27 Aug 2013 –

Bush survival, “Quidditch”, the impact of social media on teenagers, and the certainty of NSW winning the 2014 rugby league State of Origin were just some of topics the audience were treated to at Woolgoolga Rotary Club’s Public Speaking club final.  From a tight contest of seven students, all from Woolgoolga High School, Jessie Gentle emerged the winner. Rotary President Karen Sedgwick wished Jessie well for the next round, involving the winners from the local region.  The winner of two further rounds gets a trip to New Zealand, where they will be hosted by Rotarians.   

Many in the room learned that “selfies” are self-photographed images loaded onto social media sites such as Facebook, and that those images may have a serious impact on the person, varying from positive to dreadful.  A light-hearted spin on surviving the Australian bush was popular.  An insight into the rough game of Quidditch, from the wizarding world of Harry Potter, formed a stark contrast to other talks dealing with the very real devastation of binge drinking, bullying or skin cancer. 

Woolgoolga Rotary is also a proud sponsor of the Great Debate among the local primary schools, held at Mullaway Primary School in mid-August; and of the annual Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA), involving student teams from as far away as Forster and Coonabarabran.