Regular meeting, 22 August

This week’s meeting was a regular meeting at which we hosted a number of Rotarians from Wagga/Woollundry to discuss our role in the upcoming Gears and Beers event, to be held on the Sunday of the October long weekend (2 October).  The event is growing, so additional riders are expected to pass through the town as they make their way through the shire.  We’ll be expected to direct riders and hand out water and fruit. Other fine points of the ride were covered in an effort to ensure an even more successful event than last year.

Pictured above (foreground) are Phil McIntosh (Woollundry), Daryl Breust, Wayne Lewis, John Nulty, and Neil Munro.  Pictured below are David Byfield (Woollundry), David Benn (Woollundry), Garth Perkin and Ian Jennings.

It was a fine evening of fellowship with our visitors from Wagga.  The evening concluded with an entertaining fine session led by Sargeant-At-Arms Ted Hutcheon, although Ted’s grasp of the facts slipped a bit this week.  The raffle was won by visiting Rotarian David Byfield.

Moo Poo Working Bee

A very successful working been was held on Saturday to get a start on bagging the miracle product “Moo Poo” (composted cow manure).  Assisting on the day were Don Dyce, Wayne Lewis, Dave McKinley, John Glassford, Alex Thompson, Daryl Breust, Neil Munro, John Bond and Ted Hutcheon.  All up, some 250 bags were packed and stacked on pallets, ready for delivery to our business partners in Ganmain (At & Vet), Coolamon (Delta Ag) and Marrar (Marrar Sales & Service).  The product is selling for $6 per bag, or $30 for 6 bags. Another working bee will be held on Saturday week to continue to process of bagging this wonder of nature.

On the lighter side

Another way to tell the sex of a fly

Any experienced entomologist will tell you the easiest way to tell the sex of a moth is to turn it on its back and look between its legs for mothballs.

Run for your life!

Two campers were hiking in the forest when all of a sudden a bear jumps out of a bush and starts chasing them. Both campers start running for their lives, when one of them stops and starts to put on his running shoes. His partner says, “What are you doing? You can’t outrun a bear!” His friend replies, “I don’t have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you!”

A puzzler for you

Bill and John both have some apples.  If Bill gives one apple to John, they’ll both have the same number of apples.  If John gives an apple to Bill, Bill will have twice as many apples as John.  How many apples do Bill and John have?

Answer to last week’s puzzler

First, fill the three-gallon jug with milk and pour it into the five-gallon jug.  Then ill the three-gallon jug again, and transfer two gallons to the five-gallon jug, which will now be full.  What is left in the three-gallon jug is exactly one gallon.

Diary

29 August: Bowls & Pizza night (in lieu of regular meeting).  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 pm.  Feel free to invite prospective members (but let Ian J know).

Monday, 5 September: Club assembly.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm start.

Thursday, 8 September: Bingo. Allawah Lodge, 6:45 for 7 pm. Roster: Paul Weston (Capt), Ivan Furner, Steve Exton, Garth Perkin.

Saturday, 10 September: Youth Sports Awards Night. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 5:00-8:00 pm (club members will be manning the BBQ).

Monday, 12 September: Regular meeting and visit by DG Michael Millston. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club.

Wednesday, 14 September: Board meeting.  Don Dyce & Sally Farmer residence. 7 pm.

Saturday, 17 September: Kindra Forest Multipurpose Trail Opening.

Saturday, 17 September: Coolamon Cheese Factory Grand Opening.

Monday, 26 September: CSU Field Plot Twilight Tour (in lieu of weekly meeting).  Stay tuned for details.

Sunday, 2 October: Gears & Beers. Stay tuned for details!

Sunday, 16 October: President’s Forum and D9700 AGM, Young.

Saturday, 22 October: Hospital Fete. Details to come.

Saturday, 26 November: Street Raffle.

*Partners and Guests Night

Apologies for Monday meetings: call Ian Jennings on 0428 492 157  BY FRIDAY 12:00 pm.

