JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020 - CLUBRUNNER

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020 - CLUBRUNNER
January / February 2020
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020 - CLUBRUNNER
This photo: Can you spot the
         Helicopter?
         Right: Clarence River NSW.

         Photos: Michael Barnes
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         Rotorwing Helicopter Services P/L.
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020 - CLUBRUNNER
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020 - CLUBRUNNER
W         ell 2020 has arrived making a statement right across
            Australia. Whatever your views, what is happening is
  devastating for communities, large or small, across all Dis-
                                                                   One particular project that has had a positive response is the
                                                                   ‘back to school’ packs. These are being purchased from the
                                                                   local newsagency and it is our aim to buy what we need
                                                                   from the impacted communities – whether it be fencing or
  tricts. The call to action has been nothing but amazing from     anything else. Sunbury Rotary have informed me that the
  the various service clubs – Rotary, Lions, Salvation Army, Red   Rotary Club of Battambang in Cambodia (a club sponsored
  Cross, CWA, Inner Wheel and the list rolls on.                   by Sunbury) have donated US$300 towards the school kits.
                                                                   In my opinion that is an outstanding contribution from a club
  It is the Emergency Services I take my hat off to; they are      based in Cambodia. Rotary really does Connect the World.
  simply outstanding – putting themselves in danger in order
  to ensure the fires are ‘contained’ as best as they can be       Recovery is going to take time. This disaster is a long way
  given the atrocious weather we’ve been experiencing. I’d         from over and the ‘normal’ fire season has just begun. We
  like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone that is involved in      need to be mindful that whilst we are dealing with immedi-
  the disasters unfolding at the moment. The front cover sum-      ate physical and practical things it is the psychological dam-
  marises the enormity of what the Emergency Services are          age that is going to take time to heal.
  dealing with.                                                   It’s a strange conundrum but as I have been visiting Rotary
  Rotary across the District has been heavily involved. Belvoir Clubs and having discussions about membership, I have
  Wodonga Rotary have been front and centre in terms of           often been told that the concept of volunteering is on the
  organising volunteers for fencing teams and arranging for       decline. You wouldn’t think so given the volunteers of all
  them to be fed; Kinglake Ranges Rotary paying back for 2009 organisations heavily involved in this disaster at the mo-
  and organising hay runs; Bright and Albury Rotary donating ment.
  fencing materials and equipment; donations from Rotary          It’s time to put our thinking caps on and work out how to
  Clubs and individuals across the District (and outside the      grow Rotary. If we don’t grow, we will eventually disappear
  District); Fencing teams from Euroa, the Shepparton Clubs       and this disaster surely demonstrates the power of Rotary
  and Albury West; evacuation centres manned in Wangaratta and exactly what Rotary can do – and needs to keep on do-
  and Wodonga and the list goes on. The problem about giving ing!
  a general update is that you always worry about whether
  you have missed a contribution – and , of course, I will have We are going to have a wonderful 2020 – because we
  but I just wanted to give you an idea of the tireless work that achieve wonderful things and we have the best people in
  has been going on for the benefit of the communities in the fantastic Rotary Clubs!
  North East.

                                                                    DG Brian.

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020 - CLUBRUNNER
Contents
 2         Spot the Helicopter
 4         DG Brian
 6         Conference Book NOW
 8        Bushfire Recovery Update
 14       Kinglake Ranges Rotary Hay Run
 15       Youth Exchange
 16       Book project plans to continue giving
 18       Good Neighbours make Good Fences
 21       Everyone has their reason for connecting with Rotary.
 23       Resolve to protect the Rotary brand in the new year

Murray Connects the District 9790 is the official monthly publication of Rotary International District 9790 Inc.
Publisher : Editor: Greg Adams, Art Director: Greg Adams. Advertising: Greg Adams
Chief Cook and bottle washer : Greg as well

Contributions are always welcome: Please contact the Editor to discuss your ideas.
ferrarigreg@gmail.com

All photos/images submitted for publication must include detailed captions : IE names of people, event locations etc.
It is presumed that the supplier of all photography/images owns or has approval from the owner of said copywrite to
reproduce the photograph/image

Closing date is by the 26th of each month. (give or take a bit)

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this publication represent those of the contributor/s and are not necessarily those of or shared by the District, the
Committee any Club, the members or the Magazine.

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020 - CLUBRUNNER
CONFERENCE MARCH 2020

Hi Fellow Rotarians

You will be aware that registrations for the District 9790 Conference are open.

The Conference is being held from Thursday March 19 till Sunday March 22 in Albury.

I am organising the Conference Golf Day to be held at the Commercial Albury Golf
Club with a 12pm shot gun start, on Thursday March 19. Trophies will be awarded for
handicapped players as well as non-handicapped players. Lunch and post games
finger food will also be provided. Registrations will commence at 11:00 am with lunch
provided before tee off.

