neW geneRatIonS
www.rotarydownunder.org
19
Rewards come in various forms and
the Rotary Club of Matilda Bay, WA,
recently organised a very different
reward for Year 9 students of their School
Link public high school. PDG Colin
Thorniley arranged an afternoon sailing
on the Swan River accompanied by a
strong easterly! Twenty students from
Mirrabooka Senior High School had
earned this unique experience as a reward
for consistent effort and excellent attitude
throughout 2011.
After a tour of the club and a talk about
the principles of sailing the students tucked
into a barbeque lunch, cooked by members
of the Rotary Club of Matilda Bay.
Eleven yachties from the Royal Freshwater
Bay Yacht Club happily took students
with them during their regular Thursday
afternoon sailing competition. As the host
skippers arrived, students were fitted with
personal floatation devices and settled
aboard yachts in small groups. The yachts
varied in size from approximately 7m to
12m, so experiences (and wetness) varied
slightly as well.
This was a really new experience for the
students. Many of them are immigrants or
refugees from African nations and none had
been on such a large expanse of water before.
The race start was very close as
the yachts jockeyed to cross the start
line first and the excitement went on
from there. Once nerves settled, the
students and their three teachers had an
exhilarating time.
Afterwards in the clubhouse, students
enjoyed a hot seafood snack before
joining in the presentations, accepting
pennants for the winning skippers and
ringing the bell. One excited girl told
Colin that she loved it when her skipper
shouted, "Attack, attack!" He was, of
course, calling "Tack".
The afternoon was a hit and Rotarians,
teachers and yachties agreed to do it all
again later in the year for another group
of students.
Extracurricular reward a winner