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Rotary Club of

HOLROYD (inc)

District: 9675 Chartered: 26 April 1958 ABN 93 065 053 972

Date: BULLETIN

Volume: 60 25 Sep 2017 No: 07

http://www.holroydrotary.org.au/ secretary@holroydrotary.org.au PO Box 94, Merrylands NSW 2160. The Rotary Club of Holroyd meets every Monday night at 6pm for a 6:30pm start at Club Merrylands Bowling, Corner of Newman & Oxford Sts, Merrylands NSW 2160. Apologies/Guests to Eileen Britten on 9683-3848 or 0427-658-982 prior to the day of the meeting RI President Club President President -Elect Ian H.S. Riseley Sofia O'Donoughue Pat Gerardis District Governor Secretary Treasurer Stephen Britten Narelle Wilson Helen Wilson Coming Meetings: 02 Oct 2017 Public Holiday – no meeting 09 Oct 2017 Meeting – Emergency Services Awards 06:30pm for 07:00pm 16 Oct 2017 Board 23 Oct 2017 Meeting – DG Stephen Britten (AG Allan Petersen also attending) + Voice of

Youth Finalist 30 Oct 2017 Social Duty Roster 09 Oct 2017 23 Oct 2017 Meet & Greet Kaye Townsend Peter Wilson Invocation Peter Townsend Bill Auld Welcome Guests & the 4 Way Test Audrey Williams Barrie Britten Introduce Guest Speaker Helen Wilson Eileen Britten Vote of Appreciation Narelle Wilson Lou Camenzuli Sister Clubs : Rotary Club of Huntington, Indiana, USA, D6540 Rotary Club of George Town, Tasmania, AUS, D9830 Rotary Club of Gourock, Scotland, D1230 Notes of Meeting: 11 Sep 2017

GUESTS: Father Matt Digges, Lynn Gerardis, Liz Hesl op, Maria Feil, Rafe Stewart, Harold Pedley

APOLOGIES: Narelle Wilson, Paul & Julia Reid, Vicki Clement

RAFFLE: Robert Feil

PRESIDENTS REPORT: Sofia O'Donoughue

• Next year is our 60th Anniversary – a committee has been formed

o Contact with Rotary Club of George Town to arrange a visit in April

• Happy Birthday Mary Dumas, Trevor Elias & John Batson

• Happy Wedding Anniversary 28/09 Peter and Malika deZilva and 2/10 Pat & Lynn Gerardis

• Get well Trevor Elias

Secretary: Narelle Wilson (Correspondence)

• No Report

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Treasurer: Helen Wilson

• $5,000 (approx.) cheque received for Men’s Conference

Club Service: Pat Gerardis

• No report

Community Service: Peter deZilva

• No report

Foundation / International: Julia Reid

• No report

Fund Raising: Rod O’Donoughue

• John Heslop talked about the Raffle review committee paper which had been circulated. Ratified by Board.

o Do members agreed with recommendations?

� Finish with Raffles?

� Notify sellers in October

� Vote of thanks to Rod

� Unanimously accepted on all counts

• Rod: another motion re alternate raffle idea will be put to the board and circulated to members

o One raffle/year. Drawn in January. Tickets available for 9 months for all organisations

Vocational: John Heslop

• Emergency Services night on 9/10

o Still some vacancies

o $30 per person. 2 course sit down meal

o Now just SES and Ambulance

Membership: Robert Feil

• Membership info night 13/11 – need names of prospective members to invite – everyone please put forward names

• Looking at forming a younger members club – some interest

• Need to bring raffle prizes and food for hampers to the meetings in October for the Golf Day

New Generations/Youth: Barrie Britten

• NYSF – Cabramatta Club will support 1 of the 2 students that we accepted

• RYLA applicants sought for program 2-7 January - $795 per applicant

• Sought approval for application for Science Experience in January at cost of $150 – approved.

