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President's Message
Bruce Turner
President’s Message July 20, 2024
Greetings and welcome.
Thank you for joining our online news and updates.
I’m sure our members and guests in attendance on Monday night will have enjoyed the evening as much as myself. Guest presenters Nick Vivian and Matt Morgan gave a very informative and entertaining review of their involvement in the Winter Shitbox Rally. As we were guided through a pictorial record of the event, there was no shortage of interesting stories from the seven day event. In raising $11,000, Nick and Matt easily exceeded their fundraising goals. The enjoyment and sense of achievement was plain to see throughout the presentation, thank you to Nick and Matt for sharing the journey. You will find further details and photos later in the bulletin.
As mentioned in last week’s bulletin, it was a pleasure to be able to induct our newest member on our Changeover evening but I neglected to include a photo of the occasion, apologies Gail. Thank you to Trevor Pickles for recording our changeover evening and the induction of Gail photographed here along with her sponsor, close friend Howard Randall.
On behalf of The Rotary Club of Torquay and all those involved in the Lese Oalai School Project in PNG, I extend our thanks and appreciation to Ned McLarnon for his recent work. Ned volunteered his services as a carpenter to commence the building works. A more detailed report will be provide to update our members but this is a direct quote from a recent message sent to John Oswald……” He is a bloody godsend, thank the Rotarian lady that recommended him. I love that lady”. That lady is Amanda Hough – great job to arrange Ned’s involvement. I look forward to hearing from Ned as a guest speaker at one of our club meetings soon.
Updates for members:
As part of the process of Clubs within Rotary Community Groups working more closely together, sharing information and projects and communicating more efficiently, members are invited to join the Private Facebook Group Rotarians of Geelong and Surrounds.
Following the merger of the Rotary Club of Corio Bay and The Rotary Club of Greater Geelong, the newly named Rotary Club of Greater Geelong is officially up and running.
The Board of the Rotary Club of Belmont are delighted to announce the celebration of their 60th Birthday on the 26th of August. If there are any member who would like to attend let me know and I can forward the invitation to you.
Rotary Club of Geelong West has their Geelong Book Fair coming up. Great opportunity to pick up some winter reading! 2-4 August @ Geelong West Town Hall. Visit their Facebook page for more details.
33 members and guests enjoyed a most entertaining presentation from Nick Vivian and Matt Morgan as we experienced a day by day run through of what happens on this light hearted, but serious, car rally from Altona to Alice Springs. To enter, cars must be valued at less than $1500, be roadworthy and have a team that includes a “mechanic” and a first aid officer. Funds raised go to cancer research. Torquay Rotary sponsored The Bogans for $1000.
Overall this rally raised over $2 million. Despite some torrid roads The Bogans team car crossed the Finish Line (and later made it back to Torquay via the Simpson Desert). Nick and Matt endured some freezing nights as they slept in their swags, under side awnings from the car, often at outback Station stays. It seems that their Eskys also had a bit of a work out beside the campfires at night. Their Ford Falcon station wagon (an old Mike Reed paddock car) will now be given a good going over so they can enter the next Shit box Rally.
