GUEST SPEAKERS—something different. Tonight we heard from 3 club members.
SUE CARPENTER - It’s interesting where life leads you.Sue took us through her life including 13 years at a private girls’ school where she learned to appreciate the underdog. She went on to start Kindergarten Teacher Training and then worked at Malvern City Council as a gardener and had a nurseryman apprenticeship. Once married, she and her husband lived in Omeo for 7 years in a self sufficient miner’s cottage. Then she ended up in Hallam where they managed a chook farm with 45000 birds. They came to Yea in 1993.
Sue finished off by saying that through her daughter going on Youth Ex-change she got involved with Rotary. She loves the club and thinks of it as an extended family.
Sue is currently a councillor with Murrindindi Shire Council.
TERRY HUBBARD - Terry told us about his life in Papua New Guinea starting at age 21 as a cadet patrol officer and spanning 11 years. He remembered landing in Port Moresby and how he was hit by the smell of the tropical climate and humidity. He was posted to Madang where there were relics of the war and to get there he travelled up the coast with a one armed skipper and an all black crew.
After a year he was able to get special leave to go home and get engaged to Janet.
Back in PNG he led patrols which updated census figures, conducted health checks, resolved disputes and even introduced decimal currency.
GARY FITZGERALD - Gary was born in 1942 in a private hospital which later became the site of the Hells Angels head office.In 1953, the family moved to Mildura and when he left school, he joined the Commonwealth Bank of Australia there. He was transferred to Melbourne and a branch near the Victoria Market and then took on an accountancy position with Price Forbes Leslie. In 1969 he took off on a 6 month tour of Europe and the UK and then ended up in the USA where he was found in Los Angeles watching Neil Armstrong land on the moon.
CYCLE DINDI - Julie reported that 60 plus people have registered and the raffle has raised $1000 to date. Kyla is the sponsored rider this year and featured in the Chronicle this week. She’s already raised approximately $1000.
Kyla and her father Eoghan
GUEST SPEAKER—Bridget Sutherland from the Skyline Education Foundation Australia.
Skyline helps talented year 11 and 12 students with challenging backgrounds to complete school and go on to university and high profile careers. It involves 160 students from all over Victoria and was introduced to this area by Tina and Michael Redrop.There is a stringent process of selection and then a 2 year program, of residential camps at universities and exercises in confidence building, motivation and other activities. Each student has a program manager to support them. They are taught how to network and form new friends and then form an Alumni for each year.
Sunlight pays education costs eg laptop, books, calculators, access to the internet and other things. Everything is funded through philanthropic donations. It has a huge impact on the students and has been shown to return $13.20 for every $1 in-vested.
A case study showed a video of Graedy talking about what he had gained from acceptance into the program.
Lots of questions followed.
David Anderson gave the vote of thanks.
3 Minuter JIM OSBORNE Jim spoke about the Community Bank. Its history involved 7 Rotarians on the steering committee as well as others. It could not be a Rotary project for legal reasons. Today a new Board has turned it around and made a profit while reducing debt. They hope to be paying a dividend at the end of the year.
GUEST SPEAKER—MATT HELDER
Matt told us about the beginnings of Dindi Ag and it’sdevelopment since 2000.
He joined Phil and Annie in 2005 to work on the sprayer, han-dle contracting and get a deeper knowledge of the area.
Dindi Ag provides agronomy services for a wide area around Yea, even delivering supplies as far as Tasmania. They have developed their merchandising department and sales have grown through Facebook promotions .
Matt also talked about the possibilities in biological farming for the future and raised questions.
Terry Hubbard gave the vote of thanks.
3 MINUTER—IAN LYNCH
Ian spoke about the Rotary Exchange students hosted by the club. In July we’ll be hosting our 17th student.
He talked about Lara who came in 2010 and how they’ve kept in touch. She is current-ly in Paris with her boyfriend and works in a pharmaceutical firm there.
Kristie and Kyla talked about Cycle Dindi and Kyla’s sponsored ride. Kyla is 11 years old and in grade 6. She will be riding 50km. Sponsorships are open now.
CLUB ASSEMBLY
DIRECTORS’REPORTS
GARY COCKS—Anzac Day coming up. Volunteers will be needed.
Killingworth BBQ for Graeme Mann—March
Move of Historical Society to take place in 3-4 weeks.
IAN SICHLAU—re letter from MSC. Of the 3 options given he recommends that we leave it as it stands.
