The Next Meetings |
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Monday 26th February
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The Plot Thickens
Historic and Famous people interred at Macquarie Park - Tom Sweeney |
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Monday 5th March
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Act for Kids - David Streichler
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Monday 12th March
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Bidjigal Reserve Trust - Brian Powyer
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Duty Roster
If you are unable to be at the meeting please contact the person doing your role the following week/s, arrange a swap and advise Max, so he can amend his records.
Inside This Issue |
Upcoming Events |
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24th February
3rd March
13th March
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Book Sale - First Major Book sort
Note change of date Book Sale - Second Major Book Sort
Book Sale - Third Major Book sort
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Club Calendar
Take me to the Club Calendar
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Note: This link goes to another page. At the bottom of that page is a link back to this page.
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District Welcome Home Dinner - 9th February
Where's Wally time - Can you find Anna? Can you find Larissa?
This photo is courtesy of RC of Glenhaven
Mikaela
The normalities of life on exchange 18/2/18
Godaften,
In a couple of days time, on the 20th of February at 6:00 am, I will have been living in Denmark for exactly one month, and what a month it has been. The adrenaline has stopped kicking in every time I get on a train (or more so run to the station) and the routines have been set for the year ahead. Life in Denmark is normal, but normal here is very different to home, if it can even be called that.
After camp, language classes started properly on Monday afternoon. We learnt the basics of Danish, and everyone is doing well, building strong foundations with the help of Estelle, our teacher, from which I believe each of us will be speaking Danish by the end of the year. After our class, I was asked to present myself to Høje-Taastrup Rotary club at the weekly meeting. Thankfully, I made a good impression the club and apparently spoke rather well. All three of my host families came to the evening, giving a supportive smile and joining in the photos after the meeting. Tak to my host families for coming, it was lovely to see you all.
During the week, my class had a project to complete revolving around the career they want to do after school. As I was going to be starting the task late, and I could not understand the extensive outline written in Danish, I completed a different task throughout the week. This allowed me to go into Copenhagen and take photographs on Thursday. By the time I got into the city, I half-heartedly took some pictures, discovering the very photogenic city is impossible to capture in a simply photograph. This experience taught me a few lessons which I think I can use for the rest of my exchange; wearing heels to walk for extended periods of time on cobblestone pathways is a bad idea, having a friend around to take silly pictures of is often more enjoyable than being alone, do not step onto the pathway at Amalienborg Palace as the guard with the funny hat will yell at you, and finally, you're attitude towards an adventure changes everything. I had woken up not really wanting to go, already ruining my chances of having a good day by being lazy with the wrong attitude. This is something I hope to do less often whilst on exchange, but it will take some effort. Although it was not the best day, Copenhagen is still a wonderful place to visit.
On the 2nd of February, both Lene and Louise celebrated their birthdays, however we decided to hold a party on the 10th of February. (This was also Mum's birthday, so happy birthday to her too xx) The preparations took most of the morning, with plenty of cooking and cleaning to be done. The Danish flag is used as a way to mark special occasions such as birthdays, so Lousie and I placed flags in the hedge out the front of our house, similar to how balloons might be placed on a letterbox. A small flag was also placed on the table, along with candles and flowers. Jan made two lagekage, which is a type of Danish layered cake, made with three thin chocolate cake layers filled with Nutella, banana, citrus marmalade, whipped cream and chocolate milk or Bailey's. This is a family specialty that is used for birthdays in the Stevnsborg house, and tastes delicious. It was nice to meet some of my host family's family and friends, and the celebrations didn't finish until 1 am.
I am not one for Valentine's Day, however, Jan bought tulips for Lene and I, saying no girl should be without flowers on Valentine's Day. Mange tak Jan, you made my day.
Thursday afternoon was my first Danish tennis lesson at the local club in Taastrup. I have missed playing tennis after only a month, so being able to play once more was amazing. As the weather in Denmark is not very desirable nor suitable to play tennis, for most of the year I will be playing on an indoor court. This is a very new concept for me, and learning to play on a different court surface will be challenging but fun. 960 kroner later, I have proper shoes and am ready for a great year of tennis ahead.
