ROTARY IN UKRAINE
The Rotary Foundation moved quickly to provide assistance to support the people of Ukraine who have been impacted by the war. By April 2022, more than $US15 million had been received which is being used to provide essential items such as water, food, shelter, medicine and clothing. More than 5 million people have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, whilst a further 7 million people have been displaced. There are 62 Rotary clubs in Ukraine, and they are all working hard to assist in the distribution of Rotary’s humanitarian aid. For more detail go to www.rotary.org/en/rotarys-network-enables-rapid-humanitarian- relief-ukrainian-refugees
NUTFIELD DINNERS
These were held on two consecutive years around 2000 and 2001. Our club had declined to about 14 members and was facing possible extinction. The dinners were planned as a serious attack on growing the club membership, and were held at “Nutfield”, the home of John & Clare Sinclair. Each dinner had approx. 20 carefully selected invitees, along with some existing members. The programme included cocktails and nibbles on the lawn, followed by a Bob Dewar inspired sumptuous dinner in a convivial long tabled dining arrangement, along with appropriate entertainment. After dinner speeches were short but highly motivational quality presentations about Rotary from senior district Rotarians. Within two years the club membership had increased from 14 to 28, then steadily climbed to reach 42 at the celebration of the club’s 20th birthday in 2006.
MOIRA KELLY AO
THE FOURFATHERS
Many years ago, Rotarians John Handsaker, Terry Hubbard, Charles Rattray and Russell Hogg, used to regularly enjoy fun and fellowship around a piano and guitar…. carousing long into the nights…! In Christmas 2006, they were invited to sing publicly at a function in the Highlands. This debut launched The FourFathers, and over the ensuing years many performances were undertaken at Rotary and Probus clubs, changeovers and conferences, birthday parties, weddings, retirement homes, aged care facilities, Anzac and Remembrance Days, book launches, church groups, Christmas carols, and other private functions. One memorable event in 2012 was singing the National Anthem, in four part harmony outside, over the racecourse loudspeakers at Moonee Valley for PDG David’s District Conference. Their performances have been undertaken mainly in Victoria, plus some memorable functions in NSW, Tasmania and New Zealand.
Two CDs have been produced, and all profits from their appearance fees and CD sales have been put to awarding music scholarships to children who demonstrate an above average ability with music. Sacred Heart Primary School has also been a recipient of a significant scholarship, when The FourFathers presented them with a keyboard, cello, and various percussion instruments, to provide sustained musical assistance to many children.
DAYSPRING CHILDREN’S VILLAGE
Students from Sacred Heart Primary School approached our club in 2005 to assist with a $1,000 donation towards their “Buckets for Bores” project to provide clean drinking water to a children’s school in South Africa. During an RFE visit to South Africa, PP Ruth Konig visited the recipient school, Dayspring Children’s Village of Rustenburg and also the RC of Rustenburg- Kloof, South Africa who had an association with the school. Together, our two clubs oversaw the completion of this project. Ruth returned to Dayspring several years later, and identified an urgent need for a plumbed ablution block and sewage system that would cater for the whole school. Ruth persuaded both Rotary clubs to combine to raise funds and apply for a Rotary International Global Grant.
Ruth with some of the students during one of her visits to Dayspring Children’s Village.
Ruth’s passion and commitment saw her personally embark on an ambitious fundraising campaign of speaking to clubs throughout our District, conducting raffles, trivia nights, and completing a sponsored walk of over 900km on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. After many huge bureaucratic and other delays, Ruth’s dream finally came to fruition with the opening of the ablution block and sewage system in June 2021.
RUTH KONIG
Ruth was an immensely dedicated Rotarian, who had a love of children, literacy, and education. She joined Rotary after a career in teaching and was Club President in 
2004-2005, District Conference Chair 2012, and District Vocational Service Chair 2012-2015. She was the driving force behind our Dayspring project, (see separate entry) which was the first project ever within our District 9790 to be awarded a Global Grant.
2004-2005, District Conference Chair 2012, and District Vocational Service Chair 2012-2015. She was the driving force behind our Dayspring project, (see separate entry) which was the first project ever within our District 9790 to be awarded a Global Grant.Ruth was tireless in her efforts in improving literacy in children. Despite suffering from and fighting a long battle with cancer, Ruth trained for, then completed the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain and in so doing raised substantial funds towards the Dayspring project. Sadly, Ruth succumbed to cancer on 6th March, 2016, a few days after learning that her project had been awarded a Rotary International Global Grant.
Ruth’s commitment to Rotary continued after death, in that she willed substantial funds to both our club, and the Dayspring Children’s Village. Each year at District Conference, the RUTH KONIG WALK is an event shared by many conference attendees.
Ruth is further remembered by our club with the award of the annual RUTH KONIG MEMORIALSCHOLARSHIP to deserving local students.
SCOTTSDALE, TASMANIA
Following the devastating 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, Terry Hubbard received a call from John Lette, a Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Scottsdale. John indicated that his club wished to help our local farmers who needed urgent assistance. What then transpired, was John organising the donation and transport of 37 semi-trailer loads of hay from North East Tasmania, onto the Spirit of Tasmania, across Bass strait and up to the Flowerdale area.Terry at this end, was the organiser of the receipt, storage and delivery of this hay to farmers in need. What followed this enormous feat, was a wonderful strong friendship between our two clubs, with many exchange visits, billeted accommodation, competitive golf tournaments and cricket matches, dinners, andshared entertainment, including the reciprocal song writing contest with the infamous “Ode to Scottsdale”.MACULAR DEGENERATION
Former Rotarian PP John Handsaker was diagnosed with macular degeneration around 2011. He has since been successfully treated for this condition. With his wife, past Rotarian PP Jeannie, they arranged for the printing of explanatory leaflets and the production of magnetic Amsler grid cards (as fridge magnets) to assist them in spreading information about this little-known disease, and the means to detect the symptoms at an early stage by the use of the simple Amsler grids. Jeannie took supplies of grids and brochures with her everywhere she went for a number of years, and gave short talks about MD at many Rotary, Probus, and other organisations’ meetings. This initiative of the Handsakers saw them distribute over 500,000 Amsler grids throughout Australia during this period.
