Received: from evaki.its.uow.edu.au ([130.130.68.32]) by anubis.ad.uow.edu.au with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959); Sun, 27 Jan 2008 09:36:22 +1100 Received: from febris-nat.its.uow.edu.au ([130.130.68.210] helo=febris.its.uow.edu.au) by evaki.its.uow.edu.au with esmtp (Exim 4.63) (envelope-from ) id 1JItdO-00010Z-3n for blane@uow.edu.au; Sun, 27 Jan 2008 09:36:22 +1100 Received: from c3.confirmedcc.com (c3.confirmedcc.com [64.95.77.164]) by febris.its.uow.edu.au (MOS 3.8.5-GA) with ESMTP id HWH20561; Sun, 27 Jan 2008 09:36:17 +1100 (EST) Received: from p1-ws008 (unknown [10.250.0.101]) by c3.confirmedcc.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6563623003A for ; Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:36:12 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <1101949519431.1101938345415.1211.8.121173502@scheduler> Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:36:12 -0500 (EST) From: Fatherhood Foundation Reply-To: info@fathersonline.org To: blane@uow.edu.au Subject: Attitude of gratitude Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_Part_14979474_1761066255.1201386972296" X-Mailer: Roving Constant Contact 0 (http://www.constantcontact.com) List-Unsubscribe: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?p=un&v=001jm8CFGIzLJHYg-gJRLc-3d90mBLDU8yk0HyYQ54rkujD7q5unSGiFA== X-Return-Path-Hint: ESC1101949519431_1101938345415_1211@in.confirmedcc.com X-Roving-ID: 1101938345415.1211 X-Lumos-SenderID: 1101938345415 X-Roving-CampaignId: 1101949519431 X-Roving-StreamId: 0 X-Junkmail-Status: score=10/49, host=febris.its.uow.edu.au X-Junkmail-SD-Raw: score=unknown, refid=str=0001.0A010202.479BB5E4.00D5,ss=1,fgs=0, ip=64.95.77.164, so=2007-07-31 18:51:00, dmn=5.4.3/2007-11-16 Return-Path: ESC1101949519431_1101938345415_1211@in.confirmedcc.com X-OriginalArrivalTime: 26 Jan 2008 22:36:22.0198 (UTC) FILETIME=[E05C6D60:01C8606B] ------=_Part_14979474_1761066255.1201386972296 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit You're receiving this email because of your relationship with the Fatherhood Foundation. Please confirm http://visitor.constantcontact.com/c.jsp?t=1101949519431.1211.110217632.2&m=1101938345415&wl=F your continued interest in receiving email from us. You may unsubscribe http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001jm8CFGIzLJHYg-gJRLc-3d90mBLDU8yk0HyYQ54rkugw8Hz4MRB5yRLxaAKggtQibRlloTDFRNt1jPk7XRAGrA%3D%3D&p=un if you no longer wish to receive our emails. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 28 January 2008 Inspiring Fathers Encouraging Families Issue 284 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Attitude of Gratitude The power of Thanksgiving ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Brian, Welcome to the Fatherhood Foundation new look newsletter and email information service for the Fathers and Families of Australia and the world. Be thankful for what we have especially our country and our family. In This Issue Laughter..get a look at this Mum Frontline...Family costs for food in world countries Grandfathers... A thankful heart All You Need is Love....Couple striving for Quality Time Single Dads...Dad's Who needs them Special Feature...Men need to make a stand Dad's Prayer..Count your blessings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thought of the Week Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation. Brian Tracy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join our Mailing List! [http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101938345415] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Laughter Did you hear about the Irishman who couldn't understand how he had only three brothers when his sister had four? Check this out at [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UpebfuRvOmOeRy9Md-IBJlesYpHRerf31fpCp2P8DXnpllp1C_LTu9dRI98xM-Xi_ZyUwYa8zILqMFv1vM7U67MgErQo5qwhbNr7ybiF-xmJiv3riKUUAcXwAjiC1WcC-o=] Mums Life [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UpebfuRvOmOeRy9Md-IBJlesYpHRerf31fpCp2P8DXnpllp1C_LTu9dRI98xM-Xi_ZyUwYa8zILqMFv1vM7U67MgErQo5qwhbNr7ybiF-xmJiv3riKUUAcXwAjiC1WcC-o=] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quick Links Fatherhood Foundation [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38Uqx43U4J-A_C7bM-b2tFKGBRqwGcakbsZeRk9wRmywwqVM5BoYgdRt_3yEwCMHkT5AlTooachmmFRertDCat7wIPtiRlN1j-z5dn0y-58it7g==] Dads in Distress The Fatherhood Project - Byron Bay [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UqHsaxyIoUMA_sko9ej5F8x8g5S8LOigao6KwTLqpZHlZZth7ywvAaTq57n9Wtj3314h3yHPMF4mGFsFP8OJGNlEkRDfjFFWafGUTYWaHKGctTg1cM77BQPbYNJYtxpUZg=] Fatherhood Institute - UK [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UqesY7pQR4Jy3vEUkqtXV3jvBZ86SiOIWSdyYIQ3TZN88k2Cn1ozmDjFNKTSK6it3JXpX7K_5O0JKwDwTn1MopdOXW-A2NAgYFep_hcaxCzzpKw_1iUhzu3] Lone Fathers Association of Australia [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UrEVkmhE2IRy9zb1HTPvmGE6pZarLMqtWoS2y5s4vXH_YXX-9Hd2NK4UoFJKlVpXDCBjfgaKCmSxlpkdw0oz5DNi8gcu1mFmbRwFLFPATgzaSP7U3AicBWT] CSA Adverts [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UqxWbmuSyNsHUuW9WKmxvBA05BTfDaldpO6tgJPqF1SZkH8jwA665kVLoW39iuFU29_3CyAHl6lCXaPgMJK0kD9y6RDkWsFUtFaZ-fkT82RXZfK1cDbGmu53OmURjRaJfLAsAiRRotq3g==] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Frontline We have just celebrated (26th January) Australia Day [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UrAdl5JhFS7WYNZhN-8f8TyDcHtzYM0kQlUbc3SlGivuulqx4xZTfJYIYcT27MapgVQJarder9WI47e0CdUNywEXRb6MR9pMuMZZfGPcZSaXUUT1pQn-n9v] . This means a lot to me in more ways than one. Australia Day is the birth date of my eldest son, Nathaniel, who will soon be writing a report for the Fatherhood Foundation as a new dad since the arrival of his beautiful twin girls that I told you about last week. Australia Day is also special for me because I regard it as a day to be thankful for being able to be born into, and live in, the 'land of plenty' - a line from that famous Men at Work song, 'Land Down Under' [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38Uo1FnW-Vqp6NSGhWbtBs7eGVObcCF-j4eTo42C-JAePdqYxoPEY7jbc8awuUKkHkg97sYW2KdH-tzlb3HzoIB4NaeSsZjJyfncwwlGV7trIbwgxjBYv-oulw0cGNSc5Vrw39Goi-hr7hA==]. The truth is, you can have an attitude of gratitude wherever you live and whatever your circumstances. In a recent book, 'Thank You Power [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UoaYfiNAPhFrhgA2TgHyyDY_PlH08qdYGBA2TLySXQs3Wy5GBgI_tV_DfZfOiFDEBnYOG7F9WfxIgK-H2geEgx4eO9G-H97KEc6sfJgNjvoXywxa4gktKO7XtOVxRzAVeQ98MW2T-iB59EurjYsSTASMaJG7IaM-ntpgFD4_HIZPJJP9c9zN7E_xur8FFq29IQryJEEJCWi3uV7MHDhxcoE]- [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UoaYfiNAPhFrhgA2TgHyyDY_PlH08qdYGBA2TLySXQs3Wy5GBgI_tV_DfZfOiFDEBnYOG7F9WfxIgK-H2geEgx4eO9G-H97KEc6sfJgNjvoXywxa4gktKO7XtOVxRzAVeQ98MW2T-iB59EurjYsSTASMaJG7IaM-ntpgFD4_HIZPJJP9c9zN7E_xur8FFq29IQryJEEJCWi3uV7MHDhxcoE]Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You' by Deborah Norville, research scientist Prof Robert Emmons has shown that grateful people were found to: Be more joyful Be more energetic Be more optimistic Exercise more Feel better Be more enthusiastic Have fewer illnesses Get more sleep Be less cluttered Be more generous Be more helpful Be less envious of those with more possessions. Rather than prattle on about the benefits of being thankful, I want you to look at the pictures below of what families around the world have to eat each week. You will notice that even the poorest of the poor are thankful and happy. How much more should we be?? Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23 Egypt:The Ahmed family of Cairo Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53 Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo Food expenditure for one week: $31.55 Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09 Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11 Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07 Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03 United States: The Revis family of North Carolina (Sure hope most American families eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less junk food than this family.) Food expenditure for one week $341.98 Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27 Lovework A picture is worth a thousand words. Print out the fathersonline and show it to your children before they eat their meal tonight. Show it to your friends. Saying thank you before the meal will never be hard again. An attitude of gratitude will become infectious and how much better will we feel? Yours for saying 'thank you' Warwick Marsh PS For those interested in applying for the role of Development Manager with the Fatherhood Foundation, the deadline has been extended to 20th February 2008. Information can be found in News & Info or at: www.fatherhood.org.au [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UpcHjvEb_nGkoxnwbuS4Xbb9S2fCEkkSogaAlfyYFS4y1p3Iff18_f6Fj3lm9N__4UfEJJwJvSpxXwIuiSWNkE83pDxbV__1Mxm7jcQkYanW0xif6Qn8nCevNqyqQMXIns=] __________________________________________________________ Warwick Marsh has been married to Alison for 32 years. He is the grandfather of two children and father of five children, four boys and one girl, ranging in age from 27 years to 14 years. Warwick is a musician, songwriter, producer and public speaker who likes to think he can still laugh at himself. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Grandfathers A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues. Cicero ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All You Need is Love Couples Should Strive for Quality Alone Time By Douglas Brown, The Denver Post, 31st December 2007 Writer Mira Kirshenbaum, author of "The Weekend Marriage: Abundant Love in a Time-Starved World," and many other relationship books, has some very clear ideas about how couples can work together to strengthen their union. Q: Why is it important for couples to get alone time? A: One of the big mistakes harried couples make (is) confusing "time for us" with "time for vegging out." So here's what you have to do. Just the way the first thing you do with your paycheck is pay the bills, the first thing you do with the precious little time you have together is make sure it's "time for each other." That could mean making love, giving each other foot rubs, talking about how you've been doing recently, going for a walk in the woods - but it's got to be something that makes you feel again the way you felt when you were first together. Q: Give us some ideas, please. A: (First), commit to having one real connection a day, no matter what. A real connection could be a lingering kiss. A hug that feels like you really mean it. A conversation that starts when one asks, "How are you these days?" and then (the questioner) really listens to the answer. Tell each other what makes you feel especially loved. (And then follow-up by helping your partner achieve that feeling every day). Say something positive to your partner, even if you are in a rush. Show appreciation in both your words and actions. Touch more, but don't push touching, and don't assume that all touching needs to be sexually motivated. Asking for or offering a hug, reaching over and gently holding your partner's hand, means a lot. Look for the things you enjoy doing together, whether playing games, movies, walking, etc., and make time for these activities. Make sure things are balanced in your life together. Check the various loads you are carrying. It is easy for workloads to become unbalanced. Sitting down every month, and discussing them, can help prevent this. Be open with each other. Don't make your partner have to second-guess what you are thinking or feeling. At least twice a week, at a minimum, share what is on your mind at the moment. Q: Anything else? A: Listening is one of the great time-savers. Five minutes of listening prevents five hours of fighting and 50 hours of being mad and distant from each other. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Single Dads Dads - Who Needs Them? Editor's Note: We have decided to publish this diatribe against men and fathers by Alan Howe, a writer with the Herald Sun, written on 17th January 2008. We encourage our readers to write to the editor, Bruce Guthrie, of the Herald Sun requesting that the Fatherhood Foundation have the right of reply guthrieb@heraldsun.com.au [mailto:guthrieb@heraldsun.com.au] Ask for the Fatherhood Foundation to put forward the case for the important contribution that involved and loving fathers make to the families of Australia. Yes, there are bad fathers, just as there are bad mothers, but as Bettina Arndt says, "No gender has a monopoly on vice." Let us move on from the gender war. Let's not sacrifice our children on the altar of political correctness. Children need a mother and a father. DADS - who needs them? Dads are dangerous. Stepdads are deadly By Alan Howe About 25 per cent of Australian kids have seen some form of violence against their mother or their stepmother. Drunk dads do much of it but sober dads are often behind the fists as well. Men are genetically predisposed to violence and 23.5 per cent of all assaults reported to Victoria Police take place in the family home. What's worse is the Australian Bureau of Statistics believes only 31 per cent of assaults are reported. That is a lot of unhappy homes. Far too many. And it'll be the dad who is mostly to blame. Which is why I am not confronted by the latest bestseller, Knock Yourself Up, written by a New York lesbian, Louise Sloan, who used an anonymous sperm donor to have a baby - a boy. In the book - provocatively subtitled No Man? No Problem! - Sloan interviews a range of single mums, mostly heterosexual women whose body clocks sounded a deafening alarm that spurred them into action. Sloan writes: "Most of the women in this book would love to find the right guy but, when push came to shove, decided finding the right husband just wasn't their No. 1 priority. Having a child was." The book is a best-seller and there has been uproar about the manner in which Sloan appears to have written off the need for a child to have a dad. And some have asked why she didn't adopt. My best mate is adopted, but it is not something I would ever do. I don't want to raise someone else's child. I want my own. And that's precisely how Sloan and many of those she interviewed felt. They wanted pregnancies and to give birth - and that's a pretty natural desire. As natural as alpha males beating the living daylights out of lesser beings. There will soon be many more single mums now that Attorney-General Rob Hulls is giving them access to fertility treatment. An interfaith council led by Rabbi Shimon Cowen has accused the Government of social engineering. "The values that were with us until 20 years ago have gone out of control," Rabbi Cowen said on behalf of the committee representing the Jewish, Anglican, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim faiths. That would be the Catholic faith that bars priests from having wives