One of the projects our club has been involved in for some years now is Bowel Scan month.  This year we have been advised that the Bowel Scan Program is being "improved", and new kits will not be available until next year. Screening is recommended at least bi-annually and we will be introducing the new you-beaut kits in 2014. Stocks of the unsold kits purchased this year have been returned to Rotary Health for a full refund.  

Coming up for Community is manning the gate at the Agfest Field Days on Saturday 4th May and the fundraiser BBQ at Bunnings on Saturday 18th May for our Books for Kinder program. I have yet to hear of our success or otherwise of a grant application submitted to the Tasmanian Early Years Foundation for Books for Babies 2013

- Judy (Community Projects Director).

Tamar Sunrise encourage you to be part of this exciting new event.  

Applications for the Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival (BOFA) Make a Difference Day are now open.

The Make a Difference Day will run on Sunday November 11 at Launceston's Inveresk precinct - the final day of the Festival.  

The Rotary Club of Tamar Sunrise have partnered with BOFA, Bendigo Bank, Volunteering Tasmania to stage Tasmania's first Make a Difference Day.

For applications and further information visit:  http://www.tamarsunrise.com.au/breath-of-fresh-air---make-a-difference-day.html or  http://bofa.com.au/2012/

Share the information around - it will be a great day!

To compliment our Books for Kinder program, the wonderful Clare proposed to the Club that we sell Entertainment Books to raise enough money to provide a good quality book prize to end of year Grade 6 students at Rocherlea and Mayfield Primary Schools.

The club sold enough books to raise the $100 required for two prizes valued at $50 each and the schools were given the brief to choose a student – not for the academic ability, but for their community mindedness and consideration for the school and their peers.

Clare and I attended the school presentation assemblies on 20th and 21st December (respectively) and to say we were impressed with the standard of the schools and their students, is an understatement.
Rocherlea peppered their impressive line up of awards presentations with an enthusiastic rendition of the Advance Australia Fair, two very confident Grade 5’ers who compared and an amazing musical performance of Taiko Drumming which made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. By the time they presented the Graduation Packs and the Grade 6 students exited in a line – I was feeling quite emotional, even though I didn’t know any of them!

Mayfield was another outstanding presentation of Awards and we were both particularly impressed with the young Grade 6 Leaver, Jonathan, who responded to the Principal’s Address. They ran a short film produced by the school showing how the kids had grown, their achievements, goals and ambitions. That was another emotional event watching all the Grade 6’ers file out after being presented with their Leavers Packs, falling into each other’s arms in the corridor and weeping.

Clare and I were impressed with both schools and enjoyed being guests at their presentations. Oh and by the way, the winners of the Tamar Sunrise Community Awards were –

- Sian (pronounced Cheyanne) Mansell from Rocherlea 
- Jordy Dudman from Mayfield

What a wonderful initiative of Clare’s and thank you to each and every member of the club who purchased an Entertainment Book to enable this Award to happen. I hope you’re all using your vouchers and saving money on your groceries, so that you will be motivated to purchase next year’s book when they become available.

Judy McLean
Community Director – 2011/12