Greetings, fellow members, associate members and friends of Surfers Sunrise Rotary,
On Sunday, Elizabeth, Ross, Andy, Franz and I attended the District Learning Assembly at Jimboomba. I congratulate the organising committee on a very well-run event and encourage other members to attend future District Assemblies, not only for the content but also to meet other fellow Rotarians. Some key issues to take away were
Governance
Avenues to deal with the general aging of members
Having fun in Rotary
Projects
Some of the key issues raised were to be conscious of all members and working together, to encourage members to make use of the grants that are available and to encourage members to make use of the youth programs. Another major segment dealt with Rotary Insurance. In particular, if a club holds an event outside their usual, regular activities, it MUST be reported to the District Insurance Officer. Managing our risk, providing and adhering to safe working conditions involves all members.
A reminder that our next formal meeting of 8 March 2026 will be held at Youth Outreach, at 8 Byth Street, Arundel, where they are providing breakfast prepared by their youth members and providing us with a guide of the facility. We need to provde them with attendance numbers. Franz will send out a survey to members shortly. Any non-members are welcome to attend, but please send a message to Franz to advise, thank yoiu. This coming Wednesday senior management will be visiting the Wheelchair shed.
A big shout-out this week goes to Ashley Symes and Geoff Croad for the $1,260 sale of second-hand plastic chairs from the Wheelchair shed.
Confirmation that the next bicycle sale at the Wheelchair Shed is on 18 April 2026, details to follow.
A reminder that this Thursday we have a social meeting at the Benowa Tavern from 4.30pm and all members are invited to attend.
This coming Wednesday 1st April will be a social meeting at the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club. Come along for a cuppa and/or breakfast. If possible, the meeting will be in the upstairs venue, if the weather is nice, on the balcony (otherwise on the ground floor, at the northern end). Lots of good banter and laughter, and - believe it - sometimes there are more club related matters discussed and solutions determined than on a formal meeting!
Remember: Next week, 8th April, our meeting will be on-site at Youth Outreach, NOT at the Surf Club. See Events for details.
This might sound schmalzy, but this was one of the best, if not the best District Learning Assembly I've attended in my 39 years in Rotary. Superbly well organised, instructional, on time. Congratulations and compliments to District Governor Elect Deb Frugtniet and her team. Oh, last, but not least: the food was simply yummy! Photo: President Elect Elizabeth Celi (centre), with from left: Franz Huber, Andy Bell, President Paul Seymour, Ross Augustine.
Rob recently transferred from another Rotary club to Surfers Sunrise. Here is a man whose life is a veritable journey from the “country traditional” to all the aspects of modern, professional, suburban life. A 4th Generation Australian, Rob went to Boompa State School (6 boys and 8 girls), then to boarding school at Brisbane Boy's College for 2 years. “We would sing ‘God Save the Queen’ at the beginning,” he said. This was followed by the Qld Agricultural College and working at the family farm. His family ran a dairy farm with some 120 milking cows. And, as was strongly recommended at the time, he joined the Army Reserve. “It was that, or you found yourself cleaning out the stables! Ours was a large family – my grandfather had 8 daughters. How come I’m calling all these people Aunties and Uncles? And that is how Queensland got going.”
He married his sweetheart Margo, and moved to the Gold Coast, where together they set up a veterinary business. Joining with three other Veterinarians, they ran four practices. The large influx of young families with their pets resulted in a hugely successful business. People not only brought their cats and dogs for treatment, but their pets also needed to stay overnight. And they would pay $100 to have it ‘put to sleep’! And you couldn’t just pull a hair out of a dog’s ears; it had to be anaesthetised first...
Rob continued entertaining us with humorous tales, but there’s no doubt about his astute business acumen: at the time he retired, the partnership had 8 partners, 4 veterinarians, and 30 nurses.
Rob is the father of our Treasurer, Charles Thomasson. You can read the full talk (not including the humorous parts though) in our Downloads section of our website. Good to have you as a member of Surfers Sunrise Rotary, Rob!
Did you know that Milton Dick, the current Speaker of the Federal Parliament, will speak at the upcoming Tri-District Conference? The them of his speech will be 'Reaching across Boundaries', which just happens to also be the theme of the conference itself. What boundaries? As a professional politician from Brisbane since early age (he joined the Labor Party at 18, and has worked with or in politics his entire working life. Can't wait for the Question Time (if indeed there will be one...).
This will be big. Real big: it will be the first conference where three Districts are combining. And it will be held on the Gold Coast, at the Royal Pines Resort. Yes, total attendance numbers can only be an educated guess. Logically, there is a good chance that there won't be enough seats. Book online - Bookings close on 19th April. Download the Conference Flyeras well as theGolf Flyer (Download Section) for more details, and a link to book. Note: You won't be alone. Several of our members have already booked, including for Saturday night dinner together with their partners.
So, you happen to know the young teenager with potential leadership ability, but no opportunity to "awaken" it?
RYPEN is an excellent program, suitable for your (grand)sons, (grand)daughters and their mates. Among the myriad of youth programs Rotary runs year on year, RYPEN, short for Rotary Youth Program for Enrichment[yes, another Rotary acronym] is designed specifically for the young teenagers who currently attend Year 8, 9 or 10. It is run by our District from 15 - 17 May 2026 in Lennox Head (click on link for details). It is designed to empower candidates to build their self‑concept and resilience, as well as learning life skills such as communication, teamwork, and community responsibility.
Our club has sponsored candidates for this camp numerous times. Let me assure you: we've never had one coming back who was not over the moon. Contact our Youth Services Director, Mitch Brown directly if you know a suitable participant. You've an excellent chance of the club sponsoring it!
As mentioned in the President's Message above, can we raise a team to compete in the Gold Coast Ramble, on 18th April, this year? Check out the poster in the Download files, and contact President Paul directly!
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
A mate of mine drank a bottle of invisible ink. They took him to Emergency. He is still waiting to be seen.
... I wouldn’t want to go there though, it’s an awful country. They cut people’s hands off for theft, and women get stoned for committing adultery. Unlike Britain, where women commit adultery when they get stoned.Jonathan Lynn – Yes Prime Minister
70% of the earth is water, and none of it is carbonated. That means that, in fact, the earth is flat.
Rob recently transferred from another Rotary club to Surfers Sunrise. Here is a man whose life is a veritable journey from the “country traditional” to all the aspects of modern, professional, suburban life. A 4th Generation Australian, Rob went to Boompa State School (6 boys and 8 girls), then to boarding school at Brisbane Boy's College for 2 years. “We would sing ‘God Save the Queen’ at the beginning,” he said. This was followed by the Qld Agricultural College and working at the family farm. His family ran a dairy farm with some 120 milking cows. And, as was strongly recommended at the time, he joined the Army Reserve. “It was that, or you found yourself cleaning out the stables! Ours was a large family – my grandfather had 8 daughters. How come I’m calling all these people Aunties and Uncles? And that is how Queensland got going.” 
Did you know that Milton Dick, the current Speaker of the Federal Parliament, will speak at the upcoming Tri-District Conference? The them of his speech will be 'Reaching across Boundaries', which just happens to also be the theme of the conference itself. What boundaries? As a professional politician from Brisbane since early age (he joined the Labor Party at 18, and has worked with or in politics his entire working life. Can't wait for the Question Time (if indeed there will be one...).
So, you happen to know the young teenager with potential leadership ability, but no opportunity to "awaken" it? 
