This week is a week of good news and bad.  The bad - I’m not talking footy until the start of the season next year.

 The good is the safe arrival of Kaitlin and Sam Lennon’s baby boy Peter on Monday evening.  Mother, father and baby are doing well.

Tuesday we were given the chance to see what our 2025 Rotary Calendar is going to look like. Jacquie and her team have worked very hard to put together, what I think, will be another best seller. It was so interesting to see some of the old pubs. On Tuesday Jacquie will start handing out calendars to members for them to sell.

Simon Sickerdick and I went to the High School and interviewed two of the four applicants for the Music Bursary.  All applicants were impressive but two did really stand out.  The students interviewed well and have left Simon and I in a bit of a dilemma.  The Bursary will presented at Music Mania on Wednesday.

Tomorrow I will be attending the bbq with the Calperum students.  Am looking forward to it and feel a bbq is going to be quite safe as the forecast is 20% chance of rain.

Thought for the week.

Pope Francis: "A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just." - Aligns with Rotary's mission to foster understanding, goodwill, and peace.

• The name of Rotary is highly respected in our community
• The local hospital would miss our continued support with $$$ raised for their projects and much needed equipment (SOZO)
• Murray Bridge Food Bank would not exist in Murray Bridge to support those in need - especially in today’s current economic climate
• The local Arts Community would miss our support with the Rotary Art Show and the Rotary Youth Art Shows - wider community and tourists/visitors would not experience excellent Art collections
• Many local and regional Charity and Sports Clubs would miss the financial support our club offers them through the sales of our calendars
• Murraylands residents would be less safe without our ‘flags on gophers’ and AEDs installed in a range of community places
• Monarto Zoological Park would miss our support with the fireproofing of transportable buildings, tree planting, environmental programs to save the Fairy wrens, construct fences and aviary exhibits
• Older community members and their carers would miss the information shared by community organisations through our Aged Care Expo
• Local individuals fleeing domestic violence would miss out on our emergency bags filled with items to see them through the initial days (DVINA)
• Local homeless individuals would not have our support through Shelter Bags and the accommodation created through partnerships with AC Care and Studio Purpose housing
• Youth would not have supported Skate Park activities through BBQ’s, free food and the opportunity to build relationships with our regional (often marginalised) youth
• Local school students and those across the Murraylands would miss opportunities for support - Music Scholarships; Robotics Club; Going Bush; Calperum Youth Camp; International student exchanges (to and from Murray Bridge); training programs like RYLA, RYPEN and ‘One and All Sailing’ experiences
• Those suffering Dementia, would miss the sounds of their favourite music through the Headphones for Dementia Project
• Community members with Mental Health issues would miss the support of local community health programs which our Rotary Club supports financially (Headspace)
• Environmental Waste would increase local landfill without our recycling programs - Bread Tags for Wheelchairs; Plastic bottle tops recycled through Murray Bridge High School curriculum programs; Ring-pull tags (shared with another Rotary Club) and medicinal blister pack recycling
• Important relationships would be lost; eg with Local Council to support their community occasions from Australia Day celebrations to caring for Mrs Edwards Grave (founding family) , Murraylands Migrant Resource Centre and their Multicultural Festivals, Murraylands Job and Skills Showcase, Youth Projects  with Schools to invest in Peace Pole installations to make our town more centred on achieving Peace in our currently troubled world
• Many local, regional, and interstate individuals would miss the trading opportunities offered through our yearly Swap Meet
• Local Businesses would miss our Hospitality opportunities as we attend their venues for weekly dinners, Hand-Over dinners and other dates of celebrations
• The town would miss having many opportunities to receive $$$ to assist their projects
• On average I believe we contribute to 1 project each week affecting all corners of our community- who else does that?
• All these activities gives out a ‘feel good’ image across the community and highlight our value to our community

• I would miss the contact with other like-minded people to be informed and inspired through our activities and guest speakers
• I would miss the camaraderie and fellowship between the different age groups our club is trying to achieve
• I would miss the social contact, feel lost at ‘not being involved’ in community - I would need to check out other Service Clubs
• I would miss the name ‘Rotary’ and what it means throughout the world
• To be honest, I believe it would affect the Rotarians and their fellowship but, I am not sure the community would notice

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

• FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
• SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
• THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
• FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.