ANNUAL REPORT 2020
Rotary Club of Gosford City Inc Rotary International President 2019-20 Mark Daniel Maloney
Assistant Governor 2019-20 Christine Owen
Board 2019-2020
President: Francine Sultana
District 9685 Governor 2019-20 Kalma McLellan
Board 2020-2021
President: David Bacon PHF
President Elect: PP David Bacon PHF
President Elect & Administration: Paul Jones
Secretary/Admin: PP Monique Cardon
Secretary: John Walton PHF
Treasurer: PP Clive Blunt PHF
Treasurer: PP Clive Blunt PHF
Membership: Mark Cleary
Membership: Mark Cleary
Community: Anne Charlton
Community: Anne Charlton
Special Projects : Jeff Gay
International: Jeff Gay
Youth: Sarah Tait Vocation: Robyn Parker Projects and Partnerships: Board Foundation: Paul Jones
Youth: Sarah Tait Vocations: Robyn Parker Communication: PP Francine Sultana Foundation: PP Richard Waterhouse PHF
PR: Mary Pritchard PHF
The Rotary Club of Gosford City Inc was chartered on 30 June 2008. .
The Object of Rotary The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster: FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service; SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society; THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life; FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
PRESIDENT The 2019-20 Rotary year was themed ‘Connecting the World’’. Certainly, by March 2020 our World was connected through the difficulties of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Our club heartily embraced the challenges that these changing times presented us with. We ensured we stayed connected’ with a swift introduction to the ‘Zoom World’ with the commencement of online monthly board meetings and online weekly BYOB Wednesday morning meetings. Our weekly ‘Monday Message ‘Newsletter remained a constant connection to our club members, friends and extended community. A huge thankyou to this year’s club board who have worked tirelessly to engage and connect our club and community throughout the year. Projects do not just happen… and I thank you all for your volunteering hours to ensure that we continue our important work that we do in our
President Francine Sultana
community. An excellent speakers program this year also. Thank you to Richard Waterhouse for working tirelessly to ensure that every Rotary Breakfast meeting had us being engaged and educated. As a way of thanking our guest speakers our Club makes a $50 donation to the Australian Rotary Health Foundation on their behalf. We honoured our late members Peter Turnbull and Bob Ward with the Community Services awards held in October 2019 and Vocational Awards held on zoom in June 2020. Thanks to Robyn Parker who ensured that both events were a huge success. Events in our annual calendar were tested this year, all due to circumstances beyond our control. Our RYPEN youth camp at Narrabeen was threatened with flooding rains in the region that year but still went ahead. Our Mother’s Day Stall, MUNA Event and Car Rally and our participation in Colours of Country BBQ events cancelled due to Covid-19. Thank you to our Club Treasurer Clive Blunt who was able to secure a vacancy for the club to hold a fundraiser BBQ at Bunnings Gosford on Saturday 14 March, the last active weekend before our Country went into lockdown. It was a hugely successful fundraising event for our Club with every sausage sandwich selling out. 23 September 2019 our Assistant Governor Lower Central Coast Christine Owen kindly arranged for a coach bus service to be made available to Central Coast Rotarians to be able to
OUR COVER This year’s cover highlights the enormous effort Rotary Makes in the eradication of Polio. The picture sees health workers at a polio-vaccine transit post in Antock, Punjab, Pakistan. The team aims to vaccinate children missed during routine immunization campaigns. Building on Rotary's work with the global health community and its GPEI partners, Rotary members in Pakistan build relationships with families that are focused on health care. As part of their commitment to eradicate polio, Rotary clubs sponsor health camps, fund permanent immunizations centres, organize religious leaders to support vaccinations, and train female health workers who visit families regularly. Because Rotary members live in the communities they serve, these relationships allow the work to continue amid the challenges of the campaign. Page | 1
ROTARY CLUB OF GOSFORD CITY
attend a dinner hosting our Rotary International President Mark Daniel Maloney visiting Sydney from USA. It was a perfect opportunity to attend the dinner at The Deck Restaurant & function Centre in Woolwich. The event ran like a well-oiled Rotary wheel, with the coach getting us safely to the event & back in timely precision. 19 October 2019 saw an idea that I had only a few months before, coming to fruition. Our high tea themed ‘Spring Soiree’” was held on a beautiful sunny Spring day. A way to fundraise for our local community and have fun in the process. An event where all of us could get together and enjoy each other’s company and raise money by eating and drinking…a perfect day! We raised good money and even more importantly, we had another fundraising blueprint from which to build in subsequent years. We continued with monthly social evenings, as a change to our usual weekly breakfast meetings. I very much enjoyed the opportunity to get to know our club members and their partners away from the usual business timetable of our breakfast meetings. The social nights were also an opportunity to support our restaurants and clubs in our local area. We changed the venue monthly to ensure we were supportive of as many businesses as possible.