- re gravel paths—MSC advised that as requested information had not been received, the application has now lapsed. Ian had obtained an extension in November at which point the matter was referred to Peter Bayne of Land Management and Conservation. Tony agreed with meeting that we should pursue the application as all machinery and gravel had been donated and there was no cost.
GARY COCKS—Anzac Day coming up. Volunteers will be needed.
Killingworth BBQ for Graeme Mann—March
Move of Historical Society to take place in 3-4 weeks.
IAN SICHLAU—re letter from MSC. Of the 3 options given he recommends that we leave it as it stands.
- re gravel paths—MSC advised that as requested information had not been received, the application has now lapsed. Ian had obtained an extension in November at which point the matter was referred to Peter Bayne of Land Management and Conservation. Tony agreed with meeting that we should pursue the application as all machinery and gravel had been donated and there was no cost.
OPEN GARDENS—Darryl King—Happy with progress and secured to open to date
ART SHOW—Carol Hogg has agreed to be Director for 2024
Ian S thanked Carol for all the work she had done on the 13 pages submitted for the RFI
CYCLE DINDI—Julie—Brochures out. Entries up to 23. Total in 2022 170
This is a joint effort with Alexandra Rotary, Friends of GVRT and raises funds for youth programs. Eoghan and Kristie’s daughter Kyla has agreed to do a sponsored ride.
TERRY HUBBARD—Dee’s daughter was married recently so Jim and Terry cooked 99 egg and bacon rolls for breakfast the next day and raised $300 for the club.
PRESIDENT TONY—informed us of a joint initiative raising $200,000 to provide a mobile medi-cal facility for use in disaster areas. Contributors include Bendigo Bank, Bright and Myrtleford RC, FRRR and TAFCO. District 9790 has offered funding of $10000 and Gary F had proposed that the $2680 from the club’s Bushfire Fund be commit-ted to the project. This has been approved and consideration to donating extra will be made if there is still a shortfall on the total required.
FROM THE BOARD MEETING
Changeover—June 29—maybe held at Flowerdale Estate
Winter Recess—to allow new Board to settle in
Partners and Spouses night—May. Thai Night. Also needs to be a fundraiser for English Corner
Tradies’ Breakfast to be trialed as a way of introducing people to Rotary.
Longest lunch—being considered.
New Shed—there is space adjacent to the golf club shed.
Changeover—June 29—maybe held at Flowerdale Estate
Winter Recess—to allow new Board to settle in
Partners and Spouses night—May. Thai Night. Also needs to be a fundraiser for English Corner
Tradies’ Breakfast to be trialed as a way of introducing people to Rotary.
Longest lunch—being considered.
New Shed—there is space adjacent to the golf club shed.
GUEST SPEAKER, Simone Sier Yea Community Cancer Charity
David Anderson introduced Simone saying she was originally from Tasmania and she won the first Rotary Community Service Award on Australia Day this year.Simone thanked Rotary for the award.
The Yea Community Cancer Charity originally started out as the Pink Ball Foundation and raised $18000 at an event held at the Killingworth Whisky Bar in 2018. In 2019, they raised $7000 and in 2022 they raised $16,000.
The money is all used within Murrindindi Shire. Doctors pass on information about funding to patients experiencing hardship with such things as travel, accommodation and meal expenses and each patient will be given $1000 to help.
Simone explained that she had had family experience of Cancer and thanked local businesses, individuals and Rotary for their support.
She also made a special thank you to Darryl King for the function held in his garden which raised $1665 recently.
Darryl King gave the vote of thanks.
3 MINUTER — TERRY HUBBARD — correspondence from the US on the recent shootings and beatings of the suspect by police.
Janet Hubbard writes to a cousin and had written a long letter about the overall situation in the United States and in particular, the re-cent massacre of 10 people in California.
When asked how do you cope? , the cousin replied with lots of in-formation. The country was polarised after the massacre. There are 400 million guns in the US owne by civilians and 100 million of these are illegal.
In the last year, 19400 gun homicides have been committed of which 12200 are black, most-ly men aged 19-34. There are 20,000 suicides by gun each year.
Poverty, gang warfare, drugs and mental health issues are being blamed.
Janet Hubbard writes to a cousin and had written a long letter about the overall situation in the United States and in particular, the re-cent massacre of 10 people in California.
When asked how do you cope? , the cousin replied with lots of in-formation. The country was polarised after the massacre. There are 400 million guns in the US owne by civilians and 100 million of these are illegal.In the last year, 19400 gun homicides have been committed of which 12200 are black, most-ly men aged 19-34. There are 20,000 suicides by gun each year.
