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Camden Haven Day VIEW Club
About
Camden Haven Day VIEW Club was formed in 1992.
Currently, the Club sponsors six Smith Family Learning for Life students and is actively involved in fundraising activities to raise donations for The Smith Family programs.
We are always open to new members, so please get in touch today and come and see what it's all about.
Location
- When: Meeting Day on the 3rd Monday each month
- Time: At 11.00am
- Where: Laurieton United Services Club
- Address: Seymour Street, LAURIETON NSW 2443
Club News
Meet Our 2026 Committee
Our Club's 2026 committee was elected at our November luncheon 2025.
We have a great team who enjoys working together to provide opportunities for our members to have an enjoyable time building friendships, caring for others and raising money to support our Learning for Life students through The Smith Family.
Crystalline Pottery Outing 2026
Crystalline Pottery in Bonny Hills proved to be a beautiful outing for several of our Members and one lucky man. We were wowed by the beautiful workmanship and creative talent on display. It was so interesting to learn how the pots and a wide variety of other items are made with their unique crystal patterns. A wander around the studio and surrounding garden showed the wide range available. A visit to the outdoor toilet was unique and surprising.
Of course several of us were unable to leave without purchasing something. Following this we all enjoyed lunch together at the Bonny Hills Tavern. A lovely day out in great company.
Photos L-R: Ready for lunch and Heather checks out the pottery.
September 2026
Our September Luncheon Meeting was another great opportunity to spend some time together - catching up with friends we have known for some time now and also getting to know some newer members and guests. Our guest speakers were Melissa and Kristy from Linked Community Services. They told us about the great services Linked provide, and how we can go about making the most of their services for a significantly reduced price.
We found out that Linked not only offer transport with extra personalised service and fun social outings, their Aged Care Visitors program involves volunteers visiting older people to provide companionship for those experiencing loneliness. Melissa and Kristy were able to answer our questions and we all received a bag with all the information we need to take home with us.
Accompanying photo shows Kristy, Kristy and Melissa from Linked with our Assistant Secretary Anne
Accompanying photo shows Kristy, Kristy and Melissa from Linked with our Assistant Secretary Anne
34th Birthday Celebrations
Cutting The Cake
It’s as easy as ABC!! We had a fabulous time celebrating our Club’s 34th birthday. Our alphabet theme provided a great excuse for everyone to wear something beginning with their first initial.
Some members chose the subtle approach by wearing something beginning with the same letter - Gloria wore green, Rae wore red, Olwen wore orange and an orchid. We had sunflowers, jellybeans, an apiarist, a jester, red riding hood, an array of animals including a lion, cat, mouse, cheetah, lady bug/beetle and a dog.
Some members chose the subtle approach by wearing something beginning with the same letter - Gloria wore green, Rae wore red, Olwen wore orange and an orchid. We had sunflowers, jellybeans, an apiarist, a jester, red riding hood, an array of animals including a lion, cat, mouse, cheetah, lady bug/beetle and a dog.
Also in attendance was the Queen of Hearts, an elf, a witch, a vampire, Jane Fonda and even Indiana Jones! And more….. It was wonderful to see everyone joining in the spirit of fun and friendship.
With Lucky Door Prizes, 100 Club, Raffle prizes and a few games to get us thinking and laughing the time flew by. Certificates of Appreciation were presented to Heather and Jan who help out selling raffle tickets at every meeting.
With Lucky Door Prizes, 100 Club, Raffle prizes and a few games to get us thinking and laughing the time flew by. Certificates of Appreciation were presented to Heather and Jan who help out selling raffle tickets at every meeting.
Photo L-R: Award recipients Robyn and Carmel cutting the cake.
34th Birthday Celebrations
Awards Presented
A Making a Difference Award was presented to Robyn for the fantastic work she does behind the scenes in many ways, not the least being making sure we have beautifully presented, good quality raffle prizes for every meeting and function we hold. Carmel received her 20-Year VIEW Club member pin and was invited to cut our birthday cake with Robyn.
