“‘Tis the season to be jolly’ – and every one was at yesterdays markets. From marking out to booking in to setting up and running the van and to selling Duck Race tickets – a huge Market was handled amazingly smoothly. It was a busy day but thank you to everyone who could be involved, for coming on board and helping make the day one of our most successful for the year!

As 2015 comes to a close, I think of the last six months as President and how much has happened  in Rotary,  family and business – wow a lot !!

It was very sad to have lost both Jack and George and even more challenging to have them pass away within a few days of each other. Their funerals remind us of how privileged we are to have known them both and worked alongside such wonderful men. I miss Jack’s advice and George’s smile and catch ups. Our thoughts are especially with their family at this time.

I think moving the donuts machine into the gazebo has made a difference to the safety within the van and to the smooth operation of the cooking side at the markets.

Our club is small but what we lack in numbers we make up for in enthusiasm, dedication and friendliness, making Narooma Rotary a pleasure to lead.

Radar, our exchange student, joined us in early August and has settled well into Aussie life. Narooma is a long way from Taiwan and as our first exchange student from Asia, we have all been on a learning curve. If you haven’t been able to take Radar somewhere or if you want to invite him for dinner, please do. You will be rewarded for the experience from being around this fine young man.

Our youth programs are going well and our first meeting back at the Whale, on the 28th January, will be our Youth Night.  I’m hoping to get an Interact Club running this coming year, it will benefit all the young people who reside in the Narooma area and go to Schools north and south of the town. Lots of positive talks have been happening. If you or your partner are interested in getting involved please call me.

Most importantly I want to thank Merinda for her support. When times get busy, we lean heavily on each other for support and I am always grateful for her support.

Have the best New Year ever and looking forward to 2016

Bob

 

Christmas time is often very stressful some but very lonely for others. As we power toward the 25th please take a few minutes to thank all who love you for being an important part of your life. Steal a quiet moment to realise just how lucky we are to be living here and offer friendship to someone in need.

Last Thursday we finalised the meetings for the year with a Christmas Party at Casey’s Cafe. To the staff and chefs who looked after us, to all who came, to our wonderful partners and to every member of Narooma Rotary and Rotary internationally – a big thank you. Looking after each other and offering a helping hand is a fantastic thing to do, and Rotarian’s do it well.

This Sunday the 27th is our last Market for the year. Please join in and help as this will be huge. Every one is welcome, bring your visitors.

Today Laurelle, Angie and myself joined with Moruya and Batemans Bay members at the Rotary Moruya Races. We sold raffle tickets ’till we dropped. Thank you to all who sold tickets over the last few weeks, lots of money hjas been raised for the Oncology Dept at Moruya. Next year we need another deserving project within the Shire….. thinking caps on.

Duck race tickets will be available from this Sunday’s Markets….. need sellers and the roster for ticket sales will be sent this week. We should be able to buy two Shelter Boxes.

Charmaine is embarking on another wonderful humanitarian trip to Cambodia. Funds are needed for basic supplies and at the Christmas party we raised some $300 toward this goal. Thank you to Michael O’Connor for his hard work and initiative. More to come.

To the wonderful team who interviewed all the applications for the Uni Scholarship, well done and much appreciated.

Enjoy Christmas day – you all deserve a day off

Bob

In Brief

Our last meeting was also our Annual General Meeting, but before we got down to business, we had time for the ever popular raffle.  Prizes this week included a laptop bag but no laptop inside!, some very yummy cakes made by Michael, and a very nice pen handmade by John Doyle.  And Bob’s chooks did their bit for Queen and country as usual.

Charmaine brought to our attention the rather unorthodox use of SIM cards to help in the fight against Polio in Pakistan – read more about that “By tracing cellphones, Pakistan makes inroads in war against polio”

And a further toast to a Rotary club in Nairobi whose claim to fame is that they are the only club that has a leather banner!

We also presented Lindy Drury with a Paul Harris fellowship for her amazing efforts organising the Beatles concert last year.

School Presentations

Narooma Public School, the Narooma Rotary Bill Borlaise Memorial Award

Bill Borlase was not a member of Narooma Rotary but left money in 1971 for the girl and boy duxes of Narooma Public School and for an honour board to record the name of each recipient.
At the School’s presentation day last week President Bob Antill presented this award to the two duxes –Drew Thompson and Samara Walther (see photo).
The Honour Board was filled a few years ago and the Club paid for a new one in the new hall.

