Rhynie Gala 2010

We have quite a large Committee with 14 Organisations.  To qualify you have to be a  local Organisation and attend the Meetings, take a stall at the Gala, sell Raffle Books and generally help out if required to do so.  Our Organisations, meantime, are the Brownies, Rainbows, Car Aid, Noth Parish Church, Sunday School, Surgery Fund, Community Club, RCT, Nursery, PTA, Mothers and Toddlers, Free Masons, WRI and  British Legion.  Then after the Gala, once the books have been audited, we then give each Organisation a share of the proceeds which normally is anything from £300 to £500 depending on how well we do and if we need to keep money back to purchase any equipment or the like.  

There is quite a lot of work goes into the Gala, as you can appreciate, but we have a good Committee who are committed to the Gala’s success.  Many of the tasks that I have undertaken are,  for example, trying to find new attractions, getting the Insurance, booking a Band and Disco, toilets, the marquee, waste units from the Council,  making up the floats, preparing the adverts for the Papers, phoning round everyone checking to see if they remember that the Gala is not too far off, selling raffle books, making up the prizes, purchasing the alcohol for the Marquees and the list goes on and on.   I have had to do a lot more work this year since the Law changed with regard to the Entertainment and Liquor Licences.  It involved plans of the park, risk assessments, health and safety reports, fire reports, etc, but, I am pleased to say,  they passed and I hold them for 3 years! 

Finally, I would like to say, that the Gala’s success is mainly due to all the support we have from the people of Rhynie.  We have a lot of helpers who come along that weekend and give up their time.  Also the donations  we receive from local businesses and  the many locals who give to the various Organisations.  Without all this there would be no Gala and, of course, we reply heavily on the weather!  So far we have been very lucky and I hope the sun continues to shine on Rhynie!!!

If an Organisation would like to come on to our Committee then our AGM will be late September, early October but you will see an advert in the local Corner Shop informing you of a date, etc., or even if you think you can give something to the Gala then come on board - every little helps.

Anne Lyne