Photo L-R: Robyn receives her MAD Award from President Bev; and Carmel receiving her 20 Year Pin from Zone Councillor Evie.
Community Connect in 2026
We had a wonderful opportunity to share what our VIEW club is all about at the Camden Haven Chamber of Commerce sponsored Community Connection Day at Laurieton United Services Club. We were able to talk to lots of people and extend an invitation to them to come along to one of our meetings to find out more.
We are delighted to report that two ladies have indicated they will be joining us at our next meeting, which happens to be our 34th Birthday celebration. Several other ladies have indicated they will be very interested in coming along and joining us as well. We gave away lots of brochures with contact details for our club as well as some VIEW Matters magazines.
Overall we felt it was a very successful morning providing an opportunity to reach out to those who are looking for a meaningful way to connect with other women, make friends and contribute to worthwhile cause.
Christmas In July 2026
We had a great day celebrating Christmas in July at Club North Haven today, with 70 guests attending.
As well as our own club members and friends there were VIEW Club members from Port Macquarie Day, Port Macquarie Lighthouse, Wauchope and Nambucca. It was a great opportunity to have some fun together, catch up with old friends and meet new ones.
The day included lucky door prizes, games, raffles and of course a lovely roast lunch. We are grateful to everyone who came along and helped us to raise over $800 for The Smith Family.
Busy July 2026
We were happy to present two more new members with their name badges at our July luncheon meeting; welcome aboard Wendy and Rhonda.
We were also privileged to have our local MP Robert Dwyer as our guest speaker. Many of us are familiar with Robert and the incredible support he provided our VIEW Club in his 30 plus years as manager of Laurieton United Services Club. It was interesting to learn about his life before he came to the Camden Haven, how he came to be the general manager of the club and how his genuine interest in people, our community and connections he has made led him to move into his current role as our local Member of Parliament.
Robert was happy to answer our questions and assured us he will follow up with our queries and concerns. We look forward to seeing and hearing from him again soon.
Inspirational Guest Speaker in June 2026
Our June Luncheon Meeting was another opportunity for our members and guests to enjoy some time together in friendship. We were able to share plans for upcoming events, share anecdotes about the fun had at our most recent outings, make decisions about sponsoring another student through The Smith Family Learning for Life program, present another new member with her name badge who can be seen in the photo on the right, and listen to our amazing guest speaker, Denise Walker, who is pictured in the photo on the left.
Denise has been teaching for more than 62 years!!! She still teaches one day a week in Wauchope. Her contribution to education was recently recognised with an honorary presentation from the Department of Education as well as in Parliament by our local MP Robert Dwyer.
Denise shared some of her personal life and teaching journey as well as some of the incredible experiences she has had involving steam trains and planes. She was the first woman to become a member of Griffith Aero Club, earning her pilot's licence and carrying out tricky manoeuvres better than her male counterparts.
Denise loves cartoons and has created a fantastic collection of illustrations for idioms and proverbs which we all hope to see published in a book soon. We were inspired by her presentation, and her passion for life, for students and teaching.
Soup Slice and Damper Day
On May 25 twenty lovely ladies had a delightful time at our Soup Slice and Damper Day. We had some fun learning more about each other and enjoying each others company while we indulged in some delicious soup, fresh damper and a scrumptious array of cakes and slices.
Anne made us all feel very welcome and comfortable in her home and we were able to raise over $300 for The Smith Family.
May 2026
Once again our members enjoyed getting together for our May Luncheon Meeting. We were able to present two of our new members with their name badges, and also welcome another new member who signed up today.
Our guest speaker, Gabby Gregory, spoke about her role as Director of the Hospital Auxiliary and the Pink Ladies who volunteer at our Port Macquarie Base Hospital. We were interested to hear about the many different ways the Pink Ladies help in such practical ways at the hospital as well as raising money to purchase hospital equipment.
April 2026 Guest Speaker
Our members and several visiting guests enjoyed spending time together at our April meeting. Our guest speaker Gillian Donaldson was very engaging and so interesting to listen to.
