Lynn’s Lines
Julie Hartley reports attendees at the Prostate Cancer Support Group (PCSG) last week really appreciated being able to talk with guest speaker urologist Dr Chi Can Huynh (see report below).
Last Thursday morning we had a great Business breakfast with Council’s General Manager Warwick Winn (see report below) as guest speaker. He attracted a good crowd. Now we have a break for two months over winter.
On Thursday evening, Chris O’Brien and I went to Bega Rotary’s Changeover and 70th Anniversary celebrations. We had a lovely evening and saw many people we knew – President Phil McDonald, his sister Margaret Taylor, DGE Rob Uhl, DGN Robert Shore and wife Judy – and met many new people from Merimbula and Pambula Rotary clubs. This Tuesday, Julie Hartley, Ange Ulrichsen and Laurelle Pacey will attend Moruya Rotary’s Changeover.
On Sunday we had a great market with 57 stall holders which is excellent for a winter market. Takings were Gate $845.00, Food Van $776.95 (gross), Wishing Well $106.25. Sunshine and no wind made for a magic day that attracted many people, so a great atmosphere overall. Visitors included several Merimbula Rotarians keen to check out our new van and ask questions about it; they’re considering getting one for their club.
They were joined by fellow Merimbula Rotarians (see below) Tony Stove, second from left, Judy Raymond and Bill De Jong.
This Thursday is our big night and I look forward to seeing everyone there. This being my final Lynn’s Lines, I really want to make special mention of some members who regularly do the ‘behind the scenes’ jobs.
My VP extra-ordinaire this year David McInnes has been my ‘Can Do Man’. Anything I came up with was “No Problem – got it covered”, and we had a few zingers in there. David is the most positive, ‘turn it around guy’ anyone could ever wish for. Too many things to list; you know how truly grateful I am… we got there!
To Secretary John Rungen for staying all year; it was a long six months… He did so many extra jobs too, like teaching me how to mark out the market, taking numbers for dinner meetings, the market roster, putting the market banner up in town, buying drinks for the van, all on top of being a great secretary. Thank you very much John.
Laurelle Pacey our media person for many years, doing our weekly newsletters and media releases, taking photos of us all whatever we may be doing! And the Pride of Workmanship Awards each year. Not to mention all the organising and prompting to keep us on our toes. You are the glue that holds us together. Thank you.
Chris O’Brien, our Markets Manager for 20 years. Every month she organises stall holders and insurances, does the plan to mark out, greets stallholders at the gate in the wee hours of the morning and collects fees with Laurelle, and sometimes Ange and David. A huge ‘thank you’ Chris.
Ange Ulrichsen does our youth programmes MUNA, RYPEN and RYDA, organises our regular dinner speakers, and shops for the food basics for the market barbecue. She also asks everyone she knows to our guest speaker dinners, organises raffles, and so much more. Thank you very much Ange for all you do.
Susanna Chung, our exceptional Youth Exchange Director. One student out to Japan and one student arriving from Finland next month. WOW, a big year! Thank you so very much for your enthusiasm and getting us there.
Françoise Cleret even delivered our new food van to our door! Amazing, then followed it up with the wonderful Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. There are no words but thank you so much for all you have brought to our club. It is greatly appreciated by us all.
And Julie Hartley for all her work and dedication to the regular monthly gatherings of the Prostate Cancer Support Group, PLUS the big task of taking on the President’s job this year. You will be our compass giving us direction over the coming Rotary year. Have fun. We all appreciate your taking on the job.
All our members contribute so much to ensuring our Club keeps doing the great work we do while also having a good time doing it. At the end of the day we are a team and without any one of us the Club just would not work the way it does. I am so very very grateful to everyone for all you give to Narooma Rotary and your support of me through the last year. What we do is amazing, particularly for a small club. We truly are ‘People of Action’. Lynn
THIS WEEK
THIS THURSDAY 27 June
Our Narooma Changeover in Narooma Golf Club 6 for 6.30. It’s our ‘Night of Nights’! Special guests will include new District Governor Rob Uhl, Area Governor Haseena Tweddle and Eurobodalla Shire Mayor Matt Hatcher. Bookings have now closed.
Working with Children Check
Our Child Protection Director Gordon Bentley reminds anyone who still has not done a Working With Children Check to please do so online (Service NSW) this week. It takes less than an hour to complete. That way Gordon and Lynn can then do the checks and phone calls to get everyone in the Club fully cleared.
The Week that Was
It’s been a wonderfully busy Rotary week. First the bumper Prostate Cancer Support Group gathering, then the Business Breakfast on Thursday, followed by the Market on Sunday
Prostate Cancer Support Group
Julie Hartley reports last Monday’s PCSG gathering with special guest speaker urologist Dr Chi Can Huynh attracted 17 people, mainly from Narooma but also from Bega and Malua Bay. It included four Narooma Rotarians.
“The Doctor was very easy to talk with and there were lots of questions,” Julie said. “It’s good for everyone to see that new treatments are coming along all the time and to hear that so much research into prostate cancer is now happening because of its increasing occurrence in our community.”
Australian Government statistics show the number of new cases of prostate cancer in a year is now ahead of all other cancers. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia states prostate cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in Australian men, after lung cancer.
Dr Huynh, while based in Sydney, also holds teaching hospital positions in the Southern NSW Health District and consults in both the public and private sectors in Moruya and Bega. He is willing to do further talks at Narooma’s PCSG, hopefully one before the end of the year.
Business Breakfast
Eurobodalla Shire Council General Manager Warwick Winn was the guest speaker at our last week’s Business Networking Breakfast. Thirty-four people registered, part of the appeal also being he was happy to take questions from the floor, and there were quite a few; we went over time.
He said one of the major differences between being GM of a regional versus a metropolitan council (previously at Penrith and North Sydney) was the increased connectivity with and accountability to the local community. One challenge was the blowout from what he had understood on joining to be a $4m shortfall in Council’s budget to $14m within a few months of his appointment; the Bay Pavilions Aquatic, Arts and Leisure Centre’s (the PAV) annual operating loss of $5m a major contributor. Rather than huge rate increases to pay for it, Warwick said Council is cutting back on some services and being extra careful spending ratepayers and taxpayers’ money, stressing the need for transparency and value for money.
Recruiting staff is another challenge. “I am amazed how difficult it is to attract people down here, despite a little known taxation advantage,” he said. “It’s the tyranny of distance.”
Questions included:
- The possibility of closing down parts of the PAV to save money; “not feasible”.
- Council’s lack of progress on Narooma’s second oval at Bill Smyth Oval and replacing the jetty at Ringland’s Point, despite Council’s assurances many years ago.
- The NSW Government’s $10m earmarked for a Narooma Bridge study which led to mention of the Narooma Bypass. Reference was made to David McInnes’ involvement with a Chamber think tank on the bypass at which David emerged from a cupboard at the back of the Surf Club to great hilarity (and some bemusement by the GM); David had been in there trying to get the PA to work.
- Council’s involvement in affordable (for teachers, nurses, police and firies) versus social housing in Moruya; Warwick referred us to Council’s Housing Strategy.
- The high cost of air fares in and out of Moruya and the effect on business and tourism.
Warwick was recently appointed to the Southern NSW and ACT Regional Development Advisory Board. He has bought in Narooma and is loving it.
NEXT THURSDAY 4 July
No Dinner Meeting being the first Thursday in the month.
5.15pm Narooma Golf Club: The first Board Meeting chaired by new President Julie Hartley.