Community Services Vice President’s Report 2009/2010

Vice President, Community Services – Austen Burleigh

President Barry, Fellow Rotarians and guests.

Ten minutes is such a short time to convey details of all the time, effort and outcomes contributed by so many members of 14 committees.

The Club’s Community Services portfolio embraces four of the five Avenues of Service, the foundation of Club activity:-

•  International Service
•  Vocational Service
•  Community Service, and
• New Generations [which was approved by the RI Council on Legislation on the April 28, 2010 as the fifth Avenue of Service]

At the start of this year President Barry set down some very clear priorities and objectives to be pursued with an eye on ‘Making a Difference”, our Club theme for 2009/2010.

The priority to “Optimise the Club’s Capacity to Provide Service” included “identify and establish the feasibility of potential joint projects with possible business and community service partners”.  I’m delighted to report the following achievements:-

• Establishment of a Strategic Partnership with the Brotherhood of St Laurence to jointly identify and progress programs in the areas of youth, aged and disadvantaged. Barry Murphy and Austen Burleigh are the Club’s representatives on the partnership Steering Committee which, together with their Brotherhood of St Laurence counterparts, put this together.
• Establishment of a Strategic Partnership with HomeGround Services to work with them on the Elizabeth Street Common Ground Supportive Housing project to house the homeless to assist in endeavours to eradicate homelessness in the CBD.  James Pullar liaised extensively with HomeGround Services and others to consummate this initiative.
• Involvement of the RC of Melbourne as a foundation Member of “Melbourne’s Road Home Alliance” – a network of individuals and organisations that stand in agreement in acknowledging that homelessness in Australia is unacceptable.

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

Trevor Nink has been the Director of this portfolio, comprising the International Fellowship, International Programs, East Timor and Rotary Foundation committees.

District Contributions 

Bob Glindemann serves as the District Contact for Rotary Australia World Community Services [RAWCS}.

The International Fellowship Committee, chaired by Chris Wang, with deputy chair Mev Connell, had two main projects this year.

1.    Fellowship of 1921 Clubs – comprising any Rotary Club established in 1921, or which celebrates its establishment as being in that year, and was the first such Club established in its country.  The following five Clubs which satisfy this criteria have agreed in principle to join, and an appropriate Agreement is being developed:-

•  Johannesburg - South Africa
• Wellington – New Zealand
• Paris – France
• Mexico City – Mexico
• Melbourne - Australia

2.    Friendship Club Agreement with the Rotary Club of Amiens, -  Somme, France

There are notable reasons for this proposal as follows:-

• The Battle of Amiens on August 8, 1918 was a major military thrust that is widely credited with accelerating the end of the First World War - the Allied Commander at the Battle of Amiens was Sir John Monash, our Club’s second President.
• In 2006/7 the Club provided a grant to restore the original Battle Flag that is now on display at the Shrine of Remembrance.
• In partnership with the 0808 Committee, our Club each year commemorates the Battle on the 8^th of August with a special morning service at the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance. 

Given these tangible historical associations with Amiens, our Club considered it appropriate to establish a special “Friendship” relationship with the Rotary Club of Amiens, which was established on the following agreed principles:-

• co-ordinate & co-operate on projects/activities of mutual interest;
• encourage inter-club visits;
• promote fellowship & mutual understanding;
• participate in activities that will give effect to this relationship in the true spirit of mutual understanding & peace.

Presidents Bernard Chavance (R C of Amiens) and Barry Watts (R C of Melbourne) have signed the Agreement

Thanks to you Chris, and your team, for the terrific work in bringing this together.

The International Programs Committee, chaired by Garry Fowler, has had an active year and supported a number of significant international projects:-

·         Three ShelterBoxes were purchased to provide disaster relief in our region.

·         $3,000 was provided to purchase dental equipment which has been installed in the Vietnam village of Phu Giao to extend a major dentistry program in Vietnam which was started by our club, and now coordinated by RC of Footscray.  Victorian-based dentists donate their time to work with and train local dentists to provide sustainable dental services to the village.

