Dear brilliant gorgeous, talented and fabulous Tassie Tag Along Tour Members.
Marvellous how a little time makes a great tour even more significant and magical especially when shared with brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous likeminded people.
Magic in so many ways.
- The magical instant blending of new members who were so excited they made an offer we could not refused hence the enthusiastic response to them with the planning of the coming October gathering.
- The magical coming together of previous members to compare notes, review new running gear and build deeper relationships.
- The magic huge effort particularly of Graeme, Pam, Ron, Marion and Peter, who presented their wonderful beloved Tassie in so many ways. They breathed real life into it through intimate history, detailed explanations and real inspirational farmers and creative generous Rotarians and Friends.
- The magical excitement of being together with a purpose.
The hardest question to answer is what did you like most?
Well actually everything. Chocolate coated strawberries for breakfast the first morning set the scene, boutique everywhere we went, contented cows, irrigation crops and pasture, mountains, power stations, stringy bark trees big bold and handsome, 85 metre swamp gums, pristine streams in ancient forests, general scenery that must be seen to be believed in a climate with attitude. We will never forget our bus driver from heaven on a gourmet island tour, a Huon pine vessel on a picture-perfect untouched river. Special cruises, scallop pies, oysters, cheese, salmon, raspberries, hops, bees, gourmet happy hours, coffee shops, scones, jams and creams, silver service meals, Kenn’s music, generous host clubs and people, air show, Government House Reception, Mayoral Reception, upland grazing country, beaches, towns featuring murals or plant art or sculptured timber statues or amazing carved walls couched in ancient mountains harbouring a multitude of azure blue lakes and the whole island package fringed with remarkably variable little islands. ‘A true gem surrounded by jewels’. Our 10 Island extravaganza Tag Along Tour of Tassie surely compliments the vast plains of the red centre and the mystique of Cape York.
Running out of superlatives maybe but there clearly is more.
Yes. the Tag-Alongers yourselves. Yes, you and you and the fabulous people in the van next door and the talented people next to them and the gorgeous people around the corner and brilliant people next to them. The synergy of togetherness in a spirit of caring and looking out for each other on a 41-day travelling experience is beyond explanation and it just gets better with time. It has a life of its own arising from the collective personalities, the presenters and the very land itself.
And there is yet more for travelling with a purpose has got to be one of the great enriching life experiences. Learning of Mental Health challenges first hand in so many ways pervades the collective persona in a positive way resulting in most generous giving amounting to just over $33,000 from individual members, clubs and the tour.
So, we spoke with Australian Rotary Health to advise them of your generosity and Joy replied ….
It has been a great outcome from the tour – well done to you and the team!
The process would be for advertising for a candidate to commence in about August and run through till December. Then an evaluation by our Research Committee would be held and the successful candidate – with the best research project – would be selected. Their scholarship would commence in 2017 first semester.
So, for your contribution of $33,000, the scholarship would have a value of $87,000 to the scholar, over the three years. Each year you contribute $11,000, ARH will contribute $7,000 and we will have the university involved contribute $11,000.
Best wishes,
Joy Gillett OAM Chief Executive Officer, Australian Rotary Health
Dear brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous Tassie Tag Along Tour Members you now understand why superlatives are appropriate in this instance. Because of your Tassie Tag Along Tour we now have a 3 year project researching Mental Health valued at $87,000. Congratulations to everyone.
May the conclusion to this expression of achievement and appreciation conclude with a beautiful thoughtful quote from Nelson Mandela?
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous. Actually, who are you not to be?
With every best wishes Pam and Graeme, Sheryl and Angelo, Heather and Ian
Rotary e-Club of NextGen 