We would love to encourage more ladies to play this year too.

Below you will find the conference registration link where you can also register to play in the Conference
Golf Day. I look forward to welcoming you on the day.

https://www.trybooking.com/570337
Yours in Rotary

Wayne Moriarty        wayne@moriarty.id.au       0418440687

For further
Page   6    information contact conference2020@rotary9790.org.au
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020 - CLUBRUNNER
The Rotary International theme for 2019-2020 is ‘Rotary Connects the World’.

O      ur District’s Clubs have always been very strong in
       District and Global Grants/Projects that connect us with
our local, Australian and international communities. However,
                                                                  To help celebrate and assist in connecting our District's Clubs
                                                                  with each other, the theme for the D9790 Conference is "2020
                                                                  Vision". The conference is all about positivity. At the
often the strong work and projects that are carried out in        conference we will be promoting activities, events, projects
these communities are not as visible as we would like. We also    and friendships that will help our city and country clubs to
don’t always see or recognise the work and support that is        start conversations and build relationships. We will build on
evident within our District between our Clubs. We know it         existing events or projects, share ideas and celebrate the
happens, such as assistance dealing with the Kinglake             success of Rotary in District 9790.
bushfires, Rural Aid and the current drought event in eastern
Australia. That’s when the District's Clubs rally around each
other and are incredible in supporting our communities. Last      I would like to personally invite you to join us for an incredible
year our Partner’s Project raised $38,000 for Rural Aid - all     three days that will be filled with uplifting speakers, project
donations from Clubs across the District. This money has          and information sharing and relationship building, all wrapped
already been disbursed.                                           around the fun and friendship that being a Rotarian brings.
                                                                  Our speakers are absolutely extraordinary, and the
In 2019-2020 ‘Rotary Connects the World’ will ensure we
                                                                  programme will be action packed but, most of all, positive …
openly demonstrate and promote how we are connecting
                                                                  2020 Vision positive!
with our Clubs and communities across the world but, just as
importantly, within Australia and our District.
                                                                  Albury Wodonga Conference-2020 Vision. We look forward to
                                                                  "seeing" you there.

                                                                  Brian Peters District Governor 2019-2020

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District 9790 Bushfire Recovery Update January 20, 2020             Money is still required to complete this project. Please
                                                                    consider, if you haven’t already done so.

                                                                    Donations: DISTRICT FUND BSB 633 000 Account: 140378365.

T     he District 9790 Bushfire Recovery Project continues to
      respond to emergencies and the consequences of the
bushfires in north eastern Victoria and southern New South
                                                                    Please put your club and “Back to School Pack” on as
                                                                    reference.

