Lyn Davies
2013-14-Hearing-Matters
DG Partner Project 2013-14
Hearing Health |
UPDATE
THE CHALLENGE
*Do all members of your club hear well? *Do the people in your local community or your international community projects hear well? *Does it matter? *Why bother about it?
What power do Rotarians have to make a difference?
As a DG Partner and a Rotarian I want to use my vocation/business/profession to support Rotarians and help to make a difference in District 9685 and Rotary International.
Through the existing Rotary structure I encourage every Rotarian, Club and the wider community to participate in Hearing Health at all levels and through all Avenues of Service.
I encourage all clubs to make a difference in people’s lives because:
- Hearing is a major factor our lives and enables easy communication with each other
- Effective support services are critical for all communities around the world to enable people to function well, for their general well being and inclusion
- Hearing ability is affected by our general health and our toxic noisy environment
Let’s ensure Hearing Health is for all in District 9685.
Club Admin/Club Service: In your club check that everyone, members and guests, hear well at meetings and at social events. If people cannot hear comfortably they miss out on essential messages, social interaction, and the full story. They struggle - both to participate in the meeting and to hear the guest speaker. If participation gets too hard members get disheartened and disengaged and eventually leave the club.
Use suitable amplification and reduce distractions (aircons, clinking dishes etc) at meetings. This is critical to ensuring happy members who participate in all aspects of Rotary Service including being able to hear guest speakers, at board meetings, at social events and when working on projects.
Consider whole families. What impact is one person’s hearing loss having on the lives of the others? Show the Powerpoint presentation: “Using a Microphone” (available from Lyn Davies). Work with your Board and the Avenues of Service teams to invite guest speakers who have expertise in any one of the many aspects of hearing health. Contact: District Administration Director Brian Plain
The Rotary Foundation: Use Future Vision (our “Rotary Bank”) to fund both local (yes, now local too) and international projects and work with other clubs to do this through the District 9685 Foundation Director PDG Tony Castley.
Public Relations: Promote with your Board, the projects planned in your club and zone on Hearing Health. Engage the D9685 PR Director Bryan O’Shannassy to help with promotions.
Membership: Use Hearing Health strategies with your clubs members, directors and chairs and with your District network of Directors and Membership officers to locate new professional and community Rotary members and friends. Engage with D9685 Membership Director Mark Anderson.
Projects: Support all Avenues of Service to coordinate projects and raise funds for Hearing Health – perhaps help create a scholarship with Australian Rotary Health? $5000 has been pledged already. Work with the District Projects Team: Ross Pearse and Annona Pearse.
Community Service: Set up Community HEARING HEALTH FORUMS in 2013/14. Work with your club members and the other board committees and/or your zone clubs. Work with Australian Rotary Health. Assist in indigenous projects. Work with Australian Hearing Services, Better Hearing and others. Contact: District 9685, Community Director Susan Wakefield.
Vocational Service: Locate the Rotarians who work in this field. Find the hearing service workers and volunteers in your community. Find out what services are available to adults with hearing loss, what impact this has on employment, on their family life, invite them to speak at your club, find out what they need, offer Pride of Workmanship Awards etc. Invite a Hearing professional to join your club. Work with D 9685 Vocational Director Peter Kirkwood.
Youth/New Generations Service: Find out how many young people using hearing services in your community, what services exist and what are the needs gaps? Learn why these young people have hearing loss. Invite them to speak at your club, invite them to apply for one of our Youth Programs. These young people are future Rotarians. Engage D9685 Youth Director Jade Catherall.International Service: Share what your club is doing in this area. Investigate what is needed in existing international projects in your club and zone. Join one of the existing Rotary International hearing projects e.g. in Vietnam and Myanmar. Engage and share your project with Michael MacQuillan, International Service Director for our District 9685.
Hearing Matters Thank you for your support.
Lyn Davies Contact:43845572, 0429951068 or davieslyn@msn.com