President Francine with RI President Mark Maloney and his wife, Gay
It was during our first zoom Board meeting when our Foundation Director Paul Jones suggested a way that we could support our frontline hospital workers at Gosford Hospital during the Covid 19 Pandemic. We really wanted to acknowledge our night shift workers who we all know historically always seem to miss out on the treats and fun times that occur in a working day. The Board agreed that a delivery of cup cakes for a period of ten weeks individually wrapped and delivered to the hospital in the late afternoon on a rotation of days throughout the ten weeks would be the perfect way to send our thanks and acknowledgement. We endeavoured to have the cupcakes reach a different department within the Hospital each week. During this process we were able to support a local business, Cakes by Kyla, in Gosford. A thankyou to our club member Peter Clarke who kindly donated our printed acknowledgement stickers that placed on each cupcake wrapper. A huge welcome to new club members Anne O’Callaghan and Steven Marks. I am very much looking forward to handing the Club’s reins to President Elect David Bacon, a foundation member of our Club since its inception over 11 years ago. David brings in a wealth of knowledge and experience from his many years in the Rotary World. Rotary year 2020-21.
Francine Page | 2
Bring on the new
ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
TREASURER With everyone's year (and life) being quite severely disrupted by the global pandemic, it will come as no surprise that nearly all of our Club's major projects which were scheduled for the later half of the 4th financial quarter this year have had to be cancelled. The Mother's Day Flowers Project, The Car Rally, and our auspice of the MUNA Central Coast event have not occurred, along with the expected income (and expenses). It's a great shame as we derive much of our recognition in the community from these events. The financial impact is being somewhat offset by a monthly
contribution that our club has asked from its members - this helps greatly to maintain a positive cash flow and a healthy financial position. Our disbursements to charitable community causes this year will also be a little less than usual due to the lack of income from unrealised projects and the need to exercise caution and financial prudence to cover unforeseen circumstances arising from possible further COVID19 social restrictions.
Clive Blunt (& Friend)
The Club overall is in a healthy financial position (i.e. is solvent) and can pay its debts as and when they arise. We will continue to act responsibly in light of our changing global circumstances and will be endeavouring to find more efficient paths to engage with members, the community and other Rotary enterprises across the world.
Thanks to everyone for their support this year.
Clive Blunt
Treasurer 2019-20
ALLOCATIONS Australian Rotary Health Foundation
$1,250
Rotary Foundation
$2,000
Top Blokes Foundation
$1,000
Coast Opera Australia
$300
Chertsey Primary School Breakfast Club
$500
Narara Valley High School-Young Parents Program
$500
Page | 3
ROTARY CLUB OF GOSFORD CITY
CHANGEOVER Our annual Changeover was once again a well-supported event. We saw the Presidential reins handed from outgoing President Monique Cardon to incoming President for 2019-20, Francine Sultana. Below are some memories.
Outgoing President Monique hands over to incoming President Francine
Incoming President Francine outlines her plans for the year
President Francine with members of her Board
Celebrating the occasion Denise and PP Graeme Walters and Peter Witney
ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Club conducted its Annual General Meeting at it last regular breakfast in December. The major outcome was the election of the Board for the 2020-21 Rotary year. Past President David Bacon, a Charter member of the Club, was elected to take over the Presidency from current President Francine Sultana. Paul Jones was elected President-Elect for the following year. The new Secretary will be John Walton, while PP Richard Waterhouse takes over as Foundation Director. Other positions remain the same. (Full Board listed at the front of this report)
PP David Bacon PHF
Paul Jones
PP Richard Waterhouse PHF
DISTRICT GOVERNOR’S VISIT The Club was honoured to host District 9685 Governor, Kalma McLellan on 2 October at our breakfast meeting. DG Kalma was very interested in our Club and made a few suggestions, including for us to report our activities, which are considerable and to aim towards a Rotary Citation.
