My interest in the environment began as a kid when Dad would take us bush walking. We were inspired by Vince Sorrenti, but zoom forward 25 years to where I began in the wholesale nursery industry. My interest in plants stemmed from propagating and wondering why plants could flower without seed, with seed, and how come some were flat and others spiky. So off to TAFE I went and Completed Horticulture Park Management whilst working in numerous nurseries and the tissue culture industry.
TAFE opened a myriad of questions again. I wanted to know more about that hole in the ozone they talked about when I was in high school and that Greenhouse effect. The environmental parts led me to take a further 2 years study in Environmental Practice. At this time, I began volunteering in bush regeneration to learn more. I worked with so many great and notable environmental identities that led me further to complete a Science Degree in Sustainable Resource Management.
From there, I worked in the environmental field managing 7 Green Army Teams with Greening Australia, and working for many other organisations including Newcastle Council as the community garden Officer, the Landcare Resource Office As the green team supervisor and other roles in the field of restoration ecology and conservation. I also have been a trainer in Conservations and Land management and written Conservation training and assessment modules for organisations.
Today I've been with Central Coast Council 10 years as the Bushcare Officer and manage a lot of volunteer groups. They keep me on my toes and provide the best laughs. I bow with great respect to the volunteering community. When I grow up, I'm going to be just like one of you!
A busy couple of weeks. Unfortunately at our last zoom meeting three couples were on holiday and another member was sick so numbers were down for the visit from PDG David Egan of Adelaide Rotary Club. David gave an interesting talk about a new Rotary Regional Pilot Project. Thank you David. See write up below.
We had a well attended coffee meeting at Aromas last Thursday. Membership Director Lyn introduced us to two people who are showing an interest in our club. These coffee meetings not only provide great fellowship but are a great opportunity for us to share ideas for new projects or discuss how we may move projects forward.
Janet and Mary visited the Glen and report that the development approval for Glen for women should be passed by Council by Xmas. Casey Chambers was there and sang some wonderful country songs. We showed Joe and an Aboriginal Welfare Co-ordinator our Shelterbag. They were extremely impressed and look forward to receiving a supply from us. ADG Jill, Janet and Mary attended the talk on Domestic Abuse at CWA last Sunday. A very helpful publication was given to us and we’d like to get these informative books placed in schools for students to maybe take home.
Anne is progressing with plans for her stall at October Terrigal Markets and John is on track for the book fair taking place in November. John is considering the idea that everybody in the hall wears a mask thereby allowing us a greater number of customers at a time. John also reported an increase in his Bush Care Group – see report below. Jill has order a new Rotary Table Cloth plus new banners for us to use at future events. These should be with us for the market stall and book fair. We are still trying to put together a picnic to celebrate Polio day but this will depend on how Covid restrictions at the time might affect us. Lyn will investigate us getting our own Zoom subscription or whether we might link onto the District Zoom connection. Youth Director Lynn is busy arranging for students from CC Grammar and Terrigal High School to attend the online RYPEN.
We are progressing well with our Shelterbag Project and this week the committee will complete an application to RAWCS. The committee also has a zoom meeting on 30.9.20 with our Member for Terrigal, Adam Crouch and Federal Member, Lucy Wicks. Mark has put together a great Power Point presentation for our committee to review this week.
This Sunday Janet and John put on their usual splendid garden lunch/bbq. The rain stopped and the sun came through while Janet and John entertained 20 of us (the maximum number of people allowed under Covid restrictions). A relaxed, friendly and pleasurable few hours spent among some of the nicest people. I’ve decided that Rotarians really are very special people and we have some of the best. Thank you all and particularly Janet and John for a wonderful day.
This weeks speaker is Anna Deegan from Terrigal Bush Care. See Anna’s bio below.
During a recent Zoom meeting with Rotarians and Rotaractors, I looked at the smiling faces on my screen and realized how much our organization has changed in a short period. It is clear that there is no going back to the "old normal" in Rotary — and I see that as an exciting opportunity!
Innovation and change are happening at so many levels as we rethink and remake Rotary. Rotary's new flexibility is blending with digital culture to drive change in ways that many of us have never seen before. We can learn a lot from Rotarians like Rebecca Fry — who, at age 31, already has 15 years of Rotary experience.
I see Rotary as a phenomenal platform to change the world. I believe I can have the greatest influence by empowering others to create the change they wish to see in the world. I've gained leadership insights through my experiences in RYLA and Rotaract, and now, as charter president of the Rotary Social Impact Network, a new e-club.
Engaging Rotary program alumni is key in forming new clubs. Our club is proof that Rotaractors and other alumni want to join Rotary — but sometimes they can't find the Rotary club that's right for them. Our club has 31 members, all between the ages of 23 and 41, and almost all of them are alumni of Rotary programs.
We need to be able to integrate and align Rotary with the other personal and professional goals we're pursuing. In chartering this club, we set out to design a personalized model of Rotary that is focused on added value for our members. We have also sought to leverage connections — through Rotary Fellowships, Rotary Action Groups, and other international partnerships — in order to elevate our members' experiences beyond the club.
Our club meets and manages most of its projects online, using Microsoft Teams to engage 24/7 in topics that interest our members. This also means our club is not geographically bound to any one location: Although many of us are in Australia, we also have members in Germany, Italy, Mexico, Tanzania, and the United States.
Also key for our club is measuring the impact of our projects. For Plastic Free July this year, we created an awareness campaign promoting ways that individuals could reduce their use of plastics, and we reached more than 6,000 people. It's a project with a tangible impact that anyone can take part in wherever they are. I'm proud that, through our club, we are bringing people together for a new type of Rotary experience. I am excited for our future.
All Rotary clubs have the opportunity to be innovative clubs, just like Bec's club. Let's trust those clubs, learn from them, and lend them our support. Change in Rotary happens at the grassroots level, as clubs lead the charge, defining what this new Rotary can be.
Change is constant, and we have more work to do in many areas. It is important that we celebrate the contributions of people of all backgrounds and promote people from underrepresented groups so that they have greater opportunities to participate as members and leaders in Rotary.
The tools to make Rotary more inclusive, more relevant, and more fun for everyone are at our fingertips. Let's use them now, and we will see how Rotary Opens Opportunities for ourselves and for those yet to discover us.
The Centurion project has been an integral part of District 9685's fundraising program for the Rotary Foundation for many years, Members are encouraged to participate by donating a $100 to the project each year, thereby becoming a Centurion.
As The Rotary Foundation is OUR CHARITY we encourage all members to consider The Foundation as our charity of choice, and to make a personal donation each year. It is through the Foundation that much of the humanitarian and educational programs carried out around the world by Rotary is possible. Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible.
Centurion Members can make a one-off donation each year or select to have a designated amount charged to their credit card on a regular (monthly, quarterly, or half-yearly) basis.
Our aim at Terrigal Rotary is for all members of the club to become a Centurion.
A certificate will be issued to members on joining or renewing their membership as a Centurion.
Please contact Gina for the application / renewal form.
A very successful virtual conference for Australia and New Zealand was held over the weekend of 19th & 20th September. Over 1200 people Zoomed in to attend the conference which, because of COVID, replaced the conference which was planned to be held in Alice Springs on the same weekend.
An impressive program of world-class speakers, including RI President Nominee, Jennifer Jones (who will be the first female world president of Rotary in 2022-23) inspired and informed attendees. Other speakers included the 2020-21 Rotary International President, Holder Knaack, Past RI President, Ian Riseley, and incoming RI Director Jessie Harmon. A very stimulating address was given by past RI Director from New Zealand, Stuart Heal who spoke on "The Winds of Change" outlining his thoughts on the changes that, he believes, need to happen within Rotary if we are to survive for another 100 years.
The conference was recorded and sessions will be available shortly on the Zone 8 website.
Rotary congratulates African region on becoming wild poliovirus-free
FIVE OUT OF SIX WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REGIONS ARE NOW WILD POLIO-FREE
EVANSTON, Ill. (June 23, 2020) — Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) are proud to announce an historic public health achievement as the World Health Organization’s African region is now certified wild poliovirus-free.
The milestone comes four years after Nigeria – the last polio-endemic country in Africa – recorded its final case of wild poliovirus following decades of effort from GPEI partners, local and national leaders, and health workers throughout the African region. Over the course of the effort, 9 billion doses of oral polio vaccine have been administered, hundreds of millions of children have been immunized, and 1.8 million cases of wild poliovirus have been averted throughout the region.
