Stories
Hello everyone, Hope all your Christmas prep is going well. It’s a funny time of the year really, all this running around like crazy just for one day. This was brought home to me in the past week when Rick and I lost a very close friend in a car accident. Perhaps the most important thing to do this Christmas, is to tell those you love how much they mean to you, and in the words of our own David White – “If you are missing someone this year take some time out to reflect on what joy they gave you”. Thank you, David, for those lovely words. I would also like to remind everyone to take care when driving, slow down a bit and be patient, not always easy at Christmas.
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President IanIan's Whereabouts with Organ Donation and Road TraumaI have been asked to let the club know what I have been up to as far as some speaking engagements I have been doing and some coming up in the next few months. On Monday the 11th Oct. I went to Melton to speak at a road trauma seminar for Amber Community where there were 8 offenders, then this Thursday morning I was asked to accompany Luke Elliot to give a presentation to Corrections Victoria on behalf of Amber Community to help the case workers there understand what we do so then they can follow up after their clients complete our seminars. Then that night we did another seminar with Luke as the facilitator and I was the lived experience speaker, at Eastern Hub in East Geelong. There were 9 participant’s that night. I was able to have my daughter-in-law sit in as an observer as she wanted to see what I did. She is also a police officer, so it was great to get her feedback after the seminar. I will also be going to Laverton this coming Monday night for another seminar. I think after that I may have a little break until, in November I’ve been asked to speak at Parliament House in Melbourne to a few hundred people at a Remembrance Service for people from all Emergency Services, Politicians and many people who have lost loved ones through road trauma. Quite nervous about this one.
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Natalia ProshchenkoWhat an interesting presentation we had on Tuesday evening from Natalia Proshchenko. Natalia is from Ukraine and has many family members living near the front line of the war with Russia. We heard about Natalia’s Ukraine. It is the second largest country in Europe after Russia. It’s favourite holiday pastime is painting eggs, and Natalia said that is where the tradition of egg painting started. She shared with us the beauty of pre-war Ukraine and a few photos after. Ukraine had the first University in Eastern Europe, with 47% of woman and 36% holding university degrees. Also- Read how a Rotary club provided modular housing to a Ukrainian family that lost their home. click here |
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Donate For LifeDonate For Life in KerangI was on a zoom meeting with our DG last Sunday afternoon and he mentioned that I was going to speak at the Kerang Rotary Club this coming week. Opps, I had forgotten to put it in my diary. Then had a call from Sid at Kerang. Shirley and I headed off Thursday morning following Mrs Google through parts of Victoria I never knew existed, but she got us there. It was a combined meeting of Kerang Lions and Rotary Clubs. We meet a lot of very friendly people, and we were treated like the King and Queen for the night. The Donatelife talk went quite well and we signed 2 new donors and checked 8 more. We were invited around to a lovely lady Irene’s home on Friday morning to see her craft work and her beautiful garden. Shirley is apparently going to attempt to knit a Scarf out of second-hand Teabag strings, and I left with a jar of homemade Quandong Jam. Thankyou Kerang for a great time.
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HappyBirthday |
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Benind the Badge - Peter HynesChairman Jo White introduced Member Peter Hynes for Behind the Badge • Born & raised in Colac — third generation pharmacist • Educated at St Joseph’s school Colac, St Patrick’s College Ballarat and South Australian Institute of Technology. • Irish heritage on both sides of the family — HYNES and DARCY • Started TENON Joinery in 2009
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Farewell to St John's Group from ZimbabweDue to the above cancellation the Farewell luncheon for the St John’s Choir Group from Zimbabwe on the 30th August became our official meeting for the week. The farewell Luncheon was held at the Riverview BIG 4 caravan Park with pizza’s courtesy of Frank Iannuzzi’s “The Mobile Pizzaria” (Past Bayside Member and PHF). Desserts were supplied by Bayside Members with more than enough choice for all. The Choir sang 3 songs as a thank-you for Bayside’s support of their tour. It must have sounded impressive as the crowds came running from all areas of the caravan park. Nicole Smilevski and Mark Furlan did a wonderful job of coordinating the Australian end and not to forget all Nash’s work at the Zimbabwe end to make it all happen. Pres Judy thanked the group for the visit and cultural exchange. We will miss you all but may catch up again sometime. Have a safe journey home to Harare.