Poverty, gang warfare, drugs and mental health issues are being blamed.
Guest speaker Jess Kennedy - Progression Physiotherapy Yea
Jess explained that she has a passion for helping people get moving and believes that everyone can be empowered to move forward to better health - hence the name of her business- Progression Physiotherapy which opened in Yea in Dec. 2022.Jess also works in a complementary association with long established Yea Physio Kim Slavin.
Jess then had us up on our feet trying out a balance activity.
Jess explained that group strength training sessions are targeted to the individual participant, with the aim to make everyday tasks easier.
Ann thanked both Jess and Jacque- great to see a young couple prepared to start a small business in Yea.
Guest Jacqui Graham - Jacque filled in as an impromptu 3 minuter and spoke of how her Youth Exchange to Germany in 2008 (sponsored by the RC of Yea) helped shape her life as it encouraged her to take advantage of opportunities presented to her.
Jacque commenced as a volunteer community ambulance officer, undertook additional training as an air ambulance officer, has wintered up at Mt Buller and now is based full time in Yea.
Jacque commenced as a volunteer community ambulance officer, undertook additional training as an air ambulance officer, has wintered up at Mt Buller and now is based full time in Yea.
Guest Speakers - Henry and Cheyene - Club sponsored RYLA participants.
Sue Carpenter the introduced Henry and Cheyenne who have recently participated in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) which is an inhouse conference for 18-30 year olds.Cheyenne told us she works 4-5 days a week at Marmalades and has just graduated from high school. She thinks she was the youngest participant at RYLA and was aiming to find herself and make connections.
One of the projects was focused on Project Management and a team had to host a dinner for guests with 24 hours notice. This led to having to work hard, listen to each other and build teamwork.
A very good experience from Cheyenne’s point of view.
She also went on to say that RYLA was always about pushing your limits. It was a very good experience and increased her confidence.
Cheyenne thanked the club for sending her to RYLA and encouraged us to send another.
student.
Sue Carpenter thanked Cheyenne for an amazing talk.
Henry spoke about RYLA being for a whole range of people offering lots of get to know activities and building trust, respect and honesty. He told us of one activity where a stranger had to lead him through a ‘minefield’. As a result he had to trust someone else .
Henry thanked the club for giving him the opportunity to attend RYLA and suggested they should nominate someone each year.
There were lots of questions.
Kerry Tull and team catered tonight and provided a birthday cake with a 30 candle on it. The club was celebrating the birthday of exchange student Lara (from France) who came to Yea in 2009. Members sang Happy Birthday, led by three of the Four Fathers and a video was taken to send to Lara in France
GUEST SPEAKER Liz Baker—Dindi Bee Supplies
Liz passed on lots of information and anecdotes about her passion—bees.She included details about their sex lives, their roles within and outside the hive, how the queens are chosen and how the hive disposes of those they don’t want.
There were never ending questions at the end of her talk and our chairman had to cut them short. Liz invited anyone interested to go and talk to her about bees in her new Yea premises.
3 MINUTER Les Hall
Les talked about his connections with the Wonnangatta Valley . He described the Beveridge, Barclay, Philips and Ritchie families who were all associated with the valley. The Halls were also associated with the valley and Les rode out in that area with the experienced horsemen of these families when he was a young man.
Les talked about his connections with the Wonnangatta Valley . He described the Beveridge, Barclay, Philips and Ritchie families who were all associated with the valley. The Halls were also associated with the valley and Les rode out in that area with the experienced horsemen of these families when he was a young man.
First Meeting for 2023
PICNIC AT GLENSIDE
It was a perfect night for our first meeting and the beautiful riverside spot ideal for catching up with friends.David Anderson welcomed Cheryl Phillips from South Africa who has been very involved with the Dayspring Children’s Village since day 1 and she was able to bring us up to date on progress there.
Cheryl is currently an Honorary Member of the Rotary Club of Brits-Hartbeespoort, District 9400, South Africa. Formerly, she was a member of the Rotary Club of Rustenberg Kloof which she served as President in 2011-12. When the RC of Rusten-berg Kloof handed back it’s charter last year, Cheryl became an Hon Member of Brits. The choice to become and Hon Member was also due to her com-mitments as a Member of the National Assembly and her consequent parliamentary duties
President Tony also presented our outgoing Rotary Exchange Student, Kyia with her blazer and tie. She leaves for the Netherlands in about 10 days.
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