Dinner Meeting of September 9th

President Wayne welcomed 20 members and special guests Carrie, Will, Jamie & Jayde Studholm; Don & Lorraine Fisher; Kevin & Marion Farrell; Anne Weeden; Stuart Allen; Geoff & Felicity Grinter; Marilyn J; Maureen H; Graeme, Ben & Patrick Collins;  Minnie Lewis; Wayne & Helen’s daughter Michelle and her four children; Angus, Pheonix, Patience & Tallyn. Apologies if we missed anyone.

Apologies from Bern, John B, Leslie and Lyn.

Business for the evening included:

• Bingo this Thursday with Neil as Captain; Anne & Garth have offered to fill in for Howard & Rod rostered on who can’t make it.
• Royce Abbey Peace Oration & dinner at Commercial Club on Saturday, Sept. 21; Neil asked for three more to attend to boost our club’s participation.
• Catering for Junior Football  & Netball presentation night for about 120 people on Saturday, Sept 14 at 5 pm – see roster below.
• Daryl spoke on the production of ANZAC biscuits for the 1800 riders expected to pedal through Coolamon on the Gears and Beers event on Sunday, October 6. Sarah Collins has organised with Linda Crocker, Home Economics teacher at CCS, for the Home Economics students to make 500 or so biscuits.   Daryl & Jann are asking if our members and/or partners could help in making another 2,500 biscuits in the Home Economics kitchen on Saturday, Sept 21, from 10 am to about 3 pm.
• ‘Ride Like a Girl’ movie is on in Temora on Monday, Sept 30. Cost is $20 per person, with monies raised going to Rotary Foundation to End Polio now.  We will collect names at next week’s meeting of those wishing to attend and support this worthwhile cause.

Henk won the meat tray raffle, with secondary prizes going to Will Studholm and Albert.

Roster for catering on Sat 14th, September, for the Junior Football & Netball presentations:

5 to 7 pm – Sarah, Anne, Alex, Dave, Dick

7 to 8.30  – Grahame, Wayne, John G & Garth

Guest Speaker, Carrie and Will Studholm

Guest speaker Carrie Studholm gave a talk on her 13 y.o. son Will’s brain bleed 2 years ago and the scare and trauma he and the family went through. Carrie thanked all the medical staff including the excellent efforts of Dr. Amir and our hospital staff who  reacted quickly and stabilised Will for the trip to Wagga Base Hospital. From Wagga Base, Will was flown to Royal Children’s  Hospital in Sydney, where he was operated on and had subsequent physio and rehabilitation. Today Will is close to being fully recovered. On returning home Will initially went back to school for one day a week and is now attending most days. Will still has follow-up appointments but is expected to make a full recovery with an extremely low chance of a re-occurrence throughout his life. The cause of the bleed was a malformation of the blood vessels that developed in utero before Will was born and remained undetected until the bleed occurred. The money our club donated to the family was matched with a grant through RAWCS. Neil thanked Carrie and Will for their talk and presented with a gift.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Who is responsible for this quote?

“I want to make sure that every average, hard-working person in this state can aspire to own their own home.”

Last week’s Quote of the Week was attributed to Mick Jagger.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

DIARY

Thursday, September 12th – Bingo.  Community Centre Hall, 6:45 – 10:00. Neil (captain), Rod, John N and Howard.

Monday, September 16th – Regular meeting.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Wednesday September 18 – Coolamon Rotary Club Board Meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 7:00 pm.

September 20-22 Australian New Zealand Rotary Conference, Christchurch.

September 21, at 6.30pm – Royce Abbey Peace Oration & Dinner at Commercial Club

*Monday, September 23rd – Regular meeting.  Phil McIntosh and David Byfield from Wollundry Rotary will be on hand to discuss plans for Gears and Beers.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

*Monday, September 30 – ‘Ride Like a Girl’ movie in Temora, raising funds for End Polio Now.

Friday, October  4 – Fannie Lumsden concert in Old Junee. Tickets cost $30.

* denotes partner & guest night

REMINDERS

Please get your working with children check completed and give the number and expiry date to the secretary ASAP. Failure to do so may mean you are not covered insurance wise when you volunteer at events.

