By Corey Everitt
Gembrook Stalwart Norm Smith has been further recognised for his service to veterans and their families with Melbourne Legacy marking 25 years of service as a legatee.
Gembrook RSL members and local legatees gathered at the club room on Monday 18 November to celebrate Smith’s long and expansive service.
Alongside serving over 50 years to the little town’s RSL, Smith has been assisting widows and veteran families with their needs for the last 25 years.
“It was a really enjoyable day, Shirley was with me, they say there needs to be a strong woman behind each legatee,” Smith said.
His involvement with Legacy spans well before 1999. Losing his father at a young age, a serviceman and RSL member, a fellow legatee was always there helping his mother.
As a junior legatee, the service would include Christmas events at Government House and holidays in Seaford, forming strong memories of his younger years.
“Those days I was working until I retired in 96, I knew George Casey who was the local legatee,” Smith said.
“They used to run picnics for the war widows to get to know the legatees, Jack Parker was the legatee that would help Mum and he would eventually ask me if I wanted to get involved.”
This accolade adds to the over 50 years of recognised service to the Gembrook RSL sub-branch where he stood for many years as treasurer and president.
He was well known for serving 42 years as the local bus driver where he played a part in the rescue of students from Cooinda Campground.
His work with the RSL spans more than half a century, he would become involved in the local branch as far back as 1946 when he was a teenager, at the behest of his mother.
