President Peter Smith's Column

Last week’s Guest Speaker: At last week’s meeting we had the pleasure of hearing from another David Martin who as the Branch Manager of Westpac at Strathfield, gave us a great insight into the changing world of local banking. As a banker in a previous life, I can well remember the good old days when your local bank manager had the authority to approve (or decline!) most borrowings. The banks lost their way about 15-20 years ago and took the authority out of the branches and left a local cash handling centre. So it was great to hear that Westpac at least have reinstated some real authority back into the local community – and have thought outside the square and employed young dynamic retailers like David Martin.

Last week we were also pleased to welcome Sue McDonald from the Strathfield Chamber of Commerce. Sue, in consultation with David Martin, agreed (later in the night) that the Chamber of Commerce will be one of the $250 sponsors of our forthcoming Police Officer of the Year Awards night.

Assistant District Governor Sharon Bond was also with us and gave a short talk about the relationship between the clubs and the DGs and the district organisation. Sharon is a PP of Padstow and is now a founding member of Revesby-Wirrimbirra.

Dinner Fees/Apologies: Our caterer is facing increased operating costs and recently sought to increase our dinner fees. While we have negotiated a deferment, the reality is that we could face an increase later in the year. One of the difficulties being experienced by the caterer is in not knowing from week-to-week how many members are going to turn up on the night. We regularly get 7-8 apologies per week for genuine reasons but there are many, many more Rotarians who for whatever reason do not bother to make the 30 second phone call to Eric Khu. Allowing for LOAs and the Rule of 85ers we have perhaps 10-15 members who could, but don’t make that phone call. I am sure that if the caterer had a better idea of numbers he could budget more economically – and perhaps avoid that dreaded price increase. So guys, how about that quick phone call if you find you are unable to attend?

Partners’ Nights: We have a couple of wonderful partners nights coming up – the Police Officer of the Year Award’s on the 18 August which looks like being a great night – Commission Andrew Scipione will again be in attendance to present the awards and to be our guest speaker. PP Doug Potter and his committee have worked hard to ensure the night runs smoothly. All they need are good numbers on the night.

The following week, 25 August, we leave the comfort of the golf club to travel to Ryde TAFE College for a Vocational and fellowship evening. The Ryde kitchens have recently been upgraded and are now a state-of-the art facility - including the full working restaurant Le Cordon Bleu. Ryde Tafe now have the largest training kitchens in Australia. It should be a great night – and helps the students gain the training, experience and confidence to enter the hospitality workforce.

Tonight we welcome students from Strathfield Girls High School, to entertain us with their Presentation Evening for the Literacy Extension Program. A significant amount of time and effort has been contributed by the girls, their teacher Gabrielle Corry, and Paul White to culminate with tonight’s presentation. We feel confident that it will be a rewarding and satisfying experience for all participants. Also attending tonight will be Dr. Sharyn Jameson, from the Australian Catholic University. Earlier this year Sharyn was asked by the Childrens’ Book Council of Australia (CBCA) to participate in their expert panel to predict the shortlisted books for 2010.

President Pete