Subs are now due.

September is Basic Education and Literacy

Dinner Meeting of September 2nd

President Wayne welcomed 23 members & guests PDG John Egan & Maria, Marilyn J, Chez & prospective member Maryanne Costello.

Apologies from Myffy, Paul and Lyn.

Business for the evening:

• Sarah has been successful in gaining two RYPEN applicants (Amanda and Chontal Costello). No takers as yet for RYLA. 
• Catering for Junior Football  & Netball presentation night for about 120 people on Saturday, Sept 14 at 5 pm – see roster below
• Neil announced the 9th Royce Abbey Peace Oration & Dinner is on Sat 21st Sept, from 6.30 pm, to observe UN International Day of Peace at the Wagga Wagga Commercial Club.
• Daryl spoke on Gears & Beers on October 6th; he has been talking with David Byfield, from Wollundry Club, to be informed the course has changed a little, which may need fewer marshalls.  John Egan, also from Wollundry club, thanked our club for their support for the event.
• Neil Munro showed some historic newspaper clippings from the past, which generated some discussion and brought back memories.

Guest Speaker PDG John Egan

John Egan initially gave a presentation on RAWCS, which he described as the charitable arm of Australian Rotary; a group which assists disadvantaged  groups & individuals & is tax deductible. Other projects include distributing drought funds, etc. 

He then talked about Australian Rotary Health (ARH). ARH was started about 30 years ago when there were a lot of cot deaths and has been instrumental in reducing them from 150 cases per year to less than 3 per year now.

ARH has worked to lessen the stigma of mental health problems, which afflict 1 in 5 people in one form or another.  John made the point that a conversation with someone who may be suffering could change a life. ARH also works with young children.  

ARH has also introduced Indigenous Medical Scholarships.  John gave an example of an indigenous person who has taken advantage of the scholarship and has worked his way up to be a doctor.  Indigenous Scholarships cost $2500 per year.

After his presentation,discussion ensued dealing with the importance of education, which couldn’t be emphasised enough. 

President Wayne thanked John for his presentation.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Who is responsible for this quote?

“Lose your dreams and you might lose your mind”

Last week’s Quote of the Week was attributed to President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, .

JUST FOR LAUGHS

DIARY

Saturday, September 7th – The Hall Committee play, Ganmain Hall, 7:30 pm.

*Monday, September 9th – Dinner meeting. Will Studholm and his family will be our special guests.  BBQ dinner at Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7 pm.

Thursday, September 12th – Bingo.  Community Centre Hall, 6:45 – 10:00. Neil (captain), Rod, John N and Howard.

Monday, September 16th – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7 pm.

Wednesday September 18th – Coolamon Rotary Club Board Meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 7:00 pm.

September 20-22 Australian New Zealand Rotary Conference, Christchurch.

September 21, at 6.30pm – Royce Abbey Peace Oration & Dinner at Commercial Club

*Monday, September 23rd – Regular meeting.  Phil Mackintosh and David Byfield from Wollundry Rotary will be on hand to discuss plans for Gears and Beers.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Friday, October  4 – Fannie Lumsden concert in Old Junee. Tickets cost $30.

* denotes partner & guest night

REMINDERS

Please get your working with children check completed and give the number and expiry date to the secretary ASAP. Failure to do so may mean you are not covered insurance wise when you volunteer at events.

Subs are now due.

September is basic Education and Literacy Month

Dinner Meeting of August 26th

President Wayne welcomed 19 members and guests DG John & Fayah McKenzie, Maryanne Costello, Chez, and Susan G. 

Apologies from Dave, Neil, Ian, Daryl, Myffy, John N, Mark and Howard.

Business for the evening included:

• Twin Clubs bulletin from Hout Bay distributed among members
• RYPEN applications have come in for 14 to 16 y.o. in year 9 for a three day camp at Borambola. 
• Barry Dennis asked if the club could  do the BBQ for the Junior Football/Netball Presentation Night on Saturday, Sept 14 at 5 pm. All in agreement that we should support the junior footballers for the evening. 

