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President's Message
Philip Beasley
Hello Members and Friends
Well, I survived the first meeting face to face as your new President.
While I have previously served as President at RC Geelong Central many years ago, I must admit to being a little rusty, but that will pass. I am very enthusiastic about the year ahead, continuing the great work that IPP Ben has started.
Thankyou to our Club Service Director Gail, who has been burrowing in the background shaping this year’s program. There is still some shaping to do but we are getting off to a good start.
Thankyou also to PE Bruce and his Community Service Committee who have picked up the organisation of our fundraising BBQs. Richard Hawker will lead this when he returns from holiday.
Last Week’s Meeting
Thank you to IPP Ben who presented the results of the Member Satisfaction Survey, which he conducted towards the end of last year. The results have been circulated to all members by email this week. Please take the time to look at the results, as they will guide some of our decision making this year.
Say No to Family Violence
This initiative, being promoted by DG Ian McKay, is gaining momentum amongst the Clubs in the greater Geelong area. I am dialling into an online meeting this Saturday, as part of the early planning for how we might make a difference in this area of community health and safety.
I am very keen to establish a small working group within the Club to start the conversation locally. I see this as an opportunity to involve family and friends as we start to make progress. Perhaps a chat over coffee, to start the conversation?
If you are interested in being involved, please let me know.
DG’s Visit Monday 14th August at Kithbrooke
I will share more detail about DG Ian’s visit next week, but Ian is very keen to understand the difference that our Rotary Club makes within our community. DG Ian has coined the term Celebrating Rotary’s Difference.
This meeting will be a partners and family night. I would also like all members to invite representatives of other service clubs and community organisations, that we are or have been involved with in recent years.
Club Meeting – Monday 24th July at Kithbrooke
This meeting will be a Club Assembly with the aim of confirming our committee membership and more importantly setting some goals, defining what projects we want to conduct this year.
I encourage all member to attend this meeting and put forward your views. We will be using the feedback from the Ben’s Member Survey to guide us.
Thank you to Club members who have already indicated an interest in being members of the Community Service Committee but we can always use more assistance and input, please let me know if you would like to be involved in this committee.
Following many years of the BBQs being managed by Mal Slater, who is taking a well-deserved break, organisation of our BBQs will be in the capable hands of Richard Hawker. Richard will be supported by a small group that can assist as required with recruiting volunteers, publishing rosters or monitoring and maintaining the trailer. If you are willing to help in this area (no need to be a member of the Community Service Committee) can you also please let me know.
On behalf of the club I would like to express our thanks and appreciation for the many hours of work Mal has put into all of the Club’s BBQ activities.
There has been a good response to my recent call for volunteers to assist with upcoming activities and I will publish a roster for each event closer to the date to avoid the need to make too many changes. Please check the lists below for current volunteers.
Bunnings BBQ, Sunday 13th August: We need more volunteers here to adequately staff the BBQ and ensure we have a couple of emergencies waiting in the wings. Linda Neale, John Oswald, Lesley Shedden, Margaret McPherson, Michael Reed, Bruce Turner
Recycle Shed at the Anglesea Transfer Station, Sunday 20th August: Thank you this is fully staffed. Gerard Hogan, Chrissy Sims, Linda Neale, Gerard McNamara, Margaret McPherson, Bruce Turner, Michael Reed (emergency)
Our annual Christmas in July will be held on Monday 31 July 2023.
Like last year, we are looking for enough willing Rotarians and partners to host a dinner in their homes à la one of our fireside chat nights. This means offering your home as a venue for the evening and hosting 4-6 people (fellow Rotarians and their partners or guests) for a Christmas in July dinner.
As a host, it is up to you how you cater. You might decide to:
fully cater the meal yourself
share the catering among your guests by asking them to bring all or part of a course
or even order in UberEats (which is not advised due to the cost involved).
Depending on whichever catering arrangement you choose, you may ask your guests to cover the cost (up to $30 per head, which will definitely not be enough for UberEats!).