and families, and women from the priesthood, and the Muslim faith that allows a man to divorce his wife just by saying so. No wonder women, repressed for centuries by organised religion, feel they have a right to take control of their fertility. Another flank of the attack against Sloan is by men despairing of the future of children from fatherless households. I wouldn't worry too much. While the economics of such households may pose a few problems - and equal pay, real equal pay, might help there - the phenomenon of women bringing up kids without their dads has been with us forever. There are 663,000 lone parent households in Australia, 83 per cent of them run by mum. One of our most cherished organisations is Legacy, which has helped widows of war for almost a century - 100,000 Australian men were killed in World Wars I and II, and in Vietnam - and their well-adjusted kids include Ron Barassi, TV star Clive James and guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel. Last week it was revealed that Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and her husband, Greg Withers, who heads the state Office of Climate Change, were both raised in fatherless houses, Withers by his grandmother. Both estranged from their alcoholic fathers, they seem to have done rather well. But the drinking dad's no match for the deadly dad. I drove past Winchelsea last week and saw the three little white crosses at the spot where Robert Farquharson (above) decided to murder sons Jai, 10, Tyler, 7, and Bailey, 2 on Father's Day, 2005. No man? No problem? No argument from me. But I want my Dad! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Special feature Men, It's Time to Make a Stand By Jerry Feeny If you have a toddler who watches TV, you might have noticed that Pooh Bear's best mate, Christopher Robin has been dumped and replaced by a girl. Providing role models for girls is called positive discrimination. I believe that it has been necessary and is all to the good, but Christopher Robin is nowhere to be found and young boys seem to have lost their role models. A couple of decades ago programs were set up to encourage high school girls into the science subjects. Girls are now flourishing but the boys are lagging behind or have lost interest (as have their educators.) In the eighties the buzzword was SNAG, (Sensitive New Age Guys). The concept was that men needed to get in touch with their feminine side so they could make better partners. It influenced the way a generation of mothers raised their sons, but it didn't seem necessary to these mums to train up their girls to understand what makes their counterparts tick. There's a TV advertisement for ice cream that has women clipping men on the back of the head for eyeing the passing action, yet an advertisement for a soft drink that has women ogling a half dressed man dribbling soft drink down his bare chest is not seen as sexist or sleazy or disrespectful. Last but not in the least, least, there's an Australian show called 'Stupid, Stupid Man'. The show is about the lives of four men on an editorial team of a fictional magazine (called COQ) and the women who 'have to work with them'. I'm not aware that anybody has spoken out about the title or the concept. There's a disturbing trend here and it's so insidious that men aren't really noticing unless it impacts on them personally which is usually when they become non-custodial dads. There are more women's lobby groups around than men's groups because women have had longer to be aware about all sorts of inequities; the only men's lobby groups that I'm aware of are father's groups. It's not that I believe that men should seize back the initiative, but I do think it's important, that something needs to be done to give boys back their role models and encourage women to show men the sort of respect they expect for themselves. I've been writing letters of complaint wherever and whenever I have found sexist or offensive behaviour towards men, but I'm not always sure who to address. For example, I wouldn't know how to go about finding out who the advertising agencies are that put together the offensive adverts. Letters of complaint should also go to the offending producers of the product telling them not to expect men to buy their products unless they change their attitude, but that needs co-ordination and numbers. I'm sure that there are many in the Fatherhood Foundation group who have specialist knowledge that could be helpful to me, or there may be men who would like to join in the letter writing campaign who might need me to help them. If we could get together on email we might make a start. For those who are interested, here is my email address: jerryfeeny@yahoo.com.au [mailto:jerryfeeny@yahoo.com.au] Editor's Note: Jerry Feeny contacted us recently after seeing one of our CSAs on TV. I have asked Jerry to share his concerns about male bashing with our readers. The anti-male article reprinted in Single Dads this week by Alan Howe from the Herald Sun is a good case in point. We would appreciate the right of reply to set the record straight. Write to the editor, Bruce Guthrie of Melbourne's Herald Sun to voice your concerns and in support of our request -guthrieb@heraldsun.com.au [mailto:guthrieb@heraldsun.com.au] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ News & info Family Friendly Legal Advice The Fatherhood Foundation has been advocating reform to Australia's family law system for many years along with many others within the movement. There have been some improvements in recent years but much more needs to be done. Our personal belief is that family litigation should be avoided if at all possible as litigation often makes matters worse. Unfortunately it is not always possible to avoid taking these matters to court and the anti-father bias within the system is well known around Australia. More fatherless children are often a direct result. The Fatherhood Foundation has often been asked to recommend a lawyer for advice to fathers in need so although we do not promote litigation in any form, there is a need to find lawyers who are father-friendly, mother-friendly and child-friendly within the Australian legal system. We commend Peter Robertson of Robertson Lawyers, Nowra, to those who are in need of a good family lawyer. Peter is unusual amongst the Family Law Court environment because he insists on working towards genuine out-of-court mediated solutions. Peter Robertson is a practicing solicitor with a focus on family law. He encourages parties to reach collaborative agreements, but does not prolong arguments for any personal benefit. Rather Peter Robertson is child centred and encourages the parents to consider the best interests of the child, which in most cases is to have a significant relationship with both parents. Peter endeavours to ensure that matters are finalised effectively and economically and in the best interest of all parties concerned. Contact Details: Peter Robertson Robertson Lawyers Unit 3/138 Junction St NOWRA NSW 2541 Ph: 02 4421 6666 Email: peter@robertsonlawyers.com.au [mailto:peter@robertsonlawyers.com.au] Public Notice Open Letter to Herald Sun Bruce Guthrie - guthrieb@heraldsun.com.au [mailto:guthrieb@heraldsun.com.au] Dear Mr Guthrie We write to you because many fathers and mothers in Victoria and around Australia have contacted us regarding Alan Howe's article: 'Dads, Who need them'. Many of our readers have been aggrieved by Mr Howe's manipulation of statistics and the defamatory tone of