Today's theme - Rebellion!   We'll also have a look at an article Rebellious Reads...​http://scottishbooktrust.com/blog/reading/2013/11/rebellious-reads-5-great-rebels-in-literature and if we get time watch this video with Paul Jennings.

It is such a pleasure convening this group!   Our May topic 'I Was There' elicited stories about natural disasters -  ‘Benalla bushfires of 1951’; ‘the Benalla Floods of 1993’; ‘being ‘stuck in Ireland’ during the eruption of the  Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, 14-20 April 2010;  celebratory family events  ‘at my grandson’s birth’, ‘attending the 1990 Grand Final at the MCG with my 7 year old son’, ‘at Government House to receive the Order of Australia’; times of political and industrial upheaval  ‘being with a Chinese migrant family when news broke of the Tiananmen Square massacre’, ‘nursing in Germany on the day Nikita Kruschev resigned’, ‘being on the picket line at the Melbourne Docks during the Patricks’ waterfront dispute in 1998’;  tragic events -  ‘coming across a fatal plane crash in Tasmania’; another football final  story -  ‘playing in the 1968 Ballarat District Football League Grand Final’ and other memorable events including Shirley’s experiences after arriving in Melbourne from England as a child migrant on the Jervis Bay in 1938 and Bev’s being outside the Southern Cross during the Beatles Tour in 1964.

At our June catch up at the Northo Elizabeth shared her ‘I was there’ story on living in Brisbane during ‘World Expo 1988’ and David read his story ‘Backpacks and blisters matter’ about ‘Walking the Camino’ in Northern Spain with his son Ollee.  Pat and Joy,  who will miss the next meeting, shared stories on our June topic ‘An Act of Rebellion’ - Have you ever challenged authority, defied expectations or fought for your beliefs? Choose a single, defining act of rebellion in your life & tell us about it. 

The topic for July is ‘Travel Tales’   Everyone has at least one good travel story to tell.  Share your best story of adventure or misadventure in 500 words or less.

​Beverley Lee

It is such a pleasure convening this group!  We had an enjoyable and very absorbing day sharing 'I Was There' stories in late May.  Our next meetings/topics are - 

June 12th - catch up at the Northo 2.30 to 3.30 pm - bring something you'd like to share and/or a draft, a story you missed sharing; ideas for stories; etc.   

June 26th  - our final regular meeting in W4 at the Flexible Learning Centre...  An Act of Rebellion  Have you ever challenged authority, defied expectations or fought for your beliefs? Choose a single, defining act of rebellion in your life & tell us about it. 

July 10th - we'll be piloting a slightly different structure for our optional alternative fortnight session, with creative writing from 1.15 pm to 2.15 in our new home at the Benalla Senior Citizens Community Centre, followed by a coffee and catch up session for everyone who'd like to come at the Northo 2.30 to 3.30 pm. 

July 24th - our first regular meeting at the Benalla Senior Citizens Community Centre 1.30 to 3.30 pm -  Travel Tales   Everyone's got at least one good travel story to tell.  Share your best story of adventure or misadventure in 500 words or less.  

Plus:  Something to keep in your back pocket to bring along to share one day at either the Northo or regular meeting   'If only I'd ......' 
   
and a topic for new members keen to write more (this was one of our early topics in 2015)  

​‘Car Stories’-- ‘So many formative moments happen in cars – tell us about a memorable experience you had in yours.  It could be your first taste of P-plate freedom, a revealing in-transit conversation, or how an accident, a flat tyre, or parking ticket set off a chain of events in your day…or?’   Check out some ‘Car Stories’  on ABC Open’s 500 word project page or some of our group's stories by typing 'Car Stories' into the Search box at the top of the page.