THE ROTARY CLUB OF RYDE DISTRICT 9685 CHARTERED 1946 The HUB st Tuesday 01 October 2013 Volume 68 Issue #13 7 E HOST A DINNER FOR ROTARY VISITORS TO THE RI INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2014 DETAILS ON PAGE 06
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS 2013-14 2 President Rotary International District 9685 Governor Ron D. Burton Rotary Club of Norman, USA Graeme Davies (Kincumber) DIRECTORS AVENUES ROTARY CLUB OF RYDE President Administration Foundation Membership Public Relations Projects Secretary Treasurer Immediate Past President Community Service International Service Vocational Service Youth Service Adrian Hallett Kalma McLellan John Mazlin Kathryn Dodd Geoff Nix Nora Etmekdjian Bob Kaye-Smith David James Burkhart Foertsch Allen Horrell Siddharth Maheshwari Martin Aston Charles Kilby COMMUNICATIONS The HUB Editor Photographer Serjeant-at-Arms Programmes Attendance Social Secretary Historian & Archivist Events Co-ordinator Public Officer Website Administrator HUB Contributions Kathryn Dodd John Mazlin Geoff Brennan Jan Cutler Ross Rocca Peter Cooper Doug Thompson Julie Thorp John Dodd Stefan Sojka editor@ryderotary.org.au CLUB INFORMATION Chartered 22nd April 1946 District 9685 RI Club #18039 MEETINGS EVERY TUESDAY 6PM FOR 6:30PM MEETING LOCATION: Next Generation Club (Level 2) Ryde Aquatic Centre 504 Victoria Rd, Ryde POSTAL ADDRESS: Rotary Club of Ryde Inc. PO BOX 90 Ryde NSW 1680 RSVP EXTRAS OR ABSENCES TO JULIE THORP: 9871 1109
October 01 THIS WEEK PP Charles Kilby Christian Community Aid (CCA) TONIGHT S ROSTER 3 Welcomers Loyal Toast Vote of Thanks Siddharth Maheshwari & Rob Senior Charles Kilby Graham Metcalfe If you are unable to fulfill this duty, please arrange your own swap and inform President Adrian & of the change Duty Roster for future meetings appears on Page 09 ADRIAN S ADDENDUM Greetings Fellow Rotarians and Rotary Friends. Let me start this week by thanking those members who were able to lend a hand to fellow Rotarian John Mazlin during his move. It all helped at a busy and stressful time. Thanks also to P.E. Kalma for filling in for me last week. I understand a great job was done. And our guest speakers left us with a great impression and food for thought. Please check your diaries for Wednesday 23rd October in the late afternoon. I will reveal more at the meeting. Our Guest speaker this week is our own P.P. Charles Kilby speaking about his other hat Christian Community Aid. To those on the sick list our thoughts and well wishes we miss you. I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday evening. WE LL BE SAD IF WE DON T SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY! If you need to give a late apology for non-attendance at any meeting, please contact Julie Thorp before 10am Monday. 9871 1109 0416 208 332 j.thorp@bigpond.net.au Adrian Club policy is that you will be expected to pay for your meal if you are absent without timely apology. Isn t that fair to all concerned?
