The average age of the employees at the Vita Needle Company, a needle and tubing factory near Boston, is an amazing 74 years.
Rosa is now 100 years young and still working at Vita Needle!
The average age of the employees at the Vita Needle Company, a needle and tubing factory near Boston, is an amazing 74 years.
Rosa is now 100 years young and still working at Vita Needle!
Coolamon Rotary activities continue to hum along despite a fair few members being out of town lately for various reasons. And despite the lower numbers at the last couple of meetings, we’ve had some productive and enjoyable sessions. I even sensed that people had fun at the board meeting this past Monday, which is a first!
Planning is underway for the next meeting with the local business owners and operators. We’re shooting for one of the Mondays in mid-October, so watch this space.
The Coolamon Rotary food van will back on the road soon, making an appearance at the Scarecrow Festival scheduled for 30 September. We’ll be dishing up some tasty treats at the event, and welcome those who might want to spend a little time at the griddle. Look for a roster sign-up at our next meeting.
Speaking of next meetings, District Governor Greg Brown will be attending our meeting on Monday, 17 September. Please make an extra effort to attend and make Greg welcome as he begins his visits to clubs in the district. Gilbert is catering, so remember of phone apologies if you’ll be unable to attend.
The following week is a special night as we welcome the Hon. Michael McCormack to our weekly meeting to regale us with insider tales of life in Parliament. The talk, entitled “The Lighter Side of Parliament”, will not be of a political nature but instead will expose some of the things that go on behind the scenes at Parliament and don’t make it on the evening news. An invitation has been extended to the public, so we’re expecting a large turnout. Typical for such events, a Chinese buffet will be on offer.
International programs continue, with John Glassford sharing news that $40,000 was recently disbursed to the charities in Africa designated as beneficiaries of the recent climb of the Mountains of the Moon. Plans are taking shape for the next climb, scheduled for 2015. Watch this space for further developments!
Don’t forget about the Rotary Peace Conference taking in place as the Wagga RSL over 21-23 Sept. If you’re not up for attending all three days, you can register to attend single sessions or half days. More information can be found at http://www.rotarypeace2012.org.au.
I have to say I’m amazed at how much good work is being done by such a small organisation. It’s clear that we have a hard-working, dedicated group of members, and I’m very proud to be a member and honoured to be at the helm for this year.
Bingo will be taking place at Alawah Lodge this Thursday—will this be the night the Jackpot is won? Anyone is welcome to play, so come by on the 13th and try your luck!
That’s all for now. Until next time, onward and upward!
Yours in Rotary,
Paul
Many of you know that we now have five Avenues of Service in Rotary. The fifth, and newest, is New Generations Service. There are many ways to serve through this avenue, and you will read about some of them in this month’s issue of the Rotarian.
All of the work we do to educate children, to improve maternal health, to help families live healthier lives – all of this is service to New Generations. We also serve New Generations by working to eradicate polio, helping to ensure that future generations of children will be born into a polio-free world.
Our youth and young adult programs, such as Rotaract, Interact, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and Rotary Youth Exchange, are a very important part of this Avenue of Service. We must remember that the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow. By helping to develop young leaders and bringing younger members into our clubs, we strengthen communities – and Rotary’s future.
For most of my life, I have been a salesman. I learned long ago that being a good salesman is not enough. You must also have a good product. If you are a good salesman, you will make the first sale. But if you do not have a good product, you will make only the first sale. You will not make the second.
It is not enough to bring new members into Rotary. We want them to stay. We want the new, young members to become longtime members. We want them to be Rotary leaders in 10, 20, or 30 years.
How do we do this? We have to look at our product. We have to look at Rotary not with our own eyes, but with new eyes. When we invite a new member to join and that person’s answer is no, we should ask why. This is not to pressure someone into joining. It is to find out more information. What are the obstacles to membership? Is it an inconvenient meeting time? Is it too much of a time commitment? Is it something else that we have not thought of?
We need to ask questions, and we need to open ourselves to the answers. We cannot say, “No, we will not do this,” just because we have never done it before. Why not have child care at a meeting? Why not involve families in projects? Why not make attendance requirements less strict, or meet less often?
