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Our guest speaker was one of our own. David Stokes was born at the old Wagga Base Hospital in 1961, the son of Geoff and Norma of “Little Springs”.His father was born in Cooma, the son of the chief surveyor for the Snowy Mountains Scheme, and his mother was from Cootamundra, the daughter of a plasterer who did the local railway station ceilings. David was a survivor of Gregadoo Public School which closed and he then went to Lake Albert Public School where he was Dux in 1973.His parents subdivided the farm into 8 x 100-acre blocks and sold up in 1979, whereupon they moved to Lake Macquarie, and David enrolled in a BComm at Newcastle University, majoring in Accountancy. At age 21 David happened to be at Guadalcanal in the Solomon islands when by chance he met the Pope John Paul II, not long after the 1981 assassination attempt, who had just landed for a visit on his way to Australia. “Ah, good-ay Your Holiness”, to which the Pope replied, “You must be from Australia”. With such connections on high, David qualified as a Chartered Accountant and started working with KPMG, with stints in London (2 years) and Suva (4 years), before moving back to Sydney, then to a gold mine in West Papua during the 2008 financial crisis, his own on-line business in Bali when the Covid-19 pandemic came along, and finally back to Australia. Somewhere along the way he also met fellow accountant and Rotarian David Pyke. Just one darn thing after another. In 2020 he started working for JLL on Transgrid’s Project Energy Connect infrastructure project to construct a new high voltage electricity transmission line between Wagga and South Australia. He negotiated the acquisition of easements from 40 landowners, surviving one veiled death threat, before transitioning across to the HumeLink project between Adelong and Yass in 2021.This is challenging work, requiring an understanding of people, listening with empathy, and finding solutions. There are some difficult matters. His family has come full circle with electricity supply. David answered some questions on compensation and “why should we employ you if you only stay in jobs for a short while?”, and concluded to a generous round of applause. |
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Amid catastrophes produced by nature and mankind’s cruelest impulses, ShelterBox teams of volunteers rush forward. From the earthquake that killed hundreds of people in Ecuador in April to the continuing refugee trail out of the Middle East, ShelterBox has sent aid to help hundreds of thousands of displaced households.
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Notable missions since the disaster relief charity was founded 16 years ago include the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2010 quake in Haiti, where some 300,000 tents were supplied. In the United States, ShelterBoxes were delivered to those displaced by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Sandy in New York and New Jersey, and tornadoes in the Midwest.
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In July, RI and ShelterBox announced the extension of a three-year project partnership to provide emergency shelter, a natural fit according to both organizations. Rotarians, along with Rotaractors and Interactors, have contributed $48 million, or 40 percent of ShelterBox’s revenue, from the UK-based nonprofit’s inception in 2000 through 2015. (ShelterBox was founded by a Rotarian but is independent of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.)
ShelterBoxes contain family-sized tents specially designed to withstand the elements and provide people with temporary shelter until they are able to start the process of rebuilding a home.
The signature green boxes feature Rotary’s logo and are adapted to fit the emergency before being transported on scant notice. Most boxes include family-size tents, though the contents differ depending on the disaster and climate. Many are packed with solar lights, water storage and purification equipment, thermal blankets, and cooking utensils. Depending on need, the organization may deliver ShelterKits, smaller aid packages that include tools, ropes, and heavy tarpaulins used to provide emergency shelter and repair damaged structures.
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“The partnership between Rotary and ShelterBox has provided a place of refuge to people facing some of the most difficult and uncertain moments in their lives,” says RI General Secretary John Hewko. Tapping Rotary’s strengths, not just its funds, has nurtured ShelterBox, adds its chief executive, Chris Warham.
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- supporting and promoting the city to ensure accelerated population growth;
- identifying and implementing opportunities that will enhance our cultural, social, business and economic prosperity; and
- providing a platform for community, business and government collaboration to effect positive change.
- The increase in the River Levy Bank to cope with a 1 in 100 year flood. The committee was able to help persuade three tiers of government to stump up the $23 million required.
- Leadership Program for new leaders.
- Mentoring Program for emerging leaders.
- CCTV in CBD at a cost of 1.2 million.
- Lights around the Lake.
- New Years Fireworks.
- Special Activation Precinct at Bomen.
- Planning for 100,000 population. Leaders meeting with Bernard Salt AO demographer.
- Housing and Transport including the Wagga bypass, duplication of the Gobba Bridge
- Upgrade of Wagga Airport.
- Upskilling of locals and new migrants.
- Social Housing
- Inland Rail Corridor through Wagga


