Clark snares a prime recruit

By Elizabeth Lillis
BEACONHIILLS College student Rachel Caulfield achieved the photo of a lifetime when she met Prime Minster John Howard on his recent trip to Pakenham and Berwick.
The year eight student met the Prime Minister at Bryn Mawr Bridge in Berwick last Wednesday 7 March and asked him to wear a wristband in a photo, which the students from Clark House, have been selling as part of a fundraising activity.
Clark House, one of eight house groups at Beaconhills College, decided to use the wristbands as a way to raise money to sponsor a child, through the charity World Vision.
The students as part of their commitment to community service carry out the fundraising activities.
Head of Clark House Germain Ramos said the students had been set the challenge of having a photo taken with a famous person to promote the wristband campaign.
Rachel’s was the first photo submitted.
“It was the first big catch. Rachel said she walked up and explained why she wanted a photo and he was willing to pose for the shot,” Mr Ramos said.
Rachel, who is a house vice-captain, has now set a big challenge for her fellow house members to beat.
The wristbands in the house colour Magenta, are inscribed with the words ‘I’m a Clark Kid’ to promote a sense of community spirit amongst the students within the house.
Mr Howard looked over the site of the $10 million Bryn Mawr Bridge project at Berwick before travelling to attend a lunch at the Cardinia Cultural Centre in Pakenham, where he was the guest speaker.
Mr Howard’s arrival at the lunch was disturbed by news of the crash of a Garuda Airlines plane at Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in which five Australians died.
The Prime Minister took calls regarding the crash, prior to eating lunch and addressing the luncheon.
Mr Howard apologised for his sombre demeanour and said he had just been told that Australians were on board the plane that had crashed.
Mr Howard’s addressed focused on industrial relations.
He issued a warning that if Labor won the next election industrial relations would be subjected to enormous changes.