I’m writing this message Sunday night before the Rotary Surfers Sunrise Golf Day – hopefully the weather has held off and it has been a great day for all the players and our club by the time you read this. And fingers crossed someone is $10,000 richer for getting a Hole in One on the 7th Hole!
There are many people to thank including all our sponsors (who I will name below), those people that have donated prizes for the raffle and our club volunteers but 2 people in particular have done an enormous amount so a big thank you to Doug Lipp and Neil Thurlow (and your team) for all your work. We have almost 100 players including 13 Corporate Teams and 6 Rotary Teams from other clubs. The sponsors of the Surfers Sunrise Golf Day 2020 are Braden MDT Accounting (Mark Twyford), BOQ Southport (Paul Smith), Burling Brown Architects (Simon Brook), Advent Security (Andy Bell), Accent Print & Copy (Neil Thurlow), Wilsons Advisory Gold Coast (Charles Thomasson & Ashleigh Symes), Lacey Group, L1 Capital, Custom Foods, GT Advisory & Consulting, CJM Lawyers, Australian Money Market, Go Kitchens and Insurance AdviserNet.
As many of you know, unfortunately the Shed was burgled sometime between Wednesday and Saturday morning. Items stolen include expensive tools, a defibrillator, a new bike that was meant for the golf day raffle and many other items. The police attended the Shed on Saturday. It is sad that people would stoop so low as to steal from a volunteer organisation that manufactures Wheelchairs for people in need. The good news is the Shed is still functioning and we will of course be looking at ways to improve security.
Past President Jo Windwood is visiting the club and presenting on Wednesday morning at Surfers Paradise Surf Club, it will be great to see Jo and hear about what she has been up to since moving to Byron Bay. See you all at 7am.
This coming Wednesday 28th October, our Past President Jo Winwood (now a member of the RC of Byron Bay) will present on one of her company's projects: alleviating loneliness, particularly for the elderly. Yes! You can help! See you at the Surfers Paradise SLSC. Buy your breakfast in the downstairs bistro and take it upstairs to enjoy some fellowship prior to the meeting's start at 07:30 am sharp.
OK, we can't take the credit for the superb weather... after some quite heavy rains on the weekend, the Gold Coast enjoyed the most perfect day imaginable. Today's Rotary Surfers Sunrise Golf Day turned out in the very best way imaginable. We had almost 100 players (see President Charles' message above), made up from some 13 Corporate Teams and 6 Rotary Teams from other clubs. At this stage, no results are available yet. But we have the two major winners: Overall winners were the team of Steve Hamilton, Dave and Daniel Bisker and James Dayton (picture above), the winner of the Rotary Challenge (only open to Rotary Club teams) was the Rotary Club of Currumbin - Coolangatta - Tweed, with Bev & Eric Rosser, Jan Robertson and Ian Petherick. A photo album will be uploaded shortly. - more details in next week's bulletin.
A big thank you goes to President Charles Thomasson and Treasurer Doug Lipp who were the principal organisers, to all the sponsors and competitors, as well as the superb turnout of our members - too many to list - who helped on the day. Well done all!
Some of our volunteers are “the quiet type” – Lionel Molloy fits that category admirably! Born in Blenheim, in New Zealand’s Marlborough wine region, he trained as a Cabinet Maker. But Australia beckoned… At age 20 he came across the ditch and… went shearing! This he did for some 20 years. During the off season, he worked in carpentry and forestry. At age 42, an opportunity came to work in the mines of Mt Isa, but 10 years later, ill health (a bad back and bad knees) forced him out. The Gold Coast was the obvious place to come.
One of my favourite questions to ask in an interview is “What books to you like?” That’s where Lionel dropped his bombshell: “I am a Dyslexic. I can’t read, nor write.” So here goes proof that a severe disability does not prevent somebody from being an active contributor to society. But one can compensate: outside of work, he enjoys listening to Country & Western music, his favourite artist is Tina Turner (yes, she is simply the best!), or watching movies, preferably starring Liam Leeson, Clint Eastwood, Yul Brynner (you are betraying your age, Lionel!).
