Date: April, 2003

Place: HMAS Penguin, Balmoral, Sydney

Fellow Members,

After Dinner # 11 Antonio Di Dio realised that the bulge in his jacket pocket was $3,000 raised by your good selves for the Children's Hospital at Westmead. He thus felt it was time to hand it over before his wife decided he'd been milking the domestic kitty.

Thus, he organised a splendiferous lunch in the formal Mess at HMAS Balmoral, the Royal Australian Navy's Medical Hospital in Sydney, where he is supposedly gainfully employed. Also in attendance were Jim and Judith Shepherd, Richard and Daniel Fry, Captain John Shelvin, commander of the base, Lieutenant-Commander Dr Elizabeth Rushbrook and, accepting the cheque on behalf of the Childrens Hospital, Helen Dirou.

After discussions with Helen it was decided not to earmark the funds for a specific purpose. Half the Hospital's funding comes from private donations and they have priorities, one of which is keeping the kids happy with computer games and various entertainments as well as purchasing medical equipment. The Hospital will use this money as it sees fit.

On behalf of Helen and all connected with the Hospital, a big thankyou to all our Members.

Richard Fry