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.

Week of 12th April

President Howard Atkinson welcomed 13 members and 5 guests to our weekly meeting.  The members in attendance were treated to a most interesting talk by Wayne McPherson on the topic of freshwater fish of Australia, with an emphasis on species at risk of extinction. Wayne’s passion for the topic and his impressive knowledge were evident throughout the talk, and were overshadowed only by some of the depressing statistics regarding the number of species of freshwater fish that have gone extinct over the past 50 years (the number is substantial) and the number that are presently endangered or threatened with extinction.  Sadly, most of those extinctions have been the result of mismanagement of rivers by governmental agencies and water management groups. Removal of favourable habitats in rivers (e.g. “desnagging”) and the introduction of problematic species such as European carp have made the situation worse.  Despite all the bad news, there’s hope for the freshwater fish of Australia, especially with the passion of people like Wayne and their inclusion on various boards responsible for making decisions that impact water management in the rivers of Australia.  Ian thanked Wayne for a most interesting talk and presented him with a memento of the Rotary Club of Coolamon.

The evening concluded, as usual, with an entertaining fine session led by Sergeant-at-Arms Albert and our weekly raffle, which was won by someone.

DIARY

Monday 19th April – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Wednesday April 21st CRC Board Meeting  Starting @ 7.00pm at the Sports Club NB Time.  Confirmed.

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

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler: Albert: red – 1st; John G: yellow – 2nd; Howard: blue – 3rd; Henk: green – 4th

This week’s puzzler:

A man is sitting in a pub feeling rather poor. He sees the man next to him pull a wad of $50 notes out of his wallet. He turns to the rich man and says to him, “I have an amazing talent; I know almost every song that has ever existed.”

The rich man laughs, but the poor man says, “I’m willing to bet you all the money you have in your wallet that I can sing a real song with a lady’s name of your choice in it.”

The rich man laughs again and says, “OK, how about my daughter’s name, Joanna Armstrong-Miller?”

The poor man goes home with all the rich man’s money. What song did he sing?

Hint: It’s a genuine song that nearly everyone knows.

ROTARY NEWS

Holger Knaack

President 2020-21

April 2021

This year, we celebrate Earth Day on 22 April with a new sense of purpose. The environment is now an area of focus for Rotary. Solutions for all great tasks always start with you and me, and there is much we as individuals can do simply by changing our behavior: Cutting down on our use of plastic and using energy wisely are just two examples. But now we have the opportunity to do more together.

Supporting the environment is not new to Rotary; clubs have long worked on environmental issues based on local needs. Now climate change — a problem that affects us all, rich and poor — requires us to work together more closely than ever. Alberto Palombo, a Venezuelan engineer living in Brazil and a member of The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers, shares his view.

For 30 years, my work has been to connect with communities and policy officials to take care of the environment. Today, I am excited about Rotary’s opportunities to help reduce environmental degradation and make communities more environmentally sustainable.

In every community where we have a Rotary, Rotaract, or Interact club or a Rotary Community Corps, there are environmental challenges. As Rotary members, we can become stewards of environmental sustainability and adopt the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in our daily lives at home and in our clubs. Then we can incorporate them into our Rotary projects.

My club has been involved with water and environment projects since day one. We seek opportunities to empower Rotarians and foster partnerships in our region and beyond, working with groups such as the Inter-American Water Resources Network and the World Water Council. Local clubs worked with the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Rotary Action Group (wasrag.org) to help Rotary get a seat at the table during the 2018 World Water Forum in Brasilia, where we discussed how communities can recover from environmental disasters like the one caused by the failure of a mining dam on Brazil’s Rio Doce in 2015.

Taking care of the earth is an effort that never stops. To make an impact, we must align our knowledge, abilities, and enthusiasm — and Rotary is already great at doing this. As a volunteer with the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (esrag.org), I have seen how our work for the environment dovetails with much of what we are already doing in water and in our other areas of focus. Rotary members are not passive spectators; we take action. Let’s work together and make a positive impact.

Support from The Rotary Foundation will define this new chapter in our service. Through district and global grant projects, we will build upon our previous projects that help the environment. We will look for ways to collaborate more closely and make a greater impact on global environmental issues. And we will incorporate environmental concerns into all of our programs, projects, and events.

Rotaractors and participants in our youth programs expect Rotary to take a clear position and provide leadership with vision. We will work with them, seeking intelligent solutions to the problems they will inherit. Our incredible members, networks, and Foundation give us the capacity to make an important and lasting contribution. Now, we will discover together how Rotary Opens Opportunities to help us expand our service to preserve the home we all share.

April is  Maternal & Child Care Month

Graphics by Debbie Vance McKay from Canada.

Week of 29th March 2021

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL OF OUR READERS!

Meeting of Monday, March 29th

President Howard welcomed 19 members and guests Maureen Hulsman and Tony Williams (Chez Thompson’s grandfather) to our weekly meeting.  After a few routine business items, the members and guests were entertained by two of our own, Paul and John G, who described their recent adventures in exploration of their family genealogies.  The approaches taken by the two speakers was markedly different, but both were able to uncover rich veins of family history and even solve some family mysteries!

