Master of Ceremonies Past President Bob Glindemann opened the 5059 meeting with the customary payment of respect to the owners of the land on which we meet. The meeting reflection was delivered by Past President Robert Fisher and is published separately in this Bulletin. The meeting adjourned for meal service following the loyal toast led by President Catherine Baxter.
On resumption of the meeting, President Catherine welcomed warmly this year’s Vocational Service Awardee, Simone Carson AM and her husband Ian; as well as 8 past Awardees present as guests of the Club. Full details of all guests, including visiting Rotarians and guests of members are included at the Conclusion of this Bulletin.
President Catherine then invited Stephanie Hunt, Alberto Balbo, Anne McCormack and Anne O’Donovan to come forward for induction into Membership of the Club accompanied by their sponsors, Sana Malik, Past President Chris Sotiropoulos and Susan Barton to the podium.
Each new member was introduced to the Club, by their sponsor, and the induction charge was delivered by President Catherine. This was followed by each new inductee giving a brief address in response.
At approximately 1:20pm and having confirmed that a quorum of members were present, President Catherine then adjourned the meeting to conduct the Club’s 103rd Annual General Meeting. Details are reported elsewhere in this Bulletin.
Following adjournment of the AGM 6 minutes or so later, Past President Bob Glindemann returned to the podium and delivered an update on the “Every Rotarian Every Year” Donation plan. He introduced District 9800 Rotary Foundation Donations coordinator Jane Pennington who spoke about the success of the 2024 annual End Polio Now and the importance of supporting this hallmark Rotary program, which, with the support of the Gates Foundation has virtually eliminated this debilitating disease from our world. We were all encouraged to dig deep to contribute, the impact of which would be trebled by a 2 for 1 matching grant from the Gates Foundation. See more details in the bulletin article.
President Catherine then announced that our 4th December meeting has been shifted from an evening meeting to a luncheon meeting to be addressed by Ken Piesse, Sports Journalist and Author of several Cricket Books. This lunch which will be held in the room next door – the West Wing suite on Level 35, Sofitel. Please diarise this date change and invite a fan to hear from a well-known Cricket commentator.
President Catherine Baxter, called upon the chair of the day, Past President Reg Smith, to take over the meeting. Reg recounted the rich tradition of Rotary Melbourne's Vocational Service Award (now in its 60th year) and highlighted the achievements of the 2024 awardee, Simone Carson AM, co-founder and deputy chair of Second Bite.
Simone was awarded the Vocational Service Award 2024 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to food rescue and fresh food access. Click here to read the full Award citation.
Simone delivered a heartfelt address, acknowledging her deep respect for previous award recipients and expressing gratitude for the recognition by Rotary Melbourne.
Simone shared the mission of Second Bite, recounting its humble beginnings in 2005 and its evolution into a national food relief charity. Emphasizing the importance of community and partnerships, she acknowledged the collective effort of many individuals and the significant support from Rotary Melbourne.
Simone highlighted sobering statistics: 2.5 million tons of food wasted by Australian households and 7.6 million tons lost across the food system, juxtaposed against 30% of Australians making difficult choices about buying food. Second Bite distributes approximately 68,000 kilograms of food weekly, preventing it from ending up in landfills.
She reflected on the early days of the organization, driven by the waste of nutritious food while many went hungry. What started as collecting 600 kilograms of food has grown into a charity distributing 25 million kilograms of food annually, translating to 50 million meals nationwide.
Simone praised the essential role of Rotary in Second Bite's success and growth. She proudly announced the merger with Fair Share, which will amplify their ability to meet the increasing demand for food relief, combining resources to distribute both fresh produce and prepared meals more efficiently.
In closing, Simone read an extract from her 2020 Churchill Fellowship Report, underscoring the profound significance of food beyond mere nourishment, tying it to economic, cultural, and spiritual aspects. She expressed deep gratitude to Rotary and Second Bite’s team, volunteers, and partners, reaffirming the shared commitment to food security for all Australians.
The ceremony concluded with a thank you to all participants, including visitors, past winners, and the event team, followed by an announcement of the next week’s speaker, Dennis Shore from the Rotary Foundation.
To view the recording of the full meeting – click here.
For Simone’s presentation and address in response see below:
Click on the photos below to view the gallery.
