Murray River

Regular Meeting Venue:  We don’t have a regular meeting venue, we move around all of the time and can usually advise of the location about 1 month ahead of time so keep an eye on the web site and we will advise you each time we have a get together scheduled.

Beth Docksey
Secretary
Murray River RFPA Branch
SECRETARY EMAIL ADDRESS: Click to email the Secretary


UPCOMING GET-TOGETHERS

Unless otherwise advised on the event as to who should be contacted please contact the Social Secretary Christine Eddes by email … Click to email the Social Secretary


Murray River RFPA functions.  Bring your family, friends, and non members.

● Coffee & Chat – Close Collective Café Wodonga
David Kapay is teaching here.
WHEN: Friday 28th February 2025 at 10am
WHERE: 198A High Street, Wodonga.
RSVP: Tuesday 25th February 2025.

● The Mansfield Experience – Weekend Away 21-23 February 2025.
We would love to invite all members and families to a weekend away in Mansfield, Victoria.  (Although by looking at the area, some of you may wish to have an extended weekend.)
WHAT:  Weekend away in Mansfield
WHEN:  21-23 February 2025.- times will be as per your own arrival, but we will meet for dinner for those of us that are there.
WHERE:  Accommodation options are extensive and varied.

If you are wishing to tow a van or book a cabin, the Mansfield Holiday Park, may have some vacancies for you.  At this stage, they will definitely have vacancies on the Saturday and Sunday, but limited availability on the Friday night. Phone 03 5775 1383 or email .
Website www.mansfieldholidaypark.com.au

The All Seasons Mansfield is across the road from the caravan park, and at this stage, they still have some vacancies.  Some of us will be booking in here, but you are welcome to book any accommodation you wish. They currently have 6 cabins free. Book online at www.allseasonsmansfield.com.au or Phone Craig on M.0419 777 425 or 

If these locations fill up, please contact Social Secretary Christine Eddes on the email address at the beginning of Upcoming get-togethers for some other accommodation options or search on the web for other locations in Mansfield.

RSVP: It would be great if we could have an indication of who will be coming, ASAP. 

I suggest you will need to book your accommodation sooner rather than later. We have plans to visit surrounding areas, a winery and various lunch and dinner options.  More details will follow & be posted on the page when sorted.

Christine Eddes
Social Secretary

BEYOND THE BADGE CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAM

Click on this link for the full schedule for all programs in various locations up to July 2025 and read below for details re the Albury Program.

https://www.beyondthebadge.com.au/general-5

FACE TO FACE PROGRAM Tuesday 3rd- Wednesday 4th June 2025 at Albury, NSW.

The Murray River RFPA have been working with the Beyond the Badge group to be able to organise another free 2 day Face to Face Career Transition Program for all Veterans and First Responders to attend in Albury.   The attached information will provide you with the details.  If you are transitioning out of one of these organisations, are already out no matter how long or you know someone that might need this program to help them move on into the next chapter of their lives, then please forward it to them.  There are many former officers as well as first responders and veterans out there that are not connected to us via email, SMS or Facebook who you may be able to forward or speak to about this valuable life changing opportunity.  Please nominate or spread the word so that we are able to support and change lives.  I realise this is very early notification however you can put it in your diaries and book in with Sean Haran below. I will send a reminder out closer to the date. Thanks Beth Docksey

BEYOND THE BADGE CAREER TRANSITION

FACE TO FACE PROGRAM Tuesday 3rd- Wednesday 4th June, 2025 at Albury, NSW.

A Face-to-Face program has been organised by Beyond the Badge & Murray River RFPA which will be held at the venue of our generous sponsor the SS&A Club Albury. The program is open to all Veterans and first responders from all agencies. You may be serving, transitioning, or have already left an agency.

The programs are conducted over two (2) days from 9:30 am – 2:30 pm , with a follow up session on line for day 3.
JUNE 3rd & 4th, 2025
LOCATION: SS&A CLUB Albury.

Days 1 & 2 9:30 am – 2:30 pm

Address – SS&A Club, (Soldiers, Sailors & Airmen’s) 570/582 Olive Street, Albury.  (Entry via the rear car park as the front is being renovated.)

Day 3 Online 

Cost: FREE

Support Materials Provided
Catering Provided

INQUIRE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE

For your information, I have attached a flyer that outlines the program. 
If you are interested in this program, please reply to this email or send one direct to Sean Haran, one of the organisers as soon as possible so we can make the required arrangements to get you booked in.  

Do not hesitate to contact Sean Haran if you have any questions!

