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What an amazing District Conference! We are seeing great speakers and reconnecting with our new friends from the clubs we have visited.
Our team conference presentation was enthusiastically received by approximately 400 Rotarians and guests. The presentation focused on the highlights of our trip and our service project in the bushfire affected area of Marysville. Many conference attendees have asked about the Rotary Club of Greater Des Moines and want more information about its transformational model.
We leave Albury today for our next stop in Milawa-Oxley. We are winding down to enjoy the last leg of our journey together.
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Julie Pollock — Team Member: We had a great day in Benalla today and although the weather changed every quarter hour (cloudy and cool to sunny and warm to windy…), we managed to stay dry! Our day began just before noon with a guided tour of the Benalla Botanical Gardens, located close to the center of town. In addition to beautiful assortments of roses and indigenous gum trees, the gardens featured a statue of Sir Edward Dunlop. Sir Edward Dunlop was a surgeon in the Australian Army during World War II who became a national hero for his life-saving care of soldiers who had been taken prisoner by the Japanese.
Other features of the Benalla Botanical Gardens were the rotunda that was built in 1911 and the newly created Indigenous Community Garden, highlighting trees, plant and stonework reminiscent of a time prior to European settlement in Australia.
After the garden tour, and a few stops at other area attractions, like the Benalla Art Gallery, we enjoyed a delicious barbeque of sausages, hamburgers and various salads prepared by members of the Benalla Rotary Club.
Following lunch, we went on to tour Morrisons and Baileys—two wineries in the small town of Glenrowan. We were even lucky enough to have a turn at stirring the grapes, a days-long process that is part of the fermentation process. All of the wines we sampled were delicious and it was interesting to compare and contrast the various aromas and flavors.
On our way out of Glenrowan, we saw the ominous statue of Ned Kelly in his suit of armor (a makeshift suit he crafted to act as a bullet-proof shield). Ned Kelly, a legendary figure in Australian folklore, carried out his “last stand” in the town of Glenrowan. His definiance of police authority spurred a two day occupation of most of the Glenrowan’s inhabitants and despite his armor suit, Ned Kelly was shot and captured. He was later executed, but remains an almost heroic figure in Australian history.
Today was great and we are gearing up for our third presentation tomorrow night at the Benalla Rotary Club!
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