Chapter 13 - Rotary and Community Leadership

In 2000 I joined Yarrawonga/Mulwala Development Inc and at once I was appointed to a position on the executive of the organization as Treasurer and became involved in a number of projects, the most important being the support given to the organisation via the Moira Shire to encourage new business into Yarrawonga. One of the incorporated associations within the control of Yarrawonga/Mulwala Development Inc was Yarrawonga Retirement Village Inc that was trying to get another aged acre facility in Yarrawonga.I became the President of Yarrawonga Retirement Village Inc in 2001, the Secretary was Wendy Ralph and my fellow Board members were Rex Wright, former Yarrawonga and Moira Shire Counsellor and retired Rotarian, Daryl Knight a retired police officer who was also a Rotarian, Leslie Gangi and one other.

We were approached by Bentley Woods Pty Ltd who ran an aged acre facility in Shepparton to ascertain whether Yarrawonga required another aged care facility. We had anecdotal evidence that families had to temporarily place parents in Echuca or Benalla when there was no vacancy in Alhowa or Karana the aged acre facilities associated with the Yarrawonga Hospital.

A demographic study was conducted by ID Consulting in 2001 and another conducted by Neil Noelker for  the Woods Road Working Committee indicated that such a development was needed in Yarrawonga.

We held Community Forums at the "Back of Burkes Hotel" and invited the people of Yarrawonga to discuss the Bentley Woods proposal. Detailed plans were displayed and the results were that the community supported the proposition.

Rex Wright remembered that the Yarrawonga Shire had purchased a block of land on the corner of the Murray valley Highway and Woods Road for an administrative Centre, before the Yarrawonga Shire was closed and incorporated into the Moira Shire. This land was no surplus to requirements. It was felt that this land would be most suitable for the proposed development and that Yarrawonga Retirement Village Inc would support the sale of the land to Bentley Woods Pty Ltd.

I wrote a letter to the Moira Shire on behalf of Yarrawonga Retirement Village Inc, supported by another from the Woods Road Working Committee.

To cut a long story short, with the support of our organizations the Moira Shire  eventually sold the property to Bentley Woods who established the “Woods Point Aged Care Facility”. 

Supporting documentation is attached below:-

As the objective of the Yarrawonga Retirement Village Inc had now been attained, at the next Annual General Meeting, Ed Rowlands did to stand for re-election, per below.

In April 2005, Dr Sharman Stone, the Federal Member of Parliament in the company of the Directors of Bentley Woods Pty Ltd and Ed Rowlands, cut the first sod in Woods Road to start the development.

I was also asked in 2001 to become a Director of the Yarrawonga Hospital, which I during my short tenure I learned a lot about the operations of a regional hospital, but had to resign due to having started River Country Homes Pty Ltd and the pressure of the business. I had to submit the attached Victorian Government "Conflict of Interest" form before being accepted on the Board.

The Bentley Woods "Woods Point Age Care" development today.

In early 2001 I was invited by Gary Tribe to join the Yarrawonga/Mulwala Rotary Club. After some thought I decided to join the club and completed the application form. I was advised that the Board had accepted my nomination and that I would be inducted as a new member at a meeting on 4^th June 2021. 

In January 2002 my daughter Jacqueline visited us and I took her to our Rotary Club meeting.

In early 2002 I was nominated at the President Elect for 2003-2004. I advised my Dad and asked him whether he would like to attend the meeting at which during the Change-over I was to be nominated as the next President and he said he would be happy to, if my brother Percy drove him to Yarrawonga. I am so glad he did, as he passed away on 31^st October 2002.

With Dad and Percy at 1 River Road and Dad at the Rotary Meeting

At the 2003 change-over when I was installed as President, my wife Ruth and Phil and his children attended the meeting..

 My year as President is best summed up in the following abridged version of the 2003/2004 Annual Report.

 

 

Rotary Club of

YARRAWONGA-

MULWALA

 

 

ANNUAL REPORT

2003/2004

Rotary Club of Yarrawonga-Mulwala

Program for Changeover Dinner Meeting 28^th June 2004 

Venue:-                                    Mulwala & District Services Club

Fellowship:-                             6.30pm

Assembly:-                              7.00pm

National Anthem:-                   Advance Australia Fair

                         Australian’s all let us rejoice, for we are young and free,

                        We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil, our home is girt by sea,

                        Our land abounds in nature’s gifts of beauty rich and rare,

                        In history’s page, let every stage Advance Australia Fair,

                        In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia Fair.

Rotary Grace:-                                                Rtn Marj Shand          

Loyal Toast:-                                                   Rtn Marj Shand

Recorded Apologies:-                                     Rtn Marj Shand

Welcome and Introduction of:-                       P.P. Carole Small

Toast to Rotary International:-                        P.P. Jack Sterkenberg

Response:-                                                     D.G. Bill Holman

Induction of New Member:-                            D.G. Bill Holman        

                                Entree’ and Main Meal

100% Attendance Awards:-                            D.G. Bill Holman

Paul Harris Fellow Presentations:-                 President Ed Rowlands

President’s Report:-                                        President Ed Rowlands

Desert

Induction of President 2004/2005:-                President Ed Rowlands

Presentation of Badges:-                                President 2004/2005 Doc Keenan

Objects of Rotary:-                                         Rtn. David Barrat

Fellowship – Tea and Coffee

 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

It is with great pleasure that I submit this report on the past year.  It has been an honour and a privilege to lead your club in a year that I think was very successful.  I would like to thank all the Vocational Directors, members of the Board and all other members who helped with the various projects for making this a memorable year.

It seems like only yesterday that I gratefully accepted the nomination as your Club President, even though I was a relatively new member of Rotary.  The couple of years since then have flown and we are now at another changeover. 

It has been a most rewarding year during which I had the opportunity to learn about the operations of Rotary International and the very worthy and rewarding projects that are conducted by Rotary International, throughout Australia and the rest of the world. 

Thanks to club members who were prepared to provide me with advice and help in relation to the ideals of Rotary and their own experiences during the time when they were President, I soon found that what I thought was going to a challenging time was made all the easier. 

We took our World President Jonathan Majiyabe’s theme of “Lend a Hand” to heart and that has been our driving force during the year to become involved in a large number of community and international projects.

In order to provide the finance for these projects there obviously has to be a lot of work put in by members to raise funds during the year. 

