- Linda was our chairperson for this evening’s club meeting at Cilantro. Larry conducted invocation and Ron conducted the loyal toast. Glenda joined the meeting via Zoom.
- Club members enjoyed a lovely 3 course meal served by first timer apprentices – an enjoyable night for all who attended.
President Report – President Margaret
- D.G.E. Meeting - Margaret will attend the D.G.E. meeting on Friday this week and will report back to the club next week
- Jo Impey – Pres. Margaret presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Jo Impey for her contribution and club service on the Membership Committee and Social Committee.
Club Announcements – Linda
- District Conference – Linda reminded everyone of the District Conference in Canberra next year and the need to book in early. Club members are booking accommodation at Rydges, Canberra in Forrest which is approximately .4km from the conference venue at Realm Hotel. Please let Margaret and Linda know if planning to attend the conference - this will help with planning any club activities whilst in Canberra.
Guest Speaker – James Grima, Business Coach and Consultant at Positive Training – Men’s Health
- James Grima was today’s guest speaker to talk about Men’s Health. James comes from a varied and diverse background having run a pizza chain, worked in a training company and running his own company as a business coach and consultant. He is passionate about men’s health and facilitates a growing network of online men’s groups. His aim is to improve the health and well-being of men and women and to reduce the number of preventable deaths of men by raising awareness of causes and early warning signs. James provided a slide presentation highlighting statistics, demographics and causes for poor mental health, and the actions and interventions being put in place to help men address their issues for improved mental health outcomes. Statistics show 1 in 5 men die before age 65 for varying reasons. Australian statistics show there are over 65,000 suicide attempts annually, 75% who take their own life are men, and 4 in 5 heart disease deaths are men. Whilst poor dietary choices and poor exercise habits can lead to physical conditions that cause heart attack, strokes and diabetes, the reasons for poor mental health and suicide are more obscure and hidden in life’s social network of connection and engagement or lack thereof. Poor mental health often stems from insufficient social connection and an absence of a reliable and trusted social network of engagement, culminating into a cascade of negative thoughts that can lead to poor decision making, further isolation and depression. 1in 3 men between 30-65 have poor social connections resulting in a 50% increase in mortality. The years between ages 30-65 are identified as important years for maintaining good social connection and James listed 4 ways and the benefits for increasing social connection between men. These include bringing groups of men together for forming social connection and peer support other men; help identify men who are at risk and offer support; make health support options readily available; and teach men coping and problem solving skills. As a result of his work background, life’s learnings and his own experiences, James commenced MAN online two years ago to facilitate social connection and engagement for men in a confidential and supportive environment. This is particularly beneficial for men living in a rural area seeking help on a confidential online platform and safe from public exposure within a small community. MAN online meet twice a month for 90 minutes in groups of 6-8 men in a structured program with a facilitator. Sessions have a theme with the aim to come together to connect – and at times, including a pre-recorded expert guest speaker. Confidentiality is paramount – participants are encouraged to share their thoughts and stories free of shame and judgement. A wide variety of topics can be discussed. James showed a video of a group meeting as an example. One member viewed them as a perfect forum to develop habits that break down barriers and build authentic foundations. James concluded his session by answer questions from the floor. Members are charged an annual fee of $600 - which can be offset through subsidization for members experiencing financial hardship. Clubs and networking groups can offer financial assistance by sponsoring a pilot group, an individual or making a financial pledge. The goal is to remain sustainable for the benefit of their members. James cited one group of men who commenced meetings 36 years ago with 5 or 6 of the original group still meeting on a regular basis. There is no end point for measuring outcomes, but making connections that continue is a journey for good mental health.
- On behalf of the club, Linda thanked James for his very interesting and thought provoking presentation. - refer here
Sergeant Session – Sergeant John M
- John checked if anyone had read the latest issue of Rotary Down Under – where there was an article on our new Rotary International President, Jennifer Jones who encourages everyone to seek out ways to meet as many people from around the world as possible.
- Collingwood supporters were fine for stealing a win after the siren over the weekend, and Essendon supporters were fined for letting Collingwood win!. Melbourne supporters were fined because their team fell asleep at ¾ time. Grant was fined for allowing Monkey Pox to spread, and Peter and Linda were fined for sending their son to Montenegro. Tim L was fined for having a birthday, and Paul F and all English members were fined for stealing ‘our’ Commonwealth Games. John presented a couple of stories about Paddy, who got mixed up with a question about his first child, and another story where Paddy put in an ad in the paper looking for his lost dog – with ‘Here boy” Marg L was fined for her celebrating an anniversary, and lastly a job about Irish scuba divers who always jump off the back of the boat – saying if they jumped off the front – they would still be in the boat.
Rosters – The rosters for market duty and next week’s club meeting were read out.
Meeting Close – President Margaret closed the meeting with this year’s Rotary theme – Imagine Rotary
