Rotary International District 9500

South Australia and Northern Territory

District Governor Roberta Waterman

(Geoff Ellershaw) T: 08 8269 7329

willyama@optusnet.com.au

Newsletter Editor Carolyn Abbott

(Mark Abbott) T: 08 8262 4874

mcabbott@aapt.net.au

District 9500 Website www.rotary9500.org

Rotary International District 9500 February 2009

District Governor’s Newsletter ROTARY IN FEBRUARY- World Understanding Month

Diary Dates

February 13 Cut-off date for

Resolutions for Conference to be submitted

March 11 GSE Team arrives from

South Korea

March 13 Closing dates for Matching Grants

March 27-29 District Conference

Mt Gambier

What wonderful news we all received in January after Bill Gates Jnr spoke at the 2009 International Assembly in San Diego, USA (where DGE Alun witnessed his historic declaration).

To have increased the original grant of US$100 million by another US$255 million - well in advance in time and size of the future (conditional) help to eradicate Polio, is an endorsement of Rotary's credibility and effectiveness as a partner with the World Health Organisation and the United Nations.

You might recall me asking each club to earmark a minimum US$1000 each year for three years to meet the world objective asked by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (to match the original grant). Rotary has already raised US$60 million and this obviously impressed the Foundation's Board.

Congratulations to everyone who has remitted. To those who still intend to do so, please consider bringing this objective to the top of your plans.

and within the community.

Rotary has strong appeal for those who wish to join a charity which meets humanitarian demands. This will not lessen during economic downturns providing we can control costs for members. I was fortunate this last week to visit three Clubs where a new member induction ceremony took place, and believe this reinforces my proposition.

Can I remind you that February 23rd is the anniversary of the birth of Rotary? This should give us all cause to celebrate.

Keep up your kind, generous and substantial contributions.

Club donations to the Rotary Foundation are more highly valued than ever before. Rotary must not only survive – but also grow to meet all the demands that are placed on it and that it wishes to satisfy.

January has seen all our Clubs resume normal meeting times, and under more stressful conditions in terms of community responses to fundraising. Financial pressures on members’ super funds, job continuity and rising costs are challenging our ingenuity and resourcefulness.

Under these conditions Clubs must maintain a warm (very appropriate during the current heat wave) and welcoming atmosphere for fellowship. We have to be sympathetic and alert to pressures from within our organisation

Polio eradication gets closer

From the DG’s Keyboard

Bill Gates announces a new US$255 million grant for ending polio

Nominations for District Awards

Eco for the Ego… are you coming?

Friday 27 March to Sunday 29 March www.conference9500.rotaryaust.org

Rotary District 9500 Conference 2009

District Awards are provided for competition between Clubs of the District to encourage their participation in the various programs and activities of Rotary. The performances are judged for activity between annual Conferences not between July and June of the Rotary year.

Clubs are now warmly invited to apply for District Awards. Submission should be concise and be detailed on only one A4 page. The judge(s) will contact Clubs if further information or detail is required.

Applications should be sent/emailed as indicated in the District Directory to arrive no later than 6 March 2009. Please note this may be the District Governor or appropriate Committee Chair. In some cases, no action is required.

For more details, please contact Reg Hutchinson, District Information Officer.

Called To Higher Service Ray Bartsch (d 23.12.08) joined the Rotary Club of Barossa District in April 2006 and served as Attendance Officer and International Director. Ray readily volunteered for many community projects and services that the club was involved in. His contribution was valued and will be missed.

District Website Have you looked at the District Website recently?

Do you want to let other Rotarians know about your club?

Would you like to use the District Website to publicise your club events?

Please contact the District Information O f f i ce r , Re g Hu tc h in s o n , o n hutch@adam.com.au with the details.

Directory Amendments John Pohl: jemp@three.com.au Colin Williams: RC Charles Sturt Grange williams1@adam.com.au

Page 2 District Governor’s Newsletter

Wanted - DIK Donations In Kind (DIK) has received requests for electric fans, garden tools, hand tools, lawn mowers (any type), digital cameras, CD & DVD players, curtains, linen, sheets etc.

The Salvation Army at Pt Adelaide is in desperate need of a shed for its collection depot. The shed needs to be about 8' x 6'. This group donated over 2,000 toys to help us with our Indige-nous Toys Project last year and has already donated a large number again towards this year’s project. I would really like to assist, so if anyone knows where we can get hold of a shed at minimal or no cost, please let me know.