·         We purchased $2,000 of school books and arranged for them to be delivered to a primary school in Epi, Vanuatu, to extend the program started last year.

·         We contributed three amounts of US$500 each to provide micro-credit loans to build business opportunities to support communities affected by leprosy in East Timor.

·         We provided $2,000 to provide mosquito nets to two villages in PNG as part of the Rotarians against Malaria [RAM] Adopt A Village program.

·         Preliminary work has been done on a micro-energy project which will provide seeding capital to assist communities to acquire solar-powered low-cost lamps, which will improve their quality of life as well as reducing their reliance on kerosene.

The committee is working with the RC of Brighton Beach to develop a major water project to provide water to Lubang Island in the Philippines.  Feasibility and site visits have been undertaken.  The structure of this project has been designed to qualify for District and Global Grants under the Rotary Foundation Future Vision Plan and is now ready to proceed at a cost of around $50,000.  The Board has agreed to allocate up to $6,000 towards this important initiative which will proceed in the forthcoming year provided the District and Global Grants are approved.

Thank you Garry and your team on an outstanding year.

The East Timor Committee, chaired by Bob Glindemann, with deputy chair Bob Miller, has continued its activities with a number of existing and new projects as follows:-.

• support for the Donations in Kind [DIK] store with rent and freight and arranging volunteers for the packing of  containers with various supplies for forwarding to East Timor;
• coordinating financial support for Daryl Mills, Rotary’s Liaison Officer in East Timor;
• providing financial support to Julio Celestino in his final year of University in Indonesia. Julio graduates in August and is a possible future employee at East Timor Roofing;
• the second year of our Matching Grant project supporting the micro-finance program with Tuba Rei Metan supporting small new commercial ventures in Baucau;
• the final expenditure of the Shell Foundation’s funding of the Dili Institute of Technology, Bacau.  This has been a successful activity but the stability of future funding is a cause for concern;
• a commitment to the first year of an Education project in partnership with East Timor Roofing to support final year university students at the Dili National University.  This project was presented to us by Kirsty Sword Gusmao and continues next year. Approximately 35 students will be supported each year;
• a new project to improve maternal and post-natal health in partnership with The Alola Foundation was commenced.  This project is aimed at establishing 10 centres in and around Baucau to provide appropriate training and resourcing for the staff concerned.  This is a large project with a forecast total budget of almost USD$225,000.  This project will build on similar programs run by Alola, and draw on experiences with a similar program in Cambodia.

An important activity this year was the establishment of a formal company structure for the very successful East Timor Roofing and Training project, a joint venture between the Rotary Clubs of Melbourne, Doncaster and Lilydale.  A holding company has been registered in Australia, and the creation of a company for the operations in East Timor is underway, although progress is slow.  The project, which provides roofing, trusses and water tanks for various projects and Government infrastructure, has had an excellent year providing employment for up to 25 East Timorese which impacts positively on the livelihood of the wider families they support financially.

Towards the end of the year the Board approved the Club being a member of an Incorporated Association entitled ”Donations in Kind Inc ” formed as of May 4, 2010 to take over the lease of the DIK store from July 1, 2010.  This association is expected to have 12 member Clubs from which a Management Committee will be formed to establish policies and procedures and oversee management of the store.

Thanks to you Bob and your team on another great year of achievement.

The Rotary Foundation Committee, chaired by Kelton Dennis, has had a year with many highlights.

• Alex Buchanan was honoured at this year’s RI Convention in Birmingham, England, as a recipient of the prestigious Rotary Foundation Global Alumni Service to Humanity award.
• Developing the project funding options for our Club under the RI initiative “Future Vision Plan” - District 9800 is one of the hundred pilot Districts world-wide selected for this initiative, about which you will hear more soon.

1.    District and International Contributions 

Members Bob Fels, Bob Glindemann, Anne Jacques, Mike Flavel and Jane Munro all serve on District Rotary Foundation committees. Additionally, Bob Fels is the chair of The Rotary Foundation Rotary Centers Committee and chairs the Rotary World Peace Fellowships and Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program.