On Friday, Lian, Ninette's sister-in-law, hosted a dinner in celebration of Chinese New Year. This was not something I had expected to do in Denmark, but was a great experience and way to meet Ninette's family. With a homemade, traditional Chinese meal and some extensive nerdy discussions, the evening was most enjoyable, even if I did slip down the stairs. Despite the freezing weather, Stig and Simon made sure we went to the shops to buy ice-cream to have with our brownies, completing the already wonderful night.
Another interesting cultural experience I have had was on Saturday evening with Matthew's host family. His host grandparents were spending dinner with them, so as a special meal, we had deer that Mogens had hunted. I had not tried deer before, therefore I was glad I got to do so and it tasted really good. Tak to Matthew's host family for having me.
On the 13th of February, Prince Henrik, husband of Queen Margrethe and consort of Denmark, passed away. This was a big event in Denmark and many Danes have payed their respects by laying flowers outside Amalienborg palace. Today my host parents and I visited the palace, seeing the many flowers dedicated to the late prince. Safe travels to heaven Prince Henrik. Whilst in Copenhagen, we also visited Fredrick's Church and the Danish Museum of Art & Design. Possibly my new favourite place in Copenhagen, the museum was filled with everything to do with design in Denmark, from the 1700s to the present. I love Scandinavian design, and to see some of its most iconic pieces was inspirational and astonishing. The museum also has two exhibits currently on display; 'I Am Black Velvet' about Erik Mortensen's Haute Couture and 'Learning from Japan' about the Japanese influences on Danish design. These were both very interesting and I hope to use these to inspire my own work. I can't wait to visit the museum again.
No matter how much I have done, there is always more to do. So, in a way, chaos is my new normal.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
In a couple of days time, on the 20th of February at 6:00 am, I will have been living in Denmark for exactly one month, and what a month it has been. The adrenaline has stopped kicking in every time I get on a train (or more so run to the station) and the routines have been set for the year ahead. Life in Denmark is normal, but normal here is very different to home, if it can even be called that.
After camp, language classes started properly on Monday afternoon. We learnt the basics of Danish, and everyone is doing well, building strong foundations with the help of Estelle, our teacher, from which I believe each of us will be speaking Danish by the end of the year. After our class, I was asked to present myself to Høje-Taastrup Rotary club at the weekly meeting. Thankfully, I made a good impression the club and apparently spoke rather well. All three of my host families came to the evening, giving a supportive smile and joining in the photos after the meeting. Tak to my host families for coming, it was lovely to see you all.
During the week, my class had a project to complete revolving around the career they want to do after school. As I was going to be starting the task late, and I could not understand the extensive outline written in Danish, I completed a different task throughout the week. This allowed me to go into Copenhagen and take photographs on Thursday. By the time I got into the city, I half-heartedly took some pictures, discovering the very photogenic city is impossible to capture in a simply photograph. This experience taught me a few lessons which I think I can use for the rest of my exchange; wearing heels to walk for extended periods of time on cobblestone pathways is a bad idea, having a friend around to take silly pictures of is often more enjoyable than being alone, do not step onto the pathway at Amalienborg Palace as the guard with the funny hat will yell at you, and finally, you're attitude towards an adventure changes everything. I had woken up not really wanting to go, already ruining my chances of having a good day by being lazy with the wrong attitude. This is something I hope to do less often whilst on exchange, but it will take some effort. Although it was not the best day, Copenhagen is still a wonderful place to visit.