Part One – Paul Weston

Paul described how he used online tools to help unravel his family’s genealogy.  Paul’s challenge to unearth his ancestry was complicated by the fact that prior to his grandparents’ generation, all of his ancestors lived in Poland.  Paul described how he was able to learn a lot about his ancestors with the aid of Ancestry.com and other online tools.  The results of a DNA test provided by Ancestry.com confirmed what Paul understood about the origin of his ancestors (Eastern Europe, mostly Poland), and provided some names of distant cousins who might be able to fill in genealogical gaps.  Paul stumbled upon a Polish website which provided access to a rich database of genealogical records maintained in churches in Poland, which allowed him to trace his ancestry back to the early 1800s.  However, going back much further than that will be difficult because many older records were lost or destroyed as the result of repeated invasions of Poland by neighbouring countries and bombing of churches during WWII.  Paul discovered that not one, but two, of his grandmothers were victims of the Spanish Flu when it swept through New York City, where his ancestors settled when they emigrated to the US in the late 1800s.  In case you’re wondering, Paul’s father changed the family name at the time he married, which was quite common in the US at that time; if he hadn’t, Paul would be Paul Wisniewski, not Weston!  Paul’s family tree is chockers with dozens and dozens of “skis” and other Polish surnames.

Part Two – John Glassford

John spoke on his research into his family mainly on the Glassford side going back to 1632 mostly Scottish with many Glassfords migrating to New Zealand in the early 1800s from England and Scotland.

One of John’s early ancestors, William Glassford, in 1838 created a family tree for the clan going back to 1632.  John’s mother engaged Somerset House in Edinburgh in the 1950s to trace this side of his family.  Since then a cousin of the family travelled the world especially New Zealand from Devon to bring the family tree up to date.  With the help of a box of photos from his late mother, John is continuing to get the stories behind his immediate ancestors.

One photo opens up answers and at the same time more questions to be answered.  In point is this photo of John’s Grand Aunt, Cis Heron, with her nephew and John’s Father George James Glassford taken in 1892 in Napier.  It is an original photo and unique.  This photo has enabled John to find his Grandfather on his Grandmother’s side.

Another is of George Glassford born in 1821 in Scotland and died in 1903 in Cheshire, a farmer and JG’s Great Grandfather.  JG’s  Great Great Grandfather’s obituary is on the right, just click on the thumb nails for a larger version.  This was a tribute to James Glassford at a clan gathering in Glasgow in 1860.

DIARY

Monday 5th April – NO Meeting (Easter Monday).

*Monday 12th April – Speaker meeting. Wayne McPherson on “Impact of the 2019-20 Bushfires on Freshwater Fish”.  This promises to be a very interesting talk and you are all invited to bring your partners along. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Monday 19th April – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Wednesday April 21st CRC Board Meeting  Starting @ 7.00pm at the Sports Club NB Time.  Confirmed.

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

THE SUEZ CANAL

Yorkshire holds its breath as main shipping route of flat caps, whippets and ale is blocked. Ernie Slatherswaite, Master of the vessel told us ‘One minute we were fine then a small gust of wind took us.  Yorkshire is set to lose upwards of £3.67 a day until the carnage is cleared, which according to Our Uncle Eric in the pub, could take weeks.

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler: Friday

This week’s puzzler: It was Easter in Coolamon and all the Rotarians were happy. The annual Easter egg hunt was just finished. The Easter egg hunt requires four Rotarians to search for one of four coloured eggs and then race to the finish line. Can you figure out which Rotarian found which egg and in which place they finished?

Rotarians – Henk, John G, Albert, and Howard

Easter eggs – blue, red, green, and yellow

Clues:

• Albert did not finish in 2^nd place.
• John G did not finish in 1^st.
• Albert found the red Easter egg.
• The Rotarian that finished in 2^nd did not find the green egg.
• Henk did not find the blue egg.
• Howard did not finish in 2^nd.
• The Rotarian that found the blue egg did not finish in 1^st or 2^nd.
• Henk finished in 4^th.

ROTARY NEWS

The Rotary International Convention, scheduled for 12-16 June 2021, in Taipei, Taiwan, will now be a virtual event in response to the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

This decision, made by the Rotary Board of Directors, is necessary to protect the health of everyone involved. Rotary will share more details about the 2021 Rotary International Virtual Convention soon.

Virtual Convention Registration

The Virtual Convention will be open to all Rotary members and participants. Event registration will open in mid-April and will include a promotional fee of $49 for 21 days, with an increase afterward to $65. The cost of each preconvention event is $20. Both the convention and preconvention events include access to the House of Friendship.

March is Rotary Water and Sanitation Month

Week of 22nd March 2021

President Howard welcomed 14 members to our first club assembly of 2021.  Items discussed on the night were:

• Meals served at our weekly meetings. Item to be discussed  by the catering committee.
• The new requirement for each club to have a Child Protection Officer.  Anne was appointed to this position because she is currently the Youth Director.
• RYDA (Rotary Youth Driver Awareness), which will be held this year after a year hiatus owing to COVID-19. We will need two members to attend on the day designated for Coolamon (likely 14 May).  The assembly recommended to the board that we pay the fee of $15 for all students who attend the event from Coolamon Central School.
• Donation to the Leisure Company, the charity nominated by Albert’s son, who is competing in this year’s Wagga Takes 2.  The Leisure Company is a not-for-profit company that provides recreation, work, and life skill opportunities for people with disabilities.  The club recommended to the board that the club donate $500 to this cause.
• Members who do not participate in club activities or attend weekly meetings (there are a few).  According to our bylaws, most of the members identified as falling in this category are exempt from club activities and attendance at weekly meetings because they have been members for at least 20 years and their combined age plus years of membership is 85 or more (the “Rule of 85”).

The meeting concluded with an entertaining fine session and a raffle.  Albert dug deep again, and levied a fine against Ted for something that occurred around the time that Ted got married (details to remain unrevealed here).  The raffle was won by John G.

