Any member who attended our meeting last Thursday could not help but be impressed by our guest speaker, Hal MacDonald. Hal is an 18 year old student who saw a need to help the Community during the Corona Outbreak (see Juris' notes below).

Another reminder that the Club will be holding a Planning Day on Sunday, 20th June It is important that as many members as possible attend so the Club can plan a clear path ahead for the 21/22 Rotary Year (see Warrick's notes below)

If you have not done so already mark Thursday 1st July in your Diary which will be our Change Over Dinner at the Royal Canberra Golf Club.

Twelve Club Members attended the joint meeting with the Canberra Club this Monday which was very interesting(See copy of G-G speech below).

President Eric

THE PEACE PROJECT

There are three school tours set for June at the Peace Bell. If any member would like to observe our tours you would be most welcome to attend (see Club Events below)

Would you like to attend the World Peace day ceremonies in Hay on the 17th of September? The International Day of Peace Ceremonies in Hay have been finalised for Friday 17 September (see Michael for details).

Michael Rabey

DORIS WOMEN’S REFUGE

The Doris Women’s Refuge in Canberra provides crisis and medium term supported accommodation and transitional support for women and children leaving domestic or family violence. I have been associated with them for a number of years and they recently invited me to visit the refuge and meet some of the social workers. I took the opportunity to take Sue Lloyd, our new Secretary and a very experienced Rotarian with me, in case there might be an opportunity for our club to assist them in any way. Sue’s knowledge of Rotary grants and programs far exceeds mine.

The coordinator for the refuge spent a couple hours of her valuable time with us telling us about their services and the ever increasing demand from victims of domestic violence for assistance in the Canberra region. She has worked at the refuge for 19 years and both she and her team are clearly committed to the women and children they support.

The coordinator, originally from Brazil, is very familiar with the ideals and services of Rotary. She was a Rotary Exchange Student from Brazil to the USA and credits this experience with changing her life. She is forever grateful to her neighbour, a Rotarian at the time for nominating her and also encouraging her parents to let her go.

Locally, the Woden and Belconnen Rotary clubs have provided support to the Doris Women’s Refuge, usually through Christmas presents for the children. There are always ongoing requirements for activity packs (educational and otherwise) for the children. The women could also benefit from such items as ‘pamper packs’. However, there are many different areas in which assistance could be provided. She identified that some of their accommodation is in need of repair and updating. Perhaps this is an area in which we could potentially assist?

It was confronting to hear the stories and statistics of women and children in need but also uplifting to see the passion that the workers had for the domestic violence women and their children.

I look forward to having a discussion with the club next year about how we could support the Doris Women’s Refuge and make a difference in the lives of so many in our community.

Sharon Green

CLUB PLANNING DAY

Sunday 20th of June

10:00AM - 3:00PM

Location TBA

Get your ideas ready so we can discuss them and plan some great activities. Topics will include: Meeting formats; Planned activities as well as a workshop on an upcoming Multi-club project.

Warrick Howieson

LAST WEEK'S CLUB MEETING

Our speaker on 3 June was Hal MacDonald, the creator of Project Wattle. Hal got the idea while still at secondary school and started it when he was 18. He doesn’t look much older than that now. Hal was inspired by the community pantry he saw at Hughes and the evident need to help the disadvantaged, especially through the pandemic. He decided to build one himself and to inspire others to do the same, by providing plans and ideas for implementation.

Besides running a pantry himself, the project has two other arms, accessible on the internet. One is to encourage other people to build community pantries. The other is to encourage people to help their vulnerable neighbours by using his outreach template.

Hal built his own pantry and found that the exercise wasn’t exactly cheap – it cost him some $500. In setting it up, he hit a few snags because he didn’t consult with others before launching his project. However the idea was sound. He ironed out the glitches and eventually gained very welcome support from Terry, the owner of the IGA supermarket at Deakin.

The big mistake to begin with was to set up the stall at night secretively, chaining up the community pantry to a pole, without talking to the IGA owner. He found out that it was against the law to occupy the space without permission and that it was unsafe because of the risk of vandalism. Once Terry was onboard with his project, the pantry gained wheels, courtesy of Hal, and was wheeled into the IGA at night, courtesy of Terry.

The pantry has welcome acceptance from the community. The location, next to a supermarket, is ideal. People often buy something extra to put into the pantry, and people who are in need take a few items as needed. The supermarket has become the guardian of the pantry and its presence lifts its trade. Also, it’s been a good learning experience for Hal, engaging with others to achieve his goals.

Hal recognises that places such as Queanbeyan and Tuggeranong are doubtless more in need with more homelessness than inner Canberra, but lacks the resources and time to do anything there. He hasn’t built any more pantries because it’s quite onerous to look after just one. The pantry needs regular cleaning and maintenance. Instead he spreads the idea and the means of setting up a pantry through his web-based promotional material, which he hopes others will use to do the same. He knows of at least two other such pantries set up in the vicinity of Canberra since his venture but doesn’t have any feedback on his site as to who might take up the challenge of building and running a community pantry. Evidently, his aim is to promote the idea, not to gain personal recognition.

People like Hal are inspiring and show that young people can have the energy and ideas to make the world a better place. His presentation was very welcome and very instructive.

Juris Jakovics

ATTENDING CLUB MEETINGS (at the COMMONWEALTH CLUB)

1) There are 12 members that have indicated they will be at every meeting, if you are one of these and can't attend you must advise Russell that you won't be there.

2) If you are not one of the 12, you must email Russell by 5.00 PM the Tuesday before the meeting advising you will be attending.

If you don't turn up and we are expecting you, you will be receiving an Invoice from Ross, as the Commonwealth Club will be charging us for your meal.

Russell's email address is: russelldew1@gmail.com

DUTY ROSTER (CC= Commonwealth Club)

If unable to attend on a day you are rostered, please organise a replacement.

UPCOMING CLUB EVENTS

•10 June, 3 pm: Hay Primary School(NSW) at the Peace Bell

•15 June(Tue., 12.15pm: St Vincent’s Primary(Aranda), at the Peace Bell

•15 June (Tue.), 10.30AM: Women's Event at the Arboretum.

• 20 June (Sun.), 10am-3PM: Club Planning Day (location TBA)

• 21 June(Mon.), 4pm: Clermont School(Qld) at the Peace Bell

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

• 13 June (Sunday) 2.00PM: Baltic Remembrance Day at the Polish White Eagle Club (Turner). Main address by Ieva Apine, Chargé d´Affaires of the Latvian Embassy (contact Juris for details).

LANGUAGE NOTES (FRENCH)

Given that we have so much international contact with ambassadors, overseas Rotary, local non-English etc. it behoves us to learn some foreign phrases. When we have French-speaking visitors:

(Thanks to Sharon and Monica)