Narooma Rotary Beacon 17 September 2020

ROLF’S RAMBLE

Last week we had a face to face Board meeting in the Conference Room at the Golf Club, followed by dinner in the Seahorse Room. We welcomed a guest Andrew Lawson from Wandella. Andrew would like to get involved in our Club activities and get to know us.

From the Board meeting:

 A huge thank you to our Market Manager Chris for her efforts in making our markets on 27 September possible, our first markets since February. These will go ahead as long as there are no confirmed COVID cases in this area. A lot of work has gone into trying to make it as COVID-Safe as possible and, thanks to Chris, the markets are now officially registered with the NSW Government as a Covid-Safe event.

Members will be asked to greet visitors at two entrance gates where hand sanitiser will be available as well as free face Masks for those who don’t have one; the other two gates will be designated ‘exits’.  All Stalls are to have their own hand sanitisers and contact list. We decided not to operate the food van this markets but will sell a selection of cold drinks from the Esky.

 Thank you Lynn for having the books in order. Thank you Ange for organising a guest speaker for Hat Day on 8 October. October is Rotary Mental Health Month. A $5 charge per Hat on the night will go to Australian Rotary Mental Health research.

On the Ringlands Track. We will try to meet up with the Dalmeny-Narooma Bushwalkers for a bit of a tidy up. No date set yet. Also we need to print a new version of the pamphlet.

A flashbackNarooma Rotarians during a Ringlands Walking Track working bee with members of Dalmeny-Narooma Bushwalkers and local residents October 2012

The 2021 Busking Narooma Championship going ahead depends on two things: being able to form an organising committee with the assistance of people from outside the Club and of course on whatever the Covid situation will be in May.

Unfortunately the Christmas Race Day, our combined fundraiser with Moruya and Batemans Bay clubs had to be cancelled because of Covid concerns.

Bob has been busy talking to High School students by Zoom regarding our Rotary Tertiary Scholarship. Application forms have been distributed. Applications close 13 November with interviews on 19 December. Thank you Bob.

Tony Butcher will be inducted as a new member sometimes in November at a Club meeting at the Golfie when we can properly welcome Tony and his wife Lisa to the Club. Tony as well as Andrew Lawson will help out at our September market.

THIS WEEK – 6pm: We Zoom

Everyone should have by now received an email re this week’s Zoom meeting. Our Club Youth Protection Officer Lynda will be our special speaker with a special training presentation about child protection.  Andrew Lawson will also join us in our Zoom meeting.

OUT AND ABOUT

Our Hat Day

Our Club will help Australian Rotary Health Lift the Lid on Mental Illness by having a Hat event at the Golf Club on Thursday 8 October.  Ange has organised for local psychologist Nadine Hills to talk with us about the effect of fires and Covid on the mental health of our community.

The Lift the Lid campaign is a National mental health fundraising and awareness initiative that aims to raise funds for mental health research and ultimately improve the lives of all Australians. Almost one in five Australians experiences a mental illness every year, and about 45% of the population will experience a mental illness at some stage in their lives.

Australian Rotary Health CEO Joy Gillett OAM said she hopes the campaign will encourage not only Rotarians, but the wider public to support mental health research.

“Everyone knows someone who has been affected by mental illness in some point during their lives, so if anything, please consider that you will be helping them and many others if you decide to make a donation,” Ms Gillett said. “Our research has already focussed on areas such as anxiety and depression, substance abuse and self-harm and suicide. But there is so much more we can do with your help.”

If you would like to make a donation directly, visit www.australianrotaryhealth.org.au or www.hatday.com.au

From Batemans Bay Rotary

The Bay Club nominated Anthony Bellette from Malua Bay Surf Lifesaving Club for the Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards. This Rotary project recognises both volunteers and paid members of our emergency services for their outstanding contribution to their community. Emergency Services Agencies involved in this project include Fire and Rescue NSW, Marine Rescue NSW, Surf Life Saving NSW, NSW Ambulance, NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW State Emergency Service and NSW Volunteer Rescue Association.

Anthony has since been selected as a finalist in the Surf Life Saving division and will attend the Awards Dinner in Sydney on 30 October. At this dinner, one winner in each emergency service will be announced. Then from the seven winners, two overall winners will be selected (one paid and one volunteer).

The Bay is also sponsoring the U13s Batemans Bay Football team ‘The Strikers’ for the year.

Clubs combine for Bega Evacuation Centre

Rotary Clubs Bega and south are helping to improve facilities at Bega Showground, the primary emergency evacuation centre for Bega and surrounds.  They are driving a project to replace the inadequate and outdated stand-alone amenities block with a larger capacity, modern, easy to clean facility with better disabled access and laundry facilities which do not currently exist.

Merimbula Rotarian Shane Osta is the project manager for the work that is expected to cost about $260,000. He said the current facilities are thought to have been built in the 1970s and have both structural and plumbing issues.

The Rotary clubs plan to start work in February 2021 and expect to complete the project in June. The contractors are booked, they just need the money. The Rotary clubs have put in $9,000, council has agreed to do all inspections at no cost, and the showground land manager has put in for a grant but the rest will rely on donations.

Any additional funds donated will go towards improvement of emergency evacuation facilities at Eden.

NEXT WEEK: Dinner meeting at Narooma Golf Club 6 for 6.30pm.