One of the most important fund-raiser for the club is the monthly Rotary Community Market.  My sincere thanks all members who help regularly at our market by putting out the market signs, moving equipment, being on the Gates, looking after the Stallholders, collecting the site fees and insurance premiums, ordering food, setting up and operating the BBQ and cleaning up at the end of the day.  In recent times, the market has grown under the direction of Noel Thomas and I thank him for his untiring efforts during the past eight years.  Noel hung up his boots at the end of 2003 for a well-earned rest and the new Market Committee hopes that it can continue his good work into the future.  During the year, Moira Shire informed us that we had to ensure that all stallholders had adequate Public Liability Insurance cover.  We found that a large proportion of stallholders did not have any insurance cover and this required the club to arrange a group insurance policy to cover them.  This was negotiated with Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pty Ltd and the relevant insurance policy is now in place.  Stallholders who cannot produce a current insurance policy on the day of the market are charged a premium of $6 under our group insurance policy.  The funds raised from the market and other activities such as the hire of the BBQ, etc, this year raised over thirty thousand dollars, an amount that we should all be proud of.

During the year we started a program of offering a donation to Community Organisations that helped with the operation of the monthly Community Market.  This offer was taken up by a number of groups as an adjunct to their own fund raising efforts and I hope the Market Committee will continue this in the new year.

Thanks to the generosity of our Past President the late Bruce Forge and his wife the late Marg Forge, their bequest to the club is invested in accordance with the wishes of members and provides over ten thousand dollars in income towards our projects.

The Board agreed to a budget and forecast in July 2003 that anticipated the raising of fifty thousand dollars during the 2003/2004 year and on this basis approved the following disbursement to the four vocations.

• International Service  $6,000
• Rotary Foundation      $5,000
• Community Service    $20,000
• Vocational Service      $10,000

In addition, $9,000 to upgrade Rotary Park in Belmore Street as a Rotary Centennial Project.

I am glad to report that the Board as shown in the Treasurer’s financial statements, has donated to a very large and varied number of community organisations, schools and other vocational groups and international projects.  The total budget was not spent and there will be a carry over into the next financial year.  A most grateful thanks to Ian Barton for his diligent work in looking after the finances of the club. 

We inducted six members during the year, namely,   Jennie Dight, Bill Gleeson, Anne Gleeson, Doug Evans, Di Evans, Ian Febey

My special thanks to our Membership Development Director Carole Small for her good work.

Australia Day, this year for the first time, was sponsored by the Yarrawonga/Mulwala Rotary Club because Moira Shire could not insure the event. A beautiful warm sunny day greeted us  and a mouth-watering breakfast was provided for attendees by members of our club.  My thanks to all those who helped on the day and special thanks to Noel Tinney who once more organized the event on behalf of the club. 

In March 2004 we hosted members of a Group Study Exchange Team from District 7090 in Canada and the northern part of New York State USA.  We picked up Team Leader Roy Schofield and his GSE Team of Staceyanne Grochowina, Mark Merritt, Ian Downey and Barbara Krug from Tocumwal at a BBQ that the Tocumwal Rotary Club put on for them.  It was non-stop for three days thereafter.  My thanks to all our club members who hosted individual member’s of the team in their homes and all members of the club who assisted in travel and other arrangements and in making their stay with us a memorable one.  Special thanks to Marj Shand for a great effort in organizing the visit that was carried out with military precision.

In April 2004, I joined the FAIM Team to Wewak, Papua New Guinea organized by Past President Tony Thomas.  We met Bud Cashen a Past President of the Rotary Club of Woodlad Hills, Los Angeles, USA and his nephew Joe Cashen in Sydney and travelled together to Wewak to erect a Kit Home at the Kaindi Teachers College Campus of the Divine Word University of PNG.  This was my first FAIM trip and the experience of working with fellow Rotarians and the fellowship after a hard days work is something that I will remember for a long time.  I was humbled by the help and appreciation we received from the Christian Brothers, the Sisters of Mercy and the staff of the College.  At our Welcome Back Meeting, I was surprised to receive a Paul Harris Fellowship from Bud Cashen and I thank him warmly for his generosity.  At this meeting, Bud Cashen was also made a Honorary member of our club in recognition of his services to our FAIM projects.

The funds donated by our club to the Yarrawonga District Health Centre for their Children’s Activity Program have been used for the benefit of children of our community who find themselves in poor economic and social conditions and anecdotal evidence indicates that this program has been very well received by the beneficiaries.  The Children’s Activity Program was featured in May 2004 edition of “Rotary Down Under”. 

Similarly, our purchase of a refrigerated van for the Community Health Centre Food Bank was very well received and this van is now used to pick-up food from the main Food Bank Centre in Melbourne for distribution to towns in the North East region such as Benalla, Albury and Wodonga, Rutherglen and Cobram.

Our contributions to Rotary Donations in Kind will, in the next few months provide for the cost of shipping a container of second hand computers for rural schools in Sri Lanka and also school uniforms to village schools under the auspices of Divine Word University in Papua New Guinea.

In June , our club sponsored a fourth Probus Club in Yarrawonga – Mulwala.  Due to sole the efforts of Bernie Bott, the Combined Probus Club of Lake Mulwala was inaugurated on 7^th June 2004 with a foundation membership of nearly fifty members.  Congratulations to Bernie for establishing another Probus club that will help retired business and professional people to find fellowship in our towns.  My thanks to Burnie Bott for the hard work he put in to bring this club to fruition.

My final thanks go to our hard working Secretary Peter Kilpatrick who has kept us on the straight and narrow and thanks to his computer skills we now have a new system for controlling the operations of the community market. 

It was an honour to be appointed Deputy Chairperson of the District 9790 International Committee and Chair of the R.A.W.C.S. Committee for 2004/205.  I see this as a reflection on the good work of this Club.

The projects that I have touched on in my report, are detailed in other Board Member Reports.

My thanks to my wife Ruth, my family and friends and all my fellow members for your support during the year.

To Doc and the incoming Board, all the best for a great year ahead as we celebrate “100 Years of Rotary”.

 Ed Rowlands.

President

Club Service Report

I don’t have to tell you, as you will know, a short report is a good report.

During the year we had a number of speakers from Yarrawonga and Mulwala and we thank all those who gave of their time to inform us of developments in our region and initiatives that help members of our communities.

Our Christmas Party aboard the “Paradise Queen” was a great success and enjoyed by all those who attended.

We also had a vocational visit to the factory of Auseal Plastics in Yarrawonga and were given a guided tour of the facility and their manufacturing processes.  A most interesting experience.

