FRIDAY MORNING DISCUSSION GROUP

“ENJOYING TIME OUT WITH FRIENDS TO EXPLORE NEW IDEAS”

COME AND JOIN US

Friday Morning DiscussionGroup meeting at the Church & at a local nursery

History:

The group began in the early 90's as a place for mothers who had dropped their children at the Beaumaris Primary School and stood around chatting to each other. They decided to find a place where they could relax and talk over morning tea. The group evolved from a weekly Friday meeting chat group to a forum where meatier issues are discussed and toddlers are entertained in the kindergarten area.

Currently:

We meet monthly on the first Friday of the month in the sunny back entrance to St. Martin's church – (cnr. Haldane & John Streets, Beaumaris) gathering at 10am. We don't meet during school holidays.

Demographics:

We are all mothers – most of us have plenty of other commitments – but by definition we are not working in full time paid employment. Generally the attrition is due to an increase in paid employment hours. Our age range is mostly 30 – 50 ish. The group is not exclusive to St. Martins or to young mums. We welcome anyone who would like 2 hours of lively discussion and debate on issues and ideas that relate to the members of the group.

What do we discuss?

On a rotating basis we organise a simple morning tea and the discussion topic for the day. This is not a bible study group as such but a forum for discussion of a huge array of themes. Spirituality is often touched on. A list of topics follows, which covers issues and ideas we have discussed in past years.

•  Youth Suicide
•  The work of Dr. Catherine Hamlin A.D. at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia
•  Images of God
•  Trends in Education and how we learn
•  Bullying
•  Options for a Republic including the McGarvie model – pros and cons of these versus the current system
•  Theory of Dance and an uninhibited exploration of various styles
•   Book Reviews i.e. “The Gift From the Sea”, "Mao's Last Dancer", "My Sister's Keeper", Steve Biddulph titles
•  Voyeurism – trends in movies and reality television
•   Music – a personal overview of various styles & how they affect or speak to us
•  Sydney Olympics 2000 – Australia's future, did we come of age as a nation on the world stage?
•  The different languages of Love
•  Hugh Mackay's book “Generations”, a look at the Lucky Generation, Baby Boomers & The Rising Generation.
•  Abortion & Genetic Engineering – can children with disabilities enrich our lives?
•  Maternal Instinct – myth or legend?
•  Discipline of Children – styles of, effects & links with the level of democracy of a nation.
•  Father's Dilemma – money or the son?

What do we get out of the group?:

•  A sense of connection with others who share part of our journey in life
•  Relaxed time out for the mother, knowing that her toddler/pre-schooler is close and well cared for
•  For younger members of the group – the wisdom, perspective & experience of mothers who are several years down the track of parenting is invaluable in exploring solutions to parenting issues
•  Exposure – a chance to explore new ideas etc.
•  Friendship
•   A sense of community
•   A support group during crisis
•  A diversity of cultural backgrounds

We always welcome new faces so please join us on the first Friday of each month at 10.00am .

Contacts:

Margaret Thorburn - 9583 7844 or 0404 683 116, or Alison Davies - 9589 3027 or 040 989 3027

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