Mr Peter Johnson Reports on the Deplorable Financial Situation at the Wewak Yacht Club
PLUNDER OF PM’S CLUB
At an annual general meeting of the Wewak Yacht Club on 28 March, the Commodore, Mr Jack Matthews, told members that theft and irregularities had been reported to the police, and that “police would investigate after the arrival of a new PPC.”
It has been claimed that up to K1.2 million has been lost or stolen from the Wewak Yacht Club of which Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare is patron, and at which he frequently entertains visiting dignitaries. Sir Michael is said to be much distressed with the current situation.
In his report to members, Mr Matthews said “some members owe the club money…and have behaved in a deceitful manner!” We have no records to pursue this matter, as the former manager, Mr Christopher Liversidge, had reported the club’s two computers recently stolen, he said, The club Honorary Treasurer, Mr. Glen Williamson resigned from his position after only two or three months service. He cited “difference of opinion with some senior committee members” as reason for his early departure.
One long-time member told Post-Courier that the club had annual takings of approximately K1 million. Gross profits over the past three years had been 14%, 4% and a loss in 2008/09. This was indicative of annual cash deficiencies of K260,000, K360,000 and perhaps K500,000. (Greater losses than last year’s big bank robberies!)
The Commodore said the Wewak Yacht Club owes the Internal Revenue Commission K56,000 and K57,000 to local traders… the Club has K2,117.09 cash on hand! “I have no financial report, no treasurer’s report or auditor’s report to present to you!” said Mr. Matthews.
Stunned members voted to return an unchanged committee for a further three month period to allow for investigations, administrative and management upgrades and proper reporting to members on 27 June, 2009…a “bar-fly” is said to have retorted, “and by that time someone should be in Boram kalabus!”
Mr Alwyn Davies Weds Miss Barbara Wilson, Angoram, 1956
Barbara’s daughter, Tanya, wrote: “I was talking to my mother… she said the jeep was built by a man in Angoram by salvaging scraps left in the jungle by the war, and then he spray painted it silver. My mom … was a real adventurer for a woman of her day. She has the most fantastic stories about being out on the Sepik for days at a time. One of the ministers who came to Angoram for the service apparently never made it back. He fell overboard and never surfaced.”
Barbara mentioned that it was Sepik Robbie who put the jeep together.
Dr A.D. Parkinson
Photos from David Parkinson’s Collection
Arthur David Parkinson 1935-2009
Always known as David rather than Arthur, his untimely death ends a life of service and dedication. He first came to Papua New Guinea in 1956 as a Medical Assistant or in the terminology of the time an EMA – European Medical Assistant. These young men and some not so young were the front line medical providers in much of PNG in those days.
David did extensive medical patrols in the Sepik and the Highlands. He subsequently attended the University of Adelaide qualifying in Medicine and Surgery, and he returned to PNG working as a Medical Officer and eventually Assistant Director, Malaria Control.
After leaving PNG in the late 1970s, he did post-graduate studies in the UK and afterwards worked for WHO in the Solomon Islands and Samoa. In Australia, he joined the army and worked in a Malaria Research Unit with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. For the last years of his life, he was in general practice in the Western Suburbs of Sydney.
At his funeral service, Michael, his son, spoke of his father’s humanity in a varied career of service to others. Over the years, David’s contribution to the health of others has been immense. The people of PNG have particularly lost a true friend and benefactor.
David’s first wife, Ruth, predeceased him and he is survived by their children, Michael, Fiona and Jamie. His wife, Vaiola and their children, Nathan, Ricky, Tanya, Corian and two grandchildren, Charley and Georgie survive him.
Monsignor Quixote – DVD
” Sir Alec Guiness stars with Leo McKern in the story of a friendship between a Catholic priest and a Communist Mayor. Together they travel from their remote village to Madrid and back exploring their friendship. the demands of belief and constancy of faith.
