Current Activity
Highlights 2024-2025
Chair: PP PHF Marcus Adams
Team: PP PHF Gloria Hargreaves, Kerith Cummins, Lyn Beckwith, PP PHF Ian Wakefield, Ali Bowyer
What has Youth achieved in this year?
- Throughout, Breakfast Club has continued at the Emerald Secondary College with several of our members attending the 8am morning gathering of students for a hot chocolate, toast and/or chat in a warm and safe environment.Firstly, thanks to our committed members for continuing to support this program.Additional thanks to Gayle and Catherine for livening BC up late last year when it was starting to feel a bit like a slog.This calendar year we have been in a new venue on a new day (Wednesdays and Fridays) which I believe has reignited some life into this program, and also enhanced the opportunities for Interact (referred to below) to get off the ground.There will also be a new A-frame signage board promoting Breakfast Club that our Club is providing.
- Throughout, Emerald Primary School EarlyAct has continued to thrive.Kerith and Ali have been fantastic with the support of Principal Emma, Hollie Boniface, Ben Kolb and Jaquie Forsythe.Some of their adventures included:
- Having 23 members last year and 38 (WOW!!!) this year;
- Running their own meetings;
- Collecting recycled cans to raise money for a water fountain in the school oval – achieved with over $1,000 raised;
- In September, the Wheelathon took place at Emerald PS involving all students and raising $4,696 allowing the purchase of 17 wheelchairs including the 2 given by our Club for Wheelchairs for Kids;
- Many of the EarlyActors attending our Club meetings and presenting about who they are, why they are involved and what they are achieving;
- Fundraising at the EPS Fair for UNISEF;
- Fundraising at the Ukelele Festival held at EPS for the water fountain;
- Visiting first responders with cookies and letters of appreciation;
- And much more!!
- In July, David Clowes attended RYLA and was awesome.Emma and I attended the graduation dinner (with me somehow in front of everyone having to debate David) and Kelly and Andrew attended his graduation. David later spoke to our Club and was clearly appreciative and inspired – I believe he potentially could join our Club.
- On 25 July our Club through the commitment of Gloria, and with Hita Mistry, Kristine Ash, Ian Wakefield and me from our Club, Lisa Palmer, mental health therapist and Rotarians John Coleman from Monbulk and Wayne McKenzie from Belgrave, helda Mental Health Forum for adolescents called Talkin It Up, A Mental Wellbeing Forum for Youth at St Marks and hopefully this made a positive difference to many.It was an inspiring evening and there will be a separate report from Gloria.
- MUNA took place at Lyndale High School on Saturday 17 August.Ken, Gloria and Lyn attended.Regrettably, the Team from ESC withdrew and following a request from the MUNA Committee, our club sponsored Lizzy and Bethanny from Our Lady of Sion College, Box Hill with Indonesia being their nominated country.
- On 29 October, Gloria and her team ran another exceptional Primary School Speech Contest held at Emerald Primary School with the governance of our Toastmaster friends.Lorna Shaw was again an outstanding judge!
- Also in October, Anna and I attended the Emerald Art Society to present the junior art awards.
- In November, I attended the Emerald Secondary College Valedictory to present Citizenship watches to year 12 students Jack Scalora and Keilah Dewar. I have been quite blessed over the last 3 years giving these awards as I have had significant involvement with every awardee, and the same this year as I played football with Jack’s father and coached him during his juniors, and I was Keilah’s Year 12 mentor.
- In December, it was primary school citizenship award time and Gloria and Ali attended Cockatoo’s graduation, Kerith Emerald’s, Ian Wakefield Gembrook’s, Lyn Macclesfield and Gloria Menzies Creek’s.
- In December, our Club presented for the second time a $200 music voucher at Emerald Secondary College’s Presentation Night.
- Andrew, Ian Ash, Amber, Tina and I continued mentoring five of the year 12 leaders of the Emerald Secondary College to the end of their exams.Whilst I have discussed the continuation of this program with ESC, at this stage the mentor program has not got up and running this year, but I am optimistic it will.
- In April ESC principal James Barut presented to our Club and had a very constructive meeting with the youth committee beforehand.
- Our Club contributed $1,350 to the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) Program, and on 29 April it was held at the Emerald Secondary College with about 70 students participating. Thanks to Gloria, Ian Wakefield, Shalini, Vicki, Lyn and Chris Mcleod for attending.
- In May our Club donated $1,500 to the Emerald Junior Football Club towards just over half the cost outlay of the Football Club for the installation of a water fountain at the Worrell Reserve.
- In June our Club provided music scholarships of $300 each for 2 ESC students.
Going Forward
At the time of writing this report, the following are in the pipeline:
- Our Club through the leadership of Gloria is again making plans for the Primary School Speech Contest to be held later this year.
- Our Club had committed to sponsoring a primary aged student from Ramingining in East Arnhem Land of the Northern Territory for $1,500 in partnership with Cockatoo Primary School, however this event unfortunately did not happen.
- Our Club continues to engage with Emerald Secondary College to:
- establish an Interact Club with Melinda to supervise and Catherine to assist her, and potentially Ben Carter and Felicity Wooden as the College’s representatives;
- investigate whether the left-over funds from the Kitchen Garden can be allocated elsewhere.
- Our Club continues to engage with Cockatoo Primary School to establish an EarlyAct Club with Gloria to supervise and Lyn to assist her.Possibly other local Primary Schools are about to become involved to.
As you will have read, youth is a busy and fulfilling portfolio of our Club, and I am very proud of the work of the committee this year, and the support from President Kelly and the Board. Our Club achieves an incredible amount in the youth portfolio due mainly as a result of the hardworking fundraising of our Club members every year – thank you to everyone. Finally, I am very pleased to hand over to Gloria as Youth Chair for the next Rotary year, who will no doubt keep the youth of our area well supported!
PP PHF Marcus Adams
Chair - Youth Committee
