This week's report was dictated to your correspondent by our very busy President. The sentiments are Matt's, any errors are mine.
Matt welcomes Maria to Australia and to our club. He thanks Greg for all he has done to make this happen. We look forward to seeing Maria this week.
Matt congratulates Surf, Jon, Kellie, The Fools on Stools, and everyone associated with the Trivia Night. It was a huge success.
Matt also thanks those members who helped support the Relay for Life with container recycling this weekend.
Realistically, the Saints are a bottom four team this year. That would be good from a draft pick perspective, but they have already traded their second round pick to Essendon. So the year will be a dead loss. (Matt didn't say this, but I am sure it is what he is thinking.)
Matt (via your CS editor).
Upcoming Events.
Maria arrives in Aus.
Greg kindly sends us this snap from Tulla.
Neil Porter Legacy seeks assistance.
Gerald informs us that the Neil Porter Legacy is seeking assistance for their careers day for high school students on Tuesday 4th of March at the Warrnambool Showgrounds.
They are looking for two barbecue cooks between 11.00 and 2.00. Everything will be supplied.
They are also looking for two car park attendants between 8.30 and 2.00.
With over 70 exhibitors and students being bussed to and from the evert all day, it should be huge.
Talk to Gerald if you are able to help.
Club assists Relay for Life.
At short notice Rotarians got out this weekend to provide a container recycling service for the Relay for Life at Deakin oval this weekend. Thanks to all those members who came out to sort containers Sunday morning but mostly a big thankyou to Bono, who dropped off the bins, picked them up, helped sort them Sunday, and then deposited them Monday.
We deposited $101.10 worth of containers, and these funds will be donated to Relay for Life.
Congratulations to Ian, Jon, Kellie, Matt, the Fools on Stools, and all those members who helped out and attended the Trivia Night. It proved to be a big success.
Lew's table dined in style.
Others not so much.
The Fools on Stools entertained.
One day Gracey will be a big enough fool to get his own stool.
After an incredible three-way tie, first place was determined by a musical question.
Second and third places were determined by a bare-knuckle fist fight.
The winners celebrated after successfully guessing Matt's middle name.
Minutes
Attendance: Nooka addressed your hard-working Central Spoke editor and declared ‘I am getting sick of you’ before ‘don’t take my photo’ and finally ‘I reckon we have 22.’
What Nooka looks like when asking not to have his photo taken.
Meal: The much-anticipated Robbo’s pasta carbonara bake. The general feedback appeared to be positive. If I was being picky, I would say the pasta at the top dried out and had become chewy. It needed more sauce (eggs, cream, parmesan) to stop the pasta drying out during the baking process. So, has promise but needs more work Robbo.
Robbo enjoying a 2019 Chateau Lafite paired with the pasta carbonara bake.
Sgt Jon threw out the first pitch with an excellent ecclesiastical baseball joke before introducing our designated hitter and president Matt.
Matt observed;
Wunta was a good night and congratulated Sam on volunteering.
Maria will be arriving in Australia tomorrow and be at our meeting in two weeks. He thanked Greg for all he has done.
With Maria arriving, everyone needs to complete their Working With Children applications.
Ian Coulson from the Men’s Shed will be our guest speaker next week.
Dillo is organising a vocational visit to Deakin University in March. We will have lunch at the Silver Fox.
In reports;
Surf thanked Lew (venue), Glenn (StackApp), Trev and Gracey (Fools on Stools), Lindsay (venue), Bono (wooden spoon) and Malcolm (quince paste) for their assistance with the trivia night. Members are asked to help set up at 2.30 on Friday.
Bono again advised members that board positions are filling up fast. He is hoping to finalise the board before he heads off to District Conference so talk to Bono soon if you are considering making this contribution.
Bono also informed us John Meade’s trotter Mattyo was running that night. See report below.
Bob advised that Maria will need to go to the District Conference and so needs a Rotarian to go with her. We also need someone to go to pick up the environment award we received more than a year ago. The club thanks Bono in advance of his attendance.
Bob also advised that the Golden Community Raffle tickets will be available shortly.
Sam gave us a report on Wunta. He noted that the event went well but did not have enough money of volunteers. There was discussion about how the event could only proceed as a ticketed event for paying customers.
Nooka has 22 members paid up for the footy tipping, which starts in a few weeks. There was a chaotic discussion as to whether Nooka was going to start the footy tipping in round 1 or, for some reason, round 2. The discussion ended with Nooka declaring ‘I mightn’t be here next week.’
Glenn then gave us an interesting history of the Rotary Bell courtesy of a piece of paper left on the lectern by one of the other Rotary Clubs. It was very informative to find out what other Rotary clubs talk about.
The barrel was drawn and we struck out twice with the first two numbers drawn not being claimed. Ron stepped up to the plate and hit a home run on the third pitch and took home the voucher for a free penne carbonara bake.
Wb’ool Tenni’s Clubs’ Facilitie’s.
Container and Blister Pack recycling update.
Your humble correspondent’s mother sent me an email this week containing the image below with the comment, ‘This looks like your shed at home Tony.’
Credit where it is due, that is a sick burn Mum.
Rotary Horse Racing report.
Bono informed us this week that John Meade’s trotter, Mattyo, was running that very night. Mattyo is of course named after Linda and Brendan’s son.
Mattyo was running in the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame Trot in that fine city. John not only trained the horse, but he also climbed abord the buggy and piloted the steed. The issue was never in doubt and John steered Mattyo to a very nice win. Congratulations to John and connections.
I have some observations for Rotary Horse Racing syndicate members who think we are in the wrong form of horse racing. Firstly, trotting just looks weird. It is like Olympic walking. Is walking fast but not running or trotting fast but not galloping even really a thing? Secondly, the total prize pool for the race was $4,000. Full credit to John, who is a very successful trainer, but the prize purse for winning the race would barely cover the fuel bill to and from Stawell. Unless of course a trotting club in New York State rings you up and invites you on an all expenses paid trip to run your horse at their club, but that is a John Meade story for another day.
So, in summary, congratulations to John and ‘Mattyo’. However, we can win just as much money running gallopers mid-field at country race meetings. We should stick to what we are good at, which isn’t trotters, but definitely is running gallopers mid-field at country race meetings.
More exciting updates as they come to hand.
Ten Years Ago.
Ten years ago Tim 'Old Blue Eyes' Goodall caught a fish.
