Our guest speaker this Wednesday was Rodney (Rocket) Eade champion AFL player and coach. Having played 259 games at Hawthorn and the Brisbane Bears and coaching the Sydney Swans, the Western Bulldogs and the Gold Coast Football Club. Now he is a champion of Fathers and Kids.
Rodney is now involved in The Fathering Project a project that goes into primary schools and works closely with males in their roles as Fathers. The project was first conceptualised by Dr Bruce Robinson a Respiratory Surgeon working in Perth. He noticed that many male patients on their death bed expressed that their biggest regret was not spending enough time with their children. Dr Robinson heavily researched the "Father role" particularly in an Australian context and the idea of The Fathering Project was born in 2013 starting in Western Australia then to New South Wales and now Victoria. The program is based in primary schools and is a not for profit organisation relying on Government Grants. At the moment there are 40 schools in Victoria involved. The idea is for a Dad's group to be set up in schools run by Dad's with the Fathering Project behind it. The groups are started by the Fathering Project identifying the school and they champion a Dad to run the group. Dad's are invited to be involved by invitations from their children. The Fathering Project is aware that family dynamics are different and the male involved can be a father figure. Research has shown overwhelming evidence the importance of having a father figure involved in the child's school years. It has shown a boost in confidence levels and making more informed choices. The group is not formed to tell Dad's they are doing a bad job but rather helping them to be the best dad that they can be. In each Dad group they have 4 events per 1 year term, 2 events are for the Dad's only and the other 2 are with children. It has been shown that males tend to not talk about their vulnerability in a group so small groups help to get father's to talk. At the initial night the project find out what issues are important to the particular group then the next night they will supply a guest speaker to talk about the particular issues that were raised previously. The fathering project has a website with a lot of information for Dad's and has a Dad portal with articles and information. The groups create a support network for father's. The events that the children and Dad's have together can be whatever activity that the Dad's choose to do with their children. Some have had a camp out together at the school others undertook billy cart making, paper plane making, one school had more girls than boys so a hairdresser came and braided the girls hair and did make up. The ideas are endless and unique to the particular group, however the most important thing is that the Father's and children have fun and gain a deeper bonding with each other. The project offers Fathering tips but does not judge in any way. The groups are a good way of introducing new Dad's to the school community and make new contacts. In one school the Dad's continue to meet informally and 3 of the fathers revealed they had mental health issues and the project was able to help meet their needs. An Indigenous school in Perth was struggling to get father's to come along to the group so the Fathering Project held a BBQ at the front gate and invited the father's to come. One of the girls at the school asked her uncle to come as her father figure, he was an alcoholic but was able to stay sober for 24 hours so that he could be present. A school in Neerim South had many different issues and cohorts however they were able to find many Dad's who were passionate about the project. The project provides benefits for the Dad's and the children, forms family partnerships and benefits the school as well. The total cost to run a program in schools is $5000 with the school paying $1000 of the total cost. Robert is currently working at a couple of special schools and the project is able to offer support and education to the father's who attend. In Victoria a few schools are currently signing up for the project with the launch to occur next year. The Fathering Project would like endorsements in the local community and would like Rotary assistance by providing a letter of endorsement to Principals of our local schools. Any monetary assistance from Rotary would be much appreciated as well.