We are meeting this Wednesday!

We are meeting this Wednesday at the Central Court.  12.30 for 1.00.  It is important that we give the venue exact numbers. 

Please r.s.v.p to Macca –

0407 052 758 or

mark.mcfadden@roads.vic.gov.au

Minutes.

Attendance: Penno asked Nooka to report that 33 members were present.  Nooka reported 32 members present.  Penno noted ’33 actually’.  To quote Bob McMillan 'it's not an exact science'.  No guests and no visiting Rotarians attended.

Meal: Corned beef with a white sauce and a great mix of fresh vegies; carrots, mashed spud, cauliflower, peas and beans.  Excellent work Jason.

Penno introduced our President, but he was having presidential chain issues and took a while to get going.  Once Ronnie found a temporary fix for his chain, he announced it was badge day.  In other reports:

·       Garry reminded members we are having a fundraising ideas forum in two weeks.

·       Garry also asked for volunteers to help build a ramp for Mr Blain.  Members were keen to get involved in this very worthwhile project.

·       Sam produced a treasurer’s report.  Our outgoings exceed our receipts, so we are ready to govern any Western democracy.

·       Ronnie did his best Hayessey impersonation and reminded members the Trade Fair is on, Wednesday 19^th May at Emmanuel College.  Talk to Peter Hayes if you are able to help on the day.

·       Bob McMillan took part in a ROMP (Myeloma project) Zoom call.  Our club continues to develop a plan to be involved.

·       Bob also reminded members of our ‘drinking but no shooting’ Sunday lunch at the Woolsthorpe Hotel, 1.00pm this Sunday.

·       Dillo informed us that Kao is doing well.  He is living in the United States but is looking to come to Australia, pandemic allowing, to do a yoga course.  Hopefully we can catch up with him in a Covid-vaccinated world soon.

·       Clive handed your correspondent some memorabilia.  See below.

·       Malcolm reported on a successful auction committee meeting.  Both attendees made valuable contributions.  Lew needs table captains and Bob will be looking for a bottle of donated wine as soon as next week.  Any vintage of Grange from the 1950’s would be accepted.

Our President and Secretary then handed out well-deserved Centurion badges to Paul Reilly, Garry Askew, Sam Baulch, Paul Blain, Rob Coffey, Tim Goodall, Boré Hoekstra, David Jellie, Bruce Ludeman, Rowan O’Brien, Lew Officer and Bomber Raymond.  Well done guys.  The Rotary Foundation does great work in the world and your contribution is very much valued.

Fines from the floor was a success, with Hutto informing members his prized Fairstar the Fun Ship badge brought back fond memories of two excellent nights on the ship in question.  Nooka fined Gracey for only scoring ’12’ in nine holes of golf, which is apparently a poor score.  Six hole-in-ones and three scores of two in nine holes won’t have Gracey teeing off with Kim Jung-un on the final day of a professional tournament, but it actually seems like a pretty reasonable effort.  Clearly Nooka was referring to some sort of scoring system that I am not familiar with.  Judging by the reaction of other members, I suspect many other people also have no idea how to score a game of golf.  Perhaps Nooka could explain it to us one day.

Ronnie helpfully informed members we would do ‘something different next week’, and we were done and dusted for another week. 

 

Kim Jong-un hears that Gracey only scored six hole-in-ones on the front nine.  On the scene was a reporter from our sister publication ‘The Central Committee Spoke’.

 

Tim and Di kindly sent us this snap.  Apprently, Mary is expected to make a full recovery without surgery.  We wish you well Mary.

 

Woolsthorpe Pub.

About 15 members, partners and friends enjoyed a Sunday lunch at the Woolsthorpe Pub on Sunday.  Bob organised a bus to leave KFC at 12.30.  The bus was a bit late leaving because Bob had invited Father Scott ‘if he wasn’t doing anything else on Sunday’.  After a bit of time ascertaining that Father Scott was otherwise engaged, we headed out to Woolsthorpe.  It was a great venue and a very pleasant afternoon.  After all the people who drove themselves had left, it became apparent that Bob’s plans for getting back to Warrnambool were a lot less specific than his plans to get there.  The plan seemed to involve botting a lift from a guy named ‘Spider’, who was neither present nor contactable on the phone.  However, Bob was sure we would be leaving by 3.00pm.  We were comfortably on the bus and heading for home at 5.00pm.  Gracey described going on a bus to the pub with Bob as ‘a hostage situation’.  Gracey was probably right, but it at least it was a Patty Hearst type hostage situation and everyone seemed to be having a good time.  As the bus entered the outskirts of Warrnambool our driver Tom asked us where we would like to be dropped off.  ‘Crown Casino’ was Bob’s suggestion.

Thanks to Bob for organising a great afternoon.

Board Meeting.

Incoming mail was tabled.

Apparently, the correct term is a dumbwaiter, but Ian refuses to bring you your food if you call him that.

Footy Update.

Preseason practice matches have kicked off in the AFL.  Adam Saad has starred for Carlton, Joe Danaher was best on ground for Brisbane, Orazio Fantasia played very well for Port, and Conor McKenna is probably playing well for county Tyrone.  In Essendon news, Alec Waterman was Essendon’s best in their loss to Carlton, kicking four goals.  Unfortunately, Waterman was the only player on the ground for Essendon who is not actually an Essendon listed player.  That concludes what may be our last football report for 2021. 

In AFLW news. Collingwood brought in a player for their first game, a player named Newman.  Best on ground for the Bulldogs was Toogood.

 

(Thanks to Ashaan Davies for largely dictating this report to your correspondent.)

 

Few people were more influential in the training of a young Vassa Blue than our Brazilian exchange student Ricardo, who spent many long days out at Wilde Racing preparing Vassa for the track.  Tim has kindly sent us this photo of Ricardo as a reminder.  

Ten years ago, we were preparing to meet Morton and Lena Stig, the parents of our Swedish exchange student Oskar, a.k.a. ‘The Stig’.  Surely it is about time we got another exchange student from Sweden to assist us in producing the Central Spoke.

Fifteen years ago, our club assisted the Mena Creek State School in its recovery from Cyclone Larry.  This effort was largely coordinated by Clive Bray if my memory serves me correctly.  Clive has kindly provided us with the following material from that time.