Bob’s Blog

Hello Everyone

This Thursday we have a busy meeting with our Mad Hatters Dinner. Don’t forget to bring your groovy hat and money to support Australian Rotary Health’s research into mental health. We will also have a representative from Red Cross at the meeting to fill us in on their work. Peter Bull has also organised some fun ‘politically correct’ trivia for us.

Next year we will celebrate 60 years of Rotary in Narooma – not a bad effort for a small country town. We propose to hold a combined Changeover and 60^th Birthday celebration on 11 August 2018. The Board is looking for members to help organise the celebrations, so if you would like to help out please let me know as soon as possible.

It was great to have Phil Armstrong with us last Thursday as District Governor Steve Hill’s representative. Phil has been a great friend of Narooma Rotary for many years and it is always a pleasure to have him visit. Laurelle has a full report of Phil’s visit elsewhere in the Beacon.

As we know, polio eradication has been a goal of Rotary for many, many years and although the task seems impossible at times we continue to make headway. The difficulty for us and other organisations at the moment is how do we eradicate the disease in counties such as Pakistan, where hostile militants often prevent health teams vaccinate children against the disease. There is a great story in this week’s edition of Rotary Voices; click here to read it.

Don’t forget the Early Falcons car rally this Sunday, the Narooma Motors event on 21 October and the Markets on 22 October, they are all great opportunities to raise funds to support local charities.

Have a great week.

Cheers Bob

The Week that Was

It was wonderful to have PDG Phil Armstrong as our guest last week representing DG Steve Hill. Phil said as this is Steve’s second year as DG, PDGs and AGs are trying to ease the pressure on him wherever possible. Steve still intends to visit us and Phil suggested we invite him to the Renewable Energy Expo, the Busking Festival or the Duck Race, all ‘unique Narooma events’ that are ‘community builders’. He praised Narooma Rotary; ‘it’s a very active Club that supports its community very well’ and really does ‘make a difference’.

Phil said Polio Eradication was Rotary International’s continuing first priority and also the District’s. ‘We’re so close with only nine cases so far this year, compared with over 350,000 new cases each year when Rotary first started the project,’ he said.

Phil also outlined DG Steve’s goals for the Rotary Foundation this year:

• Increase club contributions by 10%
• Increase individual contributions by 10%
• Each Club to honour a non-Rotarian in the community with at least one publicly presented Paul Harris Fellow.
• Host and promote a community event to support World Polio Day 23 October.

Phil also noted that Peace and Conflict Resolution is one of the Rotary Foundation’s six areas of focus. RI President Ian Risley (an Australian) and his wife Juliet have set up an endowment fund for future peace in the world; Phil is asking each Club to contribute $500.

During the Board’s earlier discussions with Phil:

• John Doyle outlined the work he and Frank are doing to try to establish a national database that lists where Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) are located. He asked Phil if it was something Rotary could take up nationally. Phil liked the idea and said he would take it further, hopefully to the get-together of DGs from across Australia.
• On district amalgamations; Phil said ‘it’s about numbers rather than geography’ and designed to reduce overheads.
• He also spoke about retaining members and attracting new ones.

Phil presented President Bob with two eucalypts on behalf of DG Steve, a token of RI President Ian Risley’s environmental goal to have every Rotarian plant a tree this year in their community. Phil did not leave empty handed; he won some eggs plus some limes on the chocolate wheel.

In view of Phil’s presentation, it was therefore very appropriate that John Rungen’s international toast was to the Rotary Foundation.

 Cheque Presentation for Rang’i

President Bob presented Michael O’Connor with a cheque for $6,000 for the Friends of Rang’i; Rang’i is a small Kenyan village. This was part of the funds he raised associated with his feat walking the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia. Bob said his ‘mind boggles’ at Michael’s drive, dedication and commitment to undertake this project which also raised $6,000 for polio eradication.

In thanking Bob, Michael acknowledged the wonderful support Bob Antill and Charmaine in particular gave him, and how amazed he was that a walk around the markets could raise up to $600-$700. ‘Hopefully this money will enable Rang’i to start a library,’ he said.

RYLA

Applications for the 2018 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) are now open. RYLA is a six day residential program to enhance the personal development and leadership potential of young people 18–25 years. Our Youth Director Lynda Ord asks everyone to please keep a lookout for potential candidates and to let her know if you think of someone.

RYLA is 13-19 January at the Greenhills Centre, ACT. There is an early bird discount if we register someone by 31 October. Deadline is 30 November. Our last successful applicant Jacob Read (2016) described the experience as ‘life-changing’. He was a trainee with Eurobodalla Shire Council and was given paid leave to attend. Lynda said it is often difficult to find someone for RYLA because many who have just finished Year 12 have work commitments before going on to tertiary studies, while those permanently employed may find it difficult to get leave.

