Stories

Heart of Australia Awards

Wonderful Success

Heart of Australia Awards on Australia Day

Gold Coast Rotary in association with the National Australia Day Committee staged an event on Australia Day 2022 called “Heart of Australia” Awards. 26 nominees (check out our Facebook page for some of the nominees) were acknowledged for their individual efforts and contributions to our wider community, particularly recognising volunteers in community NFP organisations. Angie Bell MP presented the awards.

Over 90 guests and members enjoyed the Business Breakfast in The Glasshouse at The Island complex in Surfers Paradise, which was ‘Australian themed’ and included a very special ‘Acknowledgment of Country’ by Aunty Betty, Didgeridoo rendition by Craig Kemp and live music entertainment by Frazer Goodman Duo.

This was a very special way to celebrate Australia Day! Congratulations to Marion Simon and her team for a wonderful event. Check out Andrew Chan's photos here.

The event was streamed live so as to include a number of awardees unable to attend due to Covid restrictions. A recording of the event can be viewed here

GOLD COAST RAMBLE 2021

After being washed out on 21 March, the Gold Coast Ramble and the arrival of the ‘100 Years of Rotary’ baton on the Gold Coast were rescheduled to magnificent weather on Sunday 28 March. Not all teams registered could make the change but those that did had a great time.

The Baton arrived at Chevron Island, was marched over the Green Bridge to HOTA precinct and then became one of the Ramble challenges. With RizeUp as the charity partner for the Ramble, the Baton theme ‘Rotary says No to Domestic Violence’ was most appropriate.

Competition for the top ramble teams came down to the wire with last year’s winning team Niopotamus (645 points) narrowly defeating the 2019 winners Beach Buddies (640 points). However, the big winners were the victims of domestic violence with over $6,000 raised by the teams for RizeUp.

The Gold Coast Ramble has always been promoted as an inclusive event, designed for all levels of fitness and mobility so it was fitting that this year’s popular winners of the best costume prize, a $250 hamper donated by Sue Geelan of Metanao, was ‘Funday Sunday’ dressed as super heroes. David Baguley presents hamper to Tarsha Tupper and carer Kerry Horwood.

Check out Andrew Chan's Photographs of the event

Guest Speakers - Thursday 18 March

Another fabulous night had by all in attendance made even greater by our Guest Speakers for the evening.

Hayley Sullivan, a RYTS participant shared with the club the lifelong memories she experienced and friends she made during her time at camp.

Hayley really brought home to all of us just how important Rotary Youth programs are and the real difference they can make when helping to shape a young person's life.

If you would like to know more about our Youth Programs please contact the Club's Youth Chair Assad Sarroff at assad.sarroff@gmail.com

Keeping with the theme of the Rotary Baton in our District 'Rotary Says No to Domestic Violence', we were also lucky enough to be joined by CEO of RizeUp Nicolle Edwards and CEO of DV Connect, Rebecca O'Connor. Both of these amazing ladies are making a real difference to those affected by Domestic Violence. However, as we all learned on the night, there is a very long way to go and the work is never over. Thank you again to these inspirational ladies and if you would like to help out please contact the Club's Community Club Service Director, John Davis on john.davis@au.licensee.mcd.com

Baton Relay - 100 Years of Rotary

PROGRAM FOR BATON RELAY

NEED SOMEONE TO CO-ORDINATE (PLEASE CONTACT David Baguley)

ATTEND TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN MEETING (6.30pm at Eagle Heights Resort) ON WEDNESDAY 17 MARCH AND COLLECT BATON
HAVE TEAM OF PEOPLE DRESSED IN SHIRTS WITH PLACADES FOR OUR MEETING ON 18 MARCH BRING BATON TO MEEETING.
PROMOTE MEETING ON 18^TH ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
ORGANISE PRESS PHOTO SHOOT FRIDAY 19^TH AT HOTA (press loathe to come out on weekends) WITH TEAM IN SHIRTS WITH PLACADES
BRING BATON TO GOLD COAST RAMBLE ON SUNDAY 21 MARCH – PERHAPS VIA 9AM HOPO FERRY FROM SURFERS TO HOTA. 0900 TO 0915
HOPEFULLY HAVE ROTARIANS FROM OTHER CLUBS TO ALLOW MASS MARCH ACROSS GREEN BRIDGE TO RAMBLE START. 0915 TO 0945
MAN RAMBLE CHECKPOINT WITH BATON – TEAMS TO GET PHOTO 10AM TO 1230
HAND BATON TO NEXT CLUB AT RAMBLE PRESENTIONS – 1PM

Teams needed for Ramble

THERE IS STILL TIME TO MAKE EVENT A SUCCESS

BUT WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT NOW

CREATE a team for Sunday 21 March 2021 - so easy with new registration site https://rizeup-ramble.raisely.com - it costs $50 for a team of up to six members - then invite FAMILY AND FRIENDS to join your team and start getting some sponsors.
If you cannot participate - go to website, search list for one of our members who is Rambling and make a DONATION - https://rizeup-ramble.raisely.com
PROMOTE the event to all your contacts - family, friends, clients, suppliers, other Rotary clubs - It appeals to corporate, family and friendship teams. Share the event on social media. - go to our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/goldcoastramble
Come along on Sunday 21 March - we will also launch 100 Years of Rotary Baton Relay on the Gold Coast - assistance needed
1. Site setup at Korman Family Park, Chevron Island 0800 to 0900
2. Volunteers to man some checkpoints - 0930 to 1230
3. Site pack down - 1300

The Ramble can best be described as a car rally / treasure hunt on foot (no running allowed), with teams of costumed participants exploring the parks, malls and streets of the Chevron Island, across the Green Bridge, around the HOTA Cultural Precinct and surrounding area, following clues to locate 25 to 30 checkpoints in 2 hours. At each checkpoint, the team use the Gold Coast Ramble App to receive a question to answer about the immediate area – this could relate to the heritage, the natural environment, street art or current infrastructure. What better way to discover and learn about the lesser-visited nooks and crannies of the City of Gold Coast? Teams are directed to places of historical interest, to cultural precincts and newer developments, highlighting local stories and the diversity of each of the communities explored.

Vocational Visit - Barefoot Bowling

Riddle Me This!

Read these riddles very carefully because you have the chance to win a mystery prize at our next meeting. And no, it's not toilet paper

Walk on the living, they don’t even mumble. Walk on the dead, they mutter and grumble. What are they?
What question can you never answer yes to?
I have four keys, but no locks. I have a space, but no room. You can enter, but can’t go inside. What am I?

Get those brains ticking over and good luck!

Time for a Laugh!!!

An old grandma brings a bus driver a bag of peanuts every day.
First the bus driver enjoyed the peanuts but after a week of eating them he asked: "Please granny, don't bring me peanuts anymore. Have them yourself.".
The granny answers: "You know, I don't have teeth anymore. I just prefer to suck the chocolate around them."
A wife hangs up after about a half-hour on the phone.
The husband is surprised, "Wow, that was quick - usually you women are at it for two hours at least!"
"Yeah, well, it was a wrong number."
A student at a management school came up to a pretty girl and hugged her without any warning.
The surprised girl said, “What was that?”
The guy smiled at her, “Direct marketing!”
The girl slapped him soundly.
“What was that?!” said the boy, holding his cheek.
“Customer feedback.”

Time for a Laugh :)

What did the ocean say to the beach?
Nothing, it just waved.
My wife and I had a huge argument about who will do the laundry. Eventually, I folded.
I do not mean to brag, but cashiers always check me out.
Why don’t skeletons ever go trick or treating?
Because they have no body to go with.
What did one wall say to the other?
I’ll meet you at the corner.

Time for a Laugh!!

Why was the picture sent to jail? It was framed.
My wife left me because of my obsession with horoscopes. It Taurus apart.
Two antennas got married.. the ceremony was ok, but the reception was excellent.
Why did the old man fall in the well? Because he couldn't see that well.
Did you hear about the claustrophobic astronaut? He just needed a little space

Manasprings Charity Ball

At last Thursday's meeting our guest speakers Carey and Wanjiru spoke to us about the great work their organization Manasprings does in Kenya providing respite to Carers. They have a fundraising ball organised to raise much needed funds to which Carey has invited our members. Please see invitation and details below for booking and payment:

We are holding a Charity Ball on Saturday 5 June at the Southport Yacht Club, starting at 6.30pm, and we’d love to have you and fellow Rotarians book a table! The evening promises to be filled with great food and drinks, good conversation with old and new friends, an entertaining ‘live’ auction, and dancing (that is if you’re up to hitting the dance floor), with the aim of raising much-needed funds for Manasprings’ work in Kenya.

Carey is happy to extend the Early Bird ticket price of $140 should you book directly with Manasprings via bank transfer: Manasprings Inc. BSB:064486 Account No.: 10516798.

Otherwise bookings can be made via Humanitix - $150 pp or table of 10 - $1400. The link is below:

https://events.humanitix.com/manasprings-charity-ball?_ga=2.159205370.1982597586.1621477615-313915113.1615860384

District Conference

This years District Conference is set to be an amazing day and there are only 500 seats available so if you would like to attend and haven't registered yet be quick to get in so you won't be disappointed.

Where? Twin Towns Resort 2 Wharf St Tweed Heads NSW

When? Saturday, 15 May 2021 9:00am – 4:30pm

How Much? $60 per person* (includes MT & Lunch) * Discounts apply for Rotaractors & Interactors

The first Australian female Rotarian to be elected to the Rotary International Board, Dr. Jessie Harman has been appointed to act as representative of Rotary International President Holgar Knaack on the day who will be joined by a host of special guests.

Bring yourself, your friends and your family along to what will surely be a fabulous day!

Here is the easy TRYBOOKING link to register for the conference with your credit or debit card.

Save The Date!

The end of this year's Board is sadly coming to an end but don't worry, there is plenty to celebrate so make sure you put this date in your diary:-

Sunday 27 June, 2021 at 12pm

Be there for the change over where our incoming President Kathy Hogan will introduce the club to her leadership team for the 2021-2022 year.

It's a double celebration; for the year we've had and the year ahead so make sure you write this date down, put it in your phones, do what you have to do so you don't miss out.

More details to come very shortly, see you there on the day!

Time for a Laugh Take 2

What do you call a guy with a rubber toe? Roberto.
I couldn't figure out why the baseball kept getting larger. Then it hit me.
How do you learn to be a trash collector? Just pick it up as you go along.
Why wouldn’t the shrimp share his treasure? Because he was a little shellfish.
My wife told me I had to stop acting like a flamingo. So I had to put my foot down.

Botanical Bazaar Postponed for 2021

Botanical Bazaar - Now 2 day Event - 7 Weeks to Go!!

ONLY 7 WEEKS TO GO!!!!!

Mark your diaries - this year's Botanical Bazaar will be held on 31 July and 1 August 2021 at Country Paradise Parklands, Nerang. We will need all hands on deck and plenty of other volunteers on the weekend. Check out our new website https://www.botanicalbazaargc.com.au

The Botanical Bazaar has become the Gold Coast's premier Gardening and Sustainability Festival. It is an interactive Gardening, and Sustainable living event aimed to educate and inspire all nature enthusiasts.

Botanical Bazaar is where naturally wild, urban gardeners and nature lovers connect. Educating and inspiring nature enthusiasts of all ages. See around 90 green exhibitors plus celebrity gardener’s talks, demonstrations, botanical art, community groups and kids nature activities. An exciting speakers program that includes several Gardening Australia personalities will be announced shortly.

