THIS WEEK

Thursday 16^th 7am: Our Business Networking Breakfast – Narooma Surf Club

Guest speaker is Georgie Staley, a founding member of Narooma Mountain Bike Club. The Club has opened 85km of trails in Bodalla State Forest, thanks to a $4.3m grant from the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund and the hard work of volunteers. The Narooma initiative plus the growing network of tracks along the coast promises year-round tourism. Georgie will talk about how local businesses can best capitalise on the anticipated influx of bikers and so boost their businesses. Bookings are essential with Laurelle by Monday 5pm.  Breakfast costs $10.

Thursday 16^th 6pm: Volunteer Briefing for Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride by Françoise Cleret on Sunday 6pm Narooma Golf Club. Many volunteers needed, both for directing the route and at NATA Oval.

Sunday 19th: DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN’S RIDE

Our first ever Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) for Prostate Cancer and Men’s Mental Health this Sunday (19 May) is attracting a good number of riders, particularly of classic or vintage styled motorbikes. Organiser Françoise says the response has exceeded her expectations, 25 riders and over $5,700 st the beginning of the week; she hopes to crack 30.

Our ride is one of hundreds held on this day around the world celebrating these bikes and the ‘gentlefolk’ who ride them, at the same time raising awareness and funds for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health.“ So while the cause couldn’t be more serious, the wonderful way the ride raises funds and awareness is having fun in style,” she said.

All riders must register online before 19th to take part and ‘dress dapper’. www.gentlemansride.com/rides/australia/narooma Bikes to assemble on NATA Oval (behind the Visitors’ Centre) by 10.30am. The 21km ride departs 11am and returns at noon, with a display of bikes until 2pm.

Everyone is also invited to Rotary’s Mini Expo Market on NATA Oval from noon to 2pm promoting community organisations and local interest groups, as well as checking out the bikes. The Rotary van will serve breakfast to purchase from 10am and then lunch, Southbound Escapes coffee (Visitors’ Centre), and Big Niles beverages from noon.

Should you wish to donate to the DGR, please go to www.gentlemansride.com/rides/australia/narooma and support one or more registered riders. 

For Narooma DGR inquiries, please phone Françoise Cleret 0402 967 494.For DGR Expo inquiries, please phone David McInnes 0419 863 303.

The Week that Was

Last Week’s Club Assembly

1. Members were brought up to date with the new food van – the nett cost of the new food van after the Bendigo Bank grant and the income from the sale of the new van is $726.50. There are still some small items to be purchased, including more signage.
2. Susanna filled us in on both Lachie in Japan and our  inbound Finnish exchange student Hilma who arrives in July
3. Françoise updated members on the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride
4. We met two representatives of the Porterhouse Group, the new caterer at the Golf Club.

Neighbouring Rotary clubs help with DGR publicity

We’ve had a great response from our neighbouring Rotary Clubs to our latest DGR poster and a request for some publicity. Batemans Bay published the whole poster in its newsletter, Moruya mentioned it in this week’s newsletter with flyers being put on each table at this Tuesday’s meeting, while Bega will “share it around and put it on Tathra’s Facebook etc”.

Out and About

Rob Shore is our Area Leader

Under the Regionalisation Pilot, DGN Robert Shore of Batemans Bay Rotary will be the Rotary Community Leader (RCL) for our region, Community Group 7 Coast and Highlands, from 1 July. Under the Regionalisation Pilot, RCLs will work with clubs in their groups to develop forward plans, encourage collaboration and try new things. The RCLs start training in coming weeks and take up their positions from 1 July.

Rotary recognises President Macron

Rotary International recently presented its Polio Eradication Champion Award to French President Emmanuel Macron, in recognition of France’s significant role in the global effort to eradicate polio. This was a feature of the Rotary Day event at UNESCO. France’s total commitment to polio eradication since 2022 is up to US$103.4m. France has also been a strong advocate within the G-20 and G-7, urging other nations to continue their support for a polio-free world.                (Courtesy Batemans Bay newsletter)

NEXT WEEK

Thursday  23 May: A Dinner meeting with guest speakers Chair D9705 RAWCS Brian Goldstraw and Chair 9705 ROMAC Sandra Goldstraw Brian. This should be a really interesting night so please invite partners and friends. 6 for 6.30pm. RAWCS = Rotary Australia World Community Service; ROMAC = Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children

Sunday 26 May: Rotary Market – starts one hour later

The Week that Was

Our Club co-hosted with ONE New Level 4 Eurobodalla Regional Hospital Advocates a well-attended Q & A panel discussion on the new hospital by five key people at Narooma Golf Club last Tuesday.  Over 120 people were present.

The panel consisted of Member for Bega Dr Michael Holland, Southern NSW Health Director Intensive Care Services Dr Stuart Stapleton, Southern NSW Health District General Manager Brad Scotcher and Corporate Services and Projects General Manager Sarah Galton, and Eurobodalla Mayor Matt Hatcher. COORDINARE’s Terry Hill was MC. Questions were requested two weeks before.

The Eurobodalla Regional Hospital will be a Level 4 health facility including an emergency department, an eight-bed Intensive Care/Close Observation Unit, local Radiotherapy Services, increased capacity for chemotherapy, access to renal dialysis and maternity, and a higher level of palliative care services (both hospital dedicated beds and community palliative care). There will be room on site for future expansion of services.  

