The story of Timor Leste was very informative and, as a relatively new country, it has had a sad and troubled past.  The country has a large number of issues like high levels of malnutrition and limited job opportunities for it’s youth and, outside of oil and gas reserves, limited natural resources.  Interestingly as Ashley pointed out, it is a safe place to visit and has relatively few tourists visiting which gives the country a natural feel.

Rotary Clubs including Hawthorn have supported a number of projects in Timor Leste over the past few years and future projects should be considered in the upcoming Member Forum discussions.

We also had the induction of a new member, Norm Franzi. Norm has a very interesting work history and is a runner of some note; I look forward to the opportunity to hear his Member Behind the Badge presentation in the near future.

Every Rotary Club including Hawthorn has a number of supporters that are often under the radar and not always given the recognition they deserve.  This week I would like to share the story of our Club’s long-term financial supporters, Chemmart Hawthorn.  Every three months a deposit of $250 is made into the Club’s charity account from Chemmart, which is $1,000 per year and has been made by the Pharmacists Andrew and Catherine Farmer for over five years.

Based on information from Katrina the donation to Hawthorn is for the $2 donation they ask customers to give them when signing a statutory declaration in the shop.  She believes the connection between Chemmart and Hawthorn goes back to when Geoff Dumayne, a pharmacist himself, was a Club member and approached them to start the donations.

During Andrew Crockett’s time as President he made contact with the Farmers to encourage them to attend a Club meeting so we could acknowledge their support.  Unfortunately to date they have been unable to attend due to their daily work commitments.  In the next few days I will write them a letter of thanks on behalf of the Club and hopefully encourage them to attend a meeting in the near future.

Announcements:

There are a number of social activities being organised for Club members and friends.  Could you please give Terry an expression of interest if you would like to attend the Pharaoh Exhibition at the NGV, the tour of the Australian Jazz Museum and our Gippsland Discovery Tour.  Bookings for the Pharaoh Exhibition will close on Sunday 7 July so please don’t delay in purchasing your tickets via this Trybooking link:  https://www.trybooking.com/CSQYF

Again this year Rotary Hawthorn will be supporting Camcare with The Winter Food Project at in-person meetings in June and July.  We ask members to bring non-perishable foods and cleaning products to meetings, which will be collected at the front desk for delivery to Camcare.  This week’s Bulletin will have a listing of the items they are looking for, in particular canned fish, vegetables and fruit.

A reminder that we have scheduled a Club Forum meeting on Tuesday 2nd July here at Kooyong.  This will be an opportunity for members to review current Club operations and projects with a view to improving both areas.

Dorothy and I have been working on the Forum meeting format and this week’s Bulletin will have an overview of the topics to be discussed.  We plan to enable members to discuss Club projects, membership, fundraising, special events and Avenues of Service at the Forum. It would be worthwhile for all members to attend in person but if you are unable to attend, we would encourage input prior to the Forum and after.

A reminder of the Auburn High Mock Interviews scheduled for Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th September from 8:30 am to 12 noon.  Geoff Wright has been in contact with many of you to confirm members’ availability to ensure we have the 32 interviewers required over the two days.

Footy tipping. Maybe I should not mention the tipping ladder this week since I’m still hanging on to the number 1 spot by a very slim margin and Richard is moving up the ladder.

The next Club meeting is on June 25th by Zoom (my final meeting as Club President) and the guest speaker will be George Petrou and his topic The Art Of Humanity. George proudly presents his second art project, 'The Art of Humanity', which follows his previous work, 'The Art of Sacrifice'.

'The Art of Humanity' delves into the concept of humanity, the spirit of generosity, and the act of caring for those in need. It features inspiring stories and portraits designed to move and motivate. The book showcases 40 portraits, accompanied by their remarkable stories.

I hope you will be able to join us.

Doug McLean

President 2023-2024