Rotary District 9830
Tasmania
District Governor’s
Newsletter
November 2014
Community Expo for Bushfire Preparation
RC Tasman Peninsula and Tas Fire Service make residents ready
On Saturday, 27 October, RC Tasman Peninsula, in
conjunction with the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS),
conducted a Community Expo for Bushfire
Preparation. Participants included the local Fire
Brigades, Ambulance Service, SES, Tasman
Council, Dunalley/Tasman Neighbourhood House,
DPIWE, Parks and Wildlife Service and a number of
businesses involved in fire prevention and
management.
The event was the brainchild of Past President, Bert
Dorgelo
and
the
Community
Development
Coordinator at TFS, Peter Middleton, assisted on the
planning committee by Club President, Arnold
McShane and Kerrie Brown from the Neighbourhood
House.
The Expo was well patronised by the local population
who showed a great interest in:
• bushfire planning and readiness
• management of property infrastructure
• care of pets and livestock
• suitability of planted vegetation for fire prone
areas
• fire-fighting equipment
• local government matters; and
• communications regarding fire danger
Residents were able to attend presentations about
these aspects of fire readiness and prevention as
well as trying out the various fire-fighting equipment
on hand including pressure hoses and extinguishers.
Local residents familiarising themselves with
equipment to extinguish fires
RC Tasman Peninsula would encourage other clubs
in fire-prone areas to consider similar activities and
will find the Community Education Section of the TFS
very supportive of any moves to prepare
communities and individuals for any future fire
events.
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2
November 2014
RC Glenorchy's Golden Anniversary Gift
Rotary Driver Program Saving Lives
(Source: RACT Journeys magazine, OctoberNovember 2014, page 7)
RC Glenorchy Past President John Berry (left)
presents Health Minister Michael Ferguson
with the keys to a new car with
President Cheryl Oborne looking on.
RC Glenorchy recently presented the Minister for
Health, Mr Michael Ferguson, with the keys to a new
car to be used by the State’s Cancer Screening and
Control Services (CSCS), for cancer prevention and
the early detection of cancers. The car is a gift to
local communities in the club's golden jubilee year.
Club President, Mrs Cheryl Oborne, said the club
wanted to use its anniversary to make a substantial
act of care and service.
In accepting the keys to the car, Health Minister,
Michael Ferguson said, “It was rare for the state
government to be the recipient of such a generous
gift and that the gift will not be forgotten.”
Mr
Ferguson further indicated that receiving the car
in trust for the people of Tasmania had been one
of the loveliest moments of his time as Health
Minister. He thanked the Rotary Club for what he
referred to as their creative and generous leadership
in the local community.
During the next 12 months, the Recruitment and
Community Engagement Unit of CSCS proposes to
target disadvantaged communities such as
Glenorchy with a particular focus on increasing
cancer awareness for men. The other major focus
will be improving participation in the BreastScreen
Tasmania program through targeted strategies in
suburbs with low numbers of women attending for
screening.
Mrs Oborne said that she wanted to pay tribute to all
past and present members of RC Glenorchy without
whose vision and tireless and often unrecognised
efforts in raising money have resulted in the funding
of such a significant project as the cancer education
program.
The Rotary Youth Driving Awareness Program
(RYDA), which started as a pilot program at
Symmons Plains more than seven years ago, has
played a major role in preserving young lives on
our roads ever since.
Crash statistics from DIER for the previous 12
month period have confirmed this trend across
Tasmania. During the year, fatalities in the age
group attending RYDA dropped from 16 to four,
and serious crashes during the year dropped
from around 80 to only about 30.
The Tasmanian Government has recently
recognised the value of the RYDA program by
including it in the curriculum for Year 10 students
and agreeing to contribute $75,000 per year for
four years towards the running of the program.
RACT and MAIB have also sponsored the RYDA
program in 2014, making the program fully funded
for this year.
The cost benefit of RYDA is a no brainer. Savings
on the cost of medical, surgical, hospital and
convalescent care for just one young Tasmanian
injured in a serious car accident will cover the cost
of the government's contribution to the program.
And this is being achieved with Year 10 students
taking one day out of their school activities to
attend a RYDA course! Arguably, this is the most
effective program that Rotary runs in Tasmania.
RYDA South in action
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3
November 2014
Despite evidence of some fatigue
From DG Ken
For the last couple of months, the weekly
Enewsletter has included information on the new
‘Working with Children Legislation’ that is coming into
force and it’s good to see that many clubs have
already initiated registration of their members. At the
same time there are understandably some
misperceptions as to who needs the new check and
who doesn’t. This occasioned quite a lengthy
discussion at the recent District Leadership Meeting.
Clearly the intent and entire basis for the legislation is
to reduce the likelihood of harm to children and to
create safer environments for all young people. In
many cases it will be fairly obvious as to who needs
to be registered to ensure that this safety is assured.
A further point that needs stressing is that this
legislation at present only provides for the protection
of children and does not encompass all vulnerable
people. So if your club is involved with aged care,
people with disabilities etc. then club members will
still need the normal police check in addition to the
working with children registration.
