Australia Day
I want to say a very special thank you to our Assistant Governors, who at very short notice were able to gather clubs together and create exciting events celebrating Australia Day in our communities. Funded through grants from the National Australia Day committee, we were able to pour many thousands of dollars back into our local communities by funding free events and spending with our local traders providing free food gifts and entertainment at venues across the District.
I want to say a very special thank you to our Assistant Governors, who at very short notice were able to gather clubs together and create exciting events celebrating Australia Day in our communities. Funded through grants from the National Australia Day committee, we were able to pour many thousands of dollars back into our local communities by funding free events and spending with our local traders providing free food gifts and entertainment at venues across the District.
The major event was a 
R100 Australia Day online broadcast of world-renowned artists and speakers including President Holger, Jesse Harman and Gregory Ross and David Mann working their magic so smoothly as MC’s and showcasing some of the amazing R100 signature projects such as "Every Child Deserves a Future" and "End Trachoma". Linda & I attended the function at the national broadcast centre, based in our District. We had 9820 members attend who enjoyed “live” the event. It was stunning. Our live audience was a gathering of 120 Rotarians from 5 Victorian districts with many interstate Districts to make this event a success across Australia, with approximately 10,000 unique viewings. Naturally I was heavily involved in the technical broadcast side of the event and used the facilities of Nossal High School. 
R100 Australia Day online broadcast of world-renowned artists and speakers including President Holger, Jesse Harman and Gregory Ross and David Mann working their magic so smoothly as MC’s and showcasing some of the amazing R100 signature projects such as "Every Child Deserves a Future" and "End Trachoma". Linda & I attended the function at the national broadcast centre, based in our District. We had 9820 members attend who enjoyed “live” the event. It was stunning. Our live audience was a gathering of 120 Rotarians from 5 Victorian districts with many interstate Districts to make this event a success across Australia, with approximately 10,000 unique viewings. Naturally I was heavily involved in the technical broadcast side of the event and used the facilities of Nossal High School. Berwick Rotary cooked up a storm, and a real Aussie BBQ was enjoyed by all.
If you missed the broadcast < click here >
FEBRUARY is Rotary's PEACEBUILDING and CONFLICT PREVENTION MONTH
Rotary’s four roles in promoting peace are:
- Practitioners: Our work fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, improving the health of mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies directly builds the optimal conditions for peaceful societies.
- Educators: Our Rotary Peace Centres have trained over 1,300 peace fellows to become effective catalysts for peace through careers in government, education, and international organizations.
- Mediators: Our members have negotiated humanitarian ceasefires in areas of conflict to allow polio vaccinators to reach children who are at risk.
- Advocates: Our members have an integral role as respected, impartial participants during peace processes and in post-conflict reconstruction. We focus on creating communities and convening groups that are connected, inclusive, and resilient.
https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/promoting-peace
Rotary Conventions
The Rotary International Convention, scheduled for 12-16 June 2021, in Taipei, Taiwan, will now be a virtual event in response to the ongoing threat of COVID-19.
We are sorry that we will not see you in Taipei this year, but this decision, made by the Rotary Board of Directors, is necessary to protect the health of everyone involved. We will share more details about the 2021 Rotary International Virtual Convention soon.
Convention in 2022 is still scheduled for 4th – 8th June, It is 18 months away. Let’s hope we can get to conference in Houston Texas USA!
Then in 2023 think of the conference that Melbourne will hold! Book the date now, 27th-31st May 2023
Australian Honours
It is with great honour that I like you all to congratulate Andrew Pinxt, Cranbourne Rotary, John Butler, Rotary Mitchell River and the East Gippsland Fire Aid Committee for their respective awards.
Order of Australia Medal
- the honour received, OAM
- the name of the recipient, Andrew Pinxt
- their club. Cranbourne
- https://issuu.com/starnewsgroup/docs/2021-01-28_cn_634
- the honour received, OAM
- the name of the recipient, John Butler
- their club. Mitchell River
- For service to the community of Bairnsdale
East Gippsland Fire Aid
Members of the East Gippsland Rotary Fire Aid Committee at the East Gippsland Shire Australia Day Award Ceremony held at Sarsfield oval on Thursday January 21st 2021. East Gippsland Rotary was well represented at the Ceremony, with the Committee nominated for best Community " event", PP Bruce Hurley from RC Lakes Entrance was nominated as Citizen of the Year. P Don Osborne from RC Orbost accepted an award given to each Community for their local recovery efforts since the fires. Don handed that award over
to the appropriate recipient during Orbost's Australia Day function on Tuesday - well done to all on a huge year!'
Polio update
“Polio is only a plane ride away”
Our campaign to end polio has faced many challenges in the last two years, not least the impact of the Covid pandemic. Cases of wild polio jumped in Pakistan and cases of ‘circulating vaccine derived’ polio became a serious problem in equatorial Africa.
These setbacks were related to issues such as political distractions, Taliban resistance and virus mutations following the use of the ‘mOPV2’ vaccine. Great progress has been made with these issues:
- governments have refocussed and there were zero cases in Pakistan in December
- discussions have commenced with the Taliban
- a new vaccine, ‘Novel OPV2’ was introduced in October, and it is dramatically less likely to mutate.
Eradicating a disease is no easy task but we are now back on track. See more details at:
