Featured Club of the Quarter: Friendship Force of Mount Barker, Australia

Question: What successful club event served as both a membership drive and fundraiser, garnering the club Featured Club of the Quarter?
Answer: Friendship Force of Mount Barker’s Quiz Night!

Our Featured Club of the Quarter is FF Mount Barker, for their innovative efforts to attract new recruits, connect with fellow club members, and raise $1200 AUD (approximately $816 USD) which was contributed to FFI’s Annual Fund! On August 18th, the club hosted almost 100 people – members from both their club and nearby Australian clubs like FF Adelaide, along with non-member friends – for a rousing evening of facts, fun, and friends.

FF Mount Barker Publicity Officer Jan Luck served as Quiz Master for the night, with setup, break-down, and planning support from President Jan de Weerd, the club’s social committee, and other members and friends. Prizes were donated by local businesses and club members, who also supplied beverages for the evening. “Great effort everyone who was involved, including those members who came along just to enjoy the night and brought friends,” said Jan Luck.

“Everyone had a good social night out and there were many non FF members there who got to hear about Friendship Force. So as well as it being a very successful fundraiser, it was a good PR exercise for the club,” said President Jan de Weerd.

In a thank you letter to the organizers of the event, FFI Board Member and FF Adelaide member Bobbie Mulholland wrote:

I am very impressed that your club took up the challenge to serve FFI in this way – it serves to remind clubs, everywhere that helping our great organisation is as easy as to have a night of fun with fellow members and friends. Imagine the benefit if all clubs tried to do the same.

With the clear success of the evening, FF Mount Barker hopes to make this a recurring event. “A lot of preparation had gone into the evening and prior to it, but the amount of money raised, the obvious enjoyment of people, and the buzz on the night absolutely made it all worthwhile,” said Jan Luck.

We do hope this will be an annual event and one undertaken by other clubs around the world! Congratulations again to FF Mt. Barker and all involved!

Try your hand at answering some of the quiz questions of the night:

Q: The soundtrack of which 1967 film includes the Simon and Garfunkel hit “Mrs. Robinson”?
A: The Graduate

Q: Who last century led an expedition northward from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria?
A: Robert O’Hara Bourke