“This lavish production filmed entirely on location captures the wit, warmth and vitality that make the original novel by Graham Greene a unique work of literature.” (Blurb on DVD cover)
This review is from: Monsignor Quixote [DVD] [1985] (DVD) “Simply one of the most enjoyable and beautiful films you will see. Its very simple, two actors Alec Guiness and Leo McKern, showing you what they can do. It’s one of the last pieces of work completed by Guiness before his death. I saw this gentle, simple film some 20 years ago and loved every minute and finally decided to buy it on DVD.
“They don’t seem to make films like this any more unless its an independent production. Its one of the last films which focuses on the talent and makes the best of it on a wonderful Graham Greene novel.”
By Frank Bierbrauer
I can’t recommend this production too strongly!
See:
http://www.westcoastcompanions.org/jgc/2.1/rami_porta.engtext.htm
The Reverend John Spender and the Rapture
Last month I was fortunate to run into the Reverend John Spender at Mascot Airport prior to him catching a plane to New York. John is the esteemed brother of Sir Ernest Spender, a person well known to the readers of this blog.
The Reverend John Spender ministers to a small congregation of members of the Free Independent Apostolic Baptist Church in Bridgeport, Jackson County, Alabama, and is on a world-wide mission preaching the Second Coming and Rapture of the Lord to all willing to hear him.
In appearance John is not unlike his brother, and like Ernest, he is an old boy of Charterhouse, however, with the years he has lived in the States, he has largely lost his public school accent and now speaks in tones distinctly Southern States American. Reverend John is a man of middle height, thick set and energetic, all in all a formidable and impressive person.
I was anxious to get as much as I could from John about his Second Coming beliefs, but given the extreme limitations of time we both realized that my interview would only allow a superficial discussion. I had only about twenty minutes with him before he had to catch his plane.
David Wall: Rev. John, do you mind if I call you John?
Rev. John : Call me anything as long as you don’t forget to call me when you hear the trumpet of the Lord.
David: What makes you think I’ll hear it and not you?
John: Very true, David, all believers shall hear it and I can see that you are a believer.
David: Thank you, John. But are the Rapture and the Second Coming biblical? I guess they are one and the same.
John: Yes. It is true that the Bible does not mention the word Rapture but the word Parousia or catch up is there. The sounds of the Parousia are clearly mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “The Lord will descend with a shout.” The first sound is directed to the saints. In the second sound we hear the voice of the archangel and old Satan will know this. The third sound will be that of a trumpet, a summons for all sinners.
David: No doubt you would call yourself a Premillennialist and what I want to know in particular is do you follow the dispensationalist interpretation of scripture?
John: David, I won’t be labelled but what I will say is that the Rapture is a doctrine of the early Church fathers and the New Testament. The eschatology of the early Church held that the coming of the Lord precedes and introduces the millennium. Irenaeus taught this years before Origen and Augustine put forward their amillennialism. In John 14:20-21 the Lord tells us that He will come again.
David: John, can you put a timing on the Rapture and the Coming of the Lord?
John: As I said earlier, I won’t be labelled. The time factors are unimportant. Questions about if it is imminent or not can only be answered with reference to scripture, while taking into account the Pre-Tribulation. I’ll give you two references, Ezekiel 38 and Thessalonians 2 as pre-conditional circumstances that must occur before the Lord returns. There will be peace in Israel and a great falling away with the coming of the AntiChrist.
We know that there is not peace in Israel yet, but think about the amillennial position of all the major churches. Their eschatology is fundamentally false, so you can imagine what this does to their doctrine. In this very city of Sydney, Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen, claims to be a biblical Christian while holding an amillennial position, and of course, an amillennial eschatology is the doctrine of the Roman Church upheld by Cardinal George Pell. From this false eschatological stance the mainline churches have all gone on to support the false theory of evolution. You might well see this as a great falling away.
(As we were talking there was a call for all passengers on United Airways flight 702 to New York to go to customs. This was John’s plane, so he had to leave.)