On the 2nd of February, both Lene and Louise celebrated their birthdays, however we decided to hold a party on the 10th of February. (This was also Mum's birthday, so happy birthday to her too xx) The preparations took most of the morning, with plenty of cooking and cleaning to be done. The Danish flag is used as a way to mark special occasions such as birthdays, so Lousie and I placed flags in the hedge out the front of our house, similar to how balloons might be placed on a letterbox. A small flag was also placed on the table, along with candles and flowers. Jan made two lagekage, which is a type of Danish layered cake, made with three thin chocolate cake layers filled with Nutella, banana, citrus marmalade, whipped cream and chocolate milk or Bailey's. This is a family specialty that is used for birthdays in the Stevnsborg house, and tastes delicious. It was nice to meet some of my host family's family and friends, and the celebrations didn't finish until 1 am.
I am not one for Valentine's Day, however, Jan bought tulips for Lene and I, saying no girl should be without flowers on Valentine's Day. Mange tak Jan, you made my day.
Thursday afternoon was my first Danish tennis lesson at the local club in Taastrup. I have missed playing tennis after only a month, so being able to play once more was amazing. As the weather in Denmark is not very desirable nor suitable to play tennis, for most of the year I will be playing on an indoor court. This is a very new concept for me, and learning to play on a different court surface will be challenging but fun. 960 kroner later, I have proper shoes and am ready for a great year of tennis ahead.
On Friday, Lian, Ninette's sister-in-law, hosted a dinner in celebration of Chinese New Year. This was not something I had expected to do in Denmark, but was a great experience and way to meet Ninette's family. With a homemade, traditional Chinese meal and some extensive nerdy discussions, the evening was most enjoyable, even if I did slip down the stairs. Despite the freezing weather, Stig and Simon made sure we went to the shops to buy ice-cream to have with our brownies, completing the already wonderful night.
Another interesting cultural experience I have had was on Saturday evening with Matthew's host family. His host grandparents were spending dinner with them, so as a special meal, we had deer that Mogens had hunted. I had not tried deer before, therefore I was glad I got to do so and it tasted really good. Tak to Matthew's host family for having me.
On the 13th of February, Prince Henrik, husband of Queen Margrethe and consort of Denmark, passed away. This was a big event in Denmark and many Danes have payed their respects by laying flowers outside Amalienborg palace. Today my host parents and I visited the palace, seeing the many flowers dedicated to the late prince. Safe travels to heaven Prince Henrik. Whilst in Copenhagen, we also visited Fredrick's Church and the Danish Museum of Art & Design. Possibly my new favourite place in Copenhagen, the museum was filled with everything to do with design in Denmark, from the 1700s to the present. I love Scandinavian design, and to see some of its most iconic pieces was inspirational and astonishing. The museum also has two exhibits currently on display; 'I Am Black Velvet' about Erik Mortensen's Haute Couture and 'Learning from Japan' about the Japanese influences on Danish design. These were both very interesting and I hope to use these to inspire my own work. I can't wait to visit the museum again.
No matter how much I have done, there is always more to do. So, in a way, chaos is my new normal.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
From Your Host Daughter in Greenland
Tony C has supplied ...
Hello Tony and Glenda!
I have not been writing to you for a looong time. I thought I'd write you a little message, because I still think of you often, and I have not had contacted you as often as I would have.
I have been very busy with school, it is my last year of High School/ Pre university. We are nearing the end of my school year in May/June, where I will graduate... finally.
It is still very much winter here, currently -15 celcius, very very cold. Maybe that is also why I've been thinking of Australia much lately, since you're still in summer.
I am starting at Copenhagen University in the next school year, to study law.
Hope you're doing well, and enjoying the heat!
Here a picture taken last week, where it was -20 c. You can see the water almost freezing in the bay, and is steaming because of the temperature difference.
Best regards,
Avi
I have not been writing to you for a looong time. I thought I'd write you a little message, because I still think of you often, and I have not had contacted you as often as I would have.
I have been very busy with school, it is my last year of High School/ Pre university. We are nearing the end of my school year in May/June, where I will graduate... finally.
It is still very much winter here, currently -15 celcius, very very cold. Maybe that is also why I've been thinking of Australia much lately, since you're still in summer.
I am starting at Copenhagen University in the next school year, to study law.
Hope you're doing well, and enjoying the heat!
