I have commented on this before, but I am constantly impressed by the dedication and works carried out by my fellow Rotarians. People like David Baguley, District Secretary Sue Randel, our own Mark Twyford and many more. As they say in the vernacular, I tips me lid to you all.
I am not really a follower of Tennis. I prefer to watch ‘team sports’, but how good is Roger Federer! He has just won the Australian Open for the 6th time and if you heard his speech, you would be forgiven for thinking it was a first time win. Brilliant.
At the risk of appearing to make political comment, it is a shame that the ‘constantly aggrieved’ within our society don't take a leaf out of the book of the young people involved in Rotary. I haven't met one young person who has entered or been accepted into one of the youth programs we sponsor, that I didn’t think was a credit to themselves and their family. They give me hope that the future is in good hands.
Can you believe the first month of 2018 has gone. Only 11 months to go before we are celebrating New Year for 2019. Never mind Global Warming/Climate change etc, we need a Government enquiry into speeding time ……… just sayin.
This coming Wednesday 8th November we'll have a social breakfast at our new venue, The Pavilion at the Southport Surf Live Saving Club. You can order the meal from theirextensive menu (click here to read it) as you arrive, so if you prefer a toasted Croissant with Ham, Cheese & Tomato ($6.00) or a Bacon, Eggs & Cheese Muffin ($7.00), it's all there!
The Angus & Virginia Miller clan has a new heirloom: a ticket belonging to their family was the winning entry for Kerrie Brown's hand embroidered pillow. Kerrie selected ROMAC – Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children as her 'District Governor's Partner Project'. ROMAC flies severely disfigured or injured children to Australia for surgery. All work by the surgeons and volunteers is provided at no charge. Now you normally expect District Governors to ask for money. This time expect the unexpected. We are giving you something for money. Fair deal? I hope so. Kerrie is aiming to raise $25,000 for an operation to save the life of a child. We call it “Stitches for Stitches”. She has made 54 embroidered cushions - one for every club in the district. Every one is unique. There are 10 hours minimum in each cushion and about $50 of material.
Arranged by District Treasurer and Public Accountant Doug Lipp who, in a parallel universe also runs racehorses, last Wednesday's guest speaker was Robert “Bob” Berryman. Bob lived in Melbourne for 48 years around the Flemington area. He was a licensed stable hand at the Flemington track and held a Trotting trainers license. He has a diverse knowledge of the Melbourne Cup and has developed a tape/cd of the greatest Melbourne Cup ever (in his opinion) He is former Rotarian and has been involved in many Melbourne Cup "Calcuttas” for various clubs in the Gold Coast area.
"Well, in my days if one lived near a race course, he would either own a horse or he would ride one..." Bob quipped. When he was about 15 or so, he was too heavy to ride. Owning a horse was not quite on the cards either, so he had to think of something else. Well, Bob ended up becoming one of the most renowned Race Callers this nation has seen [or should I say "heard"?].
Over half an hour, Bob regaled us with one light hearted story after another of life "in the olden days" on Melbourne's race tracks and in their communities. You know the style: "There we were on our way home from a Calcutta night, we found a loose horse on Racecourse Drive..." Stories of what may be perceived as "insider jobs". The enormous change of - well - everything over the past 5 decades, from the size of the horses (they used to be as high as 17 hands) to security on the stables.
But the classic entertainment would be Bob's calling of 'The Greatest Melbourne Cup of ever run'. The field includes 20 horses from Carbine (1890) to Phar Lap (1930) to Think Big (1974/75) and Makybe Diva (2003/04/05)... [Your editor has been searching all over the Internet for a recording - unsuccessful, I'm afraid. You should have been there!]
This is a unique opportunity to learn about the state of the art health care at the Gold Coast University Hospital, tour the facility, meet their ICU and Trauma teams, and engage with the quality care they deliver to our community every day.
When: Sunday 12th November 2017, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Where: Ground Floor Outdoor Retail Deck (overlooking the Commonwealth Games Village),
Larry Murray was at the door, Fred Hamblen was Chairman and Ian Mayberry was Sergeant.
We had apologies from Peter Morgan, Mitch Brown, Clive Edwards who is unwell, Richard Smith, and Tania Laird (there may have been others, your editor got into the room late after waiting to collect his breakfast for 20 minutes...)
President Andy Bell welcomed all members, our Honorary Member George Keily as well as Hudson Sirovs (Al's grandson). Hudson had been instrumental in helping to build our Samoa School, not only in the pre-liminary building phase but, together with his grandfather Al, also was on site on Samoa. Sergeant Ian Mayberry conducted a brief interview with the 20 year old professional Disk Jockey, then Rosie McIntyre (who was officially in charge on Samoa) presented Hudson with a Certificate of Appreciation - see picture on right. Don't let anyone start whingeing along the lines of "today's youth is simply not..." (you know what I mean) - Hudson is proof positive that today's youth can be just as enthusiastic, supportive and community minded as we were 20, 40 or even 60 years ago! [Actually: were we??]
Fundraising Director Doug Lipp announced a raffle for DG Darrell Brown's 'better half' Kerrie's cushion. tickets go for $2.00 each, 3 x for $5 or 7 x for $10. Kerrie made over 50 of these cushions (one for every club in District 9640), each one in a different design. All proceeds will go towards ROMAC, Kerrie's designated 'DG Partner's Project'. See District Newsletter for more details.
President Elect Jo Gorman has an invitation for all Rotarians in the District to visit the new Gold Coast University Hospital: Sunday 12th November 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. See separate article further on.
