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WHAT'S IN THIS BULLETIN

21st May 2019

  • Next Meeting - Guest Speaker

  • IDAHOBIT Event

  • Royal Talbot Working Bee

  • RC Southbank 20th Charter Anniversary

  • Victoria Police Legacy's 2019 Charity Breakfast

  • RC Echuca-Moama Steam Rally

  • RC Albert Park Annual Book Fair

  • Rotary House

  • Successful Sausage Sizzling Comes to a Temporary End

  • Meeting Minutes 14th May

  • Gallery

NEXT MEETING - GUEST SPEAKER

Janet Hay

"A new way to do Charitable Giving"

 

 

 

 

Microcredit created by Dr Muhammad Yunus from Bangladesh, has been around since the 1970’s and has offered the ultra-poor a dignified pathway out of poverty.

The Rotarian Action Group for Microfinance and Community Development is a group of Rotarians whose purpose is to provide global leadership to assist clubs and districts to participate in effective Microfinance and Community Development programs.

Their website (http://ragm.org) is full of articles providing assistance and expert advice for planning, implementing and evaluating projects to clubs and Rotarians looking to develop successful and sustainable microfinance and community economic developments projects.

Janet Hay is a fellow Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Canterbury in Melbourne. Starting out as a stage and production manager she has moved through special event management, 10 years as property developer, caring for asylum seekers on Christmas Island, working with the Salvation Army on Nauru and Manus Island, then home for a Master’s in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid.

As a member of RAGM – Rotary Action Group for Micro-finance and Community Development, Janet has been giving talks to local clubs on Micro-finance and Social Business and has received very positive feedback. Janet has also spoken overseas in Colorado in November 2018 and in Edinburgh, Scotland in January 2019.

Janet’s favourite Rotary photo is holding the Nobel Peace Prize at the recent multidistrict conference. The Prize was won in 2017 by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and Professor Tilman Ruff AM the founder of ICAN was a guest speaker at the Peace Forum.

IDAHOBIT EVENT

Please join Rotary members and Victoria's Sexuality and Gender Commissioner Ro Allen at the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia and Intersexism (IDAHOBIT) at St Kilda Town Hall on Friday 17 May. This is a fantastic opportunity to support diversity and inclusion, as well as demonstrating Rotary's commitment to peace.  

More details can be found here: 

https://rotaryprahran.org.au/event/37484/rotary-celebrates-idahobit-2019

ROYAL TALBOT WORKING BEE

We will once again be involved in a morning of gardening in the magnificent sensory garden attached to the Royal Talbot Acquired Brain Injury Unit.

Saturday 18th May

8.30am and concluding by 1pm.

                   1 Yarra Blvd, Kew VIC 3101                     

[Melway 45 A1]

 

Mid-morning refreshment and a light lunch will be provided.

We will be under the supervision of clinical nurse specialist and horticulturist Steven Wells - 2012 ABC Gardening Australia ‘Gardener of the Year’ and in 2015 Steven was awarded a prestigious 50th Anniversary Churchill Fellowship to research the development, use and management of therapeutic gardens in healthcare settings.

Members should wear appropriate clothing and if possible bring gardening implements including spades etc.  If you don't have gardening implements, don't worry Steven has a supply.

To assist with catering please register by Tuesday 14th May on-line or contact Lynne Webber.

Fine tuning travel directions; Enter Yarra Boulevard from Chandler Highway, opposite Guide Dogs. Hospital Drive is first turn on left, the entrance is signed but partially obscured. There is a boom gate at the top of the drive. Security have been alerted to raise the boom gate on request. When in grounds just follow the ABI signage and park nearby.

RC SOUTHBANK 20th CHARTER ANNIVERSARY

Rotary Club of Southbank is pleased to announce that the club's 20th Charter Anniversary will be held at Level 89, Eureka Towers in Southbank on Tuesday 28th May 2019 from 6:30pm till 10:30pm.

Tickets are $95 per person where you can book via our club website - attached flyer and booking link.

We are excited seeing all of you very soon and please share this information with your respective clubs and Rotary connections.