2. Financial Support for the Rotary Foundation

Sue McCarthy continues to monitor and market the Every Rotarian Every Year Centurion Club program as it applies to our Club, to ensure that our Club members’ donations are recorded in the centurion records and to encourage individual Club members to join the program.

3. Educational Programs

The Club had a very productive year seeking good candidates for The Rotary Foundation’s educational programs.

3.1 Group Study Exchange

Each year, Rotary District 9800 sends a team of young professionals on a month-long Group Study Exchange to another Rotary District. We nominated three women for the outgoing GSE Team to visit District 2203 in Spain and are delighted that Ana Gerkovska, who works for National Australia Bank in marketing roles, was selected.

3.2 Ambassadorial Scholarships and World Peace Fellowships

We nominated James Newton for the Ambassadorial Scholarship and, while he did not get it, he was the runner up

We nominated Francis Suleiman, a Nigerian, working in refugee camps in the Central African Republic who was selected for a Rotary Peace Fellowship at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand where he completed the three month Certificate course in April.

In June, we interviewed and nominated two Rotary Peace Fellow candidates for the two-year masters program in peace and conflict studies.  The District has now nominated them for the world competitive selection round which is a great achievement for our Club.  They are Jessica Butcher, who seeks the course at the University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, and who addressed the Club earlier this year as a winner of a Young Achiever Award, and Sophie Brown who applied for the course at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.  Candidates are expected to have had experience in peace and conflict resolution and demonstrate a commitment to a career in the field. Sophie, an Australian, certainly experiences tough situations being on her third assignment in Afghanistan developing pro poor policies.  She is driven to and from work in Kabul in an armoured vehicle.  We assume lodging an application is easy these days.  However, Kabul has no real landlines and no broadband.  Satellite phones let us and District interview her, although one of these interviews was delayed by a “blast’ outside her office in which 19 people were killed.  Following this blast, communication systems were shut down for seven days.

It has been an outstanding year for the Club, which not only identified strong candidates but mentored them to be selected as young leaders who will gain immensely from participating in The Rotary Foundation’s educational programs.  Your donations to The Rotary Foundation are well rewarded.

Thank you Kelton, and your team, with a special thankyou to Bob Fels, for an outstanding year.

And thank you Trevor for your role in all of this as the Director of International Services. A mighty year.

VOCATIONAL SERVICE

Malcolm Simpson has been the Director of this portfolio, comprising the Arts, Rotary Park and Vocational Service committees.

The Arts Committee, chaired jointly by Rob Nethercote and Bernae Blair, continued to provide a vibrant program for the members of the Rotary Club of Melbourne, friends and the community.  

The co-chairs thank David Kram, Colin Neave, Kevin O’Flaherty, Graham Ryles and John Tozer for providing the engine-room for the various activities undertaken during the year.  It is pleasing that succession will occur with Colin Neave taking over as chair and Rob Nethercote keeping the team on track as secretary.

The Committee undertook a diverse program to cover a range of the Arts as follows:

2009

·         8 September         Tour of 3MBS

·         28 November         Collingwood Arts Precinct Gallery Walk

2010

·         17 February           MSO Free Concert at the Music Bowl Romantic Favorites [Verdi, Tchaikovsky,  Brahms]

·         28 March                Piano recital “The Byways more Travelled – David Kram’s

Musical Journey through Four Continents” at the home of Peter and Cathy Rogers

·         6 June                   Brunch and Digital Life Expo Brunch and a briefing by John Tozer followed by

      viewing of the Digital Life Expo.

Music Lessons to young Sudanese children:

A major development of the 2009-10 year was the extension of links with the Sudanese Australian Intensive Learning (SAIL) program on Saturday mornings in which we provided a musical program for the SAIL Xtend program.  This program is to introduce to participants a range of music and instruments and to identify those students who might benefit from instrument tuition.  In conjunction with the Baker Foundation, this program has identified 10 Sudanese children who will receive instrumental tuition in 2010-11.  David Kram has co-ordinated this initiative with Rob Nethercote, together with Rebecca Lane and Erica Tucceri from VCAM [The Victorian College of the Arts and Music].  The Committee’s plans for this program include further initiatives to provide opportunities for these children and others from SAIL to see a junior school orchestra rehearse and, when competent, to rehearse and perform with them, and also attend concerts at the new Melbourne Recital Centre or elsewhere.

