1166tthh AAnnnnuuaall RReeppoorrtt

2013 - 2014

Change Over Dinner

Saturday 21st June, 2014

At

Incoming Board: President Robert Clarke Secretary Julie Garland Treasurer Bob Higham Club Service Lyndon Bartholomew & Les Murray Community Ivana Agapiou & Melissa Stramlic International Carolyn Ireland & Paul Haynes Membership Bethmay Jones New Generations Sue Jogever & Peter Grob Vocational Jenny Sinclair Foundation Alec Brown Public Relations Di Hicks Past President Rodney Smith President Elect Peter Vane

Incoming Officers:

Rotary Lodge Alec Brown & Malcolm McNeil. Tony Thomas (Associate Member) Rotary Community Hall David Currey & Mike Vegter Bulletin Lyndon Bartholomew Program Malcolm McNeil Attendance Les Murray Sergeant Mark Wilson Corporal Rachel Varady/ Deb Roach YEP Counsellor Peter Grob (In Bounder) - Steven Bruce (Out Bounders) Historian Peter Newman Welfare Officer Sherryl Robinson/Joy Griffin STAR Pam Foye/Trish Affleck Mooney Sports Awards Sandra Hollins Website Manager Jeremy Rogers Facebook Page Joy Raisborough Guest Welcomer Malcolm McNeil Public Officer Michael Jacobs

District Representatives:

YEP District Counsellors Jan Crombie (Chairperson) - Bob Crombie (Secretary) RYLA – Program Director John Carroll

Outgoing Board: President Rodney Smith Secretary Michael Jacobs Treasurer Warden Mersey & Pam Foye Club Service Pam Foye & Lyndon Bartholomew Community Helen Ross & Neil Black International Carolyn Ireland Membership Bethmay Jones New Generations Sue Jogever Public Relations Helen Ross Vocational George Mills Foundation Alec Brown Past President Peter Grob President Elect Robert Clark

Outgoing Officers:

Rotary Lodge Alec Brown, Ted Campbell & Malcolm McNeil. Tony Thomas (Associate Member)

Rotary Community Hall David Currey & Mike Vegter Bulletin Lyndon Bartholomew Program Emilie Cooper Attendance Pam Foye Sergeant Tim Atherton/Mark Wilson Corporal Neville Ramm YEP Counsellor Steven Bruce (In Bounder) Bob Crombie (Out Bounders) Historian Peter Newman Welfare Officer Bethmay Jones STAR Alec Brown Sports Awards Sandra Hollins Website Manager Jeremy Rogers Facebook Page Joy Raisborough Public Officer Michael Jacobs

District Representatives

YEP District Counsellors Jan Crombie (Chairperson) - Bob Crombie (Secretary) Interact Jan Crombie (Chairperson) District Youth Director Ivana Agapiou RYLA – Program Director John Carroll

Our Presidents:

Charter Year 1998-1999 Ron Craggs 2010-2011 Nik Sandeman-Allen 1999-2000 David Sork 2011-2012 Pam Foye 2000-2001 Lesley Cleaver 2012-2013 Peter Grob 2001-2002 Susan Wade 2013-2014 Rodney Smith 2002-2003 Ian Nettle 2014-2015 Robert Clarke 2003-2004 Justin Levido 2004-2005 Ann-Maree Crowe 2005-2006 Neville Ramm 2006-2007 Aub Polden 2007-2008 Alec Brown 2008-2009 Kerry Green 2009-2010 Ivana Agapiou

Paul Harris Fellows:

1999 Tommy Jeffs 2011 Bob Crombie 2000 Ian Nettle Kerry Green

Keith Murray Kami Rinjin Sherpa 2001 Ron Craggs 2012 Dr David Malikoff

Peter Pike 2013 Neil Black** 2002 Joy Griffin Pam Foye

Greg Laws 2014 Lyndon Bartholomew 2004 Lesley Cleaver

Mary McLaren 2005 Alec Brown**

Jack Griffin** Desiree Craggs (by nomination R Craggs)

2006 Neville Ramm~~ Bernie Fitzpatrick

2007 Peter Newman Janine Buesnel**

2008 Jan Crombie Anne Currey Graham Keena

2009 David (and Lyn) Brown David Currey Peter Grob** Kerrie Wood**

2010 Ivana Agapiou** John Carroll Andrew Campbell Geoff McNeill Betty Allman ** Sapphire Pin ~~ Self funded Sapphire Pin via annual donations to Rotary Foundation

Sunrise Rotarian of the Year Award:

2004 Peter Newman 2005 Janine Buesnel 2006 Kerrie Wood 2007 David Currey 2008 Bethmay Jones 2009 Pam Foye 2010 Rodney Smith 2011 Neil Black 2012 Lyndon Bartholomew 2013 Joy Raisborough 2014 Jeremy Rogers

Club Presidential Citation:

2000–2001 President Lesley Cleaver 2006-2007 President Neville Ramm 2008-2009 President Kerry Green 2009-2010 President Ivana Agapiou 2010–2011 President Nik Sandeman-Allen 2012-2013 President Peter Grob & President Gaby Biltris - Interact Club

Rotary Foundation Educational Award:

2004 Lesley Cleaver

Rotary Foundation Service Award:

2005 Lesley Cleaver

District Awards:

2005 Public Relations Award 2006 District Bulletin Award 2007 Annual Report Award 2009 Most New Member Attendance at District Conference Award 2009 Innovation Award for Chargepoint 2012 Most Members of the Centurion Club 2014 PDG Gordon Fisher International Service Trophy

Rotary Four Avenues of Service Citation

2002 Neville Ramm 2002 Alec Brown

100% Attendance 2013 – 2014

Alec Brown Lyn McNeil Neil Black Rod Smith David Currey Malcolm McNeil Peter Grob Robert Clarke Geoff Denyer Michael Jacobs Peter Vane

SUNRISE MEMBERS as @ June 20th

2014.