John Walton PHF
ROTARY CLUB OF GOSFORD CITY
COMMUNITY AND VOCATIONAL Twice a year our Rotary Club pauses to acknowledge those in our community who have contributed either through volunteering or through their vocation, above and beyond expectations. As Vocational Director for Gosford City Rotary Club, it is an honour to get to know our recipients as I prepare their nominations for our Club. Whenever we hold our presentation mornings, Club members comment on what an uplifting and inspirational morning it is. COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS Our Community Service Awards are made to outstanding community service volunteers who have performed meritorious, dedicated and inspirational community service.
Our Community Service Awards are named in honour of a former Club member, the late Peter Turnbull, a man who epitomised the spirit of Rotary values and service to the community throughout his life. Our volunteer nominees this year brought with them a diversity of life experience, volunteering with charities, sporting groups and the arts. As is often the case, these remarkable people often lead busy lives themselves and face their own challenges, but still opt to put other community members first. In
Carol Holder
Deb Hoynes
nearly every instance our recipients are reticent to accept individual acknowledgement and prefer to see themselves as part of a team or broader group. Allyson Kell
This year we acknowledged the following volunteers:
• Carol Holder - Fairhaven Services volunteer
Zoe Smith
Allyson Kell
Georgina Lemair
Gary Stellino
• Deb Hoynes - Fairhaven Services volunteer • Zoe Smith - Gosford High School student and Coast Shelter volunteer • Allyson Kell - Gosford High School student and Coast Shelter volunteer • Georgina Le Mair - Terrigal Probus Club and volunteer with Bellbirds, St Vincent de Paul Society and Crestani Scholarship Committee
• Garry Stellino - founder Kara-U-Oke at Gosford 50+ Leisure and Learning Centre VOCATIONAL SERVICE AWARDS
Our Vocational Service Awards acknowledge our former member and councillor, the Late Bob Ward. Vocational service comprises varied efforts that members of our community make to improve the quality of life of those who live within this club’s locality or municipality. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic our club moved to on-line meetings during the latter part of our year. Our Vocational Service Awards were held via Zoom and our club members felt it was most appropriate to acknowledge teams of employees in our area who many may flown ‘under the radar’ as the unsung heroes during the crisis, keeping vital services going during times of need. Sometimes the efforts of dedicated employees who go above and beyond expectations are unrecognised. Our award presentations were a chance for our members to pause and say, “thank you”.
Page | 4
ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
This year we acknowledged the following teams:
• Gosford Hospital’s Environmental Services team • Gosford Hospital’s Emergency Department team • Staff at Narara Valley High School • Ambulance NSW CC Zone paramedics • Staff at Woolworths Gosford Imperial Centre Gosford Hospital Environmental Services Team
Narara Valley High School Staff
Woolworths Imperial Centre Team
Gosford Hospital Emergency Department Team
NSW Ambulance Service CC Zone paramedics
Robyn Parker
Vocational Service Director
PETER WITNEY'S BUSHFIRE RELIEF EFFORT Congratulations to our own Peter Witney, whose company was part of the “Mattress for a Mate” initiative which provided bedding for bushfire victims on the NSW South Coast. Five truck loads of mattresses were taken to the South Coast and distributed free to recipients from collection points in Ulladulla and Narooma. The idea was sparked by Hawkesbury City Council councillor, Sarah Richards with the help of her partner Matthew Bennett and his friends at AH Beard Bedding. AH Beard Bedding provided the mattresses and Peter’s company, Bambi Enterprises at West Gosford provided the pillows, all 800 of them and for free. Well done Peter. We’re proud to have you as a member.
