Special Olympics, Skydiving Dave, New Logo and whatdy'a know? (Jan 24, 2022)

Sunshine Coast Special Olympics

Graeme's special way of "making a difference"

Last week we heard from our newest member Philip on his support and involvement in Global Sight Solutions, helping hundred of thousand of people in the developing world regain their sight. This week we were closer to home with another amazing presentation on "The Sunshine Coast Special Olympics".

No not the Para olympics but nevertheless just as important a program that improves the lives of special needs folk on the Sunshine Coast. We heard how 134 athletes compete in a whole bunch of sports athletics, basketball, Bocce, Indoor cricket, soccer, ten pin bowling and affiliated sports such as tennis, aquatics, golf, and of course Sailability where our very own Geoff East is a long term supporter. Competition is encouraged with travel to Brisbane, Redlands, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Keperra and Richlands. Great to see the folks out and about and enjoying themselves, and of course a big shout out the carers too.

Here's some pics from Grame's presentation.

There was one cloud on the horizon that we became aware of and that concerns the demise of the ten pin bowling alley at Alex will mean that the folks are losing their venue for the Friday night social and sportsnight. Ideas anyone?

Audio Visual System Anyone?

Audio Visual System - know any club who might benefit from one?

If anyone knows of a community club who are in need of an audio visual system, would you please let the secretary know RCAHsecretary@gmail.com we may be able to help.

New Rotary Image - a la John Lennon

New Rotary Logo

What would new year be like without a new Rotary Logo? So here it is and below an explanation. A certain scribe must admit to wondering of there was not a John Lennon connect...another year older and what have you done?....

“Imagine Rotary” the theme for 2022-2023 explained by incoming President Jennifer Jones.
The theme graphic was designed by an Australian indigenous artist to link with the Melbourne convention in 2023.
Circle - connections to one another
Dots around it - Our People
There are 7 Dots because of our Rotary’s 7 areas of focus
Circle + dots around it - Navigation star, our guiding light
Green solid line - digging stick (used when doing hard work);
for us it’s People of Action, represents the tools for getting things done
Colors: Purple, Green & White -
Celebrate DEI- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Freedom to express ourselves differently but still with a special connection.
Purple- Polio
Green- the Environment
White - Peace
Represents Empowerment and Newness and also the colours were utilised for the women's movement giving us the opportunity to grow our female membership.

Look - no helmet?

Skydiving for seniors

A certain Sunshine Coast Senior Citizen of the year decided to go go skydiving on his birthday.

Suspiciously his family were only to pleased to help Dave show himself to of an aeroplane, and stumped up for experience.

Here's a pic of the young fella at 15,000 feet, and you may notice that he has carried out a full risk assessment and decided that a helmet is NOT required.

A source who witnessed the landing said Dave touched down like a "baby giraffe on an ice rink". Nice one DW.

A Big Thankyou to Alex SLC

Rotary meeting must go on...

A big thank you to Alex SLSC who are suffering at the moment with staff absences. Despite this they kindly allowed the club to continue to meet in the bluff room use their facilities. It was a wild and blustery morning, so we were all tucked up listening to Graeme's special olympics story and enjoying the take-away menu..

There was a straw poll on whether the members wanted to continue face to face meetings during this time. The decision was in favour of continuing to meet but keeping an eye on teh situation, and of course advice from the surf club.

Can you spot a certain scribe having an early morning dip?...

Phillip surprises with Global Sight Solutions

Global Sight Solutions is an avoidable blindness charity started by Rotary - who knew?

It was registered with the charity commission back in the 1990s by members of Guildford Rotary Club, the aim being to work with Rotary Clubs in the developing world and together establish financially sustainable eye hospitals which can provide a full range of eye care, free to the world’s poorest.

It is100% a Rotary charity and, by virtue of the work it does, falls into one of the seven Rotary Foundation areas of focus and can therefore obtain generous grants to help with financing its projects

Global Sight Solutions Website

Log onto website if you wish to make a donation HERE

Phillip Gordon, our new member from Pontefract took the club through Rotary International and local and his support for Global sight solutions and his trip to India.......and what a tale!. From the life changes that the program makes ......to the difficulties and the growth of such an amazing program from an original Rotary Club idea. Encouraging and supporting local opticians and surgeons to build and operate affordable eye hospitals around the world.