Regular meeting, 15 August

Our meeting this week featured a presentation by Greg Higgins, a first aid trainer, speaking on “Heart Attack and Strokes: What to Do”.  Greg did an excellent job explaining the role of first aid, and how to recognise symptoms of heart attack and stroke and what to do if someone displays symptoms.  One of the important points Greg made was that the role of a first aider is not necessarily to save lives, but to make victims comfortable and stabilise them until paramedics arrive on the scene, and to make sure that paramedics have been contacted.

Heart attack symptoms include chest pain radiating to the jaw and arm (left arm in men, either in women) and nausea.  Symptoms of stroke include facial drooping, arm weakness, and difficulty with speech (combined with Time to act, these symptoms spell the acronym FAST).  Greg also spoke a bit about anaphylactic shock, which results from allergic reaction (mainly to foods like peanuts, shellfish, eggs, etc).  Symptoms include facial swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, abdominal cramps, and collapse.  The best course of first aid is application of an epi-pen, which most people with allergies would carry with them.  Greg demonstrated correct technique to administer an epi-pen shot using dummy epi-pens which everyone had a chance to play with.

Greg finished off with a demonstration of a heart defibrillator, with member Alex Thompson following the instructions spoken by the machine and applying them to a two-dimensional representation of a human victim of heart attack.  It was a very interesting and informative talk, which member Dave McKinley acknowledged as he thanked Greg by presentating him with the obligatory kangaroo hide coin pouch.  The evening concluded with a fine session led by Sargeant-At-Arms Ted Hutcheon and a meat raffle, which was won (again) by John Glassford.

Moo Poo Working Bee

Just a reminder to all members that a working bee will be held this Saturday at Ted Hutcheon’s place to start bagging Moo Poo, which was picked up by Wayne this week.  Things will kick off at 8:00 am rain or shine. Members Alex, Dave, Daryl, Don, Garth, John G, John B, Neil, Ted and Wayne have indicated that they will definitely or possibly be available to assist, so please be there!  Others are welcome if time permits.

On the lighter side

How to tell the sex of a fly

A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a  flyswatter.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Hunting flies” he responded.

“Oh, killing any?” she asked.

“Yep, three males, two females” he replied.

Intrigued, she asked “How can you tell?”

He responded “Three were on a beer can, and two were on the phone.”

A puzzler for you

A milkman has two empty jugs, a three-gallon jug and a five-gallon jug.  How can he measure exactly one gallon without wasting any milk?

Answer to last week’s puzzler

The speaker is the daughter of Teresa

Diary

Saturday 20 August: Moo Poo working bee. Ted Hutcheon residence, 8:00 am.

Monday 22nd August:  Meeting with visit by John Mason from the Wollundry RC on the Gears and Beers October Long Weekend.

Thursday, 25 August: Australian Rotary Health Indigenous Australian Medical Scholarship Informational Program, Wagga Mercure, 6:30 pm start.

29 August: Bowls & Pizza night (in lieu of regular meeting).  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 pm.  Feel free to invite prospective members (but let Ian J know).

Monday, 5 September: Club assembly.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club, 6:30 for 7 pm start.

Monday, 12 September: Regular meeting and visit by DG Michael Millston. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club.

Wednesday, 14 September: Board meeting.  Don Dyce & Sally Farmer residence. 7 pm.

Saturday, 17 September: Kindra Forest Multipurpose Trail Opening.

Saturday, 17 September: Coolamon Cheese Factory Grand Opening.

Monday, 26 September: CSU Field Day (in lieu of weekly meeting).  Stay tuned for details.

Sunday, 2 October: Gears & Beers. Stay tuned for details!

Sunday, 16 October: President’s Forum and D9700 AGM, Young.

Saturday, 22 October: Hospital Fete. Details to come.

Saturday, 26 November: Street Raffle.

*Partners and Guests Night

Apologies for Monday meetings: call Ian Jennings on 0428 492 157  BY FRIDAY 12:00 pm.

Club Assembly, 8 August

This week’s meeting was a club assembly, so not much exciting to report but a number of important items nonetheless:

Trevor Parkes update – Trevor is still in hospital with no diagnosis.  A second opinion is being sought.

Working with Children – members need to register.  Please see the separate item in this bulletin.

Hospital Fete – The date has been set for 22 October.  We’ve been asked to help again, so members please save the date.

Youth programs – Director Dick would like assistance from another member to run the youth programs of the club.  Contact Dick directly if interested.

Shop Locally campaign – The campaign has lost a bit of puff, so it’s time to strategise for the future of the campaign.  In the meantime, members are urged to shop locally whenever possible to set a good example for the rest of the community.

District Convention 2019 – DGN John G would like to schedule a committee meeting sometime for the coming fortnight.  Committee members are asked to keep an eye out for an announcement soon.

Telephone Directory 2017 – It’s time to start organising the next directory.  Let Directory chair Ian D know if you’re interested in serving on this important committee.

Membership – Director Leslie is looking for a new member for her committee, preferably one of the newer members of the club.  Leslie has some ideas to generate interest in the club, including holding a Trivia Night and having club outings in lieu of some regular meetings.  In that vein, Leslie is organising a Field Day (evening) at her research plots at the CSU farm on Prices Road.  The date is tentatively set for 26 September, weather permitting.  The Easter Markets will go forth on Easter Saturday, and will feature a variety of vintage cars (and the Tesla!) from various clubs and individuals.

Moo Poo – The project will start up soon, as soon as weather permits.  Look for a call for help bagging the product in the coming weeks.

Working with Children

All club members who are involved with projects involving youth (that’s the entire club!) are required to undergo a Working With Children (WWC) check with the government of NSW.  The process begins with completing a form online (at https://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/working-with-children/working-with-children-check, or simply google WWC NSW).  After completing the form, you will receive an e-mail (or snail mail) with a confirmation number that must be taken to Roads and Maritime Services (formerly RTA) in Wagga.  There, you simply present the number and your driver’s licence as proof of identity, and you’re done!  Once the process is completed, please forward your WWC number and date of birth to Secretary Steve (the numbers need to be kept on file with the secretary).  The confirmation number is good for five years, and all members need to undergo the check, so do it today if you haven’t already done so.

On the lighter side

When Bill and Hillary first got married Bill said, “I put a box under the bed. You must promise never to look in it.” In all their 30 years of marriage, Hillary never looked. On the afternoon of their 30th anniversary, curiosity got the best of her and she lifted the lid and peeked inside. In it were 3 empty beer cans and $81,874.25 in cash.

She closed the box and put it back under the bed. Now that she knew what was in the box, she was doubly curious as to why there was such a box and with those contents. That evening, they were out for a special anniversary dinner. After dinner, Hillary could no longer contain her curiosity and she confessed, saying, “I’m so sorry, Bill. For all these years, I kept my promise and never looked into the box under our bed. However, today the temptation was too much and I gave in. But now I need to know, why do you keep the 3 beer cans in the box?”

Bill thought for a while and said, “I guess after all these years you deserve to know the truth. Whenever I was unfaithful to you, I put an empty beer can in the box under the bed to remind myself not to do it again.”

Hillary was shocked, but said, “Hmmm, Jennifer, Paula and Monica. I’m disappointed and saddened by your behavior; however, since you are addicted to sex I guess it does happen and I guess 3 times is not that bad considering your problem.”

Bill thanked her for being so understanding. They hugged and made their peace.  A little while later Hillary asked Bill, “So why do you have all that money in the box?”

He answered, “Well, whenever the box filled up with empty cans, I took them to the recycling center.”

A puzzler for you

If Teresa’s daughter is my daughter’s mother, what is my relationship to Teresa?

a) Grandmother, b) Mother, c) Daughter, d) Granddaughter, e) I am Teresa, f) Father.

Answer to last week’s puzzler

The cost of the ball was 5 cents.

Diary Reminders

Monday, 15 August: Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club. Guest speaker: Greg Higgins, “Heart Attacks and Stroke”.  Partners welcome.

Wednesday, 17 August: Board meeting. Don Dyce residence, 7 pm.

Thursday, 25 August: Australian Rotary Health Indigenous Australian Medical Scholarship Informational Program, Wagga Mercure, 6:30 pm start. Answer to riddle: wholesome!

Monday, 12 September: Regular meeting and visit by DG Michael Millston. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club.

Saturday, 17 September: Kindra Forest Multipurpose Trail Opening.

