Coolamon Rotary News Bulletin #23

CHRISTMAS BUMPER EDITION

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

DO NOT TELL THE CHILDREN ABOUT THIS:

DECEMBER IS DISEASE PREVENTION & TREATMENT MONTH

MARJ THOMAS

REQUIESCANT IN PACE

MEETING December 11th. 2017

Another great turnout of 18 members and several guests.  President Paul Weston welcomed all to our last meeting for 2017.  Our guests included our visiting medical student, Ning Zhang and her host in Coolamon Jenny Slater. Heather McKinley, Helen Lewis and Lexi Furner also joined us.

There was plenty of business discussed in between our chinese banquet as always special from Di and Gilbert.  There was a summary of the local school presentations of prizes and PE Daryl was most impressed with the students at Beckom Primary School.

Neil Munro introduced Ning Zhang who is studying medicine at the UNSW and is in her third year of medicine.   Ning is staying with Jenny Slater as part of the John Flynn placement programme.  This programme allows medical students to look at country practices with an eye to the future.

Ning is an Aussie born to Chinese parents and lives in Sydney with her parents and Ning’s mother is a Scout.  Ning thanked Jenny for her hospitality and went on to say that she will be back every year for the next 4 years.  Ning had nothing but praise for Dr Sumera Amir who now runs the Coolamon Medical Clinic and practice.  Ning said that Sumera works so hard and is instilling into her practice the duty of care for her patients and going above and beyond in their welfare.

Ning said that country practice is so different to the city and is enjoying here stay in  Coolamon.  Ning has been to a bush dance at Downside which is always a lot of  fun.  As were the visits to the Coolamon Cheese factory and the Junee Licorice and Chocolate factory.

One impression that stays with Ning was the ability to see stars at night!

Ning you will always be welcome in Coolamon.

Ning being presented with our kangaroo money pouch by PP Neil Munro.

REMINDERS

Wayne Lewis advised us that there will be a full load of firewood for the NYE raffle.

Will Cartwright brought up the chance of a grant from Wollundry RC for a defibrillator.  More on this  later.

John Nulty requesting that we provide a meal for the 1st Aid course in March 2018.

NYE raffle will now have the two major prizes:

Trailer load of firewood and a wheel barrow full of donated goods both valued at around $500 each.

John Glassford advised the meeting that this week would be the last time he can do the weekly bulletin.

THE CHRISTMAS PARTY 2017

Annual Christmas Party for Coolamon Rotary Club

Saturday December 16th

Saturday night at the Coolamon Convent an appropriate venue for our annual Christmas Party.  We are an irreverent mob, have fun and are not hung up on protocol or procedure.  It was the late PP Bill Innes who ingrained into me the culture of our unique club. I encourage all our new and not so new members to learn how we are unique and what makes us such a good club.  Coolamon is the most successful club in D9700 as far as recruiting and retaining members.

Thank you to Ann and Howard Atkinson for their warm and generous hospitality and for the use of this wonderful facility they are creating for Coolamon and beyond.  We all wish them every success  for the future.

Now the party in pictorial mode.  Read into the photos what you may, except for the table cloth!

Now the table cloth, Ivan, Lexi did a remarkable sewing job with your new shirt from a table cloth.  We know it has been a poor season crop wise mate, however using Ann’s table cloths for a shirt is not a good look!

Happy Christmas Lucia and I am sure that you will remember this Christmas for years to come.

Looks like we still have our priorities right as seeing Steve Smith make his double century was a genuine reason to delay dinner.

Thank you Paul for steering the ship over the past 6 months, it is not easy when you have a full time career, several hobbies all animal related, and being our President.  We look forward to the next 6 months under your leadership.

To all of my fellow Rotarians and your families I have enjoyed putting the bulletin together over the past 9-10 years, off and on, mostly on.  It is not easy to produce a bulletin small or large.  Our bulletin goes to many different people around our District and to clubs in Kenya, South Africa, USA, Canada, England and a few others.

It is also published on our Facebook page where we have nearly 600 followers.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

I will be back!

You can follow our progress as DG here:

DG JG 9700 2018-2019

P.S. Nota Bene!

The bulletin requires an editor as of January 1st 2018.  So far no one has come forward to be that person.  I have to stop being your editor as the workload of being a DG 2018-2019 is increasing daily.  I also have to give up being Chair of RAGES until at the earliest July 2019.  You all must decide on what you will do for the bulletin and in what shape it will take.

This is my last bulletin for a couple for years.  Happy to train whomever puts their hand up and will support them until they get the hang of our bulletin.

SOMETHING LIGHT!

DIARY.

New Year’s Eve ALL HANDS in Coolamon.

Sunday 14th January to Saturday 20th January 2108 Rotary International Assembly in San Diego.  DGE John Glassford will represent District 9700 and the Coolamon Rotary Club.

