Stories

Razzamatazz has surpassed all records with a monumental support base of local businesses breaking all records.

         Over the last 24 years this event has raised more than a half million dollars for local charities and while we hear times are tough, it hasn't stopped our local supporters from digging deep.              It isn't just the tremendous fun and enjoyment more than a thousand local kids and families, mostly ones doing it a bit tough, get out of a show they wouldn't normally get the chance to see, but at the same time significant funds are raised to make our community a better, safer place.

         This year Gosford Rotary has already furnished the Mens Shelter, the only one north of Sydney till you get to Queensland.       Managed by Coast Shelter we paid forward the furniture with Razz funds.

     But wait, there is more.......there are 3 Central Coast Womens Health Centres, one in Wyoming, one in Wyong and one at Woy Woy but only one defibrillator at their main base.

Gosford Rotary is going to correct that and the Wyong and Woy Woy facilities will shortly be similarly equipped.

 

   But wait......there is still more.           You might think Girl Guides are most unlikely to need a defibrillator but what about groups that hire their hall ?       Gosford Rotary is going to install yet another in the Point Clare Girl Guides hall.

At some $2500 per defibrillator you might think we are done but you have reckoned without our FABULOUS SUPPORTER BASE because we still have funds for 2 more.

 

    What a result..........on April 17 more than a 1000 kids saw 1 of 3  a great shows, we furnish a Mens Shelter and provide 5 quality defibrillators.            Gosford Rotary thanks all our supporters ,big and small, and we hope you know how much it is appreciated.

 

We all know real estate values have increased over the last few years and most of us know rental costs have followed have followed the same trend.                 It's good if you are a landlord but bad news if you are a renter, but it's really bad news if you are a renter on a fixed income.

Unfortunately that describes a significant number of older women, now thought to be as many as more than 300,000 across the country and certainly describes a section of our own community, right here on the Central Coast.

One possible solution might be if these women could be organised into compatable pairs so that they might share accomodation, thus effectively halving their rental costs.

                  No one is suggesting it will be easy but the alternative of having older women homeless on our streets is unthinkable to Gosford Rotary.

  That's why we have funded the SHOW project...........Shared Housing for Older Women.

                  Operating under the auspice of the Central Coast Community Womens Health Centre our funding will set up a web site to keep a register of needy women and connect them with accomodation providers, from real estate agents to community housing .           For those without internet communication we have further funded a hand out pack.

                  Affordable housing is required across the nation but the solutions have to start somewhere and Gosford Rotary is pleased to lead the way.

 

It was a full Phillip House at Kariong that saw 17 tables of contestants raise funds, have fun and answer lots of trivial questions.        With multiple sponsors we had prizes ranging from full gas bottles to $300 of chicken products or even a bottle of French cognac.

    When the dust settles it looks as though we have raised about $3500+ for the Gosford SES, and more importantly had the chance to say thank you to their teams of volunteers for their commitment and time spent.

We ask a lot of our volunteers and Gosford Rotary is proud to have supported the SES and the RFS over the years.

Most charities start with a wish to improve the lives of others.                 That's true of the Smith Family and it's certainly one of our objectives at Gosford Rotary.            Where the Smith Family is a little different is that it tries to improve the lives of children before they have taken a turn for the worse.            Their thinking is that if a child is happy going to school then the child will be a better student and end up with a better outcome.       It's called "Learning for Life".

       A better outcome from school means a better chance of a successful working life....it sounds simple doesn't it but when you are a little tacker from an under priveliged backround you are going to be sensitive about what you haven't got.

              Just a little sponsorship provides help with uniforms, excursions and school equipment and so many other things that encourage those same little tackers to feel part of the education system, not someone always on the outer.             

 

   Gosford Rotary absolutely agrees with this early intervention philosophy and that's why we donated $10,000 to the Smith Family.             The Smith Family supports more than 1000 students from 23 different schools on the Central Coast alone and we are proud to contribute to such a good cause.            " Learning for Life" is a program name that says it all.

 

      Again we thank the generous sponsors of our RAZZAMATAZZ event.        The good thing you did goes on !

 

 

Star Scientific, The NSW Office of the Chief Scientist, The Combined Rotary Clubs of the Central Coast and St Edwards College have pooled their considerable resources to once again present the Science and Engineering Challenge.                   For the 21st time this event, which started right here on the Central Coast, will see more than 400 year 10 and 9 students strive to best construct working models given minimal resources.

