As in previous years on Tuesday 7 April our Club will be holding a Bowls Night at the Mt Eliza Bowls Club.

 

Booking are now open and members are encouraged to attend for a fun time.

 

You do not need special gear or any prior experience. On the evening Bowls will be provided and some guiding tuition will be available.

 

The event is not restricted to Club members - you can bring as many friends and family as you wish.

 

Dress is casual and flat soled shoes or bare feet will be needed on the bowling green.

 

The cost of the evening is $28.

 

Members should arrive from 5.45 pm. Bowling will  commence at 6.00 pm and a two course dinner will be served in the Clubhouse at 8.00 pm

 

There is no BYO, however drinks can be purchased at very reasonable prices.

 

The evening will conclude at approximately 9.00 pm.

 

To book you can either see Bernie Edwards at a dinner meeting or, if you are away and won't be able to see Bernie beforehand you may email him.

It has been a delight to have Janet Richards attend our last two meetings.

 

A Friend of the Club and close friend of a number of members, Janet has attended as a guest of our Sergeant Trish Stamp.

 

Over the last few years Janet has attended meetings of the Club and has been involved in many of our events and activities.

 

While being presumptuous we look forward to Janet playing a more active role in our Club.

The guest speaker at our Club on Tuesday 10 March was the MD of Nineteen Consulting Chris Crewther.

 

Chris was the Member of Parliament for the Federal seat of Dunkley from 2016 to 2019.

 

Chris addressed our meeting on the question of Modern Slavery.

 

In Parliament Chris was Chair of the Foreign and Aid Sub-Committee, under the Joint Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs. Defence and Trade.

 

In his role as Chair, Chris led an all party sub-committee that inquired into Australia establishing legislation to tackle Modern Slavery. 

 

The sub-committee handed down its final report in December 2017.

 

Chris informed us that approximately 40 million people across the globe are classified as modern slaves. In Australia there are around 15000 people who fit into this disturbing category.

 

Modern slavery refers to people who are in situations such as forced labour or are in areas where they are exploited including domestic work, agriculture and other service areas where they received meagre or no payment.

 

A number of people, especially women and children, are in forced sexual exploitation while others are in forced marriages. 

 

Resulting from the inquiry, in June 2018 a Modern Slavery Bill was introduced into the Parliament and in September 2018 legislation was passed in the House of Representatives.

 

The Bill passed through the Senate in December 2018 and the new Modern Slavery Act came into force on 1 January 2019

 

Following passage of the legislation in Australia a number of initiatives were undertaken in an effort to stamp out these evil and unlawful practices.

 

Chris completed his presentation by answering a number of questions from very interested members of our Club.

 

 

Linda Morris, Chris Crewther and President Ross

As members know, Rotarian George-Ann Sullivan organises all of our rosters for Club dinner meetings and all of our events.

 

George-Ann will be contacting all Members and Friends within the next week asking for their availability for the following three fund-raising events:

 

1. Bark in the Park - Sunday, 29 March

 

2. Bunnings BBQ - Sunday April 12 (Easter Sunday)

 

3. Farmers Market - Sunday 26 April

 

All of these activities are important fund-raising events for the Club so George-Ann requests that Members & Friends put these dates in your diary now. It will  be appreciated very much if you make every effort to make yourself available to assist.

Quite a few members of our Club are scheduled to attend the Rotary District 9820 Conference being held in Bendigo on 20 to 22 March.

 

On Friday 20 March there are a number optional activities including a tour of local wineries and golf.

 

The first formal session of the Conference commences at 6.15 pm on the Friday with DG Adrian Froggart and the Mayor of Bendigo welcoming all delegates.

 

On Saturday 21 March there are a number of keynote speakers including:

- Stuart Heal, Past Rotary International President

- Chelsea Roffey, AFL Umpire

- Kate McBride. Murray Darling Water Management Problems

- Brett Lee, Cyber Safety for Children

- Stephanie Willard, "Seven Women" Project in Nepal

- Leo Kennedy, "Blake Snake" - the truth about the Kelly Gang

- Pearl Findlay-James, East Gippsland Fires Relief Update 

 

On Sunday 22 March, speakers will include:

- Amanda Wendt, Effective Rotary Branding

- Mark Huddleston, "Creatures of Habit" - Rotary membership Issues

- Rob Cook, Youth Program Presentation

- PDG Brian Coffey, How Rotary Changed My Life

 

Towards the close of Conference President of the Host Bendigo Club Irene Caulfield will exchange a banner with President Ross Schweitzer, Rotary Club of Mt Eliza, Host Club of the 2021 Conference.

A caffe sospeso (suspended coffee/ or pending coffee) is a cup of coffee paid for in advance as an anonymous act of generosity and solidarity.

 

The tradition began in the working-class cafes of Naples, where the gesture of paying it forward is done anonymously for someone who can't afford to pay for themselves.

 

The customer pays for the coffee in advance and the cafe "suspends" it, later making the coffee for who ever may need it.

Members may remember the comic book Chucklers Weekly which was published in the 1950s and 60s.

 

For this week President Ross has resurrected Chucklers with the following offerings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is with great sadness that Members of our Club are advised of the resignation of Rotarian Malcolm Hull, due to health issues.

 

Malcolm joined the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza on 20 June 1995 and for the past quarter of a century he has been a stalwart of our Club.

 

Always a ready volunteer and willing worker, Malcolm's hard work has been greatly appreciated by all members and the Mt Eliza community.

 

The work that Malcolm has undertaken at the JH Butler and other district parks is particularly noteworthy.

 

The number of trees and shrubs that he has planted together with other beautification initiatives have seen these parks become places of great beauty that can be enjoyed by all.

 

Everyone wishes Malcolm and Beth all the very best for the future, especially as he continues to undergo treatment.

 

He will be greatly missed!

President elect Sue has arranged for Rotarian Phil Dressing from the Rotary Club of Phillip Island & San Remo to attend our meeting on Tuesday 17 March to undertake a Club Visioning activity.

 

This session will allow us to speak some quality time brainstorming, thinking about our Club, envisioning the future and determining follow-up actions. 

 

As a consequence of Phil's attendance the Three Minute Speaker session from Rowan Miller will be held over.

Rotarian David Rew and his organising committee are working hard on planning the details of the Annual Rotary Club of Mt Eliza Golf Day, which is being held at the "Little Frankston" Golf Club (Golf Links Road Frankston) on Friday, 17 April 2020.

 

The charity Shine for Kids will benefit from money raised on the day.

 

The format of the day is both 18 or 9 holes Ambrose.

 

 

 

The entry fee remains at $135 per player ($540 for a team of four).

 

 

 

 

 

Reminding all Rotarians and Friends that our Club's wonderful dog show, Bark In The Park, is to be held on Sunday 29 March 2020.

 

If you haven't done so already please diarise this date now as we will need as many hands on deck as possible to ensure that we build upon the great successes of previous Bark In The Park events.