Our new Avenue of New Generations Service is an important step in ensuring many future generations of Rotary, and of Service Above Self.
A couple in their nineties are both having problems remembering things. During a checkup, the doctor tells them that they’re physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember.
Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair. “Want anything while I’m in the kitchen?” he asks.
“Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?”
“Sure….”
“Don’t you think you should write it down so you can remember it?” she asks.
“No, I can remember it.”
“Well, I’d like some strawberries on top, too. Maybe you should write it down, so not to forget it?”
He says, “I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.”
“I’d also like whipped cream. I’m certain you’ll forget that. Write it down,” she says.
Irritated, he says, “I don’t need to write it down, I can remember it! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream – I got it, for goodness sake!”
Then he toddles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment.
“Where’s my toast?”
~~~~~~~
Last Laugh
Sweet Potatoes
Every morning during our coffee break, my co-workers and I listened to the culinary disasters of a newlywed colleague. We then tried to share some helpful hints and recipes.
One day, she asked us for step-by-step instructions on cooking sweet potatoes, one of her husband’s favorites.
“I’ve finally been able to make them sweet,” she said, “but how do you make them orange?”
{Thanks to Tom Telfer of ROTI fame for these jokes}
Although not a project of Rotary International the School of St Jude’s in Moshono Tanzania has a lot of Rotary clubs from around Australia and other parts of the world supporting this amazing school. This is a photo of the latest line of hopeful children who want to be accepted at the School of St Jude’s on the 27th. August out of the 1500 applications 150 will be accepted. The School of St Jude provides an International-standard education to bright children from the poorest households so they will have a better future, break the cycle of poverty, and become the educated professionals Tanzania desperately needs.
The Mountains of the Moon climb has raised $6,725.00 for the School of St Jude’s and the money is on the way to Tanzania.
In 2002 a young lady, Gemma Rice (now Gemma Sisia), from a sheep farm in Australia, opened a small school in Northern Tanzania with the help of her family, friends and local Rotary Club. What started with only three students and one teacher is now a thriving school of over 1,500 students and over 400 local Tanzanian staff. The students and staff are located across three campuses and includes two boarding houses to accommodate more than 1,000 students. These schools really have the potential to influence the quality of Tanzania’s future leaders.
To be an exemplary, modern and self-sustaining institution that affects a paradigm shift on the educational system in Tanzania by enabling Tanzanians to run successful and moral schools to alleviate poverty and break the cycle of dependency on external aid.
The School of St Jude is an independent sponsorship-supported school that provides education for Tanzanian children from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds. The school demonstrates leadership, promotes critical thinking and expects high moral values from its students, staff and the school community.
The animal handlers at the Oregon Zoo took Chendra around to meet some of the other animals one day before the zoo opened. The sea lions were her favorite!
Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka
Governor of District 9700 Greg Brown
Coolamon Club President Paul Weston
Coolamon Club Secretary John Glassford
Coolamon Club Treasurer Henk Hulsman
Coolamon Rotary Club Inc. P.O. Box 23 COOLAMON N.S.W. 2701
NEW! ROTI Rotarians On The Internet September Newsletter
Coolamon Rotary Club: http://coolamonrotary.com
Road MAPS to Africa a Coolamon Rotary Project: http://www.mountainsofthemoon.org/
Rotary Down Under on line: http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/26587/49598/pub
Rotarians For Fighting AIDS AUSTRALIA: http://theork.com/
Our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: http://www.rotaryhoutbay.org
Don’t forget to regularly check our club web site for current information such as bingo rosters and various newsletters from the District Governor, the School of St. Jude’s, the monthly membership on the move newsletter as well as several other club bulletins.
Rotarians in Mozambique recently provided a water tank and bathroom facilities for a primary school outside Maputo. It’s just one example of how Rotarians are working to improve sanitation and access to clean water.
Monday’s meeting was a “member’s night” and featured John Burns recounting his life story. It’s always interesting hearing the twists and turns that one’s life takes, and John’s story was no exception. Although John grew up in the suburbs of Sydney, he has always identified more with country living, and is much more at home in Coolamon than in the Big Smoke. We followed John’s progression from boyhood through professional life from industrial arts teacher to head of school, witnessing a variety of clothing styles ranging from 70’s chic through to contemporary, with varying amounts and length of hair. John and Val’s two children are now married and starting families of their own, which has led to the empty nesters doing a bit of world travel.
