This week we are pleased that our 9685 District Governor, Mina Howard, is attending our meeting for her Official Visit. We thank her for her support and for the numerous times she has attended our meetings.
Once again we had an enjoyable evening at the Rotary Clubs of NSW Police Officer of the Year Awards. It was great to share it with Ross Johnson and our past member Fleur Hourihan.
The great news for our club this week is the success of Lucy Hobgood -Brown’s grant application. Please read the following “Congratulations” item.
At present we have members working on their projects here and overseas. At present we have Barbara (permanently) in Kenya, Judith in Timor Leste, Jeff in Cambodia.
Lucy is in Oregon, USA, celebrating Thanksgiving with her family. Kian is in Malaysia.
We wish you all safe travels.
Our next meeting’s guest will be Past Rotary International President Ian Riseley, who is the current Chair of The Rotary Foundation. Please advertise this widely for 4 December.
On Wednesday 23 November I have been invited to speak about Rotary e-clubs at the Rotary Club of Umina Beach. All of our members are invited to attend. Please let me know asap if you wish to come – 6:00 PM at Everglades Country Club, Woy Woy. Meals cost $15-25.
Welcome to the new members who are joining our club this meeting: Kim Mannion, and Wendy Stein
Until next time
Marilyn
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Rotary in Australia in 2021 the Rotary Club of Balwyn will donate a significant portion of its annual income generated from its Camberwell Sunday Market to assist other Rotary Clubs in Australia in their humanitarian endeavours. Since 1976 the Sunday Market has become a Melbourne icon and tourist attraction and the many millions of dollars generated from the Sunday Market has enabled the RCB to start many major community projects and assist in philanthropic initiatives within Australia and internationally.
The Rotary Club of Balwyn is sharing its good fortune by providing Balwyn Centenary Grants to other Rotary Clubs to give their members the opportunity to fulfill their dreams in making the world a better place.
The Rotary Club of Balwyn has committed approximately $1,000,000 over the next 5 years to aid other Rotary Clubs in Australia.
Well done Lucy Hobgood-Brown. News has just come that her application for a grant of AUD 33,264 to construct a community hub at Lotumbe, DRC, has been successful. I will leave it to Lucy to talk about this later.
Meet Moises Bakomeza, an 18-year-old new settler from Congo. He and his family of 10 live in Sydney. He just completed a 3-day Science Experience at Macquarie University, which lived up to its “where science meets fun” slogan. Moises came away inspired to continue his studies and aim for a university education.
Thank you to Rotary and Science Experience for making this opportunity possible! In addition to working on community development and emergency medicine education projects in the DRC, HandUp Congo facilitates Congolese refugee settlements in Australia.
Thank you too to Lucy who was the transport facilitator (driver) for Moises getting to the event.
Olga Paramonova works with a child to help him take his first steps, assisted by the Katusha verticalizer.
By Anna Tumanova, president, Rotary Club of Moscow Center, Russian Federation
I remember how impatiently I waited for my Varvara to run. I waited for my daughter's first step for 10 months. But there are parents who wait for years. And there are those who will never experience this happiness.
What is it like for a young person who can't lean on his own feet? How do they see the world? What is their social circle? Are they confined to the four walls of a small apartment, where they are heroically dragged along by their mother, whose life begins and ends with a child with special needs.
To read the full story including Foundation's involvement click here
Monday 24 October is WORLD POLIO DAY. Ending Polio is the number one priority of both Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. Each Club is asked to make a commitment to contribute US$1,500 ($2,175). Over the past four years we have conducted the All Stations challenge train ride to End Polio. Over those four years we have raised in Greater Sydney over $450,000 to ending Polio before the Gates Match. This year more than ever we need you commitment and support.
Attached is the train timetable at lets you know when we will be stopping at a station near you. Even if you Club is not on a trainline, PLEASE do you bit by joining us and riding with us for a station or two. It is a great Fellowship day, a great PUBLIC IMAGE Day and it puts the Rotary Brand out there in front of the public.
If a Rotarian contributes via this site, the members Club gets the credit. If a non-Rotarian contributes, than the District gets the credit. The donor email address is the identifying link to your Club or District.
The plan this year is to raise $200,000. Please do your bit to ensure that your Club meets its commitment to ENDING POLIO. Please look to sponsorship of Dave and myself. $1 per station from an individual or even $10 per station from Clubs together with your individual member sponsorship can help you achieve you Club commitment. Also if you have not already done so, Please go to www.rotary.org and go to Rotary Club Central and put your goal in place for Ending Polio. 100% of Clubs that did not put a Goal in place last Rotary year, did not give to ending polio.
Dave and I look forward to meeting all of you on the train on MONDAY 24 October. It is a big day if you want to ride the full 181 stations with us, starting at Cronulla ay 4:30AM. PLEASE COME and join us. And as a famous Rotarian from the 1960’s (Joe the gadget man) used to say “Don’t forget to bring you money with you?” Cheque or proof of bank transfer would also be good.
Tickets to the event will be sold online through an electronic ticketing system. BUT I need a few helpers to get it off and running. Please let me know if you are able to help on the night by tallying scores, monitor the ticket selling and record numbers; help with the publicity. Send me an email and overwhelm me with offers. Thank you. dianastewart48@outlook.com
