IMAGINE What your ROTARY can be - May 2023 edition

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Feature in RDU magazine about District 9790 projects

In the April edition our district had a 24 page feature in the Rotary Down Under magazine. This was a magnificent showcase of many of the fantastic projects undertaken around the district by clubs. If you haven’t yet read it then I urge you to have a look. You can access it at https://epubs.media/rotarydownunder/ezine/2023/659/

Thank you so much to all the clubs that assisted RDU journalist Anne Matthews with the creation of these stories and all those that helped behind the scenes to get this happening. It really highlights the fact that the clubs in this district are doing many wonderful things.

Twon Hall Clock, Deniliquin

ROTARY FOUNDATION DISASTER RESPONSE GRANTS: quick, simple and effective

Photo credits: Cover: RDU magazine and David Redfearn; Page 2: David Redfearn; Pages 3-7: supplied by David McPherson; Pages 8-9: supplied by Ellie Stevens; Page 10: supplied by David McPherson; Page 12: Daniel Webb, Shepparton News; Page 16: supplied by Linda Gidlund

DG David's Report

Charter and anniversary celebrations

Since the last newsletter there has been lots of Charter and anniversary celebrations which is a wonderful thing to see as it enhances comradery within the club. We all know that a club that has fun together sticks together. Members are more likely to stay as members if they are enjoying their time within their club. There should be more of them.

Nathalia 60th Charter celebration.

On 15th April I had the privilege of attending the 60th Charter celebration of the Nathalia Rotary club.

Also on that night it was a great privilege to recognize and celebrate Ray Butler for his 60 years of service to the Nathalia club and to Rotary with a letter from RI President Jennifer Jones. What a fantastic effort.

To make it an even more special night I was asked to induct two new members to their club. This will be a welcome boost to a small club.

Ray Butler with his 60 year certificate

Inducting Anne-Maree Houston and Graeme Thompson as new members of the RC Nathalia

Eltham 50th Charter celebrations

Eltham Rotary club celebrated their 50th Charter anniversary with a very well attended function on 21st April.

Rotary club of Hive Australia Charter Dinner

It is not very often that a DG gets to charter a new club. This happened on 21st April with the charter dinner of the Rotary club of Hive Australia.

Not all members were able to be present but this new club brings 18 people to Rotary that are new to Rotary. A great boost to our district and I am sure they will do great things for their community.

RC Eltham members

Some of the RC Hive Australia members at their Charter dinner

Co-Presidents Rob Kilcullen and Mike Englefield cutting the cake

AG Judy Sharp presenting the Charter anniversary certificate.

Judy Sharp presenting Lou Bolzonello with 30 year certificate

DG David's Report

Albury-Wodonga Sunrise 10th Charter celebration

On 22nd April the Albury -Wodonga Sunrise Rotary club celebrated their 10th charter anniversary with a great luncheon at La Maison in Wodonga. This is their usual meeting venue and it certainly helps that they have the owner of the establishment is one of their members!

I am sure this club will continue doing great things for their community for many years to come.

Albury North 60th Charter celebrations

The night feature not only the presentation of the certificate of recognition but also two PHF presentations and a performance by the clubs very own choir doing renditions of well known songs from 60 years ago!

RC Albury-Wodonga Sunrise

RC Albury North 60th Charter celebrations

Immediate Past President Ann Hargreaves being presented with the charter celebration certificate.

Part of the Albury North Choir

DG David's Report

Peter Peyton and Wayne O’Neil RC Preston

On 3rd May the Rotary club of Preston celebrated 50 years or service by Peter Peyton and 30 for Wayne O’Neil. The club went to a lot of effort with tributes from various people. There was also a very lavish cake enjoyed by all.

Volunteers’ week 15-21st May

As part of Volunteers week I attended a Volunteers Expo put on at Deniliquin by the Local Heath Advisory Committee.

