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Every Rotary Club is different. Different focus on projects, different members (men, women, young and older) and different style of clubs. There are things that are common and include friendship, contribution to communities and feelings of satisfaction had working to make the world a better place.
 
Joining a Rotary club is more than meetings. It is a chance to use your skills (and learn new ones) to provide much needed support to other individuals and the broader community.
 
Consider finding out about Rotary today: There are 14 clubs in the Geelong region. Inquire today and find out how to join the world's oldest and largest Service and Business club. RCGE.Enquiries@gmail.com
 
Rotary values the contribution that female members make and the difference that they bring to Rotary. Members also focus on the needs of women in developing nations (and here in Australia) who have particular needs. Educating young females is an important focus of clubs.
 
This year, 2022 / 2023 we celebrate the first woman President of Rotary International, Jennifer Jones of Canada.
 
Rotary valuing the contribution and leadership of women in the organisation, in business and in communities
 
This amazing organisation has been active since 1905. A very few of the many projects Rotary is and has been involved in include:
  • Eradication of Polio (only 2 endemic countries remaining)
  • Training Peace Scholars
  • Supplying shelter, food and essential items to victims of natural disasters
  • Providing clean drinking water (via wells) to millions
  • Assisting withe the formation of the United Nations, including the Declaration of Human Rights
There are 1.4 million Rotarians, 36,697 Rotary clubs around the world together with Rotaract and Interact clubs.The organisation's vision is:
 
Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves."
 
Rotary - Making a Difference in the World and a World of Difference!
 
The Rotary Club of Geelong East and the Lions Club of Geelong, worked together at the recent Truck & Vintage Machinery Show  to raise funds.
 
The clubs provided food for the hungry hordes. Operating out of the Lions Club stand, members to cook hamburgers, egg and bacon rolls, chips and serve soft drinks etc.
 
Members of both clubs indicated that they enjoyed working together.  Each club will share the takings and put the funds to their various community projects.
 
 
Rotary & Lions - Working Together for the Community
"No update on polio would be complete without a big thank-you to Rotary International. They were part of this effort long before the Gates Foundation was. Since we became partners on eradication, we’ve jointly raised $1.8 billion for this work, and there’s more to come. Rotarians also lead massive vaccination campaigns to reach children all over the world. Sometime in the next few years, when polio is finally eradicated, my first phone call will be to thank and congratulate the team at Rotary International."
Bill Gates
 
Rotary - working with others to eradicate Polio
The Rotary Club of Geelong East has conducted the Rotary Junior Community Service Award at a number of Primary Schools for about five years. The East Geelong Primary School has been the most consistent and has promoted it to eligible students.
 
Mr. Bloink, Grade Six teacher has strongly encouraged students to take up the program. He has great plans for next year already in play.
 
The students have to demonstrate that they have carried out the following tasks to be able to receive the award.
  • Community Service
  • Skill Development
  • Physical Recreation
  • Social Experience
Past President of The Rotary Club of Geelong East, Jenny Acopian, has been the driver of the program from the club's point of view.  Below, Jenny is pictured with the 2022 Graduates of the program.
 
 
Rotary - Creating Future Community Leaders
 
Rotary is the largest Service organisation in the world. Not only do you join a local club working in the local community, but you join a
World-Wide group of like minded people. There are opportunities to use your skills and knowledge to help other communities to grow stronger and more peaceful and thus, make a real impact in Peacebuilding.
 
Rotary Club of Geelong East is welcoming New Members Now - enquire today - 0414 324 814
Nine members of The Rotary Club of Geelong East and friends worked for two hours and planted 447 trees. The trees will eventually join up with a Bird and Animal Corridor to provide safe haven for breeding, nesting, food and other needs.
 
This undertaking from a Rotary perspective is part of the club's Environment & Sustainability Interest Group. Over the last twenty years, members have planted close to 10,000 trees.
 
The group included family members, two women from Bunnings and one from Landcare and the property owner. Below are a couple of photos of the group.
 
 
Rotarians - environmentalists
LIDS, LIDS AND MORE LIDS
 
The reduction of plastic waste and the recycling of lids to make useful products, such as prosthetics, is a project of our Rotary Club.
 
A major source of lids is a large donation bin at GENU’s Eastern Hub that keeps on giving as the attached photos show. The range of colours, sizes and shapes is extraordinary and sorting into categories is an essential part of the process.
 
The other key source of lids is from Rotarians themselves and their families.
 
In addition, members of the Rotary Club of Geelong East collect batteries, medicine blister packs, pens and bread tags. Members are educated about the soft plastics taken by Coles and Woolworths, and a range of items taken by Office Works.
 
 
Rotary is about helping others and improving our world. No matter what area your interest lies within, it is bound to be an area that Rotary is already working in. We serve local communities, international communities, people, the environment and peace. Think about it - then come and join us.
 