Most of all I want to thank our members for doing such a wonderful job in our club.

Doc Keenan

           

              

            2003 Yarrawonga/Mulwala

            Rotary Club Christmas Party

            on board the “Paradise Queen”

 

International Service Report

International was fairly quiet this year on the local front. We did not host an exchange student this year.  Tony Thomas led another FAIM team to New Guinea where they caught up with Bud Cashen whilst undertaking their latest project. Bud returned to Australia with his nephew and caught up with the club, of which he was made an honorary member earlier this year.

The Polio Plus program which was to result in the elimination of polio worldwide by next year is running a little behind. There was an unexpected increase in the number of polio cases reported worldwide last year, mainly due to a couple of pockets of northern Africa where there is some trouble in getting the vaccinations into some of the more remote areas. However, Rotary remains committed to the eradication of the disease worldwide and this should happen in the next couple of years. Rotary International will turn its attention to malaria through the RAM program after this.

Rotary next year celebrates the centenary of its founding and there will be many events to mark this occasion. Some of these we already know about, but more will be advertised as details are received. Keep as many of these dates free as you can as there should be some memorable occasions.

Due to time commitments, I will not be continuing as director next year and I wish the new director all the best in the job.

Russell Ingram

International Service Director

                                           GSE Team at Mulwala Ski Club

Group Study Exchange Team from District 7090 Canada/USA on Lake Mulwala

Rotary Breakfast for schoolchildren of

            Yarrawonga and Mulwala at Ski Club

 

GSE Team Member Barbara Krug at District Conference Dinner with a Moira Kelly Project child.

                          

 FAIM REPORT 2004                     

St Benedict’s Teacher’s Collage Wewak PNG

 The members of this years FAIM  Team returned early May after once again a enjoyable experience, this team the fifth from this Club consisted of  President Ed Rowlands , Jack Sterkenburg , Dr Clyde Ronan , Trevor Gowland , Noel Thomas , Tony Thomas , Bud Cashen from the Rotary Club of Woodland Hills USA and Bud’s nephew Joe Cashen also from the USA .

Upon arrival at Wewak, we were greeted by the staff of St Benedict’s, Br Graham and Br Herman and delivered to our resting place for the next ten days with excellent facilities, good food and great fellowship.

Our task was to construct a free standing dwelling (80 sq meters floor space) steel posts at a height 2.4 from ground level, this was achieved in the time allotted which also allowed for team members to take in some of the sights including, Wom War Memorial, Wom beaches, the local hospital, down town Wewak, attend the local Rotary meeting, visit the local ARMY Barracks, the local Boys town with speculator views over Wewak, the Local South Pacific Fish plant and also dining out at some of the local restaurants.

If this is reading something like a holiday well it could be confused as one, one with a real difference not only the satisfaction of completing the house that will house the Dean of Women on Campus, meeting with truly caring people, enjoying one another’s company and getting to know your fellow Rotarian on a personal level and also having a great time.

I have been fortunate enough to be involved in all of the five FAIM Trips from this club and would strongly recommend your participation in the next trip.

Yours in Rotary

Tony Thomas.  

 FAIM Team from Yarrawonga/Mulwala Rotary Club at Albury Airport before departure for Wewak, PNG.

 

Completed Kit Home at Kaindi Teachers College Campus of Divine Word University,  PNG. 

Wewak Airport Farewell with Brothers Graeme, Alfred and Herman

 

 Bud Cashen on receipt of Honorary Membership of Rotary Club of  Yarrawonga/Mulwala from President Ed Rowlands

Vocational Service Report

We have taken part in several activities in the past year:

The National Science Youth Forum: 

We nominated Priscilla Jones who had previously been sponsored by our club as an overseas exchange student.  Priscilla duly went to Canberra for this program which is sponsored by ROTARY with the Australian National University.  She did so well that she is due to go to the UK International program in the next month or so.  For this she is currently raising the $7500 (approx) required with the help of her family and some of our club members

The Freshwater Research Program: 

We sent three students to this course run by ROTARY with Charles Sturt University.  A fourth student was ill and unable to participate.  Those who went have an interest in Biology as a future university subject.  They will be reporting to the club shortly on their experience

The Ian Murphy Memorial Debating Competition:

We were only able to have one team this year so we had a club team made up from both local colleges.  The first debate was with Christ the King College Cobram which we won while in the second round we went up against St Paul’s Walla Walla which we lost.  Our congratulations went to the debaters and their coaches for the quality of their preparation and performances

RYLAH: 

We sent 5 Year 10 students to this leadership program at Lake Nillahcootie early in 2004.  Three were from Yarrawonga SC and two were from Sacred Heart College.  As was clear in their recent presentation to our club, they enjoyed the course and gained from the leadership and team building activities

RYPEN:

We did not have anyone in this program this year but will look at it again next year

David Jackman

Vocational Service Director 

Community Service Report

The year of service to our community has been one of starting a number pf programs that will be completed next year.

Chinaman’s Island Rotunda is the biggest of these programs.  Tony Thomas has done most of the ground work and a concrete base for the Rotunda will be in place before the end of June 2004.

Corowa Shire and Mulwala Progress Association have asked the club to fund and help with labour for the implementation of a watering system in a small park in Mulwala.  Club members have asked for more information from the Shire before the club will recommend to the Board that we commit to this project.

 Robert Ward and Marj Shand have worked very hard with a committee to put together monies for a feasibility study for a heated swimming pool for the communities of Yarrawonga and Mulwala.  The club has donated a BBQ for a raffle to help raise some of the required funds.

Australia Day Celebrations at Kennedy Park was once again a big morning.  Noel Tinney’s organisation of the event was once again of the highest order.  I thank the club members and Noel for their hard work and look forward to next year’s Australia Day.

Monthly Market this year has been a large money earner.  The third Sunday of each month at Yarrawonga Show Grounds is the place to be.  I believe that the club has to be very careful next year and endeavour to motivate members to continue to work hard to make sure that this important monthly earner continues to be well run and profitable to the club.  That said, well done to all members for putting in so much time and energy to our monthly markets.

Yarrawonga/Mulwala has it’s forth Probus Club with the foundation meeting on the 7^th June 2004 of the Lake Mulwala Combined Probus Club.  The formation of this club has come about due to the growing retired population in our twin towns.

I would like to thank all Rotarians for their assistance throughout the year.  I have enjoyed my time as your Community Service Director and wish Doc and his team a very good year next year.

