We hope this finds you all well and comfortable at home while our club meetings are on a mandated hiatus.
It is vital, though, that we all do our best to keep in touch and continue the good works of our club as best we can under the circumstances.
Susanne and I will keep the Newsletter alive, as a way to keep everyone informed and engaged but we need all members to support the effort by sending us your stories, personal updates, comments and suggestions about how you are coping, about what is happening with family at home and abroad and, of course, what ideas would have for our making a difference to others in this difficult time. A few good jokes would also help lighten the gloom!
Sculpture Exhibition
You would not be surprised to learn that Tim and Jan have had to pull the plug on the Sculpture Exhibition BUT, in a masterful display of inspiration and negotiation, they persuaded the National Trust of South Australia, to already confirm alternate dates, 9-22 November so planning continues unabated with extra time to ensure it is the biggest and best ever!
Well done to you both!
Club News
Normal operations of the club have to continue, even under these extraordinary conditions.
There will be an extraordinary meeting of the Board next week to discuss operational matters going forward under restrictions on public (and private) gatherings and the closure of our meeting venue.
The Board will actually meet in cyberspace, using Zoom software, in part, to trial it as a means for the club to hold regular meetings online.
Watch this space!
What can we do as a club?
Whether in our own community or elsewhere in the world, the demand for our skills, energy and resources does not stop. Maybe you have some thoughts about how the Rotary Club of Stirling can remain relevant and continue to do our bit to make a difference.
Here are a few early suggestions:
Meals on Wheels
Pauline advises that MoW locally has been devastated by the loss of many older volunteers who have self-isolated. As a result, they are very short of food prep staff and of drivers. Driving shifts involve only delivery to the doorstep between 11:00 and 12:30pm. Volunteers are free to nominate their own days and most work only 1 or 2 days a fortnight. Please call Pauline for more information and for copies of the application and police check forms.
ShelterBox
Dan has received an urgent appeal from ShelterBox, particularly regarding Syria.
Apparently, the very first (tested) case of COVID-19 has been identified amongst the million or more refugees living in Idlib province. Refugees there live in horrendous squalor, with little or no medical support and “social distancing” is non-existent...and we have not yet heard much yet from the rest of Africa, Bangladesh or Pakistan to mention a few other potential disasters in the making.
With ShelterBox volunteers locked down or under strict travel conditions, they need to look to other means of communicating the urgency to the public and of raising funds to act.
Dan is asking someone to step up to organise an online auction. There are a number of free online auction sites where the club could organise to auction off a numbers of donated items for the cause.
He would be happy to help out but we need someone to head it up and marshal the forces needed from other members to select the online platform, obtain the prizes and get the word out through email, Facebook and the website. Any takers?
The Hut
The Hut has had to suspend the use of its buses (impossible to maintain social distancing) to help housebound disabled and isolated older citizens to shop or to attend medical appointment and have been forced by the council to suspend all driving support.
Would there be any interest in members and spouses volunteering to "adopt" someone genuinely in need, as identified by the Hut, to call every day for human contact and support and, if able, to pick up and deliver groceries or scripts, to the door only? No personal contact.
If you are willing and able to donate a few hours each week to help out, please let me know and I can discuss with Bernadette. As long as there is no personal contact I would not think a current Police Check for Volunteers would be required but our club can facilitate that for anyone who needs it.
How about it? Any takers?
Help by giving us content
Don't forget, please help by sending either of us anything others in the club would want to know, what they need to know or would they would be entertained by knowing. We especially want to hear how members and their families are faring.
Susanne, would ask that Committee Chairs, in particular, provide an update on progress on continuing projects or committee deliberations for inclusion in these updates which will be issued from time to time.
Let's use this tool as a means of keeping in touch and helping us come out of this disaster stronger as a club and as individuals, even more committed and enthusiastic for having survived.
We’ll keep you posted.
Keeping fit while at home
Click herefor important information about staying fit when movement outside the home and gatherings with others are restricted.
