Week of 27th September

President Albert welcomed 21 members and 4 guests to our weekly meeting  Guests included Erica from France, Jack Hooper, and Dan and Sheree Smith (guest speakers). Apologies from Chez and Alex Thompson who are in self isolation due to possible Covid contact.

• Albert reported that he had sold one load of firewood, raising $200 for our social committee.
• Albert brought several flats of tomato plants for sale at $2.00 each.  Proceeds will go to the social committee.
• Albert  announced that he bought $400 worth of wine for members’ birthday gifts.

INDUCTION OF NEW MEMBER MARY POTTS

PP Dick Jennings inducted Mary Potts into our club with assistance from sponsor Albert.  Mary has the classification of Accountant (Retired).  Thanks to Paul Weston for making Mary’s dinner badge.

Welcome Rotarian Mary!

GUEST SPEAKERS DANIEL AND CHEREE SMITH

Coolamon residents Daniel and Cheree Smith gave a presentation on their scuba diving adventures in Jervis Bay.  Daniel and Cheree became hooked on diving several years ago, and have been diving regularly since.  Daniel has been a bit more gung-ho and has been certified to dive to depths of 32 metres, while Cheree is a bit behind, being certified to a maximum of 18 metres.  Being an avid photographer, Daniel has been shooting hundreds of pictures underwater, many of which he shared with us on the night.  Daniel showed photos of fish, eels, sharks and especially nudibranchs (sea slugs), Daniel’s favourite subjects.  Those in attendance were suitably awed by the stories shared by Daniel and Cheree, and the amazing diversity of underwater life relatively close to home.

Above are some of the pics shown by Daniel and Sheree, including an eastern blue devil, unnamed nudibranch, giant cuttlefish, weedy sea dragon, Sheree in a diving helmet, Port Jackson shark (which has to be the most ridiculous shark going) and typical diving gear.

Bruce Hamilton proposed a vote of thanks to Daniel and Cheree, and presented them with a memento of the Coolamon Rotary Club.

COOLAMON WETLANDS TREE PLANTING

Ian Jennings sent in these photos of the tremendous progress in planting trees in the wetlands area of Coolamon.  To date around 1,000 trees have been planted by Coolamon Landcare and numerous volunteers.

As usual, the meeting concluded with a fine session and weekly raffle.  The raffle was won by Dick, with minor prizes going to Anne and Ian.

DIARY

Monday 4th October – No meeting (public holiday).

Monday 11th October –  Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Monday 18th October – District Governor Leo Farrelly OAM Visit. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.  Probably via Zoom – to be advised.

Monday 15th November – CRC Annual General Meeting.  Nominations called for the President Elect Nominee 2023-2024 and the Board for PE Paul Weston 2022-2023.  Send your nominations to Paul and secretary John G–you can nominate yourself if interested in helping lead the club into the future.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler: The next sequence is 1,2,3,4,5,6. The rule that generates each new sequence in the series is to take the last number of the current sequence and put it first, then the first number, then the second from last, then the second, and so on.  The origin of this puzzler is the sestina, a form of poetry that uses this pattern of numbers to determine the last word of each stanza of six lines each (the same six words are repeated at the end of each line of the sestina in the pattern dictated by the sequence in this puzzle). If you’re still puzzled, have a look at Wikipedia’s description of a sestina.

This week’s puzzler:  Albert asked the members at a weekly meeting to find the sum of the first 50 odd numbers. As everyone settled down to their addition, Bondy ran to the head table and said, “The sum is 2,500.” Albert chuckled and said, “Lucky guess,” and gave him the task of finding the sum of the first 75 odd numbers. Within 20 seconds, Bondy was back with the correct answer of 5,625. How does Bondy find the sum so quickly?

ROTARY NEWS

1.  AFRICA MILESTONE 2021

National PolioPlus Committee members and Rotary members celebrate the certification of the AFRO-region as wild-poliovirus free. August 2021. (2020_182)

AFRICA POLIO MILESTONE

September is Basic Education and Literacy Month

Past President Marg Perkin Coolamon Rotary Club 2011-2012.