Use the contact button on this page and learn more about Rotary.
 
Rotary - Serving the World
Barwon Child, Youth & Family (BCYF), a major community service provider in the Barwon region, has teamed up with 12 Geelong-based Coles’ supermarkets and Geelong Rotary clubs, to provide essential supplies for some of the
community’s most vulnerable members.
 
Throughout July and August, Coles stores across the region are facilitating customer donations of food, toiletries and
other non-perishable items. The donations are being collected, sorted and packed by a team of around thirty Rotarians
and friends, and distributed to BCYF’s clients in need.
 
Food insecurity is a growing issue in the Geelong region, compounded by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Demand for essential supplies has increased significantly over the past year across the wider Geelong region,
as it has across the country. The donated supplies are provided to some of our most vulnerable community members,
some of whom may not have access to any other food at any particular point in time. Every donation is greatly
appreciated – every item helps to relieve basic physical needs.
 
In the first eight weeks of the partnership, Rotarians have compiled over 500 food packages, cooking equipment,
pantry items, dozens of boxes of hygiene articles and around sixty parcels of baby items. These have been
distributed to clients of BCYF through its Youth Services, Family and Community Services, and Culturally
and Linguistically Diverse departments.
 
Rotary Club of Geelong East – Working in Partnerships
Rotary clubs around the world have been working to improve the environment and sustainability for many years.  Each club works on projects that meet the needs of their communities. Many worked on their projects through the Rotary initiated ‘Preserve Planet Earth’.
 
The Rotary Club of Geelong East has also been environmentally active. In this club’s case, it has focused on tree planting for different reasons.
 
The largest project undertaken by the club was in the planting of trees to create a wildlife corridor that ran between the You Yangs and Brisbane Ranges. The idea was to create a sanctuary for birds and animals that allowed them to move with security through from Ballarat to Geelong.
 
A number of cold winters saw Rotarians (and one year Belmont Cubs and Scouts) planting trees at Limeburners Point. In this case the idea was to prevent erosion of soil. Most of the Limeburners planting was of grasses.
 
A number of plantings have been done at three different sites along Hovell’s Creek and the last three years, the club has focused on Eumeralla Scout Camp. At the camp, trees are being planted increasing the bushland and preventing erosion of soil.
 
Rotarian Peter Funston who has managed these projects estimates that over 5,000 trees and many grasses have been planted over the years by the club.
 
The Rotary Club of Geelong East - Preserving the Environment
Rotary clubs around the world support youth in various ways.  Perhaps the best known publicly, is Rotary Youth Exchange. Students go overseas and have twelve months experiencing another culture and educational system.  Many make life long friendships, thus helping to build understanding between communities in different parts of the world.
 
Other Rotary programs for youth include Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Rotary Junior Community Awards, Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment as well as specific local club activities aimed at youth.
 
The Rotary Club of Geelong East has provided bursaries to students at Geelong High School and Newcomb Secondary College, iPads, books and shelving to Whittington Primary School, books for a new library for Newcomb Park Primary School, Trainee of the Year Awards and scholarships for apprentices at the Gordon TAFE, sponsorship for youth with disabilites through Blue Bird Foundation to learn to play music, write stories and create artworks.
 
The club has also sponsored a Rotaract Club and Interact Club.
 
Rotary - Providing Opportunities for Youth to Grow and Develop
 
Mark West Foundation Donation
The Rotary Club of Geelong East donated $1,500.00 to the Mark West Foundation during the senior game of football at St. Albans ground.
The funds will be used to assist disadvantaged children from missing out on the opportunity to play football. In the 2019 season, there are sponsored children playing at 25 Geelong clubs, due to the assistance of the Mark West Foundation.
 
The Mark West Foundation was established following the tragic death on the football field of Mark West at the age of 19.  Mark had played football at all levels of club football and began coaching at the age of 17.  A very talented footballer and someone who believed that he had to give back to the game, for the enjoyment he gained from it.
 
The Foundation has two Mission Statements:
 
To ensure no child in the greater Geelong region misses out on being able to play Australian Rules football due to financial reasons.
 
To strengthen the legacy of Mark West who set an amazing example of how to make a difference to those around him through participation, community involvement and striving to be the best you can be.
 
Details on the Mark West Foundation can be found at the website: http://www.tmwf.org.au/the-foundation
 
 
The Rotary Club of Geelong East – Connecting with Other Community Organisations
Barwon River Safety Marker Project
The Rotary Club Geelong East, together with the City of Greater Geelong and the Corangamite Catchment Authority, launched the Barwon River Safety Markers.
This six year start-to-finish project was the brainchild of Rotarian Keith Dawson of Rotary Geelong East. The idea of the project was to TRANSFORM and make SAFER the activities areas along both sides of the Barwon River. Safer for Walkers, Runners, Riders, Tourists and Families.
 
