Sasa Designs by the Deaf from Megan MacDonald on Vimeo.
Month: September 2012
Coolamon Rotary News Bulletin #12
Coolamon Rotary News Bulletin #12
MEETING September 24th. 2012
We had the pleasure of our local Federal Member of Parliament The Hon. Michael McCormack as our guest speaker tonight. Ten members were present with some 13 guests from Coolamon and Ganmain. Michael spoke well and entertained us all with is recollections of his time playing “Footy” here in the Riverina. Michael was also very honest about politics in Australia today and wishes that politicians could think beyond the next election. Michael also believed in working with the other side and getting on with working for the people that elect them.
Michael even drops in on Simon Crean the Federal Minister for Development on a fortnightly basis to promote the Riverina. Michael loves the National Party and paid tribute to the former member Kay Hull. The Nationals he said do not have any factions which he is happy about. Michael will be on Channel 10’s The Great Divide this Sunday, and opposite him will be Anthony Albanase the current Leader of the House of Representatives.
Michael concluded by inviting any who wish to attend question time in Canberra to contact him a couple of weeks before so he can arrange the visit.
President Paul Weston introduces Michael McCormack above and Garth Perkin thanks Michael for his talk below.
The raffle was won by Bruce Hutcheon from the Coolamon Lions Club.
Michael McCormack
MP MEMBER FOR RIVERINA
About Michael
Born in Wagga and raised on family properties at Marrar and Brucedale, Michael became the youngest editor of a daily newspaper in Australia when he took the helm of Wagga’s Daily Advertiser at the age of 27.
Although he won numerous writing awards and scholarships at the Advertiser, Michael is proudest of the role he played as a community advocate during his time at the paper. In 1997 he spearheaded the movement to save the RAAF base at Wagga which resulted in the retention and expansion of the base.
Michael has a long history of community service with groups such as Rotary and school P&F Associations. A keen sportsman, Michael’s interests include cricket, Aussie Rules, Rugby League, basketball and hockey. He is also a racing enthusiast, and was director of the Murrumbidgee Turf Club from 1994 to 2003.
Before becoming the The Nationals Federal Member for Riverina Michael had a small publishing and media business in Wagga, where he lives with wife Catherine and their three children.
Michael was elected as the Federal Member for Riverina at the 2010 election.
He is an honorary member of the Officer’s Mess at ARTC Kapooka.
PRESIDENT PAUL WESTON’S REPORT
It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the local world of Rotary. The Wagga Wagga Peace Conference held over the weekend drew distinguished speakers from across Australia and around the world. It’s too bad more of our members couldn’t attend the proceedings, but Neil Munro, Dick Jennings and John Glassford were there and were suitably impressed (I ran a projector in one of the sessions on Saturday afternoon, and also came away with a very favourable impression). Congrats to the Rotarians in Wagga who organised this memorable and outstanding event.
On Monday, the Rotary Club of Coolamon and our guests were treated to a talk by the Hon. Michael McCormack, MP for Riverina. As promised, we were entertained by stories of life in Canberra as an elected representative of Parliament, hearing stories that don’t make it on the evening news. It was also great to see a number of Lions in attendance. Stay tuned for news of social get together with the Lions sometime after harvest, likely in January.
The inaugural Scarecrow Festival will be held in Coolamon on Sunday of the upcoming October long weekend. We’ll be dusting off the food van and serving up Kranskys with all the trimmings. We’re still looking for helpers to help prepare and serve in the van, especially in the afternoon, so please contact me to add your name to the roster. There will be a variety of activities for young and old, so make an effort to come out and share in the fun.
We have no meeting on Monday, October 1 because of the public holiday, but we’ll be making a trip to Junee on Tuesday to share fellowship with the Junee Rotarians. Let John Glassford know if you’re able to attend. A couple of us will be driving and taking others with us; we’ll contact attendees over the weekend to coordinate rides.
We finally have the next event in our local business support program in place: an evening workshop on the 22nd of October with a digital marketing firm out of Wagga. Look for details in the coming week.
Enjoy the long weekend, and don’t forget to come to the Scarecrow Festival and to sign up for the meeting in Junee.
That’s all for now. Onward and upward!.
Yours in Rotary,
Paul
DIARY REMINDERS
Sunday 30th September Scarecrow Festival in Coolamon. MORE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO MAN THE CARAVAN.Monday October 1st NO Meeting
Tuesday October 2nd Joint Meeting at Junee Rotary Club. ALL members are asked to attend this important meeting in Junee.
Monday 8th October Business Meeting.
Thursday 11th October BINGO on duty: Ian Jennings, John Glassford, Grahame Miles, Mark Reardon
*Monday 15th October Road MAPS to Africa John Glassford.
