Rotary Club of Parramatta City Newsletter 5 November 2012

1. Rotary Club of Parramatta City
COMMUNITY NETWORKER
ROTARY CLUB OF PARRAMATTA CITY 29/10/2012
REPORTER’S NOTES MEETING 29/10/12
President John Welcomed our visitors Michelle Badato from Servcorp and
Natalie Cowbell from Money Quest Home loans Parramatta. Also our Guest
speakers Debbie Reynolds & Sarah Haywood, from Ronald MacDonald House, Westmead.
Pres John Also reminded us of the Christmas BBQ and 40th Birthday bash at RDU 24th
AUSTRALIAN
November BYOG, food will be provided. ROTARY
Paramasala Cocktail Reception – Thursday 8th November 6-7pm at Parramatta Town HEALTH
Hall followed by Bollywood Party, all those who want to go please contact Pres Johnny.
Supporting healthier minds,
DG Elect Barry Antees The loverboy, is considering organising a Valentine’s bodies and communities
Day Function in February 2013 at the Novotel Hotel, with the other clubs in through research,
Parramatta More Info as we get closer to the date he is also negotiating a awareness and education.
special deal with the hotel for overnight stay with your partner. Australian Rotary Health is a multi-
district project of Rotary in Australia
and is supported by most clubs and
Rotarians. Australian Rotary Health
David Ross told us about the Friendship exchange of fellow Rotarians from
has made available almost $20
Canada, including the DGE Who was introduced to The Men’s Shed million in medical/health research - in
Australia. All donations are tax
Programme, was so impressed with the idea he decided to take it with him to deductible.
Canada where apparently they haven’t heard of.
Mental Illness Research
Prashanth P. Is meeting with Pres Johnny, regarding Christmas tree sales and
In 2000 Australian Rotary Health
roster keep an eye out for this, and please help. began its current emphasis on
Mental Illness research and
awareness. As part of this activity,
Our Guest Speaker Debbie Reynolds, who is a member of Narellan Rotary Club research grants of more than $2
million each year have been awarded
for 7 years and lives in the area, told us that there were 13 RM houses in
and a community awareness
Australia, had learning programs for children in the hospital System long term. program, supported by the
Commonwealth Government, has
There are 6 family rooms, with plans to build 15 more.
seen more that 500 community
The RMH also had 6 retreats in Batemans Bay and Forster NSW and 4 more in forums on mental health held by
Rotary clubs.
other states. Also gave out 11 Charlie Ball scholarships a year each $5000.
One other aspect of RMH is their Cord Blood Bank. Other activities of Australian Rotary
Health:
RMH accommodates 270 families per night in their houses. People prefer the
RMH facilities as they are more family friendly. In Westmead they have 18 rooms Scholarships for Indigenous
Australians
and 5 units accomodating up to 109 people per night most nights it is to This program assists Indigenous
capacity. Australians who are undertaking a
health related university
The future plans for RMH is to increase the capacity at Westmead to 70 rooms course.
and they are negotiating with Nepean Hospital to build a facility.
Funding Partners – Research in all
health areas
Sarah Haywood , told us that 5000 children have been helped over the last 14 The Funding Partners program helps
to provide funds for medical research
Years, with 15% of these children having chronic illnesses and 3.5% have serious PhD Scholarships in areas other than
health conditions, and more children are now surviving serious illnesses. mental illness - chosen by a Rotary
club or Rotary district.
The families who stay at the RMH are usually there to be with the sick children,
but unfortunately the siblings are not included in the education program. The
program includes Children K-12 and have to be referred by the parents
because it is a commitment. They also need to be assessed by a Psychologist

