Lynn’s Lines

It was great to hear from our MUNA students at last Thursdays meeting. Sounds like it was quite an adventure for them all! Great to hear from their perspective the effect it had on them. Please see report below.

We also had our first of the new alternate drop catered meals at the Golf Club. I think everyone was very happy with the food. Unfortunately we created some major concerns for the Club’s caterer including numbers, special food requirements and last minute changes being made! SO Please take note of these new rules and abide by them. This is our last chance; otherwise all meals will be via the Bistro with no table service.

1. None of us is to ever use the in/out doors to the kitchen area. This is a major Public Health & Safety issue.

2. Only one designated person is to contact the kitchen if there are any issues. That will be John Rungen unless he is not there and then I will designate someone.

3. On speaker nights only, Andrew has agreed to continue to do alternate drops but he will only cater for those who have booked in with John Rungen by noon on Tuesday. John must also be informed of any special dietary needs at that time.  If you are not on John’s list (including your guests,) you will be required to order your meal from the Bistro and pay at Bistro prices. You will be given a buzzer to pick up the meal from the Bistro when it is ready.

4. For Club Assembly nights, each individual will order and pay through the Bistro.

Thanks everyone who turned up on Saturday to learn from John about how to mark up for the Market. We had a good turn out; so good to know we have some backups.

The weather was great on Sunday and the market was its usual success. The takings were Gate $925, Van $529, Wishing Well $84.45 and Whale Raffle $217.90. The September market will go back to the normal time.

We now have a three week gap between Club meetings due to the way the dates fall. I would like whoever is available to get together on Thursday 7^th September 6 for 6.30pm at Club Narooma for a change of venue. Please let John know if you will be going so we can gauge interest. (We’re not booked into the Golf club until the 14th which will be a speaker night rather than Club Assembly due to a rearrangement of speakers.)

THIS WEEK

THIS THURSDAY – No meeting being the fifth Thursday in the month THIS FRIDAY 1 September: 5.15pm Board Meeting

The Week that Was

Last Week’s wonderful MUNA Meeting

It was so inspiring and uplifting hearing from Sandy Loudoun and Coby van Teulingen last week about their experiences debating United Nations style resolutions at the recent Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) in Canberra. They debated each resolution from Jordan’s point of view, the country they were allocated, and that was challenging. The third member of their team, Ella Marshall unfortunately couldn’t make it last Thursday.

Seventeen teams took part in this year’s MUNA from Sydney, Canberra and the south east schools including four from Eurobodalla Shire. For many schools it had been quite a competitive process just to be there. Sandy said it was pretty intense; everyone took the debates very seriously. They were encouraged to get together with other countries to form a Middle Eastern bloc to put a consensus view for some resolutions which required some compromising.

The experience opened their eyes to what is going on in the world, the politics involved and what the United Nations has to deal with, and they learnt a lot about speaking in public and presenting.  Sandy described the experience as “amazing”, “really fun”, “cool”, while Coby added they now have friends “from all over”. Meeting other students was a highlight.

Hearing the two students talk so enthusiastically, what also came across was the respect they had for each other and for their teacher Monique Wicks who made it all possible. Monique said the three girls did an incredible job. “Between them they had great skill sets and were able to work together to produce a great result.”

A highlight for Coby was meeting Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner Human Rights Commissioner Ms Lorraine Finlay; that has influenced her considerations for possible future career directions.

The evening highlighted the fantastic value students get from such experiences enabled by Rotary and our Club. Full credit to Ange for her initiatives in encouraging Narooma High to access these opportunities.

Our International Toast last week was appropriately to one of the 12 clubs in Jordan the Rotary Club of Amman Cosmopolitan in the capital Amman.

DGN speaks to Moruya and Bay Rotary

Both Bateman Bay and Moruya Rotary Clubs had District Governor Nominee Rob Shore as their guest speaker last week. Rob has been a member of Bay Rotary since Changeover and was previously President of RC of Parkes. He now chairs our District’s Membership and Innovation Committee. As DGN, he will serve as District Governor in the 2025-2026 year. Moruya President Derek Anderson said Rob’s talk on Prisoners of War had them “spellbound”.

NEXT WEEK

Wednesday 6 December 6.30pm: Prostate Cancer Support Group meets at Narooma Golf Club.

Thursday 7 September 6 for 6.30: No meeting is scheduled for the Golf Club  being the first Thursday in the month, but President Lynn would like whoever is available to get together on Thursday 7^th September 6 for 6.30pm at Club Narooma for a change of venue. Please let John know if you will be going so we can gauge interest.

Lynn’s Lines

Last week’s meeting featured Laurelle Pacey’s great talk on why All Saints Church at Bodalla is now listed as being of State Significance. Laurelle did the nomination on behalf of the local Parish; Heritage NSW determined it met four criteria for State Heritage listing.

She shared many details about its history which were unknown to me and most others at the meeting which made it even more interesting. Now I want to drop into All Saints and have a closer look. Thank you Laurelle

John Rungen and I recently met with Golf Club Chef Andrew and Events Manager Belinda to discuss our dinner arrangements. Due to the rising cost of food and staff wages, it is no longer viable for them to continue with our current arrangments. Andrew has given us two options. 

