The Rotary Club of Oatlands Wednesday 12 November 2014

The Rotary Club of Oatlands
Rotary District 9830
Club Number: 18464 Chartered: 7th June 1979
Wednesday 12th November 2014
This is a Club Bulletin –
Please submit any articles to:
Ian Johnston.
[email protected]
Ph: 62544117
1st Sunday each month
19 December 2014
27 February 2015
The Rotary Club of Oatlands meets
Each Wednesday at RSL,
Albert Street, OATLANDS
6:30pm for 7pm
Oatlands Community Market
Foster Children’s Xmas Party Campbell Town Rotary
BBQ
Volunteers required
Bothwell Spin In – Rotary BBQ 6pm Volunteers Required
CLUB OFFICE BEARERS 2013 -2014
President is Brian Flakelar
President Elect is John Hay
Club Service and Past President is Anne Tudor
Secretary and International Service is PP Danny Burrow
Treasurer and Community Service is R Meagan Penzig
Sergeant at Arms is Robert king
New Generations is PP is Tim McConnon
Vocational Service is PP Albert Darkin
Ian Johnston is Bulletin Editor
The Four-Way Test:
Of the things we think, say or do
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Mission of Rotary:
The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and
advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business,
Professional and community leaders.
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FROM THE EDITORS DESK:
Well once again I must hang my head in shame with regard to publishing the Bulletin in
time or indeed out at all.
I have had a very sick computer for a while and a few weeks ago it became terminal and
my old hard drive went to computer heaven. Actually that is an oxymoron really, “computers and heaven” - I don’t now and have never found them heavenly and the last
few days of its life was total hell. Lost stuff, addresses went missing, pop ups taking over
and all sorts of other weird things happening, it was very frustrating.
Then the new “build’ came along, oh joy of joys! but unfortunately not with all the records
associated with the earlier hard drive. They were nowhere to be found, so Bulletin records
associate emails and things to be included in these Bulletins couldn’t be referenced. But
bear with me, you may get some repeated stuff now and again and some important details
may be missed temporarily, but given time I think we will get back on track again.
Yours Aye
Ian
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------From DG Ken:
The first week without an official club visit but a full week nonetheless. On Thursday evening we attended the
launch of Sally's Ride which was originally initiated by Sally Fletcher and organised now for several years by the
Rotary Club of Central Launceston. This event raises funds for a very worthy cause - raising awareness of mental
health issues and suicide among our young people as well as supporting youth affected by mental health issues.
More information can be found here http://www.sallysride.com.au/, but don't just read about it, why not register
and benefit yourself with the healthy exercise as well as doing something to support suicide prevention. I did give
serious thought to entering myself but then I thought......I haven't ridden a bike for several decades and it probably
wouldn't be a good look for Rotary's District Governor to be seen cycling along the West Tamar Highway with
training wheels. And then I remembered that we were going to be in New Zealand at the time of Sally's Ride (for
the Rotary Zone Institute). So I couldn't enter anyway! And I really would have, honest! Please put me to shame
and make this the biggest event yet.
On Saturday I chaired the District AGM followed by the second District Leadership meeting for the year. Thank
you to all the President's who gave up their time to come along not only for the AGM but also to stay on and see
what D9830 leaders get up to. A wide range of topics were discussed and I appreciate the contributions of all in
attendance especially when we thrashed out issues surrounding the new working with children legislation. Watch
this space as there will undoubtedly be more information to promulgate in this regard.
Saturday evening was spent at the RC DÉntrecasteaux Channel Opera & Cocktails Night. Picture 50 guests seated
in the fabulous Villa Howden listening to five very accomplished singers and supporting pianist, performing 18
different songs from a variety of stage shows and the like. Magnificent is one word that begins to describe the
experience amplified by the standing ovation at the end of the performance. An event to put in your calendars for
next year!
Today (Sunday) Lois and I along with DGN Gerard and Fiona Blizzard had a fantastic time supporting RC
Brighton with their BBQ at the Brighton Show. This club has a very professional set-up and have got things down
to a fine art. It was a pleasure working with President Danny and his club but after 20 dozen eggs, 70 loaves,
umpteen kilo's of hamburgers, sausages, bacon and onions........I'll be happy if I don't see a BBQ for a day or two!!
Happy to return next year Danny!
Regards,
DG Ken
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COUNCIL ON LEGISLATION
The Council on Legislation is the legislative body (parliament) of Rotary International, which has
the authority to amend our constitutional
documents, as well as adopt resolutions.
This is the process that changes the governing documents used by clubs – the standard Club
Constitution and the recommended Club Bylaws.
If you consider that the current (2013) versions are lacking or need change, then consider whether
there is a need to propose legislation.
Proposals must be submitted by a club, endorsed by the district and be received at RI
headquarters by 31 December 2014.
Details on the Council of Legislation are available on the District website at:
http://www.rotary9830.org.au/administration/governance/
Alternatively, contact District Council on Legislation Representative James Wilcox on mobile
0439 911 747 or email [email protected]
We greybeards have destroyed the planet - oh, the shame!
Checking out at the supermarket, the young cashier suggested to the
much older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because
plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman apologised and explained, "We didn't have this 'green
thing' back in my earlier days."
The young cashier responded, "That's our problem today - your
generation did not care enough to save our environment for future
generations."
She was right -- our generation didn't have the 'green thing' in its
day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, lemonade bottles and beer
bottles to the shop. The shop sent them back to the plant to be washed
and sterilised and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and
over. So they really were recycled.
