By John Van Klaveren
A GROUP of Geelong region women would like to share their different view.
They are members of little-known service club VIEW, standing for Voice Interests and Education of Women.
While the club ostensibly exists to raise funds for The Smith Family, members quickly pointed out the main aim was to have fun and make new friends.
Despite the low profile, the number of VIEW clubs in the region has expanded from one to four in recent times.
Members of the Geelong evening VIEW club helped set up a daytime club as well as groups in Ocean Grove and Drysdale.
They even assisted the establishment of a new club at Point Cook.
“Some of us like it so much we’re members of more than one club,” member Veronica Kratzmann explained.
“It’s friendly, relaxed, we have a lot of fun and we contribute to social justice at the same time.
“I was new to Geelong when I discovered VIEW clubs and it’s helped me meet other women with similar aims.
“We hold monthly dinner meetings at Dromoland House, usually featuring a theme and a guest speaker.
“We raise funds to sponsor students through The Smith Family because education is the key to breaking the cycle of illiteracy.”
The sponsorships assist primary, secondary and tertiary students, both boys and girls, through the Smith Family’s Learning for Life program.
The club also prepares pamper packs for the women’s programs of community support organisation Bethany as well as organising Christmas hampers for distribution.
“There are 20,000 women in 400 clubs across Australia, so it’s a shared view, Veronica said.
About 600 students are involved in The Smith Family Learning for Life program in Geelong, with 30,000 nationally.
“It’s all about the children, ensuring they receive a great education and have access to mentors through their school years,” Veronica said.
“The Smith Family has after-school clubs and a reading program called student2student.”
Club members have the opportunity to attend annual state and national conventions.
The clubs also act as a lobby base, with social justice issues regularly presented for members to vote upon which are then presented to government.
Veronica said anyone wanting to share the VIEW should phone member Marilyn on 5278 1842 or email cbickerd@bigpond.net.au.