President’s Message

RI Leadership Course  Toward the rear of the Bulletin is an advertisement advising the initial date of the next three part Rotary Leadership Course which is held on Sunday mornings at Euroa. I have now completed all the three sessions of the Course, and Justin, Nicole, Dennis, and Dan are now a third of the way through their course. I would strongly encourage any new members, and reasonably new members to nominate for it. It is full of networking opportunities, and gives excellent insight into how other clubs manage and ‘do’ things. At a Board meeting last year, the Directors agreed that the Club would pay for any member wishing to partake on the course, as it is good value for money in learning so much about Rotary and all its different offshoots. If anybody is interested then please contact me and I will hopefully enlighten you enough to go along. The course is usually run from 9.30am to 1pm as lunch is included.

District Conference – March 2013  If there are any members who have made bookings to attend the District Conference in Ballarat in March, and have made ‘private’ reservations, could you please advise Roger Snell so we can keep an accurate record of who is attending, and also possibly arrange a ‘social’ evening for ourselves away from official Conference business. It would be good to have a good attendance from the Club as it is usually an interesting weekend, and the women folk often enjoy ‘shopping’. Just remember don’t give them the credit card.! Also remember the special $50 rate being offered this year to members who are in their first year of Rotary. So please see if you can come and enjoy a weekend in Ballarat.

Club Meeting 23 January 2013

Guest Speaker: The Wodonga TAFE story … Tony Brandt

Tony gave us an interesting and informative presentation of the challenges and successful results achieved in many areas throughout 2012 at Wodonga TAFE … here are some highlights … 2012 brought many challenges including significant reductions in funding to the TAFE sector as a result of the Victorian State budget in May, restructuring, strategic partnerships and alliances, successful tender bids, the opening of new campuses, and, of course, the merger of Wodonga TAFE and DECA (Driver Education Centre Australia). Quite a year really!

  • in spite of all of the challenges, the Institute ended 2012 ahead of all predicted targets.      Wodonga TAFE is in an excellent position to tackle what will certainly be a difficult year ahead.
  • Continuing to develop our partnerships with universities and other organisations.  These partnerships have generated significant grant income and will continue to generate growth      and opportunities for us in the future.
  • We will begin the delivery of medic training under our three-year contract with the Department of  Defence in June.

Our organisation is in a very exciting phase. We have successfully navigated the integration of Wodonga TAFE and DECA, and we now begin the next phase of transitioning all functions and activities under the broad banner of Wodonga TAFE. While many of these activities are completed, or nearly completed, there are a range of activities that require longer term planning.

The New Organisation The DECA company will be retained and all driver education from Wodonga TAFE and DECA will be delivered under the DECA brand.  All DECA sites and the Wodonga TAFE Logic campus will continue to deliver driver education and expand into additional areas where appropriate.

  • The Institute’s executive team has personally visited every DECA site over the last few weeks and will formally induct staff to the new organisation.

The new project The objectives were to merge the two organisations, achieve a new organisational structure, transfer DECA staff to employees of Wodonga TAFE, and to appoint a new DECA Board.

Governance and Leadership It is intended that DECA would continue as a company but that its governance, leadership, and operations would be integrated with those of Wodonga TAFE.

  • · Under a new constitution there will be a Ministerial appointment of Boards on 31/03/13. Michael O’Loughlin has been appointed CEO of both Wodonga TAFE and DECA.

President’s Message

Scatter Evening Just another   reminder that there will be NO meeting at the SS&A Club this coming   Wednesday and instead members are requested to attend other Rotary Clubs   meetings this week if possible.  If you   can make it to other Clubs then please observe their procedures compared to   ours and the following week we will gather back at SS&A as normal and   have another Club Assembly meeting whereby you can advise and comment as to   whether  what you observed is something   which our Club could consider doing or whether we as a Club , or you as a   member are currently satisfied with what we are doing.

Howards BBQ next   Sunday Also don’t forget   if you haven’t yet advised Howard or myself that you will be coming along to   the BBQ he and Debra are holding for club members and other participants   taking part in the Kitende Project, then please advise by Wednesday evening   of this week.  It promises to be a   lovely get-together, so come along and relax in lovely surroundings.

‘Valentines Day’   Dinner. Another opportunity   for a Club social ‘get-together’, with a Dinner/Wine function at La Maison on   Valentines night. A delightful menu has been arranged by Wassim to compliment   the various complexities of  Stanton   and Killeen wines. Wendy and her son Simon will be in attendance to advise   about the various wines we will be sipping that evening. Price $80 per person   for a guaranteed lovely evening.    Acceptances to Nicole or myself please by 3rd February   2013. If there are insufficient numbers from our Club then it has been agreed   to extend the offer to other local Rotary Clubs to see if they would like to   come along as well.

Australia Day My thanks to all   members who worked the BBQ on Saturday at Noreuil Park. I’m not sure who did   the ‘cooking’ on the early shift, but Graham Maddox and Terry certainly did   heroic work working the BBQ on the later shift. It was also a good induction   to Vicky Gray on her first club BBQ function. Don’t worry Vicky, they aren’t   all as hectic as that.

Club Meeting 9 January 2013

Meeting was held infomally at Noriel Park. See the photos.

President Pete’s Postbag: Dinner for Romantics … As we had previously advised you, the Club is holding a Dinner for Romantics for Valentines Night at La Maison. Wendy Killeen and Wassim are designing a lovely evening of food and matching wines. The format of the evening will be … A sparkling  wine to greet guests. A lovely three course dinner with the matching wines to compliment the meal. The description of the composition and complexity of the wines will be described to us by Wendy or her son Simon. Price: $80 per head. A list will be circulated very shortly re members attending. Seating will be for approximately 60 persons. An invitation will be issued to neighbouring Rotary Clubs at the beginning of February should there be insufficient take up from Albury

Club Meeting 12 December 2012

Induction of New Member. Vicki Gray was inducted last at our last meeting under the classification Hospitality. Welcome Vicki, we trust you will enjoy your journey as a Rotarian.  In reply Vicki said she had been a business training course at Mildura for the last two days and rushed back to Albury this morning for her induction. Vicki was nominated by Alice Glachan, resides in South Albury with her husband Byron who jointly runs the property “Willow Bank” nestled in a large loop of the Murray river.