Today’s announcement is in part a result of the cumulative actions of Rotary and its members, who have contributed nearly US$890 million—and countless volunteer hours—to eliminate polio in the African region.
“In the face of a pandemic, the world has had very little good news to celebrate in global health this year, and the challenges ahead are formidable,” said Rotary International President Holger Knaack. “That is why we must recognize this great achievement and commend all of the people who played important roles in eradicating wild polio in the African region. It took tremendous effort and partnership over many years. I’m particularly grateful for the Rotary members throughout Africa and around the world who have dedicated themselves to making polio a disease of the past.”
The road to the African region’s wild poliovirus-free certification has been paved by the dedication of health workers—mainly women—who traveled by every form of transportation imaginable to reach children with the polio vaccine; those who found solutions for reaching children in regions rife with conflict and insecurity; those leading surveillance activities to test cases of paralysis and check sewage for the virus, and the leadership of all 47 countries in the African region.
Polio vaccination efforts throughout the African region must continue, and routine immunization must be strengthened to keep immunity levels high so the wild poliovirus does not return and to protect children against rare occurrences of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus. The wild virus continues to circulate in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and as long as it circulates anywhere, all children are at risk.
Rotary’s nearly 32,000 members in Africa have played a critical role in helping the region achieve its wild polio-free status by holding events to raise funds and awareness for polio, and working with world governments and national and local leaders to secure funding and support for polio eradication. Rotary members around the world have donated their time and money to supporting polio eradication, the organization’s top priority.
A (virtual) dinner to celebrate World Polio Day and to raise some funds for Rotary International's End Polio Now Campaign is planned for Thursday, 29th October 2020 at 7pm.
Attendance at the dinner will be via a donation to the End Polio campaign and invitees can select from the 'dinner menu' what they wish to 'eat' and therefore how much they pay to attend. Invitations are currently offered to Rotarians from Terrigal, Erina and Kincumber clubs - and their partners & friends.
Details of the dinner program are still being negotiated, but it is planned to have special guest presenters giving updates on the End Polio Now program or detailing their personal involvement with the disease - either as a polio (or post-polio) sufferer or a participant in a National Immunisation Day (NID) as part of the campaign to rid the world of this dreadful disease.
The 2021 Rotary International Convention will be here before you know it, and it’s one you won’t want to miss. Join us in energizing Taipei, Taiwan, 12-16 June, to connect with people of action from around the world. Together, we’ll discover opportunities to expand our potential through motivating sessions, inspiring speakers, lively entertainment, and much more.
Help us build a program of inclusive breakout sessions to provide new ideas for service, strengthen membership, and celebrate Rotary’s diversity. We’re seeking proposals in Chinese, English, Japanese, or Korean. Submit your proposal online by Wednesday, 30 September.
We hope you’ll join us to Feel the Energy in Taipei. Explore the official Facebook event page and click to show that you’re interested or planning to attend. Then, you’ll receive updates and be able to connect with other attendees. Download and use our promotional materials to encourage your network to attend.
Want to learn more about the wonderful organisation we belong to?
The Rotary Leadership Institute is a great way to add to your Rotary knowledge:
President Mary: "I encourage any member who hasn’t attended RLI to now attend. Being online there is no need to travel. A quick easy way to learn about this amazing organisation to which we all belong. Lynn, mark and Mary found the experience well worthwhile.
What better way to spend time under Covid restrictions."
The following is an article by the District 9685 RLI Coordinator for 2020-21, Christine Owen
'I want to encourage you to have Club members sign up for the Rotary Leadership Institute(RLI) in this new Rotary year as it is a relevant, valuable learning and development opportunity for Rotarians of all experience levels.
Following a successful trial, the RLI course has moved online (via Zoom) and will be conducted as a compact weekend course. Each course will commence with an introductory session on Friday night and continue over Saturday and Sunday, power-packed to enhance participant’s Rotary knowledge and leadership skills which can be used in their Rotary life straight away. It is great value at only $30 including all materials and undertaken from the convenience of their own home!
Should circumstances permit, face to face courses may be re-introduced in 2021 at a cost of $75 including all materials, coffee breaks and lunch. The venue will be advised nearer to the dates.
Led by experienced facilitators, graduates have described RLI as ‘thebest Rotary training’ they have had.
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