If you would like to put up your hand to be one of our awesome 2023 Christmas in July hosts or you would like more information about what’s involved, please get in touch as soon as possible on 0409 624 577. Gail is (still) standing by to take your call NOW!
The invitation below from the Give Where You Live Foundation could be of interest to you as tackling homelessness will be the focus of the event. The Rotary Club of Geelong East has participated in Pitch Up events for many years and will do so again this year. The fact that our donation is matched 1:1 by a generous sponsor is a huge attraction.
Please accept this note as a big thank you from District 9780 Donations In Kind (DIK) for your club’s generous support of our District humanitarian aid program.
Your club’s support will help us send containers of humanitarian aid during the 2023-24 Rotary year. So far this year we have sent containers x 2 to PNG.
Shipped items included, children’s playgrounds, hospital beds & equipment, medical & dental clinic items, educational materials & school equipment, primary school books, clothing and general household items.
We are currently committed to a shipment that will be going to several villages around Rabaul, New Ireland, PNG, the contents will be school, hospital and domestic supplies and a shipment to go to Oro Province in PNG. The contents will be clean water provision equipment (solar panels, solar pump, other pumps & poly piping), school books and equipment, materials to rebuild a school Practical Skills teaching area, hospital and domestic supplies.
The members and the board of the Rotary Club of Alexandria Cosmopolitan - District 2451 would like to extend a warm invitation to you and the members of your club to join our Rotary organized initiative, "Cross Egypt Challenge" that will take you in a unique journey throughout Egypt this October.
Cross Egypt Challenge is an international cross-country motorcycle and scooter adventure tour conducted throughout the majestic and fascinating Egypt. This amazing Rotary project started in 2011 for the purpose of promoting tourism to Egypt, and for the past 11 years, Rotarians and riders from over 50 countries took part in this unique and amazing challenge.
The 2023 season of Cross Egypt Challenge will start on October 6, last for 10 days and will pass by Egypt's top attractions and off the beaten track destinations including Sinai, Luxor, the Red Sea Riviera and the Egyptian Eastern Desert. Participation is open for Rotarians and non-rotarians and their accompanying spouses or friends from around the globe. People who do not ride motorcycles or scooters can also join this amazing adventure and be hosted in air-conditioned chase vans. Cross Egypt Challenge provides a very rewarding and challenging experience for participants from around the globe as it combines the best of adventure travels and extreme sports.
A normal practice we are used to conduct during Cross Egypt Challenge is an annual "Sahara Rotary Meeting" where participating Rotarians along with Rotaracts from our organizing team conduct an official Rotary meeting in the Egyptian Desert – please view the attached image -, a practice that we happily repeat at each new season.
We are happy to invite you, and the members of your club to join or support this amazing project and adventure by:
Join the tour this October, be it on a scooter, on a motorcycle or in our chase vans and enjoy a once in a life-time experience (a motorcycle and scooter rental option is available for international participants). Direct link to the registration application which can be completed in 5 minutes is: www.crossegyptchallenge.com/registration
Share the news about Cross Egypt Challenge with other fellow Rotarians and friends and invite those motorcycle riders you know to ride in this season’s tour.
For more information or cost of participation, or to register, please visit our website: www.CrossEgyptChallenge.com or our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CrossEgyptChallenge. You can also download a copy of Cross Egypt Challenge brochure with all season information, pricing, routes, etc.. from this link: DOWNLOAD
As an aside, Lucy received the following message re our project from the Governor of the Gulf Province Chris Haiveta
Thank you, Sis, for your tireless efforts to Assist our village over the years through the foundation.
I am committed to supporting you and the foundation as you prepare to widen your coverage on critical issues.
We are working with a couple NGOs in the Province already and can provide you the letter of support.
I suggest that we formalize the support and collaboration through an MOU.
In the meantime it would be much better to send a profile and EOI from the foundation to me aa head of the Provincial Government so that we can commence to formalize the relationship.
