The Bendigo Conference from the view of Cheryl Jenkins - Rotarian with Chadstone/East Malvern
District Governor Ron Payne and Deb worked tirelessly for the past 18 months inviting people to Bendigo for the conference and approximately 400 people attended. Ron welcomed us saying Womin-dji-ka which means welcome in the local Dja Dja Wurrung language.
Everything in Bendigo was in walking distance or just a short drive away and the weather was excellent.
On Friday some Rotarians played golf (if they had booked) while others visited the Showcase which included displays like End Polio Now, Rotary SAFE Families, EndTrachoma and WomenCAN Australia among many others.
FRIDAY 12 APRIL 2024 - THE TOWN HALL
WELCOME FUNCTION
The opening ceremony was held at the beautifully decorated and historic Town Hall where Rotarians could collect their Rotary conference bag then enjoy a drink and nibbles while listening to the speakers.
In attendance were the mayor of Bendigo Cr. Andrea Metcalf and Rotary International Representative Iain Wakefield dressed in a very colourful Hawaiian shirt.
After this Rotarians attended Club dinners at various restaurants around the city including the GPO Bendigo Restaurant.
The next day participants attended the Rotary Foundation breakfast (if they had booked) at Lakeside Conference and Events Centre.
SATURDAY, 13 APRIL 2024 - Ulumbarra Theatre.
Talented musicians such as the Bendigo Youth Choir were part of the official opening ceremony and led the National Anthem.
PLENARY ONE
Plenary One featured Costa Geogiardis the host of Gardening Australia who was engaging, entertaining and informative. He moved around quite a lot and didn’t use a power point presentation. He included props like a pile of T-shirts with different messages on. Then there was a lavish morning tea including scones with jam and cream and a delicious variety of slices.
PLENARY TWO
Conference attendees returned for Plenary Two and heard Tony Pearce and Mark Balla among others.
Tony Pearce has held the role of Inspector General of Emergency Services in Australia for four years. He began Tony’s Trek after he lost colleagues who had mental health issues but struggled alone with their problems unrecognised until the end. Having helped others during disasters they struggled especially with transition to retirement as they are away from their mates who understand their issues.
Sadly emergency workers are humble people on the whole and don’t discuss their own welfare as it is regarded as a taboo subject. Encouraging them to join a walk through the areas that have been affected (such as high risk bushfire areas) encourages them to open up.
Local communities welcome them and fellow travellers have their own stories to tell. They raised $219,000 which went to getting the workers the help they needed. Emergency services personnel say they are resilient but numbers suggest they have twice the suicidal thoughts of the average person and some even have a written down plan.The stigma of mental health needs to be overcome. Being vulnerable shows strength not weakness.
A JOURNEY TO THE TOILET PART 2
(Part 1 was at the Foundation Breakfast)
Mark Balla, the Toilet Warrior continues his amazing work with building and fixing toilets in schools in India. It’s not only how many girls to the number of toilets but what is the ratio to students and are they functional, not covered in excrement and with no snakes! (Some toilets are a distance from the school because of the smell so in areas of bush and long grass which can be challenging).
Some statistics:
-85% of schools have toilets.
-Of those 55% are functioning. Mark’s talk had slides of dirty and broken toilets which were truly shocking.
-Also only 25% of the toilets are for girls.
-A school in Chennai with 800 students has 2 toilets but only one that is functioning.
If schools have facilities for girls it means they are less likely to marry young like between 12-14 years. Their income goes up for every year they stay at school and when they do have babies they are likely to live longer.
Mark’s talk ended with a short video of kids washing their hands and singing in Hindi. The last word they sang was dhanyavaad which Mark told us is thank you in Hindi.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Peace Fellow Selection presented by PDG Murray Verso who is looking for more Peace Scholar applicants. Applications close in May but he would like more people to apply. Rotaractors can apply but not Rotarians. Lucienne Heyworth is a one such peace scholar and gave a very informative talk.
Lucienne was a Rotary Peace Scholar from 2015-2017. She has worked and volunteered in the Middle East, mostly in Syria but also Jordan, Palestine (Gaza and the West Bank ) Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. She has sought to improve access to education for affected populations.
She emphasised that we must speak up for innocent women and children in conflict areas to ensure they have food, water and shelter in order to survive.
She returned to Australia in April 2022 and has a role with Care Australia where she focuses on supporting local organisations across the Pacific region in Emergency preparedness and response.
GALA DINNER
The Gala dinner was held at the All Seasons Hotel Resort and we were welcomed by two Chinese Dragons accompanied by musicians playing drums and cymbals. They are the amazing Central Victorian Lion team.
Once inside the venue we were entertained by the Hargreaves Jazz Quartet who struggled to be heard above our noisy chatter but from what we heard they were very good.
CONCLUSION
Thank you to the Organising Committee without whose tireless efforts this conference would not have happened. Attending District Conference is not just about what you learn but who you meet. The speakers and the musicians were excellent and the people you meet encourage us to return to our clubs and together create hope in the world.
Cheryl Jenkins
Rotary Chadstone/East Malvern