One of the more surprising aspects of John’s life is his love of cars, a passion embodied by his restoration of a Datsun 240Z with his son a number of years ago. John has been involved with service clubs over the years, and it’s great to have John on board as one of the newest members of Coolamon Rotary. Thanks for sharing your life story, John! Stay tuned for next month’s instalment, which is scheduled to be provided by Ian Durham (we’re working through the alphabet, and although Craig Corrigan is next on the list, his current leave of absence means we’ll hear his life story at a later data).
A few updates of interest. Our next meeting with the business owners and shopkeepers in the shire will likely take place in mid-October. Arrangements are being made to have an outside speaker make a presentation on marketing, so stay tuned. MP Michael McCormack will be speaking on the 24th of September, which is expected to be a well-attended event. Don’t forget to check the Bingo roster for next week, and keep the 30th of September in mind since we’ll be running our food van at the Scarecrow Festival organised by the Coolamon Men’s Shed.
That’s all for now. Onward and upward!.
Yours in Rotary,
Paul
John Burns and Past President Marg Perkin with Past RI President Kalyan Banerjee.
I’m back in Japan for ten days before heading off to Brazil. This is the first time I’ve set foot in Japan since taking office in July, so I’m really enjoying these precious moments with my family. I will also attend the Japan-Korea Goodwill Conference being held in Tokyo on 31 August-1 September, an excellent opportunity to promote Peace Through Service.
会長就任以来初めて日本に帰国しました。今回はわずか10日間の滞在ですが、久しぶりに家族と過ごす時間を楽しんでいます。8月31日と9月1日に東京で開かれる日韓親善会議に出席後、地球の裏側ブラジルへと発つ予定です。
1st Blonde Joke This Year
A blonde walks by a travel agency and notices a sign in the window, “Cruise Special. $99!”
So she goes inside, lays her money on the counter and says, “I’d like the $99 cruise special, please.”
The agent says, “Yes, ma’am.”
He grabs her, drags her into the back room, ties her into a large inner tube, pulls her out the back door and downhill to the river bank, where he pushes her in and sends her floating down the river.
A second blonde comes by a few minutes later, sees the sign, goes inside, lays down her money, and asks for the $99 special.
She too is tied to an inner tube and sent floating down the river. Drifting into stronger current, she eventually catches up with the first blonde.
They float side by side for awhile before the first blonde asks, “Do they serve refreshments on this cruise”?
The second blonde replies, “They didn’t last year.”
Golfing’s Top 10 Caddy Replies
10.) Golfer: “Think I’m going to drown myself in the lake.”
Caddy: “Think you can keep your head down that long”?
9.) Golfer: “I’d move Heaven and Earth to break 100 on this course.”
Caddy: “Try Heaven, you’ve already moved most of the Earth.
8.) Golfer: “Do you think my game is improving”?
Caddy: “Yes sir, you miss the ball much closer now.”
7.) Golfer: “Do you think I can get there with a 5 iron”?
Caddy: “Eventually.”
6.) Golfer: “You’ve got to be the worst caddy in the world.”
Caddy: “I don’t think so, sir. That would be too much of a coincidence.”
5.) Golfer: “Please stop checking your watch. It’s too much of a distraction.”
Caddy: “It’s not a watch, it’s a compass.”
4.) Golfer: “How do you like my game”?
Caddy: “Very good, sir, but personally, I prefer golf.”
3.) Golfer: “Do you think it’s a sin to play on Sunday”?
Caddy: “The way you play, sir, it’s a sin on any day.”
2.) Golfer: “This is the worst course I’ve ever played on.”
Caddy: “This isn’t the golf course. We left that an hour ago.”
1.) Golfer: “That can’t be my ball, it’s too old.”
Caddy: “It’s been a long time since we teed off, sir.”
This week we look at one of the very best Rotary projects in the world today:
ShelterBox was founded by Tom Henderson OBE, a Rotarian and former Royal Navy search and rescue diver.
