President Rhonda welcomed the bumper crowd to our AGM and consultations, with a special hello for Ken Haines and next week's inductees. The Prez then handed over the proceedings to Secretary Greg Mcleod to conduct the AGM.
Annual General Meeting
Greg explained the formalities and announced he had received nominations for the following positions for 2026/27
President - David Middleton
Immediate Past President - Rhonda Hoare
President Elect - Vacant
Secretary - Greg McLeod
Treasurer - likely to be filled in the new year.
Club Services Director - Stephen Baker
Vocational Service Director - Simon Beckett (who has also taken over that role for this year after Chris Davis's resignation). Membership will also be included under this banner with Kate assisting.
Community Service Director - likely to filled in the new year
Youth/New Generation Service Director - Marie Rothe
Internaional Service Director - Paul Duke
He declared the above to be duly elected.
It is expected that there will be nominations from Greg Abel - Treasurer, and Donna Cavallaro - Community Service when we resume next year.
Thank you to all who have served and will be serving on the Board. Membership fees for the first 6 months of 2026 will be $175
President Rhonda went through the list of other jobs to be filled for 2026/27
Club History - Bob Mills wishes for a successor
Policies and procedures streamlining - Patsy Beckett currently but may need some help
Asset Register - Patsy has the overlock sewing machine
John Peacham - Needs a team to organise the BBQs
Mitre 10 - Patsy and Graham
Variety Club - John Peacham
Car Trial - Valerie happy to assist.....Sarah may be interested
Program and Speakers - Valerie and Patsy have done it 3 times and want new blood
Meeting Attendance - Simon Beckett
Christmas Concert - Garry Taylor
Public Image - John Peacham
Facebook - Patty Ascough
ROMAC - Brendan and Bronwyn Kenny, Paul Duke and Vivienne Wood
RYLA Treasurer - Ross Burton
Consultations
President Rhonda read out the 7 areas of focus for Regional Group 3 - Foothills to the City. Basically they are the focii of Rotary International and to date action has only been taken on mental health. At least our club has been making a contribution to the 5th area, namely pursuit of peace poles in schools. Tis about time we sorted out priorities, which was supposed to happen with the new structure.
The club is to have its first meeting for 2026 with a picnic at Heywood Park on Tuesday 3 February......a break to recharge the batteries. A Board seminar will be held in January to plot the year ahead.
John Peacham (with a strange set of accounts) made a big play for a large fundraising project to counter expenditure in excess of revenue this year and the next, which will draw down our currently solid reserves. Membership fees are under review to reduce them or minimise increases.
Three questions were posed by the Prez for response by the scribes at each of the tables:
1. What is the best part of being an Unley Rotarian?
The answers were: Socialising and friendship with like minded people wanting to help others and enjoyment of activities
2. What have been our successes over the last 6 months?
The answers were manifold: Variety Club at the zoo; POOTY; Teachers Awards, Fish Tank; good attendance: membership increase; Quiz night; still solvent; shelter bags; Peace Poles; Bob Mills fixing 500 watches (obviously not all in the last 6 months); and Bob Mullins Mr Fixit at the Thrift Shop.....whew
3. What are our major challenges?
The answers were: Find the niche for each member to strongly participate; lift the volunteering effort; attract new members from diverse cultural backgrounds; attract younger members; new member involvement at earliest opportunity; closing the gaps of Jerry's legacy (he did it all!); too many focii; adopt new approaches
With the final word - The Prez declared we must build on our strengths
Spots
Vivienne Wood secured the services of Patty Ascough to help at the Thrift Shop next Saturday morning. The thank you for Thrift Shop volunteers will be at Judy and Richard's place on Wednesday 10 December.
Paul Duke announced that we will be BBQing at The Lodge on King William St from 4pm on Friday 19 December - they will supply the food....there is a reward of $500 plus goodwill for the club
John Peacham said the BBQ team will be cooking from 2.30 - 5.30pm for children and parents at Mitcham Primary School on Monday 8 December and there will be a big Bunnings BBQ on Sunday 28 December.
Christina Way asked everyone to save their Christmas stamps...to be sold for the benfit of the Thrift Shop
The Prez noted that Brownwyn's musical group the Bumble Bees will be performing at Colley Reserve Glenelg from 11am on Saturday 20 December. 45 are attending the Christmas dinner next week.
Finale
Kate won the filthy lucre but no chocolates.....inside a locked room to save the winner from tooth decay.
The Prez - For those unable to make Kooyonga next week, have a great Christmas
After the meeting closed Stephen Baker outlined the Christmas at the Rotunda program and recruited for the occasion.....the muscle team from 2.30pm for setting up the trailer, marquees and stage (Stephen, Garry, John P, Graham Ey, Ross and Greg Abel); followed by the cordon bleu team (8 needed) at 4.30pm for the preparation of food, its cooking and sale of food and goods), the looking good team at 5pm onwards to stroll the crowd; the lolly distribution team at 7.45pm and the everyone team for post 8pm clean-up. Everyone to wear the Rotary gear if possible, bring their own chairs and Santa hats will be supplied.
Paul and Marie delivered 2 face painters each for the big occasion.
We then had an efficient lolly bagging exercise.....close to 200 bags of modest tummy ticklers ready to be delivered from the North Pole.
Rotary International News
Project gives old books a new life
By Stephen Frantzich, Rotary Club of Parole (Annapolis), Maryland, USA
Stephen Frantzich with a box of used donated books.
