Our December market on Thursday 28th was huge as always with 96 stallholders. That plus perfect weather and hordes of visitors topped it all off. A big thank you to all our usual wonderful team, especially to our market manager Chris O’Brien, and to David McInnes’ extended family who sold many raffle tickets and also helped in the van. Many hands definitely do make lighter work.
Our van certainly looked much better thanks to the recent cleaning detail by John Rungen, Gero Mitchell, Ange Ulrichsen, Laurelle Pacey and me. At the market, we collected $2,044.50 at the gate from stallholders, the food van grossed $1,418.59 (incudes Square), and $150.00 from the wishing well so a great result. Gross $3,613.09. We also sold $1,336.00 worth of Duck Race tickets.
It was also my great privilege at the Market last week to announce that our 2024 Narooma Rotary Tertiary Scholarship has been awarded to Nico Van Delft-Twyford of Bermagui (see more below).
I am still painting my railings on the deck in preparation for the pot luck dinner/BBQ at my place on Sunday 14 January (35 Eucalyptus Dr Dalmeny 5:30 for 7 eating). Could everyone please bring a plate to share of salad or sweets, and BYO meat and grog. Look forward to seeing everyone including our Friends of Rotary. Hope everyone can make it.
Our thoughts are with Lachie Penglase and his family as Lachie prepares to move to Japan for the year as a Rotary Exchange Student.
Here’s hoping we all have a wonderful 2024!
THIS WEEK
No meetings this week. The next function is an informal BBQ at Lynn’s place on Sunday 14 January (see above and below).
The Week that was
Our 2024 Tertiary Scholar
The 2024 Narooma Rotary Tertiary Scholarship has been awarded to Nico Van Delft-Twyford of Bermagui. In announcing Nico’s win at the markets, Lynn explained that the Club awards a three-year scholarship to a student from Narooma High each year, thanks to a bequest by Alexander Birch with additional funding recently from a local benefactor. It currently equates to $6,000 a year. Thirteen Narooma High students applied for the scholarship this year.
Nico is the 35th student Narooma Rotary has helped pursue their studies and achieve their dreams. With this scholarship, that assistance now totals over $330,000.
Nico sees huge potential in the cyber security industry in Australia; his studies for a Bachelor of Computer Science (Cyber Security) at the University of Wollongong, in association with TAFE and a commercial company, should ensure his success in this field.
First of new Club banners heads to Germany
A Rotarian friend from Germany of Iris Domeier and Frank Eden visited Narooma at the weekend. Quick thinking Iris chased down one of the new Narooma Rotary banners for him to take back to his Rotary Club Bad Camberg-Idstein. Their friend, Dr Carsten Weilnau, is the current Club President and gave our Club one of theirs.
At his installation, Carsten gave an inspiring speech and underlined the role of music, art and culture as a unifying element in their society: “Where there is music, the weapons are silent and people listen to each other,” he said. When asked, Iris said Carsten is not a professional musician “but a very fine trombone player”. They met when he was a Visiting Scientist at the ANU’s Laser Physics Centre and he went along to the Canberra City and Spectrum Band. Carsten is a European Patent Attorney and a European Trademark and Design Attorney.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 14 January 5.30pm for 7pm: Informal BBQ at Lynn’s place at Dalmeny. BYO meat and grog, plus something to share like salad/dessert.
Friday 26 January Time TBC: Narooma Rotary’s Great Australia Day Duck Race. All hands on deck please. Arrangements to be finalised at Lynn’s place on 14th.
Thursday 1 February 6 for 6.30pm: Youth Night at Narooma Golf Club
Friday 2 February 5.15pm: Board Meeting at Narooma Golf Club
Last Thursday we had a lovely evening celebrating Christmas together in the old dining room at Bodalla Pub. Most members and many friends of Rotary were there. We officially presented our Exchange Student Lachie Penglase with his Exchange Jacket and the new improved Narooma Rotary banners organised by Susanna Chung. The banners are fantastic and include a scan code (thank you Rachel) to connect to our website. Lachie’s family also joined us for the evening. The food and company was excellent and a fun night was had by all. Thank you again to Chris O’Brien for organising everything. Donations of $150 were collected for OZ harvest to help some of our local families with food for Christmas.
