Presidents Notes

President Usha's Notes

7 October 2020

Dear fellows,

Think about it

Rotary founder Paul Harris

"The thoughts of others are as necessary to one's mental well-being as food is necessary to one's physical well-being"

Rotary founder Paul Harris, 1928

So in keeping with the spirit of these words, we are lucky to hear from speakers with interesting, contemporary and meaningful thoughts at our Rotary meetings.

Last week

Guest Speaker Ying Ho provided a demonstration of how practicing music can positively impact the lives of people, increase IQ and also help to overcome certain disabilities to lead a more worthwhile life.

Not only thoughtful but joyful meetings are also an integral part of Rotary life. We are privileged to have our Sergeant Nick Hamilton-Kane who has us constantly guessing not often correctly, what will be served next. Last week was a great game of family feud where each dinner table made up a Rotary family.

And to add more spice to the evening, we have PP Peter Manenti running the smoothest raffle all on his own. Such efforts are not only well appreciated by members and guests, but also help us to raise money.

Sick Bay
Bradley Ayres is currently convalescing in Hospital. On Sunday, he suffered a heart attack and was rushed to Concord Hospital, where he is under good care. I have been in touch with him and he is recovering well. We wish him an early recovery and return home. Our thoughts are with his family Cheryl and Madeline.

Christmas message
It looks like we will miss out on Christmas Carols as we missed out on our Strathfield Spring Fair. In the absence of an outdoor event, Strathfield Council is producing a video for Christmas Carols this year. Rotary Strathfield is invited to contribute a Christmas Carols message to this video which will be filmed inside the Town Hall later this month. Stay tuned for updates.

Bunnings BBQ
The Ashfield Bunnings BBQ has returned with a bang and we are one of the early ones to benefit from this return. PP Allan Teale and his team will be there in the early hours of 11th October tackling the rush. If you are not a volunteer, it may be a good time to find that pending shopping list for Bunnings and enjoy a sausage sizzle with the team.

Board Meeting
We have a board meeting coming up on Monday and secretary Dimitry Palmer will be delighted to add any items for discussion.

Rotary reconnect week
This is 2020 Rotary reconnect week and this is what RI has to say: "This week Rotarians invite former Rotaractors, Interactors, Rotary Peace Fellows, Rotary Scholars, Youth Exchange students, and other Rotary program alumni to renew their connection to Rotary. Past program participants who have lost their active connection to Rotary can refresh their ties by visiting club meetings, helping with projects, and engaging online. By doing so, they can experience again how Rotary reshapes lives locally and globally".
I ask my club members to find an old photo or event, create a post on social media (tag: #RotaryReconnect) or forward to PP Raymond Mccluskie for FB. Perhaps you may just find the time to renew old Rotary Connections.

World Celebration Days
The month of October has many important days including World Mental Health Day. On this day or any time during October, we help Lift the Lid on Mental Illness by contributing to mental health research. This research goes towards helping the one in five Australians affected by depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and many other illnesses. Donations are tax deductible.

And of course we have our World Polio day also in October. Rotary has used our collective strength to defeat this devastating disease in almost every part of the world. This year, the WHO’s African region was certified free of wild poliovirus – showing that eradication is possible even in difficult circumstances.

Guest Speaker
This week, we will hear from Danijela Prahovic on Improving the life skills of young people via technology, a contemporary and important topic affecting the lives of our young. I hope you will all join me in this meeting to hear from Danijela.

Making our Club Great
Lastly, I take this opportunity to thank all club members for being together in our club and for all your participation and contribution in different ways as we can. We appreciate each other’s presence and company and that is what makes our club great.

You may have noticed our Bulletin this week is missing some features. With Bradley's return the Bulletin will be restored to its original glory.

Look forward to seeing you all.

Usha Garg
.