Our lastedition of IMAGINE your PASSION DG Ken's District newsletter. Where did that year go!
IMAGINE your PASSION was designed to ‘shake the tree’ a little and I think (hope) we did. Ken wanted something different; Clubs to own the newsletter. A record of all the districts activities and Club projects in an easy to read format.
Imagine Rotary is the2022-23 presidential theme. The theme urges all Rotarians to "dream big and take action", uniting to work toward positive global change. My original thoughts for the name of the newsletter was if you have a PASSION, IMAGINE what you can do with in in Rotary , so the newsletter name was set.
In the beginning I was told ‘won’t work’, members ‘won’t read it’, members ‘won’t like the new platform, Thank you to the many positive and encouraging emails Ireceived after the first edition way back in July 2022 and throughout the year.
Of all of the editions (11) Total READS 6,186
Average Edition READS 562 READ TIME 00:04:40.
Total number of CLICKS 271 to linked web sites. 954 Club members So on average a little over 59% of themembers read it each month. (close to 2 in 3 ) Thank you..
Occasionally we getbombarded and overloaded with Rotary stuff ! and we hoped that the newsletter wouldbecome the go to’ written information about what our clubs are doing, their past and present projects.
Together with and updates on Membership, Foundation, Conference and district wide activities.
As a newbie to the district, thank you to theclubs who have ‘let me in’ to see what they do. As the editions were published more and more clubs sent me articles about upcoming projects or events and reports on past events. Our newsletter was read by many Rotarians and friends around the world.
To Lynn Whelan and Judith Eadon, a big thank you for being my proof readers and critique’rs.
Thankyou to DG Ken,DGE Ian and Conference RIPPA, PDG Leanne Jaggs for being my victims and allowing me to put you ‘Under the Spotlight’. I hope it gave a (light-hearted) insight to the person under the badge.
Again Thank you to everyone who has contributed articles during the year. It does make the Editors job so easy.
Finally thank you DG Ken for asking me and having the vision to let it happen.
GregAdams RotaryClubofEmerald&District. Editor:IMAGINEyourPASSION2022/23Editors Notes
DG Ken’s Banter
Rotary Club of NoblePark Dingley
Past President Mark Balla meets the needsof Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi
Ride For Medical Research 2023, in support of Australian Rotary Health
IMAGINE your PASSION : the year in review.
Thank you to our Conference sponsors.
The Year in Covers
IMAGINEyourPASSIONDISTRICT9810 is the official monthly publication of Rotary International District 9810 Inc.
Publisher : Editor: Greg Adams, Art Director: Greg Adams. Advertising: Greg Adams Chief Cook and bottle washer : Greg as well
Contributions are always welcome: Please contact the Editor to discuss your ideas. district9810newsletter@gmail.com or 0419355842.
All photos/images submitted for publication must include detailed captions : IE names of people, event locations etc. It is presumed that the supplier of all photography/images owns or has approval from the owner of said copywrite to reproduce the photograph/image
Closing date is by the 26th of each month. (give or take a bit)
Note:Theviewsandopinionsexpressedinthispublicationrepresentthoseofthecontributor/sandarenot necessarilythoseoforsharedbytheDistrict,theCommittee,anyClub,themembersortheMagazine.
THANK YOU.
For your Fantastic support throughout my year as District Governor , and congratulations to you , for making 2022-23 a fantastic Rotary year.
What a year it’s been, just a quick snapshot of some of our achievements:
The District Changeover really set the scene for the year. Fun and engagement. The change of format was a shock to some, but the RC of Emerald & District excelled with song, laughter, the introduction of the “We love you Ken “ badges and of course the fantastic “Spangles”, who wowed those in attendance with their renditions of “Oh Daryl” and “It’s Raining Ken”. This continued during my Club visits wheremany members donned the badge and verbally re-enforced the message. In a strange way this set the scene for the year and was responsible for many happy smiles and positive comments. Stabilized membership –Lots and lots of Inductions. We should end the year with a small positive membership growth.
Thank you to the many Clubs that supported the DG’s family project.The Rotary Foundation.
Lots of projects. Local,National and International projectswith 19 District & Global Grants.
A positive vibe -The level of enthusiasm at Club visits has been outstanding. Great to see so many “let’s roll up our sleeves and get on withmaking the world a better place”.
Smiles and a greater sense of fun.
A fantastic DG’s Newsletter. Thanks Greg Adams.
A wonderful District Conference in Canberra. Thanks to the entire conference team including the Rotary Club of Emerald & District and the Spangles.
The introduction of Inspire Rotary – Where Rotarians learned from RYLArians – Thanks Trish Carr.
Presidents Meetings – Excellent attendance numbers – Thanks Judith Eadon.
Convention – D9810 represented in the House of Friendship by RC’s of Nunawading, Box Hill Central x 3, Noble Park Dingley – the lovely jewellery ladiesand being part of the Interplast team.
Youth Dinner – The coming together of school reps and Rotary Youth projects –Congrats to Malcolm Chiverton.
Rewards program – Outstanding success with so many Clubs involved, now wearing new Rotary gear – Thanks Peter Behm.
RYDA - Fantastic Project educating and saving lives of our young drivers. Substantial increase in the number of Clubs involved in this hands on activity.
RYLA – One of Rotary’s premier projects. RYLA changes lives - Thanks Trish Carr and Les Marton.
MUNA – Run in conjunction with D9820 –Another ongoing success story.
District Assembly – It’s a long time ago now but we had the most attendees ever. – Thank you to the wonderful District Chairs and to those who attended.
