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Last Week's Program
 
 
Our guest speaker for our meeting of 1 September was one of our two new members, Ellen Verrier.
 
Ellen was only one when her family moved from Melbourne to Mildura. Along with her two sisters and brother, she flourished in the Sunraysia region and attended Mildura's Sacred Heart College, where, if we are to believe her, she avoided the strap for misdemeanours.
 
A career in nursing followed and after training at the Wentworth District Hospital, across the river from her home, she began a time on probation. Her memories of that time were varied and through that experience she was taught the discipline required by the nurses. The memory of heading down to the river banks to, sadly, collect the often drunk swaggies is one that has remained.
 
Kyneton was where Ellen continued her training. It was during this time that she married the father of her three children, Lance, Jeffrey and Brenda. As the marriage did not succeed, Ellen brought her three children up on her own for the next twelve years. Along came Len and for the next 56 years they spent a very happy life together. Both Ellen and Len were very supportive of community activities with Len being the President of the Mildura Lions Club and as a returned serviceman, was very much involved in the RSL.
 
Ellen began a 25 year stint teaching Yoga to young and old and added Golf to her list of activities. Many members would be very envious of her two, yes two, Hole-in-One trophies! She relinquished her 18 handicap and Pennant representation at 75.
 
After moving to Gosford to support her recently widowed daughter, Ellen began her journey through Arts and Crafts. She created numerous mosaics, now in the private galleries of many friends and relatives, and even internationally, in the custody of her granddaughter in the UK. The mosaics lead to oils and to this day she still draws, in pastels and has a true love for the arts.
 
Whilst in Gosford Ellen followed her husband into Probus and when the club decided to include women, she was their very first Lady President. Being 90 at the time was no hindrance.
 
When Len passed away in 2017, Ellen and Brenda decided to move to Eltham to be closer to her two sons. Sadly Jeffrey succumbed to sarcoidosis in 2019. Len was diagnosed with MND and Ellen relocated to Highton to be nearer to him., not that she had stayed in Eltham all of the time. Ellen traveled to New Zealand and the UK for two wonderful experiences.
 
The lifestyle in the Geelong area suits Ellen, she has easily made friends and has moved into her own unit in Grovedale and recently was joined by a young Plato, her small terrier.
 
Brenda is a member of the Rotary Club of Eltham and coincidentally Ellen's art tutor, whom she met in 2019, was also a Rotarian. Ellen had the desire to do more for her new community and was very much in favour of the ethos of Rotary. Once she had been to a meeting as a guest she was smitten with we Geelong East Rotarians and was very honoured to accept our invitation to join us. We are richer for the friendship!
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Announcements, News and Help Required
 
President’s Report – a note from Yannick
 
Only a couple of months in and our doors of opportunity keep opening! Since July, we have extended our Club Zoom invitations to other Clubs within our district, partnered up with our International friends, the Rotary Club of Makita Lumina (Philippines) and started the planning of the R100 Baton Relay with our District Clubs. Our donations have extended to Donations in Kind (DIK), R100 Give Every Child a Future program and the National Project for R100 which is to eliminate Trachoma in indigenous communities. 
 
Locally and thanks to the continued efforts of our Service Committees, the grounds of Samaritan House have started to take shape courtesy of our enthusiastic gardening volunteers.  We have also undertaken the creation of a Stan Dean scholarship with Warracknabeal and Beaufort clubs, drafted a Club Strategic plan, set up a Clue Detective fundraising activity and are gearing up for our first Zoom Trivia Night! 
 
Of course, we continue to follow advice from the Victorian government and keep our distance but more than ever it is important that we continue to rally together to support each other and our community! Here's to the next few months and a big shout out to an ever active Club and passionate members! 
 
Our 15 September Meeting
 
This will be Zoom Meeting with the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove.
 
The meeting will commence at 7.00 pm and the guest speaker will be James Carter.
James will be talking about how he has educated himself to cope with dyslexia.
 
September is the Rotary Month of Literacy.
 
Please expect an email with the link.
 
When you log in, please include "RC Geelong East" in your name.
 
Stan Deans
Hepner Funerals have provided a recording on usb of Stan Deans funeral service. Please contact Tony Alsop if you would like to view recording. It also available on Hepner’s web site for a limited time (use the same link that Peter Gillham emailed for the service).
 
Past Speakers
Gary Newton has uploaded two recordings of past speakers to YouTube. To view these, use the following links:
Dr David Boyle on viruses
Ewen Urquhart & Frank Thompson on Donations in Kind
These will only be available for 28 days.
 
Victorian Chamber of Commerce
We have been able to secure a free 12 month membership to the Victorian Chamber of Commerce. This includes a limited amount of free training and advice that can be provided to our members. Full detail will be emailed out shortly. If you would like more information please contact Tony Alsop.
 
Getting to Know Our Members
Please have some fun and fill out the blank form emailed by Tony Alsop and send the completed form (in Word format) to Peter Gillham so that it can be put in the Bulletin.
 
