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Inside this issue

Bulletin No 18 04th November 2015 Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Castle Hill ISSN 2203-126X

Rotary Club of Castle Hill Chartered 18th March 1965

PO Box 13, Castle Hill. 1765 www.rotarynews.info/club4201

Rotary Year 2015-16 District Governor: Gina Growden (District 9685 ) Rotary Int’l President: Ravi Ravindran

This Week 4th November Club Business Meeting Chair President Mike Hallen Meeting report Chris Dunwell Meet & Greet David Brown Regalia Raymond Danam & Chris Dunwell

Next Week 11th November Rodney Rietdyk “Things you need to know before you go” Chair Terry O'Mara Meeting report David Brown Meet & Greet Chris Dunwell Regalia Terry O’Mara & Ross Hood

This Bulletin is kindly printed by Snap Printing. Unit 20/5Hudson Avenue, Castle Hill 2154 Phone 02- 96801858

Birth Days & Anniversaries

November 2015

BIRTHDAYS ANNIVERSARIES

Judy Rochford 9th Phil & Bev Davis 4th

Geoff & Jan Duffy 14th

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From President Mike Hallen

A good turnout last week to hear our Mayor, Councillor Dr Michelle Byrne, speak to us about our Shire and what is happening. She spoke about the proposed amalgamation of councils, building density and the

advent of “high-rise” to our Shire. It seems that the NSW gov-ernment has the overriding authority regarding building densi-ty and type but the question posed was “if it is the right thing for the inner city, is it a family friendly solution for our Shire?”. A one size fits all solution that is not supported by our Council.

The new railway stations will attract high-rise (up to 24 storeys) but some residents who believed that their property values had appreciated greatly because they had been identi-fied as being in the high-rise areas may be disappointed.

We were privileged to have the Mayor speak at our Club, and in recognition the Club recog-nised her with a Paul Harris Fellowship which she graciously accepted.

A number of guests were present, some of whom were unable to attend our Business Net-working Meeting on 14th October. We were also supported by a large number of our part-ners whose presence is always very welcome.

The Garage Sale was a success in that we made a profit of approximately $1560 (including the BBQ). Phil Dunn did his usual excellent job and organised a disparate group of Rotari-ans and partners over the 2 days of preparation and on the sale day. It was a different event to the one we had last year when there was a greater number of “smaller” items for sale. This year we had large furniture items and so many books that we could have started a lending library. All-in-all a fun time and lots of fellowship. A big “thank you” to all who assisted in any way. I hope Mike Blair is enjoying his vacation!

Yours in Rotary

President Mike

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O ne sunny morning at the end of June 1991, a

van drove through the busy, rush-hour

streets of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Winding

through traffic to a northern suburb, the van

arrived at the Forward Command Headquarters of the

Defense Ministry. Security guards stopped it for inspec-

tion. When they did, the two suicide bombers driving

the van detonated their cargo: thousands of kilograms

of plastic explosives.

The roof of the building was blown off completely. De-

bris was strewn for blocks. In total, 21 people were killed

and 175 people injured, among them many pupils of the

girls' school next door. More than a kilometer away, the

blast shattered every window in my home. My wife

raced toward the sound of the explosion – toward our

daughter's school.

Our daughter was then nine years old. That morning,

she had forgotten her pencil case at home. At the mo-

ment of the blast, she was coming out of a stationer's

shop, admiring her new pencils. Suddenly her ears were

ringing, the air was filled with sand, and everywhere

around her people were screaming, bleeding, and run-

ning. Someone pulled her into the garden of the badly

damaged school, where she waited until my wife arrived

to bring her back to our home – its floors still covered

with broken glass.

Sri Lanka today is peaceful and thriving, visited by some

two million tourists every year. Our war now is only a

memory, and we as a nation look forward to a promising

future. Yet so many other nations cannot say the same.

Today, more of the world's countries are involved in

conflict than not; a record 59.5 million people worldwide

live displaced by wars and violence.

In Rotary we believe, in spite of all that, in the possibility

of peace – not out of idealism, but out of experience. We

have seen that even the most intractable conflicts can

be resolved when people have more to lose by fighting

than by working together. We have seen what can hap-

pen when we approach peace-building in ways that are

truly radical, such as the work of our Rotary Peace Fel-

lows. Through our Rotary Foundation, peace fellows be-

come experts in preventing and resolving conflict. Our

goal is that they will find new ways not only to end wars

but to stop them before they begin.