This program is truly "making a difference"with a lot of hard work, dedicated volunteers and the support of Rotarians. Brilliant.

January Gist - district News

Charmaine's story

Thank you so much for such an amazing presentation this morning and how fortunate that I was visiting Alex today as I belong to an E-Club which means that we meet online and not in person as we do here at the happy and hardworking Alex Rotary Club !

I checked out your very interesting website and noted your passion for your foundation and I would just like to explain very shortly how valuable my membership and partnership is with Rotary -

I have been gifted the following over the last few years for my Rotary Project in Africa -

50 refurbished and recycled computers from the Rotary Club of Nundah
25 refurbished laptops
medical supplies from the "Donations in Kind" warehouse in Brisbane
school desks
600 "Days for Girls Washable Sanitary Packs" from the Rotary Club of Rockhampton
Books and educational equipment
very high quality clothing for the AIDS Orphanage in South Africa (where my own passion lies)
Bedding and blankets
Over 600 village wheelchairs from the Rotary Club of Surfers Paradise
$12 000 sea freight charges to cover costs of transporting the containers from Brisbane to Johannesburg
two x 40 foot containers (now used as a classroom and business centre) in Africa
200 Hippo Rollers from a Canadian Rotary Club to transport and store water to remote areas - this is the link to our project in a small little African country called Lesotho :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GylYQZ8059s

Please be mindful that we are here to help and the future is in great hands when we meet young and passionate persons like yourself and we thank you for your service !

Have a safe and happy Christmas and please let us know how we can help.

Year in review

"Another year older and a new one just begun" (John Lennon)

So 2021 is over and before we get into our aspirational new year resolutions, its worth having a look back at the year that was. So here's a few things from the clubs year for those of you who (like a certain scribe) have trouble remembering last week, never mind last year.

100 years of Rotary in Australia passed without a permanent reminder on the coast, despite the best efforts of the club to put a monument for all Sunshine Coast Rotary clubs past and present (.....close Stevo..... but no cigar!) but it did eventuate in support for USC students, and we continued with our support of the USC community fund and their amazing students through the Cluster program. We also hosted a 100th Rotary anniversary gala dinner at the Maroochy RSL (pre COVID) which seems such a long time ago. Here's some of the gang..

Club membership boomed during the year between new members joining the Alex Rotary fold, and the very welcome addition of the satellite club. It was also great to see the new members and friends bringing their ideas and projects with them to the club which is always something that Alex rotary will support. More recently Joy organised some ipads for indigenous learning programs and Skye has put out feelers for a youth project with Care Outreach for 2022.

Mid year saw the club help out... and eventually take over the Mooloolaba High School mock interview program support from Maroochydore Rotary. We were also delighted to help out the Maroochydore Rotary club with the organising of the Australian Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians before they wound up.

The club's Winter Solstice swim was the BIGGEST ever this year, with an amazing photo finish after the 5km swim by two budding olympians. We also strengthened our relationship with the Alex surf club (always a great community supporter), and also supported our "SalTy Souls Legacy" project support. All in all the club raised over $30,000 towards the new SalTy Souls Legacy HQ from the swim, and grants on a like for like basis.

We also strengthened our relationship with The Board Meeting surf charity group by helping out at "Casey's yard" and a few amazing helpers also arrived. Great work Mark and team.

Mid year the club also received Sunshine Coast Community Award for best small community club, at their gala dinner. (What another gala dinner!)

Social events were also not forgotten despite the pandemic, so what were these folks queuing up for?

..not forgetting Christmas drinks at the Freeman's...and the new catch up coffee initiative..

The Surf Show and Shine was a bit different this year with the event being held at Alex SLSC car park and Buhk park for the first time.

Meanwhile our Youth program wasn't the usual year, with no Youth Exchange Program but Saara and Chloe got a bit of a helping hand from the club..

Also our international obligations via Donations in Kind were not forgotten as a few of our members tracked down to South Brisbane to help out with the distribution of community aid to the islands.

Mental Health was a big theme for the year, and as well as having some excellent speakers on the subject we also kept up our close relationship with our mates at Mooloolaba Rotary through the "Lift the Lid" or also known to us old timers as the "Walk for Mental Health. Here's our hard working honorary member Fiona ..

Towards the end of the year we were delighted to help the Alex Community Association with their Christmas at Alex celebrations.

Thats all folks !!...see you in 2022...

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