Challenges range from a bionic hand to supplying electricity to the grid and from a moon buggy to a set of coded messages, all designed to stimulate their interest in STEM subjects before those all important choices to be made in year 11.

       With a proven record of success the S&E now travels right around the nation, every state and every territory, more than 22,000 students give it a go every year.

Funding comes from Star Scientific, the green hydrogen company right here on the coast, the Office of the Chief Scientist is a keen supporter while the combined Rotary clubs of the Central Coast provide the bulk of the volunteers.       St Edwards College, East Gosford  provides it's magnificent hall to house the Challenge and it is a major contribution to the Coast Community.

           Thank you to Star Scientific, the Chief Scientist , St Edwards College and of course to all those Rotary volunteers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is it about the Ukraine that has so motivated Russian President Putin that he has declared war and invaded his neighbouring country.

        Is it greed for it's assets?        Is it fear of having a NATO affiliate on his doorstep?       Is it a wish to assert Russia as an even more powerful world player?

 

       Could it be that he has simply been in power so long that megalomania has taken root?       

 

On March 31 Gosford Rotarian Brett Torey offers his analysis in what is certain to be another well researched and presented topic.

 

   Don't miss out.     Visitors welcome.     Contact this web site for catering if you would like to attend.

Star Scientific and Rotary joined forces to present the 2021 Science and Engineering Challenge.                Held for the 20th time in 21 years it was a great success and this time with a significant change.

            Back in 2000 it was held for the first time, with only Gosford Rotary providing funds and volunteers and the Uni of Newcastle developing the challenges.

Now it has grown to every state and territory.          Over 22000 students participated in 2019, before Covid struck our country and the world.

           This year we reduced our event to just 1 day, we enjoyed volunteers from 7 different Central Coast rotary clubs, 5 independent volunteers and in a first we had staff members from 2 different Australian companies.

Star Scientific provided 4 staff members and contributed financially to the costs while Atlassian, an Australian multinational success story also provided 3 staff members.            This sort of company involvement in community events is a new development in our experience and is very much appreciated.

           Of course it would be most unfair to not acknowledge our regular grant received now for many years from the NSW Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer and of course St Edwards College which not only provided their hall free of charge but also provided morning tea and lunch to our volunteers.

            Students were very engaged from the beginning with teamwork, inventiveness and persistance evident throughout, causing volunteers to uniformly comment on their excellent behaviour and what a pleasure it was to be part of such an event.                 We are confident this will translate to increased enrolment in STEM subjects in years 11 and 12.

            This year's winner was Gosford High School, narrowly from St Edwards College but with all schools enjoying high points in the 8 different challenges.

Prizes were presented by Liesl Tesch, the State Member for Gosford.           Liesl spoke to students on the future opportunities in STEM careers and emphasized to the girls how these disciplines are completely free of gender bias.

             It is hoped in 2022 to return to a 2 day event.

 

2021 Childrens Festival...............Razzamatazz

This will be the 21st consecutive childrens festival and the Rotary Club of Gosford gives a huge THANK YOU to to all of the Central Coast businesses that have supported the event over all these years.

           Over $500,000 has been raised to provide support for many local causes like Lifeline, a car for the Shirley Shuttle, a car to provide driver training for local disadvantaged young persons and many more.

This year the funds will go to the Kariong Scout Camp to pay for property works at the site.         These include a new pump shed, fresh water tank,food preparation area and to replace rotting floor boards in the main hall.        This will allow many scouting groups to continue to use the site in a beneficial and safe manner for many more years.

           Already the Razzamatazz show has been live streamed for many local children and families to watch...........but.........in breaking news

          RAZZAMATAZZA IS BREAKING THE COVID SHACKLES AND GOING LIVE ON AUGUST 15

once again at Niagara Park, with real live entertainers and magicians for the fun and enjoyment of the many children and their families with tickets provided free of charge by the Rotary Club of Gosford

                    In just a couple of activities in support of the younger persons on our coast we have cancelled our meeting of May 20 in favour of supporting the "Youth In Performing Art".            The whole club will go to the Laycock St Theatre for a concert put on by the very well organised YIPA movement.                   The Central Coast has produced and is now home to many of the stars of Australian music and stage and we continue to support them whenever possible.

 

           But wait, there's more............on June 17 we organise the 20th Science and Engineering Challenge.       With the University of Newcastle we started this event 21 years ago, to stimulate students towards studies in STEM subjects.        Now its an Australia wide event and we combine with all the Central Coast Rotary Clubs to continue its success.       Thank you to all those participating clubs and watch this space for more details.