Here a picture taken last week, where it was -20 c. You can see the water almost freezing in the bay, and is steaming because of the temperature difference.
Best regards,
Avi
Editors Note: Aviaaja Isaksen was our incoming exchange student in Rotary Year 2015/16
The Shed Project at St Gabriel's School
8 Staunch Rotarians turned up at St Gabriel’s school on Tuesday 20th February at 7AM to install a shed for sporting equipment at the Outdoor Learning Area at St Gabriel’s School at Castle Hill. Our club had already purchased the shed kit for the school.
Thanks to Peter Cleary (Who kept us safe), Peter Stanton, Max Henderson, Andrew Little, Neville Hansen, Colin McGowan and Paul McManus. With only a few technical glitches, we managed to follow the instructions and get the shed up and about half the roof on.
St Gabriel’s treated us very well providing morning tea and a great lunch.
We plan to re-group on Thursday 1st March to complete the job, and also to paint the poles that support the new Shade Sails that Tom is kindly supplying. Tom’s contribution to St Gabriel’s School is very important. The support structure for the sails is all in place. It’s a very impressive job.
Working together on a project like this is what our club does best! Service, Fellowship and Fun.
Thanks to the whole team for your support.
Tony C
Thanks to Peter Cleary (Who kept us safe), Peter Stanton, Max Henderson, Andrew Little, Neville Hansen, Colin McGowan and Paul McManus. With only a few technical glitches, we managed to follow the instructions and get the shed up and about half the roof on.
St Gabriel’s treated us very well providing morning tea and a great lunch.
We plan to re-group on Thursday 1st March to complete the job, and also to paint the poles that support the new Shade Sails that Tom is kindly supplying. Tom’s contribution to St Gabriel’s School is very important. The support structure for the sails is all in place. It’s a very impressive job.
Working together on a project like this is what our club does best! Service, Fellowship and Fun.
Thanks to the whole team for your support.
Tony C
Editors Note: Click on a photo for a larger view
Book Sale
Your assistance with the Book Sorting is requested.
"Please also let me know if you can come & help sort books on the book sort days as we also need as much help as we can get, either be emailing me directly or filling in the lists at the Monday night meetings (if you haven’t already). "
Regards
Andrew
Regards
Andrew
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February is Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month
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Conflict and violence displace millions of people each year. Half of those killed in conflict are children, and 90 percent are civilians.
We refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Rotary projects provide training that fosters understanding and provides communities with the skills to resolve conflicts.
Through our service projects, peace fellowships, and scholarships, our members are taking action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, inequality, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.
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PREVENT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
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TRAINING
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IN ACTION
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Australia Rotary clubs raise awareness and funds to prevent domestic violence and support its victims.
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We help leaders learn how to prevent and mediate conflict.
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Rotary supports peacebuilding in communities and regions affected by conflict.
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REBUILD LIVES
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EDUCATE REFUGEES
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EMPOWER YOUTH
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Canada Rotary club helping refugees from Syria start new lives.
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A university president and Rotary club fight Boko Haram to educate refugees in Nigeria.
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Young people from Rio de Janeiro’s infamous favelas find an outlet for their energy – and a chance at Olympic gold – through Rotary.
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New Member Inductions
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On 26th February Kerry and Bill Mann are to be inducted ...
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Bernard has an inability to attend on 26th and Jaswant has requested his induction take place on 5th March.
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Kerry and Bill Mann
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Jaswant Thakorlal
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Wanted - New Members
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If you know of someone who would benefit from Rotary, or, from whom Rotary would benefit if they were a member, then contact Keith.
Click here for a PDF copy of the form to the right, and send or give it to Keith.
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Significant Club fundraising events during the year
The Book Sale March 2017. As the result of a lot of hard work the April Book Sale was a great success, especially from the organisers Max Henderson, Andrew Little and Clive Denmark. Funds raised were circa $13,000. Well done.
2017 Trivia Night
The Club held a very successful trivia night on Saturday 26 August 20167at the Cherrybrook Community Centre, raising just over $5,000 towards the charities we support.