*Monday 22nd October WORKSHOP for Coolamon Shire Business people on how to use the Internet for marketing your business facilitated by Linda Tillman and sponsored by Coolamon Rotary and the Coolamon Shire Council.
*Monday 29th October Social Night at Marilyn and Ian Jennings home.
*Monday 5th November GUest Speaker Georgie Roberts from the Red Cross.
Monday 12th November AGM and Election of Office Bearers for 2013-2014.
Sunday November 25th Rotary Markets in Coolamon.
Peace Ceremony in Coolamon February 2013
Friday 19th to Sunday 21st April 2013 D9700 Conference Leeton
June 23-26 2013 Rotary International Convention in Lisbon. RI Convention Lisbon
*Partners and Guests Night.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT SAKUJI TANAKA
I visited Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the third largest city square in the world. I was accompanied by, from left, Chief District Secretary Peter Pang, Past District Governor Y. K. Cheng, District Governor Kenneth K. Wong, and District Governor-elect Eugene Fong, all of District 3450. I also attended the World Economic Forum in Tianjin and a breakout session where we discussed the future role of nonprofit organizations.
The International Day of Peace takes on a special meaning this year for Rotarians. Please join me and Rotarians from around the world as we redouble our commitment to achieve Peace Through Service.
今年の国際平和デー（9月21日）は私たちロータリアンにとって特別な意味があります。奉仕を通じて平和を築くために、世界が一体となってがんばりましょう。
In 2012-13, Rotary International will hold three Rotary Global Peace Forums. Each forum will be a two- or three-day program to engage and inspire Rotarians and community leaders to champion President Sakuji Tanaka’s RI theme, Peace Through Service.
The location, theme, and date for each forum are listed here for your reference, along with websites where you can find further details.
Berlin, Germany — Peace Without Borders
- From 30 November to 2 December 2012
- www.rotary-global-peace-forum-berlin.de/en/
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA — The Green Path to Peace
- From 25 to 27 January 2013
- www.peaceforumhawaii.com/
Hiroshima, Japan — Peace Begins with You
- From 17 to 18 May 2013
- www.info-hiroshima.co.jp/peace/
For more information
Download the Rotary Global Peace Forums brochure.
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
Eyesight
Joe and Gladys are getting ready for bed. Gladys is standing in front of her full length mirror, taking a good hard look at herself. ‘You know, Joe,’ she commented, ‘I stare into this mirror and see an ancient creature. My face is all wrinkled, my boobs sag, my arms and legs are as flabby as popped balloons… and my rear end looks like a sad deflated version of the Hindenburg!’
She turned to face her husband and asked, ‘Dear, please tell me just one positive thing about my body so I can feel better about myself.’
Joe studied Gladys critically for a moment and then said in a thoughtful voice, ‘Well, there’s nothing wrong with your eyesight.’
The doctor says he’ll be able to leave hospital in about a week.
The Professor
A man spent a weekend gambling in Las Vegas casinos, and he won $100,000. He didn’t want anyone to know about it, so when he came back home, he immediately went out to the backyard of his house, dug a hole and planted the money in it.
The next morning he walked outside and found only an empty hole. He noticed footsteps leading from the hole to the house next door, which was owned by a deaf-mute. On the same street lived a professor who understood sign language and was a friend of the deaf man. Grabbing his pistol, the enraged man went to awaken the professor and dragged him to the deaf man’s house. He screamed at the professor:
“You tell this guy that if he doesn’t give me back my money I’ll kill him!”
The professor conveyed the message to his friend, and his friend replied in sign language: “I hid it in my backyard, underneath the cherry tree.”
The professor turned to the man with the gun and said: “He’s not going to tell you. He said he’d rather die first.”
ROTARY INFORMATION
LISBON 2013 Rotary International Convention
Registration is now open for the 2013 RI Convention in Lisbon, Portugal, 23-26 June! Lisbon is an explorer’s paradise. Perched on the west coast of Europe, Portugal’s capital city is a charming combination of old-world appeal and modern flair.
If you have never been to a Rotary International Convention here are some photos just click on the image to enlarge:
Photos above taken from 4 RI Conventions attended by J. Glassford. Chicago, Los Angeles, Montreal and Bangkok.
TOO CUTE
Let’s play fetch the stick!
Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka
Governor of District 9700 Greg Brown
Coolamon Club President Paul Weston
Coolamon Club Secretary John Glassford
Coolamon Club Treasurer Henk Hulsman
Coolamon Rotary Club Inc. P.O. Box 23 COOLAMON N.S.W. 2701
Websites of Interest
Coolamon Rotary Club: http://coolamonrotary.com
Road MAPS to Africa a Coolamon Rotary Project: http://www.mountainsofthemoon.org/
Rotary Down Under on line: http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/26587/49598/pub
Rotarians For Fighting AIDS AUSTRALIA: http://theork.com/
Our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: http://www.rotaryhoutbay.org
Don’t forget to regularly check our club web site for current information such as bingo rosters and various newsletters from the District Governor, the School of St. Jude’s, the monthly membership on the move newsletter as well as several other club bulletins.
Wagga Wagga Peace Conference Continued 3rd Royce Abbey Oration
The best was kept to last with Past Rotary International President Bill Boyd presenting the third Royce Abbey Peace Oration. This was held in the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre.
PRIP Bill spoke so well sitting on his stool and had us all intent on hearing what Bill had to say on Peace Through Service, the aim of our current RI President Sakuji Tanaka.
The Royce Abbey Peace Oration will be made available through the Peace committee. However the words spoken by Bill are inspirational and motivational. In part Bill said that: The strengths that he sees in Rotarians are that we are by definition leaders, we have perseverance e.g. polio, we have passion above all to serve our community be it local or global. By this Bill means that with 34,000 clubs in 210 countries we serve the community on a global scale.
“The pathway to peace is not a super highway BUT every act of service by a Rotarian is a step towards peace. Just the provision of clean water and literacy programmes in a small village in Africa, can lead to peace. One person at a time, one community at a time and then one group of communities. Humanitarian works of Rotary will do more to reduce conflict and terrorism than all the armies of the world put together.”
Bill Boyd 23/9/2012.
As a delegate I would like to thank all involved in putting this conference on and especially PDG Ray King the Secretary and PDG Fred Loneragan the Chairman. The troops who worked so hard behind the scene including Doug Masterton, John Gray, Paul Murray and a host of others.
Wagga Wagga Peace Conference Continued Inter Faith Service
Sunday Morning we visited Rotary Peace Park in Wagga Wagga where we had an inter-faith peace service. Music provided by the Kapooka Military Band. There was a Peace Flag raising as well as the planting of a tree by PRIP Bill Boyd, Mayor Kerry Pascoe and PDG Fred Loneragan.
Wagga Wagga Peace Conference Continued Dinner
Saturday night we had dinner and great fellowship at he Wagga Wagga RSL Club.
The dinner speaker was Bob Fels from the Rotary Foundation Rotary International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution.
Dinner was great and the decorations by Rae Loneragan were well done subtle and peaceful.
Wagga Wagga Peace Conference Continued Day 2
It has been another almost 2 days of this wonderful Peace Conference in Wagga Wagga this weekend.
Saturday had many excellent speakers and we met some outstanding Rotary Peace Fellows.
Wagga Wagga Peace Conference
Today being International Peace Day 2012 was a fitting way to start the Wagga Wagga Peace Conference. We had three members form Coolamon Rotary attend, Neil Munro, Dick Jennings and John Glassford. Presentations today included welcome to Wiradjuri Country by Elder Uncle Stan Grant. Mayor Rotarian Kerry Pascoe and the Hon Michaeal McCormack. Speakers were of the higehst quality including Professor John Braithwaite, Dr Barbara Ferguson, Jenn Weidman form the Centre of Peace Studies at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and Professor Jake Lynch from the Centre for Peace Studies at the University of Sydney.
Congratulations to PDG Fred Loneragan and PDG Ray King for organising this special event which deserves our full support.
Coolamon Rotary News Bulletin #11
Coolamon Rotary News Bulletin #11
MEETING September 17th. 2012
DISTRICT GOVERNOR VISITS COOLAMON ROTARY
Today DG Greg Brown and his wife Lyn Brown paid us a visit for the annual Governor’s visit.
L-R Mark Reardon, Christine Atkinson, John Burns, AG Alan Sharp, Grahame Miles, Garth Perkin, Paul Weston, DG Greg Brown, Lyn Brown, Ian Jennings, Henk Hulsman, Ian Durham, John Glassford.
Wagga Wagga peace Conference
REMINDERS
Rotary Peace Conference Wagga Wagga September 21st. – 23rd.*Monday 24th September 2012 Guest Speaker the Hon. Michael McCormack MP Federal Member for Riverina Gilbert Catering.
Tuesday October 2nd Joint Meeting at Junee Rotary Club. ALL members are asked to attend this important meeting in Junee. *Partners and Guests Night.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT SAKUJI TANAKA
RI President Sakuji gets around this week he is in Brazil. I hope that you enjoy reading about his travels.
While attending the RI Institute for Zones 22 &
23A in Vitória, Brazil, RI Director José Antonio F. Antiório and City Councilman Sergio Magalhães presented me with this certificate making me an honorary citizen of Vitória. Thank you so much, and I look forward to visiting Brazil again soon.
