Coolamon Rotary News Bulletin #32
MARCH IS ROTARY’S WATER & SANITATION MONTH
MEETING MONDAY MARCH 14th. 2016
Another great meeting at Coolamon.
Dr. Paul Weston thanks Dr. Allan Ernest of CSU for his amazing talk on gravitational waves.
The club was treated to an excellent presentation Monday night by Dr Allan Ernest, professor of astrophysics at CSU and a former resident of Coolamon. Allan gave a thoroughly engaging talk describing the recent discovery of gravitational waves, how they were detected, and the significance of this discovery for science and humanity. Even though much of the content was challenging to understand because it dealt with concepts that were unfamiliar to most of us, Allan did a great job explaining things and illustrating his points with very helpful graphics.
The full significance of the findings actually remains to be seen, but Allan likened their potential impact to the changes that followed Galileo’s exploration of the heavens with a telescope. Although gravity waves are very difficult to detect, the technological advances required to detect them will likely have scientific applications far beyond cosmological research. The engagement of the audience with Allan’s talk was evident from the extensive number of questions asked of the speaker at the end of his talk. Paul thanked Allan for his excellent talk and presented him with our usual token of appreciation, a kangaroo hide change purse.
The ShelterBox fundraiser for victims of the cyclone in Fiji is on for Ganmain on Saturday morning. Rostered on from 8:00-10:00 are Wayne, Trevor, Ted, Myffy, Bernie, and Don; Leslie, Paul, John and Garth are rostered on from 10:00-12:00.
Diary Reminders
Saturday March 19th ShelterBox in Ganmain.
Sunday March 20th International Night Committee Meeting in Coolamon at 5.00 pm
Monday March 21st Temora Aviation Museum joint meeting with Temora Rotary.
We are meeting at the Coolamon Golf Club at 5.45 pm to collect meeting badges and organize vehicles etc. BYO drinks and glasses.
Saturday March 26th Rotary Easter Markets. Up-to-Date Store 9.00 am start.
Monday March 28th Easter Monday NO MEETING
Monday April 4th TBA
Sunday April 10th District Assembly Club Directors Training at Grenfell High School 9.00 am start.
Wednesday April 13th Board Meeting
Thursday April 14th BINGO Roster: Ian Durham (Capt) Wayne Lewis, Paul Weston, Leslie Weston.
Friday 22nd – Sunday 24th April 2016 D9700 Conference in Wagga Wagga.
*Saturday May 14th International Night at the Ganmain Hall in aid of RAGES Inc.
Saturday 28th May 2016 – Wednesday June 1st Seoul RICON South Korea 
*Partners and Guests Night.
Apologies for Monday meetings call Ian Jennings on 0428 492 157 BY FRIDAY 12.00 pm.
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
WINDOWS
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
K.R. RAVINDRAN “RAVI”
Rotary International President K.R. Ravindran met with the President of Rwanda Paul Kagame to discuss how Rotary can work with Rwanda to enhance their health sector.
Here’s why I joined Rotary. Why did you? I would like to hear about your experiences, your accomplishments and your favorite moments. Share your Rotary Story by adding a photo, a video or just a few sentences:
DISTRICT GOVERNOR GARY ROBERTS D 9700
D9700 2016 DISCON in Wagga Wagga.
District 9700 Web Site
Conference Chairman:
ROTARY INFORMATION
“You basically chose your career based on personal interest and hoped you could find a job,” says Montanez, senior director of investment for Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. “I went the route of getting married and having children first, and started my career later in life. I had no model for how to do that.”
That changed for Montanez the day a friend invited her to join Rotary.
“Frankly, I was dragged into Rotary. I didn’t see a connection at first,” says Montanez, who’s been a member of the Rotary Club of Washington, D.C., since 2003. “But then I met several women, including Doris Margolis, who took me under her wing and started mentoring me on how to get more involved. I began seeing the value in having someone I could count on as a mentor, and I have become more of a leader in our club, in my community, and at work.”
Rotary’s mentoring opportunities motivated Montanez, Rotary’s alternate representative to the Organization of American States, to help organize an event for International Women’s Day, 8 March. The event, to be held at the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington, will feature Deepa Willingham and Marion Bunch, both previously honored as Rotary Women of Action. Rotary International Director Jennifer Jones will moderate the event, which will be streamed on World Bank Live.
RAGES NEWS
One Fight Unite RAGES want to thank David Pocock most sincerely for signing the ‘SAY No’ poster. David signed the poster shortly after the match recently played in Perth Western Australia showing his support for the campaign even though he had just sustained an injury.
David Pocock, a rugby player extraordinaire grew up in a farming area in Zimbabwe. Due to political unrest in this country his family moved to Brisbane, Australia to start a new life in 2002.
David captained the Australian U20s at the Junior World Championship in 2008 and later that year made his Wallaby debut against New Zealand in Hong Kong. In 2010 he was awarded the John Eales Medal. In 2011 he played in the Rugby World Cup.
Rhino horns are piled up before being burned during the Global Rhino Horn Burning Ceremony on the eve of World Rhino day at Dvur Kralove zoo in Dvur Kralove September 21, 2014. REUTERS/David W Cerny
(Reuters) – An executive with a Beverly Hills gallery and auction house has pleaded guilty of conspiring to smuggling at least $1 million in animal products that included rhino horn and elephant ivory, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday.
Joseph Chait, 38, a senior auction administrator with I.M. Chait Gallery/Auctioneers, could be sentenced to up to five years in prison on the wildlife smuggling charge, the U.S. Justice Department said.
He also faces a maximum prison term of five years after pleading guilty to violating a federal law that bans trade involving illegally gained wildlife, they said.
Chait falsified customs forms by stating ivory and rhino horn were made of bone, wood or plastic. After a rhino carving sold at auction for $230,000, Chait made false documents putting the value at $108.75, and saying the object was made of plastic, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Lawyers for Chait were not immediately available for comment.
The case comes as conservationists and law enforcement officials in the United States and globally have been trying to crack down on the illegal trade in products from the two threatened species.
Rhino horn sells at prices higher than gold in places such as Vietnam, where a belief with no basis in science has emerged in the past few years that it can be used to cure cancer.
South Africa, which has more rhinos than any other country in Africa, saw nearly 1,200 of the animals killed by poachers in 2015, its environment ministry said.
RAGES WEB SITE JOIN RAGES HERE.
ONLY IN AFRICA KENYA
FOOTNOTE
Making up a meeting. It is customary in Rotary that when you travel to another area away fomr your club that you attend the nearest Rotary Club to make up a missed meeting at your own club. I do not do this as a habit or because I have ot but because I want to. Meeting other Rotarians in other ares around teh world is one way of making great new friends and learning about that club and the area that they represent.
This week I attended the Rotary Club of Beechworth in NE Victoria. A delightful town and very pretty this time of year being Autumn. The members at Beechworth made Susan and I very welcome indeed. The meeting was a membership night where Beechworth invited prospective members to attend and learn about Rotary and what Rotary does.
President George Browne welcomed all the members and the prospective new members and invited a few including myself to do a 5 minute spot.
The banner reflects the work that Beechworth Rotary Club has done for the Beechworth Chinese Gardens.
Bulletin Editor and Web Site: John Glassford
Yours in Rotary
John Glassford Chair 2014 -2016
Rotary International President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran
Governor of District 9700 Gary Roberts
Coolamon Club President Wayne Lewis
Coolamon Club Secretary Paul Weston
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
Mount Kenya 2015 Web Site incorporating the ORK: http://theork.com/
Our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: http://www.rotaryhoutbay.org
Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species RAGES: http://www.endangeredrag.org/#