Regionalisation Pilot for our Region (Zone 8) update

With the approval of the business case and budget by the Rotary International Board for the Regionalisation Pilot to run in our region, DGE Ian McKay and DGN Lesley Shedden provided updated information for all Clubs and members in District 9780 during an online session on 10 May.

Ian and Lesley appreciate it was not possible for everyone to attend this session which is why it was recorded.  Here is the link to that recording for you to watch in your own time.  https://youtu.be/lf0mQDTDy8k

It runs for just over 40 minutes and includes a presentation and questions and answers.

If you have any questions or would like to comment, please contact Lesley on Lesley.shedden@rotary9780.org or Ian on ian.mckay@rotary9780.org and look out for future updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So much positive news for those who want to "change the story" of abuse and stop being passive bystanders because we don't know what to do! Do we want our children or grandchildren to continue the story of being abusers or being the victims of abuse?  This is our responsibility to "change the story"! See "Read more..."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace is usually translated as a state without disturbance, or an absence of war (Oxford Dictionary).  Unfortunately, this rather passive definition doesn’t do justice to the rich layers of meaning that are embedded in that word, but thanks to the Judeo/ Christian tradition, we have available to us a far more dynamic and rich definition of peace that can inspire us all.

 

continue reading by clicking "Read more..."

On Thursday February 17, chair of the club's "Overseas Aid Select" Service Sub-Committee, PP Meryl James provided a progress report on proposed International aid projects to be supported by our club this Rotary year.
The committee will recommend to the Board that, subject to available funds,...

1. $1000 be provided to the RAWCS Aid for Tonga Project as soon as possible

2. $1000 be used to purchase and deploy a Shelter Box in a place of need.

3. $550 be used to support the Rotary Club of Bendigo South Sponsored MEC Project listed on the RAWCS website to provide counselling and life changing surgery for children afflicted with Meningoecephalocoele at the Children's Surgical Centre Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

4. $1000 be provided to Disaster Aid Australia to go towards the provision of clean water using their "Sky Hydrants" in communities currently without access to clean water.

Members are invited to share any concerns about these proposals with chair, Meryl, otherwise Service Projects Director, Harold will take this list to the next Board meeting in March.

At our last meeting, club members heard progress reports from all current service committees in the five  avenues of service:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our final formal meeting for 2021 took place last week and coincided with District Governor John Clue’s visit to the club where he presented Paul Harris Foundation recognitions to Murray Henderson for his many years of work on Bowelscan, Chris Frahn for his untiring work as Public Image Chair as well has his work on the #Say NO to Family Violence committee, and guest Raelene Williams for her work with the Say NO to Family Violence committee.

While the club came through 2021 with no member catching Covid-19, we lost out on many fundraising activities aside from the Bunnings BBQ’s organised by the ever resourceful Brian Reed. Brian has also arranged our final 2021 fundraiser “Pancakes at the MTC Carols by Candlelight” in the domain on Sunday the 19th of December. If you can help out, let Brian know asap.

Finally, don’t forget the end of year function at the Golf Club next Friday the 17th.

As this is our final bulletin for 2021,
May you, your family and friends have a wonderful, safe Christmas and New Year.

This week’s meeting, being  Economic and Community Development month, our guest speaker was Janice Simpson whose topic was the Castlemaine Maryborough Rail Trail. It’s an incredible project and once completed will be an excellent eco-tourism asset.One of the wonderful things about the trail is that it will be equally enjoyable no matter which direction you start from!
Start at Maryborough and you can alight from one of Australia’s grandest old railway stations. Start at Castlemaine station and you will be right where the story of the goldfields began.

This week’s meeting, our first face-to-face for quite some time took place at the Highland Society and was preceded by the Membership group planning meeting with facilitator Windsor Main. That group then joined the rest of the members for a joint meeting via Zoom with Warrnambool Rotary club who were also having a face-to-face meeting. Both clubs enjoyed a presentation by Secretary Anthony about the Rotary Foundation.

