I am told that the Presidents Reports need to be informative and motivational, fair enough. Speaking with various Past Presidents to a person they list writing this message every week and making it interesting is the probably the most taxing part of being President. When I accepted the role, albeit at very short notice, to be the President of the Rotary Club of Surfers Sunrise I promised to myself I would never have the dreaded ‘No Presidents Message to report’ in the bulletin. So far so good.
Informative bit. --
1. If you don't hurry up and register for the number 1 event of the year ( no not the Comm Game), the District 9640 Conference, you will end up with your nose pressed up against the window watching everyone else having a great time without you . It starts on the 9 March.
2. Pride of Workmanship Awards. Instead of our normal Breakfast Meeting on February 21 we are having a Dinner Meeting at the Surfers Paradise RSL It will be a great night and is a wonderful way for our club to interact with the local business community.
Motivational bit. -- Be nice to each other [or I'll tell father when he comes back from work! ☺ Ed].
May go back to my normal rambling next week, will be interested in any feedback. --just sayin
This coming Wednesday 21st November, we'll have a visit from a South Australian e-Club member, who will outline how our wheelchairs are making a difference in their activities. See you there! Remember: new venue at the Pavilion Restaurant, Southport Surf Life Saving Club.
If you were to meet Jane Rushton in an every day environment such as a social gathering, you would be perfectly excused to simply assess her as an elegant, impeccably dressed and well spoken lady. That is exactly where your mind would be tricked... You see, some 25 years ago, Jane was told by her doctors that, even if she was to recover, she would never again walk on an uneven surface. For a dedicated athlete (Jane had competed in Triathlon), a life sentence.
In 1992 Jane was a victim in a horrendous road crash. "Nearly every bone in my face was broken, my leg was shattered" she explains. "When my parents came to visit me at the hospital, they couldn't recognize me; I had to hold up my hand". She also lost the iris lens from her left eye as the cornea had opened.
Since then, she underwent some 18 major operations and of course uncounted hours of therapy. The highlight of her road to recovery: replacing her original artificial eye, she received one with a hand painted iris, lens and corneal transplant which is undetectable. Even now, her voice still slightly cracks up with emotion when she talks about it. Whilst this might have put her on the road to a remarkable physical recovery, there is always the much harder side of mental recovery. "I chose to change my thinking" Jane explained, "instead of being a victim, I chose to make my life wonderful. What you think is what you feel. Step back and re-evaluate". Sound easy, doesn't it? Well, perhaps not. But her experience motivated her to also help others and to this effect she has written a book: Click on this link:'Mind Tricks - 5 Easy Steps'. A second volume 'I lost my face' will be published in 2018. Jane is also on the International Speaker circuit - go to http://www.mindtricksbooks.com/events/ for details of her next major engagement, a 3 day Retreat in Hamner Springs, New Zealand.
I've uploaded a video which beautifully outlines what Rotary is all about. Go on, have a look at it. It's only a bit over 2 minutes, but very well done. Go to this link to view it:
The Angus & Virginia Miller clan has a new heirloom: a ticket belonging to their family was the winning entry for Kerrie Brown's hand embroidered pillow. Kerrie selected ROMAC – Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children as her 'District Governor's Partner Project'. ROMAC flies severely disfigured or injured children to Australia for surgery. All work by the surgeons and volunteers is provided at no charge. Now you normally expect District Governors to ask for money. This time expect the unexpected. We are giving you something for money. Fair deal? I hope so. Kerrie is aiming to raise $25,000 for an operation to save the life of a child. We call it “Stitches for Stitches”. She has made 54 embroidered cushions - one for every club in the district. Every one is unique. There are 10 hours minimum in each cushion and about $50 of material.
With great sadness we have to inform you that our member Clive Edwards has recently succumbed to his grave illness. His funeral was last Friday. Clive had been a member of the Rotary Club of Young NSW, before moving to the Gold Coast and joining Surfers Sunrise this year. Our heartfelt condolences go to Clive's wife Margaret and the family. Rest in Peace.
Ray Higgs was at the door, Graeme Isaacson was Chairman and Ian Mayberry was Sergeant.
We had apologies from Tania Laird, Gerald East, Mario Fairlie, Des La Rance and Rosie McIntyre.
President Andy Bell welcomed all members and visitors: Angus Miller's better half Virginia and his niece Angela, David Blackmore (guest of Al Sirovs) and Andy's guest, shortly to be inducted as a member, Jim Blackburn. Regrettably, Andy also had to impart sad news that two great Rotarians had passed away: Last Tuesday, Past District Governor Anne Egan (RC of Mt Warning AM, Murwillumbah) as well as our member Clive Edwards, who joined our club a couple of years ago, have succumbed to their illness. Our heartfelt condolences go to their families. Andy expressed his thanks to the helpers on the previous Friday, where a major clean-up was underway. Special thanks to Jim Blackburn, who rolled up with his trailer.