Bernie Bott

Community Service Director

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Following 2004 Christmas tsunami that devastated the east coast of Sri Lanka, I was asked to be involved in a Rotary World Wide Project to help the people of the island. Past District Governor Mani Seneviratne of District 9790 was instrumental in getting it started and a College in a small town near Galle Sri Lanka was re-built . During my visit in 2007, I again took the opportunity to take some of my fellow Rotarians to visit the completed buildings, etc. 

Some photos of this visit are shown below.

In 2005 I was asked by the District Governor of Rotary District 9790 to be involved in the Rotary World Community Services programs. I took on the role of the Chairman of the District 9790 International Committee (2006/2007 and 2007/2008). As a Rotarian of just 4 years I was honoured to take on this role that I held for 2 years, until pressure of business required me to relinquish the position. I spoke at most of the Rotary Clubs in District 9790 and encouraged their participation in the various international projects that were happening during this period.

During my chairmanship of the District 9790 International Committee, I arranged for 200 second hand computers and dental equipment, etc to the sent to the "Welimada Rotary Club" in rural Sri Lanka, to be distributed to schools and colleges in the district. We arranged to have the sewing machines and other equipment picked up and delivered via the Colombo Central Rotary Club in Colombo, Sri Lanka. per below.

Some phots of the delivery are shown below.

In 2007 I joined the "International Fellowship of Cricketing Rotarians" and played cricket at the Bradman Oval in Bowral and was a member of one of the Rotary Teams from Australia that took part in the 5th World Rotary Cricketing Festival that was held in Sri Lanka. Some photos of our team, etc are shown below.

After the cricket festival, some members toured Sri Lanka and I took the opportunity to visit the Rotary Club in a town in the mountains named "Welimada" and meet the members and see for myself the equipment that I had arranged to be was supplied by "Donations In Kind". The president was a Buddhist priest and the meeting was their club meetings were held in the Buddhist Temple. An interesting experience.

During my 20 years as a member of the Yarrawonga/Mulwala Rotary Club, I was President in 2003 to 2004, Treasurer in 2014 to 2016 and then again in 2020 to 2021, Membership Director in 2016 to 2017.

During 2021 some members of the Yarrawonga/Mulwala Rotary Club decided to evaluate the feasibility of starting a breakfast club and with the support of the District 9790 Administrators, started the "Central Murray Sunrise Rotary Club" that currently meets at the Yarrawonga/Mulwala Golf Club Resort.

I was the Charter President and some photos of the meeting are below.  

An abridged version of the first Annual report of the Central Murray Sunrise Rotary is shown below.

 

Charter Granted 1st July 2021

ANNUAL REPORT

FOR CHARTER YEAR

2021/2022

P.O. Box 24, Mulwala, New South Wales, 2647. District 9790 

The Mission of Rotary International

The mission of Rotary International, a worldwide association of Rotary clubs, is to provide service to others, to provide high ethical standards, and to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders.

 Rotary changes us and those we serve I believe we can change the world one life at a time

Paul Harris    

                                                                                                                                                                 The Mission  Statement of the Central Murray Sunrise Rotary Club                                                                                                                                   We will establish and nurture a social foreword thinking all embracing Club based on the Object of Rotary.                                                                                                         The Four Avenues of Service are Rotary's philosophical cornerstone and the foundation on which club activity is based                                                                                     Club Service focuses on strengthening fellowship and ensuring the effective functioning of the club.                                   Vocational Service encourages Rotarians to serve others through their vocations and to practice high ethical standards.      Community Service covers the projects and activities the club undertakes to improve life in its community.                                     International Service encompasses actions taken to expand Rotary's humanitarian reach around the globe and to promote world understanding and peace.

MESSAGE FROM ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT                       

                                SHEKHAR METHA                                                                   1 

JULY 2021                                                                                                                                           

Hello, my dear friends from Central Murray Sunrise.

My congratulations on the chartering of your club and a special word of congratulations to the President, Secretary, and all of your charter members and my compliments to the District Governor of District 9790 for forming the club. 

“Grow Rotary” is such an important part of the organisations future. 

We welcome new Rotarians to this wonderful world of Rotary, a world of fellowship, leadership, diversity, dignity and service. 

The Rotary pin which you wear now is your passport to the fraternity of thousands of Rotarians in 200 countries throughout the world and geographic areas. 

These clubs welcome you with open arms whenever you go there and at the same time at your club you will find new opportunities to form friendships, some which will endure for a lifetime. 

Rotary is a network around the world that is so powerful. 

Rotary will also give you an opportunity for leadership so please engage yourself as best you can and of course we will give you outstanding and amazing opportunities for service. 

In our lives we get so much from the community so Rotary gives us the opportunity of giving back. 

So, friends, do serve your community and beyond and make the world a better place to live in and also to save lives. 

Thank you 

                            PDG Bruce Anderson                                                                                                                      Rotary Central Murray Sunrise – 

Welcome to District 9790 and Rotary International                                                                                                                                       As the District Governor for D9790 in Rotary Year 2020 – 2021 it was my great pleasure to play a small part in helping the local team bring the Rotary Club of Central Murray Sunrise into being against the backdrop of very difficult circumstances caused by COVID-19. 

The local team worked very hard to gather support from the local community as they progressed through the necessary procedural steps to realise their vision of a vibrant, diverse and inclusive club which is now ready to charter, with around 40 members. 

Since its initial formation the club has engaged in projects and activities across all avenues of Rotary Service, solidifying its base within the local community and reaching out to address humanitarian needs around the nation and abroad. 

Importantly, the club has the necessary operating model and flexibility to adapt to address humanitarian needs with a fresh, modern approach in keeping with Rotary International’s vision to unite people to create lasting change. 

I am honoured to be a signatory on the Charter, together with Anne Reid, District Governor 2021-2022, and wish the Rotary Club of Central Murray Sunrise every success along its Rotary journey.

PDG Bruce Anderson, May 2022.                      

CHARTER OF :- Rotary Club of Central Murray Sunrise  

                                                                    Genesis                                                                         

Around a kitchen table at a home in Mulwala on the 6^th March 2021, a small group of Rotarians were enjoying some fellowship. The conversation turned to Rotary and the much publicised issues of declining membership and the need to make the organisation much more inclusive, family friendly, diverse, and to expand the appeal of the organisation within our community. 

