Arthur Garvey Speaker of the Year:
‘Sisters … doin’ it for themselves’.
History was made at Wesley College on Saturday 30th October when four women and no men contested the final of the Arthur Garvey Speaker of the Year Competition. Jenny Brockis became only the sixth woman in WA to win the AGSOY Trophy.
Vice President Freeman Tony Lightman welcomed some 70 members and guests to the event and introduced the speakers.
Lynne Ellis(Club 52) spoke about ‘A Life Changing Experience’, beginning with the arrival in the mail of her Senior’s Card on her 60th birthday. She also called for an urgent rethink in attitudes to seniors.
In her speech, ‘Unforgettable’, Jenny Brockis (Club 34) presented some sobering statistics on Alzheimer’s disease which affects 250,000 Australians. She explained that whilst there is no cure or effective treatment, changes in lifestyle may delay the onset of symptoms. Freeman Sue Hart (Club 30) painted a vivid picture of the history of the Swan River as ‘A Meeting Place’ from the arrival of the Dutch explorers in 1697 to the present, a history that also highlighted injustices and inequities in society. Ellita Hart (Club15) told the story of the ‘Unforgettable’ Paddy Brown, one of New York City’s most decorated firemen, who overcame many personal obstacles but didn’t make it home on September 11.
In her acceptance speech, Jenny Brockis thanked fellow Club 34 members and particularly Karen Reid for encouragement and help in preparing for the AGSOY Competition. She also expressed her appreciation to Adell Griffiths for organising the competition.
Jenny wasn’t the only ‘sister’ to walk away with an award. Mavis Carruthers – Club 11 mover and shaker, critic and committed member of Training Council – was elevated to Freeman of Australian Rostrum in recognition of her dedication to, and enthusiasm for, Rostrum’s ideals.
Jubilant Club 15 members with their R. Alan Crook Award (photo courtesy of Adell Griffiths)
Jenny Brockis accepts the AGSOY Trophy from President Chris Stone (photo by Gilbert Mathews)
President Chris Stone and newly elevated Freeman Mavis Carruthers (photo by Gilbert Mathews)
In the club awards, Club 15 won the R. Alan Crook club of excellence award for a record sixth time, and Club 52 from Mandurah won the David Price Award for club of excellence in the country.
The evening concluded with an informal supper and the opportunity for the appreciative audience to thank and congratulate the finalists and winners, and enjoy some fellowship.
Many thanks to Director of Special Events Adell Griffiths (and helpers) for organising the four AGSOY heats and final. Thankyou also to Gilbert Mathews and Adell for sharing their photos.
Country critics training workshop
What a long way! On the weekend of 28th and 29th of August, Mavis Carruthers and I drove up to Geraldton to run a Critics Training workshop. When you haven’t done it for a long time, you just forget how vast the distances are.
We had a very successful course, with six attendees – five aspiring critics and Freeman Ray Morton presenting for reaccreditation. Ray had organized the Geraldton Surf Life Saving Club as the venue and everyone really got into it. As a result, we all had a really great time.
Mavis and I alternated between presenting the training material, assessing the trainees and presenting speeches for critiquing. In the latter areas, two members from the Geraldton clubs – Peter Mills and Craig Rogers – and a trainee’s daughter –Jennifer Lavery – who came along to see how Rostrum meetings are run, assisted us! Jennifer is a student at Curtin University and may turn up to a Rostrum meeting in Perth as she sees the value of the process. Please make her welcome.
At the end of the weekend there were five new critics for Geraldton – Andrew Crothers (Club 14), Doreen Macman, Elizabeth Bettridge, Hugh Lavery (all Club 56), Stan Maley (14/56) and, of course, a reaccredited Ray Morton. Congratulations to everyone and thanks to Mavis for doing most of the driving coming back (I was hit with a cold just before we left and had a head full of cotton wool! But, being generous, I gave Mavis the cold as a regard.) Thanks also to Geraldton for making the commitment and being so welcoming.
Freeman Tony Lightman, Vice President & Director of Training
PQ: What does DOSE Adell Griffiths do in her ‘spare’ time?
Answer: She wins awards
Director of Special Events, Adell
Griffiths, recently had another of her many talents acknowledged with the Australian Publishers Association’s 2009 award for Excellence in Educational Publishing.
Adell is an enthusiastic member of two Rostrum clubs (15, 2230) who has also served on Dais for the last five years – four as Secretary and this year as Director of Special
Events. In her non-Rostrum life she is also passionate about her job as a classroom teacher and about learning. One of her passions in teaching is ‘Viewing’. “In today’s classrooms teaching viewing is about new times, new literacies helping children to be multi-literate where they engage in different text forms, spoken, written, printed and multimodal”, she says.
Viewing is something that Adell has loved all her teaching life, so she was delighted to be invited to co-write First Steps Viewing Map of Development and First Steps Viewing Resource Book with a team of experienced teachers. The project took two years to complete, and Adell was thrilled to receive the award.
THE AUSTRALIAN AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING 2009
Primary Teacher Reference Category Winner 2009 First Steps Viewing Map of Development
From all of us at Rostrum – Congratulations Adell!
Mat’s on a mission
A few years ago former Informer Editor and Club 15 member Mat Lane participated in the ‘World’s Greatest Shave’ and sacrificed his abundant curly locks for charity. This month he is donating his face to raising awareness about men’s health by growing a moustache for Movember. He feels strongly about this cause and welcomes your donation, which can be made by any of these methods:
Click this linkhttp://au.movember.com/mospace/129721/and donate online using your credit card or PayPal account
Write a cheque payable to Movember Foundation, referencing Mat’s registration number 129721 and mailing it to: Movember Foundation, PO Box 292, Prahran, VIC, 3181
Through the Movember Foundation and its men’s health partners, PCFA and beyond blue: the national depression initiative, Movember is funding world class research, educational and support programs which would otherwise not be possible.
For more details on the impact Movember is having please visit: http://au.movemberfoundation.com/research-and- programs.
Thanks to the Internet, it isn’t too late to donate.
Clubs 22 and 30 combine their strengths as Club 2230
After holding combined meetings this semester Clubs 22 and 30 have ‘tied the knot’ and created Northern Rostrum Club 2230. Many guests and members of Dais attended the first meeting of the new-old club on 15th November. Meetings are on Monday nights at the Glengarry Tavern, corner of Glengarry Drive and Warwick Road, Duncraig at 6.30pm. They also appreciate visitors (hint!)(Photo courtesy of Adell Griffiths)