Narooma High School

Meanwhile Lynda Ord was busy on the Club’s behalf at Narooma High.
Each year our Club sponsors the Narooma Rotary Club Citizenship Award.
We also present several awards on behalf of former Rotarians…

• Eric Hoare Memorial Prize for Technology Design
• Eric Hoare Memorial Prize for Senior Science and Maths

Eric Hoare was a widely respected member of Narooma Rotary and of our community. His contemporaries in the Club said his chief attribute was ‘a restless intellect’. Before retiring, he was a senior scientist with CSIRO at its Griffith Agricultural Station.
Eric could, and did, speak to the Club on widely divergent subjects. His talks were always interesting and often jolting. Before his death he had been in the habit of providing money for prizes in mathematics and science at the High School
His wife Isabel continued these awards after Eric’s death, and now her family still continue them after Isabel’s death at Isabel’s request. Our Club presents them on the family’s behalf.

• Jack and Joy Ings Art Prize

This is sponsored by former Narooma Rotarian and PDG Jack Ings (now living in Melbourne) and his late wife Joy.

Christmas Carols

Takings in the van Sunday night at the carols came to $763, it was a very good night, we sold out of sausages twice!

And we sold lots & lots & lots & lots & lots & lots & lots of perfect donuts!!!

Christmas Party

Coming up this Thursday night – the Christmas Party at Caseys Cafe – see you there.

Hah Hah

This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I’d never met herbivore

Community Carers Accommodation

– President Lynne Koerbin, Community Carers Accommodation South East

Some good news has been received concerning our carers accommodation project.

The Hon Warren Truss has confirmed that our grant application to the National Stronger Regions Fund has been successful.  That means that the Federal Government will provide us with $450,000 to match the $450,000 we have on hand…. giving us enough funds in total to construct the first stage of our carers accommodation project in 2016.

This really is a dream come true for us! It’s been a huge team effort and I want to thank every one for their contribution to our fundraising to date .. because without the cash at hand we wouldn’t have been able to secure this matched amount to make stage 1 a reality. Thanks also to everyone who sent in letters to Mr Truss to help lobby for the allocation – it’s hard to say whether it made a difference, but we definitely got the result we were all hoping for.

I can’t seem to get the smile off my face – this really is such exciting news for the project!

Feel free to share the news.

The Rotary Foundation

The Rotary Foundation is ranked in the top 10 charities in the world. The scores — ranked on a scale of 1 to 100 — are based on financial health, accountability and the transparency of reporting. TRF is ranked at Number 5 in the world.

Please click on the link below. Please use this information when seeking contributions and take great pride in what it says.

the-top-10-charities-changing-the-world-in-2015.html

It seems that Foundation giving has been taking a back seat in our District as can be seen from the latest Foundation Newsletter, we are somewhat behind on our previous year’s giving, with a gap of 8.4% on the Annual Fund giving and 59.3% behind on our contributions to Polio. Remember 50% of what we give to the Annual Fund comes back to us in 3 years’ time by way of District Grants as well as Global Grant funds and that enables us to engage in matches for Global Grants thus accessing more Rotary Foundation Funds. I am sure that you all realise the importance of our continued effort to support the Polio campaign so that we can get the job done, not forgetting of course that for every dollar you raise it is matched by a further $2.00 by the Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation.

 

Phil Rose Receives Rotary Vocational Excellence Award

Narooma Rotary presented retired architect Phil Rose with a Vocational Excellence Award at its meeting last week.  President Bob  said this Award recognises individuals living or working in our community who excel in their profession or business, exhibit high ethical standards and enrich our local community.
‘We particularly wanted to recognise Phil’s vision of shared pathways along Narooma’s foreshore reserves and of the boardwalk, and his work in ensuring the boardwalk, widely supported by the community, became a reality’.

‘These shared pathways and the boardwalk have greatly enriched our community by enhancing Narooma’s livability, improving our health and wellbeing, and being a considerable tourist attraction.’

Mr Rose said he felt ‘very honoured to receive this award’.

He came to Narooma 27 years ago for his ‘sea change’, attracted by the natural and built environment as well as the many good surfing spots.   ‘However since then I have found that by far the most important thing is the community, its spirit and friendship,’ he said. ‘The feeling of being part of this community has been my reward, not to mention the variety of work and all the fantastic clients.’

The Club presented Mr Rose with a certificate and a booklet entitled ‘Narooma’s Battle for the Boardwalk’, compiled by Vocational Director Laurelle Pacey.  ‘It’s a timeline for the Mill Bay Boardwalk from the initial concept through to today based on council reports of the time, newspaper articles and cartoons, and reports by Phil Rose and his associates,’ she said.  ‘The boardwalk was completed in 2001, not all that long ago, but many people have forgotten what was involved, and many people new to the area since have no knowledge of it.’

‘The amazing thing is it was never officially opened, and there is nothing on the Boardwalk to explain its history.’

