NOTES ON THE RUN
Hi:
I hope everyone has been busy collecting sponsors and "walking with a purpose".
Parkrun was back in Canberra this weekend, got out for a nice community run on Saturday morning, I somehow managed to miss the rain running this Sunday, and also got a cricket practice session in.
Should be a busy and very informative meeting this week, with Allan Hawke speaking about Blundell and his cottage. Any extra talking points, please get them to me early.
Work is continuing on it's way for our next event, the Fred Smith Concert in February, but also don't forget the Nara park cleanup coming soon. I would like to see if we can fit in a Bunnings BBQ at some point. Does anyone have any Bunnings contacts we can get in touch with to organise one?
Have a great week, see you Thursday.
Keep safe
President Warrick
THIS WEEK'S LUNCHEON MEETING (Nov. 18th at the Commonwealth Club)
To note your attendance please email Russell at: russelldew1@gmail.com
Speaker: Dr Allan Hawke AC, Author, former ANU Chancellor, High Commissioner to New Zealand
Topic: Calamity and Conquest : Chronicle of the Convict Joseph Blundell and the
Cottage
NOVEMBER DUTY ROSTER
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Date:
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Nov 18th
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Nov 25th
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Venue:
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Commonwealth
Club
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Commonwealth
Club
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Door:
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A. Conti
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R. Brown
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Sargeant:
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S. Lyons
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L. Wilkinson
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Toast:
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T. Waring
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P. Davies
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Acronym:
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B. Andrews
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S. Green
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Notes:
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L. Scrivener
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J. Little
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If Unable To Attend On A Day You Are Rostered, Please Organise A Replacement.
LAST WEEK'S LUNCHEON MEETING NOTES (Nov. 11th)
Guest Speaker: Neil Hermes from the Canberra Ornithologists Group
Topic: The Conservation of Swift and Superb Parrots in the Canberra Region
Neil spoke to us about the challenge we have to do something meaningful to help the survival of endangered species not in National Parks.
Superb Parrot – same size as the Crimson Rosella and being seen in Canberra particularly in the South. Males are bright green with the Females a dull green.
Have been declining in numbers over the past 100 years with the main issue being the clearing of land and the loss of trees. Their main breeding areas are north of the ACT Region.
Problems are:
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Land clearances and lack of nesting areas
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Firewood Collection
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Timber production
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Overgrazing
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Illegal removal, poisoning and trapping of wildlife birds
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Irrigation
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Picnic areas
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Roadkill due to wheat trucks dropping seeds along highways etc
Not a simple solution to preserve the species. Superb Parrots are fussy where they nest. Neil and his brother re experimenting with styles of suitable boxes and the heights of their location.
Ideally need natural hollows so the chicks can climb out. Cannot use mesh as the chicks would damage their beaks. Also drainage is an issue in nesting boxes.
Nesting boxes have a life of only five years.
Swift Parrot – small, rare parrot which breeds in Tasmania then migrates to five States. Down to 1000 birds. They like flowering trees.
Issues:
Neil highlighted that we need to connect with our bird life and the importance of educating our children.
Neil is also the Author of “Birds of the Australian High Country” of which a signed copy was kindly donated to the Club and auctioned to members by Michael. Wow, an amazing barter which resulted in a great financial outcome. Thank you, Russell. Commiserations to Stephen.
(The High Country refers to the area from The Hunter Valley in NSW to the Dandenongs in Victoria)
Rotary Acronym:
R.O.A.R. – (The International Fellowship of) Rotarians Of Amateur Radio
Toast: by Russell Dew
Rotary Club of Queenstown in New Zealand, District 9980
An active club which engages in youth projects, conservation projects, a solar panel project, and the Bunnings Sausage Sizzles. They recently had a tour of their local Fire Station and a visit to the Buzz Top Café.
NTA – West Timor (Juris' weekly knowledge update)
He covered three main areas – Water & Sanitation, Income Generation (small infrastructure) and Education
Sue Lyons
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
These were posted on an Australian tourism website, and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have a great sense of humor.
Q. I want to walk from Perth to Sydney- can I follow the railroad tracks ( Sweden )
A. Sure it's only three thousand miles. Take lots of water.
Q. Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow ?( UK )
A. We import all plants fully grown, then just sit around watching them die.
Q. Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street ( USA )
A. Depends how much you've been drinking
Q. Which direction is North in Australia ? ( USA )
A. Face South , then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.
Q. Can I bring cutlery into Australia ? ( UK )
A. Why ? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q. Can I wear high heels in Australia ? (UK )
A. You are a British politician, right ?
Q. Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round ? ( GERMANY )
A. No,we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter gatherers. Milk is illegal.
Q. Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum.
( USA )
A. Rattlesnakes live in A-mer-ica which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be handled and make good pets.
Q. I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Australia ?
A. Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q. Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia ? ( FRANCE )
A. Only at Christmas.
Q. Will I be able to speak English most places I go ? (USA )
A. Yes, but you'll have to learn it first.
Eric Carmody.
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DAYS THIS WEEK
Nov 16 International Day for Tolerance
Nov 18 Latvia Proclamation of Independence (from German Empire in 1918), Oman Independence Day (from Portugal in 1650), Morocco Independence Day (from France in 1956), World Philosophy Day
Nov 19 Monaco National Day (ascension of Prince Albert II to throne in 2005), World Toilet Day
Nov 20 World Children's Day, African Industrialization Day
Nov 21 World Television Day, World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
NOTABLE HISTORICAL EVENTS THIS WEEK
Nov 15 (1884) European colonization and trade in Africa officially regulated at International African Conference formalizing the European “Scramble for Africa”
Nov 16 (1920) Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service (QANTAS) founded
Nov 17 (1869) Suez Canal inaugurated
Nov 18 (1978) 918 followers of Jim Jones' People's Temple died in mass-murder/suicide in Jonestown, Guyana
Nov 19 (1941) HMAS Sydney and HSK Kormoran sank each other off Western Australia (645 Australian sailors died)
Nov 20 (1985) Microsoft Windows 1.0 launched
Nov 21 (1905) Albert Einstein's paper on mass-energy equivalence(E=MC²) published
