Coolamon Rotary Bulletin for January 2024

Click on the links below for the weekly bulletins from January:

Bulletin for Week of 29/01/2024

Bulletin for Week of 22/01/2024

DIARY

N.B. You are always welcome to bring guests to most of our meetings,  just advise Ian Jennings if you want to bring a guest along when you respond to the weekly dinner roll call!

Monday 5th February 2024 – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7.00 pm.

Monday 12th February 2024 – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7.00 pm.

Monday 19th February 2024 – Board Meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 5.15 pm.

Monday 19th February 2024 – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7.00 pm.

PETS & Learning & Development for all incoming Presidents Elect, Board Members, New Members and Directors.

• Fri Mar. 08, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. – Sun Mar. 10, 2024 at 12:00 p.m.  Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, 6 Beach Road, Batemans Bay.

OR

• Fri Mar. 22, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. – Sun Mar. 24, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. Cootamundra Ex-Servicemen’s & Citizens Memorial Club, Cootamundra.

Saturday 25th – Wednesday 29th May 2024- Rotary 24 SINGAPORE Convention.

 

https://convention.rotary.org/en-us/

 

*Friday 25th- Sunday 27th October 2024. D9705 Conference.  Mittagong RSL.  Bookings open now for early bird registrations:  https://www.discon24.com/

 

JUST FOR LAUGHS

N.B.  ALL of the above images were obtained from Facebook

 

1.  D9705 CONFERENCE 2024

Having now attended 20 DISCONS since I became a member of CRC I can testify to the benefits of attending our annual DISCON.  It looks like with regionalisation that the 2024 DISCON could be the last.  Attendance to our DISCONS has been dropping for some time now even with the merging of D9700 and D9710 with over 2,000 members, the DISCONS have not been supported.

So do yourselves a favour and register for the 2024 DISCON in Mittagong.

2.  OUR TRACY UPDATE

We heard from Tracy Ochieng this week and Tracy is going well.

Tracy is looking to get a scholarship to study in Europe or the USA for her masters degree.  Tracy is not looking for help form our club and will move onwards with Kenyan Rotary clubs.  Tracy’s future is looking wonderful and we are very proud of her success to date.

 

January is Vocational Service Month

 

Graphics by Debbie Vance from Canada

 

ROTARY CLUB OF COOLAMON Inc. 2023-24

Chartered March 3rd, 1971; Sponsoring Club Narrandera Rotary Club

• President: John Bond
• President-Elect 2024-2025: Adrian Lindner
• Secretary: Paul Weston
• Treasurer: Mary Potts
• Membership Director: Leslie Weston
• Service Projects Director:  Adrian Lindner
• Youth Services Director: Scott Mudd
• Club Admin Director:  Henk Hulsman
• Public Image Director: Grahame Miles
• Sergeant @ Arms: Dick Jennings
• Immediate Past President and Vice-President: Paul Weston
• Bulletin Editors: Paul Weston and John Glassford
• Webmaster: John Glassford

 

 

MEETING OF OCTOBER 10th

President Paul welcomed 18 members and our guest speaker Richard Thompson.

Paul presented Garth with a stubby holder and program from the 100th Illabo Show as Garth had to miss the 100th as he was busy doing work for Rotary.

Albert reported on the recent Driver Awareness day for Coolamon Central School and we made a net profit of $140, another good example of Rotary at work in our community by catering for the event. Volunteers included Albert, Garth, Mary, Howard and Daryl.

Daryl reported on the Gears & Beers weekend where 1200 riders came through Coolamon in the Dirty 130 event.    Wollundry Rotary have done it again with 2,4000 registrations and a great weekend eventuated.  Some 1750 ANZAC cookies were baked by our volunteers. Thank you to all members and friends of Rotary that helped on the day (and before!).

Paul called for players for the business houses bowls competition.

The Lions Club of Coolamon has invited CRC to their meeting on Wednesday, October 19th. We have accepted their offer and have decided to cancel our meeting of 17th October. So far 19 names of members and partners have been put forward.

Albert advised the meeting that the recent tree planting on Leary’s Lane went well.

A major topic for discussion was the upcoming Garden Viewing in Coolamon.  Grahame read out the roster for those members who are volunteering their time on the two days (Sunday 16th and Saturday 22nd October).  The list has been sent via email to all members.

Grahame brought up the question of our involvement in NYE this year and suggested that we discuss the matter at the next board meeting.

John G reminded all members present that the AGM is 4 weeks away (Monday 7th November) and that all board positions are vacant apart from the President-elect (John Bond).

GUEST SPEAKER

Richard (Dick) Thompson, brother of the late Bill Thompson, was our guest speaker for the night.  Dick lives in Yorkshire England and has done so for the past 34 years.  Dick started his career as a lawyer at Junee with Commins Hendricks and met his wife, a GP  from England, in Tennant Creek and through his love of Aussie Rules.