This event was well attended and provided a great opportunity to showcase Rotary to the Deniliquin Community and show that we do more than just cook great sausages

Peter Peyton 50 years and Wayne O'Neil and 30 years celebration

RC Preston members

The Deniliquin Volunteering Expo.

Ian Goodway and DG David and the Volunteering Expo

DG David's Report

May is Rotary International Youth Services Month

Rotary believes in developing the next generation of leaders. Our programs help younger leaders build leadership skills, expand education and learn the value of service.

There are many youth programs that a club can get involved in. Youth Exchange, RYLA, RYPEN, MUNA, NYSF as well as many others.

As part of this months RI Convention there is a sail training vessel taking a number of students from our district, sponsored by our clubs, on a voyage from Adelaide to Melbourne. This is a great opportunity that hasn’t in the past been offered. There is in addition also the sail training vessel Windward Bound that offers similar voyages for youth.

The youth of our communities are our future and so it is important that Rotary offers opportunities for our youth to develop which will in turn help make our communities and society overall a much better place.

Expand your horizons through volunteering.

National Volunteer week is a perfect time to say thank you to all our wonderful community volunteers and hopefully inspire others to spare some time in their busy lives. Cobram Rotary Club is a volunteer organisation made up of like-minded members who enjoy being part of a group that “gives back “to their community in some meaningful way.

Many community, not for profit organisations struggle to attract volunteers to support the work they do, and it was one of the reasons our Club organised a Community Expo a few weeks ago. With over 60 stalls displaying information about services, employment opportunities, courses, health checks and the very popular art and craft it was an overwhelming success.

We have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback, particularly from many of our stallholders who successfully raised their profiles and received a lot of interest in joining their groups or participating in upcoming events, course and ‘come and try it days’.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is one example of a group who attracted new volunteer drivers as it expands it footprint in the region. Some of our local sporting groups also welcomed new

members to the Cobram Croquet Club and Strathmerton Golf Club.

The vast array of children’s activities including the very popular face painting was draw card, along with a free sausage and coffee. We were entertained by young musicians from Freeza, Rock and roll dancers, our local Pipe band led by our local Rotarian Bill Tom, and the newer members of our community the Solomon Islanders who added something special with their singing.

Displays from the SES and CFA were a highlight along with First Aid demonstrations and Canoe club with their rowing machine.Many residents were amazed at what our community has to offer and the networking between groups proved to be invaluable.

We wish to acknowledge the support from the Moira Shire and the support from all those groups who came along to be part of this event. Without your participation it would not have been the success it was.

Expand your horizons through volunteering.

At Rotary we believe that volunteering brings great rewards. We feel part of the community, and this brings a great sense of satisfaction and joy. We get to share our skills, work as a team, and learn from others, and this makes our club much more effective and vibrant.

Research has also found that by meeting new people, having a broader social network and getting involved increases confidence and wellbeing.

Our Club supports the principles of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and we would love to welcome community members from all walks of life, experiences and culture.

We are a very diverse group and come from many different backgrounds. What we have in common is a passion for having fun, working together to support our community, and provide opportunities to grow and learn.

Our next major event for the year is hosting the Cobram Swap Meet and Shannon’s Show ‘n Shine. This year will be our 15th event and profits return to our local community where we support a range of projects with a particular passion for supporting our local youth.

Each year Cobram Rotary are proud to support young people with sponsorship to attend science and leadership conferences. We also support local schools with their end of year awards recognising those students who have excelled academically and also those who have shown to have great integrity and contributed to school community more broadly. We host an annual Australia Day event and support the ANZAC day commemorations at the Cobram Civic Centre.

When you join Rotary, you join a group of people who enjoy great friendship and loyalty. We look forward to welcoming new members at anytime and should you have any questions or wish to attend one of our upcoming meetings please contact James Cornish on 0418 101 930 or Kate Jamieson 0421 918 454 or email cobramrotary@gmail.com

Ellie Stephens. Cobram Rotary

Shine On Recognitions 2023

The Shine On Recognition Presentation Ceremony is held annually, usually in April/May. The host of the ceremony is rotated every year to all Districts involved.

