Celebrating 50 years of Service
Club of Castle Hill
1965-2015
The History of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill
50th Anniversary of Charter 18th March 2015
2
How this Club History came into being
36
A Brief History of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill
37
1965 -‐1966
38
The Period of Organisation
38
The Charter Members
38
The Sponsor Club
39
Club Officers 1965 -‐ 1966.
39
A Period Of Organisation and Education
40
Some Interesting Firsts
40
Changes in Membership Resignations New members Membership change
41
Hills Views Number 1
41
1966 – 1967
42
Club Officers
42
A Year Of Service On All Fronts
42
Community Service
43
International Service
43
Vocational Service
43
Club Service
43
Other Points Worthy of Note
43
Changes In Membership Resignations: New Members:
44
1967 – 1968
44
Club Officers
44
A Year Of Continuation.
44
Other Activities
45
Changes In Membership Resignations: New Members: Membership change:
45
1968 -‐ 1969
46
Club Officers
46
A Year Of Achievement And Preparation
46
Membership
46
Fellowship
46
41 41 41
44 44
45 45 45
3
Service
46
Preparation
47
Changes In Membership Resignations: New Members: Membership change:
47
1969 -‐ 1970
47
Club Officers A Year Of Expansion
47
Changes In Membership Resignations: New Members: Membership change:
49
1970 -‐ 1971
49
Club Officers
49
A Year of Youth and Fellowship
49
Youth
50
Fellowship
50
Community Service
51
Vocational Service
51
Convention
51
Membership Changes in Membership Resignations: New Members: Membership change:
51
1971 -‐ 1972
52
Club Officers
52
A Year of Innovation and Fundraising
52
Community Service
52
Youth
53
Guest Speakers
53
Fellowship
53
A Time for Change
53
Changes in Membership Resignations: New members: Membership
53
1972 -‐ 1973
54
Club Officers
54
A Productive and Enjoyable Year
54
International Service (including Youth Service)
55
47 47 47
48 49 49 49
51 51 51 52
53 54 54
4
Community Service
55
Club Fellowship
55
Fund Raising
56
Beyond the Club
56
In Summary
56
Changes in Membership Resignations: New members: Membership
56
1973 -‐ 1974
56
Club Officers
56
The Rotary Club of Castle Hill – a Change in Name Only
57
Community Service
57
Youth
57
International Service
58
Vocational Service
58
Club Service
58
Changes in Membership Membership: Resignations: New Members:
58
1974 -‐ 1975
59
Club Officers
59
Approaching Parenthood
59
Community Service
60
Fund Raising
60
Youth
60
International Service
61
Vocational Service
61
Club Service
61
Farewell
61
Changes in Membership Membership: Resignations: New Members
62
1975 -‐ 1976
62
Club Officers
62
The year of RYLA organisation
62
Community Service
63
Youth
63
56 56 56
58 59 59
62 62 62
5
International Service
64
Vocational Service
64
Club Service
64
Changes in Membership Membership: Resignations: New Members
65
1976 -‐ 1977
66
Club Officers
66
A year of extended International Service
66
Community Service
67
Youth
67
Vocational Service
68
Club Service
68
Vale, Bruce Pederson
68
Changes in Membership Membership: Resignations: New Members
69
1977 -‐ 1978
69
Club Officers
69
A year of virtue rewarded
69
Community Service
70
Youth
70
Vocational Service
70
Club Service
70
International Service
71
Changes in Membership Resignations: New Members Membership:
71
1978 -‐ 1979
72
Club Officers
72
A year of many projects
72
Community Service
72
Youth Service
73
Vocational Service
73
Club Service
73
International Service
74
Changes in Membership Resignations:
75
65 65 65
69 69 69
71 71 71
75 6
75 75
New Members Membership: 1979 -‐ 1980
75
Club Officers
75
A year of anniversaries
75
Community Service
76
Youth Service
77
Vocational Service
77
Club Service
77
International Service
78
Changes in Membership Resignations: New Members Membership:
78
1980 -‐ 1981
79
Club Officers
79
A year of building
79
Community Service
79
Youth Service
80
Vocational Service
80
International Service
81
Club Service
81
Changes in Membership Resignations: New Members Membership:
81
1981 -‐1982
82
Club Officers
82
A big year
82
Community Service
82
Youth Service
83
Vocational Service
83
International Service
83
Club Service
84
Changes in Membership Resignations: New Members Membership:
85
1982 -‐ 1983
85
Club Officers
85
The Mixture as Before (and very pleasant to take)
85
78 78 79
81 81 82
85 85 85
7
Community Service
86
Youth Service
86
Vocational Service
87
International Service
87
Club Service
87
Changes in Membership Resignations: New Members Membership:
88
1983 -‐ 1984
88
Club Officers
88
A Good Time at the Nineteenth
89
Community Service
89
Youth Service
90
Vocational Service
90
International Service
90
Club Service
91
Sporting prowess and old friends department
92
Conclusion
92
Changes in Membership Resignations: New Members Membership:
92
1984 -‐ 1985 Club Officers President’s report Community Service Youth Service Youth Exchange Twin Exchange Rotaract Interact National Summer Science School, Canberra The following programmes received the Club’s financial support Vocational Service Pride in Workmanship Awardees Site Visits Advance Australia Careers Market International Service International Understanding Awards Group Study Exchange Rotary Foundation World Community Service Club Service Changes in Membership Resignations:
93
88 88 88
92 92 93 93 93 93 94 94 95 95 95 95 95 95 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 97 97 97 98 98 8
98 98
New Members Membership: 1985-‐1986
98
Board of Directors
99
Committee Chairmen
99
President’s Message A Parting Message
99
Secretary’s Report
100
Club Service Report Meetings Fellowship Programmes Bulletin Club History Attendance Youth Service Report Youth Exchange Australia – New Zealand Twin Exchange RYLA Interact Rotaract Peer Support National Summer Science School, Canberra International Service Report Rotary Foundation World Community Service International Understanding Awards Group Study Exchange Community Service Report Fund Raising
100
Vocational Service Report Vocational Visits Austral Bricks IBM Headquarters, West Pennant Hills Rural Press at Richmond
105
Pride of Workmanship Australia Day Vocational Month
105
Treasurer’s Report Administration Account Projects account Arts & Craft Exhibition Account Arts & Crafts Investment Account
105
1986-‐1987
107
Board of Directors
107
Committee Chairmen
107
President’s report
107
Secretary’s report
108
99
100 100 101 101 101 101 101 101 102 102 102 102 102 102 103 103 103 103 103 104 104 105 105 105 105 105 105 106 106 106 106
9
Club Service Fellowship Programmes Bulletin Club History Attendance
108
International Service report Rotary Foundation Group Study Exchange
109
Youth RYLA Rotaract Interact Youth Exchange
110
Community Service Report
110
Vocational Service report Careers programme Pride of Workmanship Vocational Visits
111
Treasurer’s Report Administration Account Projects Account Arts & Craft Account Investment Account
112
Polio Plus
112
Rotary Responds to US Supreme Court Decision on Membership Rules
113
Another Year Completed
113
1987-‐1988
114
Board of Directors
114
Committee Chairmen
114
New Club of Kellyville After the Christening comes the Nurture
114
From The President’s Study
115
1988-‐1989
115
Board of Directors
115
President’s Report
115
Secretary’s Report Membership Board Meetings Club Assemblies Council on Legislation District Conference Incorporation Club Administration
116
Club Service Report Fellowship
118
108 109 109 109 109 109 110 110 110 110 110
111 111 111 112 112 112 112
114
116 117 117 117 118 118 118 118
10
118 119 119 119 119 119 119 119 119 119
Programmes Bulletins Membership Attendance Incorporation District Assembly Public Relations Banner Sergeants In Conclusion Community Service Report Orange Blossom Festival Art Show and Country Fair Bi-‐centennial Year Project Hills Centre for Living Arts Showgate Work Projects Donations Christmas hospital visit Probus Club
119
Vocational Service Report Pride of Workmanship Young Achievers
121
International Report FAIM Donations in Kind Rotary Foundation Foundation Scholarship GSE IPAC In conclusion
122
Youth Service Report In summary
123
Treasurer’s Report
124
1989-‐1990
125
Board of Directors
125
Our Silver Anniversary Year
126
Secretary’s report Membership Board Meetings Annual General Meeting Club Assemblies 1990 District 968 Conference Silver Anniversary celebrations Club administration
126
Club Service report Attendance Programmes Bulletins Public Relations
127
119 120 120 120 120 120 121 121 121 122 122 122 122 122 122 122 123 123 124
126 127 127 127 127 127 127 128 128 128 128
11
128
Fellowship Community Service report
128
Vocational Service report 7:05 Report Rotary Ethics & The Four Way Test Pride in Workmanship Vocational Visits Young Achievers Vocational Talks In conclusion
129
International report FAIM Donations in Kind Rotary Foundation Foundation Scholarship GSE (Group Study Exchange) Rotary literacy program – Thailand
130
Youth Service report Rotaract Interact Summer Science School New Zealand Twin Exchange Youth Exchange RYLA In conclusion
131
Treasurer’s Statement as at 31May1990
132
1990-‐1991
132
Board of Directors
132
President’s report
132
Secretary’s report Membership Board meetings Annual General Meeting Club Assemblies
133
1991 District 968 Conference Club administration
134
Club Service report Overview Attendance Programmes Fellowship Bulletin Public Relations Sergeant-‐at-‐Arms Membership and Membership Development Classifications Rotary Information Club History Acknowledgement
135
129 130 130 130 130 130 130 130 130 130 130 131 131 131 131 131 131 131 132 132
133 134 134 134 134 135 135 135 135 135 136 136 136 136 136 136 136
12
Community Service report Pioneer Families The Showgate Collection Christmas Puddings Red Shield Appeal Orange Blossom Festival Coats MS Research Our Club made Donations to Various Organisations during the year In Conclusion
137
Vocational Service report Overview Career Marketing Vocational Visits Operation Livewire Pride in Workmanship In conclusion
138
International Service report Overseas Club Contacts FAIM Group Study Exchange International Understanding Awards Rotary Foundation In summary
139
Youth Service report Overview International Youth Exchange New Zealand Twin Exchange RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) RYPEN (Rotary Youth Programme of Enrichment) Rotaract Vision Valley Bus Project Hills District Youth Service (HDYS) National Summer Science School Summary
140
Treasurer’s Statement as at May 1991
142
1991-‐1992
142
Board of Directors
142
President’s report
142
Secretary’s report Membership Board meetings Attendance Annual General Meeting Club Assemblies Club Administration
144
Club Service report Fellowship Programmes Bulletins
145
137 137 137 137 137 137 137 137 138 138 138 138 138 138 139 139 139 139 139 140 140 140 140 140 140 141 141 141 141 141 141
144 144 144 145 145 145 145 146 146
13
146 146 146 146 146
Attendance Sergeant-‐at-‐Arms Competition Public Relations Membership Treasurer’s report
146
International report FAIM IPAC
147
Youth Service report
147
Community Service report
148
Vocational Service report “My Vocation” job talks Quality Assurance Vocational visits Ongoing training Pride in Workmanship Awards Youth Enhancement Scheme
149
1992-‐1993
150
Board of Directors
150
Presidents Message
151
Club Service report
151
Community Service Committee HADPAC Camp Quality Heritage Exhibition Project Committee Ranfurly Library Service
152
Vocational Service Report Vocational Service month Vocational talks Youth Enhancement Scheme Youth employment Vocational visits Pride in Workmanship
153
Youth Service report Youth Exchange Youth Training Experience School Experiences
154
International Service report Group Study Exchange Rotary Foundation Rotary against malaria Fish in Dams Project Donations in Kind (DIK) Model United Nations assembly (MUNA) In conclusion
155
Secretary’s report Membership
156
147 147
149 149 149 149 150 150
152 152 152 152 153 153 153 153 154 154 154 155 155 155 155 155 156 156 156 156 156
14
157 157 157 157
Board meetings Annual General Meeting Club Assemblies Club Administration 1993-‐1994
157
Board of Directors
158
President’s report
158
Secretary’s report Board meetings Annual General Meeting Club Assemblies Club Administration
158
Club Service report
160
Community Service report The Rotary Scenic Lookout Project The Christmas Pudding Project The Parkinson Association of NSW Project The “Tree of Joy” Project Red Shield Appeal The Castle Hill Showgate Collection & Parking Project The Rachel and Sarah Project The Rotary Art Show Project The Knightsbridge Rotary Park Project The Orchid Sales Project Donations
160
International Service report FAIM MUNA ROTA Home
162
Vocational Service report Dinner with The Hills Chamber of Commerce State Parliament House Visit Pride in Workmanship Awards Night
163
Youth Service report
164
1994-‐1995
164
Board of Directors
164
President’s report
164
Secretary’s report Membership Board meetings Annual General Meeting Club Assemblies Club Administration
165
Club Service report
166
Community Service report Paint your heart out Ambulance equipment appeal Other Community projects
167
159 159 160 160
161 161 161 161 161 161 162 162 162 162 162 163 163 163 163 163 163
165 165 165 166 166
168 168 168 15
168 168 168 168 169
Castle Hill Show Gate Red Shield Appeal Rotary Art Show Motor scooter repairs Thanks International report Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship GSE International Service Month MUNA FAIM Fiji ROTAhomes Donations
169
Thanks
170
Vocational Service report Employ Australia Project Future Developments in My Industry Job Talks Vocational Visits Prospect Electricity QANTAS Operation Livewire Pride in Workmanship & Walter Stone Apprentice of the Year Award
170
Youth Service report Youth Month – September Youth Community Service Night “A Texan GSE Experience” YOTS Information Night RYLA RYPEN High Street Youth Health Service YOTS (Youth Off The Streets) Peer Support KIC Adventure Camp Summer Science Schools Children’s Camp Vision Valley Rotaract Youth Exchange Thanks
171
1995-‐1996
173
Board of Directors
173
President’s report
173
Secretary’s report
173
Youth Service report Rotary Youth Exchange NZ Matched Exchange Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Rotary Programme for Enrichment (RYPEN) Rotaract – Castle Hill Club Childrens’ Camps – “Operation Hope” camps for Underprivilerged Children
173
169 169 169 169 169 169 169 170
170 170 170 170 170 170 170 171 171 171 171 171 171 171 172 172 172 172 172 172 172 172
173 173 174 174 174 174
16
174 174 174 174 174 174 175
Hills District Youth Service – Youth Camp January 1996 Science Schools CRA Summer Science School – Canberra January 1997 Siemens Science Schools National Engineering Summer School MUNA (Model United Nations Assembly) YOTS (Youth Off The Streets) Other Directors reports in brief Community Service Club Service International Vocational Heritage
175
1996-‐1997
176
Board of Directors
176
President’s report District Conference Club Service Community Service Vocational Youth International Membership Heritage Park Paul Harris Fellows Thanks
176
Secretary’s report Board Meetings Club Assemblies District Conference Club Administration
178
Treasurer’s report Administration Projects Tour de Hills Arts & Crafts Heritage Park Bruce Pederson Memorial Trust
179
Club Service Aims and Objectives Programmes Fellowship Attendance Welfare Bulletin Sergeant-‐at-‐Arms Raffle General
181
Community Service report
182
International Service report
183
175 175 175 175 176
176 177 177 177 177 177 177 177 178 178 178 179 179 179 179 180 180 180 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 182 182 182
17
183 183 183 183 183 183 183
Group Study Exchange Paul Harris Fellowship International Dinner Ambassadorial Scholarship Dinner Rotary Against Malaria FAIM (Fourth Avenue In Motion) Thanks Vocational Service report Review of Activities 1996-‐1997
183
Youth Service report MUNA BHP National Engineering Summer School Summer Science School Vision Valley Childrens’ Camp for Underprivileged Children Art & Youth Merit Awards Night – Castle Towers Youth Exchange Christmas Camp run by The Hills Youth Group Rotaract Leadership Weekend Rotaract Club School Presentation Night YOTS (Youth Off The Streets) In Conclusion
184
Membership Committee report Membership Membership Development
186
Castle Hill Heritage Park
187
1997-‐1998
187
Board of Directors
187
President’s report Achievements Goals not Achieved
188
Secretary’s report Membership Board Meetings General Meeting Annual General Meeting Club Forums District Conference Club Administration
188
Treasurer’s report
189
Youth Service Youth exchange Inbound Outbound Student’s Art Competition Rotaract Summer Science School Operation Hope Suicide Prevention MUNA
190
183 184 184 184 185 185 185 185 185 185 185 185 186 186 187
188 188 188 189 189 189 189 189 189
190 190 190 190 190 190 190 190 190
18
190
Australian Business Week International Service Group Study Exchange Rotary Against Malaria Donations in Kind FAIM Health, Hunger and Humanity (3H)
191
Community Service
191
Club Service
192
Vocational Service
192
1998-‐1999
192
Board of Directors
192
President’s report
193
Secretary’s report Membership Board Meetings Annual General Meeting Club Administration
193
Treasurer’s report
195
Club Service report
195
Community Service report Projects achieved Community Service Donations from above Abandoned Projects
195
Vocational Service report Rotarian’s Unusual Hobbies Vocational Visits Baulkham Hills Shire Council Microsearch Foundation Amway Australia Guest Speakers Pride in Workmanship Apprentice of the Year Industry Environment Award
196
Youth Service report RYLA RYPEN Science and Engineering Schools Youth Exchange NZ Matched Exchange MUNA Children’s Camp Youth Suicide Prevention In Closing
198
International Service report Group Study Exchange Donations to Internation Projects
199
Heritage Park – Castle Hill’s Historic Site
200
191 191 191 191 191
193 194 194 194
195 196 196 196 196 196 197 197 197 197 197 197 198 198 198 198 198 199 199 199 199 199 200
19
1999-‐2000
201
Board of Directors
201
President’s report
201
Secretary’s report Membership Board Meetings Annual General Meeting Club Forums District Conference Club Administration Thanks
202
Treasurer’s report
203
Club Service report Programme Fellowship Bulletin Membership Sergeants Raffle Behind the Scenes Finally
203
Vocational Service report Introduction Vocational Month Pride in Workmanship Apprentice of the Year CareFlight Visit Conclusion
204
Community Service report Showgate HADPAC Schneiders Bowelscan Paralympics Tickets Christmas Cakes The Fun Run Red Shield Appeal Tour de Hills Finances
205
International Service report Save Face Rotarians Against Malaria Nepal Group Study Exchange Donations in Kind (DIK) Sister Clubs Tanzania Communication Project Friendship Exchange Foundation Bequests Tunnel Walk Caps/Badges From Russia with Love
207
202 202 202 202 202 202 203
203 203 204 204 204 204 204 204 204 204 205 205 205 205 206 206 206 206 206 206 206 206 206 207 207 207 207 207 208 208 208 208 208 208 208
20
208
Shopping Centre International Expo Youth Service report RYPEN – Now called START LIVING NOW RYLA Operation HOPE Camp National Youth Science Forum Youth Exchange Our Rebound Student Out Outbound Student Our Inbound Student
209
2000-‐2001
210
Board of Directors
210
President’s report
210
Secretary’s report Membership Board Meetings Annual General Meeting Club Forums District Conference. Club Administration
210
Treasurer’s report
212
Club Service report Bulletin Membership Programme Fellowship Finally
212
Vocational Service report Talks Presentation Nights 22nd November -‐ Pride in Workmanship 30th May -‐ Apprentice of the Year Award 4th October Visit -‐ Westmead Millennium Institute 27th June Special Event Conclusion
213
Community Service report. Skills Register Gemhill Cottage Paralympics Centenary of Federation Celebrations Hills Wine and Food Festival Melbourne Cup Trifecta Bowel Scan First Aid Kits Schneiders Christmas Cakes Showgate Computer Pals Tour de Hills Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal
214
209 209 209 209 209 209 209 209
210 211 211 211 211 211
212 212 213 213 213 213 213 213 214 214 214 214 214 214 214 215 215 215 215 215 215 215 215 215 215 216
21
216 216 216 216
Castle Hill Family Centre Heritage Park U-‐Turn The Wheel Programme Thanks International Service report GSE Team to The Netherlands Nepal Donations Thanks
216
Youth Service report Youth Exchange RYLA MUNA National Youth Science Forum
217
Castle Hill Historic Site Community Committee 10 Year Effort Brings First Success
218
2001 -‐ 2002
219
Board of Directors
219
President’s report The Hills Rotary Club Public Relations Administration
219
216 216 217 217 217 217 217 217 218
220 220 220
District Governor 2004-‐2005 220 North Parramatta Boy Makes Good (From Tyre-‐Kicker to Lumberjack to District Governor-‐ Elect) 220 Secretary’s report Board Meetings Club Administration Computer Update
221
Club Service report
221
Vocational Service report
222
Community Service report The Castle Hill Bi-‐Centennial Celebrations
222
Historic Site Nears Starting Line
223
International Service report
224
Youth Service report
224
Treasurer’s report Summary of Beneficiaries
225
2002 -‐ 2003
226
Board of Directors
226
President’s report
226
Secretary’s report Membership Board Meetings Club Administration General
228
221 221 221
222
225
228 228 228 228 22
Club Service report
228
Vocational Service report Pride in Workmanship Hills Teacher of the Year Apprentice of the Year
229
Community Service report Special Olympics Hills Food and Wine Festival Christmas Puddings/Cakes Melbourne Cup Raffle Tour de Hills Bowelscan Showgate Red shield Appeal Men’s Forum
229
International Service report Vietnam – Antipodeans Abroad Wexford, Ireland – Sister Club Solomon Islands – Volcano Relief Support Lindsay Buckingham Poilo Plus
231
Youth Service report MUNA NYSF Operation Hope RYLA RYPEN U-‐Turn the Wheel Youth Exchange
232
Treasurer’s report Beneficiaries for 2002-‐2003
233
2003 -‐ 2004
233
Board of Directors
234
President’s report
234
Secretary’s report Membership Board Meetings Club Administration General
235
Club Service report
235
Vocational Service report
236
Community Service report Sausage Sizzle Coles supermarket Hills Food and Wine Festival Christmas Puddings/Cakes Balcombe Heights Community Centre Tour de Hills Quail Manure Showgate
236
229 229 229 230 230 230 230 230 230 230 231 231 231 231 231 231 231 232 232 232 232 232 232 232 233
235 235 235 235
236 237 237 237 237 237 237
23
237 238 238 238
SMC Pneumatics Bowel Scan Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal Probus Club International Service report
238
Youth Service report Youth Exchange RYLA RYPEN RYDA Other Rotary Youth Programs Rotaract
238
Treasurer’s report
240
2004 -‐ 2005
241
Board of Directors
241
President’s report
241
Secretary’s report Membership Board Meetings Club Administration General
242
Club Service report
242
Vocational Service report
243
Community Service report
243
International Service report From Russia with Love (FRWL) Interplast Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM) Sister City Clubs Thai Night
244
Youth Service report Youth Exchange Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) Science and Engineering Forums Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) Conclusion
245
Treasurer’s report St George Bank CBA Fixed Deposit at 27 April 2005 Income -‐ Projects Donations to be Made Expenditure –Projects
246
Castle Hill Historic Site Community Committee
248
2005 -‐ 2006
248
Board of Directors
248
239 239 239 239 239 239
242 242 242 242
244 244 244 244 244 245 245 245 245 245 245 246 246 246 246 247 247
24
President’s report
249
Secretary’s report Membership Board Meetings Club Administration General
250
Club Service report Club Communication Guest Speakers Fellowship Risk Management Club Constitution and Bylaws Membership and Retention Attendance Meeting Venue Public Relations Sergeants-‐at-‐Arms The Raffle Thankyou
250
Community Service report
252
Other Fund Raisers Showgate Tour de Hills Orange Blossom Festival Bowel Scan Helen Rollan Appeal Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal In Conclusion
252
Vocational Service report Vocational Visits Pride in Workmanship Awards Excellence in Teaching Awards Vocational Talks Apprentice of the Year
253
International Service report Rotary Foundation Group Study Exchange RAWCS International Dinners Rotarians Against Malaria Water Wells in India Tsunami Relief
254
Youth Service report RYLA Rotaract Science Summer School In Summmary for the Year 2005/2006 Thankyou
255
Treasurer’s report Rotary Club of Castle Hill Inc. 2005-‐2006 Income – Projects
257
250 250 250 250 250 250 250 251 251 251 251 251 251 252 252 252
252 253 253 253 253 253 253 253 253 254 254 254 254 254 254 255 255 255 255 256 256 256 256 257 257 257
25
258
Donations & Expenses – Projects Castle Hill Historic Site Community Committee
258
2006 -‐ 2007
259
Board of Directors
259
President’s report
259
Secretary’s report Membership Board Meetings District Conference Club Administration
260
Club Service report Membership Program Fellowship Club Communication Thankyou
261
Community Service report Castle Hill Show: 16-‐18 March 2007 Tour de Hills – Sunday March 4th 2007 SMC Pneumatics and other BBQs Castle Hill Food and Wine Festival Collection of Entrance Fees, Donations and Parking Heritage Park Bowel Scan /Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal St Michael’s Family Day Care Centre Roy Martin Educational Grant Community Donations Xmas Cakes and Puddings New Proposals Solomon Islands Tsunami
262
Vocational Service report Pride in Workmanship Awards Excellence in Teaching Awards Vocational Visits Apprentice of the Year and Walter Stone Memorial Perpetual Trophy
264
International Service report Rotary Foundation Rotohomes Asian Tsunami Relief International Dinners RAWCS Solomon Islands Tsunami Relief Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM) Donations in Kind (DIK) Thanks
264
Youth Service report Rotaract Interact RYDA Siemens Science Experience
265
260 261 261 261 261 261 261 262 262 262 262 262 262 262 263 263 263 263 263 263 263 263 264 264 264 264 264 265 265 265 265 265 265 265 265 265 266 266 266
26
266 266 266 266
RYLA MUNA RYPEN Rotary Youth Exchange Treasurer’s report 22/5/07
266
2007 -‐ 2008
267
Board of Directors
267
President’s report
267
Secretary’s report Board Meetings Annual General Meeting District Conference Club Administration
268
Club Service report Membership Program Fellowship Bulletin Thankyou
269
Community Service report Castle Hill Show: 28 Feb.-‐2 Mar. 2008 Tour de Hills – Sunday 2 March 2008 BBQs Castle Hill Food and Wine Festival Collection of Entrance Fees, Donations and Parking Heritage Park Xmas Cakes and Puddings Bowel Scan Red Shield Appeal Sunday 25th May 2008 Roy Martin Educational Grant Community Projects
270
Vocational Service report Excellence in Teaching Awards – 26 March 2008 Apprentice of the Year and Walter Stone Memorial Perpetual Trophy Vocational Visits Pride in Workmanship Awards Thanks
271
International Service report Rotary Foundation Shelterbox Teach the Teacher in Timor Leste Nepal and Mongolia Group Study Exchange International Dinners
272
Youth Service report Siemens Science Experience – December 2007 National Youth Science Forum – Canberra January 2008 RYPEN RYLA Rotary Youth Exchange
273
268 269 269 269 269 269 269 270 270 270 270 270 270 271 271 271 271 271 271 271 271 272 272 272 272 272 272 272 272 273 273 273 273 273 273 273
27
274 274 274 274 274
Rotaract Operation Hope -‐ Children’s Camps MUNA RYDA Thanks Treasurer’s report 22/6/08
274
Historic Site Community Committee Report
275
Immediate Past President’s report Shelterbox World Youth Day Welfare Membership Drought
276
2008 -‐ 2009
277
Board of Directors
277
President’s report
277
Secretary’s report Board Meetings Annual General Meeting District Conference Club Administration
278
Club Administration report
278
Membership report Members Honorary members Friends of Rotary
279
Treasurer’s report 22/6/08
280
Service Projects report Club Leadership Plan (CLP) CLP Benefits Committee Structure Expected Outcome
280
Planned Service Projects 2008-‐09 Community Service (Chairman PP Terry O’Mara) Showgate (Chairman PP Phil Dunn) Tour de Hills (Chairman Mike Blair) St Michael’s Family Centre (Rtn Phyl Hodgkinson) Heritage Park (PPs David Sommerlad and Warren Bowden) Bowelscan (PP Neil Todd/ Ed Heyman) Barbecues (Phil Davis) Men’s Shed (PP Phil Dunn) Parking and other Miscellaneous Projects (Rtn Noel Milligan) Youth Service (Chairman PP Hannibal Shabaz) Rotaract (Rtn Gordon Nugent) RYPEN (Rtn Dieter Regel) RYLA National Youth Science Forum (Rtn Ross Hood) Siemens Science Experience (Rtn Ross Hood) Model United Nations Assembly (Rtn Gordon Nugent)
281
276 276 276 276 276
278 278 278 278
279 279 279
280 280 281 281 281 281 281 281 281 282 282 282 282 282 282 283 283 283 283 283
28
283 284 284 284 284 284 284 284 284 284 285 285 285 285 285 285 286 286 286 286 286 286
Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) (Rtn Marie Ford) Vocational Service (Chairman PP Bruce Jenkin) Pride in Workmanship (PP David Sommerlad) Apprentice of the Year (PP David Sommerlad) Vocational Visits (PP John Stuart) Vocational Talks (PP Barry Alsop) Excellence in Teaching (Rtn David Bull) International Service (Chairman PP Ron Marcus) Fiji Rotahome (Fiji) Shelterbox Donations Additional projects HADPAC – Gemhill Cottage Hand Well Project in India Christmas Spectacular Good Food Affare Parking Income and Expenditure Purchase of Club Assets Light Batons ($200) Two-‐way Radios ($160) Skyshade and signwriting ($2872) In conclusion
286
2009 -‐ 2010
287
Board of Directors
287
President’s report
287
Secretary’s report Board Meetings Annual General Meeting District Conference Club Administration
288
Treasurer’s report 22/6/08 Service Projects – Income/Expenditure Budget Vs Actual 2009-‐2010 as at 16/6/2010
289
Club Administration report Attendance – PP Geoff Duffy Apologies – Rtn Val Ludgate Sergeants-‐at-‐Arms Program Officer – Rtn Ross Hood Fellowship – Rtn Val Ludgate Raffle – Rtns David Bowles & Ned Curac District Conference – PP Geoff Duffy Equipment Officer – PP Sriwong Prassertthavorn Welfare Officers – PP Bruce Jenkin & Rtn Marie Ford Risk Management/Insurances – Rtn David Bull
291
Membership report Members Honorary members Friends of Rotary
293
Public Relations report
294
289 289 289 289 290 290 292 292 292 292 292 293 293 293 293 293 294 294 294
29
Service Projects report Gemhill Cottage (HADPAC) German GSE Team Farewell Rotary & Wrapt With Love (Rotary Sydney Cove) Rotary Shelterbox RYDA National Youth Science Forum RYPEN RYLA Thanks Excellence in Teaching Awards Pride in Workmanship Awards Christmas morning at the new Norwest Private Hospital RAWCS Water supply program in West Bengal, India Rotaract Vocational Visits Bowelscan Youth Exchange 2010 Exchange Student 2010 Outbound Student District 9680 Rotary Youth Exchange Farewell Barbecue In Conclusion
295
The Rotary Foundation report
299
Historic Site Community Committee During the 2009-‐10 Rotary year, the Historic Site committee:
300
2010 -‐ 2011
301
Board of Directors
301
President’s report Let’s see what is possible On Membership On Club Administration On Public Relations On The Rotary Foundation On Outreach Projects On Community Service Projects Woolworths North Doyalson Project The Barbecue Program Showgate & The Hills Country Music Festival Queensland Flood Appeal And in General
301
Treasurer’s report
305
Membership & Fellowship report Friends of Rotary Fellowship Zone Family Picnic Day – October Barefoot Bowls – November Christmas Party New Year’s Eve Home Visits – January Jersey Boys – January
306
296 296 296 296 296 296 297 297 297 297 297 297 297 298 298 298 298 298 298 298 299 299
300
302 302 303 303 303 303 304 304 304 304 304 305
306 307 307 307 307 307 307 307
30
307 307
Sydney Dance Company – February In Conclusion Director’s reports
307
Outreach Projects Youth Service Vocational Service International Service
308
The Rotary Foundation report
308
Service Projects report The year in revue Barbecues (PP Phil Davis) Showgate (PP Phil Dunn) Queensland Flood Appeal Woolworths/Doyalson (PP Hannibal Shabaz & Dieter Regel Rotary & Wrap with Love (Rtn Marie Ford) Bowelscan (Hon. Rtn Neil Todd) Christmas in Hospital (PP Hannibal Shabaz) Tour de Hills In Conclusion
309
2011 -‐ 2012
311
Board of Directors
311
President’s report
311
Secretary’s report
312
Service Projects report (PP Mike Blair) The Year in Revue Barbecues (PP Phil Davis) Showgate (PP Phil Dunn) Australia Day (PP Phil Dunn) Rotary & Wrap with Love (Rtn Marie Ford) Bowelscan (Hon. Rotarian Neil Todd) Christmas in Hospital (PP Hannibal Shabaz) Tour de Hills (PP Mike Blair) Conclusion
312
Club Service/Administration report (PP Rod Williamson) Meeting Venue Attendance Sergeant-‐at-‐Arms Bulletin Program Raffle District Conference Equipment Officer In conclusion
314
Treasure’s report (PDG Bruce Allen) Administration account Projects Account Tour de Hills Heritage Park Castle Hill Foundation
315
308 308 308
309 309 309 310 310 310 310 310 310 311
313 313 313 313 313 314 314 314 314 314 315 315 315 315 315 315 315 315 315 316 316 316 316
31
The Rotary Foundation report (PDG Bruce Allen)
316
Membership and Fellowship (IPP Terry O’Mara) Fellowship
317
Public Relations (IPP Terry O’Mara)
319
Outreach Projects report (PP Peter Marcer) Youth Exchange Program RYDA RYLA NYSF RYPEN
319
Vocational Service The Hills District Apprentice of the Year Pride in Workmanship Excellence in Teaching
320
Vocational Visit
321
International Service
321
2012 -‐ 2013
321
Board of Directors
321
President’s report STOP PRESS!
321
Treasurer’s report Account balances – 31st May 2013
323
Foundation Director’s report Humanitarian Educational Contributions Annual Fund Other Funds Future Vision
324
Club Administration report Meeting Venue Attendance Sergeant-‐at-‐Arms Web Site Bulletin Program Raffle
325
Membership report Membership Friends of Rotary Fellowship
326
Outreach Director’s Report
329
Projects Director’s Report Tour de Hills Show Gate BBQ’s Wrap with love Bowel Scan
330
318
319 320 320 320 320 320 320 320
323 323 324 324 324 324 325 325 325 325 326 326 326 326 326 326 328 328
330 330 330 331 331 32
Public Relations Report
331
2013 -‐ 2014
331
Board of Directors
332
President’s report
332
Secretary’s report
332
Treasurer’s report Account Balances 2013/14
332
Membership Report
333
Foundation Director’s report Contributions Projects Prajwala MEWSIC Zinkapalem Low cost housing Movie Night Opportunities Vocational Training Teams (VTT) Peace Scholars Centurion program Recognition
333
Outreach Project Director’s report Vocational Service Apprentice of the year Excellence in Teaching Police Officer of the Year International Service Youth RYPEN (Rotary Program of Enrichment) RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) NYSF (National Youth Science Forum) Siemens Science Experience Youth Exchange Program
335
Service Projects report Tour de Hills Showgate Barbecues
337
Club Service report Meeting Venue Attendance Sergeants-‐at-‐Arms Bulletin Member’s Welfare Raffle
337
2014 – 2015 (YTD December 2014)
338
Board of Directors
338
President’s report
338
Secretary’s report
339
332
333 334 334 334 334 334 334 335 335 335 335 335 335 335 335 336 336 336 336 336 336 336 336 337 337 337 337 337 337 338 338 338
33
Treasurer’s report Administration account Project account
340
Club Service/Administration Sergeants–at–Arms Programmes Raffle Fellowship District Conference
340
50th Anniversary Committee report Venue – The Madison Reception Centre Club History Event Program/Running Sheet Commemorative badge Event budget PR and Advertising Contact details for potential attendees Invitations Photomontage for projection on the evening
341
Community Service report Tour de Hills Wrap with Love blankets Bowel Scan Christmas Day Australia Day Run for the Hills Parking for Centenary of Anzac Commemoration
342
Progress on New projects Disaster Relief Emergency Fund Establishing a Community Garden in Castle Hill Targeted Bucket Collection at BBQs etc. Indigenous Project Rotoract Ray White Real Estate Christmas tree A Hands-‐on project in Baulkham Hills
343
Fundraising to Date
344
Fundraising still to come:
344
Summary
344
Membership report
344
Public Relations report
346
The Rotary Foundation report Five reasons to give to The Rotary Foundation Eradicating polio Promoting peace and conflict resolution Supporting education Fighting disease Ending hunger So here are my top five reasons to donate:
346
Outreach Projects report Introduction
348
340 340 340 341 341 341 341 341 341 342 342 342 342 342 342 342 342 343 343 343 343 343 343 343 343 343 343 343 344 344
346 346 347 347 347 347 347 348 34
Vocational Service Apprentice of the year Pride in Workmanship Awards Excellence in Teaching Police Officer of the Year International Service RYPEN (Rotary Program of Enrichment) RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) NYSF (National Youth Science Forum) Siemens Science Experience Rotaract Roy Martin Scholarship Other Initiatives Australia Youth Representative to The Hague RAWCS Project
348 348 348 348 348 348 348 348 349 349 349 349 349 349 350
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How this Club History came into being The contents of this Club History are drawn from a variety of sources, but mainly from documents prepared by the President and Board members at Club Changeover Dinners as summaries of their and the Club’s activities during the Rotary Year just ended. Some of the material is brief and to the point, while other reports are quite expansive. This probably reflects on the growth of the Club members as their Rotary experience expanded along with the community within which they lived and worked. I have been ably assisted in my search for relevant material by long-serving Club Secretary, Geoff Duffy, who has trawled through the Club archives to find documents that may contain material suitable for inclusion. I have also been given documents by Ron Marcus, Bruce Allen and John Cooper that filled in some of the gaps. As I was appointed by President Mike Blair to be the Chairman of the Committee to arrange the 50th Anniversary Celebrations, I took it upon myself to create a Club History spanning the 50 years of service provided locally, nationally and internationally by the members of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill. I had not expected the end product to require so much data entry! We have become so used to the tools now available to prepare documents electronically that we forget the time and effort that went into preparing typed documents. Attempts at collating Club History material had been made in the past, most notably by that master of the minutiae, the late Reverend Bob Milne. This was a great starting point for my efforts. That this Club History has grown to over 350 pages is a revelation that, if known to me at the time, would have caused me to think twice about taking on the task of its preparation. But it is now complete (or as complete as it can be under the circumstances) and I am pleased about that. I have been left alone in my “attic” by my long-suffering wife, Roslyn, who has fed and watered me at appropriate times. She has also proofread all the material I have prepared to make sure there were no (or at least minimal) errors of omission or commission on my part. I think she has been quite effective in that regard as there were many and for that I thank her. So now it is time to commit this document to the production process – whether it be electronic, hard copy or both. I trust that it will always be available as a reference for future members of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill as they reflect on the ongoing service and fellowship that they enjoy as Rotarians. PP Mike Hallen 50th Anniversary Committee Chairman December 2014
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A Brief History of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill After an informal meeting called by the District Governor’s Special representative, Stan Kelly, at “Durham Park”, Castle Hill, in November 1964, it was decided to hold an inaugural meeting of the Provisional Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills on February 4th, 1965. Twenty-nine members of the Provisional Club applied to Rotary International for their Charter, which was granted on 18th March 1965. Originally the Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills, the Club was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Parramatta. In 1973 the Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills ceased officially to exist and the Rotary Club of Castle Hill took over its place. This was, however, a change in name only. Nothing else changed. The change foreshadowed the creation of a new Club in the southern part of our area and later a new Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills was chartered by us. In 1975 we chartered a new Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills who then chartered the Rotary Club of Winston Hills in 1988. Also in that year we chartered the Rotary Club of Kellyville who in 2001 chartered the Rotary Club of Norwest Sunrise, Bella Vista. 1993 saw the Rotary Club of Glenhaven chartered, again by Castle Hill. More recently, the Rotary Clubs of Baulkham Hills and Kellyville merged to form the new Rotary Club of The Hills Kellyville. In 2002 we chartered another Club as part of Rotary International’s venture to bring in a new model club and The Hills Rotary Club was formed. The Club membership was predominantly made up of Rotaractors and former Rotaractors and only lasted until 5th June 2008 when they handed back their charter.
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1965 -‐1966 The Period of Organisation After in informal meeting called by the District Governor's Special Representative, Stan Kelly, at "Durham Park", Castle Hill, in November 1964, it was decided to hold and inaugural meeting of the Provisional Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills on February 4th 1965. At that meeting which was chaired by P.P. Stan Kelly, the club was constituted according to the requirements of Rotary International and the Club Officers were duly elected. 29 members of the Provisional Club applied to Rotary International for their charter, which was granted on March 18th, 1965. The formal presentation of the charter to members of the club was made by District Governor Mick Shepherd on May 29th, 1965 after an impressive ceremony. Most clubs of District 268 were represented, as well as a few clubs from our neighbouring District 275. The original 29 Charter Members were reduced to 28 with the resignation of Jim Taylor for personal reasons. In compliance with the Club Constitution an election of officers took place on March 11th 1965 and the 8 officers elected at the organisation meeting held on February 4th, 1965 were re-elected for a further term of office for the Rotary Year 1965-6. At a subsequent meeting, the committee plan was introduced to the club and the Four Avenues of Service were quickly established. The club records with gratitude its debt to Past District Governor, Mick Shepherd, and his Special Representative, Stan Kelly, for the enterprise and assistance they showed and gave in the establishment of the Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills, and to Past District Governors, Sleath Lowrey and th Ed Hill, whose visits to the club did a great deal to Charter Night 18 March, 1965 imbue members with the spirit and ideals of Rotary.1
The Charter Members The following were the original members of the Provisional Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills, organised on February 4th, 1965, and all remained members when the Charter, which had been granted on March 18th, 1965, was officially presented to Gerald Engel, the Charter President, by DG Mick Shepherd, at Cumberland High School on May 29th, 1965. BAKER, J.W. (John)
Horticulture - Mushroom Growing
BUTTON, R.I. (Rex).
Printing & Publishing - Printing
COOKE, F.G. (Frank)
Machinery & Equipment - Excavating Equipment Distributing.
1 The above excellent statement of the main facts in the formation of the club is taken from the "Review of Activities since Formation" presented by the Charter President, Gerald Engel, to the club on July 1st, 1965.)
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ENGEL, G.R. (Gerald)
Clothing Industry - Menlo Shirt Mfg.
FORD, K.J., (Kevin)
Chemical Industry - Pharmacy
GIRVAN, W.D. (Wes)
Religion - Christianity, Protestantism
HAIGH. A. (Arthur)
Wool Industry - Woollen Goods Mfg.
HOLLAND. B.R. (Ross)
Hardware - Hardware Retailing
HOOPER, R.J. (Rex)
Finance - Banking
JOHNSON, W.E.(Ted)
Education - Schools for the Deaf
KENNEDY, D. (David)
Construction Service - landscape Service
LEACH, S.W. (Sid)
Animal Husbandry - Chicken Hatching
MARTIN, A.R. (Roy)
Construction Service - Building Construction
McCLINTOCK,R.-G.(Roley)
Law - General Law Practice
McKINNON, G.E.(Gordon)
Machinery & Equipment - Bread Making Machinery Manufacturing.
MERCER, D.J.B.(David)
Government - Local Government Administration
MILLER, R.C. (Ron)
Real Estate (Property) - Real Estate Agency
NEWMAN, R.L. (Ray)
Medicine - Dentistry
PAMMENT, A. (Arthur)
Animal Husbandry - Chicken Sexing
PARLE, J.F.(John)
Medicine - Physician
PARR, O.E. (Owen)
Horticulture - Citrus Fruit Growing
SKALLER, F. (Fred)
Animal Husbandry - Poultry Breeding
SMITH, M.L.W.(Mal)
Transportation - Hauling Service
SMITH, G.C. (Gordon)
Horticulture - Seed & Bulb Distributing
TAYLOR, J.H. (Jim)
Chemical Industry - Vaccines Mfg.
WATKINS, K.W.(Keith)
Education - Schools for the Blind
+ WELLS, J.D. (John)
Furniture, Fixtures & Furnishings - Window Shade Manufacturing
WELLS, R.H. (Ray)
Furniture, Fixtures & Furnishings - Window Shade Manufacturing
WATSON, I.A. (Irvine)
Education - Universities
+ Additional Active Member Jim Taylor was granted 6 months leave of absence on March 4th, 1965. He did not take his place in the club again, forwarding a formal resignation on June 17th 1965, which was accepted by the Board on June 24th, 1965.
The Sponsor Club The sponsor club was the Rotary Club of Parramatta, of which both DG Mick and PP Stan were members.
Club Officers 1965 -‐ 1966. President:
Gerald Engel
Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer:
John Wells Gordon McKinnon Rex Hooper (replaced by Arthur Heigh, December 1965)
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Directors:
Jim Taylor (Resigned office March 1065 – replaced by John Baker) Kevin Ford Frank Cooke (on leave from September 1965 – Fred Skaller acting Chairman International Service) Ray Wells (additional Director because of the lack of an Immediate Past President) Sergeant-at-Arms: Ted Johnson District Governors: Mick Shepherd (1964-65); Frank Meddows (1965-66)
A Period Of Organisation and Education In this initial period of 17 months the club wisely concerned itself more with its internal Organisation and with learning as much as possible about Rotary then with undertaking ambitious projects. Nevertheless, much as achieved, as the following list will indicate: •
Donations were made: • $100 to Rotary Foundation • $100 to International House • $50 for the purchase of Cuisenaire Sets for New Guinea schools • $20 for the purchase of Science text books for the Dr. Grahame Homes in Kelimpong, India • $20 to the Paraplegic Association • $10 each to the prize funds Of Castle Hill and Cumberland High Schools.
Successful Careers Nights were organised and held at Cumberland High School on October 1st, 1965 end June 22nd, 1966. Contacts were made with overseas clubs by correspondence, especially with the Rotary Club of Stornoway in Scotland. The Winston Churchill and Freedom from Hunger Appeals were supported. The club was registered as a Charitable Organisation March 14th, 1966. A great deal of groundwork was done for two important projects which were to come to fruition later: • •
The establishment of an Interact Club at Castle Hill High School; The sponsoring of a New Guinean student for training in agriculture in the district.
The club was represented at the District Conferences at Katoomba in March 1965, and at Arndale Centre, French's Forest on March 5th/6th, 1966.
Some Interesting Firsts 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
First meeting of Provisional Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills, February 4th, 1965. First issue of Club Bulletin February18th, 1965. First banner received from another club (North Bankstown) Feruary18th, 1965. First official visit to another club (Parramatta) February 24th, 1965 First attendance at a District Conference (Katoomba) March 1965 First Ladies Night March 18th, 1965. First official visit from another Rotary Club (North Bankstown) April 22nd, 1965. First Fireside Meeting (at School for the Deaf, North Rocks) May 6th, 1965. First Factory Inspection (Shell Company, Clyde) May 20th, 1965. First Social-Outing with Rotaryannes (Channel l0 June 11th, 1965. First resignation (Jim Taylor) accepted June 24th, 1965.
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12. 13.
First "new" members (Eric Bonyhady and Don Wright) November 24th, 1965. First club banner to another club (Condobolin) March 4th, 1966.
Changes in Membership Resignations Jim Taylor - 24th, June 1965 Rex Hooper - 24th, December 1965 Irvine Watson - 31st, December 1965 Ross Holland - 21st, March 1966
Frank Cooke - 7th April, 1966 David Kennedy - 24th May, 1966 David Mercer - 29th June, 1966
New members Eric Bonyhady - 25th November, 1965 Plastics Moulding Donald Wright - 25th November, 1965 Automobile Industry - Garage Service John Cameron - 16th December, 1965 Ethical Drugs Distributing
William Hann - 23rd December, 1965 Plumbing Donald Blackett - 2nd June, 1966 - Poultry Processing Allen Holman - 2nd June, 1966 Finance (Banking)
Membership change Membership at Charter:
29
Membership at 30 June 1966:
28
Hills Views Number 1 The following is a reprint of the first bulletin produced by the Rotary Club of Castle Hill (then the Provisional Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills). The original is a purple Gestetner copy (methylated spirits and purple carbon) that refuses to be photocopied! It has been reproduced as close as possible to the format and fonts used in its original production. Volume 1 Number 1 - 18th February 1965 PROVISIONAL ROTARY CLUB OF BAULKHAM HILLS DISTRICT
PRESIDENT
HON. TREASURER
HON. SECRETARY
268
Gerald Engel
Rex Hooper
Gordon McKinnon
ROTARY GRACE Oh Lord and giver of all good We thank you for our daily food May Rot’ry friends and Rot’ry ways Help us to serve thee all our days. FOUNDATION:
The first Rotary Club was organized by Paul P. Harris, on 23rd February, 1905 in Chicago. Paul is referred to as the founder of Rotary. Paul Harris died January 27, 1947
This being the first edition of our weekly bulletin, the news and views are rather sparse. However, we feel confident that the ensuing weeks will bring forth a flood of Club happenings and interesting information. All members have a role to play in the process of building this sheet into a really worthwhile enterprise and asset to the Club. Without the necessary information we cannot formulate reports, hence we ask for your co-operation and interest in passing on news and views. LAST WEEK’S MEETING.
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Thanks to Fred Baker and Arthur Osborne for bringing to us a most informative set of slides and narration, “The making of a Rotarian”, explaining the significance of Article Xl of the By-Laws. We feel sure that all members will now have a greater appreciation of the method of electing members to a Rotary Club. CLASSIFICATIONS. Top enlighten those who last week sought enlightenment, “A Rotary Club should have in its membership a representative of every recognized business, professional and institutional activity in the community”. Certain terms chosen for their brevity and descriptiveness are used in Rotary to designate these recognized activities and are called classifications”. APPOINTMENTS 1
Sergeant-at-Arms
Ted Johnson
2
Programme Committee
John Wells, Frank Cooke, Ron Miller.
3
Attendance
K. Ford
4
Bulletin
Keith Watkins, Roley McLintock.
COMING EVENTS. 1. 24th Feb. 1965
Visit to Parramatta Club. Grace Bros. Parramatta 6:00p.m.
2. 25th Feb. 1965
Weekly meeting, when the speaker will be District Extension Officer, Past District Governor-Elect Lowery of the Rotary Club of North Sydney. SUBJECT. Rotary’s 60th Anniversary
REMINDER. Apologies to be forwarded to Secretary Gordon before 11:00a.m.each Thursday Editors: Keith Watkins and Roley McClintock
1966 – 1967 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
John Wells John Cameron (replaced by Roley McClintock April 67) Ron Miller Arthur Haigh Rex Outton (Vocational) Roy Martin (Community) Fred Skaller (International) Roley McClintock Ian Hudson
A Year Of Service On All Fronts “…it was not until the latter end of 1966 that we commenced operating as a true Rotary unit in the fullest meaning of the word. Prior to this date and commencing with our inaugural meeting, we have been absorbed in learning about Rotary, interpreting its ideals, getting to know each other and learning to harness our strength as a Service Club to be of real and lasting benefit to the community, both locally and internationally. The occasion of the club's visit to "Warrah" commenced the second phase of the life of the club." (Extract from the Annual Report 1966-7)
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Community Service The first major project undertaken by the club was the provision of financial and physical help in the establishment of "Warrah" School. Beginning in February 1967 and proceeding through the following months with many working bees, the club undertook the building of a road into the school buildings, including clearing the site, levelling, draining and surfacing it. As well, the club was able to hand over, at the 1967 Changeover, a cheque for $541.10. A Games Night at Roy Martin's home raised $200 of this, while collection boxes in business houses provided another $100. The 2nd Castle Hill Scout Hall was re-lined with Masonite. 2½ working days were occupied in its erection and the $200 needed for the materials was raised by a car trial end barbecue. Another working day was used to demolish the remains and clear the site after a dormitory block at "Inala" was destroyed by fire. Collections were made for the Deaf and Blind Children's and Crippled Children's Appeals. A donation of $100 was made to the Tasmanian Bush Fires Relief Appeal through the Rotary Club of Glenorchy. Other donations were $50 each to the International Fellowship Fund and the Marriage Guidance Centre (Parramatta Club), and $10 each to the Prize Funds of Castle Hill and CumberlandHigh Schools. After rather lengthy efforts to begin an Interact Club at Castle Hill High School, the first meeting of the club was held on June 15, 1967 although its charter was not presented until the following Rotary year.
International Service It was a big year in International Service because it saw the arrival of our first overseas students, both a boy and a girl. For about 7 months from Jan 7, 1967, Michael Mirintoro, a New Guinean, was sponsored by the club for agricultural studies, especially in poultry at the Scientific Breeders Pty. Ltd. in Kellyville. He spoke to the club during World Understanding Week. Our first Youth Exchange student at High School level was Kishike (Kathie) Haijime, who arrived from Japan oh March 19,1967 and returned in February 1968. She lived in six homes during that time and she attended Cumberland High School. She won the affection of all with whom she came in contact and proved a great ambassadress for her country. Three students from Singapore, Fiji and Indonesia visited the club on June 1st, 1967 for an Asian Students Night and gave their impressions of International House.
Vocational Service The biggest effort in this field was the Organisation of another Careers Night, which was hold at Cumberland High School on June 21st, 1967. An interesting series of guest speakers, including one each from the Sheet Metal Workers Union and the Metal Trades Employers Federation dealt with appropriate topics, five-minute talks by members on "What's New in My Business" were introduced, and factory inspections were made. All sub-committees of this service were active.
Club Service It was a year of outstanding fellowship among members. This was encouraged by working together in community service projects and developed by a series of fellowship functions - theatre parties, dining out, the club picnic at Cherry Tree Park, Kurrajong, etc. - arranged by a keen committee.
Other Points Worthy of Note The club was greatly saddened by the death, on January 3, 1967 of Ted Johnson, a Charter Member of the club and its first Sergeant-at-Arms.
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By a resolution passed at a regular meeting on June 8,1967, the club agreed to cede to Parramatta Club the portion of its territory bounded by Hunt's Creek, Lake Parramatta Reserve, McRoberts Avenue, Pennant Hills Rd., Bettington Road North to its meeting with Statham Avenue.
Changes In Membership Resignations: John Parle - 5 July 1966 Bill Hann - 27 October 1966 Mal Smith - 27 October 1966 Wes Girvan - 31 December 1966 Ted Johnson - 3 January 1967
Don Bleckett - 10 January 1967 Ken Miller - 18 January 1967 John Cameron - 27 April 1967 Gordon Smith - 3 May 1967
New Members: Kenneth J. Miller - 10 November 1966 Postal Service John Barrand - 17 November 1966 - Medicine (Physician) William Thorne - 1 December 1966 - Ethical Drugs Distributing Thomas Nyholm - 15 December 1966 Education (Primary)
Colin Lawford - 9 March.1967 - Meat Retailing & Transportation Bernard de Jongh, 13 April 1967 - Toilet Preparations Distributing Cliff Seddon, 18 May 1967 - Local Government Administration Max Cremsia, 22 June 1967 - Excavating Machinery Distributing
1967 – 1968 Club Officers President; Vice-president: Secretary: Treasure: Directors; : Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Roley McClintock Don Wright Eric Banyhody Tom Nyholm Arthur Heigh (International) Allan Holman (Community) Bill Thorn (Vocational) John Barrand Gordon Herman
A Year Of Continuation. The good work that was begun in 1966-7 was continued in this year. In particular, this reference to the visit of Japanese student, Ka Hoijime, the community project at "Warrah" and the introduction of Interact, but in other ways things that had been started previously were continued with success. Those who were in the club at the time of Kathie's visit will never need reminding but, for those who were not, two quotations may help in understanding the success of this youth project. First, from the club bulletin of 8/2/68, the night of her farewell, “Wherever Kathie went she brought joy and happiness. Those lucky families who were able to host Kathie were enriched by her presence. Kathie has given addresses and danced for Rotary Clubs and other organisations with charm, dignity, and
44
obvious pleasure and happiness. Indeed, she has been a wonderful ambassadress for her country” The second comes from a letter written to the club by Kathie’s parents after her return home. “These years and all the rest of her future years will no doubt be influenced by what she has experienced in your country. And her love of Australia will work for promoting goodwill and friendship between the two countries.” Work on the "Warrah" project was carried a stage further with the laying of pipes and providing an electricity line in to the school. This completed club work on the project. The Interact Club of Castle Hill High School, which held its first meeting an June 15th, 1967, was matched by the Code Club for girls and both received their charters on November 30th, 1967.
Other Activities Another successful Vocational Guidance Evening was held at Cumberland High School on June 19, 1968. Donations in cash went to “Inala” ($150), Rotary Foundation ($120), Castle Hill and Cumberland High School Prize Funds ($10 each), but much the most important gift was of three overhead projectors (at a cost of $480) to the N.S.W. School for the Deaf at North Rocks as a memorial to Charter Member, Ted Johnson, former Principal of the School. There were a number of social occasions, some for fellowship only, others with the added purpose of financing club projects. Family outings were hold to Bowral for Tulip Time and to Kurrajong, about 80 attended a Progressive Dinner in the homes of Roley McClintock, John and Ray Wells (with a profit of about $150), fund-raising nights were held at Roy Martin's and Don Wright's, there were several factory inspections and several special Ladies Nights were held as usual. A good deal of work went into a Student Exchange scheme with New Zealand but unfortunately it broke down when the student chosen changed his mind and declined the trip. An important milestone in club history closed the year when it was announced that a club nominee, Peter Gilbank, had been chosen as a member of the Group Study Exchange team to visit Oregon, U.S.A. later in the year.
Changes In Membership Resignations: Sid Leach - 21st July 1967 Keith Watkins - 1st February 1968 John Baker - 22nd February 1968
New Members: Mervyn Millgate - 6th July-1967 - Piano Tuning Tom Moore - 18th April 1968 - Golf Instruction Mike Clark - 2nd May 1968 - Interior Decorating Lionel Johnston - 9th May 1968 - Religion - Protestantism (Baptist) Gordon Lucas - 9th May 1968 - Hardware - Saddlery Tony Dehlsen - 27th June 1968 - Plastic Manufacturing
Membership change: Membership at 1 July 1967: Membership at 30 June 1968:
27 30
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1968 -‐ 1969 Club Officers President: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Don Wright Tom Nyholm (resigned January 1969) Ray Wells (from January 1969) Gordon McKinnon Arthur Haigh Rex Button (International) Merv Millgate (Community) Ray Wells (Vocational) Col Lawford (Club Service From January 1969) Kevin Ford John Moon
A Year Of Achievement And Preparation The year achieved a great deal in membership, fellowship and service, and at the same time laid the foundations for several important activities of the following year.
Membership Although the net increase in membership was small (30 to 32), 11 new members were inducted, the highest number yet achieved. Among these were Gerald Engel, the Charter President, returning to the club, and Peter Gilbank, former member of the Group Study Exchange team to Oregon on the club's nomination.
Fellowship This received a high priority from the President and Board and their efforts, as well as those of the Fellowship Committee, made the club a happy and friendly place to come to. Ladies Nights, dining out, a club picnic all helped. A wine-tasting evening, a barbecue and games night at the Showground, a chocolate wheel at a combined Service Clubs function at Campbell Park, all aided fellowship and added considerably to club funds $347, $534, and $110 'respectively.
Service The major service-project was the beautification of the grounds at the entrance to the Sheltered Workshop in James Street. This entailed levelling, formation of an entrance roadway and construction of a rock garden. The physical activity associated with this did much to help members to know one another better. Students from International House were hosted during their Christmas vacation. Two students, Alan Imhoff and Peter Sims, were sponsored to the RYLA seminar at Narrabeen. The club’s nominee, Peter Gilbank, nominated at the end of the previous year, went with the G.S.E. team to Oregon U.S.A. and returned a very enthusiastic supporter of the scheme and very grateful for the membership in Rotary the club was able to offer him. A business man's Night, addressed by DG John Moon, was a highlight of the Vocational program and interested several visitors in the club.
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Among donations made were medical books to India, through the Rotary Club of Ambale (630), $25 towards the initial costs of establishing a Social Worker in the Shire, $47 to the Walk from Want Appeal (through the ambulatory efforts of the whole Button family). An unusual achievement was the victory of the club in the District Golf Shield, carrying with it the right to organise the day in the next year and to receive the fairly considerable profit from this.
Preparation Part of the year's activity was concerned with preliminary planning and Organisation of two projects which were to come to fruition in the next Rotary year. The first was the idea of beautifying with lawns, gardens and fountain an area adjacent to the Baulkham Hills Swimming Pool. The second was the sponsoring of a second New Guinean student so that he could receive instruction and experience in his own field in the club territory. A substantial financial balance was built up from fund-raising activities to make these two projects possible.
Changes In Membership Resignations: Max Cramsie -1 August 1968 Bill Thorne - 15 August 1968 Gordon Lucas - 16 September 1968 Gerald Engel1 - 1 October 1968 Roley McClintock - 19 December 1968
John Baker - 31 January 1969 Tom Nyholm - 31 March 1969 Bernie de Jongh - 3 April 1969 Eric Bonyhedy - 16 May 1969
New Members: Rod Gray - 12 September 1968 - Alcoholic Beverages Retailing John Baker - 10 October 1968, Mushroom Growing Colin Palmer, 16 January 1969 - Entertainment Aub Juleff - 27 February 1969 - Veterinary Surgery Lyall Cantle - 3 April 1969 - Timber Distributing Peter Gilbank - 3 April 1969 - Agricultural Seeds Distributing
Ern Dodd - 29 May 1969 - Dry Cleaning David Neil- 29 May 1969, Education Administration Ted Renshaw - 29 May 19 - Truck Transmission Distribution Keith Easton - 26 June 196 - Senior Active (Secondary Education) Gerald Engel - 26 June 1969 - Men's Shirt Manufacturing
Membership change: Membership at 1 July 1968: Membership at 30 June 196:
30 32
1969 -‐ 1970 Club Officers President: Ray Wells Vice-President: Tony Dehlsen
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Secretary: Treasure: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Mike Clark Gordon McKinnon (deceased February 1970) Lyall Cantle (from February 1970) Kevin Ford (Vocational) Lionel Johnston (International) Roy Martin (Community) Cliff Seddon (assisted by Tom Moore while on leave) Tom Howieson
A Year Of Expansion In a year in which much of importance was achieved, perhaps the most striking was the increase in membership from 32 to 42 by the induction of 13 new members, (including Charter Member Frank Cooke, returning after 3 years in South Australia), with a loss of 3, including Gerald Engel, Charter President, who again found himself unable to maintain an attendance that satisfied him, and Treasurer Gordon McKinnon, whose death was a grievous loss to the club from every point of view. The benefits of the constitutional provision for residence as a qualification for membership were being felt. The club expanded in a different direction with the organisation of a Rotaract Club on May 20, 1970, although its charter was not presented until the new Rotary year. The Code Club which had had a vigorous life of 2½ years at Castle Hill High School came into the official Rotary fold on June 18, 1970, when it held its Charter Night as the Castle Hill High School Interact (Girls) Club. The major project for the year was the construction of fountain, pool, rock garden, lawns and the planting of shrubs to beautify a triangular piece of land adjoining the Baulkham Hills Swimming Pool. Every member of the club joined at some time in the working bees extending from August to March, over $1500 was spent on materials, and the ceremony of handing over to the Shire President on March 13, 1970 was combined with a barbecue and an exhibition of swimming by representative swimmers arranged by the local club. The New Guinea project, started the previous year, come to fruition when Joseph Apini Aiso, an indigenous Local Government officer, arrived in September for six months training in Local Government Administration with Baulkham Hills Shire Council. Towards the end of his stay, Joseph took part in a panel discussion at the District Conference at Macquarie University. Another New Guinea project was the presentation of Lee Technical College of a demonstration Axle Unit, prepared by Ted Renshaw and Frank Cooke, with accompanying literature and slides. Three of the Group Study Exchange team from District 330 (S-E Asia) were entertained by the club at on outing to the Hawkesbury, including an inspection of poultry breeding at Kellyville on the way. With a further donation of $228 the club became a 200% contributor to The Rotary Foundation. Other features of the year's activities were the sponsorship of Anne Pearce and Bruce Pedersen to the RYLA Seminar; help with the Organisation of an Interact Assembly at Knox College; transporting of children from the School for the Deaf at North Rocks to their homes in the Newcastle district; providing a float in the Orange Blossom Festival procession; a donation of $10 each to the Mission to Seamen, Australian Red Cross, World Vision, Castle Hill High School Prize Fund; Organisation of the District Golf Day (with a profit of $925); and Vocational Service visits to the Mission to Seamen, the C.I.B., and the "Sydney Morning Herald" In all this club activity fellowship was not neglected - the ladies were entertained at the club 4 times, 2 dinner outings were arranged to the "Java Restaurant" and the "Burning Log", a dinner and inspection visit was made to "Domus", a party went to the "Rose and Crown" show at Channel 10, and the sporting types had a long week-end at the snow. It was in all a very varied, interesting and successful year, which left the club in its strongest position to date.
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Changes In Membership Resignations: Ern Dodd - 2 October 1969 Gordon McKinnon - 19 February 1970 (Deceased) Gerald Engel - 12 March 1970
New Members: Frank Cooke - 10 July 1969 - Earthmoving Equipment Grant Cockburn - 23 October 1969 - General Law Prect4ce Wilf Littlejohn - 23 October 1969 - Aggregate Distributing Roy King - 30 October 1969 - Hardware Retailing Milton Colburt - 26 February 1970 - Poultry Processing & Distributing George Lammay - 5 March 1970 - Automotive Chemical Manufacture Ross Marshall - 19 March 1970 - Motor Vehicle Retailing Bernie Forrest - 9 April 1970 - Insurance General John Stephenson - 7 May 1970 - Public Health Administration Noel Golding - 7 May 1970 - Winding Wire Manufacturing Ray Stanton - 21 May 1970 - Education - Secondary Noel Soutar - 18 June 1970 - Cleaning Aids Manufacturing Roger Wood - 25 June 1970 - Plumbing Service
Membership change: Membership at 1July, 1969: Membership at 30 June, 1970: 42
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1970 -‐ 1971 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Tony Dehlsen Roy Martin Keith Easton Lyall Cantle Mike Clark (Community) Frank Cooke (International) Owen Parr (Vocational) Tom Moore Harry Pickett
A Year of Youth and Fellowship Although, in the story of Australian Rotary, this year was marked both by its 50th anniversary and the holding of its first International Convention, an event in which the club was greatly concerned, the most significant feature on a club level was its interest in youth and its achievements in that sphere both at home and abroad.
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Youth Rotaract - The Rotaract Club received its charter on July 30, 1970 and quickly flourished both in numbers and in activity under the benevolent "paternity" of Grant Cockburn. Joint activities organised by the Rotaractors with Rotary included a car trial and picnic, a day water-skiing on the Hawkesbury, and a “swim-a-thon” at the Baulkham Hills Pool in which, with the support of Rotarians, they were able to raise almost $2000. Rotaractors were regularly invited as guests at club meetings. Interact - A new Interact Club was started at Northmead High School end 6 representatives from each Interact Club were sponsored at the Interact Assembly. In addition a donation of $100 was made towards the Assembly costs and active support was given in its Organisation. RYLA - 4 representatives - Michelle Butler, James Dehlsen, Jeremy Frances, and Andrew Hood were sent to the RYLA seminar at Narrabeen and spoke to the club both before going and after their return. Scouts and Guides - The club organised, through a joint committee with parents but mainly through the work of Lyall Cantle, an Art Union, the proceeds of which, over $1000, enabled the commencement of building a hall for 2nd West Pennant Hills Scouts; a donation of $50 was made to Cumberland Scout Group to assist in sending Scouts to the International Jamboree in Japan; the club, through Colin Lawford, was instrumental in calling a public meeting to arouse parental and public interest in forming a new Girl Guide Troop and in securing leaders for this - an effort that was very successful; and first steps were taken in building projects for Northmead and C International - Ina Budiono, the first Indonesian Youth Exchange Student in Australia since the reintroduction of Rotary into that country, was brought to Northmead High School and hosted by club members. Margaret Belharria, who had just completed her Higher School Certificate, was sent to Tokyo under the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Tokyo Kanda. After many administrative difficulties, two Malaysian girls, Miss Jenny Yeap Swee Lin and Miss Choo Saw Hing, were brought to Australia for nursing training at the Repatriation Hospital, Concord - a successful outcome due entirely to the Organisation and persistence of International. RAWCS - Under the World Community Service programme a little 8-year old girl named Constance was enabled by our donation to have a year’s special schooling at the Uganda School for the Deaf. A young local solicitor Peter Chadwick, was nominated (though unsuccessfully) for a place in the G.S.E. team to 5-E Asia. A Youth Hostel project of the Rotary Club of Malacca also benefited by $47 raised by a raffle at the Progressive Dinner. Other Help to Youth - Transport to their homes in Newcastle area was again arranged for the children from the North Rocks School for the Deaf on several week-ends. A trophy valued at $25 was presented to the Hills District swimming club and cash donations were made to "Warrah" ($50), Castle Hill High School Prize Fund, Castle Hill Boys Brigade Band, and North Rocks Netball Club (each $10).
Fellowship The year was marked by a series of interesting Fellowship activities and there must surely have been something for everybody including: • • • • • • • • •
a family picnic at Pittwater; a bus tour a visit to Penfolds cellars at Tempe; a Progressive Dinner at the homes of three members; visits to the "Burning Log" (twice) and Epping R.S.L. Club; a night at the "Music Hall"; a family Christmas Party at Pres. Tony's home; three club Ladies’ Nights; and a deep-sea Fishing trip.
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From the point of view of Fellowship, it was another outstanding year. Fellowship was extended on an inter-club level with official visits exchanged with Blacktown and Dural and a Golf-Day and combined Ladies Night meeting organised at Muirfield with the Rotary Club of Pennant Hills, the latter producing a profit to each club.
Community Service The Community Service Committee organised a barbecue and games night at the Showground with a profit of $194, the greater part of which was devoted to the purchase of a set of carpet bowls which was presented at Christmas time to the Baulkham Hills Senior Citizens' Club. Air-conditioning was placed in the two ambulances stationed at Castle Hill. Donations of $10 were made to the Mission to Seamen (twice), Wheelchair and Disabled Association, and Paraplegic Association.
Vocational Service The Vocational Service Committee organised Factory Inspections at "Eurunderee” Poultry processing plant at Castle Hill, AWA. at North Ryde, and the Shell Refinery. A Business Men's Night was held with an address on the implications for Australia of Britain's entry into the Common Market.
Convention Naturally one of highlights of the year was Australia’s first Rotary International Convention. This was a tremendous experience for over 9000 Australian Rotarians for whom it will be their only International Convention, and over 7000 overseas visitors who were deeply impressed with Australia and Australian hospitality. Thirteen of our members attended and very many more involved in home hospitality extended to 100 visitors on Tuesday evening May 18. Whatever the Convention achieved in its plenary sessions and in bringing Rotary before the Australian public, there is no doubt that it achieved far more in international fellowship and understanding among Rotarians and the ultimate effects of this are almost unlimited.
Membership For the first time, membership reached 50, with 12 new members and 4 resignations.
Changes in Membership Resignations: John Wells - 7 August 1970, John Barrand - 15 October 1970 Wilf Littlejohn - 31 December 1970 John Stephenson - 15 January 1971
New Members: Frank Framer - 24 September 1970 - Plywood Distributing Allan Kitching - 8 October 1970 - Grocery Wholesaling Peter Hauff - 11 December 1970 - Textiles Importing Michael Whelan - 25 February 1971 - Surveying Lionel Lea - 18 March 1971 - Valuing Keith Backhouse - 6 May 1971 - Education (Technical) Don Broadbent - 6 May 197 - Travel Services
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Bill Purvis - 6 May 1971 - Senior Active (Cement Manufacturing) Dennis Harbour - 10 June 1971 - Telephone Manufacturing Eric Pearson - 10 June 1971 - Building Societies Harry Wishaw - 10 June 1 - Painting & Decorating Peter Blake-Waller - 17 June 1971 - Television Services
Membership change: Membership at 1 July 1970: Membership at 30 June 1971:
42 50
1971 -‐ 1972 Club Officers President: Secretary: Directors: Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Roy Martin Vice-President: Frank Cooke Arthur Haig Treasurer: Bernie Forrest Colin Lawford (Community) Peter Gilbank (International) Tom Moore (Vocational) Replaced by Roger Wood in September. Lionel Johnson Eric Blamey
A Year of Innovation and Fundraising This was a year of great achievement in community service, especially in the field of youth, made possible only by a series of original fund-raising efforts. Mainly through the organisation and knowledge of Col Palmer, an excellent professional Rotary Concert was held in the North Rocks Community Centre, with a profit of over $1,100. An Art Show was held in the Castle Hill Masonic Hall on the October holiday weekend. It was a splendid exhibition, very well displayed, and it won great praise from both artists and public. The profit, mainly from commission on sales, was over $1,500. A Fried Chicken Stall was organised for Castle Hill Show, with great help from the work and “know-how” of Milton Colburt. This raised $650. Another innovation was the “Decimal Lottery” which raised $313 in a short time. The Finance Sub-Committee was thus responsible for considerable profits to the Club, not only on terms of money but also Fellowship, as all members of the Club were engaged in these efforts in one way or another.
Community Service The biggest community service projects concerned the Girl Guides. A new concrete-block Guide Hall was built for Northmead Guides, the money being raised by both Girl Guides and Club. Considerable extensions were also made to Castle Hill Guides Hall. This involved a number of weekend working bees as well as the financial cost. Other projects included provision and erection of poles for electricity to the 3rd Castle Hill Scout Hall; presentation of a set of carpet bowls to Castle Hill Senior Citizens; a first-aid kit to 4th Castle Hill Scouts; and a year’s supply of soup to Meals on Wheels; donations to the Smith Family; Hassall Street School; Northcott School for Crippled Children; the Mission to Seamen; the Salvation Army; and prizes to Castle Hill and Cumberland High Schools.
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Youth The Club’s interest in youth, internationally, continued. Support of Constance, the little deaf girl in Uganda; the return of Margaret Balharrie from Japan and the departure of Elizabeth Kemp and David Corbett to Japan in the Youth Exchange Program; the successful studies of Jenny and Saw Hing, our Malaysian nurses at the Repatriation Hospital, Concord; the organisation of a 9-Club dinner to entertain the GSE Team from Indiana; the selection of our nominee, John Barker, as a reserve in the District 269 Team for the return visit to Indiana; and the donation of $400 to The Rotary Foundation all reflected this interest. Other continuing youth efforts were the support of RYLA, at which we were represented by Robyn Low, Phillip Reid and Robert Ryan; Rotaract and the two Interact Clubs, who all did good work during the year; and the transport of deaf children from North Rocks School to their homes on the Central Coast.
Guest Speakers A speaker on “Metric Conversion” was arranged for a public meeting in the Harvey Lowe Pavilion, and, in co-operation with P&Cs and Churches, a series of lectures for both children and adults was arranged through the Family Life Movement.
Fellowship Fellowship within the club continued at a very high standard. This was helped by membership participation in Club activities and by a number of special outings arranged by the Fellowship Committee: Dinner at Willie’s Restaurant, Lane Cove and the Royal Automobile Club; a weekend at (and in) Lake Macquarie; two ski parties to the snow at Perisher; a theatre party to “Anything Goes”; and three Ladies’ Nights at the Club, as well as the Christmas Party and Changeover Night at the Harvey Lowe. Fellowship among the ladies was improved also by the meetings of Rotaryannes every second month for morning tea and a getting-to-know- you session in one of the homes. This was begun at the end of the previous Rotary Year and continued very successfully this year.
A Time for Change One of the major changes in the Club was the ceding of part of our territory for the formation of new Rotary Clubs at Beecroft, Parramatta North and Carlingford. While this was greatly to the good of Rotary and gave membership to many who would not otherwise have received it, the Club was saddened to lose several members, including two of its Past Presidents, to the new Clubs.
Changes in Membership Resignations: (* Joined other Clubs)
Tom Moore *Mike Clarke *Merv Millgate Michael Whelan Harry Whishaw Noel Golding Bill Hudson *Rex Button
23 September 1971 23 September 1971 23 September 1971 30 December 1971 30 December 1971 9 March 1972 13 April 1971 22 June 1972
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*Tony Dehlsen Lionel Johnston *Ted Renshaw *Ray Wells *Col Palmer *Ray Stanton *Lyall Cantle
22 June 1972 22 June 1972 22 June 1972 22 June 1972 22 June 1972 22June 1972 30 June 1972
New members: Allen Buckingham John Jones Bob Milne Ray Birks John Corby Neil Todd Bill Hudson Ken Binns Philip Dunn Piers Holmes Barrie Hungerford Al Kemp
1 July 1971 1 July 1971 1 July 1971 12 August 1971 11 November 1971 18 November 1971 23 December 1971 20 April 1972 20 April 1972 15 June 1972 15 June 1972 15June 1972
Education Primary General Medical Practice Protestantism – Anglican Printing Shopfitting Newsagency Ethical Drugs Distributing Education – Primary (Additional Active) Electrical Services Capital Investment Electronics – Personnel Management Education – Secondary
Membership July 1971: 50 June 1972: 47 Despite the induction of 12 new members.
1972 -‐ 1973 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Frank Cooke Allan Buckingham Dennis Harbour Lionel Lee Peter Gilbank (Club Service) Colin Lawford (International) Bob Milne (Vocational) Roger Wood (Community) Grant Cockburn Fred Higgins
A Productive and Enjoyable Year This was a very productive year in all avenues of service, made possible by good leadership and organisation, a spirit of co-operation and willingness to work, and excellent fellowship which brought members closer together.
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International Service (including Youth Service) Statistically there was probably more to show in the International field, where our projects in Youth Exchange and Asian nursing trainees both continued to expand. Elizabeth Kemp and David Corbett returned from a year in Japan, and Yuri Hirotani came from Japan to spend a year with us. Sue Watkins (Oregon USA), Christine Dudley (to Japan), and Helen Warburton (to Indonesia) all left for a year’s study. While our Malaysian nurses, Jenny and Saw Hing, continued with great distinction at the Repatriation Hospital, Concord, three new girls arrived to start training – She Hang (also at Concord), and Shoo Ming (at Hornsby Hospital). Four scholarships, totalling $100 provided a year’s tuition for Tongan boys at Hango Agricultural College; Constance was supported for another year at the Deaf School in Uganda; a group of visiting New Guinean students from Madang were entertained for a picnic on Ross Marshall’s boat. Three Young people – Heather Binns, Jeff Blythe and Paul Drayton – were sponsored to the RYLA seminar at Vision Valley, Arcadia, and returned full of enthusiasm. The club entertained a visiting G.S.E. team from New York State at lunch and a visit to the State Forest. One dinner meeting was held with overseas students at International House within Sydney University. Donations in this field included $10 to Dr. Grahame’s Homes at Kalimpong in India (with which one of our club programmes was concerned and to which a donation was also made in the club’s first year 1965-6) and $100 to the District 268 (then renamed D968, D9680 and D9685) New Guinea Disaster Fund. A donation of textbooks from Tara School was organised for use in the islands. Two bales of raw wool were sent too and, after some tribulation, arrived at the Leprosy Mission at Mt Hagen in New Guinea for use in occupational therapy and for providing woollen goods for sale or use in the mission.
Community Service Major projects in other fields of service undertaken during the year were the lining and painting of the 3rd Castle Hill Scout Hall, which encouraged the Scout Committee to increased efforts to put the hall in first class condition; the installation of lighting over the garden pool in the section of park previously developed by the club near the swimming pool; and a Fitness Campaign organised by John Jones, which sent a good number of members to the Human Performance Laboratory to check their fitness and to encourage them to do something further about it. The transport of children from the North Rocks School for week-ends at home continued; a float was again entered in the Orange Blossom Festival procession; donations were made of a year’s supply of soup for Meals on Wheels, $71 to help Interactors in their camp for Northcott School for children at “Bundilla” Scout Camp, $50 to help send Sandra Wardell of Northmead High School to a special music course in Budapest. The Rotaract Club and the two Interact Clubs continued to do excellent work, sometimes through their own efforts, sometimes with Rotary support. Relations with the clubs continued to be very good.
Club Fellowship Club Fellowship has continued at a high level. The meetings have always been enjoyable – sometimes hilarious. The club has been fortunate in having a long line of witty and entertaining sergeants-at arms and Grant brilliantly carried on the tradition. Most members joined in at least some of the working bees and special fellowship outings – a progressive dinner, nights at the International Air Terminal at Mascot, International House and Dirty Dick’s Restaurant, as well as the usual Ladies’ Nights at the club. Inter-club meetings were held with Pennant Hills Club, our Rotaract Club and the two Interact Clubs.
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Fund Raising Finance came from the Second Annual Art Show, which was another great success in every way; a Fireworks Night in combination with Dural Rotary Club and Kellyville Pre-School Kindergarten (for which the funds were raised) and with the vigorous support of the Rotaractors; sale of Luna Park tickets; and the Decimal Lottery.
Beyond the Club In the wider field of Rotary, our District was divided into two – 268 and 269. We remain in 268 but have lost the immediate fellowship of clubs south of the Parramatta (River) and in the mountains. The Charter Nights of our three “children” (the clubs for which we ceded parts of our territory last Rotary year) were held – Beecroft and Parramatta North in August and Carlingford in November. All three are enjoying a vigorous life. The 1973 International Convention was held in Lausanne, Switzerland. Col Lawford and Anne, Ross Marshall and Alvia, not to mention the former member PP Tony Dehlsen and Kath, carried our torch.
In Summary Altogether, the year was a nice combination of work and fun, one on which we look back with pleasure and satisfaction.
Changes in Membership Resignations: Allan Kitching Don Wright Bert Van de Wakker Barrie Hungerford
13 July, 1972 8 February, 1973 1 March, 1973 28 June, 1973
New members: Ted Robertson Brian Smith Bill Grant Bert Van de Wakker Roy Pederson Brian Stacey Warren Bowden George McIntosh
13 July, 1972 20 July, 1972 12 October, 1972 4 January, 1973 25 January, 1973 15 March, 1973 22 March, 1973 26 April, 1973
Insurance Administration Motor Body Repairs Education Administration Timber Distribution Senior Active (Optometry) Control Systems Home Building Pet Food Distributing
Membership July 1972: June 1973:
47 51
1973 -‐ 1974 Club Officers President:
Allan Buckingham
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Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Peter Gilbank Ken Binns Lionel Lee Roger Wood (Club Service) Brian Smith (International) Dennis Harbour (Vocational) John Jones (Community) Don Broadhurst Harry Fieldhouse
The Rotary Club of Castle Hill – a Change in Name Only In one way, the most significant event of the year was that on 17th December 1973 the Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills ceased officially to exist and the Rotary Club of Castle Hill took its place. This was, however, a change in name only, as nothing really changed except our stationery, our dinner discs and our official title. The change foreshadowed the creation of a new club in the southern part of our area, possibly next year, and the intention was to preserve the rights and privileges of all members to remain part of the existing club, the majority of whose members live or work in Castle Hill. Despite the change, which was made not without some sentimental sadness in many minds at the break in our traditions, the club continued to be the happy, energetic and effective group of Rotarians it has always been.
Community Service The most ambitious community project for some years was the provision of a bus to transport geriatric patients for therapy at the Day Care Centre at Hornsby Hospital – a very much-needed amenity for partially disabled patients from this part of the district. This had not been officially handed over to the hospital at the end of the Rotary year but was expected to be ready early in the New Year. The total cost to the club was about $5500. Smaller projects were the donation of soup for Meals on Wheels, and a collection among members of tinned food for distribution among the needy at Christmas time. Three main fund-raising efforts provided the necessary money – the third annual Art and Crafts Show raised a further $1013. All three had, of course, the equally important result of involving almost all, members of the club, helping them to know and appreciate one another better by working together for a good cause.
Youth The Youth aspects of Community Service were notable for very rewarding work by Rotaract and the two Interact Clubs. Rotaract, in particular had a close liaison with Rotary and gave invaluable help in most of the Rotary Club’s projects. All junior clubs had their own special projects – and fund raising methods – featuring help to the less fortunate members of the community in our district and even overseas. They have all given wonderful examples of “Service Above Self” and have at the same time enjoyed great fellowship among themselves. We sent four awardees – Jenni Hitchon, Astrid Upitis, Stephen Harper, Don Shelley – to the RYLA seminar at Vision Valley. So good was the quality of the applicants for the awards that our selection committee was able to recommend Julie Hamilton to Parramatta North and Andrew Colefax to Kenthurst. The club was therefore responsible for six young people having the opportunity of this helpful experience.
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International Service Our interest in the international youth programme continued unabated. Yuri Hirotani, who had endeared herself to everyone during her year at Northmead High School, returned to Japan at the beginning of 1974. Her place was taken by Tomako Hoshino, who came in 1974 to attend Castle Hill High School. Early in the new Rotary year, an American boy, Ken Kittleson, will be hosted for the next American academic year. Helen Warburton (from Indonesia), Christine Dudley (from Japan) and Sue Watkins (from the USA) returned, very enthusiastic about their experiences. Michelle McCarthy and Margaret Samways went to the USA at the beginning of 1974. The Asian nurses continued their courses with great distinction. Jenny graduated top of her final year; Saw Hing obtained a very high place in the same year; She Hang, also at Concord Repatriation Hospital, had a very high result in second year. Newcomers Shoo Ming and Siew Bee, are studying at Hornsby Hospital. Four scholarships, at a cost of $100, were given to four boys studying at a Tonga Agricultural College. Members of the GSE team from District 636 (Michigan) were entertained for a day at Eurunderee Poultry Processing plant and the Mowll Retirement Village. Two of the team members were hosted for a week by John Jones and Brian Smith. The FAIM movement was again supported by 100% membership of club members.
Vocational Service Guest speakers and forums on vocational service subjects were very popular and a most interesting visit was made to Travenol Pharmaceutical Laboratories at Toongabbie. Some members helped in the Northmead High School careers experiment by employing students for a short period to let them find out more about jobs in which they were interested.
Club Service While Rotary is a men’s organisation, it has always been the policy of this club to include Rotaryannes and the families as much as possible. The excellent spirit in the club is in no small measure due to these fellowship activities. The policy of helping the ladies to know one another better through the holding of morning teas every two months increases this feeling of fellowship. Dinner at the “Farmhouse Kitchen”, a Progressive Dinner at Grays’ Woods, a Water Ski weekend at Martin’s at Lake Macquarie, and four Ladies Nights at “Durham Park” indicate a very varied fellowship programme with something for everyone in it. A Sons and Daughters Night helped the junior members of the family see what goes on when Dad is out on Thursdays. Inter-Club fellowship was fostered by inviting members of Rydalmere, Pennant Hills and Parramatta North Clubs to “Durham Park”, and by joining Pennant Hills and Kenthurst at their meeting places. Programmes were varied and interesting and the Sergeant-at-Arms gave us a good deal of merriment, despite the standard of his humorous reading, and he raised about $400 by his efforts. President Allan and his Board were very enthusiastic and spared no time or effort to make 1973-4 very friendly, co-operative and profitable year.
Changes in Membership Membership: July 1973: June 1974:
51 57
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Resignations: Arthur Pamment George Lammey Bernie Forest Ted Nelson
26 July 1973 2 August 1973 23 August 1973 2 May 1974
New Members: Vern Clements Chris Lippold Graeme Rothwell Ern Death Bob Harris Harry Dunton Ted Nelson Allan Brook Andrew Dougall Ken Smith
5 July 1973 9 August 1973 16 August 1973 23 August 1973 23 October 1973 18 October 1973 14 February 1974 21 February 1974 20 June 1974 20 June 1974
Surveying Computer Services Poultry Breeding Timber Distributing Finance Banking (Add. Active) Property Development Banking Administration Motor Tyre Service Senior Active Earthmoving Equipment (Add. Active)
1974 -‐ 1975 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Ken Binns Colin Lawford Brian Stacey Allan Holman John Jones (Club Service) Roger Wood (International) Milton Colburt (Vocational) George McIntosh (Community) Bob Milne Alex McPherson
Approaching Parenthood Insofar as the Rotary Movement is concerned, probably the most significant fact of 1974-5 was the taking of definite steps to cede the southern part of our club territory for the formation of a new club, thus making available a place in Rotary to many men who would not otherwise have the chance to share in the fellowship and opportunity for service that Rotary offers. This is the first occasion on which a new club will come entirely from our own area, although we have in the past ceded smaller sections for the formation of the Rotary Clubs of Beecroft, Parramatta North and Carlingford. The new club has not yet been formally constituted but the major steps have been taken to cede territory, approach prospective members and hold interest meetings. It is therefore included as a major achievement of this year and it is expected that the club (probably called Baulkham Hills) will be chartered and become a going concern early in the year 1975-6. While this has been given pride of place in this summary, it has not, of course, affected the life of our club as much as many of the other aspects of our year.
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Community Service Community Service has had a vigorous and productive year. The major project was assistance to the Microsurgery Research Unit at Prince of Wales Hospital to which $300 was donated for the purchase of medical equipment. The Building Fund of 2nd Baulkham Hills Scouts was assisted with a donation of $1000, and the Castle Hill Girl Guides Association received $200 for the purchase of catering equipment. Meals on Wheels was again supported by the provision of soup for twelve months ay a cost of $246. A fellowship-plus-labour effort (with $406 worth of materials) provided extensions for the CWA Refreshment Hut at the Showgrounds, making conditions very much more pleasant and efficient for the ladies at Show time. At the time of handing over to Hornsby Hospital the bus bought last year form the transport of patients to the Day Care Unit, a further donation of $210 for seat belts was made, largely from personal donations by members. A grant of $500 (including some personal donations) was made to the District 968 appeal for victims of the Darwin “Cyclone Tracy”.
Fund Raising This work, as well as some undertaken by the other committees, depended on the club’s fund-raising efforts. The most productive was the 4th Annual Art and Crafts Show, held, this year, in the Castle Hill Community Centre. It was an outstanding success in every way, raising $3750 through a wonderful and very enjoyable team effort. The same was true of the Castle Hill Show project, when we manned the gates for three days and supervised the parking area. Our percentage of the gate gave us $1570. Neither of these projects would have been possible without the able and willing help of Rotaryannes and Rotaractors – fine co-operative efforts.
Youth Youth has continued to be a major interest of the club. In fact, the club is regarded as being one of the most youth-oriented in the District. Very successful and rewarding work has been done with and by Rotaract and the two Interact Clubs, who have not only carried on vigorously their own worthwhile projects but have been ready to share in the work of Rotary. The closeness of the relationship shows clearly that there is no “generation gap” in this area. Whether this indicates our youthfulness or their maturity, or merely that all that is needed to close the gap is goodwill on both sides, the fact exists – to the credit of all. Castle Hill Interact received a special International Award for its work in supplying the needs of a dental group in the Solomons. Northmead’s major project was the donation of $1000 for a “Seeing-eye” dog to be used by a former student of the school. No praise is too great for the service efforts of the three clubs and the co-operation among them and Rotary. Four awardees – Jenny Milne, Terry Daniel, Stephen Smith and Michael Keyte – were sent to the RYLA seminar at Vision Valley. Youth Exchange students – Tomako Hoshino from Japan and Ken Kittleson from Washington State, USA – have spent a year as guests of our club members. Margaret Samways and Michelle McCarthy returned after a year in USA. Early in 1975 Carolyn Ford and Warwick Hunt both left for a year in Canada and Indonesia respectively in 1976. This is a fine programme which is doing much to spread understanding and goodwill both in and from Australia. Anyone who attended Tomako’s farewell at the airport will have no doubt of this. Another of our Malaysian nurses, Seh Hang, recently completed her final examinations with High Distinction at the Repatriation Hospital, although she still has a short time to serve before her graduation. Shoo Ming and Siew Bee continue to do well at Hornsby. It is a pleasure to see them occasionally at club functions. Four Tongan students were supported at Hango Agricultural College and excellent reports of their work have been received. This is another project of which the club can feel proud.
