Just back from Vanuatu. In summary, the visit was a success and confirmed that this project is very much needed and will be of immeasurable assistance to the community and the 18,000 population of Pentecost Island. We travelled with Dr Denis O'Brien, Dr Shweta Jacob, Dr Graham Sivyer and Dr Richard Leona who hosted us. Dr Richard Leona is a surgeon who comes from Pentecost Island and who has been instrumental in helping his community achieve better medical facilities on the Island. He has worked as a surgeon in Australia and is highly recognised.
During the visit we met with the Australian High Commission in Port Villa. It was a very fruitful meeting and I believe they will provide assistance should we need help. Next, we met with the President of the Rotary Club of Port Villa and they too will able to give us some advice.
Wednesday we traveled by air to Pentecost Island, where we were picked-up by a four-wheel drive vehicle to travel south to a Medical Centre, which has a Midwife only, and extremely poor medical facilities. Despite the conditions, she had delivered 93 babies so far this year. One young child (about 10 years) had broken his leg and needed X-Ray and the leg re-set. He had been waiting 10days to be flown back to Port Villa for so called 'urgent' medical treatment.
After a meeting with the chiefs and the community we travelled north to Mauna Hospital… 7 hour on the worst road I have ever experienced! We also visited 4 other Medical Centres on the way, meeting the locals and visiting their facilities. It was basically had the same story: extremely poor facilities, totally understaffed and in need of additional medical professionals.
On Thursday, at Mauna Hospital we were given a tour of the facilities. Dr Richard Leona had recently raised funds from the local community to build a fully operational Operating Theatre. The problem is electrical power; it runs only from a generator.
Next, we reviewed the proposed building and sited the building. Some changes are required, which I am sure that Des can include in the final building. However, they need an X-Ray machine, simple pathology facility to be included within the building, solar power for electricity with battery storage for both the building and the Operating Theatre. These will require funding via a Rotary International Global Grant.
Friday, we met with the community of about 120 - 150 people, which included some 90 Chiefs and the Paramount Chief. All had traveled from all over the island to meet with us and confirm their solidarity and approval for the project.
More detail will follow, but there is no doubt that this project is very very much needed.
On a separate note: thanks for Geoff & Gerald for organising the Polio Plus collection at Runaway Bay Shopping Centre.
It's only 2 1/2 weeks away - so make sure you will have Friday 1st November free: The incoming Rotary Friendship Exchangeteam from Seattle & British Columbia will arrive, and we'll give them a hearty Queensland welcome! So you already guessed how? With a good ol' barbie, of course! Geoff Croad has reserved the BBQ area in the gardens of his resort. The incoming group of 12 includes such personalities as Steve, who was closely involved as a consultant in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center, David, a (now retired) Navy Captain and Linda, a Fashion Designer who also is involved in a women's shelter and the other 9 are equally highly interesting people to meet. Our club is hosting them from Friday till Monday morning, when they'll transfer to Warwick. The hosts are all organized, but we might need some drivers and other helpers on the weekend.
Over the weekend, an invitation was sent to all our club's members and honorary members, with a detailed timetable of what will happen when. The program is uploaded into theDownloads Section on the right. We also have a super deal with the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on Sunday 3rd November ($29.00 instead of $49.95!), so please book early. Of course, any Rotarian is most welcome to join us! Contact your editor and I'll send you out details.
In order to comply with Workplace Health & Safety regulations, our power tools and electrical equipment have to be regularly tested by a qualified and licensed Electrician. Last Saturday, Adam Kirkwood, of APK Electrical, came up all the way from Tugun to the Project Shed to do the testing, all pro bono! Thank you Adam, we much appreciate your generous donation of your time!
No harm to give Adam a bit of a plug: APK Electrical specializes in Commercial installations - click here to go to his website. (Photo by Larry Murray)
The funds raised seem to diminish year on year... I suspect the fact that a) younger people no longer carry cash, and b) have never come anywhere near a Polio affected human being and thus it wouldn't even register on their radar. But still, it was a very happy experience to see a little toddler grabbing the gold coin from his mum to put it into the bucket with a shy smile...
But it isn't just the funds raised, the public awareness factor is just as important. Even people who certainly have seen Polio in the past seem to be astonished that it still exists. We heard a very elegant elderly lady exclaim "... but I thought Polio had been finished ages ago!" She proudly announced that she was immunized in the late 50's, whilst being stationed with her Navy husband on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.
We manned the station for three days from Wednesday to Friday last week. A big thank you to the volunteers: Organizer Gerald East (6 sessions), Geoff Croad (5), John Chirio (3), Franz Huber (3), Larry Murray, Andy Bell, Karen Holland, Darrell Brown, Paul Seymour (1 session each).
I also believe, there were less people through the doors of the centre, "Real" shopping has a lot of opposition these days. The older generation still shop and use cash, and some are most generous. This had a bearing on us doing Wednesday instead of Saturday. Takings this year were Wednesday $195-70, Thursday $257.50, Friday $265.80 making a total of $719.00 or $15.00 per man hour spent. However, there is a very bright side to this. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation match this $2 for $1 making our total in real terms $2157.00 or $45.00 per hour
Photo: Geoff Croad (left) and John Chirio (right) with one of the many generous elderly ladies who donated not just once on Wednesday, but came again on Thursday!
"I'm back!!" announced Ben, who returned to our club after a few years' absence, "and I'm looking forward to the next big project!". In the early years of this decade, Ben was highly instrumental in the construction phase of our school for Samoa at Matafa'a Village and also organized Water Tanks to go with the buildings. "One of my most favorite mementos is a photo of me holding up a baby, who would ultimately benefit from the pre-school we built".
