Andrew’s Thoughts
As anticipated, it was a very full and highly successful week.
After last Sunday’s very successful market, Wednesday’s Duck Race was soon upon us and what a great event it was. It really resonates with the local community and I had heaven knows how many calls asking for tickets or had they won. Even one yesterday morning! Anyway, a big thanks to Julie for leading the great team of Mike and Ange. Because of the late rush of excitement and desire to participate, perhaps we should hold some books back for nearer the event, and also consider increasing the ticket price. The Board will consider these issues, but we have ample time to plan! (More on the Duck Race below)
Thursday was our Youth Night and it was my first. It was a wonderful occasion and great to see our former Tertiary Scholar Carl McEvoy (2015) and our current Scholars Rory Spurgeon (2020) and Elise Dixon (2021) with their current or former mentors, Ange, Bob, and Lynn. A special thanks to Carl for bringing a bottle of crafted gin to raffle!
Of course, the main event was the announcement of our scholarship for 2022 which was awarded to Raichel Brodie who will study Psychology at ANU, and possibly transferring to law in due course. Raichel is a charming and worthy winner.
To top things off, Bob, Rod and I met with a new benefactor on Friday morning. This person, who wishes to remain anonymous, is generously providing an additional $3,000 to our successful scholar with immediate effect. To put it mildly, Raichel was ecstatic!
The long Rotary week ended in Wandella yesterday in perhaps not the most ideal weather! It was great to have seven Rotarians and partners and friends and a few regional officers from the CWA. Susanna’s delightful children even managed to feed the horses with carrots!
So to this week. Tomorrow sees the next Prostate Cancer Support Group meeting – some may have heard Julie on 2EC last week. We’re welcoming Jamie Boulding, a specialist Men’s Health physio down from Canberra.
Otherwise, it is a quiet week with no Club meeting.
Next Thursday will be a Club Night dinner and I urge you all to come as it will be an opportunity to discuss some pressing issues facing the Club and also to think about future plans. Finally, Paul West has confirmed he is coming to the Business Breakfast on the 17th; hopefully he will pull in a large crowd.
As ever, it is upwards and onwards mes amis!
THIS WEEK
On Tuesday, the Prostate Cancer Support Group meets
On Thursday, take a well-earned break. No meeting .
The Week that Was
We celebrate our Tertiary Scholars
Last Thursday was an inspiring evening to celebrate our Tertiary Scholars at our first meeting back at the Golf Club. President Andrew also announced Raichel Brodie as the recipient of this year’s Narooma Rotary Tertiary Scholarship. Raichel thanked her friends, family and teachers (many of whom were at the event) for all their support particularly over the last couple of years, as well as Rotary.
Other speakers included current Scholars winners Elise Dixon (2021) and Rory Spurgeon (2020), and past Scholarship winner Carl McEvoy (2015). Elise is doing a Bachelor of Medical Science through the ANU and Rory a Bachelor of Science Honours degree at ANU. After several years in television production, Carl McEvoy is currently working in communications and media for a Sydney gin distillery.
We award a $9,000 three-year scholarship to a student from Narooma High each year, thanks to a bequest by Alexander Birch. Raichel is the 32nd student Narooma Rotary has helped pursue their studies and achieve their dreams. That assistance now totals over $270,000.
Ducks stay the course in the great Race
Many enthusiastic onlookers helped launch 1,000 ducks from Narooma Bridge for the great Rotary Australia Day Duck Race.
One of our Race organisers Mike Young was delighted that this year, with the timing being towards the end of the outgoing tide and with no wind the ducks stayed on course resulting in a more orderly race. Training obviously paid off for the winning duck which stayed focussed and held the centre of the course, gradually outpacing competitors.
The ticket for the winning duck 857 was held by Race Coordinator Julie Hartley winning $1,000; she promptly donated it to Rotary’s Tonga Disaster Appeal.
The last duck 267 was held by Clare Giffen, also of Narooma, who won $100.
Via our media release, Andrew thanked everyone who made the Duck Race such a fun event this year – the supporters who bought tickets, the hundreds of spectators, duck droppers and our amazing duck collectors who came in a flotilla of about 20 kayaks, a tinny, and NSW Maritime and Marine Rescue vessels.
Proceeds this year will mainly go towards the recently formed Narooma Prostate Cancer Support Group and Prostate Cancer research, with a donation to Bermagui CRABS (Cancer Research Advocate Bikers) who lend us the ducks each year.
Andrew also ‘rattled’ a bucket for Rotary’s Tonga Disaster Appeal, collecting $216 from onlookers during the morning.
Another Narooma High achiever
Many members will recall at last year’s Youth night we were impressed to hear from the two Narooma High captains Abbey Dawson and Patrick Sly. Well Abbey last week represented Eurobodalla Shire in the Y’s annual Youth Parliament programme.
Abbey has just finished Year 12 and was one of 90 young people from across NSW chosen to participate in a week of legislative debate and decision making. Covid postponed the 2021 programme from July to January which was then switched from a face-to-face at Parliament House to virtual, again due to Covid.
Abbey enjoyed multiple debates during the week. She highlighted road safety as a key problem for young people in the Eurobodalla, while other key issues raised during the week included people living in poverty and imprisonment of First Nations young people. She volunteered for several leadership roles during the week and was chosen to be the ‘face’ of the programme next year when she will liaise with volunteers.
Abbey will study politics, philosophy and economics at the University of Wollongong.
Out and About
Rotarians protecting the Environment
In 2021 our District embraced the new worldwide Rotary International focus on ‘Protecting the Environment’ and formed a District team of experienced Rotarians called ‘Environmental Envoys’ to liaise with and support clubs interested in pursuing new environmental projects. We now have well over half of the 82 clubs in our District with a nominated Environmental Officer. Additional nominations of club representatives are being sought from the remaining club Presidents in early 2022.
One of the District Team’s initiatives was to establish a new Facebook group called the ‘Rotary D9705 Environmental Community’ that provides a platform to enable the members of the Rotary Family (and like-minded friends of Rotary) to exchange information and ideas about environmental projects. Please join if you are interested in the environment. At Moruya Rotary, President Chris Manahan and Derek Anderson have been involved with this project from its beginning.
More information will be available for clubs at the upcoming PETS conference and of course the District conference in Temora 18-20 March. Courtesy the District and Moruya Rotary Newsletters
NEXT THURSDAY 10th
A Club Night at Narooma Golf Club, 6 for 6.30pm. Please let John Rungen know if you are/ are not coming. See you there.
