NORMAL MORNING MEETING THIS WEEK
Meeting This Week - we are at Cilantro 7am for 7.10am start
For full location details, please refer here.
The meeting will also be available on Zoom - details here
Edition 259
Monday, 27th April 2026
Most members know that John Mason, OAM, passed away last Wednesday. John joined Rotary in 1990 as a charter member of the Rotary Club of Moorabbin Central. John was the last president of Moorabbin Central (1994-95) as the club merged with RC of Bentleigh in July 1995 to form Bentleigh Moorabbin Central, John was instrumental in achieving this. John has five Paul Harris Fellowships and in 2017 he received a Presidential Citation from Rotary International President, John F. Germ.
In 2019 John received the Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division (OAM), for services to the community. These services were not just through Rotary but through the wider community, as in schools, the building industry-and Sailing. John was an avid small craft sailor and had been a member of the McCrae Yacht Club since 1974.
John had a wealth of knowledge about Rotary and always willing to give considered advice when required, this will be very much missed as will be his quick dry wit that often caught people off guard.
Last week our speaker was Dee Mason, John’s youngest daughter, talking enthusiastically about pod casts and pod casting. Dee covered a number of topics such as sites that host pod casts, breadth of topics available, using YouTube as a pod cast and equipment needed to set up your own. I found topic very interesting as it is something that I haven’t considered exploring before.
This last week nominations for Victorian Senior of the Year Awards have opened, though they will close on 19th May. If you are considering nominating an older person check the information on the Victorian Senior of the Year Awards 2026 web site by clicking 2026 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards.
This is end of World Immunisation Week and I thought that I would mention some of the early work on vaccination. Most people think that Edward Jenner discovered vaccination after hearing the folk belief that milk maids did not get smallpox. However this story is only partially true as others were involved before Jenner. John Fewster, an English physician, had realised that a prior infection with cow pox rendered the person resistant to smallpox. Other physicians later produced vaccines that were used in a few people during the smallpox epidemic of 1774. Jenner's work from about 1796 established a regular process of vaccinations, after testing by experimentation, though these days no ethics committee would sanction it. Jenner’s vaccination method has led to the creation of other vaccines for diseases that were once the scourge of humanity.
This week’s speaker is Colin Smith, an author who has written a book, Merric Boyd and Murumbeena. Colin spoke to us last October about Merric Boyd and some of the early history of the Melbourne SE suburbs of St. Kilda, Sandringham and Murrumbeena, there was interest in him returning to talk more about the early history of the area.
Club President, 2025-26,
Grant Perry
The remembrance service for John Mason will be held on Wednesday, 2pm at Leighmoor Uniting Church 185 Wickham Road, Moorabbin - Ed
BOARD MINUTES
A reminder to members that Board Minutes are available for viewing from the Club's website. Note that you must be logged in as a Member in order to gain access.
Access to all documents including Board Minutes can gained here.
The last published Board Minutes were the meeting of Tuesday 10th March 2026 - HERE.
Ian Ballantine
Roster for the next 2 weeks
Note Market start time is 6.15am
Click on See all Rosters at right for future weeks. Members click here to see your own roster.
Most members know that John Mason, OAM, passed away last Wednesday. John joined Rotary in 1990 as a charter member of the Rotary Club of Moorabbin Central. John was the last president of Moorabbin Central (1994-95) as the club merged with RC of Bentleigh in July 1995 to form Bentleigh Moorabbin Central, John was instrumental in achieving this. John has five Paul Harris Fellowships and in 2017 he received a Presidential Citation from Rotary International President, John F. Germ.
