Meeting 28th May,

Full House at Friday's meeting 

 
 
We had a full house on Friday, with sponsors, past members, Passport club, and Maroochydore Rotary in attendance. It was great to have a big crowd to hear from Kerry Smith and the great work that  SalTy Souls is doing on the coast. Also interesting to note the connections between SalTy Souls Legacy/ Rotary/ IFYS/and the brilliant Siena College initiative from our very own Graeme. Welcome Les, Brian from Passport, Vikash and Steve from our sponsors LPE, Past members Bob Lane, Sue Quinn, husband Damien, and Maroochydore members Brocky, Steve, Howard, Jeanne and a big welcome to Kerry Smith from SalTy souls. 
 

Kerry talks to club about SalTy Souls programs

 
 
The AV jinx continued for Kerry, but this time he bravely battled on with some heart felt stories on how the kids respond to the "Stand Tall" programs delivered by the team. The club is so pleased to be able to help the SalTy Souls team create a permanent base on the Sunshine Coast, and are super excited about the possibilities of collaboration on some of the great programs that the THRIVE group do at their hub in Maroochydore. 
 

Vikash and Steve from LPE say hello

 
Vikash and Steve joined us for breakfast, representing a new sponsor to Rotary. LPE electricity provider.

Jeanne and Brocky say thanks for AGFR help, Wendy grabs the goodies and makes off

 
Brocky from Maroochydore Rotary and Wendy, with a "thank you" bag of wine just out of camera. Wendy looks very happy with the vino collapso. 
 
 
Jeanne came to say thanks to the club for their help at the AGFR golf. It was a great week with lots of compliments from the players and partners "best organised AGFR" ever". Jeanne is having a well earned rest after some great work in pulling all this together. For those who may not know the organisation for the AGFR started years ago with visits to Adelaide and Alice Springs where Paul Scott and Maroochydore Rotary made presentations to the Federation. Then of course COVID came, world changed and thankfully through the efforts of Jeanne's team the event which was cancelled in 2020 went ahead. 

Wallis talks to reconciliation

 
Friday was the start of Reconciliation week, and Wallis spoke to the club about its significance, and some of the critical dates surrounding the week, and some observations on what we as Rotarians could do to celebrate the week trough action. I understand a certain scribe is going to have something to say on this at next weeks meeting. 
 

The Solstice Swim is getting nearer! - Whats your raffle donation? 

After Fridays meeting some Rotarians stayed back to help plan the logistics of the day.
 
And of course being Rotary we got to have a raffle, so this year we're having a multi-draw and we're asking members to donate a suitable item to the value of $50 to help with the multi-draw. 
Val & Joy have put their hand up for the raffle. Shannon and Craig are looking after the oversize buoys from Mooloolaba Yacht Club. Graeme is the generalissimo for all things timing and competition and the physical tasks start Saturday afternoon with the bagging, a few volunteers including Carmel and Wendy for that. Wallis volunteered to be MC in absentia. Les and Sean are doing a great job on social media. Also a big thanks to Trudi Lane who has also volunteered. More tasks to be allocated over the next few weeks. 
 
 
 

From Rotary International - Topical

Sharing a powerful moment as a vaccination volunteer

Posted on 

By Vicki Brentin, a member of the Rotary Club of Houston Skyline, Houston, Texas, USA

Anticipation. Excitement. Nervousness. Uncertainty. Hopefulness. Relief. Gratitude. I had all of these not-so-surprising emotions as I passed through the various stations at the mega vaccine site in Houston to receive my COVID-19 vaccination.

At each station, the volunteers looked into my eyes with a keen sense of understanding as if I was their first interaction of the day, when in reality I was close to number 2,500. It seemed to mean so much to them; this moment we shared. And I felt overwhelmed with feelings deep in my soul and heart. 

I knew I wanted to volunteer at a vaccination center and be part of this historic moment as we help our communities return to some sense of normal. The more I shared this feeling with friends and fellow Rotarians, the more I heard similar sentiments. I reached out to our district governor, Scott Rainey, and discovered he also had a strong interest in getting members of our district to be a part of the vaccination effort.

For the past few weeks, I have been helping coordinate hundreds of volunteers in our district. Rotary clubs recruited members as well as family, friends, and community partners to join our effort. I also spend time in Denver, and reached out to Rotary members there to support the vaccination effort in that city. In either place, Houston or Denver, the experience was the same. Volunteers were so grateful to be a part of this epic effort. Most volunteered more than once.

One volunteer expressed it well:

 “Volunteering was one of my favorite events of the last year. Seeing all of the people involved in vaccinating our friends and neighbors was emotional and inspiring. “

I am grateful to have been a small part of this moment and am confident that all the Rotary members who volunteered or recruited others felt the same way. Whether I was ushering people to the right station, serving at the registration table, taking temperatures, or directing traffic, I never tired of connecting with the people coming to get their vaccines. We all shared a powerful moment that we knew to be life changing – individually and for our community.

 

From Rotary on the Move

 

  1. 2021 Rotary Virtual Convention Breakout Sessions on membership

    Have you registered for the 2021 Rotary Virtual Convention yet? Taking place 12-16 June, the convention will be filled with general and breakout sessions that can help you polish your leadership skills and get inspired with new ideas for projects, fundraising, strengthening membership, and more. A full list is available on the Rotary Convention Website, but here are a few membership-related sessions you may be interested in attending virtually or sharing with clubs in your district:

    • ·  13 June: Rotary Alumni: A Hidden Gem for Membership and Service

    • ·  13 June: Innovative Ideas to Start a New Rotary Club

    • ·  15 June: Grow Rotary through Engagement

    • ·  15 June: Mission Inclusion: Accelerating DEI in Rotary