RUSSELL RSL CLUB

RUSSELL RSL CLUB STARTS BACK WITH A ‘BANG’ The Russell Island RSL Club has re-opened with a ‘bang’! The club opened its doors against after eight months of closure on Friday, August 5. There was no hullabaloo about the re-opening with the club being manned by RSL Sub Branch volunteers and friends, to get the re-opening underway. This finally came after months of conjecture and concern that it might not happen. Fortunately, the current Russell RSL Sub Branch board were able to successfully negotiate some major assistance from RSL Queensland. Many debts have been cleared, making way for the re-opening. Clearly, the RSL Club has been missed! More than 300 people turned up on opening night. Sub Branch treasurer Tony Dodds told The Friendly Bay Islander that the response from the island members and public had been ‘outstanding’. “We would like to thank the island community for responding with some great support. “They understood that we were all volunteers and were learning as we went. “Their understanding and support was just wonderful and I have to say the support from all the volunteers has been brilliant and most appreciated. “If we can continue in this vein of support, we hope we will be in a position soon to fill some permanent positions at the club,” the treasurer said. The club has been assisted in its re-opening with Kev the Chef coming on board to open Billy’s Bistro in these early stages. It is also believed that gaming licences are all back in place.

• Tony Dodds, board member Rose and volunteers after ‘hectic’ re-opening.