RCDC
13th
Nov emb er
2012
ROTARY CLUB OF DIAMOND CREEK
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13 th November Page
District 9790
rotary club of diamond creek inc. past presidents
RCDC Volu me
21
Brian Bowen 1978-1979 Heidelberg North
I ssu e19
Bob Eycken 1983-1984 Alperton UK RI President Sakuji Tanaka Rotary Club of Yashio, Saitama, Japan Governor
John McCrohan 1992-1993 Ron Gordon 1993-1994
John Gatt Rotary Club of Diamond Creek
Chris Doupe 1994-1995
AG
Cliff Wearne 1995-1996
Pat Mill
a
r Rotary Club of Diamond Creek
Club Officers President Vice President President Elect Secretary Treasurer & Public Officer
Steve Crosling Alan Jones Bev Baker Greg Paull Greg Adams
Directors and Standing Committees Club Administration PE Bev Baker Membership Phil Chambeyron Public Relations PP Alan Jones Service Projects PP Alan White Rotary Foundation PP Linda Gidlund
Ern Wardell 1996-1997 Rod Mackenzie 1997-1998 Steve Sampson 1998-1999
Editor: Greg Adams Art Director: Greg Adams Advertising : Greg Adams Bottle washer : Greg as well Editorial: send to ferrarigreg@gmail.com
Caution: The Bulletin contains no calories, vitamins, minerals or proteins. In fact, it is devoid of nutritional value. Nevertheless, it is a supplement much sought after and regularly devoured by the Rotarians of Diamond Creek. Note: The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Club or its members
And traveling 126.8 kilometres each day to do it.
Robin Chapple 1999-2000 Peter Marriage 2000-2001 Rob Lloyd 2001-2002
John and Eileen are finally visiting US !
Bev Baker 2002-2003 Joe Di Natale 2003-2004
Who ya gunna call ! President Steve Crosling 0417 595 282 Secretary Greg Paull 0427 712 688 Treasurer Greg Adams 0419 355 842
After visiting 59 Clubs and attending another 15 club meetings, traveling 17,120 kilometres in 135 days that’s one Club visit every 1.8 days!
Geoff Swan 2004-2005 John Gatt 2005-2006
Please make DG John and Eileen welcome.
John Arthur 2006-2007 Linda Gidlund 2007-2008 Alan White 2008-2009 Pat Millar 2009-2010 Clyde Hulme 2010-2011
Printed by Coventry & Co. Real estate Greensborough contact Irene Adams 0416000453
Alan Jones 2011-2012
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THE PRESIDENTIAL CROSS CHAT XRAY STEVE Steve’s back !
Greetings and salutations to all Diamond Creek Rotarians and all others who may be reading this newsletter. I have returned from my travels and am now back in harness and ready for the next eight months. For those who may have missed the fact that I was absent or not aware of my travels – a brief snapshot.
I headed up to Cairns to spend a week SCUBA diving on the Great Barrier Reef prior to heading further north for some more serious diving.
The week out of Cairns was for
preparation – settling in some new equipment and acclimatising myself to diving in tropical waters.
I was also interested to see what changes, if any, have occurred along the reef as
reported in the press and try and get some sort of handle on “global warming and climate change”. We were very fortunate to have on board a marine ecologist from Townsville who was researching that very topic, and over seven days we dived the reef system from just north of Port Douglas up to north and east of Cooktown.
Yes – there was evidence of reef
degradation but essentially limited to the top 3- 5 meters of the reefs whereas the deeper parts of the reef were extremely healthy. The marine ecologist explained that the damage was most probably caused by cyclonic weather, chemical runoff from the mainland, a cyclical upsurge in Crown of Thorns starfish numbers, and, a slight increase in water temperature. Food for thought there – just what impact is global warming having and is there really a need for gloom and doom? After seven days I was none the wiser but had learnt to keep an open mind and look at these issues rationally rather than judgmentally. Good opportunity to apply the Rotarian 4 way test.
Moved on from there to Bikini Atoll which is in the Marshall Islands – just north of the equator and about as far as you can get from anywhere in the Pacific Ocean. This was the site of the post second world war atomic weapons testing program conducted by the Americans using WW2 destroyers, battle ships, submarines and an aircraft carrier.
Wreck
divers’ heaven but complex technical diving and not for the faint hearted. Try spending half an hour doing decompression at 12 meters with a school of sharks circling around you!!! What this part of the trip did show was the futility of what man can do to man.
The
Marshallese people were “relocated” from their islands for safety reasons, allowed to return too soon with many becoming sick and dying, relocated again but will now not return because of their fears of sickness. The younger people have no desire to return as they have no memories of their home islands. To make matters worse nothing grown on the islands can be eaten because of the radioactive caesium uptake in all plants. Add to these woes the people of Rongelap Island who were irradiated following the last test because the wind was blowing in the wrong direction on the day of the test but the politicians who were there had to see it that day.
We see and hear these sorts of predicaments and we realise why we join Rotary and why we gladly do what we can to help out in communities less fortunate than ours.
