President’s Report

25 October 2017

Last Week’s Speaker
 
We had another thought-provoking and inspirational story told by our guest speaker last week – Dennis van Someren – from Shine for Kids, an organisation that supports children, young people and families with relatives in the criminal justice system.  Dennis told of the struggles that children with family members in jail face, having experienced this himself as a teenager when his own father went to jail for a white collar crime.  Read the full report in the Guest Speaker Write-up later in this Bulletin.
 
Four New Members Inducted!
 
The highlight for me last week was formally inducting four new Members to our Club (well, three brand new Members and one returning Member).  Please make them all very welcome when you see them in our Club and at our functions – Rotarians, Mathew Elias, Farrukh Mirza, John Tsaprounis and Bill Carney.  Committee delegations for our new Members are as follows: 

• Mathew Elias, Club Service

• Farrukh Mirza, International Service

• John Tsaprounis, Community Service

• Bill Carney, Vocational Service

 A hearty welcome to each of you!  We look forward to your contributions to our Club and its programs.
 
Happy Diwali!
 
On the evening of our meeting last week, it was also the eve of the Hindu Festival of Lights – Diwali.  Some of you may have noticed some Diwali decorations with a lit candle at the back of our room last week, in honour of this festival.  It was prepared and setup by Rotarians Anu and Umesh Kamkolkar.  And so, to all our Hindu friends and colleagues… on this auspicious festival of lights, may the glow of joy, prosperity and happiness illuminate your days in the year ahead.  Happy Diwali and Happy New Year!
 
Upcoming Events
 
There’s quite a program of important events coming up in the next week or two, that I would like us all to participate in if we are able.  Commitment Sheets for all of these will be circulated tonight.

1. Muscle Car Masters – 28-29 October 2017.  This is always a great day and a half for petrol-heads and non-petrol heads, alike.  I’m a non-petrol head (I ride a 125cc Vespa scooter), and I truly enjoyed my experience there last year.  If you haven’t been before, don’t miss out.  Sign-up tonight!  We also make good money for little effort out of this one!
2. Graffiti Removal Day – 29 October 2017.  Unfortunately, clashing with the Muscle Car Masters this year, this is one of our signature Community Service activities.  I’m sure we can spread the load between the two events (we have 38 Members in the Club now!).  PP Peter Smith – our Graffiti removal champion – usually also recruits some young Interactors and Rotaractors for this, so with a little luck, we should be fine.  Be sure to sign up for either this or the Muscle Car Masters this weekend.
3. Speech Craft – Transfer Meeting to Burwood Club – 30 October 2017.  Fred Walker from the Rotary Club of Burwood will be with us tonight to tell us a little of what will be happening on that night.  It will truly be a spectacle of speech excellence, moderated by some of the best Toastmasters in Sydney, from the St Leonards club..  It’s a Transfer Meeting from 1 November 2017, and a Partner’s Night too.  It will really be a great evening as we hear 16 talented students from local schools try out their speaking skills on us.
4. Western Harbour Group – Festival of Cultures – 3 November 2017.  This is a special joint Western Harbour Group (WHG) of Rotary Clubs cultural celebration evening.  Coordinated in our Club by Rotarian Prabhat Sinha, we will be putting on an Indian Dance Troupe performance.  Each of the other clubs will put on some short performance too.  It will be a lot of fun.  Just $30.00 for a fabulous Function Centre quality dinner, with (I’m sure) very entertaining performances from the WHG Clubs.  Come along!
 

This Week’s Speaker
 
Tonight we’ll be hearing from Ben Newsome, founder of Fizzics Education.  Fizzics is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows since 2004.  They now deliver science programs to about 300,000 children each year via incursion and video conference across 400 schools and public spaces throughout Australia and around the world.  This will be a great story to hear.  I hope you can make it.
 

 
 
Rick