President’s Report 2nd August 2010

With August being Membership and Extension Month the Club will be have a stand at the Frankston Business Chamber Hot Deals Expo on Tuesday 17^th August. The Expo will be a great opportunity to highlight what Rotary does and the benefits of being a member of Rotary.

Our guest speaker at this Thursday meeting is Joan Ciastkowski from Fitted for Work. Fitted for Work is a service committed to helping long term unemployed and disadvantaged women obtain work, maintain employment and ultimately achieve financial independence. Assistant Governor Chris Angerer will also be visiting.

The DG Visit to the Club will be on Thursday 19^th August.

Other Club activities for August include: the Trivia Night at Janet’s place this Friday 6^th August. The night is raising money for Green Gecko and some schools in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Last year’s event was a great social night and members are encouraged to attend and bring guests; and Bunnings Sausage Sizzle on 29^th August.

The Frankston Relay for Life has found a venue. The event will be held at Ballam Park on October 24 and 25^th October. Our Club has a team entered and you can join the team by going to the Relay for Life website (relayforlife.org.au). For those of you who are entering or thinking of entering another team the team information and registration night at the Dolphins Football club on Wednesday 18 August at 7pm.

The Club has commenced supporting the fledging Sudanese Community Homework and English Conversation Club focussed on Frankston North. Volunteers are assisting community leaders develop a project plan and also run the club which in its first couple of weeks have been well attended. The Club is run out of the Mahogany Neighbourhood Centre on Mondays from 5 to 6pm. If anybody knows individuals who are interested in helping out at the Club please ask them to contact me.

We are also discussing with the Frankston Youth Resource Centre possible future projects.

Thanks to Judy for organising the Movie nights down at the Mornington cinemas. I am not sure that all that watched Animal Kingdom ‘enjoyed’ the film but there was plenty of discussion after the show finished.

Maddy Stroot’s July Report from Germany is well worth a read. It certainly sounds like Maddy is having a fantastic experience. Maddy was in Spain when Spain won the World Cup.

At the Nepean Cluster Group meeting last Thursday the major items discussed were: the Peninsula Cluster Project to refurbish the old School site in Mornington to accommodate the community Radio Station 3RPP. It is envisaged the station to commence operations from there after Christmas. 3RPP will be the Emergency Radio for the area. A weekly half hourly program on local Rotary projects and talks from the current Presidents is planned; the proposal by Sister Carmel of Rosebud to provide an accommodation facility for patients and carers to the Oncology unit at the Frankston Hospital. More information and discussion on these activities will be provided over the coming months.

Future events from other Clubs in the Nepean Cluster include Seaford/Carrum Downs Trivia Night in support of the SES on 14^th August, Seaford Farmers Market on Sunday 15^th August run by the Rotary Club of Frankston and the Rotary Club of Langwarrin’s Art and Craft Exhibition on 24^th to 26^th September.