Annual Reports

 
 
 
President’s Report 2014/15
Another busy year for the Rotary Club of Albury draws to a close. During the year the Club has continued to deliver a full program of community service projects.
Unfortunately, just recently, we have had some of our members question their commitment to Rotary, due to the prospect of juggling work and Community programs.
Unfortunately, people are far busier than in the past, most couples both work and juggle businesses or workloads as well as family and other interests. We have to move with the times or our club will seem unviable with the new generation of community minded people, but make no mistake there are many young people out there who are committed to community service and if we don’t find them they will join other clubs that offer what they need.
The good news is that Rotary International and the District fully support any changes that will help to improve and boost club membership.
Our role as a member of Rotary is to ensure that we provide opportunities for different people in different roles from different back grounds, to do great work in the community, which will only make this club stronger, and hopefully allow this club to continue long after we all are gone.   
It is still a testament to the commitment and enthusiasm of members that we were able to maintain our program of community service projects. Some of the larger projects include:
  • Circus Quirkus – Jan Marshall has continued her work on this excellent project, raising more and more every year, this years total was in excess of $30,000.00
  • Camp Quality – Peter Frauenfelder Sue Wileman and the team successfully hosted two Camp Quality events, changing roles have meant that our club’s involvement has been reduced by the introduction of other groups to the event, but that doesn’t change the fact that Camp Quality continues to support those in need.
  • Murray Darling School of Freshwater Research – Another successful year.
Once again this year the Club enjoyed an evening with the students at their Scott’s School lodgings. A great night was had with many good conversations with a bunch of great young adults, a welcome change to our normal program.
  • Fiji Rotahomes – This project is now winding up with the last visit last year.
  • Good Friday Appeal – Counting was again conducted at the Hume Building Society this year. Thanks to all, who volunteered their time, members counted around $63,000.00
  • Albury Show Gates – Brett Perston managed to pull it off with the assistance of Cate Kirk and Charlene Gehrig and the Albury SES, the Rotaract Club of Albury Wodonga, the Apex Club, several other local Rotary Clubs and friends and family of members
In addition, the Club continues its involvement with a number of other projects and fund raising activities such as:
  • Midnight Basketball
  • Harvey Norman BBQ
  • Bat for Rotary
  • Anzac Day
  • Ian Murphy Debate
 
Our traditional Melbourne Cup eve dinner was a huge success and our also in November few members went to the RC Albury-Hume ROMAC International night, a great way to visit another club and get some news of international charity organisations.
Meetings were also held at the Pizza oven and Australia day breakfast was once again well organised, Kevin Mack was the official council rep. Thanks to Rosalie and the good times committee for an interesting year, and Brett Perston for his continues scheduling of interesting  and informative speakers.
February was a very interesting month, firstly 10 of our members went to Corowa to present documents to the club and to hear Gordon tell of his life in Corowa growing up. Nikki Grey gave us an update on what Country hope is doing and then Bek & Megan gave us a rundown and a tour of the new headspace facility. To end the month we had the very inspirational Danny Phegan who came to us to tell us about all the really interesting and very funny stories as he raised funds by riding through the centre of Australia on a 11 month journey and by selling his book on a marathon trek from Darwin to Cockle Creek Bay, Tasmania, raising $531,318 for cancer research in the process.
 
 
   
 
The Friday night meeting at Scott’s school, allows us to enjoy meeting the students at the MDSFWR, a great night once again and a joy to talk to a group of great young men and women.
The barbeque trailer has continued to allow us to help a number of community groups to assist their fund raising efforts.
For a Club of our size to continue year after year to run and support all of the programs as outlined above is a fantastic achievement and I congratulate and thank all members on the effort they have put in over the year.
As a relatively new member of the club I felt a little ill prepared in taking on the role of President. However, with the help from some of the PP, who were happy to give advice when asked, I managed to fumble my way through the year.
Many thanks to the Board and members for their support throughout the year.
The Club ends the year, financially in a better position thanks to the fundraising efforts of members and the careful stewardship of our Treasurer, Charlene.
The Rotary Club of Albury Foundation (RCAF) has also had a successful year with many worthy causes benefiting from donations made. Congratulations to the RCAF Committee on the way the Foundation was run this year and the results achieved.
In the last couple of months there has been a number of check presentations to the charities that have been given donations from the Foundation, by a number of members with some good publicity gained by the club.
Membership still remains the major challenge facing our club, as for many other service clubs.
Now is the time to be asking the local community about joining our club, and use this good publicity to our advantage.
Our challenge from this point on is to attract new younger members, but to do that we have to not only support the changes that Charlene wants to implement, but also embrace them.
Our incoming President, Charlene has been an enthusiastic and hardworking  Rotarian since joining the Club and I am confident that her energy will translate into a great year for the Club.
I wish Charlene and her incoming Board all the best for the coming year.
Michael Colegrove
President 2014-15
 
 
Rotary Club of Albury Inc.
 
 
Secretary’s report for 2014 / 2015
 
During this Rotary year the Board of the Rotary Club of Albury held ten ordinary meetings. There were no meetings held in December 2014 and April 2015.
 
The Board also held two special meeting, those meetings dealt with the matters listed below:
  • Making recommendations to members in relation to the new Club Rules and Bylaws,
  • Acceptance of a new Deed of variation relating to the Rotary Club of Albury Foundation,
  • Variation to weekly charges for members as a result of changes to the cost of meals imposed by the Albury Commercial Club, and,
  • Dealing with proposals for Club membership.
 
