Volunteer
Fuzzy has a lifelong habit of volunteering.
In 2013 he was elected National President of The Voice of Australia’s Volunteers.
He speaks to volunteer groups without charge.
“Wellbeing Psychologists tell us that the single most powerful thing we can do to raise our spirits and enhance wellbeing is to serve others. Serving a world larger than that encompassed by self-interest raises us to a different level of humanity. When we all lived in hunter gatherer clans, connected to, sharing with, and serving our fellow clan members, this was a necessity which needed no consideration or discussion, but in today’s world of materialism, government safety nets, superannuation and insurance, many of us have concluded that selfishness is better and serving others is a waste of time and energy and should be left to governments and other institutions. I strongly disagree, because serving others trumps selfishness on the wellbeing scale as well as in the spiritual realm. In Australia almost half of us serve for the betterment of society without any thought of payment.”
Fuzzy Trojan from his book “Fuzzy’s Quest for The Yellow Circle”.
LINKS
Join The Voice of Australia’s Volunteers.
Fuzzy’s volunteering record
Committee member: Rose Park Primary School Parents Association
Served for three years.
Suggested and successfully lobbied for closure of a section of an adjacent street to increase the school’s limited playground space.
Founder: Hindmarsh Youth Cooperative
Served for two years
Started South Australia’s first worker’s co-operative under new legislation introduced by the Dunstan government.
Observer: Prisoners Action Group
Attended several committee meetings.
Gained familiarity with attitudes and issues of prisoners.
Trainee volunteer: Correctional Services
Attended training, inspected Yatala Men’s and Women’s Prisons.
Did not continue into active volunteering due to unexpected external demands.
Committee member: Men’s Contact and Resource Centre
Served for three years
Learned about the issues and functioning of the men’s movement.
Community Observer: District Council of East Torrens
Attended for eleven years.
Became involved in local government affairs, spoke at public meetings, made submissions, got to know councillors and council staff and contributed informally to council issues and discussions. When the Council closed due to amalgamation, I was presented with a set of commemorative glasses for my contribution as “the longest serving member of the public gallery”.
Learned about the functioning of Local Government at both the bureaucratic and political level,
Chairperson: Lofty Barossa Consultative Committee National Parks
Served for ten years,
Three years’ service as chairperson, two as deputy chairperson and five as an ordinary member. The committee was responsible to the Minister of Environment. Awarded “Consultative Committee of the year”. Convened meetings on sensitive issues in National Parks such as horses, mountain bikes, orienteering, fox eradication and controlled burning.
Receiving Consultative Committee of the Year award from Allan Holmes, CEO Environment and Heritage Department.
Chairperson, Convenor: Friends of Morialta Barns
Served for three years.
Raised $800,000 of federal funding to restore and preserve the heritage listed Morialta Barns, built by John Baker, South Australia’s second Premier and later owned by his son Sir Richard Baker the first President of the Federal Senate.
Committee member: Friends of Marble Hill Ruin.
Served for one year.
Commenced bus tours of the Marble Hill ruin and raised several thousand dollars for heritage preservation.
Founding member: Responsible Use of Bird Scarers (RUBS)
Served for two years.
Lobbied for control of excessive bird scaring gas gun explosions and negotiated with East Torrens Council to introduce new by-laws which were subsequently adopted state-wide.
Committee member: Mount Lofty Ranges Conservation Association
Ordinary membership for four years.
Committee Member: Marble Hill Radar Tower Action Committee
Served till the Department of Civil Aviation agreed to move a proposed radar tower from Marble Hill to Mount Lofty.
Member: Friends of Morialta- Black Hill Conservation Park
Ordinary membership for four years.
Member: East Torrens Historical Society
Ordinary membership for three years.
Raised funds by conducting tours of the Society’s historical display.
Member: Playford Memorial Statue Committee
Served for one year.
Suggested to East Torrens Council, commemorating South Australia’s longest serving Premier and local resident, Sir Thomas Playford on his 100th birthday. Joined the Memorial Committee and assisted with raising funds, commissioning a memorial statue and staging a public memorial event. Subsequently conducted local heritage tours including the Playford statue.
Volunteer: Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Served for two years.
Assisted in the Helen Mayo clinic for post natal depression. Cared for babies and small children, helped mothers.
Founding Member: Friends of Norwood Pool Inc.
Acted as foundation chairperson. Purpose was to protect the heritage listed Norwood pool.
Founding Member: MS Housing Association Inc.
Started the association with 2 others to provide purpose built housing for people with MS.
Golden Guru Volunteering SA&NT Inc.
Joined the program in December 2010.
Role as a Golden Guru is to mentor CEO’s and senior managers of not for profit organizations.
Speaker Volunteering SA&NT Inc.
Promoting the role of volunteering through speaking to a wide variety of organizations, schools, etc.
LSA and other roles Baha’i Faith
Elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly, organised various community events. Ran various workshops, gave talks, act as MC, tell uplifting stories.
National President The Voice of Australia’s Volunteers
Foundation member of a National organization to represent Australia’s 6.2 million volunteers and 665,000 volunteer driven Not for Profit Organizations. Elected as first National President in 2013.
Founder The Yellow Circle Foundation
Started the Foundation to transform the city of Adelaide as humanity transitions into the Robot Age.