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Diary Dates
Mar 15, 2018
Mar 22, 2018
Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME)
Mar 29, 2018
At Curlewis Golf Club Driving Range with Dinner afterwards
Apr 05, 2018
1st Thursday of the Month
Apr 12, 2018
(End Trachoma by 2020) This speaker may change due to unforeseen circumstances. Watch for an update
Apr 19, 2018
Apr 26, 2018
End Polio Update - Part 2 of The Rotary Foundation Updates
May 03, 2018
1st Thursday of the Month
May 10, 2018
Rotary Junior Community Awards - from a teachers perspective
View entire list
Upcoming Club Events
District 9780 Conference 2018
Apr 06, 2018 – Apr 08, 2018
 
Ride the Bellarine
Eastern Gardens Geelong & around the Bellarine Peninsula
Apr 15, 2018
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
 
District Training Assembly
Apr 29, 2018
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
 
District Governor Changeover
May 27, 2018
 
Star Search 2018
Sacred Heart College
Jun 02, 2018
 
ClubRunner

I always enjoy seeing lots of guests at our meetings, and this week was exceptional.  We had family and friends of our 4 Speakers,  4 members of Barwon Rotaract, a visiting Rotarian, Simone from Deakin Lakehouse,  our Assistant Governor Judy and we also welcomed back to Rotary Malcolm who has been on leave since December, Robert who has been working in Melbourne for well over a year now,  and Colin H returning for his first meeting since experiencing ill health late last year. It was a pleasure to welcome them all.
 
Assistant Governor Judy gave us a run down on what is happening around the District, and congratulated us on the projects and events we have been involved in so far this Rotary year. 
 
Our meeting coincided with International Womens Day, and so it seemed appropriate to share a few statistics about Women in Rotary -  here they are again  for those who couldn't be at the meeting.  
  • there are over 200,000 women Rotarians worldwide - approximately 17% of the 1.2 million members of Rotary;
  • in our District of 1749 Rotarians, 490 are women - 28%;
  • our Club has 25% women members;
  • of the 459 Rotarians in the 15 Geelong and District Clubs,  130 are women;  
  • the first female inducted into Rotary in D9780 was Mary Elliott (Torquay Rotary) in August 1989, one month after Council on Legislation enacted the decision that Rotary membership was open to both males and females;
  • the first female Club President in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania was Cathy Roth who was the Charter President of Geelong Central Rotary;
  • the first female District Governor for D9780 was Pat Robinson (Camperdown Rotary) in 2002 - 03 and the second was Cathy Roth in 2004-05.
There is no doubt that women are Making a Difference in Rotary around the world.
 
Our four speakers - Ros, Barb, Merridee and Pam - shared with us the pictures and stories of their recent trip to Cambodia.  There were so many different aspects to their trip - visiting schools, providing books and reading to the children, visiting 2 womens crisis centres and providing Days for Girls packs, visiting the water project recipients and seeing the difference having clean water and sanitation has made to the lives of the villages and schools, but also reaching into their pockets and providing additional funds whenever a need was identified.  The generosity of Rotarians is truly amazing.
 
Barb also organised to see where the soaps from Soap Aid goes. Where once used soaps from local hotels and guest accommodation is recycled into useable soap for countries like Cambodia to assist with personal hygiene and disease prevention by the simple act of washing hands. 
 
One other need that was identified was the need for a toilet in a local school, and so planning is underway already to see if we can apply for a District Grant to help fund it.  
 
Next week we meet in Committees, and I am looking forwarding to joining in with the Membership Committee.
 
Have a great week
 
Pauline 
 
 
From the Highton Family Album

 

 
 
Highton Rotary President 2019 - 2020
Our Club needs a President for 2019 - 20, and its time to seriously think about whether you would like to take on that role.  Whilst it has been a tradition that we  seek to nominate a member who has not served as President before, it may be time to look more widely and seek the very best person for the role - whether they have been President before or not!
 
Please give this position some serious thought, and contact Barb or Pauline if you would like to put your name forward, or ask any questions you may have about the role. 
 
Rotary on Show - March 4
 
 
 
Social night on March 29
 
Pam announced a few changes - all good ones - for this night including a reduction in the costs.  Please contact Pam by March 15 at the very latest,  to confirm that you are joining in on our social night.
 
Accolade for past member Malcolm John
Membership Chair Ros provided this snippet about Malcolm's latest triumph
 
Extract from The Score, the newsletter of the Geelong Chamber Music Society, 23 Feb 2018
Geelong Chamber Music Society congratulates Malcolm John on the world premiere of his Piano Trio No.4 - Anniversary Trio, performed last night by the Firebird Trio. This wonderful performance will broadcast on "Encore" 94.7 The Pulse - watch the GCMS website for details.
 
  
IMPORTANT CHANGE IN MEETING REGISTRATION
Due to Ross taking leave of absence til May, you now need to advise Ros about your attendance by lunchtime on the Tuesday before a meeting.  Please copy Martin into your email as he will be helping out Ros until Ross returns.
 
Contact details:
 
Ros: ros.horne@westnet.com.au   Mobile: 0409 381 566
Martin: mkoptometry@hotmail.com   Mobile: 0433 312 027
Leaves of Absence from Rotary
 
David F will be on leave until March 22 2018
Ross will be on leave until May 10