We ‘lifted the lid’ on Mental Health
We had a very enjoyable ‘Hat Night’ at the Golfie last Thursday to acknowledge Australian Rotary Health’s ‘Lift the Lid’ on mental illness. While we were few in number, it was relaxed and good fun. Many thanks to Chris O’Brien for a thought-provoking quiz on hats, after a fascinating history of hats (thank heavens the quiz wasn’t a comprehension test!).
Mike Young though stole the show with his Tutankhamun headdress, direct from Vinnies rather than the Cairo Museum. Runners up were Joan Morgan and Laurelle Pacey. Many thanks to our judge Denise Rungen. We also took great pleasure in reintroducing ‘Happy Moments’ with everyone contributing. Julie Hartley’s International Toast was to the Rotary Club of Mammoth Lakes in California. That’s where Julie and Peter’s daughter lives.
At the start of the evening, Laurelle Pacey gave a brief overview of Australia Rotary Health, one of the largest independent funders of mental health research within Australia. Australian Rotary Health is a project of the Rotary Districts of Australia supported by Rotary Clubs. It provides funding for areas of health that do not readily attract funding and promotes findings to the community. These include Mental Health Research, general health research, scholarships for rural medical and nursing students as well as for Indigenous health students. Proceeds raised on the night will support Australian Rotary Health’s mental health research.
Andrew’s Thoughts
Well, it was a disappointing week. I was awaiting a Covid test result so could not be at last week’s Hat Dinner which was a real disappointment for me. I was surprised at the numbers compared to last year.
There is no meeting this week but November will prove to be an exciting month with Jenn Black’s talk to the Breakfast Meeting (18 November), Dr Michael Holland speaking about the new Regional Hospital at Moruya and, of course, our first market after too many months’ absence. Let us not forget that after our Board Meeting on the 10th, we shall be welcoming Susanna to Rotary at the following day’s dinner meeting. I urge you all to actively support these events, and feel free to bring as many guests as you wish.
So, a quiet week, ahead of an exciting month, but as ever it’s onwards and upwards mes amis!
Birthdays this week
A very happy birthday from us all to Ange Ulrichsen (31 Oct), Rolf Gimmel (1 Nov), John Rungen (2 Nov).
THIS WEEK
No meeting this Thursday.
The Week that Was
Lunch with the GG
Mike Young and Julie Hartley represented our Club at lunch last Friday with Governor General David Hurley and his wife Linda at Moruya Showground. The gathering was of representatives of the various service clubs in Eurobodalla Shire.
Duck Race
Julie Hartley, with Ange Ulrichsen’s assistance, has things well in hand now for the Great Australia Day Rotary Duck Race on 26 January. Ducks are booked and tickets ordered. Tickets will be on sale from the November markets.
Out and About
From Moruya Rotary
Congratulations to Moruya Rotarian Shirley Hayes. Her Sexual Health Education in Pictures (SHEP) project has been recognised to participate in the Rotary International Convention 2022 in Houston, USA (she spoke about it at one of our meetings well over 12 months ago). Shirley will share a booth with a Rotary Action Group called Maternal and Child Health (MCH). MCH handles multi-million dollar projects mainly in Africa and India. Shirley and John hope to attend the Convention and revitalise the momentum for SHEP that was gathering after the Conference in Hamburg a couple of years ago.
Rotary International Convention 2022
The 2022 Rotary Convention in Houston (4-8 June) is expecting more than 20,000 participants from around the world. The Convention is expected to inject about US$30m into the local economy. This will be Rotary’s 113th annual international convention and the third held in Houston.
Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta said everyone is thrilled it will be the first in-person convention since 2019 and, for the first time, “it will be open to members of the public who want to connect, learn and be a part of our work to grow and change lives”.
More on Environmental Envoy Outreach
Rotary International added ‘Supporting the Environment’ as a seventh Area of Focus for the organisation worldwide in June 2020; it was recently renamed ‘Protecting the Environment’. From July 2021, the Rotary Foundation has been considering suitable environmental projects for global grants.
Our District 9705 fully supports this new direction. Our then District Governor Michael Moore announced the formation of a new District Environment Team at the Conference in Bathurst with PDG David Brawn to establish and lead it.
On a lighter note
Notice in a farmer’s field: ‘The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but the bull charges.’
Just once, I want a username and password prompt to say: “close enough”.
(compliments Narooma Men’s Shed Newsletter)
NEXT WEEK
Our dinner meeting next Thursday (11th) will feature our very own Julie Hartley on ‘This is My Life’ as our guest speaker. We have a Board meeting the day before (10th at 5pm), possibly at Lynn’s place.