I write to you to explain that I will be missing for 4 weeks after this Thursday night.Apologies as Marlene and I had planned to miss only one Thursday this Rotary year. We are heading to Europe to do a river cruise etc, This was planned for May to be completed prior to our Changeover, but due to Marlene's illness early in the year we had to postpone it.
Con and Ken will substitute for the weeks I am away.
Wasn't Katherine Baverstock an amazing presenter and ROMAC such a brilliant project? Congratulations to John Skinner for arranging a wonderful night.
This Thursday we have Terry Waters - Collingwood Hall Of Famer to tell us about playing VFL/AFL at the highest level. Please bring along family and friends and wear your footy colours .
Please try hard to sell your raffle book. They are the easiest tickets to sell because of the great prizes.
Thanks to you all for the support you have given me in the first couple of months of my presidency. This Club just keeps getting better.
The Rotaract Club of Diamond Valley meets on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month at 7:30 pm Diamond Valley Learning Centre
Cnr Diamond Creek & St Helena Rd, Greensborough
PLEASE ADVISE APOLOGY OR GUEST(S) TO ANN LYNCH
ajlynch@bigpond.com or Mob 0419 008 759 BY MIDDAY WED 9TH SEPTEMBER, 2015
Footy Colours this week..always a really good occasion and an important fundraiser for Rotary Foundation. Guest speaker is Terry Waters who played 163 games for Collingwood from 1963 to 1972. Highlights of his career include:
Best first year player@ Collingwood in 1963,
Club Best & Fairest Award ( Copeland Trophy) in 1966,
All Australian selection in 1969,
Played in two losing Grand Finals, 1966 & 1970,
Club Captain in 1970 & 1971,
Inducted to Collingwood Hall Of Fame in 2010.
Various members of the Magpie family tell us Terry is a great raconteur, story teller, relaxed & good fun. Terry lives in Kew & has enjoyed a successful business career. So, come prepared to be entertained and make sure you wear your Footy Colours. Mike Wetzler, who is a walking Magpie encyclopedia, will chair the evening.
President David will ensure "fair" play before he & Marlene venture to Europe for a month. Dave Laws will strip us bare as FineMaster. No raffle planned but there will be a special effort to move plenty of Lord's Taverners Aust. Fiscal '16 booklets. Remember first prize is a 15 day European cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest & includes 2 x business class tickets, flying Etihad. Pres David will be able to report first hand about this fabulous prize on his return mid October.
Venue is The Common, 6.15pm for 6.45pm, expect to finish a bit later, around 9pm. Cost this week is $40 per head for two course meal to boost the Foundation cause (Les had better offer something extra!!). Drinks at bar prices.
Also, reminder from Ken …..still plenty of Club shirts to be paid for/collected. Should be a fun evening, there will be a buzz on the eve of 2015 finals. Lets see if we can boost the numbers to at least 65/70.
It is now only 6 weeks to the Melbourne Marathon on Sunday 18 October. Graham and others have been training for the run. Several of us, but mainly Graham and the Rat, have secured more shirt sponsors than last year including the following sponsors: Lovitt Technologies, Dillon Partners, Flexi Personnel, aio Engineering, St Helena Mediplex, Performance Healthcare and The Common.
We have made many announcements urging you all to sign up and get sponsors for your participation in the full marathon, 10K, 5K or the 2K walk but very few have actually committed to the event.
Last year the members, families and friends that wore the marathon shirts looked fantastic and the atmosphere, fun and camaraderie made the day one of the year's highlights. The significant funds raised for Aquabox were very much appreciated, however with recent disasters in Vanuatu and Nepal, the need is even greater.
We MUST have numbers and sizes for the shirt orders and PLEASE chase up sponsors for your walk/run. It's such a great cause and so meaningful when you approach people that it isn't difficult to get a handful of small sponsors.
Lunch after the event has been booked for the Pavilion in the Fitzroy Gardens (Wellington Parade, East Melbourne). $30 per person for a choice of two main meals. Drinks, dessert and coffee at bar prices. Payment is required no later than two weeks before the event.
At this week's Club meeting I will have someone on the entrance table with the Marathon list, so be pre-warned and have some idea as to your commitment. Aquabox needs you and it would be great to show your appreciation of the effort Graham and others are making in the organisation and training for the event.
