Welcome to this week's edition of the Gateway Bulletin!
We're here to provide you with the latest updates, events, and stories from our Rotary community. Whether it's new initiatives, upcoming meetings, or opportunities to get involved, we'll ensure you're kept informed and up to date.
Our Facebook page is also an excellent way to stay updated on our club's activities. If you haven't connected yet, click here to follow.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Happy New Year to all Rotarians.
Wishing you and your families a safe and healthy 2025.
I have chosen a unique location for the President's Lunch.
Our first “catch up” is on Sunday the 19th at Myuna Farm – 182 Kidds Rd Doveton.
Access is from 10 am – 3 pm (purchase ticket/s $8.20)
We have booked The Outlook building which has some BBQ facilities. Looking to start around 12 noon for lunch.
It is BYO food & drink.
Please advise if attending asap to Secretary Phil, as you may miss out as we have limited seating.
There are some great walks around the farm with an array of different animals, young and old
Look forward to catching up.
All the best, John Peck
President of the Rotary Club of Greater Dandenong and Endeavour Hills
The Musings of Socrates 470-399BC
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws
February 4th: Projects Meeting
All members required to kick-start 2025
February 11th: Club Meeting Guest Speaker - Sally Baird, Backpack for Kids
February 18th: Club Meeting
Guest Speaker - Stephanie Joseph, Dandenong Community & Learning Centre
February 25th: Board Meeting
No club meeting
2025 Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards
We are thrilled to share that the Skyjuice Foundation is one of three finalists for this year’s prestigious Zayed Sustainability Prize. As the Strategic Advisor to the Skyjuice Foundation, I am proud of the incredible work we do.
The Skyjuice Foundation provides the innovative SkyHydrants that Disaster Aid Australia installs globally, bringing clean, safe water to communities in need.
This year’s theme, Power of Progress, is beautifully exemplified by the story of Mary Zayed, the first baby born in a clinic with light in her Malawian village, made possible through the Prize. She was named after Sheikh Zayed, founding father of the UAE, as a heartfelt expression of her family’s gratitude.
The winner of the $1 million USD prize (approximately $1.6 million AUD) will be announced on 14th January during a globally live-streamed ceremony.
To learn more about the Zayed Sustainability Prize and this year’s finalists, visit the website.
David Langworthy
Editor
Nepal Landslides & Floods 2024 Relief Update
We are pleased to share an update on the ongoing relief efforts for the Nepal Landslides & Floods 2024. These efforts, supported by generous contributions from clubs and individuals worldwide, have brought vital aid to those impacted by the disaster. Below are the highlights of the relief activities and financial summary:
Relief Efforts Summary:
Emergency Support: Food, quilts, mattresses, and solar lights were distributed to 485 families.
Drinking Water Support: 10,000 liters of drinking water pipes were supplied.
Hygiene Kits: Provided to 200 families.
Transportation: Most relief materials were delivered using helicopters and army transport.
Financial Update:
Total Support Received: NRs. 3,984,423.85 (USD 29,734.50)
Expenses: NRs. 3,498,590.00 (USD 26,108.80)
Balance: NRs. 485,833.85 (USD 3,625.62)
Additionally, 300 Water Survival Boxes are currently held at the airport due to a recent government policy change. Efforts are underway to resolve this issue and ensure their distribution.
Upcoming Initiatives:
The devastation caused by the disaster includes the destruction of 1,000 houses and the complete damage of 16,000 drinking water systems. Disaster Aid Nepal is preparing to address these challenges with the following projects:
Low-Cost Temporary Shelters: Construction of 100 shelters (estimated cost: USD 35,000).
Temporary Drinking Water Restoration: 100 projects to restore water supply (estimated cost: USD 200,000).
School Toilet Reconstruction: Repairs for eight schools damaged by landslides and floods (cost estimation pending).
Detailed Report:
A comprehensive report, including photos and a detailed breakdown of expenses, will be shared by February 2025.
After a series of successful events in 2024, Chisholm is gearing up for another exciting year in 2025!
Currently, the team is in full planning mode for their highly anticipated Orientation Festival (OFEST), and they’ve extended a special invitation to the Rotary Club of Dandenong and Endeavour Hills to be involved in the celebrations.
In previous years, our Rotary team has proudly supported Chisholm events by running the BBQ and bringing along banners and signage to promote Rotary's presence in the community. It's been a great opportunity to connect with students, staff, and the broader Dandenong community—and this year will be no exception!
Event Details:
When: Tuesday, 4th February 2025, 11:00am – 1:00pm
This is a fantastic chance to showcase Rotary’s community spirit and support Chisholm’s efforts to welcome their students for the new year.
How to Get Involved:
If you want to volunteer and join the Rotary team at OFEST, please contact Phil Thurgood by Friday, 17th January.
Once confirmed, detailed event information, including parking instructions, will be shared.
Photo from OFEST 2024
CLUB EVENTS
Annual Chinese New Year Celebration Fundraising Dinner
As we approach the end of 2024, we hope you and your families have had a happy Christmas season and are ready to ring in the New Year. Looking ahead, we are pleased to continue our celebrations into the Chinese New Year with our annual fundraising dinner. Mark your calendars for this special event, which promises an evening of delicious food, cultural festivities, and an opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause.
Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, 12th February 2025 (15th day of Chinese New Year, Chap Goh May)
Time: 6:30 PM for a 7:00 PM start
Venue: Shangri-La Inn, 37/39 Brentford Square, Forest Hill
Cost: $88 per person ($58 for food and $30 for donation)
RSVP By: Sunday, 12th January 2025
Payment Details:
Bank: Westpac
Account Name: Kam and Christine Pow
BSB: 733385
Account Number: 652293
Reference: CNY Dinner - [Your Name]
Payment Due Date: Sunday, 12th January 2025
This year’s dinner will take place at Shangri-La Inn, where we have reserved the entire restaurant to accommodate up to 110 guests. The evening will feature a sumptuous 10-course menu:
Shangri-La Salmon Fish “Yee Sang” – a Malaysian Chinese New Year specialty
XO Prawn
Sweet & Sour Pork, KL Style
Steamed Barramundi Fish in special sauce
3 Tai Tin Wong (Special vegetable dish)
Free-Range Chicken
Homemade Tofu
Steamed Rice
Good Luck Red Beans Dessert
Chinese Pancake
Please note: This is a BYO wine/beer/spirit event with no corkage charge. Free Chinese tea will be provided, and soft drinks and beer will be available at the restaurant. Vegetarian meals can be arranged upon request.
Supporting a Worthy Cause
Last year, our Chinese New Year fundraising dinner raised an impressive $12,000, with proceeds going to the Monash Children’s Hospital’s Children’s Cancer Centre. This year, we aim to build on that success. The funds raised will support the Rotary District 9815 Governor’s Partner Project to hire a specialist nurse for the hospital’s Apheresis Therapy program, which provides advanced treatment for children with high-risk cancers.
We are grateful to Mary and Mr. Phoon of Shangri-La Inn, who have generously sponsored a table ($580) for this year’s dinner. Their support, along with yours, helps us make a tangible difference in the lives of children and families facing cancer.
Evening Highlights
In addition to the delectable menu, the evening will feature:
Lion Dance Performance: A traditional lion dance by disciples (John Peck & Kam Pow) of the late Wong Fei Hong from FooShan, China.
Fashion Parade: Adding a touch of flair and fun to the celebration.
Seats are limited to 110, and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. To secure your spot, please confirm your attendance and make your payment by Sunday, 12th January 2025. Feel free to book a table for family and friends to share in this vibrant celebration.
Let’s come together to celebrate the Year of the Snake and support the exceptional work being done at the Monash Children’s Hospital. Your generosity and participation are what make events like these a success.
DISTRICT EVENTS
Inaugural District 9815 Conference 8 - 30 March 2025
The Inaugural District 9815 Conference will be held in Bendigo from 28 to 30 March 2025. Partners, family, friends, potential members, supporters, and alumni are welcome.
Individual session details and costs are outlined on the booking site.
Please check out the menu on the left-hand side for useful links including FAQs, Accommodation, Tourist Information, Exclusive Winery Tour details, and Committee information.
We look forward to collaborating and celebrating with you in Bendigo.
The Annual Ride for Medical Research 2025
The next annual “Ride For Medical Research” will take place March 16 - 21, 2025, celebrating 40 years of fundraising. Having now raised over $1.32 million for Australian Rotary Health, we look forward to pushing this to over $ 1.4 million in the near future.
This will be the first ride organised under the banner of D9815.
Registration for this popular fundraising event will open in November 2024, with strictly limited places, so get in early to secure your place. (Cost for riders is $998.00, support crew/drivers $800.00)
For early bird registration, please pre-register your interest, in either riding or driving, please send an email to Stephen Spiers: - jsthecrest3154@outlook.com
(Registration will open approximately 2 weeks prior November for those who have pre-registered.)
Join us for the “Ruby Ramble” 2025, Baddaginnie to Benalla.
Approximately 580km over 6 days
Day 1: Baddaginnie - Wangaratta -76km
Day 2: Wangaratta-Chiltern-Rutherglen Loop-98km
Day 3: Wangaratta-Yackandandah-Myrtleford Loop – 125km
Day 4: Wangaratta-Yarrawonga Loop - 115km
Day 5: Wangaratta-Milawa-Eldorado Loop - 100km
Day 6: Wangaratta-Glenrowan-Benalla - 64km
(Distances subject to change due to road/traffic conditions.)
The ride this year will be centered around the greater Wangaratta region, taking in many of the towns in the area. See the website for more information and registration details: - https://rotaryrideforresearch.raisely.com
If you can’t make it why not consider joining in with the Mad March Cycle challenge which will run in conjunction. Details of this will be released closer to the date. https://madmarchcyclechallenge.raisely.com/
Please note, we are also seeking support drivers for the ride, if interested please see the website for contact details Stephen Spiers on: - 0411 675 330 (Cost for Support crew is $800.00)
Begun in 2021 as a way of helping to raise funds for Australian Rotary Health during Covid-19 lockdowns, it continues now as a compliment to the annual bike ride.