Wales, while being mindful that we still have a long summer         For farmers whose pastures have been scorched, fodder
and fire season ahead. Late last week the Ovens and King            deliveries are essential. For those who have lost fences but
Valleys still had uncontrolled fires threatening the towns of       not stock, re-fencing their properties is paramount to prevent
Bright, Myrtleford, Mount Beauty and Milawa-Oaxley, as noted        stock roaming. For those whose stock has died, burying/
by Beechworth president Jim Fiford. The Vic Emergency               removing them is a priority.
warning on Friday night was for the evacuation of the Buffalo
                                                                    The Rotary Club of Kinglake Ranges has responded to the
Valley up to the outskirts of Myrtleford. This region of Victoria
                                                                    urgent need of hay and stock feed for the Corryong region with
has not been directly affected by the bushfires, but have been
                                                                    their Bush Fire Hay Drive. With offers of assistance, both
impacted markedly by the loss of tourism to their region,
                                                                    financial and transport, along with donations of hay, they were
during the busiest tourist season of the year. Some businesses
                                                                    able to transport around 600 square bales of hay in the first
have closed and staff put off, so income is lost for many. We
                                                                    delivery to Sandy Creek two weeks ago, with stage two
need to look at ways to support these communities and visit
                                                                    following close behind. They have mobilised their troops
the region, when it’s safe to do so. Perhaps the metropolitan
                                                                    impressively. I encourage you to go to the Rotary Club of
Rotary clubs could come up with some inventive ideas of city-
                                                                    Kinglake Ranges Facebook page for updates on their amazing
country partnerships to help stimulate these economies. The
                                                                    work.
fire affected regions will similarly welcome visitors in a later
stage of their recovery.                                          Murray Jones, Rotarian from Holbrook is also organising hay
                                                                  and pellet drop offs in the area, while he is caring for 140 cattle
So what’s been happening?
                                                                  and horses on his property from fire damaged properties at
The Back to School Pack project has gained momentum from          Jingellic and Mt Alfred. Murray reported that a lady in
Rotary clubs and individuals, with 50% of the total being raised Jerilderie donated two semi-trailers of hay, one was sent to a
in the first three days. Donations are still required to complete farmer at Maragle NSW. The other was sold and the money
this project. The aim of the project is to support all children   donated to the Rotary Club of Holbrook for fencing materials, a
and families attending the Corryong P to 12 School and allow a fabulous gesture. The Rotary Club of Holbrook has also
hassle free beginning to the school year, as well as to support organised some much needed supplies to the town of Walwa
the newsagent, a local business woman who lost fencing and        and Mt Alfred, which still has limited access, no power or
animals at her farm and the old farmhouse.                        phone coverage and diminishing food stocks, as well as
                                                                  supporting the Rural Fire Service and the farming community
The Rotary Club of Albury will work with the Corryong
                                                                  around Jingellic with meals.
newsagent to assemble the packs.
                                                                  David Earle reports that the demand for horse agistment has
The president of Sunbury Rotary Club Janine Reinking was
                                                                  decreased. Many farmers have needed to keep their stock
pleased to inform us to expect a cheque for USD300 from the
                                                                  horses to work the cattle and some farmers elected to sell beef
Rotary Club of Battambang, Cambodia. Janine reports “ ..This
                                                                  cattle at the current good prices for some much needed
is a club we sponsored to start and we do projects with them.
                                                                  income. The dairy farmers are receiving good support from
We are very involved in Kits of Hope, which is a school kit
                                                                  their milk companies. David will continue to monitor
project supplying unfortunate children to go to PTD school in
                                                                  agistment requests.
Battambang…” Another example of Rotary Connects the
World.                                                                                                                             ->
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020 - CLUBRUNNER
The fencing teams are working well in the Corryong area with       The 15,000 P2/N95 face masks donated
the support from the Rotary Club of Belvoir-Wodonga, who           by American charity Direct Relief are
are also providing the catering for the teams and community        being distributed widely to communities
fencing volunteers. Camp has been set up at the Corryong           in the region affected by the bushfires
sportsground.                                                      and the smoke pollution by AG Margaret Crisp. AG Dave
                                                                   Barrat reports that the Rotary clubs in group 6 have
The Albury North Rotary Club is planning a dinner meeting
                                                                   distributed 1,500 to people in need within their communities.
with Holbrook and will assist the club with their fencing
repairs, when safe to do so. The Rotary Clubs of Euroa and         The Rotary Clubs of Myrtleford, Mt Beauty and Bright are
Benalla will assist friends from Corryong, with their fencing      working on a project to provide air purifiers in the Myrtleford,
repairs. Effective Rotary club partnerships are developing.        Bright and Mt Beauty Hospitals.

A group of 4WD enthusiasts from Geelong, who are regulars          Background to this project has been provided by Mark Lucey,
at the annual Corryong Man From Snowy River Festival, will         president Rotary Club of Mount Beauty.
arrive soon in Corryong to assist with the fencing. They will be
                                                                   “..During the height of the bushfire emergency Alpine Health
based at the Colac Colac Caravan Park and will help bring
                                                                   evacuated patients from Mount Beauty and Bright to either
much needed revenue to the area. A BBQ with the Corryong
                                                                   Myrtleford or other hospitals in the North East.
locals is planned.
                                                                      Patients are now returning to the hospitals and aged care
Rotarians Rob Caddell (Tallangatta) and Bill and Wendy
                                                                      facilities
Gerritsen (Appin Park Wangaratta) have completed the four
day Camp Coordinator training for BlazeAid and will move into         Medical staff are concerned about the extremely poor air
the Corryong area next week, with a fencing camp to be set            quality and ongoing health of aged patients
up shortly afterwards. BlazeAid camps will also begin at              With the ongoing extreme poor air quality in the North
Jingellic and possibly Cobargo. Fencing volunteers are                East and especially the Ovens and Kiewa Valleys Alpine
required. If anyone would like to join the BlazeAid teams, or if      Health have an urgent requirement for portable air
you would like more information, please contact Phil Clancy.          purifiers.
A generous donation of $15,000 was made last week to the              It been identified a total of 45 Dyson TP04 units (being 15
District Bushfire Recovery Project by the Wangaratta company          per hospital) is required @ $700 each total $31,500.
Alpine Truss. Alpine Truss manufacturer pre-fabricated
timber roof trusses, wall frames and posi-strut flooring              Main issue with smoke is 2.5 micron particles which is
systems and their company is well known in the north east             hazardous to humans especially the frail and those with
region of Victoria and beyond. This donation has been made            lung conditions
to directly assist the farmers and local people who have been          Dr Mark Zagorski (Mt Beauty) recently conducted a test
devastated by the bushfires. We will keep you informed of             with the above units at Kiewa Valley House 2.5 micron
further details.                                                      level was 271 – extremely hazardous.
The Rotary Clubs of Appin Park, Wangaratta and Milawa Oxley           After running 4 units for 5 hours the 2.5 micron level was
have completed their wonderful 2 weeks of volunteering at             at 33 – Very good.
the evacuation centre in Wangaratta. Rotarian volunteers
                                                                      Rotary Club of Mount Beauty has taken the lead on this
worked on alternate days with the Lions club preparing and
serving meals. Patti Bulluss reported that they also                  project and is collaboratively working with Rotary Clubs of
importantly, spent time sitting with and listening to people’s        Bright and Myrtleford..”
stories. The evacuation centre has now closed and most             They need your help and donations to the DISTRICT FUND
people have gone back to their communities or relocated to         would be appreciated. For further information contact Mark
family or friends. Milawa Oxley Rotarians will deliver a truck     Lucey.
load of non-perishable food and new clothing to Corryong
                                                                   marklucey@bigpond.com
where with the assistance of Corryong Rotarians the goods
will be directed to those in need.                                 The Rotary Club of Wodonga West has partnered with Amy's
                                                                   Hairdressing and raised thousands of dollars for IGA vouchers
                                                                   to be distributed in Corryong.

