Stories

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and acknowledged that the meeting was being held on the lands of the traditional custodians, the Wurundjeri-Woiwurrung People of the Kulin Nation, and paid respect to their elders, past, present and emerging. Given that the next day is the 26th of January, John pointed out that while this date is celebrated by many as Australia Day it is also recognised as a day of sorrow and mourning by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders given the tragic consequences of the colonisation of their lands for their people over the last 225 years.

John then handed the microphone on to Julian who welcomed all of those in the room (14) and on the zoom screen (8) to the meeting, and wished everyone a Happy Lunar New Year (Year of the Roabbit).

Further points to note:

Guest Speaker – Dr Tiffani Howell, Senior Research Fellow in the School of Psychology and Public Health at La Trobe University.

Tiffini recently completed a four year study funded by the Commonwealth Department of Veterans’ Affairs, to understand the effectiveness of assistance dogs as an adjunct to treatment for veterans with PTSD.

Tiffani began by clarifying the definition of an assistance animal (usually a dog...there is one assistance cat on the books in Queensland!)

This will be the second year, Rotary has teamed up with none other than the St Kilda Football Club to create a fun-filled morning for all ages including four-legged friends. Join us for a “Footy walk” through Gardiners Creek Reserve, where you can practice your footy skills, have some fun and win prizes at the various “AFL Activity Stations” around the course. After the walk we invite all kids aged 8-12 years to join in on our football clinic hosted by real life St Kilda players.

This event is all about good mental health. That’s why 100% of money raised will contribute to a 3.5year scholarship for a mental health researcher at a Victorian University.

​This donation is dedicated to the late St Kilda player Danny 'Spud' Frawley who battled with mental illness and tragically lost his life in 2019.