 Our guest speaker this week was Patricia (Pat) Varley who gave us a very informative talk on the history of the Warrnambool Botanical Gardens and the role that the Friends of the Warrnambool Botanical Gardens play in maintaining and developing the current site with an emphasis on heritage as the gardens are registered with Heritage Victoria. It was interesting to hear that William Guilfoyle designed the gardens in the 1870s on the current site but that the original Warrnambool gardens were located down by the river and established by Charles Scoborio (near where the sign Scoborio Park is now located). The Friends (FWBG) were formed in 1989 and this year they celebrate their 30th anniversary which is quite a milestone. The group is independent from Council and have managed achievements that include: developing an app and virtual tour that identifies all trees in the garden, restoration of fences and the water system, and restoration of the historic gun carriage, water fountain and fernery. They have lobbied for a new toilet block which has now been built, and have been recently successful in the Victorian Government ‘Pick my Project’ grant program to develop a natural play space within the gardens. According to Pat, the biggest achievement was the appointment of a curator for the gardens. The FWBG have also organized many functions within the gardens including the Teddy Bears Picnic, the 150th year celebration extravaganza, markets and school tours which they currently conduct. FWBG will be holding their AGM on Wednesday August 14 at 5pm followed by a presentation by their Curator John Sheely who has International experience with gardens in the UK and Europe including the renowned Kew Gardens RSVP for catering to 0438 620 343 or email friendswbg@gmail.com More information on the gardens visit www.wbgardens.com.au  Glenn came good on his footy bet with Chris from the previous week, presenting him with a six pack of Tiger Ale much to the amusement of the Chris and the members present. Rotary News End Polio – The End Polio Campaign exceeded its $50 million target in 2018-19 and raised 50.8 million. Nearing the end of the campaign saw them $5 million below target but a last minute callout saw the extra donations roll in for the final figure. The target for 2019-20 remains at $50 million. New Grants guidelines have been sent out by the Foundation and I have forwarded to Glenn and Sue. It seems some minor points have changed in the guidelines. If others would like a copy please email me. DG Request – A request has come out from our District Governor Roseanne Kava to each Club in District 9780 to supply an image and a 300 word statement on one of their Club’s projects with the aim to create an e-book from the District to present to RI President on his visit to Ballarat in September. At the Weekly meeting members decided that the Care Project would be a worthy project to document and this will be done at this week’s gathering. Glenn will be mindful of how the documentation is presented. FPSRAG – Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group – Established 2007 creates publications that help people understand the connection between plant selection and nutrition amd empowers them to grow a range of highly nutritious plants which have different seasonal requirements and maturities. The work is underpinned by a databse of edible plants for all countries of the world, developed by Agricultural Scientist and Officer of the Order of Australia recipient Bruce French. The groups is asking Clubs to consider $500 in their budget each year to enable timely response to requests they receive from countries. They suggest a possibility where they could partner with Rotary in developing a Global Grant to build a school or hospital in an area of need? Currently they work in over 30 countries with program partners. The request has gone through the DG asking can they directly contact each President in the District, Roseanne has responded by asking each Club if interested to pass their details on. Shelterbox Handout –Shelterbox are currently calling for assistance in response to the Syrian crisis. Recently planes have bombed communities causing widespread destruction including schools and hospitals and forcing people to flee from their homes. Since April, over 300,000 people have fled these attacks with ShelterBox helping 50,000 families affected by the conflict. Donations to ShelterBox are fully tax deductible and for more information on how to donate cal office@shelterbox.org.au or cheques can be mailed to ShelterBox Australia, PO Box 254, Parramatta, NSW 2124. Malaria Vaccine - The World Health Organization’s recent report reveals an estimated 219 million cases of malaria worldwide with more than 435,000 people dying of malaria each year, mostly children and pregnant women. There seems no progression in halting the disease and a vaccine is urgently needed. The Rotary Clubs of Southport, Broadbeach, Hope Island and the satellite club of Southport along with Griffith University have initiated a fundraising project to support a research team in trialing the vaccine which has already been developed. Our Club may explore this further at Board level but if you would like more information on the project and how to make personal donations visit www.malariavaccineproject.com Care Program update – Glenn provided an update on the Care Program with a graph and chart outlining weekly attendance numbers for the program. This clearly showed an increase in client base over the past months which also suggest the need and appreciation for the program. Glenn will continue to circulate the roster at meetings in coming weeks. Father’s Day Breakfast – A community event by the Rotary Club of Warrnambool, scheduled for Wednesday August 28. The event will be held at the City Memorial Bowls Club at a cost of $20 per person commencing at 7am. This is a worthwhile community event supporting the role of fathers. We will be recording our usual attendance for Daybreak at this event as it substitutes for our regular meeting in that week. Please notify Mary of your attendance as she is coordinating our attendance for this event. Members announcements For interested members we are having a social catch-up this Friday night (Aug 9th) at the Whalers Hotel at 6.30. The Whalers have happy hour every Friday from 5-7pm. Feel free to drop in for a drink or perhaps stay for dinner, partners and friends are very welcome. Please confirm with Geoff so we can book a table M: 0428 546 982 or E: jggrec@gmail.com Geoff is organizing our rosters for the Volunteer expo on Sun 15th Sept 12.30-5pm and Mon 16th Sept 9am – 2pm. Please contact Geoff if you are able to assist on either of those dates. The roster will be circulated at future meetings. Currently we are focusing more on service projects such as the care program, soup kitchen and meals on wheels. Soon it will be our busy fundraising period and much planning will need to be carried out prior to this period. I ask committees to start planning their projects and budgets whether they be a fundraiser, service or membership project. Through Rotary we can make a difference in our own community and the world at large – together we connect with our community, together we grow. Have a great week Liza |
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