Rather than some words from our President, this week I have taken some words from District Govenor Russell Gurney published in the August district news.
"Most would be aware by now that our 2018-19 Rotary International President Barry Rassin has asked us to “Be the Inspiration”. During my Club visits to date, I have spoken about aspects of this in relation to ourselves; how we can be the inspiration in our Communities, in our Clubs, and at home; how we can strive to be that person that inspires someone else to join us in our Rotary work. I am certain that we have all been inspired by someone during our lives, so let’s all take this message on board and share our passion for service and tell our personal story and share the “gift of Rotary.” To that point, in the August edition of the Rotarian, Barry mentions many things, including thought provoking words “that to do our work effectively, we need to keep our own house in order.” He continues that in Rotary, that means conducting ourselves in accordance with the principles of Rotary, treating others with respect, maximising our impact by planning carefully and “stewarding our resources wisely. And that means looking after the long-term health of our organisation by ensuring that our membership is strong, engaged, and healthy.”"
The guest speaker at the 29th August meeting was Phillip Thurgood (President of the Greater Dandenong Rotary Club) and ambassador for swags for the homeless, who gave a very informative and moving talk swags for the homeless.
There is a world-wide, and growing, issue with the homeless in our society. In Australia we have over 116,000 people homeless on any one night and nearly 50,000 sleeping on the street. Most of those on the street are mails between 26 and 40 years of age.
Tony and Lisa Clark have established an organisation, Backpack Bed for Homeles, starting in Australia, and spreading world-wide to help.
They have developed a waterproof / fire retardant / quick drying / wind proof Backpack Bed for the Homeless. These cost $95 each.
Phillip highlighted that when his club raised donations to buy these bags, he requested that they be distributed through local charities to help local people. In Greater Dandenong’s case, through the local charity “Cornerstone”, and suggested we could do something similar in Whitehorse.
In past years the club has been involved in the Relay for Life to support the Cancer Council.
The Whitehorse Relay for Life event is being held on 17 November 2018, and as the numbers at the relay have been dropping off and this weekend adjacent to the Whitfield fellowship weekend we have reviewed our participation in the event.
At the last meeting it was agreed that rather than the relay, we would hold a lunch to raise money for for the Cancer Council. This could be held at a date convenient to the club.
The donation would be made in memory of the late Kevin Thomas.
The Rotary Club of Nunawading now has 23 centurions Last Rotary year, the Rotary Club of Nunawading finished up with 23 centurions, a huge increase on past years.
Polio update:
There are now only 2 countries with confirmed polio, Pakistan has 3 cases and Afghanistan has 11 cases. In the last Rotary year, The Rotary Foundation released $96.5 million for the elimination of Polio. Most of this went towards surveillance, making sure that Polio doesn't reoccur.
Paul Harris Society Named after Rotary’s founder, the Paul Harris Society recognizes those who annually contribute US$1,000 or more to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or an approved Rotary Foundation grant. By joining the Paul Harris Society, you are making a lasting difference in communities around the world. Rotary Direct, Rotary’s recurring giving program, makes it easy to join the Paul Harris Society. Consider making a gift of $85 a month or $250 a quarter by using the contribution form or by visiting www.rotary.org/contribute. Is this something that you could consider? Think of the difference you could make in the world.
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The guest speaker at the 29th August meeting was Phillip Thurgood (President of the Greater Dandenong Rotary Club) and ambassador for swags for the homeless, who gave a very informative and moving talk swags for the homeless.
.PNG)