Our food van is being overhauled

John Doyle reported the food van has had some major work done to make it roadworthy. Tyres, springs and suspension fittings were replaced, brakes completely overhauled and wheel bearings replaced. The draw bar and fittings were shot blasted and repainted. The next work will be to the van’s electrical circuit and water system, work that will probably happen at Moruya.

Cheers Laurelle

Some Random thoughts for lexophiles, courtesy Peter Bull

To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
When fish are in schools, they sometimes take debate.
A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
A boiled egg is hard to beat.
When you’ve seen one shopping centre you’ve seen a mall.
Police were summoned to a daycare centre where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
A bicycle can’t stand alone; it’s just two tired.

 

 

 

Bob’s Blog

 Hello Everyone

The weather was reasonably kind to us at the Markets on Sunday with the wind staying away for the first few hours. Treasurer Lynne reports we took $875.00 at the gate and $567.80 at the van, not a bad effort. With a few of our regular helpers away and some sick, numbers were tight so some members did double shifts in the van to cover slots. Thank you to everyone who helped out either marking out the oval, manning the gate, or helping in the van. Your assistance was greatly appreciated.

Next Thursday 5 October PDG Maureen Manning will join us as DG Steve Hill’s representative. Maureen has been a great friend of Narooma Rotary for many years and I am sure she will fill us in on Rotary’s agenda for 2017/18. Maureen would like to meet with the Board before the meeting; we can discuss timing at this week’s meeting. As is usually the case with the DG’s visit, partners are most welcome to attend the dinner meeting to hear Maureen speak. We will also use the occasion to present the remainder of the funds from Michael’s epic walk to the Friends of Rang’I.

The Renewable Expo Committee is working very hard to bring this year’s Expo together. The Expo will provide great insights into how we can reduce our energy consumption, make it less carbon intensive and also save costs. We will assistance from most of our members on 25 November to help make the event successful, so please try and keep the date free.

Have a great week .

Cheers Bob

The Week that Was

Thinking of Puerto Rico’s Rotarians

Last week Charmaine toasted the Rotary Club of San Juan in Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, noting the damage wrought by Hurricane Maria which directly hit the island country the day before. The country has been devastated by high winds, flash floods and mudslides, and its entire power infrastructure destroyed. It will be months before power can be restored. Charmaine pointed out this comes on top of Puerto Rico’s ongoing economic crisis. The Rotary Club of San Juan prides itself on being the oldest continuously operating Rotary Club south of the Tropic of Cancer, this year celebrating its 99th anniversary.

The telegraph revolution

The introduction of the telegraph in the mid nineteenth century was as revolutionary at the time as the mobile phone and internet were in the late twentieth century, possibly even more so, said last week’s guest speaker historian Eleanor Robin OAM PhD.* Up until then, communication had depended on the mail conveyed by horseback or by ship. Before the extraordinary construction of the overland telegraph and on to London, news and mail could take three months to reach England; the telegraph reduced this to about seven hours.

Eleanor was born in Sydney, finished school in Canberra and did her first degree at ANU. However she became fascinated with Tasmania and its history during an eight-year sojourn (2006-2014) during which she did her doctorate. Hence her talk particularly focussed on Van Diemen’s Land, as it was known in the early days.

The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce had been watching closely developments with the telegraph overseas, but the first telegraph network in Australia was not built until 1854. It was built by young Canadian engineer Samuel McGowan; it ran for 11 miles between Melbourne and Williamstown. McGowan had only arrived in Melbourne the previous year, encouraged by his former work colleague Samuel Morse, inventor of the electric telegraph. Morse saw the potential for the telegraph in the booming Victorian economy. McGowan was soon appointed Superintendent of the Electric Telegraph for Victoria.

The telegraph soon spread across Victoria, linked with other Australian colonies and rapidly became essential for government and commercial activities. Eleanor said the first submarine cable connecting Tasmania and Victoria became operational in 1859, but frequent breakages meant it was abandoned after a couple of years. A more robust and therefore more successful cable link was established via King Island and Launceston in 1869.

Eleanor also noted:

• the overland telegraph between Adelaide and Darwin and on to London was built in 1872
• telegram usage in Australia peaked in 1945, with the telephone gradually usurping telegrams
• Interestingly the last Morse code message on the eastern seaboard was sent in early 1963.

* Eleanor now lives in Narooma. She received the Order of Australian in 2013 for services to protect the environment and conserve Indigenous and cultural heritage. She has worked with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Heritage Tasmania, Australian Heritage Commission and Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.

