Happy 2025 to all our members, family and friends. I hope the holiday season was a joyous time and you will all come back energized for Rotary activities in 2025.
We have already kicked off with the first Boroondara Farmers Market for 2025 and for once the weather gods were on our side. Hopefully this is a portent of a good year. It should always be remembered that whilst the Market is the financial mainstay of our club, it also supports the Education CHANCES Foundation. As you know CHANCES hands out each year about 100 scholarships to disadvantaged but diligent students in Boroondara. This is the time of year that the funds are distributed, and we wish all the students a successful academic year.
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It's already the second half of my year as President and it has gone past in a flash. Soon it will be my duty to hand over to President Elect Helena Wimpole. However, the last six months have been, as usual, extremely active in the club. We have continued to maintain all of our traditional projects and activities with our extremely active membership. Whilst not taking away from these projects, there is something immensely satisfying about seeing a project from start to finish. 
Our Sierra Leone project has been started and completed thanks to the tireless efforts of many of our members and in particular Amelia Anderson, Charles Tran, Isaiah Lahai, Richard Blakeman, Don Moore, Geoff Widmer, Paul Shekleton, and all those who helped raise money for the project through the sale of the LightWalker walking sticks, the Bunnings BBQ and Geoff Widmer's world famous paella evening. Well done to all concerned.
Our Sierra Leone project has been started and completed thanks to the tireless efforts of many of our members and in particular Amelia Anderson, Charles Tran, Isaiah Lahai, Richard Blakeman, Don Moore, Geoff Widmer, Paul Shekleton, and all those who helped raise money for the project through the sale of the LightWalker walking sticks, the Bunnings BBQ and Geoff Widmer's world famous paella evening. Well done to all concerned.In addition, we have run the highly successful Sumba function which raised significant funds for the Sumba Eye project. Thank you to the committee including Mark Ellis, Thelma Hutchison and many others. We also ran a successful Christmas function and again thank you to the organizing committee, in particular Rod Smith, Don Heath, Alex Marshall, Wendy Cross and Lynette Spencer.
Finally, I hope to see you all at the now traditional picnic at Yarra Park on 28 January.
Yours in Rotary