annual report 202021 xxxxx

Annual Report 2020—2021 International President Holger Knaack District Governor Neil Black President Bernie Wilson Members 35



Rotarian of the Year. Roger Platt This Rotarian has been a member of Rotary for many years and has held a number of positions including President. He is a very quiet, unassuming Rotarian always will to help out, attend functions and never expecting thanks or recognition. Roger has stood up on many occasions to take on the Treasurer’s job – very much a lonesome job that receives no thanks. He has written programs to ensure the simplicity of our accounts so that they are easy to understand. He has also done this whilst doing the Treasurer’s job for a couple of other Community groups here on Bribie Island. Roger had felt he had outlived his usefulness in rotary about 8 years ago however a little word in his ear has kept him in the club – and we very much appreciate that fact. On top of this Roger has also coordinated our IT and PA systems which includes moving it to and from functions. Roger thank you very much for again staying on when you wanted to retire and spend more time with your family. I really appreciate you being there in my Presidential year. I have much pleasure in presenting you with the Rotarian of the Year award in recognition of your work.

Bernie’s Blab – President’s Report 2020-2021 Well the year has finally ended and I am sure I am not alone when I say that this has possibly been one of the longest years many of us have experienced in Rotary. Whilst we still continued with our Zoom meetings it was such a pleasure to be able to meet again in person when we resumed in September. Our zoom meetings enabled us to gather guest speakers we would not have normally been able to access. Our social nights have been a highlight – giving us the opportunity to get together with our Family of Rotary. We were one of the first clubs to resume F2F (face to face) as well as being one of the first to resume our fund-raising ventures. We have been blessed with the generosity of our local community and their perseverance in coming to our Movie and Trivia nights. Yes, we were hampered by limits on attendees, however our diehard supporters still came through for us. Many said it took them back to their younger days when we gave them a “Choc-Top” or Popcorn instead of our usual face of Wine or nibblies. A number of local businesses supported our Lift the Lid on Mental Health Walk. Thanks to Brown’s Mitre 10, MBRC., Bernie’s Courses, Lyn Petroholis of First National Real Estate, Beaumont Care, Bribie RSL, Sandstone Point IGA, Simone Wilson, Island Signs and the Commonwealth Bank Bribie Island. All this enabled us to donate $4,000 to ARHRF for research into Mental Health. Thanks to Sandstone Point IGA and Andrew Cornett for supporting us therefore allowing us to put on a free Fun Day at the Bribie Island Aquatic Centre for the Youth.

This year has been special to me as it culminates a trio of Celebrations for Rotary International and a fourth celebration whereby I have been president of a Rotary Club – Rotary’s 100th birthday, Rotary Foundation 100th birthday, Rotary Australia’s 100th birth- day and RC Bribie Island 25th birthday (2013). The hardships have just made it more challenging and I LOVE A CHALLENGE. The Pacific Harbour Golf Club & Bribie Cinema must also get a mention for supporting us and making it possible for us to be able to hold our fundraisers. The surprise (even to ourselves) was the opportunity to and success of start- ing a Satellite Club – Environmental Repurposing Satellite Club of Bribie Island. These members are very hard workers and we look forward to working with them again in the new year. I would finally like to thank the members for their attitude and positivity through the hard times in the past 12 months. Because of your tenacity we have been able to fulfill our promises at the beginning of the year and supported the local community. We created opportunities that strengthen us as individuals and we put service ideas into action to improve the lives of those in need in our community. So it is time to Close the Doors on our year and welcome in the new year with President Greg and his team as they “Serve to Change Lives”

Membership Report 2020/2021 We started this year with our Changeover Meeting being held by Zoom due to the COVID -19 pandemic and the restrictions being applied. However even with these restrictions we man- aged to increase our membership and also start up a new Satel- lite Club over the last 12 months. We inducted four (4) members to our Club this year. Two transferring from NSW (Monty Thompson and Alistair Grey), from Townsville (Wayne Fitzgerald), and one new member (Angela Spooner). During the year we set up a Satellite Club at Donations in Kind (DIK) at Kingston. The members of this club are made up of people who regularly work at DIK and have an interest in supporting Papua New Guinea and Ethiopia.