Learn how to grow your own food, urban and small space gardening, and sustainable living concepts. Explore plant nurseries and landscape designs, garden materials and tools, organic beauty products and even botanical homewares.

A relaxing day at the Parklands with live music by groups such as Leopold’s Treat and delicious food, Market Stalls and more.

Botanical Bazaar - Now 2 day Event

A relaxing day at the Parklands with live music by groups such as Leopold’s Treat and delicious food, Market Stalls and more.

Wonderful Australia Day Event

The weather was wonderful, the attendance was great, the food was excellent and our celebration of Australia Day could not have gone better.

On Australia Day we celebrated being Australian together with the theme Respect, Reflect and Celebrate so it was most appropriate to start the event with Aunty Betty, an indigenous elder to give a most inspiring Address to Country.

For the last 10 years, Gold Coast Rotary has had a partnership with the Friends of the Gold Coast regional Botanic Gardens with a focus on education. We constructed the Education pavilion where the event was held to provide shelter for school groups and others doing programs.

Our other main contribution has been the funding of wonderful interpretive signage throughout the gardens, which allows visitors to learn not only about the plants themselves abut also about how these plants were used by the traditional owners or why these plants might be endangered.

So we were proud to launch the Botanic Gardens Explorer App, which has been designed to lead users to different parts of the Gardens and answer challenges. Many of the solutions to these challenges will be found on the interpretive signs. It will allow visitors to self-explore, discovering interesting facts and for the competitive to compare their progress on a leaders’ board.

Participants then returned to the start point for a sausage sizzle (served by Surfers Sunrise Rotarians) and the best lamingtons ever supplied by Martin and Jenny.

Gift packs from the Friends Centre were awarded to the highest-scoring team and by random draw.

Check out the photos taken by Andrew Chan.

Gold Coast Ramble 2021 - POSTPONED

UPDATE: Due to weather the date for The Ramble has been changed to Sunday 28 March, 2021 at 9am. This is great news for those already signed up as it gives you more time to raise funds and for those to donate. If you were thinking about getting a team together but weren't able to, you have an extra week to gather your troupes!

This year's Gold Coast Ramble will take place around Chevron Island, over the Green Bridge and around HOTA. This year we will be supporting RizeUp and partnering with the Chevron Island Business and Residents Association and 94.1FM radio.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT NOW:

To promote the event to all your contacts - family, friends, clients, suppliers, other Rotary clubs - It appeals to corporate, family and friendship teams. Share the event on social media. - go to our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/goldcoastramble
To either create a team for Sunday 21 March 2021 - Now postponed to Sunday 28 March - so easy with new registration site https://rizeup-ramble.raisely.com - it costs $50 for a team of up to six members - then invite others to join your team and start getting some sponsors.
We need prizes for teams - Random draw and best costume prizes reward participation. - vouchers for restaurants, tours, theme parks, other attractions, accommodation, sporting events etc are great. Ask your contacts.
Come along on Sunday 21 March - Now postponed to Sunday 28 March - let David Baguley know if you can assist with set up and pull down.

Gold Coast Ramble 2021 - Registrations Open

It is less than 4 weeks to this year's Gold Coast Ramble around Chevron Island, over the Green Bridge and around HOTA. This year we will be supporting RizeUp and partnering with the Chevron Island Business and Residents Association and 94.1FM radio.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT NOW:

To promote the event to all your contacts - family, friends, clients, suppliers, other Rotary clubs - It appeals to corporate, family and friendship teams. Share the event on social media. - go to our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/goldcoastramble
To either create a team for Sunday 21 March 2021 - so easy with new registration site https://rizeup-ramble.raisely.com - it costs $50 for a team of up to six members - then invite others to join your team and start getting some sponsors.
We need prizes for teams - Random draw and best costume prizes reward participation. - vouchers for restaurants, tours, theme parks, other attractions, accommodation, sporting events etc are great. Ask your contacts.
Come along on Sunday 21 March - we will also launch 100 Years of Rotary Baton Relay on the Gold Coast - let David Baguley know if you can assist with set up and pull down.

Vale John and Caroline

Club members send their condolences to the partners and families of two long serving Rotarians who passed away in late November 2020.

John William McDonald - member of Surfers Paradise Central and Gold Coast Rotary clubs from December 1978 until April 2014

Caroline Elizabeth Mercer - member of Surfers Paradise Central and Gold Coast Rotary clubs from October 2009 to November 2020

Australia Day Event Ideas

Most popular idea from Meeting Brainstorm was to stage BBQ in Botanic Gardens to launch Gardens Explorer App and promote Gold Coast Ramble. Thank you to Alex, Barry and Lori who volunteered to assist. Draft ideas for further development are:

Feedback from Service Projects

1. Rizeup Home Project

John Davis has forwarded the message below from a recent recipient of a home furnished by Rizeup. I am sure you will be moved.

Dear Rizeup staff,

I really have no words to say and thank you from the bottom of my heart doesn't come close to how much what you have done for me and my child really means to us. My son couldn't stop saying " I'm so happy, I'm so excited, this is the best what they have done for us mum!" I heard this many times in our first night here.

Honestly when I walked in and saw what you have done for us, I felt that everything is going to be ok, that I haven't epically failed as a parent and I truly feel we will be ok. You guys have made my child feel we are going to be ok and that means more than I can ever explain as a mother.

From me and my son we both thank you FOREVER, now we feel like we really will be ok in life!!!!

Thank you kindly

xxxx

2. St Judes Tanzania

Help for Salvos

Volunteers needed to pack hampers on Thursday 17th December from Noon at Sanctuary Cove

Member Engagement Opportunities

2021 Activities – Where do you wish to assist?

Teams needed to plan the following Events

26 January 2021 - Australia Day Awards Event (multi-club)
21 March 2021 - Gold Coast Ramble
19 March to mid-April - Rotary 100 years Baton relay
First half of 2021 - Vocational Excellence Awards
31 July / 1 August 2021 - Botanical Bazaar
Possible Charity Auction Event
Vocational Visits / Social Gatherings / Birthday Celebrations

More information at Meeting on 3 December 2020.

A recent survey sent out asking all members to indicate what areas they would like to get involved in. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N3PWJMZ

If you haven’t already, please take the time to complete this.

Community

Join other club members as volunteers to assist in a Home Set-Up for Rize-up. (Supporting victims of Domestic or Family Violence)

Takes between 2 to 3 hours depending on the size of the family and number of volunteers.
Basically, your team transforms an empty shell of a house into a home filled with love, care and compassion.
Our truck drivers will deliver all the furniture and packs requested by the family to the house on the day of the Set Up.
Volunteers where able assist in the unloading of the truck and assembly of furniture and “dress” the home with the household items, linen, soft furnishings and homewares etc. provided.
The experience should be fun for everyone concerned and have you all wanting to come back and do it again and again.

See John Davis about how to register as a volunteer.

REMINDER

Donate Christmas Gift for a teenager – bring to the meeting on 3 December

Rotary Youth Transition Seminar (RYTS) for school leavers

9 to 13 January 2021

Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly (RYLA) for 19 to 29 year-olds

26 to 31 January 2021

See Assad Sarroff if you have a nominee.

Member Behind the Badge

At our meeting last Thursday, we had the pleasure of learning more about one of our most long-serving and dedicated club members. Kathy Hogan volunteers her time on our Board as Director of Club Service, as well as overseeing the running of our Rotary Village. We are so lucky to have her support and efforts!

Here are a few things we learnt about Kathy:

Kathy moved to Australia when she was four and a half years old, and up until the age of 12, she lived in Tasmania. The family then moved to Adelaide, where Kathy grew up, got married, had her children and worked as a Human Resources Manager in a bank.

Whilst in Adelaide and at the age of 18 years old, Kathy was in a rock opera...perhaps we should get her to perform some of the show for us at our next meeting??

Kathy moved to the sunny Gold Coast 23 years ago and not long after, a new work colleague invited her to visit the local Rotary club. Kathy did not like that first meeting one little bit! It left her wondering if Rotary was really for her...

After visiting a few more clubs, Kathy was finally persuaded to join Rotary. And we are so glad that she did!

Kathy has now been in Rotary for over 20 years and has been President three times. She's been an active board member for most years and absolutely loves contributing to the community through the many positive activities that Rotary undertakes.

Her active commitment, dedication and contribution to Rotary is outstanding. So thank you, Kathy, for all your hard work!

November is Rotary Foundation Month

This is a very special month as it is Rotary Foundation Month and there is a challenge for all members to become a Rotary Centurion by donating $143 (US $100) before June 30, 2021. The club will match the first $7,000 raised with the target of at least $14,000 raised for Rotary's work in disease prevention & treatment, basic education & literacy, peace & conflict resolution, maternal & solid health, economic & community development and water & hygiene.

So get involved, please donate and help our club raise some money for the amazing work that Rotary Foundation does!

Wine Fundraiser - Personalised Labels

• PRICE - $165 PER DOZEN

• CLUB PROFIT $30 PER DOZEN

• SELECTION OF 9 PRE-TASTED WINES

• YOU PROVIDE YOUR IMAGE TO PERSONALISE LABEL

• CLUB HAS FUN LABELLING WINE

• ORDERS BY 31 OCTOBER FOR NOVEMBER DELIVERY – IN TIME FOR XMAS

Rotary Zone Conference Presentations

This virtual conference was held on 19-20 September with presentations from RI President Holger, RI President Nominee Jennifer Jones and other great Rotary speakers from all over the world. Clubs in New Zealand and Australia presented some great projects, especially those conducted during Covid-19.

All presentations are short and sharp with total conference only just over 3 hours. You can watch recordings of the conference on Youtube by following this link:

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/CHANNEL/UCINXDFUA4CLHCCQ4AWYMZGA

Global Grant Approved

The Rotary Foundation has approved the Global Grant application for the Water Distribution Project in Guatemala to install a bore, solar pump and water tanks to support agricultural projects for survivors of the Volcano de Fuego eruption in 2018.

This project was initiated by Broadwater Southport Rotary and supported by funds from Gold Coast Rotary ($6500), Hope Island Rotary, Lismore Rotary, several overseas individuals and clubs and a District 9640 grant. Total Project cost is approx. US$67,000 with 30% contributed by the District Fund and 43% from the Rotary Foundation matching grant.

Botanical Bazaar 2020 Cancelled

This week our committee made the very difficult decision to cancel Botanical Bazaar for 2020.

Over the last few months we have been continually mindful of the developing conditions and the impact that this may have on our event, our exhibitors and participants. Unfortunately the announcement by Queensland’s Premier earlier this week that the border would remain closed for months rather than weeks severely limits our ability to stage a quality event. With several of our key note speakers and many of our exhibitors coming from interstate, attendance limited to meet Covid-19 Event Guidelines and the possibility of further restrictions in the lead up to the event, the risk was too great.

Gold Coast Rotary is committed to growing this event and making it bigger and better in 2021, perhaps even 2 days. The several hundred hours of planning and pre-event expenditures has not been wasted as our organising committee has learnt a great deal and forged a team ready and willing to stage Botanical Bazaar 2021.

Mark your diaries for the weekend of 1^st August 2021.

Rizeup Australia

Help Rebuild Lives for Victims of Domestic Violence

As most of you know, our club is very involved with helping this fantastic organisation with fitting out homes for victims of domestic violence.

There are so many different ways that you can help from putting flat packs together to stocking kitchen cupboards and dressing up bedrooms.

