PDG Neal Fogarty and Barbara

Across District 9700 this year the 42 Clubs have carried out some amazing projects, contributed $1.3 million to their communities and Rotary programs, as well as performed 67,500 hours of voluntary service (even at $20/h that is another $1.35m!!). That is a tremendous contribution and D9700 Rotary Clubs have certainly been Building Communities and Bridging Continents. That has been recognised by World President Ray Klinginsmith with 28 Clubs receiving Presidential Citations for their contributions across all four avenues of service.

 

We have had the disastrous floods in Qld and Vic with almost $120,000 contributed from 32 Clubs. Many Clubs sent donations direct to Clubs in the disaster areas. The District forwarded $3,000 to D9550 for fuel for the clean up at Mission Beach after Cyclone Yasi, $30,000 to the RC of Kerang for a children’s playground at the Morin Lake Recreational area and $27,000 to the RC of Toowoomba South for restoration of the Old Grantham Butter factory as a Community Centre. In addition $11,500 of individual donations were sent directly to the D9630 Flood Fund to provide tax deductible receipts for donors. D9700 is currently applying for Registered Gift Status with the Australian Tax Office so that we can issue tax receipts directly in the future. The District also delivered over 50 tonnes of hay to farmers in need in the flood areas. My thanks to Flood Coordinator PDG Fred Loneragan and to AG Con Bunnik for the idea of the Fodder Drive and its coordination.

 

This year I really wanted to encourage Clubs to get involved in overseas projects and they have certainly done that. We have had volunteers go to Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Nepal and India. This has resulted in improvements in housing and health amenities, clean water for villages, better skilled local teachers and restored sight to hundreds. In addition Clubs have supported orphanages, schools and clinics in several overseas countries. Through RAWCS, 20 Clubs have supported Donations in Kind. The most spectacular was the 14 containers of equipment and supplies that were salvaged by the 4 Orange Clubs from the old Orange Base Hospital– worth $1.5 m and shipped to countries in the Pacific. Clubs have also donated over 58 ShelterBoxes and 13 Disaster Aid Australia family packs. John Glassford is leading the ascent of The Mountains of the Moon in Uganda in Decemberin support of HIV/AIDS through RFFA.

 

A Matching Grant project from the Rotary Foundation helped Blayney and Bathurst East provide equipment to a hospital in Bangladesh. We also have ongoing Matching Grant projects in South Africa, Kenya and India.  Others are actively developing new projects in Nepal and the Philippines. With the changes to Foundation under Future Vision in 2013/14 we need to urgently develop a good project development and management skills base in the District. We have had highly successful Group Study Exchange teams to D3830 The Philippines and D5770 Oklahoma, using funds from the Rotary Foundation. We also had a great team in our District from The Philippines in March – thanks to GSE Chair Dennis Bishop. We had another successful Royce Abbey Scholar, Thida Hing, a soils scientist from Cambodia. Thanks to the hosts in Orange, Leeton, Coolamon and Wagga Wagga, and particularly Len Banks for organising the scientific program. We have also had improved amenities in Lake Cargelligo, Cowra and Parkes through the District Simplified Grants from the Foundation.

I would like to thank John Roberson for the fantastic job he has done as RAWCS National Project Volunteer Coordinator and also District Foundation Grants Chair.

Clubs have supported the Annual Fund of the Rotary Foundation $US74,000 (to 30 June 2010). There are over 211 members of the Centurion Club and more than 90 Paul Harris Fellow recognitions have been given in the District this year. Blayney and Bathurst East provided an additional $US7,000 for their Matching Grant project.

Polio Plus contributions were $US59,000. Many Clubs supported the national movie night around Rotary’s birthday in February.

 

Five Clubs are supporting Indigenous Health Scholarships and additional research scholarships. Twenty five Clubs supported Hat Day and BowelScan was again run throughout the District. Total contributions to Australian Rotary Health were$61,000.

 

The new generations programs were generally well supported. Youth Exchange – 12 rebound, 4 outbound, 4 inbound, 9 selected for 2012 – Thanks to Chairman George Thomas who has done a great job over the last 3 years and Committee. Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) – 20 – needs more support from Clubs!! Angie Fanello attended the RYLA Peace Seminar in Turkey – invite her to your Club as a speaker – she has a great story to tell – thanks to the Clubs that supported the program. Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) – 50, Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) – 18 teams (40); National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) 14 – Mark Oliver selected and attended the Science Expo in Canada. Science & Engineering Challenge – Orange, Forbes, Wagga Wagga and Young - ~600 students. Roadside Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) - ~2,300.

