October 2 2024- Deborah balmer (Oct 02, 2024)

Speaker Deborah Balmer - Clinical Yarning in the Midwest

Guest Speaker October 2nd.

Deborah Balmer, a research fellow with the University of Western Australia, was our guest speaker and she spoke on clinical yarning in the Midwest.

She is part of a process in which Aboriginal people can be better served, especially when communicating with health professionals.

Deborah was first confronted with another culture when she was 11-12 and Vietnamese refugees arrived in Invercargill, New Zealand as a sponsored family. It was the first time she noted that there were other people with greater needs than herself.

She trained at the University of Otago in Dunedin, trained as a high school teacher and did a Masters degree in Los Angeles, USA. While there she worked in a mission at Skid Row, teaching people.

She then taught in New Zealand, went to Abu Dhabi and then to Delhi, India to work for a Christian NGO. It was then back to New Zealand to work on adult literacy. “It was a lot about ageing and dying research”.

This led her to working on this project in the Mid-West, dealing with communication issues in the Geraldton-Meekatharra-Mt Magnet areas.

Clinical Yarning has been developed as a patient-centered communication approach to Aboriginal health care. In summary, the Clinical Yarning program focuses on equipping healthcare providers with practical communication skills that integrate Aboriginal cultural ways into clinical practice. It preferences patient connectedness and building trust. Training to support HCPs in a Clinical Yarning approach is offered through in-person workshops in small group settings with or without on-line Clinical Yarning eLearning modules

Delivery of CY is a blended model – the introduction is done on-line at this website and is currently free (but we are seeking funding to improve and develop this further) and that is augmented by face-to-face sessions delivered at this stage by a clinician and an Aboriginal cultural lead – all of whom are part of the WACRH team.

So this current project is to roll out training across the Midwest in collaboration with WACHS – using something like this model – we are still part way through the project and our barriers and enablers work found three major themes – Clinical Yarning knowledge and attitude; training generally and CY training; and cultural safety/security more broadly within the health service.

About 4500 people have completed training.

President Hugh thanked Deborah for her very informative presentation and encouraged members to explore the website for more information. Link to Clinical Yarning website

Chapman Valley Country Music Festival - Bernie Gorringe

Guest Speaker Bernie Gorringe: Bernie is a former Rotarian (Rotary Club of Geraldton) who is involved in the Chapman Valley Country Music Festival (CVCMF)

CVCMF has taken over from the Nambung Country Music Muster. Nambung's operators Brian and Gloria White sold their property where the event was held. Last year a small group of people brought the event to the Nanson Showgrounds in the Chapman Valley and renamed it CVCMF.

It is a showcase of WA country music talent which runs on 18^th 19^th and 20^th of October.

Friday the 18^th is dedicated to emerging artists and anyone who has never played before an audience. IGA (the Rigter family) have made a substantial cash donation to reward new players on the night.

Saturday and Sunday sees professionals and semi professionals performing through the day. There are many different styles of 'country music' from the traditional 'Slim Dusty's' through to guitar picking and Texas Swing.

Many of the performers are award winners including Ginger Cox who was recently awarded “Best in Boots” and Terry Bennetts who has been nominated for awards at Tamworth over a number of years. Elias and JJ, who are from the western suburbs of Sydney are returning after their huge popularity last year.

There is room for camping and caravanning and potable water is provided along with toilets and shower facilities. Cost per day is $50 or $125 for the three days.

In addition to the music there will be a bootscooter's workshop; guitar auction; gospel Sunday morning; bush poets.

Questions:

Peter Sukiennik – Are dogs allowed? Yes in the camping area but not where the music is being played.

Thanks to Bernie by Grant Woodhams who is helping out with the event.

Rotary Exchange Student - Sofia Underland (Norway) - Presentation

Sofia Underland is our Rotary Exchange Student and gave a presentation to the Club about her homeland.

Sofia Underland Presentation 11 September 2024

There is also a ZOOM presentation - Sofia on ZOOM

For your viewing pleasure.

The Magic of Rotary - President Hugh

President's Report - Hugh Lavery:

Apologies for not presenting in person. Thanks for getting zoom working to enable the sharing of the incoming World President Stephanie Urchick's address:

It can be found on the internet here: “The Magic of Rotary”

Short version

Long Version and well worth the 15 minutes.

It is also very rewarding to watch Stephanie Urchick's presentation on making a Rotary Club irresistible.

Hugh's message echoes Stephanie's in making our meetings irresistible and engaging. Have conversation, connect, learn and get involved in the Community. It is important that we become a more diverse membership.

Expand our Reach - Rotary International Action Plan

Rotary International has recently developed an Action Plan for the future and it includes the following

EXPAND OUR REACH

As Rotarians, we’re committed to embracing and exemplifying diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in everything we do at Rotary. We have revised our DEI statement, which now reflects our stronger-than-ever commitment to being an organization that values, respects, and welcomes everyone who interacts with us. Now we’re developing a comprehensive plan of action with achievable, measurable, and meaningful DEI outcomes for Rotary. I strongly encourage you to read and follow Rotary’s new DEI Code of Conduct, which points the way to creating more just, open, and welcoming communities for all people.

Outbound Exchange Student Nesaea Foster

Outbound Exchange Student Nesaea Foster presented to the Club in December and departed for Germany in early January.

Nesaea is going to a small town near Munich in Germany called Dillingen. It is on the Danube River.

Official presentation of Nesaea's Rotary blazer by President Geoff Wood.

Link to Nesaea's Powerpoint Presentation on Youtube

HMAS Sydney II Memorial

“OUR GIFT TO THE COMMUNITY”

In 1998 the Rotary Club of Geraldton (now Greater Geraldton) embarked on an ambitious journey to build a memorial on Mt Scott in Geraldton, dedicated to the 645 sailors lost at sea when the HMAS Sydney II was sunk off the Mid-West coast during World War II. The HMAS Sydney II Memorial is by far the largest and proudest project the RCG has undertaken.

Australia’s worst naval disaster occurred on 19 November 1941 when HMAS Sydney II was lost following a battle with the German raider HSK KORMORAN, in the Indian Ocean off the Western Australian coast. Geraldton was the last port visited prior to her demise. The loss of the SYDNEY with its full war complement of 645 sailors remains etched in the nations psyche. The KORMORAN was also sunk, but 317 of its crew of 397 survived. The fate of the Sydney remained one of Australia’s greatest wartime mysteries until the location of the wreck in 2008.
“LEST WE FORGET”