In Gear R O T A R Y C L U B O F B E A U M A R I S W E E K L Y B U L L E T I N Number 7, 15 August 2016

Next Meetings

THURSDAY 18 AUGUST

CLUB MEETING - DISTRICT GOVERNOR VISIT

CHAIR: VIVIENNE ZOPPOLATO

AV: ROSS PHILLIPS

CASH DESK: ANTONY NIXON & FRED HOFMANN

HOST: LYNDA DOUTCH

THURSDAY 25 AUGUST

SAL PERNA - FROM MURDER TO MAILS

CHAIR: GEOFF ABBOTT

AV: KEN MIRAMS

CASH DESK: ANTONY NIXON & FRED HOFMANN

HOST: MEGAN GLENWRIGHT

THURSDAY 1 SEPTEMBER

FELLOWSHIP EVENT

FILM NIGHT AT DENDY

DETAILS TBA

THURSDAY 8 SEPTEMBER

REBECCAH BARTLETT - PEACE FELLOWSHIP

CHAIR: MARY CUNNINGTON

AV: GREG EVERY

CASH DESK: TRISH SMYTH & CLEM QUICK

HOST: FRED HOFMANN

2016—2017

Serving the Community since 1985

Presidents Report Last week we welcomed Russell Hayes of the Rotary Club of Wandin to update us all on the Wheelchairs for Kids project. It was astonishing to hear how what started as a simple idea has grown into a significant enterprise that has supplied over 34,000 wheelchairs, free of charge, to the children of develop-ing countries. And it continues to do so, limited mainly by a lack of funding for the purchase of component parts. Russell also left us with the idea of running a Wheelchairs for Kids event at a local primary school. Despite the disruption caused by the start of demolition works at the Sandringham College Beaumaris Campus, we had an-other successful Farmers Market last Saturday, the last on that site for the time being. The Market Committee are now busy at work getting ready for the next market to be held on 10th Sep-tember at the Beaumaris North Primary School. Kerrie Geard attended a meeting last week with the Bayside Council and the Concourse Traders at which it was decided that the Christmas Carnival this year would be replaced by a simple Christmas Tree raising ceremony. At this stage our club will not be involved. Assistant Governor Ken Mirams and I will be attending the quarterly Presidents’ Meeting this coming Friday. We expect to learn more of District 9810 initiatives in relation to “Lift the Lid” (Australian Rotary Health), Social Media Workshops, Foundation Centennial and various service area updates. Visiting us this Thursday will be District Governor Carol Lawton and partner Frank (Lawton), she will be meeting with myself and the board prior to the meeting to get an insight into the club’s aspirations and operations. Carol will then address the meeting. Each District Governor has his/her own slant on mat-ters Rotary and I urge you all to come along and hear what motivates Carol.

Yours in Rotary

Malcolm

Contents

1 Presidents Report 2 Notices 3 This Week’s Speaker 4 Challenge to Lead Program / High Tea 5 Club Structure / Photo of Week

Unless stated otherwise venue is Victoria Golf Club 6.30 for 7.00

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Hocking Stuart Sandringham 62-64 Station Street

Telephone: 03 9521 9800

Discounted agents fees are available from Hocking Stuart for RCOB Members.

237 Bay Road, Cheltenham VIC 3192 03 8535 7980

Beaumaris Rotarians out in the community: at Mock job interviews at Sandringham College (above) and at the

Farmers Market.

the fact that no donated funds are spent on administration and there are neither salaried employees nor vehicles to maintain. Other aspects of Russell’s presentation included: • They are now producing approximately 3400

wheelchairs per year using a new design and all new components.

• The wheelchairs are a three wheel design suitable for village life

• Approximately $50,000 per month is spent on ma-terials

• All the work and administration is carried out by volunteers at no cost

• A lot of the funds are raised by school kids. For example, $6200 was raised at a primary school recently (by the school kids) at a wheelathon event, using the wheelchairs to race around the oval

• Our club members were encouraged to seek out opportunities at schools for such events

• At the end of the presentation, RC0B donated $500 to wheelchairs for kids.

Thank you to John Manks for standing in for me dur-ing my absence: Ed

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This Week’s Speaker: Russell Hayes, RC of

Wandin

Topic: Wheelchairs for Kids

The history began back in 1996 when the idea of making wheelchairs for impoverished, disabled children in under re-sourced countries came from a member of the Surfers Sunrise Rotary Club in Queensland, Aus-tralia. In 1998, Rotary Club of Scarborough adopted the concept and the project began in Western Australia as “Wheelchairs for Kids” Initially trialling production in three schools and two pris-ons the project then moved to a workshop for disadvan-taged youths in Wangara Western Australia, with Gordon Hudson as voluntary CEO and Brother Olly Pickett as workshop manager. A little while later, the Rotary Club of Scarborough and the Christian Brothers jointly rented a dedicated workshop for wheelchairs to be manufactured by retiree volunteers. The project gained momentum and the workshop had to move to larger premises and then was expanded again. Up to 2011 the WA State Government provided sufficient money to fully cover the rent for our workshops. As they have recently expanded this support now covers half our rent. They are very grateful for this support of $30,000 and with it the promise of the same amount each year for the next four years. The Rotary Club of Scarborough co-vers the workshop overheads and the Christian Brothers supply a vehicle. From humble beginnings in 1998, the volunteer work force has grown to more than 100, mainly being retired people. They machine, assemble, control quality, box the wheelchair components and load the boxes into sea con-tainers; other volunteers make cushion covers, rugs and knitted toys to accompany our finished product. With the younger recipients of our wheelchairs, the toy is always greeted with wide eyes and a broad smile. Clutch-ing on tightly, they instantly become inseparable friends. WFKs ability in attracting donations, so essential to sus-tain and grow the project, has been greatly influenced by

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CLUB STRUCTURE 2015 / 16 UPDATED 1/08/2016

BOARD CLUB SERVICE TEAM

President Malcom Sawle President Elect / Director Chris D'Arcy

President Elect Chris D’Arcy Auditor Tony Phillips

Secretary James Glenwright Program Adrian Culshaw

Treasurer Richard Jones Meeting Attendance Chris D'Arcy

Projects Robert McArthur Communications David Lea

Independent Kerrie Geard Social Media Tim Dark

Past President Trish Smyth Fellowship David Langworthy

COMMITTEE CHAIRS Photographer Max Darby, Megan Glenwright

Foundation Mike Hede Almoner Lois Lindsay, Charmaine Jansz

Membership Lynda Doutch Chair /Host /Cashiers /AV Roster

Public Relations Peter Flude Youth Protection Officer Malcolm Parks

International John Sime Compliance Officer Ken Mirams, Geoff Abbott

Youth Service Chris Martin Archivist John Beaty

Community Chris Werner

Fundraising Heather Chisholm

TEAM MEMBERS

International Community Youth Fundraising

Fred Hofmann Geoff Abbott David Rushworth Jim O’Brien

Ken Mirams Tim Dark Tony McKenna * Antony Nixon

John Manks Mary Sealy Vivienne Zoppolato Roger Frewen

Geoff Stockdale Richard Shermon Lois Lindsay Geoff Stringer

Ross Phillips Tony Phillips David Hone#

Clem Quick

John Van Dyk Membership

Mary Cunnington Megan Glenwright

Max Darby

Public Relations

Greg Every

Malcolm Parks

# Indigenous Project * District

A Walk on the Wild Side

Photograph by Ami Vitale

Ye Ye, a 16-year-old giant panda, lounges in a wild enclosure at a con-servation center in China’s Wolong Nature Reserve. China has been cre-ating reserves to restore and protect disappearing panda habitat and is now introducing captive-bred pandas into the wild.