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Welcome to St John's Tour Group from ZimbabweIt was an early start to the evening with Bayside Rotary members arriving at 4:30 p.m. to setup the kitchen/dining room and then get the salads and desserts organised. Other members got the BBQ’s firing both in the kitchen and the outdoor BBQ area. At 6:00 p.m. St John’s Tour Group began arriving and in no time the 30 students and teachers were fed with 15 hungry Rotarians following not far behind. Pres Judy welcomed the Tour Group and wished them well for their stay in Geelong. We then enjoyed Pavlova as our dessert. The school captain thanked Bayside for the dinner provided. The group then made its way to the Ten Pin Bowling Centre in Reynolds Road Belmont where all had a wonderful time.
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Lena Tetaud - Our French Exchange StudentPres Judy then introduced our chairman for the evening Peter Kavenagh. Peter stated that he is very committed to Youth Exchange which he believes is an awesome program. Worldwide 5,000 – 6,000 kids are experiencing Youth Exchange. What a great way it is to develop worldwide contacts from many countries and develop better relations between countries. Peter then introduced Exchange Student Lena Tetaud and asked what can we learn from Lena ?? Lena lives in the city of Marmande with a population of approx. 17,000. Marmande is located 35 km north-west of Agen, on the southern railway from Bordeaux to Sète A noted producer of tomatoes, a festival dedicated to tomatoes is held annually in July. It is also a wine producing area but not very renowned. Gararock music festival is held every year and about 80,000 people attend. Lena then showed a Powerpoint display of her mother’s house and her father’s house. Lena’s hobbies are mostly music, she plays the saxophone and piano. Lena’s sports are rowing, surfing and snow sking. Lena attends a local regional school with 3,000 students and studies economics, science and music. The Prime Minister is Manuel Valls and the President is Francois Hollande. France has a population of 65 Million. That concluded Lena’s presentation with many questions being asked by members present. Lena then finished up with a recital of the French National Anthem with her saxophone. Well
done Lena !!!!! |
District Governor Jane CoxPres Judy then introduced DG Jane Cox. DG Jane stated that our club does much more than just BBQ’s. We have an outbound and an inbound student this year as well supporting the other Youth projects of NYSF, RYPEN and RYLA. We also have a major involvement in the Days for Girls Project. Last Year Kaniva and Nhill Rotary Clubs handed their charter back, they were unable to continue due to lack of numbers. Always remember that membership retention is as important as new members. DG Jane then presented Centurion Certificates to all from Bayside that had qualified prior to June 30th 2015. DG Jane’s Rotary District Conference 9780 dates are March 18th – 20th 2016. The conference will be held on the waterfront. Pres Judy then introduced Jo White, who got us organised with our fun footy games.
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Lena Tetaud - Our French Exchange Student has arrivedOn Wednesday 29 July Lena arrived at Tullamarine after a harrowing journey over 48 Hours. She was welcomed by Telsa, Mark and Peter.
Her flight from Toulouse was delayed and consequently she missed her connection in London. After rebooking her on another flight the next day British Airways provided her with a Hotel room. It was a new experience to be in London and an anxious wait for the next day and to again arrive at Heathrow to board her flight half way around the world. The flight was via Singapore arrovomg at Sydney. At Sydney she had to make her way to the Domestic terminal and board another flight to Melbourne.
Now because Sydney was not her original plan of course her luggage did not arrive with her. Another obstacle! Fortunately a quick visit to Luggage services at Tulla. She was assured that it would be delived to her new home that same day. True to their word it was delivered by courier that evening.
She has settled in now and with a number of initial administrative things done she is now looking forward to starting school at Oberon.
Also attending her first Rotary Meeting on Tuesday where all the club members are looking forward to meeting her.
