As she walked up to the rostrum, the first thought that came to my mind was a movie title: The Devil wears Prada... Ok, so perhaps Jo is not anything like the diabolical editor Miranda Priestly, depicted by on of my most favorite actresses Meryl Streep, but there is no question about dressing to impress... ☺
Being a product of the high-end corporate world, Jo started off with a... questionnaire. "All the answers to the 10 questions listed will come up in my presentation", Jo opened up, "and the winner will get a bottle of my favorite white wine!" OK, that got the cobwebs out of the brain. But who would know what is mined in the Cheshire town of Northwich? What about the traditional greeting and farewell used in Yoga? Any takers for the name of the Townsville Cyclone in 2011?
Jo was born in the sign of Virgo in a town called Frodsham in Cheshire, NW England and grew up in a neighboring town called Northwich, famous for its salt mines. Her father was a hardworking diesel mechanic who eventually set up his own business and mum was a stay at home mum. They are still alive and together and she gets to see them generally once a year. Her dad is 80 this year. Jo is the eldest in her family and 'the sensible one'. She went to Leeds University in West Yorkshire, to study English Literature, "the only person in my family to have gone to University – and they think I am a bit strange. Probably true..."
Between Jo and her two sisters who both live in the UK "we only managed to produce two grandchildren, which disappointed my mother enormously". Jo's daughter Megan is 25 and lives in London where she graduated and now works in publishing.
Under the heading of "Affairs of the Heart": Jo married her childhood sweetheart at 24 – and divorced him at 27... "The pressures of corporate life, rising interests rates and a sexy young policewoman who enticed him away from his nagging wife probably caused that. We are still on great terms though." For the next 18 years Jo lived with a very handsome Kiwi whom she met in London. And now, "I'm with my current partner Tony, whom I hope to keep hold of" she declared.
Jo's early days of her career went from a career in Accounting, to working at Lloyds, the major Insurance market. "But females were not allowed at "the box" which is where major risks are traded, so I was relegated to the back office". Meanwhile her husband had a ball as a Policeman, so she applied to become a Policewoman and whilst waiting to start, went for a temp job with Recruitment firm Hays as an Accounting Recruiter. A quick rise and a string of promotions led her to lead large teams "with no real knowledge on how to do it"...
Coming to holidays to Australia in 1992, Jo decided that "one day I'm going to live here". Fast forward to 1994 when she fell in love with the aforementioned Kiwi - 3 years later they moved to Sydney, where she worked for 8 years. Then they moved to Christchurch NZ, where she worked for Adecco, the largest recruitment firm in the world, heading up their Marketing, Sales and Strategy team. Some really exciting clients, including representing Adecco at the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne made that job really something different! She was in Christchurch during the first earthquake in 2010, and subsequently they lost property in the following quake in 2011. Asked by Adecco to come back to Queensland, the lure of playing golf, living at Sanctuary Cove made it a no brainer. She arrived in Brisbane on the day of the Brisbane Floods. On a road trip around Adecco's offices, she found herself in the midst of Cyclone Yasi in Townsville, and earned herself the title of Queen of Natural Disasters... [hmmm... I'm told that the Gold Coast is heavily overdue for a Cyclone... Ed.]
What are Jo's values? She listed five principal ones: a) Positivity, b) Doing the right thing, c) Taking accountability, d) Perceptiveness and e) Being congruent and authentic.
And what about her passions? "Mainly about family and friends. Cooking, eating and drinking. I realized that I had dedicated too much time to work, missed out on some very special people and I am addressing that. I love Yoga and the gratitude that it promotes."
"Namaste! I honor the spirit in you that is also in me."
Des La Rance was at the door, swapping with Graeme Isaacson who was chairman instead and Andy Bell returned to his Sergeant's position.
We had apologies from Adrian Crowe, Ray Higgs, Mario Fairlie, Tania Laird, President Paul Seymour, Tony Bird and Mitch Brown.
Vice President Ian Mayberry welcomed all members and our visitor (shortly to be inducted) Al Siorovs. Ian reminded us of the upcoming movie night at the Arts Centre (this Thursday!) and also announced a new poster designed by Neil Thurlow and his team of graphic wizards. And board members are reminded of a meeting to be held at Andy Bell's office (this) Wednesday, 14th April. On 15th April, the Rotaract Club of Southport will hold their Trivia Night.
Youth Services Director Chris Thurtell has heard back from our Youth Exchange Student Martina Missarelli, who at that time was on her last week of the Safari, returning on Saturday. Martina wil be hosted by Tania Laird for the remaining quarter. Chris, who is scheduled to take over charge of the District's Youth Exchange committee in the coming Rotary year has already started working with the current chair Russell Jones.
