Serving the Community since 1985

In Gear
2018—2019

ROTARY CLUB OF BEAUMARIS WEEKLY BULLETIN Number 28 27 January 2019

Next Meetings
President’s Report
THURSDAY 30 JANUARY
SPEAKER: RICHARD POTTER
NEW MEMBER TALK
CHAIR: FRED HOFMANN
AV SUPPORT: BRIDGET HAGE
CASH DESK: KERRIE GEARD, JAMES GLENWRIGHT
HOST: MARY SEALY

THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY
JOINT MEETING WITH NORTH BRIGHTON ROTARY
SPEAKERS: PROFESSOR VICKY KARALIS AND BEN
FRANCISCELLI A, PALAENTOLOGIST AT
MUSEUMS VICTORIA
TOPIC: BAYSIDE FOSSILS

NOTE: 6.00 FOR 6.30

ROYAL BRIGHTON YACHT CLUB
253 ESPLANADE, BRIGHTON VIC 3186

THURSDAY 13 FEBRUARY
SPEAKER: DEBBY CHAVES
TOPIC: SCHOOL DROP OUT LAUNCH
CHAIR: BRIDGET HAGE
AV SUPPORT: JOHN MANKS
CASH DESK: CHARMAINE JANSZ, MEGAN GLENWRIGHT
This week I will be brief as I sent a special email on our re- HOST: JOHN SIME
sponse to the bush fire crisis and wrote a long report last
week.
We officially opened Rotary 2020 at VGC with a big turn up of
52, of whom 5 were guests finding out more about Rotary. We
inducted Jeanette Limbach into the club taking our member-
ship to what I believe is an historic high of 50. Our guest
speakers were Konrad and Mimi Ermert who have founded
Aphasia Victoria as a result of Mimi's own experience with Generally you can find out more about our upcoming
Aphasia. They gave a very professional presentation which speakers, including Bios, in the Club Calendar
on our website.
has created a move within the club to do something substantial
to help this cause. We will consider this at the next board Unless stated otherwise venue is
meeting, so please let Board members know your thoughts! Victoria Golf Club 6.30 for 7.00

The second Black Rock farmers market at Royal Parade was Contents
held on a beautiful day but it was not without its watery chal-
1 Presidents Report
lenges, as early on, a rusty Fire hydrant was accidently 2 Notices
knocked by a car and a geyser of water erupted. The stalls 3/5 This Week’s Speakers
nearest the Council Offices were quickly inundated with water. 6/7 Club Sponsors
Soon the whole market was surrounded by inches of water. 8 Club Structure / Photo of Week
The marketeers went into action quickly and within an hour the
R OT AR Y C L U B OF BE AU M AR IS B U L L ET IN – SER VIN G T H E COM M U N IT Y SINC E 1985

water was turned off and South Eastern Water had men Exchange Student Update
working to replace the Hydrant. Luckily this occurred early Below is an e-mail received by PP David Greenall, from
as the crowds were starting to arrive when I finished my Louise Pierres who spent 12 months in with us in 2010
shift at 10.30. While the surrounding waters were reced- hosted by the Sawles and previous members the McAlan-
ing fast allowing people to enter normally. eys, also Sandringham Club members. PP.Heather
It is salutary to note that this event was not one we had in Chisholm ran the programme, which including sending an
our risk assessment. I know the marketeers work on the exchange student, Catie Kavanagh to Japan.
motto of be prepared! Hi David.
This week we meet again at VGC with Richard Potter be- For the update, I have finish my studies in the university of
ing our guest speaker giving a new member’s talk. Toulouse (in the south west of France), I'm specialize on
prehistoric art.#
David Hone I'm now running a small museum in the Lot (I can give
you the website, https://www.maisondupiage.fr/
welcome/ ).
My family have very grown seens ten years, I'm now a
happy aunt of three nephew from my brothers, Léonard
(4years old), Raphaël (2 years old) and Zélie (8 months)
I am living in a beautifull region and I'm involve in devel-
oping the culture in my town, working for developing ani-
Black Rock Farmers Market Report mations and festivals.
There were 32 stalls at Black Rock Farmers Market on I'm working also on some archeological publications and
Saturday, with some RFM stallholders again electing to maybe a small scientific book.
attend farmers markets in holiday destinations such as
I send you a few photos if you want.
Phillip Island and Inverloch.
# Masters in Archaeology
Despite the fine weather conditions for our second bush
fire appeal farmers market, visitor numbers were moderate
and our proceeds from the gate were only slightly higher
consequently less than the December market. The holiday
long weekend, the fast approaching end of the summer
school holidays, and wallets that may have been over-
exercised during the festive season, might all have been
contributing factors to the outcome. The the market atmos-
phere was very convivial as always.
I expect that once normal household routines recom-
mence, that visitor and stall holder numbers will increase,
and we can exploit the full potential of this excellent site.
Many thanks to those Beaumaris Rotarians who took the
time to contribute on the day.
Mark Perelaer

