Carols pinched

By Bridget Brady
THE economic pinch, not the Grinch, has ended the Cranbourne Rotary Club’s 40-year history of Christmas carols.
Members of the club voted unanimously on Tuesday night to end the carols, effective immediately, due to escalating costs, ending a 40-year- long tradition of the event in Cranbourne.
Since moving the event to Casey Fields three years ago, it cost the club about $12,000 to run the carols, which left it out of pocket about $4000 each year after grants, donations and money raised from the sale of song books and candles.
Chairman of the carols committee Peter Carpenter said it was regrettable to end the carols, but the cost to the club made hosting the event “especially hard”.
“It’s very sad to stop the event and I put it to the club that way. We are ready to move on and take on other projects.”
Mr Carpenter said members of the club had to hire a stage and professional lighting when the carols moved from Cranbourne Secondary College to Casey Fields. Sponsorship had also become a difficult task during the current economic climate.
Crowds of up to 3000 people attended the carols when the weather was fine and it was the first outdoor carols event in the area when it first started, Mr Carpenter said.
“All Rotarians used to get in and help out. There was a lot of fellowship and comradeship.
“I think there were some keen followers who came along and they could well be a bit sad.” Cranbourne Rotary Club member Lance Beckwith had been an active member of the carols event since 1988.
He said he was devastated the carols had finished.
“It’s broken my heart to be truthful. I was so involved for so long and it was absolutely fantastic to see the looks on children’s faces,” Mr Beckwith said.
He said there were other carols by candlelight events for residents to attend, including those hosted by various churches.
Mr Beckwith said he had wonderful memories of the carols, but understood the costs had become too great.
Cranbourne Rotary Club president Stan Bankes-Fay said he did not expect the vote to be unanimous, but thought it was the right decision.
“We are a charitable organisation, so if we run at a loss that’s money that could be going to a project or community group,” he said.
Sponsorship chairman on the carols committee Bruce Peterson said the carols lost its “family feeling” since moving to Casey Fields.
“It just didn’t feel the same,” he said.
Mr Peterson said the carols were always held for the community and the event was never a revenue-raising attempt.
“It was purely a function for the people of Cranbourne.”
Despite finding sponsorship difficult in the past few years, Mr Peterson said Cranbourne businesses had been tremendous supporters of the carols.
“Also we must thank Casey councillors Amanda Stapledon and Kevin Bradford for their support.”
Mayfield Ward councillor Amanda Stapledon said she understood the club’s position and congratulated them for hosting the carols.
“I commend Rotary for having run the carols in Cranbourne for the past 40 years, bringing the community and giving them a joyful Christmas experience,” Cr Stapledon said.
“It is my hope now that someone in Cranbourne will take up the gauntlet and run with the carols event and not let this wonderful legacy and all the hard work of Rotary disappear.”