4th March 2015 (Mar 01, 2015)

President's Message

Stories

Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA)

Posted by Darrell Brown on May 06, 2015

Good things come to those who volunteer.

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.

Last week's Sergeant - Andy Bell 130515

Posted by Franz Huber on May 16, 2015

Terry O'Shea: not only were you late, but you blamed Geoff Croad for holding you up. And now you have piled on the biggest breakfast I have ever seen...! Darrell Brown, what happened to the fancy socks? Very conservative today! Whereas Angus Miller and Barry Lea are wearing 'Maori Socks'... Bob Harrison, simply because you are here. And you need a barber... Graeme Isaacson, show us your teeth! What, no teeth? Tania Laird - just have a look at our club's Facebook page. Comment after comment... Yet, despite being a Kiwi, she can't pronounce 'Maori' properly... She said it is 'Mouri', like 'mouldy'. Well, your Editor, being Swiss and thus neutral, stayed right out of it...

Do you know any 14 - 16 year old students? Nominate them for RYPEN

Posted by Franz Huber on Apr 11, 2015

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.

Gabrielle Burey reports from Germany - Feb/March 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]

Herzliche Grüße,
Gabrielle Burey

Snippets of last week's meeting 130515

Posted by Franz Huber on May 16, 2015

Geoff Croad was at the door, Darrell Brown was Chairman (for ) and Andy Bell was Sergeant.

We had apologies from Gerald East, Adrian Crowe, Geoff Croad, Des La Rance, Tony Bird, Mario Fairlie and Julian Price.

Vice President Elect Ian Mayberry welcomed all members and announced that the club's Changeover Dinner will be held at Seaworld on 14th June 2015, 12:00 for 12:30 pm. Youth Service Director Chris Thurtell, who is a senior executive with the organization, managed to twist a few arms and arranged a heavy discount: Cost is $50.00 per head. And thus we come into the period when it is time to elect the Rotarian of the Year. Your Editor will arrange for a Survey Monkey poll, where you can place your vote. It will be sent out to members only shortly.

Wheelchair Trust Chairman Daryl Sanderson advised that a container of wheelchairs is bound for Sri Lanka. Further, various bikes were donated, Taree Rotary Club is also coming up with a container, an antique Scooter was received which will be advertised for sale. And - big sigh of relief - Des La Rance is expected back next week!

Simon Brook is organizing a table at the Southport Rotaract Trivia Night on Saturday 30th May (see last week's bulletin). Looks like we are close to have the numbers - contact Simon directly if you want to participate.

DGEN Darrell Brown, in absence of chief organizer Gerald East, needs helpers to sell Suns Horizon raffle tickets at the Suns next game on 23rd May. Meet at 2:15 pm at the gate at Metricon. Game starts at 4:35 where they will meet Collingwood. Collingwood?!? Might have to go over myself...! 'Good ol' Collingwood for eeeeever....! [What?? You accuse me of Blasphemy..? Ed.]

Last week's speaker: Alex Batcu - Man behind the Badge

Posted by Franz Huber on Mar 02, 2015

Alex came to be involved with Rotary when his charming daughter, Maria (Photo on right) applied for selection in the National Youth Science Forum (almost impossible to get into the inner circle, not to mention being selected) and indeed was successful. Maria will be our guest speaker next Wednesday 11th March. Last Wednesday, we were given a bit of an inkling from where Maria got half of her top level Scientists brain from: her father!

How many people do you know who have a double degree? (yeah, a fair number). But how many do you know who have a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and then later in life decided to obtain a degree in Medicine? Well, there you have just one aspect of Alex.

Aleandru Ciubuc-Batcu is his full name. Born in Romania, shortly after his country turned to Communism, deposing its King Michael I. His Grandfather was a Commander of the Romanian Army. He thus took the blame, was sent to a labour camp where he was killed as "an enemy of the people". Yes, Alex doesn't leave any doubt that Mr Nicolae Ceausescu, Romania's Dictatorship ruler from 1965 to the end of his reign in 1989, is not his favourite person. When one considers the hardship he, his family and his country have gone through, Alex displays a remarkable control over his emotions. And since Rotary is not about politics, let's concentrate on his achievements: Lenin's motto of "Learn - Learn - Learn" went well with Alex's overall attitude (and aptitude). School was extremely harsh and discipline was enforced in every way (inclusive physical punishment if you didn't present your home work the next day). But the psychological pressure would go beyond that: non-performers had to repeat their class, "and this would bring big shame onto the family".

