It is with much sadness that we record the passing of Wolfgang Jacobs.
Wolfgang had been in ill health for some time and he passed away on Tuesday 22nd November, age 75 years.
He joined Rotary Central Melbourne in October 2006, sponsored by his neighbour and past member Gay Edgecombe.
Wolfgang retired as former National Engineering Manager, Industry Division of Siemens Limited. He was professionally qualified with a Diploma of Engineering and he was a Fellow of the Institute of Instrumentation Control and Automation of Australia Inc.
He held several office bearer positions in our club and together with his wife Monika was an active participant in the club’s social life. Monika and Wolfgang married in 1969 and Monika predeceased Wolfgang approximately six years ago, Wolfgang loved Jazz and classical music, good coffee and was a keen classic car and motor racing enthusiast.
Our club was well represented at Wolfgang's funeral service on Friday morning, evidence of the high regard held for this engineer, gentleman and respected club member.
TONY WOOD, Director Energy Program, The Gratten Institute
"The Urgent Need for Integrated Energy and Climate Policy in Australia."
Soaring South Australian wholesale electricity prices in July, a state-wide blackout in September and the recently announced shutdown of the Hazelwood power station in Victoria have exposed the urgent need for Australia to develop climate change and energy policies that combine to maintain reliable, affordable and sustainable power.
The intermittent nature of wind – which now generates about 40 per cent of South Australia’s electricity – creates challenges for the price and reliability of power generation in the state, but is pushing out thermal power due to renewable energy support policies.
Tony has been Director of the Energy Program since 2011 after 14 years working at Origin Energy in senior executive roles. From 2009 to 2014 he was also Program Director of Clean Energy Projects at the Clinton Foundation, advising governments in the Asia-Pacific region on effective deployment of large-scale, low-emission energy technologies. In 2008, he was seconded to provide an industry perspective to the first Garnaut climate change review.
Rotary’s Garden Designfest 2016 raised a record $130,000, and every cent goes to Rotary and children’s charities.
Organised by Kew, Brighton North and Central Melbourne clubs, the two-yearly event attracted 17,000 garden visits. It is by far the biggest open garden show in Australia. Numerous Rotarians, friends and family volunteered at the gardens and marshalled crowds in the cold and wet of the first weekend, and amid the heat and dust of the second weekend.
GDF chairman Phil Mortimer (RC Brighton North) said the raisings from the Designfest’s since 2004 now total more than $500,000. The event is complex to organise and run and the committee has already begun planning meetings for the 2018 show.
2016 was the largest and most complex staging yet:
46 gardens were opened, 18 more than in 2014
It was conducted over two weekends, not the single weekend of past events
Gardens were opened in five more regions: Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, Macedon Ranges and West Gippsland, as well as 2014’s Euroa.
Photo; Family of Rotary in action, 'Next generation' Brigette Jones and Matt Danaher on duty at "Lakithi", Terip Terip.
The homeless and elderly through Steps Outreach Service and
Refugee families through Lentara UnitingCare Asylum Seeker Project
Red and Green bags will be available for members at next week’s meeting. A list of suggested products for each of the beneficiaries is in the flyer - ‘CLICK HERE’
For the refugee families Margaret Thomas has again volunteered to purchase appropriate spices and fruits in bulk with a price per pack of $27.00, a significant saving on buying these quantities from a supermarket and a more appropriate family size package. [Details in the flyer].
If you would like to buy one or more packs please contact Margaret direct margthomas6@gmail.com or by phone 9370 3091by 9th December.
"These cultural attitudes to women are very much what the Royal Commission saw as needing to change if we, as a community, are to succeed in breaking the family violence cycle.”
Guest speaker was Tim Cartwright, Victoria’s Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor. His role is to monitor the progress of the Royal Commission’s 227 recommendations on domestic violence (DV) against the State government’s action plan shortly to be released.
He said a woman is murdered in DV in Australia nearly every week. Vicpol attended 80,000 DV incidents last year, “and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Women are overwhelmingly the victims and men the perpetrators.”
Gender inequality and men’s exercise of power over women is still a very large community problem. “There are more CEOs in Australia called Peter, than there are female CEOs,” he said. “While attitudes are changing, there is still a significant number of us who believe that men should make the decisions in a relationship. There are still many of us who think that sexist degrading jokes and conversations are OK. These cultural attitudes to women are very much what the Royal Commission saw as needing to change if we, as a community, are to succeed in breaking the family violence cycle.”
DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD?
Rotary is now accepting applications for the world competitive Rotary Peace Fellowships program. The application deadline for submissions through local rotary clubs in District 9800 is to the District Chair, Rob Helme, by May 15, 2017.
Never has there been such an obvious need for well-trained committed personnel to foster the cause of world peace. Rotary International has been committed to this program for 15 years and has trained over 1,000 graduates who work in the fields of peace, conflict resolution, human rights, international relations, public administration, sustainable development, public health or a related field. Up to 100 fellowships are awarded annually (fifty master's degree fellowships and fifty professional development fellowships) at Rotary Peace Centres in six prestigious universities around the world. Australia has an outstanding track record in supporting and mentoring successful applicants.
With the recent change of name to ROTARY CENTRAL MELBOURNE our club has been re-badged and we are now permitted to publish the new style name plates and banners;
ROY PROUDLY MODELING THE NEW MEMBER NAME BADGE
LEONIE, SUE AND TESS WEARING THEIR NEW BADGES AT THE PHF BREAKFAST.
Rotary Central Melbourne’s 24th annual Paul Harris Breakfast raised about $8000, according to preliminary accounting. All proceeds will go to the Rotary Foundation.
Attendance was 209, coming from 28 Rotary clubs. Last year attendance was just under 200, with 22 clubs represented and raising close to $8500. In 2014 attendance was 238 from 23 clubs and raised more than $9000.
One attendee last week, Steve Chandler, was from the UK’s Cotswold Tyndale RC, “a long way to come for breakfast”, as president Justine Murphy put it. Another attendee was Stephanie Woollard, Melbourne Rotary, of Nepal’s Seven Women charity venture, who has won one of six of Rotary’s International Responsibility in Business Awards.
Photo: Herb and Rebecca in action with the all important raffle.
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Soaring South Australian wholesale electricity prices in July, a state-wide blackout in September and the recently announced shutdown of the Hazelwood power station in Victoria have exposed the urgent need for Australia to develop climate change and energy policies that combine to maintain reliable, affordable and sustainable power.
Organised by Kew, Brighton North and Central Melbourne clubs, the two-yearly event attracted 17,000 garden visits. It is by far the biggest open garden show in Australia. Numerous Rotarians, friends and family volunteered at the gardens and marshalled crowds in the cold and wet of the first weekend, and amid the heat and dust of the second weekend. 
hese cultural attitudes to women are very much what the Royal Commission saw as needing to change if we, as a community, are to succeed in breaking the family violence cycle.”.jpg)
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Rotary Central Melbourne’s 24th annual Paul Harris Breakfast raised about $8000, according to preliminary accounting. All proceeds will go to the Rotary Foundation.