For our Club assembly, usually 10-12 members, choose a meal from the Board in the brasserie and pay as we go.

For a dinner meeting with speakers, we will be served a meal on alternate drops plus any request for vegetarians (if notified at time of booking). Cost is $25. This starts this Thursday 27th August. It is imperative we get the numbers absolutely correct. This will be discussed further at the September Board Meeting. Please advise if you are attending as numbers are required by Tuesday afternoon.

This Sunday is the August market, so all hands on deck please. This will be the last one at the later time; we resume normal times for the September market.

Meanwhile we have a special night on Thursday when we hear from Narooma High’s MUNA students. I am really looking forward to it.

THIS WEEK

DINNER MEETING 6 for 6.30pm: We welcome Narooma High students Coby van Teulingen, Sandy Loudoun and Ella Marshall who, thanks to their teacher Monique Wicks and our Club’s sponsorship, participated in the Model United National Assembly (MUNA) in Canberra over the weekend 11-13 August. Please invite partners and friends. It is really important you tell John Rungen by noon on Tuesday if you are coming and if you are bringing guests. John has to let the Golf Club know numbers Tuesday afternoon.

The Week that Was

Legacy Mural completed

The stunning colourful mural on the toilet block at Ken Rose Park to commemorate 100 years of Legacy has now been completed. It is being greatly admired by many passers-by. Artist Sam Wortelhock of Breakaway Art painted the poppy fields of Flanders with one lone soldier.  Our Club was one of many local organisations and individuals who donated towards the cost.

Out and About

Social Media and Marketing Workshop

Batemans Bay Heritage Museum is running a Social Media and Marketing Workshop on Tuesday 26 September. Two representatives from Batemans Bay Rotary are attending. Any Narooma Rotarians interested and able to go.

 District’s Regionalisation update

All members should have received an update on the progress of the Regionalisation Pilot. We’re encouraged to discuss this at Club level. There are two key changes where we can have an active voice.

First, Governance across the zone will be overseen by a Regional Council elected by clubs. Members can stand for elections. Club Presidents will vote on behalf of their club to elect Regional Council positions in October this year.

The other major step is Club Presidents and Secretaries will soon receive information to start club conversations about how we would like to be grouped with other clubs. There’s a series of webinars end of August/early September.

Alan Russell at Batemans Bay Rotary has volunteered to keep his Club up to speed with the Regionalisation pilot. Do we need someone similar?

District Conference in Queanbeyan

The District 9705 Conference will be held 20-22 October in Queanbeyan. More details to be released in the coming weeks.

NEXT THURSDAY

No Meeting because it is the fifth Thursday in the month.

Lynn’s Lines

We held a productive Club Assembly last Thursday with some projects now gaining traction.

Chris O’Brien gave a moving International Toast noting the devastation of the former picturesque township of Lahaina on the Island of Maui, now totally destroyed by wildfires and the loss of so many people. She honeymooned there. There are, or rather were, three Rotary Clubs just in Lahaina and a total of nine on Maui.

Our three Narooma High students were at the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) in Canberra over the weekend. A huge thank you to Ange for going to support the students on the Club’s behalf (see report below). We all greatly appreciate your efforts. I’m looking forward to hearing from them on the 24^th August. Please bring friends and partners; it’s always an inspiring evening.

Mike and Sharlee Young are heading off for Broome this week, after having first dropped all the treasurer’s files for the last few years at my place ready for filing in the ‘designated’ Treasurer’s filing cabinet. Safe travels. You will be missed and we look forward to welcoming you back in a few months. Raichel McInnes is recovering well from her op and we’re looking forward to seeing her soon.

Tonight’s should be an interesting talk by Laurelle about such a prominent landmark in our area. Again, please invite partners and friends and let John Rungen know numbers by noon Tuesday. See you then.

THIS WEEK

Dinner meeting 6 for 6.30pm. Guest speaker Laurelle Pacey will explain why All Saints Anglican Church at Bodalla has been gazetted for State Heritage listing and what that means. Please invite partners and friends.

The Week that Was

Report from our students at MUNA

Ange Ulrichsen went to Canberra to watch our Narooma High students in action at MUNA in the Museum of Democracy in Old Parliament House. The team of Coby van Teulingen, Sandy Loudoun and Ella Marshall, accompanied by their teacher Monique Wicks represented Jordan. Normally MUNA is held in the House of Representatives, but because of renovations, it was in the Senate this year.

“Our Narooma High team and all four Eurobodalla teams at MUNA did us all proud,” Ange said. “I was particularly impressed with the Iran team from The Kings School and Carroll College’s South Africa team.”

From Batemans Bay Rotary

Batemans Bay Rotary sponsored a St Peter’s Anglican College team to MUNA  –  Sunni West, Anna Woolnough and Chaska Waterson. They represented Japan and dressed the part. The Rotary Bay bulletin reports the team enjoyed a visit to the Japanese Embassy and were enlightened on which way to vote by Embassy staff.