Contact Norm O’Flaherty 0417 882 736 or Joan Tingey 0408 833 879 if you can help.

Barbara Wheatcroft

Hindmarsh

Stephen Inverarity

Charles Sturt Grange

Introducing more of our Presidents of District 9500

The Rotary Club of Largs Bay is launching “THE ROTARY BOWEL SCAN PROJECT” in the western suburbs of Adelaide. This program will become an annual event.

Essentially the project is a public awareness program seeking to increase community knowledge of bowel cancer and its symptoms. The program involves distribution to the public of a simple test kit on which is collected a small specimens of faeces for analysis.

There are more deaths in Australia from Bowel Cancer than from motor accidents each year. Community health screening programs aim to reduce this number. IF DIAGNOSED AND TREATED EARLY BOWEL CANCER MAY BE CURABLE.

Volunteer members of several Rotary Clubs will be distributing the kits through booths in shopping centres in the western suburbs during February. Those over 40 years of age are targeted and can purchase a SELF TESTING KIT for only $7.00. The test can be carried out in the privacy of their own homes. On completion the kits may be returned to a pharmacy as designated at the booth and on the kits. The kits will be tested by Abbott Pathology and the results will be posted to each person and their doctor.

For more information contact PDG Colin Thorn: colinthorn39@optusnet.com.au or 0413 124 559

Terry Sachse

Barossa Valley

PDG John May

Henley Beach

David Whitbourn

Two Wells

WELCOME TO ROTARY

Anthea Duthie Adelaide EDGE

Kerri Southwell Adelaide Parks

Michael Ford Adelaide West

John Henderson Barossa District

Frank Bunnik Kidman Park

Tom Bunnik Kidman Park

Peter Johnson Kidman Park

Colleen Grove-Jones Peterborough

Catherine Cole Regency Park

Stephen Marodi Salisbury

Tze Khaw Walkerville

DG Roberta inducted Tze Khaw during her official visit to the RC of Walkerville in January. Photo shows Roberta with Tze and President Conrad Melvaine.

WANTED

a Person Passionate about

Promoting

Want to help Promote Rotary, but didn’t know where to start?

Have enthusiasm?

Skills in Event Management?

Want to be on Radio?

Then … join the

District PR Committee.

We’d love to have your enthusiasm - to add to ours.

Contact Malcolm Elliott 0412 865 972 or mse@picknowl.com.au

Welcome Tolga Kutuk, Rotary Club of Regency Park, and wife, Nes, welcomed the arrival of a baby girl, Lara, on 23 December 2008.

The Voice of Rotary

5RPH (1197AM): 7.30 - 8.00pm Tuesdays Presented by Malcolm S Elliott (RC Adelaide)

Feb 3 Rtn Jim Davies (Adelaide Parks) Pride of Workmanship

Feb 10 Rtn Bob Hudson (Kidman Park) Hearing and sight in the Philippines

Feb 17 Rotaract President, Ilyasi Siraji Leading a Rotaract Club

Feb 24 Rtn Paul Mc Gavin (Eastwood) The Camper OR Cash Raffle

lian Refugee Association will hold the classification of Refugee Counsellor.

DG Roberta was in attendance and assisted President John in presenting to Kate her Rotary Pin, Theme Badge and her dinner plaque. Several other ladies of other Rotary Clubs attended to support Kate as well as three mem-bers of the RC Salisbury.

Kate, a refugee from Liberia, Western Africa, came to Australia four years ago with her three adult children. It was in the refugee camps in Liberia that Kate experienced the goodwill of Rotary where food and shelter was provided. Recently she recognised the Rotary logo at the Rotary Club of Salisbury’s fundraising shop at Parafield. She made enquiries to the duty staff and subsequently attended some meetings of the Rotary Club of Salisbury. Kate, who works at Underdale, found that

President John Goodridge inducted the very first woman as a Rotarian to the Rotary Club of Regency Park on 27 January 2009.

Catherine Cole (Kate) who is an African Women’s Federation Case-worker at the SA Office of the Austra-

A first for Regency Park

Page 3 Rotary International District 9500

A Rotary delegation including DG Roberta Waterman, PDG Robert Brookes, Terry Lewis and Marie Dorrington were at the airport to meet our new Ambassadorial Scholar, Akira Makita, when he arrived from Dist 2820, Japan, on 10 January.

