In his editorial for the Winter edition of this publication, PDG Murray Verso referred to those famous first lines in the Charles Dickens classic novel A Tale of Two Cities. “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times”. As we approach the end of 2020, it is fair to say that this year has been a real challenge for just about everyone in this country, starting with terrible fires, floods, drought and of course the COVID-19 virus. 2020 has been a shocker and cannot end soon enough!
But even in these difficult times, we can and should find positives. Do you ever pause to think about how fortunate we are to live in Australia? We have a standard of living that is almost unequalled in the world, and as a result for most of the time we are a fairly happy bunch. One result of this good fortune is that Australians are generally quite generous in spirit and in sharing our resources.
That is just as well, because there is still a significant demand for charity in Australia and especially 
overseas. There are many worthwhile causes that deserve our support. Let me suggest to you that our Rotary Foundation is an appropriate destination for charitable contributions, both from Rotarians and the wider community. I’m sure all Rotarians in District 9800 can bring to mind some of the great programs achieved through the Rotary Foundation (TRF). Start with polio eradication, our flagship humanitarian program that has achieved amazing success in the past 40+ years, as evidenced by the wonderful news this year that all of Africa has now been certified as polio-free. This is just the latest achievement in our quest to rid the world of this disease.
overseas. There are many worthwhile causes that deserve our support. Let me suggest to you that our Rotary Foundation is an appropriate destination for charitable contributions, both from Rotarians and the wider community. I’m sure all Rotarians in District 9800 can bring to mind some of the great programs achieved through the Rotary Foundation (TRF). Start with polio eradication, our flagship humanitarian program that has achieved amazing success in the past 40+ years, as evidenced by the wonderful news this year that all of Africa has now been certified as polio-free. This is just the latest achievement in our quest to rid the world of this disease.
District 9800 has a proud record of achievement in Foundation programs, and no other district in the world can match your success with nominating Peace Fellows. Further, you make sure that your District Grant achieves a lot with careful planning and judicious spending. Impressive!Because of the low level of expenses incurred by our Foundation, contributions to TRF provide an excellent return on investment. And personal contributions are tax deductible (did I mention that I am an accountant?) The TRF work in all the areas of focus is impressive, and next year we are adding The Environment as a 7th Area of Focus. This is an exciting time for all involved!