And just like that, we’re approaching Halloween and the end of the fourth month of this Rotary year. It’s been another jam-packed month, and I continue to be inspired by the wide range of activities taking place across our District.The month got off to a flying start with a trip to Bendigo (by train) to visit five clubs and take part in their activities. I began with dinner at Kangaroo Flat on Monday, followed by lunch with Bendigo on Tuesday, breakfast with Bendigo Sandhurst on Wednesday, dinner with Eaglehawk on Wednesday, and dinner with Bendigo South on Thursday.
Along the way, I enjoyed the wonderful Kangaroo Flat weekly community meal on Tuesday—which was pure joy—visited the Eaglehawk Book Shop on Wednesday (and received a bonus history lesson about the building), caught up with volunteers from the knitting program run by dedicated members and friends from various clubs who collect, collate, and pack knitted garments to send overseas to places like East Timor and Papua New Guinea, and checked out the annual Christmas raffle run by Bendigo South and Eaglehawk in partnership with local groups (and, yes, I bought my lucky tickets!). I also managed to be interviewed on local radio by Allison Bacon. It was a busy but very rewarding week. My thanks go to all the clubs for their hospitality, to Alison for organising my itinerary and transport, and to Sue Foley and Dennis Tarrant for hosting me.
Including those visits, I will have reached 42 clubs by the end of October, with 19 still to go. The club visits continue to inspire and amaze me, and I’m pleased that my simple message about belonging, sharing our personal stories, and finding people’s passions is being so well received. I also had the opportunity to attend the Rotary Australia World Community Service Southern Region Annual General Meeting, the Rotary Richmond Business Breakfast, and Rotary Hawthorn’s Community Lunch in conjunction with It’s the Little Things community group.
I promised my home club, Altona, that while I’d be away for much of this Rotary year, I’d still be available for our annual Hobsons Bay Art Show—and I’m pleased to say I kept that promise! Once again, it was a great success.
Amid all this, I somehow managed to clock up an extra 50 kilometres walking to raise funds to End Polio and capped off the month by joining 72 others for a screening of The Travellers on Sunday 26 October to further support the cause. Thanks to DGE Graeme for organising the event, with assistance from DRFC PDG Julie Mason and the ever-organised Jane Pennington.
Finally, I discovered this month that IPDG Michael Lapiña and I aren’t the only twins in our District—Rotary Glenferrie and Rotary Chadstone (now Chadstone–East Malvern) were both chartered on 22 October 1975! I had the great honour of attending both 50th Anniversary celebrations (fortunately, not on the same day). It was wonderful to be reminded that in 1975, Paul Hogan was telling us to “Anyhow, have a Winfield,” a pack of 20 cost 40 cents, and Gough Whitlam famously declared, “Well may we say ‘God save the Queen,’ because nothing will save the Governor-General.” We’ve come a long way in 50 years—and so have these two great clubs.
November and Foundation Month will soon be upon us, along with the Melbourne Cup, the countdown to Christmas, and the close of the year.
Peter Shepheard
Unite for Good
Unite for Good