First Name Surname Partner Date Joined

Alec Brown Irene 30/06/1999

Barry Searle Sonia 17/10/2003

Bethmay Jones Scott 21/10/2004

Bob Crombie Jan 18/02/2011

Bob Higham Kelly 21/02/2003

Brett Gallagher Alison 14/05/2010

Carolyn Ireland Chris 06/07/2012

David Norton Joy 31/03/2000

David Currey Anne 01/01/2003

Deb Roach Don 10/01/2104

Di Hicks 11/04/2014

Emilie Cooper 28/01/2011

Eric Elsey 30/06/2000

Geoff Moore 17/08/2007

Geoff Denyer Jannie 17/09/2010

George Mills 01/07/2011

Helen Ross John 03/04/2009

Ivana Agapiou Tony 01/04/2002

Jan Crombie Bob 01/03/2002

Janine Buesnel Craig 09/04/1999

Jeff Smith Kaye Lee 01/03/2006

Jenny Sinclair Mark 01/03/2013

Jeremy Rogers Melissa 18/01/2013

John Carroll Sue 20/08/2010

Joy Griffin 11/03/1998

Joy Raisborough John 07/08/2009

Julie Garland Peter 25/01/2013

Justin Levido Elizabeth 07/08/2009

Kerrie Wood David 11/03/1998

Les Murray Kendra 26/09/2008

Lyn McNeil Malcolm 02/05/2014

Lyndon Bartholomew Sallie 05/12/2008

Malcolm McNeil Lyn 05/07/2013

Margaret Chant 03/04/2009

First Name Surname Partner Date Joined

Mark Wilson Jodie 09/10/2009

Melissa Stramlic Frank 08/03/2013

Michael Jacobs Anneke 09/02/2001

Mike Vegter Julie 14/06/2010

Neil Black Pauline 16/10/2009

Neville Ramm 11/03/1998

Pam Foye Terry 21/09/2007

Paul Haynes Sandra 12/04/2013

Peter Buckland 01/08/2008

Peter Grob Sandra 30/06/2005

Peter Newman 31/03/2000

Peter Vane Julie 25/01/2013

Phil Dixon Gay 03/04/2009

Rachel Varady 05/07/2013

Robert Brangwin Sue 20/08/2010

Robert Clarke Sue 17/09/2004

Rodney Smith Denise 11/03/1998

Sandra Hollins Derek 27/11/2009

Sherryl Robinson 05/07/2013

Steven Bruce Ann-Maree 30/06/2000

Sue Jogever Paul 17/08/2012

Ted Campbell Jan 07/03/2008

Tony Thomas Jan 20/08/2010

Trish Affleck-Mooney Mick 18/01/3013

Presidents Report 2013-2014: Well what a year! Where has the last 12 months gone? Taking the reins 12 months ago I must admit that I had a few nerves, was a bit apprehensive but was also excited about the things that our club could achieve in the next 12 months. With these mixed emotions I also thought of what have I got myself in for? It is an absolute privilege and honour to serve as President of the Rotary Club of Port Macquarie Sunrise. I have very much enjoyed my year as President and the feelings of pride and honour when you hear the general public speak about our achievements in glowing terms and how our club has re-energised Rotary, speaks volumes for the success of our club. A local professional recently commented to me that Rotarians are “normally much older and fairly conservative in what they get up to. They all need the dose of the fun that you guys put into serving the community.” I think that really sums up what we are about – Serving the Community and Having FUN on the way. The Sunrise way! I would like to thank my board and other position holders of the last 12 months Board: Immediate Past President Peter Grob, Secretary Michael Jacobs, Treasurer Warden Mersey and Pam Foye who took over earlier this year, Club Service Directors Lyndon Bartholomew and Pam Foye, International Director Carolyn Ireland, Community Service Directors Neil Black and Helen Ross, Youth Director Sue Jogever, Vocational Service Director George Mills, Foundation Director Alec Brown, President Elect Robert Clarke Club Positions: Membership - Bethmay Jones, Star - Alec Brown, Rotary Lodge - Alec Brown, Ted Campbell, Malcolm McNeil, Tony Thomas, Rotary Hall – David Currey, Mike Vegter, Bulletin - Lyndon Bartholomew, Program – Emilie Cooper, Attendance – Pam Foye, Sergeant – Tim Atherton, Mark Wilson, Jeff Smith, Phil Dixon, Corporal – Neville Ramm, YEP Counsellors – Steve Bruce and Bob Crombie, Historian, Peter Newman, Website Jeremy Rogers, Facebook Joy Raisborough and to all who helped out in the club in any way. Our District Committee Members, Jan Crombie (YEP & Interact), Bob Crombie (YEP), Ivana Agapiou District Youth Director, John Carroll (RYLA). The co-ordinators of our major fundraising projects or community events. Particularly Ivana and her team for the Big Dig, Sandra Hollins and her team for the Sports Awards, Neil and the team for the Lighthouse upgrades, Kerrie and the team for the Nepal Greenhouse, Peter Vane and co for the Do it for a Cancer Cure mountain bike enduro, Pam, Joy, Lyndon and co for the trivia night, Janine and the team for the Griffo 1000, The Parking Teams at the Artists Markets. I would also like to acknowledge the entire membership of the club as without everyone pitching in to help with fundraisers and events we do not achieve anything near what we have done. A big thank you to everyone. Also a Big Thank you to my wife Denise and children Sarah and Diana, as without their support for me in this role I just would not have been able to last the year.

Our Major Projects this year were The Lighthouse Stage 3 being the pathways, retaining walls and bollards from the steps (last year’s project) to the pathway down to the viewing platform. To Neil and the team, what a fabulous job. When people think of Rotary in Port Macquarie they think of our club with this most visible of projects on an iconic Port Macquarie Landmark. The area looks fantastic and is a credit to all who were involved. Having spoken with the Mayor Peter Besseling, The Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams, The former State Treasurer and now Premier Mike Baird they are all in amazement at the works our club has achieved at Tacking Point. We do not accept that we cannot do, but rather we are the Can Do Club. It is testament to our club working with the community, council and NSW Government. A special thanks to the State Government Community Building Grant which assisted with some of the costs together with the investment by PM Hastings Council in design and some materials and the input of time and money from our club, to Wesley Uniting Employment and the work for the dole crew who also assisted on site. And we are not finished. Neil has been busy searching for grants and we have a further grant to commence building the pathway from Davis Crescent along Lighthouse Road towards the Lighthouse. Keep watching the club bulletin for further news on the next stage. The Hastings Sports Awards highlight the amazing talent that we have within our community in the sporting arena. These awards are a highlight on the local sporting calendar and are testament to the record number of entries received this year. These prestigious awards recognise the locals who excel in their individual or team sports. Former winners include Olympians and Para-Olympians. This year the Hastings Sportsperson of the year was Luke Travers (Boxing). To all the category winners a big congratulations as well. Now in its 14th year and growing it is the Hastings Premiere Sporting Awards. Congratulations to Sandra and her team and a big thank you to our sponsors and our MC, Mike Rabbitt and also to the judges. A job well done. Cycling featured prominently on our calendar this year with the Do It for Cancer Mountain Bike Enduro raising over $8,000 for the Cancer Council and was a fantastic day out at the Telegraph Point/Pembroke Mountain Bike Facility in July 2013. Well done Peter & Co. In April 2014 we ran our Griffo 1000 Charity Ride on the North Shore finishing the 1000km of riding for charity that the Late Jack Griffin set out to achieve. I am sure that Jack was looking down on us that day as we had a near perfect day, great attendance and a result which was befitting of the legend, Paul Harris Fellow and friend, Jack Griffin. In excess of $9,000 was raised for the local Hastings Cancer Trust. What a tribute to Jack! The Greenhouse! What more can be said except that this was an exceptional feat to buy, deconstruct, package, ship to Nepal, get it carried up into the Mountains, and then construct it. Many months of planning went into this which was topped off by a team of Rotarians and Friends waking into the region in Nepal to erect the Greenhouse at the Mera School. Such was the significance of this project that we took out the District Trophy at the 2014 District 9650 Conference for best International Project for the year. Well done to Kerrie and the team on an exceptional outcome for the Mera School. This project also gave our club International recognition through an article in Rotary Down Under which led to a request for us to speak at the International Convention held in Sydney in June in a breakout session on food solutions in developing countries. The project brought together our club,