Among the hundreds of peace fellows who have gradu-

ated from the program, two from Sri Lanka, one from

each side of the conflict, studied together. In the first

weeks of the course, both argued passionately for the

rightness of their side. Yet week by week, they grew to

understand each other's perspective; today, they are

good friends. When I met them and heard their story,

they gave me hope. If 25 years of pain and bitterness

could be overcome by Rotary, then what, indeed, is be-

yond us?

We cannot fight violence with violence. But when we

fight it with education, with understanding, and with

peace, we can truly Be a Gift to the World.

November

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4th November Club Business Meeting Chair President Mike Hallen Meeting report Chris Dunwell Meet & Greet David Brown Regalia Raymond Danam & Chris Dunwell 11th November Rodney Rietdyk “Things you need to know before you go” Chair Terry O'Mara Meeting report David Brown Meet & Greet Chris Dunwell Regalia Terry O’Mara & Ross Hood

18th November Club Committee Meeting Chair President Mike Hallen Meeting report Rod Williamson Meet & Greet Phil Dunn Regalia David Bull & Chris Dunwell

25th November Guest Speaker Chair TBA Meeting report Chris Dunwell Meet & Greet Phil Dunn Regalia Bob Chary & Chris Dunwell

At the entrance to a restaurant in

Bourke, NSW. Taken by the editor. Two

more photos on page 12.

I noticed that girls who were in.. Not

keen to save money!

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PAST PRESIDENTS

1965-66Gerald Engel Prov & Charter President 1966-67 John Wells 1967-68 Roley McClintock 1968-69 Don Wright 1969-70 Ray Wells 1970-71 Tony Dehlsen 1971-72 Roy Martin 1972-73 Frank Crooke 1973-74 Allan Buckingham 1974-75 Ken Binns 1975-76 Colin Lawford 1976-77 Roger Wood 1977-78 Brian Stacey 1978-79 Warren Bowden 1979-80 Ern Death 1980-81 Peter Gilbank 1981-82 Graeme Brangwin 1982-83 Stan Fulker 1983-84 Phillip Dunn 1984-85 Bill Robinson 1985-86 John Barker PSM 1986-87 Norm Roach 1987-88 Milton Colburt 1988-89 Ron Marcus OAM 1989-90 Bill Tait 1990-91 Peter Wood 1991-92 Bruce Allen 1992-93 Ray White

1993-94 Ron Miller 1994-95 Gerry Larkin 1995-96 Hannibal Shabaz 1996-97 George McDonald 1997-98 Peter McBean 1998-99 John Stuart 1999-00 Geoff Duffy 2000-01 John Cooper 2001-02 Mike Hallen 2002-03 Judy Ford 2003-04 Jeff Whyte 2004-05 Peter Ford 2005-06 Mike Blair 2006-07 Terry O’Mara AM 2007-08 David Waterhouse 2008-09 Peter Marcer 2009-10 Rod Williamson 2010-11 Terry O’Mara AM 2011-12 Stephen Macquarie 2012 –2013 Paul Robinson 2013-2014 Bev Cooney OAM 2014 - 2015 Mike Blair PAST PRESIDENTS OTHER CLUBS David Sommerlad AM , Bruce Jenkin MBE Neil Todd, Phil Davis Raymond Danam SERVICE ABOVE SELF AWARD

Ron Marcus OAM

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15 Month/Year Date Event Rotary Monthly Theme

July, 2015 8 District Governor's Visit No special designation this month

15 Guest Speaker

22 Club Assembly

29 Guest Speaker

August, 2015 5 Club Visioning Session (6:00pm start)

Membership & Extension Month

12 Guest Speaker

19 Club Business Meeting

26 Guest Speaker

September2015 2 Excellence in Policing Awards Basic Education & Literacy Month

9 Guest Speaker

16 Mini Club Assembly

23 Guest Speaker

30 Club Committee Meeting

October 2015 7 Guest Speaker Economic & Community Devel-opment Month

14 Business Networking Meeting

21 Fun and Fellowship with Partners

28 Guest Speaker

November2015 4 Club Business Meeting The Rotary Foundation (TRF) Month

11 Guest Speaker

15 BBQ at Bunnings

18 Committee Business Meeting

25 Guest Speaker

White Ribbon Collection Day.

