Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove Inc.
www.rotaryoceangrove.blogspot.com
Volume 26 No 11
September 11 2007
Notice for the meeting at the Ocean Grove Hotel, Tuesday 18 September, 6.00 for 6.30
Subject The Transplant Games in Thailand Speaker Tamaryn Stevens
Chairman Margaret Campbell
Assistant Cashier & Thanker Bob Smith Greeter & Assistant Sergeant Bill Steains
Birthdays & Anniversaries
18th Ken & Laurie Fleay [On this day in 1809, the Royal Opera House in London was opened with a performance of Macbeth. The Netherlands granted women the right to vote in 1919, and the American guitar hero Jim Hendrix died of a sleeping pill overdose in London at the age of 27].
23rd David Cornwell. [Also Augustus Caesar 63BC, Mickey Rooney 1920, and Ray Charles 1930.
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Notice for the meeting at the Ocean Grove Hotel, Tuesday 25th September, 6.00 for 6.30
Subject Mental Health Speaker John Lessor, President of the Mental Health Review Board
Chairman John Dodgshun
Assistant Cashier & Thanker Bruce Gilbert Greeter & Assistant Sergeant Judy Greer
Anniversary
26th Leigh & Meryl Holloway. And on this day in 1983, an Australian entry, Australia 11, won the America’s Cup yacht race, the first non-American boat to do so. The defender, the New York Yacht Club, had held the Cup since 1851, the longest winning streak in sport. Bob Hawke told us all to take the day off. Dennis Conner, sailing the yacht Stars & Stripes, won it back four years later.
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He didn’t forget, but he had a late night and I had an early morning.
My deputy editor’s report about last week’s meeting was on my desk last Wednesday morning before most of you had breakfast, but I wasn’t at it. [that is, my desk, not your breakfast].
Returning-from-Scotland President Alison George was welcomed back with a standing ovation, [or was it simply a matter of the loyal toast?], and underlined her continuing support for the Rotary Foundation by presenting Marion & Bill Walton with their ‘Centurian’ certificates.
The feature of a very ‘laid back’ program chaired by PP Coral Barker was a lot of fun and games made up of 8 events, such as pictionary, quiz, threading beads, flying paper planes, quoits, an egg ‘n spoon race and other bits of similar sophisticated stuff. Marion’s team won, but my ‘deped’ has hinted at a drug test!
Presal reported on her attendance at the International Soroptimist’s meeting of 1200 delegates in Glasgow, who stood in silence to observe the hope for peace in the world. White doves were released in a very moving ceremony.
My deped reported a 9.09PM closure to the meeting. Just as well I wasn’t there – I turn into a pumpkin at 9.
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A quick sporting quiz
In the 1974 Irish Sheepdog trials, how many sheepdogs were found guilty? And here’s a hard one – who was the winning jockey in the 1974 Greyhound Derby? No cribbing on Alex Magee’s answers!
Some Rotary ‘Firsts’
• The first Rotary club meeting was in Chicago, Illinois, on 23rd February 1905.
• The first regular luncheon meetings were in Oakland, California, chartered in 1909.
• The first Rotary Convention was in Chicago in 1910.
• The first Rotary club outside of the United States was chartered in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1910.
• The first Rotary club outside of North America was chartered in Dublin, Ireland, in 1911.
• The first Rotary club in a non-English-speaking country was in Havana, Cuba, in 1916.
• The first Rotary club in South America was chartered in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1918.
• The first Rotary club in Asia was chartered in Manila, Philippines, in 1919.
• The first Rotary club in Africa was chartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1921.
• The first Rotary club in Australia was chartered in Melbourne, in 1921.
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A little quote “His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.” Mae West
And another “In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily.” Count Talleyrand
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A Timely Tale Contributed today by Margaret Campbell but I also heard it in Mildura last Saturday.
The late Pavarotti knocks on the pearly gates. St. Pete opens up and says, “Hey, Luciano, Squeeze through and come in!”
Luciano says, “Hang on, I’ve got a letter for you, from the Pope.”
St. Peter opens it and reads, “Here’s that tenner I owe you.”
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Notice Board
• Our ‘Family of Rotary’ reports that Ben & Suzy Israel’s baby was born at 28 weeks and is struggling in the Women’s Hospital.
• The speaker at next Monday’s [17th] meeting of the RC Queenscliffe is a representative of the Purana Task Force. Rod Greer has the details.
• Our efforts at the Stephanie Alexander Gardens have been greatly appreciated.
• Our Wednesday contributions at the ‘Donations-in-kind’ centre have been so effective, we only need to attend monthly for the bicycle maintenance program.
• We are in the process of joining with sister club Southampton in providing a drinking fountain for a Philippino school. Tim Kemp thinks they have 7000 students! A long time between drinks?
• We are four weeks to the first market. You will be rostered next week.
• Ken Fleay runs the footy tipping comp. He expects better support next year. The $44 entry fee goes to Rotary charities. Have a GO next year. Even Presal got a prize this year!! Geoff Brentnall got the top.
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Clearly, the worst job in Federal or State politics is the Aboriginal portfolio.
Ex schoolie Max Henry was our guest speaker tonight. He had a stint in the Northern Territory as a PE co-ordinator. Everyone up there concedes that the indiginees are OK for money and government assistance, but the continuing and increasingly disturbing aspect of the aboriginal problems relate to booze and drugs.
‘Green can dreaming’ is the NT ‘label’ ascribed to a shameful situation of which we are all well aware, but appear incapable of tackling effectively. Max, and his questioners raised no new issues and offered no solutions. Can any of you?
I had 15 years as auditor of the Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-op, and have visited settlements at Dareton, Thursday Island, Bamaga, Fitzroy Crossing, and many more. I will have more to say next week!
