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Welcome to The Rotary Club of Northbridge Bulletin
Northbridge
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM
Northbridge Golf Club
Sailors Bay Road,
Northbridge, NSW 2063
Australia
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Please send apologies to Don Landers before 10:30am each Monday at don@cascadence.com 
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The Rotary Club of Northbridge gratefully acknowledges the generous sponsorship of Northbridge Plaza
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
David Robertson
August 7
 
John Garrett
August 8
 
Peter Russell
August 14
 
Peter Hodgson
August 24
 
Anniversaries
Jon Gidney
Gail Giles-Gidney
August 17
 
Join Date
John Bolton
August 9, 2011
10 years
 
David Hyde
August 25, 1998
23 years
 
Fay Petrou
August 26, 2008
13 years
 
ClubRunner Mobile
Club Meeting News - 27 July 2021
 
Welcome
 
President Jon welcomed all members to the Zoom meeting as well as guest speaker Darren Steinberg from Dexus Corporation.
 
Toast
 
Peter Antaw proposed a toast to the RC of Tokyo Suginami, a club with which our club has had a long association following sister city status between Willoughby City and Suginami.
 
Announcements
 
Following mention at last week’s meeting about the request from Taldumande for a new vacuum cleaner, a club member very generously contributed the whole amount for such a purchase. The funds donated by other members for the same purpose will be used for future needs. The contribution was well received and much appreciated by Taldumande.
 
President Jon reported he had a cluster meeting with other presidents and AG John Zhang during the week. He reported to them that in addition to funds provided by our club earlier this year to RC of Kathmandu for the purchase of 15 oxygen concentrators due to the lack of equipment in Nepal’s fight against Covid, District had come up with a $50,000 grant for additional equipment and in total 54 concentrators will be delivered.
 
He also mentioned to the meeting about our club’s Buddy System, and some of the other clubs are looking at taking that on board.
 
On that topic, Jon reminded all members to give their buddy a call to check in and see how they are going.
 
Peter Russell spoke about the work being undertaken in updating the club’s banners and, with the assistance of Alan Hession & Helen Gulson, he has been collaborating with RDU supplies to design two new banners for the club.
 
Peter also talked about the idea of producing a video skewed at the younger demographic promoting the values and work of Rotary. If anyone has any contacts in the media industry that could assist with such a project please let Peter know.
 
At the recent cluster meeting, the Chatswood Roseville RC advised they will be holding a dinner on 23 November to which they have invited members from the clubs within the cluster. It will be a good opportunity to Build Goodwill and Better Friendships!
 
President Jon also advised members that the Board has agreed to recognize Peter Hodgson, and his wife Audrey, for the contribution made to the club over nearly 40 years by making him an honorary member of the RC of Northbridge. Hopefully this can be bestowed on Peter once lockdown is over.
 
Guest Speaker - Darren Steinberg - Dexus Corporation
 
Jon Gidney introduced his old friend and guest speaker Darren Steinberg. Darren is CEO of Dexus Corporation, a company which specialises in owning, managing and developing Australian based office, industrial and retail properties.
 
Darren started his talk by telling us about the hardest day in his life when he had to manage the situation of properties in and around Martin Place during the tragic siege that took place at the Lindt Café in 2014.
 
Darren spoke to us about how Covid has affected the office, retail and industrial spaces in Australia.
 
Prior to this current lockdown, business confidence was bouncing back. Retail spending was strong and the export market had grown as had infrastructure and housing.
 
Small retail operators, the 'mum & dad' businesses, often located under office buildings such as coffee shops and dry cleaners are struggling from the lack of workers in the city.
 
CEOs and managers are finding that doing business over Zoom is not necessarily easy and they need people back in offices at least 2 or 3 days a week for collaboration and innovation purposes. Mondays and Fridays appear to be lag days. Darren noted that companies are gravitating back to the CBD from hubs in the suburbs. Businesses are moving away from open plan office spaces, with senior executives moving back into offices, particularly with the need to work via Zoom.
 