Dr Stapleton stressed the importance of having Level 4 Emergency Services in the new hospital; that will save lives by having greater capacity here to deal with emergencies removing the need to transport to higher level services outside the Eurobodalla. He and Dr Holland explained we cannot have a Level 4 hospital if an emergency unit is kept at Batemans Bay Hospital. It was acknowledged that the Moruya Bypass is an important future development to reduce travel times from the shire’s north, but the funds to construct it are not yet available.

Re staffing: Staff education and trainingup to Level 4 standards is already underway with existing staff, including GP specialists in anaesthetics, maternity, paediatrics and mental health. Southern Health is also recruiting staff with intensive care backgrounds and looking overseas for more nurses and midwives. Dr Holland mentioned NSW Government funded scholarships in nursing and allied health fields.

The challenge of accommodating staff for the new hospital was raised. Some accommodation for on-call staff will be provided at the new hospital. Matt Hatcher said social and affordable housing was a council priority, including making land available for development. Council hopes to get NSW Government funding to assist.

It was also good to see eight members of the Carers Accommodation Eurobodalla Regional Hospital (CAERH) project at the meeting as well as Rohan and Pauline Gleeson from Moruya Rotary. Col Jaye spoke about CAERH, community fundraising to build it including via the EV car raffle, and sold some tickets. Our Club still has tickets to sell – please see Julie and David.

Our Club received accolades for co-hosting from ONE’s Fitzroy Boulting, who especially mentioned President Lynn, VP David, Chris O’Brien and Ange Ulrichsen.

THIS WEEK

Monday 6 May: Board Meeting 4.30pm Narooma Golf Club

Thursday 9 May:    Club Assembly – 6 for 6.30 at Narooma Golf Club

Out and About

News from Lachie in Japan

Our Youth Exchange student Lachie Penglase continues to ‘live it large’ with numerous visits in and around Japan, including Maibara, and visiting numerous towns resplendent in cherry blossoms. Lachie finishes with his first host family and will move to his second host family shortly. Lachie is doing a few new subjects at school in Japan, including Japanese History and Art.

When Lachie visits various Rotary clubs he presents our Club banner to them. Lachie will present them to our Club on his return in January 2025.

Lachie regularly visits and reports to his hosting Rotary Club, Ogaki Rotary, and once every month to a district meeting in Gifu City. This month Lachie will go on a Rotary trip to Osaka, Himeji and Hiroshima. Susanna Chung

From Bega Rotary

Bega Rotary is looking at a possible role during 2024/25 in highlighting Domestic and Family Violence in the Bega Valley. One Bega Rotarian is liaising with local organisations.

Bega Rotary is running the RYDA programme (Rotary Youth Driver Awareness) next week (14-16 May) for Year 11 students from across the Bega Valley Shire at the Frog’s Hollow Go Cart Track south of Bega.

NEXT THURSDAY

Thursday 16 May: Rotary Business Networking Breakfast 7am at Narooma Surf Club Guest speaker is Georgie Staley, founding member of Narooma Mountain Bike Club and passionate mountain track bike enthusiast. The Club has already opened 85km of trails in Bodalla State Forest, thanks to a $4.3m grant from the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund and the hard work of volunteers. The network of mountain bike trails being established along the coast promises year-long tourism. Georgie will talk about their journey, and how local businesses can best capitalise on the anticipated influx of bikers and so boost their businesses. Bookings essential with Laurelle.  Breakfast costs $10

Support Narooma’s men’s health fundraiser ride

Our Club is organising Narooma’s first ever Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR), a global fundraiser for Prostate Cancer Research and Men’s Mental Health on Sunday 19 May. All Rotarians are urged to please assist including staffing the food van, marshalls, whatever. This will be organised at this Thursday’s Club Assembly (9 May).

Anyone on the far south coast with a motorbike, particularly classic or vintage styled, is invited to ‘dress dapper’ and join others on a leisurely ride from NATA Oval (behind the Visitors Centre) to Dalmeny and back. The DGR is an annual international charity event celebrating these bikes and the ‘gentlefolk’ that ride them.

As of Monday, we had 19 bikes registered and have raised over $5,000 for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health via Movember. Three riders have raised over $3,000 between them. If you wont be riding, please consider sponsoring some of our riders.

Assembly by 10.30am on NATA Oval. The 21km ride leaves at 11am, returning to NATA Oval. David McInnes is also organising a market on NATA Oval from 12 to 2pm for various community organisations and sporting groups to promote their groups. Contact details below. Our van will serve breakfast and lunch. Drinks will be available.

Narooma organiser Françoise Cleret says riders all over the world unite on this day to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health. Research shows one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their life; in Eurobodalla Shire it is apparently more like two in three.  Globally, one man is lost every minute to suicide.

“While the cause couldn’t be more serious, the way the ride raises funds and creates awareness is by having fun in style,” she said.

All riders must register online for Narooma’ ride at www.gentlemansride.com/rides/australia/narooma before the day. Riders are encouraged to dress suitably dapper.

Should you wish to donate, please go online www.www.gentlemansride.com/rides/australia/narooma and support one or more registered riders. 

For Narooma DGR inquiries, please phone Françoise Cleret 0402 967 494. For DGR Community Market inquiries, please phone David McInnes 0419 863 303.