How to buy an ambulance for your town
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (341752)
Rockingham, Australia
December 9, 2020 5:08pm CST
We went to a memorial service today for an old friend and were able to catch up with people we’d known from what seems now almost like a previous life.
Vince renewed his acquaintance with a policeman who had been stationed in Ravensthorpe, the small country town where we lived at the time. He told Vince an interesting story of how he managed to secure a new ambulance for the town.
Firstly he went to the Australian Lotteries Commission and asked for financial help to buy the ambulance. The Commission regularly distributes funds to worthy charities. He told the Commission that he thought he could find two-thirds of the money needed. The Commission was pleased to be able to give him the remaining third.
He then approached the St John Ambulance Association and told them the same story. He could find two-thirds of the money. Could they help with a third? They agreed.
His final call was to the local Shire Council and again he asked for a third. And that’s how he managed to get a new ambulance for the town. What a brilliant scheme!
Photo is Vince’s of the Ravensthorpe Hotel. The building is typical of hotels in our country towns.
25 people like this
24 responses
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
10 Dec 20
brilliant fella fer certain :) sometimes ya jest gotta do a lil bluffin' to get schtuff done. lovely hotel. whilst a sad 'ccasion, i'm glad y'all got to meet'p with folks from the past.
3 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
11 Dec 20
@JudyEv most certainly clever :) gigglin' o'er yer water license. ya didn't fib, coz they didn't ask the quantity.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341752)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Dec 20
@crazyhorseladycx As you get older, I think you become more cunning too! 
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341752)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Dec 20
He was very clever. He didn't actually lie but the people chose to believe their own thoughts. We wanted to renew our bore (water) licence but were told we needed an acceptable use for it - agriculture, horticulture, etc. We said we had stock. What stock, they asked? Sheep, we answered. That's okay then, they said. We actually only had two at the time and later only one but they didn't know that. We thought it was pretty funny. 
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (71519)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
9 Dec 20
Well, that's one way to do it.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341752)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Dec 20
@rebelann I'm not sure why you'd say that. The rooms are quite big as I remember but then there is a passageway behind them. I just asked Vince as he stayed there for quite some time. The building is L-shaped so the rooms behind the passageway opened onto the backyard. So that would make more sense.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54402)
• United States
10 Dec 20
that is a really smart policeman! love the story!
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54402)
• United States
11 Dec 20
@JudyEv it was a brilliant plan - i love those!
1 person likes this
@cmoneyspinner (9219)
• Austin, Texas
10 Dec 20
Incredible story. I have always lived in the city and never thought twice about getting an ambulance to my home in the event of an emergency. Just took it for granted.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (181321)
• United States
10 Dec 20
What a clever ruse! Great picture.
1 person likes this
