Attendance: 29 members including honoraries Rex Martin and Joan Reed
President Graham's Announcements
Graham with handfuls of uncontrolled paper from District provided a potted version of the forthcoming proceedings. Items of note included::
Negotiation of the Thrift Shop lease this week
Board discussions on club culture and public image. John Peacham has made improvements to the website and requested scintillating/newsworthy Rotary stories from members
A meeting of the District's club presidents had been delayed a week due to a Port Power match......mmmm....worst excuse ever...would have been perfectly understandable if Sturt match
Membership fees are under consideration but unlikely to change
The Salvos Red Shield Appeal......more donations welcome
Purchase of a club pull-up banner
Committee Reports and Club Consultations
Reports
International - John Peacham advised that our Solomons cargo had landed in Honiara and was awaiting customs clearance prior to shipment by barge.....all fingers remained crossed.
New Generation - Rhonda Hoare reported that our club has sponsored 3 RYPEN (visiting our club next week), 1 RYLA, 1 NYSF and 1 Operation Flinders participants.
Accolades have been received from the young artists, their parents and others who attended the Youth Concert last Saturday night. It was a great success. For Rhonda, the most marked impression was of the growth of the initially shy and hesitant contestants into accomplished performers over the space of 2 months. Our club has received considerable credit for this tangible achievement.
Vocational - Leone Kewen reported that the call for nominations for SA Police Officer of the Year 2021 was underway and that the forms and posters had been widely dispatched.
Treasurer - Jerry Casburn reported that the club was not going broke under his stewardship - indeed the finances are in a healthy state with $88,640.70 in the Savings and Transactions Accounts. The Nepal Account has $6437 and the Solomons Account $50,018.65. The Thrift Shop has been performing solidly.
A survey has been prepared to gauge the health of the club....things that are working well, areas of improvement and new ideas to carry the club forward. It is to be circulated shortly with a submission end date of 25 June, tabulation by 16 July and Action Plan by 31 August.
The reports were formally received.Moved Jason Booth, seconded Nathan White and approved by the club.
Consultations
Rhonda Hoare provided an update on the Musical Sensory Garden. Last night there was a meeting of Council (attended by Rhonda, Graham, Nathan as observers) where a briefing was provided by the landscape architect who had examined the suitability of 10 potential Unley sites. Overall, with an extensive range of factors considered, the Orphanage site outpointed Ridge Park. Further details were then sought and ideas put forward by Councilors. As expected, noise (well covered by distance from housing) and vandalism issues were raised. The next step is community consultation. Planning by our club should now be based on completion by June next year. We will be required to finance part of the council works.
Nathan White will be emailing members to seek their committee participation preferences.
Trevor McGuirk, upon request by Valerie, updated the club on our Cusco project. Peruvians have been among the worst affected by the Covid crisis with 85,000 deaths and Cusco effectively shut down for 14 months. The hothouses, raising of guinea pigs and Quali trainees had been invaluable during the crisis. It was uncertain whether the bus had been utilised because of the lockdown. Trevor has raised $85,000 through bottle and can collections. Purchases of some essentials for the villagers is being financed through this.
Spots
Paul Duke has a collection of beanies knitted by Bronwyn Kenny with proceeds for ROMAC.
Heather Kilsby announced that both she and Wendy Andrews would not be available for Thrift Shop duties next Saturday afternoon.......replacements needed!
Jerry Casburn mentioned that the Program Committee had met tonight and would appreciate any suggestions from members as to suitable speakers, vocational visits etc.
Finale
Fay Reid won the big bucks and Brendon Judge snared the fruchocs.
President Graham closed the meeting at 8.02pm..
Postscript...in lieu of happy fines
Fay Reid and her partner have just nailed the Queensland Ballroom Dancing Championship....brilliant. Maybe because we are doing so badly in our competitions with other clubs we could introduce ballroom dancing as a new contest with a red hot chance of winning.
The editor has displayed below the two best shots from his trip to the northern most point of Australia in Cape York:
ROTARY NEWS
‘Hop on the bus’ gets children to school in Liberia
By Meg Ramey and Duke Adams, Rotary Club of Harrisburg Keystone, Pennsylvania, USA
The Rotary Club of Harrisburg Keystone is partnering with YesLiberia to provide a bus for children to attend one of several YMCA-sponsored schools, where they receive tuition assistance from Yes iberia.
