Change Over Dinner
It hardly seems like a year has passed since last years changeover dinner, but apparently it is.. as Tony is sending out Invitations to the Change Over Dinner on Wednesday 3rdJuly at Alex SLSC.
This year, as club numbers are critically low, the club is splitting the Presidents role between Carmel, Tony and Mike. Everyone is most welcome.
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This Week's speaker
This week Amy is going to update us on her experiences as she reaches the end of her Youth Exchange Year. Please try and make breakfast if you can.
Also our very own Stuart has been busy with Youth Exchange administrators to try and bring some improvements in expectations and hosting of Youth Exchange students. Its a great program and we want to make sure that the experience for both students and hosts is as rewarding and smooth as it can be.
We also acknowledge the fantastic work by Siena College in welcoming Amy and past students and giving them experiences that they will remember all of their lives.
Care Garden Project
It many ways this has been an extraordinary project. Initially suggested by IFYS to build a garden for kids in extraordinarily difficult circumstances, it was taken to the Cluster as a proposal by Alex Rotary and then supported by fantastic support from Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast Central, Kawana, Buderim and Maroochydore, and USC Rotoract…. it has been a marvellous genuine Cluster Effort with all these clubs contributing to creating a fantastic facility for Damien who currently stays there with his full time carers.
But just as important..... it provides an amazing welcoming facility for future kids who will be using this home for short or long stays.
The Care Garden Project is now coming to an end and all Alex Rotary members are invited to the official opening at lunchtime on Wednesday 12th July with a BBQ at the crisis care home. Let Wendy know if you can make it.
It has shown us that we may all be small clubs, but we can achieve much as a cluster.
...and here's some photo's and a progress report from the grand poobah for the project, he writes...
What a GREAT EFFORT and a GREAT RESULT !
We had Renee creating two new gardens at the front of the house (and has the blisters to prove it) helped by her two girls, then along came the financial wizard, Katie to help.
Tim, Renee’s husband was busily helping Mudlark, John M dig a trench, Tim joined Renee and Katie later.
Wendy, the wizard weeder, was busy weeding and mulching the existing gardens. She was later joined by Paula and Lol with John W keeping up the supply of mulch
Master painters Graeme and Tony swooped on all the garden furniture with gusto….lookout Picasso
Meanwhile, John M was having the time of his life in the mud. He seems to have developed a passion for trenching, specializing in supersaturated heavy clay soils…you couldn’t keep him out of it.
Super-smooth Geoff, Graham and Roger were busily oiling the deck and anything else that got in the way, then along came Sparkie Paul, and helper, to install the light for the deck
Then came the erection of the Teenagers Retreat on the deck. After cleaning off all the elements, walking around all the bits a few times, measuring, and a bit of arm waving, it started to happen.
In no time at all it was all over…smooth as silk. With Master Craftsman Roger and his disciples, Geoff, Graham and Tony what could go wrong? Roger was enjoying his time so much on the roof, we had a bit of trouble talking him down
Geoff gave the deck one final lick, carefully painting himself out via the step, and it was all over
Throughout all of this we have Peter, casting an eye over the masses, joining in with the odd shovel here and there, offering suggestions and making requests for things to be done a certain way etc, all of which were studiously ignored (not really)
Basketball court, raised garden beds, deck and cubby house.
Graeme being busy, John in background waving mattock about.
All in all, a great effort and a big thank you to everybody
It will be on again next Saturday. Stay tuned for further detailsWhat a GREAT EFFORT and a GREAT RESULT !
We had Renee creating two new gardens at the front of the house (and has the blisters to prove it) helped by her two girls, then along came the financial wizard, Katie to help.
Tim, Renee’s husband was busily helping Mudlark, John M dig a trench, Tim joined Renee and Katie later.
Wendy, the wizard weeder, was busy weeding and mulching the existing gardens. She was later joined by Paula and Lol with John W keeping up the supply of mulch
Master painters Graeme and Tony swooped on all the garden furniture with gusto….lookout Picasso
Meanwhile, John M was having the time of his life in the mud. He seems to have developed a passion for trenching, specializing in supersaturated heavy clay soils…you couldn’t keep him out of it.
Super-smooth Geoff, Graham and Roger were busily oiling the deck and anything else that got in the way, then along came Sparkie Paul, and helper, to install the light for the deck
It will be on again next Saturday. Stay tuned for further detailsWhat a GREAT EFFORT and a GREAT RESULT !
We had Renee creating two new gardens at the front of the house (and has the blisters to prove it) helped by her two girls, then along came the financial wizard, Katie to help.
Tim, Renee’s husband was busily helping Mudlark, John M dig a trench, Tim joined Renee and Katie later.
