This week’s speaker was Linda Sweeney who spoke on the LN4 Helping Hand Project, which was initiated by Ernie Meadows an engineer and inventor in America. Ernie decided he was going to do something for the rest of the world, after suffering the loss of his daughter at a very young age.
Learning of the hundreds of thousands of children who had lost limbs due to land mines, inspired Ernie to design a Prosthetic Hand that was fully functional and could be made, fitted and used at a fraction of the cost of prosthetic hands on the market. In 2008 Odyssey Teams took up the cause to present “Build-a-Hand” to companies as a team building exercise with the finished prosthetic hand being able to help people in more than 50 countries.
There are:
100 million active landmines in 60 countries
120 million landmines still to be deployed, most are in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
2,000 land accidents each month, which is one for every 20 mines (95% of victims are civilians with 75% having at least one amputation.
384,000 landmine related amputees globally of which 20% are children (25,000 to 50,000 with hands)
This project was started by Past District Governor Terry Daley and Debbie Daley (Rockhampton Club) and managed by the project leader, Sally Charlton of Tailem Bend Rotary and assisted by Barry Tennent in Queensland. The project is a registered Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) project.
All assembled hands are quality checked by Rotarians and delivered overseas by Rotarians at their own expense, and fitted to recipients free of charge. There are 10 unassembled hands in each kit, which costs $10,000 ($500 per hand) to purchase. Terry Daley’s original goal was to supply 100 hands by the end of the first year of the project. However, they achieved 200 with over 1,400 hands assembled since 2008.
When the team arrives in Cambodia in August this year, just over 1,000 hands will already have been fitted there.
It is a humbling experience to see the reaction of the recipients of the hands, and what they are now able to do for themselves. It has restored their dignity through enabling them to work and earn a living, ride bicycles, drive cars, use tools and feed themselves. As Mother Theresa once said “Community service is the rent one should pay for the space you occupy on Earth”.
It takes two people approximately two hours to assemble a hand. Photos are taken of the people who assembled the hand and the photo included with the hand, which is then given to a nominated recipient. Once the hand is fitted, a photo is taken of the recipient and sent to the assemblers, along with a letter of thanks.
Potential recipients of the hands are mostly identified by the local Military Rehabilitation Services.
Club members should note that there is no meeting this next Thursday as we will be participating in the “Walk a mile in their shoes” activity on Friday in lieu of the meeting.
Linda Sweeney showing the artificial hand to John Karran
Below are John Karran, Bruce McDonald and Phil Harding receiving their SA Volunteer Certificates of Appreciation from President Don. The certificates are signed by the Minister for Volunteers, Zoe Bettison which was arranged by PP Miriam.
This year's Hutt Street Centre "Walk a Mile in my Boots' is on Friday, 5th August. This will replace our normal meeting on Thursday, August 4th. The event starts at Victoria Park/Wakefield Road at 7:30am and finishes at 8:00-8:30am at Hutt Street/South Terrace with a BBQ breakfast in the South Parklands. We should meet there at 7:15am, and please remember to wear your Rotary jumper/shirt.
"Walk a Mile in my Boots" is the Hutt Street Centre's official National Homelessness Prevention Week event designed to assist around 6,000 people who experience homelessness in South Australia each year.
This year they are focussing on Martin, who had a good life in Perth working in labour and construction for over 30 years. In 2016 Martin was hit with the news that he had developed Parkinson's disease. Aside from the devastating effects of the disease on his personal wellbeing, he knew instantly that this would ultimately affect his ability to work.
In 2015 when Martin was out of work in Western Australia, he was excited by the prospect of a job lined up through a friend in South Australia. Martin pulled together the last of his savings, packed his van and hit the road with high hopes for his future. When Martin arrived on site to this promised work, he was confronted with the reality of his yet to be diagnosed condition when he failed his pre-work medical exam, meaning that he would devastatingly lose this opportunity.
"The biggest physical challenge, forgetting the health side of things, is the weather. In winter, condensation builds up inside my van, and I feel it on the top of my blanket on cold mornings."
Because no person who is homeless should ever feel they are walking alone, please join in walking one mile on a cold, winter's morning to find something to eat, a hot shower and a friendly face. By doing this you are sharing with the homeless community that you're there to help and support them; they are not alone.
I look forward to walking with all of you, plus a few dogs, on Friday, August 5th.
Adelaide Light Rotarians and friends are invited to join other club members for a fun evening at The Hungarian Club on Saturday 13th August 7pm – this is the same venue where we held our very successful quiz night. $25 provides you with an authentic Hungarian buffet comprising of three goulash’s , salads, pickles etc, desert and a live band.
I just require an indication of numbers to book a table so we can all sit together as payment is to be paid on the night upon entry to the Hungarian Club.
Let me know if you can join us as we watch President Don “bust a few moves” on the dance floor.
As flagged at the District Changeover, the District Membership Committee has come together with the District Management Team to address the issue of declining membership in our District. To this end, a Membership Summit will be held to begin the process of addressing this vital issue.
We are asking that Club Presidents and Membership Directors make every effort to attend.
All Rotarians interested in Membership are welcome to attend. Please enrol via the online link below.
Any issues or other communication, please contact: District Secretary Jeff Cluse – email secretary16-17@rotary9500.org or 0417 573 696.
Please enrol online – the link is
http://e.mybookingmanager.com/9500
The seminar is free and morning tea will be provided.
2. Voice of Rotary
Broadcast on 1197AM 5RPH Adelaide each Tuesday 7.30-8.00 pm. From each Wednesday the broadcast program can be heard on-line at www.rphadelaide.org.au/Webcast.html
9/8/16 - PP David Cockshell, RC Gawler Light
"Donations in Kind - The Old RAH Project"
16/8/16 - Imogen Walters, Rose Park
"To Moscow with the Bolshoi Ballet, Helped by Rotary"
23/8/16 - PDGs Ed King & Peter Ochota
"Rotary for the 21st Century - Options for Change"
30/8/16 - Rtn Richard Heathcote, RC Brownhill Creek
"Carrick Hill - a Unique Treasure"
3. Training News
(check District website for details)
Want to revitalise your Club; learn about Poll Everywhere and how to use it; engage all of your Club members in a membership drive; or encourage someone in your Club. Come to the next RLI Course on October 22nd & 23rd
4. Adelaide City Rotaract activity
Join the Adelaide City Rotaract in a fund raiser at the Norwood Bowls – August 13th @1.30pm.
'Did you know that more than 45 million people are trapped in modern slavery today.
Paige and Heidi from Adelaide City Rotaract Club, along with Bianca from Salisbury City Rotaract Club) decided to get on board with Project Starfish. Project Starfish is focused on supporting the Rescue Mission for Children Centre in Northern Thailand who work with a highly vulnerable group of minority tribal children who are at risk of being abducted into sexual slavery.
Part of our intentions are to plant the seed and collect ideas for future sustainable projects. Opportunity to develop many skills. We would love your support by purchasing a ticket and coming along.'
The Association of Community Service Organisations Inc. invites all South Australian Service Clubs to:-
Nominate Projects for the 2016 Premier's Service Club Awards.
Nominate an Outstanding Individual for the Heide Taylor Community Service Medal.
Nominate an Outstanding Young Person for the Allan Sloan Young Citizen Community Service Prize.
Nominate and Participate in the Schools Community Service Award.
Attend the Premier's Awards Presentation Luncheon, to be held on Sunday 9th October from noon at the Glenelg Golf Club. Display your Club Banners and Community Service Projects.
Celebrate Service Club Week by holding a Club Event.
Celebrate in the Mall in that week, more details to follow.
Substantial prize money is made available by a grant from the Premier’s Community Service Awards 2016.
For the benefit of members, we will aim to give the Duty Roster a few weeks ahead - see below.
Responsibility
4 August 2016
11 August 2016
18 August 2016
Chairperson
Miriam Silva
Fred Field
Attendance
No meeting
Angus Tuck
Yvette Reade
Attendance
David Rowe
John Karran
Hosting
Chris Dibden
Carolyn Wigg
Furniture
Richard Jarrett
John Wotherspoon
Furniture
Julie Campbell
Phil Harding
Invocation
Fred Field
John Campbell
Bottles/cans
Dean Sullivan
Graham Smith
Fred Field
Rotaract roster
Not required
Not required
22/8 John & Julie
Campbell
Bread roster
7/8 Graham Smith/
Carolyn Wigg
14/8 Graham Smith/
Terry Rodoni
21/8 Graham Smith/
David Riggall
Member's Corner
Chairman: Meet/greet speaker for the meeting; introduce and thank speaker. Preparation:- find details about the speaker prior to the meeting. Attendance: Set up reception table (attendance sheet; members list – re -payments; guest welcome sheet; money; wine raffle sheet); register member payments/ apologies/ guests. Hosting: Set up name badges display; welcome all at the door; ensure speaker and guests are introduced to appropriatepersons. Furniture: Flags; banner display; raffle balls; collection boxes; Rotary theme banner; gong and hammer; lectern position before and returned after the meeting. Computerset up – Connect to projector. Switch on. Hold function key & press F5 twice. Invocation: Recite Rotary or other invocation relating to Rotary and fellowship. Bottles/cans: Collect bags of bottles/cans at meeting and take to recycle centre for refund, pass refund and empty bags to David Rowe at next meeting. Members’ Corner: write for the Newsletter on a topic of your choice, particularly during the 3 weeks you appear here on the roster, but also anytime you have something to say. Rotaract, Church, Bread roster: Roster is for the Sunday/Monday after the meeting date. Rotaract: Meets alternate Mondays at 6pm (for a 630pm start) at the General HavelockHotel in Hutt Street. Church: Sundays, 5.30pm at Pilgrim Uniting Church, 12 Flinders St (Park via boom gate in Flinders St. from 5pm). Bread: Sundays, meet outside Romeo's, North Adelaide at 4:45pm
Members rostered for Thursday morning duty are asked to be in attendance by 6.45am
For good food, for good fellowship and the opportunity to serve through Rotary, we give thanks
Rotary Club of Adelaide Light Mission Statement
To be recognised as the Service Club of Choice in the Eastern Precinct of Adelaide because we are a Friendly Breakfast Club that appeals to a broad range of busy people who want to make a difference to local and international communities.
A visitor from Holland was chatting with his American friend and was jokingly explaining about the red, white and blue in the Netherlands flag. “Our flag symbolizes our taxes,” the man said. “We get red when we talk about them, white when we get our tax bill, and blue after we pay them.”
“That’s the same with us, the American said, “only we see stars, too.”
Robber
A little old lady came home from shopping and found a robber in her kitchen. Scared and not knowing what to do, she raised her hand and quoted the Scripture "Acts 2:38."
The robber froze in his tracks, so she called the police. When the policeman came, he saw this robber standing perfectly still and wondered what the lady had done. He asked her, and she replied, "I just quoted some Scripture."
The policeman turned to the robber and said, "Why did that Scripture make you act this way?" The robber replied, "Scripture, what Scripture? I thought she said she had an axe and two 38s."