Guest Speaker DG John McKenzie

John introduced the club to the new Rotary International president Mark Maloney from the southern state of Illinios of USA & his message via video. Mark gave a rousing speech to encourage Rotary to be a family organisation and promote the theme of Rotary Connects the World

To achieve the strategic objectives John encouraged us to increase our impact on our community & expand our reach by changing the way people perceive us such as the need to change old perception held beyond Rotary that only one career is allowed in each Rotary Club and enhance participation engagement by delivering values to members.

John then told us how effective Rotary’s international efforts have been in the battle against Polio. He showed us the benefits of donating to Rotary Foundation End Polio Now program as only Afghanistan & Pakistan still have Polio endemic in the area with 66 known cases  this year and Nigeria now 3 years clear of all polio cases and the continent of Africa now declared Polio free. Work is still ongoing in  Afghanistan & Pakistan though some challenges have arising in recent months.

For the Rotary efforts in Australia, John discussed Purple House, which provides dialysis for kidney disease in remote areas to help indigenous and remote residents stay in the communities that they feel connected to. He encouraged Rotary members to not just donate but to also lend their labour and effort if they happen to be in areas such as Alice Spring from which purple house is based  as all assistance is welcome.

John also spoke on the new district of 9705 by joining 9700 with 9710 and highlighted its positives, such as greater connection and friendships with fellow Rotarians across the region. John then ran through the program for the District Conference in Temora next year, starting on Friday night, March 20 at the Bundawarah Centre (Rural Museum) & then at the Aviation Museum on Sat night.

Finally John encouraged Rotarians be active and get connected with one really good way of doing so being to vist the www.rotary.org website more.

President Wayne thanked John for his presentation and gave him a gift from our club.

Albert won the raffle and then finished off the evening with a rousing fine session.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Who is responsible for this quote?

“God above all. This history of a secular state doesn’t exist. The state is Christian and those who are against it can leave. The minority must bow to the majority”

Last week’s Quote of the Week was attributed to Matt Preston.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

DIARY

*Monday, September 2nd – Fellowship meeting.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Saturday, September 7th – The Hall Committee play, Ganmain Hall, 7:30 pm.

Monday, September 9th – Regular meeting.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Thursday, September 12th – Bingo.  Community Centre Hall, 6:45 – 10:00. Neil (captain), Rod, John N and Howard.

Wednesday September 18 – Coolamon Rotary Club Board Meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 7:00 pm.

September 20-22 Australian New Zealand Rotary Conference, Christchurch.

*Monday, September 23rd – Regular meeting.  Phil Mackintosh and David Byfield from Wollundry Rotary will be on hand to discuss plans for Gears and Beers.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Friday, October  4 – Fannie Lumsden concert in Old Junee. Tickets cost $30.

* denotes partner & guest night

REMINDERS

Please get your working with children check completed and give the number and expiry date to the secretary ASAP. Failure to do so may mean you are not covered insurance wise when you volunteer at events.

Subs are now due.

August is Membership and New Club Development Month

Meeting of 29th July 2019

President Wayne welcomed members and our guest speakers. Business arising for the evening included:

• Don’t forget your Working With Children Check
• Temora Rotary is holding a quiz night in association with the Girl Guides on the 31st of August. It would be great if Coolamon Rotary could support them by putting a table together.
• The Up To Date art exhibition was opened last Friday evening and well represented by Coolamon Rotary.  It is still open for the next two weeks so make sure you make some time to go check out the very high quality art works on display.
•  The Christmas in July was well represented by Coolamon Rotary. It is great to see our members supporting Coolamon Sport & Rec Club.
• President Wayne received an email from Coolamon Preschool to see if Wayne was interested in an advertising space in the cookbook they are developing. Wayne suggested that Coolamon Rotary would also be willing to purchase some space. The particulars will go to the board.
• Albert raised awareness of the ‘My Community Project’, where community members can vote on the allocation of funds to nominated community projects. To register your vote you need to log in to your Service NSW account and search for the Cootamundra  electorate. To vote, click on the link for My Community Project. Current local nominations are for Expansion of the Coolamon Fire Museum, a new roof for the Coolamon RSL Museum and enhancing the Coolamon Sports and Rec Club facilities.
• There is a club assembly and planning meeting next week. If you are going to be away and wish to raise an issue, please contact Wayne and let him know.

