Together with the Committee Member reports, and the Minutes for two previous meetings, we have some light relief from the communications between Qantas Pilots and Qantas Engineering Maintenance.


The circulation of this months issue is reduced from that experienced in previous months. As foreshadowed in the October issue, those members who had not paid their Fees by the end of October have now been removed from the circulation list. This has reduced circulation from some 120 copies to less than 80, and there will be a consequent saving to the Club in printing and mailing costs.


Included in this issue, as a loose blue sheet, is the Entry Form for our annual Darling Harbour Show to be held next February. Get your entry in early if you want a parking position on the Pyrmont Bridge that is not on the other side of the centre swinging section.


I am pleased to report that we have received another Letter to the Editor – that is the third letter in about five years! This is published on the next page. I encourage Club Members to commit their thoughts to paper, or to Email, as a lively and relevant magazine depends on your contribution as much as the editor, or other club members, who contribute articles.


Cheers,


Michael

December 2003

The Editor,

Firstly, congratulations on your first issue of the Pentashield. It is no easy task to pull an issue together, have it copied, and then distributed.

Secondly, congratulations also to Gerry for his "weighty" article. It is good to see contributions from club members.

The main reason for my letter is about content in the Pentashield. Many, if not most other club magazines, are simply a collection of photocopied or retyped articles from other magazines. Often there is no acknowledgment that this has been done! There is certainly room for some old articles but not most of the magazine! Further, I think there should always be an acknowledgment that it is a copy.

Of course this is a subject dear to my heart given the number of times I have seen my own work copied and printed in other magazines. I note the most recent NZ Charger Club magazine consists, in the main, of three copied articles. Two from mainstream magazines and one from the first issue of the Pentashield that I put together, the August 1998 issue.

You have personally prepared some fine articles on restoration and I look forward to reading more. I would also like to see contributions from other club members in their field of expertise and experience. Perhaps with a new editor members will not be so shy?

I look forward to your next issue.


Regards,

John Huntington

(Unlike some members I am prepared to put my name to my opinions.)



Editors Reply

Letters to the Editor are a rare event for this magazine. I think we have now received three in the past year – prior to that none in four years!

John, your suggestion will be implemented with the first examples appearing in this issue. The extract “Pilots to Engineering” has been sourced from PC Authority and my article on “ELB Engine Maintenance” has been based on the Chrysler Australia M Series Service Manual.

The editor encourages Club Members to put pen to paper, or digit to Email, with your suggestions for magazine content, criticisms or additions to the content in past issues, or anything constructive that comes to mind. The deadline is the Friday week before our monthly Club meeting date. Depending on space limitations the editor will publish your letter in the next issue of the Pentashield.