White Ribbon March 7.00am Breakfast at CH RSL (8.00am)

December 2015 2 Annual General Meeting Disease Prevention & Treatment Month

5 BBQ at Masters

9 Club Christmas Party

16 Parking at Bella Vista for the Bush Christmas

23 No Meeting

30 No Meeting

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NOVEMBER Rotary Foundation Month

Month/Year

Date Event Rotary Monthly Theme

January 2016 5 BBQ, Bunning's Castle Hill Vocational Service Month

6 Home Meeting #1 – Mike Hallen’s

7 BBQ, Bunning's Castle Hill

13 Home Meeting #2 – Rotary International South Pacific and Philippines Office

20 Home Meeting #3 – Chris Dunwell’s

27 Guest Speaker

February 2016 3 Guest Speaker Peace & Conflict Resolution Month

10 Club Business Meeting

17 Pride in Workmanship

24 Business Networking #2

March 2016 2 Club Business Meeting Water & Sanitation Month

9 Guest Speaker

16 Mini Club Assembly

23 Excellence In Teaching Awards

30 Club Committee meeting

April 2016 6 Guest Speaker Maternal & Child Health Month

13 Club Business Meeting

20 Anzac Day Guest Speaker

27 Tour de Hills Presentation Night

May 2016 4 Club Committee Meeting Youth Service Month

11 Guest Speaker

18 Club Business Meeting

25 Guest Speaker

June 2016 1 Club Committee Meeting Rotary Fellowships Month

8 Guest Speaker

15 Club Assembly

22 Club Business Meeting

29 Club Changeover

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Meeting Minutes 28th October 2015

By PP Rod Williamson

A cting Sergeant Terry O’Mara called the meeting to order on time and a toast was

made to Rotary International.

President Mike opened the meeting with a special welcome to partners and guests

including visiting Rotarian Vi Nutt from Rotary Club of North Rocks and advised that

the guest speaker, Mayor Councillor Dr Michelle Byrne of the The Hills Shire Council, would not

be arriving until approximately 7.15pm. He also referred to a letter of appreciation that had been

received from the Mayor acknowledging and thanking our Club members for supporting this

year’s Orange Blossom Festival.

After a fellowship break President Mike:

Advised that the Garage Sale and BBQ at Storage king raised approximately $1560 and thanked all those who assisted and specially acknowledged the significant contribution of Phil Dunn. Informally welcomed the Mayor as she was escorted into the room by Rod Williamson. Mentioned that he had spoken to Hannibal Shabaz who told him that Joan was at home and that they have been visited by David and Diana Waterhouse. Hannibal welcomes phone calls to his home or mobile number including visits with prior notice to ensure that it is convenient. Following dinner and at the invitation of President Mike acting Sergeant Terry O’Mara conducted

the Fine Session imposing fines as follows:

All members who did/did not work at the garage sale, Neil Todd – booking in late, Peter Marcer –

photo resting at garage sale, Chris Dunwell – unfailing sense of humour, Di Nutt – booking in late

with message to Mike Blair, Rod Williamson – worrying about attendance numbers, Pinky Singh,

Ray Danham & David Brown – new members with the last fine on Phil Dunn – excellence in lead-

ership at the garage sale.

The raffle was drawn by the Mayor – Bruce Allen the red with ticket 77 (two

weeks in a row) and Bruce Jenkin the white with ticket 78.

President Mike invited Bruce Allen to speak and show a DVD with the assis-

tance of Paul Robinson of Bill Gates providing an update on Polio Plus and also acknowledging

the significant contribution of Rotarians to eradicate the world of this dreaded virus over three

decades.

Following a formal introduction of the Mayor, President Mike invited Michelle to address the

meeting.

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After paying tribute to Rotary Michelle’s address centered on two main issues, the recent State

Government announcement that Local Councils have 30 days to consider amalgamations with

other neighbouring Local Councils and submit their recommendations in order to become more

cost effective. The other was the challenges from the future growth of The Hills Shire given the

impact of the Northwest Rail Link project.

Michelle whilst reinforcing the importance of Local Government and the need to protect what’s

important, such as the current strong Hills community spirit, supported the need for more effec-

tive and efficient local government. After a 4 year review by the Independent Pricing and Regula-

tory Tribunal (IPART) a final report had been released declaring The Hills as fit, but the neighbour-

ing councils as unfit. Whilst the Hills may be in a strong position for the future the State Govern-

ment is serious about less small to medium size ineffective Local Councils and The Hills will be ex-

pected to play its part. The State Government is not interested in alignment of boundaries chang-

es and takeovers/amalgamations will be insisted upon. Hawkesbury or Hornsby Councils are two

possibilities.

In regard to the challenges that the Hills Shire faces with the many issues to be confronted as a re-

sult of the development of the North West Rail Link Michelle demonstrated in her address that

Council is concerned with all aspects of changes to infrastructure and the demographics of the

Hills Shire and the need to maintain the quality life style that currently exists and where possible

avoid any adverse impact on residents. Notwithstanding this, as pointed out by Michelle, the final

planning rests with the State Government and the Hills Council can only seek to coerce the State

Government to achieve the best possible outcome.

