It is nine months since our last newsletter so there is a lot to report.
In future we hope to produce three per year.

December

We enjoyed a gathering at Filadelfios, Santa and one of his
reindeer, (Jean and Anne) were in attendance. A relaxing evening,

The year began with a pot luck dinner and meeting at Sue's place.
The weather was perfect and the food yummy. It was really good to see young and old catching up.

We watched the 'Pride and Prejudice "video, which have just purchased to offer to schools. At least one person at the meeting found it helpful and said so.

Easter Monday and a smaller meeting which was the perfect setting for a personal story from one of our members
April
We had a fruitful discussion which arose from a very distressing situation experienced by one of our members.

Our first Annual General Meeting. and also the sixth anniversary of the beginning of PFLAG in Dunedin. Earlier this year we realised that we would be able to accomplish more, and that the future of PFLAG would be more secure, if we formed a committee.
After several months of work and discussion, several of our members offered themselves for nomination
The following people were elected for a term of one year.

• President Sue Thompson
  
• Minutes Secretary Jaye Brown
  
• Meeting reminders and Treasurer Erin KereKere
  
• Fund raising Euan Thompson and Jill McDonald
  
• Committee Michelle Seidelin, Jean Barkman and Jill McDonald
  

We plan to meet on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 3.30 PM.

We have had had our first committee meeting and it is exciting to work with the ideas and enthusiasm. and abilities a group of wonderful people. I do look forward to working together this year. Who knows what we can accomplish!.
Many thanks to Kevin Thompson whose suggestion it was, that we needed a committee.

Our support and friendship group is of great importance and some wonderful work is done by the people who simply turn up regularly and are willing to share their own experience, and listen when there is a need, especially when someone new comes to a meeting

It is almost a year since we our last larger publicity campaign. In spite of that, the number of enquiries remains steadily unpredictable, many of them by word of mouth.

Library leaflets

We keep copies of six different leaflets beside the 'Returns' desk at the Public Library and these are checked every week.

Last year 300 went. This year 173 have been taken. This year we have dared to put out the two leaflets for youth.. Nobody has complained, although there was one complaint to the library last year, that our leaflets "should not be where children might get them"

Website.

This is checked every week, a variable but steady number of hits. These numbers are greater after events such as the Otago Youth Mental Health Expo, when large numbers of leaflets are given away.

These are for archives, for memories, for the PFLAG and gay communities
The scrap book is popular at meetings., and we now need to begin another one after two years of newspaper clippings of people we all know, has filled the first.

We have a collection of photographs too good to keep in an envelope, and have bought an album. Does anybody have any photos of PFLAG events, taken over the last 6 years, that they think should be included? Let one of the committee know.

The other part of our work is to get out into the community and tell them about PFLAG, and what we can offer to those who need our help and resources.

Out There "Safety in Schools Guidelines" launch
This was a helpful and well produced booklet which suggested strategies that schools could use to address sexual orientation prejudice

The meeting was well attended by some school staff, and by various students of Education from the University. Our leaflets were picked up by many there and we spoke at the meeting.

We also attended a meeting about the Ministry of Health Suicide Prevention Draft Strategy. Others who attended were mainly working in the mental health area. We felt reassured that the work we are doing to promote the well being of GLBT people and their families, was very worthwhile.

Schools Project

• Phase 1: Library books to be donated to all High Schools in Dunedin.
• Phase 2: Speak to the pastoral team at each school with Pride Dunedin Youth, and offer to work with them to make schools safer places for GLBT Youth
• Phase 3: What? Ongoing contact and information. We have purchased from Australia, an excellent series of workshops and video, "Pride and Prejudice" designed for high school students. We hope to trial this in one of our high schools.

At present we are working on phase 1.

We have been given money which we are spending on two books for each high school library in Dunedin.
Sue has rung each school librarian to discuss what we plan to offer:

• A book for Parents Either Invisible Families or When Our children Come Out by Dr Maria Pelotta Chiarolli or Beyond Acceptance.
• Inside Out, a book of coming out stories for young people
• My friend is gay, Monash University a resource for young people
• A copy of our library list.
• A set of our leaflets
• Name plates for the book "presented by PFLAG South with a list of our contacts etc."

We will donate the books, but if after viewing, the school does not find them suitable, we will take them back. At the time I write this, reactions from the librarians have varied Although most librarians are enthusiastic many are unsure of how others in the school would regard having such books in the library. Most say that they would consult with the school counsellor. All appreciated that they are not forced to take the books but may return them to us.

Pride WeekDates…2nd-16th July. PFLAG will be involved and plans are under way· Radio Advertising. A series of short advertisements on Community Radio

• Rainbow Day Octagon , when we will man a stall and hand out leaflets. Person power needed
  
• Display at Pride Art Show
  
• Classified Ads
  
• Letter Box Drop?? We have a small A6 poster with PFLAG contacts on it, suitable for leaving in cafes etc.

We also wondered whether anyone could help by doing a letter box drop in their own area and attaining fitness?! ( Be inspired by the recent story of the man who has walked every street in Dunedin, over 15 months, He has noted an improvement in his health).

COPIES OF PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS:

August 2004

Report on Youth Mental Health Expo 2002

March 2002

March 2001

May 2001

June 2001

October 2001

Home | News  | Questions | Links | Reading | Religion | Stories  

This page has been visited  times since 3rd December 2000

For comments or information
about this page
please email Nick Thompson:
nigethepige (at) gmail (dot) com
last modified on
29th June 2005