and build a common hypertext. What should they call this new browser: The Mine of Information? The Information Mesh? When they settled on a name in May 1990, it was the WorldWideWeb.

Info.cern.ch was the address of the world’s fi rst-ever web site and web server, running on a NeXT computer at CERN. The fi rst web page address was http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html, which centred on information regarding the WWW project. Visitors could learn more about hypertext, technical details for creating their own webpage, and even an explanation on how to search the Web for information. There are no screenshots of this original page and, in any case, changes were made daily to the information available on the page as the WWW project developed. You may fi nd a later copy (1992) on the World Wide Web Consortium website (pictured).

However, a website is like a telephone; if there’s just one it’s not much use. Berners-Lee’s team needed to send out server and browser software. The NeXT systems, however, were far advanced over the computers people generally had at their disposal: a far less sophisticated piece of software was needed for distribution.

By spring of 1991, testing was underway on a universal line

The world’s fi rst-ever web site turns 20: info.cern.ch

Tim Berners-Lee

Robert Cailliau

The historic NeXT computer used by Tim Berners-Lee in 1990, on display in the Microcosm exhibition at CERN in Geneva. It was the fi rst web server, hypermedia browser and web editor.

A screenshot of one of the early web pages


SwissCommunity.org is a free, high-quality platform exclusively serving the Swiss who are, have been, or will be resident abroad. This is a club for international Switzerland, designed and tailored to meet the needs of Swiss all over the world. The offi cial launch of SwissCommunity.org took place on 21 August in St.Gallen, during the 88th Congress of the Swiss Abroad (a report about the Congress will be published in the next edition of the ‘Edelweiss’).

www.swisscommunity.org is the name of the Internet platform launched by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. Swiss people abroad now have their own platform for searching for and finding information as well as for communicating. This electronic network aims to promote worldwide contact among the Swiss abroad and with Switzerland. www.swisscommunity.org offers the ideal platform for anyone specifi cally looking for contact with other Swiss nationals abroad who requires particular information about Switzerland or other Swiss abroad groups, wants to buy or sell things or simply wants to get in touch with like-minded people. Swiss abroad who would like to visit their old homeland will find tourist information and offers, and Swiss associations and institutions abroad can use the new electronic Swiss club to advertise for members. People can find out about their canton of origin and Switzerland and also discover where the best fondues and the crispiest rye bread can be found abroad. www.swisscommunity.org is a bit like Facebook, Xing or Linked-In, yet different at the same time. This electronic community for the Swiss abroad is an exclusive communication platform specifi cally tailored to the needs of Swiss citizens abroad.

Why become a member?• SwissCommunity.org is a free, high-quality platform.

• Establish contacts with Swiss nationals living abroad across the whole world.

• Stay in contact with your family, friends and colleagues.

• Exchange information, advice and experiences.

• Post and participate in discussions.

• Stay informed of events happening in Switzerland.

• Maintain a strong link with your region as well as with other regions in Switzerland.

• Participate in events organised by members of the community or create your own events.

• Free access to a large catalogue of services and associations.

Roland Isler - Delegate, Council of the Swiss Abroad

Welcome to…

Fahrt ins Blaue - Mystery TripWednesday, 10 NovemberThe Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess / Australian Swiss Cultural Society would like to invite the retired Swiss/Australian Community (over sixty) to our mysterious and exciting ‘Fahrt ins Blaue - Mystery Trip’.

Cost is $28.00 per person, which includes a three course lunch. If you are interested, please complete the coupon below and mail it with your cheque to: Sylvia Hochuli, 92 Addison Street, Elwood Vic 3184, or call 9531 6575.

See you there!

Yes, I would like to attend the ‘Fahrt ins Blaue - Mystery Trip

Name(s):

Address:

Telephone:

No. of persons @ $28.00:

Cheque enclosed for total $:

Please make your cheque payable to the Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess (ASCS)

Joke of the day!Ein deutscher Tourist, auf einer Bergwanderung im Berner Oberland, fragt den Bauern der ihm auf dem Weg begegnet: “Sehen Sie dort? Warum steht an diesem gefährlichen Abgrund kein Warnschild?”

“Das hei mr wäg tue, sisch sowieso nei eine abegheit“ war die Antwort.


