Aysa ran though the days events - the first was good in terms of meeting her watch leaders and team-mates. It all became a bit ugly when the sea got rough and sea sickness and sleep deprivation prevailed..The night shift was chilly. But day 2 was a big improvement as the seas became calmer. There were a range of strict rules and others designed to improve awareness eg funny penalties for losing things.Teaching on day 2 included plenty of maritime skills (including taking the helm), emphasis on teamwork, helping out in the galley, enforcement of safety procedures, and creative activties.....a big plus. Day 3 on Kangaroo Island was a hoot with plenty of fun activity - Aysa's favourite was making a sand sculpture which was adjudged the best. Day 4 was big fish day... a massive whale and plenty of sea lions. Her watch won the egg dropping contest and Aysa clambered out over the bow onto the safety netting which was a testing experience. More fun was had with identifying parts of the ship.
Christina Way provided an insight into the life of Rob Freak gained through discussions with him. Rob was born in 1946 in Colonel Light Gardens and had a sister. His dad was a shift worker and his mum was artistically inclined. He was a sport addict, starting with gym and judo as a young lad and then progressed to basketball which he played 5 times a week in his teens.He graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work at Uni SA and became a tutor of aboriginal kids. He went on to become the Director of Marriage Guidance.
Patsy Beckett was on fire:
By Jeffrey Walsh, Rotary Club of Bloomington-Normal Sunrise, Illinois, USA
Iam a former Army medic and a returned Peace Corps volunteer. I joined Rotary recently, and I am excited to be part of an organization that is working to eradicate polio. I would love nothing more than to help achieve our top priority by entering combat zones and going to distant countries.
As a medic and pharmacy technician in the Army Medical Corps for eight years, I handed out hundreds of medications and vaccinated people against many diseases. I administered the anthrax vaccine in Korea, Kuwait, and Kansas in the 1990s. I have also lived in and near malaria-ridden areas around the world. I fully appreciate and applaud my club’s tireless work, partially funded by global grants, to prevent the spread of malaria by distributing bed nets.
24 October is special to me for two reasons. First, it is World Polio Day. But it is also United Nations Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the UN charter. I was fortunate to serve as a volunteer for the United Nations in two capacities: I taught Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw, Poland, for UNICEF, and I volunteered virtually for Dignified Children International in Kenya.
The two celebratory days fit hand in glove. Rotary has a long affiliation with the United Nations, and each organization works toward eradicating polio. The United Nations has Sustainable Development Goal Three, which focuses on good health and well-being. Rotary, of course, has disease prevention as an area of focus and makes polio eradication its top priority.
Our club has a tradition of honoring every guest presenter with a donation toward Rotary’s polio eradication effort. Each donation is enough to cover the cost of 10 polio vaccines. Recently we had a speaker whose story was very motivating. Barbara Singer is from Oak Lawn, Illinois, USA, and contracted polio as a child. She talked about being sponsored by Easter Seals in 1960, and about her difficulties navigating buildings in the days before ramps and automatic doors became commonplace. As an adult, she has full mobility and works as a credit analyst. Stories from polio survivors are particularly great to share as World Polio Day approaches.
My Rotary journey has been both interesting and productive. Shortly after I joined in March, I made a trip to Rotary International’s World Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA. As I walked in the front door, I was greeted with the bold declaration: “We are problem solvers, opportunity creators, and community builders. We are also neighbors, friends, and leaders.” I couldn’t agree more.
Thank you, Rotary – and my fellow Rotary members – for allowing me to be a part of it all. From now on, 24 October will always be a special day for me. This year, I plan to mark the day by joining Rotary’s PolioPlus Society. How are you participating in this special day?
Jeffrey Walsh joined the Rotary Club of Bloomington-Normal Sunrise in March. He works at the University of Illinois 4H Extension at the Unity Community Center after-school program for disadvantaged youth. He received his master’s degree at Illinois State University last year at age 60. Walsh was in the Applied Community and Economic Development (ACED) program as a Political Science major.
