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President's Message
Gaynor Schols
Report No 6
Wellways
On 7th August we had a great presentation from Kate, Kylie and Rebecca about Wellways, a not-for-profit mental health and disability support and community care organisation.
With mental health being such a big issue in the community it is good for all of us to understand the diverse services available.
Projects
Our key projects for the year are all underway and hopefully every member will become involved.
Mal Slater has sent out the first version of the BBQ roster which requires feedback from all members please.
Please collect books for the Book Fair, to be held on Australia Day weekend, and give them to Rhonda Anchen.
The Motor Show committee have held their first meeting. All members will be needed on Sat 10th February 2018, so please save that date!
We have been asked to participate with our BBQ trailer on 14th November to provide lunch for 100 Friendship Exchange Rotarians from Chennai. RC Bayside will send out more details soon.
If you are able to attend training in Traffic Control, at the Gordon Geelong, please give your name to Greg Plumridge or Brian Mynott ASAP so they can make the bookings.
The proposed date for our Strategic Planning session is Monday 23rd October from 6-9pm, subject to confirmation by trainer Jessie Harman.
Lesley Shedden represented our club at the Group International Director's meeting on Thurs 10th August. This group is hoping to work together to achieve a global grant for an International project.
Star of the Month
Howard Randall put in many hours of work managing the "Dine with Cadel Evans" event. For this reason the President's Star of the Month trophy was passed from John Mc Donald to Howard. It will move on to the next Torquay Star Rotarian on 4th September.
August is Membership Month
We are making a fantastic start to our membership goals!
Dr John Oswald was inducted on 31st July and two more members will hopefully be inducted soon - Jan Emmett and Garth Hammond.
Please invite any prospective members to the Membership night on 14th August.
This week we had the pleasure of meeting and hearing Kate Higgins, Rebecca Veale and Kylie Sullivan tell us of their work with WELLWAYS.
Wellways is a Mental Health and Disability Support and Referral service. They are not hospital based and were historically a family, friends and carers based organisation. Initially the Schizophrenia Fellowship, then the Mental Health Fellowship, they have encompassed a broader "customer base" including conditions such as Autism, Homelessness, Poverty and with that, a new name.
They provide support in the community to increase awareness of Mental Illness, Isolation, Poverty and Loneliness. They have a unique staffing model in that many of their employees themselves have suffered mental illness. This is backed up by research that the empathy and "lived experience" is helpful in assisting those in need or crisis. 45% of Australians have experienced personally Mental Illness, 3% severe. Many sufferers, their friends and family just do not know where to go.......
They provide services through the NDIS - National Disability Insurance Scheme, PARC - Prevention and Recovery service, Residential Services, Mental Health Support (not just the medical model), 1:1 Family Support and Training courses in a safe place enabling people to gain qualifications. They also provide Peer services with their 145 workers and 140 volunteer staff. Through media they provide a Help Line, Online forums, Community Education facilitators, Education and Pathways to Work/Study, Community Education and a Radio program through 3CR.
The reason they came to meet us at Torquay Rotary was to increase awareness of their services and hopefully spread the word that there is help out there, available to all, that doesn't involve standing in a queue or excessive cost.
Thank you Rebecca, Kate and Kylie for your time and your company.
With only 2 weeks to go I urgently require responses from you all this week
Monday 28th August has been planned as a FIRESIDE CHAT night
This is where, we as Members & partners meet at various homes to share a meal & chat about everything and everything............who knows there may even be some discussion of things Rotary
Firstly I need to establish how many Members and Partners would like to attend this event and then I will be chasing the appropriate number of Hosts to accommodate everyone.
Last Monday a list was begun for those able to attend and we will run this around again at this weeks meeting. If you are away and would like to register then please contact me on 0414 332870 or email to brucesmith300@yahoo.com.au
Once again our Ambassador for Parkinsons, Peter Bollen will be participating in the annual "Walk in the Park" on Sunday 27 August, this year the team is dubbed "Pete Pals". There will be a number of Rotarians joining Pete, Cynthia and family so If you would like to participate then this is your chance to celebrate and support people living with Parkinson’s. This leisurely walk takes place along the banks of the Yarra River. A range of fun, family activities at Federation Square will entertain kids and adults alike…and the pet pooch! and afterwards a rewarding frothy can be had at Young and Jacksons. Here is the link toRegister today!
If you are unable to make the Walk but would like to support Pete's Pals then please CLICK HEREto Donate to the "PETE'S PALS" Team Fundraising Page
Please share this with family and friends encouraging them to participate also.
Monday week 21st August Howard Randall and myself will be presenting a Tutorial/workshop on Clubrunner and " My Rotary"........hmm......I hear some of you asking "what on earth is My Rotary?"
Well the aim, particularly as we have a number of new members join the club recently, is to ensure sure that all members are able to access these sites and the functions that are useful to us all.
I doubt that any one of us can claim to know everything about these sites as they are constantly being updated.
So we plan to run this as a workshop and we welcome questions from you all. Please either bring your questions with you on the night or send them to Howard or myself beforehand.
Are you a Full MCC Member but don't have anyone else to join up with to enter the Grand Final Ticket Ballot? t
Rob Harris and I would be happy to join with you to register for this year's ballot. Registrations for the Ballot run from 17-23rd August so if you are interested please contact me ASAP so that we can arrange to lodge all of the Bar Codes in one registration
I may add that to date Rob & I have a good strike rate with 2 from 2 Ballot entries being successful the past two years.
If you cannot meet one of your assigned duties, Please contact Maggie Isom to advise.
The duty team should arrive no later than 6:00 p.m. Besides the below duties, the assigned team is responsible for Room Setup, Greeting Members and Guests, and Room Tidy at the end of our meeting - see checklist in storeroom or click here .
Notifying someone about changes to your meeting attendance is your responsibility!
Our meetings have catered dinners, so if you are unable to attend a meeting, or if your partner is unable
to attend a designated Partner's Night, YOU MUST ADVISE us of your or your partner’s absence.
This also applies if you are attending the meeting but not dining.
There are two ways to do this, either record the information in advance in the "Apology Book"
that is available at the check in table at each meeting or telephone 03-5222-2022.
An answering service operates out of hours.
All apologies must be made no later than 9.00AM on the Monday of the meeting (unless other arrangements
were addressed in the Bulletin).
If no apology is recorded by that time, the absentee member will be issued with an invoice to pay the Club the
usual dinner fee of $25 for your non-attendance, and/or that of your partner if it is an official Partner's Night.
On "Partners Nights" it is a different arrangement as it will be assumed that your partner WILL BE attending unless you apologise for them!
Remember if you are bringing guests or your partner (to a non-partner night) you need to notify us of the extra number of persons who will be attending.
Absence when away on travel is not an excuse. It is your reasonability to lodge your apology and it is recommended that this
be recorded beforehand in the “Apology Book” to save you remembering each week whilst you are away.