Dear Everyone,
This week I would like to complete the discussion of the launch of Rotary’s 7th Area of Focus - Sustainability and the Environment - on Friday the 4th of June.
Following the interviews of the guest speakers, videos of projects in our region were shown. Here is a snapshot of some of these:
- The Cashmere Rotary Club in Christchurch is assisting with tree-planting to establish habitats for birdlife. When the Europeans arrived, they introduced weasels and stoats which fed on the many species of flightless birds, flightless because previously they had no predators.
- In Fiji, schools are being powered by solar energy. They are saving money and cutting emissions because fuel is expensive and pollutes. Power being available around the clock enables a new education because money is spent on it instead of fuel. Papanui Rotary Club is involved with this project.
- In Tasmania, trees are being planted to create a habitat for the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, an important species that is almost extinct on the mainland. Foxes and feral cats are its predators.
- In Ballarat, the community got involved with the Mullawallah Wetlands and Covid did not affect the work. The Alfredton RC is assisting with this.
- Footscray is the location for Donations In Kind, the largest sustainable recycling project in the country. DIK ships goods overseas and does a lot of local community projects. If not for DIK, the donations would all be in landfill. The main focus is educational equipment, and they also receive a lot from hospitals; we saw our own IPP and incoming AG Catherine’s involvement with repurposing hospital beds.
- The Rotary Club of Palm Beach in W.A. is making nesting-boxes which they are delivering to Penguin Island for penguins and black cockatoos.
A panel discussion concluded the launch. Professor Lesley Hughes from Macquarie University asked, “What do people care about the most?” The answer is their children and grandchildren. “What will their lives be like if we don’t act? What will next century be like climatically?” There will be no Great Barrier Reef, for example, if nothing is done. We endured the Black Saturday Bushfires, but once over, the people forget.
Rotary Clubs can be more collaborative and effective if they form an Environment Committee in their club, which is what we are doing. This committee will help our members be part of the solution. We can join ESRAG and invite others to join. Environmental days can be held with other clubs in the District.
Rotary Clubs can form a partnership with schools and sponsor Earlyact and Interact Clubs. The students can join Rotaract once they are older.
Understanding the science helps us to care, and caring leads to action. The environment is not political, but a practical, factual and relevant activity for Rotary. Rotarians need to be part of the solution, so should work with those who accept the science and give them opportunities and good things to do.
The launch ended with two positive messages :
“Each one of us can make a difference and together we can change the world.”
And “Protect Our Planet!”, as after all, there is no Planet B.
If you'd like to view the recording of the launch, see it at:
After the devastation to our locality from the storm overnight on the 10th of June, there is much our Club can do to assist the local CFA and SES to restore properties and reduce the fuel load in the lead-up to the fire season, which could begin as early as October.
On Saturday, I attended a Zoom meeting on the subject of the Australian Honours System. Barbara Abley, a member of the Rotary Club of Corio Bay in D9780, and a recipient of an award, did the presentation. The Order of Australia Honours System was established in 1975 by Queen Elizabeth II.
Needless to say, Rotarians make excellent candidates.
In the Nomination Form’s introduction, it states,“The Australian honours system celebrates the outstanding achievements and contributions of extraordinary Australians in a diverse range of fields and areas of endeavour. It's about recognising those people in the community whose service and contributions have had the effect of making a significant difference to Australian life or, more broadly, to humanity at large. Recipients are people from all spheres of the community. Anyone can nominate a living Australian or permanent resident for an award. Nominations can be submitted at any time during the year.”
It is not actually a difficult process to nominate someone for an Australian Honour and Kris will store the Nomination form in our documents’ repository.
Thank you’s this week to:
- Ros for her fabulous article in the June 2021 Emerald Messenger on P.14.
- for his inspirational “Behind The Badge” talk.
- Ian Wakefield for agreeing to respond to Day at short notice, although like the rest of us, he was pretty much lost for words.
- Members who generously offered hot showers and a loan of generators to those still without power.
- Catherine for contacting Community groups to find out how our Club could assist their efforts.
- Marcus for securing the insurance form from District’s Insurance Officer.
- Martin for co-ordinating volunteers at Pepi’s Land to assist the CFA and SES with the clean-up of the storm-affected properties.
- Members donating their time and labour to this weekend’s clean-up.
- Kris for her Social Media posts.
- Kris and her team of volunteers for Saturday’s Sausage Sizzle.
- My Board for their exceptional work all through the year and for the outstanding support they have given me. Their dedication to our Club is truly unbelievable!
**This Tuesday night on the 22nd of June, it’s Club Assembly again and we’re back at the Paradise 😀😀😀!!
**Next week: on the 29th of June, it’s a Social Night. Hooray!!
Burnt Chop at Roy and Ali’s has had to be postponed as the storm delayed their building works and the site is not suitable at present.
So, we will meet at the Pub as usual and our theme is 🇺🇸 “American Night.” 🇺🇸
Expect burgers, fried chicken, steak and nachos to choose from. And dress up in your best American attire, and receive a prize for the best-dressed possibly.
**The following week: on the 6th of July, well wait and see!
Stay safe, stay warm and stay Rotary Even Prouder.
Yours in Rotary,
Vicki.