The Club held a very successful trivia night on Saturday 26 August 20167at the Cherrybrook Community Centre, raising just over $5,000 towards the charities we support.
The Garage Sale
We have just had our best and most successful Garage Sale on the weekend of 7&8 October raising a record gross - north of $35k.
Excellent Project Management and a large number of dedicated volunteers, some putting in hours of effort, in the weeks before the weekend contributed to this result.
We have just had our best and most successful Garage Sale on the weekend of 7&8 October raising a record gross - north of $35k.
Excellent Project Management and a large number of dedicated volunteers, some putting in hours of effort, in the weeks before the weekend contributed to this result.
Barbecues
The club runs fund raising barbecues throughout the year, mainly at Bunnings (both Dural and Thornleigh) Here are Barry, Tony, Nick and David hard at work. at Thornleigh..
The club runs fund raising barbecues throughout the year, mainly at Bunnings (both Dural and Thornleigh) Here are Barry, Tony, Nick and David hard at work. at Thornleigh..
Meetings
Monday 6:30pm for 7:00pm - Springfield House - 245 New Line Road, Dural 2158
Apologies
If you are unable to attend or are bringing a guest (even if they are your partner) you must notify Carol.
Phone 8850 6515 or email [email protected] before 11am on the day of the meeting.
Phone 8850 6515 or email [email protected] before 11am on the day of the meeting.
If you are expected and do not show you will be required to pay for the meal.
President's Report 19th February
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Thank you to all Members and Guests for a truly wonderful Youth Night. Our Youth speakers were extremely grateful for all of our support offered to them in attending the respective Youth Programs. They were inspirational in the delivery of their presentations. They expressed enthusiasm when relaying their learnings and how these will benefit each of them as they continue their journeys into the future. A special thank you to the following people:
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Book Sale
Thank you to Andrew assisted by Max for a lot of effort in getting the Book Sale underway – coordinating signs, setting up the web page, organising rosters etc. Thank you to those who have helped with these activities. Books are being collected. Please volunteer to help where possible, as many hands make light work. One of the toughest phases is the book sorting and setting up. Even if you can only volunteer a few hours on a few days, it will be much appreciated.
Bunnings BBQs
The request for an increase in sausage sandwich cost to $3 has been declined despite the approach from Rotary District on behalf of all clubs. The Bunnings response was “if there is not sufficient return for effort, don’t do them as there are plenty of organisations waiting to take your place”.
I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. It was wonderful to see so many Partners attending. I do apologise for the fact that we ran short of time and were unable to have the usual Sergeant’s session. No doubt Ricardo will make up for it next week!
Next week
Closing Remarks
Thank you all for receiving me so well, as a ‘stand-in’ for President Colin Sharpe again. Each time I do it, it helps to build my confidence for when my time comes to fill Colin’s shoes. Many of you have been very complimentary of my abilities and I can assure you that your kind words are very heart-warming.
May your week ahead be filled with joy, love and kindness.
Your President-elect
Charlie McCartney
Thank you to Andrew assisted by Max for a lot of effort in getting the Book Sale underway – coordinating signs, setting up the web page, organising rosters etc. Thank you to those who have helped with these activities. Books are being collected. Please volunteer to help where possible, as many hands make light work. One of the toughest phases is the book sorting and setting up. Even if you can only volunteer a few hours on a few days, it will be much appreciated.
Bunnings BBQs
The request for an increase in sausage sandwich cost to $3 has been declined despite the approach from Rotary District on behalf of all clubs. The Bunnings response was “if there is not sufficient return for effort, don’t do them as there are plenty of organisations waiting to take your place”.
I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. It was wonderful to see so many Partners attending. I do apologise for the fact that we ran short of time and were unable to have the usual Sergeant’s session. No doubt Ricardo will make up for it next week!
Next week
- President Colin will be back next Monday.
- Three new members to be inducted: Jaswant Thakorlal, Kerry and Bill Mann.