In the spirit of supporting healthy minds, bodies and communities, it allows anyone to take part in a manner that suits them anywhere in the world. (In fact, over the last 4 years we have had people join in from not only other parts of Australia, but also America, India, Indonesia and South Africa).
Participants can challenge the riders on the Annual Ride and see if they can cover 580km over the month of March, the Annual ride participants have to do it in 6 days, or they can choose their own form of exercise and set their own goals.
It is Free to join in, although not compulsory, all we ask is that participants try and raise some funds, via sponsorship, for Australian Rotary Health. The typical goal participants set is $200 and all donations of $2.00 or more are tax deductible.
All funds raised go direct to Australian Rotary Health.
So go on, challenge yourself, your Club and friends, join in the fun and Make A Differfence, to not only your health, help Australian Rotary Health make a difference to everyones health.
These principles have been developed over the years to provide Rotarians with a strong, common purpose and direction. They serve as a foundation for our relationships with each other and the action we take in the world.
Object of Rotary
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
The Four-Way Test
The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings:
Of the things we think, say or do
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Avenues of Service
We channel our commitment to service at home and abroad through five Avenues of Service, which are the foundation of club activity.
Club Service focuses on making clubs strong. A thriving club is anchored by strong relationships and an active membership development plan.
Vocational Service calls on every Rotarian to work with integrity and contribute their expertise to the problems and needs of society. Learn more in An Introduction to Vocational Service and the Code of Conduct.
Community Service encourages every Rotarian to find ways to improve the quality of life for people in their communities and to serve the public interest. Learn more in Communities in Action: A Guide to Effective Projects.
International Service exemplifies our global reach in promoting peace and understanding. We support this service avenue by sponsoring or volunteering on international projects, seeking partners abroad, and more.
District 3060 Expands Dialysis Facilities to Benefit Patients
District 3060 has taken a significant step toward improving healthcare by enhancing dialysis facilities across the region. The initiative aims to support hospitals by providing new dialysis machines, thereby increasing treatment capacity and reducing patient wait times.
The addition of these machines will help ensure that patients receive timely care, addressing the growing demand for dialysis services. This effort underscores District 3060’s commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure and making life-saving treatments more accessible.
Detailed grant information supporting this initiative is attached below for review:
Photos @rhysmartinphotographer Earlier this year, 84 clubs throughout Rotary South Pacific were selected to participate in Fit for Purpose, an innovative membership program designed to empower clubs to grow and thrive. These clubs recently kick-started their transformational journeys by attending an inspiring workshop with top membership experts in our region...
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
After being kidnapped abroad, Rotarian Julie Mulligan set out to live a more authentic life of Service Above Self
As Rotarians, we understand the transformative power of clean water. Rotary has long been at the forefront of providing boreholes, having drilled thousands of wells that save lives by delivering clean and safe drinking water to communities in need. But how can we modify a borehole to extend its reach and improve even more lives?
The answer is simple yet powerful: by adding solar-powered pumps and storage tanks. This innovative solution ensures that water reaches more people: homes, hospitals, and schools. With clean, easily accessible water, communities can thrive—hygiene improves, time is freed for education, and hospitals can operate safely and efficiently.
Attendance and Participation: Regularly attend club meetings and participate actively in club activities and projects.
Service Projects: Engage in community service projects, both locally and internationally, aimed at addressing humanitarian needs, promoting goodwill, and fostering peace.
Fundraising: Contribute to fundraising efforts that support Rotary's service projects and charitable activities.
Vocational Expertise: Share their professional skills and expertise to benefit others within the club and in service projects.
Ethical Standards: Adhere to high ethical standards in their personal and professional lives, reflecting Rotary's commitment to integrity and ethical behavior.
Networking and Fellowship: Build relationships and network with other Rotarians and community leaders, fostering goodwill and understanding.
Membership Growth: Support efforts to grow Rotary's membership and extend invitations to prospective members who embody Rotary's ideals.
Rotary Foundation: Contribute financially to the Rotary Foundation, which funds international scholarships, humanitarian projects, and other charitable efforts.
Public Image: Promote Rotary's mission and achievements within the community and advocate for Rotary's values and initiatives.
Leadership: Serve in leadership roles within the club or district, providing guidance and direction to advance Rotary's goals.
Overall, Rotarians are dedicated to making a positive impact in their communities and the world at large through service, fellowship, and ethical leadership.
All members are invited to contribute to our newsletter.
If you have an interesting article or some great pictures, please share them with us by Thursday so we can include them in Friday's edition.
Send all articles and notifications to our Editor, David Langworthy, at david@bevmarks.com.au.
The next annual “Ride For Medical Research” will take place March 16 - 21, 2025, celebrating 40 years of fundraising. Having now raised over $1.32 million for Australian Rotary Health, we look forward to pushing this to over $ 1.4 million in the near future.
Begun in 2021 as a way of helping to raise funds for Australian Rotary Health during Covid-19 lockdowns, it continues now as a compliment to the annual bike ride.
