The Rotary Club of Nunawading Inc.

Reg. Inc No. A0016092S

Club Bulletin

The benefits of being a Rotarian include serving

the community, networking and friendship, and

promoting ethics and leadership skills

www.rotarynunawading.com.au

May is International Month 28th May 2008

This Weeks’s Auction

Thank-you to the 23 members who have advised and made available goods for the upcoming auction this Wednesday night.

To those who have not, please bring your contribution on Wednesday evening or phone me on 9877-1303 to arrange collection of your donation.

Thank-you, John Vickers

Opening function for Eastlink Sunday 15th June

·  The six clubs within Cluster 6 have been asked by the Assistant

Governor. Andrew Brownlie to assist with this function.

·  Cluster 6 required at Ringwood from 9.30am to 12.00noon.

·  Cluster 6 to be involved as marshals, a BBQ, and a drinks station.

·  Marshals will be provided with highly visible clothing and wet

weather poncho’s.

·  Participation is open to Rotarians, Rotaractors, their family & friends.

·  All participants must be registered, so an ID tag can be issued, and they are covered by Rotary insurance.

·  Information on exactly where the sites are, access and parking details will be provided by AG Andrew Brownlie shortly.

·  The DG has decided that all proceeds raised on the day will be going towards District projects, namely ARHRF, ROMAC, and Rotary Foundation. He has been given an estimated attendance figure of between 50,000 and 80,000.

·  Pres. Russell has designated Roger Wilson our Club’s coordinator and he will be collecting the names of those who wish to participate over the next two meetings. The list needs to be provided to AG Andrew no later than 30th May

Dates to Celebrate – May
Birthdays / Wedding Anniversaries / Induction Dates
08th / John Dear / 15th / Bruce & Joy Simcox / 18/05/1988 / Bruce Simcox
13th / John Lynch / 28th / John & Pat Dear / 18/05/1988 / Neil Ibbott
15th / Bruce Atkinson / 28th / Robert McQuade & Alison Penington / 20/05/1987 / John Dear
21st / Bob Davis / 23/05/2001 / Bruce Argyle
30th / Neil Ibbott / 30/05/2007 / Lesley Arnolda

ShelterBox – help for disaster victims worldwide

We’ve heard about the disasters in Burma & China and have probably heard about how Rotary has responded through their Shelterboxes. This bulletin is dedicated to the people involved in handling this enormous task. First a little bit about ShelterBox followed by a diary of events as they unfolded

Mission - “To provide humanitarian aid worldwide in the form of shelter, warmth and comfort to people displaced by natural and other disasters.”

Our solution to disasters is the ShelterBox – a tough, green plastic box containing a 10-person tent and ancillary equipment designed to enable a family of up to 10 people survive for at least six months.

Made to a unique design using high quality materials, our tents are suitable for a wide range of conditions. Other items may include insulated groundsheets, thermal blankets, a multi-fuel stove, cooking equipment, tools, mosquito nets, water containers etc.

May 6th - Myanmar (Burma): ShelterBox responds immediately to the devastating cyclone to hit Myanmar. 22,000 lives are reported to have been lost and 95% of houses are destroyed as the cyclone swept in-land after several days at sea. 224 boxes left from the pre-positioned site in Dubai over the weekend, 220 boxes have left from Melbourne, Australia and a further 200 boxes with two tents each were packed this morning at the ShelterBox HQ in Helston, Cornwall. A team of four SRT members are making arrangements to assist with the difficult distribution of vital aid.

May 7th - Myanmar: Cyclone Nargis in the Irrawaddy Delta on Saturday is now reported to have killed close to 22,500 and left 41,000 missing. ShelterBox today responses by continuing to pack a further 200 boxes bringing the total number of tents to 844 - the team of four ShelterBox Response Team members are on their way.

May 8th - Myanmar: ShelterBox team of four response members are safely on the ground, the boxes have been located at the airport and at first light the SRT's will be assessing the much needed distribution.

May 9th - Myanmar: ShelterBox can confirm we have successful delivered over £300,000 worth of survival aid - however much more is needed. ShelterBox plans to charter an airplane to get a further 1000 boxes to the desperate people of Burma in the worst hit areas and much more as the donations come in. As one of the first Aid Organisations into the country who also obtained visas and a clear and helpful path from the Embassy ShelterBox is in an ideal position help.

A view of the warehouse on Monday –

thank you Volunteers!

May 12th-13th , Myanmar: ShelterBox has permission to land its charter plane at Yangon Airport. On board are the first two US ShelterBox Response Team members to join ShelterBoxes in-country team. ShelterBoxes four man team who have been in Yangon for five days with 644 boxes of vital aid have confirmed that the boxes containing tents, mosquito nets, tools, water purification tablets and other essential equipment are now being distributed into the Delta region by the Burmese authorities.

A further delivery of ‘Disaster Relief Aid’ consisting of 1000 boxes is to be flown direct from East Midlands Airport on the evening of the 14th May. ShelterBox has chartered a plane through DHL and confirms the clearance to land for this vital aid along with two American SRT members; Rotarian Patrick Olson (Michigan) and David Eby (Nashville) an experienced SRT who will replenish the UK team.

Over the past five days the four man team on the ground has worked tirelessly with the services to get the aid moving, Cornish fireman Ian Neal (team leader) created a ‘train the trainer’ session with the Burmese fire services and authorities and although progress has been slow it has been positive as a ‘people to people’ link has been established.