A total of 46 double sided Location Marker signs were installed along the Barwon River on both sides. Along approximately 10 kilometres of river on both sides stretching from the Breakwater to the Ring Road.
 
The two most important pieces of information during a Triple Zero call is the nature of the emergency and its location. When an incident occurs at a specific street address, it is generally easy for emergency services to find the caller. However, if it takes place in large open-spaces, walking trails or beaches where no obvious reference points exist, it takes extra, valuable, life saving time to identify and verify the specific location and vehicle access point.
 
 
Another Community Service of The Rotary Club of Geelong East
Dinner Auction Recipients
River’s Gift and Sailability were the recipients of a combined $15,000.00 from the most recent Rotary Club of Geelong East Dinner Auction.
 
River's Gift is the largest source of funding for laboratory-based SIDS research in Australia. To date, River's Gift has generated over $1 million to save babies lives, by funding scientific research, delivering Safe Sleep Education and raising awareness of Sudden InfaMaster Logo - Navy RG-Sky tagline-Sky hent Death Syndrome (SIDS).
 
Sailability is a “not for profit” organisation, volunteer-based, and through the activity of Sailing enriches the lives of people of all abilities – the elderly, the financially and socially disadvantaged as well as people with physical challenges.
 
The Dinner Auction attracted 150 Guests and was MC’d by media personality and Rotarian, Gary Newton and the auction was conducted by Joe Grgic.
 
Dozens of local businesses supported the auction by donating goods and services to be auctioned on the night and the club thanks them.  The club’s Dinner Auctions are held every two years.
 
Rotarians working in the Community
Canadian Visitors
The Rotary Club of Geelong East hosted ten Canadians visiting our District. Four couples and two single women travelled from Canada to Australia on a Rotary Friendship Exchange.  Ten Australians will go to Canada in August on the return leg of the Exchange.
The visitors were home hosted by local Rotarians both on their way into the District and again on their departure.  In Geelong they toured the Bollards, Narana, National Wool Museum, did a tour of Corio Bay, Anglesea Golf Club, attended an AFLW match at GMHBA Stadium, toured Queenscliffe and a Picnic in the (Eastern) Park.
 
They spent time in Portland, Warnambool, Grampians, Port Fairy and Drysdale.
 
The feedback from all, was that they thoroughly enjoyed their 14 days in the area.
 
The Rotary Friendship Exchange allows small groups of Rotarians to go to other countries and meet with locals and experience the culture and so see local sites of interest and animals.  A component of the Friendship Exchanges is creating greater understanding and friendships between people of the world.
 
Rotary Friendship - Worldwide
Rotary Convention Comes to Melbourne
It is with great excitement that we announce Melbourne as the host city for the 2023 Rotary International Convention, the largest conference secured this century for Victoria.
 
 Melbourne is a Big Events City! Set to deliver over $88 million to the Victorian economy, the Convention is the most valuable conference ever won for the state, with the four-day event anticipated to attract more than 20,000 Rotarians from around the world. The global spotlight will be on Melbourne and how we present ourselves to the world.
 
 The Convention will take place 27-31 May 2023 using superb venues; Rod Laver Arena and the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. All activities and events are within the Heart and Soul of Melbourne. Over 7000 hotel rooms over 50 properties across Melbourne. Our transport plan uses our famous trams, ferries and buses to quickly and easily move delegates between venues, hotels, event and restaurants. And of course, Melbourne is a very walkable city with many interesting routes and laneways to tantalise visitors.
 
 In addition, the Victorian visitor economy will be bolstered with expenditure from thousands of visiting Rotarians utilising transport, hospitality, entertainment, venues, attractions, tourism services, event planning, freight customs broker services, technology rental, security and various other members of the local business event and tourism supply chain, as well as the flow on benefits across regional Victoria for pre and post touring. Rotary has a business heritage as well as community service. We are proud to make an impact on local business and create jobs.
 
 
Rotarians Supporting Victoria
Making the World a Better Place
Rotary world-wide, is dedicated to making the world a better place for all.
 
Through its 32,000 clubs, the organisation and its 1.2 million members work in their local communities, internationally, through youth and professions to do those things that will lead to a more peaceful world.
 
The illustration below shows Rotary’s Six Areas of Focus.  Working to improve five, will help the world move toward the sixth, Peace.
 
 
Rotarians - People of Action
Rotary News

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Interact is 60: Join us as we examine Rotary’s leadership and service program for teens through the lens of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

A Rotarian tells the story of the perseverance of female runners in Afghanistan in the film The Secret Marathon.

Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust, or CART Fund, raises money from Rotary members to support Alzheimer’s research grants.

The Rotary Club of Geelong East Inc.
Geelong East

Service Above Self

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