Page | 5
ROTARY CLUB OF GOSFORD CITY
YOUTH The Rotary Club of Gosford City feels that engagement with local youth is extremely important and strives to deliver quality programs which connect youth to Rotary. The three main youth programs that we participate in yearly are RYLA, RYPEN and MUNA. Every year the club sponsors a local young person to attend Rotary Youth Leadership
Award
(RYLA),
a
six-day
Leadership
and
Personal
Development seminar for young adults aged between 18 and 25 years. Unfortunately, our candidate for this year’s RYLA in January had to pull out at the last minute due to a family emergency. We will continue our commitment to RYLA and sponsor another candidate for RYLA 2021. This year we had two students from Narara Valley High School, Connor and Caitlin, attend the Summer Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN)
Camp,
held
in
RYPEN Group
February at the Sydney Academy of Sports, Narrabeen. This camp is for students aged 14 – 16 years of age who need a helping hand to develop leadership, initiative and responsibility skills. Both Connor and Caitlin thoroughly enjoyed the camp, made new friends and learnt new skills that will benefit them in the future. The Club is immensely proud of our relationship with Narara Valley High School and looks forward to sending another two students to
RYPEN 2021. Every year, the Rotary Club of Gosford City coordinates
RYPEN Raft building (collapsing)
the Central Coast division of the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA). MUNA is held in many Rotary Districts around Australia and first started in 1980. It is an event for senior high school students to develop awareness of the United Nations and the countries they represent at a simulated UN Assembly.
The event provides an excellent forum for
students to develop and practice their public speaking skills whilst debating on topical world issues. Central Coast MUNA is held every May and the team that places first is invited to compete at the Australian National MUNA at the Old Parliament House in Canberra. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, MUNA was cancelled
this year. We had over 20 teams from all around the Central Coast registered to attend and the decision to cancel this year’s event was a difficult one. We get a great response every year from the local high schools and are looking forward to a record high attendance for MUNA 2021. Despite the challenges for our Youth programs in 2020, our Club was still able to engage with youth in our area.
We are always striving to
strengthen our connection with local youth and to provide them with unique opportunities to develop leadership skills and confidence. We look forward to more opportunities to do this in 2021.
Sarah Tait
Youth Service Director Page | 6
RYPEN Tower building
ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
SPEAKERS The speakers' schedule in this Rotary Year was designed with the aim of presentations that addressed both Rotary programs and challenges facing RI both now and in the future; topics that focussed on Gosford City, including its history and heritage, its cultural institutions and its future directions; and talks about travel, tourism, health and life abroad that were just plain interesting. It was a great privilege to organise the program and a great pleasure to meet the presenters. Hare are some of the faces.
SPEAKERS FROM L-R PDG Graeme Davies; AG Christine Owen; Brendan Rogers; David Mylan; Narelle Peterson; Rafael Joundry; John Walton; Emily Waters; Edgar Adams; Bobby Redman; Simon Sinek; Samantha Bacon; Karen Hayhurst; Monique Cardon; Merril Jackson; Mary Pritchard; Laurie O’Brien; Jeanne Bruyr; Richard Waterhouse; Robyn Parker; Tony Mylan; Pavla Board; Kreenah Yelds; Andrew Dixon; Louise Pratt; Melissa Abu-Gazaleh
Richard Waterhouse Program co-ordinator
Page | 7
ROTARY CLUB OF GOSFORD CITY
ACTIVITIES CUPCAKES FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS
MUNA TEAM IN CANBERRA
Each week over 10 weeks in
Although the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the
April, May and June the Rotary
staging of Central Coast MUNA, there was still local
Club of Gosford City delivered
involvement in MUNA during the year.
60 absolutely delicious gourmet Cup
Cakes
to
departments
of
all
The winning Central Coast Grammar School team from
the
the previous year travelled to Canberra to participate in
Gosford
the National Finals in the Old Parliament House.
Hospital. The Cup Cakes were a token of our appreciation from the Club for the wonderful work that happened non stop during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in our Central Coast Local Heath District. We
wanted
to
acknowledge
Amy Nicholson, Isabella Ridge and Robert Bacon
represented Cambodia in the final series and although not in the final placings, they did the Coast proud and were ideal ambassadors for the Club and their school.
the
professionalism and dedication of our local healthcare workers. The cakes were made with love and individually packaged by ‘Cakes by Kyla’ Kyla & Sean—Cakes by Kyla
in Gosford.
