There is no easy or simple way to put this – we need muscle on Wednesday morning, much more muscle than we got on Sunday. As often happens, it doesn’t rain but pours.
Without having sent a container of wheelchairs overseas for a number of years, a container has been delivered to the Project Shed which needs to be packed on Wednesday, ready for collection by the end of the week.
After pulling down the x-ray building and packing the container for shipping to Vanuatu over the weekend, it has become apparent that a second container will be required.
That second container may well be delivered on Tuesday, meaning it too may be ready for packing.
The formal meeting this week is at the Project Shed.
Charles has arranged for the Project Shed to be opened at 6:00 am so work can start early. King of the BBQ Angus Miller will prepare a breakfast for champions for refuelling, Tony Heading is our guest speaker and then it will be noses back to the grindstone. Apart from Tony’s talking, formalities out of necessity will be brief.
We need a short sharp boost of enthusiasm to make this all come together. Every little bit helps.
This week our meeting will NOT be at the Surf Club, but at the project shed in Arundel, next to the Arundel Community Centre, 175 Napper Road, Arundel 4214.
Past District Governor Tony Heading is the District Chair for The Rotary Foundation (TRF). Most people, and even most Rotarians, are not aware of the size of influence TRF has in the world, nor that it is one of the most efficiently run large charities (a rare 4 stars on Charitynavigator.com). He will give us an outline of "our" foundation's multi-faceted programs.
Join us for the traditional Bacon & Eggs barbeque. We need to load a container (yes, another one), this one with wheelchairs bound for South Africa. The shed will open at 6:00 am, so if you can, please help.
Hard work last Saturday and Sunday for our members, volunteers, Rotaractors and helpers from the Rotary Clubs of Broadbeach and Gold Coast: The X-Ray Annexe for Mauna Health Centre, Pentecost Island, Vanuatu was disassembled and packed into a container, ready for shipment on Tuesday. Wonderful Gold Coast weather also translates to 30 degrees plus heat! A second container with the components not essential for the re-erection of the building, as well as electronics etc, is to follow. A big Thank You to all the helpers, including members, associate members, Rotaractors and members of the Broadbeach and Gold Coast Rotary Clubs; far too many to mention. But our President Mitch Brown deserves a special mention: he spent most of Sunday morning inside the container (estimated about 60 degrees C) receiving the components piece by piece and made sure that not a square inch of space was wasted.
Photo by Al Sirovs - see more in the Photo Album section on the right
Do you ever receive memes, or even lengthy bush poems (not always elegantly written either), whinging about "Australia isn't making anything anymore"?
Got news for you: last Wednesday we were invited to visit Craig International Ballistic, a local manufacturer of military-grade protection equipment. "No photos inside", "Please don't touch anything; these are classified as weapons" were the clear instructions. The company, a family business going back for two generations, manufactures these devices not just for the local defense and police forces but is exporting them to places like Singapore and Thailand. Craig develops their own designs for equipment which include a unique lightweight design of body armour as well as 'transparent shields' which can withstand a bullet from an AK47. The equipment to enable the manufacture of these devices doesn't come cheap: in addition to the "about $8 Million" of machinery they have on the floor at present, they are awaiting the arrival of a new machine with a price tag of another $8 Million... Serious investment for a family business indeed!
A big 'Thank You!' to Mark Twyford for arranging this meeting. (Apologies: in last week's bulletin, I wrote that Craig International Ballistics is one of Mark's clients. They are not - Mark knows the owner privately.)
On Monday 30th January, planning commenced for a big PR event, designed to highlight one of our club's "real big" projects: the X-Ray Unit for Pentecost Island, Vanuatu. This is a Multi-Club project, which also involves the Rotary Clubs of Broadbeach and Gold Coast.
Mario chaired the meeting, attended by Dr Graham Sivyer (RC of Broadbeach), Greg Bowler (RC of Gold Coast), our Secretary Trent Belling and Nicole Bricknell. Nicole is charged with the overall organisation of the event, expected to be held at a breakfast on 5th April 2023 at the Cafe Catalina on the Broadwater Parklands, Southport. We expect various dignitaries to attend, including representatives from the federal, state and local governments.
Please put it into your diary now - this will be one of the most important meetings of the year for all members as well as associate members and all volunteers who have tirelessly worked to bring this project to fruition. (Photo by Trent Belling (l-r): Trent Belling, Nicole Bricknell, Dr Graham Sivyer, Greg Bowler, Mario Fairlie)
Duty Roster - note: subject to change - please check every week. Note: Fellowship duty also is expected to be at the Project Shed on the Saturday following the meeting
Life has many ways of testing a person's will, either by having nothing happen at all, or by everything happen at once.Paolo Coelho, Brazilian Lyricist.
Teams are incredible things. No task is too great, no accomplishment too grand, no dream too far-fetched for a team. It takes teamwork to make the dream work." John C. Maxwell, American Author.
Referring to President Mitch's mention of 'When it rains, it pours'...
This week our meeting will NOT be at the Surf Club, but at the project shed in Arundel, next to the Arundel Community Centre, 175 Napper Road, Arundel 4214.