PCYC and Rotary D9710 sign MOU

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed recently between NSW Police Citizens Youth Clubs (PCYC) and our Rotary District 9710.  There has been a long association between PCYC (and its earlier form) and Rotary, particularly in regional NSW, and this relationship has been strengthened in recent years. The main elements of this MOU are:

• PCYC club managers and executives are encouraged to join a local Rotary Club and Rotarians are encouraged to join the PCYC Club Advisory Committee
• Rotary clubs are encouraged to support  the PCYC’s annual Time4Kids fundraising efforts and provide volunteers to assist with PCYC programs
• Rotary Clubs are encouraged to make places available on our youth programs and on RYLA for their participants
• Rotary Clubs are encouraged to recognise PCYC staff, volunteers and police with vocational and community service awards

No doubt PDG Maureen Manning will tell us more about this next week.

Tonight we welcome Daiva Ceicys, standing in for Gabe Eichler, who will be telling us about the Animal Welfare League and the wonderful work this dedicated team do locally.  Look forward to seeing you on Thursday.

Cheers Laurelle

Random thoughts, courtesy Peter Bull

To suit the occasion tonight… These are classified ads actually placed in UK newspapers.

FREE PUPPIES: 1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbour’s dog.

FREE PUPPIES: Mother is a Kennel Club registered German Shepherd. Father is a Super Dog, able to leap tall fences in a single bound.

FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER: 8 years old, hateful little bastard. Bites!

And one from the Courts…

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn’t it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn’t know about it until the next morning?

WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

 

Bob’s Blog

Hello everyone

Thank you to Charmaine for showing us through the dental surgery last Thursday. I always find it enjoyable and informative when we as Rotarians share our work and interests. Laurelle has more on Charmaine’s presentation elsewhere in the Beacon.

This Thursday we will hold our September Board meeting commencing at 5:00pm. All members are most welcome to attend if they wish.

Following the Board meeting, we will be joined by Ron Finneron and his crew from Merimbula to talk about the Sapphire Coast Arts and Sports Youth Development Fund. The Fund supports young people in the sports and arts fields in the Bega Valley who have to attend activities outside the shire. We have also invited several other Narooma organisations to the meeting to hear about the Fund. Hopefully if there is sufficient interest we could form a similar fund in Narooma. We will start with Ron’s presentation at 6:30pm with dinner to follow at 7:00pm.

To Support Australian Rotary Health, we will hold a Mad Hatters’ Tea Party on 12 October so start planning now folk. We need you to dress up on the night with your finest hats and clothes. It will be a partners’ night so please encourage them to come along. Please invite your friends and others as well. It will cost you a donation of at least $5 to join in the fun.

Over the last two weeks we have seen an extraordinary number of natural disasters across the world with deadly floods in Asia, massive earthquakes in Mexico, and devastating hurricanes in the Caribbean and the USA. We have been asked by ShelterBox to provide support which we will consider at our Board meeting. As usual Rotary International has swung into action; to find out what we are doing, click here.

Have a great week everyone.

Cheers Bob

The Week that Was

Charmaine White ‘presented’ last week with a fascinating back room tour of Narooma Dental Surgery, assisted by practice manager Julie Davis who later joined us for dinner. She showed us the latest equipment in the surgery, some with Merinda Antill as the ‘volunteer patient’.

She then took us into the back rooms we don’t normally see including the sterilisation room and showed us current technology in repairing teeth and  making moulds for

replacement teeth.

It was an eye opener for many of us to see the advances that have been made in recent years to assist patients in keeping their own teeth. We all left with a small showbag filled not with’ sweeties’ but with oral hygiene aids.

The Club’s Tertiary Scholarship

Applications are being called for the 2018 Narooma Tertiary Education Scholarship, now being administered by Youth Director Lynda Ord. Each year the Club awards a three-year scholarship to a student from Narooma High School, thanks to a bequest by Alexander Birch. Our next scholar will be the 28^th student Narooma Rotary has helped pursue their studies and achieve their dreams, overall assistance the totalling over $240,000.

The scholarship provides the successful candidate with $3,000 each year for three years provided each semester’s studies are completed satisfactorily. A panel from the Club will interview applicants on Saturday 16 December.

Random thoughts, courtesy Peter Bull

The first, in keeping with last week’s special tour….

TOOTHACHE: The pain that drives you to extraction.

TOMORROW: One of the greatest labour saving devices of today.

YAWN: An honest opinion openly expressed.

WRINKLES: Something other people have….similar to my character lines.

