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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Last week our guest speaker Bernie Capicciano entertained us with a musical performance playing a Hammond XK organ. Bernie is a known guest at our club with prior performances. His theme is ‘Sharing the Magic of Music’. His Hammond organ has the magic programmability to replicate sounds of the violin, piano even that of an electric guitar. Bernie played a number of famous melodies, songs, rifts from jazz to rock and roll. We are very grateful for Bernie to have taken the time and effort to set up the sound equipment etc as well as his talented performance for our enjoyment. It was a welcome reprieve from more serious issues we generally deal with.
The Camp Getaway weekend is on the 17-19 March and a small group of members are gearing up to participate in the traditional annual working bee led by our past member Andy Spry.
Thank you to Jo-Anne Tamlyn, Patrick Docherty, Alan and Andrea Lorenzini for assisting at the last Camberwell Sunday Market.
A final reminder for the Volunteer Expo on the afternoon of Wednesday 23 March.
Next week Wednesday 22 March, a FORaMEAL night is planned as a hands-on activity packing food for communities impacted by natural disasters. We will self-cater so please bring a plate to share with everyone. If you and/or your guests have not registered please contact Patrick Docherty patrick@cfrsolutions.com.au as soon as possible.
Recently I completed a 3 week guest speaking road trip up the Queensland Coast to Cairns from Bundaberg, kicking off in Gladstone. I feel it's important to get out and share the ‘Umoja Journey’, what can be done, to just put a face to the Umoja name, and to raise funds for the project.
I swapped cars with my youngest daughter and have travelled in her old Toyota Hiace van which has a mattress, gas cooker and camp fridge in it. It's been my home on this journey stopping overnight in caravan parks. I usually stay in caravan park cabins or cheap hotels, when doing guest speaking tours, but everything has gone up so much, I took this option. It's been interesting living in a small van. Makes you appreciate a comfortable bed. The summer heat wasn't kind, nor the mosquitoes.
Travelling all the way up to Cairns I met with the monsoons the last few days, then travelled back down the coast. I've had the opportunity to see some magical coastal coves and beaches I'd have never seen before and got up close and personal with a cassawary and her baby in their natural environment.
I thank the clubs who have had me as a guest speaker, and also thank them for the wonderful humanitarian work they all do. Never ceases to amaze me how selfless Rotarians are. It was fantastic to catch up with a member of my first volunteer team way back from January 2013, to finally meet a wonderful lady in Cairns who has been donating to us since we began, and also catch up with people I'd met at other Rotary Clubs over the years and from my past. A lot of stories told…
I ask to keep spreading the work we do for those less fortunate than ourselves. Without your help we could not keep doing the work we do.
Every donation in Australia is tax deductible over $2.00.
DID YOU KNOW 97% of every donation goes directly to the Umoja Project? The only people receiving an income are our Kenyan employees.
FORaMEAL emergency food relief project provides assistance to some of the most disaster prone areas in the world. Each pack contains a nutritious meal for a family
of 5-6 people. Last year over 200,000 meals were distributed overseas to the Philippines and Ukraine. We also distributed to regional areas in Victoria affected by the
floods.
With depleted stocks, your help will enable additional shipments .
Info for
new members. Packing events are
• Fun-filled and meaningful
• Demonstrate “Rotary in Action” to new members
We bring a Share Plate and alternate packing shifts so that there is plenty of time for catch up conversations.
District 9800 is offering everyone who donates to The Rotary Foundation Annual Fund the chance to secure one of five registrations to Rotary International Convention 2023 Melbourne.
For every AU$20 you donate to The Rotary Foundation Annual Fund from 28 February to 27 March 2023, you will receive one chance - donate AU$100, get 5 chances.
Take action
Simply
Donate to The Rotary Foundation from 28 February to 27 March 2023
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
Candidates have until 15 May to submit applications to The Rotary Foundation.
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ESRAG Environment Action Summit
Pre-Convention May 25 2023
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.
You're invited to commemorate a successful Rotary International Convention Melbourne 2023 with Rotary International President Jennifer Jones and Lord Mayor Sally Capp, City of Melbourne, at Rotary Gala Dinner on Thursday 1 June 2023 at the prestigious Plaza Ballroom, Melbourne.
Join over 500 other Rotarians and valued guests in celebrating with dinner and drinks at one of Melbourne's most iconic venues, serenaded by the legendary Jack Jones.
Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to celebrate!
