After much persuasion Mr Clementson agreed to be the feature of a True Blue article, however convincing the experienced man wasn’t an easy task as he views what he does in the Scone community as a privilege more than anything else. 

Mr Clementson is well known in the area as he is always seen on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, usually running around organising a speaker or chairs for the elderly, but he also worked in the area for many years and volunteers in many other organisations. 

The hard working man is one of a team who are currently busy organising the Scone RSL Sub-branch’s Centenary of Anzac Ball next month. 

Mr Clementson’s interest in war and being prepared for war stem back to his younger years when he joined the Citizen Military Forces in 1959 at the age of 17.

Although there were no wars occurring at the time, the young fellow and his fellow troopers in the infantry trained the same as the regular army in preparation for battle if needed.

Mr Clementson said it was at this time that they were going to do away with national service and he didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to serve for his country so he and a few mates joined up. 

His Australian Defence Medal sits with pride in a cabinet in Mr Clementson’s   living room as a memorabilia of his three years of service. 

Despite this service, Mr Clementson was originally reluctant to join the Scone RSL Sub-branch as he didn’t actually go to war, but then he thought a lot of people get a lot out of the sub-branch and he wanted to be able to help provide that.

Since joining, Mr Clementson has been secretary of the sub-branch for about 10 years after fulfilling the role of president for a short time. 

He thoroughly enjoys his role of organising the band of 38 current members and organising the Anzac and Remembrance Day services in Scone. 

Mr Clementson said he also really likes to visit the old World  War II diggers that are still living in Scone as they are the real heroes. 

A task that takes a lot of time is familiarising himself with all the protocols to guide the other members, and then there is the usual jobs of taking minutes at meetings, ordering Anzac badges and writing letters.

Mr Clementson said although it takes up a lot of time and he usually does a job for the sub-branch every day, he really enjoys doing it and wouldn’t have it any other way. 

The sub-branch was just one of the organisations Mr Clementson joined after moving to Scone in 1971. 

Pre Scone life, Mr Clementson hailed from down the valley as he grew up at Rutherford and Lochinvar where his dad was a textile worker who had opened up a country branch for a Sydney based company. 

After completing his education in Maitland, Mr Clementson followed in his father’s footsteps and began studying textile technology at Maitland Tech before by chance sitting an exam to become a lineman with the PMG department, which became Telecom and then Telstra. 

Mr Clementson said the pay was five pounds more than working in textiles so he took on the two year traineeship.

Once completing the traineeship he and his wife Dot moved to Sydney where he worked at Kogarah and Miranda from 1963 to 1965, however he said he didn’t like living and working in Sydney and was pleased when an opportunity arose to transfer to Collarenebri.

Mr Clementson met his wife in 1960 when she was just 15-years-old and in 1963 they married.

After gaining a promotion in 1971, the family moved to Scone to continue working as a Grade 2 lineman predominantly in cable jointing. 

Mr Clementson said it was a good period as it was when the exchange was still manual and they were converting the area to automatic exchanges. 

Throughout the following years he worked as an estimator in Maitland and then headed up a team of a taskforce of about 50 people who established cables and conduits all over the Hunter Valley.

In 1991, Mr Clementson retired briefly before training and obtaining his licence to work as a security guard at Bayswater and Liddell Power Stations for six years. 

Unfortunately in 1998, Mrs Clementson fell unwell so Mr Clementson finished up work to become a full time carer for his beautiful wife. 

Being a father of two sons and two daughters and with 13 grandchildren and one great grandchild, family is very important to Mr Clementson and he is fortunate to be surrounded by his loved ones. 

As the boys were keen rugby league players, Mr Clementson became the Scone Junior Rugby League secretary for about five years.

It was during this time that the committee helped to build Murray Bain Oval, a contribution Mr Clementson is proud of. 

In 1980, when he became aware that the Scone State Emergency Service (SES) didn’t have enough helpers, Mr Clementson joined the service and volunteered for the next 10 years, in which time he was the deputy controller for about six years. 

“In those days there was no bush fire brigade in town, so a couple of us in the SES completed our basic bush fire training and established the Scone Bush Fire Brigade, which later became the Scone Head Quarters Brigade and then the Kingdon Ponds Brigade,” Mr Clementson said. 

Since 2003 Mr Clementson has been a member of the Parkville Rural Fire Service as the secretary of the brigade, and he is also a member of the Liverpool Plains Support Brigade which provides community education, catering and communications. 

Mr Clementson said he may be getting a bit old to fight fires, but he can still help out. 

“I enjoy being involved as I feel it keeps me young,” he said. 

The handy man has also been a keen member of the Upper Hunter Men’s Shed as he treats his weekly outing as his break. 

“I really enjoy going there for my few hours a week and we do things for the community there as well,” he said. 

“It’s nice to sit down and have a chat with the other men, tell a few stories and have a joke.”

Mr Clementson said he doesn’t like to blow his own horn as he is no different to all the other volunteers in the community. 

“I don’t do the things I do for recognition, I just like to help people,” he said.