Yesterday Coolamon Rotary lost one of our own. Marg Perkin was loved and respected by all who knew Marg since she joined our club on the 3rd of August 2004.

Marg involved herself in all of our projects and never shied from volunteering to help our community.

Marg also got involved in helping those who needed her expertise in South Africa and, in particular, Hout Bay near Cape Town. Marg also used her talents to help enrich the lives of disadvantaged children in Cambodia.

Marg was also a volunteer in India with Dr. Alok Sharma and his Darkness to Light projects.

To Garth and Huw and all of your family and friends of Marg we extend our sincerest condolences.

We will miss your happy smiling face, Marg.  Below are some photos to commemorate Marg’s life in Rotary.

Here is a small sample of PP Marg Perkin’s life in our club:

Requiescant In Pace Past President Marg Perkin

Week of 20th September

President Albert welcomed 23 members to our weekly meeting; apologies from Bernadette, Alex and Chez.  A great roll up of members! Highlights from the meeting include:

• Induction of Mary Potts to our club will take place next Monday (27th September).
• Hospital survey: only 72 in the Shire have filled in the form, which must be completed by 6th October. Look for the email from John G from 16th September for details or just click on this link: https://tinyurl.com/Coolamon.
• Albert has delivered 15 beds to needy people in the Shire.
• Ian Jennings has 600 trees arriving to be planted in the wetlands. Contact Ian to find out when helpm is needed.
• Albert has 200 tomato plants of several varieties at $2 each, with funds going to the CRC Social Committee. They’ll be available from the 4th October; contact Albert to reserve yours.
• Ted Hutcheon has offered to store the timber from Susan Glassford once it is cut into manageable 2 metre lengths.
• Garth Perkin issued a challenge for all members to donate $10 each to the Rotary Foundation.  All members present made their donation on the night; we invite all absent members to contribute to reach the 100% participation level!

The meeting concluded with an amusing fine session led by Sergeant-at-Arms John B and the raffle, which was won by John N, with minor prizes going to Craig L, Paul and Neil.

DIARY

Monday 27th September – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm. Induction of Mary Potts to our club.

Monday 4th October – No meeting (public holiday).

Monday 18th October – District Governor Leo Farrelly OAM Visit. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.  Probably via Zoom – to be advised.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler: Y. The letters were the initial letters of ascending units of time (e.g. seconds, minutes, etc.)

This week’s puzzler:  Here’s one for the more mathematically inclined.  Your task is to divine the sequence of numbers (from 1 to 6) that would come after the last one in this series:

• 1 2 3 4 5 6
• 6 1 5 2 4 3
• 3 6 4 1 2 5
• 5 3 2 6 1 4
• 4 5 1 3 6 2
• 2 4 6 5 3 1

ROTARY NEWS

1.  INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE TUESDAY 21st SEPTEMBER

International Day of Peace is closer than you think. In observance of Peace Day, we’d like to share Sofía Brega’s story as a Rotary Positive Peace Activator.

Growing up in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Sofía Brega knew she wanted to be an activist for girl empowerment and women’s rights. To pursue her dreams, she joined Girl Up, an organization that helps build young girls into leaders.

Inspired by their work, Sofía founded a club in Ciudad Juárez called Girl Up Fronterizas. The club focuses on women’s rights and builds awareness of current challenges for women in Mexico and beyond. They also help girls develop leadership, communication, and negotiation skills.

In 2019, Sofía became a Rotary Positive Peace Activator through the Rotary-Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) Positive Peace Workshop. She also founded Activators de Paz Ciudad Juárez, a group that trains other agents of change and develops Positive Peace content for schools.

Empowering Girls

Equality is a fundamental human right that’s critical in order to have a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. Still, girls and women worldwide face inequities in areas including health and education, and they experience significant violence and disproportionate poverty. Rotary encourages clubs and districts to prioritize projects that improve the health, well-being, education, and economic security of girls in their communities and around the world. Develop a club-based initiative, a district grant, or a global grant that engages members of your community in a project that will protect and empower girls. Work to increase equity by ensuring their access to resources that will improve their lives.

