Another busy day at the shed on Saturday. Jo had organised a Barbeque there as an extension of the Changeover, to involve our Associates, as well as to present awards to Associates and members who couldn’t attend the changeover in June. These included:
Larry Murray: Rotarian of the Year
Neil Thurlow: Quiet Achiever
Mitch Brown: Paul Harris Fellowship
Larry Murray: Paul Harris Fellowship
Des La Rance Life: Honorary Member of the Rotary Club of Surfers Sunrise.
Three Associate Members of the shed were mentioned by Jo and she showed her appreciation, applauded and thanked them all for their contribution to the Wheelchair Project and the shed in general. The beginning of the Barbeque was a bit of a disaster. However, with a trip to the shop and a new gas regulator it was working. Adrian Crowe was the master chef and did a fabulous job and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Thanks Adrian.
Des La Rance showed his CAD Drawing, just completed this week, of the design of the 'POD', a mobile mini accommodation for homeless people (see last week's bulletin). He has spent considerable time in working out exactly what is required ergonomically to fit a person into the POD with some of their belongings. As usual, Des has designed the POD for the simplest and most efficient method to manufacture it as easily as possible, without compromising on the strength required. He has included ventilation, side windows and a top opening hatch as used in caravans. This looks great. The next step is to work out the cost of manufacture, as well as to get a financial commitment from the Rotary Club of Runaway Bay for the first 10 units to be manufactured , which will be allocated for use by ROSIE'S at Southport. Where we go from there will be determined by the success or otherwise of these first 10 units.
Councillor Dawn Crichlow has also been in contact with us again since the meeting at the Shed last week and has asked to be kept in the loop regarding the POD. During her visit she promised to investigate our lease for the Shed and the disposal of our bicycle tyres. Dawn has indicated that the Lease is related to the site emissions which are being monitored and in due course we should be able to re-visit this issue. The Tyres are on her ‘to-do’ list and she will get back to us.
With regard to the amalgamation of the two Clubs we have arranged joint meetings between our Club & the Rotary Club of Broadwater-Southport on the following dates:
Friday Morning Breakfast: 2nd August at the Yacht Club (no meeting on Wednesday 31st July)
Wednesday Morning Breakfast: 14th August at the Surfers Paradise Life Saving Club ( Presentation of the Lutzy Award to Jazmin Zimmerman “Young Surf Life Saver of the Year”)
Wednesday Morning Breakfast: 11th September at the Surfers Paradise Life Saving Club.
Friday Morning Breakfast: 27th September at the Yacht Club. (no meeting on Wednesday 25th September)
At the coming meeting on 17th July, we will discuss the joint project that the Rotary Clubs of Broadbeach, Gold Coast & Surfers Sunrise are planning to improve the facilities at the Mauna Hospital, Pentecost Island, Vanuatu. Each club has applied for a district grant to support the project. Des will be giving a presentation of the design of the building while Dr Graham Sivyer, President of the Rotary Club of Broadbeach, together with representatives from the Gold Coast club will talk about their involvement, including the medical contributions. Ashmore has indicated that they too would like to be involved and we learn more on Wednesday if they will commit to the Dormitory building required. Also, our District Governor Harry Bolton with his wife Shauna will be attending and we look forward to District’s support and involvement.
Therefore, we are expecting about +60 members all up together with 5 possible new members for our Club. Ray Higgs has been working with the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club to accommodate us.
I would very much appreciate it if you could be at this meeting. It is important for our Club to show that we are committed to this project and we are a friendly Club particularly to our neighboring Rotarians. More importantly, the potential new members need your encouragement and be made welcome.
Look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday morning.
At last Saturday's meeting at the Project Shed, President Mario Fairlie and Immediate Past President Jo Winwood presented our Chief Designer, inventor and untiring worker, Des La Rance OAM, with a Life Membership. Des of course is best known not only for his design and driving to fruition of our 'Wheelchairs from Bicycles' program (it started back in 1995) and various designs and completion of cyclone proof houses, schools in Phuket and Mataa'fa Village on Samoa, as well as the now famous 'House of Hope' in Apia, Samoa.