- Tom Sweeny is our Guest Speaker.
Closing Remarks
Thank you all for receiving me so well, as a ‘stand-in’ for President Colin Sharpe again. Each time I do it, it helps to build my confidence for when my time comes to fill Colin’s shoes. Many of you have been very complimentary of my abilities and I can assure you that your kind words are very heart-warming.
May your week ahead be filled with joy, love and kindness.
Your President-elect
Charlie McCartney
Night Report
Opening: Sergeant Ric opened the meeting and called on Alan Paynter and Col McGowan respectively for Grace and the Loyal Toast.
Acting President Charlotte McCartney welcomed all members and guests. Being a Youth Night guests were plentiful including attendees at various Rotary Youth initiatives, which will be covered later, and their parents along with District Youth Representatives John Brown and Minnie Yip. Charlie also read a message of welcome from President Colin.
Charlie provided a brief description of the Rotary Youth programs – RYLA - Rotary Youth Leadership Awards; RYPEN – Rotary Program of Enrichment; NYSF – Rotary Youth Science Forum; and, RYE – Rotary Youth Exchange.
Charlie advised that a Rotary request for an increase in cost for Bunnings BBQ’s had been declined by Bunnings.
Reports:
Janelle Craig – Bunnings Thornleigh has asked if we could fill in at a BBQ on this Saturday. As this date clashes with the first book sort we are unable to meet this last minute request.
Peter Stanton – International. Peter met with Disaster Aid Australia last week and issues have been resolved, project is going ahead. The Board has signed off on our involvement.
Tony Coote – A working party at St Gabriel’s School has been organised for Tuesday 20th with 7 members attending.
Andrew Little – Book Sale banners have been put up although Andrew advised the one at Yarrara Road has already been stolen. First sort is this Saturday – all welcome. Glenda Coote will be looking after the kitchen and has already emailed partners seeking volunteers.
Presentations:
With representations from all the Rotary Youth Activities to present to the Club a busy night was had. Janelle Craig was host in the absence of Youth Director, Rosemary Clarke.
RYPEN – Charlotte Cameron and Alexander Briggs
Both Charlotte and Alexander enjoyed their time at RYPEN with main points being:
Charlotte – a good environment to enhance leadership skills and the fact that attendees were taken out of their comfort zones
Alexander – the importance of teamwork and communication
Both believe they will be able to apply the skills learnt at RYPEN in their on-going relationships.
NYSF – Erik Willison
Erik attended NYSF in Brisbane at the University of Queensland campus and had to go through a rigorous selection process to get there
His special interest is Physics but enjoyed the exposure to other forms of science including multi and cross-disciplinary engineering
Attendees were taken out of their comfort zones and visits to an Optics Lab and Algae Farm were included along with the Art Gallery and a lecture on Journalism. All activities designed to show science is a part of the whole, not the whole itself.
His main perspectives derived were: character; science; and communication
RYLA – Anuki Suraweera
Anuki was unable to provide details of the course content as, by tradition, it is kept secret so as not to spoil things for future attendees. She did comment that attendees were encouraged to look beyond what you think your limitations are, take responsibility and be accountable.
She commented that the speakers were excellent and from a broad range of occupations and backgrounds. Following a late withdrawal, Dick Smith was flown in by helicopter at the last minute which provides a practical example of the regard in which this program is held.
Goal setting, making long term commitments and re-defining who you want to be were key messages for Anuki.
RYE – Larissa Marcosi and Anna Laroumanie
Larissa is our in-bound Exchange Student from Brazil and gave a presentation on her family and life in Brazil.
She is from a small town of 8000 – Santa Cruz de Monte Castelo in Parana district. Total population of Brazil is approximately 208 million. Sao Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and is about 8 hours drive from her home town. The weather is similar to Australia although it rarely gets above 35 degrees celcius. Brazilian currency is the Real and 1 Australian dollar is worth approximately 2 Reals.
