Julie’s Jots

Sunday was another beautiful day for our markets. Thankyou to everyone in the team involved, especially our ‘Vice’ Market Manager David McInnes. Also great to see two new faces helping at the barbecue and in the van – John and Dianna Coll; look forward to seeing more of you John and Dianna. Sunday’s Market takings were Gate $795.00, Gross van sales $1,123.95. The loss of Riverside Pizzas from the markets was probably a contributing factor to the higher than normal van sales.

This week I’m looking forward to hearing from our good friend Rachel McInnes on her role in the volunteer organisation WIRES, including the high and lows.

Our Rotary Business Breakfast last week was well attended with 30 mainly business people coming along to hear guest speaker Cath Peachey of Narooma Rocks talk about the 2024 Narooma Oyster Festival and beyond. (See Report below)

The Week that Was

Our Business Networking Breakfast

It was great to see several new business faces at last Thursday’s Business Networking Breakfast, attracted by our excellent guest speaker Narooma Rocks (NR) Chair Cath Peachey. NR organises the multi-award winning Narooma Oyster Festival (NOF).

Cath reported on the analysis of the extraordinary amount of data on the NOF that can now be accessed, thanks to technology. This year’s NOF, Australia’s premier oyster festival and Southern NSW’s largest food and drink event, injected over $4m into the local economy, attracted 86% of visitors from outside the Eurobodalla, increased average stay, created a real buzz around the region, and continued to showcase local and regional produce.  It’s also home of Australia’s Oyster Shucking Championship and Australia’s Biggest Oyster Competition. Narooma Rocks is a not-for-profit company that seeks to be a catalyst for tourism to the NSW South Coast and surrounding region and contributes to marketing the South Coast, particularly Narooma, as a year-round tourism destination. It couldn’t happen without the efforts of 150 volunteers.

Our Rotary Business Breakfasts are now firmly established and have enhanced Narooma Rotary’s profile and credibility in the local business community.

THIS THURSDAY 26th

Dinner Speaker Rachel McInnes on ‘Being a Wildlife Rescuer and Carer’. Rachel has been a wildlife rescuer and carer with WIRES, Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organisation, since 2016. She will give us some insight into what wildlife rescuers and carers do and how they make a difference for our precious wildlife. (For those who love acronyms… WIRES stands for Wildlife information, rescue and education service.) 

6 for 6.30pm at Narooma Golf Club. Please make sure you book with Gero including any guests by noon Tuesday so she can notify the Club of numbers.

Out and About

From Bega Rotary Club

Bega Rotary’s next Rotary Bookfair, its major fundraiser, is on 4-5 October at Bega Primary School. Usually it’s at the Showground but current ongoing works there necessitated a change of venue.

District Conference in Mittagong

25-27 October: See https://www.discon24.com/about-8 for full details

NEXT WEEK

Wednesday 2 October 6.30pm: Prostate Cancer Support Group, Narooma Golf Club

Thursday 3 October: No Dinner Meeting. 6.30pm: BOARD MEETING

The Week that Was

Julie was away so David was in the chair for both a fun and a serious evening. It was great catching up again with our Exchange Student Hilma, host mum Julie Penglase and daughter Ellie, plus we had a surprise guest DG Elect Rob Shore of Batemans Bay Club.

It was great to hear from Hilma about the last few weeks including going to the Snowy Mountains to ski (but finding hardly any snow!), joining the school’s volleyball team, going to watch an AFL match in Melbourne, and having her first swim in the ocean. Julie also mentioned Hilma’s great success in mathematics.

Ange Ulrichsen presented the banner from the Bali Action Club meeting she attended recently; it’s one of 22 Rotary Clubs in Bali and is an English speaking club that focuses on the environment

President Julie wants Magic Moments to be a regular feature of our meetings. Well for last week’s Magic Moments David encouraged everyone to tell something about themselves that no one else at the meeting would know. Well we heard some really interesting tales including Gero Mitchell building a toilet for Elton John in Greece, Lynn Hastings sailing from the US to Australia in a 44ft yacht (well she got off in New Zealand), Julie Penglase’s grandmother being born in the back of a covered wagon in the United States, Susanna being a Taiwanese dancer (and no, she’s not Taiwanese!), and Laurelle Pacey being Australian Ladies Tractor Pulling Champion (twice).

The serious part of the evening was a Rotary presentation on Working with Children. David urged everyone who has still not completed the paperwork to please do so.

THIS WEEK

This Thursday 19^th September

Our Narooma Rotary Business Networking Breakfasts resume (Narooma Surf Club 7am sharp) with guest speaker Narooma Rocks Chair Cath Peachey.  Narooma Rocks is a not-for-profit organisation that organises the Narooma Oyster Festival each year. Narooma Rocks has analysed all the data and surveys from the 2024 Festival and Cath will share some insights from this data, as well as outline Narooma Rocks’ recently finalised Strategic Plan to 2028.

Bookings are essential. Please book with Laurelle by Monday 16^th at the very latest.  Breakfast costs $10 (please tell Laurelle if you do not require breakfast).

This Sunday 22^nd ROTARY MARKET

David will send around the roster with the link for you to hopefully fill in yourself.

Out and About

From Moruya Rotary

Calling Narooma Rotary Golfers! Moruya has a Golf and Dinner Charity Day on Friday 25 October in aid of the Carers Accommodation at the new regional hospital, in association with Moruya Golf Club. More golfers are needed.

Moruya Rotary also has a new venture – their Community Grants Project. Moruya’s Steve Picton has developed guidelines and an application form. Typically a grant would be for up to $1,500 to help build or fix a community facility or perhaps run a volunteer event and would be within Moruya Club’s defined area. The website sets out the selection criteria and the financial details required. Successful applicants would be expected to publicise Rotary’s involvement and to keep the Club abreast of developments. Selection will be subject to the Board’s approval.