“So, what are your likes and dislikes?” I asked him. The somewhat unexpected answer “I like Public Transport” shows that, even so he is intensely private, he very much is part of the community; his regular attendance to work at our Project Shed is proof. “Nelson Mandela and Gandhi are two of my ideals”, he said.
Final question: Which talent would you like to possess most? Not unexpectedly, Lionel’s wish would be “to be able to read”.
Good to see some new faces this morning at Surfers Sunrise! Photo shows two potential new members (no pressure...! ) Adam Sheppard and Natasha Price. With them are former Rotary Youth Transition Seminar chairman Simon Brook, President Charles Thomasson and current District Youth chairman PDG Darrell Brown. Adam and Natasha are old hands at Rotary Youth programs, contributing by teaching that suffering a disability doesn't mean disablement. You see, both Adam and Natasha are wheelchair bound...
In a recent newsletter to their residents, Geoff Croad announced that their Containers for Change project has so far raised over $2,150. Not only will this have prevented some 21,500 bottles going to landfill, but it also has bought the materials for some 21 wheelchairs. Great effort, Geoff and your team Ged and Graeme Stanyer!(Photo - June 2020 - shows them receiving a Certificate of Appreciation from (then) President Mario Fairlie)
Duty Roster - note: subject to change - please check every week. Note: Fellowship duty also is expected to be at the Project Shed on the Saturday following the meeting
"I fell asleep in my chair yesterday. When I woke up, someone had put a teabag into my mouth. I'm not happy. I hate being taken for a mug."
To get people to cry ‘Hosanna!’, you first must ride into town on an ass. Backwards ideally, whilst telling the people the tall stories they want to hear.David Mitchell, ‘Cloud Atlas’
“Political language.. is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind”. George Orwell, ‘Politics and the English Language’
And finally, here is one (sent to me by Gerald East) from one of America's great actors and later on Politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Having more money doesn't make you happier. I have 50 Million dollars, but I'm just as happy as when I had 48 Million."
Diesel Services Queensland and AB Crane Hire recently provided a truck and a huge mobile crane at no charge to lift a 40' container into our Project Shed area at Arundel. Thank you! Click on the links to go to their website.
One of our sponsors for the 'Lutzy' Surf Rescue Board being presented this Wednesday.
OK, we can't take the credit for the superb weather... after some quite heavy rains on the weekend, the Gold Coast enjoyed the most perfect day imaginable. Today's Rotary Surfers Sunrise Golf Day turned out in the very best way imaginable. We had almost 100 players (see President Charles' message above), made up from some 13 Corporate Teams and 6 Rotary Teams from other clubs. At this stage, no results are available yet. But we have the two major winners: Overall winners were the team of Steve Hamilton, Dave and Daniel Bisker and James Dayton (picture above), the winner of the Rotary Challenge (only open to Rotary Club teams) was the Rotary Club of Currumbin - Coolangatta - Tweed, with Bev & Eric Rosser, Jan Robertson and Ian Petherick. A photo album will be uploaded shortly. - more details in next week's bulletin.
Some of our volunteers are “the quiet type” – Lionel Molloy fits that category admirably! Born in Blenheim, in New Zealand’s Marlborough wine region, he trained as a Cabinet Maker. But Australia beckoned… At age 20 he came across the ditch and… went shearing! This he did for some 20 years. During the off season, he worked in carpentry and forestry. At age 42, an opportunity came to work in the mines of Mt Isa, but 10 years later, ill health (a bad back and bad knees) forced him out. The Gold Coast was the obvious place to come.
Good to see some new faces this morning at Surfers Sunrise! Photo shows two potential new members (no pressure...! 
) Adam Sheppard and Natasha Price. With them are former Rotary Youth Transition Seminar chairman Simon Brook, President Charles Thomasson and current District Youth chairman PDG Darrell Brown. Adam and Natasha are old hands at Rotary Youth programs, contributing by teaching that suffering a disability doesn't mean disablement. You see, both Adam and Natasha are wheelchair bound...
