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President's Message
Ben Featherston
President's Report No 25
Happy New Year to all!
I hope everyone has had an enjoyable festive and holiday season. If you have returned to work, I hope you are feeling refreshed for a great year to come. Those that are still on holidays, enjoy the warm weather and wonderful outdoors, beaches and activities that a Surf Coast summer provides.
As most of you will now be aware, it is great sadness that our friend Greg Plumridge passed away over Christmas. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends. Greg's funeral is being held on Friday 20th January, see more detail later in this bulletin.
It was a busy day on the BBQ at the Point Danger 1000 Swim event yesterday. There were plenty of hungry competitors and spectators to feed. Thank you to all members who volunteered, with well over $2000 of takings for the day.
The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (27th-29th January) volunteer marshalling roster is being put together by Gerard Hogan. Please contact Gerard, if you haven't already, and are available to assist on the day. Remember, that the club gets remunerated for each member that covers a shift marshalling on the day.
Our annual Book Fairis fast approaching, Friday 20th- Sunday 22nd January. Unpack and setup is on the Tuesday-Thursday prior and pack-up on the Monday following. Neil Henderson has been organizing the roster, please see emails and contact Neil re availability if you haven't already. (Please note that I encourage members to attend Greg's funeral on the Friday afternoon. We are working on a plan where some members from Grovedale-Waurn Ponds Rotary Club will oversee some non-Rotary volunteers to cover the Friday afternoon in order to keep the Book Fair open).
Our next two Monday evenings are relaxed social affairs. This Monday we are meeting at Cosy Corner for a casual get together. BYO food/drinks/chairs etc. The following Monday 16th January, we are having our combined annual meeting with the Rotary Club of Grovedale-Waurn Ponds. This will be a BBQ in Taylor Park, for some relaxed fellowship with our friends from our fabulous neighboring club. Please also see emails sent out to all by Maggie Isom over recent days.
Our friend and club member Greg Plumridge has sadly passed.
He will be remembered fondly far and wide by a great many people. A man of huge integrity, talent, caring and overall "goodness". A community champion gone too soon.
He was a role model for many of us, a mentor and friend, a loving father and husband, a colleague, and a caring, wise and reassuring voice.
Greg’s funeral will be held on Friday 20th January, 2pm
Tuckers Funeral Services , 4-32 Province Boulevard, Highton.
"No update on polio would be complete without a big thank-you to Rotary International. They were part of this effort long before the Gates Foundation was. Since we became partners on eradication, we’ve jointly raised $1.8 billion for this work, and there’s more to come. Rotarians also lead massive vaccination campaigns to reach children all over the world. Sometime in the next few years, when polio is finally eradicated, my first phone call will be to thank and congratulate the team at Rotary International."
Keep up the good work everyone in the fight to eradicate Polio.
Thank you to our sponsors and everyone who entered pets or made donations. Your generosity has helped us raise much need funds to assist with Hearing Screening for Primary School Year 1 and 2 Children in Tonga.
As there is currently no routine screening or monitoring of hearing or ear health of young children in Tonga, the objective of this project is to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Health through focused training and provision of specialist equipment, to enable them to undertake screening the hearing of the young population in Tonga on a regular basis.
Further to the question posed at dinner on Monday night, I have booked the Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park for Thursday, 16th to Sunday 19th of February 2023 for a muster of the Recreational Vehicle Fellowship of Rotarians. This is the week after the Motor show.
Usual bookings are for 30 powered caravan sites and 10 cabins. Cut-off date for bookings is mid-November, so we will have a good idea of the numbers that will come by then.
Kelly, Sue (Currie) and one other have very kindly offered to help with the planning of the social side of the muster. I hope we can meet up later in this week.
For any further information regarding the Recreational Vehicle Fellowship of Rotarians and their planned trips please contact John Oswald.
I am excited to let you know that our 2023 District 9780 Conference website and Try-booking is now open so please share with your members and encourage them to come along.
you can reserve your booking for our weekend of fun.
We even have a special prize draw for early bird booking prior to the 31 January 2023 so get in early to be in the draw.
We have some fantastic speakers lined up for our conference -
Jelena Dokic - Tennis legend, TV commentator, refugee, author,
John Marsden - multi award winning author, educator and founder of two schools,
Professor Anthony Holmes AO - reconstructive surgeon who separated co-joined twins Krishna and Trishna,
Lyndon Galea - CEO and founder of the 'Eat-up' program,
Rosie Lotawa - ROMAC's 5th patient and Ambassador,
Jessica Trijsburg - Peace scholar and leader in strategic diversity
and
Mark O'Toole - legend in Lismore for not only his own helicopter rescue, but also his on-going support and assistance for flood displaced locals.
We are also giving you the opportunity of choosing a song for your club to be played at our dinner dance on Saturday evening. The list to choose from is attached so let me know which song represents your club's fun side.