Vincent is a remarkably happy little fellow but his start in life has been difficult to say the least.          Born in May, 2019 his stomach was initially outside his body and so was blocked from his oesophagus.....without medical assistance the future was bleak indeed.   In July 2019 his case was adopted by ROMAC....Rotary Oceanic Medical Aid for Children....and so began a long and bumpy road to recovery

A long flight from hot Honiara, via Brisbane, saw Vincent and his Mum Cosinta arrive in a chilly Canberra, with rotarians assisting through port transfers, providing cold weather clothing and a neonatal ambulance to the Canberra Hospital.

Seven moths later, ater untold medical procedures with assistance donated from surgeons, Ronald McDonald House, Canberra Hospital and untold personal commitment from Canberra based rotarians, Vincent is finally able to take begin the new experience of learning to eat.

Its an amazing story and Gosford Rotary is proud to have lent financial assistance to ROMAC.

Watch this space for updates to Vincent's progress.

 

UPDATE  April 10, 2020

All good news for Vincent--in the last 3 months Vincent has had a number of operations but all of a minor nature.             After the BIG one and a path was connected from his mouth to his tummy (now within his body) the great danger was his oesophagus might close over, blocking that vital path.           Each operation , called a dilatation test, has been successful.            Vincent just turned 11 months, weighs 7.3 kg and has started crawling and can stand.          In the midst of a global pandemic this is one story about which everyone can feel good.

Please see our photo albums to see Vincent

 

Another UPDATE April 27, 2020

Vincent's last dilatation examination, to check his little red lane remains clear, was all good.            He has his next dilatation on April 30, and he turns 1 whole year old on May 3..           He continues to put on weight and while eating foods with any bulk remains a problem, he is now not dependant on the drip feed tube to his tummy.                  We wish him well on April 30 and hope he can blow out his candle on May 3.            See our photo album for his latest picture, complete with his new teeth.

 

Yet another UPDATE May 18, 2020

 

          All good progress for Vincent.........and now he is a happy 1 year old.         See pictures in the photo album

 

THE FINAL AND HAPPIEST UPDATE October 25, 2020

         After his final successful medical procedure it was confirmed the Vincent's digestive tract was sufficiently robust to allow him to return to the Solomon Is.            It took a few weeks to coordinate flights....a difficult thing to do with National Covid protocols and reduced flight schedules..........but finally Vincent and his Mum Cosinta have returned home........after 15 months in Canberra.         All costs throughout have been met by home hosting rotarians and the medical fraternity at Canberra's hospital.

         It's a truly fantastic achievment and Gosford Rotary is proud to have played our small part.

To see pictures of the happy little bloke go to our photo album.

 

                             On April 17 Gosford Rotary will host its 19th consecutive Razzamatazz fundraiser.                 Last year an estimated 1000 young persons, many of whom came from families doing it tough, attended one of three variety shows.             Without exception they all really enjoyed a mixture of fun, magicians tricks and great audience participation.            We see no reason why they will not enjoy this years show just as much.

 

                              Gosford Rotary would like to take this opportunity to thank those many Central Coast businesses and individuals whose sponsorship makes this possible.

            The many beneficiaries of this fundraising in the past include Lifeline, Coast Shelter, the Shirley Shuttle and victims of domestic violence.

 

                              This year, in an exciting initiative, we are going to devote the majority of funds raised to breaking the cycle of  troubled young people making bad choices leading to a poor outcome.          We intend to donate a car in a highly regulated environment administered by Coast Shelter with the aim of providing those same young people with disciplined driver training.            It's not inexpensive to gain a driver's licence these days and for most of these young persons it would be unobtainable.             Without a driver's licence many employment opportunities do not exist and every day we see unlicenced or poorly trained drivers causing accidents.

 

                               We intend to start breaking that cycle!               If just one life is turned around it will be a great result.

 

 

Gosford Rotary is going to the movies on Feb 21.            It's a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Erina and we are very happy to lend our support.

            The movie is Stan and Ollie and it follows the partnership of one of the all time great comedy duos.            For just $25 you get the movie and a light supper.

All proceeds go to Erina's international projects in Tanzania and Afghanistan.

            Contact us for tickets.

 

                Like all of life's experiences the more you see of them the more you know about them.

          There can be very few persons on the Central Coast with more experience in the field of estate planning, organising enduring guardianship and things of that nature than Stuart Tipple.