“The SwissCommunity platform networks Swiss people worldwide via the web.”

Network with other Swiss abroad

Keep up to date on relevant news and events

Find an apartment – or the best fondue in town

Discover SwitzerlandSign up for free

membership

www.swisscommunity.org

SwissCommunity partners

O R G A N I S A T I O N O F T H E S W I S S A B R O A D

Ursula DeplazesResearcher from Graubünden, living in Rome

“Networking plays an important role among the Swiss abroad – both personally and profes-sionally.”

Urs SteinerTeacher from Berne, head of the Swiss School in Peru

“Get to know other Swiss people abroad, exchange useful addresses, fi nd out about Switzerland … I can do all these things on SwissCommunity.”

Daniel KellerManager from Zurich,living in Hanoi

“The local experience of Swiss people can be very valuable to an international consultant like me.”


Test your Swiss Knowledge - AnswersAcross: 3. GENEVA; 4. MYSTERYTRIP; 6. UMBRAIL; 7. FAMILIENPLAUSCH; 9. GOTTHARDBAHN

Down: 1. DENISEBIELLMANN; 2. RENEBAUMANN; 5. SWISSMINIATUR; 8. ZOPF

From a 1952 Tourist Map of Switzerland

SWISS CLUB MOVIEA Swiss Classic:

“Ueli der Pächter”Wednesday, 17 November 2010, 8pmSwiss Club, 2nd fl oor

CH 1955, 115 min. Swiss German, German Subtitles.The legendary Swiss movie based upon the novel by Jeremias Gotthelf. Liselotte Pulver, Hannes Schmidhauser, Emil Hegetschweiler. Director: Franz Schnyder

For two years, Ueli and Vreneli, who are happily married with a little daughter, are successful tenants on the “Glunggenhof”. The harvests have been good, but in the third year things start to unravel. In order to pay bills, Ueli has to sell his wheat at a very low price. Hail destroys the harvest, Ueli falls sick. The farm is sold to the rich farmer Hagelhannes (Vreneli’s true father).

Free for members, non-members gold coin donation.

Enjoy dinner at the club, before or after the movie. Please book with the restaurant on 9650 1196.

Swiss Club TennisChampionshipUnfortunately the venue at Kooyong is not available this year and as a result we have to give it a miss this year.


Minutes of the 2010 Annual General Meeting of the SCVHeld Wednesday, 3 March 2010at 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne1. Opening and WelcomeThe President of the Swiss Club of Victoria, Mrs Barbara Kündig, opened the Annual General Meeting at 8.10pm and welcomed the Honorary Life Members and Members of the Swiss Club to the almost completely renovated second fl oor. She thanked

NOTICE

2010 Half-Yearly General Meeting of the SCVNotice is hereby given that the Half-Yearly General Meeting of the Swiss Club of Victoria will be held at 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, on:

Wednesday, 15 September 2010, 8pmAgenda:1. Opening and Welcome

2. One Minute of Silence

3. Attendance, Apologies, Proxies

4. Adoption of Minutes of Annual General Meeting 2010

5. President’s Report

6. Accounts and Financial Statements

7. General Business:– Question Time

8. Conclusion

Please note: Accounts & Financial Statements will be made available to members at the meeting.

Half-Yearly GM SpecialStart the Half-Yearly General Meeting with a very Swiss

‘Fleischchääs mit Härdöpfelsalat’(Meatloaf with potato salad)

Cost: $13.90 per person (for members attending the meeting)

Bookings essential on 9650 1196. A la carte menu also available at regular prices.

Proxy Form

for the Half-Yearly General Meeting 2010 of the Swiss Club of Victoria

To: the Secretary of the Swiss Club of Victoria(please use block letters)

I

being a member of the Swiss Club of Victoria,

my address being:

hereby appoint:

his/her address being:

being another member of the Swiss Club of Victoria, to vote for me and on my behalf at the Half-Yearly General Meeting of the Swiss Club of Victoria to be held on Wednesday, 15 September 2010 and at every adjournment thereof.

Signed by hand this day of 2010

Signature:

Note: Only members who are entitled to vote, having paid their subscription, or being Honorary Life Members, may represent other members as proxy. Proxy forms must be handed to the Secretary at least 48 hours before the meeting is to take place.

everyone for attending; a total of 44 voting members were present, which formed a quorum. Bruce Legg, our auditor, was also present.

