Meeting 2873 saw the group welcome James McGinn who was seeking assistance for travel / accommodation costs incurred as part of his appointment to the Rural Youth Ambassador Program. The full article has been provided below.
I will be on leave for the next two weeks, initially to bask in the glorious sun on holiday, followed by a week in Portland as they return to the school term a week earlier than Mount Gambier. Greg has confirmed he will step up to fill my size 13s during that period.
Until next time...
Next Week
Meeting 2874 will be at Macs Hotel for fellowship and food.
April Sergeants:
Matthew Dixon
Peter Johnstone
Upcoming Events
Sunday 31 May 2026 - Joint club RCL Meeting at Strathdownie
Mount Gambier Rural Ambassador Presentation
As our guest speaker this week we welcomed James McGinn and Samantha Brown from Mount Gambier High School. James has recently been appointed as Rural Youth Ambassador by the Department for Education. He joins 19 fellow Year 11 students from across South Australia looking to build leaderships skills and find solutions to the challenges country students face.
The ambassadors are a key component of the Country Education Strategy looking to improve education outcomes under three key areas:
improved access to teachers – country students have access to teachers who understand their context and needs
improved access to educational experiences – country students have access to a breadth and depth of subject choice, both in-person and online, that supports them to engage with their learning and future opportunities
improved understanding of and access to post-school pathways – country students can explore a range of local and broader post-school pathways into further study or employment.
Subject to Board ratification, the Rotary Club of Mount Gambier West has agreed to sponsor James to assist with travel to the leadership meetings in Adelaide.
In April's Rotary magazine, Brad Webber explored recent projects from clubs in Mexico, Canada, Latvia and India. From remembering fallen heroes to rebuilding communities and feeding the hungry, Rotarians living Serve above Self.
This week I thought I would champion the Indian Thane Literature Festival project featured in Brad's article. It was a two-day event held last November bringing
together literary enthusiasts, emerging writers, and established authors in a celebration of storytelling, poetry, and the transformative power of literature.
Bachi Karkaria was awarded the Thane Literature Festival lifetime achievement award and Indrani Deo won the short story competition with their entry 'Marigold'.
Did you see first daughter Lily in the papers over the week? or hear her on ABC Breakfast?
Lily's short story 'Echoes of Seven' has been shortlisted in the Nillumbik Contemporary Writing competition. We wish Lily well for the award ceremony in May 2026.
Did you see the fantastic news from Rotaries End Trachoma Project Team?
Australia is eligible to apply for validation of elimination of Trachoma as a public health problem from 2025!
So what is Trachoma? it is the world’s leading infectious cause of preventable blindness and is linked to poor living and environmental health conditions.
If you would like to see the projects the Rotary EndTrachoma Team organise, or to donate please follow the link to their website below.
Next weekend will hear the clash of swords and dulcet tones of the harp serenade fair maidens and knights alike.
At the fair you'll wander through bustling market stalls filled with handcrafted wares, costumes, jewellery, trinkets, candles, and meads; watch artisans demonstrate traditional crafts; and savour a range of hot food and drink from medieval-inspired outlets.