                                                                                                                                 ->

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020 - CLUBRUNNER
Rotary Club of Tallangatta have been organising
 hay runs, working at the evacuation centre and
 supporting Corryong Rotarian friends. They plan
 to visit as a club as soon as Corryong Rotary is
 functioning again.

 Rotary Club of Belvoir-Wodonga have been doing
 a great job with the catering for the volunteers
 who are assisting the fencing teams, as well as
 supporting the coordination of the fencing teams.

 The Rotary Club of Wodonga Central have been
 supporting their President who is a Salvation
 Army first responder and they have been very
 active in distributing the face masks. Please check
 the Wodonga Central Facebook page.

 The Rotary Club of Bellbridge-Lake Hume has
 supported the district fundraising and the 'Back
 to School Packs'.

 Di Hand from the Rotary Club of Deniliquin is
 making pouches for injured wildlife. We’re
 currently working on - if and where they can be
 used in our district. If there is a demand Di may
 need helpers.

 The Rotary Club of Yarrawonga Mulwala’s District
 9790 Bushfire Appeal Sunday Market was a huge
 success, raising in excess of $7,000. There were
 many tired Rotarians at the end of the day.

 For further information regarding volunteering
 please email: firevolunteer@rotary9790.org.au

 Rosemary Freeman
 Secretary, Rotary Club of Moreland
 District 9790 Community Service Chair

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https://www.trybooking.com/BHTMD

                                   Page 13
STAGE ONE

 O     ur Rotary Club is overwhelmed by the response to our call for
       help. Mid last week Jason McFadyen from Cheeky Fox Resort
 in conjunction with Bob Burns and a small team of helpers from the
 Rotary Club of Kinglake Ranges made a call to arms and sought
 support for our BUSH FIRE HAY DRIVE.

 We identified the region of Corryong as our target response
 area. Within what seemed only hours we were receiving
 offers of assistance & support for hay donations, offers of
 transport and financial support.

 Resulting from this interest we culminated a busy
 couple of days by delivering on Sunday 5th January
 to the Sandy Creek Recreation Reserve, some 600
 square bales of hay. Sandy Creek is
 approximately 100ks west of Corryong. We
 employed two tip trucks, four utilities,
 complete with tandem trailers and one
 “historic” tray truck.

 You will have seen on the media, images
 of trucks loading “rounds” of hay for
 delivery to various badly effected
 areas within our state. As a result
 of our strategic connection with
 the Corryong district and close
 connection with local farmers,
 we were able to quickly
 identify an immediate need
 for “square” hay bales.
 Squares were readily
 available, easy to
 handle, simple to
 transport, effective in
 distribution and only need
 manpower to get to the places of most
 need.

 Suffice to say the consignment was welcomed by the helpers
 at Sandy Creek, a mixture of local farmers, football club members
 and community spirited helpers.

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STAGE TWO

Our team is currently preparing for stage 2 and are actively sourcing more feed, both hay and pellets. Of course, importantly
we will need transport resources. We have established Monday 13th January as the next “drop off” day.

Our preference is for the bales, both rounds & squares, to be delivered to the Marshalling Area at 215 Extons Road, Kinglake
at about 5.00pm. The entrance will be identified by yellow & blue Bali flags. If you can’t make this day/time, please contact

Bob Burns on 0428 300 357 directly to arrange an alternative time. Alternatively Ken Wearne 0439 081421, or email Ken
cloudmist@live.com.au

         We intend to deliver the donations to the Corryong area on Sunday 19th January. departing at 7.00am, with final
                local pickups and transport to the Marshalling Yard on the Saturday. If you can donate transport, please
                         reply to this email with availability.

