Responsible for creating, leading and teaching our sewing classes since 2017, Marisa Valentino is the current instructor for our Sew Good- Sewing Classes.
She is also a regular volunteer at the Canning Show and is soon to one of the guest facilitator at the upcoming Fairbridge Craft Retreat (Get your tickets ASAP for the event on 11-13 September).
As part of our INTRODUCING series shining a light on the amazing people and organisations that play an important part in what goes on as part of Cannington Exhibition & Showgrounds, Canning Agricultural, Horticultural & Recreational Society (CAHRS) or and/or Canning Show operations, we had a chat to Marisa to give you an insight into her work with us and her passion for sewing.
Us: A moment that has stood out so far during your time at CAHRS:
Marisa: The way all the Staff can get the Show done and how it all goes like a well-oiled machine. I love working with all the staff, they are always helpful and very happy….keep the good work up.
Favorite moment at a previous Canning Show:
– When all the Staff gets dressed up in the theme of the Show/Presentation Evening & Awards (looking forward to what they get up to this year).
– When I come into the hall and see if I have won a prize for my work.
– When I see that my students have entered their work and got a prize. I am so happy for them.
You’re the instructor of our CAHRS-led Sew Good sewing classes. Tell us more about your involvement and why you love sharing your sewing skills:
I run the sewing classes with a program I designed to help people with no sewing knowledge. To learn about their sewing machines and all the basics of sewing in the first 10 weeks. Then over the next 10 weeks we learn about patterns, how to cut fabrics so we can start to make clothing. We will have 4 items made in 10 weeks. By this time my students have most of the skills to go shopping and make whatever pattern they have chosen.
I love teaching people how to sew. It makes me feel that I have given someone a skill for life. It’s a way to create and show your personality in what you make .It’s good to know how to sew. You can fix your clothing or make something special for a loved one “One of a Kind”. There are so many good things about sewing that I can’t list them all!
What drew you to lending your skills to CAHRS/Canning Show/CECS:
I love to sew and I love to work with people. I somehow have a gift in teaching people so I put 2 and 2 together and became a sewing teacher. CAHRS had a need and I have a great time in doing teaching for them.
You were a large part of the inspiration for our upcoming Fairbridge Craft Retreat. Tell us about how it came about and who would enjoy/benefit from it?
I have been going to Fairbridge for over 8 years, when I got involved with the Pinjarra Quilters. I started going with the Liddelow Ladies in Kenwick and we each take turns to run the house. I started organising the retreat 5 years ago, it became my job to book the house and make all the arrangements.
Fairbridge is a lovely place for people who love crafting, sewing, knitting or crocheting. There are so many things to see and do, including walking around the beautiful grounds or seeing the wildflowers.
The retreat would be perfect for anyone wanting to express their creative flair or just relax in the gorgeous surrounds.
On the sewing front at Fairbridge, what can people expect to do or learn:
I will be coordinating 3 different projects/sessions…
– Learning to sew a tote bag.
– Creating a patchwork quilt block for Charity Quilts.
– Learning more about whatever project you’re working on
If you were stuck on a desert island, what 3 things would you take?
– A book on How to Survive on a Desert Island.
– Inspiration – To keep me from going mad.
– The Travel Destination book series – to forget where I am.
What else do you do in real life?
– I cook to a high standard. I love to make cakes and desserts.
– There are all the mundane things eg: washing, feeding animals, gardening, looking after Dad and, if there is any time left, I love to read.
– Keeping in touch and going out with my friends to dinner, the movies, markets or walking the dogs.
– Sewing, of course!!
Since COVID, what skill have you learned:
Gardening- how not to kill my plants.
What might you be entering in the coming Canning Show Exhibition?
– A cake or other baked goods.
– ‘Quilt-as-you-go’ Quilt
– Thread Point 3D Wall Quilt
What is the best way for people to contact you:
Mobile: 0449 128 289
Sitting at my new temporary ‘office’ desk at home takes adjustment. Like everyone else, I am learning to live a safely isolated lifestyle and discovering the benefits of having time at home. Apart from the obvious and practical things like cleaning out the shed, there are opportunities to seize whilst being restricted, including thinking of new ideas for the development of Canning Exhibition Centre & Showgrounds, the evolution of the Canning Show and CAHRS events that will positively impact more people’s lives in brighter days to come.
