As the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approached, a firsthand account shows how Rotary members are responding to this humanitarian crisis.
On 26 January in Odesa, Mykola Stebljanko spent the day under attack. A barrage of missiles killed 11 people and destroyed critical infrastructure around Ukraine, including in the city where Stebljanko lives.
Rotary’s first community service project took place in 1907, when Paul Harris, Rotary’s founder, ran a campaign to have a public comfort station installed at the city hall in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The campaign was successful in spite of opposition from saloons and department stores that provided these facilities to attract customers.
As the years passed, club members began increasingly to improve their surroundings in a spirit of service. For example, in the early days of the automobile age, Rotarians in San Jose, California, in just one afternoon, placed more than 1,000 identifying street signs at the city’s intersections.
Community service projects are an ideal way to help our community and raise our profile with the public. An increased profile will assist us in attracting like-minded people to become new members.
Community projects are also an excellent vehicle for involving members of all ages and abilities to be involved in, and make it easy for newer members to assimilate into Rotary and our Club.
A perfect example is our upcoming 'Clean up Australia Day' event at Buchanan Park on Sunday 5th March. There will be jobs available for all and the bonus is that we will be able to enjoy a lovely morning tea and fellowship at the conclusion.
This event is being organised by one of our newest members, Mary McIvor. Please come along and support Mary and our Club, and show the community that we are a vibrant Club.
This week’s presentation by Geoff & Di Double was about an interesting trip they took on the Ghan train from Adelaide to Darwin through the Red Centre.
The Ghan is named after the Afghan cameleers who once traversed this route. It began in 1929 and has been described as one of the world's great luxury passenger trains.
It is 1.1km long and is the longest passenger train in the world. Its scheduled travelling time, including extended stops for passengers to do off-train tours, is 53 hours 15 minutes to travel the 2,979 kilometres between Adelaide and Darwin.
During the trip, Geoff and Di made several stops including Alice Springs and Uluru, where they stayed at the Sails in the Desert hotel. There, they experienced the ‘Sounds of Silence’ dining experience under the sparkling outback sky.
They also experienced a helicopter trip around Uluru and the Olgas. No flights are permitted to fly over Uluru, as it is protected land and holds great cultural significance to the Indigenous people of Australia.
On reaching Darwin, which they found to be exceptionally hot, they visited Kakado National Park.
Kakadu is approximately 253 kilometres South East of Darwin and is the largest national park in Australia and one of the largest in the world’s tropics. The park is dual World Heritage-listed for its outstanding natural and cultural values.
Geoff and Di highly recommend the Ghan train journey and visiting the interesting stops available along the way.
The Birthing Kit Foundation Australia (BKFA) is a humanitarian organisation that provides birthing kits and education in clean birthing practices to women birthing at home in remote regions of the developing world.
The Foundation makes available items that can be assembled into birthing kits to be sent overseas to developing countries, or those in a state of disaster. These kits offer hygienic basics to assist in the delivery of a baby.
It is proposed that we hold a 'Birthing Kit Assembly day' late in April/early May to make up 200 kits. The Club will purchase the materials for the kits from the Foundation.
After we assemble them, a courier will collect them to be shipped overseas to those in need, funded by the Foundation.
200 kits will assist in saving the lives of 200 mums and their babies.
I’m Mary, a member of the Rotary Club of Berwick. I’m in charge of the 'Clean Up Australia Day' event in Buchanan Park.
I’m so delighted to have St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar Interact club involved.
Please join us on Sunday 5 March from 10am at Buchanan Park, Clyde Road, Berwick (Opposite McDonalds food outlet) for a short briefing followed by the clean up activity.
A light morning tea will be provided at 11.30am.
Bring gloves, sturdy shoes, a water bottle and weather appropriate clothes.
Please contact me to let me know you are coming, so we that have an idea of the morning tea catering requirements, (kemisegun@rocketmail.com), or if any more information is required (0411 508 443).
Rotary’s first community service project took place in 1907, when Paul Harris, Rotary’s founder, ran a campaign to have a public comfort station installed at the city hall in Chicago, Illinois, USA. 
Saturday Coffee Catch Up over Zoom, and all members are welcome to drop in for a chat.