his article towards the male of the species. Our request is simple. Give the Fatherhood Foundation the right of reply, to set the record straight. All we request is equal space in your paper to point out the important contribution that fathers make to the children and families of Australia. We await your reply Yours sincerely Warwick Marsh Fatherhood Foundation PO Box 542 UNANDERRA NSW 2526 Ph: 02 4272 6677 info@fatherhood.org.au [mailto:info@fatherhood.org.au] www.fatherhood.org.au [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UpHvQGfiAHFYhttiq6J6gAGH5gIPS3OHEm3Iefu1l1MpGOvRVS8HDVEuRacNWM2bdc1EFeFcKOBLqcSo2RvubjnO4IZoA4ka4sfWvuTg8-oew==] Follow the link below..How fame gets out of hand Our son is not a monster writes distraught parents [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UpCwceKEoV_NjdkCIaPYGFAWI0gfL9Lgy4rrz3j8zGmCRUwWh6QkHqVjDUQDMQiEfQVWON3fua6K4NFrlHGU_iZK9uJVGWqSgxbo2U-VMCqeogFGz3uDT6_zYQHbI6nb1bw8JWuOw_PrBbhOGu0A18nxVS5wuFsCZQ=] Position Vacant Development Manager - Fatherhood FoundationFatherhood Foundation Logo [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UpvxkByeA1FMmYJ9d8cbhsa4h3nAkposqgfeGnnWU_qQUQRmG0hWS_VUan9x91SLRj6mSWbgftWjf8-kBsHQBEYOJ0QvwIjGzRVNNXnxmFG7A==] The Fatherhood Foundation is a tax deductible faith-based charity with the goal of inspiring fathers and renewing families. Our aim is to prevent the harm caused by fatherlessness to the children of Australia. We are looking for an energetic and enthusiastic man who is committed to the cause found in the words of Malachi 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers'. The role of the Development Manager is to obtain funding and support to enable the cause of the Fatherhood Foundation to be fulfilled. The applicant would need to be highly disciplined, exhibit great management skills and possess excellent communication abilities with an entrepreneurial attitude. An attractive salary package will be provided for the successful applicant. For more information visit http://www.fatherhood.org.au/employment.html [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UpcHjvEb_nGkoxnwbuS4Xbb9S2fCEkkSogaAlfyYFS4y1p3Iff18_f6Fj3lm9N__4UfEJJwJvSpxXwIuiSWNkE83pDxbV__1Mxm7jcQkYanW0xif6Qn8nCevNqyqQMXIns=] Letters Dear Fatherhood Foundation I just saw your community service announcement during the cricket and I have to say it is the most effeminate and unmanly depiction of being a man that I have seen. It makes me ashamed to be a man and a father. I have had over 30 years in the community sector and give your CSA the award for the worst television promotion I have ever seen. Sorry but it was so embarrassing to watch Ian THE GREATEST FUNDRAISING DVD EVER! New Festival DVD highlights with John Butler and Pete Murray on sale now. The long awaited highlights from the 2006 Fatherhood Festival is on sale at our online shop http://www.fatherhood.net.au/shop.php [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UreSQM6j6y8AepqMsgE1RYDjurJm5zJ0Vj88p0R75lzqmUaTod7cecy4J8bkmlEXa66bdmKwTsARZjAzUYi7Ck-kczdfL_E5CH0C1c04F6N0CXsaJjw6JWW] The DVD contains live footage from concerts over that special weekend, with artists talking about being or having a father. This heartfelt and beautifully performed DVD makes a great gift this seasonat $19.95 and is packed with special performances by other great local artists including, Juzzie Smith, Tommee, Soulman and Nathan Kaye. It is a limited edition release and we have kept the cost low so that everyone can enjoy the magic of that Father's Day weekend in 2006 at Bangalow. Destined to become a collector's item, John's moving solo acoustic set features earlyperformances of some of the great songs on his award-winning new CD 'Grand National'. John Butler performs after becoming the proud father ofhis five day old baby boy, Jahli and Pete Murray brings his young son Charlie on stage, to play an awesome set on drums. You can hear samples of their performance at http://www.fatherhood.net.au/fhfdvd.php [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001BVdAMMc38UoH3arnWp4HPWhPzbqglZdBNjuiNnKXJ3rhO_oA1CNk7GPr8I0AHhbIMUbJQneLiLX9fZihFZ8NZ7_uebAq46Qu4owDXp4tgbNnuPr9bAYLDrBDGHV5XLsJCCfP1pCJ5q0=] Sales from the DVD go to help fund our expectant fathers and dad's playgroup programmes in theByron and Far North Coast areaand later across Australia. Enquiries about the DVD or volunteers, please call Colin on 02 6684 2309 info@fatherhood.com.au ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dad's Prayer Dear God Willie Nelson said, "When I started to count my blessings my whole life turned around". Help me to forget not all your benefits as the psalms say. I want to enter your gates with thanksgiving and your courts with praise. Thank you for breath! Thank you for life! Thank you for everything!! What more can I say because words fail me now? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Help Us! The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Prevention Charity. Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been proven to be a source of harm. The Fatherhood Foundation helps children by promoting excellence in fathering. Excellent fathers are in word and deed: responsible, involved, protective, loving and committed to the well-being of their children and their children's mother. If you would like to give financially to the Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund and receive tax deductibility: Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund (Name, address and amount details must be emailed for a receipt for tax deductibility) Westpac Branch Wollongong BSB: 032 695 A/C: 25-5558 Or mail cheque and address details to: PO Box 440 WOLLONGONG NSW 2520 AUSTRALIA The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund is a public fund listed on the Register of Harm Prevention Charities under Subdivision 30_EA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. You have received the fathersonline.org newsletter because you have subscribed, or you have been subscribed by a friend. If you do not wish to receive future emails, please click the UNSUBSCRIBE button below. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forward email http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1101938345415&ea=blane@uow.edu.au&a=1101949519431 This email was sent to blane@uow.edu.au, by info@fathersonline.org Update Profile/Email Address http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001jm8CFGIzLJHYg-gJRLc-3d90mBLDU8yk0HyYQ54rkugw8Hz4MRB5yRLxaAKggtQibRlloTDFRNt1jPk7XRAGrA%3D%3D&p=oo Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(TM) http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001jm8CFGIzLJHYg-gJRLc-3d90mBLDU8yk0HyYQ54rkugw8Hz4MRB5yRLxaAKggtQibRlloTDFRNt1jPk7XRAGrA%3D%3D&p=un Privacy Policy: http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp Email Marketing by Constant Contact(R) www.constantcontact.com Fatherhood Foundation | P.O. Box 542 | Unanderra | NSW | 2526 | Australia ------=_Part_14979474_1761066255.1201386972296 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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=09 =09
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3D"FF
=09 =09
=09=09 =09 =09=09 =09 =09
=09=09 =09=09 =09 =09 =09=09 =09 =09 =09=09 =09=09 =09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09=09 =09 =09 =09=09 =09 =09=09 =09 =09 =09=09 =09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09
28  January 2008  &nbs= p;       Inspiring Fathers &nbs= p; Encouraging Families Issue 284
=09=09