She has one younger sister and a dog, along with her parents – her father runs his own business and her mother is a nurse. Dad is also an accomplished musician and was in a band. He can play a number of instruments while Larissa is limited to piano and guitar – some limitation! They also have a music studio at home.
Like many exchange students it takes a while to get used to the school uniform in Australia.
Larissa prepared some Brazilian food for us to sample – Brigadeiro – Chocolate, and Pao de Queijo – cheese bread. Both delicious!
Anna has just returned from Japan where she spent a year as our outbound exchange student. She was based in Chiba a small town on the island of Hokkaido in the far north, about 1 hour from Sapporo. It snows for 9 months of the year and rains for the other 3 – very cold. Christmas was a very pleasant -6 degrees. At least there was plenty of opportunity for skiing.
There were plenty of highlights, too many to cover in her presentation but Anna made particular mention of a surprise wedding, for the groom anyway, for one of the Rotary club members. There was her trip to Okinawa where the temperature was a very acceptable 30 degrees.
Anna clearly had a wonderful time in Japan and conceded that settling back in to home life in Australia is a bit of a challenge.
All speakers made excellent presentations and it gives confidence in the youth of today being able to lead into the future.
Due to time constraints there was no fine session nor Heads and Tails. However, Janelle was a worthy winner of the raffle.
Jim
Acting President Charlotte McCartney welcomed all members and guests. Being a Youth Night guests were plentiful including attendees at various Rotary Youth initiatives, which will be covered later, and their parents along with District Youth Representatives John Brown and Minnie Yip. Charlie also read a message of welcome from President Colin.
Charlie provided a brief description of the Rotary Youth programs – RYLA - Rotary Youth Leadership Awards; RYPEN – Rotary Program of Enrichment; NYSF – Rotary Youth Science Forum; and, RYE – Rotary Youth Exchange.
Charlie advised that a Rotary request for an increase in cost for Bunnings BBQ’s had been declined by Bunnings.
Reports:
Janelle Craig – Bunnings Thornleigh has asked if we could fill in at a BBQ on this Saturday. As this date clashes with the first book sort we are unable to meet this last minute request.
Peter Stanton – International. Peter met with Disaster Aid Australia last week and issues have been resolved, project is going ahead. The Board has signed off on our involvement.
Tony Coote – A working party at St Gabriel’s School has been organised for Tuesday 20th with 7 members attending.
Andrew Little – Book Sale banners have been put up although Andrew advised the one at Yarrara Road has already been stolen. First sort is this Saturday – all welcome. Glenda Coote will be looking after the kitchen and has already emailed partners seeking volunteers.
Presentations:
With representations from all the Rotary Youth Activities to present to the Club a busy night was had. Janelle Craig was host in the absence of Youth Director, Rosemary Clarke.
RYPEN – Charlotte Cameron and Alexander Briggs
Both Charlotte and Alexander enjoyed their time at RYPEN with main points being:
Charlotte – a good environment to enhance leadership skills and the fact that attendees were taken out of their comfort zones
Alexander – the importance of teamwork and communication
Both believe they will be able to apply the skills learnt at RYPEN in their on-going relationships.
NYSF – Erik Willison
Erik attended NYSF in Brisbane at the University of Queensland campus and had to go through a rigorous selection process to get there
His special interest is Physics but enjoyed the exposure to other forms of science including multi and cross-disciplinary engineering
Attendees were taken out of their comfort zones and visits to an Optics Lab and Algae Farm were included along with the Art Gallery and a lecture on Journalism. All activities designed to show science is a part of the whole, not the whole itself.
His main perspectives derived were: character; science; and communication
RYLA – Anuki Suraweera
Anuki was unable to provide details of the course content as, by tradition, it is kept secret so as not to spoil things for future attendees. She did comment that attendees were encouraged to look beyond what you think your limitations are, take responsibility and be accountable.
She commented that the speakers were excellent and from a broad range of occupations and backgrounds. Following a late withdrawal, Dick Smith was flown in by helicopter at the last minute which provides a practical example of the regard in which this program is held.
