THE RANGE" Vol. 64 No.15
WEDNESDAY 2ND MARCH 2022
THIS WEEK'S MEETING
Maleny Hotel at 6:30 for 7:00pm for a Dinner Meeting with Guest Speaker Nerilee Sowter on Destiny Rescue.
APOLOGIES
Apologies please to Bernice before noon on Tuesday.
DUTY ROSTER
2 Mar 16 Mar 6 Apr
Duty Officer Brian A Jim A Keith R
Assist DO Craig S Ric T Jeff C
Registration James McC Des C Laurelle O
Fellowship John W Bill H Lionel T
WOOLWORTH SAUSAGE SIZZLE ROSTER
19 Mar 0730 - 1030 Rick V Peter McQ Keith R
1030 - 1330 Andy S Malcolm B Jim A
16 Apr 0730 - 1030 John & Bernice McC Fran T
PRESIDENT'S NOTES
Our
next meeting at the Maleny Hotel on 2 March is a General Meeting. Subject to any further changes and or the adverse impacts of Covid 19, continue logging in at the Maleny Hotel with your Qld App, and bring your masks although they are not required whilst seated to drink and eat. My understanding is that the easing of restrictions to mask wearing in Queensland for places such as hotels will not take place until 6pm 4 March.
We can all look forward to an evening of strong fellowship and a challenging presentation from our guest speaker Nerilee Sowter of Destiny Rescue in relation to the rescue of children from sexual trafficking, prostitution, slavery and human exploitation.
- District 9620 Conference in Caloundra 18, 19 and 20 March
My understanding from the Conference website is that registrations are still open for each session of the Conference including the Gala Dinner on Saturday night. But time is running out. Members may have to wait for several years for another conference in our local area given the expansion of the new District. I hope as many of our members as possible can join with me in attending one or more sessions to celebrate the coming together of two great Districts and get to know your fellow Rotarians in a relaxed atmosphere. Here is the link: https://conference.rotary9620.org/#Registration
You can attend for either one, two or all the days and also the Saturday night dinner.
I have also forwarded a request for a booking of a static wall display space in the House of Friendship and am currently awaiting confirmation. We are hoping to prepare a display with an emphasis on our Speak Up Now Project, Maleny Selectors Green and other projects.
- Rotary Driver Education at Corbould Park Caloundra for 2022
This program will now be held in July at a date to be confirmed.
- Maleny Selectors Green
Just a reminder that Jeff Cornfoot has placed a call out to members for assistance to remove kikuyu and cobblers pegs from our native gardens on Maleny Selectors Green on 3 March, weather permitting, from 7.30 am. Any questions to Jeff on 0448830030. We can also expect some assistance from David Coffey and a couple more local Lions members.
- Official Rotary Club of Maleny Club Photographer:
It is with great pleasure that I note that the Club unanimously appointed Renee Harris as our club photographer with Rick Vickers as her deputy at our last meeting. Looking forward to viewing some of Renee’s handiwork after our next meeting.
- And a Spring Date Claimer for 2 September for all members of the Club.
Roly Nieper has been prudently working with his Rotary team and Stephen Porter of the Maleny Golf Club and has booked the Maleny Golf Course for the Inaugural Annual Rotary Club of Maleny Golf Day on Friday 2 September. Further details of this active, fun and healthy event will be made available in the coming months.
MINUTES OF MEETING OF 2ND FEBRUARY
President Greg opened this Business Meeting by welcoming the members present. He noted that the dates for the District Conference ,to be held in Caloundra from 18 to 20 March, were fast approaching.
Sherryl G reported that Angela and CL are stepping down from administering the Maleny Education Fund. Relacements will be appointed. The Fund has a balance of $4,000 and more community donations will be required. It fills a very useful and discreet role.
Speak Up Now - Plenty of safety cards left over to hand out.
Domestic Violence Prevention Month will be held in May.
Rotary Australia Health celebrates its 40th anniversary. Millions of dollars have been raised since its inception.
Rick V reported that it had been a difficult year both for the Club and Rotary International because of Covid 19. This has severely limited our ability to raise funds for selected and new projects. Never the less funds were donated to traditional recipients such as Shelter Box, Polio Plus and others.
