Greetings, fellow members, associate members and friends of Surfers Sunrise Rotary,
June is Rotary Fellowship Month.
One of the new ones is on the appreciation of Rum. OK, so you are not into Rum. There is also one for Whiskey and another for Gin. Or Wine, or Beer. Hang on: Is our most esteemed organisation now promoting alcohol consumption? Of course not. Some 130 Rotary International Fellowships are designed to enhance your Rotary experience and combine it with your hobby and passion, and there are far more Fellowships that are NOT related to the enjoyment of alcohol. One of the new Rotary Fellowships that emerged recently is on Hypnosis and Healing. Or Music, or Sub-Saharan Culture, or German Culture. Warning: the latter might include beer... 😊
Check out the new ones – click here. For a list of all 130 of them,click here, then follow the links. (Note: some require a Facebook login).
This coming Saturday 27th June, we need helpers for a couple of hours at the Wheelchair Shed, to load a container with wheelchairs, destined for South Africa. Start at 07:00 am. (Yes, I know we also have a Bunnings Sausage Sizzle).
Don't forget to book for the Changeover Luncheon, on Sunday 12th July. See details, menu and link below.
This coming Wednesday 24th June will be a social meeting at the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club. Come along for a cuppa and/or breakfast. If the weather is nice we might sit outside, (otherwise on the ground floor, at the northern end). Lots of good banter and laughter, and - believe it - sometimes there are more club related matters discussed and solutions determined than on a formal meeting!
After an introduction by Club Legend Darrell Brown, our guest speaker, Senior Constable Andrew Cheung - Fook told us that before starting his talk, he would like us all to engage in a warm-up. “It will help sharpen your mind and ensure you feel energised for the rest of the day. Please all stand.” Andrew then, piece by piece, directed us in the steps for ‘the Haka’. An excellent and fun way to ensure he had our full attention.
Andrew is proudly half Samoan and Half Chinese. He was raised in Auckland, New Zealand and served 10 years in the NZPD before moving with his wife and children to the Gold Coast. Andrew admitted that prior to moving here he had no idea where the Gold Coast was but wanted to live by the beach, so when he found out about the GC he applied for and was accepted for a posting to our fair city.
Apart from his invaluable work at the PCYC, Andrew is also a member of a squad of dedicated Police Officers who are on 24-hour call to attend incidents that require de-escalation or involve armed offenders. This is an elite, highly trained Squad based in SE Queensland but who can be and are dispatched to any part of Queensland if needed, sometimes being away from home for weeks at a time. Andrew spoke of some instances of this (I don’t think it is appropriate to repeat this information here). He believes that alcohol is the number cause of crime, especially in some of the more remote areas of Queensland.
Andrew spoke about an addiction that he believes he suffers from, which resonated with me as I am/was also a sufferer. No, not drugs or alcohol, but Adrenalin and the rush it gives you.
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Andrew has a young family, and he spoke about how they are starting to grow up, and he feels he is missing out in their lives. His eldest son is a very talented Soccer player, and Andrew feels he needs to be at home a lot more to help guide him in his future. So he is seriously considering resigning from the squad.
Senior Constable Cheung-Fook certainly had the attention of all members and, in my humble opinion, presented one of the best, most engaging and interesting talks we have had at our club.
Last Saturday's Big Bike Sale at the Wheelchair Shed produced some excellent results. Total proceeds over $1,600, of which almost half came from two very special bikes! ☺ A big thank you to all the helpers, and of course, the customers!
Sometimes, bikes that are donated to be dismantled for wheelchair components are too good, or not suitable (as the ladies' bike in the middle foreground). All proceeds go towards the purchase of components and consumables for the wheelchairs.
Bookings are now open for our Changeover Luncheon, to be held on Sunday 12th July 2026. President Paul Seymour will hand the collar over to President Elect Mario Fairlie. Graeme Isaacson has again organised a sumptuous luncheon at the same premier venue we had it last year, the top floor of the TRYP by Wyndham Hotel in Southport. Pre-lunch drinks and canapés on arrival have been sponsored by our corporate member Kieser Bundall (Kane Chisholm) - thank you!
Bookings are now open - you MUST book - no walk-ins please. Bookings are open now. Click on this link https://www.trybooking.com/DMHNQ.
(I'm publishing this again, as last week's post had some bad inaccuracies and omissions in it - entirely my error. Mea culpa! Ed.)
Looking at his surname, you might expect that Paul has a European background, and you’d be right: he’s Flemish. For those unfamiliar with the Geography: Flanders is a part of Belgium where 60% are Flemish speaking Dutch and 40% Walloon speaking French. So, what happened? Long story (very long story), but in a nutshell: of all places, he met his (Australian) wife over 40 years ago, in Kathmandu, Nepal. After decades in Europe, two years ago they returnedbl to Australia.
They have two daughters, one living in Melbourne, the other in Antwerp.
In his spare time, he enjoys bushwalking, sailing his 40-foot boat, cooking, and... reading Science Books. Stuff like The Interaction of Light and Matter, especially the science and its evolution of Electromagnetism. Or watching foreign language movies, such as ‘Vie Privee’ (Private Life, with Jodie Foster). Why? “They have subtitles,” he explained...
Among the wheelchair shed volunteers, he sometimes is designated as ‘P4’ – yes, we have multiple Pauls in our team). Good to have you on our Wheelchairs team, Paul!
(Picture: Just so you don’t get anxious about WH&S: I asked Paul to remove his safety goggles for the photo! We don’t operate grinders without them!)
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
I hate spelling errors. You mix up two letters, and your whole sentence is urined
The dissenter soon learns that objection carries a cost the conformist never pays; that silence is the safer choice, and that since everyone already has made the same conclusion, speaking out is not only dangerous but futile.Henry Ergas, Economist and Australian commentator.
They say with age comes wisdom. Therefore, I don’t have wrinkles, I have wisecracks.
Last Saturday's Big Bike Sale at the Wheelchair Shed produced some excellent results. Total proceeds over $1,600, of which almost half came from two very special bikes! ☺ A big thank you to all the helpers, and of course, the customers!
