Rotary Club of Parramatta City Newsletter for Monday 19 March 2012

1. Rotary Club of Parramatta City
COMMUNITY NETWORKER
ROTARY CLUB OF PARRAMATTA CITY
CAMP QUALITY
PRESIDENT MESSAGE
We have a busy week leading up to the District Conference, where we
will march into the plenary session bearing the Parramatta City standard,
designed and created by John Surian. Camp Quality is the children’s family
cancer charity that believes in bringing
It all starts on Friday afternoon with the Rotary expo being opened to optimism and happiness to the lives of
children and families
the public, your club has booked a stall and we are highlighting some of affected by cancer through fun therapy
the projects we have worked on over the past years. and education. They believe
laughter is the best medicine.
On Monday we have a special guest speaker Michael Crosslands who Camp Quality builds resilience in the
lives of children and their families on
will be an inspiration to members and their guests. So if you haven’t booked the cancer journey by creating an
optimistic community through fun
a guest in on Monday, please contact Joy before 10.00am. therapy. They run education, hospital,
David Ross advises the Finnish team are enjoying themselves as they family assistance, and recreation
programs to help create fun and
travel around the District observing their Australian counterparts in their supportive communities in 13 locations
around Australia.
chosen professions and passing on the what and the how in Finland they Through their education program, Camp
perform their roles in their professions. Quality has helped over 3 million school
children and teachers learn about the
We have two of our members being Luba and Colin both take ill and challenges of living with cancer through
uplifting performances jam-packed full of
our thoughts are with you both as you make full recoveries. laughter and optimism. Local CQ staff
and volunteers regularly visit children on
There is a Club Board meeting on 21st March and if members would like treatment to help spread laughter and
anything put on the agenda for discussion, please inform Joy. optimism in children’s oncology wards.
Camp Quality is investment in hospitals
based on specific needs identified by
health professionals. It is a critical part of
Barry Antees Camp Quality’s commitment to be there
for the entire journey from diagnosis,
through treatment and remission. Camp
Quality’s family support program ensures
that families living with cancer get the
support they need. Living with cancer
places enormous physical, emotional and
financial stress on the whole family. The
family support program is not just
recreational or financial, it’s also
friendship. As part of Camp Quality’s
commitment to supporting families there
are times they provide financial support
or domestic help. Camp Quality’s famous
recreation program is designed to
provide fun therapy opportunities for
cancer to take a back seat so kids can
ride waves, ride horses, abseil down
cliffs, paddle down rivers and slip down
giant waterslides. A day, a weekend, or a
week in a fun, optimistic environment can
make all the difference to a child’s
outlook and ability to deal with cancer.
Their recreation program is a safe
environment for kids to celebrate living.
In addition to their camps, Camp Quality
creates fun days for children living with
cancer.

2. Rotary Club of Parramatta City
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
March
19 Michael Crosslands- Ignite the fire within
23-25 District Conference- Penrith
April
2 John Watters
13 ARH- Golf Day at Riverside
29 District Assembly
30 Pride of Workmanship
May
6-9 International Convention-Bangkok
14 Australian Rotary Health- PHD Scholars night
July
6 Club Changeover
GUEST SPEAKER –MICHAEL CROSSLANDS
When Michael was just a 11 months old he was diagnosed with an
aggressive cancer of the central nervous system called
Neuroblastoma. This tumour had taken over half of his body. Survival
was extremely unlikely. A little older he was told school and sport were
no option. Infection and fatigue were too great a risk.
His only wish was to lead a normal, healthy life and to be able to do all
the things that other kids his age took for granted. So began his dream
and with it the determination to make it a reality - no matter the size of
the obstacles that lay ahead.
Michael’s story “Field of Dreams” was documented on Australian Story, ABC TV television, Australia. Through this
documentary, his message touched the hearts of all who watched his story of how he overcame seemingly
insurmountable obstacles to achieve success in both his personal and professional life.
Everyone takes something different from Michael’s presentations to apply to their workplace and personal life but
what is contagious about his speaking is his ability to inspire.
DAVID’S PEARLS
Self Respect
They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them.
~Mahatma Gandhi
No man who is occupied in doing a very difficult thing, and doing it very well, ever loses his self-
respect.
~George Bernard Shaw
It is the highest form of self-respect to admit our errors and mistakes and make amends for them. To
make a mistake is only an error in judgment, but to adhere to it when it is discovered shows infirmity of
character.
~Dale E. Turner