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International Service Much of what has just been recorded under “Youth” has been due to a vigorous International Committee. Their “service” even extended to taking under their wing YEP (Youth Exchange Programme) students bound for other states who had several hours to fill in between flights – a very thoughtful action which not only made the students feel welcome in Australia but also gave them a chance to see what they were missing in not staying in Sydney. The members of the Group Study team from North Carolina were entertained for a day at Hawkesbury Agricultural College and one of them was hosted for a week by Col and Anne Lawford. FAIM was again supported by 100% financial membership, an amount of $171 ($3 a head) was paid to Rotary Foundation, and $114 ($2 a head) to District 268, 269, 275 International Fellowships.
Vocational Service Vocational Service did much to keep before us the vocational basis of Rotary. Several programmes were organised, including a Business Men’s Night, and visits to Daram Printing Works, the new NRMA Service Headquarters and A. Hudson Home Improvement Centre, as well as short job talks by members. Publicity of a vocational nature was supplied through the bulletin. Work involvement programmes for students of Northmead High School and Oakhill College were supported by appropriate employers so that young people approaching school leaving had a chance to get an insight into what is involved in jobs that thought would interest them.
Club Service A really good club depends greatly on the efficiency of its Club Service Committee and here we were well served. Fellowship at club meetings and in specially arranged functions was excellent. Outings such as a water-ski weekend at PP Roy’s (Martin) home at Lake Macquarie, and a Good Clean Fun Night, Christmas Square Dance, visits to Harold Park Trots, Hunter Valley Vineyards, a family Theatre Party at the Barclay Theatre (all three by chartered bus), dinner at Parramatta RSL Club were all well supported. Informal “get-togethers” at the Wood and Lawford homes, Ladies’ Nights every second month, including Christmas and Changeover Nights, and Rotaryanne morning teas in the alternate months did much to put members and Rotaryannes on a more friendly footing. The hilarious “ladies Night” in which Rotaryannes gave valuable information on “Husband Management” will be long remembered as a facet of “vocational service”. The introduction of pre-dinner sherry and soft drinks has helped improve fellowship. Excellent and varied programmes have been arranged and guest speakers have received an inscribed ballpoint pen as a memento of their visit. A new banner for the club in keeping with its change of name has been designed and presented to overseas and interstate visitors. A nice blend of clerical humour and charges for offences which at times strayed somewhat uncharacteristically from the truth was provided by Sgt-at-Arms, Bob Milne, and as a result the club received about $500 from those “cheerful givers” whom he said “the Lord loves”.
Farewell Despite the year’s great successes and the pleasure we had from it, it was also a year of sadness. Dennis Harbour, Secretary in 1972-3 and Vocational Service Director in 1973-4, died suddenly after a short illness, and Andrew Dougall, who had been with us only a short time, died suddenly in Italy on a trip to which he had looked forward very keenly. Both had been members of other Rotary Clubs and they were true Rotarians in every way, strong in both fellowship and service. We shall miss them greatly. A former Rotaryanne, Pauline Lammey, wife of former member George Lammey, who had so often given us pleasure with her charming voice, also died during the year. Our deepest sympathy goes to all their families. A loss of a different kind came with the resignation, through loss of classification, of Arthur Haig – a Charter member who had maintained 100% attendance through 10 years of his membership. Arthur had several terms on the Board as Treasurer, Secretary and Director, and his place will be hard to fill.
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Despite these final paragraphs, 1974-5 was a very good year for the club and our congratulations and thanks must go to President Ken and his Board, and to all the Rotarians and Rotaryannes who worked so hard to make it a success and a source of so much enjoyment.
Changes in Membership Membership: July 1974: June 1975:
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Resignations: Dennis Harbour Andrew Dougall Keith Backhouse Frank Farmer Graeme Rothwell Ted Robinson Arthur Haig
6 September 1974 26 September 1974 14 January 1975 11 February 1975 11 February 1975 20 March 1975 3 April 1975
New Members Bill Robinson Arthur Percival Bob Dewley Graeme Brangwin Noel Milligan Les Butler Ron Marcus
11 July 1974 9 January 1975 20 February 1975 20 February 1975 27 February 1975 6 March 1975 12 June 1975
Life Assurance Conveyor Belt Marketing Capital Investments Accounting Services Industrial Gear Engineering Industrial Chemistry Electric Light and Power Service
1975 -‐ 1976 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Colin Lawford Roger Wood Frank Cooke Allan Holman Warren Bowden (Club Service) Brian Stacey (International) Earn Death (Vocational) John Corby (Community) John Jones Bob Moin
The year of RYLA organisation In a year in which there were many different club achievements in both Rotary extension and various forms of community endeavour, it seems to me that the one most deserving to be featured in the title
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of this summary was our connection with RYLA. After several years of enthusiastic support of this programme, the club was asked to undertake the hosting of the RYLA Seminar for 1976 at Vision Valley. Certainly, a District Committee, with a Chairman and some of its members from outside the Club, undertook much of the overall planning provided by the Club, to which I think most of the credit should go to a highly successful week for 68 awardees from 35 Clubs. Warren Bowden (Secretary to the Committee), Graeme Brangwin (Treasurer), several other Committee members, Pres. Col and Anne, Ed Hayman and Lorraine (the four house parents), and almost all members of the Club shared the work. Notable highlights were: the official opening by Mr Talbot Duckmanton, General Manager of the ABC, in the presence of the parents of the awardees, followed by afternoon tea; and the Rotary Dinner with representatives of other Clubs joining our members and the awardees to meet and listen to addresses by the GSE Team from South Africa. The success of these functions and the Club’s involvement set, I think, new standards for this always successful week. As usual, the assistance of Rotaryannes with food at the special functions and in other ways contributed greatly to this success. Karen Todd, Barbara Armstrong (our Canadian daughter) and Mark Brackenbury were our worthy Club awardees. Rotary extension included chartering the Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills (24 September 1975), for which all the preliminary work was done last Rotary year, under the wise guidance of PP Roy Martin as the DG’s Special Representative, and the Interact Club of Baulkham Hills High School (3 June 1976), making the third Interact Club in our care. Both new Clubs are making good progress.
Community Service Despite vigorous efforts by the Committee to establish a City-Country Relationship with Mudgee Club and to build a rotunda/shelter in Castle Hill Park, these two major projects met difficulties that resulted in their abandonment. This was a disappointment but much was nevertheless achieved. An Underprivileged Children’s Camp at Vision Valley was supported by a donation of $420 which enabled 8 children to be accommodated for 8 days. A local young police officer was supported by a donation of $500 to enable him to compete in the Olympics for the Disabled in Canada. Most of this amount was raised at a special sports display evening organised by the Club at Oakhill College. Several working bees at Castle Hill Casual Care Centre enabled this building to be renovated so that mothers with urgent appointments could leave their children in good hands for an hour or two. Maintenance work, painting signs, lines on roads etc., was undertaken at Mowll Retirement Village, Rotaractors assisting. Donations were also made to the Youth Help Committee Hostel ($250), Smith Family Christmas Appeal ($100), National Heart Foundation ($150), Meals on Wheels ($53 for soup). These donations and others made by other Committees would not have been possible had not the Community Service Committee raised over $5000 at the 5th Annual Art and Craft Show and over $2000 by manning the gates and organising parking at Castle Hill Show – in both cases the best ever year, financially and otherwise.
Youth For many years the Club has been strongly committed to youth activities and this year was no exception. Three strong Interact Clubs and an especially vigorous and enthusiastic Rotaract Club all functioned well in their own special activities and projects, with strong backing by the Rotarians who act as their mentors and by other members of our Club. On many occasions Rotaractors in particular joined in Rotary projects to the benefit of all parties. Awards were made for School Community Service to both Castle Hill and Baulkham Hills Schools, and a special Community Service award was made at the Changeover Night to Philip Reid, a Rylarian and a Past President of Rotaract, who organised the Presbyterian Fellowship Association Youth Leadership Seminar at Parramatta to which the Club donated $50.
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International Service The Youth Exchange Programme continued as probably the Club’s biggest effort for International understanding and goodwill. The scheme brought us two fine young people – Barbara Armstrong, an attractive and friendly young lady from Saskatchewan, Canada, in August 1975 and Yoshiaki Yoshioka (Aki), a very likeable and capable young man from Japan, in March 1976. Both attended Castle Hill High School. They quickly endeared themselves to us and fitted smoothly into our corporate and personal lives, proving wonderful ambassadors for their respective countries. Carolyn Ford and Warwick Hunt returned from Canada in early 1976. Kerry Lawford left for Michigan, USA, and Judy Cox for Surabaya, Indonesia, in January and February. Carolyn and Warwick gave us enthusiastic accounts of their year abroad, while Kerry and Judy are conscientious correspondents who appear to be having a wonderful time and representing Castle Hill and Australia with distinction. The last two of our Asian nurses, Shoo Ming and Siew Bee, graduated from Hornsby Hospital, making a total of five girls whom we have helped to gain professional qualifications, between 1971 and 1976. Help to the amount of $208 was given to the IPAC Project supporting the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind in India. Two other projects, in Bangladesh and Rhodesia, had to be abandoned because of political problems. An ambulance stretcher and oxygen unit was provided for an isolated medical outpost in Kip Valley Mission in New Guinea. Scholarship support for students at Hango Agricultural College in Tonga was continued. Other continuing efforts were 100% membership in FAIM, $200 to Rotary Foundation to bring the Club to the 300% plateau, and $168 ($3 per member) to the District 268-269-275 Rotary Fellowship Fund.
Vocational Service The Vocational Service Committee made a much more positive impact than is often the case. The outstanding effort was probably the organisation of the “Courtesy Awards” to members of the staffs of local business houses and organisations. Over 70 employees were nominated over the four-week period, with four weekly winners. The chief award, presented at the Changeover, was to Mrs N. Loves of Castle Hill Post Office. This aroused considerable interest and will probably be further developed in the future. Complementary to this was a “Pride in Workmanship” campaign. A Careers Night was organised at Castle Hill High School, with members of the Club and others available to offer advice to those students about to enter the workforce. Assistance was also given in a “Work Experience” programme so that students could have some personal knowledge of careers in which they had some interest. Factory inspections were made to Brook Retreads at Parramatta and J.C. Ludowici at Castle Hill, the former as a barbecue and inspection, the latter an inspection after the normal meeting – both very interesting evenings. A further inspection, to the Head Office of Prospective County Council, was organised by this Committee although it did not finally take place until 1 July 1976. This Committee was also responsible for two debates with Epping Rotarians, one at each Club, as well as a Business Men’s Night, job talks, and a club forum on “Worker Participation in Management”.
Club Service A recent correspondent in the “Rotarian” has pointed out that, “When the members like each other, they serve others.” This may be a reason why this Club has been so successful. Club Service has always been strong – meetings are friendly, fellowship outings are arranged, club projects bring members together in work, our Rotaryannes and families become part of the team. The Fellowship Committee did a fine job by arranging a wide range of activities with at least something for everyone. There were too many to list in detail but they included progressive dinners,
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Ladies Nights including a Christmas spectacular, family picnic outings featuring yachting, waterskiing, cricket, softball and a car trial, visits to the theatre and trotting, barbecues and casual gettogether nights in the homes of members – all helping to bind the Club more closely together. The Programme Committee provided excellently varied speakers and activities covering most aspects of Rotary service. Especially notable were the Club Birthday night the 11th anniversary of the admission of the Club to RI on 18 March 1965 – a Past Presidents’ Night, the charter nights of two new Clubs and the wonderful RYLA meeting at Vision Valley. No praise can be too great for the splendid Club Bulletins provided week-by-week by the editor, Bob Harris, especially the “king–size” editions for the RYLA dinner and the District Changeover report. Among pleasing innovations were then interesting potted local history “Links with the Past”, provided by David Neil. Our Irish Sergeant, John “O’Jones”, gave us much entertainment, and the fact that his fine box produced almost $500 showed his skill in carrying out an operation without anaesthesia. Attendance is essential for a successful Club and this year we were regularly in the first few in the District, finishing with an average of about 87% and including one 100% meeting – the first one for many years. One important “new member” was introduced with the purchase of an amplification unit for $344. Its use by guest speakers, Committee Chairmen etc., made life much easier for bottom-of-the-table men and old fellows with worn out ears. One of the RYLA awardees, addressing the Club on his return, expressed the view that the essential quality of leadership is enthusiasm. If this is true, and I think it is, it probably accounts in large measure for the success of the year, for Pres. Col’s enthusiastic approach to every facet of the Club’s life and work undoubtedly infected his Board members and all ordinary members of the Club so that in every undertaking there was a high degree of member participation and therefore achievement. That this was accompanied by an equally high degree of fun and fellowship is an indication of the soundness of the Club and a tribute to its leadership.
Changes in Membership Membership: July 1975: June 1976:
57 56
Resignations: Ross Marshall George McIntosh Noel Souter Piers Holmes Peter Blake-Walker Bob Dewley
28 August 1975 29 October 1975 32 December 1975 22 January 1976 9 March 1976 4 May 1976
New Members Alan Cox Ray White Ed Hayman Keith Templeton Ted Jerome
23 October 1975 13 November 1975 4 December 1975 4 March 1976 1 April 1976
Wall Tiling Wall and Floor Tile Distribution Material Handling Equipment Electrical Retailing Signwriting
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1976 -‐ 1977 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Roger Wood Brian Stacey Graeme Brangwin Peter Gilbank Ern Death (Club Service) Bob Harris (International) Milton Colburt (Vocational) Allan Holman (Community) Arthur Percival (Youth) Ken Binns Les Whitcroft
A year of extended International Service Although International Service has always been of great and continuing interest and activity in the Club, this is the first time in its history that its major project, financially speaking, has been in this area. For this reason I have chosen it as the heading for this summary of the year. Acting on a suggestion by Bill Grant on his return from a visit to the Solomon Islands, the Board decided to assist in the development of a training programme in basic building construction and furniture making in a village on the island of Malaita. The project involved the provision of all tools needed to implement this idea and, through this, to develop skills among both adults and young people of the village, to give them a new type of occupation to improve the quality of village life. The original estimate of the cost was approximately $1750 but through the generosity of suppliers this was reduced to something like $1000. It is too early yet to estimate the success of the project but it seems a highly worthwhile venture in International Service. The Youth Exchange Programme continued with great success. Barbara Armstrong returned to Canada in July and Aki Yoshioka to Japan in March, both leaving behind them wonderful memories of delightful young people of different backgrounds who entered easily and actively into our lives and activities. They were replaced by Jane Oldham from Aylmer, Ontario, Canada in August and Mieke (Laksmi Arianti Hadi Wiryatmo) from Semarang, Indonesia, in February. They, no less than their predecessors, quickly endeared themselves to us all, sharing our meetings, our fellowship occasions and our family lives. We have been very lucky in our adopted children. In the reverse direction, Kerry Lawford and Judy Cox returned from the USA and Indonesia respectively, very enthusiastic about their year abroad an about the YE programme, and Craig Butler departed early in the year for McHenry, Illinios, where he soon adapted himself to the sudden change from high summer to deep winter. It is interesting to note that we have now hosted 9 overseas students and sponsored 13 Australians for overseas visits under the YEP in the last ten years. In June, Roger and Annette Wood undertook the mammoth task of hosting the reunion of the YE students who went on the bus safari to Victoria and South Australia. There were over 40 sleeping on almost every available piece of floor during the weekend. A good number of club members joined in the fellowship and the work. Another “export” of great international significance was Ron Marcus who spent a month in Wabag, New Guinea, as a member of a FAIM project construction team. This is the second time Ron has given his services on these projects and he greatly to be commended. Financial support was given to Rotary Foundation $200 (300% membership) and District 268, 269, 275 Fellowships $168 ($3 per member). Our nomination for Group Study Exchange Graduate Fellowships, good though they were not selected.
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The co-operation of the Programme Chairman provided several other international contacts. All our own YEP students spoke to us of their home countries or those they had adopted as home for a year and another YEP student, Merrilee Cantle, told us of her year in Thailand. We had an evening with the GSE Team from Saskatchewan, Canada, and talks by GSE members visiting North Carolina and South Africa. Other views of South African life were stated by Carl du Toit, of the South African Embassy, and Iain Finlay, former ABC telecaster. Other speakers on international subjects were Miss Jackie Dettman, of Australian Volunteers Abroad, on teaching in Samoa, Roy Pederson on his visit to China and Graham Thompson on life in Antarctica. Altogether 1976-7 was a year of many international contacts and of considerable service in several ways.
Community Service This Committee was again very active, especially in the organisation of fundraising activities. The two main ones were again the Arts and Crafts Show and the manning (should I say “personing”?) of the gates at Castle Hill Show. Both were very successful financially and as a community service. The Art Show produced a profit of $5237 and our percentage of the Show gate was $2063. These efforts supported by almost all members and many Rotaryannes, Rotaractors, Interactors and member’s families, enabled other committees to undertake their own projects. As an added service to the Show Society, working bees again undertook repairs and general maintenance to fencing at the Showground. Donations were made to the Autistic Children’s Appeal, Save the Children Fund, Smith Family ($50 each), Apex Clubs’ Microsurgery Unit Appeal ($20), Rotaract Leadership Course ($140), Sydney Rescue Society Family Day Care Centre ($25), Youth Help Committee for an electric heater ($60). The Club undertook to support the Youth Help Committee by a donation of $100 a month. The Dept. of Social Security eventually took over support for this committee after the Club had provided $500, of which individual members contributed $43. District 268 presented 42 Rotacars to the Society of Crippled Children to enable handicapped children to become independently mobile. One of these was provided by our Club at a cost of $50. The Vision Valley Summer Camp for Underprivileged Children was again supported by a donation of $180 to enable a leader and three children to attend. Two projects that have been pending for some time finally got under way. A Service Club Directory Notice Board was erected in Castle Hill Park near Old Northern Road. Plans have been approved and all is set to go for the rotunda/shelter shed, also in the park. This will be one of the first projects for 1977-8. A float was again prepared for the Orange Blossom Festival procession. Several door knock appeals (Red Shield, Smith Family Food Drive, Blind Society) and the distribution of literature for the Police Anti-Burglary Campaign and Rotaract Emergency Services Directory were supported by a big proportion of Rotarians, as well as the youth club members. Though there was no big eye-catching project this year, a great deal of community service over a wide area was undertaken and carried out efficiently and enthusiastically.
Youth A change in the Club By-Laws in July brought Arthur Percival to the Board as first Director of Youth Service, with special oversight of Rotaract and Interact Clubs. These have continued to render splendid community service and to so-operate closely with our own Club at every opportunity. In June 1977 sponsorship of the Northmead HS Interact Club was taken over by Parramatta North Rotary Club on the boundaries of which the school is, leaving Castle Hill and Baulkham Hills clubs still in our care. Support was again given to the RYLA Seminar at Vision Valley, with Debra Lawford, Merrin Low and Geoff Wills attending under awards from our Club.
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Of special interest to Rotaract and RYLA, though not organised by this committee, was a visit by DG Les and Shirley, District Committee Chairman Warren Bowden an d Olive and 4 Rotaractors to District 511, USA, to explain to Rotary Clubs in that District the youth programme of District 268 and to encourage and assist in the introduction of Rotaract and RYLA there. They addressed the District Conference and a considerable number of Clubs, mostly at combined meetings. The four young people were all very enthusiastic, capable and articulate ambassadors, who, it seems certain, will be responsible for the spread of these Rotary youth organisations to a new area. This Club was honoured in having Warren and Olive to represent it during the tour.
Vocational Service The outstanding feature of the Vocational programme was the second series of “Courtesy Awards” to employees of business houses and organisations, nominated by the general public for commendation for their courtesy and helpful attitude. Four weekly awards were made Paul Scuglia (Bank Officer), Keith Mansfield (bread delivery), Dorothy Kirkness (cake shop) and Kath Swan (Pharmacy assistant). Each attended a weekly meeting to receive a trophy and the overall award of a silver salver was made to Paul Scuglia at the Changeover Dinner. The display of “Pride in Workmanship” signs in business premises was organised. Factory inspections to Baulkham Hills Private Hospital and the Goodyear factory at Camellia were very greatly appreciated. Job talks were given by club members, and outside speakers addressed the Club on a variety of vocational subjects from stained glass window making to poultry processing. Representatives of the Consumer Affairs Bureau and Small Business Agency also spoke to the Club.
Club Service As usual, fellowship received top priority. Casual evenings at members’ homes (one with the Canadian GSE Team), a progressive dinner, dining out at Bunratty Castle and Timbertop, a special Japanese dinner night organised by Aki at Heyman’s, family sports and picnic days, a special waterski weekend at, on and in Lake Macquarie with the Martins, a weekend at the McIntosh Motel at Blackheath, joint meetings with Baulkham Hills and Rotaract, half a dozen Ladies’ Nights including the usual happy Christmas Night, made a full fellowship year. Add to these the fellowship gained by working together on Club projects and the friendliness of Club meetings and the recipe for a good club is complete. Other aspects of Club Service, such as bulletins, programmes, Sergeant-at Arms, played vital parts in a happy and interesting Club life. Eleven Rotarians and Rotaryannes, together with Jane, Meike and Aki, attended the District Conference at Canberra, and the Lawfords and Broadbents went one better by representing us at the International Convention at San Francisco. Congratulations to President Roger and his chief supporter Annette and to all the members of his Board for a really memorable year.
Vale, Bruce Pederson A great shadow of sadness was cast on the otherwise happy year by the tragic death of Bruce Pederson in the Granville train disaster in January. Bruce was a past TYLA awardee (1970) and a charter member and Past President of Rotaract. He has been a splendid worker, especially in building the spirit of co-operation between Rotaract and Rotary. He was a fine young man on the threshold of a happy and successful life. His friendliness and enthusiasm and spirit of service will be sadly missed but will be long remembered by all his friends in Rotary. His parents plan to establish a memorial trust in his name, the proceeds of which will be used in youth work by Rotaract and rotary. Our sincere thanks for this splendid gesture, as well as our most heartfelt sympathy, go to Alex and Betty and other members of the family.
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Changes in Membership Membership: July 1976: June 1977:
56 60
Resignations: Frank Cooke Ken Smith Harry Dunton
23 September 1976 23 September 1976 9 November 1976
New Members Wal Stone Terry O’Brien Alan Watson Peter Dunn Arthur Warner Ted Read Kevin Toomey
25 November 1976 6 January 1977 3 March 1977 21 April 1977 9 June 1977 16 June 1977 16 June 1977
Book Publishing Electrical Equipment Manufacturing Business Systems Burglary Protection Signals Plaster Manufacturing Mechanical Engineering Automobile Retailing
1977 -‐ 1978 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Brian Stacey Warren Bowden Vern Clements Peter Gilbank Phil Dunn (Club Service) Ron Marcus (International) Noel Milligan (Vocational) Allan Holman (Community) Graeme Brangwin (Youth) Ray Birks Assisted by Lionel (Ah Two) Lea John Carrick
A year of virtue rewarded It is one thing to be confident we have the best club in District 968. It is another to be told by the District Governor and to be given a shield to prove it. The pleasure and pride of Pres. Brian when he received the DG’s shield at the annual Conference is therefore understandable and it seems to me there could be no other fitting heading for this year’s chapter than “A Year of Virtue Rewarded”. A handsome stand for the shield has been made by Bob Milne and it regularly graces our meetings to remind us that we have something to live up to.
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Community Service The year in Community Service has been quite a busy one. The major project, financially and in effort, was the construction of a very handsome rotunda shelter at Castle Hill Park for the use of picnickers and casual visitors admiring the beauty of the flowers. The building is featured on the cover of the 1978-79 Club Bulletin. Many members of the club left their marks on the project – and sometimes themselves. Other work projects included tree planting and improvements of the parking area at Castle Hill Showground and the making of extra display stands for the Art Show. The best examples of working together, however, were the usual two – the Arts and Craft Show in October and the gate and parking supervision at the Showground in March. These were again our two major fund-raising activities which made possible the other work we undertook and the financial assistance we gave to deserving causes. Almost every member took part at some time in both the respective week-ends and as a result the profit of $8000 – over $5000 from the Art Show and $2700 form the Showground – was one in which we could all take pride. From this work came sufficient funds to cover as we the planned amenities block for the 3rd and 4th Castle Hill Scouts which will be built early in the new Rotary year. Members again took part in Door-knock Charity Appeals for the Salvation Army, and in the transporting of children from North Rocks Deaf and Blind School to their homes in the Newcastle District. The Board approved during the year an impressive list of donations, totalling $2750, to a number of organisations. The largest was $1500 to the Youth Help Committee to provide for furnishing for a hostel for boys in Castle Hill, especially as a back up and support for wards leaving establishments such as Castle Hill House, until they are able to start a new life and become self-supporting. Thirteen other organisations received amounts between $25 and $200.
Youth The Youth Service Committee worked hard with Rotaract and the Interact Clubs at Castle Hill and Baulkham Hills High Schools. Despite some difficulties of numbers in the junior clubs, much was achieved. Rotaract has continued to flourish. Its energy and enthusiasm and its desire to share in both the work and social life of Rotary has been most encouraging. Andrew Mann and Jennifer Edwards represented us at the RYLA seminar at Vision Valley and spoke to us with enthusiasm and appreciation of their experience. A most interesting evening was spent with a Rotaract (RITSE) team from New Zealand – a return visit for one previously made by this Rotaract district.
Vocational Service The Vocational Service Committee organised interesting visits to Carlingford Electricity Station and the Bush Fire Centre at Castle Hill, as well as discussions on productivity and unemployment, an address by a representative of the Australian Metal Workers Union and a number of job talks by members. An imaginative and helpful career and employment project on making a job application and receiving interview experience begun by the committee, did not proceed because of an apparent lack of interest among those it was designed to help – a great pity.
Club Service The many Club Service Committees functioned well. Interesting and varied programmes were arranged, a professional club bulletin (illustrated and all!) was produced, the Sergeant-at-Arms worked so hard that he had to take a holiday for 3 months, leaving in his place his humorous (?) oriental friend, Ah Two. A combined meeting was held with Baulkham Hills Club at Christmas time. Part of our club area adjacent to Baulkham Hills, known as the Crestwood area, was ceded to Baulkham Hills club for their development.
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Fellowship has always been one of the club’s great strengths – not only at meetings and in working together but most notably in the number of opportunities for members, Rotaryannes and often whole families to get together, arranged by the Fellowship Committee. Apart from Ladies Nights, Progressive Dinner, dining in homes and restaurants, some less usual highlights were: A camping and fossicking weekend at Hill End (there’s still a lot of gold in them thar hills – they left it there); a David Neil tour of the “Old” Northern Road at Wiseman’s Ferry; a picnic and games Day with Rotaract; two wonderful fancy dress parties – a Hawaiian Night at Martin’s and Old English night at Todd’s; and of course, the now traditional Ski Weekend at Lake Macquarie. Pres. Brian’s call for “a Year of Decorum” was somewhat overlooked in these latter junketings but at least he did achieve a year of fun and good fellowship and wonderful club spirit. Thanks to Brian and his Board and to Nita and the ladies for making this “a year to remember”.
International Service International Service again had a full year. We lost two attractive and loveable daughters – Jane back home to Canada, to start a medical course, and Meike to Indonesia, also to university. Their year with the club was a very enjoyable one for us and we are sure for them too. Yudianto (Yudi) Soejono, a young man from Surabaya, Indonesia, arrived early in 1978 and our first European student, Solveig Gram from Denmark, is to arrive in August. Craig Butler returned home from McHenry, Illinois, and Jenny Saunders and Wendy lee left for Wallingford, Connecticut and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan at the beginning of 1978. In a joint project with Port Moresby club, Jim Kaiulo, a final year student from the University of Papua-New Guinea, spent a month visiting research centres and university, studying methods of research and fieldwork in preparation for a Master of Agriculture degree in Crop Science. IPAC projects were supported by over $800. These included a number of organisations and schemes to assist young people, especially in schools and homes, in Fiji, the Solomons, Papua-New Guinea; sight restoring operations for 90 persons in India; sponsoring a nurse for 3 months in Indonesia under Community Aid Abroad. The club was addressed by a number of speakers on International subjects, including all Youth Exchange students. A highlight was a dinner for the GSE Team from Ohio, organised by the club for the 8 clubs in our Zone. Three hundred and fifty Rotarians and Rotaryannes met in the Harvey Lowe Pavilion for a well-organised and enjoyable meeting, addressed by the members of the visiting team. An amount of $500 was donated to Rotary Foundation from our meeting. Our two nominees for the return visit to Ohio, good as they were, were not finally chosen in the team of 5.
Changes in Membership Resignations: Bill Purvis
4 October 1977
New Members Stan Fulker Rob Grant John Blow Ted Bleach John Palmer
23 February 1978 30 March 1978 11 May 1978 15 June 1978 22 June 1978
Education Primary (A.A.) Aluminium Shapes Manufacturing Child Psychiatry Banking Private (A.A.) Water Proofing
Membership: July 1977: June 1978:
60 64
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1978 -‐ 1979 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Warren Bowden Ern Death Bob Milne Bill Robinson Arthur Percival (Club Service) Ron Marcus (International) Graeme Brangwin (Vocational) Phil Dunn (Community) Peter Gilbank (Youth) Ed Heyman (with assistance in his absence from Kevin Toomey and Terry O’Brien) Bob Burnett
A year of many projects This title applies, I suppose, to most Rotary clubs in most years. For this club, however, 1978-9 was more than usually remarkable for the number, size and variety of the things attempted and carried successfully through. These included major financial support for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit at Parramatta Hospital, and for the 3H programme initiated by RI President, Clem Renouf, concern for many other aspects of the “International Year of the Child”, the building of additions for the scouts, two school students careers programmes, international projects in India, South Africa and Papua New-Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji, the naming of the club’s first Paul Harris Fellow (Keith Sheppard Easton whose wish it was that it remain in the care of the club), interclub contacts, especially with Umtata Club in Transkei, the hosting and sponsoring of Youth Exchange students, as well as many minor annual projects – all of which indicates that it was indeed a fruitful year.
Community Service The club’s main source of income, the Art and Crafts Show, was again successful in every way. The $5500 it produced was donated to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit at Parramatta Hospital for the purchase of specialised medical equipment. This amount was handed over at a Rotary Dinner meeting at the hospital in the company of the Hospital Board, Auxiliary and staff representatives. Support for youth organisations was continued this year by the provision of a new amenities block for 3rd and 4th Castle Hill Scouts, by both money ($4450) and labour, skilled and unskilled. The supervision of Castle Hill Show gates was both a service to an important community organisation and a source of income ($3300) to make possible other community projects. The club contributed approximately $1100 in a joint effort with the Shire Council, the Granville Disaster Appeal fund, her family and others, to provide a health spa at the home of Debbie Snow, a local girl who was a courageous victim of that tragedy. Children were sponsored at an Underprivileged Children’s Camp at Vision Valley, Meals on Wheels was supported at a cost of $150, a prize was given at the local eisteddfod and citizenship prizes at the High Schools, children from North Rocks Deaf and Blind School were transported home for weekends, and two citizens from North Rocks (including a club member) were recognised for their work over long periods for Girl Guides and Scouts by the presentation of Significant Achievement Awards at the Changeover Dinner.
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Youth Service The youth organisations continued to function but not without problems. Rotaract had a number of difficulties early in the year but good leadership by Karen Todd overcame these and the club had a very successful year, undertaking several projects of its own, while joining enthusiastically in some of Rotary’s. For its great assistance in Show parking, Rotary handed Rotaract a cheque for $300. There was a good deal of social contact as well, through a combined Board Meeting, a car rally and picnic, a Polynesian Night, as well as in attending one another’s meetings. Baulkham Hills Interact partly through the influence of Solveig and with good Rotary and teacher backing, had quite a fruitful year. Castle Hill Interact found member difficulties in the second half of the year but, with Gerry Larkin’s help, interest meetings have been held and a new start made. Sue Jerome and Don Aitkinson received this year’s Youth Leadership Awards and came back from Vision Valley RYLA Seminar filled with enthusiasm and ready to impart their knowledge to other youth groups. President Warren has every reason to be proud of his Presidential year. He gave enthusiastic support and unsparing service in his office and inspired the club with his ideas. He had the help of a capable, energetic and innovative Board and especially of the Rotaryannes of the club, without whom, the spirit and success of the club would not have been as great as it was.
Vocational Service The Vocational Service Committee made big efforts in relation to student careers advice. It compiled a register of club members who could be contacted for information about their own occupations and passed this on to Castle Hill High School. At the end of May a Careers Spectacular was held at Castle Hill Showground over two days and one evening. It was organised by several clubs in the area, our club participating in both organisation and counselling. Over 5000 students from High Schools and colleges in the area attended. Work experience opportunities were also provided for some students during the year. “Pride in Workmanship” plaques and “Have a Go, Australia” posters were widely distributed and displayed. A special award was made to Virginia Lee in recognition of her being the first girl named Apprentice of the Year. Visits were made to factories such as Crown Controls and Parramatta Goal Linen Service. Visiting speakers informed us on topics varying from Oyster Farming to Wholesale Grocery, from the Meat Industry to Plastics, and from Pest Control to Taxation (grouping purely accidental). Members also gave interesting talks. It was, in all, a busier than usual year in Vocational Service.
Club Service Club Service involves making members want to come to the club because they enjoy the meetings and the fellowship which is the basis on which other forms of service are built. The venue “Durham Park” (much improved this year), the bulletins, the Sergeant-at-Arms played a notable part in achieving this aim. The Programme committee provided interesting and varied programmes with excellent visiting speakers on international, topical, vocational and service themes, as well as interesting addresses by our own members. Special nights, such as the Father, Son and Daughter Night (a by-product being a gathering of Mums this set free) and the Zone Dinner for the Swedish GSE Team, were most successful. The fellowship obtained by working together on projects (and everyone had some part in this) is a wonderful cementing agent in a club. To this the Fellowship Committee added a series of outings and entertainments. They used most of the old and tried favourites – Ladies’ Nights (some of them not only for ladies but also, entertainingly and efficiently by ladies), a Christmas Party at Cropley House, a progressive dinner, a visit to Harold Park trots, a water-ski weekend with Beryl and Roy (Martin) at Lake Macquarie – and added some innovations such as a Harbour Cruise for the children’s’
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Christmas Party, an Investment Night at the Brook Senior home, a visit to a coal mine at Lake Munmorrah by 12 hardy adventurers, and a highly successful Queen’s Birthday weekend at Dubbo and district in cooperation with Dubbo South club. Most of these brought together not only Rotarians but also Rotaryannes and sometime Rotaryettes – making a happy family club. The Rotary family, as distinct from Rotarian’s family, provided more wonderful fellowship through our relationship with Rotaract in combined meetings, outings and work, and with our daughter club, Baulkham Hills. A “first” for the club was the conferring of honorary membership on David Neill, for his work in local district history.
International Service The International Service Committee did its best to “reach out” in many directions. Youth Exchange again provided a very rewarding year. Wendy Lee and Jenny Saunders came home from Canada and USA and Yudi Soejono returned to Indonesia early in 1979, all of them after interesting and enjoyable years in which they did much for international understanding. Our first European student, Solveig Gram, “our Danish Delight” to borrow the fictitious phrase of, I think, Allan Hollman, came in August and returned to Denmark in June. She made friends very easily through her cheerful, fresh and enthusiastic personality and all were sorry to say farewell. Michelle Rich came from Iowa in 1979 and quickly settled in with us. Early in the new Rotary year she will be joined by another Danish girl, Charlotte Villesen. Our own Ilsa Kroll, a charming and capable ambassadress left for Madison, Wisconsin, in January. We also entertained briefly Mette Larsen on her way home to Denmark after a year with Scarborough Club in WA. Jennifer Clark and Rodney Cox were selected to go overseas early in 1989 – to Germany and South Africa if their hopes are realised. Through the year contact by letter was re-established with some of our earliest students – Ina Budiono (1971), Yuri Hirotani (1973), Tomako Hoshino (1974) and in person with, Ken Kittleson (1974-5) at present visiting Australia. A New Guinean, Michael Mirintoro, who studied here for several months in 1967 also replied to our letter. The club again hosted the Zone Dinner Meeting to welcome and listen to the Swedish GSE Team (Dist. 238). Three hundred Rotarians and Rotaryannes from 9 clubs had a very enjoyable evening at North Rocks Community Centre. We also hosted briefly the GSE Team from Oregon (Dist. 511) who were passing through on their way to Queensland. Two of our GSE nominees, Robert Ryan for the team to Ohio, and Roy Pederson for leader of the team to Sweden, although having excellent credentials, were not chosen. Jeanette Hoorn was placed on the Reserve List for a Graduate Fellowship Award. We are at present engaged in a Matched Club programme with Umtata club in Transkei. We received from them a tape and slides about their area and are preparing to reciprocate. We had an excellent address on conditions there from Professor Kgwara, Vice Chancellor of the University. 100% membership of FAIM was continued and the 600% plateau of Rotary Foundation ($60 per member in total) was reached. The biggest single International project was support for the 3H (Health, Hunger, Humanity) programme. Mainly through the efforts of Ted Jerome, who conducted a quick-sketch advertising display at the Show, and John Palmer, who did most of the organising, an amount of US$1890 (US$30 a member – twice the requested amount) was raised. Two IPAC projects – a children’s home in Fiji and a Youth Rehabilitation Centre in Papua NewGuinea– were supported with $240. Other donations were: $100 to an Indian Rotary Club project for a Technical Training Centre for poor students in rural areas; $63 ($1 per member) for an Eye Hospital in Lesotho, South Africa; $100 to help our matched club, Umtata, with a school for the blind and deaf; a chain saw and milling attachment for a village in the Solomons at a cost of $300; supported by a very generous donation from the firm which made it.
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With some embarrassment I note that, by donating $1000 to the Paul Harris Fellowship of Rotary Foundation, the club was enabled to name its first Paul Harris Fellow. I am deeply proud that my name had been used to further the aims of what I regard as RI’s most worthy project.
Changes in Membership Resignations: Bob (R.M.) Harris Kevin Ford Colin Lawford Ted Bleach Brian Smith Alan Watson
5 October 1978 9 October 1978 31 December 1978 31 December 1978 8 April 1979 30 June 1979
New Members Roger Bower-Williams Bob Harris Gerry Larkin Fred Caterson Ed Lawrence Engineering) Darcy Willis
21 September 1978 21 September 1978 21 September 1978 5 October 19787 1 February 1979
Medical Administration Food Research Structural Engineering Design Parliamentary Services Structural Fabrication (General
24 May 1979
Education – Administration (A.A.)
Membership: July 1978: June 1979:
64 63 + 1 Hon.
1979 -‐ 1980 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Ern Death Peter Gilbank Ken Binns Bill Robinson Phil Dunn (Club Service) Ted Jerome (International) Rob Grant (Vocational) Ron Marcus (Community) John Palmer (Youth) Allan Buckingham Roy Parnell
A year of anniversaries This has been an important year in many ways but especially in reminding us of beginnings. February 23rd was the 75th birthday of Rotary, the day when Paul Harris and 3 friends met and started
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in motion what became a worldwide movement. The 75th anniversary has been celebrated throughout the Rotary world with special meetings special press features, special projects and even special stamps. February 4th was the 15th birthday of our own club, starting as the Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills in 1965, and becoming, without any other changes, the Rotary Club of Castle Hill in 1973. As an additional anniversary bonus, our regional magazine, “Rotary Down Under”, which first appeared under the sponsorship of Newtown (NSW) and Bayswater (Vic.) Clubs in April 1965, also celebrated its 15th birthday this year. Our own special 75th Anniversary project was undertaken in cooperation with the Rotary Clubs of Baulkham Hills, Kenthurst and Galston though it was still incomplete at the end of the 1979-80 year. It was decided to purchase and fit out a 16-seat minibus to transfer aged or infirm people to Parramatta Hospital. The bus, when ready, will be presented to Baulkham Hills Shire Council Community Service Dept., which will be responsible for its upkeep and running. It will be similar to the bus we presented to Hornsby Hospital in 1973-74. By the end of June an amount of $5400, raised by various activities, had been banked. The main ones were the conducting of a week-end food stall at Balcombe Heights Housing Project for several weeks at the end of 1979, and the Fun Spectacular, called “Nearly Anything Goes”, on the Castle Hill High School Oval in April 1980. The latter was very popular, even if not as financially rewarding as we had hoped, and will probably be repeated now that we know more about it. Some donations, including one from Dural Club, helped to build up the funds. We hope the minibus project will be completed in the coming year. To mark our own birthday, the club history, of which we had run out of copies, was reprinted in a much superior form, and a start made on a pictorial record of as much of the 15 years as was available. At the Changeover in June we were able to gather 9 of the first 15 Presidents, the others being overseas, out of Sydney or ill.
Community Service Apart from the minibus project, our main community service was rendered at the Showground. A concrete floor (20m x 12m x 13cm) for a pavilion to be constructed by the Show Society was laid in January at a cost to the club of $3700 and many tired muscles. This was followed by the setting up of a picnic and rest area for Show patrons with 5 barbecues and 4 table settings at a cost of approximately $900. Most of this expenditure was recouped by again manning the Show gates for which our share was $3463. Our other big fund raising effort, the 9th Annual Art and Crafts Show added over $3600 to our project funds. Much good organisation, hard work and cooperation of members, Rotaryannes and Rotaractors went into making these two efforts successful in every way. A very important community service was rendered by the club, in particular by Cliff Seddon, in the organisation and launching of a new type of club in the area. Called a Probus Club (from PROfessional and BUSiness), its aim is to enlarge acquaintance and provide fellowship (perhaps render service also) among retired and semi-retired professional and businessmen. Although the first meeting did not take place until early July 1980, the formation of the club was the work of the 197980 year. Service was given at the Castle Hill Public School Centenary Fireworks Display by using members’ gate-manning expertise; and helping as usual in the organisation and collection for the Red Shield Appeal Door Knock. Donations of various amounts, totalling over $1000 were made to major charity appeals such as Smith Family, Children’s Medical; Research and Kampuchean Relief and to other smaller but quite important ones too many to list here. Meals on Wheels which we have supported for many years received 60 barbecue chickens for Christmas distribution, and the Shire Council Home Help Service received some equipment. Not only were Underprivileged Children sponsored as usual at Vision Valley camps (2 camps this year) but also presents, donated for a “back to front Christmas tree” at the Family Party at Brook’s, were delivered early in January to children at the camp. The Orange Blossom Festival procession included a float, the combined work of Baulkham Hills and Castle Hill Clubs, featuring a bevy of beauty consisting of 3 exchange students and 5 home grown products.
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Youth Service Our Youth organisations, Interact and Rotaract, have had an energetic and pleasurable year, the former especially owing to the efforts of Keith Templeton and Gerry Larkin. To initiate attractive activities and projects. Rotaract particularly has been active not only in its own projects but also in its association and cooperation with Rotary. Julie Tyson, Sally Bernard and Cathy Hennessey received awards for the Rotaract Leadership course at Wyong on 3rd, 4th and 5th August 1979. David Brown and Michael Jones were our worthy awardees at the RYLA seminar at Vision Valley in February. In the Youth Exchange programme we were very lucky to have had as a daughter Charlotte Villesen from Aalborg, Denmark. She made friends wherever she went and was a fine representative of her country. Ilsa Kroll came home from Madison, Wisconsin, in January, after a most impressive year as ambassadress for Castle Hill and Australia. Jenny Clark and Rodney Cox left in January for a year’s stay in Kempen, West Germany, and Worcester, South Africa, respectively. We are sure that they have represented us well. Lisa Cockburn has already been chosen to go to Japan in 1981. For the first time we have had non-Rotarian families as Host Parents – Bill and Nancy Lee (for Michelle Rich) and Ian and Lyn Thompson (for Charlotte). The experiment was very successful and we were grateful to both families.
Vocational Service 1979-80 was a busier-than-usual year in Vocational Service. Interesting programmes were provided including a celebration of vocational service development through 75 years of Rotary, job talks, visiting speakers from, for example, the Electrical Trade Union, the Small Business Agency, the Corporate Affairs Commission, and a club forum on Unemployment. Two very interesting factory visits were made to Coca Cola Bottlers at Northmead and Comalco at Yennora. Once again the club cooperated in the running of the Careers Spectacular at the Showground, attended by a large number of students from schools in a wide part of the western area. An interesting innovation at meetings was the posing of a question related to his vocation to an individual member to be answered in 3-5 minutes the following week, with the privilege of putting a similar question to another member for the next meeting. It has proved very popular, providing both information and entertainment. Bulletin biographies have helped us to know more of our fellows’ backgrounds and careers.
Club Service This committee gave fine service in the organisation of club meetings, seeing that we were well-fed, well entertained (programmes and Sergeant-at-Arms), well informed (Bulletins), and hospitable to both visitors and Rotarians and Rotaryannes (Fellowship). Away from the meetings, the Fellowship committee again provided us with a number of pleasurable occasions such as: a visit to El Caballo Blanco Dancing Horses at Narellan, a progressive dinner, a barbecue at the Brook senior’s home, the annual Water Ski weekend with Martins at Lake Macquarie, a Christmas Night at Cropley House, a family Christmas party at Allan and Marie Brook’s, a Sunset Barbecue at Wood’s, a fellowship gathering at Death’s. There were as well the usual Ladies’ Nights at the club every 2 months. The ladies had their own fellowship at Dorothy Death’s in the alternate months. Fellowship was improved by working together on projects and by sending a team of 45 to the District Conference at Gosford. Inter-club fellowship was helped by visiting Baulkham Hills and Kenthurst clubs, as well as by working together on the 75th anniversary projects. An innovation was the loyal toast at the start of meetings and the singing (!) of “Advance Australia Fair” instead of “God Save the Queen” at the end. Darcy Willis’ accompaniment did much to improve our rendition. One or two other points of importance. We have greatly missed the company of Charter Member, Fred Skaller, who has been ill for some months; Fred Caterson was made an Honorary Member (joining David Neil) when his Parliamentary duties made attendance difficult; we welcomed back into the club Charter member Kevin Ford, after a year’s absence.
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The following members were chosen by the DG for Service on District Committees – merit recognised and rewarded: Warren Bowden Club Service (Adviser) Roger Wood Youth Exchange (Chairman) Ron Marcus FAIM Don Broadbent GSE
International Service A good part of what was formerly regarded, as International Service is now the sphere of Youth but the committee carried on good work nevertheless. Our nominee, Philip Reid, was a member of the Group Study Exchange team to Sweden in April-May and spoke of his experiences on his return. Appropriately, our first GSE team member, Pres. Peter Gilbank (see newspaper cutting inset about Peter’s GSE), presided on the occasion. Two very good nominees for the team to Rhode Island reached the short list of 12 but missed selection at the final interviews. Once again the club gave $30 per member ($1100 of it raised by the Show advertising stand) to the 3H programme, making a total of $60 per member – one of the highest of all clubs. The club has retained its 100% membership of FAIM and 5 members have taken our Life membership. Craig Todd, son of Neil, went with a FAIM team to New Guinea and we will be represented in another team later in 1980. Past Pres. And Charter member Roy Martin received a well-deserved honour when he was named as the club’s second Paul Harris Fellow at the Christmas Meeting 1979. He has given great service to the club and the community during the whole of the club’s history. A club debate on the “Vietnamese Boat People” turned our thoughts on an important current international problem.
Changes in Membership Resignations: Bob (R.M.) Harris Ray Newman Ted Read Ray Birks Vern Clements Al Kemp Roy King John Blow Kevin Twomey Arthur Warner
1 July 1979 1 July 1979 13 September 1979 11 October 1979 26 November 1979 13 December 1979 16 January 1980 14 April 1980 30 April 1980 9 June 1980
New Members Len Lobbes Peter Eveleens David Smart John Barker Bob Holder Bill Peggie Grahame Maynard Kevin Ford George Franklin
26 July 1979 9 August 1979 23 August 1979 25 October 1979 29 November 1979 29 November 1979 6 March 1980 5 June 1980 5 June 1980
Clothing Manufacturing Paper Products Abrasive Manufacturing Local Government Engineering Timber Retailing Bread Manufacturing Household Appliance Manufacturing Pharmacy Senior Active (Dentistry)
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Membership: July 1979: June 1980
63 + 1 Hon (David Neil) 60 + 2 Hon. Members (David Neil, Fred Caterson).
1980 -‐ 1981 Club Officers President: Secretary: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Peter Gilbank Vice-President: Graeme Brangwin Stan Fulker Treasurer: Allan Holman Neil Todd (Club Service) Milton Colburt (International) Brian Stacey (Vocational) Phil Dunn Peter Dunn (Youth) Roger Bower-Williams (Assisted by Ed Heyman) Col Crawford
A year of building As the years go on, it becomes increasingly difficult to find an appropriate and different title for each new report. I have some reservations about my present choice, since building, in one form or another, goes on in any good Club every year. Nevertheless, apart from the carpentry sort of building (although we had something to show in that line), there was in 1980-81 significant building in finance, membership, fellowship, youth interest and cooperation, and spread of activities. We certainly built on what has always been a good Club and finished the year stronger than we started it.
Community Service As far as hammer and nails re concerned, our chief community building was “Koompartoo”, a youth refuge centre run by Lifeline at Kellyville. The name means “Fresh Start” and this is what the centre is giving to young people considered “at risk” because of unemployment and difficult home environment. To make them more comfortable and give them some pride in their fresh start, a new walkway was built between buildings by “working bees” of members, with materials purchased through a very entertaining and efficient Club Auction of goods and services donated by members. This raised over $2000 which also made possible the provision of gauze screens and 4 tables and 32 stackable chairs for the dining room. Further funds for “Koompartoo”, but yet to be spent, came from a garage sale in combination with the Soroptimists led by Rotaryanne Mavis Todd. This raised a further $2000 - $1000 of which credited to each Club. Our two big finance projects were better than ever in both money and community service terms. The Art and Crafts Show in October produced approximately $6000, of which $4000 was donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. The Castle Hill Show Gate brought $4800 to project funds. The “Nearly Anything Goes” Fun Spectacular, in combination with the neighbouring Clubs of Baulkham Hills, Galston and Kenthurst, provided sufficient funds to complete the purchase of a minibus presented to the Shire Council Community Service Department. This was the Rotary 75th Anniversary project begun last year. Other donations were made to major charities. The main ones included $200 to the Spinal Research Unit at Royal North Shore Hospital to help with the preparation of an audio-visual film on the dangers of back injury in sport etc., to be made available to schools; and the setting aside of funds for distribution on future projects in Cancer Research ($4000) and FAIM ($2500).
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Support was also given in various ways to the Red Cross Door Knock Appeal, Meals on Wheels, The Hills District Eisteddfod, Interact’s float in the Orange Blossom Festival procession, the Family Fun Day organised by the Shire, the National Pride movement by the sale of Flag Badges and the presentation of these to new citizens at the Australia Day ceremony. As part of this movement, the Club and Rotaract began a project of erecting flag poles, complete with flags, for homes or business premises. Appropriately, the first one was erected at ‘Durham Park”. The Probus Club for retired professional and business men, organised last year, had its first official meeting in July and continued to provide fellowship for its members (two of whom are also Rotarians) and outings with their wives. Rotary recently presented a presidential collar to the Club.
Youth Service Youth, both home and abroad, continued as a major Club interest. Rotaract, under Pres. Cathy Hennessy and Rotarian adviser Bob Holder, had a year with many projects of their own with outstanding support in Rotary’s. The highlight of their year was the receipt of one of the twenty-five “Herald” Service Club Awards for community service. This was for their support of “Riding School for the Disabled” at Kellyville – a fitting recognition of fine service by and for youth. Interact also had a good year. A combined effort of 3 Clubs, Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills and Model Farms, raised $2000 by a “Roller-thon”. This was presented to the North Rocks School for the Deaf and Blind to provide special equipment. The same Clubs produced a good float in the Orange Blossom procession. Unfortunately, falling numbers caused Baulkham Hills Club to cease to operate early in 1981. Rotary again sponsored 2 students and a supervisor at the Underprivileged Children’s Camp at Vision Valley. Castle Hill Interact again raised $220 at a “Dance-a Thon” for a similar purpose. Rotaract gave $110 for 2 young locals to attend the camp. Peter Dunn and Robert Ferguson attended the 1981 RYLA seminar at Vision Valley as our representatives. Ian Yinfoo and Christina Bjorkbom were sponsored at a Rotaract Leadership course. Ian now has the opportunity to use what he learnt, as he was installed as 1981-2 President of Rotaract in June 1981. Rodney Cox and Jeremy Clark returned in January from their year as Youth Exchange students in South Africa and Germany. Charlotte Villesen returned to Denmark in July 1980 after a year in Castle Hill, and was replaced by a charming new “daughter” from Japan, Kumiko Fujioka, in March 1981. Lisa Cockburn, our outgoing student to Japan, unfortunately met problems beyond her control early in her year and decided to return home. We were delighted at our Christmas meeting to welcome back our 1976-7 student, “Aki”. Since his return to Japan he had completed his economics degree at Tokyo University and was having a holiday before starting work. For part of his holiday he was joined by his brother, Ikuji, to find if all Aki had told him was true. On his return to Japan, Aki entered a stockbroking firm and was very busy. On our behalf he made contact with our first student, “Kathie” Haijama (1967), and we were very pleased to receive a photo of her as she is now. A different sort of exchange (Country-City) was arranged through Glen Innes Club. Jenny Ogle and Tracey Ross, two Glen Innes girls, spent a week in Sydney as our guests. Later 2 local boys, Thomas Houleroff and Norman Lamb, had a similar experience in Glen Innes.
Vocational Service Continuing activities on a vocational theme were participation with 9 neighbouring Clubs in a Careers Market; speakers on vocational topics; celebration of a special week e.g. Youth Activities week; and questions answered (not always seriously) by members on some aspect of their work. Subjects of addresses included the 35-Hour Week, problems of young unemployed, and three talks on aspects of modern medicine, especially industrial medicine. Visits were made to the AGL plant at Mortlake and 2WS radio station at Seven Hills.
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International Service It was hoped that the Club would be able to undertake a major international project. Unfortunately plans did not come to fruition, but the committee was able to set aside a sizeable sum in hope that it would be possible to develop a significant project in 1981-82. A good deal of effort and activity went into FAIM. All members of the Club are now Life Members, and 2 teams, containing some Club representation, worked on projects in Papua-New Guinea. Bob Milne and Peter Bowden (son of Warren) helped on an outpatients’ aid post at Ileg, and Ron Marcus was in a team building a Catholic Mission Hall at Leitre, as well as the second stage of the Ileg project. Two teams are being organised for other projects in 1981-82. The Club continued to support the 3H programme, supported Rotary Clubs worldwide with subscriptions of over $7¼ million dollars for special aid projects to under-developed countries. We were proud to have a small but significant part in this, as a “double plaque” Club. $3 per member was also donated to the Dist.968, 969, 975 International Fellowships.
Club Service Although treated last here, Club Service is at the very heart of the Club. As much as anything, it is what makes members want to attend meetings and take part in all Club activities. Fortunately strong Club Service, in all its main aspects, such as fellowship, programme, bulletins, sergeant-at-arms, conference attendance, was a feature this year. The fellowship committee did a marvellous job in arranging outings (e.g. to the Music Hall at Neutral Bay); home hospitality (e.g. a Polynesian Night and a farewell to the Death’s at Martin’s, a Sullivans Night at Broadbent’s, a Reverse Christmas Tree at Gilbank’s); colourfully named parties like a Barnyard Hop and a Woolshed Wiggle. Bad weather caused the cancellation of another visit to the Harold Park Trots. We were well represented at the District Conference at Canberra. We hosted a well-attended combined Service Clubs meeting with Sir Phillip Baxter as Guest Speaker on “The Future”, giving more optimistic thoughts on nuclear energy than we often receive. The participation of members in the main Club projects gave a good indication of Club spirit and service. Worthy of special mention was the wearing of Rotary “T” shirts at the Show, giving gatemen and others a very special, businesslike (not to say “elegant”) look. They should be a feature of next year’s activities too, providing we can retain our “slim lines”. Happiness is often mixed with sadness. So, to our great sorrow, we must record that Arthur Percival, a devoted and enthusiastic Rotarian and a cheerful and loyal friend, died suddenly in January at much too early (an) age. We shall always miss his friendship. Our deepest sympathy went also to several Rotarians and Rotaryannes who lost a parent during the year. 1980-81 was a good year – one that Pres. Peter and his Board could feel well pleased with, its success a fitting reward for all the enthusiasm and organisation they and their Rotaryannes put into it.
Changes in Membership Resignations: Ern Death Arthur Percival Les Butler
31 December 1980 (moved to Taree) 5 January 1981 (Deceased) 4 June 1981
New Members Paul Elsmore Rob Simpson Norm Roach
31 January 1980 31 July 1980 – 21 August 1980
Timber Processing - Wholesale Printing – Silk Screen Motel Management
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Wal Stringer Neville French Fred Brown
21 August 1980 9 October 1980 – 14 May 1981
Real Estate Agency Petroleum – Retail Light Engineering
Membership: 1 July 1980 30 June 1981
60 + 2 Honorary members 63 + 2 Honorary members
1981 -‐1982 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Graeme Brangwin Stan Fulker Bill Robinson Ken Binns Norm Roach (Club Service) Bob Milne (International) David Smart (Vocational) Noel Milligan (Community) – Replaced by John Corby (19 April 1982) John Barker (Youth) Roy Martin Ken Galbraith
A big year 1981-82 was a Big Year – a busy year of big and varied projects in all avenues of service, involving considerable money as well as personal effort by individual members; an enjoyable and friendly year of fellowship at and away from club meetings, a cooperative year using, as well as club members, the talents and enthusiasm of Rotaryannes and Rotaryettes and our junior service clubs, Rotaract and Interact – in short, a big year to look back on with pleasure and pride.
Community Service As usual the biggest and most involving project belonged to this service. The Highlight was the presentation to Westmead Hospital of a cheque for $10000 for the purchase of highly specialised equipment for the detection and diagnosis of cancer of the cervix. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology will use it for the benefit of the whole Western Region of the Department of Health. It will be a great boon and was much appreciated by specialist staff. A big and valuable project, involving both work and time rather than direct finance, was the Balcombe Heights Transition Home “working bees”. This involved renovation of one of the cottages belonging to the former Masonic School to set it up for training mildly intellectually handicapped young adults by giving them the experience and confidence needed to rake their place in the normal workforce. Parents and Rotaractors joined Rotarians, led by Roy Martin and John Corby, in doing the various skilled, semi-skilled and labouring jobs needed to set up a comfortable home for them. About 1435 man-hours were spent at an estimated work value of $4691. Our two usual fund-raising efforts continued, both in money and service to the community. The Arts and Crafts Show, in its 11th year, raised $7000 and the Show Gate supervision, in its 9th year, $5400. These and some smaller efforts provided funds for projects in all services. A Garage Sale in conjunction with the Soroptimists provided close to $5500 (half to each Club) and the District Golf
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Day $1500. The winding up of the “Nearly Anything Goes” fund left each of the 4 Clubs with $294 after all expenses for the minibus were paid. On-going projects like “Koompartoo”, Meals on Wheels and other community charities were supported and members and their families gave good service in the Red Shield Doorknock. The Club’s thanks go to the Soroptimists, Rotaractors, Interactors and, as always the Rotaryannes for their great and willing cooperation and service in most of these projects.
Youth Service The international theme carried over into the Youth area, with the welcome presence in our midst of Kumiko Fujioka from Japan, in the first half of the Rotary year, and Stuart Hodge from South Africa in the second half. These were two more in the lengthening list of 15 sons and daughters from 6 countries who have spent a year with us under the YE programme. All proved themselves interesting, intelligent and friendly young people, a wonderful advertisement for their countries and families and a great pleasure to their host families and club. A local girl, Jenny McNamara, is spending 1982 at Sasebo in Japan and appears to be having a year of interesting and varied experiences. Two girls, Justine Ringbour and Yvette Juchau, have been chosen to go overseas in 1983 probably to West Germany and Japan respectively. Martin Gnadinger, a West German student hosted by Kalgoorlie Club was able to spend two weeks with us in November through the hospitality of the Browns and the Whites (a colourful combination). During his stay he was able to meet Jenny Clark who was our exchange student in West Germany in 1980. Rotaract had its usual active year under Pres. Ian Yin Foo and the guidance of Gerry Larkin. As well as organising a number of events on their own, they were most helpful in all Rotary projects open to them. They are wonderful co-operators. Three accepted Rotary awards to the Rotaract Leadership course. Castle Hill Interact had some difficulties, arising from competition from other school activities limiting their time, but they have taken part in a number of community activities and have developed an interest in service. Sue Van Dam and Christine Robertson enjoyed a week at RYLA and returned very enthusiastic about what they had learnt. They showed their appreciation by volunteering to act as supervisors for the District Children’s Camp at Vision Valley in May for which the club again provided financial support
Vocational Service Vocational autobiographies were continued in the bulletin; with the help of the Programme Chairman,, interesting addresses were given, (e.g. on Investment, the Stock Exchange, maintenance on the Harbour Bridge); and visits were made to the hospitals at Baulkham Hills and Westmead. At the latter we had a fine address on the history of the hospital and its main features as well as an audio/visual tour of it. At the club meetings Len Lobbes, always razor sharp, introduced a series of “cutting questions” which not only entertained the rest of us but also gave the objects of the attack a chance to explain the state of the market in their vocations. Our best-deserved vocational award was the presentation of a Pride In Workmanship plaque to Mr Ted Collis, assistant supervisor of parks and gardens for the Shire Council. It was most appropriate that, on the eve of his retirement, we should be able to tell him how much the citizens of the Shire appreciated the very clear pride he took in his work in the park and to thank him for the pleasure he gave us all. Support was also given at the Annual Careers Market at the Harvey Lowe Pavilion. Despite a clash with the working bee at Balcombe Heights, we managed to have 2 Rotarians and 6 Rotaryannes on the job, for the benefit of school leavers.
International Service “FAIM is the spur” as John Milton might have written if he had been a better speller. In our case FAIM was indeed the spur for a big year in International Service. The enthusiasm and organising
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ability of Bob Milne and Ron Marcus, both office bearers in FAIM and members of the survey team in PNG, were responsible for the club sending two teams to Karkar Island near Madang in Papua New Guinea in the first half of the Rotary Year. These teams built an additional second storey classroom for the training of hospital orderlies and for extra staff accommodation at Gaubin Hospital. Bob and Ron and two from Kenthurst (John Henson) and Berowra (Albert van Huissteden) and three non-Rotarian friends with trade skills. Don and John Kreckler overhauled the three Diesel Alternators which provide power for the hospital complex. The cost to the club for fares and parts was $4000. Many similar projects remain to be carried out in PNG and elsewhere and it is hoped the club will be able to be involved in some of them. 100% Life Membership in FAIM was maintained in the club. Bob Milne spoke at many clubs on the importance and needs of FAIM. It was good that we were able to have the whole Karkar team at a club meeting to hear their account, to see their film and slides and to express our appreciation for a job well done. A further project in the Madang area, arising from the contacts made during the team’s visit to the Rotary Club of Madang, was the provision of books for the library of the newly established Roman Catholic University there. In other International measures, two candidates were nominated, though unsuccessfully, for the GSE Team to District 111 (UK). The club organised the Zone welcome dinner to the visiting team from District 111 (UK) with Peter Gilbank as Zone Coordinator. The dinner at Castle Hill Bowling Club was very successful with Rotarians from four other clubs joining us. At club meetings programmes with International interest were presented by Baru Arua, Dep. Consul-General for PNG, John Knight, one of the District 968 team to Brazil, Kumiko and Stuart, our YEP “family” from Japan and South Africa, and Roy Pedersen’s new chapter in his travel saga.
Club Service It is a commonplace saying in Rotary that “there is nothing so past as a past president”. Past President Warren Bowden showed the falsity with what someone called “the best programmes we have ever had”. Remember the four Ladies’ Night addresses by Philip Knightly (UK Journalist of the Year); Nick Vine Hall on “Genealogy”; Ruth Wilson on “Ballooning”; and Bernie Mullane on “The new Shire Chambers” (then only a prospect); unusual subjects like “The Glass Pyramids in the Gardens”; Maintenance on the Harbour Bridge” (which inspired four of our more intrepid members and Stuart Hodge to make the crossing via the arch); Vocational and International speakers; two visits to see “work in progress” at the Shire Chambers; two hospital visits; combined meetings with Rotaract and the Rotary Club of Baulkham Hills. Past Pres. Roy Martin, a very entertaining Sergeant-at-Arms, showed what he had learnt in his Rotary years about money raising, as well as clean, if often libellous, stories. Then there were Past Pres. Ken Binns as Treasurer, Allan Buckingham as part time Bulletin Editor – part time song leader – in fact, you name a past president in this club or elsewhere and you have named a worker, part of the club’s backbone. Norm Roach, setting a fine example himself, had plenty of not-yet-presidents to help him. What wonderful fellowship days and nights there were – Santa Allan and the Family Christmas Party; some “high jinks” from unexpected quarters at the club Christmas Night; a wonderful theatre party at “They’re Playing Our Song”; a mouth-watering Progressive Dinner and others. The Bulletin was a model of information, club and personal, beautifully produced by Wal. The District Conference was well attended considering the clash of dates with our Show Gate responsibility – a tribute to Ron Marcus’ persistence and powers of persuasion. We were also represented at the Pacific Regional Conference in Melbourne in November. Graeme and Helen can look back with great pleasure and pride on their year of office and with gratitude to the members of the Board, despite two unavoidable changes during the year, and to all Rotarians and Rotaryannes who also played their parts. It was a really ‘big year”.
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Changes in Membership Resignations: John Jones Kevin Ford David Smart Fred Skaller Peter Hauff
1 July 1981 17 December 1981 7 February 1982 became Honorary Member July 1981 became Honorary member January 1982
New Members Reg Sinclair Sim Schrooder Maurie Jones David Commins John Stephenson Phillip Ogilvie
20 August 1981 – Concrete Products Manufacturing 27 August 1981 – Government Services, Foreign 4 March 1982 – General Carrying 11 March 1982 – Commercial Egg Production 1 April 1982 – Health Services 8 April 1882 – International Air Transport
Membership: 30 June 1981: 1 July 1982:
63 + 2 Honorary members 64 + 4 Honorary members
1982 -‐ 1983 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Stan Fulker Phil Dunn Ron Marcus Bob Milne Alan Brook (Club Service) Norm Roach (International) Bill Grant (Vocational) John Corby (Community) Reg Sinclair (Youth) Warren Bowden (assisted by Darcy Willis) Graham Turnidge
The Mixture as Before (and very pleasant to take) Despite some differences in details, this was the type of year to which we have become accustomed and for which the Board and all committees can be proud
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Community Service The biggest single feature in Community Service came quite late in the Rotary year. It was the presentation to the VAD of Castle Hill Red Cross of a caravan fully fitted as a First Aid Post, to be used for training exercises and as a centre in emergencies and disaster situations. The cost to the club was $4000. It was handed over at a very pleasant function at their rooms in the Balcombe Heights complex. A substantial donation ($2000) intended for the Australian Rotary Health Foundation (sic) was diverted to the Bush Fire Appeal at the time of the disastrous fires in Victoria and South Australia. Many individual donations were added to this. A party of students from Castle Hill High School attended a club meeting to explain the purpose and nature of their project to build an exercise track for school and community use in the school grounds. The club provided about $800 to help with their expenses. As usual the club had a float in the Orange Blossom Festival procession, featuring the “Year of the Tree”. Five hundred small trees, purchased from the Forestry Commission, were given away to encourage the additional greening of the Shire. Many donations were made to a variety of organisations and purposes. These included $1500 to three local ambulances for the purchase of “Hare Traction Splints”; sponsoring a country holiday for a local girl at the request of the Community Health Centre; financing a musical therapist to visit Frail Aged clubs in the shire; Christmas Dinners for Meals on Wheels; games and equipment for the Leisure Learning Centre; Australian Flag badges for naturalisation ceremonies; equipment for a new scout group; prizes for local schools and the Hills Eisteddfod. The finance to cover these community activities does not, of course, “grow on trees” (to coin a phrase). The usual major fund-raising efforts continued to provide the major backing. The Art and Crafts Show, held a little earlier than usual to avoid the holiday weekend, raised $6000; and our reward for duty on the Show Gate was $4700. As well, the bagging and selling of mushroom compost raised approximately $2000; and an auction of donated goods and services at a club meeting provided $1400. There were as well several smaller sources of income. A lot of work in these efforts by members was supplemented by wonderful help from Rotarytannes and our always-helpful Rotaract colleagues.
Youth Service 1982-83 was a busy and varied year on this front, and a very successful one. Rotaract and Interact both achieved a great deal in enjoyable service, although Baulkham Hills Interact was out of operation for some time with numbers problems. Janelle Marcus and Kelvin Dagg were our two nominees for the 1983 RYLA Seminar at Vision Valley. They spoke to the club on their return, full of enthusiasm for what they had learnt and for the very enjoyable week that had spent with their fellow awardees. As a feature of Youth Activities week, we had a special Youth Community Award Night for eleven young people who had achieved distinction in the community in a variety of ways – vocational and community involvement, sporting, academic or cultural achievement. Their merit awards were presented at the meeting. It was a fitting tribute to the efforts of some fine young men and women, undeserving of the criticism that often goes the way of youth these days. Three Castle Hill students (all foster children) were given a chance of a one-week holiday in May, one they greatly enjoyed. The biggest part of our Youth programme was, of course, our Youth Exchange students. Stuart Hodge from Capetown, South Africa, completed a most memorable year with us in January. He was a fine advertisement for his country and his sponsoring club, a great credit to his family and, incidentally, to his host club. He was a very intelligent and mature young man, very friendly and likeable in every way. During his stay we were able to arrange for him to see some of the sights – from the top of the Harbour Bridge arch and in Brisbane at the Commonwealth Games. We remember him with affection.
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In September 1982 were joined by Jeannine Donato, a very bright and friendly young lady from Syracuse, New York State, USA who remained with us until July 1983. She took part enthusiastically in all activities open to her and was popular wherever she went. In return for these two splendid young people lent to us, we sent away in January 1983 two girls of whom we could be equally proud – Justine Ringbauer, who went to Bochum in West Germany, and Yvette Juchau, who went to the RC of Tokyo Koto in Japan. Their letters have indicated that they are having an interesting and stimulating time in the different environments. In January 1983, Jenny McNamara returned after a wonderful year in Sasebo, Japan. Early in 1984 David Cook will go to Surabaya, Indonesia.
Vocational Service Probably the outstanding feature of Vocational Service was the presentation of Pride in Workmanship awards to Michael Butcher, for his services to music, especially the formation and direction of the Hills Academy Band; and to Graham Loader, the secretary of the Orange Blossom Festival Committee. The club supported the 1983 Careers Market at the Harvey Lowe pavilion, and a student seminar in computer education by funding a boy from Castle Hill High School. As usual we were entertained and informed by vocational talks by club members and guest speakers. Included in the latter were speakers on such subjects as “Technical and Further Education and the Community” (in Vocational Service Week), “Acupuncture”, “Fibre Optics”, “Management and Personnel Issues”.
International Service The highlight of the year was the induction of two more Paul Harris Fellows – Ken Binns and Aub Juleff, who have given fine service to the club and community for many years and thoroughly deserved the honour. As a result Rotary Foundation benefited by $2000. Our nominees for the GSE team to Switzerland and for Rotary Foundation Scholarships, while of a high standard, were not successful. However, we were able to organise a Zone Farewell function for the team from Switzerland with great success and attendance of over 200. Support for FAIM continued with 100% Life Membership and a donation of $500 to enable a volunteer to go to Papua New Guinea for about 3 months to finish off some recent projects. A further $1500 was given for a FAIM project for the erection of a Training School at Popondetta. Financial support for this also came from Government and Eastern Region of FAIM. Among guest speakers on international subjects were the Swiss GSE team, Patricia James on Yugoslavia (she had spent 1964 there on an International Student Award) and Eli Baron and Tony Maron with two balancing views on Israel.
Club Service Generally, but unjustifiably, appearing last in these summaries, Club Service is really what keeps the club together. We have enjoyed wonderful fellowship provided both by the friendliness of members with one another and the visitors, and the special fellowship functions organised by Alan Brook’s club service committee, especially Gerry Larkin – weekend at East Beach, Kiama; a woolshed Dance; a night at the Trots; A Night of Summer Madness; Father, Son or Daughter Night; and Australia Day Poolside meeting at Brook’s; Christmas and Changeover Nights; and other nights with the ladies through the year. Guest speakers on many subjects (thanks to Programme chairman Aub Juleff) provided much interest, and to these were added our student speakers (Youth Exchange, RYLA etc.) an no less than eleven club members (not counting some rather verbose “thankers” of other speakers). The Bulletins continued to provide information and entertainment. Sergeant-at-Arms Warren had a very good year in financial and entertainment terms, though perhaps not always strong on truth. If I were a vindictive type I would say more. It is a pity that some members did not always take the chance to attend and appreciate what was offered. A change in meeting night, the first in over eighteen years, from Thursday to Wednesday, was made after representations to the Board and
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an expression of opinion among members. It is too early yet to say whether it has achieved its purpose of increasing membership and improving attendance enough to compensate some members who were inconvenienced. It was a good year, despite an element of sadness in the death of Rod Gray in April 1983 after 14½ years of service and enthusiastic membership. Those who knew him well will miss him greatly. President Stan and his Board, together with Isabel and her Rotaryanne helpers, are to be congratulated on a year to look back on with pride and pleasure
Changes in Membership Resignations: Roger Bower-Williams Alan Cox Peter Dunn Roger Wood Paul Elsmore Sim Schrooder Roy Pederson Maurie Jones Rod Gray (Deceased)
1 August 1982 1 August 1982 16 September 1982 16 September 1982 30 September 1982 28 October 1982 31 December 1982 14 February 198 13April 1983
New Members Alan Jefferies Jeff Brenton Don Woellner Roy Holdsworth John Care Bob Guthrie Doug Henderson Ken Petersen
26 August 1982 – Employment Services, Government 28 October 1982 – Pharmacy 25 November 1982 – Advertising – Newspaper 25 November 1982 – Insurance Broking 20 January 1983 – Motor Vehicle Distributing 21 April 1983 – Roof Tile Manufacturing 4 May 1983 – Insurance – Loss Assessing 4 May 1983 – Motor Vehicle Sales
Membership: 1 July 1982: 30 June 1983:
64 + 4 Honorary members 63 + 4 Honorary members
1983 -‐ 1984 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Phillip Dunn Bill Robinson Terry O’Brien Bob Milne Ron Marcus (Club Service) Reg Sinclair (International) Peter Gilbank (Vocational)
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Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Norm Roach (Community) Ray White (Youth) Don Woellner “Buster” Pye
A Good Time at the Nineteenth If that heading seems rather cryptic to you, may I remind you that the first meeting of the Club was held on 4th February 1965, which makes this our nineteenth year. Furthermore, “the nineteenth”, as even the poorest golfer knows, is a time of fellowship, together with the recounting, not always without embellishments, of the triumphs and trouble of the just completed round. This seems to justify my metaphor, for 1983-4 has been a time of great good fellowship and of deeds worth retelling, despite occasional excursions into the rough.
Community Service Money is always needed to get community projects off the ground successfully. This year our two standbys did not fail us. The Art Show, somewhat changed in format but excellently organised by Bill Peggie, produced about $5600, and the Show Gate $5198, of which we gave $700 to Rotaract for their invaluable help. A garage sale (with Soroptimists) provided over $2000 to each club and an Orange Blossom Festival food stall about $250. Already planned and set down for November 3rd is a Music Festival at the Showground with 2WS in support and probably other sponsors as well. It looks like a “real goer”. The committee, ably led by Norm Roach, had many ideas for projects but, as I said at the beginning, there are often troubles as well as triumphs. The provision of an intensive care ambulance had to be abandoned (or at least postponed) while awaiting Government decisions on the ambulance system. The establishment of a Trash and Treasure Market in the carpark was stalled by an inquiry into retail trading hours. Even our main remaining project, providing new premises for a Children’s Therapy Centre, established some seven years ago at Balcombe Heights by a Parents and Friends group, had its difficulties, postponing action longer than was hoped. It has, however, now got under way and should be finished by the time this record sees the light of day. The Centre is designed for children who suffer physical or learning difficulties and at present caters for 150 children a year but in less than satisfactory conditions. It is controlled by the Health Department and its permanent premises will be sited on land owned by the Department in Excelsior Ave. The design and costing of the building has been prepared by Rotary, mainly PP Roy Martin, with labour being provided by Rotary working bees, Parents and Friends and some building trades apprentices made available by Batl Pty. Ltd. The total cost is likely to be about $15000 of which the club will provide $3000. It will be a great asset for children and parents. A long-postponed project (from 1982-3 year) was completed – the construction of semicircular brick seating near the Shire Chambers in Carrington Road at a cost of $2500. We also supported “Camp Breakaway” a project of Wyong Club, intended to give handicapped or disabled young people a short but valuable ‘break away” from their normal environment and at the same time relieve their families of providing the constant care needed at home. Five children have been sponsored by Castle Hill, two in September 1983 and three in July 1984 at a cost of $900. There were many smaller projects, some of them going on from year to year, like Meals on Wheels (chickens at Christmas), organisation of the Red Shield Appeal in Castle Hill led by Peter Gilbank with other members in support, prizes for students at Castle Hill High and Primary Schools, a donation of $2000 to the Rotary Health Research Foundation (sic). A visit to the Microsurgery Unit at Surry Hills was well supported and most interesting, making us realise why Australia has a worldwide reputation in this field. The club previously made a substantial donation to this research in 1974-5. It is now intended to earmark the proceeds of the 1984 Music Festival for this purpose.
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Only a good player overcomes bad lies and bunker visits but Norm and his committee have done just that – a successful, if at times frustrating, year.
Youth Service The youngest director was a fitting choice as leader of this committee, and Ray and his committee brought such enthusiasm to the task that it became a very spirited and successful year. Youth Exchange saw Jeannine Donato return from the US in July 1983, Justine Ringbauer and Yvette Juchau return to Castle Hill from Germany and Japan in January 1984, David Cook leave for Indonesia in February and Tomoji Ouchi arrive from Japan in March. All proved or are proving themselves a credit to their countries and sponsoring clubs. Most have given fluent and interesting addresses at club meetings. Lisa Burton and Katrina Jack have been accepted for 1985 exchange. A new type of exchange started this year – Twin Exchange with New Zealand. We hosted Vivien Bryner and Jason Smith for one term and have sent Sharon Care and Tony White back with them for a similar period. At our end it was most successful and we feel sure it will be so in New Zealand. Castle Hill Rotaract and Interact both did very well this year. Rotaract increased its membership and carried out a varied series of projects. With more restricted opportunities, due to school obligations, Interact also did well, raising $1500 and making donations to four or five worthwhile causes, including some applying to their own age group. As usual Rotaractors gave great help in suitable Rotary projects. Liaison between Rotary and Rotaract has been excellent. We thank them and are proud of them. RYLA continues to be a fine leadership experience. Kim Farrow and Suzanne McMahon represented us this year at Vision Valley. A Youth Merit Award went this year to Steve Cunningham. The Children’s Camp at Vision Valley gave a great holiday to our three nominees. The Peer Support Scheme received a donation of $100. This scheme is intended to have juniors in the school helped and encouraged by seniors. In all, a year we can be proud of.
Vocational Service The vocational part of the course was played skilfully by an energetic chairman and committee. The highlight was the Careers Market, organised this year by our club, for secondary schools in the Hills Zone. It was a great success, mainly through the unending effort of John Stephenson with the cooperation of ten other clubs and fine assistance from many Castle Hill members and others. Other features of the year were vocational visits – to the new Shire Chambers for a conducted tour by Council Rotarians John Barker and John Corby; to the Shell Refinery at Clyde; and to Aub Juleff’s Veterinary Hospital. Guest Speakers brought their vocational expertise to the club. Chris McCardle of NSW Labour Council and Alan Reid, on two nights, put the respective views of Unions and Industry on what each must contribute to the economic recovery of Australia. A special Business Men’s Night was organised with an address by Robert Agnew on the history and uses of the computer. Club members often provided (and took great trouble to do so) information about their vocations, thus giving other members a better understanding of their fellows, as well as considerable interest in another aspect of the work scene. Included in these “job-talkers” were Bob Guthrie, Doug Henderson, John Care, Brian Stacey, Peter Hauff, Stan Fulker and Roy Martin (well, actually, Roy talked about “Sailing” but that’s pretty close to his vocation, isn’t it? It is what calls him most strongly, anyway). Congratulations, Peter, on a good vocational year.
International Service It was a big year in FAIM with over $6000 contributed and willing hands working on three different projects in Papua New Guinea. The hands belonged to Cliff and Gwen Seddon, Allan Jefferies, Ray White representing us and with Bob Milne, Lionel Lea and their sons ready to join another team in
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July. Ron Marcus put in much work and enthusiasm on the organisational side, fittingly recognised at a special FAIM dinner, with the PNG Consul-General present. A further contribution of $1100 to Rotary Foundation raised our plateau to 1200% or $120 per member in total (100% per member). This enabled us to name another Paul Harris Fellow (our fifth) and the honour was conferred on PP Warren Bowden at the 1984 Changeover. No Group Study Exchange team visited Dist. 268 but a team leader was sent to Switzerland in Sep/Oct 1983. We were honoured to welcome Geoff Grenfell (leader) and Len Nixon (member) to a meeting on their return and to hear an interesting and instructive address and slide presentation on the visit and the value of GSE. Other speakers on international subjects were Mie Morire, a charming Japanese girl with Rotary Foundation Award, John Millen after a year’s teaching in Japan, and Gordon McLeod on business in South Africa.
Club Service Club Service should fittingly begin with a tribute to the fine round played by President Phil, and, in the mixed twosome, his partner, Jenny. It is no doubt a tribute to them and their influence that the club received the great honour of a Citation from the President of RI in acknowledgement of a high level of achievement. The sort of service in this committee is, in the main, likely to be passed over somewhat lightly, but anyone who has had the job of writing the Bulletin; of printing it when it has been written; of finding interesting and varied programmes; of keeping attendance records, taking apologies, passing numbers on to caterers and sending Bulletins to absentees. Of persuading members it is both their duty and their pleasure to attend the Conference; of researching or inventing reasons for imposing fines – anyone who has had these jobs will know what is entailed and give their sincere thanks and congratulations to Allan, Wal, Aub, Roy, Noel, Don and their assistants, as well as to Director Ron Marcus and to Secretary Terry and Treasurer Bob. Special mention should be made of a most enjoyable meeting with our “daughter club” Baulkham Hills, at Durham Park and a Combined Service Clubs meeting organised by Kellyville Lions. The Conference at Gosford was one of the most successful yet and we can take pride in having had 43 Rotarians and Rotaryannes in attendance at some time during the weekend. A membership drive organised by PP Warren brought in 7 new members in the latter part of the year (10 in the full year), taking membership to 66 with more in the pipeline. A note of sadness concerning those members no longer with us comes from the death, after a long illness, of Fred Skaller, one of our Charter Members (only 3 left now) and an honorary member since 1981. He gave good service to the club and our sympathy goes to Esther and his family. There were too many Guest Speakers to name them all or even their subjects, but with such varied addresses, as well as talks by our students, vocational and international speakers there must have been something of interest for everyone. Thank you, Aub. The most visible part of Club Service is, of course, Fellowship, both with members and visitors at meetings and in outings and social occasions to bring members and their families closer to one another. This year included: A night at the Burning Log Theatre Restaurant; a family week-end at East Beach, Kiama; a “Life, Be In It” picnic and sports day at Dural; a Family Christmas Party at Rob Simpson’s; a Christmas at Camelot” meeting at the Shire Chambers with many of the young-inheart in appropriate costume; a New Year meeting with Phil and Jenny at Annangrove; an Australia Day barbecue at Brook’s Poolside Restaurant; a little culture at the Pavilion Theatre for the Castle Hill Players’ production of “Whose Life Is It, Anyway”; a Changeover Dinner at each end of the year; and several other Ladies’ Nights meetings – as friendly a year as one could imagine! Good work, John (and Marcia).
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Sporting prowess and old friends department A couple of things worth recording which don’t fit easily into the Service headings: Congratulations to our “sporting greats” – our Rotaryannes for their second consecutive win in the District Ladies Golf Trophy (I knew the 19th would fit in somewhere); and to “Polar Bear”, Roy Martin and his conquering crewmen for bringing home the District Yachting Trophy. Congratulations also to some of our former overseas “sons and daughters”. Aki Yoshioka (1976) chose Castle Hill for his marriage to Yukara Igata in December 1983 so that his Australian “parents” and friends could attend; Mieke Hadiwiryatmo (1977) was married in Indonesia in April 1984; Jane Oldham (1976-7) of Ontario, Canada had a son in September 1983. Our sincere good wishes to all of them.
Conclusion So had ended a splendid year of fellowship and service. We have just inducted several new and younger members and look forward to an even better year with President Bill. As the Bulletin said in reference to the Presidential Citation, “Let it be only an incentive to do even more in the new Rotary year”. Finally, returning for a moment to my initial theme, the “nineteenth” represents for me that pleasant period of relaxation at the end of the round. I have written all 19 chapters of this history, and I have decided that the “nineteenth” is a good place to stop. I hope that the new recorder, whoever he is, will start the new round with fresh zeal, remembering, as I haven’t done, that in both golf and history, “less is better”.
Changes in Membership Resignations: Jeff Brenton Keith Templeton Ed Lawrence Howard Gower George Franklin Rob Simpson Cliff Seddon
1 November 1983 1 December 1983 1 February 1984 18 April 1984 18 April 1984 18 April 1984 30 June 1984
New Members John Cooper David Sommerlad Howard Gower Russell Kelly Barry Cook John Ross Keith Holmes Peter Varvel Graeme McCabe Rodney Wheatley
13 July 1983 – Petroleum Products 13 July 1983 – Sen. Active (Newspaper Publishing) 14 September 1983 – Advertising – General 11 April 1984 – Law – Gen. Practice (Addl Active) 18 April 1984 – Flour Milling 18 April 1984 – Bread Manuf. (Addl Active) 20 June 1984 – Optical Dispensing Services 20 June 1984 – Newsagency 20 June 1984 – Automotive Cosmetics 20 June 1984 – Building Construction
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Membership: 1 July 1983: 30 June 1984:
63 + 4 Honorary members 66 + 1 Honorary member
1984 -‐ 1985 Club Officers President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:
Sergeant-at-Arms: District Governor:
Bill Robinson John Barker Norm Roach Graeme Brangwin Grant Cockburn (Club Service) Phillip Ogilvie (International) Terry O’Brien (Vocational) John Care (Community) Ray White (Youth) Brian Stacey Don Keighran
President’s report This past year has for me been at the one time an education, a challenge, a rewarding experience – surely there can be nothing quite like the Presidency of a top Rotary Club! In the papers which follow are the reports of your retiring directors, Grant, Ray, Terry, Phillip and John – I commend them to you as chronicles of your support and activity in helping them conduct the affairs of our Club in such an effective manner. For my part I record my appreciation of their diligence and service, which have made my task that much less demanding. My gratitude embraces not only these five but also our Secretary Norm, Treasurer Graeme, Sergeant Brian, Fellowship Chairman Milton, the several other committee chairman, and especially my Rotaryanne Joan, all of whom have extended to me the utmost support this year. Their tolerance has to have been experienced to be fully appreciated. The team spirit and club interest displayed by all members and their Rotaryannes has been especially pleasing and given me immense pride as your President. To me, two particular features highlight this past year. Firstly, our 20th birthday celebration which reflected the depth and strength of the Club as it has grown over those years, and secondly, the development into life of those excellent newcomers to our numbers in the past two or three years. These men, along with those who have joined during this year, and those who will become members in the future, are the key to the next twenty years. I believe the Club will be in excellent hands for those years. Incoming President John and his Board have our very best wishes for a most successful and rewarding year and our assured support in their endeavours.
Community Service The year started on the run with the work on the Therapy Centre well under way. Many hours were put into this project with the rewards of the satisfaction from a worthwhile undertaking being well in evidence at the official opening in November. The full impact of the project was felt when the Club was the recipient of a Herald Community Service Award. Congratulations to the persistence and dedication of those who worked tirelessly to make the area Therapy Centre a reality – well done, Norm Roach and his team for initiating and developing this exciting community service.
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We shared in a double honour at Castle Hill with the Rotaractors also receiving a Herald Award for their purchasing of equipment for the Bush Fire Brigade. Mowll Village celebrated its 25th Anniversary last year and the Club assisted by painting outdoor seats and tables in the grounds. This proved to be a great fellowship venture with some of the residents joining in the work along with the assistance of the Rotaract Club. This work was run for a time concurrently with the work at the Therapy Centre and showed just what the Club is capable of. The Orange Blossom Festival was enjoyed by those who participated with the Rotary Float and the Sausage Sizzle stand where we set fire to Allan Brook’s barbecue and earned $228 for our efforts. The Music Festival, whilst it did not get a run, occupied a lot of time and a lot was learnt about the running of a venture on such a grand scale. Time was against us in the end and the decision was taken to abort the project, mainly because of the difficulty in obtaining major sponsors, despite Nissan’s offer of $12000. The feeling of the Committee is that it is still a worthwhile project and should be considered some time in the future. The Art Show netted over $5000 for the Club’s project funds and speaks of the high standard Bill Peggie has maintained over the years. Great work, Bill, it is a tribute to the members of the Club for making the Show a success by their unselfish participation. The Show Gate raised $5873, of which $540 was paid to Rotaract on a percentage basis for their involvement. Fellowship, friendship, fun and sore muscles were the prizes that the participants took away. This year’s show was a prelude for the 100th Castle Hill Show to be held next year. As part of the preparation of the centenary show the Club participated in a tree-planting project at the Showground in June. We donated $50 to the South West Pacific Probus Centre to help get it established and Meals on Wheels received the chickens at Christmas time for inclusion in the food parcels. The Australian Rotary Health Research Fund instigated a moneybox scheme in an effort to raise funds and as a result of this we have forwarded $127 to the fund. A donation of a further $2000 was made from the Club funds bringing our total contribution from this source to $4000. The Club has given support to the District Safety Campaign by the donation of 100 bottles of Ipecac Syrup to the Area Health Centre for distribution to families with small children in the district. The syrup is to be handed out under supervision of the district nurses to ensure safe use. We anticipate we will have one young person at Camp Breakaway in July this year and we will again be involved in the Red Shield appeal. I guess you could say the year has been one of involvement in the community service area with a number of projects being completed leaving monies in the bank to be passed over to the incoming Board. We wish them well and look forward to working alongside then in the coming year.
Youth Service This year in Youth we have continued the programmes which were so successful last year. While we would like to have done more the year just seemed to move too fast, however, I feel our Club can be proud of its efforts in this avenue of service.
Youth Exchange We met our objective of hosting two students during the year and of sending two away. My thanks to host families and other Club families for making it possible for us to maintain this level of involvement. David Cook returned from his year in Indonesia in January, whilst Lisa Berton and Katrina Jack left in the same month for their year overseas in USA and Sweden respectively. Reports confirm that each girl is enjoying the experience to the full. Our Japanese student Tomoji Ouchi completed his year and returned home in March, leaving us with our South African visitor Phillip Myburgh who arrived in January. We shall be back to two visitors in August with the expected arrival of Helle Andersen from Denmark.
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Two nominations have been submitted to District for outgoing students in 1986, but as yet we have not heard if they have been successful.
Twin Exchange This year the successful students were both from Castle Hill. They were Nicola Hoare and Robyn Care, and we were matched with Wendy Clough from Wairoa and Kerrie Flaus from Hastings. We enjoyed the three months stay of the New Zealand girls and look forward to talks from Nicola and Robyn when they return from the second half of the exchange.
Rotaract Firstly, special thanks to John Cooper for the time and effort he put into Rotaract this year. Our Rotaract Club is a group of young people of whom we as a Rotary Club are very proud. Their membership and their community involvement has been excellent, and was rewarded by the receipt of a Herald Community Service Award early in the year, and the Rotaract District Award at the Rotary District Conference.
Interact I would like to record my thanks to George McDonald for the time and effort he put into Interact. Interact has increased its membership this year and interest is growing among the pupils at Castle Hill High School. We have recently been inviting two Interact members to Rotary meetings whenever we have a meeting that might be of interest to them, and this way they get an idea of what Rotary is and does. George has been organising guest speakers and the students have arranged fund raising activities so they can support a community organisation, and to date have raised over $500 for St Johns Ambulance. District 968 Interact Assembly at Lane Cove was organised by Castle Hill Rotary Club, and thanks to Chairman Len Lobbes and his committee, the assembly was most successful.
National Summer Science School, Canberra This year we had our first participant in this programme. He was Ian Larkin from Oakhill College who won selection as one of only 200 attendees from throughout Australia and Papua New Guinea. He was high in his praise for the School and this is reflected in the fact that this year we have received five applications to attend. Final selections will be made later in 1985.
The following programmes received the Club’s financial support • • • •
Vision Valley Children’s Camp Peer Support Foundation Baulkham Hills Youth & Community Centre School Presentations: Castle Hill High and Baulkham Hills Primary
My thanks to an excellent committee which worked well throughout and best wishes to incoming Youth Director Gerry.
Vocational Service The traditional vocational programme was followed during 1984-85 with Pride in Workmanship, careers market, factory site visits, vocational talks and the distribution of lapel badges at the Baulkham Hills Shire Council Naturalisation Ceremonies. The vocational service met 80% of the 1984-85 programme as presented to then year’s first Club assembly.
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Pride in Workmanship Awardees Dr. Jean Lyle Mrs, Marion Walker Miss Winifred Forstmann Mr Tony Hunter Sister Ruth Voss Mr Alan Brook
Hills Area Health centre Annangrove Public School Castle Hill Veterinary Clinic Castle Hill Country Club Hills Community Nursing Service Brook Retreads
Site Visits Brook Retreads Westmead Hospital Baulkham Hills Private Hospital
Advance Australia Distribution of Australian Lapel badges at Naturalisation Ceremonies In conjunction with the fellowship committee a special BBQ meeting at Marie and Alan Brook’s to celebrate Australia Day.
Careers Market The Careers Market was held on the 20-21 June at Oakhill College, with John Stephenson as our representative on the organising committee. In addition to the above, various members gave job talks on their trade and/or profession with an interesting guest speaker talking about small computers as part of our desire to further our knowledge in this area. Due to extended leave of absence in the early part of the year, the Vocational Service Committee did not function as it might have. However, special thanks must be extended to Allan Holman who was very supportive and filled in for me on a number of occasions, including a superb presentation of a Pride in Workmanship Award to Alan Brook.
International Service A very successful and fulfilling year has been achieved under the International Service arm of our Club. Within this service arm there were four major segments.
International Understanding Awards This is a District 968 project, previously tri-district awards, providing for substantial subsidy towards tertiary studies for young people for up to a year, predominantly in the countries to Australia’s north. Castle Hill Club nominated Andrew McIntyre of Kellyville, and he was successful in obtaining assistance for a return airfare and monthly expenses for nine months study in the Solomon Islands as part of his Bachelor of Agricultural Studies. The District funding of this plan comes solely from Rotary Clubs contributions, so our own Club’s contribution was of great benefit.
Group Study Exchange The visit by the team of Japanese young men in March this year was much appreciated by our Club, with visits to Baulkham Hills Shire Council, and Castle Hill Public School being highlights of the team’s District visit. This very valuable exchange of international understanding and culture will be seen again when our District’s team visits Japan in September.
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Castle Hill Club was very active in seeking nominees for this team, with our candidate John Moore reaching the final 15, but unfortunately missing out on the six selected as team members. The standard of this year’s applicants was the highest in many years. Our Club was also fortunate to be chosen to provide the Zone Coordinator for the Japanese Team’s visit, with PP Phillip Dunn and Reg Sinclair providing homes for the Japanese Team’s visit, with PP Philip Dunn coordinating activities superbly. Our members Warren Knight and Reg Sinclair provided homes for the Japanese team during their stay in our Zone, another fine contribution to the GSE program.
Rotary Foundation Our Club’s level of contributions to the RI Foundation (sic) was once more raised to a higher plateau from the donation of funds. Various speakers visited our Club to improve our knowledge of the Foundation, and its benefits. Brenda Stewart of the USA and Anne Lawton of Ireland, gave us memorable talks on their special fields and the benefits of foundation awards. Our Club has undertaken to host a Foundation Scholarship Awardee during 1986, with the provision of a counsellor in Darcy Willis. The seeking of applicants from our area towards the 1986/87 Scholarship is underway and will flow on into our next Rotary year.
World Community Service Our FAIM involvement continued with Ted and Annette Jerome visiting Yule Island to complete last year’s project. The Wasengla project was also brought to completion early in the year. Our club continues to provide life membership in FAIM for all our members. The very worthwhile project for the unfortunate people suffering eye disease in Bangladesh has received most of our support this year with correspondence between our Club and the Bangladesh PDG in charge of the scheme being of great interest. Our Club has donated $1500, which provides for two complete eye camp hospitals, with approximately 2000 people to benefit from eye examinations and cataract operations. As this year closes, and the International Service arm continues, I thank my committee for their excellent support in this essential part of Rotary International’s aims of furthering goodwill and understanding between countries and peoples.
Club Service This year particular attention has been paid to efficient conduct of meetings. To that end normal club meetings commence promptly at 6:30 p.m. and conclude with few exceptions at 8:00 p.m. at which time fellows and their guests enjoy coffee, port and fellowship. This innovation has also provided opportunity for informal committee meetings and permitted easier assimilation of new members. We thank Durham Park for their ready cooperation in making this possible. The Club Meeting following each Board meeting has been set aside as a Club night, affording an opportunity for members to be informed of proceedings of the Board and to inquire about and offer views on matters before the Board for decision, thus increasing the probability of the Board acting in ways that reflect the feeling of members as a whole. Another innovation this year which has worked efficiently, is the use of committees where formerly one person carried a responsibility e.g. the Bulletin Editor had a group of reporters to assist in gathering of news, whilst several members took turns in acting as attendance officer. This has had the dual benefit of sharing the workload and of permitting members, especially new members, to gain experience in certain Club functions. The Bulletin has a new format which is at the one time more logically set out and more informative. Attendance has been satisfactory but, as always, could stand improvement, especially in the area of make-ups and more adequate warning of proposed absences.
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The Club has formally adopted as its Constitution the model Rotary Club Constitution as amended by the Rotary International 1983 Council on Legislation and has amended the Club’s By-Laws to provide for election of a President, a president-Elect, a Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and four Directors. The President-Elect will automatically become President in the year following his year as President-Elect. Both he and the Vice-President are members of the Board and the Vice-President is currently Club Service Director. A very high standard of fellowship was enjoyed thanks to Milton Colburt and his committee. Of special significance were the Club’s visits to Don and Shirley Broadbent’s farm at Booral and Neil and Mavis Todd’s farm nearby, the Christmas Party harbour cruise and our Birthday Dinner. This year our Club celebrated its 20th Anniversary. To mark the occasion a most successful and rewarding reunion dinner for past and present members and their ladies was held at the Burning Log Restaurant, Dural, on 24th April, 1985. On display was a considerable amount of material, including old bulletins, programmes, photographs and Club information, which served to assist renewals of friendships and recollections of past personnel and activities of the Club. Wal Stone provided an eight-page souvenir Bulletin for the occasion and the evening culminated in the cutting of a giant birthday cake iced as an authentic Rotary Wheel. Since 1970-71 Keith Easton has faithfully served as Club Historian and Archivist and we reiterate the gratitude which has been expressed to Keith for his service in this area on more than one occasion. Keith has now handed over his responsibilities to the careful hands of Ken Binns. A Large contingent of members and their wives enjoyed the District Conference at Newcastle in March, while in May new ground was broken by holding the recent District Assembly at Hawkesbury Agricultural College instead of the Hydro Majestic (Hotel). It is hoped that the new procedures have caused the Club to run more smoothly and that the members’ enjoyment of meetings has been enhanced.
Changes in Membership Resignations: David Commins
Doug Henderson
Barry Cook
Roy Holdsworth
Rob Grant
Wal Stanger
New Members The Board received 27 membership nominations from within the Club during the Rotary Year and from these nominations the following men were introduced to the worldwide fellowship of Rotary: George McDonald Warren Knight Bob Grimshaw Bill Tait Jim Giles
Plant Retailing Timber Detail Moulding Brick Manufacturing Taxation Consulting Banking Trading
Eli Kincaid John Oughton Ron Eyres Arthur Warner
Honorary Urethane Manufacturing Sporting Goods Manufacturing Building Supplies
Membership: 1 July 1984 30 June 1985
66 + 1 Honorary member 68 + 2 Honorary members
1985-‐1986 Rotary International President: Edward F. Cadman (USA)
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RI President’s Theme: “You are the Key” Governor District 968: Peter C. Perry (St Ives) Changeover celebrated on 25th June1986
Board of Directors President: John Barker
Vice-President: Grant Cockburn
President-Elect: Norm Roach
Director Club: Grant Cockburn
Immediate Past-President: Bill Robinson
Director Community: Aub Juleff
Secretary: Peter Eveleens
Director Vocational: Graeme McCabe
Assistant Secretary: John Ross
Director International: John Cooper
Treasurer: Lionel Lee
Director Youth: Gerry Larkin
Sergeant-at-Arms: Noel Milligan
Committee Chairmen Bulletin: Wal Stone
Rotary Information: Bill Robinson
Programs: Peter Gilbank
Conference: Owen Parr
Fellowship: Len Lobbes
Publicity: David Sommerlad
Attendance: Stan Fulker
Rotaract: John Care
Classifications: Ken Binns
Interact: George McDonald
President’s Message A Parting Message The end of a further period in the Club’s history occurs tonight! Having served as President for 12 months, I now relinquish this office to President-Elect Norm Roach who, with his Board, have the task of guiding the club for the next 12 months. As they say, “Out with the old and in with the new”, and this is undoubtedly one of the reasons for Rotary’s success as a service organization. Each and every member of the Club has the opportunity to serve his fellow members as a member of the Board or as President and this process ensures the revitalization of the Club on an annual basis. The incoming Board has been prepared for the task ahead at the District Assembly and each member of the Club is revitalized by the enthusiasm expressed by President-Elect Norm and his Board. The achievements of the year just completed represent, in a tangible form, the aspirations, attitudes, style and personality of the outgoing Board and President. It goes without saying that each year will be different, and so it should be, for the well-being of the Club. I know that I have benefited from my year as President and look back on the achievements with some pride but with the realization that some of my goals have not yet been achieved. Pauline and I wish to record our thanks to all Rotarians, Rotaryannes, Rotaractors, Interactors and all your families for their support. President Norm has accepted the theme adopted by the President of Rotary International, M.A.T. Caparas, of “Rotary Brings Hope” for the 1987/88 Rotary Year. Shirley and Norm will have our full support in the coming year and I know that the Club will join us in attaining the goals which have been set. What more could be said to each and every Member of the Club than “You are the Key”.
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President John.
Secretary’s Report Rotary Year 1985/86 ends with an active membership of 67 and 2 Honorary Members. The Board received 18 membership nominations as a result of the membership drive. We welcomed the following men as members of the club: Chris Lippold Bruce Allen -
Computer Services Tyre Manufacture
Bob Southerton -
Structural Steel Fabricating
David Bull -
Accounting Services (A.A.)
Phil Driscoll -
Insurance Broking
The following members resigned from the club during this period: John Ross
Don Broadbent Ted Jerome
Keith Holmes
Reg Sinclair
The club was also saddened by the sudden passing of David Neill, a member of this club form many years and local historian. Board Meetings have been well attended and the discussion has been lively and frank. I would like to express my thanks to the Rotaryannes who, despite our late meetings, provided us with supper and refreshments. All Statutory and Constitutional requirements have been complied with during the year. Club Assemblies continued also this year to be well attended and Directors appreciated member’s valuable comments and suggestions assisting them in formulating and reviewing programmes. To President John my thanks for his guidance, assistance and his understanding of my problems connected with my frequent travel. To the Board and members my sincere thanks for their support and a particular thank you to Ron Marcus for filling the job of Acting Secretary during my recent overseas trip. Finally I congratulate Gerry Larkin, your Secretary for next year, and my best wishes for as happy term as I have had.
Club Service Report Meetings This year attention has again been paid to the efficient conduct of meetings. To that end normal club meetings commence promptly at 6:30p.m. and conclude with few exceptions at 8:00 p.m. at which time fellows and their guests enjoy coffee, port and fellowship. This has provided opportunity for informal committee meetings and permitted easier assimilation of new members . We thank Durham Park for their ready co-operation in making this possible.
Fellowship The Fellowship Committee commenced the Rotary Year with an ambitious programme and a great deal of enthusiasm. This programme was accomplished in full and included: • •
A theatre night to “Cats” A theatre night to the Castle Hill Players
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• • • • • • • •
Five Ladies Nights A progressive dinner at Todd’s, Brown’s and Brangwin’s A fun and games night at Tait’s The annual children’s Christmas Party The annual Club Christmas Party The Annual Australia Day BBQ at Brook’s A camping weekend at Umina Plus a few additional “ladies invited” nights
Our grateful thanks to our Santa, Allan Buckingham, and the gracious hosts who help us to achieve a rich and rewarding fellowship year and to Chairman Len Lobbes for his organization and efforts to ensure that all members had ample opportunity to join these fellowship events.
Programmes Sincere thanks to Chairman Peter Gilbank for providing us with topical and varied guest speakers, all of whom have contributed towards making our meetings both interesting and informative.
Bulletin The Bulletin has a new format which is more logically set out and more informative. The preparation of our regular weekly Bulletin is always a difficult task and I would like to thank our Editor, Wal Stone, for his conscientious efforts in this regard.
Club History Our thanks to Club Photographer, Bob Milne, for his assistance in keeping a photographic record of important events and to Ken Binns for his efforts in compiling the Club History.
Attendance Attendance Chairman, Stan Fulker, and his Assistants have done a fine job in maintaining our club attendance records. A slight overall improvement in attendance has been recorded for the year ending 31st May, 1986 but could still stand improvement, especially in the area of make-ups and more adequate warning of proposed absences. I would like to thank all members for their assistance during the year and trust that the support will continue to our next Club Service Director. In Durham, Park we have a marvellous venue and cordial hosts in Kevin and Lee Doyle – we thank them for their assistance and interest in our club.
Youth Service Report This year has been an exciting one in Youth, continuing in expanded form all the programmes from last year, together the introduction of a Peer Support Programme at Oakhill College, in February. I am very grateful to my Committee Chairman, the Club Members and the Families who hosted our International students.
Youth Exchange Our hosting of two students was again met matching our sponsoring of two students overseas. Philip Myburgh returned to South Africa in January, Helle Anderson arrived from Denmark in August and will leave us in July. Philip and Helle and now Blane Thomas, who arrived from Texas in January, have continued the fine tradition experienced in our club of displaying the excellent youth qualities of Youth Exchange.
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Members and their families are encouraged to become involved in hosting, this experience cannot be expressed in words. Lisa Berton and Katrina Jack returned from the USA and Sweden, respectively, in January, whilst Karen Brangwin left for Canada and Sue Pickles for Denmark. Applications for outgoing students for 1987 are currently being interviewed, but it is anticipated that a minimum of two nominations will be submitted to District.
Australia – New Zealand Twin Exchange Three students this year were matched with the New Zealand twins: • • •
Grant Colburt with David Ryder (Nelson) Julie Smith with Jodie Wickham (Te Kuiti) Joanna Larkin with Roslyn Oosterman (Te Awamatu)
The visit of our New Zealand students was again a learning experience for us and we look forward to hearing the experiences of Grant, Julie and Joanna when they return in September.
RYLA Following interviews with ten applicants, three candidates, a club record, were sponsored to RYLA 1986; they were Jackie Bright, Kelly Wosnam and Nic Maude. Leanne O’Keefe on our recommendation, was sponsored by the St Ives Club.
Interact George McDonald continued his fine guidance to The Interact Club whose President, Grant Iverson, has endless enthusiasm. Then club has continued to be involved in school, community and international projects. Congratulations to Grant on being selected District Interact Representative.
Rotaract John Care and his Rotaract Committee thank you for your guidance and time devoted to our Club, which continues to increase membership and be involved in community projects, including assisting us with our Castle Hill Show Gate and their involvement in Project Santa, Teddy Bears Picnic and The Children’s Telethon. Congratulations to President, Stephen Nicol, on his selection as District Rotaract representative for 1986/87.
Peer Support Support of the Peer Support Programme was to be our new initiative for this yea, to complement all our other ongoing Youth Programmes, and I am gratified to report that the programme was implemented at Oakhill College in February. Such importance was placed in this area that two club programmes were devoted to this subject, the most recent speaker being James Dibble. Indications are following this, that two other High Schools in our area, Castle Hill High and Gilroy College, are very interested in this programme. Our Club, apart from guidance and introducing the programme to the schools, is giving financial assistance to meet some of the costs involved in training teachers and group leaders.
National Summer Science School, Canberra Following last year’s one successful applicant, this year we received five applications. Hsiang-Yen Yir from Oakhill College was our candidate, two other gained success, being sponsored by Rotary Clubs of Baulkham Hills and Dural. They were Paul Bray and Richard Favero respectively.
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The following other programmes received the club’s financial; support • • •
Vision Valley Children’s Camp Baulkham Hills Youth and Community Centre School Presentations – Castle Hill High and Castle Hill, Primary.
My thanks to my Committee members for their support throughout the year and best wishes are extended to incoming Youth Director, Bob Grimshaw, for what is a challenging and fulfilling Directorship.
International Service Report The purpose of the fourth avenue of service is the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional men united in the ideal of service.
Rotary Foundation In line with our club commitment to Rotary International Foundation we continue to support The Foundation through donations. Our level of contribution this year has once more raised us to a higher plateau - 1400%. During the year we had various guest speakers address us on aspects of Rotary Foundation including PDG John Carrick who spoke to the club on RI 's challenging commitment to promote and assist polio immunisation of all children before the year 2005 under the project heading POLIO 2005 (PolioPlus) an offshoot of the 3-H Programme.
World Community Service Our FAIM involvement during this past year was to assist the passage of non-Rotarians, Lance and Peter Bowden to Manus Island where, with Team 4, they completed the final stages of a dormitory at the Papitali High School. All members of our club continue to be promoted as life members of FAIM. During the year we commenced a project to collect books for donation to school libraries in Suva, Fiji. Due to unforeseen circumstances this project has not been completed and will continue into the new Rotary year.
International Understanding Awards Although we were unsuccessful in obtaining a nominee for this Award this year, we are continuing our financial support of this important project of District 968.
Group Study Exchange Along with other Clubs from. District 968, Castle Hill Rotarians and Rotaryannes gave our GSE team returning from Japan a warm welcome home at a dinner held for them at Baulkham Hills Shire Council Chambers in November. In March we were again pleased to be able to host a visiting GSE team. This year the six man team came from District 691, Georgia, U.S.A. They were taken on a visit to Castle Hill Primary School, Baulkham Hills Shire Council Chambers, Castle Hill Country Club, Castle Hill R.S.L., with the day culminating in a visit to radio station 2WS at Seven Hills. A busy but enjoyable day for everyone who joined in. Our thanks to Warren Knight and Arthur Warner and their families for hosting a team member during his stay in our Zone.
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Community Service Report This year our club planned involvement in two major community projects; • •
R.D.A. Coma Arousal
For R.D.A. ("Riding for the Disabled Association"), our project involved help in building a covered stable and preparation area, to enable completion of their plans for all weather operation - an essential, as the benefits of R.D.A. depend upon regular stimulation. Our members were involved in working bees, to lay a concrete floor-levelling, boxing, positioning the reinforcing and the final pouring of concrete. The club provided the materials, labour and supervision at a total cost of $3,850. Here it is well for the club to remember our dependence on our building fraternity – members with building classification. They provide the expertise to organise these projects and more than double the value of the materials supplied. At the same time, members have an additional opportunity for valued fellowship. Coma arousal was to have been for us, a similar working bee involvement but due to a change in the organisation - a changed venue to a new area – Eastwood, and a change in their needs, our contribution was reduced to a financial donation $1000. Smaller projects have continued in the well-marked tracks of precedence: • • • • • • •
Meals on wheels and their Christmas hamper project (co-ordinated by Baulkham Hills Shire Council) Prizes for Schools Prizes for local eisteddfod Australian flag badges for newly naturalised citizens Involvement in the Orange Blossom Festival with a float built and manned with help from Rotaract Contribution to Rotaract projects in return for their assistance with Show Gate, and To finish the year a tree planting working bee to continue our long term project at the Showground.
Fund Raising Fund raising has likewise followed the tracks of precedence. • •
The Show Gate. With the help of Rotaryannes and Rotaract and the “back room boys”, the collection of gate entrance money was efficient. The Art Show. Bill Peggie and his committee of helpers plus Rotaryannes and Rotaract “have done it again”.
Both the Show Gate and the Art Show provided the opportunity for good Fellowship and each netted approximately $5000. •
The Auction. A successful fun night netted $1500
As the Rotary Year draws to a close, once again members have enjoyed good Fellowship in Community Service.
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Vocational Service Report The club programme calendar filled up very quickly due to my inexperience as first-time Vocational Director. However, we managed to obtain spaces later on in the year for the following Vocational Service functions:
Vocational Visits Austral Bricks The tour was a success and all members who attended were pleased to learn of automatic techniques in manufacturing top grade bricks.
IBM Headquarters, West Pennant Hills The visit was most interesting as was gauged by the number of 78 who attended. IBM’s particular attitude to detail while building their base so as to cause minimal disturbance to the local environment was obvious to all those who attended.
Rural Press at Richmond All members and visitors who took part in this tour were suitably impressed with this printing and publishing operation.
Pride of Workmanship Two awards were presented this year. The presentations took place on Ladies’ night with guest speaker Mr James Dibble talking on Peer Support within the school system. The awards were presented to Warren Fairfax and Margaret Butler. All Rotarians and Rotaryannes expressed their enjoyment of the evening’s activities.
Australia Day The Australia Day Rotary celebrations were again held at Alan and Marie Brooks’ home. Families enjoyed themselves along with various exchange students. Fellow Rotarians thank Alan and Marie for their generous hospitality.
Vocational Month This month saw a guest speaker from Baulkham Hills Branch of the CES (Commonwealth Employment Service). This was organized through Paul Collins, Manager of the CES and guest speaker at the 1984-1985 Rotary Assembly, Richmond. Unfortunately this guest speaker from Baulkham Hills presented an extremely pessimistic approach to some of the problems confronting our youth. The CES will need to present a much more positive approach to these problems before Rotary can assist the Service in a practical manner. I would like to thank my fellow Rotarians for their assistance throughout this year, in particular John Barker, President, and fellow Board members. I trust this year’s assembly at Richmond will be a success and look forward to seeing another year in Office Vocational Director. I am sure that Rotary Keys have been turned to ensure further hope for Rotary Year 1986-87.
Treasurer’s Report This report covers the period 1st July, 1985 to 15th May, 1986 and is a brief summary of transactions for the period. A detailed statement will be circulated to all members after the year’s audit has been completed.
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Administration Account Balance 1/7/1985
$4,408.16
Plus Receipts
$35,991.39
Total
$40,399.55
Less Expenditure
$36,018.49
Balance at 15/5/1986
$4,381.49
Projects account Balance 1/7/1985
$205.12
Plus receipts Show Gate Commission
$4,987.85
Arts & Craft Show
$5,430.00
Arts & Craft Investment A/C
$1,860.00
Sundry Receipts
$4,518.25
$16,796.10
Total $17,001.22 Less Expenditure Student Exchange
$2,424.91
Youth
$3,164.94
International
$401.10
Community
$6,110.67
Sundry Expenses
$1,775.52
Balance 15/5/1986
$13,877.14 $3,124.08
Arts & Craft Exhibition Account Balance 1/7/1985 Exhibition Proceeds
$1,750.46 $20,433.81
Sundry Receipts
$544.40
$20,987.21 $22,728.67
Less Exhibition Expenses
$15,306.94
Sundry Expenses Tfr. To Projects A/C
$429.95 $5,430.00
Balance 15/5/1986
$21,166.89 $1,561.78
Arts & Crafts Investment Account Balance 1/7/1985
$2219.00
Less Transfer to Projects A/C
$1860.00
Balance 15/5/1986
$359.00
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1986-‐1987 Rotary International President: M.A.T. Caparas (Philippines) RI President’s Theme: “Rotary Brings Hope” Governor District 968: Bruce Downey (Frenchs Forest) 22nd Changeover celebrated on 24th June1987
Board of Directors President: Norm Roach
Treasurer: Brian Stacey
Vice President: Neil Todd
Director Club: Neil Todd
President-Elect: Milton Colburt
Director Community: Rod Wheatley
Immediate Past-President: John Barker
Director Vocational: Graeme McCabe
Secretary: Gerry Larkin
Director International: John Cooper
Assistant Secretary: Bill Tait
Director Youth: Bob Grimshaw
Sergeant-at-Arms: Darcy Willis
Committee Chairmen Bulletin: Russell Kelly
Rotary Information: John Barker
Programs: Warren Bowden
Conference: Graeme Brangwin
Fellowship: Graeme Brangwin
Publicity: Don Woellner
Attendance: Bill Robinson
Rotaract: Peter Varvel
Classifications: Ken Binns
Interact: George McDonald
President’s report This year commenced with the International Theme of “Rotary Brings Hope” featuring strongly in our thoughts and plans for the year and we have, as a Club, recognised our commitment to that theme in all that we have undertaken and should feel well pleased with our efforts both in our local Community and Internationally in the last twelve months. The year has been one whereby we have attempted change where we considered it necessary and although some changes were less successful than others it was rewarding to know that at all times the Board and I had your full support and confidence in all that we undertook. No report on any Rotary year would be complete without thanking our Rotaryannes who give us such valuable support each year but there are several I would like to specifically thank: Beryl Martin and Marie Brook who unselfishly offer their homes to the Club for our fellowship functions and of course to my Rotaryanne, Shirley, who has been a tower of strength to me throughout the year with her support and guidance. During the year the Club was saddened by the deaths of Elsie Easton and Wal Stone who both passed away during the latter part of March and I am certain they will both be remembered fondly by all associated with our Club for the friendship and caring that they demonstrated to all who had contact with them. To the members of my Board I would extend my thanks for the manner in which they discharged the responsibilities of their office during the year and I would commend to your reading their individual reports as testament to what I feel has been an extremely successful Rotary year. I would also offer my appreciation to Past President Bill Robinson for his guidance and counsel over the year.
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Twelve months ago at changeover I expressed my thanks to the Club for the opportunity you have given me to be your President for the next year and now twelve months later I would again like to offer my thanks to you but this time for your support and assistance given during the year. The Presidency of this club is made a lot easier by such support and I know that the same assistance will be extended to President Milton during the coming year. It has been my pleasure and privilege to serve as President of the Premier Rotary Club of District 968.
Secretary’s report This Rotary Year 1986-1987 ends with a membership of 64 members and one Honorary member Rotarian. The following were welcomed as members of the Club: Malcolm Chalmers Peter Wood Peter Watson Charles Morrison -
Furniture Accessory Importing Printing Services Insurance General Senior Active
The following members resigned from the Club during the period: John Palmer
Robert Southerton
Peter Watson
Malcolm Chalmers
With the sad loss of Wal Stone our total membership at this time is one less than at the commencement of this Rotary year. All statutory and constitutional requirements have been complied with. Club assemblies were again valuable, allowing free and lively discussion between members and a club survey was conducted to canvass the anonymous views of members. Board meetings were well attended and my thanks to the Rotaryannes for providing us with supper and refreshments. To President Norm Roach and Bill Tait thank you for your help and assistance and to the Board members thank you for your support. Best wishes to incoming Secretary Bob Grimshaw as I found, Secretary is a low profile, following a year in Youth, but an essential part of Club and administration and cog in the Rotary wheel, Club Service Again this year attention has been given to the prompt starting and finishing of our meetings thus giving members the opportunity to mix and relate with each other over port and coffee.
Club Service Again this year attention has been given to the prompt starting and finishing of our meetings thus giving members the opportunity to mix and relate with each other over port and coffee.
Fellowship Our Club must thank Chairman PP Graeme Brangwin and his committee for a fine year of fellowship. Highlights included: • •
Weekend at Umina Children’s Christmas day (thanks to Santa – PP Alan Buckingham) ferry to Shark Island enjoyed by all the families who attended
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• • • •
Theatre night at the Woolshed Restaurant Australia Day celebration BBQ at Marie and Allan Brooks’ home Four ladies nights, one of those being outstanding for its fun and participation, it was of course “a night of nostalgia” Christmas night at the home of Beryl and Roy Martin
Programmes I wish to take this opportunity to convey our thanks to PP Warren Bowden for the excellent selection of programmes he presented to the Club. So many of the guest speakers were most interesting and informative.
Bulletin To Russell Kelly who had the unenviable task of gathering news items and reports each week our sincere thanks for a job well done.
Club History Ken Binns continued with the written history of the Club whilst Bob Milne contributed to the photographic record. Thanks to you both.
Attendance Through the diligence of PP Bill Robinson and his committee our attendance records were always maintained in excellent order and indicate that our year to date attendance at the end of May was 78.4%. In conclusion may I express my personal thanks to President Norm and members for their cooperation, assistance and understanding during my year in Club Service.
International Service report This Rotary year saw our Club continue its involvement with various aspects of International Service. We have earned a high regard in District with particular emphasis on our level of involvement with FAIM. Two of our Club members have continued their FAIM work at District level with Ron Marcus changing his role from Eastern Project Co-ordinator to Vice-Chairman and Bob Milne retaining his position as Treasurer. A FAIM project commenced early in the year enticed five members from our Club to Papua New Guinea. The project was to construct a single-storey “remand centre” for the Sacred Heart Brothers at Lote near Vanimo on the north coast of the island approximately 40Km from the Irian Jaya border. The first team with Ron and Judy Marcus and John Barker erected the frame of the building. A team from southern NSE finished the roof and clad the outside walls. The next team, including Bob Milne and John Cooper, worked on the inside walls and ceilings.
Rotary Foundation Our contribution to the Foundation this year of $1700 brings our plateau level to 1600% During the next five years, in partnership with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and other Government agencies, Rotary International has taken the challenge to provide vaccines to immunize all available children in the world against polio. At present less than 25% of children under 5 in the developing world have been completely immunized against polio. The Australian share of the worldwide total cost of $120 million is $5 million. Our Club is supporting this project through the
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donation of 50c per week per member through our dinner fees. This will amount to a total of $1700 this year towards helping eradicate polio in under-developed countries around the world.
Group Study Exchange On 30th March our Club had the privilege of hosting a District dinner to farewell two GSE Teams. The first Team, from D308 in the foothills of the Himalayas in India, was returning home after a memorable visit. The second Team to be farewelled was one from D968 led by Robert Clark, PP Rotary Club of Gosford North, leaving for Georgia, USA. An enjoyable night was had by over 200 Rotarians, wives and friends.
Youth This year’s activities have followed traditional lines with involvement by Committee members in the full range of Rotary Youth programmes. Such commitment involves allocation of a considerable proportion of the Club’s Budget and must, therefore, be taken as an indication of the importance members place on our Youth activities.
RYLA Ron Marcus and his committee selected two extremely worthy candidates to attend RYLA and Ron allowed me to share an evening at the camp and I came away thoroughly impressed and just a little envious; oh to be twenty one again!
Rotaract Rotaract with Peter Varvel at the helm went from strength to strength and there is little doubt of Rotary’s ability to encourage good citizenship when you watch the activities of Rotaractors. Their work brings them and us great credit.
Interact George McDonald had Interact running like clockwork again this year. George’s role in the continued growth and the very strength of the group cannot be underestimated and he deserves our wholehearted congratulations on a magnificent job.
Youth Exchange “Captain” Phil Ogilvy steered us through the rocky waters of the Youth Exchange this year. The selection process identified three excellent students for twelve months away but we were only able to nominate one. I am privileged to have been offered this chance to participate in what must be considered as some of Rotary’s best programmes, since it has made a somewhat jaded and cynical individual see hope for the future in the young people our Club supports. This year has shown me that our country’s future is assuredly in safe hands because the Youth Director gets to meet the leaders of tomorrow.
Community Service Report Another year has passed and we have achieved the majority of goals we set at the beginning of the year. We were well supported by the Club in our endeavours during the year but must always recognise that members do have other commitments apart from Rotary. I would like to think that during the year we did advance in community service and showed our support of the Rotary motto “Rotary brings Hope”. The following list details our involvement during the year in the community:
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• • •
• •
• • •
Camp Breakaway – sold Christmas puddings and raised $1435 for the camp. World of Coins – Raised in excess of $1200 over a weekend at Castle Towers to purchase a “posture” wheelchair for use at the North Rocks Deaf and Blind School. Skin Cancer Programme – Information programme run in conjunction with the NSW Cancer Council aimed at creating awareness of the dangers of long-term exposure to the sun and the identification of potential skin cancers. NSW Showjumping Association – Raised several hundred dollars by controlling the gates at the Castle Hill Showground. Unfortunately the paying public did not arrive! Handicapped Persons Shopping – Participated in a District project to transport handicapped persons to Grace Brothers at Chatswood to enable them to do their Christmas shopping. The store is opened on the night for the use of handicapped persons only and is a project that merits ongoing involvement. Camp Quality – Our Rotaryannes organized a fashion show at Beryl Martin’s and raised $662 for Camp Quality. Art Show – Raised a little over a disappointing $2000. Showgate – Fine days resulted in a takings record and our share was up 40% on the previous best takings. This fund raising activity is still our mainstay.
After a long wait we finally started the “lookout” project at Oakhill College. Prior to the end of the year we will be involved in minor building work at the area Health Centre to erect a cover over the walkway leading to the building the Club erected several years ago. The year has been busy and rewarding and I would like to thank you all for your support and commitment to the theme of “Rotary Brings Hope”.
Vocational Service report This year has seen the Club participate in a full vocational programme whereby we have concentrated not only on the established vocational programmes but introduced an exciting new careers venture. Our vocational involvement during the year has been as follows:
Careers programme The programme of Castle Hill High School students being escorted over Castle Hill Toyota on careers learning visits commenced in late 1986. The first group of five boys all obtained apprenticeships as a result (first time lucky). Four visits have been held so far. The school is very happy with the programme as Rotary, apart from coming up with the idea and putting the scheme in place, has the capacity as an organization to see the programme through to fruition in conjunction with both parties.
Pride of Workmanship Two plaques were presented during the year. The awards were made to David Smith, General Manager of Castle Hill Toyota, and to Pat Davidson, the Careers teacher at Castle Hill High School.
Vocational Visits Two vocational visits were held this year: • •
The Park Royal visit was well attended and allowed an insight into the operations and establishment of an international hotel The visit to Humes Pipes, whilst a different style of night, was also well attended. The manufacturing and environmental issues involved were well explained by the factory management team.
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I have thoroughly enjoyed working on the Rotary Board this year and to the other Board members I extend my thanks for your assistance and I trust our fellowship will be ongoing. I look forward to being involved in the careers programme and will offer all possible assistance to the incoming Vocational service Director, Phil Driscoll.
Treasurer’s Report This report covers period 1 July 1986 to 31 May 1987 and is a brief summary of transactions for that period.
Administration Account Balance 1 July 1986
$5337.30
Receipts
$36599.27
Less Expenditure
$35133.79
Transfer to Investment A/C
$3000
$38133.79
Balance 31 May 1987
$3802.78
Projects Account Balance 1 July 1986
$2897.72
Receipts
$24899.75
Less Expenditure Youth
$4366.13
International $5977.00 Vocational
$186.00
Sundry
$327.57
$20052.08
Balance 31 May 1987
$7745.08
Arts & Craft Account Balance 1 July 1986
$1617.22
Exhibition receipts
$9970.01
Less Expenditure
$7524.97
Transfer to Investment A/C
$1900.00
$9424.97
Balance 31 May 1987
$2162.26
Investment Account $459.28
Balance 1 July 1986 Deposits
$4900.00 Balance 6 February 1987
$5359.28
Polio Plus (Hills Views bulletin dated 22nd October, 1986)
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“PolioPlus is Rotary International’s programme to help immunize the children of the world against polio and other deadly diseases. Rotary has pledged to promote and assist polio immunization world-‐wide in partnership with governments and international health agencies – The World Health Organisation (WHO), Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Through these organisations, Rotary shares the goal of conquering not just polio, but five other targeted childhood diseases, by 1990. Rotary has pledged to provide for all the polio vaccines for five years for any approved national or regional immunization programme. In addition, Rotarians will perform volunteer activities in all stages of immunisation delivery efforts including planning, promotion and helping to motivate other groups to action. The cost of this programme is US$120 million – Australia’s share of this target is $5 million.”
Rotary Responds to US Supreme Court Decision on Membership Rules (Hills Views Bulletin dated 27th May, 1987) “Evanston, Illinois (4 May, 1987) – The US Supreme Court today handed down a decision supporting California law holding that Rotary Clubs may not exclude women from membership on the basis of their gender. Rotary International President, M.A.T. Caparas, of the Philippines, responds: “Rotary did not expect the Supreme Court to hand down this decision. However, its constitution provides for operating within the laws of all the countries in which there are clubs, so Rotary will, of course, abide by the decision of the court”. Rotary International is the first and most international of the world’s service clubs associations with more than 22,800 clubs worldwide. “Rotary”, continues Caparas, ”will continue to follow all its admission requirements for members, other than the male-‐only provision in those places where this provision is determined to be contrary to the law”. Members must be of good character and reputation, and must hold some profession, proprietary, executive or managerial position in their business or profession. “Membership”, says Caparas, “will continue to be by invitation with the intention of continuing to have within each club a cross section of the business, organizational and professional leadership of the community who believe and practice Rotary’s motto, “Service above Self”. “Men have joined Rotary to service their communities, not for business gain or professional advantage. They have been attracted to Rotary by the opportunity to associate and work with like-‐minded men to serve people in need, their communities and the cause of peace. It is important to note that, historically, Rotary’s programmes and services have benefited both men and women since Rotary was founded in 1905. Rotary provides community service, encourages high vocational standards and promotes international understanding (and) good will. There are more than 6,700 Rotary Clubs in the USA with approximately 400,000 members. In California there are some 550 Clubs with approximately 41,000 members”. “Rotary”, says Caparas, “was not in court to exclude women, but to defend the right of members to choose with whom they associate”.
Another Year Completed This week sees the completion of another Rotary year and the induction of a new President, Milton Colburt. I have found the last twelve months to be extremely rewarding and as I suggested at the club assembly would commend the position to any Rotarian. I would like to thank you all for your support and encouragement during the year and particularly thank the members of the Board for the way they have undertaken their responsibilities during the year. To President-Elect Milton and his Board, I would offer my congratulations and I am certain that the support shown to the Board this year will again be shown during the coming year and that as a club we can look forward to an exciting year of involvement and “service above self” in true Rotary spirit.
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1987-‐1988 Rotary International President: (Charles C. Keller) USA RI President’s Theme: “United in Service - Dedicated to Peace” Governor District 968: Leon Becker (Warringah) District Governor’s Theme: “Dare to be Different” Changeover celebrated on 24th June1987
Board of Directors President: Milton Colburt
Treasurer: Noel Milligan
President-Elect: Ron Marcus
Assistant Treasurer: Alan Holman
Immediate Past-President: Norm Roach
Director Club: Neil Todd
Vice President: Gerry Larkin
Director Community: Rod Wheatley
Secretary: Bob Grimshaw
Director Vocational: Graeme McCabe
Assistant Secretary: Ron Miller
Director International: John Cooper
Sergeant-at-Arms: John Cooper and Graeme Brangwin
Director Youth: Bob Grimshaw
Committee Chairmen Bulletin: Warren Bowden
Rotary Information: Charles Morrison
Programs: Bill Tait
Conference: Bill Robinson
Fellowship: Peter Varvel
Publicity: Bruce Allen
Attendance: John Care
Rotaract: Warren Knight
Classifications: John Barker
Interact: Arthur Warner
Membership Dev.: Norm Roach
Club History: Ken Binns
New Club of Kellyville (From The Hills Views Bulletin dated 15 June, 1988) It is always a privilege to be present at the start of something great and on your behalf your Editor has attended the orderly meetings of the New Club now having been formally chartered in your very presence. The exciting things, we often take for granted, such as the design and make up of the new bulletin cover, the choice of colour and shape of a new banner, the contemplation of the awesome visit from a District Governor, the expectation of another Rotary dinner and many others are enough to daunt or stimulate the hardiest of members. However, you must surely agree the results seen on June 9th (1988) were credible indeed. Kellyville is a new Rotary Club fresh, keen to launch its members into years of service, let’s not be absent when experienced support is required.
After the Christening comes the Nurture A month ago, our protégé, the Rotary Club of Kellyville, received its charter and last week more than 400 Rotarians and guests attended the official launching when District Governor, Leon Becker, presented the Charter to President Kevin Johnstone and inducted the Foundation members. It was a great night of traditional Rotary, and with almost every club in District 968 represented, along with others from fields afar, the young Rotarians of Kellyville were given a warm welcome into our
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international fellowship and an inspirational start on their journey of service. But the road ahead will not be easy, as history reveals more than a few clubs founder in the early years. Kellyville Rotary is full of talent and enthusiasm but light on experience, and many crises can occur in the months ahead that Castle Hill could take in its stride but would rock the new club to its foundations. This is why it is the duty of every Castle Hill Rotarian to adopt the newborn as its own by attending now and again, sharing experiences and helping the club’s officers in particular to understand their roles so as to perform effectively. The Christening party is over. It is now time of earnest nurture to ensure Kellyville realizes its exciting potential.
From The President’s Study “We dared to be Different” As I write this, my last President’s message for the year my heart is filled with pride and I wish to say that it has been my pleasure to serve as your President. A year I will cherish for the rest of my life. I wish to say thank you to 65 Fellows and their Rotaryannes for all the help and assistance which you have given to me and Maureen throughout this year. The untold effort and hours which so many of you have given, we hope that in some way, some day we can return. In reference to the Bulletin “Hills View” we would like to make a very special mention to the efforts of Warren and Olive Bowden for their untiring weekly endeavour to produce a brilliant 8-page Bulletin every week, a great effort. To David Sommerlad a very special thank you for his weekly Editorials and inspiration to us all. To Lynette and Peter Wood our club’s thanks for the typing and collation of this our means of communication. To all Fellows and their Rotaryannes, our humble and hearty thanks for all your help, kind thoughts and efforts in this our special year. Thank you for joining us on this our special changeover night and may we wish Ron and Judy and their Team a great and rewarding 1988-89 year.
1988-‐1989 Rotary International President: Royce Abbey (Melbourne, Australia) RI President’s Theme: “Put Life into Rotary – Your Life” Governor District 968: John Lang (Brookvale) Changeover celebrated on 28th June1989
Board of Directors President: Ron Marcus
President-Elect: Bill Tait
Immediate Past-President: Milton Colburt
Director Club: John Care
Vice President: John Care
Director Community: George McDonald
Secretary: Bruce Allen
Director Vocational: Ray White
Treasurer: David Bull
Director International: Peter Varvel
Sergeant-at-Arms: Peter Wood, Terry O’Brien
Director Youth: Gerry Larkin, Graeme McCabe
President’s Report It is with immense pride that I present my annual report on our activities and achievements. Our Club can be justifiably proud of its efforts.
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RI President, Royce Abbey, challenged us to “Put Life into Rotary – Your Life” and I am very pleased to report that the spirit of Fellowship and Service is very much alive in our Club. I am particularly proud of our achievements in all avenues of service and I congratulate our Directors for a year of achievement and commend to you their various reports. I would like to take the opportunity to express my personal thanks to Secretary Bruce Allen and Treasurer David Bull for their cooperation and encouragement. Help and encouragement and a great deal of enthusiasm by fellows plus support and direction by the Past Presidents and an excellent team of Chairmen and committee Members has been of significant help to the success of the year. No Rotary Year can be a success without the support and significant contribution of our Rotaryannes who have helped so much behind the scene. In particular I would like to take this opportunity of thanking my Rotaryanne, Judy, for her continued support and guidance. My sincere thanks are also extended to our Bulletin Editor, John Barker for an informative and comprehensive ‘Hills Views”, to our Fellowship Chairman, Ron Miller for a year of entertaining fellowship functions, to our Programme Chairman, Peter McBean for an excellent year of programmes and of course our Sgts–at-Arms Peter Wood & Terry O’Brien for the excellent job they have done so consistently. I would also like to again welcome our newer members and their Rotaryannes. Their contribution of new ideas and enthusiasm is vital to this Club and Rotary International. During the year our Club has received three awards: • • •
Herald Community Service Special Bi-Centenary Project Award for last year’s Bike Education Project. District 968 Award for “An Important Bi-Centennial Historical Initiative” with the Gathering of the Pioneer Families Project. Membership attendance in excess of 25% at our Annual Conference in Canberra.
The year has finished on a sad note with the sudden death in Venice of our esteemed member, Darcy Willis. Darcy will always be remembered for his friendship, caring and sense of humour and above all his willingness to be involved in community service. Our Club is now entering its 25th year and continues to grow stronger. I am sure this trend will continue with our incoming team and I extend my congratulations and best wishes to President Bill Tait and his Board and wish them a rewarding and successful year.
Secretary’s Report Membership Having started the 1988/89 year with a membership total of 60, the year closed with 69 members plus a further 2 Honorary members. During the year we welcomed the following members into the worldwide fellowship of Rotary: Bob Ainsworth
Pharmaceutical Management
Kenneth Binns
Honorary
Douglas Deeth
Florist
Geoff Duffy
Printing Sales
Ron Forte
Consumer Credit
David Godfrey
Restaurants
Jim Josephson
Air Conditioning Design
David Keefe
Business Services
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Andrew Moffatt
Senior Active (formerly General Law Practice)
Hannibal Shabaz
Painting – Industrial
Edward Sykes
Petroleum Products
Peter van den Wijngaart Timber Importing Jim Zerefos
Motor Sport
The following members resigned from the Club during the year: William Grant David Keefe Peter van den Wijngaart The Club was saddened by the sudden loss of Darcy Willis whilst vacationing in Europe and his friendship, fellowship and warmth will be missed by all members. At present, one proposal card for a prospective new member is being considered with a further two accepted but deferred until 1990.
Board Meetings A total of twelve monthly Board meetings were held (the last two joint meetings with the incoming Board) and all were well attended. Attendances were: R. Marcus - 12 meetings
G. McDonald - 12 meetings
M. Colburt - 9 meetings
P. Varvel - 8 meetings
W. Tait - 8 meetings
G. McCabe - 4 meetings
B. Allen - 11 meetings
G. Larkin - 7 meetings
D. Bull - 10 meetings
R. White - 11 meetings
J. Care - 10 meetings During the year, pressure of business prevented Graeme Moore from active participation on matters relative to his area of responsibility (Youth) and Gerry Larkin was co-opted onto the Board to take over Graeme’s role. Stan Fulker stood in for Bruce Allen during his absence overseas and John Cooper stood in for Peter Varvel on one occasion. In addition to the twelve monthly Board meetings, 7 supplementary meetings were held at Durham Park after normal monthly meetings. Thanks to those members who provided their homes for Board Meetings and a special thank you to their ladies for the suppers provided.
Club Assemblies Club assemblies were all well attended and in the usual manner, provided the opportunity for lively and meaningful discussion between members.
Council on Legislation The RI Council on Legislation met in Singapore on January 23-26 and 41 proposed enactments were adopted. The major item of discussion amongst Clubs is the adoption of the resolution to eliminate the requirement that membership in Rotary be limited to males.
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District Conference The Club was well represented at the District Conference held in Canberra on 10th/12th March with 51 Rotarians and their wives in attendance. The Club received an award for membership attendance in excess of 25%.
Incorporation During the year our Club considered the question of Incorporation and with agreement from the membership progressed. The Club became “Rotary Club of Castle Hill Incorporated” on 21st November 1988.
Club Administration I am pleased to report that all statutory and constitutional requirements have been complied with including maintenance of accurate club records of membership and minutes of all Board meetings. During the year, the task of re-writing all club member history sheets was undertaken and it is hoped that the many hours of work involved in this task will benefit the Club, and future secretaries, in years to the come. I would like to offer my most sincere thanks to President Ron for his guidance and assistance in what has been a full and demanding year and also the Board members and Club members for their support and cooperation. My congratulations and best wishes go to incoming Secretary Peter McBean and wish President Bill Tait and his Board a successful and productive year in office.
Club Service Report This year has been a “Switched on Year” with meetings starting on time, allowing for a 2-minute warning bell allowed members to finish their drinks before coming to the table. The 8 o’clock finish has been appreciated by all.
Fellowship The club thanks Chairman Ron Miller and his committee for a great year of fellowship. Highlights included: • • •
• • • • • •
Progressive Dinner at McDonalds, McBeans and “McCares” Night with Kay Cottee Ladies nights: § Horse birthday § Oktoberfest at Pack and Saddle Restaurant § Valentines night § Past Presidents’ night Christmas Night at Durham Park, Roman Scandals style Army Tattoo at Entertainment Centre Christmas Family Day at the Zoo Australia Day celebration BBQ at Marie & Alan Brook’s home Combined meeting with Baulkham Hills, Kellyville and Winston Hills Club Auction night
Programmes Peter McBean provided us with an interesting and informative selection of programmes and guest speakers. Thanks Peter, well done.
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Bulletins We had a new front cover depicting one of the Club projects and a new style inside cover layout. Each week John Barker had the unenviable task of putting together the weekly club news and record of events. Sincere thanks John, a great effort.
Membership Membership has grown from 60 at the beginning of the year to an expected 70 at the end of the year. A fireside meeting was conducted for new members by Bill Tait.
Attendance Despite difficulties with apologies being notified, makeups being advised and guest reporting to the attendance table our year to date attendance figure is 74.25 and 7 members have 100%. Well-done fellows and thank you, Jarmo.
Incorporation During the year the Club underwent incorporation and change of name to “Rotary Club of Castle Hill Inc.”.
District Assembly Norm Roach and his team are to be congratulated for the smooth way in which the District Assembly was conducted under difficult conditions at Gosford.
Public Relations David Sommerlad managed to get a number of articles published and it is hoped this will increase in the future.
Banner The Club banner has been redesigned and the Club Board has approved the new design. The banners are currently being printed.
Sergeants Our Club Sergeants Peter Wood and Terry O’Brien have upheld the “fine” traditions of the Club and kept us entertained each week whilst pulling the funds off us for misdemeanours.
In Conclusion Thank you all for your assistance, cooperation and understanding, particularly Brian Stacey, my assistant who covered for me during my absence. Thank you.
Community Service Report Our Community Service activities this year add up to quite a creditable list.
Orange Blossom Festival Ron Eyres and his team built and manned a very decorative and colourful float. We didn’t win a prize but it was a great effort, Ron.
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Art Show and Country Fair Again a great team effort and involvement by Club members. Approximately $4000 raised by Art Show and $3000 by Country Fair. Congratulations to Graeme and Stephanie Maynard and to Graeme Brangwin and their committees.
Bi-‐centennial Year Project Our gathering of Australian Pioneer Families was our greatest project and what a magnificent effort it was. Despite inclement weather, over 6,000 people attended. Expressions of thanks and the compliments of the “Families” at the efficient organization continued to roll in weeks after the event. The majority of Club members participated and we must again congratulate everyone involved, particularly project manager peter Wood, his able Committee, and our Rotaryannes who turned out in large numbers to support their men. A great project in the best tradition of Community Service and a small profit of $7,614 achieved. The newspaper cutting opposite was in “The Hills News”, 13th September 1988.
Hills Centre for Living Arts Donation of $1000 for the purchase and installation of special equipment in the Centre for hearingimpaired people. The “Audio Loop” system sponsored by your Club enables persons with hearing aids to “tune to” a performance in any seat location in any of the three theatres – total seating capacity 1800 people.
Showgate Our annual Showgate collection exercise again executed this year under the able leadership of Milton Colburt. Another great opportunity for Club involvement and fellowship. A profit of approximately $9000 achieved for further Community work.
Work Projects Hands on community assistance operations included:
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• • • •
•
Supply and erection of pergola over children’s’ play area at Hills Family Centre, Showground Road. Additional picnic table and seating installed in Rotary Rest area at Showground Installation of Observation Platform at Rotary Lookout – corner Old Northern Road and Old Castle Hill Road. Supply and erection of a 9M x 6M covered area for meetings etc. to support our Interact Club at Castle Hill High. Approximate cost $6000 of which $1800 has been raised by the Interact Club – a great project which will serve the whole school community. Assistance to erect steel building over therapy pool for rehabilitation of car accident victim, Elizabeth Dunn.
Special thanks to Roy Martin, Ron Eyres and the band of helpers who regularly devote time and energy on a Saturday to these projects.
Donations • • • •
Shared cost of providing bus transport for under-privileged families to a Bi-centennial picnic organized and financed by K-Mart, held in our Castle Hill Showground. $3000 to Life Education through Kay Cottee meeting at Council Chambers. $3200 to Australian Rotary Health Research Fund. Christmas donation of chickens for Hampers for Meals on Wheels.
Christmas hospital visit Small presents again distributed to about 30 patients at Baulkham Hills Hospital on Christmas morning. Thanks to the Club members and their families who made the effort to bring a little cheer to those who were not able to spend Christmas at home with family. Thanks to Bill Peggie and Peter McBean who organized this visit.
Probus Club We expect to charter a second Probus Club before the end of June. About 20 prospective members will attend an interest meeting on 10th June next. Congratulations to Bill Peggie and Milton Colburt for pursuing this project. All in all, we have had a busy Community Service year but it has been a good year providing us with the opportunity to serve, to become involved and to share fellowship with Club friends. I would like to thank all my Committee for their loyal support during this year. You have been a great team and I have appreciated the opportunity to work with you. I would also like to record my appreciation of being elected to Ron’s “switched on” Board. It has been a great personal experience for me to have been a member of such a dedicated team.
Vocational Service Report This year we continued the Vocational Programmes of previous years as well as introducing some new ones. The report on these programmes follows. • • • •
Vocational Talks -By Rotarians in particular new Rotarians Vocational Visits - To Coleman Industries and the Hills Entertainment Centre, thanks to Ron Eyres and John Corby. Vocational Development - Excellent speaker in Ron Tacchi Rotary Ethics – Speaker PDG Grahame Turnidge
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• •
Joint Rotary meeting – With Baulkham Hills, Kellyville & Winston Hills Careers Market – The continuation of Year 10 Careers Market with 2WS and Castel Hill Toyota.
Pride of Workmanship An excellent night, thanks to Past president Phil Dunn and Jenny Dunn for the work they put into the evening. Also thanks to Margaret Stone for attending and presenting the Walter Stone Memorial Trophy to Kathryn Blisset apprentice of the Year. Our five awardees for Pride of Workmanship were David Farley, Craig Todd, Neil Kingham, Malcolm Chalmers and Annette Clark.
Young Achievers A new programme is always good to talk about. As you are aware we had the Young Achievers as our guests at a recent Club Meeting. I’m sure they left a good impression at the meeting. The programme is running along quite well. I would like to thank Bob Ainsworth, Bill Tait, Peter McBean, Ed Heyman, Phil Driscoll, Drew Moffat for the time and effort they have put into the programme. In conclusion I would like to thank President Ron, the Board, my Committee and the Club for their support.
International Report International this year has been a year of maintaining all our commitments for both Rotary International and District.
FAIM Maintained 100% Club Membership plus two Club members involved in Regional activities.
Donations in Kind Donated $250 to help set up as a separate body. Bob Milne is involved on the Committee.
Rotary Foundation Increased Plateau Level by 200% to 3000% unrestricted.
Foundation Scholarship This year we have been fortunate to have had a student overseas. Andrew McIntyre has been studying at the University of Hawaii for this year. He has now returned to Australia and he will address the Club on his experiences early in the new Rotary year.
GSE Many thanks go to Stan Fulker for being such a great Zone Coordinator for the visit by the team from Ontario – Michigan. This was the first full ladies team to visit this District. The outgoing team was also a Ladies team – the first hosted by District 968. The Farewell Dinner, hosted by the Rotary Club of Galston, was held at Dural Country Club. This was well attended by the Club and a great night was had by all present.
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IPAC The Club this year selected a project to help supply water to villages in rural Thailand. The Club donated $1000 which will provide the cost of a village water hole or canal. This donation will be followed through to the end so the Club will know where the money has gone.
In conclusion The Club has also participated in other areas of International Service this year. We have supported the International Understanding Awards, participation in hosting a delegation from the USSR, and finally we have awarded Paul Harris Fellowships. Our congratulations go to the new Paul Harris Fellows. I wish to express my thanks to all those Club members who have assisted and advised me during my year as International Service Director. It has been a pleasure to serve the Rotary Club of Castle Hill.
Youth Service Report The Club can be proud of its involvement with Youth this year, being involved in the majority of the programmes recommended by District. These being: International Youth Exchange: • •
Inbound students - Sonja returned to Finland in July with Teru returning to Japan in March. Mo-Jo arrived from Canada in July. Jan arriving from Norway in August. Outbound Students - Rohan Dredge is in South Africa sponsored by the Rotary Club of Whitbank Coalfields, he returns in January 1990.Two students, both females have been selected by our Club and nominated to the District Youth Committee for 1990 exchange.
Matched New Zealand/Australia Twin Exchange: •
This scheme for Year 10 students received our continuing support. Australian students Annabel Varvel and Darren White matched with Sharleen May and Vaughan Lyttle, each student d[spending 3½ months with each other in Australia and New Zealand.
RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards): •
Todd McDonnell attended, sponsored by our Club. Our confidence in his ability to achieve from this course was confirmed when Todd was chosen to address the Rylarians and Rotary guests at the combined dinner
Underprivileged Children’s Camps •
Three children were sponsored to attend Easter Camp this year.
•
Castle Hill High School Club celebrated its 21st Anniversary this year. The Club after a lull in interest early this year, has now an elected Board and is functioning again.
•
The Rotaract Club has maintained its strong membership and a close liaison exists between Rotary and Rotaract with Rotaract assisting us with The Country Fair and
Interact
Rotaract
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Showgate and Rotary involved with the Rotaract Swimathon. Thanks to Rod Wheatley our Rotaract Chairman. Peer Support •
Introduced in previous years at Oakhill College and Castle Hill High School under sponsorship of Club. Our involvement is now to see that this programme continues.
National Summer Science School •
Two candidates selected from interviews and referred to District for consideration.
Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) •
Castle Hill High School participating in this weekend of debating, together with Mo-Jo, all representing Canada in this unique idea of debate.
In summary Youth Service is a challenging directorship, my thanks are extended to my committee members for their support and best wishes go to Brian Stacey and his team for a challenging year ahead.
Treasurer’s Report This report covers period 1 July 1988 to 31 May 1989 and is a brief summary of transactions for that period. A detailed statement will be circulated to all members after the year’s audit has been completed. Administration Account Balance 1 July 1988
$1285.34
Receipts
$47035.70 $48321.04
Less Expenditure
$43592.47
Balance 31 May 1989
$4728.57
Projects account Balance 1 July 1988
$6564.53
Receipts
$34152.23
Tfr from Arts & Craft Ac.
$8670.54 $42822.77 $49387.30
Less Expenditure: Youth
$6180.79
International
$5388.80
Community
$25926.30
Vocational
$184.00
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Sundry
$693.60
Balance 31 May 1989
$6013.81
Interest Bearing Deposit at Bank Balance 1 July 1988
Nil
Deposit from Projects Ac.
$5000
Balance 31 May 1989
$5000
Arts & Craft Account Balance at 1 July 1988
$3577.61
Arts and Craft Exhibition net proceeds
$3281.49
Other receipts
$161.55 $7560.65
Less Tfr to Projects Ac.
$5062.15
Balance 31 May 1989
$2498.50
Arts & Crafts Investment Account Balance 1 July 1988
$6430.66
Other receipts
$557.24 $6987.90
Less Tfr to Projects Ac.
$3608.39
Balance 31 May 1989
$3379.51
1989-‐1990 Rotary International President: Hugh M Archer (Dearborn, Michigan, USA) RI President’s Theme: “Enjoy Rotary” Governor District 968: Gordon Rowe (Kenthurst, Dorrigo) Changeover celebrated on 27th June1990
Board of Directors President: Bill Tait
President-Elect: Peter Wood
Immediate Past-President: Ron Marcus
Director Club: George McDonald
Vice President: George McDonald
Director Community: Ken Petersen
Secretary: Peter McBean
Director Vocational: Gerry Larkin
Treasurer: PP Bill Robinson
Director International: David Bull
Sergeants-at-Arms: Bill Peggie, Bruce Allen, Ed Heyman
Director Youth: PP Brian Stacey
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Our Silver Anniversary Year The events of our Silver Anniversary Year have again proved that the foundations built by our twenty-four Past Presidents were strong and steeped in Rotary tradition. Their work, and the work of every member this year, has allowed us to “Enjoy Rotary” in a year of which we can all be justifiably proud. It has been my good fortune in having an outstanding Secretary Peter McBean, hardworking Vice President George McDonald and competent Treasurer Bill Robinson to assist me in the management of this fine Club. To my hardworking and loyal Board I say congratulations on an outstanding year. You will find their achievements detailed in the reports set out in this the 25th Annual Report. Vice President and Club Service Director George McDonald together with our Fellowship Chairman, Russell Kelley and Sergeants-at-Arms Bill Peggie, Bruce Allen and Ed Heyman gave the true meaning of Rotary fellowship to every event during a fun-packed year. Community Service Director Ken Petersen and his Executive Assistant Phil Dunn in arranging the Nyngan Flood Victims Clothing Appeal provided us with a project which gave true meaning to “Service Above Self”. This project really made me proud to be the President of such a caring and hardworking Rotary Club. International Service Director David Bull carried out another fine job for which he is renowned raising our Rotary Foundation plateau by 200% to 3300% unrestricted. Youth Service Director Brian Stacey in his methodical way ran our Youth Programme in the style for which this Club is internationally known. Vocational Service Director Gerry Larkin introduced the 7:05 Report into our Dinner Meetings and this has been an enlightening experience. The Pride in Workmanship awards were again outstanding. Past President Milton Colburt and his 25th Anniversary Committees gave us a 25th Birthday which will be long remembered. The Anniversary project which will eventually see the building of the Heritage Exhibition will perpetuate our 25th year. To you, my fellow Rotarians, I again say thank you for the honour you bestowed upon me of serving as the 25th President of the finest Rotary Club in our District. To President Peter Wood I offer our best wishes for what will be another fine Rotary Year. Your Club is in excellent hands.
Secretary’s report Membership We started this year with a membership of 69, the breakdown of which was as follows: Active 41 Additional Active 1 Senior Active 23 Past Service 2 Honorary 2 and will complete our year with 70 members: Active 40 Senior Active 25 Past Service 2 Honorary 3 New members induction during the year were: Ray Brown May 23 - Building Design Chris Timmins May 23 - Funeral Director Peter Everleens June 20 - Paper Products.
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Resignations were received from: Charles Morrison Ron Eyres Ron Forte
Board Meetings The Board met on thirteen occasions during the year with an excellent attendance by all Directors and Office Bearers. I would express my appreciation of all Board members and their Rotaryannes for the use of their homes for Board meetings and the delightful suppers provided at the conclusion of the meeting.
Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of the Club was held on December 6, 1989 at which the Office Bearers for 1990-91 were duly elected.
Club Assemblies Three Assemblies were held during the past twelve months, the first devoted to the objectives and directions of the Board and the distribution of Club Plans; the second to consider “Women in Rotary” and the third to amend the Club Bylaws. Members participated well in these meetings providing good constructive comment.
1990 District 968 Conference This year’s District Conference was held at The Hills Centre Castle Hill on March 2-4 and was an outstanding success. The venue was an advantage for our own members and a large contingent were present at most sessions including the Black & White Dinner on the Saturday evening. The business programme was balanced and included some first class speakers presenting an interesting array of Rotary programmes as well as topics of concern to all Rotarians in Australia. Well done, Kenthurst.
Silver Anniversary celebrations The Club celebrated the 25th anniversary of the granting of its Charter in true style on Wednesday March 14, 1990. The Dinner was well attended by some 320 members and wives, community leaders and citizens with our special guest being the Premier of New South Wales, the Hon. Nick Greiner. The evening was a credit to our Club and was a most suitable vehicle by which we promoted Rotary in the Hills District. Congratulations to Chairman Milton Colburt and his organising committee for a job well done
Club administration All Statutory and Constitutional requirements have been complied with, Board and AGM meetings fully minuted, membership records maintained and correspondence of the Club promptly attended to and filed. All in all I believe the administration has been smooth and trouble free. I would like to express my appreciation to president Bill Tait, Board members and the Rotarians of Castle Hill for the opportunity to act as Club Secretary this past year and for the support and assistance rendered to me throughout the year. I wish President Peter Wood and his Board the very best for the year ahead.
Club Service report Your Club Service Committees have performed with diligence and dedication and I briefly report on each area of responsibility as follows.
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Attendance Chairman John Barker and his team have carried out their duties well and have ensured that records have been presented in proper format on time. We did not achieve a 100% attendance meeting but attendance averaged 77% over the year, consistent with previous years. Ten members have a 100% attendance record. Well done fellows, and thanks to John Barker.
Programmes We thank Eric Pearson for a varied and interesting programme. He provided us with a balance of interesting and well-known speakers interspersed with fellowship and other functions as required in our Rotary Calendar. Our Silver Anniversary Dinner was a great success. I believe the highlight on our speaker list was MP John Brown and our last Ladies’ Night was a real winner.
Bulletins Despite confused manuscripts and notes handed to him scribbled on the backs of crumpled envelopes, Phil Driscoll always managed to come up with a “Hills Views” each week, providing informative reading and reliable reporting on Club and Rotary Activities. Thanks to Phil and his assistants.
Public Relations There has been a much greater community awareness of our Rotary Club’s presence through David Sommerlad’s efforts. Our Community Service activities have rated mention in local newspapers and we congratulate David on the exposure in “Hills Shire Times” through the “Heritage Park” special feature.
Fellowship Chairman Russell Kelley ably assisted by his Managing Director, Carol, and his willing team provided many excellent opportunities for fellowship. Activities were planned, organised and expertly executed. Highlights included: • • • • •
Farewell to “MOJO” and two other Ladies’ nights Pie and pasta night at President Bill’s Ploughman’s Lunch at the Heyman residence Home visits over Christmas and New Year Mudgee Vineyard crawl
All great fellowship occasions form our members. Congratulations on a job well done. My thanks to all Club Service Committee Members who have been willing workers and able supporters at all times, and to President Bill for his interest and guidance.
Community Service report This year, Castle Hill Rotary Club has continued its involvement with the local community. Early in the year several projects were envisaged for the Club to undertake, and once again we managed to realise our aims. The Community Service Committee undertook certain traditional fund-raising projects and instigated others. As a consequence of this investigation we implemented and were successful with all our projects. In particular the sale of puddings proved a major success as a fund-raiser. This was due to good management and effort of all our Club members. We netted around $2000.
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The proceeds from Showgate proved to be a record success in comparison with previous years, and the participation and fellowship displayed on this occasion was outstanding – great work fellows! A record $10,100 for our Club. A further outstanding Club effort was the undertaking by Castle Hill Rotary to set up a depot for the receipt of donations of clothing and other goods for the flood victims of Nyngan. The fellowship displayed during this period from Thursday 26th April to Sunday 29th April was hard to believe unless one was present. At relatively very short notice Club members and their wives came to the depot to lend their support. There were too many people who gave their time for this worthwhile project to mention individually, however thanks for a great job done and great fellowship. The committee responsible is to be commended for their efforts with the Country Fair. It was a difficult job, and in spite of doing things differently, and lack of sufficient response from the community due to other fairs which were held on the same day, we netted $3000. 1990 was the first year that the Rotary Club of Castle Hill “took on” the red Shield Appeal as a Club project, and the response was more than we anticipated. Having highlighted the major projects, I would like now to mention other projects we have succeeded with this year: • • • • • • • • • •
Working Bee at the local High School Orange Blossom Festival Float Orange Blossom Festival Sausage Sizzle in the Park Sausage Sizzle at the Hills Centre Art Show Bicycle Education Day Sausage Sizzle on the opening day at the new Police Station Christmas Hospital Visit AMWAY Day gate collection Skin Cancer test at the Pool
Our Club donated money to the following organisations: • • • • • • •
NSW Cancer Council $1000 Melbourne/Sydney Walkathon $500 Royal Flying Doctor Service $1000 Rotary Health Research $500 Juvenile Diabetes Foundation $1000 Hills District Eisteddfod $100 HADPAC (Hills Area Disabled Persons Access Coalition) we donated a barbecue and a photocopy machine
In conclusion, I would like to thank the members of my committee and all the Rotarians and Rotaryannes, for their support and involvement with the Community Service programme.
Vocational Service report The report on this year’s Vocational programme is a follows.
7:05 Report This new format for vocational job talks was undertaken by interviews of members highlighting new technology in their particular business.
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Rotary Ethics & The Four Way Test Thought-provoking address by PDG John Carrick.
Pride in Workmanship An excellent night, thanks to PP Graeme Brangwin. Margaret Stone presented the “Walter Stone Memorial Trophy” to David Corgoran, Apprentice of the Year. Pride in Workmanship awards to David Ransome, Ilene Little and Leonard Smith.
Vocational Visits A tour and information of the behind inside administration of Baulkham Hills Shire Council thanks to John Barker.
Young Achievers This programme was successfully concluded with our group receiving a Blue Chip Award from the Y.A. Committee, achieving 2nd place in Sydney Metropolitan area and 7th place out of 180 groups in New South Wales.
Vocational Talks The two addresses from representatives of the Employers and Unions were thought provoking in today’s economic times.
In conclusion Thanks to President Bill, the Board, my Committee and Club members for their support.
International report This year we have continued to maintain Rotary International and District Programmes as well as introducing some new commitments.
FAIM Maintained 100% Club Membership plus 2 members involved in Regional activities. This year after several attempts we were again unable to get members to participate in the FAIM Overseas Volunteer programme.
Donations in Kind Members of the Club supported this project when manpower was required to pack and assist sending goods overseas. Bob Milne is involved on the Committee.
Rotary Foundation Increased Plateau level by 200% to 3300% unrestricted.
Foundation Scholarship After selection at Club level, we submitted our applicant to District. District advised our applicant was excellent but not successful as they were sending only one Scholar away this year. However, the good news is that the Club is hosting Jennifer Palmer a Rotary Foundation Scholar from Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.
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Jennifer, who has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Special Education and a Master’s Degree in Education both from the University of Florida, is this year doing research in special education and attending Macquarie University. She is a great asset to the Club and has spoken on several occasions. Special thanks to Drew Moffatt who is her Counsellor.
GSE (Group Study Exchange) The Club hosted Bob Jordan’s inbound GSE Team from Florida USA for one week, and we got the news re the group study exchange at a dinner meeting. Special thanks to Warren Knight and Bill Tait.
Rotary literacy program – Thailand A donation of $1000 was made to this project which is also endorsed by District and will significantly add to the quality of life to the primary class students of Thailand. This Project is coordinated and operated by Rotarians. The Club has also participated in other areas of International Service this year, including International Understanding Awards. This directorship is very challenging and I thank all Club members who have assisted and advised me during the year as International Service Director. It is a pleasure to serve the Rotary Club of Castle Hill.
Youth Service report Rotaract The Castle Hill Rotaract Club has continued to be strong in members and involvement in their Club’s activities. Their major projects were the organizing of the Rotaract District Conference, raising funds for the Guide Dogs Association, assisting HADPAC, and other charity works. Their Changeover was on 9th June and we wish the new Board and all members success for this coming year and a closer involvement between Rotary and Rotaract.
Interact After a short period the Club unfortunately ceased operations despite efforts to revive interest.
Summer Science School Our applicant from last year, David Klineberg, attended the School in December and he so impressed the academics he is invited to study in Canberra and sit on this year’s selection committee.
New Zealand Twin Exchange We hosted Cheryl Terry from the Rotary Club of Takars in New Zealand and she was hosted by Mr and Mrs Hawthorn of Castle Hill. Their daughter Nicola is now in New Zealand hosted by Cheryl’s family.
Youth Exchange July and August last year saw the arrival of exchange students Rachel Aston from England and Jan Ronnigen from Norway. Both young people soon adapted to our lifestyle and are progressing very well. Late December we farewelled Justine Lee who is in USA and Katrina Ezzy who is in Canada. Both girls are enjoying their exchange and are proving to be fine ambassadors. We have submitted to District Nicole Parmenter as our applicant for next year’s exchange.
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Our sincere thanks to host families, the Ainsworths, Lees, Ezzys, Shabazs, Dredges, Ogilvies and Larkins for their participation and to Allan and Norma Buckingham and Milton and Maureen Colburt as Counsellors.
RYLA Alison Jones and Grant Colburt attended the course and both were impressed with the substance of the course and of the people involved. Both Alison and Grant proved to be fine awardees to RYLA.
In conclusion I thank the Youth committee for their support and congratulations to Bill Tait for a fine year. To President Peter and the new Board, every success for this coming year.
Treasurer’s Statement as at 31May1990 Administration Account: Balance 30.6.89 $3,719.68 Balance 31.5.90 $11,575.95 Projects Account: Balance30.6.89 $864.85 Balance 31.5.90 $3,885.58 Arts & Crafts Account Balance 30.6.89 $2,526.39 Balance 31.5.90 $1,805.89 Other Balances at 31.5.90 Arts & Crafts Investment Account $3,721.89 Family Day Account $1,421.75 IBD for Family Day $3,993.02
1990-‐1991 Rotary International President: Paulo V.C.Costa (Santoa, Soa Paulo, Brazil) RI President’s Theme: “Honor Rotary with Faith and Enthusiasm” Governor District 968: Don Durie (Lindfield) Changeover celebrated on 26th June1991
Board of Directors President: Peter Wood
President-Elect: Bruce Allen
Immediate Past-President: Bill Tait
Director Club: Peter McBean
Vice President: Peter McBean
Director Community: PP Roy Martin
Secretary: PP John Barker
Director Vocational: Don Brock
Treasurer: Rod Wheatley
Director International: John Cooper
Sergeant-at-Arms: PP Warren Bowden
Director Youth: Bob Ainsworth
President’s report It is with pleasure that I submit this Annual Report for our Rotary Year 1990-91, in which we truly did “Honor Rotary with Faith and Enthusiasm”
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This year we place emphasis on working for, and contributing to, our local community. That is not to say we ignored International Service, which had a full programme, but Community and Youth Services had the lion’s share of our charitable outgoings. The economy indicted, back in June 1990, that times would be tough in Australia, and that service organisations such as ours would be under pressure to meet demands upon them. So it proved to be. High unemployment among youth, severe hardship among families, coupled with severely declining corporate and household cash flows, from whence the charitable dollars can normally be secured, all created an environment where there was so much to do locally, and so little cash with which to do it. It certainly was a year requiring a great deal of “faith and enthusiasm”. In the event, the Club distinguished itself well, reinforcing our standing in the community as a vigorous and hardworking organisation, sensitive to the needs of others. Almost $33,000 were spent in various causes, the biggest single item being $12,198 for the Hills District Youth Service. This was a significant contribution to the youth of our community, many of who are unemployed, and many of those without hope. Within the Club, we tried to withstand the depredations of inflation by holding the cost of subscriptions, dinners and drinks to the levels of 1989-90. Unfortunately, price increases in wine and beer, at year’s end could not be absorbed. New work coats and caps were purchased during the year so that we could present ourselves at our events in a smarter way, but significantly by far among our internal Club events was the dedication and hoisting of our new colours. That was a particularly prideful evening. As for the future, the tough environment experienced by the Club this past year has in no way been alleviated, but President Bruce Allen and his team are planning a great year and I am in no doubt they will be successful. Our Club will be in good hands in 1991-92. Speaking personally, my experience as President has been rewarding and educational. It has also been the quickest year of my life. It has left me with tremendous pride in the Rotary Club of Castle Hill. Following these notes are the reports of the Directors and Officers. They make impressive reading. I owe a great debt of gratitude to them, for their support and hard work. They can justifiably feel pleased with the success of their endeavours. Thank you, my fellow Rotarians, for reposing your trust in me. Thank you too, Rotaryannes, for standing by our sides and helping out when help was needed. Finally, I give my loving thanks to my Rotaryanne Lyn, without whose help, advice and encouragement the Presidency would not have been so enjoyable.
Secretary’s report Membership We commenced this Rotary year with a membership of 68 the breakdown of which was as follows: • • • •
Active Senior Active Past Service Honorary
37 27 2 2
and will complete our year with 69 members: • • • •
Active Senior Active Past Service Honorary
37 27 2 3
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New members inducted during the year are: • • • • •
Ross Hood Les Smith Rod Williamson Alan Brook David Bowles
October 24th November 28th January 23rd February 4th May 8th
Science Research Office Equipment Sales Insurance General Honorary Animal Health Product Manuf.
Resignations were received from: • • • •
David Godfrey Bill Robinson Jim Zerefos Owen Parr
Board meetings The Board met on fourteen occasions during the year with an excellent attendance by all Directors and Office Bearers. I would express my appreciation to all Board Members and their Rotaryannes for the use of their homes for Board Meetings and the delightful suppers provided at the conclusion of the meeting.
Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of the Club was held on December 5th 1990 at which the Office Bearers for 1991-92 were duly elected.
Club Assemblies Three Assemblies were held during the past twelve months, the first devoted to the objectives and directions of the Board and the distribution of Club Plans; the second in conjunction with the AGM and Election of Officers for the Board form1991 and the third at the conclusion of the year to review achievements and disappointments. Members participated well in these meetings providing good constructive comment.
1991 District 968 Conference This year’s Conference was held at Darling Harbour on 1-3 March and was an outstanding success. A large contingent was present at most sessions including the Masked Dinner on the Saturday evening. The business programme was balanced and included some first class speakers presenting an array of Rotary programmes as well as the topics of concern to all Rotarians in Australia.
Club administration All Statutory and Constitutional requirements have been complied with, Board and AGM meetings fully minuted, membership records maintained and the correspondence of the Club attended to and filed. All in all I believe the administration has been smooth and trouble free. I would like to express my appreciation to President Peter Wood, Board members and the Rotarians of Castle Hill for the opportunity to act as Club Secretary this past year and for the support and assistance rendered to me throughout the year. I wish President Bruce Allen and his Board the very best for the year ahead.
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Club Service report Overview 1990-91 has been a good year for the Rotary Club of Castle Hill, a year of challenge and change a year of achievement and failure, a year of serious thought and healthy enjoyment, a year of fellowship and comradeship, a year of farewelling and welcoming – a Rotary Year. However the Club does have some problems and whilst we attempted to address these, their solution eluded us. I hope the members themselves may know the answers and so solve our ailments through renewed vitality and involvement in this wonderful institution. In Club Service we experienced all of the highs and lows yet I hope we made a contribution to the Club, its history and the lives of its members. It was a year I enjoyed and learned something from, and that was, another aspect of Rotary administration. I hope it has made me a better Rotarian. Let me review each of the areas under the Club Service banner.
Attendance Chairman Bill Peggie and his team have done a splendid job attending to the many administrative functions associated with this position. Reports to District have been done in time, Club records maintained with accuracy and general execution first class. However attendance this year has been well down with the YTD May 74.7% compared with 77.6% last year. In order to encourage members to organise ahead and submit apologies we implemented a charge of $5 for non-attendance/no apology but whilst members have paid this amount, absenteeism continues to be a problem. Eight (8) members achieved 100% attendance and we congratulate them on their effort. My thanks to Bill and to all who assisted in this area.
Programmes Once again we had the opportunity to participate in a varied and interesting programme of guest speakers and Rotary activities. Programme Chairman Ted Sykes arranged the guest speaker category with care and sensitivity and with the assistance of his Rotaryanne Denise and our thanks go to both. All Directors cooperated to ensure all avenues of service were appropriately represented during the year with nights being devoted to Vocational, Youth, International and Community projects including the perennials like Pride in Workmanship.
Fellowship This year we enjoyed a number of excellent fellowship functions, all professionally organised by Chairman Norm Roach and his committee not forgetting the Rotaryannes who as always provide the support and expertise in this area. The programme included: • • • • • •
Ladies’ Nights Beef and Burgundy Night at Dural Hall Night at the Trots at Harold Park Christmas Picnic at Vision Valley Christmas Party Weekend at Blackheath
Bulletin As in past years, this committee set out to produce a Bulletin worthy of this Club and of the first class cover we use. I’m pleased to report that in my opinion the contents of our bulletins reach a very high standard and succeed in communicating the activities within our Club and District 968. I believe
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we provided interesting reading for members of our Rotary family and through the sterling efforts of Alan Jeffries initially and Barry Alsop as the Bulletin editors we achieved our objectives.
Public Relations Bob Milne was responsible for this activity and managed to put the name of Castle Hill Rotary before the public via the local press on a number of occasions through the year. This is a continuing task and not always an easy one to achieve the desired results.
Sergeant-‐at-‐Arms Sergeant-at-Arms PP Warren Bowden has performed his tasks with decorum, integrity and humour and was ably assisted by his deputies, Ray White and Grant Cockburn as to by the various Corporals throughout the year. Receipts from fines sessions were well up on previous years which contributed to the overall financial stability of our Club. Warren was instrumental in organising the new flags and other regalia introduced in conjunction with the flags, and the impressive ceremonial presentation of the flags in February.
Membership and Membership Development Again we were fortunate to secure the leadership of an experienced Rotarian after the departure of Bill Robinson. PP Graeme Brangwin handled this portfolio with professional aplomb processing the nominations of four new members to our ranks. We welcomed Ross Hood, Les Smith, Rod Williamson and David Bowles but farewelled David Godfrey, Owen Parr, Bill Robinson and Jim Zerefos. We also welcomed back Alan Brook as an Honorary Member, so finished the year one up at 69 members. Graeme conducted two Rotary Information nights which were well received by those attending and should assist the assimilation of our new members.
Classifications Under the chairmanship of PP Allan Buckingham our register of Classifications was maintained and appropriate classifications allocated to new members. Allan also provided valuable input to Rotary Information Nights and we thank him for his contribution.
Rotary Information Barry Alsop was responsible for conveying and reminding members of some important matters in Rotary. He achieved this principally through interesting and timely articles in the Bulletin and hopefully both old and new members were enlightened as enthused by his efforts on this assignment.
Club History We have been fortunate to have David Sommerlad in this portfolio and to write a further chapter of our Club’s history with a record of Bill Tait’s 1989-90 year.
Acknowledgement To each member of the Club Service team I thank you for all of your assistance and support throughout the year and to all the members of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill may I extend my appreciation for giving me the opportunity to serve in the capacity of Club Service Director and gain that additional Rotary experience. To President Peter I say well done and to President Bruce and his team, have a great year leading a great Club.
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Community Service report This year the Rotary Club of Castle Hill has had a successful year in Community Service. Our Major Projects were:
Pioneer Families The gathering of the Pioneer Families was very well organised by Brian Stacey and his Committee. It was a very successful weekend.
The Showgate Collection The Showgate collection was a record. The project was well attended by our Members. The greater the number of workers the less load for everybody. The Club made in excess of $11,000. Also at the Show “Guess the Weight of the Steer” Competition was very successful and $950 was raised for Camp Quality Foundation. Thanks go to Phil Dunn.
Christmas Puddings The sale of Christmas puddings brought in $1,000. This year Peter Gilbank put a lot of effort into this project.
Red Shield Appeal The Club was very involved with the Red Shield Appeal this year. Stan Fulker became the Castle Hill Coordinator and with the help of Alan Jeffries did a wonderful job in organising the day. It was great to see so many Rotarians and Rotaryannes give Stan their support. Castle Hill area collected 90% of their target.
Orange Blossom Festival A Float was entered again this year in the Orange Blossom Festival and a Sausage Sizzle was held during the day. The Club took on the task of erecting and taking down the flags for the Festival with a profit of $1,500.
Coats New white embroidered coats were purchased during this year to wear on certain projects. These were much needed.
MS Research The Club had a good representation at the Burning Log Restaurant for the MS Research Foundation Night. $4,000 was raised on the night.
Our Club made Donations to Various Organisations during the year Helping Lions. Kellyville, re hardship case Two bikes for the Castle Hill Police Camp Breakaway Australian Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation Camp Quality HADPAC
$500 $500 $2,000 $1,000 $1,960 $1,000
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Helping Soroptimists complete a project for a handicapped girl Help for a teenage family without parents Reserved for extra pedestrian box and various work at Castle Hill Showground Australian Rotary Health Research Royal Blind Society
$1,000 $760 $2,000 $500 $3.664
In Conclusion I would like to thank the members of my Committee and all Rotarians and Rotaryannes for their support and involvement with Community Service during the year.
Vocational Service report Overview Activities in this year have been very interesting. We have had 2 vocational visits, a very high standard of entries in Pride in Workmanship and some very, very good Guest Speakers.
Career Marketing A warm welcome was made to Carol O’Brien from Merrylands High School who spoke on Castle Hill Career Marketing. How it had taken place and the benefits to our youth of today. Carol asked for assistance from the Club at the May1991 venue. It is sad to say that this Club let her down on this project. I hope fellows, we can make up in 1991/91 and assist Carol and her Committee in this project.
Vocational Visits The Club enjoyed 2 vocational visits in this year. Firstly we were made most welcome to HMAS Nirimba. This meeting started with a display of the facilities of the base with Captain Swan and a talk over dinner of the history and Facilities of HMAS Nirimba. A very enjoyable evening was had by all fellows and guests and we were also extended an invitation to attend the facility at a later date. Our second visit was to the CSIRO at North Ryde. Thanks must go to Ross Hood for a very interesting evening. We were made most welcome and a talk and display of the workings of the CSIRO were most professional. An enjoyable evening was had by all fellows and guests.
Operation Livewire Mr Athol Armerister gave a talk on this Rotary project which has an “on and off” history. Athol told the meeting this project was now firmly in place. With our assistance in our district, we may be able to help young people who wish to start their own business in conjunction with Livewire. We have only had one basic enquiry so far, but I feel sure that in the future, we will be of great assistance with this project.
Pride in Workmanship This year our nominations were of a very high standard. Many names were put up for nomination. All were well received, the Committee decided on the following people to receive awards of Pride in Workmanship: • •
Annette Baldwin Denise Davis
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• •
Diane Heiler Bob Myron
Our thanks to Margaret Stone on the presentation of the Walter Stone memorial Trophy to Anthony White, the Apprentice of the Year.
In conclusion I would like to thank my Committee for their support on al projects, Past President Peter and fellow Board members for a most interesting year and an insight to the workings of Rotary.
International Service report Our objective for the year was to increase the awareness of the International Service arm of Rotary by promoting select overseas projects and events and encouraging personal involvement of our Members in International Projects.
Overseas Club Contacts To further international understanding and goodwill we wrote to several overseas Rotary Clubs to join our Clubs together with regular correspondence and Club toastings. Information packed correspondence was received from: • • •
The Rotary Club of La Coruna, Spain The Rotary Club of Geneve-Lac, Geneva, Switzerland The Rotary Club of Dun- Loaghaire, Ireland.
Each Club was introduced at our dinner meetings and accordingly toasted. The replies we received from Spain and Switzerland proved interesting reading once translated into Australian.
FAIM WE have continued to support this Australian developed project by maintaining 100% Club membership. During the year we were addressed by Dr Alan Gale, a prominent heart surgeon who is heading an ongoing heart surgery education project in Kathmandu, Nepal. Following on from his presentation we made a donation of $500 towards the project. Past president Ron Marcus and a club sponsored non-member, Peter Croke, flew to Nepal and spent 2 weeks assisting with maintenance work on badly neglected electrical installations in Kathmandu hospital. We believe PP Ron is itching to get back!
Group Study Exchange This year D968 hosted a GSE Team from D184 Germany (Southern Bavaria)/Austria lead by PDGH Rudolf Heubach. Our Club had the pleasure of hosting the District Farewell to the popular Team on the 20th March where a good time was had by one and all. Our thanks to Rotarian Warren Knight for hosting Team member Robert Gresslinger. Also our congratulations to Rotarian Jim Josephson who took on the interesting task of Zone Coordinator for the week the Team was in the Hills Zone just before they left form home.
International Understanding Awards Although we were unable to submit an application for this D968 project this year our Club continues to support the programme through financial involvement at the rate of $6 per Club member.
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Rotary Foundation A donation of $500 was made to Rotary Foundation to increase the level in line with previous years.
In summary During the year we had several speakers on International topics with the highlights being a visit on a Ladies’ Night by a secretary from the Soviet Consulate, Mr Gregory Davidov and his wife Elizabeth. The night was very informative and was enjoyed by all who attended. My thanks go to the International Service Committee for their assistance throughout the year and congratulations to President Peter for a successful and enjoyable year. Best wishes go to President Bruce and the new Board for a successful 1991/92.
Youth Service report Overview Youth activities during the past year have been many and varied. Whilst still carrying out the traditional student exchange and leadership programmes, there has been opportunity for involvement in new ventures. It has been particularly satisfying to have worked alongside an enthusiastic team of fellows, to whom I wish to extend my thanks. A more detailed account follows.
International Youth Exchange Although some difficulty has been experienced in securing host families from within our own club, we have nevertheless been able to continue with an exchange programme, via suitable external hosting placement. English exchange student, Rachel Aston, returned to the UK in August 1990, one month after Norwegian student Jan Ronnigen also returned to his homeland. Both will be remembered for their inimitable personalities. In January this year Katrina Ezzy and Justine Lee came home from their North American exchange programmes. Both girls reported contracting but rewarding experiences. It is particularly pleasing to report that this year’s outbound student Nicole Parmenter, who is in Tokyo, is receiving commendable reports from her host club. Incoming exchange student Debbie Good from Durban, South Africa will now be known to most at Castle Hill Club, and has settled down well. Many thanks to Ed and Lorraine Heyman for hosting Debbie, along with outside families the Loaders, Lees and Parmenters.
New Zealand Twin Exchange Tania Ogilvie (Phil and Julie’s daughter) is the fortunate recipient of this year’s matched twin exchange from Castle Hill Club, and is currently enjoying the hospitality of the McCormacks in Auckland, New Zealand. The Club met Stacey McCormack whilst she was residing with the Ogilvies, from February until May.
RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) The applicants for RYLA were so outstanding that the Board agreed to sponsoring 3 nominees for this year’s Leadership programme. All 3 were accepted, and Phillip Barnes, Jacqueline Maude and Lisa Marcus (Ron and Judy’s daughter) benefited from this residential youth activity.
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RYPEN (Rotary Youth Programme of Enrichment) This was the first year that Sponsorship has been offered to Year 10 students, from Castle Hill Club to participate in a RYPEN weekend. Daryl Brown and Luke Boynton were the awardees.
Rotaract Under the Chairmanship of Hannibal Shabaz, the liaison with Rotaract has been outstanding. It was unfortunate that owing to family bereavement, the previously elected President of Rotaract, Leanne Lane, had to resign after only a few months into her year, and move to Melbourne. Mark McEwan willingly stepped into the chair, and has kept the momentum running.
Vision Valley Bus Project An exciting combined Hills Rotary Club project was carried out, via the running of a mega electrical goods sale, over a weekend last November, for the purpose of funding the purchase of a bus for Vision Valley. The project brought together 8 out of the 10 clubs in the Hills District who worked with enthusiasm towards this goal. With the proceeds from this sale, plus generous donations from individual clubs, $20.000 was raised, and a suitable bus is to be purchased prior to 30 June. This is a great example of clubs cooperating towards a worthy cause.
Hills District Youth Service (HDYS) After learning of the aims and objectives of this newly- constituted Youth Service, on our own doorstep, a recommendation from the Club’s Youth Committee was unanimously approved by the Board. In its wisdom the Board decided to provide computer equipment on a loan basis to the HDYS, to the value of $12,500. The prime purpose in meeting this requirement is to assist HDYS in setting up a youth training facility which will encourage its utilisation on a “drop-in” basis. The Youth Committee is impressed by the good intentions of HDYS staff and as a further measure of support (as well as to retain a watchful eye on things) is delighted that Rotarian Ray Brown has volunteered his services to the HDYS Board.
National Summer Science School Interviews have been carried out among Year 11 students for selection to attend this prestigious science career school. Rotary clubs are restricted to forwarding only 1 applicant per club, for District consideration. Castle Hill Rotary has put forward one applicant and we now await whether he will gain entry to attend January 1992 Summer School.
Summary It has been an eventful year as I believe my report conveys. Several challenges have been met and others are of course ongoing. I have personally enjoyed this experience and thank my Committee and fellow Directors form their support and counsel over the past 12 months.
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Treasurer’s Statement as at May 1991 Administration Account Balance 30.6.90
$10,187.48
Receipts YTD
$53,611.37
Payments YTD
$52,784.21 Surplus
$827.16 $11.014.64
Projects Account Cash Book Balance at 30.6.90
$3,540.12
Receipts YTD
$41,734.52
Payments YTD
$41.535.75 Surplus
$198.77
Art & Craft Account
$40.96
Art & Craft Investments
$2,000 Balance:
$16,794.49
1991-‐1992 Rotary International President: Rajendra K. Saboo (Santoa, Soa Paulo, Brazil) RI President’s Theme: “Look Beyond Yourself” Governor District 968: Ted Atkinson (Dural) Changeover celebrated on 24th July1992
Board of Directors President: Bruce Allen
President-Elect: Ray White
Immediate Past-President: Peter Wood
Director Club: Graeme Brangwin
Vice President: PP Graeme Brangwin
Director Community: Jim Josephson
Secretary: Geoff Duffy
Director Vocational: John Cooper
Treasurer: PP Ron Marcus
Director International: Hannibal Shabaz
Sergeant-at-Arms: Chris Timmins/Rod Williamson
Director Youth: Ed Heyman
President’s report There is little doubt that approaching a term of President of any Club, let alone the Rotary Club of Castle Hill, one cannot help but be filled with fear and trepidation of the daunting task which lays ahead. The fine traditions of this Club, built by many, many staunch and true members over the years gone by, makes every “new boy” wonder whether he will make it over those twelve long months and makes him wonder at what stage of the year he’ll actually fail. One very large lesson I have learnt over the year is that this Club is very, very good at making Presidents look brilliant. Much to my delight, I felt no pressure of any kind during the year and this is totally due to the exceptional backing of a fine Club membership, a strongly involved and capable
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Board, an understanding family and the total support, encouragement and love of the main person in my life, Dita Allen. No Rotary Club President ever achieves what he set out to achieve and this year’s President is no exception. You start the year with such high hopes but before you know it the twelve months have gone and you’re not even half way finished. Perhaps the solution is to take twelve months off work and devote your total energies to the task at hand but then Rotary is such a vocational organisation that this particular solution would defeat the object of the whole exercise of being part of Rotary. As Presidents, as Boards, as Members we all do what we can within the framework of time available to us and what we do, we do well. I would urge you to take great pride in what we have achieved and in the same breath I would urge you to strive to do more in the year ahead. It takes a lot of effort from a lot of people to run a Rotary Club as successful as the Rotary Club of Castle Hill. I thank everybody who has contributed to this task and the other numerous activities undertaken through the year. I am mindful of the fact that it is perhaps not particularly wise to single out individuals for praise but in doing so, this does not lessen my appreciation of the effort from the entire membership. I thank you all sincerely but would like to mention a few who have contributed strongly to the success of our year. I will firstly thank my Secretary Geoff Duffy who has, at all times, proved to be a tower of strength and a source of continual support. As any Club Secretary will tell you, they really are the “engine room” of the Club and if protocol didn’t insist on the President being in charge, they could run things a lot better. Geoff, you’re probably right but thanks for not continually reminding me and thanks for your great support throughout the year. Ray White is indeed fortunate that Geoff has volunteered for another year in the same role. The second person I would single out is Vice President PP Graeme Brangwin otherwise known as “Cool Hand Luke”. Nothing ruffles this man, nothing stumps him, nothing clouds his thinking and on top of all this – he generally knows all the answers. Club Service is one area where you need someone who’s “been there and done that” and I consider myself fortunate to have has Graeme control this area for me. Thanks for keeping it all ticking over Graeme – you, above most, have made this year possible for me. The next member I would like to single out is PP Norm Roach who stepped into the breach at the last minute to handle Fellowship. I had my doubts early on when I noticed Norm walking with bottles of grog under his arm but it didn’t take long to start appreciating his immense value to the Club. He has, without doubt, performed an enormous Fellowship job this year (in addition to his District duties) and we have all benefited from his involvement. Thanks for caring enough to do it Norm – the results were truly outstanding. The fourth and final person I would like to thank is our Sergeant Chris Timmins. Whoever thought that an undertaker could be that much fun! His constant attention to detail, his tight control over procedures, his merciless persecution of Bill Tait and Ray Brown, his extraordinary talent of extracting money from pockets. All of these attributes combine to make a Sergeant of exceptional quality and we are indeed fortunate to have him in our midst. Thanks for the year Chris its been good for all of us! We’ve lost a few friends along the way but we’ve gained a few new ones to make up for it. Bob Ainsworth has moved to New Zealand (although on Leave of Absence), Alan Buckingham has moved up the coast (LOA at the moment) and Bill Peggie has resigned. Our “New chums”, Malcolm Chalmers, John Stuart and David Lewis will help fill the gap created by the losses and that’s typical of Rotary. Things are continually changing but the concept, the ideals, and the practice of Rotary remains. Our Heritage Committee has again faced many obstacles in our quest to have a meaningful Heritage Park established in the Banks Road area and the “due processes” of Government continue to frustrate David Sommerlad, his Committee and the Club. We will not be diverted from the direction we believe best serves this community and work continues to this end. Of course, an organisation such as ours cannot survive let alone do well without the support of our ladies and I would be negligent if I did not mention the valuable support our partners have once again given us – and our Club. They are always there, always ready to help, never failing in doing whatever
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needs to be done and I will leave each of you men to wonder why. I think perhaps love plays a large part in the equation and we are all to be thankful for that. I would like to close by again thanking my Board for their involvement this year, for their fellowship and the tremendous support they have given me. The following reports are due testament of what they have achieved and have all truly “looked beyond themselves”. My very best wishes go to Ray and Marlene for their year ahead and I encourage all Castle Hill Rotarians and Rotaryannes to support them with great feeling over the twelve months before them.
Secretary’s report Membership We commenced this Rotary Year with a membership of 67 fellows with the following break up: • • • •
Active Senior Active Past Service Honorary
36 25 3 3
And will complete our year with 69 members: • • • •
Active Senior Active Past Service Honorary
38 25 2 4
New members inducted during the year: • • •
Malcolm Chalmers John Stuart David Lewis
November 20 November 27 March 25
Furniture accessories Real Estate Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Our only resignation was: •
Bill Peggie
Board meetings The Board met on fourteen occasions during the year with an excellent attendance by all members of the Board. Thank you to our hosts at Board meetings and their partners for their delightful suppers at the conclusion of our meetings.
Attendance Bruce Allen
14
John Cooper
13
Geoff Duffy
14
Hannibal Shabaz
11
Ron Marcus
13
Ed Heyman
10
Graeme Brangwin
13
Ray White
11
Jim Josephson
13
Peter Wood
10
Two meetings were called at short notice after normal weekly meetings.
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Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of the Club was held on December 4, 1991 at which the office bearers for the 1992-93 Rotary year were duly elected. President:
Ray White
Secretary:
Geoff Duffy
Treasurer:
Doug Deeth (since replaced by Ian Renshaw)
Directors:
Milton Colburt Peter McBean Terry O’Brien Ross Hood Les Smith (since replaced by Jim Josephson)
President-Elect: Past President:
Drew Moffatt Bruce Allen
Club Assemblies Two Club Assemblies were held during the past Rotary year, the first devoted to the objectives and directions of the new Board and the discussion of the Club plans for the year. The second assembly was held in conjunction with the Annual General Meeting.
Club Administration All statutory and constitutional requirements have been complied with, Board and Annual General Meeting fully minuted, membership records maintained and the Club correspondence attended to and filed. No problems have surfaced during the 1991-92 Club year but attendance continues to be a problem, mainly due to “Leave of Absence” applications. Thank you to President Bruce Allen and the members of the Board for their assistance and advice in my role as Club Secretary. To President Ray White and his incoming Board, my best wishes for a successful year in the premier Club of the Hills District.
Club Service report This has been a very busy year for all members of the Club Service Committee. We have tried to ensure that the Club meetings have run smoothly and have been interesting for members and have continued with an excellent fellowship programme. At the outset, I sincerely thank my assistant PP Norm Roach who has been invaluable throughout the year in particular taking over responsibility for the Fellowship Chairman at short notice.
Fellowship Many enjoyable functions were organised by the Fellowship Committee including: • • • • • • •
Christmas home visits Christmas party at the home of Warren & Julie Knight Pasta, Plonk and Pancakes – Milton, & Maureen Colburt Milson Island Ferry trip Ladies’ Nights Theatre party Chinese Restaurant – Karaoke Night
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Programmes PP Bill Tait provided us with excellent guest speakers throughout the year. We enjoyed the variety of subjects covered, all of which proved to be most informative for members.
Bulletins PP Allan Buckingham prepared a most informative Bulletin which added greatly to the Communication within the Club. We were fortunate on Allan’s departure to Forster, to have Les Smith continue the fine work. We are also grateful; to PP Peter Wood who has printed and collated the Bulletin every week.
Attendance Barry Alsop has been reliable and accurate in his recording of attendance, reporting to District and posting Bulletins. Our attendance was 75.3% year-to-date which is consistent with previous years.
Sergeant-‐at-‐Arms Chris Timmins and his assistant Rod Williamson kept control of the meetings in an efficient manner and attended to setting up the room every week to enhance our venue. We were treated to great humour while contributing willingly to the Club’s coffers. Revenue at 31.5.92 stands at $1,351.89 which is fitting testimony both to Chris’ ability and our member’s generosity.
Competition Norm Roach’s tireless efforts during the year have provided members with “rewarding” moments and this activity has generated considerable revenue. Net proceeds at 31.5.92 stand at $2,990.93 and Norm is to be congratulated on a superb effort.
Public Relations Phil Ogilvie and his assistant Bob Milne have succeeded in promoting the Club in the media and we thank them for their efforts.
Membership New members meetings were held at the home of PP Graeme Brangwin and proved to be of great value in disseminating Rotary information. New Dinner Badges have been issued and classifications updated by PP John Barker. My personal thanks to all Club members for their participation throughout the year.
Treasurer’s report (Comments from President Bruce) Treasurer Ron Marcus, supported by Doug Deeth, has performed beyond expectations in controlling our Club’s finances and is to be commended on a job well done. The financial statements which Ron has presented to our Board Meetings have been excellent and have kept all Board members fully acquainted with our financial position. I am sure that when the Financial Report for the period ending June 30th 1992 has been completed, it will be of the same high standard.
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The current state of our funds at May 31st 1992 is: Balance 1/7/91
Balance 31/5/92
Administration
$11,209.78
$12,554.03
Projects
$1,430.67
$9,988.55
Arts & Crafts
$1,176.46
$6,131.10
$13,816.91
$28,673.68
Total payments from Projects YTD May are $23,880.44 with a further $2,500 due for payment in June.
International report The objective for the year has been to get the Club and its members to be aware of this avenue of service by promotion of various International projects and encouraging their active participation in them. With this in mind in International Month, November, the Committee organised for Mr John Afarin as a guest speaker to a packed audience on the subject of Assyrians and their legacy and the occasion produced a highly successful night.
FAIM The Club has once again been involved in FAIM by donating $1,000 towards the project of a Cardiac Surgery facility at Kathmandu, Nepal. PP Ron Marcus and the Club sponsored no-Rotarian Mr Karl Rieger, devoted a great deal of their personal time by visiting Nepal to undertake necessary work and we are indebted to them both for their contributions. Ron Marcus in particular has played a significant role in this project with three visits to Nepal so far with a further trip planned later this year. Our Club was fully involved in Group Study Exchange team from South Africa and Mr Jim Josephson was again in charge of organising the week’s activities while the GSE team was in our area. And indeed what a fine job he did.
IPAC Correspondence was entered into for two different projects being: •
•
The purchase of a complete Rota Home and accessories for a needy family in Fiji. After correspondence with (the) Rotary Club of Lautoka in Fiji and PDG Alan Still of Burleigh Heads, a cheque for the amount of $2,155 was posted and a receipt has been received by the Club. We have been promised that we will be notified when the home has been purchased and the family moved in. We will attempt to maintain regular contact with this family. The installation of a toilet and a tube well in Bangladesh. No answering correspondence was received.
In all, this has been a very satisfying year for Director Hannibal Shabaz and his enthusiastic Committee.
Youth Service report As a member for many years this was my first year as Youth Director for our Club, renowned in the District as a youth-oriented Club. I feel we have kept up the tradition of fulfilling the normal activities of the youth segment without breaking new ground.
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Our inbound student from South Africa, Debbie Good, was true to her surname and showed enthusiasm in all aspects of the exchange programme. Her correspondence since returning home has indicated her affection and appreciation of her year at Castle Hill. Our returning student from Japan, Nicole Polmanteer gave us an enlightening talk of her experiences in the land of the Rising Sun, of which I for one was very impressed. The New Zealand Twin Exchange was not taken up this year for reasons possibly related to the economic situation and perhaps to the age bracket into which our Rotarians are now entering. Our participation in RYLA was well rewarded with three nominees taking part – Julie Sommerfield, Jennifer Eland and Brett Watson. Their return visit and talk to our Club showed that the “female force” is a segment to be reckoned with. Rotaract progressed steadily and the incoming President Matt Ryan will continue on the good foundation as laid down by long-serving member Mark McEwan. In our third year of connection with the Hills District Youth Service (HDYS) we have continued to give them financial support and Chairman Ray Brown has given his “youthful” support in making their activities more relevant to the community needs. We – as a Club of professional businessmen – can still come forward with ideas and guidance to make this service a great benefit to our local community. The National Science Summer School applications are presently being considered and two applicants before the Club – and only one to be submitted to District – we have a tough assignment. This was also the case recently when we chose Meegan Davies as our applicant to go before District for International Youth Exchange for 1993. We wish her well in her interview at this time and hope she succeeds in winning a selection to go to Germany or Norway next year. In summary, I wish to thank my Committee and the members for supporting the Youth Activities for this past Rotary year so well. Your support has made the task much easier.
Community Service report The 1991-92 Community Service year has been a busy one, with somewhat mixed results. The various projects undertaken have, as always, provided fellowship and satisfaction for the Rotarians and Rotaryannes involved and we are indebted to those who participated. The Orange Blossom festival again provided the opportunity for the Club to enter a float and to run a sausage sizzle which made a small profit of some $106. Our anticipated construction of an additional entrance gate at the Showground did not proceed due to difficulties with design which unfortunately is still not finalised. We were however, through the efforts of our Showgate sub-committee, able to carry out some works in updating and improving the existing facilities. Again we participated in the gate collection during the show and due to the initiatives of our sub-committee, introduced new procedures which greatly enhanced our efficiency. For our efforts we received some $11,000 and through our “Guess The Weight Of The Steer” competition raised some $500 for Camp Quality. We arranged a visit on Christmas Day to Baulkham Hills Community Hospital which was enjoyed by all, and we organised a bicycle education day at Castle Hill Primary School at which some 50 children attended. The sale of Camp Breakaway Art Union tickets was not totally successful and the Club subsidised the unsold tickets to the amount of $985. Our efforts, nevertheless, resulted in this Club generating in excess of $5,000 towards the project a highly commendable effort. Our attempt to run a “Tree Of Joy” did not eventuate, however we were able to make a Christmas donation of $1,000 to the local Wesley Centre for Christmas Hampers instead. A donation of $189 was made to the SANDS organisation to enable a representative to attend a conference. Under the direction of PP Roy Martin we were again able to help a young Castle Hill family with urgent repairs to their home and other matters, and in this regard expended a small amount of money for necessary materials.
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Trees For Survival remains a commitment for the coming Rotary year with a recipient and a sponsor yet to be found. Donations in the amount of some $1,200 were made to the HADPAC organisation and a donation to the Rotary Health Foundation ($500) was also to be made. Our special project under the direction of PP Phil Dunn, the Community Bazaar/Car Boot Sale at Castle Hill Showground, got off to a good start in November 1991 and made a profit of some $1,700. Our attempts to make this a monthly project at Castle Hill Primary School have not fared so well with somewhat disappointing attendance to date. It is hoped that perseverance into the new year will rectify this and produce more pleasing results in the months to come. Our overall monetary result still remains a profit of approximately $1,700 showing only a break-even result for the five school events. The procurement of a permanent storage facility for Rotary goods still evades us, and it is hoped that some resolution can be found in the New Year. It is also disappointing that repairs to the Castle Hill Lookout, expected to have been carried out by the Local Council under insurance provisions, have not proceeded and this matter may also need to be further addressed in the coming year. This has been a busy and interesting year and I wish to thank my committee for their efforts and participation in carrying out the work in the above programme.
Vocational Service report Our objective for the year was to increase the awareness of Vocational Service within the Club by promoting select projects of interest to our members.
“My Vocation” job talks A regular “job talk” segment entitled “My Vocation” was introduced into our weekly meetings to educate members on the multiplicity of vocations in the Club and to help them learn more about their fellow members. This proved to be of interest to all as both long-serving and new members were given the opportunity to promote their vocation.
Quality Assurance Quality Assurance is recognised as an important topic in today’s economic climate. Arrangements were made for Gary Kimble from the Government-funded National Industry Extension Service (NIES) together with the production manager of Colby Engineering Pty Ltd, Brookvale, to address a “bring a business guest” dinner on the importance of incorporating QA in all business activities. The discussion and case history offered food for thought for all members.
Vocational visits Our first vocational visit was to the Sydney Morning Herald at Broadway. Members and guests were given the opportunity to see at first-hand how the masthead of the Fairfax Publications was produced from go to whoa. Our tour included seeing in action the reporters room, editorial section, photographers dark room, compositors in action, plate production and finally, a section of the paper being printed. We climbed up steps and down steps, over machines and under machines and most members came away without printer’s ink on their clothes. A very enjoyable evening was had by all. Our second visit was to the Hills District Youth Service at Castle Hill after being addressed at Durham, Park by John King, the Director of the Service. Members were shown at first hand the operation of the Youth Service graphics department as well as programmes encouraging youth to keep “off the streets”.
Ongoing training They say some of our best guest speakers come from within our Clubs. Under the title “Vocational development for Castle Hill Rotarians”, Rtn Peter McBean took one of our meetings through a concise course on Time Management. The areas covered were thought provoking to all. Members
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went away from the meeting with the question, “What’s the best use of my time right now?” firmly impressed in their mind. Thanks to Peter for a very interesting evening.
Pride in Workmanship Awards Pride in Workmanship Awards have been a part of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill agenda for many years and 1991-92 was no exception with all nominations being of a high standard. The awardees were: • • • • • • • • •
Christina Arent Steven Bevan Fay Davidson Sherida Fleming Jim Gauchi Scott Southwell Kerro Glover Yvonne Matas Darrell Meredith
Commonwealth Bank Regency Design Centre Undercover Wear Lingerie Parties Spring Flowers Florist John Pirello Prestige Paint and Panelbeating John Pirello Prestige Paint and Panelbeating David Jones (Aust) P/L HADPAC HADPAC
The Award night was again supplemented with the Walter Stone Memorial perpetual Trophy for Apprentice of the Year being presented by Margaret Stone. The recipient this year was Matthew Murphy from CSIRO, North Ryde.
Youth Enhancement Scheme During the year we attempted to put in place a Youth Enhancement Scheme with the Castle Hill High School. The objective of the scheme is to increase motivation and self esteem of students through extended vocational experience in an area of interest chosen by the student. Unfortunately although a lot of time was put in to commence the scheme in this Rotary year, it was not possible and will be carried over as a project for 1992-93. My thanks go to the Vocational Service Committee for their assistance throughout the year and congratulations to President Bruce for a successful 1991-92. To incoming President Ray and his Board, best wishes for 1992-93.
1992-‐1993 Rotary International President: Clifford L. Dochterman (Moraga, California, USA) RI President’s Theme: “Real Happiness is Helping Others” Governor District 968: Neville Chambers (St Ives) Changeover celebrated on 23rd June1992
Board of Directors President: Ray White
President-Elect: Ron Miller
Immediate Past-President: Bruce Allen
Director Club: PP Milton Colburt
Vice President: PP Milton Colburt
Director Community: Jim Josephson
Secretary: Geoff Duffy
Director Vocational: Peter McBean
Treasurer: Alan Holman
Director International: Terry O’Brien
Sergeant-at-Arms: Gerry Larkin
Director Youth: Ross Hood
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Presidents Message It is difficult to believe that 12 months have already passed, but let me say I have enjoyed it and considered it an honour to be President of this great Rotary Club of Castle Hill. Rather than repeat what your Directors have said in their reports, I ask you to study them and then you will appreciate the amount of good work we as a Club have achieved this year for our community at home and internationally. Fellowship is very important to any successful club and for this not only do I thank the Fellowship Committee, I also thank our Rotaryannes for the help that gave to the club in different fellowship functions and Club Fund Raising Programmes; without their help during the year we would have found it difficult. Information is very important and this year I was blessed with having Peter Wood as our Bulletin Editor and with no disrespect to any previous editors this is by far the best Bulletin publication in my years in Rotary and let’s help the District Governor sees it our way. Many thanks to Peter. There are personal highlights in every President’s Year; I list such projects as the construction of the Castle Hill Show Gate, Harbour Tunnel Walk, formation of the new Rotary Club of Glenhaven and our work in the Youth area, where our direction was more towards School Age children and their needs. The awarding of 3 Paul Harris Fellowships to Allan Holman, PP Milton Colburt and Mavis Todd. Of course our Pride of Workmanship night was another highlight. These programmes and many more were the result of hard work and commitment from us all. To my fellow Board members, committee Chairmen, Ladies and fellow Rotarians I thank you for your support. I wish Ron and his Board all the best for their Rotary Year ahead. My last word has to go to my wife Marlene for help and support throughout the year.
Club Service report This year attention has again been paid to efficient conduct of meetings. To that end normal club meetings commenced promptly at 6:30pm and concluded with few exceptions at 8:00pm, at which time, fellows and their guests enjoyed coffee, port and fellowship. This provided opportunity for informal committee meeting and good fellowship. Our Fellowship Committee, led by John Cooper and Cheryl and assisted by David and Faye Bowles, again gave us a Fellowship Programme renowned to Castle Hill Rotary. A Christmas night, ladies night, a port night, a typical home visit night and a lot of fun. Our grateful thanks goes to our gracious hosts, who helped us to achieve a rich and rewarding fellowship year. Our thanks to Secretary, Geoff Duffy, for keeping us on the straight and narrow and our wholehearted thanks to Allan Holman, for filling in as Treasurer and doing a sterling job. Sincere thanks to Chairman, Ray Brown, for providing weekly programmes to our usual high standard. Thanks to a very busy man, for a job well done. Thank you to our fill-in Attendance Officer, Malcolm Chalmers and his able bodied assistants, for their weekly welcome. A thousand praises to our Bulletin Editor, Peter Wood, for his innovative and informative bulletin, colour photos, witty charm and untiring devotion to excellence in print. A good job, very well done. Thank you Peter. To our District and World Rotary Conference Chairman and Classification Chairman, Norman Roach, our sincere thanks for his untiring efforts in organising our district conference needs, and our record attendance at a world conference. And again, for keeping us abreast with Rotary information, we thank Graeme Brangwin and his committee.
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With tongue in cheek we say thanks to our Sergeant at Arms, Gerry Larkin and his able bodied assistant, Rod Wheatley, for keeping our meetings in tone and our pockets at the ready. Our thanks for the wonderful effort with our weekly raffles. My thanks to all Club Service Committee members who have been willing workers and able supporters at all times and I thank you all, for the privilege to serve as Club Service Director and Vice President of your Rotary Club.
Community Service Committee The 1992-93 Community Services year has been, as usual, a busy one and the various projects undertaken have provided fellowship and satisfaction form all those involved. We were finally able to carry out the construction of an additional entrance gate at the showground, under the direction of PP Roy Martin and this has been a project of which we can all be proud. We again carried out gate collection duties at the Castle Hill Show, however this year we were asked to also handle the parking duties previously under the control of the Kellyville Club. Even though some doubts were raised regarding our capacity to handle the extra workload, we can be proud of the manner in which we carried this additional responsibility. We must also acknowledge the assistance given in this effort by our Rotaract club members. I wish to express my admiration for Chris Timmins for the magnificent manner in which he organised and managed the whole operation for the example he has set for the future. We arranged a visit on Christmas Day to Baulkham Hills Community Hospital which was enjoyed by all, and we organised a bicycle education day at Castle Hill Primary School which was well attended. We were successful in organising the “Tree of Joy” under the extremely able direction of John Stuart and this could be a continuing project. Trees For Survival again eluded us, however it may one day be brought to fruition. We participated in Red Shield Collection, the Harbour Tunnel Walk and again ran our float in the Orange Blossom Parade. Our “Out of Boots” sale were not as well attended and we were unfortunately forced to discontinue this activity.
HADPAC A donation of a fax machine valued at $900 was presented to the group. A special disabled kitchen was installed by HADPAC in which PP Phil Dunn and Anthony White carried out the electrical and plumbing and drainage at no cost on behalf of the Rotary Club. Thanks to both men.
Camp Quality A donation of $6,000 was made.
Heritage Exhibition Project Committee A further $2,000 was donated into the trust account. A working bee was carried out to remove and store the “Banks Road Barn” for safekeeping.
Ranfurly Library Service A Rotary Sth. Pacific Project for schools. Over 5,000 books were collected from Westmead Hospital and delivered to the Rotary storage facilities in Newtown. Thanks to Allan Holman, Brett White and President Ray. Additional plant and equipment was purchased for the club’s use. These involved video-TV, electric typewriter and additional lighting for Art Show stands.
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The 1992 Art Show Sub-Committee ran a successful show in July 92 and the current SubCommittee, under the direction of Geoff Duffy, is well on track to run an even better event in the July coming. This has been a busy year and I wish to thank the committee members for their efforts and participation. I would also like to express my congratulations to president Ray on the completion of a successful and enjoyable Rotary year.
Vocational Service Report The Rotary Year 1992-93 has ben a busy one for Vocational Service in our Club and the members of the committee. We have endeavoured to address some of the current issues in our society and to assist those affected. Early in the year the committee took an innovative approach to this Second avenue of service and devised a programme that was relevant, balanced, contained some traditional Castle Hill projects, continued some important incomplete programmes from last year and introduced new ideas to stimulate Rotarians in our Club and business people in the community which we serve.
Vocational Service month October was Vocational Service Month and we programmed each of our four Wednesdays to provide an interesting yet concentrated focus on vocational challenges to business to progress against a strong tide of despondency and financial ruin in the small business sector. We decided for our first programme to have some of our Club members relate their experiences and how they are tackling recessionary problems. The committee is indebted to Norm Roach, Phil Driscoll, Milton Colburt, Brian Stacey, David Lewis, Graeme Brangwin for their courage and input to the discussion panel whose contributions were appreciated by all in attendance. The second programme was a talk on the Hills Skillshare and Employment Programme by Mike Kirby which was informative and enlightening on activities in our area to get the unemployed trained and back into gainful employment. On Wednesday October 21st we held a Business Night and invited many local business people to our Rotary Club to hear Mr John Paterson speak on “Australia Post- Recession”. This evening was a great success and provided yet another excellent PR vehicle for Rotary in the Castle Hill district. The last programme was a satirical hypothetical on how to apply the “Four Way Test”. This night was light, fun and thought provoking and again enjoyed by all present. Out thanks to John Poole of North Sydney for the script.
Vocational talks This year we continued the practice of hearing from many of our members on their careers and vocational expertise. Over the years this segment of our meetings has proven most interesting and informative and should avail every member the opportunity to speak and provide valuable data on his background.
Youth Enhancement Scheme In 1991-92 John Cooper and his team started the Youth Enhancement Scheme (YES) project which provides work experience to low achievers in Year 10 at school. When the new team took over in July the project was close to becoming operational and so we decided to accept the challenge and carry on the good work of the previous team. This strategy paid off and we have placed 3 students in work situation thus giving them exposure to trade and career opportunity. The programme has been well received by the school, staff, students, parents and employers and should have long-term benefits for the young people involved. Thanks to project chairman PP Stan Fulker and his facilitators for their efforts.
Youth employment Several members of the committee also conducted a job-search training programme for Year 10 and Year 12 students at Castle Hill High School. This programme conducted by Peter McBean, Bruce
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Allen and Bill Tait covered resume preparation, job search techniques and interview skills and was beneficial for both students and teachers.
Vocational visits In May over 60 members and guests visited the RAAF Base at Richmond where we had dinner in the Officers Mess, were given a most interesting talk on the structure and function of the Base and escorted on a brief tour of the establishment. The visit was organised by PP David Sommerlad and was thoroughly enjoyed by all who travelled to Richmond.
Pride in Workmanship One of the evergreen programmes of our Club is Pride in Workmanship and under the chairmanship of PP David Sommerlad we again staged a most successful Award Night in May. Over 100 Rotarians and guests sat down to dinner and to witness the recognition of some of the people in our community who take pride in what they do and do what they do well. The Awardees this year were: • • • • • • • • • • • •
Joe Bosco Christine Caryofyllis Paul Clarkson Robert Ewington Robyn Glassington Margaret Goodwin Gwen Jones Trudy Neal Simon Sanderson Janelle Schofield Rudi Svarc Andrew Yeend
Napoli’s Fruit for Life Hills District Youth Service Castle Hill RSL Club Ltd Swan Services Ltd TLE Electrical Pty Ltd The Vinegar Hill Woolshed Homeway First National Baulkham Hills Shire Council Club 2000 Fitness centre Baulkham Hills Shire Council Baulkham Hills Shire Council Handystamps
Winner of the Walter Stone Memorial Trophy for Rotary Apprentice of the Year was Gregory Booth – Lane Cove Upholstery. Finally, may I sincerely thank members of my committee for their energetic support and tireless efforts throughout this past twelve months. Our achievements have been our reward and we can be proud of our input to this Rotary year. Best wishes to incoming President Ron, his Board and Vocational Service Director Phil Driscoll and his committee for another stimulating year.
Youth Service report The Club has been extremely active in the youth area during the 1992/93 Rotary Year. The Youth Committee, at their first meeting, decided to concentrate their activities on local the community, and as a committee we have been heartened by the response of local community groups. Each individual or group has attended a Rotary meeting during the year and we have enjoyed the opportunity to learn that our money has been spent in a constructive and productive way. The following broad areas were supported this past year.
Youth Exchange Our incoming exchange student was Yuko Mimura from Japan who has now returned home after 12 enjoyable months with Castle Hill. Karen Potter returned in January after 12 months with the Halesowen Club in England whereas Meegan Davies left for Finland in the same month. Although
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considerable energy was expended we did not locate an applicant for the New Zealand Twin Exchange Program this year. Youth Exchange expenditure was $2,029
Youth Training Experience Local young people were selected and sent to a RYLA Seminar, Rotaract Leadership Weekend, Rotaract Youth Transition Seminar, RYPEN weekend and the Vision Valley Children’s Camp. The Hills District Youth Service played an important part in the identification of applicants for the latter two activities. Youth Training expenditure was $2,155
School Experiences As a club we were instrumental in assisting Peer Support Programs being started in Castle Hill Public School and Excelsior Public School. These are the first Peer Support Programs in local primary schools and information flowing back to the Club indicates that already students and teachers are reacting positively to the Program. Christianne Nott was sponsored to attend a Music Camp at Collaroy and four local High School students were successful with applications to the Siemens Summer Science School. Special mention should be made of Claire Turner who represented our Club at the prestigious CRA National Science Summer School (NSSS) in Canberra. Claire has been honoured with a staff position at the 1994 NSSS and to represent Australia at the International Youth Science Forum in England. School expenditure was $3,086. The year has been busy for those on the Youth Committee, and the Youth Director is very appreciative of the time and enthusiasm shown by the committee members. Thank you Fellows for a productive and rewarding year.
International Service report Group Study Exchange During October a number of International Committee and Club members attended a diner meeting at Pennant Hills golf Club to farewell the Malaysia team. During November a combined dinner meeting was held with Kellyville club to welcome back a returning GSE team.
Rotary Foundation PP Ron Marcus and Bob Milne led a team which included Judy Marcus and Dita Allen. The purpose of the trip was to carry out alterations to a hospital electrical switchboard in Nepal. The project became known as “The Nepal Open Heart Surgery Project”. The club assisted towards the cost of the trip with a cash donation of $900. In April the club hosted a dinner meeting to thank the team for the efforts in this worthwhile project and presented the team with commemorative plaques. A donation was made to the Foundation to bring all members to 100% membership.
Rotary against malaria District representatives were guest speakers to our club during November giving members and guests details of the program. The club presented a cheque to the guest speakers to assist in this worthwhile project.
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Fish in Dams Project District representatives addressed members and guests at a dinner meeting in February outlining the project where it designed to assist a specific school in seeding a dam with fish within the school to provide a number of meals for the students. We have given an undertaking to financially support this project for $1,000 when the project commences.
Donations in Kind (DIK) During April PP Peter Gilbank outlined this project seeking ideas from members on the most effective way our club could participate in this project. Discussions are pursuing with district coordinators to finalise our activity.
Model United Nations assembly (MUNA) Our club sponsored Castle Hill High School in the 1993 MUNA which is scheduled to take place in early June. The team is to report to members and guests at a meeting on June 9.
In conclusion My thanks to the committee members for their support and assistance in fulfilling the schedule of activities for the year, and wishing Hannibal Shabaz and his committee every success in 1993/94.
Secretary’s report Membership We commenced this Rotary Year with a membership of 69 fellows with the following break up: • • • •
Active Senior Active Past Service Honorary
38 25 2 4
and will complete our year with 65 members: • • • •
Active Senior Active Past Service Honorary
37 22 2 4.
New members inducted during this Rotary Year: • • •
Ned Curac Michael Henry Bob Wright
August 92 November 92 November 92
Building Construction Commercial Construction Medical products manufacturing
Resignations were: • • • •
Bob Ainsworth July 92 Alan Buckingham July 92 Len Lobbes November 92 Drew Moffatt December 92
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• •
Eric Pearson Peter Varvel
August 92 July 92
Board meetings The Board met on eleven occasions during the year with an excellent attendance by all members of the Board. Thank you to our hosts at the Board meetings and their partners for their delightful suppers at the conclusion of our meetings. Ray White Ian Renshaw Milton Colburt Peter McBean Ross Hood Ron Miller
11 10 11 6 11
Geoff Duffy Alan Holman Jim Josephson Terry O’Brien Bruce Allen
10 8 from 8 10 10 8
Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of the Club was held on December 2, 1992 at which the office bearers for the 1993-94 Rotary year were duly elected. President: Ron Miller
Directors:
President Elect: Gerry Larkin
John Barker Bill Tait
Past President: Ray White
David Lewis/Hannibal Shabaz
Secretary: Geoff Duffy
Phil Driscoll
Treasurer: Alan Holman
John Stuart
Club Assemblies Two Club Assemblies were held during the past Rotary year, the first devoted to the objectives and directions of the new Board and the discussion of Club plans for the year. The second assembly was held in conjunction with the Annual General Meeting.
Club Administration All statutory and constitutional requirements have been complied with, Board and Annual General Meeting fully minuted. Membership records maintained and the Club correspondence attended to and filed. No problems have surfaced during the 1992-93 Club year but attendance continues to be a problem, mainly due to “Leave of Absence” applications. Thank you to President Ray White and the members of the Board for their assistance and advice in my role as Club Secretary. To President Ron Miller and his incoming Board, my best wishes for a successful year in the premier Club of the Hills District.
1993-‐1994 Rotary International President: Robert R. Barth (Aarau, Switzerland) RI President’s Theme: “Do What You Believe in” Governor District 968: Graham Goodfellow (Northbridge) Changeover celebrated on 2nd July 1994
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Board of Directors President: Ron Miller
President-Elect: Gerry Larkin
Immediate Past-President: Ray White
Director Club: John Barker
Vice President: John Barker
Director Community: Bill Tait
Secretary: Geoff Duffy
Director Vocational: Phil Driscoll
Treasurer: Allan Holman
Director International: Hannibal Shabaz
Sergeant-at-Arms: George McDonald & Roy Martin
Director Youth: John Stuart
President’s report I would like to thank my wife, Joan, sons Newton and Stewart and daughter Lynette for their wonderful support and assistance. It has been a good year thanks to our Vice-President John, Secretary Geoff, Treasurer Allan, and Directors Bill, John, Phillip and Hannibal, the members and partners who have helped achieve the results in fellowship and fundraising events – from the Castle Hill Showgate, Art and Crafts Show, the Sale of Orchid Plants and the Gabi Hollows night, which raised funds for the Fred Hollows Foundation. Our Club donated $10,000 towards the $20,000 cost of a bed in the Rotary wing of the new Children’s Hospital at Westmead and also $3,200 to the Rachel and Sarah Mathews fund. Also, $2,000 was donated to the Mobile Police Station. It was with much pleasure that we awarded Paul Harris Fellowship to Alan Brook at the Australia Day Fellowship function and also forwarded contributions to Rotary Foundation to cover two more Paul Harris Fellowships. In concern for the aged – we are installing smoke detectors in a number of their homes. It is very pleasing that we have inducted four new members during the year, Tom Youkhana, Mike Blair, Bob Pope and Ron Forte – welcome to you and your partners. Our Sergeant-at-Arms George McDonald has been wonderful, helping to run our meetings with his great poetry and humour – many thanks George. Thanks go also to – David Sommerlad and his committee on the Heritage Park Project, Bob Wright Attendance Officer, Malcolm Chalmers for good fellowship, particularly the weekend to the Hunter Valley and Harold Park Trots, Bob Milne for the Hills Views and Peter Gilbank for running the Casino. Our Pride in Workmanship night and the Combined Meeting with Chamber of Commerce were very successful. I trust that the attendance and assistance of some members will improve, as members of Castle Hill Rotary, we all need to do our best for Rotary and the community. I would like to wish Gerry and his Board a most successful and enjoyable year. Once again my sincere thanks to all who have assisted in keeping our Rotary Club a great active and prominent service club.
Secretary’s report We commenced this Rotary Year with a membership of 65 fellows with the following break up: • • • •
Active Senior Active Past Service Honorary
37 22 2 4
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and will complete our year with 62 members: • • • •
Active Senior Active Past Service Honorary
34 23 1 4.
New members inducted during this Rotary Year: • • • •
Tom Youkhana Mike Blair Bob Pope Ron Forte
April 94 April 94 May 94 June 94
Building Societies management Building Consulting Fire Fighting Senior Active
Resignations were: • • • • • • •
Peter Eveleens David Brock Doug Deeth David Lewis Michael Henry Graeme McCabe Ian Renshaw
July 93 July 93 Aug 93 July 93 July 93 Dec 93 Feb 94
Board meetings The Board met on eleven occasions during the year with an excellent attendance by all members of the Board. Thank you to our hosts at the Board meetings and their partners for their delightful suppers at the conclusion of our meetings. Ray White
5
Geoff Duffy 11
John Stuart
9
Alan Holman
11
Bill Tait
9
Hannibal Shabaz
6
John Barker
7
Phil Driscoll 11
Gerry Larkin
8
Ron Miller 11
Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of the Club was held on December 1, 1993 at which the office bearers for the 1994-95 Rotary year were duly elected. President: Gerry Larkin
Directors:
President Elect: Hannibal Shabaz
Norm Roach Peter McBean
Past President: Ron Miller
Chris Timmins
Secretary: Bob Milne
Malcolm Chalmers
Treasurer: Noel Milligan
Rod Williamson
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Club Assemblies Two Club Assemblies were held during the past Rotary year, the first devoted to the objectives and directions of the new Board and the discussion of Club plans for the year. The second assembly was held in conjunction with the Annual General Meeting.
Club Administration All statutory and constitutional requirements have been complied with, Board and Annual General Meeting fully minuted. Membership records maintained and the Club correspondence attended to and filed. No problems have surfaced during the 1993-94 Club year but attendance continues to be a problem, mainly due to “Leave of Absence” applications. Thank you to President Ron Miller and the members of the Board for their assistance and advice in my role as Club Secretary. To President Gerry Larkin and his incoming Board, my best wishes for a successful year in the premier Club of the Hills District.
Club Service report This year attention has again been paid to the efficient conduct of meetings. To that end, normal club meetings commenced promptly at 6:30pm and concluded with few exceptions at 8:00pm, at which time, fellows and their guests enjoyed coffee, port and good fellowship. Our Fellowship Committee, led by Malcolm Chalmers and Annette and assisted by the Fellowship Committee, again gave us a Fellowship Programme renowned to Castle Hill Rotary. A Christmas night, ladies night, a winery weekend, a night at the trots and a lot of fun. Our grateful thanks goes to our gracious hosts, who helped us to achieve a rich fellowship year. Our thanks to Secretary, Geoff Duffy, for keeping us on the straight and narrow and our wholehearted thanks to Allan Holman, for filling in as Treasurer and doing a sterling job. Sincere thanks to Chairman Bill Tait, for providing weekly programmes to our usual high standard. Thanks to a very busy man, for a job well done. Thank you to our fill-in Attendance Officer, Bob Wright and his able bodied assistants for their weekly welcome. A thousand praises to our Bulletin Editor, Bob Milne, for his innovative and informative bulletin, witty charm and untiring devotion to excellence in print. A good job, very well done, Thank you Bob. To our District and World Rotary Conference Chairman, Norman Roach, our sincere thanks for his untiring efforts in organising our District Conference needs. And again, for keeping us abreast with Rotary information, we thank Warren Bowden and his committee. With tongue in cheek we say thanks to our Sergeant-at-Arms, George McDonald and his able bodied assistant, Roy Martin, for keeping our meetings in tone and our pockets at the ready. Our thanks to Peter Gilbank for the wonderful effort with our weekly raffles and interesting prizes. Many thanks to all Club Service Committee Members who have been willing workers and able supporters at all times and I thank you all, for the privilege to serve as Club Service Director and Vice-President of your Rotary Club.
Community Service report This year the Rotary Club of Castle Hill’s Community Service Committee carried out its duties in a way which was up to the usual high standard exhibited by the Club over the past years. The projects were organised in a manner which allowed the sub-committee chairman to carry out their duties in an efficient way. Projects were as follows:
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The Rotary Scenic Lookout Project The Rotary Scenic Lookout Project on the corner of Old Northern Road and Old Castle Hill Road was the subject of a working bee in May 1994 under the Chairmanship of Roy Martin. A cement slab was installed together with the placing of a picnic table and seats. The shrubs were cultivated and additional shrubs installed. The lookout platform and existing park seats were repainted. The paths and lawns were refurnished and the general clean ups left the park in the same condition as it was when we handed it over to the Baulkham Hills Council in June 1987.
The Christmas Pudding Project Under the Chairmanship of Ned Curac was again carried out with a financial return of $800. Ned carried out this project almost single-handed and he is to be congratulated on his sterling effort.
The Parkinson Association of NSW Project Entailed the assistance of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill in obtaining Government funding for the appointment of a full time Administration was commenced. The committee comprising N. Milligan, P. McBean and G. Cockburn submitted a report and attended several meetings of the Association. Progress was impeded as factions in the Association differed in their approach to the matters in hand. It is envisaged that the Association will require further assistance in the next Rotary year but the furtherance of this project will be up to the decision of the Board.
The “Tree of Joy” Project Under Chairman John Stuart was again a great success with parcels of Christmas presents being distributed to at least 10 organisations in the District for needy families. The Centre Management of the Castle Towers was presented with an “Appreciation Plaque” by the Club in recognition of its sterling contribution to the project.
Red Shield Appeal Was again a major project of the Club under the Chairmanship of Hannibal Shabaz but due to the lack of interest by the schools and the clashing of another Rotary project member participation was down. However the Club was successful in collecting $17,000 for the Appeal. Another great effort.
The Castle Hill Showgate Collection & Parking Project Was again carried out under the Chairmanship of C.H. Timmins with P. Gilbank Chairman of the Parking Committee. A briefing which detailed procedures for the weekend and a complete roster was distributed to all Rotarians and the quality of this document left nothing unclear. Almost all Rotarians and their Rotaryannes together with their children, Rotaractors and Glenhaven Rotary Club members made up an enthusiastic workforce. The weekend was a great success despite the fall off in attendance due to the recession and the weather. Gate commissions amounted to $9,178 and a Parking Fee of $3,000. Congratulations and thanks must go to every member of the Club and their families.
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The Rachel and Sarah Project Conducted by District 9680 was a District project but your Club contributed $3,210 to this cause during the year by way of pledge and the proceeds of the Club’s Christmas Evening. Ray White of this Club is a member of the District Committee organising this appeal.
The Rotary Art Show Project Under the Chairmanship of Geoff Duffy again proved a success and raised $15,600. The ongoing committee under the Chairmanship of Peter Wood promises that the next Art Show to be held in July 1994 will again be an event which will make this Club proud of its hard working committee.
The Knightsbridge Rotary Park Project In Gilbert Road Glenhaven which will be carried out in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Glenhaven commenced in late June and if not completed in this Rotary year will be finalised early in the next Rotary year. It again proves that Rotary can, with the help of Baulkham Hills Shire Council, have the district beautified. This park will be a showplace.
The Orchid Sales Project Under the Chairmanship of Ron Miller was responsible for the raising of $9,500 and is again looming as one of the Club’s major projects. President Ron must be congratulated on his foresight.
Donations Donations during the year were as follows: Fred Hollows Foundation: $2,200 Rachel and Sarah Trust: $3210 Camp Quality: $7,000 Rotary Wing – Westmead Hospital: $10,000 Sundry Donations: $1,815 Total $24,225 I would like to express my appreciation to all Sub-Committee Chairmen, the members of the Community Service Committee our President Ron Miller and indeed all members of the Club for their support and assistance when needed. To President Gerry Larkin and his Board I tender my best wishes for what promises to be another outstanding year.
International Service report Thank you to my Committee of Barry Alsop, Alan Jeffries, Terry O’Brien, Ken Peterson, Ray White, Arthur Warner and Ed Heyman for their contribution and support during the year. Our contributions were: • • • • • • •
ROTA Home Fiji FAIM GSA Rotary Foundation MUNA International Awards Provisions o
$2,500 $600 $250 $2,900 $500 $100 $1,650 $8,500
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FAIM A contribution of $600 was presented to PP Ron Marcus to assist his Nepal FAIM Project.
MUNA Terry O’Brien arranged for 2 students from Castle Hill to compete at MUNA.
ROTA Home The Club constructed our second ROTA home for the needy in Fiji.
Vocational Service report During this year, all Committee members were involved in some vocational service activity. Some of the highlights of the year included the following: •
• • •
• •
Early in the year we formed a New Careers Committee which is chaired by Grant Cockburn. Grant negotiated with David Smith of Castle Hill Toyota to run another programme for Year 10 students from Castle Hill High. Pat Davidson, the Careers Adviser at the High School is assisting Grant Cockburn and David Smith. Peter McBean continued the Youth Employment Scheme (YES) Program again this year, involving students from Castle Hill High. Ted Sykes made himself available to the Operation Livewire Scheme and we enjoyed the Guest Speaker that Ted arranged to speak to us on the subject. Our Committee has chosen a candidate for the 1994 Vocational Excellence Award and various members of our Committee are presently producing our Submission for District. Stan Fulker investigated the new Functional Literacy Programme and is presently developing this program for contemplation. During the latter part of the year our Committee was kept busy organising our three big Vocational Service events.
Dinner with The Hills Chamber of Commerce This function was previously organised by Graeme Brangwin who did a superb job. The Hills Chamber of Commerce has now extended an invitation to our Club for a similar function.
State Parliament House Visit Early May, sixty of our members attended a visit to State Parliament House hosted by MPs Michael Richardson and Stephen O’Doherty. The evening was enjoyed by all who attended, the four-course meal in the Member’s Dining Room being a special feature of the evening.
Pride in Workmanship Awards Night Late May, David Sommerlad once again chaired a very successful Pride in Workmanship Awards Night where seven worthy recipients received their awards. The Walter Stone Memorial Trophy was also presented on the evening for the “Apprentice of the Year”. David put a tremendous effort into making this annual event outstanding this year. I would like to extend my thanks to all of my Committee Members for their input into Vocational Service this year.
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Youth Service report Your Youth Service Committee carried on with much the same program as last year. Along with sponsoring prizes at our local schools and presenting Peer Support Certificates we were able to sponsor four participants to RYLA, two participants to RYPEN and three children to holiday camps. Using the expertise of Ross Hood, we have selected our candidate to the National Science Summer School for 1995. Noel Milligan once again did a sterling job with the support for Rotaract. Through the year we introduced guest speakers Linda Wolstoneholm and Sam Holders from RYLA, Megan Davies our returned exchange student from Finland and Emma Morrow who was our 1994 National Summer Science School student. I would like to thank all members of my Committee for their support in what was a new experience for me and I look forward to being of assistance to 1994/95 Youth Director Rod Williamson.
1994-‐1995 Rotary International President: William H. Huntley (Alford & Mablethorpe, England) RI President’s Theme: “Be a Friend” Governor District 968: Ivan Skellet (Ku Ring Gai) Changeover celebrated on 2nd July 1994
Board of Directors President: Gerry Larkin
President-Elect: Hannibal Shabaz
Immediate Past-President: Ron Miller
Director Club: Norm Roach
Vice President: Norm Roach
Director Community: Chris Timmins
Secretary: Bob Milne
Director Vocational: Malcolm Chalmers
Treasurer: Noel Milligan
Director International: Peter McBean
Sergeant-at-Arms: Milton Colburt
Director Youth: Rod Williamson
President’s report It is with pride that I submit this annual report for our Rotary Year 1994-95 in which we truly upheld World President Bill Huntley’s theme “Be a Friend”. The intention of the year was to have good fellowship and provide service to the local and international community. All this was achieved, together with our unprogrammed project “Tucker for Tenterfield” which indicated how Rotary can respond to community needs. This project of which we can all; be proud was recognised by World President, Bill Huntley with our Club receiving a Significant Achievement Award, granted by Rotary International in recognition of Meritorious Service, for addressing community needs. I ask you to study your Director’s reports and then you will appreciate the good work that we have achieved. Fellowship is the lifeblood of a Rotary Club and this year we have excelled with Fellowship. The awarding of a Paul Harris Fellow to PP Norm Roach was truly deserved and confirmed our continuing support of the Rotary Foundation. The 30th Anniversary of the Club’s formation was acknowledged with special recognition of our Charter Members PP Roy Martin and PP Ron Miller. To my fellow Board members I owe a great debt to you all for your support and hard work, you can be proud of this year’s achievements.
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Thank you to my fellow Rotarians and ladies for your untiring support and assistance. To my loving wife Carole, thank you for your help, advice and continuing encouragement that has made this year as President so enjoyable and fulfilling. Thank you fellows for your faith in me to serve as the 30th President of the Premier Rotary Club in our District. To president Hannibal and Joan I offer my best wishes and assurance of continued support in the year ahead.
Secretary’s report Membership We commenced this Rotary Year with a membership of 62 fellows with the following break up: • • • •
Active Senior Active Past Service Honorary
32 25 1 4
and will complete our year with 58 members: • • • •
Active Senior Active Past Service Honorary
29 25 nil 4.
During the year our esteemed Honorary Member and former Active Member Peter Hauff died just short of his 90th birthday. To June and her family we express our sympathies in Pater’s passing. New members inducted during the year were: • • •
Kerry McCombs Sep 94 Military Administration Mike Williams Apr 95 Engineering Manufacturing Bevan Lydement May 94 Retail Catering
Resignations were: • • • •
Tom Youkhana Rod Wheatley Bob Pope Alan Jeffries
June 94 June 94 Dec 94 Dec 94 (now Honorary)
Board meetings The Board met 11 times during the year with good attendance and much interaction from the members. It was a happy year with no evident friction and satisfying resolutions of some rather contentious issues. Thanks are due to our hosts and hostesses for taking care of the “inner man” during meetings. They were times of much work and great fellowship.
Annual General Meeting This was held on 7th December (an auspicious occasion – Pearl Harbour Day) and the following Office Bearers were elected to Office.
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President President-Elect
Hannibal Shabaz George McDonald
Secretary
Geoff Duffy
Treasurer
Brian Stacey
Directors
Bruce Allen Mike Blair David Bull Jim Josephson Bob Wright
Immediate Past President
Gerry Larkin
Club Assemblies Two Club Assemblies were held during the year to discuss the plans and progress of the Club, as well as the AGM.
Club Administration All statutory and constitutional requirements have been complied with, Board and annual General Meetings fully minuted. Membership records have been maintained and where necessary updated and the Club correspondence attended to and filed. There have been some problems with attendance during the year but these have been dealt with as they arose. We have had a large number of Leave of Absences in the latter part of the year mainly due to a contingent who have attended the World Conference in Nice. A special thank you to President Gerry who has maintained a very active “line of communication” and made my job so much easier. As well, for his inspiration and drive in regard to the “Tucker for Tenterfield” Appeal which gained us a Presidential Citation from the World President, Bill Huntley, a true magnum opus of our year. To all the Directors, thank you for at least trying to present a written report to the Board meetings. To Grant Cockburn, my deputy who took off my frail shoulders the responsibilities with regard to the legal aspects of the job, which are becoming quite horrendous to the layman. To President Hannibal and his incoming Board we wish you a year of even greater success and credit to what we know as the premier Club of the District.
Club Service report This year in Club Service it was our intention to put together a programme of interesting meetings, membership development, Rotary information and good fellowship, both at our Club meetings and social functions, and I feel well justified in suggesting that we have achieved all of our aims. Our meetings have been informative, well controlled and a source of good fellowship and this has been as a direct consequence of the efforts and contributions of many of our members. John Cooper, ably assisted by Jim Josephson, has kept our attendance records correct and current and has always offered a warm welcome to our meetings. Milton Colburt (The hat man), our Sergeant-at-Arms, and his assistant John Stuart, who more than capably filled in during Milton’s absences, kept members well entertained with their sessions whilst maintaining decorum at our meetings, not an easy task at Castle Hill. The Sergeant’s sessions have been well accepted by the members even though they finished most nights poorer than they started and I am sure that we all appreciated the efforts of Milton and John. Geoff Duffy accepted the arduous task of Bulletin Editor without any hesitation at the commencement of the year and has carried it out with great flair and innovation. Bob Milne as
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“typesetter” is also to be commended for his efforts in assisting Geoff in the compilation of the Bulletin during the year in addition to carrying out his duties as Secretary. To find top-flight guest speakers week after week is a daunting assignment but this year Ross Hood has made the job appear to be extremely easy. Our speakers have been well qualified, interesting and varied and have through Ross’ efforts contributed largely to the success of our weekly meetings. The quiet achiever during the year was our number one raffle seller Ken Peterson who in his own quiet way ensured that everyone participated in the raffle thus ensuring that we had funds available within Club Service to support our fellowship program. This year we introduced the position of Welfare Officer to our Club Service structure. The brief given to PP Peter Gilbank was basically to ensure that he kept the members informed as to the well being of our members and their families and to act as the contact point for the Club in these matters. Peter and Denise performed this task far better than we could have envisaged and I am certain that the members and their families would offer a very sincere ‘thank you” to them both. During the year we concentrated on membership programs in an effort to both increase our member numbers and reduce our average membership age. We have at this time inducted 3 new members into the Club and as a consequence of the “One for Five” program run during the latter part of 1994 still have the likelihood of inducting at least 3 new members into the Club during the next year. Unfortunately during the year we lost 6 of our Active/Senior Active members which only served to reinforce the importance of our membership push. Our fellowship program this year has been alive and well. Our Ladies’ nights and social functions have been interesting, varied and well attended although our numbers could always do with being increased. Our decision to hold Ladies’ night at external venues proved most successful and to Bruce Allen and his fellowship committee members I would offer my sincere thanks. Fellowship is a demanding and onerous job but this year we have been well served with both quantity and quality. Our “home visits” during January are always a source of great fun and fellowship and on behalf of the Club I would wish to recognise our members who made their homes available to us: • • •
Roy and Beryl Martin Graeme and Helen Brangwin Alan and Marie Brook
Rotary seems , most times, to hide its achievements from the public but this year we as a Club have been well served in publicising our efforts to our local Community by our Public Relations Chairman, Phil Driscoll. My thanks must go firstly to all of the Club Service Committee members for their efforts during the year and to their partners for their involvement, assistance and enthusiasm for the programs we ran. To Bob Wright as my Assistant for his help during the year, but mostly to all the members and partners of our Club for without your support, fellowship and friendship, this year would not have been the success that president Gerry sought.
Community Service report The Rotary Club of Castle Hill should take a bow for its Community service effort during this Rotary year. Our ‘Tucker for Tenterfield” project was one of the best things to ever be done by the members of this Club. The effort of all Rotarians and Rotaryannes cannot be commended enough. Members of the wider Hills Community and associated companies gave generously to the needy people of Tenterfield. As a Rotarian, Australian and a human being, this project was a very uplifting experience. The members of this Club should be extremely proud of this effort. “Tucker for Tenterfield” could have been enough work for any Rotary Club, but the Rotary Club of Castle Hill took on much more.
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Paint your heart out Early in our year, the Club undertook to paint the outside of a house owned by a needy elderly member of the Community. The little house of Mrs Mansfield in Kellyville was selected. An old weatherboard house, badly in need of painting, was a major challenge for Mike Blair and his team. Over two weekends, the members of the Club cleaned, sanded, taped and painted the little cottage. At the end, the house looked like new and the members of the Club had another good fellowship experience. As an added bonus for Mrs Mansfield and Rotary, Modern Roof Restorations Pty Ltd cleaned and repaired the roof of the property at no cost. This was a very generous gift for the worthy recipient.
Ambulance equipment appeal At the beginning of the year, the Club decided to donate a small amount of equipment to our local Ambulance Station. After discussions with the Ambulance Officers, I learned that the station needed a defibrillator – or Heart Start Machine. The machine had an estimated cost of $9,000, which was outside our budget. However, the Ambulance officers were already working on their own fund raising activities for this purchase and other needed equipment. A review of the Club’s funds revealed that we did not have the necessary funds to make any donations towards this equipment. Back to the shopping centres with our buckets!!! Three days later the Club had collected $2,500 towards the purchase of this equipment.
Other Community projects Castle Hill Show Gate The Club carried out its annual effort at the Showground in March. Collection of Entry fees and parking of cars were the full responsibility of the Club. This year almost all Rotarians and Rotaryannes were able to attend this project. Rotaract and the Annangrove Bush Fire Brigade also lent a hand to the effort. Yes, the Showgate is hard work, long hours, physically demanding, dirty and exasperating, BUT it is still a worthwhile project.
Red Shield Appeal The Red Shield Appeal this year raised a record amount for the area under our supervision. A special thanks to Chairman Hannibal Shabaz.
Rotary Art Show The Rotary Art Show Project, under the Chairmanship of Peter Wood, again proved a success and raised $12,800, providing good fellowship, community awareness and an excellent School’s Art Competition. From monies raised we fulfilled our commitment to the Rotary Wing of the Children’s Hospital at Westmead with a further donation of $10,000.
Motor scooter repairs My thanks to Ed Heyman assisted by Bob Milne for rebuilding the motor scooter of Phil Scholer, a disabled pensioner, after it was stolen and badly damaged. Financial contributions were made from the Rotary Clubs of Baulkham Hills and Kellyville.
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Thanks I would like to express my appreciation to all my committee members, club members and their ladies for their assistance during the Rotary year.
International report 1994-95 has been a quiet but interesting year in International Service. The committee set out to be different, to provide a year of interest to members whilst participating in the major programmes of Rotary International. The first six months were spent putting the plans together for World Understanding Month in February and International Service Month in March.
Rotary International February 23rd 1995 marked the 90th anniversary of the formation of Rotary in Chicago by Paul Harris and friends and this event was celebrated throughout the Rotary World. At our meeting on 22nd we responded to this event and proposed a special toast to Rotary International.
Paul Harris Fellowship Ron Forte made a $1,000 donation to the Rotary Foundation and received a Paul Harris Fellowship.
GSE The District hosted a GSE Team from Okayama in Japan. Although we were unable to secure the Dinner for Castle Hill, many of our members attended the welcome Dinner hosted by North Rocks and private entertaining for the Japanese contingent. Several members also attended the Welcome Home Dinner for the District 9680 Team after their visit to Japan. The dinner was hosted by the Rotary Club of Glenhaven at the Dural Country Club on November 19, 1994.
International Service Month International Service Month was the highlight of the International Calendar with interesting topics on the Balkans Conflict, the activities of Care Australia in Africa and International Dinner at Allegro Function Centre where the guest speaker was the Consul general for Thailand Dr Chaiong Satjipanon.
MUNA Castle Hill sponsored one team in this year’s MUNA project, from Crestwood High School.
FAIM PP Ron Marcus and his Rotaryanne Judy again led a team to Nepal to continue their important work in Kathmandu and other centres and the Club supported ands assisted with a financial donation to their costs with this project.
Fiji ROTAhomes The Club again provided funds ($2,350) for the construction of another Rotahome for disadvantaged natives in this island nation. The project, carried out by the Rotary Club of Lautoka, has so far constructed 436 homes and is continuing to build 2 per week. We at Castle Hill are proud to be part of this humanitarian effort.
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Donations This year the Rotary Club of Castle Hill through International service has donated US$1,000 to the Rotary Foundation and $2,200 to the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund.
Thanks I would sincerely thank my committee for their support and assistance over the past twelve months and extend our best wishes to President Elect Hannibal and his team for an inspiring Rotary year in 1995-96.
Vocational Service report Employ Australia Project The concept of this national project was excellent, however, due to lack of support from the media in Sydney, the anticipated public awareness did not occur as it did in the Central Coast, where the project was a success. Our Club was one of the most successful in our District, gaining 44 positive responses from 384 phone calls.
Future Developments in My Industry Job Talks Each alternate week, a Member was invited to talk for 5 minutes on the above. This project went well. My sincere thanks to Brian Stacey and Stan Fulker who organised this program.
Vocational Visits Prospect Electricity In conjunction with Glenhaven Club, John Ford, an employee of Prospect and a member of Glenhaven, organised a tour and catering, with Ron Marcus from our Club acting as Host and Tour Guide. An excellent visit was had by all and very good fellowship
QANTAS A very worthwhile tour of Qantas Jet Base was gratefully organised by Captain Phil Ogilvie and assisted by Captain Peter O’Shaunassey. We were provided with visits and instructions on two simulators, Emergency Exit and Training Unit, two late model aircraft, winding up for lunch at the engineers canteen. A great day for all concerned.
Operation Livewire The programming of this project was changed during this Rotary year, to be programmed within the one Rotary Year and will now commence after July. Support from Club members was received to act as mentors.
Pride in Workmanship & Walter Stone Apprentice of the Year Award This project was very well organised and professionally presented. Three Pride in Workmanship Awards were presented and the Apprentice of the Year Award. The Club was very privileged to have Justice Barry O’Keefe as our Guest Speaker, who I am sure was a delight to all.
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My sincere thanks and congratulations to Chairman Graeme Brangwin and David Sommerlad for a job well done. I would like to take the opportunity to publicly thank all the active Committee Members for their contribution and support throughout this vocational year.
Youth Service report On behalf of the Youth Committee I would like to submit the following report on the activities/schemes that the Club has been involved with during the 1994/95 Rotary Year.
Youth Month – September Youth Community Service Night Fourteen local schools/community groups were invited to attend this evening. The seven representatives from groups who attended, as well as the members present, were informed on the health services offered by the High Street Youth Service in the Hills and surrounding area by the Guest Speaker for the evening, Ms Diane Short, Assistant Director, High Street Youth Health Service.
“A Texan GSE Experience” This evening which was organised by Peter McBean was held as a joint meeting with Rotaract. Scheme participants Karen Myers and Geoff King were official guests and addressed the meeting.
YOTS Information Night Guest Speakers Father Chris Riley and Youth of the Streets (YOTS) Chairman PP Brock Bowen provided members and guests with moving biographies of street kids and the rehabilitation facilities provided by YOTS.
RYLA The following three participants sponsored by the Club: • • •
Katherine Rootes Lorraine Mayo Clinton Alver
Scouting St Johns Ambulance President - TAFE Student Association
Proved to be very worthwhile nominations as was evident when they addressed the Club on the 1st March 1995, following their completion of the Seminar. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Ron Forte for his professional and efficient organisational ability which ensured the success for the Club’s participation in this programme.
RYPEN The Club sponsored two participants who were nominated by the Hills District Youth Service to attend Campo Breakaway San Remo over the weekend Friday, 31st March – 2nd April 1995.
High Street Youth Health Service Following a request from Baulkham Hills Shire Council I represented the Club at a community meeting on 18th July which was held to consider establishing a Youth Health Service in Castle Hill.
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Although this additional service, which was to be partly financed by the High Street Health Service in Parramatta, did not eventuate I maintained a “watching brief” behalf of the Club for several months by attending monthly meetings.
YOTS (Youth Off The Streets) The Youth Committee considered this scheme was worthwhile supporting as a “hands on project” subject to the outcome of the purchase of a farm as a rehabilitation centre. Following the purchase of a farm at Canyonleigh from funds donated by a benefactor I attended the Open Day on 23rd October and observed that the property did not require any maintenance and that assistance may be required when additional accommodation is required. In view of the recent letter which has been received dated May 1995 seeking “hands on assistance” amongst others, I would recommend to the incoming Youth Committee that the Club involvement be reviewed and this worthy scheme be supported.
Peer Support In my capacity as Youth Director I approached the Principal of Samuel Gilbert School in February to discuss the feasibility of implementing a Peer Support Programme. I was informed by the Principal that there was a Peer Support Programme operating along a similar format to the Rotary one and that the Club’s interest in the school was very much appreciated.
KIC Adventure Camp Following a request from the Hills Christian Life Centre the Club sponsored a young person in the middle of a family separation/divorce to the Camp in October which was designed to build confidence and provide support.
Summer Science Schools Our nominee for the 1995 CRA National Summer Science School, Andy Hsian from Castle Hill High School, was not selected by the District Committee.
Children’s Camp Vision Valley The Club will be sponsoring three underprivileged children for the July 1995 Camp. Nominations are being received from Castle Hill Primary and High Schools and Hills District Youth Service.
Rotaract Following the resignation last year of Rod Wheatley, the responsibility for ensuring our support to Castle Hill Rotaract was accepted by President-Elect Hannibal Shabaz.
Youth Exchange As the Club was unable to host an overseas student, we were unable to participate in the 1995 programme.
Thanks In concluding I would like to thank the Committee Members for their assistance and in particular President Gerry for the opportunity to be Youth Director as my first Board portfolio. I look forward to making a contribution to the Youth Portfolio as a Committee member for the Rotary Year 1995/96.
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1995-‐1996 Rotary International President: Herbert G. Brown (Clearwater, Florida, USA) RI President’s Theme: “Act with Integrity; Serve with Love; Work for Peace” Governor District 9680: Geoff Grenfell (Terrigal) Changeover celebrated on 5th July 1995
Board of Directors President: Hannibal Shabaz
President-Elect: George McDonald
Immediate Past-President: Gerry Larkin
Director Club: Bruce Allen
Vice President: Norm Roach
Director Community: Mike Blair
Secretary: Geoff Duffy
Director Vocational: Jim Josephson
Treasurer: Brian Stacey
Director International: Bob Wright
Sergeant-at-Arms: John Stuart
Director Youth: David Bull
President’s report Fellows, As I look back on the last twelve months and wonder where did it all go, it seems only like yesterday that I was inducted as President of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill. I must admit it was not easy. It was like sailing into uncharted waters. To say I was hesitant is an understatement, but with your help and support, I have had one of the best years since I joined Rotary. I would suggest to our newer members not to hesitate to take on directorships and other important posts in our Club. If you don’t have a go, you will never know. It is your Club, please put your sleeves up and get into it. That is the only way you will get the most enjoyment from Rotary.
Secretary’s report As from tonight, July 5, our dinner fees have been increased to $14. This will apply for the next six months after which the price will be reviewed. A reminder that our half yearly fees are now due. They remain at $74 for this period. Please assist Treasurer Brian Stacey by paying promptly.
Youth Service report Rotary Youth Exchange This year the Club agreed in consultation with the incoming Board to activate this programme. Josephine Bilous, our Outbound Youth Exchange applicant, a year 12 student at Baulkham Hills High School and resident of Glenorie, has been selected by District as exchange student to Turkey in 1997, subject to successful Turkish host parents and Club acceptance. Plans are underway for this Club to host an inbound student for the 1996/1997 year.
NZ Matched Exchange The Club in recent years was not enthusiastic in this programme, however all endeavours are being made with local schools for applicants to apply. Exchange starting in January 1997.
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Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) The Club approached various groups for their young leaders to participate, including local churches, youth groups, Hills District Youth Service, all were busy running their own groups in January to allow leaders to attend.
Rotary Programme for Enrichment (RYPEN) The Club approached various groups in the District and did not get enthusiastic response.
Rotaract – Castle Hill Club Rotaract has had another successful year, under President Elizabeth Weidemeir and her Board. They have participated in various community activities, including the “Singles Ball” with proceeds from this going to the Children’s Hospital. Our Club sponsored their “Board” to a leaders weekend last year. Cost $150. We also sponsored incoming Rotaract President Sabra Veronesi to a weekend training seminar at Collaroy on 15th and 16th June 1996, her Board attending on the Sunday. Cost $300.
Childrens’ Camps – “Operation Hope” camps for Underprivilerged Children Club sponsored 3 children to attend summer camp in January 1996 at Vision Valley, Arcadia. Cost $570.
Hills District Youth Service – Youth Camp January 1996 Club sponsored a youth to attend camp whose parents were unable to pay because of financial hardship.
Science Schools CRA Summer Science School – Canberra January 1997 Local schools were approached for outstanding applicants, but because of the known high selection standard required by this summer science school, no applications were received.
Siemens Science Schools Three-day hands on science for Year 10 students. Ryan Alcock was nominated to attend in January 1996.
National Engineering Summer School Held from 12th to 18th January 1997. The principle sponsor is BHP and presented by the University of Technology and the Institute of Engineers. The Club has submitted to District the application of Maree Henson who lives at Castle Hill and attends Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta.
MUNA (Model United Nations Assembly) The Club sponsored a team of two students from Castle Hill High School to attend MUNA, they are Narelle Vazquez and Ryan Boyton. The country they will be representing is Algeria. Fifty-eight
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school teams will be participating over the weekend 15th/16th June 1996, held at The Kings School. Cost to Club $150 for one team.
YOTS (Youth Off The Streets) This programme was initiated by District in support of Father Chris Riley and his remarkable work amongst chronically homeless street kids. Our Grant Coburn is Vice Chairman of this programme. A donation of $500 was made during the year.
Other Directors reports in brief Community Service • • • • • •
Art Show $13.500 profit Paint Your Heart Out Drug Arm (12 Clubs contributing $2500 x 3 years) Doug White Foundation Red Shield appeal Tour de Hills
Club Service • • • • •
Home Visits Sergeant’s sessions contributed $1500 Raffles subsidise Christmas Dinner Membership has grown to 63 with 8 new members this year PP Bruce thanked all who contributed to the year.
International This committee has allocated $5700 to worthy projects as follows: • • • • • • • • •
Rotary Australian Health Research Fund FAIM Rotary Against Malaria Hearts and Hugs Pan IPAC GSE (Italy) From Russia with Love Rotary Foundation
Vocational • • • •
Pride in Workmanship/ Walter Stone Apprenticeship Awards Vocational Visits Vocational Talks Thanks to committee for input and support
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Heritage Since 1990 this committee under the chairmanship of PP David Sommerlad has negotiated with the BHSC and other bodies to preserve a significant area of land in Banks Road Castle Hill as a Heritage Park. Over the past six years the committee has experienced several distinct phases: • • • •
Expectation & Enthusiasm Struggle Hope Action
Transfer of the land to the BHSC is imminent as is the establishment of a 355 committee to develop and implement a Plan of Management for the Park. The Heritage Committee proposes to produce a booklet detailing the history of the area and the need for the park to be used for promotional purposes. The vision of the last five years can become a reality.
1996-‐1997 Rotary International President: Louis Vincente Giay (Arrecifes, Argentina) RI President’s Theme: “Build the Future with Action and Vision” Governor District 9680: Alex Sawyer (Ryde) Changeover celebrated on 4th July 1996
Board of Directors President: George McDonald
President-Elect: Peter McBean
Immediate Past-President: Hannibal Shabaz
Director Club: John Barker
Vice President: John Barker
Director Community: Phil Dunn
Secretary: Ron Marcus
Director Vocational: Peter Wood
Treasurer: Allan Holman
Director International: David Bowles
Sergeant-at-Arms: Grant Cockburn
Director Youth: Ray White
President’s report It has been a busy and challenging year with many successes and few disappointments. Directors have fully reported to you and I commend these reports to your reading. Hereunder I briefly review club happenings and activities.
District Conference Our commitment to assist Ryde Club proved to be a major workload, but it was concluded successfully and to the satisfaction of our District Governor, Alex Sawyer. My thanks to those who made it all happen, Peter McBean, Peter Wood, John Cooper and Graeme Brangwin and their various committee members. Overall we generally achieved our objectives with good results in the five avenues of service and I thank the Directors and Officers sincerely for their help and cooperation and for jobs well done.
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Club Service Director, John Barker, has kept us on the straight and narrow administration wise. Guest Speakers have been interesting and informative, and our Bulletin has faithfully reported Club and Rotary activities. Club “atmosphere” continues to be good with a high degree of fellowship and camaraderie. Thanks, John, for your help and guidance.
Community Service Director Phil Dunn and his energetic band of helpers have done us proud, achieving results over a whole range of projects and activities. Showgate and Tour de Hills were great successes, HADPAC (North West Disability Services) project is nearing completion, assistance to the Hills Family Care centre undertaken, two community awards, support programme for the Cord Blood Bank, the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation, Gemhill Cottage, Red Shield Appeal, Wesley Mission Drug Arm, and our commitment to the M2 opening make an impressive list. Phil has been a tireless worker and is to be congratulated for his leadership and commitment to one of the toughest portfolios in the Club.
Vocational Director Peter Wood and his team presented a truly professional Vocational programme in October covering such subjects as employer/employee relations, career information, trade and professional relations, and the 4 Way Test. A talented speaker from St. James Ethics Centre and Vocational trips to Shell Refinery and Parliament House, Canberra, capped an exceptional month. The recent Pride in Workmanship and Walter Stone awards were distinguished presentations. Thanks to Peter for an excellent Vocational year.
Youth Director Ray White and his able assistants have pursued an active Youth Programme. We are back into Youth Exchange after an absence of some years. The Youth Merit Awards and Student’s Art Competition were outstanding successes, and we have sponsored candidates to Youth Camps and RYLA. All round a very good year for youth in our Club. Thanks Ray.
International Director David Bowles and his committee have fulfilled their planned objectives. Our International Night with guest speaker Jerome Tolson, U.S. Consul General, was a great success, as was our joint meeting with Thornleigh Club to welcome the GSE team from Argentina. Ambassadorial Scholar, Heidi McWhirter entertained us in “big” Texas style, and the Rotary Against Malaria Project was supported. Well done David.
Membership During this year we were pleased to welcome two new members to our Club and the worldwide fellowship of Rotary, Dennis Arthur and Mike Hallen. Best wishes to you both and your good wives for a happy and fulfilling Rotary experience. Unfortunately, we had a number of resignations by treason of transfers and work commitments, but we finish the year with a membership of 53 active service minded Rotarians.
Heritage Park David Sommerlad has reported to the Club members the current status of discussions with various Government Departments regarding this project. All I wish to say is that the Club is greatly indebted
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to David, ably assisted by Warren Bowden, for the countless hours of hard work expended to keep this project on the rails and to keep a satisfactory conclusion in sight. David has given this project his undivided attention for about seven years now, and it is only through his tenacity and strength of purpose that Heritage Park is still a possibility. David deserves our unreserved support.
Paul Harris Fellows Over the year it has been my privilege to honour Rotary’s founder and bestow Paul Harris Fellow Awards on three deserving persons for “service above self” in Rotary and/or community affairs: Ray White, Judy Marcus and Ed Heyman, all worthy recipients and deserving of recognition.
Thanks My sincere thanks to Secretary Ron Marcus for his guidance and willing help over the year and also to Graeme Brangwin who has filled in for Ron on several occasions. Our joint Treasurers Allen Holman and Brian Stacey have kept our books in exemplary order. Allen is currently recovering well after his recent operation, and we look forward to his return to the Club in the not too distant future. It is said that behind every good man is a better woman, and our Club is certainly privileged to have a large band of members’ wives who faithfully and willingly support their men in Club projects and activities. Many Rotary programmes would not be possible without the back-up and commitment of our partners. God Bless and thank you ladies, and particularly my wife Julia who has given me every support and encouragement during my term of office. To my fellow Board members collectively I say thank you for your support and dedication, and incoming President Peter McBean and his Board my best wishes for a successful and productive Rotary Year. And finally, to all members thank you for your cooperation and goodwill over my term of office.
Secretary’s report The Annual General Meeting of the Club was held on 4th December 1996, at which the following office bearers for the 1997/98 Rotary Year were duly elected: President (Elected previous year)
Peter McBean
President-Elect 1998/1999
John Stuart
Secretary
Bill Tait
Treasurer
Graeme Brangwin
Vice President & Club Service Director
Ross Hood
Club Service
Ross Hood
Vocational Service
Geoff Duffy
Community Service
Noel Milligan
International service
Peter Marcer
Youth Service
Mark Greaves
Board Meetings The Board met on 14 occasions during the year with excellent attendances and good interaction. I would like to tale this opportunity to thank all Board members and particularly their Rotaryannes for the use of their homes for our Board meetings and the excellent hospitality and delightful suppers provided at the conclusion of the meeting.
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Club Assemblies Club Assemblies were held on 3 occasions and were well attended. They provided the opportunity for members to participate in lively and meaningful discussion and provided good and constructive comment.
District Conference The District 9680 Conference was held at Wollongong University on 28th February/2nd March, 1997, and was well attended. The Club assisted the Rotary Club of Ryde in hosting this event, and as such played a major role in the success of the Conference.
Club Administration All statutory and constitutional requirements have been complied with, including the attendance to and filing of all correspondence and the minuting of all Board meetings. A complete update of the Club records of membership is being undertaken. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to President George for his guidance and assistance, to the Board members and Club members for their support and cooperation, and particularly to Graeme Brangwin for his support and assistance during what has been for me a very full and demanding year. My congratulations and best wishes go to incoming Secretary Bill Tait, and I sincerely wish President Peter McBean and his Board a successful and productive year in office.
Treasurer’s report Administration Income
Expenditure YTD
Dinner fees
YTD
33,499.00
Late Fees
Catering
279.00
Refreshments & Fellowship Member & Join Fees
Rot. Supplies Fellowship
2273.00
8880.00
RI, RDU & Dist. Dues
7097.00
Print, Copy & Stay
1439.00 2120.00
100.00 3067.00
Bulletins
Sgt
1260.00
Post. P.O. Box
Levy $1
2044.00
Bulletin Post
Donations
158.00
Bank Int.
43.00
Sundries
2072.00
Gifts & Flowers
489.00
52977.00
Expenditure
51,895.00 31/5/97
3674.00 110.00 $51,895.00
$6244.00
Income Balance as at
310 283.00
Sundries
$52.977.00
268.00
Badges & Banners
Govt. Charge
6/7/96
177.00
1622.00
Competition
Balance Fwd
32,840.00
$7326.00
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Projects Income
Expenditure
Sale Attend. Cert. Hire Art Stands
1164.20
Club Service
75.00
170.00
Youth Service
4581.00
Donations
1917.00
International
3078.00
Xmas Puddings
1674.00
Community
27761.00
Melbourne Cup
4048.00
Vocational
Prostate Cancer
5813.00
Bank & Govt. Chg.
Sundries
12956.00
Bank Interest
Sundries
7857.00
12313.00
Transfer from A&C
2545.00 $42736.00
6/7/96
42736.00
Expenditure
44422.00 31/5/97
$44422.00
$14386.00
Income Balance as at
51.00
136.00
Showgate
Balance Fwd
0
$12,700.00
Tour de Hills Income
Expenditure
Entries
9560.00
Advertising
Sponsors
5750.00
Float
1100.00
11.00
Prizes
440.00
4100.00
Meals
2073.00
Bank Interest Sundry
295.00
Stationery
299.00
Frames & Certs
415.00
Cord Blood Bank
6000.00 899.00
Rebate
712.00
Sundries
563.00
G.D.T. $19421.00 Balance as at
31/5/97
15.00 $12811.00
$6610.00*
* includes $3000 float
Arts & Crafts Closed and transferred to Projects
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Heritage Park Balance as at 31/5/97
$9341.00
Bruce Pederson Memorial Trust Term deposit
$5000.00
Club Service Aims and Objectives The aims and objectives for Club Service for this year were: • • • • • •
Promote fellowship at weekly meetings as a means of welcoming guests and developing friendships. Improve programmes and speakers to provide a richer understanding of the community and the world and ensure that members want to attend the regular Club meetings. Ensure that the bulletin continues to provide information of general interest, club activities and avenues of service. Develop a social; programme which is interesting and involves all members and their partners in activities which provide goodwill. Ensure that the community is aware of the projects carried out by the Club in the local area through a pro-active public relations programme involving the local media. Record and continually review attendance by members, follow up where necessary, and advise the President and Board on a regular basis
Programmes Varied and interesting programs have been provided by Chairman Geoff Duffy. Involvement by members has again shown that some of our best speakers come from within the Club.
Fellowship PP Milton Colburt and his team of willing workers arranged some really tremendous social events, Christmas Home Visits and Ladies’ nights. These functions provided ample opportunity for members and their partners to develop further acquaintances within the Club, particularly for our newer members who gave their support freely.
Attendance Particular thanks to Ken Peterson for accepting the position of Attendance Officer and his dedication to the task every week for the entire year. 100% for your efforts, Ken.
Welfare Ed Heyman continued in the position of Welfare Officer and excelled in keeping members advised of the progress of those of our members and friends who were indisposed.
Bulletin Where would we have been without Bob Milne to compile our Weekly Bulletin? Over the entire year he managed to produce an excellent Bulletin packed with information and advise. All in all an excellent Bulletin, worthy of the District Award.
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Sergeant-‐at-‐Arms Grant Cockburn, Malcolm Chalmers and John Stuart each assisted in this task during the year and each imported their own special humour into the Club meetings, with the fines sessions generating almost $1500 in revenue over the year. Well done fellows.
Raffle Without a second thought, Mark Greaves took responsibility for this segment of Club fundraising with enthusiasm and vigour. His presence helped raise over $3000 during the year.
General Thank you to all those members who were rostered to welcome members and guests, as bar attendant and as stewards and who performed their allocated tasks. This applies particularly to all those who stepped in for those who were absent. It is this preparedness to assist at a moment’s notice that makes this Club where “Club Service” really means something special.
Community Service report Our initial project this Rotary Year was the planting of trees, in conjunction with Baulkham Hills Shire Council, at Coolong Reserve. Our main project was coordinated by Roy Martin and involved the landscaping of the new HADPAC premises for North West Disability Services Inc. December saw installation of a watering system, the planting of a large number of easy care plants and pouring concrete for a summerhouse floor. In January, we erected the summerhouse kit and then had a break until April because of Conference and Showgate commitments. Paths have been laid, raised wheelchair accessible garden beds built, and a boardwalk now completed. A greenhouse has been purchased and will be erected shortly, and will provide the means for HADPAC guests to undertake propagation of native plants for bush regeneration. In November, Ed Heyman put together a Melbourne Cup Trifecta scheme which raised over $2000 for the Club with a minimum of time and effort from members. We have assisted the Hills Family Care Centre by shifting a shadehouse and doing repairs in their Child Minding Centre. We also made a $1000 contribution towards their provision of Christmas hampers and gave them $500 to purchase a TV to be lent out to disadvantaged/isolated people in the Hills area. Dieter Regel proved to be an excellent salesman of Christmas Puddings and successfully added to both our waistlines and our Club funds. The Castle Hill Showgate was again undertaken and this year Annangrove Bush Fire Brigade controlled the parking, which took some of the physical pressure off our 3-day commitment – particularly for our older members. My thanks to Mike Williams, capably assisted by his wife Barbara, who planned and organised the operation. The Showgate Saturday night BBQ provided the opportunity to enjoy some fellowship with other members during the show. While attendances were down this year and therefore our return, the gate collection still provided a large proportion of our non project-specific income. Tour de Hills was again capably organised by Mike Blair and his committee. Cyclists numbers were down on last year but overall result was approximately the same. This year the funds, amounting to $10,000, were donated to the Cord Blood Bank. As a specific target fundraiser, this is a very good project. The Club provided personnel to assist other Clubs in organising a celebration of the opening of the M2 Tollway. While our involvement was not heavy, we did participate in a combined major fundraising Rotary venture. Nik Roudenko undertook our Prostate Cancer Research fund-raising project, and through collection tins, a donation by Alan Brook, and a Theatre Night, a cheque for $6,000 was presented to Roger Climson.
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We again participated in the Red Shield Appeal collections this year, to assist the Salvation Army. We again supported Wesley Mission-Drug Arm, this very worthy community project, with a donation of $2,000. Gemhill Cottage is a respite care cottage taking adults who have sustained a brain injury to enable families and carers to take a much-needed break from time to time. Funds raised from a Dinner and Music night and other projects enable the Club to donate $5,000 to this deserving organisation. To sum up, a busy year with a good spread of projects making and spending money in and for the local community. Thanks Fellows!
International Service report Group Study Exchange A very interesting and well-attended joint dinner with Rotary Club of Thornleigh was held on Wednesday, 17th March, 1997 for the Argentina Team to the district at the Eastern City Restaurant.
Paul Harris Fellowship Paul Harris Fellowships were awarded to Ray White, Judy Marcus and Ed Heyman for their contribution to Rotary over a long period of time. Surprise was always the theme of the evening.
International Dinner The US Consul General Mr Jerome F. Tolson was our guest speaker at our International Dinner on Wednesday, 16th April, 1997. The dinner was very informative, entertaining and interesting.
Ambassadorial Scholarship Dinner A current Ambassadorial scholar Heidi McWhirter was our guest speaker on Wednesday, 10th may, 1997. Her presentation and address once again showing the benefit that young people and the community gain from this avenue of service.
Rotary Against Malaria A contribution of $300 was made to this project on the Club’s behalf.
FAIM (Fourth Avenue In Motion) PP Ron Marcus accompanied by Judy made several trips to Nepal in the past year. This now brings to 28 Ron’s trips overseas on behalf of FAIM.
Thanks Appreciation to my committee members who have given me great support in meeting a great percentage of our programme that was approved by the Board and the Club Assembly.
Vocational Service report Review of Activities 1996-‐1997 The plans for the year were actually more ambitious than what actually took place. This was due to the commitments of the undersigned as Chairman of one of the District Conference committees, which absorbed more time than anyone envisaged.
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During the early part of the year we were involved in Operation Livewire. Unfortunately, Robert Aston, our ”Livewire”, fell by the wayside because he felt that formal business planning was beyond him. The Vocational Month of October received full recognition, and was well received by the members: •
•
• • •
October 2nd: Visit to Shell Refinery, organised by Ted Sykes. The evening showed profit due to the fact that Ted wangled us a superb free dinner. $30 was donated to the Prostate Cancer Fund. October 9th: Vocational panel, composed of members of our committee who talked about various aspects of employer/employee relations, career information, trade and professional relations, and the 4-Way Test. October 16th: Trip to Parliament House to see how our elected members discharge their duties. October 23rd: A most thought provoking address by members of the St James Ethics Group on matters of personal and business ethics. October 30th: A play written and performed by members of the committee, again about corporate and business ethics.
Also during October we became involved with another Operation Livewire candidate, Timea Toth, who, with Peter McBean’s help, went the documentary distance, but failed to win an award. An attempt was made to make another Vocational Visit to Tooheys but our busy Rotary calendar could not fit in with Tooheys’ equally busy schedule. Finally, the Pride in Workmanship and Walter Stone Apprentice awards took place on May 28th with five worthy awardees for Pride in workmanship, and four apprentices recognised for the Walter Stone award, - one winner, two highly commended, and one special award for a brave young man battling with cancer. As in previous years, the tireless energy and devotion by David Sommerlad in making these awards a community success must be recognised, and I am indebted to him. Our committee hopes that for newer members our efforts have been instructive, and for not so new members, they have still learned something of value, - that our vocations, and how we represent them, are the keystone of Rotary. My warmest thanks to the members of my committee.
Youth Service report I feel we can all be quite proud of our efforts in “Youth” this year. President George from the beginning stressed the point that we concentrate on Local Youth as much as possible. This we have tried to do. There were many requests for our help, but of course we can only do a certain amount. The programmes we participated in are as follows.
MUNA We sponsored a Debating Team from Castle Hill High to attend Kings School, Parramatta with other Schools which was a great success. We are sponsoring Castle Hill High once more in another Debating Competition in a few weeks time.
BHP National Engineering Summer School Maree Henson and Lisianne Yuen were selected to attend.
Summer Science School Zoe Summerville has been nominated by our Club to attend.
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Vision Valley Childrens’ Camp for Underprivileged Children This year our committee led by Jeff Whyte decided to send 6 children from our community, 2 each from Castle Hill Primary, Castle Hill Adventist and Excelsior Public Schools. The selection of children was carried out by the Principal of each school.
Art & Youth Merit Awards Night – Castle Towers A special thanks has to go to Ross Hood (School Art Competition) and Past Rotarian Lyn Hamilton (Youth Merit Awards). A great deal of work was put into these two programmes by Lyn and Ross, but the rewards as a Youth Committee and Rotarians were great. All the students and young people involved were so appreciative of their recognition, it really made it worthwhile. We received many letters of thanks from Schools, Parents and Students. A total of 6 students received Youth Merit Awards, and there were 20 School Art Awards. Over $2,500 was raised from sponsors for the prizes for the students.
Youth Exchange Well it has been a while since our Club has participated in Youth Exchange, and personally it feels good to have an Exchange Student at our Club Meetings, especially one like Catherine Whibley from South Africa. She seems to feel quite at home with us “oldies”. In the near future we will have our second exchange student arriving from Germany (Hamburg). Her name is Catherine Bager. We are still looking for two host families. We have Josephine Bilous who is enjoying her stay in Turkey. Shortly Michael Campbell will be off to Sweden. It is a long time since the Club has had 2 students out. Well-done David Bull.
Christmas Camp run by The Hills Youth Group The Club sponsored 4 children and a further 2 children were sponsored privately by Club members.
Rotaract Leadership Weekend The Club sponsored one Rotaractor.
Rotaract Club We have had a number of Rotaractors visit our Club including their very dynamic President Sabra Veronesi. The club is doing quite well but like all Clubs requires new members. They have raised a good deal of money which has been donated to a very worthy cause.
School Presentation Night Our Club presented prizes to students at Castle Hill High and Castle Hill Primary Schools in December last.
YOTS (Youth Off The Streets) A donation of $500 was again made to support Father Chris Riley’s programme offering help and understanding to homeless street kids.
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In Conclusion In conclusion let me thank my committee for the effort over this year. We have targeted our programme to involve youth from the Hills area and with a touch of International (Youth Exchange), I say, well done! I do believe if a club has a strong Youth Programme then that Club is a strong Rotary Club.