Wendy, the wizard weeder, was busy weeding and mulching the existing gardens. She was later joined by Paula and Lol with John W keeping up the supply of mulch
Master painters Graeme and Tony swooped on all the garden furniture with gusto….lookout Picasso
Meanwhile, John M was having the time of his life in the mud. He seems to have developed a passion for trenching, specializing in supersaturated heavy clay soils…you couldn’t keep him out of it.
Super-smooth Geoff, Graham and Roger were busily oiling the deck and anything else that got in the way, then along came Sparkie Paul, and helper, to install the light for the deck
Then came the erection of the Teenagers Retreat on the deck. After cleaning off all the elements, walking around all the bits a few times, measuring, and a bit of arm waving, it started to happen.
In no time at all it was all over…smooth as silk. With Master Craftsman Roger and his disciples, Geoff, Graham and Tony what could go wrong? Roger was enjoying his time so much on the roof, we had a bit of trouble talking him down
Geoff gave the deck one final lick, carefully painting himself out via the step, and it was all over
Throughout all of this we have Peter, casting an eye over the masses, joining in with the odd shovel here and there, offering suggestions and making requests for things to be done a certain way etc, all of which were studiously ignored (not really)
All in all, a great effort and a big thank you to everybody
In no time at all it was all over…smooth as silk. With Master Craftsman Roger and his disciples, Geoff, Graham and Tony what could go wrong? Roger was enjoying his time so much on the roof, we had a bit of trouble talking him down
Geoff gave the deck one final lick, carefully painting himself out via the step, and it was all over
Throughout all of this we have Peter, casting an eye over the masses, joining in with the odd shovel here and there, offering suggestions and making requests for things to be done a certain way etc, all of which were studiously ignored (not really)
All in all, a great effort and a big thank you to everybody
Errol
Digging ditch for power and water to the teenage retreat.
..and here's our Tony and Michael from Buderim holding up the front of the Cubby house donated by Buderim mens shed.
Swim News
The arrangements for the Solstice Swim continue with more swim registrations and we are on track for a good turn out of swimmers. Stay tuned for volunteer listing for Saturady arvo and Sunday morning.
Mercy Ships and Rotary
Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to deliver free world-class health care services, capacity building and sustainable development aid to those without access in the developing world. It's where some of your Rotary subscriptions end up.
You may have heard about the Australian Mercy ships and how Rotary has funded a number of operating theatres on the ship that travels the world providing emergency and life changing surgery to places that otherwise would not have it. But here is a personal Rotary story you may not have heard..
Surviving the devastation wreaked by a tropical hurricane and witnessing the human suffering it left in its trail inspired Don Stephens to set up a hospital ship for the world’s most vulnerable people.
In 1964, 19-year-old Don was visiting the Bahamas as part of a youth group when Hurricane Cleo swept through the region, in what was a one-in-a-hundred year storm. Don’s youth group took shelter in an aircraft hangar, but others were not so fortunate with Cleo claiming lives and destroying hundreds of homes. In the aftermath of the storm, he was struck by the words of suffering local people who pleaded for a hospital ship to treat their injured and provide urgently needed medicines.
“The hearing of it challenged me,’’ said Don.
It took years for this idea to reach fruition, but in 1978 Don’s goal became reality when he and fellow fundraisers paid $1 million US for the Victoria, a former cruise liner, and work began to convert her to a hospital ship. In 1982, the vessel, refitted with three operating theatres and a 40-bed ward, sailed as the Anastasis – the first Mercy Ship.
Since then, four ships, including the current vessel, the Africa Mercy, have served in 150 ports throughout developing nations, bringing hope, relief and healing to the most vulnerable people.
For Don, Mercy Ships has become a lifelong driving force. He and Deyon spendt ten years living on board the first Mercy Ship with their family before relocating to the International Operations Centre in Texas. Their inspiring work has brought them awards and honours. Don received the Two Hungers Award and the Religious Heritage Award and in 2009 he and Deyon were honoured with the Variety Club International Humanitarian Award. Don is also a Paul Harris Fellow through Rotary. He has written three books about Mercy Ships and is the voice behind the Mercy Minute, a daily radio broadcast aired internationally.
Mens Mental Health - Sam Parker
Last breakfast we had Sam Parker with us from "Grab Life by the Balls". Sam gave a great talk on how he has sruggled with depression and what he is doing to help other men in the same situation. He has some fantastic stories and is clearly passionate about "making a difference" to the male community, using mateship and mentoring tools to help males who may be struggling with their expectations of themselves as fathers, husbands or in their career.
Sam spoke at length about the stresses of life (internal and external on males in society and how he is working to help men, and has plans to take his program further afield.
BBQ's and get togethers are most Fridays in Mooloolaba and there's an open invitation for a burger from Sam and his growing team.
He's already taking this sunshine coast initiative outside the Sunshine Coast, to the coalfields and cities.
Sam and his group have posted some grea video's on their website. Check them out at. www.grablifebytheballs.com.au
