Bob’s Blog
Hello everyone
This week’s Rotary Weekly has a great article about a new advertising campaign ‘People of Action’ to promote Rotary’s work.
According to the article, many people have heard of Rotary but few actually understand what Rotary clubs do. In fact, 35% of the public is unfamiliar with any Rotary program including those of their local club. Click here to check out the article and the associated material. We will discuss how we can use this material at our next Board meeting.
It has been a confronting week with another terrorist attack in Europe. Our thoughts and prayers are with all victims and their families. Fortunately Rotary as a world-wide organisation continues to work locally and internationally to promote peace and understanding. I’m sure the world would be a better place if more people understood Rotary’s work and commitment to ‘Service Above Self’.
Another example of the good work of Rotary was last weekend’s Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) in Canberra. MUNA helps our young people gain a better understanding of the world, the problems we face, and how to work together to solve them. A full report on the weekend is in this Beacon. Thank you to Sandra and Lynda for giving up their weekend to support our team from Narooma High.
Have a great week everyone. Regards
Bob
The Week that Was
Last week we welcomed Angie back from her recent European jaunt (the Norwegian fjords was a highlight) as well as Iris (fresh from Germany), and it was good to have Julie with us again.
Recent sad events in Charlottesville in the United States prompted President Bob to toast the Rotary Club of Charlottesville, the first of our now rostered international toasts. It is one of three Rotary Clubs in that city and meets every two weeks.
Our guest speaker Tim Burke spoke about Healthy Art.
Tim is well known for his music program on community radio 2EARFM each Tuesday night, his photography, and in recent years for staging various live shows at the Kinema and Golf Club. Before all this Tim was a master cabinet maker working with some of Sydney’s top builders. Then he decided he’d had enough of Sydney and commuting from Narooma and wanted to stay put here.
Tim said he hadn’t prepared a talk but did have a slideshow. ‘My whole life is one big ad lib… Because of an injury I had to reinvent myself and by default ended up in the arts.’ His planned career in photography couldn’t happen, so his wife Fiona established Slightly Twisted Productions and he ‘ended up in this crazy world of music and the arts’. Now 30 shows later….
He spoke about using technology as ‘an incredible tool’ for the arts, particularly smartphones. He does all the film clips for his shows himself, 90% of the graphics are done on his phone and similarly with music. ‘Before I would have had to cart around big expensive gear.’
He feels the Arts is ‘a powerful tool’ but must be inclusive; ‘it’s important people feel part of the Arts’. He has been on the committee of the River of Arts. ‘I could see the benefit being involved in the arts was giving me…’
Tim did the sound and lighting for our Busking presentation at the Golf Club. He feels the Busking Festival is ‘so fantastic’, ‘people came from everywhere’, and is a real celebration of ‘Healthy Art’ and so inclusive. He said already the Festival is an important part of our community and urged Rotary to ‘protect it’.
Our MUNA team
‘an amazing time’. Over 70 students from 26 schools across the eastern states attended MUNA this year, including students from all five secondary schools in Eurobodalla Shire.
MUNA is an annual Rotary youth programme which provides students with the extraordinary experience of contributing to a United Nations General Assembly style debate in Old Parliament House, the aim being to increase international understanding and goodwill. This is the fourth year Narooma has fielded a team, thanks to the support and dedication of teacher Lachlan Reilly and our Rotarians Sandra Doyle and Lynda Ord. Each school team at MUNA represents a different nation and debates contemporary global issues from that country’s point of view. Narooma represented France.
Year 11 students Cyann Vlatovic, Campbell Allison and Isaak Anderson put in a lot of work with their teacher, Sandra and Lynda over many lunchtimes before the weekend, to gainan understanding of France’s history, politics, economics and particular stance on world affairs.
‘We think we’re in safe hands with such knowledgeable, wise and thoughtful young leaders coming through,’ Sandra said. ‘Their thoughts on many provocative resolutions were well researched with many quite lateral ideas on solving issues.’
Sandra and Lynda said it was a fabulous weekend and a special thankyou goes to the organiser Garth Britton and his team from the Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise for a very successful 21st MUNA.
A reminder that Thursday next week is a ‘thankyou’ night for sponsors of the Busking Festival. More details tonight.