DIARY

*Monday 29th March – Speaker meeting.  PEN Paul Weston on “Adventures in Genealogy” with some contributions from John Glassford. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

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Monday 5th April – NO Meeting (Easter Monday).

*Monday 12th April – Speaker meeting. Wayne McPherson on “Impact of the 2019-20 Bushfires on Fish”.  This promises to be a very interesting talk and you are all invited to bring your partners along. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7:00 pm.

Saturday 15th-16th May – D9705 Assembly. Young Services Club, Young.  10.00 am Sat – 1.00 pm Sun.

* denotes partner and guest night

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Guinness is Good for you.

Dublin’s Patrick O’Shea called his lawyer and asked, “Is it true they are suin’ dem der cigarette companies for causin’ people to git cancer?”

“Yes, Patrick, sure is true,” responded the lawyer.

“And now someone is suin’ dem fast food restaurants for makin’ dem fat an’ cloggin’ their arteries with all dem der burgers an’ fries, is that true,?”

“Sure is, Patrick.”

“And that a lady sued McDonald’s for millions when she burned her tongue with that hot coffee that she ordered?”

“Yep.”

“And that a football player sued that university when he graduated and still couldn’t read?”

“That’s right,” said the lawyer.“But why are you asking?”

“Well, I was thinkin’ . . .

What I want to know is, can I sue Guinness for all dem ugly women It made me sleep with.

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler: The person in the photo is the man’s son.

This week’s puzzler: Here’s another mind-bender for you: “The day before two days after the day before tomorrow is Saturday. What day is it today?”

ROTARY NEWS

BATHURST DISTRICT 9705 CONFERENCE

Here is a report from PDG John Glassford who attended the 2021 DISCON in Bathurst.

Abercrombie House is where the conference started for the College of Governors high tea and annual meeting.  This year we have Past Governors from D9700 and D9710.  It was a very pleasant meeting and we started to get to know our fellow Governors that attended from both of the old districts.

The welcome BBQ dinner was at the Mount Panorama Car Museum, good fellowship but crook steaks sort of shoe leather material.  The museum was most interesting and at the same time haphazard in it’s presentations.

The conference opened with Rotary International Director Elect Jessie Harman who spoke well on all matters topical at the moment.  RIDE Jessie encouraged us all to get our Rotary clubs involved in our 7th Area of Focus, the environment and climate change.

Saturday was a full day of speakers and two areas that were covered included health, the environment and climate change; the 7th Area of Focus for Rotary International.

Will post the rest of the photos in thumb nails.

There were a lot of professor type people who made the presentations, all interesting all had little to do with Rotary.

The Royce Abbey Peace Oration was given by Adjunct Professor John Skerritt the Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Health.  John is also directly responsible for both the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Office of Drug Control.  This was a very good presentation and covered Covid 19 in great detail.

Dinner was at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre.  Excellent food and a very good after dinner speaker in Professor Robert Booy.  Robert spoke on epidemiology and it was most entertaining. Robert is the professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Sydney.  He covered Measles, Polio, Flu and of course Covid 19.

The Past Governors were called onto sing We are Australian, and we did a good job, even though I could not read the verses I did my best.  All in all a very good conference that was topical with senior academics mostly on health.

Next year the 2022 DISCON will be in Temora and I am sure that we will get a good role up from our club!!!!

So put the 18, 19 and 20th March 2022 in your diary now!

Here are some thumb nail photos so please click on the image for a larger version.

March is Rotary Water and Sanitation Month

Week of 15th March 2021

Howard welcomed 18 members and 4 guests to our weekly meeting. This week’s meeting featured a presentation by Annette St Clair, who established the Amie St Clair Melanoma Trust.  Annette’s story was quite moving; she described how her daughter, aged 20, developed a lump in her groin that turned out to be a melanoma,  Over the next couple of years, Amie underwent several surgeries, chemotherapy, and experimental radiowave treatment in an attempt to remove the cancer, all to no avail.  After Amie passed away (at the age of 23), Annette was inspired to establish a trust in Amie’s name to help victims of melanoma and their families to endure the medical treatments and life adjustments resulting from this cancer.  Normally, melanoma is preceded by an obvious lesion on the skin (following exposure to UV light, either from the sun or tanning beds), but Amie never had any such lesions (although she might have had one that fell away, which sometimes happens).  Annette concluded her talk by encouraging everyone present (especially those that spend a lot of time in the sun) to have regular skin scans in order to detect melanomas in their early stages, when they’re easily managed.  Paul thanked Annette for her moving story and increasing awareness of melanoma, one of the more common forms of cancer afflicting Australians.  (for more information, visit the Amie St Clair Melanoma Trust foundation at https://www.amiestclairmelanoma.org.au/about-amie.aspx.

The meeting concluded with a fine session and raffle; fittingly, Annette won one of the raffle prizes.  With regard to the fine session, it must be mentioned that Dick was fined for an event that happened over 20 years ago, which just goes to show how far Albert is willing to go to extract a fine from members!

Rewild is hosting a market in Coolamon in collaboration with The Station Collective and The Sill ;

The details:
 Date: Sunday 28th March 2021
 Where: Station Place, Coolamon
 Time: 10am – 2pm

VENDORS WANTED  Tap below to join the Rewild Community ~
https://www.rewildandco.com.au/markets/apply/

Sites are limited and we are almost at capacity!

DIARY

Wednesday 17th March – Board Meeting.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 7.30 pm.

Friday 19th-Sunday 21st March – District 9705 Conference.  Bathurst Convention Centre, Bathurst.

Monday 22nd March – Club Assembly. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7.00 pm.

