We gather together on the lands of the traditional custodians, the Wurundjeri and Woi Wurrung people. We pay our respects to all of Melbourne’s First Peoples, to their ancestors and Elders, and to our shared future together.
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Our thoughts are with our New Zealand friends recently impacted by cyclone Gabrielle. RAWCS (Rotary Australia World Community Service) has set up a disaster recovery appeal. There are now three main RAWCS appeals addressing recent disasters:
Last week’s guest speaker was Alick Osborne. Alick is a Rotarian and past president of the Chadstone East Malvern Rotary Club. He is also the CEO of Seasol International Pty Ltd. It was an insightful presentation of how regenerative farming techniques maintains and protects our soil’s health. He outlined the vital role of the soil carbon produced by plants. Adopting degenerative farming methods essentially promote the biodiversity of plants thereby reducing surface heat, improve water retention and contributes to the health of farming land ecosystem. These principles may be equally applied to suburban parks and gardens.
A reminder of a number of key dates in March starting with the Hawthorn Makers Market and the Myeloma 38Mate walk on Sunday 5 March; the next is the Camp Getaway weekend from Friday 17 March, and the Volunteer Expo on Thursday 23 March. Details of these events are or will be published in the Bulletin.
Thank you to Justine Paragreen for coordinating 10 of her work colleagues to assist at RIMERN (Rotary Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network).
Also, thanks to David Troon, Nick Pane, Kieran Healy and George de Souza for assisting at the last Camberwell Sunday Market.
Next week, the guest speaker will be Keith Heale on the topic of ‘Electric Vehicles’. I’m sure this will be a topic we will all learn a lot from.
To do good in the world, we rely on our Club Members to help with our fundraising projects and help with our various charitable projects. Think of the Camberwell Art Show, the Camberwell Sunday Market, the Hawthorn Makers Market, Rotary Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network, Camp Getaway, even Rotary Overseas Recycled Playgrounds.
And wouldn't it be great if new could engage some non-Rotarians to help us? They may even eventually become new Members!
Well, the City of Boroondara is holding the Boroondara Volunteer Expo on Wednesday 22 March at the Hawthorn Town Hall from 12pm - 6pm and President Fabienne has agreed to have a table at the Expo to attract new volunteers.
This year ahead of RICON, ESRAG has organised an Environment Action Summit on Thursday, 25 May. This is to be held in the CBD and will feature leading environmental keynote speakers including Professor David Karoly, an internationally recognised expert on climate change and climate variability and Patrick McCafferty, Managing Director of Yarra Valley Water and Chair of the Thriving Communities Partnership. The Summit will also showcase a number of outstanding Rotary environmental projects.
Delegates will be invited to meet in breakout groups to develop practical ideas for Rotary club and district environmental projects. These ideas for projects will be collated into environmental action guides and made available to Rotary clubs and districts worldwide. The summit is not just for overseas delegates to RICON, as we live nearby all Melbourne Rotarians can attend.
Come and learn and share some of the innovative projects of your club and district with other delegates.
All Club members can join our Hawthorn Makers Market team at Hawthorn Town Hall on Sunday 5th March - it's the second highest fundraising vehicle the Club has & involves over 60 stallholders promoting their craft - please support it - and also participate in a leisurely walk down Glenferrie Rd at 11am to raise awareness for those living with myeloma.
You can register to walk on the myeloma website for $20 per person - www.myeloma.org.au - follow the 38mate prompts, to "Hawthorn Vic Walk"
Both maroon and white TEAM MYELOMA tees are available here as well in most sizes ($30 ) and white 38mate baseball caps ($25) - but please order before 24th Feb to ensure delivery before the walk on 5th March.
We will bring extra caps and tees to the market stall to purchase on the day - to ensure you can kit out to help build myeloma awareness during the walk.
All families and pooches are welcome - as well as all Rotarians.
It also coincides with the Glenferrie Festival Day on 5th March - so there will be road closures along this section of Glenferrie Rd to open it up for the festival and other community stallholders - expect music and good food options as well - so arrive early to secure any parking or come by train.
Be there or be square - let's hope for a good sunny day.
All other queries - contact Adrian on 0431 146 530
Register now for the virtual Global Peace Conference on 4 March!
Do you care deeply about your community and are looking for ideas to bring about positive change?
Join us on 4 March 2023 for the third 24-hour online Global Peace Conference: an exciting, interactive convergence of thought-provokers, peacebuilders and everyday people building peace in their spheres of influence.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Strengthening Our Peacebuilding Community”. This theme is an extension of our desire to connect our planet with people power, towards a peaceful and just existence for all. This year’s 24-hour conference has programming in four global geographical regions, with plenaries and skill-building sessions, covering all time zones across the globe and enabling anyone, anywhere, to participate.
The Rotary Leadership Institute Program presents a wonderful opportunity for experienced Rotarians, new members and indeed people interested in finding out more about Rotary to take some time to experience the history, current and new initiatives related to this great organisation we call Rotary.
Part 1 and 2: Saturday 4 March at 10am for 90 minutes
Part 3: Saturday 18 March at 10am for one hour
Part 4: Saturday 25 March at 10am for one hour
To register email Jane Pennington
Jane.Pennington@rotary9800.org by 28 February.
There is a limit of 20 people for each program.
Rotary Peace Fellows use their training to amplify their work at the local, regional, or global level. Clubs and districts can partner with them on peacebuilding initiatives before, during, and after their fellowships.
But we need your help finding candidates. Rotary and Rotaract members can get involved by:
Taking the All About the Rotary Peace Fellowship course to learn about the qualification criteria, eligibility restrictions, the application process, and more
Forwarding the fellowship announcement to your contacts and including it in club and district communications
Using our referral form to tell us about potential candidates so we can contact them
Sharing a PowerPoint presentation about the fellowships with your club members and community
This great day of music, from 1pm to 10pm is happening on 17 March at the Seafarers Mission in Docklands, and Rotarian, Sue Foley's band, Bhan Tre, is performing at 9pm.
The event raises money for Rotary Mental health programs through Australian Rotary Health and Foundation.
If you just can’t get there you may still like to get some raffle tickets or just make a donation to this very worthy cause.
If you have any questions please call Sue on 0418 557 751
Hope to see you there and please share with your friends and family!
