Gidday fellow Surfer Sunrise Rotarians, Associates and friends of Rotary,
A casual meeting last week and for the first time in a long time it was a fairly disappointing turn up. Lack of numbers certainly didn’t affect the camaraderie, banter and general goodwill of those in attendance.
It was a big week for our Foundation Chair/Director, the wonderful Elizabeth Cali, who celebrated - in her words - her 50th ‘orbit’. Huge congratulations and best wishes Elizabeth.
I have commented in the past about the 'Rotary family’ and how the vast majority of Rotarians are very much alike in their endeavour to always put ‘service before self’ and to follow the ideals of the 4 way test. The reason I mention this again is that I have had the pleasure of meeting number of fellow Rotarians in the past few days. Some of them were from Victoria, some from NSW and even a couple of locals. In every case it felt like I had known them for years so conversation and the exchange of ideas was easy and relaxed.
PP Doug Lipp and Fundraising Director extraordinaire Ross Augustine have started work on the Sportsman Luncheon, to be held on Friday 20th June. From what I have seen and heard it will be a ‘must attend’ event.
Remember - Nothing changes if nothing changes and always do as you fear most.
John Walters is a reading specialist - focusing on pre-literacy and reading-readiness. An international researcher, his is an award wining children's author. A member of the Goonellabah Rotary Club, he is the founder and coordinator of Rotary’s School Mates program, which supports disadvantaged children in local schools.
During the past 10 years he has been working with teams at multiple Australian universities, along with universities across the United Kingdom.
“I heard the call for volunteers to help at this place on Radio 4CRB, where my wife volunteers, and I thought that would be a good place for me to work” he explained when I asked John how he found out about us.
Born in Brisbane, he moved to the Gold Coast in 1954, and married his first wife in 1962. “We bought a house on Smith Street, which at the time was just a bush track, for £3,100 ($6,200 when decimal currency was introduced 4 years later). It was so remote that the Council didn’t collect the garbage from our place!” Regrettably, his first wife died young, but then he found and married his current sweetheart Tricia. He completed an apprenticeship to learn the Butcher trade. Later, he bought a Taxi License and drove cabs for some 38 years, managing to sell out just before the disrupters such as Uber arrived on the scene.
In retirement, he had quite a home based business recovering furniture. But moving heavy lounge chairs got a bit too much, so now John is helping to build Rough Terrain Wheelchairs. In his spare time, he enjoys Golf, Fishing, seeing his family, reads Readers Digest condensed books and has a strong interest on “whatever comes on four wheels...” Welcome to the Surfers Sunrise Wheelchair Team!
Let's have a social event with a difference: indulge in your food being cooked right in front of your eyes - Japanese Teppanyaki style!
Cost: $58.00 per person - includes the Mazusaka Combo Buffet - but it's a la carte, alternative choices available. Email Adrian for copy of menu. Note: the restaurant is fully licensed and is not BYO
Where:
Matsuzaka Teppanyaki & Japanese Restaurant
Shop 4, 300 Marine Parade,
(Aqua Building - parking underneath, entry from Imperial Parade)
Labrador 4215
When:
11:30 am, be seated by 12:00 pm
Sunday 25th May 2025
You must book (no prepayment required though, all pay their own bill)
The Inner Wheel Club of Gold Coast North invites all Surfers Sunrise members, partners and friends to come along to their 'Asian Cuisine' luncheon on Tuesday, 20th May 2025 in support of the 'Rice for Cambodia' charity. The funds are primarily deployed to support local schools in one of the poorest districts of Cambodia, Angkor Thom.
(Inner Wheel is a Rotary-associated organisation for women; Rice for Cambodia is a registered Australian Charity with DGR status)
RSVP Saturday 15/05/2025 For details, please download the flyer from the Downloads section on the right.
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
"Trust the science" is the most unscientific statement ever. Questioning science is how you do science!
"If you are just interested in being an authority on everything, become a journalist. The thing that has always amazed me is that you are the only people who know how to run the country and you have all decided to go into journalism. Why couldn't some of you have gone into politics instead?"Former Treasurer Peter Costello on his last press conference announcing his retirement from politics, Oct 2009.
Do you all remember, before the Internet, people thought that the cause of stupidity was the lack of access to information. Yeah. It wasn't that.
John Walters is a reading specialist - focusing on pre-literacy and reading-readiness. An international researcher, his is an award wining children's author. A member of the Goonellabah Rotary Club, he is the founder and coordinator of Rotary’s School Mates program, which supports disadvantaged children in local schools.
“I heard the call for volunteers to help at this place on Radio 4CRB, where my wife volunteers, and I thought that would be a good place for me to work” he explained when I asked John how he found out about us.
Let's have a social event with a difference: indulge in your food being cooked right in front of your eyes - Japanese Teppanyaki style!