The Thompsons live in a country area in Yorkshire surrounded by farms, sometimes a cold place, however Dick now prefers the cold to the heat of Australia.  They live between Sheffield and Leeds in a small town called Penistone.

Dick and his wife have been looking after a displaced Ukrainian lady and her 2 children who are eligible to stay in England for 3 years, and who receive benefits and are able to work from day 1.  This was an inspiring story that Dick related to us and good on them. Dick Jennings and Albert have visited Dick in Yorkshire. Albert thanked Dick for his talk and presented him with a Coolamon token of appreciation.

The evening finished with another spirited fines session by Garth and his side kick Dick.  Again no one was spared and it was a great way to end the meeting.

 

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DIARY

*N.B. You are always welcome to bring guests to most of our meetings, just advise Ian Jennings if you want to bring a guest along when you respond to the weekly dinner roll call!

Saturday 22nd October – Coolamon Garden Viewing.  There will be five gardens on display, three on house blocks and two on acreage. Registration will take place at 26 Doubleday Lane.  Cost is $15 per adult with children under 16 free.

Monday, 17th October – No meeting (meeting shifted to Wednesday meeting with Coolamon Lions Club).

Wednesday, 19th October – Joint meeting with Coolamon Lions Club.  An evening with local singer/guitar player Leo DeKroo.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 7:00 for 7:30 pm.

Friday-Sunday 21st-23rd October – District Conference.  Joyes Hall, CSU campus, Wagga Wagga (details forthcoming). [NB The district conference will be moving to an October timeslot as of this year, which is why we’re having two district conferences in 2022).

Monday, 24th October – Club Assembly.  Discussion of CRC involvement with Coolamon New Year’s Eve Festival among other important items.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Friday-Sunday 28th-30th October 2022  – Rotary Zone 8 Conference (Canberra). Rotary Australia New Zealand and Pacific Islands Conference

Monday, 31st October – Social evening. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Monday, 7th November – CRC Annual General Meeting. including election of office bearers for 2023-2024. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

 

 

JUST FOR LAUGHS

 

 

 

 

THE PUZZLER

Answer to the last puzzlers: 

Easier one: your name

Harder one: ENT (the letters provided were the first letters of the numbers one through seven)

This week’s puzzlers: 

Easier one: Your dad tells you that he will pay you $6.00 an hour to wash your hands before dinner. If it takes 6 seconds to wash your hands, how much will you get paid?

Harder one: What well-known items do these sequences of letters represent? 1) ROYGBIV, 2) QWERTY, 3) PRNDL, 4)  SCUBA, and 5) EGBDF. Extra credit: What do the letters in SNAFU stand for?

 

 

ROTARY NEWS

 

1.  DISTRICT 9705 CONFERENCE

• PDG Sarita McLean, Rotary Int President’s Rep
• CSU Vice Chancellor  Professor Renee Leon PSM
• Mark Balla The Toilet Warrior
• Peter Morris from Reconciliation Australia
• Our very own DG Geraldine Rurenga

As you all know by now Susan and John Glassford travelled to Kenya for our star pupil’s graduation day in Nairobi.

From this day in November 2011 to this day in September 2022 it has been one of the most worthwhile parts of my life and that of PDG Fred Loneragan who has supported Tracy all along the way.

There will be a full report and a presentation to our members at a date to be decided.  This ends the first chapter and the beginning of a new chapter on Tracy’s life.

Above Tracy and her parents with Susan.

 

 

OCTOBER IS COMMUNITY ECONOMIC & DEVELOPMENT MONTH

Graphics by Debbie Vance from Canada

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 19th

President Paul welcomed 16 members and one guest (Matthew Higgonson) to our weekly meeting. “Bear” Pattison reported that the Marrar Campdraft Association was very appreciative of the assistance provided by members of CRC in manning the gate on September 17th and will be making a generous donation to the club. Thanks to those members who assisted on the day. Much of the meeting was taken up with planning for two upcoming major events, Beers & Gears (2nd October) and the garden viewing (16th and 22nd October). Final postings of members for Beers & Gears will be discussed at our next weekly meeting (26th September) and baking of ANZAC biscuits will take place on Saturday (24th September). Mary Potts generated a bit of envy when she described her recent hot air balloon ride over Temora and surrounds. Mary will share photos of her adventure at a later date, but it must have been an impressive sight to see the vast acreages of blooming canola in the district (but she also reported seeing flooded paddocks to the north and east that were anything but yellow because of the extremely wet weather we’ve endured this winter). The meeting concluded with another rousing fines session led by S@A Garth and his offsider, Rotary Dick. The major raffle prize was won by Craig Lambert.