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Committees NightAs it was our committee’s night we formed into our committee groups for the rest of the evening for some planning and discussion for the 2015-16 year ahead. Youth Services – Phil Quick Lachlan Baensch was successful in his interview process and will attend NYSF Inbound exchange student from France Lena Tetaud arrives Tuesday 28th July and hopefully will attend next week’s meeting. Community & Vocational – Daryll Webb Letter received from St Mary’s Football and Netball Club asking for support for a netball team that will be visiting Fiji on a Cultural Exchange. Robert Van Zetten and daughter Rachel have requested support for a Cambodian Orphanage project that they are involved in. A workplace visit to the new premises of FW Tile Town in Torquay Road Grovedale to be organised in the near future. What’s new in your workplace to be continued into the new Rotary year with each member being invited to speak. Membership, PR and Fun – Jo White Some interesting facts from the recent Club Survey. Most members happy with the way the club is functioning. DG Jan Cox’s visit on 4th August will be a footy theme night. The club is open to accepting new members please contact us if you are interested. 0418882022
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French Inspired Theme NightWell what a wonderful night was had by all who attended the French inspired theme night held at Simon and Sarah Empson’s home last Tuesday night. It was a taste of what’s to come when we welcome our French Exchange student Lena. Although numbers were down, it didn’t deter those who were there to dress in French costume and kick up their heels and enjoy the delicious French champagne and red wine on offer. Thanks to everyone who brought along the wine and the scrumptious array of French inspired food – we nibbled on bikkies and cheese as an appetiser which was followed by French onion soup (from the kitchen of master chef John S.) served with Jo’s crunchy baguettes. For second course we tasted delicious quiches and salads (provided by Peter K., Murray and Judy) and to top it off we were treated to Telsa’s gateau cake and profiteroles. During the evening Director of Membership, PR & FUN, Jo, presented us with a questionnaire to fill out and Foundation Director David presented Murray with his Centurion mug and club annual report. After tea Telsa formed the group into 2 teams to play some informal fun games such as the French maids’ race, building French landmarks and translating French into English. Many thanks to Telsa for organising and coordinating the evening. We look forward to the next theme night. Who would like to take a turn at hosting????
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ICE- Snr Sergeant Tony FrancisPeter Hynes introduced Snr Sergeant Tony Francis who has served in the police force for 27 Years. 18 months ago he started on the ICE journey of trying to minimize it in the Geelong area. The Govt cannot fix the problem on its own, neither can the Health system, nor can the Police. It needs to be a joint effort of the three mentioned plus the community all working together. ICE is a behavioral changer, usually leads to violence. It makes you feel like superman. 6% of Australians use drugs the highest in the world. A hit on ICE is cheaper then alcohol which is taxed heavily. 1/10 gram sells for $50 to $60. It will give you 12 Hours of good time. Let our town reach its full potential and prevent this ugly drug’s devastation. Our town’s ICE FIGHT. There’s no place for ICE. www.icefight.com.au Many questions were asked of Tony and ICE. We all learned more than we previously knew about ICE. Chairman Peter thanked Tony for his informative presentation and presented him with a memento of his visit to our Club. Peter Hynes then handed back to Pres Judy.
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Celebration DinnerWe have been “Lighting up Rotary” and now moving to “Be a gift to the World”. DGE Jane Cox proposed the toast to Rotary International and reminded us that the main object of Rotary is Service to the World. PDG Chris Sims responded to the toast on behalf of Rotary International and reminded us that some in the world are not as fortunate as us and quoted us Past RI President John Kinne’s theme “The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands”. Rotarian Jane Myers spoke about an international project in Ballamataan Nepal that she was a part of. Midwifery skills were taught to local medical staff. Six Rotary Clubs involved, Bayside Geelong plus 2 more from Victoria, two from New Zealand and one from Nepal. Jane and her group then presented at a break out session at the RI Conference in Sydney in 2014. Jane has kept in touch with the group in Ball and looks like another trip will happen in the near future. PP Jo White than presented a power point display of the “Year that Was”. It was a timely reminder of what we achieved over the year and of course the fun we all had participating in very worthy causes. “Rotary is fun while serving the community was very apparent” in the “Year that Was”.
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Freshwater Creek Fire BrigadeThe members of the Fire Brigade gave an interesting insight into the history and the workings of the two truck fire Station. The station is run entirely by volunteers and like all service clubs they are also struggling to attract new members. New members must attend training and reach a level of certification prior to being able to ride on the fire trucks and attend emergencies. The presentation was followed by a tour of the station, with many Rotarians eagerly going back to their childhood and gleefully climbing all over the Fire Engine. No one was backward in getting their photo taken on the engine either.
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Blood BankThe was no formal meeting this week instead members were all booked into give blood. This author was excused at the last minute with flu but others who could did donate some of their blood. Rumour has it that there was no 'blue" blood amongst them.