 

           For more than 40 years Stuart has been advising coasties how best to prepare their affairs for the future.            Its not too much of a stretch to say if Stuart doesn't know the best plan for you, no one does.

           A long time Central Coast resident Stuart has long been prominent in community events and has a well deserved reputation for the utmost integrity.........not something easily earned in today's rapidly changing world.

 

          Its certain Stuart will keep us well entertained with a few selected stories from his illustrious career.......will they be good....will they be bad?

 

          Come along and hear for yourself........all welcome, just contact us for catering arrangements.

Gosford Rotary has a long and enjoyable association with the Gosford Musical Society and on Jan 10, 2019 Darryl Davis will speak to our club about that association.

           Darryl is a long time stalwart of the GMS and has seen it grow from a very small beginning to the fabulous organisation it is today.

 

           There can be very few provincial cities in the nation blessed with such talent, and able to present shows of such quality so consistently.

 

          We look forward to Darryl's visit and to our continued association.                Visitors welcome as always.

                      Normally of course you"d have to go to a theatre to see the movies, but after our recent sponsorship of Gosfest, the movies are coming to us.

                      Gosfest was a short film festival organised and presented by the students of Gosford High School and as a result of our sponsorship those same students are bringing the best of the entries to us for a private viewing.

                      Not really private though because Gosford Rotary welcomes visitors at any time.          Just let us know you're coming for catering requirements.

            Gosford Rotary has cancelled its regular meeting in favour of a trivia night at the Breakers Country Club, raising funds for drought relief.

 

Gosford Rotary knows a lot of trivial stuff and we intend to prove it.               If you think you know lots of trivial stuff too contact this web site to join one of our winning combinations.

 

             Qu 1.            Is this the worst drought in NSW history?

              Qu 2.          Do you want to lend a hand and have a fun night at the same time?

 

 

                  For 2 full on days Gosford Rotary has combined with the University of Newcastle and nearly every other rotary club on the Central Coast to stage the Science and Engineering Challenge 2018.            More than 400 of the best year 9 and 10 students on the coast pitted their problem solving and innovative skills to construct solutions to engineering problems.                   And they had lots of fun at the same time !

           Problems ranging from connecting electricity grids to constructing bionic hands and from encoding fibre optic signals to building a Mars buggy chassis were no problem for our scientists and engineers of tomorrow.

 

           In a bid to encourage more enrolment in STEM subjects the University of Newcastle has combined with 11 of the 14 rotary clubs on the Central Coast to design and present an incredible variety of challenges, sometimes using  really simple components, and the results are there for all to see.

 

            From a very small beginning right here in Gosford 18 years ago this is now a national event travelling to every state and territory.       More than 550,000 students have "done the challenge" and every year another 22000 add to that number.                   

 

                   Gosford Rotary is very proud to have started such an event and we are very grateful to the other rotary clubs on the coast without whose support we simply could not manage.                 We are also priveliged to be given free use of the mighty St Edwards College Hall with undertakings to continue to the foreseeable future.

                     More than 40% of enrolled university physics students in Newcastle report being motivated by "the challenge".

 

                       Please see the event photos on our photo album.

 

 

 

 

           "The support and generosity of locals and local businesses makes a huge difference to the lives of these children, while helping to raise funds for important initiative that support the commmunity."

 

              A record 1600 children and families enjoyed the fun and games  this year over the 3 shows held.

 

 

          The Battle of Villers-Bretonneux

 

 

                         Feb 22

         Barry Henwood reviews a club project which ran for several years in Africa and which kept morphing from one endeavour to another and had an ending no-one could foresee.

               After a distinguished career in meteorology Dick Whitaker became the face of Sky News Weather..........for once giving the viewer a weather report from an actual meteorologist.

Now a resident of the Central Coast Dick is going to describe and show some of the most dramatic weather events seen in NSW.

              The power of nature through the eyes of an expert............an event not to be missed.

Join us on feb 15, visitors welcome.

               Feb 1

                   December 14

 

 

 

Iron ore is a massive part of the Australian mining portfolio and probably our biggest natural resource.

            But how much do you know about how we mine it, transport it and export it.

       On Nov 16 Matt Aldrick will tell us all about his experiences in this vital part of the Australian economy.

                              Contact us for catering purposes.

                 On November 9 Brett Torey will speak on North Korea.             To understand how the world has arrived at the current unstable situation we need an understanding of the past.       Few people are as well qualified to understand the strategic mechanations as Brett so come along for what is certain to be an unusually well qualified discourse.

              Visitors welcome, contact us for catering arrangements.

