Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Essendon Inc.
President: Grant Sheldon
Editorial Executive: Stephen Roe
Volume 78 Issue 20
Tuesday 20 November 2012
th
This Week’s Meeting:
Today was our second alfresco meeting for the year and it took place in the very picturesque and historic
Queens Park.
Once an important watering reserve for the Doutta Galla tribe
of the Wurundjeri people, it was also a resting place for gold
diggers on their way to the goldfields. Burke and Wills camped
near the original waterhole on the first night out of Melbourne
on their 1860 expedition.
The Moonee Ponds Cricket Association played here in the
1860s and the Moonee Ponds Bowling Club was established on
these grounds in 1889.
In 1897 Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee
marking 60 years on the throne, and, in her honour, the
Moonee Ponds Reserve was renamed Queens Park. Essendon
was proclaimed a city in 1909 and Queens Park hosted the
celebration.
Aerial view of Queens Park
Our own Club’s direct involvement included the establishment of a wishing
well in 1958, the donations from which were donated to the Mayor’s
Charity Fund and the construction of the sound shell at a cost of just over
$20,000, designed by Jack Honson, in 1983.
Queens Park is now a focal point of many community activities including
the Moonee Valley Festival, Carols by Candlelight, music concerts, family
BBQs and weddings. It is Moonee Valley’s oldest park and is a highly valued
and utilised community asset.
An inspirational shot of Queen Victoria
Moonee Valley City Council has commissioned a Master Plan to guide the
management and development of Queens Park to ensure it will be enjoyed
by its citizens for years to come.
Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Essendon Inc.
Well done to Michael Mahoney and his committee for another innovative meeting – great food, fine wine,
impeccable company and a timely reminder of our Club’s significant involvement in the local community.
Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Essendon Inc.
President Grant’s thought for the day: ‘Experience is something you don’t get until just after
you need it!’
Magnificent News from Myanmar
Myanmar’s population numbers more than 60 million people and the country has one of the world’s
highest published rates of blindness. Only 200 ophthalmologists service the country which has a current
backlog of 600,000 cataract operations. Less than half of the local practicing ophthalmologists perform
surgery, with the majority working only in the two largest cities. (In contrast Australia has approximately
800 ophthalmologists for a population of 22 million).
Our shy but extremely generous benefactors have provided an update on their own cataract program in
Yangon. Through connections established by International Chair Simon Cookson and his committee, more
than 700 people have now undergone cataract surgery at the Jivitadana Sangha (Monks’) Hospital and
another 900 are on the waiting list for the procedure.
Ophthalmologist Professor Geoffrey
Cohn has made two trips to Yangon
and has been instrumental in the
success of this marvellous program.
Like our own Club, he has
established valuable relationships
with local professionals including our
good friend, Dr. San San. This helps
to maximise the impact of his
efforts, and he receives regular
updates on the progress of the
surgeries.
Professor Cohn at the Monks’ Hospital
Dr. San San has introduced Prof.
Cohn to another hospital where a
similar program may commence.
Great
work
by
Simon and his team
to connect the
people who can do
so much good –
another string to
Rotary’s bow!
Article in the appropriately named ‘New Light of Myanmar’ newspaper
Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Essendon Inc.
FOOD DRIVE FOR CAROLINE CHISHOLM
***Christmas is approaching quickly. Please consider!!***
Community Committee has been asked to source non perishable food items for the poorer families and single
mums who use the services of Caroline Chisholm in Moonee Valley. Items that are best donated include:
Pasta
Tomato-based pasta sauce
Breakfast cereal
Longlife milk
Tinned fruits
Tinned baked beans
Tinned spaghetti
Please bring the items to lunch meetings or phone Richard Lawrence 0418 369 290 if you can assist.
The Rotary Club of Essendon
No raffle this week so
hang on to your hats for
next Tuesday.
Jackpot now
$750!
Birthdays:
Michael Mahoney 26 Nov.
Ian Thomas is making the news
again for all the wrong reasons.
He recently suffered a setback
and was hospitalised with
severe chest pain. He is now
home and is happy to take brief
phone calls.
P.O Box 161
Essendon, VIC 3040
Club President: Grant Sheldon
Club Secretary: Rob Thomas
www.rcessendon.com.au
Thommo, your jokes really
aren’t all that bad. Please come
back fit and healthy!!
Today’s attendance:
32 members plus two lovely
guests, Gaye Cariss and
Pat Fraser
Club Anniversaries:
Pat O’Connell 1974
Rob Thomas 1984
Nick Patinyotis 2009
Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Essendon Inc.