Resources

• Empowering Girls Initiative Ambassador Role and Responsibilities (PDF)
• Empowering Girls Talking Points (PDF)
• Empowering Girls presentation (Power Point)
• Empowering Girls brochure (PDF)
• Rotary Youth Protection Guide (PDF)

2.  5 INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL ROTARY CLUB

By Barton Goldenberg, immediate past governor of District 7620 (Maryland and Washington D.C., USA)

Running a successful Rotary club is a bit like baking a cake. You need the right ingredients

If you’re a baker, you know that a great cake is made up of individual ingredients that come together to produce something special. A great Rotary club is like that, in that it is made up of a unique mix of ingredients. Here are the five that I have found in most, if not all, successful Rotary clubs.

1. A unique club identity

There are four clubs in my city of Bethesda, Maryland. While they are only a short geographic distance from each other, each has its own identity. The first is a dinner club of 30 members who have been together for years. They are generous in their donations to the Rotary Foundation and our district. The second is a breakfast club with an even balance of older and younger members. They are very supportive and heavily involved with Rotaract and Interact clubs. The third is a lunch club that is proud of its traditions and is committed to domestic and international projects. And the fourth is a breakfast club celebrating its 15^th year, with members who speak nine languages and originally come from 11 different countries.

READ MORE HERE.

September is Basic Education and Literacy Month

Week of 13th September

President Albert welcomed 21 members to our first meeting back from a brief (three-week) lockdown.  All were happy to be able to meet in person again–hopefully we’ll be able to continue meeting like this!  Apologies from Ian Jennings, Dick Jennings and Bernadette Milne.  Dick recently suffered a bit of a fall and is recuperating; we wish Dick a speedy recovery.

Albert designated the meeting primarily a social occasion, but we couldn’t resist carrying out a little bit of business.  Albert announced that he had sold several trailer loads of firewood that was cut up at the working bee at the Lindner farm a couple of months ago, the proceeds of which have given a good start to the budget for the social committee.  Albert recognised members who had birthdays recently, including John Nulty, Don, Neil, Ted, and Henk.  John G advised that he has a couple of recently felled trees on his property that the club is welcome to, but the trees need to be cut to lengths short enough to transport.  Some brainstorming will be required as there is an estimated 8 tonnes of timber on offer!

After a generous amount of time for socialising the meeting finished up with a fine session and the weekly raffle, which was won by Howard and Alex.

DIARY

Wednesday 15th September – Board meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club. 7.00 pm start.

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

Monday 4th October – No meeting (public holiday).

Monday 18th October – District Governor Leo Farrelly OAM Visit. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

AN IDEA!

Mount Airy Rotary Club, fire company raises $51,000 at second annual duck race

JUST FOR LAUGHS

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler: 

1. Gulliver/clearness (live and learn)
2. tragicomedy/pentagon (come and go)
3. chinchilla/Magdalene (hill and dale)
4. terrestrial/ecoterrorist (trial and error)
5. thundershower/intellectual (show and tell)

This week’s puzzler:  Which letter comes next in the series S, M, H, D, W, M, __? Hint: The answer will be one of the following letters: L, V, Y, T, D

WIRADJURI SHOPPING LIST

ROTARY NEWS

1.  ROTARY RESPONDS TO COVID 19

2.   ROTARY ZONE 8 CONFERENCE 11-12th. SEPTEMBER

September is Basic Education and Literacy Month

Week of 6th September

We had a great rollup on Zoom on Monday night, with 15 members in attendance and getting involved.

Well done Bernadette on getting your system working well.

Some points from last night:

1. Albert will have 200 tomato plants ready in 2 weeks time at $2/plant. Proceeds will go to the social committee.
2. There is also plenty of composted horse manure available from the Westons.  Contact Paul if interested.
3.  Discussion on an online raffle — the decision was not to proceed at present.
4. Insurance and registration for the caravan passed for payment.
5. Chez had some good ideas for fund-raising.
6. CRC AGM is on Monday 15th November.  All members are encouraged to put their hands up for the 2022-2023 Board including President Elect Nominee for 2023-2024.