On Saturday Julie Hartley, Gordon Bentley and myself interviewed 13 applicants for our 2024 Narooma Rotary Tertiary Scholarship and David McInnes’ expert help kept things on track and moving in the right order. The decision was close and required some debate before our panel reached its final decision
Normally we announce our Scholarship winner at Narooma’s special Australia Day ceremony, but it seems that ceremony is not going ahead in 2024. Instead we might officially announce the winner at our Markets on 28th.
THIS WEEK
This Tuesday 19 December 9.30am:Van cleaning at Van Village If anyone can help, please join us. More hands less work. Please bring your own cleaning stuff and gloves.
Thursday 21 December – NO DINNER MEETING – (next meeting at Narooma Golf Club is Thursday 1 February – Our Youth Night)
The Week that Was
As President Lynn has already said, we had a great Christmas celebration at Bodalla on Thursday. It was the last time too that most of our members would see Lachie before he leaves for Japan next month. Just to remind everyone of what is happening…
Lachie Penglase of Bermagui, who has just finished Year 9 at Narooma High, is off to Japan in January for a most extraordinary year as a Rotary Exchange Student sponsored by Narooma Rotary. His Narooma counsellors are Susanna Chung and Gordon Bentley. He will be hosted by the Rotary Club of Ogaki in Nagoya and attend Ogaki Kita High School which is much larger than Narooma High.
Lachie chose to be an exchange student because he wanted to do something completely different to anything he had done before; he particularly wanted to go to Japan because he is intrigued by its unique culture and lifestyle. He has been studying the Japanese language here and looks forward to expanding his knowledge and fluency as well as a learning more about Japanese culture. Since first meeting Lachie, Narooma Rotarians have been impressed with how much confidence he has gained just in the past six months. We all wish him well.
Here are a few more photos from last Thursday’s Christmas dinner at Bodalla.
From Moruya Rotary Club
At Moruya Rotary’s Christmas Party last week, President Derek Anderson presented IPP Shirley Ann Cornish with a Paul Harris Fellowship for her outstanding contribution to Rotary and Humanity. He was also able to finally present Alan Shephard with his Distinguished Service Award from ShelterBox. They also heard from their four Tertiary Scholars – one awarded last year, the others this year.
Out and About
Duck Race Raffle Tickets
A reminder we have 1,000 raffle tickets to sell before 26 January, so we will be making a mighty push over the next few weeks including at the Markets on Thursday 28th. Ange will sell at the Plaza (near Aldi) – mornings ofWednesday 13th, Saturday 16th, and Tuesday 19th and Thursday 21st. Laurelle will make bookings with Council to sell outside Narooma IGA in early January (now that she has found the contact details!). Lynn has the books of tickets.
COMING UP – Dates for your diary
Thursday 28 December – December Rotary Holiday Markets. John has circulated the roster. Please help where you can.
Sunday 14 January from 5.30pm – Barbecue at Lynn’s place (cooking by 7pm). Please bring something to share, something for the barbecue and whatever you want to drink.
Friday 26 January – Time TBA – The Great Narooma Rotary Australia Day Duck Race. All hands on deck please.
Sunday 28 January – January Narooma Holiday Markets
Very exciting news from our AGM last Thursday. Julie Hartley has volunteered to be our president for 2024-2025. Congratulations Julie; you will be a natural! David McInnes is again Vice President. I will be treasurer again but we’re still looking for a secretary and President Elect… If anyone is interested, please let me know. Congratulations too to Ange Ulrichsen, Gero Mitchell and Laurelle Pacey for nominating for the committee.
On Friday I attended Presentation ceremonies at both the High School and the Public School. We certainly have lots of talented and intelligent students! The High School winners of the Rotary associated awards were: Narooma Rotary Club Citizenship Award – Yeshe Smith Macpherson (Yeshe was one of the students the Club sponsored to MUNA in Canberra in August 2022); Joy Ing’s Memorial Art Award – Lucy Badman.
