Co-presidents’ Report - 5th April, 2024
It has been a busy, productive and satisfying week for the club, as we can see here.
Last Wednesday, after the club meeting, Adrian, Madeleine, Rob and Ray represented the club at a morning tea function at Bendigo Toyota, Epsom. The company had received a prestigious award by Toyota Australia to recognize
its significant, ongoing contribution to the betterment of a number of communities and organizations in central Victoria. For example, Bendigo Health and Foodshare have benefited greatly from fund-raising events organized by
Bendigo Toyota. The company also sponsors a number of sporting clubs throughout the region. We felt it was valuable for the club to be represented on the day and to keep in touch with the company on this important
occasion.
EASTER MARKETS AND BARBECUE: As co-presidents, and on behalf of all members, we would like to express our deep appreciation to the Easter Markets Committee and the Fundraising Committee who worked long and hard to
make the Friday and Sunday markets, and the Friday barbecue, such an outstanding success this year.
Thanks also to all club members who were able to help out on those two days. The monies raised were far and away our biggest single fundraiser for the year, and were only able to be achieved by the hard work, commitment and organizing skills of the committee members in particular, with assistance from quite a number of our members prior to and during Easter.
We believe all stallholders were greatly impressed by the superb organization and help given to them by club members on those two days. This was a top-class PR event for our club and Rotary in general, if ever there was one.
COMMUNITY SERVICE DIRECTOR NEEDED: Rob Rosaia has been in the role of Community Service Director for a number of years now, and wishes to step back somewhat from this important position. He will still be available to assist a new director on an as-needs basis, so we are appealing to club members to consider taking on this role for next year. Please contact either Ray or Adrian as soon as possible for information on what the role entails.
DISTRICT CONFERENCE SHOWCASE: John Cannon and John Harkin have been our club representatives helping to organize the Showcase, which is to be held in the gymnasium of the Bendigo Senior Secondary College on Saturday
13th and Sunday 14th this month. Around 6 members are needed on the afternoon of Thursday 11 th April to help setup the Showcase sites, and a similar number needed to dismantle them on the afternoon of Sunday 14 th . Please contact John Cannon to let him know if you can help out on either of those days.
Last Thursday, Ray, DG Ron Payne and John Clue of Castlemaine RC, the Showcase main organizer, met with David Chapman, a senior journalist at the Bendigo Advertiser, to give him information about the district conference – what
it represents in the Rotary context, and the benefits flowing to Bendigo as a result of it being held this year in our city. So, it was a great pleasure to read a very positive article David wrote in this Thursday’s paper about the very
things mentioned above. Rotary came across as a can-do organization, and the public were encouraged to come along to the Showcase to have a look at the types of projects that Rotary clubs in our district are involved in. Let’s
hope we do get some members of the general public to come to the Showcase, see what we get up to, and enquire about getting involved with Rotary. Definitely worth a try …
DONATIONS TO THE KAREN COMMUNITY: Barbara Mitchell is moving to Melbourne later this year, as we know, and we shall miss her greatly. Barbara had a cleanout/tidy-up of her garage and shed, resulting in quite a lot of
tools, fasteners, and various bits and pieces identified as surplus to her needs in the big smoke. These have been delivered to the Karen community’s house in Eaglehawk for distribution to families who can use them. Thank you, Barbara.
SAILING CHALLENGE: Stew and Adrian had a Zoom meeting with Bryan Griffith and Angela Beutel to meet with Jakob Gruner and his mother. Jakob will participate in the upcoming sailing challenge and will be sponsored by the Rotary Club of Rochester and our club. Jakob is looking forward to the challenge and has agreed to share his experiences at one of our club meetings.
Camp Getaway: Madeleine and Adrian attended the opening of the playing courts at Camp Getaway by our DG Ron Payne.
Ray and Adrian