Roly N announced that the Club intended to sponsor an initial Golf Day at the Maleny Golf Club on 2 September. A committee of Greg, Craig, Lionel, Jeff and Jim has been formed. They will be looking for volunteers to assist on the actual day which will require a total Club involvement.
Jeff Cornfoot gave an update on the Maleny Selectors Green project. Volunteers will soon be required to do some weeding of the garden beds.
Paulette S said that a grant application was being made to pay for koala friendly trees to assist a Mapleton group.
Craig S announced that he was looking at Australia Zoo or the new Fire Station as possible locations for vocational visits.
President Greg Williams reported that the Sunshine Coast Council have requested expressions of interest for a steering committee to look at the conversion of 65 acres of donated land at the rear of Mary Cairncross Park to an Environmental Park, to enhance the total area and to support it as a major draw card for the hinterland region.
The meeting closed 8:30pm
FUTURE MEETINGS AND EVENTS
9th March Board Meeting
16th March Maleny Hotel at 6:30 for 7:00pm for a Business Meeting.
18-20th March District Conference at Caloundra Events Centre
30th March Possible Vocational Visit
6th April Maleny Hotel at 6:30 for 7:00pm for a Dinner Meeting with Guest Speaker Adrian McCullum on An Adventurous Life.
BIRTHDAYS FOR MARCH
5th Judy Tilley 26th Rick Vickers
EVEN CIVIL SERVANTS HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOUR
Lt. Colonel Robert Maclaren retired from the British Army in 2001 after a long fulfilling career. On the day that he retired, he received a letter from the Personnel Department of the Ministry of Defence setting out details of his pension and, in particular, the tax-free ‘lump sum’ award, (based upon completed years of service), that he would receive in addition to his monthly pension.
The letter read:
“Dear Lt. Colonel Maclaren,
We write to confirm that you retired from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards on 1st March 2001 at the rank of Lt Colonel, having been commissioned into the British Army at Edinburgh Castle as a 2nd Lieutenant on 1st February 1366. Accordingly your lump sum payment, based on years served, has been calculated as £68,500. You will receive a cheque for this amount in due course.
Yours sincerely,
Army Paymaster”
Lt.Colonel Maclaren replied;
“Dear Paymaster,
Thank you for your recent letter confirming that I served as an officer in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards between 1st February 1366 and 1st March 2001 – a total period of 635 years and 1 month. I note however that you have calculated my lump sum to be £68,500. This seems to be considerably less than it should be bearing in mind my length of service since I received my commission from King Edward III.
By my calculation, allowing for interest payments and currency fluctuations, my lump sum should actually be £6,427,586,619.47p.
I look forward to receiving a cheque for this amount in due course.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Maclaren (Lt Col Retd)”
A month passed by and then in early April, a stout manilla envelope from the Ministry of Defence in Edinburgh dropped through Col Maclaren’s letter box, it read:
“Dear Lt Colonel Maclaren,
We have reviewed the circumstances of your case as outlined in your recent letter to us dated 8th March inst. We do indeed confirm that you were commissioned into the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards by King Edward III at Edinburgh Castle on 1st February 1366, and that you served continuously for the following 635 years and 1 month. We have re-calculated your pension and have pleasure in confirming that the lump sum payment due to you is indeed £6,427,586,619.47p.
However, we also note that according to our records you are the only surviving officer who had command responsibility during the following campaigns and battles; The Wars of the Roses 1455 -1485 (Including the battles of Bosworth Field, Barnet and Towton), The Civil War 1642 -1651 (Including the battles Edge Hill, Naseby and the conquest of Ireland), The Napoleonic War 1803 – 1815 (including the battle of Waterloo and the Peninsular War), The Crimean War (1853 – 1856) (including the battle of Sevastopol and the Charge of the Light Brigade), The Boer War (1899 -1902).
We would therefore wish to know what happened to the following, which do not appear to have been returned to Stores by you on completion of operations:
9765 Cannon
26,785 Swords
12,889 Pikes
127,345 Rifles (with bayonets)
28,987 horses (fully kitted)
Plus three complete marching bands with instruments and banners.
We have calculated the total cost of these items and they amount to £6,427,518,119.47p. We have therefore subtracted this sum from your lump sum, leaving a residual amount of £68,500, for which you will receive a cheque in due course.
Yours sincerely . . . .”
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