RCCBG News Notes (Jul. 22, 2024)

From the President

Hello Everyone.

I am back from my Prostrate Biopsy and happy to report I have no signs of Cancer.

In my absence Michael and Monica attended a meeting with the Murrumbidgee and Sunrise Clubs to see where we could make arrangements for a merger. The Sunrise Club meets in the mornings at the Mercure in the Breakfast room and the Murrumbidgee Club meets in in the evenings at the Statesman at Curtin. The other clubs all have around the same number of Members that we do and are facing the issue of not enough members to be effective going forward. The normal process is for clubs to hand in their Charter and create a new Charter for the new Club or one Club cancels their Charter and Members find a new Club that suits them. We will be outlining more details for discussion at our Thursday meeting at the Canberra Yacht Club. [See also a short report of the meeting, below.]

Thanks to Michael for stepping in to run the Club meeting on Thursday and to Ross for presenting his material on Camping in WA. The time of my operation changed at the last minute. Michael indicated that the Golf Club had delays in serving the meal and Bridge Club Members wandered through the meeting which was distracting. We have another meeting at the Canberra Golf Club on the 1^st of August and then I will send out an email to get your feedback on which location we shall use in the future.

Yours in Rotary

Russell Dew

Last week’s meeting: Travels in the far west

Astrida thanking Ross after his presentation

Our intrepid treasurer, Ross, stepped in a short notice to present an engaging talk at our meeting on 18 July about his recent travels in Western Australian, the BIG state. Ross, his wife, Collette, and two family members who live in Perth set off in late April (returning five weeks later) and travelled some 15,500 kms Perth to Broome return. Surprisingly it was still quite hot travelling at this time of year especially the further north one went.

As background, many members may remember a previous presentation by Russell examining the economics of different forms of holiday travel: caravan, fly and drive (stay in hotels/motels) and fly and caravan. Well, Ross came up with a fourth option, a hybrid model which was comparatively economical – fly to Perth and share travel with family who have a caravan and a car. Ross borrowed his brother in law’s tent and camped. The group shared costs all the way and it worked really well!

Ross and family travelled north mainly along Highway 1 which roughly parallels the coastline and returned the same way but stayed at different regional towns and national parks on the way up and back. An easterly diversion to Karajini National Park via the mining town of Tom Price added a distinct change in the landscape. Ross loves his sunsets as evidenced by the many beautiful sunset photos at different locations.

Highlights heading north to Broome

The Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park, Cervantes, Kalbarri, Coral Bay (snorkelling on Ningaloo Reef)
Tom Price mine, spectacular gorges and ironstone landscapes in and around Karijini National Park in the Pilbara
Port Headland (massive iron ore export port), Eighty Mile Beach, the superb sunsets continue

Broome

While Broome is famous for its pearling history, Cable beach and camel rides, Ross’s highlight at the beginning of his stay was a guided Indigenous tour by Robby Dann from Kimberley Cultural Tours. Ross learned a lot about Indigenous culture especially the use of local plants and the significance of country.

Highlights heading back south

Dampier with its Red Dog memorial statue – a great story of a red kelpie/cattle dog cross who lived in and roamed the Pilbara region in the 1970s
Exmouth - Snorkelling with the world’s biggest fish, the whale shark, amazing
Carnarvon Space Museum, Denham, Shell Beach, Shark Bay
Geraldton – HMAS Sydney Memorial

For those itchy footed travellers, this is a magnificent part of Australia to explore. Thanks, Ross, for sharing your photos and memories!

Astrida Upitis

Ross has kindly shared the following photos from his presentation:

The Zig Zag of the Murchison River near Kalbarri

The famous Red Dog (The Pilbara Wanderer) statue at Dampier

Sunset at Denham Beach

Report on meeting to discuss potential Club mergers

Last Thursday morning members Monica and Michael participated in a meeting with Canberra Sunrise Rotary Club and Murrumbidgee Canberra Rotary Club to discuss the potential for Club mergers, either in the near or medium future, due to declining active members in each Club. Nothing was decided on mergers; with Peter McDermott, President of Canberra Sunrise, to prepare a paper outlining the issues to be considered in a potential merger. This paper will pave the way for more detailed consideration and discussions as needed.

Next meeting: a social gathering at the Yacht Club on 25 July

Our next Club meeting will be a social gathering at the Southern Cross Yacht Club’s fish and chippery, Snapper & Co, Mariner Pl, Yarralumla, starting at 12:30 pm. The following week (1 August) we will be back for a second meeting at the Royal Canberra Golf Club.

To see the program of future meetings, visit: Rotary activities Spreadsheet.

Duty Roster

Date	25 July	1 August	8 August	15 August
Door	Social meeting	Ross and Eric	Zoom	Social meeting
Open meeting; introduce President; and Toast to Rotary	Social meeting	Michael Rabey	Faye Powell	Social meeting
Thank speaker and write up for Bulletin	Social meeting	John Little	Liz Scrivener	Social meeting

If you are not able to perform your allocated duty, please arrange a replacement and advise President Russell (cc Bulletin Editor Stephen). Please advise Stephen of any planned absences to avoid being rostered on while away.

Message from the World Peace Bell Association Chair

Michael Rabey invited the World Peace Bell Association to attend our 3 August ceremony at the Canberra Rotary Peace Bell to remember the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. He received the following response:

Dear Michael,

Thank you for the invitation. We at the World Peace Bell Association are very pleased that such a ceremony being held to pray for peace and to remember the tragedy of the first atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US military in 1945, and that the bell sent by the World Peace Bell Association will be rung on this occasion by His Excellency the Ambassador of Japan to Australia.

We would like to attend this ceremony if possible, but unfortunately we are unable to do so due to scheduling and financial constraints. However, we sincerely hope that the ceremony will be successful.

Please accept our thanks and apologies.

The Best Wishes/Katsumi Sato, Chair, World Peace Bell Association, Tokyo Headquarters.

What to do during a global IT outage

Courtesy of Evan Burrell, Changemaker via his Facebook page.

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