Co-presidents Report for 18 October, 2024
Our regular meeting this week was cancelled in lieu of providing our barbecue cooking services for the City of Greater Bendigo’s Ride to Work Day. As usual, we received appreciative compliments from both the bike riders and the City, via the CEO, Andrew Cooney. We took the opportunity to hand out RCoBS recruitment/information brochures to many of the riders, and some interesting and positive conversations ensued as a result. On the brochure, there is a contact email address – sandhurstrotary@gmail.com as well as a QR scanning code, for members of the public to easily contact us if they would like more information about us and our activities. Early days yet, but we will keep on distributing these at our public events as often as we can, in an effort to increase our membership and support base.
In addition, in the next week or so, an advertising program starts on radio station KLFM which will run until around mid-December. Let’s see what happens … On Wednesday afternoon, several members of our club attended the funeral of Stephen Guley, son of PP and PHF Rob Guley and his wife Carol. As you would imagine, it was a sad occasion, but it was very heartening to see that Rob is making good progress from his recent heart attack, and there are positive plans set out going forward for his further treatment.
Our 3 rd Rotary Car Ramble took place on Saturday, wandering through scenic areas of the Castlemaine and Harcourt districts on a beautiful Spring day. It’s amazing what you see when you are driving slowly and really looking at the countryside – the enormous remnants of the Garfield Water Wheel near Chewton was a real highlight. We started with morning tea at the Hot and Crusty Bakery in Castlemaine, and then did our best to navigate the clues and red herrings thrown at us by the organisers, before finishing for lunch at St Anne’s Winery, at Big Hill. Congratulations to the winners, Doug and Kerry Lougoon, who cut short their overseas trip to return just in time to deprive Ted and Liz of an unprecedented three-peat of wins in the event. Thanks very much from all of us to the thoughtful and cunning team of Ned Upton, Linda Barrow and John Cannon for putting this fun day together, where 31 members,
partners and friends took part on a really enjoyable day of fellowship. We all look forward to the 2025 version of the Ramble.
Rotary Clubs in Bendigo have been informed about the Energy Breakthrough in Maryborough, which will be held on Wednesday 20 th and Friday 22 nd November, and organised by Bendigo Country Education Program (CEP). Volunteers are needed to judge school team presentations on their experiences over the year. Criteria include a time limit 20 minutes maximum followed by about 5 minutes of chatting to the children. Time slot is from 8.45 until 5.30 each of the two days (plenty of food and drinks supplied). If there are enough people then CEP is able to organise a bus for everyone from Bendigo. Laurie Preston is the ‘’Chief Judge” for the event and can be contacted for more information (lauriep@housethirtysix.com or 0404 308 226).
Last but not least, the environmental committee is organising a working bee on 30 th of October (Bendigo Cup Day) from 10am until 11.30am at Comet Hill Reserve, next to Lighting Reef PS, to cut grass around and between the
seedlings, spread the rest of the mulch, and clean-up the area of rubbish (See Stew’s announcement in this Bulletin).
Co-presidents Ray Carrington and Adrian Schoo
