We were addressed by Major Graham Docksey, OAM (Retd).  Graham has served in all ranks as a soldier over a 46 year career in the Army. He enlisted in 1964 as a soldier. In 1965 he was posted to the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment where he trained as an Assault Pioneer specialising in demolition, mines and booby traps.  In December 1991 Graham was commissioned as a Captain and posted as Training Officer, Staff Officer, Army Community Service Officer and as a Project Officer.  In 1995 he was appointed as the Chairman of the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps Museum. In December 1997 Graham was promoted to Major and posted as the Second-in-Command of Distribution Division at the Army Logistic Training Centre at Bandiana and also maintained his role as the Chairman of the museum at this time. In May 2002 he transferred to the Army Reserve and was posted as the first Manager of the Army Museum Bandiana one of the largest and most diversified Army Museum’s in Australia. The museum is part of the Australian Army History Unit. Since 1998 Graham has visited Gallipoli thirteen times and escorted his first group to Gallipoli in 1999. In 2002 Graham spent time at Gallipoli conducting further research visiting all 31 cemeteries and memorials across the three battlefields.  In 2005 he visited the Sandakan prisoner of war site and followed the path of the death marches of 1945 as well as visiting the Commonwealth War Cemetery on Labuan Island.  In 2010 Graham visited the North Africa Battlefields and cemeteries. At present Graham is researching the members of the 2/23rd Battalion (Albury’s Own). He has photographed the 141 graves in North Africa and has visited New Guinea and Labuan Island. Graham’s address focused on these  experiences. Graham has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia and a Chief of Army Commendation and recently was presented his Second Federation Star for 45 years by the Chief of Army in Canberra.

Speakers – District conference attendees

Roger Lescun  opened the session with an overview of the District Conference at the Moonee Valley Race course Facility. It started for some with a 20 km Ride and a Sports day on Thursday. He mentioned the excellent facility and keynote speakers. Steve McKewen spoke on two keynote speakers, Sam Cawthorn and Kim Saville  from the School of St Jude in Tanzania.  Sam was an outstanding motivational speaker and his story can be found at http:/www.samcawthorn.com   The school of St Jude go to www.schoolofstjude.org  Roger Beardwell gave a wrap up on the District debating final, which was held on the Saturday morning after the main keynote speaker Li Cunxin (Mao’s Last Dancer). With an audience of around 600 St Pauls College (our team) were narrowly defeated in an excellent debate ‘Greed is Good” in which they took the negative side. Dennis Hickey covered Raffaela Galati-Brown, OAM, principal Northland College of Arts Technology talking in the Innovation in Vocational Service session and Laura van Zyl a past exchange student from South Africa who has now emigrated to Australia with her family. AG Terry Simmonds reported on a Kenyan Fish Farming project that is being run and funded by the Rotary Club of Mooroopna. The project is being run by one of their club members who has immigrated from the area. Assistance is being given to build 2 fish ponds that will provide work and income with the surplus being put into building new housing.  Ron summed up voting it the best district conference he has attended. Well run, on time excellent venue and speakers. The community Service session with Dr Devinder Chauhan presenting an outstanding presentation on Macular degeneration for the launch of the Macular Degeneration Project by the Rotary club of Yea we very technical but presented in a way that was easily understood.

Next Conference will be held in Ballarat 14-17 March 2013.

Guest speaker – Sussan Ley MP

Born in Nigeria to British parents, Sussan Ley spent her early childhood in the United Arab Emirates, before migrating to Australia at the age of 13 with her parents and older brother. Schooled in the U.K., QLD and ACT, later tertiary study led to a Bachelor of Economics, Master of Taxation Law and a Master of Accounting. Before entering Federal Parliament, her career path was wonderfully varied, providing a range of ‘real life’ experiences. 
 
Developing an early fascination with the skies and flying, a young Sussan worked a variety of odd jobs and hours to finance this passion, obtaining a Commercial Pilot’s License which she still holds.
 
Prior to taking on married life on a family farm, Sussan worked as an air traffic controller at Sydney and Melbourne Airports, as an aerial stock-mustering pilot in outback New South Wales and Queensland and as a shed hand / shearers’ cook across a large chunk of rural Australia.
 