Club visits – The very best part of the DG’s role. Being made welcome by Club members and listening to plans, activities and successes. Sensational.
A very special thanks to Greg Adams, our editor and compiler of the DG’s Newsletter. Our aim this year wasto have a higher inclusion level of local Club activities. Take a look over the year in review in thismonths edition.
In signing off, I wish our incoming DG Ian Ballantine every success and I hope that he enjoys the role as much as I have.
Hope to see you at the District Changeover July 1st.
Yours In Rotary
KenMiller DistrictGovernor2022-23D9810
This year, as it has done for the past 6 years, the Rotary Club of Noble Park Dingley conducted hearing and sight tests for kindergarten, Prepand Grade 1 students at one of our local schools– Kingswood Primary. Problems with hearing and vision sometimes go un-noticed and the sooner they are detected, the sooner the child can have the necessary corrective treatment to enable full participation in the classroom.
The Club does the tests with the generous assistance of the University of Melbourne Audiology and Optometry final year students and their supervisors with the help of the Principal of the school where the testing occurs. So far three different Primary schools and an Early LearningCentre have been the sites of tests.
Initially the University nominates a Saturday for the event and our Rotary Club contacts a local school to see if they are interested in hosting the testing. The school then contacts parents of Foundation (Prep) and Grade 1 students as well as the feeder Kindergartens in the area to attend the testing day.
Appointment times are made.
On the day of testing,we set up a registration table and a waiting area. The University students set up the classrooms used for testing and the Staffroom is used as a gathering area for everyone involved.
The appointments are staggered to avoid too much waiting and sometimes the parents arrive with another sibling in tow –“Can this one be tested too?” We can usually fit them in if the child is between the ages of 3 and 9 years. After the testing the results are checked by the Consultant Supervisor and the parent is given a letter with the result – either all OK or a suggestion to seek a referral for further testing . As the University students don’t have access to hi-tech equipment whilst at the school, it is stressed that this is only a preliminary test.
The demographic of each venue is quite different, and both the students and Rotarians gain skills in accessing interpreting services and dealing with sometimes difficult children, as well as Dads who don’t know their child’s birth date!
Our Club provides lunch for the students and supervisors and the teacher (often the Principal) who is on site for the day. This year there were 40 students tested. The results were quite confronting. 50% of children were referred for further sight testing and 10% for auditory testing. In previous years whenwe just organised auditory tests, there were often 25 – 30% referred on. The past two years since we have also been conducting vision tests a large numberof children have been referred for more comprehensive vision testing. We wonder if this is a result of early use of screens!
The supervisors assured us that most of the referrals are for minor matters, but the Club knows thatif just one child is setfor a better start to education, then it is a very worthwhile project.
Successful Rotary projects can start with the idea of just one person with a vision.
Mark Balla, while on abusiness trip in India,met two young men on a train. Tauseef and Fahim told Mark that many schools in India did not have toilets for girls. Mark was shocked by this news and on his return to Australia, Mark contacted the Rotary Club of BoxHill Central and proposed a project to address this issue. The club willingly endorsed the idea and, as aresult, Mark joined the club and Operation Toilets Australia (OTA) was established in 2014.
Having a greatidea for a Rotary club is one thing; how it is implemented is another. Mark not only brought a greatideato the club, but he also brought with it an innate skill in networking and promotion backed up byan effective committee of management made up of members of the RotaryClub of Box Hill Central. If you then add greatin-country partners and cooperating organisations and the supportof Rotary clubs and districts throughout the world and The Rotary Foundation you arriveat our current situation where OTA has completed, has in progress or has in planning water and sanitation projects in India, Ethiopia, and Nepal to thevalue of AUD$1.3 million.
Past President Mark was honoured in recognition of his vision and efforts to change the educational opportunity for girls with an invitation for a private audience with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that was heldin Sydney on Tuesday 16 May.
The Rotary Club of Box Hill Central is very proud of Mark’s achievements and have appreciated theopportunity to be involved in such a far-reaching project thathas changed the lives of others.
BrianMartinOAM PastDistrictGovernor2012-13 RotaryClubofBoxHillCentral
The 36th Ride for Medical Research from Lancefield to Kirwans bridge was a meandering route based around Bendigo, the “BendigoGold Tour”.
This year we had 30 riders, 9 support crewand 2 others helping out, unable to ride due to injury. Originally, we had the full 36 ride spaces filled, but injury, illness and family issues saw 4 pull out at the last minute.
More than two thirdsof the participants this year were not Rotarians, although some had an association many did not, which is both
terrific in one way, raising funds outside of Rotarians pockets, and a little sad in another, where originally the vast majority of riders used to be Rotarians.
The ride began in Lancefieldmaking our way to Bendigo, via Kyneton for lunch and Harcourt. Over the 6 days of the ride, ridingout from Bendigo from day 2, many historic towns, such as Maldon, Newstead, Moliagul, homeof the welcome stranger gold nugget and John Flynn, the founder of the flying Doctor service, Tarnagulla and many more were visited. The ride taking in the sights and scenery along the way, admiring a lot of silo and town wall murals. Generally having a lot of fun. Sadly some of the towns we passed through were well on the way to becoming ghost towns, such as Tarnagulla.
As per a typical ride, weight loss was not on the agenda, with excellent food provided at all lunch stops and nightly dinners in various Local Bendigo venues. No problems with lunchtime leftovers, there either were none, or they were consumed at some point in the
afternoon, at the afternoon cyclists fuel stop or Club Chardy that evening.