From Bega Rotary

Calling potential mature students! UOW Bega Valley Campus will be hosting a ‘University Taster Day’ on 21 September for anyone interested in learning more about university. Those that attend will receive information on the degrees offered, including Nursing, Teaching, Arts and Business, and will have the opportunity to explore the uni’s interactive learning spaces.  All are welcome and you can find the link on the Bega Valley Campus home page: https://www.uow.edu.au/about/locations/bega-valley/

District Conference

District Conference in Mittagong 25-27 October: See https://www.discon24.com/about-8 for full details. Rotarians from Moruya and Bega Clubs are going; anyone from Narooma?

Next Thursday 26^th September

Dinner Speaker Rachel McInnes on ‘Being a Wildlife Rescuer and Carer’. Rachel has been a wildlife rescuer and carer with WIRES, Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organisation, since 2016. She will give us some insight into what wildlife rescuers and carers do and how they make a difference for our precious wildlife. 6 for 6.30pm at Narooma Golf Club.

Julie’s Jots

Exciting news for Michelle McNeill of Batemans Bay who has won the ‘Experience Narooma’ Community Raffle, valued at over $1,200. It was drawn on Saturday morning at Narooma Charters’ shop. Thank you to everyone who helped make our community raffle a success, especially our wonderful VP David McInnes.

At our meeting this Thursday, Hilma will give us a rundown on what she has been doing over the past couple of weeks, and David will show members how to use the digital market roster.

Happy moments will be returning to our meetings, but renamed ‘Magic Moments’. If you have something you would like to share with us, it will be a $2 donation; if it is longer than 2 minutes (cut-off at 5) it will be a $5 donation!

I also remind any members who have not returned their working with children check to Gordon, to please do so as soon as possible. Thank you.

THIS THURSDAY (12^TH)

Our Club Dinner 6 for 6.30pm: Please let Gero know if you’re coming or not by Tuesday noon at the very latest; it affects which room we have. Being a Club Dinner, we will order from the bistro.

At our meeting this Thursday, Hilma will give us a rundown on what she has been doing over the past couple of weeks, and David will show members how to use the digital market roster. David and Gordon will also do a presentation on youth protection paperwork.

The Week that Was

More on the Raffle

The Club’s Whale Watching Raffle has been a regular fixture in our calendar since at least 2013, an initiative of Ange Ulrichsen in association with Narooma Charters. For many years proceeds purchased ShelterBoxes for distribution to provide shelter for families affected by disasters. Since then proceeds have also been directed to other worthy community projects.

This year the raffle has been expanded with more prizes and embraced as a community raffle with the focus on ‘Experience Narooma’, organised by Vice President David McInnes and still including a whalewatching prize.

Various local organisations have sold tickets in the raffle including WIRES, the Tilba School P & C, Bodalla Soccer, Narooma Lions AFL, Narooma devils JRL, MACS and Oz Harvest, with those groups retaining 80% of proceeds for their causes. The balance goes to Narooma Rotary to cover costs and to contribute to the Eurobodalla Rotary Clubs’ long term community project of the Carers’ Accommodation project at the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital (CAERH). Three thousand tickets were printed and the bulk of these were sold, each costing $2.00.

Thanks to the generosity of local businesses, Michelle McNeill of Batemans Bay wins a substantial prize valued at over $1,200. The prize is:

• A whale watching tour for two (Narooma Charters)
• Two nights’ accommodation in a waterfront cabin* (Easts Holiday Parks Narooma) *Easts’ prize can only be redeemed outside of school holidays.  
• 2 x 4hr E-Bike Hire with Gourmet Picnic (Southbound Escapes)
• 2 x $70 Meal Voucher (Club Narooma/ Club Dalmeny)
• $30 voucher (Montague Coffee, Narooma)

The raffle is also supported by Narooma Chamber of Commerce. The whole model of the community raffles will be reviewed and possibly tweaked for subsequent raffles.

Out and About

From Moruya Rotary

Moruya Rotarians are getting quite a reputation for their catering prowess. Last Wednesday Jan and Steve Young and their small band of merry helpers did a great job catering for the Meals on Wheels volunteers’ high tea. Rotarians donated goodies, made sandwiches on the day, shifted furniture, laid tables and generally made the venue look fabulous for the visiting volunteers from Eurobodalla and Shoalhaven South. There are 180 plus volunteers overall and they only had 70, which is a rather good turn-up. This was Rotary’s third year of doing this function so they are obviously doing something right!

Can anyone go to the District Conference

Bookings are now open for our District 9705 Conference on 25–27 October 2024 at Mittagong RSL. Keynote Speaker will be Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay. The first 300 registrations receive a special Conference bag. Information and bookings www.discon24.com

NEXT THURSDAY (19^TH)

Our Narooma Rotary Business Networking Breakfasts resume (Narooma Surf Club 7am sharp) with guest speaker Narooma Rocks Chair Cath Peachey.  Narooma Rocks is a not-for-profit organisation that organises the Narooma Oyster Festival each year, now recognised as the largest food and drinks event in southern NSW and recently awarded the Outstanding Visitor Experience at Eurobodalla Business Awards. Narooma Rocks has analysed all the data and surveys from the 2024 Festival and Cath will share some insights from the data, as well as outline Narooma Rocks’ recently finalised Strategic Plan to 2028.

Bookings are essential. Please book with Laurelle by Monday 16^th at the latest.  Breakfast costs $10 (tell Laurelle if you do not require breakfast).