Ange’s Thoughts

Thursday was certainly a night to remember. ‘Do it once; do it well’ is the inspiring motto for Rotary’s Pride of Workmanship.  Rotary and local businesses celebrated our great annual awards night in style on Thursday.  It’s a proud moment and a win/win for employer and employee, so important in today’s world.

It was my great pleasure to present awards to the six recipients. (See full report below) A big ‘Thank You’ to Awards Organiser, Laurelle Pacey who does such a sterling job with these awards

Also that night, our Club took pride in presenting a donation for $3,800 to the Carers’ Accommodation Eurobodalla Hospital (CAERH). The money was from last year’s Whale Watch raffle and part of this year’s Duck Race. Carers’ accommodation will be attached to the new Level 4 Eurobodalla hospital and is totally community driven. Steve Young also showed architect images of the new hospital which will be located near Moruya TAFE.

Narooma Rotary started the fundraising ball rolling when we announced in August that proceeds from our whale watching raffle would go towards Carers’ Accommodation project.

THIS COMING THURSDAY 30^th March 6pm

The Club reconvenes the 2021-2022 AGM to approve the reviewed Financial Statements from 2021-2022 that were not ready for the AGM in December. This should be a short meeting. Members may like to dine together in the Bistro afterwards.

The Week that was

Pride of Workmanship

Six local businesses recognised valued employees at our annual Pride of Workmanship Awards at a special dinner at Narooma Golf Club on Thursday. President Ange said at the presentation these Awards “give local business people the opportunity to publicly recognise one of their staff who goes above and beyond”.

“It’s a chance to show their appreciation to someone with outstanding qualities in terms of approach, attitude, dedication and commitment to their job. Most importantly, Pride of Workmanship is not a competition. It’s recognition of individual achievement and commitment.”

Ange presented awards to:

• Rebecca Harrison  of Dalmeny Long Day Care (collected on her behalf by former awardee Teagan Nicholson)
• Michelle Booth of Estia Health Dalmeny
• Mia Turner of  Maven Dental Narooma
• Islah Lopez of  Narooma Community PreSchool
• Lynn Bond of  Narooma Public School
• Michele Sacoor of Oyster Farmer’s Daughter.    

Club donates to Carers’ Accommodation

Our donation to the community-initiated Carers’ Accommodation for the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital (CAERH) on the Thursday was the first of possibly a number of our donations to this project. Secretary of the Carers’ Accommodation group Steve Young and Shirley Hayes-Cornish were “blown away” at the size of the donation.

Steve said the carers’ accommodation will be a long term community project over the next three to four years, similar to the community’s Oncology Unit fundraising at the existing Moruya Hospital a few years ago. While the new hospital will be totally funded by Government, carers’ accommodation is a community-initiated project. It will be for family members who need to be close at hand to someone admitted to hospital.

Out and About

From Merimbula Rotary

Merimbula Rotary recently donated $1,000 to assist in setting up a global grant with a Rotary Club in Denmark to supply emergency mobile medical clinics to help victims in the Ukraine war. This mobile medical clinic has just arrived in the Ukraine and is ready to help treat war casualties.

On ShelterBox and Rotary

ShelterBox partners with Rotary International to ensure more communities in desperate need of shelter after a disaster are supported.  ShelterBox works with disaster-affected communities to provide what emergency shelter and essentials they need to support families in rebuilding their lives after a disaster. It is currently working in Pakistan, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somalia, Syria, Yean, Lake Chad Basin and Burkina Faso.

ShelterBox stores aid items in strategic locations around the world so they can get it to the families who need it as quickly as possible. Each disaster is different, and so is every community. One size does not fit all, so assessments are made to ensure the most appropriate support is provided. Emergency aid comes in the form of ShelterBoxes (sturdy green ShelterBoxes containing sturdy family-sized tents) or ShelterKits (with essential tools including a tarpaulin that people need to start repairing and rebuilding homes). They also contain things like tools, cooking sets, solar lights and activity sets for children. Sometimes blankets, groundsheets and mattresses are provided.

ShelterBox works with trusted local partners and a network of volunteers, including Rotarians, who travel by foot, boat, helicopter or tuk-tuk or whatever it takes to get the aid to the families in need.

THURSDAY 6^th March

4 for 4.15pm – Board Meeting at Narooma Golf Club.

No dinner meeting.

