Copy of RCB Bulletin 28 November 2024 (Nov. 24, 2024)

What a cracker of a meeting we had on Thursday! The AGM rolled on without a hitch, and we heard from none other than Geoffrey Cunningham, who enlightened us on Rotary Foundation activities and finances with all the finesse of an accountant at a TED Talk. Not to be outdone, PP Norm Thomas took the floor to give us the scoop on Bendigo Bank and their corporate sponsorship initiatives - he’s clearly got the corporate schmooze down to an art.

Stuart McIntyre and Jo Kwok kept the momentum going with updates on their respective portfolios, including the much-anticipated Great Bayside Swim and heartwarming Christmas functions for the underprivileged and elderly at risk in our community. It’s enough to make even the Grinch’s heart grow three sizes.

The cherry on top? Our fabulous exchange student, Mariah Porto from Brazil. For those who missed her talk - seriously, Mariah was an absolute star - engaging, funny, and brimming with insights about her time in Australia. She rounded off her talk with a Brazilian dessert she’d made herself. And let me tell you, if you haven’t tried Brazilian dessert made by Mariah, you’ve officially missed out on one of life’s finer pleasures.

To wrap up, we’ve got some festive events on the horizon, including the Wine Tasting and Tapas night with Rotary Club of Brighton North and year-ending Christmas function on Thursday 19 December. Max has kindly included all the details below, so get your diaries out and make sure you don’t miss what’s next - it’s going to be a great finish to an already spectacular year!

Be kind, be good and stay safe.

President Donna Wright

Highlights of Club AGM Meeting

Thursday 21 November

RCB AGM

report by Anthony Langley - Club Secretary

RCB AGM was successfully held on 21 November, quorum was achieved, and all resolutions were passed, except for resolution number 3, relating to the appointment of a President Elect 2026/27, as the Nominating Committee continues its search for a candidate. A special meeting will be held in the New Year when members will be asked to endorse the candidate selected.

With the AGM now complete the Secretary will submit the club’s annual return to Consumer Affairs Victoria as required under the

Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012.

Annual Accounts for RCBCF

presented by Geoff Cunningham

Geoff presented the Annual A/ccs for RCBCF

(Chairman John McKell was an apology)

and he made the following points:

* During the year Geoffrey Shaw resigned from his role as Treasurer and we thank him for his many years of service,

* The Foundation requested the Club (as it's sole shareholder) to appoint 2 new Trustees and they are PP Julie Avery and John Schmoll, complementing the existing Trustees Geoff Cunningham, Paul Laband, PP Ian Stacy and Chairman John McKell.

*During the year donations were received in support of the Education Support Program (as operated by BayCISS) and the Foundation added to them to make a total of $13K, and

* $3K was donated to BLSC for the installation of a defibrillator on Brighton Beach, and a proposal has been received for another at Green Point (taking the total to 4 that we have funded).

* The Foundation is looking for a major capital project in conjunction with the Club. The parameters are large capital projects that are local, assist the socially disadvantaged or medical sector with mobility impairment, educational capital works etc (eg Bayley House kitchen project from a few years ago).

* RCBCF was established for 2 reasons - tax deductibility (we have DGR status), and to augment RCB fund raising earnings.

Total Assets are currently $583K (conservative ASX listed stocks with Franking, and cash/term deposits), annual earnings approx $29k.

We look forward to working with the RCB Board to generate a major project with high visibility to the local community to promote the Rotary name.

Secretaries Announcements

presented by Anthony Langley

Apologies were:

Wendy Davis, Stuart McMillan, Anne Holland, Di Allan, Nicole Chong, Graeme Watson & Max Martin.

Stuart McIntyre

# Stuart McIntyre provided an update about The Great Bayside Swim.

# Next year’s event is on Saturday, January 25, the first Morning of the January Long Weekend. The event format will be the same as in recent years.

# Event planning by the GBS Committee is well advanced.

# Strong sponsor support again from Kieser, Jellis Craig, Brighton Travelworld, Nichols Crowder and Bayside Council. Bendigo Community Bank Highett is joining us for the first time. Key support is available from the Brighton Lifesavers, The Baths and the Royal Brighton Yacht Club again.