Akira’s two year study at Adelaide University will culminate in his graduation with a Master of Applied Economics. He is currently updating his English speaking skills with a short pre-entry course. His interests include playing the piano, guitar and brass instruments, tennis and fitness training and he is keen to learn as much as possible about our Australian way of life. You can provide him with an opportunity to do this and to share some of his culture and life story by inviting him to be a guest speaker at your club. Marie Dorrington, his Host Counsellor and our current District Secretary, would be pleased to hear from you so you can make those arrangements once he has settled in.

New Ambassadorial Scholar arrives

Diane Pichon, our Ambassadorial Scholar from Paris, who arrived last year, will continue her studies until June this year and is also available as a guest speaker. Contact Ray Whalley, (ph 82635571) her Host Counsellor, to make those arrangements. Terry Lewis - District 9500 Ambassadorial Scholars Co-ordinator

L-R: President John Goodridge, DG Roberta Waterman, Catherine (Kate) Cole and appointed sponsor Les Dennis at Kate’s induction to the RC Regency Park.

attending these meetings would be difficult because of the distance. Subsequently the Salisbury Club referred Kate to PP Les Dennis of the RC Regency Park who invited Kate to some explorative meetings late in 2008.

Kate was outstandingly interested in joining because she made a commit-ment that if there was an organisation she would like to be part of, Rotary would be the one. Kate was invited to join and is now a very happy Rotarian. The Regency Park club acknowledges with thanks Kate’s referral by the RC of Salisbury.

When President John announced Kate as the first female Rotarian to be inducted into the club she excitedly said “YEAH!” Welcome Kate.

PP Les Dennis

L-R Peggy Brookes, Akira Makita, DG Roberta, Terry Lewis, PDG Robert Brookes (District RI Foun-dation Chair), Kim Lewis, Julie Corrigan (providing short term University accommodation) and District Secretary Marie Dorrington (Host Counsellor).

Mike Johnson (Gawler Club and District TRF Polio Committee) organ-ised a very successful movie night at the Gawler Cinema on 21 January where approximately 100 people attended to see a screening of the film ‘Valkyrie’ starring Tom Cruise. The movie was preceded by an hour of fellowship, with cheese and wine. A ten minute film on Polio Eradication was screened prior to the main show. Many people commented favourably on Ro-tary's global determination to eradicate this crippling disease and the amazing results achieved since this program began 24 years ago. A net profit from the evening’s events of near $1,200 will go towards Polio Eradication.

20th Century Fox offered this pre-release screening to Rotary Districts in Australia and 72 screenings were organised. Thanks and congratulations must go to Mike on a great effort.

Valkyrie movie night

Several Playford Club members supported the Movie Night at Gawler

Youth exchange students Daniela Sallmann, from Switzerland (RC Pt Augusta) and Sara Bouzaziz from France (RC Gawler Light) instigated a visit to the city to meet Ayuko, from Japan (RC Mawson Lakes), during the recent school holidays. The girls had lunch together and kept cool with a swim at the home of Ayuko’s host family, Kerry and Peter Tomaras, before attending a Rotary meeting of the Gawler Light Club. Pictured from left: Peter, Ayuko, Daniela, David Giles (Gawler Light) and Sara.

History Corner - Fabulous February!

Page 4 Rotary International District 9500

The newest batch of Outbound Exchange Students left our shores over the last weekend in January. The students gathered with their family and friends at Adelaide Airport and with a few tears and sad but happy goodbyes they boarded the plane for their new experi-ence. There were plenty of nerves apparent (especially from the parents) but the students were all enthusiastic and looking forward to the next 12 months on exchange. The following students left Adelaide Airport as part of the District 9500 Long Term Youth Exchange Program: Student Sponsor Club Destination Georgia Arnold Port Pirie Switzerland Melina Benson Port Lincoln Denmark Sam Haslam Gawler Light Belgium Sarah Ryan Alice Springs France Victoria Barker Kangaroo Island Germany

Outgoing youth exchange

children and staff at Escourt House, where children suffering from Infantile Paralysis were being treated. In parallel with this progress was the growth of the membership. By the end of April 1924 the 23 Charter members had grown to 46.