 

DIARY

*N.B. You are always welcome to bring guests to most of our meetings, just advise Ian Jennings if you want to bring a guest along when you respond to the weekly dinner roll call!

Monday, 26th September – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7.00 pm.

Sunday 2nd October – Daylight Saving Starts at 2.00 am – clocks go forward one hour.

Sunday 2nd October – Gears and Beers.  Roster to be set at meeting of 26 September.

Monday 3rd October – NO MEETING (Public Holiday).

Monday, 10th October – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7.00 pm.

Sunday, 16th October – Coolamon Garden Viewing.  There will be five gardens on display, three on house blocks and two on acreage. Registration will take place at 26 Doubleday Lane.  Cost is $15 per adult with children under 16 free.

Saturday 22nd October – Coolamon Garden Viewing. Details as above.

Friday-Sunday 21st-23rd October – District Conference.  Joyes Hall, CSU campus, Wagga Wagga (details forthcoming). [NB The district conference will be moving to an October timeslot as of this year, which is why we’re having two district conferences in 2022).

Friday-Sunday 28th-30th October 2022  – Rotary Zone 8 Conference (Canberra).

Rotary Australia New Zealand and Pacific Islands Conference

Monday 7th November CRC Annual General Meeting including election of office bearers for 2023-2024.

 

BABY PHOTO COMPETITION – WEEK 4

 

Who is the Rotarian Above?  First correct answer gets a free raffle ticket at the next meeting.

Last week’s entry above: No one guessed that the Rotarian above was a much younger President Paul.

 

 

JUST FOR LAUGHS

 

 

 

THE PUZZLER

Answer to the last puzzlers: 

Easier one: Albert is Don’s uncle.

Harder one: a map

This week’s puzzlers: 

Easier one: What belongs to you, but everyone else uses it?

Harder one: What are the next three letters following this sequence: OTTFFSS?

 

 

 

ROTARY NEWS

 

1. Regionalisation pilot for Rotary Zone 8 (that’s us!)

Zone 8, which coves Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands, is planning to embark on a pilot plan to develop alternative administrative structures overseeing Rotary activities. The plan seems a bit vague because the governance structures are intentionally left unspecified to allow flexibility in adapting new structures as needs arise, but RI is to be commended in allowing this sort of exploration to happen even though it has the potential to diminish the role of RI in the day-to-day operations in the zone. At the end of three years, the experimental structures will be evaluated and decisions regarding their merits of adopting some or all of he alternative structures will be made. Before the pilot can begin, however, there needs to be buy-in by the clubs in Zone 8. Club presidents are voting on behalf of their clubs through 29th of September.

For more information on the regionalisation plan, click here.

 

 

SEPTEMBER IS BASIC EDUCATION & LITERACY MONTH

Graphics by Debbie Vance from Canada

 

 

 

Week of 25 January

Our first regular meeting of 2021 took place on Monday, 25 January. IPP Daryl Breust welcomed twenty members and several guests. This was a general catch-up meeting welcoming members back from the Christmas break and an opportunity for long-overdue fellowship.  Grahame gave a rundown of the Monster Raffle, which produced a tidy profit to be shared among the Coolamon-Ganmain Hospital, Allawah Lodge, and the club.  Thanks are due to the Monster Raffle committee for their superlative effort to make this happen. The meeting concluded with the weekly raffle, which was won by Chez.

 

AUSTRALIA DAY

Hope you all had a Happy Australia Day!

Click on Kylie or on the link below.

https://youtu.be/WP-39Qq4OQc

 

DIARY

Monday 2nd February – Regular meeting.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Friday 26th February Neil and Clare Munro’s Clearance Sale starting at 9.00am volunteers needed please contact Dick Jennings for details on how you can help.

Monday 1st March – COOLAMON ROTRY’S 50th BIRTHDAY PARTY 

Our District 9705 Governor Dr. Michael Moore AM and PP Helen Moore will be our honoured guests.

Friday 19th-Sunday 21st March 2021.  District 9705 Conference in Bathurst.

 

BOOKING FORM HERE

The main program is on Saturday and Sunday,  20^th and 21^st March in Bathurst, with a Welcome Reception on Friday evening at 5pm. The details for reception are:

The Welcome Function is an informal event being held at the Bathurst Motor Racing Museum at Mount Panorama, Bathurst which is at the entrance to the Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit. It is an impressive museum.

An informal BBQ Dinner will be served by Bathurst Rotary Clubs.  The cost is $27 per person and Rotarians will register and pay for the function on the Booking Website which will go live as soon as the District Board approves the finances.  Note that the museum is only able to hold 300 guests at the venue outside, with 200 inside being the maximum allowed under Covid rules.

 The Motor Racing Museum is a very interesting venue with a large number of racing cars.

 Drinks will be available for purchase from the Museum.