Wednesday 14th-15th, East Midlands Airport: ShelterBox, last night chartered a DC 10 aid flight through DHL which loaded at East Midlands Airport, UK prior to departing at 23:00 for Myanmar. East Midlands Airport waived the landing fees for the charity, ground crew were impressed with the ease of loading the 'ShelterBox'. On board are 1050 shelterboxes along with Patrick Olson a USA SRT member who will be accompanying the boxes and joining with the existing Shelterbox team already in Myanmar. One other US SRT member, David Eby, will also arrive on Friday morning.

Persistence and patience is gradually paying off in Myanmar...

News from SRT Leader Ian Neal on the ground in Yangon: "All teams now trained in Yangon on Shelterbox contents and setting up of tents. Planned distribution 500 + 50 blue boxes to Ngaputaw, Haigyi Island SW Delta region, 250 boxes to Labutta Delta, 250 Bogale. The boxes will be transported straight off the aircraft onto trucks and then into affected areas with the local staff in field."
News from SRT Patrick Olson on board the flight to Yangon: "I'm currently on 12-hr crew rest in Kyrgyzstan. ETA for Yangon is Friday 04:00. My flight crew estimates a 5-8 hour unloading. To my knowledge, David Eby and I are two of the very few US citizens with visas to enter Myanmar."

China Earthquake - immediate response from HQ

Friday 16th May: ShelterBox has made an initial commitment of 400 boxes to assist the earthquake victims in China. Boxes will be channeled in through Hong Kong and Beijing Rotary Clubs and the China Charity Federation. The boxes are destined for Chengdu City in the Sichuan Province.

Tuesday 20th May - China: Two SRT's Pat Prendergast (Swindon) and Tom Lay (Somerset) are now on their way from Beijing to Chengdu, they will meet with one other international SRT member Peter Clouting (Aus), they are travelling into a disaster area the size of Spain.

The two SRT's stood for a 3 minute silence in Tiananmen Square yesterday along with thousands of mourners and explained back to HQ, "that the need for vital immediate relief aid such as 'ShelterBox' is essential at this critical time as thousands of people need shelter and are exposed to the elements in a state of shock."

Back at HQ the relief effort to get to the most needy within the rescue period is on high alert, volunteers have again been packing around the clock. Tom Henderson, founder & CEO, will travel in the morning, to the Chinese Embassy to co-ordinate the transportation of as many boxes as donors can give.

Latest statics suggest that the devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck southwest China on May 12, killed more than 14,500 people and has injured thousands more in one town alone. A 5-magnitude 'after shock' shook the Sichuan's provincial capital of Chengdu days later where the ShelterBox Response Team members are headed. Reports of more aftershocks and heavy rain loom over the relief effort and the team on the ground.

Thursday 22nd May - Myanmar: ShelterBox can confirm that the majority of the ShelterBox tents have now been used in the two worst hit disaster areas of Labutta & Bogale. Considering the circumstances the first stage of the mission was completed; getting the most boxes of aid into the country in the initial stages of the disaster. Importantly a realistic pipeline for more ShelterBoxes to enter the country under the guidance of the local authorities has now been established.

Subject: Cop this
Two Hunter traffic patrol officers from Newcastle LAC were involved in an unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the F3 Freeway. One of the officers used a hand-held radar device to check the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised when the speed was recorded at over 800Kph. Their radar suddenly stopped working and the officers were not able to reset it.
Just then a deafening roar over the treetops revealed that the radar had in fact latched on to a Williamtown FA-18 fighter jet which was engaged in a low-flying exercise over Wyong, approaching from the ocean.
Back at police headquarters the Local Area Commander fired off a stiff complaint to the RAAF Liaison officer at Williamtown.

Back came the reply in true laconic RAAF style:
'Thank you for your message, which allows us to complete the file on this incident. You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Hornet had detected the presence of, and subsequently locked onto, your hostile radar equipment and automatically sent a jamming signal back to it. Furthermore, an air-to-ground missile aboard the fully-armed aircraft had also automatically locked onto your equipment. Fortunately the pilot flying the Hornet recognised the situation for what it was, quickly responded to the missile systems alert status, and was able to override the automated defence system before the missile was launched and your hostile radar installation was destroyed.
Thank you for your enquiry.

ROSTERS

If you have any problems with your attendance it would be really good if you could arrange someone to replace you.

May / 28th / Host
Cashier
Recorder
Rotaract / Colin Read
Jim Robson
Peter Schoner
Rob McQuade / John Munro

JUNE

June / 4th / Host
Cashier
Recorder / Andre Scibor-Kaminski
Bruce Simcox
Ian Symons
June / 8th / Farmers Market / Time / Administration / Photo Tent / Olive Oil Tent / BBQ
6.30- 9.00
9.00- 11.15
11.00 - 1.30
June / 11th / Host
Cashier
Recorder
Rotaract / James Tan
Colin Taylor
Kevin Thomas
John Dear / Graeme Moorfoot
June / 18th / Host
Cashier
Recorder / Dick Tregear
John Vickers
Sue Warmington
June / 25th / Host
Cashier
Recorder
Rotaract / Wayne Willoughby
Roger Wilson
Max Wittick
Andre Scibor-Kaminski