Invocation Oh lord and giver of all good, we praise thee for our daily food.
May Rotary friends and Rotary ways help us to serve thee all our days.
Quote of the month
One thing Vocational Service has done for me: I've learned to listen. It is amazing how much of the other fellow's point of view you can learn if you listen. Vocation service is your business and professional conscience, your chance to dignify your job or profession, and in doing so, you dignify yourself.
Address to 1973 Rotary Convention, Lausanne Switzerland, by RIPE. Roy D Hickman (1972-73) - Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.A.
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Rotary Theme for the month
VOCATIONAL SERVICE
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President Bill's Burble
President Bill welcomed everyone to meeting number 3267, our first for 2022.
Unfortunately it was not a very good start to the new year, as we had to cancel our Soiree on 6th January, which would have been our first meeting for 2022.
President Bill acknowledged that having a meeting via Zoom is not ideal for several members, and thanked those present for attending. According to SA Government the next two weeks are critical and it is expected that cases will peak. The SA Health heat map for the Barossa gives Active and Confirmed case numbers, which today are 270 Active versus 428 on Sunday and 553 Confirmed versus 444 on Sunday.
It was agreed that we will continue to Zoom until things improve and we can get back to face to face meetings.
President Bill asked club members to join him in sending our very best wishes to Lisa Akeroyd and Nick Anderson who have a challenging time ahead due to Lisa’s health issues, resulting in their resignation from Rotary.
The members present congratulated those with birthdays and Rotary anniversaries this month.
President Bill mentioned the article in yesterday’s Leader that the Tanunda Clubhouse has closed to minimise the risk to patrons as several employees have contracted Covid. This situation is similar to several others in the Barossa area, and further supports our decision not to rush into face to face meetings just yet.
The Australia Day Breakfast at the Tanunda Show Hall has been cancelled, so President Bill has arranged for the
Rotary End Polio Now Relay Ute to be on display at the Visitors Information Centre in Tanunda from 9am until 4pm. Help is needed for setting up from 8am, and 2 people every two hours to sell raffle tickets and provide information about Rotary and our club. Secretary Sandie will email a call out for volunteers, and prepare handouts etc about Rotary’s global End Polio Now project. Any raffle tickets left from our allocation at the end of that day will be distributed amongst our members to sell.
We’ve been invited to participate in a photoshoot on Tuesday 25th January, as donors of funds towards the BAFFC car. PP Keith M has emailed Airshow committee members to represent the Airshow and our club.
Regarding our “test drives” of alternative meeting venues, those present agreed we should use Zoom instead of meeting at the Tanunda Hotel on 3rd February, keep to the meetings at the Wanera Wine Bar on 17th February and 3rd March as planned, and re-schedule the Tanunda Hotel for the next two club meetings on 17th March and 7th April, all Covid permitting of course.
President Bill will email Board members regarding options for the Board meeting next Thursday 27th January.
Somewhat “tongue in cheek”, he mentioned The Barossa Council’s Australia Day Awards reported in yesterday’s Leader. The Citizen of the Year is Simon Taylor, the Young Citizen of the Year is Katie Koch, the Award for Active Citizenship is Rose Brooks, and the Community Event of the Year is ROAR. Coincidentally all these Awardees are from the Southern Barossa! President Bill suggested that if you want to improve your chances of winning an Australia Day Award, you could submit your application to re-locate to Southern Barossa for consideration by him or Robert Brookes!
Based on the response from club members present, it is highly unlikely that many will take up this offer!
President Bill then opened the floor for others present to raise items for information or discussion.
Peter Perkins raised concerns about the ongoing challenges presented by dumping of unsuitable goods at the clothing bins, particularly in Nuriootpa. It was agreed this situation needs more discussion, as current indications are that it might become necessary in the not too distant future to remove that clothing bin.
Prue Maitland offered to pick up duties as the Child Protection Officer and will contact members to provide their details so they can be registered for the DCSI approval process.
Prue also offered to resume the role of Team Leader of New Generations, because 2022/2023 youth programs (eg RYLA, NYSF) are starting up again and we currently don’t have anyone in that role.
President Bill and those present thanked Prue for her dedication and willingness to take up that position again, it is greatly appreciated.
PP Keith Millington mentioned the Airshow Caretaker committee soon will start looking for members for the 2023 Barossa Airshow management committee.
Speaking of the 2023 Airshow, Steve Ahrens advised that proposals for placement of the plane (“Pole Plane”? “Pole Dancer”?!) are being considered but nothing can be shared at this point (Secret Airshow Business!).
President Bill again thanked those who attended (15), and closed meeting number 3267.
Additional notes from last night's Zoom meeting
PDG Peter Thomas reported that the Solomon Islands has been hit with COVID-19 and is in lockdown for 60 hours to combat the sudden, explosive community infections. All aircraft movement to the provinces have ceased. However as this is the only quick method of transport it will present real problems. Hopefully the Virus will be controlled within a few weeks. He is regularly in touch with Doctor Divi and his family and they are all okay. Peter will keep us up to date with reports from the Islands.
