Julie’s Jots

This is our last Beacon for 2024 so I will take this opportunity of wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful and healthy 2024.  I hope you can spend special time over the next few weeks with family and friends.

Narooma Surf Club proved a great venue for our Christmas party last Thursday and it was such a lovely evening.  Mr Bold Catering did a wondferful job, the food was scrumptious and everyone enjoyed themselves.  Thank yous to Gero for coordinating numbers (never straight forward!), the little extras and coordinating with Mr Bold, to Chris for the quiz (it made us all think!), and to all those who helped with the decorations.

On Friday I had the pleasure of attending Narooma High’s presentation where I presented the Narooma Rotary Citizenship Award to Ella Marshall and the Joy Ings Memorial Art Award to Kane Forbes. (I was also asked to present the History Awards to Aiden Roberts for Year 11/12, Riley Bugden for Year 9/10 and Daniella Lia for year 7/8,) It’s always a pleasure to see students excel at school.

Lynn Hastings also represented our Club at Narooma Public School’s awards day earlier in the week presenting the prestigious Narooma Rotary Awards to the school’s two duxes.

I’m thinking of holding a Board meeting in January. Details TBC.

This Thursday will be a picnic evening at Quota Park on the Inlet, 5.30 for 6.  Please bring a chair, picnic food and drinks (please note The Inlet will be closed). Hope to see you there. It should be a lovely evening.

The Week that Was

Hilma plays in winning team

Susanna Chung reports that our Exchange Student Hilma spent last week on the Gold Coast competing with Narooma High’s Year 10 volleyball team at the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup. The team were the Year 10 Division 2 Champions having been undefeated throughout the week and bringing home gold on Sunday morning in 2 sets 25-20, 25-22. This is the biggest school volleyball tournament in Australia and includes some international teams from New Zealand. What a great experience.

Hilma also had some down-time between games visiting the local beaches, playing beach volleyball and swimming at the hotel pool.

From Moruya and Bay Clubs

Our neighbouring Rotary Clubs also had their Christmas parties last week; Moruya had theirs at the Golf Club and Batemans Bay at the Soldiers’ Club. Moruya also inducted three new members – Shane Gris who was renewing Rotary membership after an absence of years, while Nick Bussa and Kiel Rosevear are third generation Rotarians. Moruya Club also presented their Annual Youth Scholarships to three deserving recipients – two from Peters Anglican College and one from Moruya High. Each will receive a two-year $4,500 financial scholarship provided to reduce the financial burden associated with moving away from home.

THIS THURSDAY

This Thursday will be our picnic evening at Quota Park on the shores of Wagonga Inlet, 5.30 for 6.  Please bring a chair, maybe a small table, ALL FOOD and drinks (PLEASE NOTE The Inlet is closed on Thursdays so if you want Fish n Chips please order from on The Flat).  Hope to see you there.

Out and About

From Pambula Rotary

The Sapphire Aquatic Centre is partnering with Rotary Club of Pambula again this year for their Christmas Giving Tree. They will be collecting donations of gifts and hamper items, which will be distributed by the Rotary Club of Pambula to those in need this Christmas. Donations can be left under the giving tree up until the 16th of December.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Sunday 30 December:  Summer Holiday Market (instead of 22nd December). All hands on deck please if you can; David will send out the link to the market roster. We will also need sellers at the two gates for the Duck Race tickets please.

Saturday 18 January:  Social Evening at Françoise and John’s place

Sunday 26 January: Australia Day Market

Monday 27 January:  Australia Day Holiday – DUCK RACE

Thursday 30 January: Youth Night

Julie’s Jots

Our AGM at last Thursday’s meeting saw all positions filled (see report below). Thank you to everyone who put their hands up for the 2025-2026 Rotary year. Our wonderful Exchange Student Hilma also brought us up to date on her social doings with lovely photos of her and Ellie in their gorgeous dresses at their Year 10 formal, and her latest surfing exploits. Many thanks to Françoise for the photos. 

