It was great to see DG Anne and what an inspiration after her personal tribulations that she has shown what a truly great Rotarian she is.
This last week saw our final commitment to move to the Surfers Paradise RSL effective 1 June 2016. I trust all Rotarians will embrace the move and also challenge you to bring a friend / new potential member to our new location.
If you would like to serve on a District Committee during the year that our own Darrell Brown is DG, this is your opportunity! Register your interest in serving on District Committees in 2017/18. Please direct any questions to District Governor Nominee Darrell Brown either via email (dd_brown11@icloud.com) or by phone (0418 382 814).
Just to let you know that the Rotary International theme for June is ‘Rotary Fellowship Month’.
Also confirming our changeover for the 2016/17 year is Sunday 26th June. This will be lunch time event at Seaworld but more details to follow. (See Events pages).
This week sees our Youth Exchange Student Martina, attending with her family out from Italy. I would like to wish them a happy stay and am sure our fellow Rotarians will make them feel very welcome.
Jenny Old (she is the better half of our former member Rick Old - yes, she is the one who got an engagement ring made out of a piece of fencing wire... I'm sure you'll get more details from her story!) will present a very special outline of what Farming in the Gulf Country is all about. Jenny has just released a new book on this topic.
Hot on the heels of Sergeant Andy Bell, Anne opened up with a broadside: A cross fine for everyone who is not wearing a Theme Badge... OK, the 'Be a gift to the world' has only another 6 weeks to go, but nevertheless. Members could acquire a badge for a contribution of a gold coin. [Knowing that the vast majority of Rotarians vehemently eschew gaudy things attached to their clothing, I'm prepared to bet that, was Anne to come back next week, she could again collect a substantial pot of fines... Ed.]
Anne, due to some "medical problems" (her description - your Editor can reveal that she actually was in hospital) wasn't able to visit our club at the originally planned time earlier in the Rotary year. "Being invited to join Rotary", she pointed out, "was the greatest gift ever given to me". Whilst this dove-tailed neatly with RI President Ravi's theme for this year, there is little doubt that indeed Anne's statement is very genuine: Her club, Mt Warning AM of which she is a Charter Member, is without doubt one of the most consistently successful and award winning clubs in the District 9640 she has led for the past year.
Anne, deprecating her enormous work load accomplished in spite of her recent illness, declared that she had visited lots of clubs, "all achieving without the interference of the District Governor". [Yeah right. In the last half century of my life, being exposed to leaders (and pretenders) ranging from the Swiss Airforce, to business leaders, to Rotary leaders, I keep remembering those who didn't make a big fuss at the front but quietly led with a view to the bigger picture. Ed.] One of the many achievements is a net 5% growth in membership in the District which is well above average (and to which our club has contributed with a healthy margin).
Anne briefly gave us a summary of the recently conducted Council on Legislation, to which Past District Governor Ross Smith was our District's delegate. For once, real decisions and resolutions were reached. For example, a resolution "to call for a ban on female genital mutilation (also euphemistically known as female circumcision, a procedure to which, according to a UNICEF estimate, still today in 2016 some 200 Million women are subjected to). Less controversial: changes to permit clubs to have different meeting times. Many of these changes have, in essence, already been effected by clubs with or without the approval of the Council.
And what about the future? "Embrace change - don't be afraid of the future!". To keep a relationship with Youth, it is important that we work on the presumption that they do want to work with us, but they need us to be relevant. Well, with our youngest President ever to come into office on the first of July, here is your opportunity!
Anne's husband Jeff briefly spoke on his "DG Partner's project": Jeff chose Australian Rotary Health (http://www.australianrotaryhealth.org.au), in particular their Indigenous Health Project. A contribution of $2,500 will be matched by the State Government of NSW to a total of $5,000 which sponsors an Indigenous person to study nursing, ultimately to be deployed in Indigenous communities.
Thank you, Anne and Jeff, for visiting Surfers Sunrise!
Tony Bird was at the door, Geoff Croad was chairman and Andy Bell was Sergeant.
We had apologies from Mark Twyford, Graeme Isaacson, Ray Higgs, Simon Brook (who is running the Great Wall in China), Larry Murray, Al Sirovs and our YE Student Martina.
President Paul Seymour welcomed District Governor Anne Egan and her husband Jeff, John Henderson (former President of RC Broadwater Southport, guest of DGN Darrell Brown) and it was great to see Richard Smith (RC of Toowoomba Garden City) visiting us again! Paul expressed his sincere appreciation to all the people who made the GSE Team visit from Pennsylvania a great success, particular thanks go to the hosts Larry & Pauline Murray, Simon Brook and his partner Jodie McClintock, Darrell and Kerry Brown and Angus and Virginia Miller.
