Rotary is a fabulous organisation undertaking a myriad of projects and programs world wide.
Recently I was looking at the Rotary Food Plant Solutions Action Group website.
A disturbing bar at the top of this website points out that every minute five children under the age of five die of malnutrition.
One particularly story in this site really attracted my attention. It was the story of Australian Bruce French, an agricultural scientist.
In the 1970s, Bruce was living and working in Papua New Guinea. While there he noticed that many villagers suffered from disease and malnutrition and that there were no books on the local foods of that country.
Over the next forty years, Bruce extended his research to include food plants from around the world, gathering data on their nutritional values, how and where they can be grown, including weather conditions, and ultimately, how they can be used to help end malnutrition in the country’s population, providing a truly sustainable self-help solution to hunger, malnutrition and achieving food security.
During the course of his work, Bruce has created a continually growing database of over 30,000 edible plants, which has become the world’s most comprehensive database of its kind.
Included in the database is nutritional information describing the origin of food plants, growing methods, photos, drawings of the plant and edible parts of the plants, and cooking methods, as well as descriptions, countries and climatic zones of the plants and origins. Nutritional information is available for a selection of these plants.
Food Plants International teamed with Rotary in June 2007 to create the Food Plant Solutions Project, which provides countries and regions with information on how to grow the most nutritious and viable food plants in their environment.
From humble beginnings to continuing success, Bruce’s research has helped create a solid foundation for learning and teaching information on food plants from around the world and how a simple and sustainable solution to global malnutrition can benefit entire countries.
In January 2016, Australia rightly recognised the significance of Bruce’s work awarding him an Officer of the Order of Australia. The work of Food Plant Solutions is under-pinned by Bruce’s Food Plants International database. Rotary's ability to provide sustainable solutions that empower local people to make informed choices about what plants to grow and eat, that will nutritiously feed their family, is due to Bruce.
What an inspirational story about how one person can make a difference. Bruce's story offers us as Rotarians both inspiration and opportunities for putting service above self.
Until next time
Yours in Rotary
Sue
District Governor Mark Humphries and Past President Linda Humphries
Linda and I send best wishes to all Rotarians as the second Victorian lockdown associated with the insidious COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Now is a good time to think about and plan ahead for the eradication of another dangerous disease - polio.
World Polio Day is two months a way on 24 October. As this day is fast approaching Clubs are urged to plan now to hold a special community event to raise awareness of our ongoing battle to free the world of this horrible disease.
Of course, we are aware of the impact that the current pandemic is having on our ability to fundraise or carry out projects in our community. However, there are still ways we can commemorate this important day whilst remaining Covid safe. Here are just a few ideas about how your club can participate in this day.
• Support the Train Ride to End Polio - at this stage the annual train ride organised by Mark Anderson from the Rotary Office in Parramatta in conjunction with his son, Dave, is still expected to go ahead. Details will be available in a coming Rotary Zone 8 Public Image Newsletter
• Organise an online Film Night using Zoom with members all attending a movie selected from the iView, SBS World Movies or other website
• Host a Virtual Dinner Party with your club members and ask that the cost of the dinner they would normally purchase, be donated to Polio
• Hold a Picnic in the Park with Club members, family and friends - if restrictions allow - obviously with appropriate social distancing. Don’t forget to wear your End Polio Now T-shirts and if appropriate display appropriate signage
• Organise a special guest speaker, eg a local medico or someone from Australian Rotary Health
Rotary's great success in moving to eradicate polio gives hope to the eventual overcoming of COVID-19.
Thirty members joined our Zoom on Tuesday 18 August. It was also great to have two friends of the Club, Jo Baker and Darren Fulford in attendance.
Those in attendance saw an outstanding presentation from two former students of Toorak College, Colette McCarthy and Jacquie Sherlock. Both women are previous Rotary Gobal Student Exchange (GSE) students sponsored by the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza. In addition, Jacquie was a Rotary Exchange student sponsored by our Club.