It’s been wonderful to receive glowing reports about our two Narooma High students we sponsored to the recent Engineering Summer School (ESS) for Yr 11 students. Engineers Australia ESS organiser Caryn Morgan said our students Harmony Cannon and Ziggy Kewetin Smith were “absolute stand outs” and “really added to the week – asking questions that really enhanced the experience for all students”. I’m looking forward to hearing from them early in 2025.

Last Wednesday, the Prostate Cancer Support Group held its final meeting for the year. The PCSG will be back on the first Wednesday in February.  

Just a reminder to those who have not completed their food handler’s on line course and who help out in the van or with the BBQ at the markets. Everyone who has anything to do with the food – buying, storing, cooking or serving – needs to do this free online course.

I’m looking forward to our Christmas party this coming Thursday at the Surf Club. Hope to see you there.

THIS THURSDAY

This Thursday (12^th) is our Christmas Party at the Surf Club with catering by Mr Bold. It will be buffet style. Numbers are now finalised. It’s 6 for 6.30. Please bring whatever you would like to drink. Should be fun.

The Week that Was

Our AGM

Past President (2023-2024) Lynn Hastings tabled her report for her year, as reported in the Changeover Bulletin, as well as the audited Treasurer’s Report.

Our new Board for 2025-2026 will be President Julie Hartley (doing a second year), Vice President 1 David McInnes, Vice President 2 Laurelle Pacey, Secretary David McInnes, Treasurer Lynn Hastings, Director Gordon Bentley, Director Ann Hegerty, Director Ange Ulrichsen, Director Gero Mitchell.

Duck Race Tickets on Sale

We started selling Duck Race tickets at the last Market, and they will be on sale at the December and January Markets. Ange has been out and about selling tickets, and several Rotarians have taken books.  We have 1,000 tickets to sell so we’re off to a great start.

The Duck Race this year will be held on the morning of the Australia Day Holiday Monday; straight after Australia Day (which is our market day). It will be a full on weekend for us!

Old mobile phones help survivors

Cooma Rotarians are urging their community to take a stand against domestic and family violence. They are asking people to drop off their smart phones (4G and 5G) up to 15 December to a number of collection points around Cooma. They are then given to DV Safe Phone who collects, re-purposes and gifts mobile phones to survivors of family and domestic violence through registered charities, safe houses and authorities Cooma RC is also accepting contributions for ‘Go Bags’ which are essential kits for individuals fleeing abuse with nothing.

Cooma Rotary held a drop-off event in Cooma’s Centennial Park last Friday 4-5pm with a cuppa and cake and talks by the Mayor and a representative from NSW Police who shared a few words in support of this important cause.

Some other Rotary Clubs around Australia have done similar collections.
Together, we say NO to family & domestic violence. Together, we say YES to respectful conversations. Together, let’s build a stronger, safer community.

Out and About

Bega’s Summer Book Fair

Bega Rotary’s Book Fair is on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 January at Bega Public School (same as in October). It will only have fiction and children’s books. This event is Bega Rotary’s main fundraiser which allows the Club to support community, youth and vocational programs. They will accept small quantities of quality fiction and children’s books, preferably on Thursday 16 January during set up, as there is no drop off or storage facilities over the holiday period.

The Club is calling for as many helpers, family and friends as possible on Thursday 16th for the set up and late on Saturday for pack up. They are also calling for a good roll up of members or family for some of the time during to help run the Book Fair.

NEXT Thursday 19 December

We’ll have Fish ‘Chips in Quota Park (near Quarterdeck). Order from the Inlet but bring your own everything else please including chairs and maybe a little table.

We haven’t had one of these for a few years but it’s great timing, just a week before the school holidays. Forecast is for good weather (fingers crossed!) so it will be perfect. Just roll up; hope to see you there.

