ROSEWOOD Show Society have a new secretary ready to take on whatever the role throws at her.
Fiorella Miles has no experience running agricultural shows but plenty when it comes to events like her annual Hope in Pink breast cancer fundraisers.
It was her success with Hope in Pink that convinced Show Society President Paddy Lenihan, she was right for the job.
“She’s very organised and thorough. She has done a fantastic job with her own events and we are very happy to have her working with us,” he said.
The breast cancer fundraisers have given her valuable organising and planning skill sets.
“Since I was given the position, I’ve been putting hours into wrapping my head around understanding what a steward is and things like insurances and licenses for stall holders,” she said.
“I’m a bit like a sponge at the moment. This has been a very big step for me but I am happy to take on the challenge.”
There are not many people out there who’d happily take on a volunteer role as time-hungry as this one.
“I think it’s nice to be able to give back to the community, to give something without having your hand out expecting anything back,” she said.
“I wish more people would volunteer because you get a lot out of it and meet a lot of amazing people.
“I come from Ipswich, so do my children and grandchildren but last year was probably the first we became really involved.
“I brought my granddaughter and grandson along, they were on the buggies driving around moving hay and they’re city kids.
“They loved it and I noticed the difference between [regional] and city children.
“It’s a different lifestyle with different expectations, in the country many children need to feed animals before they go anywhere.
“They have responsibilities early on and it’s nice to see.”
Fiorella’s husband volunteers at local bull rides, helping to set up for events.
“He volunteered for a couple of years then next minute we found ourselves at a [Show Society] meeting,” she said.
“We turned up to every meeting afterwards and were there when Kate [Hillan] said she’d be stepping away from the secretary role to focus on being a mum.
“We didn’t think anyone would take on the position but I spoke up and said I was more than happy to do it even though I had no idea what it entailed.”
Being detail orientated and organised are important traits for anyone taking on a show secretary role.
Fiorella is both and with that comes an ability to set boundaries.
“I said I would definitely need help; would need to designate some of the work to others because we also run two businesses of our own,” she said.
“I also do a very big fundraiser for breast cancer in Ipswich and that’s a massive event.
“It takes up a lot of my time and because myself and members of my family have had breast cancer, that’s going to take priority.”
It was these events that convinced the show society she was right for the role.
“I made it known I needed help understanding the position and I’d probably ask the same thing a hundred times,” she said.
“While there is a lot to learn that’s a good thing because new eyes see new things.
“When someone new comes in they often find ways to do things that could be a bit easier and quicker.”
It’s still too early to say what changes she’d like to make.
“We had a stewards meeting, my very first one, and I realised I didn’t know what I was doing,” she said.
“I’ve changed some of the membership and stall holder letters, but as far as anything else, its step by step, day by day.”
