Club Bulletin
Volume 31, Issue No. 31- 5th March 2018
Inside This Issue |
Upcoming Events |
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3rd March
13th March
16, 17 & 18 March
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Book Sale - Second Major Book Sort
Book Sale - Third Major Book sort
Book Sale
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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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Activity
Location Date Time Cost |
ANZAC Commemoration Dinner
WPH Sports Club Monday, 23rd April 6:30pm for 7:00pm $50.00 pp Please make payment - either into Club General Account or at Front Desk by 9th April. If paying into General Account please identify payment with your Surname and Anzac Topic is Bomber Command Speaker is Annette Guterres. "There is a lot of interest in Bomber Command with the reunion in UK in April & very fortunate to get their top speaker in Annette. " Geoff Irvine |
Click on Flyer to download fullsize version of the above.
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Cherrybrook Public School as a part of their annual fund raising program is having an International Food Fair providing cuisine from different parts of the world and they have requested us if we could run their BBQ stall for them.
They will provide us with all the materials including the BBQ & gas and proceeds collected will go to P&C funds. Apart from being a fun evening, great fellowship, it will also provide us a FANTASTIC opportunity to showcase our club and engage with huge number of guests in our own community. Last year they sold approximately 18 kg sausages. I am looking for 6 to 8 volunteers starting from 4:30 to 7:30 pm (maximum 8:00pm). Cawas |
Clean water and sanitation is a human right. When people, especially children, have access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, they lead healthier and more successful lives.
We don’t just build wells and walk away. Rotary members integrate water, sanitation, and hygiene into education projects. When children learn about disease transmission and practice good hygiene, they miss less school. And they can take those lessons home to their families, expanding our impact.
Rotary has issued a global challenge to its members, asking them to work collectively to improve education quality and access — particularly for girls — by working with communities to improve teacher training, curriculum, and water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities
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ADVOCATES FOR CLEAN WATER
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WASH IN SCHOOLS TARGET CHALLENGE
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INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE
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Rotarians join the fight to clean up the western basin of Lake Erie, the source of drinking water for millions of people
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ROTARY'S TARGET CHALLENGE to develop sustainable water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and education projects is being piloted in five countries: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, India, and Kenya.
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ROTARY HAS PARTNERED WITH THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT to implement sustainable, long-term projects to improve water supply, sanitation, and hygiene in the Dominican Republic, Ghana, and the Philippines.
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REBUILD LIVES
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PROFESSIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
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ROTARY MEMBERS ARE PROVIDING CLEAN, FRESH WATER to every public school in Lebanon, so students can be healthier and get a better education.
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ROTARY AND THE IHE DELFT INSTITUTE FOR WATER EDUCATION have teamed up to tackle the world’s water and sanitation crisis by training professionals to devise and implement solutions in developing and emerging countries.
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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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President Colin welcomed members and guests. Our guest speaker tonight was Rotarian Tom Sweeny whom many of you will know – especially those who have attended District Conferences where Tom was the MC. Rotarian Nick Chuah formally introduced Tom later in the evening.
Other guests were Kerry and Bill Mann, Jaswant Thakorlal and of course Larissa. Thank you, President Elect Charlie, for standing in as President for the last two meetings and getting in some practice for next Rotary year. Thank you, Rotarian John, for standing in as Sergeant at very short notice. A very important Rotary event happened 113 years ago on Feb 23rd when Paul P. Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram E. Shorey gathered in Loehr’s office in Room 711 of the Unity Building in downtown Chicago for what would become known as the first Rotary club meeting. Polio update. Rotary started its polio eradication program PolioPlus in 1985, and in 1988 became a partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, along with WHO, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation later became a partner. Since the initiative launched, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, from about 350,000 cases in 1988 to just 22 confirmed cases in 2017. Rotary has contributed a total of more than $1.7 billion — including matching funds from the Gates Foundation There is just one case in 2018 to date. This year Rotary is giving $53.5 million in grants to support the immunization and surveillance activities led by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Rotary has also committed to raising $150 million over the next three years, which will be matched 2-to-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Our club will continue with its usual contribution of $1500 annually. |
STORY NUMBER ONE
In the 1920’s Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder. Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal manoeuvring kept Big Al out of jail for a long time. To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago city block. Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example. One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. He testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a clipping from a magazine. It read: "The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still." |
STORY NUMBER TWO
World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing- mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly. Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun- camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of WWII, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Medal of Honor. A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man. So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honour. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2. SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER? Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son! |