CRC Bulletin January 5th. 2026

COOLAMON ROTARY CLUB NYE 2025

This is our first bulletin for the new year 2026.  Hopefully you are all having a peaceful break and had an enjoyable Christmas.  Our club was vert active on NYE in Coolamon for the Coolamon NYE Street Party.  By all accounts it was a very enjoyable night and our thanks go to all of our members and their partners who volunteered on the night. We worked hard and those on the BBQ enjoyed the time working with the Coolamon Lions Club.

Special thanks to Bear for all the work that he put into the event this year.

Here are some photos of the NYE street party.  Thanks to Grahame Miles for some of the pics and the rest I obtained from Facebook.

Please click on the thumb nail pics for a larger version, thanks.

DIARY

N.B. You are always welcome to bring guests to most of our meetings, just advise Ian Jennings, 0428 492 157, if you want to bring a guest along when you respond to the weekly dinner roll call!

All of the above photos were obtained from Facebook.  Credit to the owners.

 

ROTARY NEWS and ITEMS OF INTEREST

1.  ROTARY ROSE PARADE 2026

Every year the Rotary Club of Pasadena creates a float for the New Years Day Rose parade held in Pasadena.

Since 1890, the Tournament of Roses has been ushering in the new year with a parade of spectacular floats and enthusiastic marching bands down the streets of Pasadena, California, USA.

Rotary became a part of the pageantry in 1923, when the Rotary Club of Pasadena entered a float in the 34th annual Rose Parade.

Even though we did not win an award at this year’s Rose Parade 2026, our float was a true triumph that indicates what happens when we come together to “Unite for Good.” Its beauty did not come from a trophy, but from the countless hands that lovingly brought it to life. From the dedication of our Rotarians, to the craftsmanship of Phoenix Decorating Company, to the tireless decorators and generous sponsors who believed in the vision—this float was a reflection of community, passion and heart. A real win is in the “Magic of Teamwork.”

Rotary Rose Parade 2026

 

2.  LOSS OF AN AFRICAN ICON CRAIG 

As you may know I started RAGES a while ago now.  The Rotary Action Group for Endangered Species, I am no longer the Chair as the position of Chair is only for 3 years.  One of the areas that I was concerned about s the survival of the Tuskers of East Africa.  Today there are only 25-30 Tuskers left, period, a Tusker is a male elephant whose tusks each weigh 100 pounds or more.

This week we lost the largest known Tusker in Africa and his name is Craig.  He lived in and around teh Amboseli National Park on the borders of Kenya and Tanzania in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Craig was not only Amboseli’s one of the largest super-tuskers, he was a symbol of endurance in a world where icons like him are increasingly becoming rare. His massive tusks told a story of age, survival, and protection, not of violence. In a landscape shaped by pressure and loss, he remained peaceful, tolerant, and remarkably composed.

His passing leaves a silence in Amboseli that will be deeply felt. Yet there is comfort in knowing that Craig lived long, died naturally, and was protected until the end. That alone makes his life extraordinary.

In September 2022 Susan and I visited Kenya and Zanzibar for a holiday and to be at Tracy Ochieng’s graduation.  We also visited Amboseli hoping to meet Craig unfortunately we did not get to see this legend of an elephant, however we did meet an upcoming super tusker called Michael.

3.  MARCH FOR PEACE 

As some of you are aware one of our 5 Avenues of Service is International Service:  Promoting world understanding and peace through humanitarian efforts and projects in other countries.  Over the past 2 months a group of 24 Buddhist Monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana in Fort Worth, Texas are marching for peace from Fort Worth to Washington DC.  This is a 2,300-mile walk toward Washington, D.C. with a goal of promoting unity and compassion.

These monks have also marched in India for world peace and it was during this march that an Indian street dog joined them and stayed with them for over 100 days.  They called him Aloka meaning light and brightness.

He stayed by their side through bad weather, illness, and even after being hit by a car.

While most dogs eventually wandered off, Aloka chose to keep going.

That quiet loyalty is what led the monks to officially welcome him as part of their group.

Now, Aloka is walking with them again, this time across the United States, as part of the Walk for Peace, a months-long, mindful journey focused on compassion, kindness, and connection.

You can read more about Aloka below:

ALOKA THE PEACE DOG

The Monks have received amazing support and they have been escorted by the various police departments on this remarkable journey for peace.

You can follow their march and the progress on their Facebook page below:

MONKS WALK FOR PEACE

They still have 60 days to go and are now in Lexington, Georgia.

 

JANUARY IS ROTARY’S VOCATIONAL SERVICES MONTH

Artwork by Rtn. Debbie Vance from Canada

 

 

ROTARY CLUB OF COOLAMON Inc. 2025-2026