Apologies: Jerry Casburn, Sheila Evans, Rachel Harding, Geoff Hill, Heather Kilsby, Chad
Leader, Mavis Martin, David Middleton, Bob Mills, Ali & Soheila Mostaghim,
Bob Mullins, Marlene Small, Pam Trimmer, Valerie Bonython, Vera Holt
Attendance: 19 Members 3 Guests
Acting President Ken Haines' Announcements
Welcome back Lachlan Reid
Sheila and Mavis are recovering slowly and will hopefully leave hospital this week
Bunnings BBQ next Monday and Mitre 10 next Saturday are covered
OSSAA film event 'Hampstead' on Sunday was very enjoyable
Guest Speaker - Ron Parker
Helping Disadvantaged Children
Chairman Wendy Andrews introduced Ron who was born in New Zealand (unlike Barnaby) and came to Adelaide in 1972 to work with youth. In more recent years he formed Youth Space to provide flexible education and training to secondary students who are not achieving in mainstream schooling.
Ron's first job was at the Magill Training Centre where he spent a number of years being managed by ex-army officers who delivered by rules and discipline. He was discomfited by this approach because the kids did not progress. Robin Maslin provided inspiration through Youth Project Centres where the emphasis was on engaging young people to learn and adapt. One of the successful programs proved to be 'adventure therapy' where kids are taken to the bush for 10 days of rough living and then stay in touch with their mentors for 3 months.
The Education Department runs Flexible Learning Options (FLO) for kids who have difficulty with secondary schooling. Ron started his own program, Youth Space, for students in the western suburbs at a shopfront on St Vincent Street Port Adelaide, providing woodworking, metal work and arts. They rapidly outgrew these premises and now operate out of Divett Street which teaches 35 students at a time (200 to date); there is also an eastern suburbs workshop with 18 students. They are run by a minimum of staff with help from volunteers. Offerings of today are far more extensive than at the beginning......new initiatives include 3D printing, screen printing, and computing. The minimum age to enrol is 13 and on average they stay 18 months - 2 years. Literacy and numeracy are pursued through web-based programs. It is practical and hands-on. Their work is funded by referrals.
They pride themselves on the fact that all who stay the distance either find jobs or continue studying.
There have been some outstanding successes including a boy who established his own graphic design business and now has 30 employees, a student carer who is now doing complicated set designs, and kids with learning difficulties progressing in horticulture and construction.
Ron was thanked by acclamation..
Spots
Patsy Beckett announced:
the super dooper car trial with RC Eastwood is on again Sunday 29 October.....rev rev!
inspired by an article in Rotary Down Under about Carol Farmer who has raised $100k+ through collecting postage stamps, Patsy wants all club members to collect stamps and give them to her each Tuesday
Trevor McGuirk is still handing out the District Resources Guide.....each member should have one.
The Finale
Ken won the atrocious squares and donated the lucre to Days for Girls. Happiness was a tad more subdued this week......maybe because Port won on Sunday. Trevor is gargling hectically in readiness for his starring performance in the Metropolitan Male Choir performance on 26/27 August.
Patsy and Graham prematurely attended the ASO performance (obviously happy with this extra time for communication) and Lindsay is delighted with Crows finishing top two....as most of us are.
The meeting concluded at 7.48pm
Operation Flinders
In December last year our Club had a guest speaker, Jonathon Robran, from Operation Flinders, who spoke about taking young people into the Flinders Ranges for some time out. Last week we were privileged to be invited by him to attend the graduation ceremony at the Norwood Town Hall, of ten girls from Marryatville High School who recently completed the course in June this year. They were presented with their certificates by Stephen Marshall, who has a great interest in the organisation. He asked each girl what their most memorable moment of the course, and their comments were varied and positive, but all agreed the day it rained, ‘Day 5’was the hardest. Two staff members from that school also accompanied the students, completing the course with them. Attached to Jonathan’s invitation were some comments by the students at the conclusion of the course, and without a doubt each one commented on the fact that they found they could pull through hardship and get through difficulties, and many other favourable comments about their time away and how it had changed them for the better. It was interesting to learn that the girls who attended the course, could then use the certificate for part of their Year 11 SACE accreditation.
Several other Rotary and Lions Clubs were also at the Presentation and we really hope our Club will continue to support Operation Flinders for many years to come so that our young people have the opportunity to grow. Also, we believe they would be great RYLA candidates!
Patsy Beckett & Valerie Bonython
Rotary News
Rotary clubs raise $304 million in one year to strengthen communities and improve lives around the world
EVANSTON, IL (August 10, 2017) — As part of Rotary’s year-long centennial celebration of The Rotary Foundation – the global membership organization’s charitable arm, Rotary clubs raised $304 million to support positive, lasting change in communities around the world.
Since its inception in 1917 with its first donation of $26.50, The Rotary Foundation is today a leading humanitarian foundation that has spent nearly $4 billion to help countless people live better. Each year, The Rotary Foundation provides more than $200 million to end polio and support sustainable projects and scholarships that promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, support education, save mothers and children, and grow local economies.
Rotary’s top humanitarian goal is to eradicate the paralyzing disease, polio. Rotary launched its polio immunization program PolioPlus in 1985, and in 1988 became a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Since the initiative launched, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, from about 350,000 cases a year to 37 confirmed in 2016. Rotary has contributed more than US $1.7 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunize more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries.
“When we say that our Rotary Foundation is saving and transforming lives, we are not exaggerating,” said Kalyan Banerjee, Trustee Chair, The Rotary Foundation – 2016-17. “With the continued strong support of our members, we will keep our promise of a polio-free world for all children, and enable the Foundation to carry out its mission of advancing world understanding, goodwill and peace. We look forward to another 100 years of Rotary members taking action to make communities better around the world.”
Upcoming Events
Regional Membership Conference at Science Innovation Learning Centre Flinders Uni
From 8.30am - 3pm Saturday 26 August and 8.30am - noon 27 August
Metropolitan Male Choir 2017 Variety Proms Concert
Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 August 2pm at Adelaide Town Hall Tickets $20-40
RYLA September 23-29 Nunyara Conference Centre.
Redex Car Trial 29 October
Our Upcoming Meetings
22 Aug 2017 at Damien on Fisher at 6 for 6.30pm Nina Murat - Kurdistan School Project
A guest golfer gets caught out in ladies changing room having a shower, and wonders whether he can escape either with towel over face or over 'privates' . He decides on the former, and runs past ladies coming in from their round. First 3 ladies say 'not my husband' , 4th lady (slightly younger) says 'not even a member of the Club'.
