President Kerrie also wrote on 12 June: 

Hi everyone,

Weekly meeting comments

Looks like I’m first to start the conversation about this week’s meeting material (or am I last because I’ve read my emails backwards?). Please join in when you can so that we know that you are engaging with Rotary, fellow members and it gives Brian an idea of what you are interested in and where you are. You can use email (reply all) or our Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/eclublatitude38 . The latter is a closed page so you will need an invitation.

Welcome home Ian and Laurel. We’re looking forward to hearing a bit more about your adventure. Russ, I can’t imagine moving my life to 3 suitcases or living out of them pending the final unpack. Best wishes for the final move.  

On your behalf I have written to Secretary Daniel and President Suraphon of RC Bangkok to send a Rotary greeting and share with them a little about our club.

As regards this week’s material Brian has, as usual, mixed it up a bit for us. The material for new members was good both for new members and as a refresher for those of us who have been around a while. RC Bangkok looks an interesting club with 92 members from 24 nationalities. There were some parallels between what they do and clubs locally do which came as a surprise to me. Don’t know what I was expecting but not Peace through Music Charity concerts, reforestation activities and vocational mentoring for young people about to leave school. The Rotary Stories video was great – what a Rotary Scholarship can do! Thanks Tom for the video of the eagle. I’ve watched it a few times now and still think its brilliant.

For the good of Rotary and the Club

Firstly welcome to Deanne Smith. Deanne has an inspirational Rotary story which we hope she will share with us some time. It’s good to have you as part of our club and still within the Rotary family.

I  will be looking to set up a Board and committees to lead the club and champion the projects we have on the list and any others members would like to put forward for consideration. If you could give some thought to what you want and can be involved in that would be great. I don’t need to know just yet but do need to have you thinking about it in readiness for our Charter. We have 16 confirmed members and are hopeful of having the requisite 20 soon. Nominations  / suggestions welcome.

Ian has sent me (thanks Ian) the general list of material for the “Kits for Kids” packs I’ve attached for information as reference for those interested and willing to help on this project. (The information is above).

..and on 8 June Ian Sayers wrote from Cape York:

We’re back, safe and sound, from what was a truly memorable trip.  I’ve managed to catch up with this week’s meeting, but first something I learned very recently, last Friday in fact.  There is a Rotary Club of Thursday Island.  We arrived on Thursday Island, very appropriately, last Thursday.  We arrived on the 8.00 am ferry from Seisia, having had a very early start at Punsand Bay.  The roads are dreadful and it had taken almost two hours to travel  the 30 odd km from Punsand Bay.  We did a tour of Thursday Island, had lunch, and then had “free time” until dinner.  Laurel and I went to the Cultural Centre, the historic Anglican Church, and then to the shops.   What really annoys me is that I’d picked up a local paper, the “Torres Times”  I think it was called, but hadn’t read it.  I did after breakfast the next morning , when we were on our way to Horn Island, and found an advert for the local Rotary club which met at 7,.00 am that morning – by then it was just before 9.00 am.  So, I didn’t get to the meeting.  The Club has a Facebook page that I’ve now visited. 

Great trip.  Incredible scenery.  Lots of great wildlife.  As I’ve already said, dreadful roads, but all worth it.

PDG Ian Sayers on Australia's Northern Tip

The D’Lisa Simmons story is like the story of so many Rotarians: quite inspiring.  What she had done with the blind lass, Evelyn, in Nicaragua, was very special.  How about the eagle’s  flight?  I liked the bit where the eagle folded it’s wings and virtually dropped the last couple of hundred metres to its handler.  

Thanks Kerrie and Ian for your comments.