We are meeting this week at the Timor Street Bowls Club. Meals $20, drinks at bar prices. Wednesday, 12.30 for 1.00pm as usual. Parking on the city side of the club off Timor Street.
Please rsvp to Brendan 0434 600 114
Club Calendar.
Thursday 24th Feb, Warrnambool Footy Club – Guest speaker Ken Hutt to talk about his plans to jump off Mt Everest in a glider to raise money for End Polio.
Sunday 27th Feb, Foreshore area – 38 Mate walk for Myeloma Australia.
Tony’s tribulations.
Greetings fellow Rotarians.
We seem to be getting back into the swing of things again after our little omicron hickup. I understand some members are still isolating with Covid or have the virus. I hope everyone is well and out of isolation soon.
We are really hoping members will get on board and support the 38 Mate walk on Sunday 27th of this month. Please register as soon as possible (see details below) to make sure you join in and pick up your T-shirt.
A terrific yarding with umpteen visiting Rotarians and guests. Guests included Gerald Irvine and Pat McKenzie, as well as Amrica who most of us thought was already a member. As the president noted, she would already be a member if secretary Brendan (and her nominator)was doing his job!....(Just quietly Brendan, you're doing a great job for which we are all grateful).
Bore had organised for Noel Howard from the Rotary Club of Hamilton, chair of RAWC in our district, to give us a brief address. He pointed out that whilst RAWC is usually involved in overseas projects there is nothing to say it can't be a local project. So if any of us see a need, and think that Rotary might be able to fill it, do you think about floating the idea. We were encouraged to look at the RAWC website which explains more.
Gloria, from a Rotary club in Melbourne which I am embarrassed to say I missed the name of, gave an address in relation to Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM). The World Health Organisation regards malaria is one of the worst scourges faced by mankind. 2/3 of the deaths are children under the age of five years, and malaria kills more people in one day than sharks have killed in the past hundred years. Sub Saharan Africa is by far the greatest incidence of malaria site. World malaria day is 25 April but because that clashes with our Anzac Day, the malaria day in Australia is 13 April. Gloria was urging us to consider donations to the general RAM account and/or the Vanuatu account. The Vanuatu situation is certainly approximate to Australia, and you have probably all noticed the significant number of very polite young men from Vanuatu living in South Warrnambool and employed at the meat works.
Interestingly the enemy is the female of the Anopheles mosquito which we don't have in Australia. Australia is malaria free save for people who return to Australia having contracted the disease overseas.
It was a vibrant and entertaining meeting with 30 people present.
Catering and table settings are a problem unless we get accurate RSVPs. Can all members please SMS Brendan O’Neill strictly by 12:30 pm on Tuesday to let him know if they are coming. We also need guest numbers by that time to be fair to the venue. But a large number of attendees is a great problem to have, and we look forward to the return of more and more members to our regular Wednesdays as soon as possible. For those of you who haven't yet resumed the Wednesday routine, the venue and the food and the camaraderie is fantastic and we look forward to seeing you.
Cheers, Robbo.
We thank James for these photos.
Easy Rider.
Easy Rider is a 1969 film that is a semi-biographical account of the life of our Charter President. Sam Baulch is currently writing the next chapter and brings us his early draft.
Bowls Night.
A relatively small group of a dozen or so met to enjoy some bowls and a meal last Thursday. Knuckles provided us with some expert tuition. As Paul was teaching members the finer points of lawn bowls he referred to any really bad bowl as ‘doing a Tony’. I am not sure why.
The bowls finished with Paul O’Brien challenging everyone to a ‘hole in one’ competition, which he was very confident nobody would win. Paul Reilly, who had only bowled once before ten years previously, stepped up to the plate and put his bowl in the ‘hole’ first go. Anita Hoekstra also got an honourable mention for rolling her bowl directly over the ‘hole’ twice in a row.
We thank Bob for organising the night and Paul O’Brien for generously teaching us some lawn bowls technique.
Boré’s View.
Here at the Central Spoke we always value reader feedback. Boré rarely reads the Central Spoke; generally he finds that he has better things to do with his time. Last week Boré must have found himself at a loose end because he decided to take a glance at this humble publication. Boré was not impressed, and thought the editor’s decision to publish the cartoon last week was regrettable and in poor taste. I apologise to anyone who was offended.
It is therefore a relief this week to feature the cartoon of a man who has never been associated with any sort of Rotary controversy. Ron McLeod is a past member of our club and a past editor of the Central Spoke. Ron has always been a fan of the work of our District Governors. Imitation, as they say, is the sincerest form of flattery.
Once again we thank Boré for the use of his wonderful cartoon. Unless Boré is offended by the cartoon, in which case we condemn it in the strongest possible terms.
Nine Years Ago.
Last week we published a photo of the very washed-out Wunta concert ten years ago. Sam felt this was a bit negative and, for balance, has kindly sent us a snap of the much more successful event nine years ago.
Sam noted that Jenny Bullivant has wanted to be taken 'somewhere fancy where you can see the chef cook your food'. Lindsay brought her down to the Rotary Wunta sausage sizzle tent.
Ten Years Ago.
Ten years ago, Fisheries Victoria in their wisdom decided to launch legal action against a member of the public who we shall call ‘the Tickler’. Evidence was at best circumstantial; gaff holes in the back of crayfish in the defendant’s boat and a gaff located under the said boat with T.G. engraved on the handle. For the defence was the testimony that crayfish can be seduced and then subdued with a certain beguiling tickling technique mastered by man in question. Common sense prevailed and the judge dismissed the case from the court. Luckily Fisheries do not hold a grudge and now they frequently stop ‘The Tickler’ just to discuss his crayfish subduction technique.
Warrnambool Central Committees for 2021-22.
Community Service (Matt).
Brendan, Tickler, Gerard, Blainey, Hicko, Lindsay M, Ian S, Bill, Mick,
Club Service (Bob).
Macca, Quincey, Gracey, Hutto, Bullant, Bruce, Paul R., Trev,
Vocation (Hayessey).
Lynchie, Clive, Paul O’B, Nooka, Sam, Bomber, Reevesy, Brad.
Youth (Greg).
Lew, Pip, Ian B., Dillo, Shane, Rowan, Francis, Peter K.