Saturday, 17 September: Coolamon Cheese Factory Grand Opening.

Monday, 26 September: CSU Field Day (in lieu of weekly meeting).  Stay tuned for details.

Sunday, 2 October: Gears & Beers. Stay tuned for details!

Sunday, 16 October: President’s Forum and D9700 AGM, Young.

Saturday, 22 October: Hospital Fete. Details to come.

Saturday, 26 November: Street Raffle.

*Partners and Guests Night

Apologies for Monday meetings: call Ian Jennings on 0428 492 157  BY FRIDAY 12:00 pm.

Regular Meeting, 1 August

Monday’s meeting was a special event as we welcomed another member to the club.  John Bond of Millwood Road in Coolamon was inducted to a warm welcome by a good rollup of members.  John has a background in electronic communications and in teaching the same through TAFE.  John’s mentor is his neighbor, Garth Perkin, who formally introduced John to the club during the induction ceremony.  John will be assisting Steve with secretarial duties.

At this week’s meeting, we were treated to an excellent presentation by Scott Norman, a resident of Ganmain and multifaceted individual who shared with us his experience of owning a Tesla electric car and the passion behind his decision to purchase this unusual vehicle.  Dr Norman is a lecturer in animal reproduction at CSU in addition to co-owning a private veterinary practice (Farm and Pet Vet) in Ganmain with his wife, Jenny (Dr Jennifer Larson).  Scott purchased his Tesla Model S a couple of years ago after waiting for the Tesla to come to market (he had been following its development since Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors, released his electric Roadster sports car in 2008).  The Model S is an amazing vehicle more like an aircraft than a car; equipped with forward-looking radar, ultrasonic sensors and a sophisticated computer control system, the vehicle is essentially able to drive itself when in autopilot mode (although this is strongly discouraged).  Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/hr in about 4 seconds, five-star ANCAP safety rating, essentially zero maintenance costs and a fuel efficiency equivalent to 2-3 L/100 km (and essentially free operation when charging the batteries with solar panels) are features enough to give anyone a case of vehicle envy (until you consider the cost, which is in the vicinity of $120,000 AUD).  Interestingly, the high-tech features are not what motivated Scott to buy the Tesla, it was the reduced environmental impact.  The dramatic fuel efficiency and greatly reduced environmental impact (read zero emissions) are the driving forces behind Scott’s decision to spend so much on a motor vehicle. 

Those in attendance were duly impressed with Scott’s presentation, and left with a bit of motor envy.  Ian Jennings thanked Scott and presented him with a kangaroo hide coin purse.  Following the talk, the raffle was drawn and was won by Bernie Milne.  Another brilliant fine session was conducted by Sergeant-At-Arms Ted Hutcheon, which left the members in stitches.

Launch of the Coolamon Community Chronicle

On Saturday morning, a number of club members, led by newspaper committee chairperson Myffy Collette, distributed copies of the inaugural issue of the Coolamon Community Chronicle to passersby outside the newsagency in Coolamon.  The newspaper was received enthusiastically by most who received a copy.  The newspaper will be produced monthly by the club and students in Beth Batcheldor’s class at Coolamon Central School, and will be distributed free of charge to the community at various locations throughout the shire.  Thanks to co-chairs Myffy and Bernie and the members of the committee (club members Don Dyce, Grahame Miles and Paul Weston as well as Beth Batcheldor from CSC and her students) for the efforts that made production of this nice little newspaper possible.

Don’t forget the Census!

Just a reminder to complete your census form this coming Tuesday, 9 August. The census can be completed online, or via the paper form that has been sent to every household in the country.  Stand up and be counted!

On the lighter side

Life Insurance

Mary was discussing the various aspects and possible outcome of the insurance policy with the clerk at the Insurance Agency.

During the discussion, she asked. “Suppose I take the life insurance for my husband today for a million dollars, and tomorrow he dies? What will I get?”

The clerk eyed her suspiciously and replied, “Probably a life sentence.”

A puzzler for you

A bat and a ball cost $1.10. The bat costs one dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? (Answer next week)

Answer to last week’s puzzler

The coppers knew the man committed the crime because he came straight to the crime scene without being told where it was.

