Rotarians on new member drive
Author visits playgroup
Alan Wilson, Paulette Steele, Greg Williams, Jo Brooker-Clarke, president elect Sheryl Gregory and Phillip Stark ready to cut the club’s 60th anniversary cake The Rotary Club of Maleny turns 60 this month and is keen to attract new members to help the organisation continue delivering quality projects and financial support for the community’s benefit well into the future. President Alan Wilson said the club held its first meeting at the Maleny Hotel in 1959 and over the decades had been involved in or sponsored a diverse range of community projects. The club’s first project was the creation and the initial maintenance of the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, Mr Wilson said. In the past five years the club has provided about $50,000 worth of annual grants to local community groups financed by volunteer activities at the Maleny Show, Wood Expo, Australia Day Expo and the Christmas Street Carnival, and profits from the production and sale of an annual calendar. Mr Wilson said the club aimed to be just as successful over the next 60 years. “To help us achieve this goal we really want to harness the creativity of as broad a range of people as possible while increasing the size and diversity of
our membership to better reflect the community we serve,” he said. “There was a common misconception that Rotary was an insular old men’s club, when nothing could be further from the truth because we welcome new members over the age of 18 from all backgrounds and approximately a quarter of the club’s 27 members are female. “If you have an urge to help your local community by being involved in a project or a specific cause close to your heart or you have skills to help the club reach its goals, Rotary may just be the answer,” Mr Wilson said. “The club also provides an excellent avenue for networking and opportunities to enhance personal growth and development through the cultivation of social, public speaking and leadership skills. Enjoying the friendship of people who want to give back to the community and fun social events are a bonus.” Membership enquiries can be made to Phillip Stark on 0434 998 381 or email the secretary at secretary.maleny@rotary9600.org.
Contributed by Natasha Odgers Mooloolah Valley Playgroup was all about emotional awareness last week with guest author Samantha Starshine. You may remember Samantha, a local University of the Sunshine Coast graduate, featured on the front page of the GC&M News late last year launching her self-published children’s book ‘Annie Ant’s Awareness’. First the kids enjoyed some movement exercises to connect them with the wisdom of their bodies. Next, they all sat engaged while Samantha read her creative rhyming storybook, the first in its ABC series ‘The Awareness Boosting Collection’. The little ones loved the opportunity to recognise and express their emotions with the group. Parents and children were also shown some educational guides on developing resilience and emotional intelligence. There is more information for anyone interested at www.samanthastarshine.com. Mooloolah Valley Playgroup is on every Wednesday from 9.30-11am during school terms at the Before and After School Care building, King Road (next to the pool), Mooloolah. Cost is $2 per child and all are welcome.
Friends of Mary Cairncross Association
and e c i v r e s ’ s r yea 0 6 g n i t a r ture u f e Celeb h t r o f ip h s r e b m e m building • Are you interested in helping your local community? • Want to support local youth and organisations like the Maleny Hospital and Neighbourhood Centre? • Enjoy developing new friendships with like-minded people? • Need freedom to vary your commitment level and involvement in projects, meetings & social events?
Yes, then why not join the Rotary Club of Maleny?
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For more information call Phillip Stark on P 0434 998 381 or email the secretary AD I S ROUD at secretary.maleny@rotary9600.org.
With Charne Turner Currently on display at the Discovery Centre as part of the theme ‘Biodiversity - that’s life’ are the results from the recent four-day BioBlitz held at the reserve. Exhibits at the centre include some of the impressive art work produced by the eight participating artists, and information about the scientists and their projects. Although some of the scientific results were immediately known, many of the specimens collected will need weeks or months of study in the laboratory to be identified. One immediate result from a night mist-netting survey was the capture of an eastern blossom bat, which was a previously unrecorded species at Mary Cairncross. A survey of the ground around each of the five research trees revealed 80-87 different botanical species with between 514 and 1,136 individual plants growing within the drip line of each tree. The BioBlitz was funded by gold coin donations from visitors and a full report on the outcomes will be available in June. Microphones installed in the canopy during the BioBlitz are still live-streaming audio across the internet. Mary Cairncross is the first Australian site to be included in the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology, joining sites from around the world. The audio can be accessed at any time via http://locusonus.org/soundmap/051/. Friends of Mary Cairncross Association had a stall at the recent successful Maleny Wood Expo. Over the three-day event visitors showed much interest in the exhibits and merchandise on display. At least one new member joined the association and several local residents expressed interest in becoming a volunteer at the reserve. The FMCA meets every three months and the cost of membership is just $10 a year. Anyone interested in joining can do so at the Discovery Centre. The Friends of Mary Cairncross Association aims to protect and enhance the natural environment of the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. To find out how to become involved check out www.friends-of-mary-cairncross.com.au or call 5435 0348.
Glasshouse Country & Maleny News
