Feeling a little older this week as I realize I could not do as much of the physical activities at the Calperum camp as I have undertaken in the past. Or maybe, I just need to exercise a little harder to be able to keep up with these young people.

We acknowledge the recent passing of  Jane Goodall - who was connected to Rotary through her support for Polio Eradication. She joined Rotary’s ‘This Close’ campaign which aims to eradicate polio. Additionally Jane delivered a keynote address at the 2009 Rotary International Convention in Birmingham, England, highlighting her commitment to the cause. (Read Rotary’s 2009 interview with Jane:https:endpol.io/46MXSTF) Vale Jane

Welcome to October - Rotary’s Economic & Community Development month - the month when Rotary drives opportunity and growth, focussing on local economic growth and improving the quality of life in our communities by supporting entrepreneurs, creating job opportunities and strengthening local economies to alleviate poverty. 

Tuesday’s meeting was a Social Event at Murray Bridge Hotel where members were able to enjoy fellowship, while supporting one of our 2026 Calendar sponsors. Thanks Jenny Phillips for organising this event, venue and taking on the role of President in my absence.

Rotarians Simon, Lyn,  Sandy, Julieanne, Margaret, John W, John S, Bev and I spent Monday to Thursday at Calperum, Renmark with 12 Year 6 students from across the region at our annual Youth and Environmental Camp. The students were exuberant, to say the least and at times challenged the tolerance levels of a number of Rotarians. I look forward to hearing the student presentations later in October. Thanks to these Rotarians for giving up their week to foster the personal development of these young people in the Murraylands region.

On Wednesday District Governor Rajeev joined the group as we planted ground covers, small shrubs and larger bushes/trees in an area of revegetation and in the afternoon, he joined us with the canoeing activity - see further details below. We are thankful for his dedication and commitment to join us in this program, sharing other Rotary youth opportunities with the children and observing how our program operates. 

Thanks to those who prepared and baked the lasagnes, potato bakes, biscuits, cakes and slices, - Sandy, Lyn, Julieanne, Jenny P, Jack, Ali,  Rhonda, Merilyn, and Bev, - the students (and Rotarians) were appreciative of your efforts and were eager to try these, often new foods at their daily morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea or suppers. I would like to add my personal thanks to you for your time and effort as this made my catering experience more enjoyable. Thanks John S for the great range of photos taken over the 4 days.

Special thanks to President-Elect Simon for the countless hours he invested in making the camp a planned activity - from collecting all the gear from sponsors, to organising the transport - including the Rotary Ute this year - to inviting District Governor Rajeev to attend - it was be an exciting week and plans are already underway for our 2026 adventure with the next group of young people from our regional primary schools. We will hear from the students at our meeting on Tuesday October 21st 

Our ‘One and All’ Rotary Youth Sailing Voyage participant, Cam Rossiter Smith, returned from his trip on Thursday and we look forward to hearing of his adventures on November 4th 

Thanks to Sue and her team with the  Bunnings BBQ on Saturday  - our first efforts using the new sign-up forms on Club Runner/Website. How did you find using this format rather than the ‘green sheet’? Let Robin and/or myself know of your views. Thanks to Robin for setting up this trial as we look to improve the opportunities for Rotarians and Community members to sign-up for service activities

Activities in the coming days include:

• Tuesday October 7th - Directors and Committee meetings at this week's Rotary meeting
• Saturday October 11th - Bremer Valley Art Trail Pop-Up Tearooms at Callington Memorial Hall - see Roxanne for details
• Saturday October 11th - Rotary Says NO to Domestic and Family Violence ‘Walk For Respect’ see Sally for details
• Sunday October 12th - Rump N Red Long Lunch - see John W for details
• Sunday October 12th Australian Rotary Health Movie Event - see Simon for details
• Wednesday October 15th - Combined Services Clubs Dinner

Calling all Rotarians - out with your 2026 calendars -  March 27th to 29th 2026, all roads lead to Horsham Victoria for the Multi District Impact Summit - this event will cover 3 Rotary Districts - 9800, 9510 & 9780.  This District Conference will

• CONNECT with other Rotarians from across Australia
• SHARE stories of Positive social impact, locally and across the world
• LEARN how to enhance your Rotary experience, improve our club and serve our community

You are now able to enrol for this event and if you are looking for accommodation, make sure you catch up with Lyn for details of accommodation options - more details below

