Our District Governor Grant Hocking has a ‘Give me Five’ initiative whereby Clubs have been asked to encourage each member to contribute $5.00 to Rotary International.

 

President Lili-Ann has been incubating a plan to run a Potato Growing Competition to support the DG. Lili-Ann and Roger Taylor have met  with members of the Ashwood Permaculture garden team to help  organise the competition.

 

The idea is that each interested member of our Club purchases, for $10.00, a bucket and a seed potato. $5.00 goes towards materials and $5.00 towards Rotary International.  Roger is currently sourcing the buckets and seed potatoes!

 

Members then take the items home and use the best methodology they can to grow the biggest potato and the best crop from that seed potato. They grow the potato in the bucket and then they need to front up at the end date with the bucket and the outcome of their agricultural skills and attention - or not!?

 

On Monday 19 August, members from the Permaculture Garden, will come and communicate the rules of the competition and give people some tips on how to nurture their seed potato to raise it up to be the best potato crop it can be! On that night members can purchase their bucket and seed potato.

 

The Ashwood Permaculture Garden Team will be the judges of the competition and no correspondence will be entered into after the results have been announced!

 

Jennie Nankervis  advised that Sunday 17 November has been confirmed as the date for the Alpha 1 walk around Albert Park Lake. Sponsors are being sought for the event.

 

Val Cunniffe  provided a FORaMEAL update indicating that the Club has been asked to again put on a FORaMEAL event at next year's District Conference in Bendigo. Val also indicated that arrangements are progressing for two other Districts to hold FORaMEAL packaging events.

 

Finally Lili-Ann spoke about the Club's social media presence. She urged members to be as active as they can be on our Facebook page and other media platforms. We need to "like" and "share".

 

Bernie Farquar, President of the Rotary Club of Mitchell River came to our Club to provide an update on Drought Relief activities and the current weather situation in East Gippsland.

 

The Drought Relief program is a joint project between the Rotary Clubs of Canterbury and Mitchell River, Bairnsdale. This project was commenced by Bill Grainger when he heard how much the drought was affecting East Gippsland farmers and our understanding of the need was conformed when Bill, Steve Wylie and Ted Waghorne visited the area. Using funding from our Clubs and from District 9800, families have been hosted in Melbourne and severely affected farms have been supported with grants. With the help of Leanne Jennings of the Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House to identify need, some $30,000 has been put into the district. A number of further applications are being processed.

 

Bernie reported that whilst there had been some rain, dams were still empty. Most farms were down to a minimum of breeding stock and praying for rain. Purchasing feed, even for the remaining breed stock, was an enormous drain on their resources. Unless Spring brings decent rain relief the district will be in real strife. Farmers may walk off the land. The drought is affecting everyone in the community. The drought relief fund has provided real support and he wanted to thank the Rotary Club of Canterbury for initiating the program.

Bernie said his Club would welcome any visitors from Canterbury to Bairnsdale and suggested the dinner auction at Paynesville on Saturday 26 October this year.

Maree De George is the Marketing & Fundraising Manager at Windermere Child & Family Services

 

Her career began in the Sports Industry after having completed a masters in Sports Management and Marketing, straight out of high school. For the following 10 or so years she worked across Cricket, Football and Netball, with a short stint for a player management company. After having her first child, the long distance travel and weekend work became hard and she had to reassess what was suitable for her life at the time.

 

At the time Windermere was around the corner from home, and she had decided to go back to school and study Psychology. She applied for an events job and got it - that was end 2012 and she has been there ever since!. Maree moved into the Marketing & Fundraising Manager role in 2017, and have seen the business evolve and grow.

 

 

Amir Salehi is co-ordinating the Club's involvement with the Auto Classico which is being held this year on Sunday 18 August in Maling Road Canterbury. This is a great local event which the club has supported for a number of years. Would any  member or friend who is able to assist with a couple of hours on this day please contact Amir on amir.salehi@canterburyrotary.org

 

 

 

Restoring Hope is a Melbourne based charity that helps young people who have been sexually abused.  They are holding a fund raising golf day at the RACV Golf Club in Healsville on the 10 November.  

 

The mission at Restoring Hope is to distribute Crisis Care Packs and Comfort Care Packs to young people who have been abused.  Typically a child would receive these items at a police station or trauma hospital.  The Packs provide new clothes (necessary for when the police remove clothing for forensic testing), toiletries, a blanket, a colouring book, pencils and a “Hope” teddy bear. The aim is to use this simple act to bring some comfort and a sense of normality to a life that has been turned upside down, and restore a sense of dignity and hope at a time when it is needed most. The details about the golf day and how to book are at the Restoring Hope  website at:  http://restoringhope.org.au/

 

The Canterbury Rotary Club lunch usually meets bi-weeky for a meal and some fun.

 

Nora Ley  is temporarily looking after the reservations for the lunch group. Please contact Nora at nora.ley@canterburyrotary.org   to advise that you will be coming to a lunch.