Dates and details of the activities arranged by the Arts Committee are posted on the “Events Calendar” on the Club’s website to assist with forward planning and/or inclusion in Group activities, which are commended to you all.

Acclaim Awards

The Club continued its involvement and support of the Acclaim Awards with provision of three Directors – Peter Rogers, Peter Marfleet and Robin Reid.

Thanks for a great year Rob. You’ve set a hot pace!

The Rotary Park Committee, chaired by Ian Ferguson, had a quiet year with no tree plantings or dedications to celebrate.

The Committee met on two occasions, one of which was attended by Oliver Pohls, Senior Tree Planner in the City of Melbourne, and Sam Russell of Citywide Parkcare.  The latter meeting resulted in some useful initiatives for replacement of dead or dying trees and protection of others; these will be put into effect in the coming spring.  Oliver and Sam were guests of the Club when Richard Barley, Director, Melbourne Gardens Division, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne gave a very informative address on the history of the gardens as our guest speaker on February 3, 2010.

The Committee also initiated contact with the appropriate Committee of the City of Melbourne to investigate a possible expansion of the Park when our present supply of space and trees is expected to run out around 2015.

Thanks to you Ian for a job well done.

The Vocational Service Committee, chaired by Grant Steel, who took over from Marcia O’Neil in December, has organised the following:-

§  Training Awards: (selected from State finalists limited to those candidates who are under 26 years of age, in the categories of trainee, apprentice, vocational and koori). The following three outstanding young people received a certificate of achievement and a cheque for $1,000, presented by President Barry:

o   Abby Hamill, a school-based trainee having completed her Hospitality Operations Certificate III at the Best Community Development Training Establishment, in Ballarat;

o   Tyler Young, who has completed his Certificate III in General Construction (Carpentry) with South West TAFE in Warrnambool, and

o   Mathew Hall, who completed his Certificate III in Engineering at the University of Ballarat.  Additionally, Mathew was selected to receive the Frank Newman Award for 2009.

§  Vocational Service Award: (for an exceptional person residing in Victoria who has made a contribution above and beyond the call of duty, has left a lasting legacy and who the Club considers as deserving visibility and public acclaim)

o    presented to Dr Neville Graeme White. Dr White was recognised for his distinguished work in Biological Anthropology and is well known for his work with the Donydji Aboriginal community in Arnhem Land.

§  Young Achiever Awards: (young people aged 18-26 who have not only achieved excellence in their education or training but also made a significant contribution to the community).  The following three outstanding young people were presented with a citation and a cheque for $1,000 by Honorary Member and Governor of Victoria Professor David de Kretser:

o    Nikolas Tan, in recognition of outstanding achievement in the fields of Refugee Support and Australia-Asian Relations;

o    Jessica Butcher, in recognition of outstanding achievement in the fields of Cross Cultural Links and Interfaith Dialogue, and

o    Nicolas MacKay, in recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of Implementing Social Change.

Additionally, Nicolas MacKay received the Club's Albert Coates Award.

The committee is attempting to reconnect with past awardees and establish an alumni and also nominate outstanding candidates for the Rotary Peace Fellowship.

§  Mentoring of Year 11 students in the Young Achievement Australia Business Skills Program: Provision of business mentors in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Southbank resulted in the supported teams winning four major prizes.  Alumni Project data is being collected to track down previous Young Achievers to follow up on their aspirations and achievements. Our involvement was capably led by Hugh Bucknall.

§  Police Leadership Mentoring Program:  In his second year as a mentor, Gerald Ashman had a successful year mentoring Roger Schranz and was specially mentioned at the District Assembly.

§   “Shine On” Awards: The Club nominated one candidate, Ms Helen Lutzoff for this Award.  This is an Australia-wide Rotary award that recognizes outstanding service e by persons with disabilities who disregard their disabilities in reaching their goals to serve others.  All nominees receive recognition with a Certificate of Commendation.