Cheers Laurelle

NAROOMA ROTARY BEACON 7 September 2017

Bob’s Blog

Hello Everyone
It’s great to be back on the coast after a week in the Central West. I must admit I had forgotten how cold and frosty mornings could be west of the mountains. Fortunately, the sun was out and the days became quite pleasant. I particularly enjoyed catching up with some old friends I hadn’t seen for a couple of years.

I understand the sponsors’ night was a great success. Thanks to Sandra for organising the event and chasing up the sponsors. A full report appears elsewhere in the Beacon.
Frank Eden had a bit of a turn last week. He tells me he was out exercising and for some reason he passed out near the fish shop at the northern end of the bridge (maybe it was the running up and down the steps that did it). He went off to Moruya Hospital to be checked out. The medical staff found an irregular heart beat and some other issues so before he knew it he was off to Canberra. When I spoke to Frank on Saturday he was in good spirits and hoping to be home in a few days. I understand his doctors will have all issues sorted in no time.
The Whale Watching raffle was drawn at the Narooma Shop on Saturday and the winner was…. Enid Holmes! Enid hails from Canberra and she was very excited when I dropped off the prize. Enid and Colin were in Narooma for a few days. Thank you to everyone involved in the raffle, it was a great effort. Peter Hartley said we raised more than $1,500 for Eurobodalla surf clubs.
As the warmer weather arrives we welcome back members from trips away. Chris O’Brien and Mal Gray have been back for one or two weeks and we should see Lyn Hastings and Peter Bull this week. Unfortunately for us Rod and Jennifer Walker have jetted off to Canada; Facebook tells us they are having a great time.
Thinking of going to the Rotary International Convention in Toronto, Canada next year? Check out the website.
Don’t forget this Thursday we meet at 6:00pm at the Dental Surgery (across the road from the information centre). Charmaine will take us through all things dental before we move back to the Golf Club for dinner.
Have a great week everyone.
Regards
Bob

The Week That Was

Last Thursday’s ‘Thank You’ night for sponsors of the Busking Festival was very successful with a good representation from among the 55 sponsors. Thank you for all the Rotarians who came and mixed with everyone. There was a god vibe.
It was also a good opportunity for our Festival coordinator Sandra Doyle to publicly confirm that our Club would host a Regional Busking Festival again next year on Saturday 26 May, as part of the Australian National Busking Championships (ANBC).
‘Our first Festival was such a fun community day that literally filled the town with music, we’re going to do it again in 2018 building on that experience,’ she said.
She said the Club was already starting to receive some sponsorship offers, even before they started canvassing everyone.
Last Thursday also gave us a chance to see what the various recipients of the Festival’s proceeds had purchased for our local kids.
• Rev Carol Wagner purchased a set of chime bars for the Mainly Music program she runs for pre-school age children at St Paul’s Anglican Church.
• Narooma High School bought a Cajon Box Drum for the school’s Drum Beat programme, ably demonstrated by Merinda. Co-Principal John Melville said this year’s Festival created considerable interest among the High School’s students and there should be more participants next year. The High School was also a sponsor.
• Kathy Phipps, Narooma Pre-School director, showed one of the seven drums bought by the Pre-School.
• Narooma Public School unfortunately could not be represented because the night coincided with the school concert. It has purchased some Djembe drums and flutes with all the money they won and received on the day.
• Youth Café coordinator Angela McMillan from Eurobodalla Shire Council said they purchased a boxing kit which, while not in the musical line, was much needed.

Whale Watching Raffle

Bob has reported this week on the success of the Whale Watching raffle, drawn on Saturday. We all greatly appreciate the ongoing generosity of Norm Ingersoll and Narooma Charters in sponsoring this raffle. How wonderful that the winner was Enid Holmes who just happened to

be in Narooma this weekend. A whale watching tour off Narooma is certainly a very special experience.

Flying the Flag
Charmaine White, Sandra and John Doyle represented the Club at the Lions Changeover last Saturday at the Golf Club and had a very enjoyable time.

Cheers
Laurelle

 

Bob’s Blog

Hello Everyone

I am sorry that I will not be able to join you on Thursday evening to thank our Busking sponsors. The success of our Busking Competition was due to the hard work of our organising committee and the support of our sponsors. Business owners in our small community are often asked to support a myriad of events and activities, it is great that they have chosen to support the Busking Competition and it is fitting that we thank them with a special event.

As mentioned elsewhere in the Beacon the Whale Watching Raffle will be drawn on Saturday. Thank you to members who sold tickets in various parts of the town, you help was greatly appreciated.

