I was pleased we had a jolly time at our final meeting for 2019. I suspect Sergeant Trish will exact a blanket fine at our first meeting in January because of the unruly behaviour of the octogenarians who continued their reverie while Trish was holding the floor. Actually, such a display bemused AG Steve Daley, our distinguished and regular visitor. Given our average age exceeds 72 Years, Steve was heard to wonder if we had sufficient defibrillators.
Our meal was excellent [as ever]. I really look forward to my plate of steamed green vegetables [each week] as I observed plates of roasted ham and turkey being enjoyed. Particularly as wife Evelyn was adjacent.
Indeed we are lucky to have such a supportive team from Toorak College catering. Which reminds me. As foreshadowed by CSD / PE Sue Voss earlier this Year, the $1.00 increase for meals [deferred from last July] will commence at our meetings from 14 January 2019. The deferral has exhausted our entire meal buffer, in excess of $800, that we held.
My thanks go to the many who got me through my half - Year. The odd lethal wound turned out to be only superficial after all. Being President is as akin to being Secretary, then Secretary CSD as golf is to swimming.
I did luck out. Sage advice from George - Ann, David Rew and Jim (especially Jim) with the occasional 'what on Earth did you do that for!?!' from Bernie Edwards. They won't have to wait for their reward in Heaven.
I will also Mention in Dispatches [in no particular order] those who try but fail to fly under my radar;
Mike [Sipho] Pauline, John Welsh, Biggles, The Penny Pincher Chris, and Ray Manchester. The astute among you will have seen Ray graciously accept a glass of Port [credit Grace Rew] as his stipend for being honorary Auditor.
Please have as much fun as you can stand over our break and be in Good Health.
District Governor Elect Mark Humphries
Here we are at the end of the year, hasn’t the year gone fast! When looking back over the year I am amazed at all the things that Rotary Clubs around our District have been involved with. Farmers markets, drought relief, mental health forums, car show & shines, and so much more. Isn’t it great to be involved with an organisation that changes people lives? On Wednesday this week Linda & I attended the RYLA camp. RYLArians had a task to organise / project management a meal and entertainment, loosely based around a Rotary Club meeting, they did a great job. They did a comic sergeant session, then they did a raffle for one of the participants special programs, mental health for young people, they raised approximately $350, WOW. After the fun and games, they did a wrap up session to which I was invited to participate in. These guys are amazing, young people today have so much to offer, several participants mention numerous times how grateful and amazed that a group of people would invest money and time to help support youth. Rotary making a difference, that is what we do.
Linda and I wish each and everyone of you a happy and safe Christmas and wonderful New Year. Stay safe, don’t eat to much plum pudding. Looking forward to what 2020 brings and how we can continue to work with our communities.
Warm congratulations to the winners of the Quiz at this week's meeting on 10 December - our final get together for 2019.
Linda Morris, Peyton Carter (Linda's Granddaughter) and John & Di Horscroft proved to be the most knowledgeable on the evening and were a very worthy winning team.
As previously advised, our first gathering for 2020 will be the Annual Club New Year Breakfast to be held at Rotary Park from 8.00 am onwards on Tuesday, 7 January.
The cost will be $20 per person - CASH ONLY PLEASE.
Bacon and egg rolls, croissants, fruit and orange juice will be among the tasty delights. The morning is an ideal opportunity for us all to meet, enjoy fellowship and prepare for the coming 2020 calendar year.
In order to assist with catering, PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE WITH LINDA MORRIS NO LATER THAN 12 NOON ON THURSDAY 2 JANUARY.
The country of Somoa, previously known as Western Somoa, has a population of just under 200,000, people living on two main and four smaller islands. With its capital city, Apia, the country is regarded as an idyllic paradise in the South Pacific adjacent to the International Dateline.
In 2018, two infant deaths occurred in Somoa when two nurses mistakenly mixed vaccine powder with expired anaesthetic instead of the appropriate diluent. Unfortunately this led to a sharp reduction in the number of children being immunised against measles, with the vaccination rate dropping from 74% in 2017 to 34 % in 2018. Misinformation from persons running an anti-vaccination campaign also contributed to many parents being unwilling to have their children given the vaccine.
