Last year ended with a wonderful Christmas Party at the Shed with almost a full house.

Needless to say everyone present had a great time and we all saw off the old year in appropriate style.

There was plenty of traditional Christmas tucker that included Christmas Cake and Pudding.

A BBQ catered for the main meal before all the yummy food, including a traditional Christmas pudding, that was introduced after the main course.

The big news for the start of new year, however, is the huge announcement that the Shed has received funding from the state government regarding some much needed infrastructure that was desperately required to bring the Shed up to modern safety requirements.

Our local member for the NSW Parliament, Steph Cooke, has been tireless in her efforts to get funding for the large project and we are very grateful for her doggedness in pursuing this matter to a successful outcome.

The three items that we are now in the process of acquiring include:

1. A Dust extractor for the very large old railway shed where the bulk of the Shed's machinery activities take place.

The value of the new extractor will be around $3,304.

2. Insulation for the main shed and the welding shed valued at $1,200

3. And last, but not least, there is also funding for an evaporative cooler, which is also required by law for the shed, that has been valued at close to $4,417.

This generous donation thus stands at $8,921.60.

The money has been banked and we are now talking to local suppliers to see what can be purchased in Grenfell.

Hopefully most of the money will be spent locally along with employing local tradies to help bring the projects to fruition.

Once again, it is incumbent on your local scribe to thank all those who helped us for their co-operation in securing this project and bringing it to a successful conclusion.

However, there is still a way to go as the next set of requirements regarding the installation of the new equipment will be to make sure that all the OH&S requirements are adhered to - including the actual permission to install.

In other news, the Shed has sought permission from the Weddin Shire Council to install a grinding stone at the iconic "Pick and Shovel" monument in the Shed grounds.

The grinding wheel is very old and was a necessity on the old goldfields to keep their digging equipment sharp and ready for the hard manual labour that was required of all their equipment including the picks and shovels.

The wheel was donated by Allan Stien and is a very welcome addition to the monument.

Also Shed members have agreed that Geoff and Martin investigate prices etc for insulation in the other two sheds of the complex.

This has been needed for some time and we are hopeful of being able to fund this project.

Another item of interest is that some members have expressed interest in hiring oxyacetylene bottles in order to attract more projects to the Shed that require this type of operation.

Two members have volunteered to investigate and will report back to the members.

The Young Men's Shed, who have recently rejoined the area Group, have held their first Area Meeting.

Some 12 Sheds were involved and, we are pleased to say, that Grenfell had some 17 members attending the meeting held in the Young CWA hall.

Needless to say, space was at a premium with the Grenfell Shed having the largest contingent attending by a long shot.

Well done guys.

Friday March 22, 2019

And last, but definitely not least, the Grenfell Shed will be hosting its annual Music Jam Night where all musos and their friends, as well as anyone else who wants to attend, are more than welcome.

WHERE: At the Grenfell Men's Shed

WHEN: Friday March 22 at 7pm.

Previously this evening has been a huge success, and, even if don't play an instrument - you are more than welcome to come along and enjoy the entertainment.

Don't miss out, as this evening just gets bigger every year.

Don't forget, the Grenfell Men’s Shed is located adjacent to the Railway Station precinct in West Street and is open each Wednesday from 9am –12noon.

All men are welcome at the Grenfell Men's Shed.

Men will find something interesting to do, people to talk with, support and learning, but most of all a place where they can be men.

Men at all stages of their lives are essential to a good society, and Sheds help keep them well and engaged.

They also do a lot of community work, supporting others.

New members are always most welcome to come along and see what it is all about.

That's all for this month.

See you all again next month.

"The Shedman"