Diary Reminders

Monday, 8 August: Club assembly.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club. No guests.

Thursday, 11 August: Bingo [Grahame (Capt), Daryl, Wayne and Ted]

Monday, 15 August: Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club.

Wednesday, 17 August: Board meeting. Don Dyce residence, 7 pm.

Thursday, 25 August: Australian Rotary Health Indigenous Australian Medical Scholarship Informational Program, Wagga Mercure, 6:30 pm start. Answer to riddle: wholesome!

Monday, 12 September: Regular meeting and visit by DG Michael Millston. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club.

Saturday, 17 September: Kindra Forest Multipurpose Trail Opening.

Saturday, 17 September: Coolamon Cheese Factory Grand Opening.

Sunday, 2 October: Gears & Beers. Stay tuned for details!

Sunday, 16 October: President’s Forum and D9700 AGM, Young.

Saturday, 26 November: Street Raffle.

*Partners and Guests Night

Apologies for Monday meetings: call Ian Jennings on 0428 492 157  BY FRIDAY 12:00 pm.

Today we launched the Coolamon Community Chronicle, the first newspaper that Coolamon has had as far as I know. We had 7 members present to hand out the free copies to all and sundry.

It is a joint effort between the Coolamon Central School and the Shire of Coolamon and of course Rotary Coolamon with Myffy Collette and Bern Milne and their team who have done a great job.

EVANSTON, Ill. (July 26, 2016) — Rotary and disaster relief charity ShelterBox renewed a three-year agreement to provide immediate, lifesaving assistance to survivors of natural disasters and conflict.

Rotary clubs worldwide have mobilized to provide immediate relief to thousands of displaced people quickly and efficiently with ShelterBox for 16 years. To date, Rotary members have donated US$48 million to provide shelter for families in need – 40 percent of ShelterBox’s total of US$119.6 million raised.

“The partnership between Rotary and ShelterBox has provided a place of refuge to people facing some of the most difficult and uncertain moments in their lives,” said John Hewko, general secretary of Rotary. “We are happy to renew this project partnership and honor our ongoing commitment to taking action to help communities devastated by disasters and conflict.”

Each ShelterBox container typically provides a tent designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, along with regionally-appropriate supplies such as a water purification kit, blankets, tools, solar lights, and other necessities to help a family survive for six months or more after a disaster.

As part of the communities they serve, Rotary clubs help ShelterBox identify and prioritize immediate relief needs in disaster-affected areas and assist with the deployment of shelter kits, education materials and lifesaving supplies. Rotary members also fund aid boxes, become trained relief volunteers, assist with shipping customs clearance and connect with governments and other organizations in impacted areas to facilitate the delivery of boxes and aid. CEO of ShelterBox, Chris Warham said, “Rotary and ShelterBox will always stand side by side to help those less fortunate. This project partnership renewal simply indicates the strength of our long friendship, and recognizes the immense practical and funding support provided by Rotary members worldwide to enable us to reach out to families in distress.”

– Rotary International Press release

Contact: Chanele Williams (847)866-3466, [email protected]

Message from RI President John Germ

Meeting 25th July

This week’s meeting was a regular meeting with a couple of very interesting guest speakers, Fanny Lamouille and Jeremy Rey from Annecy, France.  Fanny and Jeremy are a young couple that left well paying jobs in Geneva, Switzerland (a short commute from their house in France) and made the big trip to Sydney to give it a whirl.  After spending several months in Sydney and not finding what they were looking for, they ended up in Ganmain and have been doing a range of jobs for John and Susan Glassford with their straw house construction business.  Fanny and Jeremy love their Australian life, but do miss the pastries, cheeses and other delicacies of their homeland.  They plan to move to Melbourne and spend another year or more down under before deciding their next move.  Leslie thanked the pair of speakers (in French!) and presented them with a kangaroo hide coin pouch (photo below). The evening was finished off with a raffle (won by Paul) and a brilliant fine session by Sargeant-At-Arms Ted Hutcheon, who really outdid himself!

