ANZAC DAY SUNDAY 25th APRIL

One of the most poignant photos of WWI:

George William Ladd Thomson, a sergeant in the Main Body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, is farewelled by his mother. He served in the New Zealand Medical Corps and left Wellington along with the 1st Reinforcements aboard 10 troopships on 16 October 1914. My father George Glassford was in the same convoy that day that left Wellington for Albany and then Egypt.

Week of 19th April

President Howard welcomed 19 members and one guest to our weekly meeting, which was largely a bit of a catch-up and fellowship.  A range of topics were discussed, including the upcoming District 9705 Rotary Club Development Seminars (previously called District Assembly), to be held in Young on 15th May.  President-Elect Albert encouraged all incoming board members (as well as any members in general) to attend.  Attendance is free of charge, but attendees need to register for catering purposes (and also to ensure that we do not exceed the limit of 200 imposed because of COVID restrictions).  So, if interested, please register at your earliest convenience (click here to be taken to the registration page).  Carpooling with other members will be an option.

As usual, the evening closed with an entertaining fine session led by Sergeant-at-Arms Albert and our weekly raffle.  Chez once again won the raffle, aided no doubt by the extra raffle ticket awarded for being the first to correctly answer the Puzzler from last week.

DIARY

Sunday 25th April ANZAC Day

Monday 26th April – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Saturday 15th May – D9705 Assembly. Young Services Club, Young.  9.00 am  – 5.00 pm.  Hennessey College Young.

* denotes partner and guest night

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Two Queensland Police Officers were conducting speeding enforcement on the Cunningham Highway, just west of the Amberley Air force Base at Ipswich.

The officers were using hand held radar devices to check speeding vehicles approaching the crest of a hill. The officers were suddenly surprised when their radar guns began reading 500 kms per hour.

The officer attempted to reset the radar guns, but they would not reset and then turned off. Just then a deafening roar over the treetops revealed that the radar had in fact locked on to an RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornet which was engaged in a low flying exercise near the location.

Back at the QLD Police Headquarters the Patrol Sergeant fired off a complaint to the RAAF Base Commander.

The reply came back in true RAAF style:

Thank you for your letter. We can now complete the file on this incident.

You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Hornet had detected the presence of, and subsequently locked on to your hostile radar equipment and automatically sent a jamming signal back to it, which is why it shut down. Furthermore, an Air-to-Ground missile aboard the fully armed aircraft had also automatically locked on to your equipment location. Fortunately, the Senior Pilot flying the Hornet recognized the situation for what it was, quickly responded to the missile system alert status and was able to override the automated defence system before the missile was launched to destroy the hostile radar position.

The pilot also suggests you cover your mouths when cursing at them, since the video systems on these jets are very high tech.

Sergeant Johnson, the officer holding the left radar gun, should get his dentist to check his left rear molar. It appears the filling is loose. Also, the snap is broken on his holster.

Thank you for your concern.
Wing Commander Brown, SFO
RAAF. Amberley. Ipswich, Qld.

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler: The song was ‘Happy Birthday’.

This week’s puzzler: I am used to bat with, yet I never get a hit. I am near a ball, yet I am never thrown. What am I?

ROTARY NEWS

1. THE ENVIRONMENT

2/.  DISTRICT 9705 ASSEMBLY

April is  Maternal & Child Care Month

Graphics by Debbie Vance McKay from Canada.