Rod’s Ramble
Regrettably I will not be with you again this week due to work commitments, this time with the Australian Security Directorate which is the organisation charged with protecting our online data. They were recently in the media concerning a cyber hacking incident involving Parliamentary emails.
It has been an active Rotary week. On Saturday, President Elect David and I went to a Rotary Foundation seminar in Ulladulla. I have been to a couple before as attendance is a condition for applying for a District Grant but it was good exposure for David as well as the opportunity to network with other Rotary Clubs.
The Foundation is of course Rotary’s charity. At the 1917 RI convention, outgoing Rotary president Arch Klumph proposed setting up an endowment “for the purpose of doing good in the world.” That one idea, and an initial contribution of $26.50, set in motion a powerful force that has transformed millions of lives around the globe. If you would like to learn more about the Foundation click here.
You might also find this video worthwhile.
On Sunday some of our members participated in Clean Up Australia Day. Our site was Lewis’ Island – Mill Bay- boardwalk- to the wetlands. I was pleasantly surprised with how little rubbish there was. I found no cans, one bottle and lots of small pieces of plastic that can be deadly to marine life. More elsewhere in the Beacon, but thanks to Laurelle for organising the project.
Finally, at the Foundation Seminar I was reminded of this quote from American essayist, philosopher, and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson…“To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition, to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived – this is to have succeeded.”
THIS WEEK:
5pm: Busking Committee meeting at Narooma Golf Club 6pm: Normal meeting, possibly with a couple of hands of Trivia
OUT AND ABOUT
Last Week
Christina Potts and Gayle Allison
What a fascinating and inspiring meeting last week with Narooma High Science teacher and guest speaker Gayle Allison, fellow Science teacher Christina Potts, and two of the School’s robotics team Robo Rebels Abbey Dawson (Yr 10), Andrew Baker (Yr 9). Bob Aston in introducing them stressed the importance of encouraging young people into science to create the technology leaders of tomorrow.
Gayle said the school’s robotics team started about fours ago as an extra-curricular activity and since then the team has increased its level of sophistication. Robotics is now an elective at the school and includes coding and electronics. Each year the team enters competitions, seem to be mostly if not all associated with the Lego League Trust; their first this year is the South Pacific Regional competition at Sydney’s Olympic Park 15-17 March with a Deep Space theme. The team is already there fine tuning for the competition which involves 10 matches over two days.
Last week they demonstrated their ‘space rover’ for the competition, now called ‘Buzz’, whose task will be to land on planet Primus and collect samples while battling sandstorms. NASA is involved. Abby said it’s a game of strategy and precision. Narooma’s Robo Rebels will compete against schools and universities from across the Asia Pacific. What is particularly interesting is that Narooma is one of the few public schools competing; most are private schools. This is fantastic networking for Narooma students and teachers; should they ever make the finals, they will be competing in the USA
Gayle said it is a massive achievement just to get the team there. The kit alone costs $7,000. Robo Rebels fundraise by running robotics workshops for the area’s young people (over 1,000 have done robotics workshops since 2015) plus run the occasional sausage sizzles at the school. Narooma Quota and Club Narooma provide ongoing financial support for the team; perhaps a good project too for our Club to support. The next competition will be in July.
Our other guests last week were Lynne and Jack Jefferis of Temora Rotary Club, local ice-cream van man Julian Domaracki and Becky Doyle.
Clean Up Australia
Laurelle , Mike and Ang were half of the Narooma Rotary team that picked up rubbish along the northern foreshore of Wagonga Inlet on Sunday.
On Sunday, Ang, Mike, Rod, Gordon, Steve and Laurelle picked up rubbish along the North Narooma foreshore of Wagonga Inlet from Lewis Island to the Apex Park boat ramp and along to the Bar Beach wetland.
All were impressed by the greatly reduced volume of rubbish compared with a few years ago. We would like to think it was due to increasing awareness and social conscience of the community not to leave their rubbish behind. However we think it is more likely to be testament to two things:
One is the ongoing and maybe increasing efforts by many in our community to keep this area rubbish-free – many people, and some in particular, regularly pick up along the way as they walk and enjoy that area. The other is the cash for returns of cans and bottles.
Whatever it is, it is working. A great and ongoing effort by our community to look after the wonderful environment in which we live. Unfortunately Rod and Gordon shot through before we could get a photo.
NEXT WEEK:
Remember next week’s meeting has been replaced by the Duntroon Band Concert. Over 20 Rotarians and friends are going to this event. It should be a great concert and featuring Charmaine’s daughter Liz.