Sean Haran | Director  
Dip Sec Risk Management | Dip OHS 
 BEYOND THE BADGE | Supporting our First Responder Community
Correspondence to PO Box 3, Menai Central NSW 2234
M  +61 439 166 070

W https://beyondthebadge.com.au

Any issues or info you can also contact us at the Murray River Branch of the RFPA and also read this attached information.


BOWLS GR8 FOR BRAINS

Come along and have a fun time bowling, chatting, or just having a cuppa.   All members, family and friends are welcome. Bowls supplied and if you have never bowled before we have a coach available to show you how to bowl a good, curved ball.  Covid procedures are in place.
When: Every Thursday at 9.30am to 11.30am
Where: Bowling Green, first floor, Commercial Club, 618 Dean Street Albury.
Enter via Stanley Street Carpark entries

Hope to see you all there.


MURRAY RIVER RFPA CLOTHING BROCHURE


MURRAY RIVER RFPA BRANCH COMMITTEE 
The following members hold Committee Positions at the Murray River Branch July 2024 to July 2025.
Chair Ken Zegiel
Vice Chair Phil Eddes
Secretary Beth Docksey
Treasurer Ken Medway
Assistant Treasurer/Secretary Christine Bentley
Social Secretary Christine Eddes
Committee Member Brian Rosewarne
Committee Member Graeme Stephens
Committee Member Christine Eddes
Welfare Officer Allan Grogan
Welfare Officer Louise Stephens
Assistant Welfare Officer Annie Smart
Thank you all for taking up the positions in support of our branch and members.  Enjoy the 12 months in our wonderful branch.

Beth Docksey
Secretary
Murray River RFPA Branch
SECRETARY EMAIL ADDRESS: 


OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE MURRAY RIVER BRANCH AND ACTIVITIES

Murray River Branch covers an area from the Hume Highway Albury up to Holbrook, halfway to Wagga, including locations about 45 minutes north of the NSW/Victorian border all the way across past Deniliquin stopping short of Mildura.  We also cover the whole of Victoria, have had Tasmanian members, and have former members of the NSW Police Force who reside all over this state as our members. Therefore, we have very broad membership coverage with currently 117 paid members & another 80 who we contact via email.  We are inclusive not exclusive; however membership has increased by 75% with this mantra in the last 7 years.  We have an Executive Committee that meets bi-monthly and manages all issues relating to the branch including the social activities, welfare, membership, etc., with input sought from branch members prior to the meetings and if they wish they can attend.  We have welfare officers that support our members in the broad ranging area of our branch.

As a result of our spread of members, we don’t have regular meeting venues, dates, days of the week or times as we move all around the branch area so that it gives all members the opportunity to get together.  We also have our get togethers on different days of the week so that this enables our former and retired members who work or look after grandchildren on various days of the week or weekends to attend our get togethers. We always invite partners, friends, family members, some have young children and grandchildren that have attended our functions which has created great friendships with all of these people. 

We have travelled to our Deniliquin members about once per year, down into Victoria on a number of occasions, to locations such as Bright, Myrtleford, Yackandandah, Chiltern & Beechworth and our members in those areas host our branch visits in that location. We have had a number of dinners in Melbourne for our members there and generally try to hold one there at least once every 4-6 months. When we travel around we try to include an activity before such as in Bright we went to look at our member Annie’s art works at her house, in Myrtleford, we went to our member John & Margaret’s Open Garden and Antique Firearm collection, & at Beechworth we went to our member ‘Bruiser’s’ Brew house for some home-made ale.  We have also been to the ‘Bald Archie’s Exhibition’ when at Corowa and then the Corowa Chocolate factory after to make huge chocolate freckles & drink lots of various flavoured hot chocolates.

We also have Coffee & Chat get togethers about once a month in locations in Albury and other townships within about 30-50 minutes’ drive from Albury.  We schedule our get togethers at our meetings and a couple of weeks ahead we notify all members by email, SMS and create an event on our Murray River RFPA Private Facebook Group. We of course require RSVP replies so that we can book adequate seating. We always generally have a minimum of about 20 people attend our coffee and chats & often 30.  These get togethers are quite flexible and we always ask that any of our far flung or other branch members who just happen to be coming through the area to please advise us, even at short notice that they are in the area and we have put on a number of coffee & chats with two to three days’ notice to catch up with them whilst they are here.  We have had members, and their partners come through for Coffee & Chats from Tasmania, Deniliquin, Sydney, Mudgee and Far South Coast, to name a few.  So, if anyone is in the area or passing through, we only need a couple of day’s notice, and we will have a Coffee & Chat for you.

For any of these activities or information contact the Secretary Beth Docksey via email or phone.

Kind Regards 
Beth Docksey
Secretary
Murray River Retired & Former Police Association 
M. 0412 661 738