Ron’s welcoming comments, on 23/11/23, to the successful Mannkal Scholars for 2024.
I have been allocated, just three minutes, to welcome you as our incoming team of Mannkal scholars.
My welcome is very sincere, and I might even put it in the form of a friendly warning.
Just to warn you of the adventures that lie ahead, once you ‘saddle up’ and join in the wonderful ‘world of ideas’.
To give you an idea of the opportunities that will open up for you, as you embark on your travels, I will just mention how these opportunities have opened up for me. I arrived back home last night at 2.00 a.m., from a four-week series of ongoing adventures, that have left me invigorated and ready for any challenges that next come my way.
My four-week journey started with (and I will just simply list them and expand on them if we have time).
- A visit to Walden Pond in Massachusetts. This was the original spot where philosopher Henry David Thoreau took two years out to, as he said, “live life deliberately”, living a self-sustaining life in a very small timber cottage, just big enough to house his bed and desk. During this time, he wrote his classic book Walden. Thoreau has been credited with having been the inspiration, with his style of ‘peaceful resistance’, that inspired Mohandas Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandella.
- Then, on to the Mont Pelerin Society Annual Meeting held at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. Located almost on the Canadian border. One of the joys from my visit there, as a director of that organization, was to meet up with our very first Mannkal scholar, Bill Stacey, (now a director of Mannkal) attending as a member, as well as Doug Hall, Mannkal’s Lead Ambassador and also as a member of MPS, James Walker, a previous Mannkal scholar and now a member of MPS and, furthermore, James brought with him another new guest, who is also another Mannkal scholar, Nathan Brooks.
- Then, I travelled to Boston where I was fortunate to attend a Harvard Business School Saturday seminar on Monetizing Your Writing. There I made the discovery that it was the university’s administration that appeared to be introducing all the pro-Hamas indoctrination (not the students).
- Then, to New York City where we had a meeting with a leading Member of Parliament, from Ukraine, who has been zooming into our office and has been part of our Ukrainian Policy Reforms discussions.
- Then, to the Atlas Network Liberty Forum event, where I was delighted to be accompanied by Mannkal’s new Chairman, Dr Russell Rieck, (much to be reported from those three very productive days).
- Then, back to Perth, just in time to depart for Bali to attend the big Agricultural Week Dinner.
- Then, next morning, departed Bali for Port Hedland and Roy Hill to attend the big Mining Week Dinner.
- Then, returning back in Perth, to arrive home at 2.00 a.m. this morning, just in time to greet you all at this wonderful event today.
In short, my warmest welcome to your all and may you be confronted with as many challenges as I am currently enjoying.
Regards,
Ron Manners AO
Dec 2023
1 Comment
Merry Christmas Ron and Members !! My Xmas wish is to start a passenger railway service in South Australia between Adelaide and Whyalla. I once worked in Whyalla as the Westpac bank manager and now am sensitive to the $100bn being invested around the Gawler Craton. The area needs this service for able and disabled people. And AS a public Transport asset. All towns in the “north” after Two Wells will gain profit and increased population simply from the railway asset. The Government remain “unmoved”. So if anyone can shake the can of ideas this would be very welcome. I can be found at 0403 306 405.