Thank you, John Womersley who took over with his President’s talk at the club meeting and who wrote the President’s report in the bulletin. Good training for 2028.

I’m back, but only for a week because I will then head to Masbate in the Philippines with the medical mission. David Chivers will be Acting President while I am away.

I was very fortunate to be able to return for our trip to the flight simulator at Swinburne University, arranged by Michelle Critchley. This was a fun evening, only attended by a few bravehearted club members. The plane crashed into the sea once, onto the grass once, had a few very bumpy landings and three landings showing how it should be done.  Top marks went to Angus Hawley, Doug’s grandson, who is a pilot in the making!! I would especially like to thank Michelle for arranging this as well as the dinner at the Auburn Hotel. It certainly was a meeting with a difference!

Club members are heading to the Philippines this week with the majority leaving at 12:03am on Friday. Not my ideal flight time! Eight club members are donating their services for the eye and ear mission, so it will be relatively quiet time over the next few weeks.

We have several activities coming up in November. Firstly, the Bunnings barbecue on 14 November and then the snack packing on 16 November. We will need volunteers for both of these activities so please put your hands up to help if you can.

I would like to thank everyone who donated glasses to be taken to the Philippines. I have 4 kg of assorted glasses to carry. I’d also like to thank every person who has who has donated bras for Fiji. Please keep them coming. If you bring them to a club meeting, they can be stored in the back cupboard, and I will deliver them to Hawthorn Rotary towards the end of October.

I would also like to send kind thoughts to Karin Simpson, whose brother-in-law passed away in the USA, thus preventing Karen from accompanying Rob on the medical mission.

I hope everyone stays well while David is in In Charge and I will be back in three weeks' time.

Cheers

Jillian

Rotary Club of Canterbury RCC MEDICAL MISSION 

In early October, the Rotary Club of Canterbury will undertake its 27th annual Sight and Hearing Mission to the Philippines, continuing a long-standing commitment to improving access to healthcare for communities where medical services can be difficult to access or afford.

This year, a team of approximately 20–25 Australian volunteers will travel to the island of Masbate, working in partnership with the Rotary Club of Masbate and the Philippines EYEhEAR Foundation, Inc. (PEHF).

The mission will focus on identifying and assisting people experiencing sight and hearing problems. Working in local communities, including schools and community halls, Rotary volunteers will help triage large numbers of patients before they are assessed by Filipino ophthalmologists, ENT specialists, audiologists, optometrists and other medical professionals.

Patients requiring assistance may receive treatment, medication, reading glasses or sunglasses, while those requiring more specialised care can be referred for appropriate procedures. The mission also provides advice aimed at helping community members maintain their eye and ear health into the future.

A particularly important part of this year's mission is the involvement of four final-year Orthoptics students from La Trobe University. Selected in conjunction with the University, the students will participate actively in the screening and triage process, gaining valuable practical experience while contributing to the delivery of healthcare in communities facing very different circumstances from those encountered in Australia.

The Rotary Club of Canterbury is grateful to everyone who has contributed to making this mission possible and, importantly, acknowledges the support provided through a Rotary Foundation District Grant. This support is helping fund the travel and accommodation costs of the four La Trobe University students participating in the mission.

We look forward to sharing stories and photographs from the mission and reporting on the difference our volunteers, partners and students are able to make in the communities we visit.

Below is the team involved in interviewing the La Trobe university students recently: