The Rotary Club of Richmond · The Rotary Club of Richmond Meeting 1966 16 th April 2007 Page 1...

The Rotary Club of Richmond Meeting 1966 16th April 2007

ShelterBoxes: Rotary’s rapid response tool. A ShelterBox provides a large tent, sleeping bags, a cooker, warmth and shelter

for ten people … in a box! It is a transportable unit that provides quick

emergency accommodation for people made homeless in a disaster. DG Bernie

Walshe has called for District 9800 clubs to supply ShelterBoxes to the Solomon

Islands as our contribution to the international relief effort following the tsunami

last month. (See page 7). President Janice is raising this for discussion at

tonight’s board meeting.

To date, 19 clubs in D9800 have donated a total of 79 boxes.

The cost of a ShelterBox is UK£490 and all items are obtained at less than trade

prices. Every ShelterBox is individually numbered and the donor’s name appears

within the box and also on the

ShelterBox Trust website with its final destination.

There is a downloadable brochure and a large range of pictures of the

ShelterBox in use at:

http://www.shelterbox.org

Boxing Day

Tsunami relief

from Oxfam

Liberia

Hurricane Katrina

Uganda


The President’s MessageI hope everyone has benefited from the

Easter break. I certainly have, and

enjoyed catching up with

family and friends, and even reading a book.

The tsunami in the

Solomon Islands is most

upsetting, and I wonder if we should send a Shelter

Box to help them, or if we

can help in some other

way. We will discuss this

at the Board Meeting

before the Club Meeting

on Monday.

This week I have met with

Jean Marc Berthier to talk

of projects to be

considered to commence

soon and carry on next

Rotary Year.

I will be collecting final names and

money for the meeting on Monday

evening 30th April arranged by the

Rotary Club of Kew to hear Gemma

Sissia speak about St

Jude’s School in Tanzania at the South Yarra tennis

club. Those of us who

heard her speak at our

conference in Hobart are looking forward to hearing

this inspirational young

girl again. Please note

there will not be our usual

lunch time meeting on

that day. Rotarians who

are not able to attend this

evening are able to do a

“make up” at another club

during this week.

Please note also that the

Ainger Award Evening is

an extra evening meeting on 14th May.

Cheers, Janice

Last Meeting Attendance Attendance for Monday 2nd April: Apologies: Mark Dwyer, Neale Jackson, John Nairn, John Benger

Guests: Nellya Lode, Doreen Schofield, Jenny List, Maureen Pang, Annie Wysham,

Sue Roberts, Flora Lee.

Guest of the Club: Ian McIntyre

Make-ups: Tim Baker, Nia Holdenson, Jo Cowling, Mark Fowler, Warren Golding,

Neale Jackson, Janice Kesterton, John Liddell, Aivars Lode, Colin Looker, Robert Mactier, Simon Marriott, Gavin Martin, Judy Nettleton, Barry Roberts, Tony Webb,

Sue Bolton. (Mock Job Interviews)

Janice Kesterton, Brian List, Jean Marc Berthier (Donations in Kind loading)

Judy Nettleton, John Nairn (District Leadership Team)

Rob Mactier (GSE Bendigo)

“There's no trick to being a humourist when you have the whole government

working for you.” Will Rogers (1879 - 1935) US humourist & showman


Rwandan scholar blazes a new trail By Dan Nixon, Rotary International News , Photo courtesy of Alexandre Ngamije. 4 April 2007.

Alexandre Ngamije broke new ground

for himself and Rotarians alike when he

arrived in Rockford, Illinois, USA, as a

Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial

Scholar from Rwanda in August 2006.

"When I came to the U.S., I had my

own culture," says Ngamije, age 31,

who is in a two-year

master's program in

business

administration at

Rockford College.

"Then I gained a new

culture. In Africa, we

don't have development as it is

here. [In the U.S.] I

see many paved

roads, tall buildings, and how people

behave in a different

culture."

Ngamije's first time

outside Africa also marked a first for his

host District 6420.

