Swapping - Members are reminded that it is the individual's responsibility to organise a swap. One of the best ways to do that is to check whether you are rostered on well ahead of time and contact someone who is on a market further down the track to arrange a swap
April 13th 2019
OIC Col Duff. David Benn (for David Post), Geoff Breust (for Pat Ingram), Phil Burgess (for Paul Murray), Shane Carroll (for Steve McKoy), Frank Fuller, Stuart Herriot, James McNaughton, Graham Obst, Wall Paton, Jeremy Reithmuller, Malcolm Robertson (for Nick Leywood), Darren Wallace (for Mark Hillis).
May 11th 2019
OIC Doug Sutton. David Benn, Phil Burgess, David Byfield, Peter Mackinnon, Tim McMullen, Kerry Pascoe, Rob Pearson, Neil Pinto, Mal Robertson, Jonty Shuter, Adrian Whiting,Bob Willis
June 8th 2019
OIC John Flynn. Craig Bromley, Shane Carroll, Ken Cook, John Ferguson, John Hawkins, John Ireland, Michael Knight, John Mason, Paul Milde, Rob Nicholson, Rick Priest, Jeremy Reithmuller, Ken Taylor
A big thank you to all club members, partners, and friends who assisted in any way with the Food & Wine Festival. Especially, a big thank you to the Food & Wine committee members who expended numerous hours in planning and organising the event. The Festival is a major function on the City’s annual calendar. The Festival is a family event benefiting the local community in many ways and benefiting the City of Wagga Wagga economically and socially. Local stallholders provided food, wine, beer & produce for consumption. The crowd was well behaved and they gave a tick of approval for the new location providing a larger space to occupy and the stage provided a better space for people to interact with the performers and bands. Good fellowship was experienced by all people who assisted with the Festival.
DG John has requested that members attending 9700 District Conference on Saturday 30th March to wear an “End Polio Now” shirt or if you do not have that type of shirt wear a plain red shirt. DG John wants to see a sea of red signifying the need to end polio world wide. All members are encouraged to attend the District Conference as Wollundry Club will be involved in a short segment of the conference on Saturday. Irene will be giving a presentation and James Rossiter will be giving a presentation sometime during the conference.
At the District conference a Special meeting will be held to discuss the proposed merger of District 9705 with District 9670. I will be representing Wollundry at the special meeting. The Motion for consideration at the Special meeting has been circularised and a club member motion has been circularised. Discussion on club member’s motion will be considered at this club meeting.
DisTec 19 will be held at Young on Sunday 28th April at the Town hall from 10am to 4pm. The training session is focussed on the use of technology to power clubs and to grow clubs membership. For further details view Rotary District 9700 web site.
RYDA activity is happening this week. Wollundry is rostered on to assist Wednesday 27th March.
President James acknowledged that we had a big programme to get through today, so grace, toasts and introductions were pushed through with urgency, and munching into the spare ribs and the lamb sausages could be heard in the background as speakers addressed the faithful.
Recognition for our members at District Conference was acknowledged. As a club, we won the Community Service Award for the success of our festivals, which feeds back to support others in our community.
Paul Murray was awarded a "Service above Self" award, and joins an exclusive group to be recognised this way within Rotary. David Benn received a Sapphire Pin, elevating his PHF to a higher level. David Post has made a significant impression on the DG, that he receives a PHF after less than a year in Rotary. His work is on Mental Health and Drought Support.
Phil McIntosh called for a meeting of the Gears and Beers committee on Wednesday evening, at 5.30pm.
This is to be held at the Commercial Club. Not much notice, but the sergeant worked it out - Phil is off to Italy for four weeks, and needs to delegate!!!!!
A report on RYDA was presented by Paul Milde. We had a full team turn up, even after a retirement due to ill health. Six groups of up to 48 students were guided through the programme, and Paul commented that "we learned something about our driving"
After almost six months of planning, we have pulled it off.
A few meetings in 2018, then fortnightly for a while, and weekly meetings this year, then the big day arrived. We had visualised how things would work in a new location, and last weekend we made it all happen.
Friday was the big set up day, as fences marked our territory, tents, trestles and equipment was trundled into place, wiring strung among the sites, and all the time adjustments were being made to make if fit.
All our prayers for rain over many months were answered in one short sharp shower.
By Saturday morning, the layout was defined. We waited for the recruited food and wine sellers to take their places, and anticipated steak sandwiches at the refreshment site.
Before three, there was a queue at the entrance, and that was a good sign. Soon after, the Victory Memorial Gardens was humming with a crowd, eager for the promised Food and Wine.
There were also some punters who liked a beer. Regretably, the delivery systems for beer were beset by demons, and the beer flow was not free from quality and temperature concerns. This situation stemming from poor advice from our sponsor has caused embarrassment to our committee, and will require some explanation to other parties. John Gray's tongue was literally hanging out for a drink.
