Greetings to those who are “weathering” here in Melbourne and to many of you who are experiencing the warmth of Europe and parts of Canada. We wish them all wonderful travels and safe returns.I was the Pizza Lady at Salvo Hawks game and I met some terrific players of a form of Aussie Rules which was a bit perplexing.
Professor Clive May was brought to The Florey by the founding Director, Professor Derek Denton. At The Florey, he founded the Preclinical Critical Care Unit, a world-leading, sophisticated experimental operative and critical care unit. This unit creates and supports clinically relevant large animal models of disease that enable exploration of the changes in organ function that occur in critical illness. In addition, these studies provide the opportunity to develop new drugs, biomarkers and devices for testing in critically ill patients. Such experimental studies are vitally important due to the difficulty of researching critically ill patients.
Your President had to extricate our Members from the lunch table at Sackville Grange Visit recently. We felt so comfortable and enjoyed fellowship and the tasty lunch and red wine! I could say that Rotarians love a free lunch, but I am not going to do that!
The $500 donation from AVEO is very greatly appreciated and we and AVEO are planning 2 more visits in the future to Toorak and Lisson Grove Hawthorn retirement homes.
David Pisterman won the raffle, and thank you, David, as he is donating his prize to our Lift the Lid Lunch.
Member, please note that the Trybooking link is open and waiting for your booking. Have you considered inviting a guest/s to this year's Lift the Lid lunch? It can be a good way to introduce a possible new member to the club, repay a lunch or dinner with a colleague/friend or just do your bit to not only Lift the Lid but Lift the Numbers at this year's event. Note: Every Member who attends will be in the running for a special President's Prize!
ANGELA TAFT has recently returned from weeks spent in their vacation address in the wonderful Porte St Valentre in Cahors France. The hilltop town is Montcuq, where Angela said they were so lucky to go each year.
This is a very old columned entrance to a building in Cahors and Angela spotted the plaque at the bottom right side of the column. It was at some time, the home of the Rotary Club of Cahors.
A close-up pic of the engraved metal sign on the building.
We are delighted to announce that there will be 25 Gardens opened on the Mornington Peninsula (McCrae, Mount Martha (2), Redhill) and in Metropolitan Melbourne (Bellfield, Black Rock, Balwyn, Boronia, Brighton, Brighton East, Carlton North, Clifton Hill, Eaglemont, Elwood, Glen Iris, Heidelberg, Kew (3), Kew East, North Melbourne, Moonee Ponds, Surrey Hills, South Yarra, Thornbury).
Garden photos and descriptions are being added to the website with the specific addresses.
Bookings will be open via the website from September 1 for Weekend passes. You will also be able to purchase tickets to individual gardens as well as partake in Bus Tours of our wonderful gardens and Bus Tour details will be available soon. Entry tickets will also be available at each garden [cash or EFTPOS]
(Send your answer to David Pisterman (pisterman41@gmail.com) to be in the draw for a prize last meeting month of September. Note you must be present to accept the prize!)
For Lift the Lid Lunch Friday 25 October, Terry needs helpers on the day. (Contact Terry)
A volunteer offering their home for our Home Hosting Dinner Event 2025
Noel is seeking “Almoner Ambassadors” to provide a pickup and drop off for Members who are in need of transport to our meetings. Please contact Noel: noelhalford@gmail.com
Member to share photography role with Denbigh Richards. Take photographs of our speakers, events. No skills required, just a camera that works and a need to make a difference. Please contact Ian Bentley or Denbigh Richards.
Photos of travels, funny pics, member stories – Please members. I know you have these pics and stories – share them with our Members via Member Contributions. If Andrew, Angela and I can share, so can you.
(Please note: If you would like some help with a Club project or event, you can post a notice in The Week Ahead and the Bulletin)
Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux was the Bookworm's latest project and received an 8/10 rating from group members. Despite some differing opinions, we all agreed it was an excellent read. Lawrence particularly noted the author's erudition. Theroux paints a vivid picture of Burma during the British Raj. The descriptions of the landscape, the oppressive heat, the pungent smells, and the intricacies of colonial life are immersive.
This historical fiction delves into the early life of Eric Blair, who later changed his name to George Orwell, author of Animal Farm and 1984. It follows Blair's journey to Burma, where he served as a young British Raj policeman. The experience profoundly impacted Blair, a quiet and introspective man struggling to navigate the social, racial, and class dynamics between the police and the local people.