The question asked by those Rotarians was whether there was an opportunity to expand Rotary in our area and to present the organisation as a welcoming, inclusive body which would actively seek the participation of family’s. 

Here was a consensus that if Rotary was to grow and prosper it would have to be relevant to the community it serves.

Whilst it must be respectful of Rotary traditions it should be sufficiently flexible to make it relevant to contemporary society and consistent with the obligations of members to their family and vocation.

With that in mind we consulted then District Governor Bruce Anderson. DG Bruce indicated his support and encouraged us to undertake the necessary demographic surveys and discussions with interested parties. 

Our study revealed that there were many members of the Yarrawonga/Mulwala communities who expressed a desire to participate in community service, however Rotary was not considered attractive to them. 

The impediment to Rotary membership was expressed as relevance, time and cost. 

Arising from those discussions, we developed a model which addressed those issues. 

We obtained approval of Rotary International and DG Bruce arranged for seed funding. 

Thus, the Rotary Club of Central Murray Sunrise was established with 32 charter members. It commenced its regular meetings on 4^th July 2021 at various venues in Yarrawonga before settling on its permanent home at the Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club. 

Our charter was presented to President Ed Rowlands by PDG Bruce Anderson on 3^rd July 2022.

Dennis Heslin

President Report  

      Distinguished guests, friends of Rotary, partners of Rotarians, fellow Rotarians and Rotarians to be chartered and inducted into Rotary today, welcome to the Central Murray Sunrise Rotary Club combined Charter and Change-over lunch. 

My sincere thanks to all of you for making the effort to be here and join with us in this celebration. 

There are others who would have loved to have been here, but live in Sydney and other towns and cities and have sent their apologies. 

Welcome to you all. 

Even though Covid-19 still raises its ugly head from time to time, thankfully we are able to meet today and celebrate this momentous occasion. 

If this celebration had taken place in July 2021, I would have outlined our vision for the new Rotary Club, but a year on I can now say with confidence, that we have surpassed all our expectations in fund raising, community support and international projects such as Wheel Chairs for Kids and most importantly the establishment of member fellowship and social communication both within and outside the club. It bodes well for the hopes and aspirations of all our members for the future. 

PDG Bruce Anderson in his 2020-2021 Annual Report made reference to the four Rotary strategic priorities: 

Increase our ability to adapt. 

Enhance participant engagement. 

Expand our reach and Increase our impact. 

When the steering committee met months ago, these thoughts were foremost in the minds of those Rotarians. 

Discussions with various members of the community had revealed that there were people who would join Rotary but due to family, financial, work and other time constraints, would rather meet for breakfast or lunch. 

This was the driving force behind the formation of this club.  

Our thanks to the sponsorship of District 9790 and PDG Bruce Anderson for the encouragement to proceed to form a provisional club named Central Murray Sunrise. 

We were most concerned when R.I. in Parramatta told us that we would have to have a minimum of 20 members before the club could be chartered and most kindly they would give us twelve months to reach this objective. 

There obviously was a latent demand for potential members and this has been proved by the fact that in July 2021 we started with 34 members and during the year these 34 charter members have received their Rotary Pins and today we will also induct further members into Rotary. 

Never in our wildest dreams did we think that we would have 34 charter members at our charter celebrations. 

This club has started with a balanced mix of experienced and new Rotarians, young and mature people and a gender balance of men and women. The future's looking good. 

All members have participated in the activities of the club and there will be a bottom up approach to new ideas, projects, etc and members will be encouraged to think outside the square. 

R.I has now changed the rules as to who can become a Rotarian and we will be looking for new individual members, corporate members and family members to join our club. 

Our social events will always include families and children and will be called “Young Rotarians’.  

I think R.I in Parramatta is very pleased that we will now have over 70 Rotarians in the two clubs of Yarrawonga/Mulwala and Central Murray Sunrise. 

Finally, this club looks forward to working with the Yarrawonga/Mulwala Rotary Club on joint projects that benefit the twin towns of Yarrawonga and Mulwala. 

I will close by once again congratulating PDG Dennis Heslin and the steering committee on the formation of the club and secondly my best wishes for 2022/2023 President Elect Ken Yap. My special thanks to all our members both new and old who have volunteered to give “Service above Self”.Thank you once again for your attendance. 

Ed Rowlands

The Board of the Rotary Club of Central Murray Sunrise 

President:                                                         Ed Rowlands

President-Elect                                                 Ken Yap 

President-Nominee and Membership            Jan Marshall

Secretary:                                                         Rob Devanny

Treasurer:                                                        Cheryl Viner

Club Administration:                                       Peter Viner

Vocation/Youth                                                Bill Farrell

Community Service:                                        Doug Evans

Foundation:                                                     Marj Shand

International:                                                   Bob Yong

Environmental Service                                     Dominic Fotia

New Club Advisor                                            Dennis Heslin

                                

                                                            Secretary Report:

The role of secretary can be challenging at any time. Guiding the club through the charter process presented a particularly daunting challenge.   

We would like to express our gratitude to the staff of Rotary International South-West Pacific office in Parramatta for their guidance and to ensure that the bureaucratic process proceeded smoothly. 

We established an email account, web site and secured a Zoom account which proved invaluable during the COVID-19 lockdowns. 

Technical support was provided to members. 

After the completion of our investigations into the possible viability of another club in the area, we commenced the process of complying with RI requirements necessary for the establishment of a club.In late May the process was completed, and the club was officially chartered on 1 July 2021 with 32 members. Normal secretarial duties commenced after 1 July. We have met our insurance and incorporation requirements. Some of our projects required permits. We obtained a street vendors licence in support of a car raffle and ensured that food handling requirements were met. The Club Runner program was updated and maintained throughout the year. Board meetings are held on a regular monthly basis, and we thank the Yacht Club for the use of its premises. 

Rob Devanny

                                                               Treasurer Report

Our capacity to fund raise was limited as a consequence of the pandemic, establishment costs and also costs associated with the purchase of the BBQ trailer, resulting in the year being financially challenging. 

Nevertheless, we were able to donate $3,600 to Wheelchairs for Kids and commit to regular monthly contributions to Rotarians Against Malaria. We have now reached a position of having a healthy bank balance and this will provide seed funding for ongoing projects. 

Cheryl Viner

                                                    Club Administration Report

●       Rules: Our Club Constitution & By-Laws are in strict compliance with the most recent resolutions of the Rotary International Council on Legislation and are consistent with the provisions of the Victorian Associations Incorporations Act.

