Book and pay now for the BBQ on the Terrace on Tuesday March 29th 2022
6:30pm for a 7:00pm start
Members and guests are also required to register upon arrival at the venue, preferably using the Victoria Safe app, providing proof that they are fully vaccinated for Covid-19
"It is not "forgive and forget" as if nothing wrong had ever happened, but "forgive and go forward," building on the mistakes of the past and the energy generated by reconciliation to create a new future." ~ Alan Paton – citing a South African author and anti-apartheid activist.
With the reconciliation being a hot topic, our club has embarked on an education drive to inform our members of the changing winds within our society. We are all institutionalised to a certain extent by our upbringing. So, to put everyone out of their comfort zone, we are indebted to Matthew Leeder and Kathleen Stammers to bravely present a different point of view from the indigenous people as to how to look at what our society has done. It is not pretty and very embarrassing.
We were graced with Susan Vincent attending as Chairperson of Diversity and Equity Rotary action group. As expected, there were many different opinions, and this was evident on the night. I support freedom of speech as long as it is not demeaning to others.
Our Guest Speaker last Tuesday was Matthew Leeder, a proud Indigenous man. He is currently the President of the Kangaroo Flat Rotary club and is the first indigenous man to hold this position in District 9800. He spoke to us passionately on the importance of Reconciliation for all Australians.
Matthew told us his story which is known as “Truth Telling” and is an important part of reconciliation.
His Great-Great Grandfather was an Inuit (Indigenous people from Canada, Alaska and Greenland) who came to Australia from Toronto. There he met and married a Palawa (Indigenous Tasmanian) woman. The White settlers who arrived in Tasmania in 1803 killed many of the Palawa people and moved others from Tasmania to Flinders Island and the Furneaux group of islands. Taken from their own land, they gradually died out and I am sure that most of us remember the story of Truganini, the last full Palawa woman, who died in 1876.
Matthew Leeder, President Rotary Club of Kangaroo Flat, second from left, pictured with from left to right Kathleen Stammers, meeting chairman PP Don Heath, President Dr Mark Ellis AM, Susan Vincent, President RC Prahran and PE Teresa Liu
The club's annual project in support of Parkinson's Victoria has been in hibernation for the past two years, thanks to Covid-19, Lockdowns and Social Distancing. But on Sunday March 27th on a glorious autumn day, the sausages and onions were sizzling again, to the obvious joy of Melburnians at Fed Square. The Annual Parkinson's Victoria A Walk in the Park event is the major fundraising effort for Parkinson's Victoria.
For many years now the club has been running the Charity BBQ on the Flinders Street border of Federation Square. Always immensely popular, this year's event was no exceptioon, with a steady stream of hungry walkers (and a strangely steady stream of Richmond supporters passing by on their way to the MCG!).
A huge THANK YOU! to organiser PP Michael Berry and everyone who was able to volunteer to help out at the BBQ on the day. Every sausage, loaf of bread and bag of onions was gone by the end of the day. Now that's a sizzling success by anyone's measure!
Master Chef PP John Hudson, left ably assisted by (from left to right) Trish Ritman, David Pisterman (RC Hawthorn) , Oxana Belyaeva, PP Michael Berry, Joanne Shentu, Garfield Lee and Amelia Anderson
During mid 2021 Helena Wimpole and I, representing the Community Service Group, visited Camcare to see if our Club could be of assistance in their various activities. We were pointed towards an old shed, a tree and a pile of rubbish that required removal from the Camcare garden. It is anticipated that a small greenhouse will be installed and some fruit trees planted on the site to be cleared. After several delays and postponements the job was finally done last week. I can attest that Parkinson’s Law applies to the accumulation of rubbish over time.
Pleasingly, the indefatigable Mark Howlett came prepared with the appropriate tools. He was ably assisted by Jerzy Ordega and to a lesser extent by the writer.
The club's project in support of the Rotary Overseas Recycled Playground Program took an adventurous leap forward on March 26th, when the team harvested the playground at the North Richmond Housing Estate, the first time the club has dismantled and shipped a playground outside of the City of Boroondara. These old but serviceable playgrounds once went to landfill. But now they are harvested by Rotary and shipped to countries in S.E. Asia, the Pacific Islands, the Indian sub-continent and even Africa, where they are refurbished by Rotary clubs in the recipient country and erected in local schools and communities, bring joy and laughter to little people, and a new lase of life. The club's RORP projects are led by International Service Director Mark Howlett and Geoffrey Widmer.
International Service Director Mark Howlett dismantling the playground at North Richmond Housing Estate, ably assisted by Jeff Speak of the Rotary Club of Canterbury. The club's project has become a virtual 'super-cluster' project, where RC Glenferrie partners with the Rotary clubs of Camberwell, Canterbury and Hawthorn.
If, as a new member, you are still to decide to experience your first Rotary Conference, it is not too late to book for Albury on the Anzac Day weekend 22 to 24 April. The organisers are offering a further incentive - the opportunity to win one night's free accommodation if you book before 06 April - but places are running out - as shown in the PDF emailed from DG Dale Hoy. And the rate for the conference remains at $330.00 for first time attendees.
Opportunity to sponsor a needy child in Vietnam Through the RC Glenferrie relationship with the VoThan district of Vietnam and the great work that the associated rotary clubs do supporting this and other districts, there is an opportunity for individual members to support a needy child. Details of the opportunity follow and interested members can contact Mark Howlett for more information.
Funds are directed to the most needy children. The children are identified and prioritised by the Education Department and local People’s Committees as being in the most needy of circumstances.
It is life-changing. $520 per annum will ensure that a child currently struggling to get to school will be able to commence an education and obtain a real opportunity to have a better life.
The club's Lift the Lid Charity Golf Daycontinues to attract quality sponsors, the latest being Golf Studio in Mordialloc. Golf Studio, whose website states that they are 'the largest indoor golf club in Australia' have generously donated 150 vouchers for a free one 1 hour session at their state-of-the-art indoor studio. The vouchers will be one of a number of gifts in the Golfer's Goody Bag which every entrant for the Golf day Experience will receive on the day.
Golfers will testify that you never stop striving to improve your game, and whether you are a champion or a novice, a one hour session at Golf Studio will be both fun and educational. Thank you Golf Studio. Your generous gift will certainly help us to Lift the Lid on Mental Illness.
