Greetings, fellow members, associate members and friends of Surfers Sunrise Rotary,
Last week I had the opportunity to address fellow Rotarians on the year ahead. It became apparent at this year’s changeover what a great club we have, whether it be Rotarians, partners or volunteers. I aim to continue this, especially after what PP Andy and his team achieved last year.
Whilst acknowledging Rotary International’s theme for 2025-26 is “Unite for Good”, I would like our club’s theme for this year to be one of ‘Participation’ – the action of taking part. Namely:
Participation with Local Community
Participation and engagement by all Rotarians
Greater participation and engagement with partners
A special thank you this week must go out to our associate member Rick Old who organised the Channel 9 ‘A Current Affair’ interview with Des La Rance (see link below), which aired on Saturday night. No sooner had the interview been completed, donations to the Wheelchairs started to come in. Well done, Rick!
Due to renovation work commencing shortly at the Surf Club, the upstairs area will not be available for exclusive use. Thus, Graeme Isaacson has organised for our next formal meeting on 23rd July to be relocated to the TRYP Hotel (where we had the Changeover Luncheon). The Lutzy Award, originally scheduled for the 6th August, will be moved to a new date to be advised.
As part of our new community services portfolio, we will open our own 'School Mates' program, engaging with local School Principals, to assist students in need. Ian Mayberry enthusiastically agreed to head up a team of fellow Rotarians to get this under way.
Remember, don’t put off till tomorrow what can be done today.
This coming Wednesday we'll have our usual Social Meeting at the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club. We understand that major renovations are planned for the downstairs bistro, but we don't know at this stage when it will start. So, if you can't find us downstairs, look upstairs for us (where the public will be directed to as well). Usual time: 07:00 am onwards.
On Saturday night, Channel 9's A Current Affair screened an update on our Wheelchair Project, 28 years after the first screening in August 1997. Click on this link to view it on the Channel 9 Website. If you would like to contribute too, our website
has facilities to donate bikes, time or money. Or send us an email to info@wheelchairtrust.org.au. Donations to our Wheelchair Project in consequence to the broadcast have been substantial.I'll provide a more detailed update as time goes on, and by the time we have our Social Meeting this Wednesday, we'll have more specific results.
Oh, and very important: It was of course our volunteer (and former member of Surfers Sunrise) Rick Old, who deserves a special mention: It was Rick who contacted A Current Affair to get this big ball rolling! Thank you, Rick!
Last Wednesday, at our first ‘formal’ club meeting of the new Rotary year, our new President Paul Seymour ran a Club Assembly, outlining his plans for 2025-26. Paul stated that his theme for the year is ‘Participation’. It doesn’t get more straightforward than this: every member is expected to be active in the various activities. There are plenty to choose from: Paul circulated a list of members for everyone to indicate their preferences. Here are the major changes:
Wheelchair Project:Geoff Croad agreed to continue heading our keynote project; however, Geoff made it quite clear that he wants to hand over to someone else. Whilst Wheelchairs have gone strong, he foreshadowed a potential for some strong competition when the lease of the Project Shed comes up for renewal again. Thus, the ongoing viability of this project depends on proper planning and execution.
New Directorship:Community Services. Rock O’Keefe will head this. It encompasses liaison with the PCYC, where we have now been active for the last two years, liaison with Fundraising Director Ross Augustine in respect to the Containers for Cash program (where a number of major donors, such as High-rise buildings, demand the proceeds to be spent locally).
Community Services also incorporates a major sub-division: School Mates. Ian Mayberry will head this new program. A couple of months ago (May 2025), John Walters from the RC of Goonellabah visited our club to speak about this program that was instigated by his club. Read about his presentation – click here. Past President Andy Bell is very enthusiastic to get this program up and running quickly.
The other major directorships of Fundraising (Ross Augustine), Membership (now headed by Doug Lipp), Youth Services (now headed by Mitch Brown), Rotary Foundation (Dr Elizabeth Celi) and Club Administration (Franz Huber) will continue as before.
At yesterday's meeting, (now Past) President Andy Bell awarded our Wheelchair Trust Chairman Geoff Croad with his 5th Paul Harris Fellowship. Geoff was regrettably unable to be present at last Sunday's Changeover Luncheon, where traditionally these awards are presented. Traditionally nick-named "Minister for Everything" Geoff is our current Wheelchair Trust Chairman. Since taking on the job, he took our keynote project from strength to strength.
Do you have a current Class C drivers license, and are reasonably fit for your age? At our Wheelchair Project factory, we need people to assist in the collection of discarded bicycles from various places on the Gold Coast. We do have a ute and a large trailer (by the way, a large trailer is much easier to reverse than a small one - training provided if you have never done it) - we just need somebody to drive it and/or help with loading and unloading the bikes. The shed operates every Wednesday and Saturday morning (either or both - no specific commitment required, and you still will have time to come to our meetings. However, alternative days could be arranged.
Interested? Contact our Wheelchair Trust Chair Geoff Croad directly (click here to email, or call him on his mobile).
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
I'm a big believer in putting things off. In fact, I even put off procrastinating. [Think again. It's not what you think it says... Ed.]
Tolerance will reach such a level that intelligent people will be banned from thinking so as to not offend the imbeciles.Fyodor Dostoyevski, Russian author
My wife caught me on the bathroom scales, sucking in my stomach.
“That’s not going to help!” she chided me.
“It sure does! It’s the only way I can see the numbers.”
This coming Wednesday we'll have our usual Social Meeting at the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club. We understand that major renovations are planned for the downstairs bistro, but we don't know at this stage when it will start. So, if you can't find us downstairs, look upstairs for us (where the public will be directed to as well). Usual time: 07:00 am onwards.
On Saturday night, Channel 9's A Current Affair screened an update on our Wheelchair Project, 28 years after the first screening in August 1997. Click on this link to view it on the
Last Wednesday, at our first ‘formal’ club meeting of the new Rotary year, our new President Paul Seymour ran a Club Assembly, outlining his plans for 2025-26. Paul stated that his theme for the year is ‘Participation’. It doesn’t get more straightforward than this: every member is expected to be active in the various activities. There are plenty to choose from: Paul circulated a list of members for everyone to indicate their preferences. Here are the major changes:
At yesterday's meeting, (now Past) President Andy Bell awarded our Wheelchair Trust Chairman Geoff Croad with his 5th Paul Harris Fellowship. Geoff was regrettably unable to be present at last Sunday's Changeover Luncheon, where traditionally these awards are presented. Traditionally nick-named "Minister for Everything" Geoff is our current Wheelchair Trust Chairman. Since taking on the job, he took our keynote project from strength to strength.
Do you have a current Class C drivers license, and are reasonably fit for your age? At our Wheelchair Project factory, we need people to assist in the collection of discarded bicycles from various places on the Gold Coast. We do have a ute and a large trailer (by the way, a large trailer is much easier to reverse than a small one - training provided if you have never done it) - we just need somebody to drive it and/or help with loading and unloading the bikes. The shed operates every Wednesday and Saturday morning (either or both - no specific commitment required, and you still will have time to come to our meetings. However, alternative days could be arranged. 
