Annual Report 1999

The Menzies Memorial Scholars Alumni Association

President's Report

1999 was a year of consolidation for the Alumni. As was indicated in last year's annual report, the Alumni now occupy five of the 13 seats on the Board and are progressively building on the contribution they can make to the future of the Foundation. With the election of Associate Professor William Rawlinson to the office of President of the Alumni Association and his assumption of my seat on the Board, we now have three medical and two law scholars on the Board.

The Tenth Annual meeting of the Alumni Association was held at Clarendon Terrace on 25 November 1999 and was attended by 16 Alumni. The meeting saw a number of long standing items of work in progress for the Alumni brought to fruition including the finalisation of a Guide for New Scholars, agreement upon the constituent elements for a written constitution for the Alumni and the adoption of an Alumni Association Mission Statement. The text of the mission statement is reproduced below.

Other matters dealt with at the Annual meeting included a review of the destinations at which a Menzies medical scholarship might be taken up, the continuance of the Dimboola Prize and future plans for the next Alumni Symposium. Formal votes of thanks were extended to Professor John Coghlan and to Ms Sandra Mackenzie for their assistance to Alumni over the previous twelve months and an election of new office bearers saw Associate Professor William Rawlinson elected as President and Mr Simon Hannaford elected as Secretary/Treasurer of the Alumni Association.

Mark Darian-Smith then welcomed Sir Daryl Dawson, Messrs Mike Codd and Peter Henderson and Professor John Coghlan and the matters debated and agreed by the Alumni were outlined and discussed further.

My two year period as President of the Alumni Association has seen it grow in strength and really start to realise what all of the returned scholars fondly hope will be its active role in the life of the Foundation in the years to come.

Mark Darian-Smith
President

Sir Robert Menzies Centenary Prize

In 1994, as a mark of Sir Robert's contribution to education, the Foundation created an annual Sir Robert Menzies Centenary Prize at the Dimboola Memorial Secondary College, i.e. the college closest to Sir Robert's birthplace of Jeparit. The criteria for the award were developed jointly with the College Council and make special reference to academic excellence and community service. The award is for a senior student who is proceeding to tertiary study and is a contribution of $1,000 to the first year of study. This cost is met by the Sir Robert Menzies Memorial Scholars Alumni Association.

This year the Prize was awarded to Rita Moore. Ms Moore attended the Dimboola Memorial Secondary College from 1997-1998 as a mature age student and was awarded the 1998 Year 12 Scholastic Award. Other awards have included the 1997 and 1998 Citizenship Certificates. Ms Moore made an outstanding contribution to the life of the College through her involvement in the College's musical production and a number of academic competitions. She has enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts/Science Degree at Monash University.

MISSION STATEMENT OF THE
MENZIES MEMORIAL SCHOLARS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

The Menzies Foundation, an apolitical charitable enterprise, was established in 1979 to develop appropriate forms of national memorial in honour of Sir Robert Menzies, for the benefit of the Australian community. Its activities include supporting the funding and/or administration of many different activities with the aim of improving the lives of Australians.

The Menzies Alumni are part of the living legacy to the ideals embodied by Sir Robert Menzies. They are an apolitical group of professionals and ex-scholars who support, and contribute to, the aims of the Menzies Foundation. They provide assistance to the Menzies Foundation in relation to the Menzies scholarships where necessary and provide support to new scholars. The Alumni aims to be an important part of the future of the Menzies Foundation, and to put the aims of the Menzies Foundation into practice within the community.