Our outgoing Rotary Exchange student Lachie Penglase received the Lions Club’s Jock Rollings award for Citizenship as well as five ‘Best in Class’ Awards! Our 2023 Rotary Tertiary Scholarship winner Milaina Cafe was back to receive the Ben Bate Dux of the School Award to the student in Year 12 who gained the highest aggregate in the scaled marks at the HSC exam in 2022.
At Narooma Public School, Rotary’s Bill Borlase Award for the duxes of the school went to Enzo Hurley and Edwina (Weeni) Brown.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the Christmas party this Thursday at Bodalla Pub. A big ‘shout out’ to Chris O’Brien for booking and organising everything for this party. Well done. I’m sure it will be a fun night.
For those who can help, a reminder about van cleaning at Easts Van Park next Tuesday 19th from 9.30am.
For those who can’t make the Christmas party, have a Merry Christmas and I hope to see you at the market on the 28th.
[Getting into the Christmas spirit now, listened to Christmas carols while decorating the tree!]
THIS WEEK
Rotary Christmas Dinner in the Dining Room at Bodalla Pub 6 for 6.30pm for all who have booked and paid beforehand.
The Week that Was
Last week’s AGM went off smoothly last Thursday with audited Financial Reports and an almost complete new Board for 2024-2025.
Ange returns from Nepal
Ange Ulrichsen is now back in Narooma after an extraordinary three weeks in Nepal. She sums up the experience.
It is strange, even surreal being back. RAWCS Nepal was an amazing experience. The tour guides Mary engages each year, Prakash and Animesh excelled and were charming and friendly. In the initial two weeks prior to reaching Maidi, they gave us some great insights into this little gem of a country. In Chitwan National Park we sighted rhinos, big crocodiles, elephants and heard a tiger. There were 20 of us in the group and travelling by bus and bonding was great fun. Dream cricket was organised by a local Rotaract Club and was a lovely interactive experience.
There were lots of highlights and I was humbled by the Nepalese especially in the countryside. This journey has placed Nepal firmly in my heart and I feel so proud to be a Rotarian.
Out and About
Duck Race Raffle Tickets
The start of the 2023 Duck Race – check out the crowd
A reminder we have 1,000 raffle tickets to sell before 26 January, so we will be making a mighty push over the next few weeks including at the Markets on Thursday 28th. Ange will sell at the Plaza (near Aldi) – mornings ofWednesday 13th, Saturday 16th, and Tuesday 19th and Thursday 21st. Laurelle will make some bookings with Council to sell outside Narooma IGA in early January.
NEXT WEEK
Tuesday 19 December 9.30am:Van cleaning at Van Village If anyone can help, please join us. More hands less work. Please bring cleaning stuff and gloves.
Thursday 21st: No meeting (having a Christmas break and New Year break)
At the Fly from Everest screening last Thursday, Narooma VP David McInnes, David’s aunt former Australian Ambassador to Nepal (1994-1996) Annmaree O’Keeffe, and paragliders Ken Hutt and Marcus Loane.
Last Thursday we had a wonderful inspiring movie night watching Fly from Everest and hearing from Ken Hutt and Marcus Loane who starred in the film and also joined us on the night. We also got to meet David’s aunt Annmaree O’Keeffe, a previous ambassador to Nepal. We raised $546 on the night which the Board topped up to a $1,000 donation (the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will match that 2:1 with another $2,000). Thank you to Gero Mitchell, Chris O’Brien and others who organised the drinks and nibbles, and David and Rachel for the raffle. A good team effort.
The Board met last Friday. We are having a Van cleaning morning on Tuesday 19 December at9:30am. If anyone can help, please join us. More hands less work.
The Board also voted to donate $500 to Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) that provides surgical treatment in Australia and New Zealand for children from developing countries from our Pacific region for life giving and/or dignity restoring surgery not accessible to them in their home country. Another decision made by the Board was to hold off selling the CAERH raffle tickets until we have sold the Duck tickets; it’s a matter of having people available to sell tickets.
