Last Thursday evening, we were delighted to listen to a presentation by 17 year-old Charlotte Delaere (daughter of members Sheryl and Ian Delaere) who was half-funded by our Club to attend the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) at the Australian National University in January 2025. The NYSF is a national program run for approximately 200 incoming Year 12 students who are passionale about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) subjects and who are looking to choose a career in one of these disciplines.
When Charlotte applied through her school for a placement, she was delighted several months later with an acceptance to attend; so then she needed to source a Rotary Club to help support her with the fee payment. Charlotte said “I spoke with two lovely representatives Richard and Yvette with whom I shared my love of STEM and what participating in the NYSF means to me…I was told to use the experience to learn about future careers and new opportunities, which became my goal for the program”. Charlotte was able to meet and make friends with other NYSF attendees from SA at a Government House morning tea before the program started. Charlotte said she her upcoming attendance at NYSF made her nervous, exited, apprehensive and overjoyed all at once (a feeling I’m sure is experienced by all chosen to attend!).
Having met staffies (former students) and other support people, Charlotte settled into her accommodation and thus began a whirlwind week of listening to guest speakers including the Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and the joys of code-breaking, as well as Matthew Gard (geoscientist monitoring solar flares), Marita Bradshaw (geologist studying hydrogen storage in salt caves) and James Webster (teacher exploring the causes and cures for insomnia). There were also visits to government analytical labs for microbiology, atmospheric chemistry, forensic chemistry, forensic toxicology, and DNA and genome sequencing to name a few. One highlight was the opportunity to zoom call into CERN (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research) - located on the France-Switzerland border - and learn about the large hadron collider used to collide particles for quantum physics discoveries.
Next came a day to speak with NYSF partners ie other Universities and their courses. All the hard word was interspersed with fun mind games, entertaining quests, a concert and other specialist lectures. Charlotte said she learned about the 5th State of Matter, superconductors, and how developments in quantum physics can be used today. She found it both challenging to understand the content as well as fascinating to see what high level physics can look like. Charlotte’s personal favourite lecture was by Indigenous man Peter Swanton on “Indigenous sky knowledge” and dreaming stories, and how they showcase natural phenomena such as weather patterns and variable stars; the effects of light pollution to these stories was discussed as was how the sky acts as their pen and paper.
Charlotte said her attendance at NYSF had inspired her to try new things, look into areas of STEM that she previously wouldn’t have considered, and choose from the many options she was passionate about and would like to work towards in the future career. Charlotte thanked the Club members for making this experience possible.
Charlotte’s talk was simply outstanding and generated a lot of questions from Rotarians. Thanks, Charlotte.
As the Founder of the Afghan Girls Underground Network of Schools, our member Erfan Abidi attends a lot of meetings to promote girls’ education (past Year 6) banned by the Taliban in Afghanistan. After one of these talks, the Rotary Club of Regency Park kindly offered to pay for Erfan to attend the upcoming Rotary Impact Summit (which is being held instead of an annual Conference) from Saturday 17-Monday 19 May. Regency Park also offered to pay for the last available stand at the Summit for Erfan to let other clubs and attendees know about the project.
As part of our International projects, Adelaide Light will be producing a pull-up banner and flyers to promote the project and encourage donations through the “Circle of Friends 132” charity website.
Don’t forget, it’s not too late to go on-line (see information below) and purchase tickets to attend the two-District Summit for just $250pp for the sessions; dinners etc are optional; final day for registration is 5 May 2025.
We had a good turnout of first-time Cuppa Conversation migrants at last Saturday’s event held at Boccelli’s in Hutt Street. Beautiful weather, conversations that lasted over two hours; everyone was enjoying the get together to practice the English and meet new friends. Thanks, Lili – great organisation as always.
Photo of our lunchtime and afternoon shift at our recent Bunnings BBQ event this month.
This coming Thursday’s meeting is Coffee Catch-up at the White Picket Café from 9.30am. See you there.
Best wishes and have a great week. Yvette, President.
Thank you for your hospitality last Thursday 10 April at the R C Adelaide Light meeting.
It was great to meet you and your members and discuss Rotary International Service and the New Dawn Rotary Ukraine project. Maurice and I really enjoyed the meeting and are impressed with your portfolio of international projects. I intend to contact John Wotherspoon shortly to discuss and share our Rotary International Service experience
Please pass on this thank you message to your members.
As a Club, please continue supporting your international effort and allocating funds to projects like Ukraine.