 
 

RC ECHUCA-MOAMA STEAM RALLY

 
 
 

RC ALBERT PARK ANNUAL BOOK FAIR

ROTARY HOUSE

Letter from Bronwyn Stephens District Governor & Gordon McKern Past District Governor 

It is a pleasure for us to write to you today to update you on the progress of the “Renew Rotary House” Cancer Centre project at North Melbourne that we are undertaking with Fight Cancer Foundation (FCF), formerly the Bone Marrow Donor Institute.  We would very much appreciate if you would share this information with your club members.

District 9800 recently entered into a Collaboration Agreement with FCF. This is an important step in establishing the necessary framework for the project to go forward. As part of the agreement we have established a high level Collaboration Committee, chaired by Eric Wright, Managing Director, FCF, with D9800 represented by Past President Pam Baker in addition to ourselves. The Collaboration Committee has a depth of experience and a level of passion to ensure the success of the project.  We are very much looking forward to working with the broader Rotary movement to push the project forward.

As you are no doubt aware, we and Eric have been visiting clubs over recent months letting you know about the project. Additionally, Eric has hosted many club visits to the existing Rotary House so that Rotarians can see first‐hand the important work that is done there supporting cancer patients and their families. If you would like to arrange a visit please contact Eric at Eric.Wright@fightcancer.org.au.  He will be delighted to make the necessary arrangements.

Looking forward, FCF will be issuing a “prospectus” detailing the project sponsorship opportunities available to Rotary clubs. This initiative is based on a very successful project FCF undertook in Albury with the Rotary Club of Albury North. 

Accommodation units, rooms, communal spaces, furniture packages etc. will all be offered along with a range of naming rights.  We expect the prospectus will be released early 2020.

Clubs that would like to make a contribution are encouraged to do so now.  Contributions may be paid directly to a special bank account account under email advice to Eric. Please include in your email your club name and address details for receipting purposes.  Cheques may be forwarded to FCF at Locked Bag AAA, Post Office, Carlton South, Vic 3053.

Contributions made prior to the release of the prospectus will be counted towards any club sponsorship made under the prospectus. Clubs may wish to pledge a set amount per year over time to achieve the amount required to secure naming rights.  If you would like more details to this flexible approach please contact Eric at the email address listed above.

The role of Rotary in creating the existing Rotary House cannot be overstated. Literally thousands of people have benefited from this amazing facility when fighting the battle of their lives.  We are so proud of what we achieved in creating Rotary House some fifteen years ago and we are excited about creating a new Rotary House capable of helping so many more people into the future. Please join us in this exciting project!

SUCCESSFUL SAUSAGE SIZZLING COMES TO A TEMPORARY END

Two years ago as President Elect, I prevailed upon incoming Treasurer, Herb Greenwood and  Peter Duras to give Bunnings Sausage Sizzles a go. We all rolled up our sleeves, found 2 suitable Bunnings sites and as they say, the rest is history.

In summary, this recurring source of income has yielded approximately $30,000 in the 2 years, with almost $19,000 approx raised this Rotary year. That in anyone’s language is a substantial sum.

Our thanks go to the 33 Club members and 4 Partners who volunteered their time on at least one occasion this year and to the  26 members/partners who volunteered multiple times (Sue Duras, Leonie Greenwood, Pauline O’Brien, Yanpu, Marjorie Gerlinger, Rebecca John, Anne King, Therese Robinson, Millie Swann, Alison Chan, Lynne Webber, Campbell Chambers, Bernie Gerlinger, John Hinrichs, Gerard Hogan, Neville John, David Jones, Doug Robertson, Rohan Williams, Kevin Love, Alan Seale, Neville Taylor,  Roger Thornton, Herb Greenwood, Peter Duras and Frank O’Brien (sorry if we have missed someone).

Our last Bunnings Sausage Sizzle for this year was held last Friday at Port Melbourne in wet, cold and windy conditions. Even so, $625.50 was raised. All told, we held 21 Sausage Sizzles during this Rotary year which means an average profit of a little under $1000 per event. The split between Bunnings venues was 11 Collingwood, 9 Port Melbourne and 1 at West Footscray.

That’s it for this year as we go into early winter hibernation. We look forward to next year with the expectation that it will be another good year.

MEETING REPORT 14th May 2019

Chair Tom Callander opened the meeting with a toast to Rotary International weaving in the passing of Sir Arvi Parbo on 1 May 2019.

