Council Resolution: Unanimous Support for Polka Dot Socks During Council Meetings
A unique Council Meeting took place in the Council Chamber this morning as Yankalilla Area School (YAS) students stepped into the world of local governance.
After visiting Miss Ray and her Year 3-4 class in July, Mayor Darryl Houston was thrilled to extend an invitation to Miss Ray and her class to come and visit Council.
We were happy to welcome the YAS students today and were delighted by the depth of understanding that the class displayed around Council’s purpose and role. After introductions by CEO Nathan Cunningham, Ross Whitfield (Director of Assets & Environment) engaged the students in an informative discussion about the Council's areas of responsibility.
The highlight of the day came as the students immersed themselves in a simulated Council meeting. Following a brief overview of what a typical Recommendation to Council looks like, the students were divided into small groups to create their own set of Council recommendations. These recommendations were integrated into a mock agenda and then we were ready for the YAS Mock Council Meeting to begin!
Eight students were selected to assume the roles of Elected Members, with Mayor Darryl Houston guiding them through the meeting process from his position as Mayor. The agenda featured a Deputation by students and lively deliberations on each of the proposed Council Recommendations. We were very impressed by the quality of the debate and consideration behind every decision made.
For those interested, the YAS Council Minutes are available to read here.
We would like to thank Miss Ray, her students and the accompanying staff and volunteers for visiting us. We hope that they left with a greater understanding of the Council’s functions and the decision making process.
