GLAD TIDINGS No. 10 PART D

Our friends at Stella Maris Adelaide regularly send their always interesting newsletter to us. The latest edition of “The Gangway Bulletin” has a terrific article on an Indian crew visiting last January, that has to be retold. Over 24-28 January, Australia and India were locked in battle in a game of cricket at Adelaide Oval. A group of Indian seafarers were visiting Stella Maris at that time and asked if they could be taken to Adelaide Oval. The good volunteers swung into action and delivered the seafarers to the cricket before you could say “howzthat’. The cricket-mad seafarers could not believe their luck when as spectators they took up a prized position on the boundary fence as the Australian batsmen manfully built their innings. Soon after, the one and only Sachin Tendulkar was sent to field out

An unexpected thrill in Adelaide

on the boundary- right next to our near ecstatic crew. They then got a chance to speak with their legendary countryman, and at the close of play went back to their ship on clouds nine, ten and eleven. Bravo, SM Adelaide…Aussie hospitality at its best! But who in India will believe their story when they get home?

In this edition:

• An unexpected thrill in

Adelaide • The AMSA Seafarers

Welfare Advisory Committee

• Hastings’ champions

free MSIC passes • Serious injury reports

• Esperance’s Good

Samaritans

• Than you AMWS and SBU

GLAD TIDINGS 2012 No. 10 Part D

The Australian Government- Maritime Safety Authority appointed Committee continues to meet quarterly and to provide a forum for Australian seafarers’organisations to articulate their concerns and share experiences and aspirations in the presence of other key maritime industry stakeholders and government representatives. The editor represents MTS on this committee and has recently been joined by MTS’ Capt Dave Ellis who importantly brings another level of expertise and commitment to the table. The committee meetings provides us the opportunity to advocate as strongly as possible for recognition of the crucial welfare services all of our centres provide around Australia’s ports, and our need for future support and

funding. Practical issues involving the implementation of the MLC, the cost of MSIC passes, better access to terminals, practical enforcement of the ISPS code, the formation of local port welfare committees, the establishment of a Register noting our involvement in serious incidents involving seafarers, relations with the ITF and Port Authorities etc are a few of the matters on the ever expanding agenda. It also provides us a chance to meet with AOS on a more regular basis as their national director Peter Owens also sits on the Committee. Any centre concerned about any local or national issue that could appropriately be brought before the Advisory Committee please contact the national office.

The AMSA Seafarers Welfare Advisory Committee

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Hastings’ champions for free MSIC passes

Earlier in the year Hastings Seafarers Centre brought it to our notice that the cost of MSIC passes was hurting the centre financially. We are indebted to Hasting’s Bob Graham for bringing this to our attention. A subsequent survey of MTS centres by the editor disclosed that eight of our centres paid for MSIC passes and that one of them had paid out around $12,000

for current passes for some 25 active volunteers. The AMSA Seafarers Advisory Committee is now aware of this problem and will start negotiations with the issuing authority for hopefully the issue of free passes in the future. Let’s hope that the next edition of Glad Tidings will be able to report some good news on this front.

We all are aware of the tremendous work AMSA carries out with their sea rescue operations; coming to the rescue of ships and crews in peril, seafarers overboard or badly injured etc. But what is not as well known, is the degree of involvement by our organisation and Apostleship of the Sea in coming to the aid of those seafarers rescued and brought to shore by AMSA requiring urgent medical treatment and hospitalisation- and the follow up work required to contact loved ones and so on. And as you all know, we care for many a seafarer who takes ill or is seriously injured at sea that does not actually require AMSA’s rescue services but are of a serious, sometimes life threatening nature. These charitable works and good deeds do not come to the notice of government or anyone else for that matter. We do not boast about such stuff- it is seen as uncool and unchristian to do so. However, AMSA have

asked us to begin to record these voluntary acts of mercy we carry out. Accordingly, the national office has recently set up a Register of Serious Incidents that will detail our involvement in such incidents and a copy will be given to AMSA. This Register will give the government a better idea of the scope and importance of our work to the world’s seafarers and their families. So please remember to fill in your Serious Incident Form and send to the national office when appropriate.

GLAD TIDINGS 2012 No. 10 Part D

Serious injury reports

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Esperance’s Good Samaritans

Developing the theme from the previous story, our attention is drawn to the great pastoral work being carried at our Esperance centre by chaplain Frank Roe and manager/ship visitor Fred Lochowicz. Fred recently sent us a completed Serious Incident report involving the ten day hospitalisation of a seafarer with acute diabetes. At the risk of embarrassing Frank, Fred mentioned that Frank had visited the sick patient two to three times a day for all of the ten days to “provide changes of sleeping clothes, toiletries and the medical scripts that Frank had organised and collected…”

All in a days work Esperance would say. In that same week another ship visiting Esperance had lost a crew member overboard and Fred did his best to offer support there as well. This is the unsung core business that all our centres carry out on virtually a daily basis. In that one week other Incident Reports were received from Albany, Brisbane and Bunbury concerning seafarers hospitalised for burst appendix, finger amputation and an onboard broken leg caused by stormy weather. Life at sea is dangerous.

A newsletter like this one always provides us with the opportunity to emphasise how important the support of the Australian Mariners Welfare Society and the Sydney Bethel Union is to our humanitarian work around Australia’s seaboard. Thanks to their generosity we are able to be so much more effective and reach so many more seafarers and their families. Although the AMWS

is able to financially support all centres Australia wide with grants for practical things that directly benefit seafarers, the Sydney Bethel Union bound by state legislation can only support centres in NSW. Accordingly, our hard working centres in Newcastle, Port Kembla, Eden and Sydney are the grateful beneficiaries of this invaluable assistance.

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Thank you AMWS and SBU

GLAD TIDINGS 2012 No. 10 Part D

Esperance Seafarers’ Chapel