Next week we are finding relief for cystic fibrosis sufferers
Last Meeting
Venue: Damien on Fisher
Guest Speaker: Chris Russell - Purple House
Visiting Rotarians: DGE Jeff and Jenny Neale, AG Di Clements, Briony Casburn (McLaren Vale), Bruce Osborn (Canberra Sunrise)
Other Guests: Mary Brady, Graham Ey, Ali Mostaghim, Genese Mullins. Vera-Ann Stacey
Attendance: 34 members 10 guests
David Middlelton, against a background of fabulous decorations, chaired the meeting and introduced Jeremy who needed no introduction.
Announcement by PP Jerry Casburn
Welcome all guests (see above) and returning Rotarians Mavis Martin and Soheila Mostaghim
Induction of President Graham Beckett
Speedily and efficiently DGE Jeff Neale inducted Graham Beckett as President for the remainder of 2020/21 and lumbered him with the heavy chains of office. In response Graham promised to be the seeker of new ideas, foster enthusiasm with all endeavours, act in a collegiate fashion and ensure transparency.....all in keeping with the four way test.
Sorel Coward explained that she had been unable to continue to fulfil her obligations as President due to a 3 fold increase in her clinical practice, the pursuit of a doctorate, and other pressures. She thanked the club for the opportunity to serve, and members responded with applause.
Guest Speaker: Chris Russell - Purple House
Chair David Middleton introduced Chris who is a registered nurse, specialising in renal health. With SA Health she was responsible for delivering dialysis to inhabitants of remote SA aboriginal communities. in 2013 she launched the dialysis truck project and was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2015. Following a period operating the dialysis clinic on Thursday Island (Queensland) she returned in 2019 as coordinator of Purple House in Ernabella. Purple House is an aboriginal and Torres Strait islander NGO providing dialysis support to communities in WA, NT, SA and Qld.
Fittingly it is NAIDOC week. Chris explained the functions performed by the kidneys, namely to circulate and cleanse blood, expelling urine, controlling blood pressure and providing vitamin A. Diabetes is a major cause of kidney failure. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects about 1 in 10 Australians but 1 in 4 aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders. Genetics play a big part in this disproportion as do poverty, diet, alcohol and drug abuse, infections, and obesity. Often the signs of kidney failure do not manifest for 3 months by which time 90% of the damage has been done.
Dialysis operates as an artificial kidney straining the blood with a saline solution to remove impurities and excess fluid. This process is normally for 3-4 hours per day, 4-5 days per week, washing 70 litres of blood each time. While dialysis helps to extend life, it comes at considerable cost to patients, particularly those living far from centres with dialysis units. It is very stressful being separated from family and friends and there are a whole range of challenges faced, including communication because of language barriers. The RAH and FMC have two large clinics and there are 12 in the country with the largest being in Port Augusta which has 12 chairs and covers 30 patients.
Purple House was established in 2004 for aboriginies in the Northern Territory with the aim of 'making all our families well' and now operates 19 clinics there. They came to SA in 2019; there are 3 clinics and the Purple Bus which is much appreciated. Dedicated and enthusiastic primary health care teams deliver the services. On Thursday Island the hospital has 26 beds and caters for the medical needs of the outlying Torres Strait islands. It has 12 renal stations. Much of the patient transfer is by helicopter.
Unley Rotary with partner support and a global grant raised raised $200,000 and delivered a reverse osmosis plant to provide clean water for the Ernabella clinic.
Chris was thanked by acclamation.
Spots and presentations
Jerry Casburn read out messages of support from the sons and daughter of newly installed President Graham.......which included praise for the editor's jokes.
Christina Way reminded about the coffee chat 10.30am next Friday at Impressa, Unley Shopping Centre
Mavis Martin thanked the club for her honorary membership...and we would all like to see her more often for our dose of Scottish wisdom.
Jason Booth is unable to fulfil his Thrift Shop duties on 28 November.....and Paul Duke and John Kikkert will fill the gap left by he and Rhonda (who will be in NSW).
