Rotary Club of Bendigo Sandhurst
Meeting Report
Date of Meeting: Wednesday September 7, 2016
It’s Spring time in Bendigo, no ice or frost or dark cold morning, as we rise early for one of Ronnie’s cooked breakfasts at BRIT.
Phil Harris, efficiently setting up, almost beat John Langley to the door this week.
Graeme Lynas brought the fellowship chatter to order, and Past President Paul Henderson stood in for Conor, an apology this morning.
Today the AV gremlins had slept in, and the microphone & audio worked.
Rotarian Guest: Lindsay Murphy, now an official member of the I-have-cattle-in-Gipplsand Rotary Club of Leongatha,
reported unofficially that the figures are “getting there” to fund the vehicle destined for food distribution in Maubisse Timor Leste.
His “blew me out of the water” news is a ten thousand dollar anonymous donation from a mystery Rotarian.
Guest Speakers
We had not one but two speakers:
Noel and Tracey Clarke
Key Word for this duo:
FOUNDATION 97
Imagine, busier than a one armed Sydney taxi driver, running three shearing teams turning over more than one million a year, pushing hard at tennis and football and achieving national and international success in your special recreation, motocross.
Then WHAM over the handlebars at 10kph in an organised dirtbike meeting and you’re a paraplegic.
And, even worse, no ongoing funding. A $150K one off goes nowhere for long term para.
That was Noel Clarke’s lot in 2009.
Not to sit down and suck it up, Noel and his wife Tracey set up Foundation 97 in 2013, a registered charity, now “blasting out” from their base North of the border, at Eaglehawk, primarily to assist non funded spinal injury victims:
When the Foundation has funds, grants are delivered to victims for:
Expensive equipment to not only enable them to live, but also, participate in recreation and sports; and,
Non funded education and training.
Why “97”? That is the number of Noel’s motocross bike.
To get you into the zone with these two, the awards they’ve achieved include:
2016 Victorian Disability Awards:
Winner Volunteer Award:
Tracey Clarke
Finalist Individual Award for Emerging Leader:
Tracey Clarke
Finalist – Group Award for Cultural and Social Access:
Foundation 97
Shortlisted for Victorian Premier’s Volunteer Champion:
Tracey Clarke - Leadership
Funding:
Tracey says it’s hard:
She’s managed to lean on Bendigo Bank and the Department of Human Services.
Kuedos is due for the Foundation staffing the office by securing five consecutive Work For The Dole programs.
Way forward:
Foundation 97 has published a great magazine, “Life Is Beautiful”:
Rotarians will “volunteer” to distribute the first run to health carer centres around Victoria, and are invited to purchase copies at $10 each online at:
Take home message:
No life below mid chest and still he gets up and not only does something about it, but also, establishes funding for others.
Raffle:
Ever gender and other preferences sympathetic we had a choice: Choccies or Vino:
The illustrious Robert of Riverlea won and we elected chocolates. [He left early chasing some porcine clients]
Dates:
Emulate Adrian Schoo, and dust off your bicycle for Ride to Work Day … Wednesday October 12th … we’ll be congregating and catering in the Hargreaves Street Mall, as our official Wednesday meeting.
Swap Meet is our major cluster event.
Yet again, Rob Rosaia has put his name down for the whole event, and Stan Hendy will have been beavering away in the background to ensure the meet runs smoothly.
The roster sheet is circulating for November 11 – 13.
Get in early for the interesting shifts.
Bendigo Maubisse Friendship Committee [We’ve now three local Rotary Club members on this C’ttee] offering a Heritage Walk in the afternoon of September 25th. Including, for a little extra $5.00 cash, home-made scones, jam and cream … … with an unofficial prize for he/she who presents one of the new five dollar notes.
Directors and Chairs, next week at Vahlands Bistro is an ideal locale to call your teams together.
Speaking of directors, that quiet Rotarian Martin and his Youth Services Cluster Team have celebrated three local students gaining D9800 acceptance to the 2016 National Youth Science Forum. Stats were 63 applicants for 22 places.
Phil, we owe the cluster $1,155.00
Rotary Donations In Kind at Footscray
George may be driving down Tuesday to check out a “parcel” for Adrian’s project supporting nurses and the hospital in the Solomon Islands, courtesy a Balwyn RC funded container.
Radius and the Knitting Project
Adrian, Ray Carrington, George and Patti [on the phone] met Saturday to pull this all together, RCOBS being a facilitator of this magnificent project.
Our AGM looms in November and George President Elect is recruiting members for his 2017/18 Board.
So, either avoid a tap on shoulder during fellowship chats, or step forward and steer the club your way, from the bridge in 17/18.
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