Chair: Doug Robertson
29 members in attendance.
Visitor: Bettina Cruise – 2nd visit, potential new member
President Frank stood-in for Gerard Hogan to congratulate: Rebecca John, Des Benjamin, Peter Duras and Roy Garrett for birthdays this week; Rohan Williams on the first anniversary as a member of Rotary Central Melbourne.
Announcements:
Bernie Gerlinger: Five students from Princes Hill Secondary College have been accepted for the Science Experience in January 2018, the first beneficiaries of the program established under the Wolfgang and Monika Jacobs Bequest.
Bernie Gerlinger: RCM has secured two D9800 Foundation grants to assist needy secondary students over two years. Each grant is $500 per student per year, with 50% contributed by Foundation and 50% by RCM. Candidates will be selected from Princes Hill Secondary College.
Paul Fraser: Reminded members of the need to book by Dec 12th for the Christmas Breakfast on Dec 19th.
Russell Rolls: Reminded members to send him brief details of all volunteer hours worked, per the 2017-18 RI President’s request.
Stuart Ellis: Daniel Campbell-Jones attending RYLA this week. Needs volunteer to collect him from the camp this Saturday. Also reminded members that Flavia Minikus would be in Melbourne over the school holidays and would welcome people to include her in activities and outings.
Alan Seale: Interviewing Ambulance Victoria mentee applicants this week. Will be seeking a RCM mentor in early 2018.
President’s announcements:
Drew attention to the projected photographs of Rana Ebrahimi’s wedding last Saturday. Frank, David Jones and Neville John were invited to the ceremony, conducted by an Iman in Rana’s home, with celebrations afterwards in a restaurant. At Rana’s request, Neville stood-in for her father in Iran during the ceremony.
Noted that RCM had been awarded a District banner as the Club with the 2nd highest fundraising per member during 2016-17.
Looking to design and mount a plaque at Princes Hill Secondary College acknowledging the Wolfgang and Monika Jacobs Science Experience program.
New Member Talk: Therese Robinson
Therese has been a member of RCM for almost a year but, as one of seven children, she probably learnt from an early age that sometimes one needed to wait to get one’s turn in the spotlight. Therese’s own family is a little smaller - three children, now all in their 20s.
Therese graduated from university in the late 1980s and has spent a very satisfying career in public health with the Victorian Public Service. Her first roles were in mental health services, at a time of great optimism in that sector, as long standing institutions such as Mont Park and Laurendel were closed and mental health services merged with mainstream hospitals.
Therese then became involved in the management of public health in the Yarra Ranges region of Melbourne, operating on a positive definition of health as being a complete state of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, rather than merely an absence of disease. The third major part of her career so far has been working in Aboriginal Health, an experience which greatly increased her awareness of the incidence and effects of racism on the people subject to it.
The most rewarding part of her career has been the people with whom she has worked: people of vision and energy, caring and compassion.
The most difficult part of her career has been dealing with stories and related criticism of public health services in the media, especially where she knew that parts of those stories were accurate and the criticisms valid.
When asked to name the characteristics of success in her career, Therese replied that the best Public Service is one which represents everyone in the community.
Guest Speaker Presentation: - please refer separate item in this BULLETIN.
The Swindle:
Birthday boy Roy Garrett drew the highest card in the 1st round, but unfortunately not the Joker in the 2nd, so missed out on an additional birthday gift.