The major fund raising project for our Club are the Narooma Rotary Markets. The Markets have provided in excess of $12000.00 a year that we donate to a variety of causes. It is important for us that the markets continue to grow and evolve, for this reason I believe that it is time to carry out a quick review of what we do and how we can make a very good activity even better. If you have any ideas or if you would like to be a part of the review let me know.

Just a reminder that our next ‘Rotarian Presents’ night will be at Narooma Dental Surgery on 7 September. Charmaine will fill us in on all things dental. Please be at the surgery at 6:00pm, we will head to the golf club afterwards for dinner and fellowship.

Have a great week everyone.

Bob

The Week that Was

Angie Ulrichsen proposed our international toast to the RC Amsterdam International in absentia via email; she was not well enough to join us at the meeting. Chris O’Brien and Angie had joined the Amsterdam Club International  for dinner at the Hilton Hotel during their recent European jaunt.

Being the summer holidays, the Club’s numbers were down from their normal 40, so those still in town are enjoying informal dinners each week. ‘They were a good bunch of about nine business people from various countries who call Amsterdam home for now,’ Angie said. ‘Chris and I described our Club activities, exchanged banners etc then enjoyed a yummy three-course dinner in the elegant Roberto’s restaurant. Fortunately one member gave us a lift back to our hotel which was on the other side of the city.’  The Club regularly has ambassadors as guests and has formal gala fundraising events.

Renewable Energy Expo Saturday 25 November

Expo coordinator Frank Eden reported from an earlier meeting that night that ‘things are shaping up well’ for the Expo. We are still seeking Expo sponsors and more exhibitors and finalising forum speakers. It will be at the Sport & Leisure Centre from 10am to 4pm. Member for Eden Monaro Dr Mike Kelly will open it in the morning.

The Expo dinner will be in Club Narooma at 6pm (bookings essential) followed by a Forum with three keynote speakers followed by questions to a panel.

Guest speaker Geoff Pryor

Geoff works with the Southern Region Business Enterprise Centre (SRBEC), a regional organisation that delivers business and educational services across southern NSW and the ACT. He is SRBEC’s Bintrim Manager which means he helps businesses reduce waste which he said can reduce costs and save time.

He spoke about innovative businesses that are finding new and profitable ways of using all kinds of waste materials, some of them locally.  ‘Waste should be seen as a great resource,’ he said.

More generally, he said regional development generally needs to focus on innovation of products, processes and organisations. Creating and appreciation of the local culture and environment is conducive to innovation and creativity.

Geoff added that BEC is interested in being an exhibitor at the Expo because o its interest in recyclables. An interesting postscript, Geoff has been part of the Tilba Lake community since 1980.

Whalewatching raffle

The whalewatching raffle will be drawn this Saturday 2 September at 12.30pm at Narooma Charters, Narooma Town Wharf. If you can, please be there to support this initiative. This raffle is raising funds to support Eurobodalla Surf Clubs, which is the joint fundraising effort by the three Eurobodalla Rotary Clubs for this year’s Rotary Christmas Races.

We meet at 5.30pm this Thursday to thank the Busking Festival sponsors

This Thursday’s meeting will be a little different. We will meet a little earlier at 5.30 pm for an informal thank the sponsors’ night. It’s a partners night with drinks (first drink is free then you pay) and nibbles, probably in our normal Seahorse Room but please check the sign as you come in. If we have a huge response, we may be in the auditorium upstairs.

Our Festival coordinator Sandra Doyle is keen for us all to circulate among our visitors who will also include representatives from the organisations that received donations from Festival proceeds. Please note dinner is not included in the meeting, but you are very welcome to buy your dinner around at the Club’s bistro after the sponsors function.

Hope to see you then.

Cheers Laurelle

Random thoughts, courtesy Peter Bull

• 100 years ago everyone owned a horse and only the rich had cars. Today everyone has cars and only the rich own horses.
• Many animals probably need glasses, but nobody knows it.

Bob’s Blog

Hello everyone

This week’s Rotary Weekly has a great article about a new advertising campaign ‘People of Action’  to promote Rotary’s work.

According to the article, many people have heard of Rotary but few actually understand what Rotary clubs do. In fact, 35% of the public is unfamiliar with any Rotary program including those of their local club. Click here to check out the article and the associated material. We will discuss how we can use this material at our next Board meeting.

It has been a confronting week with another terrorist attack in Europe. Our thoughts and prayers are with all victims and their families. Fortunately Rotary as a world-wide organisation continues to work locally and internationally to promote peace and understanding. I’m sure the world would be a better place if more people understood Rotary’s work and commitment to ‘Service Above Self’.

