I have recently returned from Krakow, Poland and World Youth Day. What an experience. Two and a half million pilgrims from all over the world were in attendance. There was a lot of people, noise, singing, flags fluttering, afternoon thunderstorms and downpours, crowded buses and trams and pop up food stalls.
There was also a great feeling of celebration, joy, friendship and laughter.
It was interesting to observe the level of supervision and duty of care that was in place for the under 18 pilgrims. There was a huge discrepancy between dioceses from a ‘no rules policy’ to full night supervision and curfews. As a parent one would assume that their children were being supervised 24 hours of the day, especially in a foreign country.
Thank goodness that there were no accidents or incidents in Krakow. One of the IEU PIPs on Overnight Camps and Excursions should be attended by some of the diocesan directors so that they are made aware of the duty of care expectations while supervising school students.
It is hard to believe that we are now more than half way through the term with holidays fast approaching.
The IEU Race Day at Rosehill Racecourse will be held again this year. So keep the date free -Wednesday, 28 September.
Organise a table of friends from your school or neighbouring schools and come along to a great day to meet new friends, relax and enjoy a little dabble on your favourite horse. Also a chance for the ladies to ‘frock up’ and look beautiful.
The Women’s Conference which was held on Friday 19 August was once again a huge success. A very big thank you to Pam Smith and her committee for the hard work and organisation to make this a rewarding experience for all attendees.
The Early Childhood Conference is fast approaching and will be held on Saturday, 10 September at the Mercure Sydney. I am sure it will be another sell out event. So get your registrations in if you wish to attend.
Enjoy the remainder of the term and I wish everyone a safe and well deserved holiday.