Rolf’s Ramble
Last week we could enjoy each other’s company at home via Zoom which is the safest place to be at the moment. Thankyou Charmaine for putting the word out there and on Facebook.
Cobargo BlazeAid is in urgent need for a ‘work ute’ to move volunteers and equipment around. The organisation has been able with the help of volunteers, now mostly stranded backpackers, to replace hundreds of kilometres of fences in the Cobargo area alone. The vehicle would only be needed until ordered utes make it across the border from Victoria. Our Club is also discussing again helping out the camp once more with a donation towards catering for the now only about 14 volunteers at the Cobargo Camp.
The long awaited rain finally came. Staying home and staying safe was never as easy for me as it has been over the last few days. If it wasn’t for the garbage bins, I would have stayed dry too. As Mike predicted three weeks ago, our July market would have been a total washout but thankfully we had already cancelled because of Covid.
This week we’ll have a Zoom meeting again; we’re getting quite good at it now. Everyone can attend and it seems to be suiting us best at this time. Thank you Frank for offering to suss out some possible guest speakers for one or more of our Zoom meetings.
The Rotary Down Under Magazine July issue was interesting as always, full of knowledge, facts and ideas. One article, ‘SHEP goes global’, honoured the work of Shirley and John Hayes-Cornish (guest speakers last year), former members of Moruya Club. Shirley received the District 9710 2019 Excellence in International Award for her work with Sexual Health Education by Pictures. Congratulations to Shirley and John.
Please let me know if you like to discuss a topic or idea at this week’s meeting. Thank you.
Stay safe
Pres. Rolf
THIS WEEK
Again a Zoom meeting. Members should have already received details.
OUT AND ABOUT
From Moruya Rotary
Moruya’s plan to hold the first regular weekly meeting at Moruya Golf Club on Tuesday 4 August was shafted by the latest Covid edicts on permissible bookings in clubs. They think now such meetings at Moruya Golfie may not be until the end of August.
Whether the Moruya Races will be held on 4 August is still up in the air at the time of going to press which means organising Rotary’s roster for the canteen is a work in progress.
Moruya was planning to host the visit of the Men’s Health Education Rotary Van (MHERV) to Moruya during its visit to the south coast, but that visit has been cancelled after consultation with the NSW Public Health Unit. MHERV is a Rotary project, an initiative of D9670. It’s made possible by fundraising, generous sponsorships and time freely given by hundreds of Rotary volunteers. A custom built caravan with a dedicated registered nurse travels New South Wales offering free health screenings to regional and rural men. Les Corrigan of the MHERV Management Team from the Rotary Club of Warners Bay hopes the Covid situation will improve to enable MHERV to reschedule a visit to the south coast in 2021.
From Bega Rotary
The Club’s Rotary Book Fair planned for September has now been cancelled due to the uncertainties caused by COVID-19 restrictions. The Club will try again 7-10 January 2021.
Bega is now meeting formally twice monthly at The Grand Hotel when COVID-19 restrictions allow. Bega has informal meetings on the other two Thursdays.
From Batemans Bay Rotary
Bay Rotarians plan to hold their first market for some months on Sunday 16 August, bringing their food van brought out of ‘hibernation’.
They will hold a Zoom meeting this Thursday night with a guest speaker and hope to hold their first dinner meeting for months the following Thursday.
The July issue of Rotary Down Under has an article about former AG Vere Gray and Bronwyn Geppert representing the Bay Club at the Club’s sanitation project in the Philippines. Our Narooma Club made a donation towards this project last year.
The Bay’s newsletter reports that, thanks to the tireless efforts of Maureen Manning, the Club has received a $10,000 grant from the District Bushfire Relief Fund. This money will resource the Mental Health Unit at the Mogo Happy Hub. In addition they have a $3,000 District Grant to assist in obtaining plants to replant gardens of people affected by the bushfires, with Maureen in discussion with the West Wollongong Rotary Club to assist in replanting of the gardens.