●       Strategic Plan:  A sub-committee under the Chairmanship of the Club Service Director has been established for the purpose of developing a Strategic Plan for the Club. This will be a working document reviewed and refined annually.

●       Almoner. In recognition of the importance, we place on the well-being of our members, the position of Almoner has been created. The Almoner is responsible for keeping an eye on our members and if they require assistance in their lives then it will be provided in a confidential and sensitive manner.

●       Rotary Information: Although there are many hundreds of years of Rotary experience within the club, there are some members who are new to the organisation. We have established a Rotary Information Video Library. A short video is played at most meetings highlighting some aspect of Rotary. We are also establishing a series of “fireside meetings”, Covid-19 restrictions permitting, as a further aid to Rotary information. 

●       Succession Planning: the positions of President for the Rotary years 2022-2023 (Ken Yap) & 2023-2024 (Jan Marshall) have been allocated. 

●       Fellowship: In line with our desire to make our club as family friendly as possible, we undertook a number of social events. These were well attended and are now seen as an integral part of the culture of the club.

●       Structure of meetings:  We are very strict in regard to meeting times. We meet at 7.00am for 7.30am each alternate Wednesday and the meeting closes no later than 8.30am.

Annual Club Service Report 2022

This is the first report of the Rotary Club of Central Murray, Sunrise.  Much of the work of Club Service was in organising the structure of the club in terms of establishing a consistent meeting place, allocating Rotarians to the various avenues of Service and formally establishing a structure of activities we could include in planning for the future. 

Our initial meeting place was at various cafés in Belmore Street, the main road in Yarrawonga.  Our aim was to provide convenience in locality for our members.  This unfortunately had teething problems because of availability due to Covid-19 restrictions and also the issue of noise pollution that interrupted members and guest talks.  We reviewed a couple of the clubs in Mulwala and finally settled on the Yarrawonga/ Mulwala Golf Club who have been very good in economical but quality breakfasts.  They have also provided  audio visual tools to assist in presentations. 

Whilst the strategic planning document has given us direction we need to fill several roles for the coming year.  We need a member to be in charge of the provision of quality guest speakers.  This job has been handled as a group and we have had many Rotary and non Rotary Guest speakers to provide Rotary education and interesting Community and International based talks. 

We have not appointed a Sergeant at Arms to control order and provide entertainment ideas to ensure an inclusive environment with club members learning about each other. 

We are at the point now to have rotating roles for jobs such as welcoming Members to the meeting place and also to look after external guest speakers. The club is enjoying growth through the efforts of Jan Marshall, enthusiasm, good attendance and adequate participation in Fund Raising events.

Peter Viner

                                                     Community Service Report

This is usually the most active element of Rotary service however we have been limited to the extent to which we have been able to properly explore community service activities. Nevertheless, we have made a few inroads: 

Bunnings: We secured a monthly spot at Bunnings for a monthly BBQ. This gave us some community exposure and an opportunity to raise a few dollars and more importantly we gave our members a facility to get together outside of the meeting and have a feeling that they are making a contribution. The BBQ’s will continue throughout this year. Bunnings have also contributed several hundred dollars in gift cards and other equipment for raffles which we will conduct at our charter function. BBQ Trailer: A fully functional BBQ trailer was purchased. This has two plates, three-fold out tables with provision for water and power. We have tried out the BBQ at a couple of foreshore markets and it works well. The proceeds of these events have paid for the cost of the trailer. Silo Art: The club has agreed to support the community committee established to provide silo and wall community art facilities for Yarrawonga-Mulwala.

Beanies:   Marj Shand co-ordinated a community project whereby a group of women knitted beanies for the homeless can endure further hardship through the winter. The group knitted over 350 beanies which were distributed through the Geelong homeless shelter and a Melbourne Soup kitchen. 

Car Raffle: In accordance with our policy of supporting other Rotary clubs we partnered the Rotary Club of Mooroopna in selling raffle tickets for their car raffle. We made a commission of $1,200 which was disbursed to the Wheelchairs for Kids project.

St Cuthbert’s Anglican Church Fete: The club provided its BBQ Trailer and other equipment to the church for the Fete and Doug and Di Evans, Sandy Gibson, Ken Harvie along with Ed Rowlands, assisted in the cooking and serving. 

Sincere thanks to club members Darren Old the owner of the Crusty Loaf Bakery and Ken Yap the owner of the Golden Inn Chinese Restaurant, for their generous supply of loaves of sliced bread and diced onions respectively, for our BBQ’s at no cost to the club.

 Proposed projects:

We have commenced discussions with relevant authorities to progress the following.

●       Bike track between Mulwala and Corowa.

●       Clock tower at Mulwala.

●       Assistance with the relocation and integration into our community of Ukraine refugees.

●       As hundreds of patients and the carers from North East Victoria and Southern New South Wales access the accommodation at the “Hilltop – Albury/Wodonga Patient and Carer Accommodation Centre” while they receive treatment for cancer, the club will be supplying grocery items to the volunteers who provide morning tea, coffee and scones three days a week, for people residing at the Centre. One of the most satisfying aspects of our limited community service ventures has been the level of member participation.

Doug Evans

                    Vocational Service Report

Early in this club year, members provided their Vocational Resumes, which was most helpful to allocate them to their Service roles and to assist determine club projects. 

A very keen sub-committee has commenced meetings and their discussion and input have been very exciting. My thanks to Gerri, Jimbo, Sandy, Leonie and Fergal. 

We reached out to the local Secondary Colleges in order to establish a dialogue with them for their vocational and youth needs. Dialogue has commenced with Sacred Heart College and very useful feedback and comment has been provided. Our assistance to Year 12’s preparing them for their tertiary studies and the recognition of excellence were identified as needy areas. 

Rotary District’s Pride of Workmanship awards and the Shine On program have struck a chord of interest amongst our members and is being pursued. 

Our sub-committee supports that, as vocation is the cornerstone of all Rotary service, we need to embark on a vigorous program of member education in this space, including the Four Way Test and Rotary’s Code of Conduct. This will be a priority in the new club year, not only for the experienced Rotarians but especially for the newcomers. 