Valerie Bonython is after the money and tickets from the prostate cancer raffle.....this will cause a major upheaval of the editor's desk. Proceeds of $250 from the Mitre 10 BBQ last Saturday will go to RAM mosquito nets.
Patsy Beckett reminded us of the raffle draw with bells and whistles at Damien's on 13 December and the Christmas dinner at La Tombola on 15 December.
DGE Jeff Neale thanked the club for our hospitality and looks forward to the DG visit next year.
AG Di Clements was into presentations. She called on past president Jason Booth to accept a banner from the Rotary Foundation for our strong support of the annual fund appeal and a Rotary citation from the District Governor for the club's meritorious performance in 2019/20. see left photo below
President Graham presented Sorel with a gift for her service as president. see right photo below
Finale
Happiness was a mixed bag. Nathan lamented the loss of his prized bike and inability to compete in the annual Odyssey....assumedly the luxury version. Sorel was happy to have helped a student who was being harassed at school. John K liked the smooth presidential transition.....unlike the US. David is pleased to be having a stent inserted next Friday.
There was a serious missing element....we did not hear any joy from President Graham re the recent victory of the Wallabies over the All Blacks.
The club benefitted from David's inability to select a winning ball but Geoff Hill nabbed the much needed fruchocs.
Graham wrapped up the splendid (to use DM's word) meeting and closed it almost on time. Thank you Patsy for the great 'across the ditch' decorations.
Club Notices
Annual General Meeting call for nominations......get excited
The Annual General Meeting of the Rotary Club of Unley Inc. will be held Tuesday 8 December 2020 at Damien on Fisher, 123 Fisher Street, Fullarton.
The business of the meeting will include the election of the following officers to fill vacancies on the Board for the following year:
President elect (2022-2023)
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Director (International)
Director (Community)
Director (Vocational)
Director (Membership)
Director (New Generation)
Next big event at Thrift Shop is Sunday 6 December 9am - 1pm with books +
By Motoaki Sagara, District 2530 Public Image & IT Committee Chair, Japan
District 2530 officials hold apples with the special End Polio mark at their district conference.
How can we get more people to learn about Rotary’s polio eradication efforts? This is a question my district asked recently. It’s not easy to get the public’s attention. It’s even less so in Japan, where polio has not been circulating in the wild for some time.
Last year, District 2530, Fukushima, sold Fuji apples, a local product of Fukushima, with the word “END POLIO” marked on them. As a result, we were able to raise more than $3,000 for polio eradication. It was an innovative idea. But there was another reason I was interested in this project.
Local apple farmers are still recovering from the impact on their business of the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, as well as the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disasters. By using apples as a clever means to promote End Polio Now, we were also taking a step to save the apple farmers.
In Japan, apples are often used for celebratory purposes. Letters can be created on the apples through a process that makes the apples brighter red while protecting them against insects. Fewer farmers employ this technique today, but some still do. In the spring, the apples are covered laboriously by hand with paper bags, protecting them from pests and also suppressing the chlorophyll in the apple so that instead of green, it stays a creamy whitish color.
A few months before harvest time, the bags are removed, and the sunlight hitting the apples triggers the anthocyanin turning them red. Picture it this way, painting red over a white surface is going to appear brighter red than painting red over a green surface.
To make letters on the apples, stickers are placed over the apples when they are removed from the bags, and the areas covered by the stickers stay white while the rest is exposed to sunlight and turn red. It’s rare to use this process to create a message for a social cause, but our End Polio Now stickers were a big hit.
We placed our End Polio Now stickers two months before our apple sale, and then let the sun do its job. We set about preparing the boxes that would hold two apples each. It was exciting to think about the looks on the faces of the people who bought the apples when they opened the box and saw the End Polio message.
Everyone was excited on the day of the harvest, which was just around the corner from our district conference. In the morning we gathered in the apple fields to work together with local farmers to harvest the big sweet apples. When I removed a sticker, I found “END POLIO” clearly marked on the apple! We peeled the seals off 600 apples. The orchard was filled with the cheers.
On the day of the district conference, we were worried and anxious; “Can we really sell all of our apples? If they are not sold out, my family might have to eat them for a week!