If anything is unclear about the process or any
specific situational questions arise that require
clarification please don’t hesitate to ask via the
District Secretary. We will always endeavour to
provide a prompt answer to your queries. After all,
as I’ve said many times, supporting presidents and
their clubs is one of the primary roles of District.
DG Ken
As a minimum, it has so far been recommended that
Club Presidents, Board Members and especially
Rotarians involved with youth activities familiarise
themselves with the requirements of the Working with
Children Registration. For ease of management at
club level, it is the recommendation of the District
Leadership that all club members be encouraged to
register. Any Rotarian who is not registered will not
be able to be involved in Rotary youth programs such
as MUNA, RYPEN, Youth Exchange etc. especially if
there is likely to be more than incidental contact i.e.
there is contact with children for extended periods
and particularly without other adults being present.
A record should be kept by each club of those who
are registered and for the purposes of management
at District level, the District Protection Officer will
need to be advised in due course of the total number
in each club who are registered. For those who are
involved in Rotary programs and projects, but aren’t
Rotarians the position is perhaps less clear, and has
provided most of the questions that have been
fielded so far. The key factor is the level of contact
with children. If it is incidental such as a volunteer
assisting on a sausage sizzle or working on Show
gates or similar, then those volunteers are not
expected to be registered. Adult members of families
hosting an exchange student on the other hand must
be registered. In assessing any situation there is a
simple question to ask:
“Is there a likelihood for an adult to have direct
contact with a child (who is not a family member)
for an extended period, and especially with no
other adults present?”
If the answer is yes then registration is required.
"Softening up Lois' shoe"
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RC Hobart volunteer Norm Deane
breath testing at Beerfest
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4
November 2014
Australian Golfing Fellowship of
Rotarians heading for Launceston
Scholarship for Aspiring Greenkeeper
Launceston Golf Club
Venue for AGFR Tournament in March 2015
The Australian Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians
(AGFR) holds one tournament per year rotated on a
th
State/Territory basis. Next year, the 37 AGFR, will
be conducted in Launceston and will be hosted by
th
RC Youngtown. The event will run from the 15 to
th
20 March, 2015. Rotarians and their partners from
all round Australia will be attending.
tournament program includes four days of golf at
the Launceston Golf Club as well as a number of
functions during the week. Non-golfing partners will
participate in a series of bus tours around
Launceston and Northern Tasmania. The functions
planned include a welcome BBQ at Launceston Golf
Club, Cocktail Party at Franklin House, Rotary Makeup Dinner at Country Club Tasmania and a
Presentation Dinner also at that venue.
The
A large number of very generous sponsors have
come on board to ensure the success of our
Tournament. Full details and registration forms are
available on the RC Youngtown’s web site at
www.youngtownrotary.org.au and follow the link to
AGFR. Alternatively, contact Rotarian Leigh Iles on
Mobile 0422 414 193 or [email protected]
The Australian Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians
(AGFR) provides a sponsorship (known as the John
Hood Memorial Scholarship) of $5,000 to a young
greenkeeper to travel to the USA and participate in
the Ohio State University Global Turf Grass Intern
Program for 12 months.
Sam Donnellan (pictured) was the selected recipient
for this year’s intake. Sam is a greenkeeper at the
Mowbray Golf Club, is aged 20, and left for the USA
mid September. He is now based at the Trump
National Golf Resort, (boasting a total of 5 world
class golf courses) at Doral in Miami, Florida.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
Launceston Show Gatekeeper
We would welcome Tasmanian Rotarians who are
registered members of a Golf Club and their
partners, to join us in this excellent tournament
for a week of fun, fellowship and “a little bit of
golf”.
President Craig Mitchell of RC South Launceston
on duty at the entry gate at the
Royal Launceston Show.
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5
November 2014
Rotaract's End Polio Quiz Night
Ninety seven general knowledge buffs packed
Pier01 at Ulverstone for the Rotaract Club of
Central Coast's End Polio Quiz Night. About
$2,000 was raised by the event. With a 2:1
subsidy from the Gates Foundation, the End
Polio Campaign has another $6,000 to allocate to
the vaccination campaign. The event was well
supported by Coastal Rotarians and Rotaractors,
including the DG and Lois.
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The Amazing Mekong
The very talented Louis
French Exchange student, Louis Rustenholz,
playing at the New Horizons Club Gala Dinner
Rotary Exchange Student, Louis Rustenholz, from
France, attended the annual New Horizons Club
Gala Dinner, held at the Albert Hall, Launceston,
on Saturday 22 October, with Rotarians George
and Marijke Lockwood.
The annual event is the major fundraiser for New
Horizons. RC Youngtown has been involved with
New Horizons for many years, including running
the Western Tiers Cycle Challenge, assisted by the
Westbury and Deloraine Rotary Clubs. RC
Youngtown have also held working bees to assist
with maintenance at the club’s premises.
The theme for the evening was ‘A Night in Paris’,
and the committee for the evening (of which
Marijke is a member), had been searching in vain
for a pianist to play background music during
dinner. Louis agreed to play the guitar after it was
discovered he is a competent acoustic guitarist at a
RC Youngtown meeting.
Eight RC Somerset members and partners have
returned from a Mekong River adventure to Vietnam
and Cambodia. The idea of a club trip was that of PP
Dennis Austin who consulted with another club
member, Jane Cooper of helloworld Burnie.
The tour included visits to the temple ruins of Ankor
Wat, Ho Chi Minh City, the Cu Cu Tunnels, Phnom
Penh museum and the killing fields of the murderous
Khmer Rouge regime. Those making the trip were
President Len McKenzie, Dennis Austin and Marilyn,
Dale and Lesley Grant, Ian and Jenny Chalk, and
Jane Cooper
After he had finished his rehearsal at the Albert
Hall, he was advised that the committee had been
looking for a pianist, but they were very happy to
have him play guitar instead.
“But I also play piano,” Louis advised. He promptly
sat at the piano and started to play. So... Louis
played piano in the foyer when guests first arrived,
and not only did he play the guitar during dinner,
but he also sang a couple of songs in French, all of
which were well received by the appreciative
guests. Members from RC's Youngtown, Westbury
and Somerset attended the event.
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6
November 2014
Welcome to New Rotary Club members
Member
Club
PDG Kevin Shadbolt appointed to Board of
Australian Rotary Health
Greg Astell
David Annear
Mandy Trail
Stuart Dunn
Liz Ryan
Judith Cameron
Rosemary Brodie
Peter Dzakah Fanam
Devonport North
West Tamar
Latrobe
Latrobe
Salamanca
Launceston
Launceston
Launceston
German Rotary Exchange Student
Returns to Host Clubs
PDG Kevin Shadbolt has added to his illustrious career
as a Rotarian by being appointed as a Director of
Australian Rotary Health for a term of three years.
Kevin joins nine other Rotarians on the Board of
Australian Rotary Health.
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Master Chef
Former Rotary Youth Exchange student Inga
Nieberg (nee Froelich), third from left, with her
husband, Robert, far left, and former hosts,
Leanne and Tony Smith.
In 1999 - 2000, RC's Glenorchy and Spring Bay
hosted German Rotary Exchange student Inga
Froelich.
On returning home, Inga became a
qualified primary school teacher. In July this year,
Inga married Robert Nieberg and they now live in
Switzerland. As part of their honeymoon, Inga and
Robert visited Australia and made a special trip to
Tasmania to visit her Rotary club hosts including
Tony and Leanne Smith with whom Inga has kept in
contact over the years.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
Rotaractors at Combined Clubs' Meeting
David and Lisa Pretorius with their winning dish in
RC Central Launceston's Master Chef competition
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Fashion Parade
PDG Muriel Heron
on the catwalk at
RC Bellerive's
Fashion Parade at
Meredith
Enjoying the Group 1 Combined Meeting were
Rotaractors Damian Souter (back row), Andrew
Carlyle, Emma Jarvis and Kellie Reeves, with
mentor Trina D'Orazio (second left)
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November 2014
fter a year of immense
change.Hands
TH,
Helping
Project
There are estimated to be over 384,000 people, including
children, who have had one or both hands blown off by
exploding landmines in Cambodia. Some 120 million
landmines await clearance, mainly in Vietnam, Laos and
Cambodia. These are being cleared away slowly.
Helping Hands kits of artificial hands and forearms come
with 10 hands in each and two people can construct one
hand in two hours. Each kit costs $A 3,000. Hands are
delivered to the recipients in personalised bags. So far
93 have been delivered, 3 to double amputees. For more
information, go to:
www.rotary9570helpinghands.com
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Wheelchairs for Kids
Wheelchairs for Kids in Western Australia is the
only group in the world making fully adjustable
wheelchairs of their own weather-resistant design.
Over 28,500 wheelchairs have been made since
1998 and delivered free to disabled children in over
70 countries.
The average cost of a wheelchair is only $150. All
labour in the production of the wheelchairs is done
by volunteers, and the Board of Management are
also volunteers.
For disabled children, freedom of movement gives
them dignity and greatly enhances their sense of
self-worth and the feeling of self-worth in the heart
of a disabled child.
For more information, go to:
www.wheelchairs for kids.org
or Email to [email protected]
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Showman
Radio station 7HOFM requested RC Glenorchy to
provide a community service by cooking bacon and
eggs to give away from 6.00 to 9.00am. Picture
shows Rosie Marine being interviewed by Mick and
Jane.
RC South Launceston's Steve Gordon on gate
duty at the Royal Launceston Show
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8
November 2014
Ashok Saha's regal turban set the tone at
RC Launceston's Mad Hatter's Tea Party
A variety of hat styles at the combined meeting of
Howrah, Lindisfarne, Sorell and
Tasman Peninsula Clubs
Warwick Pease, Greg Kuypers and Brendan Carley
at RC City Central Hobart's Hat Day event
Turkish Youth Exchange student, Yigit, at RC
Central Launceston's Hat Day event
AG James Harrison's Mad Hatter number, the
winning hat at RC Scottsdale's Hat Day event
Rob and Val Colgrave looking elegant in
matching alpine hats at RC Georgetown's Hat
Day event
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