On Saturday 8th June, starting at 9.30 am, we will be delivering wood to the homes of Family Works clients.

If you can help please let Tony know by email tonyhend.mavis@gmail.com or phone/text 0274233577.

We expect it to be completed by 12 noon pending volunteer numbers.

 

 

Please advise Lionel (Secretary) if you wish to place an order for Caps or Beanies - with our Club logo embroidered, as pictured below – cost is approx. $20.00 each.

 

Cap is 6 Panel brushed Cotton Navy with Gold Trim and adjustable strap at back- one size fits all.

 

Beanies - Roll Up style in Navy Blue or Black

 

  

 

Singapore Convention started with World President Gordon McInally having a “Mental Health” focus in his year as he lost his brother to suicide ten years ago and vows to do everything he can to help with more positivity and for people to listen and ask the hard questions, especially “are you OK”. 
My highlights from the opening ceremony were the Scottish national anthem sung by Gordon’s wife Heather, a trained opera singer, it brought goosebumps.  Then singer Callum Scott, who I must say I had previously not heard of, I had heard his songs but that was about the sum of it, but when he told us of his background, with a sister that suffered and struggled with mental health problems, which influenced how he wrote his songs, the reasons behind them and what they meant to him, and then he sang four, I was hooked. (More goosebumps and a tear or two). 

The ballroom where the opening was held is huge, but they still had to allocate us into two sessions, one in the morning which we attended, then same in the afternoon.  Apparently 14,000 people attending.  It is very busy and so colourful with some wonderful conference outfits/shirts being worn, especially the African continents, the women look very vibrant with sparkles in their attire and headgear.

Day 2 we attended 2nd general session and some very powerful women, joined by a young man who was shot in the face when 13 and his struggle to understand why, when people told him he was put on this earth for a reason, what that reason could be as he just got so angry, and how he worked through.  He says he used to get kicked out of class for talking, now he gets paid to talk, so maybe that was the reason.
A former peace scholar and now social worker, a minister of education, a CEO and founder of the Banyan corp, all sharing their experience of working toward making our world more sustainable and empowering communities to work together and how they have gone about progressing this.
We have managed to catch up with most of the 11 people attending from our district and today we went for lunch with “The Kenny clan” District governors from NZ and Australia in the year Lionel was DG.  There were 6 of them present, with partners, so was a lovely catch up and Wednesday night we will have a “last supper” with all the NZ contingent attending, there are quite a few from the North Island clubs, especially 9910 and 9920, so looking forward to that.

We are loving Singapore, most of the time we are in air conditioned spaces so haven’t really been too affected with the heat and humidity, around 32 degrees.  Noticed it most when we went through the gardens prior to start of convention. They were amazing.