26th November Meeting

Chair
Alf

International Toast
Norm proposed a toast to the Rotary Club of Malawi formally North Rhodesia.  Last Tuesday was World Toilet Day, a red letter day for the 120 member Club with their major focus on water and sanitation projects.

Visitors
Welcome to Helen’s guest Chris Brittain
Alf’s guest Rick Petersen
May Brain
Sue Mϋller and
Jan Conti from RC Darwin Sunrise

Guest speaker Karen McCord from Meridan State College to be introduced later
Karen was accompanied by School Chaplain Kelly Davis

Apologies
Stuart, Pam and the Strongs

Makeups
Genta had a Skype meeting with Eric Wood and Fumi about Gizo
Deb and Helen had a meeting in Maleny
and of course the Sea Princess visit.

Presidents Report
Deborah thanked Darryl for our most enjoyable visit to the Sea Princess.
The list was sent round for workers at the Carols on Kings BBQ on Sunday 22 Dec.
Deborah has completed an Energex grant application for $15,000 to co-fund works for the refrigeration revamp at Gateway Care.

Speaker
Alan introduced Karen McCord, the Senior School Principal at Meridan State College to speak on “The Challenges of Modern Education”, and School Chaplain Kelly Davis.

Karen’s biggest challenge is the “social stuff” behind the scenes.

She showed a presentation of the awards for their second batch of year 12’s, followed by enough pie charts to stock a reasonably sized lunch shop.  The take home message was that the School keeps a close watch around the statistics of where their students go after school, and the working lifestyles necessary to fund their education.  An example would be for the need to gain hospitality skills for part time work while at University.

The school has high scholastic achievement with over 80% of year 12’s achieving OPs between 1 and 15.  They have high expectations for personal responsibility and commitment.

Stepping up from pie charts to a triangular diagram, Karen discussed Maslov’s Hierarchy of Needs.  Basic requirements for survival, food, and love & longing need to be met before the higher order needs of esteem and self actualization can be realized.

Rules, routines and habits need to be in place as the teenage brain “reboots”

Generation Z needs to be understood:

• They have only known a world full of technology
• They have little concern for privacy
• They are collaborative and creative
• They multi task, but “do nothing well”
• They expect instant gratification
• They lack exercise
• They have short attention spans

Challenges fall into two categories:

• Character driven, around student engagement and delivery of the curriculum
• Socially driven, around family circumstances, financial hardship and mental health

Current issues in the school are five students in shelters, two recent attempted suicides, 20 with depression/mental health issues, and ten in financial hardship.  Approximately 30% of students have issues around “dealing with life”

How do they cope?

• Amazing support staff
• Year co-ordinators
• Chappy
• Nurse
• Guidance staff
• Youth Support
• SB Police
• Community organizations - Salvation Army and Re Connect

Kelly discussed the programs running at the school:

• Mentoring
• Building Bridges
• Rock and Water
• Youth Groups
• Leadership Camps
• Caring for our Community
• Youth Excel

Directors 
Alan is co-ordinating the Carols on Kings roster
Helen reminded us of the Sydney Convention 1st June 2014
Alan reported success with a $2,000 Council grant for RYDA and $1,500 through our Councillor,  Caboolture schools now coming on board
Genta needs a truck to transport desks and paper/pencil packages.

Hi All
The following is the rental agreement for us from Fleet Hire.  $32.00 for the 24 hour rental!  They are such good corporate citizens. Date is Tuesday 3rd December
Iain will collect the truck and together with Genta and Iain's own truck, fingers crossed we will have space enough for all the desks/chairs.
Helen

Fines were postponed till next week but we paid up anyway

Next week
Cilla Kambona “Touring in Tanzania”
Chair Pauline, Desk John and Introduction by Helen