SPOKE 'N' WORDS

Issue 41
3rd May 2023
 
Join our meeting

Most Wednesdays at
The Beaconsfield Club,
Holm Park, Beaconsfield, 
Victoria, Australia

Enquire by Email:
Visitors and Rotarians are welcome.
 
Post: P.O. Box 30, Berwick 3806
Meetings & Events
Birthing Kit Assembly Night
The Beaconsfield Club
May 10, 2023
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
 
Berwick College Presentation Ball - Night 1
Cathies Lane Receptions
May 17, 2023
3:00 PM – 11:00 PM
 
Berwick College Presentation Balls
Cathies Lane Receptions
May 17, 2023 3:00 PM –
May 18, 2023 11:00 PM
 
Berwick College Presentation Ball - Night 2
Cathies Lane Receptions
May 18, 2023
3:00 PM – 11:00 PM
 
View entire list
Our Sponsors
 
Youth Service is Rotary's fifth avenue of service
 
Youth Service recognises the importance of empowering youth and young professionals through leadership development programs.
Executives & Directors
President
 
Co-President
 
Treasurer
 
President Elect
 
Secretary
 
Membership and Public Image
 
Youth Protection Officer
 
Projects and Fundraising
 
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Trevor Watson
May 4
 
Andy Merrill
May 5
 
David Anderson
May 19
 
Spouse Birthdays
Pat McCurdy
May 1
 
Jenny Hart
May 11
 
Anniversaries
Jack Kraan
Ann Kraan
May 8
 

JonDarr Bradshaw, a former military aviator and contractor for the U.S. space agency, has a different kind of mission now.

 
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Co-President's Report 4-4-23
Posted by Co-President Jack Kraan:
 
The Club is really building momentum and is buzzing at present.  In the past month, members have undertaken the following activities:
  • Grasmere Creek Wetlands seat installation,
  • Nossal High School mock interviews.
  • District 9820 Assembly & Training Day BBQ,
  • Several art screen hire deliveries & pickups,
  • Presentation Balls practices and suit fittings,
  • City of Casey playground harvesting,
  • South East Metropolitan Cluster Presidents & President Elects meeting,
  • Nossal High School sports day BBQ, as well as
  • Various District & Zone functions.
And we are not done yet.  Still coming up this Rotary year we have:
  • Our 62nd Birthday “Pasta, Plonk & Poetry” celebrations on Saturday 6th May,
  • Nossal High School Interact Club information meeting on 9th May,
  • Packing of Birthing Kits on Wednesday 10th May.
  • Installation of the remaining seats at Grasmere Creek on Saturday 13th May (all helpers welcome),
  • Presentation Balls on Wednesday 17th & Thursday 18th May,
  • Cire Community School Mock Interviews - Friday 19th May, and
  • More art screen deliveries & pickups.
Apologies if I have missed anything. 
 
Co-President Geoff and I are proud of the efforts of all members involved in these activities.  Let’s keep the momentum building by having as many members as possible participating in the upcoming events.
 
In further news, Jen Marshall, Geoff, and I will be meeting with Mercedes Benz Berwick on Friday 12th May to explore the possibility of the dealership providing sponsorship to the Club.  This would be in addition to the substantial sponsorship already provided by Bendigo Bank Beaconsfield and St John of God Berwick.
'Donations in Kind' Delivery
Posted by David Button:
 
On Saturday, 29th April, members from the Rotary Clubs of Cranbourne, Pakenham and Berwick banded together to load a full truck of school teachers' desks and chairs. The desks and chairs were loaded from Marnebek School in Cranbourne East.
 
 
Our contact, teacher Katherine Toth, did a fantastic job sorting out good from damaged equipment before we arrived.
 
District 9820 DIK Rep, Roger Thornton did a good job explaining to Katherine what Rotary Donations in Kind (DIK) did, during the loading process. While Roger talked, the rest of the Rotary team made an efficient effort to load the truck with plenty of joking around, as we all got to know each other a little better.
 
More information about DIK can be found at https://rotarydik.org/
 
It was interesting to learn that the Education Department recommended DIK for any equipment worthy of repurposing to other schools before sending it to landfill. I think Katherine was very happy that most of what she had could be reused.
 
Therein lies the reason that Rotary Donations in Kind is so important to our Rotary projects, both local and overseas, and also why the Rotary Club of Berwick is a member of Donations in Kind Inc. It is important to us that DIK are there when we need them, and I have to say we use them more than most Rotarians think! 
 
A big thank you to Lloma and Gary from RC Cranbourne for their work loading the truck! Roger, Laury (DIK) and David got to unload it all at the Footscray Warehouse.
 
Rotary has many inspiring programs which give opportunities to work with many inspiring and fun people. This morning's outing was no different and it will make a big difference to people we will never meet, in ways we will never know.
 
Go Rotary! We are People of Action.
Nossal High School's Sports
Posted by Sam McCurdy:
 
On Monday 1st May, Nossal High School held their annual Sports Day at Casey Fields in Cranbourne. 
 
Approximately 900 students and staff attended the event, and a team of volunteers from the Rotary Club of Berwick cooked barbequed food throughout the day. 
 
It was necessary to tow our two Rotary barbeque trailers to and from Casey Fields and this was done by Gary Evans, Eric Boon and Russell Fellows.
 
 
The hard working team of Rotary cooks consisted of Michele Somers, David Anderson, Louise Jackel, Louise Carter, Jane Moore, Trevor Watson, David Button. 
 
While the Rotarians did the cooking, students sold and served the food to their peers, making this a real team effort.
 
This was a fundraising activity and it raised $300 for the Club.
 
Well done to all involved.  Another example of Rotary in Action!
2023 Changeover date set
Posted by Sam McCurdy:
 
A date has been set for the Changeover Ceremony to welcome our incoming
2023 - 2024 President, David Anderson, and to thank the outgoing Presidents.
 
Changover date will be Wednesday 19th July at the Beaconsfield Club.
Art Screen delivery to Dandenong RSL
Posted by Trevor Watson:
 
The Art Screen Hire project continues to flourish, thanks to several active club members.
 
A team delivered 8 art screens to Dandenong RSL on Friday 5th May, for use in their Afghanistan Art Exhibition.
 
 
The team consisted of Andy Merrill, Louise Carter, Trevor Watson, Louise Jackel and Gary Evans.
 
The screens will be picked up on Monday 8th May.
 
Well done team!
 
Interact Nossal High School
Information supplied by Secretary Jane Moore:
Congratulations and thanks go to Di Scheepers and Andrew Somers for stepping up with passion, to become the Rotary advisers to the Interact Club at St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar and the proposed Interact Nossal High School.
 
Di ScheepersAndrew Somers
 
Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of 'Service Above Self'.
 
The Rotary Club of Berwick co-sponsor the St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar with our friends, the Rotary Club of Emerald.
 
Stop Press News …. the Rotary Club of Berwick are sponsoring the proposed Nossal High School Interact Club.
 
The teachers responsible for the clubs at both schools are new to Interact, as are Di and Andrew.  On Tuesday 9 May, there is an onboarding evening at Nossal High School where experienced Rotary advisers, Peter Cracknell, from Rotary Club of Frankston Sunrise, and Jon Christie from Frankston High School, will be sharing information, and mentoring the group. 
 
From little things big things grow!  We now have student representation from both schools attending along with District 9820 support from the District Governor, Paul Mee, and the District Youth Programs chair, Rob Cook.  Co-President Jack Kraan plus members of the Rotary Club of Emerald are joining in too!  
 
Thank you to everyone for your support, and thank you to District 9820 for providing funding towards the establishment of the new club.  Seeding funds will support Tuesday’s learning session, as well as a club pull up banner, executive badges, and public image material.
 
Birthing Kits Project
Email from Jane Moore:
 
The Rotary Club of Berwick is pleased to invite you, your partner, and friends, to a Birthing Kit Assembly night on Wednesday 10 May at The Beaconsfield Club, Holm Park Reserve from 5.30pm - 7.30pm
 
The birthing kit assembly will be followed by our normal meeting with normal registration and associated meal cost, with any unassembled kits to be packed following the meal.  
 
 
What is a birthing kit assembly? 
Items purchased from the Birthing Kit Foundation are packed to supply clean birth kits to pregnant women living in rural communities and low-resource settings around the world. The kits are transported and given to mothers through community outreach programs, supplied to health facilities for use by doctors, midwives and nurses or distributed to traditional birthing attendants. They are designed to support hygienic practices and environments during childbirth in under-resourced settings.
 
We are assembling 200 kits that will potentially help save the lives of 400 people - 200 mums, and 200 babies, being born in areas where there are no hospitals or birthing clinics.
 
 
The kits need to be assembled in a hygienic environment with no eating or drinking at the assembly tables.  Teams will sit at sanitised tables wearing hygiene gloves, with the supplies - a plastic sheet, strings to tie the umbilical cord, gauze, a scalpel, soap and hygiene gloves to assemble into packs ready for shipment. 
 
For all the details you need to know
 
 
Please support this hands on project that will benefit so many.  This project aligns perfectly with one of Rotary's 7 areas of focus: Saving Mothers and Children
 
We look forward to your registration and seeing you there!
 
 
CIRE Community School Interviews
Information from Secretary Jane Moore and Di Scheepers:
 
 
On the back of our very successful Mock Interviews at Nossal High School last week, the board has supported a request from CIRE Community School to conduct Mock Interviews on Friday 19 May.
 
In the words of the school "the school is excited to have the involvement of the Rotary Club of Berwick. The Mock Interviews will make a difference to 45 senior students as they prepare for life after school" 
 
Coordinator Di Scheepers confirms that we will use the same successful format, as for the Nossal High School interviews.
 
Date: Friday 19th May
Time: 11.30 am - 1.00pm
Address: CIRE Community School, 120 Enterprise Avenue, Berwick
 
Di and Sharmaine Squire have already volunteered, but 6 more volunteers are required.
 
If you can help, please contact our Mock Interview Co-ordinator, Di Scheepers, as soon as possible.
M: 0420 719 796
 
Your participation will be so appreciated!