§  Vocational Issues Day: A “How to live to be 100” medical discussion session was chaired by Ron Cullen with a panel of distinguished Club medical professionals.

Thanks Grant and Marcia for your respective contributions to the successful outcomes during the year.

Thank you Malcolm for all you’ve done as the Director of Vocational Services in presiding over these outcomes.

NEW GENERATIONS

Rob Helme has been the Director of this portfolio, comprising Welfare of the Young and the Student Exchange Committees.

The Welfare of the Young Committee, chaired by Quin Scalzo, continues to dispense a variety of programs.

• Quin Scalzo and Jack Melbourne are on the Focus Group Area for the Youth in our partnership with the Brotherhood of St. Laurence
• Provided funds sourced by the committee to finance pilot studies by the Royal Children’s Hospital and the Royal Women’s’ Hospital benefiting adolescent health and teenage mothers.
• Provision of participants in RYLA, RYPEN and the National Science Forum - they provided two participants in the RYLAH week-long program at Wonga Park hosted by the RC of Camberwell. Wayne and Janey Talbot attended the dinner.
• Provided financial support to Open Family‘s work with homeless youth from funds sourced by the committee.
• Focused on assisting with disadvantaged youth by ‘Communities that Care’ problem-prevention projects in municipalities such as Warrnambool, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula and Ballarat. Dr Rick Catalona was out from USA and spoke to the Club about ‘Communities That Care’.
• Assisting the Sydney Road Community School with architectural advice, funds and opportunities for students to participate in District activities.
• Initiation of a Community Service Award for a secondary school student in a local school, an award which it has suggested be passed to the District for possible implementation by other District clubs.

Well done to you Quin and all your team for a great year. 

The “Donydji Project” Committee, chaired by John Mitchell, continued working on the applied research project of the La Trobe University to develop a model of self-sustainability for the remote Yolngu Homeland of Donydji in North East Arnhem Land. This was a year of significant achievements as follows:-

• completion of the building of a small house equipped with solar power, built to a community-approved design to accommodate the indigenous teacher and her family;
• two indigenous women underwent teacher-training in Melbourne
• the first school that has become the Community Centre and Adult Learning Centre, and the Training Workshop is now the Centre for VET Training programs approved by the Northern Territory Education Department;
• the committee is now concentrating on issues related to the ongoing education and capacity building of the people, and the development of a Governance structure that will allow the community to become independent;
• with financial support secured from the CASS Foundation, Shepherdson College at Echo Island provided a Trade Teacher to establish a recognized VET Education Program for the young people to attain trade and craft skills leading to paid employment;
• some adult literacy and numeracy programs have been offered by volunteer teachers visiting the community and the committee is looking at ways these programs can be expanded;
• visiting teachers from Victoria have identified significant art and craft skills among the women in the community that offer opportunities for the establishment of a cottage industry which, if properly developed, will provide an independent source of income for the community;
• the Vietnam Veterans continue their annual field trips to undertake practical training projects, now in cooperation with the Trade Teacher;
• a Community Council has been established with the intention that it be incorporated under the Northern Territory Associations Incorporation Act so the Council has a legal status to enable it run businesses, own property and employ people.  Arnold Block Leibler is attending to drawing up the necessary documentation and negotiating with the NT Government on a pro bono basis to bring this about;
• with financial assistance from the Baker Foundation, a Toyota Diesel Twin Cab Ute was purchased for the Community to undertake a weekly food run from Gapuwiyak (over 100kms north of Donydji) as a solution to the continuing supply of fresh food after a Federal Government Business Manager at Gapuwiyak, who was doing the run outside her job description, was promoted out of her position and her replacement wasn’t prepared to continue the program.

Thanks John for the continuing good work being done in this area by you and the committee.

The Student Exchange Committee. Chaired by Kevin Sheehan, had a very busy year.