  Attitude of Gratitude=

The power of Thanksgiving
 
=09=09
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=09=09
Dear Brian,
Welcome to the Fatherh= ood Foundation new look newsletter and email information service for the Fa= thers and Families of Australia and the world. Be thankful for what we have= especially our country and our family.
=09=09 =09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09
In This Issue
Laughter..get a look at this Mum
Frontline...Family costs for food in world countries
Grandfathers... A thankful heart
All You Need is Love....Couple striving for Quality Time=
Single Dads...Dad's Who needs them
Special Feature...Men need to make a stand =09=09
Dad's Prayer..Count your blessings
<= /tr>
Thought of the Week
=   

Develop an attitude of gratitude,

and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a st= ep toward = achieving somethi= ng bigger and better

than your current situation.

 

Brian Tracy

 
 =09=09=09=09 =09=09
Join our Mailing List!<= /td>

Laughter

=
Did you hear about the Irishman who couldn't understand how he had onl= y three brothers when his sister had four?
 
Check this out at

Mums Life

=09=09
Quick Links
 
 
 
 
 
=09
=09=09
Frontline
 =20

We have just = celebrated (26th January) Australia Day . This means a lot to me i= n more ways than one. Australia Day is the birth date of my eldest son, Nat= haniel, who will soon be writing a report for the Fatherhood Foundation as = a new dad since the arrival of his beautiful twin girls that I told you abo= ut last week.

 

Australia Day= is also special for me because I regard it as a day to be thankful for bei= ng able to be born into, and live in, the 'land of plenty' - a line from th= at famous Men at Work song, 'Land Down Under'.

 

The truth is,= you can have an attitude of gratitude wherever you live and whatever your = circumstances. In a recent book, 'Thank You Power- Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You' by Deborah Norvi= lle, research scientist Prof Robert Emmons has shown that grateful people w= ere found to:

 

Be more joyfu= l

Be more energ= etic3D"Australia

Be more optim= istic

Exercise more=

Feel better

Be more enthu= siastic

Have fewer il= lnesses

Get more slee= p

Be less clutt= ered

Be more gener= ous

Be more helpf= ul

Be less envio= us of those with more possessions.

 

Rather than p= rattle on about the benefits of being thankful, I want you to look at the p= ictures below of what families around the world have to eat each week. You = will notice that even the poorest of the poor are thankful and happy. How m= uch more should we be??

 
3D"Aboubakar
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Chad: The Aboubakar family of B= reidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23<= /font>
 

3D"Ahmed

 

 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Egyp= t: The Ahmed family of Cairo=20
 
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $= 68.53
 

3D"Ayme
=
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo
Fo= od expenditure for one week: $31.55=20
 

3D"Casales

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mexico: The Casales family of C= uernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $18= 9.09
 

3D"Manzo

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Italy: The Manzo family of Sici= ly
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11=20
 

3D"Melander
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one we= ek: 375.39 Euros or $500.07=20
 

 
3D"Namgay
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bhutan: The N= amgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week: 224.9= 3 ngultrum or $5.03
 

3D"Revis
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
United States: The Revis family of North Carolina (Sure hope most American =
families eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less junk food than= this family.)

Food expenditure for one week $341.98=20
 
 
3D"Sobscynsky
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Poland:= The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one= week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27
 

= Lovework

 

A picture is worth a thousand words. = Print out the fathersonline and show it to your children before they eat th= eir meal tonight. Show it to your friends. Saying thank you before the meal= will never be hard again. An attitude of gratitude will become infectious = and how much better will we feel?

 

Yours for saying 'thank you'

Warwick Marsh

 

PS For those interested in applying f= or the role of Development Manager with the Fatherhood Foundation, the dead= line has been extended to 20th February 2008. Information can be= found in News & Info or at: www.fatherhood.org.au

__________________________________________________________
 

Warwick Marsh  = ;has been married to Alison for 32 years. He is the grandfather o= f two children and father of five children, four boys and one girl, ranging= in age from 27 years to 14 years.  Warwick is a musician, songwr= iter, producer and public speaker who likes to think he can still laugh at = himself.

=09=09
Grandfathers

3D"ThankfulA thankful heart is not o= nly the greatest virtue,

but the pa= rent of all other virtues.

 = ;

Cicero<= /span>

 
 
All You Need is Love

Couples Should Strive for Quality Alone Time

By Douglas Brown, The Denver Post, 31<= sup>st December 20073D"Couple

 

Writer Mira Kirshenbaum, author of "Th= e Weekend Marriage: Abundant Love in a Time-Starved World," and many other = relationship books, has some very clear ideas about how couples can work to= gether to strengthen their union. Q: Why is it important for couples to get= alone time? A: One of the big mistakes harried couples make (is) confusing= "time for us" with "time for vegging out."

 

So here's what you have to do. Just th= e way the first thing you do  with your paycheck is pay the bills, the first thing you do with the  precious little time you have tog= ether is make sure it's "time for each other."

 

That could mean making love, giving ea= ch other foot rubs, talking about how you've been doing recently, going for= a walk in the woods - but it's got to be something that makes you feel aga= in the way you felt when you were first together.

 

Q: Give us some ideas, please.<= /span>

 

A: (First), commit to having one real = connection a day, no matter what. A real connection could be a lingering ki= ss. A hug that feels like you really mean it. A conversation that starts wh= en one asks, "How are you these days?" and then (the questioner) really lis= tens to the answer.

 

Tell each other what makes you feel es= pecially loved. (And then follow-up by helping your partner achieve that fe= eling every day).

 

Say something positive to your partner= , even if you are in a rush.  Show appreciation in both your words and actions.

 

Touch more, but don't push touching, a= nd don't assume that all touching needs to be sexually motivated. Asking fo= r or offering a hug, reaching over and gently holding your partner's hand, = means a lot.

 

Look for the things you enjoy doing to= gether, whether playing games, movies, walking, etc., and make time for the= se activities.

 

Make sure things are balanced in your = life together. Check the various loads you are carrying. It is easy for wor= kloads to become unbalanced. Sitting down every month, and discussing them,= can help prevent this.

 

Be open with each other. Don't make yo= ur partner have to second-guess what you are thinking or feeling. At least = twice a week, at a minimum, share what is on your mind at the moment.

 

Q: Anything else?

 

A: Listening is one of the great time-= savers. Five minutes of listening prevents five hours of fighting and 50 ho= urs of being mad and distant from each other.

=09=09 =09=09
Single Dads

= Dads - Who Needs Them?

 

Editor's Note= : We have decided to publish this diatribe against men and fathers by Alan = Howe, a writer with the Herald Sun, written on 17th January 2008= . We encourage our readers to write to the editor, Bruce Guthrie,  of the Herald Sun requesting that the= Fatherhood Foundation have the right of reply guthrieb@heraldsun.com.au

 

Ask for the Fatherhood Foundation to put f= orward the case for the important contribution that involved and loving fat= hers make to the families of Australia. Yes, there are bad fathers, just as= there are bad mothers, but as Bettina Arndt says, "No gender has a monopol= y on vice."

 

Let us move o= n from the gender war. Let's not sacrifice our children on the altar of pol= itical correctness. Children need a mother and a father.

 

DADS - who needs = them? Dads are dangerous. Stepdads are deadly

By Alan Howe

 

About 25 per= cent of Australian kids have seen some form of violence against their moth= er or their stepmother. Drunk dads do much of it but sober dads are often b= ehind the fists as well.

 

Men are gene= tically predisposed to violence and 23.5 per cent of all assaults reported = to Victoria Police take place i= n the family home.

 

What's worse= is the Australian Bureau of Statistics believes only 31 per cent of assaul= ts are reported. That is a lot of unhappy homes. Far too many. And it'll be= the dad who is mostly to blame.

 

Which is why= I am not confronted by the latest bestseller, Knock Yourself Up, written by a New York lesbian, = Louise Sloan, who used an anonymous sperm donor to have a baby - a boy.

 

In the book = - provocatively subtitled No Man? = No Problem! - Sloan interviews a range of single mums, mostly h= eterosexual women whose body clocks sounded a deafening alarm that spurred = them into action.

 

Sloan writes= : "Most of the women in this book would love to find the right guy but, whe= n push came to shove, decided finding the right husband just wasn't their N= o. 1 priority. Having a child was."

 

The book is = a best-seller and there has been uproar about the manner in which Sloan app= ears to have written off the need for a child to have a dad. =

 

And some hav= e asked why she didn't adopt.

 

My best mate= is adopted, but it is not something I would ever do. I don't want to raise= someone else's child. I want my own.

 

And that's p= recisely how Sloan and many of those she interviewed felt. They wanted preg= nancies and to give birth - and that's a pretty natural desire.

As natural as alpha males beating the living daylights out of lesser being= s.

 

There will s= oon be many more single mums now that Attorney-General Rob Hulls is giving = them access to fertility treatment.

 

An interfait= h council led by Rabbi Shimon Cowen has accused the Government of social en= gineering.