together with the Rotary Club of South Patan, Nepal. Further the Rotary Club of Burntisland & Kinghorn Scotland provided us with additional financial support for the project. The project was also a Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) approved project. Truly this brought several communities from diverse backgrounds closer together to change lives in Nepal. The tourists to Port at the start of May could be forgiven for thinking that a Pirate Ship had landed in Port Macquarie as Pirates ran amuck on Town Beach in the aid of charity. The Pirates even rounded up the mayor and a couple of (willing?) councillors to walk the plank. Not quite, but where else do you get to dunk the Mayor with Cold Water on a late autumn morning in the aid of Charity. The entire day revolves around fun for the kids and having fun in raising money to assist local charities. Along the way we also had a Trivia Night, BBQ breakfast at Mcinherney Park, Maintenance and assistance at OOSH, assistance at Rotary Lodge and Rotary Hall, discussions surrounding Rotary Park, assistance with the Astronomical Society to fundraise for their Science Centre in Rotary Park, monthly Market Parking at the Artist Markets in the Vines and Star BBQ meetings for our newer members. We also attended the Bravehearts Launch as well as the Salvo’s Red Shield Appeal Launch. We also jointly sold Melbourne Cup Trifecta tickets in Conjunction with Port Macquarie Club with funds supporting Sailability. With no club in Port wishing to do the catering for the District Assembly in May, our club stepped up to the plate and provided a first class morning tea and lunch and it gave us the opportunity to showcase how our club works together to get results. We would warmly welcome the district bringing the District Assembly back to Port Macquarie again in 2015. The majority of projects fall under the auspices of the Community Services Team. To Neil and Helen, a big thank you for all your hard work and for your team of supporters. Your major projects have been listed above so well done. The International Luncheon at the Ross Retreat at Heron’s Creek was not to be missed with fine food, drinks and excellent fellowship. Our thanks to Helen and John Ross for the use of their property and to Carolyn and the International Team for all their efforts both with the Luncheon and also with the Greenhouse/Nepal visit. Youth have had busy year with the team helping out with RYLA in a big way with 3 excellent young people attending. YEP was busy with inbound and out bounders all having a fantastic time. To Clem who has lived amongst us for the last 12 months we hope you have enjoyed your time here with us in Port Macquarie and we thank you for your friendship. MUNA was also supported and our Interact Club continues to flourish as well as our great working relationship with St Columba School and support for some of their endeavours. Our Youth Director has also heavily been involved with Luminosity. To Sue and the Youth Team well done. George and the Vocational Team gave us some interesting Vocational visits this year to Bale Defence, Hastings Home Modification and Maintenance, Peak Coffee, Garden Village St Columba Anglican School and the Courthouse. It was tempting to lock a few people up in the holding cells. Thank you to Emilie for running the Clubs program which gave us enjoyable and informative meetings throughout the year. During the year I had the pleasure to induct some new members which brought new fun, flair and skills to our club. Thank you to all who chose to join us over the last 12 months. I hope we have

been open and accommodating to you and that you have got used to our mad ways. It was also sad to say farewell to a few members who for various reasons chose to leave. We wish them all the best and look forward to catching up from time to time. At the time of writing our membership is hovering just under 60 members. Pam and Lyndon were in charge and control of the clubs smooth running, week by week. We enjoyed some pleasant social gatherings including barefoot bowls, Friday drinks, our traditional Quaich Games, Christmas party breakfast, Trivia night, Sunrise Cup and Hat day to name a few. Lyndon kept us up to date with his excellent Bulletin week after week. And of course tonight’s Changeover is a celebration of another Successful Year. Thank you Club Services. To finish off I like to give a special mention to two people who have helped me out immensely. Pam Foye for her support and wisdom as Club Service Director and for picking up the Finances after Warden had to stand down for family reasons. Pam also moved us into the modern era with processing our accounts onto Xero. A big job and a big thankyou. Past President Pete Grob. You left me big shoes to fill 12 months ago and I thank you for your assistance and guidance as I got into the swing this last 12 months. You are a very special Rotarian who continually gives to this club. Thank you to all those who enjoyed further fellowship at Coffee following our weekly meetings. It’s a great way to wind down after a meeting and catch up with the news over a brew. The customers may be forgiven for thinking who these loud boisterous people are who take over Crema on Friday mornings about 8.30am. In finishing I would like to thank all the members for their support and assistance in enabling us to continue the great works within our local community and further afield. We truly have subscribed to the years motto “Engage Rotary, Change Lives” for we truly have done this. I thank you all for your support during my year. It has been a privilege and an absolute pleasure being President of our Club, Port Sunrise. Many will know that I have a passion for all things Port Macquarie – Hastings and throughout the year I have tried to highlight local products and businesses, we are truly fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world and as such we should all look to support local businesses wherever possible as this supports our way of life that we all enjoy. In that way our club also adds to the fabric that is our lifestyle so enjoy your Rotary experience and you will be rewarded yourself with fun, friendship and a vibrant and switched on community. Congratulations Rotary Sunrise. To our incoming President Robert and his Committee, I wish you a successful Year and pledge you my support. Rodney Smith President 2013-2014

Treasurer’s Report 2013-2014: It has been another busy and successful year for our club from a financial perspective. We started the year with Treasurer Warden Mersey but due to family reasons, Warden had to resign from the club. We thank Warden for his commitment to the club under what was a difficult time for his family. Pam Foye took up the role of Assistant Treasurer with some assistance from Rod Smith and help from the Club Services team. Pam also took on the responsibility for moving our bookwork onto the Xero accounting system, which was a big job and is to be congratulated for bringing us up to speed in a short time frame. Assistance from Michael Jacobs in the reporting outputs from Xero is very much appreciated. A record year for income and the provision of donations and assistance in our various projects. The annual financial statements will cover the full year details. Great results from our major fundraisers including the Enduro Mountain Bike Ride, Sports Awards, Griffo 1000 and Big Dig, together with excellent results from the Trivia Night, Artists Markets (full year), Melbourne Cup Trifecta tickets (in conjunction with Port Macquarie Club), Ironman marshalling, Barefoot Bowls, International Dinner, Christmas Raffle, Star BBQ “Angry Bird”, Battery Exchange Program, Cents on the Table and Fine Sessions. This record revenue allowed us to provide assistance and support for the following or provided for out of our surplus in the near future. Organisations or Projects included:

• Hastings Cancer Trust • Hastings Cancer Council • Love your Sister • Ladli School (India) • Mera School (Nepal) – Greenhouse • Mera School (Nepal) – Scholarship & Feeding program • Polio Plus • Rotarians Against Malaria • Rotary Foundation • Lighthouse Improvements balance of Stage 2 Costs (Stairs) • Lighthouse Improvements Stage 3 (Pathways/Bollards/Parking area) • Muna Attendees • RYLA Attendees • Youth Exchange Students Outbound • Youth Exchange Students Inbound • Youth Public Speaking • St Columba Youth Science Forum • St Columba Awards - Prizes • St Columba Interact Club • Garden Village • Hastings Home Modification and Maintenance • Sailability • St Columba School Retreat • Australian Rotary Health • Ecumenical Care Centre Inc. (St Agnes) • St Thomas Soup Kitchen

• Hastings District Respite Care Inc. • Special Olympics Mid North Coast • Bravehearts Mid North Coast • Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal • OOSH • Hastings Education Fund • Disaster Aid • Life Straws • Astronomical Society • RSL 2015 100th Anniversary of Gallipoli Scholarship • Headspace • Luminosity Participants • NYSF Participants • Rotary Park • Rotary Community Centre (Hall) • Rotary Lodge

In addition we also assisted a number of local athletes via the Sports Awards Prizes Funds from club fundraising together with a further community building grant from the NSW State Government have been set aside in order to continue our work at the Lighthouse. Neil Black is to be commended for the success he has had in chasing government grants to enable the improvement works at the Lighthouse to continue. Other funds have been set aside to provide for future projects out of one off monies received. Shortly an audit of our accounts will be arranged with a comprehensive set of financial reports for all members to follow. Pam Foye Rodney Smith Acting Treasurer President

Club Service Report 2013-2014

This year we instigated all our Club Service committee members helping with Friday attendance at the door. This has worked very well and a big thanks to our team: Joy Raisborough, Trish Affleck-Mooney, Rachel Varady, Bethmay Jones, Mark Wilson, Peter Grob, Les Murray, Barry Searle, Robert Clarke & Ian Nettle.

Attendance: The following eleven members have 100% attendance: Congratulations go to: Alec Brown Lyn McNeil Neil Black Rod Smith David Currey Malcolm McNeil Peter Grob Dr Robert Clarke Geoff Denyer Michael Jacobs Peter Vane Fines Sessions: With our nominated Sergeant (Tim Atherton) resigning from the Club mid year, Mark Wilson & Phil Dixon once again picked up this tough job and made us all laugh and dig deep each Friday. Total fines for the year is $2084.60 which traditionally is donated to Polio Plus Cents on the Table: This year we have collectively thrown our loose change into the centre of the table amounting to $2377.95 This goes towards our annual donation to Rotary Foundation. Communications: We have once again had a great team working on Club communications. Along with the co-directorship of Club, Lyndon has done a fantastic job as bulletin editor which keeps us all informed of upcoming events and recaps on the previous week’s meeting. Lyndon was also kept very busy doing flyers & certificates for our many events as well as creation of the Love Your Sister calendar. Jeremy Rogers has continued to assist with all things to do with our many websites and this is very much appreciated. Joy Raisborough has continued to manage our Facebook page which is a good source of information for advertising events that are coming up and promoting projects that we support. Also a fun place for members to check out photos of our meetings and social events: Program Director: Thanks to our program director, Emilie Cooper for a job well done. We’ve had a full, interesting and informative range of guest speakers throughout the year, within and around our area of Port Macquarie. Welfare: Bethmay has once again kept in touch with club members and or their families when in need. Club Historian: Thanks to Peter Newman for looking after all the club history and keeping our membership lists up to date. We currently have 59 members.

Social: Unfortunately our annual Bonfire at Peter Grob’s had to be cancelled this year due to fire restrictions, but we still managed to have a few social gatherings with first Friday drinks and a fantastic Trivia Night hosted by John & Sue Carroll. Amid all the hilarity of the night we also managed to raise just on $1000.00. With Valentine’s Day falling on a Friday this year, we celebrated with a Love is in the Air Breakfast. Members and some partners came along and enjoyed a glass of champagne to start a day of romance. Fundraisers: In November we held our annual Quaich Games: This is always a fun morning with a variety of games and pranks: This year we raised $136.00. The cup is currently held by Jan Crombie. Battery muster has once again raised over $2,200.00 Christmas Social: Our Christmas breakfast was very festive: We were welcomed with a glass of champagne and orange juice and entertained by Brett Gallagher and his two sons with some Christmas carols, followed by a lovely breakfast and a special visit from Santa, who gave out presents. In general a good time was had by all. Car parking: We have continued with the artist market parking at Cassegrain every fourth Sunday. This is done on a roster system and I’m happy to say it has been fully supported by members. This year we have raised over $8500.00 half of which will be donated to LADLI. Well done Sunrise. Barefoot Bowls Social: Once again we held a Barefoot Bowls social night at Port City Bowling Club in January as our inter club activity. We invited other clubs in the Port Macquarie area to join us for a few games and a BBQ. Thanks to Bob Crombie for organising the bowls and also manning the BBQ. Thank you to all the club service committee for your assistance over the past year. Lyndon Bartholomew & Pam Foye Co-Directors of Club Service

COMMUNITY SERVICES REPORT 2013-2014

Introduction The Community Service Committee has again been very active in 2013/2014 and has achieved or exceeded most of the objectives and targets agreed to at the beginning of the Rotary Year. The Hastings Sports Awards, the BIG DIG and the DO IT For Cancer Cure 6 Hour Mountain Bike Enduro are now annual events in the Sunrise Rotary calendar and were all highly successful events in 2013/2014. The Lighthouse Project continues to be the Club’s primary community service project and the Club’s support for and involvement with OOSH is ongoing. For the first time, during the Rotary Year a record was kept of the number of on-site volunteer hours contributed by Sunrise members and their partners and friends to community service projects and events. A total of 750 volunteer hours were recorded and this would equate to a value of approximately $22,500. When the on-site volunteer hours contributed to activities organised by other Avenues of Service committees, such as: car-parking at the Artist Markets each month; the Mera School project in Nepal; and working bees for Rotary Lodge and Rotary Community Hall, the total number of on-site volunteer hours contributed during this Rotary Year exceeds 1,250.

