ProBus Club of Ewell

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A Christmas 2008 Message from the  Presidents - John Mills

I must say the time has flown by since April when I became President and I have enjoyed it immensely.

We have had a good variety of outings including several theatre trips a pub lunch and a very wet but excellent visit to Waddesdon Manor and recently a backstage tour of the Royal Opera House.

Our speakers have all been very good and both Lee Ault and Alan & Vera Baker at our May and Christmas Ladies lunches were particularly entertaining. It was very encouraging to see such a good number at the Christmas lunch.

Our average attendance at our monthly meetings has fallen to around 45 and with our funds falling the committee have decided it would be sensible to reduce the area in which we hold our regular monthly meetings to reduce our hire costs. We have arranged with the staff of Bourne Hall that as from January 09 we will use only the Begonia room which will reduce our hire costs by half. This of course will not apply to the Ladies lunches.

As a thought, bearing in mind our falling numbers perhaps we could all try inviting a friend along to one of our meetings with a view to increasing our membership.

The social committee are now organising visits for the New Year which will include:

January: Tour of BBC studios at White City

February 19th: Pub Lunch – Rubbing House 

March 17th:  Polesden Lacey – Private tour of house

May: Thames River trip from Walton

June: Proposed trip to Bruges

More information to follow at our January meeting and on this website.

Finally may I wish all our members and families a very

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

 

and

 

A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR.

John Mills President

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Incoming Presidents for 2008 -2009 John Mills

  Gentlemen – it is a great privilege  to be elected as your new president and I hope I can continue to meet the high standards set by the past presidents that I have known since joining  probus which seems only a short time ago.  Particularly I would like to thank Cliff Douthwaite for the time and effort he has put in, not only as President but as our webmaster, we must be the envy of many other probus clubs. Also we have a fine committee who put in a great deal of time discussing not only the administrative running of our club but also searching for new ideas to further our very high standards of fellowship within our club.  Ken Amess as Secretary is brilliant at organising our meetings and providing our minutes and agendas, which is a very time consuming job. As is the Treasurer's task carried out with great precision by Malcolm Davis.

As you have heard we have an Events sub- committee of Ken Robinson, Pat Hunt and myself and our intention is to provide a continual programme of outings to theatres, places of interest and also various pub visits.

            Which I hope will receive your continued support.

We are always looking for fresh ideas and your suggestions will be welcome

I finish by reminding us the entire probus ethos:

To the fostering of fellowship, goodwill and the common interest of all Probus club members

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Outgoing Presidents Report AGM March 2008

First of all may I say it has been a privilege and indeed an honour to serve you the Probus Club of Ewell for my year in office, the time seems to have flashed by and this is my opportunity to thank you all for your kindness and support in spite of my odd sense of humour!

I am appreciative of the committee who make arrangements of the Club work like clockwork and ensure I was in the correct place at the right time. The lunch meetings have been a pleasure to preside over and thanks to all who make the luncheons a delight, the range of speakers is impressive, thanks to Ken Robinson, and it was a delight when over 80 members and friend supported the special RAF presentation team, thank you Ken Robinson as you are aware he will be passing the baton over to Frank Rae, so a great big thank you to Ken for the hundred odd speakers you have arranged for us all.

We have invited and entertained three other Clubs Presidents that is of Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton and Ascot Probus Clubs. I have on your behalf attended luncheons at the first two. It is interesting that we all follow a similar pattern with slight variations, at the Kingston Club all member join in the Grace which is the same for all meetings, whilst Surbiton do not have the Loyal Toast or absent Friends but use the Probus toast.

It was a sad occasion on the death of Brian Cousins CBE and the Club was well represented at the funeral service to see our old friend pass onwards, Margaret Cousins and family were very appreciative of the condolence card sent on behalf of the Club and wished all to be thanked for our one minutes silence in memory of Brian at our September meeting.

The change from using tables in E formation to round tables each holding ten members has been helpful but has not resulted in a break up of “friendship groups” and perhaps this is an ongoing process we need to solve?.

It has been a good step to see the Activities starting to function again, so thanks to Ken Robinson, John Mills and Pat Hunt. Whilst the Royal Observatory and Nautical Museum at Greenwich was great occasion, we only had a total of 25 members and friends, this means only about a dozen or so members, a bit disappointing when our membership is around seventy. Needless our thanks are due to Ken for all the background work which we take for granted and indeed sheparding us around a very large complex. So please support the activities in the future as you know Pat Hunt has a trip planned to Portsmouth and our theatre guru John Mills has a tickets and a coach lined up for The Rat Pack at the New Victoria Theatre Woking, more about these later.

Since my inauguration at the AGM in March I have received much help especially from Eric Hussey who have guided me through two Ladies lunches and ensured that most things were said at the appropriate moments, if not all then that has been my fault! I was not aware, but now know the work that Eric puts in behind the scenes for the Ladies lunch and I am sure you will join me in thanking Eric for his organisational skills, thanks a lot Eric.

My President’s charity for the Zimbabwe Victim Support Fund set up to provide some relief for those who were falling victims to the systematic programme of destruction of the agricultural industry. The collection for this amounted in total to £375 which Malcolm has forwarded to the UK secretary and received thanks, a letter to this effect is on the notice board (below). Whilst not an official Club event thanks to the Club members who supported my garden party in aid of the 2007 World's Greatest Coffee Morning, when the sum of £757 was raised for the Macmillan Cancer Relief Project.

It was good to be invited with our Secretary Ken Amess to represent the Club at the recent Mayors Civic Celebration, even more impressive when I noted at least five other Probus members who had been also invited for their work in other community services, so thanks to all you folk who volunteer and work behind the scenes in other organisations.

On a sadder note Richard Whittington and myself attended the funeral service for Betty, Harry Smith‘s wife, Harry who has moved home since his bereavement was the Club’s President many years ago. I also with Bob Sullivan, John Garlick and Jonathan Reed attended St Martins Church for the thanksgiving service for Harry Podd, this was a well attended occasion with perhaps a 100 folk, and Harry was given a full guard of honour by his comrades from the Burma Star Association. Harry served as a leading air mechanic in the Colossus light fleet aircraft carrier during the Burma Campaign.

I then finish my report in the same vein as the start and say thank you all for my year in your service.

Cliff Douthwaite President 2007 -2008

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ZIMBABWE VICTIMS SUPPORT FUND

(In association with Haywards Heath Methodist Church)

Secretary/Treasurer - John Lark

48 Ellerton Road, Surbiton, Surrey, KT67TX

11 February 2008

Dear Mr. Davis

Thank you so much for the donation of £375 recently received on behalf of the Zimbabwe Victims' Support Fund. Every penny of this money will go to Zimbabwe. Your Club's support of this work is greatly appreciated and the donation will make a real difference. In fact, in some cases, the difference between life and death.

I expect you know Zimbabwe is in deep crisis with malnutrition and AIDS claiming 3,500 lives each week. Life expectancy is now in the mid thirties and an estimated 3,000,000 have fled the country and 80% of those remaining are unemployed.

This Fund, working with Trustees at Hillside Methodist Church, Bulawayo, seek to feed some of the most vulnerable and, unbelievably, what they are doing is considered a crime. This is because the ruling party seeks to ensure that food only goes to its supporters.

We have some anxious moments when we wonder if the Zimbabwe Trustees are going to be able to obtain food for distribution, but just this weekend several tons of maize meal have been received.

Despite the fact that inflation is astronomical, the highest in the world, the value of the British pounds maintains it's buying power. The people who suffer are the locals who are paid in Zimbabwe dollars. A recent email tells of a person earning $15,000,000 per month and a loaf of bread costs $1,500,000.

I am enclosing a copy of our Report for the year ending December 2007 for your interest.

Yours sincerely, John Larkin

Trustees: David Winwood, Graham Shaw, John Lark (Secretary/Treasurer)

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President Message for Christmas 2007  by Cliff Douthwaite

This is a message by Rev. David Winwood, the Epsom Methodist Minister who when stationed in Zimbabwe instigated the Zimbabwe Victim Support Fund which is my Presidential Charity for this year. (more below...here)

At the near conclusion of 2007 , he continues.............. It was a wonderful Christmas present. It rained on Christmas day! We had not had any rain for over 2 years. Severe drought and famine had spread throughout southern Zimbabwe and people were at the end of their tether. It was only a little rain, but it was the beginning. We greeted it as a wonderful gift!

That was in 1992, but last week (November 2007) we received an email from a couple in our past church in Bulawayo, in which they mention that there is no water in any tap in their house. They live in a town and are usually served by a pretty reliable water system, but now there is only one tap in the garden from which they can sometimes draw water, which comes from a borehole. They collect it and save it in a tank. They boil it for drinking and store it in bottles. They keep their used water to flush the toilet, to prevent cholera and other diseases spreading if the sewers should become blocked. In the poorer, crowded African suburbs around Bulawayo, they have had no water for two months. Imagine the disease …. and there’s no medicine available when people get sick.

You may think that I’m always going on about Zimbabwe because we lived there for a while, but I am shocked when I hear that around 3,500 people are dying each week. That is more that those who are dying in Darfur, Afghanistan and Iraq added together! People are struggling to survive in the face of poverty and brutality. A 26 year old student, now expelled from the University, wrote to say –

“In Zimbabwe a person cannot stand up for anything that he thinks or believes.  I can’t remember how many times I’ve been arrested simply for speaking the truth, but I will always remember the gruesome experiences of physical and mental torture that I have been subjected to. I have been punched, kicked, shackled, blindfolded, hit by baton sticks and placed in solitary confinement. At the Police Station I was thrown against an iron door and my head banged against it several times. I have been handcuffed so tightly that I could not bear the pain and my private parts have been kicked several times. As a result of repeated beatings I have incurred permanent injuries, and Mugabe’s regime has left me for dead, as my medical documents and the scars on my body show.”

The young man finishes by saying how he has grown strong through this experience. That’s the amazing thing. Moral and spiritual strength and resilience is being sustained. Christian’s are still strong and they persist in hoping and praying.

Since 2000 life in Zimbabwe has deteriorated beyond belief. White farmers were driven from their farms, thousands of African workers had their homes burned, and between two and three thousand commercial farms have been utterly destroyed. There is therefore no food for the people and the economy has collapsed. Inflation is running at six and a half thousand percent. Many have left the country if they have the means of doing so, many thousands have crossed the borders as refugees, and many are now are in severe poverty and sickness. Zimbabwe has the lowest life expectancy in the world – 34 years for women and 37 years for men.

The fund to which I started is supporting a nursing home for 75 elderly people who have been made stateless and destitute by the government. Matron Jane Mgani says, “If it were not for you these people would starve.” It is supporting the Bulawayo Shelter for the destitute, and Island Hospice, which cares for people who are dying and their family’s at home. A number of projects for orphans are receiving some regular help from the fund. The United Nations says that Zimbabwe now has the highest ratio of orphans to population in the world.

Empty shelves, unaffordable prices, queues, power cuts, water cuts, my friends are thinner and more gaunt, and there is growing despair on the faces of people in the street. The food distribution at Hillside Church purchased from your gifts where they had to close the list after 400 people had received some help, but still there were queues of desperate people

In 2005 the government instituted “Clear out the trash”. The authorities bulldozed the houses in the poor communities and, at gunpoint, drove the families into the rural areas. More than 800,000 people were left homeless and jobless. Killarney was one of the places where the homes were destroyed. It’s now barren scrubland, but the people have come back to live there, because they have nowhere to go, those who distribute the food purchased by this appeal take quite a risk. The government insists that it is responsible for food distribution, although frequently food is not available and is distributed only to government supporters! Sometimes the volunteers are stopped by the police and some have been imprisoned. They say, however, “What can we do? We are Christians and God’s children are in need?”

We trust that our Probus Club will be generous and support this charity as we enjoy this time of Christmas, God Bless you all.

Cliff Douthwaite -President the Probus Club of Ewell

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Incoming President Message for 2007 -2008 by Cliff Douthwaite.

It is an honour to be elected as the President of the Probus Club of Ewell, I follow in a long line of excellent past presidents and have a standard already set that I trust I will uphold. But of course it is not just the President that sets the standards for friendship and comradeship in the club, but you the members and the committee you have elected to keep me on the straight and narrow!

You will have noted the committee have decided to opt for round tables; this is to ensure that with the previous arrangements there were always members at the ends of the straight tables who were restricted to only conversation with one other member. Whilst round tables eliminate this it then raises the problem of conversation across the wider table, afraid we cannot win, but need your help to generate the best compromise.

Tracking back thorough past president’s messages, another value of the website, I came across this from Derek Youell in 2002 he said  “When I was elected as President in April of this year, my mind went back to when I joined Probus some 10 years ago. At that time I was lucky to join a number of friends who were already members and we tended to talk amongst our selves and had little contact with others.

In recent years, I have realised that this is wrong; it makes it difficult for new members without the benefit of knowing existing members to integrate.

I am hoping that during my year, members will have more contact with each other and I suggest that all members try to speak to at least one member to whom they have not spoken previously.”

I regret to say that Derek’s wish has not made much difference to how we arrange our seating, since his year in office from time to time the committee have discussed eliminating members selecting seats for groups of friends, but without a consensus of committee agreement, whilst this present format has value and makes us all feel comfortable it as Derek said 5 years ago restricts our getting to know others, and remains a barrier for new members who come without a friend, such as via the Internet, so can I ask you to bear with any future changes that may offer a better arrangement, of course we your committee are open to your views, so please take the opportunity of expressing your opinions, but please look at the wider issue of the Probus ethos.

To the fostering of fellowship, goodwill and the common interest of all Probus Club Members

From my part I intend to invite as my guest month by month the Presidents/Chairman from the many local Probus Clubs in the area, thus hopefully extending the fellowship ethos, please feel free to converse with these or any other visitors who may join us.

For the upcoming President’s charity I would like to propose the Zimbabwe Victim Support Fund this has been set up to provide some relief for those who were falling victims to the systematic programme of destruction of the agricultural industry resulting that many of the poor are foodless unless they support the regime. This Fund is administered via the UK Churches sending monies direct to the Zimbabwe churches for food distribution. I trust the membership will support this charity.

I look forward to serving you in the coming year.

Cliff Douthwaite

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President's Message December 2006 By Richard Whittington

The Probus Club of Ewell had the privilege of a presentation by Virginia McKenna OBE of her acting career and later her work for the “Born Free Trust” at their recent Probus Ladies Christmas lunch at Bourne Hall in Ewell. This event on December 6 th 2006 was also attended in his official capacity as the Mayor of Epsom and Ewell Councillor David Wood and his Consort sister Barbara, David is of course a long time member of the Probus Club of Ewell.
David Wood our Mayor took the opportunity to say a few words, he said that although as Mayor he represented Epsom and Ewell, in his heart he was a Ewell man born and bred in Ewell and proud of this, he also stated as a long time member of the Club he savoured the strong fellowship and in his time has served the Club in many capacities including the Presidency for which he had been most grateful. His present post the highest in the Borough of Epsom and Ewell as Mayor is indeed an honour.
David the Club are honoured to have you as a fellow member and more so as our Mayor, this after serving our community for many years as a Councillor.
I wish to thanked those who had help organise the Christmas Lunch, especially Eric Hussey who in his quiet efficient way had masterminded the occasion resulting in an excellent and enjoyable function.
Jill Whittington on behalf of all the ladies present thanked the membership for their kind invitation to the Christmas Lunch; they had all enjoyed another festive day with a perfect presentation from Virginia.

Jill and myself extend a 

Happy Christmas and a

Prosperous New Year to all of YOU.

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Presidential Address 2006 By Richard Whittington

Richard Whittington commenced by informing the Members they would be relieved he did not have a great to say BUT! He said David Smart would be a hard act to follow and complimented him on the quiet skill and humour and diplomacy when conducting the Lunches and Committee Meetings.

Richard considered the Members to be a jolly good lot and looked forward to getting to know many of the new members and those he did know well enough.

Richard Whittington sought the Members' approval to his nominated Charity, The Royal Marsden, Sutton.

He concluded by saying it was a genuine Honour to be President and would do his best not to let Members down.

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OUTGOING PRESIDENT'S 2005/06 REPORT

David Smart considered that it had been a very successful year which he had certainly enjoyed.

There had been 2 very good Ladies Lunches at the Cuddington Golf Club clearly due to the work of our Ladies Lunch Organiser, Eric Hussey.

 He thanked Ken Robinson for the excellent list of interesting speakers he had produced during the year and understood Ken had already arranged Speakers for 2006/07.

Social Secretary, Doug Clarke had organised several events not least of which was the visit to the Bisley Ranges which were enjoyed by all attending.

Some Members had moved away during the year and we had unfortunately lost others.

However, we had gained new Members who were very welcome.

David felt that if the Club was to progress we would need to increase the Membership base.

He urged all Members to do their best in this respect.

David thanked Richard Whittington for his assistance and indeed all Members of the Committee for their support during the year.

David closed by thanking the Members for allowing him to be their President for 2005.

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Presidential Address 2005 By David Smart

The Ladies Lunch at Cuddington Golf Club was clearly a success with an attendence of 88. Members and Guests appreciated the interesting talk by Mr Ken Wharfe MVO who had been the Police Protection Offifer for the late Princess Diana.

The Charity collection for the RAF Association raised £230.20, a very good result which I feel reflected Members support for the Charity.

I look forward to the coming year, hopefully with an increased Membership.

I would like to thanks Eric Hussey for the arrangements at Cuddington and the Committee for their support
 

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Presidential Address 2004 By David Wood

 Probus is about friendship and fellowship and it so pleasing to see so many friends each Month although it is sad to reflect that as we come to another Annual General Meeting we are all another year older and some, deeper in debt. Sadly as always we have had a number of Members who have resigned during the year as they have moved on to a better place. The Members of The Committee try to attend the funeral services of these departing Members and we hope that it brings some comfort to those family and friends who are left. On a happier note we are pleased to greet a number of Widows of Members who come along to our Ladies lunches.

Although we are roughly maintaining our Membership we always welcome new Members and I would ask all Members to encourage friends to join us

As usual the forthcoming year will be doted with excursions and other activities. We will be holding two ladies lunches - In May at Cuddington Golf Club and this year the Christmas Lunch will be held in The Queens Stand at Epsom Race Course. This latter event has been specially arranged at normal Members rates so I hope all will take up this special opportunity to visit an unique Borough site. In June we are going up river for our now Annual Thames river trip and we will also be organising our popular Reigate luncheons. For those who like France there is the opportunity to go on a day trip to Bolougne by coach and a week long trip to Chantilly. Do avail yourselves of these unique opportunities.

Our speakers this year are varied and as always interesting so do make sure you please do not miss them.

My nominated Charity for this year is the RNLI. I am always aware that we all live on an island and as one who suffers from mal de mere I have the highest regard for the men and women who give of their time and efforts to keep those who go to sea safe. Please dig deep and often to support their work.

I look forward with a happy heart to my Presidential year and thank you most sincerely for having elected me to this post. In my modest efforts I am supported by a marvellous Committee and I thank each and every one of them for their continuing unsung dedication.

David.

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT October 2003

My year seems to be passing very quickly and I must say I am thoroughly enjoying it.

The fellowship that I experience from the Probus Club of Ewell is wonderful.

We have now enjoyed four outings for the Club.

The Thames River Boat Trip

Parliament, House of Lords the Cabinet War Rooms.

Two Bridge House luncheons.

All were well supported and enjoyed, our thanks to Derek Youell for organising these excellent activities.

Our thanks to Richard Whittington for the arrangements for the Ladies Christmas luncheon.