David: John, thank you so much but just two last questions: do you have any contact with Sir Ernest, your brother, and I’ve often wondered why you, who anyone can see, is a healthy red-blooded male is still living in the single state?
John; Ernest, as you know has chosen a New-Age philosophy, and way of life, essentially a luciferian path to darkness. I don’t know if you have been to Berlin but if you go there just ask where the Seat of Satan is. I pray for Ernest. You ask why I’m still unmarried. Well the short answer is that I’ve dedicated my life to the Lord in expectation of His Second Coming. A union with a good Christian woman is a holy state for most believers, but like the Lord Himself I have chosen his way. David, it’s been great our little chat, but I must away.
David: John, Godspeed.
(With this John bounded off and I couldn’t help thinking how lucky the parishioners of his church back in Alabama were to have such a pastor.)
Oh, for an intentional community!
What I’m looking for is an intentional community of the Roman and Catholic persuasion in the inner city of Sydney, where I can worship and be a part of a community of faithful who exemplifies the defining aspects of a dynamic church: the church militant, the church suffering and the church triumphant.
I want a parish church where there is an open conflict between the parish priest and the congregation, with no clear guidelines as to, who is actually conducting the weekly Mass. Let there be long-winded dissertations and outpourings by congregation members when the time comes for prayers of the faithful; and as for the sign of peace, anything less than chaos, as people move around the church, kissing, hugging and shaking hands would be unacceptable. The pastor must wait patiently while these expressions of love are taking place. With a bit of luck, he might not even turn up for next week’s Mass and leave the faithful entirely to their own devices.
The community I want is one dedicated to the first Australians; be they functional or dysfunctional, the more dysfunctional the better. The call for “any change brother” would be like music to the ears of the parishioners, especially if the hard word is put on one during the consecration at Mass. The advisability of keeping one’s possessions close especially when going to communion need not be stated. The spirituality of those moving about the church must be a known fact and not open to question.
I like the idea of putting items of supposed sacredness on the altar without reference to the pastor; what would he know anyhow?
I want a priest who says very little about social justice and a lot about sin and damnation. I want a parish that has a fierce and ongoing memory of a past charismatic pastor and wants to preserve this at all costs; one that moves with the times but is stuck in time. It would be energizing if during Mass someone jumps up and informs all about a television service that impressed him or her and is far better than the present one.
The parish that I want must be militant, triumphant and suffering and I put to my readers, is there such a parish?
One might accuse me of looking for drama rather than spirituality, and this might be right, but please protect me from the insipid and dull and let me grow in the excitement and exuberance of a truly intentional community.
The Reverend John Spender makes himself available to anxious intentional communities
It recently came to my notice that Rev John can be called on by needy intentional religious communities. To ascertain the qualities of this man, I dug up an interview he gave me sometime ago. (See the previous post)
Overseas recipients of the pension bonus
Some even felt stimulated enough to spend it here
Not all foreigners splurged overseas with their pension bonus (”Thousands of foreigners splurge stimulus overseas,” March 12). My friend, a New Zealander, had a holiday in Sydney and Canberra with his part of the stimulus package and also spent considerably more while here. Maybe many thousands of other overseas recipients did the same thing.
David Wall Newtown
If Barbara Tokley of New Zealand knew she wasn’t entitled to the $1400 she received by mistake as part of the Australian Government stimulus package, why didn’t she return the money? It’s called stealing where I come from.
Trish Wiltshire Worrigee
I don’t care how much the Kiwis have been receiving from us in pensions. Ruth Park, originally from New Zealand, her husband D’Arcy Niland and their warm, talented family have repaid in spades! Vale, Kilmeny Niland.
Robyn Cashman Fernhill
Sydney Morning Herald 13/03/09
“As things fall apart” by Dave Tacon
July 4, 2009 at 3:25 am (Commentary, Papua New Guinea)
http://www.theage.com.au/world/as-things-fall-apart-20090703-d7to.html?page=1
Worth reading!
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