                                   Due to the requirement of Occupational Health & Safety we will require all persons
                                           entering the site to be attired in appropriate work wear suitable for the tasks to
                                                  be undertaken. Further we will have a brief Induction prior to work start
                                                           to ensure we have a safe & incident free experience. Please
                                                                   ensure that you sign in arrival. We would expect that all
                                                                            persons providing vehicles to carry all statutory
                                                                                   insurances & that all vehicles are
                                                                                          registered & road worthy.

                                                                                         We are pleased to advise that our on-
                                                                                       ground contacts at Corryong/Sandy
                                                                                     Creek have been receiving many truck
                                                                                   loads of hay, which is reassuring. The
                                                                                 immediate pressure has somewhat reduced,
                                                                               however the farmers are desperate for feed
                                                                              pallets for sheep, dairy cows and beef cattle, in
                                                                            that order. It seems that the sheep farmers have
                                                                          been forgotten in the rush to support the cattle
                                                                        industry. We are now, as well as seeking hay bales,
                                                                      actively sourcing feed pellets as above. You will all be
                                                                     aware that this need for stock feed is going to extend
                                                                   over a lengthy period until the effected farmers can re
                                                                 establish normal feed arrangements. So please keep your
                                                                eye on the Rotary Club of Kinglake Ranges

                                                             Facebook page for updates. Furthermore, we will keep our
                                                            newsletters coming.

                                                      Finally, thank you to the many community spirited people who
                                                    unhesitatingly stepped up when your country neighbours were in need.
                                                   We are proud to be an Australian, for when the chips are down and our
                                                 brothers and sisters need our help, we are always there for them. Well
                                                done to you all.

                                                                                                                      Page 15
Rotary Youth Exchange

                                  On Friday 17 January I travelled to Melbourne
                                  Airport to farewell District 9790’s Youth Ex-
                                  change students. They left in three batches –
                                  early in the morning heading to Brazil, after-
                                  noon heading to Europe and then early evening
                                  heading to Japan and Taiwan.

                                  Our Youth Exchange Committee, headed up by
                                  Bruce McIntyre, do a fantastic job organising
                                  the students and get them ready to head over-
                                  seas. A significant amount of work goes into
                                  making this programme a success and having
                                  18 long term Youth Exchange students over-
                                  seas this year is a fantastic outcome. Thank you
                                  to all clubs who support this programme and to
                                  ROTEX who support us.

                                     I’m delighted to report that they all arrived
                                     safely!

Page 16
Book project plans to continue giving

                                                                                 Members from the Rotary Club of Surin and
                                                                                 president Joe Weemaes .
                                                                                 The Rotary Club is helping to distribute the
                                                                                 books to the different provincial schools in
                                                                                 their area.

DISTRIBUTION: Rotary Club of Wodonga West president Joe Weemaes helps present donated books to primary school in
Thailand through Albury-Wodonga appeal that supports the children’s English language development.
Article published in the Border Mail ( Albury/Wodonga and district 30/01/2020)

                                                                                                                   Page 17
Good Neighbours make Good
                            Fences
                            A glimpse of the Corryong fire recovery

                                                                         On one hand, a mixture of skilled and unskilled fencers
                                                                             arrive to donate their time on any given day. Some

