Page 10 - Rotary Matters - September 2020

Rotary Club of McLaren Vale

Briony Casburn joined RC McLaren Vale 3 years ago as was appointed Membership Director to help save
the club. It was down to 3 members and is now up to 8.

Last year she was elected President and is President again this year. It is probably the most active club for
projects/member in the district and is the top donor to the Rotary Foundation/member in the district.
The club completed 28 projects last year.

Briony says that one big factor to our success, was to get out
of the Willunga pub back room and into the community in
McLaren Vale itself. We now have a ‘Home Base’ at the
“MV Meeting Place 162 Main Rd McLaren Vale. We still
meet at Hotel McLaren and also the Alma in Willunga,
but the Meeting Place is the go-to for special evenings and
events.

Mark Potter the owner, has been invaluable in helping nurture
the club.
We don’t pay anything to have the Meeting Place, a hub for
about 30 small businesses as our Home Base, but to support
Mark, we try to use the venue for ‘Coffee Chats’ and if having
a late meeting , he will cook casserole meals at a reasonable
price and will leave us to pack up and lock up.

The club and RC Seaford raised funds for Mark’s Bhutan trip which our club presented him with a Paul Harris
fellow. The club has shared a number of projects with the RC Seaford.

Some of our major projects include an annual Mock
Accident involving 200 Willunga High school students
with Emergency and essential services. Setting up a
free BBQ for the CFS, Police, Ambos, Aldinga Crash
repairs and Alfred James Funerals. The Australia Day
breakfast caters for 400 people each year. Last year
members of the club went to Nepal with a RAWCS
eye care team.

Briony Casburn President

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