An optimist is someone who figures that taking a step backwards after taking a step forwards is not a big problem or a disaster, rather it’s more like a Cha-Cha!!!… or should I say ‘Haka’? Due to unforeseen circumstances abroad, our incoming president will be handing the reigns over for 2017-18 to our very own Sergeant, Andy Bell… or should I now say ‘President Elect-A-Bell’… congratulations Andy!
With this in mind and the several following presidency positions committed to, it is great to see the future of Surfers Sunrise is looking bright… after all, great leadership is the catalyst for great things!
Speaking of great things, don’t forget Wednesday’s a vocational lunch at Substation 33 (details below). We also got the working bee at the shed, the Samoan School Project, organising the Muster for Mental Health bbq… and that’s all within the next 6 weeks before our very own DG Brown takes the reigns in 2017-18…
…time to put on your busy face, see ya’ll Wednesday!
Lina Chang has been the president of a non-government organisation in Samoa for over 10 years and is one of the founders of this organisation. The organisation is SVSG, Samoa Victim Support Group, who provides support for victims of crime in Samoa. The group has expanded with sub-groups based in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, and the United States. Her hands on approach with the children who find themselves referred to this group for support or assistance has earned the admiration of so many leading to this expansion of the group. The group now includes shelters of which this Rotary Club had assisted in its first shelter, but the expansion of the shelters now include a campus of hope. She has been named a woman of courage by the acknowledgement programme of the Secretary of the United States of America, has recently received the Girls on Girls award in London, and named a number of times as person of the year in Samoa.
"We live in hospitality mode as much as we live in racing mode", Steve Lines (picture on left, with our President Simon Brook), the Chief Executive Officer of the Gold Coast Turf Club declared. The horse racing game is certainly not anymore what it used to be in the "good ol' days": 9 months after accepting the position, Steve has plans which go way beyond of what horse racing on the Gold Coast ever was. Not that they are not busy over there: they race and/or train some 400 horses every day of the week, with a total of 58 race meetings held every year. On the current calendar to January 2018, only 3 meetings remain for which a name sponsor has not yet been booked. "But horse racing, by itself, is not sustainable anymore. In Queensland, there are only two or three clubs that do this, and I'm not sure whether they are profitable."
For example, one of the proposals is to introduce night time racing. "They have this already in Hong Kong", Steve elaborated. "We need to attract the best Trainers, the best horses, the best Jockeys. Steve briefly outlined a new Masterplan, which includes not just the widening of the track by about 3 - 5 metres, it includes a 300 room hotel, a tunnel which connects the training area to the racing track, a new 'Big Screen', the Dome re-developed to 3 stories, the Magic Millions area re-developed to include a Retail area.
"Our biggest challenge is to be different", Steve enthused. We currently don't really cut into the tourism market. We need to attract the overseas market, in particular the Chinese", he said. Can't help the feeling that, with Steve Lines at the helm, the challenge of being different will be met!
On Sunday 26 March 2017, Gold Coast Rotary in partnership with Surfers Sunrise Rotary and Griffith University Satellite Rotary Club will stage the inaugural Gold Coast Ramble - a major community event. This goes way beyond a Fun Run. It is great fun, since you need observation skills, the ability to solve some trivia questions. And last, but not least: you will help us support various very worthwhile local charities, including PCYC, the Salvos, Beyond Blue, Gold Coast Homeless Youth, just to name one. See more details on the Facebook page.
Whilst it is the inaugural event for the Gold Coast, the concept has been well and truly proven successful by the Rotary organizers in Perth. We are licensing their IP, the application software (apps) etc, so there is absolutely no doubt that it not only will work as planned, but it will be our club's major fundraiser for the year. It is a must participate event for all members and friends of Surfers Sunrise! Registration can be for individuals or for teams between 4 and 6 people. It can and should be promoted as a major corporate team building event. Spread the word! Organize a team! Register!
Des La Rance was at the door, Tania Laird was Chairman and Andy Bell was Sergeant.
