Bulletin 17 RCoBS (Nov 15, 2017)

I couldn’t hear myself think, with the loud buzz of fellowship this morning. Chair Stan had to really hammer that gong to stifle the babble.

How refreshing to have three more ladies at The Bridge.
Our guest speakers Anne Henshall, Capital Venues and Events Marketing Manager, Jenny Mitchell, ex RCoBS member, experienced Social Worker, and Member of the Bendigo Writers’ Festival Programme Support Group,

and lo and behold, our 2007/08 exchange student, Katrina Bekemeier up from Melbourne for the day.

Highlights from an enjoyable five-member Board Meeting Monday Nov 13 2017:

Treasurer’s Report:

Peter’s usual extremely detailed report. [He’s an apology this week]. We muttered over it, acknowledging his work “tidying up” past years and the challenges for auditors fed paucity of facts. Bottom line: It’s community money.

President’s Report Highlights:

Dentistry and Maubisse:

Complex web of generous Rotarians and dentists.

Watch this space.

Post Graduate Global Grant Scholarships:

“Out of the blue” we’re about to sponsor Dr Nick Manuelpillai, armed with his Commerce, Engineering and Medical degrees applying for scholarship for a Masters at London School of Economics, all towards “Dementia/Care Villages” design and construction around the world.

I’ve appointed Mark Weragoda as his RCoBS mentor and monitor of progress.

Lightning Reef Primary School

Martin and I meet the Principal Tuesday week.

Community Support [Rob Rosaia]:

Rob’s “on fire”…

“Rob’s Diary”:

October 29 Cycling Classic [Success ++]

November 17-19 Swap Meet

November 22 DG Visit

December 1 Rosalind Park catering

Christmas Tree Lights

4:30 PM -

December 3 L’Arche catering 11 AM -

December 10 RCoBS @ Sutton Grange

December 8 RCoBS AGM

December 11 Board Meeting

December 15 V/Line [06:00 – 08:30]

Bendigo Station catering

December 20 Last RCoBs meeting 2017

January 10 RCoBS “informal” @ The Bridge

Rob reports that HINDSIGHT Bendigo will fund all the food for our BBQ’s on Australia Day.

Martin’s extensive portfolio of Youth + IT + membership:

He has one feasible solution to IT + Membership, and

Still manages to be “all over” Youth Services.

Child Safety Policy:

The document as circulated for comment has been endorsed and entered into our Policy and Procedures Manual. Review: Every six months by AR&G.

Board Positions 2018/19

Email Call for Nominations circulated.

AGM December 8th

Horizons “Committee” Monday November 27^th.

Board Paper

Scholarships Maubisse

Approved:

$1.200.00 AUD per annum to continue support for student studying midwifery at University.

$3,600.00 AUD to fund thirty new secondary school scholarships: [Ten at the Ag College].

Heather Ridge reported Sister Henrietta’s SMS as:

“Speechless. Wow really!

Wonderful, marvellous,

miracle! It is a grand news

for the students. I am

going to burst it to Sr. Luis

and Father Feliciano and

the schools [may I …..?].

Grateful thanks to the

Rotary Club. Please

forward our joyfulness and

grateful thanks to them

Mrs. Heather.’

Spotlight

It is that time again:

Message from Patti:

$40 off Spotlight vouchers that should have arrived in

letterboxes today –

We are in need of LOTS and LOTS to buy face washers and wool.

In my letterbox or to Ray please

Thank you - Patti C.

Katrina [YSE] skipped us through her CV:

High School then a Back Pack AUS year, before Business Administration in Germany, onto working in Melbourne studying at her Masters in Communication and Media, seeking permanent residency in Australia.

The Bendigo Writers’ Festival.

According to Jenny:

A gathering of interesting, and challenging minds;

An eclectic range of authors and thinkers;

“I learn new stuff”

A rich, brain-exhausting weekend;

“Where else do you get to video link with Julian Assange, in London?”; and,

We laughed [cleverly] at our foibles.

Quoting an attendee, one Malcolm Fraser:

“ I felt more intelligent just being in the room”.

Then, around the corner came all a’dinging: Sam the Story Tram .. where else but Bendigo ?

Jenny is “all over” literacy skills of young Bendigonians and an idea [witness the Vanderbilt acorn concept] now rolls out of the depot “distracting” chosen pre-schooler future Bendigonians from the actual adventure of reading.

Supported by Latrobe University, two thousand and more school students attend the Festival on the Friday.

Anne took us into a very busy View Street precinct, attendees, authors, thinkers writers and the curious all vying for a coffee, up and down the hill, and a seat at the next session.

And, The Festival does trundle off to “Small Regional Towns” such as Maryborough.

As Marketing Manager at The Capital, she’s dreaming of younger faces at The Festival proper.

RCoBS supports The Imagination Library for pre-schoolers, and Jenny has my card for a follow up discussion of how RCoBS might address the poor [Bendigo], results of a 2013 survey of pre-schoolers’ literacy