News

Anjuli Cruz
Connections editorial intern

The unveiling of a plaque in memory of Avondale College icon Charles Pointon has coincided with the possible revitalisation of the student mission club he pioneered.

Proprietor Bob Kalaf unveiled the plaque at Cooranbong Pharmacy this past Sunday (November 8), almost a year to the day after a car hit Charles while he crossed Freemans Drive in Cooranbong on his electric scooter-the 98-year-old died later in hospital. Bob promised before the accident to organise a centenary party for Charles to which Charles could invite whomever he wanted. He now plans to donate the money he would have spent on the party to COSMOS, which Bob says Charles may have enjoyed more. "If Charles had his choice, he didn't want any glory upon himself."

A former Avondale student--as recently as 2006--Charles continued to serve as general secretary of COSMOS, which he pioneered 30 years ago. The club has raised $140,000 for mission work, mostly in India and the Pacific islands. On the day he died, Charles had been selling his autobiography, A Friend in High Places, at Heritage Day in Cooranbong to raise money for COSMOS.

The organiser of the day, Cooranbong Chamber of Commerce president Antoinette Balnave, first suggested the plaque as a way of honouring Charles's contribution to the community. "Charles lived, loved and left a legacy," she says.

The unveiling comes only four few days after director of student services Kevin Judge, staff advisor Pastor Mark McNeill and development studies lecturer Brad Watson met with students to revitalise COSMOS. The focus of the discussion: incorporating COSMOS into the international development studies (IDS) curriculum. Brad, who proposed the idea, is willing to create a component in the curriculum that will give academic credit to students who join an entity or club such as COSMOS. "COSMOS can still play a powerful role on campus in advocating for social justice and in fundraising for specific projects," says the club's new staff advisor. "One of the exciting things to look forward to is the possibility of turning Avondale into a fair-trade campus."

Ten students have now joined COSMOS as new members. They will meet again before the end of the semester.

A Friend in High Places is available from the Avondale College bookshop or from Avondale Music.

Caption: Lecturer Brad Watson (left) and Cooranbong Pharmacy proprietor Bob Kalaf (right) after the unveiling of the plaque in memory of Avondale icon Charles Pointon.
Credit: Paul Kochanski