Well this week see a new era in the life of Surfers Sunrise and I trust we will all make the most of the new venue and encourage possible new members and activities.
This last week-end saw our “ Night with the Dolphins: I would like to sincerely thank Chris for his efforts together with Tania, Jo and Martina on raffles for very successful evening and I am sure Chris and Mitch will elaborate further.
It was good to see the wheelchair factory getting the accolades they deserve. As always Daryl, Des & Bob can always use your assistance, please do not hesitate to contact them.
Again a reminder for all trophies to be returned by last year`s winners as well as reports for the annual report by Directors by the end of this week to Franz.
Well, not exactly in the case of Jenny: she didn't leave a mansion on the hill, she had returned from a stint in London, dressed in the latest European fashion (mini skirt etc). Not only was she a qualified Nurse, but her upbringing made her very well versed in the art of farming, a horse woman of outstanding skill. But what can come between two young lovers, who both have obvious capacity for such an enterprise as starting a farm literally in the middle of nowhere in the deep north of Queensland?
Last Wednesday, Jenny and Rick Old outlined their early years on McAllister, as their farm was named. "It was a completely blank canvas - no homestead..." Rick started off building a shed. The "kitchen" consisted of a 44 gallon drum... Fencing, yard building took up all their time. After six weeks, Rick presented Jenny with an engagement ring: "Will you marry me?" OK, the ring was not exactly of Fifth Avenue standard. It was made out of fencing wire (see picture on left). But, as a symbol of enduring love, it would be dearer than a 5 carat diamond. They had a formal wedding, under the theme of "Old Bull" (Jenny's maiden name was Bull). Then came Bessy. No, not their first child. That is what they named their first car they bought when on their honeymoon in the city: an old Holden FJ, worth $80.00. On the way back to McAllister, the Windscreen busted, so Jenny traveled with a pillow in front of her face to ward off the dust and the insects. Then they had to take the bonnet off, because it kept boiling over...
Look, dear readers, I could write half a book just from the 20 minutes presentation Jenny and Rick gave us last Wednesday. To get the full story, you'll just have to buy the book. Just go to their website: www.jennyold.com where you find not only a link to buy the book, but also a stack of photos. Truly inspiring! I started off with a poem, so perhaps it is fitting to finish off with a stanza of one of my favorites. From Banjo Paterson's "Black Swans":
Oh! ye strange wild birds, will ye bear a greeting
To the folk that live in that western land?
Then for every sweep of your pinions beating,
Ye shall bear a wish to the sunburnt band,
To the stalwart men who are stoutly fighting
With the heat and drought and the dust-storm smiting,
Yet whose life somehow has a strange inviting,
When once to the work they have put their hand.
A special welcome to the parents of a very special person: Our Youth Exchange Student from Italy, Martina Missarelli, welcomed her parents Gabriele and Rosanna to our shores. A hearty welcome to you! We put out the best weather possible - enjoy!
Do Dolphins sleep at night? Obviously not! And I'd challenge anyone to tell me that they don't enjoy every minute of their performance!
Last Saturday, with Chris Thurtell's organization (ok, as a 'Big Wig' in Village Roadshow, he would have a couple of strings to pull which mere mortals don't even know are there!) we enjoyed a wonderful evening, enjoying the Dolphin show whilst being served unlimited food and drinks... How good is that! It was also the "official" birthday party for Mario and Rae Fairlie, even though Mario had his birthday a couple of weeks ago and Rae will only have had it about now (some 40 tickets were paid for by him for the purpose). So, a belated "Happy Biiiiirthdayyy tooooo yoooooou!"
The proceeds of the evening are going towards our Wheelchairs Project. Some 20 years after we started this, Daryl, Des and Bob, together with their helpers still can produce a wheelchair for less than $100.00. Over 7,100 have been sent to underprivileged children on every continent of the world. Howzat!
Darrell Brown and Doug Lipp were at the door (for , Darrell Brown was chairman and Andy Bell was Sergeant.
We had apologies from Graeme Isaacson, Tony Bird, Neil Thurlow and Al Sirovs.
President Paul Seymour welcomed Martina and her parents Gabriele and Rosanna Missarelli, who had come over from Italy to see what their daughter was raving about, and our former member Rick Old and his charming wife Jenny, our guest speakers. And it was great to again see Richard Smith (RC of Toowoomba Garden City)! Paul advised that the club had received a grant of $2,800 from the Gold Coast Community Grants program. Thank you, and well done to our Fundraising and Grants Committee!
Paul reiterated that this was going to be our last meeting at the Yacht Club. From 1st June 2016 (e.g. THIS COMING WEDNESDAY) Surfers Sunrise will move its meetings to the Surfers Paradise RSL Club (see last week's bulletin for more details).