Congratulations, Des!
Photo above: President Mario, Des La Rance, Jo Winwood
Last Saturday, President Mario Fairlie and Immediate Past President Jo Winwood presented three "late" awards to members who were unable to be present at our recent Changeover Luncheon in June. Photos shown:
This coming Wednesday 17th July we'll have the combined meeting with the Broadbeach Club, as previously advised.
When Mario Fairlie attended the President Elect Training Seminar (PETS), he met with the Presidents Elect of the Broadbeach and Gold Coast Rotary Clubs, Dr Graham Sivyer and Rowan Johnstone respectively. Dr Graham indicated that he had identified a major need for a X-Ray Unit to be established in a hospital on the Espiritu Santo Island, in the Samna Province of Vanuatu. The hospital doesn't have one at all; travel to the nearest one that does have one takes over 5 hours. It needs more than just a X-Ray Unit: they don't have electrical power off the grid, so it needs to be solar / battery powered...
We all know that "there are no flies" on Des La Rance, our Chief Designer and Mover & Shaker at the Project Shed. He set to work and here is the preliminary draft. To an extent, it is based on the very successful design of the Samoa Schools we have installed, with solar panels and batteries. Next step is to obtain a District Grant as well as a Global Grant. For the Global Grant, Mario will liaison with his friend who introduced him to Rotary, PDG Fred Hansen in Norway.
Jump over to the Photo Album Section on the right for more images of Des' design.
A what?? A Pod? Isn't that something to do with flowers? [No, Henrietta, nothing to do with pot plants. Nor with pot... ☺] Or with something that is detachable from an aircraft?
No, it is a Mini-Accommodation on wheels for the homeless. Our indefatigable President Mario Fairlie has had discussion with the equally indefatigable local City Councillor Dawn Crichlow about this potential new project which Surfers Sunrise might become involved with at our the Shed. A picture tells a thousand words they say - so check out the attached image of the front page of a recent Gold Coast Bulletin article (you can expand it so you can actually read it - just press Ctrl + ).The estimated cost is $500 plus the bicycle to pull it. And yes, Dawn will take it to the council.
Duty Roster - note: subject to change. Please check every week:
New duty: Fellowship / Project Shed. What does it entail? There are two aspects to this:
a) At the club meeting, your job is to ensure that all members, in particular new members, visitors and guests, and in particular the Guest Speaker, are welcomed, are introduced to other members and are comfortable. If required, explain the usual procedures, e.g. when we have our meal, when the speaker is expected to be at the rostrum etc.
b) This person is also to attend the Project Shed on the following Saturday, as the representative of our club and to assist in the general management.
NOTE: Our usual regular meeting of 31st July is cancelled in lieu of our combined meeting with Broadwater Southport at the Southport Yacht Club on 2nd August.
In view of this week's joint meeting to discuss the X-Ray unit for Vanuatu, the theme is... X-Rays... ☺
Superman inherited his x-ray vision from his family. He has Parental Super Vision.
I had a girlfriend once who was a X-Ray technician. But it didn't last. She could see right through me, and she couldn't see anything of interest.
My kid could get a bad X-ray and I could get a call from the doctor saying I have something growing in my bum and that would change my perspective on everything instantaneously, on what is and what is not important. Tom Hanks, actor.
At last Saturday's meeting at the Project Shed, President Mario Fairlie and Immediate Past President Jo Winwood presented our Chief Designer, inventor and untiring worker, Des La Rance OAM, with a Life Membership. Des of course is best known not only for his design and driving to fruition of our 'Wheelchairs from Bicycles' program (it started back in 1995) and various designs and completion of cyclone proof houses, schools in Phuket and Mataa'fa Village on Samoa, as well as the now famous 'House of Hope' in Apia, Samoa.
Last Saturday, President Mario Fairlie and Immediate Past President Jo Winwood presented three "late" awards to members who were unable to be present at our recent Changeover Luncheon in June. 
Photos shown: 
This coming Wednesday 17th July we'll have the combined meeting with the Broadbeach Club, as previously advised. .jpg)
A what?? A Pod? Isn't that something to do with flowers? 
