Coolamon Rotary News Bulletin #26
FEBRUARY IS ROTARY WORLD UNDERSTANDING MONTH.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROTARY 108 YEARS OF SERVICE
BINGO
The month’s Bingo was held as always even though the numbers were down all had a good night. The raffle tickets went AWOL and ended up in Grahame’s shower or bathroom and we still do not know who or why. Volunteers were Dick Jennings, John Glassford, Neil Munro and Grahame Miles.
MONDAY MEETING
We had 11 members in attendance and the following guests: Val Burns, Ted Hutcheon, Alex Thompson, Wayne Lewis, Matthew Debronski and Rod Bartram. This week we had the pleasure of the company of Col Patterson who was our guest speaker. Col told us many facts about his long life in Coolamon. Col is especially proud of his work within the community of Coolamon. Recently Col was involved in the Coolamon Scarecrow festival, which was a huge success. Also Col was one of the founders of the Coolamon Historical & Advancement Society or CHAS. Col is looking at supporting a Cheese Factory Co-op for Coolamon. Col was also voted as Coolamon’s Citizen of the year in 1999.
Col sees the growth of Coolamon to some 3,500 in the years to come. Grahame Miles thanked Col and presented him with our Kangaroo money pouch. A good night of fellowship then ensued.
Some photos below of the meeting on Monday:
Alex Thompson and Matthew Debronski. Alex is going to attend RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) this year and alongside him is Matthew who has been on a RYLA course and spoke highly of his experience at RYLA. Our club will be sponsoring Alex to RYLA this year in Wagga Wagga.
Col Patterson, Grahame Miles and Dick Jennings.
PRESIDENT PAUL WESTON’S REPORT
President’s report
It’s been a fairly busy week in Rotary world. The week kicked off with a very enjoyable and well attended meeting at the Sport & Rec Club on Monday. Alex Thompson was introduced as our RYLA nominee for this year, and we got to hear a perspective on RLYA from one of last year’s participants, Matthew Debronski who clerks for Bill Thompson’s law firm. We also got to hear a very interesting perspective on RYLA from Ted Hutcheon, who was a RYLA participant many moons ago. The featured speaker for the evening, though, was Col Patterson, who was born in Coolamon in 1935 and has owned and operated many businesses locally. In addition to his many business interests, Col has helped organise many events to promote the shire, including last year’s inaugural Scarecrow Festival. It was inspirational to see what one individual can do with a bit of initiative and imagination.
I attended the Murrumbidgee Rotary Club’s weekly meeting on Tuesday, along with the presidents of many of the local Rotary Clubs. The guest speaker was Mary Sherman of the Rotary Club of Norman, Oklahoma. Surprisingly, Mary was there not to speak about Oklahoma, but rather the Rotary International convention to be held in Sydney in 2014. It really is a great opportunity to attend an RI conventional at minimal cost, so save the dates of 1-4 June, 2014 and plan to attend. If you are planning to attend, the sooner you make your reservation, the better, because registration fees steadily increase after December of 2013.
Click on the logo below for more information on Sydney 2014.
Our next meeting is a members’ meeting and will feature John Glassford recounting his life story (or at least the first 21 years, according to John!). Should be an interesting evening, so I hope to see you there!
Yours in Rotary,
Paul
DIARY REMINDERS
Saturday February 23rd and Sunday February 24th PETS at Young. (President Elect Training).
*Monday 25th February Club Member Night John Glassford “Into and Out of Africa My Story.” Club catering
George Glassford and John Glassford Kenya 1949
*Monday March 4th David Jenkins from Charles Sturt University Veterinary Department Guest Speaker. Gilbert catering.
Monday 11th March Business and Board Meeting Club catering.
Thursday, 14th March at 7.30 pm: Rotary BINGO – rostered on are – Henk Hulsman, John Burns, Grahame Miles and John Glassford.
*Monday 18th March Guest Speaker Ross Sinclair RAAF Forest Hill RAAF base speaking on the modern day Air Force. Gilbert catering.
*Monday 25th March Club Member Night Henk Hulsman. Club catering.
Saturday 29th March Rotary Community Easter Markets in the Up-to-Date-Store, complemented by ‘Grand Designs Coolamon Style’ & a main street full of 100 or so Hot Rod Cars.
Monday April 1st NO Meeting Easter Monday.
*Monday 8th April Max Chapman Europe on a Shoe String.
Friday 19th to Sunday 21st April 2013 D9700 Conference Leeton.
Saturday June 8th Coolamon Rotary Street Raffle.
June 23-26 2013 Rotary International Convention in Lisbon. RI Convention Lisbon.
*Monday July 1st our 42nd Change Over Night.
*Partners and Guests Night.
**West Wyalong Fellowship Night**
You are invited to a night of inspirational Rotary fellowship Wednesday 6 March 2013
7.00 for 7.30pm at the West Wyalong S&C Sports Club, Tallimba Rd.
