Jerra Rotary’s sixth exchange student, Hanna, arrived recently at Canberra airport and was met by an assorted bunch of Rotarians. Hanah, a 15 year old girl from Kaisersesch in the Rhineland Palatinate of Western Germany, will be staying with Jerra' Rotary host families until mid 2015. Hannah is understandably very excited about her exchange and has dreamed of coming to Australia since she was quite young. She will be leaving behind her parents and younger brother to come and live with and, of course, we will 'adopt' her as our own and soon have her speaking like an Aussie. We welcome Hanna and looking forward to having her as part of our Rotary family in Jerra for the next year.

The Rotary Club of Jerrabomberra is looking for volounteers from Rotarians & friends that wish to be included in our trip to Tonga to help refurbish a local primary school that is in dire need of some basic repairs. The school is in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, with the team planning to leave Sydney on 22 September, returning the 7 October 2014. Accommodation will be in Toni’s Guest House approximately 20 km from the school and 4 km into the city centre. We will be using two Mini Buses supplied with drivers to get around. A program of social activities is also being arranged, so it is not all work and no play. Jerra Rotary is renoun for its fun-loving spirit. More details are available from our Team Leader, Robert Chillman, at robertc@ausmanagement.com.au

The members of the Rotary Club of Jerrabomberra were out in force supporting the 2014 MS 24hrs Megaswin over the 3rd and 4th May. Held at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) pool, the fund raisng taget was $130,000, and so far $139, 450 has been banked.  A great effort by all involved for a very worthwhile cause.  This was the third year that Jerra' Rotary has assisted to run the event.

Since its opening the hospital's Renal Unit has had a fairly large backyard garden area which was unable to be used by either patents or staff due to its slope and lack of landscaping. As a result the area had become neglected and a source of mud and water pooling in heavy rain.  The area bordered by large trees had the potential to become a nice shaded rest and the management of the Renal Unit welcomed an approach to help from the three Rotary Clubs.

A plan was hatched to excavate and level a 50 Square metre area which would be edged by a retaining wall to provide a large retained garden bed and a good sized and well drained courtyard area for use and enjoyment by the Renal Unit staff, patients and families.   In early December 2013, the work started with the excavations (using some “big boys toys”), followed by an army of Rotary volunteers descending on the unit to lay the drainage, build the retaining walls and lay the pavers. To keep the army of volunteers well fuelled, the Queanbeyan Country Women’s Association provided much needed lunches and morning and afternoon teas. Final finishing touches were completed before Christmas.

When asked how the yard looks now, the Renal Unit manager answered, "We are over the moon about it. Our utmost appreciation for the effort and hard work afforded by all; a truly inspiring and humbling experience to see everyone come together like that. … Thank you all for such a wonderful gift.” 

Before & after the Backyard Blitz at the Queanbeyan Hospital Renal Unit

Another example of Rotary in action.

Chris is 31 years old and has worked for Raytheon Australia for over 11 years. He was born in the small town of Queanbeyan in New South Wales which is 260 km south of Sydney and close to the capital of Australia, Canberra.

Chris finished Year 12 at Queanbeyan High and enrolled at TAFE to study a secretarial course where he obtained several certificates in Office Administration. With appropriate training under his belt, Chris obtained work experience at the ACT Down Syndrome Association office in Canberra. At this point, Raytheon was looking for someone to provide office support as their organisation grew and they hired Chris. At Raytheon, Chris has become an integral part of their operations and never fails to make new staff welcome.

Chris is passionate about music, dance and sport. He competes in lawn bowls, plays the fiddle and is in two dance troupes; jazz and line dancing. Chris is an ardent fan of the iconic county and western performer, Slim Dusty, and has over 100 of his albums. Chris is looking forward to continuing his career with Raytheon, spending more time dancing and playing with his numerous nieces and nephews.

More recently Chris spoke at the World Down Syndrome Conference, which was held at the United Nations' Building in New York, and will be

The Rotary Club of Armadale in Western Australia is driving a Hustler Super Z ride-on lawn mower around Australia to benefit charity. They have already been from Perth to Kalgoorlie and across to Adelaide, all in benefit of Australian Rotary Health's Mental Illness Research Program and the EJ Whitten Foundation for prostate cancer awareness and research. When we say we're riding to get to 'the other side', we're not just talking about geography. We're riding this lawn mower to help people in need get to where the grass is greener.

On Thursday, 3 October, one of the riders will speak to the Rotary Club of Jerrabomberra about the Why and the What of the Ride. Come along and learn more about some of Rotary's interesting fund raising activities.

The Rotary Club of Jerrabomberra will be hosting an information night presented by Felix Mollel & Kim Saville from the School of St Jude in Arusha, Tanzania.  Felix will be speaking about the School of St Jude and how he came to work there.  He will talk about his family life, his Maasai tribe and growing up in Tanzania.

All district Rotary club representatives, family and friends are invited to attend this evening on:

Thursday, 31^st October at Jerrabomberra Public School Hall at 7.30 pm.

Tea and coffee will be provided

Please notify numbers attending for catering and seating purposes to:

chris.hunter@det.nsw.edu.au  by 25^th October, please.

With less than 2 weeks to go everything is on track for a great night at the 175th Anniversary Ball. Over 250 people already have their tickets and a final number of over 300 is expected on the night. Everyone is excited and getting their costumes, ball attire and dinner jackets ready for the celebration.

A beautiful medallion has been minted specially for the occasion and all attendees will take one home as part of their ticket package, which also includes a sumptuous three course meal, table wines, a birthday cake and chocolates, plus entertainment by one of the region’s finest dance bands. The Melbourne Cup will be on display all evening and there will be a door prize and table prizes as well as the opportunity to participate in a silent auction in support of the Queanbeyan Showground. And of course the Car Raffle will be drawn with someone becoming the proud owner of a new car valued at over $19,000.

This will indeed be a night to remember, not only for the value, but also as a reminder that we all deserve an opportunity to get out and celebrate in style. 
  

Cr Peter Bray - Deputy Mayor, Queanbeyan City Council & Vietnam Veteran

Peter is well know in the Queanbeyan area for his tireless community effort and support to various local charities.
What few people know about Peter is that he is also a Vietnam Veteran. On 22nd August Peter will recount numerous stories from his war and youth.

The key drivers of the Rotary Club of Jerrabomberra are ‘fun, fellowship and service’. But what does the Club actually do in the community?

Karabar High School Principal Paul Kells had a pleasant surprise last Friday when former Rotary International Exchange student Jasmin Haider dropped in to say hello.