This year the riders and drivers were particularly rowdy and it was great to see everyone having a good time.
Of course, we can’t have a ride without Club Chardy, organized byGonny which raised another $500.00 for Australian Rotary Health. Everyone appreciates a nice cool drink and a few nibbles after a hard day on the road.
As of this latest ride, we have now ridden over 29,880 km and the ride this year raised a further $38,777.00.
We again incorporated a virtual ride, “The Mad March Challenge”, which raised $2,330.00, bringing the total raised to $41107.00 to date this year, making the total raised more than:$1,2830,000 for Australian Rotary Health. (A bit over 20% of the District’s total donations since the Inception of ARH.)
Many thanks to all those who participated, those who supported the participants with their generous sponsorship donations and the committee for all their work through the year, planning and facilitating the successful event that it was. Standby for news on next year’s event, planning is already underway for the 37th and last District 9810 ride.
If you would like helpor take part in next year’s event, please contact us.
rotaryrideforresearchdollars@gmail.com
StephenSpiers RideChair&CoCo-Ordinator
IMAGINE your PASSION; We recap some of the articles from the last eleven editions.
It’s just a small snapshot of what Rotarians do when they IMAGINEtheir PASSION .
en is a memberof the Rotary Club of Emerald and District.
Ken has three daughters and a son plus a number of foster children that adopted his family as their own.
Now totalling 32, his family is a very large one! Although they noware spread far and wide throughout Australia they all catch up as often as possible and any family gathering is a major event.
At an early age Ken was introduced to primary industry via the family dairy farm and this eventually led him to Marketing and Leadership positions in the equine industry.
This was an interesting and fruitful occupation that has given him the opportunity to travel and work at most of themajor horse racing centres throughout the world.
Ken feels very privileged to be chosen to lead District 9810 in 2022-23 and he looks forward to working with everyone and together strivingfor a happy, vibrantand productive Rotary.
We put DG Ken ‘UndertheSpotlight’and ask him a few questions.
What’s one thing most people would be surprised to know about you?
32children–4ofmyownand28fosterchildrenthatspentmorethan3monthswith me
What’s the smartest thing you’ve been told?
Mygrandmotheroncesaidtome:“Beforeyougotosleepatnightthinkaboutwhat youhavelearnedtoday.Ifyouhavelearnednothingyouhavewastedyourday”
How would someone you love describe you?
Kind,Considerateandloyalwithasenseofhumour.“IHope”
What’s the oldest item in your wardrobe that you still wear?
Aleatherbeltmyfathergavememanyyearsago.Ithasbeenrepairedmany times.4newbucklesand3newstraps
What do you look or feel really good in? AFerrari
What’s one simple thing you’re really good at?Cooking
What do you least like to do? Bookwork
What’s the one talent you wish you had? PublicSpeaking
One thing you refuse to eat?
Tripe.Duringthecreditsqueezeofthe1960’sweateTripe5timesaweek
I’m glad I ....JoinedRotary
What was your best break in life?
Listeningtoadvicefromthosesmarterthanme(Thereareplentyofthem)
What was your happiest birthday party?
WhenIturned60Icookedasitdown4coursedinnerfor60friends&Family
Who’s your most memorable character?
YosemiteSam–Moustacheenvy–TommyWoodcockofPharLapfame
Currently, you are reading what ?
One of 100’s of cook books that I have. Tetsuya (Originally from Japan, now considered one of the world’s finest chefs)
If you were an animal what would you be ?
I am assuming that Birds qualify – A Macaw – Colourful and they live a long time
Are you a dog or a cat person? Dog
The Rotary Club of Emerald and District have run a very successful Community event for over 31yearsThe Debutante Ball.
The majority of youngadults are drawn from Emerald Secondary College however as a ‘Club’ event over the years we have had pupils from areas as far as Box Hill.
Following the June 2019 Debutante Ball and due to COVID, it took 7 long, hard and stressful attempts to finally hold the event, however finally we were able to earlier this year atThe Grand, Cathies Lane, Wantirna with 36 couples (reduced from the original 52 booked).
How the students learnt the dances over such a drawn-out period is amazing and then we had the problem of dresses and suits needing to be adjusted! When held the event went perfectly and the pupils and parents had a wonderful and memorable evening.
There is a growing demand for this event and if a Club was thinking of commencing one, fees need to be set taking considerationof the cost of the venue, 7-8 dance lessons, suit hire, flowers, band/DJ, photography and the rates you charge, number of pupils and attendees to the event.
There are venues, photographers and suit hire companies that specialise in these events so not too hard to source –you just need to do some research.
Attending an event would be a good place to start. Bookings would be processed via TryBooking so easy to navigate.
And I am happy to assist with queries. Photos can be found on the following pages or in the photoalbum on the Emerald Rotary website home page at www.emeraldrotary.org
Shalini Penny President 2021-2022 Rotary Club of Emerald & District.
Running a Rotary club for me was much like running a business. Look at every element of the function of the organisationand see how you could do it better or come upwith ideas thatimproved the present positive position.
I took over RC Langata with 74 members, already the largest in the District and therefore rightly perceived as a success. My personal target was 100 - a 35% increase on the highestnumber when clubs of 20 were being targeted at 25%.
The easy start was doing what was in place - once a monthGuest Thursday when you were fined if you didn't bring a guest. Next was targeting each member to commit to bring visitors. This was easier for the new and medium service members, harder for the old timers whohad run through who they knew and needed to be reminded that they were making new acquaintances all the time in business andRotary was not just for close friends but also for quality future potential members who couldcontribute through their areas of influence and skill.
