The support for the Dawn Service was again very good with around 250 people attending.  Many thanks to Pat Rowley who conducted the service this year.
The Dawn Service has its origins in an operational routine which is still practiced by the Australian Army today.

 The half light of dawn plays tricks with soldier’s eyes and, from the earliest times, the half-hour or so before dawn, with all its grey misty shadows, became a favoured time for mounting an attack.  Soldiers in defensive positions were woken before dawn.  As the first dull grey light crept across the battlefield they were alert and manning their weapons.  This was, and still is known as “stand to” and is repeated at sunset.  After World War 1, returned soldiers sought the comradeship they felt in those quiet, peaceful moments before dawn.  With symbolic links to the dawn landing at Gallipoli at 4.29am on the 25th April 1915, a dawn stand-to or dawn ceremony became a common form of Anzac Day remembrance during the 1920’s.  Hence Anzac Day as we now know it was born to honour the men and women who died and suffered in defence of our country so we can live the lives we now lead in freedom, not to glorify war.
Regardless of Anzac Day this year falling on Easter Monday and at the end of the school holidays, numbers at the March and  Main Service were still very good.  The number of wreaths and floral tributes increase each year and was once again very moving and the highlight of the service.  Poet Russell Plunkett’s very stirring and emotional presentation of his “Nineteen Fifteen” was well received by all.
A lot of people contribute to the success of the day and thanks to Mrs Fealy and Mr & Mrs Glusky who raided their gardens once again to supply the flowers for the floral tributes and the ladies who spent the afternoon putting them together;  Reverend Bruce Worthington for a very moving service;  Dale Tokley of Brisbane Bus Lines for supplying the bus and the drivers for giving their time to transport people to and from the service;  Harry Thompson for the bugle calls at both services and drummer David Stark;  Marj, Carmel, Joy and Allison and their helpers for providing the breakfast and luncheon;  the Apex Club, the Dayboro Junior Rugby League Sports Club, the Rodeo Association and the Rowe family for making contributions to cover costs of the day;  Chris Giles of Healthy Lawns for maintaining the garden around the Memorial;  the flag attendants, Kevin Taylor, Greg Miller and  everyone who helped set up chairs, cook breakfast, erect tents etc, and any one else who helped make the day so successful and of course to every one who attended.  It was also great to have so many young people there again and thanks for bringing your parents along.  The school representatives from Dayboro and Mt. Samson Eddie Bennett, Kayla Beverly, Lachlan Dykes, Max Kennedy, Maddie Mellors, and Sean Weier participated in the service and are a credit to their schools.  The younger generations certainly have claimed ownership of this day and it seems more important to them than any other National day.  Also thanks to the Lions and in particular Ian Flinders for producing the music and for supplying and setting up the P.A. system.
Thanks also to the Scouts who came early to set up and later remove the chairs and for tidying up around the Monument after the service.
The School Anzac Day service we attended again this year was very, very good.  It was a credit to the teachers and especially all the kids who all showed great discipline throughout the entire service.  Impressive.
Many thanks as well to Doug Hartley and the Apexians who helped with the 2-up and raffles at the pub raising $720.00 this year and for matching our 2up takings dollar for dollar from 2010 as well.  Thanks to Bob and Carmel from the Crown Hotel as well for their support.  The money raised for the War Memorial Association will be put to good use within the community either at the memorial in the Showgrounds or the main Cenotaph.  We finally lodged our application to the G.C.B.F. (Gambling Community Benefit Fund) to relocate the Cenotaph from the school to Roderick Cruice Park and will receive notification regarding the success or otherwise of that in July.
Twenty two attended the annual Lions Diggers Luncheon this year and we thank the Dayboro Lions Club for giving us the opportunity to get together with other returned people and their families, many of whom only meet on these days and Anzac Day.  Thanks to Glen and Lyn and the footy club for providing an excellent meal and venue.  The after dinner presentation was excellent and this year was by Ian and Sue Flinders who have recently returned from a tour of World War 2 prisoner of war camps in South East Asia .