• Our Inbound Exchangee Lucas Haddad (Brazil) delivered his farewell address in fine style at our Wednesday luncheon meeting on December 9, 2009 at which the Club formally recognised his four Host Families, being the families of Rotarians Kevin Sheehan, Peter Davis, Trevor Nink and Peter Choong, and his Host School, Trinity Grammar.
• Our Co-Inbound Exchangee with the RC of Glen Eira, Julius Reisch (Germany), attended Glen Eira Secondary College. He played golf off a low handicap and was a member of our Club’s team which won the annual Rotary Mitchell Sutherland Cup.  The “rub” is that Julius will be well and truly home when we host the next event in October!  In fact, Julius delivered his farewell address at our Wednesday luncheon meeting on June 16, 2010.  Host parents Ian and Lesley Jones and their sons Warwick and Morgan were present, along with Chris and Janet Wang (host parents), and Peter and Debra Davis (host parents) and their daughters Lauren and Georgia.  Also present was RC of Glen Eira member and host parent Geoff Asher, who has been Julius’s counsellor also.
• We sponsored 2010 Outbound Exchangee, Katelyn Hamilton, who left for Brazil in January.  Katelyn was introduced to our Club on the December 9, 2010 and delivered her outbound address at our Wednesday luncheon meeting on January 20, 2010.
• We welcomed a visit from Alex Dahlberg (Sweden), who was our Inbound Exchangee for the year 2005/06 and attended Trinity Grammar School.  Alex was escaping the northern winter to enjoy our Melbourne summer.

In summary, it has been an active year for the committee chair and host families with two inbound and one outbound student. Our sincere thanks to the host families, without whom this program would not be possible – theirs is a pertinent example of “service above self”.

The maestro of student exchange, Kevin Sheehan, has been chair of the Club’s Student Exchange Committee for 10 years, in which time he and Lisa have hosted eight inbound students and six outbound students.  Next year, Peter Davis will assume the Chair when Kevin takes over as Vice President Club Management and Fellowship.  Thank you, Kevin, for the significant contribution you, Lisa and Daniel have given to the student exchange program over this time; another fine example of “service above self”.

Thank you Rob for all you’ve done as the Director of New Generations in supporting your committees.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Keith McNeil has been the Director of this portfolio, comprising the Community Welfare, Health Issues, SecondBite and Welfare of the Elderly Committees. 

District Contributions 

• Mev Connell chairs the portfolios of “Disaster Relief” and “Environment” in the Avenue of Community Service at District.
• John Mitchell serves as the District Contact for Probus, and Bob Glindemann for “’SecondBite” Food Collection” in the portfolio of “Community Support”.
• Ian Ross serves as a District Contact for Heart Issues [Healthy Hearts – Beyond City Limits], and Jo Fairbairn for Prostate Health in the portfolio of “Community Health”.

The Community Welfare Committee, chaired by Heather Barton, with deputy chair James Pullar, continued involvement in a number of programs helping the disadvantaged, particularly the homeless where James Pullar has made an enormous contribution as the “Champion” of this focus.

Highlights of the year’s activities include:-

§  Heather and James being on the Focus Group Area for the Disadvantaged in our partnership with the Brotherhood of St. Laurence.

§  Continuing support for the PACE concept (Partnerships for Advancing Community Engagement) in our approach to projects and presenting to the Community Services forum at the District Assembly.

§  Developing the Club’s involvement with HomeGround Services in the Common Ground Elizabeth Street Supportive Housing Project.

• Supporting the running of The Big Issue Community Street Soccer Program National Championships held in Brisbane by assisting the Big Issue in involving local Rotary Clubs in the organisation of volunteers and training camps, facilitated by James Pullar.  Also, continued support in the encouragement of local Rotary Clubs to become involved, by way of volunteers and/or funding, in the establishment of training centres around Australia for teams of people experiencing homelessness.
• Jim Longwood continued his work with Anglicare to support their activities to assist the integration of West Papuan Refugees into the community.  Two organs were donated by Anglicare parishioners and provided to the Arts Committee for use in their SAIL music program mentioned earlier.
• Participation in The Around-the-Bay-in-a-Day 2009 Bike-ride raised $11,675- from our Club for the Smith Family’s “Learning for Life” program which provides funding for the education of disadvantaged students.
• Trevor Nink, with the assistance of Faith Fitzgerald, coordinated the “Capture the Spirit of Christmas” initiative which resulted in funding contributions from participating Groups totalling $2,983-.  Christmas gifts were provided to the Open Family and The Lighthouse Foundation organisations for distribution to specific disadvantaged children.
• Sir John Reid Community Service Award was presented to another outstanding candidate in carer Janine Singer.
• Initiation of a mentoring survey of members to assist in determining if this is a viable option for the Club.  The response resulted in a recent workshop for 20 members held at the Brotherhood of St. Laurence and presented by Victorian Youth Mentoring Alliance.

