Twenty-seven members and guests Zoomed into the first Club meeting for 2022. It was disappointing that we couldn’t meet at Kooyong but the Board felt with Covid so prevalent in the community that we should err on the side of caution and meet by Zoom during February. We hope the current wave of infections subsides sufficiently over the next few weeks to enable us to safely resume meeting at Kooyong in March.
Our speaker today was Ken Maxfield a member of the Rotary Club of North Balwyn who spoke to us about Camp Getaway. Club Getaway is a project of the combined Rotary Clubs of District 9800 and is located at Axedale near Bendigo. The camp provides holiday facilities for families and organisations, with priority given for people with a disability and related support groups. Founded in 1948 to provide recreational facilities for needy children following the war, it has expanded over the years and can now house 70 people in modern dormitory
style accommodation, some two-bedroom units, and camp facilities which include a kitchen, dining room, lounge and games room. Ken spoke passionately about the way the camp, with financial and volunteer support from Rotarians in the District, has made a difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and families over the years. A full report on Ken’s talk appears below.
style accommodation, some two-bedroom units, and camp facilities which include a kitchen, dining room, lounge and games room. Ken spoke passionately about the way the camp, with financial and volunteer support from Rotarians in the District, has made a difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and families over the years. A full report on Ken’s talk appears below.I emailed members on 24 January concerning the Covid related changes to the program of Club events in February and March. The schedule of Club meetings and events on the website has been updated accordingly.
The lunch in honour of David Corrigan scheduled to be held on 22 February will now be held at Kooyong on Tuesday 15 March. Instead of the lunch that day there will be a normal Club meeting by Zoom.
The President’s Drinks Party will go ahead on Sunday 6 March from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm. If you are planning to attend, please book as soon as possible so we know how many we need to cater for. Bookings can be made via the link on the Club website.
Club Service and Rotary Foundation update
Club Service and Foundation director Charlotte England gave an update to the meeting on the Club’s social and fundraising programs over coming months. The full text of Charlotte’s report is in the Bulletin.
Christmas gift packs
My thanks to those members and friends who volunteered to help with the packing and distribution of the Christmas gift packs. There is no doubt that the packs were greatly appreciated by those receiving them. For many the packs were the only gifts they were likely to receive for Christmas. One grateful couple wrote to me to say:
Would you kindly covey to your members our grateful thanks for the generous Christmas gift packs we recently received.
We will miss the wonderful entertainment we have previously enjoyed at Christmas time at Camberwell.
Once again our grateful thanks for our thoughtful and useful Christmas presents.
We wish you and your members a great Christmas and New Year.
Let’s hope that conditions permit us to hold the Community Christmas lunch in December 2022.
Mental Health Packs
We need volunteers to help pack care bags for the mental health unit at The Alfred Hospital. If you are able to help with packing from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm next Tuesday 8 February at Nottinghill please register using the link on the Club website.
Tonga Relief Appeal
Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) in conjunction with its New Zealand equivalent and the Rotary Club of Nuku’alofa in Tonga has set up an appeal to provide aid and assistance to communities affected by the recent volcanic eruption and tsunami.
Donations to the Tonga Relief Appeal are tax deductible and can be made via the link below.
Donation of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) to Camcare
We were advised a couple of weeks ago that Rotary District 9800 had sourced bulk supplies of ATAGI approved Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) manufactured in Australia. Clubs were invited to purchase tests principally for the purpose of distributing them to local charitable organisations but also for use by club members.
We contacted Servants Housing and Camcare to enquire whether they needed RATs for their clients. Servants are holding a stock of RATs and had access to further supplies if needed. 
Camcare had no stock of RATs or any current source of supply, and needs kits for distribution to people to whom they provide emergency assistance.
The Board decided to order the minimum number of 100 kits at a cost of $22 per kit. Each kit contains two tests. Ninety of the kits will be donated to Camcare and the Club will hold the remaining 10 kits for emergency use by members and close family members.
We thank the directors of the Survey Street Trust Fund for agreeing to fund the 90 kits we will be donating to Camcare at a total cost of $1,980. I understand the kits will be available for collection from DIK this week.
The 10 kits retained for emergency use by Club members will need to be paid for by the members concerned. If you are in urgent need of a Rapid Antigen Test and cannot readily obtain one from another source please contact me.
District 9800 Conference, Albury, 22 to 24 April 2022 
David Pisterman has reserved 18 rooms at the Mantra Albury Hotel for Club members planning to attend the District Conference from 22 to 24 April. Mantra has asked for early confirmation of numbers so please let David know urgently whether you are planning to attend. The Early Bird price for Rotarians, partners and friends is $395. This will increase to $430 after 23 February. First time attendees and Rotaractors price is $330.
It is a requirement of the Conference venue, the Albury Entertainment Centre, that you must be double vaccinated to attend.
It would be wonderful to have a substantial contingent from RCH attend the conference so please contact David to reserve your accommodation and take advantage of the early bird specials.
Next meeting
I look forward to seeing you at the next Club meeting by Zoom on 15 February.
Until then keep safe and well.
Thoughts for the Week
I’m starting the year with what I think are two particularly good quotes which have the power to both inspire and console us.
We all feel at times that our efforts are not appreciated by others, even though we know we have done our best. Sometimes we compare our achievements in life unfavourably with those of other people. At other times we disappoint ourselves by not doing our best, perhaps because of insufficient time, competing deadlines, or lack of motivation.
It was my practice on the last day of the postgraduate legal ethics course I taught for several years at Monash University, to commend to students the words of the famous American jurist, and later US Supreme Court Justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. They come from a speech he gave at a dinner in his honour at the Bar Association of Boston in March 1900. Holmes was alluding to the fact that many of us dream, particularly early in life and career, of achieving great things but often dreams cannot be realised.
We cannot live our dreams. We are lucky enough if we can give a sample of our best, and if in our hearts we feel it has been
nobly done.
nobly done.In a similar vein is this quote by Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.