Colette spent her childhood years growing up on the Mornington Peninsula. She is a qualified physiotherapist having graduated from the University of Queensland in 2001. Colette has been working at The Sports Injury Clinic in Frankston since February 2006 and was a participant in the 2007 GSE program on exchange with District 3410 in Indonesia.
Jacquie is currently the General Manager - Finance Operations at ISPT based in Melbourne and is a Chartered Accountant. Jacquie has worked both in Melbourne and internationally in senior finance roles. Jacquie grew up on the Mornington Peninsula and still has a strong connection to the Mt Eliza community with her parents still living here.
Colette spoke about her time on GSE when she went to Indonesia for five weeks in 2007. At times she attended six meetings a day. These experiences gave her confidence as a public speaker. She has a role an an announcer at the Australian Open for Tennis Australia and she will always be grateful to Rotary for giving her the opportunity to participate in GSE.
In 1995 Jacquie went on exchange to rural Japan. This was her first overseas trip. She still has contact with people that she met at that time. In 2008 Jacquie participated in GSE and went to Canada. Living just outside Toronto she was there for five weeks during the Global Financial Crisis.
Colette and Jacquie are life long friends and their Rotary experiences have given them a passion for travel.
The two speakers then gave a pictorial and spoken presentation about a trip to Antarctica that they undertook with another friend, Danielle, in 2017.
Colette, Jacquie & Danielle on their Antarctic journey
Leaving from Argentina on a Russian ship, the Academic Odyssey, they went to the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), then on to South Georgia, down to the Antarctic Peninsula and then back to Argentina via the Drake Passage.
At South Georgia, only 32 people live on this British Territory with the main settlement being Grytviken.
During their presentation, Jacquie and Colette shared beautiful pictures of penguins (everywhere), seabirds, seals, sea lions, beautiful (but cold) beaches, high cliffs, whales, kayaks (they went kayaking on a number of occasions) and an abandoned whaling boat.
A magnificent albatross!
Beautiful scenery - high cliffs with ice and snow everywhere.
Penguins galore!
When kayaking they needed to stay well away from the cliffs in case any ice broke off.
A video that they showed of a pod of whales swimming near their kayaks was quite spectacular.
They also shared stories about Ernest Shackleton, the British explorer, who made six trips exploring the Antarctic between 1901 and 1921. Shackleton died at Grytviken on 5 January 1922 and he was buried there with a commemorative cairn being built by his grave.
Sir Ernest Shackleton
A poignant story was also told about Colonel Henry Worsley, who died while attempting to complete the first solo and unaided crossing of the Antarctic in 2016. He had crossed more than 1450 km and was only 200 km short of his journey's end when, exhausted and gravely ill he had to call for help. He was rescued and flown to a hospital in Punta Arenas in Chile where he died at the age of 55.
Col. Henry Worsley
Worsley's widow and two children were on the boat with Colette and Jacquie and when they visited South Georgia they interred his ashes in a place that he loved and near his lifelong idol, Sir Ernest Shackleton.
The presentation finished with Jacquie and Colette explaining that Danielle slept in a dug out "grave" on the Antarctic Peninsula while they stayed on the ship, which moved out to sea 40 kilometres away (coming back the next day to collect those who slept overnight).
A lengthy question and answer session closed off a magnificent presentation.
Flight Cap doesn’t fit our civil rights, Mr Morrison * 1
The Expensive Epidemic of Runaway Stupidity* 2
Shibboleth [noun] a custom, principle, or belief distinguishing a class or group of people, especially a long – standing one regarded as outmoded or no longer important.
Hypocrite [noun] the contrivance of a false appearance of virtue or goodness, while concealing real characteristic traits or inclinations: dissimulation, pretence, or sham.
Dare I mention for our readers who study such matters, there is a significant difference in ‘apolitical’ and ‘non- political’.