We had two presentations via YouTube, the first being of a virtual tour of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre.  Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass is the first VR (virtual reality) experience presented to the public by the Louvre Museum and is conceived as part of the Museum’s seminal Leonardo da Vinci exhibition which commemorates the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death in France.

Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass reveals the latest scientific research on da Vinci’s artistic innovation and his painting techniques and processes through exceptional visualization in virtual reality, bringing them to life.

Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass at The Louvre I HTC VIVE ARTS.   You can view it here:

Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass

Grahame Miles presented a tribute to Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones. Click HERE to view/listen to it.

DIARY

Monday 13th September – Zoom meetings until further notice of easing of Covid restrictions.

Wednesday 15th September – Board Meeting via Zoom. 7.30pm start.

Monday 4th October – No meeting (public holiday).

Monday 18th October – District Governor Leo Farrelly OAM Visit.

Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th September:  Online Zone 8 Conference. 

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Africa is not for sissies!

Still plenty of COVID memes making the rounds.  Some of the better ones:

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler: Here are the clues and the answers:

1. hair-control foam – moose (mousse)
2. very exposed – bear (bare)
3. tellin’ falsities – lion (lyin’)
4. a lamenting cry – whale (wail)
5. a dull person – boar (bore)
6. a precious or loved one – deer (dear)
7.  these make up a chain – lynx (links)

This week’s puzzler:  Each pair of words below contains a pair of smaller words. By putting “&” between the words, you can make a familiar phrase. For example, “thighbone/swallowtail” conceals “high & low.” Give it a go!

1. Gulliver/clearness
2. tragicomedy/pentagon
3. chinchilla/Magdalene
4. terrestrial/ecoterrorist
5. thundershower/intellectual

ROTARY NEWS

1.  African region marks one year since being certified wild polio-free

2.  Trek New Zealand’s Southern Alps for disaster relief

September is Basic Education and Literacy Month

Week of 30th August

Back to Zoom–not popular with most members, but better than not meeting at all. President Albert welcomed nine members to our weekly meeting, which was a good opportunity to catch up and find out how everyone is dealing with lockdown.  Most of our planned Rotary activities are now on hold–the garden viewing, Gears and Beers, etc.  Gears and Beers has been postponed until March, and the garden viewing may be shifted to autumn as well, but only if the gardens to be included in the tour will be in good nick after the summer.  We will no doubt be discussing plans for fundraisers that can be conducted without contact with the community at upcoming Zoom meetings, so be thinking about what might be done.  We hope that additional members will be joining us at future meetings via Zoom–we were getting a healthy rollup last year, so expect that members will get back into the swing of it soon.  We will be lining up guest speakers and recorded video presentations, which members will no doubt find interesting and worthwhile.

STOP THE PRESSES!

Our Youth Services Director Anne Rzeszkowski has received the great news that our Coolamon Central School applicant Bethany Crocker has been accepted by the committee form the National Youth Science Forum NYSF.  This is a wonderful programme and will take place in Canberra next year.

DIARY

Monday 6th September – Zoom Meetings until further notice of easing of Covid restrictions.

Monday 4th October – No meeting (public holiday).

Monday 18th October – District Governor Leo Farrelly OAM Visit.

Sunday 17th October & Saturday 23rd October – Coolamon Garden Viewing. TBC.

Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th September:  Online Zone 8 Conference. 

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Thanks to Henk for this one which resonates with my family in Wentworth Falls who have been in lockdown since June 28th and three grandchildren being home-schooled 12, 14 and 17:

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler: lion (the clues refer to the position of letters in the given words, not the actual parts of the animals listed)

This week’s puzzler:  Can you guess the animals suggested by the following clues?

1. hair-control foam
2. very exposed
3. tellin’ falsities
4. a lamenting cry
5. a dull person
6. a precious or loved one
7. these make up a chain

ROTARY NEWS

1.  ROTARY ZONE 8 CONFERENCE 11-12th. SEPTEMBER

2. TRACY OCHIENG UPDATE LATEST

Well Tracy continues her progress at the United States International University in Nairobi.

Tracy has three more semesters to go before Tracy graduates with her Bachelor of Arts majoring in Journalism.  We have supported Tracy through our Coolamon RC Road MAPS to Africa projects, in this case our Orphan Rescue Kits.  PDG Fred Loneragan and I would like to thank the club for supporting Tracy for her last 3 semesters before graduation.

