Bulletin 3 October 2020 (Sep 25, 2019)

Our September 19 meeting welcomed Andrew Beshara as our 58th Member to join us on this great journey that is Gold Coast Rotary. 36 in the room including 3 guests joining us for their second meeting and 2 for their first.

We heard from 3 Members Behind The Badge (thank you Tammi, Nev and Kate) providing a snapshot of who you are, what you want to do and why Rotary is important in your lives.

Thank you to our Gold Coast Rotary Leaders who shared what this Club’s plans are for our Projects and Programs this year and beyond, thank you for your leadership and commitment to connecting members and those individuals and communities we will impact on. To those who have put up their hand to help make this happen, thank you and to those who have yet to commit to a project or program, I encourage you to follow your passion and join with others in making this happen and unite with people to make lasting change that is good for all those we connect with.

To assist all members to get involved, I provide the names and phone numbers of Project Leaders for you to contact this week. They would love to hear from you.

Club Projects - Nev Davis Mob 0418 185 128
Botanical Bazaar & Gold Coast Ramble - David Baguley Mob 0411 470 947

Vocational Service - Luciane Sperling Mob 0405 255 169

Vocational Excellence Awards - Kathy Hogan Mob 0417 634 029

International - Tammi Mayfield Mob 0490 101 199

Community Service - John Davis Mob 0411 373 722

Thank you to our Meeting team for September, Tammi, Viv and Vanessa on the front desk, Jack for the International Toast, Geoff for the Happy $2, our fabulous Chair Catherine, led by the unflappable Mark our Club Admin Director. Meeting Team Roster for October is on the link below

Our Engaging Youth Forum Dinner on October 3 will showcase our Youth Programs and celebrate the achievements of those young Gold Coasters we have invested in. I encourage you in the next week to identify a friend, a work colleague or someone you do business with, and invite them to our next meeting, RSVPs close this Friday.

On October 12 applications close for our Vocational Excellence Awards which will be celebrated on Thursday, 7 November. These awards provide employers with the opportunity through Rotary to recognise and acknowledge the efforts and contributions of an employee who consistently achieves an overall high personal standard and work performance. The recipient is recognised at the Awards Night where the employer organises a table of other staff and the recipient’s family. All nominees receive an impressive Glass Plaque. Gold Coast Rotary will cover the cost of dinner for the awardee ($45 for a two course meal, tea or coffee). There will be a cash bar. For nominations forms, please contact Kathy Hogan at kathy@khresources.com.au or click on the link below

Look forward to catching up.

Rowan Johnstone

President 2019/20

M. 0421 915 818

E. johnstonerowan@gmail.com

This Meeting

Thursday 3 Oct Gold Coast Rotary Empowering Youth Forum

5.45pm for 6.15pm at Southport Golf Club, Slatyer Avenue, Southport

$30pp for plated meal, tea or coffee and a raffle ticket. Members inviting partners or friends @ $20 per person. Children’s meals $10 per person To prepay BSB 124 022 Acc No 21667645 Ref: Your Name

RSVP by Friday, 27 Sept to mark_urq@yahoo.com.au or 0411 693 814

Upcoming Meetings & Events

Thursday 17 Oct Gold Coast Rotary Foundation & International Forum – Southport GC (6pm)

Thursday 7 Nov Gold Coast Rotary Vocational Excellence Awards – Southport GC (6pm)

Friday 15 Nov Gold Coast Rotary Board – Lev 2, Kay House, 35 Scarbourough St, Southport (1pm)

Thursday 21 Nov Gold Coast Rotary Anti Drugs & Addiction Recovery Forum - Southport GC (6pm)

Thursday 5 Dec Gold Coast Rotary Christmas Dinner - Southport GC (6pm)

Sunday, 8 Dec GC 50 Run Festival – Pratten Park, Broadbeach

Friday 13 Dec Gold Coast Rotary AGM Breakfast – Gold Coast Regional Botanical Gardens (8am)

Saturday 14 Dec Broadbeach Christmas Carols Salvos Candle Sales – Kurrawa Park, Broadbeach (4pm)

Botanical Bazaar ticks all the Boxes

These comments on our Facebook page sum up a fantastic event:

Was the best day of the year for me so far! A truly wonderful and community connecting day filled with tonnes of valuable information we should all be seeking to strive toward for a healthier planet. I picked up some great tips and ideas to use less plastic in my life. My daughter picked up some gorgeous plants and my son received some free trees to plant. Thank you everyone.

I could not have said that better myself. What I loved the most was of course the 'nature of it, all natural' but definitely the traditions. outside those gates its back to normal but there it was very special few hours thank you all so very much.

Had an amazing day yesterday, great information Great stalls, good food and great music, such a lovely relaxing day😀

This event was fantastic! My friend and I arrived at 9am and stayed until 2pm, so much to see and do. Highly recommend going if you want a mix of very reasonably priced plants, great music, interesting talks and a wide variety of stalls! Will be back in 2020 for sure!

The Rotary International Theme for 2019-20 is Rotary Connects the World. Gold Coast Rotary’s Botanical Bazaar embodied that theme on many levels –

we connected with over 75 local exhibitors, allowing them to showcase and sell their products;
we connected with a number of not-for-profit organisations, allowing them to educate the wider community about their causes;
we connected with 15 food and beverage vendors providing a captive market of hungry and thirsty festival goers;
we connected with over 3,500 patrons coming through our gates to be educated by an impressive line-up of speakers and entertained in a relaxed and natural environment;
we connected with gardeners, finding a wonderful array of plants and garden products at reasonable prices all in one place;
we connected with and provided plenty of free activities for kids, including a never to be forgotten interaction with Costa Georgiadis;
we connected with the local community gardeners, allowing them to showcase their wonderful market garden;
we connected with the volunteer Coast Guard Gold Coast, providing them with the opportunity to raise much needed funds and ensure site parking was well managed;
we connected with over 50 volunteers, including more than half our club, Nerang Rotary Club and a few members of the new Gold Coast Passport Rotary Club;
we connected with environmental sustainability by working with the new wastage system Greg and the Eco Angels from Climate Wave Enterprises implemented at this year's festival providing a stellar 92.59% diversion from landfill!

Blessed with wonderful weather and an event full of happy people, what better way to fundraise for worthy causes. Special thanks to Event Director Stacey, our main supporter Councillor Peter Young and, of course generous, in-kind support from members Eddie and Andy. Approximately $32,000 will be available to invest in the event for future years and support local worthy causes.

Check out our website and Photo Album.

Event Plans for the year ahead

BOTANICAL BAZAAR

Following the success of the Botanical Bazaar this year, the club will be committing to staging this event as an annual event. The venue at Country Paradise Parklands has been booked for the 1st Sunday of August each year so mark your diaries now!

GOLD COAST RAMBLE 2020

Partnering again with Surfers Sunrise and Griffith Gold Coast Rotary clubs, the Gold Coast Ramble will be staged on Sunday 22 March 2020. The start site will be Macintosh Island Park and the event will be held over 2 hours starting at 10am. Ramblers will explore the streets of MainBeach and Surfers Paradise. Members are urged to promote the event to their work colleagues, clients and families asa fun day and an opportunity to support local charities. The Salvation Army and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia have already signed up.

ROTARY BALL AND CHARITY AUCTION

To accomodate the above events, our annual charity auction will be moved back to later in the year, October or November 2020. Other formats for the event will be explored.