RYLA – Rotary Youth Leadership Awards – for District 9800 was held over the week of 27 November to 3 December 2016. The Club, through the Welfare of the Young Committee, sponsored three participants, Emily Dao, Mona Chandra and Jennifer Mitchell.
Trevor Nink has notified us that "fabulous fun, fitness, friendship and fundraising" will again be created with one of our Club's highlight events of our Rotary year. Note please in your diaries: "Around the Bay"...Sunday 7 October.
Congratulations to David Inglis for receiving the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ Companion of the College Award, an honour that has only been awarded to five people in the past 18 years.
Last week, we were fascinated to hear the progress of End Trachoma 2020 Centenary Project which was provided by Lien Tranh, End Trachoma 2020 Project Co-Ordinator and PP Peter Rogers describing the prototype Face Washing Trailer supporting the Project. Incidentally, this Trailer will be on display in the Driveway of the Sofitel Hotel on Wednesday, 30 May. Thank you Peter! Both Peter and Lien's presentations are available in Podcasts on our website.
In September 2017, the International PolioPlus Committee provided this latest update on the eradication of Polio:
1. The goal of the PolioPlus program:
The goal of the PolioPlus program is the global certification of polio eradication. By eradication, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Commission on Certification and Rotary mean the interruption of the transmission of all polioviruses.
Chris Wang and his team are continuing to raise interest and support from our Club for the "Give Every Child a Future" project which will initially immunise 100,000 children in 9 Pacific Countries whilst also being a sustainable ongoing immunisation into the future.
Katharine Brown, our third Global Postgraduate Scholar successfully nominated by RC of Melbourne.
Hugh Bucknall provided this exciting and detailed update to Members when we shall all celebrate our 100th Birthday.
Awardee & Guest Speaker: Dr Bronwyn King, CEO Tobacco Free Portfolios
Chairperson: Reg Smith
The 2017-18 Rotary Club of Melbourne Vocational Service Award recognizes the distinguished service of Dr Bronwyn King, oncologist, founder and CEO of Tobacco Free Portfolios. This is a not-for-profit organisation that collaborates with the world’s largest financial organisations to drive global change towards tobacco-free finance.
Thank you to Bruce Davidson our Archivist for the following wonderful Reflection for 18 April 2018: "Today is just another day in the Rotary calendar or is it? As President Mary said it is our 38th meeting of the year and I can tell you it is the 4743rd meeting of our Club!
Happy 150th Birthday to Paul Harris! His spirit lives on! Grassroots Peacemaking continues to spread like rings on the water! (Seen here planting a tree in Melbourne. Possibly handsome Angus Mitchell and Walter Drummond looking on.)
Robert M Fels is seen here after being presented with the District 9800 Recognition of Outstanding Service Award by RI President Ian H S Riseley OAM. This was awarded to Bob for outstanding Service to Rotary District 9800, The Rotary Foundation and Rotary International.
Rob Helmes has provided the Bulletin with the following report from Jean-Noel Melotte, current Peace Fellow at Chulalongkorn in Bangkok. Rob has also provided the Flyer Peace Fellowship Flyer 2018 which you can download and provide to someone you might know who might be interested to apply for the fully funded university training in peace and conflict resolution.
Members will be pleased to hear that Melbourne has been asked to resubmit our bid to host the 2023 Rotary International Convention. This is great news for our Club and District. It is a really big deal!! More updates will be provided as they happen so you can commence planning for possibly THE biggest event in numbers of visitors to Melbourne.
Our RCM members, Rob McGuirk and Kerry Kornhauser were joined by PDG Murray Verso recently in producing a Live Series of interviews with President Ian Riseley, RI; our Hon. Member Prof Hugh Taylor AC, Harold Mitchel Chair Indigenous Eye Health, University of Melbourne; Dr Anthony Solomon, WHO; Prof Kerry Arabena, Indigenous Health Equity Unit; Gwen Troutman-Weir, Aust. Trachoma Alliance.
Rotary International's fifth annual World Polio Day was co-hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Bill says there is much cause for celebration: "It is very possible that 2017 may see the end of the wild polio virus."
On behalf of the District Foundation Committee, Rob Helme is delighted to announce that District 9800, and particularly the Rotary Club of Melbourne, were again successful this year in supporting applications to the Rotary Foundation Peace Fellowship program.
Jim Markovski, the Les Twentyman Foundation, was awarded the Sir John Reid Community Service Award 2017. Photo shows Jim with a fellow volunteer Arec Athium and Chris Stilwell. Jim is admirably qualified to be a worthwhile recipient for this year's Award as the following will attest.
The attached update from Disaster Aid Australia identifies the many Projects Rotary International and our Club are supporting around the world. Read on as to how you can "Make a Difference" by supporting Rotary International. Disaster_Aid_Australia_News_Updates_Spring_2017.pdf
The inaugural John Mitchell Indigenous Service Award was presented by Pres. Mary to Rick and Edward Tudor, Directors of the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School. The photograph shows L-R: Edward Tudor, Rick Tudor, Aileen Mitchell (John Mitchell's wife) and Rob McGuirk (Donydji Committee Member).
“With end to polio in sight, vaccination gets creative”. Could the world be about to eradicate polio? Only 17 cases were diagnosed in 2016 and they were all in two countries with the last hard-to-reach corners: Afghanistan and Pakistan. The public health groups trying to put the squeeze on polio have started to get more creative in their last push. The latest: Turning Vaccination into a Circus.
As most of you will know, our Club has supported the indigenous homeland, Donydji or, as it is now known, Gurrumala, for over 15 years, both financially and in kind. Until his sudden death last Christmas, John Mitchell was a key member of the Rotary Subcommittee providing this support and was its Chairman from its inception.
RYLA – Rotary Youth Leadership Awards – for District 9800 was held over the week of 27 November to 3 December 2016. The Club, through the Welfare of the Young Committee, sponsored three participants, Emily Dao, Mona Chandra and Jennifer Mitchell.
As part of our Club's on-going committment to offer an outing for elderly folk who are often socially isolated, the Health and Ageing Committee arranged for 35 Senior Citizens who live in supported accommodation to have lunch at Max's Restaurant, Red Hill Estate.
Stephanie Woollard, Rotary Peace Fellow and fellow Club Member has won a global award from Rotary International for "Responsible Business," presented at the UN Headquarters, on 12 November 2016.