David McInnes and I will be attending the Public School and High School presentations this Friday. On our Christmas dinner at Bodalla Pub on Thursday 14 December – Chris O’Brien asks for names and money for our Christmas dinner at Bodalla pub (on Thursday 14 December) by this Thursday 7th December. Names to her please and pay online to the same account you pay your membership fees. (Adults $65.00, children 12 and under $30.00.) There will be a collection tin for OzHarvest for cash donations at the event. Many people in Narooma are doing it very tough this Christmas.
December is shaping up to be a very busy month…
THIS WEEK
Wednesday 6 December 6.30pm; Prostate Cancer Support Group meets at Golf Club
Thursday 7 December 6 for 6.30pm: Dinner Meeting for our AGM
The Week that Was
Fly from Everest polio fundraiser
VP David McInnes, Marcus Loane, Ken Hutt and President Lynn Hastings
What a great night last Thursday at the Kinema. The film Fly from Everest featured south coast adventurer and Berry Rotarian Ken Hutt and his dream to paraglide from Everest and raise awareness and funds to continue the global fight to eliminate polio. It was so good that Ken and fellow paraglider Marcus Loane attended the screening and answered many questions about their Everest adventures in 2022 and 2023. Film director was Joe Carter.
Rachel and David McInnes did a great job organising the raffle…
We raised $546 on the night (Tickets sales $301, raffle $145 organised by David and Rachel McInnes, donations $100) which the Board topped it up to $1,000.
Ken is immensely proud of his team members’ efforts and that they have raised $400,000 for the cause and received publicity and support from around the world. He said their main aim was to get the polio message out there and they achieved that.
…while Chris O’Brien and Gero excelled organising the catering.
To put the success of the campaign into perspective, when Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative more than 30 years ago, polio paralyzed 1,000 children every day. Since then, cases due to wild poliovirus have declined by more than 99.9%, with wild poliovirus remaining endemic today in only two countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan. Disruptions to routine vaccination programmes around the world put this progress at risk. Rotary and its partners are trying to sustain this progress and continue to reach every child with the polio vaccine. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk.”
From Ange in Nepal, dated Monday
At the closing ceremony of teacher training in Maidi last Friday.
Narooma Rotary’s ‘ambassador in Nepal’ Ange Ulrichsen
Landed back in Katmandu Sunday evening after a week teacher training in the remote village Maidi in Dhading Province. About 40 Primary and Secondary teachers from all over Dhading Province attended at the High School in Maidi. They were all so grateful for teaching pronunciation, songs, rhymes, grammar, sentence construction etc. On the last day we issued them with heaps of resources brought from Australia, including reading books, charts, stationary, flash cards. Some teachers travelled three to five hours to Maidi for the Teacher training. Wonderful closing ceremony on Friday afternoon, but waited 2 hrs for the Dhading Mayor, the VIP, to arrive. Many speeches and certificates issued to teachers and our team. Mary Brell is especially held in high esteem. Some teachers missed their bus to get home and had to walk up to three hours (!) to get to home to family. They travelled each day and were always so happy.
Mary Brell has contributed amazingly to this RAWCS project for many years. The dollars raised this year financed many water tanks for the villagers and over 200 packets of seeds. The Nepali are so poor but rich beyond words in graciousness and faith.
On Monday, our RAWCS team of 20 met the Australian Ambassador Felicity Volk. Mary arranges this meeting each year to promote and advises the Australian Government of the extraordinary work Rotary does in Nepal. (Ken and Marcus also met Ambassador Volk during their time in Nepal.)
Out and About
News from Tertiary Scholar Raichel
Our Rotary Tertiary Scholar (2022) Raichel Brodie has again excelled in her studies for a Bachelor of Psychology at ANU. This semester she achieved three high distinctions and one distinction.
We hope to hear from our other two scholars in the next week or so.Stamps pleaseChris O’Brien asks everyone to save their stamps for her. They need to have a 1cm border around them. They are sent to a charity which raises money for the needy.