 

Despite some minor technical difficulties caused by trying to link various devices, the meeting was enjoyed by all who were happy to be together again.

Our social media presence continues to improve in both reach, likes and comments. During October, the passing of Graeme Rogan had the highest reach in Facebook with over 4,600 views. The Bendigo Bank contribution  was the second highest in both Facebook & Instagram. While we have only had an Instagram presence since early October, we already have 72 followers. If you are not already on Instagram please sign up and follow our club.

All members should have received an email with a "Suggested Roster for this year’s 3 minute Vocational Talks".

The topic is: “Three pieces of Wisdom/ Advice You Would Give To A Young Person Just Starting Out on their Working Life/ Career”

Please check the attached roster for your name...(Click "Read more...")

My name is Kym Murphy.  I am the Manager Community Partnerships at Central Goldfields Shire Council and recently appointed as Council’s Pandemic Coordinator.

 

Last week Central Goldfields Shire Council activated its Pandemic Plan and Pandemic Response Working Group.  The role of the Working Group is to plan for imminent pandemic, respond to the current situation, and plan for recovery.  The Working Group is establishing a Pandemic Relief & Recovery sub-group to coordinate relief and recovery efforts to reduce duplication and ensure community members, including businesses, requiring support receive appropriate support for their situation.

 

You are receiving this email because your agency, service or group work closely with the community and/or businesses.  You may already be supporting the community during these early stages of the pandemic.  We are planning the first meeting for this Friday 27 March 3pm to 4pm.  Can you please identify the most appropriate representative for your agency, service or group and send through their email contact details to me asap so I can send a meeting invitation.  Note: this will be a large group so please nominate only one representative to ensure it remains manageable.  

 

The meeting will be conducted using Zoom which can be accessed by telephone or computer.

 

Looking forward to hearing from you and working with you J

Cheers

Kym

NOTE: The next meeting of this Committee will be on Tuesday at 2.30PM. Please contact President Leigh if you are willing to represent Rotary on this committee

•All members received an email today giving notice of a Special General Meeting to be held at 7PM on Thursday April 4th, Raglan House to adopt an updated Constitution
•As you know, each 3 years the Rotary Council of Legislation updates the "Rules" of Rotary based on recommendations from members all around the world.
•Some of these rules affect the Standard Constitutions of all Rotary clubs
•So, the Constitution documents need to be updated to reflect the new rules.
•In our State of Victoria, our Rotary Constitutions also have to comply with the Rules for Non-profit organizations.
•In the past decade, most of our District clubs have paid a Melbourne based Law firm to make these changes
•But this year, a solicitor from Melbourne, who is also a Rotarian, has, without charge, produced a standard constitution document that complies with the 2019 Council of Legislation changes as well as the Victorian Government guidelines for Non Profit Organizations - thus saving our club over $300.
•We will vote to implement the new Constitution document on April 2nd
•Please try to be there because we need a quorum
•If you can’t make it, you can nominate another member to vote for you by proxy.
•You must write and sign a note naming the person who will represent you – you can optionally write down how you want them to vote: FOR or AGAINST the motion to adopt the changed constitution.
•For your information, our District is currently looking for ideas from clubs for any suggested changes to the way we should do things - to be decided at an online meeting they will hold at the end of this year
•The District is also looking for a Past District Governor to be our Representative at the next Council of Legislation in 2022 – this person will be confirmed at the District Conference in a week

Connection 23 (Dec 8th) 28 members opened the Connection.

Connection 24 (Dec 15th) 23 members opened the Connection

If you are a member or a friend of the club, and you're reading this, THANK YOU! Continue to Spread the Connection!

The next Group 7 Meeting date coincides with the Beaufort Club's visit to Cave Hill Creek, 110 The Glut Road, Raglan (off the Raglan-Elmhurst Road), on Monday, 28th October.

This date is prior to the next District Meeting, allowing time for our President's Reports to be submitted to DG Rosanne.

