1. GLAD TIDINGS No. 9 PART A
Featured in other parts of
this newsletter and
available for download
on the MTS website
www.mts.org.au :
Col Brown, Greg Vines
and Dennis Claughton at • New members elected to
the ILO, Geneva the MTS Australian Council
• Flying Angel Freemantle at
the ILO Geneva
• MTS Sydney’s Lloyds list DCN
Editorial award in Melbourne
A very happy new year to all our Australia’s permanent minister to the • AMSA’s most generous
readers. This edition of the newsletter UN to be present with him, and other
gesture
does indeed bring glad tidings! dignitaries (including the MUA’s
As many of you might know, just prior to national secretary Paddy Crumlin) at
Christmas, the Australian parliament the formal presentation of Australia’s • Commissioning at Port Giles
ratified the Maritime Labour instrument of ratification to the ILO.
Convention. We congratulate the • Bishop Garry moves to
Government, and in particular Minister Back home, our biennial conference Ballarat Diocese
Albanese on this historic piece of held at the Maritime Training College
legislation and pray that the Beauty Point Tasmania in October,
Convention will come into full force attended by all but one of our twenty • Port Kembla’s mu-mu feast
for secretary-general
internationally as soon as possible. six centres was an outstanding success.
Australia is the twenty-second nation to MTS’ popular secretary general Tom
ratify the Convention and it is Heffer, travelled from London to join us • Jack Tomes – Hobart’s
expected that the other eight nations for the five day event. It was a great volunteer extraordinaire
needed to ratify to make up the thrill to have Tom with us, and it
required thirty necessary for the afforded him the opportunity to spend
some quality time with those MTS • Changes at Gladstone MTS
Convention to become international
law, should occur in the first half of this chaplains, staff and volunteers
year. This is wonderful news and cause participating in the conference- and to • Father Thomas goes
for celebration for the globe’s 1.3 savour the Aussie style of conferencing overboard at Christmas
million seafarers and all those good and ministering to seafarers visiting the
souls who are part of the maritime vast shores of this continent.
• Townsville’s new seafarers’
family.
centre looking brilliant
A special “thank you” to Arthur Hinsley
The Reverend Canon Dennis for organising much of the conference
and his willing helpers, providing an • Eden’s whale festival
Claughton, our Fremantle MTS chaplain
had the great honour and pleasure to abundance of Tassie hospitality from blessing
be at the International Labour our centres in Hobart and Burnie. And
Organisation in Geneva, the day the another “thank you” goes to Brisbane
Australian Government announced MTS’ Capt Dave Ellis and Newcastle’s
ratification to the full assembly of the Revd Garry Dodd for presenting a
ILO. number of invaluable conference
Dennis was very proud to accept the sessions of the highest quality on the
gracious invitation from Greg Vines increasing threat of piracy and

2. Editorial cont.
Featured articles cont.
armed robbery at sea, and spirited fellowship generated in
addressing ways in which we as Tasmania. Our chaplains at
• Geraldton MTS celebrates pastoral practitioners can be of Fremantle and Newcastle centres
Daphne’s great achievements support to seafarers who live in fear have kindly indicated that the staff
of attack on the high seas or who at these two venues would be more
have already experienced these than happy to host gatherings of
• Chaplain Jed with royalty on type of traumas- not forgetting the the MTS family later in the year.
Melbourne’s waters impact such experiences have on
the families and loved ones of The Australian Council meets in
• Newcastle’s ship visiting course seafarers as well. Geelong over 9-10 February when
this proposal will be discussed, a
• Bunbury blesses pilot’s boat It seems an eternity before we decision made and communicated
gather again for our next biennial to all our mission centres soon after.
conference in 2013 and the current
• Stonehenge comes to Esperance feedback from conference Best wishes for a safe, happy and
participants is that- as the Beauty fulfilling 2012.
• Tragedies at sea Point gathering was so valuable- it
would be ideal if we could have a Col Brown
meeting of the west coast centres National Coordinator
• Cyclone Heidi batters our Pilbara
somewhere in the West later this Australian Council of Mission to
centres year, and similarly one for the east Seafarers
coast centres in the East to build www.mts.org.au/
• Wallaroo opens new centre upon the enthusiasm, learning and
Beauty Point MTS national conference group
Page 2 GLAD TIDINGS No. 9 part A 2012