Club notes:
A request from Fredricks – if you would like salad for lunch or if you have
any other special dietary requirements could you please advise Fredericks
by 12 noon Tuesday.
A request from the front desk – if you know you will be bringing a guest to
a Tuesday meeting, could you please email the guest’s name to John
Gorman to ease administration upon arrival?
Relay for Life – Peter Duras has collection tins available in the lead-up to
next February’s event. Please see Peter if you would like a tin to place at
your business premises.
Club Historian Steve Chandler is compiling more of the Club’s history and is
attempting to produce an electronic record of all important Club events. All
early correspondence has been scanned and stored on his computer.
Recently he has scanned all of the Paul Harris Fellow recognition summaries
that were held but has discovered there are a few missing, in particular
Royce Abbey's original PHF. He would appreciate a copy of that if anyone
has one plus some of the very early PHF's of which there were possibly six,
th
including Royce's, at the time of the Club’s 50 anniversary in 1985.
He is also seeking copies of some of the later PHF summaries including
those for Michael Mahoney, Cathy Nicou, Alf Puglia and Glenn Smith. If you
could provide an electronic copy it would be appreciated otherwise Steve
can scan a paper copy and return it to you. If there are any other items that
members think should be in the archives or if anybody would like a DVD of
what is currently held, please contact Steve.
Charlotte’s home meal hosting roster:
26/11/12 Peter Halaseh
15/04/13
03/12/12 Neil Henderson 22/04/13
10/12/12 Don Knee
29/04/13
17/12/12 Denis Kosnar
06/05/13
21/01/13 Maria Kouppas 13/05/13
28/01/13 Shirley Kukk
20/05/13
04/02/13 Ray Landgren
27/05/13
11/02/13 Richard Lawrence 03/06/13
18/02/13 Roger Leask
10/06/13
25/02/13 Lisa Lowcock
17/06/13
04/03/13 Connie Maina
24/06/13
11/03/13 John Marshall
01/07/13
18/03/13 Sam Morello
08/07/13
TBA
Paul McDonald
Cathy Nicou
Veronica O'Sullivan
Roger Priestley
Michael Portelli
Denis Rietdyk
Anne Rogers
Glenn Smith
Sam Tartaglia
Rob Thomas
Graeme Wood
Anthony Taranto
Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Essendon Inc.
The Rotary Club of Essendon invites you to an...
AFRICAN DINNER
to launch the Club’s new project in Kenya:
NEW HOPE FOR
WIDOWS AND ORPHANS
Thursday 22 November 2012
Nyala, Level 1, 356 Brunswick St., Fitzroy. 9419-9128
TIME: Take the bus from Wings Away at 6.30 p.m. SHARP, or arrive at the restaurant at 7.15 p.m.
WHAT AM I EATING? A delightful degustation menu of African food unlike anything else! Yes,
cutlery is supplied!
WHAT IS THE COST? $60 for a feast!
WHAT AM I DRINKING? We have good wines for sale to drink at good prices provided by our
members:
 Reds from the legendary Graeme Wood Wine Cellar!
 Whites from Bellarine Estate (Alf Puglia).
 Sparkles: Yarra Burns 2006 Vintage Brut Rose $20(Tim)
 African beers $7 & aerated waters from Nyala
HOW DO I GET THERE? Parking is poor, so take the bus from Wings Away, 55 Rose Street,
Essendon. Only $10 return!
WHAT ELSE AM I DOING ON THE NIGHT? Bring your Christmas Gift list with you – lots of
African goods for sale, plus giveaways and raffles!
BOOKINGS: At Tuesday meetings, or call Connie on 0466 969 944.
Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Essendon Inc.
‘Tis the season folks!!
Christmas Carols in Queens Park
Sunday December 9th
Any Rotarians willing to assist with the selling of
sausages and drinks at this year’s Carols in the Park
event would be most welcome. We will be cooking
and selling with general fellowship from 5pm
onwards so come along and help out.
Please let Richard Lawrence know if you can assist.
ROTARY CHRISTMAS DINNER FUNCTION
Tuesday 11th of December
(No lunch meeting)
6.30 for 7.00pm
@ Fredricks
$55 per head includes
3 course meal,
canapés and a complimentary drink
For Bookings contact Michael Pepi 0419 348 191
Royce Abbey Award news
The latest Royce Abbey Award was presented to Alan Samuel of the RC of Glen Eira on the 25th anniversary
of the charter of his Club. Alan was Glen Eira’s inaugural Royce Abbey awardee. Attending the meeting
were several Japanese Rotarians who were very interested in the award, possibly opening up the way for
further international applications (awards have already been presented in Jakarta and the Philippines).