Then we moved on to PR. Get ourselves out on social media, find tame journalists to write up our events and get all members to post the weekly events.
Customer service was key. What happens whena potential member walks
through the door? I worked on the principlethat there was no way I could expect the club to do what I wanted unless I lead the way so I personally introduced over a dozen new members, including our new Rotaractor, and at every meeting I would be at the entrance, greet every visitor and instantly put their name there and then onto our 'Prospective member' Whatsapp Group so they had a message by the time they got home. Then I introduced them to a member I thought would be a suitable host for them and left them in their good care while moving to the next arrival.
Family of Rotary - newcomers have to feel that family feeling so we focused on it in every meeting: birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations and sad losses/illnesses where we banded together to give support. Social events and projects were explained and promoted.
We are in the entertainment business. It was not unusual for us to have 50 visitors per meetingand why was that? I called in all the IOUs for every celebrity and person of interest I knew so we had a calendar of speakers that was unlike most clubs where it was oneNGO and charity after the next. We had models and pop stars, DJs and actors, painters and journalists, bodyguards and conservationists. We got known as the club togo for an interesting and fun evening.
Yes, don't forget the fun. Our club bar is open before the meeting, during the meeting and of course 'swallowship' is a highlight. When I joined the club I would rarely be home before 1am, feeling duty bound tobe mingling until the bar
Wegotknownas theclubtogofor aninterestingand funevening.
shut and I was farfrom alone.
And part of the fun was the meetings. I hada great SAA, a big man with a big character and it was open season on having fun with members in the room to liven up the atmosphere and make potential members feel they wanted to getsome of what we were offering. Too many meetings at other clubs I have gone to were dour business like affairs where process and protocol were considered the order of the day. Odd that these clubs had 20 members or less.
Volume - our meetings were deafening before and after with 100+ people chatting and laughing. You could feel the vibe when you walked into the room. And during the meetings there was singing, jokes and laughter.
So did I make my target? No I fell one short with 99 as one of my personal inductees came late to the final induction on the lastmeeting of the year so another lesson learned - always check up on your people and build in a safety netfor unplanned eventualities.
Forming a Rotaract Club
Despite our status as the largest club in the District we had never established a Rotaract Club so I saw that asa top priority both to redress the past andalso to develop a feeder for future members My theory was simple -find the best of the best in Rotaract and encourage
them to leave their existing clubs and form RAC Langata with the kudos of being under our wing.
During my trips around the Rotaract clubs looking for potential Rotarians I had also been looking for those who had potential at Rotaract Board level or just the energy, enthusiasm and energy to join ournew club. The criteria wasa wish to remain in Rotaract to enjoy the 'youthful fun' and location wise be working in Nairobi having completed their studies.
I soon came across 20 enthusiastic youngsters under a great leader George Otieno, who subsequently went on to head District Rotaract last year. The club was chartered We spenta great deal of time planning the programme of speakers and activities, mentoring the Board and looking for more recruits. I used the same principle as my Presidency that everything needs to be in place by the January before so you don't have pressure and stress leadingup to the year so you can both enjoy and lead with authority based on a solid foundation.
Ashley Myers PastPresidentRotaryClubof Nairobi Langata
Alan Lunghusen has agreat deal of experience with International projects, having originated and steered through the project for our Club on Kiriwina Island, PNG. This has involved visits to Kiriwina Island for lengths of time to ensure that the major project of installing composting toilets was carried through.
The most recent component of this project involved organising for new batteries to be installed to operate the fans which are essential for comfortable use of these toilets. Alan took on a further role in June 2021, when the Dandenong Ranges Storm Recovery Appeal was set up through RAWCS as Chair of the committee overseeing the appeal. In this role, Alan was instrumental in researching various organisations who were being considered as recipients of the appeal funds, to ensure that
their project fitted within the RAWCS guidelines and that their project would be impactful in the recovery process in the Dandenong Ranges. In addition, Alan has continued tomonitor the progress of eachof the projects and has joined the committee of Treasuring our Trees, one of these recipients.
Alan was recognised at District Changeover for his efforts in this project with an Avenues of Service award, as shown in the photograph above.
Alan has now taken on the role of District 9810 Chair for RAWCS, in which role he can continue to work closely with this valuable arm of Rotary.
In studying great movements, it seems to me that it is with them as it is with individuals the formative period is the early period. The youthful mind is impressionable, the mature mind has become set. As movements get older, they become institutionalized. Tradition hampers the exercise of reason. Conventionalities enter and assume undue importance. Unworthy and irrational features are permitted to continue merely because they have always been. No one cares to disturb precedent even though it may be manifest that its reason, if there was one, no longer exists. The spirit becomes lost in the letter of the law."
PaulHarrisMessagetoConventionChicago1930
Many members in the Districtmay rememberin 2002, the late Ray Adams OAM, a member of the Rotary Club of Emerald and District began a student sponsorship program.
Since the schools humble beginnings to today, the program sponsors over 120 children each year. Tender Foot Selfhelp School was founded in 1996 by Esther Wamai, a former teacher at Mama Ngina Children's Home.
The Tenderfoot Self Help School began with 8 street children being fed, clothed and taught in a corrugated iron shack.
Through the sheer hard work and determination of Esther, now theschool's Principle, Tenderfoot gradually grewinto a functioning primary school for the Kangemi slum children. The school relocatedto a new building and purchased the adjoining property for future expansion funded by donations from agencies around the world.