Up To Date Art Exhibition

The social event of the year took place on Friday evening with the opening of the art show at the Up To Date Store.  The show continues to grow, and features some exceptional artwork created by artists from Coolamon and throughout the Riverina.  A number of Rotarians were in the crowd, including President Don Dyce, who presented the award for sculpture and ceramics, which was sponsored by Coolamon Rotary.  The winning entry was an elaborate birdhouse created by Gabby Thompson and Albert Suidgeest. Pictured in the photo below (from left to right) are Gabby, Suzanne Houghton (the artist in residence), Jean-Claude Pretorius (show judge), and President Don.  The other photo depicts Gabby & Albert’s winning birdhouse sculpture.  Other Rotarians in attendance at the show included Ian (and Marilyn) Jennings, John (and Suzie) Glassford, Alex Thompson, Wayne (and Helen) Lewis, Paul & Leslie Weston, and Mike Perrott (Narrandera Rotary).  Also in the crowd was Don’s partner, Sally Farmer, who exhibited an intricate mosaic.  As always, it was an excellent show and very enjoyable evening.  The exhibit will be on display through Sunday (31 July), so there’s still time to take in some excellent artwork.

On the lighter side

Things Dad Will Never Say

1. Well, how about that! I’m lost. Looks like we’ll have to stop and ask for directions.
2. You know, pumpkin. Now that you’re thirteen, you’ll be ready for unchaperoned car dates. Won’t that be fun?
3.  I noticed that all your friends have a certain negative attitude. I like that!
4.  Here’s a credit card and the keys to my new car. Go crazy!
5. What do you mean you want to play football? Figure skating not good enough for you, son?
6.  Your Mother and I are going away for the weekend. You might want to consider throwing a party.
7.  Well, I don’t know what’s wrong with your car. Probably one of those doo-hickey thingies. You know, that makes it run or something. Just have it towed to a mechanic and pay whatever he asks.
8. No son of mine is going to live under this roof without an earring. Now, quit your belly aching and let’s go to the mall.
9.  What do you want to go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend.
10.  Father’s Day? Ah, don’t worry about that. It’s no big deal!

The power of prayer

Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his grandmother’s house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served.

When little Johnny received his plate he started eating right away.

“Johnny, wait until we say our prayer.”

“I don’t have to,” the boy replied.

“Of course you do,” his mother insisted. “We say a prayer before eating at
our house.”

“That’s at our house,” Johnny explained, “but this is Grandma’s house, and she knows how to cook.”

The puzzler

One night, a man receives a call from the police. The police tell the man that his wife was murdered, and that he should reach the crime scene as soon as possible. The man drops the phone, shocked, and drives 20 minutes to the crime scene. As soon as he reaches the crime scene, the police arrest him and he is convicted of murder. How the police know that he committed the crime?

Answer to last week’s puzzler:

Diary Reminders

Monday, 1 August: Regular meeting*. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club. Guest speaker: Scott Norman (The pleasures of owning a Tesla!)

Monday, 8 August: Club assembly.  Coolamon Sport & Rec Club. No guests.

Thursday, 11 August: Bingo [Grahame (Capt), Daryl, Wayne and Ted]

Monday, 15 August: Regular meeting. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club.

Wednesday, 17 August: Board meeting. Don Dyce residence, 7 pm.

Thursday, 25 August: Australian Rotary Health Indigenous Australian Medical Scholarship Informational Program, Wagga Mercure, 6:30 pm start. Answer to riddle: wholesome!

Monday, 12 September: Regular meeting and visit by DG Michael Millston. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club.

Saturday, 17 September: Kindra Forest Multipurpose Trail Opening.

Saturday, 17 September: Coolamon Cheese Factory Grand Opening.

Sunday, 2 October: Gears & Beers. Stay tuned for details!

Sunday, 16 October: President’s Forum and D9700 AGM, Young.

Saturday, 26 November: Street Raffle.

*Partners and Guests Night

Apologies for Monday meetings: call Ian Jennings on 0428 492 157  BY FRIDAY 12:00 pm.

