banner
Stories
From President David
Posted by David Farnsworth

from president david

Once again the fellowship committee came through with the goods for our Thursday night meeting. The talent within our group is amazing and the stories abounded with respect to our collective football talents. Although naturally we are a somewhat a Geelong based Club we are have talents and supporters from a wide range of Clubs.
 
I urge everyone to support Barb and Ian in the Ice fight as this appears to be one of the most practical things we as a club can do and if we can assist in this fight we once again show our strength.
 
As our program for the rest of the year fills up I appreciate if we can keep our thinking caps on as to future directions and ideas, we obviously need to maintain our focus on membership and I urge every member to consider their social groups and connections to establish potential new members – sharing information about rotary and specifically our club.
 
It’s been a busy few months and I look forward to the coming months as we continue being a “gift to the world”
 
David Farnsworth
 
Read more...
Note from the Editor
I'm back !!!! (I think someone a lot better known than I made that saying famous).
Yes thanks, Jan and I had a wonderful time up in the Daintree Rainforest.
A few things we couldn't really believe -
  • the incredible height of the trees and ferns
  • the absolutely lush undergrowth
  • the fact that we could stand on our balcony and TOUCH the rainforest
  • that the Visitors Information Centre in Daintree Village left all their brochures etc on display and there wasn't any vandalism, graffiti etc
  • the annual rainfall in Daintree Village was about 3.5metres per annum and more than that in the mountains.
  • the Daintree river flood level last year was approx 7m above normal water level.
The weather was really kind to us - between 28 and 30 every day, mostly sunny but a bit overcast now and again. It only rained twice and that was at night. Humidity was a little bit sticky but nothing terrible.
We saw enough to be satisfied for the time being, but left enough unseen to make us want to go back again.
Before we went we were told that phone coverage and wireless would be a "bit patchy". Wrong. Apart from Cairns and a couple of square metres here and there, it was non-existent. There was even a note in one of the B & B's we stayed at saying that we were welcome to use the landline for telephone calls because of the poor mobile coverage.
So it was a real holiday !!!!!!!
Still catching up with the hundreds of emails, stacks of paperwork and a few other things, hence the late and a little bit scant bulletin this week.
Cheers
Paul
Read more...
Rotary Conversations
Posted by Paul Brewster

news from the district and beyond

Indoor Ride to End Polio - information

 
 
My name is Bruce Nicholls and I am the District 9685 Polio Chair.
 
Over the past few years, I have attended District 5500 (Arizona, USA) in November to take part in a bicycle ride known as the Ride to End Polio, with John Hewko, our General Secretary.
 
This ride has been very successful in the USA as a fundraiser for Polio Plus, and has generated over $10 million USD.
 
But it is an expensive trip for non USA residents to participate in, and we have developed a way in which Rotarians from around the world can now participate.
 
The Indoor Ride to End Polio has filled that gap, which now allows Rotarians from all over the world to use exercise bikes to raise funds for Polio, by getting sponsorship and ride for minutes, instead of miles. This simple concept can be done as an individual in their homes, or in a club or a gym, or as a Rotary Club event as a team. The ways to do it are unlimited.
 
 
This activity is to be conducted during the week from 14 November until 21 November, which is the date of the actual ride in Tucson, Arizona.
 
In Australasia, District 9685 will be coordinating the registration and collation of fundraising records to advise our Administrators in D5500, so that all the funds raised here can be added to the total of the Ride to End Polio so that we can help achieve the goal of raising $10 million for this year.
 
I would ask you all to please pass this information to your Polio Chairs and Club Presidents, so that our Zone can stand high in the fundraising total and be the first in the world to embrace this fundraising project in our quest to End Polio. I am also hoping that clubs can garner the support of local gymnasiums in their areas, and seek assistance from them to apply a gold coin donation from spin class participants during the week we are running this.
 
The website for more information and registration is www.indoorridetoendpolio.com
 
Thanks for your support.
 
Yours in Rotary
 
 
Bruce Nicholls PP PHF

 
Read more...
Rotary Moments

rotary moment

A polio survivor’s “aha” moment

 

John Nanni at the UN General Assembly special session to “Unite Against Polio” 27 September.

By John Nanni, a member of the Rotary Club of Hamilton Township, New Jersey, USA

As a polio survivor who was paralyzed from my neck down for six months, and as a Rotarian, I had the honor of being a part of the Rotary PolioPlus delegation to the UN General Assembly special session to “Unite Against Polio” on 27 September.

My day started early – I was so excited and nervous I couldn’t sleep. I was worried about being a good representative of our club and of the more than 20 million polio survivors.

I met so many people from different organizations: I was introduced to Peter Salk, Jonas Salk’s son who discovered the original polio vaccine. We had a great conversation about his work preserving his dad’s legacy at the Jonas Salk Legacy Foundation.

I met representatives from Global Poverty Project, Lions Clubs International, WHO, UNICEF, Bill Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, top executives from Rotary International, and Canadian Rotarian Ramesh Ferris, a polio survivor, who hand-cycled 7,140 kilometers across Canada for polio eradication. I met three wonderful Rotarians from Ossining, New York; one polio survivor who has been a Rotarian for 46 years and two past district governors.

Hundreds of world leaders from all walks of life gathered to show their continued and renewed commitment to “End Polio Now.” It was amazing to see the presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan sit next to each other for the entire event. That in itself was a true sign of unity against polio.

