THE ROTARY CLUB
of
SALE CENTRAL INC.
THIRTY- SEVENTH ANNUAL
CHANGEOVER DINNER
ANNUAL REPORT 2013/14
Monday 30th June 2014
6.00pm for 6.30pm
O’Neill’s
Desailly Street, Sale
Changeover Dinner Program
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FellowshipPre-Dinner Drinks6.00 pm
Call to Order – Sergeant Arthur McPherson6.30 pm
Master of Ceremonies (MC)Ted Pickering
Welcome and Introduction of GuestsMC
ApologiesMC
Four-Way TestAnnette Hollonds
Toast to Australia and its PeopleWally Walton
Toast to Rotary InternationalJohn Caruana
ResponseDG Charlie Speirs
Main Course6.50 pm
Presentation of 2013-14 Annual Report
PresentationsPresident Colin (7.30 pm)
Dessert & Coffee7.45 pm
Changeover & Past Presidents’ Line-up DG Charlie Speirs /Colin Adams/Patricia Murray-Walton
Handover of CharterDG Charlie Speirs /Colin Adams/Patricia Murray-Walton
Induction on new membersTimMoore Past District Governor
Vision for 2014-15
Introduction of 2014-15 ThemePatricia Murray-Walton
Introduction of 2014-15 Board
Closureof MeetingPatricia Murray-Walton
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Club Board 2013/2014
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PresidentColin Adams
Vice President & Immediate Past PresidentMichael Page
President ElectPatricia Murray- Walton
President-Elect NomineeJohn Cartledge
SecretaryTed Pickering
TreasurerJohn Cartledge
Membership & ExtensionPeter Kluge
Public RelationsBrian Norris
Rotary FoundationRob McKimm
Service Avenues
- AdministrationColin Adams
- Community ServiceArthur McPherson
- International ServiceDavid Hollonds
- Vocational ServiceMax Wade
- New Generations Patricia Murray-Walton
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District Officers 2013/2014
(Club Members)
Assistant District Governor Michael Page
Membership ChairKerrie Schmidt
District TrainerBrian Norris
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President’s Annual Report June 2014
It is with much pleasure that I can present this annual report to the members and friends of the Rotary Club of Sale Central for the Rotary Year 2013-14.
As many will be aware that due to circumstances with in the club my presidency as planned for 2014/15 was brought forward a year which cut short my preparation time for the role.
However like most things in life there are challenges that we need to stand up to and grasp when they are put in front of us. I saw this year as a bit of a consolidation and preparation for the years ahead.
I believe that it has again been a successful year and this is a credit to the directors and members of the club along with their wives and partners and a number of friends of rotary.
The Director’s reports later in this document will highlight the activities that have been undertaken over the year in detail but in brief they include things such as:
The community portfolio saw activities in Bowel scan, Monday Tucker, Sale Music Festival, and Sporting Legends Fun Run, Esso picnics and the Show gates to name a few.
In the youth portfolio we have been extremely busy with Patricia and her team liaising with the Rotary Club of Sale in arranging students for MUNA, RYPEN, RYLA, NYSF, RAIC and Youth Exchange.
Youth exchange saw our club host Fernanda from Brazil and we supported both Morgan Watson who returned home from Brazil and saw Antoinette leave for France. Whilst Morgan and Fernanda had very successful exchanges unfortunately for Antoinette her experience is France was not a good one and she returned home early.
The youth area also saw another very successful Go Youth Camp supported by the Sale Club who also auspiced the Rotary Junior Citizenship Program.
International saw a team head to Papua New Guinea as part of a Rotary Australia World Community Service project to assist to refurbish an old hospital so it could be used as a refuge for abused women and children. A second project to build houses was seen as too greater risk for those involved and the opportunity declined.
We continue with our Vanuatu Eye Care project lead by Max and Leo and have seen a couple of additional members join this project over the last two years and make the trip to Vanuatu.
Foundation saw a grant application for the Go Youth camp obtained from district for just over $1,000 along with the promotion of the Foundation throughout the year.
Peter Kluge has worked very hard in the membership area and has been well supported by other club members. We have inducted one new member this year and there are currently a number of prospective members visiting the club to see if Rotary is for them.
A number of these prospective members have been introduced to rotary via our Monday Tucker as helpers and want to learn more about Rotary. We hope to convert them into full membership very soon.
Brian Norris has done a wonderful job keeping the members aware of all the club happening through the weekly bulletin and waited eagerly every Sunday for me to send my report in. Brian has also kept the community updated with articles in the local press.
Leo and Harold have supplied us with an interesting weekly program and I understand how difficult this has been for them at times.
