Our branch’s fundraising team organised a great dinner in Footscray on November 8 to kick off Melbourne West branch’s election fighting fund so we can “roast Howard” at the next election.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II smiled beatifically down from her 1950s portrait over the fireplace (we hired a heritage-listed scout hall for the event) onto 40 people enjoying a delicious meal, a well-stocked bar, music and lots of political discussion. Workers First members were there in force, the Geelong SA branch brought along a couple of carloads of members, and everyone pitched in roasting meats and making salads. Music was provided by hooking a sound system up to a branch supporter’s MP3 music downloads.
The secret to the success of the event - it raised $620 for our fund – was to keep it simple. You don’t need lots of long speeches or costly live musicians - just let socialists loose to eat, drink and chat and they entertain themselves!