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Many thanks to our Club Youth Protection Officer Lynda Ord for the special training presentation about child protection via Zoom last week, aided by our increasingly technical whizz Bob Aston. Now to complete the paperwork…
THIS WEEK
Like many Rotary Clubs, we are alternating Zoom and dinner meetings. This Thursday we will enjoy a dinner meeting at the Golf Club in the Seahorse Room. Please let Rod know if you will be coming by Wednesday afternoon.
We will also be finalising arrangements for the Markets the following Sunday (27th). Posters are up around town and we should have front page in Narooma News for our larger than normal advertisement. Charmaine says the markets are getting a large number of likes on Facebook (not just Rotary Facebook) which suggests the community welcomes the return of the markets as a return to some semblance of normality, albeit with Covid restrictions in place.
Out and About
From Moruya Rotary
Moruya Rotarians are looking forward to their first face-to-face Rotary meeting in months at their normal Moruya Golf Club venue on Tuesday 6 October, but President Peter Smith says he’s not cheering wildly yet. “While I am looking forward to getting our Club back to the routine of regular meetings, the recent disappointments in getting our meetings going have made me somewhat cautious …,” he said. “With many of us out of face-to-face contact for so long, it will be a good opportunity… to simply enjoy the fellowship and catch up with old friends.”
The Club has lost a few members this year, partly due they think to the drop in the normal Club fellowship because of Covid.
Berry Rotarians’ ambitions realised
Member for Kiama Gareth Ward recently officially turned the first sod on the Rotary Nature Play Park at Boongaree in Berry after securing $4.4 million (!) funding from the NSW Government for this project. He was joined by representatives from Berry Rotary and the Rotary Nature Play Park Steering Committee.
The concept is an adventure playground with a range of activities for all ages and levels of ability within a nature theme and is seen as popular with tourists as well as local families. It will include flying foxes, climbing nets, water channels and tunnels and will encourage children to ponder over details of nature, to play creatively with loose materials, to imagine, to role play and engage socially with each other in games of their own. Other features will include a ‘learn to ride’ roadway track to enable local school students to learn road rules, seniors’ fitness and exercise stations, BBQ picnic areas, garden landscaping and toilets.
Berry Rotary has been raising funds for this project since 2014 with the project adopted by Shoalhaven City Council as part of the Berry Strategic Plan in 2016 and the Master Plan endorsed by Council in 2018.
Last week we had a face to face Board meeting in the Conference Room at the Golf Club, followed by dinner in the Seahorse Room. We welcomed a guest Andrew Lawson from Wandella. Andrew would like to get involved in our Club activities and get to know us.
From the Board meeting:
A huge thank you to our Market Manager Chris for her efforts in making our markets on 27 September possible, our first markets since February. These will go ahead as long as there are no confirmed COVID cases in this area. A lot of work has gone into trying to make it as COVID-Safe as possible and, thanks to Chris, the markets are now officially registered with the NSW Government as a Covid-Safe event.
Members will be asked to greet visitors at two entrance gates where hand sanitiser will be available as well as free face Masks for those who don’t have one; the other two gates will be designated ‘exits’. All Stalls are to have their own hand sanitisers and contact list. We decided not to operate the food van this markets but will sell a selection of cold drinks from the Esky.
Thank you Lynn for having the books in order. Thank you Ange for organising a guest speaker for Hat Day on 8 October. October is Rotary Mental Health Month. A $5 charge per Hat on the night will go to Australian Rotary Mental Health research.
On the Ringlands Track. We will try to meet up with the Dalmeny-Narooma Bushwalkers for a bit of a tidy up. No date set yet. Also we need to print a new version of the pamphlet.
A flashback – Narooma Rotarians during a Ringlands Walking Track working bee with members of Dalmeny-Narooma Bushwalkers and local residents October 2012
The 2021 Busking Narooma Championship going ahead depends on two things: being able to form an organising committee with the assistance of people from outside the Club and of course on whatever the Covid situation will be in May.
Unfortunately the Christmas Race Day, our combined fundraiser with Moruya and Batemans Bay clubs had to be cancelled because of Covid concerns.
Bob has been busy talking to High School students by Zoom regarding our Rotary Tertiary Scholarship. Application forms have been distributed. Applications close 13 November with interviews on 19 December. Thank you Bob.
Tony Butcher will be inducted as a new member sometimes in November at a Club meeting at the Golfie when we can properly welcome Tony and his wife Lisa to the Club. Tony as well as Andrew Lawson will help out at our September market.
