Seasons greetings buffaloes,
We’re coming to the end of a strange and busy year. Here’s hoping the holiday season brings some peaceful time to reflect with family and kin before the new year.
The committee were glad to announce, at the recent AGM, that the club is financially safe. There will be a few years of paying dues, but the basic story is that the membership and community have succeeded in protecting the Buffalo Club for future generations. Congratulations to all who played a part in navigating these uncertain months.
Bringing our RAOB old-order Buffalo fact for the month:
Civil unrest in the UK during the mid-1800s resulted in an act that no more than 50 people could gather without first notifying the state. Groups and associations came under pressure to prove they were not inciting rebellion.
The order responded by changing its name to include “royal”, to indicate loyalty to the crown. Around this time they also added the theatrical flourish of “antediluvian”, a word meaning “before the flood” and implying ancient principles.
While the monarchism of the RAOB is not something the present day Buff Club has inherited, the moral may be that we pivot when under pressure. Better to change your name than to lose your purpose. To finish, here is one creed of the old buffs to carry forward:
“In things Essential Unity, In things Doubtful Liberty and in all things Charity”[1]
Committee
Our AGM is complete for another year. Thanks to all who attended. The committee has been elected with two new members, and the proposed constitutional amendments have been adopted. These amendments included free memberships for club staff, to respect the spirit they put into the Buff, and more scope for volunteer input via subcommittees.
Thanks to club manager, Kevin, who negotiated like a genius with the ATO this year. Thanks to outgoing committee members, Greg Patterson, the man who got Guinness on tap, and Dave Roper, who completed the club's first grant application. The Buff is lucky to have your knowledge and passion in the membership. Plenty of work ahead in the coming year, hopefully at a more relaxed pace. Our new committee members are:
John Delfs - John is an excellent administrator who spends his working days in the bowels of Notre Dame. John is deeply passionate about the Buff and has been putting in hours as a volunteer all year. He'd like to re-establish some of the old games leagues, inspired by our glorious ladies darts legacy. John will be backing Kevin as treasurer this coming year.
Jacob Edwards - Jacob is an energetic and skilled painter who has worked on some massive installations. He also worked on the heritage building Moana Chambers in Perth, helping establish a cafe and art space. Jacob would like to work on maintaining the heritage of our beautiful building as we adapt to the expanding membership. He’ll be coordinating maintenance and work projects this coming year.
Thanks to everyone who warmed the space and made this year work. Here's to another hundred years.
Dead Merch Fair
With a fresh year coming we’re looking for new ways to bring the folks together at the club. We’re glad to announce the first annual DEAD MERCH FAIR, an art market to exhibit and share the medley of interests that have become the life blood of Buffalo Club.
Bring out your dead: Old EPs, cassettes, zines, posters, paintings, T-Shirts, sketches, miniature arboretums, or finger-knitted-leg-warmers. All art, craft, and interests are accepted. The fair opens at 11am on the 22nd of December and runs until 4pm. There will be a canteen on site with drip coffee and toasties.
A few performances are planned throughout the day, as well as an exhibit of a selection of the Buffalo historical archives. We'll also have a bit of historical storytelling from one of our long standing members. Stalls will be mostly in the upper hall of the Buffalo, with a few spots available in the lower bar.
If you'd like to be a stallholder please contact gigs@freobuffclub.org.
LABELS: Rockton Records _ Lunch Records _ Stock Records _ Burnt Seed Records _ Tone List.
GROUPS: Pot Luck _ Jugular Co _ Rosie Shute & Friends
PROJECTS: Sprawl _ Hi, Ok. Sorry _ Hurb and Greg _ FBC ART _ Lima Brightlove.
EXHIBITS: Life Drawing Drawings _ Buffalo Archives _ ToDrawDay Portraiture.
Social Hall
We’re calling for more regular programs from members with interests and skills to share. If you have a program/workshop you would like to host in the upper hall, please contact socialhall@freobuffclub.org.
