We welcomed President Bryan and First Lady Angela fresh (?) off the plane.
President Bryan will report further in detail to the Club on the Cambodian water project but certainly from what they saw on and in the ground, all's well in the world of wells.
Shine On awards
Graham Thomson has nomination forms for the Shine On awards and can provide details of eligibility.
R.J. Vague Award
James Dunlop on behalf of the Community Service Committee is looking for nominations for the R.J. Vague Award.
Ballarat South Raffle
Many thanks also to James Dunlop as he organising the roster for our Club's sale of the Rotary Club of Ballarat South raffle tickets in Robert Wheeler's absence.
James will circulate the roster and members are asked to indicate when they can help out.
If you can assist, please contact James.
News of our Rotary friends
David Sykes reported that Past President Andrew Rofe has been dealing with some health and family issues and is presently living in Melbourne close to work.
We send Andrew our best wishes.
The Sykes Segment
David has also been to PETS and reported, that in the next Rotary year, clubs will be collecting and reporting their volunteer hours.
On the Rotary Foundation front, David reminded us that we get more from the Foundation than we give...which makes us feel good...and which, in turn, proves that it is indeed better to give than to receive.
Geelong Show - Hamburger Stand
Adrian Innes reported on a profit of $12,700.00 from the Hamburger Stand at the Geelong Show with gifts of excess perishables to our charities and other produce available to be carried over to another event.....like the Dog Event over 10, 11 & 12 November where there is a roster going around for breakfast and lunch...will there be hot dogs eaten or only admired?
Our 7th November meeting - Polio Plus - East Geelong Uniting Church - Soup Saver Night
The Soup Saver Meeting, to be held next Tuesday, 7th November is being held to welcome in Foundation Month as well as to raise money for TRF signature program, End Polio Now. The Foundation committee is aiming to raise $1,000 through the entry donation of $20 per head. All proceeds will go to Polio Plus as all the food has been donated.
It is a Partners’ night as there is a keynote speaker. The Barwon Rotaract Club, Friends of Rotary as well as the two local Probus clubs have been invited. We are catering for over 50 people to be present.
Soup Saver meetings have been held by Rotary clubs all over the world around the 24th October to celebrate World Polio Day as well as to raise over a million dollars for End Polio Now. The format is to serve soup and slices, introduce an outstanding speaker and donate the entrance cost to The Rotary Foundation.
There will be a choice of 3 homemade soups. They are
· Minestrone
· Pumpkin
· Chicken Thai & Prawns
Seconds are encouraged. There will also be crusty bread and bread rolls to go with the soup. For dessert there will be slices and coffee and tea. Water will be on the tables.
The keynote speaker is GARY NEWTON. He is a well-known radio and TV announcer. He has suffered from paralytic polio since childhood. His topic is My Journey with Polio. He has just been appointed as ambassador for the Ride the Bellarine event on 15th April next year.
Please consider giving this meeting next Tuesday, your full support.
Ross Taylor
Chair, TRF committee, RCGE
EDDIFICATION - THE FIGHT AGAINST POLIO – TO DATE AND INTO THE FUTURE
Finding cases of the poliovirus outside Afghanistan, Niger and Pakistan, is not unusual.
In 2014, just before the World Cup brought travelers from all over the planet to Brazil, poliovirus was detected in the sewage system of Sao Paulo International Airport.
Using genetic testing, polio officials traced its origin to Equatorial Guinea and Brazil’s regular vaccination efforts kept the disease from showing up beyond the airport doors.
This case was as frustrating to the thousands of people working to eradicate polio around the world as those of the two children from Ukraine and the toddler entering the national displaced camp in Nigeria we discussed in previous articles.
The fight has come a long way but it is far from over and while some say we may identify the last naturally occurring case of polio this year – getting to that point – and ensuring that the disease remains gone, will require money, hard work and the support of Rotarians around the world.
It will require continued surveillance and monitoring of children for acute flaccid paralysis and collecting samples from sewerage systems. However not every case of paralysis is caused by polio, but other viruses like Japanese encephalitis, West Nile and Zika.
Even if the last case of polio is identified this year, a huge amount of work will remain to ensure that it stays gone, which means vaccinating children for at least three more years and all the eradication activities will need funding and volunteers through to 2020.
By then, the total cost of achieving a polio free world is estimated to reach $50 billion (US) and some will look at the 99.9% reduction in polio and say “Well it seems to be basically gone so let’s move onto other things”
But the fact is that it won’t have gone and the number of cases expected each year if the immunisation campaigns cease could reach 200,000 and the disease will have come right back.
(Extracted from “Why Zero Matters in Polio Eradication” – Rotary International”)