Past PresidentDavid Grieve from the Rotary Club of Doncaster hasdonated the profits from the self-published business book he recently wrote to the End Polio Now campaign. Amazing! David is always delighted to speak at Rotary Clubs about huis book and its contents. Autograph sessions are by negotiation
Can you Imagine your club earning enough rewards points to receive a brand-newHoodie or Polo shirt with your club’s name embroidered on it? Or maybe you can earn enough points to receive a brand-new Rotary cap, mug, or pen?
Well, it’s now possible for you do just that for your own club. All you need to do is to accumulate enough points and your club can benefit immediately. Your club can begin to visit other clubs, induct new members, invite a District chair to your meeting, allocate someone in your club to become your marketing or public relations chair and you are already earning points. To find out more about the program, just go to the District 9810 website, go to links for members and then scroll down to Rotary Rewards.
We will even have a leader board so you can track how your club is faring. Already several clubs have indicated they are accumulating points because its open to all clubs right now.
So just Imagine what you can do!!!
Iam the child of Migrants, and a Migrant myself, but while my culture isGreek/ Egyptian, and my stomach is that as well - my home and my heart are in the hills of the Dandenong’s.
I have had a truly blessed life -with work that I have been doing for 38 years and that I amstill passionate about. But then I am also passionate about my bees, my super large vegie garden, and the wildlife that I share my 6 acres with – well, except perhaps the deer.
I have a wonderful family of adult children, who turned out alright - all that worrying for nothing, and at last a grandchild, to cherish.
Oh, andRotary. Next year I will celebrate my 20th anniversary as aRotarian, at the Rotary club of Emerald and District-home of this year’s Governor -weloveyouKen .
Come say Hi – at theDistrict Conference in
Ihave been a Rotarian for 23 years with the Rotary club of Templestowe. I have had the privilege of being the President on 3 occasions and also being involved with District 9810 committees on Vocation, Conference, Primary School Speech contests, and as an AG.
I have now retired asa dentist after spending 47 years looking into oral cavities. I am now a presenter on radio station 96.5 Inner FMand run two radio programs a week. One is called weekday wellness and the other program is all about ballroom dance music.
Apart from that, I am involved with the local church, other volunteer organisations and with family and grandchildren.
I am looking forward to being a Co MC at
Ten years on from its inception, Social Help Endeavour in Bangladesh (SHEBA), is a remarkable success story and a satisfying project with which the Rotary Club of Rowville Lysterfield has been involved from the beginning.
SHEBA is steered from Australia by Dr Ahmed Sharif, now a member of the Rotary Club of Rowville Lysterfield. The initial goal was to provide primary health care to people living in a remote area of Bangladesh with a small clinic and part time health workers. In a recent update, Dr Sharif reported there are now five clinics, threefixed and two mobile ones.
Around 35,000 people are served by these clinics and the range of services is impressive. An emphasis on screening for common diseases has obvious benefits, as well as health education in aspects such as contraception, breast selfexamination and symptoms to look for with various cancers. SHEBA has also developeda program of sewing training for women in the area who need a source of income and, although in its early days yet, is proving effective for those involved.
The Rotary Club of Rowville Lysterfield has been happy to provide financial support to this program as it meets a numberof criteria for an international project of merit. Firstly, the program is monitored closely by Dr Sharif and his colleagues in Bangladesh. Even during COVID there were frequent zoom meetings and there is a requirement for regular reporting from the staff on the ground. Dr Sharif himself visits Bangladesh and the area where SHEBA operates on a regular basis. In addition, SHEBA is now a registered charity for tax-deductibility, andit has met all the reporting requirements of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (ACNC). Secondly, the services offered are providedwith a small charge (around $1.67 for a consultation) to those who can afford to pay; those who are unable to pay receive the services free. Payment for consultation provides a degree of income which helps support the programand this should increase in the post- COVID environment. This aspect will help ensure longevity of the program in the future.
Thirdly, as the program has grown it has been responsive to changes in the community. For instance, as roads have improved, patients have been able to come to the clinic rather than needing home visits, and the service has expanded to the nearby township. The program also seeks and responds to feedback from the communities it serves by holding yard meetings. Lastly, the amount of money provided in Australian dollars can go a long way when converted into Bangladeshi currency.
At a recent SHEBA fundraising event, an eminent member of the Bangladeshi community, noted in his keynote address thatit is unfortunate that basic health care, which should be the domain of Government, is not available to many in Bangladesh. We can feel proud that SHEBA, with the support of Rotary, is able to step up and provide this most basic human requirement.
JennyMoran ProgramCommitteeandNewslettereditor RotaryClubofRowvilleLysterfield
Frida is a survivor of the 1994 RwandaGenocide against the Tutsis. She was only 14 years old when her entire family was killed and she was buried alive alongside 15 members of her family, only to be rescued by a Hutu young man who worked for her family.
Now married to Rob van der Zaag, the couple has 7 children between them. Frida graduated from Bowling Green State University Firelands Campus in the State of Ohio USA with a bachelor’s degree of Arts in Communication.
Speaking internationally and locally, Frida has shared her story of a miraculous survival, God’s grace, the power of forgiveness, inner healing and resilience in many countries the countries of Africa, Europe, America and Australia. Frida is also a frequent speaker at high schools, Universities, Churches, organisations and women groups.