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Our newest Paul Harris Fellow Belinda Crain, is pictured here with President Richard Baguley and former refugee and Australian Citizen, Hung Kee. |
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Cycling without age is an organisation that commenced in Copenhagen ten years ago. Its aim is to give the elderly and disabled the opportunity to experience the pleasure of travelling in a tricycle. Each chapter is semi autonomous with the central body providing insurance and compliance with safety and health regulations.
Tumbarumba Rotary Club has purchased three tricycles which are made in Denmark and cost $18,000 each. The tricycles have a pilot and two side by side seats in front. They are driven by a electric motor and speed limited to 10 kph. Safety is of prime concern for the mostly frail passengers. CWA (Cycling without age) has now spread to 52 countries with over 3,700 trishaws and 35,000 pilots (Riders). It arrived in Australia in 2016 and has a number of chapters in Australia.
All pilots are volunteers and passengers are taken on set routes for no charge. CWA is a not for profit and seeks donations only to sustain itself.
The looks on the passengers' faces says it all! Website: www.cyclingwithoutage.org.au |
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The entertainment for 2022 includes great local acts Deja Groove, Mollie Waters, Groove Factorie and Nathan Lamont. We support our Riverina musicians after a tough few years. |
Sit back, relax and enjoy the day's entertainment presented live on stage and via the big screen TV. With entertainers to keep the whole family amused, you will be able to put your feet up while the kids play happily. The festival will be held in the picturesque Victory Memorial Gardens. From humble beginnings, the festival has become a stand-alone annual eventwhich attracts more than 4,000 people.The festival gives local wineries and food and dining outlets an opportunity to showcase their goods. As a stall holder, whereelse could you go and show off your products and abilities to over 4,000 people in one day. As a patron, where else could you You will be entertained continuously |
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Dr. Jonathan Medway Head Research Agronomist CSU with President Richard Baguley and Dr. Tim Hutchings, Wollundry Member. |
Members were given a glimpse into the mind boggling future of farming by our guest speaker Dr. Jonathan Medway at today's meeting . In his introduction to our speaker, Dr. David Golland (Wollundry Rotary) revealed a long association with Jonathan who now leads the research at CSU into Developments in the exciting new world of Agriculture Technology. Originally from Quirindi in northern NSW, Jonathan came to his current situation via Farrer Ag College and then to CSU. He set up the school of Agricultural Technology which deals with all aspects of applying digital technology to maximising farm production, including drones, driverless tractors and harvesters, satellite crop monitoring, remote soil carbon testing, animal management systems to mention some. Dr. Medway, hereon referred to as Jonathan, began by thanking Rotary for the opportunity to speak. Wisely President Richard allowed Jonathan to begin his presentation early in the meeting because his topic was so interesting and so detailed that the usual ten to twenty minutes would not have sufficed. Taking us through a brief recount of the development of the digital age, Jonathan said that in 1986 when he started his degree in Agriculture, no one owned a computer. Over the past thirty years we have witnessed an exponential growth in digital technology from brick like telephones to the modern smart phone which is really a hand held, multi function computer, to satellites, drones, internet connections that allow real time satellite images, rain forecasts, as well as information sharing across states and countries. Each new technology is billed as the answer to every problem but this is not always the case and we musn't forget many of the useful things from the past. While robotics, paddock ready systems of agriculture, are estimated to add $20 billion of the $40 billion required to reach the target of $100 billion productivity, there is a major deficit in digital literacy, data analysis and support tools. CSU school of digital farming is designed to address this need. What began in 1892 as the Wagga Experimental Farm is now CSU's, remarkably diverse, production farm covering 1,900 hectares, where experiments with modern technology can be explored. The Digital Farm School started this year and is in the process of updating farm machinery to use robotics in every possible application. Sensors in the ground and drones can measure soil carbon. Animals can be monitored for food intake, weight gain, location of animals to provide best food opportunities. Machinery is interlinked by satellite to allow one person to operate up to four tractors. Harvesters are programmed to strip crops and fill wheat bins automatically. CSU has an archive of data going back to the 1970's. This coupled with new analysis tools provides useful information for soil profiling and and mapping. Members asked a number of questions regarding the use of virtual reality, manpower to use the technology and where we are placed in the world with the use of digital technology. Dr. Tim Hutchings gave a vote of thanks for this very interesting talk and referred to his own observed experience of automatic container loading onto boats and a fully automated stud sale that he was attending via zoom in his office. Farming is indeed becoming hi-tech. |

Luke was thanked by our current Mayor, Greg Conkey, who is retiring from Council at the next Council elections. Greg was very upbeat about the new museum and commented that we lucky to have someone of the quality of Luke in the position of Museum manager
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Our guest speaker on Tuesday was Lisa Simpson, Manager of Ronald McDonald House in Wagga. The main objective for the charity is to provide a home-away-from-home for seriously ill children and their families. There are 18 houses in Australia. Lisa is one of three paid employees with the rest of the staff volunteers. | ||
![]() There is also a Ronald McDonald Family Room at Wagga Base hospital. Family Rooms provide a warm and safe environment within the hospital where they can spend time away from bedside. There is a kitchenette , washing facilities and a play area for children. McDonalds funds the house to the tune of 20%. People are often surprised that, assuming McDonalds funds the majority of the costs of running the house. The three following funding sources makeup all of the support for the home. ![]() | ||
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Guest speaker David Golland with Neil Pinto and James Ross at the time of his induction into our club in October last year. |




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We were fortunate to once again have Dr Grant Bell, the Anglican minister from St John's in Wagga, address our meeting with a Christmas message. Grant was advised by James Hamilton that it should be short and "not too religious" . Grant acceded to that request and delivered an outstanding speech about the similarities between the work of the Church and that of Rotary. Having been a Rotarian at Glen Innes in an early posting, Grant said that he researched the history of Rotary and had a substantial knowledge of Paul Harris. The message was for each of us to work out what the spirit of Christmas meant. It meant different things to different people but, as Jesus said " it is more blessed to give than receive" The great difficulty for Grant was to work out what we give to friends and family who seem to have everything. If this is confusing then you can buy Dad another shirt as you did last year or Mum similar perfume or maybe adopt pragmatic approach buying something for your self, like a lawn mower for your wife, however, Grant's wife did tell him last week that she wanted a Ryobi leaf blower. That sat pretty well with Grant. Grant enjoyed the fellowship of Rotary but was determined to adopt the philosophy of Rotary as it married in with his Christian belief. He was impressed with the history of Paul Harris who was man of substantial faith. He delivered the very important message from Paul Harris who said " we know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that, though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that, through his poverty, you might become rich. We need to provide for others and many other core values of giving. | |