Recent Photographs

President's Message

Rotary News Basket No. 841 — 7 January 2004

The Confession

95th Annual Rotary Convention in Osaka

Brisbane memories for sale

December 2003 Attendance

Matchmaking

Odd Bits and Pieces

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

I hope all members had a wonderful Xmas and New Year. Everyone back from holidays should be re charged and ready for a new year in Rotary. I hope they all enjoyed the holiday or break they all had.

This Friday we are having our AGM, and we will be announcing the new president for 2005/2006 year.

This Wednesday the Cairns City Council had a reception for all of our outgoing students at the Council chambers. We saw all the outgoing students from this area, most who leave in the next few days. A lot of the students who left last year have now returned. It was really wonderful to hear some of the experiences they had when they were away and to see how in that twelve months how they had gained confidence and maturity to go forth in their chosen fields of study or work.

One of the outgoing students from Cairns North club, Emily addressed the crowd, outlining her excitement, apprehension and unknown for her for what lays ahead of her in the next twelve months. We also had a wonderful address by our very own Sophie,. telling of her experiences as an exchange student in our area. One comment was on arrival we all had strange faces to meet her at the airport, very astute girl our Sophie as she was correct !

Our guest speaker this Friday is going to be Steve Baker. Steve has managed for years to get out of addressing the Club about himself, not anymore, it is your life this Friday Steve

Our Club has an outgoing exchange student Mr Christopher Graham. Christopher is leaving this Saturday at 12.05pm to go to Belgium. he will be emailing the Club with his experiences while he is in Belgium, so it would be nice if as many members from the club could farewell him at the airport this Saturday

The Paul Harris dinner is on in February at Brother Leagues Club, so keep that date marked in your calendar

I have a copy of the letter Cairns Earlville club has sent to businesses asking for assistance in our fund raising for the dialysis buses for the centenary of Rotary project for 2005 we are doing as a joint venture. I would remind all members it is only next year so we need to start raising funds in the community for that project.

President Robyn

Rotary News Basket No. 841 — 7 January 2004

India's president launches NIDs Across India, tens of millions of children received the oral polio vaccine during National Immunization Days (NIDs) launched by Indian President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam in New Delhi on 3 January.

Speaking to guests, health workers, and volunteers during the flag-off ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the president, Dr. Abdul Kalam called for a strengthening of national polio eradication efforts. "There is no room for complacency. Even if one child suffers from polio, our purpose is defeated," he said.

Credited with helping develop a lightweight metal used in manufacturing braces for polio victims, India's scientist president also said, "The time has now come that we make sure that nobody needs them." Also present at the launch of the three-day event, Health Minister Sushma Swaraj pledged more government support for polio immunizations. "There should be no case in January 2005," she said. "Not a single child should be left without drops as it would ruin our chances to achieve zero level by December 2004."

Twenty-nine Rotarians from Milano, Italy, joined their Indian counterparts in delivering vaccine to health clinics and immunization centers and recruiting fellow volunteers, as well as administering drops of the vaccine to children. Religious leaders and celebrities also helped with publicity efforts.

"We are so proud to be part of this historic effort to rid the world of a crippling disease that has impacted millions of lives throughout the centuries," said Alessandra Faraone Lanza, Milano Rotary club member and leader of the group.

"We must remain diligent in our efforts to ensure that every child is protected against this tragic and preventable disease." Politicians and health officials presided over launch ceremonies in states across India, one of three countries in Asia and only seven in the world where the poliovirus continues to circulate.

According to global health officials, the nation of more than one billion people continues to pose the highest risk in Asia with 197 new cases reported in 2003. Along with Nigeria, which is reporting 258 cases this year, and Pakistan with 88 cases, these three countries contain 95 percent of the world's 587 new cases of polio in 2003.

The Rotary Foundation has contributed more than US$52.5 million toward polio eradication in India.  

The Confession

Jake was dying. His wife, Becky, was maintaining a candlelight vigil by his side.

She held his fragile hand, tears running down her face. Her praying roused him from his slumber. He looked up and his pale lips began to move slightly.

"My darling Becky," she whispered. "Hush, my love," she said. "Rest. Shhh, don't talk." He was insistent.

"Becky," he said in his tired voice "I .. I have something I must confess to you." "There's nothing to confess," replied the weeping Becky. "Everything's all right, go to sleep."

"No, no. I must die in peace, Becky. I... I slept with your Sister, your best friend, her best friend, and your Mother!" "I know" Becky whispered softly. "That's why I poisoned you"

95th Annual Rotary Convention in Osaka

During 23-26 May, 2004, the Rotary world will converge once again for an exciting mix of information, inspiration, and international fellowship at the 95th Rotary International Convention in Osaka, Japan.

The convention will feature dazzling opening and closing entertainment, the ever-popular House of Friendship, plenary sessions on topics close to the hearts and minds of Rotarians everywhere, and a range of interesting speakers.

Osaka, a coastal city long known as an international gathering place, will be an ideal venue to welcome international Rotarian visitors — all united to Lend a Hand wherever it is needed.

Brisbane memories for sale

Convention photographer Robert Erickson will be accepting orders for CD-ROMs of photos taken during the 94th Annual RI Convention in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

The CD will include: PC multimedia slideshow of convention highlights More than 2,000 photos PC software for viewing photos, making presentations, and creating Web pages

Visit www.rotaryint.com* to order the CD-ROM for US$ 20.00 plus shipping and handling. *This Web site is not an official Rotary International Web site.

Highlights from the 94th Annual RI Convention The 94th Annual RI Convention in Brisbane, Australia, has come to a close.

Visit the Brisbane Convention pages (http://www.rotary.org/events/conventions/2003_coverage/1june03.html) for exclusive Web coverage of the convention including summaries of daily events, photo galleries, convention reports, profiles of attendees, and major plenary speeches.

December 2003 Attendance

David Court 100% Jeff Crofts 100% Robyn Goodwin 100%
Robin Logan 96%
Rupert Crossland 91% Col Koppen 91% David Young 91%
Herman Ehrlich 87% Denise Mitchell 87% Brian White 87%
Michael Plunkett 83%
Gail Plunkett 78% Kevin Robinson 78% Cheryl Williams 78%
Ann Ellis 74% Bob Fowler 74%
Steve Baker 70% Ron Cheeseman 70% Chris Lord 70% Jim Watson 70% Garry Shirvington 70%
Sandy Astill 65% David Kirchner 65% Ian Macdonald 65% John Quinn 65% Chris Winn 65%
Ian Brauman 61% Bev Cheeseman 61% Peter Harm 61% Gina Raccanello 61%
John Gersekowski 52% Max Briant 52%
Peter Sexton 48%
John Lipscomb 30%
Clare Twidale 13%
CarrieMarshall 9%
Excused attendance Graham Cossins and Max Crittenden.
Our club attendance for December was 69.44%

Rupert Crossland.

Matchmaking

One of the biggest commandments, yes, is to bring a young couple together, to find a match for a young woman or a young man, and I’ve tried very unsuccessfully many times to be able to do this.

I have other friends who are always introducing people, and they’ve made several successful matches. I’ve tried, it’s my ambition before I leave this world, to make a successful match, and I came very close recently.

There was a young man who used to be a member of my congregation, I hadn’t seen him for a long time, and I bumped into him. I said, ‘What’s the latest with you, are you married yet?’ And he said, ‘No, rabbi, unfortunately I’m not married yet.’ I said, ‘How come? Such a fine, good-looking young man like you?’

He said, ‘Rabbi, the problem is that every girl I bring home, my mother finds something wrong with them. My mother finds a fault with her, and I don’t know what to do any more, I’m going crazy. Every girl I bring home, this one’s too fat, this one’s too skinny, this one talks too much.’

So I had an idea; I said to him, ‘Why don’t you find a girl that’s like your mother and for sure she won’t be able to object.’ And he said, ‘What a good idea, rabbi.’ And then I saw him again a few months later. I said to him, ‘What’s the latest with you?’

And he said to me, ‘Rabbi, you won’t believe it. I found this girl that is exactly like my mother in every way. She walks like my mother, she talks like my mother, she combs her hair like my mother, she has a gold tooth in exactly the same position like my mother has.’ And I said, ‘That’s fantastic, are you getting married?’

And he said, ‘No, my father threw her out.’

Rabbi Mordy Katz:

Odd Bits and Pieces

A Robin, a very rare feathered one hitched a chilly ride on a flight from Norway to Britain only to be scoffed up by a cat. The owner of the cat, surprisingly also a birdwatcher reported the sighting but the bird was already dead in her pet’s jaws when she recognised it.

A would be burglar in Columbia deposited himself in a big box and posted it to the house he wanted to thieve from. The owners of the house thought the large package suspicious and called in the bomb squad.

What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef.