This week I'm in Port Augusta working my way back to the bool via the Eyre peninsula.
The past weeks have been fantastic visiting Uluru, Karta Tjuta, Kings Canyon, Alice Springs and Cooper Pedy. The country is amazing and changes vastly from one area to another. The NT roads are fantastic despite road trains with 5 trailers! When they have speed restriction signs on a highway it is because there is actually work being done to repair it! What a novel approach!
While I have been away the Rotary Club of Brighton has been in contact with me regarding doing something for the farmers and people impacted by the drought in the Southwest. In consultation via WhatsApp the board has agreed to progress the partnership.
Through Donations In Kind (DIK) the Brighton Rotary Club is arranging 14-16 pallets of goods such as clothing, shoes, gumboots, Toiletries, toys etc. To be donated to the Southwest. I have managed to get transport covered by Sargent's and the pallets will initially be stored at Bega Koroit while we ferry the goods to Winslow CFA at Mailors Flat.
From here the goods will be distributed through a program a company called 6C's where they are dropping food off at about 6 fire stations around the district. People who are doing it tough can drop in and pick up some food and now clothing etc. This program is anonymous and private.
I am planning my contact from Brighton Rotary to come as a guest and present to our club soon.
I am expecting the pallets to be delivered in a week or so. I will give more updates to the club as they come in.
Have a good week and stay safe.
Regards
Bono
Upcoming Events.
August 9th - Working bee at Bromfield Street Weir site.
New way to donate to brain cancer research.
Gracey has kindly forwarded us this message
As Brendan has probably mentioned, The Wolfy Foundation has now teamed up with Matty’s Hope for future fundraising. All funds collected will go directly to The Childrens’ Cancer Institute. The funds will support a brain cancer research project. We would be most grateful if are able to continue with your generous monthly donation. The link is https://www.ccia.org.au/event/mattys-hope/donate
Regards
Alan Wolf
Rotten Returns
Ron writes,
Due to Bev's recent accident, I have had to take over some of the daily domestic chores. How hard can it be? I think I've got most of it under control.
The club recently presented Matt Porter a Paul Harris Fellowship in recongnition of his wonderful work supporting local students and their career choices through the Neil Porter Legacy. US $1,000 has been donated to the Rotary Foundation as part of this award. We congratulate Matt on his achievement.
David Jellie has kindly sent us these snaps.
Minutes.
Very little is known about last week's meeting, although Jon sent us these snaps of proceedings.
David announces Queensland beer is now available on tap.
Malcolm delivers Nooka part 1 with the attendance report.
Ron delivers Nooka part 2 with the footy tipping report.
Is Rotary Romantic?
Our club recently held its changeover dinner on your correspondent’s wife’s birthday, prompting some discussion in our household about whether a Rotary event can be romantic. Many Rotarians believe it can be, most of our wives know it isn’t. This week Lew, or possibly Di, wades in on the subject.
Footy Update.
It is fair to say that the lowest seven teams on the ladder are not travelling well at the moment. The bottom seven teams play six other teams in the bottom seven and eleven teams higher on the ladder. Assuming they lose every game against higher teams, the bottom seven teams statistically must collectively win half of the games they play against each other (assuming no draws). So, mathematically, the bottom seven teams collectively must win, at a minimum, slightly more than one sixth of the games they play.
At the time of writing, West Coast, North, Richmond, the Saints, Essendon, Melbourne, and Carlton have won five of their past thirty-five games, exactly one seventh. These teams are so bad they are now starting to defy the laws of mathematics.
This is all very good for Essendon’s 2025 draft hand. The only fly in the ointment is that the Eagles, Kanga’s and Tige’s are so bad that the Saints, Bombers and Dees continue to float above them on the ladder like lead weights floating in a pool of mercury.
It will come as no surprise then, deep into the ski season, to learn that a fair percentage of the Melbourne gameday crowd is now made up of disinterested Brazilian exchange students. Robbo reports.
Several weeks ago, Lew sent us this rumour about Carlton’s next coach. Of course, Michael Voss’ position would be safe if Carlton could just play Melbourne every week.
Tony’s Travel Diary.
Your correspondent recently returned from Bali. Apologies to our President; I could find no evidence of any fire hydrants, fire stations, fire engines or any firefighting infrastructure of any kind. Worse than that, I had the honour of attending a traditional Balinese funeral in a small village in rural Bali. The funeral, which was elaborate and quite expensive for local families, was fascinating and actually quite uplifting. However, the traditional Hindu funeral pyre was a CFA volunteer’s worst nightmare. Due to an issue around pumping lots of propane into the pyre prior to the match being lit, there were nearly more people cremated than originally planned. This does raise the age-old philosophical question about whether, if you die in a fire, you get a discount on the cremation fee.
The Balinese love the regional delicacies of Southwest Victoria.
Derrinallum satay chicken is also very popular.
The Rotary Club of Bali Central’s annual clubman award.
The trophy was donated by your correspondent’s cardiac surgeon.
You find Rotary everywhere.
Was this a left over from the 2019 volcano eruption?