ブラジル訪問中、ヴィトーリアの名誉市民の称号をいただき感激いたしました。いつの日かこの美しいヴィトーリアの街を再訪問できることを願っています。
The RI Institute for Zones 22 & 23A in Vitória, Brazil helped Rotary gain traction in this region, due in large part to generous support from past RI presidents D.K. Lee and Luis Vicente Giay, RI Director José Antonio F. Antiório and Trustee Antonio Hallage. Thank you all for making this meeting a success.
Brazil will be the host of the Rotary Convention in 2015 from 5-8 June 2015 in São Paulo, Brazil.
Sao Paulo Night Club and other scenes of Brazil.
SASA DESIGNS AT UNEKE
As promised I have managed to get some lovely jewelery made by the deaf ladies at Sasa Designs in Nairobi. UNEKE in Wagga have them and will be selling them in their shop. If you need a unique African gift for a lady then here is a way to help the deaf ladies in Nairobi. The Sasa Designs project is being managed by a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from California, Megan MacDonald. Here are some of the pieces now at Uneke.
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
A busload of politicians were driving down a country road when all of a sudden, the bus ran off the road and crashed into a tree in an old cockie’s paddock.
The old cockie, after seeing what had happened, went over to investigate.
He then proceeded to dig a hole to bury the politicians.
A few days later the local policeman came out, saw the crashed bus, and asked the old cockie where all the politicians had gone.
The old cockie said he had buried them.
The policeman asked the old cockie, “Were they all dead?”
The old cockie replied, “Well, some of them said they weren’t, but I didn’t believe them.”
A man and his ever nagging wife went on vacation to Jerusalem. While they were there, the wife passed away.
The undertaker told the husband, “You can have her shipped home for $5,000 or you can bury her here, in the Holy Land, for $150.”
The man thought about it and told him he would just have her shipped home.
The undertaker asked, “Why would you spend $5,000 to ship your wife home, when it would be wonderful to be buried here and you would spend only $150”.
The man replied, “Long ago a man died here, was buried here, and three days later, he rose from the dead. I just can’t take that chance.”
{Thanks to Tom Telfer of ROTI fame for these jokes}
Too Cute Part 3
ROTARY INFORMATION
Rotary Youth Program for Enrichment (RYPEN)
The aim of Rotary Youth Program for Enrichment is to provide an enriching and challenging experience for Year 9 high school students. The weekend camp is a balance of social interaction, adventures and speakers to assist the students in developing life skills. RYPEN provides students with a wider experience than many have previously had. They interact with Rotarians and their peers from across the District and undertake challenging activities and adventures.
Coolamon RYPEN Team 2011 with Rtn. Leslie Weston
District 9700 Committee Members
Name Position
Neil Pinto(Chairman) Wollundry-Wagga Wagga
David Mills (Bathurst)
Greg Conkey (Wollundry Wagga Wagga)
Geoff Breust (Wollundry Wagga Wagga)
Darren Wallace (Wollundry Wagga Wagga)
Contact the committee members by visiting here
RYPEN 2012: – Borambola Sport and Recreation camp approximately 13km east of Wagga Wagga on the Sturt Highway
Dates are Friday 23, Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 November 2012
Buses are organised to transport students from across the District:
– A coach travelling between Bathurst and Wagga Wagga will pick up and drop off participants to the north of Wagga Wagga.
– A minibus travelling between Griffith and Wagga Wagga will pick up and drop off participants to the west of Wagga Wagga
D 9700: RYPEN WEB SITE
Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka
Governor of District 9700 Greg Brown
Coolamon Club President Paul Weston
Coolamon Club Secretary John Glassford
Coolamon Club Treasurer Henk Hulsman
Coolamon Rotary Club Inc. P.O. Box 23 COOLAMON N.S.W. 2701
Websites of Interest
NEW! ROTI Rotarians On The Internet September Newsletter
Coolamon Rotary Club: http://coolamonrotary.com
Road MAPS to Africa a Coolamon Rotary Project: http://www.mountainsofthemoon.org/
Rotary Down Under on line: http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/26587/49598/pub
Rotarians For Fighting AIDS AUSTRALIA: http://theork.com/
Our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: http://www.rotaryhoutbay.org
Don’t forget to regularly check our club web site for current information such as bingo rosters and various newsletters from the District Governor, the School of St. Jude’s, the monthly membership on the move newsletter as well as several other club bulletins.
Never Too Old to Work or to Join Rotary.
The average age of the employees at the Vita Needle Company, a needle and tubing factory near Boston, is an amazing 74 years.
Rosa is now 100 years young and still working at Vita Needle!