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News from your club
Guest Speaker from Victoria joins RCAH on Zoom

Operation Cleft 

One of the few benefits of lockdown is that the club can now call on Rotary speakers from all over the world to join our "Zoom" club meetings. So it was on Friday when Bruce McEwen joined us from Victoria to talk about the SMILES project. 
WARNING - distressing image of cleft palette affected child.
 
 
Bruce, with the support of many Australian Rotary clubs has been changing the lives of Bangladeshi children through the SMILES project which arranges and pays for life changing surgery.  It is entirely supported through voluntary donations and treats 1,200 children every year. 
 
This is about one quarter of the affected children. Because the surgery is regarded as cosmetic, it is not supported by the government. We also found out that some Rotary Clubs in the USA are following Australia's example and starting up similar projects to help change the lives of these unfortunate kids. 
 
Bruce told stories of how many of the children die through associated complications, and those who do survive basically become outcasts in their society through the ignorance and superstition of the Bangladeshi villages. 
 
So well done Bruce and team, and while the images are very distressing its great to know that Rotary is making a difference and that there are fantastic Rotarians out there who provide that much needed support. 
 
What I didn't know, and its another thing to be grateful for, is that the birth rate of cleft pallets problems is around one child in 700...and that is true around the world including Australia..but we are indeed fortunate every Australian child born with this defect is attended to early on in life. 
Cluster donates defibrillator to Alex SLSC

Alex SLSC receives donated defibrillator

This is how Rotarians are donating defibrillators while maintaining social distancing...
 
Unfortunately after this photo was taken, Ashley was concussed by a butterfly (apparently a very large one).... you can read about it in Ashleys column the Sunshine Coast daily, but we wish him a speedy recovery.  
 
Toilet Humour ?

Another Project from Box Hill 

An unintended consequence of Bruce's talk, was that he also mentioned that his club were also supporting "Operation Toilet" in India. Its worth a watch as it has a really positive ending and next time you're having a wine about washing your hands for the fourteenth time...well, lets just say after watching this video, you'll change. 
 
A Club member, Rotarian Mark Balla, visited India some years ago and discovered that many girls there don't complete secondary education because they stop attending school when they reach puberty. Why?  Because many schools don't have adequate toilet facilities and so the girls don't have the facilities or privacy to deal with their menstruation at school.  Our Club, working in partnership with the We Can't Wait Foundation and the Rotary Club of Nasik Road in India, started building toilets in schools in India and our Club has now been joined by other Melbourne Rotary Clubs who are bringing additional funding, capability and enthusiasm to the project. 
 
 
Rotary and COVID
Covid 19 - Two Things - Can you help the Sunshine Coast Community?

Thank you everyone who has responded to this call for help...

 
Folks,
 
If you can spare a few hours you could really help some folks in the community who are in trouble. The attached letter from IFYS is self explanatory, and identifies two areas you can "make a difference"
 
1. Join the phone contact / check in roster.
 
2. Get word out that IFYS have meals and support for folks who may be struggling. Put on your facebook page or let others in your circle know..
 
Willing to help? then email feedingfamilies@ifys.com.au or phone 5438 3000 and they'll take it from there. Thank you. 
 

From Vicky Meyer, who many of you will know at IFYS, 

 
'Our response to COVID-19 is certainly starting to ramp up up since we spoke last week. We are generating 300-500 meals daily and have opened a second kitchen. We are getting volunteers to help us in relation to kitchen duties and deliveries, but have two things I wondered if you and the other clubs could help us with currently.
 
We are starting to see more enquires from older individuals in our community who are isolated with little or no supports, they are not going out to shop and are not seeing another human being to talk to. We had a referral yesterday for a 70 year old lady who only had enough food for a couple more days, and nothing in the way of fresh food or veggies, just tins left in her cupboard. We have resolved the food issue, got her fresh produce and meals, food for her cat and picked up her medication. But she could really benefit from a check in call twice a week to see how she is going, she misses talking with anyone. We have explained we can only drop off items and can’t come in for a chat for health and safety reasons. She is one of a few cases we have had this week. We have also been contacted about some individuals in an aged care facilities yesterday, similar story in relation to social isolation and loneliness. 
 
Is there any chance members of our club or others would be willing to go on a phone contact/check in roster. It’s not a lot of calls right now, but I anticipate it will increase. We can provide a pre-paid phone, so no one is out of pocket in terms of the calls. This can be done from someone’s home and if the call generates any requests for food assistance or other needs, we can then get these actioned through our team going out.
 
The second request is for you to help us get the word out that we have meals and supports should individuals in the community be struggling. We have put out an ad via Facebook and our networks, but know you and the clubs have also got extensive networks across the community. We can supply ads, but the main message is to contact us via email if possible feedingfamilies@ifys.com.au or to call us on 5438 3000. Emails are preferable as we can manage the enquires better this way.
 
This is the Emergency Relief ad we posted this week and we will continue to post these and others. Additionally, we took on a billboard in Maud Street I thought you might appreciate seeing"
 
 
 
While the virus restrictions are in force, we're "virtually" meeting online using ZOOM video conferencing.
 
You will receive an invite from Tony that will contain (i) link to ZOOM (ii) The meeting ID that you use to logon (iii) The passcode for you to join the meeting.
 
Just remember to have your phone, laptop, desktop on Queensland time, and we'll see you in the cloud!
Upcoming Events
ROMAC QUIZ NIGHT
Mar 04, 2021
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
 
Guest Speaker - Dr. John Parker
Mar 05, 2021
7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
 
Alex Rotary - Clean Up Australia Day
Mar 07, 2021
8:06 AM – 11:30 AM
 
U turn the wheel - Bruce Angus
Mar 12, 2021
6:45 AM – 8:00 AM
 
Saara and Teyla (NYSF & RYLA) speakers
Mar 19, 2021
6:45 AM – 8:00 AM
 
Rotary District Conference
Mar 26, 2021 8:30 AM –
Mar 28, 2021 4:00 PM
 
100th Anniversary Celebrations - Fun in the Park
Apr 17, 2021
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
 
100th Anniversary of Rotary Gala Dinner
Apr 17, 2021
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
 
USC/Rotary Annual Community Clubs Fund Dinner
May 12, 2021
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
 
Maroochydore Rotary - AGFR National Golf Week
May 16, 2021 – May 21, 2021
 
Rotary International Convention
Jun 12, 2021 – Jun 16, 2021
 
Rotary "Solstice" Swim - Tentative
Jun 27, 2021
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
 
View entire list
Club Information

Our Meeting Details

Fridays at 6:45 AM
Alex Surf Life Saving Club
Alex Beach
Alexandra Headland , QLD 4557
Australia
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Staying in touch 

 If anyone wants instructions on how to put the club app onto their phone, please contact John Malloy on 0447300753.
 
 
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