I trust you all had a HAPPY EASTER, despite the limited distances we could travel due to the petrol shortage. At least it was mostly beautiful Autumn weather. It was a time that reminds us of renewal and hope, so it feels especially poignant that, alongside the joy of the season and the celebration at our last meeting of our young people’s achievements, we also reflect on the recent loss of our friend, Tim Gale. His passing is a sad moment for our club, and a gentle reminder to value both the opportunities we create for others and the friendships we share. Rest in peace Tim.
At our last dinner meeting, on the 24th of March, two young women provided us with engaging presentations on what they had achieved through our club’s Rotary Youth Programs sponsorship. Sarah Mapleson described her experience at the RYLA camp and how much she gained from it, while Ivy Sheng spoke about her remarkable selection for the United Youth Diplomats tour in Europe.
On Friday the 27th of March seven Rotarians from our club, three partners and our Global Foundation Scholar, Masaya Endo, arrived at the MULTI DISTRICT IMPACT SUMMIT for the weekend in the country town of Horsham. Mark Ellis and Thelma Hutchison rode to the Conference and raised money for RoCan, Ovarian Cancer Research. The rest of us either went by train or car and there was plenty of carpooling.
I thought the Conference was excellent and a lot of fun. All of the speakers were well chosen and presented relevant topics for our current times. We were very fortunate to have the first female, International President of Rotary, Jennifer Jones, a Canadian, at the Conference. Jennifer was a great speaker with an intelligent and warm manner. Masaya Endo, our Global Scholar, also made a presentation at the Conference and was very well received.
The special fun part of the Conference was on the Saturday evening where the many hundreds of Rotarians and partners enjoyed a meal in a
huge barn. We watched several sheep being shorn and later danced to a very good band. Everyone agreed this night was a very successful event.
The next Multi District Impact Summit will be held at Warnambool next year, April 16th-18th 2027. I encourage you to attend as they are very interesting, good fun and you meet lots of other Rotarians.
Another reminder is that our Changeover will be held on the 23rd of June this year, so please keep this date free.
Warm regards,
Helena Wimpole