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BULLETIN

INDEX

  • Next Meeting - Guest Speaker Introduced

  • Can You Spare a Room - short term?

  • 'Yes'  I Want To Help Non

  • Community Services Bonanza

  • Conference 2017 -Pre Book Accommodation

  • Meeting Report 12th July

  • Gallery

CENTRAL MELBOURNE CHANGEOVER, 1st JULY. INVITATION

 
 

REPORT ON VICPOL MENTORING PROGRAM GRADUATION BREAKFAST 21st JUNE 2016

 
 
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:
 
 
 
 
 

 
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL STEAM RALLY IN ECHUCA QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND
 

Echuca Moama Steam Rally 2016       

What a great way to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday Weekend by travelling up to Echuca to help out our Sister Club, RC Echuca Moama, with various volunteer activities over the weekend.
   We had terrific representation from our Club (11) who shall remain named – Neville and Rebecca John, Herb and Leonie Greenwood, John and Lorraine Meehan, Neville and Suzette Taylor, Kevin Walklate and Pauline and Frank O’Brien.
We worked tirelessly over the Saturday and Sunday – Kevin was on the Exhibitor’s Entrance Gate and the remainder were slaving over a hot stove in the Country Kitchen. We were reinforced on Sunday morning by the assistance of DG Julie Mason, who was at her best serving scones, jam and cream. Apparently, DG Julie did have an ulterior motive, that was to show her grandchildren what fun it was to accompany her on a miniature steam train ride!!
It was a real energetic mass production line in the Country Kitchen – traditional scones made the old fashioned intuitive way, delicate scone cooking in a large wood fired oven by Herb and John and Billy Teas and Coffees by Neville Taylor and Frank. The best we can say about DGE Neville was that he appeared to be Production Controller!!! The worst would be that he was water boy!!
It was a very successful weekend. We did however encounter a temperature control problem outside the Country Kitchen, that being waking on Sunday to 1 degree Celsius. Standing by the oven seemed to quickly solve that!!
It’s a fascinating weekend of old time exhibits, be they century old steam rollers, tractors, motor vehicles or just ”plain” steam engines along with many items of interest and pleasure for the whole family.
As one man said (on numerous occasions), do yourself a favour and visit the annual Echuca Moama Steam Rally, you won’t be disappointed.....and you will be helping out our Sister Club.
 
In terms of appreciation, a big thank you to Sister Club members Alan, Allie and Diane for providing accommodation to 5 members of our group. Another big thank you to our members who gave up their time to provide valuable assistance to RC Echuca Moama for this major annual event. Finally, we have received a message of gratitude from Steam Rally Director, Alan Whitten, thanking us “for the great job helping with the Rally and the fellowship we had on the Saturday evening”.
A NEW START FOR YOUTH PROJECTS
 

Our Club was part of the action at the Opening of the extensively renovated headquarters of Youth Projects in Hosier Lane last Thursday.
In a mammoth effort over recent months three companies have made a huge pro bono contribution to convert the rundown 3 storey ex hosiery factory into a cheerful,
light filled and highly functional centre for Youth Project's CBD activities.
 
 
 
 
 
Club representatives President George, Sue and I enjoyed an hour of inspirational speeches ( hard to believe but it's true ) from aboriginal elder Auntie Di, State Minister Martin Foley, representatives of the 3 companies involved and Y P 's dynamic Chairman, Melanie Raymond. [Photo: Chair Melanie Raymond opening the headquarters]
Architects Elenberg Fraser and construction giant Hickory threw the vocational and community involvement
challenge of the reno to recent graduates, junior members of staff and tradies. The exercise has brought huge benefits to everyone involved. For many of the young workers and planners who took part this will undoubtedly be a life changing experience. The Good Guys were also highly committed, donating all the larger electrical appliances and fittings.
 