Further to the comments at last nights Zoom meeting regarding the Rotary Clothing Bin at the Foodland complex in Nuriootpa, Peter noticed a large quantity of rubbish outside the bin at 9.00am this morning and he and Bryce removed it yet again and a few choice words were exchanged in the heat of the moment. (Hmmm!!)
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Hot of the Press
Our first lady International President
Jennifer Jones announces
her Theme for 2022-23
Imagine Rotary the theme for 2022-2023 explained by incoming President Jennifer Jones.
The theme graphic was designed by an Australian indigenous artist to link with the Melbourne convention in 2023.
Circle – connections to one another
Dots around it – Our People. There are 7 Dots because of our Rotary’s 7 areas of focus
Circle + dots around it - Navigation star, our guiding light
Green solid line – digging stick (used when doing hard work); for us it’s People of Action, represents the tools for getting things done
Colours: Purple, Green & White – Celebrate DEI – Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.
Freedom to express ourselves differently but still with a special connection.
Purple – Polio
Green – the Environment
White – Peace
Represents Empowerment and Newness and also the colours were utilized for the women’s movement giving us the opportunity to grow our female membership
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Tanunda Show
on Saturday 12th March 2022
Again the Rotary Club of Barossa Valley has been asked to assist with operating the entrance gates. There are two entrance gates,
- Bilyara Road Gate from 7.00am to 4.00pm
- Elizabeth Street Gate from 6.30am to 4.00pm.
The Rotary Club shall be paid $1,200.00 for operating the two gates. It is expected that two persons per shift shall be required on each gate. Subject to receiving sufficient volunteers, I would expect that each shift would be from 2-3 hours. This is one of the few opportunities that the Club will have to raise funds in this Rotary year.
Please respond and advise your name and the hours that you would prefer to work by reply to this email. With normal meetings being suspended, it is possibly unlikely that you would be able to respond in person, so reply by email or text is the only option.
Peter Perkins
Rotary Club of Barossa Valley
Community Director
Mobile: 0409 768 908
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The Keyneton Chapter of the Rotary Club of The Barossa Valley Soiree met for their meeting on Thursday January 6th 2022 as advertised. Nine members friends and partners attended the event. With an almost empty bottle of Serafino Shiraz balanced precariously on the Rotary Wheel, the evening was obviously a great success.
Covid wasn't going to spoil their Soiree. It seems that there is always a way to get around a problem, and this chapter just happened to hit the nail on the head.
Thank you to Phil Graetz who sent in the detail.
Rotarian Brian Graetz enjoying the evening.
The rest of us stayed home and twiddled our thumbs, thanks to Covid.
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Indigenous Health Scholarships
An Incredible story of determination well worth reading.
In early 1999, Geoff Bailey a member of the Rotary Club of Mitcham, floated the idea with his fellow club members to create a Scholarship Program that would support Indigenous Medical Students through their medical studies to become doctors and then be able support and improve the health of their own people.
Geoff had worked around indigenous people as a pharmacist in Pt Augusta and was acutely aware that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders do not benefit from mainstream health services to the same extent as other Australians:
- Health services are not accessible to many, and particularly in remote, Aboriginal communities.
- Mainstream health services often lack cultural sensitivity and remain unwelcoming places for many Indigenous peoples. The Indigenous health workforce remains disproportionately low when compared to the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders that make up the Australian population.
The initial reaction of the club to Geoff’s idea was less than favorable. But despite this, Geoff continued to lobby Tertiary institutions, wrote to Ministers and local politicians and organized guest speakers for the club. After 6 months and loaded with information and statistics it was put to a vote at the club’s board where 75% were in support of progressing the Project. There was no more startling statistic at the time to realize that of the 64,000 qualified medical practitioners in Australia, only 40 were of indigenous descent.
Through his several writings to local politicians and Ministers he soon had the interest of the Minister for Human Services here in Adelaide, the Honorable Dean Brown. Geoff floated his idea that if Rotary paid $2500 towards an Indigenous Health Scholarship perhaps the State Government could see its way clear to match it to provide a financial scholarship of $5000 per year.
By Rotary clubs sponsoring the indigenous students in this way, Rotary could also provide the students moral and mentoring support while studying, since many were living away from home and had to survive independently in Adelaide.
The minister responded favorably allocating $100,000 in funding for the Project.
In 2000 the program started with 2 medical students in its first year, Aleeta Dawes sponsored by the Rotary Club of Mitcham and Olivia O’Donohue sponsored by the Rotary Club of Unley. Aleeta Dawes (now Fejo) graduated as a Doctor of Medicine in 2004. Geoff was Aleeta’s mentor.
