Chair: George Mackey
Reporter: Tony Thomas
Guests:
Police Command and Executive
Six assistant commissioners; Director of Legal Services.
Inspector, Chair of Vic Pol Legacy
Hakan Akyol, Director of Office Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship
DG Julie Mason
DGE Neville John
DGN Peter Frueh
DGEN Bronwyn Stephens
Police Mentoring Breakfast’s Success
Rotary Central Melbourne’s Police Mentoring Program Graduation breakfast at the RACV Club on June 21, 2016 was testimony to the success of the overall project. About 80 people attended, including six VicPol Assistant Commissioners, three Rotary District Governors – David Tolstrup (9810), Merv Williams (9820) and Julie Mason (9800); and members and mentors from 15 clubs. D9780 was also involved.
The mentoring program, in its ninth year, has now involved 170 senior members of the police force.
Assistant Commissioner Kevin Casey said the external mentors gave the VicPol’s future leaders a window into community views and expectations, new perspectives on doing things, and insights into their own leadership styles for a safer community. “The mentors are an invaluable independent sounding board and lasting community partnerships have been built,” he said.
He paid special tribute to a founding member of the steering committee, our club’s late Richard Stone, and said the program was a tribute to Richard’s energy and commitment to VicPol.
DG Julie Mason said she had tuned in to the personal accounts of police mentees this month, involving impressive examples of officers’ learning capacity. She also welcomed recent improvements to the program, including creation of two streams with a single mentor, and focus on senior sergeants with heavy community responsibility for community involvement. The start of next fiscal year’s program will be in October rather than July, to avoid congestion with the busy Rotary changeover season.
DG Julie Mason also acknowledged the role of Alan Seale in the project’s leadership.
Mentee Senior Sergeant Kerrie Hicks described how much she had learnt from our club’s mentor Stella Avramopolous, mostly during 90 minute sessions walking and talking around Abbotsford. They also bonded during an Oxfam 100km walk over 35 hours last April, their team name being “What the Fxxx were we thinking?!” and their fund-raising topping $5000.
“For me Rotary functions are like a shot of Vitamin B, spending time with people doing such good work in the community and overseas,” she said.
The breakfast raffle generated about $920, to be halved between Police Legacy and the Youth Projects Program for the CBD Homeless.
Photograph of all participants below:
