Visiting Rotarians: PDG Dick Cuttle, Lou Davy (Onkaparinga), John Holds (Whyalla)
Returning Rotarian: Jerry Casburn
Apologies: Stephen Bone, Robyn Carnachan, Lindsay England, Sheila Evans, Geoff Hill, Chad Leader, Dennis Liddle, Mavis Martin, Bob Mills, Ali & Soheila Mostaghim, David Payne, Marlene Small, Pam Trimmer
Attendance: 19 Members 5 Guests
President Heather's Announcements
Sheila and Mavis both emerged from hospital last Friday......Sheila is intending to return to Rotary soon but Mavis needs more time to regain her strength.
The Regional Membership Conference is to be held next weekend at Flinders Uni.
There will be a Board meeting after this.
Heather and Judi visited Louise Place which assists pregnant women without partners/carers. Our club will be looking at opportunities to assist the women receive skilled training to increase future employability.
Welcome back Jerry Casburn.
Rotary Facts
Jerry Casburn spoke about the Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN). This program is designed for 14-17 yos who spend 3 days away together at a camp. Dennis Liddle has hosted a number of such camps at Woodhouse. RYPEN aims to foster leadership, teamwork, problem solving, public speaking, communication, goal setting and ethical values. Last year our District conducted camps with 40-50 teenagers at Flinders Uni and Sunraysia. 90% of attendees are grateful for the experience and a number go on to participate in other Rotary programs.
Guest Speaker - Nena Murad
Kurdistan Schools Project
Chairman Judi Corcoran introduced Nena who is 22 years old, one of six children and is a double degree Bachelor of Science and Education. She migrated with her family in 2004 from Kurdistan. Her passion is to help the Kurdish people in a practical way by delivering much needed containers of educational material and raising funds for improvement in school facilities. She represented Kurdistan in a beauty pageant. Nena is an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Onkaparinga.
There are about 2500 people of Kurdish descent in South Australia and 50 million around the globe. The autonomous region of Kurdistan as proclaimed in 2005 covers a large area across the borders of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran.....its capital is Rania in Iraq. There are 35 million stateless people in this area fighting for independence. In 2016 Nena represented Kurdistan in the Pageant of the World to bring attention to the plight of Kurds.
In addition to previous containers, this year Nena and RC Onkaparinga arranged for a container to be sent from DIK at Salisbury to her former homeland (the Piramugran region specifically) filled with educational equipment and materials and Days for Girls kits. She is working in concert with the Kurdistan Save the Children Association. A graphic video was shown of the unsafe and unsanitary conditions of the schools. Further, hours of schooling are quite limited and many schools are without power. Nena believes education is key to the future of Kurdish people and she is committed to raising money to improve the facilities.
Nena was thanked by acclamation and she presented appreciation plaques to Dick Cuttle and Trevor and President Heather.
Spots
Ken Haines reported that Bunnings BBQ yesterday was a great success with all the food sold and $1126+ banked
Jerry Casburn sought volunteers to deliver the Pride of Workmanship materials to business premises on Unley Road.
Patsy Beckett asked members to nominate for the Country Car Trial (aka Redex) on 29 October
Directors Wendy Andrews (Community Services), Graham Beckett (International) and Stephen Baker (Vocational and Youth) provided insights into the projects being pursued this year.
The Finale
Ken Haines again won the infernal squares..........we need to wash the marbles!!!!! The happiest news came from the Prez who revealed she will be nanna to twins early next year. Patsy was proud of the devious methods applied to sell all the snags at Bunnings. Jerry had a fabulous holiday in Asia....we need to check this with Briony.
The meeting concluded sometime prior to 8pm.
Rotary News
Barry Rassin selected to be 2018-19 Rotary president
Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2018-19. He will be declared the president-elect on 1 September if no challenging candidates have been suggested.
As president, Rassin aims to strengthen our public image and our use of digital tools to maximize Rotary’s reach.
“Those who know what good Rotary clubs do will want to be a part of it, and we must find new models for membership that allow all interested in our mission to participate,” he says. “With Rotary more in the public eye, we will attract more individuals who want to be part of and support a membership organization that accomplishes so much good around the world.”
Rassin earned an MBA in health and hospital administration from the University of Florida and is the first fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in the Bahamas. He recently retired after 37 years as president of Doctors Hospital Health System, where he continues to serve as an adviser. He is a lifetime member of the American Hospital Association and has served on several boards, including the Quality Council of the Bahamas, Health Education Council, and Employer’s Confederation.
A Rotarian since 1980, Rassin has served Rotary as director and is vice chair of The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees. He was an RI training leader and the aide to 2015-16 RI President K.R. Ravindran.
Rassin received Rotary's highest honor, the Service Above Self Award, as well as other humanitarian awards for his work leading Rotary’s relief efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there. He and his wife, Esther, are Major Donors and Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation.
Rassin’s nomination follows Sam F. Owori’s death in July, just two weeks into his term as Rotary International president-elect
Upcoming Events
Regional Membership Conference at Science Innovation Learning Centre Flinders Uni
From 8.30am - 3pm Saturday 26 August and 8.30am - noon 27 August
Metropolitan Male Choir 2017 Variety Proms Concert
Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 August 2pm at Adelaide Town Hall Tickets $20-40
RYLA September 23-29 Nunyara Conference Centre.
Redex Car Trial 29 October
Our Upcoming Meetings
29 Aug 2017 atDamien on Fisher at 6 for 6.30pm Stephen Westgarth - Club Runner Presentation
Doug Pender lived all his life in the Florida Keys and is on his deathbed and knows the end is near.
His nurse, his wife, his daughter and two sons, are with him.
He asks for two witnesses to be present and a camcorder be in place to record his last wishes, and
when all is ready he begins to speak:
"My son, Bernie, I want you to take the Ocean Reef houses."
"My daughter Sybil, you take the apartments between mile markers 100 and Tavernier."
"My son, Jamie, I want you to take the offices over in the Marathon Government Center."
"Sarah, my dear wife, please take all the residential buildings on the bayside on Blackwater Sound."
The nurse and witnesses are blown away as they did not realize his extensive holdings, and as Doug slips away, the nurse says, "Mrs. Pender, your husband must have been such a hard-working man to have accumulated all this property."
The wife replies, "The bastard had a paper route.”
Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2018-19. He will be declared the president-elect on 1 September if no challenging candidates have been suggested.
