Joanne Coleman & Lee Jackson Reserves: (Garth Carter & Helen Gulson)
Speakers & topic:
Lee Sayer - Habitat for Humanity
Rotary Club Meeting 31st October 2017
Welcome
President Derek welcomed all members, guests Ed George, Peter Fehon and Luke Keighery.
Toast
Helen Gulson proposed a toast to the Rotary Club of Inverness. Started in 2006, it has a membership of 25 and meets on Wednesday mornings for breakfast, fellowship and discussion on charity fundraising and projects, with “alternative meetings every Friday at 6 pm at the Innes Bar”! The club has so far raised well over £100,000 for local and international charities with fundraising activities such as wild walks, masked balls and BBQs.
Announcements
Alan Hession advised the event calendar for the next six months has been sent out and asked all members to keep it handy for reference.
Alan also advised that several members had volunteered to learn how to use the new credit card system which will come into use at the attendance shortly for payment of dinner at weekly meetings.
Masanori Ohtani reported on the success of the annual award ceremony and Japanese Cultural Program held at Sydney University on 20 October and attended by a number of club members.
Masa also updated members on details of the Rotary trip to Japan from 17 Apr-1 May 2018 He also commended the Japanese Film Festival being held at the Event Cinema in George Street, Sydney from 16-26 Nov.
Garth Carter asked for 8 more volunteers which are needed for the mock interview program for the girls at Willoughby Girls High. Alan Hession seconded Garth’s request and said how satisfying it is interviewing these impressive young women and highly recommended taking part.
Guest Speaker - Fay Petrou - Member Behind the Badge
President Derek introduced Fay Petrou, our speaker for this evening’s “Member Behind the Badge”. A Rotary Northbridge member, Fay was a policewoman for 13 years before she resigned and became a real estate agent.
An only child, Fay was born in Nicosia in 1965 before she and her parents emigrated to Sydney in 1967. They settled in Wyong where her father rang a large restaurant. In 1976 the family moved back to Europe for a short time before eventually returning to Sydney when Fay was 13 where she attended Muirfield High School.
Fay’s first job was in banking before, at the age of 20, she joined the NSW Police Force. She trained at Goulburn and her first posting was to Balmain Police Station. After a few years she worked on surveillance for the National Crime Authority, and then moved to the Drug Squad where she was a senior constable at Parramatta. Following that, Fay then ran the Blue Light Unit for 4 years which involved a lot of travel around the state.
After 13 years as a police officer often working 12 hour shifts, Fay became interested in real estate after attending a John McGrath seminar. She was offered a job as a real estate agent at Blacktown and so began her second career. She ran a Ray White agency in Blacktown and bought and sold an agency at Quakers Hill before she opened another agency in Neutral Bay which she still runs today. She loves the real estate business and the people involved.
Fay has always enjoyed travel and in time intends to sell her business and travel to Europe.
Fay first joined Rotary in 2001 when she was at Blacktown before joining Northbridge Rotary when she moved to Neutral Bay.
President Derek thanked Fay for her presentation.
President Derek also asked all club members to consider volunteering for one of the committees at the upcoming Annual General Meeting.
The Bridge Day was held on 31st August 2017 at the Northbridge Bowling Club and was a great success.
We had 80 ladies playing bridge at 20 tables. On arrival they had morning tea, with the bridge playing interrupted at 12.30 for lunch and the formal opening by Willoughby Mayor, Gail Giles-Gidney.
Gail introduced the speakers representing the Charities to benefit from the Day. Janice Gibson outlined the impressive role provided by Marys House in supporting women and children who need help because of domestic violence.
Ian Burnett then described the work of Disaster Aid in international disaster relief and rebuilding.
We had 38 Rotarians, partners and Friends of Rotary work together to make this day happen, including making 280 sandwiches and cooking well over 400 biscuits/slices/little cakes. All delicious!
Our raffle was for some amazing prizes including a beautiful hand-made quilt, plus we had a Jewellery table with 20% of sales donated to our day.
The Nepali Earthquake of 25 April and 12 May 2015 destroyed or severely damaged most of the 356 houses and most of the school buildings in Bhakanje VDC (municipality). The Secondary School of Sagar-Bhakanje was severely damaged, leaving only one building intact (built to earthquake-proof standards ) while five n 2014buildings too damaged to occupy safely. Fortunately the earthquake occurred on a Saturday at the beginning of school holidays when the school was closed, otherwise many children would have been killed or injured.
The Rotary Club of Northbridge raised funds in a bucket appeal at Northbridge Plaza. These funds, together with a Rotary grant and a generous contribution from a Northbridge resident, paid for the reconstruction of two of the classrooms at the Sagar-Bhakanje Secondary School.
The Club worked with the Rotary Clubs of Kathmandu, Nepal and Skivehus, Denmark, the School Coulcil, and Himalayan Project Nepal (HIPRON) to deliver the project. All materials and labour were sourced in Nepal, providing much needed revenue and work opportunities.
This means that, thanks to Rotary and the people of Northbridge, normal school operations can recommence for the 145 students and 13 teachers.
The Rotary Club of Northbridge gratefully acknowledges the generous sponsorship of Northbridge Plaza for our Annual Community Fireworks Night & Pictures on the Pitch Film Night