2013 Hastings Sports Awards The 2013 Eather Recruitment Hastings Sports Awards saw 76 local sportspeople nominate/be nominated for one of the eight independently judged awards. In 2013 there were more multiple category nominations than in previous years and there was a record 21 nominees for Sportsperson of the Year. The 2013 Eather Recruitment Hastings Sports Awards winners were: Sportsperson of the Year: Luke Travers Junior Sportsperson (12 and Under): Mitchell Evans Junior Sportsperson (18 and Under): Ryan Carroll Junior Team: St Paul’s Intermediate Triathlon & Port Macquarie Dolphins U18 Basketball (joint winners) Senior Team: Tacking Point SLSC – Open Women’s Crew Sportsperson with a disability (Physical): Janel Manns Sportsperson with a disability (Intellectual): Paige Leonhardt Services to Sport: Ryan Rosenbaum This was the first year the Sports Awards included two categories for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability based on competitive classification and this will be continued in 2014. In addition to the naming sponsor, Eather Recruitment, other major sponsors were; The Stihl Shop Port Macquarie; St George; Laing + Simmons; Donovan Oates Hannaford; Port Macquarie News; NBN; Harvey Norman, QantasLink; Rydges Port Macquarie; 2MC FM; and Langham Hotel Sydney. The judges for 2013 were Mark Strachan (2MC), Matt McLennan (Port News), Sue Reid and Darren Eather (Eather Recruitment). The 2013 Eather Recruitment Hastings Sports Awards Presentation breakfast was held at Rydges Port Macquarie on Friday 25 October 2013. For the second year running, the breakfast was a sell-out with over 180 people attending the Awards presentation.

The 2013 Sports Awards raised approximately $6,700 in proceeds to be donated back to the community. At the time of this report the Board had approved a $1000 donation to Special Olympics – Mid North Coast, $500 to St Thomas Soup Kitchen and $500 to Ecumenical Soup Kitchen. Also, $200 is to be presented to the winner of the Jack Griffin Perpetual Trophy for the junior rider with the fastest lap time at the DO IT For Cancer Cure 6 Hour Mountain Bike Enduro to be held on the 20 July 2014. The Sports Awards Committee under the excellent leadership of Sandra Hollins has welcomed several new members and the Committee has already commenced planning for the 2014 Hastings Sports Awards to be held in October. BIG DIG The BIG DIG Committee under the inspirational leadership of Ivana Agapiou organised and delivered a third BIG DIG event for Sunrise Rotary Club at Port Macquarie’s Town Beach. Numbers attending were down on last year and this was mostly due to conflicting event/s. Last year $6,000 was raised; this year the figure is $5,707 - a good result considering the lower numbers. Thirty five (35) Sunrise volunteers and their partners helped on the day; add to this a further 15 volunteers from community groups such as Brave Hearts; Headspace; After School Care; iadventure and the Easties Crew as well as Office Works – extra 15 volunteers. Volunteer hours on the day totalled 234! The new kid’s activities were winners – the Dunking machine; Fab Photos; the 4-5 structured children’s activities and the Fortune Teller! There were plenty of things to do whilst waiting for the dig to commence. The two mascots BIG DOG and DITTO were a real hit with all the kids. The digging pits were well planned and the tokens were easier to find. The combo registration and prize pick up worked very well. The BIG DIG is already considered an iconic, local event; the feedback from attendees was very positive and encouraging. The pirate theme proved again to be highly successful and the Face Book page was useful in promoting this theme. Expert assistance from Amanda and Matt from iadventure was greatly appreciated. The professional signage proved beneficial; and the cupcakes and slices were delicious and profitable; and all day brekky BBQ kept everyone well fed. The major sponsors / donors /supporters were: 1. GREENMEADOWS HEALTH CENTRE; 2. LAING + SIMMONS, PORT MACQUARIE; 3. PORT CITY BOWLING CLUB; 4. EATHER RECRUITMENT AND LABOUR HIRE; 5. NORTHCORP ACCOUNTANTS; 6. SPORTYGIFT; 7. iADVENTURE; 8. PORT MACQUARIE NEWS; 9. NBN TELEVISION AND BIG DOG; 10. TONIC BEAUTY THERAPY; 11. STIHL SHOP PORT MACQUARIE; 12. ABC SHOP; 13. TARGET AUSTRALIA, PORT MACQUARIE; 14. SALT WATER WINE; 15. HEADSPACE, PORT MACQUARIE; 16. BRAVE HEARTS AND DITTO; 17. PANTHERS PORT MACQUARIE; 18. OFFICE WORKS, PORT MACQUARIE; 19. FAB PHOTOS; 20. MAYOR PETER BESSELING AND PORT MACQUARIE HASTINGS COUNCILLORS; 21. OUT OF HOURS SCHOOL CARE - Dimity Miller, PMNC Children's Services & Teachers; 22. KEENA KITCHENS; 23. "DOPPIO OR NOTHING" COFFEE. A thank you event for sponsors and volunteers was held on Friday 6 June at Port City Bowling Club and Certificates of Appreciation were presented to sponsor representatives. The BIG DIG Committee is already planning 2015. Mayor Peter Besseling has agreed again to open the event and be the main target in the opening DUNK. A new date has been set for SUNDAY 17 May 2015 on Town Beach.