Saturday 21 October

                 The 20th Annual Rotary Gala Concert

 

          featuring          The Central Coast Brass Band

                                     Central Coast Concert Band

                                     Central Coast Youth Orchestra

                                     Philharmonia Choir

                                                with special guests from the Gosford Musical Society Juniors

           another spectacular concert to celebrate our 20th succesive year.

 

      Phone 43247477 to reserve your tickets then collect at the door of the Parkview Room, Central Coast Leagues Club.

                                    Doors open at 1.30 for a 2pm start

 

                                  September 28

             Jodie Smith and Milka Roach are going to to speak about one of the very most interesting topics in our country today.             We've all heard the term "Multi Culturalism" but here on the Central Coast not many of us have first hand experience.

              This is a wonderful opportunity to hear and learn about the activities of our own Central Coast Multi Cultural Centre and to offer the usual full Gosford Rotary welcome to our fellow community members, of all cultural backrounds.

           Cultural diversity enriches us all so come along and join us.          Use contact us for catering arrangements.

                 September 21

Cassandra O'Connor and Melinda Kelly  will speak about the North Connex Tunnel..........a 9 km tunnel linking the M1 and the M2 and removing the vast bulk of the traffic from Pennant Hills Rd.

            Without exception everyone who has shared the Pennant Hills Rd gridlock with massive trucks will be pleased to see this project reach conclusion but on Thursday Sept 21 at Gosford Rotary we are going to see and hear how this remarkable, deep long tunnel is being constructed.

          Come along and join us in this great opportunity to see behind the scenes of a major piece of NSW infrastructure.

                           Not many people know how to run a radio station and even less of us know about the unusual events that can be thrown at such management.           Peter Little has a long and distinguished back round in the day to day management of a radio station right here on the Central Coast and on Sept 14 he is going to share with us not only the day to day issues but some of the really curly ones with which  he has had to deal.

             

                    It takes a wily approach to lure such a speaker out into the open but Gosford Rotary has found the way.      Come and join us, visitors welcome, just let us know for catering purposes.

It can be tough growing up these days or it can be easy.       Its a fact though that if you have an Aboriginal back round and you are a young bloke then the short odds say its a lot harder than it need be.     On Sept 7 Bob Williams and Mick Pittman are going to tell Gosford Rotary all about it and how this vexed problem is best addressed.

 

            A lot of resources have been thrown at this problem and we are determined to find a better way.

                  Gosford Rotary has been around for more than 70 years so as you might imagine, we've done a thing or two.

     

        If you might be interested in numerous youth sponsorship programs

                                             or

           building a park at Pt Frederick

                                              or

         running a science  and engineering educational challenge for 500 of the coast's best students

                                              or

         building a sanitary block in a shanty town in Johannesburg

                                             or

        raising and donating $25000 to victims of domestic violence

                                            or

             building a hospital at Kokoda

                                           or

              pretty much anything which would benefit our local or the international community, then we would like to get to know YOU.

 

            On August 31 members will speak briefly about the above projects.    Its an information night--no obligation, just find out what we have achieved and think about what you might be able to do if you were a rotarian.

 

                  Phone Jim on 0414 777 748 or contact this web site to register your interest.

 

              Ron Thompson provides some interesting insights into infrastucture in the 1990's.     Roads, bridges, freeways and major public structures don't just happen.

Most of us have no idea how much planning goes into these big projects and we are fortunate to have Ron help us piece these steps in infrastructure together.

                    No need to wonder about the planning for the Sydney Harbour Tunnel......we can just ask Ron.

Visitors welcome as always.....let us know for catering purposes.

Steve Woods lived in Zimbabwe throughout the 90's, a time of great change and difficulty in an African nation.

             A world far removed from the relative stability we enjoy has produced people of great resilience, courage and determination and in many ways Australia has been the beneficiary of political turbulence in a country far removed from our own.

           Steve's insights and recollections are sure to be educational and interesting.

                      He is not to be missed!

We all know about Meals on Wheels and what a good thing it is, but how many of us know how it works.

       You can't have such a massive organisation without a lot of infrastructure and management.

Come along and hear from Gail Ransley all about the size and methods of one of Australia's best service groups.

              Calling all women who want to be part of one of the largest voluntary service clubs in the world.

Exclusively for women, the Inner Wheel supports local, national and international causes and has fun while doing so.

 

              If you would like to know more, you're invited to a no-obligation morning tea at The Entrance.

