President’s Report 1 Feb, 2010
Hi Everybody
Yes, we have a meeting this Thursday, 4th February with a lovely lady from the Cancer Council who will talk to us about Relay for Life. Your attendance at meetings is important to not only keep you up to date with what is going on in the club but for fellowship as well. So I expect to see some faces I haven’t seen for a while on Thursday.
World Understanding Month.
The month of February is special in the Rotary calendar since it is designated World Understanding Month. The month also includes the anniversary of the first meeting of Rotary held on 23 February 1905, now designated World Understanding and Peace Day. In designating World Understanding Month, the Rotary International board asks all Rotary clubs to plan programs for their weekly meetings and undertake special activities to emphasize “understanding and goodwill as essential for world peace.”
This Sunday, 7th February is also our first Sausage Sizzle for 2010. If you have not registered with Steve for your rostered time, please do so ASAP.
The Annual Golf Day has been postponed as the golf club had double booked on the proposed day. We are now looking at a date sometime in April and I know that Michael will be looking for helpers! Date will be advised as soon as I know it.
Last week was a very busy week. Maddy Stroot flew out to Germany on January 23, 2010 – see photos on the YEP report.
This week’s Member Profile is the absolutely amazing Ian Armstrong – a definite must read. We do have the most interesting members in our club!
Following is a letter that I have received from Gwen Harrop thanking the club for our assistance with the container for Tanzania. We will definitely be getting Gwen back to the club to talk to us about taking a couple of teams of schoolies over there. We should be able to take 20 kids in 2 teams of 10 each. They will work in the orphanage for about a week to 10 days and then choose between climbing Mt Kilamanjaro or a Wildlife Safari. I wish I was a schoolie!
We are not too sure what is happening with our idea of schoolies for Siem Reap, Cambodia as yet. Further advice on this one to follow!
Anyway, thanks to Gwen, we do have Tanzania! Here is her letter of thanks! Make sure you check her website for the pics, they are great!
Dear Judy,
I wanted to wish you a happy new year but also thank you for all your efforts in December. The assistance offered by Rotary Frankston Long Island was incredible. Without your team we would have never achieved our goal. So a huge thank-you. On our project website www.watotokwanza.org you will see a few pics and a note of thanks in the news feed. There are a few more pictures in our gallery section. We also have an appreciation certificate on it’s way!
The container is nearly in Dar es Salaam, I will be over there for two weeks as of the 1st of Feb. I am taking Issa (the little boy with the club foot) home and resettling him in a boarding school. A Rotarian in the Frankston region has offered sponsorship of Issa. Once again my hats are off to Rotary! I am taking a photographer along (she photographed Issa’s story here in Melbourne and became so interested she has paid her own way to Dar es Salaam for the next chapter of his story). So I’ll get plenty of good pictures!
I look forward to working in with you to get a group of schoolies over volunteering at the end of this year.
I am happy to come in and do a follow up talk later in the year up-dating your club on the happenings with the Watoto Kwanza Project.
Kind Regards
Gwen Harrop
Don’t forget that the District Conference is on the weekend of 26th to 28th February. There are still places left if you want to attend. Let me know if you need an application form.
Well that’s it for now and I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday.
Cheers
Judy