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District 9705 - December 2020 Newsletter
District Governor's Message
Foundation Award Presentation (Silver Club Major Donor)  - DG Michael Moore, RCC President Desmond Woods, RCC PP Alan Scandrett and RCC Foundation Board Member Paul O'Connor
 
Season’s Greetings to District 9705 Rotarians and friends of Rotarians. I am sure that you are all looking forward to the break and celebrating with your families and friends and to a very different time in 2021.
 
In the first six months of District 9705, Helen and I have met so many Rotarians from across our District and continue to be surprised at the amazing work being done in so many ways. And all this despite the very difficult circumstances 2020 has created. One of the things that has been interesting to me is the dedication of Rotarians in small clubs. I never cease to be amazed at the commitment and drive of these clubs and the outcomes that they achieve.
 
I want to particularly thank the clubs I have visited for the welcome I have received. In many cases the meetings have been by Zoom but in more and more cases I have been able to visit clubs in person, mostly with Helen accompanying me. I have now visited over fifty clubs, which is more clubs than in most districts in our Zone. Helen and I are particularly appreciative of the contributions that have been made to the Children’s Medical Emergency Fund.  More details about this are on the District Website.
 
I note the number of Christmas parties that have marked the end of the year. Some clubs are combining their parties and I think this is a refreshing approach to Rotary. It is worth keeping in mind that Rotarians across the world share a similar ethos. With COVID-19 coming more under control in our country, visiting other clubs in the District is now much more practicable. With this in mind, I encourage Rotarians to broaden their perspectives, to get ideas and to share information about your own club by taking the opportunity when travelling to visit other clubs.
 
It is sad to be saying farewell to the Rotary Club of Canberra City. The final meeting of the club, that was Chartered on 31 March 1975, will be on Tuesday 8 December. PP Colin Barnard was a Charter member and Director of the club and will be there to share some stories with members. It is so much part of the Rotary spirit that, as part of the winding up, the club has now handed over to other District 9705 Clubs two of their very successful projects – the Careers Expo and the Antique Fair.
 
In conclusion, as November was Foundation Month I was pleased to hand over a certificate recognising the Rotary Club of Canberra as a Silver Major Donor and will shortly do the same for the Rotary Club of Belconnen. I note the congratulations passed on to the Rotary Club of Blayney by PDG John Glassford. I have also received from Rotary International Bronze certificates which I look forward to handing over (in no particular order) to the Rotary Clubs of Canberra City (at its last meeting), Woden, Canberra East, Parkes, Orange, Berry, Hall, Cowra and Bateman’s Bay. A big thanks for your generosity. The Foundation is the basis upon which Rotary makes so much difference in the world.
Evan Burrell to Speak at 9705 Membership Seminar Series
On Tuesday December 8th at 5:30pm, Evan Burrell,  will be giving a talk via Zoom videoconferencing as a guest speaker at the District 9705 Membership Seminar Series.  The talk is titled "Telling the Rotary Story"....using social media and developing good public image in a way to share the stories of Rotary doing good in the world.  
As a digital media consultant in the non profit community volunteer sector, Evan has expanded his skills to educating local professionals, businesses and community groups across Australia and around the world to focus on the practical use of social media and how to develop it to brand and market their stories.

Evan is an accomplished public speaker, emcee, trainer, social media advocate and hardworking volunteer with over 20 years of volunteer experience with Rotary International. You may recognize Evan best as a service minded superhero. You see, for Evan, it’s easy to be a Rotary hero because as, he sees it, all Rotarians are superheroes and we all need to promote the heroic acts we do in the community and around the world.

In whatever way, Evan is proving that Rotary isn’t all business. His message is “Let’s have fun in Rotary,” and with that message he's engaged in telling Rotary’s digital story.
 

 
The Rotary Foundation
Thank You
 
As we close off Foundation Month for another year I would like to say a big thank you to District 9705 Rotary Clubs and individual Rotarians for your ongoing support of our own Charity - The Rotary Foundation.
 
Doing good in the world is what we do, but without your donations on a regular basis we will not be able to fund the vast variety of programs and projects put up by Clubs and Districts throughout the world. Polio eradication still requires our vigilance and all the contributions from us and our partners in the past will have little impact if we don't finish the job.
 