Lighthouse Project A successful application by Neil Black on behalf of Sunrise Rotary for a State Government Community Building Partnerships Program grant of $29,616 enabled Stage 3 of the Lighthouse Project to be completed during this Rotary Year. Stage 3 works involved the construction of a scenic walkway which links the new stairs to the Lighthouse, constructed by Sunrise Rotary in 2013, to the stairs down to Lighthouse Beach. Originally the design called for a timber cantilevered walkway, but to improve the durability of the construction the material was changed from timber to concrete. This change required the construction of a block retaining wall to support the foundations of the walkway, which will also serve as a viewing platform for whale watching and other activities. Wesley Employment & Training provided a significant portion of the general labour for Stage 3 through their Work for the Dole program. The project management and additional volunteer labour was provided by Sunrise members Neil Black and Geoff Moore who spent a total of 170 hours on site. Stage 3 was officially opened by Leslie Williams, local State Member of Parliament on 1 May 2014. A supplementary project undertaken during the past year by the Sunrise Lighthouse Project Committee in conjunction with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council has been the development of six interpretive signs to be strategically placed on the Lighthouse headland. Thanks to the efforts of Helen Ross and the generosity and support of Sunrise Rotary members, sponsorship has been obtained for all six signs. Sponsors of specific signs are as follows: Tacking Point Lighthouse – Greenmeadows Health Centre; The Three Brothers – Port Macquarie Skin Cancer Clinic, Greenmeadows; Lighthouse Keepers Cottage – McNeil Architects; Whale Watching – Priest Legal; Shipwrecks – Port Macquarie News; Abundance by the sea (Aboriginal culture) – Helen & John Ross OAM. A further application for a State Government Community Building Partnerships Program grant submitted by Neil Black on behalf of Sunrise Rotary has also been successful. This grant of $28,400 is for Stage 4 – construction of a 250m concrete pathway from Davis Crescent towards the Lighthouse. This work will be undertaken after Council completes the engineering design for Lighthouse Road, expected to be later in 2014. DO IT For Cancer Cure 6 Hour Mountain Bike Enduro During 2012 Sunrise Rotary was approached by the Hastings Valley Mountain Bike (HV MTB) Riders Club concerning the possibility of Sunrise assisting them to run a mountain bike event at their track at Telegraph Point to raise funds for cancer research. A Joint Working Party comprising representatives of Sunrise Rotary, HV MTB Riders Club and Cancer Council NSW was established to plan the mountain bike event as well as fundraising strategies and other activities. The event was successfully run on Sunday, 28th July 2013. Over $9,700 was raised for Cancer Council NSW to spend on their projects within the Hastings region. Competitors came from many locations and fundraising was encouraged for teams and individuals. One individual entrant raised over $1700. The event included the inaugural competition for the Jack Griffin Perpetual Trophy, awarded to the junior rider (13-17 years) with the fastest lap in the Enduro race. A unique feature on the day was a Chariot race consisting of a driver and two "horses". The Chariot teams, largely composed of Sunrise members, were sponsored by business houses. Each of the teams dressed up for the event which helped create a carnival atmosphere and raised over $500.

Twenty seven (27) Sunrise members volunteered on the day and contributed a total of 191 volunteer hours. The Community Service Committee decided to support the event again in 2014. Peter Vane has taken over from Neil Black as Chair of the Joint Working Party and additional members from both the HV MTB Riders Club and Sunrise Rotary have joined this planning group. The date set for the second event is Sunday 20 July 2014 and planning is progressing well. The event will be held at Bago Vineyard where a purpose built mountain bike track has been constructed. It will be the first event held on this new course.

OOSH (Out of School Hours & Vacation Care – Port Macquarie Neighbourhood Centre Children’s Services)

Over the past year Sunrise Rotary has continued to provide support to the Port Macquarie Neighbourhood Centre Children’s Services (commonly known as OOSH), which is a not-for-profit organisation providing a valuable service to the community.

The major activity undertaken was a working bee on the OOSH site in November 2013. The planning and organisation of the working bee was undertaken by Geoff Denyer with the assistance of Malcolm McNeil. Work undertaken on the day by the 14 Sunrise volunteers included: fence repair and painting; pin board installation; garden maintenance; lawn mowing and edge cutting; outdoor blackboard restoration; hopscotch and handball court marking out; and internal wall repairs. The volunteer hours on the day totalled 55. Morning tea and lunch was provided by Centre staff and this was greatly appreciated by the volunteers. The appreciation of the work undertaken by the Sunrise volunteers was expressed in a wonderful letter sent to the Club from the Centre Director Dimity Miller and staff.

An inspection by the Education and Communities section of the Office of Education was subsequently carried out with the Centre ultimately receiving the highest possible ranking for the facility.

Two other initiatives during the year further demonstrate the strong relationship now existing between Sunrise Rotary and OOSH. Firstly, OOSH staff assisted with the 2014 BIG DIG event by arranging a number of supplementary activities for the children. Secondly, with the support of OOSH Centre staff, a sign has been designed and erected at the Centre which expresses Sunrise Rotary’s support for the Centre.

Plug n Go

During the year Charge Point changed to Plug n Go due to the brand/registered name being purchased by an American Company. The new trademark name and logo Plug n Go was registered and formally accepted by IP Australia in December 2013. A new dedicated website (www.plugngo.org.au) has been established to support the program and contains maps of all the Plug n Go® locations.

The following Port Macquarie businesses/organisations are current participants providing access to Plug n Go for electric mobility vehicles: Bendigo Bank; Care and Mobility; Crema Café; St,George Bank; Keith Butlin (barber); Port Panthers; Public Library; Quality Sails Resort; Sea Acres; Leichts Tyres; The Glasshouse; Port Macquarie Private Hospital and Port Macquarie Golf Club.

In September 2013 Julie Garland took over from Fiona Wicks as the Coordinator of the Plug n Go project. New Plug n Go stickers have been printed and arrangements are being made for participants to be supplied with these replacement stickers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, 2013-14 has been very busy indeed for our Community Service team with ongoing projects (Lighthouse Project & OOSH) and annual events (Sports Awards, Big Dig, Mountain Bike Ride) contributing to the annual calendar as well as our team members being involved in various other volunteering capacities. The year ahead will show continuation of these projects and events and we wish the incoming Directors, Ivana Agapiou & Melissa Stramlic all the best as they take the leadership of Community Service into 2014-15.

Helen Ross & Neil Black

Co-Directors of Community Service

International Report 2013-2014:

In response to one question: “Do you know where I can get help for my school?” the Rotary Club of Port Macquarie Sunrise began itʼs 14 year journey of support for the Mera School in the Nepal village of Kharikhola. This question was asked of Kerrie Wood by Kami from Nepal back in 2000. This year has seen one of the biggest and most adventurous projects come to fruition. A large greenhouse was purchased in Australia, constructed and decontructed with “meccano” type marked pieces then bundled into 36 X 30 kgs packages. This 1 ton container was trucked to Sydney then air freghted to Katmandu, where 37 sherpas carried the packages over 4 days to Kharikhola. A Sunrise Rotary team of 12, under the leadership of Kerrie Wood, who has been the driver of the support projects for the Mera School, travelled in March to Nepal, hiked to Kharikhola, and for the next 6 days erected the greenhouse on a site previously levelled by the local people. Donated vegetable seeds, appropriate to the region, were also delivered to the villagers in order to test the greenhouseʼs goal immediately which is to extend the growth period and pave the way for the introduction of more vegetables and fruit varieties. During the teamʼs visit to Karikhola an Evaluation Report of the various community projects was conducted with Kami, school teachers, school board and parents. This feedback is still being collated and will be presented to the Rotary Board shortly. The success of this Greenhouse project is the result of numerous hours by many Rotarians and local busines people to achieve this successful outcome. We applied for and received $1,000.00 donation to RAWCS from the Pink Umbrella Foundation & and a $10,000.00 loan from District 9650 division of RAWCS (this was to cover the cost of freight of the Greenhouse to Nepal, in case we had difficulty meeting the cost with the money we had available). This was not required and the $10,000.00 was repaid. Through the dedication and skills of one International Committee member, Jeremy Rogers, the website www.nepalsunrise.com was created and was included on the RAWCS website with a ʻdonate hereʼ link for the project. The committee are appreciative of the efforts by Jeremy this year in communicating this projectʼs awareness to a wider audience. This exposure led our Greenhouse project achieving publication on an article in the February 2014 Rotary Downunder Magazine which increased our exposure of this project. This in turn attracted a generous donation by the Rotary Club of Burntisland & Kinghorn, UK, to assist with the Greenhouseʼs ongoing development. Due to the Greenhouse projectʼs ability to create sustainability and build capacity for future development and independence for the Kharikhola school and community, the Sunrise Rotary club received the District Award for this International project. My thanks go to Alec Brown for his efforts in collating the application for this award. An International Luncheon was held at The Retreat, Cutty Creek, on 9/3/14 due to the generosity & hospitality of Helen & John Ross, raising aproximately $400. The event was attended by 60 people who enjoyed an international repast provided by The Fat Fish Bistro at a rustic setting in an idyllic

