The great news from last week’s Board Meeting is that Surfers Sunrise is in good financial health, resulting from our multi-pronged fundraising efforts this year – the Golf Day, Italian Long Lunch, Bunnings Sausage Sizzles, Bike Sales, Small Business Expo, Scrap Metal sales and Containers for Change have all contributed. These funds have helped Surfers Sunrise support the Wheelchair Project, The Lutzy Award, Rotary Youth Programs, Excellence in Workmanship Awards as well as a number of donations already this year. Well done to everyone involved!
This Wednesday morning we have a formal meeting at the Surf Club. It’s a big meeting – Trent Belling will be inducted into Rotary, Jeremy Bishop from SEQ Water will be presenting and Dr Graham Sivyer, PP Mario Fairlie and Ben Loots will be giving us an update on the Vanuatu Health Project. Peter Morgan is Chairman and Ramez Salib is on the Door.
I’ve picked up the first lot of ‘Rotary Says No to Domestic Violence’ T-Shirts and I’ll bring them to Wednesday’s meeting. It would be great if as many members as possible were wearing these shirts when we participate in the Rotary Baton Relay on Friday 16th April between 9.30-11.30am at Broadwater Parklands. The shirts are $20 each and I will bring the order form (and the Square Terminal) to the next few meetings.
We have a Bunnings Sausage Sizzle this Sunday 21st March at Bunning’s Southport. Let Geoff Croad know asap if you can help out on Sunday – the more the merrier.
Jeremy Bishop is an Engagement Advisor for Seqwater. His presentation will cover various aspects of one of our most important resources:
Current dam levels and how Seqwater responds to drought
Future challenges to our long-term water security
Climate-resilient water source options, like desalination and purified recycled water
Following Jeremy, Ben Loots, Mario Fairlie and Dr Graham Sivyer (RC Broadbeach) will give us a brief update on the status of our X-Ray Unit for Vanuatu project. Oh, plus our newest member Trent Belling will be inducted into the club!
Big morning coming up! Members & Associates: Please wear your Club T-Shirt. (KJ wants to take a photo of us for the new Wheelchair Trust website.)
“When I watch sports, I always go with the underdog” Brian admitted when I asked him about his sports preferences. “Except when Dundee United is playing, of course…” OK, so true Scotsmen don’t easily show their emotions. But I could imagine that Brian’s eyes would light up when he hears his team’s song ‘It’s United’… Yes, Dundee is where he was born, educated and where he qualified as a Compositor (yes, together with Bryan Tuesley, they could open a printing business!). But the big wide world beckoned…
In 1969, at age 21, he married a professional singer, and together they emigrated to Auckland, New Zealand. Some 13 years later, Brian’s wife got a job offer from Twin Towns Services Club. They moved with their two boys to the Gold Coast
where Brian joined the Gold Coast Bulletin, working in his profession as a Compositor. Regrettably though, the marriage faltered, and the boys went back to Auckland to live with their grand parents (but they are both living in Australia now). Brian met his current wife Linda in 1989 and they married in 2001 (!!). They travelled frequently to the UK, Greece and Thailand. But then, a Triple By-Pass slowed him down a bit…
In retirement, his regular work at our Project Shed is balanced by going for walks on the Esplanade in Runaway Bay, reading in the genre of Lee Child (as in the Jack Reacher series), David Baldacci, Peter James. He enjoys popular music (Rod Stewart, Phil Collins, Glen Campbell to name a few) or… watching British crime shows and TV dramas, or… Soccer! Preferably when Dundee United are playing…
Neil Thurlow rode the 100kms Ipswich charity cycle event yesterday, organised by the Ipswich Lions club. He rode in his Rotary outfit to promote the Rotary brand!
Our former member Rosie Rocco and her team (which includes her daughter Trinity) won the 2 hour race in 2019, and almost made it again last year. She and her team will run again in ten days' time, with the aim or regaining her crown! Click here to support her, all going to a good cause in support of RizeUp, an organisation supporting victims of domestic violence.
Our club has been involved with the Gold Coast Ramble since its inception, regularly fielding teams. Are you up to it this year? David Baguley (RC of Gold Coast in orange T-Shirt)is again in charge of this event, to be staged on 21st March 2021, starting on Chevron Island (see article below). With a much more modern App, this year’s event only requires four check points to be manned. We need prizes! Can you assist?
In short: we'll have a dedicated website for the Wheelchair Trust, the Project Shed, the volunteers and all the stuff we do. You'll hear more about it at next week's meeting, when Mario Fairlie, KJ, Dr Graham Sivyer et al will give us an update.
We are looking for photos relating to our Wheelchairs, various buildings we put up over the years etc etc. If you have any, please upload them directly to a shared Google Drive KJ has set up for this: Click here - it's dead easy - simply drag the photos from your folder into the 'Drop files here' field.
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
Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does. Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad
Gerald's post of the week:
My mind is like my Internet Browser: 19 tabs are open, 3 of them are frozen, and I have no idea where the music is coming from...
Sometimes, I drink a glass of water just to surprise my liver.
Jeremy Bishop is an Engagement Advisor for Seqwater. His presentation will cover various aspects of one of our most important resources:
Following Jeremy, Ben Loots, Mario Fairlie and Dr Graham Sivyer (RC Broadbeach) will give us a brief update on the status of our X-Ray Unit for Vanuatu project. Oh, plus our newest member Trent Belling will be inducted into the club!
“When I watch sports, I always go with the underdog” Brian admitted when I asked him about his sports preferences. “Except when 
Neil Thurlow rode the 100kms Ipswich charity cycle event yesterday, organised by the Ipswich Lions club. He rode in his Rotary outfit to promote the Rotary brand! 
Our former member Rosie Rocco and her team (which includes her daughter Trinity) won the 2 hour race in 2019, and almost made it again last year. She and her team will run again in ten days' time, with the aim or regaining her crown! 
