Becoming a Rotarian has been a long distance sprint for me, jumping a few hurdles, but keeping focused on the end result.  Raised in Ottawa Ontario Canada, daughter of a keen Rotarian (my dad, not my mom…..) and a very supportive Rotarian spouse (my mom, not my dad….) I grew up with the Rotarian magazine on the coffee table. At every Rotary event I was my Dad’s offsider, except at the events where I was needed as my Mom’s offsider, making sandwiches for everyone!    Rotary involvement in those formative years can be credited for many of the skills and interests that have shaped my adult life. From community involvement I have gained as much as I have given. The friendships are immeasurable, the hangovers are many, the business relationships enhanced.

Never content to follow a traditional path I chose an American University to study Hotel and Restaurant administration where I was the first woman graduate. For the next years I enjoyed the corporate life of sales in marketing in major hotel chains in Canada, and finished that career working for an International hotel in London England

 

Phase two, Hugh the Englishman walked into my life which was the start of years of entrepreneurial adventures.  In the beginning all ideas had to fit into my desire to have kids, be available to them and yet not give up being active in business.  The family part of the plan worked, not all of the businesses did! The success came when we realized that we both had very different skills. When you add detailed, analytical, practical (Hugh), to my ability to humor staff, suppliers, banks and clients we had a winning combination.

One successful  JV was an ice cream bicycle vending business.  As Hugh would be telling me to take equipment out of service, I would be sending them out in a rain storm!  The result was years of incredible sales which always qualified us for annual company paid Caribbean holidays.

Building our final business together was the most rewarding. In the early eighties when interest rates reached 20% we were fortunate to sell a restaurant that we had built. Cash in hand and unemployed we saw a small house close to a major university that a bank wanted to off load. Without much thought we bought it and Hugh undertook a small renovation to make it rentable a month before a semester start. We quickly realized there was a demand for quality housing for students and started buying old buildings.  Over the years, thanks to Hugh’s talents as a designer and builder we built many purpose build student residence complexes. My role was the frontline management of tenants, and day to day operations. We became a major landlord in the city with a reputation for the best quality and location of buildings.

During that time the unimaginable happened, women were allowed into Rotary!  My credentials were impeccable…..a business owner, active in the community, plus the bonus that I could make sandwiches! Hugh, already a Rotarian, passed the fireside chat by swearing to be a supportive Rotary Andy. I enjoyed ten years as a member of Cataraqui Rotary Club in Kingston Ontario, the first few years as the only woman.

                                                                          

At the age of fifty, it’s time for a midlife crisis, or a midlife change, we chose the latter. Our two daughters were finished university, our business was strong and we decided that we were ready for an adventure.

Just at that time a younger Rotarian expressed an interest in our business which allowed us to slowly phase out over the next ten years.  Arriving in Australia knowing only two people we knew the first place to start our new life was with Rotary.  Hugh joined Broadbeach, and I went to Surfers Central.  Thanks to Rotarians we quickly came to call Australia home…hmm., I should make a song out of that line…..

Our latest life phase has just begun.  We no longer have any Canadian business involvement.  Both daughters are currently in Australia, and a couple of grandchildren in Ipswich give us great pleasure. Our time is free and we plan to travel whenever we get the urge.  The rest of the time you will find me on the tennis court, sausage sizzling at Bunnings or pursuing intellectual stimulation at the Carrara book sales.

Life is great for this Broadbeach  Rotarian!

 

 

 

This year we are celebrating 100 years of our Rotary Foundation doing good in the world.

 

   

 

This week President Bruce presented new Paul Harris Pins to John Curr, Neil Baldwin and Neil Jones who through their regular personal contributions to The Rotary Foundation over recent years have accrued sufficient Paul Harris Fellow credits to automatically elevate their Paul Harris Fellowship to the next level.

All are buoyed in the knowledge that their tax deductible contributions to our charity, The Rotary Foundation are all totally expended on "Doing Good In The World" including in our own backyard.

Congratulations and thank you Gentlemen.

 

$1.2 billion pledge to End Polio

At the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta this week, global leaders and key donors affirmed their commitment to ending polio. The historic pledges of new funds will go toward drastically shrinking the $1.5 billion gap in the funding that is needed to reduce cases to zero.

More next week! 

 

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WEEKLY LAUGHS 

A mother is driving her little girl to her friend's house for a play date.
“Mommy ,” the little girl asks, “how old are you?''
“Honey, you are not supposed to ask a lady her age,” the mother replied. “It's not polite.”
''OK”, the little girl says, “How much do you weigh?''
“Now really,” the mother says, “those are personal questions and are really none of your business.”
Undaunted, the little girl asks, “Why did you and Daddy get a divorce?''
“That's enough questions, young lady! Honestly!”
The exasperated mother walks away as the two friends begin to play.
“My Mom won't tell me anything about her,” the little girl says to her friend.
“Well,” says the friend, “all you need to do is look at her driver's license. It's like a report card; it has everything on it.”
Later that night the little girl says to her mother, “I know how old you are. You are 32.”
The mother is surprised and asks, “How did you find that out?”
“I also know that you weigh 130 pounds.”
The mother is past surprised and shocked now. “How in Heaven's name did you find that out?''
“And,” the little girl says triumphantly, “I know why you and daddy got a divorce.”
“Oh, really?' the mother asks. “Why?''
“Because you got an F in sex.”
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A man was driving when he saw the flash of a traffic camera. He figured that his picture had been taken for exceeding the limit, even though he knew that he was not speeding. Just to be sure, he went around the block and passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but again the camera flashed. Now he began to think that this was quite funny, so he drove even slower as he passed the area again, but the traffic camera again flashed. He tried a fourth time with the same result. He did this a fifth time and was now laughing when the camera flashed as he rolled past, this time at a snail's pace.
Two weeks later, he got five tickets in the mail for Driving without a seat belt !
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The chef at a family-run restaurant had broken her leg and came into our insurance office to file a disability claim. As I scanned the claim form, I did a double take.
Under "Reason unable to work," she wrote: "Can't stand to cook."
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When a customer left his cell phone in my store, I scrolled through his saved numbers, stopped at "Mom" and pushed send. His mother answered, and I told her what happened.
"Don't worry," she said, "I'll take care of it."
A few minutes later, the cell phone rang. It was "Mom."
"Martin," she said, "you left your cell phone at the convenience store."
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Q: Why did the man with a sore back go to Egypt?
A:  Because he needed a cairo-practor.

Q: Which knight summons you to court?
A: Sir Pena.

Q: Which knight invented the round table?
A: Sir Cumference.

Q: Who is the hypothetical knight?
A: Sir Pose.

Q: Why wouldn't the oyster share its pearl?
A: It was a shellfish!

Q: Why couldn't the pirate play cards?
A: He was sitting on the deck!