Charmaine’s Chat
It’s out with the old this week and in with the new Captain of our jolly ship Narooma Rotary Ange Ulrichsen. Ange has a busy three months ahead what with Mental Health Hat Night next week, and our Polio film night the following week, and that’s just October. Then we have the Renewable Energy Expo on Saturday 2 November…
My thoughts, having completed my three-month stint as President, are that it does show that things can be done differently. Hopefully at the end of Ange’s presidential ‘voyage’ she will also feel buoyed by the support and enthusiasm of our crew of Narooma Rotarians.
A big thank you to all our crew for your support during my term. Some have been away exploring far-flung lands or relaxing and having some R & R, but fortunately all have returned to keep up their community work at the markets and volunteering for various causes. A special mention also of the amazing guest speakers we have had recently and our Friends of Rotary who have helped when we have been short-handed.
THIS WEEK: Mini Changeover
Outgoing President Charmaine hands over to incoming President Ange Ulrichsen at our mini ‘changeover’ this week at a normal dinner meeting where we can just enjoy each other’s company.
The Week that Was
We enjoyed another fascinating guest speaker last week in Keith Mundy from Tilba Nursery who spoke mainly about Australian native plants for the spring garden. In introducing Keith, Lynda Ord summarised Keith’s extensive qualifications and experience; no wonder he is so knowledgeable.
All of us have some kind of garden, some more expansive and more successful than others. No wonder then that many were madly jotting down plants Keith mentioned and handy hints for growing healthy plants. He also mentioned his popular monthly talks at the La Galette café at Tilba Tilba; worth keeping in mind.
Our guests last week included Friends of Rotary Heather Ferguson and Di Lovatt, Dr John and Larry Brown, Gero Mitchell, Annette Kennewell, Sue Munro, Maureen Trees and Lou Matheson.
Last week’s International Toast
John Doyle proposed our International Toast last week to Rotary Oceania (the Rotary Clubs of New Zealand and seven Pacific Island nations). What first prompted him with this Toast was finding out about the Whangarei City Rotary’s association with an ocean-cleaning machine called the Seabin installed at Tutukaka Marina in New Zealand’s Northland earlier this year. The Seabin sucks up plastic litter floating in the water in a quest to clear the oceans of plastic debris. It is a collaboration between Ocean Spirit, Tutukaka Marina Management and Trust Board, the Interact Club at Huanui College and Whangarei City Rotary Club (through a Rotary District Grant).
When investigating that project, John became even more excited by the news that day that Andrew Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation had announced a US$300m commitment to a new industry-focused initiative to end worldwide plastic waste. Perhaps a subject for a future talk…
John has provided the links for anyone who would like to read more about these projects: To the NZ Rotary project is https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=12226250 To the Minderoo project
https://www.minderoo.com.au/ .
Out and About
Bega Rotary invites us to a Silent Auction
Bega Rotary Club has invited us to their ‘Silent auction – Bad Taste Night ‘on Thursday 17 October. The invitation reads: Come in bad taste. Dress up! Don’t be shy! Visit the op shop or just look in the back of the cupboard…..those clothes from the 80’s …..aghhh! Be there or be square! We are looking for more donations so dig deep Chocolates, wine, bad taste vases, artwork Pot plants , pots, vegetables, eggs, preserves Cakes, accommodation, a weekend holiday. Contact Dorothea with your Bright Ideas and Pledges.
From Moruya Rotary – Drug and Alcohol Forum 30 October
Eurobodalla Cares Local Drug Action Team has invited Deakin University representatives to Moruya to run a drug and alcohol forum on Wednesday 30 October at Moruya Golf Club, starting at 1pm. Deakin University has a drug and alcohol education and prevention programme called Communities That Care (CTC) which is running at 12 sites across Australia.
At this forum, Deakin University researcher and lecturer Professor Bosco Rowland will release data from these CTC sites in Australia. CTC has the potential to build capacity in the Eurobodalla to support youth well-being and prevent health and social problems for young people. The benefits of this program flow through to the whole community.
Evidence tells us that many problems facing young people in the Eurobodalla such as alcohol and drug use, mental health struggles and school disengagement, could be effectively prevented using long term community planning. Using the CTC framework, the whole Eurobodalla community would become the drivers of change, not just singular organisations or government departments.
The Eurobodalla Cares Local Drug Action Team hopes to get a CTC project for the Eurobodalla. This would require some significant funding but cost/ benefit studies done by Deakin University show very high returns for money invested in this program. Excerpt from Moruya Rotary Newsletter
NEXT WEEK: LIFT THE LID ON MENTAL ILLNESS
Next Thursday is World Mental Health Day when we ‘lift the lid’ on mental illness by hosting a Hat Day event. Wear your best or most bizarre hat, bring your friends and partners and please encourage them to do likewise. There will be a prize for the most ???
Our guest speaker Ann Kelly from Katungul will speak on mental health and local services.
An extraordinary figure quoted in association with World Mental Health Day is that 1 in 5 Australians suffer a mental illness every year. Any money raised from donations next week will go to Australian Rotary Health towards funding vital mental health research.
On a lighter note, the last word on Hats
Why do spies always wear hats? Because they are undercover.
What did the tie say to the hat? You go on ahead and I’ll hang around.
What do you call a lion wearing a stylish hat? A dandy lion.
Where do frogs leave their hats and coats? In the croakroom.