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Changes in the Workplace - Daryll WebbDaryl presented to us a view of his workplace which is at National Tiles . He gave us many pictures of his colleagues and presented an overall view of this place, including history and culture. Talking about the importance of the workplace including the social impace. He had many photos to which he talked about. Thank you Daryll |
CPR NightNeed to up update CPR training regularly. We watched video where someone collapsed and as person who found them had no CPR training and panicked and did most things incorrectly the person could not be revived even with the arrival of the ambulance. Take two of the above video where the person on the scene had some knowledge and didn’t panic, gave basic CPR and with the arrival of the Ambulance the person life was saved. Remember any CPR is better than no CPR. |
Phil Quick - Workplace storyPhil was born and bred in Lara 7th of 8 children. He is married to Karen with 2 kids Ben & Jenna. Jenna is also a member of Bayside Rotary Club and an ex exchange student. Phil is a Qualified Plumber who now works as a Project Manager for D&E Air conditioning, currently working on VCCC the new cancer hospital in Parkville. Joined Rotary in 2010 after Bayside had sponsored Jenna on Youth Exchange Spent 6 months in Antarctica as a maintenance plumber He is the Incoming Chairman of 9780 Youth Exchange Committee. Phil spoke about the current project he is working on which is the new cancer hospital in Parkville known as the VCCC (Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre). It is a 1 billion dollar state of the art Hospital, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. D&E Air conditioning (My Employer) have a 100 million contract to install the air conditioning and ventilation to the facility. It is a 20 floor building, 14 floors above ground and 6 under. 4 floors underground parking, the 1 floor back of house offices maintenance etc. 1 floor radiography bunkers and offices, ground floor reception retail. 1st floor accommodation for relatives of patients, levels 2-6 clinical floors, wards, theaters, etc. level 7 plant room. Due for completion later this year, open for patients June 2016. Phil was able to show us a video of the site being built. Click here to see the videos |
CommitteesFundraisingRequire Volunteers for 2 BBQ next Weekend 1st and 2nd May. Friday 1st May is the Vines Road Community Market (Under Cover) Hours 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. All facilities provided by community centre. We are just required to supply the meat and onions. Saturday 2nd May is the Torquay Safeway BBQ 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Volunteers required. CommunitySaturday 2nd May is the Torquay Safeway BBQ 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Volunteers required. Membership and PR and FunA pop up Rotary Banner will be purchased so we can use at all our events leading to greater community awareness of our club. Blood bank 5:15 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. 9th June is reserved for Bayside RC. Need to make your own booking. |
Lauren and Cassie GravettLauren and Cassie aborted their holiday and hope of work in the UK, to follow a calling at Sienreap Village, 60 Kilometers from Phnom Phen, where their search for a coffee hit led them to starting a cafe, sourcing local coffee beans and providing work. Their profits help to educate local girls. Hearts to Harmony is a Non-Government Organization (NGO) based in Siem Reap,Cambodia. Their aim is to enhance the lives of individuals in pursuit of studying and creating a healthy and safe environment for them. They provide education scholarships from primary schooling through to university studies. Their outreach program consists of regular health workshops, assistance with dental care, and monthly food packages to all our families in rural Siem Reap. See Also:www.heartstoharmony.org |
Meeting With JoNo meeting this week but instead a “Cricket Team of 12”gathered at the Lara Sports Club for a social night and some fine food. The chef was no other than the Incoming President of Lara Rotary Club Chris Kinley. Thank you Chris for the great meals. |
Australian Volunteers International (AVI)President Judy introduced Chairman Peter Kavenagh who in turn introduced Dr Mark Kavenagh Mark was educated at Belmont High School, Melbourne Uni (Major in Psychology) Monash Currently Mark works as the Child Protection Advisor within AVI. It can be a 6 mth – 2 Year Placement. Voluntary Involvement, however airfares and Visa costs as well as living expenses and accommodation allowance is provided. 24 Hour Health and Emergency Support is also provided. AVI is closely associated with the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). As an AVI volunteer you will require:
If you apply be prepared to go through an extensive interview process. As a volunteer you will contribute to positive change. For further information see the website: www.australianvolunteers.com |
