PRESIDENT'S POST

Posted by Andrew Crockett
This week President Andrew reports on today’s well-attended and informative Club meeting, some forthcoming events, and offers some post-election light relief.
 
Over thirty members and guests attended today’s Club meeting by Zoom to hear Betty Kitchener AM speak about the Mental Health First Aid Program she founded with her husband, Professor Tony Jorm, which has trained over 4 million people worldwide, including members of our own Club.
Mental illness statistics are staggering, not because mental illness has necessarily become more prevalent but because it is talked about far more and we are more likely to recognise its signs and seek help.  Every 12 months 1 in 4 young adults will experience some degree of mental illness, and over the same period, 1 in 5 people across all age groups will experience mental illness.  Mental illness contributes 15% of the disease burden in the community but receives only 9% of National Health and Medical Research Council funding.  Betty praised the role of Rotary clubs and  Australian Rotary Health (ARH) in raising much-needed funds for research in this area.  She noted that the ARH’s current research focus is on children aged up to 12.  The earlier symptoms of mental illness are recognised and treated the less likely it is that people will experience debilitating mental illness later in life.  
An interesting connection that became apparent during the talk was the link between mental illness and family abuse.  Mental illness can be both an effect and a contributing cause of family abuse.  Early identification and treatment of mental illness may therefore be a powerful antidote to family abuse.  This has significance for the Rotary Safe Families program and both Betty and Dorothy Gilmour expressed interest in further exploring this overlapping area of interest. 
There is a full report on Betty’s talk elsewhere in the Bulletin.
  
Youth Service Director Geoff Wright reported to the meeting on the Club’s youth service activities at Auburn High School before introducing Assistant Principal, Ross Pritchard, and two students who told us about the valuable experiences gained from attending the Santos Science Experience program with the financial help of the Club.  See a summary of these reports elsewhere in the Bulletin.
 
Forthcoming Events
Rotary’s Disaster Aid Control Centre and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne
Our last vocational visit for the year is on Tuesday 14 June to Rotary’s Disaster Aid Control Centre and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne.  Invitations have been sent to members and friends of the Club.  
We will be picked up by bus at Zelmann Cowan Park carpark opposite Kooyong at 9:45 AM on the 14th and the bus will take us to the Disaster Aid Australia Centre before travelling on to the Botanic Gardens for lunch.
Bookings must be made by 10:00 am on 2nd June because we need to order lunch in advance. The three main course options are set out in the invitation.  When you book please enter your choice in the 'main course options' field.
Numbers are limited to 40 so don’t miss out.  Secure your place and assist Vincent by booking early.
 
Changeover Dinner Saturday 25 June
Invitations for the Changeover Dinner on Saturday 25 June have been sent to members and guests. 
The cost is $75.00 per person and includes a pre-dinner drink on arrival, a main course, a shared dessert platter, coffee and tea.  Drinks after the first will be at Bar prices.  The Dress Code is black Black and White attire which leaves plenty of scope.  You can come in formal dinner wear if you wish, or dress semi-formally featuring some black and white. 
Please book as soon as possible and no later than the RSVP date of 17 June.
 
District Assembly
The annual District 9800 Assembly takes place on Saturday by Zoom between 9.00 am and 12.00 pm. The Assembly provides an opportunity for members of incoming club boards, especially those who have not served on a Rotary board before, and newer members of Rotary, to gain some understanding of how the District operates and the types of support it provides to clubs.  
The Assembly will start with a plenary session and then from 10.30 am to noon there will be a series of breakout sessions covering each Avenue of Service and other topics.
Register via this link: https://www.trybooking.com/BZLHU
 
Avenue of Service discussion
Following today’s Club meeting the Avenue of Service directors met with Assistant Governor Lili Teichman to discuss the Club’s activities in each area of service and consider opportunities for the District to facilitate the sharing of service experience with other clubs.
 
Next week’s meeting
Next week, it will be my pleasure to induct Robyn Sparks as a member of the Club,.  Following the induction and lunch, Robyn will tell us about the ‘Member behind the Badge’.
I look forward to seeing as many members as possible at Kooyong next week to welcome our newest member.
Until next Tuesday, have a great week and please keep safe and well.
 
Thought for the Week
Over the past few weeks, we’ve reflected on the strengths and vulnerabilities of democracy. This week I thought it was time for some light relief.
 
I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.
-  Oscar Wilde, from The Happy Prince and Other Stories
 
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854 –1900) was an Irish poet and playwright who became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the circumstances of his criminal conviction and imprisonment for gross indecency for consensual homosexual acts.   He died from meningitis at the age of 46.