The project was also intended as support for local
business during the social isolation phase of the
Robert Bacon, Isabella Ridge & Amy Nicholson
pandemic. Each Cup Cake had a note of heartfelt thanks, provided kindly by Rotarian Peter Clark from KwikKopy Gosford. The fabulous people at Gosford Hospital - Jan and Cammy - helped to make this possible.
ANZAC DAY TRIBUTE The Club was pleased to be part of Salute to the Anzacs and Community on Anzac Day. Organised by Coast Opera Australia, the tribute
We extend our sincere thanks to all the staff at Gosford
involved the Last Post being played by a solitary bugler
Hospital.
atop Central Coast Stadium at dawn plus appropriate musical items.
BBQ
It wouldn’t have been a Rotary year without at least one Bunnings BBQ.
RC Gosford City was able to assist in enabling the event to take place through a contribution towards staging costs.
ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
ACTIVITIES SPRING SOIREE What a beautiful afternoon we had at the Springtime Soiree High Tea at Fare Cravin' Café, Fairhaven in October. The weather was perfect, Ella Powell our singer was superb and the food was amazing. Below are some memories.
ROTARY CLUB OF GOSFORD CITY
NEW MEMBERS During the year we welcomed two new members. Anne O'Callaghan is from Saratoga and an active Toastmaster. through
the
Anne became interested in Rotary collaboration
between
Rotary
and
Toastmasters announced during the year. Anne is a member of the Brisbane Water Breakfast Toastmasters Club and is looking forward to increasing her community service through Rotary.
Stephen Marks transferred to our Club from the Rotary Club of Goondiwindi. From Point Clare, Stephen is a retired dentist and has a
Anne O’Callaghan
keen interest in mentoring high school students and working with the homeless.
COLLABORATION ROTARY AND TOASTMASTERS ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION AGREEMENT In an exciting development during the year, Rotary announced a collaborative agreement with Toastmasters International. Toastmasters is a global not for profit organization with more than 16,800 clubs in 143 countries. Its members attend club meetings where they learn how to be more confident speakers, communicators and leaders. Toastmasters’ vision for the ongoing collaboration with Rotary is to change more lives for the better, and positively impact communities around the world. “Collaborating with Toastmasters will provide our members with even more opportunities to develop and improve their leadership and communication skills,” said John Hewko, general secretary and CEO of Rotary International.
“In turn, members of Toastmasters can connect with more people, take
advantage of new speaking and learning opportunities, and make a difference in their communities through Rotary.” The ongoing relationship between the two organizations will begin at the grassroots level with local club members learning and working together. Additionally, Toastmasters will create a set of eight structured communication and leadership development courses for Rotary with a phased rollout that will be available in English in 2020, and in more languages in 2021. Rotary provides its members opportunities to develop professionally, gain world understanding, and make lifelong friendships – all while volunteering to improve lives and bring lasting, positive change to communities. The alliance with Toastmasters will enhance these opportunities. RC Gosford City has already initiated contact with Brisbane Water Breakfast Toastmasters Club. Page | 8
Stephen Marks
ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
MEMBERS 2019-20 PP David
Bacon PHF
PP Clive
Blunt PHF
PP Monique Cardon Anne
Charlton
Peter
Clarke
Mark
Cleary
Jeff
Gay
PP Michael Goodwin Jeff
Hayhurst
Chris
Holstein
Niel
Jacobsen
Paul
Jones
Antje
Kemety
Stephen
Lloyd
Stephen
Marks
Anne
O’Callaghan
Deborah
O'Neill*
Robyn
Parker
Mary
Pritchard PHF
PP Robert
Pryke PHF
PP Kathy
Sokk
P Francine Sultana Sarah
Tait
Leisl
Tesch*
Eduardo
Tomayo
PP Graeme Walters John
Walton PHF
PP Richard
Waterhouse PHF
Barney
Waters
Lucy
Wicks*
Peter
Witney
Pauline
Wright
* Honorary Member
CORPORATE SPONSORS The Rotary Club of Gosford City thanks its corporate sponsors for their generous support during the year. This sponsorship enables the printing of the Club’s Annual Report. These sponsors have also provided in-kind support throughout the year for which the Club is extremely grateful.
Rotary Club of Gosford City Inc ABN 41 908 571 723 PO Box 304 Gosford NSW 2250 Australia Rotary International Club Number 79691