This journey began in November 2011 after the Mountains of the Moon climb.  It will culminate at her graduation in September 2022 and with some good fortune, Fred and I hope to be there.

The last time we saw Tracy was at the Wagga Wagga City Council with the Mayor Greg Conkey.

The last report for Tracy that we received from the USIU.

September is Basic Education and Literacy Month

Week of 23rd August

Another week of lockdown and no face-to-face meetings.  If the lockdown lifts this weekend as originally intended, we will meet next Monday (30th August) at the Marrar Pub for a social night, but all signs are that the lockdown will continue for a while longer.  If we remain in lockdown, we will meet via Zoom on Monday (login details will be provided if needed).  Look for a text message from Club Admin Director Ian over the weekend.

Birthdays this week: Don Dyce

Message from the President: If you substitute your evening glass of red wine with a cup of green tea, there is a good chance you will lose 87% of the little remaining joy you have in your life.

Credit to the students from the Caringbah High School for the above meme.

DISTRICT GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE

DIARY

Monday 30th August – Fellowship meeting (Fifth Monday). Marrar Pub (details TBA).  If the COVID lockdown remains in effect, we will meet via Zoom.

Monday 4th October – No meeting (public holiday).

Monday 18th October – District Governor Leo Farrelly OAM Visit.

Sunday 17th October & Saturday 23rd October – Coolamon Garden Viewing. TBC.

Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th September:  Online Zone 8 Conference. 

JUST FOR LAUGHS

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler:  You’ll have one mouse.

This week’s puzzler:  What do you get if you combine the head of a lamb with the middle of a pig, the hind of a buffalo, and the tail of a dragon?

ROTARY NEWS

1.  Guyana Rotary club brings COVID-19 vaccines to remote communities

Members of the Rotary Club of Demerara, Guyana, and government health officials use boats to vaccinate villagers deep in the country’s rainforests. Photo by Indira Mattai.

Members and government health officials use boats to reach villages deep in the rainforest

by Ryan Hyland

Members of the Rotary Club of Demerara, Guyana, are using their decades of experience in fighting disease while delivering COVID-19 vaccines and aid to a remote region of the South American country. The Indigenous communities there would not otherwise have access to the vaccine and would remain vulnerable to the virus.

The club’s members have conducted crucial medical expeditions that penetrate the densely forested interior of Guyana for nearly 30 years. In doing so, they’ve developed detailed knowledge of the area and the particular needs of the villages in it. The treks have earned the Demerara club a nickname among nearby Rotary clubs: “the bush club.”

FULL STORY HERE

2.  UPDATE FOR RYLA 2022

August is Rotary Month for Membership & Extension

Week of 16th August

COVID-19 strikes again! At the last minute, we were forced to cancel our weekly meeting which was to feature a visit from District 9705 Area Governor Elaine Almond.  So, we had a night off, and hopefully Elaine will be able to reschedule a visit later this year.

DIARY

Monday 23rd August – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7 pm. To be confirmed pending lifting of the Covid 19 lockdown in regional NSW.

Monday 30th August – Fellowship meeting (Fifth Monday). Marrar Pub (details TBA).  If the COVID lockdown remains in effect, we will meet via Zoom.

Monday 4th October – No meeting (public holiday).

Sunday 17th October – Open Garden Viewing

Monday 18th October – District Governor Leo Farrelly OAM Visit.

Sunday 17th October & Saturday 23rd October – Coolamon Garden Viewing. Details TBA.

Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th September:  Online Zone 8 Conference. 

JUST FOR LAUGHS

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler:  a blind cat

This week’s puzzler:  Mice are famous for their ability to multiply at breakneck speeds. The breed of mouse at Chez’s Pet Shop gives birth once a month, giving birth to 12 pups in each litter. Baby mice mature and can give birth two months after they are born.

You picked up one of these cute baby mice at Chez’s Pet Shop and brought it home the day after it was born. In 10 months from now, how many mice will you have?

