WELCOME ROTARIANS and FRIENDS

to the WEEKLY NEWS NOTES

 

OUR CLUB'S MEETINGS AND EVENTS

Fundraising Gala Lunch (Thursday, 15th September)

Our big fundraising lunch has been changed to the Commonwealth Club with reduced costs and a more comfortable setting.

Please bring your friends and guests and remember, it’s for fundraising.

If you haven’t received your new Invitation, contact me anytime.

Bill Andrews

 

This Week's Meeting (1st of September, 12.15 for 12.30 pm, Commonwealth Club)

We will hear from Janet Salisbury, Founder and Director of the Women's Climate Congress, who will speak to us about "Shifting the course from climate disasters to climate security - and the role of women".

Duty Roster: August 2022

Date:	Sept 1st	Sept 8th	Sept 15th	Sept 22nd	Sept 29th
Venue:	Commonwealth Club
Door:	Ross B
Welcome & Opening the Meeting:	Greg G.	George W.	Linda W.	Sue L.	Sally G.
Toast to Rotary at Work:	Eric C.	Russell D.	Michael R.	Sharon G.	Bill A.
Thank Speaker and Write Notes	Graeme H.	Warrick H.	Stephen M.	Peter D.	Juris J.

If Unable To Attend On A Day You Are Rostered, Please Organise A Replacement.

Last Week's Meeting (August 25th)

Immediate Past President Warrick led our meeting:

• Meeting agreed to reinvest the Kiva Loan repaid by Sylvan from Kenya. Will now fund an Agricultural project to support a family in Tonga.

• In October, there will be 12 days of commemorative events at the Dunn Lewis Centre Ulladulla. Peace Pole # 21 was placed there by RC of Milton Ulladulla

• Next Board meeting 31 August

• District Conference 21 – 23 October in Wagga Wagga

• Zone 8 Conference 28 – 30 October in Canberra

• International Convention 27 – 31 May 2023 in Melbourne

• Michael Rabey advised that for the week commencing 14 September there will be Peace Ceremonies across the 5 local schools where Peace Poles have been placed

• Bill Andrews advised that the Fund-Raising Event for Indigenous Projects will now be a Lunch on 15 September. An invitation email will be sent to members

• Peter Davies advised the Candle Festival will be held on 29 October. Please save the date. There will be a clean up around The Peace Bell on Sunday 23 October. Supporters and Helpers will be needed

• Treasurer Ross encouraged members to pay their Annual Dues and to respond to Weekly Meeting Invite emails.

Guest Speakers:

Sue O’Leary & Tony Maple from Canberra & Region Heritage Researchers(CRHR)

27 year old New Zealand Flying Officer Francis Ewen lost his life in a mysterious air crash on 9 May 1927 – the day of the opening of Old Parliament House Canberra. The accident took place about 600 yards from the door of Parliament House at 3.20pm, about 50 to 60 yards behind the YWCA Refreshment tent. The plane had nosed dived about 500 feet to the ground – there was nothing left of the plane.

A day of celebration ended in sorrow with Francis’ funeral being held at St John’s Church Reid 2 days later on 11 May with full military honours. Francis became a RAAF statistic.

After much research, it was found that the plane Francis was flying had had an incident the day before. The plane had been patched up, deemed flight worthy and sent back up to be part of the fly over celebrating the opening of our Old Parliament House.

Officials blamed pilot error for the crash however the coroners verdict read:

Accidental death; inexplicable happening; no one to blame; Francis Ewen died from shock, alone in his machine; crash was a mystery.

What has been found:

Francis was the fifth airman to die in front of Royalty within 3 weeks; Francis was flying an old British warplane; the actual location of the crash was Camp Hill where the Questacon carpark / building now stands; Francis’ plane actually skidded on the side of the hill

Sue & Tony’s Mission: to erect a plaque on the crash site to commemorate the 100th anniversary in 2027

Rotarian Keith Gray informed the meeting that his Uncle and Aunt were present on the day. His uncle was a Minister at the time.

Footnote: this is a story which needs to be told and a story to be remembered. Francis’ tombstone can be found in the grave yard at St John’s Reid

Sue Lloyd

 

NOTABLE DATES

National and International Days This Week

29 Aug: International Day Against Nuclear Tests

30 Aug: International Day of Victims of Forced Disappearances

31 Aug: National Day of Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia and Trinidad and Tobago; International Day for People of African Descent

1 Sept: Constitution Day of the Slovak Republic; National Day of Uzbekistan

2 Sept: National Day of Vietnam

3 Sept: San Marino National Foundation Day

Anniversaries of Historical Events This Week

29 Aug (1833) First Factory Act to regulate labour of children in mills and factories in the UK became law

30 Aug (1835) City of Melbourne was founded

31 Aug (1888) The body of Mary Ann Nichols, Jack the Ripper's first victim, was found in Whitechapel in the East End of London

1 Sept (1900) Cumann na nGaedheal (Irish Council) was founded by Arthur Griffith (also founder of Sinn Fein) to promote a "buy Irish" campaign

2 Sept (44 BCE) Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt declared her son Caesarion co-ruler Ptolemy XV Caesar

3 Sept (301) San Marino, world's oldest republic, founded by Saint Marinus

4 Sept (476) End of the Western Roman Empire: Romulus Augustus abdicated the crown in favour of the barbarian King Odoacer

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Dave’s top 10 funniest jokes of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2022

1. I tried to steal spaghetti from the shop, but the female guard saw me and I couldn’t get pasta – Masai Graham

2. Did you know, if you get pregnant in the Amazon, it’s next day delivery? – Mark Simmons

3. My attempts to combine nitrous oxide and Oxo cubes made me a laughing stock – Olaf Falafel

4. By my age, my parents had a house and a family, and to be fair to me, so do I, but it is the same house and the same family – Hannah Fairweather

5. I hate funerals. I’m not a mourning person – Will Mars

6. I spent the whole morning building a time machine, so that’s four hours of my life that I’m definitely getting back – Olaf Falafel

7. I sent a food parcel to my first wife. FedEx – Richard Pulsford

8. I used to live hand to mouth. Do you know what changed my life? Cutlery – Tim Vine

9. Don’t knock threesomes. Having a threesome is like hiring an intern to do all the jobs you hate – Sophie Duker

10. I can’t even be bothered to be apathetic these days – Will Duggan

John Kerin