2003-2004 report by Jim Pennell

Along with our regular commitment to Meals on Wheels and our annual involvement with Esso at their family Christmas parties, Community Service was kept particularly busy throughout the year assisting other club directorates organize and stage events.

Wine & Cheese Night

The first of these extra curricular activities was the Wine & Cheese Night presentation by the Wine Society and Maffra Cheese, at the Princeton Motor Lodge, on Tuesday 25 November. With great pleasure I assisted PP Ron Gregory and Rob McKimm organize this very successful fundraiser which made around $4000. During the evening, Wine Society Representative, Glenn Gordon described each wine's special characteristics and gave the assembled throng a heightened appreciation of the variety. Ferial Zekiman, proprietor of Maffra Cheese, then introduced a selection of her company's delicious hard and soft cheeses. Good fellowship increased throughout the night and Rob McKimm's wine quiz with its extraordinarily difficult questions was a fun-filled highlight.

Christmas Raffle

Community Service also took a leading role in assisting with the club's annual Christmas Raffle. Along with other club members, we concentrated our ticket selling at the inaugural Farmer's Market and the monthly Sunday markets, where the captive audience ensures high volume ticket sales. However, despite our best efforts, this year's raffle wasn't as successful as it's been in the past.

Youth week barbeque

On Friday 16 April, I organised a handful of club members to assisted PP Leo Morrissey put on a barbeque at the skate park for the 'Sk8park Spectacular'. A Wellington Shire Youth Week initiative, the event drew a large crowd of young people keen to see, and participate with, Australia's leading riders in each of the three 'Xtreme' disciplines, In-line Skating, BMX and Skateboarding. It was a very successful afternoon and the female host, Shorty Brown consistently plugged and praised our club's involvement over the public address system. Business was brisk and a small amount of money was raised for the planned upgrade of the skate park. Thank you to the staff at The Armadale for their assistance and the loan of their barbeque and other equipment; Jason and Brent made our job that much easier.

Senior's Day Out -

More than 200 local seniors took the opportunity to enjoy a very pleasant afternoon at the movies, for free, on Sunday 30 May. PP Harold Watson arranged with PP Kevin Ridgeway, principal of Little's Gippsland Coaches, to pick up elderly citizens from local nursing homes, whilst other, individual seniors were picked up from their homes and taken to the cinema by club members. The movie program, complete with newsreels, cartoon and main feature, was just the way it used to be in cinema's heyday, before television. The feature film High Society, staring Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong proved to be very popular with our guests. It was followed by a friendly get-together over afternoon tea, prepared by club members and their wives, after which the seniors were delivered safely home, before dark. Special thanks to the Hodges family at Sale Cinemas for their cheerful assistance, nothing was too much trouble.
Thank you to all those club members who lent a hand with Community Service throughout the year. In additions to the help we provide to the manly levels of community, our involvement raises the profile of Rotary and gives our organization a human face.
Jim Pennell
Director Community Service

2002-2003 report by Ted Pickering

Sale Central Community Service was well service again this year by the volunteer support of all members.

The Club continued it's long term commitment to "Meals-On-Wheels" in the local area, which involved 5 weekends over the year, each weekend duty involving 8 members. This meant that some members had more than one 'Tour-of-Duty' over the year. Discussions were held with the "Meals-On-Wheels" organisers earlier in the year, re our increased commitment. They thanked us profusely for our long term service, but could offer no solution unless further community volunteers came forward. On the positive side, the weekend 'Rounds' have become shorter, with members reporting turn around times of less than 1 hour.

Another long term Club commitment, our Lake Guyatt project, reached another milestone, with the completion of the barbecue shelter on the bank of the lake. An official christening of the barbecue was celebrated early in 2003, with an appropriate guest speaker from Wellington Shire's Youth Department. Another Lake Guyatt highlight was the relocation of the plaques commemorating the completion of the construction phase and the offical opening of the Lake and adjoining walking tracks, on a landscaped site between the two lakes.

As an offshoot of our Community Service, the Club provided support and hosting for the "Ride to District 9820 Conference" cyclists on the 24th March 2003. The Club hosted a joint meeting with the Sale Club and organised hosting for the cyclists, and oversaw the successful fundraising activities for the evening.

On 1st April 2003, the Club hosted our local Senior Citizens to a movie and supper night at the Sale Cinema. A great night was had by all, as we enjoyed 'Chicago' and some vintage support features. The evening was supported by the Sale Inner Wheel Club, who provided a delicious supper. My thanks go to President Lynn and her members.

The Club's final Community Support effort for the year, was to provide Zone Captains and supporters for the Salvation Army's Red Shield Appeal during late May. Club members supplied 4 Zone Captains to oversee and organise various collection areas within Sale and on the RAAF Base. The Club also supported the appeal by donating one evening's small change and fines.

May I take this opportunity to thank all members of Community Service for their support and efforts during the year, and to pas on my congratulations and best wishes to the incoming board. I hope you have a very successful and productive Rotary year.