President Neville Taylor welcomed the guest speaker – Cathy Harper. There were no guests or visiting Rotarians.

Announcements:

  • Frank O’Brien reminded members of the Echuca-Moama Rotary’s Steam Rally which we will be supporting over the Queen’s Birthday weekend Saturday/Sunday 8 & 9 June 2019.
  • Herb Greenwood updated the club on his health after his recent stay in hospital. He also reminded the Fundraising Committee that there was a meeting, directly after today’s breakfast.
  • Roy Garrett announced that International Committee has organised an eighteen-day fundraising trip to Myanmar between 3 and 21 November 2019. The cost is $7,000 with $1,000 of that being a contribution to the Fundraising Committee funds. Roy advised that his cost includes ‘everything’.
  • Therese Robinson reminded members that Royal Talbot Hospital Sensor Garden working bee is being held this coming Saturday (18 May) from 8:30am to 1:00pm.

President Neville’s Announcements:

  • Two new members – Krystle Mitchell and Luke Allen – are being inducted on 28 May.

  • Rotary House – Renew Rotary House Cancer Centre. District 9800 has entered into an agreement with Fighting Cancer Foundation. There is more to come, so watch this space.

  • District Assembly is coming up on 26 May – an important event for the incoming club board, committee members and new members to attend.

  • District Changeover on Friday 28 June. Please register.

Guest Speaker: Cathy Harper – Editor of Election Watch

Her topic was “Fake News and Disinformation – the effect on elections and democracy”

Cathy opened the meeting by expressing her agreement with the quote from Donald Trump that “Fake news is the enemy of the people”. She then when onto point out that, by reference to a number of the President’s tweets, that he seems to define fake news as being anything that disagrees with his point of view.

She used this as a segue to exploring the definition of ‘fake news’. Fake news, is in essence, disinformation. Claiming certain things to be true when they are not or there are no objective facts to support them. Making a claim that suits a particular cause with no or limited facts to support it. Then repeating the claim until people start to believe it. This is feeding off the often-held belief that where there is smoke there must be fire. In some instances fake news continues to be promoted, through social media, even when the claims have been disproved.

A number of Australian examples, from both sides of politics, were provided.

This is a disturbing trend in Australia and throughout the world and is being used to manipulate public opinion. While it is not something new it has, with the advent of social media, been given far more impetus and is having a far more significant impact.

Cathy pointed out that while the cause and effect of fake news is sometimes be hard to track, it can lead to discrimination, personal attack, destruction of careers as well as having impacts on election results. Trust in government and our major institutions has been on the decline for many years and the growth of fake news is further undermining this trust. The media remains the least trusted institution in Australia. This declining trust is also leading younger people to express a declining interest in democracy. These are worrying trends.

Because of the concerns over fake news the Australian Electoral Commission has launched a ‘Stop and Consider’ campaign in relation to the upcoming elections. They are asking people to check the validity of the source of the information.

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts” .

Cathy’s publication, Election Watch, seeks to provide a balanced view for the upcoming election and beyond.

GALLERY

Photos from our Breakfast Meeting

President Neville Taylor

Chair Tom Calendar

Bruce Heron with Guest Speaker Cathy Harper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therese Robinson

Herb Greenwood

Roy Garrett

 

Meeting Responsibilities

Chair
WEBBER, Lynne
 
Greeter
GARRETT, Roy
 
Reporter
CRAWFORD, Michelle
 
Photographer
THORNTON, Roger
 
Door
GARRETT, Roy
 
Bulletin Editor
WILLIAMS, Rohan
 
Social Media
LIM, Daniel
 

Upcoming Events

Royal Talbot Working Bee
ROYAL TALBOT
May 18, 2019
8:30 AM – 1:00 PM
 
Rotary Echuca Moama Steam Rally
Rotary Park
Jun 08, 2019 – Jun 09, 2019
 
Board Meeting
Jun 12, 2019
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
 
DIK Working Bee
Woolshed 39
Jun 22, 2019
8:45 AM – 12:30 PM
 
32nd Changeover Dinner
Angliss Restaurant
Jun 28, 2019
6:45 PM – 11:15 PM
 

Speakers

May 21, 2019
A new way to do Charitable Giving
Jun 04, 2019
Developing foods for people with Dysphagia
View entire list
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