FROM
WHERE I SIT
by Bob Aitken
Managing Editor
Rotary Down Under |
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At this special time of the year, it is appropriate to pause and give thanks for the many blessings conferred upon those of us fortunate enough to live within this “down under” region.
There can never be peace in our world until we recognise the plight of our fellow man in many other less fortunate countries and regions.
All share a general responsibility to meet the challenge of health, hunger and humanity and, as Rotarians, we can be very proud of the achievements of 100 years of Service Above Self.
As we enjoy special family times during the holiday season and look to the New Year, take time to give thanks for Rotary’s major
life-enhancing programs –
• Fresh water and food production.
• Literacy and education.
• Low-cost shelters.
• Avoidable blindness.
• Polio eradication and other health related programs.
Many will argue that these efforts are not enough and, indeed, that is the truth.
However, we can draw inspiration from the knowledge that many individual human beings are only with us today as a result of Rotary
service!
Our work is far from finished, and Rotary’s
second century of service beckons. ROTARY DOWN UNDER
TRADING ARRANGEMENTS
FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON
The Australian and New Zealand offices of Rotary Down Under, the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund and the Probus
Centre -South Pacific will be closed from and including Monday, December 20, 2004, to Monday, January 3, 2005.
All offices will be open for business again at 9.00a.m. on Tuesday, January 4, 2005.
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Members of the victorious Rotary Club of Lower Blue Mountains, N.S.W., debating team, appropriately clad for the Olympic debate were District 9690 Past Governor John Wakefield, Hilary Smith and John Keogh.
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Debating the Olympic venue: A highlight of the annual program for the Rotary clubs of Lower Blue Mountains and
Wallacia Mulgoa Valley, N.S.W., is an annual debate for the Verbose Cup. This year was no exception as the parent club, Lower Blue Mountains won a narrow victory debating the topic The summer Olympic Games should always be held in Greece.
Childcare for Convention: The question of childcare facilities at the Chicago R.I. Centenary
Convention in 2005 has been addressed. American Childcare
Services in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., is offering hotel-based childcare services for people
travelling with children. Contact telephone 312 644 7300, fax 312 744 1914 or visit the website at www.americanchildcare.com
R.I. continually re-assesses
questions such as childcare at R.I. Conventions but, at this time, the Convention registration fee does not cover such costs.
Need a sister club in Turkey?: Via our excellent
Rotarnet website comes a request for expressions of interest from Rotary clubs Down Under in
forming a sister club relationship with the Rotary Club of Bostanci, Istanbul, Turkey. President Elect M. Serif Ensari says his club was founded in 1993 in District 2420 and its membership is currently 45 with 10 female Rotarians. The club already has sister clubs in the U.S.A. (Fidalgo Beach, Washington) and Belgium (Zwantem). The club feels it is appropriate to have further sister club partnerships with one or more clubs in Australia and/or New Zealand, given the
feelings the countries share.
President Elect Serif is encouraging
Australian and New Zealand clubs to visit Turkey for Anzac Day 2005. Interested Rotary clubs may contact
President Elect Serif by telephone
90 216 575 7844, fax 90 216 575 7811, or email at
(ngenimpex@gen-impex.com).
Communication is A-OK in 9600: Governor Rob Jeffery is pleased with the further development of quality communication in District 9600. As well as maintaining the high standard of recent years with this year’s District newsletter, and the continuing excellence of Past District Governor Bill Waterhouse’s Nine six hundred World Community Service newsletter, District members now have a
quality District 9600 website under the meticulous supervision of Mike Ivess, Our Foundation in Focus The Rotary Foundation (TRF) newsletter pioneered by TRF Chairman Past District Governor Russ O’Malley and Manna from Botswana
newsletter from Jenny Horton. Of the Rotary Club of Paddington/Red Hill, Qld., Jenny is working as a volunteer with the STOP (Stop Transmission Of Polio) program. The District 9600 Donations-In-Kind warehouse recently dispatched its 400th container of wanted goods to Papua New Guinea to prove it’s a District of deeds as well as words. DG Rob and his team are certainly setting a hot pace in the field of communication for the rest of the Rotary world. 
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