District Conference 2025 – Multi-District Impact Summit 2025
When: 16-18 May 2025 Where: Morphettville Racecourse, Morphettville, SA
Join fellow Rotarians from Districts 9800 (Central Victoria) and 9510 (South Australia, Broken Hill, Sunraysia, and Alice Springs) for an inspiring and impactful summit focused on driving meaningful change in our communities.
Program Highlights:
Keynote Speakers
Gala Dinner
Club Project Showcase
Cocktail Party
Networking Opportunities
Foundation Breakfast
Interactive Breakout Sessions
End Polio Walk
Duck Racing Fundraiser
"Why Should I Attend?"
Engage with influential speakers and community leaders.
Discover innovative projects and strategies to showcase Rotary’s impact.
Expand your network and collaborate with fellow Rotarians.
Together, we can make a greater difference! Don’t miss this opportunity to CONNECT, SHARE, and LEARN.
Our happy little Rotary Club has just acquired a pallet of Mitchell's outstanding 2018 Kalmar Shiraz @ $150/dozen - a cut above the average shiraz. 🍷
2018 was a fine vintage and it sells on Wine Direct for $45/bottle but China’s helped us to offer it for 70% less than that… so, it’s understandably popular.
Perhaps you'd fancy a case or two of this lovely drop for the cooler weather ahead?
If you’d like some for you or your friends, contact me or my colleague, Rob...
This year's fundraising will among other needs, help us towards building our next Timor Lesté community project, Australia's nearest north-west neighbour.
Warmest regards,
John Wotherspoon
Rotary Club of Adelaide Light e: john@wothers.net | m: 0488 0000 50
The Kalmar Vineyard takes its name from the homestead that has housed the Mitchell family for three generations. A classic Clare Valley Shiraz with style and great flavour.
T A S T I N G N O T E
A delicious example of Clare Valley Shiraz. blue forest fruits, bay leaf and a smooth finish. a perfect balance of fruit and acid make this the perfect Shiraz for all occasions. Will continue to develop over time, although drinking beautifully right now.
G R O W I N G C O N D I T I O N S
2018 growing season was warm and dry. Despite this, the vines were in a perfectly balanced and healthy state heading into vintage. All canopies in the vineyard were strong and full, the fruit set and ripening was consistent with fantastic flavours. Clare Valley at its best!
W I N E M A K I N G
The juice for this wine was fermented open slate tanks, including a whole bunch component. Hand plunged and a slow ferment to capture the natural flavours from the vineyard. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels for 18 months before being bottled without filtration.
Scotland’s best loved bard... Robert (Rabbie) Burns is celebrated at dinners all over the world on his birthday, 25 January 1759. Yet it’s a decidedly unScottish summer here in January, so we prefer to make merry over this rascally poet during our Antipodean winter instead.
Please join us for another theatrically Scottish dinner at the Edinburgh Hotel’s Victoria Room on Wednesday 11 June for only $65 each. There’ll be toasts, bagpipes, dancing and merriment with a Haggis entrée option or the Ed's entrée if you prefer, then a four-choice main meal. Our piper, Ethan will thrill us with his address to the haggis as he’s done before. Drinks will be available from the bar.
Maybe dress a little Scottish? Our friend, Rosemary has Scottish connections that enable her to freely loan you a kilt if you wish, just ask.
An educational walk offering our South Australian community a chance to connect and gain an insight into key signs of Domestic Violence & Coercive Control that surround us.
Saturday 11 October 2025
From 9am - Meet in Victoria Square
From 10am - the 1.2km walk starts along King William Street
10.30am - Arrive at the Elder Park Rotunda
From 10.30 to 11am - Inspirational presentations
11am to Noon - Mingle | Coffee | Food | Displays
Visit www.WalkForRespect.au to learn more and connect with survivors of Domestic Violence and local support groups.
Register to walk - FREE
On the day, choose the group you want to walk with when you arrive in Victoria Square.
United in the spirit of Service we value truth, fairness and friendship; and we welcome the opportunity that Rotary gives us to contribute our talents and resources in support of others.
Rotary Club of Adelaide Light Mission Statement
To have fun and engage interest from new members and friends as we use our strengths for a better world here and abroad - a welcoming, flexible group having fun doing hands-on activities for positive impact.
A man to a psychiatrist: “How do you select who should be admitted to your facility?”
The psychiatrist replies: “We fill a bathtub with water and give the person a spoon, a cup and a bucket. Then we ask that person to empty the bathtub.”
The man smiles: “Ah, I understand, if you are sane you would take the bucket.”
