Presidents Report
A key feature of our Club’s meetings is the calibre of its guest speakers, and a big thank you here to Alex for sourcing great speakers who are creative, contemporary and thought provoking in the topics they raise. Last night’s meeting was no exception as we were challenged by guest speaker Dr Len Smith to contemplate the issue of slavery and servitude in modern day society. Len gave a detailed presentation on the depth and breadth this issue worldwide and advanced this argument by conveying his lived experiences in working to address and eradicate slavery. A difficult topic but one we need to confront – so well done and thank you Len for ensuring this topic remains on the radar of Rotary and our Club.
Our meeting last night also provided the opportunity to catch up on the activities that took place last week and to pre-empt what’s on during April. So, for those not present a quick recap follows.
The week that was:
- Bunnings Castle Hill Market Night on Thursday 30 March was a huge success thanks to the efforts of Kerry, Neville, Sue and Michael who helped to promote Rotary and our Club and who ran Easter Egg guessing competition; also we managed to form some great links with other local community groups, one of whom welcomed the dulcet tones of Michael to their midst and who may join us in the future to provide entertainment at our fundraising and community events – so well done on this front.
- Signs went up for the Mother’s Day Market on Wednesday 29 March thanks to Neville and Adrian, however shorty after they, and signs from other community groups at the roundabout at New Line Road and County Drive and New Line Road and Boundary Road where cut down. We’re trying to get to the bottom of this but we’re asking you to keep your eyes peeled if you see anything happening or hear any information on the local grapevine that sheds light on this – and please let us know if they go down again so we can get them back up ASAP.
- Just finally on Saturday 1 April I attended Comedy for a Cause which was a fundraiser run by the Rotary Club of Dee Why Warringah. It was a fantastic night over at Manly Rugby Leagues Club with lots of laughs generated by 4 different comedians. The event was raising money for prevention of domestic violence which I’m really inspired to support, as well as being a way for our Club to show collaboration with another Club who in fact supported our night when Greg Page joined us as guest speaker.
- Fundraising BBQ at Bunnings Castle Hill 15/04/2023 – need lots of hands-on deck for this one so please look out for and respond to Kerry’s emails;
- District Assembly on 15/04/2023 – which is designed to acquaint incoming Boards for the Rotary year 2023-24 of District plans, initiatives and officer bearers
- Social dinner on 21/04/2023 at Il Posto at North Epping;
- Anzac Day dinner with WPH&C Lions Club on Mon 24/04/2023 – so expecting good turn out from our Club members as this meeting is in lieu of our own Club meeting. We’ve also been asked by the Rotary Club of Beecroft and Hornsby RSL to be involved in their Dawn ceremonies on ANZAC Day itself, both of which we’ll participate in and big thank you here to Kaye who’ll be helping to action our involvement with these activities;
- Peter and I are off to Canberra on 28/04/2023 where Peter is the guest speaker at the 2023 Annual NTA Fundraising Dinner – this is great recognition for the work he’s putting in here plus a way help bolster support for the NTA Global grant;
- Clean up at the Cherrybrook RFS/Girl Guide precinct on Sunday 30/04/2023 in preparation for the Mother’s Day Market on 06/05/2023.
- Kings Coronation Picnic Lunch on Saturday 06/05/2023 being organised by Julian Lesser’s office.