Monday 5th April – NO Meeting (Easter Monday).

Saturday 15th-16th May – D9705 Assembly. Young Services Club, Young.  10.00 am Sat – 1.00 pm Sun.

* denotes partner and guest night

JUST FOR LAUGHS

The Bank President

An elderly woman walked into the Bank of Ireland one morning with a purse full of money. She wanted to open a savings account and insisted on talking to the president of the Bank because, she said, she had a lot of money.

After many lengthy discussions (after all, the client is always right) an employee took the elderly woman to the president’s office.

The president of the bank asked her how much she wanted to deposit. She placed her purse on his desk and replied, ‘$165,000’.

The president was curious and asked her how she had been able to save so much money. The elderly woman replied that she made bets.

The president was surprised and asked, ‘What kind of bets?’

The elderly woman replied, ‘Well, I bet you $10,000 that your testicles are square.’

The president started to laugh and told the woman that it was impossible to win a bet like that.

The woman never batted an eye. She just looked at the president and said, ‘Would you like to take my bet?’

‘Certainly’, replied the president. ‘I bet you $10,000 that my testicles are not square.’

‘Done’, the elderly woman answered. ‘But given the amount of money involved, if you don’t mind I would like to come back at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning with my lawyer as a witness.’

‘No problem’, said the president of the bank confidently.

That night, the president became very nervous about the bet and spent a long time in front of the mirror examining his testicles, turning them this way and that, checking them over again and again until he was positive that no one could consider his testicles as square and reassuring himself that there was no way he could lose the bet.

The next morning at exactly 10 o’clock the elderly woman arrived at the president’s office with her lawyer and acknowledged the $10,000 bet made the day before that the president’s testicles were square.

The president confirmed that the bet was the same as the one made the day before. Then the elderly woman asked him to drop his pants etc. so that she and her lawyer could see clearly.

The president was happy to oblige.

The elderly woman came closer so she could see better and asked the president if she could touch them. ‘Of course’, said the president. ‘Given the amount of money involved, you should be 100% sure.’

The elderly woman did so with a little smile. Suddenly the president noticed that the lawyer was banging his head against the wall. He asked the elderly woman why he was doing that and she replied, ‘Oh, it’s probably because I bet him $100,000 that around 10 o’clock this morning I would be holding the balls of the President of the Bank of Ireland.

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s puzzler: There are a number of  possible solutions to last week’s puzzler, one of which is shown below.  This one involves moving the indicated match from the number eight on the left, making it a nine, and placing it  in the middle of the zero on the right, making it an eight.  Now the equation is mathematically correct (9+3=12, and12-4=8).

This week’s puzzler: A man looking at a photograph says, “Brothers and sisters I have none, but that man’s father is my father’s son.” Who is in the photo?

ROTARY NEWS

2. New Rotary Foundation grant supports scaling proven malaria program in Zambia

The $2 million grant goes toward Rotary club-led Partners for a Malaria-Free Zambia program; an additional $4 million contributed by partners the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and World Vision USA.

FULL STORY HERE

MARCH 14th

Every year on March 14, the world celebrates Pi Day to recognise the mathematical constant, pi (π). It defines the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter (circumference = π*diameter) and the value for π is 3.14. The day was recognised in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw as he organised a large-scale celebration at the San Francisco Exploratorium in the United States. In 2019, UNESCO’s 40th General Conference decided to observe Pi Day as the International Day of Mathematics.

March is Rotary Water and Sanitation Month

Graphics by Debbie Vance McKay from Canada

Week of 8th March 2021

President Howard welcomed 18 members to a rather subdued regular meeting compared to last week’s anniversary extravaganza.  The meeting was an opportunity to catch up on business, upcoming events and a bit of fellowship.  Dick was congratulated for organising the food and drink served at Neil’s clearing sale, along with all those who helped out on the day.  Alex, Chez and Albert were congratulated for assisting with Clean Up Australia Day, which was held on Sunday. Alex received special recognition for being the longest-serving participant in Clean Up Australia Day; he’s been at it since he was 8!

Albert led an amusing fine session, as usual. The raffle was won by Chez, which only figures because she won both raffle prizes at Friday evening’s Business House Bowls (for which she was deservedly fined, on account of the fact that she was the one that drew both winning numbers on Friday!).

Below is a belated birthday greeting from our sister club in South Africa, which appeared in Bay Breezes, the bulletin of the Hout Bay Rotary Club:

DIARY

*Monday 15th March – Speaker Meeting. Annette St Clair will speak on “The Amie St Clair Melanoma Trust”. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7.00 pm.

Wednesday 17th March – Board Meeting.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 7.30 pm.

Monday 22nd March – Club Assembly. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7.00 pm.

Friday 19th-Sunday 21st March – District 9705 Conference.  Bathurst Convention Centre, Bathurst.

Saturday 15th-16th May – D9705 Assembly. Young Services Club, Young.  10.00 am Sat – 1.00 pm Sun.

* denotes partner and guest night

JUST FOR LAUGHS

SOME IRISH JOKES FOR SAINT PATRICK’S DAY, MARCH 17th

THE PUZZLER

Answer to last week’s Puzzler: The letter “r”.

This week’s puzzler: Can you move one match in the diagram below to make the equation  mathematically correct?

