Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove Inc.
www.rotaryoceangrove.blogspot.com
Volume 26 No 25
December 18 , 2007
Some Christmas Messages
From our President, Alison George
It is hard to believe that almost six months have passed since I became your President.
So far, it has been a pleasure, and although our achievements have not been world shattering or spectacular, we have made good progress on one of our major problems. Thank you all for attempting [and succeeding] in improving our attendance/ apology dilemmas. We have a very relieved treasurer and attendance officer.
Thinking about our club makes me feel very benevolent, especially at this time of the year. We are very fortunate to have the warmth, friendship and general spirit of co-operation which I believe is alive and well in the club.
We continue to have some challenges ahead, the major two being the lack of a significant new local project and a market co-ordinator to replace Judy. We need to give Judy a Christmas present; remember that our market is our major money earner.
I hope you all have a happy and safe Christmas with those who mean the most to you, [and if they don’t, be tolerant, and go for a long walk]. I also hope the New Year brings you health and prosperity and above all, PEACE. Alison.
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Sudanese Choir - Members recently enjoyed a multicultural experience when we hosted 12 members of a Sudanese choir who visited Ocean Grove to sing at the Carols in the Park. The choir was taken on a brief tour of Ocean Grove, including The Bluff and a walk on our boardwalk, the river, main street and main beach. Rod Greer conducted an excellent commentary at each stop, and, by the gestures seen in the bus from the support vehicle, he also informed the group of many points of interest as the bus traveled around town. The tour culminated in a BBQ at main beach, ably cooked by John Calnin and Geoff Chandler with great support from partners and members. Thank you to othose who provided salads and assistance.
The choir performed for us at the BBQ and this was a wonderful way to end our time together.
Web Ed.
The essential Jesus Christ an extract from Chambers Biographical Dictionary
[c.6 BC – c.30 AD], the founder of Christianity, born ‘the Son of God’ in Bethlehem, Judea. According to the accounts in St. Matthew’s and St. Luke’s gospels, he was the first-born child of the Virgin Mary of the tribe of Judah and descendant of David, and wife of Joseph, a carpenter. The birth took place in a stable, because on their way to Joseph’s home town, Nazareth, in order to comply with the regulations for a Roman population census, they found there were no rooms for them at the inn.
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Two tables
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, ”Lord, I would like to know what heaven and hell are like.” The Lord led the holy man to two doors.
He opened one of the doors. In the centre of the room was a large round table, in the middle of which was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared famished.
They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms. Each of them found it possible to reach into the pot of stew for a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at their misery and suffering.
The Lord said, “You have seen hell.”
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first, same table, same stew, same spoons strapped to arms, but the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, “I don’t understand.”
“It is simple,” said the Lord. “It requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy ones think only of themselves.”
From Canadian Keith Nixon, our friend and President of the Rotary club of Southampton.
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A letter to the editor
Hi John, As the Club’s Public Officer, I was interested in your “Club Incorporation – A two-edged sword” article in the bulletin.
I believe we are ‘covered’ as we do not use the ‘model rules’ provided by State legislation.
We have a set of Rules that have been basically developed at District level in consultation with a lawyer and modified slightly to match our by-laws. These rules were adopted by members at the 2006 AGM and then approved by Consumer Affairs.
My challenge now is to ensure that any changes made to standard Club Constitution and Bi-laws by the 2007 Council on Legislation do not conflict with our ‘rules’. Tony Haines. Clearly, Tony is on the ball!
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And, from Phil Edwards Extracted from the in-flight magazine he read on a flight home from Newcastle.
In the 1500’s, most people got married in June because they took their bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice, clean water. Then came all the other men, followed by the women and finally, the children – babies last!.
By then, the water was so dirty, you could actually lose someone in it. Hence, the saying…………..
“don’t throw the baby out with the bath water”.
Houses had thatched roofs – thick straw piled high, the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and dogs, [plus mice and rats] lived in the roof. When it rained, it became slippery and sometimes, the animals would slide off the roof. Hence the saying…………….”it’s raining cats and dogs.” Fair dinkum.
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Margaret Campbell got this from the Mozambique Ministry of Fish and Wildlife
Due to the rising frequency of human/lion encounters, the Ministry is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen and motorcyclists to take extra precautions while in the bush.
“We advise the outdoorsman to wear little noisy bells on their clothing so as to give advance warning to any nearby lions, so as not to take them by surprise.
We also advise anyone using the outdoors to carry ‘pepper spray’ in case of an encounter with a lion.”
“Outdoors people should also be on the watch for fresh lion activity, and be able to tell the difference between lion cub shit and big lion shit. Lion cub shit is smaller and contains lots of berries. Big lion shit has bells in it and smells of pepper.”
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And finally, some wicked widom
Martyrdom The only way in which a man can become famous without ability.
Mealtime The only time in the day when children resolutely refuse to eat.
Microsoft The biggest virus ever created by man.
Middle Age When you start to exchange your emotions for symptoms.
Mobile phone An excuse for talking at the top of your voice and showing off in front of other commuters.
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The most wasted day of all is one in which we have not laughed.
And we wish you all well for the festive season. John & Jan Fox. See you on 8/1/08.
