Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove Inc.
www.rotaryoceangrove.blogspot.com
Volume 26 No 31
February 12th 2008
Notice for the meeting at the Ocean Grove Hotel, Tuesday 19th Feb. 6.00 for 6.30
Subject Probus Clubs Speaker Bob Osbourne Chairman Alex Magee
Assistant Cashier & Thanker Trevor McArdle Greeter & Assistant Sergeant David Tyrrell
Birthdays & Anniversaries
21st Feb. Jan Chandler [also Lee Marvin 1924, Karen Silkwood 1946, and Andrew, Duke of York 1960]
25th John & Shirley Dodgshun. On this day in 2006, the World’s estimated population reached 6.5 billion. In 1700, it was estimated at 600,000,000. By 2015, estimates suggest there will be seven billion people on the planet. By 2050, there may be as many as ten billion people. Can Earth support this population? When will we reach the limit of our resources? If humans wish to expand their population beyond the limits of the Earth’s resources, where will they go? Not to John & Shirley’s place, methinks!
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Notice for the meeting at the Ocean Grove Hotel, Tuesday 26th Feb. 6.00 for 6.30
Subject Z Special Force and the Sarawak Primary Schools Project Speaker John Fox
Chairman Peter Hawthorne
Assistant Cashier and Thanker Paul Gleeson Greeter & Assistant Sergeant Bill Walton
Anniversaries
3rd March Tony & Pam Haines [On this day in 1991, Rodney King was caught speeding in Los Angeles, and his subsequent kicking and beating by police resulted in a broken leg and numerous facial fractures. The police reported ‘cuts and bruises of a minor nature’, contradicted in a video filmed by a witness. Racial tensions erupted, and in three days of violent rioting, 55 people were killed and about 2000 wounded. A year later, the police concerned were convicted under federal U.S. law of violating Rodney King’s constitutional rights.] Ed. Comment. It could only happen in the U.S.of A
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RI and the Gates Foundation commit US$200 million to finish polio
Rotary International has announced a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that will inject a much needed US$200m into the global effort to eradicate polio.
The Rotary Foundation has received a $100m Gates Foundation grant, with which Rotary will raise funds to match over three years. Rotary will spend the initial $100m within one year in direct support of immunization activities carried out by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which is spearheaded by the World Health Organization, RI, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF.
“The extraordinary dedication of Rotary members has played a critical role in bringing polio to the brink of eradication,” says Bill Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation. “ Eradicating polio will be one of the most significant public health accomplishments in history, and we are committed to helping reach that goal”.
The grant, announced in November, is one of the largest challenge grants ever given by the Gates Foundation and the largest grant received by Rotary in its 102 year history.
Polio eradication has been Rotary’s top priority since 1985, with $633 million contributed to the effort. Although the initiative has slashed the number of polio cases by 99% over the past two decades, the wild poliovirus still persists in four countries: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.
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Best Lawyer Story Adapted from a submission by Keith Nixon, Pres. RC Southampton, Ca.
A US lawyer purchased a box of rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against fire. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile, he lodged a claim with the insurance company, stating that the cigars were lost in a series of small fires.
The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason, but the lawyer sued, and WON!
Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous, but nevertheless, the lawyer held a policy with the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable against fire without defining ‘fire’ and was obliged to pay the claim.
Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeals, the insurance company paid $15,000 in settlement.
After the lawyer cashed the cheque, the insurance co. had him arrested on 24 counts of arson, and he was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and got 24 months in the slammer and a $24,000 fine.
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Social events
One day, a man came home and was greeted by his wife dressed in a very sexy nightie. “Tie me up,” she purred, “and you can do anything you want.” So he tied her up and went off to golf.
16 members, [Marion reckons there were 13] and partners imbibed, nibbled and listened to jazz at the Geelong Botanical Gardens last Sunday evening. Those who aren’t hot on jazz admired the beautiful trees and watched some lovely kids dancing and engaging in innocent confrontations. Either way, it was a terrific outing, and home before dark. Well worth repeating! Estimates of the attendance [at $10ph], ranged from 500 – 1000.
We have been invited to join Queenscliffe for a fun bowls night at the Queenscliff BC on Monday 17 March at 6pm, followed by dinner @ 7.30. Organized by Frank Mountford, possibly a make-up
Queenscliffe RC are due to join us on 4th March for a very interesting guest speaker. Watch this space.
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This Day Tonight
The hotel has requested an increase in our meal charge. Shepherds pie was not a good opening gambit!
Marion has warned us of a working bee at the surfside school which will involve high class painting [three metres above the ground]. Proposals for a Friday working bee was not greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm. Timing, like the activity, remains in the air.
Our monthly market on Sunday 2nd March, clashes with the district conference at Swan Hill. Judy Greer needs raffle ticket salespeople from 9 am, and Colin Brown may need a parker or two.
Brownie also warned us of the forthcoming bike race centred on Torquay, timed for Saturday 15th March. An all-day event for which we will be well paid. Partners will be welcomed with open arms, and their assistance may render the day one of two shifts per duty, if you know what I mean. Anyway, it’s more than a month off, so if you choose not to be a volunteer, you may well become a conscript!
Peter Hawthorne reminded us that we can do our ‘Red Cross Calling’ bit any time from now. He would also like us to be part of a Rotary team on organ donor promotion at Market Square on a date which I have forgotten, but which he will advise, either for the 12 to 3 session, or the 3 to 5.30 session. If it’s real soon, I will send you all a special ‘stop press’.
Those shelter boxes cost $1200 and are re-useable. Rotarians from RC Highton Kardinia were our guest speakers tonight, and their excellent talk was backed up by a very amateurish video. I don’t like being critical of a marvelous program, but 2,700,000 homeless people in Pakistan rendered homeless by earthquakes, deserved a better sales pitch.
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If you object to ‘Mother Superior’, and ‘nuns’, replace them with ‘Paddy’ and ‘Irish’!
Mother Superior called all the nuns together and said to them, “I have to tell you that we have a case of gonorrhea in the convent.” “Thank God for that”, said an elderly nun at the back. “ I’m bloody sick of chardonnay.”