“I    ’m with the Rotary Club of Belvoir-Wodonga”, I told the
      police officer at the Bullioh roadblock. “It’s all good”,
was the beaming reply, as she waved me through on the road
                                                                             are organized by the Lions Club of Kiewa-Tallangatta
                                                                             and some by Benalla Uniting Church, there are
                                                                             posses of local police who volunteer at the end of a
to Corryong.
                                                                             shift, the Army has committed eight soldiers to join
For as long as I can remember, that end of the Murray Valley                 the teams, and then there is everyone who arrives
Highway has been my favourite driving road. I’ve known it for                ad hoc from as far as Brisbane and Bourke to pitch
its gorgeous greens of all kinds, laid out in folds as far as an             in. Total numbers are unknowable until the day, and
eye can see in the clean air under a spotless sky. On the                    all of these good people need to be fed and watered.
morning of Friday 17 January, however, I saw a different place           On the other hand, supplies roll in from a wide range of
entirely. The vast valley had become a vast bowl of smoke,                   incredibly generous local organizations that donate
and I mean the kind of smoke where you turn your fog lights                  what they can. There’s Scots School Albury, making
on. It was the kind of smoke where, when the sun rises dead                  sandwiches and dinner every second day while the
in front of you, it’s the colour of a red traffic light, and                 parents make and package biscuits and slices.
scarcely any brighter; and where you can’t tell whether the                  Westmont Aged Care prepares dinner every second
scenery is green or black. It was fifty kilometres of that kind of           day. Inner Wheel Wodonga makes sandwiches every
smoke. It was the smoke from the Corryong fires.                             fourth day. St Stephen’s Uniting Church lent a bain
Still the town of Corryong is standing, and a sign in the main               marie and prepares sandwiches every fourth day.
street explains why, in three hand-written words: “CFA thank                 The family and friends of St Stephen’s congregation
you”. For the town and its surrounding farmland, the moment                  make slices and cakes. The Rotary Club of Benalla
of crisis has passed, and the long recovery has begun. But                   and Pinner’s Refrigeration of Albury each lent a
volunteers are still the heart of it, and that heart is what I had           portable cool room. Wodonga Foodshare provided
come to see.                                                                 three pallets of basic provisions to get started. There
                                                                             are slices, scones, and sausage rolls from
The Australian Army was setting up camp, with heavy                          Rutherglen’s “The Other Place”; meals, milk and juice
machinery for clearing debris and opening roads; and it was                  from Coon’s Dairy; and hams from Butt’s Smallgoods.
behind them, in the recreational reserve, that I found the                   Corryong Campdraft Club, which owns the venue,
second army -- the army of civilian volunteers. For them,
                                                                             provides daily cleaning. Members of RC Belvoir-
camp consists of tents and caravans in all shapes and sizes,
                                                                             Wodonga ferry supplies to Corryong each day in
HQ is a shelter by the football oval, and the attire is various:
                                                                             their own vehicles and distribute lunches each day to
there are some Rotary shirts and some Lions shirts, but
                                                                             fencing teams in the field.
mostly it’s just whatever clothes are okay to get dirty,
because the task is to pull down and rebuild kilometre after         So many aspects of the operation are unpredictable, and
kilometre of boundary fences that the fire has ruined.               what is the result? There is always the right amount of
                                                                     everything, right when it’s needed. It all runs like clockwork.
There I was greeted by an ebullient Graeme Sayer (my club’s
vice-president), and also by freshly cooked bacon and eggs           The scale is large and growing. I have figures of 110
with a side serving of bright banter between the volunteers.         volunteers in a day, and of $40,000 worth of donated
Graeme, along with Barry Membrey from our club and Peter             material and equipment for catering; but, by the time you
Elias from the Rotary Club of Albury, has been a driving force       read this, both will have been surpassed. “Rebuild Upper
in the logistical support, which can only be described as a          Murray” has donated $25,000 in fencing material. Police and
virtuoso performance. For consider this:                             ambulance services are in regular contact to offer support.

Page 18
Fencing operations come under the coordination of a     But back to my time on the road with Ken and Peter.
human dynamo named Ken Jones, from the Kiewa-           En route we saw fallen fences in a blackened
Tangambalanga Lions Club. I had the privilege to ride   landscape, and thick piles of soft grey ash that once
with him and Peter, his club’s secretary, as they       were precious hay. Worst of all, we saw the remains
visited farms up and down the valley. The official      of buildings, including houses, where nothing was left
business was to assess fencing needs and to allocate    but bits of roofing iron, tossed around roughly and
resources, but of course this was also about pastoral   randomly like a packet of chips poured onto the floor.
care. We were visiting people who needed a talk or a    Mercifully there was no loss of life, but how terrifying
hug or to share a cup of tea, and the Lions men were    must it have been? One unflappable farmer
helpful in every situation. Equally impressive were     described the flames this way: “This f???ing tumbler
the farmers. Though they acknowledged the plain         thing has come up the hill, then it just went black, like
fact that they need help, many insisted that priority   you’d switched off a light. So I thought that was a bit
should go to others in greater need.                    ordinary.”

We stopped by some of the fencing crews, including      There is nothing ordinary in any of this. In the end, as
one group of agriculture students who had travelled     I passed back through the Bullioh roadblock, I realised
from Horsham to help out. They were young women,        how much I had learnt since I came in. Yes, I’m with
and not the only ones, putting in the hard yards        the Rotary Club of Belvoir-Wodonga, and yes, that’s
under the 35? sun.                                      all good; but the whole story is so much bigger and
                                                        better. “Service above self” is all around. You can find
I suppose each contributing organisation has its story;
                                                        it with badges that say “Rotary” or “Lions”, “Police”
its connection to the affected area that somehow
                                                        or “Ambulance”, “Army” or “Uniting Church”, and
spurred it to action. For RC Belvoir-Wodonga, it
                                                        you can find it with no badge at all. There are so
began with hay. Very soon after the fires passed
                                                        many people contributing so much, and it’s all all
through, one member heard on the radio that cattle
                                                        good.
were about to starve, so he called another member
who could donate his own hay, another who could
organise transport, and another who could raise         Michael Shepanski
donations of more. So, by the time trucks were          Secretary, Rotary Club of Belvoir-Wodonga
allowed in, we had five semi-trailer loads rolling. In
the process connections were made, and we got a
handle on what was needed most next. Barry
Membrey got fired up, and when that happens you
can bet that action follows.

