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The metal caravan pennants that we have attached to our vans now, were first introduced
in 1956. We had a little trouble with paint peeling off them at one stage, but it seems we
have overcome that problem now by using plastic stick-ons. The idea for a metal pennant
came from Mr A Wright.

As a token of appreciation for all the work done by Mr Sam Emmett for the club, a Life
Membership was bestowed on him in 1956. Another one of our Life Members is Miss Edna
Austin, who was a very handy lady with a hammer and saw, and she built all the cupboards,
beds, tables etc. in her van which she still has to this day. Unfortunately, ill health does
not allow her to use her van anymore. The husband of another of our Life Members, Mr
Clarrie Jesser (now deceased), has the honour of having the Tramway Museum at Ferny
Grove name after him. Clarrie passed away after a long illness and his wife, Dot Jesser,
does not drive so she can no longer attend rallies, but she still has happy memories of past
rallies. The late Mr Ossie Campbell also had a Life Membership conferred on him for
services to the Nambour National Rally. This was a most successful Rally both financially
and socially, being the only National Rally to make a profit.

No one will ever forget the storm on New Year’s Eve at that rally, for it brought-out the
best of fellowship among caravanners when they helped each other shift vans and take
down annexes during that storm. Another of our Life Members is Mr Miles Gray who served
on the Committee as Treasurer for a number of years.

Roving Rallies don’t seem to be as popular these days as they used to be, because on one
of our wettest roving rallies only two members turned-up. I think they could really be
called devoted caravanners, don’t you? One rally which was a huge success was the one
held in conjunction with the opening of the new Bribie Island bridge. Again we had a
Police escort, and we certainly made a most impressive sight driving along the foreshores
of Bribie.

In reading through the early Minutes books, it would appear that a lot of changes have
taken place over the years. There used to be quite a lot of social functions, fund raising
visits to various factories, theatres, visits to members’ homes for card games, progressive
dinners, picnics and car rallies which were a lot of fun, especially when the navigator read
the instructions wrongly and the driver got lost.

Club membership seems to have always stayed at the same number of members as we
have now. The Club Motto of “Fellowship on Wheels” has always been and should always
be just that. Good fellowship between people who have one thing in common:
‘Caravanning’.

I do hope that this little bit of the History of the Club brings-back quite a few happy
memories to older club members and gives some of the younger members an idea of just
what the club is all about.