Guest Speaker: Kevin Farrell from Hot Rodders Association

Kevin and the Hot Rodders are organising their AGM to be in Coolamon from March 14-15th 2020.  These types of events are typically a big financial boon to the communities which host them. Often the visiting hot rodders will spend up from $150-$200 dollars each; 50 to 70 cars and up to 140 people are expected to come to the March event. Accommodation in Coolamon is already booked out for the weekend and further caravan accommodation is being sought via the netball/football club so the hot rodders can access toilets and showers.  Kevin also shared around some wonderful photo books of past events.  We’re being asked to do some catering. The hot rodders are also coordinating with the bottle swap meet in order to attract more people to the town.

The hot rodders are asking our club to cater for breakfast (bacon and egg rolls) on Saturday and Sunday morning over the weekend. Rotary members expressed enthusiasm for the event; final arrangements will be worked out at an upcoming board meeting.

Guest Speaker: David Polhill & Marianne Costello from Fusion

David gave a short presentation on Fusion, a community organisation that began 50-60 years ago to help kids from dysfunctional homes.  David pointed out that the biggest needs of these kids are connection, time and love, and that the lack of these things in the home is expressed as negative behaviour.

Fusion seeks to address this need via camps and group activities which enable kids to talk to the Fusion volunteers, which teaches them new skills to connect and help each other and their community and gives the kids a sense of purpose and belonging. Fusion is solely self- and community-funded and is seeking a partnership with Coolamon Rotary to support the kids in the Coolamon area. Currently they are supporting kids on Friday evenings in the Anglican Hall.

Marianne then shared her personal experiences with many of the children she has worked with as a volunteer, and from her stories it was clear that these kids are lucky to have such a dedicated and passionate person to look out for them. Club members enthusiastically offered their support to help the kids and the good work that Fusion is doing.

Click for further information on Fusion.

The evening concluded with a lively fine session led by Sargeant-at-Arms Albert and a raffle, which was won by Paul, with the second prize going to Helen (who graciously passed her prize of a box of oranges to Fusion)

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Who made this quote?

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”

Last week’s Quote of the Week was attributed to Boris Johnson.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

The teacher said to his class one day, “Please stand up, anyone who thinks they’re stupid.”

Nobody stood up so the teacher said, “I’m sure there are some stupid students in this class!”

At this point Little Johnny stood up.

The teacher said, “Oh Johnny! So you think you’re stupid then?”

Little Johnny replied, “No, I just felt bad that you were standing up on your own.”

Helping Hands

You may want to watch the video from helping hands on how they transform milk bottle lids into prosthetic limbs. Click below.

HELPING HANDS Prosthetic hands for children

DIARY

Monday, August 5 – Club Assembly. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm. (Members only)

Thursday, August 8 – Bingo.  Community Centre Hall, 6:45 – 10:00. Henk (aptain), Bruce, Lyn & Anne.

Monday, August 26th  – Visit by DG John McKenzie.  All members encouraged to attend.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

September 20-22 Australian New Zealand Rotary Conference, Christchurch.

Friday, October  4 – Fannie Lumsden concert in Old Junee. Tickets cost $30.

* denotes partner & guest night

REMINDERS

Please get your working with children check completed and give the number and expiry date to the secretary ASAP. Failure to do so may mean you are not covered insurance wise when you volunteer at events.

Subs are now due.

August is Membership and New Club Development Month

Meeting of 22nd July 2019

President Wayne welcomed  19 members, with guests Chez & guest speakers Michelle Booth & Karen Fryer from Ganmain.   

Apologies from Dave, Henk, Dick, Lyn, Ian and Howard.

