Castello's Cucina, 123 Fisher Street, Fullarton SA
President Ken Haines
Next Week is Changeover
Pay $59 per head to the club's bank account NOW just provide your Name.
Last Meeting
Venue: Castello's Cucina, Living Choice
Guest Speaker: Nick Lee
Guests: Rachel Randall, Robert Freak and two carers Jezza and Eucabeth, also John Clements from the Rotary Club of McLaren Vale who was accompanying the guest speaker.
Attendance: 34 members 5 guests
Opening
Stand in Chair Greg McLeod opened the meeting late due to technical issues that seem to bedevil our meetings regularly. Perhaps, our new President a known and acknowledged tech head, can make the resolution of these issue his lasting gift to the club.
Anyway, after Greg appreciated all the things Rotarians value, President Ken was called upon to open the meeting, which he did with his characteristic aplomb.
Guest Speaker: Nick Lee - The Jodie Lee Foundation
By way of introduction, Greg told us of Nick Lee's background in corporate life including a high level position in Unilever. The Jodie Lee foundation was established by Nick in 2010 after the tragic passing of his wife Jodie due to bowel cancer she contracted at a very young age. Nick has brought his considerable corporate skill into the Not For Profit sector and has been rewarded with an Australian honour for his services.
The aim of the Foundation is to educate Australians about the prevalence of bowel cancer in the community and to encourage preventative action. Most think that bowel cancer is predominately suffered by old men and this is far from the truth. It is now the second largest cause of death for 25 to 35 year olds of both genders.
The real tragedy is that the deaths resulting from bowel cancer are entirely preventable. The message is congealed in a simple acronym BEAT.
Be healthy, don't sit on your butt doing nothing, get up and move. The Foundation runs several events from walking to running and cycling that serve to be good promotional events. They also represent the notion that being healthy, fit and active enables your body to deal with illness more effectively. It also helps to eat healthy whole foods, to limit the consumption of red meat and to avoid processed foods. Also, don't smoke or drink alcohol to excess. (Evidently a little bit of red wine is OK - ed)
Explore your family history, If you have Bowel Cancer anywhere on a branch of your family tree you are more vulnerable and you should be more alert. Get tested regularly. Early detection and treatment will save your life.
Act on symptoms, mainly lethargy and tummy troubles, that seem to be ongoing. Don't be a man, see a doctor. (He didn't actually say this, I just stuck it in. This is not a sexist statement by your editor, women are much smarter than men when it comes to getting medical support.)
Take screening tests. This applies to everyone, not just those with family history. The Government sends free test kits out to everyone between the ages of 50 and 74 every two years, but only 33% use them. Others might find it a bit icky touching their poo with a sick and putting the stick in an envelope to be tested. But it's not that bad and it can save your life.
Younger folk can get tests from chemists and from the Foundation. The Government should certainly be lobbied to reduce the age of free testing to 40 given the increase in younger deaths.
The presentation finished with a lively discussion and questioning. The club presented a modest cheque to the Foundation and a bottle of remedial red wine to Nick who is shown in the photo below with his unsmiling friend John Clements.
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Spots
Rhonda Hoare promoted the Youth Music Awards this Saturday and was disappointed by the number of tickets sold on line so far. She also has a raffle going and sold some tickets during the meeting. They will be available at the event. go on line and do it. Here's the link.
Vivienne Wood sought a stand in at the Shop for Stephen Baker (hospitalised with an undisclosed condition) and Robyn and Virginia stepped up the the plate.
Brenton Judge advised that when the Red Shield appeal comes around the club matches donations by members of a dollar for dollar basis. Judy Shaw was there to take donations with her machine and will undoubtedly be there again.
Jerry Casburn needs to know if your coming top the meeting by the close of play Friday prior to the meeting so he can advise the caterers.
Finale
Trevor McGuirck won the only prize (no money just a big chocolate frog) that he accepted ungraciously.
Ken's last thought for the week once again reflected on our imminent demise.
The meeting closed at 8pm sharply.
Rotary International News
Every child deserves to live with dignity
Rosemary Nambooze and her son (left), the “true owner of the award” she says.
By Rosemary Nambooze, president-elect of the Rotary Club of Wakiso, Uganda, and one of six People of Action: Champions of Inclusion
Raising a child with special needs requires effort, dedication, time, and resources. These things often take a toll on the well-being of the parents. It’s even more difficult in a country like Uganda, where the health care system is broken and the cultural norms and values ascribe the causes of disability to witchcraft.
Everyone has an opinion on the care of your child. We are judged. In many cases, we are isolated and stigmatized. But I found an inner strength that has helped me discover my abilities and my capacity to fight to change broken systems. Each day, the survival of my child has depended on the choices and decisions I make.
When I realized that the struggle was for survival, I set my lamentation aside and faced reality. Nothing could change our son having Down syndrome. I needed to identify how to get the best-quality care for my child in the absence of government support.
Armed with the skills and knowledge I’d developed during 10 years as a social worker, I mobilized other parents of special needs children. We would meet every evening to discuss the well-being and education of our children. From those discussions arose the Angel’s Center for Children with Special Needs, which provides early learning interventions, integrated therapy, outpatient services and nutrition-focused sensory gardens.
I was indirectly the first beneficiary, as I learned a lot from the experiences and information shared by the other parents. The center hosts more than 120 children.
My Rotary Journey
I was invited to join the Rotary Club of Wakiso by a good friend, Sylvia Nanono, past president of the club. She knew my struggles and the difficulties I was going through. I kept making excuses about the burden I faced and my lack of time. But it was an opening to serve and share what I was doing at Angel’s Center on a bigger platform. Our club has held meetings at Angel’s Center more than once, and every member attests that those visits were life-changing.
Rotary has been a safe space for me to improve my social skills and to serve my communities. I found that inside me was a leader. My first year, I served as a membership director. Now I am president-elect, preparing for my 2023-24 year as president. My three-year journey in Rotary has empowered me to serve communities with the limited resources that we have. And it’s brought me the joy of giving.
Adding inclusion to our literacy project
This year, our signature project was in basic education and literacy. I studied the concept but found that it didn’t include education for children with disabilities. I introduced an inclusive education aspect. And on the day of the project, members of the Rotary club invited Angel’s Center to participate in the reading.
I drafted a training curriculum for teachers in inclusive education that was adopted by the entire district and by the Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda. It has been pre-tested in three regions of Uganda, and there are now plans to scale it up to cover the entire country, working with the government and Rotary for additional resources.
I was honored to be named one of the six People of Action: Champions of Inclusion. The ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, was unique and made me feel special. It brought me deep healing. I had tears of joy as I considered my journey to get to this place. As I was standing shoulder to shoulder with Rotary International President Jennifer Jones, some of my friends on social media remarked that someday, I would be the next Rotary International president.
It has given me a strong desire to serve more. I will continue to be a voice for these children and break the silence on disability so that they’re recognized as equal members of society. Every child deserves to live with dignity and to be given the best chance at a bright future. Behind every disability is a human with the potential to flourish.
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 Friday 7 July 2023
Upcoming Meeting
Tuesday 27 June 2023 6 for 6.30pm Castello's Cucina, Living Choice
Event: Change Over Night (Partners Welcome)
Attendance and welcome: Valerie Bonython & Ross Burton
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
Early: David Middleton & Nathan White | Late: Vera Holt & Rhonda Hoare
Week 4: 24 June 2023
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 one is Saturday 17 June 2023.
ALL the Bunnings Mile End Barbeque shifts are from 8am to 5pm
We have been allocated the last Monday of each month.....next one is Monday 26 June 2023.
The Tale End.....
Its all about honesty:
A cowboy's horse died on his way to town...
As he was walking down the dusty trail, he happened across a ranch. With a renewed sense of hope, he asked the stable keeper if he had any horses for sale.
"Sorry, I've fallen on hard times myself. I had to sell all of my horses!"
The cowboy noticed a rather strange-looking steed standing right in the stable behind the keeper, a horse with matted, mangy fur, a deranged, glazed-over look in his eye and a stiff, motionless stance that would have made him look more like taxidermy than a living animal if it hadn't been for the occasional twitch.