Membership Committee report Membership At the beginning of this past year our Club had a membership (excluding honorary members) of 59. This number was made up of: • • •
34 Active Members 25 Senior Active Members 4 Honorary Members
with 19 Past presidents of this Club and two members Past Presidents of other Clubs. During the year we received and accepted resignations from the following members: • • • • • • • •
Nick Coombs Lyn Hamilton Kerry McCombs Phil Ogilvie PP Peter Gilbank Keith Kennett Rob Snare Terry O’Brien
Many nomination cards were submitted to the Board but for varying reasons only 2 inductions were conducted, Namely: • •
Dennis Arthur Michael Hallen
And one new Honorary Member, Mayor Dr Geoff Brooke-Cowden. This resulted in the following membership breakdown as at June 30th, 1997: • • • •
Active Senior Active Total Honorary
30 23 53 5
Members must realise their obligation to their Club and Rotary in general to source and nominate suitably qualified persons for Rotary membership. The survival and variety of our Club and its ability to provide Service Above Self within our community depends on active, growing and contributing membership. Despite presentations at regular meetings and articles in the Hills Views, very few nominations were received from members of Castle Hill which is reflected in the dramatic reduction over the 1996-97 Rotary Year. This has been disappointing for the committee and in particular for President George.
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Membership Development The Committee conducted a Fireside Chat night for a number of new members and partners when experienced Rotarians presented information on Rotary International, District Structures, Club organisation with particular reference to our own Club. New Rotarians appreciated such a dissemination of information which assisted in their assimilation in Rotary and The Castle Hill Club.
Castle Hill Heritage Park Rotary’s Heritage Park Committee has become firmly accepted by Baulkham Hills Council and in government circles as the voice of the community in relation to the proposed Heritage Park development. Also, during the past 18 months, the committee has built up a strong liaison with The Hills Historical Society’s executive, with support from the Shire’s Parks 2000 organisation. The prime activity of the committee has been in representation and lobbying in the face of strong activity by owners and developers of land surrounding, or in the vicinity of, the proposed park. The land remaining from the gift of acreage by the Federal Government to the State Government was supposed to have been transferred to the Baulkham Hills Council 12 months ago. Delays and technicalities have caused constant postponements and the handover is now expected to occur in the reasonably near future – so we believe. This will secure the central area of the park but the problems and challenges occupying the committee relate to the boundary and use of private land around the entrance of the park off Banks Road and in the western end generally. In April, the Council resolved to have prepared a revised Local Environment Plan (LEP) for an extensive area roughly bounded by Banks Road, Old Castle Hill Road and Old Northern Road, which is the subject of a major development project. The Rotary Committee has made and is making strong representations to a number of State Ministers and a variety of government departments in relation to possible developments, as well as to the council. Discussions have taken place with the Mayor and council officers and the local MPs are heavily involved with Rotary Committee and Historical Society endeavours to preserve the most significant areas of the proposed park at the Banks Road end. As it will be the end of 1997 or early 1998 before the LEP is finalised, there seems little prospect of much activity on the park itself for many months yet. However, a joint project with Apex to rejuvenate Apex Park and develop a lookout on land secured by Rotary on the corner of Gilbert Road and Old Northern Road is awaiting the green light. Much behind-the-scenes work will also be required by the Committee in coming months and presentation to government agencies and the Baulkham Hills Council. The time is approaching when the strong support of the Club will be sought for this very significant heritage project of national, not just local, importance
1997-‐1998 Rotary International President: Glen Kinross (Brisbane, Australia) RI President’s Theme: “Show Rotary Cares for your community for our world for its people” Governor District 9680: Brian Coleman (St Ives) Changeover celebrated on 4rd July 1997
Board of Directors President: Peter McBean Immediate Past-President: George McDonald Vice President: Ross Hood Secretary: Bill Tait Treasurer: Graeme Brangwin Sergeant-at-Arms: Jeff Whyte, Peter Wood
President-Elect: John Stuart Director Club: Ross Hood Director Community: Noel Milligan Director Vocational: Geoff Duffy Director Intl: Peter Marcer Director Youth: Mark Greaves
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President’s report Achievements We did change the format of our meetings slightly to involve the Sergeant more in the running of the meeting. We changed our meeting venue although this was not planned at the beginning of the year. We managed to re-introduce ladies into our membership. Our Youth programme was both achieved and well managed. We generated an income of over $18,000 from projects. We donated just over $12,000 to worthy causes, mainly local. We substantially increased our administration account through the generosity of Bill and Margaret Tait and SMC Pneumatics donating meals on our Vocational Visits as well as proceeds from our raffle. However with all these positives there were some negatives which I believe we should acknowledge.
Goals not Achieved I believe we failed yet again to involve our membership by having regular committee meetings so that Rotary, for many, continued to be non-participatory. In community service we failed to organise hands-on community projects other than Showgate which would give members the opportunity to contribute to their community in a personal way. We fell short of our membership targets which I must admit were extremely high but achieved a net gain of three very good members. Thank you to all members of our Club for their support and cooperative effort this year and a special thanks to all members of my Board for their valuable contributions to club management and their support throughout the year.
Secretary’s report Membership The Rotary year commenced on 1st July 1997 with membership at 53 and 5 honorary members. Members inducted during the year were: • • • • • •
Wally Howard Cheryl Borton Karen Patch Terry O’Mara Bruce Jenkin Michael Yeo
6 August 1997 5 November 1997 5 November 1997 25 March 1998 03 May 1998 10 June 1998
Home Electronics Vocational Services Respite Care Services Community Welfare S/A – Pharmaceutical Mfg Computer Consumables
Resignations received and accepted with regret: • • •
Michael Williams 18 August 1997 Nik Roukendo 31 November 1997 Wally Howard 23 March 1998
Moved interstate Change of occupation Moved interstate
The Rotary year concluded on 30 June 1998 with membership at 56 and 5 Honorary members.
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The Board thanks membership Chairman PP George McDonald and his committee for their efforts during the year.
Board Meetings Your Board of Directors met on twelve occasions during the year.
General Meeting A general Meeting of the Club was held on 27th August 1997 when it resolved that the new Constitution and Bylaws as submitted be adopted.
Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of the Club was held on 3rd December 1997 at which Office Bearers for the Rotary year 1998/99 were elected and Financial Accounts for the year ended 3oth June 1997 adopted.
Club Forums Three Club Forums were held during this year when the President, Officers and Directors presented (a) the Club Plan in July; (b) the half yearly review in December; and (c) the yearly appraisal in June. The members were notified of all-important Board decisions by reports published in the Club Bulletin.
District Conference The Club was represented at the District Conference held in Canberra from 26th February to 1st March 1998.
Club Administration All statutory, constitutional and Rotary International requirements have been met. Membership records have been maintained and updated. Minutes of Board, General and annual general Meetings have been recorded and are preserved in the Club’s Minute Book together with Director’s and Officer’s monthly written reports.
Treasurer’s report Balance of Accounts Administration Projects Tour de Hills Bruce Pederson Memorial Trust Heritage Park
31 May 1998 14,248 8,256 7,784 5,000 10,228 $45,516
30 June 1997 7,065 5,395 3,029 5,000 9,713 $30,202
Major donations made to May 1998: • • • • •
Rotary Against Malaria Wheel Chair – Ashlee Duncan Bush Fire Service Voluntary Aid Detachment State Emergency Service
$1,500 $2,356 $3,300 $1,100 $1,100
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Expenditure on Youth activities amounted to $8,554 for the period while International Projects accounted for $3,473.
Youth Service We have come to the end of a very busy year in youth activities. Some highlights of the year are:
Youth exchange Inbound Catherine Whibley from South Africa – Jan 1997 – Jan 1998 Kathrin Borger from Germany – Jul 1997 – Jul 1998 Julia Goransson who will arrive from Sweden in July and we look forward to her stay.
Outbound Michael Campbell whom is in Sweden for 1998 Michael Nielson who has just been approved by District to represent us in Denmark during 1999.
Student’s Art Competition In conjunction with the Rotary Youth Merit Awards were a great success due to the assistance of many Club members.
Rotaract Our Rotaract Club is going from strength to strength this year, and regularly have 20 people at their meetings. Three of our Rotaractors, Phillip Harvey, Tom Eaton and Natasha Edwards were worthy Rylarians this year.
Summer Science School We sponsored two students to the Summer Science Schools, Zoe Sommerville to the Rio Tinto School and Fiona Dunphy to Siemens.
Operation Hope As a club we sponsored 2 children to Operation Hope and 2 Club members sponsored another 2 children.
Suicide Prevention We contributed $320 to a local youth suicide awareness program.
MUNA We have a team attending MUNA in June from Northholm Grammar.
Australian Business Week We sponsored 2 students to the Australian Business Week NSW Program held at Macquarie University in May.
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International Service Group Study Exchange This year we nominated a candidate for the GSE to visit District 1740 in France, however our candidate, Kimberley Elliott, was unsuccessful in the final selection. Castle Hill hosted the Farewell Dinner for the French GSE Team at the Dural Country Club. Our guests included the Consul General for France Mons Poimboeuf and his wife and our District Governor Brian Coleman and his wife Daryl. While this function was poorly attended it proved to be enjoyable.
Rotary Against Malaria Past District Governor Neville Chambers visited our Club in December to update our members on the great work Rotary is doing in eradicating malaria from the world and was presented a cheque for $1500.
Donations in Kind We held a working bee at the DIK depot in Prospect to assist with the packing and preparation of medical goods for shipment to third world countries.
FAIM This year members from our Club, PPs Ron Marcus and John Barker participated in projects in Nepal to assist with the building of a small hospital. We have donated $1,000 towards the purchase of equipment for this project.
Health, Hunger and Humanity (3H) Financial assistance to the amount of $884 was contributed to the District Matching Grants Programme to provide low cost shelters for families in India ($328) and to assist the Children of Russia Project ($556).
Community Service This Rotary year saw the cancellation of the Orange Blossom Homemakers Expo and the Tour de Hills because of bad weather. However it is hoped that the Tour de Hills can be rescheduled. We participated in the Open Day for The Hills Private Hospital which raised funds for Careflight, the inaugural Baulkham Hills Shire Australia Day “Tug-of-War” which raised funds for the local Emergency Services group, we sold tickets for the Melbourne Cup trifecta and Xmas puddings which brought the Club some income to disburse within the community. Castle Hill Showgate was again our major fundraiser although a large part of our membership was unable to participate on the duty roster and an excessive load was placed on a smaller number of willing helpers. The support of the Annangrove Bush Fire Brigade enabled us to help them financially. The help provided by our members acting as drivers for the Red Shield Appeal enabled the Salvation Army to boost their funds significantly in the Hills district this year. We provided a number of other organisations with financial support, including the Prostate Cancer Research Fund, the Wesley Mission (Drug Arm and Suicide Prevention). As well we combined with Carlingford Rotary Club to provide a special wheelchair for Ashlee Duncan, a young girl who lives in Castle Hill and attends school at the Spastic Centre. Under the banner of the Fellowship Committee a most successful Fashion Parade raised a substantial amount for Kemo Kare 4 Kids and the organisers are to be congratulated.
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Club Service The 1997-98 year has been a very busy and rewarding year for the Club Service and Fellowship Committee of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill. After 33 years of club meetings at Durham Park we were forced to seek a new venue and moved to Springfield Receptions at the beginning of February. Our programme of speakers have been varied and interesting with a number attracting our partners to attend regular meetings. Bulletin Editor, Bob Wright, with his flair for the unusual, provided us each week with a wealth of information. Our Bulletin was a finalist in the District Bulletin Awards. There were many fellowship highlights throughout the year. All were well supported and include: • • • • • • • •
The weekend at Cowra The dinner and Fashion Parade at the Dural Country Club ($2500n raised for charity) Christmas Party at Cropley House – a night to remember Pie and Port night Trivia night What’s my Line – a Partner’s Vocational Night Social evenings for our partners Four outstanding home visits – Heyman’s, Wright’s, Tait’s & McBean’s.
Vocational Service Vocational Excellence awards to Aub Juleff and Pastor Noel Cannon from the Redeemer Baptist Church. The October Vocational Month had a good variety of tours and speakers with a visit to Admiral Plastics and speakers of the quality of Hannibal Shabaz and Paul Bernhardt on franchising. The Tri Club car trial between Castle Hill, Glenhaven and North Rocks Clubs was a success with fine food and fellowship concluding the day at Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens. A vocational visit to the Anglican Retirement Village organised by Faye and David Bowles and my wife Jan was enjoyed by all, and the resident guest speaker told all of the quality of life at the village. All new members to date have given short vocational talks. Pride in Workmanship Night organised by David Sommerlad, Cheryl Borton and Dennis Arthur was its usual success and our new Industry Environmental Award conducted by Rod Williamson and John Barker concluded a successful Rotary Year.
1998-‐1999 Rotary International President: James L Lacy (Cookeville, Tennessee, USA) RI President’s Theme: “Follow Your Rotary Dream” Governor District 9680: Alex Gow (Warringah) Changeover celebrated on 3rd July 1998
Board of Directors President: John Stuart
President-Elect: Geoff Duffy
Immediate Past-President: Peter McBean
Director Club: John Cooper
Vice President: John Cooper
Director Community: Peter Wood
Secretary: Geoff Duffy
Director Vocational: Bill Tait
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Treasurer: Brian Stacey
Director International: Jeff Whyte
Sergeant-at-Arms: David Bowles/Dennis Arthur
Director Youth: Mike Hallen
President’s report When I agreed to be your President over this past Rotary Year I was told a number of things by Rotarians of many year’s experience within this Club. They were as follows: • • •
That it is necessary that I select a Board of Directors that won’t let me down. That I would receive help and encouragement from members that I would least expect. That it would be the best year of my Rotary life.
To those members I can only say that you were absolutely correct. Over this past year I have also discovered how little I really knew about the Big Picture of Rotary and what it achieves. There were many highlights. Tour de Hills became our major project and an incredible success story, the winning of the Noel McDonald Shield for the Best Bulletin in District 9680, the fund raising evening for the Papua New Guinea Appeal, the positive progress of the heritage Park Project, the excellent vocational visits, the “Hands On” Projects and of course the Fellowship. On a sad note three of our Honorary Members passed away, they being Neville French, Allan Holman and Ken Binns. Under the Chairmanship of George McDonald our membership grew and we welcomed new members Judy Ford, Peter Ford, Kerrie Geard, Mike Hyland, Barry Nielson, Ken Smith, Phil Udayan and Marie Ford. I could not have hoped for a better Board of Directors with whom to work. Their guidance, dedication and support are something that I will never forget and to the Chairmen of the various Committees my sincere thanks. To Secretary Geoff Duffy your reliable support and advice was beyond my expectations and to Treasurer Mark Greaves your financial control and your efforts and patience establishing “Club Mate” are to be greatly admired. Finally I wish to thank each and every member and partner for the friendship and encouragement you extended to both Rigmor and myself. At the initial Club Assembly last year I said,” we have a great Club”. The efforts of this year have once again proven the statement and I hope that my Presidency has proved a foundation so this can continue for the 1999-2000 year and beyond. May I conclude by extending to Geoff Duffy and his team my best wishes for a great year and I can assure them of my continued support during their term in office.
Secretary’s report Membership The Rotary year commenced on July 1, 1998 with a membership of 56 plus 5 Honorary Members: • • • Sub-Total
Active Senior Active Past Service 56
29 26 1
Honorary 5
Total
61
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Members inducted during the year were 8: Barry Neilson Sep 98 Past Service Phil Udayan Sep 98 Information Technology Ken Smith Nov 98 Education – Primary Kerrie Geard Nov 98 Computer Software Mike Hyland Jan 99 Textile Consultancy Judy Ford Apr 99 Fundraising Consultancy Peter Ford Apr 99 Armed Services Marie Ford Jun 99 Lingerie Retailing Resignations received and accepted with regret: Chris Timmins Jul 98 Warren Knight Oct 98 Stan Fulker Dec 98 Ken Petersen May 99 Lionel Lea Jun 99 Rotarians called to higher service: Neville French Aug 98 Allan Holman Nov 98 Ken Binns Nov 98 The Rotary year concludes on June 30, 1999, with a membership of 58 with 2 Honorary members. The Board thanks membership Chairman, PP George McDonald for his efforts during the year.
Board Meetings Your Board met on 10 occasions during the year, and I thank all members for their written reports each month, enabling meetings to be concluded at a reasonable hour. Special thanks to President John for the use of his Boardroom and generous supper provided after each meeting in the Company cafeteria.
Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of the Club was held on Wednesday, July 2, 1998 at which the office bearers for the rotary Year 1999-2000 were elected, and financial accounts for the year ended June 30, 1998, adopted. All statutory forms have been lodged with the Department of Fair Trading by our Public Officer, Grant Cockburn.
Club Administration All statutory, constitutional and Rotary International requirements have been met. Membership records have been maintained and updated. Minutes of Board, General and annual General meetings have been recorded and are preserved in the Club’s minute book together with Director’s and Officer’s written monthly reports. In conclusion, I would like to thank President John for his cooperation and understanding; the Board members for their invaluable contributions of time, ideas and hard work and every Club member for their support during the year. I look forward to serving the Castle Hill Rotary Club as its President in the year of Rotary 2000, your Board is young in Rotary membership years, and we look forward to acting with CONSISTENCY CREDIBILITY CONTINUITY with DG Larry Jacka and world President Carlo Ravizza from Italy.
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Treasurer’s report This year has been a very busy but satisfying year. At the start of this Rotary year we decided to purchase Club Mate, a software program specially designed for use by Rotary clubs. The implementation of this program has been time consuming, but will be worthwhile, as it will bring efficiency over time. It will also greatly assist the Secretary and Attendance Officer. The Board has sold the Art Show stands for $3500, and this money was used to purchase a new laptop computer that will allow us to handle the administrative functions of your Club more effectively. Your Club has had an outstanding year of fundraising. We had two Tour de Hills this year due to postponement of the April 1998 event. We were able to make over $50,000 in donations this year, as well as our hands-on contributions to the community. Congratulations to all members!! May I remind you that the yearly fees are due in July and December each year. Prompt payment is appreciated. Thank you for your understanding regarding AWOL. If you do not make an apology by Tuesday 12 noon, we have to pay for your meal. My thanks to my cashiers this year George McDonald, David Bull, Stan Fulker and “new boy” Ken Smith.
Club Service report The past Rotary year has been busy for Club Service. Since our move from Durham Park, now over twelve months ago, Springfield Receptions has been well accepted as a relaxed venue form our meetings. Programme Chairman, Ross Hood, presented the Club with a wealth of quality speakers throughout the year offering variety of topics from boomerang throwing to cricket, from magic acts to obtaining return on investments and from the insect world to interviewing icons. Thanks Ross. Accolades were showered on Bob Milne, Bulletin Editor, late in the year, for his efforts in the Hills Views winning the District Bulletin Prize. Thanks go to Bob Wright for supporting Editor Bob during the year. Their editorial expertise gave us well balanced and informative news on the happenings of our Club and District – much more than two Bob’s worth. My personal thanks go to all other Club Service Committee members for their support, in particular Barry Alsop on attendance, Peter McBean – Public Relations, Rod Williamson – Raffles and two unsung heroes Dennis Arthur and David Bowles our Sergeants-at-Arms for their paid entertainment throughout the year. Congratulations to President John on a successful year and my best wishes to President-Elect Geoff and hid Board form1999-2000.
Community Service report Projects achieved 1
3rd Tour de Hills, August 1998
2
Hills Family Centre, October 1998
3
Nett revenue
$14019
Cost
($500)
Melbourne Cup Trifecta
Nett revenue
$1205
4
Christmas Puddings
Nett revenue
$800
5
Schneiders Xmas BBQ Lunch, December 1998
Nett revenue
$1900
6
Bowelscan
Neutral
7
Australia Day Tug-o’ War, January 1999
Neutral
8
Heritage Park Opening, Canteen function
Neutral
9
Showgate, March 1999
Nett revenue
$11293
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10
4th Tour de Hills
Nett revenue
$22323
11
Container campaign, May 1999
Nett revenue
$43
12
Red Shield Appeal
Neutral Total Nett revenue
$51083
Community Service Donations from above 1
CANTEEN
$10000
2
Bushies
3
VAD
$500
4
Jacaranda Lodge
$500
5
Kemo Kare 4 Kids
$1600
6
Bushies
$2000
7
St John Ambulance
$2000
$500 Total given
$31500
Abandoned Projects • • •
Orange Blossom Festival, Business Expo money not forthcoming as promised. Coin and Banknote Fair – Not enough dealers interested ORTA Parking – Too close to Showgate
I wish to thank the members and their partners, President John and the Board, an my committee members for their encouragement and support. I have found the year rewarding and a great deal of fun.
Vocational Service report This year the Vocational Service Committee provided the Club with a programme which it believed to informative, educational and in keeping with the ideals and aims of this avenue of Rotary Service.
Rotarian’s Unusual Hobbies As a new innovation (sic) following a suggestion put forward by Cheryl Borton three Rotarians combined to provide a special dinner meeting programme. It proved that you do not know all about your fellow Rotarians until you explore his/her particular hobbies. Mike Hallen demonstrated that his hobby of model collection was not only fascinating but also extremely profitable. Jim Josephson gave a vivid address on how older men who participate in the dangerous sport of rally driving maintain a macho image. Rod Williamson complete with full scale (sic) models demonstrating his unusual hobby of garden railway construction.
Vocational Visits Members and/or their partners and guests during the year enjoyed an interesting array of Vocational Visits:
Baulkham Hills Shire Council PP John Barker conducted a comprehensive and informative tour of the Shire Council’s magnificent administrative centre.
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Microsearch Foundation By arrangement with PDG Ted Atkinson the Club paid a visit to the Foundation’s research centre at Lane Cove. After drinks and a delightful dinner Professor Earl Owen treated us to a lecture and demonstration of Microsurgery. A cheque for $1000 was presented to the Foundation towards the purchase of the new $1,000,000 Zeiss Microscope to be known as the Rotary Microscope.
Amway Australia The Company’s new warehouse facility and administration centre was toured by the members where the computerised storage, picking and packing systems were demonstrated. Tony Greig the Company’s Corporate Affairs and Legal Manager presented an address on the history of Amway Australia and its progress as an Australian listed company. Dinner and drinks were served in the Board Room Ante rooms.
Guest Speakers Graham Auld, Manager of the Hong Kong Bank, Castle Hill, addressed a Dinner meeting on “the effects of modern banking now and in the future”. All new members inducted into the Club during the year presented a resume on their life and vocations.
Pride in Workmanship This Club over many years has conducted a Pride in Workmanship Awards night where local employees are recognised for displaying qualities in terms of approach, attitude, dedication and commitment to his/her profession. This year’s awardees were: • • • •
Michelle Fahim Anne Peebles Maureen Watson Fiona Wellington
The guest speaker for the evening was Mr Steve Grant of Grant Constructions.
Apprentice of the Year The Walter Stone Memorial perpetual Trophy for the Hill’s District Apprentice of the Year was presented by Mrs Margaret Stone to Anthony Davey who was judged by a selection committee to be Apprentice of the Year. Certificates of High Commendation were awarded to: • • •
Michael Carn Belinda Paton Janelle Ross
PP David Sommerlad and Cheryl Borton are to be congratulated on the most efficient manner in which they coordinated the evening.
Industry Environment Award This award was keenly contested this year after exhaustive investigation the eventual winner was Lever-Rexona. The environmental procedures practiced by this company should be emulated by all industrial undertakings in the Baulkham Hills Shire.
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Mr Warwick Watkins of Waterways of NSW delivered a stirring address on the environment and its protection. To my committee of dedicated workers and to President John I say thank you for your assistance and hard work. To incoming Vocational Service Director Mike Hallen we wish you all the very best of success and a year of complete enjoyment in this satisfying position.
Youth Service report The policy for Youth this year was to continue as many of the previous programs as possible introducing a significant new activity, support of Youth Suicide Prevention. The year began with the sad farewell to Kathryn Boger and a warm (albeit middle of winter) welcome to our incoming Youth Exchange Student, Julia Goransson. Julia settled in very quickly to her new surroundings, assisted in no small way by the ongoing support of her first host family, Ann and Mark Greaves. Our focus for Youth Month in September 1998 was to raise awareness of the Club to the problem of youth suicide. Two of our guest speakers, Paul Andrew and the duo of Sean and Kerrie McArdle explained how schizophrenia, a misunderstood illness, can lead to suicide. A sobering but necessary experience if we are going to take our support of Youth Suicide prevention seriously. On a lighter note, Julia Goransson and Michael Nielson, our Denmark-bound outbound student, entertained us one evening in September. This evening concluded with a song each from Michael and Julia. A brief overview of our programs for the year is as follows:
RYLA We selected two Rotaractors, Leisl Walker and Rodney Sheffer, to attend RYLA in January 1999. They both enjoyed the experience.
RYPEN Two students from Northholm Grammar School were sponsored to attend RYPEN in March, 1999.
Science and Engineering Schools Although we nominated an excellent candidate she was unsuccessful in gaining a position at this keenly sought after science school.
Youth Exchange As mentioned previously, we have Michael Neilson in Denmark and Michael Campbell returned from Sweden in January. Julia will return to Sweden on 7th July and our new student, also from Sweden, will arrive in July. We were successful in getting our Year 2000 outbound nominee, Susan Bilous, an exchange position in Argentina in January 1999.
NZ Matched Exchange This program was on our list this year but we failed to nominate a candidate. This was due in some part to the fact that this activity occurs very early in the new Rotary Year and needs to be progressed by the outgoing Board.
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MUNA Another very successful MUNA was arranged by Lindfield Club at The Kings School, North Parramatta. Held over the Queen’s Birthday weekend on 12/13 June, four students from Northholm Grammar School were sponsored by the Club and represented Denmark at MUNA. This is a magnificent program and I recommend it to future Youth Directors.
Children’s Camp The Club and individual members contributed to sponsor 6 underprivileged children to one of the summer camps.
Youth Suicide Prevention It was not the intention of the Youth Committee to establish themselves as experts in the field of youth suicide prevention. The aim was to provide financial support to better-qualified organisations operating in our area that were already addressing this issue. We initially provided this support to The Hills District Youth Service (HDYS) who asked for assistance in printing business card sized lists of phone numbers for organisations that can assist when problems occur and there is a need to talk to somebody. It was felt that these cards would be inconspicuous enough to be kept in wallets and used if necessary by any youth experiencing difficulties in coping with life. HDYS distributed these cards to the majority of High Schools in our area. Together with Winston Hills Club, we also sponsored a survey of the Kids Help Line by HDYS so that a better understanding of the problems being experienced by our youth could be better obtained. Another of our strategies to help in this area was to join the group sponsored by the Baulkham Hills Shire Council, The Youth Suicide Working Party. This is an ongoing commitment and as part of our involvement this year we assisted in the cost of producing printed material for the Youth Suicide Information Night held in April at the Council Chambers. We sponsored Emma Yeo and Marina Maxwell (Main Drag) to attend a Suicide Prevention conference in Melbourne. None of these activities would have been possible without the help and guidance of the members of the Youth Committee, each of whom I would like to thank for their efforts. I would like to thank President John, the Board and the members for their support of the youth programs this year.
In Closing In closing I would like to welcome Karen Patch to the chair and wish her and her committee every success in this very rewarding avenue of service.
International Service report I personally did not have a good start to my year as International Director, falling off one of the farm’s water towers. But Rotary goes on, our International fundraising project for this year was for the Tsunami Disaster Relief Appeal in Papua New Guinea. The funds from the home visits at the Dunn’s & Whytes combined, plus the chocolate wheel at the Whytes raised $2,880. A great effort and lots of fun and fellowship. Thanks to all the members for their contribution. We invited the Papua New Guinea Consulate- General Mr Kila A. Karo to come and talk to us about the Tsunami Disaster, which was a very informative meeting.
Group Study Exchange We put forward one candidate, Mark McQueen, for the outgoing team. Our Club also hosted two members of the incoming Turkish Team thanks to Mike and Sue Blair and Phillip and Shaheda
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Udayan, who both enjoyed the Team Members’ company for the week. Both the team members spoke clear English.
Donations to Internation Projects This year $3,000 went to The Rotary Foundation. $500 to Polio Partners with a matching grant from the Rotary Foundation, so $1,000 has gone to the South West Pacific Centre; this money will be spent on surveillance as some other diseases have similar symptoms to polio. A further $500 has gone to The Angolan Land Mine Artificial Limb Project in Africa which will cover the cost of artificial limbs for six months and, in addition, give many people back their mobility. I look forward to the year ahead with Bruce Allen in charge of International Service.
Heritage Park – Castle Hill’s Historic Site The first evidence of work on the 1801 third Government Farm site has occurred during the past 12 months. Towards the end of 1997, 16.8ha of land were transferred from the State Government to Baulkham Hills Shire Council which undertook initial protection measures and weed control. This year, part of the boundary was fenced and in February the Commonwealth-funded Green Corps began an extensive conservation project in parts of the site. Last July, Warren Bowden and David Sommerlad joined a consultative committee commissioned by Council to draw up a Plan of Management for the heritage park. A significant contribution to this exercise was made by the committee representatives and the final plan will be reviewed by the group at the end of June. A major activity was the preparation and submission to the Australian Government for a Federation Fund Grant to enable the purchase of the 2.2ha of privately owned land covering the Banks Road end of the park and the construction of an appropriate gateway at the colonial entrance to the site. Despite the national significance of the area and a submission that impressed heritage officers, the committee’s application was unsuccessful. Further applications for government funding during the year have either not yet been finalised, were thwarted or were unsuccessful. However, $7,000 was forthcoming from the Natural Heritage Trust to undertake weed control and protections work on the site. The Council was commissioned to undertake this work. The most determined efforts of the committee during the year were directed towards the acquisition by some means and by some public body of the two hectares of land blocking the Banks Road entrance to the park. Representations to all Federal and State Ministers and Departments with any perceived interest in the Castle Hill site have been unrelenting: positive interest was evinced from the former Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning and a long-term effort to have the Premier, Mr Carr, visit the site reached fruition on May 30th when he undertook to try to find a solution to the entrance problem. Representations have been made repeatedly to Council on the matter and there is now acknowledgement by all parties any way involved that the site will be significantly downgraded if the block of land at the entrance is not acquired. The primary effort of the committee is to see that acquisition is the outcome. While there are few tangible results for efforts during the year, some valuable groundwork has been undertaken. There is no doubt the Castle Hill heritage site is better known in official circles than ever before; top people in Government realise that the Banks Road entrance is vital to its success; and the Council is in no doubt that the lack of public ownership of this particular block will be unacceptable to the committee and the community. It is up to the authorities to find an appropriate solution. The committee’s approach is that acquisition is a matter for Government and Council. The work to be undertaken at the entrance should be the task of the committee and the community. Until this issue is resolved, the extent of the committee’s involvement in the project is undecided. In the meantime, no stone will be left unturned to ensure that the vision of a park justifying a site of national historic value becomes a reality.
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I must pay a particular tribute to Warren Bowden for his untiring efforts; to my personal assistant, Tracey Johnston, whose cooperation is unstintingly given; and to President John and the Club form continuing support of our committee whose endeavours are now in the 11th year.
1999-‐2000 Rotary International President: Carlos Ravizza (Milan, Italy,) RI President’s Theme: “Rotary 2000: Act with Consistency, Credibility, Continuity” Governor District 9680: Larry Jacka (West Pennant Hills & Cherrybrook) Changeover celebrated on 4th July 1999
Board of Directors President: Geoff Duffy Immediate Past-President: John Stuart Vice President: Jim Josephson Secretary: Cheryl Borton Treasurer: Mark Greaves Sergeant-at-Arms: Jeff Whyte/Ray White
President-Elect: John Cooper Director Club: Jim Josephson Director Community: Mike Yeo Director Vocational: Mike Hallen Director International: Bruce Allen Director Youth: Karen Patch
President’s report It does not seem two and a half years ago that I was selected to be your President for the Rotary year 1999-2000. Although I am writing this report one month short of completing my year as President, as Jan and I are going to the World Conference this year and by the time you read this we will have returned to Australia this morning (Friday). If our attendance record is an indication of how successful the year has been, with, at the time of writing 8 members with 100% attendance, congratulations to you all. The success of this Rotary year was in the hands of your Board of Directors, with a sprinkle of experience (PP Bruce Allen) and the keenness of young Rotarians (in years of service). We managed to create a year of good fellowship and interesting Rotary information. In particular I would like to thank Secretary Cheryl for keeping me to time at our weekly meetings to enable us to finish at approximately 8:40 each night. The highlight of our Rotary year must be the Tour de Hills bike ride. Under the guidance of chairman Gerry Larkin and his team, the return of $42,000 was beyond all our expectations. Showgate was more of a social event this year without the parking problems and our initial fun run was a social success and looking forward to a better financial return next year. A special welcome to our new Rotarians inducted this year, Bevan Callaghan, Patricia Rixon, Paul Knight, Christine Norris, Julie Dallan and Malcolm Hannah. We trust your time at Castle Hill Rotary will be happy and fruitful in community service. Special thanks to George McDonald for his efforts in this field. As I write this report a month early, thank you to all Rotarians for keeping their feet on planet earth this Rotary Year. My pet aversion is funerals and I was not looking forward to these occasions. Thank you to our partners for their assistance at projects when required, home visits and for their presence at fellowship functions at Springfield. Our Swedish exchange student Maria Borgeson brought joy to our hearts. Finally may I conclude by extending to John Cooper and his Board my best wishes for a great year and my continued support during their term in office.
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Secretary’s report Membership The Rotary Year commenced on 1 July 1999 with a membership of 56, plus 1 honorary member. Members: Active – 31
Senior Active – 25
Honorary - 1
Members inducted during the year were 7: Bevan Callaghan July 99 Bicycle Retailing Patricia Rixon September 99 Business Systems Paul Knight November 99 Medicine Paediatrics Christine Norris November 99 Real Estate Sales Julie Dallan March 00 Software Support Service Malcolm Hannah May 00 Media Management Vernon Kelly June 00 Banking Resignations received and accepted with regret: Kerrie Geard Oct 99 Terry O’Mara Jan 00 Phil Udayan Feb 00 The Rotary Year concluded on June 30, 2000 with a membership of 61 with 1 Honorary member. The Board thanks membership chairman George McDonald for his efforts during the year.
Board Meetings Your Board of Directors met on 11 occasions during the year, and I thank all members for their written reports each month, enabling meetings to be concluded at a reasonable hour. Special thanks to Treasurer Mark Greaves for use of his office and generous supper provided after each of the meetings.
Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting was held on Wednesday 1st December at which the office bearers for the Rotary year 2000-2001 were elected and the financial accounts for the year ended 30th June 1999 adopted. All statutory forms have been lodged with the Department of Fair Trading by our public officer Grant Cockburn. The Authority to Fundraise has been granted until 18th January 2005.
Club Forums Two Club Forums were held during the year, when President, Officers and Directors presented (a) the Club Plan in July: and (b) in December to review the half-year. The members were notified of all meetings and reports were presented in the bulletin.
District Conference The Club was represented at the District Conference held at Homebush, Sydney in March 2000.
Club Administration All Statutory, Constitutional and Rotary International requirements have been met. Membership records have been maintained and updated. Minutes of Board, general and annual General Meetings
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have been recorded and are preserved in the Club’s Minute Book together with the Director’s and Officer’s monthly reports.
Thanks In conclusion I would like to thank President Geoff for his assistance and understanding; the Board members for their invaluable contributions of time, ideas and hard work and every Club member for their support during the year, it has been a pleasure and an honour. I look forward to serving incoming President John, and his new Board of Directors.
Treasurer’s report The 1999-2000 year has been outstanding for the amount of money that your club has raised and therefore been able to donate to worthy causes. As the year has not yet finished, I am unable to give you exact details of donations made. To date, these include: • • • • • • • • • •
$35,000 $1,800 $500 $2,000 $3,110 $3,000 $2,500 $500 $500 $5,000
Kemo Kare 4 Kids From Russia with Love Australian Rotary Overseas Aid Fund – Nepal Youth Suicide Research 2 x Paul Harris Fellowships Rotary Foundation – Save Face – Nepal Rural Fire Services – Baulkham Hills Red Cross Police Legacy Heritage Park Committee
You would all be aware that this year’s Tour de Hills was a fantastic event for your Club. This raised in excess of $50,000 nett of expenses. After making donations, additional funds will be transferred to the Projects account before the end of June. Other fund raising activities included Showgate, sale of Xmas puddings, sale of first aid kits, Schneider BBQ, home visits in January, Australia Day Tug o’ War, sale of 100% certificates, Fun Run. This allowed your Club to make donations and/or contributions to National Youth Science Forum. Our Exchange Student Program, sponsoring a Probus Club, Vision Valley Child Sponsorship, Cat, Scan, MUNA, Pride in Workmanship, HADPAC project, purchase of Tunnel Walk products, and Apprentice of the Year Awards.
Club Service report Programme Bruce Jenkin has provided us with an outstanding programme which has been highlighted by exceptional speakers from within and outside the Club.
Fellowship Peter McBean and his committee have delivered an excellent year of fellowship activities. The highlight was the balloon weekend hosted by Malcolm Chalmers with the assistance of our exmember, and Past President, Neil Todd and Mavis who provided their own home and facilities for an afternoon of exceptional fellowship.
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Bulletin Again, Bob Milne, assisted from time to time by Judy Ford, has provided a professional and entertaining year of information and interest through the “Hills Views”. We can be proud of our bulletin which in many ways set the standard.
Membership This has been an outstanding year for the recruitment of new members by George McDonald. George has ben unceasing in his efforts in bringing to the Club a group of outstanding new people who will introduce new life and ideas and contribute to the continuation of the success this Club has enjoyed.
Sergeants Well what can be said about the Jeff and Ray show? The one thing that President Geoff could never afford to do was to appear to omit the Sergeants session. Such an act would raise howls of protest and look likely to trigger a riot in the streets. What more could be said except that they also managed to raise in excess of $1,400 at the same time as providing their special forms of light entertainment.
Raffle David Bowles (who didn’t keep his promise never to win) and Ned Curac have raised almost $4,000. A great effort.
Behind the Scenes Other Club Service activities such as Welfare – George McDonald, Public Relations – Malcolm Chalmers, Club History – Bob Milne, Equipment – Peter Wood and Club Extension – Warren Bowden have all been quietly attended to by the members involved.
Finally I wish to thank all the members above who have without exception carried out their duties and have so ably provided the Club with the foundation upon which it stands.
Vocational Service report Introduction The policy for the 1999-2000 Vocational Service Year for the Club was to focus on new technologies and their application to vocations old and new.
Vocational Month The Vocational Month program for October included three major activities: • • •
6 October Meeting 13 October Meeting 20 October Meeting
The Internet Grammar School (Judy Ford) Clubmate for Dummies (Cheryl Borton) Vocational Visit to Undercover Wear
The first two activities were designed to introduce new vocations associated with computer technology. The introduction of a Club computer and the use of the Clubmate software package have streamlined the Club’s record keeping. It is also significant that members of our Club were the guest speakers.
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The Vocational Visit was also of significance as it involved the business of one of our members and demonstrated how effectively computer technology has been applied.
Pride in Workmanship A successful Pride in Workmanship award night was held on 17th May. Five awardees were presented with their citations and plaques. Attendance for the evening was in excess of eighty, which indicates that splitting the Vocational Service evenings is successful.
Apprentice of the Year David Sommerlad planned, organised and conducted yet another successful Apprentice of the Year award evening on 31st May. It has become apparent that with the changes made to the NSW and national apprenticeship schemes, together with a resource-limited TAFE system, the present process and selection criteria for this prestigious award need to be reviewed. There is no intention of discontinuing the award, simply making it more applicable to the current training environment. The review must consider at least the following and document the outcome for future reference: • • • • • •
The eligibility criteria for the award (what constitutes an “apprenticeship” under current training regimes?). How nominations are canvassed (through TAFE headquarters or directly with training establishments/employers). The geographic area covered. The evaluation criteria to be applied in selecting recipients. Timing for the awards night (linked to items 1 & 2 above). Nomination for the District 9680 Apprentice of the Year award conferred at the District Conference.
CareFlight Visit The Club visited the CareFlight base at Westmead Hospital on 28th June. This visit replaced a proposed visit to Channel 7 that was unable to be organised in time. This visit may be possible in the next Rotary year.
Conclusion I would like to thank President Geoffrey, the Board, the Vocational Service Committee and my fellow Rotarians for their support during my year as Vocational Service Director. In closing I would like to welcome Mike Hyland to the chair and wish him and his committee every success in this very rewarding avenue of service.
Community Service report In a year when continuity has been one of the Rotary themes, this year has presented some challenges. Having started in the role as a stand-in and then having time out for Army duties, with Judy Ford standing in, members may be surprised that we survived the year! I certainly am. This is due in no small way to the wealth of talent and willingness of Rotary people to fill the gaps when they needed to be filled. Thanks to you all. A special thanks to Judy for covering the vital matters. That skill has enabled her to take on the role for next year. Let me comment on each of the major activities we covered this year.
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Showgate Showgate was an experience to be enjoyed (?) by all members who can take the time to get involved in what is our longest standing continuous community activity. Sure, we get some money for it, but what we do is show the community what we can do. As always, lessons were learned and feedback has been given to the Show Society, as we do each year. Some of these are matters that are being addressed, but not at the speed we would like to see while others are just things we have to live with. Thanks to Roy and apprentice Peter (Ford) for the direction.
HADPAC The recent HADPAC concreting was the practical side of Rotary, which gave some pleasure to some of the members knowing how well that is appreciated by the special people who use the facilities of the centre.
Schneiders The Schneiders Christmas party catering was an opportunity to be seen by one of our local businesses and apart from the fellowship, we made some money for the Rotary charities.
Bowelscan David Bull did a great job on this project with an excellent sale of kits in all participating pharmacies.
Paralympics Tickets Initial response was slow but Dieter Regel grabbed the ball and we achieved a good result with many members deciding to buy tickets.
Christmas Cakes Marie Ford looked after this project. We made more revenue this year than last year despite being too cheap. Next year we will be more reasonably priced as people seem to buy them regardless.
The Fun Run The Fun Run was a great start, despite the slightly better than break-even financial result. It is expected that with more promotion, this could be a very successful annual community event. The key is large numbers of participants and we are hoping for a big turnout this year. The permanent date is the nationwide Active Australia day which allows us to leverage the publicity needed to make this event well attended. At this stage, the approval from the Traffic Safety Committee may be difficult as the Police presence over the Olympic period and the need to consult ORTA may be an unplanned difficulty.
Red Shield Appeal The Salvation Army Red Shield appeal continues to be well supported with a representative number of members acting as drivers, collectors and counters on the day.
Tour de Hills The Tour de Hills was an incredibly successful event, due to Chairman Gerry (Larkin) and his team. Professionally run and a very profitable event for the Club.
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Finances The financial side of the Community Service activity has been boosted by the larger than expected return from the Tour de Hills. This has been a year of low expenditure on Community Projects.
International Service report A report on the International Committee’s activities for the Rotary year 1999-2000 are outlined below.
Save Face This was a District-sponsored program involving a large number of Clubs from within our District together with the Rotary Club of Kathmandu. The object of the program was to provide facilities in Kathmandu to enable Dental-Maxillo facial surgery to be undertaken locally which would significantly contribute to a vastly improved ability to overcome this enormous problem for the Nepalese people. Our contribution to this program was massively improved by the efforts of our fellowship committee who dedicated the proceeds from all this year’s home visits to this program. In all $2,750 was raised over the three nights allowing us to contribute $3,000 on this program and total Club contributions throughout District came to $30,000. The “Save Face” proposal has obtained approval as a 3H program and the subsequent grants have turned the $30,000 into $100,000 allowing for a more extensive program than originally envisioned. The 3H status allows our contributions to be credited against our Club as Foundation Recognition Points which will go towards the awarding of future Paul Harris Fellow Awards.
Rotarians Against Malaria Our intention was to develop a program within our region which would allow personal involvement for our Club members. The initial idea was to “adopt” a village in either the Solomon Islands or Vanuatu and undertake education programs and provide equipment such as nets in an attempt to control or eliminate the problem. There have been a large number of difficulties throughout the year which have prevented this program becoming a reality but we should progress with the idea. It would provide an ideal vehicle for this Club to develop a “hands on” approach and a team visit to the site should be part of the thinking.
Nepal The outstanding work done by Ron Marcus in Nepal over many years has continued with significant contributions by both Ron and Judy Marcus. This year’s major program a fit-out of a new maternity wing at the Scheer Memorial Hospital in Banepa and our Club supported Ron with a grant of $500 to assist with his and Judy’s expenses. In addition to this, Ron was subsequently offered $1,000,000 worth of medical equipment dismantled from St Vincent’s Hospital for Kathmandu and worked hard to get this equipment dismantled, packed, freighted and installed in Kathmandu. The C.T. Scanner is the first in Kathmandu and takes their ability to handle heart surgery several levels higher. Clubs in our District were asked to each contribute $200 towards the freight of this equipment and our Club has complied.
Group Study Exchange As intended, our Club adopted a major role in the management and coordination of the visiting team from North Florida in District 6940. Castle Hill; members undertook transport duties on the vocational day and our Club arranged and handled one day’s activities for the team. One team member was hosted by a Castle Hill member and the entire program was an outstanding event in terms of international understanding and the development of new friendships. The dinner hosted by Kellyville on Monday night was well supported by our members, as was the farewell dinner on the Thursday night.
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Donations in Kind (DIK) A working day has been organised at the Prospect facility for Sunday 18th June. We hope to encourage a large turnout from our members and partners to ensure that the contribution from our Club is meaningful.
Sister Clubs Our intention was to establish 2 genuine Sister Club relationships during the year and while not yet succeeded, dialogue has been established with 2 Clubs and these should bear fruit during the year 2000/2001. The Clubs involved are at Malden (Boston) in the USA (contact through Ron Eyres a past member of Castle Hill) and the second Club is in Siberia and we are dealing through District in determining which Club would be most appropriate.
Tanzania Communication Project We have joined the Rotary Clubs of Glenhaven, Galston, Carlingford and Dar es Salaam, a project to provide Mvumi, Kilimatinde and Berepin Hospital in Central Tanzania with efficient and reliable Radio Email equipment which will allow these facilities to maintain constant communications with each other and the international medical fraternity at large. The program will not commence until September 2000 and our commitment is $1,600. As this program is an approved matching grant program, our contributions can be credited to our Paul Harris Fellow sustaining member account.
Friendship Exchange All members of the Club have been provided with details of the International Travel and Hosting Fellowship (ITHF) and encouraged to enrol. This program provides opportunities to “home host” fellow Rotarians visiting our country and also stay with Rotarians when we visit their countries. Cost of membership is $US25 per year.
Foundation Bequests All members of the Club have had this program explained to them and have been asked to seriously consider participation. Our objective is to deliver a substantial amount to the Rotary Foundation over the next five years. Follow up will be on a personal basis and one individual should be given the responsibility over that period.
Tunnel Walk Caps/Badges Due to the large tunnel walk cap/badge surplus we have agreed to purchase 25 of each from District and use as an International goodwill gift for children of a yet to be nominated town or village. It is possible that these caps/badges could be part of our Malaria program in the future, particularly if a team from our Club visits our “adopted” village on a work project.
From Russia with Love The visit by Tatjana Solomatova from the Rotary Club of Novosibirsk Ob was an outstanding success and she enjoyed the several visits made to our Club. From a vocational point of view, her experiences at the New Children’s Hospital at Westmead was priceless to her and have served her well since returning home. Our Club contributed $1,800 towards Tatjana’s airfares.
Shopping Centre International Expo Our display and coin collection day planned for Saturday 20th May was postponed until the following Saturday due to unavailability of Rotary display equipment. The “expo” will be manned by three or four Castle Hill Rotarians per shift over three two-hour shifts and apart from outlining the many
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International programs undertaken by Rotary, we hope to promote potential membership for our Club and collect around $500 through our loose change containers.
Youth Service report Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the Board and the 1999/2000 Youth Committee members for their support and hard work over the last Rotary year. As always, the Youth portfolio is constant throughout the year, below I have listed our achievements and disappointments.
RYPEN – Now called START LIVING NOW Because of the restructure undertaken by this year’s organisers, we were unable to send any students. We approached four schools, and were given the same answer, “Why is it being held during school holidays?” and “Why is it now over four days?”
RYLA We did have an applicant to attend this year’s RYLA camp, however at the last minute, she had to pull out as she had come down with Glandular Fever, unfortunately we just didn’t have time to find another applicant.
Operation HOPE Camp We sponsored 2 children to attend this year’s camp.
National Youth Science Forum This year our applicant James Horwood was accepted. He addressed the Club on the 5th April where we presented him with a Certificate of Attendance. We have now received two applications for the year 2001.
Youth Exchange Our Rebound Student Michael Nielson returned home in January after his year in Denmark. Michael gave his address to the Club on the 5th April 2000.
Out Outbound Student Susie Bilous left for her year in Argentina in January and from all reports is having the time of her life. Susie has said in one of her reports that she doesn’t know how she’ll ever be able to live in Glenorie again (it’s so quiet). Susie has experienced the equivalent to the Safari that we offer all inbound students, and had the time of her life.
Our Inbound Student Maria Borgeson has been with us since the 4th July 1999, whilst here Maria has been able to experience Northholm Grammar, where she attended half a year in Year 11, and the other half a year as a Year 12 student. Maria has found our school system very different to Sweden. In one English exam (after her first week here) Maria came 4th in the class. Maria returned from her Safari on Sunday 30th April. On meeting Maria at the bus her words were: “I didn’t want it to end!” On May the 27th the Debutante Ball is being held by the Rotary Club of Gladesville, 8 Rotarians from our Club will be there to support Maria.
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Maria will be giving her farewell speech to the Club on the 12th July 2000 and will fly home on Sunday 16th July 2000. I would like to take the opportunity of inviting Rotarians and Partners to come out to the airport to farewell Maria. I would like to thank all the Rotarians and their families that helped make Maria’s stay one she will never forget.
2000-‐2001 Rotary International President: Frank L. Devlin (Milan, Italy,) RI President’s Theme: “Create Awareness Take Action Governor District 9680: Michael van Heeswyk (Kenthurst) Changeover celebrated on 7th July 2000
Board of Directors President: John Cooper Immediate Past-President: Geoff Duffy Vice President: Peter Marcer Secretary: Cheryl Borton Treasurer: Mark Greaves Sergeant-at-Arms: Peter Ford/Bruce Jenkin
President-Elect: Mike Hallen Director Club: Peter Marcer Director Community: Mike Yeo Director Vocational: Mike Hallen Director International: Bruce Allen Director Youth: Dennis Arthur
President’s report Past Presidents have often said their year as President of our Club seemed to be the shortest year of their life. I have now experienced this phenomenon. The past twelve months have flown and humbly I have enjoyed every moment. This year the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, the Centenary of Federation and preparation for the Bicentenary Celebrations of the founding of Castle Hill were just some of the events which have had an influence on our Club activities. The year was balanced with good Rotary and good fellowship. All Avenues of Service were well represented in our overall programme as detailed in each Director’s Report. An important highlight was the culmination of years of work put in by the Heritage Park Committee with final Government and Local Government recognition of the historical importance and purchase of land and go ahead for the Castle Hill Heritage Park Historic Site. New initiatives for the year included the launch of a Club webpage on the Internet, participation in the inaugural Hills District road safety project “U-Turn the Wheel” and commencement of planning of the inaugural Hills Food and Wine Festival which will be held in the new Rotary Year. Welcome again to Greg Bonner, Rosemary Butler, Kevin Rochford, David Smith, David Waterhouse and Derek Black to put Club and to the world of Rotary. I would also like to again welcome our exchange student, Juliana Miquelin. I know Julie’s stay with our Club will be memorable for her. I would like to thank a fantastic Board of Directors for their support and PP Geoff Duffy and other PPs for their guidance during the year. I would particularly like to thank Secretary Cheryl for her assistance and Judy Ford for her expertise in design, preparation and launch of the Club webpage. I wish Mike Hallen and his Board every success for the coming year.
Secretary’s report Membership The Rotary Year commenced on July 1, 2000 with a membership of 61, including 2 Honorary members.
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Members:
Active: 34
Senior Active: 25
Honorary: 2
Members inducted during the year were: Greg Bonner
July 2000
Financial Planner
Rosemary Butler
October 2000
Dental Practice Management
Kevin Rochford
November 2000
Drafting Project Management
David Waterhouse
November 2000
Work Safety Consultancy
David Smith
November 2000
Mortgage Finance
Derek Black
December 2000
Service Station Management
Resignations received and accepted with regret: Dennis Arthur Malcolm Chalmers Julie Dallan
Grant Cockburn Peter Ford Jim Josephson
Christine Norris Patricia Nixon Robert Wright
The Rotary Year concludes on June 30, 2001 with a membership of 58 including 2 honorary members. The Board thanks membership Chairman PP George McDonald for his efforts during the year
Board Meetings Your Board of Directors met on 11 occasions during the year, and I thank all members for their written reports each month, enabling meetings to be concluded at a reasonable hour. Special thanks to Treasurer Mark Greaves for the use of his office and generous supply of beverages during the meetings.
Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting was held on Wednesday 6th December at which the office bearers for the Rotary Year 2001-2002 were elected and financial accounts for the year ended 30th June, 2000, adopted. All statutory forms have been lodged with the Department of Fair Trading by our Public Officer Russel Kelly.
Club Forums Two Club Forums were held during this year, when the President, Officers and Directors presented (a) the Club Plan in July; and (b) in June to review the year. The members ere notified of all meetings and reports were presented in the bulletin.
District Conference. The Club was well represented at the District Conference held at Hamilton Island in June 2001.
Club Administration All Statutory, Constitutional, District and Rotary International requirements have been met. Membership records have been maintained and updated. Minutes of Board, General and Annual General Meetings have been recorded and are preserved in the Club’s Minute Book together with Director’s and Officer’s monthly reports. In conclusion, I would like to thank President John for his assistance and understanding: the Board members for their invaluable contributions of time, ideas and hard work and every Club member for their support during the year, it has been a pleasure and an honour.
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I look forward to serving on District Conference Committee this year and sitting with Club members on Wednesday nights, I wish President Mike and his new Board of Directors every success for the coming year.
Treasurer’s report Like always this last year has been a busy one for our Club. The introduction of GST created many challenges for us, as charities were not exempted when turnover of $100,000 was exceeded. Our Club has substantial turnover, and therefore detailed tax records had to be kept, coupled with the responsibility of submitting quarterly Business Activity Statements. I have made the decision to use MYOB software as this provided better software and ease of accounting procedures for GST purposes. Many members would also be familiar with MYOB, and therefore future treasurers would have little difficulty in taking over from predecessors. Further to this I would recommend the position of Treasurer to you, as it is an excellent way of being fully involved in all aspects of your Club, as well as learning more about Rotary International. Your Club is in a very healthy position, and will pass on substantial funds to the new Board of Directors for next year. While we have not completed the current year, it is anticipated that your Club will donate in excess of $50,000 this year, to local and international projects. Surely this is something that all of our members can be proud of. My thanks go to you all, but also a special mention to my assistant “cashiers” over the last 12 months. As you would be aware the income from the raffle and the Sergeant contributes substantially to holding your fees down to a reasonable figure. The income from these two sources is used to assist in running of the Club, as it comes from the members’ pockets. On behalf of all members, many thanks to David Bowles for running the raffle, and to Bruce Jenkin, Ed Heyman, peter Ford and other fill-in Sergeants for the fun, and the money. I will provide, via the Bulletin, an up to date Balance Sheet, following the end of June. My best wishes and support go to Greg Bonner for next year.
Club Service report The 200-01 Rotary Year has been a busy and rewarding year for Club Service; I have enjoyed the experience of working with President John and fellow Board Members. The year commenced with a new design for the cover of the “Hills Views” (Bulletin), sketches of the many historic sites from our district featured on the covers to remind us of the history that surrounds us. Thanks to Michael Cooper for providing such excellent artwork.
Bulletin Throughout the year Judy Ford, Bulletin Editor, has worked tirelessly in providing a well-balanced and informative Bulletin, keeping us up to date on Club and District news, as well as a little humour to make us laugh. Thanks Judy form your flare and skill in producing an excellent publication each week and also to Bob Milne, for providing the digital photographs and acting as assistant Editor in Judy’s absence.
Membership Membership in Rotary is a concern to all Clubs, this year we commenced with a membership of 61 and will end with 3 less than our starting number, I should point out that several of those members have transferred to other Clubs and will not be lost to Rotary. The Club inducted 6 new members during the year, George McDonald as Membership Chairman, is thanked for his commitment to this vital role.
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Programme Programme Chairman, Ross Hood, provided the Club with an excellent range of quality speakers throughout the year, on a wide variety of subjects from “Raising the Olympic Torch” to “Kinesiology”. Thanks Ross for all your hard work.
Fellowship The Fellowship Committee provided the Club with many excellent fellowship events. Congratulations to Jeff and Yvonne Whyte and their team for organising a most enjoyable year which included many Social evenings at Springfield, (who will ever forget the Kelly Gang), a Christmas Party, home visits in the New Year at the Copper’s and McDonald’s and what a great night at Whyte’s, raising money for the Wee Waa flood victims. Thanks also to the Dunns and Knights for their assistance and hard work during the year.
Finally My personal thanks go to all other Club Service Committee members for their support, Bob Milne & Vern Kelly – Attendance, David Bowles – Raffles, Marie Ford – Public Relations and not forgetting those likeable Sergeants at Arms, Bruce Jenkin, Peter Ford and Ed Heyman for a job well done. Congratulations to President John on a successful year, thanks for all the assistance you have given me during the year. My best wishes go to President-Elect Mike for 2001-02.
Vocational Service report 2001/2002 has been an interesting year with activities as follows: • • • •
5 Talks 2 Presentation Nights 1 Visit 1 Special event (on 27th June)
Talks 16th August
Rotarians for a Sustainable Future by Richard Wiley, Bicky Rixon and Patrick Longfield
23rd August
Salinity by Suzanne Hayward
25th October
Rotarians Malcolm Hannah, Dieter Regel, Vern Kelly and Bevan Callaghan on their Vocations
14th March
Managed Innovation, Key to Company Success by Allan Ryan
st
21 March
Cities for Climate Protection Programmes by Victoria Critchley
Presentation Nights 22nd November -‐ Pride in Workmanship A very successful and enjoyable evening with attendance of 88 when 6 special people were recognised for their contribution to their vocations after an inspirational talk by PP Warren Bowden.
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30th May -‐ Apprentice of the Year Award Another hugely successful evening organised once again by PP David Sommerlad, when 6 of NSW’s best Apprentices wee recognised for their achievements. Scott Carruthers of Pennant Hills Golf Club was presented with the Walter Stone Memorial Perpetual Trophy. Hans Schings, our guest speaker was also presented with an Appreciation Award for his long-standing for this event.
4th October Visit -‐ Westmead Millennium Institute An enjoyable and well-attended evening organised by PP Bill Tait, visited this new facility for Medical Research, located adjacent to Westmead Hospital.
27th June Special Event At the time of writing, still a coming event: Creating a Vibrant Club by Allan Ryan. Wed will attempt to think of new ideas to make Rotary even more interesting and ways to attract new members.
Conclusion I would like to thank President John Cooper for his invaluable support, the Board, the Vocational Service Committee, especially Peter McBean, Milton Colburt, Bill Tait, David Sommerlad and Bevan Callaghan and my fellow Rotarians, for their support during my year as Vocational Service Director and would like to welcome Ross Hood to the chair and wish him and his committee every success in this rewarding avenue of service. I would also like to recommend to Ross and his Committee the following ventures that they may consider pursuing: • •
From BHSC, “Adopt a Bush Patch” (about bush regeneration) Cumberland Rotary Careers Market (usually held in June)
Community Service report. Community Service is the Avenue of Service that includes the scope of activities which Rotarians undertake to improve the quality of life in their community. This includes fundraising, hands-on activities and promoting Rotary projects. As usual it has been a very busy year and the Club has been involved in many community activities. Every member has played a part in at least one activity but most members have contributed greatly. This is what Rotary is all about.
Skills Register Cheryl Borton started the year by collecting a register of Member’s skills which they are willing to share for future projects. This will be put to use in the future.
Gemhill Cottage This was a large “hands-on” project coordinated by Roy Martin. After drawing up plans and obtaining Council approval he and his large team spent a few weekends building an extension to the existing building. The room included windows and sliding doors and was a job well done.
Paralympics All Rotary Clubs were invited to share the Paralympics experience by purchasing day tickets. Dieter Regel organised the ordering and distribution of them. In addition tickets to the Opening Ceremony were also arranged and the night was enjoyed by a number of Rotarians.
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Centenary of Federation Celebrations Rotarians Judy and Peter Ford represented the Club at the celebration parade s volunteers on January 1st 2001. It was a memorable experience.
Hills Wine and Food Festival Dieter Regel came up with the fantastic idea of Food and Wine Festival in the Hills district and a committee was formed to look at the possibilities. It was agreed that there was much preparation needed and so the actual date was moved to the next Rotary Year. However, much work has already been done and this event should prove to be a real winner for the Club on 14 October 2001.
Melbourne Cup Trifecta Bill Tait revived this activity and many tickets were sold. Well done to all sellers and buyers.
Bowel Scan The distribution and collection of bowel scan kits as part of a very worthwhile and successful district Rotary project was organised. Over a four-week period, 6 pharmacies in the Castle Hill area were selling kits to customers on behalf of Rotary. These kits were then taken to a pathology laboratory in Chatswood on a regular basis for examination.
First Aid Kits Over a number of weekends Rotarians sold these great kits in various shopping centres in the district. Many thanks to PP Geoff Duffy for organising the sales.
Schneiders Noel Milligan coordinated a successful but very hot day running the Christmas BBQ party for Schneiders Electrical. Three BBQs were fired up and the attendees were offered some special delicacies, especially chicken hamburgers from the kitchen of Milton Colburt. Again members and their partners were there to help.
Christmas Cakes Marie Ford did a wonderful job of organising the buying and selling of Rotary cakes and puddings this Christmas. Never has a garage been so full! Many employees of Rotarians received a cake as their special thank you this year!
Showgate Once again the Club got together and worked all weekend collecting money at vthe gates during the Castle Hill Show. Roy Martin and Ray White made sure there was someone at each place at all times, being fed and watered with delights from Beryl Martin.
Computer Pals What started out as a simple job of moving a few computers for the Senior Computer Pals turns out to be a huge construction job, building ramps and securing windows. Once again Roy Martin was there organising the troops and making sure that only a first class job was completed.
Tour de Hills This major event of the Club just gets better and better. Thanks to the leadership of Gerry Larkin, his team put on a first class experience and again every member that was available on the day and many
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partners came and helped. Money raised for this event went primarily to St Gabriel’s School, for Hearing Impaired.
Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal This year David Smith took on the task and organised a number of helpers to drive collectors around the streets of Castle Hill to help the Salvation Army raise their annual funds.
Castle Hill Family Centre A late plea for help came from the Centre to remove an old cubby house to make way for new equipment. Roy Martin came to the rescue and pulled together some helpers to finish this last project for the year.
Heritage Park A number of members and their families have been out to Heritage Park on a number of occasions this year to help keep the vegetation down, move slab huts and other noble deeds. One day this park will be the most talked about part of Castle Hill and our Rotary Club will have played a major role in bringing this about.
U-‐Turn The Wheel Programme Following the tragic deaths of a group of young people in a car accident at Middle Dural, Rotary Clubs in the Hills District implemented a young driver community education project aimed at helping to ameliorate the tragedy on our roads. Known as the U-Turn The Wheel Programme it is directed at Year 11 students. Castle Hill played a major part in the successful implementation of the programme held in March 2001 when 1200 students participated. Congratulations to PP Hannibal Shabaz for his efforts and representation of our Club on the organising committee. This will be an ongoing project in the Hills District.
Thanks Many, many thanks to all the Community Service team this year: Mike Yeo, Marie Ford, Phil Dunn, Hannibal Shabaz, Roy Martin, Ned Curac, Noel Milligan, Malcolm Hannah, David Smith and Cheryl Borton and a big thank you to all the Club members.
International Service report GSE Team to The Netherlands Past President Bruce Allen was chosen to be this year’s GSE Team Leader, we were also very fortunate to have two very talented and deserving applicants accepted for the team, Kylie and Tim. In November 2000 we were delighted to meet these two young people for the first time, and who in their own words said, “we will be the best team ever to represent Australia as GSE Team members”, and from all reports from a very unbiased Bruce they were the best team. Our Club also had the pleasure and honour of organising the GSE Farewell dinner; this night was a great success, and I would like to thank the members for supporting the team and our Club. I would also like to thank Judy Ford for being our MC for the evening.
Nepal As always, Ron Marcus is still doing wonders in Nepal. Greg Bonner spent ten days in Nepal with Ron (and) upon his return he addressed the Club and said that he can’t wait until he goes again.
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Donations As always the International Committee was looking for donations of any kind to send to those less fortunate than ourselves. This year the Committee looked at receiving second-hand reading glasses and hearing aids, so that these items could be sent where they were needed most. We also sent T-shirts and caps (left overs from the Tunnel Walk) to an orphanage in Northern Thailand. Towards the end of this Rotary year we found out about a village living in the shadow of a live volcano, I will be sending the remaining caps and T-shirts to them in the near future.
Thanks I would like to thank all the members of the International Service Committee for their support over the year, we tried to have regular meetings, however with everyone’s busy schedules this wasn’t always possible.
Youth Service report This report has been compiled by Karen Patch. I am sure that Dennis Arthur would like to thank the members of the Youth Committee, and especially Peter Marcer who stepped in as understudy, and will be the leading man next Rotary year as Youth Director.
Youth Exchange This year our Club saw Susie Bilous return from her year in Argentina. Susie had a wonderful exchange, and since her return has started her University studies. We sent out Natalie Temby in January to Taiwan. This is a first time Rotary has sent a student there. Natalie hasn’t had the easiest of times over there; Karen is now keeping in weekly contact with her. In January our Club welcomed Juliana Miquelin, who is here from Brazil. Julie, as she prefers to be called, is attending Northholme Grammar, and has been on Safari, where she had the time of her life. Julie has also made her coming out, at the Debutant Ball held in May. Julie is now half way through her exchange; she has been staying with Mark and Anne Greaves. On 17th June she will move to Judy Ford’s.
RYLA Susan Ford and Amanda Bull attended RYLA, both young ladies said they gained from this experience, and recommended it for future young adults.
MUNA As always this event on the Rotary calendar must be one of the best for our young people. This year saw two students from Northholme Grammar attend over the long weekend, and once again all participants enjoyed the experience.
National Youth Science Forum As for the rest of the Youth program, at the time of writing this report, interviews for the NYSF were being carried out, and successful applicants will be notified in the near future.
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Castle Hill Historic Site Community Committee 10 Year Effort Brings First Success The past year has seen the most progress since the committee was formed in 1989 by President Bill Tait to undertake the club’s major 25th anniversary project – the establishment by the community of a heritage exhibition centre on the proposed Castle Hill Heritage Park. Little did the committee know what was ahead of it, The project was officially launched with a flourish in 1990 at the club’s 25th anniversary dinner at the Hills Centre when Premier Greiner presented a cheque for $10,000 to assist Baulkham Hills Shire Council engage a consultant to prepare a plan for the pu8blic use of the park. At that time, the Commonwealth Government had just transferred its gift of land for Castle Hill heritage purposes to the State Government sot eh committee’s first priority was to have the site transferred from State to the Shire council so that work could begin on establishing the park. This campaign lasted for seven years and it was late 1997 that Council gained ownership of the land initially made available by the Commonwealth. Meantime, the committee became aware in the early 1990’s that a block of land fronting Banks Road and covering virtually the entire entrance to the heritage park was owned by a developer. It was obvious that the proposed park would not be functional unless this land was acquired. In 1993 the consultant engaged earlier recommended to Council that this block of land be acquired for addition to the park. Council, however, did not accept this recommendation, and thus began our committee’s concerted campaign to have this 2.2ha acquired. This campaign also took seven years to succeed. Meanwhile, strenuous efforts were being made to protect from development vital privately-owned areas adjacent to the proposed boundaries of the park and applications were repeatedly made to the NSW Heritage Office to place Permanent Conservation Orders, particularly on Lot 5 Banks Road at the front of the park. From 1997, a concerted effort was made to have Lot 5 Banks Road secured by Council or Government. This involved frequent representations to both State and Federal Governments to provide financial support to enable Council to purchase the essential frontage to Heritage Park. The year 2000 saw the culmination of ten years of committee work. In January, the Council signed a contract with the intention of buying Lot 5 provided financial assistance was forthcoming from governments. A publicity campaign was undertaken to arouse public interest and bring pressure to bear on all three levels of government. Rotarians and residents gave strong support to a letter-writing campaign to the Heritage Minister urging that Lot 5 as well as the heritage park be placed on the State Heritage Register – vital to assist in securing government finance. In December 2000, the Minister placed Lot 5 and the heritage park on the State Heritage Register and in January 2001 the Council completed the purchase of Lot 5 (at a cost of $2.2m), despite no financial assistance from either State or federal governments. This was a triumph for the community and a credible indication by Council of its commitment to and faith in the potential of Castle Hill Heritage Park. The heritage site committee, after three failed endeavours, secured the services of a professional landscape designer to prepare a draft concept plan for a ceremonial entrance off Banks Road to the colonial heritage precinct of the 20ha park. The intention is to submit the final plan to Council for adoption and the committee has committed itself to organising the Shire community to raise the necessary funds to have the plan implemented. The draft plan is being revised and the proposal should be bready for presentation to Council’s heritage park committee in August. Its implementation is planned as Stage 1 of the committee’s vision of the heritage development of this National Estate registered site. Stage 2 will be the construction of an appropriate interpretive centre. It was hoped to have the Stage 1 heritage entrance project started in 2001 – the bicentenary of the founding by Governor King of the penal settlement around Banks Road which was to become the
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birthplace of Castle Hill. This will not now happen but the committee, with the endorsement of the Rotary Club, established a parallel committee to recognise Castle Hill’s Bicentenary with a heritagesignificant, twelve-hour programme of events, activity and entertainment, free to the public, at Castle Hill Showground on Saturday, September 8. This committee, ably led by Past President Peter Wood, with the support of a group of industrious Rotarians, has organised a major event of historical community significance to be opened by the Governor of NSW. Once the historic site committee’s proposals for a heritage park commemorative entrance are accepted by Council, a fund-raising campaign will be launched through the National Trust of Australia to have the project completed. This will involve support of community people and the committee’s task will be to enlist assistance and direct the operation. For the past 12 months, Past President Warren Bowden has chaired a committee established by Baulkham Hills Council to manage the heritage park. It comprises people from four interest groups, the heritage site committee having three Rotarian representatives. This committee, responsible for all work and events on the park, has already arranged environmental working bees well supported by Rotary. This committee will be the on-going controller of Castle Hill Heritage Park, no doubt existing long after the vision of Rotarians to interpret constructively the heritage significance of the 1801 penal settlement and government farm becomes a reality. The committee is deeply indebted to the dedication of committed Rotarians, the support of the Rotary board and the constructive interest of Club members in working collectively with the Council and community to bring into being a unique park with a nationally significant heritage precinct sensitively interpreted which eventually will become an international tourist attraction recognising principally the broad convict legacy to Australia’s development.
2001 -‐ 2002 Rotary International President: Richard D. King (Niles in Freemont, California, USA) RI President’s Theme: “Mankind is our Business” Governor District 9680: Barry Philps (Glenhaven) Changeover celebrated on 6th July 2001
Board of Directors President: Mike Hallen Immediate Past-President: John Cooper Secretary: Vern Kelly Treasurer: Greg Bonner Sergeant-at-Arms: George McDonald/ Hannibal Shabaz
President-Elect: Paul Knight Director Club: Paul Knight (Judy Ford) Director Community: Mark Greaves Director Vocational: Ross Hood Director International: Bruce Jenkin Director Youth: Peter Marcer
President’s report It has been an honour and a privilege to be the President of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill for the 2001/2 Rotary Year. It has been a busy and rewarding year and I would like to thank the Board and the members for their support. I would like to share some of the highlights that have made this year a success. The year was topped off by the news that PP Bruce Allen had been successful in his nomination for DG 2004/05. PP David Summerlad was presented with a District 9680 Vocational Excellence Award at the District Conference in Dubbo. David was recognised for his services to regional journalism and publishing through his empathy for the progress and welfare of communities. At the final Presidents’ Meeting for the year, PP Ron Marcus received the inaugural Graham Turnidge Award as an Exemplary Rotarian.
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The Hills Rotary Club In addition to membership growth, the Club has sponsored and chartered a new Club under the “New Model Club” concept. Chartered on 13th March 200, The Hills Rotary Club introduces another 24 new Rotarians, most of whom are under 40 years of age. This represents a significant lowering of the age of new Rotarians and is based predominantly on current or former Rotaractors. This could be the bridge between Rotaract and Rotary that has been the Holy Grail for some considerable time. The Hills Rotary Club Charter Dinner on 21st May 2002 was a great success. RI President-Elect, Bhichai Rattakul, was the guest of honour and he inducted the 24 Charter Members.
Public Relations Public relations activities have focussed mainly on major community events conducted by the Club. These included the Bicentenary of Castle Hill Celebrations, The Hills Food and Wine Festival, the 2001 Bushfire Appeal, the Tour de Hills and Showgate. Significant local press coverage as well as public exposure of Rotary and the Club resulted from each of these events. The Club also received good publicity through Project Kamala.
Administration New Member mentoring has been minimal due to the induction of former Rotarians but significant mentoring has been provided through the Club to the newly Chartered Hills Rotary Club. The Bulletin has been used as the prime method of providing the membership with information, the aim being to communicate as effectively bas possible. As a result, the Club Bulletin was awarded the Noel McDonald Bulletin Shield for 2001/2. Congratulations to Editor Bob Milne who was also Editor when we last won the shield in 1998/9. I wish Judy Ford and her Board every success for the coming year.
District Governor 2004-‐2005 North Parramatta Boy Makes Good (From Tyre-‐Kicker to Lumberjack to District Governor-‐Elect)
Bruce Joseph Allen joined Rotary Club of Blackwood (SA) in 1979. His “service club” activities until then had embraced Apex (in WA) and Round Table (in the UK). Bruce’s value to Rotary and the Blackwood Club was recognised early and he was soon nominated to be President of that Club. With consummate timing, Bruce was able to move from Adelaide to Sydney before the job was his and he quickly nominated his best friend to take over. Is there a not so subtle hint here that his good friends in Sydney should keep a low profile until he assumes the DG-ship in July 2001? In his 16-year membership of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill Bruce has demonstrated all, of the skills and commitment of a talented Rotarian. As a natural consequence he was elected President of our Club for the 1991-92 Rotary Year. In addition to his contributions to the efforts and performance of our Club, Bruce has also made his mark at District level as an ADG and as leader of the 2001 GSE Team to The Netherlands. In 2002-03 he is International Service Adviser to DG Harold Sharpe. AS most of us are aware, Bruce is a master of prose, verse and presentation. His talents as a poet are called upon at occasions such as tonight and his fame has spread as far as Inner Wheel where he was asked to assemble a suitable stanza or two for their changeover! These skills will no doubt be used to great and positive effect during his year as DG. But it is not all sweetness and light – far from it! Bruce has what some might call an unhealthy habit – he is a one-eyed Parramatta supporter and has been known to become slightly agitated if the team is not performing up to his expectations. But what else could you expect of an old boy from Marist Brothers College, Parramatta? Behind all successful Rotarians is a supportive partner and Dita is certainly in that category. Bruce and Dita will be great ambassadors for our Club, our District and for RI. Congratulations and thanks to them both for taking up the challenge in 2004-05.
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Secretary’s report The Rotary Year commenced on July 1,2001 with an Active membership of 52 excluding 2 Honorary members. Current membership is 57, excluding 2 Honorary members. Members inducted since July, include: • • • • • •
Peter Ford John Maclean Con Gulisano Neil Todd Phil Davis Terry O’Mara.
Board Meetings The Board of Directors has met on 11 occasions this year, including 2 joint Board Meetings with the outgoing Board in May & June 2001.
Club Administration All Statutory, constitutional, District and Rotary International requirements have been met. Membership records have been placed on a database and updated regularly. Minutes of Board Meetings and correspondence have been recorded and preserved in the Club’s Minute Book. The Club Secretary & Public Officer have reviewed a rewrite of the Club’s Constitution and ByLaws as a result of resolutions passed at the April 2001 Council on Legislation & other local resolutions passed by our Club. Further considerations on this are currently taking place.
Computer Update The Club website, and information, is updated as required. All members are encouraged to receive the Bulletin by email as this will substantially reduce costs to the Club and ease communication between Directors and members, To date, a pleasingly large and growing number of members is using email but ideally this needs to be much bigger to achieve cost & communication benefits.
Club Service report The 2001-2002 Rotary year has been a busy and rewarding year for the Club. Thanks to Bob Milne as Bulletin Editor, his work has provided a well-balanced and informative Bulletin. Congratulations on being the winner of the Noel McDonald District Shield. Membership in our Club has seen a few changes; we have lost members to other Clubs, and also gained members. The Club inducted 6 new members this year thanks to George McDonald. The Chartering of the new Hills Club saw many young people joining Rotary, with the assistance of Bill Tait and his advice, this Club has a magnificent future. Program chairman, Judy Ford, provided the Club with an excellent range of quality speakers throughout the year, on a wide variety of subjects from “Secret Men’s Problems” to our own Vocational Talks from members. The Fellowship Committee has done a wonderful job this year under the guidance of Margaret and Bill Tait. First there was the Christmas Party, a great night of fellowship at the Dural Memorial Hall. The Home Meetings were another high point of our calendar even if the rain did try to disrupt us on a
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couple of occasions, Our thanks to Maureen and Milton Colburt, Bill and Margaret Tait and John and Cheryl Cooper for their hospitality. Ed “Cupid” Heyman welcomed us all to Valentine’s night and then in March a busload of us too off to Gulgong for a weekend of food and wine. Fellowship is alive and well at the Rotary Club of Castle Hill! The Club received an excellent briefing on the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International from Terry Davies, a Supervisor for TRF in the South Pacific. The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation recently approved a Matching Grant application made in PP John Cooper’s year. In conjunction with the Rotary Clubs of Glenhaven, Dural and Carlingford, our Club contributed US$1000 towards the total of US$7000. The funds will be applied with the Matching US$7000 from TRF for the Rotary Club of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, to help provide radio email equipment to hospitals in Mvumi. Thanks and gratitude must go to those members behind the scenes who contributed to the weekly running of the Club. David Waterhouse – Attendance, David Bowles – Raffles, John Stuart – Attendance and not forgetting those likeable Sergeants-at-Arms, George McDonald and Hannibal Shabaz. Thank you to all members for their support, both on a Club level and personal level. I wish every success to the incoming President, Judy Ford and her Board of Directors.
Vocational Service report Two major Vocational activities were conducted this year. The Pride in Workmanship Awards night held on 24th October 2001 was a great success. WE had the pleasure of hearing Gerry Harvey, Chairman of Harvey Norman, speak top us about how pride in workmanship had played a significant role in his personal success and how it related to the way in which he ran his business today. The Walter Stone Memorial Trophy award evening and Apprentice of the Year ceremonies were held on 29th May 2002. The guest speaker for the evening was Peter Fortune of the Spastic Centre of NSW. As is usual the case, Vocational Talks by Club members have been a highlight of the year. These are always interesting and well received. More are planned. External vocational visits have been held and were well attended.
Community Service report Community Service is the avenue of service designed to improve the quality of life within the community, while lifting the profile of Rotary. Our Club is a very active Club, and this last twelve months was particularly busy. Many of our long-standing projects were blended with new projects.
The Castle Hill Bi-‐Centennial Celebrations The Castle Hill Bi-Centennial Celebrations allowed our Club the opportunity to play a major role in the planning for this significant community event. I’m sure the Hills District is very thankful to Peter Wood, and all his members who assisted on the day. The 14th October 2001 was our inaugural Hills Food and Wine Festival. Much planning was put into this event by Dieter Regel and his committee. While the planning was thorough, there was a fair degree of uncertainty as to the success of this event. However, the weather was kind and the event was successful. $5000 was donated to the Cancer Council of NSW, and a float has been set aside for next year’s event. This has the potential to be a significant event in the future for the Hills District and our Club. January saw Sydney and the largest part of NSW engulfed by raging bushfires. After the fires had been put out, the task of identifying people who needed assistance began. Neil and Mavis Todd suggested we organise a Bushfire appeal and that we collect money and goods so that people nearby
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to us could be helped. Over two weekends at Castle Towers Shopping Centre, more than $65,000 was collected as well as much needed food and clothing. To all those who assisted, many thanks. We were also greatly assisted by the Hills Rotary Club and Castle Hill Rotaract. Early March saw our 7th Tour de Hills event. Once again this event was well organised and enjoyed by both participants and Castle Hill Rotarians. Special thanks to all our sponsors and of course the hard work of Gerry Larkin and the Tour de Hills Committee. We were able to donate $28,500 to local charities, with the major beneficiary being St Gabriel’s School. Also in March we again conducted Showgate at the Castle Hill Show. This project allowed us to raise valuable funds. The assistance of the Hills Rotary Club was greatly appreciated, as we are struggling to provide sufficient manpower for this project. Much needed funds were also raised by the Melbourne Cup Trifecta and Christmas pudding sales. Our Club was once again involved in the Red Shield Appeal. My thanks also to the Sergeants and David Bowles for their efforts this year. This is a vibrant Club, and thank you all for your involvement. We haven’t had a “hands on” project for a while. However, I have written to the Baulkham Hills Shire Council regarding the rotunda in Castle Hill Park with a view to its refurbishment. Perhaps this can commence in the New Year.
Historic Site Nears Starting Line Two major activities engaged the effort of members of the Castle Hill Historic Site Community Committee during the 2001-02 Rotary year. The first was the Bicentenary of Castle Hill and the second was continuing, intensive work on the Plan of Management of the Heritage Park following acquisition by Baulkham Hills Shire Council of Lot 5 Banks Road, providing the colonial site with an essential frontage. The need to promote the concept of public recognition of the Bicentenary of Castle Hill in 2001 became apparent in 1998 when the committee ascertained disinterest at the official level in celebrating such a significant milestone. A progressive campaign of public awareness of the anniversary began the following year and at the end of 1999, committee member PP Peter Wood was invited to lead a team to organise a significant celebration during Bicentenary year. The original idea of a major event on Heritage Park was abandoned because Lot 5 had not been secured and there was no way the site would be accessible for a public celebration. The emphasis was changed to a public celebration at Castle Hill Showground, but funding was required before plans could be advanced. Because the Bicentenary was undeniably an occasion of public importance, an approach was made to Baulkham Hills Council to provide working capital. While initial plans were made, it was not until the early part of 2001 that an allocation of $5,000 was promised. The concept of a 12-hour, non-stop event at the Showground providing activities of interest for all sections of the community demanded resources of people as well as finance and the Rotary Club of Castle Hill was invited to be a coorganiser with Baulkham Hills Council. Eight members of the committee served on a composite organisational team under Peter Wood’s experienced coordination and the result was a most appropriate public gathering under the patronage of the Governor of New South Wales, Professor Marie Bashir. Among the events was a Rebel March, organised by the committee, when two hundred people marched around the ground holding placards with convict demands and shouting slogans. While the event was a highly successful organisational feat for the Rotary Club, officially represented by President Mike Hallen, the only disappointing feature was an attendance below expectations. The event, none the less, was highly symbolic and community-significant, and efficiently operated within a constraining budget. It resulted in wider recognition of Castle Hill Rotary as a most resourceful organisation, dedicated and capable of performing a major task. A sequel now in process is a proposal to erect a monument recognising Castle Hill’s Bicentenary in a prominent public place. The other major activity has been the input of the committee’s representatives on the Castle Hill Park Management Committee, chaired by PP Warren Bowden, to ensure the nationally recognised historical significance of the 1801 Government Farm and events thereon are adequately recognised in the plan that will govern the development of the 17ha park in the next few years. The committee’s
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contribution has been directed specifically to the heritage precinct at the park’s frontage around Banks Road and a right-of-way to the east including location of the stone barracks, other buildings and the original school. The main aspects of the committee’s concept embraced twin stone gateways off Banks Road and at the end of a road yet to be constructed; a memorial pathway leading from Banks Road gateway to a precinct comprising a monument, a commemorative wall, a Governor Phillip alcove, a prominent flagstaff, a large open area fronting Banks Road for public events and recreation, and, in a second stage, a significant interpretive centre near the barracks site depicting, in a state-of–the-art manner, the early colonial events of the first 40 years, leading to the evolution over two centuries of the site and the development of Castle Hill as a major residential and retail centre. The work of the committee involved continual submissions to the planning committee and direct consultations with the company engaged to prepare the Plan of management. All of the committee’s proposals were incorporated in the final plan which was place don public exhibition and is now awaiting Council and Heritage Office approval before the first stage of development work can begin. Although extensive clearing of noxious plants and mowing of open areas has already taken place on the park, it is expected that tangible evidence of ground works will not occur until the end of 2002. A side –issue involving the committee was its recommendation to consider Wexford County in southeast Ireland when Baulkham Hills Council decided towards the end of 2001 to pursue the establishment of an international sister-city link. This link is now in its final stage of formal completion and the committee’s deputy chairman, Warren Bowden, will visit Wexford as a selffunding member of a council delegation at the end of June. The prime object of Warren Bowden will be to organise in the urban centre of Enniscorthy, site of the legendary Battle of Vinegar Hill in 1798, a specific Castle Hill link with that community which hosts Ireland’s National Commemorative Centre. Already, the committee has developed strong links with Ireland officials and Irish community in Sydney s key players in the Heritage Park development. After 14 years of activity, Castle Hill Rotary’s Jubilee project born in 1998 is about to reach the starting line. The year ahead will involve intensive work, extensive fund raising and significant community involvement to bring to fruition in the next few years a Heritage Park with an interpretive centre that will become a place of national significance for generations to come. The committee acknowledges with gratitude the commitment of its supporters and particularly the whole-hearted efforts of the Rotary Club under President Mike Hallen to make Castle Hill’s Bicentenary year a true milestone in our community’s history.
International Service report International projects this year have centred on the support of a young lady in Nepal who has only one foot, having lost both hands and the other foot in an accident some years ago. The Club brought Kamala, her carer and a doctor to Australia on 1st May 2002 to have previously donated prostheses correctly fitted. Some initial rehabilitation training was also provided. Kamala was in Sydney for approximately 3 weeks. Kamala and her family are thrilled with the results and we hope to have regular feedback from Rotary.
Youth Service report There are many areas where assistance can be provided for youth, this year we agreed to assist the needy as well as encourage those with the desire to achieve. W started the year with our outbound student Natalie Temby being half way through her exchange in Taiwan and working hard to make it successful. This was the first time district had exchanged with Taiwan and Natalie found the culture very different to home, However, with her determination she won the battle and returned home in January, to be awarded with the Eric Webb award for the student showing exceptional ambassadorial qualities during her exchange. Our inbound student, Juliana Miquelin from Brazil had well and truly settled into her exchange and enjoying the Australian lifestyle. Juliana made many friends during her stay and left us with fond memories when she reluctantly returned home in January. My thanks go to those families who hosted Juliana during her stay and provided her with a most successful exchange.
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In January we farewelled Rachel Moore as she began her exchange in Aomori, Japan. She is really enjoying the culture and lifestyle of this country and her reports provide interesting reading. Also in January this year the Club sponsored Fiona Bruce, Lauren McKeown and Leanne McMurray to the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards – a weeklong program of leadership training at Vision Valley. They all enjoyed their experiences and were grateful to be given the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills. The Operation Hope program provides for underprivileged children who seldom experience holidays or camps. Our Club sponsored 3 deserving children to this 1-week camp at Vision Valley. The report we received is evidence for the need of such programs and it was wonderful to be part of such a program. On 8th-9th June e sponsored 2 students and a counsellor from Northholm Grammar to the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) at PLC Pymble. The team represented Ethiopia and dressed in National costume, they debated various topics affecting our world today. This is a most rewarding program with the winning team representing out District at the National Forum held in the Old Parliament House in Canberra later this year. The Club has chosen an excellent candidate for the National Youth Science Forum held in Canberra in January 2003. Christine Siu attends Cherrybrook Technical High and stands an excellent chance of joining 17 other candidates from our District to travel to Canberra and join students from Australiawide and become heavily involved in this 2-week forum. The Castle Hill Rotaract Club has had a busy year with community service involvement and has been successful with several fund raising events. Their membership is increasing and now has 24 active members. It was great to see some of the members move into Rotary and join Bill’s kids. In closing I would like to thank those members of the Youth Committee for their help and guidance. I also thank president Mike and his Board for their help throughout the year.
Treasurer’s report The last twelve months seemed to have rushed by very quickly indeed. It’s only when I stop to remember all the events, meetings (and reports) that the year becomes normally busy. The Club’s decision to use MYOB as a reporting and funds management system I think was an excellent one although some restructuring of accounts has been necessary to allow reporting profit and loss on a segregated (rather than consolidated) basis. My thanks to Graeme Brangwin for his assistance in this. Although I believe we may no longer receive a rate of return on our chequing accounts from St George, the service remains very good. I have also now connected us to Internet banking (viewing only). This is informative as to the state of our accounts at any time, so very useful. Any hew Treasurer finds he is taking on a steep learning curve in terms of becoming familiar with the various projects, main accounts, details of cash flows and special tax issues, in the first year and my thanks to Mark Greaves in particular for the help provided. Of course I would also like to thank the others who have assisted me both on cashier duties and project collections. They know who they are. This has been an extraordinary year for fundraising and subsequent donations, obviously owing to the particularly menacing bush fire season. In conjunction with monies raised for the Bush Fire Appeal, I estimate over $107,000 raised to 31st May by the very active members of this Club. The Board is to allocate more funds before closing off the year whilst giving regard to leaving plenty for the next administration.
Summary of Beneficiaries Northholm
$100
Kamala
$6,718
ARHF
$200
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Operation Hope
$600
U Turn The Wheel (Now RYDA)
$2,000
Hockey Aust.