Many volunteers helped Wollundry Rotary over the weekend, with almost twenty people associated with Country Hope working on the day. Beyond Bank, Women's Health, Rotaract and TAFE were among others to volunteer.
Some photos taken during the festival are reproduced at the bottom of this Bulletin.
David Pyke reported back to the meeting today. David stepped in late, at short notice, and was armed with a bundle of papers from Laurie.
It was inspirational to see him pull the team together, provide focus as we moved to the new location and deal with the sponsorship issues that have accumulated over several years.
On the day, we survived a Friday thunderstorm, but setup all the fencing and the tents. We were ready for the crowd and they came.
There were dramas, and we have identified them. Beer delivery through the temprites, and EFTPOS equipment at the gates.
David reported that gate takings were up, but that beer sales were impacted by equipment issues. A "ballpark" figure of $40k profit was estimated as nett proceeds, but don't quote that just yet. Feedback will be welcomed, and sought from volunteers, stallholders and the public, and in written form.
David noted that the previous Food and Wine chairmen were Kevin Roben, Tim Barter and Laurie Blowes, and they're not here. Don't read too much into that.
At the District Conference at Griffith, there was a Special General Meeting of the District to discuss and Resolve the issue of Merging Districts.
The History of this issue is that District 9700 has fallen below the minimum number of Rotarians required to maintain District status. This has been 1100 Rotarians, and we are presently around 1050.
We have undergone a planning process over several years to merge with District 9710, based in Canberra and including the NSW south coast. This will occur in July 2020, and has taken extensive planning, consultation and development.
Now, and at this late stage, we have been notified that another district, 9670, which is in North Western NSW is to join as well.
The meeting of club delegates of district 9700 voted, and indicated that around 85% of those voting were against the "Mega District" due to lack of consultation and distances involved. The outcome of the special meeting is required to be forwarded to RI by the 5th April. District 9710 were in the process of voting on the same proposal due to our merger with District 9710 on the 1st July 2020. This outcome may not sway the result in any way, as Rotary International will have the final say but according to RI constitution they need to seek consensus of the clubs for mergers. There are reports that RI seeks much larger districts, involving up to 120 clubs, and 4000 Rotarians, with around 10 districts in Australia.
At District Conference, several speakers were disparaging in comments about Sergeants at Arms. They indicated that members were "put down" by sergeants, that feelings were hurt, and members left Rotary as a result.
What have I missed. I look forward to this segment of our meetings, and if I don't slot into one of the target groups, I haven't been involved.
The meeting at Griffith dealing with District mergers was highlighted - and comparisons made with Brexit.
David Benn was so vigorous in his Charleston, that his shoes disintegrated, but he still won, along with Cherie. What a talent.
Phil McIntosh was called out for his G and B meeting, the urgency explained by a month away in Italy.
Big W is downsizing, but will it impact our Big W's. Thats Wallace, Wishart, Whiting and Willis?
Promenading with the bride at the weekend took J Gray out to Estella, or nearby regions. Three caravans at one house raised eyebrows, and John asks if Craig Bromley is in the doghouse?
Smithy paid for having the flu. Best not to share.
Wal Paton, invited to stand and be examined for passionate foreplay.
John Glassford was reminded of his imminent relapse into irrelevance - he will achieve PDG status.
Burmo was the name chosen to slot into a story about a con woman. Love the story.
Then in the crossfines, Bob Willis noted that May will be finished before April. That's Theresa.
RYDA, the road safety initiative supported by Rotary, was held at Wagga Wagga Showground on Wednesday. We were rostered to send a team to the venue to support with marshals and enforce discipline. The guys on the ground were Clucas, Egan, Milde and Burgess - see photo. There were others that were sent home early.
The activities were organised into six streams, colour coded, and Rotarians in matching vests and ribbons led the school groups to respective sites.
Eugenie has been in Australia for two weeks, and managed to fit in a lifetime of travel and experiences.
Among her reminisces, I feel like I have never left. "Some things are all the same - Burmo is still the same." and quoting Burmo "since you have been here, I have become an alcoholic"
Memorable visits for Eugenie have been the cattle Sales, Moonlight festival, involving story telling of dubious truths, Boggy Creek near Tumbarumba, with the Murrays, Dinner at Doug Conkey's place, and a visit to the Mayor's office. Graham Burmeister lent Eugenie a car, his car, a Mercedes Cabriolet to drive to Bendigo, and that rated highly for a Belgian exchange student of not long ago.
There were also some punters who liked a beer. Regretably, the delivery systems for beer were beset by demons, and the beer flow was not free from quality and temperature concerns. This situation stemming from poor advice from our sponsor has caused embarrassment to our committee, and will require some explanation to other parties. John Gray's tongue was literally hanging out for a drink.