 The format is informal; smart casual dress and BBQ meal.  DG Michael Moore will make a short welcome speech at an appropriate time.

The conference will take place in the Bathurst Entertainment centre not the Convention centre as advertised above.

SPEAKERS HERE

SPEAKERS

 

JUST FOR LAUGHS

In recognition of Australia Day, this essay from Douglas Adams, author of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (a little long, but worth the read!):

AUSTRALIA AND AUSTRALIANS

“Australia is a very confusing place, taking up a large amount of the bottom half of the planet. It is recognisable from orbit because of many unusual features, including what at first looks like an enormous bite taken out of its southern edge; a wall of sheer cliffs which plunge into the girting sea.

Geologists assure us that this is simply an accident of geomorphology, but they still call it the “Great Australian Bight”, proving that not only are they covering up a more frightening theory, but they can’t spell, either.

The first of the confusing things about Australia is the status of the place. Where other landmasses and sovereign lands are classified as continent, island or country, Australia is considered all three.

Typically, it is unique in this.

The second confusing thing about Australia is the animals. They can be divided into three categories: Poisonous, Odd, and Sheep. It is true that of the 10 most poisonous arachnids on the planet, Australia has 9 of them. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that of the 9 most poisonous arachnids, Australia has all of them.

Any visitors should be careful to check inside boots (before putting them on), under toilet seats (before sitting down) and generally everywhere else.

A stick is very useful for this task.

The last confusing thing about Australia is the inhabitants.

A short history: Sometime around 40,000 years ago some people arrived in boats from the north. They ate all the available food, and a lot of them died.

The ones who survived learned respect for the balance of nature, man’s proper place in the scheme of things, and spiders. They settled in and spent a lot of the intervening time making up strange stories.  They also discovered a stick that kept coming back.

Then, around 200 years ago, Europeans arrived in boats from the north.

More accurately, European convicts were sent, with a few deranged people in charge. They tried to plant their crops in autumn (failing to take account of the reversal of the seasons), ate all their food, and a lot of them died.

About then the sheep arrived, and have been treasured ever since. It is interesting to note here that the Europeans always consider themselves vastly superior to any other race they encounter, since they can lie, cheat, steal and litigate (marks of a civilised culture they say), whereas all the Aboriginals can do is happily survive being left in the middle of a vast red-hot desert – equipped with a stick.

Eventually, the new lot of people stopped being Europeans on ‘extended holiday’ and became Australians. The changes are subtle, but deep, caused by the mind-stretching expanses of nothingness and eerie quiet, where a person can sit perfectly still and look deep inside themselves to the core of their essence, their reasons for being, and the necessity of checking inside their boots every morning for fatal surprises. They also picked up the most finely tuned sense of irony in the world, and the Aboriginal gift for making up stories. Be warned.

There is also the matter of the beaches. Australian beaches are simply the nicest and best in the world, although anyone actually venturing into the sea will have to contend with sharks, stinging jellyfish, stonefish (a fish which sits on the bottom of the sea, pretends to be a rock and has venomous barbs sticking out of its back that will kill just from the pain) and surfboarders. However, watching a beach sunset is worth the risk.

As a result of all this hardship, dirt, thirst and wombats, you would expect Australians to be a sour lot. Instead, they are genial, jolly, cheerful and always willing to share a kind word with a stranger. Faced with insurmountable odds and impossible problems, they smile disarmingly and look for a stick. Major engineering feats have been performed with sheets of corrugated iron, string and mud.

Alone of all the races on earth, they seem to be free from the ‘Grass is greener on the other side of the fence’ syndrome, and roundly proclaim that Australia is, in fact, the other side of that fence. They call the land “Oz” or “Godzone” (a verbal contraction of “God’s Own Country”). The irritating thing about this is… they may be right.

TIPS TO SURVIVING AUSTRALIA

Don’t ever put your hand down a hole for any reason – WHATSOEVER.

The beer is stronger than you think, regardless of how strong you think it is.

Always carry a stick.

Air-conditioning is imperative.

Do not attempt to use Australian slang unless you are a trained linguist and extremely good in a fist fight.

Wear thick socks.

Take good maps. Stopping to ask directions only works when there are people nearby.

If you leave the urban areas, carry several litres of water with you at all times, or you will die. And don’t forget a stick.

Even in the most embellished stories told by Australians, there is always a core of truth that it is unwise to ignore.

HOW TO IDENTIFY AUSTRALIANS

They pronounce Melbourne as “Mel-bin”.

They think it makes perfect sense to decorate highways with large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep.

They think “Woolloomooloo” is a perfectly reasonable name for a place, that “Wagga Wagga” can be abbreviated to “Wagga”, but “Woy Woy” can’t be called “Woy”.

Their hamburgers will contain beetroot. Apparently it’s a must-have.

How else do you get a stain on your shirt?