Page 2
R OT AR Y C L U B OF BE AU M AR IS B U L L ET IN –
Speakers Konrad & Mimi Ermert
Aphasia Victoria
After graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in
1962 Konrad studied electronic engineering at RMIT. He had
operational service in Vietnam. After further studies in UK he
was MSc in Guided Weapons Systems.
In1990 he retired from the Australian Army in the rank of Briga- sia.
dier. With his wife, Mimi, he set up an engineering consultancy
and advised government departments on hospital energy ser-
vices. Konrad was subsequently appointed a non-executive
director and chairman of an engineering consulting group.
He served as a committee member and then Chairman of the
Victorian Division of the Institution of Engineers, Australia. In
1991 Konrad was appointed as a part-time member of the Com-  Social situations
monwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal and served as a
presiding member until 2017.
Konrad and Mimi have been happily married since 1965 and
have two children and four grandchildren. They are keen trav-
ellers, in Australia and overseas.
After Mimi’s stroke in 2013 they helped establish Aphasia Vic-
SER VIN G T H E COM M U N IT Y SINC E 1985
toria, a group dedicated to supporting the needs of those whose
lives are affected by aphasia.
Mimi is a trained nurse. She completed her Post Grad qualifi-
cations in Theatre Operating techniques. After 30 years prac-
tising as a Senior Nurse and Charge Sister throughout the
country, she had a Sea Change. Mimi attended courses to
become a Director and Company Secretary of their company
for another 10 years; concurrently playing golf.
She finally retired from their company to the golf course, stud-
ied the Rules of Golf, becoming a Club Referee. As an A grade
golfer, Mimi was involved with Pennant, and 4 years on the
Women’s Committee as Secretary.
In 2013 Mimi had her stroke. Although Mimi regained her physi-
cal abilities, she was left with a condition called Aphasia, which
is the subject of tonight’s talk.
WHAT IS APHASIA?
Aphasia [ a-fay-shuh ] is a communication difficulty caused
by brain injury. It can also be called ‘dysphasia’.
Aphasia is a language difficulty caused by injury to the brain
(usually stroke). Aphasia can also be caused by other neurolog-
ical disorders affecting the part of the brain that is important for
language eg. tumours, aneurysms, head injuries. There are
also progressive forms of aphasia.
Imagine waking one day to find you could not speak or under-
stand what was being said to you, read the paper or even write
your name, but you are thinking normally! How frustrating would
it be to have your communication suddenly taken away?
This is the experience of people with APHASIA.
There are over 120,000 Australians who are affected by apha-
People with aphasia may have difficulty with:
 Talking
 Understanding what others say
 Reading
Writing
Aphasia can vary in type and severity.
How aphasia affects people’s lives
Language forms the basis of most things we do. Many practical
Page 3
R OT AR Y C L U B OF BE AU M AR IS B U L L ET IN – SER VIN G T H E COM M U N IT Y SINC E 1985

tasks can be difficult for someone with aphasia, such as: stay optimistic and never give up, while also being realistic
about recovery.
 Talking to friends and family
 Ordering food in a cafe
Tips for communicating with someone who has aphasia
 Watching a movie
 Talking to the doctor
To help understanding:
 Understanding explanations or instructions
 Reduce background noise (turn off radio/TV)
 Making a phone call
 Gain the person’s attention
 Checking and pay bills
 Maintain eye contact
 Filling in forms
 Talk in short, simple sentences
 Using cash or using an ATM
 Use gesture
 Making appointments
 Use a normal adult tone of voice
 Following recipes
 Write down key words
 Following maps and signs
 Don’t jump from topic to topic
 Buying tickets and using public transport
Be specific
Reading a book for pleasure

To help them get their message across:

