Guests: A/g Helen Charles, Rtn Briony Casburn, Rtn Bronwyn Kenny, Jan Barton, Hilary Amos, Haydn & Sue Baillie, Vivienne Wood.
Attendance: 25 members 9 guests
President Nathan welcomed our guests to the meeting.
Induction - Haydn Baillie
Stephen Baker introduced Haydn who was born and schooled in Kimba, and spent most of his life on the West Coast. After year 11 he joined his father working the farm. Not content with propagating weeds he went back to school, and then to University of Adelaide studying medicine. Post graduate studies followed in the UK. He has now retired as a GP after 35 years. He is married to Sue (smarter and better looking) who is also a retired GP. They have 3 children and 4 grandchildren. Hobbies include playing golf badly like several members of the club, collecting and reading old cricket books, and wine collecting and consuming. This is a good time to give back to the community.
Haydn has been allocated International Committee and is to be mentored by Stephen.
Haydn was welcomed enthusiastically into the club.
Guest Speaker: Rod Barton - All about spying
Graham Beckett introduced Rod who was born in England and migrated to Elizabeth.
Rodgraduated in 1968 from Adelaide University with degrees in microbiology and biochemistry. He moved to Canberra where later he was recruited into Australia’s intelligence services. Gradually he rose up through the ranks to become the Director of Strategic Technology in Australia’s Defence Intelligence Organisation. His intelligence career spanned over 30 years with postings to London, Bahrain, Baghdad, New York and Mogadishu.
After the first Gulf War in 1991, he was seconded from the intelligence service to the United Nations as a principal weapons inspector in Iraq. Using his intelligence skills, he was instrumental in uncovering evidence of a secret Iraqi biological weapons program which was subsequently dismantled by the UN in 1996. In 1993/4 he was also temporarily attached to United Nations in Somalia as the Director of Disarmament and Demobilisation. Here he had the often-dangerous job of ridding Somali militias of their weapons and of re-integrating the young militiamen back in to society. After the 2003 Iraq War, the CIA recruited him as their special advisor in Baghdad in the futile hunt for the so-called “missing” Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction. Graham extolled the courage and commitment of Rod in these hazardous enterprise
Rod explained that he had answered a Department of Defence job advert for a scientist and found that he was being recruited as an intelligence analyst with Joint Intelligence Organisation. He learnt a lot in that posting including significant detail about nuclear weapons. He was sent to Spy School which was conducted on highly secure Swan Island in Port Philip Bay......all the tricks of field operations were implanted. His first posting was to Indo-China where the instructions were put to good use. A stint in London followed as Australia's Intelligence Liaison Officer....attending numerous Christmas parties on arrival was a good source of intelligence data between gin and tonics.
On returning to Australia he was invited by the UN to be a weapons inspector in Iraq. Next came Assignment Somalia to disarm and retrain militia. This was at the time of Black Hawk down outside Mogadishu and widespread slaughter through much of the country. He established a training farm in Baidoa where guns were exchanged for farm training. A price of $100 was put on his head by the rebels. It was a particularly testing time. His next UN assignment was to Baghdad in Iraq to root out biological weapons. He discovered the production of deadly anthrax. Most of the ingredients including yeast extract and fermentation capability were pinpointed to have been sourced out of legit businesses in Europe..... the anthrax spoor from the US. While on secondment to the UN his salary was paid by the Australian Government which enabled him to provide high quality information back to Australia.
Much more can be gleaned from his book The Life of a Spy ...... which Graham has read twice and will be examined on in future meetings.
Rod was thanked by acclamation.
SPOTS....a measles outbreak
Jerry Casburn took 3 bites of the cherry
Coffee morning scheduled for next Friday is to be scrapped
Servicing the BBQ trailer was done for free by Ultra-Tune in Unley.....deserving of our patronage
details will be provided of the duties to be performed (including BBQ and Covid marshals) at Evening Under the Stars on 12 February 2022.
Briony Casburn thanked Brendan and Bronwyn Kenny for their dynamic assistance with Southern Koala rescue and the McLaren Vale Rotary Club.
Trevor McGuirk announced that more support was needed for Pam Trimmer who is ill and who had nominated for a dozen slots on the Thrift Shop roster......volunteers were sought for each.....more detail to be provided so all can be filled.
Rhonda Hoare exhorted members to sign up for the Women in Rotary Breakfast, 7.30am on Tuesday 8 March. Guest Speaker is South Australia's Young Australian of the Year. Bookings can be made on-line and the latest DGs Newsletter provides that detail......please notify Rhonda who is arranging a table.
Christina Way asked all stamp providers to leave sufficient space around the stamps.....no good if cut too closely.
Valerie Bonython is into carp slaughter with the Club's inaugural 'Catch a Carp' competition being held on Sunday 10 April at Mannum....we need heaps of help for the occasion.....a volunteers form is being circulated.
Graham Beckett encouraged everyone to purchase/beg/borrow/steal a copy and read Rod Barton's book.
Finale
Fay Reid won the filthy lucre......but still no fruchocs.
By Gundula Miethke, Specialist, Regional Content and Communication • Europe/Africa at RI Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA
“Imagine Rotary” is the 2022-23 presidential theme that RI President-elect Jennifer Jones revealed on 20 January. She is asking Rotary members to dream big and take action: “We all have dreams but acting on them is a choice. Imagine a world that deserves our best, where we get up each day knowing that we can make a difference.”
