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The Brain Teaser
Can you spot the ten differences in the pictures?
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Director’s Roundup
- Matt:
- The meeting this week will be at the Hydro.
- Brian:
- The Club received a Community grant from Leeton Council for $2,000 to put towards the Rotunda. Congratulations to Brian for the successful application.
- Graeme
- Market Day next Saturday. Names on Thursday night.
- Ham Carnival on Sunday. Names on Thursday night. There was some discussion about the ticket cost but it looks like it will stay the same ($2 for 2 spins).
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Stories of Resilience Breakfast – 27th November 2024
The three amigos hard at work
This was the first event in the new series of the Breakfasts funded through a grant form Australia Post. The first series was around the theme of mental health and the community while this one focused on resilience around ageing.
The Emcee was Mary Errey, a community volunteer and she introduced the moderator Court Sayer-Roberts. The format was a little different for this session. Court had previously interviewed the participants and guided the session by asking questions.
Paul Maytom was asked about his life pre-Leeton. He came from a very small town in the Hunter area. His family had a small holding and grew their own food. He worked at many jobs before working as a Fettler. He decided to change careers, and a chance encounter saw him come to Leeton as a fruit picker. He met wife-to-be Julie in the Carlton Café and so the Leeton die was cast. He was employed by Ricegrowers’ and advanced through the jobs to become Coleambally mill manager. The downsizing as a result of the millennial drought was very hard. He became Leeton Mayor and had to juggle the mill manager and Mayor role. He went on to describe his dedication to the Leeton multi-cultural group and the difficulties of the PALM scheme. He concluded by acknowledging the support of Julie and his family.
Bill Draper, who is fast approaching his 100th birthday was asked about his history. He came to the area when his father purchased an 850-acre farm on the back Leeton-Narrandera Road. There was a 3- room house and Bill described some of the privations of life at that time (like no running water, isolation and difficulties in the working environment). He also talked about the difficulties driven by the depression.
Jo Edwards is the Lifestyle Superintendent at Alf Herrmann Lodge. She talked about the increasing difficulties of dementia. Older people suffering with dementia make up 50% of the residents at Alf Herrmann Lodge. In 2024 there were 421,000 people suffering with dementia in Australia and this is expected to increase to more than 800,000 by 2054. This probably under-estimates the exctent of the problem as not all cases are reported. Dementia is not a normal part of ageing. It is a progressive illness and the symptoms vary widely – depending on the section of brain that is affected. She noted that about 1.6 million people would be carers of dementia sufferers. She then emphasized the importance of respite services for those carers – and the importance for carers to be able to cry out for help when needed. She then highlighted the photographic exhibition at the Leeton Museum and Art Gallery. She arranged for the pictures to be taken by Neil McAliece to highlight the faces of those with dementia (not about the illness but the person).
This was an excellent event. All participants had a story to tell, and we could have spent more time with each one. Bill Draper, in particular, has so many stories to tell.
Congratulations to Brian, Mary, Court and the other organisers. It was a great event with over 80 attendees.
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The differences are circled.
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Entering Heaven
Three men died on Christmas Eve and were met by Saint Peter at the pearly gates.
"In honour of this holy season," Saint Peter said, "You must each possess something that symbolizes Christmas to get into heaven."
The first man fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter. He flicked it on. "It represents a candle," he said. "You may pass through the pearly gates," Saint Peter said.
The second man reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He shook them and said, "They're bells." Saint Peter said, "You may pass through the pearly gates."
The third man started searching desperately through his pockets and finally pulled out a pair of women's glasses.
St. Peter looked at the man with a raised eyebrow and asked, "And just what do those symbolize?"
The man replied, "They're Carol's."
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