But then disaster struck - Ben describes it as a 'Melt Down' - serious health issues (2 strokes), consequent loss of his business and even his marriage. His doctor commanded him to simply take a year off... Well, a lot of dedicated rebuilding of his health and his life resulted in, what Ben describes, as a properly balanced life. He re-married, which added an additional three kids to his family - his own plus the step children now amount to six! The fact that, so he said, his wife is "a health nut" undoubtedly contributed to his recovery. Still engaged in the building trade, Ben is with Stokes Wheeler, a major building contractor specializing in commercial constructions.
There's a new file in the Downloads Section on the right - 'The Story of the Surfers Sunrise Wheelchairs Trust', without doubt our club's signature project. It's not the 500 page tome it should be... Yes, we've been going for just about a quarter of a century, with the Trust itself established shortly after the TV broadcast on A Current Affair made it go through the roof), it's just 5 pages with lots of photos. I welcome suggestions, additions, amendments. Let's hear it, but also let's spread it!
One of our new members, Karen Holland, has set up a GoFundMe page. This link, which is also included within the PDF, is actually live, so anyone can make a donation. Karen's husband Peter has made a 'Test' donation of $50.00 - Thank you, Peter! Perhaps if we simply ask a lot of other people to "test" the system..?
Our "Joint Chiefs of Social Events" Ray and Graeme, have organized for our members to experience that ultimate horse race that 'stops the nation', the Melbourne Cup. We'll be at the Sensa Nome Restaurant in Main Beach. No outrageous prices, just order off the menu, and it's bring your own wine too (they are also fully licensed if you prefer). But bookings need to be firm, so a "booking fee" of $5.00 per person applies for your seats (yes, regrettably in the past it happened that some people booked but didn't turn up - somewhat embarrassing for the organizers! The booking fee will be pooled to pay for the nibbles on arrival. There is a limit of 20 people, so first come first served. Ray Higgs and Graeme Isaacson will take your booking (and your booking fee). Even if you're not a race follower, the atmosphere and conviviality enjoyed at our social functions will enlighten and brighten your day, not to mention the sights and scenes happening around Main Beach.
After Catherine and I participated in the recent Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) team to Seattle and British Columbia (BTW, we are hosting their reciprocal team in three weeks' time!), I can wholeheartedly recommend the concept!
District Chair for RFE, Wendy Scarlett has been approached by two districts in the USA and is looking for expressions of interest in exchanges with Pennsylvania and Arizona, leaving in September and October 2020 respectively. Just one of the many places of interest: the Martin Guitar factory and museum (Johnny Cash played one of them)... Contact Wendy directly by email - click on this link.
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.
Leading into the period of school exams and students worrying and fretting: If you have studied Algebra, you should have no problems deciphering this one... ☺
And whilst we are on Algebra: Relationships are a lot like algebra. Have you ever looked at your X and wondered Y?
WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) – acronym coined by anthropologist Joe Heinrich (Chair, Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University) to alert us to the features that distinguish us from the rest of the world.
Doesn't expecting the unexpected mean that the unexpected is actually expected?
It's only 2 1/2 weeks away - so make sure you will have Friday 1st November free: The incoming Rotary Friendship Exchange team from Seattle & British Columbia will arrive, and we'll give them a hearty Queensland welcome! So you already guessed how? With a good ol' barbie, of course! Geoff Croad has reserved the BBQ area in the gardens of his resort. The incoming group of 12 includes such personalities as Steve, who was closely involved as a consultant in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center, David, a (now retired) Navy Captain and Linda, a Fashion Designer who also is involved in a women's shelter and the other 9 are equally highly interesting people to meet. Our club is hosting them from Friday till Monday morning, when they'll transfer to Warwick. The hosts are all organized, but we might need some drivers and other helpers on the weekend. 
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In order to comply with Workplace Health & Safety regulations, our power tools and electrical equipment have to be regularly tested by a qualified and licensed Electrician. Last Saturday, Adam Kirkwood, of 
The funds raised seem to diminish year on year... I suspect the fact that a) younger people no longer carry cash, and b) have never come anywhere near a Polio affected human being and thus it wouldn't even register on their radar. But still, it was a very happy experience to see a little toddler grabbing the gold coin from his mum to put it into the bucket with a shy smile... 
"I'm back!!" announced Ben, who returned to our club after a few years' absence, "and I'm looking forward to the next big project!". In the early years of this decade, Ben was highly instrumental in the construction phase of our school for Samoa at Matafa'a Village and also organized Water Tanks to go with the buildings. "One of my most favorite mementos is a photo of me holding up a baby, who would ultimately benefit from the pre-school we built"..png)
Our "Joint Chiefs of Social Events" Ray and Graeme, have organized for our members to experience that ultimate horse race that 'stops the nation', the Melbourne Cup. We'll be at the Sensa Nome Restaurant in Main Beach. No outrageous prices, just order off the menu, and it's bring your own wine too (they are also fully licensed if you prefer). But bookings need to be firm, so a "booking fee" of $5.00 per person applies for your seats (yes, regrettably in the past it happened that some people booked but didn't turn up - somewhat embarrassing for the organizers! The booking fee will be pooled to pay for the nibbles on arrival. There is a limit of 20 people, so first come first served. Ray Higgs and Graeme Isaacson will take your booking (and your booking fee). Even if you're not a race follower, the atmosphere and conviviality enjoyed at our social functions will enlighten and brighten your day, not to mention the sights and scenes happening around Main Beach. 
After Catherine and I participated in the recent Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) team to Seattle and British Columbia (BTW, we are hosting their reciprocal team in three weeks' time!), I can wholeheartedly recommend the concept! 