SEPTEMBER 24 - AS RECALLED BY ALLEN HORRELL Acting President Kalma McLellan welcomed 3 guests and announced 18 apologies for the night, including President Adrian Hallett. The main course of Mint sauce was accompanied by Lamb, chat potatoes and crispy steamed beans: Yum. After dinner Kalma ran through the notices including the opportunity to welcome Rotary visitors attending the 2014 RI Convention in Sydney into your home. If you would like to host a dinner, please go to http://rotary2014.com.au/the-convention/host-a-dinner/ and register how many who want to come to dinner. Note you will need to collect the guest and return them to their hotels after dinner. Exchange Student Lucile Richard reported that she was taken to the Floriade in Canberra by Janelle, John and Michelle Dodd. In addition to this iconic Canberra event, she also visited the National Museum, old and new Parliament Houses, the War Memorial, and several restaurants including Thai and Turkish cuisines. On Saturday Allen and Bernadette Horrell took her into the City on the River Cat from Rydalmere wharf. Activities included visiting the Rocks markets, walking the Harbour Bridge, having lunch at a Kirribilli Italian restaurant, speaking Franglish with Allen and enjoying Coney Island at Luna Park. Next day she watched host sister Kathryn Dodd in the Sydney Running Festival, and on Monday she went to the Blue Mountains with Bill & Val Payne and saw the Three Sisters. What a busy week! Youth Chair Charles Kilby reported that we have approved one applicant for RYLA this year. Our two Interact clubs are running well and will visit our club in early December Acting Serjeant Duncan Taylor fined the members with anniversaries in the Hub, and Steve Thorp s table again, surprisingly not for noise this week, but for delaying the Spackle. Said Spackle was drawn by guest speaker Mabel Chow, who unfortunately drew the Serjeant s ticket. Cries of Redraw! fell on deaf ears and Duncan selected his choice of wine. In the cross-fines I was fined by David Johnston for wearing my National Costume, All Black: I should have cross-fined him for racial vilification of Kiwis! It was a pleasure to hear guest speakers Fiona Carr and Mabel Chow present on their Brighter Futures early intervention program, which Ryde Rotary Club has supported since its inception in 2007. 111 families are helped each year, where children are at risk of neglect, due to their parents being assessed for domestic violence, mental illness, intellectual disabilities, lack of parenting skills or drug abuse. Their Brighter Futures office is unique for having a pre-school child care facility on site, making them a one stop shop for families in need. They are moving from the old North Ryde Common site where we built their playground, to the third floor of the West Ryde Community centre on Anthony Road. Importantly, a new child care operator is taking over the old site, so our playground will continue to be used by generations of children. 4
SEPTEMBER 24 - AS RECALLED BY ALLEN HORRELL 5 Thanking them for their talk and the welcome feedback on our direct assistance and of our Tree of Joy gifts, I showed them our last copy of the 2008 edition of Humanity in Motion where our club showcased our work at Brighter Futures. Community Director PP Allen Horrell thanks Fiona Carr & Mabel Chow Commenting that I could think of no better recipient for our last copy, I presented it to them along with our certificate of appreciation. Their work with troubled children gives hope of a brighter future for these little ones. The meeting closed with a final announcement from Kalma: October 8 will be a Partners night and we shall have two visitors from the School of St Jude on the night. PAINT VANDALISM RETREATS IN RYDE CBD The Rotary Club of Ryde is participating in the state government sponsored paint vandalism clean-up day in October. President Adrian is a nominated organizer for our area and he is working hard to make the day a success in Ryde. As part of his role, Adrian needs to identify suitable sites for work on the day. I accompanied him early last Saturday on a tour of the city s known black-spots. I was amazed that we struggled to find suitable sites for work. That s not to say that paint vandalism has ceased. We found enough isolated work to keep the club s energetic squad in business but there was a marked absence of highly visible vandalism. In particular, the Ryde CBD remains remarkably free from this blight. PP Charles Kilby has noted this on other occasions; if we persist, they desist! We all know how a mayor of New York City once took this strategy, employed a competent police executive and executed tactics based on the strategy with no compromise. I have read that it was an outstanding success and I have been told by recent visitors that the city is a far cry from the New York of old. Paint vandalism has no place in our community and we are providing a valuable community service in demonstrating a part of the solution. Geoff Brennan