Don't forget there are prizes for individuals and groups who embrace the conference theme of 'We are the World' so dress to impress and come along as a group to ensure we all have a fun night to remember.
I look forward to catching up with you all again as we join together for a fun weekend of celebrating Rotary and our District - working together to make a difference in the World.
Following the wonderful reception from Orange Sky for the Coats and winter clothing donated by Rotarians last year, and the chilly winter that we are experiencing we have been asked to continue collecting for them again this winter.
Please note that all the people receiving the coats are currently homeless and many have asked if there are any thermal pants or skivvies.
So please check your wardrobes and donate any warm skivvies or pants as well as coats which are always in demand.
I will do regular pickups from our central collection point in Torquay which the Birchalls have kindly agreed to do.
Please click on the above image to read the article from the latest edition of Rotary Down Under for details of how you can assist the citizens of Ukraine through the Rotary network.
Delegate registration cost for RICON23 in Melbourne changes depending on when you register. The earlier you register the more economical the price.
Rotarians, Rotaractors and friends can obtain the maximum discount to attend RICON23. Registration and Accommodation Bookings are now available through the RI website on this link
The Rotary Australia World Community Service website at https://directory.rawcs.com.au/41-2021-22 is our donor page, still being worked on, but with the completion of the business case, we will start our fundraising from March 1.
As an aside, Lucy received the following message re our project from the Governor of the Gulf Province Chris Haiveta
Thank you, Sis, for your tireless efforts to Assist our village over the years through the foundation.
I am committed to supporting you and the foundation as you prepare to widen your coverage on critical issues.
We are working with a couple NGOs in the Province already and can provide you the letter of support.
I suggest that we formalize the support and collaboration through an MOU.
In the meantime it would be much better to send a profile and EOI from the foundation to me aa head of the Provincial Government so that we can commence to formalize the relationship.
WHAT WE ARE COLLECTING AND WHERE TO DROP OFF ITEMS
Bottle Top Lids
Cause:- Lids4Kids is a nationwide 100% volunteer project to rescue plastic bottle lids
from landfill to benefit the environment and kids. Lids4Kids hopes to rescue eligible lids from landfill for projects that benefit all Australian kids in need.
So if you could collect milk bottle tops for recycling to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill., you will contribute to Torquay Rotary’s Environment Project
Just remove the yellow, blue or red plastic top from milk bottles, wash clean & pop into a container .
Maggie Isom will let us know when we can drop off to a bin at Coles Supermarket 41 Bristol Rd Torquay
Cause :- Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs, who collect them, sell them to recyclers and turn the cash into wheelchairs for people who can’t afford them.
Cause :- Recycle for Sight Australia a joint effort with Torquay Lions Club to send old prescription glasses to overseas communities where people cannot afford them.
Cause :- A Rotary "Donations in Kind" joint exercise with the Rotary Club of Boroko to disperse to needing schools in PNG. They need books that are used in Australian schools from Grades Prep to 8. Plus story books for younger children for grades Prep to 3.
2022-23 President Jennifer Jones is eager to advance Rotary’s narrative. To learn more of our RI President's vision and listen to her podcast follow this link RI President Jennifer Jones LINK
District 9780 Governor for 2021-22 is Kathy Rivett from RC of Alfredton
Kathy currently works in the travel industry and previously held positions in the Federal public service.
Kathy is married to David Rivett.
Kathy served as President of the Rotary Club of Wendouree in 2007-08 and worked with PDG Ken Broadbent in 2010 to set up the then Alfredton Satellite Club. With Kathy's support, Alfredton went on to charter in 2013, the first one to convert to a full Club. Kathy is a proud member of the Alfredton Rotary Club.
Kathy has been involved in a wide range of Rotary activities over the years including:
as a Youth Exchange Counsellor
serving on two District Conference Committees
as an RLI Trainer
working on FAIM Projects in Samoa, Cook Islands and Bali.
Kathy's particular love is Event Co-ordination, being a key player in organising Rotary activities including competitions, community events, concerts, expos etc.
LATEST PUBLICATIONS
To read the DG Kathy's latest District 9780 November 22 eNewsletter CLICK HERE
Rotary Down Under 2022 October Edition 654 CLICK HERE
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2023
Melbourne has been announced as the host city for the 2023 Rotary International Convention, the largest conference secured this century for Victoria.
Melbourne is a Big Events City! Set to deliver over $88 million to the Victorian economy, the Convention is the most valuable conference ever won for the state, with the four-day event anticipated to attract more than 20,000 Rotarians from around the world. The global spotlight will be on Melbourne and how we present ourselves to the world.
The Convention will take place 27-31 May 2023 using Rod Laver Arena and the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre for functions.
Watch this Space for further news as it comes to hand.