ROTARY NEWS

MARCH 26 – CENTENARY PEACE DINNER

The Centenary Peace Dinner – 26 March

ROTARY PEACE DINNER

March is Rotary Water and Sanitation Month

Graphics by Debbie Vance McKay from Canada

Week of 1st March 2021

50th PARTY SOUVENIR EDITION

Marie Jennings suggested that we contact Nay of Nayz Cakes in Wagga Wagga.  Nay baked and iced our cake for the party and not only that, Nay donated the cake to our Rotary club in appreciation of all that Rotary does.  Please consider Nay for your next party cake.  You can find Nayz Cakes here:

NAYZ CAKES

The event was very well supported by the 120 Rotarians, partners and guests who attended on Monday night.  Our District Governor Dr. Michael Moore AM with his wife PP Helen Moore were our special guests for the night.

Our Master of Ceremonies was PP Dick Jennings who did a superb job of keeping everyone amused and on time. There are so many people to thank for the party, too many to mention here, however you all know who you are and what you contributed to making the night the success that it was.

The highlights of the evening, well, there were several, starting with the toasts and including Hout Bay Rotary Club, our Rotary International 2005 Centennial Twin Club.  (Letters of congratulations appear in the bulletin from Hout Bay).  The Hon. Steph. Cooke MP Member for Cootamundra, proposed a toast to our charter members and spoke some inspiring words on why Rotary Clubs and Lions are needed in our local communities.

DG Michael’s talk was well received by all who attended, which included Narrandera (our sponsor club in 1971), Junee, Temora, Wagga Wagga Sunrise, Wagga Wagga Murrumbidgee, Wollundry Wagga, Wagga Wagga Kooringal, Wagga Wagga, Canberra, Tumbarumba and Batlow Rotary Clubs were.  Lions Coolamon were with us along with many others too numerous to mention here.

The birthday cake was cut by the daughters of our first President Keith West, Cheryl Crocker and Sandra West with the president of Narrandera RC Robert Norrie assisting.

Three major presentations were made on the night which included:

Batlow Rotary Club for $10,000.00, presented to Batlow RC President Sam Hughes by Coolamon RC President Elect Albert Suidgeest.  Our club made a decision regarding supporting the bush fire ravaged areas close to us who had an active Rotary Club.  We chose Batlow to support with their Regrow Batlow project.  On hand were four members of Batlow Rotary including President Sam Hughes.  The money will be used to get a Men’s Shed up and running in Batlow.  Batlow’s men lost many tools in the fires and they also believe that the Men’s Shed will help with the mental health of the men of Batlow.

Two other important presentations were made, one to the Coolamon and Ganmain Hospital by PP Grahame Miles, which was accepted by facility manager Pam Samways.  Our third presentation was to Allawah Lodge and made by PP Daryl Breust to Simone Fuller on behalf of Allawah Lodge.

Finally thank you to Di and Gilbert Kong for the food and to all who helped get the food onto the tables.

The evening in photos as seen through the eyes of our “resident” professional photographer, PDG John Egan from the Wollundry Wagga Rotary Club.  Just click on the thumbnail for a larger photo.  Many many thanks, John.

SOUVENIR PROGRAMME Available by writing to [email protected]

“TELGRAMS” FROM HOUT BAY ROTARY:

IN 2005 HOUT BAY AND COOLAMON ROTARY CLUBS BECAME  ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CENTENNIAL  TWIN  CLUBS

Click on the link below for the “telegrams” from three of Hout Bay’s best!

Hout Bay Tributes

THE GRAND OPENING OF OUR ROTARY SHED

After many years of moving our caravan around for shelter it became apparent that we needed a permanent home for this very valuable piece of our fund raising assets.  Up steps Steph Cooke MP for the NSW Seat of Cootamundra.  PP Daryl Breust and his committee went about applying to the State Government through Steph and we were given a grant to build the shed.

The shed is large enough to house our caravan and other items that need storage.  On the eve of our 50th Birthday Party, Steph came down to Coolamon to officially hand the shed over to our club.  Below are some photos of the event. Our eternal thanks to Steph Cooke for her hard work in helping to obtain this grant for our club.

Daryl Breust and his team including Henk Hulsman and Albert Suidgeest did a great job on the building and it will stand the  test of time for years to come.  Our thanks also go to the Coolamon Shire council for allowing our club to build the shed at the Coolamon Showgrounds.  Mayor John Seymour OAM represented the Coolamon Shire Council at the opening; thank you Mayor John.

DIARY

Monday 8th March – Regular Meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7.00 pm.

Wednesday 17th March – Board Meeting.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 7.30 pm.

Monday 22nd March – Club Assembly. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6.30 for 7.00 pm.

Friday 19th-Sunday 21st March 2021.  District 9705 Conference in Bathurst.

Saturday 17th May D9705 Assembly at Young 9.00am-5.00pm.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

NASA has a poster hanging with bees that reads:

“Aerodynamically a bee’s body is not made to fly; the good thing is that the bee doesn’t know “.

The law of physics says that a bee cannot fly, the aerodynamic principle says that the breadth of its wings is too small to keep its huge body in flight, but a bee doesn’t know, it doesn’t know anything about physics or its logic and flies anyway.

This is what we can all do, fly and prevail in every moment in the face of any difficulty and in any circumstance despite what they say.

Let us be bees, no matter the size of our wings, we take flight and enjoy the pollen of life.”

THE PUZZLER

This week’s puzzler: What is seen in the middle of March and April but never at the beginning or end of either month?

ROTARY NEWS

This year’s Club and District Development Seminar (aka the District Assembly) will be held on Saturday the 15th May at the Young Services Club.  We’ve decided to run this as a one day event starting at 9am and finishing at 5pm.  This will be a a busy but interesting day and feedback we have received shows a clear preference for the one-day format.