In September this year an outbreak of measles occurred and as of this week 4,693 cases have been confirmed with 70 deaths from the disease being recorded.
This situation has becomes so serious that the government has declared a state of emergency and on 17 November all schools were closed, children under the age of 17 were banned from public events and vaccination was made mandatory.
Over the last weekend a two-day curfew was imposed while medical personnel went on a house by house basis to immunise over 90% of the people who had not been vaccinated.
Australia sent a team of nurses, doctors and public health experts as well as medical equipment and supplies to assist with the vaccination program.
During the last twelve months there have also been outbreaks of measles in a number of other Pacific countries including Fiji, Tonga and more recently American Somoa.
Just under 56,000 people live in neighbouring country American Samoa. This country consists of five main islands and two coral atolls.
In Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa, the government has declared this week that the outbreak of measles is so serious that public schools were closed from Monday 9 December and gatherings in parks have been banned.
At this stage the number of persons identified with measles has been limited to nine, however concern that over 15% of the population under the age of five have not been immunised means that the tragedy of the measles outbreak in Somoa presents a real threat in American Samoa.
Our President Ross is proving to be very tech savvy.
Since Youngsters of Today have their texting codes ("LOL", "OMG", "TTYL", etc) Ross has decided that older folk should not be outdone by the kids of today.
As a consequence, Ross has developed the following codes which you may care to use:
"ATD" - At the Doctor's
"BFF" - Best Friend's Funeral
"BTW" - Bring the Wheelchair
"BYOT" - Bring your own teeth
"FWIW" - Forgot Where I Was
"GGPBL" - Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low
"GHA" - Got Heartburn Again
"TFT" - Texting From Toilet
In Ross' words, "Never Underestimate Us - We Still Rock!!
Neil Armstrong was a Rotarian who belonged to the Rotary Club of Wapakoneta, Ohio in the United States.
Born in Wapakoneta on 5 August 1930 Armstrong had German, Scottish and Irish forebears. His father was and auditor for the Ohio State Government and, as a consequence, the Armstrong family moved around Ohio repeatedly living in sixteen towns over the next fourteen years.
Armstrong fell in love with flying at a young age when his father took him for his first aeroplane ride when he was five years old.
Attending Blume High School, Armstrong had his pilot's licence before he was old enough to drive.
At the age of 17, in 1947 Neil Armstrong began studying aeronautical engineering at Purdue University.
In 1949, Armstrong was called up to do service in the US Navy. In 1950 he joined an all jet Navy squadron and in 1951 he served in the Korean War.
Following graduation from University Armstrong became a pilot and aeronautical engineer. He impressed authorities at Edwards Airforce Base in California and he was seen as a highly capable test pilot.
In 1958 he was selected for the US Airforce's Man in Space Soonest Program. In 1962 he joined the American space program; the NASA Astronaut Corps.
After space flights in Gemini 8 and Gemini 11, in 1969, Armstrong was one of the three person Apollo 11 mission to the moon. As commander, Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon on 20 July 1969 (US time).
Because of his busy work situation, Armstrong was not necessarily a particularly active Rotarian. However, following his walk on the moon his home Club of Wapakoneta made him an honorary life member. It is understood that he became more active in rotary later in life after his retirement.
Some years ago book publisher went fishing off the coast of North America in the Atlantic Ocean.
While fishing he caught a most unusual fish - a young salmon.
Amazingly, the salmon could talk. "Please let me go", begged the fish and because it was small he threw it back.
The next year he went fishing in the same spot and caught the same salmon. Once more it begged to be released.
"No," said the publisher, "no way. You are bigger now and ready to eat."
"Oh," replied the fish, "not even if I tell you that I write poetry."
"What are your poems about?", the publisher could help but ask.
The fish replied, "Oh, the sea and the ship Titanic which sank just near here. I spend a lot of time swimming around the wreck. My name is Rusty and if you let me go, you can publish my first book of poems."
"Of course," said the publisher, "we'll call it Rusty Salmon's Titanic Verses!"
