We are all awaiting the end of the lockdown and a tapering off of that “god for sake’n” zoom and other alternate media ways of meeting our club members. Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. Lovely words from Simone Weil 1909–43, the great French essayist and philosopher. I do appreciate all your attention given to our club and the generous nature of all Rotarians, who a civic minded and have attended the club meetings. Wonderful to see many club members who were at the recent Market. Our fortunes will improve as the months speed on.
On November 11th 1918 the Armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany, ending the first global war, a war that made devastating use of new, deadly technology, the Great War. In his book Monash: The Outsider Who Won a War, historian Roland Perry writes that it was the decisive victory at Amiens by the combined British, Canadian and General Sir John Monash's Australian Imperial Force, that turned back the momentous German offensive that had threatened to overrun the Allies. Monash himself described the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux on 25th April 1918 after the Germans had overrun the 8th British Division as the turning point of the war.
A local man, a resident of Camberwell, was a huge contributor to the success of the AIF's campaigns on the Western Front in 1918. Major General Harold Edward Elliott, CB, CMG, DSO, DCM, VD. known to his men as 'Pompey' Elliott. Elliott's leadership of the 15th Brigade, AIF, transformed a near-defeat at Villers-Bretonneux into a victory, changing the course of the war and hastening its end.
The Community Service Committee is seeking member support for the 27for Parkinson’s event. The 5 Glenferrie Walkers have agreed to walk on 27 days during November, you can nominate who you are supporting or simply give a donation to the Glenferrie Walkers. The committee of Lyn, Chris, Helena, Alex and Michael has registered with Parkinson’s Victoria under the name the “Glenferrie Walkers". Donations can be made to the attached link. Glenferrie Walkers
Parkinson's is a progressive neurological disease that can affect anyone. The average age of diagnosis is 65 years, however, younger people can also be affected. There is currently no cure nor do we know what causes Parkinson's.
This is a preliminary notice that the Riverside and Eastern clusters have been awarded a grant from the National Australia Day Council to provide events to engage the community on Australia Day Jan 26, 2021. The club needs to appoint a National Australia Day Representative from our club to liaise within the 7 clubs to form and manage a celebration of some sort, as to be determined by the clubs. This is just hot off the press and more information should be coming.
The club strategic plan identified as the No 1 priority greater publicity for the great work the club and Rotary in general is doing in the community. We're all in this together when it comes to sharing the good news, so please don't forget to 'Like' and 'Share' the club's Facebook posts!
On behalf of Simon O'Donoghue and Bill Troedel I am pleased to send an invitation to those members and friends who are Bridge players and who may be interested in forming a Bridge Players Group, run by the Rotary Club of Hawthorn.
This is an innovative way of raising much needed funds for our vital projects. Please contact Noel if you are interested.
Accredited in recent years by Rotary International, the LGBT Rotarians and Friends Fellowship is a good example of Rotary keeping abreast of our changing times. Our founder, Paul Harris, believed that Rotary would be left behind if it did not appreciate the need to keep up with changes in society.
For too long the LGBT+ community worldwide has suffered discrimination of all kinds and their leaders, over many decades, have fought a difficult struggle for social acceptance.
As a bagpiper I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Nova Scotia back country. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologised to the men for being late.
I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play. The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before, for this homeless man.
And as I played "Amazing Grace", the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head was hung low, my heart was full. As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never seen anything like that before, and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."
Dean Lee commenced his professional career in 1981 as a National
Park Ranger on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
In December 2013, he joined the City of Albany to lead development and operations of
the National Anzac Centre and assist in organisation of Centenary of Anzac commemorative
events. Dean was appointed CEO of the Shrine of Remembrance on 13 July 2015.
At the instigation of great Australian, and Rotarian, Sir John Monash, the Shrine of Remembrance is a Melbourne icon, originally built to mark the sacrifice of those who fell in the Great War . It now represents the sacrifice of many, in many conflicts, that have changed our lives for ever.
For Remembrance Day 2020, come along and hear from Dean Lee on the history, work and significance of The Shrine, and those who to whom it pays tribute.