Stephens Sentinel Special points of interest: Date Claimers RSL Email Address Did you know Birthday Roundup Recipe of the Month Let s have fun Inside this issue: Presidents Blog 1 Rear Admiral Ken Doolan AO RAN (Ret'd) Member Profile- Don Gaffney Frances Health Corner Recipe of the Month Happenings at the Sub Branch 2 3 4 5 8 Sub Branch News and Views Welcome to another edition of our Sub Branch newsletter and firstly we would like to wish all those on the sick list a speedy recovery. Last week the Committee and Executive held a combined meeting to look at a host of issues and subjects to take the sub branch into the future and confirm our program for the balance of the year and I would like to thank all for their attendance and participation. The first item on the agenda was our Reunion Lunch coming up on the 14th October, where we will be joined by special guests in the National President of the RSL and his wife, a first for Stephens and a momentous occasion. Here is an opportunity to talk direct to the head of our League on veterans issues and matters that affect the Ex-service community. (See his biography elsewhere in this newsletter) - make sure you don t miss it! On the subject of younger membership Presidents Blog John Strachan OAM and attracting them to Stephens, we will be progressing the development of our own website - an issue that may also go some way towards helping to solve our identity problem of Where is Stephens? Both this and Facebook may be the start of attracting new members and ensuring the longer term survival and viability of Stephens Sub Branch. However we all need to continue to work on recruiting new members. Newsletter Date 8/09/2012 Remembrance Day is just around the corner and with it comes one of our two major sources of additional income for the year. To this end I would encourage all to commit a few hours to assist in the selling of poppies at Woolworths Moorooka. It is these funds raised from the sale of merchandise that help to provide the extra welfare items we enjoy. If you and/or your wife/partner can spare a few hours, please let the Secretary know so he can add your name to the roster. It is also time to stand up and take some of the pressure off Ron in the organising and conduct of these selling periods. It is your sub branch as well! On a more sombre note, the recent loss of five more of our finest in Afghanistan should be a cause for reflection for us all and strengthen our resolve to support our troops wherever they may be. Our thoughts go out to the families of these men for the anguish they will suffer both now and in the years to come. To show our support in a meaningful way we will be doing another round of care packages for despatch overseas in the next month or so and again we will looking for your support to assemble these and we will provide notification of the date accordingly. As is evident from this article we are set for a big finish to the year, make sure you are part of it! See you at the Sub Branch.
Page 2 Stephens Sentinel Email the RSL Stephens RSL Sub Branch has now got its own email address so if you would like to get in contact with someone send an email to: stephensrsl@bigpond.com. Give the Secretary your email address so that if something urgent comes up you can be kept informed. Dates to Remember Meeting Dates: 8 September 12 13 October 12 10 November 12 8 December 12 Event Dates: 14 October 12 Annual Reunion 18 October 12 Junction Park visit 11 November 12 Remembrance Day 8 December 12 Christmas get together Rear Admiral Ken Doolan AO RAN (Ret'd) - National President of the RSL Rear Admiral Ken Doolan AO RAN (Ret'd) was appointed to Council in November 2009 and was elected Chairman on 8 March 2012. Admiral Doolan joined the Royal Australian Navy as a 13 year old cadet midshipman in 1953 and completed full time service in 1993 in the rank of rear admiral. He served in the destroyer Vampire during Confrontation with Indonesia in 1966 and in the guided missile destroyer Perth in 1970/71 during the Vietnam War. He was the first Commanding Officer of the amphibious heavy lift ship Tobruk and commanded the guided missile destroyer Brisbane in the mid 1980s. During the Gulf Crisis and Gulf War of 1990/1991, Admiral Doolan was Maritime Commander, Australia and in this role was Operational Commander of all Australian combatant forces deployed to that conflict. He was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia in January 1991. Subsequently, Admi- Recipe of the Month YOGHURT PANCAKES Makes 8 1-1/2 cups S/R flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup caster sugar 1 cup natural vanilla yogurt 2 eggs 1/4 cup melted butter. Put dry ingredients in bowl & mix, add melted milk, yogurt eggs & butter, gradually whisk in flour mix. mix to a nice smooth batter. Pour half ral Doolan has filled several remunerated and honorary positions, including membership of the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal, National Secretary