There’s…..Kris Adam
 
Roles in RotarySecretary, Director ( PR, Youth x 2), President, Bulletin Editor, Program Manager & Photographer. District Youth Exchange, District Bowelscan,
 
Favourites:
Food:                     Thai
Old Movie:            Dead Poets Society
Recent Movie:      Rocketman
Book:                    To Kill a Mockingbird
Author:                       Jeffey Archer (For beach reading) and Charles Dickens (For bedtime)
Admired person:  Robin Boyd
Season:          Summer
Colour:                   Blue
Pets:                       Dog & Cat (Merlot & Pinot Gris)
Sporting Team:      Hawthorn
Hobbies:                 Photography, Design, Art History, Piano, Coffee
First Car:                Datsun 180B
Things I love doing outside of work and Rotary:
Family, Photography, Backpacking, Drawing, Socialising, Being on a beach
Something you may not know about me:
Had a conversation with Elizabeth Windsor
Did a short course in Art History at Cambridge University
What superpower would I like to have and why?
Time travel
If I could be an animal for a day it would be and why?
Wedge Tailed Eagle
If I didn’t live in Australia, I would like to live in
Barcelona
 
 
 
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.   
 
Fundraising Trivia Night
 
It’s Friday, Sept 25th, 2020 from 6:30 pm until 8 pm on Zoom with tickets at $20.00 + booking fee.
 
Here is the link to buy tickets:
 
RSVP to Yannick (0490 081 036 / ylg0504@gmail.com) by Sept 22nd 

Kids are welcome and there will be questions for them, too!
 
A Zoom link will be sent, in the days leading up to the event, to all who have booked tickets.
 
Your booking fee is supporting Indigenous scholarships, educating and empowering Indigenous children and funding scholarships for Indigenous students.
 
International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians (IYFR) - Geelong Squadron
(From Linda Carr, Rotary Club of Geelong Central ph 0438 826 610)
 
Rotary Action Groups and Fellowships are not always widely known among members but are mentioned in our Rotary International President 's Citation Goals.
 
I am a member of IYFR and am establishing a squadron in Geelong.  Members do not need to own a boat nor have any experience, simply an interest in boating and water activities.  There are 3,000 members in 44 countries.
 
 
IYFR Geelong is presenting a short speaker series, via Zoom,  in collaboration with the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.   
 
Rotarians are invited to hear a speaker on a topic of maritime interest on the first Thursday of each month from October to December.   We will take advantage of Covid and Zoom to have international and national speakers of high calibre to talk in an intimate setting - your home.
 
There will be a small charge for each speaker session ($10 per Covid household) - why?
 
During the Geelong 2020 Wooden Boat Festival, young students from disadvantaged schools were sponsored by IYFR member clubs and close to 80 beaming faces jumped off the tall ship, Coral Trekker, eager to go out again. Some had never seen the sea before, perhaps like children in some of our district towns?  This fabulous initiative had its origins in the personal sponsorship by RGYC Past Commodore, John Kint, and partner, Rochelle Lynch, of local primary school children at the 2018 WBF.  IYFR is keen to sponsor disadvantaged youth again at the 2022 WBF.  Your contribution could change a young person's life.  The generosity of our speakers is also much appreciated.
 
The first talk will be on Oct 8th 18.30-19.30.  Keep an eye out for the invitation and trybooking link in mid September.  Any questions, please call me.
 
Supporting an Indigenous Nursing Scholarship
 
The Rotary Club of Kardinia is looking to fund an Indigenous Nursing Scholarship and have organised Senator Sarah Henderson to speak at an evening meeting on Wednesday 23rd September from 7.00pm.
 
The Indigenous Nursing Course runs on intensive short residential blocks at the Waurn Ponds campus allowing students to study whilst working and attending to their family and cultural obligations. With a contribution of $5,000 and a matching contribution from the Commonwealth Government, we able to provide a scholarship for the 2nd and 3rd years of a nursing degree. The Rotary scholarship assists students complete the course by covering travel costs, home study costs, living costs, and leave without pay from employment to attend the course etc.
 
Please find attached flyer with and link to the Humanitix registration site.
 
A Zoom link will be sent, in the days leading up to the event, to all who have registered.
 
Eddification – World Polio Day – 24 October
From PDG Eddie Loughnan
World Polio Day is a time for Rotarians and Rotaractors across the globe to raise awareness about our work to eradicate polio for good. If we stay committed to making progress, polio will be the second human disease ever to be eradicated.

In our fight to end polio, we’ve used our collective strength to defeat this devastating disease in almost every part of the world. This year, the World Health Organization’s African region was certified free of wild poliovirus – showing that eradication is possible even in very difficult circumstances. Wild poliovirus still paralyzes children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and as long as polio exists anywhere, it remains a threat everywhere.

Let’s Take Action -
A polio-free world is possible, but we can achieve it only by taking action together. With the challenges to vaccination programs posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more crucial that Rotary continues to build awareness and raise funds for polio eradication.

Join the effort to vaccinate children and end polio by organizing a World Polio Day event for your community. 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 us.


 
 
Recommended By Robert
Past President Robert Wheeler invites us to paste:
 
So God Made A Dog-20171017-18315171611.mp4
 
into Google and be amazed!
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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
 
DateActivityCoursesVenueChair SergeantRoom (Hosting)CashierMeeting
Tues 15 Sep Combined Zoom meeting with Rotary Club of Ocean Grove        
Tues 22 Sep Rtn Anne Acuna - Mangrove planting in the Phillipines       
 See our Club calendar on Club Runner (the updated version will be emailed to members when it issues) for more upcoming events       
 
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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!
 
 
 
 
 
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Recognitions
 

 
Birthdays: Many happy returns to Past President Tony Della Porta for 13 September and to Dorothy Sinclair for 14 September.
 
Wedding Anniversaries: None this coming week.
 
Rotary Anniversaries: None this coming week.

 

 

 
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