Tuesday, 8 September 2015

8th September Meeting - Donna Hendry - Macular Degeneration Foundation

Chair
Sue
Who had to threaten Saturday detentions before class would settle down.

Visitors
Donna Hendry

International Non-Toast
Norm proposed a non-toast to the Rotary Club … a long gap… Damascus, whose membership included Sitay Paris (sic) who was minister of finance in 1944 and who spoke Arabic, English German & Turkish.  Rotary was wiped out in Syria as Rotary & Freemasons were seen to have too much power.  By 1980 there were on Clubs therefore no toast.

Makeups
BBQs

Apologies
Alan, who is helping in Brisbane, Deb & Judy off cruising the Pacific, The Strongs for their round the world trip, Lyn Noel
Off to a good start

The President’s Address was delivered by Roger, dragged out from the dim distant dinosaur age of Past Presidents

Good morning, (in Judy’s voice)
I would like to thank everyone that helped man the BBQ at Bunnings Thursday,  Chris, Gordon, Gerry, Merv, Helen & Peter, Keith also Darryl for coming early to set-up and again in the afternoon to pack everything up, Darryl can also add a new job description to his resume 'GARBO' appreciated that you disposed of the rubbish Darryl I don't think it would of fitted into my car. I have a new appreciation of what a fantastic job Alan does in organizing the BBQ I feel like I'm learning something new at least once a week
I know you may groan when the roster sheets go around for BBQ's but we did Net $576.00 even after a storm in the morning and a few showers.
See you all next week
Cheers

Speaker
Pauline, who apparently knows something about immacular conception, introduced Donna.

Donna is actually from the Macular Disease Foundation.
She is a past Rotary Exchange student.
She is not a doctor, and neither an optometrist or ophthalmologist either
(had to look that up)

MD is the leading cause of legal blindness.  It effects central vision and is caused by fatty deposits called druzen on the macular which lead to dry macular degeneration.  When it all clumps together it can cause scarring and vision loss over 5-25 years, and the wet type is a bleed which can cause a quick vision loss.  Anyway, read the slides if you really want to know.

Special note for Rotarians, this is not an actual eye test













You were all given one, I'll be checking your fridges - and don't forget - one eye at a time















Sue thanked Donna

Directors
Alan passed on Alan’s thanks for the turn out for Carolyn’s funeral.  He gives his apologies for today as he is helping in Brisbane.
Mark noted that Coles now support Hummingbird House, DG's partner's charity of choice.

Sergeant
Ian

Caught out a few of us, but I think he’s slacking a bit now we pay our fines at the door.




You are being watched Alf

 HOW DID THE ROTARY FOUNDATION GET STARTED? The Rotary Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International’s sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary “to do good in the world.” It has grown from an initial contribution in 1917 of $26.50 from the Rotary Club of Kansas City, Missouri to more than 2.663 billion dollars in total contributions. The Rotary Foundation made its first grant of $500.00 to the International Society for Crippled Children in 1930, and to this day, it continues to “do good in the world” in the name of Rotary.

Monday, 31 August 2015

1st September Meeting - Alan Burrell - Mercy Ships

Chair
Julianna

Visitors
John Hart & Pauline’s daughter Sharon Hanley Hart
Merv’s partner Anne on behalf of Inner Wheel
Peter Higgs from CalPac

International Toast
Norm proposed a toast to the Rotary Club of somewhere that sounded like “Ullawakka” (note to self - check later) in Manilla.  Congratulations on achieving their eighth Changeover.  They are involved in the fight against corruption, greed and self interest.  Year, well our Sergeant’s a bit out there too.  Sorry, it was actually Bawwalk in Manilla.

Makeups
Judy attended a meeting in Buderim, and there was a Board meeting.  Roger even attended for half of it for some devious purpose.

Apologies
Alan, Myla, Heidi

President Judy
Welcomed all
Judy presented Heidi’s artwork for the Melbourne Cup function and Hat Day
BBQ’s galore - see the list
By this stage you should have your diary out

Ron & Bernie - best wishes for their round the world tour.
(The blog readership is going international)

So how do you get Channel 7 on this thing? 

Deborah presented a cheque to Ann to help fund Inner Wheel’s birthing kit project.  The kits go to Rabaul, and maybe the Solomons soon






Speaker
Alan Burrell
Most of there medical staff and crew are volunteers - they even give blood give blood
An exception is the security force of Gurkhas.

They face diseases like the plague, and do ROMAC style operations on cleft lips & tumors
There is hope for a new ship and Alan mention some very large donations.

They have featured on 60 Minutes and an ABC page about them reached 3m people.

Their patients are returned to the villages, no longer “cursed”
 
 Questions - Gery asked about staff.  Scheduling is complex, and they have dedicated scheduling volunteers.

Stuart asked how long was spent on the ship. It ranges from 3 months to 27 years - there is a school on board.  Mercy Ships have been running for 37 years.

Which countries support?  US, UK and Australia in that order.

Reality TV show coming up.
 Directors
Helen - Coffee at Otranto no longer half price
Lyn at Kleptic has come to the party instead.

Alf updated us on Carolyn Bethune’s Celebration of Life

Sergeant
Ian
Definitely not a dirt session - “information” only

But you can get fined for this
 
TRF News from Darryl
WHAT IS THE ROTARY FOUNDATION?
The Rotary Foundation is the charitable arm of Rotary. It is a non-profit that is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of The Rotary Foundation who share its vision of a better world. Its sole mission is to support the efforts of Rotarians through Rotary’s mission, and the achievement of world understanding and peace through local, national and international humanitarian and educational programs in your back yard and around the globe. 

There is a new September TRF bulletin and you will be able to read it once it is posted on 
http://rotary9600.org/rotarycms/modules/pdfs/?dir=TRF

& I just added some new stuff about RYDA to our web site
http://www.rotaryclubcaloundra.com.au/ryda.html