Gorgeous weekend and what stunning weather! We were sitting on the Yacht Club lawn yesterday watching the dolphins chase schools of fish around jetties – thinking truly what a magical place to live. It's sometimes hard to remember how many people don’t have the same good fortune we have, and it's why Rotary is so important. As Simon said so eloquently in his elevator pitch: “Life has been great to me and Rotary is my way of giving back”.
Saturday morning was the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training and it was so great to see the Shed Volunteers so enthusiastic about hearing how to save lives. Thanks to Ray Higgs for organising the technology and the training that took place and to Larry Murray for getting everyone together at the Community Hall. In addition, Andy Bell, Neil Thurlow, John Chirio and Franz Huber represented the Club too, and Gus Miller organized a Sausage Sizzle afterwards for everyone to have a bit of social time "after the event".
Regrettably, Geoff Croad was unable to attend, due to the sad passing of his father on Friday. Geoff and Carol, our sincere condolences go out to you and your family.
What I found absolutely fascinating during the training were the statistics presented by Tristan Hardwick. For example, a defibrillator had been used 5 times last week in Gold Coast shopping malls. And how clever the technology is: working out whether one is a candidate for it or not before kicking into action. What I also found incredible is that in Victoria a Public Defibrillator Scheme facilitates all devices to be registered, along with a register of all trained personnel. When someone has a cardiac incident, the app will locate and alert the nearest trained person, even if they are off duty and show the location of the nearest AED. We understand it's on its way to Queensland soon.
Steve Jobs said “Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have a faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them”. I can’t think of a better example.
That’s all from me this week – see you on Wednesday for a casual breakfast. Have fun and be good.
Kerry Packer started it all, when in 1990 he financed the purchase of Defbrillators for all the NSW Ambulances, following his life being saved by just such a device. Recently, our club bought a Defibrillator which is now installed at our Project Shed. But how to use it? What do you actually do if somebody collapses in a heap and stops breathing, stops responding?
So, last Saturday, some 15 members and Associates underwent First Aid and Defibrillator training, provided by Cardiacsafe, the supplier of the device. We learned not only the principles of First Aid, but also how to deploy the Defibrillator. Let's hope we'll never need to use it, but as the frequently quoted saying goes: Hope is not a strategy!
By the way, did you know that the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest rises from 9% to approximately 75% if a Defibrillator is deployed within minutes? And, by the way, cardiac arrests don't just happen to senior people. It could just as easily happen to a competitor in a school footy game (or his dad getting over excited on the sidelines... ☺).
Perhaps it's time for all of use to have a bit of a refresher on First Aid? The Australian Resuscitation Council has lots of information, guide lines and flow charts to assist. jump to their website which has lots and lots of very practical and easy to follow stuff on the subject: https://resus.org.au/And don't forget, the owner of Cardiacsafe, Tristan Hardwick, will speak at our club on 15th May.
It's quite bewildering trying to determine how the policies of the various political parties will affect one's own situation. If Franking Credits were removed, how will this affect the stock market and in particular that little nest egg you have squirreled away over the past several decades of working 12 hour days? What about the removal of Negative Gearing? What about the halving of the Capital Gains Tax discount? And most importantly: Whom can you trust??
One of the seldom mentioned benefits of belonging to a Rotary Club is that quite often there is an expert in a particular subject right among the members! Not only is he or she there, but you can be reasonably certain that trust is not misplaced. So, last Wednesday our very own Charles Thomasson, who is a partner at Wilson's Advisory, gave us a good run down on the major items one has to consider. Keeping strictly within the boundaries (Rotary is NOT involved in politics), Charles addressed the major aspects. As he is, by law, compelled to do, Charles also made it quite plain that anything he says is general advice, not specific to anyone's personal situation: Here is the official wording:
Charles gave the example of how a portfolio of an investor with a ‘Balanced’ Risk Profile could look. A risk profile is an assessment of an investor’s tolerance to investment risk. It is a key aspect of portfolio construction and is critical to determining appropriate asset allocation, recommended investments and target returns. The Wilsons Risk Profile is attached. The advice contained in this document is general advice. It has been prepared without taking account of any person’s objectives, financial situation or needs.
