eKourier July 2011

Helping to Share-A-Book

Over the last three months, ALNF have had just under 100 people who have assisted ALNF staff members in organising and packing books so they can be sent to communities in need. A cohort of volunteers have met fortnightly to volunteer for Share-A-Book (SAB). In the first half of 2011, ALNF has sent several palettes (1000 + books) to each of the communities on Groote Eylandt (NT), Palm Island (QLD) and Kempsey (NSW). They also ensure that SAB’s are ready to be delivered to other areas where there is a need that has been expressed. Kennards Self Storage have been supporting ALNF for over a year now, supplying free storage space at our Chatswood centre for their Share-A-Book programme. The storage spaces are used for storing all of the donated books and also for packing palettes to be sent around Australia. Sharon Dux

implement and sustain innovative projects for individuals, families and communities. ALNF teaches marginalised Australians how to read and write. ALNF also supports a broad range of individuals (teachers, carers, healthcare workers, community workers, volunteers) in building on their skills to develop good literacy practices in their families and communities.

Nev’s Notes... On Punctuality... T he Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF) is dedicated to raising language, literacy and numeracy standards in Australia and raises funds to develop, Photo courtesy of ALNF, featuring a little girl from Palm Island enjoying one of the delivered books .

Share-A-Book is one of the many programmes that ALNF run. Providing new and quality pre-loved books and magazines to Indigenous, refugee and marginalised communities.

apprentice carpenter. Being early has many benefits: - You have some buffer time in case things go wrong. - You may be useful in helping others. - You allay fears about whether you will be on time. - You can relax. - You don’t have to dream up excuses for being late. Having a reputation for being punctual builds goodwill with others; they respect you and know they can rely on you. When you build this reputation you are putting money in your Reputation Bank; you are demonstrating reliability and building trust. Then when something goes wrong people will accommodate and make allowances, and that is better than having people say - “is always late; we can’t rely in him”. And if it looks like you could be late, it’s best to advise your “appointee” early; this shows respect. Being punctual is a very basic example of reliability and that you “Do what you say you’ll do”. If you are trustworthy with

P unctuality is about the most basic of the Courtesies. Being punctual shows to those you are meeting that you respect them. Being unpunctual is a discourtesy to the others, sending the message that your time is more valuable than their time, and that they don’t really matter to you. Being late is a sign of disrespect. It is just plain good manners to be punctual. Being punctual asks that you get organised. It requires some forward planning. To be at an arranged place and time requires thinking and planning ahead, allocating the necessary time to do what you say you’ll do. In this a bit of “First Minute Panic” can help: put the urgency at the front end rather than at the last minute. “On time means being five minutes early” a friend was told by his Master on his first day on the job as an

your appointments people will start to trust you with other things. And mostly punctuality is a habit that gets easier as you practice the habit. When it becomes a habit, you don’t have to think about it any more. I love to be early; I can then relax, plan my meeting, my day, have a cup of coffee, sit quietly, do something else. Being early brings peace. Neville Kennard put the urgency at the front end rather than at the last minute.” “In this a bit of “First Minute Panic” can help:

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Kennards Kourier July 2011