News & Events

Courtyard enhancement at Elizabeth South Primary School

The Rotary Club of Elizabeth has had a long association with the Elizabeth South Primary School. The courtyard, which has recently been refurbished with a transparent roof presented an opportunity for the school to further enhance the area to create a peaceful environment, while creating a space for multiple uses. The Club was delighted to assist the school.

Rotarians join with School Principal Jocelyn Osborne and Visual Artist Bridgette Minuzzo who created the mosaics and courtyard carpet. The centre of the courtyard which was previously cement coloured pavers has been decorated with a lotus design in complimentary colours as the mosaics, using road paving paint for durability. — with PPRolly Dickins, School Principal Jocelyn Osborne, PP David Adamson, Visual Artist Bridgette Minuzzo and PP Reg Driver.

Rotary Showtime Reunion

For almost 20 years the club held Rotary Showtime in the Shedley Theatre, and latterly at the RSL Hall.  Each show was a great community event and as the years passed the local community took the roles that had formerly been taken by the Rotarians themselves.  Many from the community joined with former Rotarians at the reunion.  A full album of photos from the event can be found on our facebook page www.facebook.com/rotaryclubofelizebeth

The group shared a barbecue lunch whilst the telling of many stories created a healthy buzz of conversation in the hall.

Rotary Youth Exchange Programme

On 30th July,  Rotarian Anthony Masson spoke to the Club on the Rotary Youth Exchange Programme.  (YEP)

A student spends up to a year living with host families (usually 4) and attends a school  while there, in a different country.  They learn a new way of living, a new language possibly, and a great deal about themselves.  They are an ambassador, teaching people about our country, culture and ideas.  It is one way to help bring the world closer – and make some good friends in the process.
Applications to a Rotary Club are due by the end of March, selections by the end of April;  the student's year abroad starts late January.

Anthony is Outward bound co-ordinator of the twelve month Rotary Youth Exchange Programme. The committee is looking for clubs who would be willing to host or half host a student for twelve months. Four hosts are needed, each family hosting for three months. Club ex-penses are $120.00 per month pocket money and to pay for the student’s meal at a meeting. Last year only four students were sent away.

Pictured with Anthony above is PE Linda Brown.

Daniel Medlicott

Guest Speaker on the 23rd July was Daniel Medlicott, Donor Coordinator at Donate Life SA.

Daniel explained his work at Donate Life, and told us of the rewarding but difficult role of speaking to families who have recently experienced the trauma of a loved one dying.  He explained that donations need to be taken while the patient, though brain dead, is still hooked up to the life support system.

South Australia has recorded another rise in the number of people who have provided new or improved quality of life through organ and tissue donation.

A total of 35 South Australians generously donated their organs and tissues for transplant in 2011. This compares with 31 South Australian donors in 2010,

Nationally, 337 people became organ and tissue donors, saving or improving the lives of more than 1000 of their fellow Australians.

South Australia's contribution helped drive a national 30 per cent rise to 14.9 donors per million population from 11.3 donors per million population in 2009.

The just-released 2011 Donation and Transplantation Performance Report shows the number of transplant recipients nationally hit a record high of 1001, and that the Australia-wide total of 337 donors was the highest number since national records began.

"The steady rise in our State reflects the generosity of South Australian families willing to give others a second chance at life through organ and tissue donation.

"The Australian Government's reform agenda has increasingly focused on raising community awareness through DonateLife."

DonateLife SA has a clinical staff of specialist Organ and Tissue Donor Coordinators and Medical Directors across the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Flinders Medical Centre, Lyell McEwin Hospital, Women's and Children's Hospital and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

This broad network, spanning intensive care units, emergency departments and transplant units, is committed to improving organ and tissue donation rates and outcomes, providing specialised family support services and raising awareness across the community,.

For further information go to www.donatelife.gov.au

Elizabethy Rotary Club recognised two of its members at the Changeover on 29th June 2012.  Pictured is new Paul Harris Fellow Rotarian Viv Valladares with Marrianne Forrest (back row), with Rotarian Pandiyan Thevar and new Paul Harris fellow Jim Buckoke.
Below is the citation read at the event.

Paul Harris Fellow Presentation

Our Club would like to recognise tonight a member of our club who has represented our club overseas twice,

• on the first she treated children from the Tibetan children’s Village in Dharamsala  on a dental trip,
• the second included being involved in a Polio Immunisation day  and with dental work  (including training of staff) with volunteer work in Kolkata.

A major club project for us this year for ROMAC was organised by Viv Valladares, who hosted a child from Bali with her mother for five weeks. Other club members provided support by taking Gayatri and her mother for a day out and about and the Balinese community also supported Gayatri, but the club owes a debt of gratitude to Viv as she carried the brunt of the responsibility. This was the second occasion that Viv has hosted a child.

We are delighted to recognise Vivienne tonight as a Paul Harris Fellow.

The presentation of Paul Harris Fellow recognition is The Rotary Foundation's way of expressing its appreciation for a substantial contribution to its humanitarian and educational programmes.

It is named after Rotary's founder, a Chicago lawyer who started our organisation with three business associates.

A world of peace and good will comes closer to reality today as Vivienne Valladares becomes a Paul Harris Fellow.

One aspect of our meetings which is always a highlight is the Sergeant’s session, which has been capably filled by Jim Buckoke for a good number of years. He has a special knack of picking up items about the members and delivering them in an always humorous and low key manner.

Jim has supported our Golf Days at Balaklava, he provided the beautifully made vinyl cover for our trailer and houses the trailer at his business, Jim's Trim.

He is always present at our barbecues, in fact the club would be a much lesser place without him. Thank you Jim for your support. We are proud to recognise you as a  Paul Harris Fellow.

The certificate states that you have been named a Paul Harris fellow , “in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations between peoples of the world.”

In becoming a Paul Harris Fellow, Jim joins a remarkable company of persons throughout the world, all recognised for their devotion to the ideal of goodwill, peace and understanding. It is the goal of Rotarians the world over, and one that Jim Buckoke clearly shares.