CLUB FORUM: MEMBERS' CHANCE TO HAVE A SAY IN THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF THE CLUB AND ITS PROGRAMS
President George has reminded members of next week’s Club Forum that will be a follow up on the Club Visioning exercise – with the first two topics being membership and fundraising. This will be an important meeting as increase in membership and the ability to raise funds for current and future programs is critical for the success of our club.
Our next GOURMET FARMERS MARKET is on Thursday, 17th December 2015.
Please note that Paul Fraser is the contact person to enable you to contact for volunteering either for bumping in or bumping out. Paul can be contacted on mobile 0457 788 753 or
email: phf3000@bigpond.com
Also, the market has gained in popularity: See link for recent publicity: Goldsbrough Farmers Market http://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/food-and-drink/article/first-farmers-market-city Also, the Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne, Cr Robert Doyle, visited the market on the 5th November and expressed delight at the market being in the city. Many RCCM-S volunteers, including President George Mackey, were there to assist with the market operation and to welcome the Lord Mayor. As such, success breeds success!
If you haven't been to our market yet we hope you can make it to this one. Volunteers are always welcome to bump in and bump out.
If you have been already we know there is a strong chance you will be joining the repeat customers we have noticed.
181 William Street, CBD. 4.30pm - 7.30pm
To enhance the Christmas Spirit, additional decorations have been erected as can be seen from this photo.
By any measure last Saturday night's Lights and Bites fundraiser at the high rise home of Peter and Sue Duras was a huge success. 57 Rotarians, partners and guests (mainly from Tony Thomas' Probus Club) enjoyed a night of great food, fellowship and entertainment, while raising over $2,900 to place extra crisis nurses on the streets of Melbourne on 10 week nights during some of the coming months.
With a background of beautiful keyboard music played by Essendon Rotarian John Gilbert the champagne, mineral water, laughter and conversation flowed freely for much of the night. In sharp contrast, you could have heard a pin drop as the two representatives of "Youth Projects", the group we are supporting, told us about the work carried out by their Night Nurses' Patrol. Caroline Radowski, their Clinical Services Manager and the diminutive Sarah who has workedas a night patrol nurse for a decade told personal stories of the life supporting services that they provide every weekend in the CBD. Many questions followed, and all were answered quickly in the down to earth manner that typifies the approach of these dedicated women.
President George paid tribute to their work and Chairman Peter Duras thanked his Committee, Sue and the many others who contributed to the success of the night.
Youth Projects, operating out of Hosier Lane can only afford to run their Nurses Night Patrol in the CBD on the weekends. The money that we have raised will provide the bulk of the funds needed to underwrite 10 carefully chosen week night patrols over the coming months.
OUR CLUB ZEROS IN ON AID FOR THE NIGHT NURSES PATROL
Funds raised at our ‘LIGHTS AND BITES’ function on 17th October will enable Youth Projects in the City to extend their life saving Night Nurses Patrol during the next 6 months.
Currently this after hours primary care service operates each weekend night in the CBD. Two nurses, highly trained in emergency medicine, drug and alcohol care and assistance, and mental health and homelessness issues provide assertive outreach help to those on the streets and in crisis accommodation.
Although these Youth Projects nurses save lives and ease pressure on hospital and other emergency services the program is stretched for funds following government cut backs to most NFPs. They have no prospect of funding patrols during the week when the risk level is just as high due to factors such as high temperatures or major events in the City.
After meeting with their CEO and Board Chairman we have agreed to support their greatest priority, the funding of 10 carefully targeted extra nights during the week over Summer at a cost of $320 per night.
This is a major new initiative for the Club, and we ask you and your friends to come and enjoy a great night out on the 17th while supporting the work of the nurses.
Rotarians don’t realise how much potential there is to get Rotaract clubs started. So says Riley Louise Thornton, 23, president of Brisbane Rivercity Rotaract Club. Rivercity chartered in July with 20 members and now has 25.
Rotary District 9600, including Brisbane, had no Rotaract clubs early this year. It now has two – Rivercity and Brisbane CBD (11 members at chartering last March, now 12 with three more expected). Two more Rotaracts, North Lakes and Sunshine Coast, charter in October, with about 20 and 15 members respectively.
Part of this success story is Rotary’s youth exchange and youth leadership programs, that introduced youngsters to Rotary and inspired them to get Rotaracts started. A small mystery is why these Rotaracts tend to have 50% or more females while Rotary in Australia has about 75% males.
District 9640 (Gold Coast) sponsored Riley Thornton to the Enrichment Program during high school and then to a year’s Youth Exchange to Denmark in 2010. She also became involved with Rotary Youth Leadership and grew “a passion for Rotary”. “I met Melanie Packer [photo right] last year while looking for recruits to Rivercity,” she says. “Mel was also starting a Rotaract. We decided to launch two clubs rather than combine.”