Help turn a house into a home and make a life lasting impact on those who will live there.

For more information on how you can get involved please contact the Club's Community Director, John Davis at john.davis@au.licensee.mcd.com or your Club President.

Public Image

The Public Image team tells the story of Rotary, who we are as a Club and what we do. They also promote the club’s projects and activities.

How Do We Do This?

This is done via many platforms of communication some of which include:-

•Websites

•FaceBook

•LinkedIn

•Twice Monthly Newsletter issued to Members via email – Bulletin

•Print Media eg: Newspapers, Flyers, Brochures

Would You Like to Get Involved in Public Image?

•Please contact Lori in person, on phone or email any time to find out more.

•Chairperson: Lori Bradley

•PH: 0410 929 310

Email: info@loribradleygroup.com

Hat Day in October

Every October, Australian Rotary Health encourages Rotary Clubs, businesses, and individuals to get involved in Hat Day as part of ‘Lift the Lid on Mental Illness’, our national fundraising and awareness campaign for mental health research.

This October our Club will be holding a Hat Day at our Meeting on Thursday 15 October, 2020.

It's time to get creative and start putting together ideas and build your special Hat to wear on the evening. The most impressive hat on the night will win a prize!

Not feeling creative? No problem! Just wearing a hat and donating on the night is still a great way to contribute.

Each participating member is asked to wear a hat and donate $2 towards this great cause. In addition to this all funds raised from the Sergeant at Arms pot on the same night will also be donated.

Did you know that almost one in five Australians will experience a mental illness every year, and nearly half of the population (45%) will experience a mental illness at some stage in their lives? What better reasons to join and help out.

See you on the night in your hat!

Brain Strain 08 September

Can you solve these Brain Strains?

What month of the year has 28 days?

What is full of holes but still holds water?

What question can you never answer yes to?

I’m tall when I’m young, and I’m short when I’m old. What am I?

District 9640 DG's Centenary Cup

Be one of the 100 Rotarians to celebrate 100 years of Rotary in Australia by joining this special Golf Event.

Date: Thursday, 08 October 2020

Venue: Hills International Golf Course, Johanna St. Jimboomba

Format: Four-person Ambrose

Registration: Registration from 7:00am
Cost: $65.00pp (Golf Cart not included. Contact Pro Shop to book CART on 0755 479 639. Ensure you tell them you are part of the event)

Commemorative Photo: Aerial photo of 100 Rotarians & Club Banners at 7:30am sharp

Tee Off: Shotgun Start at 8:00am

Finish: All players must be in by 12:30pm

Breakfast - from 7:00am Bacon & Egg rolls for sale, proceeds to our Interact Club

Lunch - Lunch Burger (included in Registration)

Prizes: The ‘Cup’ and USD $1000.00 for a PHF, Great prizes for 2^nd and 3^rd as well as various other prizes determined on the day

Enquiries Contact: President David Parkins 0400 914 149 or dparkins1104@gmail.com

RSVP 24.09.20

Invite a Friend

At Rotary we love it when new friends come to visit our club, even more so when they leave with a smile on their face and a desire to come back again.

There have been a lot of questions regarding the cost for bringing family and friends to meetings and this was discussed at our last Board Meeting on Thursday 03 September, just prior to our normal club meeting.

Moving forward, it has been decided that the cost of attending a meeting for all guests is $20 (except Guest Speakers whose cost of a meal will continue to be covered by the Club).

Should a guest wish to join our club and become an official member of this fantastic group we know as Rotary, on their special Induction night the cost of their meal will be covered by the Club. All attendance from then on by the new member will be at the normal cost of $30.

We hope this clears up any confusion and creates an easy to follow guide. If you have any questions about this please do not hesitate to contact your Club President, Melissa.

Brain Strain

Can you solve these Brain Strains?

A man who was outside in the rain without an umbrella or hat didn’t get a single hair on his head wet. Why?

What has many keys but can’t open a single lock?

It belongs to you, but other people use it more than you do. What is it?

I have branches, but no fruit, trunk or leaves. What am I?

What gets wet while drying?

What is always in front of you but can’t be seen?

Sergeant-at-Arms & Raffle

We live in a cashless society even more so these days which is totally understandable but this is taking away from our fun and it must stop!

With the re-introduction of the Sergeant-at-Arms at our meetings, the ability to fine members and collect those fines is unfortunately hampered by our lack of cash on hand.

It's all in the name of fun and the money is going to a great cause; Rotary!

So we are putting the call out to all members; raid your piggy banks, cash in some notes, do what is necessary to arrive with coins on the night! Let's make this part of our meeting more fun and interactive for everyone.

These coins will also come in handy for you if you wish to purchase extra raffle tickets at the door. As you know, everyone gets one ticket to go in the draw to win a bottle of wine and your chance to take home the Jackpot money. To increase your chances of winning and bump up the Jackpot amount, you now have the option to purchase extra tickets, one for $2 or 3 for $5.

Please note however the chances of getting change at the front desk are slim to none (in light of our cashless society) so please make sure you have the correct amount for your required purchase.

We now have 2 fantastic reasons to bring coins on the night, can't wait to see you all there!

New Path

Rotarians help people, it's just what we do and we are very good at it. We have also proven recently that we are very good at adapting and changing to our surroundings.

Change can be a time when we look at things from a different angle and perspective and this is where you come in.

As discussed at our first meeting back at the Golf Club now is a great time to look at new ways of doing things and new ideas. If you have an area that you are passionate about and have always wanted to help in some way but haven't been able to now is the time to bring that idea to the club.

All ideas, big or small are welcome so please feel free to discuss your ideas with a member of the Leadership Team today by phone or email and let's roll out a new path together.

If you're not sure where to start please contact the Club President who will happily point you in the right direction.

Club Plans for 2020-21

Last meeting, each Program Manager summarised what was on the agenda for the coming year. Members at the meeting brainstormed the issues that might change Post Covid-19 and invited members to look for opportunities for services in this changed environment.

Presidents Message 06 August, 2021

SERVE TO CHANGE LIVES is the Theme for 2021/22.

What heartbreak! A snap lockdown was announced on Saturday and we had to shut down the Botanical Bazaar. The friendliness and the happy vibe from everyone at the event was truly wonderful. After the devastating news was delivered there was an air of disbelief but everyone got to the task of packing up.

I went home with such a heavy heart and feeling so sad for the huge number of hours that went into the planning and organisational of this event by the committee.

For the time and effort by many volunteers to decorate and theme the site. So this edition is to celebrate the commitment, blood, sweat and laughter that went into our Botanical Bazaar 2021. Like the phoenix we shall return and reconvene one of the GC's most loved events and what we think will become one of our club's signature events. Just a heads up: the committee is regrouping and are in talks about when it can be held again.

Looking forward to seeing you all in person soon.

Presidents Message 20 June, 2021

Greetings fellow Rotarians, sadly for the last time as your President. It amazes me how quickly these last 12 months have gone by and just how much we have achieved even under the COVID-19 restrictions.

A massive thank you to all those that attended last Thursday's meeting. It was something a little different but also a lot of of fun and I hope you all enjoyed the evening as much as I did. Our guest speaker for the evening was Wayne Butcher. He is acting as an ambassador for Kids Hope which provides mentoring to primary school children. He is just about to embark on a mammoth trip around the country in his Helicopter raising awareness and visiting schools lucky enough to receive this fabulous assistance.

Also on the evening Celeste Nutley told us all about her experiences at the recent RYPEN event she attended. Rotary offers so many different Youth Programs and we love sponsoring young people and hearing about the positive changes these events have on their lives.

The next time we see each other will be at our Change Over Lunch on Sunday 27 June at 12pm which if you haven't heard has had a change of venue. We will now be meeting on the outside deck of the Southport Golf Club. I've checked the weather and it's set to be a beautiful sunny day so if you haven't booked your ticket yet there is still time to do so.

Our next club meeting is at the Southport Golf Club on Thursday 01 July and will be under the new leadership team lead by Kathy Hogan. Stay tuned for more details of what's coming up. Once again a HUGE thank you to everyone in the club for your ongoing support over the last 12 months. I am so humbled to have been your President and look forward to many more years together.

As always, please take care and if you need anything at all please feel free to contact me via phone on 0433 069 174 or email melissaneilsen1979@gmail.com

Presidents Message 07 June, 2021

Greetings fellow Rotarians! If you missed last Thursday's meeting you missed another night of great fellowship and two trips down memory lane as we listened to Assad Sarroff and Lindy Dupree delivered Member Behind the Badge. It's always a treat when we get to hear from our very own members and what lead them to where they are today; part of the Rotary Family.

David Baguley also gave us all an update on the Botanical Bazaar which is coming together wonderfully. It's all hands on deck that weekend so if you haven't already volunteered to help out make sure you speak with David Baguley or Kate Kimmorley ASAP!

At our next meeting on Thursday 17 June and my last meeting as President of this amazing club we are lucky enough to have Wayne Butcher be our Guest Speaker. Wayne is a helicopter pilot who is involved in a fantastic project called Kids Hope which helps to provide mentors to primary school children right across the country.

He is currently travelling around in his helicopter spreading the word of what this wonderful organisation does. So make sure you don’t miss out on hearing about Kids Hope.

If you haven't already, mark this date on your calendar; Sunday 27 June 12pm because it's Change Over! More details to come in this newsletter.

Until next time, please take care and if you need anything at all please feel free to contact me via phone on 0433 069 174 or email melissaneilsen1979@gmail.com

Presidents Message 24 May, 2021

Greetings fellow Rotarians! Unfortunately I was not in attendance at last week's meeting due to the dreaded annual cold making it's rounds at my home and I was disappointed not to be in attendance to hear from two very inspiring ladies, the Co-Founders of Manasprings in Kenya, Carey Westwood and Wanjiru (Chiro) Waithaka.

It's always amazing to see and learn about the work that goes on across so many different areas and places and to have the opportunity to meet the driving forces behind these multitude of projects that have such a huge impact on those that they come into contact with.

Next week's meeting, Thursday 03 June is a home grown event where we will have 2 Member's doing a Member Behind the Badge. Come along and learn more about the members of your amazing club as we hear from our most newest member Lindy Dupree and our current Youth Chair, Assad Sarroff.

Until next time, please take care and if you need anything at all please feel free to contact me via phone on 0433 069 174 or email melissaneilsen1979@gmail.com

Presidents Message 18 April

Greetings fellow Rotarians! We're now on the other side of the Easter break. I do hope that everyone had a lovely break and were able to spend that time with loved ones.

A huge thank you to all of those members who came out last Thursday night for another great night of fellowship. It was a 'home grown' evening with Viv Mallinson and Edward Klimowicz giving us an insight into their very interesting lives through Member Behind the Badge.

This was followed up by Kate Kimmorley and Glenn Wran providing a very detailed overview of our club's next event, the Botanical Bazaar. Remember to keep an eye out for the package information that Glenn will be sending out via email, and please help out in any way you can.

Our next club meeting is at the Southport Golf Club on Thursday 06 May and this will be a very special evening, where we will have our Griffith University Students in attendance. This is always a club favourite as the students share their experiences, and provide us with an update on their studies. Make sure you RSVP to this meeting ASAP to avoid missing out on this inspirational evening.

Until next time, please take care and if you need anything at all please feel free to contact me via phone on 0433 069 174 or email melissaneilsen1979@gmail.com

Presidents Message 22 March

Greetings fellow Rotarians! Well what a night we had last Thursday, so many wonderful events in such a small amount of time. We were honoured to have the Rotary Baton in attendance on the night, unfortunately due to personal circumstances Lord Baton wasn't able to be in attendance but he was in our thoughts as we travelled down memory lane via a slideshow of Lord Baton and our club members who have generously taken Lord Baton under their wing over the last few months.