THIS WEEK – 6pm: We Zoom
Everyone should have by now received an email re this week’s Zoom meeting. Our Club Youth Protection Officer Lynda will be our special speaker with a special training presentation about child protection. Andrew Lawson will also join us in our Zoom meeting.
OUT AND ABOUT
Our Hat Day
Our Club will help Australian Rotary Health Lift the Lid on Mental Illness by having a Hat event at the Golf Club on Thursday 8 October. Ange has organised for local psychologist Nadine Hills to talk with us about the effect of fires and Covid on the mental health of our community.
The Lift the Lid campaign is a National mental health fundraising and awareness initiative that aims to raise funds for mental health research and ultimately improve the lives of all Australians. Almost one in five Australians experiences a mental illness every year, and about 45% of the population will experience a mental illness at some stage in their lives.
Australian Rotary Health CEO Joy Gillett OAM said she hopes the campaign will encourage not only Rotarians, but the wider public to support mental health research.
“Everyone knows someone who has been affected by mental illness in some point during their lives, so if anything, please consider that you will be helping them and many others if you decide to make a donation,” Ms Gillett said. “Our research has already focussed on areas such as anxiety and depression, substance abuse and self-harm and suicide. But there is so much more we can do with your help.”
The Bay Club nominated Anthony Bellette from Malua Bay Surf Lifesaving Club for the Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards. This Rotary project recognises both volunteers and paid members of our emergency services for their outstanding contribution to their community. Emergency Services Agencies involved in this project include Fire and Rescue NSW, Marine Rescue NSW, Surf Life Saving NSW, NSW Ambulance, NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW State Emergency Service and NSW Volunteer Rescue Association.
Anthony has since been selected as a finalist in the Surf Life Saving division and will attend the Awards Dinner in Sydney on 30 October. At this dinner, one winner in each emergency service will be announced. Then from the seven winners, two overall winners will be selected (one paid and one volunteer).
The Bay is also sponsoring the U13s Batemans Bay Football team ‘The Strikers’ for the year.
Clubs combine for Bega Evacuation Centre
Rotary Clubs Bega and south are helping to improve facilities at Bega Showground, the primary emergency evacuation centre for Bega and surrounds. They are driving a project to replace the inadequate and outdated stand-alone amenities block with a larger capacity, modern, easy to clean facility with better disabled access and laundry facilities which do not currently exist.
Merimbula Rotarian Shane Osta is the project manager for the work that is expected to cost about $260,000. He said the current facilities are thought to have been built in the 1970s and have both structural and plumbing issues.
The Rotary clubs plan to start work in February 2021 and expect to complete the project in June. The contractors are booked, they just need the money. The Rotary clubs have put in $9,000, council has agreed to do all inspections at no cost, and the showground land manager has put in for a grant but the rest will rely on donations.
Any additional funds donated will go towards improvement of emergency evacuation facilities at Eden.
NEXT WEEK: Dinner meeting at Narooma Golf Club 6 for 6.30pm.
It was good catching up last week with those members who could make it to our dinner meeting at the Golf Club. Paul (Chef Extraordinaire) is more than happy to get back to some sort of normality catering for our Club. He mentioned we could now have meetings in the Seahorse room for up to 20 people. For the moment though, that will be on alternate weeks
THIS WEEK:
PDG John Egan
PDG John Egan will be our guest speaker for our Zoom meeting this Thursday. John chairs the D9705 Australian Rotary Health committee and is keen to talk about Australian Rotary Health (ARH) which is unique in the world of Rotary. Hope you can join us.
ARH has had recent success in destigmatising mental health and encouraging support and help for suffers. It has also educated around 25% of indigenous health works through indigenous health scholarships which will go a long way towards closing the health gap. That is apart from the many grants for research.
OUT AND ABOUT
Just a few short news stories.
From Batemans Bay Rotary
The Bay is also alternating Zoom and dinner meetings at the Catalina Club with guest speakers.
From Bega Rotary Club
Rotary members recently picked up a trailer load of aluminium chairs and seven wardrobes from Kianinny Cabins and delivered them to the Quaama fire recovery centre for use by people who have lost houses. Every action counts towards recovery, big or small.
From Merimbula Rotary
Merimbula Rotary is alternating between Zoom meetings and other activities, such as dinner at Merimbula RSL Club. Apparently they have yet to return to their ‘normal’ meetings at Club Sapphire.
