Final Retreat 2015

The 2015 Final Retreat was once again held at the picturesque Port Campbell Surf Club. Our final 48 hours together provided an opportunity to review our Program year, reflect on personal values that underpin our leadership and review our leadership Toolkit.

With and atmosphere of openness and an agreement to challenge each other respectfully there were a number of animated conversations about leadership in all its forms.

We now look forward to our final Project presentations at the LGSC Committee meeting on 26 Nov. With preparations for our 9 Dec Graduation in Port Fairy well underway.

Volunteerism

Volunteerism is defined as the practice of giving ones time and skills for a charitable, educational or other worth while cause.

LGSC participants spent a day with local volunteer organisations and learnt that volunteering takes many forms ranging from the life saving operations of the SES to lending a hand to a neighbour in need.

Warrnambool SES received 280 callouts last year ranging from storm damage, car accidents, search and rescue. The SES is a volunteer organisation that would rival many business with their level of professionalism and training.

The SES volunteers face balancing a work and social life with the responsibility that they can be called on at any time day or night to help in saving a life.

Dedy Friebe from Warrnambool Food Share may not be cutting people from cars or assailing from a cliff to save a stranded person, but the work Dedy does every day is saving lives and helping families in their time of need.

Warrnambool Food Share this year have distributed over 6,200 hampers that have supported 1,200 local families. Working in a warehouse has more stringent health and safety requirements than restaurants I have worked in they help some of the most vulnerable people in the region when they cannot put food on the table.

A few of the participants left the day in shock at how many people are in need in our region. Volunteerism is something we can all do to help make our region a great place for all to live.

The participants would like to thank the Warrnambool SES for hosting the day and Food Share Warrnambool for opening their doors to them.

Career Opportunity

Are you passionate about your community and supporting the development of aspiring community leaders? Yes!

We are looking for a talented, passionate, positive, skilled Program Manager (new position) who is looking for a new challenge with a dynamic fun team.

Its and initial .4 EFT 12 month contract with a view to extend.

More info is available here or call LGSC on 0408627066 to discuss.

Take a look …this could be YOUR next challenge!

Eco Tourism – Budj Bim

Between Portland and Hamilton there are remains of an aquaculture system that began over 6000 years ago. The Gunditjmara people engineered and constructed a system of channels and pools that allowed them to farm eels and have a permanent settlement at Lake Condah. The 2015 Leadership Great South Coast participants had the privilege of having Denis Rose (Project Manager for the Budj Bim Sustainable Development Partnership) take them on a guided tour of Lake Condah and Mt Eccles while sharing some of his extensive knowledge of the land and its history.

Thelma Rose-Edwards gave the group an account of her experiences and memories of growing up on the Lake Condah Mission. Despite some accounts of mission life and expectations of the group, overall Thelma had fond memories of the mission and the people that lived there with her.

Damian Bell (CEO Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation) ran through the collective governance approach of the Gunditj Mirring Corporation, and the Indigenous Nation Building Project.

The day exposed participants to some of the wonders of our region and why everybody should support Lake Condah’s application to be recognised as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Special thanks go to Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation for hosting the day and our presenters who gave up their time and knowledge.

Craig Dettling