Venue:                      Damien on Fisher

 

 

Guests:                   Madeleine Martin, Sue Middleton, Ross Smith plus Chris Bui and Stan Potter, Sophia and Natalia Lewis, Chloe Bricout, Mahboba and Abdullah Aryan, Maureen Abbott, Mursal Nazari, Rtn Julie Jonson (Rotaract chair) and David Bartlett, Lenard Sciancalepore (Rotaract President)

 

Attendance:           28 Members   15 Guests

 

President Nathan welcomed our guests.

Rhonda Hoare gave an insight as to how YFUR came about....she saw the talent which we had sponsored for the Rotary youth programs, notably RYPEN and RYLA, and decided there was opportunity to further nurture it, Importantly there was an appetite for helping the community. After a get- together at the Orphanage in December, the group decided to collaborate on projects which would benefit those in need, under the YFUR umbrella. The first agreed project was to assist women and children in Afghanistan and, to that end,  it was decided to hold 2 movie nights at Wallis cinema with an outstanding result of $2600 being raised. Mursal Nazari who had volunteered with OPAWAC (committed to helping Afghani women achieve their capabilities) and Maureen Abbott with SAWA (Support for Women of Afghanistan) provided advice on areas of greatest priority and secure means of money transfer. Yesterday funds were on their way to meet immediate food needs. As well as this project there was volunteer effort on Saturday for the planting of the centenary trees. Also, news was spread about our youth music awards. Rhonda asked President Nathan and Stephen to present certificates and name badges to Chris, Sophia, Chloe, Abdullah and Mahboba

 

                 

 

Chloe Bricout is committed to volunteering and our Thrift Shop was attractive....... as well as providing good work experience.  Pam Trimmer has been Chloe's mentor teaching her from the bottom up many of the skills/tasks required. Handling the front counter and the till works. It was a privilege to be sponsored  by the club for  the 5 day journey to KI on the One and All. Unfortunately Covid intervened and now aiming for September. Meeting and working with YFUR members has been inspiring.

 

Julie Johnson, Rotaract Chair, explained why she had recommended to Rhonda that creating a youth group, under the care and working with the club, would be more beneficial than for example directing them to join Rotaract....and so it has happened. There will be a special article on Facebook this week about YFUR.

 

Sophia Lewis and Chris Bui outlined the modus operandi behind the film fundraising on 6 & 8 March, after it had been decided to help the women and children of Afghanistan. Chris chose the films namely Licorice Pizza (fortunately replaced by Belfast) and C'mon C'mon as they were likely to be attractive to young people. All members played a part in spreading the word through schools and youth organisations. Josh (away tonight) did the logistics. On Sunday night the allowed space of 50 seats was busted but Tuesday was less well attended. A great profit of $2,301 was made.

 

Abdullah and Mahboba Aryan talked about the Taliban who had run Afghanistan from 1996-2001 after the departure of the Russians. They suppressed women and girls, requiring full body coverage and banning them from education and jobs. In 2021 they returned with the same mentality towards women, The decision to direct the first YFUR project towards helping the women and children of Afghanistan was inspired by Latifa (away in Iran) and Mahbboba, who is happy with the good it will achieve.

 

Brendan Kenny gave a vote of thanks. He reflected on the unique experience of young people climbing 90ft up the mast of the One and All. Our youth programs enrich us all through working together and learning from each other. Congratulations to our young group and Thank You.

Jerry Casburn was pleased with the sausage sizzle provided by members of our club working with RC Campbeltown at the zoo today. Over a 1000 kids from special schools enjoyed the event hosted annually by the Variety Club. A lot of fun and a worthwhile experience. See photos below.

 

Valerie Bonython thanked those (our club, Adelaide Rotaract and YFUR) who had helped with the planting of 400 trees on Saturday in the parklands to commemorate the Centenary of Rotary. The plaque will be unveiled by the District Governor on 19 June.

 

Rhonda Hoare reminded everyone to book their seats for the Rotary Youth Music Awards on Thursday 26 May at the Goodwood Institute. On-line bookings will be by Humanitix but some may wish to organise through Rhonda.  Tuesday's meeting (24th) has been shelved in favor of the awards night.

The males have done it 2 weeks in a row....unprecedented.....with Greg (a serial offender) scoring the filthy lucre and Trevor the fruchocs

 

The meeting closed at 7.50pm

 

Captions could include: JP organising Ken and the rest of the crew to cremate the sausages; service with a smile from Campbelltown; the variety club banner; Rotarians and Variety in concert; and onion caramelising mania.

 

Suddenly, the war knocked on our door

By Oksana Havryliv, Rotaract Club of Lviv International

 

Posted on May 3, 2022

                    

 

Before the war, I was a student in international relations at the university in Ukraine and had been pursuing a master’s degree in political science through the University of Vienna. I dreamed of becoming a diplomat and representing Ukraine. I was busy with studies, planning my life, and hanging out with friends, especially those in Rotaract. That all changed on 24 February when Russia invaded my country and the bombs began to fall.

Children woke up not to the bright rays of the sun, but to the sounds of rockets and bombs falling in Odessa and Kyiv, the country’s capital. The war came knocking at our door. Almost overnight, we forgot the normal rhythm of our lives and became a united front with a clear purpose, to resist the aggression and help the people of our country. 

 

My life has changed drastically, and I feel it will never be like it was. Before all this, I actually loved the subject of history in school, and believed that the world had learned from its two bloody world wars in the 20th century. History wouldn’t repeat itself with another brutal war in Europe, right? Sadly, no.

Living in Lviv and Lemberg, a wonderful city in the western part of Ukraine, I didn’t experience any of the bombing that central and eastern parts of the country felt at the beginning of the war. But I was highly motivated to act knowing my fellow Ukrainians in those affected areas were living in basements, shelters, and subways.

My mother and I decided to act  by creating a hub to funnel humanitarian aid. The bureaucracy of communicating with non-governmental organizations in Europe and the U.S. was daunting and took a lot of time. But it didn’t stop us from our goal of helping civilian populations that were suffering from the war.

We are driven by the conviction that the participation of each and every Ukrainian will lead us to victory

Thankfully, I am a very communicative person and have many contacts in other countries. I started by asking Ukrainian friends in Germany to help collect warm clothes and durable food. They sent almost 60 tons of relief supplies to us.

My relatives and other volunteers began sorting items in the yard of our farm. But we ran out of space, so we found a warehouse. I wrote to all my friends worldwide asking for their help, and I was very surprised with the positive response and how many were willing to assist.

 

The logistics of funneling supplies from European countries as well as to Ukrainian cities was difficult. Buses filled with our relief supplies were in constant danger from attacks by Russian military. The bus drivers knowingly risked their lives. They are heroes.

Each passing day in the warehouse, our team became more and more efficient. Everyone did their own part, bringing us closer to our goal.

On 26 March, my city was targeted by Russian aggression with missiles fired from the occupied city of Sevastopol. But we’re alive and still doing our thing.

And so the story goes on. I have decided, as a true patriot, to stay in Ukraine. I have set aside everything: my job, my studies in Vienna, ordinary everyday life, and time with my own family. We spend almost 20 hours a day in the warehouse. But we are driven by the conviction that the participation of each and every Ukrainian will lead us to victory. Because “The truth is with us.”

 

 

Upcoming Meetings

Mitre 10 and Bunnings Barbeques 

The Tale End.....