As you all aware the Shed has been a hive of activity. The re-organisation is well on the way. Thanks to all those that turned up last week. [See separate article below, and Photo Album on the right. Ed.] Isn’t it amazing when you do something like this how gratifying it is.
We may have found a home for our POD’s. Again, thanks to retired Councillor Dawn Crichlow for her introduction to Warren Smith, Senior Minister at Encounter Church. Warren is most interested in taking 10 or more POD’s. He took the first on Saturday and subject to testing and feedback we will proceed to manufacture the additional PODs.
In December, I reported that we had received a Federal Grant for $10,000.00 to be used to manufacture the PODs. The club was to match the Grant through fund raising and from other donating clubs. With COVID-19, most things have been put on hold. We are hoping that the Encounter Church can find a suitable home for them and we may be able to raise the funds in the coming year to satisfy the grant conditions, although these may be relaxed due to COVID-19.
The Vanuatu Building has been delayed for a few weeks due to the reorganization of the Shed. Geoff Croad organised for the trusses to be delivered from Premier Timber & Trusses and placed into a container last week. [See separate article below. Ed.]
Next we be the painting of the trusses and that can start at any time. We will also be asking for the other clubs involved in the project for their members to help with the painting.
So, this has been an extremely busy week. I'll report on the board meeting we had on Monday night at Wednesday's meeting - regular ZOOM Meeting will open at 07:15 am for start at 7:30am. Look forward to seeing you all.
Last week, we had working bees on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at the Project Shed. The main purpose is to re-organise the shed to have more working space. This will be achieved by moving the shelving to the outer walls and relocate the finished wheelchairs into the 40' container which was recently delivered. Thank you to all members and volunteers who participated: Larry Murray, Angus Miller, Franz Huber, John Hall, Geoff Croad, Al Sirovs, Des La Rance, Bryan Tuesley, John Chirio, Darrell Brown, Laurie Roberts, Andy Bell, Paul Seymour and Charter President Bill Moir. Good to see you still active in Surfers Sunrise, Bill! More photos in the Photo Album on the right.
(Photo by Al Sirovs - maintaining Social Distance: everyone would if the other guy wields an angle grinder...! ☺)
Last week, Paul from Premier Timber & Trusses rolled up at the Project Shed with a load of trusses, destined for the X-Ray Unit at Pentecost Island, Vanuatu. Important to mention: the company not only donated the timber but also delivered it free of charge. Thank you!
Photo (by Geoff Croad) shows how things are done in modern times, with their lifting crane built onto the truck. How good is modern technology!
In view of the Wheelchair Trust Deed's fairly strict limitations (money donated can only be spent on materials for wheelchairs and nothing else, not even for the shipment to their destination), we have registered an alternative account for Containers for Change. If you deposit your empties directly, and wish to donate the proceeds to the Surfers Sunrise Rotary Club - General Account, please use this account code:
C10262571
(The account for the Wheelchair Trust is also still active: use C10199443 instead).
So, keep your soft drink bottles, stubby bottles, aluminium cans, milk cartons etc. As a general rule, most drink containers between 150ml and 3L can be returned for a refund under Queensland's container deposit scheme. Containers should be empty, unbroken, lid-free and display a 10-cent refund marking on the label. Something like the image (right), but many others are simply marked as suitable for recycling. Note: they must NOT be crushed. See image above what is and what is not accepted. For details of what can / cannot be returned for cash, and where the locations are, click on this link.
President Mario Fairlie welcomed all members, our guest Charmaine Wheatley (Rotary e-Club of South Africa), our Charter President Bill Moir joined us as well for a while, as well as our Youth Exchange Student Ayana Sadaka, who joined us on the bus and train to school. (Regrettably, being in the bus, the sound was frequently a bit garbled, interspersed with “doors closing…”). Ayana declares that she is happy and well. She recently talked with her brother in Japan. Similarly to most other countries, Japan is in lockdown, schools are closed. As to her returning? Well, she had the flight booked, but it was cancelled…
Charmaine Wheatley (her club received and distributed a container load of wheelchairs about 2 years ago - see Photo Album here) elaborated on her club’s program of feeding the homeless: 50 tons of Maize, 20 tons of Milk Powder from which they make a kind of porridge. You can find all the details on their Facebook page: click here. Her club also has arranged for some 25 ‘Hippo Rollers’ to be donated and distributed in the Maluti Mountains of Lesotho – click here to view a video. Charmaine confirmed that, should we be able to raise the finance to transport a container, her club would be happy to receive and distribute it.