ROTARY NEWS

1. HAITI EARTHQUAKE SHELTERBOX APPEAL

Dear Rotary,

Western Haiti was hit by a huge earthquake on Saturday morning at 08.30 (local time).

The Haitian prime minister has said it has caused ‘enormous damage’ and at this stage, the death toll is 277, but this figure will certainly grow as the picture becomes more clear.

Haiti has still not recovered after the 2010 earthquake struck, which killed over 200,000 people.

ShelterBox is monitoring the situation and preparing to respond, as we did in 2010. We are liaising with other agencies in the region to understand the full extent of the damage.

ShelterBox Australia

Mike Greenslade
CEO ShelterBox Australia

EDITOR”S NOTE

The CRC have always come to the aid of disasters that happen now and then and usually though ShelterBox Australia.  In the past we always collected for any such disaster and with a ShelterBox for display see below:

2.  GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR ROTARY MEMBERSHIP

RID Jessie Harman (Rotary International Director)

RID Jessie Harman and a photo by Jessie of Lake Wendouree in Ballarat where Jessie lives.

Article by RID Jessie Harman

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR ROTARY MEMBERSHIP

I have been speaking a lot lately with club and district leaders about the importance of member engagement. Engaged members are at the heart of who we are and what we do and they’re the key to delivering Rotary’s impact. When I speak with leaders, I talk about the important role they play in delivering a positive membership experience; about the things leaders can do to ensure members are involved, engaged and enjoying Rotary.

Yet I’m very aware that member engagement is a two-way street. There are a host of things that individual members can do to ensure they are getting value from Rotary. So here are my six top tips for getting the most out of your Rotary experience.

Tips on Membership

August is Rotary Month for Membership & Extension

Week of 9th August

President Albert welcomed 23 members and 1 guest to our weekly meeting.  This week’s meeting featured two speakers: Ricky Hard, signwriter from Coolamon, and our own Garth Perkin.  Ricky was on hand to talk about his involvement with the Riverina Redneck Rally, an event that offers excitement and camaraderie to participants as they venture over roads (and things that pass for roads) as they travel from one stop to the next, covering hundreds of kilometres over the course of six days.  The participants are cared for by the rally organisers, who move the belongings of the participants while they attempt to arrive in one piece at the next destination, which is kept a secret until the morning of the next day of action.  Any sort of vehicle is permitted as long as it doesn’t have 4-wheel drive, which only serves to make it more “exciting” and unpredictable.  All of this in the name of raising funds for Country Hope, a charitable group that provides a range of support services to rural families with children facing cancer or other life-threatening illnesses.  The rally set out from Coolamon this year because Ricky’s team raised the most money in 2020 for the cause, an impressive total in excess of $30,000!  Ricky’s team also raised the most in 2019 and they’re shooting to top the board again this year.  Daryl thanked Ricky for an entertaining and inspiring presentation and gave him a token appreciation of thanks.

Our second speaker on the night was Garth, who was the Member in the Spotlight this week.  We learned a bit about Garth’s ancestry, education and job history, his family, and his favourites colour, actress/actor, movie, etc.  It’s surprising how much we’ve learned about our members, things that have lain hidden for many years! One of the more surprising things we learned about Garth is that he has hidden artistic talent; Garth displayed a very detailed painting of his family home that he created at the age of 11, a very impressive effort indeed.

As usual, the meeting concluded with a fine session and raffle.  Members are encouraged to provide Sergeant Bondy with more goss; his fine sessions are starting to run a bit thin.  The raffle was won by Leslie, with several auxiliary prizes of homegrown tangelos provided by John G going to several members.

Vale Bill Thompson OAM

Bill Thompson, longtime lawyer and community-minded resident of Coolamon, passed away on 3rd August after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease.  Bill was the father of member Alex Thompson and was well known to many members of the club as well as the wider Coolamon community.  The Rotary Club of Coolamon extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Bill Thompson, who is pictured below with his brother Dick, sons Alex, Jack and Charlie, and wife Gabby after being named a Paul Harris Fellow by the club. For more details on the noteworthy contributions of Bill Thompson, click HERE.  Bill Thompson, we salute you.