 

Tim Chandler, owner of Cave Hill Creek is more than happy for members of Maryborough, Ararat and Stawell to join the Beaufort Rotarians for the tour of this Australian Tourism Award winning group accommodation, event & outdoor recreation venue.

 

The tour will commence at 5.30pm for approximately 40 minutes after which we will adjourn to the Raglan Hall (10 minutes drive) where we will have our Group 7 Meeting and a meal.

Our Rotary Club has recently auspiced a funding grant from the Bendigo Bank for the Raglan Hall Committee, so it will be an opportunity to find out what has been planned for the funding and see the recent improvements made to the Hall.

 

Cost of the meal will be $25.00. BYO beverages, tea and coffee will be provided.

 

Could Clubs please advise the numbers of all members attending by Monday 21st October, so the caterers can be advised.

Please email your numbers to PP George Kirsanovs (george.kirsanovs@bigpond.com).

It is important that we get exact numbers as the cost of all meals ordered will have to be paid for, so if you cannot attend, early cancellation notice would be appreciated.

 

Our Group 7 Meetings are a highlight of our Rotary year and the Beaufort Club is looking forward to welcoming everyone to Raglan on 28th October.

 

If there are any questions or you need further information, please contact PP George as I will be away for the next few weeks.

Cheers
President Anne Beer

Rotary Club of Beaufort

 

This is a big shout out to congratulate all the volunteers who help make our recent Blue Pyrenees Magic Ride a success,

If I have missed anyone, I apologise as my silly new computer has lost a lot of contacts.

Firstly, I have a friend who is looking for photos of the penny farthing riders who cycled the short ride.

If you have any photos please forward to me.

If you have any ideas to improve the ride please forward that as well.

Improvements could be variety/quantity of food, communication, or ways to make it easier to manage.

How do you measure success? Is it positive feedback from sponsors, customers, volunteers, money made.

I would say our recent event ticks sponsors, customers & volunteers. Many thanks to Malley & Butch who worked

the most hours.

So to money. I have one account to come so as an overall summary. With around 270 riders, the event should raise $9000.

Breaking this down further this is a profit of $35/entry and over $170/volunteer hour ( on the day) . Regards, Peter.

 

We got an email from a couple of competitors who wrote:

 

 

The Mendigo Organization asked us to include this info. in our Bulletin:

Basically, they will be running a not for profit weekend to support men by introducing them to wellness processes to help them connect deeper with themselves and other men.

You may know the terrible rates of male suicide and also the outpour of domestic violence.

 

Helping men open up and talk is key to releasing the tension within and allow it to flow in a healthy way.

The weekend is strictly no drugs and alcohol.

Ideally, I am looking to see if a couple of men from rotary would come and join in the process.

It’s great to be able to borrow the BBQ if that’s possible.

The Lions Club have organised sponsorship for the weekend and also their BBQ and maybe a couple of men to come.

 

The intention is to start processes in our community to support men to connect deeper and healthier 

Jenna Townsend, head chef at the Highland Society Pipe Bistro, started her life in the small town of Taree in northern New South Wales. Her mother enjoyed cooking, so Jenna started at about age six. Her cooking eventually led her to the Hilton Hotel in Melbourne, where she honed her skills working 80 hours per week. This left very little time for a life! On coming to Maryborough with her partner about four years ago, Jenna has come to love Maryborough and her new life of 45 hours per week. When the Wednesday evening jackpots started, about 120 meals were set down. This rose to 640 one night in a two-hour period, albeit with a limited menu, due to the monster Interclub draws. Jenna turned the dining room around in three months, and in 2018, was awarded Chef of the Year,  selected from 1300 country clubs. Jenna paid tribute to the improved equipment, bigger ovens, and the people on mysterious Table 14, who have become her cheer squad. Jenna also attributed much of the success of the club to the staff, and particularly the diligence of the Nepalese staff, who proved to be willing workers. She encouraged us to engage fully with people new to the town. Jenna described her travails with extending Maryborough appetites to dishes other than the ubiquitous schnitzel (380 per week) "I love to tempt people’s taste buds” Jenna said. Congratulations Jenna on a job well done! In closing, Jenna also promoted the 60^th Australian Pipe Band Championships to be held in Maryborough on 4-5^th April 2020. It is expected over 4000 people will attend with 40 bands and $1200 in prizes. Are we ready for so much Scottishness?

