16 December 2009

Meeting Report
15 December 2009

Email all apologies to Philip Lambers or call Philip on 9499 7407 ah or 9829 1512 bh

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Here are some graphic contributions from President Bill

NOTE: The full rosters for all duties (market, EERN, Mini-rail & meetings) are available at any time. You can access them by:

• clicking here
• or, you can view it any time by selecting the rosters tab in the members area of the club website.

The meeting this week was crammed with interest.

Kampuchea House Orphanage

Belinda Lightfoot was introduced by Geoff Edwards to receive a cheque for the Kampuchea House Orphanage in Cambodia.

Belinda is secretary of the orphanage committee and she told us about how successful this project has been in providing a loving home for the children. In addition we heard about the academic successes of the children which are notable. Our donation of $6450 is for security fencing that is greatly needed and much appreciated by Belinda and the orphanage.

EERN

Next came Keith Rooney, the marvellous mover & shaker of the Eastern Emergency Relief Network. Keith wanted to thank us for our support and to show us a short film that has been made about EERN & the work it does. It was an excellent piece that added much to our member‟s knowledge and awareness of EERN.

It was good to be able to add to our support on the night with a carload of 

groceries donated by members for EERN‟s food hampers.

BY THE WAY . . . If anyone wants to be part of this and contribute groceries, please bring them along next week to our Christmas breakfast.

Guest Speaker

Finally, our guest speaker was Suzanne Thwaites who is a judge for the Children‟s Book Council Awards.

Suzanne described in great detail the intent of the awards and the process for selecting winners in the five categories. She left us in absolutely no doubt about the rigor of the process and the quality of the outcome. The judges are obviously passionate about the awards and get a great deal of pleasure from their involvement but the devotion required of them is quite staggering to contemplate.

Christmas Breakfast at Eastern Golf Club

7.00 am for 7.30

See you there

It was good to see Carole Penry with us after her spell in hospital. Looks very well and according to her, 'I am well'.

While in all the chaos of moving to the apartment in Cotham Road our good friend and Paul Harris Fellow Francis Rigby found time to join us. All power to you Francis. We respect your positive attitude.

Colin Campbell is off to hospital for one of the personal male problems that too many of us seem to suffer. Tuesday next is his big day and since that involves fasting, it means that he can't make the Christmas breakfast. Colin, we all wish you well and want to hear positive news and that you are home for Christmas.

Know of another family whose off spring is have an operation this week and we are thinking of the family at this stressful time.

We are still need a couple of volunteers for transporting Ben to Rotary. You will recall he has moved to Eva Tilley home in Burke and Nicholson streets Balwyn Only require transport for 4 or 5 night in the year. Give it some Christmas type thoughts! Thank you to those her have volunteered. I will issue a roster in new year for comment by participants.

Please advise me if you know of any Rotarian or Partner who is unwell.

Ian and Joy Nisbet, Ian and Nelle Lees are not well enough to attend our Rotary meetings nor any social events. Both these families have been long serving and very active in all our activities. To them we send our special greetings for better health in 2010.

Stuart and Alison Clark are also in our thought as they also are over coming health problems.

Two of our members lost partners this year and its good to see their positive approach and getting on with life. Our thought are also with you.

Merry and Holy Christmas and healthy New Year

Keith

FROM DISTRICT 9800 GOVERNOR COLIN MUIR

MARYSVILLE GALLIPOLI PARK
11.30 am 2 January 2010:

An international hand of friendship was extended to the fire ravaged Marysville from Rotary Istanbul District. In the proposal letter, Director International of Rotary District 2420 [Istanbul, Turkey] Mrs Nilgun Ulug said that it was "rather symbolic. But as the Rotarians from Istanbul, we would like to plant a pine tree [Lone Pine type] at the Gallipoli Park in Marysville as a good will gesture. This would be a positive acknowledgement of the friendship that exists between our two countries, which began with another tragic event at Gallipoli in 1915.”

The proposal was accepted by Delice Guscott of Marysville Gallipoli Park Committee who expressed strong support for the idea. A ceremony for planting of the „lone pine‟ seedling has been planned to coincide with the arrival on 2 January 2010 of ten Rotarians from Istanbul on a cruise liner.

Seedlings of Pinus halepensis grown from seed collected from the pine tree which presently grows at the Australian War Memorial were purchased for plantation at the park. It is said that the tree at the Memorial was planted from seeds of a pine cone collected at Lone Pine Ridge at Gallipoli by a soldier who sent it home to his mother at Inverell, NSW, in 1915.

Commenting on the occasion, 9800 District Governor Colin Muir said “we have an excellent relationship with Istanbul Rotary District, as we have had peace tours to Turkey in the past, we have supported a school for the blind at Gallipoli and exchanged study groups this year. We value this friendship with Turkish Rotary and look at this event as yet another manifestation of it.”

Rotary Districts have been assisting and supporting bushfire victims continuously and this ceremony fits in well with the spirit of that tremendous effort to rebuild the community.

For further details on this event, please contact Mr John Basarin, Chairman, Youth Exchange Program, Rotary District 9800 [Email: johnnyturk@optusnet.com.au, Mob: 0438055056].

We have received several letters of thanks.

From our Meals on Wheels friends:

Rosemary Smart click here
& Yoland Sargood click here

And from the Austin Heally Sprite Club click here

On committees . . .

A committee is a group of people who individually can do nothing, but as a group, decide that nothing can be done.
- Fred Allen

There are more than 200,000 useless words in the English language and at some committee meetings, you hear all of them.
- Anon

NOTE
There are many other Rotary events scheduled for the year. Please refer to the calendar in the club website for details. You can click on the "Agenda" tab for a summary.

12 Jan 10 - Victoria Police - Ann Pattison

19 Jan 10 - Vintage cars... Obsession or passion - Chris DeFraga

26 Jan 10 - Australia Day

For details of meetings beyond the dates above, click on the READ MORE link below

District 9800 newsletter "Networker" 
You can subscribe to Networker if you wish. Follow the link when you open this page.

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