DIARY

Monday 16th August – Regular meeting with visit from Area Governor Elaine Almond, new D9705 Area Governor, will be our guest on the evening. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7:00 pm.  Dress is smart casual.  Board members are requested to arrive at 6.00 pm to meet with Elaine prior to the meeting. NB: Mary Potts, our newest member, will be inducted on the night.

Monday 16th August – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7 pm.

Wednesday 18th August – Social Committee Meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 7 pm. 

Monday 23rd August – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7 pm.

Monday 30th August – Fellowship meeting (5th Monday). Details forthcoming.

Monday 4th October – No meeting (public holiday).

Sunday 17th October – Open Garden Viewing

Monday 18th October – District Governor Leo Farrelly OAM Visit.

Saturday 23rd October – Open Garden Viewing

JUST FOR LAUGHS

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler:  Noon, of course! Another acceptable answer: Time to get you clock fixed.

This week’s puzzler:  What living creature has four legs, eats cat food, and sees equally well on both ends of its body?

ROTARY NEWS

1.  ROTARY-BRANDED FACE MASKS

The Rotary e-Club of Brindabella is doing another production run of District 9705 branded face masks.  Orders will be placed soon so please act quickly.

Contact Person:  Rob Uhl  Rotary E-Club of Brindabella

Cost per Mask: $20.00  Masks are WHO approved, washable and re-useable. Up to 15 washes.

Masks are RI Licensed correctly branded and approved.  If clubs or Rotarians wish to order, need to do so quickly as the order will go in within 7 days.

Wearing your heart on your sleeve takes a twist when it becomes a mask on your face for these Rotarians ready to promote our service organisation.  Wagga Wagga Sunrise RC below:

From left: Fred Loneragan, Dawn Smith. Deidre Tome, Jenny Groch, Marilyn Walter and Sharon Ferguson

2.  MEMBERSHIP MINUTE: Membership and New Club Development Month

August is Membership and New Club Development Month, a time to recognize our members and the incredible work they do locally and globally. In 2021, many Rotarians around the world are working together to curb the pandemic through vaccination drives. After a long year of uncertainty, hope is on the horizon.

Membership Month is a great time to introduce friends and colleagues to the family of Rotary. Here are just a few ideas on how to attract new members and keep them engaged:

FULL STORY HERE

FOOTNOTE:

The Tokyo Olympics some moments worth remembering:

Above Rotarian P R Sreejesh of Rotary Club of Kizhakkambalam, District 3201 was the goalkeeper of Indian hockey team which won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Sreejesh was the star of the game with two penalty corner saves in the last 50 seconds.

Gianmarco Tamberi, Italy and Mutaz Essa Barshim, Qatar | High Jump Sharing the Gold medal.

Eliud Kipochoge from Kenya, the greatest marathon runner of all time, back-to-back gold.

In the wee of the night, future Olympians watching makeshift livestream of the games in the backyard from a village in Baringo, Rift Valley, Kenya.

Aussie Peter Bol, a refugee from South Sudan, comes 4th in the final of the men’s 400 metres.

August is Rotary Month for Membership & Extension

Week of 2nd August

President Albert welcomed 22 members and 1 guest (well, not really a guest since Mary Potts is all but a member, having been approved for membership but not yet inducted) to our weekly meeting.  Albert led a discussion of the garden viewing to be hosted by the club in October, which will hopefully go ahead pending developments on the COVID front. Following that, the members were treated to the first intstalment of Meet the Members, a new meeting activity started by Albert. First up was Daryl Breust, who answered a series of questions posed by the President, from the benign (e.g. “What’s your favourite colour?”) to the more probing (“Tell us about your career history”).  We learned a lot about Daryl, including his ancestry (illustrated by an amazingly detailed family tree shown by Daryl), how he met his wife (Jan) and remarkable details about his sporting accomplishments (all related to Aussie Rules football).  The members were a bit in awe of Daryl’s exploits on the footy field, but Garth was game to be the next cab off the rank at an upcoming meeting.