For me, one of the special moments of this event was when the Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard spoke of Sister Elizabeth Kenny, an Australian trained in nursing, and her methods of treating polio victims with physical therapy in the 1940s and 50s. Tears came to my eyes because my mom performed Kenny’s therapy on me and I consider that the only reason why I was able to walk, play sports, and be “normal.”

Over all, it was one of the defining moments in the past decades to unite world leaders through UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s dedication to make polio eradication his major effort during his term. It was one of my “aha” and “wow” Rotary moments!
Read more...
Polio this week
Posted by Paul Brewster

 

POLIO THIS WEEK

Polio this week as of 30 September 2015  

  •  
  • The week, WHO removed Nigeria from the list of polio-endemic countries following all samples in the polio laboratory being tested negative for wild poliovirus for a whole year following the most recent case on 24 July 2014. This is the first time that Nigeria has interrupted transmission of wild poliovirus, bringing the country and the African region closer than ever to being certified polio-free. More.
  • At the Global Citizen Festival on 26 September, the Prime Minister of Malta announced that polio eradication will be on the agenda of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in November this year.
  •  
Wild poliovirus type 1 and Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus cases
 

Total cases

Year-to-date 2015

Year-to-date 2014

Total in 2014 

WPV

 cVDPV

 WPV

 cVDPV

 WPV

 cVDPV

Globally

44

13

208

36

359

55

- in endemic countries

44

1

189

36

340

 52

- in non-endemic countries

0

12

19

 0

19

 3

  
Read more...
The Ice Fight
Prevention through Awareness and Education
This week 12-16 October, from 10am-4pm, Rotarians from seven local Clubs, including many members of our own Club, and also including our two Assistant Governors, are rostered on a stall located near Gloria Jean’s coffeehouse,  Market Square.  The purpose of the stall is to celebrate and recognise the efforts of the Geelong Community in supporting the Geelong Community Ice Fight.  Booklets and wristbands will be available for purchase. The whole Ice Fight campaign is totally funded by local contributions and fundraising efforts, and any money raised by the Market Square activity will directly support the projects in mind for the future.
The accompanying photo shows Ice Fight Project Officer Senior Sergeant Tony Francis and Project Assistant Peter Hester running a briefing session at Lyndon Grove, prior to our meeting last Thursday.
Read more...
Ride the Bellarine
Read more...
Celebrations 2nd to 8th October 2015
Posted by Paul Brewster

Celebrations 2nd  to 8th October

2 this week

Sheila Mansfield's birthday on 2nd and Anne's birthday on 4th
 
Read more...
Leave of Absence

leave of absence

Ray Dunn is on leave until Christmas time.

Eeon Macaulay is on leave from 16th  November to 3rd January

Robert Johnson is on leave from 20th November to 8th December

 
Read more...
inspirational quotes
Posted by Paul Brewster

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

 

You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one. - James A. Froude, 1818-1894, English Historian

Experience isn't interesting until it begins to repeat itself. In fact, till it does that, it hardly is experience. - Elizabeth Bowen, 1899-1973, Anglo-Irish Novelist

Begin somewhere. You cannot build a reputation on what you intend to do. Liz Smith, 1923-, American Journalist, Gossip Columnist

Read more...
Humour ?
Posted by Paul Brewster

Humour ?

A bookseller conducting a market survey asked a woman - "Which book has helped you most in your life?"
The woman replied - "My husband's cheque book !!"
 
A prospective husband in a book store "Do you have a book called, 'Husband - the Master of the House'?
Sales Girl : "Sir, Fiction and Comics are on the 1st floor!".
 
Someone asked an old man : "Even after 70 years, you still call your wife - Darling, Honey, Luv. What's the secret ?
Old man : I forgot her name and I'm scared to ask her.
************************************************************************************************************************************************
 
Once upon a time there was a king who wanted to go fishing.
He called the royal weather forecaster and enquired as to the weather forecast for the next few hours.
The weatherman assured him that there was no chance of rain in the coming days.
So the king went fishing with his wife, the queen.
On the way he met a farmer on his donkey.
 
Upon seeing the king the farmer said, "Your Majesty, you should return to the palace at once because in just a short time I expect a huge amount of rain to fall in this area."
The king was polite and considerate as he replied: "I hold the palace meteorologist in high regard.
He is an extensively educated and experienced professional.
Besides, I pay him very high wages He gave me a very different forecast.
I trust him and I will continue on my way."
So he continued on his way.
 
However, a short time later a torrential rain fell from the sky.
The King and Queen were totally soaked and their entourage chuckled upon seeing them in such a shameful condition.
Furious, the king returned to the palace and gave the order to fire the weatherman at once!
Then he summoned the farmer and offered him the prestigious and high paying role of royal forecaster.
 
The farmer said, "Your Majesty, I do not know anything about forecasting.  I obtain my information from my donkey.  If I see my donkey's ears drooping, it means with certainty that it will rain."
 
So the king hired the donkey.
And so began the practice of hiring Jack asses to work in the government and occupy its highest and most influential positions.
 
********************************************************************************************************************************************
 
"This morning I felt that today was going to be my lucky day. I got up at seven, had seven dollars in my pocket, there were seven of us at lunch and there were seven horses in the seven o'clock race, so I backed the seventh."
 
"Did he win?"
 
"No, he came in seventh."
 

 
Read more...
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
Sage