This year our Club has been awarded with the Trophy for having increased the most amount of members in the District during the year. This is a wonderful achievement and hopefully we can continue to attract new members. Joining our club is a great way to meet new people, share fellowship and to serve the community locally, nationally and internationally. Also at the District Conference held in Kingaroy in March this year our Club was awarded the trophy for having the most attendees at the Conference. Those attending included Club Members and partners as well as Satellite Club members. It was a great way for our members to fellowship together as well as mix with fellow Rotarians. Our membership this year consisted the following: Club Members: 25 Honorary Members: 1 Satellite Club Members: 11 Total Membership: 37 Jeff Eustace Membership Director





COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT During the year from July 2020 to July 2021 Bribie Island Rotary Club has been actively supporting our community locally, within our district 9600 and internationally. In order to facilitate our activities, we have raised much needed funds through our local Community Markets, Quiz nights and Film nights as well as many raffles at all our events. One major event was our participation in the Australian Rotary Health “Lift The Lid on Mental Health” Walk in November 2020. With much planning, and within Covid guidelines, we were able to organize a community walk from Brennan Park to the Bribie Bridge in which we raised over $4000 for Australian Rotary Health Research Grants and Scholarships to study ways of helping overcome mental health problems in our community, especially among our youth. Local businesses were very generous in sponsoring this event and participants in the walk ranged from families with babies in prams to the very elderly. This event highlighted again the generous support Bribie Island Rotary Club receives from our community. Hairdressers with Hearts (supporting those who suffer from domestic violence) was also supported through club donations, a fundraising “hair cut” event at the RSL, and a community donation at the Harmony Park Christmas Carol event Every month we donate books to the Community Kindergarten Street library on Cotterill Ave. We support the Neighborhood Centre whenever we can and at Christmas donate food for Christmas hampers for needy families. In December we supported a Community Carol Service event in Harmony Park, Bongaree. Our Club is supporting Toc-H in their activities in Coungeau House where we will be bringing school children from drought affected western Queensland towns to have school holidays at the beach later this year. In March, every year our club participates in “Clean-up Australia”

We support the local school Chaplains whenever we can, through participation in Golf Days, Breakfast and Dinner fundraising events, and by providing funds towards supplying breakfasts for needy children in our local schools. Indirectly, we support the Smith Family by inviting the local View Club to sell raffle tickets at our Community Markets. With the easing of Covid restrictions on outdoor gatherings, in February we were able to facilitate a Free Fun Day At the Pool for local families which was greatly appreciated by our local children. This was possible through the generous sponsorship of Sandstone Point IGA Supermarket. We hope to make this an Annual event. Through our association with Rotary’s Donations on Kind, we have been able to help send much needed equipment to New Guinea , the Pacific Islands and numerous African nations over the past year and have been able to support the formation of a Rotary Satellite Club in Kingston, which concentrates on “repurposing “ the equipment discarded by our schools and hospitals . As can be seen from the above activities, our club makes Community Service a priority GILLIAN PARRY COMMUNITY SERVICE DIRECTOR

We believe “ Pride of Workmanship” the sense of responsibility to do a job well, [ Do it Once—Do it Well] The Rotary Club of Bribie Island, Pride of Workmanship Awards Wow! What a night. It was all glam and glitter—the ladies in their finery and guys with their suits and ties. Phones and cameras were capturing all the memories of the night. Friends and work colleagues gathering to support award nominees. The room was buzzing with excitement. Held at the Pacific Harbour Golf Club, the venue and dinner were superb. Rotary Pride of Workmanship Awards recognises, irrespective of age or vocation, those who display outstanding qualities in approach, attitude, dedication, and commitment to the job in the eyes of their employer. Pride of Workmanship is about having a sense of responsibility to do a job well. In other words, Do it Once - Do it Well. Mayor Peter Flannery, accompanied by Councillor Brooke Savige from the Morton Bay District Council, congratulated the Awardees and commented how impressed he was with the quality of awardees and how special the evening was. The awards create an intangible asset in the Bribie Island community. The keynote speaker for the evening was Steve Baker, Past President of the Rotary Club of Caboolture, who spoke about his photography career and related it to the idea of doing it once, doing it well. Neil Black, Rotary District Governor, District 9600, presented the Pride in Workmanship Awards assisted by Rotary Club President Bernie Wilson. Awardees were- Debra Dunn Bribie Island State School Christine Clark U3A Susan Brady Bribie Island Community Kindergarten Amanda Waters Bribie Island High School Dave Withers T S KOOPA Shaye Lawrence Banksia Beach State School Tammy Gale Bribie Island RSL



On a Sunday in February Mary Grant attended the Youth Exchange Students debriefing and graduation. The Graduating Class of 2020 with District Governor Neil Black and Chair Ossama El-Saadi and Committee members present. Bernie and John Wilson are also committee members but were absent on the Day This is the last of YEP for District 9600 . John and Bernie Wilson committee members who were leaders on the Sunshine Safari for a number of years



District Conference This year we had the most club members in the district attend the conference at Kingaroy There were 3 Stalls in the House of Friendship on for RAWCS /Donations in Kind and one for The Satellite Club and one for ESRAG The weekend began with a Friday night outdoor gathering at BETHANY. Saturday was Conference. Saturday night the Gala Dinner , Sunday more conference Mary Grant spoke to the gathering about the Clubs in PNG what they do and what problems they have. A Great time was had by all.



