The final month of every Rotary year is Fellowship Month. Fellowship is particularly to the forefront with changeovers being very much the priority in all clubs in June. Fellowship is of course one of the five core values of Rotary, the others being service, diversity, integrity and leadership.
FYI, Monday was World Environment Day and this Thursday is World Oceans Day.
Ange’s Thoughts
Some late breaking amazing news!! Lachie Penglase has been selected by District for the 2024 Rotary Youth Exchange Program. He has also been given Japan, his country of choice. Congratulations Lachie and well done Susanna and Gordon who assisted with his preparation for District interviews at the weekend. We hope to be able to personally congratulate Lachie at our meeting on the 15th June.
Our Board meeting last Friday:
- Finalised the menu for Changeover
- Determined remaining disbursements for the year
- Mike Young is preparing a yearly planner for the 2023/2024 Rotary year that can be printed as a hard copy. (Laurelle Pacey pointed out a detailed list for those who want it of all Club events can be printed from our website by going to the right hand column, click ‘All events’).
- John Rungen is keen to update the sheet detailing the organisation of our Club
- David McInnes has started work on the Club’s application for charity and Donor Gift Recipient status which will also involve setting up a separate bank account. This will allow potential donors to our Scholarship scheme and projects, such as the new food van, to receive tax deductions.
- John Rungen has confirmed he is willing to be Secretary from 1 July until the end of December. Then he and Denise will be travelling. Julie Hartley has agreed to then take on the role as secretary, and will be mentored by John over the next six months.
- We now have a dedicated secondhand mobile to use for the squares, thanks to Chris O’Brien. Lynn Hastings will arrange for the data to be erased and organise a sim card.
- The Board agreed that Club dues for 2023-2024 will be $285 p.a for those who want a hard copy of the Rotary Down Under magazine and $280 p.a. for those who are happy with a digital copy.
- Need to action John Rungen’s Volunteer Declaration form as a matter of urgency.
We are in for an inspiring night on Thursday when we will hear from the RoboRebels (see below). Looking forward to it.
THIS WEEK
We welcome all five members of Narooma High RoboRebels and their teachers/ mentors recently returned from a possibly life-changing experience in the USA. Recently the RoboRebels won the FIRST Robotics South Pacific Regional championships in Wollongong qualifying for the World Championships in Houston, Texas . On Thursday they will share the story of their trip with a short film and their demonstration robot.
Please invite partners and friends and let Gero know by noon on Tuesday if you are coming and how many guests you are bringing.
The Week that Was
Moruya Rotarians loved RI Convention
Moruya’s 15-member contingent (!) had a great time at Rotary International’s recent Melbourne Convention. President Shirl described it as “totally wonderful”. Moruya delegates were Annette and John Nader, Shirley Cornish, Bronwyn and Col Jay, Jan and Steve Young, John and Brenda Gillet. Robyn Armstrong, Keith Armstrong, Rohan and Pauline Gleeson, Vere and Garry Grey.
Shirl said China was a surprise entrant in the almost endless parade of country flags. In the last 12 months China’s number of clubs has grown from two to nine plus Rotaract clubs from two to four.
In this week’s Moruya bulletin, Shirl described Project Rozana as an example of the forceful Breakout Sessions on world changing projects she attended. The forum at the Convention had one Muslim, a Christian (Tim Costello) and a Jew who said Project Rozana ‘transports Palestinian patients to hospitals within Israeli borders, and providing treatment options for Palestinians where access to specialist and/or quality healthcare is limited.’ It enables cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians within health on the personal level so, ‘Palestinians and Israelis coexist peacefully, with a sense of mutual respect, dignity and safety for all.’
The Pakistan report on Polio Plus revealed the sad and tragic cost of polio vaccination. Sixty-four of its brave front line workers died, many from gunshot wounds.
We will hear more about the Convention next week. The 2024 Convention is in Singapore; Shirl has already registered!
Out and About
The next Bega Rotary Book Fair is on 7th and 8th July at Bega Showground; this is Bega Rotary’s major fundraiser for the year. They are limiting book donations this year to shopping bags and small boxes of books but no big collections
NEXT THURSDAY 15th June
We will hear firsthand from Moruya Rotarians who attended the recent RI Convention and hopefully from Lachie Penglase.