ALL  members are encouraged to attend as this is an event specifically intended to train your Club’s 2021-2022 executive teams and develop your members as Rotarians.  There will be specific sessions for Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers as well as practical sessions on the the Direct ClubRunner database, web pages, club bulletins and the best ways to leverage social media.  You will be able to learn more about membership and club development, learning and development, public image, Youth programs and the broad range of service project opportunities available to your Club.

Please advise PE Albert Suidgeest of your attendance, thanks.

Does not matter how you get there; just get there:

March is Water and Sanitation Month

Graphics by Debbie Vance McKay from Canada

Week of 22nd February

A FULL special edition of our 50th Celebrations will be compiled and sent at the end of the week.

Paul Weston has had a heart procedure done this week and hence our apologies for the late edition for this past week.

Even though Paul had been in ICU on the afternoon of our birthday party Paul was present last night and looking very well indeed.  Thanks Paul.

THE MUNRO’S CLEARING SALE

First of all our sincere thanks to the Munro family for choosing our Rotary Club to handle the catering for the day.

Thank you to the Munro Family!

What a day!  All went to plan and all went very well.  There were over 200 registrations and the event was very well organised by the agents, Riverina Livestock Agents, who did a great job.   The main event for our club was run by the catering committee, Chaired by Dick Jennings, all of whom did a superb job.

However there were many facets to this day starting with the cleaning of our caravan, delivery of the caravan to Neil’s farm, ordering of supplies and so on.  The effort put in by all of our volunteers is to be highly commended and there are too many to mention here.  It was a team effort all round, our Rotarians and partners who turned up on the day are those to whom we owe the thanks in volunteering for working before, after and on the day.

HOWEVER we need to make special mention of the work done by Marie Jennings organising the sandwiches made by many many of our partners and our ladies.  The sandwiches were well received and there were plenty of them.  I do not know the names of all who made them, but to all of you Rotarians and partners a HUGE thank you.

It is not over yet as we need help to clean the Rotary shed and Caravan before the opening by Steph Cooke at 6.00 pm on Monday.  Please contact Daryl Breust for further details.

Here are some photos of the day; click on the thumbnail for a larger view:

REMINDERS

1. 50th BIRTHDAY PARTY MONDAY MARCH 1st, 6.30 for 7.00 pm

FULLY BOOKED 125 ATTENDING!

Our Deputy Prime Minister was coming up and until 10am Friday morning, Michael has had a ministerial meeting called for Monday in Canberra. Michael has sent his sincere apologies and wishes us well for the next 50 years.

We have filled his two vacant spots for Monday night.  The programme has been printed by John Bond, and we will not change it now!

Reminder that Steph Cooke, our State member, will be officially opening the Rotary Shed at 6.00 pm at the showgrounds. All members are urged to attend please.

Set up for Monday is now 1.00 pm at the Sports Club as there is a wake at 3.00 pm.  We need some balloons to be filled with air!  We have the loan of a pump so any extra hands very welcome!

The following members volunteered: Henk, Ted, Albert, Don, Anne, Grahame and JG.

Honour board updated thanks to Grahame Miles:

2. POLIO PLUS MOVIE AFTERNOON

SUNDAY MARCH 7th – IN AID OF POLIO PLUS – 2.00 pm at the Wagga Wagga Forum Cinema

‘Nomadland’ Takes Top Prizes at Toronto Critics’ Awards

“Nomadland” won best picture, best director for Chloé Zhao and best actress for Frances McDormand at the 24th annual Toronto Film Critics’ Awards (TFCA).

You can see the trailer here:

Nomadland Trailer

Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. The third feature film from director Chloé Zhao, NOMADLAND features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West. February 2021.

DIARY

Monday 1st March – COOLAMON ROTARY’S 50th BIRTHDAY PARTY 

Our District 9705 Governor Dr. Michael Moore AM and PP Helen Moore will be our honoured guests.  Please have your attendance in by Monday 22nd February.

Cost $25 per head catering by Gilbert and Di.  Dress code: women smart casual and men jackets and ties.  Please book with Ian Jennings or John Glassford bookings close on Monday 22nd February.

Sunday March 7th – Polio Plus Movie Afternoon in Wagga Wagga Forum Cinema to see the pre-release of “Nomadland’.  Details in this bulletin.

Monday 22nd March – Club Assembly. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Friday 19th-Sunday 21st March 2021.  District 9705 Conference in Bathurst.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

MY DADDY SLEEPS NAKED

“Late again!” the third-grade teacher sternly said to little Robbie.

“It ain’t my fault this time, Miss Russell. You can blame this ‘un on my Daddy.The reason I’m three hours late is my Daddy sleeps naked!”

Miss Russell had taught grammar school for 30-some-odd years. Despite her mounting fears, she asked little Robbie what he meant by that.

Full of grins and mischief, and in the flower of his youth, little Robbie and trouble were old friends but he always told the truth.

“You see, Miss Russell, out at the farm we got this here low down fox. The last few nights, he done ate six hens. Last night, when Daddy heard a noise out in the chicken pen, he grabbed his double barreled shot gun and said to my Ma, “That fox is back again… I’m a gonna git him!”

“Stay back,” Daddy whispered to all us kids!

“My Daddy was naked as a jaybird — no boots, no pants, no shirt! To the hen house he crawled, just like an Injun on the snoop. Then, he stuck that double-barrelled 12-gauge shotgun through the window of the coop. As he stared into the darkness, with a fox on his mind, our old hound dog, Rip, had done gone and woke up and comes sneaking up behind Daddy. Then, as we all looked on, plumb helpless, old Rip done went and stuck his cold nose in my Daddy’s crack!”

