March is Rotary's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Month
Rachael Young and her mother, Assunta with Noel
President's Message
Last week Rachael Young and her mother Assunta, fondly watched on by Nonna Amelia, showed how much one can achieve with determination and a positive attitude.
Despite having the genetic disorder Down Syndrome, Rachel has become a valued and much loved employee at a local restaurant, is a talented artist and is pursuing several other interests. Well done Rachael! Well done also Rita who conducted the Q and A session.
Apart from the fun nights at the Charles, it’s been a quieter week. Don’t forget, you can come along any Thursday or Fridays and join in the raffle, play darts or just have a drink and chat.
Don’t forget to register for our Peace Oration.
Now tonight our sponsored participant Cerentha Jaatinen is going to let us know of her
recent experience at RYLA - Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. See you then.
Dr Glenn Kolomeitz is an international law consultant and defence analyst who has been in Ukraine advising specialist elements of Ukraine’s International Legion and investigating Russian targeting patterns for a London-based open-source intelligence firm. The latter role included risk analyses for commercial shipping underwriters. Glenn is a former RAAF operations (targeting) officer, Australian Army officer and legal officer, and defence policy adviser at Parliament House. He taught strategic intelligence and intelligence management at Charles Sturt University and international criminal law at Wollongong and his doctoral thesis was on command responsibility for war crimes with an emphasis on Australia’s command and control structures in Afghanistan.
Rotarians across the globe are asked to accelerate action for gender equality by marking International Women’s Day. Commemorated each year on March 8, IWD is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
Here is a link to read more about Rotarians on IWD last year...
Sgt Patrick declared the meeting open at 6:15pm, then called on President Rose who welcomed members, and our guests, Nonna Amelia, Mamma Assunta, and Figlia Rachael.
Pat called upon Bob who eventually reflected on the embarrassment caused by a poor memory and proposed a toast to Rotary International.
Anne then proposed a toast to the Rotary club of Oslo, Norway, after giving an overview of their club's activities.
Rita warmly introduced our guest speakers, Rachael and Assunta Young, who, along with Rita, conducted an excellent Q & A type talk on A FULFILLING LIFE WITH DOWNS SYNDROME.
Rachael completed her education at St Mary's College, then went on to be heavily involved in :
* working at the Lagoon Restaurant for the last 14 years
* assisting at the Plant Room Cafe and working on her barista skills
* modelling on the catwalk
* dancing ... ballet, jazz, and salsa
* singing
* successful art exhibitions as well as teaching art
* attending gym 4 times a week
* an avid supporter of the Illawarra Hawks
and the list went on, and .... proving that with support of family, friends, teachers, etc, a person with Downs Syndrome can enjoy and be an active participant in a truly fulfilling life.
The wine raffle was won by Michael and Helen, with the final recipients being Assunta (via Helen) and Nonna Amelia (via Michael).
Sgt Patrick resurrected the Sgt Session Fines with plenty of ammo from members, finished by reading a joke (?!?) entitled "The Lost Taco Hotel". I dare anyone not in attendance to ask him for a repeat.
A heartfelt thank you to Michael Crowley for a decade of dedication in producing the Bulletin. His commitment to sharing the Club’s activities, plans, and personal stories has kept us all connected, informed, and inspired every week. He has continued his work with quiet determination from his desk and from behind the camera. I sincerely hope to carry forward his attention to detail and maintain the high standard he has set. Kate Thomas
