The late Bing Crosbie has made a ''huge'' contribution to the Mosgiel Memorial RSA and his vision continues to be reflected in the club's successful $1.2 million redevelopment.
That is the view of club president Noel Graham.
Mr Crosbie, who died early this month, aged 84, had lived in Mosgiel for the past 50 years, and had long taken responsibility for safeguarding and advocating for the RSA club's extensive collection of military artefacts, and its library books.
After his recent death, his own extensive personal collection of more than 140 military badges and insignia was displayed at the club, in his honour.
A long-standing member of the club, and a hard-working executive committee member, he recently told the ODT he was ''very happy'' about the club's successful redevelopment.
And through that work, facilities for housing, displaying and protecting the club's military memorabilia had been greatly improved, and it was safeguarded in a climate-controlled storage area, when not on display.
The upgrade would make it much easier to care for and organise collection items and was a great advance on previously cramped and inadequate conditions, he said.
Mr Graham said Mr Crosbie had put in good deal of work to catalogue and care for the club's artefacts for many years, and had long served on the club's executive committee.
Mr Crosbie had been strongly influential in efforts to provide better storage and display conditions for the club's artefacts and library books.
He had also sought advice from Otago Museum and Toitu Otago Settlers Museum on how to better safeguard the club's collections, and this had led to help also being offered by Te Papa, the national museum.
''He had the nous and the forethought to see that we needed to up our game [over the artefacts],'' Mr Graham said.
And the better protection and display of artefacts had become ''a significant part of the redevelopment'', he said.
Mr Graham was pleased Mr Crosbie had lived to see the opening of the new facility.
The club's membership was growing strongly, and the Mosgiel community was responding positively.
And the overall redevelopment, and the brighter, more modern premises had ''greatly enhanced our standing in the community''.
By protecting the club's heritage artefacts, which were part of the wider history of Mosgiel and the Taieri, Mr Crosbie had also contributed strongly to the club's future, Mr Graham said.