This was followed up by our line of guest speakers Hayley Sullivan who attended RYTS, Nicolle Edwards, CEO from RizeUp and Rebecca O'Connor, CEO from DV Connect.

Our next club meeting is at the Southport Golf Club on Thursday 15 April, so enjoy the Break and we'll see you back at the Club after Easter! Please take care over the Easter Break and if you are lucky enough to travel, please be safe on the roads. .

Until next time, please take care and if you need anything at all please feel free to contact me via phone on 0433 069 174 or email melissaneilsen1979@gmail.com

Presidents Message 08 September

Greetings Fellow Rotarians! What a special night we had at our last meeting, with our guests of honour being the recipients of the Ernie Hicks Scholarship from Griffith University. This was the first visit to the club in person for some of our students, as the earlier meeting they attended was via Zoom. It was extra special as we bid farewell to our 3rd year student Wisam Omer, but thankfully I don't think that is the last we will see of him.

It was a double act last Thursday with another special guest joining us, Lord Baton. To celebrate 100yrs of Rotary in Australia and New Zealand next year, our Club has purchased a special Baton, which we have affectionally named Lord Baton. He will be passed from member to member, who will treat Lord Baton as one of the family - take him home, on outings, show him the sights and sounds of our beautiful part of the world, all supported with photographs. More importantly, Lord Baton will be used as a way to ignite discussion and awareness about Rotary and our Club, with all of those that we come into contact with. Lord Baton is currently on his first leg of the relay and will be coming to a home near you soon.

Our next club meeting is at the Southport Golf Club on Thursday 17 September where we will catch up with Lord Baton and welcome our guest speaker for the evening, former Rosies contributor Kathleen Vlasic, to discuss Homelessness on the Gold Coast. Kathleen has vast experience and knowledge in this area, that can only be obtained by working directly with those on the streets, so please join us on this night to learn more about this issue and to find out how we as a club can help those in need.

Until next time, please take care and if you need anything at all please feel free to contact me via phone on 0433 069 174 or email melissaneilsen1979@gmail.com

Presidents Message 24 August

Greetings Fellow Rotarians! A big thank you to all those members and guests that attended our meeting last Thursday evening. It was a fantastic night of fellowship and inspiration from our two very special guest speakers, Adam Sheppard and Natasha Price aka Team InvincAble. What an amazing pair of human beings proving that no matter what life throws at you, there is always a dream to chase down and achieve.

Some sad news came out on the night that due to the current situation we find ourselves in regarding COVID-19, border closures and changes in Council funding, we have had to make the very difficult decision to cancel this year's Botanical Bazaar Event. But out of this comes something very positive; we are looking to expand this event over 2 days next year, making it bigger and better than ever! A HUGE thank you to all those members who have worked tirelessly preparing for this event, which has paved the way for the success of the event in 2021. Without the hard work and countless hours put in by you for this event, none of this could be possible.

We definitely find ourselves in a different time at present, a lot of uncertainty particularly regarding holding events, which is a major contributor to how our club raises funds to help those in need. Keep reading below to find out how you can help make a difference and initiate change to help keep us moving forward.

Our next club meeting is at the Southport Golf Club on Thursday 03 September where we will catch up with the students from Griffith University who are currently receiving financial assistance through the two Scholarships funded by our Club. This is always a special occasion so make sure you don't miss it.

Until next time, please take care and if you need anything at all please feel free to contact me via phone on 0433 069 174 or email melissaneilsen1979@gmail.com

Mentor Program

It's no secret our club has enjoyed a healthy growth of members over the last 24 months. It's also no secret that a high proportion of new members leave their club within the first 2 to 3yrs. There have been many surveys done in the past to determine the reasons behind this of which there are many, including member expectations not being met.

Normally when a new member joins Rotary they are assigned a Mentor to help guide them through the introduction to the club and to help them find their feet. Up until now, this has been a role carried out by most members of the club as they are appointed as a mentor to new members as they come in.

The new Mentor Program is aiming to form a group of members whose sole responsibility is to Mentor new members. The idea behind this is to create a team who specialise in helping to identify the reason/s that member has joined our club, what they are hoping to achieve from being a member and to provide them with the support to help them achieve that.

Presently we are looking at not just new members that join our club but also looking back over members that have joined our club in the last 18 months, and assigning them to the Mentors in the new team. By doing this, we are helping members to feel part of the club and give them the opportunity to learn about and become engaged in the area/s of the club they feel passionate about, all with the support of someone dedicated to mentoring.

Each of us has special skills and talents, and I'm looking for people that have the desire to help others in the club meet and reach their potential. If you would like to be part of this fantastic new group of people that will be fundamental in helping to ensure the ongoing success of our club, Luciane and I would love to hear from you.

You don't have to be a long term member of the club to put your hand up for this role - you could be a brand new member with a passion to help, learn more about the club and then pass this on to other new members. There is no minimum time frame you have to have been a member of the club to do this role, as we will teach you everything you need to know about this great way to get involved in the club!

This group sits under Membership, though you will be working with your own set of guidelines and information we have designed and put together to help make this role as easy as possible for you and those in your team to undertake.

For more information please contact Luciane at lucianesperling@hotmail.com or myself at melissaneilsen1979@gmail.com

Presidents Message

Greetings Fellow Rotarians! What a fantastic first meeting we had back at the Golf Club on Thursday evening. A huge thank you to all those in attendance, including our guests -word on the street being that we may have some new members coming into the fold which in this time of uncertainty is a credit to everyone in the club. We also welcomed back an old friend to the club, the Sergeant which was enjoyed by all. Awesome work!

Also on the night, David Baguley got us thinking about what our club looks like now and how COVID-19 has and may affect the way we operate. Some great ideas and food for thought certainly came out on the night, including reminding members we are flexible in what we do so if you have something that you are really passionate about please let me know. We may be able to look at doing something in that arena.

He also touched on the different areas of the club, what they each do and the Leadership team invited members to join in and help out where they can.

We pride ourselves on being people of action so let's help out as much as we can. Coming up is our annual Botanical Bazaar on Sunday 04 October which will be all hands on deck for the day, to help make this another success. The Bazaar team has been working extremely hard to put this event together so we hope that all members can participate in some way in the lead up to, or on the day itself. If you can help, or if you are planning on being at the event on the day to volunteer, please contact David Baguley or Kate Kimmorley to let them know so they can allocate you to an area. I look forward to seeing you all there!

In the meantime don't forget our double celebration at the Botanical Gardens on Sunday 16 August; the Presidents Brunch and Birthday Celebrations for July, August and September.

Our next club meeting is at the Southport Golf Club on Thursday 20 August where Assad will introduce the inspiring Ambassadors to his new Rotaract Club; a night not to be missed! So pop it in your diary today.

Until next time, please take care and if you need anything at all please feel free to contact me via phone on 0433 069 174 or email melissaneilsen1979@gmail.com

Presidents Message 20 July

Presidents Message

Greetings fellow Rotarians. A lot has happened since our last Bulletin so sit back and relax as we recap on the latest events and what's coming up.

Zoom Meeting
We held our last Zoom club meeting on Thursday 16 July, and if you were there on the night you know it ran like a well-oiled machine! It reminded me of what a great bunch of people we have in our club where we can relax and laugh with one another, building and strengthening friendships at every interaction. We had a draw again with our Trivia game with John & Louise Davis racking up another win and first-time player at club level, Lori Bradley. Congratulations, your bottle of wine awaits you.

We had two special guests, including Alisha Fernandez who gave us all some great tips on how to get a healthy body; and Ingrid Waugh, a vital member of the Rotary Regional Pilot Project Core Team. Both are doing some fantastic work in finding out what makes Rotarians tick, and how we can help to secure and build on the future of Rotary. A number of our members took part in their latest survey.

Change Over Dinner

As you all know our annual Change Over Dinner is happening this Saturday at the Crowne Plaza; this is the first time we have had the opportunity to come together in person for over three months, so I hope to see as many of you there on the night.

August Club Meeting
Also coming up is our first face-to-face meeting back at our old home, the Southport Golf Club, which will be on Thursday 06 August and is set to be a big night. An official invitation will be sent out as per usual in the lead up to this date.

Cluster Muster
What is this, you ask? Great question!

Due to the District Assembly not being able to proceed this year as planned, District Governor Andy Rajapakse is putting together a one-day event. Content will be on current hot topics of discussion in Rotary, and suggestions that have come in from club members in our district regarding certain areas and processes of Rotary they would like to know about more. This is an invitation to all members within our cluster of which there are about 240. The cost of the day is $10, which includes lunch and is being held on Sunday 02 August from 10am to 2.30pm. An official invitation will be coming out soon with more details so keep an eye out for that in your Inbox.

What do we do?

This may sound like a strange question but one that many members in particular newer members may find themselves asking. When I first joined our great club, I know I did. Rotary does so many things for so many people, and being able to follow everything that we do can sometimes be a little confusing. One of the goals I have for this year is encouraging member participation (new and more established), but in order to do that, you need to know what is we do. To help provide as much information and clarity as possible around this topic, at least once a month the Bulletin will include a summary from one area highlighting some of the things that area does. If that sounds like something you might be interested in, it will also detail how you can get involved. There are other works in the pipeline to build on this knowledge, so stay tuned.

That's it for now. If anyone has any questions or would like to discuss any topics of interest or concern, please feel free to contact me at any time via email at melissaneilsen1979@gmail.com or phone 0433 069 174.

International for 20 July

International

Our club is heavily involved in several International projects that we support financially which include:-

*Construction of a Hospital on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu

* St Judes Tanzania School

* Guatemala Water Global Grant

* Donations to Natural Disasters

* Project Orange (Eliminating Blindness in India)

* Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) providing assistance locally and Internationally through various projects, helping to eradicate malaria, donations of items from Australia to overseas where they are needed and so much more

* Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) which brings children from remote areas of the world to Australian and New Zealand for saving/changing surgeries and medical assistance

Would You Like to Get Involved in International?
Please contact Viv to find out more.
Director: Viv Mallinson
Email: vivmal@bigpond.com

Botanical Bazaar Tickets On Sale

To comply with Covid-19 Restrictions, all entries to Bazaar this year will be by pre-purchased tickets.

Early bird ticket sales have opened and are selling well. Share the link with your friends and family. https://www.trybooking.com/BIXMM

40 + exhibitors signed up – more needed

15 food vendors signed up

Key speakers signed up

Looking for Sponsor ideas

Cr Peter Young sponsorship confirmed after Council Budget

Flyers and Mini gardens to be displayed at coffee shops from 1 September 2020.

Please contact David Baguley or Kate Kimmorley if you can help with either of the above activities.

Change Over Invitation

Members, partners and friends are invited to the our 1st face to face meeting on 25th July, which also will be the Change Over dinner.

Details in the invitation below - use this link to book https://www.trybooking.com/BKIQD

Planting signs not Plants

5 club members braved the showery weather to install the latest set of interpretive signs that our club funded for the Botanical Gardens. These signs allow visitors to learn more about the 'World of Trees' - mostly mature trees in the collection and not necessarily native to SE Queensland.

