‘I love a Sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains.’ Dorothea Mackellar
November has brought terrible bushfires to parts of Queensland and NSW, and Dorothea Mackellar’s immortal words are being adapted somewhat humorously on Facebook to describe the situation they are now in. Some of the key messages are that we help each other when times are tough, we take care of our neighbours, we know it will rain again but ‘living in Australia means at times its going to burn’ (Troy Gerdes adaptation of ‘My Country’ poem to Facebook on Saturday).
We just wish it didn’t happen so often or so fiercely!
Victoria has had its own terrible experiences of bushfire and we all know how valuable it is to receive a hand from others. The emergency services do a stellar job but you too can provide support for those who have lost everything.
If you would like to assist our Queensland cousins please use the Rotary District link in the image below.
DROUGHT
The Drought Appeal has been advertised extensively and I ask you to think about contributing to that also, if you wish. To support this cause click the link in the image below.
If your community is being adversely affected by drought I would like to hear from you. Let us know how you are being affected and what is needed to assist and we can look at preparing an application to access some of the funds being raised.
ROTARY DAY AT THE UNITED NATIONS
You may be aware that we celebrate Rotary Day at the United Nations every November. Rotary was a key player in the San Francisco Conference that resulted in the formation of the United Nations in 1945.
RI President Mark Daniel Maloney reminds us that we have ‘a deep and lasting relationship with the UN that deserves to celebrated and appreciated’.
There are five special events to celebrate this close relationship:
Rotary Day at the UN in New York (9 November)
Three Presidential Conferences in 2020 in Santiago (Chile) Paris (France) and Rome (Italy)
Final celebration just before RI Convention Honolulu.
Think about attending one of these events.
Rotary will continue to work closely with the UN in years to come. There are strong parallels between our areas of Focus and the Un Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve our goals we need to partner with others, such as the United Nations.
RECOGNITION OF ROTARIANS WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY (see articles attached)
The last few weeks have also seen the sad passing of a number of our Rotarians including Rod Stewart (Rotary Club of Queenscliffe), Carmel Brinkmann (Rotary Club of Warrnambool East and Jess Hooker (Rotary Club of Cobden) who was only 31 years old and left a 20 month old son. The RC of Cobden has set up a fund for Jess and Marcus’ son Samuel.
Our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of these Rotarians. We thank them for their generous service. They will be remembered always by their Rotary family.
Good luck with the mad rush of Christmas preparations. Please continue the excellent service you are conducting locally and internationally and remember ‘Rotary Connects the World’.
Rosanne
Rosanne Kava
District Governor 2019-20
It is a great pleasure to introduce and warmly welcome some new Rotarians who have joined Clubs in our District. Twenty-nine people have joined twenty Clubs in our District since 1 July 2019. It is wonderful to see new members in some of our smallest country Clubs as well as our larger Clubs. Those Membership and Public Image Seminars are obviously working! You can see a list of our newest rotariansHERE
I encourage you all to immerse yourselves in learning about Rotary in your Club and more generally. Volunteer for a job or a Committee if no-one has thought to give you one and find yourself someone you are comfortable with to ask all of those ‘dumb’ questions that you feel you should know but need to told or shown.
If you haven’t registered this year, think about attending next year's Rotary Leadership Institute sessions, contact RLI Chair debrobertson.dr@gmail.com , which are held over 3 Saturdays in 5 different locations in our District. This course is normally paid for by your Club and gives you a comprehensive understanding of Rotary and all of its opportunities.
Welcome again and I look forward to seeing you at your Club or at the Rotary Conference in Swan Hill from 20-22 March or in Honolulu at the Rotary International Convention in June 2020!
Get connected to Rotary!
DG Rosanne
Home Hosting - Youth Exchange
Interested in being a Rotary Youth Exchange Host Family?
Rotary Youth Exchange success is reliant on people volunteering to be a host family. It is important to note you do not need to be a Rotarian or have a sibling participating in the program to be considered as a suitable host family.
There is no typical family structure required. An acceptable family might be a single parent family, have small children, older children or no children living at home. All that is expected is a that a caring and friendly family and home atmosphere is provided.