They don’t think it’s summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle.

They believe that all train timetables are works of fiction.

And they all carry a stick.

THE PUZZLER

Answer to the last puzzler: 1) sand box, 2) long underwear, 3) tricycle, 4) 3 degrees below zero, 5) six feet underground, 6) just between you and me, 7) split level, 8) life after death.

This week’s puzzler:

If an apple costs 40 cents, a banana costs 60 cents and a grapefruit costs 80 cents, how much would a pear cost?

 

 

JUST IN ROTARY NEWS

Taipei RICON now a virtual convention which is understandable under the circumstances.  The next RICON will be Houston 2022 then Melbourne 2023. {RICON Rotary International Convention}

 

January is Rotary Vocational Service Month

Welcome Back!

After a brief hiatus for the silly season, the Rotary Club of Coolamon is back in action.  The first board meeting of 2021 was held on Wednesday (13 Jan), and our first regular meeting will take place on Monday, 25 January. Below are some pics from our Christmas party, which was held at the Coolamon Sport & Rec Club on 19 December.  We look forward to seeing all Rotarians at our meeting on Monday; remember to confirm you attendance plans with Ian.

CRC Christmas Party

 

DIARY

Monday 25th January 2021.  First regular meeting for 2021. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Monday 1st March 2021 COOLAMON ROTRY’S 50th BIRTHDAY PARTY 

Details to be announced in the New Year.  Our District 9705 Governor Dr. Michael Moore AM and PP Helen Moore will be our honoured guests.

Friday 19th-Sunday 21st March 2021.  District 9705 Conference in Bathurst.

THE PUZZLER

Answer to the last puzzler: 1) sand box, 2) long underwear, 3) tricycle, 4) 3 degrees below zero, 5) six feet underground, 6) just between you and me, 7) split level, 8) life after death.

 

 

January is Rotary Vocational Service Month

 

 

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Week of September 7th

This week’s meeting was just a bit of planning and fellowship.  Plans for the upcoming Monster Raffle were discussed, along with a range of projects including tree planting (to be done over the next couple of weekends), articles for the Chronicle, the return of Bingo, etc.  The meeting concluded with a raffle and fines by Sargent at Arms Albert, who this week fined himself.  In a touch of karma justice, Albert won the raffle.

 

OTHER NEWS

Beirut Calling – Rotary helps Lebanon

11 September 2020

Beirut Calling – Rotary helps Lebanon ACT Government donation welcomed

Rotary Clubs across the ACT and southern NSW, in Rotary District9705, have welcomed the prompt and generous donation of $5,000 from the ACT Government towards funds being raised by regional Rotary Clubs to support the Rotary Club of Beyrouth in Lebanon.

In response to the colossal 4 August explosion in Beirut’s port, theRotary Club of Beyrouth is focusing on supporting the paediatric section of the Karantina Government Hospital, which was severely afected by the explosion and will require funds for equipment and medical supplies.

Personal donations through the Rotary Club of Canberra.

Rotary District 9705 Governor Michael Moore AM

 

TRACY OCHIENG UPDATE

 

 

I just wanted to bring you up to date with Tracy’s progress and I will be brief:

• Tracy has been studying from home in Kisumu but has now returned to Nairobi.
• Tracy is still at the United States International University in Nairobi.
• Tracy is studying for her degree in journalism and graduates in September 2022.
• Coolamon Rotary is sponsoring Tracy and are paying her fees on time.
• PDG Fred Loneragan and I are supporting her with help when required.
• Fred and I are confident that Tracy will see it to the end and graduate and if we can travel by then I will be there in 2022.
• Sally Farmer has asked Tracy to write a monthly newsletter of life in Nairobi for our Coolamon Community Chronicle.  This will help her in her journalism degree in addition to providing readers with a view of life from a very different vantagepoint.
• Tracy’s goal is still to start her Big Sisters Project for Mathare to give vulnerable and at risk girls, like she was once, an opportunity that Tracy got when Fred and I met her in November 2011 in Mathare.

– John Glassford

DIARY

Monday, September  14th – Speaker meeting. Paul will give an update on COVID-19, following publication of interesting new findings by researchers at Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Wednesday, September 16th – Board meeting. The Old Coolamon Convent, 7:30 pm.

Saturday-Sunday 19th and 20th of September:  Zone 8 ZOOM Virtually Alice conference

Monday, September  21st – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Monday, September  28th – Speaker meeting. Guest speaker: TBA.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Monday, October 5th  – No Meeting (Labor Day Holiday)

Thursday, October 8th – BINGO.  Allawah Community Centre, 6:45 – 10:00 pm.  Roster: Paul (captain), John B, Dave and Brian.

Wednesday, October 14th – Board meeting. Coolamon The Old Convent, 7:30 pm.

