DISTRICT 9710 - SERVICE AWARDS 2020
Congratulations to all the Clubs and Members acknowledged below in part 2.
ROTARACTOR OF THE YEAR - William Koek – Southern Highlands Rotaract Club
William Koek is a very impressive ambassador for his age and for Rotaract. He is one of the founding members of the (relaunched) Southern Highlands Rotaract Club and is its inaugural President. He is an Ambassador for the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme and this experience has further enhanced his leadership and general life skills. William is the face of our future volunteers. We are in good hands.
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD NOMINATION
Rotary Club of Gerringong Sunrise – Ngukurr Community Newspaper Project
Gerringong Rotary has made a three-year commitment to support a Northern Territory community newspaper. The Club donated $2,500 initially and pledged a commitment of $1,500 each year for three years. The community newspaper ‘Ngukurr News’ has helped unite the local community through education and knowledge. The funding from Gerringong Rotary helped fund the cost of training of the Editor at Wollongong University and the cost of a media student to go to the Ngukurr community to assist in the production of the paper.
WINNER: Rotary Club of Gerringong Sunrise – Ngukurr Community Newspaper Project
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE AWARD NOMINATIONS
Rotary Club of Batemans Bay – Gift of toilets
Through a Global Grant 53 toilets have been provided in three remote Aetas villages at Capas Tarlac (north of Manila), Philippines. The aim of the project was to address inadequate access to sanitation by building communal toilets.
Rotary Club of Belconnen – Rotary Small Grants (East Indonesia) Project
Assisted communities with water, sanitation, educational, agricultural and industry development projects. These small projects include provision of materials for local construction by communities of water tanks, toilets, library shelving, books, teacher training, desks, chairs, plants, irrigation systems, fencing, business and marketing development support of the IKAT weaving industry.
Interact, Rotaract and Rotary clubs in District 9710 supported this RAWCS project and worked with ‘in-country’ strategic partner NTA. Rotarians visit annually to review project progress and assess with NTA likely future projects.
Rotary Club of Canberra-Weston Creek – PNG Literacy School Libraries Establishment
The project delivered Library Establishment kits to 8 needy schools in Papua New Guinea. The project was funded by a Rotary Foundation District Grant and the donations from four clubs (Canberra-Weston Creek, Bungendore, Canberra Sunrise and Belconnen). In addition, the Rotary Club of Bungendore arranged for the supply of leftover stationery from the 2019 Federal election and the Canberra-Weston Creek and Canberra Sunrise clubs collected and donated stationery items so that teachers and children would have the necessary materials to undertake reading and writing.
WINNER: Rotary Club of Belconnen – Rotary Small Grants (East Indonesia) Project
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YOUTH SERVICE AWARD NOMINATIONS
Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise – National Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA)
The objective of the national MUNA is to involve secondary school students from around the nation in a hands-on experience of a United Nations style conference and debate and through that experience to increase the students’ sense of international understanding and goodwill, one of the primary goals of Rotary International.
The 2019 national MUNA involved seventy Year 10 to 12 students from schools in Queensland, NSW, ACT, Victoria and Tasmania. Participants formed 26 teams, each representing a country and engaged in passionate debate of six real-world United nations resolutions over the weekend.
Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise – DreamCricket
DreamCricket aims to give every primary school age child with a disability the opportunity to participate in cricket-based activities which have been specially designed so any child can achieve to the best of their abilities. The programme is specifically aimed at young children to eliminate the old shibboleth that children with a disability cannot play sport.
WINNER: Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise – DreamCricket
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EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE
Laura Fulton – Rotary Club of Bungendore
Laura is the prime-mover of the Rotary Club’s response to the COVID-19 restrictions placed on our community. She has used her skills of organisation as a former public servant to organise a community support HOTLINE to be accessed by community members requiring assistance during the restrictions. She has mobilised the involvement of the local churches, community aid organisations, local businesses and the medical professions to work together to achieve a coherent response to this crisis. She has also garnered the support of a wide section of community members willing to be volunteers providing the required support actions needed to ensure the success of this activity.
Laura is the epitome of the ’quiet achiever’ who goes about her work without any fanfare and consistently embodies the ideal of “Service above Self” in all avenues of her life. Laura is a charter member of our club who has previously been heavily involved in the organisation of two mental health forums and Colin is often the first to put his hand up to volunteer at Club activities and uses his business connections and networking skills to create opportunities for the Club. He is on the Board of the Bendigo Bank, involved with the Bureau of Accessible tourism and the SE Youth & Arts Fund.
EXCELLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL SERVICE
Sandra Goldstraw – Rotary Club of Gungahlin
Sandra has been the ROMAC Chair in District 9710 since 2006 and has been recognised for this Service Above Self by District 9710 as the Key Rotarian in 2013, by Rotary International with the Service Above Self award in 2014 and as ACT Senior Australian of the Year in 2015.
Sandra's passion and extended commitment to the care of the children and their respective carers while in Canberra for treatment and to the ROMAC program is exceptional.
This past Rotary year has been particularly challenging with Vincent Toto and his mother Cosinta Matesonia from the Solomon Islands having arrived in Canberra in July 2019. Vincent’s (continuing) treatment has been significantly longer than any previous ROMAC child who has been treated in Canberra. The excellent on-going medical arrangements for Vincent is as a direct result of Sandra's earlier determination and efforts in establishing an on-going MOU with the ACT Government.