A few updates since last we spoke include:
CANNING SHOW AND EXHIBITION
At this stage, it is not wise to jump to conclusions as to whether the Canning Show will run on the planned date of 6 & 7 November, but I recommend that you continue to prepare and create your Exhibition entries. Have a go at the fantastic craft challenge by making an article featuring an insect, spider, snail or creepy-crawly.
The Canning Show Exhibition schedule of entries will be given an early online launch this year and will include some special items specifically designed to celebrate the International ‘Year Of Plant Health’, the theme for 2020, with a number of classes now being announced.
INSECT HOTELS
Applauding the world focus of this very important topic, the Show is hosting a special competition suitable for all ages and skills levels; to build an insect hotel. The winners will be the homeless bees and bugs of your garden. After the Show, the hotels can be set up and become home to very happy insects that will propagate your flowers, fruit trees and generally make your garden a better place.
On a recent trip to Bunnings, I did discover that the shelves of seeds and vegetable seedlings were bare. I think perhaps that everyone has already heard how much fun it is to exhibit flowers, fruit and veg and the Show, and have decided to give it a go nice and early. I hope the insects (that currently don’t have anywhere to live) are able to do their work in time.
RECYCLING MATERIALS
We also need to re-think our attitude towards recycling materials used for handicrafts. Traditionally we have expected handicraft items to be made using new materials, but, with art and craft supplies in high demand as parents rise to the challenges of homeschooling, this year we encourage and welcome items made with repurposed materials. Please think carefully about the materials’ previous lives and don’t use items that are not clean and safe. Fabric can easily be re-used if it has been thoroughly washed. Consider what might be suitable if you want to use containers that have been used for storage, if they held chemicals, for example, make sure they are very thoroughly cleaned first and never use treated pine for crafting.
AGM UPDATE
Following the annual general meeting, I am pleased to advise that Ray Porter has been returned as President and Maxine Wylie as Vice President. Ray, Maxine and the other members of the Committee of Management guide the direction of CAHRS. They are a valued part of the team committed to working together to achieve the best possible outcome and ultimately return to normal operations with the least possible disruption or loss. Day by day, the staff continue to manage the venue, looking after the essential maintenance and operational tasks, as well as preparing the plans for re-opening.
VENUE DEVELOPMENTS
Also at the AGM, details for the new venue developments were on the agenda. The members that attended the meeting voted with confidence on the plans and endorsed support for progression to the next stages of planning. We are currently reviewing these, guided by a commitment to enriching communities with perhaps different needs to those we identified pre-COVID-19.
MEMBERS TRIP
Thank you for your support and I am excited by the prospect of seeing you all soon. A spring-time bus trip to Penguin Island is just what we need. Keep posted for confirmed dates of this event and others when normal service is resumed.
THANKS
This is a troubling time for many. Our organisation is made up of 100s of wonderful volunteers, members, friends and family, who put their heart and soul into giving back and inspiring others. We wish them all the happiness and health we can during these challenging periods, as well as everyone all around the globe. Now, more than ever, we all need to band together and look after, respect and help each other as best we can. Our very best to all, and we look forward to opening the doors to the public again as soon as safely possible!
On behalf of the Committee, Members and staff, I wish you a safe and happy Easter.
Dianne Begg
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CAHRS
Introducing Sarah Capone. Whilst we’ve appreciated her lending her time and growing skills to CAHRS/Canning Show/Cannington Exhibition Centre as a volunteer for almost a year, Sarah’s generosity to the community doesn’t stop there. In between this, her job and life in general, Sarah also volunteers her time as a firefighter.
In between fighting fires and enriching the community, we grabbed this budding community hero for an interview, coinciding with the beginning of our own search for new volunteers (including a Marketing/ Communications / PR relevant internships now being offered here).
How and why did you get involved in firefighting?
When the Banjup fires hit in 2014 I was only fourteen and felt helpless as I fled my home. In 2016 I joined Jandakot Volunteer Bushfire Brigade, giving me the ability to do more for my family and my community. My dad was already a member of the brigade, so the process was a lot easier as I started attending meetings and training sessions almost straight away.
It’s a volunteer position that obviously has some serious risks – what do you gain from it?
In the brigade I have met many different people from different backgrounds and different skills; members, other brigades, career firefighters, other emergency services and community members. My communication skills have benefitted a lot when communicating between all these different backgrounds. And of course the feeling of wellbeing from helping others – from people to animals.