Monday, October  19th – Club Assembly.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Monday, November 9th – Annual General Meeting.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Thursday, November 12th – BINGO.  Allawah Community Centre, 6:45 – 10:00 pm.  Roster: Grahame (captain), Garth, Bern and Alex.

Monday November 23rd – District Governor Dr. Michael Moore AM Visit via Zoom 6.30 for 7 pm

REMINDERS

Coolamon Rotary Club AGM Monday November 9^th 2020.  President-Elect Albert will be looking for volunteers to serve on his board for 2021-2022.  All positions are as a rule declared vacant at the AGM and will be filled on that night.  Please contact Albert if you are interested in serving on his board.

 

THE PUZZLER

Answer to the last puzzler: 1) add insult to injury, 2) a bit under the weather, 3) the ball is in your court, 4) let the cat out of the bag, 5) beat around the bush, 6) no one to blame, 7) yellow belly, 8) take from the rich and give to the poor, 9) three blind mice, and 10) green-eyed monster.

This week’s puzzler: You are in a room that has three switches and a closed door. The switches control three light bulbs on the other side of the door. Once you open the door, you may never touch the switches again. How can you definitively tell which switch is connected to each of the light bulbs?

 

ROTARY NEWS

1. ROTARY ACADEMY THE PHILIPPINES

Wednesday night is Rotary Academy night from District 3780 in The Philippines.  On the 9th last Wednesday PDG JG was invited to make a presentation on Rotary Action Groups and Rotary Fellowships.  It was a very well organised event with a large Zoom audience of 123 and an even larger live Facebook gathering.

JG was introduced by a Brigadier General Daway of the Philippines National Police,PNP, where they have a Rotary Club, Camp Crame in the headquarters of the PNP in Quezon City.  The Brigadier General is their President Elect.  The meeting started with an invocation and the national anthem of The Philippines.

Some photos from the evening in thumb nails just click on the thumbnail.

2. ROTARY CLUB OF EAST NASSAU

 

Hard to believe that it was 12 months ago that hurricane Dorian leveled the Island of Abaco.  We have now been able to send $2,500 to the RC of East Nassau and it has been received.  Thanks Henk Hulsman for your patience with this transfer.

 

3. ROTARY ZONE 8 CONFERENCE 2020

Don’t forget to register for the Virtually Alice conference on the 19th and 20th of September. In the meantime read the latest conference newsletter. Click the link below.

NEWSLETTER

 

 

September is Rotary Basic Education and Literacy Month

Graphics by Debbie Vance from Rotary Club of Ucluelet BC Canada

Week of July 13th

Things are returning to normal in our neck of the woods, with the Rotary Club of Coolamon meeting in person again this week.  We had a healthy roll-up, with 22 members in attendance.  Watch this space, however, because the recent COVID spike in Sydney has resulted in resumption of tighter restrictions on the size of groups meeting at restaurants in NSW.  We’ll know soon what impact this will have on our weekly meetings.  Let’s hope this “second wave” is short-lived and is not followed by subsequent waves, and that we’ll find a way to continue meeting in person.  We’ll miss Albert’s lively fine sessions (accompanied by jokes that claim to pertain to unlucky members of the club).  Bruce was this week’s victim–you’ll have to come to meetings if you want to hear these gems!

Our monthly Bingo resumed last week, but attendance was very light (not surprising because of the winter weather and the lingering concerns about COVID among our regular players, most of whom are in a high-risk age group). The Bingo committee will be meeting to discuss ways to increase participation in Bingo.  Club members are encouraged to attend and have a go.

President Howard’s board met for the first time this week, and covered quite a bit of territory.  We ran out of time to discuss Howard’s goals for the year, so this will be a topic of discussion at our upcoming Club Assembly on 3 August.  Members are encouraged to attend that meeting in particular to hear what Howard hopes to accomplish this coming year and to provide input into the planning process.  This will be an excellent opportunity for your voice to be heard!

 

JUST FOR LAUGHS

I changed my iPad’s name to Titanic. It’s syncing now.

When chemists die, they barium.

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

I know a guy who’s addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop any time.

How does Moses make his tea ? Hebrews it.

I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.

This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I’d never met herbivore.

I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can’t put it down.

I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.

They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a Type-O.

PMS jokes aren’t funny – period.

Why were the Indians in America first ? They had reservations.

We’re going on a class trip to the Coca-Cola factory. I hope there’s no pop quiz.

I didn’t like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler: There are 6 feet on the floor: four from the bed and your two feet.

This week’s puzzler: Can you solve this riddle?

Three lines in total,
Seventeen syllables long.
Can you guess my name?

 

DIARY

Monday, July 20th – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Monday, July 27th – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Monday, August 3rd – Club Assembly. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Monday, August 10th – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Thursday, August 13th – BINGO. Allawah Community Centre, 6:45 – 10:00 pm.  Rostered: Daryl (captain),  Alex, Chez, John N.