Recently, Youth Chair, Graeme Rogan made a presentation to MEC student, Deacon Farrow who has been selected to attend the National Youth Science Forum in Canberra. The program is supported by Rotary clubs across Australia, and is a 12-day residential program run in January each year  for Year 12 students. It is designed to give students a broader understanding of the diverse study and career options available in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to encourage continued studies in these fields.

 

Thea and I will be laying wreaths at Carisbrook and Maryborough on ANZAC day on behalf of the club.

Keep in mind, also, that District Training Assembly is on Sunday 28th April in Ararat. Please register online on the District Website and the club will refund you the $25.

This week we remember those who have inspired us with their bravery and sacrifice in the past. "Lest we Forget".

Some good questions arose, one being, as most of our staff are women, and the majority of school drop-off and pick-up and child sickness falls on the mother’s shoulders and affect our bottom line! What can we do to make this more even?

Guest speaker and Nobel Prize winner, Dimity Hawkins sent us some ideas to share with Rotarians on what could be done to free our world of nuclear weapons. She writes...

 

Probably the most topical right now is a council focused initiative which asks communities to request their council or city to join the ICAN Global Cities Appeal:

 

The appeal is worded simply and clearly:

"Our city/town is deeply concerned about the grave threat that nuclear weapons pose to communities throughout the world. We firmly believe that our residents have the right to live in a world free from this threat. Any use of nuclear weapons, whether deliberate or accidental, would have catastrophic, far-reaching and long-lasting consequences for people and the environment.

Therefore, we warmly welcome the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons by the United Nations in 2017, and we call on our national government to sign and ratify it without delay."

There are easily downloadable linked resources on the ICAN Australia website here for the Australian signatories: www.icanw.org/au/cities/ and here for the international website: nuclearban.org/cities/getinvolved#cities-list. You can see there are a growing number of cities and towns all over Australia and the world joining this appeal, and it is a simple and positive action any citizen can take.

For those who might want to learn more about the impact of nuclear weapons in Australia in particular (as many Rotarians' spoke to me after the talk saying they had not known that history) this webpage gives some of the stories I touched on in my talk. www.icanw.org/black-mist/

 

I hope these might be of use to you and your members. If I can offer any other information in follow up please don't hesitate to ask.

Last week the Conference Committee inspired us to be part of our District Conference, by running through the program for next weekend and reminding us of the help needed before and after the event.

Thank you to the members and partners who helped put booklets into plastic pockets and attach lanyards. Dinner numbers are now closed and final details being seen to.

Peter and Bronwen are well on their way riding around the District. Be sure to send them an encouraging text or follow them on Facebook!! AND don't forget to keep a record of your exercise activities to report to Malley next Thursday!!

We are about to reap the rewards for all the hard work that has been done over the last two years, but there are still a lot of final preparations to be done.

Please  join us some time on  Thursday or Friday morning to help with setting up. I know most of you have filled in the roster. In lieu of a meeting, Garry is bringing tea to the Town Hall from the bakery at 6.30pm, but we will start working from 5.30pm onwards.

Thank you all for playing your part, and again, a huge thank you to the Committee, who have certainly exemplified "Service Above Self". I know we will all be educated and inspired by an enjoyable and fun-filled event.

Everyone is welcome to join us at Rammy Dessert at 6pm on Sunday night for a debrief.

Come on Maryborough Rotary, "Be the Inspiration"!!

P.S. There will be no Bulletin next week.