$100
Bushfire Appeal
$62,544 + $653
ARHF
$200
RYLA
$595
Red Cross
$500
Police Legacy
$500
Baulkham Hills RFS
$2,500
St Gabriel’s
$25,000
Hills Rotary Club
$100
Cancer Council
$5,100
Heritage Park
$2,500
Nepal Project
$1,000
ARHF
$2,000 ($1500 from Sergeant’s Sessions)
2002 -‐ 2003 Rotary International President: Bichai Rattakul (Dhonburi in Bangkok, Thailand) RI President’s Theme: “Sow the Seeds of Love” Governor District 9680: Harold Sharpe (Crows Nest) Changeover celebrated on 5th July 2002
Board of Directors President: Judy Ford Immediate Past-President: Mike Hallen Secretary: Cheryl Borton/Geoff Duffy Treasurer: Greg Bonner Sergeant-at-Arms: Marie Ford/Warren Bowden
President-Elect: Jeff Whyte Director Club: Geoff Duffy Director Community: Peter Ford Director Vocational: John Cooper Director International: Mark Greaves Director Youth: Karen Patch/David Smith
President’s report In some ways it seems like yesterday that I was handing out packets of seeds and encouraging everyone to “sow the seeds of love”! And yet so much has happened over the past twelve months that the memory is also very distant. When you read all the reports from this year’s directors you will see that we have not been sitting still, twiddling our thumbs. In fact it has ben a very busy and active year with so many different projects on the go. We may not have won any District Awards this year, but we have been up there with the best and I think one of the reasons is that no one had time to do the paperwork! The saddest part of the year was the sudden passing of PP Roy Martin. He was an icon in the Club. I particularly felt sad as I got to know Roy’s life history intimately when I put together “This is Your Life” a few years back. During this time I learned just how much he had contributed, with beryl and his family, to the development and fellowship of this Club. Right up to his last days he was always
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prepared to help and lend a hand to his fellow men and women. He must have sent a message from heaven to our new RI President Jonathan when the President chose his motto for the coming year. This year we have again accomplished much in the area of fundraising and I am particularly thankful to the Club for the monies raised throughout the wonderful Melbourne Cup evening and the Tour de Hills that went to my own special charity – Telstra Child Flight. However, we have managed to share our spoils with many different organisations with a total of nearly $60,000 being dispersed to organisations within our local community, our state and internationally. I have thoroughly enjoyed my year as president. I knew I would and I must say that I have had nothing but encouragement and support from all members. The old worn cliché, a coach is only as good as his team, holds strong when I reflect upon the successes we have had this year. I am most grateful to Gerry Larkin for his staying on for just one last Tour de Hills. It was a bumper and all the stress produced a wonderful day with far more participants than we had imagined. I just hope that Gerry will stay for Jeff (Whyte) and then Peter (Ford)! All directors put in an enormous amount of work as you can see from their reports. Each one participated fully in all programs on offer, with the help of many committee members. If there is something on the go we can all be sure Castle Hill is in there. I would particularly like to thank Cheryl Borton who was a most diligent secretary and kept me on my toes. Her support and attention to detail made sure I kept in line! Karen Patch was also a great ally and demonstrated why she has the reputation of being a fantastic Youth Director. Thank you Cheryl and Karen. You are already greatly missed by the Club members. I was also pleased when John Cooper and Mark Greaves agreed to remain Board members for me. Their knowledge and experience was most appreciated and Mark, once again, provided excellent accommodation for our Board meetings. And what fun meetings we had! Despite a lot of laughing and joking we still got things done. Thank you so much Mark and John. Looking after the finances of our Club is not that easy and Greg Bonner , in his second year as treasurer, rose to the challenge. As you can see at the end of his report he had a large amount of money with which to work. I’d like to thank Mike Hallen for his contribution to the Board, although his interstate work kept him from attending much of the year. However, he had paved the way for an easy transition into the next year and I thank him for that. Geoff Duffy! What can one say? He is the ultimate Rotarian. He is always ready to make sure everything is going well; his Rotary knowledge makes him a walking Manual of Procedure and he is always smiling and happy. When Cheryl and Karen left the Club he took on the additional job of Secretary without a blink and I thank him for his continuing help. David Smith also stepped into his position of Youth Director early and I thank him for his help too. Jeff Whyte, standing in the wings, was also a great asset to the Board. He is going to make a strong president and I look forward to passing on the chains of office! And I would also like to thank our two Sergeants Marie Ford and Warren Bowden, who both brought a lot of humour to our evenings despite ripping the money from our pockets. But it went to a good cause – Polio Plus – so we can’t complain. And, Bob Milne, my desktop publishing compatriot. You’ve done another year of fine work with the Bulletins. District, always there in the background on the day to day running of the Club, provides us with leadership ideas. This year’s District Governor, Harold Sharpe, is someone I respect greatly and he has been an inspiration to us in his ideas and his leading by example. He urged us to get back to the basics this year and I believe that is exactly what Castle Hill has done. Thank you to Harold and Gina (Growden) for your support and guidance. I am really glad I have met you and I know we will remain friends. Finally I must thank the one person on whom I rely greatly to keep me sane and that is my husband and this year’s Community director, Peter Ford. I would need another ten pages to tell you what a support he is and always has been to me in all, areas of my life. He encourages me to keep going when things get tough and his calm and sensible outlook on life helps me to keep things in perspective. I hope that when his turn comes I can be as supportive.
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I hope this year we have all sown the seeds of love and next year we will go on to lend a hand to those who need it.
Secretary’s report Membership The Rotary year commenced on July 1, 2002 with an active membership of 56, excluding 2 honorary members. Current membership is 53, excluding 2 honorary members. Members inducted this year are: Farhad Zulifiqar, Srwong Prasertthavorn, Rob Shortland and Barry Page. Other potential new members are being pursued.
Board Meetings The Board of Directors has met on 12 occasions this year, including 2 joint Board Meetings with the incoming Board of President-Elect Jeff Whyte.
Club Administration All Statutory, constitutional, District and Rotary International requirements have been carried out. Membership records have been updated on our database. Minutes of Board Meetings and correspondence have been recorded and preserved in the Club’s Minute Book.
General The Club’s website is continuously updated as required. Most members are now receiving our weekly bulletin by email, enabling Club Mailing costs to be kept to a minimum.
Club Service report The 2002-2003 Rotary year has been a challenge for the Club Service Area. We tried a new system for the steward’s weekly roster for a short time but went back to our old system after 3 months. Membership dropped by three over the year due to various circumstances including the untimely death of PP Roy Martin. Our three new members have adapted to our Rotary ways and are participating in all our ventures. Once again, thanks to Bob Milne and President Judy for the excellence in the publication of our weekly bulletin. No awards this year but who knows for 2003-2004. We had a varied and interesting program of guest speakers during the year but once again our own members with their life experiences proved the most popular. Fellowship, under the management of Neil and Mavis Todd produced various entertaining nights both within the Club and also outside events. Special thanks goes to our January home hosts, the Brangwins, Colburts and Hallens. A special vote of thanks to our master ticket seller, David Bowles Esq. who, with his apron pockets full of special treats, enticed most Rotarians to part with $5.00 each week. We won’t mention who won the raffle draw regularly. To our front desk staff of John Stuart, Greg Bonner and various assistants, thank you all for your continued support. Sergeants-At-Arms Marie Ford and Warren Bowden entertained us each Wednesday night with genuine fines for misdemeanours and some elastic convictions. Thanks to all members who volunteered for steward duties when we were short on numbers. In handing over to Peter Ford, I wish him the support shown to Club Service in 2002-2003.
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Vocational Service report The past year has seen varied activities presented in Vocational Service with special guest speakers, Rotarians speaking on their vocations, awards nights and workplace visits. A “Bring a Guest” dinner was held with a special guest speaker, PP Keith Stapely, from Baulkham Hills club speaking on new technologies in surveying and new computer software to assist with town planning.
Pride in Workmanship Our Pride in Workmanship award evening was held on 16th October. It was a very successful and enjoyable night where Josie Bruce, David Jones – Castle Hill, Sonia McCartin, Ishtar Painting, Liane Schmutter, Retravision – Castle Hill and Lynda Cali from Norwest International Hotel were recognised for their contributions to their vocations. PDG Roger Kilburn APM was the inspirational guest speaker. Thanks go to Rtn Phil Davis for all his hard work in organising the event. An interesting presentation by PP Mike Hallen and Rtn Kevin Rochford on 23rd October enlightened members to the specialist side of their vocations. Two workplace visits were conducted during the year. A visit to Woolworths ultra-modern dry goods distribution centre at Minchinbury, arranged by Rtn John McLean, gave an insight into the state of art warehousing and materials handling systems being used today. The second visit was to the Hillsong Church, organised by Rtn Ross Hood, where members and guests were taken on a tour of the new 3500-seat church/conference building. Apart from seating 3500 people in the main auditorium the building also contains a TV studio, a youth meeting hall, lecture theatres, Sunday school and various other rooms and halls.
Hills Teacher of the Year We held our inaugural Hills Teacher of the Year award evening on 5th March, which celebrated the wonderful work teachers from all levels of education perform daily. Annangrove Public School teacher Sue Burley was the most worthy recipient and the award was presented by Castle Hill High School Principal, David Jaffe. This new initiative of the club has proven very popular and we look forward to recognising many more of our excellent educators.
Apprentice of the Year Our unique Apprentice of the Year awards evening was held on 21st May. Margaret Stone presented the Walter Stone Memorial Perpetual Trophy for the Hills District Apprentice of the Year to Bradley Franklin, Automotive Vehicle Painting apprentice from BNT Smash Repairs. Certificates of High Commendation were presented to Geoffrey Carter, Cabinet Making, Nathan Everson, wood machining, Sean McCoy, autobody repair, Heather McPherson, hairdressing and Gregory Sim, automotive electrical. PP Bill Tait, our guest speaker, gave an inspiring address to the apprentices. A big vote of thanks once again goes to PP David Sommerlad for organising the hugely successful and professional evening. My thanks go to members of the Vocational Service Committee for their support during the year. My congratulations to President Judy for a very successful Rotary year and good wishes to our incoming President Jeff Whyte for 2003-2004.
Community Service report After setting an ambitious program for Rotary Year 2002-2003, the Community Service activities for the Rotary Club of Castle Hill have once again played a significant part in the Club’s calendar of events.
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Special Olympics Under the coordination and guidance of PP Geoff Duffy, a number of members of our club were involved in the 2002 Special Olympics. This is a unique event, where people with mental disabilities have the opportunity to participate in a range of activities. From what I saw of the Torch Relay, the enthusiasm exhibited by the participants was inspiring. The commitment made by the Police, Rotary and other volunteers ensured that the event ran smoothly.
Hills Food and Wine Festival For the second year running, Dieter Regel and the team threw themselves into organisation of this very popular event. Participation by the food and liquor outlets of the Hills District was up slightly up on last year. It was encouraging to see that the majority of stallholders from 2001 returned for a return engagement. This would seem to indicate that the value of being part of HFWF is clearly evident to this loyal band of supporters.
Christmas Puddings/Cakes Past President Phil Dunn took on the daunting task of shifting as many Rotary Christmas Puddings and Cakes as humanly possible. A thankless task at times was dealt with in a smooth effective manner. Thanks Phil.
Melbourne Cup Raffle John Stuart and his tightly knit ticket selling team (including a big comeback by Bill Tait) went into action in the weeks leading up to the Melbourne Cup. Their sales techniques were put to the test and they certainly rode their way to victory. Using popular shopping venues in the Hills District, the tickets flowed freely and fellowship abounded. Well done team for staying in the saddle through thick and thin.
Tour de Hills Planning started early for Tour de Hills 2003. Gerry Larkin is well known for his planning/coordination prowess and the 2003 event received the usual attention. 2003 was a bumper year for the Tour de Hills, with record numbers participating. This event has really come of age. Congratulations Gerry and the team!
Bowelscan The combined efforts of Neil Todd and Ed Heyman were thrown into coordination of our Club’s ongoing commitment to the Bowelscan Program. Participation by the Rotary Club of Castle Hill was efficient and effective under their guidance. Well done fellows!
Showgate It is with much sorrow that (we) experienced the untimely death of Roy Martin. Roy was one of the backbones of our Club, most particularly when it came to hands on tasks. Showgate was one of the Club activities that he approached with a passion. We will miss him greatly. Thankfully, John Barker stepped into the Showgate breech. He and his hardworking committee ensured that there was excellent participation by Club members in a well-run activity. The Hills Rotary Club members were noticeable in their attendance. Public attendance was well up on previous years, ensuring a better than usual financial return to Rotary. Is this a pointer to the future?
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Red shield Appeal The Red Shield Appeal was conducted on Sunday 25 May 03. A number of Club members volunteered their services for the activity. Despite atrocious weather conditions, those who participated made a tremendous contribution on behalf of our Club.
Men’s Forum Our Club decided to support the inaugural Men’s Forum, conducted on Wednesday 28 May 03 at Castle Hill RSL. This support was in the form of a financial donation towards running costs, attendance by Club members and provision of Master of Ceremonies. Overall a successful event for all concerned. I would like to thank all members who have helped considerably during the year to make it so successful.
International Service report Castle Hill is a busy club, and International Services this year has been an interesting and fulfilling avenue of service. There have been a number of new initiatives commenced this year, along with some of the usual Rotary International projects.
Vietnam – Antipodeans Abroad A group of students and teachers from Northholm Grammar School went to Vietnam in DecemberJanuary. Vietnam is the newest country in the world to charter a Rotary Club. We tried to liaise, through District, to assist with provision of materials for the students to complete a community service project. With all the best intentions this was not possible, however the tour group had a great time, and Rotary gained some valuable exposure.
Wexford, Ireland – Sister Club Warren Bowden and David Smith are investigating the opportunity to commence a sister club arrangement. This could also include Youth Exchange.
Solomon Islands – Volcano Relief Support Early in the year we supplied volcano relief for a small island in the Solomon Island group. Our Club arranged for 25 red T-shirts for the church choir. Karen Patch is thanked for her organisation of this project.
Lindsay Buckingham The Club has agreed to support Lindsay Buckingham, who will participate in the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in Geneva, Switzerland in July 2003. She is an outstanding candidate and is passionate about gaining a better understanding of the issues facing the world today. She is perhaps an ideal future candidate for the Rotary Foundation’s World Peace Scholarship.
Poilo Plus Rotary International has always been committed to the eradication of polio. This year all fines received during the Sergeant’s session will go towards this. For the months of May and June, PP Bruce Allen suggested that each member consider making an extra donation of $4/night via the dinner fee. This will boost the donation to Polio Plus substantially. Many thanks to all of you who have assisted in the avenue of International Service this year!
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Youth Service report Youth Service has many areas where assistance can be provided for youth. Some of the areas we participated in are as follows.
MUNA Northholm Grammar again attended the Model United Nations Assembly on the 14th and 15th June 2003. The event was held at the Ravenswood School for Girls at Gordon, with the team representing Argentina. This is a most rewarding experience, with the winning team and runner-up team going to Canberra in August 3002 to represent our District at the National Forum held in the Old Parliament House.
NYSF A number of applicants have applied to attend the National Youth Science Forum. At time of writing this report the final selection is still to be undertaken and I can assure you that the high standard of applicants has made the selection process very difficult.
Operation Hope Two sponsored children attended the camp in January 2003. This is a joint venture between Rotary District 9680 and Wesley Mission, which is held at Vision Valley and is a camp for disadvantaged children.
RYLA The Club again sponsored participants to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, which was held from the 17th – 24th January 2003 at Vision Valley. The program is designed to encourage leadership of Youth by Youth and recognises Young People who give their time and serve as leaders in Youth Organisations.
RYPEN The Club has also sponsored 2 students, Belinda Needs & Michael Thompson from Castle Hill, High School to attend the Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment, which helps students develop their potential.
U-‐Turn the Wheel Now known as Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) this program continues to grow throughout our District. This year around 8000 students attended the program, which is designed to encourage Year 11 students to become more aware of their responsibilities on the road, with the aim of reducing driver injuries and fatalities.
Youth Exchange Morwenna Pearce, the granddaughter of our fellow Rotarian Bob Milne has now completed all of the necessary interview process and will become our outbound Youth Exchange Student for 2002-2003 and will be going to Finland. I know we all wish her the best in this venture and our thoughts and support will be with her. Development work is still proceeding to develop the first link for our District with the Wexford County in Ireland. This link is one of great significance for the Hills area with the historical link we have between the two areas. The Rotaract Club of Castle Hill has also had a busy year with community involvement. Our support and assistance is with the development of Rotaract which is one of great importance, as they are the Rotarians of the future.
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In closing I would like to thank those members of the Youth Committee, the Club in general for their ongoing help and assistance, together with thanks to President Judy and the Board throughout the year.
Treasurer’s report Another year has just flown by and, contrary to my expectations the Board has managed to control costs to the extent that membership fees have not altered over the past two administrations while meal fees have altered by one dollar only. Of course detailed commentary on Club financials will be given at the AGM in December. That said, both Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss figures appear comparable with last year and I am able to provide preliminary numbers in respect of donations up to the end of May. Such figures represent a solid effort on the part of many Club members and it is hoped they all feel very satisfied. The new treasurer is a man of considerable patience and (I suspect) resilience. These qualities together with his eye for detail fit him well for a sometimes-difficult job, and I wish him well. Many thanks to those who were ever ready to assist me, without complaint, these last two years.
Beneficiaries for 2002-‐2003 Polio Plus
$3,000
The Cancer Council
$3,000
Telstra Child Flight
$11,500
Farmhand
$500
U Turn The Wheel (Now RYDA)
$2,000
Mongolia Project
$3,500
Shave for the Cure
$100
The Rotary Foundation
$3,510
Rotaract
$1,000
The Hills Rotary Club
$2,000
The Hills Family Centre
$400
Computers for Nepal Schools
$250
Men’s Forum
$750
Red Cross
$1,000
Police Legacy
$1,000
Rural Fire Service
$2,500
St Gabriel’s
$11,263
Hills School for Special Purposes
$8,000
Newborn Emergency Transport Services
$4,000 Total
$59,523
2003 -‐ 2004 Rotary International President: Jonathan B Majiyagbe (Kano, Kano State, Nigeria) RI President’s Theme: “Lend a Hand” Governor District 9680: Danny Lowe (Mosman)
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Changeover celebrated on 4th June 2003
Board of Directors President: Jeff Whyte Immediate Past-President: Judy Ford Secretary: Geoff Duffy Treasurer: David Waterhouse Sergeant-at-Arms: John Maclean/Phil Davis
President-Elect: Peter Ford Director Club: Peter Ford Director Community: Kevin Rochford Director Vocational: Rod Williamson Director International: Marie Ford Director Youth: David Smith
President’s report There have been many highlights. The Roy Martin Scholarship awarded to Tara Evans at Castle Hill High School. Beryl Martin had much pleasure in presenting the award. Making Beryl Martin an Honorary Rotarian in recognition of all her years of work for the Rotary Club of Castle Hill. Our special project for the year, Rosemary Little’s racing wheel chair. I would like to thank all the Club members for getting behind this project. We raised $7,200 towards the purchase of the chair. Rosemary received the chair in early April and her times are improving. David Sommerlad reached a milestone of 50 years in Rotary, a very significant achievement and I had much pleasure in presenting him with a Sapphire Paul Harris Award. Well done, David. Heritage Park was opened to the public on the 4th March. Many Rotarians had the pleasure of being guides for the day. 1500 Year 3 students were bussed in. Redcoats and convicts demonstrated how life was in the 1800s. Many members of the public also visited the park before the Governor of NSW Professor Marie Bashir officially opened the Park. This year’s home meetings at Mike and Sue Blair’s and Mark and Anne Greaves and at our own home were most enjoyable. On behalf of the members I would like to thank Terry O’Mara and his committee for their great work. The Lion King being a highlight of the Fellowship year. In January we farewelled Bob Milne’s granddaughter Morwenna Pearce to Finland and welcomed Loli Laire from Brazil. Both are enjoying their exchange. On a sad note, Faye Bowles and Bob Milne passed away. Your Club donated $2,000 to Ovarian Cancer Research. At Bob Milne’s request of no flowers, donations were made to FAIM. US$1,000 has been donated to a bee-keeping project in Nepal which will allow farmers to be able to send their children to school to improve their future. Foundation Meeting of the Combined Probus Club of Castle Hill was held at the Harvey Lowe Pavilion on Tuesday 15th June where 104 members joined. The need for the new Club was brought to my attention at the Changeover of the Combine Probus Club of Cherrybrook. Thanks to Neil and Mavis Todd, Mike Hallen for standing in for me on the day, Phil Davis and all Rotarians and Partners for your help with this worthwhile project. I could not have hoped for a better Board of Directors with whom to work. Their dedication and support is something I will always remember. To the Chairmen and members of our various committees my sincere thanks. Welcome to Gordon Nugent, a breath of fresh air. My thanks and congratulations on making the task of producing the Bulletin and expanding and improving the format. Well done! Our recruitment of new members seems to have stalled and lost direction. There’s always next year. May I conclude by thanking each and every member for their friendship and encouragement extended to Yvonne and myself. I wish Peter and his team a successful and rewarding year.
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Secretary’s report Membership The Rotary year commenced on July 1, 2003 with an active membership of 55, plus 2 honorary members. Current membership is 51, plus 4 honorary members. We inducted Gordon Nugent during the year. Other potential members are being pursued.
Board Meetings The Board of Directors has met on 12 occasions this Rotary year, including 2 joint Board Meetings with the incoming Board of President-Elect Peter Ford.
Club Administration All Statutory, constitutional, District and Rotary International requirements have been carried out. Membership records have been updated on our database. Minutes of Board Meetings and correspondence have been recorded and preserved in the Club’s Minute Book.
General The Club’s website is continuously updated by Webmaster Judy Ford as required. Most members are now receiving our weekly bulletin by email, thus saving on mail costs as a result
Club Service report Well, it has been a very successful year in the area of Club Service at Castle Hill. We entered the year conducting our regular meetings at Springfield receptions, with some small measure of doubt about the longevity of the arrangement. As well we all know now, circumstances were to change dramatically. Following an extensive search of the Hills area for a ne venue, we settled on the Burning Log at Dural. This move has been a positive one for our Club and we extend our thanks to Hoda and her staff for their professional and friendly service. In a year when we sadly lost our dear friend Bob Milne, Judy Ford and then Gordon Nugent stepped into the breach to edit the Club's weekly Bulletin (Hills Views). Thank you both for a publication worthy of District Awards. Gordon has accepted to take the publication forward into the coming year and we know he will do an excellent job. Mike Hallen, backed very ably by Phil Davis has taken the Sgt at Arms duties to a new level. Having visited a number of other Rotary Clubs over the years, I can assure you that we have ben extremely well served by Mike and Phil. This year, we decided to take a new line with the weekly game of chance and adopted the lucky Joker format. This proved to be well accepted by the majority of the Club. In particular, three major winners have been most content with the outcome. I’ll leave it up to the incoming Club Service Director to decide on the direction form 04/05. The highlight of the year in fellowship would have to be our group booking for a performance of “The Lion King”. The happy crowd ate and drank their way (on a bus) into the city, which to some degree lessened the pain of the Sydney traffic. Once at the theatre we were treated to one of the most amazing performances you could hope to see. Terry O’Mara and the rest of the club have been so buoyed by the experience that there are plans to do something later in the year. Our January home meetings were once again a resounding success. Thank you Terry and all concerned for the year’s efforts and successes. Finally, I would like to thank all the members of our Club who have consistently been there to ensure that our meetings run smoothly and generally proved that Rotary can be a lot of fun.
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Vocational Service report On behalf of the Vocational Service team I am pleased to submit the following summary of events that were arranged during the Rotary year with supporting comments. • • • • • • • • •
Visit to the Aquatic Centre Combined meeting with Baulkham Hills Club – Guest Speaker Adrian Harrison “Business Ethics. Pride in Workmanship – Guest Speaker Justin Herald “Success with $50” Teacher of the Year Awards – Guest Speaker Dr Ann Benjamin Community Business Dinner – Guest Speaker Hon. Dr Brendon Nelson. Apprentice of the Year Awards – Guest Speaker Nancy-Bird Walton AO, OBE. Vocational Talks: David Waterhouse “From Builder to WorkCover”. Barry Page – Food Distribution. Phil Davis - “James Craig”
A big thank you to my committee and other Club members who have contributed to this avenue of service during the year. In particular I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the following members: • • •
• •
Mike Hyland for organising the Pride in Workmanship awards and his support with other events. Peter McBean for his perseverance that assured the Business Dinner was a successful evening despite the many obstacles he had to overcome to “make it happen”. David Sommerlad for his special talents and ongoing dedication in arranging pride in Workmanship awards and special guest speaker which was once again one of the highlights of the Rotary year. Phil Davis who was always ever so willing to assist with events so the “nuts & bolts” were in place. Ross Hood for arranging appropriate guest speakers when needed.
Last but not least Judy Ford who in true Rotary spirit was always willing to oblige with her special talents to ensure “the icing was always on the cake” despite many other demanding commitments. My ultimate reward during the year was the experience of having the privilege to announce the winner of the “Teacher of the Year” at a very special Primary School assembly arranged by the Principal as a surprise for the recipient. The honour of representing Rotary on such a unique occasion involving so many young students will always serve as a reminder to me of how our Club can make a difference by recognising special people in our community.
Community Service report At our initial Community Services meeting we listed our goals for the 2003-2004 Rotary year. We may have been a little ambitious with our list, however we commenced the year with a number of planned new events and continued with our regular activities. We consider that we managed to achieve a very fulfilling and satisfying year.
Sausage Sizzle Coles supermarket Our first fundraising activity for the Rotary year was a sausage sizzle on the 19th and 20th July at the new Kellyville Coles Supermarket store opening. Coles supplied the bread and sausages including the barbeque and we set up at the Shopping Centre entrance. We cooked about 700 sausages sandwiches over the weekend and made a very satisfactory amount for our first fundraiser.
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Hills Food and Wine Festival For the third year Dieter Regel and his team excelled in the organisation of this event and as usual was a great success. The event was held on 19th October where 1500 to 2000 people attended to taste various food and wine samples from local food and liquor outlets. It was encouraging to see the attendance of fellow Club members who helped on Saturday and Sunday to make the day a resounding success.
Christmas Puddings/Cakes Our pre-Christmas activity of selling Christmas puddings and cakes again was carried out by Past President Phil Dunn and his band of helpers. This has proved to be a profitable enterprise for our Club and a huge task to try and sell as many as possible during the Christmas spend up.
Balcombe Heights Community Centre As a community service a number of members of our Club assisted over a weekend last December to internally paint a community centre workshop for The Hills Disabilities people. We managed to paint six rooms to help make the 80-year old building more comfortable and many thanks to Hannibal Shabaz who assisted by providing additional painting equipment and drop sheets.
Tour de Hills For the ninth year running (or riding) Gerry Larkin and his team have again excelled in the planning and organisation of this extremely popular fundraising event. The day was unfortunately threatened with rain and numbers were slightly down from last year. However, at least 500+ turned up and the day resulted in an outstanding success. Members of our Club assisted enormously before, during and after the event and without our traditional team effort, the fun ride would not be the wonderful success it has proved to be over the years.
Quail Manure Special thanks to president Jeff for allowing a team of dedicated manure-baggers to visit the farm for another avenue of fundraising. Past President Phil Dunn assisted in providing the bags and ties and placed a number in front of his house for sale. We feel that this could be an ongoing project subject to willing volunteers participating further.
Showgate This year proved to be a difficult time for Showgate as our Club members were stretched between Showgate and the District Conference with both being held on the same weekend. Under the coordination and guidance of PP John Barker and his committee, including PP George McDonald (in the office) we wish to thank all involved for their enormous efforts to make the Showgate a success. Thankfully with assistance from other Rotary Clubs and the Rural Fires Service manning the gates and assisting in parking we managed to carry out all tasks.
SMC Pneumatics SMC is a company located in Castle Hill industrial area where we provide an ongoing BBQ service for their workers when they reach their monthly budget.
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A number of our Club members have assisted in cooking up to 450 sausages over the past three or four months for the company workers. The company contributes a substantial amount for our services.
Bowel Scan The Club's ongoing commitment to the Bowel Scan program was held again this year. Ed Heyman and Neil Todd carried out their tasks with the usual enthusiasm picking up and delivering kits for a very worthy cause. Thanks again, Fellows.
Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal Our Club again this year assisted in providing a number of drivers to support collectors on Sunday 23rd May for the Red Shield Appeal. All participating Club members are to be thanked for the time and effort made during the day.
Probus Club The need for a Probus Club was mentioned mid-last year by Neil Todd for the Castle Hill area. About two months ago Neil set about making arrangements for a foundation meeting which was finally held on 15th July at the Harvey Lowe Pavilion. The night proved very successful as 125 interested people attended the meeting and eventually 160 signing up. Many thanks to Mike Hallen for chairing the meeting and assisted by Phil Davis with a number of dedicated Rotarians helping out on the day.
International Service report Whoever said’ “It’s a small world?” – was certainly not a Rotary International Director. With so many calls on our resources it proved to be a difficult job to decide which projects to support for this year. Some photos showing flood damage to a school in a remote village in China showed that a helping hand was urgently needed. News of a scheme to supply wheelchairs for a number of disabled people came to our attention and the photographs of the recipients made our donation worth sending. Barry Philps from Glenhaven club spoke at our dinner meeting requesting help to purchase medical equipment for the Gorno-Altaisk Rotary Club in Russia which is operating a project to help an orphanage caring for a variety of children’s diseases. Many of the children have been abandoned by their parents and we felt this was worthy of a major donation from our funds. A very moving address from a young Rotarian, Sarah Dunbar, who is involved with a number of different causes in many of the poorer countries, resulted in a number of donations from individual members. Ron Marcus and a group of Rotarians and their partners once again visited Nepal. As a result an ongoing scheme has been established to provide self-employment for needy families. This involves the forming of a business to maintain beehives and no doubt we shall hear more of this in the next few months. A number of T-shirts were also sent and some money has been set aside to provide further help. On the lighter side, our recent South American night in conjunction with Glenhaven Club was voted a great success and was especially popular with our Brazilian Exchange Student, Loli. Thank you for this opportunity for the International committee to bring a little happiness to some people in the forgotten areas of our world.
Youth Service report Youth Service 2001-2004 has been a great experience as a first-time Board member. Rotary Youth Projects that our Club has been involved in this year include:
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Youth Exchange This year we have had the privilege to sponsor Morwenna Pearce (the granddaughter of our beloved Bob Milne) who is currently enjoying discovering new experiences in Finland. We are also having the delight of hosting Lorene (Loli) from Brazil, who has been a great joy and has settled into our Club's activities. Loli has now taken part in the Rotary Youth Safari and made her debut where we were in the presence of a Princess. Both families of Morwenna and Loli should be proud of these young ladies as that continue with their Rotary Youth Exchange programs.
RYLA Our Club sponsored 2 young ladies, Annalisa and Michele, with Annalisa attending one of our meetings to talk of her experiences at the program. The program runs over a period of a week at Vision Valley, with its objective to empower the participants with Leadership and Management Skills to become an effective leader of youth and beyond.
RYPEN Our Club sponsored Tom and Sarah from Castle Hill High, who also attended one of our Rotary meetings to share their experiences of the weekend program. This program is designed for Year 10 students to develop “life skills” and motivation to help them cope with the challenges of a very competitive future.
RYDA This program, which is also known as U-Turn the Wheel, is once again well underway and we have already guided our two schools, Castle Hill High and Gilroy College, through the day program. This program developed only within the last four years, following a fatal accident in the Dural area, will see this year nearly 10,000 students attending the program at two locations, St Ives and the Central Coast. The aim of the program is to reduce driver injuries & deaths of young adults, giving schools access to a community of experts to bring Road Safety Awareness to Year 11 students. Recently I was asked to control the running of the program once a week which has been up to 3 days a week on some occasions. This commitment will continue for the remainder of this year and at this stage, also in 2005.
Other Rotary Youth Programs There are numerous other Rotary Youth Programs that we have participated in, including community programs such as Hills Youth Suicide Prevention program, Wildlife for Youth a program operated by Hillsong (Church) and the Bicentenary of the Castle Hill Rebellion. The Castle Hill Rebellion saw volunteers from our Club and other community groups on the 4th March 2004 play a major role in the celebrations, which saw nearly 1,600 Year 3 students participate in a Discovery Walk at our Heritage Park, the site of the first Barracks in Castle Hill, together with the official ceremonies that took place later that day.
Rotaract Our support of the Rotaract Club of Castle Hill this year has been one that has strengthened and saw our Club join forces with Rotaract in a number of fundraising projects to purchase a racing wheelchair for Rosemary Little. The wheelchair has now been presented to Rosemary, who is a member of the Rotaract Club of Castle Hill and we look forward to seeing her hopefully become part of the Australian Paralympics team. In all, this has been an exciting year for Youth and my thanks must extend not just to my committee, but all Rotarians of Castle Hill and their partners.
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Treasurer’s report The current Status of the Club accounts as at 15/6/04 is as follows: Account
Bank Balance
Cheques outstanding
Balance
Administration
$10,268.00
$6,051.00
$4,217.00
Projects
$20,628.00
$3,970.00
$16,658.00
Tour de Hills
$2,274.00
$601.00
$1673.00
Hills Food & Wine
$2,500.00
$2,500.00
Heritage Park
$14,263.00
$14,263.00
Heritage Park
$49,933.00
$39,311.00
Where the money came from
Where the money went
Tour de Hills
Expenses
$9,411.00
Riders
$20,433.00
St Gabriel’s School
$18,563.00
Sponsorship
$25,300.00
Red Cross VAD
$500.00
Interest
$22.64
Rural Fire Service
$2,500.00
Total
$45,755.64
Police Legacy
$500.00
Rotary Health Fund
$4,000.00
Hills Food and Wine
$13,427.00
Expenses
$6,827.00
Showgate
$13,232.00
RC of The Hills
$2,650.00
RC of Kenthurst
$400.00
RC of Baulkham Hills
$250.00
RFS (North Rocks)
$700.00
RFS (Round Corner)
$400.00
RFS (Maroota)
$350.00
St Johns Ambulance
$500.00
Rosemary’s chair
$6941.00
Rosemary Little Trust Account
$7,200.00
Bob Milne (FAIM)
$850.00
Roy Martin Award
$250.00
SMC BBQs
$870.00
Rotary Foundation
$3,510.00
Coles BBQ
$1,393.00
RYDA (U-Turn the Wheel)
$2,250.00
Quail poo
$288.00
RYLA
$1,240.00
Christmas Cards
$82.00
RYPEN
$420.00
RAWCS Project (China)
$250.00
Mongolia Project (Ron Marcus)
$2,500.00
Siemens Science Experience
$180.00
Ovarian Cancer Council
$2,000.00
The Slice of Life Project Wesley Ch.
$500.00
Wild Life Youth (Hillsong Church)
$380.00
MUNA
$195.00
New Probus Club
$500.00
BHSC New Bog Box Showground
$300.00
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Yet to be released
Total
Exchange student
$1000.00
Donation for Hot Water Service
$582.00
Russia RC of Gorny-Altaise
$1000.00
Community Bus
$8,000.00
BHSC Castle Hill Park
$2,500.00
Bee Project Nepal (FAIM)
$1,400.00
$82,838.54
Total
$83,708.00
2004 -‐ 2005 Rotary International President: Glen Estess (Shades Valley, Alabama, USA) RI President’s Theme: “Celebrate Rotary” Governor District 9680: Bruce Allen (Castle Hill) Changeover celebrated on 26th June 2004
Board of Directors President: Peter Ford Immediate Past-President: Jeff Whyte Secretary: Geoff Duffy Treasurer: John Cooper Sergeant-at-Arms: Terry O’Mara/Phil Davis
President-Elect: Mike Blair Director Club: Judy Ford Director Community: John Stuart Director Vocational: Hannibal Shabaz Director International: Sriwong Prasertthavorn Director Youth: Bruce Jenkin
President’s report 2004-2005 has been a momentous year for the Rotary Club of Castle Hill. We always knew it was going to be this way and the prospect of achieving everything was daunting for one and all. Well, I have delight in reporting that we made it and to a large degree it has been done at a highly successful level. In brief terms, here are some of our achievements: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Hosted Loli Laire, our wonderful exchange student from Brazil. Sponsored Morwenna Pearce – our outbound exchange student in Finland. Pride in Workmanship Awards. Apprentice of the Year Awards. Co-hosted a dinner marking the visit of President Elect – Rotary International. Planned and conducted Showgate (Castle Hill Show) Conducted a most successful collection for the Tsunami Disaster – approx. $100,000. Tour de Hills Charity Bike Ride – raised $30K+ for St Gabriel’s and other community groups. Planned and conducted the District Conference at Darling Harbour. Celebrated 40 years as a Rotary Club. Conducted Vocational Visits. Held very successful home meetings in Jan 05 – including a farewell to the Colburts. Inducted two new members – hope you are enjoying the Club (Vik and Val). Awarded Paul Harris Fellowship to Maureen Colburt. Vocational visits to local businesses and service organisations. Participated in RYDA
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• • •
Sponsorship of RYLA attendees Packing containers for Mongolia and Nepal SMC and other community based BBQs.
The District Conference consumed the time and energy of many members of our Club; not least our Conference Chairman, PP Bruce Jenkin. Bruce, you and your team did a magnificent job. I know that it was not without many challenging moments. However, the end result was something to be proud of. Well done everyone in the Club for lending your support when it was most needed. Your Directors will no doubt put some meat on the list of achievements shown above and add some items not covered in this report. I thank them all for their support during the year. Running a Rotary Club is very much a team effort and you all met that requirement. I have found the year to be both interesting and rewarding. It is true to say that you can always learn something new in Rotary. If you poke around, people and activities pop out of the woodwork. There is so much excellent work going on around the world, country and in our backyard. The choice for Rotarians and their friends has never been more varied and exciting. I wish Mike Blair and his team every success for the coming year. There’s a challenge ahead and I am confident that your new Board will endeavour to meet it.
Secretary’s report Membership The present membership is only 46 active members with two additional honorary members. The resignations of Derek Black and Milton Colburt, the termination of the membership of Farhad Zulifiqar and the death of PP Bill Tait resulted in this number. We welcome new Rotarians Val Ludgate and Vik Murugesan.
Board Meetings The Board of Directors has met on 12 occasions this Rotary year, including 2 joint Board Meetings with the incoming Board of President-Elect Mike Blair.
Club Administration All Statutory, constitutional, District and Rotary International requirements have been carried out. Membership records have been updated on our database. Minutes of Board Meetings and correspondence have been recorded and preserved in the Club’s Minute Book.
General The Club’s website is continuously updated by Webmaster Judy Ford as required. Most members are now receiving our weekly bulletin by email, thus saving on mail costs as a result Thanks to all members and partners who have helped me over 11 years as Secretary of the Club. Best wishes to the incoming Board for a successful 2005-2006.
Club Service report Once again the Rotary Club of Castle Hill has been busy with a variety of events and programs. We have continued to enjoy meeting at The Burning Log in Dural. We had a special evening to promote membership and encourage members to look for new members. Unfortunately few members took up the challenge of passing on five names. However we did gain two new members, Val and Vik.
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Attendance figures have remained fairly low for the year. Thanks to Marie Ford for taking on the task of monitoring and reporting attendance this year. Thanks to Gordon Nugent for continuing to produce an excellent bulletin each week. The jokes at the end have continued to be very popular. Unfortunately we have not had much media coverage this year. However we are pleased to see our Club member and District Governor, Bruce Allen, appear in Rotary Down Under a number of times this year and both he and our exchange student Loli appeared on the front cover on different editions. The website has been kept up ton date throughout the year. Phil Davis took on the challenge of providing us with an interesting and varied program for the year and he certainly met the challenge. Thank you Phil for your hard work. A visit to the Cirque de Soleil was a highlight of the year, organised by Terry O’Mara. The Christmas Party was a great night but unfortunately clashed with a number of other events and was poorly supported. However, we had an excellent turn up for the 40th Birthday celebrations with the return of some past members on the night. Many thanks to Phil and Bev Davis, Hannibal and Joan Shabaz and Milton and Maureen Colburt for hosting our most enjoyable home visits in January. Sergeants-at-Arms, Terry O’Mara and Warren Bowden kept us all in check each meeting. Their method of extracting gossip and dirt on members is one only they are privy to but it certainly works! Thank you for such entertaining sessions. After eleven years as a Rotarian I have decided to call it a day and I thank all members for making this year, in particular, such a memorable one.
Vocational Service report • • • • • •
• •
Apprentice of the Year Awards. Completed – Coordinator David Sommerlad. Pride in Workmanship Awards. Completed – Coordinator David Sommerlad. Mini job talks (projects underway) – A weekly happening event. City children to go bush – Currently still investigating this project. The Teacher of the Year Awards – Completed – Coordinator Hannibal Shabaz. Business Ethics – Requires someone to speak about Ethics in Electronics business. Gordon Nugent to investigate. To check with St James Ethics Centre. ADMA Aust. Mailing Society. Still waiting for speaker. Factory/Business premises visits. Rural Fire Service visit, 1st June 2005. - Coordinator David Smith. Coordination with Membership committee re new members (entire committee). Still on.
Community Service report In a year in which I faced some irregular challenges such as selling my business and moving out of Sydney I wish to thank all those committee members who provided me with incredible support and understanding. This year could almost be called the year of the Barbecue. It was very close to a monthly event which we prepared a barbecue lunch for the management and staff at SMC Australia Ltd. I would like to express my sincere thanks top David Smith, Mike and Roslyn Hallen, Phil Dunn & Noel Milligan for their participation. Also my appreciation should be expressed to Kenthurst and Glenhaven Clubs form lending us their BBQs. We also performed a sausage sizzle at the gala opening of the new vet hospital at Norwest. We had to overcome a small problem this year where Castle Hill Show clashed with our major fundraiser Tour de Hills which forced us to enlist the help of The Hills Rotary Club on the Sunday.
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Showgate proved to be a great success this year and Hannibal Shabaz is to be congratulated for his unyielding efforts. Our Showgate expertise was also called upon to collect entry monies for the Highland Games held at the Castle Hill Showground. The Tour de Hills as always requires intricate planning and this was once again carried out by Gerry Larkin and Mike Blair. The day was magnificent with (I understand) record participation of riders. The Club was called into action as a result of the Tsunami Tragedy on Boxing Day 2004. Under the leadership of Neil Todd we collected possibly record-breaking funds at Castle Towers over a period of just a few days. In closing I would like to thank President Peter and members of the Board, my deputy David Smith and the Community Service Committee for their efforts this year. Also, I wish Mike Blair and the incoming Board of Directors a successful 2005-06.
International Service report A year has passed very quickly. I still remember President Peter asking me to be an International Service Director and I thank him for giving me this opportunity but I was concerned about my English not being so good. Anyway, I would like to thank everyone for their understanding of this. This year has been and interesting one because many International Projects are wanting Rotary Club support. Our Club has supported some projects as follows.
From Russia with Love (FRWL) This project for helping to purchase medical equipment for the Gorno-Altaisk Rotary Club in Russia which is operating a project to help an orphanage caring for a variety of children’s diseases. The chairman of this project, PDG Barry Philps, sent an email to me. He is in Siberia now. He visits orphanage the new equipment is there and everyone is pleased with the support.
Interplast This is an amazing project with just $500 we can help make a difference. Imagine living with a disfiguring deformity. People with cleft lips and palates, burns or other congenital deformities are often hidden away receiving little or no education, abused and ridiculed by their peers. We can change their lives to become normal by plastic surgery in the Philippines. Everyone can donate and the donations to Interplast are tax-deductable.
Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM) Malaria causes more sickness and deaths than any other single disease. Three million people die and more than 500 million are affected every year. Our Board members agreed to support this project in the Pacific Islands and South East Asian developing countries. Our Club has donated $1,000 to this excellent cause.
Sister City Clubs This project seemed unsuccessful. I tried to touch some clubs in Chiang Mai but my Rotarian friend told me many Rotary Clubs are not ready to join because they are small Clubs with no more than ten members. There are only a few Clubs with strong memberships. I apologise that I could not make this happen this year.
Thai Night Thank you to everyone that made Thai Night a great evening and I would particularly like to thank our great Treasurer John Cooper that gave me a hand to do many things. Moreover, my thanks also go to Judy Ford and Bruce Jenkin for their support that evening.
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Finally, thank you very much to International Service Committee members Marie Ford, Geoff Duffy, Peter Marcer, Mark Greaves, Ted Sykes, Barry Alsop, Ron Marcus, Vik Murugesan and all members who have assisted this year.
Youth Service report In 2004/2005 the Club participated in most of the standing Rotary youth programs – Youth Exchange, RYLA, RYPEN, RYDA, Science School and MUNA.
Youth Exchange Our inbound student, Lorene (Loli) Laire returned home to Brazil in January, having acquitted herself in an outstanding manner during her twelve months with the Club. Loli was in every way an outstanding exchange student and took full part in most Club activities. Loli has maintained contact since she returned home. Our next incoming student, a male from Sweden, arrives in July. We have yet to arrange suitable host families for the bulk of his stay. Our outgoing student, Morwenna Pearce, arrived back from Finland in January and made a presentation to the Club in February. Morwenna also proved an outstanding student, and was meticulous in submitting her monthly reports. Unfortunately we have (to date) been unsuccessful in finding a suitable outgoing student for the coming year – the reasons are not obvious, but it has been suggested that there are a number of exchange schemes which may be more attractive than Rotary Youth Exchange. The Club was well represented at the annual District 9680 Youth Exchange Dinner on 11 February.
Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) The Club sponsored the attendance of two Castle Hill High School pupils at the D9680 MUNA held at Abbotsleigh Girls College on 4-5 June. It is hoped to arrange for both girls to make a presentation to the Club. They were very enthusiastic about their experience.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) The Club sponsored two young men to attend the RYLA held at Vision Valley, 17-23 January. As usual all participants found it a life changing experience, and this came out at the presentation which our representatives gave at the Club. RYLA is an outstanding program.
Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) Once again the Club sponsored two young people for RYPEN which was held at the Collaroy Centre on 4-6 February. Our nominees subsequently spoke to the Club about their experiences.
Science and Engineering Forums The Club sponsored one candidate to attend the National Youth Science Forum, held in Canberra in January. Because of a lack of nominations from schools within our “catchment” we sponsored a student from out of our area. This year we have received a number of nominations for next January’s Forum.
Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) This highly successful Program has grown enormously. David Smith has represented the Club and been active at the District level in helping run the RYDA Program.
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Conclusion Unfortunately the conflicting demands of the District Conference Chairmanship prevented me from carrying out some of the other things which I had in mind for the year, but I am pleased at the level of participation we managed to secure for most Rotary youth programs. I am indebted to members of the Youth Committee each of whom took responsibility for one of the programs. I wish Gordon Nugent well for the forthcoming year.
Treasurer’s report This is an unaudited report advising bank balances and movements in project funds and donations. An audited report will be prepared and presented to the Club after 30June 2005.
St George Bank Cheque account balances as at 18th June 2005: Account
Bank Balance
Un-presented Cheques
Balance
Administration
$6,576.83
$2,873.43
$4737.40
+ outstanding deposit
$1034.00 Projects
$112,430.28
2,873.43
$110,696.28
Tour de Hills
$12,089.05
$1,300
$10,789.05
HF&WF
$2,163.23
$2,163.23
Heritage Park
$14,334.54
$14,334.54
Total
$147,593.95
$4,873.43
$142,720.52
CBA Fixed Deposit at 27 April 2005 Heritage Park
$13,673.65
Income -‐ Projects Tsunami Appeal – with Hills Rotary and Rotaract
$94,421
Tour de Hills – riders, sponsorships, photo sales
$48,179
Showgate – Castle Hill Show
$13,583
SMC BBQ – expenses included
$7,098
Scottish Games
$1,282
Bowel Scan
$2,000
Sydney Animal Hospital BBQ – expenses included
$304
First Aid Kits
$105
Seniors Week – parking Castle Grand
$100
Quail Poo
$91 Total
$167,163
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Donations to be Made RAWCS – Tsunami Appeal
$86,268
Rotary Foundation
$3,000
ARHRF
$3,000
St Michael’s Family Centre – Baulkham Hills
$1,000
RYDA
$2,000 Total
$95,268
Expenditure –Projects Russian Altai Orphanage – matching grant
$1,400
Donations in Kind (DIK)
$218
RAWCS (Bob Milne)
$815
RAWCS – Tsunami Appeal through Glenhaven Club
$8,153
Interplast
$500
ARHRF – donations on behalf of Guest Speakers
$525
Roy Martin Education Grant
$250
Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM)
$1,000
Rotaract Club of Castle Hill
$250
RYPEN
$420
RYLA
$1,300
MUNA
$400
Wild Life Summer Camp – Hillsong Church
$400
St Gabriel’s School – ex-Tour de Hills
$24,000
Rural Fire Service – ex Tour de Hills
$2,500
State Emergency Service – ex Tour de Hills
$500
Police Legacy – ex Tour de Hills
$500
Tour de Hills expenses
$13,588
Rotaract Club of Castle Hill – ex Showgate
$779
Rotary Club of The Hills – ex Showgate
$1,472
Rotary Club of Glenhaven – ex Showgate
$194
Rotary Club of Kenthurst
$1,061
Rotary Club of East Gosford – ex Bowel Scan proceeds
$2,000 Total
$62,225
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Castle Hill Historic Site Community Committee During the past 12 months, the committee has been heavily involved in dealing with Baulkham Hills Shire Council, its officers and Council’s Heritage Park Management Committee in matters concerning the park and its future. With John Stuart’s retirement from full-time business involvement, Phil Driscoll joined the park management committee when its members were appointed by Council a year ago. His people skills have helped the 355 committee’s decision-making on some crucial issues affecting the park and valuable help and guidance has been given the Historic Site Community Committee (HSCC) by former Rotarian and Councillor, Ray Brown. Following personal explanations to Heritage Park committee members, the HSCC’s two voting representatives succeeded in having the committee approve its concept for the historical elements proposed for the park and included on the master plan – the ceremonial gateway and Governor Phillip alcove; memorial to the pioneers with tall flagpole; commemorative wall with names of convicts and others; leading to the principle building – the Education Centre. This vision for the park, conceived in the early 1990’s, was presented to Council in 2000 with an undertaking that the HSCC would assist the community in raising necessary funds. The Council referred the plan to the HP committee for decision. The first element – the Ceremonial Gateway – was adopted by the Castle Hill club as its Rotary Centenary Year project and the design plans are nearing completion. The primary objective of the HSCC, when established by Rotary 16 years ago to operate autonomously was to have established an Education Centre on the National Heritage Site. To achieve this goal, Council’s endorsement of the centre is essential. Following research, a Convict Education Centre was found to be a tourism need in the Sydney Region and this concept was promoted to Councillors, MP’s and others at a significant gathering at Heritage Park in February. Recent problems within Council have hindered the campaign but an indication has been given that the project will receive consideration within a future capital works development programme. The HSCC’s most gratifying success during the year was the restoration of the open space at the corner of Old Castle Hill Road and Banks Road – the convict entrance into the 1801-10 Government Farm. A request to repair and prevent creek bank erosion led Council officers to undertake major work, including constructing stone walls to creeks, levelling earth and sowing grass. As a “bonus”, a gravel track was laid to symbolise the “convict way” into the farm, now the park. This has given real character to the original entrance to the farm – and accidentally advanced fulfilment of our vision for the park by 10 years! Wonderful! So the project to establish a nationally recognised and useful heritage centre on the Shire’s most significant historical site grinds on, with the major community challenge immediately ahead. The time has arrived for the Historic Site committee to put its shoulder to the wheel for the final push to achievement.
2005 -‐ 2006 Rotary International President: Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar (Göteborg, Sweden) RI President’s Theme: “Service Above Self” Governor District 9680: Greg Muldoon (Roseville Chase) Changeover celebrated on 29th June 2005
Board of Directors President: Mike Blair Immediate Past-President: Peter Ford Jeff Whyte
President-Elect: Terry O’Mara Director Club: Mike Hallen
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Secretary: Geoff Duffy Treasurer: John Cooper Sergeant-at-Arms: John Stuart
Director Community: Jeff Whyte Director Vocational: Phil Davis Director International: John Barker Director Youth: Gordon Nugent
President’s report They say that time goes quickly if you are busy and enjoying what you do. Or is it that we are getting older? I choose the former as, to me, the past twelve months as your President have been the most rewarding and enjoyable experience and one that I consider to be a privilege. Each of your Directors has provided an overview of their avenue of service and suffice it to say, I will not reiterate what has already been said. You will recall that last July I presented to you all our Club Plan for the year 2005-2006. Contained in that document were the aspirations and objectives of myself and your Directors to ensure that the ideals of Rotary and those of the RI President, Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar, were maintained and upheld. Whilst there have been some shortcomings in the achievements of our vision, namely membership and attendance, by and large we have succeeded beyond my expectations. Much of this, if not all, can be attributed to my Directors who have dedicated themselves in the last twelve months to make it happen and in the true spirit of Rotary placed “Service Above Self”. In July 2005, we welcomed to our shores Carl Bjornholt our exchange student from Sweden. Undoubtedly we can say that Carl has fitted into Australian society as if he were born here. I know he is well regarded by his fellow exchange students and ha has endeared himself to all of us with his wonderful “dry” Aussie sense of humour. We will miss him when it comes time for Carl to return home but I have no doubt that Carl will return, even if it only to ride the wild surf again. Thank you Carl for being such a great ambassador for your country. We are all very proud of you. In August 2005, I had the honour of inducting Margaret Tait as an Honorary member of our Club, in recognition of the many years of service she has given to the community through Inner Wheel and also for her support of Rotary, particularly our Club. In January this year we farewelled Jacquie Dahl-Speck, our exchange student to Norway, who for the next twelve months will experience life as a Norwegian. Indications already from Jacquie are such that she is enjoying her exchange and has made some life-long friends through this Rotary experience. On a sad note, we lost one of our own who was called to higher service. Kevin Rochford passed away on 17th January after a long illness. Kevin was a wonderful family man and husband to Judy and a great Rotarian. Kevin was Community Service Director of our Club during PP Jeff Whyte’s year, 2003-2004. Throughout the year I attended the District Presidents’ Meetings chaired by DG Greg Muldoon. Whilst many meetings were principally occasions of friendship and fellowship, Clubs were kept up to date with important Rotary issues at national and international level. It also allowed us to promote and share with one another some of the great projects being carried out in the various avenues of service in D9680. To this end, our Club was acknowledged in two areas of service to the community and Rotary. I accepted on your behalf the Norm Roach Memorial Shield for the best Club website, and a Certificate of Excellence for our “Excellence in Teaching” award project. Throughout the year I have tried to impart to you all as much information as possible about what our Club is doing and what is happening in the family of Rotary. To this end, our weekly bulletin is the vehicle for this to occur. From my perspective, this has been an overwhelming and outstanding success. I am greatly indebted to our Bulletin Editor, Bruce Allen, publisher Val Ludgate and PP Mike Hallen for their tireless efforts in making this happen. In conclusion, I want to thank each and every one of you for your friendship and support in the past year; to my Directors who provided me with the encouragement and advice to make my year most enjoyable; and to my wife Sue, and all the wives and partners of our Club members who have supported us in the spirit of Rotary and allowed us to put “Service Above Self”.
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Finally I want to wish Terry O’Mara and his team a most successful and rewarding year for 20062007. I am confident that you will give him the ongoing support that you gave to me.
Secretary’s report Membership Our present membership is only 40 active members with 3 additional honorary members. The resignations of George McDonald, David Smith, Ted Sykes, Mark Greaves, Greg Bonner, Russel Kelly and the untimely death of Kevin Rochford resulted in this number. We welcomed the return of PP Judy Ford in May 2006.
Board Meetings The Board of Directors held meetings on 12 occasions this Rotary year, including a combined meeting with the 2006-2007 Board of Terry O’Mara.
Club Administration All Statutory, constitutional, District and Rotary International requirements have been carried out. Membership records have been updated on our database. Minutes of Board Meetings and correspondence have been recorded and preserved in the Secretary’s file.
General The Club’s website is continuously updated by web master Judy Ford as needed. Most members now receive our weekly bulletin by email. Thanks to all concerned for your assistance in updating the records of our Club, and best wishes to President Terry and his 2006-2007 board.
Club Service report Club Communication We have achieved our intention to produce a bulletin that facilitates communication within the Club. The contribution by PDG Bruce Allen in making sure that the content of the bulletin is both relevant and informative has been superb and the publishing talents of Val Ludgate have ensured that the “look” of the bulletin remained its high quality. In my humble opinion, they deserved the District Award for the best large Club bulletin. The reports that appear after each Board Meeting have kept the members informed of matters considered and decided by the Board, with any matters requiring the member’s approval being highlighted and dealt with accordingly.
Guest Speakers Mike Hyland and Ross Hood have ensured that our guest speakers have continued to be of high quality. The availability of the District Guest Speaker Bank has assisted greatly and I commend this facility to the incoming Board. We also had a very successful meeting with the West Pennant Hills and Cherrybrook Club.
Fellowship Under the leadership of Peter Marcer the Fellowship Committee of Dieter Regel and Ross Hood have given us some great fellowship nights. Who could forget the “Aussie Bush Christmas”?
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The home visits were their usual high points of the festive season and our night at the Pavilion Theatre was a blast. We were unfortunately rained-off from our night at Heritage Park but I hope that we will be able to put it on the agenda for the not too distant future.
Risk Management Our Risk Management Plan has been completed by David Waterhouse and should be available for the incoming Board to present to the Club. It will continue to be a “work in progress” as we use it to learn from our experiences. In this litigious world, it is in our best interests to ensure that we make good use of this document as we plan our projects.
Club Constitution and Bylaws Thanks to PDG Bruce Allen and PP Peter McBean, the updated Constitution and Bylaws are now in operation. The next changes could result from the adoption of the Club Leadership Plan.
Membership and Retention We have not been successful in maintaining our membership numbers this year. The circumstances that have lead to our diminishing numbers have been mostly unavoidable. Despite the efforts of some, and the attendance at our Club of a number of prospective new members, we have been singularly unsuccessful in increasing our membership. Membership Chairman, PP Bruce Jenkin, was actively planning and pursuing prospective new members when he was overcome by his recent illness. I am sure that he will support the incoming Club Service Director and membership Chairman. We were delighted to welcome PP Judy Ford back into the fold and sincerely hope that our membership efforts will bear fruit next year. All you have to do is ASK! If we each replicated our own classification we would double the size of our Club!
Attendance We have experienced some disappointing attendance figures this year. All looked well at the beginning of the year, but as time rolled on, so the attendance figures deteriorated. If you would like leave of absence, please request it from the Board (via the Secretary). Most of all, please do not forget to apologise if you are unable to attend a regular meeting. Our attendance officers, PDG Bruce Allen, ably assisted by David Waterhouse, have kept us informed of our attendance figures each week – all without the aid of the famous (infamous?) John Stuart calculator.
Meeting Venue The unfortunate circumstances that led to our changing our meeting venue could not be avoided. However, we were made welcome by the Dural Country Club and we thank them for their support. Perhaps our return to Springfield House may give some comfort to those who felt we were moving too far out of our catchment area (and their comfort zone).
Public Relations We have had moderate success with our public relations activities. Some local press coverage was welcome and we were out and about with our signs at various public events throughout the year. Our “Excellence in Teaching” coverage was a highlight. One of our greatest PR assets is our Club website www.rotarnet.com.au/castle hill. Why not recommend it to friends and acquaintances to introduce them to who we are and what we do. They can even read the latest copy of the Hills Views.
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Sergeants-‐at-‐Arms We were ably regulated by our trio of Sergeants this year, Bruce Jenkin, John Stuart and Ed Heyman. Their contribution to the Club coffers through the severe penalties placed upon innocent members was most welcome. By 17 May they had extracted over $1600.
The Raffle The other reliever of member’s funds, raffle seller David Bowles, continued to extract fee-forchocolate exchanges throughout the year with the promise of a bottle of wine to be won by a deserving Rotarian. His techniques beat the Sergeants’ and raised over $2400 by 17 May.
Thankyou I would like to thank all of the Club Service Committee members for their support this year. I would also like to thank all members who have mucked in and helped to set up and put away the regalia when rostered members were not available. It has been a pleasure to be the Club Service Director this year and I wish the incoming Board every success.
Community Service report We started the year with a busy program, including our first hands-on project for a while, the BBQ at St Michael’s Family Centre, which was completed over two weekends with the help of many members and the support of some local businesses. This was a “green-field” project that started with a survey of the area and the marking out and excavation of the foundation. President Mike and PP John Barker applied the professional skills to this important aspect of the project. Then followed the donkeywork of lifting and carrying to place the retaining wall blocks and backfill to level the area to be paved. There were many aches and pains after this exercise. The paving bricks were laid on a level bed prepared by president Mike and the end result was a professional paving job. The BBQ facility will provide a venue for the resident families to spend time together in pleasant surroundings. It is also planned to install a shade sail over the BBQ area so as to make it an “all weather” facility.
Other Fund Raisers SMC Pneumatics BBQ continues to help with fundraising. SMC contributed towards the club purchasing a BBQ & trailer which has been used for other functions. The Scottish Highland Games, a new fundraising event, suffered from wet weather this Rotary year and did not raise the budgeted amount. Australia Day Parking was another new fundraiser thanks to Mike Blair & Baulkham Hills Shire Council. The members did such a great job and impressed council so much that we had another chance to prove how good we were at parking cars at Balcombe Heights Open Day. We also had another chance to use our BBQ at a horse club event at the showgrounds. The Mother Earth BBQ, although held on the same day as the Tour de Hills, still had great support of the members. Hills Centre Parking for Western Sydney University Graduates was another new project. Parking cars for over five days went very well. Thanks again for all those who helped. Phil Dunn, Ed Heyman & Barry Alsop assisted with Seniors’ Week parking at the Castle Grande Community Centre for the Senior Citizen’s Luncheon.
Showgate This year because of our ageing membership we needed to call on Rotaract, Hills Rotary and Kenthurst Rotary to fill the roster, thanks to all for a successful event.
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Tour de Hills Another successful year thanks to Gerry Larkin and his team, all Rotary Club members, Rotaract and the Bush Fire Brigade members.
Orange Blossom Festival We participated in entering a float in the Orange Blossom Festival Parade. This was an opportunity to advertise Rotary to the public and work with other Clubs in our district. We also applied our BBQ skills to provide sustenance to visitors to the Telecom facility in Castle Hill.
Bowel Scan The Club's ongoing commitment to Bowel Scan was once again carried out by Neil Todd & Ed Heyman. Thank you, fellows.
Helen Rollan Appeal After a request for assistance was received from the Rotary Club of Dural, members once again volunteered help. Thank you.
Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal Once again our Club members assisted providing a number of drivers to transport collectors on May 28th. All participating Club members are to be thanked for this worthwhile cause and a big “thank you” to David Bull.
In Conclusion I feel that this has been a very busy and full fundraising year and would like to thank all Club members for their invaluable assistance.
Vocational Service report We have had an active year in Vocational Service with Visits, Awards Nights and Job Classification talks.
Vocational Visits The year started with a factory visit to Nathan’s Prestige Smash repairs at Rouse Hill. Forty members and partners were treated to an inspection of their hi-tech repair plant with company GM Richard Nathan guiding us through his immaculate repair plant. We dined on finger food and our own drinks and were well pleased we all made the effort to go down to Annangrove Road that night. In February our vocational visit found us at Victoria Barracks in Paddington where 40 Rotarians and partners enjoyed an afternoon guided tour of this historic site, followed by drinks in a pleasant courtyard. We were then treated to a fine buffet dinner in the Officer’s Mess followed by a most graphic talk and PowerPoint presentation by an Army Surgeon of the Australian Services Medical Team effort in Aceh following the Tsunami devastation. Major Mike Yeo made this outing possible and Certificate of Appreciation were sent to the 6 guides.
Pride in Workmanship Awards Our first night was Pride in Workmanship held at the Burning Log on October 19, when four awardees were presented with their plaques and we heard the citations read for Nathan Kiddle from
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Lindbergs Jewellery, Eddie Zanotto from Baulkham Hills Shire, Carole Biegal from Build-a-Bear, Sue Trees from Portmans and Dom Alesci from Go Fresh.
Excellence in Teaching Awards The Excellence in Teaching Awards night held at Baulkham Hills TAFE College on March 29 was again well attended. The students in Hospitality as usual did a fine three-course meal with plenty of choices and in serving the drinks. We had 82 people attend, 40 from the schools represented, 40 Club members with their partners and two visiting Rotarians. Judy Dutton from Crestwood High, Tracee Doyle from Annangrove Public, Terry Gainey from Castle Hill High and Helen Games from St Bernadette’s Primary were very worthy awardees and their citations showed us what dedicated teachers we have in our district schools. Guest Speaker, Professor Timothy O’Hearn from ANU National spoke of the role of the teaching profession and we obtained good coverage in the local press on this event.
Vocational Talks During the year Vocational talks were given by Russell Kelly. Philip Dunn, David Bull, Geoff Duffy, Neil Todd, Gordon Nugent, Peter McBean and Dieter Regel and as usual these short talks were most interesting and gave members a good insight to their job classifications.
Apprentice of the Year Apprentice of the Year Awards night is planned for early-July and work is progressing well on this final project in Vocational Service for 2005/6. Finally, I would like to thank my committee Rod Williamson, David Sommerlad, Philip Dunn, Peter McBean, Val Ludgate, Vik Murgesan for their help and Judy Ford for her assistance on many occasions.
International Service report Rotary Foundation A donation of an amount equivalent to US$2,000 (A$2,700) to the Foundation, as proposed in the original Plan, has been approved and payment will be forwarded before the end of the financial year to the Rotary Foundation.
Group Study Exchange Nominations were invited for Team Leader and Team Members for the Group Study Exchange in 2006 to District 2350, Sweden, and Western Russia. A candidate for the position of Team member was referred to District however our nominee was not selected. A total of 13 members and partners from the Club attended the Dinner held at the Hills Lodge on 20th March 2006 to farewell the GSE Team from District 2350 and to meet the outgoing team from District 9680 who will be visiting District 2350.
RAWCS A donation of $3,000 was provided to FAIM to assist in the forwarding of a shipping container containing a Catheter Laboratory to Nepal. This container eventually arrived in Nepal and was installed in January of this year by a group of volunteers led by PP Ron Marcus. A working bee at the Prospect depot of Donations in Kind is still to be arranged with the coordinator. A number of members have agreed to participate in FAIM projects.
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International Dinners It was proposed to arrange an International Dinner with an appropriate guest speaker during the year. This did not occur due to a number of factors, one of which was the desirability of finding a venue which would agree to exclusive use by our Club for such a function.
Rotarians Against Malaria Advice was received that the village of Paina in the Kerema District in PNG was the recipient of mosquito nets purchased from this Club. The Board agreed to contribute a further A$1,000 for this program and the cheque has been forwarded to “Rotarians Against Malaria” with a request that it be used to support the ongoing program in PNG.
Water Wells in India The donation of US$1,000 (A$1.320) approved by the Board towards this project, which is to provide hand-dug wells in small villages in Andrha Pradesh in District 1320 in India has grown into a US$19,800 project, principally due to the enthusiasm of PDG Bruce Allen in seeking donations from other Clubs in District 9680 and from private individuals. An application for a Matching Grant coordinated by PP Mike Hallen resulted in a Grant of US$7,600 by The Rotary Foundation and the project now provides for the digging of 36 hand wells. The Rotary Club of Castle Hill is now the sponsor of this project, however our financial contribution will be less than originally approved (the actual amount will depend on the rate of exchange).
Tsunami Relief In late December 2004 and in January 2005, this Club, together with The Hills Rotary Club and Rotaract, collected $86,268 for the victims of the Boxing Day Tsunami. The District Committee, which is overseeing the expenditure of the funds collected by this and other Clubs, finalised its recommendations prior to our Club Assembly in December 2005. The funds collected were distributed as follows: Village orphanage in Banda Aceh, Sumatra
$40,000
Land reclamation in D3150, India
$15,000
Replacement of water supply wells in D3150, India
$10,000
Rebuilding a fish market in District 3230, India
$15,000
Rebuilding a school in Galle, Sri Lanka
$6,268
Youth Service report Well what a year. With big ambitions and many projects at hand, we set out to have a busy, yet constant year for the Youth portfolio. With an exchange student on our doorstep imminent and only a few host families, the year was off to an interesting start. I was even contemplating the purchase of a tent and a sleeping bag if things had not improved. But, alas, Carl arrived and with his good looks and Swedish accent, very soon the host families for the year were fulfilled. Carl certainly entertained us throughout the year as we heard of his exploits of good old Sydney town. I am not sure if Carl learnt anything at school besides surfing (that was never on my curriculum. How times have changed!) but I am sure he will have many fond memories of the Club as we have many of him.
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RYLA One of the other projects for the year was Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) and after much searching and nearly giving up, we finally had confirmation to send Krissie to this year’s camp. And what fun they had for a week up in Vision Valley. After dropping Krissie off at camp and somehow feeling empathy for other parents dropping their kids off at camp, I carried her bags and let her go into the camp only to return five days later and pick up a different person. She had gained so much from the experience. Bruce, Dita, Natasha and I were invited to camp one night for a RYLA dinner and had the pleasure of hearing of some of the great achievements and excitement RYLA had given these students. After a few days I then returned to RYLA anxious to pick up Krissie and return her to life again. As I waited with another 100 Rotarians for the group to finish many great stories were told. After an hour and being one of only 20 or so Rotarians left I decided to try and locate my missing camper. I finally found her and the other 20 campers in a large circle saying their goodbyes. At that moment I wished I had shares in a tissue manufacturer, as all I saw were both male and female campers hugging each other and through the sobs, a common theme echoed of “I will never forget you. …..this has changed my life. Thank you, see you again…..” etc. etc. I would like to thank Krissie for taking the time to come to our Club and sharing her experience with us. After returning from RYLA, Krissie has joined Crosslands Rotaract Club and I have seen her at many of their functions.
Rotaract Speaking of Rotaract; the Rotaract Club of Castle Hill celebrated their 35th birthday in July and still managed to achieve some great things within the year. Here are some of the great events conducted during the year: • • • • • • •
BBQs at the local Bunnings stores Orange Blossom Festival Parade Annual Rockhum event Trivia Night Donations in Kind (DIK) Showgate Tour de Hills
Science Summer School In December 2005 we sent a Year 11 student to the Honeywell Engineering Summer School. Mark Shirbin enjoyed a one-week residential at Sydney University and was able to experience first hand knowledge of engineering.
In Summmary for the Year 2005/2006 • • • • • • •
Youth Exchange RYLA Honeywell Engineering Summer School RYDA Rotaract RYPEN Operation Hope
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Thankyou Thankyou for everyone who supported the Youth portfolio and I look forward to watching Hannibal expand the portfolio even further.
Treasurer’s report Rotary Club of Castle Hill Inc. 2005-‐2006 The following un-audited report was prepared on 24th May 2006. A further report will be prepared after 30th June on hand over to the incoming Treasurer. An audited report will be available prior to the Club AGM in December. Account
Bank Balance
Un-presented Cheques
Available funds
Administration
$11,141.99
$142.78
$10,999.21
Projects
$14,776.31
$3,203.90
$11,572.41
Tour de Hills
$12,985.10
$1,727.80
$11,257.30
2,163.23
-
$2,163.23
$15,400.65
-
$15,400.65
$1,457.00
$1,457.00
-
$57,924.28
$6,531.48
$51,392.80
HF&WF Heritage Park Foundation TOTAL
Commonwealth Bank Fixed Deposit at 24May2006 Heritage Park
$14,226.19
Income – Projects SMC BBQ
$4837
Tour de Hills – riders, sponsorship, photo sales
$49,912
Showgate – Castle Hill Show
$14,010
Telstra BBQ - net
$86
Scottish Games
$510
Bowel Scan
$1,656
Australia Day Parking
$3,027
Seniors’ Week – parking at Castle Grand
$100
Palomino Horse Show - net
$762
Balcombe Heights - parking
$8,510
Mother Earth BBQ - net
$96
Melbourne Cup Trifecta - net
$1,871 Total
$85,377
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Donations & Expenses – Projects RYDA RAWCS - Nepal Operation Hope Club BBQ - purchase Club trailer - purchase Study Grant – Rebecca Hitchcock HESS student – Mark Shirbin St Michael’s project - materials Roy Martin Educational Grant Travelworld – Tour de Hills prize 2005 RYLA D9650 Innisfail – Cyclone fund St Gabriel’s School – ex Tour de Hills St Michael’s Family Centre – ex Tour de Hills Rural Fire Service – ex Tour de Hills State Emergency Service – ex Tour de Hills Police Legacy – ex Tour de Hills Rotaract Club of Castle Hill – ex Tour de Hills Tour de Hills expenses Rotaract Club of Castle Hill – ex Showgate Rotary Club of The Hills – ex Showgate Rotary Club of Kenthurst – ex Showgate Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM) Bowel Scan project Rotary Foundation Matching Grant – Water Wells Rotary Foundation - donation Youth Exchange
$3,000 $3,240 $440 $1,500 $1,338 $200 $539 $1,671 $250 $1,000 $650 $600 $24,000 $1,500 $2,500 $500 $500 $500 $14,363 $750 $1,050 $3,700 $1,000 $1,656 $655 $1,420 $3,500 Total $72,022 The Castle Hill Foundation has been finalised allowing the issue of tax-deductable receipts for donations received where the funds are to be forwarded to registered deductable gift recipients. (i.e. Tour de Hills rider donations to St Gabriel’s). This Foundation could not have been put in place without the patience and tireless efforts of PP Graeme Brangwin.
Castle Hill Historic Site Community Committee Now in its 17th year, the committee still has a long way to go to complete its primary mission – the establishment of a convict interpretation centre on Heritage Park. Its main activities during the past year have included opposition, advocacy and representation. Strong opposition was expressed to Baulkham Hills Shire Council concerning the proposed unjustified six-councillor delegation to Ireland and the United States on the basis of severe public damage being caused to the fragile Wexford Sister-City link, which is crucial to international involvement in the ultimate promotion of Castle Hill’s National Historic Site. A three-person delegation is now planned in mid-2006. The committee supported Council in opposing aspects of a large building development fronting Old Northern Road opposite Oakhill College and extending down the hill to join the park. Three submissions were made to the Land and Environment Court and the chairman gave sworn evidence concerning the substantial impediment it would cause to the precious vista across the park to the Blue
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Mountains which, for 200 years, has given Castle Hill its treasured identity. The court ruled in favour of the developer. Strong representations, including two submissions and a lengthy appearance by the chairman, were made to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Historic Heritage Funding in an effort to support continuation of National Heritage Listing form Heritage Park and Federal Government financial support for such publicly controlled sites. The Commission’s report is awaited. During the past six months, serious research and investigation has been undertaken into the type and design of the interpretation centre eventually to be built at Heritage Park. Discussions have taken place with various authorities and a clearer vision of the most appropriate design is now appearing. A detailed report will soon be considered by the committee before recommendations are made to the Heritage Park Management Committee. The three Historic Site commit representatives have made a strong contribution within this Council committee, which has been encouraged by the discovery of the convict barracks foundations, projected work on more park facilities and the overdue provision soon of a temporary toilet block. Determined representations have been made to the Mayor and senior Council officers about a commitment to building the convict interpretive centre, as approved in the Master Plan, the design of which is entering the preliminary stage. This building is fundamental to the park as a national heritage site and the commitment of the Historic Site Committee is to lead the community in raising a significant share of the cost, along with substantial contributions from Council and governments. No forward movement is possible until Council initiates the project and reaching this point is the Historic Site Committee’s immediate objective.
2006 -‐ 2007 Rotary International President: William Boyd (Pakuranga, New Zealand) RI President’s Theme: “Lead the Way” Governor District 9680: Pam Pritchard (Turramurra) Changeover celebrated on 17th June 2006
Board of Directors President: Terry O’Mara Immediate Past-President: Mike Blair Secretary: Peter Marcer Treasurer: Phil Driscoll/Angela Jones Sgts-at-Arms: Peter Ford/John Stuart
President-Elect: David Waterhouse Director Club: Judy Ford Director Community: John Barker Director Vocational: Peter McBean/David Bull Director International: Phil Davis Director Youth: Hannibal Shabaz
President’s report The year has gone by so quickly. I have spoken to Past Presidents and all had the same experience of speed. I have learned so much about this Club and its members – and about Rotary as a whole. I have very much enjoyed the experience and I would like to express my appreciation to all the members of our Board for their efforts throughout the year. I believe the presentations made at Club Assembly demonstrate both the strength of our Club’s performance as well as the ways in which we need to change. I see the Club going through one of those periods which affects every large organisation: characterised by the need to revisit our “reason for being” and to refocus our energies on the things that really matter. The pressures on us all have considerable affect upon our ability to be involved in community service: so often, the burden falls on the same old few. We have lost a number of valued members, Neil and Mavis Todd, Peter and Marianne McBean; Jeff and Yvonne Whyte and Graeme and Helen Brangwin. These are long serving and energetic members
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whose service to the Club and to the community has been unstinting. Even so, the issues which led them to take a new path have to do with life choices and new beginnings: not some reason to lament some inherent failing here. Every organisation I know faces the same pressure: people make life choices which produce lives so crammed with business and family commitments that there is little opportunity left for consideration of community service, regardless of how keen they may be to be involved. But, to be complacent is sheer folly: the incoming Board will be actively addressing the pivotal issues facing us – just as the last Board has. We must address the appropriateness of the Club Leadership Plan proposed by RI as part of that process. The emphasis placed by RI President Bill Boyd on achieving continuity in planning for periods longer than the standard Rotary year is something we have taken on very seriously, a fact that will enable the Club to address, in an informed way, the nature and extent of our involvement with Heritage Park. This is a very important project with which we have been associated for many years – thanks to the generosity and the unfailing commitment of a few of our members, particularly David Sommerlad, Warren Bowden and Phil Driscoll. I have great expectations for a constructive and timely completion of the task: so too does the incoming Board on your behalf. We have welcomed new members in Angela and Mark Jones; Phyl Hodgkinson and Damien Steenson; excellent people full of potential and commitment – with so much to offer. Welcome! We have had many successful occasions of service: too many to recount all of them here. Even so, our program of community service commitments is a credit to John Barker and to you all. It has been a busy program – including as it does the Tour de Hills, Showgate, The Hills Gourmet Food and Wine Festival and the amazing results in the Shelterbox effort following the Tsunami: $600 is no small result in a weekend. We met our obligation to The Rotary Foundation and members have had the opportunity to consider the Centurion Program. We have built a better financial management system and we will replace our obsolete IT so as to manage our affairs better. Our members, Ron and Judy Marcus and David and Diane Waterhouse, continue to be directly involved in overseas aid programs in Nepal and Mongolia. Our fellowship committee organised a great Christmas party, an excellent Hunter Valley excursion and the home meeting program: we tried a few new things too – like the surprise dinners. We need to keep on trying to keep our fellowship fresh. We have continued our encouragement of excellence in Teaching and in Apprenticeships. We took part in a great conference: one to remember. Our reality is that we have to manage the challenges which face us in ways which will ensure that our Rotary remains capable of providing services to the community which it desperately needs and that we do so in ways which strengthen our fraternity. The truth is that we get out of our Community – and our Rotary Community – in direct proportion to what we contribute to them! I am encouraged by what I have learned about all over the past year or so: I appreciate your patience and your support throughout the year. I wish David and the incoming Board every success: they will need your support every step of the way.
Secretary’s report Membership The year commenced on July 1, 2006 with and active membership of 38, including 4 honorary members. The following members inducted during the year were: • • • • •
Ed Heyman George McDonald Angela Jones Phyl Hodgkinson Damian Steenson
(Honorary) (Honorary) (Banking Services) (Public Relations) (Funeral Directing)
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Resignations received and accepted with regret from: • • •
Neil Todd Jeff Whyte Graeme Brangwin
The year concludes on June with a membership of 39 active members and 6 honorary members. The Board thanks Membership Chairman, PP Bruce Jenkin for his efforts during the year.
Board Meetings The Board of Directors met on 11 occasions during the year with an attendance of over 80% and I thank all Directors for their reports and attendance each month. Special thanks to Phil Driscoll and Angela Jones who generously provided meeting venues and refreshments for these meetings.
District Conference The Club was well represented at the District Conference in Mudgee in March and a good time was had by all those attending.
Club Administration All statutory, constitutional and Rotary International requirements have been met. Membership records have been maintained and updated. Minutes of Board, General and Annual General Meetings have been recorded and are held in the minutes book. In closing I wish to thank President Terry for his assistance and understanding and congratulate him on his year as President. I wish President-Elect David and his Board every success for the coming year.
Club Service report Once again our Rotary year, 2006-2007 has been full and rewarding and I have enjoyed working with President Terry and his Board. Our return to Springfield as our venue for meetings has been very well received and proprietor Frank has done his best to keep us all happy.
Membership Membership has been a problem for Rotary in many countries and Australia is no different. Unfortunately we have lost a few members this year for a variety of reasons but some transferred to other Clubs and will not be lost to Rotary. We started the year with 38 members and we have inducted three new members and lost three. Membership Chairman, PP Bruce Jenkin, has worked hard at maintaining a healthy number.
Program Our Program Chairman, PP Peter Ford, has done an excellent job in providing us with interesting speakers all year, on a variety of subjects. Thank you, Peter.
Fellowship Val Ludgate has done a first-rate job of making the year full of Fellowship. Some of her activities have included attending a production by the Castle Hill Players, Sculptures in the Sand, a fantastic
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Christmas Party, home visits and a weekend away in the Hunter Valley. Thank you to her and her committee.
Club Communication It was a wonderful conclusion to the year when President Terry announced that we had been awarded the District Bulletin Award. Congratulations to PDG Bruce Allen for continually presenting us with an informative publication, keeping us up to date with Club, District and International news, events and the comings and goings of our members. This is an enormous amount of work and Bruce has been doing it now form two years and full deserved the recognition. My contribution in setting it out was minimal.
Thankyou Thank you to all other Club Service Committee members for their support. Our Sergeant-at-Arms, Peter Ford, has managed to extract plenty from those who have fallen short of perfect behaviour and has been ably assisted by commuter John Stuart and PP Bruce Jenkin. PP Geoff Duffy and Marie Ford have kept attendance figures looking rosy. Val Ludgate has been most helpful in collecting apologies and David Bowles once again kept up the weekly raffle in a fine way. Good luck to incoming President David and his team.
Community Service report Castle Hill Show: 16-‐18 March 2007 A total income of $12,346 was received of which $6,520 is available for Club projects, with the remainder being distributed to the Rotary Clubs of North Rocks, Beecroft, The Hills, Kenthurst and Rotaract in recognition of their support and attendance.
Tour de Hills – Sunday March 4th 2007 Chairman of this year’s Tour Committee was PP Mike Blair. Funds of approximately $35,000 were raised from this event, of which approximately $9,000 will be available for Club projects.
SMC Pneumatics and other BBQs The operation of the BBQ at the Cumberland State Forest Open Day resulted in net income of $1,530. Up to this time there have not been any requests from SMC as their teams have not been able to exceed expectations.
Castle Hill Food and Wine Festival This event was coordinated by Dieter Regel and was held on Sunday 22nd October and was successful in raising over $5,200 (of which $4,000 was donated to HADPAC), despite the inclement weather on the day.
Collection of Entrance Fees, Donations and Parking Funds of $1,700 were generated from the Highland Games and $2,700 was received from the Australia Day event, which was shared equally with the Rotary Club of North Rocks. A total result for our Club of income of $3,050.
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Heritage Park Plans for improvements in this area are still being finalised and it appears that there will not be any “hands on” work this year.
Bowel Scan /Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal Following the resignation of Neil Todd, I coordinated the Bowelscan Program. 589 kits were sold through the 5 pharmacies serviced, resulting in a contribution to Rotary Bowelscan of $4,712 from this Club. The Red Shield Appeal on Sunday 20th May was coordinated by Bruce Jenkin and was well attended by 12 of our members and partners.
St Michael’s Family Day Care Centre This project has now been completed at a total cost of $1,120 (+ $110 GST) due to the generous donations of three sponsors and the assistance of Club members.
Roy Martin Educational Grant This grant, which provides a donation of $250 to a student attending Castle Hill High and remembers a well-respected fellow Rotarian from our Club was continued at the Presentation Day on 11th December, 2006.
Community Donations A donation of $1,000 has been made to the Adventist Rehabilitation Clinic for the purchase of audiovisual equipment. A donation of $200 was made to the parents of a local child with terminal cancer to assist in meeting the costs of a trip to Seaworld.
Xmas Cakes and Puddings A total of 32 cases of puddings and cakes were sold and distributed with a profit to the Club of $507.60.
New Proposals Two members volunteered for Royal North Shore Hospital’s Sunlight Exposure Study at Mowll Village. The Board agreed in principle, to a proposal submitted by Phil Dunn for the supply of wool and transport to Alice Springs for use by aboriginal women for the manufacture of craft items and beanies. The cost to the Club was $1,471 with wool being sourced locally (at a cost of $900). The Board agreed to the hiring of a bus to transport children from Burnside Homes from Ermington to Homebush Aquatic Centre and return on Wednesday 6th December, 2006 at a cost of $248 including GST. A local firm, Roejen Services, of Castle Hill organised the outing and requested our assistance with the bus hire. Both Burnside Homes and Roejen Services expressed their appreciation to me for the Club’s assistance.
Solomon Islands Tsunami Collections from the public at Castle Towers over the Easter Weekend totalled $6,222,10. This will enable the Club to purchase 5 Shelterboxes for use in future disasters in our region and assist in the replacement of those sent to the Solomons.
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Vocational Service report Pride in Workmanship Awards Again the awardees were outstanding and come from the local area. The evening again was well attended.
Excellence in Teaching Awards An excellent evening under the leadership of our Rod Williamson who was also the chairman, whose effort shone out on the evening. Awardees were: • • • • •
Kristy Frame – Parklea Public School Chris Hammond – North Rocks Public School Helen Gilmour & Carmen Hartz – Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School, Kellyville Narelle Welch – Merrylands High School Marilyn Yeates – Rouse Hill, Anglican College
Guest speaker Mr Gregory B. Whitby – Executive Director Schools – Catholic Education, Diocese of delivered an excellent talk about school teaching, now and in the future. The evening was well attended by fellow teachers, friends & parents of children
Vocational Visits No vocational visits came to fruition during the year. In February 2007, David Bull took over from Peter McBean who resigned due to home relocation.
Apprentice of the Year and Walter Stone Memorial Perpetual Trophy There were two award evenings, one carried over from the previous year and held in August 2006, the other held in June 2007. The evenings were again under the capable leadership of David Sommerlad. In June 2007 for the first time, the Walter Stone was jointly awarded to Claire Bateman and Andrew Quadrio. Certificates of High Commendation were awarded to Geoffrey Hall and Justin Tan. The awards were presented by Mrs Megan Jones (daughter of the late Walter Stone) and President Terry O’Mara. Also in attendance was Mr Bradley Stone, son of Walter Stone. A real highlight was the keynote address by Chief Petty Officer Paul Corcoran OAM, himself a recipient of this award in 1990. His address was professional, inspiring and challenging for all present. The evening was well attended by awardees, employer, TAFE teachers, fellow workers, parents and friends.
International Service report International Service programs have been conducted so far this Rotary year 2006/7 as per the Club plan laid out at the start of the year and in line with budget estimates.
Rotary Foundation The Rotary Foundation was paid US$3,000 (A$3,500).
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Rotohomes The Rotohomes project in Fiji received A$3,500.
Asian Tsunami Relief The ongoing Asian Tsunami relief program benefited from the allocation of District monies that were boosted by our Club raising $84,000.
International Dinners We conducted one international night at Mother India restaurant where 6 other Clubs joined us and $600 in raffle money was sent to the Indian Water Wells project. We joined with West Pennant Hills & Cherrybrook for the 2nd international night planned and this coincided with the welcome Clubs gave to the inbound GSE Team.
RAWCS RAWCS benefited to the tune of $3,000 for medical equipment from Donations in Kind (DIK) & FAIM project.
Solomon Islands Tsunami Relief In conjunction with the Community Service Committee, collection days were conducted at Castle Towers for the Solomon Island Tsunami relief with particular emphasis on the supply of the Shelterboxes for the region.
Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM) Our final outgoing money for the year will be A$1,000 for impregnated mosquito nets for the Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM) project.
Donations in Kind (DIK) We have assisted with small numbers of our Club members in the relocation of the DIK storage facility in Prospect to its new warehouse at Minchinbury and we have also loaded containers from both these sites to overseas locations.
Thanks I would like to thank all Club members for their help and in particular my committee of Ron Marcus, Sriwong Prasertthavorn and Barry Alsop.
Youth Service report Due to many reasons I have been unable to put together a meeting with my Committee. Number one reason is that they are away all the time.
Rotaract Club members are actively supporting Castle Hill Rotaractors by visiting them at every meeting. Our wish is to continue these visits and to thank everyone who has been involved with Rotaract during the past Rotary year. Rotaract members have been asked by our President and the Board to attend our Changeover Meeting on 27th June at a cost of $22 per head.
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Interact I have had many meetings with William Clarke College in an attempt to start an Interact Club. Unfortunately this has not yet materialised, but does look hopeful in the near future. The last meeting was between me, PP Judy Ford, Wendy O’Hanlon from D9680 and College Headmaster David Raphael, who advised he would do everything possible to initiate the formation of a Club this year.
RYDA On Wednesday night the 18th October we had Lieutenant General (Retired) Warren Glennie (President Castle Hill RSL) pass on a cheque for $5,000 to the representative of RYDA (Rotarian Doug Rose) at the meeting. On two occasions our Club members were involved with RYDA sessions, hosting Gilroy College and Castle Hill High School students. Club members in attendance (including Judy Rochford) were appreciative of the Program and the benefits for the students.
Siemens Science Experience We submitted two names to the District for the Siemens Science Experience but unfortunately neither was successful.
RYLA The Club organised to bring Nelson from East Timor and the Club’s (granddaughter) Morwenna Pearce to attend RYLA. The cost to the Club in bringing Nelson to Australia was $1,500 and the cost for both in attendance at RTLA was $1,300.
MUNA For the past two months I have spoken many times with Castle Hill High School and requested names of two students to attend MUNA. To date I have had no response and I believe MUNA will probably not happen for us this year.
RYPEN Two Castle Hill High School Year 9 students, Suzanna Penafor and Michael Zaharia, attended 2007 RYPEN on February 2-4. The cost to the Club for sending them was $480. They both reported that they enjoyed and appreciated the experience.
Rotary Youth Exchange On numerous occasions I have asked Club members to commit themselves to hosting an exchange student and to date no one has volunteered. For the time being this project is on the back burner.
Treasurer’s report 22/5/07 Reconciliation of St George Bank balances as at 22/5/07. Prepared by Angela Jones. Account
Bank Balances
MYOB Balance Money available
Notes
ADMIN.
$12,590.54
$12,590.54
Includes $1100 from Judy Rochford earmarked for TRF
PROJECTS
$20,020.62
$20,020.62
Includes Club insurance excess $2,500
TOUR DE
$10,213.89
$7,713.89
Includes c/fwd float
Less unpresented cheques $6,223
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HILLS
Shelterbox chq. $6,223
$2,500 for 2008
HF&WF
$3,055.09
$3,055.09
HERITAGE PARK
$12,599
CBA Term Dep.
$12,599
RC of CASTLE HILL FOUNDATION
$120.09
$120 donation from Gordon Nugent
$120.09
TOTAL
$58,599.22
Float for 2007 HF&WF
By law this account must be maintained at nil balance. Funds to be Trfd – TBA
$56,099.22
Refer to notes above: Administration - $1,100 total donation from Judy Rochford to be paid to Rotary Foundation – PHF payment not made before 30 June. Projects - $2,500 to be kept in this account or transferred to term deposit to cover excess if insurance claim is made. Tour de Hills - $2,500 carry forward as float for Tour de Hills. HF&WF - $2,609.80 carry forward for 2007 HF&W Merchant fee - Ceased
2007 -‐ 2008 Rotary International President: Wilfred J Wilkinson (Trenton, Ontario, Canada) RI President’s Theme: “Rotary Shares” Governor District 9680: Monica Saville (Epping) Changeover celebrated on 27th June 2007
Board of Directors President: David Waterhouse Immediate Past-President: Terry O’Mara Secretary: Geoff Duffy Treasurer: Angela Jones Sgts-at-Arms: Hannibal Shabaz
President-Elect: Peter Marcer Director Club: Peter Marcer Director Community: John Barker Director Vocational: David Bull Director International: Ross Hood Director Youth: Rod Williamson
President’s report It is now 12 months since I was inducted as the 43rd President of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill and it has been an interesting and busy year. Prior to being inducted as President, I had not fully appreciated the complexity of how our Club, our District and Rotary International as a whole operated and would recommend that anyone who has not held the role of President should consider nominating in the future as it gives you an insight into Rotary that you don’t get as an ordinary Rotarian. The aspirations That I had on taking office I was not able to totally fulfil during the past 12 months, however I believe that we had a reasonably good year overall. My Board and I were able to continue with the normal yearly fund raising activities that the Club traditionally runs. Tour de Hills was on a par with previous years, thanks to PP Mike Blair and your committee. This again gave us the opportunity to support financially St Gabriel’s School and other service organisations in the District. The Hills Food and Wine Fair was down from previous years, but was still a success, thanks to Dieter Regel and your committee, however decisions will have to be made whether we continue with this event.