                                                                                                                    Page 19
How can you help?
                         District has now established a Bushfire Recovery Fund with the Bendigo Bank.
The account details are as follows: District 9790 Bushfire Recovery Fund BSB 633-000 Account 171612534

After the 2009 Bushfires we had a separate account that had tax deduction status but the ATO ended the tax deduction status in
2012.
All donations that we have received so far will be transferred to the Bushfire Recovery Fund. We are seeking approval from the
ATO to have tax deduction status with this account.
Every cent donated to this fund will be spent in the Bushfire affected areas. If you wish to donate as an individual or as a Club
and have a specific request then simply add that into the Reference area when you make the transfer – ie ‘Back to School packs’
or ‘Fencing’ etc.
There are other ways to donate if that is your wish and some of them are

2019-20 Bushfires Appeal
We have all seen the disastrous fires that have erupted, taking lives as well as destroying hundreds of homes and properties
across Australia.

Rotary is once again taking the lead and looking to provide support for families in need. To this end several Rotary Districts and
Clubs have established projects which are ready and able to accept donations from you. All of those projects can apply for funds
from this appeal.

Please donate to: Rotary National Bushfires Appeal             at https://rawcs.org.au/
Donate to Firefighters
Fire Brigades with the Rural Fire Service in NSW and the Country Fire Authority in Victoria are crying out for supplies and dona-
tions so you might want to consider donating or even joining up as a volunteer with your local volunteer brigade.
Salvation Army
The Salvos have launched a Disaster Appeal to support communities affected by the devastating Bushfires across the Australia.
To donate to the Salvation Army Disaster Appeal, go to ‘salvationarmy.org.au’ or call 13 SALVOS or donate at any Woolworths
checkout.
Red Cross
The Australian Red Cross is supporting communities affected by the Bushfires. Support includes psychological first aid, support
at evacuation centres, longer-term recovery programs, assisting families and communities and supporting volunteers.
To donate go to ‘redcross.org.au’.
WIRES
WIRES (Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service) is accepting donations to help their efforts in supporting displaced
and injured wildlife affected by the fires and also by drought.
To donate go to ‘wires.org.au’
But be aware of scams – even in times like this there are people wanting to capitalise on the misfortunes of others.

Page 20
Everyone has their reason for connecting with Rotary.

  S   ome enjoy their club and community service, others
      International projects or take a specific field such as
  Youth. We seem to do all five avenues of service really well
                                                                   The contribution is a way that Rotarians contribute $US1000
                                                                   to The Rotary Foundation.

                                                                    Director, Rotary International LGBT Fellowship
  and what is important to remember is that Rotary originated
                                                                   and Strathmore’s Youth Services Chair Grant Godino and
  as an opportunity for vocational service.
                                                                   District 9790 Assistant Governor Emma Davis presented
   That’s 1.22 million special people in this world doing          the Paul Harris to Lee.
  something for someone else every day; the service above
                                                                   Congratulations Lee Garwood, Paul Harris Fellow.
  self ethos.

   At Strathmore Rotary’s Annual Combined night on 8
  January, we acknowledged Lee Garwood, CEO at Brunswick           Emma Davis
  Private Hospital. Lee was inducted to Strathmore Rotary in       Assistant Governor (Group 2) District 9790
  July 2019, however long before that time he has had an           Past President, Paul Harris Fellow, Royce Abbey Awardee
  association to the club and members.                             Rotary Club of Strathmore
   Lee showcases high ethical standards professionally and as      Project Coordination and Event Management
  a Rotarian, has been able to use his occupation as an            Phone: +61 407 628 388
  opportunity to serve society. Lee has a strong commitment
  to community engagement, patient safety and quality
  healthcare delivery.

   Donations in Kind is a recycling and reuse program involving
  the collection, sorting, packing, dispatch and distribution of
  donated items to countries in need. Through two very
  generous donations, Lee has made significant contributions
  to Donations in Kind. The donation Lee and Brunswick
  Private Hospital has made is remarkable.

   We appreciate the use of Lee’s skills and expertise to serve
  our community. The donation will directly positively impact
  on communities through disease prevention and treatment,
  and economic and community development. As Rotarians,
  we and the team at Brunswick Private Hospital are proud of
  Lee’s professional integrity. Lee inspires others by
  undertaking these contributions, bringing vocational service
  to life. On behalf of the Donations in Kind Team we
  presented Lee with a certificate of appreciation and another
  little surprise.