location. The committee wishes to acknowledge the assistance by Cassegrain Winery to help make this outdoor setting possible. The International Committeeʼs commitment to donate 1 Shelter Box per year for 5 years is to be attended as planned. Other projects, such as Sheets from Jetz, have been held over till the Greenhouse project was achieved. I wish to thank the members of the International committee this year for their valuable imput and also the long hours of time and effort by many Rotary Sunrise members to assist with each stage of the Greenhouse journey.

Carolyn Ireland

Director of International

New Generations (Youth) Report for 2013-2014 On behalf of the committee for New Generations/Youth I would like to thank all our members for their ongoing support of our youth portfolio and welcome an even bigger and better year ahead with sharing the role of Youth Director with Peter Grob. I am extremely proud of our youth initiatives with Rotary Port Macquarie Sunrise as it is crucial to continue to have a strong link with the youth programmes to educate and increase awareness of the local community work Rotary provides and encourage membership to our club. Please find below some of the highlights of our year:- YOUTH EXCHANGE a) Inbound We again hosted an inbound student this year, Clem Lefebvre from Belgium who arrived in July 2013 for her 12 month exchange programme. We have received very positive reports from St Columba Anglican School with regard to her integration into the school education system and also extra curricular programmes such as dance and drama. Our strong ties with our school community at St Columba Anglican School has been extremely positive for assisting with our inbound exchange programme. This year we also provided the school the opportunity to review the inbound candidates which worked extremely well to have them involved in the selection process. Our next inbound exchange student is Nicko Muhmenthaler (born 26/9/97) and from District 1990 in Switzerland “Bern-Munchenbuchsee Club” will be arriving end of July. Peter Grob will be his counsellor and also his first host family. b) Outbound Kate Wallace returned in January 2014 after her 12 month outbound exchange student experience to Austria. Kate gave an extremely informative overview of her exchange programme to Rotary Sunrise Members. Our two outbound exchange students - Jade Conway from Port Macquarie High School & Zoe Phelps-Barber from McKillop Senior College are settling in well with their cultural exchange programme to Austria and France. Our 2014/15 outbound applicant Kathryn Puchert was interviewed by Peter Grob and myself prior to attending the District level. Kathryn Puchert (born 12/5/99) is currently attending St Paul’s High School and is keen to experience a cultural exchange programme to Canada. RYLA RYLA was held at Mt Yarrahappini this year in late April 2014 and our club had 3 participants Mitch Davies (sponsored by Coast Front Realty), Alexis Nicholson & Sam Thompson (Rotary Sunrise sponsored). A special thanks to both Ivana & John Carroll for the effort they both put into organising and running the event. The programme was a huge success and the 3 participants shared their week long experience at a recent Rotary Sunrise meeting.

MUNA Rotary Club Sunrise works in close partnership with St Columba Anglican School and in 2013 the school hosted the venue for the MUNA assembly. This year the MUNA event was held in Inverell and SCAS sent 3 teams to participate. RY8 The RY8 public speaking engagement was held at the Rotary Westport club and our Year 8 Student representatives Lauren Wood came 1st and Liam Wallace was 3rd place. DISTRICT AWARDS SUBMISSION We submitted an application for the district level awards for Youth/New Generations. LUMINOSITY YOUTH SUMMIT The inaugural Luminosity Youth Summit was launched in July 2013 with over 250 youth aged 15-25 years attending the summit at The Glasshouse. Rotary Sunrise sponsored 2 candidates and will be sponsoring 4 candidates for scholarships in July 2014 (2 from Rotary Interact club at SCAS and 2 from the SCAS competition). Interact Interact at St Columba continues to attract the interest from many students. A big thank you to Jan Crombie for her input and guidance to the students. They continue to promote the Rotary ideals and contribute to worthy charities with funds they raise at events throughout the year. Port Macquarie Sunrise has had a strong involvement in youth programs and this is intended to continue in the years ahead. This involvement is due to the hard work and dedication of the Youth Committee, individual club members and the club as a whole. I would like to thank everyone who has assisted or contributed to any of the youth programs as without that assistance then we would not be able to give these students and young adults the opportunities and experiences these programs present. A mention of thanks must also be given to the senior staff and administration of St Columba Anglican School for their support of Rotary and its youth programs. Sue Jogever Director of New Generations

Rotary Foundation Report for 2013 - 2014 Again we have had a good year. More than 1/3rd of our club are members of the Centurion Club and we hope to increase that number in the next Rotary Year. We hope to receive additional funding in the new Rotary Year both from Rotary District 9650 in the form of District Grants (formally District Simplified Grant) and from the Rotary Foundation using their global Grants arrangement. Our Mera School Garden Project contrary to popular belief has not been completed. We have only completed the first stage. This is the critical time period. We need to ensure that the Mera School lunch time feeding program is self sustaining which is part of our bargain with the Rotary Foundation. All Rotary Projects must be self sustaining. There is no point in having a field of broken down tractors that no one can repair. An empty green house grows nothing. So the next stage is to assist the Mera School Board by supporting them by arranging for seed propagation experts to visit the Kharakhola village to give them planting advice. We considered arranging experts to come to the village at the same time as we were building the green house but we realised that it was too soon so suitable seeds were left with them for them to see which seeds grow best. The time lag will allow them to know what questions they need answering. When the time is right hopefully the next growing season we can arrange for the experts to visit the village using the Rotary Foundation Global Grant arrangement in particular the VTT (Vocational Training Team) program. All the above is great news but unless we support our charity (The Rotary Foundation) no funding will be available in the future for projects such as ours. Please join the Centurion Club only AUD $100.00 per year (tax deductable) for less than 1 cup of coffee per week. Alec Brown Director of Rotary Foundation

Rotary Lodge Report The tenderers to build the new Rotary Lodge wing have been selected and we are waiting for the final building design to be completed before we allow them access. All parts of our building design are electronically stored and the tenderers will be allowed to view all aspects of the design via a virtual link into our design data room. To-date the Federal Government has knocked back our funding request stating that it is NSW State matter - watch this space. We are hoping to receive funding from the NSW State Government in their May Budget. Our friends at the NSW Cancer Council support the construction of our new wing the only question is how much will they grant us. We anticipate that the total build will cost approx $2.8M including the purchase of the Wrights Road land from the Port Macquarie-Hasting Council. We are hoping to receive funding in the region of $500,000 to $1M and upon receipt of the funding we will start the build. We anticipate that there will be a 10 - 15 years payback period for the unfunded balance. At the moment we are rather in a Catch 22 situation if we start building without waiting for the funding we could lose out on the portion we have completed before the funding arrives so we need to get all our ducks in a row before we start. However we still hope to start building in 2014.