'Dog – whistle politics’ is evident on P17 of the Weekend Australian. Two columns juxtaposed and espousing differing views: ‘do as I say, not as I do’. The Associate editor who wrote the Sco Mo article gets the Daily Double of a shibboleth and a hypocrite. First of all, business class fares do not cost ‘$15k each one way’ [which agent is she booking with, and it is not her money?!]. Second, hypocritically, she publishes a photo ‘my 3-Year-old using empty Economy as her running track from Doha to Sydney’. It was probably her one free look at moi moment.
People do not fly Economy by default. I admit that's a generalization. Some of our citizens 'stuck' overseas [it may be argued] are self - inflicted, dubious - excuse travelers, but that does not mean we tar and feather the rest. 'kill them all let God sort them out' Crusader AD 1209. The cognoscenti among us who studied the Cathars and the Albigensian Crusade called by Pope Innocent III will be au fait. And said 'penniless' citizens are not being put to the sword just now, eh. :-)
Wide – body jets were primarily designed for London – New York in eight hours; the economy cabin was only 8 – breast, seats were wider and with a greater pitch. Passengers used real cutlery, glasses and china plates. The blame – shifting for ‘stranded’ citizens, along with our daily dose of ‘statistics’ means that ‘journalists’ have their work [?] handed to them every day. Our beloved journalists routinely say ‘a – polo’ when they mean ‘a – pollo’. Sco Mo used ‘chronic’ when he meant 'severe', 'fulsome' instead of 'full'. Still, he does follow the Cronulla Sharks, not the Cats. 😊
The second article [and I recommend both to you] by Steve Waterson predicates “if we cancelled Victoria’s lockdown immediately, and its cases were permitted to grow at 1,000 a day, the whole state would be infected in no time. By “no time” of course I mean 18 Years” …. over 70 Years for the whole Country. [He adds that Victoria's population grows by the same amount].
I commend both articles to you for a couple of reasons. Each writes [generally] differing views of a global, yet local, subject. Second, one article quotes data sources with just a touch of humour so we can decide; the other holds that the people who choose to spend less money, or have little spare, should be scorned. In ‘Technicolor’. [See her gratuitous photo].
Now, I know PADG Steve Daley 😊 does not read the ‘Murdoch’ Press*, so he will not have seen the said ‘OPINION’. That said, taken in specie, I think each article holds a mirror to the credibility of ‘The Media’. Opinions quoted as facts. Witness the rise of TRUE Facts [huh?] and FAKE News [opinion]. What legacy are we leaving when 'a majority' of the younger generations get their information from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and whatever comes next [or may have just been released :-( ]. I mean, well, The Bulletin is far more relevant. :-) Trust us.
*It is said that ‘all journalists are leftist’, yet Rupert is somewhere to the Right of Donald Trump it is claimed. Maybe Rupert was having his post – breakfast nap when this edition was published, so he didn't swallow his Viagra® and it hardened his head. Otherwise there would not be parsing errors in both articles.
Be in Good Health.
Ross
Ross W Schweitzer
Caroline Overington Associate Editor [same publication, same page.
Steve Waterson journalist ‘The Weekend Australian Aug 15 – 16 2020
As the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza celebrates our 50th Year, President Sue has asked all members to write about their memories and highlights of our fifty glorious years of doing great work.
Getting into the spirit of things, Rotarian Graham Reid, foundation member of our Club (yes, he was here 50 years ago) has provided the Editor with five pages of memories.
Speaking to this theme Graham shared a wonderful Three Minute Talk at this week's meeting.
Other stories from Graham will be shared with readers over the coming weeks.
Graham reports that "... the Genesis of our Club was less like the "Immaculate Conception" and more like IVF.
The first provisional meeting was held on Tuesday 9 March 1971 with the Club's Charter Presentation held on 15 June 1971.
The then District 980 Governor John Emerton installed Wal Cubbin as the Charter President with Dr Bill Parsons as the Charter Secretary.
Graham sees Wal as the Father of our Club who saw fellowship as the cement or glue that held the Club together.