(In 2015 Aleeta received the inaugural Wakapi Anyiku Doctor Oomparani (Aboriginal Doctor for Everybody) Award in recognition of her passionate advocacy for Aboriginal health and her work in assisting Indigenous registrars.)
With Sponsorship of the first 2 students Geoff started recruiting other clubs to support the program through letters, direct approaches to clubs and guest speaker engagements including Aleeta speaking at the D9520 2000 District Conference in Mildura.
Indigenous Scholar Aleeta Dawes with Rotarian Geoff Bailey
In 2001, there were 7 scholarships and in 2002 it doubled to 14 scholarships.
(Editors note: On Sunday Morning April 21st 2002 - of the 650 Rotarians and partners who attended the then 9500 District Conference in Clare, some may remember that Geoff Bailey addressed the gathering on his determination and efforts to establish the Indigenous Scholarship Program. (Just for the record 36 members and partners from the two Barossa Clubs attended.)
By this time the Project was becoming well known with Geoff receiving invitations to meet and speak and be acknowledged by different parties including an invitation to dine with the Governor General at an Australian Indigenous Doctors Association luncheon at Kirribilli House which he declined due to financial constraints. Other interested organisations in Vic & NSW were looking to duplicate what had been achieved in SA. Despite his level of passion for the Project, all the commitments and administration he had to deal with was impacting him physically and financially.
By 2002, Geoff was liaising with Australian Rotary Health in Parramatta. Geoff persuaded Australian Rotary Health to take the project under its wing, spread it Australia wide and endeavour to gain funding from the Federal Government for the administration of the program. This was achieved through the Commonwealth Dept of Health and enabled the employment of a part-time staff member to manage the program.
In 2003 the program became a cooperative project of the Rotary Clubs in Australia, Australian Rotary Health, and in due course, the Australian Government and four State Governments – SA, Victoria, NSW and most recently Queensland.
This project commenced with the intention of training doctors to work amongst other Indigenous people, but the scope of the scheme was enlarged to permit the training, firstly of nurses, and eventually any health-related profession.
Within two years 50 scholarships had been awarded, 23 of them to medical students. Other scholars were enrolled in nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, podiatry, psychology and various other health areas. Many of those awarded scholarships were mature-age students, many married with children – but often lacked the available funding to take a degree. The $5,000 scholarship as a supplement to a government study allowance met the needs of the family.
In 2020, there were 85 scholarships awarded in all States and Territories of Australia including 19 in South Australia in partnership with SA Heath. South Australia remains the only State in Australia with its own Committee and the partnership with the SA Department of Health is now in its 22nd year. All other states and territories are managed solely from Australian Rotary Health.
In the Dec/Jan 2021-22 RDU magazine, Emily Green, writes a comment on her Indigenous Health Scholarship granted by Australian Rotary Health.
Indigenous Student - Emily Green
She says “ I am so grateful to have received this scholarship over the past two years, and now continuing into my third year. This scholarship has allowed me the freedom to focus on my studies and goals, while also pursuing extra-curricular activities. It’s helped me cover the basic costs of living out of home, while also contributing to different study materials needed for my clinical placement, such as textbooks, uniforms, and other medical instruments. It’s definitely taken the stress out of having to sustain a part-time job while studying and has allowed me to continue investing as much time as possible into studying and my clinical placements to develop my skills and interactions with health professionals and patients.”
Indigenous Health Scholarships have been encouraging Indigenous students to undertake a health related degree since 2002. $5000 is awarded to each student per year to study in areas that include nursing, medicine, social work, and dentistry. In 2020-2021, 81 Indigenous health students were awarded $405,000 in scholarships.
Australian Rotary Health has recognized Geoff’s efforts by:
- Creating the Australian Rotary Health Geoff Bailey PhD Scholarship in his honor in 2008, to assist an Indigenous Scholar complete a PHD.
- Awarding him the Australian Rotary Health Medal in 2013, the second most prestigious individual award after Life Membership.
Geoffrey Reginald Bailey OAM
Died 17 March 2015 - 88 years
Rotarian 56 years
So ends the remarkable story of one of the many successful Rotary Projects/Programs. The Indigenous Health Scholarship began due to the determination of Rotarian the late Geoff Bailey.
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ATTENDANCE ZOOM MEETING 3267
Total Members 13
partners 1
Honorary Rotarian 1
Total 15
Birthdays for the month of January
Peter Canning 7/1
Sandie Simons 9/1
Ian Rice (Hon) 10/1
Marie Rothe 16/1
John Little 22/1
Mary Martin 24/1 Craig Rogasch 30/1
Date joined Rotary
Peter Frazer (Barossa Valley) 16/1 - 2 years
(Stirling club D9520 1974-1994 20 years)
Yung Nietschke (Hon) 23/1 1 year Tony Robinson (Hon) 23/1 1 year
Just a Thought
Nothing is harder to do secretly than stubbing your toe.
