Literacy Month – March Combating illiteracy has been a focus of Rotary International since 1986 – and for good reason. UNESCO estimates there are 862 million illiterate adults in the world and about two-thirds of them are women. Millions more are functionally illiterate, without the reading and writing skills necessary for everyday life. The United Nations has identified illiteracy as a major obstacle to economic, political, and social development. How can you be involved? Follow the link below to the RI website section on Literacy and Numeracy Programs. Be a part of the solution for this world wide problem.
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St Paul’s win the debating competition
They’ve triumphed AGAIN !!! I am delighted to report that St. Pauls College, Walla Walla triumphed in the Ian Murphy debating Competition Grand Final at the District Conference in Bendigo on Saturday morning, beating Euroa Secondary College in front of an audience of approximately 300 adults. The Saturday win was the Schools FIFTH in this competition, and some research is taking place as to whether any other School in the District has won this competition as many times. Unfortunately the result wasn’t known at time of going to press, but I will advise next week. This years’ debate question was: That prisons are a good investment. St. Pauls were the ‘Affirmative’, and provided a good strong case, and the whole team kept to their theme, and rebutted any proposes raised by Euroa very well, and then went back on the offensive. They spoke very clearly and confidentially. Just prior to the commencement of the debate, the Conference listened to an excellent presentation by Nicholas Papas QC on various aspects of the law drawing from his great experience at ‘the bar’ and as a ‘Magistrate’ etc. The teams couldn’t hear what was being said as they were locked away in the Green Room. After they gave their presentations, and Adjudicators went to decide the Winner, Nicholas Papas QC reappeared and briefly talked to both teams giving some advice etc. Upon announcement of the Adjudicators decision Nic Papas left the stage, for Bruce Key to advise that the Adjudicators had made a unanimous decision in favour of St. Pauls. After presentation of the awards, the teams were invited to the Green Room to have a private meeting with Papas. This was St. Pauls College, fifth grand Final win re this competition, and their first under the current Principal and Pastor, Mark Doecke.
Club Meeting 2 March 2016
Guest Speaker Nathan Vaccaro is the Ensemble & Group Lesson Co-ordinator Murray Conservatorium. Nathan obtained his Bachelor Degree in Music performance, with guitar as his primary instrument from Excelsia College Sydney in 2014. During his time at Excelsia he explored in depth many different genres including Jazz, Fusion, Rock, Blues, Classical, and Progressive Metal. Before his time at Excelsia, Nathan has had roughly 9 years of performance experience, starting at age 13 playing guitar in his church band. As well as church services that experience included performances at Youth camps, regional events and various productions.
ROMAC
ROMAC is the acronym for “Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children” and is a combined Australia and New Zealand Multi District Rotary initiative. ROMAC has been in operation for over 25 years.
Mission Statement.To provide specialist treatment for children, from developing countries, in the form of life saving and/or dignity restoring surgery not accessible to them in their home country. ROMAC was commenced out of the actions of a single Rotarian, Barrie Cooper OAM in March 1988, when as a member of the Rotary Club of Kangaroo Flat in Victoria, visited Lambasa in Fiji with a group of Australian surgeons. They found the child mortality rate as high as 25% in some places and quickly identified that lack of medical and surgical facilities and skills for children of the island nations, was a major cause. Rotary faced the challenge to assist an 18-year-old Fijian girl whose right leg was threatened if immediate surgery was not performed. During the next four years, eight children were brought to Australia by the Rotary Club of Kangaroo Flat for major, often lifesaving surgery. Soon 20 Rotary clubs were caught up in the success of each case and assisted in various ways. ROMAC quickly went about harnessing assistance from medical experts, hospitals, nurses, physiotherapists, pathology and radiology services, airlines, sponsors and other supporters. ROMAC was making a difference, ROMAC was Giving Life to children who had no hope! Today ROMAC is Giving Life to around 50 children every year – we are making a huge difference in the lives of these small Island Countries. ROMAC is able to provide Life Giving surgery to children and babies of our nearest Island neighbors because of the support and generosity of Rotarians and Rotary Clubs throughout the Rotary Districts of Australia and New Zealand.
Club Meeting 10 February 2016
Guest Speaker Fabrizio Andreoni is a fitness coach, specialising in triathlon events, in Albury Wodonga. He specialises in the sports and recreation industry with many years of experience in fitness, coaching and healthy lifestyle training within Australia and overseas. Fab spends about half the year here and half in Italy. He is a member of the Australian and Italian Coaching Councils, is qualified in personal training, sports coaching, gym instruction and swimming teacher. Fab is a national representative age-group athlete, with 5 Ironmans, multiple half-Ironmans, 7 World Age Group Championships and many age-group national and state championship titles under his belt. Fab’s athletes have had some fantastic results in all athlete categories and triathlon distances including many first time Ironman finishers, many age-group athletes qualified for World Age Group Championships, Age Group National Champions and junior high performance results at state and national level. Fab is coaching an Albury Wodonga athlete who is hoping to qualify for the Paralympics in Rio this year, and is responsible at the national level for a program assisting junior triathletes to make the transition to open competition.