We had apologies from Rosie McIntyre, Gerald East, Larry Murray and Ray Higgs.
After putting up the question of when RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) was first launced (1959, in Australia), Chairman Tania Laird opened with a twist for something different: at every table, a member was asked to reveal something that would be unknown about them. In your Editor's humble opinion, the prize goes to Doug Lipp: he can knit, with Fred Hamblen a close second: he was raised in Japan...
President Simon Brook welcomed all members, visitors Clive Edwards (RC of Young) and our guest speaker Steve Lines (see his presentation above). A special welcome to Kassidy Pearson, our RYPEN (19 - 21 April 2017) candidate, accompanied by her grandparents Dawn and Ray Welsch (see photo on right, with her grandma). Looking forward to your report after the camp, Kassidy! Simon briefly reported on the weekend's District Assembly and President Elect Training Seminar (PETS) in Lismore. Geoff Croad, Angus Miller, Tania Laird and Chris Thurtell attended. Darrell's quilt (actually, Kerrie's quilt! See bulletin last week) raised so far $1,085.00 and it is not yet finished - tickets are still available. Does anyone have any banners that were presented by visitors? We'll have a Facebook Album to show them off, so bring them in! Further, Simon advised that a board meeting will be held on the coming Tuesday, the Gold Coast Ramble will be on in just a bit over a week, and on 19th April we'll have another 'Sunset' meeting - see Events section. On 26th April, we'll have a Joint Meeting with RC of Hope Island.
Mario Fairlie advised that the Raffle (Art Union?) for the major prize which Rosie McIntyre organized with Bartercard, for a Family Holiday to Fiji, worth $5,000 (over $Fiji 7,000). Neil Thurlow printed the tickets for sale - $25.00 each. The target is $12,000 which will all go towards our School on Samoa. Note, there will be a fundraiser for the Samoa Victims Support Group on Saturday 25th March 2017 - see flyer in the Download section. Our regular conduct with Samoa, Lina Chang will be there. Formal acceptance has been received from the Samoa Victims Group. Helensvale High School, together with 6 other schools, will also be involved. So far they have raised some $30,000. 12 students and 6 teachers will also go over to help with the construction.
Wheelchair Trust Chairman Daryl Sanderson had a visitor from England at The Shed. He also had communication from Lisa Stewart from the local Rollerblades Wheelchairs Basketball Team - they need some repairs to be effected. And Burleigh Heads Men's Shed will in future be involved in manufacturing Wheelchairs. So will, according to Ian Mayberry, be the Rotary Club of Maleney.
DGE Darrell Brown expressed his thanks to the members who participated in the District Assembly. Special thanks to Doug Lipp who organized the Crazy Whist event - the noise level was... high...
With great sadness we have to inform you that Con Nikoforides has passed away on Monday, aged 56, after a long battle with cancer. Many of our members from the earlier years of Surfers Sunrise would remember our charter member, the "Gentle Greek Giant".
His funeral will be on Thursday 23rd March 2017, 10:00am
at the
Greek Orthodox Church of St Anna
Crombie Ave
Bundall 4217
followed by cortege to Southport Cemetery.
Any of our members who wish to attend, please wear the Surfers Sunrise T-Shirt.
The inaugural Gold Coast Ramble will be on in a month's time, on Sunday 26th March.
We need your help!
We need about 120 volunteers. We have 40 checkpoints with 2 volunteers on each checkpoint so about 80 volunteers on checkpoints from 10am to 4pm. At each checkpoint, the entrants use the Gold Coast Ramble App to download a challenge about the immediate area – this could relate to the heritage, the natural environment, street art or local infrastructure.
Other volunteers are needed between 7am and 10 am for site and checkpoint set up, and between 3.30 and 5pm for site and checkpoint pack up. Three shifts are available - see registration. There is no cost involved.
Another team will manage registrations, marshalling at event start and other administration.