3. Rotary Club of Parramatta City
SISTER CLUB-RAMON MAGSAYSAY
4 RCRM members namely; PP Ramil, PP Cris, PE Larry and me started to pack up for our Mindoro Trip. We were able to
leave Manila at around 4:00 am Sunday and was able to reach the Batangas Port by 6:00 am. There, we met up with
PP Romy and his wife Merly. All 6 of us were able to board the vessel around 7:00 am and reached Mindoro at
around 10:00 am. Upon our arrival, we could not find the van of Sister Valenton who was suppose to pick us up, so we
decided to take a tricycle going to the house of PP Ramil's mother. There we readied the things we needed and
decided to go to the market for a last minute purchase of some things that we will need for the installation of the
solar panels and other equipments.
All of these were to be used for Project no. 1 which is
the Solar E-Learning project. This project was
prioritized in view of the fact that there is no electricity
in the Mangyan Village. We were picked up from PP
Ramil's house by Sis. Valenton's driver and proceeded
to pick Sis Valenton up on our way to the Mangyan
Village. We reached the Mangyan Village at around
1:30 pm. Primarily, the installation of the LED TV and
DVD was for the schooling of the Mangyan Children
since we set it up inside the Classroom, but we
decided to likewise allow the elderly (for rest and
recreation) to watch at specified time periods which
is in total; 3 times a day, not to exceed 1 hour and 30
minutes per viewing.
We likewise installed an LED light bulb inside the
classroom to be able to illuminate it at night. Also we asked 2 people to be the only authorized persons to operate
the equipments and taught them the basic knowledge in operating and trouble shooting the equipment. This was
made clear during a meeting we had in front of Sis. Valenton and the Elderly tribesmen and women. Furthermore, we
said that if they will take good care of the equipments, we, RCRM and RC Paramatta City would strive to give them
more.
The people most especially the kids were excited as some of them never had the chance to be able to watch a
movie in their lives. The first movie that we played was BARNEY. Not surprisingly, nobody knew Barney at all.
Once the movie was played, everyone was mesmerized as everyone keep silent all through out. This gave us the
chance to be able to talk with Elderly people outside the classroom.
For Project no. 2, we gave out 500 pcs. of preschool writing notebooks. We hope that this will be enough for at least
2 years. The notebook was authored by Diwata. I attached a copy of the cover on the attachments. This should be
a good supplement for the education of the children.
For Project no. 3, I propose a livelihood project with Sis. Valenton. The idea developed after having a dialogue with
Diwata before I left for Mindoro. She made me realize that we had to teach them how to fish instead of giving them
one. And so, I asked Sis. Valenton if this is possible and she answered yes. I took the chance to talk with the elderly
and ask them what their sources of income was. They said that a good majority of them knows how to weave and
make baskets. They sell this to tourists for about P120 each. I asked them if they can make other products other than