Their first market since the lockdown was on Sunday 15 August when they ‘put their toes in the water’. The next is Sunday 20 September. They advertise their markets as ‘Covid Safe’ with a registered Rotary Club of Merimbula COVID-19 Safety Plan in place. They ask everyone to use the hand sanitising dispensers at each of their wishing well entry stations and practise social distancing and urging stallholders and patrons not to come if they are feeling unwell.
On a lighter note, courtesy Moruya Rotary
Teacher: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water? Donald: HIJKLMNO Teacher: What are you talking about? Donald: Yesterday you said it’s H to O
NEXT WEEK Thursday 10 September
We will be back at the Golf Club. 5-6pm: Board meeting 6 for 6.30pm: Our regular dinner meeting at the Golf Club when we hope to welcome someone who is keen to meet us and find out what our Club has to offer.
Some of our crew at last week’s Zoom meeting including our Tertiary Scholars Rory Spurgeon and Cassidy Ker – Lynn Hastings, Frank Eden, Ange Ulrichsen, Iris Dormeier, Mike Young, David McUInnes and Charmaine White..
No Rolf’s Rambles this week but here’s a quick review of last week’s meeting. How wonderful to have our current two Tertiary Scholars Rory Spurgeon and Cassidy Ker join us on Zoom. We had already caught up with their impressive exam results via emails in a recent Beacon, but so much better to hear from them personally.
Rory had also filled us in on his first semester, from being involved in so many societies, sporting events etc. to lockdown and online learning. He spoke more about living on campus, but for the lockdown they were strongly advised to go home. He reckons studying online involves a lot more work than face-to-face. Although everything has opened up more now, there are still a lot of restrictions. He is really enjoying going to the chemistry lab which is face-to-face
Cassidy is living off campus and is glad she was able to enjoy last year at Wollongong Uni pre-Covid. Most of her lectures are now online which she is finding a challenge. Law lectures last two hours which are “really exhausting”, and exams are three hours online but she can type faster than write by hand so that is an advantage. She said the style of writing is quite different to school; she struggled with the transition initially but added she has been grateful to Narooma High English teacher Pam Walpole who got her into the habit of doing things early
We’re certainly getting a lot more proficient at Zoom meetings, recent technology for many of us, although sometimes finding the microphone mute and video buttons still eludes a few. We will all get there eventually!
THIS WEEK
This week we’re back at the Golf Club for a face-to-face meeting over dinner. Hopefully more can make it this time. If you are coming, please let Rod know before 4pm Wednesday (this afternoon).
THE WEEK THAT WAS
Thanks from Narooma RFS
You may have seen the lovely thank you note circulated by Rod from Narooma Rural Fire Brigade for our recent donation. Narooma RFS Secretary Angela Marshall wrote:
During last summer’s terrible fires Narooma station was in constant use and was also the hub for many other emergency services involved in that crisis. It quickly became apparent that the station was not prepared or equipped for the task and the brigade has decided to upgrade the station facilities so that we are better prepared for coming fire seasons and other emergencies.
Our donation will be put towards this work of new lighting and desks in the office, a new computer and printer, and installing a pantry for ration packs and food donations.
Dapto Rotarians visit Nerrigundah
Nerrigundah RFS Captain Ron Threlfall, Ag Bureau secretary Trevor Kincaid, Dapto Rotary secretary Rod Young and president Dennis Couley, and Ag Bureau treasurer Liz Kincaid with Dapto Rotarians and some Nerrigundah residents behind.
About 20 Dapto Rotarians visited Nerrigundah last Saturday to check out how local residents are faring with their recovery from the bushfires. They were met by Nerrigundah RFS Captain Ron Threlfall and several Nerrigundah Agricultural Bureau representatives, and one Narooma Rotarian (your editor!). Dapto Club had earlier given $3,000 to the Nerrigundah Agricultural Bureau to help with converting the former Department of Education Bournda Field Studies Centre – Nerrigundah Annexe into a new community hall to replace the former hall which was destroyed in the fires (all but the loos!). The former Field Studies Centre survived the fires, although was singed in many places.
A few in the Nerrigundah community have been having fortnightly working bees on the conversion, aided by various generous people, such as some tradies from Sydney who installed a shower and laundry for the use of locals who no longer have such facilities and two kitchen flatpacks.