PARTNERS NIGHT : A VISIT FROM THE SCHOOL OF ST JUDE S 6 THE ROTARY CLUB OF RYDE 6 FOR 6:30PM TUESDAY 8TH OCTOBER NEXT GENERATION FUNCTION CENTRE, LEVEL 2 RYDE AQUATIC CENTRE RSVP ESSENTIAL BY 6TH OCTOBER: JULIE THORP 0416 208 332 / 9871 1109 PLEASE SUBMIT CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE HUB BY 5PM FRIDAY editor@ryderotary.org.au
PARTNERS NIGHT : A VISIT FROM THE SCHOOL OF ST JUDE S 7
A NOTE FROM THE TREASURER Do you want to make contributions to The Rotary Foundation and/or Australian Rotary Health by instalments? 8 Some members do just this when they pay each week at the door. On top of their meal fee they add $5 or $10 which is then recorded against their name in the club s accounting system. This is an ideal way to make a small contribution each week with little pain on the pocket. Some members contribute to just one fund, others split their contribution and there s also the option to alternate each week. How do I do this, I hear you ask! When you pay by cash or cheque at the door, just ask me to add a contribution and nominate how you would like it to be applied. It s as easy as that. David James CAN YOU HOST A DINNER? On Tuesday night 3 June 2014 we will be having the Host Hospitality Night as part of the 2014 Rotary International Convention. We are asking local Rotarians to host a dinner for visiting Rotarians and their partners. Ideally, the dinner will be in your home, however you can take your guests to a restaurant if preferred. This event is to be a personal experience where visiting Rotarians can dine in small groups in an informal setting, make new friends, and see what life is like in Sydney. For further information, contact PDG Dick White: hosthospitality@rotary2014.com.au UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOUR CALENDAR October 5th (Sat) October 6th (Sun) Fleet Review Cruise - Bookings Essential Depart Casino Wharf at 10am for 4.5 hr Cruise / $110pp Graffiti Removal (First Sunday every month!) Meet 8am West Ryde Car Park in Ryedale Rd October 20th (Sun) Graffiti Removal Day 10am - 4pm Details TBC December 15th RI Convention 2014 - Earlybird Registration Deadline 1st - 4th June, 2014 / $310 US includes 8 day free travel (bus/train/ferry) www.riconvention.org
ATTENDANCE REPORTS 9 Percentage Attendance 24th September: 88.74% Makeups: Apologies: PP Geoffrey Brennan, President Adrian Hallett, Rtn Nora Etmekdjian, Rtn Nora Etmekdjian, Rtn Nora Etmekdjian. Dr Surinder Joson, PP Artin Etmekdjian, PP Bob Carroll, PP Geoffrey Brennan, PP John Higgins, PP Patrick Longfield, PP Tony Abboud, President Adrian Hallett, Rtn Geoff Nix, Rtn John Mazlin, Rtn Nora Etmekdjian, Rtn Rob Senior, Rtn Stefan Sojka. LOOKING AHEAD October 8th October 15th October 22nd Felix & Kim - St Jude s School, Tanzania PARTNERS NIGHT Joan & David Hart - Interplast Steve Cartland - Sydney Living Museums LUCILE RICHARD - FRIDAY NIGHT ROSTER Lucile is currently hosted by John & Janelle Dodd October 4th October 11th October 18th Burkhart & Patricia Foertsch (NOTE: Lucile is moving house this weekend) David & Sally James Artin & Nora Etmekdjian BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES October 2nd October 2nd October 5th October 7th October 7th 45th Wedding Anniversary for John & Elinor Higgins 25th Wedding Anniversary for Ashley & Marie Peake Birthday Celebration for Marli (Partner of Duncan Taylor) 27 Year Club Anniversary for Tony Abboud 65th Birthday of Geoffrey Brennan CLUB MEETING DUTY ROSTER DATE WELCOMERS LOYAL TOAST THANKS Oct 8th Ron Thompson Stephen Thorp Ashley Peake Peter Cooper Oct 15th Duncan Taylor Geoff Brennan John Higgins Noel Dunn
RYEP STUDENT JOHN GORIS - REPORT FROM FINLAND 10 On the 4th of September, I went with a group from my school and the school in Tampere on a trip to Lapland. It was honestly one of the best weeks of my exchange. Definitely on par with the Rotary tours earlier in the year. So we met up on the Monday at 5:00 with huge rucksacks filled with stuff. Including our own food which we had to buy, bring and cook for the week. Then we all piled into a bus where the seats were about 90 degrees normally and 89 degrees in the reclined position. But that didn t matter because we were in for a late night bus party where everyone was talking with each other and playing cards and just generally having fun. The next day we arrived at Kilpisjarvi, which is a small village on the arm of Finland near the Swedish and Norwegian borders. Feeling sunshiney, we started an amazing 12km hike through Lappi wilderness, over some of the few mountains in Finland, past a waterfall and to the point where the borders of Norway, Sweden and Finland