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Club Meeting 6 September 2017

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Margaret McDonald assisted me in presenting the John McDonald Memorial Scholarship to Carla Hensel. Carla talked very well about her brother’s battle with cancer leading her into a career in medicine – a great inspiration. We wish Carla all the best with her studies and hope she will have a long term relationship with our club.

John McDonald Scholarship  presented for 2017 to Carla Hensel

Carla Hensel, Year III UNSW Growing up in Albury has impacted my journey into medicine in many ways. I have always had an interest in medicine, but having lived in a regional area and witnessed the importance and challenges of rural health, my passion grew. I believe my strengths that enabled me to obtain entry into medicine will also continue to help me succeed in the future. I have excellent communication skills and will continue to show empathy, compassion and integrity towards my patients.I was privileged to be able to move back home to Albury this year to continue my studies at the UNSW Rural Clinical School. I have always admired Albury’s sense of community which I have experienced in many ways through schooling, family and sporting life. I hope to be able to work in the Albury region in the future, giving back to the community which has already given me so much. Dr John McDonald achieved so much in his time and has clearly left an enduring legacy on the local community. This scholarship will allow me to put further time and commitment into my studies without financial stress, enabling me to achieve my best for the benefit of the wider community.

Guest Speaker Peter Cerexhe spoke on the Border Music Camp which exists to alleviate this for students in the Border district, the Riverina and north-east Victoria. Our aim is that these students may play in an ensemble that can challenge them, while being equal to their musical standard.

The Camp is not just for school-age students, with many adults also attending. Nor, for that matter, is it only for locals. Students regularly attend from Melbourne, Sydney and regional centres; we have had Campers from as far away as Hobart, Perth, Alice Springs and Darwin.

Cate Davis, wife of former Albury Hume member, Ian, was appointed Director in 1977 … one final quote from the archives. Cate Davis, writing in 1986: ‘At Border Music Camp we provide the skilled conductors and tutors, the physical space, equipment and sustenance and the musical scores but ultimately it is the enthusiasm of the students that makes the real music come alive’.

Kitenden Pre-School, Tanzania, East Africa

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Below is an update on the projects we have in our program of support for the Kitenden Community and Children. You will see we have made significant advances on projects we have been working on with Future Warriors for quite some time. The provision of these facilities and infrastructure will provide very significant assistance to the children and the community and are paving the way for longer term educational and other resources to serve the Rotary Pillar of Elimination of Poverty through providing Education, Nutrition and Clinical services.

Thank you all for your support without which we could not make these facilities available. We have made significant progress with a number of projects that have been pending. The construction of new Medical Clinic building (which is located quite close to the Preschool) has been completed by the Tanzanian Government. Support for the Clinic and the wellbeing of the children and the community has always been part of our Kitenden project. Recently we arranged for the supply of birthing kits for midwives. These were provided by Zonta and another supply is in the pipeline. Future Warriors Project (FWP) and Sianga Kuyan have negotiated with the Longido District for the connection of electricity to the Clinic and the Preschool. This will involve the installation of two power poles and wiring and connection to the Clinic building. Connection to the Preschool will follow later. This has cost A$2000 which we have provided. We have also provided funding for medical equipment comprising an Examination bed, Delivery kits and Delivery bed, a Sterilizer, a Microscope and various scales. The cost of this equipment is just under A$3000 and will be presented to the District authorities responsible for the operation of the Clinic.  We are also building two toilets and a shower for staff and patients as well as constructing an incinerator. These will cost just under A$2500 plus labour charges which continue to be negotiated. Finally we have authorized a maintenance program for the preschool. Maintenance on a routine basis has been lacking over the past few years which was noticeable on our visit last year. This is an operating cost that should have been spread over the past few years. It will cost just over A$2000 and will be undertaken at the end of this month.

The provision of all the above will be of immense benefit to the community and their children and we are very pleased that the persistence and hard work undertaken by Sianga and his staff have brought these achievements.

With Best Wishes Deborah and Howard

Community Service

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Murray Conservatorium – a warm letter of THANKS to our Club for our donation of $500. That donation is to be used to provide a music program for Hume Public School which has a high number of indigenous and non English background students.

We have received a Certificate of Appreciation from RSPCA Million Paws Walk held last May. We made a donation of $1,000 to them.

The Scots School Albury Pipe Band – sincere appreciation was conveyed per Peggy May on behalf of the Band Students – our generous donation of $1,000 was certainly well received.

Border Music Camp – a wonderful letter of THANKS to our Club for our donation of $500 to the 43rd Music Camp. We were acknowledged in their two public Concerts and named in websites etc. The two concerts attracted 1,300 attendees! Great effort. One of their goals is to ensure that no regional music student misses out on this Camp experience – and that is partly where our donation was directed.

A donation of $3,000 was given to Kintenden.

Community Service

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Past Pres Dennis Martin with Albury Club’s vice President, Andrew Dixon and Rotary Club of Albury West President, Stuart Abbott with the defibrillator that we handed over to the Albury Club. Let’s hope that it will never be needed. After the presentation Tony Brandt gave us a talk on the early history of the Albury Club, which was also an interesting insight into Albury and its people many years ago.