STAR (Special Training for Action in Rotary)

STAR has had a good year with the STARBBQ format working well both to give additional fellowship to our new members and to allow them to start to understand the mysteries of Rotary. We anticipate having a good number of graduates this year but the majority of our new members are still not getting involved. We need to train our Mentors because the danger period is the first year of membership. If we do not engage our new members we will lose them. I have been involved with STAR for almost 10 years and it is time to pass the baton to someone new with fresh ideas so this is my last STAR year I will pass the program on to my successor on the 30th of June 2014. I wish this excellent program well. If you would like to co-ordinate the STAR program please contact Dr Robert Clarke. Alec Brown

Vocational Directors Report 2013-2014

Members:- Janine Buesnel, Robert Brangwin, Emilie Cooper, Eric Elsey, David Norton, Nik Sandeman-Allen, Jenny Sinclair, Jeff Smith, Rodney Smith, Sheryl Robinson and George Mills. This Rotary year the Vocational Services Committee welcomed two new members, Jenny Sinclair and Sheryl Robinson. Both have hit the ground running, adding immensely to the committee’s discussions, planning, organisation and implementation. It has been a year highlighted by the Vocational Visits and the forging of close links with the Port Macquarie Astronomical Society and their vision of a new Science Education Centre incorporating an Observatory. The club undertook five (5) Vocational Visits this year to very diverse organisations. On August 23rd 38 members and guests of the club visited The Glasshouse. To begin we had a sit down breakfast in the Restaurant and then in two groups were given a very informative interesting tour of the theatres, backstage, galleries and conference rooms accompanied by an in depth commentary on the day to day working, the history and the building of The Glasshouse. Two months later (October 11) 35 Rotarians visited Garden Village retirement home with a wonderful breakfast prepared by the head chef and his apprentice which we had in the garden cafe. The group was then split into two for a tour of the facilities. The tour provided many insights to the workings of a retirement home. Garden Village covers the whole spectrum from independent living to high care and palliative care. Many questions were asked by Rotarians concerning all aspects of the organisation, living quarters, services and care with the comment passed many times, ‘maybe I should reserve my place now’ emphasising the quality of Garden Village and how close is the future. On January 24, 35 members and guests of the Club were summoned to the Port Macquarie Law Courts. An extremely interesting and informative tour conducted by Neil Langstaff (Courthouse Register) and Tim Dutton (Court Sherriff) of the two courts (Local and District), the Jury room and cells (many were locked up but they escaped after fines and mugshots were taken). It was a captivating talk that provided insight into the processes of the courts and the opportunity for many questions regarding the day to day administrative processes of a court. Breakfast was provided by local catering firm, XSFOOD run by Craig Freudenstein. The leftover food went to St Thomas’s Soup Kitchen. Our next visit held on March 21 to the recently established Hastings Home Modification & Maintenance Services, and to Peak Coffee (conveniently across the road). Again around 35 members and guests climbed out of bed reassured by the prospect of good coffee accompanying the Vocational Services Committee supplied nourishing breakfast. A tour of the premises and a talk on how the business services the ageing population of Port Macquarie by providing tailored modifications to their homes and helping maintain them enabling many to remain living in their own homes longer. Then it was across the road for a brief tour, talk and another dose of caffeine at Peak Coffee. All well received. The Club’s final visit was very ‘hush hush’, secret squirrel’; being to Bale Defence Industries on May 23rd. No photography, sensitive material and a smart technology working manufacturing business. This was an exceptional visit with 32 members and guest attending. Bob Bale and his son, Link took

the members on a tour of Bale Defences manufacturing areas and they were shown some of the less sensitive products that they produce for various organisations, domestically and internationally. The intricacy and precision of the manufacturing work Bale Defence Industries does plus that such a high end business exists in our region was illuminating for many members. Again many questions. The Vocational Services Committee with some helpers (thank you) provided the breakfast. The Vocational Services Committee catered and served two breakfasts of the five visits and in doing so made for the club approximately $1,100. A Great effort and thank you to those of the Committee who donated food and other expenses. The Committee has spent a lot of time and effort in discussions and planning with the Port Macquarie Astronomical Association (PMAA) to further the Associations vision of building an iconic world class Science Education Centre to replace the present ageing Observatory that stands in Rotary Park. The Board passed a Resolution supporting the Vocational Committee in its ongoing efforts in assisting the PMAA to bring its vision to fruition. In February the Vocational Committee organised and manned the BBQ tent at the Observatory as part of the Port Macquarie Observatory’s Open Day and Schools Design Competition Award Ceremony. Our Club’s Malcolm McNeil (Architect and his father helped with the original building) was a member of the selection committee. Major Peter Besseling attended, spoke about the importance of the PMAA’s project and then awarded the prizes. (1st to Comboyne Primary School, 2nd to Kempsey High School, 3rd to Camden Haven High School and 4th to Port Macquarie Adventist School). The Council has also passed a resolution supporting the project. Planning is now concentrated on the Astronomical Ball/Dance as the first major fundraiser and community awareness raising event. The preliminary date for the Ball is the 30 May 2015 with the Vocational Services Committee taking the lead in organisation. Several other projects from an Old Age Expo, a Mental Health Toolkit for teachers to identify signs with students, a job ready interview program to a Police/Rotary/Businessperson Mentoring program were discussed with ongoing research into these projects viability ongoing. The year has also being punctuated with several vocational talks and member’s talks as part of normal club breakfasts. All well delivered and giving members new perspectives on other members and their occupations. Finally thank you to ALL members of the Vocational Services Team for their time, assistance, wholehearted help, invaluable ideas and discussion AND wine and nibbles over the past two Rotary years. On occasions I was away I knew all was in good hands and would happen. Thank you!

George Mills Director of Vocational