Neil Munro introduced our guest speaker Michael Gibbons. Michael goes to school at the Kildare Catholic School in Wagga Wagga and is currently in year 9. Michael is 15 years old and has dreams of playing AFL football one day. Michael supports Hawthorn and plays for Coolamon.
Michael spoke about his trip of his young life so far when he was selected to represent New South Wales in the under 15 team to travel to Perth to play and train in the carnival there for all teams in Australia.
The whole trip culminated in Michael being selected for the All Australian Under 15 side.
Before the trip Michael detailed his journey which included playing the Leeton Under 17s and winning by 100 points. Michael also went to Albury with the Catholic Schools team and was named player of that carnival. It was here that Michael was selected for NSW.
The journey to Perth included visiting Subiaco Oval to watch West Coast train and also a visit to the Freemantle Jail. The football was exiting and they had mixed results winning some and losing some. Michael was runner up for the best and fairest for NSW and was 3rd overall in the carnival.
Michael finished by thanking our club for the support. All present were very impressed with this young man and we wish him well with his dream to play AFL for Hawthorn one day and we are confident that he will.
L to R: Brendon Gibbons, Michael Gibbons and PP Neil Munro
And we’re back! The sun is shining, the birds singing and summer in Belgium is here! Monday the 14th June, a sad day. My oldie Julia (American) parted Belgium at 8am headed to the sunny state of California! The next day I attempted exams. Not my most favourite thing even when I can understand the question! But I manage to write a couple of pages of answers whether they are correct or not is another hurdle. As I am reading back through my diary I am realising that June has been an interesting month!
The next important thing that happened to me was that my tooth decided to die! After getting hit in the mouth with a hockey ball last year my tooth has been trying to decide whether or not to die. The major changing in temperature made up its mind and I had to visit the dentist. Not as scary as I thought it would be. At first we though I would just get antibiotics to stop an infection but instead I got root canal therapy! You should try speaking French that isn’t perfect, with a numb lip! Quite funny!
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And I’d like to take this chance to thank everyone in Rotary District 9700 for granting me this fantastic opportunity, and especially John Kirk who has helped me through some sticky situations, and Coolamon Rotary for sponsoring me.
Hope everyone is enjoying the rain that I sent over for you!
Yours from the land of chocolate. Millie Butt Belgium
Left Coolamon Rotary President Ian and Coolamon Lions President Neil cooking up a storm
Last week Narelle and Greg Guthrie from Coolamon lost all their possessions and their home in a house fire.
Rotary and Lions from Coolamon along with many other Coolamon groups organised a fund raising day to help the Guthries. There was a bowls tournament, golf match, BBQ, childrens’ slide, musicians from Coolamon and the famous Rotary Chocolate Wheel in action. On top of this the Coolamon Fire Brigade were there supporting the day along with many Coolamon folk and residents of the Coolamon Shire.
The day was a wonderful example of how a small town looks after it’s own in times of strife.
The show to watch is the October 3rd show because of its interview with Melinda Gates, the CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, discussing what their Foundation was going to do with their money. She said “25% of the funds are going to help the American kids get the best education possible;” and then she said that the Foundation was tackling the following three diseases in this order: 1) HIV/AIDS, 2) Malaria, and 3) Mother to Child deaths BECAUSE THEY ARE THE DISEASES OF THE POOR, THERE WAS NO MARKET FOR THEM…no one was doing anything about it. They mentioned their fight of Polio with Rotary International as well.
Go to the start on 28 minutes unless you want to watch the whole show.
Our District Governor Neal Fogarty and Barbara Fogarty made the annual DG’s visit to our club last night. It was a fun meeting and DG Neal gave us a spirited talk and praised the work being done by our club. Although small we punch above our weight with local and international community service.
Posing for the DG
A full report will be published in this week’s bulletin. Thank you Madison Durham for the photo.
Read about some positive developments in the fight against polio: 21st August 2010
. {Taken from the Monthly Update from the Pakistan Polio Plus Division}.
Afghanistan On the Border – after a recent outbreak in neighboring Tajikistan, Afghan officials are trying new approaches to ensure that the polio virus doesn’t enter through the border. Six permanent polio immunization booths have been erected at border crossing checkpoints, where military personnel are immunizing children before they enter the country. Drops are also being given in unlikely places, including at weddings, in female prisons, and on trains and buses. Despite insecurity that has hindered access in some restricted areas, case counts have remained steady, with 13 polio cases reported this year, compared to 13 at the same time last year.
Horn of Africa Celebrating One Year Polio Free –As of 30 July 2010, the Horn of Africa, including Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, has once again been declared polio-free after an outbreak in 2009 threatened that status. The last case of polio reported there was in July 2009.
India Indian Rotarians Engage Muslim Leadership – Rotarians recently organized a meeting in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh to encourage the Muslim leadership to support polio eradication activities in the area. Uttar Pradesh accounts for 10 of the 27 polio cases reported in India during 2010. The meeting resulted in a strengthening of relations between the Ulemas and Rotarians, and future meetings are being planned to continue the collaborative effort.
Nigeria Nigeria receives high praise from African Union Leaders – At their summit in Kampala, Uganda, the African Union praised Nigeria’s efforts to eradicate polio. As of 4 August 2010, Nigeria is reporting 6 polio cases compared to 365 at the same time last year. Dr Mohammed Pate, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) cited increased political engagement among all stakeholders as key to the dramatic success in reducing cases.
Pakistan Polio cases have indicated an alarming rise from FATA & KPK region in the last 2 months. Total number of confirmed polio cases (as on 25th of August, 2010) = 43. Details are: 25 type-1 cases; 18 type-3 cases.
The Polio Plus Truck
Advertising on the side of a truck in Karachi
Above: Some images from Karachi showing publicity for the National Immunization Drive for Polio translated the board says: ‘National Immunization Drive’ – Get rid of polio with two drops of polio vaccine for every child, every time.
Polio NID April 2009 at Area Manzari Cheen Bezai Mohmand Agency FATA Pakistan, by a former Rotarian of Rotary Club Peshawar D3270 Pakistan.
