Recent Photographs

President's Message

Motor Show

Careers Expo

A Tribute To Norm Taylor

Last Night

Rotarians discuss concerns and initiatives at Nigeria Presidential Celebration

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

This week we saw Nei depart for her home in Thailand, we fare welled her at lunch at Mondos and saw her off at the airport.

This weekend we have Xmas in the mountains, Sophie will feel like she is at home in Germany, it will be quite cold for the local people venturing to the tablelands.

We have the BLA careers expo on today tomorrow and Saturday, information for the higher students at school, where they can go and see what career path they may need to take in life.

Team leaders for GSE teams close on 25th August, and the individual team members close 31st August.

We have our District Governor Mr. Mike Rennie coming as our guest on Friday 29th August, can members try and be at that meeting to meet him. The Directors have a meeting with him on the same day at 12 noon prior to the lunch meeting to discuss and explain their goals and plans for the year.

Members have been invited to the Big Brekkie video launch at the Reef Hotel Casino on Sunday 31st August. The cost is $20.00 per head and the aim is to establish a mentoring program it will be 9am until 12noon.

Our guest for Friday is Deborah from the Cairns Post. Deborah will be talking and giving us feed back from our advertising page we did last year promoting Rotary in the Cairns Post.

Jenny Koppen will take children's clothes to the New Guinea highlands and donations would be gratefully accepted.

Robyn

We have an opportunity for the club to make a few thousand dollars.

We need people to work at the showground for a motor show.

We will need people to work 10am to 5pm taking tickets at the door, also to sell ice creams and soft drinks.

The date is the weekend of August 30 and 31st. Are any members available to help on that weekend?

Regards Robyn

Hi all,

I'm looking for some volunteers to assist with the careers expo on Thursday, Friday & Saturday this week.

If you are able to help during any of the following times, please let me know asap.

Thurs. 21.09 9am - 6pm Fri. 22.09 12 noon- 6pm Sat. 23.09 9am -1pm.

All you have to do is stand at the door and hand out showbags with a smile. Not too difficult and a couple of hours would be appreciated.

Thanks Gina

A Tribute To Norm Taylor

The Rotary club of Midland, W.A., organised a surprise 80th birthday party for much loved charter member Past President Norm Taylor.

He has maintained almost perfect attendance during his 31 years in Rotary. Wife Doreen, their four sons and their partners were all present.

PP Norm was recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow by Swan Districts club and has been presented with a sapphire pin by Midland for his service to Rotary, but the big surprise of the evening came with the Midland club’s recognition of Doreen’s support for Norm and Rotary.

She is now a Paul Harris Fellow. Doreen has always been available to Lend A hand with all Rotary projects. Norm and Doreen , married 52 years, are still active in the family vineyard business and have no plans to hang up their boots.

Last night

I went with some friends out to a new restaurant, and noticed that the waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt pocket. It seemed a little strange.

When the waiter brought our water and utensils, I noticed he also had a spoon in his shirt pocket. Then I looked around I saw that all the staff had spoons in their pockets.

When the waiter came back to serve our soup I asked, "Why the spoon?" "Well," he explained, "the restaurant's owners hired a consulting firm to revamp all our processes. After several months of analysis, they concluded that the spoon was the most frequently dropped utensil. It represents a drop frequency of approximately 3 spoons per table per hour.

If our personnel are better prepared, we can reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen and save 15 man-hours per shift."

As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon and he was able to replace it with his spare. "I'll get another spoon next time I go to the kitchen instead of making an extra trip to get it right now."

I was impressed! I also noticed that there was a string hanging out of the waiter's fly. Looking around, I noticed that all the waiters had the same string hanging from their flies. So before he walked off, I asked the waiter, "Excuse me, but can you tell me why you have that string right there?" "Oh, certainly!"

Then he lowered his voice. "Not everyone is so observant... That consulting firm I mentioned also found out that we can save time in the restroom. By tying this string to the end of our "you know what", we can pull it out without touching it and eliminate the need to wash our hands, shortening the time spent in the restroom by 76.39 percent."

"Hhmmm...After you get it out, how do you put it back?" I asked

"Well," he whispered, "I don't know about the others... but I use the spoon."

Rotarians discuss concerns and initiatives at Nigeria Presidential Celebration

More than 1,500 Rotarians flocked to the Nigerian capital, Abuja, from all parts of the country and beyond to attend the RI Presidential Celebration at the Abuja Nicon Hilton Hotel on 9 August 2003.

The event was planned to spotlight Rotarian activities aimed at addressing population concerns in Nigeria, which with more than 120 million people, is Africa's most populous country.

The celebration was declared open by Nigeria's Health Minister Professor Eyitayo Lambo, who represented Obasanjo at the event.

In a keynote address, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Deputy Executive Director Imelda Henkin commended Rotary for projects that assist families in improving their health and living standards. "Rotarians are renowned for their selfless dedication to community service," she said. "We hope that UNFPA and Rotary International will be able to work together to help reduce the incidence of reproductive diseases such as obstetric fistula that affect African women."

Other highlights of the event included an open discussion forum and a projects fair showcasing initiatives aimed at addressing development and population issues, HIV/AIDS, and other health concerns, as well as an awards and recognition ceremony at a gala banquet where RI President Majiyagbe presented four Paul Harris Fellow pins and specially designed plaques to conference speakers and Rotarians.

The event was also very much a celebration of the homecoming of RI President Jonathan Majiyagbe, who was traveling back to his motherland for the first time since taking office in July. From the moment he stepped off the plane at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport near Abuja on 8 August, President Majiyagbe was given the royal welcome and feted as a goodwill ambassador of Nigeria and Africa and for the historic achievement of his being the first RI president from Africa.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo received Majiyagbe at Aso Rock, official residence of the Nigerian presidency, on 8 August and the two addressed a joint press conference highlighting the complementary roles played by Rotary and the government in Africa's development. "I will challenge the members of my government that Rotary is a worthwhile organization to join and support," said Obasanjo.

The Nigerian president congratulated RI President Majiyagbe upon his taking office, remarking that Africans playing a leading role in the organization would ensure the expansion of Rotary on the continent Commenting on the challenges of polio eradication in Nigeria, one of seven countries where the crippling disease is still endemic, Obasanjo said it was a national shame that children in the country were not fully protected from the poliovirus.

"We will do everything in our powers to rid our country of polio by 2004," he said, "even if it is necessary that I go out in the next 15 months to help with educating people in the affected areas about polio eradication." RI President Jonathan Majiyagbe thanked Obasanjo for the support that Rotary has received from the Nigerian government and the Nigerian president personally.

"You and your government have been extremely supportive of our efforts to help eradicate polio in Nigeria and for other initiatives we've undertaken in the country," he said. The RI president requested the government's help in reducing red tape at Nigerian customs which greatly hampered the flow of medical supplies and other humanitarian goods from the Rotary world to communities that needed it within the country. in the affected areas about polio eradication.

" RI President Jonathan Majiyagbe thanked Obasanjo for the support that Rotary has received from the Nigerian government and the Nigerian president personally. "You and your government have been extremely supportive of our efforts to help eradicate polio in Nigeria and for other initiatives we've undertaken in the country," he said.

The RI president requested the government's help in reducing red tape at Nigerian customs which greatly hampered the flow of medical supplies and other humanitarian goods from the Rotary world to communities that needed it within the country.