DAVID LONG
David was a well-loved Rotarian who was particularly interested in community service. He was Club President in 2006-2007 and was appointed Chair of the Club’s bushfire recovery committee in the aftermath of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. His committee oversaw the receipt of substantial financial donations, and its expenditure on a wide variety of support to the affected community. David is particularly remembered for his unique and substantial dry wit, and in company with him, one was rarely without a smile on their face. David was taken from us in December 2011 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. The club has established the DAVID LONG MEMORIAL AWARD for community service, which is presented to a worthy recipient each year at changeover.YEA AND DISTRICT OPEN GARDENS 2022
Each year a number of local gardens are offered to the RC of Yea to feature in their successful Open Gardens exhibition and this year was no exception. Adding to the event was a collaboration with Open Gardens Victoria which featured local garden Candlebark. This Year there were eight Gardens to delight the public who came from all over Victoria.GARDEN EXPO
This project was conceived by PP Jim Osborne, who together with an able committee of Rotarians and spouses, brought it to fruition with its inaugural showing in September 2016. The first two years of GE were held at the Yea racecourse, then on year 3 it moved to the Yea saleyards precinct, which has proved to be an outstanding success. With an immense amount of hard work, solid highly focused advertising and marketing, customer and vendor surveys, this event has evolved to be the premier fundraising project for our club, and each year it just becomes bigger and better. The basic concept is to provide a venue where gardening vendors can exhibit their products to a large number of visitors over one weekend. Vendor sites are rented from the event, and cover a myriad of products from chainsaws, plants, sculptures, garden furniture, seedlings, mulch, fertilisers, motorised wheelbarrows and garden tools, to mowers and books. Many food stalls, instructive seminars and demonstrations further enhance the event. With around 3,000 visitors and 75 vendors expected in 2023, the annual Yea Garden Expo is very firmly on the “must do” list for more and more vendors and garden lovers; it now has cemented its place well into the future in the horticultural calendar.
PIE NIGHT
On the penultimate meeting night of the Rotary year, ie the week before changeover, it is a long standing tradition of our club that we eat pies for dinner. Many years ago this was usually good ole 4‘n20’s, however as our level of sophistication and taste improved, this event was catered for by Amanda Hard. In recent years, we now enjoy a gourmet feast of superb delicacies provided by Chef Extraordinaire Dewar, who is renowned for his specialty road-kill offerings. Not only do we eat such delicacies, but many more up-market offerings of pies, including terrines, are auctioned off and provide a significant fundraiser for the club. I am pleased to advise that during my recent travels, I came across another Dewar type establishment (pictured) and was able to successfully secure a contract for Bob to assist in some new pie varieties, such as NSW river rat, for the imminent PIE NIGHT 2023.
CYCLE DINDI
This joint project with RC Alexandra is a charity bicycle event along the great Victorian Bike Trail, and April 2023 saw the seventh occasion of the event. Over 150 riders took part, and all have a choice of small rides or longer rides, starting from Yea, Yarck or Trawool. Highlights of the event include Devonshire tea and shearing demonstrations at Nutfield, and a BBQ lunch at beautiful Cremona.
This year Kyla Dowling undertook a sponsored ride and completed an exhausting challenge and raised $3,000 as a result.
ROTARY CLUB OF YEA ART SHOW
The Yea Chamber of Commerce held their first Art Show in 1981. It was held outdoors on the plantation in High St. and needed to be dismantled each night for protection and security. In 1986, in the Rotary Club of Yea’s first year of operation, the opportunity arose to take over this event. Eventually the Art Show moved to the Yea Shire Hall and was scheduled to be held for 3-4 days centred on the Australia Day weekend celebrations. in January 2023, RC Yea hosted the 37th annual art show, this fundraiser is now one of the club’s signature programmes usually raising around $15,000. A typical show can see 350 entries exhibited across several categories from many local, Victorian and Interstate artists.Recently, the curating of the entries has been conducted by artist Julian Bruere, who grew up in Yea, and his son Sam - the result has been magnificent. A themed opening night with champagne, Sedona Wine and nibbles is held, where the winning paintings are announced by the judge. A catalogue is produced, supported by substantial advertising, and many sponsors contribute to funding the prize money. A painting is always raffled in the 2 months leading up to the art show, and this makes a significant contribution to the financial result.
ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD (RYLA)
This is an intensive leadership experience for young people aged 14 to 30. Participants are nominated by local Rotary clubs, and spend a week at a camp undertaking seminars, presentations, activities and workshops covering a large variety of topics. The objective of these camps is to develop leaders, build communication and problem-solving skills, learn from inspirational speakers, peer mentors, unlock potential to turn motivation into action, and provide fun and the opportunity to make connections and form lasting friendships.
BEQUEST SOCIETY
Individuals who include The Rotary Foundation as a beneficiary of at least $US10,000 in their estate plans are recognized as members of the Rotary Bequest Society. There are various levels of membership depending on the size of the bequest. A simple clause in your will, with appropriate notification of the clause to District and Paramatta, is all that it takes, but the cumulative effect for The Rotary Foundation is both enormous and long lasting. Talk to the District Foundation Chair (PDG Ando) if you need assistance with the appropriate clause wording to ensure your bequest is donated via the RC of Yea to Foundation without any delay.