 

"The values = that were with us until 20 years ago have gone out of control," Rabbi Cowen= said on behalf of the committee representing the Jewish, Anglican, Presbyt= erian, Pentecostal, Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim faiths.

 

That would b= e the Catholic faith that bars priests from having wives and families, and = women from the priesthood, and the Muslim faith that allows a man to divorc= e his wife just by saying so.

 

No wonder wo= men, repressed for centuries by organised religion, feel they have a right = to take control of their fertility.

 

Another flan= k of the attack against Sloan is by men despairing of the future of childre= n from fatherless households. I wouldn't worry too much.

 

While the ec= onomics of such households may pose a few problems - and equal pay, real eq= ual pay, might help there - the phenomenon of women bringing up kids withou= t their dads has been with us forever.

 

There are 66= 3,000 lone parent households in Australia, 83 per cent of them run by mum. =

 

One of our m= ost cherished organisations is Legacy, which has helped widows of war for a= lmost a century - 100,000 Australian men were killed in World Wars I and II= , and in Vietnam - and their well-adjusted kids include Ron Barassi, TV sta= r Clive James and guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel. 3D"Kid

 

Last week it= was revealed that Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and her husband, Greg With= ers, who heads the state Office of Climate Change, were both raised in fath= erless houses, Withers by his grandmother.

 

Both estrang= ed from their alcoholic fathers, they seem to have done rather well.

 

But the drin= king dad's no match for the deadly dad.

 

I drove past= Winchelsea last week and saw the three little white crosses at the spot wh= ere Robert Farquharson (above) decided to murder sons Jai, 10, Tyler, 7, an= d Bailey, 2 on Father's Day, 2005.

 

No man? No p= roblem? No argument from me.

 

       =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;            =    

 

    &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;             <= strong>But I want my Dad!

<= a name=3D"LETTER.BLOCK14" />
Special feature

= Men, It's Time to Make a Sta= nd3D"Kids

By Jerry Feeny

 

If you have a toddler who watches TV= , you might have noticed that Pooh Bear's best mate, Christopher Robin has = been dumped and replaced by a girl. Providing role models for girls is call= ed positive discrimination. I believe that it has been necessary and is all= to the good, but Christopher Robin is nowhere to be found and young boys s= eem to have lost their role models. A couple of decades ago programs were s= et up to encourage high school girls into the science subjects. Girls are n= ow flourishing but the boys are lagging behind or have lost interest (as ha= ve their educators.)

 

In the eighties the buzzword was SNA= G, (Sensitive New Age Guys). The concept was that men needed to get in touc= h with their feminine side so they could make better partners. It influence= d the way a generation of mothers raised their sons, but it didn't seem nec= essary to these mums to train up their girls to understand what makes their= counterparts tick.

 

There's a TV advertisement for ice c= ream that has women clipping men on the back of the head for eyeing the pas= sing action, yet an advertisement for a soft drink that has women ogling a = half dressed man dribbling soft drink down his bare chest is not seen as se= xist or sleazy or disrespectful.  Last but not in the least, least, there's an Australian show called 'S= tupid, Stupid Man'. The show is about the lives of four men on an editorial= team of a fictional magazine (called COQ) and the women who 'have to work = with them'. I'm not aware that anybody has spoken out about the title or th= e concept.

 

There's a disturbing trend here and = it's so insidious that men aren't really noticing unless it impacts on them= personally which is usually when they become non-custodial dads. There are= more women's lobby groups around than men's groups because women have had = longer to be aware about all sorts of inequities; the only men's lobby grou= ps that I'm aware of are father's groups.

It's not that I believ= e that men should seize back the initiative, but I do think it's important,= that something needs to be done to give boys back their role models and en= courage women to show men the sort of respect they expect for themselves. <= /font>

 

I've been writing letters of complai= nt wherever and whenever I have found sexist or offensive behaviour towards= men, but I'm not always sure who to address. For example, I wouldn't know = how to go about finding out who the advertising agencies are that put = together the offensive adverts. Letters of complaint should also go to= the offending producers of the product telling them not to expect men to b= uy their products unless they change their attitude, but that needs co-ordi= nation and numbers. I'm sure that there are many in the Fatherhood Foundati= on group who have specialist knowledge that could be helpful to me, or ther= e may be men who would like to join in the letter writing campaign who migh= t need me to help them. If we could get together on email we might make a s= tart. For those who are interested, here is my email address: jerryfeeny@yahoo.com.au

 

Editor's Note:= Jerry Feeny contacted us recently after seeing one of our CSAs on TV. I ha= ve asked Jerry to share his concerns about male bashing with our readers. T= he anti-male article reprinted in Single Dads this week by Alan Howe from t= he Herald Sun is a good case in point. We would appreciate the right of rep= ly to set the record straight. Write to the editor, Bruce Guthrie of Melbou= rne's Herald Sun to voice your concerns and in support of our request -guthrieb@= heraldsun.com.au

 

 

<= u>
News & info

Family Friendly Legal Advice

 

The Fatherhood Foundation has been advocating reform t= o Australia's family law system for many years along with many others withi= n the movement. There have been some improvements in recent years but much = more needs to be done. Our personal belief is that family litigation should= be avoided if at all possible as litigation often makes matters worse. Unf= ortunately it is not always possible to avoid taking these matters to court= and the anti-father bias within the system is well known around Australia.= More fatherless children are often a direct result. The Fatherhood Foundat= ion has often been asked to recommend a lawyer for advice to fathers in nee= d so although we do not promote litigation in any form, there is a need to = find lawyers who are father-friendly, mother-friendly and child-friendly wi= thin the Australian legal system.

 

We commend Peter Robertson of Robertson Lawyers, Nowra= , to those who are in need of a good family lawyer. Peter is unusual amongs= t the Family Law Court environment because he insists on working towards ge= nuine out-of-court mediated solutions. Peter Robertson is a practicing soli= citor with a focus on family law. He encourages parties to reach collaborat= ive agreements, but does not prolong arguments for any personal benefit. Ra= ther Peter Robertson is child centred and encourages the parents to conside= r the best interests of the child, which in most cases is to have a signifi= cant relationship with both parents. Peter endeavours to ensure that matter= s are finalised effectively and economically and in the best interest of al= l parties concerned.