"We are excited to receive our first

Ambassadorial Scholar in 15 years and

the first one from an underdeveloped

country," says Elise Cadigan, of the

Rotary Club of Rockford. "Alex arrived

with two small suitcases, little cash, and

incredible determination to work hard,

[and] better himself and his family."

"Rockford Rotarians have come

together to provide him with everything

else he needs," says District 6420

public relations chair Brian Adams.

"Rotarians helped him obtain clothing, a

computer, and other personal items."

Ngamije was born in the Democratic

Republic of Congo and moved to

Rwanda, his parents' homeland, in

1994 after the genocide had ended.

While working there for a

nongovernmental organization, he

served as an interpreter for Bob

Cerwin, of the Rotary Club of Asheville,

North Carolina, USA. Cerwin told him

about the Ambassadorial Scholarship

program.

"My dream was to

continue my

education but I did not have the

means," says

Ngamije, whose wife

and 16-month-old

son live in Rwanda.

"I was extremely

happy when my scholarship was

approved. The

Rotary scholarship is

very good, because

wherever you go you

are a member of the

Rotary family.

Ngamije, who was raised speaking

French, has also been intensively

studying English. "When I came to the

U.S., English was my fourth language,"

he says. "Now it is the first one I

speak."

Once Ngamije felt comfortable enough

with English, he began making

presentations to Rotary clubs. In January and February alone, he spoke

to seven clubs.

Ngamije has discovered, however, that

people generally have a one-

dimensional view of his homeland.

(cont page 6)


Club News Friends of RC

of Richmond:

Open Invitation to all Rotarians

and Friends. A DATE FOR YOUR DIARIES. Come

along to a Luncheon at Parliament House on Thursday July 12 at 12.30pm. Two courses for $25, including a tour of

Parliament House at 11 am. Please reply to Maureen Pang: Bus. Hrs. 9388 0555 or 9388 2086 or by email to [email protected]. Proceeds

to ROCAN Ova-rian Cancer Research.

RRC Trivia Night Saturday May 12th at Richmond Town Hall. Full details to

come. Everyone is encouraged to make up a table of 10. It will be a night of laughs and good fellowship. Welcome to new Rotarian Ian

McIntyre, inducted on 2nd April. Ian is a retired paediatric surgeon.

Big Band Night at the Austrian

Club. The Fellowship Committee is holding a Big Band Night at the Austrian Club on Saturday 21st April, starting at 8.00pm. Dinner is available

(if required) from 7.00pm. Drinks at bar prices. Entertainment once again

by the JW Swing Orchestra. Admission

$17.00.

This is a great night & we would love to

see as many as possible. There is only a limited number of seats

still available as the popularity of this night

continues.

Venue: The Austrian Club. 76-90 Sheehans

Road, Heidelberg West. Please advise Mike

O’Sullivan urgently by email if you are coming:

[email protected]

Club Projects. There was a Board Meeting before tonight’s meeting. Watch the Bulletin next week for

highlights of current projects.

Honestly…

A young man, hired by a supermarket chain, reported for his first day of work. The manager greeted him with a warm handshake and a smile, gave him a broom and

said, "your first job will be to sweep out the store."

"But I'm a university graduate," the young man replied indignantly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that," said the manager. "Here, give me the broom, I'll show you how."

Last week’s speaker (cont from p5)

It is the kinder committee’s ambition to become a leader in

linking to the community in the city of Yarra. They want to work in up-

skilling the local community and Kirsty said that rather than asking for a fridge or more fantastic joinery from us, she would like to have RRC

support them with this idea of bridging into the local community. Can RRC help them skill up and pass these skills on? A good question: Can we?


Heard at Pets on Parade set-up Jo Cowling: “I need to go and set up the PA system.”

Mark Dwyer: “I’ll do that. I’m a man and I know about these things.”

Pause. Mark (looking a stack of assorted gadgetry): “Is that box the amplifier?” Jo: “No, that’s the popcorn machine.”