# The marketing program is underway, with our website and Facebook page, billboards and emails to our large swimmer data base. Members were asked to help distribute event flyers at Sunday’s Bayside Triathlon (but no one was available!).

# Anthony Langley is coordinating the manpower roster. We need about 50 members, partners and friends each year.

# We can’t predict the weather, but everything else is looking GREAT.

PP Norm Thomas

Norm explained why the Club Corporate Sponsors are to be considered as Gold Level across all/and every event and project, as they are Rotary Club of Brighton Sponsors covering all events rather than just one event. He said they are also contributing the highest amount per organisation/per annum for at least 3 years. Therefore It is important that Event Chairpersons ensure they are always given the Gold Level equivalent.

Jo Kwok

Jo presented two items:

1. Seeking Volunteers for Brighton Beach

Reading Programme

For many years Brighton North Rotary has been supporting students at the Brighton Primary School with members doing one-on-one reading with selected students.

The Rotarians read books and form relationships with the students making a huge difference. Children with difficulties processing visual, auditory or hearing, autism or non-speaking English students have improved significantly. Some children have been engaged for 2 or 3 years resulting in more confidence.

Brighton North Rotary are now seeking additional volunteers to help with the program at Brighton Beach Primary in 2025. Volunteers require WWC and availability to regularly volunteer.

Please email youth@brightonrotary.com.au

2. Bayside Family Christmas Event

Only a few more sleeps until the Bayside Family Christmas Event!

On Monday 9 December, the Rotary Club of Brighton (in conjunction with Hampton RSL, Hampton Rotary, CWA, BayCISS, Family Life, Team Sports 4All, VICPOL, St Leonard’s College and Bayside Council) will host this annual invitation-only event to bring some Christmas cheer to some of our community’s most vulnerable children under 16 and their carers. This at risk cohort will be invited to join in an afternoon of fun activities, traditional Christmas dinner and a visit from Santa. We are looking for Santa’s little helpers to assist in creating some Christmas spirit on the day (including running activities, marshalling, food service etc) - volunteers will require current WWC and need to be available Monday 9/12.

Please email youth@brightonrotary.com.au asap

Sergeant's Session

with Sgt Arthur Hubbard

# Geoff Cunningham - went to White Rabbit to have a coffee, whilst he was socialising, someone cut the wire lock on his e-bike and rode off with it, meaning Geoff had to walk all the way home.

# Stuart McIntyre was doing his bit for the Great Bayside Swim by cleaning the graffiti of one of the Billboards and managed to lose his wallet in the process. Surely no pickpockets at Brighton beaches

# PP Pat Kearns – his sun umbrella took off in the wind and ended up in his neighbour’s house so Paul holding the umbrella as surety until suitable reparations can be agreed. Fine for both Pat and Paul

# Anthony Langley - AGM went for more than 5 minutes - fined accordingly.

# Jo Kwok fined as she tried to make a secretarial announcement during AGM time - didn’t know the difference between and AGM and secretarial announcements

# David Finney for not arranging technology (data show) for Exchange Student Mariah to give her presentation.

# PP Cameron (Robert) Ward - for being early for next week.

# Rob Pinchbeck - his Rotary Badge is safely home in his bedside drawer.

# Roger Fairlam - won the Saturday Comp at Kingston Health - up against 160 other golfers.

# David Finney - bailed up two Rotarians in the car park to help carry gear out of his car to the venue. Gave a box to one of them, then took a ballpoint pen from the car and gently carried it in. Not a fair division of labour

# Geoff Cunningham - reappointed Chair of BayCISS

# All those revolting Rotarians, sorry revolutionary Rotarians who joined the protest March in Church St against 20 storey Buildings.

# PP Pat Kearns and PPJulie Avery - just returned from a QE2 cruise.

#. All those over 70 that Bayside Council did not invite to the Brighton Rotary Senior Citizens Lunch next week.

# Pres Donna Wright - was at the formal presentation for the handover of the Defibrillator which went really well until Anne Holland was asked to demonstrate how the machine worked. It’s a good idea to first check the battery is plugged in, need I say more.

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