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Showgate was a success although due to our decreasing and aging numbers within our Club and it clashing once again with the TdeH we had to call on the support of other Clubs to man the gates. Special thanks here must go to PP John Barker who carried this function almost single-handed. With the disasters in Burma and China in the last few months, once again members of the Club gave their time to collect at Rouse Hill and Castle Hill. Because of these disasters the Board decided that most of our excess project funds should go to the Shelterbox program to replace the boxes that were dispatched to these disaster areas. Our Club was able to write a cheque for the sum of $10.800, which will purchase 9 new boxes. One of these boxes will be in the name of the RC of Kellyville, RC of Baulkham Hills and the Castle Hill Rotaract Club who provided some of their members to help man the Rouse Hill and Castle Hill sites. In regard to our finances, due to personal reasons, Angela was not able to complete her duties as Treasurer, but who from out of the mist should come to the rescue, non other than PP John Cooper. I would like to give a special thanks to him for all the hours spent sorting our the accounts and getting them in order so the incoming Treasurer PP John Barker could start the new Rotary Year with all the books in order. Membership is still a problem in our Club and indeed in lots of Clubs in the District. With the aging of our membership and members doing the sea change or country-change (the Fords) as has happened in the last 12 months we were only able to attract one new member during the year. This was not from lack of trying on the part of PP Terry who had some hot candidates for membership however these did not come to fruition. This will be my prime target as I take over the Membership Directorship because if we don’t grow and replace our membership we will wither and die. During the year we had to draft the new By-laws and Constitution for the Club and after a couple of false starts, we voted last week and passed them. This exercise was where I was able to really come to grips with how the Club is set up and how it is run. I would commend that all members read the By-laws in detail to fully appreciate them. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my Board for the backup they gave me during the past year to make the year successful. Special thanks must go to Immediate Past President, Terry O’Mara, and President-Elect. Peter Marcer, who filled in for me while I was in Nepal with PP Ron Marcus and when I was not well in the weeks after I came back. I would like to thank all the members of the Club for your support throughout the year as my Board and I could not have done it without you all. Our Club has not got the problems some Clubs have where frictions within Clubs cause friction and this is not conducive to running a successful Club. I would also like to thank my wife, Dianne, for her support during the year. I could not have done it without her. From listening to my problems and offering her advice to getting the house ready with the cheese and biscuits for a Board meeting I again thank her. In closing I wish incoming President, Peter Marcer, and his Board all the very best for the coming year and I am sure that they will have and exciting and successful year.
Secretary’s report We started our year with 37 Active members and 5 Honorary Members and inducted one new Active Member and one Honorary Member. We welcome to or membership Rotarian Kayeleigh Green and Honorary Member, Peter Johannsen.
Board Meetings The Board of Directors met on 11 occasions during the year with an attendance of over 80% and I thank all Directors for their reports and attendance at each Board Meeting. Reports from Directors were presented at meetings, thus cutting down valuable time of each Director presenting individual verbal reports. Special thanks to Dianne Waterhouse for the snacks made available at each meeting.
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Annual General Meeting The AGM was held on 3rd December 2008 at which the office-bearers for the year 2008-2009 were elected and the financial reports for the previous year were presented. All statutory forms have been lodged with the various government departments, and no matters are outstanding.
District Conference The Club was well represented at Bathurst’s District Conference and everyone who attended enjoyed themselves.
Club Administration All statutory, constitutional and Rotary International requirements have been met. Membership records have been maintained and updated as needed. Board Minutes, Club Assembly meetings and special meetings have been minuted and held in Club files. Thank you to all Board Members who contributed to this Rotary Year, and I wish President-Elect Peter a successful year as President of our Rotary Club.
Club Service report The past Rotary year has been busy for Club Service, most of our meetings have been held at Springfield House which is an enjoyable venue for our weekly meetings, meal prices increased slightly during the year and the increasing cost to the Club and its members is a concern
Membership The Club started the year with 37 Active members and has gained Kayeleigh Green who was inducted in April; Peter Johannsen was inducted and an Honorary Member in May. Unfortunately the Club and District will lose the services of Judy and Peter Ford at the end of June as they establish a new home in Murrumbateman, we thank them for all their professional input they brought to our Club and we will surely miss their services, hopefully we can catch up with them during the coming year. Terry O’Mara has worked hard at introducing new members to the Club, he has several people interested and hopefully they will join our ranks soon, thanks Terry for all your work with membership.
Program The program through the year has been varied, thanks to Mark Jones and others for arranging interesting speakers
Fellowship Thanks to Phil Davis and his committee including partners for the Fellowship evenings they arranged during the year, some of these included a Crazy Whist Night, the Pavilion Theatre, Jazz in the Pines, a visit to inspect the ocean racing yacht “Wild Oats” and many others. This year’s Christmas Party was held at Blakes Restaurant in Castle Hill, fortunately we were indoors as the weather was very wet but a good night was had by all. Three home visits were held in January and were well attended, firstly a Butt of Beef on the spit at the Dunn’s, an Asian Feast at the Waterhouse’s and finally a Chicken, Champers and Pancakes at the Marcer’s. The final night in January was back to Springfield for a Trivia Night with finger food on the terrace, thanks to Phil and his team for a job well done.
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Bulletin Our Hills Views this year was produced by Phyl Hodgkinson who performed a sterling job in keeping the membership well informed with Club and Rotary news. Phyl had only been in Rotary for 2 months when she took the job on and was unaware of the amount of work it entailed, thank you Phyl for all your hard work under such difficult circumstances. Thanks to Judy Ford for your assistance while Phyl was overseas.
Thankyou My thanks goes to the remainder of the Club Service Team, Geoff for looking after attendance each Wednesday night, Val for her work in distributing electronic information and collecting apologies each week, Sergeant Hannibal for his paid entertainment and keeping meetings under control, David and his helpers for the raffle sales each week and finally, all members who assisted with regalia duty. Congratulations to President David on a successful, year.
Community Service report The primary aim of this avenue of service is to create a program by which the Club is able to provide an appropriate level of support to selected areas of need within our community and also provide the opportunity for fellowship between members. Events that provide opportunities for this Club to be involved in major community functions and also generate funds for Club Projects are as follows.
Castle Hill Show: 28 Feb.-‐2 Mar. 2008 The Rotary Clubs of Beecroft, North Rocks, The Hills and Norwest Sunrise-Bella Vista assisted our Club this year. The total income was $12,697.75 which was distributed as follows: • • • • • •
Castle Hill North Rocks Beecroft The Hills Norwest Sunrise Rotaract
$7,288.65 $2,513.40 $1,785.80 $264.00 $330.70 $264.60
Tour de Hills – Sunday 2 March 2008 Over 560 riders attended this event which raised over $35,000 with over $8,500 being available for Club projects.
BBQs Four functions have been held with a total net income of approximately $5,000.
Castle Hill Food and Wine Festival This function was successful, although the number of people attending was disappointing, and raised $3,500.
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Collection of Entrance Fees, Donations and Parking After a late decision by the Australia Day Committee, the Rotary Clubs of Castle Hill and North Rocks were jointly requested to control parking and access at the Australia Day event at the Council Chambers. Donations of $2,647.65 were received which were split equally between Clubs.
Heritage Park Plans for improvement works were still being finalised and it was hoped there would be an opportunity for some “hands on” work this year. This has not been able to be arranged.
Xmas Cakes and Puddings Following notification of a substantial increase in price to $14.99, it was decided, following advice to the Club, not to participate in this program this year.
Bowel Scan Neil Todd volunteered to act as Chairman for this project. Ed Heyman took over the collections when Neil had a knee replacement operation. Sales totalling $4,744 were made by the participating pharmacies.
Red Shield Appeal Sunday 25th May 2008 Hannibal Shabaz was able to recruit 6 members to assist as drivers and/or collectors, however our collections this year were substantially lower at $2,562.61.
Roy Martin Educational Grant A grant of $250 was made at the Annual Speech Day.
Community Projects A project to replace seating at Annangrove Public School has been approved by the Board at an estimated cost of $1,200. Assistance to St Michael’s Family Centre in levelling an area for a trampoline was also proposed when suitable filling has been sourced.
Vocational Service report Excellence in Teaching Awards – 26 March 2008 This evening was great. You could feel the emotion in the room when the citation of each awardee was read out and award presented to: • • • • •
Jason Carthew – Crestwood High School Fabio Caprarelli – Kellyville High School Merran Arthur – Jasper Road Public School Keely Simpson – Baulkham Hills High School Patricia Mervin – Our Lady of the Rosary Primary - Kellyville
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Apprentice of the Year and Walter Stone Memorial Perpetual Trophy This year (the 21st of the award) was another year of outstanding apprentices. Under the Chairmanship of David Sommerlad, the award was given equally to Paul Fenech of Oakville, Hayden Kerslake of Baulkham Hills and Peter Quinlan of West Pennant Hills. The award was presented by Mrs Megan Jones, daughter of Walter Stone.
Vocational Visits On April 9th, Bronwyn Alcorn, Communications Manager and former guest speaker at the Club, conducted a guided tour of the Tennis Arena complex and Museum at Sydney Olympic Park. We all came away better informed how the Tennis Arena operates and what memorabilia is in the museum.
Pride in Workmanship Awards The Vocational Committee in consultation with the Board, deferred the awards until the second half of the 2008 year. Also to evaluate an alternative way to have the Awards, e.g. to be made by way of Special presentation Meeting Night to any outstanding Awardee nominated.
Thanks Also, I would like to thank my committee and members for their valued support and assistance during the year.
International Service report Wilf Wilkinson, Rotary International President 2007-08, encouraged Rotarians to promote programs in the area of health, hunger and water as well as the Family of Rotary. The following projects were undertaken to support his goals.
Rotary Foundation A donation with a value of A$3,000 as proposed in the original plan has been forwarded to The Rotary Foundation.
Shelterbox This innovative Rotary Box has been deployed in over 70 natural disasters in recent years. As of June 1, 2008, Rotary has responded to disasters in China and Burma with 400 and 1800 Shelterboxes respectively. The Rotary Club of Castle Hill is proud to contribute 9 Shelterboxes with a value of $10,800 to this program.
Teach the Teacher in Timor Leste Rather than Rotary sponsor a student teacher in East Timor, our nearest neighbour with the lowest per capita GDP in the world, considerable effort was made to encourage local private and public schools to adopt and sponsor a student teacher. Our efforts were unsuccessful.
Nepal and Mongolia The Rotary Club of Castle Hill has been a regular supporter for the relocation of Catheter Laboratory Machines (Cath Labs) from Australian Hospitals to countries in need of such machines. A donation of $6,000 was provided to FAIM for the installation of machines in Nepal, Mongolia and Fiji. This year, PP Ron Marcus and President David Waterhouse formed part of a group of volunteers involved in the successful installation of the machines.
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Group Study Exchange A dinner for the GSE Team from North America, hosted by the Rotary Club of Thornleigh, was well attended by Club members and their partners.
International Dinners It was proposed to arrange an International Dinner with an appropriate guest speaker. This event did not occur due to an inability in finding an exclusive venue that was within the Club’s budget.
Youth Service report The Club was involved in the following activities during the Rotary year.
Siemens Science Experience – December 2007 The three students nominated from Castle Hill High, Sabine Bellstedt, Vivian Leung and Melinda Green attended the Siemens Science Experience in December 2007. They subsequently addressed the Club outlining the benefits they obtained from their participation.
National Youth Science Forum – Canberra January 2008 Our two nominations, Madusha Seneviratna and Simren Kaur were successful in being selected to participate in the fourteen-day forum. They attended our Club meeting on 30th April and told of their personal experiences and spoke highly of the program. Four nominations for the 2009 Forum have been submitted to the District selection committee.
RYPEN Two students from Castle Hill High School, Courtney Schacht and Lachlan Armstrong-Sue were sponsored to attend the weekend camp in February 2008.
RYLA Melissa Murphy (Springfield receptions) and Ronald De La Cuadra (Baulkham Hills Youth Council) were sponsored by the Club. Mel and Ron subsequently addressed the Club and shared their experiences and the benefits they received from attending RYLA.
Rotary Youth Exchange 2008 inbound student - Olivia Mirande De Carvalho from Brazil. Due to the foresight/prompt action of Geoff Duffy we were fortunate to secure Olivia with the support of host parents, Peter & Carol Marcer, Geoff & Jan Duffy. Janelle Mantague and Richard & Brigetts Joseph. On the 9th May 2008 a contingent of Club members and partners attended a special evening “Celebrating 50 years of Rotary Youth Exchange in Australia”. Those attending enjoyed the entertainment provided by the exchange students with our talented Olivia starring on the evening. Due to the inability of our initial nominee, James Harris, to participate in this program are currently seeking another suitable student.
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Rotaract Our interaction with the Club mainly centred on members attending Rotaract meetings. A combined bowling night was held on 12th October 2007 and was enjoyed by all. The Club accepted our invitation to participate in the Tour de Hills, Showgate and Shelterbox. Assistance was also provided to the Club on an informal basis by individual Rotary members on administration matters.
Operation Hope -‐ Children’s Camps The Club sponsored 2 children for this program.
MUNA Local High Schools did not accept an invitation to participate in this Rotary project this year.
RYDA Although all local High Schools were sent information, Gilroy College was the only institution to participate. Due to an administration oversight we were not informed in time to have Club members attend on the day.
Thanks In conclusion I would like to thank the Board and the other members who contributed to this fifth avenue of Rotary service. Most importantly I would also like to particularly thank Geoff Duffy for his ongoing support and invaluable assistance throughout the year.
Treasurer’s report 22/6/08 Reconciliation of St George Bank balances as at 22/5/07. Prepared by Angela Jones. Account ADMIN.
Bank Balances
Plus Outstanding deposits
Less un-presented cheques
Available funds
2,975.87
2,031.00
875.00
4,131.87
PROJECTS
16,347.44
13,00.00
13,310.20
16,037.24
TOUR DE HILLS
13,724.80
11,000.00
2,624.80
6,698.37
5,000.00
1,698.37
HF&WF HERITAGE PARK RC of CASTLE HILL FOUNDATION TOTAL
12,662.25
.
500.34
$52,909.07
$15,031.00
12,662.25 500
0.34
$30,785.20
$37,154.87
Bank of Queensland – credit card merchant account Tour de Hills
$749.72
$85.00*
$664.72
* refers reversal credit cards
Commonwealth Bank – Fixed Deposit at 22 June 2008 Heritage Park
$16,240.98
$16,240.98
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Donations – Summary of funds donated towards projects at 22 June 2008. ARHRF
2,000.00
BowelScan
4,744.00
Castle Hill Rotaract - TdeH
200
Christmas Gifts – Baulkham Hills Hospital
113.84
Concert for Bolivian Street Kids - Glenhaven
500.00
Drought Relief Fund – Finley/Glenhaven
2,000.00
National Summer Science School – 2 students
3,550.00
Operation Hope
325.00
Police Legacy - TdeH
500.00
RAWCS – Nepal & Fiji
6,000.00
The Rotary Foundation – carry over 2006/07
3,000.00
The Rotary Foundation – 2007/08
3,000.00
Roy Martin Award – Castle Hill High School
250.00
Rural Fire Service - TdeH
3,000.00
RYLA – 2 students
1,500.00
RYPEN
520.00
Shelterbox – Waitara Club
300.00
Shelterbox Australia – 9 boxes – 8 Castle Hill + 1 in joint names of RC of Baulkham Hills, RC Kellyville and Castle Hill Rotaract
10,800.00
Shelterbox Australia – carry over 2006/07
6223.00
Siemens Science Experience – 3 students
285.00
Special Olympics
250.00
St Gabriel’s Donations – TdeH
21,523.00
St Gabriel’s Rider donations TdeH
2,435.00
The Hills Rotary Club - TdeH
100.00
Youth Forum sponsorship University of Western Sydney
350.00
Youth Insearch
1,000.00 TOTAL
$74,468.84
Historic Site Community Committee Report The Castle Hill Heritage Park Committee, launched by the Club in 1990 with the vision of having an education centre on the Banks Road 1804 Convict Rebellion site, changed its name to CH Historic Site Community Committee in the late 1990’s when Baulkham Hills Shire Council gained custodianship of the land and later formed a council Heritage Park Management Committee. Still retaining a core of Rotarians, the Historic Site Committee remains the driving force of the park’s development with three members (Phil Driscoll and David Sommerlad) on the management committee and Warren Bowden as Chairman. Since ground works began on the 22ha site in the early 2000s following the council’s $2,3m purchase of its Lot 5 Banks Road frontage, millions of dollars have been spent improving infrastructure. During the past year, significant clearing has continued and construction of more pathways from the Gilbert Road access, including around the dam wildlife refuge, is imminent. A permanent amenities block is programmed. Following years of research, the Historic Site Committee’s detailed draft proposal for the historical interpretation of the park, enhanced by the discovery of the foundations of the 1803 stone barracks, was adopted with slight amendment by the management committee and submitted to council in
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August, 2007. Architects engaged by council to prepare conceptual plans, including for the site’s Convict Interpretation Centre, are scheduled for tabling later this year. Meanwhile, a strong campaign to council against unauthorised fencing in Banks Road produced partial remedial results and now preparation of an upgraded interpretational master plan for preservation of the Banks Road convict site entrance to the national historic site, including the ceremonial gateway considered as a possible Rotary project. The immediate, critical issue engaging both the historic site and park management committees is the seriously adverse effects of water and silt now evident and expected from residential development in the catchment area bordering Heritage Park.
Immediate Past President’s report Shelterbox The weekend 17/18 May 2008 & the following Thursday/Sunday at Castle Towers saw a spontaneous effort by our Club – with support from Baulkham Hills and Kellyville Clubs – to promote Shelterboxes in Burma and China. Liaison with the Rouse Hill Town Centre was most positive: they were of great assistance and have approved our involvement there for another 12 months. This contact should be cultivated. The overall outcome was excellent. President David will report on the details. We need to consider distribution of and equitable share to the other Clubs involved.
World Youth Day Planning continues for our involvement in this event on 16th July. I visited Oakhill College 17June 08 and interviewed Bro. David, Deputy Principal. Details are still being finalised so watch this space. I am in close liaison with PP Theo Glockemann. We are coordinating the District 9680 response: 38 Clubs are involved in 43 sites, though this is still fluctuating. We stand to generate some $80,000 for The Rotary Foundation. I attended the formal launch of WYD Big Aussie BBQ promotion with DG Monica Saville on Sunday 6 June. This was a considerable occasion for Rotary and the DG spoke well as one would expect.
Welfare Pauline Barker is making a steady recovery; Neil Todd’s recovery from knee surgery is somewhat slower, though he and Mavis attended the dinner meeting on 11th June (and volunteered for WYD). Marie Ford has returned from overseas. Contact had been made with the nursing home caring for Jack De Sax.
Membership Membership has been a strong focus for me this year. We have lost four members due to life changes (Peter & Judy Ford and Peter McBean moved away. Graham Brangwin retired). We gained Kayleigh Green and recovered Gordon Nugent. We are actively addressing new membership opportunities and have spoken to several members of The Hills Club after their closure.
Drought I have a strong background in drought community service and have sought to advise the DG and DGE about the possible role that Rotary might play at a strategic level in managing drought. Their response has been encouraging but progress is slow. DGE Tony Castley has been fully briefed, he is
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approaching his DG peers in order to proceed constructively. I hope this will remain a focus for future planning and community service.
2008 -‐ 2009 Rotary International President: DK Lee (Seoul, Korea) RI President’s Theme: “Make Dreams Real” Governor District 9680: Tony Castley (Epping) Changeover celebrated on 25th June 2008
Board of Directors President: Peter Marcer Immediate PP: David Waterhouse Secretary: Geoff Duffy Treasurer: John Barker Sgts-at-Arms: Bruce Allen/Gordon Nugent
President-Elect: Rod Williamson Director Club: John Cooper Director Service Projects: Mike Hallen Director Membership: David Waterhouse Director PR: Phyl Hodgkinson/Kayeleigh Green Director Foundation: Damien Steenson/Bruce Allen
President’s report The year has passed so quickly, it sure does not seem like 12 months since I was inducted as your 44th President of our Club; it has been a busy year and one I have enjoyed. My knowledge of Rotary at District and Club level has been enhanced and I have had the opportunity to witness the wonderful work the 66 Clubs in our District have carried out this year. During the year, 2 Directors of the Board resigned; Phyl Hodgkinson decided to take on a role with Volunteers Abroad and try her skills with fundraising in Bangladesh, while Damien Steenson resigned due to changes in work commitments, two excellent Rotarians we could not afford to lose. I thank Kayeleigh Green and Bruce Allen for agreeing to join the Board as worthy replacements. This year being the first under the new Club Leadership Plan has seen many changes in our Club and I believe we now have more members involved in a variety of Projects. At the start of this year I spoke of the busy program the Board has planned and how it would need full cooperation of all members. I am now pleased to report that almost every planned program was completed and we managed to add a few more on the way. It is not my intention to report on these projects individually, however one must reflect on the Men’s’ Shed project and congratulate Mike Hallen, Terry O’Mara, Phil Dunn and Mike Blair for all their hard work to get this project up and running. Tour de Hills continues to get bigger each year, with a record number of riders and money raised, an excellent achievement by Mike Blair, Gerry Larkin and the TdeH Committee. During the past year several of our members provided additional input to District projects and I thank Bruce Allen for giving his time as Foundation Chair, Mike Hallen for running the Centurion Program and assisting with Website training while Geoff Duffy took on the role as District Attendance Officer. Thanks also to Ron Marcus and David Waterhouse for their continued involvement with the RAWKS program. Membership within our Club remains a problem, unfortunately 6 members resigned from our Club due to various reasons and we lost long time honorary member Aub Juleff. On the positive side we welcomed Frank Anisse and Ian Johns as new members as well as Neil Todd, Graeme Brangwin and Noel Milligan as Honorary members. Welcome to you all. Next year I take on the Membership Director’s role and with a strong focus on increasing membership within our Club.
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Our Board has met on 11 occasions during the year, their guidance, dedication and support are something I will never forget, to the Directors and Chairmen of the many committees, I offer my sincere thanks for a job well done. Our Bulletin has been of the highest quality all year and this year received a certificate of achievement from District; thank you Bruce and Judy for keeping our members informed with such a professional publication. To President-Elect Rod and his Board I extend my best wishes for a successful 2009-10 year, and I ask all members to give Rod the full support I enjoyed this year. My wife Carol has been a tower of strength to me throughout the year and has been a wonderful help with Board meetings and assisting the Fellowship committee. I will be forever grateful for her support. Finally I wish to thank each and every member and partner for their friendship and support you extended to both Carol and I, without you our Club would not be the strength it is today.
Secretary’s report We started our year with 36 Active members and 6 honorary members and inducted 2 new Active members, Rotarians Frank Anisse and Ian Johns and honorary members Neil Todd, Graeme Brangwin and Noel Milligan.
Board Meetings The Board of Directors met on 11 occasions during the year with an attendance at each Board meeting. Printed reports from Directors were presented at Meetings, thus cutting down valuable time of each Director presenting individual verbal reports. Special thanks to Carol Marcer for the delicious hot fresh cakes made available at each meeting.
Annual General Meeting The AGM was held in December at which the office-bearers for the Rotary year 2009-2010 were elected and the financial reports for the previous year were presented. All statutory forms have been lodged with the various government departments, and no matters are outstanding.
District Conference The Club was well represented at the District Conference at Newcastle and everyone who attended enjoyed themselves.
Club Administration All statutory, constitutional and Rotary International requirements have been met. Membership records have been maintained and updated as needed. Board Minutes, Club Assembly meetings and special meetings have been minuted and held in Club files. Thank you to all Board Members who contributed to this Rotary Year, and I wish President-Elect Rod a successful year as President of our Rotary Club.
Club Administration report Another year has passed and I have found it both busy and rewarding to be the Club Administration Director for 2008-2009 working with President Peter and his Board. On behalf of the Board members I would like to thank President Peter and more importantly Carol for allowing our Board meetings to be held at their home. Our meetings have benefited greatly from having the variety and quality of guest speakers arranged by Ross Hood. The guest speaker is a very important part of our meetings and we are indebted to Ross for producing such an array of interesting and informative speakers throughout the year – and
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who can forget the challenging “fact & fiction” presentations which tested presenters and members with the Rotary 4-Way test. Several members were again called on as speakers talking of their experiences and vocations. Thanks Ross. PDG Bruce Allen wore three hats, maybe four hats this year. As Sergeant, PDG Bruce skilfully used fair means and foul to extract money from unsuspecting innocent members and guests – never allowing cross-fines in case he had to pay. Bruce was ably assisted from time to time by PP Mike Hallen and Phil Davis. David Bowles excelled in his cleverness in encouraging those present to part with the odd $2 and $5 in exchange for raffle tickets even though around 80% of members never won a prize. I would not mention those who had multiple wins on the same night. It was agreed at the start of the year that money generated by Sergeant’s fines and the raffle would be donated to The Rotary Foundation. Apart from being the Club Secretary, PP Geoff Duffy was also Attendance Officer and District Conference Coordinator and as usual gave his all to the smooth running of these roles. Our attendance figures have been running well however some members continually “forget” to phone in apologies and liaising with Springfield House. PP Terry O’Mara as Welfare Officer has, in his usual caring manner, kept us up to date with the welfare of our members, past and present, and their families. Thanks Terry. Our Fellowship Program has been full and varied throughout the year. Our program included a Christmas in July dinner at Springfield, a weekend away in Murrumbateman with Peter and Judy Ford, our Christmas party at Geranium Cottage, January home visits to the Marcer’s, Heritage Park (who can forget the heat!) and the Dunn’s (who can forget the rain!), culminating in a theatre party to the Castle Hill Players performance of Bell, Book and Candle. My thanks, on behalf of all members, go to the Fellowship Committee and helpers, lead by Carol Marcer. I would like to thank all Club Administration Committee members for their support during the year and I wish the incoming Board every success for 2009-2010.
Membership report Members We began the Rotary year with 36 members. Unfortunately during the year the following members found it necessary to resign: • • • • •
Angela Jones Mark Jones Phyl Hodgkinson Damien Steenson Noel Milligan
Fortunately due to the recruiting efforts of PDG Bruce Allen, we welcomed Frank Anisse and Ian Johns as new members. Accordingly the total membership number at the time of this report stands at 32.
Honorary members We commenced the Rotary year with 6 Honorary members. Sadly Aub Juleff’s honorary membership ceased when he was called to higher service. Neil Todd, Graeme Brangwin and Noel Milligan accepted Honorary membership during the year.
Friends of Rotary Due to the vision and enthusiasm of Gordon Nugent the Club Board approved this new category of volunteer membership to provide an opportunity to connect community-minded people to our Club.
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Friends of Rotary is intended to provide an avenue of participation to people who cannot or may not wish to join our Club as a Rotarian and who would still like to help promote the Rotary ideals in our community as a volunteer of our Club. Gordon Nugent, Phil Harvey and Stefan Zolic will be officially welcomed as Friends of Rotary at our changeover dinner on the 4th July 2009. In addition we have 26 volunteers associated with the Men’s Shed.
Treasurer’s report 22/6/08 This position is responsible for the banking of Club funds, the payment of Club accounts, providing information to the Board to assist in the determination of member’s subscriptions and dinner fees and the overall cash flow management for the Club. Primary objectives are to: • • • •
Collect dinner fees for each meeting Follow up members who are AWOL at meetings for payment of fees Process accounts that are received and authorised for payment. Keep the accounts up to date and advise the Board and members of the current status each month.
Each of these objectives has been achieved; all members have paid their membership fees; outstanding dinner fees have been followed up and accounts payable have been paid. Current account balances as compared with those as at 7/7/08 are as follows: Administration (nett) Projects (nett) Tour de Hills (net)
7/7/08
10/6/09
$5,930.30
$2,937.77
$14,219.28
$11,661.52
$2,529.66
$8,884.20
$728.17
$2,699.00
$1,698.37
$0.00
$12,667.45
$12,947.90
$0.34
$0.00
Tour de Hills (Merc. A/c) Hills Food & Wine Heritage Park RC of Castle Hill Foundation
Service Projects report Club Leadership Plan (CLP) The implementation of the CLP has been a success from the Service Projects perspective. The Avenue of Service Chairs have been active and the responsible individuals have, in the main, completed their projects. The proof of this new management concept will be borne out as we move into the new Rotary Year with different Rotarians having different responsibilities. In my view, this should not be a problem as individuals have accepted their responsibilities and it is now clear that if they do not perform, the task or project does not get done.
CLP Benefits The stated benefits of the new CLP as they relate to Service projects have also been achieved. This is particularly applicable to the involvement of individual Rotarians in the performance of the Club.
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Long-term planning has also been established with a Service Projects budget having recorded the income and expenditure performance for all Service Project activities planned at the start of the 2008-09 Rotary year.
Committee Structure The Service Projects committee structure that was established at the start of the year has remained in tact with only minor changes due to resignations.
Expected Outcome I believe that the scope, wide variety and size of the projects undertaken this Rotary year has had the desired effect of developing an effective, vibrant Club environment that will be attractive to current and prospective new members.
Planned Service Projects 2008-‐09 The following report relates to the projects nominated in the Service Projects Plan presented at the Club Assembly at the beginning of the Rotary Year.
Community Service (Chairman PP Terry O’Mara) Showgate (Chairman PP Phil Dunn) Showgate was its usual success with the Club members, partners, former members and partners as well as neighbouring Clubs all working hard to make this significant project happen. This year the Showgate Chairman, Phil Dunn, had the presence of mind to share the daily management responsibilities with two other members, Terry O’Mara and Dieter Regel. This reduced the vast number of hours that the organiser had worked in previous years to a manageable period on the job as well as the oversight of the total project. My sincere thanks to Phil, Terry and Dieter and all those who spent time manning one of the many locations around the showgrounds and in the office.
Tour de Hills (Chairman Mike Blair) Another big year with a record number of riders and a net profit of over $43,000. After the distribution of funds to St Gabriel’s and other organisations that assisted us on the day, there was an amount of $8000 available for other Club projects. Planning for the 2010 event is already under way.
St Michael’s Family Centre (Rtn Phyl Hodgkinson) Our involvement with St Michael’s Family Centre has been on hold this year due to a change in management at the centre. We have attempted to make contact and initiate a dialogue but for a variety of reasons this was not to be.
Heritage Park (PPs David Sommerlad and Warren Bowden) We were invited to provide our BBQ services for the open day at the Heritage Park that was a success. We also held one of our “Home Meetings” at the park to re-acquaint members as well as to introduce new members to the precinct.
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Bowelscan (PP Neil Todd/ Ed Heyman) Neil Todd was a tower of strength again this year with some support from Ed. Unfortunately L0rraine’s illness forced Ed to excuse himself for some of the collection activities and Mike Hallen filled in.
Barbecues (Phil Davis) The BBQ king, Phil Davis, has been heroic in his efforts this year. Each time a BBQ opportunity cropped up, Phil was ready and willing to set to work to make them a success. Over $6000 was raised from the efforts of Phil and his team of assistants. The BBQ at the Leonie open gardens was a great PR activity and had lead to an ongoing relationship with Jennifer and Paul Leonie to the extent that they have offered to host Giovanna in the spring – what an experience that will be for her.
Men’s Shed (PP Phil Dunn) The Men's Shed project is up and running. The old scout hall at Eric Mobbs Reserve has been gutted and the first meeting of interested men was hoisted there on 23 May 2009. The mayor and five councillors attended. Forty-one men also turned up (some with wives/partners) and sixteen of them have indicated an interest in forming an interim Men's Shed Committee that can commence the task of becoming an incorporated body to run the shed. A second meeting will be held in the near future to formalise the interim committee and consider the best options for the formation and management of the shed e.g.is the Uniting Care Ageing model suitable or not. This project, which began as a germ of an idea expressed by Phil Dunn, has the potential to be a great asset to the community and a significant PR and membership recruitment opportunity for the Rotary Club of Castle Hill.
Parking and other Miscellaneous Projects (Rtn Noel Milligan) Phil Dunn used his local knowledge to manage this activity that was a successful fundraiser and community exposure opportunity for the Club. As was the case with Showgate, we needed help from neighbouring Clubs (particularly North Rocks who are always first to put their hand up).
Youth Service (Chairman PP Hannibal Shabaz) The highlight of Youth Service is always the Youth Exchange program and this year was no exception with the arrival in January of Giovanna de Petris from Trieste, Italy. Giovanna arrived approximately six months later than expected due to visa problems but she has been a very welcome addition to our Rotary Family. Our thanks must go to Geoff and Jan Duffy (her counsellors) and Peter and Carol Marcer who have hosted Giovanna since her arrival. We also said a sad farewell to Olivia Peralta in January. She has since been in telephone contact with the Duffy’s and the Marcer’s and seems to have seamlessly fitted back into her life in Brazil – even if she said she misses Australia and wants to come back (some day).
Rotaract (Rtn Gordon Nugent) Unfortunately Gordon Nugent resigned from our Club (although he is still our Webmaster and doing an excellent job), however, the Rotaract roster is working well and members of our Club have attended most if not all of the Rotaract meetings this Rotary year.
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The Rotaract Club has been invited to again hold their changeover jointly with our Club on Saturday 4th July at The Epping Club.
RYPEN (Rtn Dieter Regel) The Club has budgeted to send two candidates to RYPEN. Dieter Regel will approach schools in our area to nominate candidates.
RYLA WE hosted one Rotaractor at RYLA this year and she gave a speech at our Club on her return. This is an excellent program and over the years all the participants have stated that it is a life-changing experience.
National Youth Science Forum (Rtn Ross Hood) We sponsored one student to NYSF and he spoke in glowing terms of his experience on his return. We were fortunate that his father repaid the Club for the cost of the sponsorship that was a very welcome donation to our project funds.
Siemens Science Experience (Rtn Ross Hood) One student attended the Siemens Science Experience.
Model United Nations Assembly (Rtn Gordon Nugent) Despite our best efforts, we were unable to get Castle Hill High School interested in MUNA, representing Sri Lanka. They were willing to start with, despite a reluctance shown on behalf of the teacher involved. They completed the on-line entry form and we paid The Ryde Club the entry fee (which will be refunded). From that moment on the school would not communicate with us (or the MUNA coordinators). On Thursday 28th May, Hannibal Shabaz informed me that the school had been informed to withdraw. I checked this out with the MUNA organisers and the truth of the matter is that the school had done absolutely nothing in preparation for MUNA, including forwarding necessary information (such as their order of speakers) to the organisers. It was suggested to the school that if they could not comply, they might like to consider giving up their position so that another school could participate. The teacher involved decided that this was the best course of action. She blamed the students for not supporting her but I have my doubts as to the veracity of this statement. An interested and involved teacher/mentor would have ensured that the team did all that was necessary. I have recommended that a formal approach be made to the school to convey our disappointment and ascertain their attitude to further offers of collective Rotary programs. Individual applications from Castle Hill High students (e.g. National Youth Science Forum/ Youth Exchange Program) should be treated as any applications from any other students. Giovanna and some other exchange students also participated in MUNA representing Australia. They were hosted and paid for by Ryde Club.
Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) (Rtn Marie Ford) Only one school in our area attended RYDA this year. I attended to assist in the daily logistics.
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Vocational Service (Chairman PP Bruce Jenkin) Pride in Workmanship (PP David Sommerlad) PP David Sommerlad, ably assisted by Ian Johns and Kayeleigh Green, arranged and conducted an excellent PiW evening at which four worthy recipients were recognised. We also received some favourable local newspaper coverage for the event.
Apprentice of the Year (PP David Sommerlad) The annual Apprentice of the Year event was conducted on 24th June. PP David Sommerlad and his committee produced an outstanding evening that is always on of the Vocational Service highlights of our calendar.
Vocational Visits (PP John Stuart) Only one Vocational Visit was possible this year – to the Lane Cove Tunnel control room. It was an interesting evening and the dinner arrangement at a local café was also well done by Club Administration Director, John Cooper.
Vocational Talks (PP Barry Alsop) We were not able to include any vocational talks this year and must improve on this position in future.
Excellence in Teaching (Rtn David Bull) David Bull organised a great Excellence in Teaching Awards evening on 25th March. Five very impressive teachers were recognised for their professionalism and dedication to their profession and their students.
International Service (Chairman PP Ron Marcus) PP Ron Marcus had identified two catheter lab projects that would occur during this Rotary year. The first was to be the installation of the machine in Suva, Fiji, in December. The second project was the upgrade of the machine in Mongolia. An allowance for travel associated with these two projects was allocated in the budget.
Fiji The Fiji project was not implemented until the first quarter of 2009 and when the team (which included Ron and Judy Marcus and David and Dianne Waterhouse) arrived they were dismayed to see that the container with the lab equipment had been stored in the open air in the heat and humidity of a Fijian summer. The equipment was installed but certain components were faulty so the machine was not fully serviceable when the team had to return to Australia. Steps were taken to locate and ship replacement parts and spares to Suva (which has now been done) and the installation is now scheduled to be completed by late June at which time the official handover will take place. This will also be in time for the rescheduled arrival of a cardiologist from the Gold Coast, a specialist nurse and a radiologist who will use the equipment and train local operators.
Rotahome (Fiji) The budget of $3000 (that became Fiji $4700) has been forwarded to the Rotary Club of Lautoka (Peter Drysdale) for the repair and extension of some Rotahomes.
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•
This money was very much needed as a team of volunteers was scheduled to arrive and there was no funding for the materials.
Shelterbox One Shelterbox was purchased to replenish stocks held in Australia.
Donations Financial donations were made as follows: • • • • • • • • • •
St Gabriel’s School for the Hearing Impaired (via Tour de Hills). Rural Fire Service (part of TdeH) Rotaract (Part of TdeH) NSW Police Legacy (Part of TdeH) The Rotary Foundation Annual Giving The Wheelchair Foundation (Guest speaker July) The Mitrataa Foundation (Nepal) (Guest speaker July) Polio Plus (to The Rotary Foundation) The Roy Martin Educational Grant (to a student nominated by Castle Hill High School) A small allowance for miscellaneous donations to guest speakers.
In addition to the budgeted donations listed above, the Club also made donations to: • • •
Australian Rotary Health (as part of the guest speaker recognition) The Victorian Bushfire Appeal (which was the subject of separate fundraising) The Rotaract Club of Castle Hill “Splash for Cash”
Additional projects HADPAC – Gemhill Cottage We had a great couple of days at the HADPAC respite centre, Gemhill Cottage, preparing earthworks, boxing up and pouring the foundation for a new garden storage shed. We (Phil Dunn!) picked the hottest days possible but, as usual, we enjoyed a great deal of fellowship (and a great lunch provided by the team at Gemhill Cottage). We will never forget the former concreter who was a guest at the time and probably did more manual labour than the rest of us put together. What an inspiration he was.
Hand Well Project in India An allowance of $930 has been made in this year’s budget for the Club’s participation in this matching grant. As the project is unlikely to receive TRF funding approval in this financial year, it should be included in the 2009/10 budget.
Christmas Spectacular Our participation in the Christmas Spectacular was a spectacular failure! Not that our team lead by PP Phil Dunn was at fault - in fact without his efforts the organisers would have been in an even bigger mess. The fault was that the people just did not turn up and the event lost a very large amount. The entry price was always going to be a barrier but they would not take any advice from people like Phil Dunn who are more experienced with this location (the showgrounds) and the likely patrons and had
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suggested lowering the price (something they did at our instigation as the day wore on and the attendance went from bad to worse). We originally agreed to be involved for a fixed fee of $4000. When we realised the loss that the organisers faced, the Board agreed to a proposal that the fee be reduced to $3000. The organisers gratefully received this offer. The $3000 was transferred into our bank account – only to bounce because we had provided an incorrect account number. All efforts since to have the money deposited in the correct account have met with promises but no money. For accounting purposes, the amount has been written off and we are $3000 the poorer in our projects account.
Good Food Affare Parking This was a good affair! We worked hard, had a good few days in the wind and rain and made over $5000 for our efforts. There has been talk of the event being held again later in 2009 but we have not heard anything official.
Income and Expenditure Our emphasis throughout the year has been to ensure that the income and expenditure were monitored and controlled so that there was complete visibility of where the funds came from and how they were applied. The “time-phasing” of the income and expenditure was a fundamental part of this process and was used to ensure that no unauthorised or unplanned activity occurred unless it was considered within the scope of the entire Service Projects budget.
Purchase of Club Assets The Club has acquired some significant assets during the year that will be a long-term benefit to members. The combined cost was $3232 and accounts for more than half the budgeted loss for the year.
Light Batons ($200) For the safety of our members who direct traffic in the dark at Showgate and other functions, the Club has purchased four (4) light batons.
Two-‐way Radios ($160) The Club purchased six (6) two-way radios for use at Showgate and other projects where the need to communicate within a local area is necessary. The radios have a range of 5km so will be very capable of reaching the far corners of the showground as well as being useful for parking at the Tour de Hills and other activities.
Skyshade and signwriting ($2872) The purchase of the Skyshade with the highly visible name of our Club emblazoned on the front flap is a significant benefit to the BBQ team and to let the public know who we are when we appear at a function.
In conclusion This has been a rewarding year. The efforts of the members have been very much appreciated and we have all had a lot of fun, fellowship and a lot of satisfaction for our efforts.
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The implementation of the new Club Leadership Plan has, in my opinion, been a success and has increased the participation of members in the performance of our many and varied projects activities throughout the year. I would like to thank the Chairmen who have worked with me this year to make it a success. Terry O’Mara (Community Service), Hannibal Shabaz (Youth Service), Bruce Jenkin (Vocational Service) and Ron Marcus (International Service). My thanks also to all the members who have taken on their responsibilities and tasks and delivered great outcomes for our Club and our Community. Without your efforts we would not have been nearly as successful and I believe we have. Last but not least, my sincere thanks to President Peter and my fellow Board members who have worked tirelessly to make this Rotary year one to remember.
2009 -‐ 2010 Rotary International President: John Kenny (Grangemouth, Central, Scotland) RI President’s Theme: “The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands” Governor District 9680: John Cameron (Wahroonga) Changeover celebrated on 4th July 2009
Board of Directors President: Rod Williamson Immediate PP: Peter Marcer Secretary: Geoff Duffy Treasurer: John Barker Sgts-at-Arms: Mike Hallen/Bruce Jenkin
President-Elect: Terry O’Mara Director Club: Terry O’Mara Director Service Projects: Mike Blair Director Membership: Peter Marcer Director PR: Kayeleigh Green Director Foundation: Bruce Allen
President’s report This year has been most rewarding for me with many enjoyable experiences. It has certainly been an honour to be the 45th President of our Club. The dedication and assistance that I have received throughout the year from members, partners, honorary members including Friends of Rotary and Rotarians from other Clubs has been much appreciated. I am also grateful to my darling wife Julie for her full support. In accordance with this year’s Club Plan and Objectives we have continued to embrace Rotary’s Club Leadership Plan (CLP) and to ensure there was a high degree of continuity between the Club’s activities and achievements in 2008/2009 and to provide a foundation for similar coordination for 2010/2011 and beyond. The goal of the CLP is to ensure clubs are effective in that they pursue the Object of Rotary by carrying our successful activities along each Avenue of Service. I believe we have excelled in this regard in that we have: • • • •
Increased our membership base Continued to implement successful projects that address the needs of our community and communities in other countries. Supported The Rotary Foundation through both program participation and financial contributions. Developed leaders capable of serving Rotary beyond Club level.
Accordingly I would congratulate the Directors, Committee Chairpersons, members, partners, including honorary members, and Friends of Rotary for their contribution that has ensured another
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successful year for our Club. Of course we should not overlook the support we have received from Rotaract, the members of Men’s Shed and Rotarians from other Clubs. There have been many memorable events and projects throughout the year and these are highlighted in the Director’s individual reports that follow. However, I would like to particularly mention our success with the Men’s Shed. Commenced during the previous year with the vision of Phil Dunn and the dedicated support of Terry O’Mara, Mike Hallen, Mike Blair and Hannibal Shabaz with assistance of Club members the official launch of The Hills Men’s Shed took place on Saturday 20th March and I congratulate all concerned for what is a truly great community project. It would be remiss of me not to take this opportunity to once again congratulate Peter Marcer on winning the Noel McDonald Bulletin Award. Peter with the support of Carol and members who make contributions has put in a mighty effort to produce an outstanding weekly publication this year. This award was introduced for the 1985-86 Rotary year and this is the fourth time our Club has received this recognition. I would also like to pay tribute to our members who contributed to Rotary beyond our Club this year. Ron Marcus as a team leader for RAWCS managed projects in Mongolia, Nepal and Fiji. Bruce Allen continued to assist with various projects in India and was mentor to the District Foundation Director. Mike Hallen was a member of the District Training Team and the District Website Help Desk. Geoff Duffy continued to be involved at District level as a Youth Counsellor. David Sommerlad and Warren Bowden maintained their involvement with Heritage Park. Warren Bowden was also to be congratulated for receiving the Award for Cultural Heritage by the then Premier, Kristina Keneally, at a ceremony in November 2009. Warren initiated Rotary’s Castle, Hill Heritage Park project in 1987 and has been directly involved ever since. One of the most satisfying roles of being President is the privilege to induct a new member into our Club and I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank Terry O’Mara, Hannibal Shabaz, Marie Ford and Dieter regel for each of them introducing a new member. As highlighted in my President’s message in this year’s Club Plan the greatest challenge facing our Club is to significantly increase our membership. The continued acquisition of new members and the retention of existing members must be a priority in all that we do. Friends of Rotary provides us with an excellent opportunity to draw assistance from the community for our many service projects and it is also an avenue to attract new members. Our approach to attain wider support need to be reviewed. A very positive initiative this year by the District Board was the formation of a single Hills Zone with monthly President’s meetings. This created a more cohesive working relationship between the clubs concerned and has provided a greater opportunity for significant combined community projects in the future. I have been honoured to represent our Club at all President’s Meetings except for one when Ian Johns kindly attended on my behalf. Fellowship is the foundation stone of Rotary life. It provides the opportunity for us to relax, to get to know each other and have some fun at the same time. The Fellowship Committee has provided a diverse range of social activities this year and I thank the Committee for their contribution. I would like to leave you with some words of wisdom from this year’s RI President, John Kenny, relating to this year’s theme which will remain pertinent for the future success of Rotary and thus our Club: “In Rotary, everything we are and everything we aspire to become lies in the hands of Rotarians in their Clubs. If our Clubs are congenial and our meetings well-‐run, if our service is carefully planned and competently carried out, if our members are qualified, honest and respected in their vocations and communities, then all of Rotary will thrive. That is why I say The Future Is in Your Hands”.
In conclusion I would like to thank PP Terry O’Mara for accepting another term as President and wish him and the Directors a most rewarding, successful and enjoyable year.
Secretary’s report We started our 2009-2010 year with 30 Active members and 7 honorary members. PP Gerry Larkin was offered honorary membership following his decision not to renew his membership. New members inducted this year were:
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• • • •
Steve Macquarie – Machinery Imports Paul Robinson – Computer Engineering Jane Fisher – Property Sales Karen Andrew – Nursery Transport.
Unfortunately Kayeleigh Green found it necessary to resign in the latter part of the year. At the moment we stand at 33 Active members with 8 honorary members.
Board Meetings The Board of Directors met on 11 occasions during the year with good attendance at all meetings. Printed reports received from Board members at each meeting were filed with the Meeting Minutes. Thanks to Julie Williamson for the supper that was served at the conclusion of all meetings.
Annual General Meeting The AGM was held the first meeting in December as per our by-laws during which the office-bearers for 2010-2011 were elected. The financial reports for the previous two years were not available for the members to peruse, as they had not been received from the auditor. These financial reports were presented to members during the special general meeting held on 23rd June 2010.
District Conference The Club was represented at the District Conference at Port Macquarie. The conference was not as well organised as in previous years however those members who attended enjoyed excellent fellowship.
Club Administration All Club, District and RI requirements have been met. Membership records are in the process of being updated and transferred into the Secretary’s new computer. All meetings have been minuted and filed as part of the Club records. Thank you to all Board Members who have made the Secretary’s workload easy this year and I wish President-Elect PP Terry a successful year as President of Castle Hill Rotary Club.
Treasurer’s report 22/6/08 This position is responsible for the banking of Club funds, the payment of Club accounts, providing information to the Board to assist in the determination of member’s subscriptions and dinner fees and the overall cash flow management for the Club. Primary objectives are to: • • • • •
Collect membership fees due for each half year in July and January Collect dinner fees for each meeting Follow up members who are AWOL at meetings for payment of fees Process accounts that are received and authorised for payment. Keep the accounts up to date and advise the Board and members of the current status each month.
Each of these objectives has been achieved; all members have paid their membership fees; outstanding dinner fees have been followed up and accounts payable have been paid. Estimated account balances as at 16th June, 2010 compared with those as at 30th June, 2009 are as follows: 30/06/2009
16/6/2010 289
Administration
$2,723.01
$3,124.87 (net)
$14,319.75
$14,228.20 (net)*
Tour de Hills
$2,594.22
$3,861.00(net)
Tour de Hills (Merch. A/c)
$2,652.22
$406.50
Heritage Park
$12,947.90
$13,408.73
Heritage Park (term deposit)
$17,359.18
$17.775.44 (27/10/10)
$Nil
$Nil
Projects
RC of Castle Hill Foundation
* Note: The Board has agreed to an expenditure of up to $8,000 from the Projects account for a new trailer incorporating barbecue equipment.
List if the major donations made in 2009/10 Shelterbox
$6,000:00
The Rotary Foundation
$10,500:00
RAWCS
$3,000:00
Hear The Children
$3,000:00
HADPAC
$4,000:00
Aust. Rotary Health
$3,400:00
Rural Fire Service
$3,000:00
RYDA
$2,000:00
The above list does not include amounts paid to other Clubs for assistance with projects, nor donations of less than $1,000:00.
Service Projects – Income/Expenditure Budget Vs Actual 2009-‐2010 as at 16/6/2010 Income Showgate Tour de Hills Friends of Rotary – Men’s Shed Australia Day Parking Food & Wine Aficionado Cons. Revenue - Water Wells
Estimate
Actual
9000
7884
50,000
30,515
450
0
1500
236
11,000
0
930
0
Tsunami Collection
4953
Bowelscan
4930
Total BBQ Projects
1300
Miscellaneous income
7130 500
Total Income
$74,180
$56,148
Expenditure
Estimate
Actual
Youth
520
540
RYPEN x 2
770
770
RYLA x 1
2000
2000
220
0
1830
0
Siemens Science
105
0
Youth Exchange
3436
5642
MUNA NYSF x 1
Community
290
Beannie Festival
1500
0
BBQ Trailer Rego.
133
138
Food & Wine Aficionado
150
0
10000
7645
Men’s Shed Working Party supplies
500
0
Hills Private Hospital Xmas presents
120
146
Mongolia Cath Lab Replacement
3000
3000
Shelterbox
1200
6000
930
0
Pride in Workmanship
907
511
Apprentice of the Year
1300
0
Excellence in Teaching
1700
1427
Miscellaneous
2000
200
The Rotary Foundation & Polio Plus
7000
10500
Roy Martin Scholarship
300
300
Tour de Hills Donations
30000
7775
Australian Rotary Health
600
2400
Rotaract Club Splash for Cash
500
0
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar
200
0
Tour de Hills
International
India Hand Wells Project Vocational
Donations
RC of CH Admin Account (for GST)
2000
Bowelscan
4930
Rotary Group Study Exchange
600
0
Total Expenditure
$71,521
$55,964
Annual Profit/Loss
$2,659
$184
Club Administration report The purpose of Club Administration is to ensure the effective management and operation of the Club. This primary focus has been maintained throughout the past year and will continue. Consistent with the underlying theme of membership this year, all of our activities have involved a focus on membership renewal and recruitment. We have sought to encourage all members to be active in their participation in the Club affairs and to make the contribution appropriate to their circumstances and experience, in all aspects of Club Service. This has not produced a consistent result in all members: we are a club of travellers and active professional interests. Even so, despite the often-repeated expressions of interest in new styles of club activity – inter-club visits and similar “away” activities, the level of interest in these has been modest.
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Attendance – PP Geoff Duffy Members are well aware of attendance rules and encouraged to aim for 100% attendance. The Club’s long-standing policy has been that members who cannot attend a dinner meeting need to attend a dinner meeting at another Club or, in some other way, achieve a “make-up” wherever possible. Weekly attendance figures, reflecting this factor in attendance, are announced at the end of each meeting and published in the Bulletin. Members wishing to take “Leave of Absence” to apply in writing and in advance to the Board – the standard form is available from the Secretary. Geoff Duffy continues to demonstrate his professionalism and commitment by his diligence in this role.
Apologies – Rtn Val Ludgate The Board has confirmed the long-standing policy that members must apologise before 12:00 noon on the Tuesday to Val Ludgate if unable to attend a dinner meeting – otherwise the dinner fee must be met. This has been implemented with an eye to fairness and common sense and good overall results achieved. Even so, failure to meet this requirement causes inconvenience and incurs costs which the Club cannot afford. Members need to be vigilant in their observance of this part of Club life. Val Ludgate has served the Club with diligence and excellence in this role: we owe her much.
Sergeants-‐at-‐Arms Mike Hallen and Bruce Jenkin have discharged this role with distinction – as always. They have brought good humour to the role, and at the same time, maintained the necessary support and organised discipline for President Rod. Many thanks to Mike and to Bruce for their excellent contribution to Club life.
Program Officer – Rtn Ross Hood Ross has done an amazing job in providing a challenging and varied program of speakers and club activities. His quiet efficiency and thoughtful diligence provides excellent professional development for members and enriches club meetings enormously.
Fellowship – Rtn Val Ludgate The Fellowship Committee has striven to create interesting and fresh opportunities for fellowship in club life and most have been supported well. As indicated above, “away” activities attract limited enthusiasm. We are keen to have input from members on their ideas on activities which they are willing to support and will attract the interest of others as well. Our aim has been to attract the support of all members to all organised events and to encourage them to bring their partners as well. We have sought to achieve good value for money and to be responsive to members’ preferences where ever possible. We rely on your support and input in this regard. Please see these events as opportunities to invite those who seem to you as possibility of membership. Even the best possible program will fail unless the membership is willing to support these events – so please do all you can. The fellowship events are a great way to introduce new people to the Rotary experience: indeed, when non-Rotarians are asked why they are not in Rotary, my recent experience is that they respond with “I’ve never been asked…..”. It actually is up to us all to proactively promote membership at every opportunity. We have an outstanding commitment to host a return visit by the Goulburn Club(s) so please “watch this space”. Again, we owe much to Val and her Committee for their efforts in this regard.
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Raffle – Rtns David Bowles & Ned Curac David and Ned continue to serve the Club with their customary diligence: their contribution to our overall financial performance is important – far more than that apparent simplicity of this activity seems to be. Many thanks to them both.
District Conference – PP Geoff Duffy Geoff Duffy is a model for us all in his commitment to the Club and his involvement in District affairs – along with Jan. He has worked with great commitment and persistence to promote solid attendance at the District Conference and we are indebted to him in that regard.
Equipment Officer – PP Sriwong Prassertthavorn Sri has been called to other responsibilities for part of the year but has maintained a careful husbandry of our equipment and resources this year. We will need to continue to audit these resources over the coming year – especially in relation to the BBQ trailer which is at last registered in the name of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill (not the name of a past member) and the arrangements re the access we now have to the use of a Golf Buggy for Showgate and like events at the Castle Hill Showground – thanks to the generosity of Living Choice and the initiative of Jane Fisher, one of our newest members. A special thanks to Sri and Jane – and of course to Living Choice for their support.
Welfare Officers – PP Bruce Jenkin & Rtn Marie Ford This year has involved a fair degree of misadventure for more than a few of our members and our own welfare officers have been attentive to the presenting situations with care and sensitivity. Our thanks to both Bruce Jenkin and to Marie Ford for their quiet attention to the members needs throughout the year. It is important that all members advise the Welfare Officer of any relevant information.
Risk Management/Insurances – Rtn David Bull David Bull has attended to this important area with his usual quiet diligence and we owe him a debt of thanks for his contribution throughout the year.
Membership report Membership responsibilities during the past year have been shared between President Rod and myself. I thank him for his assistance with this portfolio. During the year Rod arranged for presentations of the Roger Climpson DVD “What in the World is Rotary” including the distribution of the “Humanity in Motion” magazine to the following schools and institutions: • • • •
Marian College – Staff Meeting Castle Hill High School – Staff Meeting Gilroy College – Staff Meeting The Hills Shire Council – Management Committee
Currently we are endeavouring to address the Sydney Hills Business Chamber. The Assistant Principal of Gilroy College, Maureen Moore indicated that she was interested in joining a Rotary Club near her home on the Central Coast and the Terrigal Club was given her contact details.
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We have had a number of people who attend our meetings during the year with an interest in Rotary and whilst it was evident they enjoyed our meetings they were unable to make a commitment due to time constraints.
Members We began the Rotary year with 30 members and during the year we welcomed an additional 4 new members: • • • •
Paul Robinson introduced by Terry O’Mara. Stephen Macquarie introduced by our Youth Exchange student Giovanna de Petris and Hannibal Shabaz. Jane Fisher introduced by Marie Ford. Karen Andrew introduced by Dieter Regel.
Unfortunately late in the year Kayeleigh Green tendered her resignation due to her ongoing work commitments in Goulburn and finding it difficult to continually travel to meetings etc. Accordingly at the time of this report we have 33 members.
Honorary members Our Honorary membership increased during the year from 7 to 8 members when we welcomed back past member Gerry Larkin into the Club.
Friends of Rotary We welcomed Tony Dickson, Terry Ireland, Cathy Waite and David Lewis and as a result we currently have 8 Friends of Rotary. During the year we received support from the membership of the Men’s’ Shed. Their friendship and the assistance they provided with our larger projects are very much appreciated.
Public Relations report Our many projects this year has provided us with the opportunity to: • • • •
Increase the profile of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill and Rotary International. Educate the community to Rotary’s humanitarian values so that they become more likely to provide support. Generate interest in our activities and grow our membership base. Promote events that foster goodwill within the community, nationally and internationally.
Good local press coverage was achieved from Men’s Shed over the period of our direct involvement and we obtained excellent exposure leading up to the Tour de Hills and after the event with an article on the front cover of Hills News with the heading “Passion for Riding” and further on in the paper was coverage of the Men’s Shed and Tour de Hills. David Sommerlad and Warren Bowden have also received local press exposure throughout the year for our Club with their involvement in Heritage Park. David Bull was successful in having an excellent article on our Excellence in Teaching Awards in the Hills Shire Times with the heading “Six of the very best”. The fact that the reporter thought David was in the picture is immaterial. Our direct contact with the public and organisations with our projects has provided us with an excellent way of promoting ourselves and I am sure you have experienced many enquiries about Rotary as I have when attending community projects. It is rewarding to see the respect that Rotary
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has with the public when we are seeking assistance or asking for donations at the Towers to help victims of a disaster. Our profile with the Hills Shire Council has been greatly enhanced through the Men’s Shed. Another bonus from Men’s Shed was the acquisition of Paul Robinson. Paul went along to the initial public meeting and decided that whilst Men’s Shed was not for him, Rotary did have something to offer. The “Humanity in Motion” book and the “Humanity in Motion” calendar produced by the District PR Team are excellent publications that allowed us to gain additional exposure by distributing these in our community. The Roger Climpson DVD “What in the World is Rotary” was presented to the staff of Marian College at Kenthurst, Gilroy College Castle Hill and Castle Hill High. In addition it was shown to the executive team of the Hills Shire Council. There is not a doubt in my mind that the DVD serves as an excellent tool to inform the community about the virtues of Rotary in addition to attracting new members. Our website plays a significant part in PR and needs to be kept up to date to ensure maximum benefit is achieved. During the year we received many enquiries relating to membership with several people attending meetings interested in Rotary. I would like to thank all the members who contributed to this important aspect of Rotary.
Service Projects report The past year has indeed been a very busy one for our Club. Whilst some of the programs and events planned for, as outlined in the Club Plan, did not eventuate, these gaps were quickly filled by others which I will elaborate on further in my report. Suffice it to say that the past year was very successful insofar that our Club did what Rotary does best, i.e. “SERVICE ABOVE SELF”. Probably the project that stands out the most that we as a Club can feel very proud of is “The Men’s Shed”. This was collaboration between our Club and the Hills Shire Council. We undertook to refurbish an old disused Scout Hall which was earmarked for demolition. The work involved was extensive and took about six months to complete, with the end result being a building that is now highly valued by not only the users, but also the Shire community and Council. I am indeed grateful to the tireless efforts all of you put into this project, in particular PP Terry O’Mara, PP Phil Dunn and PP Mike Hallen who without their vision and the unstinting efforts and drive this project may never have eventuated. As in past years we were involved in our major fund raising projects, Showgate and The Tour de Hills Bicycle Classic and these were once again very successful. With Showgate we had a “call to arms” to our neighbouring clubs to assist us over the three days together with Castle Hill Rotaract and our Friends of Rotary. My sincere thanks must go to PP John Barker and PP Phil Dunn who took on the responsibility to organise and coordinate the smooth running of this project. The Tour de Hills event was again an outstanding success with some 540 bike riders taking part. Whilst we did not make as much money as in past years due to the loss of our naming rights sponsor, we were still able to make some very worthwhile donations. Your Board in April endorsed the recommendation of the Tour de Hills committee that the proceeds from this project be distributed as follows: • • • • •
The Rotary Foundation Rural Fire Service Police Legacy Rotaract Hear the Children
$8500 $3000 $ 500 $ 100 $3000
I am indebted for the tireless efforts of PP (Honorary member) Gerry Larkin, PP Geoff Duffy, PP John Cooper, Val Ludgate, Friend of Rotary Gordon Nugent, past members PPs Judy and Peter Ford all of whom spent many months working to ensure the success of this event. Thank you all.
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Throughout the past year another source of income for our Club, were the now famous Castle Hill Rotary Barbecues. Where would we be without our barbecue king Phil Davis. We were here, there and everywhere undertaking 9 barbecues during the year. Whenever an opportunity arose Phil and his silent partner PP Phil Dunn would circulate the roster at Club meetings canvassing and twisting arms to join them in fellowship and learn how to cook for the masses. The efforts of these two gentlemen cannot be underestimated as the results of their efforts has brought many thousands of dollars into the Club’s Projects Account to assist the Board in fulfilling its objectives as outlined in the Club Plan. Not only were we involved in carrying out projects to raise funds for worthy causes, our Club was heavily involved in giving of service to various groups, organisations and various Rotary organisations. To this extent I extend my sincere thanks to all of my colleagues. Some of these events were:
Gemhill Cottage (HADPAC) Just prior to Christmas break PP Mike Hallen, PP John Barker, PP Phil Dunn and I dug foundations and then proceeded to assemble a gazebo at Gemhill Cottage.
German GSE Team Farewell Thanks to PDG Bruce Allen our Club hosted the Farewell Dinner for the GSE Team from Stuttgart, Germany, in District 1830. Over 100 Rotarians, Partners and Guests attended. The Consul General of Germany, Hans Gunter Gnodtke and the Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke were also present.
Rotary & Wrapt With Love (Rotary Sydney Cove) Rotary was asked to partner the ABC and the volunteer organisation “Wrap With Love” in the delivery of bags of knitted wraps from rural and suburban drop-off centres across the State to the Wrap warehouse in Alexandria, Sydney. Our Club was one of around eighty Rotary Clubs that participated in this wonderful community project that involved approximately 25,000 volunteers, and delivered a record outcome of close to 10,000 knitted wraps for despatch to needy individuals both nationally and internationally. Marie Ford coordinated and picked up knitted scarves and beanies from Castle Hill environs to support Sydney Rotary’s project. Well-done Marie.
Rotary Shelterbox For some time we have supported the Shelterbox program providing emergency accommodation throughout the world in times of disaster. This year we raised sufficient funds from a tsunami disaster collection at Castle Towers and barbecues to purchase 5 Shelterboxes. The current honour roll shows our Club has now provided a total of 18 Shelterboxes.
RYDA During November last year we participated in the RYDA program at the Penrith Regatta Centre thanks to the organisation of PP Hannibal Shabaz. The schools participating were Wollemi College, St Marys High, Model Farms High and Baulkham Hills High. Unfortunately we did not receive sufficient notice to participate in the second program involving our local schools.
National Youth Science Forum Our candidate Georgia Appleby was eliminated at her second interview which was a surprise as Ross Hood considered that she was probably the best student we have sponsored for some time. We currently have 3 students who have applied to be sponsored for the 2011 NYSF.
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RYPEN We sponsored Anil Bhakri and Ovini Sellapperana, students from Castle Hill High School to the RYPEN weekend at Collaroy where teenagers benefit greatly from opportunities to develop the “life skills” and motivation to help them cope with the challenges of a very competitive future.
RYLA We sponsored Sai-Chung Chaing who is a confident young man and a very capable public speaker to participate in this youth leadership awareness project.
Thanks We are once again indebted to Ross Hood for ensuring the NYSF, RYPEN and RYLA projects were so successful.
Excellence in Teaching Awards What a great night the Excellence in Teaching Awards turned out to be, with over 65 members and guests present to witness 6 excellent teachers from the Hills area being recognised for the wonderful work they perform each day teaching our children. We were fortunate to have as Guest Speaker Greg Whitby, the Executive Director of Schools, Catholic Diocese of Parramatta. David Bull with the devoted support of Lyn worked assiduously on this vocational project again this year which ensured the successful outcome. A thank you is also due to Jane Fisher, Ross Hood, Sriwong Prasertthavorn and PP Terry O’Mara for their assistance on the evening.
Pride in Workmanship Awards Our Pride in Workmanship Awards night held in May was certainly one of the highlights of this Rotary year. PP Mike Hallen is to be congratulated for his diligence and expertise in organising this very successful Vocational event. Mark Twomey, Executive Committee Member of The Sydney Hills Business Chamber was a most appropriate guest speaker and there is the possibility of obtaining the assistance of the Chamber to promote this event in the future which would be a real plus. A big thank you is also due to PP David Sommerlad and Sriwong Prasertthavorn for their assistance with formalities.
Christmas morning at the new Norwest Private Hospital Each year PP Hannibal Shabaz arranges for members from our Club to attend our local Hospital and present gifts to patients who are unable to spend Christmas Day with their family. This year was no exception except the venue had changed and on occasions those participating wondered where they were and with some luck found their way back to the main entrance.
RAWCS The Catheter Laboratory installed in the Colonial War memorial Hospital in Suva, Fiji, in the latter part of the previous Rotary year was handed over to the Fijian Government on our behalf by PP Ron Marcus in October last year. During November last year Ron arranged for the dismantling of a Catheter Laboratory in the Wesley Hospital in Brisbane which was subsequently loaded into a container in June for shipment to Mongolia.
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Water supply program in West Bengal, India This project was a small-scale drinking water supply scheme to 2 remote rural villages in India. The basic objective of the project was to supply good clean drinking water to 400 households benefiting around 2,700 people. A bore was sunk on high ground between the 2 villages and pipes were laid across the front of each house. In all 6Kms of pipe were laid. It then became a householder’s responsibility to connect from the supply pipe to their house. The total cost of the project was US$25,000 and a US$10,000 grant was received from The Rotary Foundation to support the work. Our Club was the primary Australian Contact Club and the International Partner, but the project was financially supported by 12 other clubs in our District.
Rotaract In addition to our members attending Rotaract meetings during the year we joined them to promote Rotaract and Rotary at the Crestwood Orange Blossom Fair. They have also assisted us with our projects during the year for which we are most grateful. Our trivia competition with the Rotaract Club was most entertaining and with some luck we won.
Vocational Visits Our visits to the Holy Family Services aged care facility and DIC Australia organised by Pres. Rod and Ian Johns respectively were very interesting Vocational visits. Our hosts went to great lengths to make us feel most welcome.
Bowelscan I wish to express my sincere thanks to our honorary member PP Neil Todd for all his efforts in implementing and coordinating the Bowelscan project on behalf of our Club.
Youth Exchange Giovanna de Petris was regrettably require to return home during October after only 8 months with us to continue her education at home, Giovanna is a most delightful and talented young lady and she left a void in our Club when she left. She was a dedicated student and excelled in many school activities including swimming and athletic events whilst attending Marian College.
2010 Exchange Student Our Club has been blessed again with a wonderful and beautiful Exchange Student Fernanda Akaoui. There is something about the ladies from Brazil and Fernanda optimises what the Youth Exchange program is all about. Not only is she such a delight and a joy to have, she can indeed be proud of what she has achieved, not only for herself but for her country, Rotary and the Youth Exchange Program. We are very proud of you Fernanda and trust that your remaining 6 months with us will be just as enjoyable as the first.
2010 Outbound Student We were very fortunate that Francesca Colli applied and was selected to be our outbound exchange student. Francesca is a lovely and intelligent young lady and it is evident from the correspondence that we have received to date that she is a great ambassador for our Club and Rotary International. It just so happens that Francesca’s grandfather is PDG Brian Coleman and her Uncle is Justin Coleman, President of Rouse Hill Club. Francesca is having a wow of a time in Belgium and we look forward to further news from her in the near future. Our Youth program has enriched our Club over the years in many ways and has become an integral part of our youth program. Without the support of members hosting students it would not happen. Accordingly we are indebted to the members, partners and people outside the Club who have hosted
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exchange students. We are also fortunate to have the support this year of Christine (President Norwest Sunrise) and Milan Zec in hosting Fernanda for 3 months this year.
District 9680 Rotary Youth Exchange Farewell Barbecue The inaugural District 9680 Youth Exchange farewell barbecue hosted by our Club was considered to be a highly successful event by all who attended. PP Mike Hallen and PP Phil Dunn are to be congratulated on their planning and hard work which ensured the success of this special event. We are very grateful to the management of Springfield House, Frank and Judy, for their support with the venue. I would also like to thank again PP Geoff Duffy for arranging for us to host this event and the members and partners who assisted on the day.
In Conclusion In conclusion I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to all of you for the support you have given to me in the past year as your Service Projects Director. To President Rod and the members of the Board, thank you for all your support in helping me to ensure that success of all our programmes in what has been a most successful year. I believe that what we have achieved in the past year has fulfilled the desired wish of Rotary International President, John Kenny, “The Future of Rotary IS IN YOUR HANDS”.
The Rotary Foundation report At the commencement of the year, a series of “Foundation Thoughts” were supplied to the Bulletin Editor for use throughout the year and these have been run on a weekly basis. The objective of this exercise was to increase the overall knowledge of The Foundation among Club members and it is our belief that this has happened. The process needs to be ongoing with regular updates being featured in the “Hills Views” on a regular, if not weekly, basis. The GSE Farewell Dinner for the visiting German GSE was hosted by our Club and held at Springfield House. The program was interesting and varied and the German Consul-General attended as Guest of Honour giving a most informative and inspiring talk. The meeting was attended by about 90 Rotarians, mainly from Hills and nearby clubs. The District Governor and wife also attended and a highly successful night was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The Rotary Club of The Hills Kellyville organised the Farewell Dinner for the visiting French team and our Club supported this event strongly with a good level of attendance. The event was held on a Wednesday night at the Dural Country Club and our meeting for that night was transferred to that venue. Our participation in overseas projects was strong this year with two major projects being undertaken. The first was a joint effort from a dozen or so clubs in the District and involved providing piped drinking water to all houses in two Indian villages. The overall cost of this project was close to US$25,000 and the contribution from our District’s Clubs totalled close to $11,000. The balance of funds came from our Indian partner Club and District, plus a matching grant from The Rotary Foundation. The second program was a partnership with the Rotary Club Calcutta mega City and District 9700. This was a program that provided 7,500 rural disadvantaged school children with school bags and stationery to improve their educational standards. Our commitment to this US$15,163 project was US$5,000 and these funds came from a very gracious and generous contribution from Merelyn Rae, an outside contributor with no connection to Rotary other than a burning desire to help people in need. Our Club participated strongly in the Polio Movie Night held on November 11th with around 40 attending. The night was our meeting for that week and close to $400 was raised for our Polio Challenge.
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The Rotary Foundation moneyboxes were again made available and a quantity was secured for our Club and distributed to members. The moneybox will be a constant reminder to members of the simple task of personally contributing to The Foundation without any financial hardship and it is hoped that all of these (filled) boxes will make their way back to the Club Treasurer. These moneyboxes highlight the ease of collecting $100 per year and the good that $100 can do in the world. We currently have 20 Centurions in the Club and to date, 13 have paid the 2009/10 subscription. There is little doubt that the remaining seven will pay by month-end and we have one new Centurion ready to enrol. Our Club Annual Giving result for the year will again be strong and we have performed well. Last year’s Annual Giving per Capita at US$241.91 was the second highest in the District and this year the likely figure will be somewhere around US$245. Our Total Giving will be in the vicinity of US$16,000 (a healthy increaser over last year’s US$13,404.29) and approx.. $US4,000 of that amount will be personal giving from Club members. The Club has performed well in all areas an a breakdown of giving is: •
• • •
Annual Programs Fund Polio Challenge Haiti Appeal Matching Grants
US$8,800 (Inc. US$3,000 Cycle sponsorship) US$2,200 US$180 US$5,000
Historic Site Community Committee After years of extensive research and investigation, an historical interpretation proposal for Heritage Park, prepared by the Rotary-initiated Historic Site Committee and slightly amended by the park’s management committee before adoption, was presented to Baulkham Hills Council in August 2007. It received no acknowledgement but an architect was engaged to prepare concept plans. Virtually nothing constructive has happened since but the HS has remained particularly active in association with the park’s Management Committee. A particular initiative is a drive to have the Convict Trail Project and exhibition room constructed as a stand-alone building instead of being part of the proposed interpretive centre.
During the 2009-‐10 Rotary year, the Historic Site committee: Completed, with other help, the collection of 1,150 signatures on a Petition presented to State Parliament seeking a Heritage Order to preserve in perpetuity the ”Convicts’ Vista” to the Blue Mountains from Old Northern Road above potentially threatening housing development. Action was “shelved” for the present by the Heritage Office as persistent HSC opposition ensured Council stipulated height limits on any buildings to retain the view. Persuaded the Mayor to send Warren Bowden and a council officer, at Council’s expense (instead of the committee’s), to the recently remodelled Wadlata Outback Interpretive Centre at Port Augusta, SA, to study modern interpretive techniques because of concern about Council’s and its architect’s approach. This was an enlightening trip but without result to date. Challenged the Mayor and Council Officers, after years of procrastination, to resuscitate positive progress with Heritage Park projects in the face of an indication “no funding is available” in the foreseeable future, even for a planned permanent toilet block. Lodged two applications, in conjunction with Rotary, for grants under NSW Government’s Community Building Partnership Programme: •
To enable Castle Hill club’s funded 2005 Rotary centenary Project – the Heritage Park Convict Ceremonial Gateway off Banks Road – to proceed. This failed because
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•
Council would not contribute to the cost of groundwork. Negotiations continue for an alternative method. To construct a proposed Convict Barracks framework. Rejected on cost grounds.
Succeeded with a nomination of Warren Bowden for a NSW Government Heritage Volunteer award. Warren initiated Rotary’s Castle Hill Heritage Park Project in 1987 and has been directly involved ever since. He was presented with the Award for Cultural Heritage by the then Heritage Minister and now Premier, Kristina Keneally, at a ceremony in November. Gave strong support to historians in a dispute affecting the site, below Rouse Hill House, of the socalled “Battle of Vinegar Hill on March 5, 1804. A building development has hindered the vista of the site and talks were held with the Historic Houses Trust which proposes to build a visitor’s centre featuring the “battle”. Unless handled cooperatively, such a concept could seriously diminish the public significance of Castle Hill’s Rebellion interpretation of Heritage Park unless early, positive progress is made with the proposed Convict Interpretive Centre.
2010 -‐ 2011 Rotary International President: Ray Klinginsmith (Kirksville, Missouri, USA) RI President’s Theme: “Building Communities – Bridging Continents” Governor District 9680: George Papallo OAM (St Ives) Changeover celebrated on 26th July 2010
Board of Directors President: Terry O’Mara Immediate PP: Rod Williamson Secretary: Geoff Duffy Treasurer: John Barker Sgts-at-Arms: Warren Bowden/Ned Curac
President-Elect: Steve Macquarie Director Club: Hannibal Shabaz Director Community Service Projects: Mike Blair Director Outreach Service Projects: Steve Macquarie Director Membership: Rod Williamson Director PR: Bruce Allen Director Foundation: Paul Robinson
President’s report This is quite an occasion for me, the conclusion of a most successful year for our Club and for those we seek to serve. I would like to welcome all of our guests tonight – in particular, our partners, who make it possible for us to achieve whatever we do and who support our efforts in so many generous and practical ways. Thank you. A special welcome to District Governor George Papallo and Cathie – it is a delight to enjoy their visit with us tonight to join our celebrations. They are in the tender care of our own Past District Governor Bruce Allen and Dita. Welcome all. My reflection of the year leads me to a few key areas I would like to mention briefly this evening – a full report of the year by each Director and plans for our coming year will be the focus of discussions at our Club Assembly next week. The Club Plan prepared for this year included a message from RO President, Ray Klinginsmith – entitled “ Winds of Change”. It included this comment: • •
We are currently enjoying a culture of innovation at Rotary International. We have the ability to look at all of our programs and practices to see if they can be improved, even as we steadfastly maintain our core values.
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•
I hope many Rotarians will take advantage of this opportunity to identify and implement improvements in their clubs and Districts as well.
This encouragement to look at the way we “do” Rotary has been endorsed by our own District Governor, George Papallo OAM throughout the year, challenging the District at levels to look at this issue – both within Club affairs and at the Program level as well. Our Club embraced the RI Club Leadership Plan a few years ago – we began that process last time I was president in 2006/7. We introduced a new structure for the Board for the year, based on the RI Recommendations. Our experience certainly justifies the inclusion of Directors for The Rotary Foundation, Public Relations and Membership. However, our experience has revealed the unfair burden placed on one Director with responsibility for all Service Programs – leading to the creation of a Director, Outreach Projects, responsible for the Vocational, International & Youth portfolios. This leaves the full range of Community Service projects within the brief of the Director Community Service Projects. We have found that this works well, and I recommend that we continue that approach. I would like to express my appreciation to all of you for your support and encouragement throughout the year. My second term as President came as a bit of a surprise but it remains an honour to have the opportunity to serve our Club and our community once again in such an important way. In particular, the support of the Board – particularly PP Rod Williamson and PE Steve Macquarie – in managing the Club affairs during the time Lorraine and I were overseas last year. We had made firm plans long before and it was most generous of them to “mind the store” the way they did. My sincere thanks to them both. Each member of the Board has discharged his responsibilities with efficiency, dispatch and a strong commitment to Rotary Values & the Four Way Test. I say “HIS” responsibilities advisedly, since I was disappointed that I could not achieve a Board including one of our female members. May I encourage every one of these to nominate for and accept appointment to the Board in the future – you have much to offer. I have appreciated the patience and willingness of all members to address a range of difficult issues throughout the year so as to act in a practical way on challenges posed by the RI President. The discussions were robust and vigorous. They led to our decision to relocate to this new venue – the Castle Hill Country Club – in order to be able to try new approaches to our in-house meeting arrangements and the way we “do” Rotary generally. We were very well looked after at Springfield House and to leave there was a wrench for many – even so, we now have the opportunity to try out our new ways: the way about we go about it is up to all of us.
Let’s see what is possible Detailed comments on all of our program activities are not appropriate tonight but some achievements warrant attention this evening.
On Membership We started our 2010-2011 Rotary year with 33 Active members and 8 honorary members. During the year we had resignations from Phil Driscol, Ian Johns, Val Ludgate as Active members and Peter Johannsen from our Honorary list. We welcomed new members Jyn Chang, Maureen Law, Chiang Lim and Geoffrey Suters. At the moment we stand at 34 Active members with 7 honorary members. Our Friends of Rotary Initiative is growing slowly but steadily. Some of these are with us tonight. They are always welcome and support our programs in so many ways. Our sincere thanks to them all.
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On Club Administration It would be most remiss of me if I failed to acknowledge the amazing contribution made by Val Ludgate, now a Friend of Rotary, in her energetic and effective management of our Attendance recording and in her support to the Tour de Hills. She is amazing. So too is PP Peter Marcer and Carol who have produced our award-winning Bulletin throughout the year. Ever the quiet achievers, they have maintained our very high standards and they deserve our special thanks. Hannibal’s sparkling array of interesting and challenging speakers was a constant amazement to me throughout the year – Well done.
On Public Relations Bruce, once again, has brought his customary efficiency and passion to this role. Through the continuing support of The Hills News – particularly the support of Glynis Sheldrick, we received good publicity for our Tour de Hills Thanks & Presentation Night held at Castle Hill Country Club on 18th May and the Excellence in Teaching night as well. The updating and overhaul of our website remains a focus for the incoming Board and Rtn Chiang Lim has agreed to work on this project in the coming year.
On The Rotary Foundation Given the strong results from last Tour de Hills. Castle Hill Rotary donated $5000 to the Foundation. For next year, in addition to the $100 per member for personal giving, the Club will allocate $2000 to Polio Plus and $3000 to The Rotary Foundation. This year our Club has 17 Centurions, who are each contributing A$100 or more per year with at least 3 more renewals or joining in the pipeline so far. The Centurions includes 3 Paul Harris Society (PHS) members in our Club who are contributing a minimum of US$1000 each per year to the Foundation. At this stage note that we have 19 PHF recognitions currently registered to the Club, and one Benefactor. Our Club has 34,457 Foundation Recognition Points in credit.
On Outreach Projects On Youth After many adventures, our Exchange Student, Vasquez Ivanna Fiorella Abad (AKA Ivanna) is a delight to have in our care. Her arrival from Ecuador was delayed a fair bit but she is settling in very well. We said farewell - for the time being – to our delightful Fernanda in January. She was visited by her family at the end of her stay and I am certain that she just loved her stay in Australia – and learned much from our members as well. On Vocational Service Due to the sterling efforts of David Bull, David Sommerlad, Mike Hallen and Steve Macquarie we saw once again the success of our long-standing Awards in the Excellence in Teaching, Apprentice of the Year and Pride in Workmanship Awards evenings. These are very much valued by the recipients especially as their nominations frequently come from their peers and their employers. On International Service Our Membership includes the amazing Ron Marcus and the leadership of the RAWCS Program which has done so much to improve medical infrastructure in Nepal, Mongolia and Fiji as well. The Club has allocated $3500 this year for the construction of a dwelling in Fiji as part of the ROTAHOMES program, run by the Rotary Club of Lautoka, Fiji. We have been strong contributors to the Shelterbox Program which has won wide acclaim for its effectiveness internationally over the last several years.
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On Community Service Projects This has been a remarkably successful year, thanks to the leadership of Mike Blair and his team. I have had the opportunity to observe the professionalism and energy which Mike brought to the task of relocating and refreshing the amazing Tour de Hills Event which has, for the last 15 years, been based out of the Dural Country Club. Their support made the development of this hugely successful event possible and we have very much appreciated their contribution. Even so, the growth in the size of the event revealed the necessity to relocate the event to a larger venue – and the Rouse Hill Town Centre (aka GPT Group) became our new home. The 2011 event saw a record number of entries together with a record amount of receipts and sponsorship. The special evening on the 18th May to acknowledge all of our sponsors and also to present a number of charities and organisations the proceeds from this event. The total distribution of funds from the Tour de Hills project was approximately $70,000.00 – a fantastic result and effort by our Club. The principle grant of $40,000 was made to our beneficiary, the “Hear the Children” Organisation – formerly the Early Intervention Program at St Gabriel’s School for the Hearing Impaired. Our support for Police Legacy, the Rural Fire Service and the State Emergency Service continues. We have completed the Men’s Shed Project and have seen the development of a strong and vibrant support program in the Shire for the 80 or so senior men (and some women) whom use its services. It is now a self-managed, self-sustaining organisation, one of which we can be justly proud.
Woolworths North Doyalson Project We have completed our involvement in this project – an initiative by Hannibal Shabaz and driven by Dieter Regel. The work so many of you put in to prepare the site and catalogue the amazing amount of stock produced a result for us of about $8,000; and we have been successful in setting up a new arrangement between Woolworths and the Northlakes/Toukley Rotary Club to further develop this opportunity.
The Barbecue Program We have taken the initiative, at no small cost, to recognise the OH&S realities of our BBQ Program, always a steady fund-raiser but our equipment was dated and becoming an issue. We replaced the whole lot and have been able to sell the old gear and recover some of the costs. This enabled the tireless Phil Davis and Phil Dunn to drive their program to great success.
Showgate & The Hills Country Music Festival Showgate was another success this year. Again, we were given responsibility for the Castle Hill Show admission control and parking (not horses) with a “twist”. On Friday at 4:00pm, we closed the admission for the admission for entry to the Show and re-opened as admission for The Country Music Festival organised by The Hills Shire Council. This transition ran very smoothly and we picked up an additional $1500 for our efforts. The overall result was in the order of $8000. I am indebted to Jane Fisher for organising the loan from Living Choice – Glenhaven – of their mobile golf buggy for our use throughout the duration of the Show. Thank you, Jane. Thank you Phil (Dunn) once again for all your leadership and untiring effort – and to all the members of this and other Clubs who support this project each year.
Queensland Flood Appeal Who can forget the devastating floods that afflicted many parts of Queensland early this year? We received great assistance from the management of Castle Towers, who at very short notice, allowed us to carry out a fund-raising appeal which, over 2 days, enabled us to raise over $5000.
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Your Board decided that these funds were to be directed directly to a Rotary District/Club in the area most affected by this devastation, and PDG Bruce Allen was able to organise and ensure that this took place.
And in General We have commenced discussions with Supt. Paul Flugel and Insp. Paul Tickner (The Hills Local Area Command) regarding the establishment of a Police Officer of the Year Award, based on successful programs elsewhere in the Sydney area. Their response has been very enthusiastic and I have great hopes for such a constructive way to support Police in their difficult role. I must acknowledge the retirement from Board responsibilities (for the time being, I hope) of two of our most long-serving members – Treasurer John Barker PSM and Secretary Geoff Duffy. Their long and loyal service to our Club and to the District is to be commended. We owe them both a great gratitude for their commitment to service. Enjoy your (brief) respite, gentlemen – and, on behalf of all of us, we thank you for your tireless service of the Rotary ideal. It has been a most successful year – one I have enjoyed enormously. I have not been able to mention here many significant events, programs and activities we have undertaken most successfully. Time is a cruel master. I believe we have lived up to the challenge presented to us by our RI President and our District Governor George – I have no doubt that we shall continue to do so next year with the leadership of President Steve Macquarie and his Board. May I thank you all for your support and extend an invitation to anyone here who is not already a Rotarian to consider joining an organisation with an established reputation for doing useful things well – come and be part of it.
Treasurer’s report This position is responsible for the banking of Club funds, the payment of Club accounts, providing information to the Board to assist in the determination of member’s subscriptions and dinner fees and the overall cash flow management of the Club. Primary objectives are: • • • •
Collect membership fees due for each half-year in July and January. Collect dinner fees for each meeting. Follow up members who are AWOL at meetings for payment of fees. Keep accounts up to date and advise the Board and members of the current status each month.
Each of these objectives has been achieved, all members have paid their membership fees, outstanding dinner fees have been followed up and accounts received have been paid. Estimated account balances as at 25th June 2011 as compared with those as at 30th June 2010 are as follows: 30/06/2010
21/06/2011
$3,536.32
$4,289.19
$14,057.65
$22,201.23
$3,890.00
2,449.99
$359.75
$410.17
Heritage Park
$13,447.93
$13,958.64
Heritage Park (Term dep.)
$17,775.44
Administration Projects Tour de Hills Tour de Hills (Merch. A/c)
(27/1/11)
$18,397.60
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Foundation
Nil
Nil
The increase in the nett amount in the Administration account will be detailed in a review of that account which will be tabled at the Club Assembly. The Projects account includes amounts of $3,500 and $5000 set aside by the Board for the Fiji Rotahomes project and the Heritage Park Project (subject to conditions). List of major donations made in 2010/11: • • • • • • • • •
Hear The Children Rural Fire Service Police Legacy The Rotary Foundation Australian Rotary Health RYLA East Timor ROMAC $2,500 Special Olympics $2,000 RAWCS $1,000
$40,000 $5,000 $5,000 $7,000 $4,000 $2,000
The above list does not include amounts paid to other Clubs for assistance with projects, donations of less than $1,000.00, Bowelscan and Flood Relief donations.
Membership & Fellowship report We have had the privilege to welcome many visitors as prospective members throughout the year. Our website continues to play an important role in attracting visitors in addition to a personal invitation by a member. At the beginning of this Rotary year our Club comprised thirty-three members and during the year we welcomed an additional 4 new members: • • •
Maureen Law via our website, nominated by Bruce Allen Jyn Chang via our website and nominated by Rod Williamson Geoff Suters introduced and nominated by Ron Marcus
Unfortunately during the year our long-standing member Phil Driscoll resigned to join the Rotary Club of Moss Vale, given his relocation to the Southern Highlands. Ian Johns found that his new management role continued to prevent him from participating in Rotary and he also left our ranks. Whilst Val Ludgate decided to relinquish her membership she retains a valued relationship with the Club as a Friend of Rotary. Our honorary member, Peter Johannsen, also resigned. Accordingly. As at the Club Assembly on the 29th June 2011 we have thirty-four active members and 7 honorary members.
Friends of Rotary During our fellowship event at Living Choice we welcomed the Manager, Gail Eyers as a Friend of Rotary. President Terry presented Gail with a special certificate in recognition of her support to our Club. It is important that we do not overlook inviting these volunteers to participate in Club activities to ensure their interest in Rotary is not only maintained but that it grows so they may eventually become a member as is the case in regards to the membership of Kerrie O/Leary.
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Fellowship The following events were held during the year.
Zone Family Picnic Day – October The venue of Bella Vista Farm provided us with a great opportunity to partake in fellowship with members of other Clubs. Special thanks to the Friends of Bella Vista Farm (Keith Bensley), the Toongabbie Band (Alan Davis), Peter Ter Horst (Winston Hills Rotary Club) and Phil Dunn for their invaluable support.
Barefoot Bowls – November Initiated by Jane Fisher this event was well attended by members and partners. I am sure all who attended would agree it was a fantastic afternoon and are truly grateful to Living Choice and our hosts Gail Eyres and Jane Fisher including residents for their superb hospitality.
Christmas Party The management and staff of Geranium Cottage once again looked after us very well and with the favourable weather and great fellowship a most enjoyable night ensued.
New Year’s Eve A total of seventeen people comprising members/partners/guests attended this fellowship event at the Castle Hill Country Club and all seemed to enjoy the night.
Home Visits – January The three informal meetings at the Waterhouse, Andrew and Regel residences were well attended and from the feedback that I have received they were all considered to be a great afternoon/night of fellowship thanks to the warm hospitality of our hosts. Many thanks again to our generous hosts.
Jersey Boys – January Twenty-two persons including members/partners/guests attended this night at the Theatre Royal. A drink and pizza prior to the show was certainly a pleasant way to start the evening.
Sydney Dance Company – February This event was a great night thanks to Phil and Jenny Dunn and their daughter Ann, the Executive Director.
In Conclusion In conclusion I would like to thank the members of the Membership and Fellowship committees for their support and contribution.
Director’s reports This information formed the basis of the preceding President’s report as it relates to the various avenues of service. The reports below are the full Director’s reports as presented at the Club Assembly that followed on 27th July 2011.
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Outreach Projects Overall this Rotary year with President Terry has been an outstanding success. The introduction of the Outreach Director has proved to be successful and an ideal way to reorganise responsibilities within the Club. The Outreach Director looks after the programs that look outside our Club, Youth Service, Vocational Service and International Service. In the new Rotary year, 2011-12 this will be PP Peter Marcer’s portfolio.
Youth Service Ross Hood and his team have once again done a great job with the Youth portfolio. There have been many successful programs and events held during the year: • • •
• •
National Youth Science Forum – we had 3 candidates this year, Laura, Ashleigh and Shuin all of whom had a wonderful experience and we enjoyed their individual stories. RYDA – we had Club representatives at this important driver awareness program. Youth Exchange – Fernanda represented our Club very well as our Exchange Student. She was a joy to host and very much enjoyed her time in Australia. Fernanda returned to Brazil in January. We also welcomed Ivanna as our new Exchange Student from Ecuador, albeit a bit late but Ivanna seems to be settling in to Australian life quite well. Rotaract Club – despite our efforts the Rotaract Club seems to be waning under Ben’s leadership. In the New Year we will try to revive the Club. RYLA – Unfortunately our candidate fell through but we made a donation of $1,000 to support the RYLA program in East Timor.
Vocational Service PP Mike Hallen, with his team, has organised excellent events this year, being Apprentice of the Year, Pride in Workmanship and Excellence in Teaching. Thanks to the continued efforts of Mike Hallen, David Sommerlad and David Bull.