                         Cost; no cost

                         Venue; Diggers at the Entrance

                         Date ; Wednesday August 23, 2017

                         Time; 1030

          

              RSVP by Aug16

 

Mike will speak on the USS Enterprise, one of the most formidable military weapons of the 20th century.

Jayne Mote is the Assistant Governor for our district.       Jayne will speak on activities within our district with which we might engage and also offer advice on the latest rotary requirements.       She is an active member of Woy Woy rotary, she joined in the Science and Engineering Challenge on both days and has already kicked a BIG goal for Interact.

         It is certain to be an interesting night and may open new doors of interest and service to our club.

        Barry Henwood winds the clock back and recalls a very big night out on the Boeing 747.

Most of the time things run smoothly for major airlines.     Sometimes small things go wrong.

 

         And then sometimes a lot of big things go wrong and then you end up with a big night out on a747.

 

         Come along and hear about one such night.         Visitors welcome as always.

         Brett Torey will discuss trachoma, an eye disease that can lead to blindness.       Australia has the unwanted distinction of being the only developed first world country where this disease is still in existance.       This has not escaped incoming International Rotary President Ian Risely and if Rotary's success in dealing with polio is any example then now is the time to focus on this lingering blight.       Incoming IRP Ian has made trachoma a primary objective for his year so a lot of rotary firepower will soon be brought to bear and we wait with great interest to hear rotarian Brett tell us about the disease and what we are going to do about getting rid of it.

        Come along and get on board with a very topical subject.     Visitors always welcome, just let us know for catering purposes.

            We live in a country with amazing climatic variation.     Our climate encompasses tropical cyclones in the North to snowy Antarctic blasts in the South.       It can be affected by ocean currents which produce droughts but others which produce flooding rains and through it all we expect our meteorologists to accurately predict what to expect.

          Our guest speaker on MAY 18 , Dick Whitaker, has spent a lifetime at the pointy end of that expectation.           Dick's career has taken him from senior positions in our Bureau of Meteorology to the very public role of TV weatherman on Skynews and its fair to say his lifetime of experience in predicting our weather would make him second to only a very few......if any at all.

 

             On the other hand a very experienced meteorologist once told your author "you can be right 99 times in a row but on the single occasion you are wrong........everyone tells you about it".

 

          You may be interested in the science of meteorology, the history of climatic events or Dick's opinions on climate change.    Whatever your interest Dick Whitaker is certain to be a wonderful speaker on May 18.

Visitors very welcome, just let us know for catering purposes.

                     We hear a great deal about the shortcomings of health care in this country but things are very different in our near neighbour, East Timor.       At its most basic, healthcare must surely begin with childbirth.     Young mums in Australia can expect the services of fully trained  Doctors ,hospitals and midwives but it isn't the same for young East Timorese at their most vulnerable time.

             Come along and hear how volunteers from Erina Rotary set about changing things for the better.      Visitors always welcome.

In Australia costs of supporting the homeless are considerable, yet the risks of being homeless are not nearly as great as being homeless in Thailand.        Sharon Green and Dominique Brown from ADFA, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, are going to speak about how the risk/cost balance is completely reversed in Thailand.

                Girls at great risk and others who are already victims of abuse need to be, and can be given shelter and food for as little as $200 pa.

Visitors are welcome to come along on Feb 2 and hear how a group of volunteers have achieved this remarkable result.

Australia Day this year falls on a Thursday so there will be no evening meeting.     Gosford Rotary doesn't meet on public holidays in the normal course of events but many members will be joining the Somersby CWA for brunch, from 0930.

Our long association with the CWA has its culinary benefits and this will be no exception.

All members and guests are welcome to celebrate Australia Day with a morning of good food and fun.      RSVP Jan 20 and remember.....guests really are welcome both at the CWA and Gosford Rotary.

                          For many children in Tanzania a primary school education in a state run school would be more than they could expect.          But that is not the case for Brenda Mushi.

Brenda is a pretty smart young lady---smart enough to be accepted into Tanzania's School of St Jude and so to receive a standard of education which will equip her to play a leading role in Tanzania's future.      Established 12 years ago the School of St Jude has grown from a few to an enrolment of 1800, with many of those in full boarding accommodation.       The School of St Jude does not receive government funding and a high proportion of its students are funded through Rotary Clubs or ancillary bodies.

                       Brenda's education fees are met by this club, The Rotary Club of Gosford.        We pay for her education fees, uniforms, full board and equipment costs and so we are absolutely thrilled that she has graduated from primary school with an average A pass in all subjects, particularly mathematics.