During a livestock and dairy farming partnership of seventeen years Sussan experienced the highs and lows that come routinely and test the resolve of those living on the land. 
 
Starting university when her first child turned one led to ten years of part time study on the way to three children and three finance degrees. Sussan certainly gained a deep appreciation of, and continued support for, rural-based educational institutions.
 
Still helping manage the farm (near Tallangatta in North East Victoria) Sussan took up a position with the Australian Taxation Office at Albury, graduating to the role of Director, Technical Training before seeking Liberal Party pre-selection for the Federal seat of Farrer in 2001.
 
The local election result was undecided for ten days with the new MP eventually installed by just 206 votes, a friend sending a congratulatory reminder that the ‘Cessna 206’  – a popular bush utility plane – was also her favourite aircraft.
 
Re-elected in 2004, Sussan was offered the added responsibility of Parliamentary Secretary for Children and Youth Affairs, then Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry in 2006.
 
Shadow portfolios for Housing and Women followed in 2007, as well asJustice and Customs & Assistant Treasurer (2008 -2009).
 
She was allocated Shadow Ministerial roles in Childcare, Early Childhood Learning & Employment Participation from late 2010.
 
Sussan is a strong advocate for many rural and regional issues especially those which assist in bridging the ‘city v country divide’. She is particularly passionate about fostering decentralization, supporting our farmers, home grown food security, balancing water for agriculture and the environment as well as improving services for rural health.
 
Other interests and pursuits include an abiding interest in Middle Eastern politics, fitness and cycling and relaxing back with a ripping yarn, usually a true crime thriller. 
 
Residing in Albury, with her three children still nearby, Sussan maintains her enthusiasm for all things aeronautical, handy when getting around an electorate of some 250,000 square kilometers, roughly the same size as New Zealand.
 
Perhaps little wonder she was dubbed early in her political career the “Farrer Flier”.

Guest speaker – Vic Issell  – Manager Age Concern

Vic was introduced as the manager of Age Concern Albury Wodonga, but some of the other positions he holds are, Councillor of Indigo Shire Council, Director of Albury Wodonga health and Chair of Albury Wodonga Community Trust Foundation just to mention a few.  Vic has only held the position for 4 months and this was his first address to a community-based organisation on Age Concern. He gave some fact and figures from a National ageing report and went on to describe the work Aged concern does. This work is funded by Federal, Victorian and NSW Governments. Age Concern is a not for profit organisation that operates in the mostly Albury-Wodonga area, although some programs are available across the Riverina Murray Region. Essentially, Age Concern provides services and activities for frail older people or people with disabilities and their carers. Age Concern is a membership based association operated by a voluntary Committee of Management and employs 14 staff and engages the services of approximately 200 volunteers. It conducts more than 40 different programs and uses more than 10 different venues around Albury Wodonga. Vic described some of the work they do that includes Social support such as home visiting, Community support with companion animals, practical support with home modification and maintenance and the open age learning. The Activities Age Concern provides include computer training, music, art, crafts, book club, gentle exercise such as Yoga, Tai Chi and strength training. These are supervised by skilled tutors and are run on a fee for service basis. They operate during four eight-week terms throughout the year. Age Concern also supports community groups offering activities such as bushwalking, old time new vogue dancing, needlecraft, and walking for pleasure. He finished up talking about volunteering and their ongoing need for volunteers from cooks to drivers and even office helpers.

Guest Speaker

Andrew Saxby, who is no stranger to Rotary or our club gave a very interesting address on the Hume Building Society with the latter portion on interest rates. The first 10 minutes was packed with facts and figures too numerous to be included.

> Hume has been in operation for 57 years > It has 55000 customers/ members (the customers own the society). > As at June 2011 there were 167 ADI’s (Authorised Deposit-­‐taking Institutions in Australia of which 54 are banks > Hume standing is 69/167 > Hume has $820 Million in assets and $52 million in reserves > Hume has 138 employees > 42% of Albury population has a relationship with Hume. > Surrounding towns relationship: -­‐ 42% Corowa, 32% Wodonga, 6% Wangaratta and although only in the market for 12 months 1% of Wagga. > Andrew went on to talk about interest rates and his thoughts about the market.