Gossip Sheet # 46 - May 29, 2003
Editor: Chris Bangham

PROGRAM - Major A. Woolley - Current UN Peacekeeping in the Congo

Mac Gollert and Steve Novosedlik

Opening and Introductions:

President Earl opened the meeting. Grace was said by Kevin Vallier.

The head table was introduced: Mark Zammit, introducer of the speaker, Major Allen Woolley, President Earl, Sergeant-at-Arms Debbie Slade, and Ian Elmes who introduced our three guests: Ian Gollert, guest of Mac; Judy Leach guest of Judith Barker and Joseph Malik, guest of Larry Iggulden.

Birthdays
June 5 Larry Ross

Mark Zammit, Major Allen Woolley, President Earl, Ian Elmes, Sargeant-at-Arms Peter Lumsden and assistant Debbie Slade

Announcements

President Earl: Calling all members for the Golf Tournament on June 20th – sponsors and players.

Sam Walters

Sam Walters: Reminding us of the President’s Night – Tuesday June 24th (replacing our Thursday meeting) at Henley Island: cocktails at 6, dinner at 7.

John Bird

John Bird: Gave us a preview of upcoming meetings:

June 5th: Chernobyl’s Children – Pamela Ellens and Janet Gatecliffe of the Lincoln Club will tell us about the tragedy of Belarus which has a 40% infection rate from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
June 12th: Rotary Youth and Youth Exchange program, and Sarah Bolero’s farewell
June 19th: Committee update – Doug Geddie, Children’s Committee, and Dave McAdam, Major Grants.
June 24th: President’s Night.

(Editor’s Note: This is a great idea, advertising the month’s program ahead of time)

Happy Dollars

Peggy Davidson

Peggy Davidson, handling the basket, led off with a story about a man wanting to lower his sex drive. This went over the head of most Rotarians (you had to be there)

Maurice Gomme: Presented another $1,000 cheque to St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation – the total now at $73,200. All thanks to the Nevada Lottery operated through an Avondale Store once owned by Sue Ruttan, (wife of Rotarian Bob) and continued with the present management.

Maurice Gomme

Foster Zanutto: Wife Karen is retiring from Hotel Dieu tomorrow, and Foster’s getting a make-over to celebrate. (Announcement greeted with ribald comments, and suggestions it was past due. It’s tough being a Rotarian Foster!)

Liz Palmieri: Gave $ for 1) the weather 2) her daughter’s career 3) her son’s career 4) the Niagara Foundation reception the previous evening and 5) A.N.Other which I missed. But Liz, you being happy makes us happy.

Doug Geddie: Shot 87 at the Old Course at St. Andrews with a caddy in tow. Doug was it a lassie caddy or a laddy caddy?

Rachel Delaney: Updated us on success with Ribfest Sponsorships, and specifically thanked Karlene Petrucci for sponsoring the moving costs.

Mark Zammit: His sister in Malta found archives containing medieval music which she has recorded, with proceeds to a cancer society. Mark bought 100 – at $25 each, an excellent cause, see Mark to support it.

Ed Silver

Ed Silver: Celebrating 52 years of marriage – Congratulations Ed and Lynne.

Lloyd Buckley: Going to Normandy to celebrate the opening of the Juno Beach Centre – a museum/memorial/education centre – commemorating Canadian participation in the liberation of Europe.

50/50 Draw: Jack Coopman drew the 9 of Spades.

Program
Major A. Woolley - Current UN Peacekeeping in the Congo

Mark Zammit introducing Major Woolley with Lumpy's specs

Mark Zammit introduced (with hilarious difficulty – he forgot his specs, and was unwilling to admit it) Major Allen Woolley. A member of the Canadian Forces Reserves, Major Woolley has served in Egypt and more recently the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.) which was the topic of his presentation.

We were taken through an excellent review of the history, geography, economics and politics of DRC. Some highlights:

· DRC is the heart of Africa – 80 million people, 250 tribes, 400 languages
· about the size of Ontario and Quebec combined
· consists of 5 regions: dense rainforest in the middle, savanna north and south, and mountains in the east. The tiny coastal access is only 37 km wide
· languages French, Swahili and Lingala
· plenty of resources including gold and diamonds
· a bloody history. Originally colonized by Belgium, and at one time the personal property of King Leopold, it was never prepared for self-rule.
· 1964 – Mobuthu, anti-communist, supported by the US, a major tyrant who renamed it Zaire.
· 1997 – Kabila, led a rebellion, moved into the palace, lots of promises, no changes
· 2001 – Kabila assassinated, succeeded by son Joseph.
· Economy – a ‘shambles’; Medical System – collapsed.

Major Woolley

The current situation has one major conflict going on continuously – the Government with 64 – 90,000 military vs. the Rebels with 40 – 60,000 military. It was into this that Major Woolley was sent in 2001 as part of MONUC (46 nations, 3,000 troops, French Acronym) in charge of Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration.

Major Woolley concluded with the observation that there seems no end in sight to the conflict. When asked how it could possibly end, he suggested there was only one solution – for there to emerge a leader who could unify the country, and who wasn’t corrupt.

Jack Coopman thanked our speaker, for helping us get a glimpse of the real issues, and complimented and thanked him for being part of a force in the world which is rarely appreciated sufficiently.