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On and around 11 November each year, the Returned & Services League of Australia sells millions of red poppies for Australians to pin on their lapels. Proceeds go to the RSL's welfare work. Why a red poppy ? The red poppy, the Flanders poppy, was first described as the flower of remembrance by Colonel John McCrae, who was Professor of Medicine at McGill University of Canada before World War I. Colonel McCrae had served as a gunner in the Boer War, but went to France in World War I as a medical officer with the first Canadian contingent. At the battle of Ypres in 1915, when in charge of a small first-aid post, he wrote in pencil on a page torn from his despatch book:7l~.
the Red Poppy In Flanders' fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders' fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe;
Colonel McCrae was wounded in May 1918 and died after three days in a military hospital on the French coast. On the eve of his death he allegedly said to his doctor,
To you from failing hands we throw
"Tell them this. If ye break faith with us who die we shall not sleep."
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die
In Flanders' fields.
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Imagine, if you could, a world that was free of chronic malnutrition. Where children as young as five did not die of hunger or disease. That could be a reality now thanks to the efforts of Tasmanian agricultural scientist, Bruce French.
Bruce has devoted a lifetime of work to devising a simple and sustainable solution to global malnutrition through establishing the not-for-profit organisation, Food Plants International. Through his work he has documented the world’s most complete and comprehensive database of edible plants. These plants thrive in their homelands, provide nutrition and, most importantly, help the hungry feed themselves.
A project of the Rotary Club of Devonport North District 9830 & Food Plants International
'The Great Foundation 5 cent challenge' As November (Foundation Month) draws to a close, remember to keep collecting those coins !
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WHAT’S ON, WHO’S ON AND WHEN’S IT ON 13th November 2012 TUESDAY 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM DG’s Club visit—Partners Night Attend, John E, Chair, Steve C, Cash Greg A, Welcome Tina E, Regalia Sharraine B, Raffle Gift Alan J.
20th November 2012 TUESDAY 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM O.H.S. night—Town Fair brief with Maureen Mackenzie all volunteers welcome. Attend, Jaqui H, Chair, Rod M, Cash Greg A, Welcome Rob L, Regalia Geoff S, Raffle Gift Greg P.
24th November 2012 SATURDAY Town Fair Attend, everyone
27th November 2012 TUESDAY 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM AGM and Club Ass Attend, Pat M, Chair, Steve C, Cash Greg A, Welcome David P, Regalia Geoff S, Raffle Gift Ern W.
4th December 2012 TUESDAY 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Foundation night Attend, Jaqui H, Chair, Rod M, Cash Greg A, Welcome David P, Regalia Geoff S, Raffle Gift Greg P.
9th December 2012 SATURDAY 12 noon on Rotary Family Christmas Party
Eltham Lower Park Oval . Club BBQ Available BYO Drinks Food & chair's. Santa arrives 1.30 PM Please bring children's present to value $20.00 wrapped with child's name. All children and Grandchildren Welcome Please advise Geoff Swan of attendance and number of children .
11th December 2012 TUESDAY 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Nando Night partners night 5 cent results Attend, Alan W, Chair, Linda G, Cash Greg A, Welcome Sharraine B, Regalia Phil C, Raffle Gift John E.
LIFE’S EVENTS Nov 20
Maureen Mackenzie—birthday
Nov 22
Sharraine Ballao—joined Rotary 1 year ago
Nov 25
Judith Pike—birthday
Nov 27
Rob Mackenzie -birthday
Nov 28
Glenda Swan—birthday
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WHAT HAPPENED at the MEETING LAST WEEK before LAST Toast to Australia: Eileen Acting president: PP Alan Jones Visiting Rotarians: President Mike Westler (Eltham) Ride to Conquer Cancer: David successfully completed his bike ride on the weekend. He raised over $7500. The ride was tough, and was completed by People of all shapes and sizes. His adventure included some big hills, lost drink bottles and a really professionally organised bike ride. Whittlesea Trivia: We still have a vacancy for the Whittlesea RC trivia night. Please contact Alan J. If there are any items for the DC news, please let Alan J know. Town Fair – Rod: The roster has gone out. Please respond to Jacqui with any changes. Eltham Town Fair: RC Eltham has their festival on Nov 10 and 11 including fireworks. Go along and have some fun! Conference – Rob: Speakers are locked in, catering underway, sports day being organised, and generally planning is going well. Phil admitted to being a trouble maker at school. DG Visit: In 2 weeks, November 13th, the DG will be attending our club. DG John will speak to the club, and Eileen will give us an update on Learngrow. Hat Day: Hat day was won by David in his bike helmet. Chairman: Ern Sergeant Arthur confused some facts and fined the innocent while ignoring the guilty. Travellers Tales: Geoff and Glenda gave us a rundown of their cruise from Sydney to Beijing, then their trip on the Trans Siberian Railway. Highlights included B52s, white Tigers, Elephant rides, more tigers, human tigers, sleeping Buddha's, sitting Buddha's, unusual buildings, temples, big guns, big bells, churches, shops, trains, vodka, more buildings, sloping block buildings, statues, more trains, lakes, more churches, yurts, submarines, bridges, Korean DMZ and more. Please book your conference tickets and accommodation. Raffle raised $41 Won by Rob Fines Raised $28 AND HAT DAY NIGHT raised $90 + $10 from Greg and Ray.= $100.00 (his nurse was free)
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Phone 03 9438 3044
Fax: 03 9438 4070
Email: sales@lpwarrenhomes.com.au
NOTICES— UPCOMING EVENTS District Governor’s Visit (Partner’s Night) – Tuesday 13th November Rotary Club of Whittlesea’s Trivia Night (need 1 more) – Saturday 17th November Family Christmas Party – Sunday 9th December Combined Churches Christmas Carols – Sunday 16th December
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