Another example of the good work of Rotary was last weekend’s Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) in Canberra. MUNA helps our young people gain a better understanding of the world, the problems we face, and how to work together to solve them.  A full report on the weekend is in this Beacon. Thank you to Sandra and Lynda for giving up their weekend to support our team from Narooma High.

Have a great week everyone. Regards

Bob

 

The Week that Was

Last week we welcomed Angie back from her recent European jaunt (the Norwegian fjords was a highlight) as well as Iris (fresh from Germany), and it was good to have Julie with us again.

Recent sad events in Charlottesville in the United States prompted President Bob to toast the Rotary Club of Charlottesville, the first of our now rostered international toasts. It is one of three Rotary Clubs in that city and meets every two weeks.

Our guest speaker Tim Burke spoke about Healthy Art.

Tim is well known for his music program on community radio 2EARFM each Tuesday night, his photography, and in recent years for staging various live shows at the Kinema and Golf Club. Before all this Tim was a master cabinet maker working with some of Sydney’s top builders. Then he decided he’d had enough of Sydney and commuting from Narooma and wanted to stay put here.

Tim said he hadn’t prepared a talk but did have a slideshow. ‘My whole life is one big ad lib… Because of an injury I had to reinvent myself and by default ended up in the arts.’ His planned career in  photography couldn’t happen, so his wife Fiona established Slightly Twisted Productions and he ‘ended up in this crazy world of music and the arts’. Now 30 shows later….

He spoke about using technology as ‘an incredible tool’ for the arts, particularly smartphones. He does all the film clips for his shows himself, 90% of the graphics are done on his phone and similarly with music. ‘Before I would have had to cart around big expensive gear.’

He feels the Arts is ‘a powerful tool’ but must be inclusive; ‘it’s important people feel part of the Arts’.  He has been on the committee of the River of Arts. ‘I could see the benefit being involved in the arts was giving me…’

Tim did the sound and lighting for our Busking presentation at the Golf Club. He feels the Busking Festival is ‘so fantastic’, ‘people came from everywhere’, and is a real celebration of ‘Healthy Art’ and so inclusive. He said already the Festival is an important part of our community and urged Rotary to ‘protect it’.

Our MUNA team

‘an amazing time’. Over 70 students from 26 schools across the eastern states attended MUNA this year, including students from all five secondary schools in Eurobodalla Shire.

MUNA is an annual Rotary youth programme which provides students with the extraordinary experience of contributing to a United Nations General Assembly style debate in Old Parliament House, the aim being to increase international understanding and goodwill. This is the fourth year Narooma has fielded a team, thanks to the support and dedication of teacher Lachlan Reilly and our Rotarians Sandra Doyle and Lynda Ord. Each school team at  MUNA represents a different nation and debates contemporary global issues from that country’s point of view. Narooma represented France.

Year 11 students Cyann Vlatovic, Campbell Allison and Isaak Anderson put in a lot of work with their teacher, Sandra and Lynda over many lunchtimes before the weekend, to gainan understanding of France’s history, politics, economics and particular stance on world affairs.

‘We think we’re in safe hands with such knowledgeable, wise and thoughtful young leaders coming through,’ Sandra said. ‘Their thoughts on many provocative resolutions were well researched with many quite lateral ideas on solving issues.’

Sandra and Lynda said it was a fabulous weekend and a special thankyou goes to the organiser Garth Britton and his team from the Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise for a very successful 21st MUNA.

 A reminder that Thursday  next week is a ‘thankyou’ night for sponsors of the Busking Festival. More details tonight.

 

Bob’s Blog

Hello Everyone

August is Rotary Membership Month. It is a time we should reflect on how we can build our membership base to ensure that Narooma Rotary continues to be a vibrant Club well into the future.

One of the ideas the Board has been discussing is to promote the idea of associate or friends of Rotary membership. Rod Walker has been doing some research and has checked out what is happening at other clubs to promote the Friends of Rotary concept. Click _here to see what is happening at the Rotary Club of Castle Hill, maybe we can implement a similar system at our Club. If you have any suggestions for potential Friends of Rotary please let a member of the Board know.

At last week’s Board meeting we made the following decisions:

• To hold a combined Changeover/60^th Anniversary dinner in August 2018. The new Board will still take over on 1 July 2018
• Operate the food van at the Old Falcons car rally on 15 October
• Allocate $1,000 to support Batemans Bay Rotary and RC Intramuros in Manila, Philippines in a water and sanitation project
• Allocate $200 to Narooma High School to support special education students
• Allocate $200 to the Bermagui Karate Club to support students attending international competitions
• Allocate up to $3,000 for food van repairs
• Invite Ron Finneran from the Sapphire Coast Arts & Sport Youth Development Fund (see below) to speak at our meeting on 14 September 2017 in lieu of a Club Assembly. Representatives of sporting, cultural and service clubs will be invited. The Board also discussed possibly allocating up to $2,000 per annum to the fund in there was agreement that such a fund was needed in the Narooma area.

