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President's Message
Jan Emmett
President's Report No 20
Well here we are again another week of changes and all for the good… I just hope that everyone behaves themselves and leave their attitudes at home especially as far as the wearing of facemasks are concerned. I’m afraid I was in the line of fire today with just that person who had the attitude that she didn’t have to wear one in a clothing shop (she did) even though the owner asked her nicely to put one on, I won’t repeat how it all went down but it did end in tears and I as an observer felt very uncomfortable and angry.
This is something we will all have to adjust to and live with for some time to come. I personally feel more comfortable wearing one especially in the Supermarket, even Bunnings…!! even though I don’t like them, I feel somewhat less vulnerable.
Christmas is looking promising for families now, if you have a small one like mine that is, and of course we will all be looking forward to getting together as a club for our annual Christmas breakup, wherever/whenever that will be, but at least the numbers look promising. Watch this space….
I as President of the Rotary Club of Torquay along with Youth Director Ben Featherstone, Secretary Maggie Isom and John McDonald had the upmost pleasure in meeting with Year 6 teacher Tess Barson and the Principal Dr Adrian Waters on a lovely sunny morning at the Bellbrae Primary School. We took part in a Video session and Photoshoot that the school which will be shown as a presentation on the 14th of December to all the parents online. I presented these awards ($100 vouchers x 2) to the Principal who received them on behalf of the two students, as they haven’t been told yet, what a well-deserved surprise. See Ben’s report…
Now I was unfortunate in not being able to attend last week’s meeting, but I would like to Congratulate Geoff Dawson on being the recipient of a PHF double sapphire pin that was presented by Trevor Brown. This was something that only a true friend would do for someone who he thought was deserved of such an award. Trevor has contributed to Rotary Foundation for some years now as a sustaining Paul Harris member and asked that his nominated donations go to Polio Plus. As he had made payments of over the required US$1000, he became a recipient of another PHF+ Sapphire. He found out he was entitled to pass this PHF on to a worthy recipient and felt that Geoff was worthy of this award due to his commitment to their friendship and always being there when needed, Rotary always came first. I gather Geoff was so humbled that Trevor would think of him that way he said “I would walk on broken glass in bare feet for you Trevor”… now that’s friendship, well done again to both of you.
I did get to look at the video of Bruce Aylward of WHO Polio Eradication Campaign. It was of no surprise that we have all done so well with helping to try and eradicate altogether this terrible disease but like any of these diseases they still need to be kept an eye on as it’s so easy for it to be transmitted. For a vaccine to take 20 years to develop and actually work, let’s hope the vaccine for COVID will be as affective and help irradicate this terrible virus. I was lucky to be born in the 50’s and was immunised at an early age but a good friend suffers from deformities and post-Polio pain today, so he wasn’t so lucky but he’s a very brave and happy to be alive unlike those around him that weren’t so fortunate.
I cannot express enough as your President that you are an important Rotarian and a vital part of our Club so please make sure you attend the AGM tomorrow night. We have a lot to talk about and need you to be there to participate, it’s just for the hour but it is a very important meeting so I ask you to attend and have your say.
Rotary has a long history of assisting young people to build their leadership skills, expand their education and learn the values of service and supporting others in their communities.
The Rotary Club of Torquay is extremely honored to be donating four $100 gift voucher Awards for deserving Grade 6 students, two each at Bellbrae Primary School, and two at Winchelsea Primary School, who are graduating into Secondary School this year.
These four students are receiving awards for being great role models to others, demonstrating leadership in their school community, showing initiative, and looking for ways to help and support others at school.
President Jan and I (with photographer and assistant Maggie and John Mc) attended Bellbrae Primary School last Friday, and in a video presentation Principal, Dr Adrian Waters, accepted the awards on behalf of the two winning students. The video presentation will be put on to the school website for parents and families to view later in the year when the Grade 6 students have their graduation remotely.
Winchelsea Primary School will be having an online graduation ceremony in mid-December for parents and friends, and I have been invited to present the two awards to their students on that night remotely. Our club has also donated $100 towards the cost of meals for the Grade 6 kids, who will be meeting together on the night for their graduation evening.
This is a great little program, which I would hope may become an opportunity for our club to support annually going forward.
