Another fantastic Jazz in The Park event run by the BWMCA. They estimate around 3000+ people in attendance & the park was certainly alive. Wonderful music & delicious food.
Our club was out in full force with most of our members helping to sizzle up some yummy burgers. The feedback was along the lines of amazement that our cooks were not ‘hatted’!
There’s quite a lot of work involved with these BBQs, however, the camaraderie, the public exposure & the money raised all help our club to keep ticking along doing the great work we do for our community & those in need.
Alexia Hoffman, or Chappy as she is called by the students at the Buderim Mountain State School, graciously agreed to be our Guest Speaker on Friday, and we were delighted to find out more about her role at the school, and a bit about herself.
Alexia explained that a lot of what she does is about listening to both students and their parents. She is also sometimes approached by teachers to assist with a student for varying reasons. Alexia has 15 years experience as a school chaplain and this has provided the many skills that have helped in learning to relate to and be understanding of others.
The Rotary Club of Buderim is a proud supporter of the Maroochy Neighborhood Centre & the fantastic work they do with those in our community doing it tough. Today we were happy to sizzle up a few sausages for the long-awaited launch of the Pink Bus.
The bus will provide safe, nightly accommodation for women & children. The build of the bus was funded by MNC, & will compliment the men’s blue bus which has been in operation for some time.
At last Friday’s meeting (18th Aug), we are thrilled to welcome Michele Lipner as our Guest Speaker.
Michele is the Coordinator of the food rescue program OzHarvest on the Sunshine Coast. This program has multiple aims – to help feed local people in need, divert quality food from landfill, and raise community awareness about food waste, food sustainability and local food security. The program partners with local food suppliers and charities, schools, community groups, community organisations and churches across the Sunshine Coast to help ensure those in need receive quality food. Overall responsibility for all aspects of program management including food rescue operations, education and awareness activities and corporate engagement.
Prior to establishing OzHarvest on the Sunshine Coast, Michele spent over twenty years in the aid and development sector, primarily working in conflict and post conflict environments in senior management positions with the UN and NGOs. Work largely focused on emergency response and humanitarian assistance to transitioning programming and peacekeeping missions. As a consultant, helped draft strategic guidance on civil-military coordination in UN peacekeeping operations; co-authored a study examining coordination efforts in disaster response (Working Better Together: An NGO Perspective on Improving Australia’s Coordination in Disaster Response); led the development of a multiagency document aimed at supported enhanced civil-military-police communication and understanding in international disaster response and conflict management, entitled Same Space—Different Mandates: A Civil-Military Guide to Australian Stakeholders in International Disaster and Conflict Response; and co-authored working papers on promoting good practice in evaluation and assessment of peace operations.
Friday’s presentation was titled ‘Food and Food Waste: Be Part of the Solution’. Michele talked about food insecurity and food waste in Australia, had a brief discussion about OzHarvest’s response to both and then talked about how we can reduce food waste at home.
Our Guest Speaker at Friday’s meeting was Wendy Ashley-Cooper, the President of Graduate Women Qld – Sunshine Coast, a dynamic organization for women graduates on the Sunshine Coast who meet for friendship & fellowship, & also provide financial support for women & girls furthering their education.
President of Graduate Women Qld – Sunshine Coast, Wendy Ashley-Cooper
Having formed in 1991, GWQ-SC is the fastest growing & largest branch in Qld with around 80 members, & has awarded $130,000 in bursaries since its inception.
Although women’s education has improved dramatically over the years, the statistics presented by Wendy revealed that there is still a long way to go globally. Organizations such as GWQ-SC continue to work towards supporting women in their educational endeavors.
Our club is honored to have speakers of Wendy’s caliber at our meetings & we appreciate the opportunity to discover more about our locals, & local organizations, & how they are making a difference.
Liz, Ken, Lynne, Joan & President Clive attend the fundraiser breakfast for Chappy Alexia
The Rotary Club of Buderim has had a proud association with Buderim Mountain State School’s Chaplaincy Program for many years, supporting Chappy Dave with the great work he did at the school & now Chappy Alexia as she takes on the role.
Our Club is a great believer in the Chaplaincy Program, particularly in our current climate where so many families are struggling & in need of support. Often the stresses at home effect the children, & this is where the ‘Chappies’ can step in to offer emotional & spiritual guidance, or just provide a listening ear to the children & their families.