Since I was first introduced to Rotary in 2016, I have experienced a month-long vocational study trip to Taiwan, became a Rotarian, and met my wife, Dr. Meg Ramey, all through Rotary. Along the way I’ve served a few pancakes, planted some shrubbery for a Martin Luther King memorial, picked up pounds of trash, made some great friends, and had the honor to experience the hospitality of Rotarians locally and abroad. Rotary is awesome! Now, I am embarking on my latest Rotary adventure as the 2021-22 president of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg Keystone.
One of the biggest goals for our club in the upcoming year is the successful completion of our 2021-22 district grant project. In partnership with YesLiberia and several non-profits in Monrovia, Liberia, including the Rotary Club of Sinkor, the Rotaract Club of Monrovia, YMCA, and Educate the Future Liberia, we will purchase a much-needed school bus for the children and greater community of Monrovia.
Liberia does not have a government-provided, “free” education system like ours. Instead, families must pay for their children to attend school. Each year, through their Tuition Assistance Program, YesLiberia provides scholarships for 100 students (60% of whom are girls between the ages of 7 and 22) to attend one of the YMCA-sponsored schools that they could otherwise not afford.
Of course, with no government-funded education system, there is also no school bus transportation either. This means that rural children who want to attend school must walk miles, sometimes up to 90 minutes, to attend school. These walks are often on poorly maintained and unsafe roads through dangerous areas that leave the children, especially young girls, at a higher risk of sexual assault.
YesLiberia provides scholarships for 100 students, a majority of whom are girls ages seven to 22, to attend a YMCA-sponsored school. Our bus will not only provide safety and educational benefits for Liberian students, but it will also assist the community with transportation, provide jobs for women by hiring female bus drivers, and continue the efforts of youth empowerment in Liberia.
All the YMCA school children will ride the bus for free to and from school. The bus will then run several routes for university students and others in the community, who will pay a reduced bus fare that will generate income to make the operation and maintenance of the bus sustainable. Additional profit will be used to fund scholarships for Liberian school children.
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, Friday 2 July
Upcoming Meetings
Tuesday 15 June - 6 for 6.30pm Damien on Fisher
Event: An Evening with Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment Attendees
Set-up and Welcome......Paul Duke and Reno Elms
Tuesday 22 June - 6 for 6.30pm Damien on Fisher
Guest Speakers: Fay Reid & John Peacham Solomons Project Update
Early: David Middleton & Nathan White | Late: Pam Trimmer & Vera Holt
Week 4: 25 June 2021
Early: Stephen Baker & Judi Corcoran | Late: Jason Booth & (John Peacham)
Week 5: None
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 and Mitre 10 Barbeques
ALL the Bunnings Mile End Barbeque shifts are from 8am to 5pm
Next one is Monday June 14 (Queen's Birthday Holiday) followed by Monday June 28........Ken is looking to expand his BBQing talent pool and would be delighted with more volunteers.
The Mitre 10 BBQs are the first and third Saturdays of each month.....next one 19 June
The Tale End.....
Moments of intellectual challenge
We had to have the garage door repaired. The repairman told us that one of our problems was that we
did not have a 'large' enough motor on the opener. I thought for a minute, and said that we had the largest one made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower.
He shook his head and said, 'You need a 1/4 horsepower.' I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4 and he said, 'NOOO, it's not. Four is larger than two.'
I live in a semi rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local city council office to request the removal of the DEER CROSSING sign on our road. The reason: 'Too many deers are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.'
My daughter went to a Mexican fast food and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for 'minimal lettuce.' He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg lettuce.
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, 'Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?'
To which I replied, 'If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?'
He smiled knowingly and nodded, 'That's why we ask.'
The pedestrian light on the corner beeps when it's safe to cross the street.
I was crossing with a co-worker of mine. She asked if I knew what the beeper was for.
I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red.
Appalled, she responded, 'what on earth are blind people doing driving?!'
When my wife and I arrived at a car dealership to pick up our car after a service, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver’s side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. ‘Hey,' I announced to the technician, 'its open!'
