"THE RANGE" Vol. 62 No.5
WEDNESDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER 2020
THIS WEEK'S MEETING
Maleny Hotel at 6:30 for 7:00pm for Guest Speaker Greg Ison on PNG Health Project.
APOLOGIES AND MEALS
Apologies please to Bernice before noon on Tuesday.
DUTY ROSTERS
2nd Sep 16th Sep 7th Oct
Duty Officer Chris B Malcolm B Ric T
Assist DO Laurelle O Sherryl G Paulette S
Registration Fran T Bill H Michael G
Fellowship Keith R Peter McG Roly N
SAUSAGE SIZZLE ROSTER
None at present.
PRESIDENT'S NOTES
(a) Projects and Activities
1. Club visit by DG Neil Black and AG Jan Lawton
Many thanks to DG Neil Black and AG Jan Lawton for taking their time to visit our club to learn about our many local club projects over the past 60 years together with all of our current local and international initiatives.
2. Pride of Workmanship Awards
Our Pride of Workmanship Awards Dinner was held at Tranquil Park Maleny on 29th August at Tranquil Park. and presented the club with a great opportunity to reconnect with the roots of Rotary within the local business community through a Vocational Service project , I very much enjoyed sharing a great evening with our nominees, their nominators, our Rotarians and their partners.
3. Domestic and Family Violence
In a joint collaboration with local Zonta, Quota, and Lions Clubs, newly redesigned Domestic Violence signs have been printed and should be installed at several locations including facilities owned and controlled by Sunshine Coast Council and the Body Corporate of the Riverside Centre in the near future.
With our collaborating partners, a very successful Domestic Violence Forum has also been held at the Maleny RSL on 26 August with highly experienced and knowledgeable speakers from within our Sunshine Coast region. Together, we have taken the first steps to ignite passion and interest within our community for a real grassroots change of culture to Speak Up Now Say No to Domestic and Family Violence.
4. Upcoming Date Claimers
• 31.08.2020 Hanging the calendar photos from 3pm at Maple 3. Lionel T would like to remind us that many hands make light work so if a few of you can turn up to help it would be great – should all be done just after 4pm.
• 2.09.2020 Next meeting at the Maleny Hotel.
•30.9.20 Arrangements for our next Vocational night on 30 September 2020 have been booked with Forest Heart Eco Nursery at Coral St Maleny followed by a possible wine tasting activity after and then a Pizza night - to be confirmed at our next meeting.
MINUTES OF MEETING OF 19TH AUGUST
Members were called to order by Chris Brooker, the Sergeant, at 7.05 and President Greg welcomed everyone following the meeting held earlier between Club Board members and 2020/2021 District Governor Neil Black and Assistant Governor Jan Lawton accompanied by Judy representing Zonta. He also acknowledged Craig Sim (former member of APEX) making his second visit to the Club.
Apologies received from Melinda M, Brian A, Bill H, Michael G, James McG, Paulette S, Keith R and CL C.
President Greg commented how good it was to be back at the Club’s regular meeting place – the Hotel Maleny - with the new table and seating layout for dinner which Chris Brooker and the Hotel had devised to comply with the strict Covid19 seating distance requirements.
Sergeant called all to order following an excellent meal and imposed his usual fines for fact or fiction indiscretions; including a bulk fine for the “all female” table for which purpose Rick Vickers presence was ignored!; and also Chris Ross Smith who for some reason was fined for being speechless when “hiding in the barbers”!
Assistant DG Jan updated the Club about the Ironman event on 13 September and sought volunteers to register as part of the Hinterland Group (not Club Group) to help with organising the 3 sessions: 04.30, 08.30 and 12.30 with likely finish by 3pm.
President Greg urged members to register with the Sergeant to volunteer for car parking at Australia Zoo, for which the Club would be paid – the Club had done this once before and had found it to be an easy and pleasant task.
President Greg invited IPP Sherryl Gregory to take the floor to announce Paul Harris Fellow Recognition for two members of the Club, much to their surprise:
- Angela Griffin, for her many years coordination of the Club-sponsored Rotary Australia World Community Service Project 36-2007- 08 – an Education/Skill Development Program resulting in the construction of a new school for the Ebenezer Child Care Trust orphanage in Livingstone, Zambia;
- Lionel Tilley, in recognition of his commitment to leading the annual competition and production of the Club’s largest fundraising project – the much-loved Rotary Calendar.
Following the presentations, Rick V introduced DG Neil Black who thanked the Club for the whirlwind tour of Maleny and the pre-meeting with members of the Board, who provided him with an insight into the Clubs’ many activities. He acknowledged that these were difficult times for clubs to try and meet and there were only so many zoom meetings one could take!
He congratulated the Club for thinking outside the box and for pursuing innovative projects, such as the successful Blues Concert, which was the idea of Rotarian Paulette Steele. He shared his view that these unique times provided the opportunity to innovate - he felt it was a time to encourage Rotarians to think differently so as to attract new members; and encourage older members to accept change to the rituals of the past which may no longer fit the new environment. It was important though to try and overcome the continuing loss of members and aim for retention of new members. It was important to attract people who wanted to join and stay long term in the Club.
He spoke of the challenge facing our local clubs resulting from the amalgamation of 2 Districts to create one new District 9630 next year; and he expressed his empathy for DG Elect Wendy Prothero for the challenges and size of the job she faced as DG of the new very large amalgamated District. The aim was to make the transition as smooth as possible and achieve an increase in net growth of members through increasing growth of every Club in the new District.
Neil advised that feelers were being put out to try and find Rotarians willing to assume Assistant Governor positions to help Wendy. Maybe members of Maleny Club might be willing to assist. Neil turned to Craig Sim and said he felt Craig would fit in well and joked there was “no pressure”.