Committees and Conference ReportDISTRICT 9780 CONFERENCE – MARYBOROUGH Friday 21st - Sunday 23rd March 2015 Last weekend 4 Bayside Geelong Rotarians and their partners took up the invitation to “Take the Journey to light Up Our World” when they attended the 2015 District 9780 Conference which was held at Maryborough and was hosted by the Rotary Club of Maryborough. Throughout the weekend we were challenged to not only take the physical journey to Maryborough, but to also take the inner journey, to prepare ourselves to light up the four aspects of our Rotary “World”. |
Compined Meeting with Corio Bay Rotary Club - Paul KearnsMr. Paul Kearns Principle Urologist at Barwon Health and surgeon. Paul gave an interesting talk with PowerPoint Display on the Men’s Health Topic of prostate cancer. All men 50 and over should at least have the PSA Blood test and the at least once every 3 years. Just because you may have a higher reading does not mean you have prostate cancer. Higher reading could be as a result of an infection. Men should go to the Doctor immediately they have any worrying symptoms “down there” as most of the time it is not cancer. If it is cancer then the earliest that cancer detected the better chance of it being treated and cured. |
Alex Kinross-SmithChairman Phil Quick introduced Alex Kinross-Smith our student who we sponsored to attend the NYSF in Canberra in 2nd week of January 2015. Alex felt it was a great preparation for VCE and University. The highlights of his experience were The Opening Ceremony, "Curiosity is one of the best traits of humans." He studied fossils and had Scientists speak about them. Also He had dinner with these same scientists and had the opportunity to speak with them one on one over dinner. It opened eyes to wider career choices within science such as Engineers, Archaeologists and IT Scientists. Companies such as CSIRO were represented. This most impress me - a CSIRO employee! Some of these sessions were in the Canberra Science dome which was a wonderful setting for the young mind. President Judy also mentioned that was one in a long line of Students that Bayside has sponsored to attend the NYSF. |
Days for Girls Activity NightNo guest speaker this week but a hands on exercise for “Days for Girls”. Telsa made us form a production line and began assembling fully completed “Kits”. I believe about 20 kits were completed in the 20 minutes. |
Progressive DinnerThis delightful gathering began with a warm welcome from Telsa, always the perfect hostess. A lovely selection of entrees was provided with lots of happy chat and a “punch” or two. We continued on to the Furlan’s, only “500” metres down the road. Burchie wanted to know who did the measuring! The Furlan family welcomed us to their beautiful home. They had prepared a lovely main meal for us, Steak Diane, Sri Lankan Chicken curry and accoutrements. After dinner Mark and Nicole told us about the plans to bring a group of 30 youngsters, (the HME Zimbabwe Choir) to Victoria for a “musical” tour. Club members were able to offer lots of advice on handling the tour. Our final stop was at the Kavenagh's. We were welcomed by a large clan of cats. President Judy cut the cake in honour of Rotary International’s 110th birthday. A lovely selection of desserts were on offer to members. Some Rotarians were seen raiding the snake bowl and contorting their faces for some while after. A wonderful evening of fellowship and fun for all. Many thanks to our hosts and hostesses. |
CommitteesPresident Judy asked us to consider our Action Plan. Fill in parts of the form during our committee meeting and in particular our committee’s goals. We then gathered in our committees and discussed our future plans for this Rotary year. REPORTS:Phil Quick YOUTH.Working on hosting a Inbound Exchange Student to be shared with another Rotary Club. NYSF, RYLA and RYPEN all being investigated. Daryll Webb Community & Vocational.Easter Egg hunt on 5th April at Bellarine Estate Winery. Barwon Health require helpers. If able to volunteer then please advise Daryll ASAP. David Fisher ROTARY FOUNDATION.Goals for the year are as per our Club’s Rotary Handbook Page 12. Some fundraising is being planned to support goals. Simon Empson Membership and Fundraising.Goals as per the handbook are sound. |
Rotarian Ken Beall - RC Vernon British Columbia – My Rotary in Kenya Experience.Ken who spoke of his experiences over a 1 month Rotary Trip to Kenya Ken a member of the RC of Vernon British Columbia in Canada is a photojournalist, married with 2 children and some grandchildren who now lives an énviable nomadic’ life of 6 months of the year in Canada and 6 months in Australia. Due to his academic, and physical background, Ken was invited to go on a month long Rotary Trip to Kenya to act as the videographer, photojournalist and computer technician; a trip which was to check on past Rotary projects and to set up some computer labs and libraries in schools and also look into future projects. Ken taught us that JAMBO was Swahili for Hello. First project was to load operating systems on lab computers. If the computers do not work then they are broken down and recycled. Even the plastics are used to make fence posts. Nothing is wasted. Ken then visited a University and noted many of the books in the library were donated by Rotary. A visit to OI Pejeta which is a non-profit wildlife conservancy in Kenya supporting endangered species, tourism and community outreach. Then on to a boarding school where only some of the kids had mattresses on their beds. By the time Ken left he had ensured that all beds had mattresses. |