The standard of luncheons and service from Crown Catering has improved at Bourne Hall and those present seemed to have enjoyed them.

It was a pity that at one of our monthly lunch meeting’s only 42 members were present, which seemed to me to be the lowest I can recall. This may have been due to the start of the holiday season, as the numbers have increased in the last few months.

On several occasions I have requested members present to occupy the vacant seats on the top table without little success, it seems we are creatures of habit!

In due course the membership will be asked again if we need to organise our lunch time seating arrangements in a different format, thus perhaps ensuring we get a better mix and understanding of our fellow members.

I need to remind all members that they should continue the custom of wearing an identification badge and this should be in sufficiently large font so those who may have poor eyesight can read them!

This brings me to the question of the membership – perhaps we should be starting a recruiting drive, as we do not appear to be attracting new members.

How do we approach this question?

Whilst we have details on this site and many of the local sites and publication, the best way I am sure is by personal invitation, so members over to YOU.

My thanks to all the Committee for their continued support.

Ken Robinson,  President 2003 Probus Club of Ewell

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Presidential Address 2003 By Ken Robinson

At the 2003 AGM the Retiring President Derek Youell giving the charge with the appropriate words invested Ken Robinson with the President's Collarette and Collar Badge. The Retiring President then exchanged seats with the New President. The New President presented the Retired President with his Past President's Tie and Lapel Badge.

Ken Robinson thanked Members for electing him President, which he regarded as a great privilege, and hoped that with the strong Committee, development of Club would continue.

Ken thanked Derek Youell for all his work as President and Social Secretary and reported with a touch of sadness that whilst unlike his predecessors Derek had only served for eleven months due to the change of date of the AGM to help the financial arrangements, he had succeeded in packing in as much as other Presidents have done in a full year.

Ken Robinson,  President Probus Club of Ewell

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Presidential message 2003

The quality of the food at Bourne Hall has improved and we have had a number of very good and interesting speakers, thanks to the hard work of Ken Robinson our speaker secretary.

Unfortunately the Ladies Lunch in the summer suffered from an unsuitable sweet course and the Committee were forced to consider alternative venues.

The venue selected for the Christmas Lunch, Cuddington Golf Club proved a great success and the speaker, Margaret Hunter, gave an interesting and amusing talk on life as a BBC World service Announcer. That event has set a standard that the club must try and repeat.

We had a successful River Thames trip from Runnymede up stream to Windsor and again we were lucky with the weather. The Club provided the coach and some 60 members attended.

The visit to the Woking Theatre to see Chicago was not so well supported but enjoyed by the 32 members who did make the journey.

During this year our web site has been developed and contact made with a number of Probus Clubs across the world.

Finally I would like to thank all members of the Club who have helped my year to be so enjoyable with particular thanks to the Committee especially Bob Sullivan, Ken Robinson, Richard Whittington, David Wood and Cliff Douthwaite.

Derek Youell,  President 2002 Probus Club of Ewell

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Presidential Address 2002 by Derek Youell

First, I must congratulate Brian Cousins, the retiring President on a successful year. He started each meeting with a little joke and that set the tone of each meeting. We had a good year and thanks are due to him for his guidance and a very energetic and enthusiastic committee.

When I was elected as President in April of this year, my mind went back to when I joined Probus some 10 years ago. At that time I was lucky to join a number of friends who were already members and we tended to talk amongst our selves and had little contact with others.

In recent years, I have realised that this is wrong, it makes it difficult for new members without the benefit of knowing existing members to integrate.

I am hoping that during my year, members will have more contact with each other and I suggest that all members try to speak to at least one member to whom they have not spoken previously.

The success of Probus depends on friendship and comradeship and we must all do our best to promote these ideals.

This year the club has decided to support the Boy Scouts of Epsom and Ewell and we hope to provide some climbing equipment, which will be used by all the Groups.

I consider it a great honour to have been elected to serve as President for the coming year and trust I will justify the confidence that members have shown in me.

Derek Youell,  President 2002 Probus Club of Ewell

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