From this very humble beginning, Rotary in this State, can now boast of over 100 clubs in 3 Districts with in excess of 3,000 Rotarians putting into practice Service above Self. In a collective way, the ideals of Rotary has not only changed individual lives, but also enabled so much to be done to im-prove local communities.

The history of your Rotary Club is very precious and should never be lost. It can inspire today’s Rotarians and provide a backdrop for Rotary in today’s world, which will always raise new problems and opportunities.

There is an old saying something like “From a small acorn grows a large oak”. That is the story, the history of Rotary.

PS: Please remember to nominate for the District History Award. Read pages 65-68 of the District Directory and sub-mit a summary of what you have done to preserve your Club history as well as how you have made your history known to your members. PP Colin Brideson OAM, District Historian

February is a special month in the history of Rotary in this State, for it was on 4 February 1924, eighty five years ago, that the RI President, Guy Gundakar

of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia, signed the Charter officially recognising the Rotary Club of Adelaide.

At the time, the new Rotary Club, numbered 1622 on the Ro-tary Register of Clubs, was the fifth Club to be chartered in Australia after Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Newcastle.

From a small Charter membership of twenty three members, and with the nearest Rotary Club some 500 miles away in Melbourne, the Charter President, a solicitor George McEwin, guided the new Rotarians through their first year. This was no small task for there was no Rotary District and consequently no District Governor for guidance. There was a small booklet printed for Rotary International, which gave some directions for establishing a Rotary Club.

By today’s standards for Rotary activity, SA’s new Rotarians learnt what needed doing to practise Paul Harris’ ideals through careful planning and wise leadership. They soon realised the importance of good fellowship and community involvement. In their first year a donation was made to the Earthquake Appeal for victims in Japan; a decision was made to place “Please be Quiet” signs outside Adelaide’s hospitals, and to provide an afternoon tea and Christmas gifts to the

Students pictured with Anthony Masson, Chair of the Rotary District 9500 Long Term Youth Exchange program:

Photo 1 (L-R) Melina Benson, Anthony and Victoria Barker Photo 2 (L-R) Sarah Ryan, Georgia Arnold, Anthony, Sam Haslam

Alan Raggatt and ‘brand new grand-mother’ Lynne Veness seen enjoy-ing the social side of the Twenty20 cricket match hosted by the Rotary Club of West Lakes for Group 3 Clubs on 6 January. President Henry

Rzemieniuk welcomed 80 guests to watch a very close encounter between SA Redbacks and The Blues from NSW. They enjoyed the fast and furious face of ‘new cricket’ over a thick and juicy steak in the exclusive Gil Langley Room.

HAVE YOUR SAY

The District PR Committee is purchasing various roll-out banners for use by clubs at events and special meetings. (2000x800mm)

Have a say on what you think the banners should read.

• Should the banners appeal to the public and tell them about Rotary?

• Should the message reinforce Rotary ideals to Rotarians?

Please submit ideas and suggestions before the end of February to PP Robert Freak (Adelaide South): rfreak@bigpond.com or 0407187 447

Congratulations to Philip Johns on being selected as Team Leader for the Group Study Exchange to Wales in September 2009.

Philip is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Port Pirie and is an experienced Rotarian having chaired or served on all Club committees. He was chair of the Pt Pirie Conference Committee in 2006/07. Having 25 years experience in Rotary, Philip has also served three years as Assistant District Governor.

Philip has wide involvement both as chair and committee member of many community organisations in the Pt Pirie area and, as a farmer, has worked on a multitude of agricultural organisations and Boards.

Philip’s next step is to help in selecting the team and then assisting in their training for the exchange.

Upon their return from Wales, Philip and his team will be happy to talk to Rotary Clubs about their experiences.

Information has been sent to Clubs asking them to volunteer to host the incoming team from Wales for four or five days between 26 September and 24 October. This is a very reward-ing experience for Clubs and all are urged to consider nominating.