• Could form Interact Club (thanks to Rob for names of teachers at Greystanes High School and Cerdon College) – one of the MUNA contestants expressed interest in this Interact Club

Welfare: Peter Wilson

• Welcome back President Sofia after eye operation

• Trevor – Gloria says Trevor doing okay (at RNS Private Hospital, St Leonards)

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• Norma Brennan, Alan Wilson okay

• Peter deZilva welcome back

Guest Speaker Introduced by: Vera Liondas

• Father Matt Digges was born in Sydney in 1964 the fifth of six children. Studied Pharmacy at Sydney University for two years before commencing the study of Philosophy and Theology at St Patrick’s Seminary, Manly. On completion of studies he served in Bourke before leaving for the Kimberley, where he was ordained a priest in 1991. He spent the next 18 years in remote communities, learning aboriginal language, culture and striving to share the Christian faith in a culturally appropriate way. His work involved community development and youth work (3 yrs full time), especially as the suicide rate among aboriginal youth skyrocketed. Has celebrated Mass in 5 local languages, and travelled extensively in the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts. His first Parish (Lagrange/Bidyadanga) was significantly larger in size than the UK. The next being slightly smaller but still bigger than the UK. His last six years were spent as Administrator of the Cathedral in Broome. He has been in Sydney for the last 18 months and is due to move on to a new adventure at the end of this year.

• Father Matt Digges:

• Life has been recognising God’s presence and the goodness of people generally.

• Advice given to him when he first went to the Kimberley “was to forget that he was in Australia and you’ll do okay”.

• Family came to Australia from Ireland basically as refugees in the 1840’s.

• Parents taught implicitly that life is about relationship, including people who may not have been known.

• Went through seminary with Tony Abbott in 1984.

• Went to Diocese of Broome, 1mill square kilometres. 25,000 people, serviced by a man decorated by both the Fuhrer and the Queen (he said the only reason that he was alive is that his tank ran out of fuel as he was heading to Russia).

• Another person (Kevin) was told by a missionary anthropologist – “Never forget for as long as you are here, that you are dealing with a people whose spirit has been broken.” Kevin spoke most European languages as well as the 5 Aboriginal languages. Picked up languages like most people learn songs. Tried to bring together Christian faith and Aboriginal culture.

• Veronica was another person Father Matt met:

o She went to Broome in 1946 and left 3 years ago.

o A cook who was also great with craft.

o Made connections with people because her attitude was “How can I help?”

• Leagie:

o Was born in the Great Sandy Desert.

o In 1967 there was a great drought, even reliable waterholes dried up so family trekked to the coast.

o Matt amazed that they could find their way over such a vast distance. The reason was the song lines that they learnt.

o For 20 years he studied the Christians before accepting Christ. Brought Christianity and Aboriginal culture together and lived both.

• Matt went to Broome as a priest and became a diesel mechanic etc.

• Maureen and Madeline, both teachers sharing life and Christianity in their communities.

• “Everything fits in” – this is a hallmark of aboriginal culture, so “skin names” put people into relationships and set responsibilities to each other.

• Connection of the aboriginal people to the land is very, very, strong.

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• 1st & 2nd parishes both about the size of the UK – a group in Germany gave Matt the use of a Cessna 182. While cars fell to pieces and lost most of their value in 3 years, planes kept their value and were no more expensive to maintain than a car.

• Alphonse a priest from the part of Germany (that is now part of Poland) met Sunfly in 1939. Alphonse was tasked with looking after the aboriginal people but didn’t understand the culture or language. At their initial meeting, Alphonse showed Sunfly the Crib. Sunfly stayed 2 – days then left to tell the aboriginal communities about how these white guys were different. Alphonse stayed 17 years knew no aboriginal language, Sunfly knew very little English, but they became firm friends.

• We talk about Christ being our brother and that is how the people understood it because that fit with their idea of relationship.

• When you’re doing something important, you want to have as much of your body in contact with the earth, so you sit for important things, like mass.

• People would hear the scripture, then go off and talk about it, then someone would do a painting to tell that story.

• Petrol sniffing was a huge problem – Mervyn and Abraham both died young. Abraham’s idea of dealing with petrol sniffers: “We don’t want you sniffing petrol because we like you”.

• World Youth Day 2008, asked to bring people to Sydney to act out one of the Stations of the Cross. Said they would come and pray with the organisers if they would pray with them.

Sofia – Bunnings barbecue Blacktown on Friday – can anyone help?