During 2013, Frida shared her story in the Chapel at Wheaton College in Chicago, IL.This also includes the UN Headquarters in New York during the 2016 Annual Commemoration of the Rwanda Genocide against theTutsis where Frida shared her story. And 2019, Frida shared her Memorial de la SHOAH in Paris, Melbourne Jewish
Each year for the last five years or so, Rotary club membersfrom the outer east have been helping salvage unwanted playgrounds to recycle and send overseas. And the most recent collection has just been bundled into a shipping container in Kilsyth South ready to send across the ocean to a small island off the coast off India.
“In this shipment we have put 14 playgrounds and then one spare swing set, so it’s about 770 pieces all together,” Rotary Overseas Relocated Playgrounds Project (RORP) Coordinator Bob Allardice said.
“So these are being sent to the Rotary Club of Port Blair, in the Andaman Islands on the east coast of India.”
Every year Mr Allardice said local councils replace about five percent of their playground stocks, soinstead of them going to landfill, Rotary haspartnered with many councils to collect unwanted equipment to be reused in disadvantaged countries.
“In Victoria it’s probably over 170 that we’ve harvested and we have actually shipped 149 of those and we’ve sent them to places like East Timor, two containers to Fiji this year, the one in India now.
“A couple of years ago, we sent a couple of containers to Nepal so we sent 10 playgrounds there and we even sent one playground early in the scheme to Tanzania, in Africa. We’ve sent them all over the place.”
While some people have been lucky enough to travel to these countries to visit the locations where playgrounds have been reinstalled in villages and towns, Mr Allardice said he hopes to travel to Fiji next year both as a holiday and to witness the rescued playgrounds in the flesh.
In themeantime, videos and photos of the children enjoying thenew play equipment has to suffice.
Thinking ahead to next year, Mr Allardice said RORP already has at least 20 playgrounds
which will need harvesting prior to June that will eventually be sentsomewhere overseas.
Combining efforts everywhere from Whitehorse, Yarra Ranges, Darebin, Cardinia, Casey, Mornington and council areas down towards Geelong, many Rotarians from across the state are working to reduce unnecessary landfill waste for the benefit of children.
“We’re all there to help the kids who are less fortunate than our kids. I know there are kids in Australia that are lessfortunate as well but they’ve got access to reasonable resources most of the time, oneway or the other. Overseas, they certainly don’t,” Mr Allardice said.
“This is a way of bringing joy and education and community spirit to places overseas. So it’s a very worthwhile course.
“We hope to show what Rotary can and does do and encourage people to join Rotary to further the aims of it and have a lot of fun.”
ByMikaylavanLoonReprintedfromLilydaleStarMail29/11/2022.
In November 2022 a rural health clinic was officially opened in a rural community in Zimbabwe south of Bulawayo near the Botswana border. Theproject was the initiative of the RC of Borken in Germany from a need identified back in 2016. Local residents had to walk up to 20 kms to attend the nearest medical clinic. The opening marked the successful completion of a global grant project by RCs Borkenand Bulawayo South. The project involved three further Rotary Clubs, RC of Plumtreein Zimbabwe, the Doncaster Club in Melbourne who receiveda District Grant to assist in the cost of transporting a container of medical equipment from the DIK Warehouse in Footscray, the RotaryClub of Alresford in England in paying for the land freight component and the RC of Plumtree which is the closest Rotary Club to Gambu.
Former Doncaster Club President Niranjan Ramjee who immigrated from Bulawayo in 2001, was quoted as saying: “This is a great example of the power of Rotary with five Rotary Club’s from four different countries coming together to truly make a positive difference to others lives who are less fortunate than ourselves”.
Gambu Rural Health Clinic
Together with the local RC Bulawayo South and the local health authorities, the RC of Borken project raised$215,000 to support the training of nurses inGermany and to equip the clinic with medical equipment. The new clinic was not only qualified for general medical, outpatient treatment, but also asa centre for obstetrics and baby care, dental treatment and ENT medicine. In addition, infrastructure for the storage of medicines and for the supply ofenergy and internet via satellite could be created. A high-quality Internet connection enables, for example, telemedical support and further training of employees via Zoom from Germany.
At the ceremonial handover of the clinic to the people of Gambu, thelocal chief, an employee of the health authority and spokesman for the local population, acknowledged the commitment of the initiator and the Rotary Clubs. The health minister and deputy prime minister were personally present atthe opening.
Every day, 40-50 patients are treated for minor or severe injuries, respiratory diseases or childhood illnessesor were advised, for example, onHIV medication, birth control or pregnancy. The Gambu Rural Health Centre is a successful project of the global Rotary ActionGroup for Reproductive Maternal and ChildHealth.
In December 2019, members of Doncaster Club helped select and loadmedical equipment and consumables plus secondhand children’s books and school desks into a 20’ container at the DIK (Donations in Kind) warehouse in West Footscray.
The books and desks were for a library in a community centre inBulawayo. Since 2013 the Club has been working with the RC of Bulawayo South to support the education of
AIDS orphans through scholarships, books for the small community library and school materials. The community centre is where the AIDS orphans meet each week to do their homework, engage incultural and social activities and read library books in a safe environment. Doncaster Club received a District Grant to assist in the cost of transporting the container from Australia to Zimbabwe.
