Welcome
President John opened the meeting, welcomed our guests and called on Chris Davis to introduce the POOTY team.
Senior Constable Chris Mailley - SA Police Officer of the Year 2024
Chris Davis asked Erika Vickery, who had nominated Chris Mailley for POOTY 2024, to explain why she had done so. First piece of news is that Chris has been elevated from Senior Constable to Brevet Sergeant! Erika had served as Mayor of Naracoorte Lucindale Council for 22 years. During her term she started a Care Network to look after those living in miserable circumstances in her council area. She brought together providers like Vinnies, churches and service clubs to assist. A number of groups sprang up to look after those who were suicide prone, migrants who lacked English, struggling young mothers and families with domestic violence.
Senior Constable Mailley arrived on her doorstep 3 years ago with a plan to establish a Domestic Abuse Support Group. She found Chris to be one 'out of the box'......community minded, connected, innovative and creative in the way he effectively tackled serious issues. As a testimony to his contribution, he was named the Council's Citizen of the Year and then SA Citizen of the Year.
Chris Mailley did what no other guest speaker had ever done.........he brought gifts......wine for Chris Davis for the long wait to address our club and boxes of cakes from the Naracoorte Bakery for our sugar deprived members. Maybe this is the way to go.....guest speakers required to be laden with goodies.In 2009, he and his wife Amanda and son Jake were attracted to South Australia from London after 15 years of policing there. In 2007 they had become disillusioned with crime and violence which had become endemic in his policing area and closer to home......time to give their son a chance to grow up in a safer and more positive environment. Jake is now 25 and stationed at Port Adelaide where Chris first served after emigrating.
Chris had led an ultra active life in England and maybe that prompted the desire for a country appointment while serving in Adelaide....Amanda was offered a job as a midwife in Mt Gambier and Chris saw an opening in Naracoorte. Domestic abuse is rotten.....precipitated by a range of often complex issues like family background of perpetrators, mental health, alcohol and drugs, and pervasive social media. The Domestic Abuse Program has one aim - The safety and welfare of victims is paramount. Often there had been a crisis but no ready mechanisms to shield victims from further abuse. The key is to act swiftly. Chris organised immediate Crisis Care at the Naracoorte Hospital...safe and warm with food and showers.....and raised money through 2 local Lions club to provide motel accommodation. A number of local businesses have signed up to help and there is even a town mechanic who fixes victims' cars for free. In one very serious case a plane was organised within 23 minutes to take the victim interstate. In such a small town, getting out of town is a high priority for those being abused. Plenty have been saved.
Police and community forums are a local feature, with the next in May. Teachers are now being trained to deliver courses in respectful relationships to break the cycle of family violence. Chris expressed his pleasure and gratitude at receiving the POOTY award. It had opened up new opportunities and raised interest in the successful approach adopted.
Our outstanding SA Police Officer of the Year 2024 Brevet Sergeant Chris Mailley was treated to much applause.
Superintendent Cheryl Brown was appointed Officer-in-Charge of the Limestone Coast area in 2023. She praised Chris for all the reasons that Erika had earlier. Her only concern was that his work ethic and off-duty volunteering perhaps needed some free space.....time to smell the flowers with Amanda (who was on hospital duty tonight). POOTY is highly valued throughout the SA Police. It provides for pride and value in the job being done. Both Erika and Cheryl were thanked for their contributions.
You will note how much taller Chris D is than Chris M - a budding police career foresaken
Presidential announcements:
- To date we still only have 11 volunteers for the Variety Club BBQ in April....carting the gear and edibles remains a problem in the absence of Paul and Graham Ey....best if the big trailer can be avoided.
- Choice of a new restaurant provider is up in the air.....contingency arrangements are being pursued.
- District Assembly is next Sunday.....a top show.
Spot
Marie Rothe reminded of the Rotary Barossa Air Show on Sunday April 6.....see advert below.
Rhonda Hoare announced that members of the Youth Committee (Rhonda, Stephen and Marie) will be manning a promotional stall with RC Mitcham at the Unley High School marketing evening tomorrow night.
The proposal for a Musical Garden is gathering momentum with a suggestion that the Botanic Gardens may be suitable. Tabor college students are involved in musical advocacy for the establsihment of such a garden. The Adelaide Youth Orchestra, which we sponsor, is looking at leaving musical instruments in remote communities for their use.
Finale
Marie won the filthy lucre and the Prez snaffled the chockies
The meeting closed opportunely.
6th April 2025 [10am - 4pm]
Rowland Flat Airfield
For more information and to purchase tickets:
https://barossaairshow.com.au
Adults $40, Kids 5-15 $15, Children under 5 Free $90 for family of 2 adults and 2 children
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Water is a promise we must keep
20 March 2025
A tanker delivers water to Navajo Nation as part of the Navajo Water Project.
