Coolamon Rotary Bulletin for Week of November 30th 2024
Meeting of Monday 25th November 2024
President Adrian welcomed our guests and members to the meeting. Our guest speaker was Inspector Jill Gibson from the Wagga Wagga Police Command. One guest Dianne Suidgeest and 17 members attended tonight’s meeting.
President Adrian introduced our guest speaker after dinner, Inspector Jill Gibson, OIC of Professional Standards, Youth and Engagement, who originally hails from Temora.
Jill said that the global campaign called for action against one of the world’s most persistent violations of human rights – violence against women – and started this Monday 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It is the start of 16 days of activism to say NO MORE which ends on December the 10th in Wagga Wagga. It concludes on International Human Rights Day.
Jill said the Wagga Wagga City Council is supporting the Wagga Domestic Violence Liaison Committee (DVLC) in calling on the community to say ‘no more silence’ during the upcoming 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
Jill spoke about the red flags that should alert one to a possible escalation on violence and these include:
- Remembering important occasions such as anniversaries and birthdays.
- Robust confirmation in a discussion.
- Cheekiness and sarcasm.
- At the time of a break up in a relationship, always a testing time for any partnership.
- Controlling one’s partner including finance.
Jill said that last year there were 64 women in Australia who died as the result of physical assaults. This is 64 too many. One area that is often forgotten is elderly abuse and this can take the form of the children taking control of the elders finances and property.
Jill pointed out that emotional blackmail; and psychological abuse often goes unchecked and does lead to depression and anxiety in our elders. As well making our elders over or under medicate their prescriptions that is a terrible form of abuse.
Jill encouraged us all to get a Power of Attorney put in place for our own protection from our children and relatives.
What and excellent and timely talk for all of us. Jill left us with some takeaway pamphlets and here are some further information that can be obtained from the Internet and via the telephone:
Aging & Disability Hotline 1800 628 221
My Aged Care Australian Government.
or call 1800 200 422.
Other internet stories on Domestic Violence:
16 Days of Activism Wagga Wagga
Daily Advertiser Story on Domestic Violence
As Rotarians we are already very active on the domestic violence front and you can read more here:
Rotary Putting an End to Domestic Violence
Our good friends from Wagga Wagga Sunrise RC with Deidre Lampe and PDG Fred Loneragan (a retired policeman) are very active on this front.
Lexi thanked Jill for an excellent talk that resonated with our members who were present tonight.
We then had some general business which included:
- Anne reported on the Wagga Cycle Club Event. The volunteers were Alex, Bear, Lexi, Vicki, Gary, Daryl, Adrian, Mary, Myffy and Annie. It was a very hot day and some of our volunteers did not get home until 9.00pm. Adrian thanked everyone concerned and we raised nearly $1000.00. Good on you Annie! We do need other members to put their hands up for these types of events, as is the case it is usually the same faces.
- Grahame on the toys for the Salvation Army’s Toy Run for Temora. Grahame and Sharon Miles have already given the toys so far donated to Mark Reardon which have been delivered to the Temora Salvation Army. Grahame said that Sharon, JJG and himself will be in Ganmain on Saturday morning form 11.45 to select the toys that the CRC have donated $500 to the cause. N.B. please bring your toys that you have purchased to the meeting on Monday 2nd December the cut off day.
- Bear advised members that the 2,000 CRCTB 2024 have been collected by Bear and Gary and distributed in our Shire including Coolamon, Temora, Ganmain, Matong, Junee, Marrar, Ardlethan and Ariah Park. Our sincere thanks to Bear and Gary. P.S. Ted liked the new 2024 CRCTB!!!
- Annie has organised another raffle for the 13th and 14th December at Foodworks in Coolamon. JJG declined to organise one for Ganmain. Thanks Annie you are doing a great job.
- Adrian encouraged all present to support Giving Tuesday on December 3rd. GIVING TUESDAY
We finished the evening with a raffle which was won by Alex 1st prize, Paul 2nd prize and John Nulty the eggs!!!
There was a brief fines session by S@A Albert whose birthday was celebrated with a rendition of Happy Birthday.
Another excellent night at the Coolamon Rotary Club.
DIARY
*Monday 9th December – Annual Christmas Party. Hosts will be Wendy and Adrian Lindner on their property. Further details and invites to go out later this coming week. NB NO BoD Meeting in December.
Monday 16th December LAST Meeting for 2024. Coolamon Sport Rec Club, 6.30 for 7.00 pm.
Monday 20th January Board Meeting 5.00pm at Coolamon Sport Rec Club.
*Monday 20th January FIRST Meeting for 2025. PP Garth Perkin on ShelterBox. Coolamon Sport Rec Club, 6.30 for 7.00 pm.
Monday 26th January. NO MEETING. Australia Day.
*Guests welcome bring your partners and friends.
All of the above images were obtained from Facebook.
ROTARY NEWS.
1. ROTARIANS FOR FAMILY HEALTH CARE & AIDS PREVENTION RFHA
The Rotary Action Group for Family Health and AIDS Prevention Inc (RFHA) develops and implements large scale community development and humanitarian service programs, which provide preventative health care and education to children and families who normally can’t access them.
P.S. PDG JJG was a member of the RFHA Board from 2009-2012 and Coolamon RC through Road MAPS to Africa donated US$25,000 to RFHA from part of the proceeds of the Kilimanjaro 2007 climb.
This was at the RI Convention in Los Angeles in 2008 being presented with the RFHA award from RFHA Founder Rtn. Marion Bunch.
2. LATEST NEWS FROM TRACY OCHIENG FROM KENYA
Tracy our star pupil from our Road MAPS to Africa projects has a new job and it is taking her places. Tracy writes:
“I landed in Kenya on Wednesday morning from India. In my previous email, I told you I had gotten a social media job for a company owned by Rotarian Joshua Okeyo at the beginning of the year. We met in 2019 after my trip to Australia. He was in Jane Mberia’s Milimani club in Nairobi. In September, I joined eKitabu as a journalist in the book publishing department. It is based in the US, Kenya, Malawi, and Rwanda.
I had a great time in India but I’m ready to come home. I didn’t think the year would bless me with another stamp on my passport but here we are and I’m ever more grateful to be a Kenyan. Yoh!”
DECEMBER IS DISEASE PREVENTION & TREATMENT MONTH
Graphics by PP Debbie Vance from BC CANADA
ROTARY CLUB OF COOLAMON Inc. 2024-25
Chartered March 3rd, 1971; Sponsoring Club Narrandera Rotary Club
- President: Adrian Lindner
- President-Elect 2025-2026: Mary Potts
- Secretary: Paul Weston
- Treasurer: Mary Potts
- Rotary Foundation Director: Gary Truscott
- Membership Director: Brian Pattison
- Service Projects Director: Anne Rzeszkowski
- Youth Services Director: Scott Mudd
- Club Admin Director: Ian Jennings
- Public Image Director: Grahame Miles
- Sergeant @ Arms: Albert Suidgeest
- Club Environment Representative: Adrian Lindner
- Immediate Past President and Vice-President: John Bond
- Bulletin Editors: Paul Weston and John Glassford
- Webmaster: John Glassford