4. Rotary Club of Parramatta City
the ones I bought and they said yes. They said that all they needed was a sample to copy from and that they can
easily make one. I asked them if they can make more baskets so that we can market it in Manila, and their answer
was a resounding yes. We (RCRM members) assured them that we shall exert all effort to market them and make it a
sustainable livelihood project. We vowed that any and all proceeds of the sale shall go to projects that will benefit
them in the end. We said that families who produces more products shall be given priority in terms of future projects
as a means of enticing them to focus and further develop this backyard industry. Thus, we needed a seed money to
be use to pay them upfront for their products upon delivery. We shall then market the products at a higher
price. The profit will go back to them in terms of livelihood development and assistance. Maybe in the future we can
develop a manufacturing station for them. hopefully, all goes well according to plan. As this is still a part of our JOINT
Project, I shall be briefing you from time to time. I shall expect the first batch of finish products hopefully within a
month. I took a photo of their product. I shall send it to you later.
We left Mindoro at around 6:00 pm and reached Manila at around 12 midnight. Although it was a truly tiring trip, it
was all worth it. The pictures that I sent to you have not yet been arranged. I shall again send you a copy of report
proper once I submit it to the district.
In view of your active participation and continued support for the LEARNS project in Mindoro, I and in behalf of the
members of the RCRM would like to express to you our sincerest gratitude. We look forward to the day when you can
again visit the Mangyans with us.
Yours to Serve,
CmP Jouie
IAG RY 11-12
AUSTRALIAN SCIENTIST, GERMAN ASSOCIATION TO RECEIVE TOP
FOUNDATION ALUMNI AWARDS
By Ryan Hyland and Megan Ferringer
Rotary International News -- 9 March 2012
John Skerritt (back left), recipient of The Rotary Foundation 2011-12
Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award, works with a family in Papua,
Indonesia, to raise pigs on a healthy diet to help prevent diseases. Photo
courtesy of John Skerritt Bottom: Rotary Foundation Alumni Deutschland,
recipient of The Rotary Foundation 2011-12 Alumni Association of the Year
Award. Photo courtesy of Rotary Foundation Alumni Deutschland
John Skerritt, a research scientist who is deputy secretary of the
Department of Primary Industries for the state of Victoria, Australia, has
been chosen by The Rotary Foundation Trustees as the recipient of the
2011-12 Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award.
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Carlingford, New South Wales, Skerritt studied as a 1983-84 Ambassadorial
Scholar at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. A member of the Rotary Club of
Hampton, he will receive the award on 8 May at the 2012 RI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand.
“An award like this has so many well-deserving candidates. I’m honored and humbled to be recognized,” says
Skerritt.

5. Rotary Club of Parramatta City
Over the past 30 years, Skerritt has led a wide range of training and assistance projects addressing agriculture,
medical science, environmental, and public administration issues in India, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian
and African countries.
Skerritt, who manages a staff of 1,250 and an annual budget of US$250 million, is one of the government’s top
public policy architects for fisheries, forestry, and agricultural emergencies. In 2010, he led a successful
response to a major locust plague in eastern Australia, which otherwise would have caused $2 billion in
damage. And last year, his team helped the farming community in that region recover quickly after
unprecedented flooding.
A former Rotaractor and Interactor, Skerritt has received numerous awards for his research and governmental
work in agricultural science and development.
“I learned during my Ambassadorial Scholarship how international collaborations are such a powerful way of
addressing big issues,” says Skerritt. “Whether it’s medical, food security, or environmental causes, the basis of
my work is to improve the lives of others. Rotary showed me the importance of giving.”
PRESIDENT’S WANT LIST
WANT No 1.
We are a vocational based service organization. Our members all have a business background and one of the
major survival technics in businesses is succession planning. If we want our business to survive we need to know that if
anything happens to me, who understands my business and can step up to the plate. Therefore my No 1 “want” is all
members put into practice what they already do in business, but this time it is a session plan for their membership of
our club. That is, who will replace me when I leave the Rotary Club of Parramatta City. We need to have in place a
club survival practice of succession membership I want every member to identify a successor for themselves by
October 2012 being our vocational month. By this date you will advise the membership Director who your successor
is.
WANT No 2.
Knowledge is a wonderful gift and my second want is I would like all members to adopt a program or project as their
Rotary knowledge base as to be able to speak on the subject when-ever called upon to do so. This may be at a
meeting, at one of our projects or just when doing business. If you need resources read your Rotary Down Under
magazine or use the online version of the programs of Rotary at http://www.rotarydownunder.com.au/rotary-
programs.asp or go to the Rotary International website http://www.rotary.org
FACEBOOK
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
Please visit, make comments, open discussions and for your initial visit please hit the “like button”. The reason is the
more members who like the page, we receive additional features. The Facebook page is not a substitute for our
website, but more of an additional way to reach our audience.