Walking around the Gardens, as thousands have been doing during COVID-19 lock downs, Gold Coast Rotary is well acknowledged on large and small signs we have funded over the last 6 years. If you have been for a walk around the Gardens then it is worth a visit, if only to see our signs such as those that edcuate about Indigenous Plant Uses.

International Projects -Pentecost Island Update

Pentecost Island, Vanuatu Update – 31 March 2020

Following the presentation on our current international projects at our last dinner meeting, there has been progress on construction of the Pentecost Island Vanuatu X-Ray and Pathology Building that will be constructed in flat pack form and shipped to northern Vanuatu for re-assembly.

After the call to members of the Rotary Clubs of Broadbeach, Surfers Sunrise and or club for donations in kind for building materials for the facility, Premier Timber on Brisbane Road in Labrador have donated the roof trusses as you see in the photo below with Michael who constructed them.

Thanks goes to Rotarian Geoff Croad of Surfers Sunrise club who asked Premier Timber if they would donate them. As COVID-19 will restrict members of the joint clubs from constructing the building for the time being, the project is temporarily on hold unfortunately.

Gold Coast Ramble 2020

Despite the cancellation of many other events, Gold Coast Ramble was still able to proceed as scheduled on Sunday 22 March 2020. Due to CODIV-19 public health concerns, several teams did not compete and other teams lost some members but 13 teams collected their maps and had 2 hours fun completing the circuit. Check out the photo gallery.

To allow the event to proceed the event was modified to remove all activities requiring teams to interact with volunteers, other teams or the public. Once team captains had collected their map, the entire event was managed using the Goose Chase App. Missions or challenges went live at 10am and were listed on the App for teams to plan their routes. The challenges were in one of three formats:

Find a geographic location (confirmed by GPS)
Answer a question about a particular location (confirmed by correct answer)
Submit a photograph or video of the team at the required location.

During the event additional bonus challenges were sent out to the team that were not location based and tested the team’s observation and creativity. Finally, to make the event ‘socially distant’, there was no congregation of teams to announce winners and draw random prizes. This was done by email and announced on social media. The App itself had maintained a leader board visible to all teams but adjusted by bonus and penalty points based on photographic submissions.

Looking back at previous Rambles we had volunteers manning every checkpoint and managing the logistics of setting these up was a major exercise. In 2017 we had over 80 volunteers to run the event. This year it could be run on the day with only one! This is the power of technology and the functionality in a new App.

Almost $7,000 in prizes were made available by our generous sponsors:

Spicer Retreats
KDV Sport
Village Road Theme Parks
Lana Noir Photography
94.1 FM Radio
ISR Training
Southport Yacht Club
HopOn Brewery Tours
Granddad Jacks Craft Distillery

We were able to balance the costs of running the event due to a generous donation from Kevin and Lindy Campbell so if you are looking for storage, please talk to Campbell’s Self Storage at Hope Island.

This year we used a registration site that provided an single easy-to-navigate registration and donation platform for participants. Raisely.com was able to handle the seamless transfer and receipting of team donations directly to the nominated charity at minimum cost.

Total proceeds for the event was $6,644, which included $1,350 in registrations. Several teams campaigned hard to maximise their pre-event bonus points:

Niopotamus $1,045 raised for Bravehearts
Good Karma $913raised for Baby Give Back
Hinterland Heroes $870 raised for The Salvos

Disappointingly the 9 recipient charities only generated one or two teams with over 80% of team registrations coming from Rotarians or their connections. With an average team donation of $300, this was an opportunity missed with Rotary running a fun event for their network to support.

ANDRE'A AND HER BEST DRESSED TEAM FROM AAIC

District Conference

Not enough bookings for bus but accommodation is still available.

Check out these speakers:

Jo Taranto – Good for the Hood
Bernie Shakeshaft – Backtracks

Gemma Sisia – The School of St Jude
Kelly Foran – Friendly Faces, Helping Hands
Marc Nuss – Destiny Rescue
Al Mabin – Australian Rural Photographer

Great Prizes for Gold Coast Ramble

There is still time to enter a team and have a chance to win one of the following prizes, generously donated by local and regional organisations. Please support them:

Grand Team Prize for highest point score:

Courtesy of Spicer Retreats, 2 nights exclusive use of either

Spicers Hidden Peak Cabins offering a secluded destination to be enjoyed exclusively by your group of up to 12 guests in 6 ensuited cabins. Designed as a self-catering experience the expansive kitchen & BBQ are equipped with all the conveniences you require to prepare and enjoy your meals.
- Valued at $2,000

Spicers Hideaway Cabins offering a secluded destination to be enjoyed exclusively by your group of up to 16 guests in 4 x 2 bedroom cabins. Designed as a self-catering experience the covered outdoor kitchen & BBQ are equipped with all the conveniences you require to prepare and enjoy your meals. These cabins are located within the Hidden Vale Adventure Park with access to 100kms of mountain bike tracks. You can hire high-quality mountain bikes for your visit or bring your own and explore the back country.
- Valued at 2,000

Best Corporate Team

Courtesy of 94.1FM

$1500 sponsorship package on the Gold Coast’s own 94.1FM

AND

Courtesy of ISR Training www.isrtraining.com.au

A 2-hour in house training session for your team on “Ethical Selling in 2020”

In addition, every corporate team registering will be eligible to receive a 10% discount on advertising services purchased from Corpmentis, such as websites, branding and lead generation with 30% of spend being donated back to their chosen charity. www.corpmentis.com

Best Family Team

Courtesy of KDV Sport

1 month’s family membership of KDV Sport with access to:
- Unlimited family Mini Golf Challenges
- Unlimited Family Golf Course Rounds
- Unlimited Family tennis Court Hire
- Weekly family Climbing wall Fun
Valued at over $800

Best Team Costumes and Random Prizes

Courtesy of HopOn Brewery tours – www.hoponbrewerytours.com.au

Half day tour of your choice for 4 persons

Courtesy of Granddad Jack’s Craft Distillery – www.granddadjacks.com

Distillery Tour and tasting for 6 people

Courtesy of Lana Noir Photographer – www.lananoir.com

Gift Certificates for $250 of Professional Photography

Courtesy of Southport Yacht Club

$50 Lunch voucher

Some volunteers still needed to help with set up at Macintosh Island from 8am and Checkpoints form 9am. Contact David Baguley goldcoastramble@gmail.com

Gold Coast Ramble Charities Announced

Participants in this year's Gold Coast Ramble will have plenty of worthy causes to choose to support with 7 charities already signed up. Registrations will open soon so start promoting event to your clients, family and friends.

Bus Trip to District Conference

TENTERFIELD ROTARY CONFERENCE - DISTRICT 9640 27th – 29th March, 2020

Rotary International District 9640 Conference at the RSL Memorial Hall in Tenterfield. The Conference theme, in concert with the Rotary International theme for this year, is 'Rotary Connects Communities'

FRIDAY – 27.3.2020 Pick up at the Southport Golf Club at 7.30 am and leaving the Gold Coast for Lismore where we will have a stop off to stretch our legs. Arriving at Tenterfield at approximately 12.00pm, we will embark on a Tenterfield sightseeing tour allowing time to grab a bite to eat. After checking in there are options to have free time to yourselves, book in for conference or revisit any spots of interest from earlier on. In the evening, conference people who are attending the international dress theme welcome dinner or other activities will be dropped to the venues and picked up at a prearranged times. Those not attending an organised conference event for dinner can organise a group meal or do their own thing (at own cost).

SATURDAY – 28.3.2020 – (B) Up for breakfast , those attending the conference will be dropped off before the remainder of us spend the day exploring Stanthorpe and surrounds, maybe a winery or two. We will firm up activities on the day with input from participants, a list of activities to pick from will be provided which can be supplemented from attendees. In the evening, conference people who are attending activities will be dropped to the venues and picked up at a prearranged times. Those not attending an organised conference event for dinner can organise a group meal or do their own thing (at own cost).

SUNDAY - 29.3.2020 – (B) Arising to our last Tenterfield morning – those not attending the conference can have a little sleep in before breakfast. Conference attendees will be dropped to any events. A couple of hours will be set aside to see sights of Tenterfield or simply free time. Departure from Tenterfield will be 12.00 pm with a comfort stop at Lismore and an arrival time back at Southport Golf Club of approximately 4.30pm.

INCLUSIONS: Luxury coach with driver and host included commentary, 4-star plus accommodation wherever possible, Meals as advised (B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, MT: Morning Tea).

TOUR PRICE - $249.00 per person which includes 2 night’s accommodation (twin share) including breakfasts and all transfers. Any other meal expenses are at individuals cost.

CAREFREE TOURING PTY LTD – TRAVEL MADE EASIER WEBSITE: www.carefreetouring.com
CONTACT GREG AND TEAM: 0428 188866 OR 1300 188866 EMAIL: carefreetouring@gmail.com

February Vocational Visit + Birthday Lunch

SATURDAY 22^ND FEBRUARY 2020

VOCATION VISIT

Southport Volunteer Coast Guards

Board the new Coast Guard vessel at the Southport Yacht Club for an easy cruising along the Broadwater to the Seaway, then to the Coast Guards’ base at Loder’s Creek. Take a tour of the facilities and the radio room and then return to the Yacht Club for yummy lunch.

Departure time may change according to the number of people registered, we may have 2 teams.

PLEASE BOOK: https://www.trybooking.com/BHFLT BY 19^th February

ENQUIRIES: Luciane Sperling Mobile 0405255169

Event Plans for the year ahead

BOTANICAL BAZAAR

Following the success of the Botanical Bazaar this year, the club will be committing to staging this event as an annual event. The venue at Country Paradise Parklands has been booked for the 1st Sunday of August each year so mark your diaries now!

GOLD COAST RAMBLE 2020

Partnering again with Surfers Sunrise and Griffith Gold Coast Rotary clubs, the Gold Coast Ramble will be staged on Sunday 22 March 2020. The start site will be Macintosh Island Park and the event will be held over 2 hours starting at 10am. Ramblers will explore the streets of MainBeach and Surfers Paradise. Members are urged to promote the event to their work colleagues, clients and families asa fun day and an opportunity to support local charities. The Salvation Army and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia have already signed up.

ROTARY BALL AND CHARITY AUCTION

To accomodate the above events, our annual charity auction will be moved back to later in the year, October or November 2020. Other formats for the event will be explored.

Waste Management Record

This year's Botanical Bazaar established a new benchmark for waste management at a public event. With over 4,500 people on site for 7 hours, careful waste management resulted in less than 7.5% of waste generated being taken landfill.

Climate Wave Enterprises was contracted to handle ZERO WASTE management at Botanical Bazaar on 4 August 2019. The aim of a ZERO WASTE event is to minimise the waste going to landfill. All created waste of the event can be reused or recycled. Achieving a ZERO WASTE event requires an effort from all stakeholders involved that include the event management, staff, food vendors, Eco Angels & volunteers as well as the attendees themselves.

The Zero Waste management components involved composting and reuse, food vendor engagement, waste education, waste sorting site cleanup and staff engagement. The system put in place is only as good as its Eco Angels, who achieved a stellar 92.59% diversion from landfill and a high level of attendee education.

