Dr Simone Taffe and four graduate students, Luci Colman, Fiona Lewis, Beth Fernon and Jane Roberts from the Faculty of Design, Swinburne University of Technology, told us about their research based design project "BREAK" , which won the Hawthorn Rotary Club Design Innovation Award. 

 “BREAK” is a wristband, widget and app, developed to track people’s movements, helping monitor and improve their actions. It reduces the negative impacts of long term sedentary behaviour. During the presentation, we were subjected to some light exercise, (standing up and sitting down) which made me wonder if Christians live longer than atheists . . . .  Altogether, it was an interesting and well thought out presentation, spiced up with some sixties rock music:  Shake, Rattle and Roll!

It was my pleasure to present the students with  cheques totalling $1,000 for the Design Innovation Award.

Next week: Mandy Baxter will address us on "Mates For Inmates", a pilot program currently taking place in a women's prison in Victoria.  Should I ring Kooyong and ask if I can bring Wee Jock as my guest?

The Sergeant will focus on “End Polio Now”, so have some loose change handy.

After hearing a team of award-winning design ladies, I couldn’t resist a paradigm gear-change for a closing quote from the TV show, Designing Women:-

“I've learned one thing in my life; never fry chicken when you are naked”. - Carlene Frazier Dobber.