We had another enjoyable meeting at the Canterbury Neighbourhood Centre on Monday night and it was pleasing to see an almost complete complement of members, with the skiers from Japan and Canada having returned safely.
Instead of an external speaker, Nora gave a poignant report from Tallangatta and described the destruction of property and countryside in the area. Many families are left without anything and as a club we need to be working on ways to help. We then had an introduction to one of our new members Fiona Anderson with Val introducing her. Fiona has been a member for approximately 6 months, having come our way via Rotary Radio. She gave an inspiring talk about the difficulties of prospering in the musical world, and her achievements at Yooralla. All of this took place after a delicious menu of chicken and tomato fettuccine, with a lovely green salad. Thanks again to Pam and Philip.
Our planning for the barbecues both at Bunnings and KIESER is going nicely. I would like to think that we could have several more quiz masters for the North Balwyn quiz night on 12 March and I really am imploring anyone to come along. We also have a small number of women coming along to the International Women’s Day breakfast, also on 12th March, and hopefully once again we may have a few more additions before then.
Club members are embracing the Teams concept and on Monday night the Community Team and Communications Team had their first meeting. We will learn what eventuated as the weeks go past.
On Rotary issues, RIMERN is crying out for help, and the board would be grateful if a member could volunteer for the Vocational board position.
Wishing you all a happy week and we’ll see you at the Harp on Monday!
The Fiona Anderson I have come to know on The Rotary Radio and Community Service Show is a determined and focused individual who operates the panel and delineates the time allocation for each segment of a two hour radio program and does it with total professionalism.
I got to peek behind the Fiona Anderson story with her Member behind the Badge presentation. She is still strong. She is still determined , but I discovered the back story . Fiona has worked for Yooralla for six years, and has had cerebral palsy since her early childhood years. What I discovered about her was her interest in music, theatre and the arts. How she played the piano with one hand, and how she became interested in recording technology to enable her to have a left hand playing the chord and the right hand playing the melody. Her goal was to work in a music studio, and, in order to achieve this, she studied sound production in RMIT. It is tough getting a job in the music industry, but she also pursued a course in the music industry in business. However, she volunteered in community theatre and in Rotary Radio.
Excitement for Fiona comes in the form of working in technology and in the back room. She loves solving the problems which arise, and she also loved seeing young children learning music, for a short period of time. 2019 turned out to be a watershed year for her, and a loss of employment. She saw an advertisement for an Administrative Co-ordinator at Yooralla. In her early years, she had used their services, especially in the Independent Learning Centre. Unfortunately, it no longer exists. Fiona considered it to be a Disneyland, a showcase of all the possible devices that could be used for her daily living.
In that year, 2019, Fiona's entire focus was on her spreadsheets and data. She has now moved to dealing with a variety of issues for people with disabilities. Yooralla has the only ventillator-assisted service in Victoria. She also now handles staffing problems within Yooralla and Berry Street (which have merged) - how to improve retention rates, to look at the way people with disabilities work in Yooralla. Workplaces are hard for people with a disability. There are two aspects of this:
1. The anxiety of working with a team of people
2. How to access facilities in the work environment.
The three qualities required in a workplace for people with disabilities:
1. determination
2. patience
3. resourcefulness
We had a real treat in the meeting with Fiona's presentation. She showcased her courage, strength and tenacity, as well as her very impressive application of the knowledge she has acquired over a period of time. It was a privilege to hear what has made Fiona the way she is, and the reason why she continues to advocate for people with disabilities.
636 High Street, Kew East Monday 2 March 6.00pm – 8.30pm
Start at 6.00 for 6.30 for dinner and drinkies
If you haven’t put your name(s) on the attendance sheet that will be passed around at the next couple of meetings, but wish to attend, please contact Rob Simpson by phone, text or email if you are coming. Robsimpson@bigpond.com or phone/text Rob on 0425 746 991
The Canterbury Rotary Club lunch group usually meets bi-weekly at 12.30 for a meal and some fun. Above are members of the group enjoying their meals yesterday at Box Hill Golf Club.
David Zrna looks after the reservations for the lunch group. Please contact David at david.zrna@canterburyrotary.org or on 0467033092 to advise that you will be coming to a lunch.
Caulfield Grammar Caulfield Campus – Tuesday 31 March 2026
As advised, we will be holding the event in the new senior building.
It’s a 3-4 storey red brick building with the entrance directly off Merriwoola Street. The event will be held on the ground floor just inside the building entrance, on the right.
Car parking is in the car park off Tantram Avenue (Surrounded by a new wooden fence).
Merriwoola Street is off Glen Eira Road. If coming from Hawthorn Street end and turning left it is the last street on the left at the end of the school campus. Follow Merriwoola street and turn right into Trantrum Avenue and then left into the carpark.
If coming the other way and turning from Orrong Road, Merriwoola Street is the 1st street on the right. Then, turn right again into Tantram Avenue and then left into the carpark.
We need to go to reception to sign in and receive a school lanyard. The teacher contact is Matt Lander.
I will send our WWC details but bring your WWC just in case.
We will set up at 11.45am with packing 1pm – 2.30pm then pack up.
The truck can park on the forecourt area and stay there for the entire event.
The Rotary Club of North Balwyn is hosting Golf Day on Monday 2nd March 2026 at Kew Golf Club in East Kew, with all proceeds supporting Rotary projects that help people in need. The day will feature an Ambrose competition with great prizes for top teams, longest drive and nearest the pin challenges. Players are asked to arrive by 7:30am for a shotgun start at 8am, with a BBQ lunch, presentations and raffle draws to follow. Entry is $150 per player including green fees and lunch, with a discount available for Kew Golf Club members, and places are limited so early registration is encouraged. Entry form was emailed to our members in early January.
It's on again: the highly successful Songs at the Silos in Rochester. This annual event run by the Rotary Club of Rochester will feature our PDG Michael Lapiña and a host of fabulous singers including Alex Lapiña. Bendigo Rotary and the Lions Club of Rochester will be running gourmet BBQs with coffee from Mum and Me and the local Scouts providing soft drinks and water. So BYO picnic chair and enjoy a great evening of food and entertainment.
The Multi-District Impact Summit will be held in the vibrant regional city of Horsham, Victoria. This isn't just another conference; it's a powerful collaboration where Districts 9800, 9780 and 9510 will Unite for Good.
This year's summit brings together three districts to amplify our collective power and drive meaningful change. The conference be focusing on the incredible things we can achieve when we work together, sharing our successes, and planning our future impact. Check the flyer for information or click on https://www.rotaryimpactsummit.org/
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