Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory... Can you remember what you were doing on this day 30 years ago? (I know I can and it may have involved kindergarten!) [Yep, me too. But in my case, it was my kids who were at kindergarten... ☺ Ed.] On the 21st February 1987 the Rotary Club of Surfers Sunrise was chartered. The same year The Bangles were walking like an Egyptian and Bon Jovi was living on a prayer. As you can see they were a pretty handsome bunch of blokes (see 'Surfers Sunrise Charter' in the Photo Album section on the Website's home page on the right) and while the hair may have been traded out for wisdom over the years and a few things have changed, it's fair to say the true Rotary values and the Surfers Sunrise banter is still very alive and well!
Come and join us this Wednesday night for some fund and fellowship as we celebrate the achievements of Surfers Sunrise over the past 30 years!
(Oh, & our soon to be DG Darrell needs volunteers for PETS - 12th March! & Gold Coast Ramble 25th March, be there. & Dog Beach BBQ on 5th March... be there too!
Warning: the following text information may cause distress.
OK, normally, I title my summary along the lines of 'Last week's Guest Speaker...' But that would not have the same effect on you, dear reader, and I want you to feel that effect. Last week's guest speaker Manuela Whitford from the 'Friends with Dignity' organization rattled me when she informed us that this year alone, in Australia some 65 women were killed by their husbands / partners / "boyfriends"... Yes, Sixtyfive! Being by nature a bit suspicious of shock figures, I researched it a bit deeper. Well, the Federal Government's Australian Institute of Criminology publishes a somewhat sobering report: Over the 10 years to 2012, a total of 654 people were killed by their "intimate" partner, equals on average 65 per annum. If you include Filicide, Paricide, Siblicide etc, the total comes to 1,088 people dead. That report is 4 years old, and, if anything, the statistics are on the increase. God knows how many are seriously injured, both physically and mentally, over and above the 65.
I don't mean to diminish the recent terrible tragedy at Dreamworld where 4 people were killed. But it kept a leading position in the national press, Radio, TV and Internet news right up to the next "shocking" news of Trump winning the US elections. In the same period, about 4 women were killed in Domestic Violence. But no vigils, no candles on the street, no sea of flowers. The difference: the latter is NOT an accident. It is a deep seated community problem. Why is the press not pursuing this with equal vigor?
Enough about my views. Manuela Whitford is anything but a political activist. Manuela is a Clinical Nurse with Queensland Health. But she also is a "volunteer" (to be more specific: she is the Chief Executive Officer) in her organization Friends with Dignity, her sole aim is to help women and their children to find refuge from their violent partners and to provide a decent home where they can survive. "We had a woman coming over by train all the way from Perth with her 4 children" Manuela advised. But why don't they simply leave their partner? "They can't" Manuela stated. "This is deeply psychological."
So far, Friends with Dignity has provided sanctuary to some 160 women and their offspring. But Manuela needs help. Material help from beds to furniture, clothes and crockery, or monetary. They need volunteers to donate some time. Their website, www.friendswithdignity.org.au lists in detail what they need, the processes, how to donate (both with materials or money - the organisation is a tax deductible, registered charity).
In her LinkedIn profile, she states "I look forward to the day my Volunteering position is made redundant." It is people like Manuela who are the proverbial Salt of the Earth in our community. In the words of C J Dennis: "I dips me lid".
Photo: Richard Smith (sporting a matching shirt, and note, without beard! ☺) gave a vote of thanks to Manuela.
Des La Rance was at the door (for Neil Thurlow), Richard Smith was Chairman and Andy Bell was Sergeant.
We had apologies from Ray Higgs, Tania Laird, Adrian Crowe and Tony Bird.
President Simon welcomed all members and our Guest Speaker Manuela Whitford - see separate article in this bulletin. He asked DGE Darrell Brown to comment on the proposed major consolidation of Rotary Districts in the Australian and New Zealand region. You can download a summary on our Download Section on the right.
Wheelchair Trust Chairman Daryl Sanderson reported on the recent events at The Shed. Particularly, help is required to source a "reverse" wheelchair, e.g. where the big wheels are at the front, for a local man. They are apparently quite uncommon. The picture on the right shows what it looks like.
Doug Lipp reported on correspondence he's had with Seaworld in relation to the Melbourne Cup fundraiser - they have welcomed us back for next year. Well done, Doug!