The Week That Was – Report of meeting of 3 September 2015
President: David McFarlane
Chair: John Skinner
Visiting Rotarians: Katherine Baverstock – R.C. Greensborough Central (presenter)
Guests: Margot Kilcullen & Ashleigh McFarlane.
Fines: Dale Atkins
Raffle winner: Margaret Clarke
Welcome back: Les Coath, Max Lee, Ken Paynter, Jim Phillips
Congratulations: Judy Sharp (new grand-daughter Tilly) & Kevin Hadingham (new granddaughter Maya). Paul Gardner for celebrating 41 years with Rotary
Reports from the floor:
Brett Linsell -next Rotaract meeting at Nats Bistro
David McFarlane -next board meeting & dinner at his house on Wed 9 Sept
Gary Williams -finalising next quarter speakers till December – suggestions welcome especially for November
Ken Paynter – thanked Kaye Smith for looking after shirt orders – reminder to everyone to collect these
Les Coath – reminder re ‘Every Rotarian Every Year’ for Foundation. Football night proceeds will also go to Foundation
Jules Aussems – New Year’s Eve night will have a Coney Island theme. Brian Fitzgerald will provide entertainment. Need to book by 23 Sept
Lou Bolzonello – request to sell Lord’s Taverners’raffle tickets. Reminder to pay subs due
Ann Lynch – Xmas party to be at Ballara on 10 Dec at $50 per head
Guest speaker: This week’s speaker was Katherine Baverstock representing Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC). Katherine is a lecturer in Pharmacy at the School of Medical Sciences, RMIT University Bundoora. ROMAC commenced in 1984 with the plan to bring children living in under developed countries to Australia for medical procedures which save lives, restore bodies, and make a long term difference. Since that time over 400 children have had their lives and futures changed significantly. Katherine has been centrally involved in this brilliant program for several years and was presented with a cheque for $500 from R.C. Eltham.
See www.romac.org.au for ways in which you can assist the work of ROMAC.
The Youth Exchange program was very successful this year. Momoko, who we met a few weeks ago at a Club meeting, has gone home. Montmorency Secondary College student Amelia Roberts’ paperwork is in process for her exchange in November to Japan. Thanks to Jill and Ian for the wads of paperwork needed to make this happen.
Our National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) candidate Joshua Campbell is so excited. It is all systems go, with paperwork already completed.
Interact under Ian Toohill’s watch go from strength to strength. The $800 raised from the last Interact BBQ has been given to Graeme Kent from Aussie Action Abroad. It will be used for the Nepalese school that the Interact Club has supported in the past. The school needs to be rebuilt after the earthquakes and also needs basic supplies.
The Interact club would like one Rotarian to supervise the Interact stall at this year’s festival, as Ian will be in NZ. The concept is to sell the gourmet liquorice Ian’s daughter sold last year, but it depends on someone available to supervise.
Dale is still looking for a candidate for Rotary Youth Leadership (RYLA) Please let Dale know ASAP if you know of someone who may be interested. Sally spoke to Alan Anderson with regard to RCE partnering with Rotary Club of Kinglake and using some bushfire relief funds to support struggling kids in the Kingake area.
Ian Toohill has selected candidates and forwarded applications for Interact members to go to Lord and Lady Somers camps in January 2016. Hopefully they will make the grade in the 100 chosen for each camp, based on their excellent online applications and Ian’s great references. Results in a month or so.
Brett tells us that Rotaract are looking for a new venue to meet. So check their website or FB page if you want to join a meeting. Meeting days are the first and third Monday of the month. It would be great if more RCE members could turn up to a meeting and support our sponsored club. Erin is working hard for the Festival, recruiting bands for the Battle of the Bands on the Youth Stage.
East Timor, now known as Timor Leste, South East Asia’s newest and poorest nation has come a long way since becoming a sovereign state in 2002. Every time I have visited since 2002, I have noticed improvements in terms of infrastructure, the mood and prosperity of the people. Many NGO’s have been involved since 1999 among them Rotary International with many Clubs throughout Australia making significant contributions.
I learnt of the plight of the Dominican Sisters Orphanage in Dili while on operations In Timor Leste in 2008 as the Public Affairs Officer with the International Stabilisation Force.