Results:

561 Litres Recycled
2440 Litres of compostable material was diverted from landfill and composted at Nerang Community Garden
40 Litres of organic material was diverted from landfill
3 bags of bottles & cans were diverted from recycling, bagged and donated to Gecko Environment Council to be processed through their Container Deposit Scheme system
Sunny Buddy solar powered sound system in a wheelie bin provided PA for spruiking

We can still do better with the following recommendations for future events:

Even though mandatory requirements that all vendors adhere to no single use plastic material and that prior to the event all vendors were contacted by phone and the message reiterated we had a few vendors bring plastic.
All food vendors are required to take home their own waste or have a workable system of diverting into separate streams to then be introduced into our onsite system. Some vendors did not adhere to this and dumped rubbish unseparated into our system which increased percentage to landfill.
When event attendees bring in their own food & drinks there will always have a higher landfill percentage so security at front gate need to stop foreign material entering the site.

Botanical Bazaar ticks all the Boxes

These comments on our Facebook page sum up a fantastic event:

Was the best day of the year for me so far! A truly wonderful and community connecting day filled with tonnes of valuable information we should all be seeking to strive toward for a healthier planet. I picked up some great tips and ideas to use less plastic in my life. My daughter picked up some gorgeous plants and my son received some free trees to plant. Thank you everyone.

I could not have said that better myself. What I loved the most was of course the 'nature of it, all natural' but definitely the traditions. outside those gates its back to normal but there it was very special few hours thank you all so very much.

Had an amazing day yesterday, great information Great stalls, good food and great music, such a lovely relaxing day😀

This event was fantastic! My friend and I arrived at 9am and stayed until 2pm, so much to see and do. Highly recommend going if you want a mix of very reasonably priced plants, great music, interesting talks and a wide variety of stalls! Will be back in 2020 for sure!

The Rotary International Theme for 2019-20 is Rotary Connects the World. Gold Coast Rotary’s Botanical Bazaar embodied that theme on many levels –

we connected with over 75 local exhibitors, allowing them to showcase and sell their products;
we connected with a number of not-for-profit organisations, allowing them to educate the wider community about their causes;
we connected with 15 food and beverage vendors providing a captive market of hungry and thirsty festival goers;
we connected with over 3,500 patrons coming through our gates to be educated by an impressive line-up of speakers and entertained in a relaxed and natural environment;
we connected with gardeners, finding a wonderful array of plants and garden products at reasonable prices all in one place;
we connected with and provided plenty of free activities for kids, including a never to be forgotten interaction with Costa Georgiadis;
we connected with the local community gardeners, allowing them to showcase their wonderful market garden;
we connected with the volunteer Coast Guard Gold Coast, providing them with the opportunity to raise much needed funds and ensure site parking was well managed;
we connected with over 50 volunteers, including more than half our club, Nerang Rotary Club and a few members of the new Gold Coast Passport Rotary Club;
we connected with environmental sustainability by working with the new wastage system Greg and the Eco Angels from Climate Wave Enterprises implemented at this year's festival providing a stellar 92.59% diversion from landfill!

Blessed with wonderful weather and an event full of happy people, what better way to fundraise for worthy causes. Special thanks to Event Director Stacey, our main supporter Councillor Peter Young and, of course generous, in-kind support from members Eddie and Andy. Approximately $32,000 will be available to invest in the event for future years and support local worthy causes.

Check out our website and Photo Album.

Botanical Bazaar Update

Less than 2 weeks to the Big Event

Thanks to all who have volunteered. If you cannot make it on the Sunday, we will need help on Friday 2nd to mark out site and pick up some items.

If you missed out on volunteering, paying customers are most welcome and bring your family, neighbours and friends.

Here are some points of interest to promote to all your contacts

Thousands of Plants for sale
Nearly 100 green inspired exhibitors
Botanical Art
Bee Zone
Garden Bar
Over 20 Educational Talks included in ticket price ($15 Adults, kids free)
2 Host's from Gardening Australia attending - Costa Georgiadis and past host Stephen Ryan
Local Gardening Expert Kate Heffernan speaking about 'Tastes of Australia' Bushfood for Home Gardeners'
Aiming to be a waste free festival, with Eco-Angels helping to educate people and sorting the waste
Big focus on Sustainable living concepts
Popular 'Kids Hub' with animal farm, snake education, pony rides, heaps of free nature education activities
Expecting upwards of 6000 people to attend
Not for Profit festival, coordinated by Rotary Gold Coast - fundraising for green initiatives on the Gold Coast
4th Year of the Festival

4 Weeks to Botanical Bazaar

Botanical Bazaar Progam in place

OVER 75 EXHIBITERS, 15 FOOD VENDORS and a FULL SPEAKING PROGRAM INCLUDING CELEBRITY SPEAKERS

• COSTA GEORGIADIS(SILVERLOGIEWINNER)

• STEPHEN RYAN

• ANNETTE MCFARLANE

• KATE HEFFERNAN

Bazaar Help Needed

NOW:

1. Visit another Rotary Club with Flyers

– 15 GC Clubs

2. Distribute flyers to family, friends, neighbours, work

3. SHARE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

4. Register as volunteers

– On-line

5. Sponsor a gate prize

– Get email addresses for 2020

6. Site visits

- dates to be announced

Event Weekend:

1. Home-host celebrity speaker Sat - Sun

– Thanks Kate and Eric

2. Volunteer briefing Fri or Sat

3. Friday – site mark out

4. Saturday – 8am site set up, help exhibiters bump in

5. Sunday – allocated roles

6. Post event – Help bump out, site clean up

Botanical Bazaar Program Blooms!

Posted on Jul 05, 2019

Over 75 exhibitors, 15 food vendors and celebrity speakers including Sliver Logie Winner, Costa Georgiadis, Stephen Ryan, Annette McFarlane & Kate Heffernan are now lined up for our event on 4 August 2019.

Botanical Bazaar Update

Posted by David Baguley

We have closed applications for exhibiters with over 75 sites booked, along with about 15 food vendors. Our speakers’ program is full with over 20 presentations in 3 locations over the day. Our workshops are filling up with on-line registrations.

Our promotions for Botanical Bazaar received a boost this week with confirmation that Costa Georgiadis from Gardening Australia will be joining our speaking program and also entertaining the kids. Don’t forget to vote for him for Gold Logie in tvweeklogieawards.com.au and share with friends. Other well-known speakers include: Stephen Ryan, a previous Gardening Australia host, radio horticulture experts, Annette McFarlane and Kate Heffernan and permaculture guru, Morag Gamble

Next week, we will be advertising the event with the above image on the billboard heading west on Reedy Creek Road out of Burleigh Heads and we will be looking for members to visit other Rotary clubs to distribute flyers. 15,000 flyers will be letter box dropped later in the month. Everything points to a record crowd of well over 5,000.

Some members have accepted key roles in the preparations for and during Botanical Bazaar. These are roles to manage different areas or sub sections of the event or preparation.

We will need more volunteers to assist with set up on Friday 2^nd, and Saturday 3^rdas well a swarm of yellow shirts during the event on 4^thAugust. There will also be a clean-up on Monday 5^th. This is definitely a fun event and a great opportunity to showcase Rotary. I hope you can all assist. For insurance purposes, we need all volunteers to register, sign on and sign off so please go to our website www.botanicalbazaar.com.auand look for Volunteer to register.

Exciting News

The Botanical Bazaar is a one-day garden festival, which has grown progressively over 5 years into a ‘must-attend’ event for gardeners from the Gold Coast and surrounding areas. In 2018, there were over 100 exhibitors and 3,000 tickets were sold. Some of us have attended the event, held at Country Paradise Parklands in Nerang and were impressed with the wonderful atmosphere. Check out the website and the YouTube of this year’s event.

Gold Coast Rotary has negotiated with the owner of the event to run the event in 2019 with her assistance, with a view to making it an annual club event with enormous potential for growth and profitability. This year’s event will be held on 4 August 2019, which means we have to postpone the Gold Coast Ramble until March 2020.

Our Rotary Ball Committee is working hard to stage that event on 13 April, so we need other members or friends of Rotary to fill key roles in organising the Botanical Bazaar. We will have access to plans and templates from last year, as well as contact lists of exhibitors, suppliers and entertainers. Horticultural knowledge is not a requirement!

Whatever your skill, we will have job for you. Come along to our 1^stplanning meeting on Wednesday 27 February, meet Stacey who will be the Event Director, learn about the event and what needs to be done to make it happen. Staging a successful community event is extremely satisfying, develops new skills and raises the profile of Rotary in the local community.

When: 4pm – 7pm, Wednesday 27 February

Where: Baguley home, 29 Cabana Boulevard, Benowa

Cannot make meeting but wish to help: Call David Baguley 0411470947

Laos Ophanage Improvements

Posted on Feb 01, 2019

Our Club recently helped fund upgraded ceilings and lights at Suan Luang Ophanage in Laos.

PRIDE OF WORKMANSHIP AWARDS

Dinner at the Southport Golf Club

Fantastic evening, our Club presented awards to 8 worthy recipients representing 8 local businesses. All nominees were presented with a Rotary Pride of Workmanship glass trophy, each awardee gave us a short talk about their achievement. Congratulations to the awardees for a job well done. Kathy raffled a cute Teddy Bear and raised $675 for the Drought Relief effort in Western Queensland.

It was good to see a strong support from the Club with 23 members in attendance plus 49 guests.

A special thanks to Past President Kathy Hogan, and her team, for making this event possible and for being the MC for the evening, to Rob Ffrench who introduced and explained the concept behind Pride Of Workmanship and all the volunteers for their assistance. As President I did a short presentation about Rotary and about our Club.

Gold Coast Ramble 2018

What perfect weather for the Ramble - blue skies, sunshine but not too hot for the 20 Ramble teams and 55 volunteers in orange.

Although the number of participants was disappointing, those that took part certainly entered into the spirit of the event in their colourful costumes and wonderful fundraising. Over $6,500 was donated to the nominated charities by the teams and their supporters. Due to the poor level of registrations, the 3-hour event was cancelled and combined into a single 2-hour event - this meant a later start and shorter event and was much appreciated by the volunteers manning checkpoints!

The event started at Appel Park on the Nerang River with 25 checkpoints scattered from the Isle of Capri (very lonely as only one team visited them) through Surfers Paradise and up to Macintosh island. Not all checkpoints were multi-choice questions this year. At 7 sites, the team had to complete a physical challenge, which created a bit of fun, especially for the children.

Once again the 1st and 2nd place-getting teams were separated by the points gained from donations. Only 1 point!

Congratulations to the Monster Mayhem team who won the 3-day Scenic Rim walk donated by Spicers Retreats. A 12-month family pass for tennis and mini golf at KDV Sports was a just reward for 2nd placed Nipapotamus.

Pirate team 'Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of Ramble' were hard to overlook as the craziest dressed team and earned a half day brewery tour with Hop On Brewery Tours. Other teams shared the random draw prizes from Top Golf and Lana Noir Photography Studio. The winners of the best corporate team and highest fund-raiser was the 'Little People' - an advertising package from 94.1FM and a consultation from CorpMentis.

Thank you to all our prize sponsors and to Kevin and Lindy Campbell for once again sponsoring our volunteer shirts.

Gold Coast Ramble Update

Start site for Ramble changed due to Council major works on Neal Shannon Park.

Participants and volunteers please note.

NEW SITE IS APPEL PARK, FERNY AVE, SURFERS PARADISE - OPPOSITE CIRCLE ON CAVILL ON RIVER.

Still need more volunteers - contact David Baguley - goldcoastramble@gmail.com

Group Cultural Exchange

Recent Photos

Gold Coast Ramble - Help Needed

Last year's Gold Coast ramble was a success due to the support of so many club members from the 3 clubs involved.

We need that help again and the event is less than 3 weeks away - SUNDAY 5 AUGUST - starting earlier at 9am and finished by 1pm. Details on website: www.goldcoastramble.org.au

How can you help?

