This Week: Debbie Smit, District Interact Chairman, talks to us about The International Domino Competition

 

Dominoes originated in China in the 13th century and developed from the faces of dice.  

They first appeared in Italy in the 18th century but the game is completely different from the Chinese game and it would appear that they developed independently.

The Chinese game has 32 pieces and no blanks but also has two suits, military and civil whereas the Western game has 28 pieces and blanks.

Obviously the game was established for gambling and came to the UK at the end of the 18th century introduced by French prisoners of war.

There are a lot of variations of the game, one of which  Debbie is going to talk about.

If any of us get really fanatical about the game, here's a plaque commemorating the World Domino Championships in 2011.

Last Week

Selwyn Klass talked about The Historic Documentary Film Society as well as Coffe and Keyboard with Tony Bentel.  I wasn't present but it would be interesting to know if there is a possibility for fundraising with the latter.

Next Week

It's a Business Meeting...what a surprise!

International - Australia

Melbourne Rotarians made use of a long-standing partnership with Somali expatriates in the community to improve health care in the African country. With no in-country club to work with, the participation of the Somali diaspora in Melbourne was integral to the project’s success. Abdiwahid Hassan, a member of the Rotary Club of Flemington Kensington, collaborated with fellow Rotarians, Somalia’s Health Ministry, and a university in Somalia to fulfill a list of the most-needed items, including the picture dialysis machines,some of which were donated by hospitals. Funds from the club and District 9800 helped cover the $18,000 cost of shipping. Nearly $100,000 worth of medical equipment arrived in Jariban in central Somalia in March, expected to help 40,000 people.

This Week: Selwyn Klass on the Historic Documentary Film Society

Selwyn Klass will be talking to us about the Historic Documentary Society and the wide range of subjects it screens.

Selwyn will talk about how it started and of course his background as a correspondent for the entertainment industry.

He will also talk about Coffee & Keyboard that he presents with Tony Bentel.

Last Week

It was a Business Meeting which I did not attend but seeing the subsequent correspondence, (If that's the right word.) the club moved forward into the new calendar year with a new sense of purpose.

Next Week

Debbie Smit, District Interact Chairman, will be talking to us about the International Domino Competition.  Dominoes the game played by old men in pubs, not the item of masquerade clothing as shown.

International - Philippines
An auto repair programme that trains electric vehicle technicians at a Philippine university is getting a boost from the Rotary Club of Iloilo. With the support of a $32,000 Rotary Foundation

 global grant, the club provided equipment that is benefiting more than 300 students and faculty members, says Herman Lagon, a club member and college spokesperson. The university also plans to offer community-based training for youths and adults, with a goal of reaching 120 trainees annually through 2028, he says. The club partnered with the Rotary Club of Namweon Central in Korea. “The grant is of great help for the studies of the poor but deserving students, as well as a genuine service to the community,” Lagon says.

This Week - Business Meeting

 

We start the year with a Business Meeting and no doubt with a lot of breast beating following the cancellation of the Burns Night.

Also, for personal reasons, I have been unable to stack up guest speakers as I normally do.  If I don't manage to sort things out this week I will let everyone know.

Here's a cartoon to cheer you up as Epiphany is just past.

Last Meeting

It was Holly Naylor talking to us about Nougat and she how started Holly's Nougat.  I hope you ate lots of Nougat over the holiday period.

Next Week

Selwyn Klass will be talking to us about the Historic Documentary Film Society.

International - China

The Rotary Club of Beijing is focusing attention on a condition at birth called hypospadias, in which the opening for urination is lower in boys. In rural China, the need for specialised medical training, financial hardship, and social stigma pose challenges to identifying and treating the condition, which can cause serious health problems if left unaddressed. The club has funded more than 160 corrective surgeries since 2016 at a cost of about $1,400 each using proceeds from its annual ball, a Rotary Foundation global grant, and other sources. In April the club sent a vocational training team of two Rotarians and two urology surgeons from the Children’s Hospital of Hebei Province to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the U.S. for three weeks of specialised instruction. Another 50 surgeries are expected in the near term, says club member Gilbert Van Kerckhove.