“Miss Russell, we all been pluckin’ chickens since three o’clock this mornin!”

THE PUZZLER

Answer to the last puzzler: 12:59 pm.

Sorry, no puzzler this week.

ROTARY NEWS

GEARS AND BEERS IS BACK!!

February is Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month

Graphics by Debbie Vance

Week of 15th February

Howard welcomed a nearly full house (under COVID restrictions) to our weekly meeting, which kicked off with a presentation by Craig Gruber and three ambos from the Coolamon ambulance station (Nick, Kris and Tom).  Tom must be the low man on the totem pole because he was tasked with demonstrating the use of a defibrillator to revive someone suffering cardiac arrest (symptoms: unconscious, unresponsive, no pulse, not breathing or breathing abnormally).  Tom stressed that the first thing to do for any medical emergency is to RING TRIPLE ZERO (000).  While waiting for help to arrive, the next thing to do is to initiate CPR by pushing very hard on the breastbone rhythmically.  If a defibrillator is available, it should be used after rhythmically pushing on the chest.  Most defibrillators are automated, and will provide a series of voice instructions describing how to use it to restore heartbeat to cardiac arrest victims.  Tom and the crew answered a flurry of questions from those in attendance, who obviously found the talk and presentation very stimulating.  One of surprising pieces of advice was to push as hard as you can on the breastbone while performing CPR, and not to worry about possibly breaking ribs in the process (if you don’t break a rib or two, you’re apparently not pushing hard enough!). Dave thanked the ambos for a very interesting and engaging presentation, presenting them with CRC pens as mementos.

Following dinner, there was a bit of discussion about the upcoming clearing sale at the Munro property and the 50 anniversary party for Coolamon Rotary.  The evening concluded with a short fine session and raffle.

Rotary Rolls to Victory in Lawn Bowls

Rotary 1, represented by Albert, Daryl and Paul, rolled to an easy 17-8 victory over the Mongrels in the Business House Bowls comp on Friday.  They nearly took out the top prize on the night, but another team managed to edge their competition by a slightly larger margin.  The lights went out just as the last end was starting, but the teams were not to be deterred and completed the end by the the light of mobile phone flashlights.  Rotary 2 didn’t play because too many members were unavailable on the night.

REMINDERS

1. 50th BIRTHDAY PARTY MONDAY MARCH 1st,  6.30 for 7.00 pm

We have had a very good response to our invitations to our 50th celebrations on Monday 1st.  We now have over 100 attending with some 6 Rotary clubs and Lions Coolamon coming along.

We will be closing the bookings early on Monday 22nd.  If you have not already booked in please do so ASAP.

The Hon. Steph Cooke will be at the CRC’s  Shed at 6.00 pm on Monday 1st March to officially hand over the shed to our club.  You are all invited to attend and Steph will then be at the dinner following the opening.

A blast from the past:

2. NEIL MUNRO’S CLEARING SALE REMINDER

IN THE NEWS

Paul Weston in the Daily Advertiser this week:

Click on the above story for better vision.

POLIO PLUS MOVIE AFTERNOON

SUNDAY MARCH 7th – IN AID OF POLIO PLUS – 2.00pm at the Wagga Wagga Forum Cinema

‘Nomadland’ Takes Top Prizes at Toronto Critics’ Awards

“Nomadland” won best picture, best director for Chloé Zhao and best actress for Frances McDormand at the 24th annual Toronto Film Critics’ Awards (TFCA).

You can see the trailer here:

Nomadland Trailer

Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. The third feature film from director Chloé Zhao, NOMADLAND features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West. February 2021.

DIARY

Monday 22nd February – Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Friday 26th February – Neil and Clare Munro’s Clearance Sale starting at 9.00 am. Volunteers needed; please contact Dick Jennings for details on how you can help.

Monday 1st March – COOLAMON ROTARY’S 50th BIRTHDAY PARTY 

Our District 9705 Governor Dr. Michael Moore AM and PP Helen Moore will be our honoured guests.  Please have your attendance in by Monday 22nd February.

Cost $25 per head catering by Gilbert and Di.  Dress code: women smart casual and men jackets and ties.  Please book with Ian Jennings or John Glassford bookings close on Monday 22nd February.

Sunday March 7th – Polio Plus Movie Afternoon in Wagga Wagga Forum Cinema to see the pre-release of “Nomadland’.  Details in this bulletin.

Monday 22nd March – Club Assembly. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Friday 19th-Sunday 21st March 2021.  District 9705 Conference in Bathurst.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Happy Valentines Day

Cat got your tongue?

Click on the image below to see a most amusing real-life tech problem that ended up going viral!

THE PUZZLER

Answer to the last puzzler: Five hours.

This week’s puzzler: A scientist puts some bacteria in a petri dish at exactly noon. Every minute, the bacteria divide and the area covered by the bacteria doubles. At 1 pm, the petri dish is exactly full. At what time was the dish half full?

ROTARY NEWS

The future of environmentalism includes a focus on humanity’s well-being

We don’t need to trade a healthy environment for a thriving economy.

by Jonathan Foley

To some people, the term “environmentalist” seems to be a dirty word. In their minds, it denotes starry-eyed zealots who chain themselves to trees.

Or perhaps they envision out-of-touch elites who care more about spotted owls and humpback whales than people, self-centred activists who want to tell others how to live their lives, run their towns, and operate their businesses.