Encourage clients, suppliers, staff, family and friends to enter a team/s. Flyers and message templates are available.
Share the Facebook event with your Facebook friends - https://www.facebook.com/events/2038097703117798
Volunteer to help on the day - we need to man 40 checkpoints from 0800 to 1230
We would love to get checkpoint sponsors - if you have business contacts in the Main Beach or Surfers Paradise areas, we can locate a check point to their advantage. Please advise contact names and we will follow up.
This year we are partnering with the Surfers Paradise Alliance, who will be supplying and setting up our start and finish sites. They are staging the Viva Festival from 14 July to 22 July and has offered us the opportunity to promote the Ramble over the weekend 21/22 July with an information stand.
1. We need to man this stand so need some volunteers during time 10am to 4pm - please advise if you can assist.

Please advise asap if and when you can assist.

Cheers

David

PP David Baguley

Volunteers make 30,000 beds for charity!

Rotary District 9640 had an active team of 180 housekeeping attendants at the Athletes Village of the recently concluded XX1 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. The return was a massive $223,360. It wasn’t easy in more ways than one but Rotary came out winning Gold!

PDG Brian Heaton suggested that Rotary could become housekeepers to the Games Village as happened in Melbourne in 2006 & in the last London Olympics. PDG John Wigley who had been D9800 District Governor in 2005/ 2006 and Rotarian Bill Dagg, who had co-ordinated the Melbourne Games housekeeping were flown up from Melbourne to brief clubs.

As the successful housekeeping company, Incognitus needed a commitment within 3 weeks, a mad scramble resulted trying to get Rotarians to commit with little knowledge of the degree of involvement. Many had decided to leave town due to the scare tactics on traffic chaos & a lot had already committed to volunteering work during the Games. Our potential workforce was severely diminished right from the start.

We had to go through a rigorous accreditation & training process but we ended up with 22 teams of 5 people per team & a total of 180 volunteers that included 35 Rotarians from Currumbin-Coolangatta-Tweed, Gold Coast, Parkwood, Runaway Bay, Surfers Sunrise, Summerland Sunrise, Warwick Sunrise, Toowoomba North (D9630) & Sunnybank Hills (D9630) plus volunteers from several charity & church groups. Church groups from the Pacific Islander Communities of Brisbane and the Gold Coast provided a large number of the volunteers.

What did we do? District Governor Darrell worked for 10 days, where he was a stripper in the first couple of days. That is one who strips bed linen from beds - not the other type of stripper!. Then he made beds all day on some days or made up linen packs. His exit day, was toilet & bathroom cleaner. Many of the volunteers would do their housekeeping shifts & go back to their normal jobs working late into the night. Everyone pulled together with great camaraderie.

Was it worth it? Yes. At the end of the games, Paul Lovett, CEO of Incognitus presented a big cheque to Assistant Governor, David Baguley who coordinated the volunteer work force. Paul praised the team & said that we were the best housekeepers that he had ever had.

The charities that our hard-earned money will support will be the big winners. These include:

Providing crises care & support to families of patients in intensive care at Gold Coast University Hospital who have arrived outside of the Gold Coast at short notice to be with their loved ones in hospital.

RC Surfers Sunrise’s Wheelchair Project making wheelchairs for children in undeveloped countries out of discarded bicycles.

Australian Rotary Health PhD Scholarship in Mental Illness.

Youth with a Mission Rugby Plus using rugby as a vehicle to train young men & women at home in Fiji & giving them an opportunity to serve in regional & outback Australia in communities that love the game & encourage the youth with healthy thinking, eating & living based on Christian values.

St John’s Crisis Care in Surfers Paradise.

Rotary’s Malaria Vaccine Project.

Sponsorship of Rotary’s Youth Driver Awareness program for a school.

Rotary’s Polio Plus & Donations in Kind, to name a few.

Celebrating Christmas in Style

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.
Our Gold Coast Rotary Christmas celebration was a great event. Thank you Rowan for organising the Salvation Army Band, Eddie and the Blenders, It was wonderful to share the evening with one of our holidaying Ken Bromley families. And a special happy birthday to all who are celebrating their birthday in December.
Special thanks to Jean Pierre D'Anna and Chawki for organising a great evening.

The night is best shown in pictures - check out the Christmas Meeting 2017 Album!

Join the Celebrations of 40 years of Service

Members, partners and friends are invited to join the Club for a relaxed luncheon at the Southport Golf Club to celebrate and reminisce about 40 years of service to the local and international community. The challenge is to locate and invite past members and partners of Gold Coast Rotary, Surfers Paradise Central Rotary, Gold Coast Central Rotary, Surfers Paradise West Rotary and Bundall Rotary and make this a great reunion. David Baguley would welcome contact details so an invitation can be sent.

Register Now

Book now for Give Me 5 for Kids Gala Ball on 10 June 2017

It’s going to be a fabulous night!!!

The Rotary Club of Gold Coast together with local radio station 92.5Gold FM are hosting a Gala Ball at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre at Broadbeach on Saturday June 10. It will be a night to raise money for the children’s wards of the Gold Coast University Hospital and The Tweed Hospital, Griffith University Malaria Research and ROMAC (Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children).

Apple Marketing, Clear IT Solutions, Master Sweets and The Advanced Group are our major sponsors along with so many of our own club members who have very generously provided a huge array of items including vouchers, gift certificates, restaurant dinners to wine deals. There is something for everyone.

With over 100 silent auction items and several live auction pieces bidding will be fast and furious. Bidding will be via an app designed specifically for the night so we know we are going to see some serious auction action! Being able to watch bids in real time means no-one will take their eyes off items for a minute!

Gotta love dressing up, having fun raising money and dancing to fabulous hip swinging music provided by Groove Doctor. So, mark it in your diary and we look forward to seeing you there.

More details: www.tinyurl.com/Giveme5forkidsball

Or contact: Chawki Gazal on 0410 002 403

Gold Coast Ramble 2017 makes colourful debut

To all our wonderful volunteers - a great big thank you from the Gold Coast Ramble. We could not have done it without you and your effort was not only appreciated by us, the organisers but also by the participants.

We got this message from one of the Ramblers:

I just wanted to say that the Gold Coast Ramble was really fun, and really well organised, and thank you all for all the work you put in. Organising the maps, clue sheets, the app, the "go manual" contingency plan in case the app died, it was all great. Even the clues on the clue sheet were just the right amount of cryptic and mysterious, and I really loved the vollies at every clue station -- they were all super friendly and encouraging and helpful.

So thank you very much. It was fantastic fun, and I really hope it becomes an annual event.

We learnt some lessons from a few hiccups - like putting a couple of checkpoints in the wrong position (Yidan and Josh get the prize for loneliest checkpoint volunteers!); putting incorrect map co-ordinates on another; having a couple of confusing questions and placing some of our checkpoints in locations exposed to the afternoon sun (our apologies to those volunteers affected).

Overall though, the event and technology worked as we planned it, even the manual back up was actioned for one group. The wet weather in the week leading up to the event probably affected registrations so we ended up with 58 teams (220 registrations). It was a dress rehearsal for the future when our numbers grow to 2,000 or 5,000 - we would not need any more volunteers than we had on Sunday.

We are likely to make a small loss on the event itself but everyone enjoyed themselves; the 'Gold Coast Ramble' brand has been established and the event enabled the nominated charities to benefit from donations of $7,000, which was the primary purpose of staging the event. All the participants had fun and the wonderful prizes were much appreciated. A full list of team scores will be available soon.

Are you ready to Ramble for Charity on 26 March 2017?

The first event of its kind on the east coast of Australia, the inaugural Gold Coast Ramble, being held on Sunday 26 March 2017, aims to raise funds and awareness for Rotary projects and local charities. http://www.facebook.com/goldcoastramble

Registrations Open now

Organised by Gold Coast Rotary, Surfers Sunrise Rotary and the Griffith University Satellite Rotary Club in conjunction with the Gold Coast Community Fund , it is modelled off the highly successful Perth Ramble, organised by the Rotary Club of Mill Point, which recently raised more than $60,000 for charities. Check out the photos above from Perth in 2015.

How does it work?

Think the Gold Coast version of the Amazing Race … team up with families, friends and workmates to explore the city, uncover secret locations, solve puzzles and raise money for local charities.

Teams of costumed participants will explore the parks, malls and streets of the Gold Coast, following clues to locate 40 to 50 checkpoints over four hours (there is a two hour version with 20 checkpoints for young families).

At each checkpoint, the team use the Gold Coast Ramble App to download a challenge about the immediate area – this could relate to the heritage, the natural environment, street art or local infrastructure. Points are awarded for successful challenges with additional points available for donations to the Ramble's chosen charities.

REGISTER TEAM AND BUY TICKETS NOW

President's Welcome - Champagne & Chicken in Gardens

Wonderful weather, wonderful food and a great venue for a picnic brunch - more than 30 members and partners gathered in the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens to welcome President Kate into her role. The catering organised by Ann and Chawki and supplemented by some of Martin's breakfast treats was appreciated by all. What a pleasant way to spend a lazy Sunday morning.

Following breakfast, Rana led a guided tour of the Mountains to Mangroves section of the Gardens and the newly created 'Story of our Country' garden and the bush foods garden. Members also took the opportunity to inspect the Rotary Education pavilion, which is now complete with the final interpretative panels recently installed.

Check out the photos taken by Genik.

Farewell President Lynda, Welcome President Kate

President Lynda was at her effervescent best as she thanked the club members for their various gifts to the world during her year of presidency. In responding to John Lander's toast to Rotary International Past District Governor Graham Jones praised the club's achievements over the past year. Lynda appeared to reluctantly hand over the presidential collar to Kate Kimmorley who provided a short overview of her goals for the year before introducing her new Board, which included several newer members.

PhotoAlbums/2016-changeover-dinner

Give Me 5 for Kids Gala Ball raises $20,000

A wonderful event run in partnership with 92.5 Gold FM to raise funds for Give Me 5 for Kids Charity and Gold Coast Rotary community projects. Guests were superbly looked after by Sofitel Broadbeach and entertained by President Lynda and the Groove Doctors band.
Raffles, silent and live auctions raised over $20,000.
The electronic on-line bidding system designed by ClearIT Solutions encouraged spirited bidding and automatic updates on the big screens. and the audio visuals by AV Partners were faultless. Special thanks to Apple Marketing who sourced most of the silent auction items. Thank you to Birkbeck Jewellers, 92.5 Gold FM and Spida, Witches Falls Winery, and John D'Anna for the wonderful live auction lots.

PhotoAlbums/give-me-5-for-kids-gala-ball

Help Sick Kids at Give Me 5 for Kids Gala Ball 18 June 2016

Gold Coast Rotary has been staging signature events for over 40 years, in fact we started the Gold Coast Marathon.

This year we have partnered with 92.5 Gold FM to stage the “Give Me 5 for Kids’ Gala Ball and Charity Auction at the Sofitel Hotel Broadbeach on 18 June 2016. This event will raise funds for sick kids in the local hospitals and for other local Rotary causes.

Included in our selection of auction items will be some unique items and experiences. Bidding starts on-line before the event and continues during the event with auction items being displayed on the big screen as well as being physically displayed in the Ballroom. You can bid with your mobile phone or tablet.

