August Theme: Membership & Extension Month
Lookout Reserve Maintenance Roster:
5/8/18 – 11/8/18 Geoff Brentnall,12/8/18 – 18/8/18 Judy Greer,
19/8/18 – 25/8/18 Marion & Bill Walton,26/8/18 – 1/9/18 Janet Alexander, 2/09/18 – 8/09/18 Coral Barker,9/09/18 – 15/9/18 Geoff Ford
Visitors: Heather Gallagher, guest speaker; Jenny Templeton.
President’s Report:
Reports:
Secretary: Pearl Macmillan represented the Club at a presentation dinner for the 13thBeach Life Saving Club. She was impressed with the service provided by the Club’ young members who ranged from 16 to 28 years. The 13thBeach Club thanked Rotary for its support of their fundraising efforts.
Administration: Marian Walton reported on that on Sunday afternoon last, 14 ladies attended an afternoon tea and baby shower for Sam Ho. The baby is due this month. See Facebook for photos.
Market: Adrian Schmidt reported that he had sent out 192 stallholder application forms and insurance requirements for the upcoming Summer Markets. A few responses have already been received.
Footy Tipping: Alex McGee advised that Rod Bush had won this week. The Competition leaders were Bill Walton and Coog, followed closely by Geoff Ford and Geoff Chandler. Alex was still last. While the general competition ends on 23rdAugust, the footy tipping will continue through the finals.
Geelong Footy Gates Roster: Our duties as guardians of the Geelong Football Final Gates commence on 25thand 26thAugust. This is a major fundraiser for the Club. A sign-up sheet was circulated, and an email has been circulated. A few spots are still in need of volunteers. Contact Peter Cullen.
Other:Geoff Brentnall reported on an email he received from Tim (aka Guy) Kemp who has recently completed the Camino Walk in Spain. The Mudgee Sunrise Rotary Club donated to the Starlight Foundation based on the number of kilometres that he walked.
Guest Speaker: Heather Gallagher, Children’s Author
In 1978, in Grade 4, Heather wrote a story, which her teacher read out to the class. It was well received, and on that basis she decided to become a writer (or a detective). Her journey to achieve this aim is a life story in resilience.
In the 1990s, going to University, Heather first studied journalism, but had trouble getting a position. She then studied Law, but again had problems getting a job. She considered both situations were good training for an author, where rejection is common. Heather worked for a community paper in a volunteer capacity, and eventually obtained paid positions with local newspapers and then Australian Associated Press in Canberra.
In the early 2000s, she started a family and had her initial bout of depression but was able to recover. The family moved to Ocean Grove, when her husband obtained a tenured position at Deakin University. With her children at school, Heather attempted to write children’s books but kept receiving rejections, and again suffered depression. She wrote her first successful book, Happy Pants, which explained mental illness to young children, and was offered a publishing contract. Heather read this story to the Club, and members found it very moving. She then wrote Ferret on the Loose, illustrated by Barwon Head’s artist, Liz McGrath. More recently, she has written Scaredy Cat, based on her dog that suffers from anxiety, and a sequel is coming. These books have been released in the U.K. Writing remains a precarious profession, with a need to find new publishers for each book.
Andrea Tierney thanked Heather for her honesty and inspiring talk. Picture storybooks are a very important way of communicating with young children.
Thank you, A. Hodgkinson
