May Theme: Bowel Scan Month.
Tuesday, May 29th 2012, 6.00 for 6.30p.m
Annual Dinner: at Davidson's Room Restaurant, which is at the Gordon.
Please note this a partners night and they are automatically booked in unless an apology is recorded. The cost is $32.50 per person. Correct money would be appreciated.
Birthday and Anniversaries: 31/5 Bob Osbourne, 1/6 Wal Kelly.
Notice of Meeting for the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove
18 The Terrace, Ocean Grove.
Tuesday, June 5th, 2012, 6.00 for 6.30 p.m
Speaker: PP Warren Norton – Rotarians for Land Mine Action. (A Rotary Fellowship)
Chairman: John Fox.
Greeter and Assistant Sergeant: Geoff Ford.
Assistant Cashier and Thanker: John Eyles.
Weekly Raffle: Peter McLennan.
Birthday and Anniversaries: 11/6 Wilma Andrews.
Notice of Meeting for the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove
18 The Terrace, Ocean Grove.
Tuesday, 12th June 2012, 6.00 for 6.30p.m
Speaker: Ambulance Team Presentation/Presentation and 13th Beach Presentation.
Chairman: Hans Franken.
Assistant Cashier and Thanker: Bill Steains.
Greeter and Assistant Sergeant: Graeme Chamberlain.
Weekly Raffle: Geoff Ford.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: 14/6 Marion Walton, 16/6 Jan Brentnall and Geoff Ford,
27/5 Robyn and Phil Edwards.
Report of the Meeting: 22/5/2012.
Notes and reminders:
- Secy Vic: District Changeover dinner will be on 1/7/2012 at Capri in North Geelong.
There has been a letter of thanks from RI Charlton thanking all for the support for their community in the aftermath of the floods in January and inviting those who are interested to a free concert for Rotarians and local residents on Friday September 7th.Details are available from 03 5491 1002 or email thecircle.charlton@gmail.com
* * Annual reports are needed soon.
- Football Tipping. Alex Magee asked that those who have not yet paid to cough up their $50.00. If you remain reluctant to oblige you must await your fate with Alex!
- International: Geoff Brentnall still has the RAWCS stickers- they are $5.00.
- New Generations: Anne Hodgekinson reported that there is one student interested in The National Youth Science forum.
- Noel Emselle is the contact for tickets to the Neil Diamond concert.
- John Paton reminded the members that help is needed for the Winter Market on Sunday 3rd June.
- Mick Cummins passed on the thanks of the people of Numurkah for the donations of clothing.
- Please remember to avail yourselves of the tea and coffee provided during the evening, preferably before the guest speaker commences.
Guest Speaker:
Steve Hynes, a Geelong businessman, has become interested in and a benefactor of the Catherine Hamlin Fistula Program in Ethiopia and he most eloquently expressed his passion and belief in the worthiness of this cause to us in his address. Doctors Reg and Catherine Hamlin to assist women who develop an open passage usually between the bowel and bladder/vagina after childbirth originally commenced the program. This trauma is the result of a long difficult obstructed labour, usually in a village, often with minimal assistance and the delivery of a large baby. These women because they are incontinent of urine and often faeces are ostracized from their communities and have to fend for themselves. They suffer terribly as do their children if they survive. Knowledge of the help available at the Fistula Hospital is generally spread by word of mouth, but to get this help they have to walk many miles and suffer many insults because of the apparently unhygienic appearance. Since 1959 there have been 5 hospitals established in regional Ethiopia as well as the main facility in Addis Ababa. There have been 1500 women treated in the main facility and 1000 in regional areas. The years of the Communist regime were difficult but the facility was able to continue probably due to the reputation of the Hamlins. Funding has been mainly from their own resources, fundraising and donations mostly from Australians. Treatment is free but the average operation costs the facility about $600. There is a 93% success rate and therefore the procedure is seen as a miracle and well worth the long difficult journey. Approximately 30 women are treated per week but there are 1000 waiting in Ethiopia alone. Women are often damaged psychologically as well as physically and can take many months to recover. Those who recover are given a white shawl to show they are clean when they return to their villages; however there is no guarantee the same problem will not recur. Those who are not cured are trained in life skills to enable them to live a useful life and support themselves. The Midwifery School aims to train 2-3000 young women to work as midwives in the villages to educate and teach preventative health and so reduce the problems. As men mostly provide care this education is vital though perhaps difficult in a male dominated society. Appropiate people are also trained to perform this specific surgery to relieve the pressure on the fully qualified surgeons. As Catherine Hamlin is 88 years old and no longer operating, the future of the program is uncertain as there are not many people with appropriate skills who are prepared to stay and devote their lives to the work as the Hamlins have done especially as the political situation remains volatile.
- Note to members – Apologies must be in by 11a.m. on MONDAY! Notification later than this is of no use. Co-operation with this would be appreciated.
Did you know?
- A car traveling at 100 mph would take more than 29 million years to reach the nearest star.
- 53% of women will not leave the house without makeup.
- Human birth control pills work on gorillas.
- The toothbrush was invented in 1498.
AG.