Monday, August 17th – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Wednesday, August 19th – Board meeting. Coolamon Convent, 7:30 pm.

* denotes partner & guest night

 

REMINDERS

Please get your working with children check completed and give the number and expiry date to the secretary ASAP. Failure to do so may mean you are not covered insurance wise when you volunteer at events.

 

First bulletin of the Rotary Year

At long last, we were able to meet in person for a Rotary meeting, just in time (or almost) for our changeover.  Because of COVID restrictions, we could not have any guests at the changeover, so it was a more subdued event than our typical changeover, but it was a cheerful event nonetheless because we could finally meet in person.  We welcomed Howard Atkinson as our new president, along with his board for 2020-2021: Henk Hulsman (Treasurer), John Glassford (Secretary), Albert Suidgeest (President-elect and Service Projects Director 1), Dave McKinley (Service Projects Director 2), Grahame Miles (Public Image Director), Neil Munro (Foundation), Anne Rzeszkowski (Youth Director), Dick Jennings (Membership Director) and Paul Weston (Club Administration Director).  We wish Howard and his board a productive year ahead, which will hopefully not be as eventful as the past one!

In addition to our changeover, the evening featured the induction of our newest member, Chez Post.  Chez will occupy the classification of Horse Handler and be mentored by her beau, Alex. We look forward to having Chez as as part of our active little club!

We’ll be meeting in person again on Monday nights, so we look forward to members crawling out of the woodwork, or wherever they’ve been hiding during the COVID lockdown, and joining us for fellowship and Rotary business on Monday evenings.

 

JUST FOR LAUGHS

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last puzzler: 414. The trick to this one was the values of the clocks  and the calculators.  The clocks were not worth 7 each, but the time shown on the dials, and the calculators were not worth 10 each but rather the value of the numerals shown on the displays, which happened to be 10 (1+2+3+4) in the example equation but only 9 (1+2+2+4) in the solving equation.  Finally, the order of operations was critical; according to the laws of algebra, multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction.  Thus, three lightbulbs (worth 3 x 15 = 45) times 9 (the sum of the numerals on the calculator) is equal to 405, plus 9 (the time shown on the clock) is equal to 414.  For fear of being lynched, I promise not to post such challenging puzzlers in the future!

This week’s puzzler: Can you solve this riddle?

You walk into a room and there is a bed.  On the bed are two calves, four dogs, one cat, three chickens and a goose.  How many feet are on the floor?

 

 

DIARY

Monday, July 13th – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Wednesday, July 15th – Board meeting. Coolamon Convent, 7:00 pm.

Monday, July 20th – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Monday, July 27th – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Monday, August 3rd – Club Assembly. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Monday, August 10th – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Thursday, August 13th – BINGO. Allawah Community Centre, 6:45 – 10:00 pm.  Rostered: Daryl (captain),  Alex, Chez, John N.

* denotes partner & guest night

 

REMINDERS

Please get your working with children check completed and give the number and expiry date to the secretary ASAP. Failure to do so may mean you are not covered insurance wise when you volunteer at events.

 

 

Final bulletin of the Rotary Year

The last several months have been a challenging time for all Australians and for people around the planet, but Rotarians have risen to the challenge, with many clubs keeping up with weekly meetings (albeit not in person) and continuing with their fundraising programs to benefit those in need.  Coolamon Rotary was forced to suspend publication of our community newspaper (The Coolamon Community Chronicle) and operation of our monthly bingo, but we’re excited to announce that Coolamon Rotary Bingo will resume from the 9th of July.  Even more exciting is that we will resume meeting in person as of tomorrow (July 5th), and will be able to have our changeover in person!  Of course, COVID restrictions mean we will have to modify how the activities are run (mainly in terms of limiting the number of people allowed at indoor venues, including our changeover), but at least we’ll be able to see each other in the flesh instead of as video images on our computers or other devices!

Apologies for not getting any issues of the bulletin out during the month of June, but frankly I was challenged to keep up with routine activities as a result of COVID-induced cabin fever (not being able to work in a familiar work environment and having severely limited interactions with colleagues), which resulted in depression and anxiety.  With the easing of COVID restrictions and with the help of a psychologist, my mental state is returning to normal, and hopefully our “new normal” will more and more resemble the lifestyle we knew before the COVID-19 lockdown began.  We hope to see all Coolamon Rotarians at our changeover tomorrow to welcome Howard Atkinson as our new president (along with his board) and Chez Post as our newest Rotarian, and to farewell and congratulate outgoing president Daryl Breust, who led the Coolamon Rotary ship with a steady hand in unpredented times.

Be well and best wishes for the future.