- 03/03 – Attendance at the International Women’s Day Breakfast organised by the Rotary Club of Norwest Sunrise (Collaboration)
- 04/03 – 3rd Book Sale Sort (Fundraising)
- 05/03 – Clean-Up Australia in Cherrybrook in conjunction with Cherrybrook RFS, Girl Guides and Scouts (Environment & Collaboration)
- 06/03 – Attendance at the SOKS (Save our Kids from Suicide) Benefactors dinner organised by the Rotary Club of North Gosford (Youth & Collaboration)
- 07-09/03 – Book Sale Set-up (Fundraising)
- 09/03 – Attendance at the Cherrybrook Uniting Church BBQ breakfast (Collaboration)
- 10-12/03 – Giant Annual Book Sale (Fundraising)
- 13/03 - Face-to-face meeting at Springfield House with guests from Eugowra and the Rotary Club of Parkes and Orange (Fundraising & Collaboration)
- 17-19/03 - District 9685 Conference in Cowra (Collaboration)
- 19/03 – Visited Eugowra and met up with Macky, Tom and Macky’s dad (Community Services)
- 21/03 – Assisting furniture relocation for refugee family (Community Service)
- 24/03 – Meeting at Julian Lesser’s office helping to plan the King’s Coronation Picnic Lunch (Community Services)
- 25/03 - Election Day BBQ and Cake Stall at West Pennant Hills Public School (Fundraising)
- 28/03 – Attendance at Rotary Club of Lane Cove meeting to pursue partnership opportunities for the NTA Global Grant (International)
- 29/03 – Banners up for Mother’s Day Market (Fundraising)
- 30/03 - Bunnings Castle Hill Market Night (Community Services & Membership)
Our Largest and smallest native bees - photo and text by courtesy Aussie Bee
What are Native Bees?
• There are at least 1,700 species of "true blue" Australian native bees.
• Commercial honey bees (Apis mellifera) are not native to Australia. They were introduced from Europe in about 1822.
• Australian native bees can be black, yellow, red, metallic green or even black with blue polka dots! They can be fat and furry, or sleek and shiny.
• Australia's smallest native bee is Cape York's minute Quasihesma bee (shown in photo, with Australia's biggest bee). It is less than 2 mm long.
• Australia's largest native bee is the Great Carpenter Bee of the tropical north and northern NSW. It is up to 24 mm long.
• Most Australian bees are solitary bees which raise their young in burrows in the ground or in tiny hollows in timber.
• Australia also has 11 species of social native bees (genera Tetragonula* and Austroplebeia) which do not sting! (*Previously called Trigona)
• Stingless bee honey is a delicious bush food and stingless bees can be good crop pollinators. So stingless beekeeping is becoming increasingly popular.
• Native bees are also important pollinators of Australia's unique wildflowers and are a vital part of our Australian bushland.
• There are at least 1,700 species of "true blue" Australian native bees.
• Commercial honey bees (Apis mellifera) are not native to Australia. They were introduced from Europe in about 1822.
• Australian native bees can be black, yellow, red, metallic green or even black with blue polka dots! They can be fat and furry, or sleek and shiny.
• Australia's smallest native bee is Cape York's minute Quasihesma bee (shown in photo, with Australia's biggest bee). It is less than 2 mm long.
• Australia's largest native bee is the Great Carpenter Bee of the tropical north and northern NSW. It is up to 24 mm long.
• Most Australian bees are solitary bees which raise their young in burrows in the ground or in tiny hollows in timber.
• Australia also has 11 species of social native bees (genera Tetragonula* and Austroplebeia) which do not sting! (*Previously called Trigona)
• Stingless bee honey is a delicious bush food and stingless bees can be good crop pollinators. So stingless beekeeping is becoming increasingly popular.
• Native bees are also important pollinators of Australia's unique wildflowers and are a vital part of our Australian bushland.
Humour
Touring... contributed by Carol
A tour bus driver is driving with a busload of seniors down a highway when he is tapped on the shoulder by a little old lady.
She offers him a handful of peanuts, which he gratefully munches up. After about 15 minutes, she taps him on his shoulder again and she hands him another handful of peanuts. She repeats this gesture about five more times.
When she is about to hand him another batch he asks the little old lady, 'Why don't you eat the peanuts yourself?'. 'We can't chew them because we've no teeth', she replied.
The puzzled driver asks, 'Why do you buy them then?' The old lady replied, 'We just love the chocolate around them.'
She offers him a handful of peanuts, which he gratefully munches up. After about 15 minutes, she taps him on his shoulder again and she hands him another handful of peanuts. She repeats this gesture about five more times.
When she is about to hand him another batch he asks the little old lady, 'Why don't you eat the peanuts yourself?'. 'We can't chew them because we've no teeth', she replied.
The puzzled driver asks, 'Why do you buy them then?' The old lady replied, 'We just love the chocolate around them.'
A Good Selection... contributed by Neville
What do you think? ... contributed by Tony C
"The Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational once again invited readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are the winners:"
