Despite a dismal turnout at the Harbourview Hotel and a monumental lack of engagement from the industry, diehards refuse to let the all but moribund publishing association die.
It was supposed to be quick and clean, a mercy killing for the Galley Club after years of falling attendance and a lack of support from the industry. Convenor and guiding light, Michael Schulz, SOS Printing, has put his back into keeping the club afloat but last December he accepted the inevitable and told the members it was time to decide on its fate.
It is time to talk about your club one last time. The Galley Club of Sydney has been an association of publishing professionals with an interest in promoting excellence in production. Over the last four decades, the Club has organised many seminars, social events and, of course, the annual awards.
But like many other associations, we are having a hard time to find people with time to maintain the club, organise events and update websites. We have sent out many appeals and it is obvious that everybody is too busy to devote time to the club - and time it needs - so it seems inevitable that we have to accept that this club won't continue and should be put to rest.
A final General Meeting was scheduled for Tuesday 8 April at the Galley Club’s preferred venue, the Harbourview Hotel under the Harbour Bridge in Sydney’s Rocks. Around 14 members turned up to decide what to do with the remaining few thousand dollars in the kitty – i.e. donate it to some appropriate charity. Or so Michael Schulz thought.
But there was heated debate with more fire and energy than Schulz could recall for many a long time. The diehards were not going to let it go gentle into that good night. After a long, spirited, discussion it was decided that John MacDonald of XOUCreative would go away and work on a resuscitation plan to be presented to another general meeting in two weeks time
At time of writing MacDonald was not available but his stand was vocally supported by industry notable, James Cryer, JDA, who is all in favour of seeking other ways to keep the club afloat.
“I realize it’s all very well for us to be cock-eyed idealists and I do see we need a real plan,” said Cryer. “But it will be a shame if it fails.
We’ll keep you informed.