HONORARY life membership was conferred on former club secretary Rod Bate at the annual general meeting of the New England Antique Machinery Club held on 12 July.
Mr Bate has been a stalwart of the club for more than 10 years and apart from doing a sterling job as club secretary has been particularly active In the growing of crops at the club’s farmlet.
These crops allow the club to demonstrate threshing grain and cutting chaff at its annual rally in November.
Gary Skinner was re-elected president with Ron Jackson assuming the role of secretary as well as heading up the steam committee.
Mr Skinner welcomed new members joining from Inverell, Warialda, Coolatai and Gravesend following the hugely successful tractor pull held at Gravesend in May.
He also brought to the attention of the club the sad passing of former club members and friends Lyn Schaeffer, George Magann, John Rogers and Doug Faint.
In presenting the annual report for 2012-13, Mr Skinner said that the steam committee had been particularly active with restoration of the Invergowrie Station portable steam engine kindly donated to the club by Marjorie Moffit. He also highlighted the purchase, with Commonwealth Government assistance, and return to Armidale of Tom Faint’s Marshall traction engine for restoration to working order.
The Invergowrie steam engine represented the club at the National Antique Machinery Rally held in Mudgee in April this year.
The Marshall traction engine will be on display at the PCYC markets in Armidale mall this Sunday 28 July.