Sandra has been responsible for caring for Vincent and his mother since they arrived (except for a small period when Sandra was overseas). She has been responsible for taking Vincent for regular medical treatment at the hospital as well as hosting and providing emotional support for Cosinta. During this time Sandra has looked after them in her home.
This past Rotary year has been particularly challenging with Vincent Toto and his mother Cosinta Matesonia from the Solomon Islands having arrived in Canberra in July 2019. Vincent’s (continuing) treatment has been significantly longer than any previous ROMAC child who has been treated in Canberra. The excellent on-going medical arrangements for Vincent is as a direct result of Sandra's earlier determination and efforts in establishing an on-going MOU with the ACT Government.
Sandra has been responsible for caring for Vincent and his mother since they arrived (except for a small period when Sandra was overseas). She has been responsible for taking Vincent for regular medical treatment at the hospital as well as hosting and providing emotional support for Cosinta. During this time Sandra has looked after them in her home.
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INTERACTOR OF THE YEAR
Tommy Lu – Interact Club of Narrabundah College
Tommy Lu joined the Interact Club of Narrabundah College when he started at the College in year 11 in February 2019. In April 2019 the then Club President left abruptly. So well before the changeover Tommy enthusiastically accepted the Presidency and used his leadership skills to reinvigorate the club using his cheerful personality and innate ability to get people involved.
As President of the Interact Club Tommy has increased the Club’s membership, introduced the members, mentor teacher and Rotarian mentor to the online communications platform Slack to improve real time club communication and store minutes
Tommy has made sure that the club meets its social and financial commitments that were made prior to his membership and leadership. He also establishes and leads new commitments. These commitments include fundraising for water security of subsistence communities in West Timor and the training of West Timor’s lay teachers. Other commitments include ROMAC and fundraising to support families and individuals affected by the 2019-2020 summer bushfires.
Tommy’s leadership and commitment to his own generation and the wider community, his ability to get people involved together with his enthusiasm and support for Interact are very special and he is a great asset to the Club.
ROTARACTOR OF THE YEAR
William Koek – Southern Highlands Rotaract Club
William Koek is a very impressive ambassador for his age group in general, and for Rotaract in particular.
He is one of the founding members of the (relaunched) Southern Highlands Rotaract Club and is its inaugural President. In 2020-21 he will be taking on the role of Secretary.
William comes from a very community minded family. He started his volunteering at high school with Interact of which he was also President and a very active member. He was involved in fund raising in local and overseas projects.
Moving off to university didn’t interrupt William’s community spirit and while studying a double degree he has managed to continue his work in raising funds for charitable purposes and recruiting new members for Rotaract. At the same time, he managed to hold down a job. He epitomises the saying “If you want a job done, give it to a busy person”.
William recently read in the Bowral Mittagong Rotary Club’s Weekly Bulletin that the club was looking for guest speakers. He immediately made contact and within 2 weeks he gave us an informative speech on his role as an Ambassador for the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme.
His experience on the Young Endeavour has further enhanced his leadership and general life skills. The Endeavour Adventure was funded largely from his own savings.
William is the face of our future volunteers. We are in good hands.
ROTARACT PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Music for Dementia – Rotaract Club of Canberra
In aged-care homes it is estimated that 80% of the residents have dementia or serious memory problems. Music has the ability to bring back memories, which can in turn improve the quality of life of people suffering from dementia. Nevertheless, it is estimated that only 5% of those living with dementia have access to music.
The Rotaract Club of Canberra launched their Music for Dementia program in 2020. Through this program they aim to increase the accessibility of music to those living with Dementia in Canberra’s aged-care facilities. Based on the success of a similar project by the Rotary Club of Geraldton-Greenough in Western Australia, they have partnered with 3 aged-care homes in Canberra and provided 50 wireless headsets that can be loaded with the participants favourite music.
Over the coming months they will be in contact with the participating aged-care facilities to monitor the impact of the project and hope that our program will positively impact the lives of those living with Dementia, as well as their families.
ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR
PDG Phil Armstrong – Rotary Club of Moruya
2020 has been a year of challenges that have tested everyone in our Community.
Our District was particularly affected by the catastrophic bushfires, with over 1000 homes lost and many other community facilities completely wiped out. The disruption to people’s lives has been dramatic and is ongoing.
With this in mind, in January 2020, Districts 9700 and 9710 formed the combined Districts Bushfire Recovery Committee (DBRC). The DBRC required a dedicated and skilled leader.
We found that leader in the form of PDG Phil Armstrong from the Rotary Club of Moruya.
PDG Phil has had an extensive involvement in Rotary, as have most of his family members (Father, Uncles, Nephew, Brothers – to name a few).
He was District Governor in 2012 to 2013 and has held various key positions in Rotary and business along the way.
PDG Phil has led the DBRC in a decisive and caring way since its inception. We are pleased to know that PDG Phil has agreed to continue to Chair the DBRC through the next Rotary year and the rest of the Committee is also continuing. The work of the DBRC is long term as it continues to do good things for a devastated community.