Presidents Notes

President Usha's Notes

12 May 2021

Dear fellows,

"One can never belong truly to any organisation unless you do something for it, because I believe that is the price of admission to that organisation."

TRF Trustee Chair Paul Netzel addressing the International Assembly.

Hope we all had a good Mothers Day get together or some form of celebration. This year our thoughts and wishes have been with those who are distanced from their mothers or their children and are concerned about their health.

A thought provoking article in this months Rotary Magazine - Advanced in years - Americans have long valued youth over age and experience. Shouldn�t seniors have their moment? (by Frank Bures). The discussion is triggered by loss of lives as a fall out of COVID19. Seen in the context of lost years, the most common age for a COVID death is 70 or more, which could imply a loss of life of 15 years or more, where as a soldier losing life at 25 could be read as loss of 50 years or more. Should age be counted in years lived or years lost. I stop here and tempt you to read this short article.

May is the Youth Service Month in Rotary. Youth Service was officially added by RI as the fifth avenue of service in 2010 to recognise the positive change implemented by young adults through leadership development activities, involvement in the community, international service projects, and exchange programmes that enrich and foster world peace and cultural understanding. Our club has always had a strong commitment to involving Youth in our programs and we have contributed a generous share of funds and time to Youth Service.

Club News and Events Coming up:

The 50th Anniversary is coming closer and our tickets are nearly gone. Over 130 members and guests have registered and only a few seats left. There is a fabulous program for the evening with great fellowship from old times, speakers, music, exotic food, and lots of glimpses of old photos.
The Youth Awards are now set for 18th June by the Awards Committee in consultation with Strathfield Council. Rtn Ed Dunlop and his team are racing against time to put this multifaceted event together.
The Changeover will be held on Saturday 26th June. Please reserve the date.
EMERGENCY RELIEF ITEMS FOR 2ND WAVE OF COVID19 IN INDIA : Last week you would have received an email from P-e Thaya Ponniah about our emergency relief work to help with the transport of essential Covid-Relief supplies to India. Thanks to this initiative from Thaya and the generosity of our club members, our community and the Rotary Club of Concord, donations totalling in excess of $6000 have been received. There are many people who will never know us but will be thankful for the help they receive through our humble contribution.
Last week we heard from Malcolm Brown, who has been a long time journalist for SMH reporting on major disasters and has had the opportunity to study many of these accidents very closely. It was an eye opener to hear from him how some seemingly minor shortcuts, or small oversights in planning and/or construction can build up to a catastrophe over time.
This Wednesday, we will hear from Kate Domeney, the manager of a program called Fresh Foods for Families (click). This program was originally designed for migrant families but is actually applicable for anyone who wants to learn how to grow and harvest fresh nutritious food. This is part of the larger FOOD PLANT SOLUTIONS program which encourages the establishment of food gardens in schools and communities with program partners.

Look forward to our meeting

Usha Garg