International Service The Club continues to support PP Ron Marcus and the leadership of the RAWCS program which has done so much to improve medical infrastructure in Nepal, Mongolia and Fiji as well. The Club has allocated $3,500 this year for the construction of a dwelling in Fiji as part of the Rotahomes project, run by the Rotary Club of Lautoka, Fiji. We have been strong contributors to the Shelterbox program which has won wide acclaim for its effectiveness Internationally over the last several years. We also made a donation of $1,000 to support the RYLA program in East Timor which is part Youth and part International Service.
The Rotary Foundation report This year our Club has seventeen Centurions, who are each contributing A$100 or more per year, with at least 3 more renewals or joining in the pipeline, compared with twenty-one last year. The Centurion count includes Paul Harris Society (PHS) members. There are 3 PHS members listed for our Club, who are contributing a minimum of US$1,000 each per year to the Foundation. At this stage I’m unaware of any Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) being awarded this year, but note that we have nineteen PHF recognitions currently registered to the Club, and one Benefactor. Our Club has 34,457 Foundation Recognition Points (FRPs). After an individual has accumulated US$1,000 in Recognition Amount and has become a PHF, they are eligible to receive one FRP form every US dollar contributed to the Annual Programs Fund, Polio Plus, or approved Matching Grant.
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Rotary Clubs and Districts receive FRPs immediately and need not reach the $1,000 Recognition Amount before being eligible to receive them. FRPs can be used to assist someone else in becoming a PHF or Multiple PHF. This year so far our Annual Giving total is $8,648, a drop of 16.3% on last year’s contribution. For Polio Plus, we’ve given $2,290.20 so far this year, and $8,851.20 since the program started in December 2007, which is ahead of the US$6,500 target in this year’s Club Plan. According to Lindsay May, our Polio contribution for the year was $19,790, which probably included Matching Grant money.
Service Projects report As I look back on the year, I am astounded as to what our Club has achieved. Your commitment to upholding the motto “Service Above Self” is reflected in the outstanding support all of you gave in supporting the various Community activities that we were involved in, and to this end I express my sincerest thanks to you all. In the Club’s Plan for 2010/2011 I conveyed a statement concerning the expected outcomes of Community Service Projects in the forthcoming year, i.e. “The significant benefit to the Rotary Club of Castle Hill will be the development of an effective and vibrant Club that will be more attractive to current and prospective new members”. As you will see from reading my report the efforts and results achieved fully reflect this challenge. You may recall that in the Club Plan a budget was incorporated where it outlined the proposed income and expenditure from various projects for the ensuing year. It projected an overall “loss” of $2,631. As advised, this budget was a working and movable document and was not set in concrete and the end result was that we achieved a considerable increase in the projected income than forecast. This was achieved by principal two factors: • •
A fourfold increase in revenue from Tour de Hills The success of the Woolworths/Doyalson project that was never envisaged the time the budget was prepared.
The year in revue Barbecues (PP Phil Davis) Once again Phil has kept us on our toes throughout the year with barbecues here, there and everywhere. Through his untiring efforts these events had a significant impact in terms of revenue for our Projects account. Phil, together with his loyal and trusted corporal PP Phil Dunn, has the great ability, organisational skills and coercive powers to entice us all to be there and to not only work, but also enjoy each ones friendship and fellowship. We also now have the “state of the art” barbecue and trailer and I must admit it is a far cry better than our old one which, when making comparisons, looks like it came out from Noah’s ark. Thank you both Phils for your fantastic efforts.
Showgate (PP Phil Dunn) Again we were given the responsibility for the Castle Hill Show admission control and parking (not horses) with a “twist”. On the Friday at 4:00pm we closed the admission for entry to the Show and re-opened as admission for the Country Music Festival organised by The Hills Shire Council. This transition ran very smoothly and we picked up an additional $1500 for our efforts. I am indebted to Jane Fisher for organising the loan from Living Choice, Glenhaven, of their mobile golf buggy for our use throughout the duration of the show. How Phil and President Terry enjoyed this! No longer did they have to use two feet to traverse the showground. Thank you, Jane. Thank you Phil once again for all your hard efforts, and to all of you who heard the call and assisted him.
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Queensland Flood Appeal Who can forget the devastating floods that afflicted many parts of Queensland early this year. I am indebted to the management of Castle Towers who, at very short notice, allowed us to carry out a fund raising appeal. Over two days we were able to raise more than $5000.00. Your Board decided that these funds were to be directed directly to a Rotary District. Club in the area most affected by this devastation, and PDG Bruce Allen was able to organise and ensure that this took place. My sincere thank you to all those who were able to assist with this collection at very short notice.
Woolworths/Doyalson (PP Hannibal Shabaz & Dieter Regel Don’t underestimate who Hannibal has contact with. This initiative by Hannibal came from his connections at Woolworths who have purchased a property at Doyalson which used to manufacture blocks, pavers, pipes and anything else that you can think of. The proposal from Woolworths was that we could have all the materials that were on the site and dispose of them as we saw fit. I don’t think we realised what we were in for until we visited the site to see what this was all about. To our amazement we could not believe how we were going to dispose of them. To the rescue came Dieter, who set about in a very businesslike manner gathering all the information, taking photographs, carrying out an on-site audit of all the products and then preparing a manifest. This was then given to “Greys On Line” to auction on their website with the proceeds of the auction coming to us, less of course, the appropriate fees for this service. The net result was about $9000.00. To you, Dieter, I sincerely express my thanks together with all of you who travelled up and down the coast to assist him in making this project such a great success, not only in the financial sense, but in a way that allowed us as a great service organisation to open up a dialogue and relationship with one of the biggest corporate companies in Australia.
Rotary & Wrap with Love (Rtn Marie Ford) Again we were asked by Rotary, Sydney Cove, to assist with the collection of knitted wraps from the Hills Shire. In 2010, Wrapt with Love dispatched 34,000 knitted wraps across the world and some eighty Rotary Clubs in NSW were involved in this great Community project. My sincere thanks to Marie Ford for coordinating the collection of these at her place, which enabled me to deliver them to the warehouse at Alexandria. Thank you, Marie.
Bowelscan (Hon. Rtn Neil Todd) Once again Neil Todd took on the role of organising the Bowelscan program on our behalf. This is a very important health program for the Community and we are indebted and grateful to Neil for coordinating and implementing this worthy project. Thank you, Neil.
Christmas in Hospital (PP Hannibal Shabaz) It has now become a custom of our Club to visit patients in our local hospital on Christmas morning to wish them well, and convey Christmas greetings to them. Each year Hannibal (or is it Joan?) beautifully wraps a small gift for us to deliver to each patient and any leftovers are given to the staff. The appreciation shown by patients and staff is overwhelming and this project, even though small in size, makes you feel good about being a Rotarian. Thank you, Hannibal.
Tour de Hills This year saw the Tour de Hills come of age. We have a new “naming rights” sponsor (Rouse Hill Town Centre – GPT Group) together with a brand new website with all the belts and whistles. The 2011 event saw a record number of entries together with a record amount of receipts and
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sponsorship. As members know we had a special evening on the 18th May to acknowledge all of our sponsors and also to present to a number of charities and organisations the proceeds from this event. The Board decided that the majority of these proceeds together with sponsorship monies raise by the riders be given to “Hear The Children” – an organisation which specialises in the treatment of hearing disabilities in babies and small children. This program was for some 25 years conducted by St Gabriel’s School for the Hearing Impaired and for reasons known only to the School they decided to cease providing the service. The total distribution of funds from this project was approx.. $75,000.00 – a fantastic result and effort by our Club. Yes, you can congratulate yourselves; you all deserve it. I personally want to express my deep appreciation and thanks to the members of my Committee, namely Gerry Larkin, Val Ludgate, John Cooper, Geoff Duffy and President Terry, who all have guided me through some difficult obstacles we encountered along the way especially with our preliminary negotiations with the RHTC, the change of venue and all the logistics involved. I also need to say a big thank you to Judy and Peter Ford, both Past Presidents of our Club, who still come to me each year offering their services. Thank you. Thank you.
In Conclusion In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to all of you for the support that you have afforded me throughout the year as your Service Projects Director. To President Terry and members of the Board, thank you for all your support in helping me to ensure the success of all our projects in the last year. Thank you for allowing me to be of service.
2011 -‐ 2012 Rotary International President: Kaylan Banerjee (Vapi, Gujarat, India) RI President’s Theme: “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity” Governor District 9680: David Rands (Beecroft) Changeover celebrated on 25th June 2011
Board of Directors President: Steve Macquarie Immediate PP Terry O’Mara Secretary: Paul Robinson Treasurer: Bruce Allen Sgts-at-Arms: Phil Davis/Dieter Regel
President-Elect: Paul Robinson Director Club: Rod Williamson Director Community Projects: Mike Blair Director Outreach Projects: Peter Marcer Director Membership: Terry O’Mara Director PR: Terry O’Mara Director Foundation: Bruce Allen
President’s report It’s hard to believe that 12 months has just passed and it’s time to hand over to PE Paul. There are so many people to thank for their efforts over the past year. First to thank is the Board. Having such an experienced Board makes the role President all that much easier. There have been some terrific Rotary events, once again professionally run, including Apprentice of the Year, Pride in Workmanship and Excellence in Teaching to name but a few. Special thanks to PP Rod Williamson for his dedicated efforts in Club Administration and the Country Club for looking after us so well. Our venue is fantastic and we continue to receive great feedback from guests and fellow Rotarians who visit. The service and food from the Club has been outstanding.
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Our meetings continue to be enjoyable with interesting guest speakers and great fellowship. Thanks to the raffle (David Bowles) and Sgt Phil, we have raised extra funds during the year in a lighthearted way. The visit by DG David Rands and his wife Anne was a highlight for me and we showcased our Club at its very best. David’s comments were wide-ranging and very positive, which is a credit to all of us. Like a lot of clubs, membership remains a challenge and as clubs we continue to work at increasing numbers. Thank you to the whole Club for your support, encouragement, words of wisdom and hard work through the programs and varied activities the Club is involved in. I am sure the next Rotary year will be as successful. This year’s Rotary International theme is “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity” reminds us now more than ever of the great work done by Rotary on a local level as well as internationally. I believe we have lived up to Kalyan’s vision this year by supporting our local community and the wider international community. I look forward to sharing another year of fellowship and service with all of you, this time as a Past President. In order for our Club to prosper, a full commitment is required from everyone. So get involved and take ownership of the Club’s projects during the next Rotary year under president Paul.
Secretary’s report The Board has met each month since its appointment except for a holiday period in January. Board papers have been retained by the Secretary, including all agendas and written Director’s reports where available. An AGM was held in December and records from that have been retained including audited financial reports, which are in the process of being registered with the Department of Fair Trading. The Insurance certificate was amended to include The Hills Shire Council and the RTA (which is now known as the RMS). A new Certificate has been requested for the 2012-2013 Rotary Club year. A significant effort was made to update the Club’s Constitution and Bylaws in 2011. These were presented to the Club at the last AGM in December, and were approved unanimously. These were registered with the Department of Fair Trading. The Club’s Charitable Fundraising Authority was renewed with the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing, and is now valid until 26/5/2017. The Club’s membership records were transferred to ClubRunner, which took extensive effort over many weeks early in the Rotary year. It is believed these are now up to date, however members birthdates (including year) are not all available to the Secretary, so are not reflected in ClubRunner. Members are encouraged to provide full birth date including year to the Secretary for inclusion in ClubRunner for Club membership management purposes. Alternatively, members can update their own individual details in ClubRunner themselves. This information is confidential to the member and the Board only. The Rotary Down Under subscription database online has been updated to reflect the present membership makeup. The Secretary has attended the District convention (sic), District Assembly, PETS training and the Rotary International Convention in Bangkok.
Service Projects report (PP Mike Blair) As I look back on the year, I am astounded as to what our Club has achieved. Your commitment to upholding the motto “Service Above Self” is reflected in the outstanding support all of you gave in supporting the various Community activities that we were all involved in, and to this end I express my sincerest thanks to you all. You may recall that in the Club Plan a budget was incorporated where it outlined the proposed income and expenditure from various projects for the ensuing year. It projected an overall “loss” of
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$145.00. As advised, this budget was a working and moveable document and was not set in concrete and the end result was that we achieved a considerable increase in the projected income than (was) forecast. This was achieved by principally two factors: • •
The better than expected revenue from Tour de Hills. Gross $92,000.00 The unexpected project of the Wiggles concerts which generated $13,000.00 of additional revenue.
The Year in Revue Barbecues (PP Phil Davis) Once again Phil has kept us on our toes throughout the year with barbecues here, there and everywhere. Through his untiring efforts these events has a significant impact in terms of revenue for our Projects Account. Phil, together with his loyal and trusted Corporeal PP Phil Dunn, has the great ability, organisational skills and coercive powers to entice us all to be there and not only work but enjoy each one’s friendship and fellowship. Apart from the normal fundraising barbecues, we provided a community service barbecue on 25th November for the foster parents and children of the Dalmar Homes and a typical Aussie breakfast on Australia Day at Heritage Park for the local community and Local Government and State Dignitaries. Thank you, Phil, for all your efforts.
Showgate (PP Phil Dunn) Again we were given the responsibility for the Castle Hill Show admission control and parking. I am indebted to Jane Fisher for organising the loan from Living Choice – Glenhaven- their mobile golf buggy for our use throughout the Show. Oh, how Phil and Past President Terry enjoyed this whilst it worked. No longer did they have to use two feet to traverse the showground. Thank you Jane. It was a great pity that the event was affected by so much rain ands as a consequence our revenue was reduced considerably. Thank you Phil once again for all your hard efforts and to all of you who heard the call and assisted him. The Club will have to address the issue of continuing to support this event for a number of reasons: • • •
The impact of the Show during of the Northwest Rail. The need to have a proper Traffic Management Plan to address this issue and to protect the wellbeing of all our Club members and volunteers. The negative impact on our revenue as a result of us (sic) having to call on other Clubs to assist us with manpower.
Australia Day (PP Phil Dunn) On the 26th January we celebrated our 1st National Day at heritage Park. It was a great pity that our local press advertised the wrong time and, as a consequence, we were only able to attract a small gathering of people. None the less it was a great occasion with our Mayor, deputy Mayor, Councillors and our Shire’s Youth Ambassador in attendance. I have no doubt that whilst this was our 1st time in celebrating this special day, whilst small, we will in the years to come make this a major event of Council’s Celebrations. Thank you Phil and Jenny for all your efforts in making it a great occasion.
Rotary & Wrap with Love (Rtn Marie Ford) Again we were asked by Rotary – Sydney Cove – to assist with the collection of knitted wraps from The Hills Shire. In 2011 Wrap with Love dispatched 70,000 knitted wraps across the world and some 80 Rotary Clubs in NSW were involved in this great Community project. My sincere thanks to Marie
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Ford for coordinating the collection of these to her place, which enabled me to deliver them to the warehouse at Alexandria. Thank you, Marie.
Bowelscan (Hon. Rotarian Neil Todd) Once again Neil took on the role of organising the Bowelscan program on our behalf. This is a very important health program for the Community and we are indebted and grateful for Neil in coordinating and implementing this worthy project.
Christmas in Hospital (PP Hannibal Shabaz) It has now become a custom of our Club to visit patients in our local hospital on Christmas morning to wish them well, and convey Christmas greetings to them. Each year Hannibal (or is it Joan?) beautifully wraps small gifts for us to deliver to each patient and any left over are given to the staff. The appreciation shown by the patients and staff is overwhelming and this project, even though small in size, you feel good about being a Rotarian.
Tour de Hills (PP Mike Blair) The 2012 event saw a near record number of entries together with a record amount of receipts and sponsorship. Considering that the event had to be postponed due to atrocious weather conditions and safety reasons it exceeded my expectations. As members know, we had a special evening on the 18th May to acknowledge all of our sponsors and also to present to a number of charities and organisations the proceeds from this event. The Board decided that the majority of these proceeds together with sponsorship monies raised by riders be given to Hear the Children. The total distribution of funds from this project was approximately $70,000.00, a fantastic result and effort by our Club. Yes you can congratulate yourselves you all deserve it. Personally I want to express my deep appreciation and thanks to the members of my Committee, namely John Cooper, Geoff Duffy, President Steve, Terry O’Mara, and John Barker who all have guided me through some difficult obstacles we encountered along the way, especially with our negotiations with our Webmasters. During the course of organising the event, I was able to co-opt onto the Committee President Steve, PP Terry O’Mara and PP John Barker. This became necessary in light of Gerry (Larkin) wanting to take a more back-seat role and enjoy his retirement with Carole. You deserve it Gerry after 17 years. I was delighted that the Board saw fit to award Gerry a Double Sapphire Paul Harris Fellow for the service he has given to our Club especially to the Tour de Hills. I also need to say a big “thank you” to Judy and Peter Ford, both Past Presidents of our Club, who still come to me each year offering their services. Thank you, thank you.
Conclusion In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to all of you for the support that you have afforded me throughout the year as your Service projects Director. To President Steve and members of the Board, thank you for all your support in helping me to ensure the success of all our projects in the last year. Thank you for allowing me to be of service.
Club Service/Administration report (PP Rod Williamson) Meeting Venue The Castle Hill Country Club continues to be an excellent venue providing us with tremendous service and meals at very reasonable cost. We are indeed very fortunate to have Cherie Seminov and Duncan Walker looking after us in addition to the management and other staff of the Club.
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Attendance Our attendance average in percentage terms is around 78% as advised by our Attendance Officer, Geoff Duffy. Members who are unable to attend meeting are reminded to lodge their apology with Val Ludgate no later than noon on the Tuesday before the meeting unless otherwise notified for special nights. Failure to do so means that we have to pay for meals unnecessarily and the Club’s Administration Account is “out of pocket” unless delinquent members subsequently pay the dinner fee. Many thanks to Val Ludgate for her assistance with attendance during the year. It is also very important to inform Val of guests attending so the staff of CHCC may ensure that there are sufficient meals on the evening as the gourmet meals are especially prepared for us.
Sergeant-‐at-‐Arms Our Sergeant-at-Arms, Phil Davis, has not only ensured that we behave at each meeting, he also entertained us with his joke of the week! Well done, Phil.
Bulletin Maureen (Law) has done a commendable job in producing the Bulletin promptly each week ensuring pertinent information is provided to members.
Program With the assistance of Ross hood I trust you will agree we have had the benefit of a balanced and interesting program for this year.
Raffle David Bowles with assistance of other members has ensured that our Club raffle has been held at each regular meeting. The proceeds have been applied to the Club Administration Account to help offset administration expenses and thus to contain member’s fees.
District Conference Unfortunately the District Conference held in Wollongong on the weekend of the 16th, 17th & 18th March 2011 conflicted with our Showgate duties. However, notwithstanding this, President Steve, Bruce and Dita, Paul and myself with our Exchange Student, Grace Cheng, were able to attend.
Equipment Officer Our Equipment Officer, Hannibal Shabaz, has conducted an audit of the Club’s property.
In conclusion In conclusion I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the above members and the other Rotarians who have made a contribution to this Avenue of Service.
Treasure’s report (PDG Bruce Allen) Administration account Opening balance $4,512.00. Activities for the year have progressed well with few problems. All dues have been paid, the Sergeant has performed well, the raffle produced revenue beyond budget and expenses have been
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well-controlled. Meals operated at break-even including guest costs which was a satisfactory outcome. Taking into account known commitments, the closing balance will be in the vicinity of $6.000.
Projects Account Opening balance $22,901.23. This was another busy year with good fundraising activity through Showgate, BBQs, the Wiggles Concert and Tour de Hills. In total, an amount of in excess of $100,000 was raised and distributed to our nominated charities and causes. The step to establish a separate Project Investment Account with funds at call was a worthwhile venture with additional revenue of approx. $300 being generated. Taking into account known commitments, the closing balance will be in the vicinity of $33,000. A large portion of these funds will be required to fund project activity in the first half of 2012/13 when fund generation is almost non-existent.
Tour de Hills Opening balance $2,449.99. The success of the 2012 Tour de Hills ensured that our ability to serve worthy causes has been maintained. Funds generated were distributed in line with our objectives and it was a most successful outcome. Taking into account known commitments, the closing balance will be in the vicinity of $6,500.
Heritage Park Opening balance $14,009.12. A grant of $55,198.00 from the State Government has considerably increased our chances of moving forward with our plans to erect a suitable gateway at the historic entrance to the park and discussions with Council are ongoing. We have established an at-call high interest cash account with St George Bank and this will generate additional income at the rate of $200 per month. The closing balance of this account will be in the vicinity of $66,000 with another $20,000 on term deposit with the Commonwealth Bank.
Castle Hill Foundation Opening balance $0.00. There has been no activity on this account during the year but $100 was transferred from the Administration account to establish the new account with St George. The closing balance is expected to be $93.46.
The Rotary Foundation report (PDG Bruce Allen) The year has been very successful in terms of participation and contributions. The Pin it for Polio program has been completed and members entered into the spirit of the event with enthusiasm. Our purchase of 100 pins has resulted in a contribution of $150 going to The Rotary Foundation in our Club’s name and additional funds have been paid in by members. So far $212 has been forwarded to The Foundation in member’s names and tax-deductable invoices will be issued. In addition to this and additional $150 has come from members. We were successful; with our nomination of Stephen Spierings as GSE team member and the program was completed satisfactorily. The experience would have been of enormous benefit to Stephen and will greatly improve his understanding of his vocation and standing within his industry.
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The GSE Farewell Dinner was successfully conducted on March 28th with 74 in attendance, 45 of those from other Clubs. Even allowing for the 20 guests, the night generated a slight surplus on meals and excellent revenue for the raffle. Out GSE team member, Steve Spierings attended as a guest and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Glynis Macri managed the week’s activities well and her efforts should be acknowledged. The proposal to jointly fund a project that will provide a constant supply of agricultural water for the village of Zinkapalem in Andrha Pradesh, India, has been put to Clubs and we should gather enough support to make this happen. We have missed the March 31st application deadline but will prepare a submission for consideration by the Board and for lodging in July. A Club contribution could be as little as $3,000 but is dependent on support from other Clubs. Our contribution for the year to date is $14,677.76 and is broken down as follows: • •
Annual Programs Fund – US$10,206.29 Polio Plus – US$4,471.47
Personal contributions were again strong with just over 50% of our contributions coming from members. We have three Paul Harris Society members and 15 paid-up Centurions with perhaps more to come.
Membership and Fellowship (IPP Terry O’Mara) The 2011/12 year has been a challenging and yet exciting one for the Rotary Family at Castle Hill. We have had great successes in a whole range of program areas due largely to the consistent and credible effort by the Board and members alike. May I express my appreciation to members and their partners for their support and encouragement throughout the year – especially the members of the Fellowship Committee. Even so, our efforts in the membership area have not been as we had hoped. Our current membership status is that we have: • • • •
27 Active members 3 Exempt Members 8 Honorary members, including Dominic Perrottet, MP for Castle Hill who joined us recently; and 11 Friends of Rotary, many of who have supported us strongly throughout the year – especially the amazing Val Ludgate.
On a happier note, Rtns Bev Cooney and Glynis Macri were inducted. Each is a boon to Castle Hill, evidencing the commitment in which we can rejoice. Bev is our President-Elect in the coming year and both have been elected to the Board for 2012/13. The year has seen the loss to our Rotary family of the following members: • • •
Karen Andrew and Gary Jane Fisher Geoff Suters
Each of these members made a special contribution to Club life and their loss is sore. Even so, the reasons for their decision to leave varied – being related to business, family and like pressures. Unless we are most fortunate, we may yet lose another member, Maureen Law, at the end of this year. In each case, a strong effort has been made to learn from the Club experience of each of these members and strive to address any issues of concern.
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One of the strategic priorities for our Club this year has been to use each Club activity as a means to stimulate a better understanding of the role which Rotary plays in our Community: to actively promote Rotary to the public on each and every occasion in which we are actively exposed. Some members seem to find that approach to be uncomfortable – in the same way that some of us are reluctant to approach suitable people about being in Rotary. Some members decline invitations to be part of the Board despite the compliment in the invitation itself. I believe the Club can only grow and flourish when we are all active in these ways. We have been approached by a number of people who have either been referred by others or by a contact with the Club via the website. Each has been followed up closely with several joining us for an initial dinner meeting as a Club guest. We have not had much success here and we need to consider why that is so and what we should be doing about it. We made a strong effort to stimulate public interest in membership with the special dinner meeting addressed by Ray Warren. This was supported well by Rotarians but despite all the effort, the result in terms of public support were modest. Despite my best efforts, I have not yet been able to implement the plan to approach the local, key organisations in relation to involving up-and-coming leaders in business with Rotary Community Service. Their Triple Bottom Line obligations suggest Woolworths, IBM and Rouse Hill Town Centre (RHTC) as appropriate focus points. Woolworths has appointed a new CEO and he is in transition. We sought to develop a new relationship with him but have had no success so far. We sought to develop a strong relationship with the GM of RHTC, Peter Francis, but he has been suddenly replaced by Leigh Dunn. So the process of relationship building begins again – largely informed by the Tour de Hills effort. I have suggested that we host a special “Canapés & Drinks” information evening in the coming year but this is a tough nut – perhaps one best addressed at Zone level. The District Assembly presented some good ideas but we seem to have a general reluctance amongst members to approach suitable people. And we have difficulty in holding the interest of people who do inquire about membership, even after they do visit us. These issues were addressed in some detail at the District Assembly this year: they are issues confronting all clubs – issues which we must all address personally. The foundation of Rotary Life is the combination of Community Service and fellowship. Each revolves around people of a like mind or like interests doing worthwhile things that are genuinely needed and doing them well, the first time. The camaraderie which flows from the achievement of worthwhile results in Community Service generates the emotional tone of our Rotary Family, expressed in good fellowship and mutual support. That’s why Membership and fellowship are not just the Board’s issue: they are elements in our Rotary life for which every one of us is responsible.
Fellowship Fellowship informs all these activities and is strengthened by them. The move to Castle Hill Country Club continues to reward us with excellent service, an excellent venue and uncommonly good meals. The enthusiasm and professionalism of Duncan Walker and Cherie Semionov is such that we owe them a strong vote of thanks. We have, during the year, enjoyed an evening at the Castle Hill Players; a crazy whist night; an interclub film night in support of TRF – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”; two joint meetings with other Clubs as well as hosting the GSE dinner and Home Meetings in January – thanks to the generosity of Dieter and Regine Regel, Hannibal & Joan Shabaz and Mike and Sue Blair. We very much appreciate their generosity. I have accepted the invitation to continue the focus on Membership in the 2012/13 year. I propose to continue to strive to address these issues with your support.
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Public Relations (IPP Terry O’Mara) I regret that it is not possible for me to present this report at Club Assembly in person: I am away on family matters interstate. Please accept my apologies. My special thanks go to Rtn Glynis Macri as the other half of the Public Relations team. She has brought a fresh enthusiasm and insight to the role and has accepted the Public Relations portfolio on the oncoming Board for 2012/13. Our media strategy for 2011/12 has been addressed with considerable success though, in some areas, progress is steady but slow. We have been particularly successful in the continuing strengthening of our relationship with the Fairfax media through the Hills News and the Tour de Hills event. They have published a considerable amount of material promoting Rotary and have ben a strong supporter in a variety of ways for both our Club and Rotary in general. The recent participation of journalist Stephen Spierings of the Hills News as a member of this year’s GSE Team to England should enhance these possibilities. As well, we enjoyed a strengthening relationship with Glenis Sheldrick at Faifax and their new local manager Sahim Yex, who will also attend the TdeH event this year. The Hills News has also been following up the development of the Police Officer of the Year awards planned for 2012. I have had discussions with the Police LAC Supt Flugel, Insp. Paul Tickner and lately with Insp. Helen Dean. There is a strong interest but the progress is gradual. Discussions with Hills Shire Council continue re the development of a more strategic relationship between the Council’s planning for community needs and the role we can play in responding to informed advice on that issue. Derailed discussions are ongoing but the key issue with them at this stage is the Heritage Park Development.
Outreach Projects report (PP Peter Marcer) Outreach Projects, being responsible for Youth, Vocational and International Service, has had a most interesting year.
New Generations (Youth) Under the direction of Rtn Ross Hood the year has been a busy one with many programs and events held during the year.
Youth Exchange Program Our Club hosted 2 students during this Rotary year. Ivanna Abad from Ecuador completed her exchange in January and unfortunately she was unable to attend the Safari due to her late arrival. Ivanna arrived with very little grasp of English but before long she became very fluent with our language. During the year Ivanna was hoisted by Geoff & Jan Duffy, Daisy Montaro and Steve & Soraya Macquarie and we thank them for making Ivanna’s exchange possible. In January our Club welcomed Grace Cheng (Taiwan) following her 6-month hosting by our sister Club, Glenhaven. Grace has thoroughly enjoyed her exchange and returns home on Saturday 7th July; we wish her well with her future studies. During Grace’s 6 months stay with our Club she has been hosted by Christine & Milan Zec, Carol and Peter Marcer and is currently living with Albert and Christina Kwan, parents of our Outbound student, Jonathon. We thank all families for their support in helping to make Grace’s exchange so enjoyable. This year our Club sponsored Outbound Student Jonathon Kwan to Finland and he is enjoying his exchange with the Seinäjoki (Törnävä) Rotary Club. We look forward to his return in January 2013 to hear of his experiences.
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RYDA Our Club supported the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) program by assisting with organising some 190 Oakhill College students who attended the St Ives precinct. Many thanks to those Rotarians who gave of their time and hopefully have contributed to better road safety for our young drivers.
RYLA Sara Dagg was sponsored by the Club to attend the 2012 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) week at Narrabeen. Sara returned to our Club with glowing reports and was grateful for the experience she gained. The Club supported the RYLA (Timor) program with a donation of $2000 to assist with running the program in their country.
NYSF This year our Club budgeted for 1 student to attend the NYSF (National Youth Science Forum) program. We nominated 2 students; Brian Gao and David Roshan from James Ruse High, and to our surprise both were selected for the program. However as time progressed both Brian and David withdrew from the program due to their selection in the world mathematics Olympian program. Unfortunately we were too late for any further nomination.
RYPEN Two students from Kellyville High School, Maria Russo and Matthew Ingleton, were selected to attend the RYPEN (Rotary Program of Enrichment) camp in February. Matthew later returned to our Club to tell of his weekend experience. Thanks to Rtn Ross Hood for his help throughout the year with the New Generations (Youth) programs.
Vocational Service During the year the Vocational team organised several events, the highlights being Apprentice of the Year, Pride in Workmanship and excellence in Teaching.
The Hills District Apprentice of the Year The annual Apprentice of the Year even was conducted in September. PP David Sommerlad and his team produced another outstanding evening that is always one of the Vocational highlights of our calendar. This year saw 2 worthy winners, Brendon Hillsley and Joel Wray, while Daniel Cross. Mitchell Giles and Luca Pettenon received Certificates of High Commendation. Our thanks to PP David for his continued support in organising this event.
Pride in Workmanship This year’s Pride in Workmanship Awards held in October again saw some worthy recipients from our local area. This year’s recipients were Darren Zec, Natalie Law, Michelle Grasinger and Margaret Gallagher. The evening was well attended with some seventy-five people in attendance.
Excellence in Teaching Rtn David Bull, ably supported by Lyn, again organised a most successful Excellence in Teaching Awards evening in March. Eight very impressive teachers were recognised for their professionalism and dedication to their profession and their students. Some ninety persons attended the night and this event continues to grow each year thanks to David’s and Lyn’s hard work and dedication.
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Vocational Visit Only 1 Vocational Visit was possible this year – to the Beer Factory in Seven Hills. It was an interesting evening with a light snack being provided on the premises.
International Service PP Ron Marcus continues to provide support for the ongoing Nepal projects with the replacement of the catheter laboratory at Dhulikhel Hospital. The Qld Government kindly donated a 10-year old Cath Lab ex Townsville Hospital. With the aid of a RAWCS project team, Ron arranged for the unit to be dismantled and shipped to Nepal. In late-March Ron and a team travelled to Nepal to install the system. Mention should also be made of the most generous donation by Peter Johannson and his Company, Willobee Floor Services, in supplying vinyl flooring etc. for the total area of the Laboratory as well as sending staff to carry out the installation of the sheeting.
2012 -‐ 2013 Rotary International President: Sakuji Tanaka (Kyoto, Japan) RI President’s Theme: “Peace Through Service” Governor District 9680: John Dodd (Ryde) Changeover celebrated on 4th June 2012
Board of Directors President: Paul Robinson Immediate PP: Steve Macquarie Secretary: Bev Cooney MacquariePDG Bruce Allen Treasurer: Director TRF: Bruce Allen Sgts-at-Arms: Mike Blair/Glynis Macri
President-Elect: Bev Cooney Director Club: Rod Williamson Director Community: Steve Macquarie Director Outreach Projects: Hannibal Shabaz Director Public Relations: Glynis Macri Director Membership: Terry O’Mara
President’s report It seems like only yesterday when I assumed the role of President of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill, and I entered into it with some reservations and uncertainty, however I had the collective wisdom of many Past Presidents to draw on in a pinch. And pinch a few I had to do from time to time! The Board, “My” Board and yours, has been fantastically supportive and there’ve been many memorable moments for me, with much learning along the way, and heaps of good will. I’ve always tried to steer a middle course that meets the views of all. Because even one dissenting voice tells me that maybe there’s something that could be done better, or considered further. Sometimes it needs only take one person to make a difference. So I’ve done a lot of listening, but in the end the buck stops with me if something has not gone according to plan. During the year we’ve had some outstanding events, which were very professionally run. The standout event for me was Tour de Hills (which is now a legally protected Registered Trade Mark of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill), which is our biggest and most popular annual community event, and allows us to make some enormous contributions to good causes. To see the energy, skill, enthusiasm and dedication, and the hours of sheer hard work Mike Blair and the Committee have put into this event, leaves me amazed! Mike has been helped by everyone in the Club, with Steve Macquarie
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understudying him to help into the future. Thanks Mike & Steve for all our successes there. Along with TdH we’ve had a lot of positive media exposure in the Hills News, and I’d like very much to thank Glynis Macri for her ongoing efforts to keep the public aware of our projects. Other projects that stand out are the inaugural Excellence in Policing awards, which generated a great deal of good will with the Local Area Command. Thanks to Terry O’Mara and the Committee for getting this up and running. The LAC is already enthusiastically engaged in collecting candidates for next awards, which your new President Bev will oversee. There are so very many other projects too, Apprentice of the Year, and the Teacher of the year awards as well. In the area of Club Administration PP Rod Williamson has been an achiever. He is helped on an ongoing basis by Friend of Rotary Val Ludgate (for meeting attendance and apologies) and Ross Hood (for guest speakers), and also by Geoff Duffy (who manages the attendance records). Bruce Allen as our Treasurer has tackled some very challenging issues head-on to keep our Club’s financial affairs in order, and has even taken on the Australian Tax Office to get a fairer go for our Club! In addition David Bowles has managed the Raffle nearly every week he’s been there, and Sergeant Mike Blair’s enthusiasm and attention to “details” is just awesome. And Phil Davis has always has the bulletins out on time, even when waiting for Paul’s Piece (apologies and thanks, Phil!). The Castle Hill Country Club is great venue, and the meals have always been of the highest standard I’ve experienced anywhere in Rotary. Even so, as we’ve been on the same arrangements for a couple of years now, they are naturally subject to review, and there are pressures to change the cost structure and/or the way we do things to help reduce costs. Rod will guide us more on that later. It was a privilege for our club to be invited to be the host Club for the historic Districts 9680+9690 to D9685 Changeover dinner. Details for registration are on our Club web site. Thanks to Terry for driving the details. Other achievements we’ve had were the “Showgate” event (parking and gate management for the Castle Hill Show). Steve Macquarie put a great effort into coordinating this, assisted by substantial help from others in the club and other clubs in the zone. We also sponsored the foundation of a new Probus Club of Castle Hill and District, at the Castle Hill Bowling Club (foundation memberships will close at their next meeting in early July, so get in now if you wish to be a Foundation member!). And we’ve had a number of Barbecues at various venues; I wish to thank Phil Davis and Phil Dunn for arranging and running these, and all those who chipped in and helped. In other matters, we’ve successfully completed the project for the erection of the ceremonial entrance gates for Heritage Park, at significant cost, mostly funded by a government grant obtained by the Castle Hill Historic Sites committee. This is one of those projects that was politically and diplomatically very difficult to get to completion, however I trust it will be seen as a lasting legacy to our future communities. More works at Heritage Park are under consideration by the Hills Council for the remaining allocated funds, and these will be considered on their merit, with the guidance of our community history experts. Hannibal Shabaz has also been very focused on youth matters and international projects. Although we’ve not had an incoming exchange student this year, it was great to hear feedback from our returning exchange student on his year in Finland, and also from the NYSF participants and RYLA attendees. As you know, we’ve announced that we’ll be hosting a foreign exchange student next year, so thanks to Geoff Duffy and Peter Marcer for putting those arrangements in place for us.
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I’d like to thank PE and Secretary Bev Cooney as well, for being my right-hand person in supporting the Club during so many Board meetings, minutes-taking and correspondence management and running Club meetings during my several absences. Bev will take over the reins of the Club next year, and I commend her to you all as your next President. Her humanitarian project in Peru, I hear, now has the documented support of the local Rotary District over there, so I’m sure we’ll soon be able to proceed with giving her project some meaningful, tangible support, as I promised at the outset. And there’s still more, not enough room to write everything up; such as our support for the Special Olympics, and sending stock feed to the Coonabarabran farm fire victims, and our Club members are winning awards and accolades in other Rotary areas such as RAWCS (with David Sommerlad’s Meritorious Service award and Ron Marcus praised for his 71 or more overseas humanitarian projects), and Neil Todd’s support of the BowelCare project. We’ve had joint meetings with other clubs, including the celebration of the 20th anniversary of our “daughter” club of Glenhaven. There’s been a number of Vocational visits, such as Costco and to the Children’s Medical Research Institute at Westmead, and several home visits. And our annual support of the Christmas Day hospital visits is always appreciated by the patients unlucky enough to remain so ill on that day. We have very much to be proud of in our achievements in this Club, and everyone is a highly valued contributor, whether mentioned here specifically or not. Thanks to all for your support throughout this year. Also thanks and welcome to the new incoming Board, and I trust you will all give PE Bev, your new President, your solid and constructive support into the next Rotary year.
STOP PRESS! Bev Cooney, President Elect for the Rotary Club of Castle Hill, was awarded an Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours List today (10th June 2013) for her humanitarian aid projects in Peru. She has just returned from Peru after yet another trip there related to her school and hospital. The award is well deserved, and we are all very proud of her! It's a wonderful tribute to a lifetime of dedicated service.
Treasurer’s report Account balances – 31st May 2013 Account
Bank Balance
Club Balance
$4,937.40
$4,805.40
Project
$10,419.12
$10,022.48
Project– Investment
$16,025.70
$16,025.75
$900.69
$900.69
Tour de Hills
$18,190.21
$15,930.21
Heritage Park
$102.07
$102.07
Heritage Park – Investment
$17,294.68
$17,294.68
Heritage Park CBA
$20,647.38
$20,647.38
Administration
Castle Hill Rotary Foundation
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TOTAL BALANCES
$88,517.25
$85,728.66
Foundation Director’s report Humanitarian This year has been very busy although some of our traditional activities have not occurred. Our participation in the matching grant process has been strong with support of the Hills/Kellyville program to install irrigation dams and canals in farming lands of the village of Zinkapalem in India and being the lead club in the provision of a bus for the Brett Lee Foundation, also in India. The dams will allow cultivation of the communities rice fields throughout the long, hot summer months and the bus will provide education and music learning opportunities for countless numbers of children in rural India who would otherwise go without. Further programs are under consideration. We are looking at the possibility of supporting the Galston Club on a project to provide a bus for an organization that provides refuge, education and employment for children as risk to slavery and child prostitution and we are considering another water and sanitation project. Both projects are in India. We are also looking at ways and means for The Rotary Foundation to support Bev Cooney’s Peru project and are hopeful this can be accomplished.
Educational We did not participate in Group Study Exchange this year which was disappointing. We did not nominate a candidate and we were not asked to host any team members or manage any of the functions. This was an opportunity to offer a young person from our community an exceptional opportunity of personal and professional development and we should work harder in this regard should the opportunity again arise. Also, we did not identify any candidates for Ambassadorial Scholars or Peace Scholars applications, both of which are free of expense for our club.
Contributions At the end of May our contribution levels are: Annual Fund: Other Funds: Total Contributions:
$16,511 $28,466 $44,977
Annual Fund Club contributions amounted to $11,000 with the balance coming from members’ personal contributions. We have 3 Paul Harris Society members and 12 Centurions although it is expected that an additional three Centurion payments will be made before the end of June. Fourteen of our members have contributed personally and this should rise to seventeen. We have one Major Donor and one Bequest Society member in our club. At this stage, our club is leading the district in the Foundation Cup which is based on Per Capita giving. That’s average per member contribution to the
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Annual Fund. We currently sit at $569.33 per member but we could be run down later in June by some of the more “competitive” clubs.
Other Funds We received an anonymous donation of $25,000 from outside the club through our Club Foundation and this was used for the Brett Lee “Mewsic” project. Other contributions were for the Hills/Kellyville dam project and our usual strong support of polio eradication.
Future Vision We start a whole new process in July with the roll-out of the Future Vision. More money will be available from District Grant funds and we should take advantage of this to support local community projects. Global Grants (replacing matching grants) will be a minimum of $15,000 and this will probably see us working with groups of clubs to achieve anything worthwhile. Our opportunities will embrace Peru, India, Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Nepal and we need to form partnerships with other district 9685 clubs to achieve success. The Scholarship program has far more flexibility and we should keep searching for ways to assist our local community through this program.
Club Administration report Meeting Venue The Castle Hill Country Club continues to be an excellent venue providing us with tremendous service and meals at a very reasonable cost. Given that the current price of the meal was negotiated with the CHCC in May 2010, notwithstanding that we did not have our first meeting at the CHCC until 23 March 2011, we have indeed been very fortunate to have the original price retained up to the present time. Appropriately the CHCC has now found it necessary to increase the price of the meal and negotiations have taken place with the management. Accordingly at this Club Assembly I will be presenting the options that are available for the member’s consideration.
Attendance Our average attendance in percentage terms is around 74% as advised by our attendance officer Geoff Duffy. Members who are unable to attend a meeting are reminded to lodge their apology with Val Ludgate no later than noon on the Tuesday before the meeting unless otherwise notified for special nights. Failure to do so means that we have to pay for meals unnecessarily and the Club’s administration is “out of pocket “ unless the delinquent member subsequently pays the dinner fee.
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It is also just as important to inform Val of guests attending so the staff of CHCC may ensure that there are sufficient meals on the evening as the gourmet meals are especially prepared for us. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Val Ludgate for her ongoing support in taking apologies and guest attendance for each meeting.
Sergeant-‐at-‐Arms Our Sergeant-at-Arms Mike Blair has entertained us with lively fine sessions, ably supported by Glynis Macri when he has not been able to attend meetings, ensuring our Administration account remains healthy.
Web Site Glynis Macri has endeavoured to keep our site up to date. However it is evident that a revamp of the site is necessary to make it user friendly and this will be pursued in the early part of the next Rotary year.
Bulletin Phil Davies has done a commendable job in producing the bulletin promptly each week ensuring pertinent information is provided to members in addition to a summary of the previous week’s meeting with some great photographs and jokes.
Program I trust you will agree that with the support of Ross Hood we have had the benefit of a balanced and interesting program for this year.
Raffle David Bowles with the assistance of others members on occasions has ensured that our club raffle has been held regularly at meetings. The proceeds have been applied to the Club Administration account to help offset administration expenses and thus assist to contain member’s fees. In conclusion I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the above members and the other Rotarians who have made a contribution to this avenue of service.
Membership report Membership In presenting our Club Plan for 2012-2013, I asked members to consider the reasons why we joined Rotary in the first place - and to consider the appropriateness of each of us doing all we could to invite others to adopt the lifestyle of Community Service that is Rotary as we know it.
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Most of us joined Rotary because we were invited to do so and we came to understand that Rotary is an organisation which does useful things well. Almost universally, we are still members because that remains true. Rotary faces a range of challenges in relation to refreshing our membership, nurturing new members and supporting those already committed. The changing nature of our society presents these challenges which face ALL community service and/or volunteer organisations. Some have disappeared and most are undergoing fundamental change – albeit change of a constructive kind. We are no exception. We need to accept the challenge to refresh our ways of “doing” Rotary so we can present a way of life we value so much to all those we meet who have “the right stuff”. Rotary is not for everyone but it offers much to those game enough to embrace it. We need to work with the Board to address sensible and considered change; to have the courage to try new ideas: and to be part of the solution. Our target for the year was set at a minimum of 5 new members and we have had some success. I proposed a number of initiatives: •
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•
•
•
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Maximising the potential of our new venue and the options for flexible meeting arrangements The Castle Hill CC has proven to be an excellent venue with demonstrated commitment to quality service and cuisine. We have the best venue in the District in my view: due in no small part to the professional excellence of Duncan Walker, House Manager, Paul Bacon, Head Chef and Cherie Semionov, Bar and Functions Supervisor. We owe them our thanks and appreciation of all their support. Continue to identify and engage with businesses/corporations likely to appreciate the “Triple Bottom Line” potential for Rotary Membership for its upwardly mobile staff. This continues to be a tough nut to crack and we have not succeeded as I had hoped. We should continue to access the Woolworths Headquarters and the Sydney Business Chamber et al, as I am sure that success will go to the persistent not the quick. Continue to distribute the Humanity In Motion publication and other related material as a means of creating an interest, informing organizations and prospective members of Rotary and its contribution to society. This has been done. Encourage Club members to take seriously their obligation to identify and engage with potential Rotarians: to share the Rotary they enjoy so much. Several people have expressed an interest in joining our Rotary Family but none have come to fruition so far. All have been actively followed up but the weekly commitment and the probable costs have thwarted us amid a time poor community. We have gained valued new members in Anil Da Silva and Garry Hudson. They demonstrate that the talent and the quality are there: we need to be better at finding the people we need. Marion Beamish joined us but resigned due to family commitments. Dominic Perrottet, MP was pleased to accept Honorary Membership. I have prepared a policy paper for the Board on Honorary Membership in our club. Develop the potential of our involvement in community service projects to promote awareness of and interest in Rotary. These remain our consistent approach as all activities are seen as an opportunity to promote Rotary to the General Public Refresh the Club Website so that it is a more relevant and professional tool for us all to use.
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•
• • • •
• •
The Website remains under development and will need active review in the new District 9685 arrangements. Ensure current membership is retained by each of us being mindful of the others, recognising challenges which threaten membership and being proactive in addressing them. My experience has been that members in general are actively conscious of the other members and their circumstances. We have had a number of members who have suffered illness or personal loss and the concerned response of the others has been both sensitive and compassionate. Encouraging each member’s participation in Club activities, Ensuring an interesting, affordable and stimulating program appropriate for partners, members and guests alike. Identifying and responding to the reasons for non-participation. Members do positively support club activity in community service projects and we maintain our reputation for quality outcomes in these projects despite an ageing membership and the consequences of that. It has been my experience that members are often reluctant to attend events outside the normal dinner meetings at CHCC: some nearly always go – some rarely do. Identifying and investigating factors which may lead to resignation and responding intelligently. We also lost the membership of John and Rigmor Stuart on relocation to the Southern Tablelands. We will miss their enthusiastic and active contribution to club life. Similarly, Ned Curac, a valued and long serving member relocated to Europe for family reasons. The retirement of Barry Allsop was also a great loss. Chiang Lim also resigned due to business pressures.
Membership numbers now stand at 28 Active Members and 7 Honorary Members including Graeme Brangwin.
Friends of Rotary This is a program designed to provide a way for people who cannot be formal members but who, for a range of reasons, still seek to serve our community as a volunteer in our Club Programs. We will continue to offer Friends of Rotary involvement to all those for whom it is appropriate, and to continue to identify new potential “Friends”. There are currently 10 Friends of Rotary including John Stuart. The full list of these is under review.
Fellowship Fellowship is a key foundation of Rotary life. It is an important way for our partners to enjoy the Rotary Family: The leadership of Peter and Carol Marcer offset my absence overseas for nearly two months in late 2012. My thanks for all their efforts and the support of the Fellowship Committee. We enjoyed the Christmas Party at a new venue in Dural - thanks to Dieter Regel - and home visits arranged for January. Other activities include hosting the innovative Zone Visit by the DG in August and a vocational visit to Costco in Auburn in October. In November, a Rotary Raffle Quiz was held. February 13th saw a Valentines Day social function and on February 20, a special visit to the Children’s Medical Research Institute at Westmead Hospital. We visited St Ives Rotary Club at
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Pymble in March and in May we visited Glenhaven R.C. to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of our daughter club. Even so, we have a tendency for attendance to drop whenever we arrange an activity away from the CHCC: please consider your ideas on how this can be best addressed so that: • • •
Each of us benefits from our program of fellowship activities. Each of us has a contribution to make to it. Each of us accepts our responsibility to make it happen.
The Fellowship Committee has met to plan the Changeover Dinner for 29 June, 2013. The Choristers have been arranged. Rod is following up re the Menu. President Paul and P/E Bev Cooney are finalising the program which will include the Ladies Barbershop Quartet “Take Note’ who are members of the Sweet Adelines Chorus: ”Aurora Australis”. The incoming District Governor has requested that CHRC take a key role in the District 9685 Changeover Dinner at Castle Hill RSL on 5 July. This arose at very short notice and follows the collapse of other arrangements. The full support of all members will be essential for the success of this special event. The club hosted a number of Major Events this year following our Program commitments to Excellence in Teaching, Pride in Workmanship, Apprentice of the Year Awards. We have inaugurated the Excellence in Policing Awards as well so as to support the overall state program and we will be involved again in 2013/2014. Senior Police have very much appreciated this initiative and the support of Police at all levels has been strong. I will not be a member of the Board next year. I believe a fresh approach to these vital areas of club life is essential. I wish to express my appreciation to the Board(s) over the last several years for their support and my encouragement for their efforts in the future with my support.
Outreach Director’s Report There has not been any inbound or outbound Youth Exchange student program this year, so no allocation of funds was allowed for this. During April’s board meeting, it was decided that the club would be involved in hosting an exchange student from Mexico for the 2013-2014 year, so Geoff Duffy and Peter Marcer are making the necessary arrangements. Rotarian Ross Hood has the following programs in good hands: • • • • • •
Marian Beamish and I presented Roy Martin Awards on 10th December to Castle Hill High to Jacqueline Hanh My Nguyen. We attended Costco as our first vocational visit for the year with 29 attendees having a good time. Six of our members were present to help the Salvation Army Door Knock Appeal. We attended RYDA at Homebush Tennis Centre. PP David Sommerlad organised the ‘Apprentice of the Year Award’ and what an amazing night we had. David Bull organised a magnificent night for Teacher of the Year Awards.
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25 Rotarians and their friends including President Paul’s father John, brother, and sister in law were welcomed by Jennifer Phillips at CMRI at Westmead. We all had a fantastic night. PP Peter Marcer organised the ‘Pride in Workmanship’ Awards for the 24th October 2012 for 5 recipients, and another successful night was had. PP Terry O’Mara, and in his absence PP Peter Marcer organised the ‘Excellence in Policing Awards’ for 3rd October 2012 with the night being enjoyed by all. Area Youth Activity under the chairmanship of Ross Hood, was as follows: RYLA: Tess Cocks attended at Vision Valley and Ross Hood took her to RYLA dinner party at Dural Country Club RYPEN: Anna Caisley and Rowan Simpson attended in January NYSF: The following spent 2 weeks in Canberra: Rachel Gibbons, Ramit Narula and Alex Colli. Youth Exchange: Jonathon Kwon returned home after a year in Finland.
Projects Director’s Report I would like to start by apologising for the difficulties I have experienced in the last six months, I never been through such a turbulent period in my work career. It has meant that I have not been able to attend as many meetings as I would have liked but I have managed to attend most Board meetings and Club events. The following members have helped me enormously, President Paul, Rod Williamson, Terry O’Mara, Mike Blair, Glynis Macri, Phil Davis and Phil Dunn all of whom have rallied to help me. I would also like to acknowledge the encouragement I have received from all of the members of the Club. Once again the Club has worked very well this year and continued to promote all of our worthwhile fundraising and community projects.
Tour de Hills Thanks to Mike Blair and his dedicated team this year’s event went like clockwork and even though the event was once again delayed due to rain and numbers were down we had a terrific event and revenue was up. This brings to an end the three-year deal with Rouse Hill Town Centre and we look forward to a new sponsor and possibly a new venue in 2014. The appreciation night was held and money dispersed to our chosen charities.
Show Gate This year’s show was well organised by Phil Dunn and his marshals (Mike Blair, Terry O’Mara and Steve Macquarie) and well attended by not only our members but Rotarians from most clubs in the zone. Unfortunately the show was down on numbers and hence our earning but we still raised much need revenue for the Club.
BBQ’s Phil Davis is amazing at rallying the troops and rostering everyone to a shift. It’s a very difficult job to estimate supplies and keep the whole operation going. Some very successful, others not so but we are out there in the community showing our faces and raising funds. I have enjoyed the fellowship,
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mateship and rib tickling at every BBQ I attended. Phil Dunn is trying to organise a maintenance working bee on the trailer so please give him your support.
Wrap with love Marie Ford has so willing given her time to this terrific project which seems to grow every year and with help from Hannibal has organised the delivery of the blankets.
Bowel Scan Neil Todd has once again put his energies into this great community project and thanks to our members who supported Neil to collect and return the kits while he was away. I would also like to acknowledge the help of my three fantastic children who have happily donated their time to many of our activities.
Public Relations Report The last twelve months have seen successful coverage of the Tour De Hills and also the Local Area Command Police night where various policemen and women received awards for their valuable contribution to the local area. Follow up publicity was also given for one of the teachers from the awards night although we didn't seek it. Not so successful was the “Grain to Coonabarabran” donation which was disappointing as I sent photos and editorial. We have also finally succeeded in changing our contact details in both local papers which proved more difficult than it should have been. Our website has languished a little bit this year as it has been redesigned and I have been unable to access the administration log in. However, I have got that on my list of things to do. A new Rotary year will soon be upon us and I have plans to expand our public relations into new areas not just the local papers, anywhere where I feel there is relevance to what we are doing. This will help with getting the word out there and also our membership, where I hope to see an increase in the next year. May I thank various members who have helped me out this year and I hope that the New Rotary Year will see us being even more successful.
2013 -‐ 2014 Rotary International President: Ron D. Burton (Norman, Oklahoma, USA) RI President’s Theme: “Engage Rotary - Change Lives” Governor District 9680: Graeme Davies (Kincumber) Changeover celebrated on 29th June 2013
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Board of Directors President: Bev Cooney Immediate PP: Paul Robinson Secretary: Paul Robinson MacquarieGary Hudson Treasurer: Director TRF: Bruce Allen Sgts-at-Arms: Mike Blair/Glynis Macri
President-Elect: Mike Blair Director Club: Rod Williamson Director Community: Hannibal Shabaz Director Outreach Projects: Peter Marcer Director Public Relations: Director Membership: Paul Robinson
President’s report It is rather hard to believe the year is almost over. I would like to thank all of those members of the board who gave me fantastic support. There have been a few ups and down but like all things that last for a year it comes to an end really quickly. As a club we have achieved much and I wish the next board well in all they do. We started the year with the Breast Cancer Brunch and donated $1700 to the Breast Cancer Institute. Then with the Pride in Workmanship, Excellence in Policing, Excellence in Teaching, Apprentice of the Year Awards and the Youth Projects we had a great year. Our Exchange Student Santy has been fun and it has been great to see him grow into a lovely young man. I hope Santy, that we have the opportunity to see you again sometime in the future. At the beginning of the year there were a few who were worried about the price of the meals and I am hoping that most are happy with the arrangements today. I would like to thank the club for the hard work that you have put in to make this world a better place for those less fortunate than us.
Secretary’s report No written report available.
Treasurer’s report Account Balances 2013/14 Account Administration Project Project Investment Tour de Hills Heritage Park Heritage Park Investment Castle Hill Foundation Club Administration Revenue Meals Dues Raffle Fines Movies ATO Refund
Opening 1/07/13 6409.53 10605.66
Closing 30/06/14 7895.97 24061.71
16057.31 15940.76 102.07 17335.19 1250.69 $67701.21
16386.27 5035.7 102.07 17789.21 21253.15 $92524.08 Projects Account Revenue Breast Cancer Brunch TDH Sponsorship BBQ revenue Bank Interest Police Awards Dinners Rebecca Spillane
30,840.00 6,560.00 2,095.00 1,391.00 420.00 643.00
2,160.00 44,120.00 6,520.00 781.00 2,026.00 750.00
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Bank refund Bank interest TDH Entries YES Meals Miscellaneous
Expenditure Castle Hill Country Club Madison Aust. Hotel and Brewery ATO payments Transfer to TDH District 9685 Rotary International Rotary Down Under Bank charges Miscellaneous
330.00 29.00 45,775.00 1,205.00 2,050.00 $91,338.00
Bowel care kits Parking revenue NYSF contribution TDH Transfer TDH Entry fees Castle Hill Show Vinegar Hill Transfer Miscellaneous
30,638.00 528.00 720.00 188.00 45,775.00 2,294.00 1,862.00 1,120.00 1,107.00 8,518.00 $92,750.00
Expenditure Bowel Care Kits Breast Cancer Brunch Jacki Murphy Police Award dinner BBQ Supplies Tour de Hills expense Transfer to TDH account NYSF Fees Breast Cancer institute RYPEN RYLA Rotaract Motor Neurone Research The Rotary Foundation Australian Brewery Showgate – Other Clubs Rural Fire Service Police Legacy YES Dinners TDH Guest dinners Miscellaneous
7,670.00 3,500.00 1,250.00 45,775.00 3,712.00 12,642.00 20,000.00 2,258.00 $153,164.00
6,020.00 882.00 2,100.00 2,460.00 2,080.00 42,524.00 15,000.00 4,990.00 1,718.00 640.00 815.00 200.00 37,000.00 8,000.00 3,675.00 5,668.00 5,000.00 500.00 1,205.00 1,960.00 1,773.00 $144,210.00
Membership Report No written report available.
Foundation Director’s report Contributions While somewhat less than last year, our contribution remained strong and the club’s support of our own organisation’s charity is still among the best in the district, if not Australia. While the month of June has not yet been completed as this report is written, the conservative estimates for the year’s contributions are: Annual Fund US$12,200 Polio US$2,000 Grant projects US$0 Endowment Fund US$9 TOTAL US$14,209 Twelve of our members have contributed personally and it expected that this will increase to twenty by the end of June. Most contribute through the Centurion program at A$100 per year but we have
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three members contributing at the US$1,000 level per year. All three are members of the Paul Harris Society. In total, members’ contributions will amount to in excess of $7,000, around half of the club’s total contribution.
Projects Prajwala This proposal involves the purchase of a bus to transport former child sex trade girls from their refuge (Prajwala) to the organisation’s vocational training facility and to the various courts for the giving of evidence against their former ‘owners’. Our attempts to secure a global grant from The Rotary Foundation failed due to the lack of sustainability in the proposal but the district has committed $5,000 to supplement the $5,000 from RC Galston and the $4,000 from RC Castle Hill. The overall cost of the bus is close to $40,000 and RC Secunderabad is attempting to fill the gap. It’s possible that we may have to source additional funding and if this is the case we will approach other clubs to join us.
MEWSIC This project was developed to provide a bus to take education out to rural villages in India and encourage a great level of interest in music and general education. The program is one developed by the Brett Lee Foundation and Brett takes a very active role in all aspects. Our club was a major contributor last year through an anonymous donor and Castle Hill Club has taken the credit for the program. Brett mentioned our club several times during his presentation at the recent 2014 Sydney Convention and we anticipate this will encourage a higher level of interest from clubs around the world. The Rotary Foundation’s contribution to this project was US$25,000.
Zinkapalem We participated in a project to build dams to ensure the effective harvesting of monsoonal rains to provide water for irrigation purposes for the village’s rice crop. This project has now been successfully concluded and the first harvest in many years has been brought in. The economic future of the village and its residents has now been assured for many years to come. The Rotary Foundation’s contribution to this project was US$12,809.
Low cost housing A ‘low cost’ house can cost up to US$3,000 in rural India but the Government is heavily subsidizing building and a contribution of US$600 can provide a two room plus kitchen house and a septic system toilet . The houses are concrete slab and roof with brick walls and are considerably superior to the old style houses (tree branches and cow dung walls with earth floor.) Following a visit to India with his father, non-Rotarian Stuart Allen was so taken by the plight of these people he decided to act. A recently conducted fund-raising auction night within his community raised $6,800 which is enough to finance eleven houses. At this stage this is not a Foundation project but an application will be submitted to district to provide District Grant funding for more houses. Clubs in district 9685 will also be approached with a proposal to consider donating US$600 to but one house each.
Movie Night Our club participated strongly in the movie night held on February 19th 2014 and a total of $600 was raised by our club towards the End Polio Now program. The movie (The Monuments Men) was well accepted and enjoyed by all.
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Opportunities Vocational Training Teams (VTT) Our club should give serious thought to the development of a VTT to carry out some of the work already being undertaken. A potential project is the one regularly undertaken by Bev Cooney in Peru when teams of non-Rotarian medical and education experts visit to deliver the required programs. Another use could be the installation of cath. labs undertaken by Ron Marcus and his team. There are overwhelming needs right across the developing world and we should be constantly looking for ways to service these needs in the most effective way.
Peace Scholars The Peace Program provides an opportunity for young and not so young people interested in working in the areas of peace and conflict resolution. The program involves a two-year Master’s degree program at an overseas university and the cost to club, district and participant is zero. Finding the right candidates could be a challenge but it’s a great opportunity for our club to continue the struggle against conflict at no cost.
Centurion program Our club supports this program strongly but we still have less than half the members engaged. The cost is only A$100 per year ($1.92 a week) but it has the power to do so much. $100 will purchase approx. 140 polio vaccines and as there are 5 deaths for every 100 children contracting polio, that $100 is really saving seven lives a year.
Recognition Per Capita Giving – During this current year we received an award from The Rotary Foundation as the highest Per Capita giving club in district 9680. Our result was US$590.23 and landed us in the Top Ten bracket in Australia.
Outreach Project Director’s report Vocational Service Pride in Workmanship Awards Pride in Workmanship was held on in February where we recognised Louise Tebble, Mary Jane Desmond and Megan Brennan for their extra efforts with their vocations, thank you to those Rotarians who nominated the above recipients.
Apprentice of the year This years Apprentice of the year Awards was not held due to the lack of support from TAFE, the nominations finally received and it was felt they were not of sufficient high standard for the award.
Excellence in Teaching The Excellence in Teaching night was held on 19th March with 10 teachers from our District being recognised; David and Lyn Bull continue to run from strength to strength with this program and are congratulated for their efforts, thank you David & Lyn for another great night.
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Police Officer of the Year The Police Officer of the Year Awards was held earlier in the year with great success, thanks to PP Terry O’Mara for arranging a very professional night.
International Service Our Club plan for International allowed the sum $5000 to support the installation of a Heart Catheter Lab, the system in Fiji was found to be unreliable and was recently replaced by RAWCS, it was our intention to financially support this project, however funds were forthcoming from other sources outside our Club.
Youth RYPEN (Rotary Program of Enrichment) Hannah Spinks and Ethan Gardiner from Castle Hill High School attended the summer RYPEN camp at Collaroy January, both students visited the Club to tell of their experiences.
RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) Lillian Chia, a Rotaract member, was nominated to attend this years RYLA Program. Lillian reported back to our Club to tell of her life changing experiences she witnessed during the week at Vision Valley.
NYSF (National Youth Science Forum) Rebecca Spillane and Stephanie Sun were selected by the NYSF Committee to attend the program in Canberra during January 2014. The Club budgeted for 1 x student only to attend at a cost of $2500, however with 2 x successful students we arranged for each student to pay 50% of the fee. Both students returned to the Club and gave a most memorable talk on their experience. Rebecca was chosen to to attend the London International Science Forum in July. Thanks Ross Hood for working with the students and your ongoing love for this program.
Siemens Science Experience Although this program was included in the Club plan, we did not seek a student to attend the program.
Youth Exchange Program Inbound Our inbound student Santiago (Santy) Sanchez arrived in July 2013 and will be returning home on 10th July. Santy arrived at an age of 15 and his 12 months experience has seen him come of age. Our thanks to Jacqui and Ken Murphy, Leisa & Ian Davidson, Christine and Milan Zec and Debbie & Dino Dipaolo for hosting Santy during his 12 months exchange. Santy gave his final talk to the Club last week and his dry sense of humour was most evident. Outbound Emily Murphy our outbound student is now 6 months into her exchange in Finland, we continue to receive her monthly reports and from all accounts she is having a wonderfull exchange. Emily will return home in January 2015 and we look forward to hearing her experiences when she addresses the Club. Special thanks to Geoff Duffy for his ongoing support for the Youth Exchange program.
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Roy Martin Scholarship Lucas Yeo was selected by the staff at Castle Hill High School as the recipient of the “Roy Martin Scholarship”, the award was presented at the School’s end of year prize giving ceremony in December 2013. The scholarship is worth $250 and is held in trust by the school and distributed when needed.
Service Projects report Tour de Hills The 19th Tour De Hills was held on Sunday 2nd March 2014.
Showgate The club was involved as per usual with the Castle Hill Show. Our direct income from this was $6,161.00.
Barbecues During the year we had many BBQ’s thanks to the two Phils. 29/6/13 The Hills Recycle & Transfer Station - $1,000.00 09/13 Country Music Collection - $2,000.00 10/13 Fun Run - $997.83 11/13 Powerhouse - $700.00 18/12/13 Bush Christmas - $1,500.00 02/14 Bunnings - $1,283.90 05/14 Bunnings - $1,330.34 Total $8,812.07
Club Service report Meeting Venue The Castle Hill Country Club continues to provide excellent service and meals at very reasonable prices. We are indeed privileged to have such an excellent venue. Accordingly it is imperative that members apologise when unable to attend or advise of the intention to bring a guest in accordance with advised timeframes so that the staff of the Club are not unduly inconvenienced and can ensure adequate catering/seating, arrangements, particularly on partner’s nights.
Attendance Our attendance average in percentage terms is around 65% and I thank Geoff Duffy for his support notwithstanding his poor health during the year. Val Ludgate was unable to continue to take meeting apologies/attendance after the 31st December 2013. I thank her for the valuable contribution that she has made in supporting the Club in this regard over many years.
Sergeants-‐at-‐Arms Our Sergeant-at-arms Mike Blair has entertained us with lively fine sessions ensuring our Administration account prospers.
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Bulletin Anil de Silva has done a commendable job in producing the bulletin each week ensuring pertinent information is provided to members. Phil Davies kindly took on the responsibility of producing the Bulletin whilst Anil was on leave and the support from the majority of members to take the minutes of meetings has been much appreciated. With the assistance of Ross Hood and other members I believe we have had the benefit of a balanced and interesting program this year. It is unfortunate that the low attendance levels on occasions meant that many members did not have the opportunity to benefit from numerous entertaining and enlightening guest speakers in addition to the fellowship with other members.
Member’s Welfare Terry O’Mara has kept us informed in a timely and appropriate manner of health issues of members and partners throughout the year.
Raffle David Bowles with assistance of others members has ensured that our club raffle has been held at each regular meeting. The proceeds have been applied to the Club Administration account to help offset administration expenses and thus assist to contain member’s fees. As the closure of this Rotary year represents the end of my three-year term in this role I would like to thank all the members who have contributed to this avenue of Rotary service during this period.
2014 – 2015 (YTD December 2014) Rotary International President: Gary C.K. Huang (Taipei, Taiwan) RI President’s Theme: “Light up Rotary” Governor District 9680: Ian Scott (Central Blue Mountains) Changeover celebrated on 25th June 2014
Board of Directors President: Mike Blair Immediate PP: Bev Cooney Secretary: Paul Robinson Treasurer: Bruce Allen Director TRF: Bev Cooney Sgts-at-Arms: Gary Hudson/ Hannibal Shabaz
President-Elect: Mike Hallen Director Club: Rod Williamson Director Community: Phil Dunn Director Outreach Projects: Warwick Talbot Director Public Relations: Geoff Duffy Director Membership: Rod Williamson
President’s report How time flies by when you’re having fun, or is it just that as you get older, each year goes by so quickly. I cannot believe that my first six months as your President has been such the case. As you are all aware the theme for this Rotary Year as enunciated by our International President Gary C.K. Huang is “LIGHT UP ROTARY” and in many respects your Board of Directors together with your support have endeavoured to do this. In particular your Directors have, at great personal sacrifice gone well beyond the motto of ‘Service Above Self’ to ensure that we as Members of the great family of Rotary fulfil those aspirations and ideals laid down by our International President. Throughout this report you will find the various reports of your Directors related to their avenue of service. Whilst these reports are basically an interim report for the first six months, nonetheless they are important insofar as to give you a comprehensive overview of the Club’s activities as they relate to the Club Plan. I would urge you all to take time out to read these and if you have any questions,
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thoughts or comments then I invite you to raise these at our AGM meeting on Wednesday evening at our Club Assembly. There are many highlights that have occurred in our first six months and of note have been: • • • • • • • • • • • •
Excellence in Police Awards Pride In Workmanship Great Garage Sale Introduction to the world of Social Media by our Rotaract Club Barbecues Galore Fellowship week end away to Orange and meeting with our Rotary friends from Orange/Calare Rotary Club Parking duties – Country Music Festival “Run for the Hills” Community event Preparations for our 50th Anniversary Celebrations. Fellowship evening for our wives and partners. A getting to know evening to provide input of ideas for the Fellowship Committee Financial contribution to PP Bev Cooney for her work in Peru. Involvement in the Domestic Violence of Women- White Ribbon Day and the signing of the Domestic Violence Pledge.
The list goes on and on, however overriding all of this, it has been tinged with great sadness, when we loss to a higher level our very esteemed member PP Warren Bowden (Paul Harris FellowSapphire). We all felt a great loss in his passing, as not only was Warren a great friend to us all, he was an inspiration to many in the Rotary world, and I have no doubt his legacy will live on in some way, especially in the fields of heritage and the environment for which he was very passionate about. To Olive and your family we thank you all for allowing Warren to be Part of our Rotary Family. Over the next six months, I together with your Board will continue to strive to fulfil and complete all of the initiatives as set out in our Club Plan and with your support, I am sure we can achieve this. In conclusion I want to express my sincere thanks to you all for your support and in particular to my Board of Directors for their encouragement, advice and above all their commitment and dedication in fulfilling their roles as your Directors.
Secretary’s report • • •
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The Board has met regularly each month, and has been well attended by all Board members. Board minutes and correspondence have been recorded in a manner acceptable to the Board. The Club’s Constitution and Bylaws are to be amended as per instructions from District as a result of the new boilerplate documents in the new Manual of Procedure coming from last year’s Council on Legislation. When drafted, these will be presented to a future General Meeting for Club endorsement. Tax year 2012-13 financial records were sent to NSW Fair Trading late, as a result of late receipt of the audited accounts, which incurred slightly higher fees. NSW Fair Trading requires these to be submitted within one month of the AGM, but they weren’t available to the Board until much later. Correspondence has been received and distributed to the appropriate Directors as it arrived. My thanks to Terry O’Mara for his assistance in the collection from the PO Box & distribution for several months.
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Treasurer’s report Account balances remain healthy in spite of larger than usual contributions and donations during the first six months of the year. In an attempt to simplify our accounting processes, two of our accounts have been rolled into another existing account and further consolidation is being considered. We now have six accounts compared to eight at the commencement of the year and our target is to reduce this further to four accounts. Account opening and closing balances are: 1st July 2014 27th Nov. 2014 Administration account $ 7,895.97 $ 2,915.59 Project account $ 24,061.71 $ 12,931.44 Tour de Hills account $ 5,035.70 $ 4,475.65 Project Investment account $ 16,386.27 $ 37,423.01 Heritage Park account $ 102.07 Heritage Park Investment account $ 17,789.21 Castle Hill Foundation account $ 21,253.15 $ 21,253.15 Heritage Park CBA investment account $ 20,154.20 $ 21,936.06 TOTAL $112,678.28 $100,934.90
Administration account Appears low but the cost of guest meals at our Police Awards Night have yet to be transferred from Project account to the Administration account and the costs associated with last year’s changeover dinner were paid from the 2014/15 accounts, while revenue went into the 2013/14 books. This has impacted the 2014/15 balance by approx. $3,000. GST is also to be finalized for 2013/14 and this will amount to a payment of close to $2,500 although the majority of this will come from the Project account (Tour de Hills). Revenue and costs from our Pride in Workmanship Night have not yet been brought into the books.
Project account Major expenses paid so far this year are: Peru school project $5,000, NYSF registration $2,500, Rotary Foundation $5,350, Brendan Ma (MUNA) $2,300. Heritage Park and Heritage Park Investment accounts rolled into Project Investment account which is an interest bearing account at call on a daily basis. Castle Hill Foundation account still contains $20,000 belonging to the Rotary Club of Vinegar Hill.
Club Service/Administration Attendance levels have been averaging between 60% and 80%. Members are reminded that apologies should be advised by email to PP Geoff Duffy before 12 noon on the Tuesday before the meeting. Please advise if you are bringing your partner to any meeting. Exempt members should advise prior to 12 noon Tuesday if they are going to attend a meeting. Similar arrangements apply to honorary members.
Sergeants–at–Arms Rtn Garry Hudson is regulating and controlling the meetings and successfully relieving members of hard earned dollars in fine sessions. He is ably assisted by PP Hannibal Shabaz Members are asked to meet Club rosters with respect to regalia and meet and greet responsibilities as announced at the end of each meeting. If unable to meet your obligation please arrange a replacement.
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Programmes Rtn Ross Hood is doing excellent work in sourcing a variety of interesting guest speakers. If members have a suitable contact for guest speaker please let Ross know. Harshad Desai and Bob Chary spoke on their vocations. More members will be asked to present their vocations to the Club in the ensuing six months.
Raffle Rtn David Bowles continues to successfully tackle members to buy raffle tickets with promises that each ticket is a winner.
Fellowship The Fellowship Committee has been working hard to co-ordinate a social programme for the year. A get-together of partners was held as an aside to our normal Rotary meeting on 27th August giving the opportunity for partners to meet and get to know newer members wives at a casual bistro meal at the CHCC. This was a success and will be held again in the New Year. Although not a fellowship programme the Rotary Garage Sale was considered to be a big success and opportunity for good fellowship albeit with hard work prior to and on the day. Helping at regular BBQs is also a good opportunity for fellowship. The weekend away in the Orange District over 15 – 17 November was enjoyed by 25 Rotarians and their partners and considered to be a great weekend visiting wineries, restaurants and a visit to PP Peter and Denise Gilbank’s property on the Cargo Road out of Orange. Delightful meals were had at Bathurst, Orange and a fabulous feast at the Gilbank’s. Members attended a lunchtime meeting of the Orange Calare Rotary Club while partners had a good time with some retail therapy and lunch at Lucknow. Plans are underway to arrange the Fellowship programme for the New Year and plan to include assistance at home visits in January, a theatre party and an observation drive.
District Conference Our District Conference is being held in the Hunter Valley and members are encouraged to join in the weekend over 20-22 March. Complete details are available from PP Hannibal Shabaz.
50th Anniversary Committee report Venue – The Madison Reception Centre John Cooper met with Frank Anisse and all is confirmed for 18 March 2015. Booking numbers 160200. Approx. numbers to be advised 1 month before. Final numbers 1 week before. Menu will be the same as for the original Charter Night menu. A 50th Anniversary Celebration Cake will be purchased.
Club History The final draft of the Club History will be complete by mid-December 2014. Only the 2014-2015 YTD material required (will be in the form of the AGM reports). The book will be 350+ A4 pages. The committee decided that a CD of the Club History would be provided to all attendees. A printed version will also be provided to all current Club Members. There will be an initial order of 50 printed books to be available on 18th March 2015. This will cover the Club Members and also have a few left for sale on the night on a “first come - first served” basis.
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Printed versions may be ordered and paid for on the night by those interested. Final price for printing not yet known. Being investigated by Bruce Allen.
Event Program/Running Sheet Mike Blair has approved the running sheet subject to any last minute changes that are required if circumstances change. Mike Blair to write to each of the nominated Club Guests to invite them formally to the evening. Possibility of 4 more official guests from the RISPPO in Parramatta – Frank Pezzimenti (Region Head) and Joy Walker (Manager, Club and District Support). If they both attend with partners, the official guests of the Club will be 12.
Commemorative badge 250 purchased and in the possession of Mike Blair. Payment will be from the Club Admin. Account as agreed by the Board. Repayment will be from attendance fees.
Event budget Has been updated to reflect all known factors and an attendance of 200. It is possible that the function may run at a small loss ($790) if we purchase 50 copies of the Club History in advance. This will continue to be reviewed so as to minimise any loss.
PR and Advertising Mike Blair, Bruce Allen and Mike Hallen met with Bev Jordan (The Hills Shire Times) and discussed our anniversary as well as other related matters. We believe that we will receive a positive response to any material we make available to Bev for publication
Contact details for potential attendees Still our weakest link. President Mike will write to all Club Presidents in D9685 and to Club Guests. A draft letter has been prepared. Bruce Allen to write to as many known former members a possible.
Invitations Invitation design finalised. RSVP details to be provided on a separate sheet as proposed by John Cooper. This will include attendee names and payment details/special dietary requirements.
Photomontage for projection on the evening John Cooper will seek assistance from within the Club to help in the scanning and preparation of the photo slide show.
Community Service report Our usual projects include the following:
Tour de Hills Scheduled for 1st March – arrangements are in hand.
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Wrap with Love blankets There has been no action to date.
Bowel Scan Will be March 2015
Christmas Day We will again be visiting the Norwest Private Hospital to distribute small gifts and Christmas cheer.
Australia Day We will hold the annual flag raising in Heritage Park, as registered with Council, followed by a free BBQ breakfast for those who attend.
Run for the Hills This event was held on Sunday 23rd November. Marshalls were provided for road closures and a BBQ held in the main street, however as it was a 44-degree day, selling stopped about 11:30 and financial results were very poor.
Parking for Centenary of Anzac Commemoration At Bella Vista, 18th April 2015. The next planning meeting for this is scheduled for 10th February. This is a voluntary community effort, and we are not doing parking on the following Tuesday – the second part of the celebrations.
Progress on New projects Disaster Relief Emergency Fund A figure of $5000 has been included in the approved budget for this purpose.
Establishing a Community Garden in Castle Hill There has been a meeting with the former Mayor and ongoing negotiations, however progress is very slow.
Targeted Bucket Collection at BBQs etc. The project we have chosen to support is “Hope for Homes” a venture of Northwest Disability Services to establish a transition home for people with disabilities to enable them to live in the community with minimal support. This is due to kick off at the Bunnings BBQ on 23rd December.
Indigenous Project It is proving difficult to find a suitable project. Several ideas have been explored with no positive results.
Rotoract We provided assistance at their first Bunnings BBQ by donating sausages and onions and also manpower and equipment on the day.
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Ray White Real Estate Christmas tree We are teaming with Ray White, Bella Vista, to collect gifts from their office and distribute them.
A Hands-‐on project in Baulkham Hills Being investigated to build a deck to improve access for a young man with a disability. This is subject to materials being donated.
Fundraising to Date • • • • •
Opera House BBQ (completed) income $2000 Cumberland Forest BBQ (completed) $1300 Garage Sale (completed) $4000 Country Music Festival Parking (completed) $2000 donation from HSC. Run for the Hills BBQ (completed) $368
Unusually, we have managed to raise substantial funds in the first half of the Rotary year
Fundraising still to come: • • • • • •
Bush Christmas parking at Bella Vista - guaranteed $1500 BBQ at a Child Care Centre opening 2 hours on 14th Dec - $250 donation Bunnings BBQ on 23rd December Bunnings BBQ on 25th January Tour de Hills 1st March Castle Hill Show – we are doing the gate collection only, not parking this time. There will be changes because of a contemplated electronic ticketing system that is still being discussed. We hope to staff the collection from our own Club to restrict the profit leakage to other Clubs – this will require members to do more than 1 shift over the 3 days of the Show.
Summary Because of the composition of our Club, it is becoming increasingly difficult to carry out some of the physical aspects of our traditional fundraising projects. We may need to change our mix of fundraising in the future. Thank you to all members who have helped and participated in these projects, we look forward to an equally successful six months ahead.
Membership report We commenced the year with 30 members. Steve Macquarie resigned and Warren Bowden was called to higher service on 3rd November 2014. The current membership is 28. The Club Plan for membership addressed the following matters: Continue to distribute the Humanity In Motion publication and other related material as a means of creating an interest, informing organizations and prospective members of Rotary and its contribution to society. •
Proceeding as planned and well received by recipients by providing them with a greater insight into ROTARY.
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Invite individual business people to provide a three-minute address to a Club meeting on their business which will provide them with an insight of our Club and an opportunity to experience Rotary. •
Whilst a number of invitations have been extended to appropriate small business proprietors we have only had one materialise to date, Dimitri Taifalos Pack & Send. An additional two presentations should occur early in 2015. It is paramount not to over react and invite these guests to become members without due diligence of their interest and awareness of what Rotary may offer them which may take some time for them to understand.
Continue to encourage Club members to bring a guest to a meeting who would make a good Rotarian. •
Whilst some members are proactive in this regard it is apparent that many members seem reluctant to invite guests despite our great venue, an interesting varied program with very entertaining and informative guest speakers not forgetting the opportunity to form new friendships and to have “fun”.
Take advantage of our involvement in service projects to create an awareness and interest in Rotary. •
If we do our projects well then this in itself provides a showcase of what we do and how like-minded people may want to become involved in Rotary. A “soft sell” approach is essential and if someone is interested in exploring what Rotary may offer them then it would be appreciated if I am informed about their interest. During our Excellence in Policing Awards event we did have interest from a visitor and whilst I did follow this person up and it did not provide us with a new member we must still take every opportunity as presented.
Endeavour to have the Club Website kept up to date with Club activities so that a professional image is provided to visitors to the site. •
Recently a newer member of the Club, Chris Dunwell as taken up this challenge and is liaising with PP Paul Robinson in this regard.
Investigate the opportunity to host a Community Business evening in our own right or in conjunction with the Hills Zone Clubs. •
This planned event has been ventilated at a recent Zone Presidents meeting and whilst positive feedback ensured during the meeting it will need leadership from our Club. Currently I am looking at the feasibility of holding a “Hills Business Networking Event” to provide newer small business owners the opportunity to meet and network with each other through Rotary. I will be seeking volunteers for the organizing committee very early in the New Year.
Ensure current membership is retained by involving members in Club activities, providing an interesting program and investigating factors which may cause resignations. •
An effective diverse Club program is in place providing members with a wide range of activities and any feedback is always appreciated.
Establish a mentor scheme for new members and seek their feedback on how we might improve the way we receive prospective and new members.
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An informal meeting with our newer members has taken place with a number of issues taken “on board”. A further “get together” is planned for February 2014.
Investigate the opportunities of attracting members via social media sites. •
This has not been launched and given my very limited skills in this arena a “champion” is being sort.
Friends of Rotary: Every opportunity will be taken to increase the number of these volunteers. •
Whilst the emphasis of involvement in Rotary has been directed towards full membership this aspect of participation has been ventilated with visitors if issues become apparent that may prevent a person from being a Rotarian.
In conclusion I would like to thank those members who have supported this very important aspect of Rotary and remind those who have not that it is up to all of us to seek out those individuals in our community who are worthy of Rotary membership and would benefit from being a member.
Public Relations report Club pull up Banners- now on display at Club weekly meetings. The small table banner and guest book are on display at welcome desk and the guest book has been signed many times. Great story on PP Warren Bowden published in Hills Shire Times on November 25. Photos and article on Pride in Workmanship ready to go to Hills Shire Times. Photos and article on National Youth Science Forum and RYLA are ready for print. Also have similar copy on White Ribbon Day, $800.00 collected at Bunnings Castle Hill and $600.00 at Dural. $65.00 was also collected at our weekly meeting. Bound bulletins for all years except 2012-2013 are on display in Club cupboard at Golf Club.
The Rotary Foundation report With the membership of the club at approximately 30 and only 13 Centurions we need to increase this number. I will be working on this number and want to increase the total to 100%. Don’t forget, one year’s Centurion Membership costs only A$100 and it is tax deductable.
Five reasons to give to The Rotary Foundation2 When you make a donation to The Rotary Foundation, you are helping Rotary members make a difference in the lives of millions of people around the world, by promoting peace, preventing disease, bolstering economic development, and providing clean water and sanitation. Here are just a few ways your generosity is changing lives.
Eradicating polio Thanks to you, we are This Close to ending polio. Through your generous support, we have helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children against this disease. Only three countries have never stopped the transmission of the live virus. It only costs 60 cents for a dose of the polio vaccine. And every dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication is matched 2 to 1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates 2
Source : Rotary Voices
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Foundation, tripling your impact. Watch our World Polio Day Livestream update, and give to end polio.
Promoting peace and conflict resolution Rotary’s most significant effort to wage peace is the Rotary Peace Centers program, established in 2002. Each year, the program trains some of the world’s most dedicated and brightest professionals, preparing them to promote national and international cooperation and to resolve conflict. They include graduates of a two-year master’s degree program and a three-month professional certificate program at Rotary’s partner universities. Watch a video highlighting Rotary Peace Fellows at work.
Supporting education Through a Foundation grant and in partnerships with Auckland University of Technology, Rotary members in New Zealand brought tablet technology to students on Taveuni Island in Fiji, creating a digital learning room. Watch a video of the project, and browse other education projects on Rotary Showcase.
Fighting disease In Tamil Nadu, India, two doctors, both members of the Rotary Club of Srirangam, discovered an alarming trend in the remote city outskirts of Trichy, women dying of breast cancer. They partnered with Rotary members in Maryland, USA, to purchase a large van, with the help of a Foundation global grant, and equip it with X-ray equipment. The “mammobus” has administered more than 2,500 free breast cancer screenings, and detected and treated early stage cancer in six women. Read more of the story and browse health-related projects on Rotary Showcase.
Ending hunger In Seattle, Rotary members are diverting millions of pounds of fruit and vegetable from food waste into the hands of those who need it through Rotary First Harvest, a program of Rotary District 5030 (Washington, USA). Watch a video about the program, and browse other hunger projects on Rotary Showcase. Have you made your Every Rotarian, Every Year contribution to the Annual Fund yet? What better time to do so than Foundation Month. Learn the many easy ways to give.
So here are my top five reasons to donate: 1. The Rotary Foundation allows clubs like mine to have a much larger impact than we could ever have on our own. My club has had the privilege of taking part in many great projects over the years. Recently, we have partnered with a nongovernmental organization that is working to reduce malariarelated child mortality in an area of Mali. They have had a ten-fold impact in the target area. Your giving helps qualify your club to take part in global grant projects like these. 2. Donations to the Rotary Foundation are tax deductible for Australian taxpayers. 3. The impact of every dollar you give is multiplied thanks to the grant system and Rotary’s partnerships with other organizations. For instance, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is matching every dollar committed to polio eradication 2:1, tripling your donation. 4. When you give to The Rotary Foundation, you know your money is in good hands. In the United States, Charity Navigator is a trusted evaluator of non-profits, measuring charities on their financial health, accountability, and transparency. The Rotary Foundation has consistently received four stars, the highest possible rating. It does well on both financial performance (rating of 89.76 out of a maximum of 100) and accountability and transparency (rating of 97.00). 5. The above four reasons spell out why giving to the Foundation is the smart thing to do. It is also the right thing, as Rotarians, to do. We are committed to making a difference in our communities and
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putting service above our own ambitions. And there is no better way to do that than by supporting our Foundation. As members of Rotary, we ought to give.
Outreach Projects report Introduction This document outlines progress in the Outreach Projects for the Year to Date December 2014.
Vocational Service The following Vocational programs proposed are:
Apprentice of the year The Apprentice of the Year Awards is expecting two nominations, yet to be confirmed. The awards night has been deferred to the 25 February due to difficulties in obtaining interest in the event from the TAFE colleges. The sum of $500 for the awards, dinner, etc. has been allocated in the budget but this may be less now we only have two candidates.
Pride in Workmanship Awards Pride in Workmanship Award Presentation Night occurred on Wednesday 19 November and was a successful night. The costs for the event are covered by the Treasurer’s report.
Excellence in Teaching This award-winning program is on track for an Award Presentation Night organised to honour recipients on 25 March 2015. The sum of $670 for nominees and partners and employer at the award ceremony plus the awards has been allocated for inclusion in the budget.
Police Officer of the Year The presentation night for the Police Officer of the Year occurred on the 22 October. The costs for the event are covered by the Treasurer’s report.
International Service RYPEN (Rotary Program of Enrichment) RYPEN aims to provide young people aged 15 to 16 years with increased motivation, improved life skills, better self image, pride in themselves and in understanding and setting goals in an intensive residential weekend. There are two RYPEN Camps, one in summer at Collaroy 31Jan – 2 Feb and one in winter at Blue Mountains 13 -15 June. We are currently sponsoring two students this year. The total sum of $600 will be required for this initiative and is on track.
RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) RYLA is an inspiring and challenging personal development and leadership program for young people 18 to 27 years. It is an award that a Rotary Club gives to celebrate and reward the outstanding
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contribution of one or more young person in the local community. It is a week -long “life changing” experience for 80 + young adults who are in the early stages of their career sponsored by District 9685 Rotary Clubs. This year, the RYLA week will be from 11-17 January. One application has been nominated and accepted. The costs for the event are covered by the Treasurer’s report.
NYSF (National Youth Science Forum) It is now 30 years since the National Science Summer School Inc. began operations with Rotary in Australia as the founding partner. The NYSF aims to nurture and encourage young Australians to be the next generation of leading scientists and engineers supporting a sustainable future for our nation. The NYSF helps students moving into Year 12, who wish to follow careers in science, engineering and technology by introducing them to research and researchers, by encouraging the achievement of excellence in all their undertakings, and by helping to develop their communication and interpersonal skills. It also fosters discussion of, and interest in major national and global issues and emphasises the importance of maintaining continuing active interests in sport, arts and music. The two week forum is conducted in Canberra in January each year for outstanding students commencing Year 12 at the time of the forum. Student applications are due by 31 May and nominations due to the District Chair by 30 June. This year we have allowed sponsoring 1 x student. The total sum of $2,500 to cover the attendance, travel, accommodation and dinner for students to relay their experience has been allocated for inclusion in the budget.
Siemens Science Experience The Science Experience offers a three-day hands-on science experience for Year 9 and 10 students on 14-16 January at Macquarie University. Applications close 30 December. This year we have allowed to sponsor 2 x students subject to them satisfying the selection criteria. The total sum of $230 has been allocated for inclusion in the budget.
Rotaract An allowance of $200 has been allocated in the budget to support any initiative the Hills Rotaract has as an appreciation of their training and support to the Club. The Club has supported the Rotaract Club with their BBQ and they have reciprocated with support on Facebook training to the Club. No cost has yet been exercised.
Roy Martin Scholarship As with previous years, we will continue to support a student at Castle Hill High with the Roy Martin Scholarship to assist the selected student with textbooks etc. The sum of $250 has been allocated in the budget. This initiative is yet to be exercised.
Other Initiatives Australia Youth Representative to The Hague Sponsorship for Bendan Ma to attend the event was approved by the Board following Brendan giving a presentation to the Members in October. Brendan is schedule to provide a follow up presentation at a Club meeting in February.
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RAWCS Project Ron Marcus has requested funding of a RAWCS project that is related to the installation of Philips Tele Diagnostic Fluoroscopy Unit in Ratnapura Hospital in Sri Lanka. We are yet to receive a detailed proposal and costing of the project from Ron to enable the Board to consider.
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