Community News: PFA News
Well where do we begin this week? Power of the people might be a good starting point! Any of you who attended the PFA event of the year, our annual Ruth Langley Luncheon at Zinc on Friday 3 June will know immediately where this is heading. This year 350 women from within and around our own School community, including Old Girls and past and present staff witnessed and participated in some powerful moments. The School’s first Principal, Ruth Langley’s philosophy of ‘education for life’ inspires the PFA to invite speakers whose message relates to this woman’s ideal that ‘with determination and self-belief, we each have the power to succeed’.
Our Luncheon has obviously raised healthy funds for our School. So far we can report that $9,830 has been raised and the total will be brought to your attention next issue. These figures are extremely good and are the culmination of much hard work from our Committee, much good will from our community and much support from outside as well, which is absolutely invaluable. However, important as this exercise is, we the PFA are most proud of the power of the punch of the speakers invited for this Luncheon in the 115th year of the School, to ensure a memorable occasion with richness in its integrity.
We, the St Catherine’s School community, are privileged to have Tamara Cannon (‘91) as one of ours. What a truly inspiring, gutsy and gracious, intelligent, articulate, terrific girl she is – how lucky our students are to have her as a real and powerful example of what women can do. Tamara and her fellow speaker, Marlee Ranacher totally mesmerised us with their stories and illuminated images at this Luncheon. They spoke with conviction and with gems of anecdotal wisdom, shared real stories of overcoming adversity (forced to swim solo across a crocodile infested river), of never giving up, of turning disaster into challenges to be overcome (clearing mud and debris from the childrens' schools, helping families rebuild their lives after losing homes and loved ones to the flash floods), illustrated to us how they used their brains to find alternative solutions when faced with extremely challenging, even life threatening situations. Our Luncheon this year had an energy and power in that room that was almost palpable. Why? How?
These two women came into our world, a comfortable, privileged world and took us on an armchair journey to extremes, of geographic locations, the last wilderness areas of the globe, and to extremes of the human condition too - both with breathtakingly beautiful visual images and, most impressively, with a wry and almost self-deprecating delivery that put us all in the presence of two humble, wise and wonderfully strong characters. We were compelled to take a new perspective on what we take for granted, what we value. How many others out there in our world do not have the luxury of depending on anyone else for help? Through Tamara’s experience especially we realised that some people in our world are conditioned culturally to never have dreams or aspire to anything other than survive, as to dream would be too dangerous.
Our Committee knew this would be a great day. To hear such instant feedback through texts and emails and to hear especially ‘from the horses mouth’ that the speakers themselves felt so good to be part of it all and were quite overwhelmed by the response of the much appreciative audience has shown us that our audience were moved and inspired and, apart from successfully raising healthy funds for the School, we couldn’t have asked for more really. But more was to come! Lille FrØ Foundation, translated from Danish as ‘A Little Seed’ did indeed grow with us this day. We saw tears as people reacted to both speakers’ stories and to move people to such an extent through a lecture is a powerful thing. In Tamara’s case, the emotive issue translated to people wanting to help, to participate in the future building of Tamara’s ‘dream’. The PFA is extremely proud to hear that, including our $400 donation to Lille FrØ Foundation, the Ruth Langley Luncheon audience raised $4,263.45 for Lille FrØ to support its programs in India. Ten destitute children will also be personally sponsored by our School and many individuals went home that day to discuss Sponsorship of a child with their families. What a powerful achievement.
This annual event for many is a wonderful opportunity to just re-connect. There is some positive power in the fact that a number of our Old Girls use this Luncheon to make a table of good friends that have shared many times together, starting as fellow School girls. Many choose to meet here and use the event as a way to give back as much as to receive. In preparation for this event, our attention was often turned to finding the means for successful fundraising, Raffle prize and Lucky Envelope prizes being a top priority. Through endurance and often chance, our Committee was lucky enough to be given so many amazing and valuable gifts from a hugely supportive community this year. So much so that we were able to give back some of this booty to just make people feel good and that in itself is a good and powerful thing. Rosie Waite-Garrisson’s great effort and record as being the same table captain of an Old Girls’ group at this event each year since its inception in 1999 was duly rewarded this year and we trust that the yoga mats, courtesy McWilliams Wines, have been rolled out by now for a ‘down dog’ and stretch!
Our invaluable donors and sponsors have been large and small – all have big hearts, in many cases it is the smallest who have the largest, so we have found. All have helped our cause with no hesitation. Our program for the Luncheon names the supporters but it is at this moment that I would especially like to re-mention some outstanding contributors who have either consistently helped us over the years and have remained loyal and fair or they may be new to our community and have overwhelmed us by their selfless support:
Zinc, Federation Square, represented by Viki Dinef and Jeremy Kirk has been a pleasure to plan and work with and was a superb location yet again.
DDB Melbourne for promotional material design.
Kent Removals for prompt, efficient care and delivery of our goods.
Bennison Mackinnon for the provision of the striking billboards.
Rick Anthony at Jo Malone, another year of generous goody bag goodies; Barbara Dickinson of Sophisticakes – 400 dainty delicious delights all donated, incredibly kind. Susie Wilks at David’s and The Oriental Tea House for the tea in the goody bags and at the Luncheon giving our ladies ‘calm and contentment’ ; Kim Roberts of The Kitchen Garden, Malvern, for her most generous and whimsical paper garlands, made on many a rainy day; and Kate Boots from Rose Street Trading for gifts, advice and the very smart goody bags for us to fill.
Congratulations to SCOGA on its 90th year and we thank Lady Southey, AC, and Shelmerdine wines for specially labeling and donating wine for each table captain in celebration of the St Catherine’s 115th year.
Our Committee thanks again our key note speakers, Marlee Ranacher of Bullo River Station, NT and Tamara Cannon of Lille FrØ Foundation. We are also indebted to our wonderful MC, Katie Flannigan who, quite frankly, is an absolute delight to plan an event with and on the day is an entertaining speaker in her own right with as quick a wit and a sharp intellect that keeps the proceedings tight and relevant. Thank you Katie and good luck for the launch of your business Form and Function in July.
Our special thanks to our Principal, Sylvia Walton, AO, for being our special major Raffle draw guest and for her profound summary of the proceedings.
We have no doubt that our winner of the major Raffle, Kate Jamieson, will have the outback experience of her life and we hope that she and her husband enjoy that special helicopter ride and the ‘honeymoon waterfall gorge’.
A very special thanks to Marlee for her generous contribution to this day with her raffle prize donation.
Congratulations to all our winners!!
To view our sponsors logos click here
To view images of the Luncheon click here
Fiona Cester
PFA President