The club members meet regularly every Thursday. The bulk of the members sort the donated books into categories and box them and label for donating to the other countries that need them. We also prepare and organize birthing kits, women hygiene bags & sewing kits. The men and Trish assist with receiving donations and sort the equipment and stack or store them in the warehouse. Some of us attempt to have a catch up for lunch but most of us work so time is limited. The PNG members attend the community gatherings to network for Rotary.

Satellite Club Members At Interact Conference and Elsie giving talk to The Rotary Club of Hamilton. At District Conference

Christmas was celebrated at the Bribie Island Surf Club. Two Peace Fellows were able to join us

Rotary 2020/21 Annual Youth Report. “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” Franklin D. Roosevelt. With Covid lockdowns and students doing online learning from home, activities for our youth – EarlyAct and Interact – have been rather limited in the second half of 2020. EARLYACT An enthusiastic group of students from Bribie Island State School, met in Term 4, 2020 and participated in the collection of stationery items and library books to be sent to schools in PNG. A number of book sets were delivered to Bribie C & K Kindy to transport to Cherbourg for use in their schools. EarlyAct students were invited to participate in our Mental Health Walk, last November, with fundraising to assist youth issues on the island. Kim and Rosi - EarlyAct leaders – compiled an Overview of EarlyAct as part of their Professional Development program and the slide show was distributed to all years 4,5,6 classes to assist students and teachers gather an understanding about EarlyAct - “Simply doing something for someone else in a reliable, organised and respectful manner. “ Term 2 project involved supporting the local Animal Welfare League with a collection of bedding for displaced animals. Elections have been held this year and all positions allocated with a badging ceremony taking place in May. INTERACT This year's group participated in collecting items – soft toys, games, puzzles, books and stationery to be taken to the March Youth Conference where some dozen EarlyAct/ Interact groups processed these into boxes to be sent to PNG schools. A number of school groups presented activities they had been involved with and shared ideas for other clubs. A Pool Fun Day was held in February to engage students from our local schools and free activities of pool fun, face painting and inflatable activities were included as well as a sausage sizzle for participating students. Rebecca Bray, Interact leader for Bribie Island State High School, has taken maternity leave from May, 2021 and will be replaced by Shane Burnett. I look forward to sharing ideas with him and continuing the work Bec started. NYSF We interviewed Olivia D'Rozario for attendance at this Science Conference, but she also met with Caboolture Rotary who subsequently endorsed her attendance. Due to Covid, the program was held this year as day attendance at Queensland University. John Oxenford applied for a $3000 grant to support students at NYSF, 2022 – also a day program out of UQ and we hope to support future participants in this. RYDA This excellent Road Safety Awareness program had to be cancelled in September, 2020, due to Covid restrictions, but Sharyn Bryce, Deputy at Bribie Island State High School intends to amalgamate both year 11s and 12s to partake in the program this year.

PEACE POLES for ROTARY'S 100 YEARS The Peace Pole program had its beginning in 1955. More than 200,000 have been placed in almost 200 countries. To celebrate 100 years of Rotary in Australia, it is planned to distribute 100 of these poles in Australian schools with the message...”May Peace Prevail on Earth”, standing as a silent vigil of peace. Bribie Island State School held their ceremony last September 15th which was led by their school leaders and attended by EarlyAct students, along with State member Simone Wilson and Rotary representatives. Bribie C & K Kindy also have a Peace Pole established in their Indigenous Garden but are as yet to have a formal ceremony. A number of Bribie Rotary's members visited the site, wandered the Indigenous walk and stopped for a photo shoot with the Peace Pole. AWARDS Last year's awards morning took a different format due to Covid restrictions. June presented 2 awards consisting of $100 cheque and plaque to Dux of two year levels at BISHS. Three Anzac ceremonies were attended by June at Bribie Island State School, Banksia Beach State School and Bribie Island State High School. At each ceremony a book tribute was presented from Bribie Rotary Club to acknowledge the occasion. Although quite different, all ceremonies were moving and respectful with a number of Anzac slide shows reflecting the significance of the day. EARLYACT/INTERACT CONFERENCE This was held at Caboolture in March and was the final conference for District 9600, opened by District Governor, Neil Black. Over 100 students attended and constructed Birthing Kits and Days for Girls Packs to be sent to PNG. A number of schools outlined their activities and ideas for fundraising GUEST SPEAKERS Julia Schleehaus, Science Head at BISHS, spoke at our October meeting and outlined how they had used the STEM grant of $5000 to develop initiatives in the Science program. Activities have certainly changed over the past decade with a strong emphasis on Robotics and the use of computer programs for design and problem solving. Julia had us fascinated with samples of current activities. Rebecca Andrews, Chaplain at BISHS, addressed our November meeting about her experiences with students in need. It was evident that she would have a great rapport with her students and has a huge range of issues to deal with daily. BISHS is very fortunate to have Rebecca in this role. June Sturges Youth Director