of the Order of Australia Association and President of the Australian Institute of Navigation. He has also written several books and established a publishing firm. Admiral Doolan has also served for many years as a member of the National Defence Committee of the Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL). In September 2009 he was elected National President of the RSL and was re-elected to this position in 2010 and 2011. From 2010 to 2011 Admiral Doolan was a member of the National Commission for the ANZAC Centenary and now sits as an ex officio on the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board. Other appointments include Chairman of the Forces Entertainment Board; Vice President of the Australian Institute of Navigation; member of the Defence Reserves Support Council and board member of the Hoc Mai Australia Vietnam Medical Research Foundation. cups of mix into pan & wait till bubbles form & then turn over. READ THIS FIRST BEFORE COOK- ING. Lightly grease pan with butter to start & then cut a potato (washed ) end off & use from then on to rub onto pan. Do not have pan too hot. Drizzle with maple syrup with fresh whipped cream on top & a strawberry or whatever. A Moscato or a late pick of the grape wine goes well with this. This dessert goes very well after curried prawns or a stir fry. Super Chef Ron
Page 3 Member Profile Don Gaffney 1/400331 Korea 1953 We were on a 12 man night patrol along the Samichon River near the Hook, a strategic anchor point in the U.N. line. The midsummer night seemed quite uneventful as forward scout, till looking through my infra -red sniper scope, at perhaps 150 yards, a large (60 man) Chinese patrol showed up plus a nasty shock, two patrol dogs. Our Patrol leader, Eric McKinnon, gave me the 31 set (radio) and we called for fire from the Kiwi 25 pounders. What followed caused some consternation. They were right on target, but almost immediately other guns from both sides joined in increasing numbers, culminating in 15 and 16 shells from the American and British battleships just off the coast. The barrage included airbust shells. I personally have never felt more scared during my twelve months in Korea or in the rest of my 80 years. After a longer than usual period, the shelling died down without stopping completely, and we thankfully withdrew to our lines. The next morning near BHQ a voice called out, Gaff get in the truck. You ve got 4 days rest at Inchon. Already in the truck were three blokes from last night s patrol, Darky Perry, Mick Coffee and Clem Ferguson. Surprised but very willing, off we went. On our last night at Inchon a message came over the camp loudspeaker that a ceasefire had been agreed. When we got back, men were walking around in the open, in full view of the enemy. It really seemed strange. Many years later, after reading numerous histories and consulting various sources, it seems that we had unwittingly pulled the trigger for the Korean War s last big confrontation apparently the Chinese, knowing that they were going to sig the ceasefire agreement, wanted to gain a last minute advantage by taking the Hook and thus commanding the strategic approach to Seoul. The failed at the cost of literally innumerable casualties. Personal Details: I was born early 1932 in the Queensland bush. Left the dairy farm when Dad got a government job in Brisbane. I remember reading a Courier-Mail headline very shortly before WWII started, Mr Hitler says he does not want war. That night we said farewell to Dad s only brother. A navigator, his plane was shot down in May 1942. He never saw his only child. When Japan came in, Dad joined up, leaving Mum with 6 kids. He finished up commanding a company in Bougainville. His last CO was Jack Amies, who had been a member of Dad s Milton scout group pre-war. I joined the cadets in 1944, and in 1947 as the school C.S.M. stood in front of Field-Marshal Montgomery. I was taller than him. Went on to do medicine and joined the University Regiment. Had two pips enabling me to instruct school cadets. The biggest favour I did Australia was not trying to take theminto the real army when I joined Korea Force. The average age of 6 Recruit Platoon, Enoggera was just over 33 years, due to so many exdiggers coming again. If you must go to war, it helps to go in the best of company. I have always considered it a privilege to have been on service in the Australian army as it had evolved over the years. I think it was crucial that the majority of our officers were not only good but outstanding. Member Stephens RSL Sub Branch Back in peacetime study did not appear, so fell into teaching, and came to realize how lucky I was to find such a rewarding job. Taught in western Queensland and 10 years in New Guinea. Had to carry a gun to school in Telefolmin posting. Met and married Joy. We thought 8 kids would be a target but only managed 7. Married 50 years. All our kids and their kids are an enduring tribute to a wonderful mother.
