Andrew’s Thoughts
Last week saw a convivial Club Assembly with a good turnout and good banter. It was a pleasure to see a lightened atmosphere.
Thursday sees the next Business Breakfast when Nat Spencer from MEGT will explain federally funded apprenticeship and training schemes. We have widened the invite list to include more tradespeople; we’re hoping for a good turnout.
This weekend sees the Area 9705 Annual Conference in Wagga Wagga which unfortunately I cannot attend due to wedding preparations. I have spoken at length with our Area Governor Adam de Totth and he will be “showcasing” the Club for our PCSG and for our Community service over the years. This is a big honour and a deserved pat on the back for us all.
This weekend also sees the October markets.
Thursday the 25th sees our annual Hat Day for supporting mental health. Dr David Arthur will be presenting, and I urge you all to come and bring guests. I have also written to Dr Jenny Munro inviting her and members from the Chamber to join us. We shall be holding a raffle and you are urged to donate something appropriate, and obviously there will be prizes for the most outrageous hats! Regrettably I shall not be with you as I shall be marrying off daughter Sophie in Queensland!
So, we have really interesting meetings ahead which should prove to be very enjoyable for us. So it’s upwards and onwards mes amis!
THIS WEEK
ON THURSDAY: Our Business Breakfast at Narooma Surf Club (7am sharp) features Nat Spencer, Apprenticeships Field Consultant with MEGT. She says local employers and apprentices may be missing out on thousands of dollars in incentives and benefits. There’s a range of Australian Government employer incentives and apprentice benefits in priority occupations, particularly traditional trades, but benefits are also available in other areas not on the Government’s priority list, including aged care and child care. Nat will explain what is available and how to go about applying. Cost $10. Bookings essential with President Andrew.
THIS SUNDAY: Our current Rotary food van has now had the brakes approved by a qualified mechanic, the electrics passed by an electrician and the exterior and interior cleaned, so it is well and truly ‘fit for purpose’ for Sunday and the coming busy summer season. Fingers crossed for Sunday’s weather; hopefully not a tough call for our Markets Manager.
The Week that Was
Club Assembly
Last week’s Club Assembly saw any consideration of the discussion paper on Rotary’s future catering choices, produced by 40% of members, avoided.
President Andrew reported the Carers’ Accommodation Eurobodalla Regional Hospital (CAERH) committee is starting to gain traction. Coming up is the group’s participation in the Eurobodalla Health, Wellbeing and Community Group’s Expo 2022 on Wednesday 2 November at Batemans Bay Soldiers Club. This will be the start of CAERH’s campaign to inform the community about the project. Andrew is CAERH’s deputy chairman and is assisting with publicity. Its next meeting is Wednesday 19 October.
The next Prostate Cancer Support Group meeting on Wednesday 2 November features guest speakers specialist Men’s Health physiotherapist Jamie Boulding and pharmacist Brad Butt from Canberra. Please note new time 12-3pm at the Golfie.
Moruya Rotary tows Healthy Harold
Spotted in Narooma last week was Moruya Rotarian Rohan Gleeson towing the Life Education mobile classroom with Happy Harold from ‘down south’ to Narooma Public School, one of many schools the van is visiting in the area. Towing the van around our area is shared by Rohan and John Gillett also from Moruya, taking over from Moruya’s late Jerry Bussa.
For those not familiar with it, Life Education has been active in Australia for over 40 years. It was established by the Rotary Club of Kings Cross through the auspices of the late Rev Ted Noffs from the Wayside Chapel. Along with other health challenges, illicit drug use was exploding back then. Ted saw an opportunity to address the issue before it became a problem.
His vision for Life Education was centred on a powerful concept: each and every child is unique. Ted’s approach was not to scare children, but rather motivate and empower them so they could and would actively draw on their own knowledge to make safer and healthier life choices. The same approach to education continues to inspire Life Education today.
The first mobile classroom was built in 1982, enabling Life Education to take its program to schools throughout Australia. It continues to be assisted by many Rotary Clubs. Healthy Harold assists discussions with kids in the mobile classroom healthy eating, personal safety, physical activity, positive relationships, cyber-safety and the impact of alcohol and other drugs. Programs are run in primary schools with differing emphasis for different age groups. All modules are age and stage appropriate and aligned to the NSW PDHPE syllabus and the Australian school curriculum.
Narooma Rotary supported Life Education for many years in the past, particularly when former DG Jack Ings was a member and in the years immediately following.
NEXT THURSDAY
Hat Night for Mental Health 27 October
Next Thursday we ‘Lift the Lid on Mental Health’ with guest speaker Dr David Arthur on ‘Integrative Mental Health Care in Rural Communities’.
Dr Arthur has extensive experience in health care in Australia, Asia, the Middle East and the UK f as a nurse, a counsellor, a researcher in mental health, and a health educator. He has published widely in areas related to post-natal depression and anxiety, schizophrenia and family management, as well as mindfulness stress management and meditation.
Returning to Australia just as the bushfires hit prompted him to join Bega Health and Eurobodalla Health as a mental health clinician and drug and alcohol counsellor in hospitals and the community. Through this experience and on through COVID, he became familiar with the stark differences in mental health care between urban and rural Australia. Concerned with the paucity of mental health care yet buoyed by a vision of community-centred multi-disciplinary low cost care, David will discuss some of his experiences and propose ideas which can benefit mental health in rural communities.
Should be a very interesting talk and don’t forget it’s a fundraiser for Mental Health. Please invite partners and friends and encourage them to wear a hat, anything from flamboyant, zany to just plain practical. Prizes given.