Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group creates science-based educational materials that explain what nutritional food is, why human bodies need it and how to grow and use it. These materials are designed to empower people, mainly women, so that they can knowledgeably choose what plants to grow and eat to nutritiously feed themselves and their families. The group is centred in Tasmania.
Volunteer agronomists use Food Plant's International database, created by Bruce French OAM who has been working on this for over 40 years, to identify information on what we consider could be potentially important plants for a country. The database houses over 32,000 plants from all countries.
Programs are currently underway in approximately 40 countries in Asia, Africa, Caribbean, Western Pacific, South America and Central America. The most important component in each program is a local partner. They have the local knowledge, networks, resources and they are invested in its outcomes.
PDG Una Hobday OAM was the first female president of a Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Hollywood Western Australia. She was also the first female District Governor in the southern hemisphere being elected DG District 9540, 1999 – 2000.
Una is Chair of Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group.
She has held many Rotary District roles in Western Australia and Tasmania, having moved to the Island State in 2001, and she is currently a member of Rotary Club of Hobart. Her working life commenced as a General Nurse at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. In latter years she has fulfilled administrative roles in health such as a District Health appointment, Manager Alcohol and Drug Service and State Manager for Adoption Services.
Una and her late husband have four adult children.
Dr David Broderick, Youth Portfolio Manager, VicPol
Dr Ani Wierenga, University of Melbourne, School of Social and Political Sciences
Senior Constable Tania Stacey, VicPol Moorabbin Proactive Policing Unit, Graduate of Melbourne Uni Adolescent Health & Wellbeing Course assisted by Rotary Central Melbourne Silk Miller Scholarship.
Sergeant Ben McWilliam, Awardee Silk Miller Award for 2021.
Jenny Foster, Tptary Passport, Rotary Club of Melbourne
Sue Duras, guest of Peter Duras
Emmanuel Kaluri, guest of Francesco Fedele
Dr Wierenga spoke about the Social and Political course at Melbourne Uni, established in 1995 and open for all people working in the field of that interface between Youth and Disadvantaged and the community in general. The course was established in 1995 through collaboration between Royal Children’s Hospital and the Uni. Victoria Police have been sending Members for many years but also attendees come from other fields such as Health, Education and Community. Participation by VicPol is seen to be very important to the program.
Tania Stacey thanked RCM for the essential financial assistance and support in undertaking the three year program now completed. Tania worked earlier in crime scene environment out of Prahran and now works in the Pro-active Policing Unit (PPU) in Moorabbin. She said that a huge benefit of the course was interaction with fellow students from diverse activities and backgrounds. She became increasingly aware of “other ways” of doing things (outside of VicPol norms) and increasingly is able to question and remould what they do.
She has found new confidence in communicating generally including with young people. Even public speaking. She has become a bit of an educator in her own PPU team. She is comfortable with learning, communicating, questioning.
One current challenge – particularly post–Covid, is in Residential Housing - getting kids into local sporting clubs. With this objective she has established a relationship with St Kilda Football Club and is pursuing a connection with Basketball Victoria. She also has a strong tie with RC North Brighton.
She says “It’s all about catching the disengaged.”
Supt Craig Peel spoke about the importance to VicPol of encouraging diversity of thought, gender, ethnicity, sexuality. He said that there is a strong awareness in VicPol of disengagement, exacerbated by Covid. Craig worked with Ben McWilliam in a previous life and learnt a lot from him. Ben says that while there is some truth in that, Craig has shown what it takes to rise to a senior role in VicPol.
Craig admitted that his father is a Paul Harris Award recipient.
Ben McWilliam demonstrated a degree of raconteur in talking about his previous “dance with Rotary” in an involvement in community recovery from the Hazelwood coal mine fire. He has been active in a program to take disadvantaged kids to the Flinders Ranges, including a 100km walk – something they had never experienced before. Who has?
He was impressed with Tania’s story and is seeking advice over a cup of coffee at a future date.
Ben’s work is in the Latrobe Valley where in his words, “social disadvantage is big and real”. He has started his course and already sees certain elements should be part of all police training. It is a lot of work, but it’s going to be worth it.
President Therese thanked the group for confirming what most Rotarians know, that, to quote this year’s theme, “Rotary Opens Opportunities.”
Silk Miller has been a long and highly successful program. Rotarians at the meeting couldn’t agree more!
Love, food, wine, and all-around fun broke out across venues in Melbourne on Saturday evening when Love thy Neighbour blossomed on a very pleasant autumn evening.
Over in the East, Captain David Jones reported "Eighteen RCM’ers thoroughly enjoyed dining together at MIMI’s Restaurant - Camberwell, on Saturday night. The high level of happy chatter and bonhomie paused for only a few minutes to acknowledge two important anniversaries occurring on the day - our President Therese’s birthday and the thirty-fourth year since the club was chartered. Charter Members and Past Presidents Tom and Frank with partners Ann and Pauline were present. Frank proudly proposed a toast to the club which was enthusiastically responded to by all. Our thanks go to Campbell who once again excelled with his knowledge of restaurants in our area.
No report from Bayside - the group let the photo speak for itself:
In the East, merriment and banter flowed with food and drink in equal measure:
Anne Mitchell from Concern Australia has invited us to attend the launch of “Walk in my Shoes” in the Atrium, Fed Square on Tuesday 11th May 6.00 pm.
We can hear inspiring guest speakers, including young people with a lived experience of homelessness, listen to a musical performance by Tash from PCYC and participate in an Augmented Reality story of a young person’s journey through homelessness.
Please bring a phone and earphones for the AR experience.
** RC Central Melbourne currently assists Concern Australia to support disadvantaged families via our “Hope for the Future” scholarships, TAL Insurance “Tree of Joy” and Christmas hampers.
As reported at a recent club meeting, we are planning to invite our 2021 Silk Miller Scholarship winner Ben McWilliam, to our meeting on 11 May. We will be introducing him and presenting him with his award.
Below is an email from Ben which provides us with insights into his thinking and approach towards his submission for the award:
“Hello Doug,
I thought I would drop you a quick line and give you an update on how the Silk Miller Scholarship/Diploma is going.
I have just submitted my first major essay for the year. It related to the concept of the ‘risk and protective factor framework’ and the ‘Social Determinants of Health’ and how they impact health outcomes for young people. It was interesting, in that you begin to identify some of the philosophies that sit behind strategies and policies across different government department and agencies. I have found myself having those light bulb moments, “Ah………now I’m beginning to connect the dots!”
In terms of translating the course into action on the ground. It is very evident that the course has been designed to have practical and real world application. It is already influencing the decisions I make at work on a daily basis and has perhaps given me some level of confidence, that the unit I manage is on the right track.
Hopefully, at some point we can catch up for a coffee and a face-to-face chat.
Cheers,
Ben
Ben McWilliam | Sergeant 27105 | Unit Commander - ED5 Proactive Policing Unit”
Pocket Positive segment at our Rotary meetings – last chance
This meeting segment has helped many to participate in/contribute to the meetings during the Zoom Era, as well as to give a little positive uplift for our members. As we transition to more face-to-face meetings, the idea is to re-jig the concept. Therefore, May 11 will be the last in the current format, given to us by the inimitable Herb Greenwood.
That leaves one slot next week, May 4th. Remember, we look for a very short segment -- 2 minutes recommended, with a positive item of your choosing -- a good news item, a short video clip, a recent family or community story, etc, etc.
If you would like to contribute next week, I'd love to hear from you.