A huge thank you needs to go to Michael Page and all his volunteers who have taken over the reigns of Monday Tucker this year and continue to provide up to 70 meals each week this a tremendous effort from all involved.
As can be seen from the items mentioned in this report, which is really just a very brief overview of the year, that the club is very active and my year has been made easy by everyone standing up and delivering on the projects that the club has taken on.
I have really enjoyed my year as President and I have been assisted and supported by the executive especially the experience of Ted Pickering to help guide and support me along with our treasurer John Cartledge.
Last but not least i need to thank Clare, my wife, who has played an active role volunteering for Monday Tucker as well as supporting me throughout the year. As always she has been a great help and support. Thanks.
Whilst I have been the figurehead of the club this year the members have made a club what it is and what it continues to be. Keep up the good work everyone and I wish Patricia all the best for her year in 2014/15
Colin Adams
President 2013/14
Community Service Report
Community Service this year has been involved in two “Special Projects”, namely the Music Festival and Monday Tucker. Alongside these two were a range of other functions that were supported by the Club in the interest of the Community. This included shifting the “pop-up piano” to different sites in the CBD, conducting as BBQ for the Sporting Legends Fun Run, manning the entry gates at the Sale Show, the annual book sale, the ESSO Christmas party and participating in Crackerjack Bowls evenings to support the Relay for Life teams. All of these events have help to raise funds for projects within our own community as well as being great times of fellowship, however none of these events would have been possible without the support of the entire club membership, not just those involved in Community Service. So to all, a very big thank you for your efforts throughout the year. It would be remiss of me to not thank the partners, (or for the older fashioned members – wives) for their support as well, particularly with Monday Tucker.
Of the Special Projects Michael Page has been instrumental in both and has submitted a separate report on each of them, most members were involved with one or both of these projects but I must personally thank the “movers and shakers” Michael Page, Andrew Bradley, Stuart Quinn and Eddie Graham and David Hollonds.
Monday Tucker
YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY KITCHEN
Every Monday evening a group of volunteers serve meals to the community. The group serves a large range of nutritious meals to 55 to 60 community members, who are struggling with poverty, family issues, youth homelessness, community isolation and loneliness. The group serves meals including soups, roasts, sausages, rissoles, chicken, vegetables, salads, bread, desserts, cordial, fruit, tea and coffee.
Monday Tucker started with 20 to 30 people attending each week. We now have up to 60 and increasing. The people who attend come for a much needed nutritious hot meal, as well an opportunity to socialise with other members of the community. We have young couples with small children, homeless youth and the elderly, all looking for a meal and social contact. We are now reaching out to more of the community that may be in need of what Monday Tucker provides.
We have sent information to other organisations including all Primary and Secondary schools in the Sale area, Sale Hospital, Social workers, Medical clinics, Youth Insearch, Salvos and all other welfare agents.
The group partners are the Rotary Club of Sale Central, Victoria Police, Sale Memorial Hall, Wellington Shire Youth Council and supported by the Wellington Shire. The Rotary Club of Sale Central provides the volunteers to supply, prepare, cook and serve each week. We are supported by students of Gippsland Grammar to set up and help serve. Rotary is responsible for the management of accounts and general expenditure.
We source our donated goods from Guthridge Meats, Pastry and Pieces and Second Bite but additional food is required, at retail prices. We also need to pay to the Memorial Hall, costs of gas and electricity each week.
Rotary uses its Liability Insurance to cover all volunteers . We are seeking support through the Wellington Shire Community Assistance Grants, to continue this much needed project, to assist and help the disadvantage youth, young struggling families, single people and the elderly in our community.
The Rotary Club of Sale Central was alerted to the need in our community, through our work dealing with youth in our area. We formed partnerships with Victoria Police, Wellington Shire, the Wellington Shire Youth Council and others to provide an evening meal and social contact for members of our community, who are finding it difficult to make ends meet financially or need social contact in their daily lives. This Project has been provided for the past 18 months, serving hot nutritious meals, every Monday evening to 55 to 60 members of the Sale community. We were initially funded with a grant from Victoria Police, from their emergency Welfare Fund. We are now operating on the generous support of local traders and small donations .
Our communities are hurting, Sale is struggling at the grassroots in many areas, such as youth homeliness, young struggling couples and families , community isolation, family issues, loneliness and poverty. We as concerned and caring community , have seen this need and we are helping to address this as best we can , but we require funding to continue.
We applied for a grant through the Wellington Community Grants. I was advise recently that we have been successful and we will receive $5000.00 . This Grant will be managed through our Clubs accounts and controlled by the Monday Tucker Committee. We also have had recently, support from G Tech, which is part of the new Federation Training. Hospitality students are preparing meals in their class for us to use on the Monday evening. Also we now have the Wellington Shire Library, supplying books for the children, novels and magazines. Each month we source food from Second Bite, an organisation that distributes fruit, vegetables and packaged goods from Coles Supermarkets.
