Tuesday, March 27

Vol 30 No. 37

March Theme: Literacy Month.

Notice of Meeting for the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove
18 The Terrace, Ocean Grove.
Tuesday, March 27th, 6.00 for 6.30p.m.
Speaker: Jess Brown, President Ocean Grove Coast Care Group.
Chairperson: Geoff Ford.
Assistant Cashier and Thanker: James Ricchini.
Greeter and Assistant Sergeant: Gerry Spencer.
Weekly Raffle: Graeme Chamberlain.
Birthday and Anniversaries: Coral Barker 30/3

Notice of Meeting for the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove
18 The Terrace, Ocean Grove.
Tuesday, April 3rd, 6.00 for 6.30 p.m
Speaker: Geoff Milward – Mobile Relationships Manager for Bendigo Community Bank Drysdale/Portarlington.
Chairman: Dick Clay.
Assistant Cashier and Thanker: Geoff Chandler.
Greeter and Assistant Sergeant: Peter McLennan.
Weekly Raffle: Trevor McArdle.
Birthday and Anniversaries:  1/4 Val Kelly  8/4 Martin Geerings
9/4 John Calnin, Gordon King and Vic Harnath 10/4 Jo and Peter Hawthorne.
Notice of Meeting for the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove 18 The Terrace, Ocean Grove.
Tuesday, April 10th, 6.00 for 6.30p.m
Speaker: Geoff Burrows, Watsonia RSL Member and Chairman of the Kindred Organization and the Unit Associations Committee of State Branch on 
"A History of the Melbourne ANZAC Day Commemoration March
Chairman: Peter Cullen
Assistant Cashier and Thanker: Richard Grimmett.
Greeter and Assistant Sergeant Weekly Raffle: Rod Birrell.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: 15/4 John Dodgshun.
Report of the Meeting 20/3/12
Visitors:  Jane Cox, ADG Group 9.
               David Barkley from RI Highton
               Tony Stewart ADG Group 10
               Ron Riddle from RI Melbourne
               Tom Attard and his father Bernard
               Peter Baxter, Captain of the OGFB Running Team.
An expression of sympathy was extended to Gary Golding on the death of his Sister.
Notes and reminders
- FROGS. Noel Emselle had to cancel the breakfast meeting but those who are able have been invited to attend the next meeting.
- Lookout Park tidying etc., John Fox will do the necessaries.
- Red Cross. Peter Hawthorne. Remember collection can go on until Easter, so a return visit to those places where no one was at home can be made. 
Money should be given to Fred Andrews.
- The GSE Team who are from Iceland and Queenscliff Rotary Club would like us to join them for dinner at the Royal Hotel in Queenscliff on 28/3, 7.00 for 7.30 p.m. 
A list has been forwarded to the Queenscliff Club.
- Football Tipping. Alex Magee asked that those who have not yet paid to cough up their $50.00
- District Conference – Information was given to attendees and the cyclamen pink T Shirts were allocated. Attendees will certainly be noticed.
- Coral Barker suggested that we should all go to the Learners Permit website and do the test. She thought we should confess how well or poorly we did next week.
- Publicity – John Flett reminded us that the Community Showcase Picnic is on Sunday 15/4. Sixteen groups have registered. John needs 2-3 helpers.
Presentations.
- A cheque for $970.00 was presented to Peter Baxter from the OGFB for equipment for the running team.
- Jane Cox presented PP Noel Emselle and Pres. Margaret with a Certificate from Rotary Foundation in appreciation of our donation to Polio Plus and in Recognition of Rotary International reaching the Bill Gates challenge of $2,000,000.
Tony Stewart spoke about the district advertising program. The Rotary news column that will be about the same size as the editorial column in the Geelong Adie will be placed into the Geelong News, the Echo and the Adie. Business would pay $994.00 per month with due recognition for sponsoring this column. Seven businesses have so far promised to contribute but more are needed. The first column will appear in April.
Tony also congratulated the Club on having a Public Relations person.
Tom Attard attended the National Youth Science Forum in Canberra along with another 150 students from all over the country. Tom joined the engineering group. The program was interesting and varied as well as stimulating. Especially valuable was the opportunity to network with likeminded people. He believes this program built confidence, teamwork, leadership and communications skills and fostered independence. Tom has been selected to return to Canberra to act as a staff member/mentor for next year.
Guest Speaker.
David Barklay who works with Barwon Water has been involved with a strategic partnership between Rotary International and USAID Alliance since 2009. This involves nine Rotary Districts and twenty-one clubs providing clean water, sanitation and sewerage in the Philippines, Dominican Republic and Ghana. Our area of participation and interest is in the Philippines. Local labor is used with benefit to many people. Most projects have been successfully completed and a permanent alliance after a review and assessment period is being considered. Much can be achieved with minimal equipment and the compound effect of club and district funds and matching grants from RI. David has also worked in Sri Lanka, Samoa (through RAWCS) after the tsunami and in Papua New Guinea after the cyclone. Sariri Village was part of this effort. Some money is still needed to complete this program. David also stressed the need to provide education and training for the local people to ensure that care of equipment and skills learned as well as property erected is maintained

Forward Planning… Two Partners nights
1.    17th April -  A Workplace visit to Scotchman's Hill
2.    29th May- Annual Davidson's Restaurant (at the Gordon) Evening.
Please note partners are automatically booked in for a Partners
night so if not attending an apology MUST be recorded.
AG.