Rotary Club of Maleny: Rotary Club of Maleny Bulletin for 18th March 2020

"THE RANGE" Vol. 61 No.17

WEDNESDAY 18TH MARCH 2020

THIS WEEK'S MEETING
Maleny Hotel at 6:30 for 7:00pm for Business Meeting.

APOLOGIES AND MEALS
Apologies please to Bernice before noon on Tuesday.

DUTY ROSTERS
                         18th Mar      1st Apr          15th Apr
Duty Officer    Alan W        Malcolm B Jeff C
Assist DO       Angela G     Michael G    Bernice McL
Registration     John McL      Melinda M    Bill H
Fellowship       John W          Keith R         Lionel T

SAUSAGE SIZZLE ROSTER
21st March
Chris B (Leader) Keith R Andy S

4th April
Malcolm B (Leader) James McC Paulette S

PRESIDENT'S NOTES

March has been quite a busy month. Thanks to the members who helped with the Clean-up Australia working bee along the Obi on 1 March. It was good for the club to be active in this community event again, as it’s a while since we have been involved. The collaborative spirit on the morning was great. Another really good teamwork opportunity was the Settler’s Green Tree plant on 5 March and we had good club representation on that morning as well. The area is going to be a real asset to the community space when the plants develop and fill the space out a bit. The Heritage camellia section I believe will be a real drawcard for garden clubs.

We had good news this week that the new RAWCS project that we are sponsoring in Nepal has now been officially registered. The project is titled the Business Entrepreneurship Training and Support for Women with Disability - Kathmandu, Nepal. The project will particularly target blind women. Thanks to CL for her passion and valued expertise in international development projects, and for getting this project registered so quickly. We look forward to hearing more about it from her.

I have been working over the last week with the Presidents of Zonta and Quota on a Domestic and

Family Violence awareness and action project for the Range (a 3 Presidents Project). We are planning a Domestic and Family Violence Focus Group at the RSL in the coming weeks, where we have invited a range of service clubs on the range to attend. We are hoping that the outcome of this will be a concerted communication campaign, and collective support for more awareness about resources available for not only persons who are experiencing violence, in any of its forms, but for engaged bystanders. We are planning to produce a DV poster for men to display in public amenities, similar to the Zonta DV Awareness project which has put DV Help contact numbers into Women’s Toilets around the Sunshine Coast.

The Interactors from Maleny High Interact Club had a productive time at the District Interact Conference last week. It is always a good opportunity to network with other club members, and also to showcase their projects and activities. Thanks to the members who also went along to support them. The District Conference is on in Brisbane this week.

If you know of any budding young photographers on the range, alert them to the Sunshine Coast Children’s Photographic Competition, a project of RC of Caloundra. Closing date 30 April, categories- Animals-environment, Portraits (local photos preferred), 3 age groups, up to 12 yrs, 12-15 yrs, 15 yrs+. Open to all Sunshine Coast children.

You would have seen that advertising is underway for our Maleny Rotary 2020 Community Grant Applications. Tuesday 31 March is the closing date for the Grant Applications, so please spread the word around as it is a very good opportunity for organisations on the range to get small grants for their immediate needs to benefit the community.

At the Board meeting this week we discussed the emerging COVID-19 situation and how it may affect the club’s operations. At present all we can do is to exercise caution and to strictly follow the Government Health and Emergency Guidelines as they emerge.

MINUTES OF MEETING OF 4TH MARCH
President Sherryl welcomed 29 members and guests to the regular dinner meeting held at the Maleny Hotel. Among the guests was a visiting Rotarian Monica, from the RC of Varberg-Bocksten District

2360 Sweden. Monica was visiting her daughter Miriam who is married to Chris, the Pharmacy Manager of the Maleny Star Discount Chemist. Chris and Miriam met in Cloncurry when Miriam was working in the local hotel while back-packing around Australia and Chris was the Chemist in Cloncurry.

Sherryl thanked those members who assisted in the “Clean Up Australia” event which was held in Maleny on Sunday 1st March. She also advised that the Interact Conference was being held at St Columbans on Sunday 8th March and the District 9600 Conference would be held in Brisbane from Friday 13 to Sunday 15th March.

Lionel called for volunteers to help in the tree plant at “Maleny Settler’s Green” which was held on Thursday 5th March.

Paulette advised the meeting of a “Casino Night” being run as a fundraiser for Smart Living Society Ltd, to be held at the Maleny RSL on Saturday May 9th.

Chris Brooker advised that Nick Zillman, who has been invited to be the Keynote speaker at this year’s ANZAC day ceremony at the Maleny RSL, is the nephew of Past President David Burnett and the grandson of founding member Rixson Burnett and his wife Peg.

Lionel introduced the Guest Speakers for the evening, Joanna Rickards and Sue Krucker from the Maleny State High School Flexi School. Jo has addressed the Club several times over the 21 years that the Flexi School has been operating, while it was the first time that Sue has addressed the Club. During their PowerPoint presentation they explained that the Flexi School, which has a limit of 20 students and a waiting list, provides a welcoming learning space for students that struggle in the normal school environment. They respond to students' needs by providing a broad scope of learning, such as music & singing, writing workshops, hospitality and food preparation, service and volunteering, craft, healthy eating to name but a few. The Flexi School was instrumental in organising the annual “Youth Festival” in Maleny, which has become an important community event.

Sue then explained that her role as a “Youth Support Coordinator” is to manage each student’s emotional challenges through the Flexi School’s “Integrated Wellness Programme”. This program has been developed with the understanding that the students emotional wellbeing corresponds directly to their academic performance. Sue is one of thirty “Youth Support Coordinators” on the North Coast. 26 of these positions are funded by the State Government, but unfortunately her position in Maleny is not one of them, which means that the School has to fund raise if they wish to keep her. Sue sees her role as a conduit between the students at the Flexi School and the Chaplain at the MSHS.

The Maleny Flexi School has been recognised by the Qld Department of Education as one of ten “Spotlight Schools” in Queensland, and as such they received $10,000 to assist with the running of the School. Over the 21 years that the School has been operating they have educated 400 students who otherwise may have “fallen through the cracks” had they remained in the more formal environment of the MSHS.

Jim thanked Jo & Sue for bringing the Club the latest information on the Flexi School and presented each of them with a Maleny Rotary “Black Bag” as well as the ever popular Rotary Calendar.

The meeting closed at 8:55pm.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS
2-4th May Parking for Wood Expo. This is a major fund raiser for the Club and multiple shifts will be needed.

9th May Smart Living are running a Gangsters and Flappers Night at the RSL.

FUTURE MEETINGS
25th March
No meeting

1st April
Maleny Hotel at 6:30 for 7:00pm for Stuart Mason on Hand Hygiene for Health.

8th April
Board Meeting at the Masonic Lodge.

15th April
Maleny Hotel at 6:30 for 7:00pm for Business Meeting.

BIRTHDAYS FOR MARCH
5th Judy Tilley 26th Rick Vickers

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES FOR MARCH
6th John & Beth Whan

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT
SHOPPING PROBLEMS

There have recently been stories of mayhem in supermarkets with empty shelves following panic buying of toilet paper.

As a contrast, consider this report from Canada. A short while ago, a new supermarket opened in Calgary. It has an automatic water mister to keep produce fresh.

Just before it goes on, you hear the sound of distant thunder and the smell of fresh rain.