Cost per head – $40 which includes a drink and dinner (Two courses main & dessert)
Guest Speakers are two inspirational former RI directors Stuart Heal and Tom Thorfinnson.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT SAKUJI TANAKA
15th February 2013
In Vienna, Austria I attended a Rotary event that included a concert of chamber music performed by Rotary alumni. The music was delightful and I want to thank both the Rotarians who organized the event and the musicians for a very memorable evening.
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
The Cranky Parrot
Jerry received a parrot for his birthday.
The parrot was fully-grown with a bad attitude and worse vocabulary. Every other word was an expletive. Those that weren’t expletives were, to say the least very rude.
Jerry tried hard to change the bird’s attitude and was constantly saying polite words, playing soft music, anything he could think of to try and set a good example. Nothing worked.
He yelled at the bird and the bird yelled back. He shook the bird and the bird just got angrier and became even more rude. Finally in a moment of desperation. Jerry put the parrot in the FREEZER.
For a few moments he heard the bird squawk and kick and scream. Then suddenly, there was a quiet—–
-Not a sound for half a minute. Jerry was frightened that he might have hurt the bird and quickly opened the freezer door.
The Parrot calmly stepped out onto Jerry’s extended arm and said: “I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I will endeavor at once to correct my behavior. I really am truly sorry and beg your forgiveness.”
Jerry was astonished at the bird’s change in attitude and was about to ask what had made the difference and caused such a dramatic change when the parrot continued: “May I ask what the chicken did???”
Stress Disorder
A woman accompanied her husband to the doctor’s office. After his checkup, the doctor called the wife into his office alone. He said, “Your husband is suffering from a very severe stress disorder. If you don’t do the following, your husband will surely die.” “Each morning, fix him a healthy breakfast. Be pleasant at all times. For lunch make him a nutritious meal. For dinner prepare an especially nice meal for him.
Don’t burden him with chores. Don’t discuss your problems with him, it will only make his stress worse. No nagging. And most importantly, make love with your husband several times a week. If you can do this for the next 10 months to a year, I think your husband will regain his health completely.”
On the way home, the husband asked his wife. “What did the doctor say?” He said you’re going to die,” she replied.
ROTARY INFORMATION
SHELTER BOX AUSTRALIA
February 14th 2013
It has been a while since we reported on Shelter Box Australia. As always Shelter Boxes have been deployed in many parts of the world these past few months. Shelter Box is still one of Rotary’s best projects and continues to grow. Closer to home Shelter Boxes have been deployed to the Solomon Islands following the recent earthquake and tsunami there.
Relief supplies have begun trickling into tsunami-hit communities in the Solomon Islands, as another powerful aftershock rattled the Pacific nation in the wake of last week’s 8.0-magnitude earthquake.
The New Zealand High Commissioner Mark Ramsden announced yesterday that “New Zealand is committed to helping a friend and neighbour at a time of need,” Mr Ramsden said.
“These supplies, many of which have been generously donated by New Zealand businesses, will go some way to meeting the needs of people on Santa Cruz who have lost almost everything in the tsunami.”
ShelterBox SRT’s Lyndon Tamblyn and Owen Smith both from New Zealand are now on the ground in Honiara working with our partner World Vision and local Rotarians to get their much needed supplies to families in need.
BUCKET LIST
ALASKA
Rotary Club of Anchorage Alaska District 5010.
The RC of Anchorage has 250 members
We meet Tuesdays at 12:00 PM
Dena’ina Center
600 W 7th Ave
Anchorage, AK 99501
United States
Jon Deisher from the RC of Anchorage sent us the following photos from India where he is part of the Alaska polio NID (National Immunisation Days) this year:
The Taj Mahal from the rear photo by Jon Deisher taken 19th Feb 2013
CAUSES WORTH SUPPORTING
Rotary worldwide to help save rhino
Over 900 killed in 2013 in South Africa alone.
Click on the logo below to see what we can do:
Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka
Governor of District 9700 Greg Brown
Coolamon Club President Paul Weston
Coolamon Club Secretary John Glassford
Club Treasurer Henk Hulsman
Coolamon Rotary Club Inc. P.O. Box 23 COOLAMON N.S.W. 2701
Websites of Interest
Coolamon Rotary Club: http://coolamonrotary.com
Road MAPS to Africa a Coolamon Rotary Project: http://www.mountainsofthemoon.org/
Rotary Down Under on line: http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/26587/49598/pub
The Orphan Rescue Kit a Coolamon RC Project: http://theork.com/
Our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: http://www.rotaryhoutbay.org
Don’t forget to regularly check our club web site for current information such as bingo rosters and various newsletters from the District Governor, the School of St. Jude’s, the monthly membership on the move newsletter as well as several other club bulletins.