Ange’s Thoughts

Hats off to a brilliant weekend in Merimbula for our Rotary District 9705 Conference and for our eight members who took part. Thrilled that 8 from our Club attended, including new members Ana Koen and Greg Heath. 

The 2023-24 Rotary International Theme is ‘Create Hope for the World’. This theme encapsulated the wonderful achievements in the recent past and Rotary’s goals and aspirations for the new Rotary year. 

The weekend seminars were split between PETS (President Elect training) and Club Learning & Development. Delighted that Lynn Hastings attended all PETS’ sessions which covered leadership, communication, conflict resolution, diversity, equity and inclusion plus building confidence in the role. All our participants shared informative sessions. These included the Rotary Foundation, Australian Rotary Programs e.g. RAWCS, ARH & ROMAC, Youth, Rotary Youth Exchange, the Environment, Public Image & networking, Governance, Membership & Innovation, Youth Protection and Rotary Insurance.

This event is such a great forum for everyone to meet our 2023-24 Elect DG Andrea Grosvenor (Queanbeyan RC) and Area Governor Haseema Tweddle (BerryRC). A wonderful opportunity to mingle with fellow Rotarians, share ideas, refresh and learn lots. District Team leaders were fantastic. 

Some stories were riveting, such as Parkes RC’s YouTube ‘Eugowra Stories – Heartbreak and Hope’ about the 6 Feb 2023 disastrous floods and how Rotarians from all over rallied to assist their locals in their dire need. Viva Rotary!!

Don’t forget the markets this Sunday – Mike has circulated the roster. Many of our members are away, so please help if you can.

THIS THURSDAY – Pride of Workmanship

This is should be a great night. Our Pride of Workmanship Awards give employers and managers, through Rotary, a chance to publicly recognise an employee who goes above and beyond in their work. It encourages pride in personal performance in the workplace with the theme: ‘Do it once, Do it well.’ Pride of Workmanship is not a competition; it’s a recognition of individual achievement and commitment. We have received six nominations.

The cost is $43 p.p. for a two course meal. We’re back to the Seahorse Room 6 for 6.30pm.

The Week that Was

Our Business Breakfast

Our guest speaker at last Thursday’s Business Breakfast Jacqui Van Teulingen of Business Australia made what could have been a dry subject quite fascinating. She produced a telling timeline overlaying the bushfires over a couple of months (effects on supplies, access etc) with the Covid lockdowns, border closures. It’s no wonder so many businesses along the coast are struggling, some having already called it a day. Her talk was more poignant because she had been through it too with her and her husband’s business Grandpa’s Garden in Narooma. It also explained why so many of us have been anxious through this period.

Her message was that local businesses have until the end of June to benefit from free access to professional business consultants through Business Australia.  Jacqui says, “Fires, floods and Covid over the last few years have impacted on everyone. Every business person who feels they could do with some professional advice or support can apply. It may be a free reality check, or digital help, or marketing advice, or peer to peer support, or something else entirely, we’re here to help. Business Australia’s role is to hook people up with professionals who can help, if we can’t do it ourselves.”

Out and About

Volunteers needed for Rotary Easter Saturday Races

All proceeds from Rotary’s Easter Saturday races (8^th April) at Moruya Racecourse will go toward Carers’ Accommodation at the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital.

Our Club has been asked to supply two people to man the buckets to collect coins as people arrive. It would be from 11.30am to 2pm. Any volunteers? Please see President Ange.

From Moruya Rotary

Moruya Rotarians were heavily and enthusiastically involved in the town’s recent Mardi Gras and River Lights which certainly showed Rotary in a good light. Two Rotarians, also Chamber members, did a great job organising the day’s program. Since the event they’ve been looking at how to rationalise their involvement for the next one in two years’ time, such as only have one marquee as the Rotary information centre and perhaps a few select others, and leaving catering to outside caterers. Another thought is to resurrect their wonderful bicycle and again take part in the parade.

ClubRunner Webinars

Some of our members at the District 9705 seminar at Merimbula at the weekend expressed interest in the ClubRunner software used by our District.  Our District is successfully using the District version of ClubRunner bought in 2016 by District 9700. Several clubs in our District are using the Club Version, but not everyone inlcuding us.

Our Club has looked at the possibility in the past and elected to stick with Word Press which is the programme we currently use for our Webpage and Beacon.

