National Council of Women of NSW NEWSLETTER
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National Council of Women of NSW NEWSLETTER November 2017 No 252 A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Don’t forget to register to attend our first event for 2018 – “Celebrate Being an Aus- Thank you very much for the opportunity to tralian” Australia Day Luncheon at Parlia- be your President for the next twelve months. ment House. This is always a very popular With this role comes responsibility and I as- and exciting event and you are urged to sure you I will carry out my duties as Presi- purchase your “Early Bird” ticket as soon dent to the best of my ability. A big thank as they become available. The calibre of you must go to my fellow office bearers for Award recipients is always outstanding. taking on their roles for another twelve I look forward to catching up with many of months – Tricia Graham, Sally Fennel, Cas- you during the next 12 months. In the sandra Allan, Nola Barkl, Marlene Arditto, meantime, I wish you all a Festive Season Sheila Turnbull and Julie Morris. I trust that filled with much love and laughter as well 2017-18 will be a very enjoyable year for us as family togetherness. all. Annie Kiefer In September I attended the ACCAN Confer- ence held over two days at the UTS. This organisation oversees the present and future WELCOME TO THE NEW of telecommunications in NSW and looks at EXECUTIVE 2017-2018 bettering our networks. A brief overview is on p.6. Also in September, I attended an NBN President Annie Kiefer Broadband Stakeholder meeting where the Vice Presidents Sally Fennell new rollout plans were discussed. Cassandra Allan Hon Secretary Marlene Arditto INSIDE THIS ISSUE Nola Barkl, Michelle Pedersen, Julie Morris Hon Treasurer Nola Barkl AM and myself met with representatives from the Individual Members’ Syrian Community Association to discuss, Representative Sheila Turnbull among other things, any problems the Syrian State Coordinator of * Photos and Foundation Day 2 refugees may have as well as looking at Standing Committees report ways to ensure their smooth transition to life Julie Morris * Australia Day Luncheon in Australia. Immediate Past President * Dame Marie Bashir Peace 3 In early October, Sally and Nola attended Tricia Graham Awards Presentation and enjoyed Morning Tea in the Sukkah at DELEGATES REPRESENTING The Great Synagogue and, with Nola and AFFILIATED ORGANISATIONS * Awards Presentation 4 Sally, I attended the National Council of Jew- continued ish Women of NSW Birthing Kit Packing Day Australian Federation of Graduate * Group photo Awardees/HCs where over 1,000 kits were packed in just Women - NSW Inc. one morning. Dr Jane Baker * Photos of Awardees & HCs 5 At our recent Members and Friends Morning Girl Guides NSW & ACT Margaret Wood * ACCAN Conference ACCANet 6 Tea held in “The Upper Room” at the Wesley * Young Women sub-committee Centre in Pitt Street, there were fifteen pre- National Council of Jewish Women Aust. sent. Please consider attending this friendly NSW * Christmas Celebrations 30 6 get-together. Maxine Bachmayer November at Council Meeting Quota International of Sydney During my spare time I read the newspapers, Judith Townsend * Report on Housing—Dr Anne 7 magazines and journals for 2rph – Radio for Sheehan, Adviser Habitat SCEGGS Darlinghurst OGU the Print Handicapped – whose slogan is Anne Cogswell “Lend Us Your Ears and We’ll Bring You the ENCLOSED : Soroptimist International - Region NSW Booking Form: World”. Doreen Todd Celebrate Being an Australian Please note that we now have an NCW NSW The Women's Auxiliary of Sydney Australia Day Luncheon, Young Women’s Group. Cassandra Allan Wednesday 24 January 2018 Legacy has been asked to liaise between the NCW Sari Browne OAM JP NSW Executive and the new sub-committee. * Dates for Your Diary 8 Women Lawyers Association of NSW Inc. This is an exciting development for our Coun- Janet Coombs AM cil and we look forward to hearing about their NADENE ALHADEFF FOUNDATION DAY LUNCHEON with her Nominator Maxine Bachmayer, Director, National This year's Foundation Day Luncheon on 9 August Council of Jewish Women of Australia 2017 commemorated 121 years since the National NSW Council of Women was founded and was an op- portunity for members to re-dedicate themselves to encouraging others to work for advancing the (photo left L to R) cause of women and young people. Unfortunately, our patron, Mrs Linda Hurley, wife of His Excellen- MARGARET cy General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC BLOMFIELD (Ret’d) Governor of New South Wales, was unable with Sally Fennell to attend but a message of congratulations was and Nominator, read by Vice-President Cassandra Allan. Helen Cook, President It was a most enjoyable occasion, held in the ele- CWLA of Sydney gantly decorated Cello's restaurant at the Castle- reagh Boutique Hotel, 169 Castlereagh Street, (photo right L to R) Sydney. The repast was delicious and the Guest Speaker, Kim Boettcher, presented those present ROS BRENNAN