Youth Services Director Chris Thurtell, organizer of the 'Cocktail with the Dolphins' event which was held last Saturday at Seaworld, indicated that we had almost reached the target of 125 bookings, not least thanks to the generosity of Mario and Rae Fairlie, who are treating this as their combined birth day party! (See separate article further on).
Wheelchair Trust Chairman Daryl Sanderson presented a good example of persistent collecting: one of the Friends of the Wheelchairs project dropped in a bag of Aluminium Can Ring Tops. You can use it in a guessing competition: it contains 411,000 of them. Then he presented a much larger bag, which contains 3,290,000 of them... They will be sold for scrap metal, which will, among other items, finance the coffee and tea for the boys at the shed.
Des La Rance added that, at the recent District Conference in Murwillumbah where he manned a Display Stand, he received a donation of $500 from Alan and Barbara Midwood (members of RC of Surfers Paradise). Thank you!
Treasurer Mitch Brown again reminded members to look for the Invoice for membership dues in their Inbox. The discount will only apply if the money is in the Rotary bank account no later than 17th June 2016. Contact Mitch if you have not received your email.
Franz Huber advised that, for the first time in a year or so, the bulletin had again been sent out via the membership register in Club Runner. It would appear that most had received it, so it would appear that it now works.
Geoff Croad was looking for helpers at the upcoming RYDA (Rotary Youth Driver Awareness) event on 15th June - Larry Murray and Adrian Crowe volunteered.
Download Simon's write up on his recollections of the recent Group Study Exchange (GSE) team visit from Pennsylvania. It's in the Download section on the right.
Paul Seymour was the first "victim" to attract the Sergeant's ire: something to do with South African sporting prowess (or the lack of it)... But Paul topped the standard $2 fine with the traditional $100 in celebration of the birth of a grandchild to his son and daughter-in-law. Congratulations! Mark Twyford and Jo Gorman: welcome back! Mario Fairly is grumpy again because he ate something which caused his tummy to become upset... Simon Brook: now there is the ultimate masochist: running the Great Wall of China and all its several thousand steps! Our Italian guests (Martina's parents) were introduced to "our" Pope: Des La Rance... who doesn't have any money on him! Perhaps, he could pay using Daryl Sanderson's Ring Tops? Darrell Brown remarked to the Sergeant that anyone who would only wear a shirt and no jumper or jacket would have to have a lot of insulating fat... then Jo Gorman arrived...! And the Top Table has been upstaged. And just to prove his point: anyone who does think it is cold and thus is wearing a jumper or a jacket: pay up!
LAST WEEK I TOLD YOU WHAT SHARE WAS; NOW I’LL TELL YOU WHY IT IS CALLED SHARE.
The Rotary Foundation’s funding system is called SHARE because the name defines what the system does:
(1) Rotarians SHARE their resources with their fellow Rotarians around the world;
(2) The Rotary Foundation Trustees SHARE some of their decision-making responsibilities with the 540 Rotary Districts; and
(3) Rotarians SHARE Rotary with the world through their Rotary Foundation. READY TO BECOME INVOLVED? ASK ME, AND I’LL LET YOU KNOW HOW!
After my recent Prostate Exam, which by the way was one of the most thorough examinations I've ever had, the Doctor left the room and the nurse came in.
After she shut the door, she asked me a question I didn't want to hear...
She said...."Who was that guy?"
(contributed by Gerald East)
Pragmatism always beats principles. Principles are the stuff of comedy. Comedy is what you get when principles bump into reality.
Do Dolphins sleep at night? Obviously not! And I'd challenge anyone to tell me that they don't enjoy every minute of their performance!.JPG)
Paul Seymour was the first "victim" to attract the Sergeant's ire: something to do with South African sporting prowess (or the lack of it)... But Paul topped the standard $2 fine with the traditional $100 in celebration of the birth of a grandchild to his son and daughter-in-law. Congratulations! Mark Twyford and Jo Gorman: welcome back! Mario Fairly is grumpy again because he ate something which caused his tummy to become upset... Simon Brook: now there is the ultimate masochist: running the Great Wall of China and all its several thousand steps! Our Italian guests (Martina's parents) were introduced to "our" Pope: Des La Rance... who doesn't have any money on him! Perhaps, he could pay using Daryl Sanderson's Ring Tops? Darrell Brown remarked to the Sergeant that anyone who would only wear a shirt and no jumper or jacket would have to have a lot of insulating fat... then Jo Gorman arrived...! And the Top Table has been upstaged. And just to prove his point: anyone who does think it is cold and thus is wearing a jumper or a jacket: pay up!
