Bulletin No 38
11th May 2016
Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill
ISSN 2203-126X
Rotary Club of Castle Hill Chartered 18th March 1965
PO Box 13, Castle Hill. 1765 www.rotarynews.info/club4201
Rotary Year 2015-16 District Governor: Gina Growden (District 9685 )
Rotary Int’l President: Ravi Ravindran
This Week 11th May Bert Meyer “Recycled Plastics” Chair Bob Chary Meeting report Hannibal Shabaz Meet & Greet Terry O’Mara Regalia Paul Robinson & Chris Dunwell Next Week 18th May Bernard Chandra “Aphasia Awareness” Chair President Mike Hallen Meeting report Rod Williamson Meet & Greet Chris Dunwell Regalia David Brown & Phil Davis
MAY
Phil Davis 1st John Cooper 5th Ed Heyman 5th Peter Marcer 19th Barry Alsop 28th
Harshad & Indira Desai 1st Frank & Adele Anisse 4th David & Lyn Bull 4th PInky and Mano Singh 7th Dieter & Regine Regel 15th Phil & Jenny Dunn 16th John & Pauline Barker 18th David & Joan Sommerlad 21st
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From President Mike Hallen
T
he Extraordinary General Meeting last week failed to produce any outcomes regarding the receipt and acceptance of the club’s audited 2013-14 accounts due to insufficient numbers attending. The EGM was postponed before it was opened and will now be held on 11th May. Please refer to the notes by PE Chris Dunwell elsewhere in this bulletin regarding our club bylaws. The audited 2013-2014 accounts and the auditor’s statements have been distributed separately by Treasurer Bruce Allen and I have requested by email to all members that any questions or comments regarding the material be made available by email to both Bruce and me before 11th May so that due consideration may be given and a response prepared. There is a Joint Board Meeting on 9 May and this will also afford both Boards time to consider any matters that are raised. I have corresponded with Mayor and Honorary Member, Councillor Michelle Byrne, regarding our changeover meeting and await a response regarding her ability to attend. Her diary is clear for that evening and I hope that she and her husband, Matt, will be able to join us as Chris Dunwell and Joanne take over. The mention of Changeover reminds me that the D9685 Changeover will be held on 25th June at Hornsby RSL Club (6:00 for 6:30pm). You should have all received an email from with details and how to register and pay. Please give positive consideration to your attendance with your partner. John Cooper has been preparing the list on names to be submitted to The Hills Shire Council so that invitations to the 8th June Civic Reception at the Council Chambers may be sent to all members and partners. We look forward to your attendance. Remember it will cost you nothing and replaces our regular meeting at CHCC. Don’t be a “Ned Curac”! Our guest speaker this week is Bert Meyer who will address us on “Recycled Plastics”. Please make him welcome.
Yours in Rotary
President Mike
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S
ome years ago, in the Kano plains of Kenya, a well-meaning development agency took on the task of improving water availability to a rural community. Committees were formed, meetings were held, and the local people were consulted. The main need the community identified was improved delivery of water for irrigation and livestock. A plan to meet this need was created, and the work was soon begun, exactly as the community representatives had requested.
5. It is progress, but it is not enough. It is only common sense that if we want to represent our communities, we must reflect our communities, and if we want to serve our communities fully, we must be sure that our communities are fully represented in Rotary.