New Generations

With the valued input of the sub-committee, especially Carole, Margaret, Mark, Lyn, Cheryl and Rosene, we have commenced an ambitious course in youth services 

It’s early days, however projects which recognise and reward academic excellence, such as the National Youth Science Forum and other Rotary programs, have the support of our members and the schools. Sacred Heart College has suggested some gaps within their VET and STEM programs that our Club may serve a useful role. This work is ongoing but has good prospects. There’s also support for our Club’s involvement in the training of the young and disadvantaged persons in their driving skills and educating them about road safety, trauma and drink driving. Youth Exchange has the in-principal support of our club and Sacred Heart College, however just when this excellent program can resume is anyone’s guess. Other District programs such as RYLA, RYPEN, Rotaract and Interact will be held in abeyance for the moment. Our sub-committee has requested Denis to push through the matter of Working With Children checks for a workable number of our members in order that we can participate in District youth programs. 

                                         Bill Farrell

                    Membership & Retention Report

Central Murray Sunrise Rotary club was merely an idea 12 months ago. To have achieved a membership level potentially approaching 40 is a remarkable achievement. 

This is even more remarkable when we consider that we have deliberately not pursued membership as diligently as we otherwise would. We started during the Covid-19 Pandemic which made sustained personal contact with potential new members difficult and it is preferable to ensure that they have an understanding of the organisation before they take the step of joining us. We survived Covid-19 lockdowns, Border lockdowns and continued to grow. Face to face interaction and proper orientation are critical in this regard. 

We expect to enter the new Rotary year with close to 40 members. 

The exciting part of the year has been the success of making people welcome and including them in all aspects of our activities.  Fresh ideas are always welcome. 

We only lost one member through the year. Nadine Jones transferred to a Rotary Club in Darwin. We wish Nadine the best. 

Jan Marshall

                                                    International Service Report

Sister Club:  As a demonstration of the internationality of Rotary we entered into a Sister Club arrangement with the Rotary Club of Jakarta-Thamrin which is located in Jakarta, Indonesia. The presidents of both clubs signed a Memorandum of Understanding during the year. It was agreed that a water purification project identified in the Jakarta area may be an appropriate project. President Sanny Suharli and his team in Jakarta are preparing a project proposal for our consideration.

Letter to Central Murray Sunrise Rotary Club from President Sanny Suharli.

To my dear friends of the Rotary Club of Central Murray Sunrise. It was a great joy to the members of the Rotary Club of Jakarta-Thamrin to enter into a sister club agreement with our club. It is our goal to identify areas of need in our country and work together to address some of the issues such as the provision of clean water and maternal and infant health services. Over the course of the forthcoming year, we hope that we can work together for the good of our disadvantaged people and further strengthen the bonds which exist between us. It was my honour to be appointed an honorary member of your club and to welcome PDG Dennis Heslin an honorary member of ours. We very much look forward to some of our members visiting you in Yarrawonga-Mulwala and to welcome you to Jakarta in due course 

PP Sanny Suharli 

Rotary Club of Jakarta-Thamrin

LETTER OF INTRODUCTION TO PRESIDENT ROTARY CLUB JAKARTA-THAMRIN

President Sanny Suharli, 

Rotary Club of Jakarta-Thamrin. 

Dear Mr Sanny Suharli, 

Thank you again for the invitation to join your club meeting via Zoom to celebrate the formation of Sister Clubs between Rotary Club of Jakarta-Thamrin in Indonesia and Rotary Central Murray Sunrise in Australia. 

We were privileged to meet you, your District Governor Budi Soehardi and the other members of your club and I hope as sister clubs we can have a fruitful and progressive relationship in the future to help the people of both our countries. My congratulations to your I.T. person for arranging a professional Zoom presentation that did your club proud. The video about growing old in the 21^st Century (YOLD) was most enlightening and if it is not too much trouble, I would appreciate if you could arrange for a copy to be emailed to me. This was the first time that I have seen this video and was most impressed. I look forward to showing it to our members at one of our club meetings. I have spoken to the other members of our club who attended and they were very impressed with the night and wish you and your members a good year. As Dennis Heslin has already told you, the Rotary Central Murray Sunrise Club was Charted on 1^st July 2021 and we have now started the process of raising funds to support any future projects, but the Covid Pandemic and Lock Downs has prevented us doing much to date. If fact a fund raising BBQ that we were supposed to have at the Bunnings store in Yarrawonga last Saturday was cancelled because of the current lock down. But we stay positive and look forward to the future. As I informed you all at the Zoom meeting, I was born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). My parentage is classified as Eurasian, my DNA telling me that I am 70% Asian and 30% European, but have always considered myself to be Sri Lankan. My education was in Sri Lanka to University level and still visit the country regularly and keep in touch with my old friends often. I started a blog several years ago named “ A Bean Two Leaves and a Bud” to represent coffee and tea that my  ancestors were involved in. I am a qualified Accountant and prior to retirement was an Associate of the Australian Society of Accountants, a Registered Companies Auditor, a Member of the Australian Institute of Management, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Member of the Financial Planning Association of Australia, etc. I have set up several organisations during my career and the pinnacle of my achievement was being the first General Manager of the Australian Retirement Fund from 1990. This fund is now named “AustralianSuper” and is the largest fund in Australia, with over 3.1 Million Members with currently over $A230 Billion under management and growing at the rate of $A30 Billion a year. After my retirement in 1999 to Yarrawonga, I started a domestic housing building company named “River Country Homes” that I am at present in the process of closing down. I joined the Yarrawonga/Mulwala Rotary Club in June 2001, was President in 2003/2004 , Treasurer on two occasions and also Community and Membership Director. For the MultiDistrict Tsunami Appeal in 2005, I was the Appeal Treasurer for District 9790. I was on the District 9790 Board as the International Service Director for 2006/2007 and 2007/2008. I have been on several FAIM Projects to Papua New Guinea and been involved in the donation of computers, dental equipment, hospital beds, etc via Rotary Donations-in-Kind to Sri Lanka. I was a member of The International Federation of Cricketing Rotarians and have played for Australia in Rotary International Cricket Festivals. I resigned from my previous club on 30^th June 2021, to become President of my current club. As promised, it is with great pleasure that I attached the Honorary Certificate making you an Honorary member of Rotary Central Murray Sunrise. I have also, scanned the two signed copies of the Sister Club Agreement Memorandum of Understanding and attach them for your reference. Please keep in touch, either via email or facetime, etc. 

Yours in Rotary, 

Edouard (Ed) Rowlands. 

