The Rotary Club of Oatlands Rotary District 9830 Club Number: 18464 Chartered: 7th June 1979 Wednesday 12th November 2014 This is a Club Bulletin – Please submit any articles to: Ian Johnston. i.a.johnston@bigpond.com Ph: 62544117 1st Sunday each month 19 December 2014 27 February 2015 The Rotary Club of Oatlands meets Each Wednesday at RSL, Albert Street, OATLANDS 6:30pm for 7pm Oatlands Community Market Foster Children’s Xmas Party Campbell Town Rotary BBQ Volunteers required Bothwell Spin In – Rotary BBQ 6pm Volunteers Required CLUB OFFICE BEARERS 2013 -2014 President is Brian Flakelar President Elect is John Hay Club Service and Past President is Anne Tudor Secretary and International Service is PP Danny Burrow Treasurer and Community Service is R Meagan Penzig Sergeant at Arms is Robert king New Generations is PP is Tim McConnon Vocational Service is PP Albert Darkin Ian Johnston is Bulletin Editor The Four-Way Test: Of the things we think, say or do 1. Is it the TRUTH? 2. Is it FAIR to all concerned? 3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? 4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned? Mission of Rotary: The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, Professional and community leaders. 1 FROM THE EDITORS DESK: Well once again I must hang my head in shame with regard to publishing the Bulletin in time or indeed out at all. I have had a very sick computer for a while and a few weeks ago it became terminal and my old hard drive went to computer heaven. Actually that is an oxymoron really, “computers and heaven” - I don’t now and have never found them heavenly and the last few days of its life was total hell. Lost stuff, addresses went missing, pop ups taking over and all sorts of other weird things happening, it was very frustrating. Then the new “build’ came along, oh joy of joys! but unfortunately not with all the records associated with the earlier hard drive. They were nowhere to be found, so Bulletin records associate emails and things to be included in these Bulletins couldn’t be referenced. But bear with me, you may get some repeated stuff now and again and some important details may be missed temporarily, but given time I think we will get back on track again. Yours Aye Ian -------------------------------------------------------------------------------From DG Ken: The first week without an official club visit but a full week nonetheless. On Thursday evening we attended the launch of Sally's Ride which was originally initiated by Sally Fletcher and organised now for several years by the Rotary Club of Central Launceston. This event raises funds for a very worthy cause - raising awareness of mental health issues and suicide among our young people as well as supporting youth affected by mental health issues. More information can be found here http://www.sallysride.com.au/, but don't just read about it, why not register and benefit yourself with the healthy exercise as well as doing something to support suicide prevention. I did give serious thought to entering myself but then I thought......I haven't ridden a bike for several decades and it probably wouldn't be a good look for Rotary's District Governor to be seen cycling along the West Tamar Highway with training wheels. And then I remembered that we were going to be in New Zealand at the time of Sally's Ride (for the Rotary Zone Institute). So I couldn't enter anyway! And I really would have, honest! Please put me to shame and make this the biggest event yet. On Saturday I chaired the District AGM followed by the second District Leadership meeting for the year. Thank you to all the President's who gave up their time to come along not only for the AGM but also to stay on and see what D9830 leaders get up to. A wide range of topics were discussed and I appreciate the contributions of all in attendance especially when we thrashed out issues surrounding the new working with children legislation. Watch this space as there will undoubtedly be more information to promulgate in this regard. Saturday evening was spent at the RC DÉntrecasteaux Channel Opera & Cocktails Night. Picture 50 guests seated in the fabulous Villa Howden listening to five very accomplished singers and supporting pianist, performing 18 different songs from a variety of stage shows and the like. Magnificent is one word that begins to describe the experience amplified by the standing ovation at the end of the performance. An event to put in your calendars for next year! Today (Sunday) Lois and I along with DGN Gerard and Fiona Blizzard had a fantastic time supporting RC Brighton with their BBQ at the Brighton Show. This club has a very professional set-up and have got things down to a fine art. It was a pleasure working with President Danny and his club but after 20 dozen eggs, 70 loaves, umpteen kilo's of hamburgers, sausages, bacon and onions........I'll be happy if I don't see a BBQ for a day or two!! Happy to return next year Danny! Regards, DG Ken 2 COUNCIL ON LEGISLATION The Council on Legislation is the legislative body (parliament) of Rotary International, which has the authority to amend our constitutional documents, as well as adopt resolutions. This is the process that changes the governing documents used by clubs – the standard Club Constitution and the recommended Club Bylaws. If you consider that the current (2013) versions are lacking or need change, then consider whether there is a need to propose legislation. Proposals must be submitted by a club, endorsed by the district and be received at RI headquarters by 31 December 2014. Details on the Council of Legislation are available on the District website at: http://www.rotary9830.org.au/administration/governance/ Alternatively, contact District Council on Legislation Representative James Wilcox on mobile 0439 911 747 or email jkwilcox@bigpond.net.au We greybeards have destroyed the planet - oh, the shame! Checking out at the supermarket, the young cashier suggested to the much older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologised and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days." The young cashier responded, "That's our problem today - your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations." She was right -- our generation didn't have the 'green thing' in its day. Back then, we returned milk bottles, lemonade bottles and beer bottles to the shop. The shop sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilised and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day. Grocery shops bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household bags for rubbish, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school), was not defaced by our scribbling’s. Then we were able to personalise our books on the