A copy of the booklet is now in Narooma Library’s local studies reference collection and one will be presented to Council for its records.

Narooma Rotary President Bob Antill presents the Club’s Vocational Excellence Award to retired architect Phil Rose particularly for his work on shared pathways and the boardwalk.

Short words by bob ant

Last week was extremely busy on every front – the business, family and Rotary.

On Wednesday evening I attended Moruya for the final meeting of the race day committee which seems to be in hand and running well. A credit to Vere, Mike and all the crew. Our part is getting in and selling raffle tickets. On the day, 20th of this month, we are tasked with selling the last round of tickets and helping with the caterers, if required, and whatever needs extra person-power.

I then attended Moruya’s club meeting in my role as assistant DG (group 1) as part of my investigation into serious allegations made by some in the Moruya community against the Moruya Club. Without going into details the Club has attracted a lot of venom from a very small part of the Moruya community for doing nothing more than putting in an expression of interest for the Markets as advertised by the council. The council are required to do this every five years and any incorporated, non-profit organisation has the right to put in an EOI (Expression of interest) and the council will weigh them up and in February make a determination. Emotion is running high but despite the venom to try to force the club to withdraw their EOI, they are holding firm and letting the democratic process proceed.

This Thursday night is our AGM, if you haven’t put in an EOI of your own for positions within the club, please do. Fill out the form and bring it along. It will also be our last meeting at the Whale for this year. I’d like to personally thank Mat and Jen for again looking after us during 2015 and we look forward to returning in February.

The Christmas party is at Casey’s. It will be an informal affair with lots of fun and a few surprises. Numbers need to be finalised as quickly as possible, so if you haven’t put your name down yet please let Rod know straight away.

Don’t forget we have a huge market on December 27th and as many hands as possible will need to be on deck. Then in January another market and then the duck race.

This Friday night Radar is playing at Club Muzo at Club Narooma from 8 pm.

Have a great week
Bob

Youth Programs

There’s quite a lot happening in Youth Programs at the moment. Lewis Ives heads off to Sydney for the Honeywell Engineering Summer School from 6 to 11 December 2015 in Sydney.

Eden Brennan and Georgia Poyner will be attending the Conoco Phillips Science Experience at Macquarie University from 13 to 15 January 2016.

Our latest candidate Jacob Read will be attending RYLA from 11-16 January in Canberra. For those of you not so familiar with RYLA or the Rotary Youth leadership Award as it is called, it provides opportunities for young people to access a range of influential, motivational and inspirational speakers and trainers through various activities. The program introduces attendees to the concepts of effective leadership and is very highly regarded.

Jacob has been on a traineeship with the Eurobodalla Shire Council which ends at the end of February. He came very highly recommended by his managers at the Council and he’s very keen to attend RYLA.

 

Community Carers Accommodation

– President Lynne Koerbin, Community Carers Accommodation South East

Some good news has been received concerning our carers accommodation project.

The Hon Warren Truss has confirmed that our grant application to the National Stronger Regions Fund has been successful. That means that the Federal Government will provide us with $450,000 to match the $450,000 we have on hand…. giving us enough funds in total to construct the first stage of our carers accommodation project in 2016.

This really is a dream come true for us! It’s been a huge team effort and I want to thank every one for their contribution to our fundraising to date .. because without the cash at hand we wouldn’t have been able to secure this matched amount to make stage 1 a reality. Thanks also to everyone who sent in letters to Mr Truss to help lobby for the allocation – it’s hard to say whether it made a difference, but we definitely got the result we were all hoping for.

I can’t seem to get the smile off my face – this really is such exciting news for the project!

Feel free to share the news.

The Rotary Foundation

The Rotary Foundation is ranked in the top 10 charities in the world. The scores — ranked on a scale of 1 to 100 — are based on financial health, accountability and the transparency of reporting. TRF is ranked at Number 5 in the world.

Please click on the link below. Please use this information when seeking contributions and take great pride in what it says.

the-top-10-charities-changing-the-world-in-2015.html

It seems that Foundation giving has been taking a back seat in our District as can be seen from the latest Foundation Newsletter, we are somewhat behind on our previous year’s giving, with a gap of 8.4% on the Annual Fund giving and 59.3% behind on our contributions to Polio. Remember 50% of what we give to the Annual Fund comes back to us in 3 years’ time by way of District Grants as well as Global Grant funds and that enables us to engage in matches for Global Grants thus accessing more Rotary Foundation Funds. I am sure that you all realise the importance of our continued effort to support the Polio campaign so that we can get the job done, not forgetting of course that for every dollar you raise it is matched by a further $2.00 by the Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation.

Hah Hah

How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.