This year’s event, hosted by D9820, was held on Saturday May 13th at the Templestowe Baptist Church, an impressive venue that provided an excellent site for the event.

Shine On Presentations focus on the abilities of nominees, not their disabilities. At the Ceremony, each nominee received a Certificate of Commendation, and a select number of outstanding nominees (chosen by an independent expert panel) received a higher recognition for their contributions.

This year ten people were nominated by their local Rotary Clubs to acknowledge the contributions the nominees have made to their communities. Each Award recipient was introduced, with their achievements and interests highlighted by the D9820 PDG Janet McCahon, the MC for the day.

As a number of the recipients and family members had travelled some distance to the event, it started with a light lunch, giving both Rotarians and community members a chance to catch up and relax.

One of the guest speakers was D9790 District Governor Nominee Designate Emma Davis, with her beautiful trainee Guide Dog, Idle. Emma introduced Idle, spoke a little about his training, then reinforced the Rotary message of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, which is such an integral part of the Shine On philosophy.

Thanks to the Rotary Club of Finley (D9790) who nominated the Mayor of Berrigan Shire, Matt Hannan. His citation in the booklet read:

Matt has shown his local community that a disability such as being a complete paraplegic is no barrier to a commitment to assist his community in many ways. Matt has been a Councillor in Berrigan Shire for fifteen

years and has served as Mayor for eight years. Matt is highly regarded and his dedication to advocate for his community by serving in local Council makes him a role model for all.

Matt is also a keen athlete and maintains his fitness to play Wheelchair AFL representing NSW, Disability State Bowls for Victoria and he was an FBC Men’s Bowls Pairs Champion. Matt inspires others as he is a member of the Finley Community Gym, the Finley Bowling Club and the Finley Cricket Club. He also participates in many community projects

The presentations concluded with a few words from Mr. Barry Halpern, Chair of the RI Southern Districts Shine On Committee.

It is a great honour to be involved in such an empowering Rotary project and we look forward to seeing the continued success of the program in the coming years. Special thanks go out to all members of the Shine On Committee for their energy, passion and dedication each year. They are a major part of the reason for the continued success of this extraordinary recognition activity.

These Shine On Recognitions are a team effort and, as the chair of the Multi District team, I’m delighted to report that it’s a wonderful committee to be involved with. We will be looking for some other Rotarians to join our committee in the coming years.

Please remember that nominations for next year’s recognitions will begin again in September 2023. Look out for the opening announcements on our Facebook page.

If you would like to know more about our organisation, please visit our websitewww.rotarydownunder.com.au

You can also follow ‘Shine On’ on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shineonsd

Matthew Hannon Mayor of Berrigan Shire Council with Emma Davis from RC Moreland

Emma Davis was guest speaker at this year’s Shine On awards

BOOKINGS CLOSE ON SATURDAY 27 MAY. BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

ROTARY FOUNDATION DISASTER RESPONSE GRANTS: quick, simple and effective

As the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic began to recede and life began to return to some sort of normality, our world didn’t escape further challenges. Cyclone, hurricane, earthquake, flood and bushfire have wreaked havoc and destruction around the world. Further compounding the situation has been the ongoing crisis that is the invasion of Ukraine by Russia sixteen months ago.

In response to these disasters, the Trustees of the Rotary Foundation set up a new fund, the Disaster Response Fund. This Fund allows Rotarians to respond swiftly and effectively, by bringing relief and hope to individuals and communities affected by disaster. As past Rotary Foundation Trustee Mary Beth Growney Selene has said: “Historically, Rotary has struggled in our role to address immediate needs after disasters. We are not a relief organization. Our clubs are better equipped for long-term recovery”.

District 9790 has successfully applied for two Disaster Response Grants this Rotary year. As readers will be aware, the first of these was in September last year when an application was submitted for USD $4090 to support the transport and delivery of AUD $70,000 worth of furniture to the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales in the aftermath of the Lismore floods. Within a week of the application being submitted and the funds received, the furniture was delivered to the affected area where the furniture was delivered to local resilience groups for distribution to affected families. Quick, simple and effective.