For more information contact Wendy James, D9780 Youth Exchange Chair, chairye9780@gmail.com
See the Home Hosting promotional video below.
The Papua New Guinea Project
Several Australian Rotary clubs, industry & corporate supporters and a PNG National group have cooperated to provide humanitarian aid projects within the PNG Oro (Northern) Province for more than 30 years.
The cooperating groups are known as “The Papua New Guinea Projects Group” (PNGPG). The PNGPG is currently a partnership of 7 Rotary clubs and other organisations coordinated by the Rotary Club of Warrnambool.
The PNGP Group is currently planning its 2020 project called "Fifty Pumps for Fifty Villages" The 2020 project can only go ahead with the support of additional member groups and can access District and Global Grant funds.
You can find more information about this project on the Warrnambool rotary website CLICK HERE
If your Club would like to be involved contact Tony Austin, International Services Director, Project Coordinator Rotary Club of Warrnambool
Vale - Jess Hooker
Jessika Michelle Hooker(12 January 1988 – 21 October 2019)
When Jess and Marcus Hooker joined the Rotary Club of Cobden on 7 November 2014 the Club was invigorated with two young people. Group Six Rotarians remember with affection the smiling face of Jess at the Group Six functions she attended.
The arrival of son Samuel in early 2018 was a time of celebration for the couple and Cobden Rotarians. Life sadly dealt a cruel blow when on the morning of 21 October 2019 Jess Hooker sadly passed away in her sleep at 31 years of age.
Cobden Rotary has instigated a “Growth and Education” Fund for Samuel Hooker (20 months old) after the tragic loss of his wonderful Mum Jess.
Samuel and Dad Marcus are now left with an incredibly tough and complex life together.
Your support in donating or perhaps conducting a fund raiser would provide a great contribution to Samuel’s fund.
Donations can be given-
In person to either branch of the Bendigo Bank Community Bank. (Cobden and Camperdown)...
By giving a donation envelope to a Cobden Rotarian.
By sending a cheque ( marked Rotary Club of Cobden – Samuel) to Cobden Rotary Club, Box 42, Cobden, 3266
By Direct deposit tp BSB 633 000 Acc No. 141679340
Please mark the Name/Reference/Description section
“Samuel”
Vale - Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart 28/11/1944 -5/11/2019
Rod was a member of Rotary for over 20 years, with both the Rotary Clubs of Kaniva and Ocean Grove before becoming a charter member of the Rotary Club of Queenscliff. Rod was an enthusiastic supporter of both Rotary and our club and very passionate about the work of Foundation. He was District Foundation Chair for some years.
Rod was Past President of Queenscliffe Club and both a Paul Harris Fellow and recipient of the Royce Abbey Award.
Rod’s larger than life presence will be sadly missed in our club.
Karen Pecar President, Rotary Club of Queenscliffe
Membership & Public Image Seminars
The final two seminars will be in Port Fairy on 23 November and Mt. Gambier on 24 November (Membership Development only).
If you have a role in your Club in Membership or Public Image, or are interested in learning more, these seminars provide you
with the tools to re think your approach to attracting new members, existing member development, and promoting the work of
Rotary in our own communities and globally.
The seminar cost is $35 and you can register online from this link
AG Membership John Crawford and AG Public Image Pauline Stewart
Thank You for Supporting END POLIO
24th October saw many clubs in our District, take up the opportunity to celebrate, promote awareness and raise much needed funds in the challenge to eradicate Polio from this world.
We invited clubs to tell us what their plans were for World Polio Day and several clubs reported their activities. Whilst we didn’t go riding trains across the network or riding bikes all over the state, clubs were active and our District is proud of your efforts.
Otway Rotaract Club went 10-pin bowling, members of the Rotary Club of Drysdale and Ocean Grove attended the screening of “Ride like a Girl,” and the four clubs in Warrnambool combined with representatives from port Fairy and Portland Bay to host a public breakfast meeting at which a members of a Polio Support Group spoke, and Beaufort Rotary had an article in the local paper about Zaheer Khan and his journey from Pakistan after contracting Polio. Members of Warrnambool Central Rotary are launching a documentary, filmed by one of their members James Mepham, of life saving extreme surgeries being done in India, followed by a function in support of End Polio Now.
