New Life Members - Pam & Ray Estreich
28 October 2016 / Words by Bryan Shedden, Photo by Mel Keller
It was with great pleasure that I announced the award of Life Membership to Pam & Ray Estreich at the AGM on 21 October 2016.
They become only the 11th and 12th persons to receive our Club’s most prestigious award. They join the select company of Peter & Ruth Simpson (sadly Peter died this year), Jean Cook, Zan & Rod Menzel, Jeff Gehrig, Mike & Cobie Hicks, Paul Beerworth and Bryan Shedden.
In considering the nomination of Pam & Ray, the Committee felt that it was time the Club needed written guidelines to aid it in the assessment of Life Membership nominations. The guidelines were finalised in March 2016, and it was immediately clear that Pam & Ray would be the first graduates. The Committee was unanimous in supporting their nomination for Life Membership.
Pam and Ray joined the MX-5 Club of NSW in February 2005 and have always been stand-out members, enthusiastically welcoming any new members with open arms. Their high level of participation was recognised with the awarding of New Member of the Year in 2005. Whenever something is needed, Pam and Ray are the first to step forward and offer a hand. They epitomise what is it to be an active member of the MX-5 Club of NSW, across many areas of club activities.
Pam and Ray joined the Committee in July 2006 sharing the role of Regalia Officer. President George Benedek acknowledged at the time that "Regalia have traditionally been a troublesome area for us, but now that Ray and Pam Estreich have come on board, I know it will be left in good hands." (Club Talk, 2006 in Review, page 2) George’s words could not have been more prophetic. Regalia remained in the capable hands of Pam and Ray for the next seven years. They developed a broad range of club regalia, maintained orders and stock levels, and spent countless hours at Club runs cheerfully selling merchandise from the boot of their MX-5. Jean Cook presented Pam with the President’s Award in recognition of their extraordinary service in 2008.
Pam and Ray closely supported Lesa and Greg Bunn with the launch and development of the RPM Chapter. They continue to be very active in the Chapter and at other Club events, much like ducks on a pond – they glide serenely yet you cannot see their frenzied paddling below the surface. Ray has always been a very keen motorsport participant at club track days, supersprints, and regularities; and Pam has always been there alongside, helping out in the control tower, or managing a regularity team at Phillip Island on many occasions.
In 2013, Pam accepted the role of Vice President and helped to initiate the various processes we now have in place for the management of sponsors, advertisers, charities and meeting venues. A year later, Pam and Ray returned to the Regalia job and played a key role in the reinvention of our current regalia offering for the various chapters and the 25th Anniversary range.
Pam & Ray retired from the Committee in 2015 after serving for nine fruitful years. They are the second longest serving Committee members, after Mike Hicks (14 years).
Pam & Ray have clearly demonstrated exemplary, sustained and highly meritorious contributions to the Club, and their general attitude and overall demeanour reflects a dedication to the values of the Club.
Congratulations Pam & Ray on receiving life membership of the MX-5 Club of NSW.