Ongoing difficulties
 Ask questions that can be answered with a yes or no re-
Sadly, aphasia often masks a person’s intelligence and ability to sponse.
communicate their thoughts and feelings.
You can liken aphasia to when you are in a foreign country and
 Be patient and allow them time to communicate!
you cannot understand their language, and cannot express  Encourage the person to point to the item they want, use
yourself in their language . . . this is what it is like for people gesture, use drawing, write it down, use their communication
with aphasia – they are still competent people who may be una- aid, picture board or photos to show what they want to say.
ble to show that competency.
 Ask what the first letter of the word is, or if they can spell
Using gesture and facial expression and other non-verbal ways the word, or if they can visualise it.
to communicate become important, but can be very frustrating.
 Repeat back what you’ve understood.
Aphasia can affect relationships and self-identity. It can take a
long time to adjust to the changes, deal with grief, loss of lan- Acknowledge that they are a competent person and they know
guage, changing roles and possibly changing careers. Previ- what they want to say but can’t say it!
ously outgoing people can become withdrawn and de-
pressed. People with aphasia require ongoing support and To find out more about Aphasia go to:
friendship to deal with these changes.
https://www.aphasiavic.org.au/

Rehabilitation and recovery A leaflet has been circulated with this copy of In Gear.
There are no existing medications or therapies that can cure
aphasia. People with aphasia often get help from a Speech
Pathologist. They can help a person relearn communication
skills and find other ways to communicate.
No-one can tell how long recovery will take after a brain injury.
Recovery can depend on: the location and size of brain injury,
age, therapy and motivation.
Recovery is usually quickest in the first 6 months but can con-
tinue for many years. Everyone is different – it is important to

Page 4
R OT AR Y C L U B OF BE AU M AR IS B U L L ET IN – SER VIN G T H E COM M U N IT Y SINC E 1985

Mimi spoke about the great benefits that she found in using the VoiceOver is a standard feature of all Apple phones and tablets
Apple VoiceOver app on a tablet. and is accessed via
While intended primarily for the vision impaired the apps capa- Settings>General>Accessibility>VoiceOver
bilities have also proven beneficial for people with aphasia.
More details of the app may be found at:
https://www.apple.com/au/accessibility/iphone/vision/

Page 5
R OT AR Y C L U B OF BE AU M AR IS B U L L ET IN – SER VIN G T H E COM M U N IT Y SINC E 1985

Page 6
R OT AR Y C L U B OF BE AU M AR IS B U L L ET IN – SER VIN G T H E COM M U N IT Y SINC E 1985

Page 7
R OT AR Y C L U B OF BE AU M AR IS B U L L ET IN – SER VIN G T H E COM M U N IT Y SINC E 1985

RCOB Board Membership, Marketing & Media - Chair James Glenwright

President David Hone Peter Flude Megan Glenwright
Secretary Trish Smyth Greg Every Mark Perelaer
Treasurer Lynda Doutch Mary Sealy Malcolm Sawle
Club Service & President Elect Adrian Culshaw Martin Fothergill
Adrian Culshaw Max Darby
Past President Heather Chisholm Club Service & Administration
Community Roy Downes Almoner Mary Sealy
International Fred Hofmann Archivist Roy Seager, David Lea
Youth Vivienne Zoppolato Attendance, dining & duties roster Adrian Culshaw
Indigenous Chris Mara Reviewer—Financial Statements Tony Phillips
Club Photographers Max Darby, Chris Mara
Community- Chair Roy Downes Club Protection Officer Ken Mirams
John Beaty Max Darby Newsletter, Web site, Facebook David Lea
Mary Cunnington Martin Fothergill Fellowship & Vocational Richard Jones
Kerrie Geard Chris Mara Foundation John Beaty
Robert McArthur Mary Sealy On to Conference Heather Chisholm
Tony Phillips Chris D'Arcy Social Media Officer Mark Perelaer
Chris Werner John Turner Speaker Program Administrator Gail Anderson
Bridget Hage Jude Kavanagh Speaker Program Assistants Kerrie Geard, Richard Potter

International - Chair Fred Hofmann

John Manks Geoff Stockdale District Officers
Ken Mirams John Sime Assistant Governor for Monash A Cluster Chris D'Arcy
Ross Phillips Clem Quick District Compliance Officer Ken Mirams
Richard Potter Simon Kavanagh District Community Chair Trish Smyth
District Indigenous Support Committee David Hone (Chair) Chris Mara
Youth – Chair Vivienne Zoppolato
Jan Cooper Tony Phillips Club Fundraising
Tony McKenna David Rushworth
Antony Nixon Lois Lindsay Bayside Charity Golf Day - Chair James Glenwright
Malcolm Sawle Chris Martin Peter Flude
Richard Jones Jim O’Brien
Lynda Doutch Tony Phillips
Indigenous - Chair Chris Mara
David Hone Fred Hofmann Farmers Market – Co-ordinator Mark Perelaer
Robert McArthur Chris Werner Peter Flude
Chris Mara Charmaine Jansz
Geoff Stringer Ken Mirams
Vivienne Zoppolato Bridget Hage
Heather Chisholm

Black Rock Farmers Market

Page 8