PastPresidentDavidGrieve RotaryClubofDoncaster
Gayle, Emma, Catherine and I (The Spangles) had the pleasure ofmeeting a lovely gentlemen, called Jack Cooper at the District Conference Launch last year – Jack was just about to celebrate his 92nd birthday, and we were all so impressed with his sparky blueeyes, his lovely smile, and his genuine interest in what was happening atConference in Canberra next year. You see Jack Cooper has been to 50 conferences in his 51 years as a Rotarian. The only one he missed was in Launceston back in 1977, he had just arrived home from a skiing trip in Austria. This year will be Jack’s 51stconference -which has to be some kind of a record. Jack is a charter member of the Rotary Club of Mordialloc, his club was chartered in 1971 and over the years Jack has chaired every clubcommittee, and worked on every major club project. And every year he has attended the District Conference, and when I asked him them, the speakers the atmosphere, the gathering of a group of like minded people with a passion for helping others” asJack has over many years. When Jack’s club of Mordialloc were chairing the Conference, back in 1992, they had it in Canberra, dinner was atthe old great hall, that year, there was also a World Conference in Melbourne. You see the similarities! It seems that Jack’s attitude is that attending Conference is a part of being a Rotarian. You go, you support your club and Rotary in general, and along the way you learn about what is happening in your district, and of course you have a lot of fun. Jack Cooper is truly an inspiration to all Rotarians, and we look forw him at his 51st Rotary Conference in Canberra, in March 2023, along with his lovely wife Glenys.
iving in Australia, you think a lot about water. When you travel to the nation’s vast interior, the Outback, you can’t help but wonder howsuch an arid climate has supported life for millennia. There, each sip of water feels precious.
Each sip seems to get more precious by the day as climate change continues to impact water supply everywhere. Where Juliet and I live, on the temperate coastnot farfrom Melbourne, I remember times not long ago when water supplies were so low that severe usage restrictions were put into place. We now live on rainwaterthat falls onto our roof and is collected in a tank. In many parts of the world, people don’t have that luxury.
Water is essential for life no matter where we live. Yet many of us take it for granted. Think of all the times today you turned on the tap. About 1 in 4 people in the world have quite a different experience when they do if they have a tap at all. Today, 2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, according to the United Nations. It is heartbreaking that each year, about 300,000 children under age 5 die from diarrheal diseases caused by poor sanitation, poor hygiene, or unsafe drinking water all preventable circumstances.
LThis is where Rotary comes in. Through your support, The Rotary Foundation provides water and sanitation for countless communities around the globe.
Foundation global grants have ranged from providing toilets andhygiene education for villages in the Philippines to building infrastructure for year-round access to safe, affordable drinking water in Brazil.
The water and sanitation problems that we face are too great for any of us to solve alone. But whether we work with global grant partner districts across the world or with large agencies such as USAID, we are making a difference.
When thinking of teaming up to provide safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene, rememberthat one of our greatest partners is right here within the family of Rotary: Rotaract.
Effective this Rotary year, Rotaract clubs may apply for global grants. I encourage Rotary and Rotaract clubs towork together on existing grants and for Rotary clubs to support grants sponsored by Rotaract clubs. Together, Rotary and Rotaract clubs are going to take the power of the Foundation to a new level.
The Rotary Foundation has more potential than ever to make a difference in the water and sanitation challenges we all face, thanks to your generous support..
IanRiseleyAM TrusteeChair2022-23
PublishedinLilydaleStarNewspaperon02/03/2023
ByMikaylavanLoonThe Rotary Club of Lilydale (RCL) was able to say thank youthis week to all the people involved in its 2022 Wishing Tree project that helped provide hundreds gifts to children in need.
At its regular meeting on Tuesday 28 February, RCL hosted a number of guests from the businesses who gathered gifts to present them with certificates of appreciation.
“Local businesses, organisations and club members, all came together to make this project so very successful. Rotary Lilydale could not have achieved such a wonderful outcome without such collaborative support,” RCL president Jenny Selway said.
“The generosity of everybody resulted in 1000 Christmas gifts being donated and $1,930 worth of gift cards being donated. A wonderful result I’m sure you will agree and it was way beyond anybody’s expectations.”
As two of the receiving organisations, Anchor and Yarra Ranges Proactive Policing Unit were extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to meet and thank the people who made the young people’s lives they support all the more bright.
“Whathappened latelast year with the Giving Tree was something we hadn’t seen at Anchor in all those many years,” Anchor CEO Heidi Tucker said.
“I think what people don’t realise is people who are homeless or are disadvantagedfeel like they’re left behind, they feel like no cares much about them and by receiving these gifts and us throwing them a party, those people…really felt as though people cared about them.”
With around 60 families in transitional housing and as the responsible body for homelessness in the Yarra Ranges, Anchor Youth and Homelessness Services managerPeter Dinsdale said while a beautiful part of the east, there is also a lot of disadvantage in the region.
“Christmas is normally the reminder [of a time when families were happy or together] so it’s a particularly hard time but when we can do this and give
presents, it just makes sure they’re not the ones missing out,” hesaid.
For Yarra Ranges Crime Prevention Officer, Leading Senior Constable LindaHancock getting to take the presents to young people who mighthave had a negative experience with police was really great.
“They don’t always want to open the door when they see police in uniform but when you’re carrying a bigbox of toys, we were very welcome and they were very grateful, ‘oh police are doing this’. So that was nice for us,” she said.
Because many of theschools were closed by the time Linda received the vouchers, she began handing them out lastweek to 11 local schools.
“We’re just about to finish doing thatand just arriving at the school and explaining the project and why we’re there, the smiles and how grateful [they are] and [the] ‘this is fantastic, you’ve thought of us’.”
This recently completed project involved sending A$6000 to the Rotary Club of Taveuni to disburse via their existing AssistanceProject(Secondary Student Scholarship Project) to supply school supplies to students in need as a result of financial hardship caused by Cyclone Yasa (December 2020) and Cyclone Anna (January 2021), and more recently the COVID pandemic.
