Last Week's Meeting

• What does the term “sustainability” mean? - Pat thinks of it as “Enough for all forever”.

• It is important to many Rotarians
• Younger people are more attracted to projects about the environment
• An opportunity for a marketing tool for our club
• RIP Holger Knaack and his three predecessors are advocates
• This new area of focus enables Rotary to align with all 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals
• Opens up heaps of opportunities for us

• The “Light Up Timor” project came about because 80% of homes in rural and remote East Timor had no electricity and never would have because of the terrain. 190 solar units have been installed and another 400 units have been ordered. The villagers pay $US6 a month, and the scheme has been underway for over 12 months. All kinds of benefits have flowed from it including solar lighting, improved literacy, safety and health and the ability to recharge mobile phones etc.

• D9810 has piloted “Enviro Club Awards”, which start with Bronze for small projects, through Silver to Gold for large-scale projects
• Pat advises to install a Club Environment Officer, form a committee with 2 or more people, plan some new projects and apply for a Bronze Award
• A club project could be to create patches of colour in our own gardens and in local parks to attract pollinators, a simple but very achievable thing to do

• Is a worldwide organisation
• Has an Australian chapter with 117 members currently who meet monthly
• Produces newsletters
• We should have a member join ESRAG

• Focus on education, solutions and collaborative relationships
• Work with other clubs, environment and community groups; we don’t have to go it alone as Rotary is a fantastic brand, we provide service with a smile and usually at no cost.

Know Your Rotarian 

PP PHF Russ Nielsen

Thank you to Secretary Shalini Penny for providing the notes on Russ' talk.

 

 

Going back a few years now, but image above shows Russ proudly displaying his car at the All American in 2011 :) 

 

Russ provided us with a very interesting talk and PowerPoint presentation covering information on his family, hobbies (which are in fact projects) and Rotary experiences.  

 

His father was a very successful poultry farmer with an engineering background and passed his engineering skills onto Russ.  At 16 he bought his first car, a 1937 Austin which he rebuilt and resprayed.

 

At 20 Russ became interested in low speed flight and designed and built a hand glider. His first house was in Belgrave Heights.

Marrying Heather is the best decision he has ever made.  They have 3 daughters – Mandy is a landscape architect in Urban design and works for a company with offices throughout Australia. She and her partner Leighton’s hobbies are scuba diving and yachting – currently cruising QLD islands. Danielle is into horses and is a marketing guru, currently in charge of their E commerce and works for Horseland group of stores. Has 3.5 acre horse property at Ferntree Gully and breeds horses.

Jen is into mountain-biking and climbing, she is the Regional Manager for Eastern Health Dialysis clinics in their six hospitals. Russ and Heather have 4 grandsons – Xavier, Sebastian, Oli and Archer.

 

Russ has always been involved in design and manufacture. He commenced designing scientific instruments and then headed up what became a very successful industrial design group and then owned part of that company.  They manufactured electronic equipment for the petroleum industry and electronic timers used at the petrol pump. Russ designed three different designs of petrol pumps and project managed the manufacture.

He has been in Rotary a long time and has held most positions, has been Assistant District Governor, chaired the District Rotary, Rotaract and Interact support committees and the best club in the District was Emerald. 

 

Russ brought project management and graphic skills to the club and designed logos for All-American, Thank you theme, 40^th Anniversary document, COVID voucher, Deb Ball logo, original Thomas and Friends logo, and a suggestion for Cocktails on the Catwalk event.

 

Other projects involved in have been: Welcome to Emerald site for 100 years of Rotary International (Mandy did the landscaping) in conjunction with Puffing Billy, and the Council organised and assisted the build of the Rotunda and BBQ. 

Did the Anzac Walk and Rotary has a mention on the plaque.  Was Chairperson of the Australian Pride Committee within the Club at the time. The Club paid for the flagpole and fire-pit.  Designed and manufactured all the plaques for the soldiers and signs. And worked with concreter who built the memorial. Because of all the model-making and prototype building he did, he was able to create the Kids Fun Run trophies in his workshop at home. 

 

His ongoing project is his home overlooking Pepi’s Land on 5 acres which was bought in 1987. The property has had a 10 sq. extension, they have planted 2000+ plants.  In 2010 he purchased a 1972 Corvette Stingray on eBay from Florida and it arrived on March 10^th 2010.  Since then Russ has restored and refurbished it – his pride and joy (apart from his grandchildren).

BATON RELAY - what are we going to do!