Just following up from last week’s Gala Dinner. Lucy Jones, President of Neuroblastoma Australia, has sent a big Thank You for our sponsorship and reported that they raised a total of $77,000 at the event. Lucy has raised over $1 million since she started less than 10 years ago. What a great effort.
My key focus at the moment is helping Sue kick-start the D_Cafe. With training on Friday, March 20th, and the first session on Wednesday, March 25th. Please refer to the two emails requesting Volunteers.
Finally, the key point from last week’s President’s meeting was that Rotary has raised over $1 million for the bushfire appeal. District Governors, fully aware of the issues some other charities have had, is finalising guidelines on how the money will be distributed. Some clubs, like us, have donated separately. We have approved $1500 for Blaze Aid.
Our Next Meeting will be 2nd March 2020 when our Speaker will be Nadine Cattell.
Nadine works with a charity called Dreams2Live4 that grants dreams for adults with cancer that have spread, relapsed leukaemia, relapsed lymphoma and high-grade brain tumours. The only charity of its kind in Australia, Dreams2live4 brings, joy, hope and happiness back into people’s lives when they are at their most vulnerable. Dreamers range from 17 years old, from all walks of life and with all types of cancer. Many just want to escape endless medical procedures and spend precious time with their loved ones. Others want to start ticking off their bucket list – like Jason who just wanted a puppy to call his own or Maria who wanted to skydive. They are based in Belrose and would like to share their story with us. To find out more about Dreams2Live4 please visit our website www.dreams2live4.com.au.
Please note, we now meet in the Crows Nest Hotel Board Room, 1st floor, at 12.30 pm Mondays.
At our Meeting on 24th February 2020 the Speaker was Alfonso Calero, presenting ‘A Photo Tour of Tokyo’.
Director/Owner Photographer Alfonso Calero started Australian Photography Tours in 2008 with the aim of teaching locals and tourists travel photography. www.alfonso.com.au. Alfonso and his staff, deliver regular Saturday afternoon or night photography walks/courses to suit all levels of experience. Private lessons also available for groups or individuals. “Using the outdoor classroom as our learning environment we explore the technical capabilities of your camera to capture some creative ideas”. This will be about how much smartphone photography has progressed - the limitations of what we can achieve are endless. Alfonso will show the audience some basics on how to use their mobile, recommend free fabulous apps for editing. Also, he will talk about creativity and composition while showing images of Japan. The focus will be on Travel Photography in Japan and the locations will include Tokyo & Hokkaido. While presenting ‘Tokyo’, he will speak about how you can use your smartphone and still capture beautiful images of street portraits, architecture day and night. While presenting ‘Hokkaido’ in Northern Japan, landscapes and wildlife will be the focus.
The International Toast was proposed by Phil Smith to the Rotary Club of Thorpe Bay, England. Chartered in December 1991, the Rotary Club of Thorpe Bay is a social and fun-loving club that meets on Wednesdays at 7 am for breakfast at the Holiday Inn at Southend Airport. Through their many fund-raising events they are able to support other charities, whether international, national or local.
REMINDERS:
Please note, we have changed location, back to the Crows Nest Hotel, upstairs in the Boardroom.
District Conference 20-22 March 2020
Next Year RI Convention will be in Honolulu, and as always our Club will be well represented.
Tom announced the next play the Willoughby Group are running, and that is "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert".Tom will be holding 20 tickets for us on Tuesday, the 19th of May, with dinner beforehand. As a result, there will be no Meeting on Monday, the 18th of May.
Mark attended the President's Meeting last Sunday, and points from this are,
District Assembly will be Sunday, the 19th of April
the Australia wide Bush Fires Appeal has raised one million dollars
two Clubs have merged, that is Chatswood and Roseville Chase
the End Polio programme has taken a recent hit in that 143 new cases found in the war-torn parts of Afghanistan and North Pakistan.with two aid workers killed.
an Advanced RYLA Pilot Programme is being trialled, made up of previous RYLA Graduates.25 have enrolled already.
Ron, from Wahroonga Club, is trying to get Rotary Club's involvement in the Clean Up Australia Campaign
For this year's District Conference,650 Delegates from the two Districts will be attending. The following year's Conference will be on a cruise ship. Watch this space!!
Next BBQ, March the 14th.Please check the Roster
make a note in your diary's for the Pride of Workmanship Award Night on Monday, the 30th of March at the Cammeray Golf Club.
There is now a single Rotary National Bushfires Appeal entry on the RAWCS Home Page, allowing you to share this in all your newsletters, or Facebook or Instagram platforms as a potential opportunity for the many members of the public who are keen to make a contribution to the devastation.
For the direct link to the Rotary National Bushfires Appeal page use: Bushfire Donations
Funds from this account are channelled directly to the Districts affected to enable their support and rebuilding in the future.
I know some of you have already received enquiries internationally for donations, which is just amazing. These must take a slightly different path, and here are the instructions:
International bushfire donors to RAWCS can only donate by bank transfer to RARF.
SWIFT Code CTBAAU2S [all alpha except second last digit which is a two [2]
Any efforts from Rotary will be once the first responders – RFS/SES/Red Cross/Salvos/etc – have completed their good work, and we can start to help residents and communities to rebuild themselves and their communities. Some affected Districts have formed local work groups or been talking to Blazeaid – all good solutions when the time is appropriate.
ROTARY: 2019-20
Director/Owner Photographer Alfonso Calero started Australian Photography Tours in 2008 with the aim of teaching locals and tourists travel photography. www.alfonso.com.au. Alfonso and his staff, deliver regular Saturday afternoon or night photography walks/courses to suit all levels of experience. Private 
