This week marks the last few days of the summer season, firstly it is hard to believe we are at the end of February and did we actually have any real summer weather this year?

Further to my update last week on in-person meetings, we have had another update from Kooyong on their meal offering and they are now happy to provide a pasta based meal or risotto at $40 which includes a plate of slices with the tea and coffee service.  This will enable the Club to reduce the price per meeting back to $42 as previously charged for in-person meetings.

The meal offered at last week’s meeting was based on this new option and feedback from a few members will be given to the Events Manager at Kooyong to see if they can offer a non-pasta vegetarian or salmon salad option to give members an alternative to the main pasta offering.

As you will now be aware from the email sent last week, Rotary Hawthorn have an AFL Footy Tipping Competition organised by Simon O’Donoghue and Bill Troedel with assistance from Terry and Dorothy.  The competition is on the ESPN website and costs $20 to join with 50% of the pool going to the best tipper, the links to register are provided in this weeks Bulletin. 

A reminder of the Taverners Sporting Chance Raffle with the major prize a trip for two to London and tickets to the One Day International at Lords, with a $10,000 Harvey Norman voucher as the second prize.  Ticket prices are $5 each and half of the proceeds are given back to Rotary Hawthorn.  Books of tickets will be at the front desk for our next in-person meeting and on-line tickets can be purchased via a website connection included in this week’s Bulletin.

Club announcements

Australian Jazz Museum tour on Tuesday 12^th March at 10.30am for a tour of the Museum, followed by entertainment and a light lunch. The Jazz Museum is located at 15 Mountain Hwy, Wantirna.  Our own Noel and Lorraine McInnes will be on hand to provide a personalized tour and some jazz music.  The cost is a very reasonable $25 and we need at least 20 members and guests to attend the event.  Further details and the Trybooking link will be in this week’s Bulletin.

The Annual Award for Service to Seniors Presentation will be on Tuesday 19^th March. Our special guest speaker is Gerard Mansour, former Commissioner for Seniors.  Gerard is President of Winteringham, a not-for-profit welfare organisation created to address the scourge of elderly homelessness and he will present our award.  We would encourage members to invite family and friends to this very special meeting.

MHU Care Packs packing day Tuesday 26^th March.  Katrina is organising the packing day to commence early enough for members to attend the packing day and still be home in time for the Zoom meeting.  Further details will be provided by email shortly.

The next Club meeting will be the International Women’s Day lunch at Kooyong on Tuesday 5^th March. The guest speaker is Varvara Athanasiou-Ioannou ,the Founder and Chair of the Food for Thought: an inclusive Greek Australian Women’s Network.

She is a multi award winning educator and for the last 21 years she has devoted her life to the promotion of women’s issues. Her latest achievement is the publication of an oral history book, 'Her Voice, Greek Women and Their Friends', about the personal and professional lives of 42 women living in Australia.

I hope you will be able to join us and please bring along any friends or family who might enjoy this presentation.

Doug McLean

President 2023-24