So, how will the stock market react? "Who knows?" was Charles' response, "but it is unlikely to make a big difference, simply because the policies of all parties have been out there for months beforehand, and generally the eventualities are already calculated in." Of course, there was lots and lots of other questions answered. Questions kept coming, all where competently answered. What? Sorry, you should have been there yourself! But, once the dust has settled, Charles promised to come back and give us an assessment of what will likely be happening once we know who will (or attempt to run) our wonderful country for the next three years. Stay tuned!
On the Download Section (right hand side), you will find Wilson's Risk Profile summary. Of course, you can contact Charles directly: Charles.Thomasson@wilsonsadvisory.com.au
The Small Business Expo is one of our major fundraisers. We need the whole crew on board! There are a lot of jobs which need to be covered. Volunteers required are as follows:
Wednesday 22nd May 2019
2:00 pm - approx 6:00 pm: 5 -10 volunteers to put up 200 trestle tables and 450 plastic chairs
Thursday 23rd May 2019
06:30 am
11:30 am
2 x volunteers car parking and gold coin donation
11:30 am
4:00 pm
2 x volunteers car parking and gold coin donation
3:30 pm
approx 6 pm
5-10 volunteers to take down 200 trestle tables and 450 plastic chairs ready for collection
8:30 am
4:00 pm
10 volunteers to man stand and circulate
If you have not already put your name down, please advise Franz by email what times you are available, thank you.
Remember the Lutzy Award, which, in conjunction with the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club, is presented to a promising young Life Saver. Last year's award, presented in July 2018, went to Sebastian Robinson (see picture, with Jan Lutz). Previous winners are Lucy Thorburn, our current Youth Exchange Student in the USA (by the way, has anyone heard anything from her since??) and before that, the inaugural winner Jessica Webber. A specially designed and sign written Surf Paddle Board is presented (see picture). The cost is around $2,500. Please contact organizer Ray Higgs.
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.
Mark & Tanya Twyford are inviting all members and partners to come to a Bar-be-que party on Saturday 18th May (yes, Election Day), starting at 6:00 pm.
Full details, including address and what to bring, will be sent by separate email to all members. This is going to be a great social event for our club, so please mark your calendar. For those of you who are addicted to politics and can't wait till the news the following morning, a separate corner in their back yard will be allocated where you are permitted to use your mobile phone... ☺
Duty Roster - note: subject to change. Please check every week:
New duty: Fellowship. What does it entail? 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.
<-- Well, after 15 of us attended First Aid and Defibrillator training last Saturday, this shouldn't happen to us!
History and archaeology show us that global cooling results in drought, social disruption, climate refugees, famine, disease, war, depopulation, collapses of civilizations and extinctions of plants and animals. Great civilizations prospered in warm times. We live in the best times that human have ever had on planet Earth. We are the only generation of humans to fear warm times. Prof Ian Plimer, 'Heaven and Earth'
Coal, with time and heat and pressure, will always become a diamond. But if you were freezing to death, which gem would you prefer? Jodie Picoult, ‘A Spark of Light’
In view of the uncertainty of the upcoming elections, I have decided to invest my money in stocks: Beef, Chicken and Vegetable. Ultimately, my aim is to become a Bouillionaire.
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It's quite bewildering trying to determine how the policies of the various political parties will affect one's own situation. If Franking Credits were removed, how will this affect the stock market and in particular that little nest egg you have squirreled away over the past several decades of working 12 hour days? What about the removal of Negative Gearing? What about the halving of the Capital Gains Tax discount? And most importantly: Whom can you trust??.JPG)
The Small Business Expo is one of our major fundraisers. We need the whole crew on board! There are a lot of jobs which need to be covered. Volunteers required are as follows:
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...
Mark & Tanya Twyford are inviting all members and partners to come to a Bar-be-que party on Saturday 18th May (yes, Election Day), starting at 6:00 pm.