 
 
 
 
  Melanie thanked our Club for donating over $2000 worth of the basics for the large new kitchen. From cutlery to pots and blenders, these will be vital for vocational training in hospitality, and for passing on basic life skills in nutrition and cooking to the clients of Youth Projects.
Meanwhile we continue collecting 100s of blankets, warm jackets, tea towels etc on an ongoing basis. Much of this has come from members and from DIK.
 Melanie has also received huge support from Tess Hines' quilting group in the form of hand made blankets, pamper packs, table cloths and finance, etc. Our sincere  thanks to DIK and to Tess and her group.
Unfortunately the number of homeless in the CBD has grown enormously in the last 18 months. We don't have the resources or skills to tackle the multifactorial causes, but we have made a significant contribution to taking some of the hard edge off the effects. Thanks again to everyone who has been so generous in this challenging area.
 
[Photo: Some of the equipment donated by our Rotary Club]
DONATIONS in KIND IN ACTION STILL!
 
DONATIONS IN KIND (DIK) – The Week That Was
 
It has been a busy week for some members of our Club, supporting DIK.
 
Saturday 18 June - We had a team of 11 (coincidentally same number for Echuca Steam Rally the weekend before) volunteering for duty at the Rotary District 9800 West Footscray warehouse. Stalwarts such as Yang Pu, Herb & Leonie Greenwood, Peter & Sue and son(welcome newcomer) Tony Duras, Roger Thornton, Rob Hines,  Frank & Pauline O’Brien and Gabe Hau, former President of RC Southbank.
 
Firstly, there was a certain degree of mirth as DIK Manager, Laurie Fisher, challenged a number of the males to match and pair scores of crutches donated by one of the major Eastern suburbs hospitals. Slowly but surely, we gathered confidence and, by the end of this exercise, we actually knew what we were doing!!
 
Secondly, whilst this activity was being pursued, the ladies were setting up a production line whereby hundreds of large boxes of clothing donated by corporates (including ASX listed companies) were being unpacked, delabelled, sorted, differentiated by clothing types such as skirts, blouses, shirts, polos, coats, etc and then repacked into various categories (over 1000 shirts and blouses packed as an example). One can imagine there will be some very happy schoolgirls and schoolboys in their new white school outfits in East Timor. Later the men joined in and apart from a brief enjoyable morning tea break, we worked nonstop through to 1.00pm. What was achieved was amazing. Suffice to say, members of our club are welcome anytime at DIK!!
It is expected that all goods will shortly be placed into a container bound for Timor Leste.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thursday 23 June – One of our generous corporate supporters, Caprice Australia, who supplies to the likes of Target and other such retailers, once again was looking to offload surplus stock “to a good home”.
 
 
 
 
 
Our Club again heeded the call and Peter Duras, Kevin Walklate and Frank O’Brien met at their South Melbourne office/showroom, collected and delivered some 25 large boxes of quality merchandise to DIK. Items included Disney licensed products such as school bags and pillow cases, quilt covers and T shirts. For Mik Wells’s benefit et al, Peter Duras later dropped off 3 boxes to Shine for Kids in Footscray.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIK is an amazing conduit for international and local welfare. On behalf of the RCM International Committee,  thank you to the many members who have helped with our Working Bees and urgent calls during the year. To those who haven’t had the opportunity to do so, make 2016/ 2017 your year!!

GALLERY

 
A compilation of photos from the Steam Rally.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Meeting Responsibilities

6th September
 
Chair
HERON, Bruce
 
Greeter
ROBERTSON, Doug
 
Reporter
HOGAN, Gerard
 
Photographer
JONES, David
 
Door
ILOTT, John
 
Bulletin Editor
JONES, David
 
Project Report - Strategy
CAVELL, Warwick
 
Project Report - Membership
MACKEY, George
 
MARKET BUMP IN
 
8th September
WALKLATE, Kevin
 

Upcoming Events

Board Meeting
RACV City Club
Sep 21, 2016
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
 
DIK Working Bee
Woolshed 40
Sep 24, 2016
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
 

Speakers

Sep 06, 2016
 
Sep 13, 2016
 
Sep 20, 2016
 
Sep 27, 2016
 
Oct 04, 2016
 
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