Presidents Report                                                             21st February 2017
Our “normal” Rotary meeting turned out to be anything but normal.

We had as our guest speaker Mr Ian McKenzie who is a retired Secondary School Principle. Ian spends a
few weeks each year in Cambodia with a group called Teachers Across Borders Ian is trying with
extremely limited resources, conducting workshops to teach Teachers to speak English. Then the
teachers are able to teach their own students English which is very important in their culture, such as it
is, as the tourist industry is the only way many of the people can make a living.

Ian has had a lot of support from the Beaconsfield Men’s Shed and was introduced to our club through
Wakie and Alan Chalmers.

The money the men’s shed donated to Ian was enough to buy books for the 560 students he teaches
giving them one book for the year, with pens and pencils. The school needs $200 a month to operate
and at the moment try to get by with $35 this means that most of the teachers are working as
volunteers. It was noted that some children have never been/seen a school.

This was a heartfelt story considering the hardships the people have to endure which started with the
Pol Pot regime and is still continuing today. This country is in abject poverty and UNICEF statistics quote
20000 children die in Cambodia each year from poverty. They do not have clean drinking water that we
would drink and are in need of fresh water.

I am sure as a club you would be willing to donate to this cause and try and alleviate some of the
hardships these people have to endure. I am going to take this request to the Board and would like the
support of the whole club. However small our donation, I am sure it will be well received and this
humble man Ian would put it to good use.

If anyone would like to donate personally go to the website teachersacrossborders.org.au/home
Then go to givenow.com.au link and mention Ian McKenzie’s name in the message box. If you need any
more info please contact me.

Don’t forget to be involved with the RELAY FOR LIFE this Friday/Saturday. If not yet registered please
contact Peter Rowlands or just turn up on Friday at say 4pm to give him a hand with marquees and
such.

Bad luck to Fish for not choosing the Joker from the pack. Better luck next week Fish
If you haven’t booked into to go to the Raceday on 9 th March you need to do so by 24 th February. This
will be a fantastic opportunity for Rotary to showcase itself in the community.

Next week’s meeting is our Service Committees meeting and Wal Macdonald has kindly hosting the
meeting in my absence.

Have a great week.

Lyn B