As expected there were many questions and points of view expressed regarding high rise build-

ings, adequate open spaces, development of jobs

etc from members and guests with Michelle taking

on board several concerns raised. At one point

Michelle made it clear she did not want Castle Hill to

become another Chatswood!

In thanking Michelle for making the time to attend

our Club and for a very informative address Presi-

dent Mike recognized Michelle as a Paul Harris Fel-

low for her service in the Hills community. In re-

sponse Michelle acknowledged the contribution

that Rotary makes to society and expressed her ap-

preciation of the Paul Harris recognition.

President Mike thanked all the guests for attending

and closed the meeting by inviting everyone present

to join with him in singing the National Anthem.

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Attendance Report Attendance Report Attendance Report for 28for 28for 28ththth October 2015 October 2015 October 2015

by PP John Cooper

Apologies: John Barker Frank Anisse Warwick Talbot Harshad Desai David Sommerlad Marie Ford Phil Davis Peter Marcer Ron Marcus Make Ups: Nil Honorary Rotarians: Neil Todd

Friends of Rotary: Penny Burke Visiting Rotarians: Vi Nutt – Rotary Club of North Rocks Guests: David Maguire, Joe Gorman Rod Byers, Linda Gunek, Mike Sulli-van Leave of Absence: Anil de Silva, till Dec 31 2015 Geoff Duffy, Sept 23 till Nov 03 Bev Cooney, July 01 till Dec 31 Pinky Singh, till Dec 31 Mike Blair, Oct 12 till Nov 28 Bob Chary Nov 19 till Jan 12 2016 Hannibal Shabaz till 31 Dec Mike Blair, Oct 12 till Nov 28 Bob Chary Nov 19 till Jan 12 2016 Hannibal Shabaz till 31 Dec

52%

CHICAGO RADIATOR SHOP:

"Best place in town to take a leak." ******** And the best one for last

Sign on the back of another Septic Tank Truck:

"Caution - This Truck is full of Political Promises"

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Club Officers and Non-Executive Positions Rotary Year 2015-2016

Rotary Club of Castle Hill President Mike Hallen President-Elect (2015-2016) Chris Dunwell Secretary Geoff Duffy Treasurer Bruce Allen Director Club Administration Chris Dunwell Director Membership Rod Williamson Director Public Relations Geoff Duffy Director Service Projects Mike Blair Director Rotary Foundation Bruce Allen Director Outreach Projects Hannibal Shabaz

In addition, the following non-executive roles have been accepted by those listed below: Bulletin Editor Anil de Silva Raffle David Bowles Guest Speaker Program Ross Hood Attendance Recorder Geoff Duffy Welfare Officer Terry O’Mara Sergeants Hannibal Shabaz & Harshad Desai Webmaster Paul Robinson (assisted by Chris Dunwell) Committee Chairs International Service Phil Davis Volunteers are still required as committee Chairs for the Avenues of Service (see below) covered by the Director Service Projects and Director Outreach projects. Please contact the relevant Director to volunteer: Youth Vocational Service Community Service

For those who are won-

dering for answers for

the last week riddle

Quietly get off

the merry-go-

round and go

home!

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BULLETIN EDITOR

Anil De Silva (from Cobar, Outback NSW) aniljdes@yahoo.com.au

Deadline Friday 8:00 pm

This Bulletin is kindly printed by Snap Printing. Unit 20/5 Hudson Ave. Castle Hill 2154 Ph: 96801858

We meet at

Castle Hill Country Club

every WEDNES-DAY at 6:30 pm

for 7:00 pm (Spurway Drive, Baulk-

ham Hills NSW 2153) Apologies, Please in-form Geoff Duffy NO

LATER than Noon Tues-day before the next

meeting so numbers can be confirmed for Dinner jgduffy@internode.on.net

Sergeant’s Fine Session

Terry O’ Mara

A ll members who did/did not work at the garage

sale, Neil Todd – booking in late, Peter Marcer –

photo resting at garage sale, Chris Dunwell – un-

failing sense of humour, Di Nutt – booking in late with mes-

sage to Mike Blair, Rod Williamson – worrying about attend-

ance numbers, Pinky Singh, Ray Danham & David Brown –

new members with the last fine on Phil Dunn – excellence in

leadership at the garage sale.

Editor in Bourke ( “in

REAL OUTBACK” As

they call it)