NAROOMA ROTARY BEACON 21 FEBRUARY 2019
Rod’s Ramble
The highlight of the week was the Joint Meeting at Moruya last Wednesday to hand over the proceeds of the Race Day fundraiser. Eight of us were there to see the Race Day Committee present Muddy Puddles with $20,000. See below for full details.
We celebrated Rotary’s 114th birthday
Cutting Rotary International’s cake celebrating 114 years at last week’s joint meeting at Moruya were Moruya Rotary President Ward Hack, Batemans Bay President Alan Russell and Narooma President Rod Walker. The ‘knife’ was a 150-year-old Royal Navy dirk presented to junior officers, purchased by Ward, a former Australian Naval officer.
This Saturday 23 February marks Rotary’s 114th birthday, but we celebrated it a little prematurely at Moruya last week. It’s worth remembering our humble beginnings.
Rotary was the world’s first service club and was founded on 23 February 1905 when lawyer Paul Harris and three friends met in a small office in downtown Chicago. These men wanted to rekindle the spirit of friendliness they had known in their home towns. Word of the club soon spread and others were invited to join. They named their new club “Rotary” to describe the practice of meeting in rotation at the members’ various places of business.
Originally formed for fellowship, the first Rotary club quickly evolved to use the talents and resources of its members to serve the community. By the end of 1905, the Rotary Club of Chicago had 30 members. Three years later a second club was established in San Francisco, California, USA. The next year three more clubs were established on the west coast and a fourth in New York City. Within a few years other groups formed service clubs based on the Rotary model. It’s currently -6 deg C in Chicago. They were brave souls back then.
I have two outstanding requests for assistance. If you can help, please let me know this week.
- I need someone to help me mark out NATA Oval for the market. All our usual markers are away.
- I also have received an application form for the Oyster Festival. Do we want to participate? Who would like to manage this if we do?
THIS THURSDAY:
Our first guest speaker for 2019 is Di White who will speak about Monty’s Place in Narooma. Di is the Volunteer Coordinator at Monty’s and acts as ‘Front of House’ in the dining room. She will talk about the value of volunteers and the growth of support networks around Monty’s Place. Please remember to let me know if you are bringing guests this week (Bob is away).
A date for your diary. The annual battle for the Cinders trophy is on Wednesday 12 June in Moruya. Dust off those encyclopaedias. The trophy last year was awarded to both clubs in a draw.
The Week that Was
The combined meeting at Moruya
Our three Eurobodalla Rotary Clubs and Moruya Jockey Club presented Muddy Puddles Inc with $20,000 last Wednesday, the proceeds from two race days, including the Rotary Christmas Race Day, and raffles.
Moruya Jockey Club President Peter Atkinson said the Race Days show that Rotary and the Jockey Club can work together to deliver wonderful outcomes. “Our combined efforts have not only raised much needed funds for a very worthy cause, they have also raised awareness in our community of the wonderful work done by Muddy Puddles,” he said.
Muddy Puddles is a not-for-profit organisation founded in 2014 by a group of concerned parents and community members who wanted more services locally for children with a disability or development delay. It provides therapy, development programmes and individual support to children and young people with a disability across the Eurobodalla Shire.
These funds will support Muddy Puddles’ Jump Up programme this year which provides young children not currently funded with immediate access to fully qualified therapists and educators, and supports families in accessing the services they need.
Rotary Race Day Committee chairman David Ashford said this was the sixth Rotary Race Day. “In that time we have raised $119,000 that has also supported the Oncology Unit at Moruya Hospital, installed 12 defibrillators across the shire and made donations to the Shire’s four surf clubs.” David paid tribute to Moruya Jockey Club, to the ongoing enthusiasm and hard work of the Race Day committee, and to the willing volunteers from Rotary, their partners and friends, and from Muddy Puddles. He also thanked the raffle and race sponsors. “‘We cannot complete these events without everyone’s help and support,” he said.
Muddy Puddles CEO Cate McMath thanked Rotary and Jockey Club. “We could not do what we are doing without your support and the commitment of the local community,” she said. “That community spirit keeps Muddy Puddles going and in turn Muddy Puddles gives back to the community.”
Cate also praised Member for Bega Andrew Constance, who had earlier addressed the meeting, for his ongoing support and in accessing funding for them to build their new Therapy Centre. Andrew spoke about the importance of early intervention and the huge impact on families of having someone with a disability.
Drought Relief
The Combined Districts (9700 and 9710) Drought Relief Committee, made up of members of both districts, has been meeting weekly to organise the distribution of donations from the combined RAWCS, National Farmers’ Federation and Channel 9 Today Drought Relief Appeal.
Our DG Margaret Hassall is one of the committee’s project managers; PDG PDG Phil Armstrong of the RC Moruya is also on the committee. With Bega Valley Shire a Drought Declared Area, several committee members met recently with the presidents of the RC of Bega, Merimbula and Pambula, AG Bill de Jong as well as Mayor of Bega Valley Shire Kristy McBain.