*Monday 15th January 2018  FIRST Meeting for 2018 Farewell to Jackson Wykes on his journey to Finland for 12 months.

Thursday February 8th 2018. BINGO. Henk (Capt.), Rod, Dick, Alex.

Saturday & Sunday, March 4th & 5th, 2018. PETS (President Elect Training Seminar). Coolamon will be represented by PE Daryl Breust.

Sunday, March 5th, 2018. D9700 Assembly. ALL 2018-2019 Coolamon Club Board Members to attend.  Young, 09:00-16:00

Thursday March 8th 2018, BINGO Neil Munro Capt, Dave McKinley, Don Dyce, Leslie Weston

Saturday & Sunday, May 5th & 6th, 2018. District 9700 CONFERENCE. Roxy Theatre, Leeton.  Book accommodation early!

Saturday 23rd June to Wednesday 27th June Rotary International Convention in Toronto Canada.

Register Here Today Early Bird Discounts Three Days to go:

I have been to seven RI Conventions Toronto looks like a ripper.

Click on the thumbnails for an idea of what you get at a RI Convention.

As above: Chicago 2005, Los Angeles 2008, Montreal 2010, Bangkok 2012, Sydney 2014, Seoul 2016, Atlanta 2017.

*Saturday June 30th 2018, District 9700 and Coolamon RC Changeover Dinner at the Ganmain Hall.

Above May 2014 African Night at the Ganmain Hall with 280 seated to dinner, great night!

———————————————————–

*Partners and Guests Night

Apologies for Monday meetings: call John Nulty on 0439 459 196 BY FRIDAY

OUR CENTENNIAL TWIN CLUB HOUT BAY

I want to take this opportunity to write a wee bit about our Centennial Twin Club, the Rotary Club of Hout Bay, near Cape Town.  It was for the plight of HIV/AIDS orphans that I joined Rotary.  Susan and I visited Cape Town in 2002 and visited Mfuleni township in Cape Town.  I contacted several good friends on our return and after a kind donation of $1,000 in 2002 we simply had to do something with the problem.  The money was given to me by Dr. Nunce D’Angelo whom I first met in 1975 playing hockey for Randwick.  We have been great friends ever since and it was this money that led me to joining Rotary in 2003.

Nunce is kneeling directly in front of JG.

This $1,000 has turned into $300,000 for our Coolamon Road MAPS to Africa projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Cote d’iVoire (the Ivory Coast) and South Africa.  With two grants from our Foundation one of which helped construct Coolamon House in Hout Bay. This club Hout Bay punches above it’s weight and we are proud to be their twin club. We have visited Hout Bay 6 times now in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2015. Here are a few photos of those visits:

Above one of those rare moments where a club in another country presents one with a Paul Harris Fellow presented to Rtn. John Glassford in Hout Bay in 2007 following the Kilimanjaro Climb.

HOUT BAY ROTARY CLUB WEB SITE

LATEST NEWS FROM HOUT BAY 15th December 2017 

Hi John,

I know your club will be delighted to see your student  Azola being capped at her graduation Ceremony.  She studied Public Management and passed her final year with 6 distinctions. Azola has decided to stay one more year and complete her Honours degree. You will be delighted to know I have sourced another Australian family (the Horwoods) to sponsor Azola for 2018. Your Club has done so much for Hout Bay Rotary that I felt it was the right thing to find alternative financing.

The Horwoods are from Melbourne and are delighted to be involved in our Clubs Bursary scheme. They are sponsoring our Club with 4 Bursaries in 2018 much to our delight. I introduced the Horwoods to The Spirit Foundation (Cape Town Based)early this year and they have confirmed 12 Bursaries for them as well .

Also introduced them to The Hout Bay Lions Club who are now confirmed to receive 4 Bursaries from the Horwoods.  All wonderful news for us back here. Please give our best wishes to your Club and a big thank you for helping us educate Azola.  Incidentally  the Horwoods have for the past year also been sponsoring a Qualified Teacher in Early Learning at a Cresh in IY. Absolutely amazing. Incidentally they are not Rotarians.

Lots of Love from Lyn and Myself and all in our Club

Butch Liebenberg

DISTRICT GOVERNOR ELECT NEWS:

The call is out for a District Governor for the new District that we will become on July 1st 2020  The name will most likely be District 9705.  Nominations are being asked for to fill this position. The D9705 Governor nominating committee meets on March 10th to select the DG from the nominations received and the DG Selection Committee will be the following:

From D9700 DG George Weston, DGE John Glassford and DGN John McKenzie

From D9710 DG Steve Hill, DGE Margaret Hassall and DGN Peter Ford

Chair PDG Stephen Humphries D9675

There will be 6 Area Governors each with 15 clubs to help the Governor.  The new DG will not be required to attend every club and can even have cluster meetings where more than one club exists within a reasonable radius.  As well the Area Governor can take the place of the DG for the annual club visits.