 Last week we welcomed Noel as our meeting Chair for March, which is Rotary Water and Sanitation Month. More importantly for us, IT IS ONLY TWO WEEKS UNTIL DISTRICT CONFERENCE!!!

I am sure you will all have registered by now, but if you haven't, cut off date is next Thursday, especially for the Saturday night dinner. If you are having trouble registering on line, tell us, we will do it for you.
Next week's meeting is dedicated to Conference preparation and organisation, so please make every effort to be there. Malley Rowe will be chasing you to register for the Great Activity Challenge which starts from that day. It is only a matter of keeping record of any physical activity you do in the 9 days up to Conference. Good luck.

Peter and Bronwen set off on their epic ( and unbelievable) bike ride that morning, riding over 2000 km around the District. We wish them a safe journey and will be excited to welcome them back at the Conference on Friday night.

Thank you and congratulations to Kate Winkelman, for her excellent report on her visit to NYSF in January. Kate certainly proved herself a worthy recipient of our support and an admirable young woman. She has offered to bring friends and help with Conference setup in 2 weeks time and is also interested in starting an Interact Club! Thank you Kate. We look forward to future ventures with you.

Finally, can I again give a huge vote of thanks to the Conference Committee members, who have given and are still giving so much of their time  to "Service Above Self". Now it is time for all club members to rally behind them with their support.  Remember it was the whole club who nominated Anthony for District Governor and in so doing, took responsibility for the running of a successful District Conference.

Stay Inspired!!

 

Thank you to the Chairs and members who attended the Service and Governance Committee meetings last week. It is always interesting and inspiring to hear reports about their projects and fund-raising events for our club.

We thank Alison for her great job as Meeting Chair during February, especially for introducing us to the music of the Young Australian of the Year, and we look forward to Noel's leadership during March. Each monthly Chair brings her/his own style to our meetings. What a bonus!

Congratulations and thanks  to our District Conference Committee members, who continue to work hard on the final important details in all areas needed, to ensure we provide an enjoyable, inspiring  and  fun-filled event for attendees from around the District.

Be sure to read the Conference Booklet which you will receive by email shortly, to see just how much work has gone into the planning and organisation!!

With less than 3 weeks to go, be sure you are registered, especially for the Saturday night dinner, and have your name on the duty rosters for the event.

As I said last week, Maryborough Rotary must "Be the Inspiration" from 22nd to 24th March!

 

We celebrated Rotary's 114th Birthday with a thought provoking Peace Forum  last week. Thank you to Geoff for preparing the night and leading us in thinking about what peace means to us in all aspects of life.  Thank you also to Garry for organising the  delicious cake. 

The Ballarat Swap Meet is done and dusted, and we must thank Thea for all her hard work organising the BBQ roster, and the members, partners and friends who served, manned the till, displayed their expert cooking skills or carried out other useful jobs. As usual, these are times of great fellowship and there are always funny stories to be told and remembered.

It is now only 4 weeks to our District Conference and the Conference Booklet is about to go to the printers, sponsors are finalised and being thanked and final details are being checked. Make sure that you register soon! Also,  be prepared to volunteer for the help required at our meeting this week. Again, a huge thank you to the Committee who have worked and are still working so hard to make it a success.

Maryborough Rotary must "Be the Inspiration" from 22nd to 24th March!

 

 We had an informative and fun-packed meeting last Thursday with a "love" theme for Valentine's day. Our members always enjoy, and do a great job of singing, whether it be the national Anthem or "All you need is love". A good song for Peace Month, as well as Valentine's day!!

Thank you to Jenny Bacon for sharing her interest and passion for textile art. We were in awe of her talent and the pieces she showed us. We look forward to seeing the display at the Art Gallery in the near future.

Be sure not to miss our Peace Night next week, when we  will look at the meaning of peace in our own lives, the community and the world, as well as celebrate Rotary's Birthday. Something worth celebrating!

Thank you for volunteering to work at the BBQ at Ballarat Swap Meet next weekend. It is another good fundraiser for our Club.