                        It doesn't end here though as Gosford Rotary is absolutely committed to funding her 6 years of secondary education and we can hardly wait to see where it leads her.

            Well done Brenda!

 

It was a foot tapping performance from Aubrey and Martin that set the tone  as Gosford Rotary enjoyed a great Christmas Party at the East Gosford Art Centre.         Despite the ongoing inability of the MC to consistently remember names in pairs, Aubrey and Martin ignored wild references to Torvill and Dean, Laubman and Pank or Black and Decker and showed how 40 years in entertainment have made them so successful.               

                   After dinner we were treated to some great music in their well honed country+rhythym-blues style before a stumbling entrance from Father Christmas.    It seemed the North Pole facility had been taken over by an administrator, a low cost model sleigh operation had resulted in a pretty rough ride for our venerable good cheer guy.      A shocked rotary club tried its best to avoid looking at his outfit, which revealed more than we wanted to know about the low cost model.

             Once again Aubrey and Martin were able to save the day with a round of Christmas Carols with unprecedented audience participation.        This was a night to remember with over 50 attendees including a very welcome small group from the Somersby CWA, with which we share a common bond of projects, events and tradition.

 

On December 15 Gosford Rotary President 2016-17 Dennis Allen will reveal his amazing account of how he was able to simultaneously enjoy an extended driving holiday to Western Australia's Indian Ocean coast and also manage his Presidential duties in Gosford, on the Pacific Coast.

          His close relative, the famous singer, Peter Allen, wrote a smash hit song called Bi-Coastal (although it referenced his life in New York and Los Angeles)  and it seems the idea took root in their close knit family.   

President Dennis will not be singing, there will be no marraccas, instead it will be a slide show of his trip.

         This evening should be compulsory attendance for all Presidents and President Elects as Dennis reveals his extraordinary powers of delegation.

 

 

Gosford Rotary has long enjoyed a close association with the Gosford Musical Society.

         On Nov17 Daryl Davis visits Gosford Rotary to talk about how GMS started as a small but enthusiastic group and now, through the construction of the wonderful Laycock Street Theatre, has risen to become Australia's premiere regional musical and theatrical  group.         

        Come along to hear how it can so regularly produce musicals which would challenge those in major cities.

 

In another busy week for Gosford Rotary six members spent Friday, Sept2, collecting for Legacy.                   Members were very impressed with the public recognition of Legacy and the willingness to donate to such a cause.                 Legacy was very well organised for its annual Legacy Day and our members were very pleased to be of assistance.

On August 31 Gosford Rotary met at the Preview Restaurant, on the Ourimbah Campus.             We enjoyed a really splendid 3 course meal produced by the apprentice chefs and served by students enrolled in the Hospitality course.

Then it was time to present 2 of our clubs favourite awards.                The "Jimmy", named after legendary rotarian Jim Kirkness was presented by his son, Tim Kirkness to Nathan Cooper as the best final year apprentice in the building trades.

The "Milty",named after Milton Fraser was most appropriately awarded for the best all round contribution to his course, and was presented to Kyran Vermey by our MC and stand-in President David Nichols.

         It can be said that Craig Deakes, justly proud head of department, literally oversaw both presentations.

 

 

 

Andrea Spencer-Cooke, as she is known professionally, has a long and distinguished backround in the field of environmental sustainability.        With professional qualifications in anthropology and a Masters in Environmental Science few can boast such a backround.                    For many years Andrea was a contributing journalist to a business oriented environmental magazine emanating from Sweden, eventually rising to the position of editor of that magazine.                Today she lives here in Australia but remains a principal of her own company, providing environmental sustainability advice and reviews to multinational companies such as Erikson and many others.               Her passion is the belief that multinationals can be responsible global citizens and enhance profitability at the same time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    She speaks to Gosford Rotary on Sept 8.      Contact us if you would like to be there.     $30 includes a 2 course meal.

 

We cooked 330 magnificent Egg and Bacon rolls in 2 hours and 30 minutes to feed a mixture of homeless persons and those who work or volunteer in related support areas.     Coast Connect is a very large scale day for those workers and volunteers.      It is both a tool for networking and a reward for efforts in the field.     Gosford Rotary is proud of our own rotarian, Bob Thomas, who is the Chairman of the organising committee.