The Rotary Club of Wandin applied and was approved for a Foundation Grant to cover half the cost of this project. The Rotary Clubs of Wandin and Boronia each supplied one quarter of the remaining monies necessary. Wandin Rotary raised money via a film night screening the latest James Bond film; a great night was enjoyed by the many Rotarians and Friends attending. Boronia Rotary sought a number of public donations and conducted Club events to raise the money.
Forty families were chosen as beneficiaries of this part of the overall project. Each family had to complete an application form, attend an in-person interview, supply evidence of past school achievements and basically agree to support their child in the coming year of study. Each child agreed to attend school and do their very best to make the Rotary contribution worthwhile.
The local school Head Teachers and staff provided the Rotary Club with general information about students and
for assistance.
It is recognised by many worldwide relief and support organisations that EDUCATION is the only sustainable way to overcome and escape poverty in third world countries with their very rural subsistence living conditions. The benefits of this project are that some 40 children will receive a secondary year of education in 2022 and thus commence and continue their path to a better future.
Cyclone Yasa (December 2020) and Cyclone Anna (January 2021) devastated the food and Kava crops on Taveuni Island; as a consequence, the income of the farming families was reduced to ZERO. The selling of food and Kava returns cash to the island, thereby providing families with the ability to live and send their children to school. Of particular note is Secondary School where uniforms and materials must be provided by the families or the student cannot attend.
A small amount of cash continued to come into the island from family members working in hospitality roles on the main island Viti Levu. However, following on the heal of the cyclones, the COVID pandemic struck the islands. In response, Fiji closed its borders and the
Taveuni(pronounced[tāhvéuni])isthethird-largestislandinFiji,afterVitiLevuandVanuaLevu,witha totallandareaof434squarekilometres(168squaremiles).Thecigar-shapedisland,amassiveshield volcanowhichrisesfromthefloorofthePacificOcean,issituated6.5kilometres(4.0miles)totheeast ofVanuaLevu,acrosstheSomosomoStrait.ItbelongstotheVanuaLevuGroupofislandsandispartof Fiji'sCakaudroveProvincewithintheNorthernDivision.
Theislandhadapopulationofaround19,000,some75percentofthemindigenousFijians,atthe2015 census.Taveunihasabundantfloraandisknownasthe'GardenIslandofFiji'.Itisapopulartourist destination.Touristsareattractedtotheexcellentdivingopportunities,prolificbirdlife,bushwalksand waterfalls.Centralpartsoftheislandreceiveveryhighrainfallrates.BeingvolcanicinoriginTaveuni's soilshavesupportedtheisland'smosthistoricallysignificantindustry,agriculture.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taveuni
need for hospitality workers ceased. Family members from the outer islands were thus out of work and the only way to survive was to quickly return to Taveuni island and live with their families; again, no cash was coming in.
as planned, albeit some 12 months later that we would have liked. COVID did delay the project but the expected results have now been fully achieved.
Thephotosshowthreeveryhappystudentsand averyhappyMum collectingsomeof theirmaterialsforthe newschoolyear.
The next shock was schools closing for the best part of 2021. Many of the larger schools were converted into quarantine facilities for those returning to Taveuni. As a consequence, 2021 was the “year from hell” for school children on Taveuni. No facilities exist for remote learning and the year passed with little to no ability to facilitate student learning. The support project was delayed whilst Rotary ensured that once learning commenced the right students had the assistance they needed to be able to continue.
The good news is that on 11th April 2022 all schools on Taveuni Island commenced their 2022 year. Rotary has thus been able to finalise the project and 40 recipients have returned to school
Ongoing Taveuni Island School AssistanceProject
Following three cyclones and now COVID restrictions and infections, the families on Taveuni Island are struggling with loss of family incomes. It is a real crisis for many families to afford to send their children to secondary school, to afford the cost for books and uniforms, etc.
Photo by Janis Rozenfelds on Unsplash
Since 1997/1998 Rotary Shine On ceremonies have been held in Victoria. We recognize the outstanding community service by people with disabilities, who, by their actions and achievements, serve as ‘Shining Examples’ in our community. These ceremonies focus on the abilities of nominees, not their disabilities.
On Saturday May 13, we held our 2023 ceremony atTemplestowe Baptist Church attended by about 80 people. On behalf of the RI Shine on Recognition committee, we extend our sincere thanks to the MC, Past DG 9820, Janet McCahon, Councillor Deidre Diamante, Mayor of Manningham City Council and the Federal member for Menzies, Rt. Hon. Keith Wolahan for their contributions to the day.
We also acknowledge, with sincere thanks, the ongoing (over 10 years) Shine On sponsorship by the Ringwood Boronia and Bayswater branches of the Bendigo Bank, represented by the Regional Manager, Natalie Goold and other team members, Brian McPhail, and Wayne Leslie.
An enjoyable musicalinterlude included the Laughing All Abilities Really Friendly Singers
Recognition of the nominees then proceeded with 10 nominations, of which eight came from District 9810, one from District 9790 (Finley NSW) and one from District 9820 (Morwell). Of
Trophies and Awardsdetermined by our expert panel, Jeanette Robertson, Angela Walland Dr. David Price (thanks very much!) were presented to the following nominees:
Adult Higher Recognition Trophy – Jonathan Zygorodimos (Jono)
Dawn and Jack Watson Youth Trophy -Brenton Ponza and Inaugural Graham Thomson Encouragement Award – Perri Bastian
Thank you to our Sponsors.
Without their generous support we would not be able to run this Conference. Please support them.