Page 5 Rotary International District 9500

Group Study Exchange

News from the Rotary Foundation

Matching Grants We have exhausted the available DDF for the 2008/2009 Rotary year. This information has been advised to all clubs. Our policy now is for clubs to contribute to the Annual Pro-grams Fund a minimum of the amount you require from DDF. On the present exchange rate of the A$ value to the US$ value this gives a benefit of around 300%. Clubs that have previously and are currently supporting The Foundation will be given pref-erence. US$42,000 becomes available to us from 1 July 2009. District Simplified Grants Amounts of $800 are still available to clubs for any local humanitarian project in which they may wish to be involved. Clubs may need to top up their projects. Reports in progress and completion must be forwarded to Grants chair PDG John Rowe. The form for this purpose will be forwarded to you when the Grant is approved. We wish to finalise all DSGs by the end of February (28 days time), so please contact John and send in your application now. Future Vision Plan Our District will apply to the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation to become a pilot District for the forthcoming changes to the structure and operation of its major programs. Clubs will be required to vote for or against this application and information will be sent to clubs within the next month. 100 Districts will be chosen as pilot Districts.

Peace Studies Eleanor Taylor-Nicholson will be this District’s second Peace Scholar. TRF has accepted her application. She has applied to the Berkeley University in California to study this post graduate course. Centurion Club This club was designed to receive personal gifts to the Austra-lian Rotary Foundation Trust for humanitarian programs. Tax receipts for all donations are issued from the regional office in Parramatta. Gifts/donations to the ARFT should be sent to ‘Team Centurion’ c/- Rtn Ken Hinkly, Rotary Club of Salisbury, PO Box 931 Salisbury SA 5108. The appropriate application can be found on the website or contact Ken on 8258 8145 or kmhinkly@bigpond.net.au. TRF/ARFT is your global charity of Rotary. Polio Eradication The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given another US$255m to Rotary International for its campaign to rid the world of polio; along with this comes the challenge for us to raise an additional US$100m by June 2012. The first 3 year challenge of raising US$100m has already passed US$60m in the first 7 months of this Rotary year. Guest Speaker If clubs require a guest speaker, including visuals, on any aspect pertaining to The Rotary Foundation, please contact DRFC Robert Brookes.

It is now time to start the selection process for our District Governor to follow DGE Alun Hughes (2009/10) and DGN Ed King (2010/11). This process, including challenges (and appeals if any), must be completed before 1 July, 2009. The next Governor will be selected by a Nominating Committee on a date to be advised.

All clubs are invited to nominate a member for the position of DGN on a form which has been emailed to all D 9500 Presidents and Secretaries, and which is available on http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/233en.pdf. This form must be forwarded DG Roberta Waterman no later than the close of business on Monday, 9 March 2009. All nomina-tions must be in the form of a resolution adopted at a regular meeting of the club, naming the candidate and certified by the club secretary.

The basic qualification for DG Nominee is to be a member in good standing of a functioning club, to have served a full term as club president or at least 6 months as a charter president, and to demonstrate knowledge, willingness, commitment and ability to undertake the duties. The Bylaws relating to qualifications and duties of a District Governor are on pages 234 – 235 of the Manual of Procedures (http://www.rotary.org/RIemailed documents/en_pdf/035en_full.pdf).

Please encourage any member of your club who is even remotely considering nominating.

Roberta Waterman, RI District 9500 Governor 2008/09

Nominations for District Governor 2011-12

Preserve Planet Earth Committee and ARH’s Great Australian Bike Ride In April there is a Rotary sponsored school in Albury focused on Freshwater Research. All schools that are seen to be reliant on the river have received invites to nominate students to attend and all Rotary Clubs will be encouraged to sponsor Year 11 students.

In past years as many as 9 SA students have attended from SA - mainly from along the Murray or District 9520. I encourage you to seek nominations from students in your area to attend this school. Details and nominations can be found on the internet. There are 50 places on offer.

I have been working to secure support for the Great Australian Bike Ride. A couple of Rotarians are swinging through Eyre Peninsula and the Mid North next week to speak to relevant clubs and seek your involvement. My focus has been to bring city based clubs together in Adelaide via a car-free-day to farewell the Round Australia riders as they leave Adelaide on the final stage of their ride. I seek your support via a signature on a petition to encourage Government support for such an event in Adelaide. Obviously if you are on the ride route you can hold your own local event however your signature on a petition is as valuable to me wherever you are from - Nundroo or Norwood, Port Augusta or Port Adelaide.