Below is a flowchart of how the process of joining forces with D9710 will be done.

The TRG has the same people as the DG Nominating committee i.e. the G ‘ Train without the independent Chair.  the TMT is now appointing experienced Rotarians to the various Focus Teams who have the job to produce a system of management for all our points of interest.

District 9700 Board 2018-2019

The 2018-2019 D9700 Board is coming together nicely and the restructure is going to work and work well.  DGN John McKenzie and DG George Weston are committed to making it work, as are the others on this much smaller Board:

District Governor John Glassford {Membership & Public Image} Coolamon

District Governor Elect John McKenzie {Service} Orange North

District Governor Nominee {New District} To be appointed

Immediate Past District Governor George Weston {Youth} Leeton

Foundation Director DRFC PDG David Kennedy {Foundation} Blayney

Secretary PP David Benn {Administration} Wollundry Wagga Wagga

Treasurer Finance & Audit PP Doug Conkey {Budget} Wollundry Wagga Wagga

Other District Appointments

Executive Secretary and Web Master PP Paul Murray Wollundry Wagga Wagga

District Trainer PP Geraldine Rurenga Wagga Wagga Murrumbidgee

PETS Facilitator PDG Tony Monley D9810

Public Officer PDG Ian Tooke Blayney

2019 Griffith D9700 Conference Chair PP Ross Grillo Griffith

DIO Insurance/Risk Management PP Sam Catanzariti Griffith

COL 2019 Representative PDG Gary Roberts

We are still looking at appointing two more Assistant Governors.

We are also looking at the structure of all the Standing Committees and the Special Committees.

We will post all further news on D9700 2018-2019 on my DGJG Blog:

DG JG 9700 2018-2019

FOOTNOTE

This will have to be my last bulletin for some time, for this wonderful Rotary club that I have served for 14 years and now entering my 15th year.  I enjoy every meeting and all that we do.  I have made some very good mates over the years and visited many clubs in D9700, around Australia and the world, especially Kenya my home.

Above all Rotary has changed my life like nothing else could do.  It is a privilege and an honour to be called a Rotarian and Service Above Self is our motto.  Our club is growing well and we have a great future for our service to our community both here in the Shire of Coolamon, Australia and over the seas.   We are all volunteers and we should always remember that and not to take too much too seriously above all have fun and enjoy the opportunities that Rotary gives us to just feel good!

As Susan and I prepare for 2018-2019 as the District Governor D9700, I just want to show a brief glimpse of our journey after being introduced to Rotary by PP David Benn from Wollundry Wagga Wagga RC.  David introduced me to PP Grahame Miles and several weeks later I joined Coolamon.  So in pictorial form I share my journey with you and there have been many many highlights, too many to put into this bulletin.

So here is a link to the pictorial story:

The Journey so far 

However my proudest Rotary moment was being awarded the Service Above Self Award by then RI President D.K. Lee.  As Rotary’s highest honour for individual Rotarians, this award recognizes up to 150 Rotarians annually, who have demonstrated exemplary humanitarian service, with an emphasis on personal volunteer efforts and active involvement in helping others through Rotary.  Current District Governors, RI Directors, and Past RI Directors may nominate up to three candidates by 1 September each year. Only up to 150 Rotarians from the 1,239,532 Rotarians in 35,660 clubs from 540 Districts in 220 countries in the world today, are selected for this award annually.

Below PRID Guiller E. Tumangan pins the SAS pin onto JG with PDG Fred Loneragan looking on. This was at the 2009 Griffith D9700 Conference.

A Friendly Reminder

John Nulty is looking after the apologies for our Monday meetings; could you please make sure you let John know if you are unable to attend a meeting so catering can be finalised before the meeting. John can be contacted on  or 0439 459 196.

ROTARY CLUB OF COOLAMON Inc. 2017-2018

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL 2017-2018

President Ian Riseley RC of Sandringham Melbourne

President Elect Barry Rassin RC of East Nassau The Bahamas

District 9700 Governor George Weston RC of Leeton

District 9700 Governor Elect John Glassford RC of Coolamon

District 9700 Governor Nominee John McKenzie RC of Orange North

Aussie Jingle Bells-

Dashing through the bush,
in a rusty Holden Ute,
Kicking up the dust,
esky in the boot,
Kelpie by my side,
singing Christmas songs,
It’s Summer time and I am in
my singlet, shorts and thongs
*
Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia
on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.
*
Engine’s getting hot;
we dodge the kangaroos,
The swaggie climbs aboard,
he is welcome too.
All the family’s there,
sitting by the pool,
Christmas Day the Aussie way,
by the barbecue.
*
Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia
on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.
*
Come the afternoon,
Grandpa has a doze,
The kids and Uncle Bruce,
are swimming in their clothes.
The time comes ’round to go,
we take the family snap,
Pack the car and all shoot through,
before the washing up.
*
Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia
on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.