Newsletter1915 (May 21, 2024)

Our Club had an exceedingly busy week since the last newsletter. Last Tuesday Paige held a well-attended Community Services meeting to discuss our projects, and on Wednesday, a contingent of John, Rob, Yvette and Paul Jupp (a former member of Mitcham Club) all trooped to RC of Mitcham’s venue so that John and Rob could brief them on their recent tour of Timor Leste for a water project that requires another partner Club for a Global Grant. Mitcham’s International Committee is currently considering this potential partnership.

At our Thursday night meeting, once again Rob and John presented a great recap on the Timor Leste tour and Kirsti had put together a great audio-visual of the various water project sites, meetings with local dignitaries and the beautiful greetings from school children and villagers where our previous and future projects are sited. At the same meeting, Paul Jupp continued his wonderfully orchestrated “think tank” for future fundraising projects. A very enjoyable meeting.

On the beautifully sunny Saturday, we had our Bus trip to the South Coast for our Cuppa Conversation migrants. With a 24-seater bus (driven by RC of Adelaide Park’s Duncan Irvine – thanks Duncan!) and a 12-seater bus (driven by Yvette), as well as three cars driven by Rotarians Liz, Rob and John plus another couple of cars driven by Cuppa Conversation attendees – a contingent of 53 people headed south to Victor Harbor, Port Elliot and Goolwa to enjoy the sights and the camaraderie of others. Lili tells me our attendees were from Afghanistan, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, South Korea, Taiwan and Venezuela – 13 different countries (a mini-United Nations!) plus our seven Rotarians.

With Lili keeping a tight grip on the attendees who viewed Victor Harbor from the elevated viewing point, then toured Granite Island and the main street, we all got back to the buses and in the cars on time to travel to Port Elliot. The award-winning Bakery was a great hit, as was the Flying Fish fish/chip Café on the foreshore of Horseshoe Bay.

Earlier Liz had chatted to one of our Brazilian migrants who had only been in Adelaide for three months. Bianca let Liz know that it was her birthday that day, so while we were eating our fish and chips on the foreshore, we all sang Happy Birthday to her in English but it was when a follow-up rendition of Happy Birthday was sung in Portuguese with the traditional hand-clapping that Bianca was wiping away happy (and maybe a few home-sick) tears from her eyes. It was a great moment of togetherness from our international attendees.

To finish off our trip down south, we all headed to the Goolwa barrages and boat lock (to allow boats to travel from the fresh water River Murray to the sea and back again) to visit the New Zealand Fur Seal colony that love to climb on the wooden wharf and sun themselves. Our trip back through Strathalbyn, Mt Barker and the beautiful autumn colours along the South Eastern Freeway was a great ending to the day. My thanks to all who came on the journey which was funded via our 2003 Service Clubs Association of SA’s “Premier’s Community Service Social Inclusion Award” win (and $600 prize money) for our Club’s Cuppa Conversations “Migrant Inclusion and Welcoming” project.

Please let me know if you’ll be attending our Club’s Changeover dinner to be held in the Barton Room in the Caledonian Hotel, O’Connell Street, North Adelaide on Friday 21 June, 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start. Please keep this date free for our annual event. Vegetarian and Gluten-free options available. Again, this year, there is a Starter Plate to share on your table; and you can choose from the $40 meal option or the $54 meal option. Dessert and coffee/tea/wine can be ordered separately at the bar. Please let Yvette know if you will be attending with your partner, family or friends – or if you will be an apology - on ymr@live.com.au before Thursday 13 June so that I can provide numbers to the Hotel.

See you at this week’s meeting at White Picket Café from 9.30am.

Best wishes and have a great week. Yvette, President.