Here’s a summary of what’s on, up and down this month:
Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays 6pm-7pm _ UP _ $10
Casual Choir: Tuesdays 4.30pm-6pm _ UP _ Free
Life Drawing: Tuesdays 6.30pm-9pm _ UP _ $20
Portrait Drawing: Tuesdays 5.00pm-7pm _ DOWN_ Free by @ToDrawDay
Community Meal: Thursday fortnightly (5th, 19th) 5pm-7pm _ UP _ Free
Volunteer
Huge thanks to Jacob for getting into it this month, both as a backup on events and hauling things around as a handyman. Thanks to Skye, for her generous donation towards upkeep in the upper hall. Finally, gratitude to Jack for always rocking in to help the frail committee lift a thing.
This month's volunteer meetup falls on Sunday the 19th at 11am. Come along if you’d like to join in helping out at the club. A committee member will be giving an overview for new volunteers at around 11.15am on the day.
For those wanting to help solve more material problems, the club has a number of things we could use. We’ve decided to start including a list, to express our naive optimism that stuff will just appear:
- Shelving (long-span pallet racking to build a backstage upstairs).
- Lamps.
- An office computer.
- High metal stools for the upper balcony.
- Chesterfield leather couches.
- A lighting desk.
Thanks all. Spread the word and keep the naive optimism alive.
Upcoming Events
We've made it to the end of 2024- one for the books for the Buff! And here lie the fine acts that shall farewell us on into 2025:
EVERY MONDAY
Mad Cow Mondays – Comedy Night
MONTHLY THURSDAYS
Dec 12th - Room Full of Feelings Poetry Night
Dec 21st - Early Worm & Cryptid's Two-Stage Showcase
_THIS MONTH
_Dec 5th is just in time to cozy up and catch Tomás Ford's monthly songwriter Bonfire night- you don't wanna catch a cold.
_Dec 6th welcomes the highly anticipated legends Kill Devil Hills. Pure Orstralia rock to dig your fingers in and pride in the dirt under your nails.
_Dec 7th UPSTAIRS Emu Glitter host their DOUBLE single launch (w/ Shadow Planet, Oakabella & The Maeflys and Bush Rangers). While DOWNSTAIRS Ghoulies, Pleasants, & Amerol punk out hard at the playful, lyrical fringes.
_Dec 8th we have the Tom Brown & Brushtail HAPPENING EP Launch, supported by Jack Gaby. A driving sweep across eclectic, alt, lo-fi pop rock with a sincere and intimate opener. Member Tix $10 bucaneers.
_Dec 12th brings a night of celebrating art as DOWNSTAIRS hosts the monthly Room Full Of Feelings extravaganza of the poetic, & upstairs the bohemian icon HORATIO T BIRDBATH's biopic and photo exhibit will delight and stun.
_Dec 13th is punctuated by Mood Punch launching their single "SOMETIMES LOVE," one of many in their woodworks right now. Hop in now and ride in with their future releases, too.
_Dec 19th the monthly Cryptid's exhibit combines with Early-Worm in a two stage showcase- round upon round of upturned rocks revealing the treasures that lie in the underground.
_Dec 20th paints a bipolar picture, as UPSTAIRS hosts Double Happiness- the DIY queer dance party for dirty electronic liberation- and DOWNSTAIRS we rock it out with the socially anti-social Teen Angst.
_Dec 21st UPSTAIRS hosts the return of Only Clowns for an XMAS Spectacular, and DOWNSTAIRS singer-songwriter Andy Burns joins us before embarking on a national tour. Member Tix $10 buckaroos.
_Dec 22nd DEAD MERCH FAIR, for flea market amateurs, hobbyists and artists and to sell their lingering wares.
_Dec 28, finally, UPSTAIRS mammoth Clubb Medd take over as DOWNSTAIRS Lloyd & The Leftovers grace us with unmissable alt-folk.
See you there.❤️🐃
