Our Sub-editor for constitutional matters reports from this morning’s Board meeting
· The art show planned for 2/11/2011 was approved. Ian Downing to chair the committee.
· The club has acquired its second Shelter Box for this Rotary year, at $1,250.
· Our contribution of $1,250 to Polio Plus, finalises our current commitment.
· The Board voted $2,500 to the Rotary Foundation.
· $1,200 to the Toy Library, representing the contents of the donations bin at the January market.
· The Board has also voted $2,000 to the local Neighborhood Centre.
· And a water pump to the Surfside Centre gardens - $350.
· The Board seeks a carpenter/woodworker/member to construct two indoor flagpoles and stands.
This Day Tonight
· Marion & Bill Walton are to be congratulated on coping with the change of venue, and we also thank the Neighborhood Centre for their hospitality. Why don’t we have $5 pizzas every second week? .
· Works Superintendant for the Lookout Reserve project, Peter Cullen presented a comprehensive and convincing progress report and fielded many pertinent questions. We are in good hands. Matthew from Van Loons nursery is a consultant.
· There’s a surf carnival at OG next Sunday..
Forthcoming events
26th Jan. – No meeting of our club, as it’s a public holiday – Australia Day.
2nd Feb.– The International dinner at ‘Bistro @ 310’, a fundraising effort for the Rotary Foundation. This is a partners’ night, and a scheduled meeting of the club. So if you can come, [and Geoff Brentnall certainly hopes you can], you must register with him. In addition to partners, guests are most welcome. The address is 310 Moorabool St Geelong, 6.30 for 7.00, a Greek banquet with live music. $50 per head. Register with Geoff Brentnall no later than 22nd January – 5256 1527 or geoff.brentnell@eftel.net.au.
Car Raffle Sales Duties
Fri. 15th Jan – OG Safeway AM Margaret Campbell, Alison George. PM Charles Dawborn.
Sun. !7th Jan – Torquay market AM John Eyles
Sun 17th Jan – Drysdale Safeway Helen Trigg
Sun 24th Jan – Apco Barwon Heads AM Peter Cullen, Geoff Cummins. PM Dick Clay.
Sun 31st Jan – Portarlington Market Heather Wallace. Plus, on most occasions, Fordie or Wal!
Landmarks and turning points in Rotary’s history
1985 Rotary membership reaches one Million.
1986 Women admitted to Rotary membership in the United States by action of RI Board of Directors..
1989 Council on Legislation opens Rotary membership to women worldwide.
Notice for the meeting in Alison George’s garden, 20 Trethowan Avenue, Marcus Hill on 19th January
This is to be a partners’ night, 6.30 for 7.00. You and your partner are both assumed to be coming, and if not, you must inform Alison [not Hans]. You must also register any guests with Alison, as we need to have an accurate head count.. It’s a pork and beef dinner. Bring chairs, glasses and drinks.
Registration desk Chairman Gerry Spencer, plus any unaccompanied Rotarian available.
Birthdays & Anniversaries
22nd Margaret Campbell. 24th John & Shirley Dodgshun. 25th Heather Grimmett. and, because there is no meeting on the 26th, -it is Australia Day, -31st John Wynn, & 1st Feb. Peter Hawthorne
The District Conference, 12th ,13th, 14th March
Full details and on-line registration are available at www.rotary9780.org, and those members not having internet access, can obtain hard copy details from Secy. Vic. If you seek dinner organized by John Calnin on Monday evening at 6.00 PM [Sailors Rest Restaurant], prior to the Conference start, contact John. A room at the Sheraton has been booked from 2.00PM on Saturday for our members to meet and change for dinner.
So you thought it was hot!
It got to 45o in Geelong on Monday, but the National record stands at 52.8 in Cloncurry [quite a few years ago]. That gets close to the all-time world record heat of 54.4o in Arouane, Mali, Africa.
Australian Rotarians who have initiated major Rotary projects. This list is incomplete, but, a sample.
Health, Hunger and Humanity [3-H] Grants – RI President Clem Renouf. RC Nambour, Qld., 1978.
Australian Rotary Health Research Fund [ARHRF] – Ian Scott, RC Mornington, Vic, - 1981.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards [RYLA] – members, RC Brisbane, Qld. – 1959.
An obituary printed in the London Times, and contributed by Gerry Spencer
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
· Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
· Why the early bird gets the worm;
· Life isn’t always fair;
· And maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies, [don’t spend more than you can earn] and reliable strategies [adults, not children, are in charge].
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student, but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common sense lost the will to live when criminals received better treatment than their victims, and took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by four stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I’m A Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
Three fascinating, but otherwise quite useless pieces of information.
· Touching the soft palate at the back of your mouth triggers a gag reflex, but this can be controlled with practice – sword-swallowers train themselves to resist it.
· When you cough, the air rushes through your windpipe faster than the speed of sound.
· Your bones are alive! If they weren’t full of living cells, they wouldn’t be able to mend themselves when they get broken. Didyu know that, Rod?
John Fox, 2100, 12/01/2010
