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.
Gerald East was at the door (for Julian Price), Mario Fairliewas Chairman and Andy Bell was Sergeant.
We had apologies from Adrian Crowe, Fred Hamblen, Tony Bird, Bob Harrison, Julian Price and Conrad Martens.
President Paul Seymour welcomed all members, Honourable Member Barry Lea and guests Adam Whytcross and his charming wife Jeanette (guests of Terry O'Shea). Adam and Jeanette gave us a brief outline of their projects: they have been living in Fiji, currently in Vanuatu and shortly to move to Papua New Guinea. Jeanette is organizing teams of 'ex pat' ladies to raise funds for local disabled people and to organize materials (such as wheelchairs). Her current project is workign with the Vanuatu Disability Centre, and she intends to set up a similar project upon arrival in PNG.
Paul then gave a brief outline of the previous night's board meeting. Put the following dates into your diary now:
29th July: Social Breakfast at the Paradox Cafe, Surfers Paradise (instead of at the Yacht Club)
31st July: Australasian Order of Old Bastards 'Big Lunch' - John Franich will collect the money
[add 1st August: Doug Lipp's first game of Crazy Whist! Ed.]
12th August: Joint meeting with Hope Island Rotary Club - at their venue
26th August: "Meet a friend" meeting: bring along a friend whom you would like to invite to join Surfers Sunrise
Wheelchair Trust Chairman Daryl Sanderson pointed out the second attempt to get a photo published by RDU in conjunction with the recent despatch of a container full of wheelchairs to Sri Lanka. The container has arrived - see separate article on our website as well as on our Facebook page.
Youth Services Director Chris Thurtell outlined his vision for the upcoming year relating to his department: "We'll concentrate on the local product" in the coming year. Since we currently have two overseas students abroad, there won't be an outgoing one in January. However, we have an incoming student from Italy, Martina, arriving shortly. But the emphasis will be joining forces with Nobby's Beach SLSC and other surf clubs, High Schools etc to find suitable candidates for RYPEN, RYTS and RYLA. Chris also received a letter from Gabrielle Burtscher (Laura's mum) and Laura reported back from Austria: "Nothing has changed...!"
Fundraising Director Doug Lipp will organize our first event in just about a bit over two weeks on Saturday 1st if August to have a game of Crazy Whist, and of course there is the Race Day on 10th October.
Gerald East invited us all to join the Kokoda Classic on 9th August (organized by the Rotary Club of Broadwater-Southport - see poster on left). Gerald is looking for some team mates to join him. Huh?? Ah, that is for the Suns' Horizon game coming up on Saturday 1st August - more in next week's bulletin... ☺].
Well, this is not going to be easy... I'm not Bryce Courtenay - I wish I was, so I could accurately describe the general mood of some 400 people listening to Kay Danes as she described her experiences of being captured, together with her husband Kerry (a SAS soldier) in Laos. Geneva Convention? Laos may have signed it, but they certainly had not told their internal security forces about it... So, after being subjected to detention without charge, physical and mental violence, where would a nice young lady go next? To Afghanistan to teach young girls... Sorry you have missed it. You should have been there.
Then there is Sam Bailey, the most archetypal Aussie Larrikin, with his broad, lopsided grin, wonderfully relaxed true blue ocker accent, describing his life experience of... of ... rebuilding his life after suffering a car accident where he severely fractured his spine. Quadriplegic. In Sam's words: if I found a brass lamp and a genie popped out... I would tell him to go to buggery - I'm as happy as can be. Huh?? Well, you could have knocked the entire audience over with a feather! But then, when he described his experiences, learning to live with his disability, learning how to drive the big tractors on the farm, learning how to fly an Ultralight plane, all the way to planning to be the first Quadriplegic to fly a helicopter (yes! a helicopter!), how he met his wife... Sorry you missed it. You should have been there.
Then there is the camaraderie, meeting with other like minded Rotarians, the Saturday night bushdance. Amaaazzing how people whom one may think to have two left feet all the sudden become (or think they have become) little Fred Astaires... All in all, a very enjoyable experience indeed. Sorry you missed it. You should have been there.
Perhaps next year, when it is a bit closer by, in Murwillumbah... ?
the "Des La Rance for Pope" campaign has reached new heights: a letter received from a lady named Camille said "...you have humbled me with your love and kindness to humanity..." No doubt about it: Francis, look out! Tania Laird: Now, THAT is sartorial elegance! Those leggings are giving serious competition: sort of Darrell Brown's socks on a lady's legs! [Sorry, no picture, you should have been there! Ed.]Doug Lipp explained to Andy what Crazy Whist is all about. Andy's perception: "People randomly throw cards around, mostly into the middle of the table, and suddenly somebody yells out I've won!!" Gerald East was at the door today, and never have I heard anyone whinging so much: everybody is coming in with 50 dollar bills...! Simon Brook's latest escapade: running the Gold Coast Marathon!
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.
“One of the cheapest commodities in the world is unfulfilled genius. All of us want to be known as a unique individual, the one who broke out of the pack. So, you offer yourself up as a sacrifice, and what you’re afraid of is losing and being thrown back into the pack. One question taunts you. Do you want to have, or do you want to be?” Leon Uris
.jpg)
Good things come to those who volunteer.
Fundraising Director Doug Lipp will organize our first event in just about a bit over two weeks on Saturday 1st if August to have a game of Crazy Whist, and of course there is the Race Day on 10th October.
she described her experiences of being captured, together with her husband Kerry (a SAS soldier) in Laos. Geneva Convention? Laos may have signed it, but they certainly had not told their internal security forces about it... So, after being subjected to detention without charge, physical and mental violence, where would a nice young lady go next? To Afghanistan to teach young girls... Sorry you have missed it. You should have been there. 
Then there is Sam Bailey, the most archetypal Aussie Larrikin, with his broad, lopsided grin, wonderfully relaxed true blue ocker accent, describing his life experience of... of ... rebuilding his life after suffering a car accident where he severely fractured his spine. Quadriplegic. In Sam's words: if I found a brass lamp and a genie popped out... I would tell him to go to buggery - I'm as happy as can be. Huh?? Well, you could have knocked the entire audience over with a feather! But then, when he described his experiences, learning to live with his disability, learning how to drive the big tractors on the farm, learning how to fly an Ultralight plane, all the way to planning to be the first Quadriplegic to fly a helicopter (yes! a helicopter!), how he met his wife... 
the "Des La Rance for Pope" campaign has reached new heights: a letter received from a lady named Camille said "...you have humbled me with your love and kindness to humanity..." No doubt about it: Francis, look out! Tania Laird: Now, THAT is sartorial elegance! Those leggings are giving serious competition: sort of Darrell Brown's socks on a lady's legs! 
Put your name down for Saturday afternoon of 2nd May, where there is a good chance that they will in the game against the Brisbane Lions in 
“One of the cheapest commodities in the world is unfulfilled genius. All of us want to be known as a unique individual, the one who broke out of the pack. So, you offer yourself up as a sacrifice, and what you’re afraid of is losing and being thrown back into the pack. One question taunts you. Do you want to have, or do you want to be?” Leon Uris