Over his many years of involvement Graham has enjoyed great personal pleasure from interactions with Rotarian friends, cobbers or mates.
Graham himself was installed as the third President of the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza in the 1973-74 Rotary Year.
Graham, thanks for so many memories which will be shared further in coming weeks (Ed).
A very handsome Graham Reid (he has also matured well)
Thanks also to Rotarian Brendan Hoban for the following story from the past:
Long term, but now deceased, Mount Eliza Rotary member “Uncle” Ted Humphries was a grouch, and outspokenly proud of it.
He was born and educated in England and spent much of his working life in Burma before coming to Australia. He was also a perpetual student, achieving a doctorate when in his eighties.
Ted was by profession an accountant and for many years did the audits for the Club.
One year, a proposed fund raising venture involved the production of a cook book for sale to members.
Ted loudly declaimed at the meeting that HE did not need a cook book, he knew how to COOK BOOKS!
A young graduate was in his first week of employment with the major accounting firm.
He was working back on a project at 6.30 pm when he decided to shred some earlier draft papers that were no longer required.
He had just finished when the firm's CEO rushed in carrying a single sheet of paper.
"Listen", he said, "My Secretary's gone home for the day. Do you know how to work this thing?" and he pointed at the shredder.
"Certainly", said the young man.
"Excellent, excellent", said the CEO and the young man put the paper into the opening of the shredder.
As the paper disappeared into the machine the CEO said, "I only need two copies."
In the USSR is the 1970s, a colonel in the Red Army decided to buy a new Lada car.
He rang the Lada factory and placed the order.
He then asked the factory manager, "How long until my car will be available?"
The factory manager checked, came back and said, today is the 18 August 1973. Your car will come off the production line and be ready for you to pick it up in five years time, that is the 18 August 1978.
The colonel thought for a second and asked, "Will that be in the morning or the afternoon?"
The factory manager said, "Listen, its five years from now. What does it matter if its the morning or the afternoon?"
The colonel replied, "The plumber is coming that morning!"
An aeroplane landed on the runway at a remote country airport with great difficulty, almost causing a huge accident.
They taxied to the terminal and while the passengers were disembarking, the Captain wiped his brow and said, "Good heavens, that's the shortest runway I ever seen."
"You're not kidding", said the co-pilot, looking out the window, "But is sure is wide!"
A grain farmer had decided to plant a crop of watermelons to supplement his wheat crop.
By mid Spring the paddock with the watermelons was filled and the farmer was planning to pick them in three weeks time and ship them off to the market.
The next day he noticed that a couple of watermelons were gone. This kept on happening and over the next week at least twenty of the fine looking fruit had disappeared.
The farmer notice some bicycle tracks by the side of the paddock and he figured out that it was the local kids helping themselves.
So he thought of a plan and late one afternoon, he painted a large sign that read, "Warning! One of these watermelons has been injected with cyanide!"
The next morning the farmer couldn't wait to see if his plan had scared off the local teenagers.
He walked up and down the paddock and couldn't see any missing melons.
Then he went up to the sign that he had written the day before.
Scrawled across the bottom was another sentence, "Now there are two!"
Orders are now being taken for Meals from Toorak for Tuesday 25 August 2020.
These main meals are packaged in foil trays ready to reheat in the oven. This means that they can be eaten when you wish and not necessarily on the day of delivery.
The menu for week 4 (delivered on Tuesday 25 August) is:
Lemon, garlic and oregano grilled chicken
Roasted sweet potato, rice pilaf and ciabatta roll
Caramel latte slice
The cost of each meal is $15 and your can pay cash when delivered (preferred) or pay by credit card over the telephone.
It is requested that anyone who wishes to order the coming week's meal, delivered on Tuesday 25 August, email Jim Young by 11.30 am this Friday, 21 August. (James.young03@bigpond.com)
Kindly indicate the number of meals required and confirm your address for delivery.
