www.rotaryoceangrove.blogspot.com
Vol.26 No.35
February 24, 2009
The Mental Health Forum
Tonight’s forum, presented by Barwon Health, but organized and managed by our Rotary club, was a resounding success. Just as well we chose the Wave Centre as the venue, and not the Colendina Hotel!
There were 252 members of the public, plus 38 of our members and many specialists manning the twelve tables of provider publications, making a total attendance of more than 300, plus the 13 speakers. When there are 16 speakers meant to be crammed into a two hour time slot, the likelihood of finishing on time is remote, but with a handful of slick speakers at the end, and Trevor McArdle as timekeeper, we just about made it!
Peter Brocklehurst has had a complex and varied life, with insecurity, anxiety, alcohol abuse, 120 cigarettes a day, 7 suicide attempts and with a very public ‘baring of the soul’ tonight, the audience received a vivid overture to set the evening in motion. The slide show of mental health definitions to open proceedings, was a bit like a newsreel before the main event!
Pamela Mackintosh, a mental health professional and the mother of a severely impaired son, was lucid and impelling, leaving us with the clear message that the key to combating anxiety and depression is to talk to someone. Dr Anne Ward is a practicing psychiatrist and sees anxiety and depression as a reaction to a perceived threat, but stressed the need to become thoroughly familiar with the patient. We must all be prepared to listen to our partners and family members, to be sympathetic with their problems and, above all, be prepared to listen.
Eight health professionals, all offering continuing services in the mental health field, rounded off a lengthy but informative evening. Dr Bill Bateman urged potential patients to be unafraid to speak frankly of anxiety and depression, which he regards as just another health problem. Suzy, Lynn, Katrina, Cathy and David all described their activities in the specialized nursing fields, but Toni Van Hammond was the most impressive and convincing speaker of the eight. Her key statistic that 75% of serious mental illness in patients occur, in the first instance, in under 25’s, really hit home.
Notice for the meeting at the Ocean Grove Hotel, Tuesday, 3rd March, 6.00 for 6.30
Subject Ocean Grove Community Enterprise Speaker John Mamonski
Chairman Rod Bush Attendance Officer Coral Barker
Assistant Cashier & Thanker John Dodgshun Greeter & Assistant Sergeant Geoff Ford
Birthdays & Anniversaries Re-instated to this meeting because we are no longer out on the collections
3rd March Tony & Pam Haines 6th Dick Clay, Leone Clay 9th Helen & Richard Trigg
***********************************************
Notice for the meeting at the Ocean Grove Hotel, Tuesday, 10th March, 6.00 for 6.30
Subject TBA Speaker TBA
Chairman Peter Cullen Attendance Officer Ingrid Cummins
Assistant Cashier & Thanker Martin Geering Greeter & Assistant Sergeant Alison George
Birthday 16th Alison George
***********************************************
Can you imagine a company of little more than 500 employees and has the following statistics?
29 have been accused of spousal abuse. 7 have been arrested for fraud.
19 have been accused of writing bad cheques.
117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least two businesses. 3 have done time for assault.
71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit. 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges. PTO
8 have been arrested for shoplifting. 21 are currently defendants in lawsuits.
84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year.
373 in total or approximately 70%. Can you guess which organization this is?
I’ll tell you next week!
Another of Gerry Spencer’s church notices
The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday.
Rotary Projects around the World RUSSIA
Myriad health problems threaten the reproductive health and well-being of Russian people. Since the late 1980s, the country’s population has steadily declined while death rates have risen by a third.. While Western European nations have maternal mortality rates of less than 10 deaths per 100,000, Russia’s rate is nearly three times that. Russian men live nearly 20 years less than Western European men. Alcohol abuse, poor nutrition, and sexually transmitted diseases all contribute to high rates of infant mortality, birth defects and sterility.
Rotarians in Connecticut and Massachusetts USA, learned of the crisis through Ellen Story, a member of the Rotary club of Amherst and a Massachusetts state representative who had traveled to Pskov, Russia. Her reports on conditions there led to a project coordinated by the Amherst club that provided donated and refurbished medical equipment.
The effort also fostered the formation of the Rotary Club of Pskov, which has since completed several successful Foundation-supported projects with sponsor clubs from other parts of Europe and the United States.
***************************
Market Roster for Sunday 1st March
O.C. Phil Edwards 2.I.C. Wal Kelly Greeter/ donations Geoff Ford, Heather Wallace
Main Gate Car Counters 8.30 to 11.00 David Cooke 11.00 to 1.00 Ian Downing
Parkers 7.30 Col.Brown 8.30 John Calnin, Bill Steains 10.00 Alex Magee, John Wynn
Site Preparation Bill Walton Signs & Equipment Ian Bent, Trevor McArdle
Raffles 8.30 to 10.30 Alison George, Coral Barker 10.30 to 12.30 John Dodgshun
Publicity Richard Grimmett, Charles Dawborn
****************************
Be more or less specific. And poofread carefully to see if any words out.
The televised Bushfire Memorial Service last Sunday morning
There is a great deal about Australian TV that many of us find cause for complaint, or even, disdain. I am sure we all have differing views about the quality of commercial station programming and the quantity and quality of intrusive ads.
But, personally, I found last Sunday’s memorial service to be of the highest quality – Stylish, professional and deeply moving. Whoever put together such a complicated and high class presentation is to be commended. It was delivered with dignity and compassion. I was proud to be Australian, and I freely admit to shedding more than one tear.
******************************
Market Special
“One of our new market stallholders who is from Kinglake lost their house in the fires; we have waived their site fee and they were grateful and a little embarrassed – if you come to the market you might make a point of buying something from them without any fuss [even if it is not your normal nature to buy tribal shoulder bags, brass deities and ethnic jewelry homemade wares]. They will be on site 75 [sort of opposite the Rotary tent]. His name is Michael.” Thank you, Phil.
******************************
Blogged with the Flock Browser
