The meeting was called to order by Les Pontin and we commenced with the singing of the National Anthem.
INTERNATIONAL TOAST:
The international toast was proposed by Brian Reith to the Rotary Club of Twickenham-upon-Thames (which is not to be confused with the Rotary Club of Twickenham). Having just returned from his travels he shared the story of 'meeting' 3 burly Rotarians outside Sainsbury's St Clares supermarket where they were asking for donations to sponsor a musical therapy group for children with Autism. He told them he would have change after he had completed his shopping, and they were waiting for him when he exited the supermarket. This lead to a conversation around the success of the program and other activities they are involved in. The club has 37 members, and they meet on Tuesday evenings at the Strawberry Hill Golf Club in Twickenham. The 3 Rotarians Brian met each had a connection with Australia, 2 had relatives in Melbourne and 1 had family in Sydney.
WELCOME CLARICE:
ROTARY GRACE was followed by President Peter asking Dan Thomasson and Will Waterford to introduce our new Rotary Exchange Student, Clarice to the club. She has been in Australia for a week and spent the first few days with Will, who says she is a joy to have around. She is now with Dan and his family as her first host family. Clarice told us she is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bela Horizonte, District 4520 in Brazil. She and her cousin are active in Interact, and her cousin is also on exchange in Australia and being hosted by the Rotary Club of Pine Rivers.
THE ROTARY WHEEL:
President Peter shared some interesting history about the Rotary Wheel Emblem and how it came to be. The first design was made by Chicago Rotarian Montague Bear, an engraver who drew a simple wagon wheel, with a few lines to show dust and motion. The wheel was said to illustrate "Civilization and Movement".
Most of the early clubs had some form of wagon wheel as their emblem. In 1922 it was decided that all Rotary clubs should adopt a single design as the emblem of Rotarians and after much discussion over how many cogs would work, and where the dust should be to demonstrate accurate movement, the present gear wheel, with 24 cogs and six spokes was adopted by the "Rotary International Association". A group of engineers advised that the geared wheel was mechanically unsound and would not work without a "keyway" in the centre to attach it to a power shaft, so it was added and in 1923 the design which we now know was formally adopted as the official Rotary International emblem. The cogs represent each of us, making things happen in Rotary, the spokes represent each of our projects, and the keyway is where the President puts his head - and sometimes it will get crushed, but he will take stock, make any changes that need to be made to make it right, and then get on with it. We need action.
ROTARY ANNIVERSARIES:
Allan Gillespie – 46 years
SOCIAL NIGHT:
On the fifth Thursday of the month the Rotary Club of Caloundra Pacific has a social evening. August 2017 has five Thursdays, so on August 31st, we are going to Caloundra's first ever Bowling Alley offering state of the art facilities and a complete entertainment experience. Allan Gillespie and Ross Harrison are arranging the evening at Spinners Bar and Bowl in Bulcock Street. In case you think it isn't for you - ten pin bowling is a game anyone can play. The venue provides bumpers and ramps and tailored handle balls - and they are fully licensed, so you can enjoy a beverage while bowling. They also have comfy lounges, large tvs, a dance floor, and a "New and Improved 12" Pizza Menu" - anything could happen. In addition to what you might eat or drink, the cost is $22 for 2 games. The fun starts at 6.30pm and it is anticipated it will take us about 2 hours to complete the games.
MELBOURNE CUP:
Kim Berghofer told us that the Rotary Club of Caloundra is once again running their successful Melbourne Cup Long Lunch. This year the venue is the Pelican Waters Tavern. (That means if you are keen you can arrive at 10am and stay on as long as you like.) The date is Tuesday 7 November and it costs $65.00 per person which includes 1 glass of either bubbles or beer on arrival, a plate of canapés per table, a main meal plus dessert.
There will also be a sweep and raffle tickets.
ALL TICKETS SHOULD BE BOOKED THROUGH THE ROTARY CLUB OF CALOUNDRA.
Contact Judy Clark : judithclark4@bigpond.com
RYDA:
Don Wilkie reminded us that the RYDA program dates are : set up on August 1 (1-3pm) for the program on AUGUST 2 (8am - 2pm); and set up on August 15 (1-3pm) for the program on AUGUST 16 (8am - 2pm).
WE STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR THE PROGRAM DELIVERY ON AUGUST 2.
If you are available, please advise Don Wilkie or Neville Woodforth.
OTHER CLUB NEWS:
- Dan Thomasson was recognised for his service to Rotary.
- We are still planning to visit other Rotary Clubs in the area on 11th and 18th August.
- We will be holding a fundraising BBQ at Fisherman's Rd on September 3. Save the date!
- We have another corporate member in Contour Engineering.
SERGEANT'S SESSION:
Conducted by Will Waterford and he successfully fined everyone in the room.
GUEST SPEAKER:
Our guest speaker for the evening was Evelyn McCorkell, who shared with us some remarkable photos and commentary of her travels aboard the Majestic Princess on it's maiden voyage from Southampton. The ship had over 3500 passengers and 1300 crew. Evelyn said the fixtures and fittings were spectacular and we saw evidence in photos of the atrium and glassed walkways. We also heard about some lovely food on board and saw photos of the Main Dining Room and at least one bar where Evelyn attended a Margarita making demonstration and won a prize for being first to arrive. The route included Civitavecchia, Rome and Naples in Italy; Athens and Santorini Island in Greece; the Suez Canal; Aqaba, Jordan; Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE; Cochin, India; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia; and then Singapore.
While there were many photos of significant architecture, famous landmarks and natural beauty, Evelyn couldn't resist sharing some photos of shipping containers. The stories were amazing and it was difficult to capture the culture and
NEXT WEEK:
Three Workplace Central friends will become individual members of Rotary.
Our guest speaker will be Mike Storkey, the International President of Toastmasters.
CLOSE:
All members and guests were thanked for attending, including Marion, the guest of Evelyn who was also her travel companion and confirmed the accuracy of the presentation.