Dispatches From the East - 12 October, 2020 (Oct 12, 2020)

Our meeting of 6 October

(The Bulletin Editor thanks Graham Thomson for the following report)

As a result of our planned debate being cancelled undertook an open mike session.

We also celebrated Mental Health – Lift the Lid by wearing our versions of headwear.

Initially President Yannick asked some trivia questions regarding Rotary and true to form Graeme Fleet showed his prowess in his knowledge of our Rotary world.

Yannick also thanked all those who participated in the tree planting day at Eumeralla scout camp.

Peter Funston provided a detailed report & after various attempts there were some photos displayed of activities undertaken.

As in….before…

and…..after…

noting that the trees are, themselves, observing the COVID-safe practices of social distancing and use of PPE (Plastic Protected Eucalyptus)!

Tony Alsop displayed the RI Presidents citation (Gold) certificate the club archived for the 2019/20 year and thanked all involved especially Ross Taylor for his work in updating the data in Club Central.

Jenny advised of GERC success in obtaining a district grant for the Bluebird Foundation youth choir project.

Kris Adam provided a brief update on the R100 relay project that is to be arranged although there are some logistics to be worked through the support shown from the other Rotary clubs in the Geelong area has been very encouraging.

During the open mike session club members were asked to share their trip experiences.

The Dunlops had a very professional presentation of the travels to various Rotary conventions & the people they had meet at various places, including a chance encounter with a fellow club member, Kris Adam, in Chester.

Tony Alsop presented his slide show of some stunning shots, absent of any people, of the places he has been too.

Kris shared his architectural experience in Spain. Unfortunately, the writers NBN connection was playing up so missed some portions of these presentations.

A good catch up with all in attendance.

Announcements, News and Help Required

Annual General Meeting – Positions for the 2021-2022 Rotary Year

If you share our passion to shape Rotary initiatives that best serve the community through volunteering and thrive in a caring & fun club culture then come and join us as we start to shape the team of Board Directors & Committee Chairs for 2021-2022!

You’ll be supported by the wider RCGE 2020-2021 talented, experienced and fun colleagues from within and across other Rotary clubs.

Available Roles:

Club Secretary

Club Administration

Community Chair

Bulletin Editor

Program Director

Please submit your interest in any of the above roles to President Yannick via email (ylg0504@gmail.com).

Applications close on the night of our Annual General Meeting which is 17 November.

Volunteering Needs volunteers

Volunteering Geelong is desperately needing drivers who would be willing to deliver Covid19 packs to those households in Geelong who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to purchase items such as masks, hand sanitisers etc.

This request comes after I spoke to them to see whether they saw any recent gaps or particular areas they felt Clubs like ours could support.

The Covid19 packs are put together by Volunteering Geelong using products donated predominantly by Bunnings. A list of households needing those packs is provided by the Dept of Health.

Drivers would be required to pick up the Covid19 pack from Volunteering Geelong and drop it off at a designated address. This is all contactless so all you need to do is knock and drop the pack at the front door. Drivers are covered by insurance.

If you feel you can help, please contact Volunteering Geelong on 5221 1377 and let them know that you are from the Rotary Club of Geelong East and wish to register as a Contactless Driver for the delivery of the Covid19 packs.

Don't forget to also let me President Yannick know so that our Club can keep a record of volunteer hours.

For further information on Volunteering Geelong, please refer to https://volunteeringgeelong.org.au/

Eddification - World Polio Day – 24 October

We need to mark our calendars to watch Rotary’s World Polio Day Online Global Update on 24 October on Facebook or EndPolio.org.

Every year, Rotarians and Rotaractors across the globe mobilize for World Polio Day to raise awareness about eradicating polio for good. If we stay committed, polio will be the second human disease ever to be eradicated.

We can join the effort to ensure every child receives the polio vaccine and end polio by organizing a World Polio Day event. In 2019, Rotary members held more than 5,900 events in 136 countries. This year, online events and activities will allow us to expand our reach even more and inspire others to join with Rotary.
From virtual event ideas to social media posts and photos, the World Polio Day Toolkit is a great source of information.

Getting to know our fellow Rotarians

Here’s…..Peter Funston

Roles in Rotary: President, Secretary, Chair of International, Youth, Community

Favourites:

Food: Old Gold Rum and Raisin

Old Movie: Sting

Recent Movie: Bourne Identity

Book: The Horse May Talk

Author: Elliot Perlman

Season: Autumn

Colour: Blue

Animal: Dog, Horse

Sporting Team: Australian Cricket Team

Hobbies: Painting

First Car: EH Holden Ute

Things I love doing outside of work and Rotary: Drinking coffee with friends and beach walking the dog in the Great Otways National Park.

Something you may not know about me: I have been a pioneer.

What superpower would I like to have and why? To know what Robyn was thinking.

If I could be an animal for a day it would be: My dog.

If I didn’t live in Australia I would like to live in: Paris

Small change….big results

On 20 September, Satbir deposited $214.05 into the Club’s charitable account in coins collected at his store for donations made to the Rotary Club of Geelong East.

Thank you, Satbir for being a proud Rotarian and promoting the work of Rotary and our Club in your workplace!

Tree’s company – planting at Anglesea

The Club’s 4 October tree planting working bee was attended by Rotarians Tony Alsop, Robert Wheeler, Peter Funston, Graham Thomson, Chris Alsop, Adrian Innes, Judy Innes, Janine Koch, Robyn McLean, Jenny Acopian, Alan Hoyle, Keith Dawson, David Sykes, Robyn Campbell and Laurent Franklin and family with guests Phoebe Knight, David McCormack and Bryce Hutton

The participants gathered at Eumarrella Scout Camp at 9.00 am and PP Tony Alsop took them through the induction process and pointed out risks and instructed all to maintain physical distancing and keep masks on.

The group planted nearly 200 trees - watered in and guards on. A great effort by all and completed by 12pm so everyone home for lunch.

Peter Funston thanks all who attended for another successful tree planting day.

Upcoming Events Coming Up

Our Club meetings and District events are happening via video conferencing during the COVID-19 restrictions.

See Club Runner for the updated calendar of upcoming events and meetings.

The date of our return to meeting at St. Albans Football Club awaits confirmation and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions etc.

The Next 3 Weeks

Date	Activity
Tues 13 Oct	Committee Meetings Week
Tues 20 Oct	World Polio Day - Club's observance
Tues 27 Oct	Committee Presentations and vote to adopt new standard Club Constitution and updated By-Laws for Victorian incorporation legislation compliance.
Tues 3 Nov	Melbourne Cup
Fri 6 Nov	Trivia Night

Attendance

Attendance

We thank Satbir for his excellent work in maintaining our attendance records to the highest standard.

You don't need a mirror to check your make ups....just go to the "Attendance" tab in Club Runner then "Meetings and then "Makeups"......and if you end up with "Hiccups"....you only have yourself to blame!

Recognitions

Birthdays: Many happy returns to Elizabeth Taylor for 1^st October.

Wedding Anniversaries: None coming up this week.

Rotary Anniversaries: Best wishes to Katherine Sykes for her first anniversary on 1 October and to Keith Dawson who has 14 years up on 10 October.