President John opened the meeting and introduced Mish Simpson.

Mish is a data scientist with the Federal Government, a technical IT leader who has a passion for saving wildlife. She is the founder and operations manager for Southern Koala and Echidna Rescue (SKER). Her qualifications include psychology and law, plus animal science and wild life training. And is a member of the National Koala Disease Risk Assessment in NSW.

 

Mish explained that SKER is headquartered at her property in Onkapatinga Hills servicing southern Adelaide and the Fleurieu. Its the only wild life rescue organisation in SA that operates 24 hours a day. The main aim is rescue and rehabilitation, necessarily involving vet care and research. Her unique vet clinic is assisted by 5 volunteer vets. There is no government support.

 

In the last 12 months the call outs have increased by 60%. Main causes of injuries to koalas and echidnas are cars and animal attacks - dogs and cattle. And they are prone to disease. Naming each rescued animal is a work of art.....koalas include rocky, dennis the menace, peggy and pudding to name a few.....while Mirra is a very smart echidna. A video was shown how bags are used to catch koalas that instinctively scramble up a tree when confronted. If they stay on the ground they are invariably in bad shape but many climb after being injured, and need attention. There are 25 volunteers in the rescue crew but only 10 rescuers......wielding a 30 metre pole to catch a koala high in a tree is physically demanding. Perhaps we could have members give it a try? Some rescued animals have to be euthenased because their injuries are too severe or they are too old to fend for themselves.Echidnas are great escape artists. Knuckles was released into the wild with a microchip after recovering from a bad injury and was found many kilometres away some time later (in good shape). SKER has successfully raised 26 joeys and released them into the wild.

 

An important role is advocacy. 25 koalas were killed on the southern expressway last year. Mish has succeeded in having warning signs erected and she has convinced the government to trial 'green fencing' along the route. With the need for more housing, it is often at the expense of the fauna's natural habitat. Revegetation of 'koala food' trees is being undertaken. Mish's greatest need right now is a full time vet. With CT scanning at the clinic, better diagnoses of survival probability can be made.

 

Mish was warmly applauded for her address and President John announced a donation of $1000 to SKER.

 

 

 

Patsy Beckett is circulating a registration sheet for the fabulous Redex car trial on October 27.

 

Chris Davis thanked his team for their support with the very successful SA Police Officer of the Year 2024. With the addition of Teacher of the Year, his Vocational Service Group is now responsible for 3 major projects each year. There is a need for another member to take the reins on one of these to lift the load. 

There has been a pleasing 18 nominations for Teacher of the Year from the 14 schools visited. Judging will be in the next 2 weeks and a special presentation night organised.

 

Nathan White will be seeking donations for his next charitable long walk on the day of the car trial. What can one say.....maybe winning the trial was a bridge too far?

 

John Smith is organising support for those in the Fullarton Women's Shelter. Packs, comprising stationery, and informative and uplifting publications to a value of about $25, are being put together. Members were asked to:

Vivienne made her debut as a filthy lucre winner and the needy Graham Beckett scored the chockies.

Thrift shop takings doubled from September week 1 to $2242 in week 2.

 

The prez closed the meeting in a timely fashion after a story full of bull.

 

                    

                                        

Rotary International News

Rotary projects around the globe - September 2024

By Brad Webber

 

Canada

About 200 college students, faculty, and community members took turns swinging baseball bats at junkyard vehicles during a Car Smash for Charity event organized by the Rotaract Club of Vancouver-University of British Columbia. The fundraiser, held each of the past three years before final exams, “offers people a fun way to relieve stress or test their own strength, while supporting a wonderful cause,” says Sara Lee, a past co-president of the club. The event, held on the campus quad in April, raised more than $2,200 Canadian for education-related endeavors. A scrap car company delivered a Volkswagen and a Chevrolet and collected the remnants afterward for recycling. “Our team is continually amazed at the response the event receives,” Lee says.

United States

The Rotary Club of Patchogue in New York has raised more than $138,000 over the past dozen years by feting civic and business leaders in rollicking style. The most recent soiree, held in March to roughly coincide with St. Patrick’s Day, attracted nearly 250 guests. Attendees paid $125 each for food and drinks and to listen to friends and relatives roast local celebrities. “There were some slightly embarrassing stories of their childhood and baby pictures,” says Paul Moran, a club member and organizer. A band featuring Moran and other Rotarians performed cover tunes to help lead the merriment. More than $17,000 was donated to the Patchogue Community Service Foundation, principally for youth services, including Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck, a residential program for people with disabilities that is operated by Rotary District 7255.

England

Christopher Hill was diagnosed with a heart condition at age 38. A past president of the Rotary Club of Bolton Lever in Greater Manchester, he has since become an advocate for automated external defibrillators. In 2022, Hill’s club joined five other Bolton-area Rotary clubs to purchase a nearly $1,900 defibrillator for the Bolton Steam Museum. “When you are out there in the countryside, you can be miles and even hours from one,” but when needed, Hill says, “it is needed in minutes.” Hill takes to area trails as leader of a walking group, prompting the Bolton Lever club to acquire a portable, single-use defibrillator that Hill carries on the treks. All 33 club members have attended training sessions and refresher courses on how to operate the machines.

Italy

Brushes and rollers in hand, members of the Rotary Club of Torino Lagrange converged on a youth center to supply a fresh coat of paint. The club members spent a weekend in April and about $1,500 sprucing up the facility, which offers counseling services and a gathering place for people ages 14 to 28. “The aim is to help young people overcome difficult moments and face changes in a welcoming, confidential, and judgement-free environment,” says club member Raffaele Battaglini. The club partnered with students at an arts high school who made paintings for the center.

India

The Rotary Club of Bombay Seacoast staged a concert and high tea reception in May for about 150 veterans injured on duty and their families. Club members tapped their connections with local celebrities, among them the emcee, Neeta Mirchandani, the wife of club member and singer Vijay Mirchandani. “The jawans (soldiers) participated with full joy and excitement as several kept dancing and clapping to the music, with the families of many joining in toward the end,” says Sampath Iyengar, a past club president. “Some of the jawans seated on chairs or in wheelchairs participated as a mark of solidarity, their chairs lifted by their fellow jawans who still had strength in their arms, love in their hearts, and deep empathy for their fellow ex-soldiers without limbs.”

Coffee Chat at Impressa, Unley Shopping Centre