President's Report July 2025

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President’s Report July 2025

Our next general meeting will be on the 12th of August because our room is unavailable on the normal first Tuesday of the month. 

Our special guest speaker will be a new member to our Club, Jeremy (Jay) Dowdeswell, Jeremy has embraced the Club and has been very active right from the start, in Club activities, he will give us a talk on how he has come to join our Club and what his experiences have been. 

Our Pilgrimage is just around the corner on the 8th, 9th and 10th of August, just enough time to make a booking if you haven't already done so.  We have had a great response from our members which is really pleasing, so far over 50 coming from our Club, and about the same from other clubs, it's wonderful that so much support is shown. At each event we have held, we have had our wonderful cooks of the Club, help out with tasty treats and we need to ask again, if those coming could please bring something to share at Supper on the Saturday night, it can be a sweet or savoury, if you are already helping with the soup, no need to bring supper. 

A fantastic program of activities, thanks to our wonderful leaders and with a nice dinner at the RSL and bush dancing, as well as a Bring and Buy sale and fun games, it's going to be a fun-filled weekend. We have some great raffle prizes, delicious soup on Friday night thanks to your hard-working Committee and John West. A special thanks to Gary Scott who has put in a lot of time and effort and adjusted " The Boot" which will be handed over to the next Club. 

It's been a busy month, members of our Club helped out once again at the Gold Coast Marathon to provide drinks to the many thousands of runners which is greatly appreciated. and raised $869.00 for the club for their efforts, so thanks to the organisers Linda, Ron and Lesley and all those who volunteered. 

Of course yet again Eileen Flocchini-Beggs had organised 2 groups to enter the Kokoda Challenge, a gruelling event over 48km and 96km, both teams were very successful, The 48km team was Eileen, Kevin Ridgway and Toni Frame and the 96km team was Ryan Whitehead  (he keeps coming back) Samantha Lortie-Tellier, Ramesh Subedi and Ivor Williams. 

Well done to both teams, the 96km team made it in under 24 hours , their time was 23 hours and 45 mins , a fantastic effort. You should all be so proud of yourselves. 

The sheer will to keep going is a testament to their determination, endurance and the 6 months of training needed to be able to compete, (except for last minute changes)  as well as when they aren't training they are cooking sausages to fundraise, to be able to enter the event. 

The volunteers who helped with the track marking, on the checkpoints and of course the support team who provided hot food, drink and lots of encouragement a massive thank you, your help makes such a difference to support the teams who compete,  the funds raised go to the youth programs that are run by the Kokoda Youth Foundation. 

This is just a short account of the event, a more comprehensive account will happen at the next general meeting, so see you all there. 

Enjoy your activities.

Michelle Jackson

President