Youth and Ideas
I have put together several paragraphs from the internet to help us all to start thinking about young people, and as Rotarians how we appreciate what we have, and what our kids have. Just maybe, we should start thinking about projects that Rotary could be doing to assist young people in need.
“Adolescence is supposed to be the healthiest of times in our lives. But open any newspaper and you’re likely to find an article about the health problems of today’s youth. Whether it’s drugs or alcohol-fuelled violence, obesity, cyberbullying or sexting, ………… this generation is in jeopardy. So, what is going on?”
Was our adolescence any different, if so how? Is the problems facing young people our generations doing?
“Does youth unemployment matter? If a young person doesn’t make a successful transition to employment, the economic consequences for him or her, the next generation and the nation are profound".
“These are the years that lay the foundations for health across the life course. It’s also when the parts of the brain that underpin mental health and emotional well-being are being shaped'.
"These are risky years when spur-of-the-moment decisions can have disastrous consequences. And they bring the highest risks for mental disorders and addiction".
"It’s also during these years that young people acquire the emotional skills for parenting, to give the best possible start to life for the next generation. And given the complexity of life today as a young parent, this generation needs those capabilities more than any before.”
Did we as young people, experience anything like the issues that young people are experiencing today, or were we around in the good old days?.
Is our education systems preparing our young people for the reality of a rapidly changing world, with petrol-run cars being phased out by mid-century, driverless cars, with what we know as photocopying machines being able to print in 3D, and with medical research being able to extend our lives.
If, on a Saturday morning, you were driving past a property with a ‘For Lease’ sign and an ‘Open for Inspection' sign’, you may see a crowd gathering across the road.
The crowd is swelling to 60 or so people – couples, couples with school-aged children, couples with small babies and then there are small groups of young people, clearly looking for shared housing.
N.B This semi-renovated three-bedroom house has been up for rent three times in the past three years. At $850 per week the rental price is steep, yet each house inspection attracts crowds like this one.
Who would you rent the property to?
“Evidence is emerging that young people’s experience of precarious housing also impacts negatively on their health and well-being, especially their mental health".
When we were younger, how often did we hear about young people committing suicide, being on drugs (other than alcohol), living on the street?
In 1977, when I went to London for the first time I stumbled across a beggar in the underground. I thought to myself we will never see anything like that in Melbourne. Not too many years later I did! And now it is a common occurrence, even in the suburbs.
When we think to ourselves, we knew very little about parenting and look at how our kids turned out! We are very lucky!
But, we should not be naive and realise that hardship and trauma hit us all in some way. Rotarians are not shielded from those experiences.
While our Club will continue to support the Rotary programs including NYSF, MUNA, RYLA, RYPEN and establish an Interact Club at Blackburn High School. These programs are designed to assist those young people who ‘have backing’, and who are showing signs of leadership, who have ideas about where they are going. We hope they will succeed and will use the experience gained in the Rotary programs to assist them in life.
However, the question must be asked, should we be doing more.
Many years ago, the Club was donated money to establish the ‘Whitehill Trust’ which was designed to assist students, who for whatever reason were having difficulties staying at school. Funds were allocated to the school to assist the young person and their families with the cost of books, excursions etc. Some funds remain in the trust and will be allocated during this year. This was an attempt, when it was commenced to address young people in need and to support them in achieving their goals.
In our Club's plan the Youth Committee has been given the task of developing a proposal ‘for a Home for Youth. This is to be fleshed out as part of the 3-year plan’.
A lot of what I have written could appear a little negative, but young people are in need and I ask you all to think about, what could we do? We are Rotarians with ideas, the challenge is on, is the home for youth a good idea, can we do it? or is the task too great. What other ideas are there?
The following is an example of AN IDEA:
Through Eastern Emergency Relief Network (EERN), I have been contacted by a member of the Rotary Club of Malvern East who through a very generous community member have the use of 3 units for people in need. The Rotary Club has teamed up with LAUNCH Housing, a social housing provider, to jointly operate a program to house young people/ Domestic Violence Victims/those in need etc.…. This example is an idea that will impact on the lives of so many, Rotarians, young people using the property, the person allowing the property to be used and the general community.
Kevin Thomas, as Chair of the Youth Committee. (jank57@optusnet.com.au)
Members of the committee are: Bruce Simcox, Ben & Sue Stennett, Richard Tregear, and Sue Warmington. 
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Rotarian Bruce Crago (Boronia) spoke about Probus - a Rotary activity.
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