Matters of Business

• Reminder to ALL members to check you have the Working with Children Check.  This has become more important than ever.
• Our new Secretary John G sent minutes of the July board meeting to all members.  Decisions by the board can be discussed at the upcoming club assembly (5th August).
• Potential fund raiser for Polio Plus: Rotary (and other service clubs) can organise a pre-release viewing of the movie ‘Ride Like a Girl’.  Any members interested in organising such an event should talk to President Wayne.
• Up-2 Date Art Exhibition – opening on Friday night & then on for the following 2 weeks until August 11th.
• Over those 2 weeks, running at the same time as the Art Exhibition, there is a Vintage & Pre-Loved Clothing Pop-up shop in Nadeem’s building opposite UTDS, which is raising funds for Wagga Womens’ Refuge; please feel free to call in to see the significant range of garments.
• Christmas in July this Saturday at the Sports Club. Bookings by 25 July.
• Trivia Night, Friday August 23rd – Daryl is planning on organising two Rotary tables.
• Kevin Farrell from the Hot Rodders Association will talk this coming week on the hot rod association AGM in Coolamon next March 14-15th 2019.  We’re being asked to do some catering.
• Marianne Costello from Fusion (from Matong) will speak at the same meeting on Youth Learning Difficulties.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Who made this quote?

“My chances of being PM are about as good as the chances of finding Elvis on Mars, or my being reincarnated as an olive.”

Last week’s Quote of the Week was attributed to Aristotle.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

To commemorate the moon landing:

DIARY

* Monday, July 29 – Speaker meeting. Guest speakers: Kevin Farrell (speaking on hot rods coming to Coolamon in March) and Marianne Costello/Fusion (speaking on youth learning difficulties). Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Monday, August 5 – Club Assembly.Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Thursday, August 8 – Bingo.  Community Centre Hall, 6.45 – 10:00. Capt. Henk H,  Bruce H, Lyn S & Anne R

September 20-22 Australian New Zealand Rotary Conference, Christchurch.

Friday, October  4 – Fannie Lumsden concert in Old Junee. Tickets cost $30.

* denotes partner & guest night

REMINDERS

Please get your working with children check completed and give the number and expiry date to the secretary ASAP. Failure to do so may mean you are not covered insurance wise when you volunteer at events.

Subs are now due.

July is New Leadership Month

Read all the articles before you make a judgement on this post!

Rotarians understand that the whole world is their backyard. They can see the effects of climate change in communities they care about, and they haven’t waited to take action. They’re tackling the problem the way they always do: coming up with projects, using their connections to change policy — and planning for the future.

Read our series to see:

• Why RI president says the environment is our ultimate mission
• What Rotarians are doing right now
• Rotary member gains ground with Citizens’ Climate Lobby
• Rotary scholars and peace fellows put expertise to work
• Is there hope for indigenous Alaskans?

Meeting of 15th July 2019

President Wayne welcomed 14 members, with no guests.

Apologies from Daryl, Dave, Henk, Myffy, Dick, Bern, John N, Garth, Anne & Lyn.

Matters of Business

President Wayne thanked those who volunteered on street raffle last Saturday; $550 collected + $50 donation when the prize (load of firewood) was delivered.

• Next week, Monday July 22, guest speakers are Karyn Fryer & Michelle Booth speaking on recycling bottle tops.
• Guest speaker on 29th July is Craig Gruber, who will talk on the ambulance station in Coolamon.
• Wayne presented badges to incoming directors, which was followed by a photo shoot.
• Wayne & others discussed the roles of most of the directors, which proved to be quite informative for most of us, especially our newer members.
• Reminder of board meeting this Wed. at 7 pm & club assembly on August 5th.
• Paul Harris Fellowship awards were also discussed & the benefits of such to Rotary’s charity, the Rotary Foundation.
• After a report on the poor Bingo results from last Thursday, a brief discussion was generated on its future and some possible alternatives.

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Who made this quote?

“If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is nature’s way.”

Last week’s Quote of the Week was attributed to Mark Twain – but was he the real source??

JUST FOR LAUGHS

DIARY

*Monday, 22 July  –  Speaker meeting. Guest speakers: Karen Fryer and Michelle Booth about the milk bottle top recycling project. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

* Monday, July 29  – Speaker meeting. Guest speaker: Craig Gruber, to talk on the ambulance station. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Monday, August 5 – Club Assembly. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Thursday, August 8 – Bingo.  Community Centre Hall, 6.45 – 10:00. Henk (captain), Bruce, Lyn & Anne.