The Dapto donation has gone towards concreting paths to the loos, shower, and laundry and a slab where the hall will be extended to accommodate more people (post Covid!). They are keen to donate more, once a specific need is identified. They also passed on some new books for the local school library (Bodalla), courtesy of the Rotary Club of Liverpool.
Several children’s books were also handed over from Liverpool Rotary for Bodalla School.
The Dapto Rotarians stayed in cabins at the Big 4 Moruya Heads Easts Dolphin Beach, making it into a greatly enjoyed fellowship weekend. They organised a bus to take them into dinner at Moruya. They also met up with a few Moruya Rotarians on Sunday morning at Quarry Park, a Moruya Rotary project. They wanted someone to give them an overview of that project and of Moruya’s contribution to the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Who better to talk about the history than Moruya Rotarian Chris Greig Adams whose family was so closely involved with the quarry and the Bridge.
OUT AND ABOUT
Bega Rotary
Bega Rotary Club has to again postpone their Book Fair, due next month, because of Covid. They hope to hold another Book Fair in January, Covid dependent of course. They are unable to accept book donations because still have so many from the Summer Book Fair that was hampered by the bush fires.
NEXT WEEK
It looks like another Zoom meeting with a possible guest speaker. More details to come.
On a lighter note, courtesy Moruya bulletin
Teacher: How old is your father? Kid: He is six years old. Teacher: What? How is this possible? Kid: He became a father only when I was born.
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
Letting’ the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting’ it back in.
At an informal meeting with some Board members, we discussed free Facemask handouts and a possible set-up for hosting a Covid-19 Safe Rotary Market on Sunday 27 September. Fingers crossed.
Many thanks to David and Rachel for your efforts with Club facemasks, and thank you to Ange for inquiring about District facemasks. Turns out the District is – at $20 a pop! Information has been sent to all members, including an order form, should you be interested in buying your own.
We’re also one step closer to donating a ‘Thank You Meal’ at the Cobargo Hotel for volunteers at the Cobargo BlazeAid Camp. This is to show our appreciation for their much needed help with erecting new fences for local farmers following their destruction by the bushfires. If you would like to donate, you can drop it into Charmaine or direct deposit into our Charity account BSB: 641 800 Acc: 200808137 Ref: BlazeAid. The Club will make up any shortfall. Thank You.
THIS WEEK Thursday 13 August
We plan to have our weekly meeting at the Golfie for a face-to-face with a sit down meal. We’re in the 1st Hole Conference Room 6 for 6:30 pm. Please let Rod know (secretary@naroomarotary.org.au) by Wednesday 4pm if you would like to attend.
NEXT WEEK Thursday 20 August
We will hold a 6pm Zoom meeting when we hope to hear from our scholarship students about their First Semester. Both Rory Spurgeon and Cassidy Ker achieved very good results (see below).
The week that Was
At Eurobodalla Shire Council meeting this week, it was mentioned that our Rotary Club had recognised Cr Lindsay Brown for his leadership in Narooma during the bushfires by making him a Paul Harris Fellow.
Out and About
News from our Tertiary Scholars
PP Bob Aston with Rory Spurgeon earlier this year
Rory Spurgeon, our 2020 Tertiary Scholar, has been in contact with his counsellor Bob Aston with his impressive results plus an update on his first semester at ANU.
Hi Bob
I hope you and the Rotary Club are going well. I have been really enjoying my university experience. When I first arrived I met lots of very nice people in my hall (Fenner Hall). I also went to many social (tea nights, bar nights and dinners) and sporting events (interhall sports training and games). I joined the ANU AFL team (still haven’t played a game yet though), the science society, physics society, computer science society and Fenner green (gardening club).
I was also elected to be the first year sports rep for Fenner Hall. This involves organising social sporting events for everyone at Fenner Hall, and helping out with the inter-hall sporting events (where Fenner plays against the other halls in lots of different sports).
For the first four weeks of uni, all my classes were in person and I was really enjoying what I was learning. I got to know my lecturers for Chemistry, Programming (advanced), and Health in the 21st Century very well. I was learning very interesting concepts in all my courses and really loving it.
When COVID became serious, the university had a break for a week and everything went online. Compared to the first part of the semester this was less enjoyable however I was still learning interesting things and having a good time.After a few weeks of being locked down I decided to go back to Narooma. This was because the university was strongly encouraging everyone to leave, everything was online, and the accommodation contract could be canceled for free.