He saw that the aid response to most disasters was in the form of food and medicine to help people survive the immediate aftermath.
Little or no assistance was given in terms of proper shelter to help them through the first few days, weeks and months as they tried to rebuild their lives. ShelterBox was launched to fill that void.
In 1999, Tom started researching the idea, sourcing equipment and twisting arms to get the project off the ground. His persistence paid off in April 2000 when ShelterBox was launched and the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard in Cornwall adopted it as its millennium project. Little did they know that it would become the largest Rotary club project in the world, with an ever-growing number of international affiliates.
The first consignment of 143 boxes was sent to earthquake victims in the Indian state of Gujarat in January 2001. Over the next three years the project matured and by the end of 2004 nearly 2,600 boxes had been dispatched, following 16 major disasters. On 26 December 2004, news came of the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami and ShelterBox faced its most significant challenge, one that would change its course forever. Donations and volunteers poured in and we were able to ramp up our operations on a scale unimaginable just six months earlier. More below:
Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka
Governor of District 9700 Greg Brown
Coolamon Club President Paul Weston
Coolamon Club Secretary John Glassford
Coolamon Club Treasurer Henk Hulsman
Coolamon Rotary Club Inc. P.O. Box 23 COOLAMON N.S.W. 2701
Websites of Interest
Coolamon Rotary Club: http://coolamonrotary.com
Road MAPS to Africa a Coolamon Rotary Project: http://www.mountainsofthemoon.org/
Rotary Down Under on line: http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/26587/49598/pub
Rotarians For Fighting AIDS AUSTRALIA: http://theork.com/
Our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: http://www.rotaryhoutbay.org
Don’t forget to regularly check our club web site for current information such as bingo rosters and various newsletters from the District Governor, the School of St. Jude’s, the monthly membership on the move newsletter as well as several other club bulletins.
ShelterBox Response Teams (SRTs) have been in the Philippines over the past month delivering much needed aid to families whose homes were flooded by Tropical Storm Haikui.
Dams on nearby rivers broke and the monsoon storm poured 30 centimetres of rain on the capital Manila, the worst downpour it had seen in three years, causing floodwaters to rise and damage to infrastructure.
‘It’s like a water world,’ said Benito Ramos, the head of the country’s disaster response agency.
ShelterBox has been working in and around Manila providing emergency shelter and other non-food items to families in need, including towns around Lake Laguna.
Fionn McKee is a ShelterBox Operations Coordinator who has been helping coordinate ShelterBox’s response in country and speaks about the deployment from Manila:
Tonight we had the pleasure of listening to Dick Thompson, brother of Bill Thompson a well known local identity. Dick has lived in Yorkshire for the past 24 years after leaving Coolamon. Dick like his brother Bill is a lawyer and practices in a small town about 40 minutes drive to Leeds and Sheffield. Dick met his wife Chris a Yorkshire lass when he went to Alice Springs to play football. They decided to live in Yorkshire and have two daughters. Dick gave a lively and most interesting talk on his life as an ex pat living in the Yorkshire couintry side which he describes as being out of an episode of All Creatures Great and Small.
We had 10 members in attendance with our guests Val Burns, Maureen Hulsman, Maree Jennings and Bill Thompson.
The Yorkshire Dales
Before the Bud Billiken Parade set off, I had the distinct honor of putting my “Peace through Service” pin on the renowned civil rights leader, Rev. Jesse Jackson, with District 6450 Assistant Governor J.N. Settles Sr. looking on. I also got to present my pin to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. It was a day filled with humbling and inspiring encounters.
The Bud Billiken® Parade and Picnic is an annual parade and picnic in Chicago, Illinois, and is the oldest and largest African-American parade in the United States. Since 1929, it has always been held the second Saturday in August. The idea for the parade came from Mr. Robert S. Abbott, the founder of the Chicago Defender. The focus of the parade is education and sounds the clarion call for “Back to School” to our children. It is currently the second largest parade in the United States. The 82d Annual Parade took place on August 13, 2011, and was televised on WLS-TV as well as nationally on WGN-TV and viewed by over 25 million viewers. In August 2012, the second Saturday falls on August 11, 2012. The focus on the parade continues to be the betterment of Chicago’s youth.
