Greetings, fellow members, associate members and friends of Surfers Sunrise Rotary,
First off, on behalf of the club, let me express a big 'Thank You' to Kane Chisholm and his Kieser team for the great social evening his company organised last Friday night (see article below). You may have read that this event, together with a separate fundraiser his company is running for our club, will contribute some substantial funds. This will enable us to run additional service projects, local projects, supplementary to our signature project of making 'Rough Terrain' Wheelchairs destined to give the gift of mobility to disabled children in developing countries.
One of these local projects, 'School Mates', has come to fruition. Ian Mayberry's committee has successfully concluded discussions with Southport State High School. In essence, Surfers Sunrise Rotary Club will finance the provision of essential equipment, such as uniforms and books, for some (financially) disadvantaged children. Our club will have no direct involvement - all selection, procurement and distribution will be handled by the School's administration. Ian will submit a more detailed report for next week's bulletin.
See you at this Wednesday's meeting at the TRYP Hotel!
Bianca, who grew up in Brazil, has done not just one, but two Youth Exchanges. She will focus on how Rotary can impact someone’s life when you start young — as she did at 11 years old. "Through Rotary, I’ve had the opportunity to visit over 200 clubs around the world, which has shaped my personal and professional journey" she wrote. Her goal is to inspire the younger generation to join Rotary, so it continues through generations to come.
Last Friday night, our corporate member Kieser Bundall (Kane Chisholm) organised an excellent and well organised social night, inviting their clients and the members of our club (a number of our members are also attending Kieser's strength training). There was plenty of finger food, games and trivia competitions, and of course, good all-round social contact.
Kieser will donate all proceeds to our club. Further, they will also run a separate fundraiser for our club: for every new consultation they perform up to 31st January 2026, they’ll donate $20.00 to our club, with a target of $3,000. According to an annuncement made on the night, they are well on the way of achieving this target. Thank you, Kane, your team and your clients who supported this event. That was most enjoyable!
In his professional life, for decades, Russell had worked for one of the major local manufacturing companies on the Gold Coast, Kings Springs, a company that manufactures automotive springs, suitable for around 30 popular brands of vehicles, including some of the Chinese brands that emerged on the Australian market. “I’ve just about done every job in that factory,” he said, “from really dirty jobs such as collecting the slags, through to skilled jobs, driving industrial-size forklifts and operating the Shot Blaster.” Shot blaster? It’s a machine, similar to a sandblaster, but it uses little bullets instead of sand. This one is huge, as in the size of a room... Then he retired. But, as is not uncommon for a man who by his very nature needs to be busy, he needed something to deploy his energy and skills. What a perfect man to run our new sandblaster! And that is where you’ll find Russell on most days when the shed is active (see photo).
And what does he do when he is not working at our Wheelchair Shed? Turns out he is a keen 4WD enthusiast and fisherman! And he helps his son in his roofing business (“but I don’t go up on the roof anymore”, he said), and together, they work on a 1965 Ford Mercury Comet – 2 door, or on a 1932 Ford Roadster. Is there any time left? Yes, he’ll spend it with his wife, kids and the 6 grandkids, listens to good music (Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles are some of his favourites). Great to have you on our Wheelchair Team, Russell!
Duty Roster - note: subject to change - please check every week. Note: Fellowship duty also is expected to be at the Project Shed on the Saturday following the meeting
[That might be where Thomas Harris got his inspiration for Hannibal Lectre in his novel 'Silence of the Lambs'... Ed.]
Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And weak men create hard times. G. Michael Hopf, ‘Those Who Remain’
I hate it when people confuse education with intelligence.
Bianca, who grew up in Brazil, has done not just one, but two Youth Exchanges. She will focus on how Rotary can impact someone’s life when you start young — as she did at 11 years old. "Through Rotary, I’ve had the opportunity to visit over 200 clubs around the world, which has shaped my personal and professional journey" she wrote.
Last Friday night, our corporate member Kieser Bundall (Kane Chisholm) organised an excellent and well organised social night, inviting their clients and the members of our club (a number of our members are also attending Kieser's strength training). There was plenty of finger food, games and trivia competitions, and of course, good all-round social contact.
In his professional life, for decades, Russell had worked for one of the major local manufacturing companies on the Gold Coast, Kings Springs, a company that manufactures automotive springs, suitable for around 30 popular brands of vehicles, including some of the Chinese brands that emerged on the Australian market. “I’ve just about done every job in that factory,” he said, “from really dirty jobs such as collecting the slags, through to skilled jobs, driving industrial-size forklifts and operating the Shot Blaster.” Shot blaster? It’s a machine, similar to a sandblaster, but it uses little bullets instead of sand. This one is huge, as in the size of a room... Then he retired. But, as is not uncommon for a man who by his very nature needs to be busy, he needed something to deploy his energy and skills. What a perfect man to run our new sandblaster! And that is where you’ll find Russell on most days when the shed is active (see photo).