ClubRunner has a series of Webinars starting on April 14th until April 23rd. They offer both beginner and advanced level training sessions covering various modules, by role on the club and district versions. Registrations are now open on www.clubrunner.com/training

NEXT THURSDAY 30^th March

6pm:  The Club reconvenes the 2021-2022 AGM to approve the reviewed Financial Statements from 2021-2022 that were not ready for the AGM in December. This should be a short meeting. Members may like to have dinner together in the Bistro afterwards.

Ange’s Thoughts

Wonderful to hear from Françoise Cleret last week with a glimpse into her life so far.  What a great intro Françoise and done with such flair. French parents from Paris and Lyon, her father was a geophysicist, family lived in New Zealand for a while. They moved to Australia when his contract finished in New Zealand and bought a cattle and sheep property at Bombala, having never had a farm before. Françoise spent her high school years at a boarding school in Goulburn.

Francoise thrives on adventure and variety, travel, sport and cooking. She’s done lots of travel with John on their motor bikes through Asia. She also likes to change jobs every five years. Works with the Public Service in Canberra. She says her strength now is ‘pen pushing’, excels in her job leading her team and happy she also gets paid well.

She and John split their week between Canberra and Dalmeny. They’re doing major renovations at Dalmeny including installing a swimming pool. I love she rode her Ducati to help out at our last market. Welcome Françoise!

Then on Tuesday, thanks to all those who came along to meet Lachie Penglase’s family – Mum Julie, father Tony, and twin sister Elly. Lachie is our potential exchange student. Such a lovely family. Also great to have Gordon, Lachie’s co-counsellor with Susanna, meet Lachie and his family in a more informal setting. Thank you Susanna for organising it. Thank you also to Gero for your contribution of a savoury plate, brownies and soft drink (and the suggestion of Rotary Park as a venue). Perfect! To top it off Susanna showed off her brand new Pole Star Electric car… Fabulous!

THIS WEEK

This Thursday (16^th)  is our Business Breakfast at 7am at Narooma Surf Club with guest speaker Jacqui Van Teulingen of Business Australia. Breakfast $10 p.p.

Local businesses have until the end of June to benefit from free access to professional business consultants of the calibre they could possibly not normally afford. Jacqui says, “We’ve been through fires, floods and Covid over the last few years which have impacted on everyone. Every business person who feels they could do with some professional advice or support can apply. It may be a free reality check, or digital help, or marketing advice, or peer to peer support, or something else entirely, we’re here to help. Our role is to hook people up with professionals who can help, if we can’t do it ourselves, but time is running out for that free access.”

This weekend – PETS at Merimbula

Eight (!) of our members are off to Merimbula this weekend for the District 9705 PETS (President Elect Training) and Learning and Development (previously a separate Club Assembly). It should be a real boost for our Club to have so many of us getting up-to-date with Rotary thinking and stimulating our ideas.

The Week that Was

From last week’s meeting

President Ange has said it all about Francoise’s wonderful talk last week. Lynn Hastings did a great job chairing the meeting. She outlined some recent Board decisions including donating $500 to Rotary’s Disaster Relief for New Zealand and $500 to Narooma Public School’s STEM Project. Mike is transferring half the proceeds from the Whale Raffle and all proceeds from the Duck Race to the Carers’ Accommodation account for the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital.

We have four (!) applications for membership which have now been approved by the Board. – Nicole Keith, Annemarie Narraway, Ana Koen and Greg Heath. That should be quite an induction ceremony!

Moruya Rotary celebrates

Moruya Rotarians were very much involved in Moruya’s big community celebrations last Saturday to celebrate their community and people – ‘Moruya Celebrates Yesterday’s Heroes, Mardi Gras and River Lights’. More details coming in their next bulletin, but they certainly had a stall at the big Moruya Celebarates Market.

NEXT THURSDAY (23^rd) – Pride of Workmanship Awards

This top event will be in the Members Lounge (go past the bar and stairs upstairs,  and turn left). The cost is $43 p.p. for a two course meal. Please bring partners. Hope to see you there. Please confirm your numbers with Gero by Monday (20^th) noon at the latest

Some background  – Rotary’s Pride of Workmanship Awards give employers and managers, through Rotary, a chance to publicly recognise an employee who goes above and beyond in their work. It’s intended to cover all aspects of work performance and ethics and aims to encourage pride in personal performance in the workplace with the theme: ‘Do it once, Do it well.’ Pride of Workmanship is not a competition. It is a recognition of individual achievement and commitment.