Those in attendance at Monday’s meeting were treated to a very interesting talk by Dick Thompson, brother of Bill and a Coolamon resident currently residing in Yorkshire, England. Dick described how a two-year stay in Alice Springs 24 years ago turned into a continuing life adventure in England after he met his wife, a pom who was doing a volunteer service gig in Tennant Creek. One thing led to another and Dick is now living and working in Yorkshire. Dick considers himself an Aussie, and has made sure his daughters (now in their twenties) make regular visits to Coolamon to spend time with their grandparents. Although Dick still considers himself a true blue Aussie, he pointed out that he has spent nearly as much of his life in England as in Australia (but he still has a fair dinkum Aussie accent!). It was a very interesting perspective on living in another country while trying to retain as much of one’s culture and heritage as possible, and sharing that with one’s children.
Next week will provide an opportunity for John Burns to share his life story with the club. We’ll also spend a bit of time at the meeting reflecting on where we are as a club and where we want to be in the future, so come prepared to do a bit more brainstorming.
The Shop Locally campaign is regaining some momentum, with plans for a voucher book taking shape in time for the Christmas shopping season. An upcoming weekly meeting will focus specifically on the Shop Locally campaign, and will involve local shop owners; watch this space in the near future for specifics.
That’s all for now. Onward and upward!.
Yours in Rotary,
Paul
The Great Artificial Elephant !
This is a robotic miracle…made from 45
tons of recycled materials, measuring
12 meters high and 8 meters wide. It
can carry up to 49 passengers
A barber runs out of his shop and down to the nearest corner where a policeman is standing.
“Officer,” he asks, “have you seen a man run by here in the last few minutes?”
“No, I haven’t. What’s the problem?”
“The lousy cheat ran out of my shop without paying me!”
“Does this fellow have any distinguishing features?” the officer asked.
“Well, yes,” the barber replies. “He’s carrying one of his ears in his left hand.”
YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2012 when…
1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.
2 You haven’t played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don’t have e-mail addresses / facebook / twitter.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your mobile phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7 Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.
8. Leaving the house without your mobile phone, which you didn’t have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of RAWCS Projects. Being a RAWCS Volunteer can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life; you can make new friends in other countries and you will form very close bonds with your team members.
Rotary International is an organisation of people who serve their communities around the world in a range of volunteer roles.
The projects listed on this website are all being managed by members of sponsor Rotary Clubs volunteering their time to do this important community work.
Participation by other Rotarians and by members of the public is also welcome.
If you like to sew or knit, you might like to make dolls for orphans in Africa. You could sort books as part of a literacy program. Or knit a knee rug for the Wheelchair For Kids Project. There’s any number of other projects you could volunteer some of your time towards – a number of RAWCS projects even provide opportunities for volunteers to travel to the project country and work directly on the project.
Click on the image below to read all about this project in East Timor:
A farewell dinner for the GSE team traveling to Kansas in September was held at the home of Paul and Judy Cox in Orange. Almost 50 guests enjoyed a dinner prepared by Judy and the members and wives of the Rotary Club of Orange Calare. Special guests included DG Greg Brown and Lyn, PDG and GSE Chair Neal Fogarty and Barbara and AG John McKenzie and Lynne.
The GSE team performed a dress rehearsal of their presentations prepared for the Rotary Clubs in Kansas. The night rounded off with a Skype hook up with Arlen Honts GSE coordinator in Wichita Kansas who looked very fresh considering it was 5:30 am in Wichita The team depart for Kansas on August 31st.
We had 9 members present tonight. It was a combined business and board meeting. President Paul welcomed us and said how pleasing it was to have had such a succesful meeting last week with Linda Tilman and 63 present at that meeting. A follow up meeting will be held on Monday 3rd September and those who were invited on the 3rd will recieve a return invitation to workshop ideas on how to improve their own business in the Coolamon Shire.
We welcomed back Neil Munro from his fact finding trip to the USA in particular Arizona. Neil gave a short talk on the adventure and was impressed by the the tour that was organised with visits to John Deere factories which covered 100 acres. Neil was also impressed with the Grand Canyon. Neil said that the USA is in the grip of a drought which is affecting this year’s wheat and corn harvest. The positive side to this drought is that wheat prices are going up and up.