meet. So after a couple of runs round in circles I visited the three countries about 20 times each. Anyways, there we met up with a sort of brother school from Norway and had a campfire together. Again we stayed up late and for a dare, A friend and I went for a swim in the one of the lakes. So I think that wins me an official swam in the arctic circle badge. The next day was the reverse journey which seemed to go a lot faster than the first one. It felt really great to give myself a big physical challenge. Anyways back at Kilpisjarvi we we had a games night and that was a lot of fun. At one point they got everyone to sing their national anthem. First went Finland then Norway and then it was the exchange students turn. I could see that none of them wanted to sing their national anthem alone in front of a hundred people so I jumped up first, got everyone cheering and decided that instead of being awkward I d lead everyone in a round of Aussie Aussie Aussie. It was so awesome, they really got into it and there was a lot of loud shouting. But even after that the other exchangeys didn t want to really sing so I got them together and we decided to sing the official national anthem of Finland Rotary Go bananas!! That went down really well too and everyone had a lot of fun. After spending time in Kilpisjarvi we went on the day trip to Norway. First we visited a town where the Norwegian school people were from. It s called something like norfshblorfbottom Spelling Norwegian words isn t my forte. They gave us a tour of the school and we played a game of football together. After we took the bus to Tromso which was the biggest city nearby. They took us on a cable car to the top of this massive mountain and the views from there were stunning! Next me and a couple of friends went to an aquarium, watched the seal show and afterwards had a pretty amazing kebab! On the last day was our climb to the top of Saana. It s essentially a giant rock thing which is pretty special because Finland is an extremely flat country especially in the places where almost everyone lives. Anyways climbing to the top took about 2 hours and once again the views were spectacular! On the way down we got within about 10 metres of a really large reindeer too. After that it was back to the buses for an extremely comfortable 16 drive home.
RYEP STUDENT JOHN GORIS - REPORT FROM FINLAND (CONT.) 11 I got to meet my newbies the weekend after! We had a district conference in Jyvaskyla where we stayed overnight. It was an insane amount of fun, I can t even begin to describe it! When my nooblets first got here I was not really looking forward to meeting them so much. I still missed my oldies a lot and was nervous about having to meet and impress over a hundred new people. I was so happy to be wrong about meeting them. We pretty much just had a party all night. I guess the last cool thing I did was that I visited friends in Turku last weekend. Again we had a lot of fun, doing crazy exchange student things. Konsta and I wore kilts all day on the Sunday. It was a Scottish day lots of fun. Then I guess being back it school is pretty good. I have a really easy timetable so I m not actually at school that much so most days I ll go to the library to read books or watch a movie or something. Today got a whole lot colder than every other day. Last week I was happy in jeans and T-shirt now I require 13 layers and a hot water bottle strapped to my chest. Also it s getting dark earlier and earlier.. today it got dark at like 8:00 which feels really early after months of never seeing the night I m guessing it ll start snowing soon and everyone will go back into hibernation for the winter. Anywho long story short everything is marvellous. John TEST FOR TODAY
THE ROTARY CLUB OF RYDE THE ROTARY VISION Rotary is a worldwide organisation of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary Clubs, knows as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are non-political, non-religious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. As signified by the motto Service above Self, Rotary s main objective is service - in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. ROTARY GRACE O Lord and giver of all good We thank you for our daily food May Rotary friends and Rotary ways Help us to serve you all our days THE FOUR-WAY TEST of the things we say, think & do 1. Is it the Truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build goodwill & better friendships? 4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned? ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free; We ve golden soil and wealth for toil; Our home is girt by sea; Our land abounds in nature s gifts, of beauty rich and rare; In history s page, let every stage, Advance Australia Fair. In joyful strains then let us sing, Advance Australia Fair!