2. One Minute of SilenceBarbara invited all members to stand up and observe one minute of silence to remember our friends and members who have left us, in particular Primo Calabresi and Gretli Cole-Stahli. Our sympathies go to their families. We will remember them.

3. ApologiesTony Boll, Sigrid de Castella, Doris Diserens, Margrit Gasinksi, Bruno & Regina Giger, Ernst Hubli, Erika Kimpton, Josef Koch, Doris Marr, Nola Mauerhofer, Kurt Rietmann, Therese Say, Sybille Steiner.

Proxy Form received from: Josef Koch

4. Adoption of Minutes of Half-Yearly General Meeting 2009The Minutes of the Half-Yearly General Meeting, held


club $12,000. The work is in progress and the elevator should be back working early next week. The new valve should also improve the smoothness of the elevator ride, the main point of complaint in regards to the elevator. During the Christmas break, the restaurant got repainted; we reorganized the art work and installed the bell feature as well as the new welcome glass from the door of the old Spring Street club. We hope you like the improvements. The outlook for the next six months looks good. Our tenants pay their rent on time for which we are grateful, and there is nothing out of the extraordinary to report. The Swiss Festival will take place this Sunday, 21st March. We hope many of you will attend. If you are coming along and haven’t done so yet; why not volunteer some of your time as you are already at the festival anyway? The Swiss Festival Committee is still looking for helpers. The Swiss Club would very much appreciate if you did help. The fi rst Swiss Club Jass for the year will take place on Saturday evening. Please come along. I would also like to take this occasion to thank Roland Isler, our newsletter editor for all his work and time. We appreciate it and the feedback for the newsletter is always very good.

The Swiss Club has been very lucky to have had suffi cient committee members for the past several years. We are presently fortunate to have eight committee members. However, you all know committee members have lives outside of the Swiss Club too and they won’t and can’t stay forever. Therefore, we are always looking for potential new committee members. Please consider joining us or maybe you know of a fellow member who might be interested. Yes, the committee is a time commitment, but anything we do takes time. We need new blood and different ways of looking at things to be able to continue successfully as a club. I close by saying thank you to my Committee for all their hard work and input. I know it is not always easy to juggle work, family and the Swiss Club – we are all in the same boat, but it is very much appreciated what you do. Thank you also to you the members for supporting our club through your membership, patronage of the restaurant and attendance at functions. Many thanks also to Roger Moullet and his team for his fi ne work with the restaurant.”

6. Treasurer’s ReportFinancial details as of 31st December 2009:

ASSETSCash / Bank Account ..............................................$ 88,645Trade Debtors / Others ...........................................$ 6,096Land & Building .....................................................$ 934,778

TOTAL ASSETS ..................................................$ 1,029,519

LIABILITIESAccounts Payable ...................................................$ 8,836Kitchen Equipment .................................................$ 5,357Bank Loan & Subscr. Adv. .......................................$ 73,846

TOTAL LIABILITIES ...........................................$ 88,039

EQUITYMembers Fund .......................................................$ 935,660Profi t 2009 .............................................................$ 5,820

Wednesday, 16 September 2009, were published in the March 2010 newsletter. The minutes had been read and are a true record. They were moved by Greg Bowles and seconded by Franz Schnellmann. All in favour.

5. President’s Report“Dear honorary life members, honorary members and members of the Swiss Club.

It seems yesterday that the committee asked the members to approve the refurbishment of the 2nd fl oor. The room looked very sad but six months later, it is like day and night. It is not quite fi nished yet, but we thought it is fi tting that you, the members, should be the fi rst to use the room for our AGM.

When we got the go ahead in September, we asked all groups to vacate the room rather quickly, which they all did. Thank you to all for being so cooperative and understanding for the past six months. While the groups left quickly, nothing really happened for a while it seemed. However, behind the scenes, the sub-committee was busy fi nalising everything. Demolition started in mid January; from there it went rather quickly and quite smoothly. There were no nasty surprises and nothing out of the extraordinary, except maybe the steel pipe in front of one of the windows and some loose fl oor boards. The Comedy Festival will be using the facilities from 21 March for a month, and then all the groups can return to their usual routine. We will contact them separately and advise them when, how and what. The committee is planning an opening event for May, when all will be fi nished. We also have remained within the given budget. We are now in the planning phase of how to best market and sell the fl oor. We certainly hope that if you have any major event planned for your personal life or your business that you now might consider the Swiss Club 2/F. Just spread the word about this great new function space in the heart of Melbourne!