But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.
Grocery shops bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household bags for
rubbish, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our
schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property (the books
provided for our use by the school), was not defaced by our scribbling’s.
Then we were able to personalise our books on the brown paper bags.
But too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then.
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We walked up stairs, because we didn't have a lift in every supermarket,
shop and office building. We walked to the local shop and didn't climb
into a 300 horsepower machine every time we had to go half a mile.
But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby's Terry Towel nappies because we
didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an
energy- gobbling machine burning up 3 kilowatts wind and solar power
really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids had hand-me down
clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back
in our day.
Back then, we had one radio or TV in the house - not a TV in every
room and the TV had a small screen the size of a big handkerchief
(remember them?), not a screen the size of Scotland.
In the kitchen we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have
electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile
item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion
it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an
engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We pushed the mower that
ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go
to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
We drank from a tap or fountain when we were thirsty instead of using
a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled
writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the
razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just
because the blade got dull.
But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
Back then, people took the bus and kids rode their bikes to school or
walked instead of turning their Mums into a 24-hour taxi service in the
family's £25,000 People Carrier which cost the same as a whole house
did before the "green thing." We had one electrical outlet in a room,
not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances and we didn't
need a computerised gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites
23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pub! But isn't it
sad that the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were
just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?
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Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a
lesson in conservation from a “smart” young person...We don't like
being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to annoy us
...especially from a tattooed, multiple pierced smarty who can't work
out the change without the cash register telling them how much it is!
Here endeth the lesson!
What is Happening and where?
Rotary Club of Kingston Quiz Night
6.30pm for 7.00pm start ‘C’ Pod Kingston High School Friday 14 November 15.00 per head
______________________________________________________________________________________________
The Rotary Club of Moonah will be celebrating their 60th Birthday
on Saturday November 22nd, at the Hobart Hockey Centre.
The theme is James Bond and "Diamonds are Forever", so get dressed up in your most suave,
sophisticated and glamorous outfits and strut your stuff. Dress: Black Tie / Lounge Suit.
Further details will be available soon on our website
at www.MoonahRotary.org
______________________________________________________________________________________________
The Rotary Club of City Central Hobart invites you to a Fashion Parade At Blue
Illusion, Magnet Court Sandy Bay On Wednesday the 26th of November 6.00pm –
8.00pm
Progress? (I don’t think so)
When I bought my Blackberry, I thought about the 30-year business I
ran with 1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music,
takes videos, pictures and communicates with Facebook and Twitter. I
actually signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven
kids, their spouses, my 13 grand kids and 2 great grand kids could
communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle
something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.
That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter,
Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twitterific, Tweetdeck,
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Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and
every other program within the texting World.
My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of
everything except the bowel movements of the entire next
generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in
the garage in my golf bag.
The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get
lost every now and then when going over to the grocery store or
library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth
[it's actually red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it
once and was standing in line at Bunnings talking to my wife and
everyone within 50 yards was glaring at me. I had to take my hearing
aid out to use it, and I got a little loud.
I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady
inside that gadget was the most annoying and rudest person I had run
into in a long time. Every 10 minutes she would sarcastically say, "Recalc-u-lating." You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she
could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then
tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right
turn instead. Well, it was not a good relationship...
When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of
the cross streets and, while she is starting to develop the same tone
as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.
To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the
cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I
still haven't figured out how I lose three phones all at once and have
to run around digging under chair cushions, checking bathrooms, and the
dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.
The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up
every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could
settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?"
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every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of
those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never
remember to take them with me.
Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or plastic?"
I just say, "It doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it's their
turn to stare at me with a blank look. I was recently asked if I
tweet. I answered, No, but I do break wind a lot."
P.S. I know some of you are not over 60. I sent it to you to allow
you to forward it to those who are.
We senior citizens don't need anymore gadgets. The TV remote and
the garage door remote are about all we can handle.
New Working with Children Legislation
As a result of new State Legislation, from 1 July 2014 if you work or volunteer with children then
you may need to apply for a ‘Working with Children Check’ the new laws are designed to reduce
the likelihood of harm to children and create safer environments for all children. It is clear that
many of Rotary’s youth programs will require members to have a check and as the responsible
‘Employer’ Rotary D9830 will establish a set of guidelines to assist clubs and members interpret
their responsibilities in this regard.
The process involves a national police check and background checking which includes a
person’s criminal history, non-conviction information, relevant offences and other information.
Members of Rotary intending or required to work as volunteers with children will need to apply
for this new type of registration and be successfully registered by 01 April 2015. Applications
from volunteers (Rotary members) will be accepted by the Working with Children Unit via their
website from 1 October 2014.
It is strongly recommended that as a minimum Club Presidents, Board Members and especially
members involved or likely to be involved with youth activities familiarise themselves with the
information available on the Working with Children website at www.justice.tas.gov.au
The Poor Irish again … (they are even copping blonde jokes as
well):
Subject: Parking problem in Dublin
On a bitterly cold winters morning a husband and wife in Dublin were listening to
the radio during breakfast. They heard the announcer say, "We are going to have 8
to 10 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the even-numbered side of
the street, so the Snow ploughs can get through. "So the good wife went out and
moved her car. A week later while they are eating breakfast again, the radio
announcer said, "We are expecting 10 to 12 inches of snow today.
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