The Top Table is all back together again! Doug Lipp, Bob Harrison, Daryl Sanderson and Des La Rance... Chris Thurtell, always sitting next to every beautiful lady... But today he topped it, the true gentleman he is, Sarah brought him the coffee! Meanwhile, she almost didn't get introduced to the club! John Franich, always comes to Rotary by car, except when it is freezing cold as was this morning, then he comes in by motor bike... Terry O'Shea, desperate to be loved, sits with the other Top Table (Barry Lea, Larry Murray and Angus Miller) with his back turned on everyone else... Sarah Cooper gave up her bicycle to donate it to The Shed. Rumour has it that her hand needed to prised off it... Anyone supported the Maroons at last week's State of Origin game? Pay up! And Tania Laird donated a Raffle Prize she won at the Rotaract Trivia Night which she can't really use it for herself: a ticket to get a haircut at Urban Barbers. Doug Lipp got it. [Better than if Barry Lea had won it: at least Urban Barbers will have to work for it ☺... Ed.]
RYDA (Rotary Youth Driver Awareness) started up for the year on the Gold Coast with our club hosting the Australian Industrial Trade College from Robina. Isabelle Franich our past YEP student, George Keily our Honorary member & Past President, Geoff Croad & Darrell Brown manned the day. During the event, Isabelle was offered a job as a presenter, a paid position. Well done! Because the school has taken part in the event for the last three years & through circumstances, couldn’t be joined by another school to make up numbers, our Gold Coast RYDA subsidised the school to the tune of $455 - money well spent on the first day of a revised program. The next event with All Saints & another group from the Australian Trade College will be held on the 16th June. Because there will be 270 students, two venues - Runaway Bay Sports Complex & Southport Community Centre will need to be utilised with the Rotary Clubs of Gold Coast & Mermaid Beach manning the days.
Our Youth Services Director Chris Thurtell is looking for nominations for RYPEN, the Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment.
What is RYPEN? Held from Friday, 22nd May to 1 pm Sunday 24th May at Bornhoffen PCYC, Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) is a weekend residential experience for youth aged 14-16 years. It is designed to develop skills that will assist them in the transition to adulthood. Participants are involved in a variety of workshops and activities, which provide an opportunity for them to personally develop, gain self confidence, communication skills, challenge themselves, build friendships, and develop life skills. More details on the District 9640 website - click on this link: http://rotary9640.org/SitePage/rypen. Nominations close Friday 24th April 2015.
Firstly I would like to apologize to my sponsor club as I have forgotten to tell them that I would be on Europatour for most of March and so I would be unable to do my monthly report for March. I went on Europatour 2015 for 22 days with 53 other exchanges from my district in Germany. The first night was hard as I didn’t know many people because I was unable to meet them all at the Rotex Wochenende in Paderborn but like always I was accepted into really good friends with some of the Brazilians and Argentinians. I had so much fun and I am sort of sad at the moment because it is over but I know that I will have more experiences like this in the near future :).
I have created a Powerpoint of my experiences on Eurotour. [See Download section on the right hand side]
Ray Higgs was at the door, Graeme Isaacsonwas Chairman and Andy Bell was Sergeant.
We had apologies from Darrell Brown, Gerald East, Geoff Croad, Mario Fairlie and Adrian Crowe.
Vice President Ian Mayberry welcomed all members and guest Sarah Cooper (our Youth Exchange Student to Finland's mum). Ian reminded all that the club's Changeover Dinner will be held at the Seaworld Resort (not the Theme Park) on 14th June 2015, 12:00 for 12:30 pm, and in consequence no meeting will be held the following Wednesday 17th June. Ian further reported on the previous Saturday's participation by our club's team at the Rotaract Southport Trivia Night, together with Terry and Gillian O'Shea and Tania Laird. "Our club was only one of two two win a prize", he expostulated. [The prize was a highly polished, very useful wooden cooking implement, commonly used to stir the pot. Ed.]
Wheelchair Trust Chairman Daryl Sanderson advised that the news segment appearing on Channel Nine resulted in some 140 bikes being donated at The Shed. There was also a meeting arranged with the powers to be from the Education Department and Helensvale High School in relation to their school for Samoa.
Secretary Peter Morgan advised that we have received the resignation from Brian Woltmann, and Treasurer Mitch Brown reminded all that the membership dues are payable by 20th June if one wants to deduct the discount of $30.00. Also, payment for the Changeover luncheon ($50.00 per person) can be made to the same bank account.
Simon Brook was looking for fellow members to sell Raffle Tickets the the Gold Coast Suns' Horizon program at the upcoming Suns game against Freemantle this coming Saturday 13th June. Participants to be at the gate at 2:15 pm.
Terry O'Shea received some sample Calendars from Arthur Moorhouse (RC of Nowra). You may recall Arthur talking about their annual fundraising activity a few weeks ago. In essence: they print 2,000 of the calendars which sell for $20.00 each. Thus, assuming that the cost of printing is largely paid for by advertising, this results in a neat $40,000 potential earnings. Year after year! The $20.00 price includes entry into a raffle (the ticket needs to be sent in to claim entry, which thus further provides follow up addresses for the next year). The photos are of stunning quality - donated by one of the local photographers.
Doug Lipp has organized for our club to participate with the RC of Surfers Paradise to stage a Race Day on 10th October 2015. $70.00 per person. We are committed to populate multiple tables.
