Rod McDougall
President 2006-7
Rotary Club of Strathfield
The President's View
Wednesday 20 December 2006
Best wishes to all members and their families for a happy, safe and relaxing Christmas and New Year.
December is family month on our Rotary calendar – a time to spend with our own families, immediate and extended, and to reflect on the wider community that Rotary embraces. This year, our club has recognised the plight of our country "cousins", who are experiencing yet another year of drought.
With the proceeds of Carols by Candlelight, the club Christmas party and a top-up from our service account, we were able to make a donation of $10,000 to the Forbes-Parkes Salvation Army. President Elect Brian Johnson and his wife Janet made the trip to Forbes to present the cheque last Friday, ensuring that funds were available to those in need in time for Christmas. To view Brian's comments on the trip please click here
The Christmas party was a great success and the feedback has been excellent. Congratulations to Brian and Janet for organising the night. Thanks also to honorary Strathfield Rotarian John Leftwich, our auctioneer extraordinaire. Not only was he successful in extracting bids from members, but such was the bidding for the highly sought after BMW pedal car that our sponsor, BMW Sylvania, were inspired to offer a second car! Thanks to Anthony Rodriquez (and, I suspect, to Connie Galletta for some arm-twisting). Thanks to Peter Manenti, George Helou and Janet Johnson for their generosity in donating auction items and to Sal Tosto, Eric Khu, The Croydon Café, Burwood Cycleworld and Questacon for raffle prizes. Thanks to all members who in true Rotary spirit opened their wallets to bid for auction items.
The school prize-givings are now complete. Thanks to all members who were able to attend and represent our club at these important community events. I attended the Chalmers Road Special School event and was very moved by what the principal and staff are achieving with these very special kids. Here is a school located squarely in our community that needs help. More on this in 2007.
I look forward to seeing as many members and partners as possible at the kids Christmas party and then at the fellowship night on 10 January at La Botte D'Oro Italian Restaurant. Thanks to Peter Harries for organising the night. And of course attendance at the annual bowls night at Strathfield Bowling Club on 17 January is mandatory!! President Elect Brian Johnson is once again our organiser.
And that's it for this year folks. Enjoy your Christmas Day and remember the words of Banjo Patterson from Santa Claus In The Bush as you sit down to dinner:
“Sit doon, sit doon, my bonny wee man,
To the best that the hoose can do—
An omelette made of the emu egg
And a paddy-melon stew.”
“’Tis well, ’tis well,” said the bonny wee man;
“I have eaten the wide world’s meat,
And the food that is given with right good-will
Is the sweetest food to eat.
Enjoy Rotary … by getting involved!
President Rod