Last Week’s Meeting Speaker: Kirsty Slifirski Topic: The Boroondara Kindergarten

The Boroondara Kindergarten is in

Cook Court, Richmond, close to the low rise ‘walk-up’ housing, and was the

recent recipient of a new kitchen fit-out from our club. Kirsty has had a long

involvement with the Boroondara Kindergarten. She describes herself as

a ‘fired-up’ parent and member of the school community.

The kinder was established in 1914 by

the women of Boroondara (meaning: “a shady place”). Originally on Church

Street, it moved in 1927 to its present site in Cook Court. Over the years the children and staff have watched the demolition of the old Richmond around

them, and the development of the present government housing. They expect to see this all redeveloped again in the next 15 years. The area is very

multicultural and today the kindergarten has children from 17

different language groups. The two largest groups are the Vietnamese and the East Timorese.

The kindergarten philosophy is that the relationship between the staff and the

community is one of a reciprocal learning process: they are in a learning community and the kinder works very hard to be inclusive and to involve the

parents. The local community is very underprivileged: 25% are unemployed, 81% are on health care cards and 82%

live locally on the Richmond Housing

Estate.

Boroondara Kindergarten is the only

kinder in the state to employ bilingual staff. This strategy works well, giving

the kinder an ‘in’ with the local community, and they try to have a representative from each language group on their management committee.

As a result there is a sense of

togetherness about the whole community of children and they simply

do not get racist taunts made within the school the way that other schools do. They commonly find that past pupils who have grown up and moved away,

are now bringing their children back to enrol because the parent valued the Boroondara experience so highly.

In recent times the lack of resources

had become an issue so getting funding for the future development of the kinder

is now a priority. And they are being successful. Recently the kinder

received a $30,000 grant to establish a Sudanese playgroup which they hope will become a bridge to the local

Sudanese community. They are aiming for a government grant of $250,000 to redevelop the building, have applied for a grant from Sustainability Victoria, and

are pursuing other sources of further funds.

(cont page 4)


Rotarian Rodney Thornton

would like visitors, please. Rodney Thornton, a Rotarian from Warren, west of Dubbo, is in Epworth

Rehab with multiple fractures of the

pelvis, damage to his right leg and left

arm. He doesn’t have any contacts in

Melbourne, and he will be in Epworth

for many weeks, forced to lie on his

back while he mends.

Rodney is an enthusiastic middle aged

motor cyclist who was unfortunate

enough to be struck recently by a car.

AG Kevin Field has circulated the news

of Rodney’s misfortune around the local

clubs seeking visitors and

President Janice has been in to

see him. She reports that he is a

very nice man who would welcome other visitors.

Rodney is in Epworth Rehab

Room 9A, 3NS, in Erin Street on the corner of Normanby Road.

Visiting hours are Monday to

Friday 4.00 – 8.00 pm, and at

weekends from Noon to 8.00 pm.

Do go and see him if you can.

Rwandan scholar blazes

a new trail (cont from p3) "Unfortunately, many people don't know Rwanda for good

things, only for genocide," he

says. "But they want to know the

real situation and I am happy to tell them. Rwanda erected a

genocide memorial, so it could

teach others to avoid that kind of

evil in Rwanda and throughout the

world. Also, Rwanda is a good country

to visit for tourism."

After he returns to his country, Ngamije

would like to start his own business,

perhaps in the transportation field. But

he also has other ambitions.

"I am studying as an Ambassadorial

Scholar and want to be connected with

Rotary International wherever I will be. To be an ambassador of goodwill, I

must be an ambassador everywhere that I am." (Article courtesy of Rotary

International)

The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something

right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

Juries: When you go into court, you are putting yourself in the hands of

12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.


District 9800 News: Operation Solomon Islands DG Bernie's Weekly Message.

Because of the disastrous earthquake just out of Gizo that caused tidal wave damage to the Solomon Islands, I have given this story preference this week.

