Upcoming Events

6 June 2024

It is a great pleasure to be in touch again this year following our AGM in February and the new Council’s Planning Day in May.  It was good to see so many of you at the Commonwealth Day celebrations in March, both at the Commonwealth Day multi-faith celebration at the ACCC and also at Government House for the Governor General’s Commonwealth Reception with High Commissioners.  We were especially honoured that the Governor General presented the Montgomerie Award for this year to ANU Research Student Cameron Jones.

We continue to have a busy program ahead with the King’s Birthday Dinner at the Commonwealth Club on Thursday 13 June, the Low Commonwealth Lecture at ANU on Tuesday 23 July, our Winter Lunch at Rama’s Restaurant on Sunday 25 August.  There are many other events in preparation.  Please keep yourself updated by visiting our website rcsact.org

We now have a new Council and details are on the website.  I particularly want to welcome Ann Sutton in a new role as Vice-President and Harjinder Dhindsa as Treasurer.    Martin Hess is Membership Secretary, and David Plummer remains Webmaster and is undertaking the task of Minutes Secretary.

Sunita Dhindsa has stepped down as Treasurer and Jack Milne is unable to continue as Secretary because of work responsibilities.  I would like to thank them both for their service in those roles.  Both remain on Council.  I would also like to thank Sue Gage who has stepped down from Council.

I would like to give special thanks to Maureen Hickman, who stepped down as Vice President, and Hugh Craft, who has stepped down as a Council member and Chair of the Commonwealth Day Celebration Committee.  Both have served the RCS with distinction over many years, including in the role of President.  We value their continued support to the Council and the RCS.  They are welcome whenever they can join us – we owe them much.  Maureen hopes to maintain her much valued newsletter, but this may be less frequently.  The website will become the principal source of Commonwealth and Branch news.  I also plan from time to time to send out an E letter to members (or Fellows as is our term).

The Council would also value your input on our activities.  We remain very committed to a regular program of events and the Montgomerie Awards as major engagement with youth.   We also seek to partner with other likeminded organisations, such as the ABS and AIIA, in joint activities.   A major task in the coming year will be to revise our Constitution to simplify it and bring it more in line with ACT requirements.  As noted, our communication with members will be by email and through the website.  So please ensure Martin Hess has your email contacts. We also retain our postbox address of RCS ACT, PO Box 3626 Manuka ACT 2603.

Finally, our Patron the Governor General Hon David Hurley AC is shortly completely his term of office.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank him and Mrs Hurley for their outstanding commitment to the RCS, including in gracing major events and with the many invitations to Government House. We look forward to them continuing to join in our activities in retirement.  We will be writing to the incoming Governor General to request her to be our new branch patron.   As you would be aware, King Charles III recently formally became the Patron of the Royal Commonwealth Society as a whole.

I look forward to seeing you at our forthcoming events

With best wishes

Matthew E K Neuhaus

Hon Prof Matthew E K Neuhaus,

President, RCS ACT