Thank you PP Peter Rogers for your summary:
Dr Robert Webster OAM, State President of the Returned & Services League of Australia (Victorian Branch) was guest speaker on Wednesday 13th May 2020
Rotary Melbourne and RSL Victoria share a number of things in common. We are neighbours (they at No 4 Collins St, we are at 15 Collins St), we have a common early leadership (Sir John Monash was a founder of both organisations), and in recent years we have been collaborating in research into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) through Australian Rotary Health (ARH).
While most of us missed out on the draft in 1960s on account of age or gender, Robert Webster was drafted and served twelve months in Vietnam in 1970 after he had completed his accounting qualification at Swinburne. While there he served at Nui Dat with responsibility for stores for the Australian troops.
Robert gave an engaging account of his own experience with PTSD which resulted from an incident at Christmas 1970 at the air base. As a result he could never fully engage in his sons birthdays (both born in December), and Christmas. Later counselling has helped him, but he retains a strong interest in helping front line emergency workers and service personnel overcome the effects of PTSD and trauma more generally.
Largely as a result of Robert Webster’s energetic commitment, ARH now has four PhD scholars working in mental health projects nationally in conjunction with RSL. These include Katrina Streatfeild (who lives in Victoria, but is doing her PhD through University of Newcastle). Katrina is the only scholarship recipient that is sponsored with the Victorian RSL - another application currently being advertised. Robert was very positive about PDG Terry Grant who has been the contact with these scholarships.
In closing, Robert made some helpful suggestions on RSL / Rotary fundraising for PTSD. In this partnership they will help but they want us to lead. They are restricted by ARH’s Sydney location, and their own constitution. There are clear opportunities for developing this collaboration program further in our own District.
Peter Rogers,
16th May 2020