  

• Hold an international dinner on 30 November 2017
• Hold a Mad Hat night on 12 October during Mental Health Month in October to support Australian Rotary Health mental health projects.
• Reintroduce the International Toast at weekly meetings. Members will be allocated this task as a part of the weekly roster of duties. Members will research a club and provide a brief background to members about the club when they propose the toast
• Provide a letter of support to the VRA in their attempts to raise funds for the purchase of a rapid response vehicle.

Have a great week everyone

Bob

The Week that Was

It was an intimate gathering at last week’s Club Assembly with many still away. I think the Assembly only had an additional two members to the Board meeting. We’re looking forward to a return of at least two members this week.

The Board meeting reminded us there is a lot of interesting and some fun things happening in coming months. Please stay tuned. We were sad to hear that Ruby Christmass has withdrawn from the Rotary Youth Exchange program, but look forward to seeing her involved in other Rotary programs in the future.

Three Narooma High students are off to the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) in Canberra this weekend with Lynda Ord, Sandra Doyle and teacher Lachlan Reilly. The students will represent France and hope to visit the French Embassy on Friday morning before MUNA begins. What a great weekend it will be for them all. It will be a treat hearing back from them all.

Please note that we have reintroduced the International Toast as an allocated duty each week. The Board would appreciate it if whoever is allocated that duty actually researches a club and tells us a bit about it. It may be from somewhere in the news, one visited overseas, or just a random choice.

More on the Sapphire Coast Youth Development Fund 

Bob mentioned the Sapphire Coast Arts and Sport Youth Development Fund. It  supports local youth under 18 in pursuing their arts and sporting endeavours.* In its first year, the Fund gave out $12,000 in grants to 20 young people across Bega Valley Shire to pursue their passions which ranged from the viola to women’s rugby, swimming and stage production.

The fund was started in September 2016 by Ron Finneran, Steve Goodchild and several others. It’s run by volunteers and funded by donations from businesses and individuals across the Shire with a contribution from Bega Valley Shire Council.

Ron Finnernan has encouraged many across the Sapphire Coast to get behind the district’s talented youth by contributing to the fund. He said where they live is a long way for young people to travel for expert tuition and, while the Fund can’t always cover the entire costs, it can help out with fuel and travel costs.

Ron will be our guest speaker on 14 September. As Bob mentioned, we are inviting other local clubs and sporting organisations to hear what Ron has to say and to see if people think such an organisation is warranted in our area.

*Taken from an article in The Land http://www.theland.com.au/story/4795517/sapphire-coasts-young-talent-deserving-of-help/?cs=4963

 ShelterBox changes

ShelterBox is no longer offering individual box sponsorship and tracking to donors. Reasons include the administrative cost of tracking and that they now supply other aid apart from ShelterBoxes. A note from ShelterBox says they will continue to deploy boxes when needed but can now supply a range of other aid to suit different conditions – tents ShelterKits to repair damaged homes or build emergency shelters, and a range of essential items like solar lights and water filters.

Over the past year, Rotary clubs around the world have over US$2.8m to help more than 20,150 families who have lost everything following some disaster.  The funds enabled deployments to disasters in Afghanistan, Cameroon, Columbia, Ecuador, Fiji, Haiti, Iraq, Mozambique, Niger, Paraguay, Peru, Sri Lanka and Syria. Disasters included floods, political conflict, landslides, earthquakes, hurricanes and cyclones.

For example:

• ShelterBox worked closely with Rotarians and Rotaractors to assess communities affected by flash floods and mudslides in Peru. As a result, 2,000 solar lights and mosquito nets along with 1000 ShelterKits were distributed. The ShelterKits allowed some families to stay in their homes and temporarily fix damaged structures while the nets and lights were used in camps by families who had lost their homes completely in the floods.
• Since October 2016, approximately 900,000 people have been displaced in Iraq as forces battled to retake Mosul. ShelterBox and partners, including the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), have been helping people fleeing the city. Over 6,000 families have received shelter and other aid items, with a further 2,000 families receiving additional essential lifesaving items.  ShelterBox continues to work with partners to reach more families.

Whalewatching raffle tickets

The whalewatching season is nearly upon us, so the date of the draw rapidly approaches – 2 September. We are again indebted to Narooma Charters for their support.