SISTER CLUB AGREEMENT

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 

THIS AGREEMENT is made this 24th day of August 2021 BETWEEN the ROTARY CLUB OF JAKARTA-THAMRIN (“Tharman”) of Rotary International District 3410, Indonesia  AND ROTARY CENTRAL MURRAY SUNRISE (“Sunrise”) of Rotary International District 9790, Australia 

Recitals: 

A.    “Thamrin” was chartered on 12 November 1990 and meets in Jakarta, Indonesia. Since its establishment it has undertaken domestic and international humanitarian projects in accordance with the goals and principles of Rotary International. In particular, it has been an active partner of Australian Rotary clubs in the participation in humanitarian projects in the Tangerang region of West Java. 

B.     “Sunrise” is a new Rotary club chartered on 1^st July 2021. It meets at the regional Victoria/New South Wales state border towns of Yarrawonga and Mulwala. It is the mission of the club to participate in all avenues of Rotary service. 

C.     The clubs have recognised that contaminated drinking water and inadequate pre-natal and post-natal awareness are major contributing factors to high levels of infant mortality in Indonesia. 

D.    The clubs note the underlying Rotary objective of using their best endeavours to achieve world peace and understanding. 

E.     The clubs have resolved to give a formal expression of their mutual desire to achieve their goals by entering into a sister club agreement. 

It is now agreed: 

1.      That as an expression of its commitment to this agreement and the principles underlying it, each club shall appoint a member of the other as an Honorary member. 

2.      Each club shall establish a three-member committee to be known as “the Sister Club” committee whose task it shall be to do all that may be necessary to encourage community and cultural interaction and to identify proposed humanitarian projects. 

3.      The provision of water purification facilities and pre-natal and post-natal education shall be, but not limited to, the focus of its project objectives. 

4.      Each club shall undertake such programs as is reasonable to promote an awareness of the history and culture, diversity and mutual interests of Australia and Indonesia. 

Sanny Suharli

President

Rotary Club Jakarta-Thamrin             Indonesia                                                    Ed Rowlands                                                                                 President                                                                      Rotary Central Murray Sunrise                                                                                 Australia

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Wheelchairs for Kids:

We have adopted WFK as a club project and thus far have acquired sufficient funds for 18 chairs. Our club has been appointed Ambassadors for WFK to represent the project in the Northern Victorian/ border region. Part of this role is to visit Rotary clubs promoting the project.

Ken Yap and Darren Old                                                          5 Wheelchairs

James Shand, Marj Shand and Bob Yong                                1 Wheelchair

John Charles                                                                            1 Wheel chair

Margaret Heslin                                                                      1 Wheelchair

Anonymous donor                                                                  2 Wheelchairs

Terri Narrelle Swanwick                                                           1 Wheelchair

Karen Louise Russell                                                                1 Wheelchair

Club Donation from proceeds of car raffle                             6 Wheelchairs

                            Bob Yong

Foundation Report

Sports Clothing:  As part of our Foundation initiative, we accumulated a stock of new sports clothing for distribution to disadvantaged schools in our region and beyond.

We distributed:

                            x30 shorts in various sizes

x39 polo shirts (Blue) in various sizes x34 polo shirts (White) un various sizes

Basketball uniforms of various sizes to fit out 13 teams.

In association with the Reagan Milstein Foundation, the material was sent to a village in Zambia.

Marj Shand

Environmental Service Report

In accordance with a RI directive an Environmental Director has been appointed and will be providing initiatives for this portfolio in the New Year. 

As a young club, members should be proud of our achievements, and we look forward to welcoming new members and consolidating our position. 

As Chair of the Yarrawonga/Mulwala Silo and Wall Art Committee I appreciate the help given to the committee by members of the Central Murray Sunrise Rotary Club. Below is an example of a wall art for Yarrawonga/Mulwala. 

We wish President-Elect Ken and his board all the very best for the forthcoming year.

Dominic Fotia

                     Rotary Central Murray Sunrise

                    Ken Yap -  President 2022/2023

                    Proposed Project for 2022/2023

Establishment of a permanent Red Cross Life blood Service at the Yarrawonga Hospital in conjunction with the Yarrawonga District Health Service Board for residents of Yarrawonga, Mulwala and surrounding townships.

Currently, blood donors are travelling to Wangaratta to donate blood, the round trip including donation time is about 2 to 3 hours. As many donors are senior citizens, it is important to the reduce the overall time taken to give blood to a minimum.

    Letter to Ken Yap from Red Cross Lifeblood of Australia.

Over 8.3 million Australians will need blood in their lifetime.

You give it, Kenneth Yoon Sang.

Hi Kenneth Yoon Sang,

When you give blood, you’re more than just a donor. You’re the Lifeblood of Australia.

Not only are you part of Rotary Australia Lifeblood Team, you’re also part of a bigger community — a community of donors. You may lead very different lives, but you have one important thing in common: you give life. You've made an incredible 282 life-changing donations so far.

That’s an extraordinary commitment! You’ve given up time in your life to give countless people more in theirs. You’re an inspiration.

This National Blood Donor Week, we want to say thank you.

We’re spending the week celebrating you and your Lifeblood Team, and the profound impact your donations have.

You’ve helped make everyday activities possible. Thanks to you, people who depend on blood can look for worms on a rainy day, have breakfast for dinner, or watch their favourite movie on repeat. You know, life.

You’re literally changing the world, one donation at a time. Take a moment to reflect on it — you’re part of something big. Something life-changing.

But don't just take our word for it.

“I was told I had 3 months to live. Literally 3 months after, I became a granddad and 6 months later I got to walk my daughter down the aisle.”

Bob battled and beat leukaemia with the help of blood donors like you. He’s forgotten how many transfusions he needed, but he’ll never forget his gratitude. You should be proud. The whole Rotary Australia Team should be proud Thanks again — so much — for being the Lifeblood of Australia.

Happy National Blood Donor Week,

Lifeblood

Get involved this National Blood Donor Week

Tag @lifeblood.au in your best donation selfies this week (or anytime) and keep an eye out — we may just share it. Or, if you’re not so keen on putting your face out there, take a shoefie instead!

Every time you share, you’re not just telling the world that you’re a donor — you’re encouraging others to give it a go too. 

The Publication of this Annual Report has been sponsored by the Mulwala Water Ski Club, Mulwala, New South Wales and the Golden Inn Chinese Restaurant at the Ski Club.

Also sponsored by:- The Crusty Loaf Bakery in Belmore Street, Yarrawonga, Yappkeba P/L, Thomas Ong, Frankie Yap, Nicolas Chan, Richard Oon and Joe Ong.