So far I have visited 28 city based clubs and 2 from 9520 and I am working up energy to com-plete the task in the first half of 2009 - another 5 D9500 clubs and many others in D9520. I have provided a 3 minute intro to the Bike Ride and how I came to see a big city based event as the most effective way to maximise the impact of this exercise in SA. (cont’d page 7)

Page 6 Rotary International District 9500

Many of you would have read an article by a Lions Club President which was published in the Advertiser on 16 January and which struck many sympathetic chords. It drew attention to the rising costs of Club meetings for Service Clubs like Rotary and Lions. The author lamented the eventual decline in community support which has been given by such organiza-tions if these trends continue. His Lions Club (Brighton) alone has raised and given over $1million over the last ten years to very needy and worthwhile charities and individuals.

He said many hotels and venues where we meet are convert-ing available non bar and eating space to gaming machines, and those who do have space are expecting clubs to pay a hire for use of the facility.

Rotary leaders have been aware and are monitoring these conditions. When I was in New Zealand in November, the 23 Australian and 6 New Zealand District Governors spent much time airing and presenting solutions to such concerns as 1) rising costs, 2) weekly commitment, 3) motivating small clubs, 4) the need for flexibility in attendance and 5) constraints to starting much needed new clubs in rural areas.

These solutions have now been collated in a report which I have just received.

The solutions to concerns with respect to rising costs did not address rising hotel fees per se, but included:

� Changing the dinner meeting to just having a snack and the meeting going for just an hour.

� Changing the venue

� Meetings where the meal is optional, the member pays a weekly fee of $5 and they don’t have a meal.

� Changing from a dinner meeting to a breakfast meeting.

� Alternating between a dinner and breakfast meeting.

� Members paying their Clubs dues monthly – although this is more expensive for the member than paying in two six monthly instalments or one annual payment.

� Alternating meetings between dinner and a snack meeting and having an optional social meeting every six weeks.

I will distribute the report through your Club Presidents this month but at this stage I wanted to tell you Rotary is address-ing the problems we confront, and welcomes creative solutions to meet the times.

DG Roberta

Rising Costs

DISTRICT 9500 CONFERENCEDISTRICT 9500 CONFERENCEDISTRICT 9500 CONFERENCEDISTRICT 9500 CONFERENCE

MOUNT GAMBIER: 27 MOUNT GAMBIER: 27 MOUNT GAMBIER: 27 MOUNT GAMBIER: 27 –––– 29 MARCH 2009 29 MARCH 2009 29 MARCH 2009 29 MARCH 2009

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 2009UPDATE: FEBRUARY 2009UPDATE: FEBRUARY 2009UPDATE: FEBRUARY 2009

Hello Rotarians of District 9500, It is only 8 weeks before Mount Gambier is ready to welcome you to the 2009 District 9500 Conference – Eco for the Ego.

The committee has organised some outstanding international and nationally renowned speakers. Here is just a taste of the line-up.

♦ Lieutenant Governor of South Australia, The Hon. Hieu Van Le - ‘My Journey to Adelaide’ ♦ Dr Anne Sved-Williams - ‘Mental Health & Rotary: Making a Difference’ ♦ Steb Fisher - ‘Climate Change & the Environment’ ♦ Dr Hubertus Jersmann - ‘Global Health – The Big Picture’ ♦ Dr Tim Ristimaki - ‘How Rotary Can Help Young People’ ♦ Mr Colin Pitman - ‘Making Water Work’ ♦ Ms Carmel Dundon - ‘Conservation & Re-vegetation’....to name just a few.

View their biographies on www.conference9500.rotaryaust.org and while you’re there, check out the optional activities available.

For those delegates who have already registered: Have you made your booking for the Welcome Cocktail Function to be held on the banks of the Valley Lake on Friday evening? Don’t forget to book your tours and conference dinner, too.

Geoff and I look forward to welcoming you. Yours in Rotary, ROBERTA WATERMAN District Governor 2008-2009, Rotary International District 9500

The object of the Indigenous Health Scholarship Program is to provide a scholarship, which can be used to assist Indigenous students with their day-to-day expenses while they undertake a course in a wide range of health related profes-sions. The scholarship is paid in addition to the Government Abstudy allowance.

The purpose of the program is to assist students to gain an education which will in turn enable them to use this education for the benefit of other Indigenous people

- hopefully, but not necessarily, in some of our remote areas.

During 2008-09, 29 students were being sponsored in this program and 12 of these students graduate at the end of the year. This is a wonderful achieve-ment by Districts 9500/9520 and the committee thanks every club involved for their faith in the program.