And do we have any candidates for RYPEN (Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment), designed for 14 - 16 year olds? It is held from Friday 20th May 2016 - 1pm, Sunday 22nd May 2016, See more details at this link: http://rotary9640.org/SitePage/rypen
Wheelchair Trust Chairman Daryl Sanderson presented his report on the happenings at The Shed: Boomerang Bags advised that we can pick up the bags to be fitted to the back of the wheelchairs which are donated by them, a load of cartons has arrived so now a stack of wheelchairs can be boxed up, ready for shipment, and a way has been found to dispose of some 800 old bicycle tyres...
DGN Darrell Brown spoke of the upcoming District Conference in Murwillumbah (6th to 8th May). Have you registered? Registration itself is free.
Neil Thurlow and his team of graphics wizards has created an updated Newsletter for our Wheelchair Trust supporters. It is in the Download Section on the right - download it now!
Your Editor didn't quite have his pen at the ready when it started, but Geoff Croad was first cab off the rank: something about taking his wife a lady friend to somewhere...? Franz Huber, I have used Google myself, but I have never seen it go "whoooff!!" [I could give you some links which will make you go "whoofff" if you like... Ed.]Des La Rance goes and plays golf regularly at Emerald Lakes Golf Club. He usually has his relationship with the powers upstairs well organized, but not this time: Zero! Didn't win a single round! Angus Miller is off on a long road trip... Peter Morgan, how is the reconstructed knee? Has everyone seen it by now? Terry O'Shea had a BIG Bar-be-Que - he considered it to be too big. So he bought a smaller one. Like tiny-tiny... Larry Murray, have you been or going out of town? Or going for a Job Interview? Chris Thurtell is going to apply for a name change to Christiano Turtellino. In the tradition of Italian ship captains, (a la the captain of the Costa Concordia, Capitano Francesco Schettino), Christiano navigated his ship too close to a rock and sunk it... Well, ok, not quite a ship, just a Jetski, but still... And is Doug Lipp, Mark Twyford, Al Sirovs and Neil Thurlow trying to start a new Top Table up there?
Larry Murray, our President Elect Nominee for the year 2017/18 (same year when Darrell Brown will be District Governor), asked for this list (in relation to activities to coincide with the Commonwealth Games) to be published:
A few things to consider for 2018 (no time to procrastinate)
1...Picnic on the beach
2...A ticket to Tipplers a music concert on Tipplers for all tastes amateur and professional arrange ferries etc.
3...A very fancy fancy dress ball ( THEME!)
4... I still think the sunflower has some prospect ( the sunflower festival)
5...A mini world fair to welcome the athletes ask the embassy's of the athletes to showcase their country by sponsoring a stand and get the athletes to man it
6...Organise a committee made up of all the gold coast Rotary clubs to gain a consensus for a major event
7...Food and wine festival incorporating cuisine from each competing country and highlighting Australian delicacies
8...An open air non-denominal church service someone will have to pass the plate around
9...Help for the paralympians (not sure how we can make this one pay) but a very nice gesture
10...Can we talk to someone at the Marina/boatyard and arrange for cruises on one of their boats( good marketing profile)
Organise a proposal and ask the council for financial help as we will be showcasing the Gold Coast and raising the profile of Tom Tate
If you never have looked at anything to do with the Winter Olympics, this would have missed out on one of the most remarkable stories of "flying" on skis: Eddie the Eagle. Now they have made a movie about it, which also includes Hugh Jackman in a leading role.
This is another Polio Plus fundraiser, Gold Coast Arts Centre at tomorrow Thursday 14th April at 6:30 pm. Usual fee of $20.00 per head - first come first served!
WHAT IS THE ROTARY FOUNDATION’S “DISTRICT DESIGNATED FUND”? At the end of every contribution year, each Rotary district’s contributions to the Annual Fund are divided into two funds. 50 percent is credited to the District Designated Fund (DDF). The District Designated Fund is allocated by the District to fund the Rotary Foundation programs in which it chooses to participate, such as District Grants, Global Grants or Polio! DDF even receives a 100% match from our Foundation when used in a Global Grant. IT IS THIS FUNDING FORMULA WHICH TRULY MAKES THE ROTARY FOUNDATION AN INTEGRAL PARTY OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL IN OUR HOME COMMUNITIES.
To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
Sun Tzu, The Art of War, approx 5th Century BC.
In peace, sons bury their fathers.
In war, fathers bury their sons.
Herodotus - Greek Historian, contemporary of Socrates
For the fallen
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables at home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
As she walked up to the rostrum, the first thought that came to my mind was a movie title: The Devil wears Prada... Ok, so perhaps Jo is not anything like the diabolical editor Miranda Priestly, depicted by on of my most favorite actresses Meryl Streep, but there is no question about dressing to impress... ☺
Jo's values? She listed five principal ones: a) Positivity, b) Doing the right thing, c) Taking accountability, d) Perceptiveness and e) Being congruent and authentic. 
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Larry Murray, our President Elect Nominee for the year 2017/18 (same year when Darrell Brown will be District Governor), asked for this list (in relation to activities to coincide with the Commonwealth Games) to be published:
