Max and Kaye first joined Yaraka/Isisford ICPA in 2001, the year their daughter Hannah commenced her education, with Kaye as home tutor, at the Longreach School of Distance Education.
Kaye was elected to the position of Branch Secretary at the A.G.M. on 1/11/2006.
She held this position for thirteen years, until she stood down at the A.G.M. held on 24/07/19.
Kaye has represented the branch at Federal Conference in Longreach in 2009 and also in Fremantle, WA in 2010. Her ability to attend conferences in recent years has been impacted on by the necessity to be at “Wahroongha” when her husband Max has been away doing off farm work. However Kaye also never misses an opportunity to advocate for ICPA at other forums, which she is able to attend.
She has been at the forefront of organising more catering events than I can possibly recall and participated in many, many catering type fund raising activities over the years including Car Rallies, Tag Along Tours, ANZAC Day Luncheon, Melbourne Cup Luncheon, Clearing Sales and so on. Kaye always brings “spare food” in case we are short. “Oh that’s fine – if it is not used I will just take it home again.” Her catering lists are legendary and contain more detail than an encyclopaedia.
Who could forget the individual patty cakes for all members of ICPA Queensland Council when our branch hosed mid-year meeting on the Mother’s Day weekend in Isisford in 2012.
For many years, Yaraka/Isisford ICPA has manned the bar, from 5 p.m. to closing time at the annual Isisford Sheep & Wool Show. This job is awarded via a tender process and Kaye has submitted every tender made on behalf of our branch to the Isisford Sheep & Wool Show Committee. Kaye holds a Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificate and with the exception of this year, has co-ordinated every ICPA bar roster for this event.
Her attention to detail is absolutely amazing and nothing escapes her, even if it is 3.00 a.m. Minutes of meetings are always completed with meticulous attention and detail, not to mention co-ordination of raffles, bar rosters, the branch volunteer book, remembering the branch flag, scheduling meetings and teleconferences, catering lists, watching for soft drink to come on special etc.
Melbourne Cup and all that goes with it i.e. Chocolate Wheel, Cent Sale and numerous other competitions and prizes has benefited greatly from Kaye’s eagle eyed in-put. She is amazingly creative and can always be relied on to produce something different and exciting from her seemingly bottomless bag of tricks.
Kaye also has an amazing ability to be able to step in and “fill the gap” if some other person is unable to turn up, especially at short notice. She thinks of every possible thing that might be needed for whatever the function is and brings it along “just in case.” Kaye is generous to a fault and can always be relied upon for donations of prizes for raffles and items for catering.
She is a “quiet achiever” who is 100% reliable and leaves absolutely nothing to chance.
In 2012 Kaye was the recipient of the Longreach Regional Council Isisford Branch Australia Day Citizen of the Year Award. She is involved with a number of committees, including our ICPA branch and her citation reads (in part)
Kaye’s contribution to the Isisford/Yaraka community was particularly noteworthy and follows on from her voluntary involvement over a number of years. Kaye is presently the secretary of the Yaraka Gymkhana sub-committee….the Yaraka Christmas tree…,the Yaraka/Isisford Isolated Children & Parents Association....and is the coordinator of the photography section of the Isisford Sheep and Wool Show…... Kaye’s voluntary position is an example to others in the community and she should be commended for her continual efforts.