The logo for the theme was designed by Riki Salam, an Australian artist and graphic designer specializing in contemporary Indigenous art, design, and communications. He also created the 2023 Rotary International Convention logo which will be held in Melbourne, Australia, thus connecting the two by a shared visual language.
Meaning of the design elements
There is, of course, a deeper meaning behind each element of the design. The circle in aboriginal culture for instance, signifies our connections to one another. The dots around it represent people and there are seven because of Rotary´s areas of focus.
The circle and the dots together become a navigation star – our guiding light. The solid line underneath is what is referred to as a digging stick and it is used when doing hard work. And since Rotary members are people of action – it represents a tool for getting things done.
The colors
The colors green, purple, and white are not necessarily connected to aboriginal culture. President-elect Jennifer Jones asked the new crew of Governors to use one, two, or all three when dressing for official events instead of using a theme jacket. “As we celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion, I wanted all of us to be able to express ourselves differently in what we wear, but still have connection”, Jones explained.
There are several ways to interpret the colors: Purple for example stands for polio eradication, green for the environment, the newest addition to our areas of focus, and white for peace, our core mission. Together, they are the colors of the women’s movement, the Suffragette – a subtle nod to this history as Jones pointed out, since she will be the first female RI president.
Coffee Chat at Impressa, Unley Shopping Centre
10.30 am on the first Friday of the month is good for a chat with Rotary friends and a caffeine fix! Next one is Friday 4 March 2022
Upcoming Meetings
Tuesday 8 February 2022 6 for 6.30pm Damien on Fisher
Guest Speaker: Chris Baggoley Reflections of a Chief Medical Officer
Set-up and Welcome...........Ken Haines and Geoff Hill
Tuesday 15 February 2022 6 for 6.30pm Damien on Fisher
Guest Speaker: PDG Bob Cooper Drought Relief
Set-up and Welcome...........Rhonda Hoare & Brenton Judge
Early: David Middleton & Nathan White | Late: Pam Trimmer & Vera Holt
Week 4: 26 February 2022
Early: Stephen Baker & Judi Corcoran | Late: Jason Booth & Rhonda Hoare
Week 5:
Early: Bob Mullins & Wendy Andrews | Late: Jerry Casburn & Paul Duke
Rotarians, who are unable to attend as rostered, please arrange a swap or as a very last resort contact: Pam Trimmer (T) 8293 2612; (M) 0415 238 333; e-mail: pamela.trimmer@bigpond.com
Mitre 10 and Bunnings Barbeques
The Mitre 10 BBQs are the first and third Saturdays of each month. Morning shift 8.30am - 12 noon; afternoon shift 12.00 - 3.30pm, then clean-up.....next one is Saturday 5 February 2022
ALL the Bunnings Mile End Barbeque shifts are from 8am to 5pm
We have been allocated the last Monday of each month.....next one is Monday 28 February 2022 BUT we also now have Sunday 6 February
The Tale End.....
Some Old Aussie Humour
An American business tycoon had just arrived in town at a Melbourne hotel.
"I am a man of few words," he said to the porter. "If I beckon with my finger that means come."
"I'm a man of few words myself." said the porter, "If I shakes me head that means I aint coming."
The Chamber of Commerce was host to a US business delegation and at the height of the dinner one of the Americans at the head table asked the waiter for more butter. "Sorry, just one pat of butter per person," said the waiter.
The Chamber President was embarassed to overhear this and called the waiter aside. "Do you know who that man is?" he said angrily. "He is in charge of the American delegation."
"And do you know who I am?" said the waiter. "I'm in charge of the butter."
Manager to the boss: "The workers are demanding shorter hours."
"Right, we'll cut their lunch hour to 30 minutes!"
Jake the plumber was on a house job and noted the lady of the house was quite a woman. By mid afternoon they were having a tumble in the bedroom when the phone rang.
'That's my husband," she said "He is coming home now because he has a meeting tonight. Why don't you come back then and we can continue where we left off."
Stephen Baker introduced Haydn who was born and schooled in Kimba, and spent most of his life on the West Coast. After year 11 he joined his father working the farm. Not content with propagating weeds he went back to school, and then to University of Adelaide studying medicine. Post graduate studies followed in the UK. He has now retired as a GP after 35 years. He is married to Sue (smarter and better looking) who is also a retired GP. They have 3 children and 4 grandchildren. Hobbies include playing golf badly like several members of the club, collecting and reading old cricket books, and wine collecting and consuming. This is a good time to give back to the community.
On returning to Australia he was invited by the UN to be a weapons inspector in Iraq. Next came Assignment Somalia to disarm and retrain militia. This was at the time of Black Hawk down outside Mogadishu and widespread slaughter through much of the country. He established a training farm in Baidoa where guns were exchanged for farm training. A price of $100 was put on his head by the rebels. It was a particularly testing time. His next UN assignment was to Baghdad in Iraq to root out biological weapons. He discovered the production of deadly anthrax. Most of the ingredients including yeast extract and fermentation capability were pinpointed to have been sourced out of legit businesses in Europe..... the anthrax spoor from the US. While on secondment to the UN his salary was paid by the Australian Government which enabled him to provide high quality information back to Australia.
