The Game Changers

Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, John F. Kennedy, Konrad Adenauer, Mahatma Gandhi and Kemal Ataturk were similar in their commitment to securing a new purpose for the societies in which they lived. Each had a vision of a better life for the people of their country. They were of different times and circumstances and had different levels of ‘success’ in achieving their aspirations. All were men of courage and fortitude. Three were assassinated. The legacies of several may be controversial and the judgements of posterity may vary.

These talks are a study of leadership. We will consider the context in which these leaders lived, the major influences in shaping their views, the attributes they displayed, and attempt an analysis of their achievements and legacies.

Pam Chessell has been teaching for what feels like forever. She’s taught in big schools and small schools, rural schools and city schools. Government and independent, schools for boys, schools for girls.; even co-educational. For eighteen years Pam was the principal on an independent girls’ school. You could say, she’s been heavily involved in education for the longest of times. She was especially stimulated by her work as a member of the English Methods Staff in the Education Faculty at Monash University.  She was commissioned to write the history for the centenary of her former school. When her children were young, Pam took many VCE and sessional classes with the CAE. She relished the opportunities provided to design and implement courses and curriculum design became a major professional interest. During those years, she wrote many textbooks, mostly for English studies at all levels. In retirement she has maintained her interest in course design and especially in history; exploring subjects such as how past events and people have shaped our present world.