Would everyone please bring in raffle tickets, sold or unsold. The Club has reduced the number of ‘raffles this year from three to two, in response to Members’ wishes. Funds raised in this raffle will go with those raised in conjunction with the Rotary Christmas Races on 24 December to support the Shire’s surf clubs.

Rotary Christmas Races

We need  three or four of our members to help out  at the Rotary Christmas races at Moruya on Sunday 24 December. Any volunteers?

Cheers

Laurelle

Bob’s Blog

Hello Everyone

Last week Michael O’Connor spoke to us about his trek; Laurelle will report in more detail later in this edition of the Beacon. However, I am amazed and impressed that largely through the efforts of one member more than $12,000 has been raised for two worthy charities. Thank you, Michael. You have and are making a difference.

Ruby Christmas, the Club’s successful Global Youth Exchange applicant has decided not to take up the offer. While it was disappointing to hear of Ruby’s decision she has made it for all the right reasons. Ruby is a fine young person and a wonderful ambassador for young people in the Narooma community and I wish her well. I am sure that we will hear great things about her in the future.

As I mentioned at a previous meeting, the Club will host an event to thank the Narooma Busking Competition sponsors and supporters on Thursday 31 August at the Golf Club. This will be our opportunity to show our appreciation and hopefully lock in support for the 2018 competition.

Planning is also well underway for our second Renewal Energy Expo on Saturday 25 November and will follow a similar format to last year. Great exhibitors and outstanding speakers are now being finalised.   Please keep this date free as we will need the support of all members to make the Expo a great success as well as the market the following day.

I came across an interesting article in the latest edition of the Rotary Weekly about Rotary Community Corps. Click here to find out more. It is another great example of Rotary Making a Difference.

Have a great week.

Bob

The Week that Was

 It was good to see a few more partners at last week’s meeting to hear Michael talk about walking the Bibbulmun Track and everything associated with this marathon effort, including the amazing generosity of so many people along the way. He particularly mentioned his great appreciation of Charmaine and Bob Antill’s support from the outset.

His preparation included training under coach Murphy. He didn’t keep records but estimated he walked over 2,500km before he went, his pack initially stuffed with bricks progressing to sacks of rice. Another part of his preparation was the huge amount of work preparing and dehydrating his meals with the added complication of his food allergies.

Meanwhile Donna and his son Christopher did a risk assessment of this undertaking… Michael still went.

He started at Albany. The photos along the Track were impressive; the track itself goes through 20 national parks and is quite overgrown in places.

His pack weighed a whopping 22kg. He got rid of a lot of his expensive gear along the way, replacing it with lighter, cheaper gear. He slept each night in a basic shelter located every 18-25km; sometimes he put his tent up inside to stop mosquitoes.

‘The worst part of the walk was the smell of my own perspiration,’ he said. Along the way he became ‘geographically misplaced’ a few times because track markers were either missing due to bushfires or difficult to see, the lens in his glasses broke, the zipper on his sleeping bag broke,  and he twisted his ankle, but still he pushed on.

When he injured his shoulder and his foot continued to be a problem (having walked on it for about 100km), he decided it was time to pull out when he had the chance. He had walked more than half way, about 560km.

What we all came to appreciate, if we hadn’t already, was the huge physical, mental and emotional effort Michael’s undertaking involved. He also succeeded in raising over $12,000 for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and for a school in the Kenyan village of Rangi, two projects dear to his heart.

President Bob thanked Michael (and Murphy), acknowledging the immensity of his achievement.

The wheel followed with a large number of prizes including many ‘sugar fixes’, too many prizes to list.

Lift the Lid on Mental Health

Australian Rotary Health (ARH) has recently introduced a new three-year fundraising campaign called Lift the Lid on Mental Illness. Funds raised will go towards more research focusing on preventing mental illness, particularly in our young people.

ARH chairman elect Greg Ross reminds us that mental illness is the greatest health challenge facing our society today. He encourages Rotarians and the wider community to get involved during Mental Health Month in October, particularly focussing on World Mental Health Day on Tuesday 10 October. That’s when we’re encouraged to celebrate Hat Day by holding an event, wearing a hat and raising funds.

The ARH Board has suggested other possible way to help raise funds, such as involving local coffee shops and Bunnings Warehouses, all of which we will no doubt explore. Our RI Director Noel Trevaskis urges us all to get involved with ‘this great initiative’.

All donations are tax deductible. Australian Rotary Health is one of the largest private funders of mental health research in Australia.

Subs are due:  Just a gentle reminder for those still to pay their subs. Our treasurer is keen to sign off on this task.

We’re looking forward to the safe return of our many absent members who are either overseas or in warmer climes. Be good to have them with us  again.

Cheers

Laurelle