We have recently been advised that past member Dennis Head has passed away. Dennis was always behind the camera in club activities, so we have 'borrowed' our photo from the family Facebook annoucement, as this illustrates who Dennis was. Many of the photos in our archives were taken by Dennis over the years. After leaving Cleveland Club, Dennis became very active in Probus.

Our sincere condolences go to Susan and the family.

The second shift of volunteers this morning, serving the cyclists as they pass through Cleveland on their way back to Brissie! The other volunteer team had gone home for a well earned coffee and brekky... Thanks to our wonderful volunteers from Rotary Club of Cleveland, your help today assists the cyclists raising funds for MND, MS and other neorological illnesses.

A huge thank you to Helen Dundon, who found a cyclist in strife at Redland Bay - she loaded him and his bike into the ute and delivered him to Cleveland Railway station so he could make his way to his car parked at Murrarie. 

And the winner is...Kate Keleher from Economic Development Queensland supporting the Redland Foundation by buying a $50 ticket for a key in the Rotary Club of Cleveland Treasure Chest on Saturday night, and winning $1,000 cash donated by Rotary Club of Cleveland.  Thanks to the work of all of you - donations like this can help us help others in our community. The purchase of tickets in the Treasure Chest raised a little over $2,500.00, so many thanks to all. BTW - it went down to the wire again - opened with the 48th key to be tried!! 

A great night, with 170 very generous people - lots of bidding on auction items, lots of happy raffle winners, lots of funds raised to support those affected by domestic and family violence in our community. Final fund raising figures will be known soon.

Thanks to Redland Sporting club Manager Shane Curtis, his staff and the Diner en Rouge committee for the organisation and presentation of a great night.

Go.Make.A.Difference. 

Our Vocational visit on Tuesday night was to the Cage Youth Foundation - our heading is borrowed from their website https://thecage.info

Notes & photo from Ian & Gavin:

The Cage Youth Foundation started by Peter and Linda Grieve in 2001with the aim of supporting local disaffected youth and families. Initial steps were simple - outreach to local kids at the Capalaba Skate Park and community BBQs offering pastoral care. 

25 years on sees The Cage (standing for Creating A Good Environment) employing several local counsellors and staff and combining with numerous other Redlands support groups to assist local youth in particular but all manner of struggling local families.

Why the need for their services is increasing: 

(1) Lack of respect in society today 

(2) Teachers have lost their authority and parents have abrogated theirs (in too many cases)  

(3) Social media divisiveness - implications and ramifications!!  

~10000 contacts in 2025

The challenge is - how can we as a club support The Cage??

Rotary Australia World Community Service is turning 60, and there are some amazing stories to read about projects and achievements throughout the years. With RARE - Rotary Australia Repurposing Equipment right here in Alexandra Hills we are fortunate in that we as a club can easily contribute on a regular basis to the work done by RARE. Read some of the stories here Australian Rotary Districts - RAWCS  

• eBook                
• Additional stories 

Thanks to Albert Benfer, a local lady with severe disabilities has been able to obtain an electric wheelchair through RARE. This chair had been donated to RARE, but could not be sent away, as there are no means for it to be maintained in the countries we service - RARE only sends manual chairs. Thanks to Ernesto for ensuring that the chair was in top condition before Albert was able to arrange the delivery.

A letter of thanks from the recipient:

"Please accept my deepest gratitude for your gift and generosity. This chair has improved my quality of life substantially. Due to my autoimmune and neuroimmune diseases, for the past 4.5 years I have been mostly bed-bound. This chair now allows me to spend quality time out of bed and outside with my 6 year old daughter and family with its ability to tilt, provides an invaluable sense of independence as I can safely mobilise without assistance, and saves my partner's back after his own surgery from him helping me mobilise. I'm so thankful for your and the family who donated it's generosity.

Wishing you all the best for your Club's community & charitable projects, and we hope in future we will be in a better position to pass on your kindness to others."

Peter Brooks, President of the Raby Bay Residents Association gave us an excellent talk about what the association does and how it works with Council for the betterment of this particular area. the best way to find olut who they are and what they do is to check out their website www.rbra.org.au.

Treasurer Michael Carrigan also had the pleasure of presenting David Cowley from Redlands Special Olympics with a cheque for $1,000.00 insupport of the great work they do with our local special needs athletes.

Our Youth night with students from Cleveland District State High School, brought forward from a May packed program, was combined with a great presentation by Prof. Jaquie Mitchell - who also happens to be the wife of Deputy Principal and Rotarian Grant Mitchell. We heard about a fantastic experience at NYSF, and from two scholarship recipients. How inspiring to see the enthusiasm and progress that these students are making in their education.

Prof. Jaquie spoke to us about her years of work in Laos and Cambodia, and other rice producing countries, where she and her teams are working hard to increase sustainable rice production "bringing together agronomy, crop physiology, breeding and molecular genetics". A truly fascinating talk, which made us all think about the development of so much in our lifetime, particularly in the agricultural fields.

A night of ballads, country, blues and Australian music entertained about 75 people at Redlands Coast Museum last night as our club raised funds for the Redlands Coast Musuem. Lots of fun, good music, food and drink made for a most enjoyable evening. Local talented singer songwriter Tyler Rogers gave an excellent solo performance. Birkdale Men's Shed (yes - a musical Men's Shed) sang their way into our hearts led by Gordy. The finale was a new group led by Dennis Geraghty  featuring our own Gavin Becker - called Blind Rooster Soup. Check out the Photo Gallery for more snapshots of the evening.

Once a month several clubs are rostered to come to RARE (Rotary Australia Repurposing Equipment) and assist with packing containers, sorting and packing books, linen, stretchers, etc.. Yesterday was our turn. Books are delivered by the pallet load regularly, and the volume can be overwhelming. Yesterday we finished unpacking a pallet that was one of the first to be delivered to this site some years ago! Thanks to Donna Beattie, Bob Neich and Elwyn Hodges for helping our area find the side wall of the shed once more!! See the photo gallery for a few more photos of the morning, unfortunatley I didn't get shots of all members who attended, but your work is very much appreciated by our regulars - Anna Bray, Shirley Mahon, Donna Beattie, Wendy Becker, Lyn Packer and several others on a less regular basis. Any time you would like to assist, please pop up to our premises on a Thursday or Saturday morning 8-12. Contact Anna or Shirley for more information.

Redlands Coast Museum was the first major project of the Rotary Club of Cleveland in 1968. The management of the Museum was passed to a community committee in 1972.  We have a long standing relationship with this excellent local museum.

Members volunteer each Thursday morning and regular Saturday mornings to sort, pack and ship containers of repurposed medical and educational equipment and supplies.