So far three nominations are in, with another four possibilities. Laurelle hopes for at least six.

Ange’s Thoughts

So thrilled that six of our members will head to Merimbula next week for the District 9705 PETS (President Elect Training) and Learning and Development. It’s a great opportunity for Board member and newcomers to appreciate their respective roles. But more than that, it will also provide us with stimulating ideas and the opportunity to enjoy friendship with our fellow Rotarians.

Our Club participated in Clean Up Australia last week but on Friday rather than the official Sunday to fit in with everyone’s busy schedules. We covered our normal site from Mill Bay to Bar Beach – along Centenary Drive, along the shoreline including the mangroves and along the boardwalk, and near the beach. Our helpers were Françoise, Gero, Laurelle and Ange. Thanks to everyone, and especially to Laurelle for arranging it with the local Clean Up coordinator Maree Cadman who popped in on us at Mill Bay. It was great to finally meet her after working with her with the Clean Ups over many years. 

We have a tradition in our club to invite new members to introduce themselves. I am looking forward to hearing from Françoise Cleret on Thursday who will give us a peek at her life so far. It promises to be different.

This Week                                            

Thursday 9 March: Lynn Hastings will chair this week’s Club Assembly. in our irregular spot ‘This is My Life’, Françoise Cleret will give us a peek at hers and it promises to be different…

The Week that Was

At Friday’s Board Meeting

The Board elected Ange Ulrichsen as President for the rest of the 2022/2023 year to fill the casual vacancy created by Andrew Lawson’s resignation. It also elected Julie Hartley as Vice President to fill the casual vacancy then created by Ange Ulrichsen’ s election as President.

Lynn Hastings will outline more of Friday’s Board decisions at this Thursday’s meeting.

More on the Clean Up

Maree Cadman popped by to collect our rubbish bags to put with others that were being analysed on Sunday for the extent of waste pollution in our waterways. It will be interesting to see the results.

Ange and Laurelle have been taking part in the Clean Ups for many years and have been pleasantly surprised at the reduction in waste in our precinct in that time. This is possibly due to many factors including our silent ‘army’ of ‘picker-uppers’ throughout the year, refundable bottles and cans, and perhaps even the creation of the one-way section of Centenary Drive off the highway.

Out and About

New Regional Hospital News

The next Meeting of the Carers’ Accommodation for the Eurobodalla Regional Accommodation (CAERH) Committee is on Thursday, 16 March 10am at Moruya Golf Club.

Meanwhile, early works are now underway at the site of the new Hospital which will provide more health services than are currently available at both the Moruya and Batemans Bay hospitals combined, designed with the capacity to grow as demand for services changes. The first step before construction commences includes Aboriginal archaeological work which will begin in coming weeks. Construction of a new roundabout on the Princes Highway will also start in coming months, which will provide access to the hospital site during construction and become the main entrance to the hospital when it opens.

From Pambula Rotary

Pambula Rotary has organised an International Women’s Day Brunch at Merimbula RSL Club for this Saturday 10 March. One guest speaker will be Pam Skelton who had raised her family while living in Kiah, Towamba and Eden. Pam has led a team which has supported people recovering from the fires. Another speaker will be Rotarian Clare McMahon who will contribute her wealth of experience as a diplomat and farmer at Kiah to a panel discussion.

NEXT THURSDAY 16 March

Next Thursday is our Business Breakfast at 7am at Narooma Surf Club. Bookings essential with Laurelle by next Monday 13^th (pacey@paceymedia.com.au). Breakfast $10 p.p.

Our guest speaker is Jacqui Van Teulingen of Business Australia. Local businesses have until the end of June to benefit from free access to professional business consultants of the calibre they could possibly not normally afford.

Jacqui says, “We’ve been through fires, floods and Covid over the last few years which have impacted on everyone. Every business person who feels they could do with some professional advice or support can apply. It may be a free reality check, or digital help, or marketing advice, or peer to peer support, or something else entirely, we’re here to help. Our role is to hook people up with professionals who can help, if we can’t do it ourselves, but time is running out for that free access.”

Jacqui is Business Australia’s Strengthening Business Facilitator for the Bega Valley. Jacqui is standing in for Lisa Caine, her equivalent for the Eurobodalla who was unavailable at that time.

Jacqui and her husband own Grandpa’s Garden in Narooma so knows full well the pressures facing businesses in this area.