By the time you read this our intrepid travellers/volunteers will be well and truly settled into Samoan life.
I had to mortgage the family home to pay for the extortion masquerading as ‘Parking fees” when I ventured to Brisbane International airport to bid our wonderful volunteers ‘bon voyage’.
To say they were exited would be an understatement. The pupils and teachers from the 4 schools looked terrific in matching shirts, with the project and their names proudly displayed.
From our side Rosie, our project leader, was resplendent, looking like a young Katherine Hepburn and oozing calm authority.
I am sure everyone will have the time of their lives and to show it will not all be hard work, our builder had his surfboard under his arm with the cover housing his tools and clothes. We did tell him to check it for foreign matter, but he assured us all it was a surfboard and not a ‘boogy board’.
Pleased to report, our Editor, young Franz and his lovely wife Catherine have survived the wilds of Europe and returned to the warm and safe embrace of the Gold Coast and the Rotary Club of Surfers Sunrise. Welcome home.
Siànte.
Andrew Bell
President, 2017-18
(Picture above: Rosie McIntyre with some of the participants. Picture by President Andy)
Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2018-19. He will be declared the president-elect on 1 September if no challenging candidates have been suggested.
Rassin’s nomination follows Sam F. Owori’s death in July, just two weeks into his term as Rotary International president-elect.
This coming Wednesday 26th July,"our" District Governor Darrell Brown and his charming wife Kerrie will conduct the official District Governor's visit to our club. Darrell will outline his views and his goals for the coming year, Kerrie will outline her "District Governor's Partner" project - ROMAC. See you there!
Afterwards: Can you help build the School for Samoa at The Shed? From 09:00 am onwards. Also on Friday and Saturday morning from 07:00 am
Our Youth Services Director (and Sergeant) Tania Laird organized a super Sausage Sizzle last Sunday at Bunnings, with over $1,250 raised to help finance Rotary's many worthwhile projects. Your Editor was there for the second session of the morning, and by midday we had run out of sausages! I went shopping, bought another 18 dozen, and then we run out again an hour later... And would you believe, by 2 pm we sent Tania to go and buy yet some more! Many thanks to all the helpers on the day: "Onion King" Angus Miller, Ray Higgs, Mitch Brown, Geoff Croad (double shift), Fred Hamblin, Gerald East, Doug Lipp, Tania Laird, Adrian Crowe. But a special thank you goes to Ken Hermann and his charming young daughter Lauren. Thank you for volunteering with Surfers Sunrise Rotary! The picture above shows Ken and Lauren serving one of the many happy customers we had on the day. Lauren studies at St Hilda's, a school which our club is well associated with through the international Youth Exchange Program.
Last Saturday 22th July, the team at The Shed, led by Des La Rance, together with a group of students from the Northern Collegiate of High Schools, including Helensvale, Coombabah, Coomera High Schools, were interviewed by Channel 7 (see picture above, by Al Sirovs). The segment featured on Saturday evening's Gold Coast News. To view it, click on this link: https://www.facebook.com/840702249361798/videos/1348880745210610/
The school is almost completed and just about ready to be disassembled and stacked into a container, to be shipped to Apia, Samoa, where it will be re-constructed in September. Our team from Surfers Sunrise will be joined by a group of students from various schools from the Northern Collegiate, who have worked hard to raise funds - yes, the conventional way: movie nights, sausage sizzles... Next time somebody gives you a whinge along the lines of "today's youth just aren't the same anymore", point them to this link: https://www.facebook.com/NCprojectsamoa/
Des La Rance needs a few able bodies to help him if the Samoa School is to be completed on time, then to be dismantled to be loaded into the container. He is at The Shed (off Napper Road) the following times when he needs help.
Every Wednesday 9-12pm (after club meetings)
Every Friday 8-12pm
Every Saturday 7.30-12pm
Feel free to rope in friends and family as well! If you need more details you can phone Des on 0413 704 954 for more information. You don't need to have any special skills!
Gerald East was at the door (for Chris Thurtell), Ross Smith was Chairman and Tania Laird was Sergeant.
We had apologies from DG Darrell Brown, Des La Rance, Bob Harrison, Chris Thurtell.
President Andy Bell welcomed all members, visitors and guests: Col Laurenson (shortly to join our club), partners and family of some of our club members: Beverley Crowe, Peg Seymour, Sue Smith and her grandson Nelson, Allan (Tania Laird's partner), Margaret East. Andy briefly alluded to the recently held Australasian Order of Old Bastards (AOOB) luncheon, to which Mario Fairliedonated a bottle of 1990 Grange Hermitage for auction. We are awaiting news on how much it fetched - it is one of the rarer and better vintage of this top level label!
