Focus on Camp Getaway at the Club Meeting on June 7th
See the Camp Getaway Website => http://www.campgetaway.com.au/
Meeting Report June 7, 2016
Rotarian Ken Maxfield of the Rotary Club of North Balwyn entertained the club meeting on Tuesday June 7th with an informative and engaging presentation on the great work being done at Rotary Camp Getaway in Axedale, near Bendigo. Ken has been a driving force behind the camp since the early 2000s, when the project to redevelop the original Rotary Axedale Youth Camp was commenced.
The original camp was established by the Rotary Club of Bendigo in 1947 as a place for needy children in the aftermath of the second world war. At that time the camp was comprised of ex-army huts, acceptable in their day, but greatly lacking in comfort and amenity for the modern world. The redevelopment involved removing the old army huts and replacing them with comfortable modern dormitory accommodation, as well as a number of two bedroom units. Landscaping of the grounds and the addition of modern kitchen facilities was also a priority.
The kitchen is currently undergoing another major upgrade to bring it into line with commercial standards, necessary to cater for the large groups that now make use of the camp. There is also a dining room, a lounge room and games rooms. Numerous nearby tourist attractions and an onsite 9 hole mini-golf course have proved popular with children and adults of all ages. Funds provided by clubs in District 9800 together with the active involvement of willing Rotarians through working bees has built the camp into a modern, comfortable holiday destination for families, as well as for school and community groups.
Ken emphasised that, as a District 9800 club, Glenferrie Rotary has an ownership stake in Camp Getaway - one sixty-seventh stake to be exact, as there are currently 67 clubs in D9800. He encouraged the club to consider a working visit to Camp Getaway during the new Rotary year, a proposal that was enthusiastically received. Occupancy rates for the camp have been very high, however, so Ken advised that the club move quickly to secure a spot for 2016-2017.
Chair for the evening Charles Tran thanked Ken for his entertaining address and presented him with a cheque for $3,000 as the club's contribution towards the work of the camp this year. The donation will fund the completion of the project to air condition the dining room.
Camp Getaway is one of two local Rotary programs currently receiving financial support from the club, the other being Australian Rotary Health.
For more information about Camp Getaway in Axedale cut and paste this link into your browser:
http://www.campgetaway.com.au/ or check out the Facebook page.
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