This one of the best projects that I have seen lately. Sasa Designs are run by an organisation called DOOR and it is to give hope to deaf women in Nairobi. Unemployment is at a high 60% rate in Kenya and if you are impaired in anyway there is no hope to get work and hence live. A young Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Megan MacDonald works with Sasa Designs which in Swahili means now. We met Megan at the Los Angleles Rotary Convention and have stayed in touch ever since. Megan studied at the University of Nairobi in economics for micro credit projects.
Here is Megan’s Blog and Megan writes beautifully. There She Goes
Here are some of the beautiful jewellery made by the deaf ladies at Sasa Designs.
We hope to have some of these items in Wagga Wagga soon for sale at Uneke.
During August, Membership and Extension Month in Rotary, I’m asking all Rotarians to send a unified message about what Rotary is and why they joined. If we convey our passion for Rotary to others I’m convinced that membership will increase.
So please share your special Rotary Moment with someone and help promote Rotary’s humanitarian mission and our goal to achieve Peace Through Service.
I was delighted to be able to join Consul General of Japan Okamura, District Governor Merriweather, and other Rotarians from District 6450 on the Rotary Float in the 83rd Annual Bud Billiken Day Parade. The cheers from the crowd brought huge smiles to our faces as we raised our hands together for peace.
Sakuji Tanaka
President, Rotary International
This ought to make you feel better about your computer skills!
Real recorded conversations!
From
Jesse Tanchanco
RC Loyola Heights
RID 3780
Quezon City, Philippines
Tech support: What kind of computer do you have?
Customer: A white one.
******************************
Tech support: Click on the ‘my computer’ icon on to the left of the screen.
Customer: Your left or my left?
****************************
Customer: Hi, good afternoon, this is Martha, I can’t print. Every time I try, it says, ‘Can’t
find printer.’ I’ve even lifted the printer and placed it in front
of the monitor, but the computer still says he can’t find it.
****************************
Tech support: What’s on your monitor now, ma’am?
Customer: A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me at the 7-11.
****************************
Customer: My keyboard is not working anymore.
Tech support: Are you sure it’s plugged into the computer?
Customer: No. I can’t get behind the computer.
Tech support: Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back.
Customer: OK!
Tech support: Did the keyboard come with you?
Customer: Yes.
Tech support: That means the keyboard is not plugged in.
****************************
Customer: I can’t get on the Internet.
Tech support: Are you sure you used the right password?
Customer: Yes, I’m sure. I saw my colleague do it.
Tech support: Can you tell me what the password was?
Customer: Five dots.
****************************
Tech support: What anti-virus program do you use?
Customer: Netscape.
Tech support: That’s not an anti-virus program.
Customer: Oh, sorry… Internet Explorer…
****************************
Customer: I have a huge problem. A friend has placed a screen saver on my computer, but
every time I move the mouse, it disappears.
****************************
Tech support: How may I help you?
Customer: I’m writing my first email.
Tech support: OK, and what seems to be the problem?
Customer: Well, I have the letter ‘a’ in the address, but how do I get the little circle around
it?
****************************
This one and the next are our personal favorites!
A woman customer called the Canon help desk with a problem with her printer.
Tech support: Are you running it under windows?
Customer: ‘No, my desk is next to the door, but that is a good point. The man sitting in the cubicle
next to me is under a window, and his printer is working fine.’
****************************
And last but not least!
Tech support: ‘Okay Bob, let’s press the control and escape keys at the same time. That brings up a task list
in the middle of the screen.. Now type the letter ‘P’ to bring up the Program Manager.’
Customer: I don’t have a P.
Tech support: On your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: What do yo
mean?
Tech support: ‘P’……on your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: I’M NOT GOING TO DO THAT!
The Rotary Club of Cotonou Ifê, Benin, celebrates Rotary’s anniversary with a cake in February. The club is one of several formed recently in Benin
Eight years ago, Géné Villaça-Crestia was asked by her district governor to start a new Rotary club in her country, Benin.