Julie’s Jots

Last Thursday night was a fascinating and entertaining night with guest speaker Bronwyn Jewel. Bronwyn spoke about her nine years spent on Thursday Island as Manager of the Gab Titui Cultural Centre and as Program Manager Culture, Art and Heritage for the Torres Strait Regional Authority.  It was a great insight into a culture many of us knew little about.

Also last Thursday Hilma updated us on her surfing prowess. She is having surfing lessons and is keen to learn; surfing, she noted, is not quite the same as snowboarding!!

This week two Narooma High Year 11 students sponsored by our Club are attending the Engineering Summer School. They are Harmony Cannon and Ziggy Kewetin Smith (please see more details below). I hope we will be able to hear from Harmony and Ziggy at our Youth night on 30 January, or at a February meeting. I know they will benefit hugely from this experience.

Our Board meeting last week decided to include corporate membership for the Club. Ann Hegerty had researched the subject and reported to the Board.

THIS WEEK

Wednesday 4 December 6.30pm: Prostate Cancer Support Group at Narooma Golf Club

Thursday 5 December: Our AGM for 2023-2024 with election of the Board for 2025-2026. The PowerPoint on the importance of having Working With Children accreditation will also be shown to hopefully inform those who missed it before. Dinner from the Bistro.

The Week that Was

An insight into the Torres Strait Islands

Bronwyn Jewel gave Members and friends a wonderful insight into the geography and particularly the arts and culture of the Torres Strait Islands based on her nine years working on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. Her talk centred on the documentary Ailan kastom: the culture of the Torres Strait, a major initiative in 2013 during her time there, featurng the history, geography, music, dance and art of the Torres Strait, as well as language and ceremonies of the Torres Strait people. Some Elders saw it as a valuable way to record some of their culture.

Bronwyn explained the Torres Strait Islands are an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Cape York Peninsula and New Guinea. Only 17 of the islands are inhabited. Not surprisingly then, the islanders are extraordinary navigators with a strong maritime culture. There are a number of languages across the islands with different dialects.

The Islands have experienced waves of migration, notably the Japanese well before WW2. Missionaries arrived in 1871, the ‘Coming of the Light’, and Christianity and their Culture co-existed. Like many areas, the Torres Strait people are working through the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs to repatriate artefacts taken form the Island over the years to various museums.

[There is a Rotary Club in the Torres Strait Islands: the Rotary Club of Thursday Island – Torres Strait.]

More on Engineering Summer School

It is a while since our Club sponsored students to the Engineering Summer School (ESS). Our students Harmony Cannon and Ziggy Kewetin Smith are both in Year 11. Harmony is a long-time member of the RoboRebels and is working hard towards her long term goal of studying engineering at university. Ziggy is currently doing Engineering studies and Chemistry and achieving at an outstanding level.

The five-day ESS is facilitated by Engineers Australia, the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer, Sydney’s five engineering universities and industry leaders. ESS brings together promising students who are about to enter their final year of high school in NSW and ACT and provides them with an introduction to the key engineering universities and an insight into the vast number of disciplines encompassed by engineering. Students enjoy immersive workshops at University of Sydney, University of NSW, UTS, Macquarie and University of Wollongong and see behind the scenes at various engineering establishments. Other highlights include career chats with young engineers and graduates and an Official Awards Dinner.

The ESS is recognised by involved universities. Attendance is acknowledged and can contribute to supporting each student’s ATAR scores when applying for degree courses.

Out and About

From Batemans Bay Rotary

Batemans Bay inducted two new members into their Club last week. Sofia Keady PHF and Adrian Farrant are well known to most Batemans Bay members as they are both great community members. They initiated the Batemans Bay Community Picnic and are hardworking volunteers in many areas.

NEXT WEEK

Next Thursday 12 December

Next Thursday is our Christmas Party at the Surf Club with catering by Mr Bold. It will be buffet style. A few of us will be setting up from a little before 5.30pm. Please note we need to finalise numbers mid this week.

Gero will send an email in the next couple of days with the final cost, funds to be deposited directly into our Administration account. Please reply promptly to simplify arrangements and to avoid disappointment.