However, as soon as the people entered the hall, they were amazed and began buying them eagerly. Interact and Rotaract members, as well as Fukushima’s public relations crews, joined in, filling the hall with enthusiasm.
The result was superb. The apples were sold quickly, almost flying off the shelves! Let’s all get creative in how we raise funds for eradicating polio.
Coffee Chat at Impressa, Unley Shopping Centre
Twice monthly, 10.30 am on a Friday, is good for a chat with Rotary friends and a caffeine fix!
Next get-togethers are Friday 13 November, 27 November, and 11 December.
Upcoming Meetings
Tuesday 17 November 2020 6 for 6.30pm at Damien on Fisher
Guest Speaker: Assoc. Professor David Parsons, PhD (UofA) Director Cystic Fibrosis Airway Research Group. COVID Lung function Ventilators.
Set-up and Welcome - Dennis Liddle and Trevor McGuirk
Tuesday 24 November 2020 6 for 6.30pm at Damien on Fisher
Guest Speaker: Steve Wesslingh SAHMRI.
Set-up and Welcome - Dennis Liddle and Trevor McGuirk
November 29 - Area 9 Picnic to support "End Polio Now"
December 1 - The Rotary Ute Relay
December 13th - Prostate Raffle Draw at Damien's
December 15th Club Christmas dinner at "La Tombola"
Early: David Middleton & Nathan White | Late: Pam Trimmer & Ken Haines
Week 4: 24 October 2020
Early: Stephen Baker & Judi Corcoran | Late: Paul Duke (Rhonda Hoare) & John Kikkert (Jason Booth)
Week 5: 31 October 2020
Early: Bob Mullins & Wendy Andrews | Late: Jerry Casburn & Reno Elms
Rotarians, who are unable to attend as rostered, please arrange a swap or as a very last resort contact: Pam Trimmer (T) 8293 2612; (M) 0415 238 333; e-mail: pamela.trimmer@bigpond.com
Bunnings Mile End Barbeque
ALL the Bunnings Mile End Barbeque shifts are from 8am to 5pm
The Mitre 10 BBQ now first and third Saturday of each month......next one 21 November
The Tale End
Now that Trump is heading for the dust bin it is time to return to true stories and important advice
Another true story of moral valor
A man was walking down the street when he was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless man who asked him for a couple of dollars for dinner.
The man took out his wallet, extracted ten dollars and asked, "If I give you this money, will you buy some beer with it instead of dinner?"
"No, I had to stop drinking years ago,” _the homeless man re-plied.
"Will you spend this on green fees at a golf course instead of food?” _the man asked.
"Are you NUTS?!!" replied the homeless man. I haven't played golf in 20 years!"
"Well," said the man, "I'm not going to give you money. Instead, I'm going to take you home for a hot shower and a terrific dinner cooked by my wife.” _
The homeless man was astounded. "Won't your wife be furious with you for doing that?"
The man replied, "That's okay. It's important for her to see what a man looks like after he has given up drinking and golf.”
Speedily and efficiently DGE Jeff Neale inducted Graham Beckett as President for the remainder of 2020/21 and lumbered him with the heavy chains of office. In response Graham promised to be the seeker of new ideas, foster enthusiasm with all endeavours, act in a collegiate fashion and ensure transparency.....all in keeping with the four way test.
Chair David Middleton introduced Chris who is a registered nurse, specialising in renal health. With SA Health she was responsible for delivering dialysis to inhabitants of remote SA aboriginal communities. in 2013 she launched the dialysis truck project and was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2015. Following a period operating the dialysis clinic on Thursday Island (Queensland) she returned in 2019 as coordinator of Purple House in Ernabella. Purple House is an aboriginal and Torres Strait islander NGO providing dialysis support to communities in WA, NT, SA and Qld.
We placed our End Polio Now stickers two months before our apple sale, and then let the sun do its job. We set about preparing the boxes that would hold two apples each. It was exciting to think about the looks on the faces of the people who bought the apples when they opened the box and saw the End Polio message.
