Thursday, May 20

ROTARY CLUB OF OCEAN GROVE
Volume No. 21 Number 20
Bulletin for the meeting held Tuesday May 18th at The Ocean Grove Hotel

Welcome from the President Geoff Brentnall

Secretary Tony Haines: The Blue Book of Membership is being circulated. Please update your details.

Treasurer Bob Osbourne: Approximately $15,000 has been spent on charitable causes this financial year. Income from the Market totals around $12,100. The car raffle raised $4000 and the CFA Market BBQ raised $715.

Community Service, Steve Gubbins: Another highway clean up to be held soon, however the new safety protocols must be in place first. (from Alan Joyce) – Vic Roads are making signs and will contact us when they are ready. Flashing lights are required, as well as safety vests.

Bloodarine Challenge, Peter Hawthorne: Please remember to give blood for the Bloodarine Challenge. The increase in NEW donors from the Bellarine Peninsula has been minimal, which is very disappointing result for such a worthy challenge.
FACT: 80% of the population will need blood at some stage in their life.
3% of the population donate blood.

Please make an effort to get to the Blood Bank before the end of JUNE to give us a chance of winning this challenge, and giving more people the chance for LIFE.

New Generations, Wall Kelly: Matt Craig’s journal is available for members to read.

Bowel Scan
In Australia bowel cancer is the most common internal malignancy for both sexes combined. The average Australian has a 1-in-24-lifetime risk of developing bowel cancer. The disease is increasing as the average age of the population rises. In 1999, 11,637 new cases were diagnosed in Australia. Australia is amongst the top 10 high-risk countries in the world.
Get you Bowel Scan Kit today!

Members in Attendance: Total 30 Apologies: 18 Non apologies: - Percentage: 62.5%
Make-ups 2
Guests Cheryl Selkirk
Birthdays 19-25 Prue Webb, Bill Penna, Joan Steains, Anne Geerings.
Anniversaries
Duties
Date Chair Assistant Cashier Ass. Sgt/Greeter/Vote of thanks
May 25 Peter Hawthorne Bob Jordan Alan Joyce
June 1 Tim Kemp Alex Magee Trevor McArdle
June 8 Peter Molloy Geoff Morphett Frank Mountford
June 15 Bob Osbourne Bill Penna Lucian Roncon

Coming up…
May 25 Jeremy Burke – Asylum Seekers
June 1 Tony Featherstone – Cottage By The Sea
June 22 Martin Geerings on the Ocean Grove Cup Carnival

YOUTH EXCHANGE

Our club is currently successfully sponsoring an outbound exchange student, Matt Craig in the U.S.A., and will do so again next year when Jack Madin visits Sweden.
As the name (Youth Exchange) implies there is a not unreasonable expectation that our club should also be willing to host an inbound student from overseas.
I am of course acutely aware that there has been little enthusiasm to host a student after our last bad experience.
Nevertheless the issue needs to be confronted quickly, as the district committee has invited us to host a Danish girl who would arrive in August this year.
At the last board meeting (18/05/04), it was decided that at our next club meeting (25/05/04), that the level of support of club members for such a hosting should be determined, so that the board could make a decision afterwards.
A successful visit would require six suitable families hosting for approximately 8 weeks at a time, a well prepared counsellor, and support from a large majority of members who would assist in many ways.
I encourage members to embrace the idea positively.
As we all know, it does mean taking a risk, but I believe that it is a minimal risk worth taking.
Our family is willing to host, and I would be prepared to act as counsellor again.
Please give the matter your serious consideration before the next club meeting.
New Rotarians with questions should consult the many experienced members in the club.
As we already have strong ties with Denmark through a previous exchange student, Signe Frank, and now “Princess Mary of Tasmania”, it does seem to be appropriate to revive youth exchange hosting with another Dane.

Geoff Brentnall

President
Ocean Grove R.C.

About Youth Exchange
Hosting a Youth Exchange student from another country is a challenge — and an opportunity. Involvement with an exchange student challenges a host family to become familiar with another culture, while providing the opportunity to share a student's hopes and ambitions. These challenges and opportunities promise to enrich the lives of every member of your family.
Because Rotary exchanges with more countries than any other exchange organization, you could have a student from one of 163 countries living in your home. Not only will you provide an unforgettable service to a student from abroad, but you also will educate your family about the world around them.
Each year, local Rotary districts and clubs worldwide arrange thousands of international exchanges for high school-aged students. The primary goal of the program is to foster world understanding by way of intercultural exchange.
http://www.rotary.org/programs/youth_ex/host/about.html