Rotary’s policy on gender equality is absolutely clear. Yet nearly one-fifth of our clubs still refuse to admit women, usually by claiming that they simply cannot find women who are qualified for membership. I would say that any Yet once construction began, it was met by immediate Rotarian who makes this argument, or believes it, himprotest from groups of community women, who came to self lacks the two most basic qualifications for Rotary the site and physically blocked workers from building di- membership: honesty and good sense. version channels. Upon further investigation, the agency realized that the water it was diverting for farming came from the only source, for dozens of families, of water for A club that shuts out women shuts out much more than cooking, drinking, and washing. The entire project had to half the talent, half the ability, and half the connections it should have. It closes out the perspectives that are essenbe scrapped. tial to serving families and communities effectively. It damages not only its own service but our entire organizaWhy? Because it had never occurred to a single member tion, by reinforcing the stereotypes that limit us the of the all-male team in charge to consult the local wom- most. It leads our partners to take us less seriously, and it en. At every stage, it was assumed that the men knew makes all of Rotary less attractive to potential members, the needs, spoke for the community, and were able to especially the young people who are so crucial to our furepresent it. Clearly, this was far from the case. The ture. women knew the needs of the community, and its resources, far better – but their opinion was never sought. To tolerate discrimination against women is to doom our organization to irrelevance. We cannot pretend that we We have had women in Rotary for only the last quarter of still live in Paul Harris’ time, nor would he ever want us our history, and it is no coincidence that those years have to. For, as he said, “The story of Rotary will have to be been by far our most productive. In 1995, only 1 in 20 Ro- written again and again.” Let us see to it that the story tarians were women; today, that number has risen to 1 in we write in Rotary is one of which he would be proud. 3
Date
Event
Rotary Monthly Theme
January 2016
5
BBQ, Bunning's Castle Hill
Vocational Service Month
6
Home Meeting #1
7
BBQ, Bunning's Castle Hill
13
Home Meeting #2 –
20 27
Home Meeting #3 – Chris Dunwell’s Guest Speaker Graham Wilcox
3
Guest Speaker Michael Bendon
10
Thai International Night at the Bar La Me Restaurant for all Hills clubs
17 24
Celebrate 111 years of Rotary All partners & friends welcome Pride in Workmanship
2
Club Business Meeting
9 16
Youth Night Mini Club Assembly
23
Excellence In Teaching Awards
30
Club Committee meeting
6 13
Guest Speaker Faye Yarroll "The Gift of Hearing" Polio Movie Night
20
Anzac Day Guest Speaker
27
Business Networking
30
BBQ at Heritage Park
4
Club Committee Meeting
11
Guest Speaker
18
Club Business Meeting
25
Guest Speaker
1
Club Committee Meeting
Rotary Fellowships Month
8
Held at the Shire Council Chambers with the Mayor
15
Networking Meeting – BHSC Chambers Guest Speaker
22 29
Club Business Meeting Club Changeover
February 2016
March 2016
April 2016
May 2016
June 2016
Peace & Conflict Resolution Month
Water & Sanitation Month
Maternal & Child Health Month
Youth Service Month
Club Calendar Jan- June 2016
Month/ Year
MAY Youth Service Month 4
Extraordinary General Meeting/Club Assembly - 15 Jun 2016. We wish to advise all members that there are a dren Policy (and associated procedures) into the number of Special Resolutions we wish to put to Bylaws as an important step in ensuring that our the members on this date. All of these relate to Club is compliant with statute law in NSW and changes proposed to the Club’s Bylaws. The pro- also with the requirements of Rotary at District posals, which we will forward in more detail pri- level and beyond. Members are reminded that if or to the meeting, will be kindly vetted by David the Club breaches the terms of NSW law we are liable for a fine of $22,000. As I am sure everyBrown, wearing his lawyer’s hat, to ensure that one appreciates this is unaffordable and therewe are proposing wording and procedures which fore must be avoided. We will seek approval for are legally sufficient under relevant NSW law as the adoption of this policy into the Bylaws. It is it applies to Incorporated Entities, of which our available for reading and review on the Club’s Club is one. website. These matters are important and we request Clarification of the Term “Special Resolution”, that all members who are able to, attend this introduction of the Term “Ordinary Resolumeeting so that your voice can be heard and tion”, and in what forums these resolutions your vote can be counted. can be presented. Clarification of the numWarren Bowden Memorial Scholarship ber of member attendees required for the purpose of holding a vote on and the passing of a When wording this Bylaw initially we included “Special Resolution” and an “Ordinary Resthe phrase “heritage and conservation” as the principle for making the scholarship award. The olution” (forming a quorum) word “and” should not have been included. It was intended that the award would be for “heritage conservation”. In other words, for projects which conserve our heritage in an important way. We will seek approval for this change to the wording. Working with Children Policy
It is clear from our meeting of 4 May 2016 that confusion exists within the Bylaws regarding these matters. This confusion extends to the Board members. in the next weeks prior to the meeting of 15 June new wording will be drafted and presented to members via email so that each member can arrive at the meeting having
We wish to formally adopt a Working with Chil-
04th May 2016 Attendance Apologies: Frank Anisse David Sommerlad John Barker Paul Robinson David Bull Marie Ford Peter Marcer Terry O’Mara
39%
Make Ups: Nil Honorary Rotarians: Nil Friends of Rotary: Penny Bourke Terry Ireland Visiting Rotarians: Nil Guests: Nil Leave of Absence: Anil de Silva till June 30, 2016
Please see page 06
By PP Geoff Duffy Ron Marcus, April 20 till June 29, 2016. Hannibal Shabaz, May 03 till August 03, 2016. Peter Marcer, April 20 till May 11.
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Rotaract Meetings Second and fourth Wednesdays of the month Please note the change of venue: Balcombe Heights Estate, Turner Building Room 3, 92 Seven Hills Rd, Baulkham Hills We have secured the Cumberland State Forest BBQ site for Sunday October 30th so please record this in your diary to help as we need a big team on this busy day (every 2 years) From page 05 read and hopefully understood what is proposed with regard to these matters. Hopefully a lengthy explanation of the wording on the evening can be avoided and discussion limited to the value of the changes which members will be asked to approve. Our current careful reading of the existing Bylaws suggests that to pass these resolutions we need the approval of 75% of eligible voting members present at the meeting. We do not believe that there is a specific requirement for a minimum number or percentage of eligible voting members to be present to make a Quorum. If any of you wish to read the current Bylaws and provide a different interpretation please advise all of President Mike Hallen, President Elect Chris Dunwell and our legal advisor David Brown prior to the meeting. The existing Bylaws are available on the Club website
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T
he District 9685 DG Nominating Committee has nominated Susan Wakefield of the Rotary Club of the Lower Blue Mountains as
District Governor for the year 2018-2019. The nomination will be confirmed on 16 May 2016 provided it is not subject to a challenge by any other Club that had suggested a candidate to the Nominating Committee. Any such challenge must be pursuant to a resolution of the challenging Club adopted at a regular meeting and must be filed with me before 5pm on Friday 13 May 2016. The Committee congratulates Susan on her nomination.
DUTY ROSTERS If you are unable to meet your roster allocation it is your responsibility to arrange for someone to take your place. 18 May
Bernard Chandra “Aphasia Awareness”
Chair Meeting report Meet & Greet Regalia
President Mike Hallen Rod Williamson Chris Dunwell David Brown & Phil Davis
25 May Rhett Butler “Sustainable Water Solutions” Chair Meeting report Meet & Greet Regalia
1 June
Bruce Allen Chris Dunwell Terry O’Mara/David Bull Bob Chary & David Bowles
Adrienne McLean. "Carers in our Society"
Chair David Brown Meeting report Peter Marcer Meet & Greet David Brown Regalia Raymond Danam & Chris Dunwell
8 June
Guest Speaker -
Chair TBA Meeting report David Brown Meet & Greet Chris Dunwell Regalia Terry O’Mara & Ross Hood
15 June
Club Assembly
Chair Mike Hallen Meeting report David Bowles Meet & Greet Mike Blair Regalia Raymond Danam & Bob Chary
22 June
Ron Guthrie. "The Wildlife of Madagascar"
Chair Ross Hood Meeting report Chris Dunwell Meet & Greet Phil Dunn Regalia Ron Marcus and Peter Marcer
29 June
Changeover
Chair Mike Hallen Meeting Report Chris Dunwell Meet & Greet Paul Robinson Regalia Hannibal Shabaz & Mike Blair
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We meet at
Castle Hill Country Club every WEDNESDAY at 6:30 pm for 7:00 pm (Spurway Drive, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153) Apologies, Please inform Geoff Duffy NO LATER than Noon Tuesday before the next meeting so numbers can be confirmed for Dinner
Phil Davis—Sergeant’s Fine Session No Meeting Report and Sergeant's Session fines
jgduffy@internode.on.net
BULLETIN EDITOR
Anil De Silva (from Hobart, Tasmania) aniljdes@yahoo.com.au Deadline Friday 8:00 pm This Bulletin is kindly printed by Snap Printing. Unit 20/5 Hudson Ave. Castle Hill 2154 Ph: 96801858
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