By Cindy Howe and Kathryn Lucero, DigDeep —
World Water Day is 22 March, a global reminder that clean, running water is not a privilege – it is a human right. Yet, here in the United States,
more than 2 million Americans live without running water and proper sanitation at home. This crisis remains hidden, largely absent from national discussions, but for those of us who have experienced life without running water, it is a daily reality that shapes lives, communities, and future opportunities.
Cindy Howe
Cindy: Growing up on the Navajo Nation, I lived without running water at home between the ages of 12 and 14. My family had to go to Bluewater Lake to get barrels of water, use rubber hoses and buckets, and heat water on the wood stove because we didn’t have a water heater. My aunt, like so many elders in our community, waited decades to get running water. She was 72 years old when she got running water at home. And still, today, thousands of Navajo families are waiting, hauling five-gallon jugs and driving 35 miles one way to fetch water for their basic needs.
Kathryn Lucero
Kathryn: For me, when I was growing up, I didn’t realize it wasn’t normal to live without running water at home until I saw that other kids took those sorts of things for granted. When I began working, I met Diana, a mother whose children were bullied at school because they couldn’t shower regularly. She spoke up at a water district meeting, but was dismissed by a board member who told her to “get educated.” So, she did. She learned how to get water for her entire community. Stories like hers show us that fighting to ensure every family is granted their human right to water is not just about infrastructure—it is about dignity, opportunity, and breaking cycles of poverty.
People assume that if someone in America lacks water, it’s because they chose to live somewhere remote. But that’s not true. Many families we serve live in communities just minutes away from cities, or a streetlight over from communities with full water access. They use porta potties and rig car batteries to power water pumps. They are resourceful, and invest countless hours into hauling and storing water—but this is time they could be spending with their children, working, playing, or simply resting.
On the Navajo Nation, over 30% of households still do not have running water or a flush toilet. In Texas,
colonias communities have waited decades for promised infrastructure that never came. But this crisis is not limited to these areas. From rural
Appalachia to the San Joaquin Valley in California, millions of Americans are living without safe water, often in communities of color and low-income areas where systemic neglect has made them invisible.
The good news is that we can solve this crisis. At DigDeep, we have connected thousands of families to clean, running water through community-driven projects. And we do it differently: by listening to the people most affected, ensuring they are part of the solution-making process. We don’t make promises we can’t keep. When we say we’re going to do something, we do it.
This World Water Day, we invite you to be part of the solution. Because in the wealthiest country in the world, no one should have to live without running water.
Water is life. Water is dignity. Water is a promise we must keep.
Cindy Howe is the director of DigDeep’s Navajo Project, and Kathryn Lucero, is director of DigDeep’s Colonias Water Project
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 is Friday 4 April 2025
Upcoming Meetings
Tuesday 1 April 2025 6 for 6.30pm Castello's Cucina
Guest Speaker: Gerry Manser Rosefield Community Shed
Welcoming team: Rhonda Hoare & Brenton Judge
Tuesday 8 April 2025 6 for 6.30pm Castello's Cucina
Guest Speaker: President of Blackwood Rotary
Welcoming team: Rhonda Hoare & Brenton Judge
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: 5 April 2025
Early: Haydn Baillie & Wendy Andrews (Jerry Casburn) | Late: Robyn Carnachan & Leonie Kewen
Week 2: 12 April 2025
Early: David Middleton (Greg Mcleod) & Wendy Andrews | Late: Virginia Cossid & Vera-Ann Stacy
Week 3: 19 April 2025
Early: Greg McLeod (David Middleton) & Nathan White | Late: Vera Holt & Rhonda Hoare
Week 4: 26 April 2025
Early: Stephen Baker & Judi Corcoran | Late: Jason Booth & Vera-Ann Stacy
Week 5: 29 March 2025
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 5 April 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, the next being Monday 31 March 2025
The Tale End.....
Almost true golf stories
A man is on his deathbed, and he asks his wife, "Martha, soon I will be gone forever, and there's something I have to know. In all these 50 years of marriage, have you ever been unfaithful to me?"
Martha replied, "Well, Henry, I have to be honest with you. Yes, I've been unfaithful to you three times during these 50 years, but always for a good reason."
Henry was obviously hurt by his wife's confession, but said, "I never suspected. Can you tell me what you mean by 'good reasons?'"
Martha said, "The first time was shortly after we were married, and we were about to lose our little house because we couldn't pay the mortgage. Do you remember that one evening I went to see the banker, and the next day he notified you that the loan would be extended?"
Henry recalled the visit to the banker and said, "I can forgive you for that. You saved our home, but what about the second time?"
Martha asked, "And do you remember when you were so sick, but we didn't have the money to pay for the heart surgery you needed? Well, I went to see your doctor one night and, if you recall, he did the surgery at no charge."
"I recall that," said Henry. "And you did it to save my life, so of course I can forgive you for that. Now tell me about the third time."
"Alright," Martha said. "Do you remember when you ran for president of your golf club, and you needed 73 more votes?"
As DigDeep Project Directors for the 
