Our Christmas in July meeting attracted a wonderful turnout of members and guests, making for a fun-filled evening of fellowship, laughter and festive spirit.
A special thank you goes to my wife, Allison, for the tremendous effort she put into arranging the room decorations, table settings and coordinating the evening's five Christmas-themed activities.
The evening began with 'Twas the Night Before Christmas – Santa Sack Pass the Parcel, an entertaining left and right game that quickly had the room filled with laughter and good humour. Each table had one parcel containing a special prize for the lucky winner.
Guests then worked together in teams to complete a 12-question Christmas Quiz, encouraging plenty of discussion, teamwork and friendly competition.
Every guest received a Christmas Bonbon, each containing a numbered line from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas’. Together, everyone read the story aloud in sequence, with some wonderful storytelling performances adding to the festive atmosphere.
The evening concluded with everyone enthusiastically singing three favourite Christmas songs:
· Jingle Bell Rock
· Silent Night
· We Wish You a Merry Christmas
A sincere thank you also goes to Kouma for preparing a delicious Christmas-themed dinner, including personally carving slices of roast ham for each guest as they made their way through the buffet.
Thank you to all our members who invited guests to attend and helped make the evening such a success.
Members' Welfare
Our thoughts are with Harold Busch, who has recently undergone knee replacement surgery. We wish Harold a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back at the club soon.
Sister Club News
Neil Jones advised members that the Rotary Club of Kasaoka's 70th Anniversary Celebrations are now expected to be held over 16–18 April 2027.
Neil also advised that our other Three-Way Sister Club, Tauranga, New Zealand, will be attending the celebrations. Members are encouraged to begin planning now so that Broadbeach can be well represented at this significant event.
First Board meeting
Our first Board meeting of the new Rotary year has been held, and minutes will be posted on the website once they are approved at the next Board meeting to be held on the 4th August.
Club Culture & Membership Workshop
On Friday, 10 July, I attended a four-hour Club Culture & Membership Workshop.
Although the workshop was originally designed for the District Rotary Community Leaders & Development Team and the District Membership Committee, it was opened to additional members.
One of Rotary's priorities this year is helping clubs become places where people genuinely want to belong. The workshop provided many practical management and membership ideas, and I also had the opportunity to spend part of the day with District Governor Deb Frugtniet and PDG Tim Keeler.
District Governor's Visit
Our District Governor, Deb Frugtniet, will visit our club on 17 November.
Members can look forward to hearing Deb's inspiring address as she shares the district's priorities for the year ahead, discusses opportunities for clubs to work together, and outlines how we can make this Rotary year our best yet.
Overall, our Christmas in July evening was a tremendous success, combining fellowship, fun, laughter and great food. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making it such a memorable night.
Our next meeting 4th August.
Yours in Rotary Service,
Ron
Ron & Allison leading the Xmas Fun & Games Allison presents Bill with a lucky door prize