Daryl Sanderson proudly announced that his son Mitchell had successfully survived the 'Run with the Bulls' while visiting Spain... Foundation Director Gerald East distributed coin collection boxes for The Rotary Foundation, Secretary Mark Twyford remined Board Members of the upcoming meeting. Fundraising Director Doug Lipp confirmed the members who signed up for the Bunnings Sausage Sizzle (see separate report above), and Membership Director Paul Seymour announced that we expect two new members to be inducted shortly, with a potential further two in the pipeline.
Services Director Rosie McIntyre brought us up to date on the status of the School for Samoa: The container was expected to arrive on Friday, all the legal agreements have been finalized, the Volunteer's Applications are all completed and checked (except one), and Channel Seven will visit The Shed on Saturday (see separate report above).
Jo Gorman, in her capacity as Chair of the 2018 District Conference gave us an update - all systems go, registrations are now open (except for Credit Card facilities; we are awaiting the Software House to sort out a bug). You can pay by Direct Deposit. If you require accommodation, it is advisable to do this soon: the conference is shortly before the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Book via the District Website at this link: http://www.rotary9640conference.org.au/
Mario Fairlie's got a new toy... no, not another Mercedes, he is wearing it on his wrist: his new Dick Tracy Watch... And Mark Twyford owned up to wearing one himself! [for those of you who have been born after the 40's and 50's, see picture on the right. But look at the size of the thing! At the time of the Dick Tracy Comic Strips, the mere idea of talking to your watch was considered totally preposterous. Ed.] Andy Bell is gradually getting used to now be subject to being fined himself: was caught in his white Lexus reverse parking, and forward, and reverse, and forward... Gerald East (who was on the door), how do you spell 'Al'? Sue Smith, how could you possibly make your grandson pay for his dinner himself?? (Chairman) Robert Smith, not a good idea to forget the Sergeant's table when you called for announcements! Daryl Sanderson, guess who will participate in the Commonwealth Games 2018? [I have it from high authority that it won't be in the 100 metres sprint, though. Ed]Jo Gorman, you are gorgeous helping out! Col Laurenson - something about a Pathology test? Providing a very smelly, messy sample?
Crossfine by Adrian Crowe to Sergeant: Now, who was the winning team again at last week's State of Origin?
“While we do our good works let us not forget that the real solution lies in a world in which charity will have become unnecessary.” ― Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah
“تبسمك في وجه أخيك صدقة، وأمرك بالمعروف صدقة ونهيك عن المنكر صدقة، وإرشادك الرجل في أرض الضلال لك صدقة، ونصرك الرجل الرديء البصر لك صدقة، وإماطتك الحجر والشوك العظم عن الطريق لك صدقة Smiling in your brother’s face is an act of charity. So is enjoining good and forbidding evil, giving directions to the lost traveller, aiding the blind and removing obstacles from the path.
Ibn Hajar and al-Albani: Hidaayat-ur-Ruwaah, 2/293)
This coming Wednesday 26th July, "our" District Governor Darrell Brown and his charming wife Kerrie will conduct the official District Governor's visit to our club. Darrell will outline his views and his goals for the coming year, Kerrie will outline her "District Governor's Partner" project - ROMAC. See you there!.JPG)
Our Youth Services Director (and Sergeant) Tania Laird organized a super Sausage Sizzle last Sunday at Bunnings, with over $1,250 raised to help finance Rotary's many worthwhile projects. Your Editor was there for the second session of the morning, and by midday we had run out of sausages! I went shopping, bought another 18 dozen, and then we run out again an hour later... And would you believe, by 2 pm we sent Tania to go and buy yet some more! Many thanks to all the helpers on the day: "Onion King" Angus Miller, Ray Higgs, Mitch Brown, Geoff Croad (double shift), Fred Hamblin, Gerald East, Doug Lipp, Tania Laird, Adrian Crowe. But a special thank you goes to Ken Hermann and his charming young daughter Lauren. Thank you for volunteering with Surfers Sunrise Rotary! The picture above shows Ken and Lauren serving one of the many happy customers we had on the day. Lauren studies at St Hilda's, a school which our club is well associated with through the international Youth Exchange Program.
Last Saturday 22th July, the team at The Shed, led by Des La Rance, together with a group of students from the 
of you who have been born after the 40's and 50's, see picture on the right. But look at the size of the thing! At the time of the Dick Tracy Comic Strips, the mere idea of talking to your watch was considered totally preposterous. Ed.] 