Presidents Report
Greetings all,
Welcome to 2023 and to the second half of the Rotary year. I hope you celebrated a fantastic Christmas and New Year and had some well-deserved down time.
While we formally resume our meetings on Monday 30 January as a face-to-face meeting at Springfield House, we’ve already kicked off the new year with gusto by celebrating a truly lovely President’s Lunch last Saturday 21 January. This event took the form of a long lunch at the Lilian Fraser Gardens at Pennant Hills, which from feedback from participants saw this as a local hidden treasure and a venue many are keen to use again. Amongst the shade of the well-established trees and foliage we dined on beautiful food, shared wonderful friendship as well as let our hair down with some games of bocce, quoits, an egg and spoon race and a treasure hunt throughout the garden. So much fun was had by all, and it was a brilliant way to start off 2023. I’d personally like to thank: Anne for helping with the catering and cooking up a storm; Colin S and Neville for doing the hard yards in transporting furniture and setting up the event; my beautiful daughter Amelia who ensured the decorations converted the gardens to an enchanted fairy oasis; and Glenda who first suggested the concept of a long, leisurely lunch.
The year has also started for Youth Services with the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Program (RYLA) taking place last week 16-21/01/2023 at Knox Grammar School. Our Club sponsored Matilda Brown all the way from Alice Springs for this event. Rosemary and I had the pleasure of joining Matilda and the other participants last Tuesday night 17/01/2023 at the formal RYLA dinner held at Pennant Hills Golf Club. Feedback, as usual, was glowing for this high calibre leadership program and it was wonderful to see so many adolescents and young adults find their feet as emerging community and professional leaders and potential Rotarians. Please see Rosemary’s report for more details.
In addition, there are also some key events happening this week and next. On Wednesday night six members are off to the Rotary Club of Pennant Hills annual Australia Day dinner during which their Club will present their Australia Day Merit Award. On Wednesday 1 February some members will join the Rotary Club of North Rocks to attend the Pavilion Theatre at Castle Hill. While Thursday 2 February sees a great celebration with the formal opening of Grace’s Place at Doonside. This facility is run by the Homicide Victims Support Group, who was the worthy recipient of our Club’s 2022 Trivia Night fundraiser. Ten club members will be attending and look forward to seeing the efforts of our hard work late last year in preparing the centre for this opening.
And that’s the buzz from me for this week. I’m really looking forward to catching up with all members, especially those of you whom I haven’t seen since last year. Until then, stay safe. Janelle
Welcome to 2023 and to the second half of the Rotary year. I hope you celebrated a fantastic Christmas and New Year and had some well-deserved down time.
While we formally resume our meetings on Monday 30 January as a face-to-face meeting at Springfield House, we’ve already kicked off the new year with gusto by celebrating a truly lovely President’s Lunch last Saturday 21 January. This event took the form of a long lunch at the Lilian Fraser Gardens at Pennant Hills, which from feedback from participants saw this as a local hidden treasure and a venue many are keen to use again. Amongst the shade of the well-established trees and foliage we dined on beautiful food, shared wonderful friendship as well as let our hair down with some games of bocce, quoits, an egg and spoon race and a treasure hunt throughout the garden. So much fun was had by all, and it was a brilliant way to start off 2023. I’d personally like to thank: Anne for helping with the catering and cooking up a storm; Colin S and Neville for doing the hard yards in transporting furniture and setting up the event; my beautiful daughter Amelia who ensured the decorations converted the gardens to an enchanted fairy oasis; and Glenda who first suggested the concept of a long, leisurely lunch.
The year has also started for Youth Services with the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Program (RYLA) taking place last week 16-21/01/2023 at Knox Grammar School. Our Club sponsored Matilda Brown all the way from Alice Springs for this event. Rosemary and I had the pleasure of joining Matilda and the other participants last Tuesday night 17/01/2023 at the formal RYLA dinner held at Pennant Hills Golf Club. Feedback, as usual, was glowing for this high calibre leadership program and it was wonderful to see so many adolescents and young adults find their feet as emerging community and professional leaders and potential Rotarians. Please see Rosemary’s report for more details.
In addition, there are also some key events happening this week and next. On Wednesday night six members are off to the Rotary Club of Pennant Hills annual Australia Day dinner during which their Club will present their Australia Day Merit Award. On Wednesday 1 February some members will join the Rotary Club of North Rocks to attend the Pavilion Theatre at Castle Hill. While Thursday 2 February sees a great celebration with the formal opening of Grace’s Place at Doonside. This facility is run by the Homicide Victims Support Group, who was the worthy recipient of our Club’s 2022 Trivia Night fundraiser. Ten club members will be attending and look forward to seeing the efforts of our hard work late last year in preparing the centre for this opening.
And that’s the buzz from me for this week. I’m really looking forward to catching up with all members, especially those of you whom I haven’t seen since last year. Until then, stay safe. Janelle
Metallic Green Carpenter Bee
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The spectacular female Metallic Green Carpenter Bee, (Xylocopa (Lestis)) cuts nest burrows in the flower spikes of grass trees or other soft timbers. In this photograph a female Green Carpenter Bee is resting beside the entrance to her nest burrow in a dead sapling:
Source: www.aussiebee.com.au
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