Mario Fairlie commented on the enormous work that is done behind the scenes in relation to the various schools: Whilst Vanuatu is at present on hold (due to lack of finance caused by the major sponsor, Tursa Employment, pulling out), the Samoan and Thailand projects are most definitely happening. Helensvale High School has teamed up with other schools and have already raised very substantial funds. Thailand will - interestingly - be financed by a grant from the Federal Government to Thailand being re-patriated to Australia to facilitate the erection of a school in Thailand... Figure that! Importantly, Mario confirmed that our newest member Rosie McIntyre has accepted the position of Project Coordinator for these important endeavors. Thank you Rosie! Expect a list to be published shortly of 'Materials in Kind' donations that are required.
Secretary Mark Twyford confirmed our engagement with the Rotary Club of Gold Coast to organize the inauguralGold Coast Ramble (potentially to be renamed 'Rotary's Amazing Race'). We'll need people! It will be held on Sunday 27th March 2017.
Paul Seymour drew our attention to the huge efforts of Chris Thurtell in his new position of District Chair of Youth Exchange.
One could consider the Conoco Phillips Science Experience as an entry point to THE Science event of the year, the Canberra based National Youth Science Forum (NYSF). But the NYSF is for older students and is highly selective (our most recent successful candidate was Maria Ciubuc-Batcu a couple of years ago), so not every student can be selected. Conoco Philips is for Year 9 and 10 students. Over 3-4 days it will give budding Scientists a range of activities under the guidance of professionals.
The next event is January 2017 at Griffith Nathan Campus, QUT and Armidale Campus of Uni of New England. Cost $120.00.
Contact our Youth Service Director Tania Laird, or the District Chair: Valerie Haywood valeriehaywood@sctelco.net.au
[Your Editor was quietly taken aside so the correct wording could be explained: it is 'Grouse' not 'Grouch', and it is 'Schouse', not 'Shout'... The former is positive, the latter apparently is derived from a colloqialism in Scotland or New Zealand that describes a place where people are resorting to to tend to calls of nature... Ed.] Anyway, Andy's Grouse was the recent game where Ireland beat the All Blacks at Rugby, and his Shouse was South Africa beating just about everyone in the world from Cricket to Rugby [there are no reports on their performance in other sports such as Chess...]
Barry Lea, nice to see you. To no doubt, the fact that the omelette was strictly Halal would have had specific attraction... Richard Smith needed a solid 5 minutes of training to get on top of his gig as today's Chairman... Jo Gorman, no doubt the richest woman on the Gold Coast: Seen on Channel 7 parading with the winning Race Horse... Mark Twyford, quite respectable shoes today for a change, but what about the shirt! Peter Morgan, how's the knee? [very good, thank you...] Angus Miller had his birthday on Saturday. Mate, for a 98 year old, you are not looking bad at all! Ian Mayberry at last night's board meeting, showed his appreciation of the Sergeant's Red Wine: just give him a bottle and a glass, and he won't leave anymore! Mario Fairlie has been doing it tough recently: down to his last 30 Million or so, he bought a $150 replica pen... Gerald East and Fred Hamblen: what a dress combination! A picture is a thousand words - see right... Darrell Brown in comparison is dressed downright dull... Mitch Brown's nick name of Billbo Baggins from the Hobbits has been confirmed - he actually answers to the call... Simon Brook: that joke you told...
chartered. The same year 
Enough about my views. Manuela Whitford is anything but a political activist. Manuela is a Clinical Nurse with Queensland Health. But she also is a "volunteer" (to be more specific: she is the Chief Executive Officer) in her organization Friends with Dignity, her sole aim is to help women and their children to find refuge from their violent partners and to provide a decent home where they can survive. "We had a woman coming over by train all the way from Perth with her 4 children" Manuela advised. But why don't they simply leave their partner? "They can't" Manuela stated. "This is deeply psychological." 
One could consider the Conoco Phillips Science Experience as an entry point to THE Science event of the year, the Canberra based National Youth Science Forum (NYSF). But the NYSF is for older students and is highly selective (our most recent successful candidate was Maria Ciubuc-Batcu a couple of years ago), so not every student can be selected. Conoco Philips is for Year 9 and 10 students. Over 3-4 days it will give budding Scientists a range of activities under the guidance of professionals. 
[Your Editor was quietly taken aside so the correct wording could be explained: it is 'Grouse' not 'Grouch', and it is 'Schouse', not 'Shout'... The former is positive, the latter apparently is derived from a colloqialism in Scotland or New Zealand that describes a place where people are resorting to to tend to calls of nature... Ed.]