Closer to home, parts of District 9790 were severely impacted by the Goulburn floods of October-November 2022. Those most towns and communities most severely affected were Seymour, Shepparton and Mooroopna although other areas did not escape the impact. As a result of working closely with the local government councils as well as response and relief agencies, the Rotary Club of Shepparton South proposed a USD $25,000 project to assist affected families with the issuing of a USD $335 (or the equivalent in AUD) of grocery debit cards to be spent locally. This would relieve the financial burden on flood affected families.

The application was submitted and within fortyeight (48) hours, the grant application was approved and days later the grant money was deposited into our District bank account for the implementation of the project. Quick, simple and effective.

The disasters of the past eighteen months or so have seen the Fund become extremely popular. In 2021-22, there were 228 grants approved worth USD $7.9m. To 21 April this year, 280 grants have been approved worth USD $13.1 million.

Neither a District nor a Club is required to commit any funds to the project. But as the Fund is utilised and accessed by Districts, it is imperative that the Fund is replenished though contributions from Clubs and/or Districts. We all hope that the number of disasters occurring around the world requiring assistance from The Rotary Foundation decreases. It’s unlikely they will.

Inaugural Rotary Youth Challenge Sailing Program

The One & All Sail Training Vessel arrives at Berth C06 on Thursday, 25 May at 15:00 (3 pm), City of Melbourne Marina, Docklands. Beginning at 15:30 (3:30 pm) the ceremonial photos will be taken and then parents/ guardians will be invited to come on board to view the ship.

The event finishes at 16:30 (4:30 pm) and then the One & All begins providing voyages for Rotarians during the Rotary International Convention. Following the convention the second Sail Training Vessel voyage begins with young people sailing from Melbourne to Adelaide.

Rotary Holbrook Sailors -

Left to right - Tadig Scholz, Nikita Stevenson and Oscar Preston

The Windward Bound

YouthNews

YouthProgamsContacts

International University Student

Rotary Home Hosting – Philip Clancy, M 0428 834 162, Email: philip.clancy1@gmail.com

Interact – Linda Gidlund, M 0418 173 279, Email: lleegidlund@gmail.com

District Rotaract Representative –

Elliot Silcock, M 0483 041 905, Email drr.9790@rotaract.org.au

National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) – Nigel Liggins, M 0400 694 618, Email: nigelliggins@bigpond.com

Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) –

Meredith Miegel, M 0417 246 546, Email: chairperson@rye9790.org.au

Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) – Kerry Jones, Secretary M 0414 861 557, Email: info@ryla9790.org.au

Rotary Youth Program of ENrichment (RYPEN) – Contact Malcolm Watt, M 0439 158 274, Email: watt.malc@gmail.com or rypen@rotary9790.org.au

Rotex – Contact Rotex by email: rotex9790@gmail.com, see the Rotex District 9790 Facebook page.

Albury North - Rotary Youth Program of ENrichment (RYPEN) –Contact Warwick Tasker, M 0439 158 274, Email RYPEN Coordinator M 0408 052 386, Email warnel@bigpond.com

Youth Volunteer ManagementContact Bruce McIntyre, M 0427 623 142, Email bruce.mcintyre1@bigpond.com

If you would like further information please contact Linda Gidlund on 0418 173 279 or lleegidlund@gmail.com

ryea.org.au/host-family-application/

Calendar of events

ROTARY CALENDAR

Visit this calendar throughout the year to find award nomination due dates and convention and event information. Develop meeting agendas, projects, or public image campaigns based on these special occasions. All dates are subject to change.

May 2023 Youth Service Month

June 2023 Rotary Fellowships Month

27-31 May — Rotary International Convention, Melbourne, Australia

30 June — Rotary

Citation for Rotary Clubs Award nominations are due

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