GUEST SPEAKER:  Carrie Clark

Posted by Ian FAIRNIE on Sep 01, 2024
Hands Up if you’ve heard of the International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians.
 
Did you know the IYFR has a presence in 48 countries? It is one of the oldest and largest fellowships in Rotary, with more than 3,500 sailors, or, more importantly, more than 3,500 Rotary member sailing friends.  Rotary Fellowships are a way to experience Rotary in a new light. It’s about building friendships across the globe, enriching your Rotary experience with new activities, and truly understanding the global reach of Rotary International. It’s about serving your community with specialized skills, welcoming new members who share our values and passions, and promoting Rotary’s deep commitment to good work – all while enjoying the things you love most. Intrigued? There’s a fellowship out there for you! Take a look at the official list.  You might just find your perfect match.  https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/more-fellowships
 
Did you know that Rotarian Mal Taylor is a member of the IYFR - before you heard him introduce our recent guest speaker, Carrie Clark from Kiind.  
 
Mal Taylor, a member of the IYFR
 
 
So now let’s talk about Kiind and Cruising Butterflies
 
Carrie Clark explaining what Kiind is all about

Kiind is the link between the boat owners and Perth Children’s Hospital.  Kiind takes thousands of families under their wing who travel this difficult road of serious health issues and provide help, understanding, friendship and activities for the children and their families. You can read more here: https://www.kiind.com.au

Carrie spoke to us about an event called Cruising Butterflies that our club has supported with for many years.  In the last few years Cruising Butterflies has been organised by the South of Perth Yacht Club, but when it began it was a partnership between local members of the IYFR and Kiind.
 

Cruising Butterflies is a fun day out on the Swan River for families that have a child with a disability, and the main things that Applecross Rotary does is handling the car parking on arrival, and later, greeting the families on their return from the outing on the water with a sausage sizzle and lots of smiles 😀😃😄😁😊

This year 46 South of Perth Yacht Club boats, 74 visitor families with 169 children who attend Perth Children’s Hospital, and many excited South of Perth Yacht Club members came together to make a splendid day for this year's special guests.  About 400 people in all gathered after a breezy sail and motor cruise on the Swan, to enjoy the BBQ lunch, listen to the 10-piece Ukelele Band from Kalamunda, play with the beautiful ‘Ambassador Dog’ from Guide Dogs WA, and also be entertained by the balloon blowing magic. 

Thanks go to our members involved in setting up the day - Gordon Dunbar and Brett Hammill, and to the other members who happily volunteered their time to help make the day very memorable for the families.