Kalyan Banerjee President, Rotary International Brian Trenery (and Jenny) District Governor 9780 Graeme Sutton Ballarat East President

The Rotary Club of Ballarat East Last year when I was looking for a Rotary Club in Ballarat to join I visited Ballarat East and was immediately welcomed. It immediately impressed me as a friendly Club. Its members are inclusive and committed to their community. A visiting friend from another Club described the members as “passionate about what they do and committed to following things through.” It would be a good Club for you to join and you too would be made most welcome! The Rotary Club of Ballarat East is a group of men and women who meet together weekly to share fun and fellowship over a meal. At each meeting invited guests speak to us on a wide ranging series of subjects. This enables those of us who are members to be informed about local, regional, national and international concerns. Each year, Rotary Clubs focus on a particular theme. This year’s is “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity” This theme will help us grow in our understanding that all of humanity has the same dreams, similar hopes, the same aspirations and similar problems. This will give meaning and purpose to our regular activities along three themes: Continuity – we will consolidate our activity, energies and resources locally, nationally and internationally in order to meet commitments that have been made in previous years. Family – families all around the world are under stress – issues of housing, clean water, disease, relationships are all areas where Rotary Clubs can make a difference. Change – our world is dynamic and everything is changing. We need to look at what internal changes we need to make as human beings and as Clubs, as well as what systemic changes need to be made within our communities so that people can live together in dignity and in peace. Consequently, the Club has a regular involvement in local and overseas community work. Every Saturday morning club members deliver meals to clients of the Ballarat Health Services through their Meals on Wheels program. On the 3^rd Saturday of the month we operate the Buninyong Farmers Market, On the 1^st Saturday of the month club members sort and dispatch donated new and second-hand goods for Rotary International’s Donations - in - Kind project. This provides equipment and resources to third world countries. Most of the material supplied by this club is sent to countries in need in Asia or the Pacific Islands. The club is also involved in Rotary’s youth exchange program where students have the opportunity to live in another country for a year. Last year we arranged for a Ballarat student to spend a year in Brazil. The club is a keen supporter of Youth Programs such as Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA). We are sponsoring a student from Damascus College to attend the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) in Canberra later in the year. We also sponsored 3 students from Mt Clear Secondary College and Damascus College to attend a Leadership Training Camp at Adekate (Creswick). This Club also has close connection with ROTARACT, a Club for young people. Club members are actively involved in other Rotary activities at a District level in cooperation with the other Rotary clubs and members are encouraged and supported to be involved on committees managing larger projects. Internationally, Rotary has a number of major humanitarian programs that are supported by the club. The most outstanding is a program, in conjunction with the World Health Organisation, to completely eliminate polio. Over the past fifteen years this program has seen polio virtually eliminated in most countries with the disease remaining epidemic in only two countries (Afghanistan and Nigeria). The Rotary Club of Ballarat East is a strong supporter of this program. In the past there has been opportunity for Club members to travel to East Timor and Fiji to take part in construction projects aimed at assisting local communities meet a need for housing or local community facilities. The Club meets each Tuesday night at 6.00 pm at the Barkly Motor Lodge 43-57 Main Road, Ballarat Graeme Sutton, President – 2011-2012

Ballarat East Rotary Objects of Rotary Four Way Test Avenues of Service Donations 2006-2011 RI President Message Buninyong Farmers Market What in the world is Rotary (Video) Testimonial TV Commercial (Video) Swap Meet Feb 2012 Sunshades Brochure