BULLETIN 

Visitors : Graham (Indeevar’s Guest)

 

 

 

Stephen Dorrington talks about the Homo Sapiens (Wise Human).  He informed the club that when homo sapiens left Great Rift valley in African and landed in the Arabian Peninsula and spread across the other continents, ecological damage followed them. They damaged the local macrofauna and replaced them with domesticated farming animals. He then went on to ask the members if they knew the main domesticated farming animals. Club members were quick to respond with many answers, most of them correct. Cats and dogs are clearly not one of them. Homo sapiens also switched to large scale farming that negatively impacted macrofauna and ecosystems. Then the industrial revolution ensured that we pumped millions of tons of carbon emission into the atmosphere. Consequently, and in short, we are a bit “Buggered really”. Members requested for an upbeat session, and in response Stephen offered a political solution.

Apparently the 2 leaders from the biggest political parties of the country, both said they do recycling! We clearly cannot recycle our way out of this environmental mess. Stephen is a prodigious recycler, to a degree that he forgot to put recycling bin out the very morning he talked about recycling.

Considering the scale of the problem, the reality is that there is no hope for us as species. The ecological mess will only wipe out humans and the earth will survive. So, when we talk about saving the planet we mean saving the human species. Our actions should reflect this very danger!

 

 

 

Guest Speaker: No guest speaker for this meeting.

 

 

Dan Allen-Gordon: It has been a tough year for fund raising.  GRAEME DINGLE FOUNDATION, being a charity organization is also feeling the heat. However, there are some fundraising events coming up. They have organized a quiz night in the Tauranga club on the 19^th of September. All members can join in and support the fundraiser. $65 per person and members are welcome to bring any items they deem appropriate for auctioning.

Secondly, Flybuys are exiting NZ market at the end of the year, GRAEME DINGLE FOUNDATION is one of the 11 charities that can now receive the flybuys points as charity. Members are encouraged to donate and spread the word about the same.

 

Indeevar Duhan: 3 notices.

 

Kathy: OP SHOP HOP on 9^TH November at 9 o clock. If you are late then you miss out!

 

 

 

Wayne:  He is involved in the Tumanako program for the last 3 and half year.  feeding the homeless here in Tauranga. It started off as a pilot when members decided to help 3 blokes who were sleeping in the doorway of Lifezone community church. Wayne and some other members started to build to help people with similar challenges around Tauranga. Since the beginning they have made great progress. Team received funding from Tauranga city community trust that enabled them to get a van to facilitate pickups. Tumanako, even though started off to help feed people now helps them with food, showers, clothing, laundry, finding jobs, filling out forms, finding homes and reconnect with their whanau. This was possible due to the team building trust with the people they set out to support. Now the program also involves, 2 doctors, 2 nurses, 2 psychologists that help people with accessing healthcare systems. Western bay PHO is now also onboard and assisting us in our work. Wayne gave examples of people living in cars that have been helped with healthcare, housing and finding work. Often people struggling do not know where to go and what to do in such scenarios and that’s where this very programme comes in. Even though it might involve some degree of micromanagement, it’s all to help people get back on track without any judgements.

It’s a program that not only helps people in need but also is very rewards for the team doing the mahi. Next steps are about how to expand the workings of the program and enhance resources. Fun fact: Currently its all privately funded.

 

 

Members sharing stories: Due to no guest speaker, President invited members to share stories from overseas.

 

Rhonda: she went to UK in laws 60^th Anniversary wedding she saw they don’t do lawns like we do in New Zealand. It is not a very pleasant site for people going around the neighborhood. There is a concept of Now mow May where the whole country refrains from mowing their lawns for the month of May. Supposedly it helps wild bees and other insects to flourish however its not a pleasant site.

In some areas the laws were so overgrown that people could not even use the sidewalks! Think Health and safety!

Whatever the reasons its certainly a different way of life when compared to New Zealand where we like our laws to look tidy and welcoming.

 

Buddy: He also notices same thing when they were in the UK and Cambridge. He also expressed his distress about his lazy step son in law who doesn’t mow his lawns either.

 

Mary: When she was in Rarotonga is much the same thing

 

Greg: Couple year ago, he organized the event about the emerging opera star. Around 350 people joined and raise around $7000 to support young singers and last Saturday night The Lexus song contest took place. Katie Trigg won the contest and other 3 participants were in the finals either this year or the previous year. Great achievement.

 

Next Saturday night Greg is going to 100^th birthday of a singing teacher in Tauranga who is still singing and playing piano. If a dog barks, the man can tell you what key it is in.

 

Indeevar Duhan: He talk about back home in India we don’t have lawn if you do it’s the sign of wealth and rich. Apparently, we don’t have lawn its very hot, secondly, we don’t have much water there and we need space so we don’t have lawn except concrete, this year record the highest temperature around 50.1 degree Celsius which is hotter than Sahara dessert.

 

 

 

Sargent Session: Henry Kayser:  

He talks about the Olympic going on this year in Paris, Different sport and every country have a different focus. Like in New Zealand does not have a wrestling team but in the U.S.A every school has a wrestling team.  It’s a big thing there in the states and it’s also big money! Henry did some research, and he found that first Olympics were in 1776 BC in southern Greece’s, at that time they only had 6 events. Boxing, Wrestling, Chariot racing, Pentathlon, Running, kind of MMA or free style fighting. Unfortunately, in 393 Ad Olympic got postponed due to Greece being conquered by the Roman empire. It all started again in 1896 in Athens, Greece and since then it has been going on every 4 years. First edition included 14 countries and in Paris 2024 203 countries participated with 32 sports. Some of the interesting sports included in the recent edition of the Olympiad includes skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing and breakdancing.

Other edition of the Olympics are Winter Olympics and Paralympics that started in 1924 and 1948 respectively. Paralympics were started in recognition of injured war veterans and became part of Olympics in 1960 edition.

 

 

 

 

Raffle Winner: Graham (070)

 

Parting thought:  Greg Brownless: Long walks are great especially when they are taken by people you don’t like. 

 

 upcoming Duties