With Christmas fast approaching and our concentration on the importance of good health, nutrition and an ability to give to those we love, let us also be mindful of how little it costs us to make a significant difference to others in the world who do not have what we have.
 
I encourage you to consider making a gift to The Rotary Foundation as part of your Christmas giving to enhance Peace and the wellbeing of others less fortunate than ourselves. If you haven't renewed your Centurion pledge already this year, now might be a good time to do it. If you haven't joined our Centurion program to make a regular donation to The Rotary Foundation, now is a good time to start.
 
Please have a safe and happy Christmas, celebrating our accomplishments in what has been a challenging year of drought, fires, floods, and the COVID-19 Pandemic.
 
Best wishes for Christmas 2020, and looking forward to a prosperous New Year in 2021.
Interplast Seek Volunteers
Area Volunteers Needed
 
Interplast is a not-for-profit organisation that was established by Rotarians in 1983, in partnership with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and is today still actively supported by Rotarians in Clubs and Districts throughout Australia and New Zealand. Rotarians have played an integral role in Interplast’s work since 1983 and continue to do so today in many ways, including providing governance, funding and relationship-building.
 
Interplast changes lives by sending volunteer surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and allied health professionals to developing countries in the Asia Pacific region to deliver free programs to patients needing plastic and reconstructive surgery, and training & mentoring to local medical professionals.
 
As Interplast District Chair, Jarvis Hayman (Rotary Club of Goulburn) is eager to engage Rotarians across the District about Interplast’s wonderful work. If you are interested in learning more about this wonderful work or would like to become actively involved please contact Jarvis Hayman at jrhayman@bigpond.net.au or Janette Etherington, the Rotarian Engagement Coordinator at the Interplast office, on 03 9276 7476, or janette.etherington@interplast.org.au.
Read more...
End Trachoma
Take-up Very encouraging
 
The recent ‘shout-out’ for Rotary Clubs to consider helping with the End Trachoma Toiletry Kit campaign has been very successful in our new district. We were pleasantly surprise with the wise cross section of Rotary involvement. The target, across the 20 odd Australian Districts, is 2000 Kits.
 
D9705 Clubs have pledged to provide over 25% of the national total! And there are more clubs still considering the request. PDG Michael Milston, End Trachoma D9705 spokesperson, said: “The new District has shown that our preference for Service above Self is still the key to our Rotary experience.” “A number of the almost 20 clubs showing interest have committed on the back of their great work providing support for Bushfire victims” said Michael.
 
The Toiletry Kits project will provide to 2,000 children across 30 outback/remote community schools the following: a face washer, hand towel, cake of soap & soap container, toothbrush in a container and toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, brush or comb, 1 litre re-useable drink bottle, and something special! See more details here
Nest Boxes after fires
Rotary  in Action
Rotarians and members of Men's Sheds from Parkes and Forbes have collaborated to make bird nest boxes for fire-affected bushland on the South Coast of NSW. Seventy-five bird boxes were constructed.
 
Rotary Clubs of the Sapphire Coast will install the nest boxes to replace the natural hollows which were destroyed or damaged in the devastating bushfires of 2019-2020.
 
Peter Wiltshire, the ranger in charge of the Darebin Parklands located around 7km from the Melbourne CBD, says that tree hollows capable of supporting even small birds take around 100 years to develop in bushland. Hollows sufficient to accommodate larger bird species and possums take much longer to form. See this ABC Gardening Australia link for more information about the impact of nest boxes in Darebin Parklands: https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/handmade-habitat/12155214
 
What happens when fires rage through bushland and destroy trees and hollows? Ecologist Wendy Hawes explains on a Landline program that intense fires destroy or despoil nesting hollows. Providing nest boxes is one way of replacing essential breeding habitat. See this ABC Landline link for an interview with Wendy Hawes: https://www.abc.net.au/landline/helping-hollows:-creating-homes-for-displaced/12752784
 
Hence members of Parkes Rotary and Parkes Men's Shed made 25 boxes for Crimson Rosellas and 25 boxes for Kingfishers, while Forbes Rotary and Forbes Men's Shed made 25 boxes for Kookaburras. The boxes were made of marine pine.
 
Parkes Rotarian Cliff Cowell organised the construction of the boxes.
2021 District Conference
SAVE THE DATE
2021 D9705 District Conference
19-21 March 2021
Bathurst Convention Centre
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