Gillian is an entertainer who has performed in a variety of musicals, including the lead role in Evita, as well as on TV shows and concerts. She shared with us her experience as a 19 year old spending 8 months in Vietnam during the Vietnam War entertaining the troops in the American and Australian bases. From her first night under curfew listening to helicopters and mortar fire all night to surviving being shot at while on stage, having tear gas thrown into her tent at night, the appreciative soldiers who enjoyed the reprieve from battle and taste of home from the music she shared, helicopter rides, performing on makeshift stages, such as the back of a truck; and so much more.
We were enthralled by her story and reminded how important it is to be reminded of the price others have paid for our freedom as we lead up to ANZAC Day - Lest we forget.
March 2026 Guest Speaker
Our guest speaker, pictured, for March was Theo from Camden Haven Community at 3. Such an interesting speaker!! Theo shared with us how Community at 3 began, why they are called Community at 3, and how this group works to help people in our community who are experiencing hardship, in particular those who find themselves homeless.
At 3pm every Wednesday this group provides a meal for people who are experiencing hardship. Community at 3 is all about building community by supporting and encouraging those in the community who are willing and able to help those who are in need. Their mission is: Providing a welcoming community free of discrimination, fostering social inclusion, and delivering wellbeing programs, facilities and networks to enhance lives.
While many of us were shocked to learn just how many people are sleeping rough in our own community, we were all inspired to learn how Community at 3 is providing practical support, as well as how we can be a part of this support.
Celebrating International Women's Day in 2026
A wonderful group of women gathered at the Laurieton United Services Club to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 9. We all enjoyed a delicious morning tea as we shared stories about significant women in our lives. Even though our guest speaker was unexpectedly unable to attend, we were inspired and entertained by Members sharing their stories about women who have impacted their lives. These stories reminded us how strong and resilient women are, and how much we give of ourselves to benefit those around us.
National Counsellor Dianne shared some information about VIEW, highlighting the impact The Smith Family sponsorship of students and other educational initiatives are helping students in need. Through our clubs we are able to Give so that students can Gain; fitting nicely with this years theme for IWD - Give to Gain.
On this day we were able to raise over $600 for this valuable cause.
On this day we were able to raise over $600 for this valuable cause.
Christmas Party 2025!
We had a lovely time together at our Christmas Party. Lots of fantastic Lucky Door prizes - 12 in fact. Four amazing Christmas hampers as raffle prizes.
Fun and laughter as we played a game of Pass the Christmas Parcel with a difference - nothing like some charades and other challenges to get us all guessing and giggling. It was so good to have everyone joining in the fun.
Laurietunes provided some beautiful music to entertain us and to help us get into the spirit of Christmas by singing along. Delicious food for lunch, and even more sweet treats and Christmas Cake to take home with us - what a wonderful way to finish up the year. Have a happy and safe Christmas everyone.
Photo shows newly appointed Zone Councillor Evie and Vice President Suellen cutting our Christmas Cake which was made by our president Bev.
2025 November Luncheon Meeting
At our November luncheon meeting we elected our committee for 2026. We have a great team who enjoy working together to provide opportunities for our members to have an enjoyable time building friendships, caring for others and raising money to support our Learning for Life students through The Smith Family.
Our guest speaker today was Karina who spoke to us about chair yoga and showed us some of the yoga moves we can do. We all felt very relaxed by the end of our meeting.
October Soctober 2025
Our October Socktober Luncheon Meetings are always a lot of fun, and today was no exception.
At our Socktober Meeting, everyone receives a sock as they arrive, and when it is time for dessert we find the person who has our sock's partner to have dessert with. The lovely buzz in the room is awesome as ladies get to have a good chat with someone they may not have had the opportunity to get to know yet. Even if we do know each other, there is always more to learn. We found out that some of our Members have had some pretty crazy and incredible experiences.
So good to have fun learning more about each other. This is what VIEW is all about - connecting and building lovely friendships.