We celebrate our members
August is Membership and New Club Development Month in Rotary International’s Calendar, seen as the perfect time to celebrate our club’s members and consider options for strengthening membership. Good timing too with our meeting with Bega Rotarians at Cobargo on 29 August to hear how they attracted 18 new members. We’re hoping for a good representation of Narooma Rotarians.
Charmaine’s Chat
Lovely to have Lara and Ezra last week as our international guests all the way from Toronto, Canada. They brought children here to sing in the Gondwana Choral Festival, part of the children’s annual tour, and they also performed in New Zealand. We were even treated to a short singalong. It is always inspiring to meet people who have such talent and are happy to spread the joy of music.
Several announcements were made, some for your calendar…
- 8 August: Dying to know, a play by Shanna Provost at the Twist factory and it’s free
- Melbourne Cup Day lunch at Moruya Jockey Club, organised by
Moruya Rotary Club. We are trying to make up a table. Cost is $20 per person .
Tickets are selling fast. - Lynda Ord mentioned it was Organ Donation Day, and how important it was for potential organ donors to make their wishes known to family and friends. She noted there were 1400 on the waiting list for various organs. Interesting too, apparently age was no barrier
- Frank Eden mentioned he is after votes for the plan to get funds for an electric bus from SHASA (see below).
- Ange spoke about our Narooma High team for MUNA. They will be representing Syria this year which will be challenging for them but I am sure they will have a memorable weekend. Ange proposes students coming along to our meeting on 22 August with their parents to talk about their MUNA experiences.
- The film for this year’s Polio fundraiser at the Kinema on Thursday 24 October is Ride Like a Girl. It’s about Michelle Payne who was the first woman
THIS WEEK
We welcome our District Governor Peter Ford from the Rotary Club of Aurora Gungahlin in Canberra. This is a partners’ night; please don’t forget to let Charmaine know if you are bringing guests.
The Week that Was
Charmaine has largely said it all. Just to add though, last week’s international toast was to the Rotary Club of Hong Kong, in view of the continuing unrest in Hong Kong. It is an English speaking club with a dress code of ‘business attire’. It was established in 1931, the first Rotary Club in District 3450 which includes Macau, Guangdong Province and Mongolia. It meets for lunch on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays each month at the Hong Kong Bakers Club Their projects include a Drone Competition Day and Art Therapy for Dementia Patients.
My Community funding
Frank Eden spoke briefly last week about the South Coast Health and Sustainability Alliance’s (SHASA) proposed Electric Vehicle Community Transport Bus project for the Eurobodalla Shire. It’s seeking $195,000 in State Government funding. It’s one of over 30 community projects in the Bega Electorate competing for NSW Government funding under the ‘My Community Project’ grants program.
The NSW Government is distributing $24.4m equally across the State’s 93 electorates for projects that improve the wellbeing of people and their communities. That means only $262,000 is up for grabs for the whole Bega electorate (Bega Valley and Eurobodalla Shires) with grants between $20,000 to $200,000.
What’s different with this funding programme is that people in the community are being asked to vote for their preferred projects for their area; the projects with most support apparently will receive funding. Needless to say with Frank’s SHASA connections he is keen to drum up votes for the EV bus project.
Out and About
MUNA 17 and 18 August
While Narooma High will represent Syria at the Model United Nations Assembly in Canberra 17-18 August, Batemans Bay students will represent India and those of St Peters Anglican College Switzerland. Batemans Bay Rotarians are being urged to go along to Old Parliament House and watch the debate; any takers from Narooma? Everyone who has been before say it “is mind boggling” watching the students in action.
Following Kathryn Ratcliffe’s recent talk
You will recall in the lively discussion following Kathryn’s talk the week before last, Charmaine’s friend Jenny Lean felt there was a real need in Narooma for private guided walks for visitors.
Well it turns out that Sally Bouckley’s relatively new Southbound Escapes (based in Narooma under the Wharf Apartments) provides such tours for the high end of the tourist market, as well as e-bike hire, luxury accommodation, and special short packages to showcase the best of the South Coast from Sydney to Eden. Southbound Escapes last month won a gold medal in the ecotourism category in the Regional Tourism Awards.
On a lighter note
Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night, and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend. “Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.” Watson replied, “I see millions and millions of stars.” “What does that tell you?” Holmes asked. Watson pondered for a minute. “Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies, and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?” Holmes was silent for a minute, then spoke. “It tells me that someone has stolen our tent.” Courtesy of Moruya Rotary Bulletin
NEXT WEEK:
Board meeting at the Golf Club at 5pm followed by a Club Assembly and dinner meeting.