brown paper bags. But too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then. 3 We walked up stairs, because we didn't have a lift in every supermarket, shop and office building. We walked to the local shop and didn't climb into a 300 horsepower machine every time we had to go half a mile. But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day. Back then, we washed the baby's Terry Towel nappies because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy- gobbling machine burning up 3 kilowatts wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids had hand-me down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day. Back then, we had one radio or TV in the house - not a TV in every room and the TV had a small screen the size of a big handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of Scotland. In the kitchen we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We pushed the mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then. We drank from a tap or fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the "green thing" back then. Back then, people took the bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their Mums into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's £25,000 People Carrier which cost the same as a whole house did before the "green thing." We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances and we didn't need a computerised gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pub! But isn't it sad that the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then? 4 Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a “smart” young person...We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to annoy us ...especially from a tattooed, multiple pierced smarty who can't work out the change without the cash register telling them how much it is! Here endeth the lesson! What is Happening and where? Rotary Club of Kingston Quiz Night 6.30pm for 7.00pm start ‘C’ Pod Kingston High School Friday 14 November 15.00 per head ______________________________________________________________________________________________ The Rotary Club of Moonah will be celebrating their 60th Birthday on Saturday November 22nd, at the Hobart Hockey Centre. The theme is James Bond and "Diamonds are Forever", so get dressed up in your most suave, sophisticated and glamorous outfits and strut your stuff. Dress: Black Tie / Lounge Suit. Further details will be available soon on our website at www.MoonahRotary.org ______________________________________________________________________________________________ The Rotary Club of City Central Hobart invites you to a Fashion Parade At Blue Illusion, Magnet Court Sandy Bay On Wednesday the 26th of November 6.00pm – 8.00pm Progress? (I don’t think so) When I bought my Blackberry, I thought about the 30-year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music, takes videos, pictures and communicates with Facebook and Twitter. I actually signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, my 13 grand kids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space. That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twitterific, Tweetdeck, 5 Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting World. My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag. The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then when going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's actually red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Bunnings talking to my wife and everyone within 50 yards was glaring at me. I had to take my hearing aid out to use it, and I got a little loud. I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside that gadget was the most annoying and rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes she would sarcastically say, "Recalc-u-lating." You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right turn instead. Well, it was not a good relationship... When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and, while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me. To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I lose three phones all at once and have to run around digging under chair cushions, checking bathrooms, and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings. The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?" 6 every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them with me. Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or plastic?" I just say, "It doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look. I was recently asked if I tweet. I answered, No, but I do break wind a lot." P.S. I know some of you are not over 60. I sent it to you to allow you to forward it to those who are. We senior citizens don't need anymore gadgets. The TV remote and the garage door remote are about all we can handle. New Working with Children Legislation As a result of new State Legislation, from 1 July 2014 if you work or volunteer with children then you may need to apply for a ‘Working with Children Check’ the new laws are designed to reduce the likelihood of harm to children and create safer environments for all children. It is clear that many of Rotary’s youth programs will require members to have a check and as the responsible ‘Employer’ Rotary D9830 will establish a set of guidelines to assist clubs and members interpret their responsibilities in this regard. The process involves a national police check and background checking which includes a person’s criminal history, non-conviction information, relevant offences and other information. Members of Rotary intending or required to work as volunteers with children will need to apply for this new type of registration and be successfully registered by 01 April 2015. Applications from volunteers (Rotary members) will be accepted by the Working with Children Unit via their website from 1 October 2014. It is strongly recommended that as a minimum Club Presidents, Board Members and especially members involved or likely to be involved with youth activities familiarise themselves with the information available on the Working with Children website at www.justice.tas.gov.au The Poor Irish again … (they are even copping blonde jokes as well): Subject: Parking problem in Dublin On a bitterly cold winters morning a husband and wife in Dublin were listening to the radio during breakfast. They heard the announcer say, "We are going to have 8 to 10 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the even-numbered side of the street, so the Snow ploughs can get through. "So the good wife went out and moved her car. A week later while they are eating breakfast again, the radio announcer said, "We are expecting 10 to 12 inches of snow today. 7