Bally Barker Blog

Just to catch up with a few happenings: On Friday October 27, the National Final of the Science and Engineering Challenge was held at Sydney Olympic Park. What is the Science and Engineering Challenge? The Science and Engineering Challenge (SEC) is a nationwide STEM outreach program presented by the University of Newcastle in partnership with communities, Rotary clubs, universities, and sponsors. Through the SEC, students experience aspects of science and engineering which they would not usually see in their school environment. It is a national program, running Challenge Days (for high school students) and Discovery Days (for primary school students) across every state and territory in Australia. Teams of students from different schools compete against each other in a series of eight challenges, including: ·     Bridge: students construct a model bridge out of balsa wood and masking tape, which then must support a rail car carrying increasingly heavy wei

Our visit to Dalwood Spilstead services occurred on Tuesday 17 th October and members and guests attending were hosted by Kerry Gwynne, Manager Spilstead Services. Kerry showed us the Dalwood Home property and Spilstead Centre then following dinner we enjoyed a great presentation on the Spilstead Model and Evidence Base. Kerry Gwynne - Manager Spilstead Services (always enthusiastic)   AND SOME OF THE ROTARIANS & FRIENDS:   Initially we toured through the beautiful Dalwood premises where Kerry outlined that Splistead Service was first established in 1978 as an extension of Dalwood Children’s Home which was initially created in the 1920s to support children from disadvantaged families, when the site was donated in perpetuity to children’s charities by the Dalwood family and it is now administered by the Board of the Dalwood Trust. Between 1931 and 1989 over 1,000 children attended the Dalwood Children’s Home for either short term or long-term respite. Day