Rotary Stawell Inc.

‘STAWELLTALK’
rotary awareness month
Bulletin of Rotary Stawell Inc.
RID 9780, Club 18250. Inc. A0023136A, ABN 69450904002
RI Pres. Kalyan Banerjee. Dist. Governor Brian Trenery
Rotary Stawell Inc. President Val Nicholson
2 TO 7 FEBRUARY 2012

What is it we don’t understand ?, perhaps because we have not been touched by Polio, Starvation, Filthy Drinking Water, or perhaps lack of Health and Hygiene Services, or proper Education if any at all, or Peace perhaps. “So what was it you don’t understand again?”
The needs of the peoples of the world are many and varied and we need to be vigilant in our pursuits of those needs, Understanding different Cultures, is a start to all of these things, and care must be taken to offer ownership to the solutions, so that dignity might be a given back, as the most precious gift of all. This after all, is a foundation stone, for all of the humanitarian and educational work that we do. And in achieving this there is a need to know first of all about ourselves and the organization we are part of.

Well the news is out to all our friends and town’s folk of Stawell, the local Rotary Stawell Inc. has won a prestigious award in the Australia Day awards, for the Chinese Festival. There has been a great deal said about the Festival, and this award has been the icing on the cake for the Club, and has brought the Rotary Club under direct public gaze. This has fitted our Monthly theme of Rotary Awareness exceptionally well, and is a credit all round to the committee and members and to the Rtn who led it all , our PN, Kimberley Gehan, well done to Kim and everyone involved an exciting start to 2012. The official presentation to the Club’s members will take place at the Clubs celebrations for the 107th Anniversary of Rotary, where an array of other achievements of Rotary will be celebrated, on 21 February 2012, where the Mayor Cr Dorothy Patton will be in attendance, how about that.

After all that exciting news, welcome to our members and friends, for this week’s bulletin, all the way from the bush in Maryborough. We need to say another thank you to our friends of Rotary as well for the success of the Chinese Festival, some of whom were deeply involved and gave up copious amounts of time for the event. Again it was a great team performance. We hope the news has brightened everyone’s week, and as we always ask that if anyone is not 100% then we hope you get to feel much better quickly.

We had no meeting at our home venue this week [31 Jan 2012] as there was a group 7 meeting held at Maryborough, on the 2 February 2012. And a fine evening it was had, more news on the evening a little later.

Would all members please remember to register for the District Conference, 23, 24 &25 March 2012, as soon as possible. The Conference is at Deacon University Warrnambool campus, and will be the place to be over that weekend. There are great speakers, and plenty to do. Great place to be for a weekend is Warrnambool, as well as the obvious top line speakers there are breakout sessions, of interest to just about everyone and Saturday night should be a party to remember, particularly if you’re a Pirate. Anyway book in soon, as we are told that accommodation may be tight if left to late, so there is another reason to book now.

Also most important is the District AGM, it is to be re-convened on February 19th 2012 at 1.00PM, this is your Districts AGM and you are entitled to be in attendance if you wish, but if going be early as space is limited.
Our Thank in advance to PP Wilton, who is opening and closing the venue for the AG’s Training dayon Saturday 18th February.

On to other matters, who is the Rotarian who doesn’t know what day it is? Almost turned up on a Wednesday
But you may be surprised to know, it was NOT the PP one may immediately think of?

Also Miss Vanessa McKinnon [now approved] is to be inducted on 21 February 2012. And speaking of that evening, this is a celebration of Rotary and its 107 anniversary, we are trying to make this a very special evening and we are asking for all members and Partners to be in attendance, Friends of Rotary, friends that may have been touched by Rotary and the like, so do not be backward in inviting people, please let the Secretary know for Catering purposes by the Sunday 19 February 2012.

Talking of big nights, we will be having another one, on the 28 February, that is the evening for us to extend our hand in friendship to Jacobs Our RYE Students parents, more on that in the net issue.

And so on to our meeting at Maryborough. Off we went in a couple of Cars, our thanks to John and Norman for using their cars, seems a bit of a hike over to the Borough, but it is always a good evening there and Thursday was no different. As near as we could work out, there were 25 to 28 visiting Rotarians so the RSL Hall was just about full, taken with the turn up of Maryborough Members, and partners. All Presidents gave a report on their Clubs works, and several allied reports as well. A few gags were told and like all such ordinary mortals the Ed can’t remember most of them to repeat, but there was a lot chatter and laughter at the time. Although I can remember the one about the twin Boys, I think Norman liked that one so it might appear in future.
But enough to say that the group meetings are reasonably well attended, and certainly we get to meet and greet old friends, get to hear what they are doing, network with the other clubs, and is a valuable resource for the AG to gather information for the report to District. So another good evening made even better by the fact that we had to drive through some “Roo” country on the way home at the change of light and got home without seeing one of the little chaps at all. But again our thanks to the car owners and drivers that got us there and back in one piece.

Could it also be pointed out to those members that may think that they are not expected at these meetings because they are not at our usual venue. This is not so, the Group meetings take the place of our usual meetings, and the members are asked to be in attendance, family and vocational reasons aside. To Hot, to Cold, too Far, are not considered valid reason for none attendance, in fact it can be said that you are depriving other Rotarians of the pleasure of your company, spending time or chatting to you, if you don’t attend.

But a good evening was shared and the one thing that strikes the listener to the various Presidents reporting on their Clubs activities, is the diversity and amount of work and effort being made by the Clubs and members, it really is amazing, and even then it is a sure thing that not everything is being mentioned in these reports. We do have to report about the great round of applause for the Club when Pres Val mentioned the Australia Day award for the Chinese Festival, bust your buttons stuff. So a hearty well done to those in attendance, for making the trip to Maryborough, from Ararat Beaufort and Stawell, not forgetting that it is our turn next, scheduled for the 8 May 2012

Norman’s nonsense
Talking to a bloke the other day, and he suggested that I needed some exercise,
I got a bit upset about that and replied,
If Walking or cycling was good for you a Postman would be immortal, and a flamin’ whale a swims all day, eats only fish, drinks water and is fat, and what about a rabbit it runs and hops about and only lives 15 years, and then a tortoise he doesn’t run, hop skip, in fact doesn’t do much at all, yet he lives for 450 years, and your telling me to exercise, I don’t think so !!

Wotshappenin, well that Vaughan gets out of things easily only has to arrange for a speaker on the 14th of Feb.
We will hear about that shortly, but for the rest of the Month of February.
7 February Is a Board meeting.
12 February is the Jazz Festival, all hands please.
14Speaker, TBA
16 &17 February, MOW
19 February district AGM.
21 February107thcelebration, of Rotary International.
24 BBQ assist at Central Park.
28 Celebrate Rotary, with visit from Sweden, of Jacobs parents.
So it is a reasonable month, so let’s get ready for it.

Just another reminder, don’t lets slacken our efforts on the membership front, we have a standing targeted goal of a Plus of 6 and up to now have only achieved one, so dig deep members and lift our efforts on this front. All though this is getting appreciably harder of late .

Don’t forget the board meeting next week, all reports to the Sec. on or before Sunday 5 February 2012, Minutes and those reports in hand will be sent out over the weekend. We are aware how close the last and this board are, but scheduling does have to remain flexible, and this is bringing it back to the usual Monthly [4 weekly] Board.

Well folks that’s about all for the moment, just a reminder that we are losing two of our Lady members to the lure of O/S travel in the near future and in advance we wish Rtn Kaye and PP Pauline all the very best for their respective trips and also that they come back to us safe and sound. All the very best wishes to our readers, and,

Remember: People’s minds are like parachutes, the must be open to work properly. Cheers Ed.