Current President's Message

Good Morning Rotarians and friends everywhere,

It has been a busy few weeks, time is rolling by this Rotary year at a fast pace, much effort has been put into the District Awards for the District Conference in Stanthorpe for the end of March and I won't be there.  Yes I am quite sad about this but I have work in London that week, I was not expecting this offer.

We will put our District Awards Nominees applications submitted by Ian Heather and myself on the website once judging has taken place, with the nominees permission, of course.  We entered in some 8 categories, the talent we have in this rotary Club is stunning.

How about Stan from Sailability, Tuesday night's guest speaker, 82 years old and so active, doing so much for so many disabled people, bringing them so much happiness and joy when that is all they have. This man is a gem.

We have got 5 AFL game ticket selling opportunities handed to us, so let's get behind this all our AFL supporters and friends.  I think it's a great deal, you go sell tickets for 2 hours, then get free entry to an AFL game that lasts about 3 hours. Come on let's party!

Some very clever thinking from Heather has put the Club and the Members in a great position with our RI Foundations contributions this year and the WONDERFUL AMAZING work of Jane Loxton very quietly behind the scenes has put this club and its members in a great position at the Australian Rotary Health Research Centre as well.   Thank you very much Heather and Jane.

The Rotary e-Club Red Centre Tag Along Tour, hope I got that right, is up, up and away. Thanks to TEAM YARKER, all planned, all costed, all detailed and almost all full with 20 vans ready to head into the sunset on a 38 day 6500km trek commencing on Friday 21stJuly to Sunday 31st August 2014.   What Ian and Heather have put together is nothing short of amazing, well done and thanks.

The volunteers lining up for MT ISA to help Ian and Heather with Stage 2 Mt Isa redevelopment has grown remarkably as word on these projects spread. The Charleville Project is warming up and Birdsville Race Day BBQ Extravaganza is just 6 months away to the day.  In the middle is the RI Conference and our visitors from USA, Ray and Cookie, will be here early June to spend time with us.

This weekend I am in Ballina for PETS and I can't take my PET, Happy is not impressed.  Last night at the end of the meeting we started a conversation on the Drought and the Disaster facing many farmers and their families and we have five people in this club who carried this topic long into the night.  They are passionate about the plight of our rural friends; the long term future of farming in this Country; the supply of food for Australians for the future; the financing policies of the Financial Institutions and the Government in relation to agriculture, farming, and the Bush but much more importantly the welfare of the Farming Community.

We must save the farmers and their families and their stock and their livelihood. How can we help? Well Rotary has a great voice, Rotary has a great community, Rotary has great organisational strengths, Rotary has many great members in very great positions in their vocational life, Rotary members can lobby their Members of Parliament and much more.  

I think Rotary's core strengths is the ability to deliver awareness, fundraise and provide Community Service at the coal-face in a speedy manner.  We will be continuing this discussion very earnestly all this week and next week until we have a plan, it might well be a National Plan, so if you are interested please sign up.  We have key people now ready to go.  Lee Spano, Leigh Kealton, Yolande Bromet and myself are meeting next Tuesday in Brisbane to move forward.

Have a great week, I intend to.

Smile,

Geoff