"How much for that one?" the cowboy asked.
The stable keeper shook his head. "Trust me. You do NOT want that horse. I got him from a real shady-lookin' preacher one day. I don't know what that man did to him, but all's I know is that the horse ain't right. Never has been."
The cowboy had his doubts, but he was desperate, and insisted on buying the horse despite the stable keeper's warnings. The keeper let him have the horse for free, as he couldn't bring himself to charge money for such a defective creature in good conscience. Before sending him on his way, the keeper gave the cowboy some instructions:
"As I said, this horse ain't right. He's completely unresponsive to everything except for two specific sentences. To make him go, you have to say 'Thank you Jesus!' To make him stop, you say 'Hallelujah!' In all honesty I can only hope the Lord is riding with 'ya tonight, 'cause otherwise... Well... Just be careful, okay?"
The cowboy excitedly hopped on his new horse, ready to ride off into town. Remembering what the old stable keeper told him, he shouted "Thank you, Jesus!" and instantly the horse went from standing to top speed in a second, nearly giving the cowboy whiplash!
Onward the horse galloped, smashing into fences and bushes that didn't slow it down for a second, dashing in a straight line even after missing its first turn a long time ago. It almost seemed a miracle that there were no trees directly in the way, because the horse would have surely ran into one.
The cowboy instantly regretted his decision, and in his panic he'd forgotten which phrase made the horse stop. Then, to his horror, he realized that the horse was heading full-speed off the edge of an incredibly steep cliff. The cowboy began frantically pulling on the reins, screaming all the religious phrases he could think of to try and halt the beast, but to no avail. Suddenly, when all hope seemed lost, he remembered at the last minute:
"HALLELUJAH!!!"
And instantly the horse froze, a single inch away from the edge of the cliff.
The cowboy was trembling and drenched in sweat. He had never been so close to certain doom. With a sigh of relief, he wiped his brow, looked up to the heavens and said:
"Thank you, Jesus!"
The Interview
Interviewer: What would you say is your greatest weakness?
Candidate: On reflection, I'd say my greatest weakness is my honesty.
Interviewer: That surprises me, I think honesty is a strength, not a weakness.
Candidate: Frankly, I don't give a damn what you think.
Back yonder in the olden days,
little Johnny would have to walk to the school house for class.
Each day he would get a stick, run it along the neighbour’s fence, walk up the hill, and smack the old outhouse at the top of the hill with the stick, to scare anyone who might be inside.
One day, little Johnny followed his regular routine, but today was different.
As he ran down the hill, he heard a thunderin’ crash as wood of the old outhouse splintered and it tumbled down the hill. Realizing what’d happened, Johnny hid in the woods, gathered his composure, and walked to class from a different direction than yonder hill.
In school that day Mrs. Smith, no doubt having heard what happened, spent a large portion of the lessons focusing on honesty and integrity. She taught the class about George Washington, how he had cut down his father’s cherry tree, but was honest about it because he could not tell a lie, and how Washington is admired to this day for his integrity. Johnny burned with guilt all day long.
At the dinner table that night, Johnny kept staring at his food and stayed silent as the grave. Finally, his dad asked him, “Johnny, how was your day?”
Bursting with guilt, Johnny replied, “Daddy, I cannot tell a lie! This morning I got a stick like I ain’t s’posed to, and I dragged it along the fence like I ain’t s’posed to, and I went up the hill and hit the ol’ outhouse like I wasn’t s’posed to, and that ol’ outhouse went just a-crashin’ down yonder hill. It’s all my fault! I cannot tell a lie!”
His dad frowned and said, ”Johnny, I’m just ashamed at your behavior. You’re gettin’ two spankin’s, you have to clean the house and mow the lawns, and you’re grounded for a month.”
Johnny, in tears, replied, “But Daddy! George Washington told the truth about choppin’ down his daddy’s cherry tree, and he didn’t get in trouble, and that’s way worse than what I done. How come I’m in trouble?”
“Because, son, George Washington’s daddy wasn’t in that cherry tree.”