 

Contact Details:

Peter Robertson

Robertson Lawyers

Unit 3/138 Junction St3D"Reading

NOWRA  N= SW 2541 

Ph: 02 4421 6666

Email: peter@robertsonlawyers.com.au

 

= Public Notice<= /span>

 

= Open Letter to Herald Sun

Bruce Guthrie - guthrieb@heraldsun.com.au

 

Dear Mr Guthrie

 

We write to you because many fathers and mothers in Vi= ctoria and around Australia have contacted us regarding Alan Howe's article= : 'Dads, Who need them'. Many of our readers have been aggrieved by Mr Howe= 's manipulation of statistics and the defamatory tone of his article toward= s the male of the species.

 

Our request is simple. Give the Fatherhood Foundation = the right of reply, to set the record straight. All we request is equal spa= ce in your paper to point out the important contribution that fathers make = to the children and families of Australia.

 

We await your reply

Yours sincerely

Warwick Marsh

Fatherhood Foundation

PO Box 542

UNANDERRA NSW 2526

Ph: 02 4272 6677

info@fatherhood.org.au

= www.fatherhood.org= .au

 
Follow the li= nk below..How fame gets out of hand
Our son= is not a monster writes distraught parents
 

= Position Vacant

= Development Manager - Fatherhood Foundation3D"Fatherhood

 

The Fatherhood Foundation is a tax deductible faith-ba= sed charity

 

with the goal of inspiring fathers and renewing families. Ou= r aim is to prevent the harm caused by fatherlessness to the children of Au= stralia. We are looking for an energetic and enthusiastic man who is commit= ted to the cause found in the words of Malachi 'to turn the hearts of the f= athers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers'. Th= e role of the Development Manager is to obtain funding and support to enabl= e the cause of the Fatherhood Foundation to be fulfilled. The applicant wou= ld need to be highly disciplined, exhibit great management skills and posse= ss excellent communication abilities with an entrepreneurial attitude. An a= ttractive salary package will be provided for the successful applicant.

 

For mor= e information visit http://www.fat= herhood.org.au/employment.html
 

Letters=20
 

Dear F= atherhood Foundation

 

I just= saw your community service announcement during the cricket and I have to s= ay it is the most effeminate and unmanly depiction of being a man that I ha= ve seen.

 

It mak= es me ashamed to be a man and a father.

 

I have= had over 30 years in the community sector and give your CSA the award for = the worst television promotion I have ever seen. Sorry but it was so embarr= assing to watch

 

Ian


 
 

THE GREATEST FUNDRAISING DVD EVER!

 New Festival DVD highlights with =

John Butler and Pete Murray on sale now.

The long awaite= d highlights from the 2006 Fatherhood Festival is on sale at our online sho= p

 http://www.fatherhood.net.au/shop.php=

The DVD contains live footage from concerts over that special weekend, wit= h artists talking about being or having a father. This heartfelt and beauti= fully performed DVD makes a great gift= this season at $19.95 and is packed with special performances by other great local artists= including, Juzzie Smith, Tommee, Soulman and Nathan Kaye. 

It is a limited edition release and = we have kept the cost low so that everyone can enjoy the magic of that Fath= er's Day weekend in 2006 at Bangalow.
 

Destined to become a collector's item, John's moving sol= o acoustic set features earlyperformances of some of the great songs on h= is award-winning new CD 'Grand National'.

John Butler per= forms after becoming the proud father ofhis five day old baby boy, Jahli an= d Pete Murray brings his young son Charlie on stage, to play an awesome set= on drums. You can hear samples of their performance at http://www.fatherhood.net.au/fhfdvd.php<= /font>

Sales from the = DVD go to help fund our expectant fathers and dad's playgroup programmes in theBy= ron and Far North Coast areaand later across Australia.

Enquiries about the DVD or volunteer= s, please call Colin on 02 6684 2309 info@fatherhood.com.au

 
 &n= bsp;   
 

 

Dad'= s Prayer
  
 
 
 
3D"Aboubakar
Dear God

 

<= font color=3D"#990000">Willie Nelson said,

<= font color=3D"#990000">"When I started to count my blessin= gs

<= font color=3D"#990000">my whole life turned around".

<= font color=3D"#990000">Help me to forget not all your bene= fits as the psalms say.

<= font color=3D"#990000">I want to enter your gates with tha= nksgiving

<= font color=3D"#990000">and your courts with praise.=

<= font color=3D"#990000">Thank you for breath!=

<= font color=3D"#990000">Thank you for life!

<= font color=3D"#990000">Thank you for everything!!

<= font color=3D"#990000">What more can I say

<= font color=3D"#990000">because words fail me now?

 

=09 =09
=09=09 =09=09
Help Us!

The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Prevention Charity.
Fatherless= ness and inadequate fathering has been proven to be a source of harm. =

The Fatherhood Foundation helps children by promot= ing excellence  in fathering. Excellent fathers are in word and deed: = responsible, involved, protective, loving and committed to the well-being o= f their children and their children's mother.

If you would like to give financially to the Fatherhood Found= ation Public Fund and receive tax deductibility:

Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund
(Name, address and amount details must be emailed for a receipt for= tax deductibility)
Westpac Branch Wollongong
BSB: 032 695
A= /C: 25-5558

Or mail cheque and address details to:
PO Box 440
W= OLLONGONG  NSW  2520
AUSTRALIA

The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund  is a public fund = listed on the Register of Harm Prevention Charities under Subdivision 30_EA= of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

You have received the fathersonline.org news= letter because you have subscribed, or you have been subscribed by a friend= .  If you do not wish to receive future emails, please click the UNSUB= SCRIBE button below.

=09=09 =09=09
=09 =09
=09 =09
This email was sent to blane@uow.edu.au, by i= nfo@fathersonline.org
Fatherhood Foundati= on | P.O. Box 542 | Unanderra | NSW | 2526 | Australia
------=_Part_14979474_1761066255.1201386972296--