Paul formally announced that, as from 1st June 2016, Surfers Sunrise will move its meetings to the Surfers Paradise RSL Club. The recently held member's survey, as well as the decision of the club's board overwhelmingly supported this decision. Condition is that all members become members of the RSL Club (for which the club will pay the joining fee). The meeting fees will also be adjusted as from the beginning of the next Rotary year, 1st July 2016.
Youth Services Director Chris Thurtell, wearing his hat as the organizer of the upcoming 'Cocktail with the Dolphins' event on Saturday 28th May (that is this coming Saturday!) at Seaworld, indicated that as at the time, we had only 18 bookings, plus a bulk purchase of 40 Tickets by Mario and Rae Fairlie. Chris emphasized that guests needed to be there on time: 6:30 pm at the Hotel (not at Seaworld) - the first show will start very shortly after. A second show will come up later in the evening. This show is unique - it is not available to the public.
Wheelchair Trust Chairman Daryl Sanderson reported that containers are organized for wheelchairs to be shipped to Lebanon, to Sri Lanka (this time to the principal club, the Rotary Club of Colombo) and another one is planned to go to India. No flies on 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!
Youth Services Director Chris Thurtell briefly mentioned the presentation made by our rebound Exchange Student Felicity Cooper at the conference: What confidence! Amazing what a year abroad achieves.
Mario Fairlie referred to publicity in relation to our 'Cocktails with the Dolphins' event on Saturday 28th May - despite an ad being run on the John Laws radio show, it would appear that the message is not getting out.
Treasurer Mitch Brown advised that members will have the Invoice for membership dues in their Inbox shortly. In view of our Rotary International and District dues falling due on the 1st of July, it is important that members settle the account well before that date. Please contact Mitch if you have any queries.
Fellows, Girls! This is happening this coming Saturday!
Chris Thurtell who is the chief organizer of this event, urges you to be on time at 6:30 pm at the Seaworld Resort Hotel (formerly Seaworld Nara Resort). The first show will start shortly after, so if you are late, you'll miss it!
Please spread this out on your Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and whatever other Social Media you participate in! This is only possible if you have a "big wig" of Seaworld in our club! Chris Thurtell and President Elect Simon Brook have organized a cocktail party at Seaworld on the last Saturday in May. See the flyer in the download section on the right.
Tony Bird is upset about something... (sorry, didn't catch what it was about...) Terry O'Shea, Gerald East, Angus Miller: This is a first: I will pay your fine! Richmond winning by one point...! Daryl Sanderson has a new definition for stupidity... At last week's Bar-be-que at President Paul's pad hosting the GSE Team, Simon Brook's partner Jodie was approached by one of our members, asking "... and are you enjoying your stay in Australia?" Who was that? Tania Laird! Chris Thurtell exhorting everyone not to be late at the upcoming Cocktails with the Dolphins event.. but guess who was late at the Board Meeting: Yup, it was Chris... Ian Mayberry had his hair restyled. Or did he? President Paul Seymour, at the recent Bar-be-que at his place, strutted about taking credit for everything... But who really did all the work? Paul's wife Peg! Mitch Brown had "Pink Fits" at the recent board meeting, thumping the table. OK, "thumping" with his finger... And the Top Table (Des La Rance, Daryl Sanderson, Bob Harrison and Doug Lipp) are all together again! Darrell Brown, what picture of sartorial elegance! Diagonally opposite: Terry O'Shea... Mario Fairlie: how do you feel? ("Coming along", he said) Richard Smith, kindly stop pretending to be a visitor, you are just about there!
WHAT IS SHARE? Through SHARE, Rotary districts share in the decision-making process by choosing which Rotary Foundation programs they wish to support and participate in. The Annual Fund SHARE system is the mechanism by which Rotary Foundation program awards are distributed worldwide. Through the SHARE system, contributions to The Rotary Foundation are transformed into District Designated Funds (DDF)—the funds your district can allocate and to the World Funds-The funds the Trustees allocate. By giving to Annual Fund-SHARE we support both local and international efforts! YOU CAN HELP OUR DISTRICT AND SUPPORT AMAZING PROJECTS BY GIVING TO THE ANNUAL FUND-SHARE DESIGNATION.
Jenny Old (she is the better half of our former member Rick Old - yes, she is the one who got an engagement ring made out of a piece of fencing wire... I'm sure you'll get more details from her story!) will present a very special outline of what Farming in the Gulf Country is all about. Jenny has just released a new book on this topic.
Hot on the heels of Sergeant Andy Bell, Anne opened up with a broadside: A cross fine for everyone who is not wearing a Theme Badge... OK, the 'Be a gift to the world' has only another 6 weeks to go, but nevertheless. Members could acquire a badge for a contribution of a gold coin.