Secretary Mark Twyford foreshadowed an upcoming Board Meeting, as well as the District Conference Committee meeting. Mark also announced that we have been successful in obtaining a grant of $2,000 from the Gold Coast City Council.
Wheelchairs Trust Chairman Daryl Sanderson provided the results of his mathematical skills: he got a recent donation to The Shed of 82 Kg of ring tops from aluminium cans (!!). Careful weighing determined that there are 3,200 per kilo, which translates into a staggering total of 262,400. At an average of $45.00 for a slab, they therefore represented $393,615 worth of beer... [buuuuurp... ☺ Ed.] On a more business related issue: A container full of wheelchairs will leave for Pakistan in a couple of days.
Fundraising Director Doug Lipp is organizing a raffle for Kerrie Brown's cushion (see separate article). Also, the winner of the major raffle prize organized by Rosie McIntyre for a holiday on Fiji has been offered for re-raffle. Watch this space.
Donations in Kind (Northern Region) Chief Col Laurensen reported that so far some 23 containers of goods had been sent to various locations, whilst Larry Murray reported on the previous Sunday's visit to the Gold Coast University Hospital. In total some 50 Rotarians from our District were present. The extent of the facility can be estimated by its budget: $1,400,000,000 per annum! Your editor Franz Huber bragged about his recent acceptance into a research program at Griffith University (as a "guinea pig"): the aim is to prove that regular, very moderate exercise will improve bone density. Researcher Amy Harding is still looking for more participants. See separate article.
(Chairman) Graeme Isaacson: You forgot the most important segment of the morning, the Sergeant's session! Ray Higgs, sitting with all your friends? [No, after collecting the money at the door, there simply wasn't any free seat available at one of the other tables...] Angus Miller, great to see you family coming along to provide support... visitor David Blackmore: Some time ago, David raced a Volvo. Tipping it upside - down only proved that the car is very safe... Paul Seymour, would you like me to reveal your story, or do you just want to give us some money? Larry Murray, no use complaining about the payroll at The Shed! District Governor Darrell Brown came to Lismore for his DG's visit to the local club. Arriving at the Worker's Club, he could not believe how popular he had become in just 4 months: some 400 people were outside. Regrettably, it turned out that his visit coincided with the High School's formal... Daryl Sanderson, listening to your dissertation on the mathematics of can tops, you obviously have too much time on your hands... Mark Twyford, just where is Stapleton again..? And your editor was clobbered because the Sergeant wasn't able to understand whatever he explained about the Griffith Uni research program. [Well, the sophistication of the English language eludes some of us...]
In some accounts of lying there is no lie unless a false statement is made; in others a person may be lying even if the statement he makes is true, as long as he himself believes that the statement is false and intends by making it to deceive.
"I'm supposed to be a Great Wizard." "And aren't you?" Dorothy asked. "Not a bit of it, my dear; I'm just a common man." "You're more than that," said the Scarecrow, in a grieved tone; "you're a humbug."
L Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz
Why pay money to have your family tree traced; go into politics and your opponents will do it for you. Mark Twain
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If you were to meet Jane Rushton in an every day environment such as a social gathering, you would be perfectly excused to simply assess her as an elegant, impeccably dressed and well spoken lady. That is exactly where your mind would be tricked... You see, some 25 years ago, Jane was told by her doctors that, even if she was to recover, she would never again walk on an uneven surface. For a dedicated athlete (Jane had competed in Triathlon), a life sentence.
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The Angus & Virginia Miller clan has a new heirloom: a ticket belonging to their family was the winning entry for Kerrie Brown's hand embroidered pillow. Kerrie selected ROMAC – 
With great sadness we have to inform you that our member Clive Edwards has recently succumbed to his grave illness. His funeral was last Friday. Clive had been a member of the Rotary Club of Young NSW, before moving to the Gold Coast and joining Surfers Sunrise this year. Our heartfelt condolences go to Clive's wife Margaret and the family. Rest in Peace..JPG)
(Chairman) Graeme Isaacson: You forgot the most important segment of the morning, the Sergeant's session! Ray Higgs, sitting with all your friends? [No, after collecting the money at the door, there simply wasn't any free seat available at one of the other tables...] Angus Miller, great to see you family coming along to provide support... visitor David Blackmore: Some time ago, David raced a Volvo. Tipping it upside - down only proved that the car is very safe... Paul Seymour, would you like me to reveal your story, or do you just want to give us some money? Larry Murray, no use complaining about the payroll at The Shed! District Governor Darrell Brown came to Lismore for his DG's visit to the local club. Arriving at the Worker's Club, he could not believe how popular he had become in just 4 months: some 400 people were outside. Regrettably, it turned out that his visit coincided with the High School's formal... Daryl Sanderson, listening to your dissertation on the mathematics of can tops, you obviously have too much time on your hands... Mark Twyford, just where is Stapleton again..? And your editor was clobbered because the Sergeant wasn't able to understand whatever he explained about the Griffith Uni research program. 