But that’s a wildly out-of-date assumption. Today, environmentalism has evolved into a much more helpful and engaging field. It’s a diverse community that looks to improve the lives of everyday people, as well as safeguard the natural world and our collective future. In addition, over the past couple of decades, rather than merely harping on the environmental problems facing the world, environmentalists have shifted more of their attention toward practical solutions. And they have done that by keeping the focus on people and their collective well-being.

FULL STORY HERE

The Environment is now Rotary’s  7th Area of Focus

February is Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month

Graphics by Debbie Vance

Week of 8th February

Another good turn out of 18 members at our meeting with President Howard in the Chair.

We received two letters from the Sport & Rec Club, one looking for a letter of support in a grant application.  The grant is to help them renovate p]arts of the club such as toilets.  The other letter was to ask us to make a decision on the pledge that we made to the club five years ago.  Our choices were to claim it back or to make it a donation.  The members decided to make it a donation to the Club.

We decided to ask Steph Cooke to propose the toast to our Charter members at our 50th birthday dinner.  Steph has agreed.  We also asked for as many members to be at the Rotary Shed at 6.00 pm on Monday, Feb 1st to thank Steph for the grant to build the shed.

Neil Munro’s clearing sale is being looked after by Dick Jennings with help from Dave McKinley.  Dick asked for all of us who are able to be at the sale on Friday, February 16th starting at 7.00 am.  There will be no roster so all hands on deck, please.  Dave will look after the plans while Dick is away.  There was plenty of discussion and a few good ideas discussed.  Breakfast will be bacon and egg rolls, lunch will be minute steaks and sandwiches, and tea and coffee will be available.  Neil said the day would wind up between 3 and 4.00 pm.

Other news:

Don Dyce said that we need articles in for the next issue of the Chronicle by the 15th of this month, please.

A roster was handed around to make bookings for the 50th dinner, resulting in a list of 22-24 members and guests.  If you have not booked please do so as soon as possible, thanks.

Albert conducted another spirited fines session fining Ted, Dick (twice), Dave, Daryl and Ian.

Another good meeting, which finished at around 9.00 pm.

Reminders:

Half yearly fees are now overdue at $150.00. Please pay Henk.

Request to man the Ganmain Historical Society Open Day on Saturday March 20th. Names to John Glassford, please.

Neil Munro’s clearing sale will be on Friday, February 26th starting at 9.00 am. Members are needed to assist with catering from 7.00 am.

POLIO PLUS MOVIE AFTERNOON

Wagga Wagga Rotary Club (the oldest club in the old D9700) is the host for this year’s Polio Plus fund raising movie.

Every year local cinemas have the opportunity to raise funds for any cause.  Usually in Wagga the clubs there raise funds for Polio Plus.  The movie this year is Nomadland and will be shown for charity purposes two weeks before it’s release to the Forum Cinema.

You can see the trailer here:

Nomadland Trailer

Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. The third feature film from director Chloé Zhao, NOMADLAND features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West. February 2021.

DIARY

Monday 15th February – Speaker meeting. Guest speaker: Craig Gruber, Team Leader from the Coolamon Ambulance Station.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm.

Wednesday 17th February Next Board Meeting at the Sports Club 7.00 for 7.30 pm start.

Friday 26th February Neil and Clare Munro’s Clearance Sale starting at 9.00 am. Volunteers needed; please contact Dick Jennings for details on how you can help.

Monday 1st March – COOLAMON ROTARY’S 50th BIRTHDAY PARTY 

Our District 9705 Governor Dr. Michael Moore AM and PP Helen Moore will be our honoured guests.  Please have your attendance in by Monday 22nd February.

Cost $25 per head catering by Gilbert and Di.  Dress code: women smart casual and men jackets and ties.  Please book with Ian Jennings or John Glassford bookings close on Monday 22nd February.

Sunday March 7th.  Polio Plus Movie Afternoon in Wagga Wagga Forum Cinema to see the pre release of “Nomadland’.  Details in this bulletin.

Monday 22nd March Club Assembly 

Friday 19th-Sunday 21st March 2021.  District 9705 Conference in Bathurst.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Paraprosdokians

First time I heard about paraprosdokians, I liked them! Paraprosdokians are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected and is frequently humorous.   (Sir Winston Churchill loved them).

Where there’s a will, I want to be in it.

The last thing I want to do is hurt you…but it’s still on my list.

Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.

We never really grow up — we only learn how to act in public.

War does not determine who is right, only who is left.

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

In filling out an application, where it says, “In case of an emergency, notify…” I answered “a doctor.”

Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not so sure.

To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target

Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

You’re never too old to learn something stupid.

I’m supposed to respect my elders, but it’s getting harder and harder for me to find someone older than me.

THE PUZZLER

If it takes five hours for five painters to paint five rooms, how long will it take 100 painters to paint 100 rooms?

ROTARY NEWS

Holger Knaack

President 2020-21

February 2021

In Rotary, 23 February is our anniversary, and February is also the month when we focus on promoting peace. There is a reason for this: Contributing to peace and international understanding has been a high priority for us since our earliest days.

We are often asked: “How can we get involved in peace now?” There are many paths to peace in Rotary. Our youth programs point us in the direction of Positive Peace, as does the work of intercountry committees and the Rotary Action Group for Peace.

Another path is the Rotarian Peace Projects Incubator (RPPI), an inspirational collaboration among Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Rotary Peace Fellows and alumni. Led by Rotarians in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, RPPI has designed 48 global projects that any club can support, either directly or through Rotary Foundation global grants. Nino Lotishvili and Matthew Johnsen, alumni of the Rotary Peace Centre at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, are two of the many volunteers.

FULL STORY HERE.

February is Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month

Graphics by Debbie Vance