Happy Anniversary 2/10 Pat & Lynn Gerardis

Happy Birthday 7/10 Mary Duma 8/10 Trevor Elias 9/10 John Batson

Rotary Anniversary 4/10/1974 Barrie & Eileen Britten

Get Well Soon Trevor Elias

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Friday 29-09-2017 8am to 4pm BBQ at Blacktown Bunnings

Monday 02-10-2017 8am to 4pm BBQ at Blacktown Bunnings

Monday 02-10-2017 Labour Day holiday (NO MEETING)

Friday 06-10-2017 8am to 4pm BBQ at Blacktown Bunnings

Monday 09-10-2017 6:30pm (for 7pm) Emergency Services Awards $30 pp

Wednesday 11-10-2017 8am to 9:30am GHS Mentoring

Saturday 14-10-2017 7:30pm Tall Timbers Trivia Night, The Galston Club,

Arcadia Road, Galston (Make up a table of 8,

phone 9679-1246 to book)

Monday 16-10-2017 6pm (for 6:30pm) Board Meeting, Merrylands Bowling Club

Thursday 19-10-2017 6:30pm (for 7pm) ARH Night with Researchers, Dooley’s Catholic

Club, Lidcombe

Monday 23-10-2017 6pm (for 6:30pm) DG Stephen Britten (AG Allan Petersen also

attending)

Monday 23-10-2017 6pm (for 6:30pm) Voice of Youth finalist

Monday 30-10-2017 Nosh, Seven Hills RSL

Friday 03-11-2017 7am to 3:30pm Golf Day, Cumberland Country Club, Greystanes

Monday 06-11-2017 6pm (for 6:30pm) Project meeting

Monday 13-11-2017 6pm (for 6:30pm) Club meeting (Membership & Pride of

Workmanship)

Monday 20-11-2017 6pm (for 6:30pm) Board Meeting, Merrylands Bowling Club

Monday 20-11-2017 6:30pm Rotary Foundation Dinner at Blacktown Workers

Club – Guest Speaker Jennifer Jones - $75 pp or

$700 table 10

Monday 27-11-2017 6pm (for 6:30pm) Club meeting (Possible AGM?)

Monday 04-12-2017 6pm (for 6:30pm) Project meeting

Saturday 09-12-2017 6pm (for 6:30pm) Christmas Celebrations, Gerardis home

Monday 11-12-2017 6pm (for 6:30pm) Club meeting (Ham night)

Monday 18-12-2017 6pm (for 6:30pm) Board Meeting, Merrylands Bowling Club

Monday 25-12-2017 Christmas Day holiday (NO MEETING)

Tue to Sun 02 to 07-01-2018 RYLA, YMCA Camp Yarramundi

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The Object of Rotary The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as the basis of worthy enterprise and in particular, to encourage and foster:

1. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service. 2. High ethical standards in business & professions; the recognition of all useful

occupations; & dignifying of each Rotarians occupation as an opportunity to service society.

3. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarians personal, business and community life.

4. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

The Four -Way Test Of the things we think, say or do:

1. Is it the TRUTH? 2. Is it FAIR to all concerned? 3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? 4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

The Rotary Grace Oh, Lord and Giver of all good, We thank thee for our daily food May Rotary friends and Rotary ways, Help us to serve thee all our days. Invocation For life, for health and the spirit to serve Rotary, for faith, for freedom and good fellowship - we give thanks. Local Rotary Clubs Parramatta City – Novotel, 365 Church St, Parramatta, Monday 12.30 for 12.45pm Parramatta - Parramatta RSL Club, Monday 5.45 for 6.15pm Wetherill Park – Club Marconi, Tuesday 7.15 for 7.30am Blacktown City – Blacktown Workers Club, Tuesday 6.00 for 6.30pm Granville – Auburn Tennis Club, 181 Chisholm Road, Tuesday 6.00 for 6.30pm Parramatta Daybreak – The Lighthouse Restaurant, Friday 7.15 for 7.30am

National Anthem Australians all let us rejoice, For we are young & free; We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil; Our home is girt by sea; Our land abounds in nature’s gifts Of beauty rich and rare; In history’s page, let every stage Advance Australia Fair. In joyful strains then let us sing, Advance Australia Fair. Acknowledgement of Country I would like to acknowledge that this meeting is being held on the traditional lands of the Darug people, and I pay my respect to elders of the community both past and present, and acknowledge with respect any Aboriginal people who may be present.