But 'learn - learn - learn' he did: Alex studied Mechanical Engineering, which consisted not just the expected subjects, but also Chemistry, Biology, Architecture, Art. "Being an Engineer requires you to be able to do everything, to create" he stated. He worked at a manufacturing plant of some 20,000 workers where they manufactured Locomotives. The Party established the targets: 1,000 Locos per year... [no further comment. Just read 1984 by George Orwell. - Ed]. Alex ultimately specialized in designing Simulators for all sorts of applications. For example, he constructed a simulator to test petrol tanks to see how much it took to make them burst. Later on, in a rather unexpected departure from 'the line so far', he followed this up with a degree in Medicine - Yes! Medical Doctor. And, if you consider how totally different the Romanian language is to English, one can't help to be impressed by Alex's adoption of our language.

Ultimately, in 1989, the Communist State failed. "The transition time was very hard - we didn't know what was Democracy". Alex ran an automotive parts plant with some 300 employees. However, gradually he came to the realization that "I love Romania, but this country doesn't want me". He decided to emigrate, first to New Zealand (2002) and in 2011 came to Australia. And, as the saying goes, the rest is history. Or is it? [I have no doubt that there would be another dozen 'Man behind the Badge' presentation in Alex without once repeating himself. I look forward to it. Ed.]

Last week's Sergeant - Andy Bell 040315

Posted by Franz Huber on Mar 08, 2015

Mario Fairlie's selfless sacrifice of coming in to fulfill his duty as Chairman of the meeting despite him suffering "Man Flu" attracted the Sergeant's attention... Visitor Julian Price: Hanging around Gerald East makes you look a lot taller than you really are... Gerald East looks like Durante [whoever he is - I googled it and it came up with Andrew Durante - see picture on right... Ed.]

Darrell Brown's floral shirt (well, at least the cuffs) is emulated by his disciple Simon Brook... Doug Lipp is NOT sitting at the top table?? Why not? [He deliberately sat on another table so he wouldn't get fined...] Alex Batcu moved in with a bottle of Ballantines Whiskey, and then when I joined the table he moved to another table... Chris Thurtell lived it up, skiing in Japan for a week... John Franich, for an accountant you have a remarkable affinity for figures: if the cost of a meal is $26, and somebody gives you $51, how much is the change?? And Franz Huber, if you don't know who Durante is... [sorry, if you meant Jimmy Durante: he would have been well before my time. I'm not even 70 yet! Ed.]

Rotary District 9640 Conference 2015 f

Posted by Franz Huber

http://www.findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/display/person60295

	It is starting two weeks after Easter. And it is held in Goondiwindi, so it is certainly a conference with a difference just from its location alone. As always, there will be top level speakers. For example:

Damien Fitzgerald

Damien was educated at Downlands College, JCU/UQ (Biomedical Science). He is now a grazier with partner Jenny in the Somerset region, Damien and Jenny run a small, but ever expanding Boutique Meats business from their cattle property, “Castell Park” named after Damien’s Grandfather.
Damien has extensive international military and civilian management experience across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, most recently saw tenure in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan for a year and a half as Country Manager of a global project company.
Damien’s 25 years of security and program management experience stems from a combination of military operations, disaster relief program consultancy and security/safety management in both private and government sectors.
His service with 6 Battalion RAR, and his long association with the military in a number of war zones has been the catalyst for his involvement with his local RSL and the “Mates for Mates” Program.
Mates4Mates provides physical and psychological rehabilitation for current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members who are wounded, injured or ill. We also support the families of these Brave Mates. Mates4Mates is independent, apolitical and non-religious.
Mates4Mates provides holistic rehabilitation programs designed to provide realistic challenges to all participants, with objectives to "stretch" them both physically and psychologically. Families also require practical and emotional support. We're always there when needed, ensuring that our service personnel and their families receive the highest possible level of care and assistance they deserve.