Treasurer Doug Lipp advised that, from the District’s point of view, no International Youth Exchange Programs will happen in the 2020/21 year. Larry Murray elaborated on the upcoming Working Bee at the Project Shed: long and extended, to reorganise the shed to create more working space. Hand Sanitizer will be ready and maintain Social Distancing… (see Photo Album on the right). Mark Twyford confirmed that indeed, as a Volunteer Organisation, we are permitted to work – refer Volunteering Australia guidelines.
Discussions were held on Fundraising ideas and how to make them happen.
Secretary Mitch Brown and District Treasurer Mark Twyford referred to the revised District Budget (taking into consideration the restrictions of COVID-19). The details were emailed to all members. A vote declared all members to be in favour of acceptance.
President Mario Fairlie advised that he’ll take a gentleman he was referred to by former Councillor Dawn Critchlow who might be able to assist us with getting the ‘Sleeping Sanctuary’ off the ground. Expect more next week.
In closing, Charmaine invited us all to share with them in her club’s ‘Happy Hour’. The only hitch: it’s happening at Midnight Australian Eastern Standard Time… Click here to join!
I do not know where family doctors acquired illegibly perplexing handwriting; nevertheless, extraordinary pharmaceutical intellectuality, counterbalancing indecipherability, transcendentializes intercommunication's incomprehensibleness. (So what? I hear you ask. Well, you try to top it: this is a sentence where the first word is one letter long and every consequent word has one letter more, until you reach the twentieth which - as you would have guessed - has 20 letters. Do I hear anyone who has an improvement?
Gerald's post of the week is for the ladies. WARNING! Do not open link unless you are liberally minded - contains "graphics"... Click here.
Neil's post of the week:
Teacher: Give me a sentence which contains the words defense, defeat and detail.
Student: When a horse jumps over defense, defeat goes before detail. [Groan...]
Andy's post of the week:
Well, Andy suggests that COVID-19 was created by women... Think about it, lads:
1. No sports
2. All pubs shut.
3. 14 days quarantine - so you have no excuse to get those odd jobs done.
4. Symptoms of Corona are flu like - they know that's our Kryptonite!
5. They even had the audacity to name it after a beer!
There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil, to one who is striking at the root. Henry David Thoreau.
Last week, we had working bees on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at the Project Shed. The main purpose is to re-organise the shed to have more working space. This will be achieved by moving the shelving to the outer walls and relocate the finished wheelchairs into the 40' container which was recently delivered. Thank you to all members and volunteers who participated: Larry Murray, Angus Miller, Franz Huber, John Hall, Geoff Croad, Al Sirovs, Des La Rance, Bryan Tuesley, John Chirio, Darrell Brown, Laurie Roberts, Andy Bell, Paul Seymour and Charter President Bill Moir. Good to see you still active in Surfers Sunrise, Bill! More photos in the Photo Album on the right.
Last week, Paul from 
So, keep your soft drink bottles, stubby bottles, aluminium cans, milk cartons etc. As a general rule, most drink containers between 150ml and 3L can be returned for a refund under Queensland's container deposit scheme. Containers should be empty, unbroken, lid-free and display a 10-cent refund marking on the label. Something like the image (right), but many others are simply marked as suitable for recycling. Note: they must NOT be crushed. See image above what is and what is not accepted. For details of what can / cannot be returned for cash, and where the locations are, 
President Mario Fairlie welcomed all members, our guest Charmaine Wheatley (Rotary e-Club of South Africa), our Charter President Bill Moir joined us as well for a while, as well as our Youth Exchange Student Ayana Sadaka, who joined us on the bus and train to school. (Regrettably, being in the bus, the sound was frequently a bit garbled, interspersed with “doors closing…”). Ayana declares that she is happy and well. She recently talked with her brother in Japan. Similarly to most other countries, Japan is in lockdown, schools are closed. As to her returning? Well, she had the flight booked, but it was cancelled…
I do not know where family doctors acquired illegibly perplexing handwriting; nevertheless, extraordinary pharmaceutical intellectuality, counterbalancing indecipherability, transcendentializes intercommunication's incomprehensibleness.
