Life Membership
Occassionally certain members of the Regals Musical Society shine brightly in their dedication, effort and ability to support their fellow members; enabling cast, crew and audiences to ongoingly enjoy the rewards of being part of and watching community musical theatre.
To acknowledge and honour their energy and talents we have the award of Life Membership.
According to the Regals Musical Society Inc.'s Constitution:
"Any member or office bearer of the Society may be elected to the position of Life Member in recognition of outstanding services given to the Society for a period of at least five years."
"Nominations for Life Membership will be made in writing and signed by the proposer and seconder; both of whom must be Ordinary Members and/or Office Bearers, and by the nominated candidate as an expression of willingness to be elected to that position"...."The vote on a nomination of the Life Membership shall only be taken at the Annual General Meeting next after the nomination has been received. The nomination shall be carried upon 60% of the members present voting in the affirmative."
"A Life Member shall be presented with a suitable presentation on the final night of the forthcoming show. A Life Member shall be entitled to two (2) complimentary tickets per show."
Our most recent Life Membership nominees have been Peter Sharratt (2023), Murray Stanton and Julian Batchelor (2019).
A list of previous Regals members who have been awarded Life Membership can be found on our Awards page.
Life Memberships 2016
With proud family members and supportive members looking on, each was presented with an official Regals badge of honour by Regals president, Peter Sharratt. The badges were engraved with their position as "Life Member". Paul's badge was in fact the same badge first given to his grandmother, Yvonne Surtees, many years ago. And both were given the opportunity to respond during which they offered stories of their experiences and their gratitude, and enthused about the rewards of 'putting energy into something positive in life'.
Below we have published the letters that supported their nominations, so you can also appreciate the massive contribution that both of these remarkable people have made to so many other people's lives. And Thank You to Ian Moggs for these photos taken on the night.
Robyn Moggs
Proposed: Paul Morrison
Seconded: James Swain
Dear Peter and The Regals Committee,
I, Paul Morrison, would like to nominate Robyn Moggs for Life Membership with The Regals Musical Society Inc.
Robyn first joined the Society in 1989. Her debut production was Irene. She has been on the Committee three times. The first time was as Secretary between the years of 1993 – 1998. Her 2nd stint was in 2000 – 2003 and then once again in 2007 – 2009 both as Secretary.
During that time, and since then, Robyn has undertaken the role of Tickets Secretary.
A nomination of Robyn should not discount the contribution that The Moggs family as a whole has made to The Regals. As a family the Moggs’ have been an integral part of The Regals having contributed during our most financially trying times in a variety of roles. During the mid 90’s through to the 2000’s it was not a matter of if the Moggs’ would be involved but a question of how many.
Robyn appeared in many productions with The Regals where she could be seen in the ensemble as opposed to a leading role. She embraces the Community aspects of Community Theatre and loved assisting behind the scenes wherever she could.
Since her nomination at the half yearly meeting I have taken the step of contacting Robyn and confirming her acceptance of the nomination which is a requirement in accordance to the constitution. Robyn is happy to accept her nomination.
Please table this nomination for discussion at the next committee meeting for your consideration. If you have any further questions or queries regarding Robyn’s nomination as a Life Member of The Regals Musical Society please let me know.
Thank you,
Paul Morrison
Paul Morrison
Proposed: Peter Sharratt
Seconded: Jenny Lowe
Paul is a Morrison. Being part of the Regals came with the name. He is part of four generations of Regals and like his Mum and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa he has shown unwavering commitment to the Society.
Paul has been coming to Regals shows for longer then he can remember and is sure to continue to do so until the day he dies and for several years there after.
He went from the audience to the stage for Regals 99th production in 1996. He went along to rehearsal as part of the chorus but the director Coral Hesford saw a potential in him. His slight frame was perfect for the load requirements of the set and his ability to play an impressive air fiddle landed him the title role in Fiddler on the Roof. Everyone thought Brian McGann was the star of that show…..Paul knew better.
In the production of Pippin in 1997 Paul turned his hand to Props. This included creating half a dozen dismembered bodies. In 1998 Paul revealed his real secret weapons in Kiss Me Kate. Audiences flocked to see his skinny legs clad in tights as he sang about Tom, Dick and Harry. The compliments kept coming in Hello Dolly! In 1999 when, as a waiter, he was asked if he had lost some weight? It was during this show that he stepped onto committee as Social convenor. In, 2000, Little Shop of Horrors showed off Paul’s coordination as he played Audrey II. During this year Paul moved up the Committee ranks to be the Treasurer of the society.
Paul stepped off committee for a short while but was obviously still very actively involved in the productions as he was awarded the coveted Don Loveday Award during the 2002 production of Chess.
In October 2003 Paul was back on Committee for the World Premiere of Paris. From October 2003 – May 2005 Paul went from being Social Convenor to Promotions to President. He states in his Presidents address for Guys and Dolls in 2005, that “he is constantly amazed at the talent in amateur musical socities”.
Paul had his directorial debut with Peter Pan in 2006. This was also musical directed by Julie Ryan…a pretty good team. This show revealed Paul’s ability to deal with people with control and diplomacy and continues to do so. In 2008 he was President, directed Eurobeat in May 2008 and was Front of House for the October production of Wizard of Oz. He called Regals “home” to him and that there was no place like it.
In 2011, the Rockdale Town Hall was closed down. Regals had 5 weeks to find a new venue for the October production of Annie. Paul was instrumental in the move to Sydney Technical HS and was also Ticket Secretary. The use of online ticketing was up and running and Paul was a pioneer in moving Regals to this system. He expressed his pride and pleasure to be part of such a team working hard together to get the show on.
In recent times it is very hard to find an aspect of a Regals show that Paul is not involved in. His greatest strength is his patience. He is a true level head. His ability to mediate situations between production teams, committee members and cast members is amazing. He is very approachable and gets in and gets the job done without drama. In a hobby that is becoming more and more about being in the spotlight and what the society can do for you, Paul is constantly looking at what he can do for everyone else and how he can make Regals better. He has held every position on the committee at one time or another, he has been Stage Manager, FOH manager….he has even stepped in as rehearsal pianist when we were desperate….really desperate. He has auditioned for shows time and time again and even when he has been passed over for his dream roles he has demonstrated true integrity in the chorus fulfilling his responsibilities where a lesser person would’ve walked away.
If you’ve had anything to do with Paul you will know that this doesn’t even scratch the surface of what Paul has done for the Regals and for community theatre in the local area. It is for these, and many more, reasons that he is a very worthy nominee for Life Membership.
Regards
Peter Sharratt
