GUEST SPEAKER - SUMMER MEDLEY

Guest speaker Summer Medley aged 16, was born in Warrnambool and went to Merrivale Primary School, then Brauer College. She is currently in Year 11 studying both Year 11 and Year 12 subjects. Summer’s interests are public speaking, debating, current affairs, basketball, boxing, travelling and experiencing different cultures. She has casual work at an organic and vegetarian café in Warrnambool, Day Kitty. When she leaves school Summer would like to study in Melbourne to become a journalist and travel the world.

Summer was one of 4 Warrnambool delegates selected by Friends of Gallipoli (FoG) to participate in a cultural tour of Turkey, including ANZAC Day at Gallipoli. This tour was 50% funded by Warrnambool Legacy, Rotary Clubs of Warrnambool, Warrnambool East and Warrnambool Central.  The remainder was financed through fund raising events including raffles and a donation by Deakin students and others. Remaining shortfall was met by the RSL.

A selection panel representing the main supporters was appointed, comprising Ray Welsford OAM (Rotary Clubs), Doug Heazlewood (Legacy), Alex Gannaway (RSL), and 4 secondary students were selected. One of those students went on a fully self funded basis. Schools provided one chaperone each, joined by Alex Gannaway, Doug Heazlewood and 5 other adults, making a total travel group of 24. Chaperones and all other adults accompanying the tour were fully self funded.  The City of Warrnambool kindly agreed to fund the provision of uniform jackets with appropriate embroidery and school logos.

Each student was asked to research a local Warrnambool soldier who is interred at Gallipoli and visits were arranged to see their graves or memorials as part of the tour itinerary.

The RSL provided students with ANZAC badges and other tokens to wear and present to local students and any others they wish, and also wreaths which were layed at the ANZAC  Cove Dawn Ceremony and at Lone Pine.

Summer provided an extremely interesting  multimedia and speaking presentation of the nature of the 2014 Cultural Tour of Turkey. She summarised the itinerary and historical sites that were visited. Also discussed were the values and priceless understandings that were gained from experiencing an Islamic dominant country, Turkey’s remarkable history that has been recorded for 4,000 years and emphasizing the conditions and struggles that our brave Australian soldiers had to endure on the Gallipoli peninsula, fighting against the Turks. The group was at Lone Pine very early in the morning of the day of the Anzac Day service it was bitterly cold and unpleasant. Summer said that it gave them a taste of how bleak and difficult it must have been for the soldiers at the time. One of the highlights was "Kebabs" which according to Summer, are the best food to ever exist. Summer also highlighted the importance of this trip to our national identity and the everlasting affect that it left on all 24 Warrnambool delegates.

 

Following Summer's talk, the National Anthem was sung and everyone reflected on the significance of Remembrance Day.

 

The Danish National Anthem was also played and Astrid was asked to sing along to it, which she found challenging because the music was played too slow. Everyone felt sorry for Astrid having to sing her national anthem all alone!