  A Paul Harris Fellow, named after our Rotary Founder, is
  recognised as making an outstanding commitment to the
  Club or the community. A Paul Harris Fellow recognition
  allows our Rotary Foundation another opportunity to do
  even more good in the world. People can receive a Paul
  Harris by either personal contributions or when a club
  purchase one on their behalf.

                                                                                                                      Page 21
Education is the gift of life.

                                     A Sri Lankan Buffet Luncheon
                        Venue - The Marlhes Restaurant, Assumption College, KILMORE.
                            Date -   Sunday 16th February 2020. 12md for 12.30pm start.

                                                           Menu
          Hoppers and Egg Hoppers.

          Curries
          Beef curry in Sri Lankan spices (medium hot).
          Pork curry in fiery dark roasted spices (hot).
          Chicken curry in coconut and turmeric (mild).

          Vegetables                                              Accompaniments
          Beetroot curry.                                         Cardamon scented Turmeric rice
          Cabbage Mallum.                                         Steamed rice.
          Potato in coconut broth.                                Coconut Sambol.
          Red lentils and spinach curry.                          Lunu Miris.
          Eggplant Pahi.                                          Mango Chutney.
                                                                  Papadum

          Dessert
          Watalappam –spiced coconut and jaggery
          custard.
          Fresh Fruit.
          Price per head including GST - $45.00

          Bookings – 0419365609 or psiebel@westnet.com.au

          All proceeds from this function will be used to provide water, sanitation and educational
          needs via our Foundation Grant to an indigenous school in Sri Lanka.

          For more information on Sri Lankas indigenous people and the Dambana school please
Page 22   visit                         www.petestravellingpans.com
Resolve to protect the Rotary      you apply our brand correctly and
                         brand in the new year              consistently across all channels you
                                                            ensure:
                         Posted on December 26, 2019
                                                            your projects are recognised as Rotary at a glance
                                                            you are able to instantly tap into the hard-won goodwill
                                                            and credibility of an international 115-year-old
                                                            movement
By Amanda Wendt, vice chair of the RI Communications        you look professional and worthy of the time and
Committee and a member of the Rotary Club of Melbourne,
                                                            resources of supporters
Victoria, Australia
                                                            How can your club benefit from the Rotary brand?

I   recently saw a story on television about a West
    Papuan woman who received life-changing facial
surgery to fix a a deformity which had caused her a
                                                            We all have an important role to play in being
                                                            custodians of the Rotary brand. The great news is it’s
lifetime of struggling to eat, drink and speak. Members     very easy to ensure your club or district is using the
of the Rotary Club of Liverpool West and Bendigo            correct logo. Through the Rotary Brand Center you can
Strathdale flew the woman to Australia for the surgery. I   create a free, professional and on-brand logo within
was instinctively moved to share the story immediately      minutes!
with my network, congratulating the team involved and       You can then update all of your existing collateral with
expressing how truly proud I was at that moment to be       your new logo. To assist you, here is a checklist of some
a Rotarian.                                                 of the places where you can resolve in the new year to
I’m sure many of my fellow Rotary members can relate        place your new logo:
to this feeling. We’ve all experienced pride when our       Online platforms such as websites and social media
Rotarian friends locally or abroad have helped change
                                                          Email signatures
the world. But this instance made me realize that we
                                                          Slideshow presentations
have something else that communicates that sense of
                                                          Flyers
pride and it is valuable to preserve and promote.         Brochures
Since Rotary’s inception 115 years ago, our Master        Posters
Brand signature, the Rotary wheel, has generated an       Advertising and editorial
untold amount of goodwill from people who have seen Banners
it displayed in connection with Rotary projects that have Signs
brought clean drinking water to a village, prevented      Merchandise
diseases, improved local economies, or otherwise            Digital platforms are always a great place to start and if
changed communities for the better.                         you need budget for new banners or merchandise, as an
                                                            example, make a plan with your club’s leadership to
The wheel is the purest, simplest visual representation
                                                            assign budget for these items as soon as you practically
of all that we have achieved and all that we are yet to
                                                            can.
accomplish. The opportunity to represent my club and
its efforts under the same icon is my way of honouring      As diverse as we are, collectively, we are all connected.
my fellow Rotarians for their amazing achievements.         With all of us displaying the same wheel, we can ensure
                                                            every Rotary project benefit from the achievements of
How do we preserve and promote the Rotary wheel?
                                                            every other. Rotarians not only serving the community
In today’s world, individuals are constantly bombarded      but helping other Rotarians serve the community as
by thousands of advertising messages. It’s vital that we    well! By taking pride in the way we display our brand,
have a consistent, high-quality visual representation of    we know there are other Rotarians taking pride in what
our brand to cut through all that noise.                    we have delivered, as we look forward to our next 115
                                                            years of service.
                                                                                                                 Page 23
As a Rotary club or district, when
Page 24
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