____
Walkerston Rotary promotes junior public speakers
August 2023 will be the seventeenth year of a junior public speaking competition, initiated by the Rotary Club of Walkerston, as one of its literacy projects.
Pioneer Valley Schools, in the Mackay area (D9560 Area 4), that have taken part in the competition over the years include Dow’s Creek State School, Brightley State School, North Eton State School, Eton State School, Oakenden State School, Homebush State School, Gargett State School, Septimus State School, Finch Hatton State School, Mirani State School, Marian State School, Walkerston State School and St John’s Catholic Primary School at Walkerston.
A few of the smaller schools have, over the years, sadly, closed down. In 2007, the first year of the competition, there were students from 12 schools taking part. Last year, 2022, there were six schools represented.
The young people each speak on their chosen subject for three minutes. Walkerston Rotary supplied the adjudicators in the early years; these days primary and high school teachers make up the judging panel, with Walkerston Rotary still responsible for the trophy presentation.
The winner is invited to present her, or his, speech at a club meeting on a later date.
The students seem to be getting better every year!
Each year, it has been a delightful experience to attend the finale of the Speaking Competition presentations. Last year's winner was Miley Weller from Walkerston State School.
It is quite magnificent to see the young participants get out there in front of an audience and speak so well, as it is undoubtedly not an easy task.
Many huge congratulations to each and every student who has taken part over the seventeen years of the competition – also to their support crews of teachers, parents, families, and friends.
It has been quite an amazing Walkerston Rotary literacy project for 17 years – who would have thought!
The 2022 winner was Miley Weller from Walkerston State School.
Well done to the Rotary Club of Walkerston for promoting literacy and public speaking in your community and giving young people a chance to grow in confidence and communication!
Walkerston's kerbside numbering changes the game
The days are literally numbered for Walkerston Rotary's kerbside numbering, with this month slated as the completion date for a project which has had to contend with Covid and weather interruptions.
A number of years ago, the club undertook the project of Rural Numbering in the immediate Walkerston surrounding area. This was a Mackay Regional Council project with the different Mackay district areas ‘sub-contracted’ to non-profit organisations.
With the knowledge of this project and how it assisted ambulances and other such services to quickly find an address, the club embarked on its next community service of numbering all the residences in the immediate Walkerston township. And so, the clubs Community Kerbside Numbering Project began!
There are approximately 1,500 residences in Walkerston so it was thought the numbering should possibly take around two years to complete.
Well, that didn’t happen; with the weather gods totally against us, and then also the nuisance arrival of that nasty worldwide pandemic, we are just about nearing completion now in the year of 2023!
Saturday, 18 March, has been scheduled in the club calendar for some serious kerbside numbering activity … unless, of course, it rains!
Kerbside Numbering of Walkerston is a community project fully funded by the club, getting club members out and about on the streets of our town working with, and for, the local community ... and, of course, with lots of fun, fellowship and camaraderie happening!
Great work Walkerston; you are Rotarians of action! May the weather gods be with you!
Bente delivers for Rotary and her community on multiple
fronts
IRENE HALL, DISTRICT NEWSLETTER EDITOR — MAR 12, 2023
Discover the chameleon qualities of Walkerston Rotary's
Bente McDonald in another in our series of My Rotary Stories.
Rotary Club of Walkerston member and District Directory
Editor Bente McDonald has a rich Rotary story, peppered with everything from
baton relays and Christmas carols to roles as PR agent and youth programs
director.
Club President twice and Assistant Governor for the
Mackay area twice, including in 2020-2, during the 100 years of Rotary in
Australia and New Zealand celebrations, Bente is a force of nature.
"The 100-year Celebration Baton Relay included every
club in our area, as well as everywhere in between," she said.
"It was a busy schedule with a lot of organising,
but all of the local clubs took part and presented some memorable and enjoyable
events promoting Rotary in its centenary year.
"I’ve had the good fortune of having absolutely
wonderful support from club members for many of my way-out ideas and making
them really happen.
"Our Community Christmas Carols, Australian
Children’s Book Week, the Little Street Library project, and also our
Walkerston signage positioned right in the middle of our town are just a few of
the local projects that have been appreciated by our community.
"With my work, I have been lucky enough to be able
to organise and present events with combined council and Rotary support.
"One such event was the annual Australian Children’s
Book Week celebration culminating with a grand parade of around 700 local
children and helpers dressed as their favourite book character parading through
Walkerston.
"We even managed to have the main street closed for
those events."
Bente said her great passions were undoubtedly
literature, words, and languages.
"I've been very fortunate to have worked as
Walkerston Library Coordinator for many years and from that has come the many
book donations my club has been willing and able to present," she said.
Bente said one of her club's favourite and proudest
projects was the Little Street Libraries.
"I had come across the concept of a Street Library -
Take a Book, Leave a Book - and kept mentioning this at club meetings,"
she said.
"Eventually, at one meeting one of the blokes
uttered something like… ‘For goodness sake, let’s just build her a little
library to shut her up!’
"Well, they did and now, nearly five years later, we
have 10, very popular, little street libraries established in the district.
"It was definitely a win-win situation."
Bente said she had held 'probably held every possible
position in my club', with Youth Director being the one offered time and
again.
"This has led to me becoming involved with many of
the programs for young people, such as the National Youth Science Forum and the
Youth Exchange Program (YEP)," she said.
"I was District YEP Secretary for some years and it
was very satisfying to see the impact and influence a year on a Rotary exchange
has on a young person.
"I am quite fortunate to still be in contact with
past exchange students."
As well as her love for Rotary, Bente has her heart in
two countries.
"My family migrated from Denmark to Australia when I
was 12," she said.
"I try to get back to Denmark at least once a year
to visit family and friends from my childhood.
"During such visits I have met up with past exchange
students, and also acted as tour guide to friends including Rotary friends who
scheduled their Copenhagen visit to work in with when I was there."
Bente said during a visit last year, a past exchange
student, who now resides in London, 'popped over' to Copenhagen for a few
days.
"We did all the touristy things and I have also
visited past Danish exchange students who came to the Mackay area, and I've
been invited to attend a couple of Danish Rotary club meetings.
"It is quite a wonderful experience to take part in
a Rotary meeting conducted in my mother tongue although the anxiety nerves
started to present themselves when asked to be a guest speaker," she said.
"But I was determined to do it."
Bente's most recent Rotary project has been as PR agent
for the Timor-Leste midwives and nurses Vocational Training Team's five-week
study tour in the Mackay area.
"This was a huge and successful project with an
absolutely phenomenal team of people working together to make it happen,"
she said.
"While it's lovely to be the recipient of accolades,
recognition, nominations, awards, and fellowships, to actually know that you
have been fortunate enough to be part of events and projects that are doing
good in the world is simply the best."
District Governor John Hall said Bente was an
inspirational Rotarian.
"Bente gives back to her community in so many
varied, creative and useful ways and in that way is representative and
emblematic of so many great Rotarians across our district."
The 2013 Winner is Caitlyn Reid from Mirani State School. Caitlyn's three minute speech was
Congratulations Caitlyn!
May Fair 2012
Walkerston & Valley Advertiser 09.09.2011
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010