My stint as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in the Philippines opened my eyes to the challenges of developing countries, whet my appetite for travel, and allowed me to complete my doctorate in political science.
Always oriented toward the power of books, I went on to write two dozen during my 40-year career at the U.S. Naval Academy. During my early years of teaching, I did not have time to join Rotary, but I made room for participation in 1995, joining the Rotary Club of Parole (Annapolis).
I was immediately drawn to the club’s project, Books for International Goodwill (B.I.G.). In the early years, we struggled to put together one shipping container every six months or so, but our goal of “keeping books alive” never wavered.
Over time, we developed a reputation as the go to organization for donating and receiving books. Leveraging help from non-members working alongside Rotary members, we developed a fine-tuned routine which allows us to collect, sort, pack, and ship an average of 10 containers per year.
Each 20-foot container includes anywhere from 20,000 to 25,000 books — virtually a library in a box. This is our 30th year of operation and we estimate that we have processed over 10 million books, funded by book sales and a small number of grants.
It all began with a letter from South Africa. The club had sponsored a young woman who was a graduate student at the University of Maryland. After she went back home, she wrote us to say she had some good news and bad news. The good news was that she had been appointed the principal of two schools. The bad news was that there weren’t any books. Could we gather some books for her? Our shipment of 20,000 books enhanced the ability of her teachers to develop student reading skills, and the leftover books were the impetus for continuing the effort.
Three decades later, the project continues to have a lasting impact. At Africa University in Zimbabwe, our books inspired an outreach program where students in education go into their villages to read to children. The educational training had largely been theoretical, but this added a practical application.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a college was able to earn accreditation for a major in English, which they had previously been unable to because of a shortage of books.
Beyond enhancing literacy, B.I.G. has had a substantial impact on the environment, saving thousands of cubic feet of landfill space. Our local school district used to have to pay to dump books, and now come to us to have them distributed.
We believe that we are the largest volume all-volunteer book distribution project in the world. Our efforts not only support Rotary’s commitment to literacy, but also its environmental goals by keeping books out of landfills. Learn more about our efforts at
www.big-books.orgStephen Frantzich is president of Books for International Goodwill, based in Gambrills, Maryland, USA.
Coffee Chat at Impressa, Unley Shopping Centre
10.30 am on the first Friday of the month is good for a chat with Rotary friends and a caffeine fix - Next one may be on Friday 5 December 2025......maybe........Christmas concert on 6th
Upcoming Meetings
Tuesday 9 December 2025 - 6.30pm at Kooyonga Golf Club, May Tce, Lockleys
Christmas Dinner with Partners
Apologies and Meeting Enquiries to: Secretary Greg McLeod on 0417 811 838 or email to secretary@unleyrotary.org.au
Venue Set-up Enquiries to: Bulletin Editor Stephen Baker on 0403 687 015
Saturday Thrift Shop Roster
Early Shift: 10.00am to 1.00pm Late Shift: 1.00pm to 4.00pm
Week 1: 6 December 2025
Early: Patty Ascough (Haydn Baillie) & Christina Way (Donna Cavallaro) | Late: Robyn Carnachan & Leonie Kewen
Week 2: 13 December 2025
Early: Greg Mcleod & Wendy Andrews | Late: Vera-Ann Stacy & Reno Elms
Week 3: 20 December 2025
Early: David Middleton & Nathan White | Late: Vera Holt & Rhonda Hoare
Week 4: 27 December 2025 Shop Closed
Early: Stephen Baker & Judi Corcoran | Late: Jason Booth & Vera-Ann Stacy
Week 5:
Early: Bob Mullins & Wendy Andrews | Late: Virginia Cossid & Paul Duke
Rotarians, who are unable to attend as rostered, please arrange a swap or as a very last resort contact: Vivienne Wood 0408 819 630; e-mail: vwood@ozemail.com.au
Mitre 10 and Bunnings Barbeques
The Mitre 10 BBQs are the first and third Saturdays of each month. Morning shift 8.30am - 12 noon; afternoon shift 12.00 - 3.30pm, then clean-up.....next scheduled is Saturday 6 December 2025
ALL the Bunnings Mile End Barbeque shifts are from 8am to 5pm
Morning shift: 8.00am – 12.30pm | Afternoon shift: 12.30 – 5pm
We have been allocated the last Monday of each month. But our next one will be Sunday 28 December 2025
The Tale End.....
Now that the exams are over, here are some of the answers from 18 yo students
Q. Name the four seasons?
A.. Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.
Q. How is dew formed?
A.. The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.
Q. What guarantees may a mortgage company insist on?
A.. If you are buying a house they will insist that you are well endowed.
Q. In a democratic society, how important are elections?
A.. Very important. Sex can only happen when a male gets an election.
Q. What are steroids?
A. Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.
Q. What happens to your body as you age?
A.. When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.
Q. Name a major disease associated with cigarettes?
A.. Premature death.
Q. What is artificial insemination?
A... When the farmer does it to the bull instead of the cow.
Q. How can you delay milk turning sour?
A.. Keep it in the cow. A definite winner
Q. What is the fibula?
A.. A small lie.
Q. What does 'varicose' mean?
A.. Nearby.
Q. Give the meaning of the term 'Caesarean section.'
A.. The caesarean section is a district in Rome.
Q. What is a seizure?
A.. A Roman Emperor. (Julius Seizure)
Q. What is a terminal illness?
A.. When you are sick at the airport.
Q. What does the word 'benign' mean?
A.. Benign is what you will be after you be eight.