§  Proceeds from the wine raffle this year is expected to be around $7,000-.

Congratulations to Heather, James and all your team on another fine year.

The Health Issues Committee, chaired by John Fuller, arranged for PDG Des Jones to speak to the Club in February about the activities of Australian Rotary Health [ARHRF], including their Indigenous Scholarship Program.

A principal initiative was the contribution of $2,500 to fund a nursing scholarship for an indigenous student through Australian Rotary Health’s indigenous medical practitioners training program. 

They provided CDs on Prostate Cancer which Club members may borrow from the Club’s office for viewing.

A number of public health issues were discussed during the year, some of which will be considered by the incoming Chair and committee.

John has been the chair of this committee for the past three years, and is passing the baton to Bas Hamo for 2010/2011.

To you and your team, thanks for a job well done John.

The SecondBite Committee, chaired by Bob Glindemann, with deputy chair Trevor Nink, has gone from strength-to-strength.

Members from the Club collect each Saturday from the Prahran Markets and each Sunday from the Victoria Markets meat hall.  The rosters are established for each 6 months and members are responsible for arranging their own swaps if they cannot attend on their rostered day.  This year the collections have varied from week-to-week but quantities are consistent and we continue to contribute strongly to the total collected for redistribution the following week.

Importantly, this activity at both markets is also a great opportunity for fellowship and for meeting newer members, many who have volunteered to be involved.  We have approx 60 members in both rosters with many involving wives, husbands and teenage children – a really pleasing outcome.

As a result of our activity with SecondBite, Albert Park and Hawthorn Clubs are involved at markets elsewhere and, in Tasmania, Rotary Clubs do a majority of the collections in Hobart.  Soon, Rosanna and Shepparton Clubs will commence separate market collections in their locations as the part played by Rotary continues to grow.

Another great year is envisaged in 2010/2011

Well done to Bob and all the SecondBite volunteers.

The Welfare of the Elderly Committee, chaired by Cynthia Richards, continued with their regular programs.

Principal activities included the following:-

• Cynthia and Keith McNeil being on the Focus Group Area for the Aged in our partnership with the Brotherhood of St. Laurence.
• Home delivery of library books to elderly citizens.

§  Provision of funding of $2,500- for the training of a nurse for Claremont Homes to be accredited to administer medication to residents.

§  Selecting The 2009/2010 recipient of the Seniors Award, Andreina Khoury, who was born in 1927 in Asiago, Italy and migrated to Broken Hill with her family in 1936. She has spent her lifetime helping members of the community in a myriad of ways.

§  Running of the Club’s Footy Tipping competition.

§  Arranging and hosting the annual Seniors’ lunch held at Max’s Restaurant at Red Hill Estate for 30 elderly citizens selected by the Salvation Army. The cost of this event is underwritten by the proceeds from the Footy Tipping competition.

Cynthia is stepping down after eight years in the chair, and is passing the baton to Wayne Talbot.

Thank you Cynthia for this outstanding contribution, and to your team for this year’s achievements.

IN CONCLUSION

RI President John Kenny’s theme for this year was “The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands”, and our Club theme was “Making a Difference”

President Barry and fellow Rotarians, I’m sure you will agree from what you have just heard, collectively as the members of this Club we have demonstrated our commitment to both of those themes and can be proud of our achievements this year.

It has been my privilege to be the Vice President of Community Services working with the various Directors, Chairpersons and committee members to provide “service above self”.

Thank you all for a job well done.

Austen Burleigh

Vice President

23^rd June 2010