Phil Hayden – My Kokoda experiencePhil is a local resident who has 6 children and 14 grandchildren. He has 46 years of experience as a Primary and Secondary school teacher. Phil is a member of Lions and started the “Men’s Shed” in Leopold. Phil is big on making every day count and has paddled the Murray River each year for 10 years, participated in marathons, Lorne Pier to Pub and in 2012 aged in his early 70’s walked the Kokoda track. Phil went with Australian Kokoda Tours a company run by an ex student of his Michael O’Malley. Phil spoke of the experience in preparation for the walk, participation and the ultimate achievement of completing the walk. Phil also told us that the Geelong police through their community programs had taken some youths who were at risk on the Kokoda walk with great success in changing their lives. He reminded us that the Police were always looking for funding for these programs and any donations would be welcome. Further information for anyone interested can be obtained from the website |
Committee nightPresident Judy spoke about the successful combined meeting with Torquay Rotary Club. Thanks to John Spiteri for all the work he has done on the car raffle. Thanks to Telsa for her work on the “Days for Girls”. The packs will be soon sent overseas. The Club’s proposed Vision and Mission statements were displayed on the overhead display. President Judy and the board have put in a lot of work with the Visioning and Mission statements. Also there were a template of Club Prioities for the meeting to examine and digest. More to follow Committees again set their priorities for the remainder of the Rotary Calendar year. A highlight will be the arrival of the Zimbabew youth concert tour in August The tour is called the Hakuna Matata Experience - More to follow Ride the Ballarine on Sunday 19th April is becoming exciting. |
Bayside Geelong and Torquay Rotary Clubs - The Challenge MatchWhat a great night Bayside Geelong and Torquay RC's had last Tuesday night, for their Annual Get together at Brian Burch’s property at Bellbrae. Thank you Brian for your hospitality. The weather was perfect, for a change, and the evening was well supported by both clubs. The friendly cricket match was quite entertaining, with Torquay, narrow winners by 2 runs. The pizzas made by a friend of Bayside RC, Frank Iannuzzi, were enjoyed by all. Pizzas were followed by lots of delicious desserts prepared by both clubs. A big thank you to those people who brought the desserts from both clubs. It would have been great to have had a few more auction items, but the ones brought along netted over $200, which was a good effort. Thank you to all who donated items. The total funds raised on the night was $500, coming from the night fee, Auction and coin toss at the bottle. This was a great result and will be most beneficial to the Freshwater Creek Fire Brigade, to purchase much needed equipment. Many thanks to members of both Clubs for supporting the evening and we look forward to our next get together in 2016, when Torquay Rotary Club will be the hosts. Yours in Rotary Service Judy Beasley |
Christmas Meeting Break upHAWAIIAN NIGHTA very enjoyable evening was had by all who attended, on the 16th December 2014, when we held our Hawaiian Night, as our last meeting for 2014. Everyone looked very colourful with their hawaiian shirts, dresses and leis. The most colourful shirt award would have to go Darryl!!!! Well done. Many thanks must go to Phil and Karen Quick for opening their home to us and thank you to all, for the delicious meats, salads and desserts we indulged in. It was also wonderful to see Jo and David call by and join in with us. You are so positive Jo, and we are all thinking of you and wish you well. |
COOGG Workers and Families Christmas PartyWell done to everyone who was able to attend and help out at the COGG Workers and Families Christmas Party. Food preparation and serving of the food all worked like clockwork, thanks to the hard working volunteers and the excellent organisation by John V. and Brian B. It is a big effort for a small club, and once again, the Bayside Team pulled together and did it well. We have had some very positive feedback from the COGG saying they were very pleased with the assortment, quality of food and serving. So well done everybody!!!!! |
Lesley Shedden - ROMACROMAC has been in operation for over 25 years. Rotarians volunteer their time and expertise to run this Rotary program that encompasses all the Districts of Australia and New Zealand. Assisted by many eminent Australian and New Zealand surgeons who generously donate their time free for the treatment of our patients, this humanitarian program has provided over 350 children from more than 20 developing countries with urgent medical treatment that has given them new hope. |
Joe Kelly getting ready for Youth Exchange in GermanyPeter Kavenagh introduced our outbound Exchange Student Joe Kelly. |
Days for Girls Activity NightThis evening was a working bee for Days for Girls project. Telsa had us all organised with jobs ranging from cutting out material, tracing shapes and sewing. It was a very successful night with a lot of work being done. Thank you to all who attended including our guests who came well prepared. Some photos below showing the activity and even some of the men discovering some hidden talents.