Alan said that the Royce Abbey Award was discussed
at his Rotary District Leadership course providing
valuable publicity for the award at that important
forum.
The total number of recipients is now 190,
representing a contribution of $190,000 to The
Rotary Foundation.
Alan Samuel receives the award from President Mark Preston
The award was the brainchild of Roger Leask who is
to be commended for his continued enthusiasm and
promotion of what has become a valued means of
recognition for commitment to Rotary.
Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Essendon Inc.
Ponder these………
If Teflon is non-stick, how do they make it stick to the pan?
Do fish get thirsty?
Why does a round pizza come in a square box?
If you were in a car travelling at the speed of light and you turned on the headlights, what would happen?
If mineral water has trickled through mountains for thousands of years, why does it have a use-by date?
Where would we be without rhetorical questions?
If heat rises, shouldn’t hell be cold?
If money doesn’t grow on trees, why do banks have branches?
How can someone draw a blank?
Where does the white go when the snow melts?
If man evolved from apes why do we still have apes?
How do you KNOW it's new and improved dog food?
What do sheep count when they can't get to sleep?
When you choke a smurf, what color does it turn?
If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you
strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?
If the professor on Gilligan’s Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?
And, if a man is talking in a forest and there is no woman there to hear him, is he still wrong?
Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Essendon Inc.
Thanks to our valued sponsors……..
Help yourself and help the Club by banking with
Strathmore Community Bank. For example,
take out a home loan and the club will receive
up to $500. Take out a 3 month fixed term
deposit and the club will receive up to $50.
For more details drop into the branch at 337
Napier St or call branch Manager Philip Stewart
on 9374-2607.
Please support the bank which supports us!
Location! Location!
Location!
Your company’s name and logo
would look great here and you’d be
supporting our Club at the same
time.
Please contact Michael Mahoney to
take advantage of this prime
advertising spot!
Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Essendon Inc.
For your diary……..
DATE
EVENT
VENUE
Thursday 22/11/2012
Nyala African Restaurant
356 Brunswick Street Fitzroy
Tuesday 4/12/2012
Official launch dinner for ‘New Hope for
Widows and Orphans’ project
AGM plus guest speaker Elliott Neagle,
exchange student to Japan, January 2013
DG Dennis Shore
Sunday 9/12/2012
Carols in the Park
Queens Park
Tuesday 11/12/2012
Evening Christmas Function
Fredricks
Tuesday 18/12/2012
Breakfast meeting
Fredricks
Tuesday 25/12/2012
NO MEETING
Merry Christmas!!
Tuesday 1/1/2013
NO MEETING
Happy New Year!!
Tuesday 8/1/2013
NO MEETING
NO MEETING
Tuesday 15/1/2013
Inter-club visit
TBA
Tuesday 22/1/2013
Member ‘Behind the Badge’ talk
Fredricks
Tuesday 29/1/2013
Club Day
Fredricks
Tuesday 5/2/2013
Kerry Kornhauser – ‘Putting Gender back
on the Agenda’
Phillip Stewart and Peter McKie – The
story behind the Strathmore Community
Bank
Fredricks
Wednesday 13/2/2013
‘Lunch on a Liner’ fundraiser
Tuesday 19/2/2013
TBA
Aboard the ‘Rhapsody of the
Seas’ at Station Pier
Fredricks
Tuesday 26/2/2013
TBA
Fredricks
Tuesday 5/3/2013
Club Day
Fredricks
Friday 8/3/2013
International Women’s Day Breakfast
Crown Palladium
Tuesday 12/3/2013
International Women’s Day speaker
Fredricks
14-16/3/2013
District Conference
Albury
Tuesday 19/3/2013
Irish Day
Fredricks
Fri - Sat 22-23/3/2013
Aberfeldie Athletics Track
Tuesday 26/3/2013
Relay For Life – please note change of
dates and venue
TBA
Tuesday 2/4/2013
Club Day
Fredricks
Sunday 21/4/2013
Rotarians at Work : Graffiti Removal Day
TBA
Tuesday 27/11/2012
Tuesday 12/2/2013
Fredricks
Fredricks
Fredricks
Fredricks