Welcome
President John welcomed our guest speaker Gerry and noted Rob's tan from Aldinga. Our Community Group of Clubs is putting together a double sided advertising brochure with the favourite theme of each club and Unleyites are urged to think harder about how we would like to be viewed....mmmmmmm
Guest Speaker: Gerry Greenway - The longest walk around Australia
Paul Duke introduced Gerry who is a member of RC Hyde Park (with his wife Judy) and a good mate of Jerry Casburn...they both speak funny. Gerry came out from the UK in 1958 and was involved in real estate for 40 years. He is also a volunteer with the Buddies for Breakfast program put on by the Council.
Gerry is 90 yo. In 1968 he was a member of Blackwood Apex. His group of Apexian friends walked 6 laps of a 4 mile course each weekend - 24 miles in total. 'Let's go further and be more ambitious!' was discussed.....and push came to shove.....'Let's walk around Australia.' To demonstrate their innate walking capacity to the District, Zone and National Committees, they strolled from Blackwood to Gawler. The designated beneficiary for this endeavour was Autism, about which very few people knew anything at that time.
For those who know Gerry, he is the original silver tongue......and would have been instrumental in persuading everyone of the project's feasibility.
It took 9 months of preparation and 9 months to complete the walk around the entire circumference.....never been done before....and not since. Generous sponsors like Claridge Motors (4WD), BP fuel, maps from the RAA and a National Bank donation helped. Apex clubs around the country not on the chosen route created their own walks to link up with or move parallel to the main group. Gerry was part of the logistics team. It was a mammoth task - police and weather played important roles Barry Ford, a banker from WA, walked the whole way, starting clockwise from Perth. The Sydney team component and that from Hobart (which had walked around Tassie) arrived together in Melbourne for the Lord Mayoral welcome.....a mini mardi gras. 1969 was a memorable year.....also the year of the first moon landing.
11380 miles (15097kms) was covered and $120,000 raised......about $1m in todays money.
Great stuff Gerry! We applauded.
Spots
Rhonda Hoare was called upon by the Prez to outline a potential Rotary project which could be undertaken by the Community Group of Clubs, led by Unley.....a Sensory Musical Garden. This project, in a more modest form, had been put before Unley Council but had not proceeded due to issues with the chosen site. In an attractive setting, a range of outdoor musical instruments would be erected, designed to attract (and be played by) people of all ages and those with disabilities. Concerts with professional musicians could also be a feature. Brownwyn exampled the park near the MCG where such instruments are played. Club members strongly endorsed the concept for discussion at the next CGC meeting this week.
President John
- has held discussions with RC Campbelltown re the intention of the Variety Club to hold 2 days of zoo visits for disabled kids each April and September. Campbelltown can manage one day for each and John will be seeking help for our club to do the other.
- announced that the Thrift Shop's owner has indicated she wishes to discuss continuation of our lease which expires in June
- reminded members of the importance, for catering purposes. to promptly respond to each meeting invitation
- informed that a brochure has been put on each table inviting members to attend the All Ears Speech open day, 9am - noon, on Thursday this week at 403 Goodwood Rd, Westbourne Park
Paul Duke is looking for volunteers to help provide a BBQ lunch for a local business at 168 Greenhill Rd on Friday 21 February from 11am - 2pm....$400 net proceeds for the club.
Finale
Paul Duke won the filthy lucre and Patsy the much needed chocolates.
And the meeting closed a commendable 7 minutes early......and the joke was a golden oldie
PS The Editor has learnt that Bob and Maria Mills went to Sydney on 15 January to relive their wedding night of 60 years ago......diamonds are forever.......but lightning never strikes twice in the same spot.
Congratulations Bob and Maria
Rogues Gallery
First coffee chat for the year at Impressa
Rhonda's adverts
Women in Rotary
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Rotary projects around the globe - February 2025
By Brad Webber
Mexico
District 5300 has provided homes for dozens of families in northern Mexico since 2008 through a tradition it calls “super builds,” a yearly day of construction by Rotary members from California and Nevada. The 16-by-20-foot homes are built through a partnership with the California-based nonprofit
Corazón. The $18,500 cost per family pays for materials as well as school uniforms, books, and scholarships, says Robin Smith, of the Rotary Club of Las Vegas Summerlin, who has coordinated the initiative for nearly a decade. “There are clubs that give monetarily,” she says. “There are also clubs that physically build the homes. Then we have clubs that are able to do both.” The 2025 build is scheduled for 3 May.
United States
The Rotary Club of Bradley-Bourbonnais in Illinois has found jigsaw puzzles featuring scenes from the community to be a fitting fundraiser. In September, the club unveiled its third annual installment, featuring a bucolic scene of an 1850s barn. The club runs a photo contest each June to find images for the puzzles, offering a $100 prize. It credits the photographer by name and promotes a link to the winner’s website. “We’re celebrating what our community has to offer,” says Julia Mullikin. “People are looking forward to getting each year’s puzzle.” Club members staff tables at markets and enlist merchants and museums to offer the puzzles, which sell for $30. “We use just about every portion of the box to promote our Rotary club,” says Frank Koehler. Proceeds support scholarships, student recognition, and
ShelterBox.
Jamaica
Seven Rotary clubs and the Rotaract Club of Kingston came together to commission an interactive mural in the Jamaican capital. Scanning the painting with an app unlocks layers of additional information about topics including Rotary’s areas of focus, how to join, and how to contribute to
The Rotary Foundation. “This mural is more than just an artistic expression,” says Steven Hudson, a past president of the Rotary Club of Kingston. “Each brushstroke symbolizes our dedication to these areas.” The clubs teamed up with the painter Anthony “Taoszen” Smith and digital artist Kianne Patrice Hutchinson to produce the augmented reality project in collaboration with Kingston Creative, a nonprofit art hub that promotes unity and economic development. “We are able to showcase who we are as Rotarians” through the mural, says Melissa Anderson, of the Rotary Club of Kingston East and Port Royal. “We change lives, one community at a time, and we want others with a heart of service to join us.”
Netherlands
A passion for peace prompted five Dutch Rotaract clubs to hold a symposium on conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On 21 September, the International Day of Peace, club members welcomed Pappy Orion, founder of a nonprofit called
Focus Congo, who discussed his journey from child soldier to peacebuilder. The event included panel discussions on the humanitarian crisis and celebrated Congolese food, visual arts, music, and dance. “Our club adopted the project because we want to raise hands, raise awareness, and raise funds to raise hope in the region,” says Nicholas Egunjobi, of the Rotaract Club of The Hague International. The event raised about $7,400 for Orion’s nonprofit. “The projects we are aiming to support include building and maintaining camps for internally displaced people,” says Ana Zlatevski, a member of The Hague international club.
Nigeria
A year after installing a borehole well and toilet at a primary school, members of the Rotary Club of Kaduna returned to satisfy another infrastructure need. “The school was without desks at the time of a needs assessment, and the children were sitting on the floor,” Club President Portia Stephanie Aji says. A solution was at hand: School leaders had saved pieces of old furniture, and club members refashioned salvageable materials into desks and chairs. The club partnered with businesses and groups to provide the students with backpacks, dictionaries, notebooks, pens, and chalk at a hand-over ceremony in September during Rotary’s Basic Education and Literacy Month.
Coffee Chat at Impressa, Unley Shopping Centre
10.30 am on the first Friday of the month is good for a chat with Rotary friends and a caffeine fix - Next one is this Friday 7 February 2025
Upcoming Meetings
Tuesday 18 February 2025 6 for 6.30pm Castello's Cucina
Guest Speaker: Colin Telfthtree Dental volunteering in Vietnam
Welcoming team: Ross Burton & Robyn Carnachan
Tuesday 18 February 2025 6 for 6.30pm Castello's Cucina
Guest Speaker: Jo Phillips Lions Heart learning
Welcoming team: Ross Burton & Robyn Carnachan
Apologies and Meeting Enquiries to: Secretary Greg McLeod on 0417 811 838 or email to secretary@unleyrotary.org.au
Venue Set-up Enquiries to: Bulletin Editor Stephen Baker on 0403 687 015
Saturday Thrift Shop Roster
Early Shift: 10.00am to 1.00pm Late Shift: 1.00pm to 4.00pm
Week 1: 1 March 2025
Early: Haydn Baillie & Wendy Andrews (Jerry Casburn) | Late: Robyn Carnachan & Leonie Kewen
Week 2: 8 February 2025
Early: Greg Mcleod & Wendy Andrews | Late: Virginia Cossid & Vera-Ann Stacy
Week 3: 15 February 2025
Early: David Middleton & Nathan White | Late: Vera Holt & Rhonda Hoare
Week 4: 22 February 2025
Early: Stephen Baker & Judi Corcoran | Late: Jason Booth & Vera-Ann Stacy
Week 5:
Early: Bob Mullins & Wendy Andrews | Late: Virginia Cossid & Paul Duke
Rotarians, who are unable to attend as rostered, please arrange a swap or as a very last resort contact: Vivienne Wood 0408 819 630; e-mail: vwood@ozemail.com.au
Mitre 10 and Bunnings Barbeques
The Mitre 10 BBQs are the first and third Saturdays of each month. Morning shift 8.30am - 12 noon; afternoon shift 12.00 - 3.30pm, then clean-up.....next scheduled is Saturday 15 February 2025
ALL the Bunnings Mile End Barbeque shifts are from 8am to 5pm
Morning shift: 8.00am – 12.30pm | Afternoon shift: 12.30 – 5pm
We have been allocated the last Monday of each month, the next being Monday 24 February 2025
The Tale End.....
Another True Story
A trucker strolled into a busy Truck Stop Café and settled down at the counter. When the waitress, a bright-eyed blonde on her first day, approached to take his order, he grinned and said, “I’ll have three flat tires, a pair of headlights, and a couple of running boards.”
The waitress hesitated, not wanting to admit she had no idea what he meant. Trying to play it cool, she hurried back to the kitchen and called out to the cook, “Hey, there’s a guy out there asking for three flat tires, a pair of headlights, and some running boards! What does he think this is—a repair shop?”
The cook burst into laughter and explained, “Relax! Three flat tires are just pancakes, headlights are two sunny-side-up eggs, and running boards are strips of crispy bacon.”
The waitress let out a sigh of relief. “Got it!” she said, grabbing a plate to prepare the order. But just before heading back, she paused, smirking to herself. She scooped up a bowl of baked beans and placed it alongside the trucker’s breakfast.
When she returned to the counter, the trucker glanced at the bowl of beans and raised an eyebrow. “What are these for?”
With a cheeky grin, she said, “Well, I figured while you’re waiting for your tires, headlights, and running boards, you might as well gas up!”
Preparation
