Northcott celebrates with $150K event
The Northcott Society celebrated 80 years of service to those with disabilities with a gala event at Sydney’s Four Seasons Hotel on October 31.
With MCs Jean Kittson and Peter Overton, the event celebrated 80 years of service that began when members of the Rotary Club of Sydney went doorknocking to establish the extent of the need for a service for people who had children crippled by disease.
The room was full of celebrities such as Angry Anderson, Kamahl, Dr Cindy Pan, rugby league star Joel Reddy and this no doubt helped when it came time to conduct the auctions. All told, more than $150,000 was raised on the night.
The Rotary Club of Sydney, led by current president John Given, was well represented with three tables. The club also bought a fourth table which it donated to the Society so that some of its clients could attend the function.
Cliff’s collection
Cliff Dochterman’s latest book, As I Was Saying ..., is filled with generous humour, a cajoling wit and a world of inspiration.
In it, Dochterman does his utmost to motivate fellow Rotary club members to achieve their best and to serve the communities in which they live.
The former worldwide President of Rotary International offers this inspiring collection of 23 of his favourite speeches, including such popular titles as Friendly Fire of Rotary, The Unwritten History of Rotary, If I Could Be Club President Again, The Story of Rotary Ribbons, When Did You Become a Rotarian, Cotton Candy Rotarians, Windows To The World, Living Your Faith From Monday Through Saturday, Rotary’s Involvement In Polio Eradication, and Conversations With Paul Harris.
The author weaves a number of humanitarian experiences he had as he travelled the world as Rotary President.
For your pre-publication copy at the special price of $US12 plus shipping/postage send cheques (made payable to Rotary Books) to Rotary Books, c/- Moraga Rotary Club, PO Box 122, Moraga, CA, USA, 94556.
As I was Saying ... is also available from www.Amazon.com; www.booksurge.com; www.ruh.com and www.lindeburg.com for $US14.99 plus shipping/postage.
Tenterfield’s priority
Fundraising for Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children was a major priority for the Rotary Club of Tenterfield, NSW, during the 2008-2009 Rotary Year.
A charity dinner organised at Zappas Dumaresq Valley Winery was the major fundraiser. Rotarians and the Zappa family drew on Tenterfield, the Dumaresq Valley and Texas to support the event. A total of $20,000 was raised with $10,000 being donated to ROMAC and the rest going to Angel Flight.
These donations were later accepted by Magaret Hayes for ROMAC and Nick de Git for Angel Flight.
Two Indonesian girls, Rafika and Uswayun Rasmiddin, who were helped by ROMAC after they were severely burnt, visited Tenterfield for respite during July, 2009. They were hosted by Peter and Val Chittick and visited National Parks, farms and a swimming school. The two girls attended a Rotary meeting and primary schools to share their experiences. Mrs Chittick said it was interesting to see how ROMAC money was being used. After nearly two years of life-changing operations the girls recently returned to Indonesia.
Recycled rations
The Rotary Club of Porirua Sundown near Wellington, NZ, recently obtained a supply of “rations” which it has been able to recycle to needy families through one of their local foodbanks.
One of the local large business organisations have a policy of holding emergency rations on their premises in case staff should be trapped by any local disaster such as an earthquake etc.
Many of these packs were approaching their use-by date so the organisation decided that it was better to distribute these now, rather than wait until they had expired and throw them out.
This generous gesture resulted in more than 70 packs, each capable of supporting a family for several days, becoming available. Through the intervention of the Rotary Club of Porirua Sundown, these were able to be collected and distributed to the local foodbank where, in conjunction with the local churches and welfare organisations, the product certainly will be put to great use to assist families in need.
The packs have been able to be broken down into more practical unit sizes and will end up constituting the basic starter pack for several hundred food parcel deliveries.
The Flying Fisherman
Incoming Governor of District 9830, Ted Richey, has cleared the deck of a monumental task, before taking office next year.
After 20 years banging away at the keyboard, Ted has completed writing his book, Dick Richey – The Flying Fisherman, about his father, a pioneer of the fishing industry in southern Australia.
Ted has described how his father got started at Lakes Entrance in Victoria, and then moved to Bridport in Tasmania before settling in Devonport.
As the Richey Fishing Company grew, the fleet of company fishing boats in the company livery of grey and white grew in number and size. Dick’s sons stepped into skippering the boats.
The book also highlights Dick Richey’s exploits as a search and rescue pilot along the Tasmanian coastline.
Hair raising feats like landing on short beaches to pick up shipwrecked or injured seamen were stock in trade for Dick.
Rescuing a snake expert who was bitten on a Bass Strait Island by a Tiger snake and ferrying him back to Devonport just before his life ebbed away, was all in a day’s work for Dick Richey.
Typical of the man, he never charged for his time or the cost of fuel used in search and rescue missions.
Dick Richey – The Flying Fisherman is an excellent read about a genuine Tasmanian pioneer and hero.
Billboard grants
Rotary’s public relations success stories continue to pour in from all around the world.
District 7250 (New York, USA) placed more than 40 billboard messages at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports – with the help of RI Public Relations grants.
The District customised RI’s billboard graphics with its local contact information for immediate results.
All Australian Rotary clubs and Districts are reminded that RI Public Image Resource Group zone coordinator PDG Dick Garner is prepared to again produce bulk quantities of the “People like you and me” generic posters and brochures – if sufficient numbers are ordered. The brochures are based on the highly successful New Zealand model and are perfect for distribution at any function or project.
Dick needs a minimum run of 100,000 brochures to achieve the following prices –
• 1000 brochures - $85
• 2500 brochures - $175
• 5000 brochures - $300
GST and freight charges will be added to the prices, which represent great value and are much better than any prices available if the resources were produced individually. Every brochure is produced with an appropriate space for clubs and Districts to overprint their own personalised contact details.
Contact Dick Garner immediately on 03 9530 8805 (h), 0425 803 137 (m), or email at Richard_garner@optusnet.com.au
DGs and good mates
There may be a few clubs that have produced five District Governors, or perhaps more. But few would have two members as District Governors back to back.
DG Geoff Simpson and DGE Ian Hutton are more than governors in consecutive years; they are life-long mates. The two are the same age, they grew up together in the same suburb, they went to school and university together, played sport together, both studied engineering and pursued a career in government engineering positions, and both served for many distinguished years in the Army Reserve.
And of course they both joined Rotary: the Rotary Club of West Perth, WA.
With so many parallel paths to record there is now one small diversion. DG Geoff Simpson is the last Governor for District 9450 (Perth and northern WA) and DGE Ian Hutton will be the first governor for its successor, District 9455.
Singles in the city
The Rotary Club of Sydney CBD is really breaking down the barriers in their revolutionary approach to find new Rotarians.
Single Rotarians are invited to attend regular “single in the city” meetings – providing the chance to meet people of like- minded community spirit. Single Rotarians can bring other single friends who are keen to “make a difference” in the community.
There is no age or gender bias and all single male or female Rotarians and friends are welcome to attend.
For $60, guests enjoy excellent food and wine at the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel. The first meeting was conducted on October 15 and other dates will be advertised soon. For more information, contact Joan Richards at joan-ron@bigpond.net.au.
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