Port Fairy Rotary held its Changeover Dinner on 25 June 2018 at which the incoming club executive led by 2018/19 President Sue Robertson was inducted.
Outgoing President Bill Moore delivered his report on the Club's achievements during 2017/18. Bill identified a number of highlights for the year including the inaugural golf day, the Shaw River Buffalo Cheese tours, the international exchange student program and the introduction of more Club social events.
2017/18 President Bill Moore
Here is an edited version of 2017/18 President Bill Moore' s report:'When I took on this role, on behalf of the Club, I took on three of the challenges that our International President Ian Riseley had set for our clubs worldwide under the banner of ‘MAKING A DIFFERENCE’
- To Strengthen our Club
- To Support a Humanitarian Project and
- To Undertake a Community Project focussed on the Environment
Throughout the year these three areas have given us focus and served as important anchors for all the activities that the club has undertaken during the year.
We began the year by conducting a Club Assembly to review our current strategic plan and to set priorities for the year. All our members participated in this process. Importantly, in addition to endorsing our strategic direction and our ongoing community service activities, our members identified three special objectives for the year:
- To identify a signature fund raising event which would be conducted annually
- To conduct an additional fundraising event during the summer vacation period which would appeal to holiday makers
- To schedule a social event for members and friends every second month.
We planned our activities so that these objectives supported the overall framework of the three challenges we had set for the club.
HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS
Inaugural Golf Day
A golf day at the iconic Port Fairy Golf Links was chosen to be our signature annual event. Our inaugural day was held on April 20th and was judged a successful event by both players and volunteers who reported that the format for the day worked well. It was decided that the proceeds from the event this year should go towards Rotary’s ‘End Trachoma by 2020’ project. Our club donated $4000 towards this project. Special thanks to past President Adrian Crosier and Secretary Peter Smith for their efforts in getting this off the ground.
Shaw River Tours
During January the club arranged five visits to the Shaw River Buffalo Cheese farm. The tour was well supported by holiday makers. The proceeds from these tours and other fundraising events during the year were dedicated to Rotary’s ‘End Polio’ project. The Club gives special thanks to the Haldane family for their generous hospitality and assistance with the tours. Our Club is donating $3000 towards this project.
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT PROJECT
Our Club members recently planted 13 Norfolk Island Pines as part of the rejuvenation of the Port Fairy Botanic Gardens. The trees have contributed to the Club’s response to the Rotary International President’s challenge to every Rotary Club to plant a tree for each of its members between the start of the Rotary year on July 1st and Earth Day on April 22nd 2018. The club has well and truly achieved the goal with over 200 trees planted during this period at Battery Hill, Skenes Road and the Botanic Gardens.
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Our Club has been a long-standing supporter of the Bandari project in Tanzania. Rotarian Jo Levey recently travelled to Tanzania with a group of Bandari supporters from Port Fairy and other areas to provide professional training and resources for teachers at Mto wa Mbu. Club fund raising and Rotary support has enabled our club to donate $2630 to this project this year.
YOUTH
Lisa van Someren was an outbound Rotary exchange student for 2017-18, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Port Fairy. Lisa’s exchange year was a great experience and she has thanked Port Fairy Rotary Club for the opportunity and support during this time.
Special thanks to Assistant Governor John Clue for his support for the Van Someren family and his contribution to youth activities.
OUR COMMUNITY
The Port Fairy Rotary Club has instituted ‘The Pride of Workmanship Award’ to recognise people who have provided outstanding service to the community throughout their working life. This year the award was presented to Jenny Ciavola. Jenny has worked at the Port Fairy Medical Clinic for over 30 years and is recognised by the community for her polite and friendly service sometimes under trying conditions.
When our District Governor visited in October he remarked on the substantial contribution our club had made to Moyne Health Services over several years. This year there is a special fund-raising initiative for the new Urgent Care Centre. Our Club is donating $5000 to this project.
Over the past year our Club has completed 35 Service and Fundraising projects involving over 935 volunteer hours!
Port Fairy Rotary Club sees itself primarily as a local organisation; linked internationally but primarily local as witnessed by our activities and funds distribution.
OUR CLUB
Our members have responded enthusiastically to our social nights and all have been well attended.
The ‘Friends of Rotary’ group has grown over the past twelve months and has proven to be an important support group for our activities.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of our Club for their support. But especially the members of my committee and in particular our Secretary Peter Smith who with wry acknowledgment has kept the show on the road.
I wish incoming President Sue Robertson and her committee all the best and I am looking forward to being part of her new team. '