Our special focus this month has been on Peace and Conflict Resolution and there is certainly a lot going on around the world that could benefit from these Peace Scholars right now.
We are very fortunate that we live in a country that is not experiencing any conflict and let's hope that Australia stays a relatively peaceful nation for us, our children and our grandchildren.
Last week's meeting - guest speaker was our own Sue Plummer talking on heart health for us all.
The meeting started at 6.30 with dinner being supplied by the green team. Ken was an exceptional chef on the BBQ and baked potatoes and veggies were supplied by Heather Yarker. She then continued on at 7.15 pm to welcome 16 members and 2 guests : Ian Yarker and Rhonda Curran, a friend of Pat Fleming, and thank the members for attending.
Rhonda went on to show various items that her craft group have knitted and which will be sent to the Cameroons. Hats and baby jackets for the "fish & chip" babies. Well done ladies for your time and consideration for those that have so little at the start of their lives.
Eight members of the club attended the social evening on 14th February at Thai Culture restaurant at Benowa Gardens. The next social evening on Wednesday, 28/02 is booked at the Emerald Lakes Golf club, 6.15 for a 6.30 start. A round table for 10 has been booked so please contact Joan on 0401 255 883 or joanadms3@optusnet.com.au to reserve your seat.
Members have been falling by the wayside (literally). Denise had a fall in her driveway on Wednesday and has cracked a pelvic bone. After a couple of nights in Pindara, she is now at home and very bored. Our newest member, Andrew, has also had a fall and cracked a number of ribs. We hope with rest, the bones will knit and they will be back with us soon. Welcome back to Michael Hyland at our last dinner who has recovered from his recent fall.
International Mother language day was on 21 February. This was declared by UNESCO in 1999 as an initiative of Bangladesh. The significance of this day lies in promoting awareness of linguistic & cultural diversity which fosters tolerance & respect for others. Thank you Heather for this information.
The Gold Coast City Junior Council meeting will be held on Thurs, 7 March, 9 - 12.30. If you are interested in attending, contact the Council directly.
Our main speaker was our member Sue Plummer from the Cardiac Lab at Pindara Hospital. Along with a large heart and a smaller one, Sue gave a very informative talk on why you should get a Heart Health Check. To improve your heart health eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and wholegrains. Healthy protein-rich goods eg: fish, seafood, beans & lentils, nuts & seeds. Healthy oils eg: avocados, olives and olive oil. Maintain a healthy weight, exercise, don't smoke and limit alcohol. A discussion was held on the insertion of stents to help blocked arteries. Marvellous what technology is now available to save our lives in the event of a heart attack.
The meeting broke up a little before 8 pm. Thankyou to the Green team for an enjoyable meal and to Sue for a very interesting talk.
Some of the knitted items.
Shelterbox is providing lifesaving emergency shelter and other essential household items to thousands of people in Gaza who have lost their homes.
In makeshift displacement centres, there is severe overcrowding, disease is spreading, and people don’t have what they need to protect them from the harsh weather.
Items like tarpaulins and rope will help people repair damaged buildings and make shelters watertight. Blankets, mattresses, pillows and floormats will help people stay warm. We are also providing washing sets, water carriers, kitchen sets, and items like nappies, toothbrushes, and sanitary items.
Up to 1.9 million people in Gaza are displaced. People have no choice but to shelter in community buildings like schools, makeshift shelters, or out in the open.
Invite someone to attend our Rotary meeting with you.
A message from our Rotary Youth Exchange student in the US - Mikayla
My experiences over the past month have been incredible.
I’ve been to the Mall of America – which is one of the biggest shopping malls in the world. There is literally an entire theme park called “Nickelodeon Universe” with rollercoasters inside of the mall.
I’ve been into downtown Minneapolis a few times, which is into the city. There are these things called ‘Skyways’ which are indoor tunnels between all of the buildings to avoid going outside in the cold during the winter.
I’ve been to a few Rotary events and a Rotary meeting at my sponsor club here. At the rotary events I have met lots of other exchange students from around the world, which is incredible! We bagged up thousands of food bags for children in need and then went to the arcade. We have also been to the city Capital, which was amazing with all the architecture, we went to another arcade after that event too.
I had my winter dance at school! Which was lots of fun! I auditioned for the spring musical and have started rehearsals for that, which is going to be lots of fun.
School here is quite different to school in Australia, there are 6 classes which repeat in the same order every day and there is staggered 30minute breaks depending on what class you have. I have chosen to take Guitar, History, Biology, Weight training, Painting and Choir, which I am enjoying.
I was able to go to a place called ‘Duluth’ for the day which is a few hours away from Minneapolis, we saw ‘Lake Superior’ which is the largest freshwater lake in the world.
It snowed for the first time while I’ve been here! It was magical! I felt like I was inside a snow globe, we went sledding after the snow and when I woke up in the morning everything was covered with this beautiful, fluffy snow with the sun reflecting off it all, saying it was amazing is an understatement.
I was able to go skiing for the first time with my host siblings, let me say – there is nothing natural about that sport, I used muscles I didn’t even know I had, but once I got the hang of it, it was so much fun!
That’s the first month down and it has flown by so fast! I look forward to more adventures that come in the future!
Mikayla :)
February is Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution month
What is happening with the Rotary Regionalisation project.
The Regionalisation Pilot Program in our Rotary zone has reached the stage where clubs have been grouped with other like-minded or geographically close clubs. There are 5 such groups in our District. We are in Group 4.
The other clubs in our group are :
RC Broadbeach,
RC Broadwater-Southport,
RC Coomera River,
RC Coomera Valley,
E-Club Next-Gen,
RC Mudgeeraba,
RC Nerang,
Northern Gold Coast Rotaract Club,
RC Parkwood, Southern Star Rotex Club.
Together we form a Rotary Community Group.
Clubs close to us which are in a different Group are RC Hope Island, RC Runaway Bay, and RC Griffith.
Our Group has to elect a Rotary Community Leader.
If anyone in the club has ambitions for greater things in the Rotary journey, you can put your hand up to be nominated for this position. The election will be held soon. Please let me know.