Once back in Narooma, I continued doing all my studies online and attended a few Fenner events which were organised online. I found it more difficult to learn when not being face to face however I just put in more time so I still got the most out of the courses.
I attached a screenshot of my texted results for Semester 1: two high distinctions and two distinctions. This semester [Semester 2], I have returned to Fenner Hall and it is similar to the start of Semester 1 (except everything is socially distanced).
My application to transfer degrees was approved. I am now doing Bachelor of Science – Advanced (Honours) (BSA). Although I was very happy in my old degree (Bachelor of Health Science), I am still very interested in physics and the BSA allows me to major in physics. I am also still trying out computer science and considering majoring in that.
My current courses are Physics 1, Chemistry 2, Mathematics and Applications 1, and Structured Programming (Advanced). After this semester, if everything goes well, I will have minors in chemistry and computer science and be on my way to majoring in physics and computer science.
If there is anything else you wanted to hear about let me know.
Thanks, Rory Spurgeon
Cassidy Ker, our 2019 Rotary Tertiary Scholarship winner, has also sent us her exam results for her first semester. She is doing a Bachelor of Psychological Science-Bachelor of Law at the University of Wollongong. She received two distinctions and two credits… a wonderful result.
Lae community donates to bushfire recovery
(adapted from ABC News 30 July 2020)
Bega Valley Mayor Sharon Tapscott has thanked the community of Lae City in Papua New Guinea for its generous $61,000 donation to the region. She spoke of the amazing story behind this donation for which the people of the Bega Valley are incredibly grateful; these people have little themselves. The minimum wage there is 3.5 kina (one Australian dollar) per hour.
The fundraising began with the Youth of Lae City pushing wheelbarrows around the streets, collecting bushfire relief donations for their ‘cousins’ in Australia. A young woman from the Youth of Lae City explained that people realised they had benefited from Australian-built health centres and hospitals in the past, so this was their turn to reciprocate ‘from the heart’. With additional support from Lae Rotary Club, they raised $61,000. [It’s interesting to note that our Club helped fund a health centre or hospital in Lae over several years in the late 1990s/early 2000s through Jeremy Ferguson’s PNG connections.]
Youth of Lae City fundraising to help bushfire communties in Australia. Courtesy Helen Taylor
Lae Club President Huon Gulf wrote to District 9600 in Queensland, where clubs have an association with Rotary Clubs in PNG, Solomon Islands and Nauru), looking for a bushfire recovery contact in the Eden-Monaro region. They subsequently contacted PDG Phil Armstrong who had just been recognised for his leadership of the combined Districts’ Bushfire Recovery Committee.
Former Merimbula President Andy Thorp followed it up with the Lae contactsand with Bega Mayor Tapscott and Chair of the Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast and Co-chair of the Bega Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund, Mick Brosnan.
The Lae community then sent the money to the Rotary Club of Merimbula which transferred $50,000 of the donation to the Bega Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund to support bushfire impacted communities. That fund focuses on unmet needs and aims not to duplicate the provisions being met by other agencies and charities, a trialed recently in Cobargo.
Merimbula Rotary used the balance to buy two trailers which will initially be used by the BlazeAid camps in Bemboka and Towamba. When the camps close, the trailers will be repurposed for firefighting and provided to the Rural Fire Service.
Rotary builds Kiah Pavilion
The Rotary Clubs of Merimbula, Pambula and Bega have completed the Kiah pavilion projectin response to an approach from Council and the Kiah Community.
The pavilion is located near Kiah’s tennis courts and RFS shed and provides the Kiah community with a large undercover meeting space with an electric barbecue, a sink, seating area and landscaping. It means the Kiah community will once again be able to gather together for various social, sporting and educational activities, while the Kiah Hall is rebuilt.
Rotary funded this project to the tune of $45,000 which included a large donation from the Rotary Club of Northbridge in Sydney.
Rotary exchange programme on hold
Rotary’s Youth Exchange Program (YEP) sends about 150 teenagers overseas each year and hosts a similar number of foreign students. However, the coronavirus pandemic is testing the resilience of young people on student exchange in Australia and abroad.
Rotary International has urged students to strongly consider ending exchanges and fly home if possible and safe. Eighty of the current contingent have returned home to Australia or overseas. While some are glad to be home, others have resisted a premature end to their exchange despite it being a greatly restricted experience. Rotary’s long-term youth exchange program has been suspended for 12 months.
Come Along!
We meet Thursdays at 6.00 for 6:30pm Golf Club Narooma, NSW