September 20-22 Australian New Zealand Rotary Conference, Christchurch.

Friday, October  4 – Fannie Lumsden concert in Old Junee. Tickets cost $30.

* denotes partner & guest night

REMINDERS

Please get your working with children check completed and give the number and expiry date to the secretary ASAP. Failure to do so may mean you are not covered insurance wise when you volunteer at events.

Subs are now due.

July is New Leadership Month

The year of 2018-2019 went very fast and I had a ball a wonderful and most enjoyable year as your Governor. Thank you Coolamon Rotary for your support over the past three years.  This pic was at the time I handed the DG Medallion to DG John McKenzie from Orange North RC.  Taken by DGE Michael Moore D9705 it is a moment in time that captures my happiness of a year that went well thanks to a great team.

Great to be back as your web master and Club Secretary!

Meeting of 8th July

The first meeting of the Rotary year was a big one, with 20 members and 11 guests on hand to hear guest speaker Barbara Carney give a truly engaging and thought-provoking talk.

Business of the evening was kept to a minimum but included:

• Director badges for new board members will be given out next week as they were unfortunately neglected on changeover night.
• Ivan Munro’s family home recently burnt down, with all possessions lost, thankfully the home was empty at the time and no one was hurt. If you have any furniture or other goods that can help the family please contact President Wayne and coordinate donations.
• The street raffle outside the newsagents is this weekend. Big thank you to those that helped cut the wood for the raffle: Dick, John B, Don, Ted, and Wayne. Roster for the raffle is below
• Myffy made a suggestion of holding a movie night at the Gamain football club  in conjunction with the Narrandera Rotary club as a fund-raising event in September or October. If you would like to be a part of this please contact Myffy.
• Did you know that plastic milk bottle lids can actually be recycled to make prosthetics for children in developing nations who have unfortunately lost limbs? A recycling drive has been started in Ganmain so start saving those bottle caps. Our guest speakers on the 22 July will have more information.
• The shed at the show ground is coming along. The slab was set to go down on Tuesday.

Guest Speaker Barbara Carney

Coolamon Rotary members and their guests were very privileged to hear from Barbra Carney on her role in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety as a senior policy advisor.
Barbara began her talk by outlining that a royal commission is only called for when things are really ‘stuffed up’ and there are ‘system-wide failures’. In the case of the royal commission into aged care, the problems were highlighted by the conditions in an aged care facility called Oakden in South Australia, in which the chief psychiatrist, in support of family members, blew the whistle on the facility’s ongoing abuse and neglect which had been documented and not acted upon, as reported to the ABC’s 7:30 report.

The fallout from this was the public call for government to pass the bill for a royal commission into aged care in October of last year.  On passing the bill, the Honourable Richard Tracey AM RFD QC and Ms Lynelle Briggs AO were  appointed as Royal Commissioners, both of whom see this as the most important work they have ever done and envisage that the outcomes of their report will have lasting impact over the next 40 to 50 years. The terms of reference for the royal commission include but are not limited to

• Quality of care
• Meeting the needs of the elderly in care
• Prevalence of sub-standard care
• Causes of systemic failure
• How to deliver care to those with dementia and the disabled receiving care (both old and young)
• Challenges of economic access and quality in all areas including regional, rural and remote
• Person-focused care that allows for choice, control and independence
• Communication with families
• Sustainable services
• Anything the commissioners deem relevant – giving them the freedom to expand the terms of reference as issues arise.

Barbra has extensive experience in the aged care field, having worked for ministers and government as a policy advisor. Consequently when commissioners put in requests to hire policy advisors, Commissioner Lynelle called upon Barbra to act as one of five senior policy advisors, who combined have over 300 years of experience. Barbra’s primary focus is on the terms of reference related to end of life, palliative care and person-centered care, which sees the those receiving care as a person and not a consumer which unfortunately has become a dominant ethos in society and government of late.