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Bon Fire NightThanks again go to Brian Burch for allowing us to enjoy the surrounds of his beautiful garden while at the same time enjoying the warmth of the bonfire in what turned out to be a lovely relaxing evening with members and guests enjoying some self catered salads and desserts. Many members and guests got in to the spirit of the evening with a variety of hats worn to mark the occasion. A special thanks go Brian Burch for preparing and lighting the fire, John Virgona for his words of advice and Daryll Webb for his supervision. |
District Governor - Geoff JamesDG Geoff was our keynote speaker and delivered a presentation on “27 Steps to Rotary Enlightenment” |
Ken Wilks Spirit of the Heart Awards 2014.President Judy Beasley opened the meeting, introduced herself and welcomed everyone to the Ken Wilks Spirit of the Heart Awards 2014. This day is also a celebration for Light Up Rotary Day. On the tables you will find some brochures and information outlining some of the wonderful work that Rotarians do. The RC Bayside Geelong is one of 34,000 clubs around the world, with over 1 million Rotarians working together whilst having fun, to make the world a better, safer and healthier place. Rotary International’s Major project has been the Eradication of Polio from the World. Through our hard work and diligence, we are now only a few years away from eradicating polio for good – we are so close Chairman of Community and Vocational Committee Daryll Webb to introduce our first speaker Dr John Oswald OAM who spoke to us about the work of Interplast. Dr Oswald provided a presentation of the wonderful work he and the volunteers had achieved via Interplast over the last 30 + Years. (Click Link) The award recipient was then announced Augustino Moedu was a very proud and humble recipient of the award and said it gave him recognition for all the struggles he had, firstly in the refugee camps and then establishing himself again when he arrived in Geelong. Now working at Diversitat he is a dedicated employee and worthy ambassador of the Karen Community The Transport Accident Commission(TAC) have been supporting RC of Bayside Geelong as the proud sponsor of this award for some years and Hamish Heard said that the TAC was very proud to be able to support this award as their contribution to the worthy recipients. President Judy on behalf of RC of Bayside Geelong extended sincere thanks to TAC for their sponsorship and continued support for years to come. |
Club Visioning with Warren norton and Linda Carr |
A Taste of travel to the land of the Bible.You are travelling on plane from Hong Kong to Tel Aviv on El Al airlines. Aboard the plane there are Jewish people going home. |
Margaret Lannen (Health Promotions Officer for Breast Screen for the region)Margaret said that the Breast Screen clinic is there to promote awareness and the screening of potential breast cancer patients. |
Dr Murray MacDonaldIt was our privilege tonight to hear from our own member Murray MacDonald who shared with us his interesting life journey since retiring in late 2012. This journey has taken Murray to several countries around the world and involved both work and pleasure. This was the first part and installment of his retirement. Covering work in Perth and Canada so for him retirement looks like more work. |
Skype Connection – Taona Nyasha Muchochomi New Gen Friend - ZimbabweWe connected by skype with our new gen friend Taona Nyasha Muchochomi in Zimbabwe. It has been some time since Nash returned to Zimbabwe. He is currently working in sports management as well as doing some volunteer work in the local community. Nash is pleased with the results of the Shungu art show held on 5th September in Geelong. The proceeds from the sale of artworks will be donated to charities in Zimbabwe. We were all very pleased to talk again with Nash however despite repeated attempts By our resident IT experts the Skype connection was poor quality and we had to discontinue our conversation. Nash is hoping to return to Geelong in about two years to continue his career in Australia. Presentation Alex Kinross-Smith - National Youth Science Forum studentAlex told us that he is studying science subjects at Oberon High School and is also studying Mandarin on Saturday mornings. He is interested in science as he likes to know how and why things work. Alex said that the forum will give him the opportunity to mix with other like minded people and provide a broader outlook which will help with his career ideas. We congratulate Alex on his selection and look forward to hearing from him when he returns from the Forum. |
Tony McManus Chairman - Headspace (Barwon)Presentation by Tony McManus Chairman Headspace (Barwon) Due to increased demand for services and insufficient government funding the headspace Barwon Fund has been established to assist Headspace Barwon to deliver youth friendly support and services to young people in the local Barwon region. Tony’s presentation was very informative and provided a valuable insight into the services provided in the community by Headspace and the need for additional funding. President Judy thanked Tony for his presentation and gave him a cheque for $1,000 from Rotary Club of Bayside Geelong for the Headspace Barwon Fund. |
