Our guest speaker tonight asked that very question.

Mary Ellen introduced Dr. Ivan Lim of GROW MEDICAL.

 Dr. Lim presented of “Matters of the Heart” and encouraged us to know the warning signs of a heart attack. Chest pain, pressure or squeezing of the chest, pain in the neck or the left shoulder, nausea and/or shortness of breath are all signs to watch for.

Heart attacks can occur out of the blue, but some risk factors are high blood pressure, overweight, high cholesterol, Diabetes, smoking and lack of physical activity. 

While the last couple of days has brought some relief to a small area of our drought affected country, much more rain is desperately required.While it is out of our reach to make it rain, we can support and assist our farmers by supporting fundraising activities within our communities.The Rotary Club of Brisbane Taylor Bridge invites you to be a part of one such event.Our “Bush Opera – Supporting Our Farmers” will one held on Saturday November 17, at The Boulevard Gardens function centre in Indooroopilly.

Please help us make it just a little easier for our friends on the land.
For any further information, please go to www.bushopera@btbrotary.org.au  

Rotary Club of Brisbane Taylor Bridge members James Halliday, Deb Calder, Leanne Ford, Steve and Dylan Bennett, Georgina Gill joined President Jamie Knowlman in volunteering to spruce up the Oxley branch of the Country Women’s Association (CWA) hall this morning.

The weather was kind and the rain stayed away, however the community service project ground to a sudden holt when the paint ran out.
Well done and thank you to those who were available to help today.
A return visit will be required to complete the project in the very near future, so there is an opportunity for other members to assist.
If you know of a community service project that someone in the local area might require assistance with, please have them contact President Jamie Knowlman on 0403 054-314.

Sgt Michael Coulson, O.I.C., Sherwood Police Station which manages the Sherwood Policing District. Station has 18 Police operating through 24 hours per day. In general, the district has a low crime rate, so their role is to maintain public safety and gain the trust of the community. 

He spoke of crime in our area and mentioned that 50% of intrusions are result from doors being left unlocked so he counselled us to lock our doors ( including cars) and not to leave keys in obvious places such as kitchen benches. He also counselled us to be aware of strangers in the area. 

Given enough notice, Sherwood Police are happy to set up a stall at Community events. Coffee with a Cop is such a community engagement where the Police set up a stall at a shopping centre or similar where the public can meet Officers, have a chat and afterwards enjoy a beverage at their expense. 

Michael also mentioned that Snr. Constable Matt Shaw was the officer at Oxley’s Police Beat. Matt can also discuss many areas of police interest with the club. 

To report a crime, phone PoliceLink on 131 444 or visit Sherwood Police Station between 8.30 am and 3 pm Monday to Friday or call on 07 3716 4011. 

The Rotary Club of Brisbane Taylor Bridge Rotaract Challenge Shield presented.

PP Craig Clarke presents the Rotaract Challenge Shield to members of the Rotaract Club of South East Brisbane.
The annual challenge shield, which is competed for by our District 9630 Rotaract clubs throughout the year, was presented last night at the 2018 District 9630 Rotaract Changeover Dinner.
The shield was donated to the Rotaract District by The Rotary Club of Brisbane Taylor Bridge in 2012.
The clubs undertake many and varied tasks to accumulate points throughout the year to try and win this most valued of possessions.

Members listened intently to the presentation by the Principal of Milpera State High School, Ian Miller, on the role, structure, students and needs at the School. Milpera is a unique school where the student population is entirely made up of migrants or refugees with little or no English language capabilities. The primary aim of the School is to lift the level of English to a standard where the students can return to mainstream education at other schools or to pursue TAFE or tertiary studies.
Currently, the School has a student population of 180 from 22 different countries, ranging from Year 6 to Senior Level. Students remain at the School until their language proficiency would allow them to transition to other schools, which can take months or years. There are four graduations each year.
The School has 180 volunteers registered to provide support for the team of dedicated teachers. Discussions included how our Rotary Club could assist.
President Margaret presented a Thank You Certificate to Ian, with an undertaking that we would donate 20 doses of vaccine under Rotary’s PolioPlus Campaign in his name.

GREAT TURNOUT FOR TREE PLANTING DAY!

Members and friends of five Rotary Clubs turned out to plant 240 trees at the Oxley Creek Common in Sherwood, on Saturday, 25^th February, in conjunction with the Oxley Creek Catchment Association (OCCA).
The project stems from a pledge by the Rotary International President, Ian Risely, to plant 1.2million trees worldwide, one for every Rotarian. The trees were planted on the banks of a section of Oxley Creek to help stabilise the banks and improve water quality of the creek as well as bird life in the Common.
The Rotary Clubs of Brisbane Taylor Bridge, Inner West and Archerfield, donated funds to purchase the trees and to cover the cost of maintaining the trees until they become established. Other clubs represented on the day were Oxley and the Rotary Nomads.
The co-ordinator, Margaret Willis, President of the Brisbane Taylor Bridge Rotary Club, said the project was a great example of clubs working together on a local project.

Small Business Forum a Huge Success

By all reports, the Small Business Form sponsored by our Club was a resounding success. In the style of the ABC’s Q&A program, the four guest panellists were asked to respond to various questions posed by the moderator, Graham Young, a well known journalist, pollster and political consultant. The panel included prominent guests, Kate Carnell (National Small Business Ombudsman), Terri Cooper (Small Business Manager, Brisbane City Council), Wilma James (Innovation Adviser, Profitable Innovation) and Gerard Murtagh (Businessman and Telstra Small Business Award Finalist 2017). 
The forum promised to be informative and entertaining and it certainly lived up to expectations. The topics covered included the many challenges faced by small business; the qualities and practices of successful businesses; the need to adapt to changing times; the issues around industrial awards; the failures of universities to prepare students for the real world, and much more. Most stayed afterwards to chat with the panellists and for general fellowship.
The Forum was organised by the Club in support of local and nearby businesses, in recognition of their importance to the community and the economy at all levels. 

It seems like only yesterday that Jacqueline Rashad left our shores to embark on her adventure as a Rotary exchange Student in Solthurn in South Central Switzerland.

It was in fact almost 12 months ago.
Last night Jacqui jetted back into Brisbane to complete her exchange year.Met by her family, friends and President Craig Clarke at the airport, the first thing she commented on was the heat.Jacqui left -12 celsius temperatures 24 hours earlier, so it was a shock.
Also on the same flight from District 9630 were five other returning students.

Left to Right: Kate from Roma (France), Katie from Morningside (Sweden), Casey from Bayside (Denmark), District YEP Chair Wendy Howitt, our Jacqui, Laura from Toowoomba (Switzerland) and Lachlan from Tennyson (Germany).

This morning, members and friendsof the Rotary Club of Brisbane Taylor Bridge gathered for the Annual Changeover function.At this function the 2017 – 2018 Club President, Margaret Willis, was inducted.

Immediate Past President, Craig Clarke, passes the “Chain of Office” to President Margaret during her induction.

Newly inducted President Margaret Willis addresses the gathered members and friends.

President Margaret introduces the members of her Board od Directors, that were present at the function.