Rebecca Andrews, Chaplain at BISHS Interact/EarlyAct Conference

Foundation and International – 2020 / 2021 John Oxenford The Club has continued its involvement with the Peace Fellows at University of Queensland who are undertaking a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies. This is a programme supported by Rotary International at five universities around the world. From the 2020 – 2021 Class, we have been hosts to Belen Harb from Quito in Ecuador. Belen has a background working with children in Ecuador who are at risk primarily due to border conflicts. We provided support for Belen on her arrival to help with interim accommodation and orientation. She has visited Bribie on a number of occasions and has spoken to our club about her studies and interest areas. From the 2021 – 2022 Class, we have been supporting Jazmin Antista from Buenos Aires in Argentina. Jazmin has a background with the Ministry of Health in delivery of health services in impoverished areas. Jazmin has visited us as well and she and Belen helped with the raffle at the May markets. In March, a number of Club members attended the Peace Fellows’ Annu- al Seminar at UQ and heard the Class of 2020 - 2021 talk of the projects they had undertaken as part of their Masters. These Peace Fellows are remarkable individuals and the Annual Seminar is always a most inspiring day.

We keep in touch with Students we have sup- ported in the past. Laurie Smolenski (Class of 2017 – 2018) is now in New York with the Global Centre for Coopera- tive Security. This group is looking at options to achieve lasting peace through addressing the root causes of vio- lent extremism. \"Laurie joined us at 4.30am (NY time) for a zoom meeting this year to update us on the work she is involved in, and to tell us what it was like living in New York during the Covid lockdown\" Raina Fox (Class of 2018 – 2019) is in Boston with InterAction – a convenor and voice for NGO’s working strengthen human rights and promote peace. Nico Schneider (Class of 2019 – 2020) is in Berlin working with Wikimedia – a group us- ing the collaborative power of the internet to create and share free knowledge of all kinds. The Club contributed to a Global Grant that will assist in providing clean water at Goroko in PNG. We obtained two District Grants to assist local groups. The first was for beds at TS Koopa to enable them to better undertake training programmes. The second was for Bribie Island Community Kindergarten to assist with transport of goods collected by the Kindergarten for children of Cherbourg.

The Rotary Foundation GRANTS This year our club was successful in applying for 2 District Grants. One to assist The Australian Navy Cadet unit T S Koopa in purchasing 20 new bunks for their training facility. The second grant was to support the Community Kindergarten with transportation of Good to Cherbourg Shout out to Bribie Island Community Kindergarten Such amazing collective efforts of the team, families, from Bribie Island and Surrounds and even from as far away as Brisbane. Special thanks to Rachelle and Lisa for storing most of this collection at your homes Thank you to the team @Get A Move On Removals for your care and atten- tion in getting the goods out to Cherbourg safely and a very, very BIG thank you to The Rotary Club of Bribie Island for full sponsorship of the transporting. Thank you everyone, including families of @St Michael’s Early Learning Centre. Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council Global Grant GG2013405 PNG Sausi WASH Project Our Club is part of this Global Grant which was approved by the Rotary Foundation in May. This proposed water supply project is located in Sausi on the Ramu Highway between Lae and Madang, in Papua New Guinea’s Madang Province and within the middle of the Ramu LLG The need for a water supply in Sausi and its adjacent villages was identified by D9600 PDG. George Grant in November 2015 , as outlined in an email to Wes Nichols. [ who is currently D9600 District International Service Committee Chair DISC]