How has the whole situation, with Australia seemingly on fire, affected you?
It has been an extremely busy fire season, particularly over east. Although members from our brigade have joined task forces and have been deployed to help our follow firefighters, it has still been tough to hope for things to get better. Watching footage of the fire and seeing the devastating effects on wildlife and residents breaks your heart. But it has also been extremely heart-warming to see so many business and people from all over the world taking part in raising awareness and raising funds for the crisis.
Tell us about the actual experience of fighting a fire, and what goes through your mind?
Your mindset definitely changes; your brain is switched on from the minute you get the call, to the minute you return to station. When you get to an incident, your brain goes through a checklist of what’s already happened, what is happening now and what will happen soon. You don’t tend to second guess yourself; you remember your training and trust your crew. I trust my crew leader to never put us in a situation that we can’t handle. You are never in your comfort zone at an incident, but you learn to be okay with that and trust yourself.
Can anyone apply to be a firefighter / what makes a good one?
Almost anyone can become a volunteer firefighter, there isn’t one way to be a good firefighter; we have single mums, police officers, paramedics, tradies, those with grandkids and even students. If you are interested, then I urge you to get in contact with your local brigade.
What sort of training do volunteer firefighters undergo?
This is dependent on the service you volunteer with. At my brigade there are several requirements to pass before you’re allowed on the fireground as a probationary firefighter, including two full-day courses, assistance in three hazard reduction burns and a skills assessment. We also attend training twice a month, one in conjunction with a general meeting, for two hours.
You also volunteer at CAHRS – tell us about that experience and what you’ve gained/learned?
Working alongside the Events Officer has made me realise the passion I have for events and has made me realise that I want to work towards having a career in this area. Here, I have learnt so much about general day-to-day jobs, working in an office as a team, and creating a huge event like the Canning Show. Being at two volunteer workplaces, both have allowed me to prioritise the other when required, with flexible hours if I need. It’s great to see that support from both sides.
What would you say to other people who have never taken up any volunteer roles, but are considering doing so?
Go for it. You will never regret volunteering, but you might regret not doing it. Spending your spare time helping a community is rewarding in many ways – the work volunteers do is always appreciated from those who see the change they create. Volunteers are welcomed in all industries, so you don’t have to do something as risky as firefighting: plants trees, volunteer with the Salvation Army, volunteer at a hospital, or CAHRS/Canning Show/Cannington Exhibition Centre… You can go anywhere!
Canning Agricultural, Horticultural & Recreational Society Inc
2020 Annual General Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday 10 March
TIME: 7.30pm start
WHERE: Exhibition Hall, Cannington Exhibition Centre & Showgrounds
The AGM is an opportunity for members to meet with the Committee and share their feedback on the year that’s been, and thoughts on how the Society should proceed in the future.
An organisation such as ours relies upon its membership for support and guidance in relation to the delivery of the Canning Show, and other events and activities throughout the year.
Your attendance at the AGM can assist our organisation in having a greater positive impact on the community, and we will also be revealing – and looking for members’ feedback – on a major development proposal for Cannington Exhibition Centre & Showgrounds.
If you have items of general business you wish the meeting to consider, please email the details before the day of the meeting. If you can’t attend, apologies can be emailed to enquiries@cahrs.com.au to record your continued interest in the Society.
Look forward to seeing all members there – old and new!
Refreshments will be served.
Thanks,
Dianne Begg
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CAHRS
As a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing back to the community, CAHRS – Canning Agricultural, Horticultural & Recreational Society – relies heavily upon the involvement of its members to help shape and conduct our activities and events. At this point of the year we say thanks, but we also ask for the community’s support in return.
With membership renewals due soon, before committing your money, thought it pertinent to recap what $25/10 bought our members in 2019, as well as a few highlights these memberships helped provide others with…
LEARNING
Access and subsidised fees for CAHRS special interest groups, including sewing, knitting, crochet and craft.
Invitations to the Canning River Gardeners meetings, talks and outings, including Kings Park, Perth City Farm, Total Green Recycling, seed swaps and the art of bonsai.
We also engaged with this being the International Year Of Indigenous Languages, leading to enriching discoveries occurring via numerous programs.
All of these groups are open to new members.
VIEWING
We held our first-ever free family movie night in July. Despite terrible weather, it was great fun, and is on the calendar for 2020.
TRAVELLING
Our annual social outing saw members taking a bus trip to New Norcia. Show volunteers even got a free ticket, including a fascinating tour.
EXPERIENCING
The magic of the Make Smoking History Canning Show included two fantastic, record-breaking days/nights, filled with fireworks, animals, local talent and much more.
ACHIEVING
Many of the amazing Canning Show Exhibition entries came from our members, contributing to the wonderful 2,000+ exhibits displayed at the Show. Many of them also stewarded and helped set up, inspiring over 10,000 people passing through this year’s Show gates.
STRETCHING (THE DOLLAR)
Prizes galore were distributed, including over $13,000 of prize money for the Canning Show Exhibition. Free early bird tickets to attend the Canning Show were also a hit.
SHARING
Sharing is caring. Over 70 volunteers helped throughout the year. These people helped the Society’s successful, happy, and incredibly well-placed position grow from strength to strength. If this included you, THANKS!!!
Thanks also to Victoria Park CWA and Station Street Men’s Shed for helping us run events throughout the year.
DONATING
Thanks to the generous people that donated their exhibition prize money back to the Society, or rounded up entry fees by a few dollars. However great or small the amounts, the sentiments were genuine, kind and greatly respected.
LOVING
Everyone experienced “I loved that” moments. A few from our tireless office staff included;
Robyn: Loved handing out the prize money at the Make Smoking History Canning Show. Especially watching the little children’s faces light up when they discovered they’d won $5.
Aarom: Loved getting a nickname. After being stuck in his chair from dawn to dusk managing our marketing and communications, Aarom earned the nickname Magnet. We hope it sticks!
Sarah: Loved volunteering. Sarah also discovered that you can win prizes for laying eggs (not personally, but the chicken type). Sarah now loves winning prizes at the Canning Show.
Jenny: Loved everything; Jenny just loved everything about the Canning Show, and has done for decades.
Afra: Loved growing strawberries in the office garden. Never in the history of CAHRS has any plant received the love and nurturing those strawberries did. Sadly they didn’t win first prize, but look out 2020…
Memberships are now due
If you connect with any of the above, please send in your membership application or renewal now so that you can do it all again in 2020.
Want to play a greater role?
Members interested in nominating for a three-year term on the Committee of Management must be financial members and need to lodge their nomination by Tuesday 21 January.
To end the International Year Of Indigenous Languages…
Fae a’ o’ us, Tae folk we haud dear – gie it laldy.
On behalf of the Committee, Members and staff, I wish you the merriest of Christmases.
Dianne Begg
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CAHRS
Our CEO Dianne Begg gets to the bottom of exhibiting at the Make Smoking History Canning Show, including her Top 10 Tips to get you entering with a smile!
110 years ago, the CAHRS minute book started recording the important details of the Canning Show. Surprisingly, they are mostly the same items we concern ourselves about today. It’s quite comforting to know that people have pondered over how to make the community’s most important annual event stronger and better, and never took the easy option of saying “let’s not bother this year”. It just proves the love and respect we all have for the Canning Show.
To celebrate, a strong Make Smoking History Canning Show is lined up for 2019. This includes two nights of amazing fireworks shows, twilight greyhound racing, a range of new, diverse and quality stage and sideshow entertainment, lots of free kid’s activities, and, by popular demand, the kids mega-sand pit, haybales, mud kitchen.
So are you going to bother exhibiting this year?
Occasionally Canning Show Exhibition champions tell me that they won’t bother entering the Show this year because they have holiday plans or haven’t had time, or maybe they have lost their Canning Show Mojo (or is that ShowJo???). If your creative ShowJo is challenged, remember that it’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard everyone would do it. Another reason not to enter the Show: exhibitor shaming! An example is being told that entering a handmade item in the local Show is a bit old fashioned, or even nerdy. If peer pressure is putting you off having a go at entering, don’t be afraid; thousands have already done it and they are proud and happy.
Here’s my top ten tips for the would-be exhibitors:
- Your creation needs to be the best on display on the day, not the best in the world.
- Read the Exhibition Schedule Of Entries carefully.
- Ask questions. Phone, email, Facebook message, call into the office and ask to speak to a steward.
- Stick by the rule. eg. if it says present 3 roses. Don’t present 2 or 4 – you will be disqualified.
