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NOTES ON THE RUN

I did venture out of the house a few times, got as far a (not) Floriade, odd to walk around without any of the additions. Very quiet. There was also a pair of swans and their cygnets on the pond.

Dad and I went out to help with Gary Malhotra's  Helping Hands on Sunday, an absolutely amazing enterprise that has sprung up out of nowhere stacks of donated food, rice, vegetables, biscuits.  We were a little early so helped out packing some hampers first, then moved on to deliver a box of meals across a few suburbs.  

The number of different people who were quietly working away doing their thing, the variety of different products that had been donated, a stunning venture all set out in a restaurant that has been hastily converted to this operation

There has been good support from many Rotary clubs, both with drivers and donations, thank you for your support.

Don't forget the World Peace Day ceremony online tomorrow

We also discussed during the board meeting and the meeting last week about contributing some or all of what you would pay for lunch towards the club to allow us to continue to do the work that we do in the community. 

Stay Safe and Keep Well

President Warrick

PEACE NOTES


International Peace Day

Today International Peace Day was celebrated virtually through the collaboration of our Rotary Club and the United Nations Information Centre-Canberra with Tim Gavel as the moderator. Several Diplomatic Missions and many Rotary Members from around Australia joined us in the webinar on this important day.

Adrian Edwards, the regional representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees agency, transmitted the concerns of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres relating to world peace including COVID pandemic, climate change, inequality and poverty, and mistrust which is tearing apart rather than increasing needed solidarity. The UN issued a call for a 24-hour cease-fire today.

Fred Smith, diplomat et.al. and main speaker, has just returned from Afghanistan with more questions than answers about the situation there. He reported on the logjams of over 5000 persons at the airport trying to get out.

1- Should the US have invaded the country in 2001? Terrorist groups were wiped out but at a cost of over 150,000 deaths.

2- Should the US have tried to institute regime change? There was no structure on which to base democracy but there were advances in health, education and women's rights.

3- Should the US have left at this point? There was no deep understanding of the culture nor stamina for long-term efforts. There was a lack of an effective public service, justice system, political leaders for the common good and civility with others.

The good news is that 4100 people got out including 3300 who came to Australia.

Fred ended by playing a song he wrote about the experience of Australian soldiers in Uruzghan.

The ceremony was a fitting tribute to all of those working toward peace in the world.

Celebrating the Bicentenary of the Independence of Central America

Originally this event was to be held September 15th at the Nara Park Peace Bell but due to Covid, it ended up as a virtual event sponsored by the embassies of Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador and Panama.

The following is a special video prepared for this important event.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF-qJT_bV58

COMMUNITY SERVICE NOTES: Hands Across Canberra

In light of the extended lockdown in Canberra the group of volunteers organising the food deliveries to those in need, which Warrick mentioned, require ongoing financial and physical support. If members are looking for a worthwhile outlet to support the local community at this time this is an easy way to contribute.

Basically, volunteer drivers meet at the Canberra Club in Narrabundah just next to the golf driving range at 11 am each morning to pick up the meals and lists of recipients. Even though it operates every day you can participate any number of days/day that you feel able to. You can select any suburb and it takes approximately 2 hours to distribute the meals.

Hands Across Canberra who are the organisers in conjunction with Rotaract are very well organised in running the show. Quite a few of the other Rotary clubs are participating also. Donations of money (through a Rotary Club) are also well-received as they rely totally on donations from the public.

All you have to do is turn up and they will organise you and its all Covid safe!

Cheers, Peter Davies.

THIS WEEK'S LUNCHEON MEETING (Sept. 23rd via Zoom)

Our Guest Speaker: Harold Sharp will talk about the Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC)

You are invited to attend this scheduled Zoom meeting.

Time: 12:15 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9282741281

Meeting ID: 928 274 1281

One tap mobile +61871501149,,9282741281# Australia

 George Wilson

September Duty Roster

Date:

Sept. 23rd

Sept. 30th

Venue:

ZOOM

ZOOM

Door:

Ross B.

Ross B.

Toast:

Linda W.

Olek G.

Sargeant:

Michael R.

Russell D.

Acronym:

Robert L.

Greg G.

Notes:

Graeme H.

Sharon G.

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

LAST WEEK'S LUNCHEON MEETING NOTES (Sept. 16th)

The Toast: Eric Carmody made a toast to the Rotary Club of Kabul City, Afghanistan .

Our Guest Speaker: District Governor Leo Farrelly who visited us via Zoom


 

DG Leo began his presentation noting that Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta, a member of the Calcutta Mahanagar Club, wants us to be “changemakers”.

He then told us a little about himself as a member of the Belconnen Rotary Club and his experience in the Royal Australian Navy.

The District vision statement provides a clear direction into the future and there are four strategic priorities:

  1. expand the reach of Rotary;

  2. enhance participation through fellowship and learning more about Rotary;

  3. increase the impact by doing new things including collaboration among clubs through partnerships and other means to increase membership and provide effective service to the community; and

  4. increase our ability to adapt, such as taking advantage of the opportunity to recruit from the multicultural population and participation in the reconciliation process.

He also emphasised that various District teams, such as Communications and Membership, are there to support local clubs when needed.

Many thanks to Leo for giving us a very comprehensive picture of the current structure and activities of District 9705.

Acronym Last Week: R.Y.P.E.N. (Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment) 

This Is a 3-day camp program for Year 9 high school students.

The aim of the camp is to communicate to these young people a series of ideas, problems and social experiences which will assist them in forming their own values and moral standards,

RYPEN is all about getting the kids to step outside their comfort zone, meet new people and try new things.

Students participate in a range of team building games

They also hear from some amazing and inspiring speakers on a wide range of topics.

A core component of the camp is how we communicate with, speak to, and treat each other and understanding how that affects everybody, as well as getting kids to understand and appreciate the benefits of helping others. 

It's not a leadership camp as such but is really trying to open the door to the concepts of leading by serving, doing and helping others.

Any Year 9 student can apply and all applicants must be endorsed by a Rotary Club.

This year the RYPEN Challenge was to be held at Borambola Sport and Recreation Camp which is located approximately 13km east of Wagga. Unfortunately, it has been cancelled due to Covid-19.

FUTURE EVENTS (Covid Permitting)

28 OctoberMembership Committee Workshop

30 October Canberra Nara Park Candle Festival

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:

Fun with our language (Part 2)

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.

There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in a pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS.
- Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'? AND If a male goat is called a ram and a donkey is called an ass, why is a ram-in-the-ass called a goose?

Graeme Howieson

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DAYS THIS WEEK

Sept. 21 International Day of Peace, Malta Independence Day

Sept. 22 Mali Independence Day

Sept 23 International Day of Sign Languages, Saudi Arabia National Day

Sept 24 Guinea-Bissau Independence Day

Sept. 26 International Day for the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons

NOTABLE HISTORICAL EVENTS THIS WEEK

Sept 20 (1519) Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan sets sail on the first round the world voyage

Sept 21 (1949) Chinese Communist leaders proclaim the Peoples Republic of China

Sept 22 (1692) The last women (8) were hanged for witchcraft during Salem Witch Trials, USA.

Sept 23 (1884) Herman Hollerith patents mechanical tabulation machine – the beginning of data processing

Sept 24 (1948) Honda Motor Company founded

Sept 25 (1820) Francois Arago discovers electromagnetism when copper wire between voltaic cells attracts iron filings to itself

Sept 26 (1665) Height of the Great Plague in London – 7165 people die the previous week.

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