Rotary Banner QuizRotary Banner Quiz Telsa organised a quiz based on the many banners the Club had received over the years. There were many different styles and types of banners which created plenty of discussion amongst members. The winner of the quiz was our newest member Jenna Quick. Congratulations Jenna. Thank you to Telsa for sewing all the banners and running the quiz. |
Warren Norton – “Club Visioning Process”Warren provided a very succinct presentation regarding the new Rotary “Club Visioning Process”. By the number of questions it was very thought provoking and something for further discussion at Club level. Below is an extract from the website which explains the process. Extract from WebsiteThe visioning process is designed to help a Rotary club create its own vision and to discover for itself the steps necessary to achieve that vision. The result is unique to each club because this is not a vision decided by the Rotary District or by Rotary International. The result is a vision designed and endorsed by the club’s own members. |
Carol May “Days for Girls”Carol presented us with the background of the “Days for Girls” project and her involvement with a number of other volunteers aiming to fulfil the goals of “Days for Girls” Carol gave us a demonstration of making the kits and explained how we could either be involved as an independent group, or as part of an existing group of ladies supporting the project . Days for Girls was founded in 2008, when Executive Director Celeste Mergens prepared to travel back to Kenya to continue working with orphanages and communities in the wake of great political and economic upset. One night she awoke with a burning question: “Have you asked what the girls are doing for feminine hygiene?” When she asked the assistant director of the orphanage she was working with, the answer was shocking: “Nothing. They wait in their rooms.” |
Guest Speakers – Ralph Menchise and Tessa Davies from Anam Cara HouseAnam Cara House assists people of all ages for respite care, short term care and end of life care. It was established by Diane Wright when she saw that people preferred a home life environment to spend their last days. However this was not possible in some homes due to expert care required and there is no respite for the carer. So due to the assistance of Father Dillon, Anam Cara House was established in the St Mary’s Parish House Geelong. Now five years later, Anam Cara House continues to providing broad-based, non-denominational care in a home environment. The management consists of a board of 9 with Lloyd Gosling as chair. It has a small group of paid staff and approximately 80 volunteers who undergo special training in palliative care. The house not only caters for residents which are known as guests but also provides a place of respite for the families caring for a loved one. We at the Rotary Club of Bayside Geelong also concur and as a result President Judy presented a cheque for $500 as a contribution towards the marvellous work of Anam Cara. |
Dan Charles – Run To Better Days 2014Dan Charles spoke to us about the three week long venture called Run to Better Days 2014. This is a three week program based in Melbourne which aims to generate action towards the fight to end global poverty. Over the three week period their team of young athletes will speak to schools, universities and community organisations about we, as members of an affluent society can do about the problem of extreme poverty. The “Run” aspect of the event involved a team of runners , running in a relay format, the entire 264 kilometres around Port Phillip Bay – in one day. The Run To Better Days aims to :- 1. Raise $20,000 for both “The Malaria Foundation (AMF) and “Medecins Sans Frontieres “ 2. Challenge young people throughout Australia to consider that we as a developed nation |
Sarah Edwards - Salamanca Primary School - Philippines<p>Sarah introduced us to Salamanca Primary School last year and gave us a brief introduction to the school again telling us where it was; the island of Negros which is a boat trip from Cebu one of the main cities in the Philippines.&nbsp;</p> <p>Sarah then pointed out that since then the principal had &ldquo;passed away&rdquo; from Hepatitis D.&nbsp; Because her <em>field is virology she was able to reassure the community of the safety of continuing to keep the school</em> open as it was not a readily contagious disease.&nbsp; She had some photos of the new school principal.</p> <p>Sarah had a photo of her along with our box of books and supplies that was sent last year and conveyed the absolute delight that staff expressed with its arrival.&nbsp; Although delivering a volley ball without a volleyball net was an oversight.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> |
Geelong Food Bank – Helping Many People in Geelong Who Are Doing It ToughOur guest speaker Jonathon Clarke from the Geelong Food Bank gave an interesting presentation on the work of the Geelong Food Bank outlining the increase in demand on their ever stretched resources to satisfy their client needs. The Food Bank is currently supplying food to a number of welfare |