She had been a Rotarian for only four years and didn’t really know where to begin. But she had a few things working in her favor: Villaça-Crestia is extremely passionate about Rotary, and she doesn’t take no for an answer.
“I don’t hesitate to drive to people’s places and come back again,” says Villaça-Crestia of her recruitment style. “I don’t wait for them to get back to me and tell me they don’t have time. I insist and go after them until they understand what Rotary is all about and the good it will do them to join.”
Villaça-Crestia’s techniques have been extremely effective. Within three months of her district governor’s request, she helped launch the Rotary Club of Cotonou Rive Gauche, Benin, and became the charter president. During the next two years, she helped form three other clubs, including two composed almost entirely of younger Rotarians.
Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka
Governor of District 9700 Greg Brown
Coolamon Club President Paul Weston
Coolamon Club Secretary John Glassford
Coolamon Club Treasurer Henk Hulsman
Coolamon Rotary Club Inc. P.O. Box 23 COOLAMON N.S.W. 2701
Websites of Interest
Coolamon Rotary Club: http://coolamonrotary.com
Road MAPS to Africa a Coolamon Rotary Project: http://www.mountainsofthemoon.org/
Rotary Down Under on line: http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/26587/49598/pub
Rotarians For Fighting AIDS AUSTRALIA: http://theork.com/
Our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: http://www.rotaryhoutbay.org
Don’t forget to regularly check our club web site for current information such as bingo rosters and various newsletters from the District Governor, the School of St. Jude’s, the monthly membership on the move newsletter as well as several other club bulletins.
Gary C.K. Huang, a member of the Rotary Club of Taipei, Taiwan, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International in 2014-15. Huang will become the president-nominee on 1 October if there are no challenging candidates.
Huang says his vision for Rotary is to increase membership to more than 1.3 million.
“To increase our membership, we must go beyond borders to wherever we see growth potential, such as the countries of China, Mongolia, and Vietnam. I will put an emphasis on increasing female and younger members,” Huang says. “I will also encourage former Rotarians to once again be part of our Rotary family.”
Huang has served as the chair of Taiwan Sogo Shinkong Security Co., Ltd., Shin Kong Life Real Estate Service Co., and P.S. Insurance Agency, Inc. and director of Federal Corporation and managing director of Taipei Life-Line Association.
Full story here:
Huang is choice for 2014-15 RI president
We had 12 members and partners present with some 51 guests from Coolamon and Ganmain attend Monday night’s meeting. This was an exceptional night with Linda Tilman from Coolamon speaking on marketing the Coolamon Shire. Coolamon and Ganmain business leaders, shop keepers and those interested in Linda Tilman’s talk enjoyed a Chinese banquet and good fellowship. President Paul Weston welcomed all the guests and spoke about our Rotary club and what we do for our community and for Africa.
Linda Tilman then presented the goals and activities for Coolamon Shire and the plans that are in place to encourage people to shop locally and for tourism to prosper in our Shire. Above all Linda placed a huge emphasis on marketing your own business through the Internet and using social media such as Facebook, and Twitter. Linda pointed out two key targets to achieve these aims which are local residents, their families and friends and day trippers to our Shire.
The presentation by Linda was well received and there was a lengthy question time with just about everyone having a say and asking meaningful questions. Bill Thomnpson one of Coolamon’s leading lights thanked our Rotary club for putting this evening together. Leslie Weston thanked Linda on behalf of our club and presented Linda with our Kangaroo money bag pouch.
All in all a very successful night and one enjoyed by all with President Paul calling for a follow up meeting in one month’s time.
Our banners now flying in Coolamon with more to go up in Ganmain in the near future.
What is Rotary? When I ask Rotarians this question, they often give vague answers. And when I asked myself this question, I had to think about it. August is Membership and Extension Month in Rotary, and I want all Rotarians to be able to send a unified message about what Rotary is and why they joined.
The key to increasing membership is for every Rotarian to be convinced that it’s good to be a Rotarian, and to convey that passion to others. In Rotary, we have a tendency to be humble and keep our achievements to ourselves. But we must share them with those around us and with the world.
Every Rotarian has a specific moment that stands out and has a special meaning. Some people refer to this as their “Rotary Moment.” I believe it is very important to share this moment with others. Facts and numbers can only go so far, but sharing a personal experience can open doors and build friendships.