An interesting discussion ensued about the grace recited before dinner at our weekly meetings, with a diversity of opinions expressed regarding the appropriate content of the grace that is recited and whether we should be reciting grace at all.  Most agreed with the idea of having the recitation of a secular grace, with a diversity of grace/acknowledgments that would be rotated among out our weekly meetings, satisfying Albert’s desire to get out of the habit of reciting the same grace week after week (which can result in the words of the grace losing their significance).

The meeting concluded with an amusing fine session led by Sergeant Bondy, who managed to extract some coin from the members, particularly Grahame who seems to be a frequent target of the Sergeant of late.  The raffle was won by Grahame, with second prize going to Paul.

DIARY

Monday 9th August – Speaker meeting. Guest Speaker: Ricky Hard on the “Red Neck Rally and Camp Quality”. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm. 

Wednesday 11th August – Board Meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 7 pm. 

Monday 16th August – Regular meeting with visit from Area Governor. Elaine Almond, new D9705 Area Governor, will be our guest on the evening. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7:00 pm.  Board members are requested to arrive at 6.00 pm to meet with Elaine prior to the meeting.

Wednesday 18th August – Social Committee Meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 7 pm. 

October long weekend – Wollundry RC Gears and Beers Festival. Check for the latest news on their web site: https://gearsandbeers.org.au/

Monday 4th October – No meeting (public holiday).

Sunday 17th October – Open Garden Viewing

Saturday 23rd October – Open Garden Viewing

JUST FOR LAUGHS

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler:  Bondy invited only 5 guests; the rest of the guests were invited by the other guests!

This week’s puzzler: At noon, you look at the clock in your bedroom. The big hand is on the five and the little hand is in between the 3 and the 4. What time is it?

ROTARY NEWS

1.  RI President’s Message

Shekhar and Rashi Mehta

Shekhar Mehta

President 2021-22

August 2021 – As we focus on membership in Rotary this month, I ask you to help make history this year. For more than 20 years, our membership has stood at 1.2 million. Rotary is a vibrant organization with a 116-year history, members in more than 220 countries and geographic areas, and a rich legacy of work in polio eradication and other humanitarian programs. Rotary has changed so much in our own lives and the lives of others. As we Serve to Change Lives, don’t you think Rotary could have an even greater impact on the world if more people were practicing Service Above Self?

My vision is to increase Rotary membership to 1.3 million by July 2022, and the call to action is simple: Each One, Bring One. This year, I want every Rotarian and Rotaractor to introduce a new person into their club.

We are a membership organization, and members are our greatest asset. You are the ones who contribute so generously to The Rotary Foundation. You are the ones who dream big to bring good into the world through meaningful projects. And of course, you are the ones who have put the world on the brink of eradicating polio.

As we make membership a priority this year, let us focus on diversity by reaching out to younger people and especially to women. Every club should celebrate its new members, and every Rotarian who sponsors a member will be personally recognized by me. And those who are successful in bringing in 25 or more members will be part of our new Membership Society.

Even as we share the gift of Rotary with others, let us be sure to engage these new members, because an engaged Rotarian is an asset forever. And remember that engaging our current members and keeping them in our clubs is just as important as bringing in newcomers. Let us also be ready to form new clubs, especially flexible ones. I am very bullish on clubs that hold virtual or hybrid meetings, and satellite clubs and cause-based clubs can also be very effective ways of growing Rotary.

As you grow more, you will be able to do more. Let us keep empowering girls through our work in each of the areas of focus. Scholarships for girls, toilets in schools, health and hygiene education — there is so much we can do. Projects focused on the environment are also attracting interest the world over. Do participate in these projects locally and internationally to make this world a better place for us and for all species.

Each of you is a Rotary brand ambassador, and all of the wonderful work done by Rotarians around the world needs to be shared outside the Rotary community. Use social media to tell your friends, colleagues, and relatives the stories of Service Above Self.

Finally, I’m challenging every club, during the coming year, to plan at least one Rotary Day of Service that will bring together volunteers from inside and outside Rotary and will celebrate and showcase the work of your club in your community. Visit rotary.org to find out more about all of these initiatives, along with other ways to Serve to Change Lives.

2.  Rotary launches new membership recognition programme

August is Rotary Month for Membership & Extension