A highlight of the last six months was of course the Gala Dinner Celebrations in November for the club’s 110th, the Dance Group Alpenrose’s 60th and the Swiss Society’s 130th anniversary. We had a full house and the evening was elegant and entertaining. Thank you to Rita Schwärzler and Roland Isler for organising this lovely event for us and to all our sponsors for supporting us. Our sub-groups continued to be active even though they didn’t have a permanent home. Thank you to all the convenors for their hard work with their groups and their support of our club during that time. I would especially like to thank Sylvia Hochuli, Heidy Giger and Rita Schwärzler, who continue to do a lot of work for the club by organising functions and keeping their groups going. The Saturday Morning Swiss School is not doing very well at the moment. There is still the diffi culty in fi nding a teacher and the number of students has dwindled very much in the past year. It would be very sad to see the school disappear, and we are trying to keep it alive in some shape and form.

During the Half-Yearly meeting I mentioned how diffi cult it was to budget for the maintenance of an old building. We never know if something might break down suddenly. Well, this time the “Sorgenkind” is our elevator. The safety control valve, which is situated between the cylinder and the reservoir for the hydraulic fl uid suddenly broke and needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, valves don’t come cheap and it will cost the


was to be installed. This was due to the fact of having two fully functional kitchens in the building and due to legislation. ‘A1’ will do the kitchen fi t-out, we are buying our own whitegoods, ovens etc. Antony commented that we could actually save some money on the plumbing by ‘A1’. Total cost $35,000, still within budget. Sub-Committee is currently fi nalizing the layout, then ready to sign the contract with ‘A1’. It will be installed during the comedy festival, before end of April.

Heidy Giger asked if for functions i.e. the Ladies’ Luncheon, Roger would be the caterer, like in the past? Barbara answered that nothing will change for the sub-groups.

Rita Schwärzler complimented the committee on the responsible and good execution of the second fl oor renovations.

Roland Isler asked if the billiard table will be on wheels so that it could be placed in different places. Barbara responded that it would usually be placed in front of the storage room, but that Louis Schneider is trying to get it on wheels.

Liz Isler pointed out that there were issues in the past with certain functions leaving cigarette burns on the carpet, etc. What precautions will be put in place for the newly renovated second fl oor? Barbara said that it would be assumable to request a deposit payment for any damages, and possibly also a basic rental contract to be signed. The committee is currently working out the marketing and rental details.

10. ConclusionThe President closed the Annual General Meeting by thanking all present for their continuous interest in and support of the Swiss Club of Victoria. The meeting closed at 9.00pm and all members were invited for a drink in the club restaurant.

Minutes taken as a correct record by Gerda Probst, Secretary.

TOTAL EQUITY ..................................................$ 941,480

TOTAL INCOME ................................................$ 130,458TOTAL EXPENSES. ............................................$ 124,638

OPERATING RESULT .........................................$ 5,820

We achieved our budgeted profi t of $5,000. The outlook for 2010 is in short: steady rental incomes; the leased kitchen equipment of our restaurant will be fully paid off by mid 2010; focus on generating additional income for the second fl oor; operating costs forecasted to increase by 20%; building maintenance expenses are diffi cult to predict due to age of building. The timing gap for second fl oor income vs interest payments for the loan will have a negative impact on the operating result in 2010.

The second fl oor renovations have gone mostly to plan, except for the Air Conditioning due to revised occupancy numbers, and an unexpected steel pipe removal. Nevertheless all renovation work is still within budgeted amounts.

The fi nancial report for 2009 was moved by Herbert Schwärzler, seconded by Roger Kirsten. All in favour.

7. Election of AuditorBruce Legg has offered to stand as auditor for the coming year. The appointment was moved by Derrick Wildi and seconded by Franz Schnellmann. All in favour.