First off, I offer my unreserved apology for omitting to publish the Sergeant's column in last week's bulletin. Contrary to rumors, it was, as in the title of the famous Pink Floyd album, simply 'A momentary lapse of reason'... Ed.] To compensate, I'll publish two photos of him this week. Sort of "before" (left) and "after" (right).
Darrell Brown's socks are now featured on Facebook? President Simon... (yes, you know: ... and whilst around the Leagues Club's floor, the listening members moan...") ditto Mitch Brown [he paid his fine with 'Hobbit' money: NZ dollars...☺] Geoff Croad: it is understood that Ian Mayberry lent you his pen? He is still waiting for it to come back! Mario Fairlie: Health Report? [Mario has undergone an Epidural. It is not known whether it is going to be a boy or a girl though...] Your Editor Franz Huber promptly got hit for omitting the Sergeant's session in last week's bulletin... Des La Rance, on the door today, apparently doubled the money - sort along the lines of 'Loafes of bread'... Tania Laird has come off the wagon - buy Penfolds shares! Daryl Sanderson - no need to complain that Peter Morgan is wearing shorts despite the fact that it is autumn now. So is the Sergeant! Paul Seymour, just what happened? The South Effrikens have chickened out of the Commonwealth Games? Neil Thurlow, you are not supposed to take phone calls during the meeting... Jo Gorman, dressed by... whom? Richard Smith is concealing something on his ear below sticky tape. Obviously now an agent of the CIA... Clive Edwards, we missed you last week! Finally, all Australians: Do you realize that all the coffee and pie sellers along the Gold Coast tram strip are going out of business? Buy a pie and try to take it on the tram with you: prohibited!
The detailed program has now been released: click here.
Starting on Friday, but you can attend any of the sessions (except the College of Governor's Lunch, unless you have PDG, DG or DGE in front of your name...). Hey, how about Professor Lyn Griffiths, the Biomedical Director at QUT (Saturday at 09:25 am). Or famous TV journalist Kerry O'Brien (yes, of the 7:30 Report and 4 Corners) at 11:25 am. Then, in the evening we have a bush dance: It will be held at the Alstonville Community Centre, just a 20 minute drive from Ballina, or if you prefer not to drive, a bus is organized. The band is Tallowwood Bush Band (yes, "No 96 to the snack bar please"...). The line-up includes a swag of incredibly talented multi-instrumentalists who present folk music from around the world with a strong Celtic influence and an emphasis on preserving the Australian family bush dance that transports the audience through time and emotion leaving no doubt why this band has been the winner of so many music awards and been so popular at festivals and events throughout Australia. And for food? Master Chef Tony Koelner will have an open spit bar-be-que.
Conference attendance itself is free, but, fair enough, some fees apply if you want to get lunch, participate in the bush dance on Saturday night etc.
“I read the newspapers with lively interest. It is seldom that they are absolutely, point-blank wrong. That is the popular belief, but those who are in the know can usually discern an embryo of truth, a little grit of fact, like the core of a pearl, round which have been deposited the delicate layers of ornament.” Evelyn Waugh, in Scoop.
GC Turf Club CEO Steve Lane last week announced that they intend to have Night Races at the GC Turf Club. This is an allegedly true story, as it happened in 2022: A horse breeder had a filly that won every race in which she was entered, as long as it was after 8 pm. But when he raced her during the day, she would just about always come in dead last. He consulted the top veterinarians and horse psychologists but to no avail. He finally had to give up because it had become ... a real night mare.
"We live in hospitality mode as much as we live in racing mode", Steve Lines (picture on left, with our President Simon Brook), the Chief Executive Officer of the .png){kind=logo}
With great sadness we have to inform you that Con Nikoforides has passed away on Monday, aged 56, after a long battle with cancer. Many of our members from the earlier years of Surfers Sunrise would remember our charter member, the "Gentle Greek Giant". .png){kind=logo}
The inaugural .jpg)
First off, I offer my unreserved apology for omitting to publish the Sergeant's column in last week's bulletin. Contrary to rumors, it was, as in the title of the famous Pink Floyd album, simply '.JPG)
