Bulletins

Rotary Club of Battersea Park London

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Rotary Club of Battersea Park

What some Rotary Clubs are doing this Christmas:

ROTARY CLUB OF BATTERSEA PARK LONDON

CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH AND TEA PARTY FOR THE ELDERLY PEOPLE OF WANDSWORTH

Do you want to have a fun Christmas but would like to do something worthwhile at the same time? Are you fed up with the meaningless commercial greed of Christmas and wish you could give some of your time as a gift to others?

If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then come to the Christmas Events Marquee in Battersea Park and help the Rotary Club of Battersea Park give a joyful Christmas Day party to elderly people who would otherwise be alone, without the company of family and friends, on Christmas Day.

We have been providing a special Christmas Day Party for elderly people for over forty years. From small beginnings, catering for only about fifty guests, the numbers have grown so much that over the years we have moved venues several times to cope with the demand. Now we are in a huge marquee in the ‘Battersea Evolution’ events arena in Battersea Park, kindly donated to us by Greg Lawson of Quantum Leap Events.

Rotary Club of Battersea Park London

World AIDS Day December 1st 2010

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Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge

Harbour Bridge World AIDS Day

Sydney Opera House in Red

Sydney Harbour Bridge World AIDS Day 2010

What are you doing for World AIDS Day?  How about joining Rotary and then becoming a member of Rotarians For Fighting AIDS.  Only $100 life time mebership go to the RFFA web site for details on what Rotary is doing for the World AIDS pandemic.

Join RFFA Today

Watch Bono and Austraian Prime Minister Julia Gillard turn Sydney Red

Welcome to Coolamon Rotary Lelsie and Paul Weston

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Last night we welcomed Leslie and Paul Weston to our club as members of the Rotary Club of Coolamon.  Their induction will take place soon.

The Weston Family

Paul, Leslie and Nicole Weston

The NSW Government has been successful in encouraging one of the world’s ‘best and brightest’ minds to relocate to inland NSW to carry out innovative research into the development of natural herbicides. Professor Leslie Weston, from Cornell University, one of the United State’s premier research universities, has relocated to the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus under the government’s Life Science Research Awards. The NSW Minister for Science and Medical Research, Ms Verity Firth said, “Professor Weston is a recognised leader in her field of research and her relocation to the state is a major scientific coup and will cement NSW at the leading edge of scientific research into natural herbicides.” CSU Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research), Professor Paul Burnett has welcomed Professor Weston’s move, stating it is a fantastic outcome for the University. The EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation is a collaborative alliance between CSU and the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Leslie was our guest speaker last Monday night.   Originally from Western in New York State, USA

A special congratulations also to Nicole Weston who made her riding debut in Australia at the National show. Nicki was Reserve National Champion in Amateur Western Pleasure and Reserve Jackpot Futurity Champion in Amateur Western Pleasure aboard Time To Be Radical! Way to go Nicki!

Dr Paul Weston, BS Cornell University; MS & PhD Michigan State University.  Paul also works at CSU in Wagga Wagga

  • Insect ecology and behaviour
  • Intergrated pest management
  • Isolation and identification of biologically active natural products
  • Simulation modelling of insect behaviour and population dynamics
  • Degree-day modelling of insect development
  • Invasion and establishment of exotic insect pests
  • Biological control of insects and weeds
  • Web-based information delivery.

We look forward to a long and mutually rewarding association with the Weston Family.

Their passion:

Theo

SING Campaign

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Annie Lennox is doing remrakable work for the AIDS orphans of Africa and here is one example of why we should all do our bit to help these, the most vulnerable children on the planet.

When Vilele and his brothers lost both their mother and father to AIDS, they became what is commonly described as a “child headed household”. There are an estimated twelve million orphaned children like them living in Sub Saharan Africa.

Since our first encounter 2007, the SING Campaign has followed their story. And with help from SING and the Treatment Action Campaign, their lives have been been supported and changed for the better.

THE GREAT COWRA ESCAPE.

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“On a showery, freezing morning we all travelled to Canowindra where we wandered around the town inspecting various shops and attractions, stopping for morning tea at “The Taste”, before heading to “The Age of Fishes Museum”.  This is a museum built especially to highlight the discovery near Canowindra, of fish fossils that existed before the age of the dinosaur. After that it was out to” Toms Waterhole Winery” for wine tasting and a lunch featuring homemade bread, cheese, pickles, olives etc. A Coolamon Rotary banner was presented to the winery proprietors to hang on their wall for future visitors to see. From there  we headed on to “The Falls Retreat”, a winery with 500 acres of grapes and a very impressive resort featuring a heated indoor pool, full beauty salon, massage tables, spray tanning room, and many more features, too numerous to mention.

After breakfast the next morning we all travelled to The Japanese gardens to see a very beautiful and well presented garden that remembers the POW camp and the Japanese inmates that were interred there during the Second World War. From there it was a short trip to see the relics of the actual site of the POW camp that housed Japanese, Italian, Chinese, Korean and Indonesian Prisoners of War. This was also  the site of the “breakout” by Japanese POW,s on the 5th August 1944 that resulted in the deaths of 231 Japanese POW’s and 4 Australian military guards.”

{As told by the escapees.}

Henk and Maureen Hulsman, Ray and Maria Foley, Max and Sue Chapman, Ian Durham and Christine Lorraine as well as Marg and Garth Perkin.

The escapees from Coolamon doing what they do best tasting some excellent wines from the Cowra and Canowindra region of NSW.


MICHAEL GIBBONS GUEST SPEAKER

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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

Millie’s Musings from Belgium Latest

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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

Read Millie’s full story here:

Millie Butt October 2010