www.rotaryoceangrove.blogspot.com
Vol.26 No.39
March 24, 2009
.Notice for the Meeting at the Ocean Grove Hotel, Tuesday 31st March, 6.00 for 6.30
“Without Rotary’s vision of a polio-free world and its leadership on this issue, the polio eradication initiative may never have gotten off the ground”. [ Dr Julie Gerberding, director U.S. Centre for disease control.]
Subject An update on Polio Plus Speaker PDG Eddie Loughnan Chairman Geoff Brentnall
Attendance Officer Judy Greer Assistant Cashier & Thanker Richard Grimmett
Greeter & Assistant Sergeant Heather Wallace Anniversaries April 2 – Geoffrey & Ingrid Cummins
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It could only happen in Ireland
It’s St. Patricks day, and two men are sitting next to each other at a bar. After a while, one bloke looks at the other and says, “I can’t help but think, from listening to you, that you’re from Ireland.”
The other bloke responds proudly, “Yes, that I am.”
The first bloke says, “So am I. And whereabout from Ireland might you be?”
The other bloke answers, “I’m from Dublin I am.” The first bloke responds, “So am I !”
“ Sure and begorra, and what street did you live on in Dublin?
The other bloke says, “A lovely little area it was. I lived on McLeary Street in the old central part of town”.
The first bloke says, “Faith and it’s a small world. So did I, so did I.”
“ And to what school would you have been going?” The other bloke answers, “Well now, I went to St. Mary’s of course.
The first bloke gets really excited and says, “ And so did I. Tell me, what year did you graduate?”
The other bloke answers, “Well now, let’s see. I graduated in 1964.”
The first bloke exclaims. “The good lord must be smiling down upon us.! I can hardly believe our good luck at winding up in the same bar tonight. Can you believe it?. I graduated from St. Mary’s in 1964 my own self.
About this time, Norma walks into the bar, sits down and orders a beer.
Brian, the bartender, walks over to Norma, shaking his head and mutters, “It’s going to be a long night tonight.” Norma asks, “ Why do you say that, Brian?”
Brian replies; “The Murphy twins are pissed again.”
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Level 2 First Aid Course
Wal Kelly reminds us that the course will run from 7.00 PM at Bellarine Memories on Wednesdays, April 1, 15, 22 and 29 plus May 6 & 13. [April 8 is a no-no]. Cost $145 PP less a club subsidy of $50. A net $95 for six sessions is a bargain.
More about the Ibis
There are three species in Australia, found mainly in Victoria, with the straw-necked variety predominant- about 90%, and the white accounting for most of the others. A single rookery could contain up to 200,000 birds during one breeding cycle. Correct habitat requirements are necessary for these water birds, and in Northern Victoria, this is vegetation such as lignum or similar, situated in a position where water can flow through the base of the vegetation to create the right ecology necessary to stimulate breeding [perhaps three cycles in one season, but not in the present unfavorable conditions].
It is estimated that 5,000 birds can consume one tonne of insects per day and they may travel 50 kms. from the nesting rookeries for this purpose. All types of grubs, crickets, frogs, snakes and river crays or yabbies are on the menu. More next week about breeding and migratory habits
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What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?
A They were all invented by women.
A Sunday afternoon spent indolently
I enjoy watching a good film on television. After all, there are not that many of them, but sometimes, an old classic in black and white is revived, and one such was screened on pay TV last Sunday afternoon. I have seen ‘Judgment at Nuremberg’ more than once, but have been enormously impressed with it every time. It was made in 1961, and dealt exclusively with the German War Crimes trials in 1949, which lasted for eight months. There is some brilliant acting, particularly by the senior judge – played by Spencer Tracy, but it is the script which held my attention!
Afterwards, I mused about the position of Rotary International during the 1939-1945 war years and the aftermath, so far as the Axis and Asian countries’ membership of RI was concerned. They were all members, [through numerous clubs] of RI at the outbreak of the second world war, but what became of them?
Japan was the first of them to be admitted [1920], then Italy [1923], then Germany and Korea [1927]. All of the clubs in those countries had their membership of RI suspended at the outbreak of war. With the U.S.A the founding country in 1905, who would have expected otherwise? There were already 5000 Rotary clubs in RI.
Rotary clubs in all of those countries were readmitted to RI in 1949, and in any case, the loss of those clubs to the Rotary cause for 10 years, was more than compensated by the admission of new clubs in ‘Allied’ or neutral countries.
The film deals predominantly with the trials of four German Judges, but there were a total of 99 defendants at the Nuremberg trials, most of whom received prison sentences – the four judges, life. The film concludes with the statement that none of those prison terms were still being served by the time the film was made.
Notice for the Meeting at the Ocean Grove Hotel, Tuesday 7th April, 6.00 for 6.30
Subject Wine appreciation & Food Speaker Peter Fryar Chairman Charles Dawborn
Attendance Officer Tony Haines Assistant Cashier & Thanker Norm Elliott
Greeter & Assistant Sergeant Martin Geerings Birthdays & Anniversaries 8th Martin Geerings
9th John Calnin, Vic Harnath 10th Peter & Jo Hawthorne 11th Pam Turnbull.
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Try crossing Latrobe Terrace in peak hour with your eyes closed [but be sure to take a friend]
Visually impaired speakers at Rotary have appeared on several occasions, but tonight’s program with Sue King of ‘Vision Australia’ and Kate Giles [legally blind for ten years], was an eye opener – if you will excuse the pun.
Kate did most of the talking, and the number and variety of the questions was a sure indication of the interest expressed by our members. Louis Braille introduced the then greatest boon to blind people more than 200 years ago, but most of us must have been intrigued with the marvelous advances in technology which our modern world of computer science has introduced.
Enhanced senses of hearing and smell are gifts of the human spirit, but the recent innovations of voice recognition print, mobile phone recognition facilities, color readers, digital readers and the conversion of books and magazines to voice production are just some of the marvels recounted by Kate. Bar code readers, at $2000, are beyond the scope of many, but Kate and Sue left us with a great deal of confidence in the future for the visually impaired. An excellent program!
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This day tonight
We may be hosting some families from Warracknabeal, post bushfires, in place of Nhill.
Footy tips by e-mail starts before the bounce on Thursday evening. Pay $44 for a season of fun.
Entertainment books are available for $50 from our CFA. Contact Martin Geerings.
Judy Greer still wants doonas and blankets for the ‘Mirrabooka’ project. Bedmaking is required on 14th April, and Jude wants help with meals 15, 16 & 17 April.
The bowls final was enjoyable, but no cup!
The Swan Bay Probus club’s 20th birthday celebrations were a reminder that the late Graham Bath of our club was responsible for the formation of more Probus clubs than any other Rotarian anywhere!
Your digestive system will process around 50 tonnes of food in your lifetime. Greedy buggers!
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