8. Election of Offi ce Bearers The following four committee members retired: Rolf Huber, Barbara Kündig, Damian Schaller and Derrick Wildi. All of them agreed to serve another term on the committee, no other nominations were received. According to the constitution, article 37, signed nomination forms have been displayed at the club’s notice board for the preceding two weeks; therefore, no re-election was necessary.

However, according to the same article in the constitution, all honorary offi cers need to be re-confi rmed at the AGM. Barbara Kündig, President: Nominated by Rita Schwärzler, Seconded by Heidy Giger, all in favour. Derrick Wildi, Treasurer: Nominated by Fritz Hochuli, Seconded by Roger Moullet, all in favour. Gerda Probst, Secretary: Nominated by Herbert Schwärzler, Seconded by Roland Isler, all in favour.

9. General BusinessHonorary Life Membership:The following members were awarded Honorary Life Membership in recognition of 40 years of membership: Nola Mauerhofer and Madeleine Poole. Madeleine was presented with a certifi cate and fl owers, Nola was unable to attend.

Questions and Comments:Franz Schnellmann suggested having a maintenance schedule set up, i.e. for A/C and elevator, to prevent us from being faced with big bills. Derrik Wildi and Antony Anderson replied that it was already planned that after completion of the renovations, Antony will look into setting up a maintenance plan, evaluating all equipment, warranties etc.

Roland Isler asked what was happening with the kitchen on the second fl oor. The President advised that a satellite kitchen

Dressed for traditionThe Swiss national costume festival took place from June 4-6, 2010 in Schwyz, transforming the small town into a riot of colour. Among those participating was Swiss President Doris Leuthard (pictured). There are more than 400 different types of traditional dress for men and women in the country.


Swiss Events & FunctionsPlease note that this calendar also list events other than those organised by the Swiss Club of Victoria and its subgroups. Please book all Swiss Club functions (bold entries) with Roger, phone 9650 1196 or fax 9650 3104 and check website for latest information and details of upcoming events. For all other events please contact the relevant organisation (see page 3 for contact details).

SEPTEMBER Wednesday 01 Ladies’ Luncheon Thursday 02 Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand entertains Saturday 04 Jass Night - Swiss Club (Finals) Wednesday 08 Swiss Movie Night: “White Masai” Saturday 11 Familienplausch Sunday 12 Kaffeeklatsch - Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess Wednesday 15 Half-Yearly General Meeting

OCTOBER Thursday 07 Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand entertains at the Club Saturday 16 Familienplausch Sat/Sun 16/17 Companion Singers & Dancers perform at Swiss Italian Festa

NOVEMBER Monday 01 ‘Edelweiss’ - Editorial Deadline December issue Wednesday 03 Ladies’ Luncheon Thursday 04 Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand entertains at the Club Wednesday 10 Fahrt ins Blaue (Mystery Trip) - Trachtengruppe Schwyzergruess Saturday 13 Familienplausch Wednesday 17 Swiss Movie Night: “Ueli der Pächter” Friday 26 Billiard Competition - Swiss Club Single Championship

DECEMBER Thursday 02 Kapelle Grüezi Mitenand entertains at the Club Saturday 04 Senior Christmas Afternoon Tea (by invitation) Sunday 12 Samichlaus Event Friday 24 Club Restaurant closes after lunch (reopens on Monday, 10 January 2011 for lunch)

OTHER REGULAR SWISS CLUB MEETINGS:

Committee Meetings: Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month

Swiss Folk Dance Group Alpenrose: Practice every Tuesday evening at 8.15pm

Swiss Companion Singers: Practice and social gathering every 2nd and 3rd Thursday of each month at 8pm

Saturday Morning Swiss School: Every second Saturday except school holidays, from 1pm to 4pm

Swiss German Playgroup: Meets every 1st Thursday of each month from 11am to 2pm

The Swiss Diners Club: Dates for get-together can be found on www.swiss.org.au or on our Yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YoungSwissMelbourne

Lampionumzug Lantern

Procession

Familienplausch

2/F Opening Dinner Dance

Birthday CelebrationsBirthday CelebrationsSenior Senior

Members’Members’LuncheonLuncheon

National National Day at

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NDABOUT THE SWISS

CLUB

Second Floor Opening Dinner Dance

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