Recent Photographs

President's Message

Rotary at Work

Harold T. Thomas

Lending A Grassroots Hand

Seeing Double at Rossmoyne

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

Hi all

We will be having Rotary lunch on Friday 3 October at the Emergency Centre/Ambulance on Anderson Street at 12.30pm.

Now I know I'm getting in early but as I'll be away for the next couple of weeks (Longreach) I would really appreciate you letting me know if you'll be there for this special Vocational lunch. This way I'll ensure we have plenty of food for lunch.

Please bring along family and friends as this is a great opportunity that not too many people get the chance to do. Adults $20/children $12

Please reply via email with your numbers or tick off the sheet that Sandy has on Friday when we have lunch at the Balaclava.

Thanks Gina

Rotary At Work

From tiny Wanaaring in the far north-west corner of N.S.W. comes a delightful Rotary story

The lone teacher at Wanaaring Public School recently placed a notice with The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper calling for the donation of books suitable for primary school children.

A Good Samaritan within the Australian Tax office saw the notice and placed a suitable message in the staff newsletter that circulates within the Australian Tax Office. Some weeks later, the Good Samaritan rang the teacher at Wanaaring to advise the office had collected 40 cartons of suitable books and what were the delivery instructions.

The teacher contacted the nearby Rotary Club of Bourke (District 9690) for assistance and, of course, Bourke club has a strong association with the Rotary Club of Silverwater (District 9690) via special secondary school work experience and Outback Rotary Educational Scholarships programs.

By great coincidence, Silverwater had planned its annual work experience pilgrimage to Bourke during late August. Wanaaring Public School had more books than they could poke a stick at by the end of August which gives our report a nice final twist. Bourke Rotarians have assisted Wanaaring to share the books with small schools throughout the far north-west of N.S.W.

As I said at the outset, a delightful story - thanks to a caring teacher in a remote one teacher school, a Good Samaritan within the Australian Tax office, and the miracle of Rotary.

Bob Aitken
Managing Editor
Rotary Down Under: Sept 2003

Harold T. Thomas

In a tent, in a then remote area in New Zealand in July 1891, a boy was born. The Maori lady helping the mother suggested names and they were accepted so - Harold Tahana Thomas humbly joined the world,

Harold T. Thomas as a furniture retailer, became a Rotarian in Auckland at the age of 31, 'We now know Harold T. Thomas as the president of Rotary International for 1959-60. Harold wrote these words in a poem.

If we allowed the daily news
To shape our thoughts and mould our views
We all seem doomed to endless strife
With enmities and discords rife.
We know there's much to be undone
And even more to do, for peace and concord to be won
From conflicts old and problems new:
But all the problems are manmade
If we just call a spade a spade,
And this we know is also true
That we can be the answer too.
Man must reap whate'er he sows
Follow Rotary's simple plan
Sow goodwill Goodwill, good faith and friendship too
Could all be reaped and sown anew.
Then we may reach our long sought goal
Neighbours all from pole to pole;
One human race with ties that bind
One humane world, one humankind.

Take care - and Lend A Hand as Past President Harold Thomas's words ring so true for today's necessary action by all Rotarians.

John Thorne
Rotary Club of North Hobart,
Tas. Rotary International Director 2002-04

Lending A Grassroots Hand

How often are Rotarians asked by well meaning people: "But what do you get out of being in Rotary?"

Just recently I had a wonderful Rotary experience that helps to answer that question.

Attadale Primary School, W.A., has been blessed with excellent principals. Midge Humphreys is carrying on this tradition.

A six year old there has endured more pain than a lot of us will know. His parents separated. Mum was transferred to Queensland with the armed forces. Within three months she had succumbed to cancer.

After experiencing this first hand, the boy went to stay with his maternal grandparents in Cairns until being reunited with Dad in Western Australia. Dad has his own problems with mental health, but is doing a good job in raising the boy.

Teachers noticed that the boy was not coping with the loss of his mother. Midge arranged meetings at school with the boy and his Dad and took an active interest in their welfare, It was decided that the son should go to Queensland to be reunited with his grandparents, visit his Mum's grave and hopefully come to terms with her death, Quite a load for a boy.

Midge Humphreys via the internet contacted local Rotary clubs (somehow Attadale didn't appear on the list). The response was only slight at the beginning, so the school arranged a meeting for me with the principal. Midge was hoping that local Rotarians may have enough extra frequent flier points to get the boy to Queensland for the July holidays.

Meantime, the Rotary Club of Rossmoyne, W.A., received her letter, read it at a meeting and raised $A700. Club member, Past District Governor Alan Lewins, contacted Virgin Airlines to seek a discounted fare. Virgin Airlines donated a return ticket from Perth to Brisbane. The only area they couldn't cover was responsibility for getting the boy form on aircraft to another, the question was "Ian, can Rotary help out?"

Obviously being a committed Rotarian I said "yes" first and then worried about details. I made contacts via the internet with a Queensland District governor and the Rotary Club of Brisbane, I then found out that Virgin need names and details of contacts before the tickets could be issued.

Suddenly time was of the essence. Enter the Rotary Grassroots System. A call to District 9460 Governor David produced the name of Joe Cohen-Cramp, an ex-Sandgroper now living and actively involved in Youth Exchange in Queensland.

However, contact details were not available, only that the Youth Exchange co-coordinator in D9460 knew Joe. A call to the Youth Exchange coordinator's club in Bunbury W.A., advised that he was no longer there, but passed on his new phone number.

Missed, him, but his wife passed on all Joe's contact details. One telephone call, two emails, two replies and everything was in place for the lad to be met at Brisbane Airport and cared for.

Joe Cohen-Cramp's wife and daughter (Denise and Jane) took on this responsibility and took wonderful care of the lad. This shows what we can do at the grassroots to Lend A Hand. The upshot is that we are now looking at forming a support group locally to help both father and son achieve a better quality of life.

So now when someone asks me why I bother being in Rotary, as well as numbering our wonderful international achievements, I can point to the little things at the grassroots where we can personally Lend A Hand.

Ian Pittaway, Past President Attadale Rotary Club. W.A.

Seeing Double at Rossmoyne

The Rotary Club of Rossmoyne, W.A. has identical twins among its members now.

When Pam Ahlin and Trish Absolom were inducted the only way members could tell them apart was that one wears a wedding ring.

The two women are joint owners of Roc's Cafe in Rossmoyne.

They come from Bencubbin in the Central Wheat Belt where their father was a Rotarian with the Mount Marshall club.