Secretary Mark Twyford is looking for helpers on Friday 10th November, 07:00 am at The Shed to do a proper Stocktake and Asset Register. Contact Mark directly.
Simon Brook circulated a sample of the new badge, whilst Rosie McIntyre advised that the final reports of the Samoa School project will become available shortly.
Wheelchairs Trust Chairman Daryl Sanderson reported that the Rotary Club of Gladstone has provided us with a container to send goods off to Pakistan. The local Muslim community is also involved again. Daryl also highlighted Col Laurensen's special award for Donations in Kind (see last week's bulletin and website).
Ray Higgs confirmed that some $250.00 was collected at Saturday's sizzle at the library. We have also received confirmation that one of our Peace Scholarship Fellows has been formally accepted and the second one has been accepted but is on the 'waiting list' - insufficient places available. See District Website for more details.
George Keily informed us that he has so far collected over 8,000 pairs of spectacles. They are checked and sent off to Papua New Guinea via Donations in Kind. Super effort George!
Foundation Director Gerald East would like all the coin collection boxes returned by the end of November, thank you.
Fred Hamblen, did you enjoy taking the first part of my job? Do we know anyone who has a skateboard in his garage? I know Simon Brook, but who else? Would you believe it? Al Sirovs! Franz Huber - apparently the offences were too numerous to list... Ray Higgs, are you going to look for a spare room? Andy Bell, when you are on the last shift of a Sausage Sizzle, you are supposed to help clean up, not simply disappear! Adrian Crowe, looking at your plastered up chin: how is the other guy looking like? Angus Miller: anyone who can handle the chopping 7 Kg of onions must be just slightly odd... George Keily, good to see you again... Mario Fairlie and Gerald East, medical updates? (Well, still a bit off colour, but won't be next Tuesday when they'll go to the Melbourne Cup Luncheon!
As a District and following on from an interest meeting 5 October, it is almost certain that we will accept the invitation to assist with the Commonwealth Games as Housekeepers to the Athletes Village. This is a huge commitment. We will combine with District 9630 as well. PDG Brian Heaton needs a commitment on numbers with names by the end of October. We'll need to nominate the beneficiaries of the money raised. Hopefully besides local charities we will nominate Rotary Initiatives such as the PhD Scholarship in Mental Illness, ROMAC, RAM, DIK, Rotary Foundation & so on. It is a better return than working at a Sausage Sizzle. A detailed write-up was sent to all members on 16th October - click here to download it from the District Website, and also some more in the District Newsletter which was published over the last weekend.
Penelope Cruz, Judy Dench, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, just to name a few. How good can this be!
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The Angus & Virginia Miller clan has a new heirloom: a ticket belonging to their family was the winning entry for Kerrie Brown's hand embroidered pillow. Kerrie selected ROMAC – 
Arranged by District Treasurer and Public Accountant Doug Lipp who, in a parallel universe also runs racehorses, last Wednesday's guest speaker was Robert “Bob” Berryman. Bob lived in Melbourne for 48 years around the Flemington area. He was a licensed stable hand at the Flemington track and held a Trotting trainers license. He has a diverse knowledge of the Melbourne Cup and has developed a tape/cd of the greatest Melbourne Cup ever (in his opinion) He is former Rotarian and has been involved in many Melbourne Cup "Calcuttas” for various clubs in the Gold Coast area. 
This is a unique opportunity to learn about the state of the art health care at the Gold Coast University Hospital, tour the facility, meet their ICU and Trauma teams, and engage with the quality care they deliver to our community every day.
President Andy Bell welcomed all members, our Honorary Member George Keily as well as Hudson Sirovs (Al's grandson). Hudson had been instrumental in helping to build our Samoa School, not only in the pre-liminary building phase but, together with his grandfather Al, also was on site on Samoa. Sergeant Ian Mayberry conducted a brief interview with the 20 year old professional Disk Jockey, then Rosie McIntyre (who was officially in charge on Samoa) presented Hudson with a Certificate of Appreciation - see picture on right. Don't let anyone start whingeing along the lines of "today's youth is simply not..." (you know what I mean) - Hudson is proof positive that today's youth can be just as enthusiastic, supportive and community minded as we were 20, 40 or even 60 years ago! [
Fred Hamblen, did you enjoy taking the first part of my job? Do we know anyone who has a skateboard in his garage? I know Simon Brook, but who else? Would you believe it? Al Sirovs! Franz Huber - apparently the offences were too numerous to list... Ray Higgs, are you going to look for a spare room? Andy Bell, when you are on the last shift of a Sausage Sizzle, you are supposed to help clean up, not simply disappear! Adrian Crowe, looking at your plastered up chin: how is the other guy looking like? Angus Miller: anyone who can handle the chopping 7 Kg of onions must be just slightly odd... George Keily, good to see you again... Mario Fairlie and Gerald East, medical updates? (Well, still a bit off colour, but won't be next Tuesday when they'll go to the Melbourne Cup Luncheon!
As a District and following on from an interest meeting 5 October, it is almost certain that we will accept the invitation to assist with the Commonwealth Games as Housekeepers to the Athletes Village. This is a huge commitment. We will combine with District 9630 as well. PDG Brian Heaton needs a commitment on numbers with names by the end of October. We'll need to nominate the beneficiaries of the money raised. Hopefully besides local charities we will nominate Rotary Initiatives such as the PhD Scholarship in Mental Illness, ROMAC, RAM, DIK, Rotary Foundation & so on. It is a better return than working at a Sausage Sizzle. A detailed write-up was sent to all members on 16th October - 
"Of course you wear the pants in our relationship. But I control the zipper."