Attendance: Nooka recorded 31 members, and three guests present. Our guests were visiting Rotarian and Member for South West Coast Roma Brinell, past member Pinky, and Mary.
Meal: This week we enjoyed a regional Chinese dish that Rob Coffey identified as Wuhan stew. Wuhan stew consists of a chop suey of minced bats and pangolins on a bed of noodles with a garnish of biodegradable packaging peanuts. The pangolins were to protect us from witchcraft. Superb.
Knuckles kicked off proceedings with a joke about nursing homes. It was an excellent return to form for Paul as he returned from suspension. Paul then introduced our President, who congratulated Rob on the success of the Peace Concert.
In other reports:
- Garry is starting up the footy tipping comp again. $20 each, entry is voluntary unless you don’t want to join. If you don’t put the tips in you get the away teams. If you miss a meeting and don’t apologise, you automatically get the away teams. Bring your $20 this week.
- Your correspondent reported the Woolsthorpe lunch will be on Sun 19th April at 12.30pm. Members expressed a desire to organise a bus. I have contracted Les to drive the bus. If you fall off the horse Les, you have to get straight back on.
- Greg passed on Jann’s rather brief report. Thanks Greg.
- Hayessey reminded members the trade fair is on the 16th of June, probably at the Emmanuel Centre. Members are asked to help as much as they can.
- Malcolm reminded members we need to invite people to our Charity Auction on the 16th of May. Tim us that we need ‘bums on seats’. Clearly the club contains enough bums to make this work.
- Rob informed us the very successful Peace Concert raised about $4,500. This will go to the Rotary Foundation and its Peace Scholarship program. Money was also raised for our club’s bushfire appeal. Well done to Paul O’Reilly for collecting the money. Rob noted the event was a great way to showcase Rotary in a way that did not appear boastful.
- Macca advised us that Physicality would be running tomorrow at Warrnambool. See report below.
Les introduced our guest speaker, Rotarian and Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell. Roma spoke about how issues need to be raised with some theatrics in parliament to get the attention of the media. She noted a great deal of legislative work occurs with bipartisan cooperation despite the adversarial portrayal of politics in the media. She noted that as society is constantly evolving, legislation need to constantly change with it. Roma noted that she brings a wide range of life experience to Parliament, including working in healthcare, working in farming and running a business, and bringing up and educating four children. However, no one person can know everything. Roma asked the whole community to be her ‘eyes and ears’, and to bring important issues to her attention. People in parliament need feedback from the community.
Doug conducted a short but excellent fines session. He fined everyone who was not wearing a dress, and The Compass paid. This settled a dispute about what Matt wears under his suit.
Mary gave us a report about her week. She went to Jan Juc with Narelle and Paul. She is going to Swann Hill in two weeks and was looking for some blue overalls to wear.
Our meeting ended as physical and metaphorical clouds gathered outside.
Macca noted our President might now not be in the good books of our guest speaker and Member for South West Coast.