It is only 5 weeks to our District Conference, so make sure that you register soon! Also,  be prepared to be inundated by information and requests for help from now until then. A huge thank you to the Committee who have worked and are still working so hard to make it a success.

We are all called to "Be the Inspiration".

 What a great start to Peace and Conflict Prevention and Resolution Month we had last Thursday, with Alison as our February meeting Chair! It is always a pleasure to welcome members from our Group 7 Clubs, and hear about the wonderful service they are doing in their communities,  and also welcome partners and visitors to share our meeting with us. It was unfortunate that Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Dimity Hawkins, was unable to be with us due to illness, but the short videos she sent were inspiring. We wish her well and look forward to hearing her speak at the District Conference. Thank you to Geoff for his INK spot on Peace fellowships and for leading us in the singing of John Lennon's "Imagine". Let's all stay inspired to work for peace in our world!

Congratulations to Trace and the Youth Committee for running a successful Trivia night last night. There was a lot of fun, laughter and fellowship throughout the night and around $600 was raised for our Youth projects. These events take a lot of organising and we thank them for their efforts.

Thank you also to Thea for finalising the Ballarat South raffle books, and to Malley for delivering them on Friday.  Thea has also finalised the roster for the Ballarat Swap Meet. Well done Thea! Thank you to those members, partners and friends who are supporting this fund-raising effort .

Have a peaceful week!

 

 Thank you to the Chairs and members of our Service and Governance Committees for their valuable input and reports last week. It was a productive start to the new year and many plans are in place. Thank you also to Murray for filling in at the last minute as Meeting Chair. Great job Murray!

Welcome back to Secretary Derrick after his big week at the International Rotary Cricket Fellowship  event in Melbourne. It took an incredible amount of organising,  but was evidently a huge success. Congratulations on  all your efforts Derrick!

This week we launch into Peace and Conflict Prevention and Resolution Month at our Group 7 meeting, with a great speaker. It is always good to hear the reports from other Club Presidents too. Please let Derrick know if you are bringing a partner or guest. We need accurate numbers for Havilah.

 Remember that Thursday is the last day to return your Raffle Tickets, and to fill in the roster for the Ballarat Swap Meet. Make every effort to help as it is an excellent club fundraiser and a good social event.

Talking of social events, I hope you have organised a table for the Trivia night next Saturday, 9th February. It should be a fun night and the Youth Committee need your support.

Finally, we meet to farewell our friend PP PHF Bob Osborne OAM at 2pm on Wednesday at the Town Hall. Please wear a Rotary badge and be part of the Guard of Honour. Bob was an inspiration to us all and will be sadly missed.

 

It is with mixed feelings that I write this today. I am saddened by the passing of my friend and mentor, PP PHF Bob Osborne OAM, who will be greatly missed within our club and the wider community. Vale Bob.

But I am thrilled to congratulate PP PHF Garry Higgins who can now also add OAM to his name. Such a well deserved honour, Garry. You are an inspiration to us all and Bob would have been so pleased to acknowledge that.

We had a very interesting and informative vocational visit to the CFA Command Centre last week. Thank you to Group Officer Robert Ipsen for giving us his time and to the members who braved the heat cooking our BBQ meal in the searing heat, while we sat waiting in air- conditioned comfort! Service above Self at its best!

Thank you also to those who helped at the Australia Day breakfast yesterday, especially the pancake chefs, our friends of Rotary, Trevor Clarke and Robyn Jennings

I hope all members can make our first important meeting for the year of Service and Governance Committees this week, so that we can make a flying start to the next six months. Remember to return your Raffle Tickets, Make up a table for the Trivia Night and be ready to fill in the roster for the Ballarat Swap Meet.

The reminder notices for February are now available and please invite your partners to the Group 7 night on Feb 7th where we have one of our Conference speakers launching us into Peace Month.

 We are lucky to  be inspired by the example of our own members.