Paul Weston, Bulletin editor

 

JUST FOR LAUGHS

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last puzzler: 1) Misunderstood, 2) A walk in the park, 3) One in a million, 4) Looking back, 5) You’re under arrest, 6) Stand by me, 7) Walking on ice, 8) I see you understand, 9) Belong.

This week’s puzzler: Can you solve this mathematical puzzler?

 

 

 

DIARY

Monday, July 6th – Coolamon Rotary Changeover. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club 6:30 for 7:00 pm. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, there will be no guests allowed.

 

* denotes partner & guest night

 

REMINDERS

Please get your working with children check completed and give the number and expiry date to the secretary ASAP. Failure to do so may mean you are not covered insurance wise when you volunteer at events.

 

June is Rotary Fellowships Month

 

Meetings of May 18th and May 25th

President Daryl welcomed the usual 13 or so members and guest Chez Post to both the online club meetings, held via  ZOOM technology.  It would be great if we could see a few more of you on the screen so we don’t forget what you look like!                                                     

Present on screen:    President Dary, Paul, John G, Henk, Grahame, Ian, Neil, Anne, John N, Howard, Alex, Chez Post, Albert and John B.

Apologies: Myffy, Garth, Dave and Dick

President Daryl welcomed all those on screen to the digital meeting.

Before we viewed a video on ‘Sex Under the Oceans’, some topics discussed included:

Coolamon Rotary Local Telephone Book 

It was suggested that a timeline be established, with distribution of the directory to occur around the middle of 2021, A mass mailing of a flyer requesting updated details from all households in the shire.  Concern was expressed about chasing up advertisers in the current economic climate, so it was suggested to wait until at least later this year or early next year when society is starting to get back to some sort of normality.

Coolamon Community Chronicle 

Sally Farmer has agreed to take on some of the work of putting together the Chronicle, especially as managing editor, with some help from Anne when Sally and Don are away. Sally will need help with chasing up advertising, collection of the newspaper from the printery & distribution of the hard copy to the numerous outlets in Marrar, Coolamon and Ganmain. Daryl has offered to collect the printed copies each month, leaving some at the Marrar outlets on his way home & Anne has offered to help distribute them in Coolamon & Ganmain.

John Bond talked on the progress of the in-depth application he has submitted for funding for the CCC, to the amount of $45,ooo.  If successful we will be able to employ a managing Editor (Sally F), an IT specialist to work on an online version, a marketing guru and a fair bit of hardware, such as a fast printing machine, etc.  Daryl thanked John for his extensive efforts in his work with the application.

Donations to our local Hospital & Allawah Lodge

A cheque will be presented to Pam at the hospital on Wednesday for $3000, from Bingo money, to purchase a Spirometer,  plus another cheque for $2000 for another essential item. 

Then a cheque for $2000 will also be presented to Simone at Allawah Lodge, which they have indicated will be used to purchase a lifter to help seat elderly patients in their chair.

These presentations will be advertised in various local media outlets over the next month or 2.

Coolamon Club Changeover on Monday, June 29 

The Board voted to have the Changeover on Zoom as there are too many ‘hurdles’ having it at the Sports Club, even if it is members only with no guests.

General business

• Chez Post is interested in becoming a member of our Club
• Lyn Schadel has unfortunately indicated her intention to resign due to health issues. We wish her well with an improvement in her health.
• Tree planting of natives along the new bike track was discussed & the difficulty in obtaining suitable species at this time. John B, Albert, Ian & Paul will follow up in chasing up some plants.

Our guest speaker for the night was Dr Marah Hardt of Harvard University, who gave a most interesting and surprising talk on the sex life of sea creatures.  The talk was actually a TEDx talk, which you can view by clicking here.  It’s only 12 minutes long, but you’ll find it time well spent.

The meeting closed at 8.30 on the dot, with Daryl thanking those who attended.

 

JUST FOR LAUGHS

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last puzzler: 1) A cut above the rest, 2) Forgive and forget, 3) Tongue in cheek, 4) Crossroads, 5) Painless operation, and 6) Backwards glance.

This week’s puzzler: Can you decipher the following rebus puzzles?

 

 

DIARY

NB: All face-to-face Rotary events have been cancelled until further notice because of the coronavirus pandemic.  Board meetings will be held as previously scheduled but will be virtual meetings (conducted via Zoom).  Regular meetings will be held via Zoom on a trial basis starting on 30 March.

Monday, June 1st – Regular meeting. Zoom, 7:30-8:30 pm.

June 6-10th – RI Convention, Honolulu.

*Monday, June 29th – Coolamon Rotary Changeover. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club.  ZOOM?

* denotes partner & guest night

 

REMINDERS

Please get your working with children check completed and give the number and expiry date to the secretary ASAP. Failure to do so may mean you are not covered insurance wise when you volunteer at events.

 

May is Rotary Youth Service Month