I would like to acknowledge and thank all Partners, supporters and all members of our Club, who have given freely of their time and expertise in this project. A very special thank you to the committee members, especially Andrew Bradley and Annette Hollonds.
Michael Page
Sale Music Festival
Our Club continued to become a major Partner in the organizing committee of the second Sale Music Festival, which has now established itself on the calendar as a major event. It is now firmly locked into the long weekend in March. Our partners and sponsors consist of TRFM Gold1242, Keyelement events, Sale Lions, Wellington Shire and Protech Printing. We expanded the Festival this year and received entries from local artists, as well as Melbourne and interstate.
We continued with our theme of free entry and music activities for children, as well as a BYO picnic in the Park. The venue of the Sale Botanical Gardens is ideal and with the great weather, it was estimated the crowd was in excess of 2000 over the day. With the help of a $5000.00 Wellington Shire Community Assistant Grant, the committee was able to provide a great family day for the community.
Money was raised by the selling of food, drinks and ice creams by Club members. Many thanks must go to David Hollonds and his crew of helpers. All funds raised went to our Community Projects , which was a total of $2700 .
I wish to thank Stuart Quinn for his work and efforts on the committee, which starts work nine months out from March, preparing and organizing for the next Festival. We now see this Festival becoming an iconic event on the Sale Event calendar and great exposure for the Rotary Club of Sale Central.
Michael Page - Sale Music Festival Committee
International Service report 2013/14
Port Moresby (RAWCS) Oct/Nov 2013
This year four club members being David Martin, Eddie Graham, Andy Versloot and David Hollonds visited Port Moresby to the part of a nationally coordinated RAWCS project. The aim of this project was to renovate an old Lasaillian hospital/school located in Bomana, Port Moresby and to create a refuge for women and children as recognised by the Lasaillian Foundation. Ten teams of ten Rotary members volunteered we being the ninth team.
Brother Bede out from retirement was given the task of site coordinator for the ten teams and materials, believe it or not he had a truck license.
We were given the job of renovating a large toilet/ablutions block. At first we all thought this would be easy, how wrong we were. After discovering white ants had virtually eaten everything it was back to the drawing board for a complete rebuild. This placed a huge work load on the team but to their credit completed the renovation before we left.
Melbourne Cup day 2013 we held the Bomana Cane Toad cup at night under lights and mosquitoes. Andy and Eddie were given the job of finding 24 race toads. A large circle was drawn in dust and the toads released in the centre from a bucket. This was to the great delight of the children and parents who watched Rotarians trying to encourage their toad to hop outside the circle first. Andys toad won the race after a stewards inquiry for nobbling.
On one of Sundays we had off from work, we visited the start of the Kokoda trail in the daunting Owen Stanley ranges.
A team was formed to build portable chicken coups, the idea was to create an opportunity for some of the disadvantaged in the villages to raise 5 day old chickens to pullets for themselves and to create an income. Eddy was the driver of this project, I am still waiting on a progress report I am not sure if all the profits were eaten.
The Lasaillian Foundation was very grateful for the RAWCS personnel as we all received personnel letters of thanks.
Vanuatu Eye Care project 2013-14
For 2014 the club agreed to support three teams of eye-care volunteers to go to Vanuatu. Two teams have completed their trips and the third is due to leave shortly. Whilst the 2 teams who have completed their trips were successful with over 500 clients seen there were some transport and organisational challenges. Additional to the eye-care project two medical cases were identified and referred to ROMAC for further assistance. Max Wade completed his tenth trip and John Cartledge his first. The project now in it’s fourteenth year has and continues to help those without access to basic optical (and some medical) services, – things we take for granted. Although now a stand alone program in Vanuatu there is still a need for ongoing support as the challenges vary from year to year.
B.O.B Indigenous Housing Project
This year we did not visit North Queensland, the financial benefactor had withdrawn funding for this year so there were no indigenous housing projects started. Maurie Killeen our coordinator with the Balkanu and Cape York Aboriginal Corporations has been discussing plans to build a sawmill at a site yet to be settled on the traditional lands in Far North Queensland (FNQ). The site will have to have a reticulated power supply, water and the availability of local labour. The aim is to create employment for the indigenous peoples and to value add milled timber off their tribal lands.
Membership
Our membership numbers started the year in a negative fashion with two of our members moving from the district. However there has been renewed interest towards the end with the induction of Cindy Petersen, two new members to be inducted at change over and two or three others who have visited the club on a number of occasions and shown interest in becoming further involved with the Rotary Club of Sale Central.