- Make sure your exhibit is clean and well presented.
- No bugs. Do not enter flowers, fruit or vegetables that have disease or bugs. They won’t be accepted.
- Exhibit in a class you’ve never tried before – just for the fun of it.
- Encourage kids to enter. Youth Champions are invited to attend the Presentation & Awards Evening dinner to receive their certificates. It’s a great experience for them, and can inspire future generations.
- View all the exhibits when they are on display, and plan your next creation.
- Set a goal to exhibit annually. You’ll get better each year.
Huge thanks to everyone who has already signed up as a volunteer for the Canning Show. It’s amazing to have you back. If you plan to volunteer for the first time – congratulations on making a cool, community minded decision. Volunteers are the pump action of the Show. If you have any ideas, suggestions or tips about how to make volunteering roles better, talk to our volunteer co-ordinator or office team. And if you have friends, family members or community minded people you think could be an asset to the volunteering team around the Show, please put them in touch with us!
Canning Show Presentation Evening will deliver glitzy trophies and special awards, with gorgeous food, a great atmosphere, sassy entertainment and a few surprises on Saturday 9 November. If you win a Champion award you will be given a special invitation to join us on Presentation Evening but if you don’t want to take the risk of missing out you can purchase your tickets now.
Best of luck to all exhibitors.
Dianne Begg
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CAHRS
I have an orange tree hanging with the most spectacular fruits. They are heavy – a good sign that they will be sweet and juicy when opened. I can’t wait to enjoy the zesty flesh, full of vitamins and nature’s good stuff. I’ll need to beat the rat-pack to these oranges, though. My backyard warfare against rats is running at full pace this week as they pick off each fruit just as it reaches optimum ripening stage. They got the first few undetected. The pesky vermin ate the fruit from the bottom up; from a distance the fruit looked marvellous but, on close inspection, half of each orange had disappeared. Not to be outdone, I picked most of the oranges and made Early Harvest Marmalade, one jar is set aside in readiness for exhibition at the Canning Show. It is a promising batch, tangy and slightly on the thick side – the perfect accompaniment for toast. I added a splash of Cointreau to the boiling stage, it was an unnecessary indulgence, but it kept me hydrated whilst I was cooking 😉.
Tell us about your Get Ready For The Show projects
Are you a gardener, an artisan or baker getting ready for the Canning Show? Would you share with us the story behind your exhibits? How hard have you worked at pruning and prepping your plants? What unusual spot did you travel to for the photograph that will make you a Champion? Just how much frogging went into that knitted item? We’d love to know your story and share it with other exhibitors. Post your story and pictures on our Canning Show Facebook page or drop us an email with news of your success or failures.
City of Canning Works near the Showgrounds
The City of Canning is constructing a new road on the northern boundary of CAHRS property along the frontage of the greyhound racing venue. CAHRS has had regular meetings with city officers to discuss the plans and it has been agreed that an attractive landscape with trees will be planted on the verge next winter. CAHRS wants to ensure that the route to the showgrounds is appealing and respectful of the agricultural and horticultural heritage of the Showgrounds. These works and others around Cecil Avenue are causing heavier than usual congestion around the Station Street and Albany Highway intersection. CAHRS stresses the need for caution at that intersection. Roadworks are expected to be completed before the Canning Show.
Agricultural Shows Australia
CAHRS congratulates the success of ASA in securing funding for programmes that benefit agricultural shows across the country. Dr Rob Wilson, Chair of Agricultural Shows Australia (ASA) said that $30.9 million committed to the development of shows included some key ASA initiatives, namely their national programs including the Young Judges and Paraders Championships and the National NextGen Young Farmers Challenge.
CAHRS is a member of Agricultural Shows of Australia (ASA) which has been established to promote the role and significance of Australian Agricultural Shows to the wider community. The ASA’s vision is a strong and vibrant network of Agricultural Shows working together to engage, influence and promote the essential value of Australian agriculture. The membership of the ASA is made up of capital city Royal Agricultural Societies and state-based Agricultural Show bodies, together representing over 580 agricultural shows, with a combined economic value of $965 million annually.
Volunteering at the Canning Show
Volunteers are needed for the Show. We are looking for people of all ages who are reasonably fit and a few free hours in late October early November. This is a great way to get involved in the community. Register your interest by emailing admin@cahrs.com.au.