The Club’s Annual General meeting was held on 24 November 2014. A special Club General meeting was also held on 27 October 2014 to consider the proposed Club Rules and Bylaws.
 
Immediate Past President Ivo Mol has played an important role in liaising with the Club’s lawyer to affect the formulation of the Club’s Rules and Bylaws.
 
I believe that the Board under the chairmanship of President Michael has functioned efficiently and effectively through out the year.
 
Hany A Hanna
Secretary
11 June 2015
 
 
 
May 2015 Treasurer’s Report
 
Donations from the special purposes account: Have presented $500 to St Vincent de Paul for their Winter appeal along with some hand knitted blankets supplied from Pam and 2 children’s sleeping bags from Charlene.  Tv’s for the Ronald MacDonald Family room have yet to be organised – have been in contact with Karen Trenchard from RMFR to try and get this sorted - $1,200 set aside for this.  We discussed sponsoring a music program for the Hume Public School.
Country Hope: Nikki from Country Hope will attend the Changeover dinner to accept the ‘’dummy’’ donation ($10,000 cheque has been posted in order to have it cleared by 30 June) and outline how our members could get further involved in the Camp as carers if they wished.
Rotary Club of Albury Foundation (RCAF):  All applicants, successful or otherwise have now been contacted and most cheques have been presented. Still trying to organise some presentations.
4 June - Ken presented a cheque for $6,970 to the Ronald MacDonald Family Room during their mother’s group. Nice photo on Facebook.
Ken, Russell and Michael presented a $10,000 cheque to the Albury Wodonga Cancer Foundation.
Ivo presented 2 x $5,000 cheques to Parklands Albury Wodonga on Tuesday 9 June for community bike paths and a refugee run market garden. Nice photo in the paper and now on Facebook.
Sunday 14 June – Ken, Russell, Charlene and friends attended 9am service at St Matthew’s to present $10,000 to the St Matthew’s emergency food assistance program and $5,000 towards music scholarships.
Friday 19 June – Albury Wodonga Breast Cancer support group – Charlene presented a cheque for 140 pamper bags at their meeting.
Friday 19 June – Wewak School.  $10,000 presented at the school assembly 1:30pm.
Youth Albury Wodonga meeting Tuesday 23 June – La Maison – President Michael presented a cheque for $3,500
Aspect School Tuesday 23 June – President Michael presented a cheque for $5,000
Circus Quirkus: 2015 program is underway and going very well.
Student exchange account: Per past decisions of the Board this is to remain at $10,000.  This will again rollover in June 23. Will transfer the interest to the special purpose account in late June.
 
 
Membership fees for 2015/16: I would like to get the invoices out at the start of July and given that Ted will not be here in July-  easier for me to do it.  The Club continues to be in a strong position and propose no change to the fees that were charged in 2014/15 – a total of $125 which keeps it to an affordable level.
Motion:  Fees to be set for the financial year as follows:
July – Dec 2015 $65 
Jan – June 2016 $60 – total $125
 
Charlene Gehrig
Treasurer    12 June 2015
 
 

New Generation Committee Report for 2014/2015.

 
It was a busy and very rewarding twelve months for the new generation committee and the RCA with there being no major changes to the previous year’s list of projects under taken.
Ian Murphy Memorial Debate: Ken (Gift of the Gab) Curnow once again put together and chaired another great debate. Our members always enjoy the night and this year was no different with Albury High School unfortunately being defeated in the first round by St Pauls College Walla Walla.
RYLA:  While we didn’t have a young person put up their hand to attend RYLA this year, Brett (Big Daddy) Perston continues to support and represent our club in this worthy project and I wish to record my appreciation, on behalf of our club, on his efforts in this regard.
Honeywell Engineering School: No applications received this year from Albury High School.
National Youth Science Forum – January 2015. :  This year we sponsored Alex Nero from Albury High School. Alex visited our club on the 23rd March and spoke to us, sighting the wealth of experience she gained in attending NYSF, and her appreciation of our clubs sponsorship. Charlene (Princess) Gehrig was instrumental in supporting Alex along the way, in my absence, and my appreciation of Charlene’s involvement goes without saying.
Rotary Murray Darling School of Freshwater Research: This year, Russell (Captain) Hook and Cate (My Kingdom for a Horse) Kirk stepped up to the plate and took up the late challenge to run this year’s school. My appreciation of their assistance and dedication, along with the assistance given once again by Ted (Blue Baggers)Thompson, deserves to be recorded in this report. Also the efforts and input from the Freshwater Research Centre staff, especially Rosie Busuttil and Rochelle Petrie, along with the assistance on offer from La Trobe and Charles Sturt Universities makes this school still one of our more important youth educational projects.
Twenty five (25) students attended our school, coming from Orange and Canowindra in central NSW, and including students from all parts of Victoria and the ACT. All reports indicate the students were the keenest and best behaved ever?
Rotary Youth Exchange Program: The club has decided to once again to throw our hat into the ring and to support a student, firstly students to go overseas and to then secondly to host a students in visiting Australia. At writing this report, our club have been included in the early interview and early student selection process.
Bob Walker
New Generations Director
11/06/2015