Offices are re-opening in Melbourne and the future of work in the city is good.
 
With more online shopping happening, the future of retail shops is more dubious, and many retail sites are changing into distribution centres, medical precincts or childcare centres. Consequently retail rents have decreased. Darren said there is a great need for health infrastructure everywhere.
 
Globally the US has been slow to get back to business, whilst Asia is back. With interest rates unlikely to increase in the near future, Superfunds and Pension funds are keen to invest in office, retail and industrial real estate.
 
After numerous questions from members, President Jon thanked Darren for telling us about the changes happening in his industry and giving us a hint of what working life will be like post-Covid.        
 
 
Anyone else in the same boat ...?
 
 
                                                       
If anyone has any jokes or funny stories, feel free to send them to me for the humour section of the Bulletin! 
 
Stories
Northbridge Answers R.C. Kathmandu Call for COVID Medical Assistance
52 Oxygen Concentrators Purchased by RC of Kathmandu Using Donations from Northbridge & Partner Clubs
 
54 Units of 10 L Oxygen Concentrators are ready for handover to the concerned health institutions.
RC Kathmandu appreciates the effort of Club members and partner clubs for making this happen.
 
One of those “partner clubs” is the Rotary Club of Northbridge
Flood Relief Assistance for Telegraph Point School Children
 
Year 2 students were very thankful for the donation of winter jackets and school readers
Year 2 students were very thankful for the donation of winter jackets and school readers
 
A ROTARY Club partnership has delivered a special gift to the students of Telegraph Point Public School.
A donation worth more than $9,000 will keep the 130 students warm this winter while also replenishing the book shelves.
The generous offer is more welcome news for the school community with every family impacted in some way by the devastating March floods.
 
Wauchope Rotarian Diana Reynolds reached out to the Northbridge Rotary Club in Sydney to make the donation possible. Northbridge Rotary Club raised funds from their local community.
 
Enjoying their new readers are Harry Bollard and Taj McDonald
 
Northbridge Rotarians Eleanor Chevor, Kevin Tattrie and Peter Russell delivered the new winter jackets and readers at a special presentation on Tuesday, June 8.
 
Principal Duncan Adams said the community generosity shown towards Telegraph Point School has been overwhelming and reaffirms the human spirit is alive and well.
 
The school's prime minister Leeara Elford and deputy prime minister Shaylee Wilcox thanked Rotary on behalf of the students.
 
Northbridge Rotarian Kevin Tattrie hands out the new winter jackets to students in year 2
 
 "It has been really refreshing for the children to be back on site," Mr Adams said.
The entire school was relocated to Hastings Secondary College's Westport campus after the floods while six new demountable buildings were installed at the school site.
 
"To have the consistency of school every day is very meaningful in their lives when many of them have lost everything in the floods.
 
"We have a lot of families who have lost everything, and many who are still displaced."
The tender process for the school's rebuild has closed with construction to commence later this year.
 
This article is an edited copy of a news article printed in the Port Macquarie News on 8th June 2021.
Comedy Evening Raises Funds for Streetwork
129 people enjoyed a fun evening raising over $3,700 to assist our local Streetwork Charity.
 
Streetwork is a local community organisation, founded 41 years ago, working with 'at risk' young people affected by crime, mental health issues, violence, destructive relationships, social isolation, homelessness, those disengaged from school or with poor employment opportunities and those impacted by alcohol and substance abuse, to turn their lives around. 
 
Thank you to our comedians Tommy Dean, Daniel Townes, Bruce Griffiths & Oliver Phommavanh for putting on a fabulous show & all our generous donors for supporting a worthwhile cause.
 
THE 4 - WAY TEST of the things we say or do

1). Is it the TRUTH?

2). Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3). Will it build GOODWILL & BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

4). Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?