Bega’s Domestic and Family Violence Campaign
Unfortunately due to the rain and flooded roads Bega Rotary’s stand for the Domestic and Family Violence Campaign at the South Coast Producers’ Markets was called off last Friday. It was mutually agreed by Rotary and the Women’s Resource Centre that the stand would not go ahead. However, last Friday afternoon three Bega Rotarians set up a display at the Tathra Pub for a couple of hours. While it was reasonably quiet they had a few encouraging and supportive comments which made it worthwhile. Even a little bit of publicity helps the cause. Bega Rotary reports that while their day of action on December 1st was a washout, they now have some good signage that can be used at any time and place.
NEXT THURSDAY 14th
It’s our Christmas party at Bodalla Pub. Numbers and payments by this Thursday 7th please.
Last week our outbound Exchange Student Lachie Penglase and members were able to draw on the experiences of several former Youth Exchangees – Dr Fiona Koyvojs, left, Susanna Chung, Vicki Abott (nee Creighton) and Sally Hearder.
A big week. Thank you to David and Rachel McInnes for representing our Club at the joint meeting with Bateman Bay and Moruya Clubs. David was quite inspired by guest speaker Walter Boch of Bankstown Rotary. Through raffles he organised over the years and the Community Chest he established, millions of dollars have been channelled into community projects in Australia and overseas. Walter’s talk was great motivation for the Shire’s fundraising efforts for Carers’ Accommodation for the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital (CAERH). It was in the Philippines, through RAWCS, that Walter met Shirl and John Hayes of Moruya Rotary.
Last Thursday, our dinner meeting was all about the ‘Exchange experience which included many and varied experiences, all of which were life changing including the strong connections they established. They also gave some insight into the importance of hosting. Many thanks Susanna for organising such a great night.
Senior Constable Bronwyn Burns and a colleague dropped by the Market on Sunday, as did Marie Annand of St Vincent De Paul and Sue Fahey of the Salvation Army. A supply of pamphlets would possibly have been of benefit.
Last Sunday (26th) was our November market and we ‘lucked out’ with perfect weather in among a lot of wet or overcast days ones. We started selling Duck Race tickets at the market and are off to a great start. Our first attempt at a stall to raise awareness of Domestic and Family Violence was sadly lacking in support. We have one of our Squares working again! Thanks again Susanna. Thanks everyone, members and friends who helped out on the day; wonderful effort.
This Thursday we’re looking forward to our Polio Movie fundraising night with Fly from Everest Paraglider Ken Hutt joining us on the night. Drinks and nibbles from 6.30-7pm and raffle on the night. All proceeds go to the End Polio Now campaign.
THIS WEEK
Thursday 30 November: Fly from Everest at the Kinema
Climbing the world’s highest mountain and then paragliding down is not everyone’s dream, but such a dream drove Berry adventurer and Rotarian Ken Hutt.
Ken Hutt will join us at the Kinema this Thursday for the screening of his film ‘Fly from Everest’.
Ken will join us at the Kinema for the screening of his film Fly from Everest. The film is our fundraiser for the global ‘End Polio Now’ campaign; 6.30 for nibbles with 7pm screening. All tickets $20. Please book through the Kinema 4476 2352. Dress-ups encouraged but please leave paragliders at home.
Last year 62 year-old Ken Hutt hoped to become the oldest man to achieve that feat, but illness on Everest thwarted him. His other major aim was to raise awareness and funds to continue the global fight to eliminate the paralyzing disease polio. He returned in July this year with fellow paraglider Marcus Loane and legally flew from Lobuche Peak near Everest to complete filming for this movie by Joe Carter.
They received publicity and support from around the world. “Our main aim was to get the polio message out there that and we achieved that,” he said. Ken is immensely proud of his team’s efforts; they also raised $300,000 for the cause with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Friday 1 December 5.15pm:
Board meeting at Narooma Golf Club.