Mel, 27, is a town planner who was first involved with Redlands Rotaract, south-east of Brisbane. Travelling through Queensland on State government business, she’s used Rotaract as a short cut to friendships in towns and cities she visited.
Visitors: Des Benjamin, Kath Walters and Sarah Overton Visiting Rotarians: Phil Mortimer from RC North Brighton, Murray Chessell from RC Kew and Dr A Sreekumer of RC Cochin Central, Kerala State, India.
Announcements:
- Peter Duras reminded us about the Xmas Hampers and advised that bags and fliers were available at the door - please take some!
- Roger Thornton spoke about two invitations being extended to members, the Annual Xmas Party on December 15th and the Annual Peninsular BBQ at the Meehans on February 14th.
- Tom Callander asked everybody to check their Working with Children Cards to ensure they are current, and if not to renew them. Tom also suggested it would be wise for partners to have cards as they may be involved in assisting with programs involving contact with children.
- Koren Harvey announced that she and David will be adding to their family soon.
- Paul Fraser updated us on the Farmers Market and is seeking more volunteers for the bump in this Thursday ( and he got them!)
- Neil Salvano detailed the arrangements for Community Village and is looking for extra volunteers on December 11th (RC Kew have since volunteered)
- President George thanked Roy Garrett and team for the very successful Paul Harris Breakfast. He also sought a volunteer to join him in helping RC Docklands at the Festival of Giving.
[Photo: President George and Dr Sreekumer exchanged banners.]
Tony Thomas, inspired by the movie "Bridge of Spies", related his experience being trailed by ASIO as he enjoyed a number of lunches, deteriorating in quality, with a junior official from the Soviet Embassy in Canberra. Seeking to look like a married couple the earnest ASIO staffers strained to hear what Tony was talking about, something we don't find to be a problem. Tony had some interesting video footage of Soviet Military parades but the audio failed him (spies again ?).
Guest Speaker:
Chair Neil Salvano (who also believes he is on an ASIO file given he was active in student affairs during Monash University's adolescent period) introduced Superintendent Matthew Ryan. Matthew is second in Command in the newly formed Family Violence Command headed by an Assistant Commissioner.
Matthew opened his remarks by acknowledging those who have suffered from family violence directly or indirectly. He quoted some particularly disturbing statistics e.g. Victoria Police recorded 77,300 cases of family violence last year! This and other equally appalling statistics he quoted on the exposure of children to family violence and the incidence of suicides made this a compelling presentation.
The new Command is relatively modest with 52 personnel but has a high profile. Their strategy includes three major activities. Intelligence gathering is critical to driving evidence based programs as well as increasing the probability of conviction. With limited resources spread across so many cases the focus is clearly on going after the most serious offenders with vigour to protect the community but importantly to also demonstrate within VicPol and the community that family violence is a serious crime. Historically there has been a tendency to see it as a private matter and not deserving of the same attention as say burglary or a pub brawl. A major shift in attitudes is fundamental to making progress.
The second area Matthew spoke about was teaching detectives the techniques of interviewing both victims and perpetrators. The team have been assisting the Royal Commission on this matter. A 6 week intensive course is expected to lead to a higher conviction rate.
The third area Matthew covered was the Policy area where they are pushing for a "whole of system" approach ranging from attitudes formed at home and school all the way to caring for victims and locking up perpetrators. In conjunction with researchers in the field, VicPol are conducting trials of the triage approach mentioned earlier highlighting action against the worst offenders compared to the conventional approach of spreading the effort across the full spectrum of cases. This work is supported by experts in regulatory and legislative instruments. Similar to other parts of the country indigenous families are over represented in family violence reports. VicPol are working closely with DHHS on these issues.
In answer to a couple of questions, Matthew explained that the 25 investigative teams in the Command are supported by psychologists and other specialists. He also noted that inter generational family violence is a well known phenomenon which under lines his point about a "sole of system" approach.
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With a background of beautiful keyboard music played by Essendon Rotarian John Gilbert the champagne, mineral water, laughter and conversation flowed freely for much of the night. In sharp contrast, you could have heard a pin drop as the two representatives of "Youth Projects", the group we are supporting, told us about the work carried out by their Night Nurses' Patrol. Caroline Radowski, their Clinical Services Manager and the diminutive Sarah who has worked
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President George and Dr Sreekumer exchanged banners.]
Matthew opened his remarks by acknowledging those who have suffered from family violence directly or indirectly. He quoted some particularly disturbing statistics e.g. Victoria Police recorded 77,300 cases of family violence last year! This and other equally appalling statistics he quoted on the exposure of children to family violence and the incidence of suicides made this a compelling presentation.
