Meeting Minutes: January 2025
Meeting Minutes: Men's Consultation Group
Date: Wednesday 29th Jan 2025
Meeting Time: 10:00am
Location: Wagga Wagga Council Chambers
Meeting Commenced: 10:02am
Chairperson: Johanna Elms – Wagga Women’s Health Centre
Attendees: Dr. Joe McGirr, Joshua Pearson, Uncle Hewitt, Richard Foley, Rhys Cummins, Penny Stanbury, Johanna Elms, Kylie Fitzpatrick, Craig Mansour, Scott Sanbrook, Dallas Tout, Michael McCormack, Ken Grimson, Daniel Tha Nya, Bernard Higgins, Phillip Tome.
Apologies: Andrew Crakanthrop, Tim Kurylowicz
Agenda
Goal Setting: Short/Medium/Long term goals for increasing male engagement around issue of Domestic and Family Violence
Roles: Co-Chair for the group, nominations for role
General: Educational resources, community news, training opportunities. Key topics of focus being; “She Is Not Your Rehab” TEDX Talk and the Men’s Wellness Centre.
Key Discussion Points
Roles: Announcement of the Co-chair role vacancy
Dallas Tout – Suggested that role should be given to an identified community leader or person, not elected.
Rhys Cummins – Asked what the responsibilities of Co-Chair were
Johanna Elms - Outlined and Highlight to the group key responsibilities of the Role
Michael McCormack – Vouched for Rhys Cummins to be appointed in the role
Uncle Hewitt – Nominated Bernard Higgins and offered his support to Benard during the role. This received secondary notion, and the room fell into agreeance.
New Co Chair appointed: Benard Higgins
General
Training opportunity for “She Is Not Your Rehab” TEDX Talk
Penny Stanbury – Highlighted the upcoming training opportunity on 13th Feb in Melbourne presented by “She is not your rehab: How to create violence free communities.” Offering 2x tickets for MCG Members:
Offered to attend: Benard Higgins – Will confirm according to dates and work commitments.
Dr. Joe McGirr – Upon watching the TEDX talk agrees that training needs to be built in and incorporated into an action plan here locally, suggests training is something that is utilised as a group during future meetings.
Suggestions for training/type of training:
something as a team for the MCG, having a Key Speaker/Trainer.
Inclusion of data research
Having “she is not your rehab” come locally to offer training
Men’s Wellness Centre
Rhys Cummins – highlight that the centre will focus on providing support for Mental health, Physical Health, Family Support services and he wants to run educational programmes out of the centre. The focus of the Centre will be Healing and Wellness.
Also confirmed from Rhys that so far the petition to open the Men’s the wellness centre now has 500 supporting signatures with 40% of these being from women.
Dr. Joe McGirr – Highlighted that the Centre should focus on narrowing down what services it will offer, where funding will come from and that the Centre needs to focus on men and women working collaboratively to engage men.
Dallas Tout: Suggestion to discuss details, timelines, ideas for the Wellness centre in the next meeting.
Goal Setting
IDEAS
Targeting specific groups such sporting events and carnivals, having information stalls at events.
Proposing Rhys and Uncle Hewitt go into Juvenile Justice/Youth Centres. Gather information around topics.
Invite a member from the Army to be a part of MCG Meetings
Invite members from other organisations spoken to be included in MCG meetings such as Propatria, Corrections, Juvenile Justice Centre
Sporting Community: Wagga Brothers and Kangaroos – program for DV. What impact it had on the players and club. What success, bring to meeting next week
Engagement with schools – find out what training and resources they are currently providing, offer more training in schools.
TAFE: having a compulsory training that is provided within work hours to all employees.
Volunteering Community Time
Men’s Health expo
Deep Dive / training day on country to go deeper into the goals – facilitated by Adam
NIA – National Indigenous Australia Agency
Meeting Adjourned: 11:04am.
