I read with interest Monday's front page and editorial in The West Australian focusing on Domestic Violence and the new education program, "Respectful Relationships", in schools being promoted by our valued partner, Starick. I encourage you to pick up the paper today and have a read.
Members of the Applecross Rotary Board have met recently with Starick to consider ways to further our support of this project locally. The message from Starick is clear: Domestic Violence remains a major scourge in our society and we need to educate from a young age to improve this across generations.
Support for victims of Domestic Violence is a key issue in our society and Applecross Rotary are well placed to help given our existing relationships. Promotional initiatives such as story boards at the Jacaranda Festival are already in the works. We look forward to further support of this program and of Starick's objectives.
In last week’s Advocate, President Tom congratulated PP Barry on finding the fantastic guest speakers we have had at recent breakfast meetings and for the work required to sustain this.
"Soon we will commence an online marketing push to promote Rotary locally and promote the good work we do, with the intention of attracting new members and volunteers. The quality of our breakfast meetings is critical to this and remains our best standing opportunity to welcome potential members to our club”, he said.
Well Barry, you did it again!
Elizabeth Connolly (call me Liz), originally from Cork, Ireland moved to Australia in 2008, leaving everything behind except her BSc (Hons) in Applied Biosciences and her accent. Liz began working with Lifeblood in 2014 as a Scientist and joined the Microbiome project (as a scientist) in 2019, before being appointed in the role of Microbiome Manager in 2020. At the beginning of 2023 she moved into a part-time role as a Microbiome Growth Partner and now works closely with clinicians on clinical trials and research for FMT.
FMT is shorthand for Faecal Microbiota Transplant, yes, the many bacteria, viruses, biophages and yeasts ('Microbiota') that populate the excrement ('Faecal') that most parents taught you to call “number 2”, that are going to be transplanted into another human, to save their life. No you didn’t misread this, FMT saves lives. And it’s not a new idea!
In the Bible, there is a reference to people eating and drinking their own waste (Isaiah 36:12).
According to Wikipedia, the first use of donor faeces as a therapeutic agent for food poisoning and diarrhoea was recorded in the Handbook of Emergency Medicine by a Chinese man, Hong Ge, in the 4th century. Twelve hundred years later, Ming dynasty physician Li Shizhen used "yellow soup" (aka "golden syrup") which contained fresh, dry or fermented faeces to treat abdominal diseases. "Yellow soup" was made of faecal matter and water, which was drunk by the person. The consumption of "fresh, warm camel faeces" has also been recommended by Bedouins as a remedy for bacterial dysentery.
And in Australia people who have very painful, potentially fatal dysentery caused by a bacterium called Clostridium difficiel, that is mostly resistant to a whole range of antibiotics, have been restored to health within a few days of receiving an FMT! Watch Kevin's story, only takes a few minutes.
Right now FMT is supplied as a frozen liquid, but is being trialled as an enema with good results. Liz took us through all the protocols that Lifeblood has established to ensure and reassure that the faecal donation is safe to use. But mental barriers remain - I think it’s because we were raised to call poo, number 2! Receiving FMT via an enema might be the answer.
URGENT. URGENT. URGENT! Pls Book for the 11 of Sept!
The numbers from our 4 local Clubs booked in for the District Gov’s combined dinner hosted by Attadale, as of the weekend, was only 12! Can we pls make a real effort and get behind this special DG local function.
Ineke Oliver is a true Rotary leader, and she will inform you that there is a lot going on as Rotary moves forward towards Regionalisation, and works on the rebuild of Rotary WA. As I keep telling my AG group, no Rotary club is an island and we are all in this together.
... just do it! RWA needs this support.
We have cancelled next weeks meeting in favour of the DG visit.
Confirmed extra financial support for JF23.
The Edge Apartment development in Applecross, and other places, has confirmed that it will be contributing $5,000 towards this years JacFest, and become our entertainment Sponsor. This will allow us to spend some more money on this vital event and community draw card and Murray has been busy seeking out street entertainers to add colour with street theatre. Hopefully we will have them on board for at least the JF24 as well.
New Storage Area for Club Assets.
Thanks to club Sponsor Greg Brindle of The Good Grocer, for allowing us to move all of the JacFest and Perth Makers Market infrastructure to his storage unit across the road from my unit in McCoy St, Myaree. Greg is a very generous supporter of Applecross Rotary, and this has certainly been a long awaited and cost saving outcome for the Club. Thanks to all of our hard working members who have both helped with the facility makeover and move into the new storage.