2. Rotary Club of Parramatta City
and must have missed at least one term of school to be eligible. The RMH
Education provides one on one tuition for 1 hour per week up to 40 hours in
conjunction with school .
At the moment there are 46 children on the waiting list.
The EDMED program is a one hour session provided free to schools and all staff
to better understand the effects of Chronic illness and treatments on a
student’s learning.
RMH is looking for volunteers to as Charity partners, in corporate sponsorships,
Meals from the heart and corporate volunteering days. They are also looking
for corporate fundraising, workplace giving, Cash donations which are tax AUSTRALIAN
deductible, In Kind Donations. ROTARY HEALTH
For more information please contact RMH Westmead
Locked Bag 4001 Westmead NSW 2145 .
T. (02) 9845 0600 F. (02) 9845 0601 Rural Health Medical and Nursing
Scholarships
www.rmhc.org.au/westmead
debbier@rmhwestmead.org.au Scholarships can be awarded to
medical students who are completing a
rural placement as part of their under-
graduate medical training. Nursing
students who spend their final year in a
rural placement can also receive an
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Australian Rotary Health scholarship.
These scholarships are awarded in
conjunction with a Rotary club or
sponsor.
November 2012 Australian Rotary Health proudly
continues to be a major community
5 Club Meeting service program of the Rotary clubs of
Australia.
12 Diverse Community Care Helen Carter &Joy Cusack
A new scholarship has been awarded
19 Mr Chiang Lim, CEO of the Newsagency Assn. and former in partnership with The Henning
Parramatta City Councillor Family Trust and the University of
Wollongong to Mr Blagojce Jovcevski
24 Christmas Bash at RDU Investigating Alzheimer’s disease
26 James Brennan Senior Financial Adviser
December 2012
3 Transfer Meeting ARHF Christmas dinner Epping RSL
6 Movie Life of Pi Movie in aid of Polio Erradication
APOLOGIES
Blagojce Jovcevski
Apologies to Joy Gillette on 8837 1900 before 9.30am Monday morning.
The latest time for apologies to be made is 9.30am on Monday as that is the time For further information:
Joy Gillett –
Joy has to advise the hotel of numbers. Australian Rotary Health
PO Box 3455 ,
THE CLUB IS REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE NUMBER OF LUNCHES ORDERED. Parramatta, NSW, 2124
Ph: 02 8837 1900 •
INVOICES FOR THE COST OF A MEAL WILL BE SENT TO MEMBERS WHO DO NOT Fax: 02 9635 5042
APOLOGISE FOR NON ATTENDANCE BY 9.30AM. Email:
joygillett@australianrotaryhealth.org.au
Website: australianrotaryhealth.org.au
CELEBRATIONS
Keith Henning was #$ years old on 1st November
Ralph Congratulations on your wedding anniversary 9th November.

3. Rotary Club of Parramatta City
NOTES FROM OUR ILLUSTRIOUS DISTRICT GOVERNOR
Roger Woodward Concert in aid of ROMAC 17th November, tickets from $49.50 visit www.theconcourse.com.au
November is Foundation Month so it is a great time to make your donations to The Rotary Foundation,
And all those guys who are cultivating a hirsute growth for “Movember” PDG Paul Reid for one and DGN Barry
Antees, send a contribution, they deserve it.
Nominations for Rotary’s Inspirational Women, am sure you know of many women in our communities who is worthy
of nominating, contact Margaret Favelle or Zena Shedden.
Movie Night “Life of Pi” on the 6th December in aid of Polio eradication, see attached invitation and thanks Barry
Antees and the Parramatta Zone for organising this. Please consider joining us, lets enjoy some fun and fellowship
and fundraise whilst there. We must do everything in our power to eradicate this disease.
MOVEMBER
So far we have B1 And B2 who decided to compete for a Macho showdown . Barry and Ben started with a
clean shave on the 1st of November and will be keeping their Mo unashamedly unshaved for the month where
they will be judged by their peers and their lady friends as to the MMM (Most Macho Mo) we are doing this for
Prostate Cancer Research.
Movember's primary campaign objective is to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically
prostate and male mental health. We want everyone to know that most cancers are highly curable if caught in
the early stages therefore Movember aims to increase early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment. This will
ultimately reduce the number of deaths from cancer.
AS at midnight last night we had $175 donated to the cause please look up the site and donate.
the link is http://au.movember.com/mospace/3968633 there is a lot of information and facts on men’s health
issues at the site and donating is easy.
We want to reach at least $2500.
BANGLADESHI BUGLE 1206
Our dear friends,
It is Friday morning. These last few days have been quieter, as expected. Jill’s week has been half busy. Ian is
sleeping better than he ever remembers [with the AC on de-humidify]. What a difference this has made to him.
Just a slight correction about Eid-ul-Azha, the special festival day for Muslim people. Apart from being a time
to visit sacred Muslim sites, the animals are slaughtered in memory of when Ibrahim was going to sacrifice Ishmael
[his son by wife Hagar] and God provided a ram instead, in the story Christian people read as Abraham and
Isaac [his son by wife Sarah]. Thank you, Azeem, for correcting me.
The Bangladeshi teacher at LAMB School with Typhoid Fever will be back at school next week. On our morning
walks, we see the women making cow pats into smaller lots, or making cow pat shaslik sticks to fuel a fire. Ian is
reminded not to shake hands with a woman in the morning.