Barry Lea presented a detailed outline of a fundraising concept of 'Back to Basics Friday Lunch'. See separate segment for a detailed outline.
Albert Charles Jones - 1894 - 1930 reads the brand new headstone in the cemetery of Ballarat, about 1 1/2 hour's drive west of Melbourne. Brand new? 85 years after his death? How come? Here is Sylvia's story: she decided to seriously pursue her hobby of genealogy, researching her and her husband's family history. Tracing her husband's Grandfather led her to Ballarat Cemetery. Sylvia checked and double checked. Her coordinates were definitely correct. But where she stood, there was no headstone... Further investigations with relevant authorities and weeks of searching on the Internet found that Albert "didn't fit the criteria for a War Grave". Yet Albert had served both at Gallipoli as well as on the Western Front. And, so to speak, to rub salt into the wounds, according the the local authorities, a debt was owing on the (headstone free) grave. Why no headstone? Well, apparently because he was not "at the fighting front", but in a field bakery (4th Field Bakery). Never mind that one of the most effective ways to seriously hurt an enemy is by bombing their food supply sources.
'Bert' Jones returned after the war, but instead of continuing in his original vocation as a baker, he joined the Victorian Railway as a Shunter, a dangerous job, in those days particularly. As a consequence of a horrible shunting accident in June 1930, Bert was killed. His widow, with four children, had little money, and - almost unthinkable today - Vic Railways declined to provide funds for a proper grave. To make matters worse, later on, his widow's house burned to the ground.
Sylvia got her family and friends rounded up, and together with the Rotary Club of South Ballarat, who contributed $1000, the money was found to buy a headstone.
By the way: Sylvia's father in law (son of Albert) Reginald Jones and his friend Jimmy Bullen (who famously manufactured over 1000 wheelchairs for the Wheelchair Trust) were involved with making wheelchairs until their passing in 2010 and 2014.
Below is a photo of a poem "Little Wet Home in the Trenches" Bert wrote into his diary whilst serving at Gallipoli, which gives undoubted credence to the assessment that he was "a bit of a larrikin". But then, looking at the left side of his diary: "We were standing on the dead to fire at the Turks..." Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was at the time an unknown term (at least to returning soldiers). In the German language we call them 'Queerschläger', coming from the term that describes a ricochet, a projectile that has bounced off another surface. You get the drift.
Sergeant Andy not only introduced our speaker for the morning, but also made visitors aware that Des La Rance "Pope Elect"is considered to be in a prime position to be "Pope Elect"... Terry O'Shea was awfully late... Ian Mayberry, waddya mean "I'm at a race", when cricket is on? Where are the priorities?? Daryl Sanderson, what's happening down your end of the table? No Wheelchair report today?? Geoff Croad, what elegant Bermuda Shorts! Simon Brook didn't ride his bike to Rotary this morning... just because it is raining a bit, and there are of course some hills between home and The Shed... Angus Miller reckons this weather is tropical in comparison to Scotland...!
[It should be noted that Andy was remarkably well in control of his emotions and didn't mention Cricket, or specifically his mighty Black Caps" even once... Ed.]
The Top Table is all back together again! Doug Lipp, Bob Harrison, Daryl Sanderson and Des La Rance... Chris Thurtell, always sitting next to every beautiful lady... But today he topped it, the true gentleman he is, Sarah brought him the coffee! Meanwhile, she almost didn't get introduced to the club! John Franich, always comes to Rotary by car, except when it is freezing cold as was this morning, then he comes in by motor bike... Terry O'Shea, desperate to be loved, sits with the other Top Table (Barry Lea, Larry Murray and Angus Miller) with his back turned on everyone else... Sarah Cooper gave up her bicycle to donate it to The Shed. Rumour has it that her hand needed to prised off it... Anyone supported the Maroons at last week's State of Origin game? Pay up! And Tania Laird donated a Raffle Prize she won at the Rotaract Trivia Night which she can't really use it for herself: a ticket to get a haircut at Urban Barbers. Doug Lipp got it. .jpg)
Good things come to those who volunteer.
Albert Charles Jones - 1894 - 1930 reads the brand new headstone in the cemetery of Ballarat, about 1 1/2 hour's drive west of Melbourne. Brand new? 85 years after his death? How come? Here is Sylvia's story: she decided to seriously pursue her hobby of genealogy, researching her and her husband's family history. Tracing her husband's Grandfather led her to Ballarat Cemetery. Sylvia checked and double checked. Her coordinates were definitely correct. But where she stood, there was no headstone... Further investigations with relevant authorities and weeks of searching on the Internet found that Albert "didn't fit the criteria for a War Grave". Yet Albert had served both at Gallipoli as well as on the Western Front. And, so to speak, to rub salt into the wounds, according the the local authorities, a debt was owing on the (headstone free) grave. Why no headstone? Well, apparently because he was not "at the fighting front", but in a field bakery (4th Field Bakery). Never mind that one of the most effective ways to seriously hurt an enemy is by bombing their food supply sources. 
By the way: Sylvia's father in law (son of Albert) Reginald Jones and his friend Jimmy Bullen (who famously manufactured over 1000 wheelchairs for the Wheelchair Trust) were involved with making wheelchairs until their passing in 2010 and 2014.
Sergeant Andy not only introduced our speaker for the morning, but also made visitors aware that Des La Rance 
