• PP PHF Emma Clarke – Tennis Hero – second game broke an elbow/arm
• Welcome member Allan Douglas
• Special Guest – Sue Gregory - a wonderful friend of our Rotary Club – every time she turns up she walks out with cash – main speaker – Australian Himalayan Society and affiliation with past member Greg Gregory
• Maroondah Ball 18^th March – pencil in your diaries
• Billy Crombie – posted about personal history and abuse as a young child by a step-father – good men at rotary club of Emerald – sent her to South Africa on an exchange opportunity – please read the post … event tonight supporting Big Brother Big Sister in the hills.

Guest Speaker – Sue Gregory – Australian Himalayan Society

• Starting with thanking the club – you people are incredible about what you do locally and for the AHF.
• For those of you who are whipper snappers in the game -  Emerald Rotary and his mum called him Alfred Gregory.  Greg was on the first ascent of Everest and when over in 1953, thanks to Ed Hillary – AHF came into being when the first Australians climbed the mountain – a cheque had been given by you every year since Greg died and the $$ goes to education.
• In past year the AHF has been busy on environment – concentrating on attitudes about climate change and also protecting wild life from stealing stock, health in isolated Nepalese focusing on contraception and education and school fees.
• Education for women– 'Education is her Everest'. – helping women of Nepal develop
• Everest was ascended 70 yrs ago this year.
• In 1952 Everest was opened from the south side.
• Everest had been classed as a British Mountain. In 1952 the British were horrified when the Swiss were given permission to climb the mountain.  Shipton looked at Everest from the South Side – the ‘easy way’ according to Chris Bonnington. Greg was on the expedition to check it out.
• In 1953 the expedition was financed by The Alpine Club – it was not Ed Hillary’s expedition it was John Hunt.  Ed was a member of the team.
• A lot of money was raised in the UK for the climb. They sent a correspondent because all the press were following the team to  explain what was going on. James Morris from The Times went from Katmandu to base camp. John Hunt chose 2 people to have a go for the summit. James Morris was escorted to the Western Kume where he could report from.
• Ed Hillary and Tenzing Norgay– Tenzing was with the Swiss the year before. Their efforts were supported by Greg and George Lowe and another sherpa (editorial comment - what the three of them did was nothing short of amazing and we should ask Sue to come back and tell that tale)!
• A true favourite member of the team was James Morrison – he was called the top writer – he laataer announced in 1970 he was having a sex change.
• Wrote a book called Conundrum and about different place including Vienna and Sydney.
• Jan (now) raced back get the news back to the UK via a high Sherpa village. The news came in code
  • Snow conditions bad (the summit has been reached)
  • Advanced base abandoned (by Edmund Hillary)
  • Yesterday (on 29 May)
  • Awaiting improvement (and also by Tenzing Norgay)
  • All well! (everything is hunky-dory!)

• The FA Cup final was the taon the radio – Blackpool was in the cup final.
• The team were listening and tuned in and hear that Everest had been climbed – the coronation was the next day and they had hoped the news would be delayed as the story would be lost in the news of the coronation.
• The Queen and Duke of Edinbugh were rehersing in Westminster Abbey when they heard the news they stopped and had a glass of wine to celebrate. The Queen was always close to the team – last anniversary was held back in 2002. The grandsons of the climbers met the Queen and then had a private celebration in a pub in N. Wales.
• New book published recently and has an image of Jan Morris on the cover. She and Elizabeth her wife could marry again after Greg’s funeral. Jan died in 2020.
• Jan – 'I did not change sex I absorbed one into the other  - I am a bit of both now'.
• On her headsstone is written 'Here lies two friends at the end of one life'.

• Everyone booked in Realm – 18 National Circuit Canberra
• Agostini restaurant booked for the Friday night – walking distance from The Realm

• 31 nominations
• 81 places filled already
• Let Ian know if attending this week, please

• Asking for volunteers all day – being paid as a club to attend an ‘volunteer’
• Checking bins
• Assisting with tickets
• Free T-Shirt for attendance (orange)

• Delighted with response 18 people signed up – thank you
• Free BBQ afterwards
• Thank you to Gayle for printing and Shalini for distributing the flyers
• Barry Plant has asked for permission for the billboards
• Star News had an article about the event – thank you Shalini for contacting the paper

• Lids for Kids – sorted into colours and boxes of lids melted down for 3D printing
• Saves lids going to landfill- children’s play equipment is made from them
• Lids with a 2 and 4 in them
• Bread tags wanted as well

• Only 9 days to go!!!
• Conference gear for the Saturday night
  • Black tank top or singlet– no sleeves
  • Black trousers or leggings (not tights)
  • Black shoes – punk look – think dock martins
  • Cost pp $59.50 please pay Gayle

• This year a district ride in Bendigo
• Fundraising for Australian Rotary Health – research programs and mens mental health
• 35 or so riders
• John looking to raise a couple of $1000’s