The Groove Doctors are a great dance band and will be once again be providing the music. Invite some friends and book now if you like to dance or just want to dress up for a great night out, 3 course meal and premium drinks are included. This is the best value formal event staged on the Gold Coast.

http://www.tinyurl.com/giveme54kidsball

- See more at: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/9191/Event/give-me-5-charity-ball#sthash.iBaQIvYF.dpuf

Gold Coast Rotary recognises Pride of Workmanship

Gold Coast Rotary believe “Pride of Workmanship” - the sense of responsibility to do a job well, (Do it Once - Do it Well) is one of the greatest intangible assets in our community. As part of our campaign to encourage the “Pride of Workmanship” theme, seven employers gave recognition to nine employees at a well attended Awards Dinner at the Southport Golf Club on 21 April 2016.

More than 70 members and guests gathered to hear a short tribute to each awardee before they were presented with a framed certificate acknowledging their contribution to their workplace. Awardees represented the following organisations - Sofitel Hotel Gold Coast, Australian National Industries, Mariner Shores Resort, Crema Express Robina, Queensland Police, PhysioFit Main Beach and Delab Construction Services.

Rotary Education Pavilion in Botanic Gardens Opened

More than 50 guests gathered for the official opening of the Rotary Education Pavilion last Friday. Special guests included

Rotarian Justin Schaffer up from Sydney,
Councillors Taylor, Grummitt, and Bell,
the current and future leaders of Rotary District 9640 – DG Ann Egan, DGE Michael Irving and DGN Darrell Brown,
Dr Liz Caddick, Curator of the BG,
Alex Jakimoff, President of the FGCRBG, Gene Rosser – Patron of the Friends, and past presidents of FGCRBG Kate Heffernan and Nick Bloor.

The opening of the Rotary Education Pavilion has been a long time coming. Even longer for Justin Schaffer who donated a significant sum of money to our Rotary club back in 2008 to be used to provide ongoing education programs for young people in an area not catered for by main stream schools. After several false starts we identified the need for a multi-purpose shelter within the Gardens for use in education programs and for housing interpretative displays.

We did not want a standard picnic shelter that you find in a park – we wanted a signature structure befitting of a Botanic Gardens and something, which acknowledged Rotary and its community service. Justin was proud to officially open a signature structure designed by Andrew Brewer from Burling Brown Architects. He gave a moving speech, advocating philanthropy and thanking Gold Coast Rotary for its support and perseverance in bringing this pavilion to fruition. President Lynda had much pleasure in presenting Justin with Honorary Membership of our club. Alex Jakimoff then presented both Justin and the Rotary Club of Gold Coast with Life Memberships of the Friends of the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens.

The support of Councillor Paul Taylor was acknowledged before Kate Heffernan talked briefly about, and then unveiled her latest creation – stage 1 of the interpretation signs for this pavilion.

Dr Liz Caddick the Curator of the Botanic Gardens rounded out the program by explaining the importance of education in the charter of Botanic Gardens and how the pavilion would provide a valuable resource for future programs. Drinks and fellowship followed.

50 years of providing holidays for wounded service personnel

Nice to get recognition in local paper. Another soldier and his partner from Perth have just enjoyed a wonderful break on the Gold Coast courtesy of our program.

Christmas in the Park

The simple things are often the best , since we had to postpone our Bush Dance due to a double booking and did not get enough interest in our attempt to cruise to the Cove we decided on

Christmas on the Beach in the Park

Date: Sunday 13th December from 4.00 PM Pratten Park, Old Burleigh Road, Broadbeach

Bring your chairs or blanket to share and come and enjoy Christmas on the Beach in the Park with friends

Please RSVP with numbers to this email and pay $25 pp direct to Club's account adding your name + Xmas

Gold Coast Rotary

BSB 124022

ACC 21667632

Bulls on the Beach Vests reach Kenya

Posted by Kate Kimmorley

We donated our left over Bulls on the Beach Jackets ( 30kg in weight) to Deb and Matt Water who volunteered their time to run our rodeo food tents. They have recently travelled to Africa as part of the Kenya Health program. The jackets were very well received.

Christmas Bush Dance POSTPONED UNTIL 2016

President Lynda had such a great time at the District Conference Bush Dance in Goondiwindi , she has organised one for the Gold Coast as a different Christmas party.

There is plenty of room so we invite all other Rotary clubs, any friends and friends of friends to join us on Saturday 12th December, 2015 (see details below).

Looking for a different Christmas party for your workplace - bring them all along. Bookings essential for catering arrangements.

50 years of Rotary holidays for wounded service personnel.

In 1965 following Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, the Rotary Club of Surfers Paradise established the Wounded Servicemen's Scheme. The scheme was started by Rotarian Griff McKay, ably assisted by ex-servicemen Ken Bromley and Charles Smith. At that time the the scheme was confined to Australian soldiers receiving treatment at the Yeronga Military Hospital. Ken Bromley, an ex-Naval officer took over the chairmanship in 1971 and was honored with an M.B.E. for his dedication to the cause. Between 1965 and 1973, a total of 1496 servicemen enjoyed rehabilitation on the Gold Coast.

The scheme has been continued by the Rotary Club of Surfers Paradise Central and then the Rotary Club of Gold Coast through the Ken Bromley Memorial Wounded Service Personnel Convalescent Association, whereby wounded service personnel accompanied by nominated family members receive a fully paid 5 star holiday on the Gold Coast from anywhere in Australia. Service personnel who have served in many overseas areas of conflict have benefited from this program. At one stage even British service personnel wounded in the Falklands conflict enjoyed Gold Coast holidays.

Come and join us on 26 November at the di Vito Waterfront Restaurant to celebrate this milestone. Bookings essential.

Meet President Lynda's Board

President's Breakfast Sunday 16 August

Welcome the New President Breakfast - Chicken and Champagne in the Botanic Gardens. Members and families welcome.

Bring a blanket and picnic chairs.

RSVP at your earliest convenience so catering can be organised, payment on arrival.

Super Heroes dominate Changeover

Club members supported the Changeover Dinner theme in force with Florence Nightingale, Don Bradman, James Bond, The Phantom of the Opera, Dr Fiona Wood, Emma Peel and even Paul Harris sighted among the guests but their were several Super - men, women, making one wonder which one was the real McCoy. Eddie eloquently summed up the year, honored some hard workers including joint Rotarians of the Year - Mark Urquhart and Chawki Gazal and handed the baton to Lynda. After a gracious speech, Lynda led the assembled onto the dance floor. A great night was had by all.

Come and hear how Gold Coast Hospital and Health Board operates

Ian Langdon - Chair of Gold Coast Hospital and Health Board will be guest speaker on 23 April 2015.

We will also welcome our Ernie Hicks Memorial Scholars - Brie Foran and Leah Henderson and Ken Baguley Bursary awardee, Vanessa Tan

Fantastic Night @ New Horizons Ball

Gold Coast Suns Horizons Program benefits by $10,000 from proceeds of Charity New Horizons Ball run by Gold Coast Rotary at Mercure Gold Coast on 7 March. 160 guests danced to the music of the Groove Doctors with lead singer President Elect Lynda Hynes, enjoyed a wonderful meal in the ambience of the Mercure Ball room and generously bid on over 120 silent auction lots and 6 unique live auction items.

New Horizons Charity Ball only 5 weeks away

Invite your guests, book a table ready for a great night.

We are still looking for more auction items - these will help us raise more money for the 10 local charities supported by GC Suns Horizon program and for drought affected farming communities.

Every dollar raised benefits local homeless youth, those affected by domestic violence and services provided by community centres in the north Gold Coast growth corridor. Recent rain has taken our minds away from the hardship being suffered by farming communities but they still need help to recover.

Club Meetings return to Panorama Room @ Arts Centre form 22 January

Members, Visitors and Guests please note that from 22 January 2015, our meetings on 2nd and 4th Thursdays @ 5.45 for 6.15 will return to our old location at Arts Centre. The Panorama Room has spectacular views across the Surfers Paradise skyline.

Come and hear Corey Bell from the Gold Coast Suns talk about the Horizons Program with Rotary. This will be the main beneficiary of our Charity Ball on 7 March, with funds assisting the homeless, victims on domestic violence and growth issues in northern Gold Coast corridor.

Wonderful Christmas Party

Many thanks once again to Ann and Chawki Gazal for hosting a great club Christmas Party at their home. The organisation, the food, the drinks, even the weather were perfect.

Check out the photos on our Facebook page

Saving the Indonesian Rainforest - 13 November 2014

Come and hear Professor Friederich Göltenboth talk about this important research and work in saving threatened forests.

Come and hear about the 'The Power of Social Media' on 23 October

Our guest speakers will be Matt Sully and Fady Hanna on the topic 'The Power of Social Media'. Have you ever wondered which social media is best for marketing your business or product? What is the difference between FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter? With years of marketing experience between them, Matt and Fady will be sure to entertain and inform. Fady is a finalist in this years 'Gold Coast Young Entreprenuer of the Year', which will be decided the following night.

Great night to bring a guest. Register attendance and guests

Come and hear Gemma Sisia on 9 October 2014

At 22 years old Gemma Sisia travelled to Uganda to volunteer as a teacher, where she taught girls maths and sewing. This experience led to a fervent belief that a free, high-quality education should be the right of all children in the world and that education is the strongest weapon in the fight against poverty, corruption and political instability.

Upon returning to her native Australia, Gemma fundraised to help underprivileged children in East Africa complete their schooling. She would raise enough money to start an official fund to invest in the education of East Africa’s poorest children. Along with the gift of a small plot of land in Arusha, Tanzania, Gemma began to build The School of St Jude with the help of friends, family and Rotary groups.

In 2002, The School of St Jude opens with three students.

By 2006, St Jude's is educating 662 students and employing 114 local staff and 30 acres of land is purchased at Usa River for a second campus.

In 2010, St Jude’s celebrates its ten year anniversary, and is providing quality education to over 1,500 students.

Keith Abraham returns as Guest Speaker on 25th September

Keith Abraham has spent the last 25 years researching, training and working with people to help them find their passion, harness their passion and turn their passion into personal and professional capital. In fact, Keith Abraham has personally assisted individuals and companies alike create over 10 million goals… inspiring businesses and people around the world to live more passionately.

He has written three best selling books including Living Your Passion, and co-authored three others. He is founder of the Passionate Tribe online community and his weekly BLOG has over 4,500 subscribers. Keith has travelled the world working with over 265 companies across 20 different industry groups, across four continents globally and speaks at over 80 conferences globally each year and has just been awarded the National Speakers Association of Australia honour—Keynote Speaker of the Year!

Through dedicated research and work he’s managed to unlock the secrets to creating and maintaining ‘passion’ and to share these insights, ideas, information and inspiration on his website. http://passionatepeople.com

Botanic Gardens Community Event

The Friends of the Gold Coast Botanic Gardens are partners with the Rotary Club of Gold Coast. On 28th July 2013, they celebrated 10 years of community plantings in the gardens with a major free community event. Club members volunteered to manage the parking and man the sausage sizzle which was the most popular stall on site. See photos in Photo Library Link.

Fijian Schools Computer Project in conjunction with QUT

Posted by David Baguley on Jul 07, 2013

The Rotary Clubs of Gold Coast and Broadbeach funded the transport of computers to needy schools in Fiji. These computers, donated by QUT's School of Business were installed by QUT Alumni in Fuji and set up by a student group traveliing to Fiji.

Quote of the Week - Who Said It?

Posted by Greg Bowler on Jun 01, 2012

We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.

Thought for the Week - Who Said It?

Posted by Greg Bowler on Jun 01, 2012

An optimist is the human personification of spring.

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