4. Rotary Club of Parramatta City
LAMB School has always existed to serve the Project, in order to keep senior Bangladeshis and expats at LAMB.
The school no longer does this, once a child has completed Year 10. Only the wealthy can afford to send their
children to Hebron School in India, and it takes their whole salary to do so. There is a real danger that LAMB
Project will lose several senior staff, not easily replaced, over the next few years. The new Executive Director,
arriving in January, will have a very tricky time. In many ways, LAMB Project is like a ship without a rudder at
present.
About 200 metres south of LAMB, the new Livingstone School is being built before our eyes. This is the project of
an American Nativity Church, with a Rotary grant providing the electricity, clean water, plumbing and drainage.
We thought the whole building was coming from a Rotary Matching Grant Project, but have found out differently.
If you don’t ask the right specific question, you don’t get the answer. Now that the building is obvious, everyone
wants to be on the School Board [a bit like “who will help me grind the wheat … etc. then who will help me eat
the bread?”]. If you get a “no” answer to this question, you then spread rumours about the school, the Principal,
and the obvious corruption that must be taking place. This country lives on rumours. Four reporters turned up at
the school two days ago, asking about the two million dollars that the Principal had been given to build the
school. Naturally, they all wanted to go away with some of that money. They really didn’t want to be convinced
that none of it was true, as they expected they would all go away rich.
Unfortunately, rumours spread about girls too. If a girl refuses a boy’s interest or advances, he then spreads
rumours about her. These rumours are then assumed to be true, and no-one then wants to marry her. It’s a tough
world for every girl to grow up in.
Currently, there is no day work for the 100+ million day workers in Bangladesh, until the rice crop is harvested in
mid November, yet still we get invites to lunch from these poor people who have virtually nothing, but have much
to us about hospitality. Two nights ago, we were invited to dinner by one of the senior LAMB School teachers who
is a good friend of ours. She is now married with a nine month old baby. Her husband is a pastor in a church 30 km
away, and is home only at weekends. [It is very common here for husbands and wives to be separated during the
week by work commitments. You go anywhere to get work.] They live in two small rented rooms out in the bazaar,
with her husband, baby, mother, father, sister and grandmother sharing two double beds and a small kitchen
area on an enclosed verandah. One outside shower and toilet is shared with several other families. A bit different
to how teachers and pastors live in Australia.
The other day, Jill visited a Disability Unit in one of the LAMB Project’s 28 Health Centres. About 30 women
spent the morning there, having their children assessed, given exercises and getting advice on nutrition. Amongst
the children, several were severely malnourished. One was a little girl, nearly four years old, weighing only 5 kg
and about the size of a six month old baby. Having sat on the floor mats with them, Jill cleverly brought home a
family of fleas, who have feasted on her since.
Trivia corner [Ian thinks he may well be the only one who will enjoy this]
As a child, Ian remembers the ditty about “How much wood could a wood chuck chuck..” He has discovered
the Bangladesh version:
“How many cows could a cow pat pat,
if a cow pat could pat cows.
It’d pat as many as a cow pat would pat
if a cow pat could pat cows.” [He still likes to amuse himself.]
For those of you who pray:
Give thanks for:

5. Rotary Club of Parramatta City
1. A full complement of junior obstetric doctors at the hospital.
2. Continuing cooler weather.
3. Managing the workload better than before.
Requests:
1. Protection for the Principal of Livingstone School and his wife from dangerous rumours.
2. For Dr Felicity as she carries the full senior obstetric role and is on call every night.
3. For Dr Nelson, the Medical Director, as we seek to support him in his enormous responsibility and workload.
4. For the Bangladeshi chaplains, as they reach out to many, both in the hospital and the surrounding
communities, and for Jill as she works with them.
5. For the many sick at this time, especially the teacher from England with Typhoid.
Until next Friday,
Ian & Jill.
26th October, 2012.
We have now available for the club a new facebook page the shortcut is
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rotary-Club-of-Parramatta-City/108769975845097