Rod’s Ramble
Hello. My Rotary contribution this week was limited to helping out towards the end of the Market. Unfortunately rain dampened the enthusiasm of many stallholders and when I arrived there were only about one third left and the BBQ boys were having a chat. Thanks to all who helped out.
Bob and Therese Aston head oversees mid April so I am looking for some assistance with clearing the mailbox and taking and collating Board minutes in April, May and June. I will also need help to mark out NATA Oval for the markets in April, May and June If you can help let me know ASAP.
A more serious and now pressing matter is that regretfully David McInnes has withdrawn from being President Elect and the Presidency for 2019-20. If anyone is prepared to step into this breach contact me urgently as there are two meetings approaching were your attendance would be beneficial. I would like to go to the next Board meeting with a solution to this problem but can’t unless someone steps up to help ensure the future of the Club.
This Week:
Dr Denis Muller will talk about ‘Fake News’
Dennis worked as a newspaper journalist for 27 years on The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Since 1995 has worked as an independent social and policy research consultant , taught media and communications management and ethics and media law at the University of Melbourne, been a weekly guest on ABC Radio Victoria in ‘Behind the Media’, and wrote Journalism Ethics for the Digital Age.
Sounds particularly timely… Don’t forget to invite your friends and family and let Bob Aston know by Tuesday if you are bringing any extras.
OUT AND ABOUT
Last week
What a fascinating talk Geoff Robin gave last week about The Australian Constitution; his passion for the subject shone through. Most of us also realised how little we know about our Constitution and how much we take for granted.
Geoff is a former journalist (Canberra, Melbourne), Federal public servant, and former advocate for the Australian Local Government Association, and much more. He outlined why he believes the Constitution needs reform, drawing our attention too to many sections now redundant. Interesting there are over 50 references to the Queen. He also highlighted how difficult it is to make any reforms.
What was also interesting was hearing some of the ‘back story’ to the drawing up of our Constitution. Most of us have heard of Henry Parkes and Edmund Barton in relation to the Constitution, but in fact the principal author of the Constitution was Tasmanian Andrew Inglis Clark (1848 –1907) who was also an engineer, barrister, politician, electoral reformer and jurist. Ill health plus other factors took him out of the picture in the late 1890s. Geoff said in one of several reviews of the draft Constitution, his colleagues removed what is referred to as ‘Clark’s clause’ which, “as well as providing for the concept of an Australian citizenship, embraced the most fundamental of individual rights, the protection of life, liberty and property and equality before the law”.
The Australian Constitution Act was passed by the British Parliament 9 July 1900. Who would have thought such a potentially dry subject could be so interesting.
More Renewable news with view to Expo
A meeting of almost 400 people in Bega last week unanimously voted for 100% renewable energy for the Bega Valley by 2030. The vote, initiated by local climate change action group Clean Energy for Eternity (CEFE), followed a similarly unanimous vote and public meeting in Tathra last month that was attended by Frank.
The talk was not just on solar, although mention was made of the potential benefits of a community-owned solar farm. Wind, the rapidly growing and developing field of lithium-ion batteries, which have historically been the most expensive part of any solar system, were all mentioned. Also mentioned was the potential of anaerobic digesters to capture gases from organic waste and create power.
The results of both meetings will be taken to Bega Valley Shire Council which is currently reviewing its clean energy policy. The meeting heard how local government is leading the way in switching to renewable energy. Eleven other councils including Eurobodalla, have already adopted a 100% by 2030 goal or similar. [taken from About Regional coverage]
Rotary Youth Driver Awareness
Sandra, Geoff and Ange will accompany Narooma High students at this year’s Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) for Year 11 students next Tuesday 2 April. This is the second day of the program which targets pre-learner drivers from Eurobodalla Shire’s five high-schools. It is run by Batemans Bay Rotary in conjunction with Moruya and Narooma Clubs. Our Club pays for the bus to get Narooma students there.
How Rotary has changed to help people get clean water for longer than just a few years (From RI news)
The lack of access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene resources is one of the world’s biggest health problems — and one of the hardest to solve.
Rotary has worked for decades to provide people with clean water by digging wells, laying pipes, providing filters, and installing sinks and toilets. But the biggest challenge has come after the hardware is installed. Too often, projects succeeded at first but eventually failed. To read more about how Rotary tackles this problem click here.