That’s why I decided to create some sample messages that I call “Rotary Moments.” You can use these one-minute and three-minute messages to answer the question “What is Rotary?” in a way that is most personal to you. They will help you talk about the projects you’ve been involved in, how they’ve helped your community, and what’s been most meaningful to you.
To strengthen Rotary, we need more members. But unless those members are convinced of the benefits of the organization and can share that passion with others, expanding Rotary won’t be meaningful.
If every Rotarian is happy about being a Rotarian and spreads the word with a clear, unified message – if every Rotarian around the world can be his or her own PR department – the combined, collective effect will be enormous. These sample messages will help us all clearly communicate our enthusiasm to others. This will lead to an increase in new membership and in member retention.
The messages are available for free download at www.rotary.org, and Rotarians can buy other membership materials at shop.rotary.org.
I believe that the purpose of every life is to help others and contribute to society. Once Rotarians begin using these samples, the world will become more aware of how Rotary is helping people live that way. I encourage you to share your Rotary Moment with other Rotarians as well as non-Rotarians.
Sakuji Tanaka
President, Rotary International
PRESIDENT PAUL WESTON’S REPORT
What a night! We saw a great turnout of local business owners/operators and other guests on Monday night to hear Linda Tillman lay out her marketing plan for promoting the Coolamon Shire. After a bountiful Chinese banquet prepared by Gilbert and staff, Linda described the two-pronged approach to boosting business and tourism in the shire, one focused on encouraging local residents to shop locally and the other catering to day-trippers and visitors. A number of initiatives and promotions have been started to alert out-of-towners to the unique charms and quirky shops of Coolamon and other towns in the shire. A spirited question and answer session followed, highlighting the passion of local business operators for our shire and its future. Leslie closed the session with a warm vote of thanks for Linda and a promise of future dinner meetings to further progress the programs that Linda and Rotary have initiated. The evening concluded with the raffle draw, with a plentiful meat tray prepared by Coolamon Butchery, a lovely bottle of shiraz donated by John Glassford, and a $50 voucher to Phoenix Cards ending up in the hands of three lucky guests on the night. A good time was had by all.
Onward and upward!
Yours in Rotary,
Paul.
WHY SOME MEN HAVE A DOG AND NO WIFE
1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you.
2. Dogs don’t notice if you call them by another dog’s name.
3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.
4. A dog’s parents never visit.
5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.
6. Dogs find you amusing when you’re drunk.
7. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.
8. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, “If I died, would you get another dog?”
9. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.
10. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert.
11. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don’t get mad. They just think it’s interesting.
And last, but not least:
12. If a dog leaves, it won’t take half of your stuff.
To test this theory:
Lock your wife and your dog in the garage for an hour. Then open it and see who’s happy to see you.
Rotarian Action Groups provide assistance and support to Rotary clubs and districts in planning and implementing service projects in their respective areas of expertise. They are autonomous, international groups organized by committed Rotarians, Rotarians’ spouses, and Rotaractors who have expertise in and a passion for a particular type of service. We looked briefly at the new Future Vision last week from our Foundation. RAGs will play a pivotal part in the implementation of the Future Vision; for example one of the new Rotarian Action Groups is the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group or WASRAG. WASRAG will work in the Water and sanitation area of focus and here is their web site:
Full list of Rotarian Action Groups RAG
President of Rotary International Sakuji Tanaka
Governor of District 9700 Greg Brown
Coolamon Club President Paul Weston
Coolamon Club Secretary John Glassford
Coolamon Club Treasurer Henk Hulsman
Coolamon Rotary Club Inc. P.O. Box 23 COOLAMON N.S.W. 2701
Websites of Interest
Coolamon Rotary Club: http://coolamonrotary.com
Rotary Down Under on line: http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/26587/49598/pub
Rotarians For Fighting AIDS: http://www.rffa.org
Our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: http://www.rotaryhoutbay.org
Don’t forget to regularly check our club web site for current information such as bingo rosters and various newsletters from the District Governor, the School of St. Jude’s, the monthly membership on the move newsletter as well as several other club bulletins.