Gosford Rotary started another year in its 70+ year history on July7.        Over 50 people turned up to see outgoing President Don Wiseman preside over his last meeting then hand the baton to incoming President Dennis Allen.          Before standing down Don reviewed and thanked each of his directors in what was a fantastic year of achievment.       In a long list of events Gosford Rotary moved the school desks and furniture from the old Gosford Public School all the way to Poppondetta in PNG (a shared project with Gosford North Rotary which provided much of the initiative and most of the man power).      We sent year 10  students to RYPEN and another year 12 student to the National Youth Science Forum, a full 2 week live in event at the ANU.         We built 3 waterfront shelters in a heavily used park on Gosford's waterfront and we continued our association with Gosford's wonderful Musical Society with numerous theatre outings.         In association with 12 other Coast Rotary clubs and the Uni of Newcastle we organised the Science and Engineering Challenge for the 16 th year, engaging nearly 500 of the Central Coast's most promising year 10 science and maths students.        The Gala Concert was a great success once again.                                                                                   And we had a lot of fun at the same time.

Before standing down Don presented Robyn Kapp with a cheque fro $1000 to fight Huntington's Disease, and another $1000 cheque to Nancye Booth of the Inner Wheel for their continued research into the use of cord blood.                Don topped that with a great big cheque of $25000, presented by treasurer and chief fundraiser David Boardman, to Laurie Maher of Coast Shelter for their relief of victims of domestic violence.

               The evening closed on a high note when incoming President Dennis made a Don a very well deserved Paul Harris Fellow.

 

 

The 19th annual gala concert was again a wonderful success, featuring the Central Coast Brass Band, Central Coast Concert Orchestra, Central Coast Youth Orchestra, Central Coast Philharmonic Choir and a special guest appearance from members of the Gosford Musical Society.       It proved to be a great antidote to what was a wet and windy day with patrons asking for the dates for concert number 20.      Once again Gosford Rotary will donate all the funds raised to the participating musical groups.      W are proud to have once again presented the premier concert of the year for the Central Coast.

The Science and Engineering Challenge is a day-long competition designed to provide (or year 9) high school students with a positive experience of science and engineering.  A maximum of eight (8) schools per day compete against each other at one central venue.

This year was another very successful event with 16 schools competing over 2 days.     Almost 500 students attended, good media coverage and 5 local and federal polititians  attending.     The University of Newcastle has on-going statistical evidence of the success of the program with increased tertiary enrolment in the Science,Technology, Engineering and Mathematics faculties.     This event has seen unprecedented cooperation among the Rotary clubs of the Central Coast, with 11 clubs contributing funds and 9 sending much needed volunteers to help over the 2 days.        Once again St Edwards College at East Gosford donated use of their fabulous hall, completely free of charge.      

        This years winning team from Gosford High School progress to the state finals in what has grown to be a national event, started 17 years ago by the Uni of Newcastle and the Rotary Club of Gosford.    In 2017 it will continue, once again at St Edwards.

 

It will be presented by The University of Newcastle ln cooperation with the Rotary Club of Gosford on Monday 19 June and Tuesday 20 June 2017.

 

Parents and members of the community are also very welcome to participate and/or watch.  Each team is divided into 8 groups of 2 to 4 students. Each group works on either one full-day activity or two half-day activities. (There are eight different workshop-style activities at each Challenge.)  Each activity is assigned a colour.  Students are given a wrist band the same colour as their activity.  For example, students wearing a silver wrist band will usually do the full-day activity 'The Bridge', but students wearing a purple wristband will do one half-day activity in the morning and a different half-day activiity in the afternoon.

 

Students are awarded points for each activity and the school with the most cumulative points at the end of the day is declared the winner.  The highest scoring winning schools from each state/zone will subsequently compete against each other for a place in the state and - perhaps - the national competition.

	Book on 4324 7477

Many will have seen the article (and front cover) of the March edition of RDU with our very own Bruce de Graaf dressed as a vampire. Hopefully it will set the scene for a great Rotary Community Activity and everyone gets to have a bit of fun on the way.

The teams at the Blood Service are in the process of being updated about the Rotary blood drive.

 

Read on for all the information you need but the important thing to remember is that all Rotarians must register with the Red25 program to make their donation count.
 
Obviously the real winners will be the patients in hospital.

 

ANMM at Darling Harbor has a speakers program where volunteer guides are available to speak to clubs. The presentations available cover some important events in Australian Maritime history. There is more information about the topics on our Speaker Bank.

Have you had a good speaker at your club?  Remember to share the details so other clubs may benefit.

Look for ideas at speakers.rotarydistrict9685.org.au