THE HISTORY OF THE DON MILLS CAMERA CLUB
In 1964 a small group of friends who were enthusiastic amateur photographers, residing in Don Mills, decided that they should organize and form a club that would further their interest in photography, and allow them to invite like people to join and share their hobby. This group of founding members included Harry Ballinger, who became the club's first president. The club was organised on a non-profit basis, and after several meetings, as the membership grew, it was decided that larger premises were needed for the meetings, and the Don Mills Library was selected as the club's headquarters. In 1971, future presidents Dave Broadhurst and Tom Yates together with June Haylock (now Mrs. Yates) joined the club, and would leave their mark in later years.
The format of the club's activities has evolved to include guest speakers on aspects of photography, club competitions in which members work is critiqued, workshops (see below for details) in which photographic skills are taught and demonstrated, field trips to places and events having photographic potential, and the Club Banquet/Awards night.
Like all clubs, the Don Mills Camera Club is run by an executive voted in by the membership. One of the more unusual rules is that the presidential position can only be occupied by an individual for a maximum period of two years. This rule has helped keep the club vibrant, and ensured that no one person can dominate the club in the long term.
The club has always emphasized a good mix of age groups, from high school students to senior citizens, and has worked energetically to recruit new members by showings of members work at locations including the Don Mills Centre and the Canadian National Exhibition. Maximum membership is currently limited to 105, a restraint imposed by the size of the Don Mills Library auditorium in which the club holds its meetings.
As the years go by the clubs activities have changed, but we believe that most members join to improve their photography in a congenial atmosphere. This is our goal, and the club's reputation for quality attests to its success in meeting that goal.
The Past Presidents are listed below, and we salute their efforts and those of their executive for donating their time and skills to the club.
PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE DMCC 1964 - 1967 Harry Ballinger 1967 - 1969 Oliver Dell 1969 - 1971 Donald Beaumont 1971 - 1973 Larry Thomas 1973 - 1975 David Broadhurst 1975 - 1977 ThomasYates 1977- 1979 Jack Murray 1979 - 1981 David Barr 1981 - 1983 Vincent Sheridan 1983 - 1985 Raf Ollivierre 1985 - 1987 Robert Ward 1987 - 1989 Leslie Fernandes 1989 - 1991 Claudio Bacinello 1991 - 1993 Sandor Mathé 1993 - 1995 Walter Dorlandt 1995 - 1997 Gordon Broadhead 1997 - 1999 Peter Neely 1999 - 2001 Astrid Fernandes 2001 -2003 Bel Remedios 2003-2005 Wendy Sprung 2005-2007 Sheila Bayne 2007- Andy Lam The Bronze Box
In 1973 a group of Hamilton Camera Club (HCC) members headed by Bill Moody proposed that the two clubs should have a friendly annual competition . In the Fall 1973 , following a DMCC meeting, 3 HCC members and 3 DMCC members (Dave Broadhurst - President, Tom Yates - Vice President, and June Haylock - Competitions Chairperson) met to set up the competition format. The same number of members of each club would each submit a slide or monochome print to represent the club's performance as a whole. Judging of the entries would be by a panel of judges who were not members of either club. The trophy for the winning club was to be a bronzed vintage box camera provided by Mr. Moody. It was decided that the venue for competition would alternate between club headquarters. The first competition was held in Hamilton in Spring 1974, and the result was a win for Hamilton who scored 612 points, 2 points better than Don Mills. The competition continues to this day, and now includes a buffet provided by the host club, and a presentation by the judges while the scores are tallied. The format of the current competition is that each club submits 20 slides by 20 different makers, 8 monochrome prints by 8 makers, and 7 colour prints by 7 makers. The number of victories by each club is almost equal, as each club strives to make the evening one to be proud of . Long may the tradition continue!
Workshops
On an informal basis it was found that more knowledgeable members passed on their skills to fellow members by discussion and interchange of ideas. However, the structure of the club meetings held twice a month for guest speakers and showing of competition entries left little room for this activity. In 1979 the suggestion was made that a workshop be made part of the club's routine activities. These workshops would be held at a member's home , on alternate Thursdays from Club meetings, and would be presented on a preselected topic of photography by a member having high skills in the subject. These intimate workshops became very successful, and became one of the reasons for the club's high photographic expertise. In 1981, "Workshop Chairman" was made an executive position. Workshops continue to be one of the club's main attractions, especially for Novice members.
Club Trophies
Over the years trophies have been generously donated to the club by its members and others in the photographic community.
The club holds five regular competitions annually which serve the purpose of allowing the entrants to have their work critiqued by experienced judges drawn from the photographic community. At the end of the club year trophies are awarded to those photographers who have excelled in their class and category in these competitions. For more info on competition rules and trophies click here
Acknowledgement
Thanks to Past Presidents David Barr, David Broadhurst and Tom Yates for their assistance in providing historical data.
More Club History
Publicity Shows
Outings - Looking Back
Queen Street Shoot 2001
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