The earthquake epicentre was near Gizo where Rotary District 9600 has a Rotary Club. DG Mike Gregory (D.9600) has written the following update:

"I am sure that you are all well aware of the earthquake and subsequent tidal wave that devastated the Western and Choisel Provinces of the Solomon Islands on 2nd April. Reports so far indicate that, fortunately, loss of life has been minimal but damage to villages and infra-structure is extensive and they will require a lot of help well into the future. D9600 has a Rotary Club in Gizo, capital of Western province, and we also have a Rotary Community Corps at Munda. As the airport at Gizo has been inundated, all relief work is being channelled through the airport at Munda. Many coastal villages have been swept away and some islands have had their sole supply of fresh water contaminated so urgent need is to provide shelter, water and food. ShelterBox has agreed to 200 boxes being repositioned ready to distribute when DGN Wayne Morris of the Rotary Club of Honiara has sorted out the logistics with the Government and RAMSI. So, support for ShelterBox is the best way we can help in the short term."

Rotary always operates best in times of crisis and when the need is felt by our neighbours. This one such case and I ask all Clubs and Rotarians to consider helping as much and as quickly as possible.

In agreement with the Trustees, $6,000 will be allocated from the District 9800 Disaster Relief Fund for Operation Solomon Islands. This will be sufficient for 5 ShelterBoxes.

Full details of how clubs can make donations are in Volume 3, Issue

37 (5 April) of Town and Country.

Dinner with Bill &

Lorna Boyd. A dinner will be held on 2nd June at 6.30 for 7.00pm, at Moonlight Recep-tions, 622 Nicholson Street, North Fitzroy. Pre- dinner drinks and canapés, followed by two course dinner (includes beer, wine, champagne and soft drinks). Car parking has been arranged. All this for only $60. All Clubs should be represented for this visit by our World President. This dinner will cater for the five Districts in Victoria plus Tasmania and a total of 600 can be accommodated so book early to ensure a place. Booking details will be advised soon.

ROTARY DISTRICT 9800, R.I. & OTHER ROTARY LINKS

District 9800 Home page: www.rotaryd9800.org

District E-Zine & DG’s weekly message: home.vicnet.net.au/%7Enews9800

Rotary International: www.rotary.org/

RI President’s Monthly Message www.rotary.org/aboutrotary/president/boyd/messages.html

ROMAC News: www.romac.org.au/news.shtml


TODAY’S MEETING

Topic: Australian Rotary Health Research Fund

Speaker: PDG Judy Nettleton

Chair: Ben Hosking

Duty Roster

This Month April

Alternate & May

E: Colin Looker E: John Liddell Greeter, Badges &

Welcome

to visitors: L: Simon Marriott L: Judy Nettleton

E: Phil Mylecharane E: Michael O’Sullivan Head Table &

Banners: L: Kieran Moore L: Trevor Pang

Cashier L: Brian Irving E: Mark Dwyer/Sue Bolton

Gentle reminder: If you are unable to carry out the rostered duty above, it is your responsibility please to

organise a substitute. Thanks

23 April Neale Jackson

30 April (At RC Toorak)

7 May Brian List

14 May Aivars Lode

Nominated Chairpersons

(Please notify Rob Mactier if you cannot do) 21 May Colin Looker

Celebrations

16th – 22nd April 2007

Birthdays

Mark Dwyer 19th

Andrew Michaelides 22nd

Partners’ Birthdays Andrea Michaelides 22nd Wedding Anniversaries

None Induction Anniversaries

Steve Pitney 22nd

Venue: Amora Hotel Riverwalk, 649 Bridge Road, Richmond. Parking: Please change your parking docket for a free exit docket at the reception desk.

For your diary: Note: (E) = evening meeting, (L) = lunchtime meeting

23 April (L) Speaker: TBA Vietnam Veterans (Provisional)

30 April (L) Joint meeting with the Rotary Club of Toorak (see Club News): Speaker: Gemma Sisia Topic: The School of St Jude, Tanzania

7 May (E) Speaker: TBA Topic: Royal Botanical Gardens

14 May (E) The Ern Ainger Public Speaking Award

21 May (E) Cluster Group Meeting

Finally: “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”

Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

Bulletin Editor 2006/07: John Liddell: [email protected]

Richmond Rotary Website: http://www.rotaryrichmond.org.au

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