Looking forward to another great week, remembering ‘Growing old isn’t a final act - it can be life’s most exquisite chapter if you allow yourself to bloom once more. Let the years ahead be your treasure years.’ Vale Dame Patricia Routledge, aged 96, (aka Hyacinth Bucket of keeping Up Appearances)

Roxanne 

Volunteers Needed

Dont forget to click on the upcoming events and signup for these upcoming events

Bremer Valley Gallery Popup Tea Room 11th October

Rump N Red this coming Sunday 12th October

Bunnings BBQ 19th October

URGENT - BOOK NOW

Environmental Youth Program

Day 1: Rotary Club of Murray Bridge Environmental Youth Program started Monday 29^th September with the first pick up in Murray Bridge. Everyone was on time & off we headed to Swan Reach for our 2^nd pick up.
Loxton Lions Park was a great place to stop for our lunch & a quick picture with the tree of knowledge.
Then onto Calperum Station after catching up with Michael Ingerson at Ingy’s Citrus Bookpurnong Hill who donated a box of oranges & a box of mandarins.
Arrived at Calperum around 2:45pm., just in time for some afternoon smoko after unpacking the bus & settling into the dorms & mess hall.
Everyone enjoyed a walk down to Ral Ral Creek prior to settling in for the evening getting ready for 2 days of activities from Calperum Station.

Day 2: The students (this includes all the Rotarians) experienced a cultural walk along Ral Ral Creek, starting at Caseys Camp:
Alwin Vernon (Casey) Cooper was a professional fisherman who lived and worked here on the banks of Ral Ral Creek during the latter half of the 20th Century. 
In 1959 he brought Reach P8U1 from the junction of Hunchee and Ral Ral Creeks to the Lake Merreti inlet for £25. He built this whitewashed shack out of bags in 1962 after the original structure of 1958 decayed through flooding.
We walked for 4.5km spotting 3 goannas & a few kangaroos on our way.
In the afternoon we all enjoyed re-planting Calperum Salt Bush from propagation trays into larger tubes assisting with their development. One of the Rangers explained how they are experimenting with making seed pellets from clay & different types of soil which could create a greater strike rate when revegetating various areas.
We then had a tour through the Calperum Office & were shown the area Calperum lmanages on a large map, plus a lot of other interesting displays including some Aboriginal weaving.
Following our afternoon smoko we tried a bit of fishing with our new Rods, Reels, Hats & Fishing gear donated by BCF Murray Bridge. – didn’t catch anything but had some fun. 
After dinner we cooked damper on a stick & enjoyed it with jam & honey before going to bed getting ready for another busy day.

Day 3: re-vegetation project in the morning & Canoe the Riverland in the afternoon.
Starting our activities at 9am, everyone headed out to an area which had been setup for the students to place some new seedlings into the ground.
We planted 2 different types of salt bush “Old Man Salt Bush (Atriplex semibaccata), a creeping salt bush (Atriplex semibaccata)” and pig face (native Carpobrotus modestus).
All the students used various tools to dig the new planting holes, irrigation had been set up we all placed the plants in specific marked areas for the 3 various seedlings.

Once the planting was complete a wire netting had to be placed around the plants with a bit of shade cloth to protect the seedlings in the hot weather, this was great fun & another new experience for everyone.

Day 3 Afternoon Canoe the Riverland:

After lunch we met Brenton at Windmill Bend for 3 hours of canoeing. Brenton was a great instructor & made sure everyone had a good idea on what to do before getting in the water.
DG Rajeev joined us for the afternoon and enjoyed watching all the students have a great time on the water, enjoying all the fun exercises Brenton was getting the students to do.

   Following the Canoeing it was back to camp for some smoko, a rest & then start preparing for our home trip in the morning.
Had another great BBQ meal followed by toasting marshmallows & then into bed for a good sleep.

Day 4 Homeward bound after a good breakfast, Calperum Station provided all the students with a certificate of achievement “Junior Ranger Rockstar”  & a look through the shearing shed.

First heading to Lock 5 for a quick look at the Murray River & then onto the Monash Playground.  

Lunch was finished & we were on the home ward run by 12pm., leaving on time with 2 drops on the way Swan Reach & then Murray Bridge.

The drive home was pleasant weather wise & we didn’t need the radio as there was plenty of noise in the bus, all the students had made some long-lasting friendships, experiences & memories.