The sisters had begun an ambitious project to construct a two story accommodation block for the senior boys at the Orphanage market garden at Hera just outside the capital Dili. The project had come to a standstill due to a lack of funds. I promised to return and help complete the building in the near future, although I was not sure how at that stage. After a one week reconnaissance in 20011, I managed to put together a team of 20 volunteers including an engineer, two builders, a plumber, a professional painter and a number of keen labourers to continue with the work in June/July 2012. That year the RAWCS team sponsored by Eltham Rotary Club, also conducted repair works at the Orphanage’s main site in Dili.
The following year I returned with another team of 20 volunteers and more work was done on the accommodation block, as well as repair works to the Orphanage kindergarten school at another site. I had organised a handover to a team from Inverell Rotary Club in North-Central NSW, which continued on for the next two weeks at the Hera site. This same team from Inverell returned in May 2014 and laid steel bond deck and poured a concrete reinforced floor for the remainder of the second story.
June this year saw me return with a team of seven tradesmen to complete the second floor of the Hera building to lock up stage. This small team worked superbly and the job was finished in just 12 long working days. Sister Mila, the Filipino Nun in charge of the orphanage, plans to use the building as a temporary facility for a new kindergarten up to grade two primary school, until such time as funds can be raised for a purpose built school at Hera.
The Orphanage is now in the process of completing the electrical and plumbing fitout as well as tiling and painting. Coomera River Club has provided the orphanage with funds for a new fresh water bore and fencing and Eltham has just sent funds for the tiling of the concrete floor in the upstairs section.
The project, involving five teams from Eltham and Inverell Clubs, sponsorship from Eltham and Coomera River Clubs and a total spend over four years of nearly $60,000 USD, is now complete. It has been a good example of cooperation between several Rotary Clubs across Australia to produce a much needed outcome.
It must be noted that most of the Rotary work done in Timor Leste would not be possible without the assistance and advice of Daryl Mills and the East Timor Roofing company, a wholly Rotary funded and operated facility with a rolling mill in Bacau. Daryl is funded by the Rotary Club of Balwyn. Another facility which makes building projects viable is the well stocked tool trailer provided and maintained by Bright Rotary Club.
President David has gained us access to sell tickets in the Lord's Taverner Raffle.
Tickets are $5 each.
Lou Bolzonello has tickets available. Contact him for books to sell.
The Club makes $ 2.50 for every ticket we sell ... easy fundraising!
Prizes
First prize
15 Day European Cruise with return Business Class airfares (Approx. $ 40,000 value)
Second Prize
White goods courtesy Westinghouse and Harvey Norman Darwin for your home to the value of $10,000 (RRP)
Third Prize
A Kookaburra cricket kit. Bat, pads, gloves and kit bag.
Fourth Prize
A cricket bat autographed by the Australian Cricket Team
PAST PRESIDENTS:
Geoff Dreverman 73-74: Neville Emerson 74-75: Bruce Holland 75-76: Bob McLellan 76-77: Doug Blaikie 77-78: Les Clarke 78-79: Keith Kelley 79-80: John Smibert 80-81: Paul Gardner 81-82: Chris Parenthoine 82-83: Arthur Trainor 83-84: Merv Günter 84-85: John Maltha 85-86: Graeme Beyer 86-87: Mike Ramsay 87-88: Terry Boocock 88-89: Ken Ferguson 89-90: Bill Penna 90-91: John Jacobson 91-92: Jim Nairn 92-93: Nigel Bell 93-94: David Bowen 94-95: Ian Thomas 95-96: Vic Vela 96-97: Gabor Tamas 97-98: Gordon Birch 98-99: Gary Reid 99-00: Mike Irwin 00-01: John Lewis 01-02: Brian Weyman 02- 03: Graeme Hardiman 03-04: Alan Anderson 04-05: Chris Chapple 05-06: Max Lee 06-07: Ross McDonald 07-08: David Flint 08-09: Tony Wason 09-10: Michael Englefield 10-11: Rob Kilcullen 11-12: Mike Wetzler 12-13: Ken Paynter 13-14: Con Proussalis 14-15;
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Contact: Ron Manison— .jpg)
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June this year saw me return with a team of seven tradesmen to complete the second floor of the Hera building to lock up stage. This small team worked superbly and the job was finished in just 12 long working days. Sister Mila, the Filipino Nun in charge of the orphanage, plans to use the building as a temporary facility for a new kindergarten up to grade two primary school, until such time as funds can be raised for a purpose built school at Hera..jpg)
President David has gained us access to sell tickets in the Lord's Taverner Raffle.