I’m sure there are many more stories and events but these are the only ones brought to our attention.
Congratulations and a big thank you to everyone who promoted the awareness of the importance of Polio eradication and who raised much needed funds in order that we for fill our promise to the children of this world that we will eradicate Polio from this world. Keep up the good work everyone.
PDG Brian. Chair District RF Committee
Read the additional comments from Zone CoOrdinator Bob Aitken
Expressions of Interest to Host Rotarians from USA
Rotary Friendship Exchanges are a great way to meet new people in new countries. Out bound and In Bound Friendship Exchanges are normally for 2 weeks with a team of 10 – 12 people – usually Rotarians, who travel to another country and stay with Rotarians and visit their District and their Rotary Clubs.
At the moment two Rotary District have expressed an interest in a Friendship Exchange with D 9780 so we are looking for host clubs. Is your club interested? 3- 4 nights is the length of stay in each place-The Rotary Club members then organize for the team to visit places of interest and attend Rotary meetings or attend Rotary functions.
D 5060 North Central Washington, USA and British Columbia Canada in Okanagan Valley.The summer is beautiful with amazing lakes and rivers. Our District is vast allowing you to explore much of the Okanagan Valley as well as many wineries. If you prefer colder weather, we have lots of winter activities including skiing – cross country as well as downhill and snow shoeing.
D 5970 Iowa USA– Cedar Rapids has a population of around 130,000 and the Rotary District borders on the east of the Mississippi River. The geography varies from rolling hills with the forest in the northeast to flat farmland as far as the eye can see.
As the planning is in the early stages as yet, I need at least 4 clubs for each incoming team to host – so will need 8 clubs all up to offer to host.
What time are you able to host? Again if your club is interested I need to know when it would be suitable for the team to visit your area – what month?
The Southern District Shine On committee is a multi district committee with representatives from Districts 9780, 9790, 9800, 9810, and 9820.
District 9780 is seeking expressions of interest from Rotarians who may be interested in joining the Southern District Shine On Committee.
The Committee aims to fill vacancies ensuring where possible there is a wide geographic spread of committee members throughout the 5 Districts. The current committee members from district 9780 have been involved for a number of years and would like the opportunity to explore other avenues of service within the Rotary world.
Shine On “Mission” is tohave a focus on honouring outstanding community service by persons with disability. ‘Shine On’ highlights the abilities and skills of the Awards nominees, and their efforts to overcome the limitations of disability, to reach aspired goals and to contribute and achieve.
Please email your expression of interest or any questions to the Graham Thomson via email kwatye1@bigpond.com
Graham is prepared to mentor any prospective Rotarians who want to pursue these vacancies for district 9780.
The R100 Centenary Logo Competition was conceived at the Christchurch Zone Conference. Yes, we need a powerful, engaging logo to help make a mark on history.
The R100 Centenary Logo Competition is now ready to launch through several channels.
So, what it’s all about?
In 2021, Rotary in Australia and New Zealand celebrates our first 100 years of service – and we need a powerful, engaging logo to help build our story.So, we have created a Centenary Logo Competition to help make an impact.
What creativity can we conjure that captures the heart and soul of our centenary? Separate designs for both New Zealand and Australia will be welcome. Or a design that covers both countries – a design that enhances Rotary’s broader branding.Everyone is welcome to enter – Rotarians, professionals, friends and family. And the designer’s story will be an important part of the logo’s launch.
We are tapping into the passion and energy of volunteers who will be rewarded simply with heartfelt thanks acknowledged by Rotary leaders. That story will be part of our centenary story.The competition is now open and closes on December 15. This is a tangible chance to make a mark on history!For more information, submission protocols and technical guidelines, visit https://www.rotary100downunder.com
Click the link below for current information from Rotary partners
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The Southern District Shine On committee is a multi district committee with representatives from Districts 9780, 9790, 9800, 9810, and 9820.
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