Meeting 18th July

This week’s meeting was the first club assembly of the new Rotary year.  Much of the meeting was spent tidying up loose ends, but a few announcements livened up the proceedings.  Myffy Collette announced that the first issue of the newspaper will be going to the printer this weekend, and would be distributed on the following Saturday.  To publicise the arrival of the paper, Myffy has obtained permission from the shire council to set up a table in the plaza next to the newsagency and distribute copies of the paper to passersby.  Following that, the papers will be brought to the various distribution points around the shire, where they will be available for pickup by community members.  This is a very exciting project and one that has the potential to have a very large impact on the Coolamon shire.  The newspaper committee are looking for any stories of local interest to include in the paper, so don’t hesitate to send your pieces to a member of the committee (Myffy, Bernie Milne, Grahame Miles and Paul Weston).

John Glassford and Dick Jennings attended the Narrandera changeover last Wednesday, where they were presented with a cheque in the amount of $1000 for RAGES (Rotary Action Group for Endangered Species, an initiative headed up by John).  It’s very gratifying to see local clubs getting behind this international program.

Last week’s bingo at Allawah Lodge was profitable, despite the relatively low turnout.  Winter weather seems to keep the bingo players at home, but more of them might show up next month when they hear that the jackpot continues to grow (now at $170, supplemented in part by Myffy’s generous donation of her raffle winnings at the bingo).  Organisers Neil Munro and Grahame Miles are encouraging all members to try their hand at bingo next month.  As usual, all profits generated by bingo are spent on enhancements to the facilities at the hospital and retirement home.

The street raffle was surprisingly profitable last Saturday, aided no doubt by the lure of a beautiful load of firewood on offer.  Proceeds were twice what the street raffle typically generates, and the members selling tickets had to work hard to keep from drooling over the gorgeous load of wood in the trailer parked in front of the newsagency. In the end, the prize was won by local resident Jean Young, who happily donated it to her daughter and son-in-law, Cathy and Mal Roberts, since Jean doesn’t have a wood fire.  Thanks to members Rod Jarrett, Daryl Breust, John Glassford, Wayne Lewis, Trevor Parkes and Paul Weston who braved the frigid temperatures to sell tickets, and to Wayne and Trevor for loading the wood on Friday.

The formal proceedings of the assembly were uneventful in the end, despite some spirited discussion about the frequency and nature of our weekly meetings.  We decided to recommend to the board that we make no change to the bylaws regarding the frequency of meetings, but several suggestions may result in some minor changes to some of the meetings (including increasing the frequency of meetings away from our traditional meeting location and shifting board meetings to weeks when bingo is not on to avoid overloading weeks with too many Rotary events).

The evening was finished off with a raffle (won by John G) and a rousing fine session by Sargeant-At-Arms Ted Hutcheon, who is secretly hoping for a win by Donald Trump in the US election in November.

District 9700 Directory Now Available

Do you have your district directory yet? In case you’ve been living under a log, the directory is no longer being printed; it’s available only as a download from the district website.  All members of the district should have received an e-mail in the past week describing how to access the directory, but in case you missed it, simply go to the district website and click on the link “2016-17  District Directory” from the home page.

On the lighter side

Riddle: What is it that when you take away the whole, you still have some left over? (answer somewhere below)

The puzzler

Here’s a visual puzzle for you:

Answer to last puzzler: There were 24 triangles of various sizes, including the whole figure itself.

Diary Reminders

Monday, July 25: Regular meeting

Monday, August 1: Regular meeting*. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club. Guest speaker: Scott Norman (The pleasures of owning a Tesla!)

Thursday, August 11: Bingo [Grahame (Capt), Daryl, Wayne and Ted]

Thursday, August 25: Australian Rotary Health Indigenous Australian Medical Scholarship Informational Program, Wagga Mercure, 6:30 pm start. Answer to riddle: wholesome!

Monday, September 12: Regular meeting and visit by DG Michael Millston. Coolamon Sport & Rec Club.

Saturday, September 17: Coolamon Cheese Factory Grand Opening!

Sunday, October 2: Gears & Beers. Stay tuned for details!

Sunday, October 16: President’s Forum and D9700 AGM, Young.

*Partners and Guests Night

Apologies for Monday meetings: call Ian Jennings on 0428 492 157  BY FRIDAY 12:00 pm.