Goal setting, making long term commitments and re-defining who you want to be were key messages for Anuki.
RYE – Larissa Marcosi and Anna Laroumanie
Larissa is our in-bound Exchange Student from Brazil and gave a presentation on her family and life in Brazil.
She is from a small town of 8000 – Santa Cruz de Monte Castelo in Parana district. Total population of Brazil is approximately 208 million. Sao Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and is about 8 hours drive from her home town. The weather is similar to Australia although it rarely gets above 35 degrees celcius. Brazilian currency is the Real and 1 Australian dollar is worth approximately 2 Reals.
She has one younger sister and a dog, along with her parents – her father runs his own business and her mother is a nurse. Dad is also an accomplished musician and was in a band. He can play a number of instruments while Larissa is limited to piano and guitar – some limitation! They also have a music studio at home.
Like many exchange students it takes a while to get used to the school uniform in Australia.
Larissa prepared some Brazilian food for us to sample – Brigadeiro – Chocolate, and Pao de Queijo – cheese bread. Both delicious!
Anna has just returned from Japan where she spent a year as our outbound exchange student. She was based in Chiba a small town on the island of Hokkaido in the far north, about 1 hour from Sapporo. It snows for 9 months of the year and rains for the other 3 – very cold. Christmas was a very pleasant -6 degrees. At least there was plenty of opportunity for skiing.
There were plenty of highlights, too many to cover in her presentation but Anna made particular mention of a surprise wedding, for the groom anyway, for one of the Rotary club members. There was her trip to Okinawa where the temperature was a very acceptable 30 degrees.
Anna clearly had a wonderful time in Japan and conceded that settling back in to home life in Australia is a bit of a challenge.
All speakers made excellent presentations and it gives confidence in the youth of today being able to lead into the future.
Due to time constraints there was no fine session nor Heads and Tails. However, Janelle was a worthy winner of the raffle.
Jim
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This Week's Humour
Aussie BBQ in Sydney ....
This brown snake apparently came bolting out, took the sausage in front of a group of people and disappeared back into the bush, said the spokesperson from National Parks and Wildlife Management.
"It was like it had done it before."
The barbecue, in a park at the foot of the Blue Mountains , NSW, where campers might expect the odd brush with a snake still caught everyone by surprise .
The photo came from a camper staying at the park …
"It was like it had done it before."
The barbecue, in a park at the foot of the Blue Mountains , NSW, where campers might expect the odd brush with a snake still caught everyone by surprise .
The photo came from a camper staying at the park …
Stan
Brilliant Decision by Turkey ...
Stan
An Irishman walks into a bar in Dublin ....
An Irishman walks into a bar in Dublin, orders three pints of Guinness and sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn.
When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.
The bartender approaches and tells him, "You know, a pint goes flat after I draw it, and it would taste better if you bought one at a time."
The Irishman replies, Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in America, the other is in Australia, and I'm in Dublin. When we all left home, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days we drank together. So I drink one for each o'me brothers and one for me self."
The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.
The Irishman becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way: He orders three pints and drinks them in turn.
One day, he comes in and orders two pints. All the other regulars take notice and fall silent.
When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss." The Irishman looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns and he laughs. "Oh, no, everybody's just fine," he explains, "It's just that me wife had us join that Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking. But it hasn't affected me brothers though."
When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.
The bartender approaches and tells him, "You know, a pint goes flat after I draw it, and it would taste better if you bought one at a time."
The Irishman replies, Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in America, the other is in Australia, and I'm in Dublin. When we all left home, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days we drank together. So I drink one for each o'me brothers and one for me self."
The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.
The Irishman becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way: He orders three pints and drinks them in turn.
One day, he comes in and orders two pints. All the other regulars take notice and fall silent.
When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss." The Irishman looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns and he laughs. "Oh, no, everybody's just fine," he explains, "It's just that me wife had us join that Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking. But it hasn't affected me brothers though."
Tony M
Joke Bank content is 12 jokes.
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