Barbra then went on to outline her general impressions on what the main issues are in the aged care sector, stating that many of the problems stem from layers of policy and bureaucracy that have been built up over time, creating inconsistencies in the nature and quality of care, complexity in funding arrangements and the requirements for assessment of facilities. Consequently this bureaucracy creates much more chances for things to go wrong with both for-profit and not-for-profits care providers succumbing to the bureaucratic inertia. Barbra also stated that despite this top heavy bureaucracy, the inquiry found many instances of high quality care and service that can be used as exemplars of care.

Barbra then went on to explain the inquiry process outlining that every submission to the royal commission is addressed and, as senior policy advisor, Barbra has a role in reviewing submissions and helping the commissioners and other staff to  develop lines of inquiry based upon her experience. She then went on to describe both formal hearings and community forums. In formal hearings the process was much like a court case though not quite as adversarial, with witnesses able to be called. In community forums, the setting is typically a community center and much more informal. She indicated that at this point there is likely to be a community forum in Wagga Wagga next year and that the commissioners are dedicated to hearing from people west of the great divide.

The interim report on the Royal Commission is due in October and Barbra urged all present to engage with it as this report is written for the public to use to address the issues in aged care and apply pressure to government, stating that the royal commission is ‘for the people’ and that it will ‘shine light into the darkest corners’.

Barbra then answered questions, some of which were on the assessment process. Barbra outlined that there are approximately 150 aged care assessors and that up until recently assessors gave notice  on when they were going to inspect a facility, with foreseeable results that the facility would be ‘prepared’ for their arrival. Guest Simone Fuller, manager of Allawah Lodge, said that the staff at Allawah found the assessment process extensive and very collegiate, with she and her staff taking on board the feedback gained from the assessment process. Barbra indicated that such a response from a care facility was the most exemplary case that the commission has found.

Barbra wrapped up the talk by saying that to be a part of the Royal Commission has been the greatest privilege of her career and encouraged all present to make submission  on any and all aspects of aged care they felt relevant, both positive and negative, and attend community forums to make sure that the public voice is heard.

Dates and locations of Community forums can be found and Submission can made via the link below

Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Which famous person said this?

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”

The author of last week’s quote was Clint Eastwood.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

DIARY

Thursday, 11 July – Bingo. Allawah Community Centre, 6:45-10:00.  Roster: Wayne (Captain), Sarah, John B, Alex.

Saturday, 13 July – Street raffle. Coolamon Newsagency. Prize is a trailer load of wood. Roster: 6:30-8:30, Don & Howard; 8:30-10:30, Paul & Bernadette; 10:30-12:00, Sarah & Alex.

Wednesday, 17 July – Rotary Board meeting 7:00pm

*Monday, 22 July – Speaker meeting. Guest speakers: Karen Fryer and Michelle Booth about the milk bottle top recycling project. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

September 20-22 Australian New Zealand Rotary Conference, Christchurch.

Friday, 4th October  – Fannie Lumsden concert in Old Junee. Tickets cost $30.

* denotes partner & guest night

REMINDERS

Please get your working with children check completed and give the number and expiry date to the secretary ASAP. Failure to do so may mean you are not covered insurance wise when you volunteer at events.

Subs are now due.

July is New Leadership Month

Welcome to the new Rotary year under President Wayne Lewis.

The Rotary New Year

On the July 1st we celebrated a fantastic year under president Daryl Bruest and said thank you to the out going board and welcome to incoming president Wayne Lewis and his new board.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Which famous person said this?

“Winning the election is a good new and bad news king of thing. Okay, know you’re the Mayor, the bad news is, now you’re the Mayor.”

The author of last week’s quote was John Dewy.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

DIARY

*Monday, 8 July – Speaker meeting. Guest speaker: Barbara Carney on the Royal Commission on Aged Care.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Friday, 4th October  – Fannie Lumsden concert in Old Junee. Tickets cost $30.

* denotes partner & guest night

REMINDERS

Please get your working with children check completed and give the number and expiry date to the secretary ASAP. Failure to do so may mean you are not covered insurance wise when you volunteer at events.

July is New Leadership Month