The value of each scholarship is $5,000 per year. A Rotary Club contributes $2,500 per year and the State or

Friendship Exchange to Nebraska, USA

Page 7 Rotary International District 9500

Indigenous Health Scholarships

Commonwealth Government provides a similar amount. To all clubs that have previously sponsored a graduate, we ask you to consider supporting another student this year. The selection panel will meet shortly and further updates will be distributed when available.

Please feel free to contact me for more information or if you are interested in attending a District Committee Meeting.

Val Kirk, Chair vkirk@dodo.com.au

Gawler Rotarians Jim Dahl, Wayne Murphy and Brian Burt, accompanied by their wives Tess, Maggie and Ann, journeyed to Nebraska in August/September 2008 on the return leg of a Rotary Friendship Exchange. Nebraskan Ro-tarians visited District 9500 in March/April and were hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Gawler, Pt Lincoln and Maitland. The visitors were most impressed with the hospitality of the SA Family of Rotary during their trip.

During the Nabraska ‘exchange’ visit, the SA visitors were hosted by six Rotary Clubs – Kearney, Gothenburg, Arnold, Ogallala, North Platte and Minden and gave presentations at five Rotary meetings. Each club arranged a busy and interesting programme with lots of food, drink and wonderful fellowship and hospitality.

Some highlights included an interview conducted on NTV’s ‘Good Life’ programme where Jim, Wayne and Brian were

Jim, Wayne and Brian with Peggy Malacher on NTV’s ‘Good Life’ ‘Tanking’ - Middle Loup River

able to do some good promotional work for Rotary and SA and a most unusual experience was ‘Tanking’. The team and hosts spent a leisurely two hours floating down the Middle Loup River in a cut off galvanised iron tank.

Clubs wanting to hear more about this terrific experience can contact Jim 8280 7284, Wayne 8524 5510 or Brian 8522 5784.

District 9500 warmly congratulates the Rotary Club of Kapunda on reaching its 50th Birthday. The club celebrated the occasion with a gala dinner on 31 January 2009.

During the evening, Deane Rohrlach was a surprised recipient of a Paul Harris Fellow award, and new member Pat Dobbin was inducted on the occasion. Congratulations to Deane, Pat and also President Frank Ware and members for presenting a 50 year history of community service in both visual, verbal and written documentaries. The Celebration itself will be worth recording for the Centenary!

Kapunda celebrates 50 years

Kapunda’s landmark Cornish Miner has been built twice by talented labour from the RC Kapunda and is a much celebrated achievement along with the Hospital’s Helipad which was voted the best in the State.

Deane Rohrlach PHF with

DG Roberta

Shelterbox Update

At 15 December 08, Shelterbox Australia had a total of 4,837 boxes donated since 2003, totalling a value of $5,804,400.

Of these, 1353 boxes were donated by individuals, community fund raising efforts, corporate donations and various company staff associations. The balance have been donated by Rotary Clubs, Rotaract, Inner Wheel Clubs, Lions, Rotary fellowships and funds raised at District Conferences.

In SA (D9500 and D9520) the first 3 boxes were donated by District 9520 in 2004 and were numbered 797, 800 and 816. These were shipped to Islamabad in Pakistan after severe earthquakes. D9500 followed shortly with box 916 (Alice Springs) and box 926 (Adelaide East) which were also dispatched to Islamabad.

Since then, D9500 has donated a total of 101 boxes and D9520 a total of 149 (as of 15.12.08) that have been acknowledged with box numbers issued (there are more in the pipeline).

Significant one-time donations by clubs (although they have given at other times as well) are Gawler (3 boxes), Clare (3 boxes), Adelaide West (5 boxes), Kangaroo Island (3 boxes) and D9500 (21 boxes).

The biggest ‘one-time’ donation was by the Rotary Club of Brighton (Vic) who donated 32 boxes.

Although we are not any where near the target of one box per club per year (which would total 208 to date), since we adopted the program as a District supported project, we are doing well. To those clubs who have made donations – congratulations and keep up the great work. Tim Klar

(From page 5) I look forward to your support. Petitions handed over at the D9500 Conference with say 10,000 signatures would be well received.

Richard Bentley, Chairperson, Preserve Planet Earth

PS More details of the Bike Ride will be forwarded to clubs in the near future. This is a significant event and I trust that you will give it your full support.