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President's Message
Sergio Bacchetti
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Hello Daybreakers,
 
It is good to be back!
 
Our morning meeting was very informative with Rotarian, Tony Austin from the Rotary Club of Warrnambool as guest speaker in providing us an insight in Donations in Kind and his involved with the Geelong DIK as a Committee member.
 
This is a Rotary Australia World Community Service Program (RAWCS). It is recycling and reusing hospital beds, medical equipment, books, computers, tables, chairs and anything else that the Asian Pacific Region are requesting assistance in kind.
 
Tony’s involvement had commenced from 2015 with Serri Village - Papua New Guinea Project involving our club. It is made up of volunteers from the Rotary Club of Geelong. On each Tuesday / Wednesday these volunteers sort out items provided from organisations who are updating their equipment.
 
There have been hospital beds transported to Sri Lanka, numerous school equipment to Papua New Guinea and sporting equipment to Fiji.
 
Each shipping container cost to transport these items are approximately $10,000 for a 20 ft container. They are packed to the brink. The funding of these costs are by donations from individual clubs within District 9780.
 
At a local level our South West Healthcare, through Susan Moray’s connection, Tony has been able to achieve and retrieve hospital and medical equipment as well as even walking frames and wheelchairs from Lyndoch to be transported to Papua New Guinea which has managed to change lives.
 
The image of an elderly gentleman using a walking frame which allowed him to manage to go to church with such warm testimonial and thanks was inspirational.
 
The Geelong DIK has managed to distribute over 10,000 items by 100 shipping containers.
 
At present, six containers per year are being disbursed to the Asia Pacific Region. This would be a budget cost of approximately $120,000 per year.
 
We have also managed to use District Grants where 4 clubs in our District and the North Dakota District in the US which constitutes six clubs have also contributed to this program. Approximately $57,533 AUD has been raised for distributing containers to Papua New Guinea. North Dakota District has effectively funded a 700,000 litre shipping container which is to be disbursed to Papua New Guinea.
 
Due to Tony’s drive and innovation he has also had support from the Mornington Peninsula Region with the Rotary Club of Mount Martha.
 
He then also brought us up to date as to how his own club are doing birthing kits when he goes to Papua New Guinea. They are working in remote areas.
 
As it was put, there is no medical services. The women are left to their own devices and no mid wives. So woman are giving birth under a tree.
 
The birthing kits are very basic kits for birth deliveries. With the help of South West Healthcare it appears items are able to be gathered for these purposes. Our club could be involved and we should think outside of the box as to what else our club can contribute abroad.
 
As I mentioned, in similar terms to DIK, Loved & Shared is a program where reusable items are being provided to young mothers with child items such as cots, prams, highchairs etc. I would like to thank the members who attended the launch of Loved & Shared on 23 March 2023.
 
I would like to thank Tony Austin again for an inspirational talk and certainly reminding us, as he put it, an individual can make a difference.
 
I also encourage all members that our Long Lunch ticket sales needs ongoing support and please try and encourage people to attend at our fundraising event on 21 May 2023.
 
Our next Board meeting will be on 1 May 2023 so it will be the meeting where we will consider dispersing funds raised as part of our bi-annual giving program.
 
If there are any causes or charities members may wish the Board to consider please contact Glenn Rundell or Cheryl Bellman so this can be identified in the Board’s agenda and the criteria for discussion.
 
Lastly, we have been provided an invitation to the RYLA dinner on Thursday 28 April 2023 at Camp Kangaroobie If any members are interested please let Cheryl know.
 
I would like to thank Drew Giblin again for his support in the RYLA program and sourcing our candidate, Charlotte Cousins from WDEA.
 
Let’s Imagine Rotary.
 
Your President,
Sergio Bacchetti
 
 
 
 
Rotary Celebrations
 
Birthdays
Kerry Nelson – April 4
Cheryl Bellman -­ April 12
Sergio Bacchetti - April 14
Jan Read - April 16
Andrew Suggett - April 20
Dianne Brown - April 26
Drew Giblin - April 28
 
Anniversaries
Andrew & Betty Suggett- April 9, 1966 - 57 years
Chris & Janey Preston - April 8, 2006 - 17 years
 
Rotary Anniversaries
Gerard Lourey - April 6th - 18 years
Jennie Miller, April 29th - 3 years
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Check out the daybreak Facebook page for the stories. 
 
 
 
LAUGHTER, THE BEST MEDICINE
 
I’ve been training my dog to go down to our local Off-Licence to get bottles
of Wine…….He’s a Bordeaux Collie!!
 
 
I sexually identify as a microwave meal. I'm ready in 3 minutes and I look
nothing like my pictures.
 
 
I produced a documentary about urine. I don't have a distributor yet, but
I'm sure that some streaming service will pick it up.
 
 
My friend said he didn’t understand cloning.
I said, “That makes two of us”.
 
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I was at a family party over the holidays and my husband’s uncle was showing
some relatives from interstate around his unit. As he came to an urn on a shelf
he declared that it held the ashes of his old dog and that one day he would pass
it on to one of them.
 
A niece looked shocked then declared, “ If you don’t mind, I would prefer your money!”
 
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A guy advertised "Talking Dog For Sale, $50".
The first interested party rang and said "Gee a Talking Dog, why so cheap?”
The seller said, "The Lies, Oh the Lies".
 
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More amusement for lexophiles
 
•        I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.
 
•        Haunted French pancakes give me the crêpes.
 
•        England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
 
•        I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.
 
•        Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
 
•        I stayed up all night to see where the sun went, and then it dawned on me.
 
•        When chemists die, they barium.
 
•        I'm reading a book about anti-gravity.  I just can't put it down.
 
•        I did a theatrical performance about puns.  It was a play on words.
 
 
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A man was telling his neighbour, 'I just bought a new hearing aid.  It cost me
four thousand dollars, but it's state of the art.. It's perfect.'
'Really,' answered the neighbor . 'What kind is it?'
'Twelve thirty...'
 
 
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A little old man shuffled slowly into an ice cream. parlour and pulled himself
slowly, painfully, up onto a stool.
After catching his breath, he ordered a banana split.
The waitress asked kindly, 'Crushed nuts?'
'No,' he replied, 'Arthritis.'
 
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A strong young man at the construction site was bragging that he could outdo
anyone in a feat of strength.
 
He made a special case of making fun of Morris, one of the older workmen.
After several minutes, Morris had enough.
 
“Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is?” he said. “I will bet a week’s
wages that I can haul something in a wheelbarrow over to that outbuilding that you
won’t be able to wheel back.”
 
“You’re on, old man,” the braggart replied. “It’s a bet! Let’s see what you got.”
 
Morris reached out and grabbed the wheelbarrow by the handles.
 
Then, nodding to the young man, he said, “All right. Get in.”