Page 4 Stephens Sentinel Members of Stephen s Sub-branch to create a pictorial history of the sub-branch and asking members to lend their photos to enable them to be scanned to obtain an electronic version. The utmost care will be taken with items and copies of the electronic version will be provided to the member on the return of their items. WE WANT YOUR PHOTOS! Do you have photos/negatives/slides of your time in the military or as a member of the sub-branch? The Committee is undertaking a task If you have any questions, please contact Fran on 0406 482 844 or email mrsdarrengough@hotmail.com Did you know? Frances - Health Corner That the Zebra has White Stripes In Indiana (USA) it is illegal to travel on a bus within four hours of eating garlic and quite right too. According to mathematicians if two people played four games of dominoes every minute, they could exhaust all possible combinations of the game in 118 million years. The average pencil will draw a line 56km long Men fall out of bed twice as often as women Polar bears are left handed Cats sleep for 14 hours a day One in every million human being has an IQ greater than 180 Ice is lighter than water During your lifetime you will eat an amount of food equivalent to the weight of six elephants September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Each year, around 3600 Queensland men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. One in five men in the state will be diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 85. However, most men diagnosed with prostate cancer will die from other conditions such as heart attacks or strokes and many may never need treatment for their prostate cancers. Early prostate cancer usually has no symptoms, but if you experience any of the following symptoms, please see your doctor so they can be investigated. frequently, especially at night Weak or interrupted urine flow Pain or burning sensation while urinating The inability to urinate Constant pain in the lower back, pelvis or upper thighs Information obtained from Cancer Council Queensland Blood in the urine The need to urinate www.cancerqld.org.au
Page 5 Pass the Banana A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression going bananas is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on: Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!! This is interesting. After reading this, you ll never look at a banana in the same way again. Bananas contain three natural sugars sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fibre. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world s leading athletes. But energy isn t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet. Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia. Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke. Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives. Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey.. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and rehydrates your system. Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief. Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness. Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high -pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panicinduced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady. Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach. Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. InThailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood Enhancer tryptophan. Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal. Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack. Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%! Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape! So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe it's time to change that wellknown phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!' PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit!!!
Page 6 Stephens Sentinel Let s Have Fun Page Sudoku Time 9 8 7 5 7 9 6 4 4 2 7 3 9 7 6 8 2 3 4 1 6 9 6 4 3 7 5 8 6 9 3 1 Answer on next page Garden Snakes Can be Dangerous... Green Tree Snakes (Dendrolaphis punctulata) can be dangerous. Yes, tree snakes or grass snakes, not brown snakes or taipans. An elderly man in Brisbane calls his son in Canberra and says, I hate to ruin your day son, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are getting a divorce; 45 years of marriage and that much misery is enough! Dad, what are you talking about? the son screams. We can t stand the sight of each other any longer, the old man says. We re sick of each other, and I m sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Hong Kong and tell her! Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. Like heck they re getting divorced, she shouts, I ll take care of this. She calls her parents immediately, and screams at the old man, You are not getting divorced. Don t do a single thing until I get there. I m calling my brother back, and we ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR?? and she hangs up. The old manhangs up his phone and turns to his wife. Okay, he says, It s all set. They re both coming for our anniversary Here s why. A couple in Townsville, had a lot of potted plants. During a recent cold winter (for Townsville that is!), the wife was bringing some of the valued tender ones indoors to protect them from the cold night. It turned out that a little green tree snake was hidden in one of the plants. When it had warmed up, it slithered out and the wife saw it go under the lounge. She let out a very loud scream. The husband (who was taking a shower) ran out into the living room naked to see what the problem was. She told him there was a snake under the lounge. He got down on the floor on his hands and knees to look for it. About that time the family dog came and cold-nosed him on the behind. He thought the snake had bitten him, so he screamed and fell over on the floor. His wife thought he had had a heart attack, so she covered him up, told him to lie still and called an ambulance. The paramedics rushed in, would not listen to his protests, loaded him on the stretcher, and started carrying him out. About that time, the snake came out from under the lounge and the paramedic saw it and dropped his end of the stretcher. That s when the man broke his leg and why he is still in the hospital. The wife still had the problem of the snake in the house, so she called on a neighbour who volunteered to capture the snake. He armed himself with a rolled-up newspaper and began poking under the lounge. Soon he decided it was gone and told the woman, who sat down on the lounge in relief. But while relaxing, her hand dangled in between the cushions, where she felt the snake wriggling around. She screamed and fainted, the snake rushed back under the lounge. The neighbour, seeing her lying there passed out, tried to use CPR to revive her. The neighbour s wife who had just returned from shopping at Woolies, saw her husband s mouth on the woman s mouth and slammed her husband in the back of the head with a bag of canned goods, knocking him out and cutting his scalp to a
9 2 6 4 8 7 3 1 5 8 7 1 3 9 5 6 4 2 3 5 4 1 2 6 7 9 8 2 4 5 4 7 3 1 6 9 7 6 8 5 1 9 2 3 4 1 9 3 6 4 2 8 5 7 5 1 9 7 6 8 4 2 3 4 3 7 2 5 1 9 8 6 6 8 2 9 3 4 5 7 1 Stephens Sentinel Page 7 Cont d point where it needed stitches. The noise woke the woman from her dead faint and she saw her neighbour lying on the floor and his wife bending over him, so she assumed that the snake had bitten him. She went to the kitchen and got a small bottle of whiskey, and began pouring it down the man s throat. By now, the police had arrived. They saw the unconscious man, smelled the whiskey, and assumed that a drunken fight had occurred. They were about to arrest them all, when the women tried to explain how it all happened over a little garden snake! The police called an ambulance, which took away the neighbour and his sobbing wife. Now, the little snake again crawled out from under the lounge and one of the policemen drew his gun and fired at it. He missed the snake and hit the leg of the end table. The table fell over, the lamp on it shattered and, as the bulb broke, it started a fire in the curtains. The other policeman tried to beat out the flames, and fell through the window into the yard on top of the family dog who, startled,, jumped out and raced into the street, where an oncoming car swerved to avoid it and smashed into the parked police car. Meanwhile, neighbours saw the burning curtains and called in the fire brigade. The firemen had started raising the fire ladder when they were halfway down the street. The rising ladder tore out the overhead wires, put out the power, and disconnected the telephones in a ten-square city block area (but they did get the house fire out). Time passed! The snake was caught and both men were discharged from the hospital, the house was repaired, the dog came home, the police acquired a new car and all was right with their world. A while later they were watching TV and the weatherman announced a cold snap for that night. The wife asked her husband if he thought they should bring in their plants for the night. And that s when he shot her. More Happenings at the Sub Branch Sudoku Answer
Birthday Roundup Happy Birthday to all members who have had a birthday in July, August and September. They are: July Graham Enever, Graham Ross, Brian Allan, John Thomson August Frances Sheehan, Trevor Jarvis, Barry Harding September Ron Viles, Doug Palmer, Anthony Hooper, Bob Barkla Hope you all had or have a great time. Editors Note This newsletter is compiled by Ronda Rose if you would like to contribute to this newsletter contact Ronda by email at rirose@optusnet.com.au or on 32168727 or Mobile 0412703551. I am always looking for new items to put in the newsletter so if you find something that you feel other people would like to read please let me know. Regards Ronda Rose Happenings at the Sub-Branch New Members, Shindig and Museum Visit.