Environment – 2020 / 2021 John Oxenford This year, Rotary International added “Protecting the Environment” as a seventh Area of Focus for Rotary activities. Rotary Districts and Clubs are initiating activities to respond. In 2020 / 2021, Bribie Rotary again supported Clean Up Australia Day by cleaning up Rotary Park and surrounds at Woorim. We have worked with Conservation Volunteers of Australia and Moreton Bay Regional Council (MBRC) to undertake further planting and weeding and rehabilitation of the dune areas at Rotary Park. We have worked with Redcliffe Sunrise and other Moreton Bay Rotary clubs and organizations to help establish a Moreton Bay arm of Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG). We arranged to have an ESRAG stall at District Conference. Club members participated with Redcliffe Sunrise and other groups in Moreton Kids Fest 2020 (https://www.moretonkidsfestival.com.au/). This is an MBRC initiative to raise environmental awareness in school children. Club members participated in an initiative to successfully encourage MBRC to join the Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership (https://citiespowerpartnership.org.au/) We have continued to support Donations in Kind (DIK) in its efforts to repurpose and reuse donated items that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

Bribie Island Club is the sponsoring club for the Arawa Bougainville Community Corps pf Papua New Guinea The Club is very proud of the work they do Bougainville Arawa rotary community corps (BARCC) members having their meeting planning on year 2021 Projects.. BARCC up coming projects for 2021 are as follows 1.Childrens playground will be install in the centre of Arawa town still waiting for the Arawa Town Authority to advise where the playground will be located. 2.Darove Elementary school Tupukas will have their first Library house set up, Rotary Arawa community corps will donate the Library books to Darove elementary school. 2. Tupukas primary school will be Arawa rotary community corps pilot project for year2021 And a old girls toilet and shower rooms will be renovated on the building already there . Bougainville Arawa rotary community corps will assist the schools associate with the BARCC. This is one of Arawa Rotary Community Corps project launched 2020 December 10th ,the project was for still birth and we name it Angel PIKININI. It is working in partnership with our woman friends in Cairns who sews the dresses for dressing the babies who die in the mothers womb the projects is a collaboration with the Arawa hospital and Arawa Rotary COMMUNITY corps.

Vocational outing followed by fish and chips at the Jetty First Meeting After Christmas BBQ in Park

There has been a slow down to delivery of spataps to PNG this year. However 1000 have been ordered and have arrived . A carton of 100 is going to BUKA in Bougainville. This has already been packed in the container. 400 are to be sent by DHL to Goroka {PNG} Earlier in the Rotary year in October some were sent to Honiara in Solomon Islands and Nauru , Madang and Fiji Hand Hygiene for Health had a booth in Hamburg at the last face to face Rotary International Convention. Last year because of this we were offered a spot on the Digital House of Friendship for the Hawaii Convention. Again this year there is no face to face convention in and we have been offered a spot in the House of Friendship Our site set up as below.

TRIVIA Movie Nights Evening



LIFT THE LID ON MENTAL ILLNESS Every year Bribie Island Rotary Club facilitates events to raise funds for Australian Rotary Health to finance ways of alleviating mental health problems in our community. Funds go towards Mental Illness Research grants (focusing on mental health of young Australians), PhD Scholarships (focusing on general mental health) and Post-Doctoral Fellowships (focusing on prevention of mental health disorders ) On 22nd November 2020, with strict Covid planning, our club held a “Mental Health Awareness Walk” where participants paid a registration fee which went directly to Australian Rotary Health, received a purple monogrammed T shirt and walked from Brennan Park to the Bribie Bridge and back. Participants ranged in age from young families with children in prams, to the elderly often on walking frames. Our local Councilor, Brooke Savige, and State member Terry Young also joined the walkers. The Walk was generously supported with sponsorship from local businesses, including Brown’s Mitre10, Bribie Island RSL, the Commonwealth Bank, Bernie’s Courses on the Run, 1st National Real Estate, Sandstone Point IGA and Moreton Bay Regional Council. With the support of the Bribie Island Community at large, our Bribie Island Rotary Club was able to raise over $4000 for Australian Rotary Health to continue its important work in helping to “Lift the Lid on Mental Illness”





Mary and I have supported the RAWCS Drought Relief Outreach project by leading teams to visit Roma, St. George, Goondiwindi, Cloncurry, Julia Creek, Richmond, Winton, Gin Gin, Childers, Gayndah, and Kingaroy. Local Rotary clubs in these areas organised community bar-b-ques in exchange for club donations of $1500 each plus cost of food and soft drinks. Any leftovers were donated to local charities. These events were also supported by other charities like Drought Angels, St Vincent de Paul, as well as other government advisory agencies and commercial interests. They were great public relations exercises for Rotary. Primary producers, Farm employees, Rural contractors and suppliers are eligible to receive bank debit cards for the value of $500 for local shopping for any purpose to generate income to support local businesses. This project is sponsored by the Federal Government and funding provides a generous allowance for RAWCS. PDG GEORGE GRANT St George Roma Richmond Julia Creek Gayndah



PUBLIC RELATIONS