John Mc.Donald collecting cans of food from neighbour Annalise Reid
Purpose
The can collection Project is to receive donations of cans from members of the community to be given to Food Aid to distribute to those families in need across Torquay & the Surf Coast
This community service project has also great potential to raise community awareness with positive publicity for the Club
volunteer an hour or two of your time to distribute flyers with collection bags in to families & friends and in your neighbourhood
If you can spare this time , bags and flyers will be delivered to you or you can arrange to pick them up at John McDonald's 2/58 Zeally Bay Rd on Tuesday 24th November
You will then be asked to distribute bags and flyers on
Wednesday 25th & Thursday 26th November.
Please wear your Rotary T shirt , cap & name tag if you have it
Please remember to write your name and phone number on the flyer
The collection date of the cans will be a week later on Wednesday 2nd December , with a thank you note from the Club
All cans to be left at John McDonald's home
If you are willing volunteer for this please email or ring
John McDonald or Alan Anderson
by Sunday 22nd November 2020
Then a week later these volunteers will collect the bags with the donations
IGA has donated plastic bags and the flyer has been produced, to go with the bag
Many Thanks to Ryans IGA for providing the collection Bags:-
Hurry. Entries close on Monday 30 November. Winners announced on 14 December.
Torquay Rotary Club brings you Pets on Parade 2020 - our online pet show where you can showcase these favourite family members and at the same time, help us to raise funds to End Trachoma in Australia.
Go to our Pets on Parade webpage to see how to enter your pet, make a donation to End Trachoma and have the chance to win some great prizes.
Torquay Rotary are now meeting online every Monday (excluding public holidays and the last Monday of every month when a Board Meeting will be held instead ) at 7:00pm. All Members are invited to participate and we have resumed a program including Guest speakers and some fun activities.
Visitors and Guests are very welcome. If you would like to join us please
Here's a challenge for everyone...….in these "different" times in which we are living there are more and more Clubs now holding on-line meetings so now it's easier than it's ever been to do a make-up.
You can do them from the comfort of your own home and you don't even have to get dressed up.
Let's have a club challenge to see who can do a make up form the most interesting city. Be sure to grab a screen shot of your meeting and send to me for the bulletin.
What a great way to meet other Rotarians from around the world and to find out how they are living through the COVID-19 lockdowns.
To make it easy the Rotary Club of Mount Lawley in WA have begun compiling a list of Clubs who are now holding On-Line Meetings to view the list click the link below.
Whilst we all are dealing with the COVID 19 Virus and the restrictions this has placed on our Club Meetings and all of us personally, our meetings will be held on ZOOM for the time being.
All details for how to log into the Zoom Meetings can be found in the article elsewhere in the Bulletin, on the Club Website & Facebook pages. remember that Guests are also available.
Club Members and friends also come together over the airwaves to meet and chat socially at the Friday night Happy Hour so I hope you can join in & enjoy the connection
Rotary International President for 2018-19 is Holger Knaack
Holger Knaack, a member of the Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany, has been selected to serve as president of Rotary International in 2020-21.
A Rotary member since 1992, Knaack has served Rotary as treasurer, director, moderator, member and chair of several committees, representative for the Council on Legislation, zone coordinator, training leader, and district governor. He is an endowment/major gifts adviser and co-chair of the Host Organization Committee for the 2019 Rotary International Convention in Hamburg. Knaack is the CEO of Knaack KG, a real estate company. He was previously a partner and general manager of Knaack Enterprises, a 125-year-old family business. He is a founding member of the Civic Foundation of the City of Ratzeburg and served as president of the Golf-Club Gut Grambek. Knaack is also the founder and chair of the Karl Adam Foundation. Knaack and his wife, Susanne, are Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation and members of the Bequest Society.
Melbourne has been announced as the host city for the 2023 Rotary International Convention, the largest conference secured this century for Victoria.
Melbourne is a Big Events City! Set to deliver over $88 million to the Victorian economy, the Convention is the most valuable conference ever won for the state, with the four-day event anticipated to attract more than 20,000 Rotarians from around the world. The global spotlight will be on Melbourne and how we present ourselves to the world.
The Convention will take place 27-31 May 2023 using Rod Laver Arena and the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre for functions.
Watch this Space for further news as it comes to hand.