The Week that Was
Exchange night last Thursday
Last Thursday was a top night and a timely forerunner to Lachie Penglase’s exchange to Japan, hosted by the Rotary Club of Ogaki in Nagoya. Speakers were Vicki Abbott (Narooma Rotary’s first exchange student), Dr Fiona Kotvojs, Meredith Macpherson, Susanna Chung plus Sally Hearder (the E- Rotarian who will be helping out with hosting our inbound student next year) spoke about their experiences on Rotary Exchanges.
Vickie Abbott (nee Creighton) as Narooma Rotary’s first Exchange Student, went to Westfield in New York State in 1971. She told us stories about going on trips with Rotarians, her first experience of snow, and how she was able to graduate in the USA in full cap and gown regalia. She said her exchange made a huge difference to her life and opened her eyes to new possibilities she felt she would not have seen without the Exchange experience.
Dr Fiona Kotvojs talked about her experiences as an exchange student in South Africa in the early 80s which was a very troubled time there. She had four host families including an Afrikaans and an Indian family. Fiona talked about how living in South Africa reinforced to her the importance of equality and helped shape her career options.
Meredith Macpherson (nee Watt) had some pertinent advice to give to those currently in the programme. She felt the things she learned, including how to talk to an audience, have stood her in good stead in all aspects of her life especially her working life. Her time as an exchange student in Berkeley, California also included a unique opportunity to attend some university classes. Not the norm!
Susanne Chung spent her exchange year in Wharton, Texas in 2000. She related stories of her different host families and what life was like in American high schools (almost like the movies but not quite). Some highlights included meeting and shadowing a television reporter who imparted words of wisdom about career choices, and attending country music shows to support her host brother who was an aspiring country singer. She also ‘modeled’ her exchange Jacket with all of the badges from her time in Texas.
Sally Hearder spoke mostly about her experience hosting exchange students and the benefits to her kids. When traveling over the years, her kids have looked up various exchange students they had hosted.
Lachie Penglase brought members up to date on where he was in the Exchange process. He has had contact with his hosting club and his first host family to be. He went up this weekend to Canberra for the final District training. He leaves Canberra for Japan on 20 January.
From Ange with RAWCS in Nepal
Today (Sunday) 19 of us arrived here by bus from the city of Pokhara. Drove 130 km which took 9 hours!!! Road works (what’s new), congestion etc. We enjoyed a wonderful formal welcome tonight by the Rotary Club Dhading Besi which has 32 members. Their major projects are feeding and clothing 300 school kids and renal dialysis but machines are very expensive. We’re now enjoying drinks & dinner.
We’re off to the village of Maidi in central Nepal tomorrow for a week of teacher training, painting classrooms, mental health, optometry and checking for cataracts. The Nepalese people are delightful and so community minded. Cheers Ange (proud to be a Rotarian!)
Out and About
Bookings please for Christmas
This year we will have our Christmas dinner in the Function Room of Bodalla Pub on Thursday 14 December 6.00pm for 6.30pm. It will be a 3-course meal with some wine provided. The cost is $65.00 per person; half price for children. Could all members please email Chris indicating whether you will or will not be attending and, if attending, how many people you will bring. No payment is required at this stage and there is no obligation. It is just to get a rough idea of numbers.
CAERH art union tickets
Julie Hartley has picked up tickets for the Club to sell in the CAERH Art Union with the prize an MG electric car. The car is registered with South Coast Autos who have been provided the car ‘on loan’ until the Art Union is drawn (once all 3,000 tickets are sold). Tickets cost $50. We now have tickets… the Board on Friday will decide when we should start selling them.
From Batemans Bay Rotary
The Bay Club supports the St Cecilia Youth Music Scholarships awarded at the St Cecilia Annual Concert at Batehaven. This marks the 27th year of Scholarships. The Club donates the First Prize in the Senior Contemporary Section. Bay Rotarian John Haslem presented a prize in memory of his lovely wife Caryl and the Bay’s Youth and Vocational Director Alan Russell was Master of Ceremonies.
NEXT WEEK
Wednesday 6 December 6.30pm: Narooma Prostate Support Group at Narooma Golf Club