We will all hear more at the Rotary meeting 21^st October Calperum Program presentation night.

A huge Thank You to all the Rotarians & Partners attending or involved with the preparation for our Environmental Youth Program, all of us as a team have made a difference in the students lives helping them with life lasting memories & hopefully a guide for their future. 

DG Rejeev - Calperum

Below is part of an email I received from DG Rajeev following his visit to our Calperum.
Robin 

“I had the pleasure of spending the whole of Wednesday with your club members in Calperum, they did an amazing job with the 12 kids and I can see the kids learning so much. I joined them for tree planting, lunch and canoeing (thankfully i did not get into the canoe)”

One & All Salling Challenge 2025

This morning Lyn caught up with the One & All candidate Cam Rossiter-Smith sourced through our Rotary partnership with the SAPOL Murray Bridge Blue Light Boxing Program in Murray Bridge.
One of the many Rotary opportunities supporting young people gaining experiences as they grow.

Over the next few days on board the One & All, Cam will meet new friends, create lifelong memories, while learn the important skills required to work as a team & crew a working ship.
Before the voyage, the Youth Crew are divided into three watch groups known as Port Watch (P), Middle Watch (M) and Starboard Watch(S). The watches, watch leaders and assistants remain unchanged for the voyage.
During the voyage, each watch works as a team to ensure the safety of the ship. Tasks include sail handling, helming, look outs, fire and flood checks, etc.
The daily routine includes deck duties, domestic duties of accommodation spaces and maintenance work. The watch system ensures that each watch participates with each of these duties throughout the voyage, as well as time off. There are times when "all hands" will be called to assist with manoeuvres.

AI meets DV

Last week, our speaker was MartinRowe from the Rotary Club of Blackwood. Martin's presentation was recorded and via the marvels of AI, a summary is provided below.

All text is exactly as transcribed by AI from the original audio recording.

Overview of Domestic Violence and Community Impact

Domestic violence is defined as behaviour that induces fear or harm, encompassing physical, sexual, verbal, psychological, social, financial, spiritual, child, and elder abuse. It includes a wide range of abusive actions such as strangulation, coercive control, sexual threats, social isolation, and financial control. The presentation underscores the complexity and multifaceted nature of domestic violence, which often remains concealed due to stigma and coercive control tactics employed by perpetrators

• Complex nature of domestic violence: Domestic violence includes various forms of abuse such as physical, psychological, financial, and coercive control, often hidden due to stigma and manipulation by perpetrators. Victims, including children, may take years to leave abusive situations, as illustrated by a tragic case of prolonged coercive control.
• Rotary Club initiatives: The Rotary Club of Blackwood promotes awareness through campaigns like "Say No to Domestic Violence," participation in the March for Respect, and assembling comfort packs for victims. They also fund and distribute ESCA bags with essentials for those fleeing abuse and support programs providing safe phones and pet care to address abuse leverage points.
• Challenges in addressing abuse: Media often avoid labelling incidents as domestic violence, which affects public perception. Victims face barriers such as financial dependency, childcare concerns, and limited safe accommodations. Additionally, male victims lack dedicated shelters and support services, highlighting service gaps.
• Educational outreach and future goals: The club educates youth about domestic violence and respectful behaviour to identify abuse early. Success is measured by membership growth, fundraising, and partnerships, with plans to expand school counselling and increase community engagement through grants and awareness campaigns.

• Conclusion: The Rotary Club of Blackwood’s comprehensive approach combines awareness-raising, practical support, education, and community involvement to tackle domestic violence. Their efforts highlight the importance of recognizing the complexity of abuse, supporting victims of all genders, and fostering a community culture that does not tolerate domestic violence. The presentation encourages continued support, participation in awareness events, and donations to sustain these vital programs

Bags For Blokes

The Rotary Club of murray Bridge is supporting Elizabeth Crawley in her work for “Bags For Blokes”.
Members of the Rotary Club collected bags and contents before assembling eleven bags and delivering them to the Murray Bridge Community Centre.
These bags were gratefully received and will be distributed to men in need.

Elizabeth has assembled 481 bags since beginning this project and hopes to reach 500 before the end of 2025!

The Rotary Club of Murray Bridge is proud to be associated with this project.

CALENDAR WINNERS 

30^th September

 

Value	No.	Winner	Location	Sold By
$100	79	J White	Murray Bridge	J Best
$50	937	Carpet Court	Murray Bridge	Sponsor