 

There was a great program of speakers – many had been involved in Rotary youth programs and it showed the longer term benefits of these programs. It highlighted some achievements of Clubs, successful inaugural District Vocational Excellence Award and was a great opportunity for social interaction.  Thank you to Conference Committee Chair Michael Tindale and the Committee and all Orange North members.

 

While there have been 130 new members inducted, it has only resulted in a net gain of about 30, and we have lost Canowindra Club. It is pleasing to see 36% of new members inducted were women. Mary Brell has been appointed to a national group to increase women membership in Rotary from the current 20% to 35% in 5 years. D9700 needs to increase our membership to above 1200 by 1 July 2012 to avoid the possibility of the District being merged. The Club Visioning program can help Clubs develop a plan for the future.

Congratulations to Wagga Wagga Murrumbidgee that has been selected by RI to be a pilot Club to explore new ways to be innovative and flexible.

 

The District successfully applied to RI for a $US10,000 PR grant. This allowed participation in the national program – developing a social media presence, jingle, brochure, as well as a local TV advertising program. We also participated in the NSW Inspirational Women Award, which saw Martha Brown recognised by President Ray Klinginsmith at a Gala Dinner in Sydney along with those from the other 7 NSW Districts. Several Clubs participated in the Books for Babies program, Wagga Wagga Murrumbidgee lit up the Wagga Wagga Council Chambers with End Polio and D9700 will feature in the book Humanity in Motion. Clubs have generally done a great job in getting the message out about their Rotary achievements in their communities and we had good media coverage around the Conference – we need to keep it up and do even better (District PR seminars). The District website committee has been formed to upgrade the website – thank you Paul Murray. The District Newsletter has highlighted activities of the Clubs, to provide ideas and recognition for achievements and to encourage Clubs to get together and cooperate. Thanks to Ian Davison who put it together each month.

 

This year for the first time we had a District Strategic Plan and I set targets. I am very pleased with the year as generally we met or exceeded the targets, with only a few areas not quite reaching the target. Thank you to many for your support throughout the year. The members of my Club, Orange North; the District Board (especially Geoff Tancred - 20 years as District Treasurer & Insurance Officer, and Bruce Barber, 3 years as Foundation Chair); Assistant Governors (Jill Funnell, 3 years and ARH Chair); District Trainer – Michael Milston; District Chairs and Committees; 2010/11 Club Presidents for their leadership of the Clubs and the Club members for their contribution to building their community and support for the Rotary programs.

As President Ray Klinginsmith says “What a wonderful time to be a Rotarian”.

Finally I would like to wish DGE Ian Simpson and Jean all the best for 2011/12.

Neal Fogarty

D9700 Governor 2010-11

 

2. Alf Gillespie Community Service Award: RC of Orange Daybreak – Experience Orange Expo

3. International Service Award: RC of Wagga Wagga - Darkness to Light

 

Awarded by President Ray Klinginsmith for achievements across all 4 avenues of service to the following Clubs:

Blayney, Boorowa, Condobolin, Coolamon, Cootamundra, Cowra, Forbes, Griffith, Griffith Avanti, Lake

Cargelligo, Leeton, Leeton Central, Murrumburrah-Harden, Narrandera, Oberon, Orange, Orange Calare,

Orange Daybreak, Orange North, Parkes, South Wagga Wagga, Wagga Wagga, Wagga Wagga Kooringal, Wagga

Wagga Murrumbidgee, Wagga Wagga Sunrise, Wollundry Wagga Wagga (Distinction), Yenda, Young.

 

Bruce has done an outstanding job as District Foundation Chairman over the last 3 years. He initiated D9700 involvement in the Royce Abbey Scholarship program, which funds a 3-month customized training program in Australia for an agriculturalist from developing countries in the Pacific and near Asia. The District has hosted four scholars from the Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and this year Thida Hing from Cambodia. Bruce was invited to become a member and serves on the Royce and Jean Abbey Scholarship Committee. Bruce was also the District 9700 Chairman of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami response. Over $364,000 was raised in the District and Bruce was responsible for organising relevant projects and the distribution of the funds mainly in Sri Lanka, Sumatra and India.