Out and About

From Moruya Rotary

Moruya Club is getting quite a reputation for catering. Last week they put on a Big Breakfast for all Council staff which went down a treat – “The food was hot, delicious and efficient”. Now they’re getting organised to prepare and serve afternoon tea for all the Meals on Wheels volunteers on 6 September in Moruya Jockey Club’s Members’ area.

Moruya Rotary has pledged $2,000 towards the solar panel and back-up batteries project at Buakonaki Primary School on Rabi Island in Fiji. As reported in previous Beacons, this system will replace an inefficient power generator and enable the staff to provide better educational outcomes for students with the money saved by not having to maintain and buy fuel for the generator.

Moruya has now set the date for our Cinders Trivia Challenge which they are hosting this year – Tuesday 26 September at Moruya Golf Club. Please put it in your diary! Please invite your friends, particularly those who excel with trivia!

From Bega Rotary

A special award was made at Bega’s monthly Breakfast meeting last week.  One was to a great friend of Narooma Rotary Bega Treasurer Charlie Blomfield who was presented with a Paul Harris award and Pin for his contribution to the Rotary Foundation. The Bega Bulletin this week reports, “You are a real legend Charlie! Charlie has been the Treasurer almost forever and is one of the life forces of Bega Rotary.”

NEXT THURSDAY 24th

DINNER MEETING 6 FOR 6.30PM: Coby van Teulingen, Sandy Loudoun and Ella Marshall who, thanks to their teacher Monique Weeks and our Club’s sponsorship, participated in the Model United National Assembly (MUNA) in Canberra over the weekend 11-13 August. Please invite partners and friends.

Lynn’s Lines

First some housekeeping.

John Rungen will do the market roster until the end of the year while Mike Young is in Western Australia. Mike and John do the marking out each month on the Saturday before the markets so John will need some help in Mike’s absence. So could everyone who can make it come long on Saturday 26 August at 9am to learn how to mark out to Chris’ plan for that market.

From last Friday’s Board meeting:

• ‘pledged’ a $500 donation towards the District’s project for solar installation at the Buakonikai Primary School on Rabi Island in Fiji. The school has six teachers and 127 students. Our donation depends on District being able to get sufficient pledges from Clubs to raise the $50,000 still needed. (We contributed to similar school projects in Fiji last year.)
• Sadly Andrew Lawson has decided not to return to the Club after his six month break but may consider returning at a later time. The Board accepted his resignation with regret.
• Need to have ‘backups’ for various tasks when people are away and for succession planning.

Look forward to seeing you this Thursday night.

THIS WEEK

Club Assembly 6 for 6.30pm at the Golf Club. See you then.

Out and About

MUNA this weekend

The Narooma High team for the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA), sponsored by our Club, heads to Canberra this weekend. Our three students, guided by teacher Monique Wicks, will represent Jordan.

Moruya Rotary is sponsoring two teams from Carroll College who will represent South Africa and Germany, while Batemans Bay Rotary is sponsoring a team from St Peters College at Broulee.

The schools will debate six resolutions from their allocated country’s point of view; the competition is really keen with some top schools in Sydney and Canberra also participating. The resolutions are:

• Resolution C. The situation in the South China Sea
• Resolution D. Strengthening the role of the UN in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections
• Resolution E. Preventing and combatting crimes that affect the environment
• Resolution F. State of global food security
• Resolution I: A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
• Resolution J: The Situation in Myanmar

Ange Ulrichsen who is promoting our youth programmes urges anyone who can to drop into Old Parliament House to watch our students. She says it is always inspiring and the team is always a great credit to Narooma High and to Monique.

ROMAC update

In June, Narooma Rotary contributed $1,000 to Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC). This humanitarian project has provided life giving and/or dignity restoring surgery to over 500 children from more than 20 countries, with medical treatment not available to them in their own countries. It is assisted by many eminent Australian and New Zealand surgeons who generously donate their time for the treatment of patients. Recently ROMAC circulated a report. Here are a few highlights.      

ROMAC is very much up and going again after the interruptions caused by COVID. Over 70 children are under consideration on ROMAC’s waiting list. Five children are currently being treated in Australia and New Zealand but ROMAC would like to be doing more and making a bigger dent in their waiting list but there are two significant restrictions.
1. The public paediatric hospital systems in some parts of Australia and New Zealand are still recovering from the pandemic and have long waiting lists and staff shortages. ROMAC’s placement options are limited and it is having to consider the private sector and overseas options, but these are not easy to find.

2. The number of ROMAC volunteers. They have a great team but desperately need more people to treat more patients. ROMAC needs more people with IT and medical backgrounds as well organisation, marketing and management skills. There are opportunities to help at the national level and on every Regional Committee. In return you would get the enjoyment of making a huge impact on the lives of these ROMAC children and their families.
Contact ROMAC Chair Ian D’Arcy Walsh (via communications@romac.org.au) if you would like to become involved.

NEXT WEEK Thursday 17th

Dinner meeting 6 for 6.30pm at Narooma Golf Club. Guest speaker Laurelle Pacey will explain why All Saints Anglican Church at Bodalla has been gazetted for State Heritage listing and what that means. Please invite partners and friends.