Events

Dear Members and Friends, 

Further to Secretary Shawn Wilson's previous notice, you are invited to the Rotary Club of Canberra Annual General Meeting on Monday, 25 November 2024 at Mercure Canberra, Braddon. 

Following the meeting, we will hear from Heath McMichael and Phil Domaschenz of Nusa Tenggara Association, with an update about NTA's recent mission. Members of other Rotary Clubs can register to attend by emailing debbie.brown330@gmail.com. 

To attend in person, please RSVP before 5pm Friday, 22 November. 

Zoom links will be provided later this week.

Kind regards,

Debbie Marshall
Club Services Director

Dear Members and Friends - calling all volunteers!

Please join us to support our friends at St John's Care Food Bank as they are prepare for a busy festive season. 

We will be helping to unpack donations and stock shelves from 11am to 12 noon. If you wish to join in, please ensure you wear closed in, non-slip shoes and be ready to be on your feet for an hour. 

St John’s Care aims to bridge the gap and break the cycle of disadvantage, isolation, and economic hardship with compassion, advocacy, respect, and encouragement through the provision of emergency relief and other programs.

Please RSVP by Friday 5pm and a message to those who respond will provide more information. 

Are you ready to help shape the future of our Rotary Club? We’re inviting you to a dynamic and engaging Club Assembly that promises to be anything but a typical meeting.

This special session will focus on fostering collaboration, sparking creativity, and planning actionable goals for our club over the next year and beyond. With a unique round-robin format, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to key discussions, share your insights, and connect with fellow members in a meaningful way.

📅 Date: Monday, 9 December
🕒 Time: 12:30pm–2:30pm
📍 Venue: Mercure Canberra 'Olims'

Why Attend?

• Engage Creatively: Participate in rotating discussions on vital club themes like membership, service projects, and public image.
• Shape the Future: Help define goals for the next 3–5 years and beyond.
• Collaborate Actively: Work with fellow Rotarians to brainstorm new ideas and strategies.
• Foster Fellowship: Strengthen connections while enjoying a productive and inspiring session.

What’s in Store?

• Pre-event Member Survey: Share your ideas in advance, even if you can’t attend.
• Rotating Table Discussions: Small group discussions with butcher paper and interactive activities to ensure everyone’s voice is heard.
• Action Planning & Accountability: Turn ideas into actionable steps with clear goals and responsibilities.
• Lunch: Versatile, working-lunch of wraps and sandwiches.

Main Objective:

Leave with a renewed sense of ownership, excitement, and purpose for our Rotary Club’s future!

Please RSVP by Friday,  to ensure we prepare the best experience for everyone. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of something impactful!

Together, let’s make our club stronger, more vibrant, and ready for the challenges ahead.

Resources, including the survey link to be sent in a seperate email.

President Ash Marshall, together with Board Directors warmly invite you and your partner to celebrate

Rotary Club of Canberra’s 2024 Christmas Dinner

Friday, 13 December 2024

6.45pm for 7.00pm

Australian Academy of Science

The Shine Dome

15 Gordon Street, Acton

$80pp includes canapes, main and dessert

Beverages available for purchase - EFTPOS bar

$20 gift card donations in aid of St John’s Care appreciated

Raffles and lucky door prizes

RSVP essential - before 5pm Thursday, 4 December

Debbie Marshall - debbie.brown330@gmail.com

Please note number of seats and any dietary requirements with your reply

At our next meeting on Monday 17 February at the Mercure Hotel Braddon, we will hear from the students our Club sponsored for the National Youth Sciennce Forum (NYSF) this year.  This program is a wonderful part of our Youth Portfolio as it encourages young people to develop their passion for science and explore possibilities in the science area. It is the only program in Australia that offers this for students who are about to go into Year 12. They have the chance to test their interests in science in an interactive and immersive manner.

Please register and come along to hear these very keen and talented students speak.

Your meal on Monday 17 February will be:

• Bread roll and butter
• Roast Lamb with Steamed Vegetables and Roast Potatoes
• 1 drink per person of House wine, Sparkling wine, House Beer, Cider, Soft drink. Lemon Lime Bitters or Juice 
• Rotary Guests to collect their own beverages from Olims Bar and Bistro and state that they are with Canberra Rotary.
• Filtered water will be on the tables

On Monday 24 February we will hear from the 6 students of Kingsford Smith School who are part of the STEMMIES program which our Club has supported. These students have had a wonderful opportunity to increase their knowledge and showcase their work.

Come along and hear how this generation of students are approaching their schooling and the amazing increases in the development of their skills in this area.

The meal on Monday 24 February will be:

• Bread roll and butter
• Bangers and Mash!
• 1 drink per person of House wine, Sparkling wine, House Beer, Cider, Soft drink. Lemon Lime Bitters or Juice 
• Rotary Guests to collect their own beverages from Olims Bar and Bistro and state that they are with Canberra Rotary.
• Filtered water will be on the tables

On Monday 3 March we will hear from one of our long standing members and Director, who has served our Club in many ways, as well as serving the country in his chosen career. 