Finally, he urged members to attend the Annual Conference in Kingaroy planned for 26 – 28 March 2021 – the final conference for District 9600 and the last one to be held in the Bush.
In closing the meeting President Greg asked members to help with and participate in the many activities planned for the future including the following:
26 August – Combined Service Clubs Forum at RSL focussed on Domestic Violence – 4 speakers – Contact Val France.
29 August – Pride in Workmanship Awards (likely at Tranquil Park) – Contact Alan Wilson.
3pm on 31 August - Hanging 2021 Calendar photographs at Maple 3 – volunteers to help -Contact Lionel Tilley.
13 September – Ironman event at Sunshine Coast – Register as volunteers of Hinterland Club – Contacts ADG Jan Lawton and Chris Brooker.
3 October – Donations in Kind (DIK) container loading – volunteers needed – please advise Bernice.
19 Sep - 4 Oct - Daily car parking at the Australia Zoo – contact Chris Brooker.
In closing President Greg thanked the DG and ADG for visiting the Club and wished them a safe journey back home; he also reminded members of upcoming special birthdays and anniversaries.
The meeting concluded at 2030h.
MALENY EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT FUND
We are grateful to CL for the following information which has been forwarded by the Principal of the River School. A parent has written:
To whom it may concern:
I wanted to personally express my gratitude to your organization for your financial contribution towards my daughter's camp fees, I was over the moon to receive the news and as you can imagine it has helped immensely with making this experience happen for her. Thank you so very much for your generosity.
PRIDE OF WORKMANSHIP AWARDS
A successful Presentation Dinner was held at Tranquil Park on 29 August. President Greg handed awards to five nominees.
A vote of thanks was given to Paulette Steele for her organisation of the awards and the dinner. A full report will be posted on a separate blog.
FUTURE MEETINGS & EVENTS
9th September
Board Meeting.
13th September
Ironman at Maroochydore.
16th September
Maleny Hotel at 6:30 for 7:00pm for Business Meeting.
30th September
Vocational visit
3rd October
DIK container loading.
7th October
Maleny Hotel at 6:30 for 7:00pm for Wayne Litherland on ROMAC.
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES FOR SEPTEMBER
4th John & Bernice McLennan 6th Melinda and Ashley Martin 18th Andy & Mia Schouteten 28th Keith & Gloria Rogers
BIRTHDAY FOR SEPTEMBER
17th Judi Ross-Smith 29th Mia Schouteten
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT
NOT COVID 19 RELATED
A GOOD NEWS STORY FROM DIFFICULT TIMES
It’s 1932 and Australia is in the grip of the Great Depression.
One in three workers are unemployed.
Decrepit shanty towns hug the outskirts of the big cities.
A scrawny rabbit caught in a trap will feed a family for a week.
Country roads are filled with broken men walking from one farmhouse to another seeking menial jobs and food.
On the outskirts of the South Gippsland town of Leongatha, an injured farmer lies in bed unable to walk – or work.
World
War I hero Captain Leo Tennyson Gwyther is in hospital with a broken
leg and the family farm is in danger of falling into ruins.
Up steps his son, nine-year-old Lennie.
With
the help of his pony Ginger Mick, Lennie ploughs the farm’s 24 paddocks
and keeps the place running until his father can get back on his feet.
How to reward him?
Lennie
has been obsessively following one of the biggest engineering feats of
the era – the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
He wants to attend its opening.
With great reluctance, his parents agree he can go.
So
Lennie saddles up Ginger Mick, packs a toothbrush, pyjamas, spare
clothes and a water bottle into a sack, and begins the 1000+ kilometre
trek to Sydney.
Alone.
That’s right.
A nine-year-old boy riding a pony from the deep south of Victoria to the biggest and roughest city in the nation.
Told you it was a different era.
No social media.
No mobile phones.
But even then it doesn’t take long before word begins to spread about a boy, his horse and their epic trek.
The entire population of small country towns gather on their outskirts to welcome his arrival.
He survives bushfires, is attacked by a “vagabond” and endures rain and cold, biting winds.
When he reaches Canberra he is welcomed by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons, who invites him into Parliament House for tea.
When he finally arrives in Sydney, more than 10,000 people line the streets to greet him.
He is besieged by autograph hunters.
He becomes a key part of the official parade at the bridge’s opening.
He and Ginger Mick are invited to make a starring appearance at the Royal Show.
Even Donald Bradman, the biggest celebrity of the Depression era, requests a meeting and gives him a signed cricket bat.
A
letter writer to The Sydney Morning Herald at the time gushes that
“just such an example as provided by a child of nine summers, Lennie
Gwyther was, and is, needed to raise the spirit of our people and to
fire our youth and others to do things – not to talk only.
“The
sturdy pioneer spirit is not dead … let it be remembered that this
little lad, when his father was in hospital, cultivated the farm – a
mere child.”
When Lennie leaves Sydney for home a month later, he
has become one of the most famous figures in a country craving uplifting
news.
Large crowds wave handkerchiefs.
Women weep and shout “goodbye”.
According to The Sun newspaper, “Lennie, being a casual Australian, swung into the saddle and called ‘Toodleloo!’”.
He finally arrives home to a tumultuous reaction in Leongatha.
He returns to school and soon life for Lennie – and the country – returns to normal.
These days you can find a bronze statue in Leongatha commemorating Lennie and Ginger Mick.
But Australia has largely forgotten his remarkable feat – and how he inspired a struggling nation.
Never taught about him in school?
Never heard of him before?
Spread the word.
We need to remember – and celebrate – Lennie Gwyther and his courageous journey.
It's a great story.
God knows we need these stories now, more than ever.