WE do need to look to the future for our assets, … in total almost $90k’s worth, as Greg can only say that this arrangement should be ok for the next 2 years.. we need to keep working on the City of Melville for a combined storage for ALL Community assets. Rob Willis, of Melville Rotary, is keen to keep the pressure up in this regard. For Applecross Rotary Board to discuss.
Valentin will be with us in 4 weeks time. Watch out, he’s going to keep us busy (all good!), so he tells us we had better "be prepared" ⚜️
Here’s his report.
Now the month of scouting is over and I can fully concentrate on my exchange. 🥳
We landed in Germany last night and were very happy to finally sleep in again. We got over the jet lag quite well and were able to reduce the large mountain of laundry with renewed energy.
The last four weeks in Korea have been very exciting and tense. It was a very formative time with many new people and other cultures.
We got to know and appreciate the Korean culture best on our two-week tour through Korea. My fondest memories are the incredible hospitality of the Korean people and the perfectly thought-out public transport systems. I'm curious how these will be in Perth. :)
After the Jamboree, we took the bus from the capital Seoul to the small town of Jeonju. There we were able to recharge our batteries for two days. But we still had enough energy to see a large traditional Korean Hanok village and a temple on the nearest mountain on the first day.
Arriving in Busan, a candidate city for the 2030 World Expo, we went straight to Busan Tower and saw the second largest city in Korea from above. After we traded our last badges with Swedish scouts at the parking lot, we went back to the hostel.
The next morning we took the bus to the artists' quarter, which was built as a refugee quarter during the Korean War. With many colorful and artistic houses, it radiates a lot of positive energy. The next day we arrived at the more remote ancient capital of Gyeongju, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the region around the city, which was a kingdom until the year 930, we explored the royal palace and much more in the incomparable Korean nature.
Finally we all went back to a campsite near YangYang and were able to set up our tents again. We spent the first whole day fishing in a small bay. In total we caught 12 smaller ones and grilled them.
Since we were by the sea, we enjoyed it so much. Afterwards we went to a very large nature park. At the highest peak, three Scouts have advanced to the next level. A very unique place for a promise celebration.
Then we hiked to a nearby waterfall and bathed in its pool. Since it had rained heavily in the evening, we were very happy to travel to Seoul the next day because everything was wet.
Once we got to the hostel and made our beds, our priority was drying our laundry. On the same evening we walked through the alleys of this very big city and let ourselves be fed by various street food stands. As a whole unit we visited the Royal Palace in the pouring rain on the morning of August 23rd. Temples were always very interesting to see. In the afternoon we went to the large National Museum. It was a small but good insight into Korean history and culture. The next day we continued with the history of Korea. We did a guided tour to the DMZ. For all of us it was a very interesting day with a lot of Korean history, which continues to this day. Unfortunately, our guide confirms that the relationship with North Korea is worse than it has been for a long time.
Because a few participants were picked up by their parents the next day, we went to a Korean BBQ restaurant and then to a karaoke bar to have one last great night together. After that day we all fell into bed very exhausted.
We started the last whole day in Korea very relaxed and happened to get on a train and got off random after a few stops. We ended up in a neighborhood we probably wouldn't have gone to normally. A very great experience.
And then the month in Korea was over. I had many new experiences, and got to know and appreciate many new people.
RYLA is an intensive eight-day program designed for 18-28 year olds with leadership potential and a commitment to community service. The program is a unique opportunity aimed to bring participants out of their comfort zone and challenge them to think outside the square while actively using and building on their existing skills and knowledge.
RYLA includes seminars, workshops, physical activities and team games relating to areas including Communication and Public Speaking, Leadership, Team Work and Group Dynamics, Problem Solving and Decision Making, Goal Setting, Time Management and Self Awareness and Emotional Intelligence.
All applications must include the name of their sponsoring Rotary Club, and we expect that applicants have contacted their local Rotary Club to arrange sponsorship prior to submitting the form. The RYLA Committee will assist to put applicants in touch with a Rotary Club - so please be prepared!
Applicants are interviewed prior to acceptance onto RYLA. Successful applicants will have the energy, commitment and motivation to develop their leadership potential and be willing to challenge themselves physically and mentally over the course of the program.
Please note: Applicants who have come to us via a Rotary Club will receive priority acceptance onto the program.
RYLA is held at the Serpentine Camping Centre from Saturday 6th January – Saturday 13th January 2024.
Rotary Club Sponsorship for a RYLA participant is $920, and the participant contribution is $250. This includes all activities, accommodation and meals for the week.
Craig having held several Board and Presidential positions with both Non for Profit Associations and Private Companies, he brings a range of experiences to contribute to his role as a Justice of the Peace for the wider community.