Come along to hear Phil Byrne OAM give a vocational talk to cover his life and loves, his broad experience with his RAAF career (including a stint exploring the virtues of whisky in Scotland while dealing with the RAF), travels, air shows and many other snippets which will be interesting and entertaining. 

While listening to Phil, we will be treated to mustard and herb rubbed roasted beef rump with mushroom sauce. Remember the cost of $35 also includes a drink from the bar (house beer, wine or soft drink), and a bread roll.

Next Monday we will hear from 2 speakers.

Michael Rabey will speak to us about the Peace Pole Program and the possibilites that it presents as we approach our 100 year Birthday in 2028.  In 2019 the RC of Burley Griffin set out to see if 100 Rotary Peace Poles could be placed to recognise 100 years of Rotary in Australia in 2021. There are now over 600 Rotary Peace Poles donated and placed across the country.

Sam Bannerman was supported by this club to be our Youth Exchange Student last year and he spent his year in Brazil. Sam will give us a presentation on his time there and what lies ahead for him.

Our lunch will be Roast Lamb with a drink from the bar included in the $35.

On Monday 31 March we will hear from Senator David Pocock who will speak about the role of independent Members of Parliament and their responsibilities if they are elected to a legislature with a minority government. This situation is more common in other countries and is becomming more common across Australia. Senator Pocock will provide an opportunity for you to hear his opinion and ask questions about this important part of our democratic process.

An invitation has been sent to other Canberra based Rotary clubs so they also have an opportunity to listen to this talk.

The lunch will be Roast Lamb and will also include the drink of house beer, wine or soft drink from the bar. Please go to the bar, order your drink and let them know that you are with Rotary. The cost is $35 per person.

Please register as soon as possible by clicking on the button below and also on SAVE. You can pay by eft to the RCC General Account or by card on the day.

Next Monday 7 April we will hear from HE Margers Krams, the Ambassador for the Republic of Latvia. H.E. will speak to us about Latvia and in particular the current security situation confronting the Baltic area.

We will be meeting at the Mercure Olims Hotel with a meal of Chicken Schnitzel, salad and chips. You can also have a glass of house beer, wine or soft drink included for $35.  

The code for the parking area at the back of the hotel for this week is the same as last week  1718

Please register as soon as possible so I can let the hotel know our numbers.

Next Monday 14 April we will be meeting at Poppies cafe at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) in Campbell. This is an opportunity to gather in a different venue, have a casual meeting with lots of fellowship, and also to see the re-vamped area of the AWM.

A table has been booked so those who wish to can have lunch before going for a walk through some of the new areas of the Memorial. Lunch or coffees to be purchased by each member.  

Please regiser if you are able to come along so we know if we have booked enough seating. However, as it is a casual event, if you miss registering,  I'm sure we would be able to find a seat for you, so come along.

On Monday 28 April we will meet at Olims Mercure Hotel and hear from Pam Davis, a traveller and adventurer who has been bringing education to remote places.

Sulawesi Serendipity

Pam has been visiting Sulawesi 10 years before COVID, volunteering as an education support person and as a child psychologist. Thanks to John Lawrence she now has an extra iron in the fire, Teacher in a Box (TIB)

Teacher in a Box brings educational resources to remote areas, and Pam sure does 'remote'. She is the Indonesian facilitator for TIB. Recently she has been to some of the more remote places in Indonesia, starting with Bali. Yes, Bali. It isn't all beaches and bikinis. It has an underbelly, and its own remote areas as well.

She has sought out the needs of people, providing education in places you may have been to and many you probably have not. She often sails the high seas to carry out research and deployments.

Come with her on a voyage of serendipity to some of the remote areas she has been to.

P.S. Pam self-funds all her travel and accommodation during all deployment trips! All donations are 100% used for supply TIB Servers.

On Monday 5 May we will hear from Professor Paul Kelly. He is a public health physician and epidemiologist with more than 30 years’ research experience. He has worked around the world in health system development and infectious disease epidemiology. 

Professor Kelly is a former Chief Medical Officer for the Australian Government Department of Health and has spent a distinguished career dedicated to the investigation and delivery of prevention strategies and optimal clinical care, not only domestically, but also internationally in developing and under resourced nations.

His expertise, leadership and advice helped Australia successfully navigate the COVID-19 pandemic — the country’s largest public health response in over 100 years. Professor Kelly’s constant presence, technical expertise, and clear communication provided reassurance to the public and critical advice to governments at a time of extreme uncertainty.

He has also been instrumental in the establishment of the interim Australian CDC, which will better prepare our country for future health threats. He has also led the development of Australia’s first National Health and Climate Strategy.

Please register as soon as possible and click on the save button.