Members of our Club were happy to attend the Breakfast for Chappy Alexia at Headlands Golf Club yesterday & look forward to Alexia coming along to our club as Guest Speaker in the near future.
The Rotary Club of Buderim has a proud history of supporting clean water projects in Fiji, & today we were privileged to have Mark Stitt of FIT College speak to our club about the water contamination problems and how our contributions are making a difference. Mark has been supporting the Fijian clean water initiative for many years & our club is proud to have been able to work hand-in-hand with him in addressing these issues since 2012.
President Clive & Paul Tanner thank Mark Stitt for his presentation & Lifestraw support
More than 200,000 people living in Fiji’s rural & remote areas rely on creeks & rivers to supply fresh water. Unfortunately, this water is often contaminated resulting in water-born disease & illness. Many villages, even in the more populated areas of the country, rely on clean water being delivered by trucks, & when the trucks are unable to deliver, businesses must close – including the schools.
Just one of the 20 schools which received Lifestraw units from our latest distribution.
Buderim Rotary member, Paul Tanner, recently spent time in Fiji with Mark distributing 22 Lifestraw units to schools – our most successful distribution to date. Paul says the gratitude shown by the local people was not only humbling, but made him very proud to be a Rotarian.
Members of the Rotary Club of Buderim celebrated their ‘Changeover’ with dinner at Piccalilli’s in Buderim on Friday night. Our gratitude to Anthony & Fiona for, yet again, providing a great meal, excellent service in a wonderful venue.
The Changeover function is an opportunity to reflect on the past year, recognize the achievements of the club & individual members, & charter a course forward for the coming year.
Outgoing President Lynne Phillips
Outgoing President, Lynne Phillips, can be congratulated for steering the club through a very successful year. We reflected on our work in the local Buderim community with our contribution to events which are enjoyed by our locals & help foster & maintain the strong sense of community that exists here in Buderim, as well as our work to help those in need both locally, nationally & internationally.
Ken Grant with his Les Day Award for Outstanding Rotarian
Accolades to Ken Grant for being awarded the Les Day Award for that Rotarian who exemplifies our ethos of Service Above Self. Ken works quietly in the background ensuring things are running to plan & is always the first to throw his hand up when help is needed. Not to mention that his ever-chirpy, positive, friendly attitude is forever appreciated by all members. Well done Ken.
Cathy McKenzie being presented with a Paul Harris Fellow Award
Cathy McKenzie was humbled to be presented with a Paul Harris Fellow award. Whilst the satisfaction from the undeniable sense of purpose Rotary membership fosters, receiving such recognition is indeed an honour.
Incoming President, Clive Shepherd
The Rotary Club of Buderim is indeed in good hands with Clive Shepherd stepping in as President. There’s little doubt that with Clive’s management experience, his knowledge of Rotary, & his emphasis on membership being fulfilling, productive & fun, it’s going to be a great year.
Buderim Rotary welcomed Greg Rogerson, who is at the helm of an ambitious plan to build and operate a passenger tram in Nambour.
The Nambour Tramway would run on heritage-listed tramway lines, which were in use for more than 100 years before the Moreton Sugar Mill closed in 2003. With the infrastructure in place, and a terminus and a railway line through town, the project is well on the way to reality.
The three-bay tramway depot was opened in 2021 and homes an ex-cane diesel locomotive, gifted by Bundaberg Sugar.
Mr Rogerson believes a functioning tram in Nambour will help to invigorate the town’s future, drawing on the region’s past.
One of the adorable Story Dogs used in the program
“Back in the day’ us Mums would volunteer to assist with those students who were having reading difficulties. The kids would be called out of the class one after another & slink out feeling ashamed at their perceived inadequacies. Story Dogs is changing that with those students participating in the program being the envy of their classmates.
At today’s meeting Suzie & Julie-Anne from Story Dogs gave us a wonderful presentation about the work that the organization is doing, Australia wide. Story Dogs is all about volunteers & their dogs going in to schools & encouraging those students who are struggling with their reading to read to the dogs. And if the dogs the ladies brought with them today are in indication of the ones used in the program, it’s no wonder the kids are loving it. No longer dreading the whole experience of having to read aloud, the children are excited at the prospect.
The program is very successful with both parents & teachers lauding the results. With the literacy rates in Australia being deplorably low for a developed country, this is a great way to incite a passion for reading at a young age.
