Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove Inc.
www.rotaryoceangrove.blogspot.com
Volume 26 No 20
November 13, 2007
Notice for the meeting at the Ocean Grove Hotel, Tuesday 20th November,6.00 for 6.30
Subject Rotary Foundation Scholarships Speaker A RF speaker from Geelong East RC
Chairman Geoff Brentnall
Assistant Cashier & Thanker Wal Kelly Greeter & Assistant Sergeant Leigh Holloway
Birthday 25th Richard Trigg [also Edwin Hubble – astronomer 1889, Robert F Kennedy 1925, and Bo Derek 1956].
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Notice for the meeting at the Ocean Grove Hotel, Tuesday 27th November, 6.00 for 6.30
Subject Preparing for the fire season Speaker Cindy Harrison-Roberts
Assistant Cashier & Thanker Vic Harnath Greeter & Assistant Sergeant Leigh Holloway
Birthdays & Anniversaries
27th Rod Bush & Bruce Gilbert [also Ernie Wise 1925, Bruce Lee 1940 and Jim Hendrix 1942.
27th Hans & Heather Franken [This is the first day of Advent, the holy time of preparation for the birth of Christ. Originally, it was a period of fasting during which no marriages took place!!] Tut tut, H & H.
29th Robyn Edwards [also Louisa May Alcott 1832, C S Lewis 1898 and Jacques Chirac 1932]
1st December Bill Steains [also Woody Allen 1935, Lee Trevino 1939 and Bette Midler 1945]
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Looking ahead
Advance info. has leaked from the Board that the Senior Cits. Dinner will be held on 4/12, our own Xmas party on 18th, and the meetings on 25/12 and 1/1, will both be cancelled. I could be wrong.
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What’s the definition of a WILL? It’s a dead giveaway.
Boy, were we over-exposed??
At last Friday’s Paul Harris Fellows’ dinner in Geelong, RC OG provided the idea, the organizers, the MC, the entertainment, and about 25% of the audience. [We know how to support our fellow members!]
The feature of a very enjoyable evening was the choice of two Rotary Foundation speakers, - Kerry McConnell, Ambassadorial Scholar, and Richard Riordan, a member of our District’s Group Study Exchange team to Siberia last year.
Kerry, from Narracoorte SA, spent a year, 1999/2000, in Austin, Texas and now lives in Yarraville with her husband after gaining three university degrees, including a M.Sc. She was one of 5000 ‘foreigners’ out of 49,000 students at the University of Austin. She met some of the 600 members of the RC of Austin, [they do BIG things in Texas], and is currently President of the RC of Yarraville.] A very busy girl!
Richard spent 7 weeks as a member of our GSE team in Siberia, and his particular vocational interest, which is what Group Study Exchange is all about, was Hospitals, [he is currently President of the Colac Hospital] and Orphanages. Sufficient to say that he was appalled by the quality of both, and his power-point presentation bore that out.
Poverty stricken, dilapidated, disregard for fellow citizens, squalor, neglect, …Richard saw it all.
Siberia doesn’t seem to be as good a place to live as Australia
Mind you, that’s only a personal opinion. Take our Police forces, for instance: They have the KGB, and even James Bond had trouble with them. We have the Victoria Police, and when we have a bit of corruption, we don’t muck around with lowly Sergeants or Detectives, we go right to the top! And anyway, what else can the print media be expected to fill the pages with until the footy starts again?
So they have an alcohol problem in dear old Siberia? So what! I bet Malop or Moorabool Streets at 4.00 AM on a Sunday would be a revelation! We relocate most of Oz’s grog problems up north, but I suppose, if they are already sent to Siberia, where else is there to go?
They don’t appear to have many athletes in Siberia. Pity! The East German track stars in the 80’s and the Chinese swimmers in the 90’s, both with their PE drugs, were much cause for merriment, and the Yanks have Marion Jones, who had to hand back her gold medals from the Sydney Olympics. The ‘West’ runs a ‘drugfest’ called the Tour de something, some male tennis players ‘throw’ matches for money, but at least that lovely little Swiss girl takes a classy drug like cocaine, and not any ordinary stuff!
OK, so we have a couple of AFL teams [so far] under investigation for a ‘drug culture’, but the Siberians probably can’t afford drugs. Rotary’s OK here. The constant threat of eviction makes our venue that much more exciting, but at least our members are clean.
MY PROOF READER RECKONS YOU WILL ALL DISAPPROVE OF THE ABOVE. She does.
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The AGM
We confirmed last year’s minutes and this year’s financials. Elected unopposed were Pres 2008/09 – John Calnin, Pres.-elect 09/10 Rod Greer, Vice-Pres. 09/10 Helen Trigg, Sec. 08/09 Vic Harnath, Treas. 08/09 Fred Andrews, Board 08/09 – Alison George [IPP], Geoff Brentnall [RF], Noel Emselle [Membership], Ken Fleay [Service projects], Richard Grimmett [Public relations].
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The Club Assembly
Student exchange At the last count, we had, at best, two potential host families, need six. End of story!
Non attendees/non payees You miss, you pay, except with extenuating circumstances. Who plays GOD?
Apparantly, the hotel has no flexibility, either with the Monday noon cut-off point, or the numbers??
Alternate projects Surfside Centre gardens, walking tracks, rotundas, re-paint Queenscliff RS, BBQ at southern end of Presidents Avenue, Barwon Heads walkway, joint project with Lions, and several others, but SECROD pinched my notes, so anything else significant can wait ‘til next week.
Market co-ordinator replacement for Judy Stony silence
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Other reports
• The Queenscliff seafoodfest at Easter raised $71,000
• Marion has sent out 153 invites to the Sen. Cits. Xmas dinner on 4/12. Let’s hope they don’t all turn up.
• PR Guru Richard referred to roadside signs and the developing website.
• Last Friday evening’s PHF dinner at ‘Drumoland’ raised $700+ for the RF. Thanks to Geoff & Martin.
• ‘Living with our Environment’ is the subject of a public meeting at the Grove Centre library in Pres. Ave. tomorrow night, 14/11 at 7.30. Authoritive speakers on climate change etc. etc. BE THERE!!
Stop Press
Peter Hawthorne reflects that if there are 200 organ donors, they each have a potential 3-4 body parts which could be transplanted [in the event of their death], for the benefit of up to 750 recipients. Written consent is essential. If you think you are a properly registered donor, check again. Please contact Peter if in doubt. He has the appropriate forms.
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I still reckon engaging a paid market co-ordinator would be a shameful thing for this club to do, and grossly unprofitable!! SO THERE!