with food for thought. She spoke about the Seniors with friends Rights Service which is a community legal service representing for older people. She particularly highlighted the Nominator problematic area of elder abuse which affects at Sari Browne least 5% of older Australians. For further infor- OAM JP mation about this service, visit the website http:// (in absentia) seniorsrightsservice.org.au (photo left R to L) A highlight was the presentation of Recognition BARBARA Awards to four women who have volunteered their CLARK time tirelessly for the community: with her Nom- Nadene Alhadeff was nominated by Maxine Bach- inator Anne mayer, Director of the National Council of Jewish Ball Women of Australia – NSW. representing Margaret Blomfield was nominated by Helen Presbyterian Cook, President of the Catholic Women's League WA of Aust. Archdiocese of Sydney. In NSW Rosalind Brennan was nominated by Sari Browne OAM JP, member of The Great Synagogue Wom- “Celebrate Being an Australian” en's Auxiliary. AUSTRALIA DAY LUNCHEON Barbara Clark was nominated by Anne Ball, rep- resenting the Presbyterian Women's Association of Australia in NSW. Strangers’ Dining Room Details of their involvement in the Profiles Booklet Parliament House distributed at the luncheon make fascinating read- Macquarie Street, Sydney ing and demonstrate what worthy awardees they are. Wednesday 24 January 2018 12.00 noon for 12.30pm Thanks go to all who attended. President Tricia Graham, cruising through the Panama Canal at the time of the luncheon, sent her regrets at not being able to join us. She was well represented by Vice- Early Bird Bookings by 1 Dec 2017 $100 pp Presidents, Sally Fennell and Cassandra Allan. Additional thanks to the dedicated members of Later Bookings by 8 Jan 2018 $115 pp NCW NSW who organised the luncheon, particu- larly Mrs Nola Barkl, and our volunteer photogra- . pher, Michael Mannington. SEPARATE BOOKING FORM ENCLOSED also available at www.ncwnsw.org.au Photographs are available on his website http://volunteerphotography.org NCW NSW’S DAME MARIE BASHIR PEACE AWARDS 2017 Presented by Professor Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO Parliament House, Monday 25 September For the 8th Annual Presentation of these awards at NSW Parliament House, Professor the Honorable Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO presented 8 Awards ($250) and 4 Highly Commended Certificates to an impressive group of young women, 3 of whom were in Year 11 and 9 in Year 12. These 17 and 18 year olds came from a range of schools across the State, from Ulladulla to Woolgoolga, Mudgee to Taree, and represented the diversity of ethnic origins which charac- terizes NSW today. It was clear that they were united by a common purpose to be an agent for Peace and to make their schools and communities a more harmonious place. They were supported by their nominating Principals or representa- tives, as well as their family members and, in some cases, the Members of Parliament for their electorates. Our Parlia- mentary Host for the occasion was Ms Felicity Wilson MP, standing in for Mrs Leslie Williams MP who had been called away to other parliamentary duties. To select a small handful from the scores of nominations is a challenging task for the judges. Principals were invited to nominate just one of their students from Year 10, 11 or 12 with Reasons for Nomination and a Statement from the nomi- nee herself. The award winners were those who had impressed the judges by their initiative in instigating actions and taking responsibility for making a difference. The recipients were introduced to the assembled gathering by Carolyn Blanden, Awards Committee member, to receive their Certificates and to relate to the audience what they had done to foster harmonious relationships and peace. Here is a brief outline of what these students have undertaken. It is necessarily in alphabetical order as it is impossible to rank these impressive achievements. The 8 Awardees were: RUBY HARTLEY – Year 11 Kirrawee High School When Ruby was in Year 9, her best friend, Brianna Johnsen, passed away following a courageous two-year battle with leukaemia and resultant diseases. Motivated by the patients, their parents and carers whom she saw when visiting the oncology ward, Ruby took up a proposal to help fundraise for a charity, Light the Night, which raised money for blood cancer research. She then brought the idea to a more personal one and, having a leadership position in her school’s Social Justice Council, she established ‘Brianna Day’ as a means of honouring Brianna and her memory. The response from the school community has made ‘Brianna Day’ an annual event, all proceeds going to Brianna’s charity, created by her family. RACHAEL KNIGHT-DERKOWSKI – Year 11 Ulladulla High School When Rachael saw her peers ‘laughing off’ confrontations with bullying—cyber, physical and verbal—or bottling up their emotions, she was chal- lenged to subtly stand up for those she could see were badly affected and wanted to help create a supportive environment.