Our own member John Smith, was Guest Speaker today, and to allow for an extended presentation, President Phil unleashed him early.An aviator that John held in high regard, and that John had met during a trip to Oshkosh, "Bob Hoover" was the subject of todays talk. He was an American fighter pilot, Test Pilot, Flight Instructor, and record setting air show aviator.
We learned about his early life, an early fixation with flying, and his concealment of this interest from his parents. He learned to fly at age 16. paying for tuition by working in a grocery store. He got airsick and confronted this by flying aerobatics, day after day until he controlled the affliction.
He joined the USAF in time for WW2, impressed his military flying instructors, but was posted to a transport squadron because he was too tall for combat flying. That didn't stop him and he became an ace pilot in the Mediterranean theatre of the war.
There were many stories about his exploits during the war - He flew 69 missions, was shot down and captured, escaped three times from prisoner of war camps and on the last occasion, near the end of the war, he highjacked a Focke Wulf and flew it to Holland.
He returned to America, and flew Sabre Jets in the Korean War, and was a compatriot of Chuck Yeagar, as a test pilot flying the Bell X1, the first flight to break the sound barrier.
From 1960, he flew at air shows in a Mustang called "old Yeller", and later flew an Aero Commander business plane at air shows until his retirement in the 1990's.
Bob Hoover retired from flying in 1999, but retained an interest in aviation and Bob met Australian Aviator and Moonee pilot John Smith at Oshkosh in 2015. They are photographed together. Bob Hoover died, aged 94, in October 2016.
Today guest speaker, Luke Grealy, was introduced by John Gray whose wife Norma had worked with Luke Grealy at the Wagga Cty Council many years ago. Luke left the Council entering private enterprise in the Event Hire business but retired from that industry and returned to the Council as Manager of The Museum of the Riverina.
The Changeover went very smoothly.
was PDG John Glassford. He replied telling of his fondness for Wollundry Club and his appreciation for all the work it does in both the local and international community, and the role it plays in making sure that things are done in the correct manner at District level. He mentioned that changes were underway, a comment that PP David Pyke and quite a few others saw as encouraging. PDG John also mentioned the huge growth in Rotary in Africa, indicating that some districts had more than trebled their numbers over the past few years. He is searching for the missing feature in western countries and feels it may be the business side, although the urge to help others is as strong here as there. 
After President James Ross gave a great summary of his year, Pat Ingram came forward to announce the list of donations that the Club had been able to make.
Sofi gave an account of her year in Wagga Wagga including a power point presentation . She said that in January 2020 on her arrival she felt embarrassed not speaking very good English however, that has changed dramatically and her command of English is excellent. (It is interesting to note that many Wollundrians are very hard to understand at times, especially in the latter parts of events of a social nature)
Sofi did find the experience of heading off to school on a frosty morning and huge shock. A minus one in Wagga was a far cry from the temperate climate of Sao Paulo. During the Pandemic ABC National news interviewed Sofi about her Rotary Exchange experience and how she was coping with the drama's surrounding that time. As is her confident self, it came over so well.
